of their profession is not any experimentall goodnesse which they have tasted in him for by nature men have no relish of Christ at all but onely selfe-love and private ends wherby Christ is subordinated to their owne commodities Men are herin just like the Samaritans of whom Iosephus reports that when Antiochus persecuted the Iewes they then utterly disavowed any consanguinity with them denied their Temple on mount Gerosim to be dedicated to the great God and declared their linage from the Medes and Persians but when before that Alexander had shewed favour unto the Iewes and remitted the tribute of every seventh yeare they then claim'd kindred with that people and counterfeited a descent from the tribes of Ephraim and Manasse that thereby they might enjoy the priviledges of those people whom otherwise they mortally hated And so we finde that in the Vastation of the Citie of Rome by the Gothes and Barbarians when there was but one onely refuge allowed the Romanes for the safety of their lives namely to fly unto the Christians Churches those very enemies of Christ and his profession who before had persecuted him and after returned to their malice againe were yet then as hasty to fly unto his Temples and to assume the Title of his Servants as they were after ungratefully malitious in reproaching Christian Religion as if that had been the provocation of those calamities And may we not still observe amongst Christians at this day many men who contrary to the evidence of their judgment and peace of their consciences conforme themselves unto the vanities courses companies of this evill world and like cowards are affraid to adventure on a rigorous and universall subjection to the truth of Christ dare not keepe themselves close to those narrow rules of S. Paul to abstaine from jesting which is not seemly to avoid all appearances of evill to reprove the unfruitfull workes of darknesse to speake unto Edification that their words may minister grace unto the hearers to rejoyce alwayes in the Lord to give place unto wrath to recompence evill with good to be circumspect and exact in their walking before God and all this meerly out of suspicion of some disrespect and disadvantages which may hereupon meete them in the world of some remoraes and stoppage in the order of those projects which they have contrived for their private ends Now if such purposes as these doe staâ—tle men from a punctuall and rigorous profession of the Gospell of Christ and his most holy wayes notwithstanding our vow in Baptisme doe as strictly binde us therunto as unto the externall title of Christianity suppose we that the same or greater disadvantages should now as in the primitive times attend at the naked and outward profession of Christ would not such men as these fall into downright apostacy and deny the Lord that bought them certainly our Savior hath so resolv'd that case in the very best sort of unregenerate men noted in the stony ground when times of persecution happen that they are brought to the triall who it was whom in their profession they loved Christ or themselves the excellencie of the knowledge of him or the secure enjoyment of secular contentments they will then certainly fall away and be offended Matt. 13.21 so profound and unsearchable is the deceitfull heart of man that by that very reason for which men contend for the outward face and profession of Religion because they love their pleasures and profits which without such a profession they cannot peaceably enjoy they are deterred from a close spirituall and universall obedience to the power thereof because thereby likewise those pleasures and profits are kept within such rules of moderation as the nature of a boundlesse and unsatisfiable lust will not admit This is a certaine rule in love that the motions and desires thereof are strong and therefore in any thing which the soule loves it therin strives for excellency and perfection and this rule holds most true in religion because when the soâ—â—e loves that it loves it under the apprehension of the greatest good and therefore by consequence sets the strongest and most industrious desires of the soule upon it Therefore the Apostle saith that the Love of Christ namely that love of him which is by the Holy Ghost shed abroad in our hearts constraineth us to live unto him and to aspire after him who died for us and rose againe Love is as strong as death it will take no deniall It is the wing and weight of the soule which fixeth all the thoughts and carrieth all the desires unto an intimate unitie with the thing it loves stirreth up a zeale to remove all obstacles which stand betweene it worketh a languor or failing of nature in the want of it a liquefaction and softnesse of nature to receive the impressions of it an egresse of the Spirits and as it were an hast of the soule to meet and entertaine it Whence those expressions of the Saints in holy Scripture Comfort me with apples stay me with flagons for I am sick of love my soule breaketh for the longing which it hath unto thy judgments at all times The desire of our soule is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee My soule thirsteth for God yea for the living God when shall I come and appeare before God We that have the first fruit of the Spirit groane within our selves waiting for the adoption even the redemption of our Bodies O that my wayes were directed that I might keepe thy commandements with my whole heart have I sought thee I have stuck unto thy testimonies I will delight my selfe in thy commandements thy statutes have been my songs my soule fainteth for thy salvation c. By all which we see that a true love of Christ doth excite strong desires and an earnest aspiring and ambition of the soule to walke in all well-pleasing and to be in all things conformable unto him What the Apostle saith of Spirituall hope we may truly say of love which is the fundamentall affection and root of all the rest He that hath it indeed in him purgeth himselfe even as Christ is pure The Love of the World and the things and lusts of the world may indeed consist with the formall profession but no way with the truth or power of a true love to Christ or his government For love is ever the principle and measure of all our actions such as it is such likewise wil they be too Fourthly something like love there may be in naturall men unto Christ grounded upon the historicall assurance and perswasion of his being now in glory attended by mightie Angels filled with all the treasures of wisdome knowledge grace power and other excellent attributes which can attract love even from an enemie and that he hath and still doth procure such good things for mankinde in their deliverance from the guilt of sin and from the wrath to come as of which might
