The Christians LOOKING-GLASSE Wherein hee may cleerely see His loue to GOD liuely expressed His Fidelity truely discouered And Pride against GOD and Man Anatomised whereby the Hypocrisie of the times is notoriously manifested By THOMAS TVKE Minister of GODS Word at Saint Giles in the Fields LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes and are to bee sold by Richard Bolton at his Shop in Chancery-lane neere Holborne 1615. TO THE RIGHT VERTVOVS AND HONOVRABLE LADY the Lady ALICIA DVDLEY MADAME THere are three necessary vertues well be-seeming euery Christian Man Charity Fidelity and Humility both towardes God and Man There are foure reasons to passe by many moe which should moue vs to the loue of God First because hee is our gracious Father who of his owne will begat vs with the word of truth that we should be as the first fruits of his Creatures Now if a childe shall loue his father of whom he hath receiued a part of his body how much more ought he loue God Qui animam suam infundendo creauit creando infudit of whom hee hath receiued his soule and to whose goodnesse he stands obliged both for soule and body both for the being continuing of them Therefore Dauid saith Thou hast possessed my reines thou hast couered me in my Mothers wombe Vpon thee haue I been staied from the wombe thou art hee that tooke me out of my mothers bowels And Iob long before him Thine hands haue made me and fashioned me wholly round about thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh and ioyned me together with bones and sinewes thou hast giuen me life and grace and thy visitation hath preserued my spirit Secondly God is to be loued for his most sweet and pleasing nature which the wicked indeed feeleth not because as Isidore saith he hath lost the palate of his heart with the feuer of iniquity Thirdly God by his beneficence hath deserued our loue for out of his meere loue he sent his own and onely Son into the world to saue vs when we were lost to redeeme vs when we were captiues and by his death to giue vs life when we had deserued nought but death Fourthly aske now the beasts they shall teach thee and the fowles of the heauen and they shall tell thee speake to the earth and it shall shew thee or the fishes of the sea they shall declare vnto thee Euen these things in their kindes do praise God and shew their loue vnto man for whom they were appointed and shall man shew no loue to God and in loue do nothing for God for whom his creatures doe so much good suffer so much euil being all put vnder his feet and subiected to his power All sheepe oxen yea the beasts of the field the fowles of the aire and the fish of the sea Now because a man hath in him life like a plant sense as a beast and vnderstanding proper to a Man therefore it behooues him to loue God with his life with his senses and with his reason Our Sauiour saith we ought to loue God with all our heart with al our soule and with all our minde We ought to loue him with all our heart that is with all our affections delighting and ioying in him more then in any thing For he loues not God that delights in any thing more then in God and as S t Austen saith Minus te amat qui aliquid tâ—cuÌ„ amat quod non propter te amat By how much the more the lower bowes of a Tree are multiplied by so much the lesse it groweth vpwards so by how much the more a man doth loue these things beneath by so much the lesse is his loue erected and lifted vnto God aboue therefore such loue is to be pruned cut away as superfluous branches froÌ„ a tree that it may thriue the better God requires the whole heart My son giue me thy heart like some noble Bird of prey that seizeth vpon the heart for he alone created it he alone couers it and he only can content and fill it Totum exigit te qui fecit te totum he requires thee all that made thee all If we owe our selues wholly for our generation what shall wee adde for our regeneration Neither are we so easily new made as made In the first work God gaue vs vnto our selues in the second he gaue vs himselfe and restored vs vnto our selues Being therefore both giuen and restored we doe owe our selues for our selues and we do owe our selues twice But what shall wee repay vnto the Lord for himselfe For although we were able to repay our selues a thousand times what are wee vnto the Lord If a man had some speciall iewell which he is minded to giue away he would bethinke himselfe where hee might best bestow it Our heart is the best member which wee haue and God is our best friend let vs bestow it vpon him it is not lost that is giuen vnto him Secondly wee must loue the Lord with all our Soule induring rather the separation of the soule from the body then that our soule should be separated from God who is the soule of our soule the comfort both