examined 29. Generall speciall Knowledge 29. Knowledge concerning God 30. Knowledge concerning Gods nature 30. There is a God 31. God is glorious in nature 33. Jncorporeall 33. Eternall 33. Incomprehensible 34. Immutable 34. Omnipotent 34. Omniscient 35. The summe of the second Sermon THe necessity of this generall Knowledge 3â— The fruits of it 38. God is three in persons 40. One in essence 41. God to be loved alone and above all 42. No other to bee called upon but the Lord. 42. One mediator to be used to him 42. Our knowledge is to be examined concerning Gods Works 43. Gods Worke of Creation 43. The world had a beginning 43. God made it 46. All things had one principle 46. God onely can Create 48. The Creatures to be considered 48. God to be praised 48. All things were made of nothing 49. Gods Power is to be admired 49. God to bee trusted unto 49. All things were made by the Word of God 50. All things were made good 50. God made all things freely 52. All things were made successively 52 Knowledge must bee examined concerning the Providence of God 53. God knowes and takes notice of all things 54. God upholds governes and disposes of all things 55. Gods providence reacheth to all things even the smallest 56. Of all Creatures God takes most care of man 58. God provides great things for man 59. God provides temporall things 61. God provides spirituall 61. God a royall Bridegroome 62. A royall feast-maker 63. A royall generall 63. God provides comforts 63. God provides graces 63. 64. Cleansing 64. Hearing 64. Quickning 64. Directing 65. Protecting 65. Saving 65. God watcheth over us and ours 65. God preserves us from dangers 66. God preserves us in dangers 6. God preserves us by dangers 67. God orders and disposes of all things and all acts for mans good 67. Naturall things shall worke for mans good 68. Artificiall things 68. Necessary things 69. Contingent things 69. Realland imaginary 70. All acts shall be for mans good 70. It is God that doth whatsoever he will 72. Knowledge must be examined concerning our selves 73. Rule of Knowledge concerning God 74 The Rule is the Word of God 74. It s infallible 75. Vnchangeable 75. Vndoubted 75. The summe of the Third Sermon Meanes of knowledge 80. The word must be read and meditated on 81. We must reade wisely 85. Reade with reverence 85. Order is required in reading 85. Judgement requisite 86. Meanes of knowledge the word publickly preached 87. We must heare wisely 88. What must be done before hearing 88. Le ts must be removed and helps used 89. 90. 91. 93. Reverence is required in the act of hearing 95 Attention required 96. Submission 96. Feare 97. Cheerefull alacrity 98. Conference a meanes of knowledge 101. Prayer a meanes 102. Prayer must be sent to God in the mediation of Christ 103. Pray with feare 103. Our gesture in prayer must be reverent 104. Prayer must be fervent 104. We must pray alwayes 104. Pray in the spirit 105. Motives to knowledge 108. The excellency of it 108. It doth good to us 109. It will make us doe good to others 110. It is the end of our being to know God 110. Knowledge must be examined concerning our state of innocency 111. God made man after his Jmage 111 What this consisted in 112 The time when man was made 112 The place man was put in 112 The manner of making him 112 The necessity of this knowledge 113 Mans fall 115 The summe of the Fourth Sermon KNowledge must bee examined concerning the Curse due to man by reason of his fall 121 What the Curse is in this life 121 What it is in the end of this life 123 What it is after this life is ended 123 What this knowledge will bring Christians unto 127 What the Lords Supper is 131 Why it is so called 131 The cause of it 132 The outward signe of it 133 Why he tooke bread 134 Why wine 135 The Cup not to be denied 137 The actions of the Minister represent the actions of God 138 The actions of the Receiver represent the actions of the soule and inward man 140 The inward thing signified 141 The end why it was instituted 141 Faith must bee examined 143 Degrees in faith 145 A desire of faith a token of faith 146 Reasons why faith must be examined 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155. Objections answered 155 156 157 The summe of the Fifth Sermon FAith described 162 God workes it 163 God works it of his meere good will 166 Gods end in working faith 166 What the knowledge of this will bring us unto 167 Meanes to get this faith 167 The Word a meanes 168 The Word read 168 The especiall meanes ordinary is preaching 169 The inward meanes the Spirit of God 171 How the Gospell works faith 172 Repentance must be examined 178 179 What it is 180 Repentance act 181 Repentance turnes wholly 182 Continually 183 Repentance time 184 True Repentance lookes at God 185 At man 186 At others 187 Aâ— sinne 188 What this knowledge workes 189 Motives to repent 192 Dangers of delay 193 The summe of the sixth Sermon DIfficulties 203 Doubts 204 Repentance tearmes 205 The object of Repentance all sin 206. 