things by which God drew other men to fall in loue of him Doe but therefore present unto your selfe these powerfull Attractions Motiues or Inducements of Loue whereby others were drawn to the loue of God and hardly then it can be but that your selfe also will of them be drawn to the loue of God Now the speciall Motiues or Inducements which we finde in holy Scriptures I reckon to be these Fiâ—st The Apparitions secondly Thâ— heavenly Glorie which hath been shown to the Church thirdly The mighty power in Signes and wonders done fourthly the evidence of vertue and goodnesse in God towards others fiâ—tly the rich aud glorious worship of the ancient Church Lastly The benefits which you your selfe beleeving in God receiue in this life and by promise are to receiue in the life to come Euery of these is a very powerfull Motiue or Inducement of the loue of man towards God therefore these things ought you to set before your soule in Meditation that of them you with others may be drawn to fall in loue of God These things for that it were too much to write of them here at large I thinke fit to write of in severall Treatises by themselues hoping that Gods people will be desirous of these Treatises also for their further instruction what to doe therein In the meane time I will heere indeavour to moue you unto this Loue by some of these things aboue mentioned briefly here touched at in this Treatise And indeed most men come short of that loue which they ought to beare to God by reason of the neglect they haue to set before themselues in Meditation some of those speciall things wherby God draweth the loue of man unto himself Eueryman saith who should not loue God yea they will be bold to say who is there among Christians that loues not God But as I haue said before concerning Feare so I say here concerning Loue Many say that we must loue God when yet their own heart never felt the Affection it selfe of loue unto God Let theÌ„ but consider what the Affection of Loue is unto anything which they feele theÌ„selues to loue whether it be wife or child riches orreputatioÌ„ honor Princes favours imployments of Power CoÌ„mands Glory or the like then let them consider with themselues whether the like Affection bee in them towards God yea or no. But that men may attain to haue like affection towards God also it is needful that they make use of such soul-objects as Gâ—d hath provided for the winning of the soules loue unto himself Among the which I wish you to make afrequent and special use of the Apparitions heavenly Glories shown of God to his Church For as the soule of Man being delighted with faire objects yeilds readily to fal also in loue of such so the presenting it with the apparitions of God with the beauteous heavenly shining Glories shown of God to the Church is the ready way to win it to fall also in loue of God Accustome your selfe therfore to reade or heare read unto you now one theÌ„ another of the Apparitions made of God whether visibly to the eye or onely in vision for both are true Apparitions though divers in kind and then use your selfe to say thus or to like effect This was or seemes to me to be as if here I should see before me this or this as the story reportes unto you that others saw Which having for the help of your Discerning done then use your self to say further also thus or to like effect My heart what a sight was this What a kinde of Glory was this Is not this wonderfull Thus God shewed himselfe to others And now my soule here is a glimpse of the Glory of God consider now therfore this being once truely seen whom should not this moue unto loue of him who iâ— so marvellous in his Apparition so glorious Certainly the heavenly Glories shown by God to his Church upon earth are not idle but operatiue objâ—cts and therefore there lacketh but mens presenting their soules with them For did each Man by himselfe thus present or set before his foule the mervâ—llous Apparations shining Glories which God hath showne to his Church then this of the Power in theÌ„ which they receiue froÌ„ the wise coÌ„position of God would overcome the foule both to confesse that this was mervailous glorious indeed also to loue God who so gloriously made show of himself Do went see in coÌ„mon experience how MeÌ„ soon rejoyce to be favoured of them who most partake of this worlds glory And if there be any hope given of a gracious acceptance how easily then inclines the heart to loue all such Whilst therefore God hath been pleased to manifest his gracious acceptance of their loue to him who beleeue there lacketh but our setting before our soules and hearts in private meditation the faire glories and shining which God for the honour of himselfe and comfort of the Church hath caused to appeare Be not therefore disswaded by any as if your selfe informing and selfe-questioning about the Apparitions of God and about the faire and shining Glories which the Church of God hath in former times seene and to this day beleeveth were to little purpose to winne the loue of your heart to the Lord but rather be frequent in the exercise hereof Spare not to speake thus unto your own selfe in Meditation that so you may find the precious fruit which certainely your so doing will produce I know that the benefits which we receiue by the exceeding vertue and goodnesse of God toward us in Christ are also verie powerfull Inducements unto Loue but let us not therefore neglect the other depriving our selues of the precious fruit which certainly will come of them also Nay suffer me to tell yoâ—â— further that true Loue is never for the Good onely which we receiue but rather for the true Desert of that in its selfe to be Beloved which requires our loue therefore also that mans loue is truest soundest who loveth God even for the evidence made of himselfe unto others by which hee hath declared himselfe to be worthy to be beloved And certainly there were never more worthy causes of Loue given to man then the Lord God of Israel his Sonne and Spirit haue given Never such Apparitions seene but in the Churh never such true and shining Glories never such workes of Power never such vertue and Goodnesse never so rich and glorious a worship never such Gifts given as in the Church Let there be faith that those reported in â—â—ripture were indeed done Let there be a considering alâ—â— of the speciallest of them advisedly Let the Church of God still to this day continuing be considered in its rich Gifts and then let comparison be made betwixt the Lord our God and the gods of any other Nations whatsoever and whensoever But if upon comparison there be a manifest evidence of excellency in the Lord then
