HOLY Dauid, hauing in foure verses next afore-going declared the goodnesse of GOD to them that feare him: and among them to himselfe in speciall; in this verse hee exhorteth All Saints; euen all that the LORD hath sanctified to himselfe by his mercies, to deuote [Page 2] and addict themselues to the LORD by loue.

In this verse two things are con­siderable: First, the Psalmist Exhor­tation, Loue yee the LORD all his Saints; And secondly his Reasons to 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.

Scal. ex. 301 Sec. 1.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. What loue is. 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 [Page 3] enioy it. The obiect of loue. For the obiect of loue is good; The pro­perty of loue. 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. Loue of GOD what.

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, Loue is an affection. I call it an affection of the heart, because with it the heart is affected and inclined; affections be­ing certaine motions of the heart, [Page 4] where they haue their seate and being.

Loue a grace.Secondly, I said it is a Gracious affection; for to loue is a worke of Nature, but to loue an obiect W [...]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, 1. Cor. 3. 5. 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. Phil. 2. 13.

Thirdly, I say this loue ariseth out of the Knowledge and Faith in GOD. Ouid. Loue is frō knowledge 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 [Page 5] 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, 1. Cor. 13. 9. 12. Vision of Grace, & 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? The last point clee­red by Si­milies. 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 [Page 6] their vertues, properties, excellen­cies are not knowne to them, that do looke-ouer and neglect them. Hee then that would loue GOD, Why men loue GOD no better. 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, [Page 7] and labor to know him, that we may bee fit to loue him. Loue is as a threed, and know­ledge a Needle. Loue like a thrid sowes our soules to GOD, but the way is prepared by knowledge as by a needle.

And as concerning Faith, Loue springs out of 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, Ps. 16. 2. 5. & 103. 1. 3. 4 and the portion of my inheritance: My soule praise thou the LORD, and all that is [Page 8] 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, 1. Tim. 1. 5. 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, A Similie. 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. A Similie. 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 [Page 9] him to whom hee beareth loue, Why a mā hates him, that loues him. 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: A Similie. Without doubt the brethren of Ioseph, when they met with him in Aegypt, did not loue him as their brother, till hee had made himselfe knowne, and till they were verily perswaded that hee was their brother; so wee shall ne­uer loue GOD as his children, till wee acknowledge him for our Fa­ther, and bee by faith perswaded of his loue.

Fourthly, Loue a fire. I said that loue was Kindled in the soule: For the loue of GOD is a Coelestiall Fire, seruing to comfort and refresh the heart▪ and to inflame it with an holy zeale and to consume these filthy vapours of malice, enuy, pride, treachery, and such other noysome lusts, as ar [...] within him.

Fiftly, I say it is kindled by th [...] HOLY SPIRIT, therefore Sai [...] [Page 10] Paul cals it the Fruit of the Spirit; Gal. 5. 22. Loue, the worke of the Spirit. for if the hatred of GOD be a worke of the flesh, and from the motion of the Deuill; then the true loue of GOD must needes bee the worke of the Spirit, who enlightens the minde, inspireth faith, and perswades the heart to loue and delight in GOD: How much are wee bound to GOD, of whose pure loue to vs it is, that wee haue any loue to him: He comes downe to vs, before we go vp to him; Hee drawes vs before we run, and lookes vpon vs before we turne our eyes to him: Ps. 144. 3. Ps. 116. 12. Psal. 145. 1. LORD, what is man that thou regardest him, or the sonne of man, that thou so thinkest on him? What shall I render vnto the LORD for all his benefits towards mee? O my GOD and my King, I will extoll thee, and will blesse thy Name for euer and euer.

Loue knits vs to God.Finally, I said that loue doth knit our hearts to GOD, and makes a man take him for his chiefe content­ment: For as hatred doth rend, dis­ioyne, and separate: So loue doth vnite, knit, and tye together. Loue [Page 11] married Iacob and Rahel, loue vnited Dauid and Ionathan: and so our hearts by loue are wedded and vni­ted to GOD, and for GOD to one another: That they might bee knit to­gether in loue, saith Saint Paul. Col. 2. 2. Ioh. 17. 21. 'Twas Loue▪ that made our Sauiour pray that all his Members might bee One with Him, and his Father: and it is loue also, that makes vs deny our selues and the world, and study to liue so, as if wee were not ours, The fruits of hatred and loue. but GODS: 'Tis hatred that breeds dislike, auersation, and disconten­tednesse: And so it is loue, that cau­seth ioy, delight, contentment: When loue hath once possest the soule, it moues it to ioy in GOD, to make him her prime contentment, and to exclaime with the Psalmist: Whom haue I in heauen but thee? Psa. 73. 25. 26. and I haue desired none on earth with thee: GOD is the strength of mine heart and my portion for euer. And vndoubted­ly, what thing soeuer a man doth best loue, that to him is his best con­tentment: for loue causeth content, [Page 12] as the light doth comfort, A simile. and con­tentment is imbarked and enbotled in it, as a Tree in a Barke, as water in the clowdes; Therefore the Greek word ( [...]) signifying to loue, signifies to rest in, or to bee conten­ted: And thus wee haue seene what loue is.

GOD the obiect of this loue.The Obiect, on whom this loue heere spoke of should bee fixed, is the LORD, euen hee, who is gra­cious, and mercifull, Ps. 145. 8. 17 slow to anger, righteous in all his waies, and holy in all his workes: Psal. 145. 3. & 147. 5. & 146. 6 7. 8. & 147. 3 Ps. 145. 19 20. & 146. 9. Euen he, whose greatnesse is incomprehensible, and whose wisedome is infinite, which made heauen and earth, the sea, and all that is therein; and keepeth his fi­delity for euer; which executeth iu­stice for the oppressed, giueth bread to the hungry, loueth the righteous, healeth those that are broken in heart; preserueth all that loue him, fulfill the desires of all that feare him releeueth the fatherlesse and wid­dow, and sheweth mercy vnto thou­sands to them that loue him: Ex. 20. 6. Euen [Page 13] hee, I say, that remembred vs in our base estate, cut the cords of the wic­ked, rescued vs from our oppressors, deliuered vs from our sins, brought vs from our errours, translated vs out of Babylon, saued vs from that Purple Harlot, shewed vs his Word, giuen vs his Gospell, honoured vs with peace; deliuered our Rulers, rescued his Annointed, and saued vs all, both Church and Kingdome, from that Hel-made, horrid, Nouem. 5. 1605. and pro­digious Powder. O LORD, how great is thy loue vnto vs! how amia­ble is thy Name in all the world! Blessed bee thy Name for euer, and let all thy people say, Amen.

The Person [...] who are exhorted to this Loue are All GODS Saints, Who ought to loue GOD. euen all they, that haue tasted of his loue, and which in mercy hee hath hallowed for himselfe; euen All of them, yong and old, rich and poore, high and low, men, women, and children; for in saying All, hee ex­ [...]epteth None; the Yong men for their strength; Old men for their wise­dome, [Page 14] the Rich for their wealth, the Poore for their correction, the High for their greatnesse; the Low for their meanesse, with which vertue and piety commonly cottens best with; Men for their supereminent honour, Woemen, because hee hath graced their Sex, by bringing forth of a Sauiour, and Children for his great care and manifold protection of them: and all in generall for their Sanctification by grace on earth, and eternall Saluation in immortall glo­ry in the Heauens.

Obiect.But are none bound to loue the LORD but his Saints?

Solution. Psal. 145. Math. 5. 1. Tim. 4 10Yes, without doubt, the Law ties all, for all are of his making, his goodnesse reacheth vnto all, and hee is the Sauiour of all: But Dauid heere speakes vnto Saints onely, be­ing such as himselfe most delighted in, and of whom hee best hoped, being best affected, and such also as whom GOD doth most deerely loue, and honour with his greatest fauours.

[Page 15]Our lesson then from hence is this; All of vs, euery mothers child, Doctrine. without exemption of any; should loue the LORD.

But because, Barbarus his ego sum, cum non in­tellig [...]r vlli, Ouid. as hee that speakes Greeke or Lattine to him, that is no Grecian or Latinist, is but as a Bar­barian to him, and does but beate the aire: So the Language and dis­course of loue to him, that loues not, is but barbarous and vnplea­sing, as sounding Brasse, and a tinc­kling Cymball: T [...]erefore that wee may conceiu [...] and reape profite by these things, which shall bee deliue­red concerning our loue of GOD, it behoues vs to blow vp the dying and fainting coales of this heauenly and holy fire within our breasts: Iob. 12. 11. And seeing that the eare tasteth words, as the palate doth meate, let vs haue vnderstanding and attentiue eares, that discerning the things, we shall heare, to bee good, wee may receiue and digest them, and like prudent hearers shewforth the fruits therof in our liues & conuersations.

[Page 16] Reason 1. Why wee should loue the LORD from the necessity thereof. Deut. 6. 5 & 10. 12.First, then I say, Necessity lies vp­on vs to loue the LORD: Woe vn­to vs, if wee loue him not. For first, it is GODS expresse commande­ment: Thou shalt loue the LORD thy GOD; and now Israel (saith Moses) what doth the LORD thy GOD require of thee, but to feare and loue him. This our Sauiour cal­leth a Great Commandement; Mat. 22. 38 the Commander is great, the Obiect is great, the vse of the duety is great, and their reward is great, that take care to do it: GODS precept binds vs to loue him. 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 v [...]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 [Page 17] command should condition and controule vs without more adoe.

But secondly, besides the precept, Except we loue GOD we shall be cursed. 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 caus [...] 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, 1. Cor. 16. 22. Rom. 9. 5. that loues not the LORD IESVS, who is GOD ouer all, blessed for euer, Amen.

Thirdly, except wee loue GOD, No loue no worship. wee cannot worship him: For true worship is, Loue ioyned with duety to­wards a mans superiours: So that, Scal. ex 317 s. 3. where there is no loue, there is but counterfeit seruice, or none at all.

And indeed, No loue of GOD, n [...] lo [...] of the go [...]. [...]. h. 3. [...].14. 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, [Page 18] 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.

GODS ordinan­ces profite not him, that loues not GOD.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 v [...]: 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.

Without lo [...]e, good deeds, fa­ [...]our of [...]en, & [...]. [...]e no­hing [...]o [...]h.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 [Page 19] 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; 1. Cor. 13. 2 Hee were Nothing: And thus wee see the nece­sity of louing GOD.

A second argument of this duety, 2 ^d Reason, To loue GOD is a matter of equity. 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; GODS loue to vs descēding 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 [Page 20] 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 na­ [...]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, Ephe. 2. 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, Psal. 8. 4. 8. 144. 3. 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 [Page 21] 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, August. qui si dilectio­nem n [...]lebat impendere, n [...]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, Ioh. 3. 16. Col. 1. 13. 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: Lam. 3. 22. 23. It is his mercies that wee are not consumed, they are re­newed euery morning. Yea, we should bee very vniust and iniurious vnto [Page 22] our selues, if wee will not loue him, seeing (as the Apostle teacheth) All things (life and death, Rom. 8. 28. health, and sickenesse, same and reproach, plen­ty and penury, prosperity and ad­uersity) worke together for good vnto those that loue GOD. The equi­ty of our loue fur­ther ex­plained. 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.

