The Christians LOOKING-GLASS: Wherein he may clearly see, His love to GOD lively expressed, His Fidelity truly discovered, And Pride against GOD and Man, Anatomised.  
whereby the Hypocrisy of the times is notoriously manifested.  
By THOMAS TOOK, Minister of GOD'S Word at Saint Giles in the Fields.  
LONDON, Printed by Nicholas Okes, and are to be sold by Richard Bolton, at his Shop in Chancery-lane, near Holborn. 1615.   

TO THE RIGHT VIRTUOUS AND HONOURABLE LADY, the Lady ALICIA DUDLEY.  
MADAM,  
THere are three necessary virtues well be-seeming every Christian Man, Charity, Fidelity, and Humility, both towards God and man.. 
4. Reasons of loving God. Math. 23. 9  There are four reasons (to pass by many more) which should move us to the love of God: First, 
jam. 1. 18.  because he is our gracious Father, who of his own will begat us with the word of truth, that we should be as the first fruits of his Creatures. Now if a child shall love his father, of whom he hath received a part of his body, how much more ought he love God, (Qui animam suam infundendo creavit, & creando infudit) of whom he hath received his soul, and to whose goodness he stands obliged both for soul and body, both for the being & continuing of them? Therefore David saith, Thou hast possessed my reins, 
Psalm. 139 13. Psal. 71. 6.  thou hast covered me in my Mother's womb. Upon thee have I been stayed from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels. And job long before him, Thine hands have made me, 
job. 10. 8. 11. 12.  and fashioned me wholly round about; thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and joined me together with bones and sinews: thou hast given me life and grace, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.  
Secondly, 
2. Reason.  God is to be loved for his most sweet and pleasing nature, which the wicked indeed feeleth not; because (as Isidore saith) he hath lost the palate of his heart with the fever of iniquity.  
Thirdly, 
3. Reason  God by his beneficence hath deserved our love: 
joh. 3. 16.  for out of his mere love he sent his own and only Son into the world, to save us when we were lost, to redeem us when we were captives, and by his death to give us life when we had deserved nought but death.  
Fourthly, ask now the beasts, 
4. Reason. job. 12. 7.  & they shall teach thee, and the fowls of the heaven, and they shall tell thee: speak to the earth, and it shall show thee, or the fishes of the sea, & they shall declare unto thee. Even these things in their kinds do praise God, and show their love unto man, for whom they were appointed: and shall man show no love to God; and in love do nothing for God, for whom his creatures do so much good, & suffer so much evil, being all put under his feet, and subjecteth to his power, 
Psal. 8. 6. 7. 8.  All sheep & oxen, yea & the beasts of the field, the fowls of the air, and the fish of the sea?  

Of the manner how we ought to love God.  Now because a man hath in him life like a plant, sense as a beast, and understanding proper to a Man, therefore it behooves him to love God with his life, with his senses, and with his reason. Our Saviour saith, we ought to love God with all our heart, with all our soul, 
Mat. 12. 37 1. With all our heart.  and with all our mind. We ought to love him with all our heart, that is, with all our affections, delighting and joying in him more than in any thing: For he loves not God, that delights in any thing more than in God: and as St Austen saith, Minus te amat, qui aliquid t●cum amat, 
A Simile.  quod non propter te amat. By how much the more the lower bows of a Tree are multiplied, by so much the less it groweth upwards: so by how much the more a man doth love these things beneath, by so much the less is his love erected and lifted unto God above: therefore such love is to be pruned & cut away, as superfluous branches from a tree, that it may thrive the better. God requires the whole heart, My son, give me thy heart, 
Pro. 23. 26. A Simile.  like some noble Bird of prey, that seizeth upon the heart: for he alone created it, he alone covers it, and he only can content and fill it. Totum exigit te, 
Augus●ine.  qui fecit te totum, he requires thee all that made thee all. 
Si totum me debeo pro me facto, quid addam iam pro me refecto? Bernard.  If we owe ourselves wholly for our generation, what shall we add for our regeneration? Neither are we so easily new made, as made. In the first work God gave us unto ourselves: in the second he gave us himself, and restored us unto ourselves. Being therefore both given and restored, we do owe ourselves for ourselves, and we do owe ourselves twice. But what shall we repay unto the Lord for himself? For although we were able to repay ourselves a thousand times, what are we unto the Lord? 
A Simile.  If a man had some special jewel which he is minded to give away, he would bethink himself where he might best bestow it. Our heart is the best member which we have, and God is our best friend, let us bestow it upon him: it is not lost, that is given unto him.  
Secondly, 
2. With all our soul.  we must love the Lord with all our Soul, enduring rather the separation of the soul from the body, then that our soul should be separated from God, who is the soul of our soul, & the comfort both of soul and body. 
Our life and senses should be bestowed upon God  And because our soul affords life and sense unto the body, therefore to show that we love God with all our soul, we ought to honour him with our lives all our life long, and with all our senses, suffering them to be guided by his will, and choosing rather to be deprived of them all, then of him, that gave them all.  
Thirdly, 
3. With all our mind  we must love him with all our mind and understandings and cogitations being fixed upon him, and ruled by him: His word should inform ●nd direct our reason; 
God m● have o● though●● & understanding  our reason rightly informed, should rule our wills, our affections and conversations, in all which we ought to seek and apply ourselves unto God, that our lives, our affections, our wills, and our understandings may be said to be Gods, so as although we live, yet we may truly say, We live not, but God doth live within us. And so much for our love of God.  

Of self love Why and how a man should love himself.  Love of Man is either love of ourselves, or of our Neighbour. That a man should love himself it is very necessary: for he that loves not himself, cannot love another. And as St Austen saith, Sinon nosti diligere teipsum, tim●o ne decipias proximum sicut teipsum; if thou knowest not to love thyself, I am afraid lest thou shouldst deceive thy neighbour as thyself. Yet is it no easy matter for a man to love himself aright: for he that loves iniquity hateth his own soul, and he that loves himself in the way of sin, doth love a robber condemned to die. 
Augustine.  Si malè amaveris, tunc odisti: si benè ode●is, tunc amasti: If a man love himself amiss, he hates himself: but if he hate himself well, than he loves himself. If a man lose himself by loving himself, than he finds himself, if he hate himself. Let us therefore learn to love ourselves by not loving ourselves. He that hates his lusts, loves himself: he that loves his lusts, hates himself. He that will love himself well, must love himself in God, and ●or God: and either because he is Gods, or that he may be Gods. ●nd thus much for Self-love.  
Our Neighbour also is to be loved, whether friend or foe, rich or poor, young or old, high or low: 
Gregory. Why our neighbour is to be loved.  For (Per amorem Dei amor proximi gignitur, & per amorem proximi amor Dei nutritur) the love of our neighbour is begotten by the love of God, and the love of God is nourished by our love of our Neighbour. Here first I say, we ought to love our neighbour, because he is a Man of the same flesh with us, or because he is a Christian of the same faith, incorporated into the same body, and animated by the same spirit. In whomsoever Christ doth show himself, he is to be loved, in the poor as in the rich, without respect of persons. A Diamond is a Diamond whether set in Gold or Silver, or in Iron, or Wood, and he that rejects or contemns Christ in a poor man, loves not Christ in a rich man, but riches: yea, 
5. Reasons of loving our enemies. Math. 5. 44  we are to love our Enemies. So Christ said, and so he did. He said so: I say unto you; L●ue your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that h●●e you, 
Colos. 1. 22 Rom. 5. 8.  and pray for them that hurt you. And so he did; for us, which were strangers and enemies, hath he also reconciled. Whiles we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Secondly, thus it behooves us to do, that we may resemble our heavenly Father, and show ourselves to be his sons: For he sendeth his rain on the just and unjust. Thirdly, else shall we lose our reward: 
Math. 5. 45 46.  For if you love them that love you, what reward shall ye have? Fourthly, because GOD hath selected and singled us out from the multitude of the world, therefore we must be singular and egregious for our conversation: 
Mat. 5. 47.  If ye be friendly to your brethren only, what singular thing do ye? do not even the Publicans likewise? And shall Christians do no more than Publicans, than Turks, than Indians, then natural men? Fiftly, it is by our Apostle commanded and commended unto us, When he saith; 
Gal. 6. 10.  Let us do good unto all; if unto all, then unto our enemies; 
Rom. 12. 20  Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him, saith he, If he thirst give him drink. Now if we must not deny him our beneficence, than not our benevolence for it is no good deed, if it be not of good will: And if we must recompense no man evil for evil, 
Rom. 12. 17.  than not to our enemies; and where there ought to be no maleficence, there should also be no malevolence; as we must not work him ill, so we must not will, nor wish him ill.  
So then our Neighbour is to be loved, 
How our neighbour is to be loved.  but how? Even as ourselves; which As doth not show partiality, or equality, but similitude; not measure, but manner; 
Mat. 22. 39  that is to say, Holily, justly, Truly, and Constantly: Holily, 
Sanctè.  that is, for GOD, and not against GOD, under GOD, not above GOD: For he loves not GOD, that loves his neighbour with GOD, whom he loves not for GOD; and he that loves his neighbour more than GOD, is unworthy of GOD, and makes his neighbour to be his God.  
justly, 
justè.  for a man must not love his neighbour in evil, or for evil, but in good, and for good: He must be so loved, as that his vices may be hated: He must be loved, if not (quia justus) because he is just, yet (ut sit justus) that he may become just. Love must not be the bond of unrighteousness; we may not love a man so as to fall in love with, and to learn his vices.  

Verè. August.  Truly, that is in the Truth, For (nemo potest veraciter esse amicus hominis, nisi primitus fuerit amicus ipsius veritatis) no man can be a true lover of a man unless first he be a lover of the truth. I say again truly, that is, the man must be loved, not his riches, honours, greatness, his good must be sought, and not his goods; he, not his. Some love their neighbours, as dogs do bones, for the flesh that is on them; or as men do Trees, for their fruit; or as Kites do a Carcase, for relief: But we ought to love them even for themselves, for this, that they are men, or for this, that they are virtuous and good men.  
Lastly, 
Perseveranter. Of the constancy of love.  our Neighbours are to be loved Constantly: With some men, friends are like flowers, which are esteemed of no longer, then whiles they are fresh. Many men's love is like to that of Harlots, who love, whiles there is lucre; they love not the man, but his gifts: They are like the Gleads in the fable, that followed the old wife bearing Tripes to the Market, but forsook her homeward, when she returned empty. A man shall be loved in prosperity; but it is a question whether the man, or his fortunes, be rather loved: Adversity will try the force of friendship, and virtue of love: He which forsakes his Neighbour in adversity, doth manifestly show that he loved him not in prosperity: It was not the man which was loved, but the man's prosperity. But we ought to be constant in our love: Whiles we see either Humanity, or Christianity, we have cause to love. 
Gal. 6. 9  Let us not therefore be weary of well-doing: 
Heb. 13. 1.  Let brotherly love continue. And so much for charity, which for perpetuity, 
1. Cor. 13. 13  and serviceableness unto others, is more excellent, than either faith or hope.  

Of faithfulness.  The next is Fidelity, when men are fast and faithful unto men for GOD, and unto GOD for GOD himself. This faithfulness unto GOD is demonstrated by fearing him vehemently, by obeying him constantly, by dispensing faithfully, by keeping things committed to him carefully, by loving him incessantly, and by suffering for him courageously. The reasons that should move us hereunto are many. 
7. Reason's o● Fidelity. Reu. 2. 20.  1. GOD'S Commandment. Be thou faithful unto the death: 2. His Promise, And I will give thee the Crown of life. 
2. Tim. 4. 7. 8.  I have fought a good fight, (saith Saint Paul) and have finished my course, I have kept the faith: here's his Fidelity: From henceforth is laid up for me the Crown of Righteousness: there's his reward. 3. The example of GOD, and his servants: Of GOD, 
Psal. 94. 14. Psal. 146. 6. jer. 32. 40.  who fails not his people, forsakes not his inheritance, but Keeps his fidelity for ever, and will not depart from them to do them good. Of his Servants, as Abraham, job, Moses, Daniel, and the Martyrs, whom no death could daunt, no torment could affright, no pleasure hold, no promotion prevail with, no allurement enchant, but clave fast to GOD, and choosed rather to die for Him, then to live against Him. 4. We desire GOD to be faithful unto us, therefore we should show ourselves faithful unto Him. 5. We exact fidelity of those, that are under us, therefore in reason we should behave ourselves faithfully to GOD, which is above us. 6. Fidelity is a most certain argument of felicity, 
Mat. 1●. 22. Heb. 1●. 39  for he that endureth to the end shall be saved: Finally, unfaithfulness is punished with perdition: 
Reu. 21. 8  Fearful and unfaithful persons shall have their part in the lake, which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death; And so much for Fidelity.  

Of humility.  The last is Humility, whereby we do not overween ourselves, but behave ourselves humbly towards GOD, and man.. Humility is to be showed towards a man's Superiors, Equals, and Inferiors. 
jam. 4. 7. 10  The Superior of all Superiors is God. Submit yourselves unto GOD: cast down yourselves before the LORD, and he will lift you up. GOD is Omnipotent, Alwise, most Just, and hath absolute authority over all flesh, therefore we ought to humble ourselves before him, and throw ourselves down before his Foot stool. Secondly, we ought to carry ourselves lowlily towards all our Betters. Therefore the Law saith, 
Ex. 20. 12.  Honour thy father, and thy mother: And Saint Peter, 
1. Pet. 5. 5.  ye younger submit yourselves unto the Elders. Thirdly, towards our Equals, 
Math. 7. 12.  For we must do, as we would be done by: we would have our equals give us due respect, and not by pride exalt themselves above us. In giving honour (saith Saint Paul) go one before another: 
Rom. 12. 20  
Rom. 13. 7. 8.  Give to all men their due; owe nothing to any man, but love. It was Pompey's too-great stateliness, that he would acknowledge no equal. Fourthly, towards our Inferiors: 
Why we must be humble toward our inferiors.  For it is a man's honour sometimes to neglect his honour, and his greatest Greatness, in case, not to know his greatness. I suppose there is in every man something, which craves our humility; and even this should make us humble unto all, because life and death is common to us all, because by Nature we are sinners all, and it is nothing in us, that makes the difference, but the grace of GOD unto us, which was never deserved of us. For who hath separated thee? 
1. Cor. 4. 7  and what hast thou, that thou hast not received? It behoves us therefore (as we are exhorted) To submit ourselves one unto another, 
1. Pet. 5. 5.  and to deck ourselves inwardly in lowliness of mind: 
Luk. 18. 14.  For every man that exalteth himself, shall be brought low: and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted. For GOD is gracious to the humble, but opposeth himself to the proud, he breaketh their branches, he teareth them up by the roots, he scattereth brimstone upon their dwellings, he tumbles them from their seats, and laughs at their downefals.  
Thus have I given you a say of that, which is more largely handled in this Book, which I Dedicate unto your Ladyship, in whom these three virtues, by the Grace of GOD, have met together, & do kiss each other, beseeching this good GOD still to increase his Graces in you, and at the length to Crown you with eternal glory in the heavens.  
Saint Giles in the Fields, August. 13. 1614 Your Ladyships in Christ jesus, Thomas Tuke.   