of our progresse in brotherly love is punctually answerable to the growth of our love to Christ. Secondly a true grounded love unto Christ will shew it selfe in the right manner or conditions of it Which are principally these three First it must bee an incorrupt and sincere love Grace bee upon all those that love the Lord Iesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in incorruption or sincerity saith the Apostle Eph. 6.24 that is on those who love not in word or outward profession and stipulation onely but in deed and truth or in the permanent constitution of the inner man which moveth them to love him alwayes and in all things to hate every false way to set the whole heart the studie purpose prayer and all the activity of our Spirits against every corruption in us which standeth at enmity with him and his Kingdome Secondly it must be a principall and superlative love grounded upon the experience of the soule in it selfe that there is ten thousand times more beautie and amiablenesse in him than in all the honours pleasures profits satisfactions which the world can afford that in comparison or competition with him the dearest things of this world the parents of our body the children of our flesh the wife of our bosome the bloud in our veines the heart in our brest must not onely be laid downe and lost as sacrifices but hated as snares when they draw us away from him Thirdly it must bee an unshared and uncommunicable love without any corrivals for Christ as he is unto us all in all so he requireth to have all our affections fixed upon him As the rising of the Sunne drowneth all those innumerable Starres which did shine in the firmament before so must the beauty of this Sunne of righteousnesse blot out or else gather together unto it selfe all those scattered affections of the soule which were before cast away upon meaner objects Lastly true love unto Christ will shew it selfe in the naturall and genuine effects of so strong and spirituall a grace some of the principall I before named unto which we may adde First An universall cheerefull and constant obedience to his holy Commandements If a man saith Christ love me he will keepe my Commandements and my Father will love him and wee will come unto him and make our abode with him Iob. 14.24 There is a twofold love a love which descends and a love which ascends a love of Bounty and beneficence and a love of Dutie and service so then as a father doth then only in truth love his childe when with all care he provideth for his present education and future subsistence so a childe doth then truly love his father when with all reverence and submission of heart he studieth to please and to doe him service And this love if it be free and ingenuous by how much the more not only pure and equall in it selfe but also profitable unto him the commandement is by so much the more carefully will it endevour the observation thereof And therefore since the soule of a Christian knowes that as God himselfe is good and doth good so his Law which is nothing but a ray and glimpse of his owne holinesse is likewise good in it selfe and doth good unto those which walke uprightly it is hereby enflamed to a more sweet and serious obedience thereunto in the keeping whereof there is for the present so much sweetnesse and in the future so great a reward Thy Word saith the Psalmist is very pure therefore thy servant loveth it Secondly A free willing and cheerefull suffering for him and his Gospell Vnto you saith the Apostle it is given in the behalfe of Christ not onely to beleeve on him but also to suffer for his sake Phil. 1.29 We see how far a humane love either of their countrey or of vain-glory hath transported some heathen men to the devoting and casting away their owne lives How much more should a spirituall love of Christ put courage into us to beare all things and to endure all things as the Apostle speakes 1 Cor. 13.7 for him who bare our sinnes and our stripes and our burdens for us which were heavier than all the world could lay on And this was the inducement of that holy martyr Polycarp to die for Christ notwithstanding all the perswasions of the persecutors who by his apostacie would faine have cast the more dishonour upon Christian Religion and as it were by sparing him have the more cunningly persecuted that This eightie six yeares saith he I have served him and he never in all that time hath done me any hurt why should I be so ungratefull as not to trust him in death who in so long a life hath never forsaken me I am perswaded saith the Apostle that neither death nor life nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord Rom. 8.38 39. Nothing able to turne away his love from us and therefore nothing should be able to quench our loue to him Many waters that is by the usuall expression of the holy Scriptures many afflictions persecutions temptations cannot quench love neither can the flouds drowne it Cant. 8.7 Thirdly A zeale and jealous contention for the glory truth worship and wayes of Christ wicked men pretend much love to Christ but they indeed serve onely their owne turnes as Ivie which claspes an Oake very close but only to sucke out sap for its owne leaves and berries but a true love is full of care to advance the glory of Christs kingdome and to promote his truth and worship feares lest Satan and his instruments should by any meanes corrupt his truth or violate his Church as the Apostle to the Galatians professeth the feare which his love wrought in him towards them I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vaine Gal. 4 11-16 So we finde what contention and disputation and strife of spirit the Apostles and others in their ministery used when Christ and his holy Gospell was any way either injured by false brethren or kept out by the idolatry of the places to which they came Act. 15.2 Act. 17.16 Act. 18.25 19.8 Gal. 2.4 5. Iude v. 2. Lastly A longing after his presence a love of his appearing a desire to be with him which is best of all a seeking after him and grieving for him when for any while he departs from the soule a waiting for his salvation a delight in his Communion and in his spirituall refreshments a communing with him in his secret chamber in his houses of wine and in his galleries of love By which lovely expressions the Wise-man hath described the fellowship which the Church desireth to have with Christ and that abiding and supping of Christ with his Church feasting the soule with the manifestations of himselfe and
to love him againe for who can be perswaded of so great a benefit as the remission of sinnes and not be most deeply inflamed with the love of him by whom they are remitted 1 Ioh. 4.19 Luk. 7.47 and lastly by this reciprocall love of the heart to Christ faith becommeth effectuall to worke obedience and conformitie to his will Love is the fulfilling of the Law he that loves God would with all joyfulnesse fulfill every jot of Gods Law if it were possible This is the love of God saith the Apostle that we keepe his Commandements and his Commandements are not grievous True love overcomes all difficulties is not apt to pretend occasions for neglecting any service of God nor to conceive any prejudices against it but puts an edge and alacritie upon the spirit of a man he can no more be said to love Christ who doth not willingly undergoe his yoke than that woman to love her husband who is ever griev'd at his presence and delighteth more in the societie of strangers Fifthly this willingnesse of Christs people ariseth from the beauty and pretiousnesse of those ample Promises which by the love of Christ are made unto us It is said of Moses that he did chuse and that is the greatest act of willingnesse rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season and the ground of this willingnesse was he had a respect unto the recompence of the reward Heb. 11.25 26. so Christ endured the Crosse and despised the shame that is the shame which would much have stagger'd and disheartened an unresolved man was no prejudice or discouragement unto him to abate any of his most willing