amiableness which is in God for which he is to be loved above all and in respect of which Mans nearest conjunction with him must needs be his highest felicity while a Man is a stranger to all this he cannot love God as God for himself but only for some fancied happiness and self-advantage expected from him See more of this and so the Mystery of the love of God and of our selves accurately opened in Mr. Baxters Christian Directory pag. 182. c. 3. That is a right holy love of God indeed if we love him as an holy God And it is not enough to love him as our great and gracious Benefactor but we must also love him as our Righteous and Holy Ruler and Governor A Gracious Soul feareth the Lord for his Goodness and loves him even for his Holiness but graceless ones contemn him for the former and hate him for the latter Psal 119.140 Thy Word is very pure therefore thy Servant loveth it So this is comfortable indeed if we can say the like of God himself if we love him not only for his Kindness and Benignity but also for his Holiness and Purity Flesh and blood would never teach this Corrupt nature is contrarily inclined Sinners either suppress the notion of God's Holiness and take up a most false blasphemous conceit that God is like to them and approveth well enough of them and their wayes as in Psal 50.21 Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self Or if they have an apprehension of his Holiness in that respect they love him not but have a great aversation from him and contrariety to him Now it is not being taken with a false Idea or representation of God which will pass for love to God This is but setting up an Idol in the heart Neither is it enough to love God as the God of Nature the Creator and Preserver of all things He from whom we have our beings and well-beings our great Benefacter who giveth us life and breath and all things who giveth us rain from Heaven and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness c. I say it is too short to love him as our Creator and Preserver but we must love him as our Righteous and Holy Governor Sinners do not take distaste at all that is in God or at all he does but his Holiness exprest in his most Righteous and Holy Laws this is that in special which they cannot be reconciled unto So they are far from loving him as their Holy Ruler and Judg as one that cannot but be displeased at Sin which is so contrary to his Holy Nature and to his Righteous Will They are not so much taken with God in any other respect as in this respect they are displeased with him But Holiness is as essential to God as any other Attribute of his Exo. 15.11 Who is like thee glorious in Holiness So they that would deprive him of his Holiness would spoil him of a chief part of his Glory Yea if he were not Holy he should not be God That Sinners who wish in their hearts that God was not so Holy and that his Laws were not so strict or that they might be exempted from his Laws or from giving account to God they interpretatively wish that there was no God And if it was in their power it is in their hearts to dethrone and un-God him Now surely such are so far from loving God that indeed they are haters of God Rom. 1.30 And well may his soul loath them while their souls abhor him Zech. 11.8 How many alas who love not God for all that he is pleased to do for them as they dislike him upon this account that he hath imposed upon them Laws that are contrary to their Lusts such will be found in the rank of those that hate him Exod. 20.5 The love of God as our Holy Ruler is so necessary that it will nothing advantage a Man if he should dy in God's cause as a Turk may chuse to dye rather then to deny his Mahomet If one of us should chuse to sacrifice his life rather than renounce his Religion professed I say this would not avail at all while his heart was more for his lusts than for God As indeed this is not to love God to prefer any lust before him what ever else one may part with for him So 4. If we love God sincerely we love him suparlatively we love him above all Psal 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee True love to God will not admit of any corrival with him will suffer nothing to stand in competition with him We cannot love him as God if we love any creature as much or above him For a Wife to love her Husband but as she loveth another Man this is not in a moral sense to love her Husband this is not true conjugal love So we do not love God sin cerely as God if we love any thing in the World as much Therefore certainly they that are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God as 2 Tim. 3.4 and they that love the praise of men more than the praise of God Joh. 12.43 they that are lovers of the World and worldly things 1 Joh. 2.15 that have their hearts chiefly set on these things they are spiritual Adulterers and Adulteresses as the Apostle James calleth them Jam. 4.4 their hearts depart go a whoring from God The love of God dwelleth not in them It dwells not where it rules not where it is not predominant prevailing over carnal sinful love and subjugating natural love though they are not totally eradicated here But hereupon some sound upright hearts may be questioning the truth of their love to God not finding those strong passionate workings in their hearts towards God which they have towards some creatures towards their dear relations c. To satisfy such As we distinguished before in speaking of Godly Sorrow there is a passionate Sorrow and there is a rational Sorrow so we must distinguish of Love There is a passionate Love which may express it self more towards creatures God being a Spirit is removed further from our senses and not so near unto our passions he is not directly the object of a passionate Love But as he is manifested and shewed to the enlightned understanding as most amiable and the chiefest Good the renewed Will preferreth chuseth and adhereth to him before all other And this is a rational spiritual Love Now do we in our setled judgment esteem and prefer and in our will chuse and imbrace him before all Do we indeed prize and desire an interest in him above all things in the World Had we rather part with all Possessions Relations c. than to have no part in him Should we account our selves really miserable without him what ever else we may enjoy but happy and blest in him though we were deprived of all
worldly comforts Would an interest in God with us weigh down all the World This is a surer evidence of true love to God if the settled bent and inclination of our Souls be towards him than any sudden transports and flashes of affection or passionate workings or ravishments that come and go and leave not the Soul in such a frame Well lay up this Note and try and judg of your selves by it So much as the Will is inclined towards God and the Heart set upon him above all things in the World so much there is of the Grace of Love so far a Soul loveth God in sincerity 5. If we love God indeed than we cannot be satisfied without an interest in God and we cannot but earnestly desire to have our interest in him cleared to us I do not say we must know our special propriety in him that he is our God before we can truly love him No but a true love to God is that which must evidence God's especial love to us and our special interest in God By being such as love God we may know we are in special relation to him of the number of those who are the Called according to his purpose Rom. 8.28 But if we love him indeed we shall long to come to a sense of his love and to see our special interest in him As the Psalmist Psal 119.58 I intreated thy favour thy face with my whole heart Lord one good look one smile from thee A little in the World with God's favour would give us more content than the whole World without it As the Spouse says Cant. 6.3 I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine So if God hath our love we shall be restless till we can say that he is ours till we can call him our own As they that are in love cannot injoy themselves unless they may obtain their Beloved As they say Love would be paid in its own coin If we love God we cannot be content unless we may be in his Eyes as them who find favour So we shall desire rather to enjoy the light of his Countenance than the greatest affluence of worldly comforts as Psal 4.6 7. But are not most of us of another mind How many that are more intent upon the World to get Estates here than to get an interest in God How many who if they may have the World smiling on them never regard though they are under God's frowns How many that seek the favour and friendship of Men more than the favour of God Doubtless such have not the love of God in them 6. If we have the love of God in us then we shall greatly desire and delight in his presence and mourn take on sadly in his absence Psal 42.1 2. As the Hart panteth after the Water brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God Psal 101.2 O when wilt thou come unto me If we love God we shall long for his gracious visits It will be our delight to draw nigh to God in holy Duties in his Ordinances and especially when we can find the Lord drawing nigh to our Souls as we are joyed at the coming of a special friend And as intimate friends are not content to be long asunder we shall not be satisfied without God's presence As Moses said Exod. 33.15 If thy presence go not with me carry us not hence He would have chosen to be in a Wilderness with God's presence rather than to enjoy a Canaan without it so if we have the love of God in us we shall rather desire to be in affliction and have his presence with us than to enjoy great worldly prosperity without him So we shall account this one of the saddest afflictions if the Lord withdraws and estrangeth himself from us as the Psalmist Psal 30.7 Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled We know not how to bear his frowns In such a case we shall have many sad and serious self-reflections often asking our Souls What is the matter what have we done that the Lord takes unkindly that has set him at such a distance We shall not rest till we have found out the cause and removed it till this sad breach be made up and we restored to our communion with God If indeed our hearts be with him we can no longer enjoy our selves than we enjoy him A soul that loves God cannot but say It is not good Lord for me to be alone counting it an Heaven upon Earth to enjoy him but an Hell to live without him in the World As the Needle touch'd with the Loadstone will be turning to such a point the Heart being touch'd with the love of God will be moving and inclining towards him it cannot rest but in the enjoyment of him as Psal 63.8 My soul followeth hard after thee Such a soul is in a trembling posture and is fainting for him when the Lord carrieth more strange when he hides his face Psal 84.2 My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God my soul even fainteth This is Love's sickness Are we thus sick of Love as the Spouse was Cant. 5.8 There is a lamenting love as well as a delighting love As the Child crieth for its Mother As we are grieved at the loss or long absence of a dear friend Absence is the Lover's night God's absence makes the darkest and faddest night to the souls of his People My soul fainteth for the Courts of the Lord because there he was wont to have fights of God Psal 63.2 there he was wont to enjoy sweet communion with him And my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God He would send his hearty and carnest cries after him So if we love God we shall seek him still though he be a God that sometimes hideth himself Isa 45.15 Thus the Spouse shewed how her heart went after her Beloved whenshe sought him in the streets of the City sought him in the broad ways Cant. 3.2 went about up and down seeking him and could not rest till she had found him As they shewed how they were taken with their Idols Jer. 8.2 Whom they have loved and whom they have served and after whom they have walked and whom they have sought By love the Soul is knit to the Lord and cleaveth to him Deut. 11.12 and it must needs go fore with such a soul to be parted to be separated from him Nothing in the World can be more grievous to it 7. If we have the love of God in us while we are our selves are in our right frame and act like our selves we are breathing after and longing for the full enjoyment of God in Glory We desire and are glad of his presence with us here yet are not satisfied therewith but set a longing after Heaven where our love to God shall be perfect our communion with him more immediate and our joy in him full so if we love God how
of God in us our indignation will be moved when we hear the Name of God profaned and see his Majesty affronted his Laws violated his truth and interest opposed Now what say you to this If you can be sensible enough of any injury done to your selves but no way touched or affected with the great indignities you oft see and hear offered unto God If you can see Sinners as it were flying in God's face and yet remain sensless and speechless having nothing to say in God's cause as the Psalmist was dumb in his own cause Psal 38.14 as a Man that beareth not and in whose mouth are no reproofs If you can have fellowship with Sinners delight in their company and rather countenance than discountenance the Ungodly and love them that hate the Lord will these things shew any love to God Would you take him for your friend that could see others evil intreat you and yet stood by as one wholly unconcerned And can you be friends with those who shew themselves enemies to God and no way manifest your displeasure against them and their evil ways and will you yet pretend to love God 11. If we love God we have a desire to win and draw in others to him Cant. 1.4 Draw me we will run after thee When she was drawn she would be for drawing others to him She was not content to come alone but would endeavour to bring in others with her As the Psalmist Psal 34.3 O magnify the Lord with me So one that loves God will be ready to call upon others O love the Lord with me O serve the Lord with me If we have the love of God in us it will grieve us to see others enemies to God As the Psalmist I beheld the transgressours and was grieved And especially it will be our grief to see any of ours alienated from God to see any of our friends enemies to God any of our Relations such as are near to us afar off from God to see any of our Children backward to that which is good Children of disobedience carrying so that we may know they have not the love of God in them We shall be earnest with God in Prayer that he would change their hearts that he would circumcise their hearts to love him What is it that we would chuse for ours if we might have our choice Whether would we chuse God or the World Had we rather see them in a state of Grace and in favour with God though they were never so poor and low in the World than see them rich and graceless And would we in the first place acquaint them with God Are we still admonishing perswading charging them to come in to him If we are less afraid of displeasing God by a sinful silence here than of displeasing them by plain and faithful dealing with them is not this to honour them above the Lord And if we can be well enough pleased with Children though we cannot see the least spark of Grace in them if they are but likely to thrive and prosper in the World and if we regard not though our Servants are backward to God's Service while they follow our business close if we take no pains with them to get them better principled such things would shew as little love to God as to their souls 12. If the love of God be in us then we are no longer in love or in league with Sin Psal 97.10 Ye that love the Lord hate evil How can we love God who is Holiness it self and yet be in love with Sin that is so contrary to God He that loves his Prince hates Treason and Rebellion against his Prince He that loves his Father Ubi regnat charitas non regnat cupiditas Lud. Carthus does not delight to walk cross to his Father The predominant love of God and reigning Sin are things utterly inconsistent If we love God we cannot but hate and dread that which would separate betwixt us and our God Here I may allude to that Text Deut. 13.4 6 8. Ye shall walk after the Lord your God and cleave to him And if thy friend which is as thine own soul entice thee secretly saying Let us go and serve other gods Thou shalt not consent unto him nor hearken unto him neither shall thine eye pity him neither shalt thou spare neither shalt thou conceal him But thou shalt surely kill him thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death So if we love God and cleave to him we shall not be for concealing and sparing any sin how dear so ever it may have been though it hath been as a right Eye or as a right Hand to us we shall no longer connive at any Darling Lust that would entice and draw away our hearts from God we shall be resolved on the mortifying and crucifying of it The love of God and friendship with Sin will not stand together Oh! think seriously of this While thou art wedded to any lust to thy Pride to thy Flesh-pleasing Sensuality or to thy Covetousness c. thy heart is not with God Thou canst not cleave to God and Sin both Thou canst not be for two Masters so contrary but if thou lovest the one thou must needs hate the other if thou cleavest to the one thou must needs forsake the other If thou lovest evil more than good as Psal 52.3 if thou art so far linkt in and in league with any lust that thy Will is more for keeping than for parting with it more for serving and gratifying than for subduing and crucifying it the love of God is not in thee 13. If we love God then it is our delight to serve and obey him 1 Joh. 5.3 This is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous So in 2 Epist v. 6. This is love that we walk after his Commandments To love him and keep his Commandments are joyned Exod. 20.6 Neh. 1.5 When a friend says If you love me do such a thing for me his Intreaty useth to have the force of a Command If God's Commands have no force with us it is a sign we love him not If we have the love of God in us Nunquam est Dei Amor otiosus Operatur etenim magna si est Si vero operari renuit Amor non est Gregor Mag. Hom. 30. we shall delight in his Law as the Psalmist did Psal 119.70 we shall delight to do the will of God and chuse the things that please him As we must shew our faith so our love by our works Qui non placet Deo non potest illi placere Deus Bern. As I told you before Love is a well-pleasedness with God above with a desire in all things to please him Now if we are more for pleasing our selves than for pleasing God more for having our own wills than for doing the will of God if we are more at Mens command at the command
