Ignis cœlestis: or An interchange of diuine love betweene God and his saints. By Iohn Lewis, minister of Gods word at St. Peters in the tovvne of St. Albons

Ignis cœlestis: or An interchange of diuine love betweene God and his saints. By Iohn Lewis, minister of Gods word at St. Peters in the tovvne of St. Albons

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Title page

To the worshipfull Mr. ROBERT SHVTE ESQVIER.

Ignis Coelestis: OR An interchange of diuine loue, betweene GOD and his SAINTS.

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Ignis Coelestis: OR An interchange of diuine loue, betweene GOD and his SAINTS.

1. IOHN, Chap. 4. Verse 19.‘Wee loue him, because hee loued vs first.’

I May say of these words, as Simonides did of God, that when he had required but one day to resolue what GOD was; when the day was expired, he was more vnable to answere, then at the first. The more I thinke of the admirable [Page] greatnesse of Gods loue toward vs, the more I may meditate of it, but the lesse able am I to expresse it; for mee thinkes I am enclosed in such a labyrinth, that I can neither by art nor nature extricate my selfe, like the sunne, which keepes his continuall motion, and yet neuer comes to an end. And indeede no meruaile, seeing that diuine loue which is in God differs nothing from himselfe, for Quicquid in Deo est, est ipse Deus: Whatsoeuer is in God is God himselfe. It is therefore as impossible for me fully to declare, and for you exactly to conceiue, what this loue of God is in it selfe, as to declare and conceiue what God himselfe is, seeing as the one is infinite, so is the other; God is infinite in his [Page] essence, therefore not finite in his properties, therefore vnconceiueable by any finite creature. But as God himselfe cannot be expressed as he is in his diuine essence, but as he hath reuealed himselfe in his word and workes, so his loue seeing it is de escentia diuina, essentiall vnto him that is incomprehensible, can onely be conceiued per nebulam, somewhat infirmely of vs, euen as he hath reuealed it in his word and workes toward his creatures.

This verse mee thinkes may not vnfitly be compared vnto the two Cherubims which were on the mercy seate,Exod. 37.9. the one looking toward the other: for God out of his meere fauour manifesting his loue toward vs, first, hath begotten in vs a holy loue [Page] toward him againe. And as the Species or image that issueth from the countenance into the glasse, is refl [...]cted backe into the eye of the beholder: so the loue of God toward vs, bege [...]teth in vs a loue toward him, which is reflect [...]d backe to him which is the Author of all loue, yea, Loue it selfe;1 Iohn 4.8. like the riuers, whose beginning is from the sea, and whose recourse is into the se [...] againe.

Context.The Apostle Saint Iohn in this Epistle, doth exhort vnto three graces especially; Faith, Loue, and Obedience; and these duties he doth interchangeably mixe one with another, but Loue is the grace hee doth chiefly insist vpon, and oftnest exhort vnto. And this loue he sheweth hath two obiects; [Page] The one more principall which is God: The other lesse principall which is man. God we must loue simply for him selfe, Man for God; God because he is God, Man because hee is Gods. Thus as the obiects of our Loue are diuers, so are their conditions; yet not so diuers as that they are contrary, but onely subordinate as the inferiour to the superiour.

The words of my Text do diuide themselues into these two branches:Parts. First, an affirmation of an effect wrought. Secondly, a declaration of the cause working. The effect wrought in these words. We loue him; wherin obserue three things. 1. The subiect, Wee. 2. The action of this subiect, Loue. 3. The obiect of this action, Him. In the cause [Page] obserue foure things. 1. The efficient, God. 2. His affection, Loue. 3. The obiect, Vs. 4. The extent. First.

The Metaphrase of the words is this: True indeede it is, that all those which know God truely, and are begotten againe by the immortall seede of his diuine Word, and are indewed with the heauenly graces of his blessed spirit, doe intirely, and with ardent affection loue God their father who hath begot them: But whence proceeds this loue? is it from themselues? or haue they it radically or naturally growing in them? No questionlesse. God is as a fountaine of loue, who louing them first, hath so conueyed his loue into their hearts by the powerfull operation of his holy Spirit, [Page] that the streame returnes vnto himselfe againe: and as the Sunne by his power, with the motion of the heauens, is the cause of all naturall heate in these sublunary creatures: So is God by the motion of his owne diuine loue, the efficient cause that worketh the heate of loue in all that feare him: We loue him indeed but not of our selues, but we loue him, because he loued vs first. Thus much for the meaning of the words.

Seeing by order of nature the cause is before the effect, I suppose it is not so conuenient to handle the words as they lie in the Text, for it seemes somewhat preposterous: but I will rather begin with those words which are last in place, but first in nature; and so shall I shew, [Page] first the loue of God to his children being the cause, then our loue backe againe to God being the effect.

Touching the loue of God I lay downe this Doctrine:Doctrine 1. That God before the foundation of the world hath, doth, and will loue those that are his elect. For so must wee vnderstand the text; the word vs, implying the obiect of Gods loue is not generall to all men, but particularly to be restrayned vnto those who doe rightly know God, and in knowing him doe truely and faithfully serue him. For as touching the wicked, I may say of them as Peter said of Simon Magus, Acts 8.21. They haue no part nor fellowship in this matter, that is, in the inheritance of Gods loue; and till such time as they are regenerated, [Page] and effectually conuerted, they are in the gall of bitternesse, and the bond of iniquity.

For the proofe of the Doctrine, it is confirmed: First, by Scripture: Secondly, by Instances. By scripture,Mal. 1.2. see Mal. 1.2. I haue loued yee, saith the Lord, yet ye say wherein hast thou loued vs? Was not Esau Iacobs brother, saith the Lord, yet I loued Iacob. And I hated Esau, and laid his mountaines and heritage wast, for the dragons of the wildernes. The Israelites contest with God, hee affirmeth he hath loued them, but they being (as they alwaies were) an vngrateful and an vnthankefull nation, with bolde and impudent faces, doe not sticke to deny that euer God did testifie any loue to them; yea, they will not take Gods bare [Page] word, but will put him to proue it. Wherein hast thou loued vs? O miserable hardnes of heart, that hath continuall experience, and yet will not take notice of Gods loue: yet God shewes them plainly in particular wherin he testified his lo [...]e toward them; euen in Iacob, whom of his free and meer mercy he chose to be heire of the promise, frō whose loines they sprang, & through whom they were made the children of the couenant.1 Ioh. 3.1. So againe; Behold, what loue the father hath shewed vs, that we should be called the sons of God. Where the Apostle doth prefixe the word Behold, as a marke of attention and obseruation: teaching all those that are the seruants of the most high, and children of the immortall GOD, that they should [Page] by no means be ignorant of the great loue that God had shewed vnto them. And a most remarkable place is that of Ieremie: Ier. 31.3. I haue loued thee with an euerlasting loue, therefore with mercies haue I drawn thee. Where the Lord declares the greatnesse of his loue by the word euerlasting, which shewes that it is eternall, both a parte ante, et a parte post (as the Schooles speake) that is, both before the world was made, and after the world shall be dissolued; now whatsoeuer was before the world, was eternall, and whatsoeuer shall be after the world, shall be eternall.

Many other testimonies might be alledged for the confirmation of this point; but let vs a little see what this loue of God is.The loue of God. Loue is nothing else but a [Page] strong affection and inclination to the thing beloued, with a contenting of the minde in the thing obtained. And so the Hebrew word, [...] doth signifie; Non solum aliquid velle, verum etiam in eo iam comparato acquiescere; not onely to loue & desire, but also to rest contented in the fruition of the thing desired. So the Greeke word in the text, [...] to loue, signifies as much as to be content, for so Cicero turnes it. Phauorinus deriues it [...], that is, [...], seipsum, [...], altogether, and with his whole minde to affect and giue himselfe to the thing beloued. But others (and that I thinke more fitly) deriue it [...], quod est, valde perfecteque in re amata acquiescere; [Page] greatly and perfectly to rest contented in the inioyment of the thing beloued.Mat. 3. 17. So God himselfe pronounced from heauen touching Christ, Hic est filius meus [...]: This is my welbeloued Sonne; and immediately as though he would giue a reason or etymologie of the word, he addes, [...], in quo acquiesco; in whom I rest, or am well pleased.

So then there are in loue three things. 1. An affection or passion, whereby we are enclined vnto the thing beloued. 2. There is a desire, whereby wee are strongly carryed to the inioying of the thing beloued. 3. A great ioy, whereby we rest our selues contented in the possession of the thing desired. In these three things doth Augustine [Page] in his booke De substantia delectionis, make loue to consist. Hence then we may easily see what loue is. It is an ardent affection of the mind, wherby the heart is moued towards that which either is truely or seemingly good, desiring to draw that good vnto it selfe, that it might enioy it, and in the fruition of it rest contented.

Loue doth vnite and knit two things together, that they become one; and from this vnion ariseth a sympathie, that the louer doth not lesse feele the griefes and afflictions of his beloued then he himselfe, and the good and prosperity of the thing beloued, is not more its, then the louers.

But the loue of God is of another kinde, and of another manner: for loue in God is most perfect, [Page] for that he is perfection it selfe; but in vs loue is imperfect, being not without some passion and weaknes of minde. But such a loue is not in God, for he is [...], impatible, and cannot be moued, there being nothing in God that is seruile or base, or that argues any the least imperfection: but he is a diuine Maiesty, most glorious, most holy, most absolute in perfection, most free from any the least inclination to weakenesse. And howsoeuer it pleaseth him in the Scripture to compare his loue to the loue of a Mother toward her Childe, of a Henne toward her Chickens, of a Pastour toward his Sheepe, yea, of a Father grieuing at the misery of his Sonnes, and the like: yet this is but onely [...], [Page] after the manner of men, that we may conceiue it; idque ob nostram vtilitatem, for our benefit (as Zanchius speaks) that we may be verily perswaded, that the loue of God toward vs, is most feruent, most sincere, and that from thence we may conceiue confidence to flye vnto him and to call vpon him.

Note.But we must note that the loue of God consists in three things, which are absolutely perfect without any passion or motion of the minde. First, in his eternall beneuolence, that is, his eternall good-will vnto his Elect, and his euerlasting purpose of commiserating, helping, preseruing, and redeeming his children: For (according to the saying of Saint [Page] Paul) before the children did either good or bad, yea, before they were borne, Rom. 9.11. God hated Esau, and loued Iacob. What was this loue that God bare vnto Iacob before he was borne? Euen his good-will that hee had toward him, whereby he had decreed the good and saluation of his soule. The second thing wherei [...] Gods loue doth consist, is his actuall beneficence, that is, in the outward effects of his inward loue; whether it be in things temporall, and belonging to this life, or eternall, respecting the life to come.Note. And herein Gods loue is more excellent then Mans loue, and more pure then the loue of any creature; for God doth good to the creature, not thereby to doe good to himselfe; whereas the loue [Page] of man is not so much for the things sake beloued, as for the profit, pleasure, or content it bringeth with it. So that the second thing wherein the loue of God consisteth, is his readinesse to doe all things hee thinketh good for his children, and that not so much for his owne benefit as for theirs: [...]. Aristot. for so the Phylosopher defines true loue. The third thing wherein the loue of God consists, is that complacency, oblectation, delight, content, and well-pleasingnesse that God findes in his elect: and in this sense wee finde it vsed.Prou. 15.9. The way of the wicked is an abhomination to the Lord, but he loueth him that followeth after righteousnesse. Here we see that the loue of God is taken neither for his beneuolence, nor beneficence, [Page] but for his approbation and delectation, his delight he takes in those that worke righteousnesse; and on the contrary he hates, disalowes of, and is discontented at the wicked wayes of the vngodly. Thus wee see what the loue of God to his Elect is; Euen his eternall purpose and decree of doing good vnto them, and the expressing of this inward and secret loue, by outward euident testimonies of grace and fauour, and that freely delighting in them, vniting himselfe vnto them, not for his owne good, but for theirs, euen to make them partakers of his goodnesse.

