Gospellers who professe That they know and loue that CHRIST who hath dearelie loved them if they had heartes to perceiue His loue towards them The first sort of loue is most corrupt in the corrupt heart of corrupt man whereby man loveth himselfe and beside himselfe nothing hunting after nothing while hee liveth but that which may profite or please himselfe yea not reguarding suppose the whole worlde were overthrown with Sodome after that his eyes were closed by death The sesend loue is corrupt also in the corrupt heart of corrupt man whereby man seeing and considering that hee is not of himselfe sufficientlie able eyther to procure unto himselfe such thinges as hee accounteth to bee good or to defende or deliver himselfe from such thinges as hee holdeth to bee evill he is mooved not onelie to loue himselfe but to loue his GOD also And yet while hee loveth GOD thus hee loveth not GOD for GODS cause but GOD for his owne cause and so as Demetrius loved Diana Acts 19.25 who lived by making Silver Shrines unto her The thirde sorte of loue is holie and renewed in the new sanctified and softened heart of the regenerate Childe of GOD whereby he having happilie through the effectuall working of CHRISTES Spirit dwelling in him tasted the Sweetnesse of the bountie and of the goodnesse of his GOD beginneth to loue GOD even for GODS cause that with a more fervent loue than he loveth Father Mother Wife Childe or anie other whosoever The fourth sorte of loue is altogether Spirituall and Heavenlie transporting even with exceeding joye and alacritie the Soule of man from all thinges heere beneath towardes the third Heavens whereby the Childe of GOD is not onelie mooved to loue GOD for GODS cause but to loue himselfe for GODS cause and all other thinges beside himselfe no otherwayes but in GOD and for GOD. This was that loue O my Soule where-with Moyses loved his GOD when hee forsooke the Court of Aegypt and choosed to suffer trouble for CHRISTES cause This was that loue where-with Paul loved GOD vvhen hee sayde My life is not deare unto mee so that I may fulfill my course vvith joye I am readie not to bee bound onelie but also to die at Hierusalem for the NAME of the LORD IESVS And this sorte of loue vvhich is begun onelie heere shall bee fullie perfected in the Heavens Oh LORD GOD vvhen shall I beginne to loue no Honour but that vvhere-by I may honour Thee No Pleasures but those which may please Thee No Wealth but where-with I may haue my Soule enritched by Thee and with Thee for the better seeking and finding of Thee Yea vvhen shall I begin onlie to loue to liue to the ende that Thy Majestie mayest liue in mee and mayest bee glorified by mee Yea ô LORD GOD let me steppe one Steppe higher VVhen shall I beginne to delight to bee shamed to the ende that Thou mayest bee glorified to delight to bee grieved and pained to the ende that Thou mayest bee pleased to delight to bee stripped mother-naked of all the earthlie thinges vvhich I possesse or can possesse to the ende that I may possesse Thee Yea vvhen shall I long and desire to die to the ende that I may liue with Thee And yet could I doe all this vvhat should I doe vvhat could I doe I could doe nothing but prooue myndfull but prooue thankfull and that not through anie grace in mee vvhich is from mee for alace ô my Soule forgettest thou not thy GOD fearfullie art thou not unkinde to thy GOD grosselie but through thine undeserved favour onelie Would not that blessed Sonne of GOD yea that verie GOD of Glorie thy Saviour IESVS ô my Soule bee shamed to honour thee bee pained to please thee bee grieved to grace thee bee made poore to make thee rich Yea would Hee not die to quicken thee And so ô my Soule vvhen thou hast shamed thy selfe to whome Shame is due for Sinne vvhen thou hast grieved thy selfe to whome Griefe is due for sinne vvhen thou hast depryved thy selfe of all thinges to whome nothing is due because of sinne yea vvhen thou hast layde downe thy lyfe vvhome sinne must bereaue of lyfe having death for its Wage vvhat hast thou done considering that Hee who never sinned beeing that GOD of Glorie unto vvhome all Honour all Pleasures all Wealth and onelie lyfe did belong depryved Himselfe of all these thinges and cloathed Himselfe willinglie with the contrarie evils and that for thee Bee myndfull of these thinges ô my Soule and forget not to beg Grace from thy GOD to prooue thankefull