call ye me Master master and doe not the things that I speake this shewes that his Commandements are so a signe of his mastery over us as that not to doe his Commandements is little lesse then to deny and put off froÌ„ us his Mastery or Lordship Wherefore also those who as at libertie to doe or not doe doe goe farre in observing the CoÌ„mandements of God when yet their heart and soule hath no sense of the Commandements as of a yoke burden or as a signe and evidence of a Lordship which God and Christ hath over them they for all this are not truely Subjects but Libertines rather doing the Commandements but because they will doe them not because they haue in them any sense of the Lordship of God of Christ over them And surely what thorow mens desire of Conformity with Christians with whom they liue and thorow fear of the punishment of their Christian Princes if they do such or such evill things contrary to Christian Religion what thorow a superficiall apprehension of the goodness of the things coÌ„manded of God many goe farre in doing as God commandeth and yet without any true subjection to the Lord as having sense of his Lordship over them Yea Men may liberally acknowledge with their lipps yea superficially in their hearts also the Lordship which God ought to haue over themselves when yet their hearts never had any the least sence of the Lordship of God in his Commandements We ought rather to put on a resolution of minde both to receive the Commandements of God as a yoke or burden put upon us or as a signe or evidence of a Lordship in him over us and also to doe them as in testimony of our subjection to a Lordship in God The like ought even Christian States aswell as private persons to doe not contenting themselves to give good Lawes to their people but to give them as branches of the Lawe received from God and as in subjection to a Law of Commandements in which God hath and exerciseth even over them also a Lordship DominioÌ„ With this advertisement I thought good to beginne this Treatise upoÌ„ the CoÌ„mandements that so I might prepare Men to haue in them a kinde of apprehension sense of the yoke and burden of the Lordship of God upon them But because as aboue our Lord the Sonne of God hath said My yoke is easy and my burden light therefore having given this Advertisement next aboue now I will proceede indeavouring to shewe unto men by what convenient meanes they may receive upon them this yoke burden not as a pinching yoke and heavie burthen but as an Easy yoke and a light burthen And truely as on the one hand our hearts sence and feeling of the Commandements as of a yoke or burden is right needfull that so thorow such sense there may be a hearty acknowledgement of the Lordship of God over us so on the other hand it is also profitable for us to be instructed how wee may receive this yoke and burden upon us as an easy yoke and a burden light to be borne of us Chap. 1. COmmon experience proves unto every one that when any thing is done vnwillingly by any then not onely that done is done with heaviness and griefe of heart but also the very commandement its selfe seemes unto such a heavy loade too heavie to be borne yea or to be required of them This considered there cannot be in my judgement any better Meanes to make men receive the Commandements of the Lord as an easy yoke and light burden then by shewing them how they may make themselues willing to beare upon them such a yoke or burden But wee finding it also true in common experience that vnless mens Passions and Affections be stirred vp as either their Admiration Feare Reverence Loue or delight both towards and in the Commander and also towards the thing Commanded they seldome if at all doe any thing commanded willingly therefore it must needs be needfull to instruct men how their Passions and Affections may be stirred vp in them both towards God commanding and towards the thing commanded Are not the children of Parents and the favourites of Princes drawen on first to Reverence Feare and loue before commandements are given unto them even so the very Children also of God must first bee instructed to admire the Lord to feare him and to fall in Loue of him before there can be expected from them a willingness to receiue upon them the yoke or burden of Gods commandements Let therefore the mighty works of God in his Salvations and judgments be discreetly opened unto Gods people by the Lords ministers that so Gods people discerning them they may both be brought on to fall into an Admiration of him that could doe such things and also â—o feare him in whose power it is so and so fearfully to punish them which obey not Let also the glorious Apparitions of God his Sonne and Angels be opened unto them that so of such heavenly and faire Glories their hearts being wonn of such Glories they may be brought on both to an Awe and yet also to a Loue of God Let also the Vertue Goodness Gratiousness of God be opened unto their apprehensions that so