The Contents.  

Love in general described. page. 1  
Good, either true, or seeming, is the object of love. p●g. 3  
The property of love is to urite, or join. pag. 3  
The love of man to God described. p. 3  
Love is an affection of the heart. pag. 3. 4  
Love is a gracious affect. pag. 4  
Love riseth out of knowledge and Faith. pag. 4. 6. 7  
Love is a Celestial fire pag. 9  
Love is kindled by the holy Ghost p. 9 10  
Love knits us to God, and makes him our contentment. pag. 10. 11  
This love to God is necessary in six regardss. pag. 16. 18  
The equity of this love is showed in six respects. pag. 19 22  
Gods love to us is a descending love p. 19  
There are 6 benefits of this love. p. 23. 30  
This love is excellent in nine regards p. 32. 38.  
Of the Author, Nature, Ends, Effects, Subjects and Object of this love. pag. 32. 33. 34. 38.  
In five respects God is worthy of our love above all other things. p. 45. 48  
What jehovah, Kurios, Dominus, and our English word Lord doth signify. pag. 39  
Why the world should not be loved. p. 59  
Why riches should not have our heart. pag. 61  
Of the love of Pleasures, and why they seem so sweet. pag. 63  
Of the incertainty of honours. pag. 64  
Of the vanity of beauty. pag. 65  
How a man may love himself, and who is he. pag. 67  
Nine undoubted tokens of true love to God. pag. 69. 83  
God ought to be loved in his Church universal, and in every true visible society of believers. pag. 85  
Which is a true visible Church. p. 85. 87  
God ought to be loved in his Ministers. pag. 88  
A Minister is to be loved merely for his Office, Power, Work, and faithful execution thereof. pag. 88 89  
The note of a true Minister of God. p●g. 90  
God is to be loved in his people. pag. 91  
How Ministers ought to demonstrate their love to God in feeding their Flocks. pag 95  
God must be loved in Christ pag. 96  
Why CHRIST ought to be loved. pag. 96. 97  
Two special ways whereby love is showed to Christ. pag. 97 99  
A man may be said to be faithful in two respects. pag. 100  
Who have been counted faithful to the Lord. pag. 101  
How God preserves the Faithful. Externally p. 102  
How God preserves the Faithful. Internally, p. 102  
How God preserves the Faithful. Eternally. p. 102  
Three reasons of Faithfulness pag. 103  
Five notes to know a Faithful man.. pag. 103. 106  
Who is a Christian indeed. pag. 107  
A Commendation of love from some notable effects thereof. pag. 110  
Sundry similes to illustrate the worthiness of this virtue. p. 111.  
What pride is. p. 112.  
Seven ways of proud dealing against God. p. 113.  
How Pride against man discovers itself. p. 114.  
Twenty three examples of God's judgements upon the proud. p. 116. 120  
Two milder kinds of his punishments. p. 122  
Of the folly, baseness, inhumanity, impiety, and injustice of pride. p. 123.  
Of the contentiousness, ugliness, and wastefulness of Pride. p. 124. 125  
Pride like a Thief, like thunder, like a venomous beast, like a Moth, or worm. p. 126  
How pride is to be avoided. p. 127.  
An Exhortation to the love of God. pag. 128.  
If God love us, we need not so much fear the ill will of men: this cleared by two comparisons. pag. 129    

The Christians looking-glass.  PSALM. 31. VER. 23. 
Love ye the LORD, all his Saints, for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and abundantly rewardeth the proud-doer.  
HOLY David, having in four verses next aforegoing declared the goodness of GOD to them that fear him: and among them to himself in special; in this verse he exhorteth All Saints; even all that the LORD hath sanctified to himself by his mercies, to devote and addict themselves to the LORD by love.  
In this verse two things are considerable: First, the Psalmist Exhortation, Love ye the LORD all his Saints; And secondly his Reasons to set it on, drawn from an act of GOD'S grace to some, and of his justice to others, expressed in the words ensuing.  
In the exhortation three things are to be observed: first, the duty required, Love: secondly, the object of it, the LORD: thirdly, the persons, of whom it is to be performed, All his Saints.  

Scal. ex. 301 Sec. 1.  Of love first, Amor est affectus unionis. Love is an affection of union; Quo cum re amatâ aut unimur, aut perpetuamus unionem: By the which we are either united, or do continue the union with the thing beloved. 
What love is.  Or Love is a certain motion, whereby the heart is moved towards that, which either is Truly, or Seemingly good, desiring to draw the good unto itself, that it might enjoy it. 
The object of love.  For the object of love is good; 
The property of love.  And though a man sometimes love an evil, yet it is to him a seeming good: And the Nature of love is to unite and Knit diverse things together, and of sundry things to make one; And a regular and truehearted love is that, which causeth us to love a thing▪ because it is good in itself, and not for any base, or by-respect. With this love we ought to love GOD, and our neighbour for God. 
Love of GOD what.   
The love then, wherewith we are exhorted to love the LORD, is an Holy affection, Whereby we love GOD in CHRIST JESUS, for himself: Or it is, a Gracious affection of the Heart, arising out of Knowledge and Faith in GOD, and kindled in the soul by the HOLY GHOST, by which a man is joined & Knit to GOD, taking delight and content in him more, then in any thing beside.  
First, 
Love is an affection.  I call it an affection of the heart, because with it the heart is affected and inclined; affections being certain motions of the heart, where they have their seat and being.  

Love a grace.  Secondly, I said it is a Gracious affection; for to love is a work of Nature, but to love an object W●ll, that's truly Good, as is the LORD, is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a work of Grace. For we are not sufficient of ourselves to think any thing, 
1. Cor. 3. 5.  as of ourselves: Therefore our sufficiency & strength to love a right object rightly, must needs be from the Grace of GOD, Who worketh in us both the will and the deed of his own good pleasure. 
Phil. 2. 13.   
Thirdly, I say this love ariseth out of the Knowledge and Faith in God. 
ovid. Love is from knowledge  For Quod latet, ignotum est, ignoti nulla cupido; Things unknown are unaffected, and love is according to a man's acquaintance: A man cannot love GOD, before he know that GOD is, and that he is good, and therefore worthy love, sweet and amiable, and according to that measure of knowledge, that men have of him, and of his benefits, and according as they ponder and remember them, so they may be said to love him: And for because our knowledge of him is in this world nothing so perfect as it shall be in the world to come, therefore also our love on earth is not so perfect, as it shall be in the heavens, when besides the vision of Grace we shall attain unto the vision of Glory, 
1. Cor. 13. 9 12. Vision of Grace, & of Glory.  When We shall see face to face, and know as we are known, as the Apostle speaketh to the Corinthians. Will ye see this in the glass of human practice? 
The last point cleared by Similes.  A child not knowing the worth of silver prefers a Counter to it; Barbarous people not knowing the benefits of learning love it not. The covetous man knowing the virtue of gold, hoards it, loves it as his GOD: A good soul knowing the vileness and dangers of sin shuns it, loathes it; and perceiving the benefits of true Religion loves it, follows it; and experience shows that many men, places, things, are unloved, and unregarded, because their virtues, properties, excellencies are not known to them, that do looke-over and neglect them. He then that would love GOD, 
Why men love GOD no better.  let him learn to know GOD: If men knew him well, they would not love him so ill. The reason why men commonly are so far in love with pleasures, profits, and preferments is because they know the sweetness of them, though they prove often bitter to them in the latter end, so as that they might justly wish they had not known them, or had known better how to have used them: So surely our knowledge of GOD would stir up our love, did we know him and understand his perfections well and truly, he would ravish our hearts, but the love of the world doth raise up such a mist within us, as that our eyes are darkened, the stars of our understanding are clouded, so that we see not, we think not of his lovely Nature, we cannot behold his Beauty: But let us disperse these fogs, and labour to know him, that we may be fit to love him. 
Love is as a thread, and knowledge a Needle.  Love like a third sows our souls to GOD, but the way is prepared by knowledge as by a needle.  
And as concerning Faith, 
Love springs out of faith.  certain it is that faith in the love of GOD makes a man return his love unto GOD, for till a man believe that GOD doth love him, and is reconciled to him, he comes not to him: So long as he apprehends nothing but wrath, he flies him as his enemy; and being punished he repines and murmurres, as maleconted: But when a man comes to be persuaded of GOD'S favour to him, and begins to have affiance in his mercy, forthwith he begins to draw near by love unto him, he sets his heart upon him, and in love prefers him to all the world: And the more he believes, the more he loves, his soul is ready to say with David, Thou art my LORD, 
Ps. 16. 2. 5. & 103. 1. 3. 4  and the portion of my inheritance: My soul praise thou the LORD, and all that is within thee praise his holy Name, which forgiveth all thine iniquity, and healeth all thine infirmities, which redeemeth thy life from the grave, and crowneth thee with mercy and compassion?  
The truth of which we see confirmed by Saint Paul, who saith that Love is out of a pure heart, 
1. Tim. 1. 5.  and a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: Without the which faith also there is neither pure heart, nor good conscience. This we may illustrate by the dealings of men, 
A Simile.  who will not make a league of love with them whom they trust not, but rather abandon all society with them: On the contrary, whom they dare trust them they dare live with; in whom they have confidence, in them they do delight; and of whose love they are persuaded, them they will love and show kindness too. 
A Simile.  And we see by experience that one flame licks another to it, and one fire draweth another; so one love also begets and draws another. And if it happen that a man be hated of him to whom he beareth love, 
Why a man hates him, that loves him.  it is because he that is loved, takes no notice of, nor feels the love which is borne unto him. Let us therefore have faith in GOD, for as we believe, so shall we love: 
A Simile.  Without doubt the brethren of joseph, when they met with him in Egypt, did not love him as their brother, till he had made himself known, and till they were verily persuaded that he was their brother; so we shall never love GOD as his children, till we acknowledge him for our Father, and be by faith persuaded of his love.  
Fourthly, 
Love a fire.  I said that love was Kindled in the soul: For the love of GOD is a Celestial Fire, serving to comfort and refresh the heart▪ and to inflame it with an holy zeal and to consume these filthy vapours of malice, envy, pride, treachery, and such other noisome lusts, as ar● within him.  
Fiftly, I say it is kindled by th● HOLY SPIRIT, therefore Sai●● Paul calls it the Fruit of the Spirit; 
Gal. 5. 22. Love, the work of the Spirit.  for if the hatred of GOD be a work of the flesh, and from the motion of the Devil; then the true love of GOD must needs be the work of the Spirit, who enlightens the mind, inspireth faith, and persuades the heart to love and delight in GOD: How much are we bound to GOD, of whose pure love to us it is, that we have any love to him: He comes down to us, before we go up to him; He draws us before we run, and looks upon us before we turn our eyes to him: 
Ps. 144. 3. Ps. 116. 12. Psal. 145. 1.  LORD, what is man that thou regardest him, or the son of man, that thou so thinkest on him? What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits towards me? O my GOD and my King, I will extol thee, and will bless thy Name for ever and ever.  

Love knits us to God.  Finally, I said that love doth knit our hearts to GOD, and makes a man take him for his chief contentment: For as hatred doth rend, disjoin, and separate: So love doth unite, knit, and tie together. love married jacob and Rahel, love united David and jonathan: and so our hearts by love are wedded and united to GOD, and for GOD to one another: That they might be knit together in love, saith Saint Paul. 
Col. 2. 2. joh. 17. 21.  'Twas Love▪ that made our Saviour pray that all his Members might be One with Him, and his Father: and it is love also, that makes us deny ourselves and the world, and study to live so, as if we were not ours, 
The fruits of hatred and love.  but GOD'S: 'Tis hatred that breeds dislike, aversation, and discontentedness: And so it is love, that causeth joy, delight, contentment: When love hath once possessed the soul, it moves it to joy in GOD, to make him her prime contentment, and to exclaim with the Psalmist: Whom have I in heaven but thee? 
Psa. 73. 25. 26.  and I have desired none on earth with thee: GOD is the strength of mine heart and my portion for ever. And undoubtedly, what thing soever a man doth best love, that to him is his best contentment: for love causeth content, as the light doth comfort, 
A simile.  and contentment is embarked and enbotled in it, as a Tree in a Bark, as water in the clouds; Therefore the Greek word (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) signifying to love, signifies to rest in, or to be contented: And thus we have seen what love is.  