obedience and the motive was for the joy that was set before him Heb. 12.2 And Saint Paul professeth of himselfe that he pressed forward hee was not onely willing but importunate and contentious to put forth all his spirits and like riders in a race to rouse up himselfe in a holy fervour and emulation and all this was for the Price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus which was as it were before his face in the Promises thereof Phil. 3.14 so the Apostle assureth us That a Christians Hope to be like unto Christ hereafter will cause him to purifie himselfe even as hee is pure 1 Ioh. 3.3 when a man shall sit downe and recount with David what God hath done for him already Who am I O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto And what God hath further promised to doe for him more Thou hast also spoken of thy servants house for a great while to come Of a childe of wrath thou hast called mee to an inheritance of the Saints in light and into the fellowship of more glory than can be shadowed forth by all the lights of heaven though every Star were turned into a Sunne I say when the soule shall thus recount the goodnesse of God how can it but bee wonderfully enlarged with thoughts of thankfulnesse and grieved at the slow and narrow abilities of the other parts to answer the urgent and wide desires of a willing soule Sixthly this willingnesse of Christs people ariseth from the experience of that peace comfort life liberty triumph and securitie which accompanieth the Spirit and the service of Christ. Nothing makes a man more fearefull of warres than the dangers and hazards which are incident thereunto But if a man can serve under such a Prince whose imployments are not onely honourable but safe if he who is able and faithfull to make good his words promise us that none either of the stratagems or forces of the enemie shall doe us hurt but that they shall flie before us while wee resist them who would not be a Voluntary in such services as are not liable to the casualties and vicissitudes which usually attend other warres wherein he might fight with safetie and come off with honour David had experience of Gods power in delivering him from the Lion and the Beare and was well assured that that God who was carefull of sheepe would be more pitiful to his people Israel and that made him with much willingnesse ready to encounter Goliah whose assurance was onely in himselfe and not in God When a man shall consider what God might have done with him he might have sent him from the wombe to hell depriv'd him of the meanes of grace left him to the rebellion and hardnesse of his evill heart and to the rage of Satan burnt his bones and dried up his bowels with the view of that wrath which is due to sinne and what he hath done with him he hath called him to the knowledge of his will refreshed him with the light of his countenance heard his prayers given an issue to his temptations and a reviving out of bondage fastned him as a naile in his holy place given him his favour which is better than light and spoken of his servant for a long time to come O how readily will the spirit of such a man conclude Lord according to thine owne heart hast thou done all this unto me and I have found so much sweetnesse in thy service above all mine owne thoughts or expectations that now O Lord my heart is prepared my heart is prepared I will sing and rejoyce in thy service Lastly this willingnesse of Christs people ariseth from that excellent beauty and attractive vertue which is in holinesse Thy Law is pure therefore thy servant loveth it And therefore we finde Christ and his Church doe kindle the coales of love and stirre up those flames of mutuall dearenesse towards one another doe cherish those longing languishing and ravished affections and susspirings of hearts by the frequenting contemplations of each others beautie Behold thou art faire my love behold thou art faire thou hast doves eyes Behold thou art faire my beloved yea pleasant c. Cant. 1.15 16. These are the principles of that great devotion and willingnesse which is in the people of Christ unto his service And hereby we may make triall of the truth of that profession subjection and obedience which we all pretend unto the Gospell of Christ. It is then onely sound when it proceeds from a willing and devoted heart from purpose fervour and earnestnesse of Spirit for as God in mercy accounts the will for the deed because where there is a willing minde there will certainly be all answerable endevours to execute that will and reduce it into act so he esteemes the deed nothing without the will Cain and Abel did both sacrifice it was the heart which made the difference betweene them let the outward conversation be what it will yet if a man regard iniquitie in his heart God will not heare him Gravius est diligere peccatum quam facere It is a worse token saith Gregory of an evill man to love sinne than to commit it for it may be committed out of
naturall motion of the winde or water causeth an artificiall effect in grinding the corne How much more then shall the wisedome of Almighty God whose weaknesse is stronger and whose foolishnesse is wiser than men be able so to use incline and order the wils of men without destroying either them or their liberty as that thereby the Kingdome of his Sonne shall be set up amongst them so that though there be still an habituall radicall fundamentall indetermination and indifferencie unto severall wayes unto none of which there can bee a Compulsion yet by the secret ineffâ—ble and most sweete operation of the Spirit of grace opening the eyes convincing the judgment perswading the affections enclining the heart giving an understanding quickning and knocking the conscience a man shall be swayed unto the Obedience of Christ and shall come unto him so certainely as if he were Drawen and yet so freely as if he were left unto himselfe For in the calling of men by the word there is a Trahere and a Venire The Father draweth and the man commeth Ioh. 6.44 That notes the efficacie of grace and this the sweetnesse of grace Grace worketh strongly and therefore God is said To Draw and it worketh sweetly too and therefore man is said to Come Againe from hence wee learne our Dutie unto this King the honor and subjection which is due unto him The Father committeth all Iudgment to the Sonne that is hath anointed him with the office and abilities of a King for judgment stands for the whole duty of a King Psal. 72.1 and is therefore frequently attributed unto the Messias Esai 42.1.4 Ier. 23.5 Ier. 33.15 And from thence our Saviour inferres that all men should honour the Sonne even as they honour the Father Iob. 2.22 23. with the same worship reverence subjection For God hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name That at the name of Iesus that is unto that holy thing unto the power and Scepter of that divine Person which is unto us so comfortably manifested in a name of salvation Every knee should bow c. Phil. 2.9 10. This Dutie the Psalmist expresseth by kissing the Sonne Which denoteth unto us 3 things I Love For a kisse is a symbole and expression of love and therefore used by the primitive Christians in their Feasts of Love and after prayer unto God and oftentimes enjoyned by S. Paul as an Expression of Christian Love Insomuch that it was a proverbiall speech amongst the Heathen see how these Christians doe love one another And this is a Dutie which the Apostle requires under paine of the extremest curse that can light upon a man to Love the Lord Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 16.22 Eph. 6.24 And if any man saith our Savior Loveth Father or mother more than me he is not worthy of me or Sonne or Daughter more than me hee is not worthy of me Matth. 