§. 1. Of the be­nefits of God to mankind.

IT were as easie to find out the bottom­less depth of the in­exhaustible fountain of the Divine Bounty, as to tell the Streams which run from it; Gods mercies are over all his works, and all things that are made, are a demonstration as much of his goodness as of his being. I will not therefore under­take to number what is innumerable, or to express what we cannot so much as comprehend: but only in­sist [Page 2]briefly upon some of the most general benefits of God to mankind, and in the representing of them, en­deavour to make us read our duty, and to inflame our hearts with love.

§. 2. Of Creati­on.

First, It is God that hath made us and not we our selves, we owe him our very being; thine hands have made and fashioned me: (saith David) thine eyes did see my substance being yet imperfect, Psal. 119.13. and in thy book were all my members written. Let us say therefore with the same Prophet, 134.16. I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: and let us with him, fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker. You know that by the Laws of God and of all Nations, there is an in­dispensable obligation upon all chil­dren to love and honour their Pa­rents, because they brought them in­to the world: now certainly the ob­ligation doubles upon every man, in respect to his Father which is in hea­ven; for our natural parents were but second causes under him, his own power it was that form'd and created us: they ingendred our mor­tal bodies only, he is the Father of Spirits, he himself gave being to our [Page 3]immortal souls. Therefore let every man pay to his Maker those duties he would expect from his child: Mal. 1.6. if I am a Father (saith God) where is mine honour? If from our heavenly Father we have receiv'd our life and being, let us pay that respect, and love and obedience to him, which thereby are become his due.

But there is yet more in this; Creation is not a transient act; the same power that once gave us our being, doth still exert it self in the continuation thereof. When a child is born, he subsists by himself, his parents need not take any care, that he returns not to his pristine condi­tion: but we have the same depen­dance upon God in our preservation as we had in our creation; should he withdraw his Almighty hand, we should return to our first nothing; in him we live and move, and have our being; Therefore we are the more bound to serve and love him, that he not only made us to be; but gives us, as it were, a new being every mo­ment, by continuing our life and duration, by that Almighty will, whereby he effected our first pro­duction.

Now if we consider further, not only that God made us, but what he made us, it will yet inforce those bonds of duty, which Creation tied upon us. For it was in our Makers power, either to make us vile and abject as the vilest of beasts, or to deny us those faculties and abilities, which are most honourable and most useful to our nature: but he made us Men, the most wonderful of his creatures; in us he joyn'd what hea­ven and earth had most excellent, an immortal Spirit, created after his image, with the most elabora­ted, the most perfect of material things: Take a view of the marvel­lous organs of thy senses, of the cu­rious contrivance of those joints and ligaments which unite thy several members, of those various and deli­cate channels which contain thy blood and spirits; in a word of all the parts and passions of thy body, which are all made for necessity and come­liness; and then admire the great goodness, as well as wisdom of thy creator; and say with the Psalmist, that thou art fearfully and wonderfully made, and that Gods works are very marvellous.

After this let thy thoughts dive deeper, and consider thine interior senses; the mysterious union of thy soul and body, with the beauty of that Divine Light which we call Rea­son; thy memory, thy will, thine understanding, which are the fa­culties of thy precious soul, which is not only created after Gods im­age; but is capable and desirous to enjoy him: and then see how nu­merous, or rather innumerable are the benefits which God hath bestowed upon us in our creation, and how just it is that we should love him, that we should glorifie God, in our Body and in our Spirits, which are Gods.

§. 3. Of Preser­vation.

Preservation comes next to be consider'd; a benefit of very large extent, and well deserving that rank, the Church hath plac'd it in, in making it the subject of our daily thanksgiving; for ever since man chang'd the impenetrable armour of Original Righteousness, for a thin covering of fig-leaves, he became so defensless, and yet expos'd to so many sharp and wounding arrows, that should not Divine Protection in­terpose [Page 6]for to shelter and secure him, his temporal Life would be a true and a sad emblem of Eternal Death. It appears by the history of Patient Job, that if we were not senc'd about with the hedge of a gracious providence, we should find that all creatures conspire our vexa­tion and ruine. God had no sooner broke the inclosure; but afflictions crowded in so fast upon that happy man, that in a short time there re­mained nothing of his former pro­sperity, but a bare and bitter re­membrance, to make the sense of his present misery more grievous. There is no man, but is expos'd to all the greatest Calamities that ever befel any of the Sons of Adam: and there is none able by his own power, to defend himself against the least of them. Fortune and accidents sport themselves (if I may so speak) with our goods and estates; Moths fret our garments, rust cankers our met­tals, thieves break through and steal our riches, or else they make to them­selves wings and fly away; besides their own corruptibility which of its self would consume them, they are expos'd to so many hazards, that it [Page 7]would be as impertinent, as 'tis im­possible to number all the ways and means, whereby men are afflicted with losses, and brought to poverty: only from hence, we may justly in­fer, that the same God who gives us all things richly to enjoy, must also se­cure them in our possession, or else we certainly lose them.

If we look on our selves, we shall like the Prophets man in Dothan, 2 King. 6. see armed enemies on all sides of us, our spiritual enemies are many, strong, and full of rage and malice; and yet we have no defence against them: but that God makes his hea­venly host, to wait on our safety, incamps his Angels about us, to be an invisible guard against our invisible enemies, and not only so, but to se­cure us also from thousands of sud­den and sad accidents, which might, every moment befal us. All crea­tures are now furnish'd with a sting wherewith they may either vex or kill us. The elements and all com­pounded bodies, the air we breath, and the food that nourisheth us, all things in nature, and all things in chance, may become our tormentors or murthers. Nay, we carry swords [Page 8]and daggers in our own bosoms; we have within our selves the matter of all sorts of distempers; not one joynt in our bodies, but may be af­flicted with the gout; Not one hu­mour, but may overflow its banks, and quench the light of Reason, or the fire of Life; Not one pore or part within or without, but may unex­pectedly, at all times, and in all places, become an entrance to death and sorrow. In the midst of so ma­ny and great dangers, it were im­possible for us to stand one moment, but that God defends us under his wings and keeps us safe under his fea­thers, Psal. 90. as the Psalmist speaks, and so the blessings of immunity, which most men slight, or over-look, are never enough to be acknowledg'd, but deserve the thanks of a whole life. We dwell under the defence of the most high, and abide under the sha­dow of the Almighty: therefore let us set our love upon him and glorifie him.

§. 4. The Posi­tive bles­sings of this life.

The Positive blessings of this life, are now to be exposed to view; but of them, I may use the words of the Psalmist, Psal. 40. If I would reckon and speak of them, they are more in number than can be [Page 9]numbred. Health and strength, and comliness, with industry and learning, are shar'd among the sons of men in several proportions: and so are good friends, and a good name, peace, plenty, and pleasures; any one of those single, might make a rich por­tion for one man, for each, within it self contains many rich and precious blessings: yet oftentimes, God unites all, or most of these together, to crown us with loving kindness and ten­der mercies. Psal. 103. The works of creation, and the works of providence are not more numerous, then the graces and gifts of God to mankind; any one that should seriously meditate upon this subject, would find it multiply and increase almost to immensity, and would be forc'd to break off with the exclamation of David; Lord, Psal. 8.4. what is man, that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man, that thou so re­gardest him: God renews his mercies to us every day together with our lives; every hour, Psal. 36. we eat of the fat­ness of his house, drink of the river of his pleasure, and receive the sweet ema­nations that flow continually from the fountain of life. But of those bene­fits which God pours open hands up­on [Page 10]us, how many are there that pass unregarded! we usually mind, not what we receive, but what we desire. Let heaven rain Manna never so thick upon us, if we wish for Quails, An­gels food shall be unsavory, and per­haps distastful. They that long for great and well covered tables, find no relish in their daily bread; they that pursue after wealth, look not on the blessings of competency; they that aspire to honour, receive health, food and raiments, rather with a disdain­ful anger, than with thankfulness; all the favours we receive from God, are unobserved or slighted as long as he doth not gratifie our humour with what we desire, and even these gifts whereof we are most sensible, are soon laid in oblivion; an hours pain will cause many longer pleasures to be forgotten; and if God sends evil up­on us only for one day, it makes us forget the many good things, which we for many years received from him. This I say, because many mens unsatiableness and ingratitude makes them overlook most of Gods bles­sings; despise what they have, and value only what they have not; and so murmur and complain when [Page 11]they should give thanks. But who­ever shall diligently observe all the gracious distributions of that God, who always giveth to all men, being debtor to none, all the supplies and comforts we receive from him, will heartily say with the Psalmist, Psal. 31.107. O love the Lord all ye his Saints; and, O that men would therefore praise the Lord, for his goodness, and declare the won­ders that he doth for the children of men; that they would exalt him in the congre­gation of the people, and praise him in the seat of the elders.

sect;. 5. What re­turns we should make for them.

Those Benefits we have hitherto mention'd, we receive as we are men, and that, from the free goodness of our gracious God, we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture; we are, and we have nothing that is good, but it comes from him; he made us, he preserves us, and he provides for us: therefore, O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise, be thankful unto him, and speak good of his name. It was Jacob's vow, that if God would keep him, and give him food and rai­ment, whilst he sojourn'd in Haran, then the Lord should be his God: Now [Page 12]what was his vow should be our reso­lution and practice; God feeds, and clothes, and defends us, therefore ought he to be our God; That is, we ought to own him for such by faithful service and hearty obedience. There­fore, 1. Let us pay our bounteous Benefactor, the just and easie tri­bute of Praise and Thanksgiving, for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life. 2. Let us set apart daily, some of that time which he gives us, for acts of Wor­ship and Religion. 3. Let us honour the Lord with our substance; either in secret charities or publick offerings, paying him an acknowledgement, that he is our land-lord; and lastly, let us apply our selves to observe his Laws, to do what pleaseth him; be­cause we are not our own, we owe our selves to him, we are his, he gave us our being. These are acts of natural Religion, and them we owe to God, as he is our Creator and Benefactor.

§. 6. Of Redemp­tion and first of the infinite miseries we are redeem­ed from.

Now are to be considered the be­nefits we receive from God as we are sinners; the mercies of our Redemp­tion; how God our Creator is be­come JESUS, our Saviour; how [Page 13]after having given us many good things, he at last gave himself for us. And that we may the better under­stand the greatness of this unspeak­able and Divine Mercy, let our me­ditation descend a while into that bottomless gulf of perdition wherein we were plunged by nature, in this plain manner. Represent to thy self a man in Job's condition, having ad­ded to his ulcers and poverty all the saddest calamities that ever afflicted any man upon earth, especially the remorses and horrors of a guilty and tormented conscience, crying out of impatience and despair with Cain, my pain is greater than I can bear. This unhappy creature having for many years born the uneasie weight of his miseries, linger'd out a tedious and disconsolate life, is at last struck to the heart with a mortal wound and dies, and so passeth from temporal to eternal sorrows; he falls into a lake of fire and brimstone, a place where there is nothing but woe and darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth; where there is no company but of tormented and tormentors; nothing to be seen, but what is fright­ful, no voices to be heard but curses, [Page 14]shrieks and lamentations, where there is the absence of all good and the presence of all evil; where men de­sire to die, and death flees away from them. This is the fulness of his mise­ry, that it shall have no end, that he must dwell with everlasting burn­ings; their fire is not quenched, and their worm dies not. If weeping but one tear every day, he might expect to be releast, after he had wept as much as would make an ocean, it would be some comfort! but at the end of so many millions of years as would suf­fice to weep a Sea, his torments will be as far from ending as the first day they began: and if after this manner in process of time, he should shed tears enough to make many more seas, yet still it might be truly said, this is but the beginning of sorrows; still there is an intolerable Eternity to come; for after as many thou­sands of millions of years as tongue can express or heart comprehend; Eternity is nothing lessened; still it is what is was before, an abyss of du­ration that can have no end; this ex­cludes all comfort, this fills his soul with a woful despair, this is another hell in the midst of hell, which in­rageth [Page 15]him, and perpetually tortures his mind, to think that there will be no end of his sufferings, that he can conceive no hope of being deliver'd: but that he must bear to all Eternity, what every moment is intolerable! O dreadful Eternity, who can seriously think of thee and not tremble! Now if thou dost ask for what reason this wretched creature is thus tormented, know that it is for sin; because his first parents broke the Law of their Creation, and he followed their foot­steps; they involv'd him first in the guilt of a wicked rebellion against God, and afterwards by his own acts he made himself yet more criminal; by nature he was a child of wrath, and then he became so, yet more by his own transgressions; he was sold under sin, and then he became a willing slave to it; his own thoughts, words, and works being evil, and that continually, he forsook God, and dis­honor'd him, and profest enmity against him, and oppos'd his depra­ved will to Gods Holy Will, and so be­came obnoxious to the infinite justice of God, which therefore justly in­flicts this deserved punishment upon him.

And now, if knowing the reason, thou dost inquire after the person, who by being so unholy, is become so extremely unhappy; I could say with the Prophet, thou art the man, this is thy patrimony, as thou art a child of Adam; this thou art by nature: but the Divine Mercy hath rescu'd thee from this misery, and therefore I must say, thou wert the man, this must have been thy case, had not the Holy JESUS work't thy Redemption by means as wonderful, as was his pity and charity.

But before I proceed I must also propound one question. Two men are equally indebted, and equally un­able to pay; the one is patiently for­born and at last freely acquitted, the other is cast into the dungeon, and a while after compassionately releast and set at liberty; I demand, is not he that never entred the Prison, as much bound to love his generous creditor, as he that was deliver'd out of it? yes doubtless, or rather more: because his debt is also forgiven, and yet he is freed from that trouble and sorrow, which his fellow debtor un­derwent. Why then, thy gracious Redeemer, by saving thee from the horrors and torments of Hell, hath [Page 17]laid on thee, at least as great obligati­ons to love him, as if he had brought thee out of it, after thou hadst been long detain'd therein. Therefore I de­sire, thou wouldst bring thy thoughts back again to that unpleasant a­bode, and consider thy self as if thou wert shut up in that dismal dungeon, and then express what thou wouldst give to be releast, what thou wouldst do for him that should bring thee out of that horrible and bottom­less pit.

I know that they that are afflicted with sharp pains and grievous sick­nesses, would purchase health with all the wealth they have; and I believe no reward would hire a man, to hold his hand in the fire but for one hours time: therefore I doubt not but that, if it were in a mans power, he would give this, and a thousand more worlds, to be brought out of an ever-burning furnace: and I am perswaded, that if thou wilt suffer thy fansy to be active in framing the black and dreadful scene of hellish horrors about thee, thou wilt then heartily say, were I owner of the whole universe, I would joyfully give it, to come out of these ever-burn­ing [Page 18]flames which torment my body, and to be freed from this never dy­ing worm, the remorses of my guilty conscience, which torture my soul: but because I have nothing, freely would I give my self to him, that should bring me out of this woful place. O I would follow him any where, do any thing that he should command me, imbrace his feet, kiss the ground they tread on, and give him all the demonstrations of a sincere and passionate Love! Well, thy petition is granted, before 'twas presented; the Love and Mercy of JESUS hath prevented thy re­quest, and distress: New make good thy vows and resolutions; Love and Serve JESUS thy Redeemer, and give thy self up wholly to him. I know that many may be good Chri­stians, without being snatch't out of the fire, without these terrors and af­frightments: but I am shewing what our condition had been without a Sa­viour, what is that gulf of perdition, whence JESUS hath sav'd us, if we will be saved by him: and I men­tion these terrors of the Lord, as S. Paul calls them, to perswade men; to be mo­tives of an active and vehement [Page 19]Love. For 'tis too observable, that few men seriously consider what Redemption means, what it was we were redeemed from, else they could no [...] be so indevout, so disobedient, so unthankful to their Saviour. S. Paul supposing, as I do here, that without Christ we were already dead and perish't, makes it the reason of that Constraining Love which enabled him and other Primitive Christians, to suffer so patiently, and act so zea­lously for JESUS; the love of Christ (saith he) constraineth us, be­cause we thus judge, that if one died for all then were all dead; as if he should say, we were certainly dead, irrecoverably lost, had not Christ died, to purchase life and salvation for us: therefore we cannot chuse but love him, and it is no wonder if that love be strong, and if we are govern'd and acted by it. That thou maist therefore love affectionately and live devoutly, consider seriously that death, the misery of that condi­tion wherein thou wert, and ever must have been, hadst thou not a JESUS. I might add, that we were delivered from the power and slavery, as well as from the condem­nation [Page 20]of sin: but this is included in the other, it being impossible to be saved from the wrath to come, without bringing forth fruits meet for repentance: and as it is mercy and grace on God's part, so on ours, it is matter of duty and earnest indeavour, and must be the result and effect of our love, first that we offend not, and then that we serve diligently, and faithful­ly him that redeemed us from our vain conversation, and gave himself for us, that we being dead unto sin, might live unto righteousness.

§. 7. How we were Re­deemed.

A further ingagement to love and obey, will be to consider the manner how our redemption was effected, and the price that was paid for it, thus, The Blessed Son of God, the Second Person of the Ever-glorious Trinity undertook that work himself which none else could perform: for us men, and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, In praesepe ja­cet, sed mun­dum continet ubera sugit, sed angeles pa­seit. Aug. Ser. de purific. 2.and was made man. In this act of his, mira­cles and mercies seem to vie one with another; that the God of Eternity should be born in time, that the Creator of all things should be the [Page 21]Son of a Creature; that the most highest should abase himself to the low condition of a servant; that God should become an infant, is a mira­cle of Love, which we can admire and adore, but never fully compre­hend. The greatness of God is un­searchable, his excellencies and per­fections are incomprehensible, he is infinitely good, powerful, wise, and holy: Man contrariwise, is in himself wicked and weak, ignorant, im­pure and miserable, there is so great a disproportion betwixt God and man, Haec est men­sura amoris, non solum quantum fe­cit nos, quan­ta fecit pro nobis, sed & quantillus factus est pro nobis. so wide, so immense a distance, that no­thing less than an infinite love could have fill'd up the gulf betwixt those two so different natures, and united them into one person. 'Twas never seen that a shepherd would creep up­on all four, and cover himself with a sheep-skin, to call his flock out of danger, and to expose himself for it: but the good shepherd did much more! When he came to lay down his life for his lost and wandering sheep, and ga­ther them into his fold; he took on him, not only the likeness, but the very nature of them: he became the lamb of God, that he might be the shepherd of mankind. Though he [Page 22]was infinitely more above man, then men are above beasts, yet he became the son of man, that he might become the Saviour of men: 'Twas never seen that a Sovereign Prince would seek to reduce to loyalty the most ab­ject of his rebellious subjects, by mixing blood with them, uniting their families together: but behold the Supreme Monarch of heaven and earth contracts a near affinity with his ungrateful rebels, who are as vile and miserable, as they are criminal, that he may free them from their guilt, and win them to their duty and their happiness. Proud and wretched sin­ner! thou wouldst be so far from en­tring into the kindred of meaner persons, those that are much thine inferiors, that thou canst hardly in­dure to be in their company: and be­hold, the most Glorious and Holy God, thine offended Sovereign, is become thy near relation, is be­come thy Brother, that he may win thine affections and become thy Saviour!

His life, all along, was a continuati­on of his great mercy and humility, he went about doing good, healing all manner of diseases Corporal and Spi­ritual, [Page 23]giving excellent instructions and great examples of vertue. But what we now consider, and what should most affect us, is, that for our sakes he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, all the time of his abode here below. At his first entrance into the world, he was degraded, even below the condition of the meanest infants, being born in a Stable and laid in a Manger; eight days after he began to be numbred a­mong the transgressors, receiving the bloody and painful Sacrament of Cir­cumcision, which belong'd only to sinners; in his youth he lived in po­verty and obscurity, and was subject to his Parents; when he manifested himself to the world, then he perpe­tually indur'd the contradiction of sin­ners; besides that he liv'd upon alms, becoming poor for us, who was Lord of all: he wanted even time to eat what the charity of pious persons afforded him, and had not so much as a place where he might rest his head. He was tempted of Satan, that he might suc­cour those that are tempted, he often watcht whole nights to Prayer, and was often faint with tiresome jour­neys, and hunger, and thirst: and [Page 24]what is yet worse, he was daily per­secuted by ingrateful men, for whom he indur'd all this. They slander'd him with false imputations of being a glutton and a wine-bibber; his kind and charitable affability in conversing with noted sinners, was made matter of accusation, as if he had consented to their evil deeds; his Divine Do­ctrine was derided, as if proceeding from madness; the miracles which he wrought in their behalf, were said to be done by sorcery, and pact with Beelzebub: and to all these disgraces and contumelies, they would often have added violence, and ston'd him to death, had he not escap'd out of their hands by a hasty flight.

Lord, Mat. 15.32. thou hadst compassion on the multitudes, because they had follow'd thee three days, and had nothing to eat, and thou livedst above three and thir­ty years, waiting upon thy base and fu­gitive servants, who were become thine enemies, seeking to prevent their ruine, by the assiduity of thy care and kindness! O sad ingratitude, that we should be so soon weary in serving thee, when thou wert so patient and indefatigable in acting and suffering for us, for our happiness and salvation.

§. 8. A conside­ration of the Cross in its four dimensions.

But if we desire to be rooted and grounded in love, and to comprehend and to comprehend with all Saints the immense charity of the Son of God, Eph. 3.17. which passeth know­ledge, which infinitely exceedeth all Learning in profitableness and ex­cellency, then measure the love of Christ, by the dimensions of his Cross, the breadth and the length, the depth and the height thereof, for therein love appears in its full ex­tent, so that nothing can be added to it. That the eternal Son of God would become our Brother, by be­coming Man, and would-live in Po­verty and Contempt, was very much: but that afterwards he would die for us, in that manner as he did, is the greatest wonder that ever the world saw. And indeed, there hapned more prodigies when he died, than at all other times of his humiliation; the sun hid himself, darkness over­spread the whole world; the earth shook, the stones and rocks were rent, the graves were opened, and the vail of the Temple was divided in twain; Nature seem'd to be a­maz'd to see her God suffer, and die upon a cross, greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life [Page 26]for his friend, 'tis true man cannot possibly do more, but JESUS did much more: he was God, then he became man that he might die for his enemies. This is it, whereof S. Paul speaks, when he saith that it was never conceived or seen, how great are the things which God hath prepar'd for them that love him; We speak (saith he) the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wis­dom which none of the Princes of this world knew, for had they known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory: but as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither is it en­tred into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him, but GOd hath revealed them to us by his Spirit. It appears that he speaks (not of the bliss of heaven but) of the crucifixion of our Bles­sed Saviour, which to the Jews was a stumbling block, and to the Gentiles foolishness, and which neither the senses nor the reason of man could ever comprehend; but, as a hidden mystery was made known to Christi­ans, by the revelations of the all­knowing Spirit of God. To under­stand therefore as much as may be, [Page 27]this never fully understood and ne­ver enough admir'd love of our Re­deemer, in dying for us, let us in the first place view the Breadth of his Cross; that is, the variety of the torments he indur'd for us, in the last stage of his uneasie pilgri­mage.