GOD the object of this love.  The Object, on whom this love here spoke of should be fixed, is the LORD, even he, who is gracious, and merciful, 
Ps. 145. 8. 17  slow to anger, righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works: 
Psal. 145. 3. & 147. 5. & 146. 6 7. 8. & 147. 3 Ps. 145. 19 20. & 146. 9  Even he, whose greatness is incomprehensible, and whose wisdom is infinite, which made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is therein; and keepeth his fidelity for ever; which executeth justice for the oppressed, giveth bread to the hungry, loveth the righteous, healeth those that are broken in heart; preserveth all that love him, fulfil the desires of all that fear him relieveth the fatherless and widow, and showeth mercy unto thousands to them that love him: 
Ex. 20. 6.  Even he, I say, that remembered us in our base estate, cut the cords of the wicked, rescued us from our oppressors, delivered us from our sins, brought us from our errors, translated us out of Babylon, saved us from that Purple Harlot, showed us his Word, given us his Gospel, honoured us with peace; delivered our Rulers, rescued his Anointed, and saved us all, both Church and Kingdom, from that Hel-made, horrid, 
Novem. 5. 1605.  and prodigious Powder. O LORD, how great is thy love unto us! how amiable is thy Name in all the world! Blessed be thy Name for ever, and let all thy people say, Amen.  
The Person● who are exhorted to this Love are All GOD'S Saints, 
Who ought to love God.  even all they, that have tasted of his love, and which in mercy he hath hallowed for himself; even All of them, young and old, rich and poor, high and low, men, women, and children; for in saying All, he ex●epteth None; the Young men for their strength; Old men for their wisdom, the Rich for their wealth, the Poor for their correction, the High for their greatness; the Low for their meanness, with which virtue and piety commonly cottons best with; Men for their supereminent honour, Women, because he hath graced their Sex, by bringing forth of a Saviour, and Children for his great care and manifold protection of them: and all in general for their Sanctification by grace on earth, and eternal Salvation in immortal glory in the Heavens.  

Object.  But are none bound to love the LORD but his Saints?  

Solution. Psal. 145. Math. 5. 1. Tim. 4 10  Yes, without doubt, the Law ties all, for all are of his making, his goodness reacheth unto all, and he is the Saviour of all: But David here speaks unto Saints only, being such as himself most delighted in, and of whom he best hoped, being best affected, and such also as whom GOD doth most dearly love, and honour with his greatest favours.  
Our lesson then from hence is this; All of us, every mother's child, 
Doctrine.  without exemption of any; should love the LORD.  
But because, 
Barbarus his ego sum, cum non intellig●r ulli, ovid.  as he that speaks Greek or Latin to him, that is no Grecian or Latinist, is but as a Barbarian to him, and does but beat the air: So the Language and discourse of love to him, that loves not, is but barbarous and unpleasing, as sounding Brass, and a tinkling Cymbal: Therefore that we may conceiu● and reap profit by these things, which shall be delivered concerning our love of GOD, it behoves us to blow up the dying and fainting coals of this heavenly and holy fire within our breasts: 
job. 12. 11.  And seeing that the ear tasteth words, as the palate doth meat, let us have understanding and attentive ears, that discerning the things, we shall hear, to be good, we may receive and digest them, and like prudent hearers show forth the fruits thereof in our lives & conversations.  

Reason 1. Why we should love the LORD from the necessity thereof. Deut. 6. 5 & 10. 12.  First, than I say, Necessity lies upon us to love the LORD: Woe unto us, if we love him not. For first, it is GOD'S express commandment: Thou shalt love the LORD thy GOD; and now Israel (saith Moses) what doth the LORD thy GOD require of thee, but to fear and love him. This our Saviour calleth a Great Commandment; 
Mat. 22. 38  the Commander is great, the Object is great, the use of the duty is great, and their reward is great, that take care to do it: 
GOD'S precept binds us to love him.  And though there were no other reason to move us to it, but his bare command, yet were that reason strong enough to bind us: Sic vult, sic jubet, stet pro ratione v●luntas. The power of a King, the authority of a Father, the place of a Master, necessitatis, the subjection, and obedience of a Subject, Child, and Servant. But GOD is our King, our Father, and our Master, he hath an absolute, inevitable and uncontrollable power and jurisdiction over us: Therefore his very bare command should condition and control us without more ado.  
But secondly, besides the precept, 
Except we love GOD we shall be cursed.  there is a most heavy curse, which, unless a man do love GOD, he cannot scape: For though our love of GOD be not the caus● why, but a sign that GOD will bless us, yet our hatred, or Non-love, doth deserve his curse. Therefore Saint Paul denounceth him accursed, 
1. Cor. 16. 22. Rom. 9 5.  that loves not the LORD JESUS, who is GOD over all, blessed for ever, Amen.  
Thirdly, except we love GOD, 
No love no worship.  we cannot worship him: For true worship is, Love joined with duty towards a man's superiors: So that, 
Scal. ex 317 s. 3.  where there is no love, there is but counterfeit service, or none at all.  
And indeed, 
No love of GOD, n● lo●● of the go●. ●. h. 3. ●●. 14.  as he that loves not GOD, cannot worship him, so neither can he love his neighbour for GOD, and in GOD: And He that loveth not his brother, is not of GOD but abideth in death: Certainly, he that loves not the father, as the father, loves not the son, as the son, loves not his brother as the child of GOD, as the brother of CHRIST, as the child of the Church: which we all aught, and who so doth not, shall have small reward.  

GOD'S ordinances profit not him, that loves not God.  And that the necessity of this duty may yet appear, let us know, that as iron is unfit to be wrought on, unless it be heated in the fire: and as wax will not seal well, except it be warm and soft: even so are we, till we be inflamed with love, till that holy fire hath heated v●: Till then, the Word, the Sacraments, the Minister, his Binding, Losing, Preaching, Praying, Blessing, will be of no true reckoning with us, and we shall take no comfort in them.  

Without lo●e, good deeds, favour of ●en, & ●. ●e nohing ●o●●h.  And say that a man had the love of all men; say that he could speak all Languages in the world, and were able to remove Mountains, to cast out devils, to cure all diseases, to heal all wounds, and should crumble out all his goods to the poor, suffer for the truth, do and suffer many things for his Country, yet if he loved not GOD, he might truly say with Saint Paul; 
1. Cor. 13. 2  He were Nothing: And thus we see the necessity of loving God.  
A second argument of this duty, 
2d Reason, To love GOD is a matter of equity.  is from the Equity thereof: For seeing Almighty GOD doth love us, as it appeareth by his Electing, Redeeming, Sanctifying, and Preserving us in CHRIST JESUS his beloved Son, it is a matter of equity that we should remonstrate our love unto him in that his Son; and the rather also, because our love to him comes short in measure of his love to us: For GOD'S love is a Descending love, but our love to him is an Ascending love; 
GOD'S love to us descending  and love descending is more natural, more vigorous, and more vehement than love ascending: As we see in fathers and mothers, who love their children better than their children love them. And reason may be given hereof: For GOD knows us better than we know him: And there is no corruption, no vitiosity of nature in him, as there is in us: We are not so good and candid of nature, as He: Neither have we any thing of ours in GOD to love, as he hath in us; for we, and every good thing in us is of God.  
Besides, GOD loves us, that deserve his hatred, 
Ephe. 2.  being by nature dead in sins, and children of wrath, and bringing forth many roots of bitterness, and fruits of injustice; how unequally then should we deal with him, if we should not love him, who deserves our love, being most lovely in himself, and bearing such love unto us. What is man (saith David unto GOD) that thou art so mindful of him, 
Psal. 8. 4. 8. 144. 3.  or the son of man, that thou thinkest on him? And what is GOD, o man, that thou art so unmindful of him, bearing so small respect and love unto him? If it be untolerable ingratitude for a man to be loved of a man, and to receive continual tokens of love from him, and yet in the mean time not to love his lover, and to show no signs of kindness towards him? What horrible impiety, injustice, and unthankfulness, is it to be beloved of GOD, and to return no love unto him; to receive daily testimonies of love from him, and yet to show no love unto his Name? far be this uneven and unthankful dealing from us, that owe more love unto him, than we can express in work or word? Nimis durus est animus, 
August.  qui si dilectionem n●lebat impendere, n●lie rependere: His heart is Oak, not flesh, but flint, that though he will not begin to love, yet finding love will show no love: But GOD doth love us; out of his love he sent his Son, 
joh. 3. 16. Col. 1. 13.  his only Son, the Son of his love into the world to save us; He sends us fruitful seasons, and fills our hearts with gladness: 
Lam. 3. 22. 23.  It is his mercies that we are not consumed, they are renewed every morning. Yea, we should be very unjust and injurious unto ourselves, if we will not love him, seeing (as the Apostle teacheth) All things (life and death, 
Rom. 8. 28.  health, and sickness, same and reproach, plenty and penury, prosperity and adversity) work together for good unto those that love God. 
The equity of our love further explained.  And what reason is there, that we should desire his love to us, and withhold ours from him? Or what reason have we to require love of our wives, children, servants, neighbours, acquaintances, if we care not to show love to him, who hath adopted, married, and assumed us unto him? Or finally, with what equity can we desire that our commands should be respected of those that depend on us, if we make no count of this duty (which draws on all the rest) which he exacteth and expecteth at our hands? We see then that common sense and Equity, extorts it from us, and calls us to it.  

3. Reasons from the profit of love.  Thirdly, the commodities of this love should move us to the entertainment and performance of it. For first, 
1. Commodity.  by this love our faith produceth those good duties, which we owe to God. For Faith, is as an Hand Receiving, but by love we give and bestow, and without it we can do no good works well: Therefore the Apostle saith, 
Gal. 5. 6.  that Faith worketh by love: And as Saint Austen speaketh, Our life and all our conversation is named of our love: Nec faciunt bonos vel malos mores, nisi boni vel mali sint amores: Which being good or bad, makes our manners to be thereafter; such as the love is, such is the life; 
●ike as th● love 〈◊〉 the l●●e.  a holy love, a holy life; an earthly love, an earthly life: If a man's love be set on GOD, his life must needs be good: And though this be certain, A man is justified by Faith, yet this is true; The life of a man is justified by Love, a naughty love, a naughty life: Again, his life is good, whose love is fixed on good: and what greater good than GOD, who is the good of goods, and n●thing but Good? 
3. Commodity.   
Secondly, this love doth poise and season knowledge, which without love would be windy, light, flashy, and unsavoury: Knowledge without Charity makes a man to swell and bluster; 
1. Cor. 8. 1.  but the love of GOD and of man, for GOD will make the best learned most humble and officious. 
A Simile.  Meat undigested breeds corruption, but being digested, it affordeth nourishment and strength: so knowledge, unless it be boiled and concocted in the stomach of the soul, with this sacred fi●e of love to GOD, and of man for GOD, it engendereth crudities, windiness, and diseases, even corrupt conditions in heart and life; but being by love digested it is very nourishable and of great use. 
A Simile  Yea further, as showers of rain occasion store of weeds, except there be heat and dryness to receive, alter, and digest them: but being by the drought of the ground and heat of the Sun turned and concocted, they make the soil more fresh and fruitful. Even so the words of instruction, exhortation, admonition, communication, counsel, consolation, straining from the Scriptures in the Ministry of the Church, and falling upon men, become unprofitable and dangerous to them, except they be tempered and received by love: But being by love embraced, and as it were digested, they bring forth in them the fruits of righteousness, and make them more fat and fertile, much more serviceable to both GOD and Man: Yea, whereas meat by heat is turned into the body, and dews and showers into the earth and herbs: By love the word is not turned into us, but we rather into it, being brought under the obedience of it, and now no longer seeking and serving the flesh, but studying to conform ourselves to it, and wrestling against our lusts, that it might possess us, guide and order us. O Love, by thee I go out of myself, that the Word of GOD might enter in, by thee I war against my self, that it might reign in peace within me, by thee I mortify mine earthly members, that it might live, might like, and prosper in me!  

3. Commodity of love. By the love of GOD a man may know his estate before God.  Thirdly, by the love of GOD we may know in what estate we are in. A man by grace within him may know the grace of GOD unto him: A may by looking upon a Dial may know the motion of the Sun in heaven; so by sifting his own soul he may see the good will of GOD unto him. I see not the air, but I can perceive the operation of the air; neither do I see the heart (or love of GOD) as it is in his own breast, but there are certain operations of his love, even in the hearts of men, which if they truly find, they may assure themselves of his love unto them. Now that love, whereby a man loves GOD, is a work of GOD'S love, whereby he loves man; So that he that loves GOD, may conclude that GOD loves him. For GOD calls no man effectually, but out of his love unto him: But as Saint Paul showeth, he that loveth GOD is called of his purpose: And again, 
Rom. 8. 28.  If any man love GOD, 
1. Cor. 8. 3.  (saith he) the same is known (scientiâ approbatiuâ) That is, acknowledged, and loved, and approved, of him. And Saint john saith; We love him, 
1. joh. 4. 19 Eccles. 1. 7. A Simile.  because he loved us first. For our love springs out of his, as the Rivers from the Sea; his love drawing our hearts unto him, as the Loadstone doth iron to it, or as the Sardius doth wood; our love answering to his love, as an Echo to a man's voice, or as a face doth to a face in water: 
A Simile.  And as one candle doth lighten another, so the consideration of his love to us doth cause the reflection of our love to him: Which our consideration of his love unto us, is a gracious operation of his love within us, being a fruit, not of the flesh, which is bend against GOD, but of the Spirit, which proceedeth from GOD: And for because the haters of GOD, and the lovers of worldly things, are of Babylon, of the world of the devil; and seeing the lovers of GOD are of jerusalem, of the Catholic Church our Mother, of GOD our Father, and have their sins forgiven (Interoget se unusquisque quid amet, 
Luk. 7. 47. Aug. in Ps. 64.  & inveniat unde sit civis) Let every man but examine himself what he loves, and he shall find in what estate he is, and to what City he doth belong; 'tis true I confess a man is not loved because he loves, but because he is loved therefore he loves: 
A Simile.  And as the Sun shining upon a plate of silver is not idle and void of operation, but heats the plate, which sendeth from it both light and heat: So GOD shining with the resplendent and burning beams of his love upon us, is not now idle, and void of all success, but inflames our heart with love, by which we are both well affected towards him, and for his sake also towards others; that as no man can stand by, or meddle with, that plate of silver, which shall not receive of the light and heat of it; so no man can (as it were) pass by us, or have any dealing with us, but we shall sh●w our good affection towards him.  
Fourthly, 
4. Commodity of our love of God.  the love of GOD is not lazy; if it labour not it is no love. Our love of GOD engenders in us the love of the godly for GOD, which is also very comfortable: For as he that loves the King, as King, 
The love of GOD makes us to love the godly.  cannot but love his faithful and loyal subjects: And as he that loves the father, cannot, will not, 
A Simile.  doth not hate his child; and as he that loves his friend, will not misuse his picture: So he that truly loves GOD, will also love those, that by their godly conversation do show themselves to be the servants and children of GOD, and which are the liveliest pictures of GOD, which mortals can see: And this kind of love is comfortable, because hereby we may assure ourselves to be the true Disciples of our LORD, and know (as the Apostle teacheth) that we are Translated from death to life. 
1. joh. 3. 14.   