207. 208. 209 Not sufficient to abstaine from sinne outwardly 210 Not sufficient to lop and cut off some sinne 211 Reasons why Repentance sets it selfe against all sin 212 The penitent sinner sets himselfe against the sins of others 213 Sets against sin sincerely 214 True repentance turnes to all good 215 Repentance is the gift of God 217 God is the worker men the instruments 219 No man can repent when hee will 220 The glory of conversion must be ascribed to God 223 Meanes of grace not to be neglected 224 God must be served freely 227 The summe of the Seventh Sermon OBedience must bee examined 232 Obedience described 232 Obedience Rules 233 True obedience is universall 234 Man able to keep the Commandements 236 True obedience is cheerefull 237 Sincere 239 Inpreaching the heart must be looked to 241 Heare with the heart 242 Pray with it 242 Sing with it 242 Hypocrisie in the best 243 Hypocriticall obedience not regarded 244 Constrained sincerity nothing 246 True obedience is constant 247 Objections answered 248. 249 The godly performe good duties of conscience though not alway with the like cheerefulnesse 250 The godly goe on and persevere 251 The godly feare falling 252 The godly desire the continuance of meanes 252 Motives to obedience 253. 254. 255 Love must be examined 257 God commands Love 258 God loves us 258 Loves commodity 260 Love ingenders love 262 Love as strong as death 262 How God is to be loved 263 What it is to love God with the heart 263 God must be loved with all the heart 264 All owe this debt to God 263 Mans love to God cold and dead 263 Love stands in keeping the Commandements 264 An honourable thing to love God 266 Nothing can give rest to the soule out God 266 God is to be loved for himselfe 267 The summe of the Eighth Sermon REasons why love must be examined 274. 275 Kindes of Love 279. 280. 281 Our love must be Christian 283 Loves properties 287 Christ came to save sinners 309 Love is the fulfilling of the Law 291 Love is beneficiall 292 The estate of those that doe not love miserable 292 The selfe examiner must be a receiver 295 Often receiving no more then needs 298 Often receiving without profit a signe we are not good 300 To forbeare comming wil make men worse 301 It s one thing to have grace another thing to feele grace 301 Every man must with conscience submit to Gods Ordinance 301 No man was ever made better by not comming 301 It s a dangerous thing to limit God 301. 340 Imperfections must not hinder us 305 Feeling a want of grace with greife is grace 306 We Tempiation of Satan dangerous concerning the want of grace 307 Christ came to save sinners 309 The end of the Table
and having begunne in the spirit should end in the flesh Fourthly That his desire The godly dâ—sire the continuance of meanes is that hee may continue under the meanes of grace One thing saith David have I desired of the Lord that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life b Psal 27. 9. This is the godly mans care that he may keepe judgment and doe righteousnesse at all times c Psal 106 3. That he may feare alwayes Now let us examine our Knowledge concerning the motives to obedience and here it concernes all men to know that God is constant in love unto us The first Motive That God is constant in his love to us he hath loved God constant in his Love us and he doth love us and he will love us he will never give over Motive the second The wicked man continueth The wicked constant in sinne in sinne nothing will make them forsake it the mercie of God will not allure them nor the judgements of God terrifie them but for all that is done this they will doe even breake the lawes of God and his just commandements behinde their backes Motive the third All Creatures serve and obey him there is no Creature All Creatures obey God that God made but in his Kinde yeilds some delight and content unto God that made them he rejoyceth saith the Psalmist in all the Workes of his hands d Psa 104. 31. And is it not a shame that man whom hee made above all to take pleasure and delight in that man should not obey him Motive the fourth God is a royall pay-master God a royall pay-master in keeping the commandements of God there is great reward in our fathers house there is bread enough the wicked they shall have nothing but husks his children shall have bread I bread enough God is alwayes paying his children wages and never thinks they have wages enough he it is that gladeth us dayly with his benefits e Psa 68. 19. God to us hath given his Sonne and with him all things his Face was buffeted his Cheeks nipped his Eyes blinded his Hands nailed his Side lanched with a Speare he was as water powred out all his Bones were out of joynt his Heart like wax molten within the middest of his Bowells his strength was dryed up like a potsheard his tongue did cleave to his Jawes and he was brought unto the dust of death f Psal 22. 