Here then we are to obserue,Note. that there is a double loue in God. First, a generall loue, wherewith hee loueth all his creatures, and whereby he preserueth [Page] them being created, and of this loue of God haue the wicked experience, God louing them as they are his creatures, and the workemanship of his hands, but when they degenerate from their creation, and become sinfull creatures, then though God loue them with a generall loue as they are his creatures, yet hee hates them with a particular hatred because they are sinfull, their sins making themselues and all things accursed vnto them. Secondly, there is a speciall loue of God, wherewith hee loueth his Elect in Christ, not prop [...]er opera praeuisa, for the workes hee fore-saw, neither Legall as the Papist, nor Euangelicall as the Arminians teach; but meerely from his owne good [Page] pleasure, and from the desire he had to doe good vnto them. And from hence it is, that he is neuer called the God of Cain, or of Esau, or of Saul: but the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob;Exod. 3.6. the God of the faithfull, whom he loueth for euer. We see then that the loue of God is not equally vouchsafed vnto all men, but the Elect haue more prerogatiue in his mercies and fauours then others haue. Kings make choise of some particular persons whom they make either of their Counsell, or their fauourites, not affecting nor countenancing all alike: so Gods loue is generall to all his creatures, as the Kings to all his subiects, but more particularly he chooseth some, on whom his speciall loue and fauour is [Page] setled, and of them it is said God is not ashamed to be called their God. They being his spouse, he hath knit himself vnto them by an indisso [...]uab [...]e band of vnion, neuer to be violated or broken.

But because loue is an internall affection in God, and wee cannot either conceiue or expresse it, as it is in it selfe, let me (according to my promise) by instance in the externall effects, demonstrate it vnto you. The speciall effects of Gods loue toward his children are these.Effects of Gods loue. 1. Election [...] 2. Creation. 3. Preseruation. 4. Redemption. 5. Vocation. 6. Sanctification. 7. Glorification.

Election.And first to speake of Gods loue to vs in our Election. God in his diuine wisedome before [Page] the world was created, out of the lumpe of mankinde had called and elected a certaine number, whom he pleased to make partakers of his loue and fauour: being once elected according to Gods purpose, it needes must be,Rom. 8.28. that all things in the world should work together for their good. And this is made a testimony of Gods loue vnto his children.Ephes. 1.4.5 God hath chosen vs in Christ, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue, who hath predestinated vs to be adopted through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe, according to the good pleasure of his will. Here then we see what is the causa proëgumena, the internal mouing cause of our election, euen the meere loue and good-will of God, according [Page] to that of Saint Paul, He will haue mercy on whom he will haue mercy. Gods election is without any merit of ours, therefore meerely from his loue. Againe, the loue of God in our election is seene, in that it is immutable, vnchangeable, so that they which are indeede chosen to saluation, cannot perish, but shall without doubt attaine to life eternall. When Adam fell, God might haue suffered him to haue lien in his fall, but that he had ordained him vnto life, wherefore for the execution of his decree, he appointed all meanes to concurre for his saluation.Rom. 9.11. The purpose of God according to election must remaine firme and sure. Such as Gods nature is, such is his wil and counsell; his nature and essence is [Page] vnchangeable;Mal. 3.6. I am Iehouah, and [...]hange not, therefore his will and counsell must needes be immutable. Here then wee see the first euidence of Gods loue toward vs, it is neither to day nor yesterday that he hath begun to loue vs, our election began not with our selues, but before the Mountaines were made, before the foundation of the world was laid, euen from euerlasting to euerlasting the Lord is our God. What creature then is able to disanull that which God hath willed before that euer any creature was? Onely let vs labour that as our election is sure in it selfe, so that wee may make it sure vnto our selues, by walking with a good conscience in holinesse before the Lord, and then we neede [Page] not feare what the Diuell or man can worke against it; seeing the stormy gusts of Satans malice, the rage of his temptations, the power of the gates of hell, can neuer frustrate the decree of God. Wherefore let it be in our daily meditations, to consider Gods infinite loue to his elect, that whereas it was in his power to haue reprobated all men, or to haue chosen the reprobate in their stead (there being nothing in the one to moue him, any more then in the other, but his meere loue) yet out of so many thousands, to elect so few vnto himselfe, and to decree them vnto saluation; surely as it testifieth great loue in God, so ought it to prouoke great feare in vs, and to giue vnto God that diuine respect [Page] which is due vnto him. And whereas Sathan stirres vp many tempests of trouble and blasts of temptation against the Church of God, de [...]iring to sinke the ship, or to driue it on the rockes: Let vs be sure to cast the anchour of hope, and to fasten it in heauen vpon the foundation of Gods election.

The second testimony of Gods great loue toward his children, is in their Creation. Creation. Man in respect of his creation and being, was farre more excellent then any creature of the earth beside, which appeareth in the text of the Scripture; for whereas for the creation of the light, of the heauens and earth, and euery creature in them Gods bare command sufficed; [Page] but when hee was to create man, to shew the excellency of the creature, hee consulteth with the whole God-head, the Trinitie: Gen. 1.26. Let vs make man in our owne image. In man therefore as he was created, wee are to consider the integrity of his nature, and the dignity of his person. The integrity of his nature is seene, in that he was indued with diuine wisedome, knowing God his maker so far forth as was conuenient and possible for the creature to know his Creator; hee knew the will and workes of God perfectly, wherefore Zanchius tearmes Adam, Insignem Theol [...]gum ac Philosophum, of meere men, the best Diuine, and most excellent Philosopher. He had habituall iustice, whereby he [Page] was conformable vnto the will of God, in his will, defires, inclinations, and actions. The dignity of man did consist principally in the communion he had with his God and maker; lesse principally in the diuine essence of his soule, in the beauty and maiesty hee had in his body aboue all earth [...]y creatures, in his dominion and gouernment he had ouer them, in his immunity from sicknesse, wearinesse, and all infirmities.Note. The dignity of man by creation is obserued in this; that God hath made him a compound of all his creatures, therefore he is called by the Grecians [...], The little world: In respect of his soule, he is like the Angels: in respect of his body, he hath affinity with earthly creatures, [Page] there being no excellency in any terrestriall creature, which man hath not in greater perfection. Wherefore this must be vnto euery faithfull soule a testimony of Gods loue to him; that whereas all creatures were in the hand of God as the clay in the hands of the Potter, and that he might (if it had pleased him) haue made thee farre inferiour vnto that thou art: God might haue created thee a Dog or a Toade, or any other loathsome creature, for neither was there anything to compell him, or to resist him, yet it pleased him of his meere loue to create thee after his owne image, to endew thee with a reasonable soule, that so thou mightest be capable of the knowledge and fruition of thy Creator. To [Page] conferre good on any man for his good, without either compu [...]sion or merit, must needes proceed from loue; why then shall not we ascribe the benefit of our creation to the meere loue of God, seeing he could not be compelled, nor could we merit? Although the faithfull man onely is not made partaker of this benefit, but the wicked also, yet must we notwithstanding acknowledge it to proceed from Gods loue, and to be a great b [...]essing; for community doth not take away the nature of a benefit.

The third testimony of Gods loue to his Elect is their Redemption. Redemption. When God had created Adam, he put him into the garden of Eden, hee gaue him freewil, ability either to stand in [Page] innocency, or to fall from it; but he through his disobedience dis-robed not onely himselfe, but also his whole posterity of their garments of holinesse, and made himselfe and vs slaues of Sathan, and heires of eternall damnation. GOD [...]n his creation hath done his part, but he became a rebell against his maker, and so captiuated himselfe and his whole stocke vnder the Diuels bondage. God in this case might iustly haue forsaken him, seeing he was author of his owne misery, as Hosea saith,Hosea 13.9. O Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe. Yet the LORD, whose loue is infinite, and whose mercy is eternall, looking vpon man in this wretched and miserable estate with the eye of pitty and compassion, [Page] out of his meere grace and fauour made vnto Adam a promise of redemption by Iesus Christ the Messiah, in these words,Gen. 3.10. The seed of the woman shall breake the Serpents head. This promise made vnto Adam was fulfilled vnto vs.Gal. 4.4. For when the fulnesse of time was come, God sent foorth his sonne, made of a woman, made vnder the law, to redeeme them that were vnder the Law, that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes. This the Apostle makes a manifest demonstration of Gods loue.Rom [...] 5.8. God shewed his loue to vs, in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for vs. And questionlesse this was a more excellent testimony of Gods loue, then either of the former, and that in two respects: First, in respect o [...] vs: Secondly, [Page] in respect of Christ. In respect of our selues; before wee were elected or created, we had done nothing, that did displease or anger God, nothing did oppose him; but before our redemption wee had depraued our nature and depriued our selues of all holinesse, & were rebels against God, so that our sins stood betweene him and vs, which like a partition wall must first be remoued, before wee could be brought into league with God. Note. Secondly, in respect of God, our redemption is obserued to be a greater worke, then either our election or creation; for our election was but Gods eternall counsell; our creation but the composing of the body, and inspiring of the soule, both effected of God [Page] without paine, without shame; but for the accomplishing of our redemption, Christ Iesus, true God, coequall with the father in Diety, must leaue the heauens, lay afide his crowne of glory, and be incarnate in the forme of a seruant, and be obedient vnto the law, and suffer a shamefull and painefull death vpon the Crosse, and all to take away our sinnes; the Sonne of God was made the Sonne of man, that the sonnes of men might be made the sonnes of God; the LORD of glory was vilefied, that the sonnes of shame might be glorified, the seruants committed the offence, the master bare the punishment; the LORD of life was sold to death, that the seruants of death might-become [Page] heires of life; hee was set apart of his father, that our sinnes might be set apart by him, and we through him to be heires of glory, and immortality. Thus in these two respects was the loue of God more admirable in the worke of our redemption, then either in our election or creation. Whence proceeded therefore our redemption? Euen from the vnspeakeable loue of God. What was it that moued God to promise and to send Christ into the world? onely his diuine loue. What was it that moued Christ to cloath himselfe with the garment of our fraile flesh? onely his diuine loue. What moued him to endure so many and so great torments both in body and soule for vs? onely his diuine [Page] loue. What moued him to bestow vpon vs all his blessings, and to take vpon himselfe all our miseries? onely his diuine loue. What mooued him to hunger and thirst, to continue [...]asting, to remaine walking all night, to passe ouer sea and land to seeke after lost soules? onely his diuine loue. What moued him lastly to sweat drops of bloud, to be despised, whipped, wounded, to cry [...] Eli, Eli, lamasabachthani? My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? and at length to yeeld vp the ghost for our sinnes? onely his diuine loue. Here is loue for meditation incomprehensible; for imitation impossible. God in the worke of our redemption hath afforded vnto vs such a patterne of loue, as that all [Page] the world is not able to parralel the smallest part of it. Wherfore so often as we doe consider the great work of our redemption, let vs be sure to acknowledge the great loue of our Redeemer.