§. 9. The Breadth.

We may begin with the manner of his apprehension; he was taken as if he had been a publick enemy to mankind, a thief or a murtherer, with swords and staves, with rude­ness and violence; he was betray'd by one of his Disciples, forsaken by the rest, and then bound and drag'd from place to place by those he had instructed and fed, and in whose be­half he had workt miracles. He was call'd an impious blasphemer and vo­ted guilty of death, for confessing a great and necessary truth, that he was the only Son of God. Afterwards he was expos'd a whole night to the indignities and mockeries of his in­sulting enemies; they spet upon his sweet and glorious face; they vail'd him, and smote his head and buffet­ted him; and as if he had been a contemptible ideot, to be made [Page 28]sport withal, they bad him prophe­sie, guess who gave him the blows, he was accus'd before the Roman Pre­tor, as being a lew'd malefactor, a rebellious traitor who subverted the people and forbade to pay tribute to Cae­sar. From thence he was sent to King Herod, where he was set at nought, and abus'd by him and his Souldiers, and then sent back with scorn and contempt to Pilate. After­wards Barrabas a seditious murtherer was prefer'd to him, and a loud cla­mor rais'd by the people, that he might be crucified and put to death. Then was he whipt before their eyes, tied to a post like a vile slave, and expos'd to the servile rods, whiles they plough'd furrows upon his back, as the Prophet spake; the Souldiers took him, platted a Crown of thorns and prest it on his head, till the blood run of all sides of him; they beat him with canes and clubs, and put a reed instead of a scepter in his hand, and when he was all over spittle and blood they brought out their mock-King, and Pilate present­ed him to the people, and said be­hold the Man, thinking to move them to pity, by so sad a spectacle; but no­thing [Page 29]less than his death would sa­tisfie their inrag'd cruelty: there­fore he was condemn'd, and then a­bus'd afresh by the Souldiers, and loaded with his Cross and driven out of the City to Mount Golgotha. Now here begins a new scene of sorrows; the afflicted Son of Man, having lost much blood, and suffer'd so much; having been rudely hal'd from the garden to Annas, from Annas to Caiphas, from Caiphas to Pilate, from Pilate to Herod, from Herod to Pi­late again, and from thence to the place of his Execution, arives at last, faint, and weary, and sorrowful upon Mount Calvary, where he was to die; here his hands and feet (which are most sensible parts of our bodies, by being most full of nerves) were pierc't through and nail'd to the Cross; and though there was a seat where to rest his body, as the An­cients say, yet the Cross being lift up, and put into the hollowness of the ground to make it stand upright, his wounded body was shaken and affect­ed, doubtless with a most acute pain, he was expos'd naked, not only to the view of the multitudes, but also to the open air, which was extreamly cold, [Page 30]in that the Sun was hid, he was burnt inwardly with an excessive heat and driness, being tir'd with so many journies, and being exhausted of spirits and moisture, by his sorrows and bleeding, insomuch that he com­plain'd of this above all his other sufferings, crying out, I thirst, (though we may say, that he thirst­ed most our happiness, that he thirst­ed to drink out the dregs of his bit­ter cup, that we might drink the cup of Salvation) he wanted the use of his hands and feet, being tied to suffer, so that he could not so much as stir, nor wipe the blood off of his face, he was afflicted with the fight of his af­flicted Mother, who from her wound­ed soul reflected sorrow upon her dy­ing Son and Saviour. His soul was al­so, as it were crucified, by the sense of the Divine Anger against the sins of men, for the which he was ma­king expiation, insomuch that he complain'd, that God had forsaken him. And lastly, his heart strings were broke, and his body depriv'd of life, by a most violent and bitter death. And now, who shall not love JESUS? and who shall not admire that love which is exprest in the [Page 31]breath of the Cross? Lord how ex­ceeding broad was thy Cross, which contain'd so many sorts of torments! Nothing can be compar'd to it, but thy charity, which made thee take it up, that we might be charg'd with nothing, but a pleasant and easie yoke! But Lord, why do we, most vile and sinful creatures refuse to bear thy light burthen, when thou the Most Holy and Most Highest hast born for us so sad and intollerable a load.

§. 10. The length.

We are now to measure the length of the Cross, that is, the time of Christs bitter passion, the tedious duration of his sufferings, which be­gan with his birth and continued to his last breath. The Life of JESUS, as we have seen, was, as it were, a chain of miseries, every link, every connection, had something grievous and afflictive, he was a Man of sor­rows: therefore, we no where read that ever he laught or injoy'd the pleasures and the mirth of this world: but that he suffer'd much and wept several times, is recorded by the Evangelists. Every day was, in some manner, the day of his Cru­cifixion [Page 32](which to us is Good, but to him was sad Friday:) for he knowing all along what he was to suffer, and living in expectation of that cruel death: we may say that his fears did, in some manner, pre­vent his murtherers, and by antici­pation, acted upon him, while he liv'd, what they were to inflict on him to put him to death: for he was pleas'd to assume, together with our nature, our innocent passions and in­firmities. I have a Baptism (saith he) to be Baptiz'd with, and how am I constrain'd until it be accomplished! that was the Baptism of his Blood, which he wisht for, because of his love to mankind, his great desire of paying our ransoms: but fear'd, be­cause of the repugnance of his hu­mane nature, to such bitter suffer­ings; wherefore (saith he) [...], I am constrained, I am in a streight betwixt two, I wish, and yet I fear to die. But that which we most pro­perly call his passion, because it ex­ceeded the rest of his sufferings, last­ed eighteen hours, without inter­mission, nine of Thursday-night, and nine of Friday; from the time of his agony, in the garden, about nine at [Page 33]night, while three in the afternoon of the day following; all that time he suffered those several sorts of pains and tortures, which are already mention'd; all that time, he drank full draughts of that bitter cup, the fear whereof made him sweat drops of blood, when he began to taste of it; all that time he suffered what no tongue can express; but what all hearts should indeavour to feel, and to think of daily. Lord JESU, thou wert tormented a long time, that we might not be tormented to all Eternity; grant that we may indure any thing for thee, and from thee our God, who didst indure so much for men, and from men.

§. 11. The depth.

We have seen that bar of the Cross, on which the hands of our Blessed Saviour were nail'd, the breadth and the length, that is, the variety and the tediousness of the pains and sufferings, he underwent for us? Now we are to consider the biggest piece which stood upright, whereon his body rested and his feet were nail'd; the depth and the height, that is, the pureness and the great­ness of his sorrows. If we read with [Page 34]attention the passion of Christ in the four Gospels, we shall see our Blessed Redeemer, as it were, sunk into a deep abyss of misery, by the heavy burthen of our sins; he might well cry by his Prophet, See whether there is any sorrow like unto my sorrow? for the greatest of humane afflictions ad­mit of many comforts, whereas he was depriv'd of all; as there was no part in us but was infected with sin, there was none in him but was affect­ed with pain; he was all over stripes and sores, an universal wound within and without; he suffered in all his capacities, in his outward and in­ward senses, in all the parts and fa­culties of his soul and body: the very circumstances of his passion, did all concur to make it more bitter and af­flictive. He was depriv'd of that or­dinary comfort of being assisted by his friends, all the Disciples forsook him and fled; as the Prophet had foretold of him, I have trodden the wine-press alone and of the people there was none with me; Isa. 63. I looked and there was none to help, I wondred that there was none to uphold. He was like a mild and deffence-less-lamb in the midst of ravenous wolves, there [Page 35]were none about him, but such as thirsted for his blood. And no won­der if man forsook him, when he was in some manner forsaken even by his Father. It pleased God to give him up to the cruelties of wicked men and the sorrows of death; and that his Divine Nature, (though personally and inseparably united to his huma­nity) should for a time suspend the effects of its beatifying union, and leave him, suffer as a man in soul and body, the greatest pains, with­out the least comforts. They that saw our Crucified Saviour suffer so patiently, as not to open his mouth to complain, might have thought that he had no sense of pain: therefore he crys out so bitterly, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why, dost thou suffer me to be plung'd into this gulf of sorrow, so that I have nothing but anguish within and with­out? Why dost thou suffer me to be almost overwhelm'd by so great a di­stress, and art so far from helping me and from the words of my complaint? Psal. 22. Lord, we had deserved to sink, and evermore to cry and groan in the bottomless pit: and to rescue us, Thou art pleas'd to descend very [Page 36]low: and with strong crying and tears, to say, de profundis clamavi, out of the depths have I cryed unto thee, Psal. 130. O Lord hear my voyce; be pleased to hear us dearest Lord when we call upon thee, and make thy voice sink into our hearts, and there find a cheerful ad­mission, and a constant and sincere obedience.

§. 12. The height.

Now we have only the heigth of the Cross to look on, that is, the sub­limity, the greatness of the torments of Christs crucifixion; that in this sense his Cross was very high, ap­pears already by what hath been said: and yet we may consider fur­ther; that he being conceiv'd by the Holy Ghost of a most pure Virgin, was therefore of a most healthful constitution; so that his senses, be­ing very quick and apprehensive, were sensible of pain beyond other men's: and so all the blows and wounds he receiv'd, and his being nail'd and stretch'd, three long hours on the Cross, as upon the rack, must needs have been a most ex­quisite torture. Also, the vigor of his nature being neither weakned nor spent, by age or distempers, he [Page 37]being full of strength and in the flower of his age, was capable to taste the smart and sharpness of his pain, to the very last moment of his life: and so 'tis written by S. Luke, that he cryed with a loud voice, when he gave up the ghost, to shew that he was still very strong, and that his death was bitter and violent to extremity. There was likewise an invisible Cross, which afflicted his soul, and made it sorrowful even unto death; his heart was like wax, Psal. 22. melted in the midst of his bowels: and in the midst of so many and such intollerable pains, his murtherers shook their heads, made mouthes at him, scoft at his sorrows by cruel and insulting mockeries, and by their tongues and derisions aggravated those sufferings, which their hands could hardly in­crease; but that the Cross of Christ was higher in the greatness of it's pains than that of any Martyr, of any man that ever suffered, is evident enough only by considering who it was, that was crucified on it: for it was more that JESUS, being per­fect God as well as Man, should shed one drop of blood, than that all Men and Angels should for Millions of [Page 38]years bear the greatest torments. Lord we were wonderfully made by thy power, but we are yet more wonderfully redeem'd by thy mercy! Lord what is man, that thou shouldst thus be mindful of him! or rather, what is man, that he is unmindful of thee!

§. 13. What an in­finite love is exprest by the Cross.

Now we have seen the whole frame of the Cross, writ all over in blood, with characters of love, ex­pressions of the greatest kindness, for a testimony that JESUS lov'd us unto death. Not any sorrow or an­guish in his soul, not any gap or wound in his body, but are as many mouthes to cry aloud in the ears of all men, Behold what manner of love, God had for his enemies, his sinful and unworthy creatures, to suf­fer such things, to die in such a man­ner, for to redeem them and make them happy! Now let us, if we can comprehend, the breadth and the length, O dilectio quam mag­num est vin­culum tuum quo ligari potuit Deus. Idiot. the heighth and the depth of the love of JESUS, that love which bound him much harder than the cords of the Jews, and nail'd him to his cross much faster than those Irons which pierc't his hands and feet: [Page 39]for he that could, with one word, cast his enemies to the ground, could easily have broke their bands and escap't from them, but that his love did constrain him, and make him desirous and willing, thus to die. What man would suffer one half of what Christ did, for his dearest Be­nefactor? And then, how immense and wonderful was that charity which he exprest in suffering the ignominy and pains of the Cross, for those that were his enemies and had highly in­jur'd him, and from whom he could expect no reward, but only to be lov'd again! Let us therefore remem­ber it throughout this whole book, or rather throughout our whole life, that we have been redeem'd from eternal despair and misery, and from our vain and sinful conversati­on, not by any corruptible thing, as sil­ver and gold, but by the precious Blood of Christ, shed with great pain and great ignominy.

§. 14. Of the eter­nal happi­ness Jesus merited for us by his death.

This love of JESUS is more already by far, than ours can answer; Could our hearts burn perpetually with those brightest flames of love which beatifie the Cherubims, could [Page 40]they contain all, the most passionate affections of all Saints, both in hea­ven and earth, yet we could not love JESUS so much as he de­serves, for having died to save us from eternal death: and yet he did more; he suffer'd death that we might have life, that we might have eternal life; Not only that we might not be intire­ly miserable, but also that we might be perfectly happy. Heaven is the purchase of the Blood of Christ, as well as Redemption from hell; God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, when we were dead in trespasses and sins, hath quick­ned us together with Christ, and hath rais'd us up, Ephes. 2.5. together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Let us meditate a while, upon that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory reserv'd in heaven for us, 2 Cor. 4.17. and in it consider the same dimen­sions, as in the price wherewith it was bought, the Cross of our Saviour: and it will greatly press and increase our obligations to love him.

It is [...], as S. Paul calls it; each word is a part of its dimen­sion. First, the Breadth; it com­prehends [Page 41]all joys and pleasures, all things that are good and desirable, all that can yield satisfaction, and cre­ate happiness to a man: even that in­comprehensible and increated good­ness, which is the inexhaustible fountain of perfect Bliss and Felici­ty; in whose presence there is fulness of joy, at whose right hand there are plea­sures for evermore. Secondly, It's Heigth. It is above the regions of the air, in the highest heavens; the sublimity and greatness of it's glory, is exprest, by being like the Angels of God; by shining forth as the Sun; by a kingdom, a crown incorrupti­ble, a crown of life, and sitting with the Son of God in his throne. Third­ly it's Depth. It is pure and un­mingled, it admits of nothing affli­ctive: neither death nor sorrow, neither hunger nor thirst, neither pain nor anguish; all tears are wip'd from their eyes. There is the absence of all evil and the presence of all good; therefore 'tis called the joy of our Lord, than which, nothing can express a greater: for God is intirely and perfectly happy, and so incapa­ble of any sorrow, that the least sight of the Beatifical vision would turn [Page 42]hell it self into a paradise. Fourth­ly and lastly, Its Length, It's never ceasing duration; it admits of no end or period, it is everlasting, it is eter­nal, it is for ever and ever; after as many millions of years as there is drops of water in the sea, it will but begin: and after as many thousands of millions more, it will be no neerer ending, then it was at first, still eter­nal, and ever eternal. This is that Bliss which we had forfeited by sin, and are reintitled to by the passion of Christ; that Bliss which if often and duly consider'd, would make us despise the world, long for heaven, love affectionately, and serve dili­gently that JESUS who offers it to us, and died to purchase it: Where­fore S. Paul prays so earnestly for the Ephesians, that God would give them the Spirit of Wisdom and revelation, the eyes of their understanding inlightned, Ephes. 1.18 that they might know what is the hope of his calling: and what the riches of his glory of his inheritance in the Saints.

That we might once be possest of this bliss, as well as deliver'd from hell, was the Cause why JESUS descended down from heaven, be­came poor, took on him the form [Page 43]of a Servant, and humbled himself unto death, even the death of the Cross; for the joy that was set before him, Heb. 12.2. he despised the shame and endu­red the Cross, saith S. Paul. That joy, we may say, was not the injoyment of heavenly bliss, for himself; 'twas his without suffering; there was no need he should bear the Cross, for to ob­tain it, he had a sure title to it by nature: the joy therefore that was set before him, was the joy of saving us, the joy of rescuing us from the jaws of death, the gulf of eternal perdition; the joy of paying the price of our Redemption; the joy of making us capable of eternal joys; the joy of purchasing the glories and felicities of heaven for us; in a word the joy of shewing us his love, and expecting the returns of ours. This was the joy, why, he despised the shame, because his shame should raise us to glory; this was the joy, why, he indured the Cross, because his Cross should exalt us to a happy and ho­nourable Throne.

This meditation of the great and manifold benefits of God, and the wonderful love and charity, he hath shewed us, in JESUS, we [Page 44]may and should prosecute much far­ther, in all instances: for 'tis infi­nite; and never enough to be consi­der'd and admir'd. But Reader, if that little, I have here set down, doth not affect thee, and if being affected with it, thou dost not re­solve to return to God, all possible acknowledgments and demonstrati­ons of a grateful love, Haeece via a meris est vera non ficta: via cordialis, non verbalis: via fructuosa non ociosa: via non solùm sermo­nis, sed etiam operis. Idiot. then read no further: for, as what precedes is matter of mercy from Gods part, so what follows is matter of duty on thine. I shall now infer that we must love God, because he first loved us; and that if the love of JESUS to us, hath made him bear our Cross, our love to him must make us bear his yoke: if he died for us, because he loved us, then we must live to him, to make it appear that we love him. Our love to Christ (saith an excel­lent late Author) is not a subtil airy, and metaphysical notion, Sherl. 412. as some repre­sent it, but is a vital principle of action which governs our lives, and makes us fruitful in good works: thus it should be at least, and thus I intend it, the tryal of love is obedience; if ye love me (saith our Blessed Saviour) keep my Commandments.

§. 15. What all these bene­fits require from us.

Now then we are to consider, that God giving knowledge of salvation to men, hath also thereby proclaim'd their duty: Manifesting his love, he hath ingag'd and requir'd theirs; as our being call'd to be Christians makes a great and real change, as to the happiness of our condition: a great and real change it ought also to make, as to the holiness of our conversation. Therefore S. Rom. 2.16. Paul calls the Gospel, the power of God unto sal­vation to every one that believeth, and he prays for the Ephesians, Ephess 3.18 that they might know the love of Christ, that so they might be fill'd with all the fulness of God: as to say, that the knowledge of the love of Christ is exceeding powerful and efficacious, and would replenish them with all graces and vertues; for this cause he sets so high a value upon the excellency of this knowledge, Phil. 3.8. esteeming all the world but dung in comparison of it; and he ex­horting the Cretians to be ready to every good work, puts them in mind that they, who were once disobedient, de­ceived, serving divers lusts, had been deliver'd from that unhappy condi­tion by the appearance of the love of God our Saviour towards man: Tit. 3. as in other [Page 46]places, he exhorteth Christians, to walk worthy of their calling; worthy of the Gospel; thereby declaring that the manifestation of the Divine Love, in the Preaching of the Gospel, was the promulgation, as of their happi­ness, so of their duty: whereby they were rescued, as well from living as from perishing in their sins. 'Tis the appearance of that grace of God which bringeth salvation, Tit. 2.11. that teacheth men to live, soberly, righteously and godly: and 'tis the receiving and crediting that Heavenly Doctrine, that quench­eth the fiery darts of Satan, that puri­fies the heart, and overcomes the world; so that the bare belief of the truth of the New Testament is a strong and indispensable obligation to a cheerful, universal, and persevering obedi­ence to all its precepts; the very profession of being Christians doth strictly bind us to the performance of all Christian duties. But the ne­cessity of a Holy Faith and a Holy Life hath been so fully evinc'd and asserted, and all things that pertain to life and godliness so cleerly and learn­edly explain'd by Catholick Wri­ters Ancient and Modern, especially many Pious Fathers and Sons of this [Page 47]Church, since the Reformation, that I shall not insist upon the fundamen­tals, either of Faith or Practice, to in­force it; As indeed my design is not to instruct, but to move the affecti­ons; not to argument or explain, but to draw inferences from known and granted premises, to administer prudential helps and Religious coun­sels, and by devout meditations to af­fect the heart.

§. 16. An invita­tion unto the Cloister of love.

I ask therefore; hast thou con­ceived a fair Idea of Christianity? hast thou observ'd the glory and greatness of it's Mysteries, the holi­ness of it's Doctrine, and the perfe­ction of its precepts and counsels? hast thou consider'd and admir'd the great exemplar of all vertues, the Holy JESUS, author of this Holy Institution? hast thou read his life with an observing eye, and hast thou view'd the fair copies of this perfect Original, which have been drawn by many of his Saints, in the imita­tion of his example? hast thou weigh'd the excellency of his pro­mises, the great immunities, and the invaluable advantages which belong to his followers? hast thou seriously [Page 48]ponder'd the great obligations which the love of JESUS hath laid up­on thee? and art thou desirous to be happy by loving again, and being grateful? If so, enter this Cloister, love JESUS and thou shalt reign with JESUS.

The Cloister I mean is not the precinct of a particular Abbey, or the confinement of a narrow Cell, but the Catholick Church, whose inclo­sure is large enough to entertain all the Religions in the world, all that are of the Christian Order: And the Rule I would have thee follow, is not that of any Founders, nor even that of Pachomius said to have been brought down by Angels: but that which the Son of God himself deli­vered, the Gospel-rule, the Christian Laws and appointments, hath not God given his Beloved Son, the heathen for his inheritance, Psal. 2. and the utmost parts of the earth for his possession? Cursic arctc­mus Christi professionem quam il­le latissime voluit patere & ego certe sic optarim Evangelicam Religionem sic omnibus esse cordi, &c. Ench. Why then (saith Erasmus) Should we con­fine the excellency and perfection of Christianity to particular places? [Page 49]Why should we make that short and narrow which Christ would have to be of an universal extent? If it be words we affect, is not a City a great Monastery, the Abbot where­of is the Bishop, set over it by Christ? Would to God the Christi­an Rule were so well belov'd and observ'd that no man might look or desire the Benedictin or Fran­ciscan. I say so too, all this is true and to be wished: yet the univer­sal comprehends many particular Churches, and the Christian Rule hath also many several interpretati­ons: therefore to be plain and posi­tive; the Church of England (as the purest part, or member of the Ca­tholick; which hath repurg'd cor­rupt innovations, and maintains a Blessed Conformity with Antiquity) is that which I recommend to thee above all others: and for the best interpretation of the Sacred Canon, the Doctrine and Worship of this Church is that, which I would have thee prefer to all the rest.

§. 17. The vow to be taken at the entrance of it.

But (because I speak not to dis­senters, nor intend to dispute with them) thou wilt say, that thou hast [Page 50]entred this Cloister already, and hast undertaken it's Rule; but though it be so, thou mayst do it the second time, by a second choise, an after­election. Thou didst not come of thy self but wast brought in, when first thou entred'st this society, and 'twas by a proxy thou promisedst to observe the orders of it: therefore now that thou hast the use of rea­son, 'tis very necessary thou shouldst do it again, by a free and conside­rate act of thine own will. Ratifie then thy former ingagements by being confirm'd, Quod summum est id omnibus est enitendum ut saliem mediocria assequa­mur, nec est quod ullum vitae genus ab hoc scopo submoveamus, &c. Eras. if thou art not, and if thou art, by a hearty and sincere indeavour to perform thy vows and promises, which are as follows. First, To renounce the Devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, with all covetous desires of the same, and the sinful lusts of the flesh. Secondly, To believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith. And thirdly, To keep Gods Holy Will, and Command­ments, and walk in the same all the days of thy life.