for them FOolish Man pittying manie cannot alace pittie himselfe yea hee cannot so much as dreame that hee is to bee pittied and yet what creature is to bee pittied as man who should prooue GODS best creature heere beneath is to bee pittied Oh LORD GOD howe manie men lay downe their lyues daylie and so are remooved from this Earth by death before they know by whom and wherefore they were gifted with lyfe and placed on this Earth And if man in this respect bee not to bee pittied let all such who be sensible of humane miserie judge O my soule if living heere I knowe not of whome I haue my lyfe for vvhome I haue my lyfe and so vvho is Hee unto whome I shoulde looke after whome I shoulde seeke studying alwayes to serue and to please Him even in the whole course of my life had it not beene better for thee ô my Soule that I had never tasted of lyfe That man who never was who never shall bee shall never indeede taste of that sweetest Milke and moste wholesome Honey which is to bee founde in that Heavenlie Canaan which is aboue But with that hee shall never bee tormented with that ever-burning Fire which cannot bee but found in that deepest Gulfe out of the which there is no redemption But as for that man ô my soule who lives and knoweth not Him from whom and for whom hee hath his life bee sure die he before his minde be enlightened to see his GOD before his heart bee mooved to loue Him to belieue in Him and his life bee so sanctified that in some measure hee may serue and please Him not onlie shall hee bee depryved of that immortall Heavenlie Inheritance but also adjudged to remedilesse and comfortlesse condemnation Oh oh when shall the Inhabitantes of this Earth hearken to that wise advise given by that wise Preacher Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth while the evill dayes come not Eccle. 12.1 nor the yeares approach in the which thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them When shall they suffer that great Conclusion to bee brought to their heartes which vvould quicken the deadest and waken the most secure which the same Preacher bringeth to our eares in the same place Let us heare the ende of all Feare GOD and keepe His Commandements for this is the whole duetie of man for GOD will
perceiue that which thy blessed Maker would leade thee unto by that more than Majesticke Glorious Comfortable Oracle sounded by His Majesties Glorious Lippes while Hee is about to make Man for Himselfe after that Hee had made the other creatures for man Let us make Man in our owne Image Belieue mee O my Soule Could this Oracle never alace sufficientlie as yet considered by man bee rightlie weighed by thee thou wouldest learne to thinke lesse of the other creatures after the which alace so manie doate so miserablie yea by the which alace there is a verie worlde grosselie bewitched Yea thou wouldest learne to accompt of none but thy GOD yea not to attempt to loue thy selfe but for GODS cause and in so farre as thou findest thy selfe like unto Him What O my Soule Shalt thou bee made to see and heare if thou shalt compare the twentie sixe verse of the first of Genesis pointing at Mans Creation with the third sixt ninth fourteenth twentie and twentie foure verses of that same Chapter leading us to the Creation of the other creatures True it is O my Soule that all these were created by that same GOD by whome Man was also created yet they and Man are not brought foorth after one and the same manner for albeit our GOD being to create the Light the Firmament c. be content to say Let there be Light let there be a Firmament c. yet it contenteth not His wise mercifull Majestie when He is to make Man barely to say let there be a Mā but he must say Let us make Man to our owne Image Thus passing from the Creation of the other creatures to the making of Man not without speciall advise and deliberation as it were and yet heere thou must not thinke ô my Soule that thy powerfull GOD to whom all thinges are easie brought foorth Man with anie greater difficultie than He brought foorth the other creatures or that Hee doubted anie wayes about the making of Man but this is done by Him that hereby His wise Majestie one in substance three in Person Father Sonne and Holie Ghost might recommend to our consideration the excellencie and eminencie of Man beyond and aboue the other Creatures daining Himselfe to take a speciall