3. Reasons from the profite of loue.Thirdly, the commodities of this loue should moue vs to the enter­tainement and performance of it. [Page 23] For first, 1. Com­modity. 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, Gal. 5. 6. 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; [...]ike as th [...] loue [...] the l [...]e. a holy loue, a holy life; an earthly loue, an earthly life: If a mans loue be set on GOD, his life must needs bee good: And though this bee cer­taine, A man is iustifyed by Faith, yet this is true; The life of a man is iustified by Loue, a naughty loue, a naughty life: Againe, his life is good, whose loue is fixt on good: and what grea­ter good then GOD, who is the good of goods, and n [...]thing but Good? 3. Com­modity.

Secondly, this loue doth poise [Page 24] and season knowledge, which with­out loue would bee windy, light, flashy, and vnsauory: Knowledge without Charity makes a man to swell and bluster; 1. Cor. 8. 1. but the loue of GOD and of man, for GOD will make the best learned most humble and officious. A Similie. Meate vndigested breeds corruption, but being dige­sted, it affoordeth nourishment and strength: so knowledge, vnlesse it bee boyled and concocted in the stomacke of the soule, with this sa­cred fi [...]e of loue to GOD, and of man for GOD, it engendreth cru­dities, windinesse, and diseases, euen corrupt conditions in heart and life; but being by loue digested it is very nourishable and of great vse. A Similie Yea further, as shewers of raine occasi­on store of weeds, except there bee heate and drinesse to receiue, alter, and digest them: but being by the drought of the ground and heate of the Sunne turned and concocted, they make the soile more fresh and fruitfull. Euen so the words of in­struction, [Page 25] exhortation, admonition, communication, counsell, consolati­on, straining from the Scriptures in the Ministery of the Church, and falling vpon men, become vnprofi­table and dangerous to them, ex­cept they bee tempered and receiued by loue: But being by loue embra­ced, and as it were digested, they bring forth in them the fruites of righteousnesse, and make them more fat and fertile, much more seruice­able to both GOD and Man: Yea, whereas meate by heate is turned into the body, and dewes and shewers into the earth and hearbes: By loue the word is not turned into vs, but wee rather into it, being brought vnder the obedience of it, and now no longer seeking and ser­uing the flesh, but studying to con­forme our selues to it, and wrastling against our lusts, that it might possesse vs, guide and order vs. O Loue, by thee I go out of my selfe, that the Word of GOD might en­ter in, by thee I warre against my [Page 26] selfe, that it might raigne in peace within mee, by thee I mortifie mine earthly members, that it might liue, might like, and prosper in mee!

3. Com­modity of loue. By the loue of GOD a man may know his estate be­fore GOD.Thirdly, by the loue of GOD wee may know in what estate wee are in. A man by grace within him may know the grace of GOD vn­to him: A may by looking vpon a Dyall may know the motion of the Sunne in heauen; so by sifting his owne soule hee may see the good will of GOD vnto him. I see not the aire, but I can perceiue the ope­ration of the aire; neither do I see the heart (or loue of GOD) as it is in his owne breast, but there are cer­taine operations of his loue, euen in the hearts of men, which if they truely find, they may assure them­selues of his loue vnto them. Now that loue, whereby a man loues GOD, is a work of GODS loue, whereby he loues man; So that he that loues GOD, may conclude that GOD loues him. For GOD [Page 27] cals no man effectually, but out of his loue vnto him: But as Saint Paul sheweth, hee that loueth GOD is called of his purpose: And againe, Rom. 8. 28. If any man loue GOD, 1. Cor. 8. 3. (saith hee) the same is knowne (scientiâ approbatiuâ) That is, acknowledged, and loued, and approued, of him. And Saint Iohn saith; Wee loue him, 1. Ioh. 4. 19. Eccles. 1. 7. A Similie. because hee loued vs first. For our loue springs out of his, as the Riuers from the Sea; his loue drawing our hearts vnto him, as the Loadstone doth iron to it, or as the Sardius doth wood; our loue answering to his loue, as an Eccho to a mans voyce, or as a face doth to a face in water: A Similie. And as one candle doth lighten another, so the consideration of his loue to vs doth cause the reflexion of our loue to him: Which our consideration of his loue vnto vs, is a gracious opera­tion of his loue within vs, being a fruit, not of the flesh, which is bent against GOD, but of the Spirit, which proceedeth from GOD: And for because the haters of GOD, [Page 28] and the louers of worldly things, are of Babylon, of the world of the deuill; and seeing the louers of GOD are of Ierusalem, of the Ca­tholique Church our Mother, of GOD our Father, and haue their sinnes forgiuen (Interoget se vnusquis (que) quid amet, Luk. 7. 47. Aug. in Ps. 64. & inueniat vnde sit ciuis) Let euery man but examine himselfe what hee loues, and he shall finde in what estate he is, and to what Citty hee doth belong; Tis true I confesse a man is not loued because he loues, but because hee is loued therefore hee loues: A Similie. And as the Sunne shi­ning vpon a plate of siluer is not idle and void of operation, but heates the plate, which sendeth from it both light and heate: So GOD shining with the resplendent and burning beames of his loue vpon vs, is not now idle, and voide of all successe, but inflames our heart with loue, by which wee are both well affected towards him, and for his sake also towards others; that as no man can stand by, or meddle [Page 29] with, that plate of siluer, which shall not receiue of the light and heate of it; so no man can (as it were) passe by vs, or haue any dealing with vs, but wee shall sh [...]w our good affection towards him.

Fourthly, 4. Com­modity of our loue of GOD. the loue of GOD is not lazy; if it labour not it is no loue. Our loue of GOD ingenders in vs the loue of the godly for GOD, which is also very comfortable: For as hee that loues the King, as King, The loue of GOD makes vs to loue the godly. cannot but loue his faithfull and loyall subiects: And as hee that loues the father, cannot, will not, A Similie. doth not hate his childe; and as hee that loues his friend, will not misuse his picture: So he that truely loues GOD, will also loue those, that by their godly conuersation doe shew themselues to bee the seruants and children of GOD, and which are the liueliest pictures of GOD, which mortals can see: And this kinde of loue is comfortable, because heereby we may assure our selues to be the true Disciples of our LORD, [Page 30] and know (as the Apostle teacheth) that we are Translated from death to life. 1. Ioh. 3. 14.

5. Com­modity. A SimilieAnd as many boughes come from one roote, and much water from one spring; so many vertues arise from this loue, and (as Gregory spea­keth, Non habet viriditatem ramus boni ope [...], nisi manserit in radiee chari­tatis) the workes of all vertues will but wither, except they remaine in the greenenesse of this Roote, ex­cept they bee nourished by this loue: The loue of money, A Similie. the loue of mammon is the roote and nourisher of all euill; so the loue of GOD is the mother and nurse of all good, of all pious Offices vnto GOD, and Christian duties vnto man.

6. Com­modity. A Similie.And in one word, the loue of GOD is as strong as death; for as death doth kill the body, so our loue to GOD doth mortifie our loue to the world, and like a strong wind it dispels the thicke and stin­king fogs of rancour, wrath, ma­lice: And as the rising of the Sunne [Page 31] doth driue away the cold and dul­nesse of the night, and as the pou­ring in of wine into a vessell cau­seth the aire to giue place; so the loue of GOD doth diminish and send packing the inordinate loue of worldly vanities, and when our hearts are once warmed with it, it causeth the coldnesse of our affecti­ons vnto good to depart and lessen: When GOD comes into the heart (as hee doth when the heart doth loue him) Mammon must needs go out; When wee fixe our eyes on hea­uen wee remoue them from the earth; and when wee fall into a league of loue with GOD, it can­not bee but that wee must fall out of loue, and into hatred, with all his enemies. Therefore Dauid saith out of his loue to GOD: Psal. 139. 21, 22. Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? I hate them with an vnfeygned hatred, as if they were mine vtter enemies: And thus wee haue had a say of the commodiousnesse of this our loue to GOD.

[Page 32] 4. Argu­ments of loue to GOD from the excellen­cy o [...] it. Excel. 1. 1. Ioh. 4. 7. Iam. 1. 17.The Excellencie thereof remaineth yet to bee discussed: True loue, wherewith GOD is affected, is excellent in all these respects which follow. First, in respect of the Au­thour of it, which is not man, but GOD: For loue, as Saint Iohn shew­eth, commeth of GGD: and who­soeuer loueth GOD, doth it by the finger and gift of GOD.

Excel. 2.Secondly, in respect of the true Endes thereof, which are not base but honourable, as the glory of GOD, the saluation of our soule, the edification of our brother, the honour of our calling, and that wee might not grieue the Spirit of GOD.

Excel. 3.Thirdly, in respect of that of GODS, which moues vs to loue, which is his goodnesse, because he is good in himselfe, and good to vs.

Excel. 4.Fourthly, in regard of the Sub­iects of it, or the persons, in whom it raigneth, which are onely the be­loued Saints and Seruants of GOD, the excellentest of humane race, and [Page 33] in them the Heart, euen the best member in them is the Hearth or Altar, on which this heauenly fire kindled by the HOLY GHOST doth lie.

Fiftly, Excel. 5. in respect of the manifold and excellent Attendants and Com­panions, which waite vpon it; euen all the vertues: For our loue of GOD, is not forlorne and solitary, but like an honourable Lady, very well at­tended.

Sixtly, for the perpetuity thereof, Excel. 6. beyond faith and hope: For where­as they shall cease, when a man hath once obtain'd full fruition of the things which hee doth beleeue and to expect haue and enioy; loue shall not cease, but become compleate.

Seuenthly, our loue of GOD, Excel. 7. hath three most excellent Effects, to speake of no more.

First, 1. Effect of loue. it makes a man officious to GOD, and for GOD to Man. True obedience is the fruit of loue; and all obedience which is not of loue, is hipocriticall and vnsauory. Wee [Page 34] see the loue of a child forces him to obey his father, though hee had not a rod, not an arme: So GODS Childe by his loue is moued to serue GOD; yea, and would study to obey hi [...], though hee would not strike, though there were no hell to be punisht in for disobedience: Yea, the force of loue is such, that it will make a man obey GOD, though there were no After-reward of obe­dience: Euen as wee see amongst men, loue will enforce a man to doe well vnto one, whom hee loues, euen freely, then when the party re­ceiuing the benefite is not able now, nor likely heereafter, to make a re­quitall of it.

2. Effect of loue. 1. Ioh. 4. 8.Secondly, it makes a man like to GOD (for GOD is LOVE) and it is not the least commendation of a childe to bee like his father.