heart to Pray to Read and Hear the Word c. It is noted of the Hypocrite Job 27.9 10. When trouble comes upon him will he delight himself in the Almighty will he always call upon God 17. If we love God indeed we shall desire to love him more and more and to express our love more and more We shall never think we love him enough or that we do enough for him or that what we do in God's service at any time is done well enough It will be our unfeigned desire to honour God more and to serve him better As the Psalmist 71.14 I will yet praise thee more and more Love in the Heart will set the Head on contriving the Tongue on pleading the Hands on working for God Love is kind is bountiful Amicorum omnia communia If we have the Love of God in us we shall desire that all we have may be at his service that our parts interest estate may be imploy'd and improved for him Love to God will put us upon holy Projects for God As it is very pleasing to us to serve a special Friend it will be our joy and delight to serve God to act for his Glory to do any thing to promote his interest And such as abound in Love to God will also abound in the work of the Lord. Whereas a Soul without Love is like a Bird that has lost his Wings or like a Chariot without Wheels it moves very heavily What such may seem to do for God is done without heart with no alacrity or delight but rather with pain and trouble further than self-interest and self-love carries them out Thus if what is done for God be done grudgingly and if we are weary of his service and if we are setting our selves bounds and think we have done enough already these things would not shew any love to God 18. If we love God it will be a joy to us to see others active for God Though we shall be ashamed to think how little we have done for God though it will grieve us that we can do no more yet withall it will be a pleasing sight to us when we can see his Interest and Honour promoted and advanced be it by others Though we shall desire in our places to do as much as those that do most for God yet it will be no eye-sore to us when we see others out-stripping us We shall honour them the more and shall desire to imitate them we shall not envy or stomach them But if we are offended at those that are more forward and zealous if we grudg that any cloud us by their shining brighter if we have a secret dislike of those that excell in Holiness and Vertue and quite out-do us in the service of God though the Lord hath more honour by them this is an ill sign a sign that we prefer our own interest before Gods interest and prefer our own reputation before his Glory and so that we love him not as we ought 19. If we love God we shall be ready not only to act but to suffer for him too Be willing to suffer any thing for God rather than forsake him Amanti nihil difficile Love makes any cross tolerable They that endure temptation or trial and they that love God are made all one Jam. 1.12 True Love is fugatrix timoris et animatrix confessionis according to Tertul. Many Waters cannot quench Love Where this divine spark is kindled it oft flameth forth more the more it meeteth with opposition It is intended by an Antiperistasis as Fire burns hottest in cold frosty weather How oft have the Faithful rejoyced in tribulation gloried in their sufferings Though we are not to run upon Sufferings uncalled yet how many have counted it à joy and pleasure when they have fallen into them I grant some may be carried on to suffer for God and his Truth who are only animated with vain-glory or with a vain proud conceit of meriting highly by their sufferings and not with a principal of Love Yet that Mans Love to God is to be suspected or rather concluded unsound that will not carry him through sufferings and tryals here He that loveth Father or Mother Wife or Children Liberty or Estate or Life it self more than God does not love him sincerely If we had rather incur God's displeasure than Man's had rather forgo an interest in God than forgo Estates in the World for him if we had rather venture on an everlasting separation from God than lay down our lives here for him surely we care little for him 20. If we love God we shall love others for his sake Love all Men love Enemies and especially love the Godly for his sake The Love of God includes under it the Love of our Neighbour and Love of the Brethren As it is well defined thus It is a Grace whereby we love God for himself above all and all others for God and in God 1 Joh. 4.20 21. If a Man say I love God and hateth his Brother he is a liar c. And this Commandment have we from him that he who loveth God loveth his Neighbour also Here I should say something of Love to Men. 1. Of Love to Men in general 2. Of Love to Enemies in particular 3. Of Love to the Godly in special 1. The Love of God will incline the heart to love all Men As it is a thing that God requires And as there is something of God to be seen in all Men Yea more than in Sun and Moon or the most excellent Creatures in the World that are without life and void of Reason All Men are worthy of our love as they are God's Workmanship as they are reasonable Creatures and capable of enjoying God and Happiness though such in a special manner are worthy of our love who are more especially God's workmanship being created again in Christ Jesus It is true the Damned are none of our Neighbors but removed quite out of all society with us and out of all capacity of ever loving and enjoying God And such as have sinned unto Death if we can certainly know them we may know to be utterly outlaw'd and lost Creatures to all Eternity for whom there remains nothing but a certain fearful expectation of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the adversaries But excepting such do we bear an universal Good-will to Men for God's sake with respect to his holy VVill and Command and to his Honour and Glory Then certainly it will be our Prayer and hearts desire that his way may be known upon Earth his saving health among all Nations And then we cannot but pity those that sit in darkness and in the region and shadow of Death And then we shall have aking and bleeding hearts for those that enjoy the Gospel and ordinary means of Salvation but plainly reject the counsel of God against themselves and will not attend to the things of their peace Then it will affect us
1.13 O the unparallel'd love of God in Christ Joh. 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son Rom. 5.8 Herein God commended his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us 1 Joh. 4.9 10. In this was manifested the love of God towards us c. Herein is love such love was never read or heard of What is there in all the World that should take so much with lost sinners as the love of God in providing such a Saviour Indeed there are some who have a kind of love to God grounded on those outward Mercies and temporal benefits they receive from him as Health and Wealth Plenty and Peace and temporal deliverances These things take more with them than the richest offers of Divine Grace Alas they are so far from a loving and hearty acceptance of God's Grace in Christ that they most ungratefully reject it Now such as slight and despise the highest expression and manifestation of God's Grace with what face can they pretend to love God upon this account Others speak sometimes as if souls must know their special interest in God and that God loveth them in special before they can love him But certainly that is a great mistake It is true the Assurance of God's Love is a special means of heightning and inflaming our love to God for which end more than for our own peace satisfaction or comfort we should use all diligence to attain Assurance Yet our first Love is not the effect of such an Assurance but a necessary Antecedent to it How can we know that God loveth us with a special Love till we know that we are such as believe and such as love God as Faith and Love are inseparable But though we have not this particular Assurance is there not ground enough to love God that he is infinitely Good and therefore most amiable in himself and further that he hath so loved us when most unworthy of his love and fit objects of his wrath yet that he hath so loved us as to give his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life That it is possible we may have yea certain that we shall have his special Grace and favour towards us we coming to him in and through Christ that in Christ he is reconciling Sinners to himself that it is a principal design of the Gospel and a chief errand that his Ministers are sent upon to beseech Souls to be reconciled to God is not this a drawing with cords of a Man with bands of Love That God hath prevented us with such a demonstration of his Love and Goodness towards sinners in general setting forth a way of Peace and Reconciliation Are we not all bound upon this account to love God though all are not presently to conclude that they are elected or that God loves them with a peculiar Love Now have we been drawn with these cords of Divine Love scil God's giving Jesus Christ the Son of his Love for us his offering Christ to us and with him all that our Souls can desire to make us everlastingly happy if we will but heartily accept of him Are we drawn with this his lovingkindness Jer. 31.3 are we overcome of that kindness and love of God our Saviour towards us 2. There is a Knowledg of God's Beauty and Excellencies of his most glorious and infinite Perfections that is to be laid as the foundation of our Love Thus God will appear most amiable We cannot love him as God Quid est Deus Quo nihil melius cogitari pot est Bern. de consid l. 5. but we must love him as most perfect as infinite in all Perfection We must see all Excellencies in him and nothing in him but what is excellent That he is infinitely more worthy to be loved than any or all the Creatures in the World as they all come infinitely short of him We must know that the virtue and goodness found in any creatures for which they are to be loved is but as a drop of the Ocean or not so much compared with his infinite Goodness We must see so much in God an infinite Fulness and Alsufficiency that there needeth no more to make us for ever happy while there is a scantiness and deficiency in creatures that we could not be happy in the enjoyment of the whole World without God It is true the knowledg of God admits of degrees And the holiest and most knowing creature in the World is far short of knowing God to Perfection But such as are meer strangers to God without the true knowledg of God cannot love him aright This Love is never blind It is impossible Men should love God for that which they see not to be in him And such as have very low thoughts of God it is plain neither know him aright nor truly love him 2. We may know we love God in truth if we love him for himself and not meerly for our selves Yet we cannot love God but we shall love our selves We cannot love him but we shall desire above all things in the World to be happy in the fruition of him And is not this to love our selves to desire the greatest happiness to our selves that we are capable of And God never requireth this that we should love him without seeking our own happiness in him And further he is to be loved as our gracious Benefactor Psal 116.1 I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications Yet observe the benefits we do or hope to receive from him must not be the only or chief reason of our love We must rise higher even to love God as God We must love him for what he is in himself Qui hoc desiderat propter aliud non hoc desiderat sed aliud and not only for what he doth or promiseth to do for us As Dr. * Vid. Of effectual Faith p. 133. Preston distinguisheth betwixt the love of Harlots and the love of Virgins Harlots look only at what they shall have by him but they that have right holy and chast Affections look as well at his own Excellencies for which he is most worthy to be loved Sound Love is not meer Self-Love Love which is regular is not only loving a thing or person good to us but loving that which is good in it self whether we have benefit by the same or no and loving the same according to the degree and measure of goodness which is in it Thus if our love be regular we love God most he being infinitely good not only best for us though in this respect we are allowed to love him but also as infinitely Good in himself Good in that sense as none are to be acknowledged good besides Mat. 19.17 There is none good but one that is God He alone is perfectly universally originally immutably infinitely good And hence a modern School Divine concludes Zanch.
tom 4 col 304 c. that God alone speaking properly is to be the object of our love He deserves all the love our hearts can hold yea all that is nothing to what he is worthy of Mat. 22.37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy mind And though our Saviour subjoyns v. 39. Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self yet we are not allowed to love our selves or Neighbours in that sense after that manner as we are required to love God As a great School-Divine of our own Mr. Baxt. Christian Directory p. 183. §. 23. We are to love God totally not only in degree above our selves and all the World but also as God with a love in kind transcending the love of every Creature We are to love God for himself but to love others only in God and for him And so our love of Creatures is a secondary love of God Vid. pag. 184. §. 29. when we love them with respect had unto God and for his sake Ita ut à Deo incipiat Zanch. per creaturas transeat in Deum desinat sanctus amor noster Holy love takes its rise from God passeth through the Creatures and does not terminate in them but in God The grace of Love Charitas est dilectio qua diligitur Deus propterse proximus propter Deum vel in Deo P. Lombard Sent. lib. 3. Dist 27. p. 627. respecting others is but a stream of the Souls love to God it flows from this Fountain The grace of Love is a loving God for himself and others in God under him and for him Now that God is to be loved for himself hence it follows that our love is greatly defective privatively sinful when we love him only or chiefly for our selves And this further appears in that the love of God is a chief and eminent part of that Worship we owe to God Deut. 6.5 yea sometimes it is spoken of as the sum of all The love of God is the abridgement of the first Table as the love of our Neighbour is the abridgement of the second But certainly this is not to glorify God as God to love him but for our selves for this is to love our selves more than God this is to set our selves above him to deify our selves And further if we acknowledge him to be God we must acknowledge him our ultimate end that the pleasing and glorifying of God is the great work and chief design on which we ought to be most intent whereas to love God but for our selves this is to turn Mans highest ultimate end into the rank of a means as Mr. B. well noteth This is instead of serving him as God only to seek to serve our selves of him Yet it is granted that God useth the principle of Self-love which is naturally implanted in Men and by this brings on Souls to the love of himself even for himself Though there is no greater obstruction to the love of God than a base corrupt sinful Self-love following a corrupt fancy yet Self-love regulated true Self-love which is according to Reason is no enemy to the love of God There is a lawful and regular Self-love by which we are led on to the love of God as best in himself and best for us If we truly love our selves it makes way for the love of God when we are convinced we can never be truly happy without him without making our choice our portion our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our chiefest good esteeming and desiring him above all and loving him even for himself and being willing to take up with him alone And God in himself is such an object for our love and complacency as would infinitely delight us but that our faculties are finite as we are our selves And suppose a Soul to lose it self as it were in the loving admiration of God so as not to have any actual thought or intention of its own Happiness yet it would be nevertheless happy while so taken up with God and ravished in the love and admiring contemplation of him It s happiness certainly would not be one jot less for not being actually designed and looked at in such holy heavenly raptures and ascensions of the Soul Thus a right judgment will determine that God who is infinite in all Goodness and Perfection is infinitely more amiable and delectable than our selves and therefore to be loved chiefly for himself and above our selves And that in loving God above our selves we do most truly love our selves as thus we should come to the enjoyment of God the chiefest Good that which is best for our selves Yet it is further granted that we are allowed yea we ought to love God for his Benefits We must both love and praise him as the Author of all the Benefits he hath conferred and that he hath promised to confer upon us only we are not to rest here but must come on to love him as the Ocean of all Goodness and infinitely amiable in himself And this also must be granted that Believers who love God for himself and have their hearts carried out towards him as their chief ultimate end yet can hardly discern it at first that they love God for himself and above themselves The love of our selves being more passionate is more easily felt and if we go to the common experience of Christians I doubt not but it will tell us that they were first most sensibly drawn to the love of God by a principle of Self-love working in a desire of happiness and a fear of misery And yet a Man is no sooner brought home to God but he is humbled and ashamed that before he was led away so with corrupt Self-love and inordinate love to Creatures that he hath not lived in the love of God nor made it his chief care and study to please and glorify God which is the life he now desires to lead He de sires that now and for time to come he may love God for himself and be addicted to please and serve God before himself and he would account himself more happy could he find his heart and life brought up to this than if he might enjoy all the pleasures and contentments of the whole World Now here is the beginning of love to God as God And let us be never so intent upon our own happiness yet so long as we practically judge and account our happiness to consist in the perfect love of God as infinitely good and perfect and Gods love to us here God is made our ultimate end But for a man to love God as one who he hopeth will not damn or for ever torment him as one who he hopeth will at last bring him to an Heaven of he knows not what sensitive pleasures and delights while he apprehends not at all what the enjoyment of God in Heaven is while he is without any sense of that infinite excellency and