of soule and body And because our soule affoords life and sense vnto the body therefore to shew that we loue God with all our soule we ought to honour him with our liues all our life long and with all our senses suffering them to be guided by his will and chusing rather to bee depriued of them all then of him that gaue them all Thirdly we must loue him with all our minde and vnderstandings and cogitations being fixt vpon him and ruled by him His word should informe â—nd direct our reason our reason rightly informed should rule our wils our affections and conuersations in all which wee ought to seeke and apply our selues vnto God that our liues our affections our wils and our vnderstandings may be said to be Gods so as although we liue yet we may truly say We liue not but God doth liue within vs. And so much for our loue of God Loue of Man is either loue of our selues or of our Neighbour That a man should loue himselfe it is very necessary for he that loues not himselfe cannot loue another And as S t Austen saith Sinon nosti diligere teipsum timâ—o ne decipias proximum sicut teipsum if thou knowest not to loue thy selfe I am afraid least thou shouldst deceiue thy neighbour as thy selfe Yet is it no easie matter for a man to loue himselfe aright for he that loues iniquity hateth his owne soule and hee that loues himselfe in the way of sin doth loue a robber condemned to dye Si malè amaueris tunc odisti si benè odeâ—is tunc amasti If a man loue himselfe amisse hee hates himselfe but if hee hate himselfe well
set it on drawne from an act of GODS grace to some and of his iustice to others expressed in the words ensuing In the exhortation three things are to bee obserued first the duety required Loue secondly the obiect of it the LORD thirdly the persons of whom it is to be performed All his Saints Of loue first Amor est affectus vnionis Loue is an affection of vnion Quo cum re amatâ aut vnimur aut perpetuamus vnionem By the which wee are either vnited or doe continue the vnion with the thing beloued Or Loue is a certaine motion whereby the heart is moued towards that which either is Truely or Seemingly good desiring to draw the good vnto it selfe that it might enioy it For the obiect of loue is good And though a man sometimes loue an euil yet it is to him a seeming good And the Nature of loue is to vnite and Knit diuerse things together and of sundry things to make one And a regular and true-hearted loue is that which causeth vs to loue a thing because it is good in it selfe and not for any base or by-respect With this loue wee ought to loue GOD and our neighbor for GOD. The loue then wherewith we are exhorted to loue the LORD is an Holy affection Whereby wee loue GOD in CHRIST IESVS for himselfe Or it is a Gracious affection of the Heart arising out of Knowledge and Faith in GOD and kindled in the soule by the HOLY GHOST by which a man is ioyned Knit to GOD taking delight and content in him more then in any thing besides First I call it an affection of the heart because with it the heart is affected and inclined affections being certaine motions of the heart where they haue their seate and being Secondly I said it is a Gracious affection for to loue is a worke of Nature but to loue an obiect Wâ—ll that 's truely Good as is the LORD is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a worke of Grace For wee are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues Therfore our sufficiency strength to loue a right obiect rightly must needs bee from the Grace of GOD Who worketh in vs both the will and the deed of his owne good pleasure Thirdly I say this loue ariseth out of the Knowledge and Faith in GOD. For Quod latet ignotum est ignoti nulla cupido Things vnknowne are vnaffected and loue is according to a mans acquaintance A man cannot loue GOD before hee know that GOD is and that hee is good and therefore worthy loue sweete and amiable and according to that measure of knowledge that men haue of him and of his benefites and according as they ponder and remember them so they may be said to loue him And for because our knowledge of him is in this world nothing so perfect as it shall bee in the world to come therefore also our loue on earth is not so perfect as it shall bee in the heauens when besides the vision of Grace wee shall attaine vnto the vision of Glory When Wee shall see face to face and know as wee are knowne as the Apostle speaketh to the Corinthians Will yee see this in the glasse of humane practise A child not knowing the worth of siluer preferres a Counter to it Barbarous people not knowing the benefites of learning loue it not The couetous man knowing the vertue of gold hoords it loues it as his GOD A good soule knowing the vilenesse and dangers of sinne shunnes it loathes it and