3. Effect.Thirdly, hee that loueth GOD, doth, as it were, depriue himselfe of himselfe, and bestowes himselfe on GOD, whom hee doth loue; inso­much that hee doth dye, by little, [Page 35] and little, in himselfe; but GOD, whom hee loueth, liueth in him: For the loue of GOD (if sincere and feruent) is of a Rauishing dispo­sition, by the which the louer is so rapt out of himselfe, that hee for­gets himselfe, denies himselfe, and is wholy in GOD, whom he loueth, and GOD, whom he aff [...]cteth, be­ing in him. So that this loue is able to make the louer say; I liue, but not I now, but GOD liueth in mee. A Similie. For euen as the loue of the world makes the worldling liue vnto the world, and the world to liue in him; so, as it may bee said of them in some sort: They two are become one: So our loue to GOD doth cause vs to liue to GGD, and GOD (as it were) to liue in vs; so as that wee are now no more Ours, but His, no more Two, but One: Neither seeke we our selues, but Him: Non nostra sed sua; not ours, but His. Excel. 8. The re­ward of the loue of GOD.

Eightly, our loue of GOD may bee said to bee excellent, in respect of that excellent and supereminent [Page 36] Reward, wherewith GOD will re­compence them, that loue him, how poore or meane soeuer: and this is no lesse then a Crowne, then a King­dome, the Crowne of Glory, the Kingdome of Heauen. Hearken my beloued Brethren (saith Saint Iames) Hath not GOD chosen the Poore of this world, Iam. 2. 5. that they should bee rich in faith, and Heires of the Kingdome, which hee hath promised to them, that loue him? 2. Tim. 4. 8. Why it is called the crowne of righteous­nesse. And Saint Paul likewise sheweth, that the Crowne of righte­ousnesse, euen that, which CHRIST hath purchased by his righteous­nesse, that which GOD hath in mer­cy promised, and in iustice will per­forme, that wherewith righteous men shall bee rewarded, shall bee rendred to them, that loue his com­ming, which onely they do, that loue him himselfe. Doubtlesse, hee that loues not the Iudge, loues not his comming to iudgement: Hee then that would liue in heauen like a King, let him loue GOD first on earth like a Subiect: Hee that would [Page 37] haue that Glory, let him haue this Grace. Oh! how men loue the world, whose pleasures are but for a season, and whose ioyes are but imperfect? But in the presence of GOD there is ful­n [...]sse of ioy, Ps. 16. 11. and at his right hand there are pleasures for euermore. O! how co­uetous are men of riches, how am­bitious of a Crowne? And yet Ri­ches remaine not alway, Pro. 27. 24. nor the Crowne from generation to generation: But the riches of Glory, that come By, I say, not For. By the loue of GOD, are euerlasting; the Crowne and Kingdome promised to them, that loue him, is eternall and vnchangeable. The preferments, profites and pleasures, which the earth can affoord, are obuious to the eye, and not so goodly as foolish men imagine: But the things which GOD hath prepared for them that loue him, 1. Cor. 2. 9. are such as no eye hath seene, no eare hath heard, no heart hath conceiued; none can expresse them but they that enioy them. Oh, that men would therefore set their loue vpon him, and remoue it from [Page 38] the world! For 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: Mar [...]4. 44. Whomsoeuer I shall kisse, it is hee, Iudg. 4. 19. 22. take him: And as Iael serued Si­s [...]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. Excel 9.

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 [Page 39] Perfection it selfe. What IE­HOVA, CVRIOS, DOMI­NVS, and LORD do signity. 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, Ps. 104. 27. & 145. 16. Psal. 3 4. 9 10., 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 [Page 40] thou delight in the Mighty? Ier. 32. 27. 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, Iob 5. 12. 23 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, Iob 9. 4. & 12. 16. 17. 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: Pro. 21. 30 There is no wise­dome nor vnderstanding, nor counsell against the LORD.

Delightest thou in Valour and Stoutnesse of Spirit? Psal. 24. 8. The LORD, is strong and mighty in Battell: Hee lea­deth away Princes as a Prey, and ouer­throweth the Mighty: Iob 12. 19. 21. Hee powreth con­tempt vpon Princes, and maketh the strength of the Mighty weake: The [Page 41] 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, Iob. 9. 10. 11. 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? Isa. 40. 22. 23. 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 [Page 42] is faithfull, 1. Cor. 1. [...]. Psa. 146 6 Psa. 100. 5 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: Ps. 145. 17 Psa. 96. 13 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? Psa. 116. 5 Psal. 146. 9. 2. Sam. 22 28. Isa. 40. 29 Iob. 36. 15. 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, Iob. 8. 20. Psal. 84. 11. Iob. 13. 16. neither will hee take the wic­ked by the hand. The LORD will giue grace and glory, and no good thing [Page 43] 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, Psal. 16. 2. 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, Iob. 22. 2. 3 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, Iob. 35. 6. 7. 8. what [...]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 [Page 44] 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: Psal. 85. 9. & 91. 14. & 145. 20. 1. Pet. 1. 5. 9. 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, Mal. 3. 6. euen this should prouoke vs to the loue of GOD, Who chan­ges not, Iam. 1. 17. and with whom (as Saint Iames speaketh) is no variablenesse, nor sha­dow of turning. Is. 46. 10. 11 Ier. 31. 3. Ioh. 13. 1. Ier. 32. 40. Psal. 94. 14. 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.

[Page 45]The truth is, Fiue rea­sons why GOD should bee loued a­boue all things. 1. Reason. 2. Cor. 12. 15. there is no man, no nothing in the world, which doth deserue our loue so as GOD doth, or which should stand cheeke by ioule with him in our affections.

For first, a man may loue men, and yet not bee loued of them: For (as it sometimes falleth out) the more that some are loued, the lesse they loue, affecting them least that loue them most. But the more any man loues GOD, the more hee may bee sure that GOD loues him; Not that GOD is drawne to loue for the merite of our loue: But be­cause our loue to him is a fruit of his loue to vs, and increaseth as his: Euen as the more heate is, which commeth from a wall, or from the ground, the more it argues that the Sunne beats vpon it.

Secondly, earthly things, 2. Reason. as ri­ches, honour, credite, preferments, and the like, cannot giue a man such contentment, as may bee found in GOD. For they are momentany and vncertaine; but GOD is cerraine, [Page 46] constant, and eternall. They are min­gled with some-thing, which may displease vs: But GOD is altoge­ther profitable, and full of pleasure: A man may bee glutted with them, hee may loue them too well, hee may surfeit on them, hee may ioy so long in them, as at last hee may bee punisht with his owne perdition: but no can bee too full of GOD: Hee will cloy no mans stomacke, no man can loue him too much, too long; for the measure of louing him is to loue him without measure, the end is endlesse, it is a debt which is alwaies due vnto him, and for euer; which a man must bee euer a paying, and neuer haue done paying: And further, although a man had all pleasures, all wealth and honour that the whole world could affoord him, yet if hee gaue way vnto his minde, hee would still wish for more, and delight in change: For the Round world, and all that's in it, is not able to fill mans heart, that is Triangular, Pro. 30. 16. and vnsatiable as fire, [Page 47] that neuer [...]aith it is enough; For if any man bee content, and thinke he hath enough, it is out of discretion because hee sees no true content­ment can come from earthly things: But GOD, because hee is the ful­nesse of good, a pure, and a perfect Truth, Beauty, and Perfection, is able to giue true and full content­ment to the soule, to all the soules of men, yea though there were 2 thousand thousand worlds of men.

Thirdly, wee loue men, 3. Reason. whose fury reacheth not vnto the soule, and whose loue sometimes can doe but little good: But the wrath of GOD is the woe of man, his anger reacheth vnto the soule, his indigna­tion is more terrible then the roa­ring of ten thousand Lyons: But in the light of his countenance is life, his fauour is like the dew vpon the grasse, or as a cloude of the latter raine, his loue is euen our life, & the fountaine from whence our holines and happines, our grace and glory, our comfort & contentment springs.

[Page 48] 4. Reason.Fourthly, our loue to the creature is ioyned with feare and care, least the thing, we loue should take some harme: Res est solliciti plena timoris amor: Our friends may bee kil'd or hurt, goods may bee stollen, houses may be burnt, a mans stocke may be wasted, his credite may be weakned, his seruant seduced, his children mis­vsed, and his wife corrupted: A thou­sand mischances m [...]y happen vnto these things, which are subiect to fire and water, winds and weather, birds and beasts, sinne and sickenes, Men and deuils: But GOD is liable to no such thing in himselfe, Hee is ouer all, vnder none, altogether bles­sed, Impassible, immutable, Inuinci­ble, Inuiolable.

5. Reason. Act. 10. 34.Finally, whereas some will bee loued of some, but contemne the loue of others; GOD, with whom there is no respect of persons, ac­cepts of euery man, that loues him, yea, though the loue of all men can adde nothing to him: euen as also in louing other things, men are [Page 49] often iealous, enuious, and malici­ous, and will endure no riuals, no competitors; which is cleane other­wise in our loue of GOD▪ for so powerfull is the grace of GOD in those that loue him, as that it makes men desirous of companions. A man that addicts himselfe to some man, is afraid of another, least that hee creeping into his loue should hinder his gaines: But GOD hath enough for all, that loues him, hee is able to giue them all so much, as that they thēselues shal say, They haue enough; Hee is so well able to satisfie them all, as that euery one of them might say; Psal. 16. 6. The lines are fallen vnto mee in pleasant places; yea I haue a faire he­ritage: Thou dost annoint mine head with oyle, Psal. 23. 5 and my cup runneth ouer. And though it fall out sometimes among vs, that wee will dislike him, that doth increase our acquaintants, fol­lowers, or such as shall hang vpon vs to be relieued and maintained by vs; yet it is not so with GOD: For if any man shall conuert sinners vn­to [Page 50] him, and increase his friends, if true, tho not vncostly to him, the same man doth a worke pleasing to him, and doing it out of loue hee shall not loose his reward: For GOD is not vniust to forget your worke, Heb. 6. 10 and labour of your loue, (saith Saint Paul) which yee haue shewed vnto his Name. And they (saith the LORD) that turne many to righteousnesse, Dan. 12. 3. shall shine as the Starres for euer and euer. And indeed wherefore were the Apostles sent abroad into the world, but to gather Disciples to him, and to in­crease his followers?

A [...]d that I may yet presse this poi [...]t a little more, being of so great importance. Tell mee, how shall man shew himselfe thankefull vnto GOD. except hee loue him for crea­ting him in his Image? G [...]. 1. [...]7 2 [...]. How shall hee excuse himselfe, if hee loue him not, seeing he hath not planted him in a world vnfurnished, but hath prepared him all things needfull: Light for seeing, Aire for breathing, Meates for feeding, Clo [...]thes for co­uering, [Page 51] and hath giuen him rule ouer the Fish of the Sea, Psalm. 8 7. the Fowles of Heauen, and ouer euery beast that moueth vpon the earth?