This vow contains all thy duty, the highest pitch of Christian perfection, [Page 51]rules for the most Regular and Spiri­tual Life; let thy serious applica­tion, and earnest indeavour to ob­serve it, discriminate and sever thee from the prophane and less Religious world: Thou needest no distinct in­closure, no distinct habits, no distinct patrons or offices, thy sincere Study, thy Religious care to discharge this obligation, will sufficiently cloister thee in, from the looser society and conversation of men, and will make a difference great enough betwixt thee and them.

But though thou dost remain in the civil society of the world, and the neighborhood of thy neighbour: yet various are the ways that lead through the world to heaven, and here I un­dertake to teach thee a sure and short one, through which all glori­fied Saints have past. Some persons here, Qui timendo non fa­cit male, male faceret si liceret: itaque etsi fa­cultas non datur, volun­tos retinetur. August. in Psal. 32. are eminent in one vertue, some in another: some are guided by hope and some by fear: Many dif­ferent are the conside­rations and helps where­by men are brought to make them­selves happy in doing their duty: [Page 52]but the motive, the guide, the way, Dilectio est via rectis­sima absque devio: via brevis absque taedio: via plana absque tumulo: via clara absque nubilo: via secura absque periculo, &c. Idiot. Cont. the instrument I recommend to thee above all others, is Love. Love is the strongest motive, the surest guide, the safest way, the best instrument in the world: to live well, to keep thee from wandring, to bring thee to heaven, to conquer all oppo­sitions, and do the work of God thoroughly. Love hath a general intendance over all vertues and du­ties, and makes them pleasant to us, and acceptable to God. Love is the fulfilling of the Law. Love, and thou canst never do amiss; love and thou canst never miscarry.

§. 18. Of Love, and first of Self-love.

Love is the common prince and parent of other passions, as they all take their Laws, so they take their Origine from it: Or, to speak more properly, Amor inhi­ans habere quod amatur, cupiditas est; idem habens eoque fruens, laetitia ect; fugiens quod eiadversatur timor est; id (que) cum acciderit sentiens, tristitia est. Aug. de Civ. Dei. l. 14. c. 7. love it self is all passions, and it obtains several different names, according to its several acts and ob­jects. Love (saith S. Aug.) is cal­led desire, when it gasps after its beloved object; when 'tis possest of [Page 53]it, it takes another denomination, and is call'd joy or pleasure, when it flies from what it abhors, it hath the name of fear; and 'tis called sorrow, when what it fear'd overtakes it: But still love is the only passion: desire, anger, joy and sorrow, hope and fear are either the motions or acts: or else the acci­dents of it. This clearly shews the great power and activity of this no­ble passion: for 'tis well known that the greatest, and indeed all humane actions that are free, proceed from these natural affections, and so are the effects of love. There is no need to distinguish the several sorts there­of, declaring that love is, either na­tural or supernatural, sensual or spiritual, of friendship or of interest; for all these are the same faculty, or passion in man, differing in their principles or objects only; neither would it much avail to give and ex­plain a [...]rate and studied definiti­ons of love, which is much better felt than exprest, and much better de­clar'd by actions than words: it will be more useful to consider, that, as love is the principle of all passions, so it is of all vertues and vices. This [Page 54]fountain sendeth forth the clearest and the foulest streams; and like all other things, the greater its excel­lency, the worse is its abuse: so that it should be our greatest care, to use it well, and set it upon the right object.

No joy in enjoyment without love, without it no pleasure in fruition: it is the great instrument of happiness, if we place it aright, and it brings the greatest infelicities if we mis­place it. 'Tis a misguided love that makes men vicious, that causeth all the disorders in the world: be­cause men love themselves more than God; and so would be Gods to themselves, the Authors of their own happiness, expecting their greatest felicities, either from their bodies as the sensual Epicures, or from their minds, as the proud Stoicks. Hence it is, that in the head of a long catalogue of the blackest sins, S. Paul sets self-love as the cause, and origine of all the rest: saying, that in the worst and most pe­rilous times, Men should be lovers of their own selves, 2 Tim. 3.2.4. and again, that they should be lovers of pleasure, more than [Page 55]lovers of God; which, being the great­est depravation of the understanding and of the will of men, plungeth men into the greatest sins, and thence in­to the greatest miseries. Certain it is that piety or true goodness consist­eth in willingly submitting ones self to the Divine Pleasure, either to suffer or obey: and certain it is that self-love will admit of neither, it makes a man uncapable of Religion, the Es­sence whereof is to deny our own, to comply with God's Will: and so in­stead of that Godliness, Justice and Sobriety which are the three generals comprehensive of all Religious du­ties, this muddy head-spring, self-love, sends forth three muddy streams, which cause the overflowing of ungod­liness, and almost drown the world under a deluge of wickedness. These be the love of sensual pleasures, call'd voluptuousness; the love of Riches, call'd covetousness, and the vain-glorious love of honour, call'd pride or ambition. These three are disclaim'd and renounc'd by all Chri­stians in the first part of their Bap­tismal vow: for the love of them confounds the world and all Religi­on; makes men criminal in souls, [Page 56]bodies, and estates, and is the great enemy to their rest and salvation. Therefore S. John who calls these the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, gives us this necessa­ry caution; 1 Joh. 2.15. love not the world, nei­ther the things that are in the world; if any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him; that is, as our Blessed Saviour saith, Mat. 6.24. no man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other: ye cannot serve God and Mammon. There is no halting betwixt God and Baal, 1 Kings 18.21. the one or the other must be ac­knowledged for Lord; there cannot be two contrary Sovereigns toge­ther; and the same thing can't be granted to two several competitors; if we love the world it reigns in our hearts and God is excluded: if we give our love to the world, we cannot possibly give it to God also; Amor motus est cordis qui cum se inordinate movet, cupiditas dicitur: cum vero ordinatus est charitas apellatur. Aug. de subst. dil. c. 2. so then the love of our selves is concupi­scence, the mother of all sin and impurity, and the love of God is grace or charity, the fountain of all holines and vertue: and these two, according [Page 57]as they are predominant in men, make here the distinction betwixt the penitent and the impenitent, be­twixt the just and the unjust: and will make the great difference here­after, betwixt those that shall dwell in the imbraces of the God of love to eternity, and those that shall dwell with everlasting burning; for every man is what he loves, (as S. Talis est quisque qualis est dilectio ejus; terram diligis, terra es, &c. Aug. Tract. 2. in 1 Joh. Augustine saith) the ir­resistible power of that mighty passion doth in some manner transform him, into that which his love imbra­ceth: and therefore to know whe­ther a man be good or bad, we in­quire not what he knows or what he believes, but what he doth love: be­ing sure that his morals are of the same nature as his love; because his desires and actions are all guided by it.

§. 19. How they that will be profest lovers of JESUS must mor­tifie self-love.

This makes it our greatest duty, as it is our greatest interest, to rule by reason and Religion that passion which cer­tainly will rule over us, to set our love upon the right object, [Page 58]upon God, not upon our selves. Not that we should, or can be our own enemies, and seek our own ruine; no man ever yet hated his own flesh, Ephes. 29. saith S. Paul; the worst of Misanthropes are kind to themselves: and we may as soon lose our being, as the desire of our well-being; and indeed, as we should have, in the state of inno­cency, so we may still love our selves in God: only God must be preferr'd before all; and 'tis impossible we should be happy, but in loving him above all things, with all our hearts and souls; but now that we are in a state of sin and depravation, there must be a dereliction of our natural desires and affections, a renunciation to our own wills: that we may com­ply with the will of God, and be guided by his Divine Laws. In the time of man's integrity, God was to be regarded and loved first and most of all, so it must be still: the dif­ference is, that then man did it na­turally, and now by a supernatural assistance: he did it then by the grace of his Original Righteousness, and now by the grace of the Gospel; he did it then without reluctancy, now he hath sinful appetites and pas­sions [Page 59]which he must deny and mor­tifie, before he can do it. Therefore our Blessed Saviour requires it, at the very entrance of his School, as a necessary qualification to all that will be his Disciples, that they should deny themselves and hate all things in comparison of him: Luk. 9.13. If any man will come after me, let him deny him­self and take up his cross daily and fol­low me: 14.20. and again if any man come to me, and hate not his father and mo­ther, and wife and children, and bro­thers and sisters, and his own life also, he cannot be my Disciple; that is, he that will own JESUS, and he own'd by him, must in all things give him the preeminence; must re­linquish his natural desires, deny his own will, that he may yield an hum­ble obedience to God; he must for­sake all things that come in compe­tition with him; and even part with his dearest relations and his own life, (as though he hated them) ra­ther than commit what God hath for­bidden, or disclaim what he would have us profess; this self-abnegation, Ule satis se diligit qui sedulò agit ut summafrna­tur bono. this daily self-crucifixion is no act of hatred, as the world might think: but the greatest kindness we can shew to [Page 60]our selves or others: as he that cuts off one of his limbs, hates not him­self, but seeks the preservation of his body; and he that casts his goods over-board, hates them not, but pre­fers his safety to them: so in this case, he that parts with his earthly injoyments, hates them not, but pre­fers heaven to this earth; he that loseth this present life, hates it not, but loves eternal life beyond it; and he that forsakes his friends or parents to follow his Saviour, hates them not, but loves JESUS above them, and seeks to win them to JESUS. In this case the promise is verified, that he that parts with any thing for Christs sake, receives an hundred-fold, in compensation: and he that loseth his life, certainly finds it; Therefore, hating our kindred and our own lives, is otherwise exprest in S. Mat. 10.37. Matthew; he that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, &c. As much as to say, that it is only requir'd, that the love of God should be predominant; that JE­SUS should be dearer to us, than all persons whatever; and that, in the first place, we should love God with all our minds, with all our [Page 61]strength and with all our souls: for then afterwards, the love of our selves and others being subordi­nate would become regular and in­nocent.

§. 20. Of the love of God.

Now as all sins and miseries pro­ceed from a misplaced love; so all vertues and felicities are the product of love well-guided, and plac'd on the right object; this is as beneficial and advantageous, as the other is pernicious: that is, (as S. Sicut radix omnium malorum est cupiditas: ita radix omnium bonorum est charitas. Serm. de Charit. Augustine saith) that as self-love is the root of all evil, so the love of God, is the root of all good, the stock whence all vertues do grow. The excellency of Divine Love is so great, so transcendent, Sine charitate fides potest esse; sed non pro­desse. Aug. 1 Cor. 13. that it alone is accepted on its own account, and all other things for its sake; a faith strong enough to work miracles, alms the most expensive, and even the flames of Martyrdom profit no­thing without love, as S. Paul teacheth; love it is that makes all good works meritorious in the best sense; love it is that gives a value to all other ver­tues; [Page 62]or rather, it is love that pro­duceth all good works and vertues, as they are so indeed. Love is the discharge of our whole duty, the ful­filling of the law, Rom. 13.10 saith S. Paul; love is that grace which renews and sancti­fies our natures and abides for ever; it is the greatest, the most excellent gift of God; it is even the Divine Spirit, Ʋnitas Spiritus continet omnia. Serm. Pent. Donum est Spiritus San­ctus in quo nobis omnia bo­na dantur. who unites all things within the bonds of love and unity, saith S. Augustine, and with whom all good things are ever given. Divines teach that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son, by way of love; wherefore he is call'd, nexus amoris quo conjungitur Pater cum Filio, & Filius cum Patre; that is, in the Language of the Church, that in the Unity of the same Spirit the Father and the Son live and reign evermore; Charitas qua pa [...]er di­ligit filium & filius pa­trem, quae est Spiritus Sanctus, ineffabilem com­munionem amborum de­monstrat. De Trin. l. 15. or, as S. Augustine expres­seth it, the love where­with the Father and the Son love mutually is the Holy Spirit, and represents best the Mystery of their Incomprehensible Union.

Now that Divine Spirit, which is the eternal love of God to himself, is given to us, in the grace of love or charity (which are one and the same) whereby we are all joyn'd to­gether into one body, and all united to God; therefore in our holding Communion with the Church, we are commanded to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; Ephes. 4.3. and we are taught, Rom. 5.5. that the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost which is given to us; 2 Cor. 13.14. and that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost are all one: so that to come to the highest pitch, and finish the elo­gium of love, we may say with S. John, that God is love, 1 Joh. 4.16. and then we have said all. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him, that is, God is an abyss of love and goodness; by love he gives himself to us, and by love we give up our selves to him, and are transformed into him. Wonder not therefore, Deus chari, tas est; brevis laus sed ma­ [...]na laus: brevis in sermone & magna in iatellectu, &c. Aug. Tract. 9. in Ep. Johan. if the effects of love are so glorious and wonderful, when it [Page 64]proceeds immediately from God, and is the communication of himself to us; when it is the grace of Jesus Christ, and the most precious gift of the Divine Spirit; when it is the Sanctification of our natures, and the bettering and perfecting of the no­blest of humane affections, natural love, that powerful passion where­by all things and all men are go­vern'd.

§. 21. Of the properties of love. The first.

Though the properties of love in general be bet­ter known by experience than they can be by dis­course: Ineffabilem prorsus ego sentio amorem Dei; & qui sentiri magis quam dici possit. Basil. yet it may serve to good purpose to say something of them; the first whereof is, that love always imbraceth what is good, ei­ther in truth or appearance: for Man's inclinations are still the same, as they were in the state of inno­cence; though much depraved: we still pursue after what we think will make us happy; only we mistake. Like the bramble in the fable, which having lost a rich freight of the finest silks, and now takes hold of the coar­sest stuffs, to recover its loss; so have all [Page 65]men a secret sense, that they are faln from a state of felicity, and have lost a jewel of infinite value, which still they esteem and love, though they know it not: and therefore now, to recover the eminency of their first station, they are climbing upon every mole-hill, petty moun­tains of ambition; to recover their lost jewel, they pick up every peb­ble stone; where they see a glimpse of beauty, where they relish any thing of goodness, there they set their love and affection, as if that were the summum bonum, which is but an im­perfect shadow of it; so that we are like an infortunate lover, who, being seiz'd by a phrensy, forgets and forsakes his Mistress, and dotes on her picture. We neglect God, and fall in love with those things that have the least impress of his perfe­ction: and then, like Idolaters we pay that worship to the work, which is due to the maker only.

Therefore ought we to take great heed, that we be not taken with eve­ry seeming beauty or goodness: but that we examine whether that be the thing which will make us intirely happy, and beyond which we shall [Page 66]wish for nothing. For, if it be not, we must pass it by, and seek further, and never rest, nor set our hearts on any thing, till we have found that true and perfect good, most obvious and easie to be found, which being lov'd will be certainly possest, and being possest will make us perfectly happy; and that is God alone. It is the meditation of S. Au­gustine, Amaturus & honorem & forte non perventu­rus: — quis me amavit & non ad me pervenit? — quisquis me quaerit cum ipso sum, &c. Tract. 10. in Ep. Johan. Thou maist seek after honours and not obtain them; thou maist labour for riches, and remain poor; thou maist dote on pleasures, and have many sorrows: but our God, the Supreme Goodness saith, Who, ever sought me, and found me not? who, ever defir'd me, and obtain'd me not? who, ever lov'd me, and mist of me? I am with him that seeks for me; he hath me already that wisheth for me; and he that loveth me is sure of me: the way to come to me is neither long nor difficult; love makes me present to every lover.

§. 22. The second.

A second property of love is; that it never rests and is never satisfied, [Page 67]until it be possest of the beloved ob­ject; This makes abused worldlings so busie, so perpetually restless and active about the purchase of their be­loved vanities: and this makes de­vout Christians, like S. Paul, Phil. 3. never to count themselves to have apprehend­ed: but forgetting the things which are behind, and reaching forth to those that are before, to press for­ward towards the mark, the price of their high calling, the object of their love and most passionate de­sires. This restlessness and activity of love found work enough for the Fathers of the Desarts; whose inde­fatigable pains to mortifie their sin­ful appetites; whose unwearied di­ligence to serve God; whose swift and violent motion heaven-ward is the object of our wonder, and up­braids our sloth and negligence. They were almost wholy freed from the necessities of the body, which is the endless task and work of other men, and yet they were always im­ploy'd; they had almost nothing to do, and yet were never idle; the love of Eternity, the love of JESUS kept them in action; they dwelt in peace, and yet were never at rest. [Page 68]Our heart, which is the seat of love, can never be quiet, till it returns with­in Gods imbraces, till it be possest of that infinite good, which all men love, though but a few know it. See the several plots and undertakings of men in the world, 'tis love sets them at work: 'tis to obtain what their blind affections run after, that they are so assiduous and so laborious. See the prayers and pious exercises, the self-denial and mortifications, the manifold acts of charity and the great patience of Christians in the Church: 'tis love also hath set them their task and makes them so diligent so watch­ful till they have fulfil'd it. We some­times wipe the tears from our eyes, and our sorrows admit of joyful inter­vals; our anger doth not last always, and sometimes hatred is asleep: Habet omnis amor vim suam, nec potest vacare amor, in anima aman­tis. Aug. but love like the heart wherein it dwells, can never cease to act and move till it ceaseth to be, where ever love is, it shews it's life and power, and is always doing.

§. 23. The third.

In the third place, as love is active, so it is effective; it doth not spend it self in useless and insignificant at­tempts; [Page 69]it's strength is great, as well as it's indeavours. Great are the dangers and difficulties which love overcomes; it carries the ambitious lover of honour through many un­easie perils to a fading laurel; it car­ries the covetous lover of riches through the most hard and slavish labours, to his false and treacherous mammon; and it carries likewise the devout lover of JESUS through obe­dience and self-humiliation, through briers and uneasie crosses, through patience and the greatest sufferings to the injoyment of his Beloved. Love can do all things, since it brought God down from heaven to become man, and die for man. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Rom. 8.35, &c. saith S. Paul, Shall tribulation or di­stress, or persecution, or famine, or na­kedness, or peril, or sword? nay, in all these things we are more then con­querors, through him that loved us; for I am perswaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord; As much as to [Page 70]say, that the power of love is ir­resistible, that it answers all obje­ctions and conquers all obstacles: notwithstanding mans high provoca­tions and great unworthiness, love made the Almighty lay down the arms of his just vengeance, and open his bosom of mercy, to give his dear and onely Son to man for a Saviour; Joh. 3.16. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. And likewise man is enabled or rather forc't by love to do and suffer any thing; as soon as Divine Love enters a mans heart, of proud, it makes him humble; of lustful and intem­perate, it makes him chaste and so­ber; of covetous, it makes him cha­ritable; of dainty and effeminate it makes him a Martyr. No ill ha­bits so deeply rooted, but love can pluck them up; no cross so heavy but love can bear it. Many waters can­not quench love (saith Solomon) nei­ther can the floods drown it. Cant. 8.7. No, the strongest torrent of affliction is but like drops of water sprinkled upon the fire, it increaseth the flames and ardency thereof. 6. Love is as strong as [Page 71]death, and death is very strong, Magnum verbum fortis ut mors dilectio; magnifi­centius exprimi non potuit fortitudo charitatis, quis enim morti resistat? igni­bus undis, ferro, regibus resistitur, venit una mors, quis ei resistit? nihil illa fortius, propterea viribus ejus charitas comparatur. Aug. in Psal. 121. stronger than all visible creatures. We dai­ly fight against death and beat it back; by rest and food and Physick, we di­spute the victory with it many years; but it is ever victorious at last; so is love, it never gives over, till it hath conquer'd all oppositions; it's courage increaseth together with difficulties; the more obstacles in its way, the greater it's indeavours, the more fierce it's con­tentions. Death severs a man from himself, and disunites what seems inseparable: love also takes the lovers soul from him and unites it to the be­loved, so that he lives more in what he loves than in himself; love is as strong as death; Death converts the greatest sinners, or at least keeps them from sinning at all, any longer: so doth love, it certainly mortifies all, even the most reigning sins, it will not suffer them to sin that love God. We can tame wild beasts by industry; overcome the barrenness of the earth by labour; resist the an­gry elements by Art and Physick; no [Page 72]evil but hath a remedy, only death hath none, there is no striving against it: so that nothing can better express the irresistible power of love, than to say that it is as strong as death.

§. 24. The fourth.

The last property of love I shall now mention, is, that love sweetens bitter things, makes our labours pleasant, and even our sufferings de­lightful. How heavy is that yoke which is impos'd by an ungrateful hand! the Souldier prest to the ser­vice can hardly bear his arms: but he that is inrol'd by love thinks them light and bears them with pleasure; the slave that works in the Mines counts his very life a burthen: the niggard that works much harder likes well his drudgery, because the love of riches is his task-master; he that serves his master out of fear works faintly and with a heavy heart: he that serves him out of love, doth it diligently and yet with chearfulness; the Christian pilgrim who is driven heaven-ward with fears and terrors, goeth on with much reluctancy, and a sorrowful heart: he that is drawn with the cords of love, follows with joyfulness, [Page 73]minds not the ruggedness of his way, and even rejoyceth in his weari­ness, because it brings him nearer and nearer to his beloved: he that could say, the love of Christ constraineth us, could say also, we rejoyce in tribula­tions; 'Twas the love of JESUS made primitive Christians work hard and suffer much, Nullomodo sunt oncrosi labores amantium, sed etiam ipsi delectant, sicut venantium, piscantium: interest ergo quid ame­tur: nam in eo quod ama­tur, aut non laboratur, aut laber amatur. Aug. with com­fort and unspeakable joy: and 'tis for want of that sweet and Divine Love that Christians now find sorrow and great difficulty in that little they do or suffer for JE­SUS. The labours of love are ever pleasant; nothing is hard, that love binds upon us.

§. 25. A farewel to all sin­ful desires.