Preseruation.The third testimony of Gods inward loue toward his elect, is in their preseruation. Gods preseruation is twofold; Generall and Speciall. His generall preseruation is that which extends it selfe ouer the whole vniuerse, the whole world, by which the Lord continues and maintaines the order which he set in nature at the creation, and preserues the life, being, and substance of euery creature in his kinde. His speciall preseruation is that which God manifesteth and exerciseth toward his Church [Page] and chosen children, in gathering, guiding and preseruing them. This preseruation is twofold, [...]i [...]h [...]r from the euill of sin, or from the euill of punishment. From the euill of sinne God doth preserue his elect, [...]or hee doth guide them by his counsell;Psal 73.24. hence it is that Peter saith, The godly runne not with the wicked into the same excesse of riot: They are so led by the spirit of God, that they let not loose the reynes of their affections, but being withheld by the restrayning grace of God, they are preserued from the committing of many sins.Gen. 6.9. Thus the Lord preserued Noah from partaking with the olde world in their sinnes:Gen. 19.5. Lo [...] from following the Sodomites in their filthy abhominations: Ioseph from cons [...]nting to the lewd [Page] entisement of his Mistris.Gen. 39.8. Eliah from the idolatrie of Israell:1 King. 19. 10. 1 Sam. 26.11. Dauid from slaying Saul his Master:Dan. 3. 17. the three Children from worshipping the image of Nabuchadnezzar. As God preserued these, so doth hee all his children, not suffering them to commit so many and so great sinnes, as he doth wicked and vngodly men. Secondly, hee preserues them from the euill of punishment; Noah from the floud, Lot out of Sodome, Israel from Pharaoh, Dauid from Saul, Eliah from Iezabel, Daniel from the lyons, the three children from the fire, &c. God indeed is the shepheard of his flocke, which couers them vnder the shadow of his wings, and watcheth ouer them to preserue them from the deuouring [Page] wolues. Wherefore when thou considerest that thou art the sonne of Adam, hauing in thee the roote and seed of all sinnes yet (when others runne headlong to destruction, following the streame of their owne cursed desires, letting loose the raines of their affections to all sinne and wickednesse, being fearelesse and shamelesse in their impious courses) thou art preserued; First, from that abomination and hainous impietie which wicked men practise, thou neither desirest nor delightest in that which GOD hath forbidden in his Law. But from whence proceedes this? from thine owne power? No questionlesse: of thy selfe thou canst not thinke a good thought, either to abstaine from [Page] euill, or to doe good; Seeing that by nature thou art equally indifferent vnto all sinne, thou must therefore disclaime all strength of nature, & renounce all ability in thy selfe, and acknowledge that it is from God onely that thou art preserued, his loue toward thee mooued him to restraine thee. If it be from God that euery good gift doth proceede; how then shall it no [...] be from him that sinne is preuented? Learne therefore to ascribe thy preseruation from sinne, onely to God, and to his loue. Secondly, seest thou what punishments God infl [...]cteth vpon others, vpon some diseases; on others bodily imperfections, on others imprisonment, on others shame and disgrace, on others losses in their estates, [Page] on others suddaine destruction, on others spirituall plagues, as hardnesse of heart, blindnesse of minde, &c. on others eternall condemnation; if thou art freed from these or the like, acknowledge it to be neither from thine owne power, or merit, but meerely from Gods loue, for of thy selfe thou lyest open to all perils, not being able to auoyde any,Eadem est causa procreans, et conseruans. vnlesse the powerfull prouidence of God did protect thee, he alone made thee, and he alone doth preserue thee.

If he should withdraw his prouidence, thou couldest not subsist the least moment of time. Though many men doe slightly esteeme of these things, yet being weighed in the ballance of good consideration thou shalt finde them especiall [Page] testimonies of Gods loue to thee. Thou seest one breake his leg; it was Gods loue to thee [...] that it was not thy lot; thou s [...]est another slaine, but that God loued thee he might haue caused it to haue fallen on thee; thou hast no pattent of exemption, no priuiledge of immunity to be free from common calamities. Art thou not a man as others? A sinner as others? The sonne of Adam as all others? If then all eui [...]s be inflicted on man for [...]inne; the same cause being in thee as in others, how is it that the same effects are not shewed on thee as on others? Who hath suspended the effects from their causes? who hath stayed the violent torrent of the water that thou shouldest not perish in this common [Page] floud? Surely we can ascribe it to no other cause but to the goodnesse and loue of God.

So often therefore as we see Gods iudgements vpon others, they ought to be so many remembrancers of our owne sinfull deserts, and Gods admirable goodnesse.

The fift experiment of Gods loue toward his Elect, is their Vocation;Vocation. that is, their inward calling: for we must know that there is a double calling. An inward calling, whereby men are onely in the Church, not of the Church, liuing where the Word and Sacraments are exhibited, and making an outward profession of Religion: And an inward calling, which is a donation of iustifying faith by the preaching of the Gospel, [Page] and the communication of sauing grace by Christ Iesus; whereby wee follow our heauenly calling, being enlightned by the Spirit of God, with the beames of diuine wisedome; and being separated from the cursed generation of the world, wee are sealed with a visible marke of grace and holinesse. This was not done to many, more worthy then thy selfe; but it pleased God to call thee from walking with the reprobate, being like him by nature, being both borne rebels and transgressors from the wombe, and didst wa [...]ke on with him in the same course of disobedience, which leadeth to damnation, till it pleased God to call thee to a better estate that thou mightest be saued.

[Page]Thus the Lord deliuers his children by calling them, as he did Lot out of Sodome, Gen. 19.16. from the [...]earefull condemnation of wicked reprobates. Of thy selfe thou canst not be deliuered, for there is no difference by nature betweene the elect and reprobate, till God worke grace; Paul till God cald him,Acts 9. as bloudy a persecutor as Nero, Domitian or Iulian:Luke 19.2. Zacheus as vnconscionable and couetous a worldling,Luke 16.23. as the rich Glutton condemned to hell. It is the Lord onely that can giue this grace:Iohn 6.44. No man can come vnto me, vnlesse the father draw him, saith Christ. He must open our hearts, as he did the heart of his seruant Lidia, Acts 16.14. that we may receiue the seede of grace. It is indeede a new creation [...] 2 Cor. 5.17. man was [Page] not able to giue himselfe a being by nature, much lesse of grace; as it was the Lord onely that could bring light out of darkenesse, so it is [...]e onely that can giue vs the light of heauenly wisedome,Psal. 51.10. it is he onely that creates in vs new hearts, and renewes right spirits within vs N [...]y, of our selues we haue no more minde of our effectuall calling, then Saul had when he went to Damascus to persecute the Church;Acts 9. wherefore the praise of it must redound to God:Augustinus. Nemo dicat ideò me vocauit quia colui Deum, quomodo coluisses si vocatus non fuisses? Let no man say God hath therefore called me, because I loued him, for thou couldest not haue loued him, vnlesse he had called thee. Wherefore when God by [Page] his word and holy spirit shall call any of vs, and giue vs grace to change our course, turning our backes vpon Sathan, and our faces toward the Lord, and parting company with the children of disobedience, that so while they goe on in their sinnes vnto iudgement, we returne home with the penitent Prodigall to our fathers family;Luke 15. oh let vs count it a happy day of diuision betweene vs and our sinnes, a happy day that with Israel we haue left Egypt, and are entred into the borders of Canaan, that so like the redeemed of the Lord, we may walke from strength to strength till we appeare before the Lord in Sion. And let vs magnifie the goodnesse of our God, and ascribe our conuersion to his [Page] fauour and louing kindnesse. What moued God to vouchsafe the meanes of grace? what moued him to giue thee so large a time of repentance? what moued him to giue thee the grace of regeneration? what moued him to giue thee perseuerance? Onely his diuine loue wherewith he hath loued from eternity. Oh what an exceeding ioy will it be vnto thee, when (by vertue of this vocation) thou shalt see thy selfe possessed of the fruition of almighty God for euer and euer in the kingdome of heauen, and shalt see others of thy companions and acquaintance, for want of the same grace to remaine euerlastingly tormented in the vnquenchable fire of hell? Then thou wilt cry out with Paul, [Page]O profunditatem diuitiarum! Oh the depth of the riches of Gods loue!

The sixt testimony of Gods loue toward vs, is our Sanctification. Sanctification We are by nature altogether corrupt, our whole man is nothing but a very sinke of sin and pollution; but the Lord hauing chosen and redeemed vs vnto himselfe, hath so washed vs in the bloud of Christ, and in the water of the new birth, that wee are beautifull and comely in his eyes: Hee hath made our bitter waters to become sweete, hee hath turned our filthinesse into cleanenesse; he hath made our hearts of barren wildernesses to become fruitfull lands, of sinners he hath made vs Saints, to the glory and praise of his name.

[Page]He hath so loued vs, that he hath made vs precious in his eyes; he found vs polluted in our owne bloud, naked and bare, but he hath washed vs with the water of regeneration; he hath anointed vs with his oyle, and couered our filthy nakednesse with his rich ornaments: when we were in the state of vnregeneration, all our actions were odious in his sight, our thoughts wicked before him, our words prophane against him, but now being sanctified by the spirit of the Lord Iesus, our persons, thoughts, words, and workes are gracious in his eyes, not through their merits, but through his owne mercy and loue in Iesus Christ. Wherefore if thou findest in thy selfe the grace of regeneration [Page] and sanctification, know that then thy vgly loathsomenesse is cleane purged away, and thy selfe is become acceptable vnto the Lord. All which he hath done to perswade thee of his loue.

The last testimony of Gods loue, is in the Glorification of his elect.Glorification The glory that God hath laid vp for his Saints, is such as neither eye hath seene, nor eare hath heard, neither hath it entred into mans heart.