10.37 That is hee is utterly unqualified for the benefit of my mediation For hee that hath good by me cannot choose but love me Luk. 7.47 2 To kisse in the Scripture phrase noteth Worship and Service Let the men that Sacrifice kisse the Calves Hos. 13.2 Iob 31.26 27. And thus wee finde the foure beasts and the foure and twentie Elders and every Creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth worshipping the Lambe and ascribing blessing honor glorie and power unto him Revel 5.8.14 3 To kisse is an expression of Loialtie and Obedience thus Samuel kissed Saul when hee had anointed him King over Israel 1 Sam. 10.1 And therefore the Septuagint and Hierom and from them our Translators render the word which signifieth to kisse by being obedient or ruled by the words of Ioseph Gen. 41.40 And this likewise is a dutie which wee owe unto Christ to be obedient to him to bee ruled by his mouth and by the Scepter of his mouth that is by his word which is therefore called the Law of Christ because it hath a binding power in it Wee are commanded from heaven to heare him Matt. 17.5 And that too under paine of a curse every soule which will not heare that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people Act. 3.23 Wee should learne therefore to take his Commands as from God for he speaketh his Fathers words and in his name Deut. 18.19 Ioh. 3.34 When Ahasuerus Commanded Haman to put on the Crowne upon Mordecai hee presently executed the Kings pleasure and honored his greatest enemie because the King required it Now God hath made Christ our King and hath crowned him with honor and Majestie as the Apostle speakes and requires of us to kisse this his Sonne and to bow unto his name and therefore bee wee what wee will Princes or Judges or great men of the world who rejoyce in nothing more than in the name of wisedome this is our Wisedome and dutie Psal. 2.10 12. It is too ordinary with great men to bee regardlesse of God and of his waies Yet wee see the wrath of God in his creatures fire tempest pestilence sword sicknesse makes no distinction between them and others how much lesse will God himselfe make when all crownes and scepters and dignities shall be resigned to him and all men shall stand in an equall distance and condition before the tribunall of Christ when no titles of honor no eminencie of station no treasures of wealth no strength of dependencies no retinue traine of servants will accompany a man into the presence of the Lamb or stand betweene him and the judgment of that great day Wee know hee was a King that feared the presence of a persecuted Prophet and hee was a Prince that trembled at the preaching of an Apostle in chaines The word of God cannot bee bound nor limited it is the Scepter which his Father hath given him and wee cannot without opeÌ„ contestation against God resist his government therein over us Hee that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me saith our Saviour It is Christ himselfe whose Ambassadors wee are and with whom men have to doe in our ministerie And hee will have it so First For our Peace If God should speake againe by the Ministerie of Angels in thunder and fire as he did on mount Sina we would quickly call for Moses Ministers againe Exod. 20.19 Secondly For his owne glorie that the Excellencie may be of God and not of men 2 Cor. 4.7 That it may not be in him that planteth nor in him that watereth but in God which giveth the blessing and increase 1 Cor. 3.7 That it may not bee in him which willeth nor in him which runneth but in God which sheweth mercy Rom. 9.16 That the service cooperation and helpe of the Churches joy might bee ours but the Dominion over mens faith and the teaching of their inner man might be Christs 2 Cor. 1.24 Eph. 4.20 21. Very bold therefore and desperate is the contumacie of
they but have an exemption from his spirituall government and a dispensation to live according to their owne lusts stil no man should be more greedily desirous As Sampson met the Lion as an enemie when hee was alive but after he was slaine he went unto him as to a table there was onely terrour while he lived but honey when hee was dead so doubtlesse many men to whom the bodily presence of Christ and the mighty power and penetration of his heavenly preaching whereby hee smote sinners unto the ground and spake with such authoritie as never man spake would have beene unsufferably irkesome and full of terrour as it was unto the Scribes and Pharisees can yet now that he is out of their sight and doth not in person but onely by those who are his witnesses torment the inhabitants of the earth pretend much admiration and thankfull remembrance of that death of his which was so full of hony for all that come unto him for as particular dependencies and expectations may make a man flatter and adore the greatnesse of some living Potentate whose very image notwithstanding the same man doth professedly abominate in other tyrants of the world who are dead or upon whom he hath not the same ends so the selfe-same reason may make men in hypocriticall expressions flatter fawne upon Christ himselfe who is absent and yet hate with a perfect hatred the very image of his Spirit in the power of his Word and in the lives of his people The very Scribes and Pharisees who blasphemed his Spirit and contrived his death could yet be contented to be gainers thereby for see they confesse It is expedient for us that one die for the people Lastly a false love to Christ may be grounded upon a false conceit of love to his ordinances For as it is certaine that he who loves the Word and worship of Christ as his doth love him too who is the Author of them so it is certaine likewise that that love which is sometimes pretended unto them may indeed in them fix upon nothing but accidentall and by-respects This people saith the Lord to his Prophet come and sit before thee as my people and they heare thy words but they will not doe them for with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousnesse Here is love in pretence but falshood in the heart what then was it which in the Prophet they did thus love That presently followes Thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument Ezek. 33.31 32. that is it is not my will which in thy ministery they at all regard but onely those circumstantiall ornaments of gracefull action and elocution which they attend with just alike proportion of sensuall delight as an eare doth the harmony of a well tuned instrument for as a man may be much affected with the picture of his enemie if drawne by a skilfull hand and yet therein love nothing of the person but only the cunning of the workman who drew the peece So a man who hates the life and Spirit of the Word of God it selfe as being diametrically contrary to that spirit of lust and of the world which rules in him may yet be so wonderfully taken with that dexteritie of wit or delicacie of expression or variety of learning or sweetnesse of speech and action or whatsoever other perfection of nature or industry in the dispencers of that Word are most sutable to his naturall