5. Commodity. A Simile  And as many boughs come from one root, and much water from one spring; so many virtues arise from this love, and (as Gregory speaketh, Non habet viriditatem ramus boni ope●●, nisi manserit in radice charitatis) the works of all virtues will but wither, except they remain in the greenness of this Root, except they be nourished by this love: The love of money, 
A Simile.  the love of mammon is the root and nourisher of all evil; so the love of GOD is the mother and nurse of all good, of all pious Offices unto GOD, and Christian duties unto man.  

6. Commodity. A Simile.  And in one word, the love of GOD is as strong as death; for as death doth kill the body, so our love to GOD doth mortify our love to the world, and like a strong wind it dispels the thick and stinking fogs of rancour, wrath, malice: And as the rising of the Sun doth drive away the cold and dullness of the night, and as the pouring in of wine into a vessel causeth the air to give place; so the love of GOD doth diminish and send packing the inordinate love of worldly vanities, and when our hearts are once warmed with it, it causeth the coldness of our affections unto good to depart and lessen: When GOD comes into the heart (as he doth when the heart doth love him) Mammon must needs go out; When we fix our eyes on heaven we remove them from the earth; and when we fall into a league of love with GOD, it cannot be but that we must fall out of love, and into hatred, with all his enemies. Therefore David saith out of his love to GOD: 
Psal. 139. 21, 22.  Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? I hate them with an unfeigned hatred, as if they were mine utter enemies: And thus we have had a say of the commodiousness of this our love to God.  

4. Arguments of love to GOD from the excellency o● it. Excel. 1. 1. joh. 4. 7. jam. 1. 17.  The Excellency thereof remaineth yet to be discussed: True love, wherewith GOD is affected, is excellent in all these respects which follow. First, in respect of the Author of it, which is not man, but GOD: For love, as Saint john showeth, cometh of GGD: and whosoever loveth GOD, doth it by the finger and gift of God.  

Excel. 2.  Secondly, in respect of the true Ends thereof, which are not base but honourable, as the glory of GOD, the salvation of our soul, the edification of our brother, the honour of our calling, and that we might not grieve the Spirit of God.  

Excel. 3.  Thirdly, in respect of that of GOD'S, which moves us to love, which is his goodness, because he is good in himself, and good to us.  

Excel. 4.  Fourthly, in regard of the Subjects of it, or the persons, in whom it reigneth, which are only the beloved Saints and Servants of GOD, the excellentest of human race, and in them the Heart, even the best member in them is the Hearth or Altar, on which this heavenly fire kindled by the HOLY GHOST doth lie.  
Fiftly, 
Excel. 5.  in respect of the manifold and excellent Attendants and Companions, which wait upon it; even all the virtues: For our love of GOD, is not forlorn and solitary, but like an honourable Lady, very well attended.  
Sixtly, for the perpetuity thereof, 
Excel. 6.  beyond faith and hope: For whereas they shall cease, when a man hath once obtained full fruition of the things which he doth believe and to expect have and enjoy; love shall not cease, but become complete.  
Seventhly, our love of GOD, 
Excel. 7.  hath three most excellent Effects, to speak of no more.  
First, 
1. Effect of love.  it makes a man officious to GOD, and for GOD to man.. True obedience is the fruit of love; and all obedience which is not of love, is hypocritical and unsavoury. We see the love of a child forces him to obey his father, though he had not a rod, not an arm: So GOD'S Child by his love is moved to serve GOD; yea, and would study to obey hi●, though he would not strike, though there were no hell to be punished in for disobedience: Yea, the force of love is such, that it will make a man obey GOD, though there were no After-reward of obedience: Even as we see amongst men, love will enforce a man to do well unto one, whom he loves, even freely, then when the party receiving the benefit is not able now, nor likely hereafter, to make a requital of it.  

2. Effect of love. 1. joh. 4. 8.  Secondly, it makes a man like to GOD (for GOD is LOVE) and it is not the least commendation of a child to be like his father.  

3. Effect.  Thirdly, he that loveth GOD, doth, as it were, deprive himself of himself, and bestows himself on GOD, whom he doth love; insomuch that he doth die, by little, and little, in himself; but GOD, whom he loveth, liveth in him: For the love of GOD (if sincere and fervent) is of a Ravishing disposition, by the which the lover is so rapt out of himself, that he forgets himself, denies himself, and is wholly in GOD, whom he loveth, and GOD, whom he affects, being in him. So that this love is able to make the lover say; I live, but not I now, but GOD liveth in me. 
A Simile.  For even as the love of the world makes the worldling live unto the world, and the world to live in him; so, as it may be said of them in some sort: They two are become one: So our love to GOD doth cause us to live to GGD, and GOD (as it were) to live in us; so as that we are now no more Ours, but His, no more Two, but One: Neither seek we ourselves, but Him: Non nostra sed sua; not ours, but His. 
Excel. 8. The reward of the love of God.   
Eightly, our love of GOD may be said to be excellent, in respect of that excellent and supereminent Reward, wherewith GOD will recompense them, that love him, how poor or mean soever: and this is no less than a Crown, than a Kingdom, the Crown of Glory, the Kingdom of Heaven. Hearken my beloved Brethren (saith Saint james) Hath not GOD chosen the Poor of this world, 
jam. 2. 5.  that they should be rich in faith, and Heirs of the Kingdom, which he hath promised to them, that love him? 
2. Tim. 4. 8. Why it is called the crown of righteousness.  And Saint Paul likewise showeth, that the Crown of righteousness, even that, which CHRIST hath purchased by his righteousness, that which GOD hath in mercy promised, and in justice will perform, that wherewith righteous men shall be rewarded, shall be rendered to them, that love his coming, which only they do, that love him himself. Doubtless, he that loves not the judge, loves not his coming to judgement: He then that would live in heaven like a King, let him love GOD first on earth like a Subject: He that would have that Glory, let him have this Grace. Oh! how men love the world, whose pleasures are but for a season, and whose joys are but imperfect? But in the presence of GOD there is fullness of joy, 
Ps. 16. 11.  and at his right hand there are pleasures for evermore. O! how covetous are men of riches, how ambitious of a Crown? And yet Riches remain not always, 
Pro. 27. 24.  nor the Crown from generation to generation: But the riches of Glory, that come 
* By, I say, not For.  By the love of GOD, are everlasting; the Crown and Kingdom promised to them, that love him, is eternal and unchangeable. The preferments, profits and pleasures, which the earth can afford, are obvious to the eye, and not so goodly as foolish men imagine: But the things which GOD hath prepared for them that love him, 
1. Cor. 2. 9  are such as no eye hath seen, no ear hath heard, no heart hath conceived; none can express them but they that enjoy them. Oh, that men would therefore set their love upon him, and remove it from the world! For he, that loves GOD, loves him that will reward him with peeerelesse honour; but he, that loves the world, loves his own betrayer, for the world says to the devils concerning him that is in love with her, as judas said to the jews: 
Mar ●4. 44.  Whomsoever I shall kiss, it is he, 
judg. 4. 19 22.  take him: And as jael served Sis●ra; so serves the world all those, that she lulles a sleep within her Tent: Well may she feed them with her milk and butter, but if she get them once a sleep, she peirces the very Temples of their souls, and nails them fast unto the ground. 
Excel 9   
Finally, this love is excellent and matchless in respect of the Object of it, who is the Omni-potent, Omni-present, Omni-scient, Alwise, everliving, and Euer-loving GOD, who is Goodness, Mercy, justice, Love, and Life itself, who only is Verity, Virtue, Unity, Amity, the Beauty of Beauties, the Perfection of Perfections, even Beauty and Perfection itself. 
What jehovah, CURIOS, DOMINUS, and LORD do signity.  In Hebrew called JEHOVAH, because he is of, and for himself, all other things else being both from him and for him: In Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, because he hath authority over all: In Latin DOMINUS, because he tameth, ruleth, and owneth all things: In English LORD, because he hath Honour and Authority, and for that he is IL-LAF-FORD (where the word LORD by contraction, or corruption cometh) which is as much as a Giver, 
Ps. 104. 27. & 145. 16. Psal. 3 4. 9 10. , or an Affoorder of Bread: For he giveth food to all flesh, and bread, with all things needful, for this life present, and for the life to come, to all his servants that attend and fear him.  
The execellency therefore of the Object should move us to the love thereof: What Nature is there comparable to GOD'S? Whose conditions is so sweet, so absolute, as his? What canst thou love, that's worthy love, which is not be found in him in all completeness? Dost thou delight in the Mighty? 
jer. 32. 27.  Behold (saith he) I am the LORD GOD of all flesh: Is there any thing too hard for me? If he but speak the word, it's done, his power is so great.  
Dost thou love Wisdom? GOD is All-knowing and most Prudent: He scattereth the devices of the crafty, 
job 5. 12. 23  so that their hands cannot accomplish that, which they do enterprise: He taketh the wise in their craftiness, and the counsel of the wicked is made foolish. He is wise in heart, 
job 9 4. & 12. 16. 17.  and mighty in strength: who hath been fierce against him and hath prospered? With him is strength and wisdom: He causeth the councillors to go as spoiled, and maketh the judges fools: 
Pro. 21. 30  There is no wisdom nor understanding, nor counsel against the LORD.  
Delightest thou in Valour and Stoutness of Spirit? 
Psal. 24. 8.  The LORD, is strong and mighty in Battle: He leadeth away Princes as a Prey, and overthroweth the Mighty: 
job 12. 19 21.  He poureth contempt upon Princes, and maketh the strength of the Mighty weak: The courage of all men, the fortitude of all Angels; the stoutness of all creatures, is to GOD'S, as a drop of water to the vast Ocean, the light of a candle to the splendour of the Sun, or as a thing finite to infinite.  
Is thy delight in him, that deserves admiration? The LORD doth great things, and unsearchable, yea marvelous things without number. Lo, when he goeth by me (saith job) I see him not, and when he passeth by, 
job. 9 10. 11.  I perceive him not! Behold, when he taketh a prey who can make him to restore it? Who shall say unto him, what dost thou? 
Isa. 40. 22. 23.  He sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as Grasshoppers: He stretcheth out the heavens, as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a Tent to dwell in: He bringeth the Princes to nothing, and maketh the judges of the earth as vanity: He blows upon them, and they whither, and his whirlwind takes them away as stubble.  
Wilt thou love the Faithful and him that is constant in Truth? GOD is faithful, 
1. Cor. 1. ●. Psa. 146 6 Psa. 100 5  he keepeth his fidelity for ever, and his truth endureth from generation to generation.  
Couldst thou affect one that is lust in all his proceedings? The LORD is righteous in all his ways: 
Ps. 145. 17 Psa. 96. 13  He will judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.  
Couldst thou find in thine heart to love him that is merciful by Nature, and which hath compassion on the poor, and him that is afflicted and weary? 
Psa. 116. 5 Psal. 146. 9 2. Sam. 22 28. Isa. 40. 29 job. 36. 15.  The LORD is merciful and full of compassion: He relieveth the fatherless, and is a friend to the poor: He giveth strength unto him that fainteth, and unto him that hath no strength he increaseth power: He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ear in trouble.  
Wilt thou fix thy soul on him, that loves a good heart, and which hates him, that is ill disposed? Behold, GOD will not cast away an upright man, 
job. 8. 20. Psal. 84. 11. job. 13. 16.  neither will he take the wicked by the hand. The LORD will give grace and glory, and no good thing will he withhold from them, that walk uprightly: but the hypocrite shall not come before him.  
Wouldst thou set thy heart on him, that is so complete in himself, as that he can neither be profited by the justice of any, 
Psal. 16. 2.  nor hurt by the sin of any? This is only the LORD: My goodness extendeth not to thee, saith David. May a man be profitable unto GOD (saith Eliphaz) as he, that is wise, 
job. 22. 2. 3  may be profitable to himself? Is it any thing to the Almighty that thou art righteous? or is it profitable unto him that thou makest thy ways upright? if thou sinnest, 
job. 35. 6. 7. 8.  what ●ost thou against him? Yea, when thy sins be many, what dost thou unto him? If thou be righteous, what givest thou unto him? or what receiveth he at thine hand? Thy wickedness may hurt a man, as thou art: and thy righteousness may profit the Son of man: No man can give any thing to GOD, which he hath not, nor take aught from him which he hath.  
Finally, wilt thou love him, that will save them, that fear him, and preserve them that love him? Then love the LORD; For his salvation is near to them that fear him: Because he hath loved me, therefore will I deliver him: 
Psal. 85. 9 & 91. 14. & 145. 20. 1. Pet. 1. 5. 9  The LORD preserveth all them that love him: And by his power he will guard them through faith, that in the end they shall attain to the end of their faith, the salvation of their souls in heaven. And in one word, because nothing doth more move a man to love another, than faith and constancy, than this, that a man loves one that is no flincher, no changeling, 
Mal. 3. 6.  even this should provoke us to the love of GOD, Who changes not, 
jam. 1. 17.  and with whom (as Saint james speaketh) is no variableness, nor shadow of turning. 
Is. 46. 10. 11 jer. 31. 3. joh. 13. 1. jer. 32. 40. Psal. 94. 14.  His counsel shall stand; he will do whatsoever he hath said: Whom he loveth once, he loveth with an everlasting love unto the end: And will never turn away from them to do them good: but will delight in them to do them good, & will not fail them nor forsake them.  
The truth is, 
Five reasons why GOD should be loved above all things. 1. Reason. 2. Cor. 12. 15.  there is no man, no nothing in the world, which doth deserve our love so as GOD doth, or which should stand cheek by jowl with him in our affections.  
For first, a man may love men, and yet not be loved of them: For (as it sometimes falleth out) the more that some are loved, the less they love, affecting them lest that love them most. But the more any man loves GOD, the more he may be sure that GOD loves him; Not that GOD is drawn to love for the merit of our love: But because our love to him is a fruit of his love to us, and increaseth as his: Even as the more heat is, which cometh from a wall, or from the ground, the more it argues that the Sun beats upon it.  
Secondly, earthly things, 
2. Reason.  as riches, honour, credit, preferments, and the like, cannot give a man such contentment, as may be found in God. For they are momentany and uncertain; but GOD is cerraine, constant, and eternal. They are mingled with something, which may displease us: But GOD is altogether profitable, and full of pleasure: A man may be glutted with them, he may love them too well, he may surfeit on them, he may joy so long in them, as at last he may be punished with his own perdition: but no can be too full of GOD: He will cloy no man's stomach, no man can love him too much, too long; for the measure of loving him is to love him without measure, the end is endless, it is a debt which is always due unto him, and for ever; which a man must be ever a paying, and never have done paying: And further, although a man had all pleasures, all wealth and honour that the whole world could afford him, yet if he gave way unto his mind, he would still wish for more, and delight in change: For the Round world, and all that's in it, is not able to fill man's heart, that is Triangular, 
Pro. 30. 16.  and unsatiable as fire, that never ●aith it is enough; For if any man be content, and think he hath enough, it is out of discretion because he sees no true contentment can come from earthly things: But GOD, because he is the fullness of good, a pure, and a perfect Truth, Beauty, and Perfection, is able to give true and full contentment to the soul, to all the souls of men, yea though there were 2 thousand thousand worlds of men.  
Thirdly, we love men, 
3. Reason.  whose fury reacheth not unto the soul, and whose love sometimes can do but little good: But the wrath of GOD is the woe of man, his anger reacheth unto the soul, his indignation is more terrible than the roaring of ten thousand Lions: But in the light of his countenance is life, his favour is like the dew upon the grass, or as a cloud of the latter rain, his love is even our life, & the fountain from whence our holiness and happiness, our grace and glory, our comfort & contentment springs.  

