it And though there were no other reason to moue vs to it but his bare command yet were that reason strong enough to bind vs Sic vult sic iubet stet pro ratione vâ—luntas The power of a King the authority of a Father the place of a Maister necessitatis the subiection and obedience of a Subiect Childe and Seruant But GOD is our King our Father and our Maister hee hath an absolute ineuitable and vncontrouleable power and iurisdiction ouer vs Therefore his very bare command should condition and controule vs without more adoe But secondly besides the precept there is a most heauy curse which vnlesse a man do loue GOD hee cannot scape For though our loue of GOD bee not the causâ— why but a signe that GOD will blesse vs yet our hatred or Non-loue doth deserue his curse Therefore Saint Paul denounceth him accursed that loues not the LORD IESVS who is GOD ouer all blessed for euer Amen Thirdly except wee loue GOD wee cannot worship him For true worship is Loue ioyned with duety towards a mans superiours So that where there is no loue there is but counterfeit seruice or none at all And indeed as hee that loues not GOD cannot worship him so neither can hee loue his neighbour for GOD and in GOD And Hee that loueth not his brother is not of GOD but abideth in death Certainely hee that loues not the father as the father loues not the sonne as the son loues not his brother as the childe of GOD as the brother of CHRIST as the childe of the Church which wee all ought and who so doth not shall haue small reward And that the necessity of this duty may yet appeare let vs know that as iron is vnfit to bee wrought on vnlesse it bee heated in the fire and as waxe will not seale well except it bee warme and soft euen so are wee till wee bee inflamed with loue till that holy fire hath heated vâ— Till then the Word the Sacraments the Minister his Binding Loosing Preaching Praying Blessing will bee of no true reckoning with vs and wee shall take no comfort in them And say that a man had the loue of all men say that hee could speake all Languages in the world and were able to remoue Mountaines to cast out deuils to cure all diseases to heale all wounds and should crumble out all his goods to the poore suffer for the truth do and suffer many things for his Country yet if he loued not GOD he might truely say with Saint Paul Hee were Nothing And thus wee see the necesity of louing GOD. A second argument of this duety is from the Equity thereof For seeing Almighty GOD doth loue vs as it appeareth by his Electing Redeeming Sanctifying and Preseruing vs in CHRIST IESVS his beloued Sonne it is a matter of equity that wee should remonstrate our loue vnto him in that his Sonne and the rather also because our loue to him comes short in measure of his loue to vs For GODS loue is a Descending loue but our loue to him is an Ascending loue and loue descending is more naturall more vigorous and more vehement then loue ascending As wee see in fathers and mothers who loue their children better then their children loue them And reason may bee giuen heereof For GOD knowes vs better then wee know him And there is no corruption no vitiosity of nature in him as there is in vs Wee are not so good and candid of naâ—ure as Hee Neither haue wee any thing of ours in GOD to loue as hee hath in vs for wee and euery good thing in vs is of GOD. Besides GOD loues vs that deserue his hatred being by nature dead in sinnes and children of wrath and bringing forth many rootes of bitternesse and fruites of iniustice how vnequally then should wee deale with him if wee should not loue him who deserues our loue being most louely in himselfe and bearing such loue vnto vs. What is man saith Dauid vnto GOD that thou art so mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou thinkest on him And what is GOD ô man that thou art so vnmindfull of him bearing so small respect and loue vnto him If it bee vntolerable ingratitude for a man to be loued of a man and to receiue continuall tokens of loue from him and yet in the meane time not to loue his louer and to show no signes of kindnesse towards him What horrible impiety iniustice and vnthankefulnesse is it to bee beloued of GOD and to returne no loue vnto him to receiue daily testimonies of loue from him and yet to shew no loue vnto his Name Farre be this vneuen and vnthankefull dealing from vs that owe more loue vnto him then wee can expresse in worke or word Nimis durus est animus qui si dilectionem nâ—lebat impendere nâ—lie rependere His heart is Oke not flesh but flint that though hee will not beginne to loue yet finding loue will shew no loue But GOD doth loue vs out of his loue hee sent his Sonne his onely Sonne the Sonne of his loue into the world to saue vs Hee sends vs fruitfull seasons and fils our hearts with gladnesse It is his mercies that wee are not consumed they are renewed euery morning Yea we should