These considerations are now to be reduc'd into practice; And so I come to enter upon the work and la­bour of love; Heb. 6.10. I come to profess my self a lover of JESUS, and so to approve my self by deeds and acti­ons. The love of JESUS hath prevail'd; I find my heart wound­ed; I can no longer resist the charms of his love; he hath woed me so long, and with so much kindness, [Page 74]that now my heart is his; I will love him, because he first loved me. Now it repenteth me that ever I rejected his sute, that ever I was unkind to him; it grieveth me that ever I countenanc'd and prefer'd his rivals, the lusts of sensuality, covetousness, and pride, which I renounc'd in my Baptism; I will now exclude them wholly; this is the first mark JE­SUS shall receive of my sincere af­fection to him, that I will entertain nor caress no longer those his ene­mies, with whom I have had an un­happy intelligence for too long a time; henceforth, if they come near me, I will indeavour to drive them away; if they come after me, I will flee; if they persevere in their at­tempts, they shall get nothing else, but shame and denials. Away from me then, ye wicked spirits, with all your tempting allurements, worldly vanities, deceitful riches, sensual pleasures; I remember that I re­nounc'd you all, when first I gave up my name to JESUS, when he first began to shew and seal his love to me, and to ingage mine I then re­nounc'd the devil and all his works, the vain pomp and glory of the world, [Page 75]with all covetous desires of the same, and the carnal desires of the flesh; I now remember those my ingage­ments, and grieve that I have not kept them: and therefore will hate you the more; that you made me forget my promises, and break my holy vows. Now will I be reveng'd of you, ye proud and ambitious de­signs, lustful thoughts, greedy de­sires of wealth; I will now kill and crucifie you. Henceforth, it shall be my honour, that I am a Servant of JESUS; it shall be my delight and pleasure, that I am a lover of JE­SUS; and it shall be my wealth, that he is mine as I am his. JESUS hath done and suffered much to de­clare his love and to deserve mine; he hath come down from heaven, and humbled himself to my mean and low condition; he hath liv'd poor and despised; he hath been af­flicted and persecuted; he hath died for me; hereby I know that he loves me, because he laid down his life for me, but ye his unworthy rivals never gave me any assurance of your affecti­on, never did, or suffered any thing for me. JESUS expos'd himself to shame, that I might become [Page 76]glorious; indur'd pains, that I might have pleasures; he became poor, that I might be enrich'd: but cove­tousness offers me riches, to pierce me through with many sorrows; lust inticeth me, to wound me, when I have consented to it; and pride promiseth me honors, to cumber me and expose me to envy. JESUS is infinitely lovely, he is all perfecti­on and goodness; and he desires to be loved, not for any advantage of his own, but to make his lovers in­tirely and eternally happy: but you painted idols of abused mortals, are in your selves ugly, and even loath­some; though at a great distance, ye may seem somewhat fair, yet near at hand, ye are nothing but defor­mity; ye always prove vain and vexatious; ye seek to enter mens hearts, only to tyrannize and tor­ment them, and betray them to eternal sorrows. JESUS is a true and constant lover, he ever owns his friends: he never fails them that love him; he helps them in their distresses; he comforts them in their sorrows; and when they die he stands by them: but ye temporal deceitful pleasures, are false and in­constant; [Page 77]ye forsake your friends in their greatest need; ye flatter them for a few Summer days, while the Sun shines kindly upon them; but in the rigors of Winter, when an unprosperous storm ariseth, you are gone, ye leave them to die com­fortless; they carry nothing of you, when they go from hence, but the bitter remembrance of your trea­cherousness. JESUS is a most grateful lover, he ever returns love for love; he is ever found of them that seek him; to them that desire him he ever gives himself; every true lover of JESUS is sure to in­joy him: but you worldly injoyments are generally most unkind to your most passionate lovers; ye flee from them that run after you; ye grieve and vex your greatest admirers, ye are ever uncertain, false and ungrate­ful. I will therefore never love you again; nay, I resolve to hate and persecute you; to mortifie the lusts of my flesh; to humble the pride of my heart, and overcome the cove­tous desires of my mind: but JE­SUS shall reign in my heart; him will I love; him will I serve; him will I indeavour to please in all [Page 78]things; I will be wholly his; there­fore I renounce all friendship with you that are his enemies; there can be no agreement betwixt the Holy JESUS and this sinful world; If any man love the world, 1 Joh. 2.15 the love of the father is not in him.

§. 26. Of the an­tipathy be­twixt sin. and Jesus.

Fleshly lusts are against the purity of JESUS; pride is against his humility; and wordly-mindedness contrary to his heavenly promi­ses and his mercifulness. These are never to be reconcil'd with JESUS: they are mortal enemies, mortal I may call them, because they were his murtherers, or ra­ther, because he died to put them to death; We were not redeem'd with corruptible things, as silver and gold from our vain conversation, but with the precious blood of Christ: JESUS shed his blood to redeem us, as well from the practice and commission, as from the punishment and destructi­on of sin. Nay, the first is that which he chiefly design'd, because, though we should not be punish'd, yet if we remain in sin, we are un­happy: holiness being the ultimate end, perfection, and happiness of [Page 79]man. Blessed are the pure in heart, for without holiness no man shall see God. S. Paul therefore saying that Christ died unto sin, that is, to take away sin, infers from thence, Rom. 6. that we being baptized into Christs death, our old man is now crucified, that the body of sin might be destroy'd, that henceforth we should not serve sin; and S. Peter like­wise makes it the purpose, why Christ did bear our sins (their punish­ment) on his own body, on the tree, 1 Pet. 2.24 that we thereby being dead unto sin might live unto righteousness. Christ gave himself for us, Gal. 1.4. that he might re­deem us from this present evil world. 1 Joh. 3.8. The Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil. Sin is that which God hates above all things: sin is that which is most contrary to his nature, and to our happiness; and so JESUS was crucified, that sin might be de­stroy'd, he died that sin might live no longer: and therefore I re­nounc'd all sin, the Devil and all his works, when JESUS own'd me for his friend and I own'd him for my Lord and Master, they are in­compatible, their inconsistency is irreconcilable; if I hold to the one, I [Page 80]must despise the other; if I love one, I must hate the other. I will therefore, as I am most bound, and as I have promis'd, forsake sin and follow JESUS; I will fight against his enemies, and side with him against my own corrupt affections; while I have a being, I will love and obey JESUS.

§. 27. Of out­ward helps and means.

Now, To effect this, means are to be us'd; for our hearts will not of a sudden be brought to a Religi­ous temper; 'tis not bare resoluti­ons will make us resist temptations when they assault us, with their most prevailing inticements, grace indeed is never wanting to us: but if we be wanting to our selves, we re­ceive it in vain: if we second it not with our indeavours, we make it in­effectual. Now among private means of grace (for I speak not of those that may be had in the Church, in the dispensation of the word and Sa­craments belonging to all) fasting, alms, and prayers, which are also acts of Religion may hold the first rank. But besides them, there are other adminicula pietatis, instruments of holy contrition, handmaids to de­votion, [Page 81]which, though they be in­different, and uncommanded, yet may help to move our affections, and secure our duty. Such are re­tirement from the world, reading of good Books, pious Meditations, hum­ble prostrations, &c. And (though needless scruples and rejecting of Ancient Ceremonies, be now much in use and credit, yet) amongst them I will reckon, the sign of the Cross, which was certainly us'd by Primitive Christians very frequently, and yet without superstition; there­by to vouch it to others, and even to themselves, that they own'd JE­SUS Christ crucified for their Lord and Saviour: as also it was made upon our fore-heads in Holy Baptism, in token that we should not be ashamed to profess the faith of Christ crucified, Caro signa­tur ut ani­ma munia­tur. Tert. and manfully to fight under his banner, against sin, the world, and the devil, &c. And to the same pur­pose we may use it on our selves again, to testifie that we own the profession we then made, and tacite­ly to confirm and renew our vows of obedience, and fidelity; not to con­jure away spirits, and work such feats as many intend it for, in the Church [Page 82]of Rome: but to strengthen our good resolutions, by moving and affecting our hearts. Certain it is that nothing palpable or visible may in this life, be the object of our worship; it may have some power on the heart as well as what comes in by the ear; but though it have the warrant of antiquity, yet it may not serve any further than only to stir up our dull affections, and raise holy passions in us. But, if we sincerely forsake our sins, and evidence our love to JESUS, 'tis not greatly mate­rial what means or instruments we use.

§. 28. Meditation on the passion.

My love is crucified, said that loving and holy Mar­tyr Ignatius, declaring how earnestly he wish't to die for JESUS: [...]. and so, consi­dering the passion of JE­SUS, I meditate with him; My love is crucified, my dearest Saviour dies in most bitter pains; he hath been rudely bound and drag'd from place to place; he hath been stript, tied to a post, and whipt like a vile slave; he hath been buffetted and caned, [Page 83]and abus'd with all manner of con­tumelies; and now I see him crown'd with thorns, all over spittle and blood. I see him stretch'd upon the cross, where his hands and his feet are nail'd; his head hangs down; I read in his pale face and his weep­ing eyes, the extremity of his pain, the anguish of his wounded soul. Lord art thou he whom my soul loveth? O Domine Jesu Chri­ste, si intelligentia quam mihi dedisti uti vellem si­cut deberem, cernerem manifeste, quo modo, imo quam sine modo, à me cre­atura tua amari merueris, qui prior dilexisti me; tan­tus & tantum, & gratis, tantillum, & talem, & ingratum. Idiot. art thou my dearest JESUS! were it my father, my bro­ther, my friend, or my benefactor that should suf­fer this undeservedly, how would I pitty them! but should they suffer this up­on my account, Lord I could not outlive such a sight! if nothing else, love would certainly wound my soul to death. But behold it is so; this crucified, this dying man is my father, he gave me my being; he is my brother, he came down from heaven and took humane flesh, that he might have that relation to me; he is my friend, he lays down his life to save mine; he is my greatest benefactor, from him I receive all I have; all the blessings, [Page 84]the good things I injoy I owe to his kindness.

But heark, methinks I hear him speak to me these pathetick, these moving words; Christian, dearest Christian for whom here I die; con­sider seriously, imprint it in thine heart, what in my words, what in my mysteries, thou readest of my suffering for thee; consider who I am, what I indure, and to what end. I am the eternal Son of God whom the Angels adore: I became Man to make thee partaker of the Divine Nature; I am infinitely rich, the whole universe is mine: I became thus destitute of all things to pur­chase true riches for thee; I am of an Almighty Power, the whole world was made and subsists by me: I am now weak to make thee strong I am overcome of mine enemies to make thee conquer thine; I am crown'd with glory, and cloth'd with Maje­sty: I now wear these thorns, and am become naked, to clothe thee with robes of righteousness, and Crown thee with a Royal Diadem; I am the inexhaustible fountain of joy and happiness: I now indure sor­rows and miseries, to make thee [Page 85]joyful and happy; I am infinitely pure and innocent: I am become a sacrifice for sin, to merit thy par­don, and to sanctifie and make thee holy; I am the Author of life, the first and the last: I now die to make thee live for ever: nothing but love moves me thus to suffer for thee, This us'd to be written under Cru­cifixes. Aspice serve Dei, sic me posuere Judaei.Aspice mortalis, pro te da­tur hostia talis.Aspice devote, quoniam sic pendeo pro te.Introitum vitae reddo tibi, redde mihi te.In cruce sum pro te, qui peceas desine pro me.Desine, do veniam, dic culpam, corrige vitam. and no­thing but love I require for it. Dearest soul, thy sins are more grievous to me than my wounds; add not sorrow to my sorrow by remaining impenitent; de­ny not this request to thy dying bleeding Saviour that thou wouldst mortifie thy lusts and forsake thy sins; all that is past I heartily forgive, if thou becomest true penitent. I freely give my self for thee, and beg that thou wouldst give thy self to me.

§. 29. Protestations of love to JESUS.

What shall I say, now dearest Lord? Words can­not answer thee. I am amaz'd, I am astonished, I know not how to speak, my tongue [Page 86]cannot express what my heart feels. Lord I will say nothing! I will answer with sighs and tears, with devout affections, by resigning and giving up my body and soul to thee. I will answer by obedience, by actions, by now falling to work to reform my life, to mortifie my sinful lusts, to cut off the members of the body of sin. Sweetest JESU, I will love thee with all the affecti­ons my heart can entertain; no bo­some sin shall be so dear to me, but for thy sake I will heartily part with it; no lust shall be so pleasing, but I will kill it, at thy request and com­mand; even my natural desires and inclinations will I gladly deny, when they come in competition with that duty and love I owe, and ever will pay JESUS.

sect;. 30. Of a sin­cere a­mendment.

But fickle and unhappy creatures, that we are, we often promise well, but seldome stand to our ingage­ments; our resolutions are good and our performances very defective; The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. I must not therefore rest in generals, but I must resolve more especially against those sins I am in­clined [Page 87]to: and not only against them, but also upon the means whereby I may overcome and mortifie them; as avoiding the occasions and intice­ments, inflicting on my self such se­verities, as may be proper reme­dies, and tying my self to such pious exercises, as I know will drive away the temptation. To forsake my sins, is not to forbear drunkenness, when perhaps I am not inclined to it; or to avoid swearing, when I look upon it as an unpleasing and unprofitable sin; or to hate covetousness, when by nature I am liberal: but, knowing what sin pleaseth me most, what vice my temper inclines me to, and what temptation is most strong and im­portunate upon me, by my calling or my company, against that to for­tifie my self, and imploy the utmost of my strength; against that to watch and pray, and use sincere and earnest indeavours. To for­sake my sins, is not to say, I will for­sake them. Some men, when they are call'd upon by fear, adversity, or the secret voice of God within them, are forward enough to ingage with the Elder Brother in the Gospel, Lord, I will go and work in thy vine­yard: [Page 88]but their hot zeal and hasty promise, soon decays into negli­gence, and at last into a cold denial. Though I resolve against my natural corruptions never so seriously, that will not subdue them, without I use proper means for it; to take up my cross and follow Christ, to forsake all for him, to deny my self, to take the kingdom of heaven by force, to cut off my right hand, and pluck out mine eye when they offend, is more than barely to resolve, Gal. 5.24. and promise high, and proceed no further. They that are Christs have, not only verbally re­nounc'd, but actually crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts: therefore now, I have given up my self to Christ, and desire ever to be his, I must pray heartily, and watch diligently against my sins, those especially that are most plea­sing and customary to me; I must, like S. Paul, not fight in the air against generals, but keep under my body, be temperate in all things, and strive to the utmost for the incorruptible crown; I must use that violence to my self, such harsh applications, acts of penance and mortification, of my own or the Spiritual Physicians ap­pointment, [Page 89]as are fit and requisite to cure my distemper, to expel or reform that evil inclination which is inconsistent with my love to JE­SUS. To that end it will be very useful frequently to meditate on the passion of Christ, the day of our change, our appearance in judge­ment, the joys of heaven, the tor­ments of hell, and the amazing con­sideration of Eternity: and I am perswaded, and will therefore speak it plain, (though to the dislike of most Dissenters) that it might be very profitable, a great token of sin­cerity, and an excellent instrument of reformation, to acquaint the Spi­ritual Judge and Physician, with the state of our Conscience and the di­stempers of our souls, to submit to his impositions, to follow his coun­sels, and carefully observe his pre­scriptions. This is recommended to us by Divine Authority, the gene­ral practice of the Christian Church, while of late, and the greater Piety of our Ancestors: and it would be a good remedy against our ignorance, the wrong judgment we make of our selves, our self-love and partiality, our inward doubts and tormenting [Page 90]fears, and our reigning lusts and most common temptations. Every man that striveth for the mastery is tempe­rate in all things; now they do it to ob­tain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible: He that would van­quish his antagonist, was in the first place to vanquish himself, to indure hardship and severity, and use all in­deavours for the victory, for a fa­ding garland: so he that will over­come his lusts, and master himself, and obtain that heavenly crown which never fadeth, must use great industry, many arts, all means that can conduce to that end.

§. 31. Love will work the best Refor­mation.

But the voluminous directions of Casuists and Confessionists cannot reach all cases and all particulars: to shorten our labour therefore, let the love of JESUS do the work of self-reformation and it will be soon­est and best done. Love will find out the most effectual means for the extermination of our sins, and love will use them to the best purpose. Certain it is, that love in all instan­ces, sets men upon acts of self-de­nial; as great Generals and many more, who forego the peaceable in­joyment [Page 91]of the comforts they might have at home, and expose them­selves to dangers, because they love honour; merchants who forsake their dearest relations, and run through many great troubles and perils, be­cause they love gain; and the more generous love of friendship, which hath caus'd many to chuse great in­conveniences and even death to serve their friends: and therefore certain it is also that the love of JESUS will make his yoke and even his cross easie; will make us deny our selves and forbear what displeaseth him, though otherwise pleasing to us. That men might be without excuse, God hath made a short work upon the earth: Ʋt nemo habet excusa­tionem in die judicii vo­luit Dous, sicut scriptum est, consummare & abbre­viare verbum super ter­ram. Aug. de Doct. Chri­stiana. l. 1. c. 1. (saith S. Aug.) by con­tracting his immensity into the narrow dimen­sions of man, he hath abbreviated his doctrine and our talk. JESUS is the Center and the sum of our Faith and Religion, and the love of JESUS is the content of our duty. I have determined, 1 Cor. 2.2. (saith S. Paul) not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified, 1.24. and we preach [Page 93]Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness: but to them that are called, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God, that is, in whom God fully reveals his will, and gives us full power to fulfil it. Gal. 6.14. Therefore (saith the Apo­stle) God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of Jesus Christ my Lord; by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. The knowledge and love of JESUS, our Crucified Saviour, is the most proper means to teach us our duty, the greatest motive to undertake it, and the best instrument to perform and effect it withal; it will kill our lusts, crucifie the members of the body of sin, and carry us through the labours and difficulties of penitence and sincere amendment: it will be the fulfilling of repentance, as it is the fulfilling of the law.

For, as love is strong to overcome strong enemies, to kill the greatest sins: so it is wise and quicksighted to see and to find out the least. A loving friend will not only not slander and defame his friend, not rob, or strike, or murther him: but will for­bear all words and actions which [Page 92]might bring him the least grief or inconvenience; love will not only not give the greatest provocations; but even not disoblige or displease in the least instances. And so, if my love to JESUS be sincere, it will not only keep me from confederation with his profest and greatest ene­mies, but even make me shun and forsake the most secret and contemp­tible of them: I mean that the love of JESUS will never suffer me to entertain any the least sin; and, whenever I find that I have been un­happily seduc'd to commit any, it will cause me to grieve and sadly to repent, that I have displeased my dearest Saviour, and wounded that tender love I have for him. And in­deed, it is reported of many devout persons, great lovers of JESUS, that they would sorrow and weep for ordinary failings, for small omissions, more than others would, for much greater sins. Divine Love, like a bright burning flame, will feel a commotion and disturbance by the least drop of water that falls upon it: a small irregularity will be more grie­vous to a pious lover of JESUS, than great crimes to another. There­fore [Page 94]he that could say, the love of Christ constraineth us, would also high­ly complain, and groan under the sense of our unavoidable imperfecti­ons; Rom. 7.24. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Nothing will make us more sensible of our least and most com­mon sins, than the love of JESUS; it will make us angry at, and impa­tient of them, and earnest and severe in reforming of them.

§. 32. The exer­cise of re­pentance.

So then as I profess my self a lo­ver, a sincere and affectionate lover of JESUS, I am oblig'd to un­do, as much as may be, what I have done amiss, and to do it no more: this I heartily resolve to do, and I hope shall really perform by the grace and assistance of my God. I will make amends and restitution to those I have damnified in body, goods, or name, and even ask their pardon for the injury: and then bewail my sins, grieve that I have offended my Divine and loving Master, and beg his forgiveness, and indeavour by tears and contrition to wash away the stains and spots wherewith my soul is polluted, and displeaseth the [Page 95]holy eyes of the Holy JESUS; and so, to love JESUS binds upon me the whole exercise of repentance, which now must be work of my life; I am henceforth to live the life of a penitent, and I resolve so to do; therefore, every night, I must call my ways to remembrance and be­sides those greater provocations, wherewith I offended my God in the days of my folly and inconsideration, I am to take notice of those sins of daily incursion I am fallen into the last day, and weep over them all, and beg for pardon; & this especially upon those times appointed for mortifica­tion and acts of punitive repentance, Fridays, Lent, and others; wherein devout Christians make it their more solemn indeavours to soften their hearts and make them melt into pe­nitent tears: which must be done by Religious exercises and such medita­tions as this.

My dearest JESUS, I owe to thy kindest goodness, my being and all the blessings I injoy; and I know that thou didst come down from hea­ven to die on the Cross, that I might not die in hell to eternity; to suffer a bitter and shameful death, that I [Page 96]might live in eternal joys. I hope to see thy glorious face, one day; I hope to receive a crown from thy gracious hands; I hope to dwell in thy blissful society for ever, dearest Sa­viour, if thou wer't upon earth, I would go all the world over to pro­strate my self before thee, to kiss the ground thy Holy Feet should tread, to serve thee, to shew my love and gratitude to thee. Dearest Lord, I would now joyfully give up my life for thee; I would lose the last drop of my blood to please and glorifie thee; I would die rather than deny thee. Why then, unhappy wretch that I am, do I offend thee, to whom I owe my self, and all that I have? Why do I wound thee by my transgressi­ons, who was wounded for them, by thy love? Why do I grieve thee, who purchasest eternal joys for me? Why do I displease thee, with whom I hope to live and dwell, and from whom I expect mercy and Salva­tion? Why do I sin against thee, whom I love with all my soul? and why do not I live to thee, for whom I would die.

§. 33. Is made easie by love.

Such considerations and solilo­quies as these will produce not only lachrymas doloris, tears of grief, but also lachrymas amoris, tears of love and true contrition; and moreover, all the severities of repentance which are so unacceptable and so repug­nant to nature will be made plea­sant: those things that would be un­grateful, as acts of justice and obedi­ence, will become delightful as acts of love; in amore nihil amari, in love all things are sweet that are done or suffer'd, for the sake of the beloved. I take pleasure in infirmities, 2 Cor. 12.10. in re­proaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christs sake, saith S. Paul, that great lover of JESUS; not that those things are of their own na­ture pleasant, whether inflicted by our selves or others; 'twas for Christs sake that he like't them. He that by pe­nitent sorrow, and acts of self-denial shews his love to JESUS, is certainly delighted with the most afflictive of those voluntary sufferings, as they are expressions of his love. Accordingly 'tis said of the Religious of S. Ber­nard, that their watchings, and fastings, and all the severities of their rule [Page 98]were become so pleasant to them, by the devoutness of their affections, that they were afraid of having their paradise in this world, and consulted S. Bernard about it. And certainly no­thing but love could carry the pri­mitive solitaries and Coenobites through that uneasiness and hardship they willingly undertook, and indur'd many years, and rejoyc'd in, and would not have exchang'd for all the pleasures in the world.

§. 34. And pro­ceeds not from me­lancholy.

Perhaps it will be said, that such things are the effect of melancholy or a forward and misguided zeal, not of true piety. But let it be consider'd, that natural love it self hath done, and still doth wonderful things. The love of friendship, the love of lust, the love of riches and ambition have set men upon difficult attempts, have made them despise great dangers, have carried them through many labours and sufferings, and per­haps as great as the most morti­fied Christian ever undertook for JESUS, and Eternity. This hath been and is still the effect of Natural Love, and sure Divine Love, whose object is so infinitely [Page 99]more excellent, may do at least as much.

