in Thee in Thee alone in nothing else I doe long and looke to see the face of GOD in the Land of the Liuing But it is because Thou art mine and I am Thine and Thine I desire to be and none but Thine for euer and euer For this hope is not a mans but a Christians Thou art the author of it not Alam It is of Faith not from the flesh Wee haue it not by generation but by Regeneration Neither can any man be possessour of it longer then hee continueth Thine euen Thine and none but Thine ruled of thy Spirit and not ouer-ruled of his flesh Of holy Charity LOVE is an vniting affection by which the heart is knit vnto the thing beloued and by which the knot is continued knit and not dissolued For as hatred looseth so loue bindeth that diuideth but this vniteth that causeth abhomnation but this delectation that contempt but this contentment Loue that is good hath for his obiect good As euill either true or seeming is the obiect of hatred so a true or seeming good is the obiect of loue A true loue is fixed on a thing that is truely good This is a rare and excellent vertue that which appeaseth GOD to man and reconcileth man to GOD that which made the Sonne of GOD come downe to men and the sonnes of men go vp to GOD that which ties GOD to vs and our hearts to Him Knowledge is in the soule as a Candle in a darke roome yet without Charity the greatest Clearke is but an empty bladder or like a vaste house full of light but voide of treasure hee may haue Learning but hee wanteth Grace This holy affection makes the poore man very rich and the want thereof makes a rich man very poore With it a man is as an Angell Without it hee is euen as bad or little better then a diuell This is the soule of all learning the condiment of all vertues the roote of all good actions the ornament of all Christians the keeper of true peace the mother of true obedience and that without the which a man hath nothing is nothing A man may haue wealth as Nabal wit as Achitophel beauty as Absolom honour as Haman strength as Goliah the Sacraments as Iudas and yet be wicked and cast away for euer But a man cannot but be good whose loue is sincere and good And as soone shall the diuell bee saued as a charitable man condemned But who is this charitable man indeed Euen hee that loueth GOD in CHRIST and euery good Christian for CHRIST His sake Many will boast of loue as many brauadoes will bragge of wealth they haue not If to for sweare and sweare idly if to profane the Saboath and to contemne sacred Persons Places Offices Acts and Exercises If to be stout and sturdy to superious If to brow-beate stabbe quarrell raile threaten and reuenge If to paint the face and die the haire to weare a long locke or to abuse our neighbours wife daughter or seruant if to robbe purloine embezle or beguile If to oppresse and grinde the faces of poore people If to bee idle and vnprofitable If glutting glouring pranking lying slandering flattering and euill speaking If these bee charity the world is full of charity and such charitable persons are rife as the frogs of Aegypt which would venture into the Kings Court But if these bee not as indeed they are not then may wee iustly complaine and say There is men enough but few louers much enormity but little Charity Some commend Charity but shew none and thinke they haue it when no fruite thereof appeareth Charity needs none of their prayses but they stand in neede to bee praysed by Charity which loues onely to be commended of her children It is true Charity it selfe is not seene but it is manifested by her operations as the heart by panting as the winde by blowing as the Aire by drying or as the spirit and iuice of a tree by the apple And it is as impossible for Charity to bee in the soule without signes and friuts as for fire to bee without heate or for water not to wet them that touch it or for the soule to bee in the body and yet to shew no vertue or comfort thereof vnto the body Of Gods Loue to Man THERE is no man liuing which as a creature is not loued of GOD the great Creator which appeareth in that Hee is said to be the SAVIOVR of All and to cause the Sunne to shine and the raine to fall euen on the wicked Hee loueth Humanity but hateth impiety the Man-head is beloued but malice in it is detested Hee likes well of the Nature but dislikes the sinne That which is His Hee loues but that which marres His Hee hates His owne Image Hee loues but the deformities therof made by man are altogether displeasing in his sight Now when all men had transgressed and by transgression had made themselues the children of death it pleased Him to passe by fome being tyed to none and some others to chuse in loue vnto Eternall Life But what loued Hee now The men and not their manners their nature now vnder great corruption but not corruption it selfe Their persons not their preuarications And why loued Hee them What moued Him to make that difference Surely nothing but His owne good Will Meēre mercy in Him no merite at all in them His free Dignation and no dignity or deserts of theirs His free fauour to them and no fore-seene faith in them But GOD that had nothing to loue in a sinner but his Humanity in a true Saint hath also Christianity then Nature but now Nature and