Wee are forbidden to haue any other GOD vnto our selues, Exod. 20. 3 but the LORD which hath brought vs out of the land of darkenesse, the re­gion of death, and deliuered vs from bondage vnder sinne and sathan: which wee shall neuer bee able to obserue, vnlesse by loue we deuote and wed our selues vnto him.

How shall wee sanctifie the Name of the LORD, and not defile it, Leuit. 19. 12. 18. ex­cept wee loue it? How shall wee meerely vpon GODS naked Pre­cept forget an iniury, and [...]ot auenge our selues, if [...]he loue of GOD do not perswade vs?

Will any man with Moses post-pose his ow [...]e greatnesse to the glo­ry of GOD, Numb 14. [...].12. 13. except hee loue [...]im? and will hee bee carefull that those, which are committed to his care, should not behaue themselues a [...] re­bels, and start-awaies, vnlesse t [...]e [Page 52] loue of GOD enforce him?

How can parents bring vp their children religiously, Deut. 6. 7. & 11. 19. Ephe. 6. 4. instruct them in GODS Commandements carefully, and bring them vp (as they are re­quired) in the information of the LORD piously, except the loue of GOD doth moue them to it?

How shall wee bee able to medi­tate in the Law of GOD day and night, Iosh. [...]. 8. as wee are exhorted, our dul­nesse and auersnesse is so great by nature, except the loue of GOD do spurre vs vp and vanquish vs?

Iudg. 2. 17.How shall wee with the children of Israel, turne quickely out of the way, wherein our fathers haue wal­ked, and go an whoring after the idoll, idle and addle inuentions of men; specially if we were but put to it a little, except our loue to GOD restraine and bridle vs?

What soule will say to GOD, but that which loues him deerely, as Ruth said to Naomi, Ruth 1. 16. Whether thou goest, I will go, and where thou dwellest I will dwell. It is lacke of loue, which [Page 53] makes men forsake him, deny him seruice, and depart out of his house.

Will a mother with Hannah, 1. Sam. 1. 11 24. 28. de­dicate her sonne vnto the LORD, but that shee loues him? surely if her dedication be in deuotion, it is the fruit of her loue.

Wouldest thou with Dauid set all the Lawes of GOD before thee, 2. Sam. 22. 23. 24. and not depart there from? Wouldst thou bee vpright towards him, and keepe thee from thy wic­kednesse? Then loue him; For what was it, 1. Sam. 20 4. 17. that made Ionathan so sin­cere to Dauid? what caused him to say vnto him, Whatsoeuer thy soule re­quireth, that will I do vnto thee? Euen this, Because hee loued him as his owne soule.

What but loue forced the true mother of the child to say vnto Sa­lomon, 1. King. 3. 26. Slay him not; whereas the other for want of loue said, Diuide it. So nothing but the loue of GOD makes a man study the peace & vnity of his House, and causes his bowels to yearne at the diuiding of it.

[Page 54]What but the zeale of loue to GOD, 2. King. 18. 4. moued Hezekiah to break the images, to cut downe the groues, [...]nd to demolish the brazen Serpent? So certainely thou shalt neuer [...]leaue fast to the LORD, and throw downe those idols, that are within thee, and keep thy soule from inchastity, except thy loue to GOD constraine thee.

Wouldst thou haue thy Religion costly, and not count it a burthen to thee? Wouldst thou bee cheere­full, and Free-spirited in all thine ob­lations and gifts vnto GOD? Then must thou needs addict thy soule to GOD by loue. It was this which made Dauid say to Ornan, I will not take thine for the LORD▪ 1 Chron. 21. 24. nor offer burnt offerings without cost. It was deuotion, which moued the Is­raelites to bestow their siluer and gold and precious stones vnto the building of the Temple: Of whom it is written, that They offered willing­l [...] vnto the LORD, 1 C [...]n. 29. [...]. with a Perfite [...]eart.

[Page 55]It was without question true loue to GOD, which made S [...]lomon pray for wisedome and knowledge to gouerne the people of GOD, 2. Chron. 1. 10. & 2. 1 and build an house for the Name of the LORD: Psal. 132. 3. and which made Da­uid say; I will not enter into the Ta­bernacle of mine house, nor come vpon my pallat or bed, nor suffer mine eyes to sleepe, nor mine eye-lids to slumber, vn­till I finde out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty GOD of Iacob. Euen so doe thou, Reu. 1. 6. whom CHRIST hath made a spirituall King, deuote and bestow thy selfe on GOD by loue, if euer thou de­sirest to gouerne thy selfe, to morti­fie thy lusts, and to make thine heart an house for GOD to dwell in: Wouldst thou not sleepe till thou hast found out an house for GOD to dwell in? Then surely thy loue must keepe thee awake.

Loue vnto God, and of his wor­ship, E [...]a 3. 11. made the people sing for ioy and shoute with a great shoute, when the foundation of the LORDS [Page 56] House was laid: Euen so it behoues vs truely to loue GOD, if wee would truely reioyce, when wee see the Church, 1. Tim. 3. 15 which is the House of GOD, newly founded or repai­red, in any Kingdome, State, Citty, Towne, Village, Family: or when wee see the truth of CHRIST planted and receiued in any man.

Wee are commanded to sanctifie the Sabboath day: and Nehemiah was very zealous for the keeping of it, and reproues the Rulers for the breach thereof. Neh. 13. 17 What euill thing is this (saith hee) that yee doe, and breake the Sabboath day? Did not yours fathers thus, and our GOD brought all this plague vpon vs, and vpon this Citty? yet yee increase the wrath vpon Israel in breaking the Sabboath. Now certaine­ly, vnlesse by loue we sanctifie GOD in our hearts, we shall neuer sanctifie the Saboath for GOD. This is the cause that wee steale away the Sa­boath from GOD, because our lucre and pleasures doe steale away our loue, that is due to GOD, from vs.

[Page 57]It was loue that made Ester say to the King: Ester 8. 6. How can I suffer and see the euill that shall come vpon my people? or how can I suffer and see the destruction of my kindred? Doubtlesse he loueth Ia­cob, that pitties the affliction of Io­seph. Loue vnto GOD will make the heart bleed at the bloud-shed of the godly: Thou canst not loue GOD, if thou beest not moued at the plots and practises of godlesse men against the people of GOD: I suppose him void of all loue to GOD, that could haue seene & suffered that execrable Powder-practise, Nouemb. 5. 1605. or which now doth grieue in secret to see it disapointed.

To conclude, what moued Iob to patience? Loue. Iob 13. 15. What made him say, Though hee slay mee, yet will I trust in him, Psal. 16. 2. & 40. 8. and I will reproue my waies in his sight? Loue. What made Dauid say, Thou art my LORD, thy Law is within mine heart? Loue. What made him so sing of GOD, and com­pose so many Psalmes vnto him? Prou. 30. 8. Loue. What made Agur pray, Feed mee with foode conuenient, least I bee [Page 58] full, and deny thee, and say; Who is the LORD? and least I be poore, and steale, & take the Name of my GOD in vaine? Loue. What made Salomon rise at the last, Eccles. 1. 2 & 12. 1. relinquish his lusts, cry All is va­nity, & call vs to the remembrance of GOD in our youth? Loue. What moueth the Church to speak thus vn­to her husband; Cant. 1. 1. 6 & 2. 5. Let him kisse mee with the kisses of his Mouth: Shew me where thou feed [...]st, where thou liest at noone? Stay me with flagons & comfort me with Apples? Nothing but Loue. Shee is sicke of loue. What made Daniel venture vpon the Lyons, the three children vpon the fire, and the Chri­stian Martyrs vpon all kinds of deaths? Surely this, They loued not their liues vnto the death, but out of their loue vnto GOD made more account of his glory, then of their owne liues, liberties, pleasures, pro­fits, and preferments, and held the truth at an higher rate, then all earth­ly things whatsoeuer.

Loe then, what reason wee haue to loue the LORD! I all the wit [Page 59] and industry of flesh and bloud were spent and exercised in arguing for the loue of earthly things, yet all were nothing, of no validity, nor efficacy to remoue our loue from GOD to them. What shall de­taine our loue? the world. Iam. 4. 4. Know yee not, (saith Saint Iames) That the ami­ty of the world is the enmity of GOD? Why men should not dote on the world. 1. Ioh. 2 15. Whosoeuer therefore will bee a friend of the world, maketh himselfe an enemy of GOD. Loue not this world (saith Saint Iohn) neither the things that are in this world▪ What the world is. if any man loue this world the loue of the FATHER is not in him What is the world, but a pleasant phrensie, a Theater of vanity, a si [...]ke of sinne, a shop of deceit, the cen­ter of inquities, and a very mi [...]rour of misery? Reu. 17. 2. 4 A Simil [...]e. Shee is like that skarlet Harlot, louely to looke on, but dan­gerous to deale with; who makes the Kings and Inhabitants of the earth drunken with the wine which shee presents vnto them in her gol­den cup. Hee which followes the world, is like a foole or child, that [Page 60] followes a shadow, or a butterfly, a thing of no valew, and which mockes them most, that loue her best, and follow her fastest. But say, why wilt thou loue the world? The world is vncon­stant. be­cause shee is constant? Erre not: no­thing is more inconstant then the world, constant in inconstancy, and as inconstant in her constancy: Shee is in nothing the same, saue in this, that shee loues not to bee the same. But GOD is the same for euer. Thou art the same, Ps. 102. 27. and thy yeares shall not faile: Iam 1. 17. With thee there is no alterati­on, nor shadow of conuersion. Num. 23. 19 GOD is not as man, that hee should lie▪ nor as the sonne of man that hee should repent: Hath hee said it, and shall hee not doe it? and hath hee spoken, and shall hee not accomplish it? The world is flee­ting and floating vp and downe in her loue; whom shee fauours to day, shee forsakes to morrow: But whom GOD loueth once, hee loueth euer: Once and Euer are all one with him; Iohn 13. 1. Ier. 32 4 [...]. Psa. [...]9. 33. The world will shake off her deerest louers, as an Oliue her leaues, or as [Page 61] a Colt doth his rider; But GOD neuer casts off him, that loues him (Et te nemo amittit, August. nisi qui te dimittit) and no man doth loose him, but he that leaues him: Then loue the LORD, and let go the world: Why should thy Soule, Reasons against the loue of the world. which is of an heauenly beginning, bee buryed and closed vp within the earth? Why should it, which is immortall, bee pinned on things, that are but mortall? Why should it, which is a Spirit, and Inuisible, be fixt on things that are grosse and visible? Amor re­rum terrenarum est viscus spiritualium pennarum. The loue of the world is the lime-twigs of the soule, Amici­tia sol [...] est inimicitia poli. Friendship with the earth is enmity with hea­uen: But wee will descend vnto par­ticulars.