affections as that he may from thence easily cheat his owne conscience and ground a misperswasion of his love to Gods Word which yet indeed admireth nothing but the perfections of a man Nay suppose he meete not with such lenocinia to entice his affection yet the very pacification of the conscience which by a notorious neglect of Gods ordinances would haply be disquieted or the credit of bearing conformity to Ecclesiasticall orders and the established service of God in his Church or some other the like sinister respect may hold a man to such an externall faire correspondence as by a deceitfull heart may easily be misconstrued a love of Gods ordinances Nay further a man may externally glory in the priviledge of Gods oracles hee may distinctly beleeve and subscribe to the truth of them he may therin heare many things gladly and escape many pollutions of the world and yet here hence conclude no cleerer evidence of his love to Christ in his word than the unbeleeving Iews or Herod or Ahab or Simon Magus or the foolish Virgins and apostates all which have attained to some of these degrees could have done For the cleering then of this great case touching the evidence of a mans love to Christ wee must first know that this is not a flower of our owne garden for every man by nature is an enemie to Christ and his Kingdome of the Iews minde wee will not have this man to raigne over us and the reason is because the image of the old Adam which we beare is extremely contrary to the heavenly image of the second Adam unto which wee are not borne but must bee renewed And this is certaine our love is according to our likenesse he who hath not the nature and Spirit of Christ can never love him or move towards him For love is like fire congregat homogenea it carrieth things of a nature to one another Our love then unto Christ must bee of a spirituall generation and it is grounded upon two causes First upon the Proportion which is in him unto all our desires or capacities upon the evidence of that unsearchable and bottomlesse goodnesse which is in him which makes him the fairest often thousand even altogether lovely For that heart which hath a spirituall view of Christ will bee able by faith to observe more dimensions of love and sweetnesse in him than the knowledge of any creature is able to measure In all worldly things though of never so curious and delicate an extraction yet still even those hearts which swimme in them and glut upon them can easily discover more dregs than Spirits nothing was ever so exactly fitted to the soule of man wherein there was not some defect or excesse something which the heart could wish were away or something which it could desire were tempered with it But in Christ and his kingdome there is nothing unlovely For as in man the all that is is full of corruption so in Christ the all that hee is is nothing but perfection His fulnesse is the center and treasure of the soule of man and therefore that love which is therupon grounded must needs be in the soule as an universall habit and principle to facilitate every service whereby we move unto this center for love is the weight or spring of the soule which sets every facultie on worke neither are any of those commandments grievous which are obeyed in Love
And therfore it is called the fulfilling of the Law True love unto Christ keepes the whole heart together and carries it all one way and so makes it universall uniforme and constant in all its affections unto God for unstedfastnesse of life proceeds from a divided or double heart Iam. 1.8 As in the motions of the heavens there is one common circumvolution which ex aequo carrieth the whole frame daily unto one point from east to west though each severall spheare hath a severall crosse way of its owne wherin some move with a swifter and others with a slower motion So though severall Saints may have their severall corruptions and those likewise in some stronger than in others yet being all animated by one and the same Spirit they all agree in a steddy and uniforme motion unto Christ. If a stone were placed under the concave of the moone though there bee fire and aire and water between yet through them all it would hasten to its owne place so bee the obstacles never so many or the conditions never so various through which a man must passe through evill report and good report through terrors and temptations through a sea and a wildernesse through firy Serpents and sons of Anak yet if the heart love Christ indeed and conclude that heaven is its home nothing shall bee able totally to discourage it from hastning thither whither Christ the forerunner is gone before Secondly the true Love of Christ is grounded upon the evidence of that Proprietie which the soule hath unto him And of that mutuall inhabitation and possession which is between them So that our love unto him in this regard is a kinde of selfe love and therefore very strong because Christ and a Christian are but one And the more perswasion the soule hath of this unity the more must it needs love Christ. For wee love him because hee loved us first 1 Ioh. 4.16.19 And therefore our Saviour from the womans apprehension of Gods more abundant love in the remission of her many and great sinnes concludeth the measure and proportion of her love to him But saith he To whom little is forgiven the same loveth little Luke 7.47 Now True Love of Christ and his Kingdome thus grounded will undoubtedly manifest it selfe first in an universall extent unto any thing wherin Christ is present unto his Church First the soule in this case will abundantly love and cherish the Spirit of Christ. Entertaine with dearest embraces as worthy of all acceptation the motions and dictates and secret illapses of him into the soule will bee carefull to heare his voice alwayes behinde him prompting and directing him in the way he should walke will endevour with all readinesse and pliablenesse of heart to receive the impression of his seale and the testimonie which hee giveth in the inner man unto all Gods promises will feare and suspect nothing more than the frowardnesse of his owne nature which daily endevoureth to quench grieve resist rebel against this Holy Spirit and to fling off from his conduct againe Secondly the soule in this case will abundantly love the Ordinances of God in which by his Spirit hee is still walking in the midst of the Churches for the Law is written in it by the finger of God so that there is a suteablenesse and coincidencie betweene the Law of God and the heart of such a man He will receive the word in the puritie thereof and not give way to those humane inventions which adulterate it to that spirituall treason of wit and fancie or of heresie and contradiction which would stampe the private image and superscription of a man upon Gods owne coine and torture the Scriptures to confesse that which was never in them Hee will receive the word in the power majestie and authority thereof suffering it like thunder to discover the forrest and to drive out all those secret corruptions which shelterd themselves in the corners or deceit of his heart He will delight to have his imaginations humbled and his fleshly reasonings non plus'd al his thoughts subdued unto the obedience of Christ. Hee will receive the word as a wholsome potion to that very end that it may search his secret places and purge out those tough and incorporated lusts which hitherto hee had not prevailed