Grace too In Generation the Humane Nature in Regeneration a certaine Diuine Nature If the diuell hate all men but especially all Saints then wee may be sure that GOD loues all men but especially all holy men And if the diuell hate and pine at the graces of GOD in men then questionlesse GOD loues all His graces in whomsoeuer Hee findes them O the riches of the loue of GOD vnto His chosen O inexplicable kindnesse O irrecompenfable fauour What is man that Thou shouldst regard him or the son of man a worme a wretch the childe of death that Thou shouldest cast thine eies vpon Him When all were fallen and had deserued nothing but wrath but woe but death eternall wrath eternall woe eternall death Thy mercy Thy mercy not at all deserued pittyed some but diddest passe by others as amiable and as miserable as the other O how vnspeakeable is Thy loue to Thine How admirable art Thou in all Thy waies Euen Thine enemies hast Thou receiued vnto mercy Thou hast punished their sinnes in the Flesh of Thine owne Sonne and in Whom Thou dost Crowne them with grace and glory O GOD Thy Loue brought the Israelites out of Aegypt ouerwelmed their persecutors guided them in the wildernesse trod downe the Nations for them and brought them into the land of Canaan Euen so ô
themselues and thinke nothing well done but what they do themselues This is a pernicious and fearefull sinne the madnesse of the minde the impediment of all vertues the shame of Religion and the cause of all enormites He that loues himselfe aright loues himselfe Holily that is in GOD for GOD and vnder GOD and Iustly that hee may bee righteous and that by selfe-loue hee proues not himselfe injust And Discreetely not ouerweening himselfe but with wisedome be hauing himselfe towards all as is requisite for him The good man that loues himselfe as hee should wisheth well vnto himselfe doth good vnto himselfe agreeth with himselfe dwelleth with himselfe with willingnesse reioyceth with himselfe where there is cause of ioy and sorroweth with himselfe when there is matter of sorrow and in briefe doth earnestly couet and labour his owne peace inward outward and eternall On the contrary a wicked and profane Athiest Epicure and Worldling doe not truely loue themselues but rather hate and hurt themselues with intemperance worldly cares and other vices they study not to garnish their soules with spirituall vertues but follow riches pleasures and preferments which to wicked men are neuer good but euer hurtfull Neither do they agree well together within themselues because their appetite and sensuall part doth striue against their reasons and either they euer labour of a stupifyed or with a vexed and vnquiet spirit And hence it is also that sensuall and euill liuers as drunkards whoore-mongers spend-thriftes and such like persons loue not to be alone and like not priuacie and retired thoughts but frequent Ale-houses Tauernes Plaies and seeke out voluptuous and boon companions such as themselues because they loue not themselues delight not in themselues agree not with their consciences but are vexed with the remembrance of their vices and iniquities disquieted with the feare of punishment and pinched with the gripes of an accusing and tumultuous conscience Briefly men truely good do onely truely loue themselues but euill men do not loue themselues at all but either hate or loue amisse Of loue to our Neighbour A GOOD Christian hath two things in him to be beloued Grace and Nature As hee is a man we ought to loue him but as hee is a good man wee ought to loue him the more Hee that hates a man loues not his Maker he that hates a Christian loues not his Maister He that hates either Man or Christian is neither Christian nor Man but a diuell incarnate Some boast of their loue to GOD which shew no loue to man for GOD This boasting is vaine and false for he that loues GOD will loue His Image And certes he that loues not the childe cares as little for the father But our neighbour is vngodly gracelesse roytous and voruly Yet must we loue him if not because he is good yet that hee may be good if not the man yet the man-head if not the manners yet the man Gold is good though drosse bee naught Wheate may not be throwne away because of chaffe neither will we hate our bodies because there are deformities or diseases in them Neither will all loue serue the turne but we ought to loue our neighbour in truth not falsely in deed not verbally in the faith not against it in that that is iust and not vnrighteously in iudgement and not vndiscreetely in measure vnder GOD and not aboue Him and constantly not for a start as if some ague-fit were on vs. There is very much loue in the world such as it is but very little Christian Charity For this seekes the good of her neighbour and not his goods This loues to giue and not to pull away This beareth much for beareth much and reioyceth in the truth This loues a man not for his greatnesse but for his Graces not for his birth but for his New-birth not for his honour but for his Holinesse not for his wealth but for his Wisedome and finally for CHRIST and in CHRIST for CHRIST because CHRIST doth loue him and bids vs loue Him and in CHRIST either because he is CHRISTS or that he may