What wilt thou loue? Prou 23. 5. Why men should not loue ri­ches. Wealth and Riches? Wilt thou cast thine eyes vpon that, which is nothing? For riches ta­keth her to her wings, as an Eagle, and flyeth into heauen. Riches haue sold more, then they haue redeemed; [Page 62] and rich men haue few friends, but many flatterers that follow them, as Ants do Corne, Seneca. or as crows do carri­on: Praedā sequitur ista turba: nō hominē: Such follow the prey, & not the per­son, loue the riches, but care not for the man; they would flea off his Hide to make themselues thongs with it. An Ethnique could say, when hee had lost all his goods; Perijssem, ni perijssent; I had lost my selfe, if I had not lost them. But for GOD who is our greatest good; whether wee loose our goods or not, if wee loose him, and will loose him; if we loue riches more then him, we loose our selues, our comfort & contentment: Therefore if riches increase, Psal. 62 1 [...]. Who is most rich. set not thine heart vpon them: If thou aboundest not, be contented, for hee hath most that couereth least; He is the richest that least admireth riches: Hee is the greatest, who is contented with the smallest portion.

Why the loue of pleasures should not hinder our loue to GOD.What then shall haue thy loue? shall Pleasures? What are pleasures but pleasing vanities? What are plea­sures [Page 63] to the paines of hell which waite vpon them? What sweetnesse is there in them to the sweetnesse which is in GOD? If our soules were sweetned with the true taste of GODS loue, all other things would seeme bitter to vs: And that men feele not the sweetnesse of GOD, Why GOD seemeth not so sweete to some. Heb. 11. 25 it is because their mouthes are out of taste, being corrupted with the ague of worldly loue. Consider the example of Moses, who chose ra­ther To suffer aduersity with the people of GOD, then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season, esteeming the rebuke of CHRIST greater riches, then the treasures of Aegypt. Remember that ironicall speech of Salomon to vo­luptuous persons: Eccles. 11. 9 Reioyced yong man in thy youth, and let thine heart cheere thee, whilst thou art yong, and walke in the waies of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know that for all these things GOD will bring thee to iudge­ment. Plutar. Lysimachus to quench his thirst yeelded himselfe to the Scythians, and when hee had drunke their cold [Page 64] water, he said; Quam breuis volupt [...] ­tis causâ quantam deposui foelieitatem! O what great happinesse haue I for­gone for a short pleasure! Let vs be­ware that wee part not with our Birth-right for a little water-gruell, and that wee loose not GOD, and forgoe the ioyes of heauen, for a small portion of vaine delights. Malorum esca voluptas, T [...]ll. quâ homines cap [...]untur, vt hamo pisces. Pleasure is the baite of euils (of diuels) where­with men are caught, A Similie. as fishes with an hooke: Either therefore we must shune them vtterly, or take heed of the hooke which lies hid within them.

But what wilt thou set thy loue on? Honour? How vncertaine is it, and subiect to bee lost? Est. 7. 10. Haman was Honourable, and hanged in one day. Olofernes was Honourable, Judith 13. 8 and Hea­ded in one night: Why ho­nou [...]s should not steale away our hearts. How great and common are the fals of many? Hee that is in account to day, may bee contemned to morrow: In pratis vt flos, sic perit omnis honos: Honour va­nisheth [Page 65] like a vapour, A Similie. and great men are like great bubbles, and all the glory of the world like grasse, like the flowre of the grasse. Caesar was stabd in his height. Nebuchadnezer was abased in the midst of his great­nesse: Alexander was poysoned in the top of his honours. Act. 12. 22. 23. A Similie Herod was strucke with an Angell then, when hee was applauded as a GOD. How vaine a thing is honour, which like smoake mounted aloft doth vanish, whiles a man is looking on it? But great, constant, infinite are the ho­nours, which are laid vp for those that loue GOD.

But peraduenture Beauty shall haue thy loue. Heare the iudgement of beautifall Bathsheba vnto Salomon her sonne. Fauour is deceitfull, Pro. 31. 30. and beauty is vanity, But a woman that fea­reth the LORD, shee shall be praysed. The vani­ty of beau­ty. What is beauty? indeed the Load­stone and delight of the eye, very pleasing to the sight, but exceeding brittle, mutable, and momentany, like Summer Apples which last not [Page 66] long: One wound, one fit of an ague, a little sickenesse, or a few yeares will marre it. How beau­ty hath bin called. Bion called it, Bonum alienum, a good but none of ours, being able neither to giue it, nor to keepe it: Socrates 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 be [...]utifull persons, if vicious, and voide of loue to GOD, they are like Tulipees, A Similie. 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?

[Page 67]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: How a m [...] may loue himselfe. 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 [Page 68] from the loue of GOD, Heb. 12. 9. the Father of our spirits; the Breath of our nost­hrils, the Castle of our comfort, Psal. 18. 2. & 144. 2. 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? Mark. 8. 36. 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 [Page 69] 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, 1. Note of true loue. Gregor. but laborious, Si operari renuerit, amor non est: it if it will not labour it is not loue. True loue is labori­ous. 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? Gen. 31. 40 41. Iacob indured the heate of the day, the frost of the night, [Page 70] 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.

2. Note.Secondly, hee that loues GOD truely, and with a well regulated loue▪ GOD is to bee loued for him­selfe. 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 [Page 71] 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, 1. Cor. 10. 33. 2. Cor. 12. 14. 19. Phil. 4. 14 17. 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: Rom 9. 3. And yet more fully; I could wish my sefe to bee sep [...]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 [Page 72] were excluded out of heauen: so they might bee blessed, hee could wish himselfe were accursed: Thus the Galatians loued the Apostle: Gal. 4. 13 14. 15. 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, Ex. 32. 10. 12. 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? [Page 73] 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. Ex. 32. 32. Gen. 22. So likewise Abraham out of his deuotion vnto GOD is ready at GODS commandement to sacrifice, to slay his onely Sonne, his Hope, and Honour. Indeed this is the nature of a mans sincere and regular loue to GOD, to loue GOD for himselfe, to obey him without scruple, and to neglect ones selfe for the respect of GOD. And though wee ought to loue GOD for those good blessings, GOD is to bee loued for his blessings, and the order how. which hee communicates vnto vs, (as a friend his friend for courtesies receiued) yet wee must not rest there, if wee will proue our loue to bee vpright and sound; but wee must [Page 74] go further, and learne to loue him for that louely and peerelesse Excel­lency, and that immense and pro­found Sea of Goodnesse, which is in him, esteeming those his bene­fites conferred on vs as certaine streames flowing from the same; and prizing of them, not so much in their owne worth, as for being effects and tokens of his fauour to vs. A Similie. Euen as a man should not so much value the good turnes of his friend, according as they are worth in their owne nature, as because they are fruits and arguments of his ver­tu-full and bounteous disposition. And this is the purer degree or kind of loue, Iob 6. 3. & 8. 14. such as was in Iob, who though GOD seemed to bee his Enemy, (For hee saith that the ar­rowes of the Almighty were in him, the venome whereof drunke vp his Spirit, and that the terrours of GOD fought against him; that hee feared him with dreames, and asto­nished him with visions) yet did hee continue to loue GOD, and profest [Page 75] that though GOD should slay him, Iob. 13. 15. yet his confidence should be reposed in him.

Thirdly, 3. Note of true loue. whosoeuer shall loue GOD cheerefully, and in consci­ence of GODS commandement, euen because GOD bids him loue him, hee doth euidently declare the truth of his loue vnto him: For hee, that doth a thing simply because hee is bidden, doth shew a louing and reuerent respect vnto the bidder.

Fourthly, 4. Note of true loue. hee demonstrates a sound heart, and entire loue vnto GOD, that suffers nothing to do­minere within him but his GOD: A man lo­uing GOD tru [...]y, loues none more then GOD. Not Mammon, not Bacchus, not Ve­nus▪ not the loue of any Man, not of Himsefe, nor of any other thing whatsoeuer, but deturbs and cast out all, that GOD alone may haue possession of him, and reigne with­in him: as hee may bee said to bee a chaste and louing husband, who suffers no other to steale away his loue from his lawfull wife, to whom hee hath vowed his loue, and pligh­ted [Page 76] his Troth: Ouid. Non bene cum socijs Regna, Venus (que) manent: Nec Regna so­cium ferre, Seneca. nec tede sciunt: Lordship and loue will broke no fellowship: Aut Casar, aut nullus: GOD will haue the Throne, or else bee gone. GOD will be either alone or gone: He wil admit no copes-mate; Hee will not part stakes with any. He will allow thee to en­tertaine some thing, that shal be sub­ordinate, & vnder him, How a mā may loue other things. but none that shall stand in opposition vnto him, or which shall draw against him: If ther­fore thou permit nothing to draw thine affection from him, it argues thy loue is firme and fast vnto him.

5. Note of loue.Fiftly, as a worldly-minded man doth shew his loue of riches by his vnsatiable desire of hauing more and more: For the more hee hath, the more hee would; like those two daughters, which cry, Giue, giue; or like the earth, Pro. 30. 15. 16. That (as Agur saith) cannot bee satisfied with water So may wee proue our loue of GOD, if whilst wee liue on earth, wee couet to haue more and more interest in [...]im, and neuer rest contented, [Page 77] whiles any thing liueth in vs besides himselfe. 1. King. 22. And as Ahab was tor­mented in minde for Naboaths vine­yard; 2. Sam. 13. 2. and as Ammon was so sore vexed, that hee fell sicke for his sister Tamar: And as the Spouse in the Canticles exclameth: Can. 2. 5. Stay mee with flagons, for I am sicke of loue; Euen so hee that doth truely loue GOD, Griefe or sickenesse of soule wai [...]s on loue. is not quiet till hee do enioy him: And because there is no full fruition of Him, till wee come in heauen, therefore if wee truely loue him, wee shall not meete with full con­tentment, till wee come in heauen: but shall, as that Spouse our Mo­ther, bee Sicke of loue, and wounded with longing after him, till wee doe enioy him to the full. Indeed the sickenesse of minde is not loue; for loue it selfe is most sweete and plea­sing; but it is the fruite of Desire, This sicke­nesse is not loue, but from de­sire. which waiteth vpon loue, till loue do perfectly enioy the thing it doth loue: And if delay be made, that it cannot enioy the thing, which it would, as it would, and so soone as [Page 78] it would, then this delay, by reason of the desire, doth engender a cer­taine griefe and sickenesse in the minde; which sickenesse, and the de­sire which doth produce it, shall both end, when that, which is desi­red is perfectly obtained, and enioy­ed. Loue ends not, when this desire ceaseth. But then loue hath that it would: and then ends not, as the desire; but is at her highest pitch, in all her iol­lity, and in her proper element, there where shee would bee, and would neuer but bee: Now who­soeuer hath in him this longing af­ter GOD, this sickenesse and griefe to torment and vexe him, (seeing that heere on earth a man sometimes looseth his feeling of GODS loue vnto him, and neuer enioyes him full [...]) hee may assure himselfe that hee truely loueth GOD. N [...]te. And this g [...]iefe of heart should be so farre from causing diffidence, doubting, or desperation, that a man should rather gather strength and comfort by it: A Similie. For where this is, there is the loue of GOD; as there is a loue of [Page 79] drinke, where there is a thirst and earnest desire after it, and a certaine trouble and griefe of soule, because it cannot bee had, or is long a com­ming: As Dauid saith, Psal. 63. 1. My soule thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth greatly after thee: which argues the desire and languishment of his spi­rit; so he likewise saith; 9. My soule cleaueth vnto thee, which declares his loue. Now he, that loueth GOD, may bee bold to thinke that GOD loues him: And the proper and prin­cipall ground of our consolation and saluation is in this, Psal. 63. 3. that GOD loues vs; Ioh. 3. 16. not in this that Wee loue GOD, Eph. 2. 4. 8. in this that GGD is gra­cious vnto vs, and not in this, That the graces of GOD are in vs. Tit. 3. 5. Of which loue and grace of GOD vnto vs, Our loue to GOD a signe of his to vs. this ( [...]) free-grace of Loue wherewith our hearts are en­flamed towards GOD, is an vn­doubted token and effect (as breath is of life, or ice of cold) appropria­ted to GODS Elect, and faithfull Children.