against Hee will take heed of hardning his heart that hee may not heare of rejecting the counsell of God against himselfe of thrusting away the word from him of setting up a resolved will of his owne against the call of Christ as of most dangerous down-fals to the soule Lastly he will receive the word in the spiritualnesse thereof subscribing to the closest precepts of the Law suffering it to clense his heart unto the bottome hee will let the consideration of Gods command preponderate and over-rule all respects of feare love profit pleasure credit compliancy or any other charme to disobedience hee will bee contented to bee led in the narrowest way to have his secretest corruption reveal'd and remov'd to expose his conscience with patience under the saving though severest blowes of this spirituall sword In one word hee will deny the pride of his owne wit and if it bee the evident truth of God which is taught him though it come naked and without any dressings or contributions of humane fancie hee will distinguish betweene the author and the instrument betweene the treasure and the vessell in which it comes and from any hand receive it with such awefull submission of heart as becommeth Gods owne word Thirdly the soule in this case will most dearly love every member of Christ. For these two the love of Christ and of his members doe infallibly accompany one another For though there bee a farre higher proportion of love due unto Christ than unto men yet our love to our brethren is quoad nos and à posteriori not onely the evidences but even the measure of our love to Christ. He that loveth not his brother whom hee hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seene saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 4.20 hee that hath not love enough in him for a man like himselfe how can hee love God whose goodnesse being above our knowledge requireth a transcendency in our love This then is a sure rule He that loveth not a member of Christ loveth not him and hee who groweth in his love to his brethren groweth likewise in his love to Christ. For as there is the same proportion of one to five as there is of twenty to an hundred though the numbers be farre lesse as the motion of the shadow upon the diall answereth exactly to that proportion of motion and distance which the Sunne hath in the firmament though the Sunne goeth many millions of miles when the shadow it may bee moveth not the breadth of a hand so though our love to Christ ought to be a far more abundant love than to any of his members yet certaine it is that the measure
intendeth to visit another there is no state nor distance no ceremonies nor solemnities observed but when a prince will communicate himselfe unto any place there is a publication and officers sent abroad to give notice thereof that meete entertainements may be provided So doth Christ deale with men he knoweth how unprepared wee are to give him a welcome how foule our hearts how barren our consciences and therefore he sendeth his Officers before his face with his owne Provision his Graces of Humiliation Repentance Desire Love Hope Joy hungring and thirsting after his appearance and then when hee is esteemed worthy of all acceptation he commeth himselfe Looke upon the more consummate publication of the Gospell for Christ in his owne personall preaching is said but to have begun to teach and we shall see that as Princes in the time of their solemne Inauguration doe some speciall acts of magnificence and honour open prisons proclaime pardons create nobles stampe coyne fill conduits with wine distribute donatives and congiaries to the people So Christ to testifie the glory of his Gospell did reserve the full publication thereof unto the day of his instalment and solemne readmission into his Fathers glory againe When he ascended up on high he then led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men namely the Holy Ghost who is called the Gift of God Act. 2.38 Act. 8 20 Ioh. 4.10 and in the plurall number Gifts as elsewhere he is called seven spirits Revel 1.4 to note the plenty and variety of graces which are by him shed abroad upon the Church Wisedome and faith and knowledge and healings and prophesie and discerning and miracles and tongues All these worke one and the selfe-same spirit dividing to every man severally as he will And these gifts were all shed abroad for Evangelicall purposes for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edifying of the body of Christ. And this spirit Saint Peter telleth us is a spirit of Glory and therefore that Gospell for the more plentifull promulgation wherof he was shed abroad must needs be a Gospell of Glorie too And this further appeares because in this more solemne publication of the Gospell there was much more Abundance of glorious light and grace shed abroad into the world The Sunne of Righteousnesse in his estate of humiliation was much ecclipsed with the similitude of sinfull flesh the Communion of our common infirmities the poverty of a low condition the griefe and vexation of the sinnes of men the overshadowing of his divine vertue the forme and entertainement of a servant the burden of the guilt of sinne the burden of the Law of God the ignominie of a base death the agonie of a cursed death But when hee ascended up on high like the Sunne in his glory hee then dispell'd all these mists and now sendeth forth those glorious beames of his Gospell and Spirit which are the two wings by which he commeth unto the Churches and under which the healing and salvation of the world is treasured Iohn Baptist was the last and greatest of all the Prophets who foretold of Christ a greater had not beene borne of women and yet he was lesse than the least in the kingdome of heaven that is than the least of those upon whom the Promise of the Spirit was shed abroad for the more glorious manifestation of the kingdome of his Gospell All the Prophets and the Law prophesied untill Iohn but at the comming of Christ they seem'd to bee taken away not by way of abrogation and extinguishment as the ceremonies but by way of excesse and excellency ut stellae exiliores ad exortum solis as the Orator speakes so saith the Apostle Even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the Glory that excelleth Therefore the full Revelation of the Gospell is called an effusion of the spirit not in dew but in showres of raine which multiply into rivers of living water for the raine of the spirit floweth from heaven as from a spring and into wels of Salvation and into a sea of knowledge Which attributes note unto us two things First the abundance of spirituall grace and knowledge by the Gospell it should be a River Secondly the growth and increase thereof it should be living water multiplying and swelling up like the waters of the Sanctuary till it came to a bottomelesse and unmeasurable sea of eternall life And to touch that which was before spoken of very glorious are the vertues of the Spirit in the Gospell intimated in this similitude of living water To quench the wrath of God that otherwise consuming unextinguishable fury which devoureth the adversaries with everlasting burnings To satisfie those desires of the thirsty soule which it selfe begetteth for the Spirit is both for medicine and for meate for medicine to cure the dull and averse appetites of the soule and for meate to satisfie them The Spirit is both a Spirit of supplication and a Spirit