bee very vniust and iniurious vnto our selues if wee will not loue him seeing as the Apostle teacheth All things life and death health and sickenesse same and reproach plenty and penury prosperity and aduersity worke together for good vnto those that loue GOD. And what reason is there that wee should desire his loue to vs and with-hold ours from him Or what reason haue wee to require loue of our wiues children seruants neighbours acquaintances if wee care not to shew loue to him who hath adopted married and assumed vs vnto him Or finally with what equity can we desire that our commands should bee respected of those that depend on vs if wee make no count of this duety which drawes on all the rest which he exacteth and expecteth at our hands Wee see then that common sense and Equity extorts it from vs and cals vs to it Thirdly the commodities of this loue should moue vs to the entertainement and performance of it For first by this loue our faith produceth those good duties which we owe to GOD. For Faith is as an Hand Receiuing but by loue we giue and bestow and without it wee can do no good workes well Therefore the Apostle saith that Faith worketh by loue And as Saint Austen speaketh Our life and all our conuersation is named of our loue Nec faciunt bonos vel malos mores nisi boni vel mali sint amores Which being good or bad makes our manners to be thereafter such as the loue is such is the life a holy loue a holy life an earthly loue an earthly
your selues which were borne within her iurisdiction for the most will say shee is a true Church of GOD Whether are they to be beleeued or yee Or do yee thinke that all they are blind and that ye are the onely men that see Well let vs beware if we think that we loue GOD let vs shew our loue vnto him by louing of his Church Secondly GOD is to bee loued in his Ministâ—rs which are called the Men of GOD aâ—d Saints by reason of their holy Office and authority which GOD hath sanctified and set apart vnto himselfe And this their Function and Ministery is not onely Sanctifyed but Sanctifying and Sauing Now whosoeuer doth lâ—ue these Saints as Saints doth loue God the Sanctifier of them Hee that loues this Office simply doth loue him that hath ordeined it Hee that loues the man of GOD in this Name doth vndoubtedly lâ—ue Gâ—D the MAISTER Hee that loues a Minister meerely for his Ministery or as Saint Paul exhorteth Fâ—r his worke sake hee no question loueth GOD whose seruant hee is and for whom hee worketh On the contrary they that loue not the Miâ—istâ—r for his Office and Labours but rather malice and molest him becâ—use hee Pâ—eacheth the Truth wâ—ich they distast or confuteth errours that they foster or reproueth their sinnes which they delight in as ignorance pride drunkennesse prophane swearing violating the Saboath contempt of the Ordinances and Church of GOD these men without doubt are offended at GOD and did hee come himselfe in the shape of a Man they would deale with him as they deale with his Messengers But thou wilt say thou for thy part dost loue thy Minister I aske thee Dost thou loue him euen because hee is thy Minister because hee hath authority ouer thee in GOD for the benefite of thy soule If thou dost loue him simply in this respect but do not delude thy selfe surely â—hy case is good thou louest GOD Receiuing him thou receiuest GOD But to loue a Minister for his Parentage Alliance Riches Aduancements and such worldly considerations is no token of loue to GOD it is not to loue the Minister but some circumstances belonging to him The loue of the man for his Office or for his carefull execution of it is Diuine a note of loue indeed vnto GOD And to contemne or persecute him for his very place and power or the faithfull dischargement of it is diuelish and argues the loue of darkenesse Hee that that hates the seruant how can hee loue the maister They that hang head looke vnder the browes stampe and storme at them that deliuer but their Maisters errand euen for the very doing of it they do it to the Maister that did appoint and send them And refusing or disgracing the men they dishonour their Maister But when I say GOD is to be loued in His Ministers mistake not the men For those are his True and Faithfull Ministers which are sent by GOD and who deliuers their Maisters Errand and not in steed thereof their owne errours For though hee should deliuer GODS Message and adminster the Sacraments yet if he haue no power no authority committed vnto him by GOD hee runnes vnsent And though he haue a sending yet if hee do not that Message which GOD appointâ— him but brings some Nouelty coyâ—ed in the braine of man hee abuses his power if hee defile or mangle the Sacraments hee transcends his bounds and transgresseth his authority and therefore is to bee reproued and auoyded Thirdly GOD is to be loued in his Children All godly men haue the Name of GOD called vpon