perceiuing the benefites of true Religion loues it followes it and experience shewes that many men places things are vnloued and vnregarded because their vertues properties excellencies are not knowne to them that do looke-ouer and neglect them Hee then that would loue GOD let him learne to know GOD If men knew him well they would not loue him so ill The reason why men commonly are so farre in loue with pleasures profits and preferments is because they know the sweetnesse of them though they proue often bitter to them in the latter end so as that they might iustly wish they had not knowne them or had knowne better how to haue vsed them So surely our knowledge of GOD would stirre vp our loue did wee know him and vnderstand his perfections well and truely hee would rauish our hearts but the loue of the world doth raise vp such a mist within vs as that our eyes are darkened the starres of our vnderstanding are clouded so that we see not wee thinke not of his louely Nature we cannot behold his Beauty But let vs dispearse these fogs and labor to know him that we may bee fit to loue him Loue like a thrid sowes our soules to GOD but the way is prepared by knowledge as by a needle And as concerning Faith certaine it is that faith in the loue of GOD makes a man returne his loue vnto GOD for till a man beleeue that GOD doth loue him and is reconciled to him hee comes not to him So long as hee apprehends nothing but wrath hee flies him as his enemy and being punished hee repines and murmurres as male-conted But when a man comes to bee perswaded of GODS fauour to him and begins to haue affiance in his mercy forth-with hee begins to draw neere by loue vnto him hee sets his heart vpon him and in loue preferres him to all the world And the more hee beleeues the more he loues his soule is ready to say with Dauid Thou art my LORD and the portion of my inheritance My soule praise thou the LORD and all that is within thee praise his holy Name which forgiueth all thine iniquity and healeth all thine infirmities which redeemeth thy life from the graue and crowneth thee with mercy and compassion The truth of which wee see confirmed by Saint Paul who saith that Loue is out of a pure heart and a good conscience and of faith vnfaigned Without the which faith also there is neither pure heart nor good conscience This wee may illustrate by the dealings of men who will not make a league of loue with them whom they trust not but rather abandon all society with them On the contrary whom they dare trust them they dare liue with in whom they haue confidence in them they do delight and of whose loue they are perswaded them they will loue and shew kindnesse too And wee see by experience that one flame licks another to it and one fire draweth another so one loue also begets and drawes another And if it happen that a man bee hated of him to whom hee beareth loue it is because hee that is loued takes no notice of nor feeles the loue which is borne vnto him Let vs therefore haue faith in GOD for as wee beleeue so shall wee loue Without doubt the brethren of Ioseph when they met
the LORD is still musing and thinking of him of his Grace and Glory his Power and Prouidence his Truth Iustice Mercy c. His Head is on him his Heart goes with him his Spirit is present with him For the soule is present as well Vbiamat as vbi animat where it loues as where it liues and lisens As GODS loue to vs made come downe as it were to vs so our loue towards him makes vs go vp to him as his loue to men made him conuerse with men so mens loue to GOD makes them conuerse with him And as his loue to vs makes him present with vs to helpe and guide vs so our loue to him makes vs present with him to cleaue vnto him and to follow him His loue causeth him to thinke on vs and our loue maketh vs to thinke on him So that hee which in heart is present with him and doth meditate and thinke often on him may bee assured that the loue of GOD is in him It is true a man cannot but bee where GOD is because hee is euery where Doe not I fill heauen and earth saith the LORD Yet this presence is rather absence when our heart is absent euen as his presence is but absence if his loue be absent A friend is then present when hee is at hand to helpe and his thoughts are to relieue and hee loues truely whose heart is present with his Loue continually not letting it to slide out of his memory Seuenthly hee that is not fickle and inconstant in his deuotion and deuote affection vnto GOD may know that hee loues him truely I say if hee loue like a true friend At all times as wel when the whether is foule as faire in winter as well as in Summer when the heauens are blacke as well as when the Sunne doth shine For onely true loue is constant it accounteth nothing hard nothing grieuous and intolerable