14 15. Non ergo caput faciem oculos manus cor illi trademus ut illi serviamus must wee not therefore give him Head Hands Eyes Face and Heart to serve him wee must not give our Members Weapons of unrighteousnesse to sinne what then wee must give our selves to God and our Members of righteousnesse to serve God Thus much for the fourth thing every receaver must examine namely Obedience Now come wee to the fift and that is Love Our love towards God and reconciliation of our selves towards our neighbours for in vaine shall wee pretend Knowledge boast of Faith glory of Love to God must be examined Repentance if we faile in our love First wee must examine this Our love to God for if any man love him not let him bee Anathema Maranatha g 1 Cor. 16. 22. Every receiver must know First that God hath commanded God commands love this that we may know whether wee doe love him and might keepe our selves in his love i Deut. 6 5 Deut. 11 12. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God saith hee and againe what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to feare him and love him this by our Lord and Saviour is called the great Commandement the commander is great the object is great the use of the duty is great and their reward is great that care to doe it Secondly God doth love us and it is a matter of equity that wee Matter of equity to love should requite love with love againe for though we cannot love him as we ought and as hee loveth us yet must wee love for ours is an ascending his a descending love and love descending is more is more naturall more fervent and vehement then love ascending as wee see in Parents who love their children better then their children love them besides God loved us when wee were his enemies i Eph. 2. durus est animus qui si dilectionem nolebat impendere nolet rependere S. Augu. S. Augu. his heart is Oake not flesh but Flint that though hee will not beginne to love yet finding Love will shew no love Thirdly examine wee Loves commodity must because of the commodity for if this bee in us then First our Faith produceth those good duties which we owe unto God for Faith is as one hand receiving Love as the other giving for Faith worketh by Love k Gal. 6. 6. Nec faciunt bonos vel malos mores nisi boni vel mali amores such as our love is such is our life an holy love an holy life an earthly love an earthly life if a mans love be set on God his life must needs be good and though this bee certaine that a man is justified by Faith l Rom. 3. yet this is as certaine that the life of a man is justified by love Secondly having this love wee may know in what estate wee are in Saint Augustine saith Duas S. Augu. civitates duo faciunt amores Hierusalem facit amor dei Babyloniam amor seculi interroget ergo se quisque quid amat inveniet unde sit civis Two loves make two Cities the love of God maketh Hierusalem the love of the World Babylon therefore let but every man examine what hee loves and hee shall see in what estate hee is and to what City hee belongs As a man by looking upon a Diall may know the motion of the Sunne in Heaven so by looking upon the thing hee loveth he may know in what hee standeth whether hee belong to Babylon or Jerusalem to Heaven or Hell to God or the Divell Thirdly The love of Love ingenders love the godly will bee ingendred in us Fourthly This love is Love as strong as death as strong as death for as death doth kill the body so our love to God doth mortify our love to the World and dispels rancor wrath malice and as the rising of the Sunne doth chase away the darknesse of the night so the love of God drives away the inordinate love of Worldly vanities Now it is not sufficient to know that God must be loved but wee must also know how God is to be loved This our Saviour sheweth m Matt. 22 37. How God is to be loved Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy minde First wee must love him God must be loved with all the heart with all
our heart Now to love God withall the heart is to love him with all our affections joying and delighting in none but in him for hee loves not God that delights in any What it is to love God with the heart S. Aug. thing more then God as S. Augustine saith truly Minus te amat qui aliquid tecum amat quod non prop ter te amat hee loves thee not who loves any thing with thee which hee loves not for thee Secondly we must love God must bee loved with all the soule God with all our soule induring rather a separation of the soule from the body than that our soule should bee separated from God who is the Soule of the soule and the comfort both of soule and body Thirdly God must be loved with all our mind so that our cogitations must be fixed upon him and ruled by him his word should direct our Reason our Reason rule our Wills that so wee may say with the Apostle wee live not but God doth live within us A Christians chiefest care should be how to performe this duty to God how to love him as the Church said I am full of love I am sick of love n Cant. 5. 