euen for such things sake also they may be subdued to yeild to fall in Loue of God who dwelleth in Glory Lastly let the Righteousness of the commandement it self be opened unto them declaring the invaluable good which cometh to mans society by the observation of such a commandement and the odious wickedness hurte which coÌ„meth to mans society by doing things forbidden this to make theÌ„ loue the commandement it selfe also for its Righteousness hating also the thing forbidden for its odiousness and hurt Let these things I say be more frequently and intentiuely done by the Lords ministers and then there may be good hope of reaping from Gods people a very plentious harvest of good and pious works done in obedience to the lawe and commandement of God And indeed besides the bare iniunction of keeping the Commandements we find in the Scriptures many motiues also or inducements set before men both for the stirring up their passions and affections and also to draw them to a willing obedience what therefore were motiues or inducements unto others the same if we with them would attaine to a willing obedience must be made vse of by us also for as we cannot expect the effects where wee are negligent of the causes so wee can hardly expect to attaine with the Saints before us a diligent ioyfull and willing observation of Gods Lawe whilst wee are negligent to make vse of those motiues or inducements by which they were drawen hereunto Suffer mee therefore patiently I pray you collect out of the Scriptures to your hands first somâ— good evidence how David and in him other saints received the commandements of God that so by this testimony you may perceive what your
duty also is and how farre short herein you come of that Affection which you ought to haue towards the commandements of God Secondly some speciall motiues or inducements which may serue to moue or induce us to obey Gods commandements Lastly some speciall means wherby we may attaine to keepe them as the saints before haue kept them For the first we Psal. 119. 14. reade thus I haue had as greate delight in the way of thy testimonies as in all riches Again Psal. 119. 24. also thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellers Againe Psal. 119. 47. and my delight shall be in thy commandements which I haue loued Again Psal. 119. 54. Thy statutes haue been my song in the house of my pilgrimage Againe vers 72. The lawe of thy mouth is better unto mee then thousands of golde and silver Againe vers 111. Thy testimonies haue I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the ioy of my heart Againe vers 127. therefore loue I thy commandements aboue gold yea aboue fine gold Lastly v. 162. I reioyce at thy worde as one that findeth a great spoyle Thus you see how this mans Passions or affections were stirred up in him now see in the next place what came also thereof Psal. 119. 23. hee saith thus Princes also did sit and speak against mee but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes Againe verse 31. I haue cleaved to thy testimonies ô Lord Againe verse 46 I will speake also of thy testimonies before Kings and will not bee ashamed againe verse 51. the proude haue had mee exceedingly in derision yet haue I not declined from thy lawe Again verse 60. I made hast and delaied not to keepe thy commandements againe verse 79. let such as feare thee turne vnto mee and they that knowe thy testimonies againe verse 112. I haue applied mine heart to fullfill thy statutes alway even unto the ende Againe verse 115. Away from mee ye wicked for I will keepe the commandements of my God Lastly verse 136. minâ— eies gush out with rivers of waters because they keepe not thy lawe When wee read these things suffering also our selves to pawse also a liâ—le upon each of them considering it advisedly it may then well seeme unto us even incredible that so excellently a disposed minde towards the commandements of God should ever at all be found truly in a man I for my parte should be very much deceived if each man comparing himselfe with this declaration will not then from the greatnes of the difference acknowledg in himselfe a seeming incredibility hereof For so many are the other things and specially things of this world which steale unto them our delight loue ioy and songe as that most rarely if at all wee shall finde a man whose delight loue ioy yea and song shall bee of the commandements of the Lord. And indeed it will bee found in common experience that it is farr easier to liue in a good yea a greate measure conformable in our actions to that commanded then to haue a delight also in the commandements to loue them reioyce of them and to make them our songe for such passions or affections of our soule are not usually nor indeed easily moued in us by such things Neither need I any greater proofe by which to make this evident unto men then if they but enter into an examination of themselues each man taking some time when betweene God and his owne soule he aske of his owne selfe saying Wherein truly do I delight what is my hearts loue fixt upon wherof doe I commonly ioy let but each man take a time wherin to aske euen himselfe this question and then let it thereby be tried if his heart answer him that hee euer at all had delight in Gods commandements if ever he bare loue to them or ever had any ioy in or of them The heart will not nor indeede cann dissemble to a mans selfe therefore let but men aske themselues what they doe and it will readily appeare unto them what they doe but if any mans owne heart can answer him that it hath delighted loued and reioyced in the commandements of God happie man be hee yea hee is surely a man that excelleth among men for euen among the most religious who commonly in these things excell others there is commonly of all things in religion