[Page 80] 6. Note of true loue.Sixtly, as the mindes of adulterers runne vpon their harlots, as the thoughts of worldlings are on their wealth; as the heads of the ambitious are occupied about their honours, as the hearts of Epicures are with their pleasures; as the braines of Schollers are beate about their bookes; as the minde of Souldiers is on the victory; and as hee that loues the Law, hath his meditations in the Law; Ps. 119 97. O how I loue thy Law (saith Dauid!) It is my meditation con­tinually; so hee, that loues 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, Bernard. 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; [Page 81] so mens loue to GOD, The fruits of loue Diuine & Humane. 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; Ier. 23. 24. Presence in case i. as absence. 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, 7. Note. hee that is not fickle and inconstant in his deuotion and [Page 82] deuote affection vnto GOD, may know that hee loues him truely: I say, if hee loue, like a true friend, At all times, Pro. 17. 17. as wel when the whether is foule as faire; in winter, as well as in Summer; True loue is cōstant. 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. Plautus. Fel. quod amarum est, id m [...]l faciet: It will make gall, which is bit­ter to bee sweete as hony: Periculis insultat, mortem irridet: si amor est, [...]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, [...]ee dies vnvanquished: as wee see in the Martyrs, The praise of 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, [Page 83] and contemned all things, stucke fast to GOD.

Eighthly, 8. Note. 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. 1. Iohn. 5. 3. 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 shewe [...] his loue and loy­alty to the King, No loyal­ty, no loue. 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, [Page 84] 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, Good deeds are, without loue, of lit­tle or no account. 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: The ver­tue of true loue. 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, GODS Will the Rule of Law. and reason; and all his Commandements ate according to his will.

[Page 85]To conclude, 9. Note of true loue. GOD will be lo­ued in his Church, in his Ministers, in his Chil [...]ren, and finally in that his beloued Sonne CHRIST IESVS, so as that they, which hate these, loue not him.

First, for the Church, GOD is to bee lo­ued in his 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 Chu [...]ches, Euery true visible Church is to bee lo­ued. The mark of such a Church. 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. A Simili­tude. Hee that loues a Ring for the Diamond, [Page 86] [...]hat is set in it, or for the worke-man, that made it, questionlesse hee loues [...]he Diamond, and the Worke-man much more: So certainely, [...]ee that loues a Church for the Word and Sacraments, and power [...]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 i [...] thou wert assured that shee is a true Church, thou weul [...]st not hate her, but ioyne vnto her. Marke this well. 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 [Page 87] 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 ca [...] see, may see her: But what if a man bee so blind, a [...] 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 Europ [...], be­sides 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.

[Page 88] GOD is to bee loued in hi [...] Minist [...]s.Secondly, GOD is to bee loued in his Minist [...]rs, which are called the Men of GOD, a [...]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, Act. 1 [...]. 1 [...]. 1. T [...]. 4 [...]6 but Sanctifying, and Sauing. Now whosoeuer doth l [...]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, A Minister [...]s t [...] be lo­ [...]e f [...]r his [...]. doth vndoubtedly l [...]ue G [...]D the MAISTER. Hee that loues a Minister meerely for his Mi­nistery, or as Saint Paul exhorteth, F [...]r his worke sake; 1. Thess. [...] 1 [...]. [...]. hee, no question loueth GOD, whose seruant hee is, and for whom hee worketh. On the contrary, they that loue not the Mi­ [...]ist [...]r for his Office and Labours, but rather malice and molest him, bec [...]use hee P [...]eacheth the Truth, w [...]ich they distast; or confuteth er­rours, that they foster; or reproueth [Page 89] 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, How a mā shold loue his Mini­ster. 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 [...]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 [Page 90] 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.

Who are GODS true Ministers.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 [Page 91] authority committed vnto him by GOD, hee runnes vnsent. And though he haue a sending, yet if hee do not that Message, which GOD appoint [...] him, but brings some Such, I meane, as euert [...] the ground [...] of Faith, or go [...]d Man­ners, and which sets the Church in an vp­rore. Nouelty, coy [...]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. GOD is to bee lo­ued in his people. 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. O [...] the contrary, if any man say, I l [...]ue GOD, 1. Iohn. 4. 20. and hate his brother, hee is a lyer, [...]or how can hee, that loueth not his brother, whom hee [Page 92] hath seene, loue GOD whom hee hath not seene? Hatred of godlinesse is the ha­tred of GOD. 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, dislik [...], a [...] p [...]r­secute the FATHER Hims [...]lfe. Therefore CHRIST saith: Saul, Saul, Acts 9. 4. why persecutest thou mee? Where­as not hee personally; b [...]t his Ser­uants and Confessours, were perse­cuted of him. And if thi [...] bee true, which is most true, That Euery one, which loueth him which did beget, 1. Ioh. 5. 1. lo­ueth him also, which is beg [...]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 [Page 93] able to excuse [...]im of [...]a [...]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. Psal. 38. 20. 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, Psal. 68. 21. that walketh in his sinnes: And againe, Ps. 129. 5. 6. 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, Many sorts of loue, yet little true chari­ty. much loue in the world, such as it is; Naturall loue, Ciuill loue, Dom [...]sticall loue, Matrimoniall loue, Fleshly loue, Worldly loue, Pot-loue, Humane loue, but little godly charity is seene among vs: For who loues godlines [Page 94] 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 Neigh­bour [...]? I doubt not but Turkes, Moores, A Turke may loue a Christian, but not his Christia­nity. 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 lou [...] 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 establ [...]sh­ed in him.

How M [...] ­ [...]st [...]rs hold shew loue to GOD.And as all me [...] should shew their loue vnto GOD by louing of his people: so especially the Ministers of GOD; which they shall doe by [Page 95] their dilligent and faithfull feeding of them. Therefore our LORD will haue Peter expresse his loue vnto him by feeding his Flocke: Ioh. 21. 15. 16. 17. Peter (saith he) louest thou mee? Feed my Lambs, feed my Sheepe, Feed my Sheepe: Pasce mente, pasce ore, pasce opere, Serm. 2. de resur. pasce animi oratione, verbi abhortatione, ex­empli exhibitione. Feede them (saith Bernard) with thy minde, Feed them with thy mouth, feed them with thy worke, feed them with the prayer of thy heart, with the exhortation of the word, with setting them a good ensample. What other thing (saith Saint August.) is this, Aug. in Ioan. tract. 123. If thou loue mee, Feed my sheepe, then if it had bene said [...]; If thou loue mee, do not thinke to feede thy selfe, but my Sheepe; Fe [...]d them as mine, not as thine; seeke my glo­ry in them, not thine, my Lordship, not thine, my gaines, not thine: Chrysost. praesat. in Epistolas. What Mi­nister doth truly loue GOD. Which speech when Saint Paul, (as Chryso­stome speaketh) had heard was vtte­red to Saint Peter, hee studied to de­clare this loue [...] euen in the superlatiue degree: And vn­doubtedly [Page 96] doubtedly there is no Minister, which doth truely loue GOD, but hee will bee carefull to feed the peo­ple of GOD, which are the Sheepe of His Pasture, Psal. 100. 3. 1. Pet. 5. 2. committed to him, and Depending on him. And hee, that onely looketh after the Fleece, but leaueth his Flocke at sixe and seuens, doth bewray his loue of the world, but declares no loue to GOD.

GOD must be loued in CHRIST. Ioh. 15. 23. Iohn 8. 24.Finally, GOD will bee loued in his Sonne IESVS CHRIST, the Sonne of the Virgine Mary: For he that hateth me (saith CHRIST) hateth my FATHER also. Except yee beleeue that I am HEE, yee shall die in your sinnes. See 1. Cor. [...]6. 22. Which shewes the fearefull estate of vnbeleeuing Turkes, Iewes, and Pagans. And most worthy is hee of our loue: For hee is White and Ruddy, Cant. 5. 10. 16. the chiefest of ten thousand, and wholly delectable. Being GOD hee hath married our flesh, Hee came downe from heauen, that wee might go vp to heauen; Hee ser­ued, to make vs free; Hee became poore, to make vs rich; Hee was [Page 97] made a curse, Gal. 3. 13. that wee might bee blest; Hee died, that wee might liue; Hee was Crucified, that wee might bee Crowned: And that our loue vnto him might appeare true, let vs try it by these two notes.

First, 1. Note of loue to CHRIST. by our care to know and keepe his Lawes euen to the death. For, saith CHRIST, If yee loue me, keepe my Commandements: Ioh. 14. 15. 22. 23. 24. Hee that keepes them loues mee, Hee that loues mee not, keepeth not my words. If wee breake them at our pleasure, and preferre our gaine, or gaming, or any thing else to them, truely wee loue him not: For did wee indeed loue him, wee would bee loath to offend him, and would make more estimation of Him and his Word, then of any earthly thing.