should we love the appearing of Christ 2 Tim. 4.8 how should we rejoyce to think of the day when Christ will come and take us up to himself to enjoy God in Glory If it be so desirable to enjoy his presence here how much more to enjoy his presence in Heaven So this would shew that we love God if we are looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God as 2 Pet. 3.12 and if we heartily lament it that we are at so great a distance from him that we enjoy so little of him and desire the clearest manifestation of his love and the nearest fellowship with and fullest fruition of him above all the riches pleasures and honours in the World Then certainly we are taken with him Yet it is granted many times such as have the love of God in them cannot find in themselves such willingness to be absent from the Body to be present with the Lord as would become them and which they would attain unto But generally it is because they are clouded and full of doubts and fears about their spiritual estates or because they are conscious of present great unpreparedness they see themselves so unmeet for Heaven They are ashamed that the Bridegroom should come and find them so unready But yet they would not build Tabernacles and set up their rest here They could not be content with the World for their Portion might they always enjoy it They look higher And if they may not hope at last to come to the enjoyment of God in Heaven they must despair of ever being as they would be But alas how many are there who might they but have their lives perpetuated here and so enjoy the World for ever would never think of Heaven would desire no other Heaven and when they desire Heaven it is only in a second place when they can enjoy the World no longer but if they were put to their choice they would not leave Earth for Heaven And they desire not Heaven at all for the enjoyment of God there and to live in the perfect love of God and full conformity to him but only to be free from trouble and secured from the pains and torments of Hell and to enjoy a Paradise of delights to please their senses The Heaven that cornal minds are for is but a dream a fancy of their own That which is the Heaven of Heavens scil the full enjoyment of God in his love and likeness they have no mind to 8. If we have set our love upon God then our thoughts are much upon him Thus the Psalmist proved his love to the Word of God Psal 119.97 O how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day As he says ver 24. Thy Testimonies also are my delight Where the Septuagint read my meditation It was his delight to meditate on them Thus his love to God was acting in frequent and most pleasing contemplations of God As it is the covetous Worldling's delight to think on his riches and the Sensualist's delight to think on his pleasures so his meditation of God was sweet to him Psal 104.34 which shewed his love to God As the Lover delights to behold the party with whom he is enamoured The thoughts of the soul are its glances and serious meditations its fixed looks And if we have set our love upon him our most intent and powerful affecting thoughts are fixed on him Our best our most deliberate advised if not our most frequent thoughts are on God The soul is where it loves rather than where it lives You may be in company with one that is deep in love you may talk to him and yet he little minds you or your discourse his thoughts are elsewhere taken up with his beloved Therefore when you see one mindless of his business you will oft say surely he is in love So indeed the the soul that loves God is much with him in its thoughts As the Psalmist would remember him upon his bed and meditate on him in the night-watches And sayes he when I awake I am still with thee Thus one that loves God will ordinarily have his thoughts on God both lying down at night and rising up in the morning So when he is at work in his Calling his thoughts are ever and anon ascending up to God And when he is in Company he oft leaves his Company unespyed his heart and thoughts going out after God But now when it is so that a Man does what he can to banish God out of his thoughts when the thoughts of God are unwelcome guests are not kindly entertained when God is not in all his thoughts from morning to night at least not with his good will surely such a one does but vainly pretend to love God How canst thou say that thou lovest him when thy heart is not with him when thy thoughts are not on him Such as love not to think on him it is plain they are great strangers or rather enemies to God in their minds 9. If we love God we shall delight to speak or hear of him to put us in mind of him or to set forth his praise It will be pleasing to us to hear of God and the things of God if we hear the things that are right To hear his Word and to hear Men speak well of him according to his Word So we shall delight as to think on his Name so to make mention of his Name Though we shall dread to speak slightly carelessly of him though we shall abhor the abusing and profaning of his sacred and reverend Name we shall desire to speak reverently and affectionately of him Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Where the heart is full of love to the World a Man's delight will be to speak of worldly things such as he loves most And he cannot relish other discourses but it sounds harsh is unpleasing to him On the contrary when the heart is taken up with the love of God it will be ones delight to speak of him and to speak in his praise to speak good of his Name As we are forward upon all occasions to speak in the commendation of those whom we most affect so if we love God we shall be speaking well of him we are oft setting forth his goodness we love to speak of his excellencies and of his glory 10. If we love God it will be a great grief to us to see or hear God dishonoured Psal 69.9 The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me He took them to himself Yea to hear himself vilified would not have moved him so much When Shimei cursed him he could hear and bear it patiently So if we love God we shall be grieved at those that rise up against God with the Psalmist Psal 139.21 22. we shall count those our enemies that are enemies to God Who could endure to see his friend abused to see his Father wronged If we have the love
you rather err on the hand of Charity in making his faults less than they are than make them greater And would you not grieve so much for the wrong an enemy does you as for the wrong he does his own soul Would you not have so deep a sense of the greatest trespasses against you as of his transgressions against God as Psal 119.139 Then indeed it is to be hoped notwithstanding sometimes your passion is too much moved on a suddain yet that in cool blood you do love your Enemy 3. The love of God will incline one especially to love the Godly And every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him 1 Joh. 5.1 If we love God we cannot but love the Children of God for their Fathers sake There is no living Christian but is a loving Christian 1 Joh. 3.14 But here many deceive themselves and others Some only pretend love to the Godly to purchase others love and gain more esteem of others As Dyonisius maintained Philosophers not that he did much esteem or admire them but because he hoped to be esteemed for them Some love them from meer self respects As those they have been and further may be beholden unto as having received kindness from such and being convinced of their love and good-will towards them as having a dependance on such or being tied to them by natural bonds They that are not without natural affection will love their own Some love them for other common worldly respects As some of them are Men of Wisdom and Prudence able to advise in difficult and weighty matters or learned Men c. But first If our love to the Godly be sound such as will prove and evidence the love of God to be in us then we love them for their godliness Do we see a beauty in Holiness Are we so taken with it that we cannot but love those in whom we see it cannot but highly esteem such as the excellent ones in the Earth Do we love the Children of God eo nomine because they are his Children because they resemble their Father bear his Image As the Cynick Philosopher could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laert. l. 6. in Diog. p. 397. that good Men were images of God Are we taken with them for what of God or of a divine Nature we see in them As we are pleased with the Pictures of those whom we love and honour As on the contrary if we should see a Man expressing an hatred and contempt of anothers Picture scratching and tearing it soiling bespattering and defacing it we would conclude that he hated the Person much more whom the Picture did represent Do we love the Godly as such Mat. 10.41 42. He that receiveth a righteous Man in the name of a righteous Man shall receive a righteous Mans reward He that gives a cup of cold Water only to a Disciple in the name of a Disciple shall in no wise lose his reward In the name of a righteous Man and in the name of a Disciple that is as such upon that very account and not for any lower by-respects The Apostle had a great love to Timothy he thought on him daily he had him daily in his best thoughts and what was it that drew out his heart so towards him calling to mind says he the unfeigned faith that is in thee 2 Tim. 1. 3 4 5. Do we love the Godly for their Godliness in its full latitude for the whole of it and not for some parts only We may love them in part as godly or love some parts of Godliness without any true love to God and without loving them for his sake As many a natural Man is convinced and will confess that the Godly are better than they As Saul to David Thou art more righteous than I. So several parts of Godliness are lovely even in the eyes of a natural Man Plain-heartedness upright-dealing in ones Calling faithfulness in matters of trust peaceableness charitableness things which Godliness teacheth are commendable and amiable even our enemies themselves being judges And as godliness teacheth the best discharge of Relative duties so far a natural Man may love it in relations As it teacheth the Wife a chaste conversation coupled with fear thus a carnal Husband may love it in his Wife As it teacheth the Child to honour his Parents to carry reverently and dutifully towards them ungodly Parents may so far like it in a Child and love such a Child the better for it As it puts a Servant upon diligence care and faithfulness in his Masters business that he serveth not with eye-service but in singleness of heart so far a bad Master may love a good Servant While Godliness in the full latitude of it and taking in all its essential and integral parts is not pleasing but distasteful unto such Where it crosseth their corrupt Wills Affections and their carnal Interests and Designs where it reproveth and condemneth them for their sinful omissions or commissions where it galleth them they cannot away with it or be so well pleased with others where they see it 2. And if we love the Children of God aright for the Grace of God appearing in them for their Godliness then we love all that appear to be such we have a special love to all that are godly so far as we can judge So the Colossians had a love to all Saints Col. 1.4 So Philemon Phil. v. 5. So the Apostle Peter enjoyneth to love the Brotherhood the whole Fraternity all that were of the houshold of Faith 1 Pet. 2.17 To love all parts of Godliness all Grace as was said before and to love all Saints would be good evidence of the soundness and sincerity of our love But partiality here would bewray unsoundness and hypocrisy Surely that is a partial love if we love some while we despise and lightly esteem others who yet give as good proof of their godliness Some are ready to Saint all that are of their own Party and to un-Saint any that differ from them though the difference be not in any fundamental and essential point of Faith and Godliness and though perhaps the errour and mistake be in themselves Do not such love for an Opinion or for some self-respect rather than for real Godliness who look but shily on carry strange towards any though sound in all points necessary to Salvation and strict and conscientious in their lives yea though eminent in Godliness that are not of their Opinion Such have not learnt to love Saints as Saints and to love all Saints Suppose such as differ from them to be but weak in the Faith yet Christ would not have his little ones despised 3. And if we love the Children of God for God and Godliness sake then the more holy and the more like to God any are the more we shall love them and be taken with them the more our hearts will be knit to them as Jonathan's Soul was knit to
the pardon of Sin is promised as we find in other Texts of Scripture see Prov. 28.13 1 John 1.9 And what follows there Psal 32.3 5. doth very much countenance such an interpretation Blessed is the Man unto whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity and in whose spirit there is no Guile Then it follows When I kept silence my Bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long I acknowledg my Sin unto thee and mine Iniquity have I not hid I said i. e. resolved I will confess my Transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my Sin And he freely confessed his Sin not only to the Lord but to Man 2 Sam. 12.13 Hypocrites like the Pharisees are for justifying themselves And what they cannot justifie they will mince and extenuate all they can How much ado had the Prophet Samuel with Saul to convince him of his Sin And after all he could not be brought to a free serious and hearty Confession He confesseth but not without an excuse 1 Sam. 15.24 Hypocrites are not for confessing till they can no longer hide their Sins Or if they confess some Sins for fashion-sake they are usually such as the best are not free from They have still a desire to keep close their Bosom-sins 6. The upright Man has left halting betwixt two is really resolved for God and entirely devoted to him Thus his heart is perfect with God 1 King 8.61 2 Chron. 16.9 his heart is for God before all other it is not divided betwixt God and other things The Hypocrites heart like the Adulteresses is divided divided betwixt God and Mammon divided betwixt God and his Lusts That is a false adulterous heart that is divided betwixt God and other Lovers But blessed are they that seek him with the whole heart Psal 119.2 Sic ut eum solum quaerant diligant reliqua tantùm propter Deum Muis in Pol. Synop. Blessed are they that seek him above all seek him indeed for himself and other things but for him As the Psalmist could say for himself ver 10. With my whole heart have I sought thee The Lord promised Jer. 24.7 that his People should return unto him with their whole heart As he says of the main Body of the People on the contrary Jer. 3.10 Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart but feignedly Where we see that is not a true but feigned conversion to God which is not with the whole heart We must turn unto the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul Deut. 30.10 And thus we must love him Deut. 13.3 And thus we must serve him Deut. 10.12 And to serve him thus is to serve him in truth 1 Sam. 12.24 Serve him in truth with all your hearts Object But then where is there a Man upon Earth that truly turns to God or loves or serves him if there be no doing these in truth but with all the heart Answ Speaking strictly none do thus turn to God love seek or serve him But the phrase with all the heart and with the whole heart must be taken in a more favourable sense here So the whole heart and a perfect heart is opposed to a double heart a divided heart an heart and an heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A double-minded Man is the Character of an Hypocrite James 1.8 He has two souls as it were one inclining him towards God and Christ and Heaven another inclining more strongly towards the World towards Worldly Riches Pleasures Vain-glory or Applause He is double-soul'd and therefore unstable not knowing where to fix When he would give up himself to his Lusts Conscience is pulling him back and when he should give up himself to God his Lusts draw him back And his heart being never truly set on God it is more easily drawn from him than from the World from his Lusts which he is more for Object But is there not Flesh and Spirit two contrary Principles in the best Saint upon Earth Answ True Yet so that the Spirits interest is predominant the prevailing bent of the Heart and Will is for God But the Hypocrite is still halting betwixt two Opinions his heart divided betwixt God and the World Like a Man that is in bivio Of the new Cov. p. 225. in a double way as Dr. Preston has the Comparison he stands and looks on both and knows not which to take So the double-minded Man looks upon God and looks upon the World and one while he is for God another while for the World He stands thus in suspence Whereas the upright Man is come to his choice he is resolved what way to take and all the World cannot turn him His heart is fixed upon God his resolution thorowly set for God Though honest hearts do find unsteadiness as to Degrees yet they are not unsettled as to the Object The prevailing habitual bent of such hearts is towards God though they are not carried out towards him with the like ardency of Affection and like vigorous endeavours at all times 7. The upright Man is one that loves the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Cant. 1.4 The upright love thee Hypocrites unsound Professors do but pretend love to the Lord Jesus Christ the Upright only love him indeed Thus the Apostle concludes his Epistle to the Ephesians Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Here all the Hypocrites in the World fall short and are cut out While an Hypocrite in outward actions may may seem to out-do many a sincere Christian yet in the point of affection he is utterly wanting He wants that which should be the main spring of his actions He is wholly acted from self-love and by self-respects not from love to Jesus Christ which is the cause of that great unevenness in the course of Hypocrites They are not steady but off and on moved to and fro as self-interest and self-respects move and incline them While it is for their credit and profit and is like to make way for their preferment to profess his Name they would be sorry that any should be more forward to own Christ and his wayes than they but when the wind bloweth in another quarter ordinarily they will then face about and shamefully retreat or if they hold on yet it is still from some self-respect not from real love to Christ But the Upright heartily love him and therefore cleave to him with full purpose of heart and follow him fully even when he is most despised and opposed Like those good Women to whom the Angel spake Mat. 28.5 Fear not ye for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified They that love Christ indeed will continue seeking him when most despised when persecuted when crucified And if our hearts be not with Christ they cannot be sound and upright 8. The Upright Man is careful in his ordinary course to walk before God to carry as in God's sight and presence Gen.