least delight founde in the commandements least loue towards them least ioy of them For the coÌ„mandements discovering guiltines and thereby making men ordinarily sigh and mourne are also ordinarily heard with greife when they are pressed neere to the consciences of men therefore also of all things in Religion the commandements commonly are least delighted in loved ioyed in Therefore I say a rare and well neere singular thing it is for any man to say truly of the commandements of God that his delight is in them he loues them they are his hearts ioy and even his songe is of them One man may truly say that hee delighteth indeed in the increase of his riches an other may truly say that his loue is fixt upon honour promotion and the favour of some Prince a third may as truly say that his hearte exceedingly joyeth in his prosperity and in the affluence of desirable things which it draws unto it a fourth may truly say that his Loues are the occasion and subiect of his songs but where is the man whose delight is also in Gods commandements whose loue is towards them they are his hearts joy yea and his songe Surely the passions and affections may be moderately spent upoÌ„ every of these things aboue mentioned but that those should so ingross unto them all our passions and affections as that there is no delight no loue no joy left for Gods commandements this is cleane contrary to that disposition of minde which wee see in this holy man But indeede because our passions and affections are never moued in vs beeing drawen unto the commandements of God therefore it is that we come farr short of doing by the commandements as this man did He though Princes sate and spake against him yet hee meditated in the statutes of the Lord hee claue unto the testimonies of God hee would speake of them even before kings hee would not be ashamed to speake of them before any hee declined not froÌ„ the Law of God no though he was had in great dirision by the proud hee made hast and delayed not to keepe the Commandements of the Lord he would receiue them who make conscience of the Lords CoÌ„mandements he applied himselfe alway ever to the end to fulfill the Commandements of the Lord he cried unto the wicked away from me for I will keepe the commandements of my God yea his eies gushed out with teares because men kept not the law of the Lord. Here we see rare and pretious effects of the passions and affections of a man overcome and drawen of the Commandements of God Consider each of these things advisedly and
then thinke with your selfe where wee may finde a man in these dayes which thus doth But what should wee seeke after others let each man discend into his owne conscience examining his owne selfe in private meditation saying doe I this is this my custome and if neede be let men examine themselues upon each particular saying spend I aâ— any time any meditation in the commandements doe I cleaue unto them am not I ashamed to speake of them in company if I bee afflicted haue I then any mind at all of the commandements when I see others deride and scoff at that restreint from wickedness which the observation of Gods commandements causeth in the observer am not I then ashamed doe I then hold me to the restraint as not ashamed of Gods commandements let I then not loose the reynes with them for company sake especially if they be my superiors if obedience cross any present benefit do I not then delay or put off the keeping of Gods commandements therein or at leastwise for that time Desire I to make up my family with such as I see pronest to keepe Godâ— lawes haue I forborne the company of the wicked or haue I saide in my harte away from me ye that will be wied for I am set to keepe the commandements of my God Haue I 〈◊〉 any time mourned to see that men are so negligent as they are in keeping the coÌ„mandements of the Lord Doe I these things customablie yea which of all these haue I ever at all done But alas common experience shewes that men for the most parte doe the cleane contrary to all this done of this blessed Man Surely it is the more pitty yea the more hurt unto themselves for thousand thousands plunge themselves if not into Gods eternal wrath yet frequently into his punishmeÌ„ts temporary by their respecting more to please men even in their wickedness then to honour the Lorde with the observation of his holy Commandements in all Companies It is indeede the miserable and fearefull condition of our times that there is hardly any Ioy or mirth but must be in sinne some or other of Gods CoÌ„mandements must be presumptuously broken that men may be merry But it is but the corruption of the times for there may be a separation of Ioy and harty Mirth from sinne if Men would but take care that they make not a sport of sinne Yet as here is not the place of a Christians true Liberty and Rejoycing for there is still a Divell in the world so indeede it is not commonly to be expected that wee can here be merry and not sinne Now whilst all coÌ„panies affect mirth a liberty to be pleasant hardly a man can keep Gods coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts yet be merry with meÌ„ as men are now for the most part disposed this causeth if not a casting aside wholly the keeping of the Lords coÌ„mandements yet surely a restreynt in the Saincts such also as is somewhat distastfull to Society But seeing there shall be a judgement there shal be an eternall burning why should wee not bethinke our selves of it before hand that we cast not our selves foolishly therein by taking an unlawfull liberty to our selves in our mirth and sporting Therefore if it must needs be so that a man cannot be heartily merry but he must sinne let us then chuse a solemne sobrietie before a hurtfull laughter Though we may not be Lawgivers to others yet we our selves