Besides, things temporal seem great at a distance; but near at hand, they appear, as they are indeed, mean and contemptible: whereas contrariwise, things eternal, as they seem small and despicable afar off, so near at hand they appear great and immense, they overwhelm the mind. Hence it is, that dying men who are on the brink of eternity, are amaz'd at the thoughts and near pro­spect of it, and express great regret for their past inconsideration, and promise great things for the future, if they might live longer: looking up­on the world, as an empty nothing, not to be regarded where eternity appears; and hence it is also, that they who approach things eternal, and view them by meditation and contemplation, are of the same mind, have the same apprehensions of them, and act accordingly: doing those things which dying men repent they have not doue; for indeed, it is no illusion or deceit, but a great and real truth, that the world and all it's concerns are nothing, compar'd to eternity: and that we can never [Page 100]be too careful to obtain eternal joys, and avoid eternal sorrows. How much the Blessed Apostles and pri­mitive Christians were acted by this consideration, 2 Cor. 4.16, &c. S. Paul gives us to un­derstand, saying, that whilst they look't not on things visible and tran­sitory, but on things invisible and eternal, then their afflictions were light and but for a moment; though, they lasted many years, and were so great, that the very thoughts of them can make us tremble, yet they were light & momentary, whilst they look'd on eternity: and they fainted not, though their outward man decay'd daily, by their great mortifications, and their laborious zeal to serve God: and all this, whilst we look not on the things that are seen, but on the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal; So that it is the effect of a wise and most ra­tional consideration, to value and love him above all things, who by dy­ing for us; hath rescu'd us from eter­nal ruine, and obtain'd eternal hap­piness for us: and to make it appear by all means possible, doing or suf­fering any thing that may manifest [Page 101]our love to JESUS, and assure us of a blessed eternity. It may justly be fear'd that the indevotion and lukewarmness of very many, not the worst of Christians, will not make them acceptable to God, who de­clares that he will spue them out of his mouth that are neither hot nor cold: Rev. 3.16. and that their carelessness and indiffe­rency in religious duties, will hardly secure their eternal interest: How­ever I think that it is a shame, to see Benedictins, Franciscans, Car­thusians', and others, forsake the merriments, pleasures and honors of the world, rise up early and late go to rest, wear nothing but Cilices and coarse cloth, feed poorly and lie hard: and all this, and much more to observe the Rule of S. Bruno, S. Fran­cis, or some other fansieful or me­lancholy Devoto, who oblig'd them to some absurd, some needless, and many uneasie observations: from whom they never receiv'd any bene­fit, and from whom they can ex­pect no kind of remuneration: and at the same time to see Christians nice and dainty, unwilling to deprive themselves of any pleasure, or to un­dergo any thing of hardship, for to [Page 102]observe the most reasonable, holy, and advantageous Rule of Christ; from whom they have receiv'd the greatest favours, from whom they expect the greatest rewards, and to whose ser­vice and obedience they have devo­ted themselves, by a solemn vow, in holy Baptism.

§. 35. Corporal Austerities may please God.

Now if it be doubted whether vo­luntary Corporal Austerities be ac­ceptable to God, I answer, that the example of our Blessed Saviour, which we are to imitate and follow, makes it unquestionable; besides those Scri­ptures which command us to deny our selves, to take up our Cross, to cut off even hands and feet, when they make us offend, and that declaration of our Blessed Saviour, Mat. 6.18. when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, (fasting compre­hends all external mortifications, which Christ appoints not when, and how to be us'd: but leaves to our free choise and the determination of the Church, only declaring how much God is pleas'd with them) but anoint thy head and wash thy face, that thou appear not unto men to fast, but to thy father which is in secret, and thy father which sees in secret, shall re­ward [Page 103]thee openly; the same that is promis'd to Prayers, and alms. These, I say, make it as clear as the light, that God recommends, accepts, and rewards spontaneous acts of Mortifi­cation, when perform'd without hy­pocrisie or ostentation. They are instruments of Religion, whereby our lusts are subdu'd, the body kept under, and the spirit it self mortifi­ed; they are marks of the sincerity of our sorrow, Homo paeni­tent est homo sibi iratus. of our regret to have offended God, and our anger against our selves for it; and they are testi­monials of our love, when we thus take Gods cause in hand, punishing the offender for past offences, and seeking to prevent others that might follow. For this I dare appeal to the true lovers of JESUS, who need­ed not this digression, to convince them that acts of self-denial are pleasing to God, and pleasing to themselves.

I must therefore, the better to declare my love to JESUS, upon appointed days especially, or also at other times, as occasion may be of­fered, either inflict on my self vo­luntary afflictions, or deprive my self of lawful pleasures; as that pious [Page 104]Prince who pour'd out to God that water, 2 Sam. 23.16. which he thirsted exceeding­ly: sometimes in the matter of meat and drink, put a knife to my throat, when I might indulge to it; remem­bring how in that matter I have of­fended, and inwardly speaking my grief for it, and my desire of the food of Angels, the dainties of the great Supper of the Lamb: sometimes forbear a merry meeting, and devote to charity what I should spend on my recreation; and so, in many innu­merable other cases, as opportunity, and the secret whispers of love shall suggest; and all this, without scru­ple, without affectation, without pride: for, where we are not bound, such things may be omitted, so the great duty of contrition and love be secure.

§. 36. Not to re­turn again to our sins when temp­tations re­turn.

But the best half of repentance is yet behind; that which is most to be attended to, that which I must chief­ly design in all acts of mortification is, that I return no more to those sins for the which I grieve and afflict my self. The occasions and inticements of sin will doubtless come again; my thoughts will not always be fix'd up­on [Page 105]on Divine Objects, my mind will re­turn to the world; my passions will be disorderly and my appetite un­ruly again: how shall I stand, and resist, and be safe, in the time of danger, in the hour of tryal and temptation? I resolve to lift up my soul to JESUS and beg his assist­ance; I will remember my vows and ingagements, how much I am bound to love and obey JESUS rather than my lusts, and how much a gainer I shall be by it.

Thus, when a provocation to an­ger is given, and I find my heart rise, and my spirits take fire and grow turbulent, instead of giving way to passion, or suffering that it should proceed to hatred and re­venge, I will turn aside and check my self with the remembrance of my meekest Saviour, 1 Pet. 2.21. who was led as a lamb to the slaughter and opened not his mouth, who, when he was revil'd, reviled not again, when he suffered the greatest injuries, yet used no threatning, leaving us an exemple that we should follow his steps. I will remember how ill it becomes me to be angry with others, who have so much rea­son to be angry with my self for ha­ving [Page 106]so highly and frequently, pro­vok'd my God to anger; I will con­fider how ill it becomes me to be revengeful and severe to others, when all my hopes, and all my hap­piness depend upon forbearance and mercy; I will think of, and fear that just exprobration of my Lord against the revengeful, thou wicked servant, shouldst thou not have had compassion on thy fellow servant, as I had pity on thee; and I will remember that it is JESUS who died for me, JE­SUS for whom I would die, who intercedes for mine enemies, and will rejoyce that I have some of that kind of love to repay to him, which he shewed me when I was his enemy; Joh. 13.34. sicut ego vos, as I have lo­ved you, that ye also love one another. If lust inticeth me to acts of impuri­ty, I will call to mind the corrupti­on and dissolution of this vile body of sin; I will think on my last ac­count, the day of judgment, and the dreadful flames of hell; and I will remember him, who for me was crucified and with whom my love hath crucified me; and that now is the time to make it appear that I love him, to justifie the sincerity of [Page 107]my protestations; and so, for co­vetousness, pride, intemperance, and all such temptations, I will reject their attempts and profers, with in­dignation, as a true friend would scorn the solicitations to betray his friend. What, shall I be false to him I love, to him that loveth me, who hath shed his bloud for me, and to whom I have often protested that I would die for him? shall I break the sacred bonds of love, and my most sacred vows, and put my soul into a state of regret, unquietness, shame and sorrow for this vile tran­sitory profit or pleasure? O my dear­est JESUS, thou knowest that I love thee; I beseech thee, make that love victorious against thine ene­mies and mine. I would die rather than deny thee, for any interest in the world: and I hope thou wilt not deny me at the last day, but own me among thy faithful friends. Lord, I serve thee not for nothing; great are the reasons why I should obey thee: thou hast done much for me, and from thee I still expect much, infinite rewards for such due and poor ser­vices; Lord, let me die before I deli­berately sin against thee.

§. 37. To do what we do cheerfully.

Thus, by love I resolve to con­quer my self, to deny and mortifie my lusts; by love, I will strive to overcome all unlawful desires, all sinful motions: and then I shall re­joyce in the victory. It shall not make me peevish and morose, churl­ish and severe to others, but rather cheerful and contented, gentle and affable: so that it shall be seen by my outward deportment, how much pleasure and tranquillity my soul hath inwardly: that I rejoyce in what I do for Christ; that it is delici­ous to me to deny my self for his sake, to oblige so great, so true, so gene­rous a friend as JESUS, who hath done all acts of friendship for me, and owns me for his friend. I call you not servants but friends, Job. 13.14 ye are my friends indeed, if ye do whatsoever I have commanded you. Those that are ac­counted gallant men in the world will venture their lives to second a friend in an idle and unchristian quarel: and their wounds they bear with courage and count them honourable, 'Twas to serve a friend; How much more should I rejoyce in that violence I offer to my appetites and unruly desires, for to [Page 109]please and serve my heavenly, my best, my dearest friend, whom I can never love so much as he deserves: and in loving of whom, I am infi­nitely happier than if I should injoy all the pleasures of sin, as long as I live; I only grieve and am displeas'd that I can do so little for him, that I can requite his love no better. I know that many persons have done far more for their less-deserving friends, than I do for JESUS.

§. 38. A singular example of humane love.

It is reported by Greek historians of two loving sisters, Eudoxia and Irenea daughters to the last unhappy Prince of Morea, Niceph. Gregor. Chalcondys. who with his life lost his crown and countrey; that an uncle saved them from the general desolation and captivity which soon succeeded the lost battel, and carried them to old Andronicus their kinsman, then Emperor of Constantinople. There, with pity, they found a kind well-come and as great re­spects as they could wish. Their beauty, their vertues and accom­plishments surpast their princely [Page 110]birth, and were as eminent as their fortune was low: so that young An­dronicus who was to succeed in the Empire was, in process of time taken with Eudoxia, lov'd her pas­sionately, and obtain'd the Em­perors consent to marry her. This caus'd great troubles to Irenea, who lik'd it well as she lov'd her sister, but could not but grieve at it, as she lov'd the Prince (for unhappily she had settl'd her af­fections on him.) Upon this she fell sick, and almost to death: and, it being observ'd that some di­stemper in her mind caus'd the di­stemper of her body, her sister, protesting of her love to her, assu­ring her that Eudoxia should have only the title and the trouble, but Irenea the priviledges and the power of an Empress, conjur'd her to de­clare what caus'd her discontent. Having understood what it was, and grieving that she should be the occasion of her sisters danger and sorrow, she presently took from her head a jewel the Prince had given her, in form like a half-moon; and with it she so wounded and disfigur'd her face, [Page 111]that she cur'd the Prince of his love, as she designed: and after­wards retir'd to Galliopoli, where she entred a Cloister, and devoted the rest of her life to God. The Prince finding in Irenea what he had lost in Eudoxia, soon after en­tertain'd the same passion for her, he had for her sister: but Irenea, remembring her sisters generosity, forgot her affection to the Prince; considering what Eudoxia had vo­luntarily suffer'd for her, how great, how tender a love she had exprest in what she had done, re­solves to forsake Andronicus, to forego her ease and pleasure, and what she had so earnestly desir'd, rather than be ungrateful. Where­upon she steals away from the court, goes to Galliopoli, enters her sisters Cloister, and, having ex­prest to her her love and acknow­ledgments, she takes the same vows, and resolves to live and die to God, and with her beloved sister. This story makes me grieve and blush, that so little gratitude should be paid to JESUS for greater benefits, for that incompa­rable love he hath shewed men in dy­ing [Page 112]for them; that I my self should so ill requite his much greater kind­ness, so poorly and imperfectly re­turn his most wonderful love. What, shall I think it much to refrain my intemperance for his sake, who, for mine, fasted long and often, and ta­sted vinegar and gall? shall I think it much to mortifie my pride and anger for him, who, for my sake de­spised the shame of the cross, and return'd nothing but meekness to the greatest provocations? shall I think it much to refrain my worldly, co­vetous desires for him, who, for me, became poor, naked, destitute of all things, though he were Lord of all? shall I think it much, to de­ny my self some momentary sensual pleasures, for him who carried my sorrows, who shed his blood and was crucified to save me? No, my dearest JESUS, thy love hath overcome me, I will be no more what I have been, henceforth it shall be my wealth, my delight, my glo­ry and ambition to serve and obey thee, to be loving, to be faithful to thee.

§. 39. The design of Religion is to make us better.

This change and Reformation is what our Religion requires; The Scripture supposeth it in all that have imbrac'd Christianity, and is earnest and pressing in its exhortations to it. We beseech you Brethren, and exhort you by the Lord JESUS, 1 Thes. 4.1. that as ye have received of us, how ye ought to walk and to please God, 2.so ye would abound more and more: for ye know what com­mandments we gave you by the Lord JESUS, for this is the will of God, even your sanctification: Again, Eph. 4.20. but ye have not so learned Christ (as to follow the greediness and lusts of the Gentiles) If so be that ye have heard of him, and have been taught by him, 21, &c. as the truth is in JESUS, that ye put off, concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt accord­ing to the deceitful lusts; and be re­newed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which, af­ter God, is created in righteousness and true holiness: And in another place, this change, being so absolutely ne­cessary, is absolutely suppos'd to be wrought in us. If ye are risen with Christ, seek those things which are above — for you are dead, and [Page 114]your life is hid with Christ in God. — Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth, Coloss. 3.1. fornication, unclean­ness, 2, &c. inordinate affection, evil concu­piscence, and covetousness which is ido­latry — in the which ye walked sometime when ye lived in them, but now, you also put off these, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, evil communication out of your mouth; lie not one to ano­ther, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that created him. Here is nothing to coun­tenance those frightful fanatical pangs of the New-birth, which pro­ceed from Enthusiasm or melan­choly; nothing to countenance the fansieful applications of a borrowed or rather snatcht-away righteous­ness: but a real change, in our af­fections and our manners, is sup­pos'd and recommended; And in­deed, Tit. 2.11. that grace of God which bring­eth salvation, teacheth none of these odd and new-devised doctrines, but that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, 12. we should live in this present world soberly, righteously, and godly; which is the sum of our duty: that [Page 115]we should be temperate in our bo­dies and minds, just and charitable in our intercourse with other men, and pious in our minds, devout in acts of Religion and worship to God. The learning and practising this les­son is that and that alone, whereby the offered salvation is obtained and laid hold on.

§. 40. A protesta­tion of be­ing faith­ful unto death.

So now, I must remember that I am not mine own, I am his that made and redeemed me; I am his to whom I have given my self, when I undertook manfully to fight under his banner against sin, the world and the Devil: to me is addrest that exhor­tation, Thou, O man of God, flee these things (strifes, disputes and cove­tousness, before mentioned) and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, 1 Tim. 6.11 love, patience, meekness, fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life. 12. I am become a Souldier of JESUS; to me S. Paul speaks, as well as to Timothy, 2 Tim. 2.3. Thou therefore indure hardness as a good Souldier of JESUS Christ, no man that warreth intangles himself with the affairs of this life, 4. that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a Souldier. If I were in the Militia of [Page 116]any other Prince, I might indure hardness enough, before I could ob­tain his favour, or indeed be taken notice of; heat and cold, hunger, thirst and weariness, sleepless nights and perpetual dangers; all this, and much more I might indure many years, and not be look'd upon; here my General prevented me with his kindness; he first fought against mine enemies; he first loved me, and in­dured hardship for me; and he notes every thing I suffer for him, sets it down and assigns a reward to it. Under another commander I might do brave actions, behave my self valiantly, and yet not be seen: here my General hath always his eyes upon me, he incourageth me; and re­joyceth to see my fortitude; he is al­ways ready to help me, and is most delighted, when he sees me zealous and diligent. I might fight long enough for an earthly King, I could only get a poor subsistence or an empty fame, but never so much as one province of his dominions: here, fighting for my heavenly King, I shall get unvaluable treasures, immortal glory, and a kingdom which shall have no end, Rev. 3.21. To him that overcometh [Page 117]will I grant to sit with me in my throne. I will therefore, never again, fight against the captain of my salvation, and I will never forsake him; I will often renew my vows, often swear allegiance to him, upon that sacred blood which he shed for me, and which he gives me to comfort and strengthen my heart; I will daily think on those things that may in­crease my zeal and diligence, and help me to resist temptations; and I will suffer any thing, use all means possible to perform these resolutions, and approve my self, unto death, a lover of JESUS, 1 Cor. 16.22. if any man loves not the Lord JESUS, let him be Anathema Maranatha.

§. 1. Of the po­sitive part of our Bap­tismal vow.

MY former disobedience and rebellions against my Blessed Lord and dearest Master, I have examin'd and bewail­ed; I have consider'd that by sin I wound and crucifie him afresh, and therefore have resolv'd to sin no more, never to lift up hand or heart against him. But will love be satisfied with this? is it a sufficient demonstration of love, not to abuse, [Page 2]not to injure a friend? No sure, I must proceed further; love requires more than this. I must not only ab­stain from what would anger him I love: but I should do that that will please him. 'Tis part of my duty, as it was of my vow, not only to re­nounce the Devil and all his works: but also to believe all the articles of the Christian faith, and to keep Gods holy Will and Commandments, and walk in the same all the days of my life, As for the Articles of the Christian Faith, I believe them from my heart, and resolve to own and confess them whilst I live; I never will dispute or object against them, and I hope, I should chuse to die, before I would renounce any of them; as for other less necessary doctrines, I will be guided by my Spiritual Governors; in controversies, I will submit to the judgment of that Holy Church, in whose Communion I live; and so I will read and ponder Gods Holy Word, especially the New Testament, that I may know my masters will, and be incourag'd to do it: not that I may find out new mysteries and maintain the private opinions of a party. It remains then only, that I [Page 3]should keep Gods holy will and Com­mandments, and walk in the same all the days of my life. And this I also under­take; it shall be my daily and constant study and indeavour; I resolve to obey to the utmost of my power: and I also promise further to manifest my love by free-will-offerings, as God shall enable me.

§. 2. A protesta­tion of obe­dience.

But first my love is to appear by doing what is commanded; 1 Joh. 5.3. This is the love of God that we keep his com­mandments (saith S. John:) Joh. 14.21. and he that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me, (saith our Blessed Saviour.) There can be no love without obedience, this is its first and chiefest Tryal; 23. if a man love me, he will keep my words. Now then, should my beloved Lord ask me, as once he did Saint Peter, N. dost thou love me? Joh. 21.15. would not my heart answer, with his zealous Apostle, Yes Lord, 13.37. thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee; — I would lay down my life for thee: why, to this he replies again, if thou lovest me, 14.15. keep my Command­ments. Every time a Christian tells Jesus, Lord I love thee, Jesus answers [Page 4]again, if thou lovest me, keep my Com­mandments: So that, without I ob­serve this, I can no ways pretend to love him. Therefore I am to take notice of, and to amend sins of omis­sion, which too too many among Christians mind little, or not at all. In the matter of sobriety I am com­manded, whether I eat or drink, to do it, as all things else, to the glory of God; and to be contented, what­soever state I am in; for chastity I am commanded to know how to keep my vessel in sanctification and honor; for acts of corporal and spiritual mercy, I am commanded to be mer­ciful, as my heavenly father is merci­ful, and to forgive injuries, as I de­sire my self to be forgiven; for re­verence to my betters, I am com­manded to honour and obey my su­periors Ecclesiastical and Civil; in what concerns Divine Worship, I am bound to read and pray, and medi­ditate, to instruct my self and fami­ly, to receive the Blessed Sacrament, to have a veneration and respect for all things that belong or relate to God, and him to love and fear, and trust and adore evermore: All these, and all other duties, with the special [Page 5]precepts of the New Testament, is the task I chearfully undertake, and in the performance whereof I will approve my self a sincere lover of JESUS.

§. 3. How great a happiness follows our obedience.

His yoke is easie and his burthen light, his Commandments are not grievous, and yet in keeping of them there is great re­ward: a temporal happiness, than which none is greater in this world, and an eternal happiness, infinitely greater than any this world can af­ford: do not I see what pains most men are at to get a subsistence for this world? how they run and sweat and spend themselves to provide for this perishing life; which yet is mi­serable, short, and uncertain? and shall I not labour for the meat which abideth to eternal life? shall I be at no pains to secure that life which hath no end, and knows no misery? O that I could duly understand the difference betwixt this life and the life to come! how would I slight the one, and desire the other! or ra­ther how cheerfully would I imploy this present, to obtain that which is to come! Is not there servants that work hard day by day, a whole year [Page 6]together for small wages; who are almost perpetually imploy'd about their masters business: and yet have sometimes no thanks, and often, but a sorry reward? and am not I one of those labourers whom my Lord hath hired to work in his vineyard? Mat. 20. am not I one of those servants, whom he hath intrusted with his goods, to whom he hath intrusted talents to improve for him, and do not I de­sire he should tell me one day, well done, Mat. 21. good and faithful servant? is not my salary great, greater than any Prince on earth could make it, greater than I could wish, greater than I can comprehend? eternal rest, eternal joys, eternal happiness, eternal glories; eternity it self, he himself will be my reward. Eterni­ty! Eternity! Eternity! Blessed Eternity. Eternity never enough to be consider'd, Eternity never enough to be valu'd, shall I ob­tainthee by what I do here for my Lord? shall I obtain thee by that imperfect service I pay to my gracious Master? O God who hast prepared for them that love thee, Sixth Sun­day after Trinity. such good things as pass manse un­derstanding, pour into our hearts such [Page 7]love towards thee, that we loving thee above all things, may obtain thy pro­mises which exceed all that we can de­sire, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. Lord I am not worthy to be called thy Son; I have often beg'd to be one of thy hired servants, the meanest so I love and obey best. O let me, like thy servant Moses, ever have a respect to the recompence of the reward, ever consider what I shall get by serving thee, that I may be di­ligent, persevering and cheerful in doing my duty. O my soul, blush to consider how laborious men are for the unsatisfying acquests of this earth; how eager thou hast been thy self in pursuing of them; and how slothful, how unactive and heavy thou art in working for eternal rest, for the treasures of eternity, for the glories of heaven, for those Divine Plea­sures which are at the right hand of God for evermore. Whence comes this, unhappy soul, is it not from in­consideration? because thou dost not lift up thine eyes to see whither the way of love and obedience will bring thee; because thou dost not look be­yond the world, upon things eter­nal; because thou dost not often [Page 8]enough meditate upon heaven and eternity; that unvaluable, infinite recompence which awaits thee, as soon as thy work is finish'd. Resolve therefore to amend this, and daily, once at least, to consider what are thy wages, what thou shalt get by ser­ving God. As the Apostle says of afflictions, that they are light and but for a moment, whilst we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: the same we may say of the most difficult of Christian duties, that they are light and but for a moment, that they are easie and soon done; that there is no tediousness, no hardship in them, whilst we look upon things eternal, whilst we have a respect unto the recom­pense of the reward.

§. 4. We should often look on our re­ward.