The glory that King Ahashuerosh would giue vnto the man whom he would honour was great:Ester 6.8. He should weare the Kings royall apparell, and ride on the Kings horse, the imperiall crowne shall be set vpon his head, and proclamation shall be [Page] made before him as hee rides through the streetes, This is the man whom the King doth honour. Alas this g [...]ory is not comparable to the magnificent maiesty of the Saints in heauen; it is so excellent that it darkeneth all worldly honour, as the Sunne with his beames obscures the less [...]r S [...]arres.Note. There are foure titles by which the holy Ghost in the Scripture vseth to expresse the felicity of the Saints of God in heauen. First, it is called a life,Iohn 10.26. and such a life as is eternall. Secondly, it is called a kingdome, Heb 12.28. and such a kingdome as cannot be shaken. Thirdly, it is called an inheritance, and such an inheritance as is immortall, vndefiled, and fades not away. Fourthly, it is called a crowne, and this crowne hath three, [Page]adiuncts, of glory, of life, of righteousnesse; of glory there is excellency, of life there is immortality, of righteousnesse there is equity. The glory of it argues the sufficiency of content, that there shall be no basenesse, but all shall be glorious; Wee shall so behold the glory of the Lord that we shall be transformed into it. The word life argues a perpetuity, and imports a continuall enioyment, without trouble, without interruption. The word Righteous, implyes the righteous author, God, the righteous meanes, Christ, the righteous receiuers, the Saints. There we shall shine with albes of innocency on our backes, with Palmes of victory in our hands, crownes of glory on our heads, and songs of triumph [Page] in our mouthes; there shall be ioy without heauinesse, strength without weakenesse, glory without shame, holinesse without impurity, and happinesse without intermission.Note. Moses was but forty dayes with God vpon mount Sinai, Exod. 34.29. and his face shined so brightly, that the Israelites could not behold him: If forty dayes in Sinai remaining with God, did so change Moses, how shall we be changed that shall abide with him for euer in the highest heauens?Mat. 17.4. The three Disciples of our Lord that beheld a little glimpes of his glory on mount Thabor, wished they might abide there for euer: How then shall wee be rauished, when we shall for euer behold the full manifestation of his glory in the kingdome [Page] of heauen? This glory the Saints deceased already possesse, we that are here, hasten to it: wherefore seeing the Lord hath raised our honour from the dust, and deliuered our soules from the lower hell, and hath caused vs to sit with himselfe in heauenly places, where we shall be filled with the ioyes which are at his right hand, and drinke of the riuer of his pleasures, and be inuested with glory and maiesty perpetuall world without end: what can we ascribe this vnto, but his infinite goodnesse, and vnspeakeable loue? If the King should of his meere mercy and princely compassion, free a man from bonds and imprisonment, and heape vpon him many great honours and dignities, making him one of his [Page] chiefest peeres, who would not presently coniecture and say; Surely the Kings loue is great toward him? As our glory in heauen doth farre transcend the glory of any temporall state in this world; and as God hath done more for vs in freeing and ransoming vs from our slauish bondage, and making vs spirituall kings and Priests vnto himselfe;1 Pet. 2.9. then any earthly King can doe for his fauorite, in regard of the greatnesse of our misery we were in, and the excellency of the glory we shall possesse; So let vs euermore beare in memory these fore-mentioned mercies, and in them acknowledge Gods loue to be infinite, and his compassion incomprehensible.

Vse 1.The vses of this Doctrine of [Page] Gods loue are two: First of dutie: Secondly of comfort. First seeing Gods loue was and is the ground of all blessings vnto man, and not mans merits; This should worke in euery one of vs true humilitie of mind, to be lowly and humble in our owne eyes. One hath riches, he is so proud, that hee will neither know himselfe, his friends, nor his betters. A second hath wisedome politicall and spirituall, he is so wrapt vp with a vaine imagination of his owne excellency, that he supposeth none like himselfe. A third abounds in sanctification, but selfe-conceite makes him despise his brethen. A fourth is soared to a high pitch of honour, from the which with the eye of contempt he beholds all [Page] men like Crowes. O beloued this hautinesse and loftinesse of minde is the ruine of goodnesse in man.

Alas, what was hee before Gods loue elected and created him? why he had no being. What was he before God in his loue redeemed him? a very firebrand of hell and childe of perdition. What had he beene if God had not preserued him? Smitten and confounded into hell long ere this. What was he before he was called and sanctified? a yoke-mate with the reprobate, a copes-mate with the cast-away, walking in the same path of disobedience with many of the damned in hel. What were he if he should not be glorified? Surely of all miserable creatures the most [Page] miserable. Sed vnde haec? From whence, O man hast thou these blessings? Not from thy selfe; for out of filthinesse can no cleannesse proceed: No they flow from the cleare fountaine of all grace and goodnesse, the great and infinite loue of God Almighty. Remember what thou wert, and it will make thee humble; remember what thou art, and it will make thee thankfull; the one will keepe thee from presumption, the other from despaire. Paul did iustly demaund,1 Cor 4.7. What hast thou O man, thou hast not receiued? All good things, both internall and externall, may be for man, but not from man.

God made man, and for man all things. Man of himselfe is so degenerated a creature that [Page] he is not worth the ground he goes on; nay, he is not worth himselfe, not worth the matter and forme whereof hee doth consist. That s [...]ntence that was writ in golden Characters vpon Apollos Temple, ΓNΩΘI ΣΑΥΤΟΝ, Know thy selfe, is highly worthy to be engrauen on the heart of euery man. Did we but know our selues to be but men, the very name of men, would cause vs to cast away our proud plumes, and remember our father Adam, that was but earth. The Prophet cryes out with an exclamation, How art thou fallen from heauen, O Lucifer, the Son of the morning? We on the other [...]ide may cry, O how art thou mounted to heauen, O man, the sonne of corruption? Let vs know our selues and [Page] our places, least in soaring too high, the fiery beames of Gods wrath melt our waxen plumes, and we fall headlong into the Sea of confusion. The Elders that sate about the throne of God, did cast their crownes before the throne, and cryed saying.Reu. 4.10.11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receiue glory, and honour, and power, for thou hast created all things for thine owne pleasure. If wee haue any crownes, let vs cast them at the feete of God, and say; Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receiue glory, honour, and power, for thou hast elected, created, redeemed, preserued, called, sanctified, and wilt hereafter glorifie vs; not because we are worthy, but because thou hast loued vs from eternity.

The second Vse of this pointVse. 2. [Page] is for comfort vnto euery godly soule. What greater comfort can a subiect haue in this life, then this, to be his Princes fauorite, to be deare and precious in his eyes, vpon whom he doth cast honours and conferre wealth, gracing him with his countenance, dignifying him with promotions, and sheltring him from the furious tempests of malicious enuy? if a mans happinesse could be confined to the world, what could be desired more? But this is nothing to the comfort of a Christian; who hath God for his master; yea, I may say for his father, heauen for his home, celestiall happinesse for his reward, the LORD of hoste for his shield and buckler. What? shall not the Christian solace himselfe [Page] more in God, then the subiect in his Prince? shall not his consolation be greater seeing his estate is more happy? Comfort thou thy selfe thou that art begotten of God, Esau is hated, but if thou hast Iacobs heart thou shalt with Iacob be beloued of God; the wicked man wants Gods loue, therefore he wants all things; the godly man inioyes Gods loue, therefore he enioyes all things. Gods loue was thine before thou wert thine owne; thou hadst thy beginning within these few yeares; Gods loue hath no beginning, but like himselfe was from eternitie: God did not beginne to loue thee, when hee begun to make thee, but he loued thee, before the world was made, and will loue thee after [Page] the world is dissolued. What then if wicked men hate thee? God loues thee. What if men reiect thee? God hath chosen thee. What if men persecute thee? Greater is he that is with thee, then they that are against thee. What if the Diuell assault thee? Christ hath redeemed thee. What if thy sins affright thee? God hath washed and sanctified thee. What if Satan would confound thee? God wil glorifie thee. Thus hast thou against all dangers Murum aheneū, Gods fauour as a wall of brasse to secure thee. Feare not mans hatred, God is loue: Feare not Satans rage, God is power: Feare not thine owne sinnes, God is mercy. Let the rich man reioyce in his riches; the strong man in his strength; the wise man in his [Page] wisedome; the ambitious man in his honour; the Epicure in his pleasure; let not vs reioyce in these things,Luk. 10.20. but that our names are written in heauen.

Reioyce in this that you are Gods beloued, his loue is engrauen vpon your hearts: The cause of their reioycing is momentany and shall perish with them, our reioycing is eternal [...] which shall neuer fade: God is eternall, so is his loue; his loue is eternal, so shal our reioycing be: God is loue, & he hath loued vs.

Thus much touching Gods loue toward vs,2. Part. I come now to speake of our loue toward him againe: Wee loue him; Which words doe afford vs this Doctrine,Doctrine 2. That to loue God truely is an essentiall property of the child of God. That is an essentiall [Page] property (according to the Schooles) quod conuenit omni, soli, et semper; which is found in euery indiuiduum of the same species, in them onely, and in them alwayes. To loue God therefore is an essentiall property of the child of God; because it is found in euery child of God, onely the childe of God, and the child of God alwayes. First euery one that is regenerate doth loue God, for where the cause is, there must needes be the effect: the worke of regeneration proceeds from Gods loue, and where his loue is toward vs, there he worketh in vs loue toward him. That which Peter spake in his owne behalfe, is generally belonging to euery one who is effectually called:Iohn 21.15. Lord, thou knowest that [Page]I loue thee. Saint Paul saith, the loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost. Rom. 5.5. Not onely in his, but in the hearts of all his children; For it was not a benefit peculiar to Paul, but common to all that are regenerated by his Spirit. Secondly, this is not so common as that it is communicated vnto the wicked, but is found solely in the godly; for the wicked are like Saul before his conuersion,Acts 9.2 [...] persecuters of God, and of Iesus Christ. Rom. 8.7. The wisedome of the flesh (that is) the vnderstanding, the will, and the affections of the wicked, are enimitie against God; they are rebels against him, and his Law.Rom. 1.30. Men vnregenerate are haters of God; they neither loue him, nor his glory. Lastly that the godly doe loue God alwaies [Page] is plaine, for whom God loueth he loueth to the end, euen for euer: therefore a man being once made partaker of Gods loue in the regeneration of his heart, can neuer be distracted from God; for the cause continuing the effect must needes follow. Thus we see it briefly proued, that to loue God is the property of euery childe of God. But for the better explicating and opening of this doctrine of our loue toward God, let mee shew you these particulars:

