Doth holinesse fit a man to love God above all and wouldest thou know whether thou hast an holy heart Try it from the former truth Where ever holinesse is it fits the heart to love God above all Canst thou doe this which holinesse enables a man to doe then if there be holinesse in heaven it is also in thine heart I doe not meane that any man should have the exactnesse that Adam had in creation but what hee had in perfection wee must have in desire Thou must have an heart enlarged to love God above all though thou hast many weaknesses with it Many for want of this are cast out as not being partakers of this saving worke Namely Those that never had any readinesse to this saving work of God further then shame or disgrace provokes them for most that live upon the face of the earth must have some constraining power to force them to the performance of Gods service they say as those in Malachi What a wearinesse is it Mal. 1.13 The word of God and his ordinances are a burden the sabbaths are tedious men come to Gods worship as a Beare to a stake or a captive to prison how willing are they to bee freed from these duties whereas holinesse ever brings willingnesse with it Ob. But doe not the Saints finde a great deale of awkwardnesse Ans I confesse it is true but there is a great deale of difference between these and the other The Saints willingly oppose their corruptions that clog them but a carnall heart joynes sides with the flesh hee desires means and occasions to withdraw him from the love of God hee is glad to finde a pretence to travell on the Lords day or to neglect prayer in his private family But the Saints are weary of their untowardnesse and awkwardnesse to holy duties Matth. 26.41 the Disciples were overcharged with wearinesse and fell asleepe Christ addes the reason The spirit is willing but the flesh is weake Rom. 7. The law is holy and the commandement holy but sinne tooke occasion by the commandement c. It is not I but sinne that dwelleth in me as if hee should say It is good to please God and I will labour after it but I confesse I have a wilfull wretched heart within mee which opposeth this yet there is a sparke of holinesse in this heart and with that I love thee though my flesh oppose thee §. 5. Quest WHat is righteousnesse Righteousnesse what it is Answ The second part of the spirituall image put into Adam whereby hee could love himselfe as hee ought and his neighbour as himselfe In the description there are three things 1. It is the second part of Gods image in the will Holinesse fitted Adam to goe to God yet of it selfe it could not fit him to love his brother therefore hee must have another frame that is of righteousnesse Againe it is beyond the power of the soule to performe spirituall love to his brother therefore it must have this part of Gods image in it 1 Joh. 4.7 Love is of God to love another holily is beyond the power and faculty of nature Indeed a man may love another carnally as adulterers and naturally as creatures but to love another spiritually hee must have power from God There is a double cunning of the hand as David useth the word a cunning to play on an instrument Psa 137. and a cunning to write now the cunning of the one will not make a man skilfull in the other so there is a double cunning put into the heart of Adam the first Of holinesse whereby hee could love God above all the second Of righteousnesse whereby he could love himselfe as hee ought and his neighbour as himselfe 2. The second part of the description was By this he was fitted to love himselfe as he ought The ground of all lawfull love comes from self-love if it be pure There is a selfe-love required nay if it be right it is the standard of all love to another He that loveth himselfe as he should will be disposed to love another Love lookes first at that which is most good to me as to my honour which is a greater good to me before the honour of another man It is true what was said of David 2 Sam. 21. Thou art better then ten thousand of us that was in regard of his place and office but take a man as a particular person and my good is better to me then another mans Quest How should a man love himselfe Ans This love is bounded by three things Selfe-love how to be bounded by a right Order Measure Manner 1. A man must love himselfe in a right order and that you must understand in three rules Rule 1. He must love himselfe in the second place God in the first Pro. 3.9 Honour the Lord with the first fruits of thy increase Mat. 6.33 First seeke the kingdome of heaven all else must be served after God In the old law it was required that God should have the first fruits of a mans vintage We must bestow the chiefest of our love and delight on God we must love Gods honour in the first place our owne in the second Mat. 22.38 This is the first and greatest commandement To love God with all our heart The second is like unto this Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe 2. He must love himselfe with a subordinate degree of love but in the love of God he must put forth the utmost of his strength In the old law hee that brought a sacrifice was to bring a male Mal. 1. ult Cursed be the man that hath a male in his flocke and offereth a female to the Lord The male is the stronger the female the weaker All our prayers and services unto God must bee male but female love and desire will serve our selves God required in the old law that the sacrifices should not be shorn our sacrifices are our duties to God they are the males we must offer we may not sheare our joy and delight but let them go with their fleeces on that is in their full strength to God but when we come to our selves we may sheare our love 3. A man is to love himselfe in God and for God Adam was to love Gods image in himselfe as a step to conveigh him more speedily to the love of God What wouldest thou love in thy selfe thine honour Get thee to a wise and glorious God and love his glory more Dost thou love thy life Oh love the life of God who is a living God Rom. 9.3 I could wish to bee Anathema for my brethren c. Seeing that the Jewes would fall to the dishonour of God hee did so prize the honour of God that he could wish himselfe to be accursed that they might stand This was the cause hee loved the glory of God above all Adam had power to love himselfe in a right measure This I referre to all those