for their outward Man but are still shifting for themselves without eying God's Will and Word or Providence or if they know not how to help themselves are presently sinking in despondency and quite swallowed up with distrustful fears cares and grief Thus far of the several Acts of Faith It s proper Elicit Acts. I shall further add a few Scripture-notes whereby Saving-Faith may be known 1. Where Faith is Christ is precious 1 Pet. 2.7 Vnto you which believe he is precious That which is called precious Faith will teach us to account Jesus Christ precious and all of Christ precious Thus to Believers the Person of Christ is precious 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love Believers that never saw him with their Eyes yet believing him to be such an one indeed as he is set forth in the Word they are exceedingly taken with him they cannot but admire him As the Spouse in Canticles was at a loss for expressions high enough to shew the loveliness and excellency of her Beloved After all that she had said in her description of him Cant. 5. she thinks her self very short and therefore concludes ver 16. Yea he is altogether lovely There is no true Believer but has high admiring thoughts of Christ sees him to be the chiefest of ten thousands To such his benefits are precious The Blood of Christ how precious 1 Pet. 1.18 19. And how precious are the benefits purchased by his Blood How do Believers prize a pardon How do such prize an Interest in Christ counting all things but loss and dung to that The Graces the Fruits of the Spirit how do they prize these above Riches above the most precious Fruits of the Earth The Love and Favour of Christ how do such prize it far above the Favour and Friendship of the World Lord do thou smile will such a Soul say and I can then be content though the World do frown Thy love is better than Wine Cant. 1.2 Nothing in the World would so chear the Hearts of the Faithful The presence of Christ Communion and Fellowship with Christ is highly prized of every believing Soul The Name of Christ is precious unto such and those things that bear his Name His Day the Lords Day accounted of above all other Days His Ordinances are prized The Doctrine of Christ as precious Ointment poured forth Cant. 1.3 His Word more precious than Gold His Promises exceeding precious 2 Pet. 1.4 And Prayer is accounted a precious Priviledg even that we may ask the Father in his Name Believers would not for a World be without this Priviledg Thus Chist is precious to Believers and all of Christ his Person his Offices his Benefits his Ordinances all are precious But further that you may not be mistaken here thinking that you prize Christ when it may be the Lord sees you are yet such as dispise him take these two or three notes to try your selves by 1. If now Christ be precious to us as he is to them that believe then certainly we are come to see our former vileness when we had base low unworthy thoughts of him and when our carriage was nothing less than a contempt of him How oft was Christ with all his precious benefits graciously offered to us in the Gospel while we did most unreasonably and ungratefully reject him we would none of him How long did we prefer the World and our base Lusts before him when we were called on to follow Christ how shy how backward have we been as ashamed of him or having better thoughts of our old Masters the Lusts and Pleasures we have served which we were loth to forsake for him Oh our Sin and Folly that ever we despised such a precious Saviour What a shame is this that ever any of the Sons of Men should be ashamed of Christ And what horrible vileness is this for any of us to have base thoughts of Christ And have not they base thoughts of Christ indeed who prefer some base Lust before him Hath he deserved to be so slighted and set at nought As he said to the Jews when they were ready to stone him Many good works have I shewed you from my Father for which of those works do ye stone me What After such unparallel'd Love and Compassion as he hath shewn towards us poor lost Sinners even when we were Enemies shewed in such a costly way as that of his most wonderful humiliation even to his dying a most painful shameful and accursed Death for us to purchase Pardon and Salvation for all that will accept him should we requite him so even reject him preferring his and our most deadly Enemies before him Was so great folly baseness and ingratitude ever heard of Surely if now we are come to see the worth of a Saviour and to prize him indeed we cannot but be greatly ashamed to think how we for trash and dung have sometimes trampled on that Pearl of greatest price Our former Sin of making light of Christ will now lye heavy and we shall be deeply humbled for it 2. If now Christ be precious to us as he is to them that believe then we have learnt to prize him above all things in the World Pray observe this we prize not Christ at all till we prize him above all You may perswade your selves Sirs that you have very good thoughts high thoughts of Christ as you can speak honourably of him but if you do not really prize him above your Profits your Pleasures your Credit or Honour or any thing you can have or expect in the World I must tell you you do shamefully undervalue him What low thoughts had Judas of the Lord Jesus who sold him for thirty peices of Silver the price of a Slave as some have noted from Exod. 21.32 the lowest price that the vilest of Men were rated at So do not they prize Christ at a goodly price that prefer worldly things before him Yea suppose one to have an equal love and estimation of Christ to that he hath of worldly things though indeed the Scales here are never even never at an aequipoise but the one or the other will weigh down yet if that were so it would not do Christ is set too low while any thing in the World is equalized to him and suffered to stand in competition with him Luk. 14.26 If any Man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own Life also he cannot be my Disciple Hate not comparatively Loving in a less degree is sometimes termed hating in Scripture As Jacob is said to have hated Leah loving Rachel much more Gen. 29.30 31 33. But it would not have agreed with Jacob's Piety to have hated Leah taking the word strictly And to hate natural Parents is unnatural and impious and to hate ones self is against Nature and impossible That we must there understand a less degree of loving And as Christ will
the Beloved and only begotten Son of God should die for us Sinners for Enemies to reconcile us to God and not only offer us a Pardon written in his Blood but a Kingdom an heavenly Inheritance purchased by his Blood how admirably taking are such expressions of Divine Grace and Love Shall not such love constrain us 1 Joh. 4.10 Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our Sins And ver 16. with ver 19. We have known and believed the love that God hath to us We love him because he first loved us Suppose a condemned Traitor that could have expected nothing but the stroke of Justice and a shameful Death should yet have a Pardon offered him under his Princes Hand and Seal with a Promise of the greatest Dignity and Promotion in the Court and Kingdom that a Subject was capable of if he would heartily acknowledg his offence and faithfully promise Loyalty for the future how would his Heart melt as overcome of such kindness and Clemency But we may well say here Is this the manner of Man O Lord God Is there any parallel to be found or thought of to the love of God and Jesus Christ towards poor lost Sinners When David had spared Saul's Life 1 Sam. 26. how it wrought upon him Is this thy Voice my Son David I will no more do thee harm because my Soul was precious in thine Eyes this day But Faith will give us to see that our Souls were much more precious in the sight of Christ who gave himself a ransome for them Again As Faith shews the Soul the wonderful and matchless love of God and Christ to Sinners so likewise it presents God in Christ to the Soul as the most desirable Object in all the World and the most worthy of Mans Love By Faith Moses indured as seeing him who is invisible and by Faith Souls fall in love 1 Pet. 1.8 A sight of God and Christ by Faith will work love to him Faith discovers the greatest amiableness to be in him And thus indeed there is some degree of love in the very first act of Faith as saving It is impossible to conceive that a Man should accept of Christ without a desire of him without affecting and embracing him as a most sutable Good Though the Act of Assent be before the Love of Desire yet this Love ever goes along with the Act of Consent and Acceptance As one sayes We do not accept Mr. Baxter or marry Christ first and only love after but lovingly accept him When we give up our selves to God and Jesus Christ to be saved by him in his appointed way surely we have a liking of him to whom we give up and make over our selves We must needs prefer him in our Judgment and Will in our desire and choice before all other Therefore our Faith is not Saving if it worketh not love yea if it doth not cause us to love God and Jesus Christ above all so that we could forsake all for God and Christ And the predominant love of God and Holiness as Mr. Cathol Theol. Book 1. Part. 2. §. 17. p. 91. B. hath it is the very Heart of the new Creature And as Christ as Mediator is the summary means and way to the Father to bring Man home to his Creator So Faith in Christ is a mediating Grace to work in us the love of God And then Faith worketh by Love Indeed when this Love is kindled in the Heart it is a most powerful a leading and commanding Affection it will work upon all the Affections Then there will be grief and sorrow for having offended God there will be fear of displeasing him an hatred of what is offensive to him a desire to please and enjoy him delight in his Service and in ways of communion with him So Love will put a Man upon Action This would make us active for God to promote his Honour and Interest And his Commands would not be grievous to us Yea this would make us ready not only to do but also to suffer for him This would help us to hold out in a way of Obedience and patient Suffering If we love the Lord we shall cleave to him with full purpose of Heart But of the Grace of Love see more afterwards 4. True Faith overcometh the World 1 Joh. 5.4 5. This is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith Who is he that overcōmeth the World but he that believeth Faith is a victorious Grace and every true Believer is a Conqueror He is a greater Conqueror then Alexander the Great He obtaineth a better Victory a more gainful and glorious Conquest of the World It is true that Believers do not here obtain a full and absolute Conquest of the World And where Faith is but low and weak this Victory is less discernable But as the more a Christian is raised above the World the more doth the Truth and soundness of his Faith appear so while a Man is at the Worlds command and plainly captiv'd by it he may know that his Faith is not sound and saving That Faith will never bring a Man to Heaven that cannot raise him any degree above the * Nee sane mirum videri potest si nequaquam vincit quae nec vivit quidem Bern. World 1. True Faith will overcome a smilling flattering enticing World The World indeed as it is God's Creature is to be loved and used for him But as Man's Corruption hath made an Idol of the World as it is that wherein Men commonly place their Happiness as it is set in Competition with God and Christ or set in Opposition thus it is to be despised renounced and crucified Thus the World is an Enemy indeed an Enemy that we did vow and covenant against in our Baptism when we were solemnly listed into Christ's service It is a deadly Enemy if we do not overcome it it most certainly overcometh us and a we shall fall and perish by and with the World The Apostle hath told us plainly That their End is Destruction whose God is their Belly and who mind earthly things Phil. 3.9 And such as are Lovers of Pleasures more than Lovers of God have no more than an empty Form of Godliness denying the Power thereof 2 Tim. 3.4 5. When Man fell from God he fell to the Creature he fell down to the World and he cannot return to God without being loosened from the Creature and raised above the World While a Man rests in the World he stayeth at a broken Cistern he neglects and forsakes God the Fountain of living Waters And how can ye believe which receive Honour one of another and seek not the Honour that cometh from God only Joh. 5.44 So such cannot be sound Believers that are more for the World's favour than for the favour of God Such cannot be sound Believers that are more for carnal Pleasures than for
to wallow in the Mire 6. This is a sure Sign that a Man is not under the Dominion of Sin when his Heart is turned to hate all known Sin As the Apostle though he was not without Sin yet he was not in love in league with any Sin no it was the thing he hated Rom. 7.15 If thou art an Enemy to Sin to all known Sin then certainly thou art not a willing Subject to it A Man would not take and chuse him for his Master whom he hates If now it is thy great care to shun and avoid Sin as an Enemy and the greatest Enemy thou hast in the World and if thou settest against Sin as thy worst Enemy and nothing will satisfy thee but the Death of Sin if thou art daily bestirring thy self to beat down a Body of Sin to mortify thy earthly Members to crucify the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts thereof this Hatred and Opposition of Sin is one of the clearest and best Evidences thou canst have that thou art not under the Dominion of Sin And where Sin is not habitually more hated than loved it has Dominion But where there is such an habitual Hatred of Sin though remaining In-dwelling Corruption prevails too oft so far as to draw a Man to commit the Act of Sin yet he is not thereupon reconciled to Sin and for a sinful Course But when the Temptation is over when he comes to himself to act according to the Principle and Habit of Grace within him he cannot but loath himself and abhor that Sin As Zanchy Ac certum est electos renatos Tom. 7. p. 257. antequam peccent odisse peccatum malle mori quà m peccare postquam peccârunt dolere odisse peccatum quum peccant peccare non cum odio Legis aut contemptu Dei sed ex infirmitate Fidei Thus though Sin gets Victory sometimes yet it never obtains a full Conquest A gracious Soul though he hath been worsted again and again will be for renewing the Fight So the Dominion of Sin cannot be concluded from its violent assaults on the Soul but rather one may conclude the contrary from the Hatred and hearty Opposition of it If the Sins which most prevail against thee are the greatest trouble to thee and nothing in the World would so glad thy Heart as to be rid of them If the Pardon of Sin alone would not satisfy thee without Power against it 't is a good Sign that Sin has not Dominion over thee 7. Thou mayest know thou art not under the Dominion of Sin if indeed thou hast chosen and heartily accepted of a new Lord if thou hast sincerely resigned up thy self to God and Jesus Christ If it be so that Christ is now Lord and Master in thee then certainly thou art not a Servant of Sin Thou canst not be under both these Masters While thou wast a Subject and a Servant of Sin thou wast a Rebel against God a Rebel against Jesus Christ But if now thy Heart and Will is to be governed by God and Christ to come under his Laws the Government of Sin is cast off If the prevailing Bent of thy Will and the general Course of thy Life proves thee to be most for obeying God and subjecting thy self to the Rule of his holy Word if thou wouldest not allow thy self in any thing thou knowest to be cross and contrary to his Will if it is the grief of thy Soul that thou canst not obey him perfectly if thou wouldest not have a Dispensation to break any Command of his but have Grace and Strength to keep them Then thou hast changed thy Master Rom. 6.16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves to obey his Servants ye are More I might add but I chuse to conlude with some Passages out of Reverend Mr. Baxter Thus he saith He that seldom or never committeth such external Crimes and yet loveth not God Christian Directory pag. 428. and Heaven and Holiness above all the Pleasures and Interests of the Flesh is in a state of Death under the Dominion of Sin Again It is certain that his Love to God and Holiness is not prodominant whose carnal Interest and Lust hath ordinarily in the drift and tenour of his Life more power to draw him to the wilful committing of known Sin than the said Love of God and Heaven and Holiness have to keep him from it Rom. 6.16 He that will sin thus as oft as will stand with saving Grace shall never have the Assurance of his Sincerity or the Peace or Comfort of a sound Believer till he repent and lead a better Life Again He that in his Sin retaineth that habitual Divine Love hath also habitual vertual Repentance for that very Sin before he actually repenteth because he hath that habitual Hatred of it which will cause actual Repentance when he is composed to act according to his predominant Habits Again There are some Sins which all Men continue in or the best are not freed from while they live as Defect in the degrees of Faith Hope Love c. Vain Thoughts Words Passions c. Where the evil is prevalent in the Will against the good so far as to commit those Sins though not so far as to vitiate the Bent of the Heart or Life Again That which is apprehended to be either of doubtful evil or but a little sin will be much less resisted and oftner committed than Sins that are clearly apprehendeded to be great Now if this Apprehension be wrong and come from the predominancy of a carnal or ungodly Heart which will not suffer the Understanding to do its Office nor to take that to be evil which he would not leave then both the Judgment and the Sin occasioned by it are mortal and not mortified pardoned Sins Again Though it is true that all good Christians should not indulge the smallest Sin and that true Grace will make a Man willing to forsake the least yet No good Men rise up with so great and constant watchfulness against an idle Thought or Word or Disorder in Prayer c. as they do against an hainous Sin Some things I pass over being touched at before I shall only add one Note more though already hinted at There are some Sins so easily known to be Sins Cathol Theo l. part 2. pag. 104. and so notoriously calling the Conscience to repent that to lie in them unrepented of long when the sudden violent Temptation and Passion is over and a Man hath opportunity to act according to his setled Habit will not consist with the truth of an Habit of Love to God and Holiness and of Hatred to Sin Of Love to God John 5.42 But I know you that ye have not the Love of God in you HOw sad is it if the like may be said of us How many that will say He is not worthy to live that does not love God And yet the Lord knows they are such themselves as have