1. What our loue toward God is.

2. The markes or effects of it.

3. The reasons or motiues perswading to it.

4. The meanes to attaine it.

Our loue to God, what?For the first, What our loue toward God is: wee may conceiue [Page] it by this definition. Amor erga Deum est gratia infusa in cordibus sanctorum per spiritum sanctum, proueniens ab amore Dei erga ipsos; qua summa cum affectu Deum cognitum diligunt propter seipsum, & in ipsius fruitione tanquam in summo bono acquiescunt. Our loue toward God is a spirituall grace infused into the hearts of the faithfull by the holy spirit, flowing from Gods loue toward vs; whereby wee knowing God, do loue him with al our might, with all our soule, and that for his owne sake, and in the enioyment of him doe rest contented. First I say it is a supernaturall or a spirituall grace infused, to teach vs that it is not naturally or habitually bred in vs; for we are by nature as Adam was before the promise, runneawayes from God, neither desiring to see him, nor to heare him,Rom. 5. 5. till the holy Ghost worke this loue in vs by [Page] his inspiration. Secondly, I say it is onely in the hearts of the faithfull, for it is limited and restrained to them, as to its proper subiect, no wicked man partaking with them in that worke; for hee that loues God must transcend nature and haue iustifying faith. Hee onely loues God that keepes his Commandements, and hee onely keepes Gods Commandements whose heart is enriched with a true faith, for without Faith it is impossible to please God. Heb. 11.6. Hereby we may note the falsehood of the doctrine of the Church of Rome. Note. First, for that they teach, That before iustification, there must be a disposition and aptitude in a man thereunto, standing in the feare of hell and loue of God. By this doctrine the loue of God in our hearts should goe before iustification, whereas indeede it is a fruit and effect of it; And if the loue of God [Page] were in the heart of any man before he be iustified, it would follow that a man may be truely sanctified before [...]e be iustified, seeing where the loue of God is, there is sanctification. Secondly, they teach that faith apprehendeth Christ by loue, and not by it selfe, which is false, for loue by order of nature and time followeth faith which apprehendeth Christ, there [...]e is not apprehended by loue: for [...]irst wee beleeue, and being knit vnto Christ by faith, then our hearts are knit vnto God by loue. Thirdly, I say it proceedes from Gods loue toward vs. Zanchius calls it, radius amoris Dei erga nos, in Deum reflesux; a beame of Gods loue toward vs reflected backe to him againe: Gods loue like a loade-stone drawes our hearts to loue him. Thou thy selfe who now loues the LORD, before the manifestation of Gods loue to [Page] thee in thy conuersion, didst not loue him, thy heart went a whoring from God, & thou preferredst euery creature, yea, the satisfying of thine own lust, before him. It is thought com [...]monly among men, an easie matter to loue God, & euery man abhors to be counted such a monster, as not to loue God, but they are much deceiued, no man can loue God, but hee that is beloued of him with a sauing loue. Amor Dei, animae parit amorem. Gods eternall loue of vs, begets in our soules a loue of him: he is the Ocean of Diuine loue, from whence we deriue, and into which wee returne the streames of our loue. Fourthly, I say we must know God before we can loue him. Quod latet ignotū est, ignoti nulla cupido:Ouidius. Things vnknowne are vnaffected, and loue is according to a mans acquaintance: a man cannot loue God before he know what God is, and that he is [Page] good, and worthy to be beloued; and such as is our knowledge, such is our loue; our knowledge of him in this world is not so perfect, as it shall be in the world to come; no more is our loue on earth so perfect as it shall be in the heauens.

And this is the reason why wicked men loue not God, because they know him not; did we but know God in his excellent goodnesse, wee would be rauished with desire to loue him; but the mistes of worldly vapours doe so interpose themselues, that they darken our eyes, and ouer-cloude this Sunne of righteousnesse, that we see not, we think not of his glory, we desire not to know the perfection of his Maiesty: Things vnknown, are not beloued; loue neuer shoots at a blind marke: Let vs first labour rightly to know God, thē shal we be sure truly to loue God. Fiftly, if we loue God truly, I say [Page] then wee loue him with all our might, and with all our soule. Herein are contained these two properties of ho [...]y loue; vnity and constancy; we must loue God summo cum af [...]f [...]ctu, wi [...]h the chiefest of our affections and strength: Here is the vnitie of our loue; we must not be diuided betweene God and the world; we must not part stakes betweene Christ and Belial; God is a iealous God and will admit no riuall; wee must loue God principally and chiefly, hee must haue our hearts; other things which are good, wee may loue in a lower degree, but for Gods sake; still reseruing the principall to God; for he that loues not his Father, Mother, Wife, and Children, sinnes; but he that loues them in summo gradu, more then God, is not worthy of God;Augustin. Non amat Christum [...], qui aliquid magis quam Christum amat. He loues not Christ, that loues [Page] any thing more then Christ. With the vnity, in these words is contained the constancy, we must loue him with all our strength, euen for euer; if we cease from louing God, wee did neuer loue God truely; if our loue slake by Apostacye, then know it was but in hypocrisie. Sixtly, I said true loue, loues God for himselfe: for a mercenary loue is base, when a man loues God onely for his gifts: Thus Saul loued God, but not for himselfe, but for the continuance of his Kingdome. Thus many wicked men seeme to loue God, not for himselfe, but for his benefits. It was obiected by Sathan against Iob, Iob 1.9. but falsely, that he serued God for his riches: But Iob manifested himselfe to be a true louer of God, for then when he was depriued of all earthly comforts which God had giuen him, yet did the loue of God continue in him. The woman that loueth her [Page] husband onely because he is rich, loueth not him but his riches. The worldling, who with the carnall Israelite, Psal. 4 [...] 6. doth loue God for his abundance of Corne, Wine, Oyle, and the rest of those good things which hee bestowes on men, he loues the gift more then the giuer, and is but a hireling, and not a chast louer of God, and therefore in him is the old Prouerbe verified; No penny, no pater noster; If God ceases to giue, hee ceaseth to loue and worship; if God withdraw his liberality, he will cut him short in his seruice. It is true loue to loue God simply for his own sake; let vs loue his glory more then our owne benefit, least we be found louers of our selues more then of God: This is the reason why the loue of the godly is constant in aduersity; though their riches and friends be gone, yet God remaines, and so long as the obiect remaines, [Page] the action of their loue shall not cease; if wee loue God wee must loue him for himselfe. Lastly, whereas I saide true loue doth rest contented in the enioyment of God whom it loueth: It sheweth the delight and sufficiency it findes in God; it cannot rest till it enioy him, and he being enioyed, it rests contented. Augustine in his booke De substantia dilectionis. Cap. 2. layes down this definition of Loue, which containes in it the two forenamed properties. Amor est affectio cordis ad aliquid, cum desiderio in appetendo, et gaudio in perfruendo, per desiderium currens, per gaudium requics [...]ens. What is here spoken generally of loue, may particu [...]arly be affirmed of the Loue of God. First, there is a desire whereby we are vnited vnto the Lord, for as hatred doth disioyne and segregate, so loue doth vnite and knit the desire [Page] of the louer to the thing beloued. Secondly, in the fruition there is rest and content: hatred breeds dislike; auersation and discontentednesse, loue causeth ioy, delight, and contentment; when loue hath once possessed God, it mooues the soule to ioy in God, and to account him her chiefest happinesse, so that it wil cry out with Dauid, Psal. 73. 25.26. Whom haue I in heauen but thee? and whom haue I desired in earth with thee? God is my strength and my portion for euer.

Thus haue I laide downe briefly as I could in this definition, the intrinsecall properties of our loue of God, which are in number seauen. 1. It is a Diuine grace wrought by the Spirit. 2. It is onely proper to the regenerate. 3. It is an effect of Gods loue to vs. 4. It is accompanyed with the knowledge of God. 5. It is constant in vnity and in perpetuity. 6. It is not mercenary, but [Page] free. 7. It is eager for the enioyment and content in the fruition.

The second thing considerable is the markes and effects of our loue of God, Markes of the loue of GOD. whereby we may truely try as by a touchstone, whether our loue be sincere or adulterate; the effects are many for number, but I will onely recite those which are most principall, and they are sixe. First, the loue of God doth quench all vnchast loues. There are 3 [...] sorts of loue. One is alwayes good, the 2. is alwayes bad: the 3. is good in it selfe, but bad through our bad disposition. That which is alwaies good, is the loue of God, in which it is impossible to sinne through excesse, for we cannot loue God too much, the measure of louing him is to loue him without measure. That loue which is alwaies bad, is the loue of that which is absolutely euill: Actus distinguitur per obiectum, an [Page] euill obiect makes an euill action, and this is the loue of murder, theft vnchast pleasures, these haue no mediocrity, for the least inclination to them is a sinne. The loue which is good by nature, and becommeth euill by accident, is the loue of meate, drinke, riches, honour, and the like; the loue of these things is made euill by the excesse and intemperance of the louer. Now the former of these, which is the loue of God, doth quite extirpate and roote out the second, which is the vnlawfull loue; and it doth rectifie that loue which may be bad through our euill disposition; for in meates, drinkes, and apparrell the loue of God moueth vs to satisfie our necessity, not our curiosity; in riches to labour for sufficiency, not for superfluity. Search therefore thine owne heart with an vndazeled and vndissembling eye, and if vpon the [Page] inquiry thou finde all adulterate and vnchaste loue rooted out of thy heart, and thy heart to be so wedded and marryed to the Lord that nothing can a [...]ienate it from him, then perswade thy selfe the diuine and blessed loue of God dwelleth in thee, and thrice happy is that soule where it hath his habitation.

The second marke of the loue of 2 God, is a care to keepe his commandements. Ioh. 14.15 If yee loue mee (saith Christ) keepe my commandements:1 Ioh 5.3. And againe, This is the loue of God, that wee keepe his commandements. True obedience is the fruit of [...]oue: If wee doe not performe obedience to God, and weare his commaundements as a frontlet betweene our eyes, and write them vpon the doores of our hearts that we may keepe them, surely it is to be feared we loue not God: The value of Christian loue is to be [Page] tryed by the touchstone not of words, but of workes. Yet how many are there, that say, they loue God and yet cast off all obedience to his lawes? Can a woman play the harlot, and prostitute her body to an adulterer, and yet truely say shee loues her husband? No more can any man call himselfe the childe of God, if he doth de [...]ight to commit the workes of the Diuell.

Ioh. 19.3.Wherefore as the Iewes called Iesus their King, and the souldiers said vnto him; Haile King of the Iewes, and bowed their knees before him; but yet they spat in his face and buffetted him: so the bastard Christians of this age cal Christ their Lord, and bow their knees before him, but by their [...]innefull disobedience they crucifie him, and tread his bloud of the couenant vnder their feete. Heb. 10. 26. They both kisse and betray him with Iudas;Luk. 22.48 it is but a scept [...]r of a [Page] reede they allow him, for they obey him not in heart, neither wi [...]l they giue him any command ouer their affections.

The third marke of our loue of 3 God, is an earnest desire to be ioyned to God. This is a sure marke; for if we truely loue God, wee shall in desire soare aloft seeking to be there where God is: carnall loue carryeth a man downeward to the earth which it loueth, but holy loue being (as Zanchius cals it) ignis accensus, a sparke of heauenly fire kindled in our hearts by the holy Ghost, ascends continually toward heauen to his owne spheare, drawing our hearts with it toward the Lord, not suffering vs to rest till we enioy him. Thus doth he that truely loues God, (as it were) depriue himselfe of himselfe, and bestoweth himselfe on God whom he loueth. For the loue of God is of a [Page] rauishing nature, by the which the louer is so wrapt out of himselfe, that he (in a manner) forgets himselfe, denies himselfe, and is wholy in God whom he loueth. And this is it that makes the faithful louer by frequent communication to counsell and consolate himselfe with God. Being to deliberate vpon any matter of importance, he first enquireth after the will of God, and first consulteth with the oracle of Gods mouth; not with his belly, not with worldly hopes, not with pleasure, not with wicked friends,Psal. 119. 24. but God is his teacher, and the Law of God his Counseller. This is a signe that we loue God, if we loue to be taught by h [...]m. Yet this is not all, for true loue desires the fruition of God in his kingdome; Paul loued Christ so dearely,Phil. 3.8. that he accounted all things as dung in respect of Christ, Phil 1.28 and that made him de [...]ire to be dissolued[Page]and to be with Christ. This makes the loue-longing soule to complaine with Dauid, Psal. 120.5 Woe is mee that I must dwell in Meshech, and haue my habitation among the tents of Kedar. Woe is me that I soiourne in Egypt; woe is me that I dwell in Cabull, and doe not as yet possesse my Canaan. This makes the louing soule cry, Come Lord Iesus, come quickely: Reuel. 22. 20. thou art my treasure, therefore thou hast my heart and soule; oh where my soule is, there let my body be also.