consultation onelie about the making of Man as about His most excellent and glorious Worke. Shall these three sacred Persons of that incomprehensible Deitie after mature deliberation as it were concurre joyntlie and joyefullie for the making of Man and should not I O my Soule summonding all thy powers with all the members of my bodie after due advise charge them all to concurre for the loving for the seeking and for the serving of that blessed GOD againe crying aloude O my minde O my heart O my will O my whole affections and so ô my loue ô my hatred ô my feare ô my confidence ô my joy ô my sorrow ô mine anger ô my patience concurre to seeke Him concurre to serue Him who concurred to make you yea ô mine eyes mine eares my lips mine handes my feete and remnant members see you all concurre to withstand sinne the enemie of that GOD who with joye concurred to make you and to proue your selues alwayes to be His duetiefull servants who hath proved so gracious a Lord unto you MOurne Mourne ô my Soule when thou rememberest what I was from my GOD being created by Him in Adam and what I am now from my Father Mother having fallen with them in Adam was I not created to the verie Image of His Majestie being so righteous and perfect that in my whole minde heart and will yea that in all the powers of my soule and members of my bodie there was sufficiencie of strength and power whereby I was able to know my GOD to loue my GOD and my Neighboure according to that voyce of the Law Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soule Mat. 22.37 39 and with all thy minde And Thou shalt loue thy Neighbour as thyselfe And that without anie disorder rebellion or corruption and so without anie darkenesse in the minde frowardnesse in the will rebellion in the heart corruption in anie of the remnant powers of the soule or members of the bodie and being thus spirituallie beautified was I not beside this that great emperour greater than the Turke who styleth himselfe THE GREAT EMPEROVR having all the fowles of the Aire all the fishes of the Sea with all which is here on Earth to be found bound by the verie appointment of GOD to serve me yea most readilie willing by the force of His Majesties blessing accompanying me for to serue me But alace ô my soule as I am now from my parents having fallen with them in Adam I am deprived of that Image of my blessed GOD to the which I was made and so voyde of that righteousnesse wherewith I was then cloathed being shapen and fostered as Seth the son of Adam and Evah was shapen and fostered and how was that O my soule surelie in the sinnefull Image of his sinnefull parents so that now my soule is not simplie wounded through sinne but starke dead in sinnes and trespasses and therefore no wonder that our GOD who onlie knoweth perfectlie what harme sinne alace hath procured to us speake thus of man Genes 6.5 All the imaginations of mans heart are onlie evill continuallie And lest anie man should haue proved or should proue so peart as to apply that saying to these of that first world overthrowne by the Deludge it pleased our wise GOD O my soule after that Noah was brought foorth of the Arke to plenish the Earth againe to sound over againe his former Iudgement touching Man saying Genes 8.21 The imagination of mans heart is evill even from his youth Oh! ô my soule when shall wee learne to consider rightlie that third Chapter to the Romans by the which that Spirit of trueth describing man unto us as he is out of Christ and destitute of the grace of GOD proclaimeth him to be nothing but a verie masse of vilde and loathsome corruption yea is not this our originall corruption cleared unto us by the holy Scriptures so sensiblie that as wee are acquainted with that good which wee cannot possiblie doe because of it so we are informed anent that evill which we cannot but doe by reason of it 1. Cor. 2.14 2. Corin. 3.5 Roman 7.18 Roman 8.7 The naturall man perceiveth not the thinges of the Spirit of GOD neyther can hee know them because they are Spirituallie discerned Wee are not sufficient of our selues to thinke anie thing as of our selues I finde no meaues to performe that which is good The wisedome of the flesh is enimitie against GOD for it is not subject to the Law of GOD neyther indeede can bee Yea is not holie Paul couched under the tyrannie of this fearfull originall corruption where-with alace wee are infected O my Soule compelled to make this confession