8. All owe this debt to God This is that all men should doe this they owe to God but few pay it or if they doe it is with Crackt mony not currant in Gods Exchequer for our love to God is cold Mans love to God cold and dead yea plaine dead and that appeareth in the breach of the first Table wee are bankrupts both in piety towards God and charity towards men we love the World and our pleasures more then God we worship not God in spirit and in truth we sweare and blaspheme the name of God we prophane and pollute the Sabbaths of God wee come seldom to the house of God how can we say that wee love God the love of God standeth Love stands in keeping the Commandements in the keeping of his Commandements so saith our Saviour hee that hath my Commandements and keepeth them is he that loves mee and againe if any man love me hee will keepe my Word and my Father will love him and wee will come unto him and dwell with him and againe he that loveth me not keepeth not my words o John 14. 21. 23 26. He speaketh positively and privatively The blessed and undivided Trinity will dwell with that man who loveth God truely but till wee serve God in holinesse and righteousnesse till wee pray diligently heare his Word attentively receive the Sacraments penitently keepe the Lords day 's religiously use his name reverently let us bee ashamed to say that wee love God nunc regnum dei non est in verbis sed in vertute the Kingdome of God is not in word but in power Many Christians are mutilated and lame either they want an eare and cannot heare God or they want a tongue and cannot praise God or they want an heart and cannot love God These Atheists are a disgrace to Religion a Moth in the garment of the Church monsters in nature divels in shape of men as CHRIST said of Judas hollow Trees not holy Trees Beloved it is a most honorable thing An honorable thing to love God to be a lover of God it was one of Abrahams greatest titles of honour to bee called the friend of God it is a most blessed thing to be a lover of God they that love the Lord shall bee as the Sunne that riseth in his strength There is nothing in the Nothing can give rest to the soule but God World that can give rest unto the soule but God the heart of man is like the needle of the cumpasse that trembleth still untill it come at the Pole The soule of a wicked man is in a sling now that which is in a sling is violently tossed about so is the soule when it is not upon the proper object God It was the saying of the rich gluttan soule take thy ease thou hast goods laid up for many yeeres and David cryed returne my soule to thy rest p Luke 12. 19. 116. Psal 7. The first put his soule from the right object but the second when he said returne my soule to thy rest hee put it up on the right object Now a question may be asked Quaest Whether God is to bee loved for his benefits or for himselfe Resp God is to bee God is to be loved for himselfe loved for himselfe benefites in respect of our infirmities may bee motives to stirre us up to love God but hee is to be loved for himselfe Hypocrites serve God for gaine what shal it profit us say they if wee pray unto him they measure all their Religion by profit it is vaine they say to Job 21. 15 serve God and what profit is it that wee have kept his Ordinances and that we have walked mournefully before the Lord of Hosts q Mal. 3. 14 These are like unto little children who will not say their Prayers unlesse you promise them their breakfast and to these men gayne is godlinesse A second question to be propounded is Quest Whether the hatred of God or the ignorance of God be the greater sinne Res In divers considerations the hatred of God may bee a greater sinne then the ignorance of God and ignorance againe a greater sinne then the hatred First That is the greatest sinne that is most opposite to the great God now hatred of God being opposite to the Love of God must needs be the greater sinne Secondly If yee will consider ignorance as opposite to the vision of God wherein our blessednesse consisteth then the ignorance of God is a greater evill then the hatred of God for to see God is a more excellent thing then to love him though in Termino they cannot bee severed The End of the Seventh SERMON The Eighth SERMON 1 Corinthians 11. CHAP. 28. VERS But let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of that Bread and drinke of that Cup. WEE heard in the former Sermon that whosoever would come worthily to Gods Table must examine himselfe narrowly before he comes examine hee must his Knowledge his Faith his Repentance his Obedience and lastly his love Foure of these I have insisted upon at large entrance hath been made into the last which is Love Love to God Love to man For the Love to God that wee have finished now it remaines that we spend some time on our love to man Now every receiver Love to man must be examined must examine this Knowledge concerning this for Wee all come to one Table All eate of the same Bread drinke all of the same Cup. Baptised all into the same baptisme Branches all of the same Vine Sheep of the same Shepheard Children of the same father Fellowes of the same houshold Heires of the same kingdome Members of the same body Professors of the same faith Obtainers