Fel. quod amarum est id mâ—l faciet It will make gall which is bitter to bee sweete as hony Periculis insultat mortem irridet si amor est â—incit omnia It contemneth dangers it scorneth death if it bee true loue it ouercommeth all things insomuch that though the louer may bee kil'd yet Inuictiu moritur â—ee dies vnvanquished as wee see in the Martyrs whom neither pleasure profite nor promotion on the one side nor any torture or cruell kinde of death on the other could beguile inueigle astonish or deterre But through their loue by Him that did enable them they conquered and contemned all things stucke fast to GOD. Eighthly the keeping of GODS Word in the minde to remember it in the heart to beleeue and embrace it and in the life to liue by it and a contention of Spirit to obey his Precepts is an infallible argument of true loue vnto him This is the loue of GOD saith Saint Iohn that wee keepe his Commandements A child by obedience demonstrates his childe-like affection vnto his parents Hee sheweâ— his loue and loyalty to the King which makes account of his Edicts and Lawes In vaine doth a seruant say hee loues his Maister except hee bee carefull to obey his will So then hee that liues in any knowne enormity and preferres his gaine pleasure credite and fauour with men to GODS Commandements doth plainely shew that hee wants the loue of GOD without which his Loue his Baptisme hearing of Sermons receiuing the Communion and all his faire showes will stand him in no steed but rather further his condemnation And one thing more I adde although hee do many deeds in appearance good and seeme to keepe sundry precepts yet it is not of loue vnto GOD without which his doing and keeping shall not bee remembred in the world to come but for some other reason if hee shall in the meane while addict himselfe vnto some one sinne which hee knowes to bee a sinne For the power of true loue is such as it will moue a man to humour his friend in euery lawfull and conuenient thing and he giues not his heart that is disposed to thwart and resist him especially being his Gouernour in anything that 's honest and not vnseemely But GOD is our Supreme Moderator LORD and all his Commandements are lawfull and good For his Will is the rule of Law and reason and all his Commandements ate according to his will To conclude GOD will be loued in his Church in his Ministers in his Chilâ—ren and finally in that his beloued Sonne CHRIST IESVS so as that they which hate these loue not him First for the Church by which I vnderstand not so much the Catholique Church which is the Mother of vs all and which whosoeuer loueth not as his MOTHER loueth not GOD as his FATHER and so will proue himselfe to bee some Bastard-plant as I meane all True visible Chuâ—ches or Congregations And such I call True which GOD hath honoured with True Doctrine or meanes sufficient vnto saluation and with such men as haue a True Power or authority to Minister and Dispense the same Now heere I say whosoeuer loueth such a Church because shee is such a Church whosoeuer loues her for GOD and in GOD without doubt it argues his loue to GOD. Hee that loues a Ring for the Diamond â—hat is set in it or for the worke-man that made it questionlesse hee loues â—he Diamond and the Worke-man much more So certainely â—ee that loues a Church for the Word and Sacraments and power â—f GOD that is in her and because shee is the Church of GOD planted by his gracious blessing doth much more loue GOD Surely that thing for which wee loue an other thing that wee cannot hate but loue On the contrary if thou shalt hate a true Church of GGD how dwelleth the loue of GOD in thee Thou wilt say I know that iâ— thou wert assured that shee is a true Church thou weulâ—st not hate her but ioyne vnto her I say againe art thou sure that the Church which thou hatest is false If thou beest sure of it if thou darest pawne thy soule vpon it but be sure thou beest sure then auoide her depart out of her giue her a Bill of Diuorcement let her go But if thou beest not sure hate her not seuer not thy selfe from her Wilt thou hate and leaue her most certainely whiles thou art not certaine what to iudge of her Thou dost not see her Truth but canst thou spye her falshood A blind man cannot see the Sunne at Noone but they which caâ— see may see her But what if a man bee so blind aâ— that because hee doth not see the Sunne himselfe therefore he thinketh the Sunne is seene of none And what if thou with a few more as blind as thy selfe dost hate and forsake a Church because yee do not see her Truth I say what if all her Sister-Churches in Europâ— besides