of grace or satisfaction A Spirit of supplication directing us to pray and a Spirit of Grace supplying those requests and satisfying those desires which himselfe did dictate To cleanse to purifie to mollifie to take away the barrennesse of our naturall hearts To overflow and communicate it selfe to others To withstand and subdue every obstacle that is set up against it To continue and to multiply to the end By this then wee learne the way how to abound in grace and glory and how to bee transformed into the Image of Christ. The beame and light of the Sunne is the vehiculum of the heate and influence of the Sunne so the light of the Gospell of Christ is that which conveieth the vertue and gracious workings of his Spirit upon the soule And therefore we are to seeke those varieties of grace which are for meate to satisfie the desires and for medicine to cure the bruizes of the soule onely upon the bankes of the waters of the Sanctuary that is in the knowledge of the word of truth which is the Gospell of Salvation The more of this glorious light a man hath the more proportion of all other graces will he have too And therefore the Apostle puts the growth of these two together as contributing a mutuall succour unto one another Grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ. Your Grace will inlarge your desires of knowledge and your knowledge will multiply your degrees of Grace And Saint Paul makes the knowledge of the will of God in wisdome and after a spirituall maner to be the ground of fruitfulnesse in every good worke and that again an inducement to increase in knowledge as in the twisting together of two cords into one rope they are by art so ordered that either shall bind and hold in the other As in the heavens the inferior orbes have the measure and proportion of their
all he had for it the Saints did earnestly contend for it and take the kingdome of heaven by violence Though they suffered the losse of all for Christ yet they counted godlinesse great gaine still In a shipwrack I throw my goods over-board and get my life for a prey in this case I come no loser to heaven vita sibi merces a mans life is sufficient treasure in such an adventure We are all by nature in maligno positi every man is a sea and a tempest to himselfe as impossible to escape ruine as to put off himselfe Now in the Gospell Christ sheweth a man a way to get out of himselfe and so to escape the tempest sheweth a way how with him he shall walke upon the sea and not sinke how he shall be in the world and not of it nor swallowed by it O how willingly will the man who is convinced of his danger cast off every thing which would presse him downe and account it a plentifull deliverance to have his soule saved from such a tempest of wrath as was falling upon him We see what hazards men runne to get temporary riches to the bottome of rocks for diamonds to the bowels of the earth for gold and silver such affections have the Saints had towards the Gospell If they must digge in mines for Christ as it was an usuall condemnation Christiani ad metalla they were most willing so to doe they had a treasure there which the Emperour knew not of they had infinite more pretious wealth from thence than he If they must fetch Christ in the fire or wrestle for him as for a pretious price with the wilde beasts of the earth if they be not suffered to weare Christ except they put off themselves how willing how thankefull are they for so rich a bargaine Looke to your life said the Governour to Saint Cyprian that blessed martyr be not obstinate against your owne safetie but advise well with your selfe fac quod tibi praeceptū est saith the holy man in re tam justa nulla est consultatio Sir you are my Judge you are none of my counsellour doe the office which is committed to you in so righteous a cause there is no further need of consultation Take pitie upon your selfe and sacrifice and save your life said the officers to Polycarpe no saith the martyr this eightie six yeares I have served Christ and he hath done me no harme I will not doe what you perswade m◠That rich and blessed Virgin in Basil who was for Christianitie condemned to the fire and was offered if shee would worship idols to have her life and state safe restored unto her was obstinate in her resolution Valeat vita pereat pecunia I shall have more life in Christ than in my selfe all the Emperours all the Physitians in the world cannot make my life which I have in my selfe so long to morrow as it is to day but in Christ my life is not onely an abiding but an abounding life I shall have more of that by losing mine owne my life in him is an hidden life free from all injuries and persecutions of men I shall have more riches in him than in my selfe even unsearchable riches which can never be stollen away because they can never be exhausted It is as possible for theeves to draw out the mines of India or to steale away the Sunne out of his orbe as for any humane violence to take away Christ from a man Alike honourable was the answer of Frederick the Elector of Saxonie who being prisoner to Charles the fifth was promised enlargement and restitution of dignitie if he would come to Masse Summum in terris Dominum agnosco Caesarem in coelis Deum In all Civill accommodations I am ready to yeeld unto Caesar but for heavenly things I have but one Master and therefore I dare not serve two Christ is more welcome to me in bonds than the honours of Caesar without Christ. Such acceptation hath the Gospell found amongst renowned Worthies heretofore and the like entertainment should we all give unto it even preferre it above our greatest glory and as the Thessalonians did receive it with joy in the middest of afflictions abide with Christ in his temptations esteeme his Gospell glorious as the Starres are in the darknesse of the night or as a torch which blazeth most when it is most shaken This alone it is which proves our love to Christ to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sincere and incorrupt when wee embrace his Gospell for it selfe and can therein in any condition see Christ full of glory grace and truth when a man can with Saint Paul not rejoyce onely in the name and profession of the Crosse of Christ but in conformitie and obedience thereunto in that vertue of the Gospell which crucifies him unto the world and the world unto him In dayes of peace and religion men may easily afford to magnifie the Gospell because they get by it The Persians who had the bloudy decree held would have beene the slaughterers of the Iewes yet when leave was given to that people to deliver themselves from the malice of Haman even many of them turned Iewes themselves because the feare of that people fell upon them We may observe this affection in the woman of Samaria the first reason why shee gave some heed to Christ speaking of his water of life unto her was because shee should thirst no more nor come thither to draw So long as Ephraim might have her worke and her wages together shee was contented to doe God some service like an Heifer which loveth to tread out the corne that is while shee hath no yoke on her necke no muzzell on her mouth while she is not put to plow but to easie and pleasant service shee is willing to yeeld unto it To note that it is but base and hypocriticall obedience which is supported by no other than present rewards They seeke me daily saith the Lord of the hypocrites among his people and delight to know my wayes as a nation that did righteousnesse But the end was that they might have their owne wils and as it were oblige God to reward them and therefore as soone as God seemeth to neglect them and their services they proudly expostulate with him and even twit him with their workes Wherefore have wee fasted and thou seest not c. This then is the proofe of our sincere love unto Christ which is not raised upon mercinarie respects when we can receive the Gospell with persecution Persecution is amongst Christs legacies a part of the Churches portion and of Gods gifts unto her no man that will live godly can be without them Even in Abrahams house which was at that time if not the sole yet the most glorious Church on the earth there was a Persecutour and as it was then so is it now saith the Apostle The Saints of