things which concerne Adam in comparison with his fellow brethren In this right measure two rules are to be attended 1. Adam was to love all things belonging to himself with a love proportionable to them He was to proportion his love sutable to the nature of the things As one exceeded another in goodnesse so hee was to exceed in love towards them Those things that were of the choicest nature on them he was to bestow the choicest affections as for example Adam was to love his life honour and good name according to their nature A man must love his life above his wealth and the good of his soule above his life As in a paire of scales the heavier the waight is in the one the more weight we put into the other if wee would have them even so answerable to the love that was in any thing Adam was to weigh out an agreeable proportion of love The happinesse of the soule is everlasting therefore he was to bestow unchangeable love upon it but wealth and riches are mutable therefore mutable affections wil serve them we must so love them as to be content to leave them Thy wife is dearer then thy kinsman weigh out the affections of matrimony to thy wife of friendship to thy kinsman The credit of the world is good but it is but a small good weigh out but a little measure of love to it The woman sicke of a bloudy issue spent all she had to save her life and shall not a man spend his life to save his soule Rule 2. We ought to love our owne personall good more then the good of another All true love begins at home I must love mine own honour more then the honour of another For the right understanding of this Rule take notice of two cautions Caut. 1. I must alwayes compare my good with the good of another in the same kind I must compare my life and his life my soule and his soule My owne soule is dearer to me then anothers But if you take them not in the like quality the rule bindes not I must love the soule of my brother more then mine owne life If a man might undoubtedly set forward the salvation of his brother by laying downe his life he must be content to dye so likewise I must love the life of my brother better then mine owne riches But compare them in the same kind and the rule holds Caut. 2. There must be no overpowring circumstance to oversway mee if the publicke good may bee promoted or God may be honoured more by him then by me in regard of his parts and place 1 Joh. 3.16 We ought to lay downe our lives for our brethren When God may receive more honour from another man then from me I must lay downe my life to save his It was requisite a private Christian should die rather then Paul the Apostle because hee was chiefe if therefore a private man should rescue Paul he must lay downe his life for him 1 Sam. 18.3 The life of king David is better then the life of a thousand subjects Gods honour may be more promoted by it The arme will loose it selfe to save the head Rule 3. We must love our selves in a right manner The manner of loving our selves namely in that manner that is comely and beseeming This makes knowne it selfe in these thre particulars It must be Really Fervently Purely 1. Really not in complement but with love unfained and hearty 1. Joh. 3.18 Let us not love in tongue or in word but in deed and in truth so it was with Adam hee was able to do good to himselfe whereas wee that are corrupt are most enemies to our selves when wee seeme most to love our selves Pro. 8. ult He that despiseth wisedome * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 layeth violent hands upon himselfe so the word in the originall is Out of selfe-love and pride you must not have your base courses condemned but you hate your soules in despising the means God is Jehovah a Being God therefore requires that mans love should be reall 2. Adam loved himselfe fervently 1 Pet. 1.22 as Saint Peter calls it There was namely a pressenesse in Adams spirit whereby the whole man was carried to improve any meanes for the good of himselfe Adam was free from weaknesse within from impediment without As in Heb. 6.10 it is called The labour of love so was Adam painfull to use all meanes for his good Ephes 5.29 No man ever hated his owne flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it that is hee imployes all meanes to helpe himselfe whereas wee that are corrupt cannot inlarge our hearts in duties of love We are so distracted that we cannot go on freely in our occasions both in things that concerne God and in things that concerne our selves Rom. 7. The good we would do we doe not 3. Adam loved himselfe purely not with carnall nor sensuall love He loved onely that which was good in himselfe he loved his excellency that so he might get more of it and be fitted by it in the performance of his service There are sixe good things belonging to a man Honour Life Chastity Goods Good name Prosperity now Adam loved these that hee might get more of them and be fitted the better for Gods service These two things Adam got by obedience 1. more ability 2. more dexterity in the performance of Gods command Adam loved his honour that he might receive more honour from others and be more enabled to performe his duty to them whereas we love good things for naughty ends The covetous churle loveth his scraping humour and growes more covetous we love sin which we ought to abhorre and we doe good oftentimes for bad ends but Adam loved that which was good in himselfe for that good end to get more of it Gods people are followers after righteousnesse Isa 51.11 More of that Lord more chastity and meeknesse As the beast that hunts his prey pursues it still with more and more eagernesse so doth the gracious man follow after righteousnesse Adam was patient c. but yet he desired more wee love good things wel but many times use them ill when wee have them A man perhaps craves honour with moderation but he lifts up his heart when hee hath gotten it Part 3. The third thing in the description is He loved his brother as himselfe for quality not for quantity The love of himselfe was a patern to imitate not to equall or exceed Quest How may we know how Adam was to love his brother as himselfe Ans The rules are two How to love our brother as our selves 1. He was to weigh out love respecting as well his brothers good as his owne In 2 Kin. 1.13 the poore man was afraid that Elias would have slaine him therefore he prayeth him that his life might he precious in his eyes as Adam was able to set an high price on the honour and life of his brother