bring everie worke uto Iudgement with everie secret thing whether it be good Eccl. 12.13.14 or evill Oh oh when shall Preachers when shall Hearers out of a sense hereof learne to cry unto GOD with David Open mine eyes that I may see the wonders of Thy Law Teach me Psaml 119.18.33.34 ô LORD the way of thy Statutes and I will keepe it to the ende Giue mee understanding and I will keepe it with my whole heart Yea ô would to GOD that thou ô my soule couldest in this last age see and feele that which Augustine saw and felt in his time to the ende that out of that sight and sense thou mightest make the like confession before GOD which hee made and send up the like Petition to GOD which hee sent up unto Him My Bodie ô LORD liveth by my Soule and my Soule liveth by thee ô my GOD Be neare me heerefore ô GOD neare in mine heart neare in mine eares neare in mine eyes yea neare in my whole body and everie member of it that they may all serue Thee KNewest thou ô my Soule how blessed IESVS hath loved thee be sure thou wouldest loue Him and out of that thy loue thou wouldest be carefull to keepe His Commandements Iaakob loved Benjamin dearely but ô how more dearelie hath IESVS loved thee Iaakob pintched with Famine is content for the safetie of his owne life Gen. 43.11.12.13 to twinne with Benjamin and to send him downe to Aegypt but blessed IESVS to the ende that Hee might feede thee and keepe thee O my soule will not onlie subject Himselfe to Hunger 2. Sam. 1.26 but unto cruell death Ionathans loue towards David exceeded the loue of Women but IESVS His loue towardes thee O my Soule exceedeth not onlie the loue of Women but the loue of Ionathan Scripture telleth mee Historie telleth mee That Mothers haue slaine their owne children 2. King 28.29 to keepe in their owne lives but neither acquainteth Scripture nor Historie mee with anie Woman who ever was contented to cutte and dresse her owne flesh for the safetie of her chylde Alwayes Scripture largelie telleth mee That Thy blessed IESVS O my Soule is that kindliest Pelicane who could be content to giue His owne flesh not onlie to be scourged to be nailed to be pearced but to be crucified and die on the Tree to the ende that thou O my soule mightest feede upon Him unto life aeternall IESVS His loue towards thee O my Soule exceedeth also the loue of Ionathan Ionathan indeede loued David so that he incurred his fathers wrath for David that he was contented heartfullie that David should succeede to his father in the Kingdome yea Ionathan oft times hazarded his verie life for David alwayes thy Ionathan IESVS O my soule beeing a King yea that King of kinges by whom and under whom all kinges doe reigne would not onlie become poore to make thee rich under-goe that intollerable weight of His Fathers wrath to the ende that thou mightest attaine unto and enjoy His everlasting favoure but also He would die to the ende that thou beeing quickened by Him mightest bee made a king to liue and reigne in Heaven with Him for ever Yea telleth not Scripture mee O my Soule That IESVS hath loved thee so that He hath married thee that He hath tochered thee yea that Hee hath provided a Dourie for thee Abigall is dashed when David Ambassadours come unto her shewing to her 1. Sam. 25.41 That David would marrie her It was a wonder that Salomon King of Iudah married the King of Aegypts Daughter But shouldest thou not bee much more astonied O my Soule vvhen thou hearest That even IESVS the great Sonne of David that mightie KING of everlasting Peace Ezek. 16.4.5 hath married thee while thou wast dead in sinne lying in thy blood in the verie open Fielde having none eye pittying thee Hosea speaking of this Marriage bringeth in thy blessed kynde Spouse speaking thus unto thee O my Soule I will marrie thee unto Mee for ever yea I will marrie thee unto Mee in Righteousnesse Hosea 2.19.20 in Iudgement in Mercie and in Compassion Men marrie Women for a while yea for an uncertaine troublesome while Alwayes O my Soule IESVS hath married thee for evermore in such sorte that neyther distance of place nor death nor the graue can possiblie sever thee from Him or Him from thee Yea vvhich is more that the nearer death draweth unto thee and thou approachest to thy graue the more strictlie art thou united with Him and Hee joyned with thee Beside this IESVS hath so loved thee O my Soule