The fourth marke of our loue of 4 God, is tranquility and peace of conscience; the loue of God chaseth away feares, asswageth cares, sweetneth afflictions. To them that loue God crosses become blessings, their bodily pouerty is a spirituall dyet, their banishment teacheth them to leaue this world, their sequestring from honours, is [Page] their approaching to God, their enemies are their Physitions, causing them to be circumspect and wary; death is an entry vnto life, afflictions the passage of the red Sea to Canaan. Thus he that loues God hath a quiet conscience,Gen. 28. 12. which like Iacob sleepes securely at the bottome of the ladder of peace. The furious tempests of Satans malice; the enuious persecutions and slanders of wicked men, doe not once moue him, but make him more stedfast: for nothing can separate his loue from God, nor Gods from him.

5 The fift marke of our loue of God, is our zeale for his glory. The sonne of Croesus seeing his father assayled by his enemies in the wars, though he were borne and till that time continued dumb; yet feare and griefe hauing ouercome all naturall impediments, hee presently cryed [Page] out; Saue my father. So the child of God; seeing his fathers honour and glory trampled vnder-feet, and his most sacred and blessed Name wounded and torne in pieces with most blasphemous oathes, is not able to containe himselfe, but like the hand will interpose himselfe to saue the head. This zeale did exulcerate Paul being at Athens, Acts 17.16 and grieued his sou [...]e to see the towne so giuen to Idolatry. There is no more certaine effect of the loue of God then this zeale; if wee be more angry to heare the Name of God blasphemed, then our selues euill spoken of. This is an assured witnesse, that the loue of God is imprinted in our soules. Good blood will not belie it selfe: All wel [...]borne children are touched at the quicke with their fathers iniuries. The high spirited Gallants of our Age and Nation, that stand vpon [Page] their owne and friends reputation, will rather hazzard their liues then heare a disgracefull tearme put vpon them: beloued if we be of Gods seed; children of the most high, and of the bloud Royall, we will rather loose our liues then our father should loose his honour. This made the holy Martyrs to step out of their owne element into the fire, with greater ioy and willingnesse, then worldlings [...]it downe at their banquets to refresh them, or lie downe on their beds to rest them. If we haue the spirits of Eliakim, 2 Kin. 18. 37. Shebnah, and Ioah, we will rent our cloathes when we heare Rabshekah raile on the li [...]ing God. Virgilius. Degeneres animos timor arguit. Feare argues we come of a bastardly generation. If therefore we desire a sure testimony of our loue of God, see whether we be zealous for his honour, and if neede require to lay downe [Page] our life in his cause and quarrell, Greater loue can no man haue then this, to lay down his life for his friend.

The sixt and last marke of our 6 loue of God, is to loue those that are the children of God. 1 Ioh. 5.1. Euery one that loueth him that begetteth, loueth him that is begotten. Chap. 4. 20. And if any man say he loueth God, and hateth his brother, he is a lyar. Can a man truely loue his friend and yet hate his picture? Can a man loue God and hate those that haue the image of God? Doe we not loue the children for the fathers sake? Diuine loue is of such a diffusiue and spreading nature that it cannot be confined within the heauens,Like the oile which was powred on Aarons head, and ran down to the skirts of his cloathing. Psal. 133. [...] it cannot be limitted to God onely, it will redound vnto the children of God also. I will neuer beleeue that man loues my selfe, that hates my children because they are mine. There is such an vnion betweene the godly that [Page] the good of one, is the good of another: and there are good reasons why it should be so: they are children of one father; brethren with one Christ; nourished with the same meate; of one houshold, namely, the Church; trauellers and pilgrimes to the same home; combatants for the same cause; called to the same hope; coheires of the same kingdome: all which considerations are as so many strait lines meeting in one center, which is the loue of God; these are so many obligations binding vs to loue one another in Christ, in whom we are all one, because we are one with him. This loue toward our brethren must be shewed in dando & condonando, in giuing and forgiuing; in giuing to them that are in necessitie.Iam. 2 15. If a brother or sister bee naked and destitute of daily foode, and one of you say vnto them, Depart in peace, be [Page]ye filled and warmed; notwithstanding yee giue them not these things which are needfull to the body, what doth it profit? In forgiuing trespasses against vs committed. It is our daily prayer:Mat. 6.12. Forgiue vs our trespasses, as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. All men cannot giue; but all men may forgiue; he that would giue and cannot,Mat. 10. vlt. of him a cuppe of cold water is accepted; for God respects not so much quid, as quo animo: not so much donum, as donantis animum; not what, but with what minde. He that can giue, and will not, hath neither loue nor honesty. Loue without liberality is hypocriticall; loue without charity is Diabolicall.

Thus haue we the markes of our loue of God. Vse. Whereby we see that many deceiue their owne soules, who are religious in speech, not in actions; who study to be great, not [Page] good; who know God, but loue him not, at most but in shew, not in deede, and in truth; they confesse God with their lippes, and deny him in their hearts.

We say many of vs that we loue God, but when wee come to the touch, we are found but adulterate, louing sinne, which we should not loue, and what we may loue, we loue too much; we make gold our God, and set God behind the dore; we cast God out of the temple of our hearts, and in his roome wee place a golden Idol. We say wee loue him, yet his commandements are grieuous, wee cannot beare them: his company is too strict, we must needes abandon it: his glory is not regarded, wee haue no courage for his cause: the superfluity of our attire would cloath many of the poore: but all is spent in pleasure, nothing in piety: Thus wee [Page] loue God at aduenture, but are found to hate him when wee come to the tryall. Let vs therefore euery one in the feare of God search our owne hearts diligently and without selfe-sparing dissimulation by these fore-named markes, whether we haue this holy and heauenly loue, or no: if we find this loue in our hearts, it is better then money in our purses: but if we find that as yet our hearts are not heated with this celes [...]iall fire of the loue of God, like the laborious Merchant let vs take great paines, to get this rich treasure into our hearts, with which wee haue all things, without which nothing.

The fourth generall part of this Doctrine,Motiues to loue God. are the motiues that should perswade vs to loue God; among which I shall commend these foure which follow.

First, the obiect it selfe; euen God, [Page] if we consider him in his essence and attributes, should be the most sufficient enducement to loue him. In his essence he is eternall without beginning, without ending; hee is infinite not comprehensible; in no place circumscriptiuely, in all places repletiuely. In his attributes: he is most beautifull; naturally wee loue beauty; God is the perfection of beauty, he is the Sunne of righteousnes, to whom al things are transparent and manifest: his glory is so great,Esay 6.2. that the very Seraphims are not able to behold it, but standing before the throne, are dazeled, and are faine to couer their faces with their wings. Dost thou loue wisedome? God is omniscient, his knowledge is infinite, things past, and things to come are present with him: Admirable must needs his knowledge be, who knew before the foundations of the world were laide, what [Page] would be all the thoughts, words, and workes of all men and Angels that euer should existe. Dost thou loue holinesse? The holinesse of God doth as infinitly surpasse the holines of the Angels, as the Creator doth the creature; holines in the creature is a quality [...] in God it is his essence: God is holy à seipso & essentialiter; the creature à Deo & participatiue: Gods holinesse is originally and fundamentally in himselfe; the creatures onely by participation, God communicating his holinesse to the creature. Doest thou loue Iustice? God is most iust.2 Tim. 4.8 Hence called the righteous Iudge: He is Iustice it selfe, yea the rule and perfection of Iustice. Doest thou loue mercy? See in God the mirrour of mercy: He loueth them that hate him; hee causeth the Sunne to shine vpon the iust and vniust; he giueth vs many good things; and forgiueth vs [Page] many euill offences: yea, he gaue his deare and onely Sonne, for vs wretched and miserable [...]inners.

The Lord is so infinite that we cannot know him as he is, let vs labour therefore to loue him as wee may.

2 The second motiue that should induce vs to loue God, is the excellency of the grace of loue; it is that which makes vs like vnto God, for God is loue:1. Ioh. 4.8. It is that which maketh vs acceptable to him, for God loueth those that loue him: it is that which doth assure vs of the loue of God toward vs, for if we loue him, he loued vs first. A man by beholding a Sunne-dyall, may know the motion of the Sunne in the firmament: so beholding the dyall of thy loue toward God, thou mayest quickly be perswaded of Gods loue toward thee.

[Page]Hatred is darknesse,1 Ioh. 2.11 loue is light [...] which will bring thee to light. Loue is the Summe of the Law.1 Tim. 1.5 Loue is the bond of perfection. Col. 3.14. There are three Theologicall vertues, Faith, Hope, and Loue: of these three Loue is most permanent,1 Cor. 13. 13. and when Faith and Hope shall cea [...]e, because they enioy what they beleeued and hoped for, yet loue shall be eternall, because God is eternall.

The third motiue to perswade vs 3 to loue God, is Gods loue towards vs. Amari & non amare inhumanum est. To be loued and not to loue againe is inhumane: God loued vs before we were; he elected vs of his free pleasure: he created vs of his meere goodnesse; he redeemed vs of his infinite mercy: hee preserued vs by his wonderfull power: he conuerted vs of heauenly compassion; and will glorifie vs by his grace.

[Page]He brought vs home when wee wandred in the wildernesse of wickednesse,Luk. 15.4. as he did the lost sheepe. He hath nourished vs with foode both naturall and spirituall: he hath cancelled the hand-writing which was against vs: he hath set vs at liberty to serue him; he hath freed vs from the cup of fornication of the Babylonian hostesse, I meane, Romes beast: In a word, he hath been our God from generation to generation, deliuering vs admirably and strangely from many wonderfull dangers; witnesse Eighty-eight, and the Powder-treason; deliuerances neuer to be forgotten, so long as England stands. Let vs not therefore be so vngratefull, so vnthankefull, as not to loue our God, who hath thus loued vs.

4 The fourth and last inducement to loue God, is the reward which is laid vp for them that loue him. [Page] Paul tels vs there is a crowne of righteousnesse laid vp for them that loue his appearing:2 Tim. 4.8 no man can loue the appearing of God, but he that loues God himselfe.1 Iam. 12. Iames tels vs that God hath promised a crowne of life to them that loue him. He then that would liue in heauen like a king, must first loue God here as a subiect: he that would haue the glory there to raigne with him; must first haue the grace here to loue him. Men loue the ioyes and pleasures of this world, because they seeme delectable;Psa. 16.11 but in the presence of God there is fulnesse of ioy, and at his right hand are pleasures for euermore. There is plenitude of ioy, and perpetuity of heauenly pleasure.

And againe, Saint Paul comforts vs, saying,1 Cor. 2.9. That the eye hath not seene, the eare hath not heard, neither hath it entred into the heart of man, the things that God hath prepared for them that [Page]loue him. There shall be life without death, continuance without weaknes, light without darknes; ioy without sadnes, a kingdome without change, happines without interruption; in a word, there we shal enioy God himselfe, who is more excellent then all the world beside: the enioying of whose presence the Fathers call, The beatificall vision: which alone is able perfectly to make vs happy. Thus if we seeke loue and ensue it, it will at length bring vs to the heauenly citie, the new Ierusalem, where we shall dwell for euer.