may be abstenious thongh we intrude not our authority among others with an insulting or masterfull humour yet we may keepe our selves And truely as I haue many times in my heart blessed our Princes for their admirable restreint of wicked Actions so I haue many times mourned to see that none of their Lawes stretch unto a brideling also of wickedness in Communication In Communication men may well neere blasphemously sweare without any danger of Law In communication they may laugh at adultery committed In communication they may make sport well neere of any sinne and yet be without danger of law But whilst Communication hath this Liberty the corrupt nature of Man hath too great advantage to spread abroad the poison of all ungodliness and sinne Communication is as the seede evill actions the fruit suffer the seede and you shall never be without evill actions Whereas communication being a publishing of things even corrupt prophane or wicked communication may aswell haue penall Lawes for it as Actions Therefore as even communication of Treason is deservedly punishable so the breaking of Gods Commandements even in communication might profitably be punishable Thus having given you some good evidence how David is manifested to have received the Commandements of God I will now proceed to note unto you some of the speciall motiues or inducements which I finde in holy scripture by making a carefull use wherof you also may attaine to a willing observation of the Commandements even well neere to the like minde towards them as herâ— wee reade that this holy Prophet of God had 2. Chap. THe first Motiue or Inducement which I will note unto you is the Injunction it selfe by which wee Christians also are CoÌ„manded or Inioyned that we also bring forth fruits answerable to Gods Commandements For this purpose is that which Math. 6. 46 we reade in these words But why call ye me master master and doe not the things that I speake And which Ephes 2. 10. wee reade in these wordes we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good workes which God hath ordeyned that we should walke in them Againe Ephe. 4 1 where we thus reade I therefore being prisoner in the Lord pray yee that ye would walke worthy of the vocation whereunto ye are called with all humbleness of minde and meekness with long suffring supporting one an other through love Againe Ephes. 5. 8 yee were once darkness but are now light in the Lord walke as the children of light Againe Titus 3 8 This is a true saying and these things I will thou shouldest affirme That they which haue beleeved in God might be carefull to shew forth good workes Lastly Titus 3 14 And let ours also learne to shew forth good works for necessary uses that they be not unprofitable Thus when the Gentiles had beleeved they were not then left after faith to doe like Liberâ—â—nes after the motion of their corrupt flesh as before their conversion they did but they came withall under a yoke or burden of Commandements There was a Change required of them even in the outward Showe aswell in Communication as Action and this to the end that by the light of Righteousness wherein now they must walke not onely the world might more and more be inlightened but also the darkness of that Liberty under GeÌ„tilisme might more and more be thrust out from among 〈◊〉 Nations And indeed Righteousnes is no less truely light then is the day and wickedness is no less truely darkness then is the night therefore by
bonds because so long as your passions affections are not moved in you the kingdome of heaven is not in you with power to your salvation An other fallacy there is when some would move mens feare by their own zeale or earnestness in preaching of damnation damnatioÌ„ so putting more trust to prevaile more by their owne manner of preaching then all the power of God in his great works can prevaile But the faithfullest course is to open well unto people the fearefulness of any judgments already inflicted upon some and the fearfulness of that last judgement of eternall damnation trusting that by an apt opening unto the people the particulars of those judgements the judgements of the Lord will then worke the feare of God in their hearts And surely it is more honour to God when his owne work prevaile over men to beget a feare of him in their hearts then when mens feare is begotten in them by the earnestness or zeale onely of a preacher A third fallacy there is when some put trust in preaching the Lawe as if the word Lawe Lawe onely sounded out in their earnest manner should make men feare to breake the Lawe whereas it were better aptly to open unto them the manner of Gods Apparition when he gave the Lawe that as then so for ever upon the apt description the fearfull manner of Gods giving the Lawe may beget a feare of God in mens hearts and consequently a feare to breake his Lawe so given to men And truely it is a very great darkness yea also damnable which wil be found in men at the last day by their not being possessed with the Acts and Iudgements of God for them and through them fearing God but resting onely with a seeming feare brought on them by hearing some over-zealous preacher Zeale is good yea it must be when the people are dull and slowe of hearing and therefore I would not haue men thinke that I reprove all zealous preachers but I would haue men rather to know that I would not haue any to make a false ayme or end of their zeale They must not thinke to beare Men more downe with their zeale then all the power of God in his workes declared can doe for this is to the great dishonour of the Lord. To conclude Let no man hurt his owne soule by saying what should I fear God for any thing done by him to others heretofore for to feare God for the judgments inflicted upon others is the ready way to remove Gods