hee that loues GOD loues him that will reward him with peeerelesse honour but hee that loues the world loues his owne betrayer for the world sayes to the deuils concerning him that is in loue with her as Iudas said to the Iewes Whomsoeuer I shall kisse it is hee take him And as Iael serued Sisâ—ra so serues the world all those that shee lulles a sleepe within her Tent Well may shee feed them with her milke and butter but if she get them once a sleepe shee peirces the very Temples of their soules and nailes them fast vnto the ground Finally this loue is excellent and matchlesse in respect of the Obiect of it who is the Omni-potent Omni-present Omni-scient All-wise Euer-liuing and Euer-louing GOD who is Goodnesse Mercy Iustice Loue and Life it selfe who onely is Verity Vertue Vnity Amity the Beautie of Beauties the Perfection of Perfections euen Beauty and Perfection it selfe In Hebrew called IEHOVAH because hee is of and for himselfe all other things else being both from him and for him In Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because hee hath authority ouer all In Latine DOMINVS because hee tameth ruleth and owneth all things In English LORD because hee hath Honour and Authority and for that hee is IL-LAF-FORD where the word LORD by contraction or corruption commeth which is as much as a Giuer or an Affoorder of Bread For hee giueth food to all flesh and bread with all things needfull for this life present and for the life to come to all his seruants that attend and feare him The execellency therefore of the Obiect should moue vs to the loue thereof What Nature is there comparable to GODS Whose conditions is so sweete so absolute as his What canst thou loue that 's worthy loue which is not be found in him in all compleatnesse Dost thou delight in the Mighty Behold saith he I am the LORD GOD of all flesh Is there any thing too hard for mee If hee but speake the word it 's done his power is so great Dost thou loue Wisedome GOD is All-knowing and most Prudent Hee scattereth the deuices of the crafty so that their hands cannot accomplish that which they do enterprise He taketh the wise in their craftinesse and the counsell of the wicked is made foolish Hee is wise in heart and mighty in strength who hath beene fierce against him and hath prospered With him is strength and wisedome Hee causeth the Councellours to go as spoyled and maketh the Iudges fooles There is no wisedome nor vnderstanding nor counsell against the LORD Delightest thou in Valour and Stoutnesse of Spirit The LORD is strong and mighty in Battell Hee leadeth away Princes as a Prey and ouerthroweth the Mighty Hee powreth contempt vpon Princes and maketh the strength of the Mighty weake The courage of al men the fortitude of all Angels the stoutnes of all creatures is to GODS as a drop of water to the vast Ocean the light of a candle to the splendor of the Sunne or as a thing finite to infinite Is thy delight in him that deserues admiration The LORD doth great things and vnsearchable yea merueilous things without number Lo when hee goeth by mee saith Iob I see him not and when hee passeth by I perceiue him not Behold when hee taketh a prey who can make him to restore it Who shall say vnto him what dost thou Hee sitteth vpon the circle of the earth and the inhabitants thereof are as Grashoppers Hee stretcheth out the heauens as a curtaine and spreadeth them out as a Tent to dwell in Hee bringeth the Princes to nothing and maketh the Iudges of the earth as vanity Hee blowes vpon them and they wither and his whirle-wind takes them away as stubble Wilt thou loue the Faithfull and him that is constant in Truth GOD is faithfull hee keepeth his fidelity for euer and his truth indureth from generation to generation Couldest thou affect one that is lust in all his proceedings The LORD is righteous in all his waies He will iudge the world with righteousnesse and the people with his truth Couldest thou find in thine heart to loue him that is mercifull by Nature and which hath compassion on the poore and him that is afflicted and weary The LORD is mercifull and full of compassion Hee relieueth the fatherlesse and is a friend to the poore Hee giueth strength vnto him that fainteth and vnto him that hath no strength hee increaseth power He deliuereth the poore in his affliction and openeth their eare in trouble Wilt thou fix thy soule on him that loues a good heart and which hates him that is ill disposed Behold GOD will not cast away an vpright man neither will hee take the wicked by the hand The LORD will giue grace and glory and no good thing will hee with-hold from them that walke vprightly but the hypocrite shall not come before him Wouldst thou set thy heart on him that is so compleate in himselfe as that hee can neither bee profited by the iustice of any nor hurt by the sinne of any This is onely the LORD My goodnesse extendeth not to thee saith Dauid May a man bee profitable vnto GOD saith