This consideration doubtless, would be powerful and effectual, would wake and stir us up, and make us active and lively, if we had it often in our minds. Therefore our Bles­sed Saviour, to incourage his follow­ers and make them diligent in his service, doth often give them to un­derstand, what by parables and what by plain declarations, that they should [Page 9]not serve him for nought, and that they should be no losers by him; that he would consider them for their time, for their expences, for their sufferings and for their labours; that he would take notice of the least thing they should do for him; so that even a cup of water given for his sake should not go unrewarded; and that their reward should be great, bountiful and most excellent, far above their de­serts and even above their wishes and apprehensions: an angelick nature, a glory bright as the Sun it self, an eternal life, a heavenly, an endless kingdom, his own joys should be their portion and their recompence. And we find also the Holy Apostles, assuring those whom they brought to work in their Lords vineyard, that they should certainly have their hire, and be paid most generously for their work, God will render to every man according to his deeds, Rom. 2.6.7. to them who by patient continuance in well do­ing, seek for glory, honour, and immorta­lity shall be rendred eternal life. Every man shall receive his own re­ward according to his own labour. 1 Cor. 3.8. And S. Paul, to incourage the Corinthi­ans, tells them that we Christians are [Page 10]entred into a race, at the end where­of we may see the Laurel, 1 Cor. 9.24. palmam in stadio positam, a glorious prize, an in­corruptible crown, if we will run and strive for it; and he likewise tells the Ephesians, Eph. 6.8. that whatsoever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether be be bond or free. S. Peter also teacheth that we should be mov'd and in­courag'd, by the greatness of the promised reward, to forsake our lusts, and wholly devote our selves to God; 2 Pet. 1.4. exceeding great and glorious pro­mises are given unto us, that by these you might be partakers of the Divine Na­ture, having escaped the pollution that is in the world through lust. Heb. 5.9. Christ is become the author of eternal salvation to them that obey him, (not to those who hope and roll, and take hold:) and so the result of all these may be com­prehended in the exhortation of S. 1 Cor. 15.58. Paul: My Beloved Brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. In this sense good works are meritorious, in that they procure us a reward, a reward infinitely great­er than their own desert.

§. 5. Love is no­ble and generous.

But, Though it may incourage us to love that gracious God who gives so very much for that little we are able to do, yet love its self is not Mercenary; 1 Cor. 13.5 charity doth not seek her own (saith S. Paul,) we may desire our promised reward and set our af­fections upon it, as it is a demonstra­tion of Gods infinite love and good­ness: or because it will be the expres­sing of our duty and thankfulness, when we shall love and glorifie and adore God perfectly and for ever: or rather because the reward is God himself, who will be to every faithful servant, his exceeding great reward, Gen. 15.4. as well as to faithful Abraham: re­warding sincere obedience with the fruition of himself, being all in all to his Saints. But still I say, love is not selfish, but free and generous, if no­thing were to be gain'd by it, it would have satisfaction enough in shewing its self: 'tis an unspeakable pleasure to a devout lover to act and labour for JESUS, when he thus thinks with himself; by the per­formance of this duty, by this act of vertue, by this good work, I serve my dearest Lord, I oblige my best [Page 12]friend; I express my love to him whose infinite kindness to me hath conquer'd my heart, whom I love as my own soul, and for whom I would willingly die. O happy soul, who feel­est what an exceeding joy it is to love JESUS! or rather unhappy soul, who canst shew so little love to JESUS! Unhappy necessities of a frail body, unhappy distractions of a troublesome world! Why am I, by you depriv'd of the continual plea­sure of waiting continually on my Di­vine and most loving Master? But blessed be my gracious Lord, that I might have more opportunities of pleasing him, and expressing my af­fections to him, he hath made ver­tues of necessities, he hath turn'd nature into grace, and of humane duties he hath made acts of Religi­on in relieving mine own and others wants. If I observe the rules of so­briety and charity, he takes thence occasion to bless and reward me, as if he were thereby glorified, in dis­charging the duties of my place and calling. If I am diligent and faith­ful; though my work be never so mean, he owns it as a service done to him. Servants (saith S. Paul) [Page 13]obey your masters in all things, Col. 3.22, and do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 23. knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inhe­ritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ. If I am consciencious in all my ways and works, he takes it as a mark of my love and part of my duty to him. O that the constant course of my conversation might speak the sincerity of my affection to my Blessed Lord. Dearest JESUS, the Cross thou didst bear for me was heavy and painful to extremity: but thy yoke is light and pleasant, thy service is perfect freedom. O let it be my delight and daily imployment as it is my duty, to serve and obey thee, to follow thy blessed example and be instrumental in winning hearts to thee: let me love thee so intirely that I may love nothing but thee, nothing but for thy sake; Fac precor Domine, B. Ansel.me gustare per amorem quod gusto per cognitionem, sen­tiam per affectum, quod sentio per intel­lectum. Amen.

§. 6. We belong to Jesus and are not our own.

Love regards not so much what is commanded, as who it is that com­mands it; if it be the Beloved re­quires any thing, love doth it cheer­fully without reluctancy; another with earnest begging should not have that granted, which the least word of a friend shall obtain. The com­mands of Christianity are easie and most rational, in keeping of them consisteth our present and future happiness: Yet the ture lover of JESUS looks farther, he consi­ders that it is his God and Saviour who would have him obey, he to whom he belongs, to whom he ows himself and infinitely more: for every Christian ows JESUS to JESUS, who gave himself for him. The old saying was emendus cui imperes, buy your slaves; buy those that will be commanded by you; none of us can say so to the God whom we serve, for he hath indeed bought us; Ye are not your own (saith S. Paul) ye are bought with a price, thence it is strongly infer'd, there­fore glorifie God, in your body and in your spirit which are Gods. We are not at our own dispose, our Di­vine [Page 15]Master hath a most just pro­priety in us; we are wholly his: and would to God, we were his as much by affection and resignation, as by right; the price he hath paid for us, is no less than himself; he hath given his life that ours might be his; We were redeem'd from our vain conversa­tion by the precious blood of Christ, who died for us, that we might live to him, he could get nothing by that dear purchase, but our love only, for we were his before, it is he that made us: only we had estrang'd our selves from him, and plac't our love upon other things, and he could not count us his own while we loved him not.

§. 7. Meditati­on our ob­ligation to serve JE­SUS.

I must therefore consider whose I am; I am Christs by a strong and in­contestable title; while I serve him I do that proper work which belongs to me; whilst I obey what he hath commanded, I do what is infinitely my duty, what his love to me chal­lengeth, and what my love to him desires to return. Had I ten thousand years to live, and could I serve him all that while and do nothing else, I could not repay him for the least [Page 16]part of that great ransom he hath paid for me, neither could I deserve any thing of those great wages which he will give me: my life is but short and he allows me time for other things, even for pleasure and recrea­tion. I have therefore a most graci­ous Master, and therefore I resolve and promise to do what he requires of me; I will except at nothing he commands, it shall be my joy to pay my duty to him; and I will make it appear that I serve out of love and affection. Vae miserae animae quae Christum non quaerit nec amat, arida manet & misera, &c. Aug. Man. O my dearest JESUS, would my heart did feel what it should; would I could ex­press what it feels; and would I could perform as much as I express: But O my Blessed Lord, how frequently and unhappily do I forget that thou art my Master, and I thy servant; that my chiefest business is to do thy will, and that my greatest happiness as well as duty, is to obey thee? Is it not because I also for­get that thou didst redeem me from a most wretched slavery; that thou didst pay an immense price for me; that thou becamest a servant for me, before thou requiredst any ser­vice [Page 17]from me; and that thou didst first love me before thou did intreat my love? O thou great Lover and Sa­viour of men, I wholly give my self to thee, body and soul, heart and affections; I desire to be thine; I pray that thou wouldst make me to be thine, and that thou wouldst own me for thine, that so thou mayst be mine to eternity. wouldst thou know (saith S. Aug.) Aliud non quaerit pre­cium nisi te ipsum; tantum valet quantum es, te da & habebis illud. Manual. what thou must give for heaven? give thy self, that's the price; nothing less will serve, that alone is accounted sufficient: heaven is worth just what thou art, give thy self and thou shalt certainly have it. Do not men seek to serve and oblige great persons expe­cting to be by them gratified? are they not ambitious to wait upon Princes in regard of an Honourable stipend? and why should I not count it the greatest Honour and preferment to serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? The salary he pays his ser­vants is infinitely greater than any the greatest Monarch can give; they oftentimes cast off with disgrace their most faithful officers: my Lord is so far from so doing, that he bears [Page 18]with the faults of his meanest ser­vants, and never turns out any that will live with him. 'Tis highly dif­ficult to become a Prince his fa­vorite, many spend their time, their wealth and themselves, and never can get the least share in his affecti­ons; but I am sure my heavenly Ma­ster loveth me; I know it by what he hath done, by what he daily doth, and by what he hath declar'd he would do for me: Although he hath bought me, and so might well require the utmost I can do, without any reward: yet he hires me and gives me more, infinitely more than I can earn. I will therefore be dili­gent, faithful and zealous in fulfilling the work he hath appointed me. I will often say to myself; I am a ser­vant and a lover of JESUS, I am a servant and a lover of JESUS. I will every morning consider, what can I do this day of what my Lord hath commanded me? what duties of sobriety, righteousness or godliness can I discharge to make it appear that JESUS is the Master I own and obey? Rom. 14.7, 8, 9. None of us liveth to him­self, and no man dies to himself, for whether we live we live unto the Lord, [Page 19]or whether we die we die unto the Lord: Whether we live therefore or die, we are the Lords; for to this end Christ both died and rose and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

§. 8. Our love and obe­dience God requires.

This double duty of dying unto sin and living unto righteousness, ab­steining from that which is evil and doing that which is good, I am ob­lig'd to perform by strong and indis­pensible obligations: if I do not, I certainly perish. When we say, in common speaking, that we do things out of love, we mean that we are free, and may chuse whether we do them or no, we are not bound to it: but here all along where I undertake to discharge the duties of Religion out of love; I do not in the least mean so. I acknowledge my self un­der the greatest necessity of dischar­ging my baptismal vow, of living ac­cording to the Gospel Rule, other­wise my neglect of it would be my ruine, I should perish in my disobe­dience. Love it self is a duty, the first and greatest commandment: Mat. 22.37 thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. I recommend love [Page 20]therefore, Meliores quos dirigit amor, plures quos corrigit timor. Aug. as the noblest, the most powerful motive to a Religious obedience; as that which makes our duty easie and pleasant, and gives a value to what we do or suffer for God. I know there is those who teach that, by our well-doing we must not seek for salvation, and that our obe­dience is not requir'd to our justifica­tion, but may be a mark or an effect of it, faith having done the work before; but this groundless and mis­chievous opinion is contradicted by thousands of plain express Scriptures, He that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them not, is like the man that built his house upon the sand. Not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven. If thou wilt enter life, keep the Commandments: and innu­merable others, with all those that affirm, that God shall judge and re­ward every man according as his works have been.

No, the holy Religion we profess requires a conformity betwixt the Holy JESUS and his followers; that by a devout imitation we should [Page 21]copy his example: that we should be fruitful in good works, and by a sin­cere and universal obedience serve God all days of our life; Heb. 2.2, For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience re­ceived a full recompence of reward: 3. how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation; by being disobedient to our Lord JESUS, who having wrought and reveal'd it, offers it to us, on the condition of an affectio­nate obedience to his Gospel? Heb. 6.7, &c. The earth which drinketh the rain that cometh up­on it — and beareth thorns and bri­ers, is rejected and nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burnt; such is their condition who receiving the heavenly dew of Divine Grace, in their admissi­on into, and profession of Christiani­ty, yet still remain barren, or bring forth evil fruit: But beloved (saith the Apostle) we are perswaded better things of you, and things that accom­pany salvation: for God is not unrigh­teous to forget your work and labour of love which ye have shewed towards his name; and we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope unto the end. He says not, we desire that you may be [Page 22]confident and perswaded of your sal­vation, but that, by love and dili­gent obedience, ye may ascertain your hope, 1 Pet. 1.10. make your calling and election sure, as S. Peter speaks, for indeed, God hath not appointed us to wrath, 1 Thes. 5.9, 10. but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him, Ephes. 4.1. in holiness of life, worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called, for we are Gods work-manship created in Jesus Christ unto good works, Ephes. 2.10 which God hath ordained that we should walk in them. This then is the way wherein of necessity we must walk, that as we ingag'd and promis'd when we were Baptized into Christ, so we should live ever after: which S. Col. 2.6. Paul expresseth thus, As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Col. 1.10. and again, walk worthy of the Lord, being fruitful in every good work, This is the rule whereby we must order the course of our lives, Phil. 1.27.3.20. that our conversation be as be­comes the Gospel of Christ; that our conversation be in heaven whence we look for the Saviour, the Lord Je­sus Christ; that whatsoever things are true, 4.8. honest, just, pure, lovely, of [Page 23]good report, any vertue, any thing praise-worthy, may be our constant stu­dy and practice, We must labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of our Lord, 2 Cor. 5.9. because we shall all appear before him and receive according as we obey him, now in his absence.

§. 9. Incourage­ments to obey Jesus.

All this, and much more to the same purpose, which I have read and observed in the Sacred Books of the New Testament, hath convinc'd me that it is the design of Christian Re­ligion to make me meek and hum­ble, sober and contented, just and charitable, devout and religious, ver­tuous and holy: this I own to be my duty, and I will indeavour my self heartily to perform the same. And that I may do it with cheerfulness [...]nd affection, I will stir and quicken [...]he holy fire of love in my heart, by p [...]ous considerations. When any du­ty to God or man calls upon me for ac [...]ion and performance, and I find in my soul too much of dulness or re­luctancy, I will again by meditation suppose my dying Saviour present, telling me, how much he hath done and suffered for me, and desiring [Page 24]me, as I love him, to do that duty which lies before me. Christian, if thou dost understand the greatness of my love which brought me here to die for thee; if thou art sensible of it, and wouldst make any return for it, do this, obey this command; this may be the last thing thou shalt ever do for me, this may be the last tryal of thy love: sure it would grieve thee to have denied this small request to him that gives his life, that gives himself for thee. Or else I will suppose my self in the presence of my Divine Master sitting on his heaven­ly throne with his glorified servants about him, shewing me the crown he hath assign'd to me, and saying; N. N. wilt thou deny to do this at my earnest request? wilt thou be so un­kind to me? Sure I have deserved better at thy hands than so; sure I, who am much above thee, have done much more for thee, than that comes to; but besides, I would highly re­compence thee. These my friends I have rewarded with the bliss and glory they enjoy, for having done such things for me: and I would re­ward thee as bountifully: here is eternal life, eternal rest, eternal [Page 25]glory for thy recompence: as thou lovest me, as thou lovest thy self, obey, that thou maist be happy. To this, what answer could I make, but such as this? Lord not only this, but any thing else thou hast commanded, I am willing to fulfil and obey. I be­wail my dulness and depraved na­ture that makes me so unready, so un­active in thy service: but Lord thou knowest that I love thee. I would undertake any labour, any trouble to make it appear; I would die to ju­stifie it. Yet, sweetest JESU, I beg of thee to increase my love; to increase it to such a degree that, like thy heavenly attendants, I may burn with that Divine fire, and be all love to thee: Sund. 25. after Tri­nity. that so I may be always prepar'd and desirous to do thy will. Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful peo­ple, that they plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded through JESUS Christ our Lord. Amen. Love is the fulfilling of the Law.

Christian Reader, I hope that what I have writ, thou wilt also read and repeat heartily in the first Per­son: [Page 26]for to that end I have thus con­triv'd it to ingage thine affections, to make thee speak, as of thy self, these soliloquies, acts of love, and acts of resolution which run through­out the whole discourse, and I would have thee use that method, which may much affect thee; to make dia­logues betwixt thy Saviour and thy soul, and betwixt thy soul and thy self; for certain it is, that for thee N. N. by name, JESUS was cru­cified and died; and certain it is, that thou thy self shalt die and be judged, and rise again to an intole­rable eternity, if by carelessness and inconsideration thou hast been un­mindful of thy Lord and thy soul: or else rise again to eternal joys, if thou hast sincerely lov'd and serv'd JESUS; Job. 15, 10 If ye keep my Command­ments, ye shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Fathers Commandments, and abide in his love.

§. 10. Of free-will-offer­ings.

Thus much of necessity must be done; my duty as well as my love constrains me to it. Not to break negative precepts and to obey posi­tive ones, (that is, to cease from sin and to work righteousness,) is requi­red [Page 27]of me; if I do it by love, I have made my task pleasant: but yet a task it is, which must be fulfill'd. Not but that there is mercy for sins against the New-covenant, for the transgression of Gospel precepts; there is joy in heaven at the conversion of a sinner, what ever his sins have been; and it ought greatly to indear God to us, that he is so willing to forgive; so desirous to have us repent, that we may be capable of his pardon: but whether soon or late, whether after crying guilts or ordinary sins, still I say, there must be a true contrition, a sorrow and repentance for our sins, proceeding from the love of God, and a sincere indeavour to please and obey him for the future; and so, thus far we are drawn by a moral neces­sity, by the desire of our own happi­ness, which is not to be obtain'd any other way. But shall we stay just here, and not go one step further than is required? 'tis well indeed when we are safe, and that must be secur'd first of all, and with the greatest care; but shall our love proceed no further? Sure that Chri­stian who is best assur'd of his salva­tion, will love God most of all and [Page 28]make to him the greatest and most hearty returns. When a man is quali­fied for heaven and enjoys the great­est happiness this world is capable of; that is, a sense of Gods favour and a well-grounded assurance of a future bliss, his soul cannot but melt into the most affectionate love for that gracious God, whose mercy and lo­ving kindness hath brought him into that happy condition and fitted him by his grace for a much happier; and they, I say, that are in such a case (for to them only I now speak) may well do something more, than what needs they must; may well en­large their affections to God, beyond the bounds of prescribed duties, it is a good sign, a sign of a sincere and a pi­ous heart, when a man is forward to undertake for God: when he doth not weigh grains and scruples, lest he should part with any of his right and liberty: but affords God a full measure and running over, and think he never gives enough, and still de­sires that he might do infinitely more for him. 'Tis true that properly speaking, all is due to God: and the more any, the best Christian returns, the more he hath receiv'd, and so the [Page 29]more he is indebted; but yet, God is pleas'd not to require all that he gives, nor all that we may give, that we may have wherewith to make a free-will-offering; that we may have something to give him, that he re­quires not, tokens of our greater love and gratitude. It was foretold that under the Gospel, in the day of Christs power, Psal. 110.3 his people should offer him feee-will-offerings with an holy wor­ship. And David himself, under the Law, was at his quid retribuam? Psal. 116. What shall I render unto the Lord for all the benefits that he hath done unto me? Though the benefits which God vouchsafed his people then, were much inferior to those he hath since bestowed upon us; (for eye had not then seen nor ear heard, neither was it entred into the heart of man, what great things God would do for them that love him, as he hath now declar'd in the revelations of his Gospel,) though he had tied them to a bur­thensome and most expensive ser­vice: yet he accepted their volun­tary vows and ingagements, and was well pleas'd with them: yet he would receive their free-will-offer­ings, and delight in them. And [Page 30]sure we are more oblig'd than the Jews to let our love and gratitude break forth beyond the limits of commands and express injuncti­ons: and now that God hath open'd to us his rarest treasures, his own bo­some, for to give us his beloved Son, he will not reject our free oblations, the voluntary acknowledgments of his undeserved and unspeakable mer­cies. 'Tis not to be denied (with­out giving the lie to the learning and piety of the best Christians in all ages) but that there is in the New Testament counsels as well as pre­cepts, some things recommended, though not commanded; he that sells all that he hath for to buy the pearl of great price, and they that make themselves Eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven, 2 Cor. 9.6. were not injoyn'd so to do, but are well approv'd of: and that God who gives a plentiful harvest to him that sows bountifully, is doubt­less well-pleased, with his open handedness and charitable profusion. And as it is the best indication of a devout and loving soul, cheerfully to exceed what is strictly required: it is also the best fence to immure and secure our duty; for then, when we [Page 31]slack and abate, we may be still with­in our due bounds; nay more, I am confdent that as it is best and safest, it is also easier, to give free-will-offer­ings, than only, just to pay the daily commanded sacrifice, because those proceed from affection, these per­haps only from injunction. He that is desired to go one mile and goes two or ten, finds his way pleasant, for love leads him: but he that is prest to the same journey, and is acted by fear and compulsion, while he resolves not to go one foot farther than needs he must, will easily be tempted to stay one short of what he should. But this is better understood by the devout lovers of JESUS than I can express it. Precepts are given to all men as tri­butes are exacted of all: [...]. Beat. Doroth. Doct. 1. (saith an Ancient guide of souls) but as in the world, great persons and favourites not only pay the tax, but also offer presents and gifts to the Prince: so in the Church, the most Religious observe not only the precepts, but also in­timations and counsels, and give to God, not only what he exacts, but [Page 32]also free oblations, all that they are able. How many thousands of Saints, now in heaven, have taken this course? how many that now wear the bright crown of virginity, might have injoy'd the comforts of marriage, had not the love of JE­SUS prevail'd over their natural de­sires? how many who might have possest great estates, injoy now the greater treasures of eternity, for ha­ving made themselves poor, to re­lieve the needy members of JE­SUS? how many who now sit on thrones of glory, have chosen here to follow JESUS in meanness and humility, when honours and world­ly pomps were at their command? how many are now rewarded with high degrees of everlasting bliss, for having spent their short time upon earth in serving JESUS, when they might have spent it upon their own profit or pleasure? and how many now living, aspire to the same felicities and recompences, by cheer­fully following the same ways, and expressing a sincere and unbounded love, S. Aug. by such free oblations? Cur non possum quod isti & istae? Why can't I do what these my Christian Bro­thers [Page 33]and Sisters have done, and do still? hath not God done as great things for me as for them? hath he not given me the same promises as they had? do not I hope to be their companion and fellow citizen in heaven? And why then can't I love as much as they did? I should there­fore, and do resolve to make no reservations; JESUS shall have the command of all he hath given me, of all he hath enabled me to do; I shall keep nothing from him which may express my love and gra­titude, and do him service. Dear­est JESUS, I know I can never do for thee so much as I should, and I know that I shall never do so much as I would; thou gavest thy self for me, and thou wilt give thy self to me: and Lord, what am I worth, and what is the worth of all I can do? It is a great favour that thou wilt accept of me and my weak indeavours. I know that if heaven were capable of any grief, it would be only that we have not lov'd thee enough upon earth; when thou fillest our souls with thy Divine and ravishing joys, we shall wish we had done nothing here, but serve and [Page 34]love thee. O give me grace now whilst I live, to do what I shall wish to have done when I die; let me d [...] now I am absent from thee, what I shall wish to have don [...] when I dwell with thee▪ let me love thee infinitely and without measure. Modus amandi Deum sine modo. S. Bern.