become CHRISTS But this is the condemnation of men that the Church and Her Children are come amongst them but men loue the world more then the Church and sinners more then Saints Of louing and of being loued IT is better to loue then to be loued for Action is more excellent then Passion and the praise of vertue consists in action To giue is more gracious then to take Now in louing there is a gift in being loued there is a taking Honesty is better then Commodity Now to loue is a point of Honesty to be beloued is a matter of Commodity GOD delights more in the loue wherewith he doth loue then in the loue wherewith he is loued And mothers naturally reioyce more to loue their children then to be loued of their children and like better to do good to them then to receiue good from them Besides a man may bee loued of a man with Christian loue and yet be but an hypocrite but a man cannot loue with Christian loue but he must needes be a Christian A man may be loued of his neighbour for GOD and yet neither loue GOD nor be loued of GOD but a man cannot loue his neighbour for GOD but hee doth much more loue GOD and is most certainely beloued of GOD. And finally it is no paine but rather pleasure a gaine but no grace to be beloued but to loue a good thing well is grace yea oftentimes a man must sweate and striue with great contention so auerse and tortuous are our hearts by sinne before he can fasten his affections and fixe his loue on spirituall things which are most worthy of his loue and remoue it from those things that are rather to be loathed and forsaken as noysome and pernicious to him True friendship stands in true mutuall loue where loue failes there friendship fals But that a man may proue a friend vnto another it is necessary that he be a friend vnto himselfe For how shall he will well do well agree well or dwell well with another that failes in these things towrds himselfe But this as touching loue is worthy obseruation that those that do good turnes vnto others do more loue them to whom they do them then these that do receiue them do loue those that do them Prouided that they do their good turnes out of sincerity not for by-respects CHRIST loues vs better then we loue him Parents loue their children more then their children loue them Tutors loue their Pupils more then they their Tutors Hee that receiues a benefite is as it were the worke and creature of his Benefactour Now the worke-man loues the worke more then the worke doth loue the workeman The creature is deerer to the Creator then Hee to it and the cause loues the effect more then it the cause The Vsurer is vnworthy the name of Benefactour because he loues his Debtor for gaine
seeking rather to benefite himselfe in his Debtor then his Debtor in him And to speake properly as he is an Vsurer he loues him not for loue seekes not her owne good but the good of him whom hee loues Now the Vsurer seekes his owne good onely and leaues his debtor to looke to himselfe shewing him onely a little outward indulgence for a time vntill hee may haue his debt paid him againe with vantage But indeed to gaine loue and to be counted a Benefactour is not any way more easily attain'd to then by doing good turnes vnto men freely seasonably vnasked and in secresie but some cannot do a man a good turne but they must cackle so long and so loud that all the world may take notice of it which argues that they regard fame more then friendship and to walke vpon the tongues of men rather then to liue within the breasts of their friends and followers Of Faith Hope and Charity FAITH Hope and Charity are three notable giftes of GOD without the which it is impossible for any man to bee saued though no man shall bee saued for them A man shall bee saued in them but not for them for that which merites our saluation for vs that is redemption from all sinne and sorrow and fruition of Eternall Glory that I say is not any thing in vs but something without vs It is not quality gift or grace infused but the Iustice of CHRIST imputed Faith beleeueth Hope expecteth the thing beleeued and Charity Ioues it linkes the soule vnto it Faith is as the mother Hope and Charity are her two daughters Because I beleeue therefore I hope and as I beleeue so I loue Faith beleeueth that GOD is true and faithfull in His Word Hope waiteth whiles Hee shew Himselfe to be so Faith be getteth hope hope being begotten preserueth faith Faith beholds and holds fast the Word of Promise Hope lookes after the thing that is promised in that Word Loue vnites the heart both to the Word and to the thing that is promised in it Hope is the waiting for a good to come but Faith beleeueth things past present and to come I beleeue that CHRIST was borne of a Virgin that Hee now sitteth at the right Hand of His FATHER and that Hee shall come hereafter to iudge the world Faith taketh CHRIST and worketh by Charity Charity worketh not by Faith as an instrument but arises from Faith as from the fountaine whereout it flowes Christian Faith beholdeth CHRIST in the Word and Sacraments But Christian Charity ties the soule not onely vnto CHRIST but also vnto all His Members in and for His Name Loue is not caused by hope but hope rather caused by loue for because