4. Reason.  Fourthly, our love to the creature is joined with fear and care, lest the thing, we love should take some harm: Res est solliciti plena timoris amor: Our friends may be killed or hurt, goods may be stolen, houses may be burnt, a man's stock may be wasted, his credit may be weakened, his servant seduced, his children misused, and his wife corrupted: A thousand mischances m●y happen unto these things, which are subject to fire and water, winds and weather, birds and beasts, sin and sickness, Men and devils: But GOD is liable to no such thing in himself, He is over all, under none, altogether blessed, Impassable, immutable, Invincible, Inviolable.  

5. Reason. Act. 10. 34.  Finally, whereas some will be loved of some, but contemn the love of others; GOD, with whom there is no respect of persons, accepts of every man, that loves him, yea, though the love of all men can add nothing to him: even as also in loving other things, men are often jealous, envious, and malicious, and will endure no rivals, no competitors; which is clean otherwise in our love of GOD▪ for so powerful is the grace of GOD in those that love him, as that it makes men desirous of companions. A man that addicts himself to some man, is afraid of another, lest that he creeping into his love should hinder his gains: But GOD hath enough for all, that loves him, he is able to give them all so much, as that they themselves shall say, They have enough; He is so well able to satisfy them all, as that every one of them might say; 
Psal. 16. 6.  The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea I have a fair heritage: Thou dost anoint mine head with oil, 
Psal. 23. 5  and my cup runneth over. And though it fall out sometimes among us, that we will dislike him, that doth increase our acquaintants, followers, or such as shall hang upon us to be relieved and maintained by us; yet it is not so with GOD: For if any man shall convert sinners unto him, and increase his friends, if true, though not uncostly to him, the same man doth a work pleasing to him, and doing it out of love he shall not lose his reward: For GOD is not unjust to forget your work, 
Heb. 6. 10  and labour of your love, (saith Saint Paul) which ye have showed unto his Name. And they (saith the LORD) that turn many to righteousness, 
Dan. 12. 3.  shall shine as the Stars for ever and ever. And indeed wherefore were the Apostles sent abroad into the world, but to gather Disciples to him, and to increase his followers?  
A●d that I may yet press this poi●t a little more, being of so great importance. Tell me, how shall man show himself thankful unto God. except he love him for creating him in his Image? 
G●●. 1. ●7 2●.  How shall he excuse himself, if he love him not, seeing he hath not planted him in a world unfurnished, but hath prepared him all things needful: Light for seeing, Air for breathing, Meats for feeding, Clo●thes for covering, and hath given him rule over the Fish of the Sea, 
Psalm. 8 7.  the Fowls of Heaven, and over every beast that moveth upon the earth?  
We are forbidden to have any other GOD unto ourselves, 
Exod. 20. 3  but the LORD which hath brought us out of the land of darkness, the region of death, and delivered us from bondage under sin and sathan: which we shall never be able to observe, unless by love we devote and wed ourselves unto him.  
How shall we sanctify the Name of the LORD, and not defile it, 
Leuit. 19 12. 18.  except we love it? How shall we merely upon GOD'S naked Precept forget an injury, and ●ot avenge ourselves, if ●he love of GOD do not persuade us?  
Will any man with Moses post-pose his ow●e greatness to the glory of GOD, 
Numb 14. ●. 12. 13.  except he love ●im? and will he be careful that those, which are committed to his care, should not behave themselves a● rebels, and startawaies, unless t●e love of GOD enforce him?  
How can parents bring up their children religiously, 
Deut. 6. 7. & 11. 19 Ephe. 6. 4.  instruct them in GOD'S Commandments carefully, and bring them up (as they are required) in the information of the LORD piously, except the love of GOD doth move them to it?  
How shall we be able to meditate in the Law of GOD day and night, 
Josh. ●. 8.  as we are exhorted, our dullness and averseness is so great by nature, except the love of GOD do spur us up and vanquish us?  

judg. 2. 17.  How shall we with the children of Israel, turn quickly out of the way, wherein our fathers have walked, and go an whoring after the idol, idle and addle inventions of men; specially if we were but put to it a little, except our love to GOD restrain and bridle us?  
What soul will say to GOD, but that which loves him dearly, as Ruth said to Naomi, 
Ruth 1. 16.  Whether thou goest, I will go, and where thou dwellest I will dwell. It is lack of love, which makes men forsake him, deny him service, and depart out of his house.  
Will a mother with Hannah, 
1. Sam. 1. 11 24. 28.  dedicate her son unto the LORD, but that she loves him? surely if her dedication be in devotion, it is the fruit of her love.  
wouldst thou with David set all the Laws of GOD before thee, 
2. Sam. 22. 23. 24.  and not depart there from? Wouldst thou be upright towards him, and keep thee from thy wickedness? Then love him; For what was it, 
1. Sam. 20 4. 17.  that made jonathan so sincere to David? what caused him to say unto him, Whatsoever thy soul requireth, that will I do unto thee? Even this, Because he loved him as his own soul.  
What but love forced the true mother of the child to say unto Solomon, 
1. King. 3. 26.  Slay him not; whereas the other for want of love said, Divide it. So nothing but the love of GOD makes a man study the peace & unity of his House, and causes his bowels to yearn at the dividing of it.  
What but the zeal of love to GOD, 
2. King. 18. 4.  moved Hezekiah to break the images, to cut down the groves, ●nd to demolish the brazen Serpent? So certainly thou shalt never cleave fast to the LORD, and throw down those idols, that are within thee, and keep thy soul from inchastity, except thy love to GOD constrain thee.  
Wouldst thou have thy Religion costly, and not count it a burden to thee? Wouldst thou be cheerful, and Free-spirited in all thine oblations and gifts unto GOD? Then must thou needs addict thy soul to GOD by love. It was this which made David say to Ornan, I will not take thine for the LORD▪ 
1 Chron. 21. 24.  nor offer burnt offerings without cost. It was devotion, which moved the Israelites to bestow their silver and gold and precious stones unto the building of the Temple: Of whom it is written, that They offered willingly unto the LORD, 
1 C●●●n. 29. ●.  with a perfit ●eart.  
It was without question true love to GOD, which made S●lomon pray for wisdom and knowledge to govern the people of GOD, 
2. Chron. 1. 10. & 2. 1  and build an house for the Name of the LORD: 
Psal. 132. 3.  and which made David say; I will not enter into the Tabernacle of mine house, nor come upon my palate or bed, nor suffer mine eyes to sleep, nor mine eyelids to slumber, until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty GOD of jacob. Even so do thou, 
Reu. 1. 6.  whom CHRIST hath made a spiritual King, devote and bestow thyself on GOD by love, if ever thou desirest to govern thyself, to mortify thy lusts, and to make thine heart an house for GOD to dwell in: Wouldst thou not sleep till thou hast found out an house for GOD to dwell in? Then surely thy love must keep thee awake.  
Love unto God, and of his worship, 
E●●a 3. 11.  made the people sing for joy and shout with a great shout, when the foundation of the LORDS House was laid: Even so it behoves us truly to love GOD, if we would truly rejoice, when we see the Church, 
1. Tim. 3. 15  which is the House of GOD, newly founded or repaired, in any Kingdom, State, City, Town, Village, Family: or when we see the truth of CHRIST planted and received in any man.  
We are commanded to sanctify the Sabboath day: and Nehemiah was very zealous for the keeping of it, and reproves the Rulers for the breach thereof. 
Neh. 13. 17  What evil thing is this (saith he) that ye do, and break the Sabboath day? Did not yours fathers thus, and our GOD brought all this plague upon us, and upon this City? yet ye increase the wrath upon Israel in breaking the Sabboath. Now certainly, unless by love we sanctify GOD in our hearts, we shall never sanctify the Sabbath for God. This is the cause that we steal away the Sabbath from GOD, because our lucre and pleasures do steal away our love, that is due to GOD, from us.  
It was love that made Ester say to the King: 
Ester 8. 6.  How can I suffer and see the evil that shall come upon my people? or how can I suffer and see the destruction of my kindred? Doubtless he loveth jacob, that pities the affliction of joseph. Love unto GOD will make the heart bleed at the bloodshed of the godly: Thou canst not love GOD, if thou be'st not moved at the plots and practices of godless men against the people of GOD: I suppose him void of all love to GOD, that could have seen & suffered that execrable Powder-practise, 
Novemb. 5. 1605.  or which now doth grieve in secret to see it disappointed.  
To conclude, what moved job to patience? Love. 
job 13. 15.  What made him say, Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him, 
Psal. 16. 2. & 40. 8.  and I will reprove my ways in his sight? love. What made David say, Thou art my LORD, thy Law is within mine heart? love. What made him so sing of GOD, and compose so many Psalms unto him? 
Prou. 30. 8.  love. What made Agur pray, Feed me with food convenient, lest I be full, and deny thee, and say; Who is the LORD? and least I be poor, and steal, & take the Name of my GOD in vain? love. What made Solomon rise at the last, 
Eccles. 1. 2 & 12. 1.  relinquish his lusts, cry All is vanity, & call us to the remembrance of GOD in our youth? love. What moveth the Church to speak thus unto her husband; 
Cant. 1. 1. 6 & 2. 5.  Let him kiss me with the kisses of his Mouth: Show me where thou feedest, where thou liest at noon? Stay me with flagons & comfort me with Apples? Nothing but love. She is sick of love. What made Daniel venture upon the Lions, the three children upon the fire, and the Christian Martyrs upon all kinds of deaths? Surely this, They loved not their lives unto the death, but out of their love unto GOD made more account of his glory, then of their own lives, liberties, pleasures, profits, and preferments, and held the truth at an higher rate, than all earthly things whatsoever.  
Lo then, what reason we have to love the LORD! I all the wit and industry of flesh and blood were spent and exercised in arguing for the love of earthly things, yet all were nothing, of no validity, nor efficacy to remove our love from GOD to them. What shall detain our love? the world. 
jam. 4. 4.  Know ye not, (saith Saint james) That the amity of the world is the enmity of GOD? 
Why men should not dote on the world. 1. joh. 2 15.  Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world, maketh himself an enemy of God. Love not this world (saith Saint john) neither the things that are in this world▪ 
What the world is.  if any man love this world the love of the FATHER is not in him What is the world, but a pleasant frenzy, a Theatre of vanity, a si●ke of sin, a shop of deceit, the centre of iniquities, and a very mirror of misery? 
Reu. 17. 2. 4 A Simile.  She is like that scarlet Harlot, lovely to look on, but dangerous to deal with; who makes the Kings and Inhabitants of the earth drunken with the wine which she presents unto them in her golden cup. He which follows the world, is like a fool or child, that follows a shadow, or a butterfly, a thing of no value, and which mocks them most, that love her best, and follow her fastest. But say, why wilt thou love the world? 
The world is unconstant.  because she is constant? Err not: nothing is more inconstant than the world, constant in inconstancy, and as inconstant in her constancy: She is in nothing the same, save in this, that she loves not to be the same. But GOD is the same for ever. Thou art the same, 
Ps. 102. 27.  and thy years shall not fail: 
jam 1. 17.  With thee there is no alteration, nor shadow of conversion. 
Num. 23. 19  GOD is not as man, that he should lie▪ nor as the son of man that he should repent: Hath he said it, and shall he not do it? and hath he spoken, and shall he not accomplish it? The world is fleeting and floating up and down in her love; whom she favours to day, she forsakes to morrow: But whom GOD loveth once, he loveth ever: Once and Ever are all one with him; 
john 13. 1. jer. 32 4●. Psa. ●9. 33.  The world will shake off her dearest lovers, as an Olive her leaves, or as a Colt doth his rider; But GOD never casts off him, that loves him (Et te nemo amittit, 
August.  nisi qui te dimittit) and no man doth lose him, but he that leaves him: Then love the LORD, and let go the world: Why should thy Soul, 
Reasons against the love of the world.  which is of an heavenly beginning, be buried and closed up within the earth? Why should it, which is immortal, be pinned on things, that are but mortal? Why should it, which is a Spirit, and Invisible, be fixed on things that are gross and visible? Amor rerum terrenarum est viscus spiritualium pennarum. The love of the world is the lime-twigs of the soul, Amicitia sol● est inimicitia poli. Friendship with the earth is enmity with heaven: But we will descend unto particulars.  
What wilt thou love? 
Prou 23. 5. Why men should not love riches.  Wealth and Riches? Wilt thou cast thine eyes upon that, which is nothing? For riches taketh her to her wings, as an Eagle, and flieth into heaven. Riches have sold more, than they have redeemed; and rich men have few friends, but many flatterers that follow them, as Ants do Corn, 
Seneca.  or as crows do carrion: Praedan sequitur ista turba: non hominem: Such follow the prey, & not the person, love the riches, but care not for the man; they would slay off his Hide to make themselves thongs with it. An Ethnique could say, when he had lost all his goods; Perijssem, ni perijssent; I had lost myself, if I had not lost them. But for GOD who is our greatest good; whether we lose our goods or not, if we lose him, and will lose him; if we love riches more than him, we lose ourselves, our comfort & contentment: Therefore if riches increase, 
Psal. 62 1●. Who is most rich.  set not thine heart upon them: If thou aboundest not, be contented, for he hath most that covereth least; He is the richest that least admireth riches: He is the greatest, who is contented with the smallest portion.  