first he be a lover of the truth Wee must love one another not for their riches honours greatnesse but for themselves their good must be sought not their goods we must not love one another as Dogges doe bones for the flesh that is on them or as men doe Trees for their fruite but wee must love them for themselves for this that they are men but especially for that they are vertuous and good men Lastly the Receivers love Constant love must be constant With some friends are like flowers no longer regarded then whiles they are fresh Many mens love is like the harlots love who love while there is lucre and when gifts goe hence their love goes hence they are like the puttocks in the fable that followed the old Wife bearing meate to the market but forsooke her homeward when her meate were sold En ego non paucis quondam munitus amicis A man shall bee loved in prosperity but in adversity as Rats forsake an house when it is ready to fall so his lovers and his friends will forsake him Thus our love should bee holy just true constant this is true Christian love wherein men should keepe themselves this is like unto the Sunne unto the World a Candle unto the house a light for our journey a line for our life and a rule for our reprehensions Si diligis fac quicquid vis if thou beest in love doe what thou wilt speake or be silent exhort or rebuke call or cry so it be in love all is well Beloved much is gotten by love there is much comfort in love I love is the fulfilling of the Law Love is the fulfilling of the Law First Reductive Secondly Effective Thirdly Formaliter First Reductive Because love is the fulfiling of all the Commandements Secondly Effective For hee that loves the Love is beneficiall Lord is ready alwayes to obey him Thirdly Formaliter For all actions should be referred to the glory of God As the benefit is great The estate of those that love not miserable where there is love so the misery of such as love not is great also First They are children of darkenesse and all under the bondage of the first death and in danger of the second Secondly They can never enter into the Kingdome of Heaven every one can say a murtherer shall not bee saved now the Lord hates a man that loves not his brother as a murtherer and the Apostle saith that no murtherer hath eternall life abiding in him h 1 John 3 15. I will conclude with the saying of S. Peter the end of all things is at hand be sober therefore and watch unto Prayer this is good but not sufficient and above all things saith he have fervent charity for charity shall cover a multitude of sinnes i 1 Pet. 4. 7 8. It is love that hides the blemishes of our sinnefull nature and the same Apostle cals upon us to give all diligence to adde to our Faith vertue and to vertue knowledge to knowledge temperance to temperance patience and to patience brotherly kindnesse and to brotherly kindnesse charity k Pet 2. 1. 5 6 7 8 9. And the reason is given because if this be in us we shall not be barren and unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord JESVS CHRIST but he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see farre of and hath forgotten that hee was purged from his old sinnes l 2 Pet 1. 9 Wee have finished the first conclusion that whosoever would receive worthily must examine narrowly Come we to the second That the selfe examiner must bee a receaver Let The examiner must be a Receiver him eate of that Bread and drinke of that Cup. Doe this saith our Saviour m 1 Cor. 11 24. So that it is not left indifferent for a man to come or not to come but commanded I if that wee looke but into the Booke of God wee shall finde that such as were bidden to the Wedding and would not come made light of it were destroyed as well as hee that came without his Wedding garment n Mat. 22. 4. to 13. O that we would consider First Who it is that calls cries It is the Lord by the mouth of the Minister he it is that bids his guests shall he cry come and shall we not come shall hee call and shall not we answer he it is that bids and shall wee make excuses send his Messingers to prepare and shall not we come where all things are prepared Secondly Consider that besides calling bidding sending he offers himselfe and what a fearefull thing is this to contemne this blessed Sacrament When Moses called Dathan and Abiram to come up to the Lord they answered presumptuously we will not come o Num. 16. 