judgments from your selfe And surely he that thus honoureth God by fearing him for that done by him to others shall never feele judgements but gentle corrections rather Therefore at any hand take heede of so evill a disposition as when you heare what God hath inflicted upon others you say What is that to me I am well enough I will goe on in my pleasure though it be sinfull Nay rather learne by this manner practise which I haue taught you to be able truely to say with the Prophet David Thy Iudgements have I laid before me My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy Iudgements For surely the Iudgements laid before us will beget feare in us and feare in us will incline us to the keeping of the Commandements Yea as I haue said before our heart will even delight in the escaping such Iudgements by the keeping of Gods Commandements Therefore apply your selfe hereunto as you tender your owne profit Yea when you heare the Commâ—ndements receive them then as if you heard them out of the fietry flame Deut 3. 11. for so they were at first given and youâ— eye must by faith ascend to the first giving those thing which now you often reade or heare 5. Chap. A Fourth Motive or inducement which I would remeÌ„ber unto you is The love of God To this end Deut. 11. 1 we read tâ—us Thou shalt love the Lord thy God anâ— shalt keepe that which he commanded to be kept that is his Ordinances and his Lawes and Commandements alway And ouâ— Lord saith Iohn 14 vers 15. and 23 If ye love me keepe my Commandements If any man love me he will keepe my worde he that loueth me not keepeth not my worde Love is the most assured bond of any other binding men faster to a keeping of Commandements then any other thing whatsoever can doe Love knowes no rewardes for disobedience but abideth faithfull unto that which is beloved therefore the Apostle Paul 1. Cor. 13 7 saith Love doth never fall away If any man therefore would be a constant observer of Gods Commandements let him then indeavour to attayne to Love God But how should a man Love God whom he never sawe I answer this may be though it is indeede difficult because this cannot be done without faith and every man attayneth not unto faith And indeed to love God Christ whom we haue not seene is reckoned for a speciall part of that wherein the Saincts excell others as the Apostle Peter 1. Pet. 1. 8. saith whom ye haue not seene and yet Love him in whom now though ye see him not yet doe ye beleeve and reioyce with ioy unspeakeable and glorious And yet though wee see not God nor Christ with our bodily eye yet we must haue a sight both of God and of Christ or els we can not love eyther of them but this sight in deede is the sight of the soule through faith Wee cannot possibly loue any thing whereof wee haue no knowledge neyther doe men now knowe God but thorowe faith therfore as our knowledge of God is now thorowe faith so also is our Loue of God through Faith Would you therefore attaine to Love God you must then first beleeve the report of these things whereby the Lord hath reveiled himselfe to his Church If you beleeve those things then is the eye of your soule opened and thenceforth you haue a soule-fight of God and of Christ because thorowe faith of the report you now haue knowledge of those Apparitions or Reveilings of God and of Christ which they haue made of themselves to the Church Wherefore present your selfe with those Declarations set them before your selfe in Meditation and then unlesse your heart be in you wholy unbeleeving you cannot but haue thenceforth a knowledge of God Accustome your selfe therfore to heare the Ministers of Gods Word accustome your selfe to beleeue them also in that they say out of the word of God accustome your selfe to heare the word of God in Scripture read unto you or if your selfe can reade then accustome your selfe to reade the Scriptures Accustome your selfe ever likewise to beleeue what you reade in the Scriptures If thus you do then by this means you shall present your selfe with these things in the Scriptures by which God and Christ haue made themselues both known and beloved of Men. And verily the next way to attaine to a loue of God is the presenting our soule and heart with these
even this also is a very powerfull Attraction and worthie cause of our loue towards God To this we may adde the incessant causes which are given us of God why to loue him and this in our continuall enjoying the use of life in this so faire a creation of his as this world wherein we are For we beleeving in the Lord God of Israel that he indeed it was and he onely that made this world we are thenceforth bound to loue him for our very breathing for our food rayment and for being incompassed with so faire and pleasing Objects and Ornaments as are the spangled heavens the flowry earth and the faire liuing creatures which we see Certainly as it is our hearts griefe to be deprived of the use yea or sight onely of any of these things so everie portion of breath every morsell we eate every thing we weare and every faire thing we behold without eye ought to teach us the deere loue of him whose worke all these louely things are The world is in truth aright faire and glorious creature full also of such goodnesse of the Lord as that the wickedest that is cannot but joy in the use of it as for a Good which he accounteth good and without which he will not be if he can chuse Therfore sometimes put your selâ— in mind hereof saving Now I breathe the breath of my life but loue I the Lord God of Israel that giues me this breath and power to breathe it Here I now eate this morsell of meate for the continuance of my life and lustinesse of this my bodie but loue I the Lord God of Israel who hath made and continues these things whereon I feed I now put on this my rayment according to my estate