Secondly, 2. Note of loue to CHRIST. try thy loue to CHRIST by thine endeuour to bee Like him: For true loue causeth imitation. CHRIST was the mirrour of Mer­cy, very Meeke, Humble, Patient, and Zealous of GODS Glory: Hee went vp and downe doing good: [Page 98] Hee prayed for his persecutors, FA­THER fogiue them. Luk. 23. 34 Canst thou for CHRIST pray for thine enemies? CHRIST forgaue thee, Co [...]. 3. 13. wilt thou for CHRIST forgiue him, that wrongs thee, that reuiles thee to thy face, that bites thee behind thy backe, that scornes thee, hates thee, troubles thee? If thou dost, thou lo­uest him; but if thy heart bee so great, thou wilt not, where is thy loue? For vnderstand thus much, where CHRIST is loued, there CHRIST loues, where CHRIST loues there he liues, and where hee liues, there the flesh, with the lusts thereof dies; Ioh. 14 21. so then hee that liues out of Charity, in the spirit of ran­cour, hatred, and reuenge, and will not controule his corruptions, hee is not CHRISTS, CHRIST liues not in him, he liues not in CHRIST, he loues not CHRIST, hee loues not God, but is in the state of death, how well soeuer hee concei­ueth of himselfe: For tell me, dost thou thinke that CHRIST liues in [Page 99] an heart of Oake, of Adamant? No, no, but in an heart that is humble, meeke and louing. And what thank­fulnesse, what loue is shewed vnto CHRIST, when thou wilt not par­don him, We ought to forgiue one ano­ther. whom CHRIST doth pardon, when thou wilt not forgiue him, whom CHRIST hath died for, when thou wilt not vouchsafe him thy pardon, to whom CHRIST hath giuē himselfe, when thou, I say, thou wilt not forgiue, CHRIST hauing forgiuen thee, and hauing gi­uen Himselfe vnto thee, yea and thy selfe vnto thy selfe, for by thy sinnes thou hadst lost thy selfe: Certainely therefore thou must forgiue for CHRIST, or else (beleeue it) thou dost not loue CHRIST.

Let v [...] therefore deale truely with our selues, examining our hearts and practises by the fore-named notes, and wee shall easily see whe­ther the loue of GOD, and of his Sonne CHRIST IESVS bee in vs; or whether the loue of the world, and of our selues, beare sway [Page 100] with in vs. And so much concerning the Loue of GOD, to which we are exhorted.

The rea­sons of the exhortati­on.The reasons, which the Psalmist vseth to perswade vs to this duety, follow: One is drawne from the Louing and courteous dealing of GOD with them, that are faithfull in their loue and seruice to him; the other is taken from the seuerity of his Iu­stice against those, that out of pride and obstinacy cast of his yoke, and care not for to loue and serue him.

1. Reason.The former is set forth in these words. The LORD preserueth the faithfull: A man i [...] said to bee faithfull in two re­spects. A man may bee said to bee faithfull in a double sense: First he, that beleeueth in GOD, and giues credite to his Word, is a faithfull man; and to this Faith, diffidence, and incredulity is opposed; and by this kind of faith a man laies hold vpon the mercy of GOD in CHRIST for his Iustification. Se­condly, hee that may bee beleeued for his truth, hee that is iust and true [Page 101] in his words and dealings, is a faith­full man: For faith (Fides) is of, fio, to be done: Fac quod dicis, & fides est, do what thou saist, and it is Faith, saith Saint Austen. Then (saith Gre­gory) are wee truely faithfull, if what wee promise in word, wee performe in deed. To this kind of faith, treache­ry, falshood, and hypocrisie is oppo­sed: So that he that doth truely loue GOD, and is a faithfull kee­per of his Doctrine, and forgets not his promise to him in his Bap­tism [...], but is carefull and studious to performe it, Neh. 9. 8. hee may bee said to bee a faithfull man. Such a faithfull man was Caleb, Num. 14. 22 24. Who followed GOD still, and had another Spirit, then those tempting and disobedient Is­raelites had, which were not suffred to enter into Canaan. Such a faith­full man was Moses, Heb. 3. 5. who was faith­full in GODS House: Such a one was Dauid, of whom GOD spake saying; Act. 13. 22. I haue found Dauid the son of Iesse, a man after mine owne heart, which will do all things that I will: Such [Page 102] were Zacharias and Elizabeth, Luke 1. 6. that walked in all the Commandements, and O [...]dinances of GOD, without reproofe: Finally, such were all the Martyrs of CHRIST, who rather then they would betray his truth, and make shipwracke of their faith and conscience, indured all manner of torments, and refused no kinde of death which was deuised for them.

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: 2. Chron. 16. 8. 9. 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, N [...]. 5. 16 [...]5. from that infernall Powder-plot, of the Papists; and infinite are his sauours of this kind. But further, hee pre [...]rueth the saithfull as con­cerning their soules, and the spiri­tuall [Page 103] and eternall happinesse of both body and soule: Isa. 49. 16. For hee hath engra­uen them vpon the palmes of his hands. Ier. 32. 40. 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, 1. Pet. 1. 5. 9 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; Reu. 2. 20. 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. 5. Notes of faithful­nesse. This faith­fulnesse may bee demonstrated fiue waies.

First, 1. Note. 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, Mark. 6. 20 but will bee Licentious Libertines in some things, wee are very Herods, hypocrites and disloy­all, our hearts are not vpright with [Page 104] Him, but do go an whoring after our owne desires: Hee is no faithfull seruant, which will do but what hee list himselfe.

2. Note.Secondly, faithfulnesse is seene in trouble: Pro. 24. 10. 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. Seneca. 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: Ci [...]. l. 2. Rhet. 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 [Page 105] Zanchy writeth) shines more cleere­ly in the darke, Lib. 3. de Met. ter. c. 6. 3. Note. 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, Isai. 55. 1. his graces estee­med, and his Customers or Chapmen, that come to buy them of him, mul­tiplied.

Fourthly, 4. Note. 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- [...]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 [Page 106] thi [...]k [...]) if hee will not breake this c [...]stome, his maister will not keepe him, but turne him packing. So are t [...]ose v [...]faithful vnto God, that pro­phane his holy Sabboth, Marke this we [...]l. Of pro­phaning the Sa [...]oth day. which hee hath sa [...]ct [...]fied for himselfe, by their merchan [...]ising, gadding, gaming, rioting, and such proph [...]ne behaui­our. And I feare, tha [...] if th [...]y will not mend these manners: S [...]d vox faucib [...] h [...]r [...]t On the contrary, they that are carefull to spend their mai­sters time in their maisters worship, as in prayer, reading, hearing, m [...]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 S [...]bboth on earth before him, so shal they certainly celebrate an euerlast­ing Sabboth in heauen with him.

5. Note.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, [Page 107] suppose he shall corrupt an [...] 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 cōspire 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 Ho [...]se, which is the Church, because he is baptized, 1. Tim. 3. 15. 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, Rom. 9. 6 7 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 [Page 108] which is outward in the Flesh: Rom. 2. 2 [...]. 29. but he is [...]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, Who is a true 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, What true Baptisme is. ( 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 [Page 109] 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 they bee called Christians, and called godly, the truth is, they are not faithfull vnto God, but false-hearted wretches. On the contray, those are truly faithfull which truly feare God, Who truly faithfull. which counsell and en­courage their fellowes to bee faith­full to him, and which doe truly hate Sinne, Sathan, and the World, and are at no league or couenant with them, but keepe continuall watch and ward ouer their hearts, lest they should bee surprised and drawne a­way.

[Page 110]And thus we haue seene the first reason that Dauid vseth to moue vs to the loue of God, because he pre­serues them that are faithfull to him: and therefore if we desire his preser­uation, or if we will shew our selues thankfull to him for preseruing vs, or if we doe take delight in that his so sweet & good disposition, who is by nature prouident ouer, and care­full for those that loue him, and are faithfull to him, it behoues vs much to loue him: and let vs bee assured, that except we loue him truly, we do not t [...]uly loue our selues; but certain­ly we doe cleane forget our selues, if we fo [...]get to performe this duety to him: yea, wee haue lost our selues, vnlesse wee haue him to liue in our hearts by loue. [...]e praise o [...] L [...]ue. O Loue! what shall I spe [...]ke i [...] thy commendation? Mag­naes, & pr [...]uales, thou art great in power, Can. 8. 6 [...] and preuailest. Thou art str [...]ng as Death, powerfull as the graue, thy coles are fiery▪ thy fl [...]mes v [...]olent, the waters cannot quench thee, the flouds cannot drowne thee, [Page 111] thou doest subdue mine vnde [...]stan­ding for God, thou bringest mine ambitious and vnruly conceits into bondage vnder Christ, thou leadest me Captiue, yea thou kilst me, that he may liue within me. Loue a fire Thou art a Fire to purifie my minde from drosse by meditation on him. A Light. Thou art a Light to comfort and enlighten my soule with those louely vertues that waite vpon thee. Hony. Thou art Hony to swee­ten my soule with the feeling of Gods fauour, and to make sweet vn­to my soule, those ordinances of life and godlinesse which hee hath ere­cted in his house. And Wine Thou art Wine to make my soule glad by enioying my God, my Sauiour, whose goodnesse is equall to his greatnesse, both of them infinite and vnmatchable. If I loose thee, I loose my selfe, my soule, my Sauiour. If thou liue in me▪ I liue my selfe, nay I dye, but God my Lord and Sauiour doth liue within me.

And this is the Psalmists first rea­son to incite vs to the loue of God. [Page 112] The second is taken from his seuere iudgments against the Proud, The se [...]ōd reason of the ex­ho [...]tation. which will not stoope to God and his Law, but are disobedient to him, and by their pride and insolency trouble and misufe other men better then themselues. The Psalmist saith; God Rewardeth aboundantly the proud doer: that is, hee punisheth him for his pride with manifold and grieuous puishments.

Pride (which is hatefull before God and Man, Ecclus. 10. 7. What pride is. as Syracides speaketh) is a certaine vice, or swelling of the heart, whereby we count our selues worthy of more honour and dignity then there is reason, by reason of an ouer-weening opinion of our selues, imagining that we haue those good things which we haue not in­deed, or that we haue them in grea­ter measure then we haue.

Now a man may shew pride either against God, or against man.

Pride is a­gainst God and Man.Against God, pride is shewed many waies, some whereof I will declare, that the madnesse of men [Page 113] may appeare vnto you. As first, 1. Note of pride a­gainst God when a man imagines himselfe to be God, and would be so conceited of men, as Caligula, who (being an open mocker of all religion) at length fell to thinke there was no other God then himselfe. Secondly, 2. Note. when men imagine, that what they haue, they haue it of themselues, or that, if God giue them any thing, it is for their deserts. Thirdly, 3. Note. when men in their hearts say: He shall not raigne ouer vs, who shall controll vs? and so contemne the ordinances of God, his Word, his Sacraments, his Ministers, their Work. their power. Fourthly, 4. Note. whē a wan shal thinke he is perfect, breakes not the Law, and is able to do good deeds, whereby he shall merite euerlasting life for the worthinesse of them. Fiftly, 5. Note. when men imagine they can doe good workes by their owne strength: or when in heart they say, we will do this and this, who shall let vs? we will goe thither, or thi­ther, who shall hinder? Sixthly, 6. Note. when men will disobey the will of [Page 114] God vnder pretence of humility, Thou art vnworthy to pray to God, but God is worthy to whō thou shouldst obey. Psal. 50. 15 Mat. 11. 2 [...] 7. Note. as they that plead for their prayers to the Saints in heauen, because they say, it is a point of humility, to come to so great a King by such meanes: whereas God saith: Call vpon me in the time of trouble. And Christ accor­dingly, Come vnto me yee that are hea­uy lad [...]n, and I will ease you. Lastly, when men will murmure against God, and are angry with him when he doth afflict them.