12. When the King in the Gospell had invited many and sent his servants at supper time to say to them that were bidden come for all things are now ready they all with one consent beganne to make excuse p Luke 14. 16 17. 18. Beloved doth not the Lord call us as Moses Dathan and Abiram to come up and doe wee not as they did say wee will not this wee not only say but doe Doth he not invite us I the Table is covered the supper is ready yet how doe wee slight it Many will come but it is to looke on not receave what is this Beloved but to have the Minister of CHRIST in derision our Saviour did not say let a man examine himselfe and stay at home or examine himselfe and looke on but let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of that Bread and drinke of that Cup. With what face then with what countenance or conscience can these come to the house and Table of God But it may be objected Ob. 1. That often receiving Of enreceaving no more then needes is more then needs Res Those that make this objection shew to the World what spirit they are of for besides the Word of God requiring of us often to receive have wee not our owne wantes crying out unto us I and that aloud that wee have neede to come and surely if ever any of these had tasted of any sweetnesse at the Table of God they would never have objected so absurdly or argued I have often received therefore neede to receave no more but rather I have often receaved therefore will receave againe There is almost none so absurd as to say I have been often at the Church therefore I will bee seene there no more I will heare no more because I have heard a little but as he that knoweth what it is to heare will heare often so hee that knowes what it is to receave the blessed Sacrament will not content himselfe with receaving but will receave often Ob. 1. It may in the second Often receiving without profit a signe we are not good place be objected we have often come and received but wee profit
reformed it will bee easie to reforme the words and workes n Math. 23 26. In the particular duties of Gods worship it concemes all to be carefull of the heart 1. In Preaching 2. In Hearing 3. In Praying 4. In Singing First in Preaching In Preaching the heart is to be looked to That wee may be able to say with Saint Paul God is my witnesse whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospell of his Sonne e Rom. 1. 9 Secondly in hearing Heare with the heart The heart must also be looked unto the heart must bee drawne up unto the eare like Lidia our hearts must bee opened that we attend to the things which are spoken Thirdly in Prayer Pray with the heart The heart must bee looked unto Praying alwayes with all Prayer and supplication and how it is said in the spirit p Eph. 6 8. Fourthly in singing of Psalmes Sing with the heart The heart also must be ready that we may sing with grace in our hearts unto the Lord q Col. 3. 16 Quaest But is there no hypocrisy in the godly Hypocrisy in the best man is there no want of this inward truth of heart in his obedience Res There is hypocrisie in the best all the sonnes of Adam are infected with this contamination some more some lesse whosoever goeth about to cleere himselfe in this hee is the worst hypocrite of all and this wee must know that though all are infected with it yet here is the difference all have hypocrisie hypocrisie hath some aliud habere peccatum aliud haberi à peccato it is one thing for a man to professe sin and another thing for sin to possesse a man Now though a regenerate man may finde this in him yet may hee comfort himselfe in it First That this is a matter of greife and humbling unto him feeling this in him and having his heart away in any outward service Secondly That his care and desire in obeying God hath ever been to doe it heartily and so could never hypocrite say This must all know for by the knowledge of this that it is not First Hypocriticall obedience Hypocriticall Obedience not regarded Secondly Constrained sincerity that will serve the turne First For hypocriticall obedience eye-service may bee pleasing unto men because they know not the heart but to God it can not The proud Pharisee may make a faire show but God can pull of the maske and discover him All outward workes an hypocrite may doe onely he failes in the heart and because of that hee is lost every where it is man that judgeth the heart by the workes but the LORD judgeth the workes by the heart O therefore take heede of hypocrisie least you have your portion with them in Hell Men and women solace your selves in your devotions heare read pray receive but looke you have the heart along with you for without the heart all is lost Know this that the ostentation of man shall meete with the detestation of God Secondly Now if hypocrisie Constrained sincerity nothing cannot content God what can constrained sincerity doe Hee that obeyeth God because hee cannot chuse would not obey the LORD if hee could The fourth Rule of Obedience Rule 4 is constancy And this must every receiver know That true Obedience is constant obedience True obedence is constant Whosoever obeyes God truely will obey God constantly there is scarce any good thing in Gods Child but may seeme to bee in the hypocrite save onely this constancy in obedience so that this teacheth us First That sound and constant obedience is in the regenerate Secondly That it is onely in the regenerate in no other First constant obedience is in the regenerate The righteous saith the wise man is an everlasting foundation r Pro. 10 25. I such as are planted in the house of the Lord will bring forth fruit in their age f Psal 92 13. 