but loue I the Lord God of Israel who made and continues in the world the things whereof they are made Here I see these fierie glorious starres this faire heaven these flowres fruits this earth and these faire living creatures how would it grieue me to be deprived of the sight of them How loue I the verie sight of them and the benefit I haue by them But doe I loue the Lord God of Irael whose marvellous power made all these things for my comfort and use Thus put your selfe in minde of these Causes also which the Lord God of Isreal giues you why to loue him and this will be an incessant occasion moving you to the loue of God We are too negligent to stirre up our Affections to the glory of God we are not for the most part faithful iâ— heart of his creating these things therefore we are the bolder to be negligent in giving him our loue for these his good gifts even of this world True it is these we haue in common with the wicked with the unfaithfull and this cooles the affection of many But we must not do as they doe though they injoy with us what we enjoy for else how should we escape that damnation whereinto they partly for this verie wickednes of not loving God whose creatures they haue the use of are cast of God To conclude if you would attaine to the loue of God then doe not onely reade or heare what I haue written but doe what I hid you doe so shall you finde an inclining of your heart willingly and with delight to keep the commandements of God For loue ingenders a willingnesse in obedience yea a delight that a man hath occasion wherein to shew obedience And indeed joy of obeying is an inseparable companion of doing any thing at his commandement who hath wonne our hearts loue unto himselfe Therfore get loue and then out of all doubt the yoke and but then of the Commandements will be so easie and light as that easily and with delight you will beare it upon you in your life and in your conversation 6. CHAP. A Fifth Motiue or Inducement is The Promises made us by God Therefore David Ps. 119. 11. saith I haue hid thy promises in my heart that I might not sinne against thee And the Apostle Peter 2. Pet. 3. 13. saith But we look for new heavens and a new earth according to his Promise wherein dwelleth righteousnesse Wherefore beloved seeing that yee looke for such things be diligent that yee may be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse We see in common experience that a Man looking for some great and desireable Gifts from a Prince he is thenceforth very carefull not to displease him by breaking any commandement received from him This being so among men how is it that the Promises of God made of him unto us make not us like minded towards him Are any Gifts promised by Princes comparable to the Gifts promised of God If no why then are their commandements more tendered more carefully fulfilled I thinke the faile be partly in our not trusting God partly in our not so much as minding the Promises of God partly in our not esteeming them though we know them partly for that we commonly think that all Gods Promises are for another not for this life But every of these are great errours of our minde therefore we must cleare our minde of these errours if ever we wil for the Promises sake keep the Lords Commandements A maine and chiefe remedy against our not trusting of God that such things as these promised of him shall ever at all be performed unto any may be our considering the great Acts and wonders of his power heretofore shown For the evidence of his Power in other things may make us trust him for things promised of him therefore be not negligent to informe your selfe of the great works of his power and then you will the more readily beleeue him in the great things promised for he that heretofore hath raised the dead well we may beleeue him that he will raise the dead as he hath promised And truely through mens negligence to lay to heart the great wonders which the Lord hath heretofore done their hearts know not reason to beleeue that ever at all such things shall bee done as God hath promised Wherefore I pray you informe your selfe one by one of the great wonders which the Lord and his Sonne haue done and then let the evidence of Gods power in them perswade your hearts concerning the things that are promised This I take to be a convenient remedy against the first errour suffer me to shew you a remedy also against the second Is it so that the cares of this life the couetousnesse of increase of this worlds riches the incessant imployments in the Common-wealth or the continuall pleasures of Court will not suffer you so much as to minde the Promises of God yet consider with your selfe that there is a God to whom accounts of this life must be given for as we made not our selues nor these things of this world so surely the Maker will haue an account of all Therefore though these things may somewhat yet let them not wholy
in common experience that men living under Governments doe usually informe themselues before every Act of Importance whether the Law permit it or no so that they will not so much as cut a tree break open a hedge or the like but they will informe themselues first saying May I lawfully doe this Why should we not be as carefull of the Law of God consulting with it also before any Act Speach or Thought informing our selues whether we may doe such or such a thing or no If men doe not thus consult with the Law of God before-hand unvailing by its help the sinns which they are about it is their fault and such a fault as giues advantage to sinne so that it is committed before a man is aware of what it is he is about But the child of God that looketh for the rich Gifts of God in Christ may not be so negligent of the Law of God but rather with the Prophet David to make it his studie to thinke