Mean [...]s to attaine the loue of God.The last generall part of this doctrine, are the meanes to attaine this loue of God. The olde Greeke prouerbe is true: [...]. Difficilia quae pulchra. Good things are hard to come by. Loue being so excellent a grace is the more difficult to be attained, wherfore [Page] our industry must worke out the difficulty, that by vsing these good helpes, we may at length purchase this vnualuable iewell.

The first helpe to purchase this 1 loue of God is Prayer. Prayer, it is the key wherewith we vnlocke heauen, and moue God to power down blessings in aboundance, like the raine which Eliah prayed for vpon the earth.1 Kin. 18. Prayer, it is the life of all our labours, without it, it is impossible to get any grace; it must bee the first and the last of all our workes; it must be a key to open the morning, and shut vp the euening. When Elias prayed,2 Kin. 1.10 there came downe fire from heauen, and consumed the Captaines with their fifties: so by prayer thou shalt bring downe from God the fire of diuine loue, which will consume thy Captaine sinnes, and destroy thy strong corrupt desires. When [Page] good king Asa fought against the Ethiopians, 2 Chron. 14.11. the Text saith, he prayed vnto God and got the conquest: if we take the same course, we shall speed after the same manner, for by prayer we shall vanquish and ouer-come all our sinnes, which are in this life our greatest enemies; and by prayer we shall offer vp a loue-offering, sweet and delightfull to the Lord our God. Is thy heart barren and deuoyde of grace? as Abrahams prayer opened the barren wombes of Abimelechs houshold;Gen. 20. 17. so shall thine owne prayers open thy barren and fruitlesse heart, and draw downe the blessings of grace and goodnesse vpon thy soule. The prayer of Moses parted the red Sea,Exod 14. that the Israelites might passe into Canaan: Thy feruent, hearty, and faithfull prayers vnto God shall so part thy sinnes, and set them aside from thee, that by the tract and [Page] path of the loue of God, thou shalt be able to passe into the heauenly Canaan. Ios. 10.13. The prayer of Ioshua made the Sunne to stand still in the firmament: thy prayer will make the Sunne of righteousnesse, the LORD Iehouah, to send forth the beames of diuine loue into thy heart. Thus prayer shall be vnto thee a soueraigne antidote against the poyson of sinne; and a precious restoratiue to worke grace in thy soule. In our greatest tentations wee shall haue comfort, so soone as we haue the grace to pray. Ascendit precatio, & descendit miseratio: When prayer ascends to God, Gods mercy descends to vs.

The second meanes wherby we 2 shall obtaine this sweet grace to loue God, is by faith in Christ. For we must know that it is impossible for any man to loue God, but onely through Iesus Christ: if he be not [Page] reconciled to God by faith in his Sonne, then God is as hatefull and fearefull vnto him as he was vnto Adam before the promise of the Messiah; but by faith in Christ he is perswaded of Gods loue toward him, he sees God a louing, gracious, and mercifull father, and therefore is not afraid to approach vnto him. But he that comes to God without faith,Mat. 12.13 is like him that came vnto the feast without a wedding garment, whose end we remember: but if we come vnto God cloathed with the robes of Christs righteousnesse, we shall be as welcome vnto him, as the lost sonne vnto the glad father. Luk. 15. Faith in Christ is the next and immediate cause of the loue of God: faith is the fountaine, loue is the streame; faith is the roote, loue is the branch; haue faith and haue loue; want faith and want loue: Faith is the match that must kindle [Page] the flame of loue in our frozen hearts. But for the attaining of faith, the Apostle hath giuen vs charge to vse a necessary meanes, which is hearing t [...]e Word of God. Rom. 10. 17. By the Word of God we are taught what is our owne misery through sinne, and what is Gods mercy in redeeming vs: by it we are taught how to put on Christ, and to make him our owne, which we must doe if we will be saued: for it is as impossible for a man to goe to heauen without Christ, as to flie into the ayre with great weights at his heeles. They therefore that reiect the preaching and reading of the Word, and yet hope to be saued, are like a simple foole, that hopes to liue, and yet will eat no meat. The soule is the life of the body, and the word of God is the food of the soul: without the soule, the body is dead; and without the Word, the soule is [Page] dead: loue therefore the Word that thou mayest liue in it, and practise it that thou mayest be saued by it.

3 The third meanes to attaine this loue of God, is a serious meditation of his mercy toward vs. What man waighing in an equall ballance Gods mercies, and his owne merits, would not find the one surmounting the other as much as the heauens doe the earth? which truely considered, would cause vs ardently to loue him: then would we say as Augustine; ipsi debeo me totum qui fecit me totum. I owe my selfe wholly to him that made me not onely wholly but whole, when I was wounded with the sting of sinne. If it be demaunded what is the cause why men so little loue God? I thinke I may safely answere, because they consider not his goodnesse: for if they did rightly waigh [Page] Gods mercy in his workes of Election, Creation, Redemption, Preseruation, Vocation, Sanctification, and Glorification; our hearts would burne within vs (as the hearts of the two disciples that went vnto Emaus) till we did enioy him.Luk. [...]4.32

The Vses of this doctrine,Vse. 1. are these: First, it teacheth vs euery one, seeing it is such a special marke of the childe of God, to desire God to giue vs grace to loue him:Bernard. Qui dilexit nos non existentes, imo resistentes. He loued vs when we did not exist, yea, when we did re [...]i [...]t. Oh let the loue of God beare rule in our hearts, and fill our soules; let vs loue him in summo gradu, in the higest degree, and let vs loue nothing but for his sake. Let vs loue God;Augustine. for when we sought him Invenimus, sed non prauenimus: wee found him, but he preuented vs, he [Page] found vs first. Let vs set before vs the example of the couetous Mammonist that makes his gold his God. Couetousnesse taketh away rest, and troubleth sleep; his mony is his last thought at his down lying; and the first at his vprising. So let the loue of God possesse our thoughts in the night, let it breake our sleepe & disturb our rest; let it be the last of our thoughts at our downe-lying, and the first at our waking. Couetousnes doth shut the heart of the couetous into his coffer where his treasure is: So let the loue of God shut vp our hearts in heauen, that where our treasure is, there may our hearts be also. Couetousnes snatches out of the nigards hand, the bread he should eat, & maketh him be content with little: So must the loue of God moue vs to abstinence, to be content with little, to depriue our selues of our fleshly desires for his seruice. The [Page] couetous man refuseth no labour, fore-sloweth no time to get gaine into his purse: So let the loue of God incite vs to refuse no paines, to loose no time, to feare no dangers, so we may get grace into our hearts. The couetous man hauing put his money to vse, calculateth the time, desireth that the day of paiment were come, that so he may receiue his money with aduantage: So we, knowing that God hath in his hands our pledge Christ Iesus, and that he will repay vs our good workes with aduantage, should very much desire the time of payment: and in the meane time very preciously to keepe his obligation, which is the doctrine of the Gospel. The couetous man the older he growes, the more greedy he is, he liueth poorely, that he may dye rich, his de [...]ire of gathering is at the greatest, when his tearme of life is at the shortest: [Page] So must the loue of God moue euery one of vs the older we grow to be more desirous to hoard vp grace, that as we grow in yeeres, so we may grow in goodnesse; the nearer we come to the possession of our inheritance, the more carefull must we be to make the title of our euidences strong and sure, by holinesse of heart and life: wherefore seeing we are all at the next doore to death, let vs labour euery one to haue the seale of our inheritance in our hearts; and let vs with a good couetousnesse neuer say wee haue grace enough; let vs husband our time well, let vs get a good stocke of grace, let vs send our good workes before vs, to make such friends to our selues, as may receiue vs into euerlasting habitations. Thus let vs set before our eyes, the practise of a couetous man, and looke with what care, diligence and eagernesse [Page] he runnes in a wrong way, let our diligence in diuine loue, and godly care in a good way out-strip his. For as our God is better then Mammon, and Christ then Beliall, so let our loue of GOD transcend the loue of the carnall worldling.

Secondly,Vse. 2. is it so that where God loues truely, there we loue him againe: Then if thou desirest to know in what fauour thou art with God, whether he hath elected thee to be heire of eternall saluation, whether thou shalt be made partaker of the reward of his loue; thou needest not ascend vp into Heauen to search in the Booke of Life, to know the secret counsell of GOD; but descend into thine owne heart, see whether thou findest any loue of God there, any loue toward thy heauenly father: for as surely as when the [Page] Sunne shines clearely, the beames of it are discerned vpon the earth: so where God loues, there are found the beames of diuine loue shining in that mans heart: And Gods loue doth as naturally worke a loue of him in our hearts, as the beames of the Sunne doe light or heat in these sublunary bodies. Look therefore into thine own heart, if thou findest it illuminated with holy loue, which is a shining fire, then mayest thou be perswaded that God loued thee first, because now thou louest him. Dost thou affect him aboue all things? Dost thou highly prize his glory? Dost thou desire to enioy him? then it is apparant, the LORD loueth thee: but if thou findest thy selfe wrapt vp in thy sinnes, and that thou louest the accomplishing of thine owne desires, and the fulfilling of thine owne lusts, more then the honour of God, and his holy [Page] commandements, then may I say vnto thee, as Peter to Simon Magus. Acts 8.21. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the sight of God; 22. Repent therefore of this thy wickednesse, and pray God, if perhaps the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiuen thee; 23. For I perceiue thou art in the gall of bitternesse, and bond of iniquity.

The third vse of this point is this,Vse 3. seeing it is an essentiall property of the childe of God to loue God, this must needes reproue them that say they are the children of God, and yet they haue no loue of God in their hearts, and these I find especially to be foure. First, the carnall Mammonist, Mammonist. the couetous worldling; he pretends he loues God, but alacke 'tis but as Iudas loued the poore, not for themselues but for the gaine he got, for he was a thiefe and carryed the bagge. The loue of [Page]the world is enimity with God. Iam. 4. 4. And if any one loue the world, the loue of the father is not in him. 1 Ioh. 2.15 How canst thou that art the drudge of the world be a louer of God? Where God is truely affected, there he is truely serued, and he that truely serueth God cannot be a Cham, a seruant of seruants, a slaue to his wealth, which should be a slaue to him. True loue is chaste; how then canst thou approue the chastitie of thy loue, when being in the Church of God thy heart shall runne a whoring after thy worldly pelfe? Can God be perswaded of thy loue? No more then the husband can be perswaded his wife loues him, when shee playes the harlot vnder his nose.

He that is a true Theophilus, a louer of God, will not answere with the Philosopher, who being demanded what countrey-man he was, answered, A citizen of the world; No [Page] he is a stranger on earth, & a citizen of heauen; he lets the worldlings enioy the flesh-pots of Egypt, his iourney is toward Canaan: and therefore with a holy indignation he scornes this world, and with a godly ambition his heart aspires to a better.