Eliphaz as hee that is wise may bee profitable to himselfe Is it any thing to the Almighty that thou art righteous or is it profitable vnto him that thou makest thy waies vpright if thou sinnest what â—ost thou against him Yea when thy sinnes bee many what dost thou vnto him If thou bee righteous what giuest thou vnto him or what receiueth hee at thine hand Thy wickednesse may hurt a man as thou art and thy righteousnesse may profite the Sonne of man No man can giue any thing to GOD which hee hath not nor take ought from him which hee hath Finally wilt thou loue him that will saue them that feare him and preserue them that loue him Then loue the LORD For his saluation is neere to them that feare him Because hee hath loued mee therefore will I deliuer him The LORD preserueth all them that loue him And by his power hee will guarde them through faith that in the end they shall attaine to the end of their faith the saluation of their soules in heauen And in one word because nothing doth more moue a man to loue another then faith and constancy then this that a man loues one that is no flincher no changling euen this should prouoke vs to the loue of GOD Who changes not and with whom as Saint Iames speaketh is no variablenesse nor shadow of turning His counsell shall stand he will do whatsoeuer he hath said Whom hee loueth once hee loueth with an euerlasting loue vnto the end And wil neuer turne away from them to do them good but will delight in them to do them good will not faile them nor forsake them The truth is there is no man no
called it modici semporis tyrannidem a tyrant which raigned but a while Theophrastus said it was Tacitam deceptionem aut silentem fraudem a Still deceiuer or Silent fraud And as for beâ—utifull persons if vicious and voide of loue to GOD they are like Tulipees goodly to looke on but of no good sauour Or like Alablaster boxes filled with vineger like guilded pot-sheards or more properly like a ring of gold in a Sowes snowt or some precious iewell in a Beares eare And finally if beauty the gift of GOD be of so great request how much more then should GOD the giuer of it who is so full of beauty as that if His Beautifulnesse could bee seene it would draw the eyes and hearts of all that saw it to him But say if none of these what shall haue thy loue Thy selfe Beware if thou makest thy selfe thy GOD thou makest thy selfe thy diuill Certainely thou maist loue thy selfe so thou loue GOD in thy selfe and thy selfe in GOD and whilst thou dost loue thy selfe vnder GOD and not ouer GOD For GOD and not against GOD Otherwise if thou dost loue thy selfe thou dost but hate thy selfe if thou wouldst saue thy soule thou shalt destroy thy soule For GOD is the Soule of thy soule the Ioy of thy heart the Strength of thy life thy Shield and Shadow thy Sauiour and Deliuerer Much better were it therefore for a man to leaue his body and to loose his life rather then by louing what he should not loue at all or more then is allowed to loose and depriue himselfe of GOD who is the true Light and Life the Grace and Glory of all our soules and bodies also What shall therefore separate vs from the loue of GOD the Father of our spirits the Breath of our nosthrils the Castle of our comfort our Rocke of defence and the Fountaine of Life What shall extinguish this Sacred and Celestiall fire of loue vnto his Maiesty within our breasts What shall vnloose vs or cut the cords of our loue whereby wee are tyed vnto him What shall wipe him out of the Table-bookes of our hearts and blot him out of our memories Shall promotions profites pleasures beauty brauery tribulations life death men or diuels No no nothing no not the whole world and all that is therein What were it to gaine all the world and to loose thy soule What were it to bee Lord of all the world and to bee depriued of him for whom all the world was made What were it to bee beloued of all men and yet to bee hated of the GOD of men I will therefore loue GOD keepe GOD for hee that hath GOD wants nothing but hee that wants GOD hath nothing Now because to loue GOD truely and as euery good Christian ought is a duety so needfull equall excellent and commodious and because men are much abused by their immaginations the heart of man being a Sea of subtilty and a Mine of deceipt giuen to deceiue and beguile it selfe I will therefore propound certaine notes whereby wee may discerne if wee loue him truely with a sincere and regular affection or whether wee onely draw neere vnto him with our lips being far from him in regard of hearty loue First true loue is not lither but laborious Si operari renuerit amor non est it if it will not labour it is not loue What paines will not the Soldier take that affects the victory what wil not the worldling do to get or keep riches How