that Hee hath tochered thee but vvhere-with I pray thee I heare Saul craving from David an hundreth fore-Skinnes of the Philistims 1. Sam. 18.25.26.27 Acts 20.28 1. Pet. 1.18.19 for his Daughter and I see David laying downe two hundreth for her Alwayes IESVS hath tochered thee O my Soule not with Silver not with Golde not with precious Stones but with Blood Alwayes vvith vvhat Blood O my Soule Not vvith the blood of Rammes of Lambes of Goates or anie man But with His owne onelie moste precious moste honourable and moste cleane Blood Beside this yet O my Soule IESVS hath so loved thee that Hee hath provyded a Dowrie for thee But what a Dowrie Beare vvith mee O my Soule if heere I must confesse that I cannot tell thee because my GOD hath not tolde mee For vvho living heere can possiblie acquaint the Childe of GOD sufficientlie and perfectlie vvith the Valour and Excellencie of that Inheritance which is appointed for thee Some sparkes of the Excellencie and Majestie of it are praesented indeede unto our consideration Luke 12.32 1. Corin. 2.9 1. Iohn 3.2 Coll. 3.3.4 by Scripture but fullie it shall not bee knowne untill wee bee where our dearest Spouse IESVS is Loue this IESVS O my Soule sincerelie Seeke this IESVS O my soule busilie Serue this IESVS O my Soule chearfullie and let nothing content thee untill thou bee where Hee is who hath so loved thee IF thou O my soule wouldest prooue truelie wise to that last day after the which there shall bee no day it were good that thou werest carefull in time to bee certified of the loue of IESVS thy Saviour and Master as of that first thing as of that chiefest thing thou shouldest bee carefull to bee certified of before all thinges so that publicklie before GOD. Angels and Men and privatelie betwixt thy GOD and thine owne heart thou mayest say and sing Blessed bee that IESVS who hath loved mee Blessed bee that IESVS who loveth mee But heere O my Soule there would bee three thinges wiselie considered by thee First wherefore should this bee thy first and chiefest care Secondlie Whereby is it that that loue wherewith IESVS hath loved thee is intimate unto thee Thirdlie how mayest thou bee certified that IESVS loveth thee Let mee possesse all the Worlde ô my soule if IESVS loue mee not woe
it I Must confesse O my Soule that thou canst not but bee much mooved when considering Gods Fatherlie direction plainelie given to thee when weighing Gods Gracious Promises clearlie made to thee thou askest Matt. 7.7.8 but receivest not seekest but findest not knockest but hast none to open unto thee for as then Satan cannot but prease to take some advantage of thee so thou canst not but at the first considering this bee much amazed Alwayes ô my Soule I must charge thee not to murmure so much as in secret against thy good God albeit Hee appeare not to heare thee when thou callest unto Him Yea I must command thee not to attempt to suffer that loue wherewith thou art oblieged alwayes to loue thy good God aniewayes to waxe colde albeit His Majestie deferre to grant thee that which thou hast bene craving yea albeit He denie altogether to giue thee that which thou hast bene long seeking yea which is more albeit He put into thine hand and lay upon thy backe that which is flat contrarie unto that which thou hast beene even for manie dayes with manie sighes having thy knees bowed before Him and thine handes lift up unto Him desiring Him to giue thee For I must tell thee O my Soule that the frowning lookes of God thy Father are more pleasant to the sight of his well schooled Childe than the smyling of all living can bee unto Him that the hand of God thy Father taking from his owne that which the blinde worldling accounteth onlie to be profitable for him yea that the hand of thy Father laying that upon the backe of His owne which the dead worldlings account onlie hurtfull to them is even then more kinde more liberall unto him and more mercifull towardes him than the handes of all living being opened wide to giue them liberallie to clappe them kindliest that possiblie can bee Till this world shall stand those comfortable Oracles shall alwayes bide inviolablie true The Eyes of the Lord are upon the Righteous and His Eares are open to their cryes The Lyones doe lacke Psal 34.15.16 Roman 8.28 and suffer hunger but they which seeke the Lord shal want nothing which is good All thinges worke together for the best