§. 11. Of our obedience to the Church.

The first instance o [...] our love in this way o [...] free-will-offerings should be a pious obedience to our Mother the Church; not but that it is many ways requir'd, but because 'tis almost wholly neglected. What by pride and refractoriness, what by ignorance and indevotion, and what by looseness and irreligion, that obe­dience which ought to be paid to those that have the rule over us in the Lord, to the standing rules and or­ders of our Spiritual governors, is so generally laid aside, that many that would, yet dare not press it up­on the people; and that, even they that obey, do it secretly, and, as though 'twere dishonourable, are in a manner asham'd to own it; Hence comes that great neglect of Confir­mation, that most necessary and An­cient, [Page 35]if not Apostolick constitution; hence the desuetude of fasting upon appointed days, and even of bid­ding of them: and the non-obser­vance of Holy-days, and times of so­lemn devotion; hence the slight re­gard had to the publick worship of God, and the seldom receiving of the Lords Supper; hence the reservedness & unhappy secresie of most people in not acquainting their spiritual guides with the state of their conscience when it needs, and not receiving their comforts and directions; hence the not sending for the elders of the Church to do their office upon sick persons, and the seldom desiring their absolution; and hence even in too many of the Clergy, the neglect of daily saying Divine Offices, as they are commanded, and observing other injunctions peculiar to them. I may say that it fares with our Church as with some Princes, who have their due Sovereignty denied them be­cause they are Christians: (as if by becoming members and defenders of the Church, they were become subject to Pontifical Chairs and Pu­ritan Synods) for so, many would not have this Church obey'd be­cause [Page 36]'tis Reformed; they would not have its laws observ'd, because it makes them inferior to Gods; as though, by not imposing a blind su­perstitious, and oversevere obedi­ence, as Rome doth, this Church were become uncapable of exercising any authority over her children and re­quiring any duty from them. But I say, let those that love JESUS amend this, for his sake: for the Church is his spouse and hath re­ceiv'd her power from him; let them yield a free and Religious obe­dience to Ecclesiastical injunctions, because JESUS hath said, he that receiveth you receiveth me. It is doubt­less our duty so to do: and I am sure it will be a good token of a pious heart, when we shall obey them in the Lord, whom the Lord hath set over us. We shall make it appear that we own the Authority of our heavenly King, when we are subject to those his officers, by whom he now reigns over us: to whom he hath given the keys of his kingdom, and whom he hath appointed Stew­ards of his saving Mysteries: we shall have a share in the Mysterious representation of the great expiatory [Page 37]sacrifice, which by the Church is ce­lebrated in the Eucharist, and in those Divine Services and solemn Prayers which the Church offers to God daily: and we shall receive the full benefit of being members of the Church and holding communion with it; if this were not absolutely re­quir'd, yet I am sure it will be a very acceptable free-will-offering, if we do it devoutly and joyfully, because we love JESUS; and this Christian obedience to the known, rational, and pious orders of the Church, will answer the best part of that ancient and so much magnified self-abnega­tion, vow'd by the Coenobites, when they gave up themselves to be in all things rul'd and commanded by their superiors: and it will exercise those two heavenly graces, meekness and humility, which the world despiseth, but all true Christians own to be most Divine: Mat. 11.29 as they that bring rest to the soul, and make us most con­formable to the meek and humble JESUS.

§. 12. Of several volunta­ry oblations.

As for corporal austeri­ties commanded or un­commanded, I have said [Page 38]something of them already: and the chiefest use and design of them is to mortifie sensual lusts, and to keep under the body that the spirit may rule and be obey'd; yet, as they are exercises of repentance, marks of the just indignation we conceive against our selves for having displeas'd God; as they may effect or express a dis­relish of temporal pleasures, a long­ing for heavenly joys, and an in­deavour to take up our cross and fol­low JESUS; they may be the matter of a free-will-offering, and they may find a gracious reward and acceptance in so much as they proceed from a sincere love to JE­SUS. Prayer also, thanksgiving, reading, meditation, acts of Religi­on; though, as to the substance, they be the discharge of the greatest duty God requires of us, the worship and adoration of his Divine Majesty: yet as to the quantity, they may become free oblations, the expressions of a greater love. He that with devout affections inlargeth his offices, or counts the frequency of them by Ca­nonical hours and wish't for oppor­tunities: and he that sets apart large portions for religious exerci­ses, [Page 39]or in the following of his neces­sary business, doth often lift up his heart and thoughts to heaven and heavenly things, makes a voluntary offering of some of his time, to him of whose eternity he hopes to be partaker. He that defalks some hours from the refreshment of his body, to bestow them upon his soul; he that chuseth a meaner condition and im­ployment, that having fewer avoca­tions he may spend more time upon Religion; and he that bears with some wrongs and injuries, that be­ing free from the distractions of quarrels and law-suits, he may be the better dispos'd to serve God, hath bought the blessed opportunity of attending JESUS and indearing himself to him. Charity likewise, whether Spiritual or Corporal, whe­ther in giving or in forgiving may be carried further than is absolutely re­quired, and so become a free obla­tion. He that takes great pains to instruct the ignorant, to convert sin­ners, by all means to win souls to JESUS, may manifest a greater love than was absolutely necessary to his own salvation; and he that makes it his business and delight to pre­vent [Page 40]quarrels or make reconciliati­ons; to comfort and defend the af­flicted, and oppressed, to visit ho­spitals and relieve the poor; and to spend all his substance in pious uses, for the honour of God, and Religi­on, and for the present and future happiness of men, may exceed what God would have rewarded, and by shewing so great a love inrich his crown of glory and recompence. I only mark the head-springs or store-houses of those arbitrary gifts where­with men may honour God and en­rich themselves: the several ema­nations and offerings which may pro­ceed from them, being free and in­numerable, cannot be specified, and should not be impos'd. Where there is love there is a willing mind: and where there is a willing mind a man (in other cases as well as in charity) is accepted, 2 Cor. 8.12. according to what he hath and not according to what be hath not. Some husbandmen sow that they may have wherewith to pay their debts, [...], &c. S. Johan. Clim. Grad. 26. §. 43. (which marks the labours and offer­ings of penitents, who indeavour to make what [Page 41]satisfaction they can for their in­juries to God or man.) Some sow that by the expected crop they may increase their wealth; (which represents the good works of more innocent persons, who aspire to a great reward and a glorious crown.) Some sow that they may have some­thing wherewith to express their gratitude and make presents to their kind land-lord or benefa­ctor; (whereby is signified the best of Christians, who in all things seek and design the glory and advan­tage of their Lord.) And others sow that they may be thought di­ligent, and receive commendati­ons from the passers by; (these are an emblem of the most im­perfect Christians, who in Gods service seek their own glory, and of whom our Blessed Saviour says that they have their reward.) How­ever all must sow; and every one as he doth it, sparingly or bounti­fully, so shall he reap at last. But heaven is a cheap purchase, give we never so dear for it. Decay of Christian Piety. The Gospel reveals and offers a glorious king­dom great and eternal felicities: but he that expects their possession [Page 42]because he reads and believes them, is like him that should fansie the whole world shall be his, be­cause he hath the History or the Map thereof. Ecclus. 37.11. Consult not then with a coward in matters of war, as the Son of Sirach adviseth; consult not with an irreligious age in matters of Piety and Religion: and think it not enough to do as the most do. When first Christian Religion was preach't in the world, and men understood what JESUS had done for them, and what he had promis'd, they thought nothing too much nor too good for him: they chearfully parted with temporal pleasures, honors and ri­ches: with their liberties, their limbs, blood, their very lives, that they might be faithful to JESUS and come to reign with him: they made it appear by their patient, chearful, and magnanimous suffer­ings, that they valued nothing but JESUS and eternity. We are not now expos'd to the same dangers for the belief and profession of Christi­anity: but the commands thereof may have Martyrs as well as the Creed; the same Lord and Saviour requires our obedience to the one, [Page 43]who exacts our faith to the other; he that spends his life in the obser­vance of his Lords precepts and counsels, in thus confessing of him be­fore men, may be intitled to as great a reward, as he that dies, that he may not renounce his Religion and deny his Faith. I need not insert cautions against vain glory and self complacency after we have done the most we are able: for if it proceeds not from the love of God, it is nothing worth; and if it doth, it will never bring pride nor vanity. Charity vanteth not it self, and is not puffed up: 1 Cor. 13.4. [...], &c. S. Johan. Clim. Grad. 23.11. On­ly in the words of a pious Saint, If we had died a thousand times for JESUS, yet we should not have repaid him the least part of what we owe his infinite mercy and condescension: for vast is the difference betwixt the blood of God, and the blood of his crea­tures and servants, if we judge ac­cording to the dignity, and not to the substance of it. What hast thou, that thou hast not received? remem­ber what JESUS saith to all Chri­stians, [Page 44] He that loveth father or mother more than me, Mat. 10.37 is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, Luk. 14.33 is not worthy of me: and whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. We can never do too much for JESUS: but we may easily do too little; though the most we can do will never merit heaven, yet the least we may do shall not obtain it: 'tis safe and impossible to exceed, but 'tis easie and dangerous to be defective. 6. Sunday after Tri­nity.

O God, who hast prepared for them that love thee such good things as pass mans understand­ing, pour into our hearts such love towards thee, that we loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises which exceed all that we can desire, through JESUS Christ our Lord, Amen.

I have now assign'd love its full task; to repent, and mortifie our lusts, to serve and obey God, and to abound in good works even free-will-offerings. I have no more for it to do; I would only have it to in­crease, to grow towards perfection, to be constant, and to indure unto the end. To help this forward, [Page 45]and to conclude I have here added four considerations, wherewith to assist and incourage the sincere lover of JESUS to the discharge of this great and blessed duty, the work and labour of love.

§. 13. That God should be loved a­bove all things.

The first is, that it is most unjust and unreasonable to love any crea­ture to the prejudice of the Creator. As all things have their being from God, so they have from him all the goodness and beauty which makes them lovely to us: and God drawing upon visible objects fair copies of his invisible perfections, design'd to be lov'd in them: or that they should be lov'd in him, and for his sake. If men being delighted with the beauty of the heavenly host took them to be gods, Wisd. 13.3. let them know how much better the Lord of them is, for the first Author of beauty hath created them: 5.for by the beauty and greatness of the creatures proportionably the maker of them is seen. Beauty and goodness are the proper object of love: and therefore, God who is the first and supreme beauty and good­ness, should be loved before all things. We indeed reverence Princes in their seals and arms, in their mean­est servants cloth'd with their livery: [Page 46]but should a subject set up these in the royal throne, and transfer to them, or even to the greatest Fa­vorite, those special honours which belong to the Prince only: he should justly be deem'd a Rebel, and his proceedings would be as unjustifi­able, as the disloyal distinction of taking arms by the Kings Authority against his Person. Yet such are the proceedings of all disorderly lovers, I mean of all sinners: who setting more of their affections upon the creatures, than upon God the Crea­tor, pay them afterwards a greater veneration than they do to him; ha­ving exalted honours, pleasures, and riches into the Imperial chair, they do more for them than for the So­vereign himself: nay they obey them to his prejudice, and against his express command. Thus vici­ous unreasonable men burn in the shade, and freeze where the Sun shines; they dote upon inferior beau­ties, and neglect the highest and most perfect; they take fire at dark sha­dows, and find no heat in the bright­est light. Great men have a respect paid them, in their degenerating posterity: great Artists are respected [Page 47]in their liveless children; we highly honour unhappy Pagans in those la­bors of theirs which adorn our clo­sets and libraries: God only is dis­honour'd in his works, the more perfect he hath made them, the more injurious they prove to him. Phi­dias and Apelles are remembred with veneration, in a fine picture or Sta­tue: God only is ingratefully forgot­ten in a lovely creature whereof he is Maker. An absurd im­piety this is, Absurdum est genu po­sito simulacra adorare, & suspicere, fabros vero qui ea fecerunt contemnere. which Seneca reprov'd in his Fellow­heathen, to worship and deifie the carved image, and to take no notice of the Carver that made it. God hath done like a loving father, who jea­lous of his sons affection, would have none to tend him but such as wear his livery; would have the picture of himself hang in every room; and all the goods in the house markt with his name and cypher: So God, who loves men tenderly, and desires to be by them lov'd again, hath put some­thing of himself in all the creatures he hath appointed to serve us; that, which way soever we turn our eyes, we might be put in mind of him, he [Page 48]hath stampt his name, in more or less legible Characters, upon all the goods and utensils of this his great house, the world, wherein he hath plac'd us. And now shall we do like a simple child, who turning his back upon his father, should look and smile on his picture, and caress it, and wait upon it, and ask it blessing, while he slights the original? So ab­surd a thing would be counted mad­ness, and move pity or laughter: but when we act the same folly, in loving the world whilst we despise God, we are highly criminal, & we highly pro­voke our heavenly Father, thus to re­turn to him contempt & disobedience for the gracious tokens of his love. From hence it follows, that as we should love God above all and all things, things in him and for him: we should also love those things most, which have most of his impress and like­ness. Therefore, man who is created after Gods image, should be by us lov'd above all other creatures: and that part of man which is chiefly adorn'd with the likeness of God, should have the greater share of our affection. God himself values hu­mane souls at a high rate, because [Page 49]they are like him; as appears by what he hath done and suffered to save them. And for the same reason also, we should pay to the souls of men the best part of that kindness we owe them: and if we do not, we give our friends no greater love than children to their puppets; for they dress them fine, and lay them soft, and kiss and imbrace them: Just as they who aim at nothing more than to make their friends merry, to wish them toys and gaudy things and to see them at ease. A fondness in­excusable in rational creatures, espe­cially in Christians, who know the worth of an immortal soul and the great concern of Eternity: and yet seek only to gratifie the material part of their friends which is subject to corruption, and to ingage their affe­ctions to the world which passeth away and they must soon leave. As if when King Edward the first was hastning out of the Holy-land hither to receive the Crown which expect­ed him, his friends had staid him by the way, and invited him to rest and case, and provided for him all Prince­ly delights, and entertainments, and retarded his coming so long, till he [Page 50]had forgot or lost his right and his kingdom. What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his soul? and what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? We are indeed much commanded to love one ano­ther, and in this consisteth one great half of our Religion, all justice and charity, and all the duties of the se­cond Table. To love our brother as we ought, is the best demonstra­tion of our love to God, 1 Joh. 4.20 for he that says he loves God, and hateth his brother, Rom. 13.10 is a liar, saith S. John: and love worketh no ill to his neigh­bour, Mat. 19.19. and is therefore the fulfilling of the law, saith S. Paul, but a man is to love his neighbour as himself, and therefore as he is most ob­lig'd to seek for himself the king­dom of God and its righteousness: so should he in the first place indea­vour to procure it to his friend. Or else we are to love one another as Christ hath loved us: Joh. 13.33 and that was in redeeming our souls and purcha­sing for us heavenly joys and eter­nal life: not in providing ease and sensual pleasures to our bodies here in this world. The result of this is, that in the first place we should love [Page 51]God infinitely and for his own sake: and that in the next, we should love those things most which have a near­est relation to God; Grace and Ver­tue, Religion, Holiness and Men; especially their Souls, which are an image of the Deity; especially san­ctified souls which are most like God. Afterwards our lesser love for less Divine Objects, may be reasonable and innocent: and however we have secur'd a great duty and a great happiness. Mar. 13.33 To love God with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.

§. 14. 'Tis most just and easie to love God.

A second consideration may be, that it is most just and easie to love God. That it is most just, is shown all along this discourse, wherein I have represented the more general and most excellent benefits of God to mankind: all the which challenge and deserve the greatest love our hearts are capable of. God had requir'd of his people that the first-born and the first fruits should be consecrated to him, thereby to acknowledge him [Page 52]the author of all their blessings and the giver of all their increase: Now the first-born of our souls, the first-fruits of our hearts is love, which God, who gives us all things, de­mands as an acknowledgment from us. thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. We therefore commit a greater sacriledge if we deny him so just a tribute, than if a Jew had rob'd him of his first grapes or his first ears of corn. But it is so much the more just, in that it is most easie to love God. Infinite perfections, an abyss of goodness whence rivers and oceans of good things do perpetually flow, one would think should swallow up the hearts and affections of men: as indeed it doth, of all that duly con­sider it. And more perfectly of bea­tified Saints, and of those blessed spirits who minister before his throne and are all flame for him. Besides, 'tis natural for men to love what is theirs, propriety begets or increaseth love: Now God is our God; he hath given himself for us, he doth now, and will more intirely hereafter give himself to us; he made us for the in­joyment of himself, and for that pur­pose [Page 53]he hath redeem'd us: and that we might all say, with David, O God thou art my God, that God might shew his kindness and indear himself to us, and assert our right to him, he hath assum'd the names of those relations who love us best, whom we love most tenderly, and whom we count most ours. God the Father is pleas'd to be call'd our Father, God the Son, our Brother, and God the Holy Ghost our Comforter, as it were our friend: thereby to express that affection which he hath for us, and the pro­priety which we may claim in him. Sure 'tis an easie thing to love them that love us: Nimis durus est ani­mus qui amorem eisi nole­bat dare, nolit tamen re­pendere. Aug. and where God hath ex­prest so much love, 'tis strangely unnatural if we are not affected with it. Prov. 19.6. Every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts, saith the Wiseman: Now what gifts hath our God given us! or rather, what gifts hath he not given us! and what per­verse violence do they offer nature, that seek to confute Solomons saying, in this instance where it should be most true. Certainly 'tis an easie thing [Page 54]to love infinite perfections, and in­finite goodness; one that ever did and ever doth us good; from whom we daily receive favours, so great and so many that we can tell neither their worth nor num­ber: Wherefore S. Aug. saith, Potes mihi dicere, non habeo quod tribuam egenti, non possi [...]m je­junare, non possi [...]m fle­re. Numquid potes mi­hi dicere charitatem ha­bere non possum, &c. that to love God is so natural, so easie, so infinitely just, and so much our duty, that to omit it can admit of no plea nor pretence, and is inexcusable, and cri­minal in the highest degree. Per­haps thou wilt say, I cannot fast, I cannot weep, I have not what to give to the poor, but canst thou say I cannot love God? is there any obstacle in thy way? dost thou want inducements or a heart to do it? No, doubtless 'tis the easiest thing in the world to love him that is most lovely, to love our greatest bene­factor, to love him who is infinitely kind and loving to us. Some vertues require opportunities and cannot be exercised for want of them: but whe­ther thou beest sickly or healthy, whether thy condition be high or [Page 55]low, whether thy leisure be much or little, whether thy calling be easie or laborious, thou maist love; love doth not pinch the belly, Facilis res, est Domine JESƲ CHRISTE superamande, dilectio, a qua nullus cujuscunque status, gradus, aut condi­tionis existat excusari po­test, &c. Idiot. wearies not the hands, makes not the head ake, empties not the purse: for love is nei­ther grief nor pain; 'tis easie to all men, none can plead any excuses a­gainst it.

§. 15. An Objection an­swer'd.

Now here I will digress a little to answer two Ob­jections which possibly might be made against what I have said of Divine Love. The first, that I have humaniz'd it too much; that whereas it is super­natural and should be spiritual, I have made it almost palpable and sensible. To this I say, that whe­ther we set our love upon earthly or heavenly things, upon God or upon the world, still it is the same passion, which resides in the same humane faculty. The will of man, and the effects thereof are alike evident and real. He that truly loves God, hath that same hearty affection for him, [Page 56]as to the kind, as one friend hath for another: a sincere lover of JE­SUS will seek to please him, and to be with him, and to enjoy him, and do all that for him, which men would do for those whom they love heartily: all the difference is, that Divine Love hath its proper expres­sions, can never be too great, and is in all respects infinitely more ex­cellent than the love of any creature. Therefore, if in some places I have represented things plainly, and made that, in some manner to be touch't by sense which is only the object of faith, my design was thereby to move the affections, and to bring down the notions of Religion, from the head into the heart. Heb. 11.1. Faith should be the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen: We should consider things of faith, whether past or to come, as if they had now a real subsistence, as if they were present before our eyes; their greatness then, would be better view'd, and have the greater power upon us: 27. as Mo­ses, who, by consideration, seeing him who is invisible, was thereby enabled to prefer the afflictions of Gods peo­ple to the pleasures and dignities of [Page 57]the Courts of Pharaoh. I believe it was a great advantage to the Piety of Primitive ages, that they liv'd near the time when those things were acted, which we now believe at a greater distance: for then, the Reve­lations of the New Testament were every Christians discourse and admi­ration; the proximity of the times made them almost visible, and the recent foot-steps of those great trans­actions gave them a kind of sensibili­ty, whereby their thoughts and consi­derations were drawn and retain'd, and made serious and efficacious. And I believe it may be a great cause of the degeneracy of these lat­ter ages, that faith is become too no­tional, too metaphysical and ab­stracted, whereas we should vest the great objects of our faith with ma­terial circumstances, to make them in some manner the object of sense, that to us it might be said as S. Gal. 3.1. Paul to the Galatians, Before your eyes JESUS CHRIST hath been evi­dently set forth, crucified among you; and that, in all other instances, our faith might be to us, the evidence of things not seen. When we look upon the things of revelation as far di­stant [Page 58]from us, they appear hardly credible, and not much to be re­garded: but a closer viewing of them, by a nearer and almost sensible con­sideration, would make them ap­pear great and wonderful, would make deep and lasting impressions on our minds, and cause us to cry out with grief and wonder; Lord, what is man, that thou art thus mindful of him! or rather, what is man, that he is unmindful of thee! However, I have the war­rant, and do claim the priviledge, of them that write contemplative meditations, to represent things as present and visible; and well we may, especially when we treat of the love of God shewed to mankind in JESUS: for that love became palpable, and converst among men, and was manifested to sense, in the birth, the actions, and the sufferings of our Blessed Saviour: who by be­coming man, seem'd to comply with that unjust and yet general de­sire which men had, of worship­ping humane creatures, and having things visible and material for the object of their devotion and Religi­ous love.

§. 16. A second objection answer'd.