did Ester labour to saue her kindred Country-men the Iewes Iacob indured the heate of the day the frost of the night and want of rest euen continuall toyle and trauell in a seruice of foureteene yeares vnder none of the kindest Maisters Laban his name turned but his nature retained a very Naball and all this for his loue to Rahell Our Gamesters will sit vp night and day at dice and cards Our gallant Dames out of their loue of brauery what cost will they spare what time will they not spend in making changing dressing pluming pranking And is the loue of GOD onely lazy sleepy sluggish and vnwilling both to do and suffer It is not doubtlesse Secondly hee that loues GOD truely and with a well regulated loue will loue GOD chiefly for GOD himselfe euen because hee is Good Excellent Perfect and Amiable in himselfe and not for those Loue-tokens onely which GOD in loue doth daigne to giue him For to loue one meerely for gaine is not to loue him that giues it but our selues that take it If this bee well considered it is to bee feared that many men loue GOD as they vse to loue their friends that is not for their friends sake but for themselues not because their friends are Religious Iust Wise Vertuous but because they receiue benefites as money meate credite and such things by them But Saint Paul was of a more generous and truer Spirit For he saith I seeke not myne owne profite but the profite of many that they might bee saued And againe I seeke not yours but You and doe all things that you may bee edified And againe yee haue done well that yee did communicate to mine affliction Not that I desire a gift but I desire a fruit which may further your reckoning And yet more fully I could wish my sefe to bee sepâ—rated anathematized from CHRIST my life my light my glory For my brethren that are my kinsmen in the flesh If they might be receiued he passed not though himselfe were reiected if they might be saued hee cared not though himselfe were excluded out of heauen so they might bee blessed hee could wish himselfe were accursed Thus the Galatians loued the Apostle They despised not his trials not his pouerty and afflictions but receiued him as an Angell of GOD and to haue done him good could haue found in their hearts to haue pulled out their owne eyes and haue giuen them vnto him This true loue also was seene in Moses to GOD and his Country-men For when they had in his absence made them an Idoll and prouoked GOD against them by their idolatry insomuch that GOD speaking to Moses said Let Mee alone for I will consume Them but I will make of Thee a mighty people which was a tempting offer but marke how Moses took it Hee most earnestly besought the LORD to spare them preferring their good to his owne greatnesse which argued the truth of his loue vnto them and intreated the LORD to turne from his wrath and why Least his enemies should blaspheme his Name and say Hee brought them out maliciously to slay them in the mountaines esteeming more of GODS glory then his owne greatnesse and aduancement Yea so louing hee was of the people but especially so iealous of GODS glory that rather then hee would haue them destroyed or it eclypsed hee wisheth himselfe To bee razed out of GODS Booke So
then to contemne and skorne others and â—steeme all as Cyphâ—rs in comparison of themselues What more vngodly then to glory of riches honours dignities noblenesse of birth wit strength beauty vertue as if they were not â—he free-giftâ— of GOD as if men were not obliged to him for them Againe what more iniust then pride For a proud man ascribes more to himselfe then is due and takes that from others which is due vnto them What more contentious then pride Therefore Salomon saith Onely by pride doth man make contention Pride hath euer beene a setter on foote of all heresies and schismes that euer were in the Church and is a notorious Make-bate in Common-wealthes Kingdomes Citties and priuate houses Harder it is for a man to keepe peace with the proud then with any and impossible it is for one proud person to agree sincerely with an other except peraduenture in such a case as this when as one out of his pride will endure no man to bee aboue him and another being proud of humility or humiliation rather will not like that any should be vnder him These two perhaps may liue friendly together being though both proud yet in a different respect Finally what can be more mishapen and ougly then this vice of pride which makes a man vnlike to GOD whom to bee like is mans greatest Honour and like to the deuill who is the father of pride and by pride ouerthrew himselfe What more certaine signe and effectuall worker of any mans ouerthrow then pride Pride goeth before destruction saith Salomon and an high mind before a fall What more hatefull and wastefull