Why the love of pleasures should not hinder our love to God.  What then shall have thy love? shall Pleasures? What are pleasures but pleasing vanities? What are pleasures to the pains of hell which wait upon them? What sweetness is there in them to the sweetness which is in GOD? If our souls were sweetened with the true taste of GOD'S love, all other things would seem bitter to us: And that men feel not the sweetness of GOD, 
Why GOD seemeth not so sweet to some. Heb. 11. 25  it is because their mouths are out of taste, being corrupted with the ague of worldly love. Consider the example of Moses, who chose rather To suffer adversity with the people of GOD, then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the rebuke of CHRIST greater riches, than the treasures of Egypt. Remember that ironical speech of Solomon to voluptuous persons: 
Eccles. 11. 9  Rejoiced young man in thy youth, and let thine heart cheer thee, whilst thou art young, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know that for all these things GOD will bring thee to judgement. 
Plutar.  Lysimachus to quench his thirst yielded himself to the Scythians, and when he had drunk their cold water, he said; Quam brevis volupt●tis causâ quantam deposui foelieitatem! O what great happiness have I foregone for a short pleasure! Let us beware that we part not with our Birthright for a little water-gruel, and that we lose not GOD, and forego the joys of heaven, for a small portion of vain delights. Malorum esca voluptas, 
T●ll.  quâ homines cap●untur, ut hamo pisces. Pleasure is the bait of evils (of devils) wherewith men are caught, 
A Simile.  as fishes with an hook: Either therefore we must shun them utterly, or take heed of the hook which lies hid within them.  
But what wilt thou set thy love on? Honour? How uncertain is it, and subject to be lost? 
Est. 7. 10.  Haman was Honourable, and hanged in one day. Olofernes was Honourable, 
Judith 13. 8  and Headed in one night: 
Why honour's should not steal away our hearts.  How great and common are the falls of many? He that is in account to day, may be contemned to morrow: In pratis ut flos, sic perit omnis honos: Honour vanisheth like a vapour, 
A Simile.  and great men are like great bubbles, and all the glory of the world like grass, like the flower of the grass. Caesar was stabbed in his height. Nebuchadnezer was abased in the midst of his greatness: Alexander was poisoned in the top of his honours. 
Act. 12. 22. 23. A Simile  Herod was struck with an Angel then, when he was applauded as a God. How vain a thing is honour, which like smoke mounted aloft doth vanish, whiles a man is looking on it? But great, constant, infinite are the honours, which are laid up for those that love God.  
But peradventure Beauty shall have thy love. Hear the judgement of beautifall Bathsheba unto Solomon her son. Favour is deceitful, 
Pro. 31. 30.  and beauty is vanity, But a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. 
The vanity of beauty.  What is beauty? indeed the Loadstone and delight of the eye, very pleasing to the sight, but exceeding brittle, mutable, and momentany, like Summer Apples which last not long: One wound, one fit of an ague, a little sickness, or a few years will mar it. 
How beauty hath been called.  Bion called it, Bonum alienum, a good but none of ours, being able neither to give it, nor to keep it: Socrates called it, modici semporis tyrannidem, a tyrant, which reigned but a while: Theophrastus said it was; Tacitam deceptionem, aut silentem fraudem; a Still deceiver, or Silent fraud: And as for beautiful persons, if vicious, and void of love to GOD, they are like Tulipees, 
A Simile.  goodly to look on, but of no good savour: Or like Alabaster boxes filled with vinegar; like guilded potsherds; or more properly, like a ring of gold in a sows snout; or some precious jewel in a bears ear: And finally, if beauty, the gift of GOD, be of so great request, how much more than should GOD, the giver of it, who is so full of beauty, as that if His Beautifulness could be seen, it would draw the eyes and hearts of all, that saw it, to him?  
But say, if none of these, what shall have thy love, Thyself? Beware, if thou makest thyself thy GOD, thou makest thyself thy devil: 
How a m● may love himself.  Certainly thou mayst love thyself, so thou love GOD in thyself, and thyself in GOD; and whilst thou dost love thyself under GOD, and not over GOD; For GOD, and not against GOD: Otherwise, if thou dost love thyself, thou dost but hate thyself; if thou wouldst save thy soul, thou shalt destroy thy soul; For GOD is the Soul of thy soul, the joy of thy heart, the Strength of thy life, thy Shield and Shadow, thy Saviour and Deliverer: Much better were it therefore for a man to leave his body, and to lose his life, rather than by loving what he should not love at all, or more than is allowed, to lose and deprive himself of GOD, who is the true Light and Life, the Grace and Glory of all our souls, and bodies also.  
What shall therefore separate us from the love of GOD, 
Heb. 12. 9  the Father of our spirits; the Breath of our nostrils, the Castle of our comfort, 
Psal. 18. 2. & 144. 2.  our Rock of defence, and the Fountain of Life? What shall extinguish this Sacred and Celestial fire of love unto his Majesty within our breasts? What shall unloose us, or cut the cords of our love, whereby we are tied unto him? What shall wipe him out of the Table-books of our hearts, and blot him out of our memories? Shall promotions, profits, pleasures, beauty, bravery, tribulations, life, death, men, or devils? No, no: nothing: no not the whole world, and all that is therein. What were it to gain all the world, and to lose thy soul? 
Mark. 8. 36.  What were it to be Lord of all the world, and to be deprived of him, for whom all the world was made? What were it to be beloved of all men, and yet to be hated of the GOD of men? I will therefore love GOD, keep GOD; for he that hath GOD wants nothing; but he that wants GOD, hath nothing.  
Now because to love GOD truly, and as every good Christian ought, is a duty so needful, equal, excellent, and commodious; and because men are much abused by their imaginations (the heart of man being a Sea of subtlety, and a Mine of deceit, given to deceive and beguile itself) I will therefore propound certain notes, whereby we may discern, if we love him truly with a sincere and regular affection; or whether we only draw near unto him with our lips, being far from him in regard of hearty love.  
First, true love is not lither, 
1. Note of true love. Gregor.  but laborious, Si operari renuerit, amor non est: it if it will not labour it is not love. 
True love is laborious.  What pains will not the Soldier take that affects the victory? what will not the worldling do to get or keep riches? How did Ester labour to save her kindred & Countrymen the jews? 
Gen. 31. 40 41.  jacob endured the heat of the day, the frost of the night, and want of rest, even continual toil and travel in a service of fourteen years, under none of the kindest Masters (Laban, his name turned, but his nature retained, a very Naball) and all this for his love to Rahell. Our Gamesters will sit up night and day, at dice and cards: Our gallant Dames, out of their love of bravery, what cost will they spare, what time will they not spend in making, changing, dressing, pluming, pranking? And is the love of GOD only lazy, sleepy, sluggish and unwilling both to do, and suffer? It is not doubtless.  

2. Note.  Secondly, he that loves GOD truly, and with a well regulated love▪ 
GOD is to be loved for himself.  will love GOD, chiefly for GOD himself, even because he is Good, Excellent, Perfect, and Amiable in himself, and not for those Love-tokens only, which GOD in love doth deign to give him: For to love one merely for gain, is not to love him, that gives it, but ourselves, that take it. If this be well considered, it is to be feared that many men love GOD, as they use to love their friends; that is, not for their friend's sake, but for themselves; not because their friends are Religious, Just, Wise, Virtuous; but because they receive benefits, as money, meat, credit, and such things by them. But Saint Paul was of a more generous, and truer Spirit: For he saith: I seek not mine own profit, but the profit of many, 
1. Cor. 10. 33. 2. Cor. 12. 14. 19 Phil. 4. 14 17.  that they might be saved. And again, I seek not yours, but You; and do all things, that you may be edified: And again, ye have done well that ye did communicate to mine affliction; Not that I desire a gift, but I desire a fruit, which may further your reckoning: 
Rome 9 3.  And yet more fully; I could wish myself to be separated (
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  anathematized) from CHRIST (my life, my light, my glory) For my brethren, that are my kinsmen in the flesh. If they might be received, he passed not though himself were rejected; if they might be saved, he cared not though himself were excluded out of heaven: so they might be blessed, he could wish himself were accursed: Thus the Galatians loved the Apostle: 
Gal. 4. 13 14. 15.  They despised not his trials, not his poverty, and afflictions, but received him as an Angel of GOD, and to have done him good could have found in their hearts to have pulled out their own eyes, and have given them unto him. This true love also was seen in Moses to GOD, and his Countrymen: For when they had, in his absence, made them an Idol, and provoked GOD against them by their idolatry, insomuch that GOD speaking to Moses said; Let Me alone, 
Ex. 32. 10. 12.  for I will consume Them, but I will make of Thee a mighty people: (which was a tempting offer, but mark how Moses took it) He most earnestly besought the LORD to spare them; preferring their good, to his own greatness, which argued the truth of his love unto them; and entreated the LORD to turn from his wrath, and why? Lest his enemies should blaspheme his Name, and say; He brought them out maliciously to slay them in the mountains; esteeming more of GOD'S glory, than his own greatness, and advancement. Yea so loving he was of the people, but especially so jealous of GOD'S glory, that rather than he would have them destroyed, or it eclipsed, he wisheth himself To be razed out of GOD'S Book. 
Ex. 32. 32. Gen. 22.  So likewise Abraham out of his devotion unto GOD is ready at GOD'S commandment to sacrifice, to slay his only Son, his Hope, and Honour. Indeed this is the nature of a man's sincere and regular love to GOD, to love GOD for himself, to obey him without scruple, and to neglect one's self for the respect of God. And though we ought to love GOD for those good blessings, 
GOD is to be loved for his blessings, and the order how.  which he communicates unto us, (as a friend his friend for courtesies received) yet we must not rest there, if we will prove our love to be upright and sound; but we must go further, and learn to love him for that lovely and peerless Excellency, and that immense and profound Sea of Goodness, which is in him, esteeming those his benefits conferred on us as certain streams flowing from the same; and prising of them, not so much in their own worth, as for being effects and tokens of his favour to us. 
A Simile.  Even as a man should not so much value the good turns of his friend, according as they are worth in their own nature, as because they are fruits and arguments of his vertu-full and bounteous disposition. And this is the purer degree or kind of love, 
job 6. 3. & 8. 14.  such as was in job, who though GOD seemed to be his Enemy, (For he saith that the arrows of the Almighty were in him, the venom whereof drunk up his Spirit, and that the terrors of GOD fought against him; that he feared him with dreams, and astonished him with visions) yet did he continue to love GOD, and professed that though GOD should slay him, 
job. 13. 15.  yet his confidence should be reposed in him.  
Thirdly, 
3. Note of true love.  whosoever shall love GOD cheerfully, and in conscience of GOD'S commandment, even because GOD bids him love him, he doth evidently declare the truth of his love unto him: For he, that doth a thing simply because he is bidden, doth show a loving and reverent respect unto the bidder.  
Fourthly, 
4. Note of true love.  he demonstrates a sound heart, and entire love unto GOD, that suffers nothing to domineer within him but his GOD: 
A man loving GOD tru●●y, loves none more than God.  Not Mammon, not Bacchus, not Venus▪ not the love of any Man, not of Himself, nor of any other thing whatsoever, but deturbs and cast out all, that GOD alone may have possession of him, and reign within him: as he may be said to be a chaste and loving husband, who suffers no other to steal away his love from his lawful wife, to whom he hath vowed his love, and plighted his Troth: 
ovid.  Non bene cum socijs Regna, Venusque manent: Nec Regna socium far, 
Seneca.  nec tede sciunt: Lordship and love will broke no fellowship: Aut Caesar, aut nullus: 
GOD will have the Throne, or else be gone.  GOD will be either alone or gone: He will admit no copesmate; He will not part stakes with any. He will allow thee to entertain some thing, that shall be subordinate, & under him, 
How a man may love other things.  but none that shall stand in opposition unto him, or which shall draw against him: If therefore thou permit nothing to draw thine affection from him, it argues thy love is firm and fast unto him.  