to them that loue God And so ô my Soule I must assure thee that thy God cannot but alwayes heare thee but alwayes helpe thee for He heareth thee either so that Hee granteth thee that which thou cravest as thou cravest it or as good as thou cravest albeit not that same which thou wouldest be at or a better than that is which thou thinkest onlie to bee best Anna maketh a sute to her God and is heard as she craved for as she powred foorth her soule before God 1. Sam. 1. for a sonne so she receiveth a sonne from God Paul cryeth over and over to God alwayes that same which he craveth is not granted him and yet that which was as good is not refused him 2. Cor. 12.7.8.9 for while he besought his Lord that the angell of Satan which buffetted him might depart from him hee is not fred from that angell but Gods Grace is made sufficient for him to make him stand under that assault and in ende to triumph valiantlie David a man according to the heart of God dealeth with his God most earnestlie by prayer by teares and by fasting for the life of that childe which Bathseba bare unto him alwayes that is not granted for that childe died neverthelesse a better is given unto him for was not that wise Salomon who built a Temple to God borne afterwards of that same Bathseba unto him for if that childe had lived according to Davids sute being begotten by him upon her while Vriah her Husband was aliue would hee not haue lived alwayes as a manifest note of Davids Adulterie and Murder and so bene casten up unto him by prophane people who could easilie grippe his sinne but no wayes consider his repentance Forget not O my soule that comfortable Oracle sounded by thy Master and Saviour What man is there amongst you who if his sonne aske him Bread would giue him a Stone or if he aske Fish will hee giue him a Serpent Luk. 11.11.12 or if he aske him an Egge will he giue him a Scorpion And shall thy God ô my Soule even the God of my spirit who is more loving and wise than the father of my flesh can be if I craue that which Hee accounteth to be a Stone albeit I account it to be Bread which he accounteth to be a Serpent albeit I esteeme it to be a Fish which He accounteth to be a Scorpion albeit I account it to be an Egge Thou seekest the Bread of Honour from God and He knoweth that if thou hadst Honour thine Honour would proue a Stone to dishonour Him and slay thee and therefore He refuseth to giue it Thou cravest the Fish of Health and Wealth from God but he knoweth that Health and Wealth would proue a Serpent to bite thy soule unto death Thou wouldest bee at the white Egges of sweet Pleasure but Hee knoweth that they would proue a biting Scorpion to hurt thee and therefore Hee denyeth them to thee Thou abhorrest ignominie and shame before men as an hurtfull Stone but God knoweth it will be Food and Bread to thee therefore Hee covereth thee with it Thou abhorrest Sicknesse Povertie Imprisonment Banishment inward Temptations outward Crosses yea Death it selfe as byting Serpents and Scorpions able to slay thee alwayes thy God knoweth that even those be the only savoury sweet Fishes and Egges which are able to saue thee and therefore He propyneth thee with them Forget not O my soule that sweet speach of Augustine subscrybing unto the trueth of these three comfortable alleadged Oracles Bonus Dominus qui saepe non tribuit quod volumus ut magis attribuat quod malimus Augustine O! how good a Lord is our Lord who oftentimes giveth us not that wiselie which wee would haue to the ende Hee may graciouslie giue us that which wee rather should haue craved Bernhard embracing Augustine in this point can say to thee sweetlie O my Soule Saepe multos Deus non exaudit ad voluntatem ut exaudiat ad salutem Our God oftentimes refuseth Bernhard to heare manie of His owne according to their will to the ende Hee may heare them for their weale But heare O my Soule lest thou deceiue thy selfe thinking that thou hast right to the hearing eare to the pitiful heart to the helping hand of thy God so that He heareth thee that Hee pitieth thee and that at length Hee will helpe thee howe mayest thou bee assured that thou art even then heard of Him pitied of him and that thou shalt receiue helpe from Him even when in appearance thou must thinke that He heareth thee not at all Hearken hearken O my soule findest thou Grace while thus thou art used by thy wise pitifull God to continue