so should it be with thee as thou desirest that that which is good for thee should be continued so shouldest thou desire that all good should bee given to thy brother Wert thou in disgrace thou wouldest desire reputation have the like desire for the credit of thy brother Act. 26.29 I would saith S. Paul that all that hear me this day were altogether as I am altogether holy altogether assured of Gods love Here is an heart such an one as Adam had in perfection it was as if hee should have said I would to God that all that heare me this day had the like evidence of Gods goodnesse We ought to desire that what good befals us might happen to our brethren also Num. 11.29 I would to God that all the people of the Lord were Prophets So hast thou honour say I would to God all Gods servants had honour too Is thy soul comforted say Oh that all Gods servants were so we thinke our candles burne the worse because others burne bright This was not in Adam and ought not to be in us wee should rejoice in the good of others Luk. 15.8 They rejoiced with her we must rejoice in the prosperity of others Adam had the heart to rejoice in the good of his brother and wee ought to doe the like 2. We must be painefull to promote the good of our fellow-brethren as our own Love is solicitous and full of care to provide for what is beloved Looke what care thou wouldest bestow to promote thine owne honour or welfare the same diligence must thou use in due time and place though not in the same measure to procure the honour or welfare of thy brother 1 Cor. 13.5 Love seekes not her owne Gal. 5.13 Serve one another in love Thou shouldst in this case be a servant to thy brother it should be one part of thy taske to promote his good We all ought to take speciall care of our brothers credit for we are tearmed our brothers keepers Gen. 4.9 yea we should take the honour life safety of our brother as our charge we must keep evil from him and not suffer it to lye upon him Lev. 19.17 the evill of sinne especially so farre as God puts occasion into our hands God enjoynes not man this duty towards Scorners Ephraim is joyned to his idols Hos 4.17 let him alone wee must not cast pearles before swine Lev. 19.17 yet thou shalt not suffer thy brother to lye in sinne This is love in truth to rebuke another plainely and not to suffer sinne to lye upon him Ezek. 13. To sow pillowes under mens elbowes this love came from hell it never came from righteousnesse Quest Why was Adam thus furnished with righteousness Ans Because he was made a sociable creature for the maintaining of society and propagating the Church Love is the sinewes of society In a building all the parts must bee pinned together otherwise one part will not uphold another so it is in society there must be inlets of love to uphold it wee must bee souldred together with loving affections else there is no continuing of society The desolation of kingdoms the ruine of nations whence comes it but from want of love Saint Paul makes love a matter of excellency 1 Cor. 12.31 I shew to you a more excellent way Adam therefore being made for society must bee furnished with this love which was a speciall meanes to helpe him therein The use is threefold 1. It falls heavie upon many wicked and ungodly men Malicious men have not Gods image on them the vilenesse of whose hearts is such that in stead of having in them righteousnesse and love they have hearts full of rancour within and tongues full of railing without The sting of the serpent is in their hearts and the poison of asps is under their lips they regard not what they say against those that feare Gods name If righteousnesse bee the image of God then envie and malice is an argument of a man whose heart God never wrought upon it is a blacke brand of a childe of the Devill In this the children of God are manifest from the children of the Devill 1 Joh. 3.10 The children of God are the children of love the children of Satan are the children of hatred Hee that hateth his brother is a childe of the Devill it is manifest thou maist conclude it undoubtedly 1 Joh. 4.8 He that loveth not knoweth not God as if hee should say Thou that hast no love hast no interest in God Hatred is that wherein the kingdome of Satan consists Joh. 8.41 as for all other sins they are practised among men but this is the trade of the Devils in hell The Pharisees bragged that they were Abrahams children You seeke to kill me saith Christ which Abraham did not if you were of your father Abraham you would doe the workes of Abraham but marke the 44. verse You are of your father the Devill for hee was a murtherer from the beginning You have never heard that Sathan stabbed a man but his murther was Hee maligned Adam in his innocency this therefore is a devillish sinne Sathan doth not steale neither is he drunke but he is envious as hell If this bee expressed in your conversation know what ever your stocke may be yet you are of your father the Devill Those that set themselves against the life and honour of their fellow brethren for we may set our selves against the sinnes of others those I say whose hearts sinke at the good of their brethren and rejoice if their goods and estates bee overthrowne doe by that shew whence they draw their pedegree This is the very brand of a wretch Gal. 4.19 Ishmael was a cast away as the text plainly speaks what was his guise He persecuted the sonne of Promise he persecuted him with a