enemy to all vertues and all good things a man hath then pride By pâ—ide a man is spoyled of them all Therefore as men take heed of Theeues that rob and spoyle so and much more should wee beware of pride Quae insidiatur bonis operibus vt pereant which marres all good things and turnes them vp side downe If an humble man be proud of his humility hee hath lost of his humble minde and is become puft with pride If a man be proud of his beauty he hath lost his true beauty and is a beautifull foole If a man bee proud of his wisedome hee is become a foole if hee bee proud of his wit an Asse hath it in keeping if hee bee proud of his pouerty hee is rich in pride if hee bee proud of his riches hee is poore in piety Now what a woefull and odious sinne is pride which is not onely euill in it selfe but it turnes the nature of good things as they say thunder doth good drink and as venemous beasts turne whatsoeuer they eate into venome so pride makes the proud man turne all his thoughts words and workes into pride whiles hee draweth and referreth euery thing to his owne praise and honour Thus pride becomes like a moth or worme which frets the cloath and eates the wood wherein it was bred For pride springing of vertue corrupts it and there is no good thing so excellent which becomes not euill so soone as this wicked vice hath tainted it It behoues vs therefore to fly this wretched vice which wee cannot vnlesse wee submit our selues to GOD and his Ordinances vnlesse wee confesse him to bee the Free-Giuer of all good things we haue vnlesse wee cut off that errour of conceipt whereby wee thinke better of our selues then there is reason vnlesse wee seeke to GOD for his helpe and finally vnlesse we remember that GOD resisteth the proud but giueth grace to the humble and that Pride as one prettely speaketh was bred in heauen but hauing as it were forgotten which way it fell from thence it could neuer afterward finde the way thither backe againe Secondly the consideration of Gods iudgements vpon the Proud should teach vs as Dauid would haue it to loue the LORD who hates and punishes that sinne aboundantly that is or ought to bee so odious to vs. Seeing therefore GOD takes part with vs against the proud and by hating them shewes the goodnesse of his owne Nature and in that hee plagues them being euer the bitterest enemies to his truest friends it behoues vs and the rest of all GODS Saints to delight in GOD and loue him and in loue to submit our selues vnto him If we loue not him wee do not loue our selues but if wee loue him truely wee do truely loue our selues and wee are not in our owne opinion onely but truely beloued of Him which is infinitely much more worth then if all the world besides him did affect vs. Neither need wee care how ill the world thinkes of vs if he thinke well of vs as a sober and chaste woman cares not how other men are conceited of her so be it her husband like well of her and truly loue her or as a loyall subiect who makes more reckning of his soueraignes loue then of the frendship of all the traitors in the world Now the God of loue work and confirme this loue within our hearts that we may liue and dye in his loue and at length obtaine a full and finall fruition of him whom we doe loue receiving the reward of our loue the euerlasting life and happinesse of our soules and that by the merits of that his beloued Son Iesus Christ our Sauiour to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost three persons but one Euerliuing Euerlouing God be all loue and honour all praise and power now and euer-more Amen FINIS ERRATA PAge 25. l. 2. read commination l. 3. read streaming P. 39. l. 11. read Laf-ford and whence p. 58. and last line read if all 4. Reasons of louing God Math. 23. 9 Iam. 1. 18. Psalm 139 13. Psal 71. 6. Iob. 10. 8. 11. 12. 2. Reason 3. Reason Ioh. 3. 16. 4. Reason Iob. 12. 7. Psal 8. 6. 7. 8. Of the manner how wee ought to loue God Mat. 12. 37 1. With all our heart A Simile Pro. 23. 26. A Simile Augusâ—ine Si totum me debeo pro me facto quid addam iam pro me refecto Bernard A Simile 2. With all our soule Our life and senses should be bestowed vpon God 3. With all our minde God mâ— haue oâ— thoughâ—â— vnderstanding Of self loue Why and how a maÌ„ should loue himselfe Augustine Gregory Why our neighbour is to bee loued 5. Reasons of louing our enemies Math. 5. 44 Colos 1. 22 Rom. 5. 8. Math. 5. 45 46. Mat. 5. 47. Gal. 6. 10. Rom. 12. 20 Rom. 12. 17. How our neighbour is to be loued Mat. 22. 39 Sanctè Iustè Verè August Perseueranter Of the coÌ„stancy of loue Gal. 6. 9. Heb. 13. 1. 1. Cor. 13. 13 Of faithfulnesse 7. Reasons oâ— Fidelity Reu. 2. 20. 2. Tim. 4. 7. 8. Psal 94. 14. Psal 146. 6. Ier. 32. 40. Mat. 1â— 22. Heb. 1â— 39 Reu. 21. 8 Of humility Iam. 4. 7. 10 Ex. 20. 12. 1. Pet. 5.