No man can serue two masters:Mat. 6. 24. let the worldling boast of his loue as Iehu did of his Zeale;2 Kin 10 [...] 16. but as the one was but hypocriticall, so the other is but counterfeit: and hee shall neuer perswade me, That loue, which is so pure a grace, can entertaine a couple of so contrary conditions. Wherefore if thou sayest thou louest God, do not excessiuely toyle thy selfe, and runne thy selfe out of breath in the pursuite of the worlds admired treasure: but follow Maries example, choose that good part which shall neuer be taken from you, neither in this life, nor in the life to come. Luk. 10.42.

[Page] Hypocrite,The second, whose loue [...] but fained, is the Hypocrite; This man hath two faces, yea two hearts; hee can counterfeit Religion cunningly, while within himselfe he laughes to thinke how wittily he hath cousned God and the world. Euery man by nature hath but one heart, onely the Hypocrite hath two: wherefore the Apostle Iames cals him [...],Iam. 4.8. a man of a heart and a heart, for hee hath a heart for God, and a heart for the Diuell; as hee is really and indeede wicked, so the Diuell hath his reall and very heart; as hee is seemingly holy, so God hath but the shadow of his heart [...] for outwardly he complements with God, 2 Sam. 20. 9. as Ioab did with Amasa, but in his heart he stabs at his honour. Thou therefore that art an hypocrite, whose religion is but in shew, brag of thy loue as much as thou wilt, till thou hast a sound heart, thou canst haue [Page] no sound loue: till thy heart be refined thy loue will be but impure; for what is more contrary then true loue and hypocrisie? what is more contrary then faire words and false deedes? wilt thou say thou louest God, and wilt not giue him thy heart? Then may Iudas say hee loued his master when hee betrayed him with a Kisse.

The third, whose loue is not sincere, is the loue of the Ambitious man;Ambitious. who with Haman thirsting after honour, sets no period to promotion; if his designes speede well, ere he be warme in his place of preferment which he hath now gotten, his minde is possessed of an higher; what hee hath is but a degree to what hee would haue. This man sayes he loues God, but hee neuer thinkes of him; he thinkes God is euer busie, wherefore he is loath to disturbe him with his prayers. [Page] When the Diuell comes to him, as he did vnto Christ, and sayes, All these will I giue thee;Mat. 4.9. hee forsakes God, and makes no bones of worshipping the Diuell. The heate of his burning feauer cannot be slacked with a small quantitie of honour. But thou that art an ambitious Haman, who seekest more after thine owne honour then Gods; who louest thine owne selfe more then God, know that as thou climbest vp high and perillous stayres, so thy fall shall be the greater: because thou soughtest not God, God will seeke thee, and finding thee soaring so high shall cast thee downe with proud Lucifer into hell.

Epicure.The fourth false louer of God, is the Epicure, the voluptuous man; this mans belly is his God whom he worshippeth, and his pleasure is his dietie which hee adoreth; eating, drinking, hauking, hunting, pleasures [Page] and pastimes are this mans happinesse: which it is too apparent he loues more then God; for if hee want any of these, his desires are so importunate that they will brooke no deniall; if he enioy them with some interruption and discontent, the honour of God must be abused, and the sacred name and attributes of the most glorious Iehouah must be most damnably prophaned & blasphemed: But if God, or his word, or any thing belonging to his seruice be wanting, of these things (like a stone) he is insensible, he neither desires their presence, nor grieues for their absence; yet this man sees no reason why he should not be a good Theophilus, a louer of God. That which Bernard spake, though in another sence, may fitly be affirmed touching the voluptuous man. Nunquā ego Ebrium putabo Chastum: I will neuer beleeue chastitie can sleepe in [Page] the drunkards bed. Doubtlesse that man which wallowes like a swine in voluptuousnesse, and is drunken with the pleasures of the world, can neuer be a chaste and constant louer of God; pleasure and pietie are two opposites, if thou affect the one, thou must reiect the other.

As these foure especially, so there are many more in the Church which are not of the Church, carnall professours which haue a kinde of superficiall loue to God and his worship, but not from the ground of the heart; they ioyne in the outward seruice with Gods children, but for true loue they let them goe alone. Let these time-seruers, and temporizing Protestants know their doome, which Christ shall one day pronounce to their terrour; Away from me ye wicked I know ye not. Mat. 7.23. Oh but we haue heard thy word, and did pertake in thy Sacraments, [Page] and professed thy name. Tis true, yee heard my word but practised not; ye pertooke of the signe, not of the grace; yee professed my name, but ye lo [...]ed it not: Away from me I know ye not.

The fourth and last Vse,Vse. 4 [...] is to teach euery one that sayes he loues God, to shew it by his loue to his brother,1 Iohn 4. 20. for can a man loue God whom he hath not seene, and hate his brother whom he hath seene? No questionlesse; God will be loued in his children: we must loue the godly for God, and God for himselfe.Greg [...]ie. Per amorem Dei amor proximi gignitur, et per amorem proximi amor Dei nutritur. The loue of our neighbour is begotten by the loue of God, and the loue of God is nourished by the loue of our neighbour.Mat. 19.19 Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe: which particle as, notes the qualitie not the quantitie: thou oughtest not to [Page] loue thy neighbour so much as thy selfe, for that is against nature; but thou must loue him as truely as thy selfe. Some men loue not their neighbours at all, these men sinne through defect; Some loue men more then God, these sinne through excesse: few attaine to that golden meane, to loue God aboue all, and their neighbour as themselues. Wherefore seeing God hath so graciously loued vs, let it be our daily prayer that he would giue vs grace to loue him againe, that when our sinfull dayes are ended, we may raigne with him in his heauenly kingdome for euer-more. Amen.

[...].

FINIS.

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§

§

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Ignis Coelestis: OR An interchange of Diuine LOVE betweene GOD and his SAINTS.

BY IOHN LEWIS, Minister of God words at St. PETERS in the towne of St. Albons.

LONDON: Printed by T. S. for N. N. 1620.

To the worshipfull Mr. ROBERT SHVTE ESQVIER.

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SIr: so often as I consider the breuity and frailty of this mortall life, that betweene the wombe and the tombe, Psal. 39. 5. the cradle and the graue, there is but a spans breadth: and so often as I remember,Heb. 9.27. That it is appointed for man once to dye, and then he must come to iudgement; I cannot but with griefe admire the wilfull madnesse of this age; wherein men set their wits vpon [Page] the tenter-hookes of inuention and policie, and set their braines a worke to finde strange plots: One with Ahab to get Naboths vineyard;1 Kings 21. another with the rich Churle to enlarge his barnes by magnitude, and his bags by multitude; Ester 3.5. a third with proud Haman onely aimes at greatnesse, his aspiring minde is alwayes climbing, his desires cannot finde a Non vltra, for his preferment hath no period; a fourth with the rich Man how he may bathe himselfe in pleasure,Luke 16. 19. and Sardanapalus-like become effeminate by giuing himselfe to all voluptuousnesse;Luke 10.42. But that which is vnum necessarium, especially necessary for our sound comfort here, and eternall happinesse hereafter, is not remembred, not regarded.Quae possessa one [...]an [...], amata inquinant, omissa crucian [...]. Things which are obtained with much [Page] labour, retained with much care, and lost with much vexation, we hunt after with great eagernesse; but God who hath giuen vs, not onely our esse, but our bene esse, the fruition of whom is mans beatitude, is neither affected nor desired.Luke 8.37. With the Gadarens we preferre a few swine before Christ our Redeemer:Gen. 25.32. with prophane Esau we sell our birth right, yea and the blessing with it, for a messe of pottage: whereas if we could but be aduised by the Heathen;Virgill. Ab Ioue principium, Let our loue begin at God, with him we should possesse peace, patience, comfort, content, helpe, happinesse, yea whatsoeuer were expe [...]ient for life temporall and eternall: Matth. 6.33. If wee did but seeke God and his righteousnesse, all things necessary shall be added vnto vs There is [Page] no cause why we should be so louesicke for the world; it is variable, soone got, soone lost; deceiueable, being but a shadow of felicity, no substance; treacherous [...] while it flattereth the body, it stayes the soule; perfidious, it complementeth with her louers, as Dalilah with Sampson, Iudg. 16.18. but be [...]raies them vn [...]o Sathan their mor [...]all enemy. If wee could but looke on the world with the eye of faith and sound iudgement, and be so wise as to behold it in its proper complexion, we would not dote on so meane a creature, we would not make our seruant to be our Lord, when the Lord sues for the loue of vs his seruants: He that is vnchangeable, Mal. 3.6. Cant 1. Leuit. 11.44. Ioel 2.18. he that is amiable, he that is infinitely holy, infinitely compassionate, hath a long time stood at the doore knocking, [Page] desiring to come in and [...]up with vs, Reuel. 3.20. intending to bring his prouision with him, to furnish our hearts, and at length to bring saluation to our soules, and our soules vnto blessednesse; yet like men carelesse of his kindenesse, fearelesse of his displeasure, we suffer him to knocke, and will not open, we are in bed with our darlings, and will not rise; Luke 19.42. Oh that in this our day we did but know the things which belong vnto our peace!

The motiue that induceth me to commit this small worke vnto the Presse, is rather the worthines of the subiect, then any excellency of the Authors wit, it being worthy of the most aduised meditations of the best men, of our best time; wherein we shall clearely behold what God hath beene to vs, [Page] and what we ought to be toward him, the loue of the one, and the duty of the other.

The great and meere voluntary kindenesse which I haue receiued from your Worship, without any desert on my part, is a sufficient argument to perswade me to dedicate it vnto your worthy selfe, beseeching you to accept it as a tes [...]imony expressing his thankefulnesse, who shall perpetually acknowledge himselfe obliged vnto you: The Widdowes Mite, a token of a willing minde, was kindely accepted. Although this worke be composed rudi ac crassa Minerua, N [...]n quid v [...]ui, sed quid potui. yet herein the Authors desire may no lesse be conceiued, then in that which is more exquisite. I indeauour not indeede so much to please the eare, as to comfort [Page] the conscience, labouring rather for soundnesse of matter, then plausiblenes of phrase, and ayming more at a generall then at a particular benefit. What once Peter said vnto the Creeple that lay at the gate of the Temple, the same will I say vnto your worship.Acts 3.6. Siluer and Gold haue I none, but such as I haue giue I thee. And seeing I cannot expresse my thankfulnesse as I would, let me be bold to doe it as I may; and what I cannot in action, I shal in praying God to giue you increase of grace and honour in this life [...] and the eternall fruition of soule-contenting blessednesse in the life to come.

Yours in all Christian dutie, IOHN LEVVIS.

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Ignis cœlestis: or An interchange of diuine love betweene God and his saints. By Iohn Lewis, minister of Gods word at St. Peters in the tovvne of St. Albons

Lewis, John, b. 1595 or 6.

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1620

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2003-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

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3219

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Source

— Ignis cœlestis: or An interchange of diuine love betweene God and his saints. By Iohn Lewis, minister of Gods word at St. Peters in the tovvne of St. Albons, Lewis, John, b. 1595 or 6..

Extent

[10], 124 p.

Printed by T. S[nodham] for N. N[ewbery],. London :: 1620.. (Printers' names from STC.) (Running title reads: An interchange of diuine loue.) (Reproduction of the original in the British Library.)

Creation

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