them and a new Nature created in them and are become holy through the worke of the HOLY SPIRIT in them Now hee that loues a godly man for his godlinesse a Saint for his Sanctimony a new Man for his new Nature questionlesse the same man loues GOD who is the Authour of it Oâ— the contrary if any man say I lâ—ue GOD and hate his brother hee is a lyer â—or how can hee that loueth not his brother whom hee hath seene loue GOD whom hee hath not seene Hee that hates dislikes and persecutes his brother for the Truths sake for Vertues sake for that new Nature which his FATHER hath created in him and because hee liues not so riotously as himselfe doth hate dislikâ— aâ—â— pâ—rsecute the FATHER Himsâ—lfe Therefore CHRIST saith Saul Saul why persecutest thou mee Whereas not hee personally bâ—t his Seruants and Confessours were persecuted of him And if thiâ— bee true which is most true That Euery one which loueth him which did beget loueth him also which is begâ—â—ten of him Then certainely hee which hates him which is begotten hates him also which did beget him Let men therefore take heed for he that loues GOD cannot but loue a good man for GOD and hee that hates the godly hates GOD whose Image hee sustaines He that hates true Deuotion true Zeale and a Sober Conuersation in man will neuer bee able to excuse â—im of â—aâ—red vnto GOD the Worker of them There is a brood of men or of diuils rather in the shape of men such as Dauid speakes of which are aduersaries to their Neighbours Because they follow goodnesse These are enemies to GOD whatsoeuer they thinke of themselues Of such the Psalmist speaketh when hee saith Surely GOD will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy pate of him that walketh in his sinnes And againe They that hate Syon shall bee all ashamed and turned backeward they shall bee as the grasse on the house tops which withereth afore it commeth forth It were good for them therefore to take vp betimes and to turne their hatred into loue There is I confesse much loue in the world such as it is Naturall loue Ciuill loue Domâ—sticall loue Matrimoniall loue Fleshly loue Worldly loue Pot-loue Humane loue but little godly charity is seene among vs For who loues godlines in a man Who seekes GOD in his Neighbour Friend Childe Seruant Familiar Who studies and striues that Religion Iustice and true Christianity should flourish in his Children Seruants Friends and Neighbourâ— I doubt not but Turkes Moores and other Pagans loue Religious and true Christians sometimes as I am perswaded some of our Marchants and their Factors are that liue and trafique with them But loue they their Religion do they louâ— them for their Christianity No no they could wish them as superstitious as themselues If therefore thou wilt giue an infallible demonstration of thy loue to GOD loue thy brother for GOD and in GOD loue his Piety his Christianity and pray that the Kingdome of GOD may be planted and establâ—shed in him And as all meâ— should shew their loue vnto GOD by louing of his people so especially the Ministers of GOD which they shall doe by their dilligent and faithfull feeding of them Therefore our LORD will haue Peter expresse his loue vnto him
Now those that are thus faithfull GOD doth preserue them saith Dauid Sometimes hee preserues them by vouchsafing them deliuerance from dangers as in his Wisdome he sees conuenient whiles they liue heere as hee preserued Noah in the Floud Let out of Sodome Dauid in many dangers Daniel among the Lyons the three Confessours in the fire our Religious King with many others from that infernall Powder-plot of the Papists and infinite are his sauours of this kind But further hee preâ—â—rueth the saithfull as concerning their soules and the spirituall and eternall happinesse of both body and soule For hee hath engrauen them vpon the palmes of his hands Hee will Neuer turne away from them to doe them good but gards them by his power through faith as Saint Peter teacheth vnto saluation that in the end they shall attaine to the end of their faith the felicity of their soules without end This should stir vs vp to loue this good GOD and to shew our selues faithfull to him in our seruice the Crowne of life is promist to the faithfull wee desire faith of GOD and exact it of others let vs then bee faithfull our selues This faithfulnesse may bee demonstrated fiue waies First by being carefull to know the will of our Maister and diligent to keepe all his Precepts For if wee will not endeuour to please him in all things but will bee Licentious Libertines in some things wee are very Herods hypocrites and disloyall our hearts are not vpright with Him but do go an whoring after our owne desires Hee is no faithfull seruant which will do but what hee list himselfe Secondly faithfulnesse is seene in trouble If thou bee faint in the day of aduersity thy strength is small A friend that forsakes