5. Note of love.  Fiftly, as a worldly-minded man doth show his love of riches by his unsatiable desire of having more and more: For the more he hath, the more he would; like those two daughters, which cry, Give, give; or like the earth, 
Pro. 30. 15. 16.  That (as Agur saith) cannot be satisfied with water So may we prove our love of GOD, if whilst we live on earth, we covet to have more and more interest in ●im, and never rest contented, whiles any thing liveth in us beside himself. 
1. King. 22.  And as Ahab was tormented in mind for Naboaths vineyard; 
2. Sam. 13. 2.  and as Ammon was so sore vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar: And as the Spouse in the Canticles exclaimeth: 
Can. 2. 5.  Stay me with flagons, for I am sick of love; Even so he that doth truly love GOD, 
Grief or sickness of soul wai●s on love.  is not quiet till he do enjoy him: And because there is no full fruition of Him, till we come in heaven, therefore if we truly love him, we shall not meet with full contentment, till we come in heaven: but shall, as that Spouse our Mother, be Sick of love, and wounded with longing after him, till we do enjoy him to the full. Indeed the sickness of mind is not love; for love itself is most sweet and pleasing; but it is the fruit of Desire, 
This sickness is not love, but from desire.  which waiteth upon love, till love do perfectly enjoy the thing it doth love: And if delay be made, that it cannot enjoy the thing, which it would, as it would, and so soon as it would, than this delay, by reason of the desire, doth engender a certain grief and sickness in the mind; which sickness, and the desire which doth produce it, shall both end, when that, which is desired is perfectly obtained, and enjoyed. 
Love ends not, when this desire ceaseth.  But then love hath that it would: and then ends not, as the desire; but is at her highest pitch, in all her jollity, and in her proper element, there where she would be, and would never but be: Now whosoever hath in him this longing after GOD, this sickness and grief to torment and vex him, (seeing that here on earth a man sometimes looseth his feeling of GOD'S love unto him, and never enjoys him full●) he may assure himself that he truly loveth God. 
N●te.  And this grief of heart should be so far from causing diffidence, doubting, or desperation, that a man should rather gather strength and comfort by it: 
A Simile.  For where this is, there is the love of GOD; as there is a love of drink, where there is a thirst and earnest desire after it, and a certain trouble and grief of soul, because it cannot be had, or is long a coming: As David saith, 
Psal. 63. 1.  My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth greatly after thee: which argues the desire and languishment of his spirit; so he likewise saith; 
9  My soul cleaveth unto thee, which declares his love. Now he, that loveth GOD, may be bold to think that GOD loves him: And the proper and principal ground of our consolation and salvation is in this, 
Psal. 63. 3.  that GOD loves us; 
joh. 3. 16.  not in this that We love GOD, 
Eph. 2. 4. 8.  in this that GGD is gracious unto us, and not in this, That the graces of GOD are in us. 
Tit. 3. 5.  Of which love and grace of GOD unto us, 
Our love to GOD a sign of his to us.  this (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) freegrace of Love wherewith our hearts are inflamed towards GOD, is an undoubted token and effect (as breath is of life, or ice of cold) appropriated to GOD'S Elect, and faithful Children.  

6. Note of true love.  Sixtly, as the minds of adulterers run upon their harlots, as the thoughts of worldlings are on their wealth; as the heads of the ambitious are occupied about their honours, as the hearts of Epicures are with their pleasures; as the brains of Scholars are beat about their books; as the mind of Soldiers is on the victory; and as he that loves the Law, hath his meditations in the Law; 
Ps. 119 97.  O how I love thy Law (saith David!) It is my meditation continually; so he, that loves the LORD is still musing and thinking of him, of his Grace and Glory, his Power and Providence, his Truth, justice, Mercy, etc. His Head is on him, his Heart goes with him, his Spirit is present with him; For the soul is present as well (Vbiamat, 
Bernard.  as ubi animat) where it loves, as where it lives and lisens': As GOD'S love to us made come down (as it were) to us; so our love towards him, makes us go up to him, as his love to men made him converse with men; so men's love to GOD, 
The fruits of love Divine & human.  makes them converse with him: And as his love to us makes him present with us to help and guide us; so our love to him makes us present with him to cleave unto him, and to follow him. His love causeth him to think on us, and our love maketh us to think on him: So that he which in heart is present with him, and doth meditate and think often on him, may be assured that the love of GOD is in him. It is true, a man cannot but be where GOD is, because he is every where; 
jer. 23. 24. Presence in case i as absence.  Do not I fill heaven and earth, saith the LORD? Yet this presence is rather absence, when our heart is absent; even as his presence is but absence, if his love be absent: A friend is then present, when he is at hand to help, and his thoughts are to relieve; and he loves truly, whose heart is present with his Love continually, not letting it to slide out of his memory.  
Seventhly, 
7. Note.  he that is not fickle and inconstant in his devotion and devote affection unto GOD, may know that he loves him truly: I say, if he love, like a true friend, At all times, 
Pro. 17. 17.  as well when the whether is foul as fair; in winter, as well as in Summer; 
True love is constant.  when the heavens are black, as well as when the Sun doth shine: For only true love is constant, it accounteth nothing hard, nothing grievous, and intolerable. 
Plautus.  Fel. quod amarum est, id m●l faciet: It will make gall, which is bitter to be sweet as honey: Periculis insultat, mortem irridet: si amor est, ●incit omnia: It contemneth dangers, it scorneth death; if it be true love, it overcometh all things, insomuch that though the lover may be killed, yet Inuictiu moritur, ●ee dies unvanquished: as we see in the Martyrs, 
The praise of the Martyrs.  whom neither pleasure, profit, nor promotion, on the one side; nor any torture, or cruel kind of death on the other; could beguile, inveigle, astonish, or deter: But through their love (by Him, that did enable them) they conquered, and contemned all things, stuck fast to God.  
Eighthly, 
8. Note.  the keeping of GOD'S Word (in the mind to remember it, in the heart to believe and embrace it, and in the life to live by it) and a contention of Spirit to obey his Precepts, is an infallible argument of true love unto him. 
1. john. 5. 3.  This is the love of GOD (saith Saint john) that we keep his Commandments: A child by obedience demonstrates his childlike affection unto his parents: He shewe● his love and loyalty to the King, 
No loyalty, no love.  which makes account of his Edicts and Laws: In vain doth a servant say he loves his Master, except he be careful to obey his will. So then, he that lives in any known enormity, and prefers his gain, pleasure, credit, and favour with men to GOD'S Commandments, doth plainly show that he wants the love of GOD: without which his Love, his Baptism, hearing of Sermons, receiving the Communion, and all his fair shows will stand him in no steed, but rather further his condemnation: And one thing more I add; although he do many deeds, 
Good deeds are, without love, of little or no account.  in appearance good, and seem to keep sundry precepts, yet it is not of love unto GOD (without which his doing and keeping shall not be remembered in the world to come) but for some other reason, if he shall in the mean while addict himself unto some one sin, which he knows to be a sin: 
The virtue of true love.  For the power of true love is such, as it will move a man to humour his friend in every lawful and convenient thing: and he gives not his heart, that is disposed to thwart and resist him (especially being his Governor▪) in anything, that's honest, and not unseemly: But GOD is our Supreme Moderator & LORD, and all his Commandments are lawful and good: For his Will is the rule of Law, 
GOD'S Will the Rule of Law.  and reason; and all his Commandments ate according to his will.  
To conclude, 
9 Note of true love.  GOD will be loved in his Church, in his Ministers, in his Children, and finally in that his beloved Son CHRIST JESUS, so as that they, which hate these, love not him.  
First, for the Church, 
GOD is to be loved in his Church.  by which I understand not so much the Catholic Church, (which is the Mother of us all, and which whosoever loveth not as his MOTHER, loveth not GOD as his FATHER, and so will prove himself to be some Bastard-plant) as I mean all True visible Church's, 
Every true visible Church is to be loved. The mark of such a Church.  or Congregations: And such I call True, which GOD hath honoured with True Doctrine; or means sufficient unto salvation, and with such men, as have a True Power, or authority, to Minister, and Dispense the same. Now here, I say, whosoever loveth such a Church, because she is such a Church, whosoever loves her for GOD, and in GOD, without doubt it argues his love to God. 
A Similitude.  He that loves a Ring for the Diamond, ●hat is set in it, or for the workman, that made it, questionless he loves ●he Diamond, and the Workman much more: So certainly, ●ee that loves a Church for the Word and Sacraments, and power ●f GOD, that is in her; and because she is the Church of GOD planted by his gracious blessing, doth much more love GOD: Surely that thing, for which we love an other thing, that we cannot hate, but love.  
On the contrary, if thou shalt hate a true Church of GGD, how dwelleth the love of GOD in thee? Thou wilt say, I know, that i● thou wert assured that she is a true Church, thou wouldest not hate her, but join unto her. 
Mark this well.  I say, again, art thou sure that the Church, which thou hatest, is false? If thou be'st sure of it▪ if thou darest pawn thy soul upon it (but be sure thou be'st sure) then avoid her, depart out of her, give her a Bill of Divorcement, let her go: But if thou be'st not sure, hate her not, sever not thyself from her. Wilt thou hate and leave her most certainly, whiles thou art not certain what to judge of her? Thou dost not see her Truth; but canst thou spy her falsehood? A blind man cannot see the Sun at Noon, but they which ca● see, may see her: But what if a man be so blind, a● that, because he doth not see the Sun himself, therefore he thinketh the Sun is seen of none? And what if thou, with a few more, as blind as thyself, dost hate and forsake a Church, because ye do not see her Truth? I say, what if all her Sister-Churches in Europ●, besides yourselves (which were borne within her jurisdiction for the most) will say she is a true Church of GOD? Whether are they to be believed or ye? Or do ye think that all they are blind, and that ye are the only men, that see?  
Well let us beware, if we think that we love GOD, let us show our love unto him by loving of his Church.  

GOD is to be loved in hi● Minister's.  Secondly, GOD is to be loved in his Minister's, which are called the Men of GOD, a●d Saints, by reason of their holy Office and authority, which GOD hath sanctified and set apart unto himself: And this their Function and Ministry, is not only Sanctified, 
Act. 1●. 1●. 1. T●●. 4 ●6  but Sanctifying, and Saving. Now whosoever doth l●ue these Saints, as Saints, doth love God the Sanctifier of them: He that loves this Office simply, doth love him that hath ordained it: He that loves the man of GOD in this Name, 
A Minister ●s t● be lo●e f●r his 〈◊〉.  doth undoubtedly l●ue G●D the MASTER. He that loves a Minister merely for his Ministry, or as Saint Paul exhorteth, F●r his work sake; 
1. Thess. ● 1●. 〈…〉.  he, no question loveth GOD, whose servant he is, and for whom he worketh. On the contrary, they that love not the Minister for his Office and Labours, but rather malice and molest him, because he P●eacheth the Truth, w●ich they distaste; or confuteth errors, that they foster; or reproveth their sins, which they delight in; as ignorance, pride, drunkenness, profane swearing, violating the Sabbath, contempt of the Ordinances, and Church of GOD: these men without doubt are offended at GOD, and did he come himself in the shape of a Man, they would deal with him, as they deal with his Messengers. But thou wilt say, thou for thy part dost love thy Minister; I ask thee, 
How a man should love his Minister.  Dost thou love him even because he is thy Minister, because he hath authority over thee in GOD, for the benefit of thy soul? If thou dost love him simply in this respect, (but do not delude thyself) surely ●hy case is good, thou lovest GOD; Receiving him, thou receivest GOD: But to love a Minister, for his Parentage, Alliance, Riches, Advancements, and such worldly considerations, is no token of love to GOD, it is not to love the Minister, but some circumstances belonging to him. The love of the man for his Office, or for his careful execution of it, is Divine, a note of love indeed unto GOD: And to contemn, or persecute, him, for his very place and power, or the faithful dischargement of it, is devilish, and argues the love of darkness: He that that hates the servant, how can he love the master? They that hang head, look under the brows, stamp, and storm, at them, that deliver but their masters errand, even for the very doing of it, they do it to the Master, that did appoint and send them: And refusing or disgracing the men, they dishonour their Master.  

Who are GOD'S true Ministers.  But when I say GOD is to be loved in His Ministers, mistake not the men: For those are his True and Faithful Ministers, which are sent by GOD, and who delivers their masters Errand, and not in steed thereof their own errors. For though he should deliver GOD'S Message, and adminster the Sacraments, yet if he have no power, no authority committed unto him by GOD, he runs unsent. And though he have a sending, yet if he do not that Message, which GOD appoint● him, but brings some 
* Such, I mean, as euert● the ground● of Faith, or go●d Manners, and which sets the Church in an uproar.  Novelty, coy●ed in the brain of man, he abuses his power; if he defile, or mangle, the Sacraments, he transcends his bounds, and transgresseth his authority, and therefore is to be reproved, and avoided.  
Thirdly, GOD is to be loved in his Children. 
GOD is to be loved in his people.  All godly men have the Name of GOD called upon them, and a new Nature created in them, and are become holy, through the work of the HOLY SPIRIT in them. Now he that loves a godly man for his godliness, a Saint for his Sanctimony, a new Man, for his new Nature; questionless, the same man loves GOD, who is the Author of it. O● the contrary, if any man say, I l●ue GOD, 
1. john. 4. 20.  and hate his brother, he is a liar, ●or how can he, that loveth not his brother, whom he hath seen, love GOD whom he hath not seen? 
Hatred of godliness is the hatred of God.  He that hates, dislikes, and persecutes his brother for the Truth's sake, for virtues sake, for that new Nature which his FATHER hath created in him, and because he lives not so riotously, as himself, doth hate, dislike, a●● persecute the FATHER Himself. Therefore CHRIST saith: Saul, Saul, 
Acts 9 4.  why persecutest thou me? Whereas not he personally; b●t his Servants and Confessors, were persecuted of him. And if thi● be true, which is most true, That Every one, which loveth him which did beget, 
1. joh. 5. 1.  loveth him also, which is begotten of him: Then certainly he, which hates him, which is begotten, hates him also, which did beget him. Let men therefore take heed; for he that loves GOD, cannot but love a good man for GOD: and he that hates the godly, hates GOD, whose Image he sustains: He that hates true Devotion, true Zeal, and a Sober Conversation in man, will never be able to excuse ●im of ●a●red unto GOD the Worker of them. There is a brood of men (or of devils rather, in the shape of men) such as David speaks of, which are adversaries to their Neighbours. 
Psal. 38. 20.  Because they follow goodness: These are enemies to GOD, whatsoever they think of themselves: Of such the Psalmist speaketh, when he saith; Surely GOD will wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy pate of him, 
Psal. 68 21.  that walketh in his sins: And again, 
Ps. 129. 5. 6.  They that hate Zion shall be all ashamed and turned backward; they shall be as the grass on the house tops, which withereth afore it cometh forth. It were good for them therefore to take up betimes, and to turn their hatred into love.  
There is, I confess, 
Many sorts of love, yet little true charity.  much love in the world, such as it is; Natural love, Civil love, Domestical love, Matrimonial love, Fleshly love, Worldly love, Pot-love, human love, but little godly charity is seen among us: For who loves godliness in a man? Who seeks GOD in his Neighbour, Friend, Child, Servant, Familiar? Who studies and strives, that Religion, justice, and true Christianity should flourish in his Children, Servants, Friends, and Neighbour's? I doubt not but Turks, Moors, 
A Turk may love a Christian, but not his Christianity.  and other Pagans, love Religious and true Christians sometimes, as I am persuaded some of our Merchants, and their Factors are, that live and traffic with them? But love they their Religion, do they lou● them for their Christianity? No, no: they could wish them as superstitious, as themselves: If therefore thou wilt give an infallible demonstration of thy love to GOD, love thy brother for GOD, and in GOD, love his Piety, his Christianity, and pray that the Kingdom of GOD may be planted, and established in him.  