be an offence of another nature a greater offence against them than to grieve them This is real scandal Like Peters withdrawing and separating himself from the Gentiles for fear of displeasing the Jews Gal. 2.11 12. And yet I confess when we care not unnecessarily to grieve the spirits of the Godly this is not to walk charitably Rom. 14.15 If thy Brother be grieved with thy meat now walkest thou not charitably or according to the rule of Charity But it is a greater wrong to them sure to be unnecessarily an occasion of their offending God and wounding Conscience It is no charity to neglect duty that we may not displease some of our Brethren when thereby we should both wrong our selves and their souls too thus allowing and encouraging them in their mistakes 7. If we love the Godly we shall take well their just reproofs and faithful admonitions We shall not be offended thereat nor have our hearts thereupon alienated and drawn from them Psal 141.5 Let the Righteous smite me it shall be a kindness And yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities They that are so in love with their sins that they cannot endure any should speak against them have little love to Holiness They that are offended at others zeal against Sin should not pretend to love them for their Holiness Prov. 9.8 Rebuke a wise Man and he will love thee None but fools would fall out with their friends for telling them of their faults If we love the Godly indeed it will more endear them to us the more experience we have of their love and faithfulness this way As was observed of Mr. Whately Clark's Lives Par. 1. p. 932. He was glad when any of the Righteous smote him and would take it well not only from his Superiors but from his Equals and far Inferiors and would really shew more testimonies of his love to such afterwards than ever he did before 8. If we love the Godly as we wish well to their souls we should watch over them and be ready to admonish them as there is occasion Bern. Epist 243. Habet vera amicitia nonnunquam objurgationem adulationem nunquam A sharp rebuke is not so contrary to true love as smooth flattery If we love our Brethren we must neither despise them for their infirmities nor sooth them up with flatteries cloke over their infirmities but do what in us lies to cure them As we would not hate our Brother in our heart we must rebuke him and not suffer sin upon him Lev. 19.17 And one offers this sense of it That if we know any fault by our Brother Byfield on 1 Pet. 3. p. 104. and feel our selves tempted to an alienation from him upon that account we must not suffer our hearts to be withdrawn from him but give them vent by a plain and discreet rebuke We must do what we can to reform him that we may not have our hearts withdrawn from him When Absalom hated Amnon he would speak to him neither good nor bad 2 Sam. 13.22 But how many alas who instead of watching over their Brethren to prevent their falling and to raise them up when fallen do rather watch for their halting How many that can extenuate or make light of the foul miscarriages of others who love to aggravate the least failings of serious Professors and are forward to speak of them to others never admonishing the guilty parties themselves Have such any true love to them Are they not false Brethren That in Lev. 19.17 Thou shalt not suffer sin upon him Some render thus Mr. Pools Synopsis Criticorum Non elevabis super eum peccatum Thou shalt not lift or hold up sin upon him And give this sense Thou shalt rebuke privately not openly As Mat. 18.15 Tell him his fault between thee and him alone And so it is covered as it were but when it is proclaimed abroad then it is as it were held up over him 9. If we truly love the Godly than we really sympathize with them We shall be like those Twins that used to laugh and weep together The prosperity of such will be our joy and their adversity and sufferings our grief and sorrow As it is Isa 66.10 Rejoyce ye with Jerusalem and be glad with her all ye that love her As if one member be honoured all the members will rejoyce with it 1 Cor 12.26 So on the other hand if one member suffers all the members suffer with it Now do we rejoyce with them that rejoyce and weep with them that weep As Job 30.25 Did not I weep for him that was in trouble Was not my Soul grieved for the poor Thus Nehemiah shewed his love to God's People when hearing that the remnant of the captivity were in great affliction and reproach he mourned and wept and fasted and prayed Neh. 1.3 4. He could not but look sad upon it Chap. 2.1 2. The believing Hebrews were companions with them that suffered Heb. 10.33 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were partakers had afflictions in common with them were grieved for others troubles as if they had been their own or more then if they had been their own for we read in the next verse they took joyfully the spoiling of their own goods So they had compassion on the Apostle in his bonds ver 34. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye sympathized as if ye had been fellow-sufferers with me So if indeed we love the Godly a friend loveth at all times we shall love them when they are most hated of the World we shall honour them when most contemned and trampled on we shall be pittiful and have our bowels troubled for them when others may shew themselves harsh and cruel full of spite against them The Trials of the Faithful will be so far from cooling and abating our love if it be sincere that rather they will occasion a drawing of it out more If we are only summer-Friends our love is nothing-worth 10. If we love the Godly we shall not be ashamed to own them when under reproach and sufferings When they are black with lying among the Pots we shall not therefore turn away our faces from them As Onesiphorus shewed his love to the Apostle Paul 2 Tim. 1.16 17. He was not ashamed of my Chain says the Apostle But when he was in Rome he sought me out very diligently and found me As Vegetius Epagathus was called The Advocate of the Christians Euseb Ecclesiast Hist lib. 5. cap. 1. We shall be ready to vindicate and plead for them when slandered reproached and unjustly condemned of others To be like the Samaritans that would claim kindred with the Jews while they were in a flourishing and prosperous estate but would disown them when at an under To seem to be on their side while they are countenanced and favoured but to forsake them when the World frowns on them would argue our love unsound To love them but in subordination to our reputation in
the World and to our carnal interests is not to love them sincerely Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the pleasures of Sin for a season And esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Aegypt Heb. 11.25 26. So love to the Godly and to their society would make us willing to ship our selves in the same bottom to take our lot with them in sufferings rather than forsake the assembling of our selves together with them 11. If we love the Godly than we shall be ready to relieve them As we are required to do good unto all Men as we have opportunity but especially to those that are of the houshold of Faith Gal. 6.10 We shall not love in word or in tongue only but in deed and in truth But whoso hath this Worlds good and seeth his Brother have need and yet shutteth up his Bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God or of his Brother in him 1 John 3.17 As one says of true Friends they will not come in prosperity when called but they will come in adversity uncalled Like that saying of Chilo Lacrt. c. 1. in Chilo p. 47. Promtiùs ad amic rum adversos casus quam ad secundos successus accurrendum Ib. in Zeno. l. 7. 513. As the Stoicks said Among Friends there is a certain community of those things which are necessary to life we using our Friends as our selves As we read of the primitive Christans Act. 4.32 Neither said any of them that ought of the things that he possessed was his own but they had all things common Then a community of goods was very needful and expedient when so many from remote parts came to joyn themselves with the Church at Jerusalem But instead of that community afterwards Christians were required to be ready to distribute and willing to communicate 1 Tim. 6.18 And to the end they might be more ready and free this way the Apostle ordered 1 Cor. 16.1 2. that every one should lay by him in store something every week as God had prospered him And true love would not be satisfied in our giving a few good words to our Brethren and fellow-Christians in necessity and distress as saying Depart in peace be warmed be filled Jam. 2.16 but it would cause us to abound in good works As the Apostle speaks of their work and labour of love shewed to God's Name in ministring to his Saints Heb. 6.10 And thus the Apostle would prove the genuineness and sincerity of the Corinthians love 2 Cor. 8.8 If we would prove that our love is not adulterate or spurious but right indeed we must be free and forward this way in ministring to the necessity of the Saints and that for the Lords sake And certainly while we grudg them any part of our Estates they have little share in our hearts Read Mr. Gouges Sermon of good works with Mr. Baxters Directions or Letter annexed To say as Nabal Shall I take my Bread and my Flesh and give it unto Men whom I know not whence they be or if we give any thing to do it grudgingly not as a matter of bounty but of covetousness rather when what we give beareth no proportion to their necessities and our abilities and is given more to salve our own credit than to relieve their wants such things would shew us without compassion towards them and so without true love As one sayes He that loves the Godly in sincerity Mr. B. Christian Directory part 4. p. 175. q. 15. He loveth Godliness and Godly Men above his carnal worldly Interest his Honour Wealth or Pleasure and therefore will part with these in works of Charity when he understandeth that God requireth it Job would not see any perish for want of clothing or any poor without covering Job 31.19 He that was so much concerned for any that were poor what care would he have taken of poor Saints Clark Lives part 1. p. 795 796. It is said of J. Fox that wrote the Acts Mon. c. That he never denied to give to any one the asked for Jesus sake And one asking him whether he knew a certain poor Man whom he used to relieve Yea said he I remember him well and I tell you I forget Lords and Ladies to remember such 12. If we love the Godly then we shall heartily lament the loss of such We are true Mourners when we hear of such being taken away When Jesus wept over Lazarus the Jews could say Behold how he loved him Joh. 11.35 36. And are we thus expressing our love to the Godly by our grief at parting with them Are we ready to cry out Help Lord for the godly Man ceaseth When the righteous perisheth and we lay it not to heart it shews want of love to them It 's true some can be sorry when merciful Men Men of kindness are taken away can bewail the death of a good Man or Woman such as had estates and hearts to do much good such as were Benefactors But the poor wise Man is not remembred Eccl. 9.15 The loss of such is regarded of few Few are affected with the death of the righteous as such though alas their number is but small compared with the ungodly yet how many that would not be sorry to see their company lessened How weary is the World of those of whom the World is not worthy But if we love them it will go near our hearts to lose them Acts 8.2 Devout Men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him Thus try your love He that loveth not knoweth not God 1 Joh. 4.8 He that loveth not his Brother abideth in death Chap. 3.14 Of Godly Fear PSAL. 112.1 Blessed is the Man that feareth the Lord. FEar is a reverend respect which the highest and best of Creatures owe unto God their Soveraign Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say some as some would have the Latine word Deus God to come from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fear Jacob calleth God the fear of his Father Isaac Gen. 31.53 The Seraphims are said to cover their faces standing about his Throne Isa 6.2 They cannot but adore and reverence Divine Majesty They fear to behave themselves any way unseemly in such a presence Jude ver 9. Even Michael the Archangel when contending with the Devil he disputed about the body of Moses durst not bring against him a railing accusation The Lord is the dreadful God He it is that ought to be feared Psal 76.11 Unto him doth it appertain Jer. 10.7 This is certainly the Creatures duty yea so great a duty that it is oft put for the whole worship of God Psal 34.11 Deut. 6.13 And 10.20 Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God which we read thus Mat. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God And the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for Fear or
Reverence and for Piety and Religion too And as we are required to serve the Lord in fear Psal 2.11 Deut. 6.13 So we cannot serve him acceptably without it Heb. 12.28 Let us have Grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with Reverence and godly Fear And as it is a great duty so it is our safety and security In the Fear of the Lord is strong confidence The more we fear God the less we need to fear Creatures Men or Devils The Fear of the Lord is a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death The Fear of the Lord is a treasure And he that hath it shall abide satisfied He shall not be visited with evil There is no want to them that fear him And no evil shall befal them Surely it shall be well with them that fear God Blessed is the Man that feareth the Lord. This Fear is oft put for the whole condition of the Covenant in the Old Testament as the word Faith is oft used in the New But before I come to the trial of our Fear there is an Objection or two to be removed Object 1. Is it not Man 's greatest and highest duty to love God and can we both love and fear him Does not the Apostle John say 1 Joh. 4.18 There is no fear in love but perfect love casteth out fear Answ 1. It must be noted that we are oft expressly required in the Word both to love and fear the Lord therefore certainly they are not opposites That one Text is sufficient to prove that they well agree Deut. 10.12 And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in all his ways and to love him Yea take this along with you if we do not love God above all and fear him above all he is not our God Isa 8.13 Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself and let him be your fear and let him be your dread 2. That Text of the Apostle John many understand of the love of God to us Calvin Heming Danae apprehended by us expelling fear that is fear of the day of judgment of condemnation As he had said in the verse foregoing vers 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In this love is or hath been perfected with us that we may have boldness in the day of Judgment If it be objected that the faithful are not yet without all fear in this respect It is answered Metus verè pellitur quia fidei locum cedit c. Fear may be said to be cast out because it is giving ground to Faith And though it may disquiet it does not confound us It is not prevalent as before Here consult Rom. 8.15 3. Yet I confess I am not so well satisfied with that sense which seems to be forced and does not so well agree with what follows He that feareth is not made perfect in love Therefore understanding the Apostle to speak of our love as other good Expositors take the words and seems to be the plain sense yet we are to distinguish of love and also of fear Love may be said to be perfect either for kinds or for degrees It may be called pefect love Beza Danae Esti Piscat when it is true and sincere and not only when it is consummate Again Fear is manifold and of divers kinds 1. There is a Natural fear which is a passion of the soul implanted by God whereby we naturally abhor and flee from what is destructive or grievous and hurtful to our natures This in it self is neither good nor evil in a moral sense It is not morally good for it is also found in Brutes in irrational Creatures that are not capable of moral goodness Neither is it morally evil For God is the Author of it as of our Natures but he is not the Author of Sin or moral evil Even Jesus Christ himself taking Mans Nature on him was not made without fear Mar. 14.33 Heb. 5.7 But this pure natural fear is good Physically it is greatly useful and very necessary for the Creatures preservation It is a guard to our lives a means to keep us off from rocks of danger Which is the ground of the Latine Proverb Timidi Mater non flet 2. There is a Carnal fear Fear out of its wits The excess of natural fear Such a fear as we read of Prov. 29.25 The fear of Man bringeth a snare which is there opposed to trust in the Lord. An undue or excessive fear of Creatures or outward evils A fearing where no fear is a fearing without just ground or a fearing Creatures more than they are to be feared a fearing without due bounds We may fear Men as the rod of God's anger but we must fear God more He holds the rod in his hand and it is not to be feared but with respect to him that holds it that hath the command and dispose of it Mat. 10.28 Though Christ as he was Man had a natural reluctancy to suffering yet he had no base carnal fear upon him Joh. 19.11 To Pilate boasting of his power Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee c. He answereth Thou couldst have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above Carnal fear is not from meer nature but from the corruption of nature and is sinful in it self attributing too much to Creatures and detracting derogating from the power dominion and over-ruling providence of God and is further a cause of much sin as we may see in Peter when through this Fear he denied his Lord and Master It is a great impediment to Grace an hindrance of Duty it quite unbingeth and sadly distracteth the Mind and Spirit where it prevails 3. There is a servile or slavish Fear Timor poenae non culpae A fear of punishment only not of offending or a fear to offend only with respect to the punishment This is the property of Slaves It 's true the wrath and sword of the Civil Magistrate is to be feared Rom. 13.4 Then much more are we to fear the Wrath of God his Judgments As Psal 119.120 My flesh trembleth for fear of thee I am afraid of thy Judgments But this is far short of the duty of Fear that we owe to God He is not only to be feared in this respect Nay this Fear is no further good than it leads unto and helps forward an holy filial Fear of God As the Needle draws the Thread after it as Austine has the comparison But as a Natural fear agrees to all Men a meer servile fear is proper to wicked Men. And yet we cannot blame them for fearing such an angry Judge and incensed Majesty or trembling at such punishment as Hell-torments but that their fear of God is separated from all true love to God and that notwithstanding their fear of punishment they have still a love to their sins that it is a torment to them to think of being restrained