in affliction was no friend but of himselfe So hee that shall forsake GOD deny his Truth embrace errours by reason of persecution doth betray GOD to his power and shewes a false and vnfaithfull spirit hath possest him Fidem nemo vnquam perdit nisi qui non habet No man euer looseth faith but hee that hath it not For Faith if it be not feyned is very valorous and trusty Nulla necessitate ad fallendum cogitur nullo corrumpitur pramio It is compelled to falshood by no necessity it is corrupted by no reward Vre coede occide Burne beate kill do what you will it will not perish It is like Camomill which being troden vpon smels the better or like the Chrysoprasus which as Zanchy writeth shines more cleerely in the darke then in the light Thirdly a faithfull seruant will delight to saue his Maisters gaine and is glad to see his Maisters customers increase euen so hee that is faithful-hearted towards GOD will reioyce to see his Kingdome flourish his Word receiued his Lawes obserued his graces esteemed and his Customers or Chapmen that come to buy them of him multiplied Fourthly if a Maister shall allow his seruant time to dispatch all his owne businesses but withal appoint him a certaine time to doe him seruice in if this seruant shall not onely spend his owne time alotted him by his Maister as hee list himselfe but will also mis-â—pend that time which his Maister commands him to spend for him mis-spend it I say in idlenes leudnes gaming wickednes or otherwise vpon himselfe and not vpon his maister this seruant is vnfaithfull to his maister and as I thiâ—kâ— if hee will not breake this câ—stome his maister will not keepe him but turne him packing So are tâ—ose vâ—faithful vnto God that prophane his holy Sabboth which hee hath saâ—ctâ—fied for himselfe by their merchanâ—ising gadding gaming rioting and such prophâ—ne behauiour And I feare thaâ— if thâ—y will not mend these manners Sâ—d vox faucib â—â— hâ—râ—t On the contrary they that are carefull to spend their maisters time in their maisters worship as in prayer reading hearing mâ—ditation singing of Psalmes doing the workes of mercy and the like these shew themselues faithfull to him and as they are carefull to keepe his Sâ—bboth on earth before him so shal they certainly celebrate an euerlasting Sabboth in heauen with him Finally a seruant is not therefore to be counted faithfull because hee is entertained in his Maisters house and weares his cloth and eates his meate and heares him speake For say he be not afraid to displease him suppose he shall corrupt anâ— peruert the mindes of any of his fellowes and bring them to be stout and saucie or lazie and vntrue and imagine he doth secretly coÌ„spire with his Maisters foes and do seruice vnderhand or openly for them will yee say that this is a faithfull seruant or rather a Fals-hearted and wicked Knaue So euen so a man is not presently to bee counted faithfull and true to God because he is admitted into his Hoâ—se which is the Church because he is baptized which is his liuery because hee is called or reputed his seruant because hee receiues the Sacrament which is as it were his bread because he heares his maister speake vnto him in his Ministers For we may say of a Christian as Saint Paul saith of a Iew and of Baptisme as he speakes of Circumcision All they are not Israel which are of Israel neither are they all Children because they are the seede of Abraham He is not a Iew which is one outward neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the Flesh but he is â—lew that is one within and the circumcision is of the Heart in the Spirit not in the Letter whose praise is not of Men but of God So we may say euery man is not faithfull vnto God that is counted or called Godly but he that proues his heart and practises vnto God He is not faithfull that is come of faithfull parents vnlesse he partake with them in their faith as well as in their flesh A man is not indeed a Christian because hee is so named or reputed except he be flesh of Christs flesh and bone of his bone except he bee annointed with the Oyle of gladnesse and haue the Spirit of Christ to rule him Neither is that Baptisme which stands in water onely Flumine non Flamine For true Baptisme is to be baptized with the Holy Ghost and Water with the bloud of Christ as well as with water Neither hath he any benefite by the Sacrament that doth not receiue Panem Dominum the Lord who is the bread and staffe of our soules as well as Panem Domini the bread of the Lord which the Lords Steward doth dispense vnto vs. Those therefore that feare not Gods displeasure that would seduce his seruants from their allegeance to him that are at a league as it were with sinne and conspire with Sathan and doe him seruice all these whatsoeuer notwithstanding their place in the Church their hearing of Sermons their comming to Church and receiuing of Sacraments and al-be-it