14. But it may bee objected Ob. 1. That in many regenerate men there are great intermissions and giving over of good duties the fruits of grace have been straightly intercepted and broke of in them Hee that had come to David when after his adultery he would have killed Vriah and Peter when he forswore his Master and that with curses he would have been able to discerne no more fruits of grace nor conscience of duty to God in them then in Saul or Judas Resp That though in the time of temptation or spirituall desertion the case may be thus with the godly for a time yet hee cannot continue so but shall recover himselfe and doe his first workes againe according to that saying hee will not suffer the righteous to fall for ever t Psal 55. 22. Ob. 2. There are many that have good hearts in whom there is great inconstancy often omitting of good duties which they should performe they have not alwayes that alacrity in Prayer and holy exercise as sometimes they have Res Certaine it is that many a good man may decay in the measure of his practise and good duties even through a naturall decay of his spirit by age or by sicknes Secondly Hee may loose that heate and fervency of spirit that sometimes he had this may bee seene in the Angell of the Church of Ephesus u Rev. 2. 4 The first love was lost and yet much grace was there Beloved without dayly watchfulnes and stirring up of our selves it will not bee possible to keepe our selves from this decaying in our love yet this wee must know that in every regenerate man ordinarily unlesse it bee in case of temptation or spirituall The godly performe good duties of conscience though not alwayes with the lâ—ke châ—erfulnes dissention you shall finde foure things First That hee doth still performe good duties of conscience towards God though not with that cheerefulnes as at other times he still keeps his way and goeth on though not so fast greiving for his decayes striving against his dulnesse and this the Lord takes great delight in and hee is not unrighteous to forget our worke and love w Heb. 6. 10. The godly goe on and persevere Secondly That the godly man doth not rest in any thing that hee hath done but goeth on and is carefull to persevere and continue unto the end and this may bee seene in David and Paul First in David I will praise the Lord saith he while I live and sing unto God while I have my being x Psa 146. 2. Thy Statutes Lord will I keepe even unto the end y Psa 119 112. The second in S. Paul Brethren saith he I count not my selfe to have apprehended but this one thing I doe forgetting those things which are behinde and reaching forth unto those things which are before I presse towards the marke a Phil. 3. 13. The godly feare falling Thirdly That the godly man lives in feare least hee should fall away before his death
of the same promise Partakers of the same hope Now it is a shamefull thing and full of infamy and reproach to see the Branches of the same Vine Sheepe of the same Shepheard Children of the same Father to contend and strive one against another Beloved there is but little love where are those noble paire of lovers David and Ionathan who had but one soule Eusebius and Pamphilus Martyrs who had but one name Pilades and Orestes who had but one life the one being dead the other died also Ruth and Naomi who had but one grave Saint Basil and Saint Nazienzen of whom it is said anima una erat inclusa in duobus corporibus one soule was included in two bodies Marriage maketh two bodies one but love maketh two soules one yea many soules many bodies but one The Heathens were wont to say of the men of the Primitive Church ecce ut invic em se diligunt behold how they love one another they knew Christians by that badge but we may say ecce ut invicem se â—derunt behold how they hate one another not Christians but Wolves Lyons Leopards Divels nay worse for one Lyon eateth not another and the Divels strive not among themselves but maintaine their Kingdome Let Tygers and Beares and Leopards teare one another let Scythians Cannibals eat one another who know not God nor good humanity let them bee without naturall affections but let us love one another and let the Apostle his precept bee our practise bee of one minde one suffer with another love as brethren be pittifull be courteous not rendring evill for evill not rebuke for rebuke but contrariwise blesse knowing that yee are thereunto called that yee should be heires of blessing a 1 Pet. 3. 