Original Sin derived from our Parents We are Children of wrath by Nature We were shapen in sin and conceived in iniquity Some are proud of their Dignities Dominions But Man being in honour abode not in it but became like the Beasts that perish The Crown is fallen from our Heads wo to us that we have sinned What cause have sinners to be humbled who have not only lost that large dominion over other Creatures which Man had at first Gen. 1.26 28. but have so far lost their own freedom have sold themselves are captives to Satan slaves to divers Lusts Such who know what it is to be in bondage to Sin and Satan and are convinced of being in such a state will see no cause to be puffed up with their Honours Some are proud of their Strength But when a Sinner comes to know himself he sees himself to be without strength Rom. 5.6 That if he be left to himself there is no Temptation but would prove too hard for him That his Corruptions are utterly too hard for him That he is not able rightly to discharge any Duty of himself Some are proud of their Riches But the Sinner that knows himself sees himself run out of all with the Prodigal Luk. 15.14 That there is nothing he can call his own but Sin and Misery That he hath forfeited all cannot lay claim to the least of God's Mercies That he owes more than ten thousand Talents where he is not able to pay the least Farthing Some are proud of their Beauty But the Sinner that knows himself sees himself to be a very deformed Creature the Image of God which was Mans Beauty and Glory sadly defaced in him Some so childish as they are proud of fine Clothes of their Bravery But the Sinner that knows himself sees his nakedness or that he hath none but filthy Garments of his own that his own righteousness is but as a filthy rag Some are proud of their Wit and Parts But the Sinner that knows himself will be ready to confess and cry shame on himself as Agur I have not the understanding of a Man Pro. 30.2 as the Psalmist 73.22 So foolish was I and ignorant and as a Beast before the Lord. Some are proud of their supposed Goodness and Vertues But the Sinner that knows himself sees his Gold to be but Dross his fairest Vertues to be but glistering Sins Sirs if ever we were made humble it was this way by being made to know our selves what we were And why was Laodicea so proud but because she knew not that she was wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Rev. 3.17 And as this Knowledg of our selves is necessary to make us humble So to keep us humble As this kept the Apostle Paul humble thinking what a sinner he had been Hereupon he looked on himself as the least of all the Apostles and not meet to be called an Apostle because he had been a Persecutor 1 Cor. 15.9 And in another place he calls himself The least of all Saints And so those remainders of corruption and sinful defects which the best of God's Saints find in themselves while here make them walk humbly all their dayes Christians that are much in strict self-searching and serious self-reflection though they have more Grace than others that greatly neglect the same will see enough in themselves to keep them humble Yea I suppose such are the most humble Christians seeing more clearly and oftner observing so great defects in their best Graces Duties Services and so much contrary thereunto in themselves That there is so much darkness ignorance still in them that they have no more sound spiritual Knowledg and so much unbelief distrust no more Faith and trust in God so much worldly sorrow for outward losses crosses here and so little Godly sorrow for their own and others sins and so much inordinate love to the World and worldly things and so little love to God and Jesus Christ so much base carnal fear of Creatures and temporal evils and so little of a true child-like fear of God so much pride and self-conceit no more Humility and self-abasement so much selfishness no more self-denial so much guile no more plainheartedness and sincerity so much remisness no more zeal That there is so much backwardness to Duty straitness deadness and distraction in holy Duties no more life and delight that there is so much impatience discontent unthankfulness no more submission unto God that they are no higher in his praise That they serve God no better honour him no more The more that any of us know our selves the more we should see cause to be humble and humbled 3. If we know our selves aright we know our selves to be very impotent very indigent frail and mutable yea miserable creatures considered in our selves We deserve all kind of Miseries both to be miserable here and in the World to come And should such be lifting up themselves Lucifer-like that deserve to be laid as low as Hell Yea how many are the Miseries Afflictions that the best are here subject unto Psal 34.19 And can such be proud of the things of this life who have deep and serious apprehensions of Death approaching besides divers other ways of their being deprived of any earthly enjoyments Shall they be proud of their Estates that know they maybe soon blasted that know Riches have wings and see them ready to take wing and flee away Or proud of Friends that know Men of low degree are vanity and Men of high degree are a lie Or would such be proud of their Gifts Graces Comforts Experiences that know how short they come every way and know that to grow proud of any of these is the way to be cut shorter Now let us reflect on these things and on our selves Have we this self-aquaintance This is the necessary ground-work of Humility Without it true Humility can neither be attained nor maintained 2. True Humility is an Effect or Consequent of sound Humiliation Sound Humiliation ushereth in Humility Siquidem humiliatio via est ad Humilitatem Bern. Epist 88. sicut Patientia ad Pacem sicut Lectio ad Scientiam Though many have been humbled after a sort that were never humble as we heard before yet speaking of sinful creatures none are truly humble that have not been soundly humbled Though all such are not laid under like terrours in the work Some are brought down in a more gentle way But observe it the humble spirit is a contrite spirit Isa 57.15 It is true as was said before a sense of God's transcendently glorious and infinite Perfections is enough to humble the holy Angels or to keep them humble but to humble a Sinner there must be also a true sense of his own sinful imperfections An innocent creature must be humble a guilty sinful creature must be humbled as well as humble yea without being kindly humbled and brought to loath himself for sin the sinfulness of his nature
is said of the proud Prince of Tyrus Ezek. 28.6 he makes a God of himself who makes self his end who aims at his own praise in what he does It is one of God's incommunicable Attributes to act for his own Glory Though it be not incommunicable in that sense as other Attributes are as Omnipotency Omnipresence Omniscience c. which are no way compatible to a Creature It is not a thing impossible for a Creature to act for its own glory yet it is utterly unlawful plainly crossing and contradicting the end for which God made it He made all things for himself and made Man a reasonable Creature capable of knowing God his dependance on and obligations to his Maker that he should actually design and aim at God's Glory Now when a Man acteth for his own Glory he sets up a wrong end directly contrary to the end for which he was made and in his Pride lifts up himself against God And how intollerable is that They that seek honour from Men that do all to be seen of Men that they may have glory from Men with the Pharisees certainly they are far from true Humility Pride yet reigneth in them Take notice how your Pulse beats here Proud spirits are for all the applause and honour they can get They would be extolled and cryed up of every one They think others wrong them if they do not praise and flatter them Whereas the Humble are afraid of undue praise from Men. He dares not allow of any praises given him that would in the least eclipse or diminish the Praise and Glory of God He is not pleased tickled but rather disquieted set a trembling when he hears himself commended he fears a snare in it He would not that Pride should have any such advantage and opportunity to lift up its head A good Man layes this down as a singular act of Humility Mr. White Power of Godliness p. 53. to be troubled at all undue Praises as much as others are at unjust Slanders And happy is that soul that can find it in it self This would shew an high degree of Humility But this is no sign of Humility to be over-fond or greedy of Mans praise An habitual excessive regard to Mans approbation or habitual excessive desire of Mans applause is a plain evidence of prevailing Pride 9. Humility would make us willing and very well content to lie low in the thoughts and esteem of others It would teach one how to pass through honour and dishonour through good report and evil report The Humble will not be much moved with Mens revilings as they are not puffed up with the breath of applause Let the Winds be never so high and blow which way they will they have little force on one that lieth flat on the ground And one that lieth low in his own thoughts will bear it very well if he perceives that others have low thoughts of him One that truly abhors him self will not think much to be despised and contemned of others But when a Man will speak contemptibly of himself of his gifts and performances and yet think himself wronged if others do not praise him somuch the more when a Man would take it ill that others should think and speak as meanly of him as he will speak of him self how ever he makes a fair shew of Humility puts on a cloak of Humility yet he has a false and proud spirit within 10. Humility will make a Man content in and with his station It is contrary to a course of ambitious aspiring thoughts projects and attempts Psal 131.1 Lord my heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lofty neither do I exercise my self in great matters or in things too high for me Pride is the grand Vsurper This puts Men upon invading those Offices and Employments which belong not to them which they are no way fit for Proud Spirits being so conceited of their own abilities and deserts think that they are the Men who should be chosen into Offices and that none are so fit to be trusted or employed as they As Absolom 2 Sam. 15.4 O that I were made Judg in the Land that every Man which hath any Suit or Cause might come unto me and I would do him Justice He thought he could have ruled better than his Father The Humble rather complain of unfitness for the Work to which they are called As Moses said Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh Exod. 3.11 O my Lord I am not Eloquent chap. 4.10 And Jeremiah Ah Lord God behold I cannot speak for I am a Child They that are lowly minded are willing to be placed in a lower sphere I'ts true if the Lord be pleased to exalt them they may not withstand him and his call But they are not for exalting themselves Humility is so contrary to Ambition that it teacheth submission submission to the meanest and lowest works one is called to It teacheth to condescend to Men of low estate Rom. 12.16 It is for stooping to the meanest Offices of love as Christ taught his Disciples Joh. 13. As Abigail said I am not worthy to wash the feet of the Servants of my Lord. Servants that are proud cannot bring their minds to the lowest work but would have others under them to be their drudges Humble minds are willing to take their work before them would buckle to the meanest services that their Lord and Master sets them on 11. Humility will teach Moderation and keep the heart in an even frame in various conditions The Humble are not so lifted up as others in prosperity They can be advanced in the World and yet not lifted up in themselves but lowly in spirit They are not so apt to sink in Adversity or when abased in the World As Ships that carry a low Sail are in less danger of being over-set with violent gusts of Wind. Here is a Mystery a Riddle a Paradox to lie low in our own thoughts is a good way to prevent dejection being cast down too much in our Spirits So 12. Humlity will teach Patience in Affliction The truly humble from the sense they have of their sinfulness and unworthiness are oft wondering that they should enjoy any Mercy and that they are no more afflicted They wonder that they are not afflicted only and oppressed alway They cannot but confess with Ezra that God punisheth less than their iniquities deserve Ezr. 9.13 The proud are full of fret and sullen under crosses as if they were hardly dealt with As we read of Cain Gen. 4.5 his Countenance fell When God layes his afflicting hand on them their Countenances fall And 't is from the height of their spirits that they cannot bear across There is a casting down as Dr. Souls confl p. 42. Sibs sayes which is not from Humility but Pride when we must have our Wills or God shall not have a good look from us Many whose hearts are ready to break under their outward Crosses when if they were
brings down a rebellious Will As it is contrary to Self-conceitedness so to Self-willedness This is the great Controversie betwixt God and Sinners whose Will shall stand his or theirs But Self-denial where it comes decides the cause for God One that truly denies himself would have no will of his own but what is subject to the Will of God He resolvedly crosseth his own will wherein he sees it cross and contrary to the Will of God And thus it is plain They that walk in the way of their own hearts that are fully bent upon their own wills that give up themselves in their ordinary course to follow their own sinful Inclinations are far from Self-denial Self-denial and a course of wilful disobedience Self-denial and any reigning Sin are things utterly inconsistent A will to please God and a will to please our selves in any way or course which we know to be contrary to the Mind and Will of God cannot be both together in a prevailing degree 7. Self-denial is not consistent with reigning inordinate Self-love It 's true there is a regular Self-love which is not contrary to Self-denial Indeed there are none that do so truly love themselves as those that have learnt to deny themselves for God and Jesus Christ who love God and Jesus Christ above themselves But a corrupt Self-love where it is predominant excludes the true love of God and the love of our Neighbour and all true Self-denial By this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Man prefers and esteems himself and his own things above all other is most pleased with himself and most devoted to himself in short by this a Man makes an Idol of himself This Self-love is blind indeed and makes Men blind It will not let a Man see the evil of his state and of his way and course It is a chief cause of Self-flattery Self-deceit But the grand impediment and obstruction of Self-denial This Self-love is the heart of the Old-Man till this be mortified we can neither die to Sin nor live to God So while sinful Self-love is in full power we are far from Self-denial 8. Self-denial will heartily engage a Man against a sensual flesh-pleasing course For one to place his Happiness in pleasing his Appetite or Senses in Meats Drinks fine Apparels Pastimes and Recreations c. to mind such things more than the pleasing and enjoying of God to be more set upon them is a plain evidence that he is in the flesh and walks after the flesh which is most contrary to a Self-denying life Yea though he do not run into the excess of Riot which loose profane debauched Persons give themselves up unto Mr. Baxt. Christian Directory p. 271. §. 20. As is well observed Even the flesh it self may forbid a sensualist to be Drunk or to eat till he be Sick for Sickness and Shame are displeasing to the flesh It is enough to prove a Man a Sensualist and still for Self while he aimeth at the pleasing of his Appetite or Senses even as his end and looketh no higher surely we should be for pleasing these no further than may promote our main Work may help us on in the lively chearful Service of God And whether we Eat or Drink or Recreate our selves at any time that should be our end even that we may be fitter to serve and glorifie our Maker and Redeemer Now such as have no respect hereunto and such as are for pleasing the Flesh though God be displeased have not yet learn'd to deny themselves Self-denial would teach us to pinch and displease rather than pamper the Flesh And they that cannot deny their Excesses for God stint their inordinate Appetites refrain from immoderate Recreations cut off and cast away their proud and vain fashions of Attire that commend them to none unless it be to light and vain Persons how shall such deny and forsake all for God 9. Self-denial is opposit to a course of Self-seeking and will cause a Man habitually and most ordinarily to prefer God's Interest above his own Surely they are altogether strangers to Self-denial that are all for seeking their own things and not the things which are Jesus Christs And if we seek our own things more heartily seriously and earnestly than the things of Christ what would this shew but that inordinate self-Self-love is predominant in us And does it not argue plain selfishness when Men are chiefly led by self-ends and most set upon self-interest when Men are more for their own interest than for the interest of Christ Now how full is the World of such as are for enriching and advancing themselves who little or nothing regard the advancement of the Kingdom and Interest of Christ How many whatever pretentions they make of serving Christ yet their intentions and designs are rather to serve themselves of him And that are indeed for no more of Religion than will stand with and promote their worldly interest supposing that gain is Godliness as the Apostle speaks of them 1 Tim. 6.5 How many that will follow Christ no further than may be in the way to riches and preferment in the World But such as have learn'd to deny themselves would not seek their own things above or in competition with the things of Christ but only in subordination to those higher things While others follow Christ but for self such follow their worldly Callings and ordinary Imployments for Christ They are painful and diligent in their Callings but if you ask who they work for It is not for the flesh not for self but for God and Christ They are laying up for God and laying out for God When we have given our own selves to God as they did 2 Cor. 8.5 accounting our selves no more our own we shall make over all we have to God and shall desire to use and imploy our Parts Interest Estate c. for him according to his Will We shall not account any thing so our own as for us to use how we please but as may be most pleasing to God But if we are at excessive pains and at great cost and charge for Self while we care not how little we are at in God's Service if we think we can never lay up enough for Self or care not how much we lay out on Self and how little we lay out for God and Christ if we think a little expended in works of Charity or for Pious-uses too much such things would bewray base selfishness they are no signs of Self-denial 10. Self-denial will take a Man off from hunting after vain applause One of a self-denying spirit is more for the favour and approbation of God than for the praise of Man It 's true he may and ought to prize a good Name he would not do any thing to wound and blemish his Credit But it is not so much on his own account that he is tender of his good Name and Reputation as upon the account of Religion with respect to the