〈◊〉 and more reveale himselfe and the righteousnesse of Christ unto the soule so man maketh further progresses from faith to faith And therefore wee should learne everlasting thankfulnesse unto this our King that is pleased to bee unto us a Melchisedek a Priest to satisfie his Fathers justice and a Prince to bestow his owne Note thirdly Melchisedek was King of Salem that is of Peace Here are two things to be noted the Place a Citie of the Canaanites and the signification thereof which is Peace First then we must observe that Christ is a King of Canaanites of Gentiles of those that lived in abominable lusts Such were some of you but you are washed but you are sanctified but you are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus 1 Cor. 6.11 Be a man never so sinfull or uncleane he hath not enough to pose or non-plus the mercy and righteousnesse of Christ hee can bring reconciliation and peace amongst Jebusites themselves though our father were an Amorite our mother an Hittite though wee were Gentiles estranged from God in our thoughts lives hopes ends though we had justified Sodome and Samaria by our abominations yet he can make us nigh by his bloud he can make our crimsin sins as white as snow he can for all that establish an everlasting covenant unto us Ephes. 2.11 14. Esay 1.18 Ezek 16.60 63. I was a blasphemer a persecutour very injurious to the Spirit of Grace in his Saints I wasted I worried I haled into prison I breathed out threatnings I was mad made havocke of the Church I was within one step of the unpardonable sinne nothing but ignorance betweene that and my soule Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in mee first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a patterne to them who should hereafter beleeve on him to life everlasting saith Saint Paul 1 Tim. 1.13 16. Let us make Saint Pauls use of it First To love and to beleeve in Christ to accept as a most faithfull and worthy saying that Christ came to save sinners indefinitely without restriction without limitation and me though the chiefest of all others Though I had more sinnes than earth or hell can lay upon me yet if I feele them as heavie weights and if I am willing to forsake them all let me not dishonour the power and unsearchable riches of Christs bloud even for such a sinner there is mercy Secondly To breake forth into Saint Pauls acknowledgement Now unto the King eternall immortall invisible and onely wise God to him that is a King of righteousnesse and therefore hath abundance for me that is eternall and yet was borne in time for me immortall yet died for me invisible yet was manifested in the flesh for me the onely wise God and who made use of that wisdome to reconcile himselfe to mee and by the foolishnesse of preaching doth save the world bee honour and glory for ever and ever Amen Secondly from the signification of the word we may note Where Christ is a King of righteousnesse hee is a King of Peace too So the Prophet calleth him the Prince of Peace Esay 6.9 a Creator and dispencer of peace It is his owne by proprietie and purchace and he leaves it unto us Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you Ioh. 14.27 The world is either fallax or inops either it deceives or it is deficient but Peace is mine and I can give it Therefore as the Prophet Ieremie calleth him by the name of Righteousnesse Ier. 33.16 So the Prophet Micah calleth him by the name of Peace This man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our Land Mic. 5.5 To which Saint Paul alleaging calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our peace Ephes. 2.14 By him we have peace with God being reconciled and recti in curia againe being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 5.1 so that the heart can chalenge all the world to lay any thing to its charge By him wee have peace with our owne consciences for being sprinkled with his bloud they are cleansed from dead workes and so we have the witnesse in our selves as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 9.14 1 Ioh. 5.10 Rom. 8.16 By him wee have peace with men No more malice envie or hatred of one another after once the kindnesse and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared Tit. 3.3 4. All partition wals are taken downe and they which were two before are both made one in him Ephes. 2.14 and then there is towards the brethren a love of communion towards the weake a love of pitie towards the poore a love of bounty either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1.7 either brotherly love or generall love towards those without mercy charity compassion forgivenes towards al good works By him we have peace with the creatures we use them with comfort with liberty with delight with piety with charity with mercy as glasses in the which we see and as steps by the which we draw neerer to God No rust in our gold or silver no moth nor pride in our garment no lewdnes in our liberty no hand against the wall no flying roll against the stone or beame of the house no gravell in our bread no gall in our drinke no snare on our table no feares in our bed no destruction in our prosperitie in all estates we can rejoyce we can doe and suffer all through Christ that strengtheneth us We are under the custodie of peace it keepes our hearts and mindes from feares of enemies and maketh us serve the Lord with confidence boldnesse and securitie Phil. 4.7 The workes of righteousnesse are in peace and the effect of righteousnesse is quietnesse and assurance for ever Note fourthly from both these that is from a peace grounded in righteousnesse needs must Blessednesse result for it is the blessednesse of a creature to be reunited and one with his Maker to have all controversies ended all distances swallowed up all partitions taken downe and therefore the Apostle useth Righteousnesse and Blessednes as terms promiscuous All men seek for blessednes it is the summe and collection of all desires a man loveth nothing but in order subordination unto that And by nature wee are all children of wrath and held under by the curse so many sinnes as we have committed so many deaths curses have we heaped upon our soules so many wals of separation have we set up between us God who is the fountaine of blessednesse Till all they be covered removed forgiven and forgotten the creature cannot be blessed Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered Rom. 4.7 All the benedictions which wee have from the most high God come unto us from the intercession and mediation of Christ. His sacrifice and prayers give us interest in the all-sufficiencie