Of pride against Man.Pride against Man discouers it selfe many wayes: for the proud per­son enuies the good of another, as if he deemed himselfe either onely worthy, When men make great out­ward shewes, & braue it in cost [...]y ap­parell, of purp [...]se to bee coun­ted better men then they are, it is very pride. So painting of the face to bee thought a beautifull creature, not being so, is very pride. or else the greatnesse of o­thers to hinder his. He will acknow­ledge no superior, nor equall by his good will, as Agamemnen and Pom­p [...]y, he vseth his equals as inferiors, his inferiors as seruants, his seruants as beasts: hee thunders, lightens, crackes, threatens, his words are great, his lookes bigge, he is mad if he be not applauded: and as for humling himselfe to any man sin­cerely, [Page 115] he knowes not how: if hee giue backe, it is but to fetch a better leap: if hee stoope a little, it is but to vant and climbe the higher. If he be below, he will not patiently tar­ry till one come and bid him sit vp higher; but he will worke by indi­rect courses, as by bribes, or slan­ders, or (it may be) poysons; no­thing being so horrible in his eye, as a meane or low degree. And when he is climbed vp, he pluckes vp the ladder after him, if he can, that no man shall come vp after, or but such as he pleaseth.

To these proud and haughty per­sons God opposeth himselfe, these he resisteth, 1. Pet. 5. 5. these he throweth from their pinnacles, and tumbles downe head-long, shakes with his whirle-windes, strikes with his lightnings, beats with his thunder-claps, turnes vp their roots, and punisheth them (when he pleaseth) very seuerely, o­penly, and (as Dauid saith here)▪ A­bundantly. But let vs see some iudge­ments of God vpon the Proud.

[Page 116] 2. Pet. 2. 4. Iude 6. Gen. 3. 5. 6.The wicked Angels for their pride were banisht out of heauen, and are vnder wrath. When our first Parents would haue been check-mate with God by pride, they brought a down­fall of themselues and children. Gen. 11. 4. 9. The builders of Babel for their pride were scattered, and their tongues con­founded. Haman by pride brake his necke. 1. Sam. 17 10. 45. 50. 51. God ouerthrew that vaun­ting Giant Golias by Dauid, then when he was in the top of his iolli­ty. God threatned to visit the fruit of the proud heart of the King of A­shur, Senacherib, and his glorious and proud lookes, Isaiah. 10. 12. 13. because he said: By the power of mine owne hand haue I done it, and by my wisedome, because I am wise: and so he did, for by his Angell he kild in one night, an hundred fourscore and fiue thousand of his Army, Isaiah. 37. 36 38. gathered against Hezekiah, and not long after his owne sonnes, Adramelek, and Sharezer slue him as he was in his Idols Temple wor­shiping of Nisrech his God. Dan. 4. 27. 28. 30. 31. 34. Proud Nebuchadnezzar for his pride was [Page 117] banished the company of men, and depriued of his kingdome: and af­ter, comming to better sense, he could praise God, and say, That those which walke is pride he is able to abase. Proud and bragging H [...]lofernes by Iudith lost his head: Iudith. 6. 2 4. & 13. 8. 2. Mac. 1. 15. 16. so likewise was that wicked and insolent Antiochus met withall, as he had deserued, his head being first well battered with stones, and afterwards cut off. The iudgements of God vpon Pharoh for exalting himselfe against God, and in his people, were many, and famous. Nat. Comes Myth. l. 9. c. 25. Timotheus the Ateenian ne­uer prospered in any enterprise, af­ter he had in his account giuen to the state, often intermingled this speech; And in this fortune had no part; so disclaiming Gods proui­dence, and sacrificing to his owne nets. Apryes a king of Aegypt, Guid. Iu­uenan Ter. Eun. which gloried that neither God nor Man could put him by his kingdome, was afterward strangled. Caphaneus, when he had said, that he would o­uerthrow Thebes, Inuito Deo, whe­ther [Page 118] God would or no, was strooke with lightning. Aiax said, that Co­wards could win with the helpe of God: But I (saith he) wil win this glory with­out God: not long after God punisht him by permitting him to kill him­selfe with a sword, which he had re­ceiued of Hector. Herod Agrippa for not giuing glory vnto God, when the people madly flatter him in their acclamation, Act. 12. 22. 24. The voyce of God, and not of Man, was suddenly smitten by Gods Angel, and eaten of wormes, and so ended his life. Simon Magus also to nuzzle the people in their foolish opinion of him, Ioseph. An­tiq. lib. 19. [...].17. who for his wonders thought him to be a God, boasted that hee would flye into Heauen: and as he was in his flight, Saint Peter com­manded the wicked spirit, by whose helpe he flue, to throw him downe, so that he fell, and was bruised to death. Alexander the great was al­so sicke of this disease: for he pra­ctised with the Priests at the Oracle of Hammon to be pronounced the [Page 119] Sonne of I [...]piter: but not long after hee was wounded in India, which made him confesse hee felt the in­firmities of a man, and a little after being returned to Babylon, as he was there in all his pompe and iollity, he was poysoned in a banquet after supper, and so dyed. Emp [...]docles de­sirous to be counted an immortall God, threw himselfe into Aetna, where he perished. Domitian like­wise was so blinded with pride, that he would be called a God, and wor­shipped: but how did God reward him? He was slaine of his seruants with daggers, by his wiues consent, in his priuy chamber: his body was buried without honour, his memo­ry cursed, and his trophies defaced. Demetrius, Alexanders successor, was by the foolish Athenians entitled a Sauing God, and had a Priest to doe Sacrifice vnto him, which honour he liked well of: but how did God like of it? He spoyled a number of his ships with his wind [...]s, he ouerthrew him in battell by Saleuchus, and after [Page 120] this suffered him to stuffe himselfe so ful with vittails, that he burst in sun­der. To all these we may adde those, that haue by their deuises counter­feited lightnings and thunders, that they might be feared as Gods, as did Alladius, Dio [...]s. Hal [...]a [...]. 1. Antiq. R [...]m. Dio [...]. l [...]b. 4. a king of the Latines before Romul [...]s, and a certaine king of Eli­de: both which were notably puni­shed for their insolency by that God into whose th [...]one they would haue aduanced themselues. For Alladius had his house fired with true light­ning, and ouerthrowne with a tem­pest of raine, together with the o­uer-flowing of a pond hard by it: so that he perished by fire and wa­ter, being both burnt and drowned all at once. The other was destroied with a thunder-bolt from heauen, and so suffered a iust punishment of his wicked pride. Histories further­more report, how Q [...]eene Ʋenda, daughter to Gracus the famous King of Poland, H [...]. H [...] [...]. Pol [...]. lib. 1. c. [...]. out of her proud & stately nature, refused to be ioyned in mar­riage with any; and at length, least [Page 121] her fortunate gouernement should bee disgraced by some vnlucky mishap, and so her pride eclypsed, to preuent this feare, desperately cast her selfe from an high bridge into the Riuer Vistula, and so suffered the punishment of her proud and stately minde, I [...]s [...]p [...]. de [...]l Iadd. 1. [...].12. 13. by a shamefull and base death. When Ierusalem was taken by Herod and Sosius there was a Iew, that had hid himselfe in a Caue with his wife and seuen children; to whom Herod offered both life and liberty, if hee would come forth: But hee, out of the pride and wilful­nesse of his spirit refusing this offer, first threw downe his children from an high Rocke, and brake their neckes, then flung his wife after them, and lastly cast himselfe after them; a fearefull spectacle of a proud and obstinate spirit. And▪ Many waies GOD pu­nisheth the proud. many waies doth the LORD meete with the pride of men; sometimes giuing them vp to hardnesse and impeni­tency of heart; sometimes bringing them into disgrace and open shame, [Page 122] and opprobry; sometimes suffring them to fall into other sinnes, where­by the lawes of men take hold of them, either to depriue them of their liues, or of their places, offices, and honours: One way or other hee doth vsually punish them, euen i [...] this life, to say nothing of those punishments of the life to come. And his mildest and most mercifull corrections of them are, The mil­der kind [...] of GODS iudgemēts vpon the proud are two. when ei­ther by cutting their combes, and abasing them by some notable affliction, hee teacheth them by his grace to confesse their pride, and to see their weakenesse; or when hee suffers them to fall into some grie­uous sinne, at which by his grace, hee makes them to blush, and moues them to distast their proud opinions of their owne strength, and to seeke in all humblenesse of heart for his assistance and protecti­on. By the former meane hee schoo­led Nebuchadnezzar: Dan. 4. 34 and by the latter Saint Peter, who by his fall did learne euer after, not to [Page 123] va [...]nt, or build, vpon his owne strength, but to depend vpon the grace and aide of GOD.

Now the consideration of these things teacheth vs these two duties. First to detest, eschew, and abandon pride; Osorius de Reg. Instit. l. 5 fol. 151. Then which nothing is more foolish, more base, more inhu­mane, more impious.

For what can bee more foolish, The folly of pride. then not to see how fraile, and brit­tle, all the things of the world are, how soone all things are changed, and by what suddaine, and grieuous chances men are depriued of their riches, glory, greatnesse, and life it selfe?

What can be more base and abiect then to haue the minde pinned and nayled to the ground, The base­nesse of pride. and not to looke on heauenly things and eter­nall, but earthly and momentany, and to bee puffed vp with wealth and honours, mortall and vaine things, that delight to flit, and change their Maisters?

What more inhumane and lesse [Page 124] beseeming the state of man, The inhu­manity of pride. then to contemne and skorne others, and [...]steeme all as Cyph [...]rs in comparison of themselues?

The im­piety of pride.What more vngodly, then to glory of riches, honours, dignities, noblenesse of birth, wit, strength, beauty, vertue; as if they were not [...]he free-gift [...] of GOD▪ as if men were not obliged to him for them?

The in­iustice of pride.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? P [...]o.13. [...]. Pride the mother of contenti­ons. 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 Common­wealthes, 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 [Page 125] 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, The ougli­nesse of pride. 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? Pro. 16. 18. 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 p [...]ide a man is spoy­led of them all: A Similie. Therefore as men take heed of Theeues, that rob and [Page 129] spoyle, so and much more should wee beware of pride ( Quae insidia­tur bonis operibus, August. vt pereant) which marres all good things, and turnes them vp side downe. Pride a waster. 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, A Similie. 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 [Page 127] praise and honour. Thus pride be­comes like a moth, or worme, Pride a moth. 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, The way to with­stand prid. 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, Iam. 4. 6. Hugo lib. 1. de anima. 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 [Page 128] 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, Hee that loues GOD, loues him­selfe. 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; A Similie. as a sober and chaste woman cares not how o­ther men are conceited of her, so be [Page 129] 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.