sense emulate them We should strive at least to overtake those that are foremost Yea true Zeal for God and Godliness will not set it self any bounds or limits You cannot call them zealous that stint themselves and count it an high point of prudence and discretion not to be too forward in Religion But as Love so Zeal is like Fire that cannot be hid it will break forth Quis enim celaverit ignem Lumine qui semper proditur ipse suo Such as are afraid of being counted zealous as if it was a matter of disgrace are far from such a spirit as David had who when he was mocked and despised of Michal spake resolvedly I will yet be more vile than thus if this be to be vile Fire is one of those things which say not It is enough Prov. 30.16 So true Zeal never says It is enough A zealous Christian would have more Grace more Zeal for God They that are zealous of good works desire to abound more and more in good works 18. True Zeal is not for a spurt for a flash it is constant a Fire that never goes out Like that Fire upon the Altar Lev. 6.13 Though I must grant the Zeal of a true Christian doth not flame up at all times alike yet it is never totally extinguished It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing Gal. 4.18 And this is a good sign thy Zeal is right if it be constant There are some whose Zeal is but a flash scarce any sooner in than out again Some have a burning fit of Zeal for a while that is quickly over Their praeter-natural heat stays not But true Zeal is like the natural heat of the Body that continues as long as one lives Yea though it is like Fire in green wood subject to go out if it be not blown up yet that Spirit which first kindled this spark in Believers is given to dwell in them and to abide with them for ever And therefore though there may be some decays of Holy Zeal for a time yet it is stirred up again in the Faithful and usually burneth clearer after it is recovered As we sometimes see Fire blaze up more after a dash of water cast on it Yea ordinarily as we may observe a flame mount highest before it goes out ordinarily I say a Christians Zeal is most raised the nearer he is to his end But such as once seemed very forward for that which is good but are quite fallen off again have quite out-lived their Zeal they even give others cause enough to suspect that they were never sound OF A Lively Hope ROM 12.12 Rejoycing in Hope TO go on to the Trial of all other Christian Vertues might upon some accounts cross my design in what is Written which is to help and direct ordinary Christians in the Trial and exercise of Grace even such as cannot purchase or have not time to peruse large Volums I have spoken of the chief Cardinal Graces and shewed how they work how they may be known Prove these in your selves and there is no question but you have the whole Train of those better things that necessarily accompany Salvation As without these any other Vertues you may seem to have as Temperance Patience Meekness c. are but Shadows and Counterfeits So that I might make a Full-stop at what is Written Yet because many are kept off from any serious examination of their Estates satisfying themselves with this That they have Hopes and some That they have Joys too never enquiring How they came by them or of what kind they are Therefore before I conclude this Treatise I shall shew you how you may know whether your Hope and Joy be sound or no. And first of Hope But let me premise these Three Things 1. It is unquestionable that there is a false a deceiving Hope as well as a true and certain Hope There is a dead Hope as well as a lively Hope There is a confounding Hope as well as an Hope that maketh not ashamed There is the Hope of the Hypocrite Job 8.13 as well as the Hope of the Righteous Prov. 10.28 2. Better no Hopes than false Hopes As we may allude to that Prov. 26.12 Seest thou a Man wise in his own conceit There is more hope of a Fool than of him So there is more Hope of Sinners that are most despondent in one sense without Hope than of such as are very confident high in their Hopes but without any ground And how sad is it as I remember one says to sail on smoothly to Hell having Heaven all the while in view Hope that is like to end in horrour and utter desperation is not worth having 3. It is justly to be suspected that their Hopes are groundless and false who are unwilling to bring them to the Test and Trial. That part of a Man's Body which he could not endure to have touched we would conclude not right or sound But if your Hope be right it would not suffer any injury or damage by a fair impartial Trial but be more confirmed Now if you ask What is Christian Hope I answer It is a longing and fiducial expectation of Good promised to come in God's Time and Way Faith and Hope are very near akin Yet thus they differ 1. In Order Faith in order of nature is before Hope Hope is the Daughter at least the youngest Sister of Faith 2. In the Object Faith has respect to the whole Word of God Hope to the Word of Promise Good only is the object of Hope And Future Good Quod speratur non possidetur good to be received and enjoyed Rom. 8.24 Or if I may be said to hope that I am in a state of Grace that my Sins are pardoned which is hope of a present Good if my Hope be sound or if I say I hope God heard my prayer at such a time and gave in such a Mercy in answer to it here seems to be Hope of a thing past Here the word Hope seems to be used more improperly or taken more largely It is more properly a Perswasion though short of full Perswasion or Assurance But properly Hope looks at Good to come Whereas what is past may be the object of Faith as well as what is to come As we believe the Creation of the World a thing past as well as the Resurrection of the Body which is future 3. In their proper formal Acts. Faith apprehends and assents to the truth of the Promises Hope expects and looks for the Good promised An expectation of Good is the formal Act of Hope And herein also it is differenced from or contrary to Fear which is an expectation of Evil not of Good But that which I mainly intend is to shew wherein sound Hope differs from Presumption or from a false Hope Or how we may know whether our Hope be sound 1. True hope is not ordinarily obtained but after sad doubts and fears As it is Hos
And all of Christ precious And so 1. Do you now see your vileness in having had such low thoughts of a precious Saviour Are you ashamed of your former Sin and Folly in despising and setting so light by him 2. Do you now prize him above all things in the World 3. Can you not endure now to see or hear Christ vilified or dishonoured 4. Are you restless till you may know your interest in him that he is yours 2. Are you sanctified by Faith Is your Faith such as purifies the Heart 1. Is there not only an outward but an inward change wrought in you 2. And not only a negative but a positive change 3. And a thorow though not a perfect change 4. Are you aiming at perfect Holiness 3. Is your Faith such as worketh Love and worketh by Love 4. Is it such by which you have in some measure conquered the World and go on to conquer it more Are you taken off from placing your happiness in the smiles of the World What power in your Faith to overcome the enticements of the World And what in it to overcome the storming rage and furious assaults of the World 3. Try your Repentance 1. Your sorrow for Sin Is it Godly sorrow First Is it on right grounds 1. Is your sorrow for Sin considered as a breach of God's Law 2. as a dishonour to God 3. as displeasing to him as the abominable thing which he hates 4. as against God's Mercies as an ill requital of his Goodness Does the Goodness of God lead you to Repentance 5. As a cause of Christ's Sufferings 6. As it defiles and deforms your Souls 7. As it disables you from serving honouring God as you ought 8. As it hindreth Communion with God Secondly As to the Object 1. Are you humbled for Original Sin as well as for Actual Sins 2. Do you lay load of sorrow on your special Sins 3. Are you grieved even for secret Sins 4. And for spiritual Impurities 5. And for spiritual defects and weaknesses in Grace 6. And for sinful Omissions and the Iniquities of your holy things 7. Are you grieved for the least Sins you take notice of 8. Are you so far troubled even for your unknown Sins is it an humbling consideration to think that you are guilty of many more Sins than you know of or can find out in your selves 9. Are you disposed and inclined to mourn for the Sins of others Thirdly As to the properties of your Sorrow 1. Is your sorrow and humiliation for Sin free and voluntary 2. Is it inward and most in secret 3. Is it not for a fit but continued 4. Is it deep and vehement Though the passion of Grief may be more moved at some great Cross and Affliction that has befallen you yet do you really account Sin a greater evil than the greatest Cross And have you a greater displicence in your Wills against it Would you ordinarily chuse any Affliction rather than Sin 2. Do you turn from Sin 1. And from a right Principle As 1. from a true fear of God from a Childlike fear of offending and not from a meer slavish fear of Suffering 2. Do you turn from Sin out of love to God 3. And from an hatred of Sin 4. And with a firm and fixed resolution against it 2. Do you set against your inward Corruptions and do you fear to sin in secret 3. Do you set your selves especially against your special Sins And though there is Sin remaining in you yet is there no Sin reserved 4. Do you set against all known Sin not making light of sins of Infirmity but watching and striving against them much less of allowing of presumptuous Sins 5. Are you for undoing what you have done amiss so far as you can as in cases of Wrong and Injury to Men 6. Are you ordinarily afraid of Temptations and careful to avoid occasions of Sin 7. Would you shun and abstain from the very appearance of Evil 8. Is it your desire to turn others from Sin 9. And would you never return to it more 3. Are you turned unto God 1. Are your Hearts turned to Him and set upon Him 2. Are you for joyning your selves to the Godly and do your hearts cleave to them 3. Are you for turning others to God 4. Are you for walking with God for walking in his Ways 5. Would you be getting still nearer and nearer to him 6. And do you cleave to him with purpose of heart resolving to follow him fully 4. Try your Love to God 1. Is your Love founded in a sound knowledg of God of his Love and of his Loveliness 2. Do you love him for himself and not meerly for your selves 3. Do you love him as your holy Governour and not only as your good and gracious Benefactor 4. Do you love him superlatively love him above all 5. Is your love to him such that nothing will satisfie you without an interest in him 6. Have you an earnest desire of his gracious Presence and do you mourn and take on in his absence 7. Are you breathing after longing for a full enjoyment of God in Heaven 8. Are your thoughts much upon him and are the thoughts of God most welcome to you and most kindly entertained 9. Is it pleasing to you to speak or hear of him 10. Is it very grievous to you to see or hear God dishonoured 11. Are you no longer in league with his enemy Sin 12. Is it your delight to serve and obey him 13. Are you for winning and drawing others to him 14. Are you growing in likeness to him and do you desire to be followers of him 15. Do you highly account of his Favours Do you set a value upon your enjoyments according to what of his Love you see in them 16. Are you for putting a good construction on his severest dealings with you and not for entertaining hard thoughts of God tho he shew you hard things 17. Would you love him more and more and do you think you never express love enough to him 18. Is it a joy to you to see others active for him 19. Are you willing not only to do but to suffer for him 20. Do you love others love all in general and in particular love your Enemies and more especially love the Godly for his sake And here 1. Have you a love to the Godly even for their Godliness and not only for some part of Godliness but for the whole of it 2. Do you love all that appear to be such that you are bound according to the judgment of Charity to account such 3. And the more of God the more of his Grace you discern in any do you love them the more for it 4. Do you earnestly desire to find that in your selves which you cannot but approve in them 5. Is your delight in holy Society and Conference 6. Do you fear giving scandal to them 7. Do you take well their just Reproof 8. Would you not neglect your
Duty of watching over them 9. Do you sympathize with them in their Sufferings 10. Are you ready to own and take part with them 11. And ready to relieve them according to your ability 12. Are you true Mourners at the death of such lamenting the loss of them 5. Try your Fear of God 1. Does your Fear of God arise from a sound Knowledg of Him And from the Love of God from high admiring thoughts not from hard thoughts of Him 2. What freeness in your Spirits this way Do you chuse the Fear of the Lord Do you desire to fear his Name 3. Do you fear God above all 4. What effect hath it on you 1. Doth it cause you to depart from evil 1. In general dare you not allow of any known Sin 2. In particular are you careful to flee from Sins in fashion 3. Do you fear sinning in secret 4. And fear to displease God in small Matters 5. And fear Sin more than Suffering from Men 6. And fear Sin more than the lash of Affliction 7. And not only fear but hate Sin 2. Is your Fear of God seen in your respect to his Commands 1. Do you reverence God's Commands 2. And do you delight in them too 3. Have you an impartial respect to them 4. And a continued respect to them 3. Are you reverent in God's Worship Have you not only a reverent carriage but a reverent frame of Heart 4. Do you carry ordinarily as in God's Presence 5. Have you a jealous fear of your selves and a cautious fear of Temptations 6. Does your Fear of God make you Humble 7. Does it make you Pitiful 8. Does it prevail over a base carnal fear of Man 9. Are you for teaching others God's Fear Thus of the Effects 5. What are the Companions and Concomitants of your Fear 1. Does your Fear and Faith go together 2. And Fear and Godly Sorrow 3. And Fear and Love 4. And Fear and Joy in the Lord Though I must confess all that have God's Fear find not that Joy accompanying it 6. Try your Humility 1. Is it founded in a sound Knowledge of God in his Excellencies and a knowledg of your selves your meanness sinful vileness and miserableness in your selves 2. Have you been soundly humbled 3. Have you humble Hearts Is your Humility most inward and in God's sight and not only in appearance to Men 4. Is it voluntary Humility in a right sense are your Hearts for it indeed would you be vile in your own Eyes 5. Are you ready to receive reproof 6. Are you not for excusing or extenuating your Sins but for a free confession of them 7. Are you no more led away with predominant self-conceit either of your Knowledg Abilities or Deserts 8. Nor led away with a predominant affectation of vain-glory or Men's applause Are you willing to lye low in the thoughts of others 9. Are you content with your station not for aspiring ambitious attempts and projects 10. Have you very thankful Hearts Do you greatly admire God's free Mercy in all he does for you being very sensible of your own unworthiness 11. Does Humility teach you Moderation not to be lifted up in prosperity 12. And likewise teach you Patience not to fret and murmur in adversity 13. Are you Prayerful and humble in your addresses unto God 14. And willing to wait as well as Pray 15. Are you very reverent in God's Worship as really apprehensive of an infinite distance betwixt God and you and conscious of your great unworthiness and unfitness to approach and draw nigh to God 16. Have you a truly charitable frame of Heart towards others Are you more forward to judg your selves than censure others And more ready to extenuate others faults than your own 17. Are you meek not of revengeful implacable Spirits but soon pacified when you have been provoked and injured by others 18. While you are sensible of and truly sorry for your own weaknesses and sinful imperfections yet withal can you heartily rejoice in the greater Abilities and eminent shining Graces of others 19. Are you of a yeilding and obedient Spirit 20. Do you make light of being vilified for God and Christ 21. Have you a great abhorrence of Pride especially of Pride in your selves 7. Try your Self-denial 1. What Self-denial in your Judgments 1. Do you seriously account that you are not your own 2. And that you are weak and insufficient of your selves that you can do nothing of your selves 3. And that you are vile and deserve nothing of your selves 2. What Self-denial in your Wills and Affections 1. Are you for the utter renouncing and rejecting of carnal corrupt self 2. Are you for doing Gods Will rather than your own for pleasing God rather than your selves 3. Are you for submitting to God's disposing Will rather than to be left to carve for your selves to have your own Wills 4. Is it your real hearty desire that you may be able to forsake all for God and Christ's sake if you should be called to it Are you not for depending on your selves but on the Grace of God in Christ for Assistance for Acceptance and for a Glorious Recompence 3. What Self-denial in your Life and practice 1. Do you strenuously oppose sinful self Do you deny to make pvovision for the flesh are you starving out your Corruptions 2. Do you employ the Talents you are intrusted with not chiefly for your selves but for God 3. Do you readily part with and actually forsake any worldly comfort which the Lord calleth for And what can you say to those other notes laid down 1. Do you indeed abhor your selves 2. Do you by Faith see better things far greater matters that God hath promised than those he calleth you to deny your selves in 3. Is your love to God and Jesus Christ predominant 4. Are you not for arrogating any praise to your selves which is due to God or would detract from his praise 5. Do you fully subject your Judgments to the Sentence of God's Word 6. Are your wills brought into subjection too 7. Does sinful self-love reign no longer in you 8. Are you heartily engaged and set against a sensual flesh-pleasing course 9. Are you not for a course of self-seeking Are you habitually and most ordinarily for preferring God's Interest before your own 10. Are you no longer for hunting after the vain applause of Men Do you now regard that less and seek the favour and approbation of God more 11. Do you readily yield to just reproof 12. Are you faithful in admonishing others and that where self-interest would disswade you 13. Are you against sinful sloth not indulging your selves in it 14. Are you truly charitable and helpful unto others 15. Are you disposed to love your Enemies and to forgive injuries 16. Do you lay to heart the Churches troubles and Publick Calamities more than Personal or Family-Afflictions 17. Could you think your selves more happy in serving pleasing and honouring God than in prospering being