a man doth loue GOD therefore hee doth expect and tarry and that with desire and longing till he do enioy Him to his fill And if hee did not loue Him he would not desire and hope to see Him but rather feare and grieue Finally Faith Hope and Charity are three excellent vertues but Charity is in two respects the chiefest First because Charity is profitable to our Neighbours whereas our Faith and Hope doth them no good at all were it not for Charity Secondly the loue whereby wee loue CHRIST and His Members now shall be continued and perfited in the world to come but whereas now we do by faith beleeue and by hope expect and desire to see the face of CHRIST hereafter Then when we do see and enioy Him this faith and this hope are at an end and whereas heere in this life wee walke by faith and not by sight and feeling in the life to come wee shall see face to face and know as wee are knowne and want no feeling nor sight of that that is pleasing and solacious to the soule And whereas men hope for that they see not how can they hope for that they see But GOD shall bee seene of His Saints in the world to come and their sight shall rauish them with His loue their corporall and intellectuall eyes then glorifyed being as doores or windowes to let in His Loue into their heartes which will most willingly entertaine Him and rest vpon Him as vpon their Center and sole Contenter Of Gods Word GODS Word is a Fire It must be warily meddled with If thou wilt not suffer It to burne vp thy lusts It will burne vp thee if It consume not the sinne It shall consume the sinner Art thou a cold It is fire to warme thee Art thou drossy It is fire to purge thee Art thou in darkenesse It is a fire to enlighten thee Is thine heart voide of zeale to GOD or loue to Man It is a fire to enflame thee Art thou frozen vpon thy dregs or art thou so hardned that no impression can be made vpon thee It is a fire to thaw and melt thee This Word shall be destruction to him that will receiue no instruction from It It will proue his desolation that makes it not his consolation It will condemne thee if thou wilt not suffer It to controule thee and if It shalt not helpe thee It shall vndoubtedly hurt thee This Word is an Hammer if It soften not a man and make him tender It will harden him and make him tough If It beate not downe the sinne it will knocke downe the sinner And if the hereticke will not be beaten with It from his heresies It will beate him downe one day thither from whence all heresies spring An hammer hurts not the aire or water which yeelds vnto it readily but breakes and bruises that that makes resistance Hee that resists the Word shall bee broken but hee that yeelds vnto it shall receiue no hurt Hee that would surely breake a thing with an hammer must not onely moue the hammer to it with strength but hee must so lay the thing that it slide slip or shrinke not from the blow so they that indeed would haue their hearts softned their proud hearts battered or any lust contused let them apply the Word of GOD vnto them closely and not leap or shrinke aside when it is ministred and fitted to them And what Minister soeuer brings with him this Fire this Hammer entertaine It vse It apply thy selfe vnto It. If the Fire if the Hammer be the same If it be GODs receiue it with the same affection though the men be not the same that bring it The Hammer is not the worse for him that holds it nor the Fire for him that brings it The Minister is to be receiued and honoured for the Word and not It for him In briefe the Smith can do nothing without his Hammer and Fire Ministers are Smiths and men naturally are like yron vnwrought or vnformed or rather indeed ill-wrought and ill-formed The Word that is the Law and Gospell is the Fire and Hammer by which through diuine assistance they worke them fashion them and make them fit instruments and vessels for the seruice of GOD in His House which
LORD Thy loue vnto vs redeemeth vs from our bondage saueth vs from hell treadeth downe our enemies protects and directs vs in the world and safely brings vs into the Land of Promise the Land of the Liuing where wee shall see Thy Face and enioy the ioyes of blisse for euermore O LORD Thy loue is life Thy fauour is felicity LORD let the light of Thy countenance shine vpon mee and grant mee Thy loue which Thou bearest vnto those whom Thou louest euer and leauest neuer Of Mans loue to God LOVE of GOD doth knit fast the heart vnto Him makes it delight in Him and to bee contented with Him What cause hath man to loue Him it is not hard to conceiue seeing Hee is altogether good in Himselfe and the cause of all good in and to him Are wee liue wee vnderstand wee Wee must ascribe it vnto GOD. Are wee men or are wee good men Haue wee Grace or expect we Glory The praise belongs to Him The measure of our loue should bee vnmeasureable and the end endlesse The heart wherewith wee loue Him should not bee halfe nor hollow but such as Hee made in vs whole and vndiuided simple and not double How equall is it that man should loue His GOD seeing it is the substance of His Law and seeing he is so much obliged to Him for the tokens of His loue to Him How needfull is it seeing otherwise hee cannot loue his neighbour