railing tongue for this the Scripture often calls persecution and this is the note of a man born after the flesh who shall never see Gods face for the Text saith Cast him out Envie and malice is the sinne of the Devill and it is the note of a reprobate the Lord therefore looke upon us that wee seeing our owne misery may strive for power against it and get love from God that we may be possessed of happinesse with him Use 2. The second use is of Instruction Expect no friendship from the wicked From the former truth we may learn what to expect at the hands of the ungodly There is no friendship to bee expected from a wicked man Love is another matter then men make of it it is a grace above nature which no man can expresse unlesse God put this image into the soule Love comes from righteousnesse We had as good look for honey in an hornets nest or in a serpents den or sweet fruit from a crab-stocke as love from an unrighteous man unlesse the root of righteousnesse bee within love cannot bee without 1 Pet. 1.22 You that have purified your
promises of God in Christ when thou art in any straight or temptation as wel for thy present provision and preservation in this life as for thy salvation in the life to come abstaining from the use of any unlawfull or unwarrantable practices Gen. 22.8 And Abraham said My son God will provide himselfe a Lambe for a burnt offering so they went both of them together Exod. 14.13 And Moses said unto the people Feare ye not stand still and see the salvation of the Lord what he will shew to you to day for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day yee shall see them againe no more for ever Mar. XI If thou canst find in thy heart that thou dost love God sincerely although thou couldst never love him but that hee loved thee first Joh. 21.17 And hee said unto him the third time Simon son of Jonas lovest thou mee Peter was grieved because hee said unto him the third time Lovest thou me And hee said unto him Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee 1 Joh. 4.19 Wee love him because hee first loved us Rom. 5.5 And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given unto us Mar. XII If thou canst heartily love good Christians and others that have helped thee on to heaven and on the contrarie doest hate and avoid wicked and dissolute men but most of all such as withdraw others from the faith or by scandalous lives have caused the faith to bee blasphemed and evill spoken of 1 Joh 3.14 Wee know wee have passed from death to life because wee love the brethren Mat. 10.41 He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward and hee that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous mans reward Rom. 16.4 Who for my life laid down their own necks unto whom not only I give thanks but also all the Churches of the Gentiles Gal. 4.14 And my temptation which was in my flesh you despised not nor rejected but received me as an Angel of God even as Christ Jesus Ps 15.4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned but hee honoureth them that fear the Lord. 1 Tim. 3.3 Without naturall affection truce breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good Mar. XIII The fight between the flesh and the spirit Rom. 7.23 But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my minde and bringing mee into captivity to the law of sinne which is in my members Gal. 5.17 For the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that you cannot doe the things you would Mar. XIV If wee long for the appearing of Christ Revel 22.20 He which testifies these things saith Surely I come quickly Amen even so come Lord Jesus 2 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth there is laid up for mee a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give mee at that day and not to mee onely but unto them also that love his appearing Mar. XV. If thou makest conscience of secret sinnes which none eye sees as a hard heart a secure proud heart if thou lookest not so much to the matter of good duties as to the manner if they bee done in truth and sincerity also if thou dost apply both the promises and the threatnings to thee in the Word of God and lovest and admirest grace more in others then in thy selfe and hatest sin in all but most in thy selfe Thou mayest take comfort from these if thou canst doe them in a holy manner namely 1. With uprightnesse of heart 2. With continuance 3. With daily growth in the practice of them And to this end two things must be practised 1. Use often to examine and try and search thy heart and all thy actions 2. Take an often account of thy life concerning thy progresse in the course of godlinesse for want of this examination many live and die hypocrites and know it not but suppose their case is good 1 Chro. 29.17 I know also my God that thou tryest the heart and hast pleasure in uprightnesse as for me in the uprightnesse of mine heart I have offered all these things 1 Joh. 3.18 My little children let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth Rev. 2.19 I know thy workes and charity and service and faith and thy patience and thy works and the last bee more then the first 2 Tim. 3.7 Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth Psal 119.59 I thought on my wayes and turned my feet unto thy testimonies 1 Tim. 4.15 Meditate upon these things give thy selfe wholly to them that thy profiting may appeare to all Gal. 1.14 And profited in the Jewes religion above many my equals in mine owne nation being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my Fathers Heb. 5.12 For when for the time yee ought to be teachers yee have need that one teach you againe which bee the first principles of the oracles of God and are become such as have need of milke and not of strong meat Mar. XVI If thou dost desire to keepe no corruption or if thy endeavours bee constant in the use of all meanes against every corruption Mar. XVII If thou desirest Christ for his holinesse-sake which if thou dost then thou wilt take all that comes with holinesse whether it bee shame or disgrace or persecution c. FINIS