not the Love of God in them Alas shall not such be judged out of their own Mouths Even these to whom our Saviour here speaketh were the People of God in Profession and would have spoken him as fair as we can do With their Mouths they shewed him much Love whereas it was not found in their Hearts As he that knew what was in Man and whose Judgment is ever according to Truth pronounceth of them But I know you that ye have not the Love of God in you And when you have the Notes of true Love to God plainly laid down then you may know and judg whether the Love of God be in you or no. To be loved of God is the Creature 's highest Felicity and to love God is its highest Duty yea it is the Sum and Abridgment of the whole Duty of Man The Love of God is as the Heart and Soul of Religion It is a necessary Principle of all sound Obedience And the most specious Acts that any Man can possibly perform though one should give all his Goods to feed the poor or give his Body to be burned are not acceptable unto God without it It is the Rule and Measure as it were of other Graces Charitas est virtus virtutum reliquae virtutes sine charitate Figuram habere possunt Veritatem habere non possunt Lud. Carthus in Psal 47.12 Sorrow for Sin is not kindly if it proceed not from the Love of God and tend not to promote our walking with him in holy Love No tears are desirable as * Mr. Baxt. Christian Directory p. 147. §. 21. one says but those that tend to clear the Eyes from the filth of Sin that they may see the better the Loveliness of God Absque hoc timor poenam habet honor non habet gratiam Servilis est timor quandiu ab amore non manumittitur qui de amore non venit honor non honor sed adulatio est Bern. in Cant. Serm. 83. And Fear degenerates when it is not joyned with Love when it begets hard and black thoughts of God when it drives not the Soul to God but rather from him All Grace in the kindly exercise thereof tends to cherish and increase this of Love The Love of God is as the Queen Regent on whom the whole Train of other Graces must attend whom they must serve Faith and Hope are eminent Graces yet the Apostle gives the preheminence to Charity or Love 1 Cor. 13.13 Now abideth Faith Hope Charity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Love but the greatest of these is Charity Where some Copies instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the greatest of all is Charity And Charity first and most properly agrees to that Love we ow to God who ought to be summè charus dear to us above all other The account that is commonly given why Love hath the preheminence of Faith and Hope is because of its everlasting duration Faith and Hope abide here but Love abideth in Heaven where Faith is swallowed up in Vision and Hope in Fruition And yet note further that it is not simply for its duration that it excelleth but because of its excelling Nature it is to endure The moral Image of God true Holiness eminently consists in Love And Faith and Hope though necessary Graces here while we are in statu viatorum yet they cannot properly be exercised by those who are Comprehensores in the actual enjoyment of full and compleat happiness whereas Love is not only necessary in the way to Happiness but in the full fruition of it Yea it is a main part of our happiness And without perfect Love we could not be perfectly happy There is no perfect enjoying of God without perfect Love to him and perfect delight in him And as Christ as Mediator is the principal means of bringing us to God so Faith is a means to beget and increase the Love of God in us True Faith worketh this way And this is the end and principal scope of the Commandment 1 Tim. 1.5 Whereby it sufficiently appeareth that it is a matter of so great concern that every one ought seriously and strictly to inquire whether he hath the love of God in him or no Now the Love of God in short is an intense willing of God More plainly it is the disposition or motion of the Will the rational appetite renewed and rectified by the Holy Spirit whereby the Soul cleaveth to God is united to him and fixed on him as the chiefest Good Or thus It is a being well pleased with God above all things in the World with a desire to please him in all things The most proper principal and formal act of Love is a complacency or wel-pleasedness with the Object loved So the Love of God if it be right is the highest complacency of the Soul a being most taken with God as the most transcendent as an Universal and Infinite Good And hence though the Love of God and the Love of Christ be inseparable yet they must be distinguished The Love of Christ as Mediator is the Love of the principal means to our ultimate end as he is the new and living way by whom we must come to God but Love is terminated upon God as our very ultimate end that we look no further Now to the Question How we may know whether we have the Love of God in us or no Answ 1. Sound Love to God is founded in a sound Knowledg of God Ignoti nulla cupido There may be some knowledg of God where there is no true Love to him but there cannot be Love to God where there is no knowledg of him But the eyes of the understanding being truly enlightened with the knowledg of God by this means the heart comes to be affected Ex aspectu nascitur amor We read Psal 9.10 They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee So they that know his Name aright will set their love on him And therefore Psal 91.14 Because he hath set his love upon me and because he hath known my Name are used promiscuously And so the Apostle praveth Phil. 1.9 that their love may abound in knowledg As the Saints the more they know God the more they love him As in Heaven where they have the clearest sight of Gods excellencies and fullest manifestation of his Love there they have perfect Love to him are as full of love to God as their Souls can hold The Love of God is founded in Knowledg And there is especially a knowledg of these two things viz. of his Love to Man and of his loveliness that makes the soul in love with him How great is his Goodness and how great is his Beauty to enamour us 1. There is a knowledg of the Love of God especially of his Love in Christ A knowledg of God in Christ and so a love to God in Christ As we read of love in Christ Jesus 2 Tim.
Now if you ask Can such a one fear God above all in whom carnal fear at any time prevailes The Answer is He may have the habit though the act for the present be suspended No Grace here is perfect And as our love to God sometimes lies buried as it were under carnal self-love and inordinate love to creatures yet so as it will have a resurrection and new quickning if it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sound and sincere so our fear of God being imperfect may for a time be born down with carnal fear yet will it get the upper hand again The true fear of God overcomes ordinarily in its conflicts with carnal fear and though it may be giving ground sometimes it shall overcome at last As some of the Martyrs upon the first onset seemed to turn back but they came on again and so stood stoutly to it 4. The true fear of God may be known by the effects of it 1. One principal effect of the Fear of God is a flight from sin I say it will cause us to flee from sin As we read of Job chap. 1.1 that he was one that feared God and eschewed evil And Nehemiah chap. 5.15 so did not I he did not durst not do as others had done before him because of the Fear of God Pro. 16.6 By the Fear of the Lord Men depart from evil On the contrary Psa 36.1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart that there is no Fear of God before their eyes Though the wicked will not say so much with his lips yet indeed his Life proclaims it Though the Psalmist did not hear it in his words yet his works forced him to conclude that there was no Fear of God before his eyes They that forsake the Lord thereby shew that his Fear is not in them Jer. 2.19 such as care not to walk contrary to God it is plain they fear him not All impenitent Sinners that go on in their trespasses that persist in a course of rebellion they are so far from fearing God that they are daily sending up challenges to Heaven daring God's Power and Justice Psal 10.13 wherefore doth the wicked contemn God How unreasonable how impious how insufferable is it that wicked wretches should be so insolent to contemn God yet so it is the wicked are so far from reverencing that they plainly contemn God So he that being often reproved and threatned yet hardneth his neck by his impenitency by his incorrigibleness does even set God at defiance as if he bad him do his worst Remember this they that fear God fear to sin against him But you may ask further May we not avoid sin at least some sins and not from God's Fear Yea I grant it may be so But now if we forsake sin from a principle of Godly fear 1. In general we are departing from all known sin we dare not allow our selves in any sin we know of We knowing that all sin is displeasing to God if we fear to displease God we must fear to allow our selves in any sin Particularly 2. The Fear of God will cause us to flee from the Vices of the times as we discover them from sins that are most in fashion Let Swearing and Forswearing be never so much in fashion yet we shall fear an Oath if we fear God If all the World should wonder after and agree to worship the Beast yet so should not we because of the Fear of God No though we might seem to be left alone as Eljah thought he was Let a sin be never so much pleaded for countenanced and generally practised yet these things will not take with us while we hear God saying Oh do not this abominable thing which I hate if we have the Fear of God in our hearts and before our eyes Rather we shall have a greater care to keep our selves from such sins the stronger temptations we have to them 3. We shall fear sinning in secret too Knowing that God sees in secret that there is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves from him As Joseph said to his tempting Mistress How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God He was awed with God's all-seeing eye upon him as much as if the eyes of all the World had been upon him Lev. 19.14 Thou shalt not curse the Deaf nor put a stumbling-block before the Blind but shalt fear thy God If one does curse the Deaf he hears not if one puts a Stumbling-block before the Blind he sees not who he is that does it O but yet God hears and he sees And such as are endued with his Fear will not dare to commit sin upon this presumption that Men shall not know cannot find it out This would be a strong aw-band and powerful restraint ordinarily to keep them from deliberate sinning that they can commit no sin out of God's sight who cannot but be displeased at sin where ever he sees it 4. If we fear God and forsake Sin in his Fear then we shall fear to displease him in smaller matters too We shall fear to allow of the least Sin Though there are Sins of daily incursion that we cannot wholly avoid yet they not are allowed of As the Apostle says Rom. 7.15 That which I do I allow not If we sometimes speak vainly rashly or sometimes have our Passions sinfully moved if dulness and distractions over take us and disturb us in Holy Duties yet we can say we allow not of such things We are ashamed of them grieved and humbled for them and desire to watch against them 5. Again We shall fear sinning against God more than suffering from Men. As Chrysostom when threatned by Eudoxia said I fear nothing but Sin It we fear God we shall not fear Creatures so much 6. So we shall fear Sin more than the Scourge more than affliction Our fear is first and chiefly of offending and displeasing God and secondarily of the punishment That Fear which is not so much of the Sin and Offence as of the Lash and Scourge is but servile Fear 7. So we shall not only fear but also hate Sin As there is love in our Fear of God there will be hatred in our fear of Sin because so offensive and contrary to God Thus we shall not barely abstain from but abhor that which is evil Prov. 8.13 The Fear of the Lord is to hate evil Thus it will cause us to forsake Sin in practice and affection both Do we not know that not to hate Sin the abominable thing which God hates must needs be displeasing to God yea we are at least secretly in league with Sin so long as we do not hate it 2. Another chief effect of true Fear is subjection to the Will of God Obedience to his Commands Hereby we must try the soundness of our Faith As that which is called Faith Gal. 5.6 is called The keeping the Commandments of God 1 Cor. 7.19
Hereby we must try the sincerity of our Love This is the love of God that we keep his Commandments 1 Joh. 5.3 So hereby we must try the genuineness of our Fear Eccl. 12.13 Fear God and keep his Commandments Psal 119.63 And 103.17 18. They that fear God are further described to be such as keep his Covenant and remember his Commandments to do them Here. Note 1. Where the Fear of God is there will be a fearing reverencing of his Commands Pro. 13.13 Who so despiseth the Word shall be destroyed but he that feareth the Commandment shall be rewarded One that feareth God dares not despise his Commands At least if he has done it as we read of David 2 Sam. 12.10 when he comes to see it he cannot but loath himself And observe the reward is promised not to the bare performance of things commanded not to meer external obedience but to that obedience which flows from a due respect to the Authority of God commanding Not to that which is meerly from fear of the threatning but to that which is out of reverence and an aweful respect to the Command it self He that feareth the Commandment shall be rewarded Many fear God's threatnings that do not reverence his Commands But such as tremble at the Word Isa 66.2 suchas have a reverent regard to the whole Word of God such as tremble at the Commandment of our God as Ezr. 10.3 they have a right Fear of God The Psalmist did not stand in that awe to Princes as to God's Word Psal 119.161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause but my heart standeth in awe of thy Word Thus those three Princes and Worthies Dan. 3.16 18. shewed that they feared God indeed when they regarded not the King's Decree being contrary to the Law of God So Daniel chap. 6.13 2. When there is a true Child-like Fear of God there is not only a reverencing of his Commands above the Commands of Men but also a delight in God's Commands As a Child-like reverence is a mixt affection a compound of both And this Note we have in the Text Blessed is the Man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his Commandments That is better pleased in doing the will of God than in doing or having his own will So Psal 119.161 162. My heart standeth in awe of thy Word But that is not all I rejoyce at thy Word as one that findeth great spoil As a dutiful Child not only fears to go cross to his Fathers command but is also glad when he can do any thing pleasing to his Father So a Child of God obeyeth from the heart and delighteth to do God's will That obedience which is from a slavish fear is forced and extorted As Saul said I forced my self and offered a burnt offering To allude to the expression some force themselves and go to God's Worship force themselves and set up prayer in their Families c. not that they have any love to such work but because otherwise their Consciences are not quiet Whereas that Obedience which is from a filial Fear is free and voluntary As the Psalmist could say Psal 119.167 168 173. My Soul hath kept thy Testimonies and I love them exceedingly For all my ways are before thee I have chosen the way of thy Precepts 3. The true Fear of God will cause an impartial respect to all God's Commands 1 Sam. 12.24 Only fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart Deut. 10.12 To fear the Lord and to walk in all his wayes go to gether Pro. 14.2 He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord but he that is perverse in his ways dispiseth him To walk in uprightness is a sure note that one fears the Lord. So we read of Job That Man was perfect and upright and one that feared God chap. 1.1 But to halt in our course to be set upon any crooked paths which we know to be cross and contrary to God's Commands is to despise the Lord. Num. 15.30 31. The Soul that doth ought presumptuously the same reproacheth the Lord he hath despised the Word of the Lord. The Soul that doth ought presumptuously that Sciens volens knowingly and wittingly transgresseth that sinneth with an high hand proudly wilfully resolvedly the same reproacheth the Lord he is a proud blasphemous contemner of the Lord. He hath manifestly despised the Word of the Lord. To despise any known Command of his is not to fear but to contemn the Lord. But on the other hand the Lord sayes of Abraham Gen. 22.12 Now I know that thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld thy Son thine only Son from me Now I know speaking after the manner of Men. Herein Abraham gave a most clear proof of his Fear of the Lord. That he was so ready at God's Command to offer up his Isaac a Sacrifice this was an evident testification that he feared God So as we would shew that we truly fear God we must be ready to obey him in whatsoever he commandeth 4. The Fear of God will produce a continued constant respect to God and his Commands That we shall walk in his Fear As Act. 9.31 Neh. 5.9 Ought ye not to walk in the Fear of our God Pro. 23.17 Be thou in the Fear of the Lord all the day Totâ die there is as much as quotidie vel omni die All the day that is continually every day Pro. 28.14 Happy is the man that feareth alway Jer. 32.39 40. I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever I will put my Fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Such as have the true Fear of God in their hearts will not depart from him There is a Fear that drives Souls from God But true genuine Fear will keep a Soul close to him will make it careful not to start aside from him The Fear of the Lord is a fountain of life it is not a transient passion but an abiding principal 3. Another Effect or if you will one special Act of true Fear is an holy Reverence in God's Worship Psal 5.7 In thy Fear will I Worship And there is no Worship acceptable without Reverence An inward Reverence is as the Soul of Divine Worship Some distinguish holy Fear in timorem cultûs et culpae into a Reverence in worshipping and a fear of offending How ever these may be distinguished they cannot be separated or divided Sure they have not a Fear of offending God that have not an holy Fear and reverence in his Worship They that grosly neglect God's Worship plainly shew themselves to be void of his Fear Job 15.4 Thou castest off Fear and restrainest Prayer before God Though it was falsly charged on Job this yet will hold true they that cast off Prayer c. thereby shew that they have cast off God's Fear And they are little better who are grosly negligent and without any inward Reverence in his Worship If