8. 9. In no quality doe wee resemble God more than in this Love God the Father is Love God the Sonne is Love God the Holy Ghost is Love God the Father in love gave the Sonne God the Sonne in love gave himselfe God the holy Ghost in love applyeth all this to us Now good reason have Kind of love we to examine our love to man for there are divers kinds of love First The Atheists love Atheists love and this comes from profit or from pleasure which love men as the dog doth the bone but this love proceedeth not ex cordepuro a pure heart therefore it is a love condemned Secondly the Gamesters Gamesters love Drunkards love for to glosse play eate drinke game be no good workes therefore this is not to love Thirdly There is carnall Carnall love love and this is condemned for love in man may be a vice aswell as a grace it is a vice when it is set upon a wrong obiect or is disordered and that three wayes 1. When we love things unlawfull as sinne 2. When we love things lawfull but too much as the world 3. When love is turned into lust and so it is the mother of fornication adultery incest and such like Fourthly There is a Christian love Christian love wee must love one another in the Lord and for the Lord this love is the badge of Christs Disciples by this shall all men know that you are my Disciples indeed if yee love one another as I have loved you b Iohn 13. To this Saint Peter exhorteth above all things have fervent love among your selves for love shall cover a multitude of sinnes c 1 Pet. 4. non expiando non veniam promâ—rendo sed fraternè condonando non vindicando non diffamando not by purging or satisfying for sinne not by deserving pardon and binding God to forgive sinne but by brotherly forgiving trespasses not revenging our selves nor defaming others There is another love condemned the love of Schismaticall Heretiques and Schismaticall love in cathedra unitatis Deus posuit doctrinam veritatis in the chaire of unity God hath put the doctrine of verity they agree as the false Prophets did not in the Lord but against the Lord. Papists boast much of their Councell of Trident and how they agree in all meetings Alas a few Bishops of Italy conspired together but thirty eight Bishops in all not like the Councell of Nice where were three hundred and eighteene or of Arimine where were sixe hundred Bishops nor like the Councell of Constance where were foure Patriarks twenty nine Cardinalls two hundred threescore and ten Bishops forty seven Arch-bishops five hundred threescore and foure Abbots and Doctors at the deposing of Benedict the third But our love let it bee as it should bee Christian love let us love as brethren Our love must bee Christian. and then the God of love and peace shall bee with us and if enemies will not bee pacified recommend the cause to God till wee meete in heaven where all injury shall bee forgotten and in the meane while I beseech you as S. Paul did the Saints of Corinth I beseech you I say by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that yee all speake one thing and that there be no dissension among you but that yee bee knit together in one minde and in one judgment d 1 Cor. 1. 10. and whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things pertaine to love e Phil. 4. 8. thinke on these things and the God of Love and peace shall bee with you f 1 Thes 3. 12. and the Lord increase your love and make it abound more and more one toward another Christs Commandement is all love his Spouse is all loving and Iohn will preach nothing but love and wee must follow after love and above all have fervent love among our selves for that shall cover a multitude of sinnes Seeing therefore it is not all love that is commended it stands us in hand to examine our love for none receive worthily but such whose love is 1. Holy Loves properties 2. Just 3. True 4. Constant First the Receivers love Holy Love must be holy love It must be for God and not against God under God and not above God for he loves not God that loves not his neighbour with God whom he loves not for God and hee that loves his neighbour more than God is unworthy of God and makes his neighbour to be his God Secondly The Receivers Iust love love must be Iust Wee must not love one another in evil but in good and for good pacem cum hominibus bellum cum vitiis wee must have peace with men war with their vices we must love their persons but hate their manners if they be evill Thirdly The Receivers True love love must be true love Wee must not love in word and in tongue but in worke and in truth g 1 Ioh 3. 18. nemo potest veraciter esse amicus ho minis nisi primitus fuerit amicus ipsius veritatis S. Augustine no man can bee S. Aug. a true lover of man unlesse