on the Commandements meditating also on them some now some another time for thus doing not onely the sinnes will appeare to the soule in their own vilenesse but also the soule will be fore-possessed with a dislike and loathing of them and this to the abating of the force of all occassion which shall be offered to commit or fulfill them Thus if you would use your selfe to look every sinn a in the face umasked wistly that so you may be discouraged from committing the same then would the incouragements or exhortations unto Righteousnesse and Godlinesse given us by the Apostles of our Lord Iesus Christ the more prevaile over us to divert us from sinning And truely we ought never to be unmindefull of our deliverance from the bondage of sinne by the conversion of us unto Christianity we ought never to forget the blessed benefite we received by our fore-fathers conversion from Heathenisme to Christianity Wherfore that you may as a fresh be put in minde hereof and the exhortations of the Apostles hearkened unto by you I thinke fit in this place to set before you some of them that so they may work upon you to dispose you to a willing keeping of the commandements of God Ephesiaus 2. 1. the Apostle saith thus And you hath hee quickened that were dead in trespasses and sinnes wherein in time past yee walked according to the course of this world and after the Prince that ruleth in the aire even the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Among whom also we had our conversation in time past in the lusts of our flesh in fulfilling the will of the flesh and of the minde and were by nature the children of wrath as well as others But God who is rich in mercy through his great loue wherewith hee loved us even when we were dead by sins hath quickened us together in Christ by whose grace yee are saved And chap. 4. 1. I therefore being prisoner in the Lord pray you that you walke worthy of the vocation whereunto yee are called with humblenesse of minde and meekenesse with long suffering supporting one another through loue endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace And chap. 5. 8. Yee were â—nce darkenesse but are now light in the Lord walke as children of light approving that which is pleasing to the Lord. And having no fellowship with the unfruitfull workes of darkenesse but even reprooue them rather For it is a shame even to speake the things which are done of them in secret But all things when they are reproved of the light are manifest for it is light that maketh all things manifest Wherefore he saith Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light Take heed therefore that yee walke circumspecâ—tly not as fooles but as wise Redeeming the season for the daies are evill Wherfore bee yee not unwise but understand what the will of the Lord is These exhortations are exhortations which ought ever to be sounding in the eares of them of those Nations which in antient time were heathens therefore remember still that you are Nations whose fore-fathers were carryed away after dumbe Images and false Gods yea devils and knew not the true Lord God of Israel Creatour of all things and the giver of life and all blessednesse Forget not therfore this Grace of your conversion shown unto you but rather apply your hearts to his Commandements who hath shown you this invaluable Mercy Put on a Resolution of heart that neither for pleasure not for profite nor for fellowship sake nor for Custome no nor for Displeasure oâ— Losse you will leaue the good waies of Gods Commandements to walke in the wickednesse which is contrary to the same and too too usuall in the world In which Resolution two things may strengthen you the one Good Education the other the Spirits Assistance Good or truely Christian education in children is truely a most needfull help unto righteousnesse therefore where Parents are negligent there the Magistracy should help to discerne what customes corrupt the youth leading it into things evill and then to suppresse and to allienate the youth 〈◊〉 these things for verily Magistrates are also Parents unto youth little lesse then they by whose generation they come into the world Therefore if the Parents care not what company their children keep or care not what evill they commit there in their jollity nor what wickednesse and prophanenesse their conversation or communication be corrupted with yet Magistrates owe to God a duty to take account of those houses or places where youth take liberty to be bold in such evill things Some fondly think that unlesse youth be suffered in evill conversation and evill actions they will never be bold and manly or valiant but we may see in the children of some Princes and Nobles that children become manly and valiant and yet without such liberty so that these evils doe but steale upon such to corrupt them and weaken them nothing furthering their Manliness or Valour I note this the rather because it is the errour of some mindes to thinke that a godly restraint of youth is the depression of the spirits and the cause of pusillanimity but whilst all exercises stirring the body and refreshing the mind and spirit may even by Gods lawes be practised the use of such things will increase the strength and magnanimity of youth and yet without admitting also the abuse And indeed the abuse of such exercises brings upon men first a mischieving and ruining one another and secondly a taking away the hearts of men by Gods not prospering the warres of such Though indeed sometimes as for punishments God lets out evill spirits giving way to their prevailing also so wicked Powers composed of wicked men are let loose of the Lord and suffered to prevaile in the world But the Kingdome of heaven even the victorious Church hath not its fortitude in wickednesse but in Righteousnesse and what