in Him no nor performe any Act or Office of Religion pleasingly in His sight And how comfortable seeing it is the worke of GODS SPIRIT in him and an vndoubted effect and token of GODS loue to Him and of his faith in GOD And yet it is a wonder to see how rare this duety is amongst vs. How sildome doe wee thinke of GOD or of His seruice What capitall and foule enormities are euery where heaped vp against Him How vsuall is it with men to turne His Grace into wantonnesse How doe the pleasures and cares of the world depriue Him of our hearts How common is the contempt of His holy Ordinances How great is the profanation of His holy Day How customably is His fearefull and glorious Name vainely vsed And how wantonly doe men deale with His sacred Word What little zeale and courage is there in vs for His Glory Alas wee talke of loue but demonstrate little The heart of the louer is rather where it loues then where it liues a man cannot but obey his Lord whom hee deerely loueth and will make much of any thing that belongs to that hee loues But our hearts are buried in the earth wee are euer rooting in the ground wee haue cast off the yoke of GODS Commandements wee are frozen in our dregges and make account of any thing rather then that which concernes His Honour which doth discouer our hypocrisie and witnesseth against vs that wee are louers of pleasures profite preferments of any thing rather then of Him Yet is there nothing able to doe vs so much good as Hee Nothing so worthy of our loue as Hee Nothing to which wee are so much indebted as to Him Nothing wherein wee can finde so much comfort in the loue thereof as in the loue of Him Nothing so well able to rauish our hearts with the delight thereof as Hee is And no man so regardfull of our loue as Hee is and yet standeth not in neede of vs at all nor of our loue Wee desire His loue to vs why then should we not remonstrate ours to Him Wee would haue our children and seruants loue vs it is reason therefore that wee should bestow our loue on Him being our Louing LORD and gracious FATHER in IESVS CHRIST Of the Loue of Christ CHRIST is our LORD and SAVIOVR therefore wee ought to loue Him as men in loue redeemed by Him and receiued into His seruice Hee loues Him as his LORD that willingly submits his soule vnto His Scepter and offers himselfe to bee ruled by His Lawes Hee loues Him as his SAVIOVR that relies vpon His Merites seekes to Him for His Grace and resteth in those meanes of life and godlinesse which Hee hath ordained in His Church CHRIST is the Husband of His people and therefore to bee beloued of them as of His Wife And those loue Him as their Husband that wed not their hearts to any other that keepe their soules chaste for Him that delight to bee vnder His shadow and which in their hearts say with the Spouse in the Canticles Stay mee with flagons and comfort mee with apples set mee as a Seale on Thine heart and as a Signet vpon Thine Arme Thy Loue is better then wine If euer our loue was deserued of any then of CHRIST IESVS Who became man to bring vs into grace with GOD Who was poore to make vs rich Who humbled Himselfe to exalt vs Who came downe from heauen to fetch vs from hell to heauen Who both liued and dyed for vs that wee might escape eternall death and might obtaine Eternall Life And finally because perfection procureth fauour and beauty is the Load-stone vnto loue Wee must needs bestow our loue on Him in whom is nothing but perfection nothing but beauty In Him are all the Treasures of Wisedome and Knowledge hidden In Him is the fulnesse of the God-head Bodily Hee is Fairer then the sonnes of men Grace is diffused in His Lips GOD hath annointed Him with the Oile of Gladnesse aboue His Fellowes Hee is White and Ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand wholly delectable LORD IESVS tie mine heart fast to Thee by loue seuer it from all earthly things euen from it selfe that it may be wedded wholly and solely vnto Thee vnto Thee and vnto none but Thee and that for euer Of Selfe-loue CHRITY beginnes at home It is naturall for a man to loue himselfe Hee that loues not himselfe is vnfit to loue another Or how can hee take care of another that is carelesse of himselfe True selfe-loue is a furtherer of all vertues specially of temperance and such other as concerne our selues For hee that loues himselfe truely wils well and does well vnto himselfe and embraces those vertues gladly by which hee may be mended There is a blind and foolish selfe-loue too too common in the world You shall haue some rauished with the admiration of themselues they are the Mountaines all others are but Mole-hils all their Geese are Swans all their vertues are ten-foote long and all their actions are good because they are theirs all is spoken in Print that is spoke by them they see not their wants but imagine they haue that they haue not So they swimme they care not though all doe sinke so they may haue they care not though all besides doe want they will forgiue and flatter themselues in most grieuous vices excusing themselues extenuating their faults and contemning all the admonitions of others And finally their praises of others is very sparing almost nothing but they can speake bigly of