The other Objection would per­haps be made by them who scruple and refuse to bow at the Holy name of JESUS, and who might say that I have mention'd it too often and too often call'd Divine Charity, The love of JESUS: and that in so doing I have been either super­stitious or injurious to God. To this I answer, That as our Blessed Savi­our saith, He that hateth me, Joh. 15.23 hateth my father also: so we may say, that he that loveth him loveth his father also. For the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost are one and the same God blessed for ever; 1 Joh. 5.1. he that loveth him that begat, loveth also him that is begotten, and so reciprocally. The Divine Essence is but one, it admits of no division: therefore whatever honour is paid to one of the Divine Persons, is paid to all Three, the Ever-glorious Trinity is honour'd by it. But then it must be consider'd that JESUS the second Person of that Blessed and Glorious Trinity is not only God, but also Man, and so Mediator betwixt God and Man: so that by, and through him we pray, we worship, we love God. As God [Page 60]manifested his love to men in JE­SUS: so in JESUS men offer the returns of their love to God; 1 Joh. 4.9. In this was manifested the love of God to­wards us, because God sent his only be­gotten Son into the world that we might live through him: and in this is ma­nifested our love towards God, that we receive, and love, and obey that Son. With this, God is in no wise offended, but rather infinitely well pleas'd; Joh. 14.21 he that loveth me shall be lo­ved of my Father; saith our Blessed Saviour; 23. If a man love me he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him; and again, If any man serve me, Joh. 12.26 him will my Fa­ther honour. Though we owe our re­demption to the infinite mercies of God Father, Son and Holy Ghost: yet in a more especial manner we are ingaged to the Son, who personally came down from heaven, for us men and for our salvation. JESUS is the Author and finisher of our faith, he is the Founder of our Holy Religi­on; it is he hath reveal'd those do­ctrines we are to believe; it is he hath given us those laws and precepts whereby we are to live, it is he from [Page 61]whom we are called Christians; it is he who for us despised the shame and indured the Cross, who hath shed his blood and given his life a ransom for ours; it is he who by contracting a near relation with us, becoming our brother, hath caus'd us to be adopted Sons of God, and heirs with him of an eternal kingdom; it is he who is our Lord and Master, and will be our judge and our rewarder if we be faithful to him. Rom. 14.9. For this end Christ died and rose again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living, saith S. Paul. Act. 2.36. God hath made that same JESUS whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ, him God hath exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and Saviour, saith S. Peter. 5.31. All power is gi­ven him in heaven and earth: and he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. Hence the frequent and urgent exhortations to follow and imitate, to serve and obey JE­SUS; Hence those Pathetick words of S. Paul, The love of Christ. 2 Cor. 5.14 Phil. 3.7, constrain­eth us, and again, what things were gain to me I counted loss for Christ: yea doubtless and I count all things loss, 8. for the excellency of JESUS CHRIST my Lord, for whom I have suffered the [Page 62]loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ. 'Tis JESUS hath won our hearts to God; 'tis he hath reconcil'd us from a state of enmity to a state of love. besides that God was justly angry for our rebellions, his glories are so bright, so amazing, his Divine Ma­jesty so high, that to love a being so infinitely a­bove us might have been thought prophaneness or presumption; Non bene conveniunt nec in una sede moran­tur, Majestas & amor. respect, not friendship, is the affection of sub­jects to Princes. [...] was an ordinary Epithete for the heathen Gods: and even the Israelites were amaz'd and terrified at the sight of a heavenly messenger, crying we shall die for we have seen God: 'tis the great humiliation of JESUS hath procur'd and establish'd an everlast­ing reconciliation and friendship be­twixt God and man. Rom. 5.8. God commended his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us: and now there is neither death, Rom. 8.39. nor life, nor angels, nor any other creature can sepa­rate us from the love of God which is in CHRIST JESUS our LORD: Therefore for a reward for the great [Page 63]sufferings and abasement of JESUS, God hath given him a supreme au­thority over all the world, Men and Angels being made subject unto him; because he made himself of no reputation, Phil. 2.7, 8, &c. and took on him the form of a servant, and humbled himself, and became obedi­ent unto death, even the death of the Cross, therefore God hath highly exalt­ed him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of JESUS every thing should bow, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth: and every tongue should confess that JESUS CHRIST, is the Lord to the Glory of God the Father. Our love and obe­dience to JESUS derogates no­thing from but belongs to God: 'Tis to the glory of God the Father. God hath highly exalted JESUS for his humiliation, and for the same cause we ought also to love and exalt him, as much as possibly we can, because it was for us; not only bow at his name, but ever kneel and kiss the ground, when he only sees us; no fear of exceeding here, no fear of superstition: we can never shew him too much love or respect: Psal. 72. All Kings shall fall down before him, all nations [Page 64]shall do him service: prayer shall be made unto him, and daily shall he be praised. Amen.

§. 17. 'Tis most pleasant and safe to love God.

A third consideration will be that it is most pleasant and safe to love God. Love may cause trouble, but it certainly is the spring or parent of all joy and satisfaction. He that hath an affection to nothing hath pleasure in nothing: could the imaginary apathy of the Stoicks really seize up­on any man: if he could never be miserable, he would also be uncapa­ble of all happiness. 'Tis true in­deed that the love of worldly things, in that they are vain and perishing, is it self vanity and vexation: qui multum amat plus dolet, is certainly true of all but the Divine Love. He that hath many friends hath many sorrows; he that loves many things hath many things to fear for: 'Tis only God that hath those infinite ex­cellencies which can fully replenish our minds and desires: 'Tis only God that admits of no variableness neither shadow of turning: and there­fore 'tis the love of God alone that can make us eternally and intirely happy. It is reported of a person of [Page 65]great sanctity, that an evil spirit con­fest to him, that were it possible for one who loves God to come into hell; yet it were impossible he should be miserable but that it would rather sink hell it self and make it disap­pear, or else make it a paradise for him. Though the relation may be fabulous, yet I believe the thing it self is true: However, I am confi­dent that the love of God would sweeten all the bitterness of our in­nocent miseries, and that it is only the imperfection of a Christians love that exposeth his mind to the vexa­tion of humane sorrows. I am not (to my grief) a competent witness to this truth: but there have been many Saints and devout persons who, in the fervency of their love to God, have found those joys, Nihil crus sentit in nervo, dum animus est in Coelo. those ravishments of joy which are ineffa­ble, and which made them, in some manner insensible and incapable of any great sorrow. And even the lesser love of more imperfect, though sincere, Christians, doth in a great measure take away the sense of humane cala­mities, and brings to their minds [Page 66]the greatest contentment and delight this world is capable of. Magis est ubi amat quam ubi animat. A mans heart is more where it loves than where it lives; he that loveth dwelleth in God and God in him: 1 John 4.16. and what greater, Deus Charitas est, quid pretiosius? & qui ma net in Charita [...]e, in Deo manet, quid securius, & Deus in eo, quid jucun­dius. Bern. what more excellent bliss can we imagine or desire? What stronger expression could one find to express the highest felicities? to dwell in God! to be swallow'd up in an abyss of infinite goodness! to be over­whelm'd in the immensity of Di­vine Joys and perfections! as an atome in the air, as a drop of wa­ter in the Ocean: so he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God. Nothing can better represent those transcendent and delicious raptures wherewith the soul is ine­briated and raised above it self. Extasin fa [...]it amor [...] amatores suo statu di monet, sui juris esse non sinit. Dionys. de Di­vin. nom. This was it made the Holy Martyrs shout and rejoyce in the midst of the flames: they dwelt in God; no sorrow, no harm could approach them. Happy are they that can say with S. Col. 3.3. Paul, Our life is hid with Christ [Page 67]in God, and I live, yet not I, Gal. 2.20. but Christ liveth in me. The love of God fits us for the joys of heaven, and is an anticipation of them; it powerfully governs the will, and it sweetly over­flows the mind; it is the perfection of grace, and will be the consumma­tion of glory: but 'tis much easier and happier to feel than to express it. Cant. 4.10. How much better is thy love than wine, and the smell of thine ointment than all spices!

One thing that adds much to the worth and the pleasure of Divine Love, is that it never fails: it is of the nature of its object, eternal, as God is; whether there be prophecies, 1 Cor. 13.8. they shall fail: whether there be tongues, they shall cease: whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away: but charity ne­ver faileth. Faith and hope may ac­company us as far as heaven's gate, but there they forsake us; the one is turned into sight and the other into injoyment; love alone enters and abides with us to eternity. Our greatest safety therefore as well as pleasure consists in loving God af­fectionately; for that love which ne­ver faileth secures our duty here and our happiness hereafter. We are [Page 68]sure never to live, and never to perish in sin if we love JESUS sincerely: He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God: and there nei­ther sin nor misery can come to hurt him. Quid refert natura esse quod potes effici vo­luntate? Chrys. What matters it then, to be that by nature, that we may be by choise & affecti­on? If of our selves we are not holy and happy, we may be so by love; the (love of God will transform us into his nature, and make us partakers of his holiness & happiness. Love kills us in our selves, that we may live in God, Occidit quod fuimus & simus quod non eramus. Aug. It maketh such a change in us, that we are no longer what we were, as to the sinfulness and wretch­edness of our condition. The New Commandment ma­keth the New Creature; Mandato novo facit hominem norum, homines amando Deum dii effici. untur. Aug. men become Gods by loving God. Love considers and dis­chargeth all the duties of Religion: it allows of no omission nor trausgressi­on: 2 John 6. Love is the fulfilling of the law: this is love that we keep his Commandments. Ille san­cte & juste agit qui sanctam habet di­lectionem. [Page 69]Aug. He is a Holy Man whose love is holy, Non faciunt bonos vel malos mons, nisi bo­ni vel mali amores. Aug. for love having the rule and direction of all mans passions and affe­ctions, they become ei­ther good or bad according to the nature of what he loves. Therefore to know whether a man be vertuous or no, we inquire not what his con­dition is, or what are his parts and learning: but what he delights in, what he loves: for if he loves the world and himself, he is certainly vain and vicious, but if he loves God, he is pious and good, and of a certainty he can never perish. If natural love be so powerful and active, as we know it is: how much more when it is set upon God and by him assisted? This therefore doth greatly manifest how secure and well guarded they are that love God, in that their holy love masters and mortifies their unholy affections. What is it that hurries men to sin and hell and destruction, but their masterless and unruly passion? now love can not only subdue them, but even makes them useful and subser­vient to it; the love of God sancti­fies [Page 70]all passions and makes them ser­viceable. If it cannot make him meek who is of an angry nature: it will make him angry against sin and against himself a sinner; if it doth not make him bold and generous whose temper inclines him to timo­rousness: it will turn his fear into prudence, and make him not dare to offend God; if it makes him not cheerful who naturally is melancho­ly: it will turn his sadness into pe­nitent sorrow, and make him a blessed mourner. And so all other pas­sions, love will make them instruments of vertue, Amor ubi venerit cae­teros in se traducit & ca­ptivat affectius. S. Bern. or occasions of a greater re­ward: that is, it will ei­ther fight and conquer them, or else put them to a good use. Love is obey'd wherever it ap­pears, and Divine Love is irresisti­ble: it overcomes all dif­ficulties, Nomen difficultatis e­rubescit. nay, it scorns it, disowns the name of dif­ficulty, saith, S. Augustine; It is as strong as death, saith the Scripture; it breaks the strongest and most vicious habits, and like death, it is ever victorious.

Happy and safe are they that love JESUS: Charitas est donum Dei quo nullum est ex­cellentius: solum est quod dividit inter filios regni aeterni, & filios perditio­nis. Aug. de Trin. lib. 15. cap. 18. for that love it is makes the difference betwixt sincere and false Christians, be­twixt those that shall be heirs of salvation and those that shall go to perdition, betwixt heaven and hell. Many pri­viledges may belong to the tares while they grow in the same field with the wheat; many Sun-shiny-days they may have, and many drops of dew and rain may fall upon them: but they are not rooted and grounded in love, therefore they are pluck'd up and withered and burn'd. Many gifts of the Divine Spirit wicked men may receive; they may prophesie and do miracles in Christs name, they may excel in some vertues: but the grace of Charity they never receive, the love of God never dwells in their hearts. Thou maist be Baptized, (saith S. Aug.) Habere Baptismum & malus esse potes; habere, &c. Tract. 7. in Epist. Johan. and yet not be good; thou mayst have know­ledge, and remain vi­cious; thou maist be call'd a Christian, and be none: [Page 72]but thou canst not love God and be wicked; thou canst not love God, but thou must be holy and happy. Thus we see, love affords the great­est pleasure, and the greatest safety this world is capable of. The love of JESUS is a precious jewel, precious beyond gold and the best of pearls: Charitas est amor re­rum quas nonnisi vo­lentes amittimus. Aug. he that hath it, hath an infinite treasure, and it is so much the more to be valued, because we may acquiesce in its pos­session: we can never lose it except we will. We may lose our riches and we may lose our health; we may lose our learning and our eloquence; we may lose our friends and our lives: but the love of God we can never lose without our consent; no time, no fortune, no Ty­rant can snatch it by force out of our hearts; Verum bonum illud est quod non potes invitus a­mittere. Aug. as 'tis never given against our will, so against our will it can never be taken away. Charity never faileth. Quinquagesima Sun­day. O Lord who hast taught us, that all our doings without charity are nothing worth; send thy Holy Ghost, and pour [Page 73]into our hearts that most excel­lent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and of all vertues, without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee: grant this for thine only Son JESUS Christs sake. Amen.

§. 18. Love brings a last­ing joy and peace to the Soul.

The fourth and last con­sideration is, that the love of God is the solid joy and lasting Tranquillity of the Soul. No tormenting fear or sadness can harbour in a heart that loves God; the Motto of love might well be that of a late order of Knight­hood at Mantua, mean't of the Holy Chalice, Nihil isto triste recepto; grief and the love of God are incompa­tible: no sadness should enter that breast wherein dwells Divine Love. I need not treat at large of those many doubts and terrors concern­ing future happiness which grieve and almost distract the hearts of ma­ny Christians to prove that it is a happy thing to be freed from them: there are few, but are so far ac­quainted with them as readily to assent to it; it will be more to pur­pose to shew that the love of God is [Page 74]the best remedy against them, the best balsom to heal a wounded spirit. Some persons from their poverty, bodily pains, or other afflictions draw this most afflictive inference, that God is not their friend, and that therefore their condition is danger­ous, and very bad, if not quite de­sperate: and this adds such a weight to their cross, that they have no strength to bear it, but are ready to sink; whereas the love of God hath enabled thousands to bear a heavier with patience, with fortitude, and men with cheerfulness; I take plea­sure in infirmities, and distresses, and necessities for Christs sake, said S. Paul, that great lover of JESUS. He that would suffer for God, will suf­fer from God: he that would die and be crucified, for JESUS, will willingly bear that cross which JESUS lays upon his shoulders. And indeed 'tis a greater vertue, meekly, and thankfully to accept of that correction wherewith God vi­sits us, than voluntarily to inflict the greatest sufferings on our selves: what proceeds from God is ever best for us, and most pleasing to him. No Patient will question the love of [Page 75]that Physician who is his intimate friend, for that he makes incisions, and applies causticks upon him, and makes him drink bitter potions; he will not suspect his friends affection; he will not doubt but that 'tis for his good: after this manner, he that loves God will receive afflictions from him, and gratefully acknow­ledge with David, I know that of very faithfulness thou hast caus'd me to be troubled. Knowing that all things work together for the good of them that love God, he will harbour no thoughts of diffidence, nor question Gods lo­ving kindness to him: but rest sa­tisfied, that while he loves God no­thing can hurt him, and that what­ever happens is certainly for his greatest advantage.

But 'tis not always the storms of adversity that bring those dark and dismal clouds on the minds of men: they come sometimes in fair wea­ther, in the greatest prosperity. Whence, 'tis in vain to examine: better it is to drive them away, for they are as mischievous as black. They cast a damp upon mens spi­rits; they freeze their hearts in such [Page 76]a manner that they can receive no spiritual joy; they so weaken their hands and feet, that they can hard­ly work for God, or walk in his ways: so that their condition is sad indeed, not because God is their enemy: but because they being un­reasonably afraid of it, are thereby hindred from being his friends. To this evil none can prescribe a better remedy than love: let such persons love God heartily, and all these ter­rors will vanish away like the vain images of a terrible dream; when one awaketh. Love begets love, therefore we should love God be­cause he first loved us: and love be­gets a confidence of being lov'd again: so that if we love God we shall not long doubt but that we are lov'd by him: and then all is well. And if at first, our hearts do not melt into devout affections, and are not replenish'd with the sweetness and comfort of love, let us not be dismay'd at it, nor too much study our own disturbed thoughts and ap­prehensions: but let us continue to give God demonstrations of love, to abstein from what he forbids, and to do that which he commands, or [Page 77]that which will please him, though uncommanded: and then either ho­ly joys and extasies will come, or it will be as well without them. No man is afraid of his friends, nor of those whom he serves and obligeth; we easily suppose that they love us, whom we love, and that they to whom we do good will be kind to us: therefore let us shew to God all the love we can, and by words and acti­ons protest that we seek to please him, and our hearts will soon be possest with a blessed assurance that we are dear to him, and he will ne­ver be cruel and severe to us. 'Tis reported of a Religious Person whose soul was griev'd and wound­ed with doubts and fears and with sadness, that while he was one day weeping and praying thus; O that I were sure that I shall persevere and never fall from God; O that I were sure that God loves me, and that I shall one day see his Blessed Face: how zealous then should I be in mortifying my sins and do­ing my duty! how cheerfully should I serve God every day, and take pleasure in suffering for him! how would I despise the world and its [Page 78]vanities, and fix my thoughts and affections on things above! while he was thus expressing the sorrows of his troubled mind, he heard the whispers of a secret voice, which told him, fac quod faceres, do now, what thou wouldst do if thou hadst all those assurances. With this he found himself so affected and re­fresh'd, that he took it as an Oracle, from heaven; and in obeying of it found those comforts he begg'd. Better counsel I cannot give thee; fac quod faceres, do what thou wouldst do, if thy diffident timorousness and jealousies were confuted by a voice from heaven, and they'll soon be remov'd. Let thy meek submission, thy sincere obedience, and thy free-will-offerings speak thy love to God and thou shalt soon find thy self per­swaded that God loves thee dearly and that thy condition is safe and happy. Other assurance we are not to expect in this world, and this is not to be obtain'd any other way: should thy comfort proceed from any thing else but thine hum­ble and devout love to God, it would be fansie and presumption; whereas so, it is well-grounded and [Page 79]never can deceive thee. 1 Joh. 4.18 There is no fear in love (saith Divine S. John) but perfect love casteth out fear; 'tis never otherwise: grace and na­ture joyn together to make the effect infallible, that a Holy Love should ever produce a Holy Peace; if we love indeed and in truth, 1 Joh. 3.18 thereby (not by new and secret revelations) we shall know that we are of the truth, and we shall assure our hearts before God. Love may well work confi­dence and joy in our souls, for it injoys already what it loves: it is affectuosa unitas, & unitiva affectio, love is inseparable from its object, and the essence thereof consists in their union, if not unity. Though God be exalted infinitely above all things, in a sphere of Glory and Majesty so high that the Cherubim with their many wings cannot flie up to it: Qui mente integra Deum desiderat profecto jam habet quem amat. Greg. Mag. yet thither love sores up and takes God, and holds him as his own: so that every one that loves God is al­ready possest of him, and may say with the spouse, I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine. Cant. 6.3.

We come to God by love, S. Aug. amando non ambu­lando: and to him we are united by love; Magna res est amor quo anima per semet­ipsam fiducialiter accedit ad Deum, &c. amore Deo conjungimur: therefore love is a great thing, (saith that de­vout father) it brings the soul to God with an holy con­fidence, and makes it trust in him, and cleave stedfastly to him, and rejoyce in him, and represent her needs and beg his mercies with fi­ducial and devout affections. And this is so great a truth, that death it self with its pains and sorrows al­ters nothing of it; even then in the last agonies, the love of God swee­tens the bitter cup, and still enter­tains the soul with joy and holy com­forts. It was the saying of S. Aug. that because the soul hath willingly forsaken God whom she should love infinitely, she is forc'd there­fore with grief and regret to for­sake her body which she loves too much: and that because she vo­luntarily departed from God who is her life, Aug. de Trin. lib. 4. cap. 13. she therefore departeth from the body whose life she is, [Page 81]with sadness and much reluctancy. Now we may say, that when the soul returns to God by love, Charitis libertatem donat, timorem pellit, &c. S. Bern. she is freed from this punishment and re­stor'd to her first liberty, she is willing to die for to be with Christ: and then comes a cheerful cupio dissolvi, O when shall I come and appear before God. Happy is he who living doth so manifest his love to God by Piety and Charity, that dying he can say with Theodo­sius, Dilexi; love hath been the bu­siness and delight of my life, I have daily indeavour'd by my actions to declare the sincerity of my love to God: he is doubtless of the number of those that love the appearing of JESUS: and so he goes out to meet him with joy and confidence, expecting a kind reception from him, Nemo se amari diffi­dat qui jam amat: liben­ter Dei amar nostrum quem praevenit subsequi­tur, &c. Bern. whom having not seen yet he lov'd, and wor­ship'd and serv'd affecti­onately. Let no man that loves God doubt of God's Love to him: for he that lov'd us when we were his enemies, so as to die for us, will much more love us when we have for him the [Page 82]hearty affections of friends, It is the joy of heaven, the joy of the Holy JESUS when his loving kindness hath won and conquer'd our hearts, and 'tis our greatest joy, 'tis for us a heaven upon earth, when we love him faithfully and fervently, with all our souls and affections. The love of God brings that peace to the soul, which the world can neither give nor take away. Her sins which are many, Luke 7.47. are forgiven, be­cause she loved much.

§. 19. The Close.

Now who can refuse to love God, when 'tis a thing so just and reason­able, so pleasant and easie, so safe and advantageous, something of ne­cessity we must love, every mans heart is full of that passion, and eve­ry mans life is govern'd by it? 'tis but considering who hath done most for us, and whom we are most ob­lig'd to love; who is most lovely, and who will best reward our love: and we shall soon understand that God is to be lov'd above all things, infinitely, without measure: and if we love our selves as we should, we shall easily remove our affections from [Page 82]the world to set them upon God and Eternity, upon JESUS and his kingdom. Love, as we have seen, will make it easie and de­lightful to do our duty, Onus sine onere portat. Kemp. will make the yoke of Christ light, and enable us with strength and courage to bear our cross cheerfully like Christians: it will lead us the shortest and the sa­fest way to heaven, and make our journey pleasant: it will make us dear to God, and to his Saints and blessed Angels, and fill our hearts with peace and comforts: it will a­bide with us, when we are forsaken by the world, and all our friends can do us no good: it will accom­pany us when we go from hence, and open heavens gate, and enter in with us; there to perfect our happiness which it here began: to be there our reward, as it was here our work and our duty. I may now up­on too too just an ac­count, use the words of S. Non quod ego ista faciam dico, sed quod facere vellem, &c. Ber. Med. Bernard; what I have writ­ten is not what I do, but what I should do, what I grieve that I do not, what I indeavour to do, and what I wish all [Page 83]others might do. But withall I shall plead for my self the advice of a Greek Father; not to judge too severely of those who teach excellent les­sons, [...], &c. Joh. Clim. grad. 26. §. 18. great and profitable truths which they them­selves learn and practise but very imperfectly: be­cause the usefulness of their instructions may make some amends for the defects of their per­formance. Ephes. 6.24. Grace be with all them that love our LORD JESUS CHRIST in sincerity.

Amen.