How M●●●st●rs hold show love to God.  And as all me● should show their love unto GOD by loving of his people: so especially the Ministers of GOD; which they shall do by their diligent and faithful feeding of them. Therefore our LORD will have Peter express his love unto him by feeding his Flock: 
joh. 21. 15. 16. 17.  Peter (saith he) lovest thou me? Feed my Lambs, feed my Sheep, Feed my Sheep: Pasce mente, pasce ore, pasce opere, 
Serm. 2. de resur.  pasce animi oratione, verbi abhortatione, exempli exhibitione. Feed them (saith Bernard) with thy mind, Feed them with thy mouth, feed them with thy work, feed them with the prayer of thy heart, with the exhortation of the word, with setting them a good ensample. What other thing (saith Saint August.) is this, 
Aug. in joan. tract. 123.  If thou love me, Feed my sheep, then if it had been said●; If thou love me, do not think to feed thyself, but my Sheep; Fe●d them as mine, not as thine; seek my glory in them, not thine, my Lordship, not thine, my gains, not thine: 
Chrysost. praesat. in Epistolas. What Minister doth truly love God.  Which speech when Saint Paul, (as Chrysostome speaketh) had heard was uttered to Saint Peter, he studied to declare this love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even in the superlative degree: And undoubtedly doubtedly there is no Minister, which doth truly love GOD, but he will be careful to feed the people of GOD, which are the Sheep of His Pasture, 
Psal. 100 3. 1. Pet. 5. 2.  committed to him, and Depending on him. And he, that only looketh after the Fleece, but leaveth his Flock at six and seven, doth bewray his love of the world, but declares no love to God.  

GOD must be loved in CHRIST. joh. 15. 23. john 8. 24.  Finally, GOD will be loved in his Son JESUS CHRIST, the Son of the Virgin Mary: For he that hateth me (saith CHRIST) hateth my FATHER also. Except ye believe that I am HE, ye shall die in your sins. 
See 1. Cor. ●6. 22.  Which shows the fearful estate of unbelieving Turks, jews, and Pagans. And most worthy is he of our love: For he is White and Ruddy, 
Cant. 5. 10. 16.  the chiefest of ten thousand, and wholly delectable. Being GOD he hath married our flesh, He came down from heaven, that we might go up to heaven; He served, to make us free; He became poor, to make us rich; He was made a curse, 
Gal. 3. 13.  that we might be blest; He died, that we might live; He was Crucified, that we might be Crowned: And that our love unto him might appear true, let us try it by these two notes.  
First, 
1. Note of love to CHRIST.  by our care to know and keep his Laws even to the death. For, saith CHRIST, If ye love me, keep my Commandments: 
joh. 14. 15. 22. 23. 24.  He that keeps them loves me, He that loves me not, keepeth not my words. If we break them at our pleasure, and prefer our gain, or gaming, or any thing else to them, truly we love him not: For did we indeed love him, we would be loath to offend him, and would make more estimation of Him and his Word, then of any earthly thing.  
Secondly, 
2. Note of love to CHRIST.  try thy love to CHRIST by thine endeavour to be Like him: For true love causeth imitation. CHRIST was the mirror of Mercy, very Meek, Humble, Patient, and Zealous of GOD'S Glory: He went up and down doing good: He prayed for his persecutors, FATHER fogive them. 
Luk. 23. 34  Canst thou for CHRIST pray for thine enemies? CHRIST forgave thee, 
Co●. 3. 13.  wilt thou for CHRIST forgive him, that wrongs thee, that reviles thee to thy face, that bites thee behind thy back, that scorns thee, hates thee, troubles thee? If thou dost, thou lovest him; but if thy heart be so great, thou wilt not, where is thy love? For understand thus much, where CHRIST is loved, there CHRIST loves, where CHRIST loves there he lives, and where he lives, there the flesh, with the lusts thereof dies; 
joh. 14 21.  so than he that lives out of Charity, in the spirit of rancour, hatred, and revenge, and will not control his corruptions, he is not CHRIST'S, CHRIST lives not in him, he lives not in CHRIST, he loves not CHRIST, he loves not God, but is in the state of death, how well soever he conceiveth of himself: For tell me, dost thou think that CHRIST lives in an heart of Oak, of Adamant? No, no, but in an heart that is humble, meek and loving. And what thankfulness, what love is showed unto CHRIST, when thou wilt not pardon him, 
We ought to forgive one another.  whom CHRIST doth pardon, when thou wilt not forgive him, whom CHRIST hath died for, when thou wilt not vouchsafe him thy pardon, to whom CHRIST hath given himself, when thou, I say, thou wilt not forgive, CHRIST having forgiven thee, and having given Himself unto thee, yea and thyself unto thyself, for by thy sins thou hadst lost thyself: Certainly therefore thou must forgive for CHRIST, or else (believe it) thou dost not love CHRIST.  
Let v● therefore deal truly with ourselves, examining our hearts and practices by the forenamed notes, and we shall easily see whether the love of GOD, and of his Son CHRIST JESUS be in us; or whether the love of the world, and of ourselves, bear sway with in us. And so much concerning the Love of GOD, to which we are exhorted.  

The reasons of the exhortation.  The reasons, which the Psalmist useth to persuade us to this duty, follow: One is drawn from the Loving and courteous dealing of GOD with them, that are faithful in their love and service to him; the other is taken from the severity of his justice against those, that out of pride and obstinacy cast of his yoke, and care not for to love and serve him.  

1. Reason.  The former is set forth in these words. The LORD preserveth the faithful: 
A man i● said to be faithful in two respects.  A man may be said to be faithful in a double sense: First he, that believeth in GOD, and gives credit to his Word, is a faithful man; and to this Faith, diffidence, and incredulity is opposed; and by this kind of faith a man lays hold upon the mercy of GOD in CHRIST for his justification. Secondly, he that may be believed for his truth, he that is just and true in his words and dealings, is a faithful man: For faith (Fides) is of, fio, to be done: Fac quod dicis, & fides est, do what thou sayst, and it is Faith, saith Saint Austen. Then (saith Gregory) are we truly faithful, if what we promise in word, we perform in deed. To this kind of faith, treachery, falsehood, and hypocrisy is opposed: So that he that doth truly love GOD, and is a faithful keeper of his Doctrine, and forgets not his promise to him in his Baptisms, but is careful and studious to perform it, 
Neh. 9 8.  he may be said to be a faithful man. Such a faithful man was Caleb, 
Num. 14. 22 24.  Who followed GOD still, and had another Spirit, than those tempting and disobedient Israelites had, which were not suffered to enter into Canaan. Such a faithful man was Moses, 
Heb. 3. 5.  who was faithful in GOD'S House: Such a one was David, of whom GOD spoke saying; 
Act. 13. 22.  I have found David the son of jesse, a man after mine own heart, which will do all things that I will: Such were Zacharias and Elizabeth, 
Luke 1. 6.  that walked in all the Commandments, and Ordinances of GOD, without reproof: Finally, such were all the Martyrs of CHRIST, who rather than they would betray his truth, and make shipwreck of their faith and conscience, endured all manner of torments, and refused no kind of death which was devised for them.  
Now those that are thus faithful, GOD doth preserve them, saith David: Sometimes he preserves them by vouchsafing them deliverance from dangers (as in his Wisdom he sees convenient) whiles they live here: 
2. Chron. 16. 8. 9  as he preserved Noah in the Flood, Let out of Sodom, David in many dangers, Daniel among the Lions, the three Confessors in the fire; our Religious King, with many others, 
N●●●. 5. 16 ●5.  from that infernal Powder-plot, of the Papists; and infinite are his savours of this kind. But further, he preserveth the saithful as concerning their souls, and the spiritual and eternal happiness of both body and soul: 
Isa. 49. 16.  For he hath engraven them upon the palms of his hands. 
jer. 32. 40.  He will Never turn away from them, to do them good, but guards them by his power through faith (as Saint Peter teacheth) unto salvation, 
1. Pet. 1. 5. 9  that in the end they shall attain to the end of their faith, the felicity of their souls without end.  
This should stir us up to love this good GOD, and to show ourselves faithful to him in our service; 
Reu. 2. 20.  the Crown of life is promised to the faithful, we desire faith of GOD, and exact it of others, let us then be faithful ourselves. 
5. Notes of faithfulness.  This faithfulness may be demonstrated five ways.  
First, 
1. Note.  by being careful to know the will of our Master, and diligent to keep all his Precepts: For if we will not endeavour to please him in all things, 
Mark. 6. 20  but will be Licentious Libertines in some things, we are very Herod's, hypocrites and disloyal, our hearts are not upright with Him, but do go an whoring after our own desires: He is no faithful servant, which will do but what he list himself.  

2. Note.  Secondly, faithfulness is seen in trouble: 
Pro. 24. 10.  If thou be faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. A friend that forsakes in affliction, was no friend, but of himself: So he that shall forsake GOD, deny his Truth, embrace errors, by reason of persecution, doth betray GOD to his power, and shows a false and unfaithful spirit hath possessed him. 
Seneca.  Fidem nemo unquam perdit, nisi qui non habet: No man ever looseth faith, but he that hath it not: For Faith (if it be not feigned) is very valorous and trusty: 
Ci●. l. 2. Rhet.  Nulla necessitate ad fallendum cogitur, nullo corrumpitur pramio: It is compelled to falsehood by no necessity, it is corrupted by no reward; Vre, coede, occide; Burn, beat, kill, do what you will, it will not perish: It is like Camomile, which being trodden upon smells, the better: or like the Chrysoprasus, which (as Zanchy writeth) shines more clearly in the dark, 
Lib. 3. de Met. ter. c. 6. 3. Note.  then in the light.  
Thirdly, a faithful servant will delight to save his masters gain, and is glad to see his masters customers increase; even so he, that is faithful-hearted towards GOD, will rejoice to see his Kingdom flourish, his Word received, his Laws observed, 
Isai. 55. 1.  his graces esteemed, and his Customers or Chapmen, that come to buy them of him, multiplied.  
Fourthly, 
4. Note.  if a Master shall allow his servant time to dispatch all his own businesses, but withal appoint him a certain time to do him service in: if this servant shall not only spend his own time (allotted him by his Master) as he list himself, but will also misspend that time, which his Master commands him to spend for him, misspend it (I say) in idleness, lewdness, gaming, wickedness or otherwise upon himself, and not upon his master, this servant is unfaithful to his master, and (as I thi●k●) if he will not break this c●stome, his master will not keep him, but turn him packing. So are t●ose unfaithful unto God, that profane his holy Sabbath, 
Mark this we●l. Of profaning the Saboth day.  which he hath sanctified for himself, by their merchandising, gadding, gaming, rioting, and such profane behaviour. And I fear, tha● if th●y will not mend these manners: S●d vox faucib ●● h●r●t On the contrary, they that are careful to spend their masters time in their masters worship, as in prayer, reading, hearing, meditation, singing of Psalms, doing the works of mercy, and the like, these show themselves faithful to him: and as they are careful to keep his Sabbath on earth before him, so shall they certainly celebrate an everlasting Sabbath in heaven with him.  

5. Note.  Finally, a servant is not therefore to be counted faithful, because he is entertained in his masters house, and wears his cloth, and eats his meat, and hears him speak: For say he be not afraid to displease him, suppose he shall corrupt an● pervert the minds of any of his fellows, and bring them to be stout and saucy, or lazy and untrue; and imagine he doth secretly conspire with his masters foes, and do service underhand, or openly for them, will ye say that this is a faithful servant, or rather a Falshearted and wicked Knave? So, even so a man is not presently to be counted faithful and true to God, because he is admitted into his Ho●se, which is the Church, because he is baptised, 
1. Tim. 3. 15.  which is his livery, because he is called or reputed his servant, because he receives the Sacrament, which is (as it were) his bread, because he hears his master speak unto him in his Ministers. For we may say of a Christian as Saint Paul saith of a jew, and of Baptism, as he speaks of Circumcision. All they are not Israel, 
Rom. 9 6 7  which are of Israel: neither are they all Children, because they are the seed of Abraham. He is not a jew which is one outward; neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the Flesh: 
Rom. 2. 2●. 29.  but he is ●lew, that is one within, and the circumcision is of the Heart, in the Spirit, not in the Letter, whose praise is not of Men, but of God. So we may say, every man is not faithful unto God, that is counted or called Godly, but he that proves his heart and practices unto God. He is not faithful, that is come of faithful parents, unless he partake with them in their faith, as well as in their flesh. A man is not indeed a Christian, 
Who is a true Christian.  because he is so named, or reputed, except he be flesh of Christ's flesh, and bone of his bone, except he be anointed with the Oil of gladness, and have the Spirit of Christ to rule him. Neither is that Baptism which stands in water only, 
What true Baptism is.  (Flumine, non Flamine:) For true Baptism is to be baptised with the Holy Ghost and Water, with the blood of Christ as well as with water. Neither hath he any benefit by the Sacrament, that doth not receive (Panem Dominum) the Lord, who is the bread and staff of our souls, as well as (Panem Domini) the bread of the Lord, which the Lords Steward doth dispense unto us. Those therefore, that fear not God's displeasure, that would seduce his servants from their allegiance to him, that are at a league (as it were) with sin, and conspire with Satan, and do him service, all these whatsoever, notwithstanding their place in the Church, their hearing of Sermons, their coming to Church, and receiving of Sacraments; and albeit they be called Christians, and called godly, the truth is, they are not faithful unto God, but falsehearted wretches. On the contrary, those are truly faithful which truly fear God, 
Who truly faithful.  which counsel and encourage their fellows to be faithful to him, and which do truly hate Sin, Satan, and the World, and are at no league or covenant with them, but keep continual watch and ward over their hearts, lest they should be surprised and drawn away.  
And thus we have seen the first reason that David useth to move us to the love of God, because he preserves them that are faithful to him: and therefore if we desire his preservation, or if we will show ourselves thankful to him for preserving us, or if we do take delight in that his so sweet & good disposition, who is by nature provident over, and careful for those that love him, and are faithful to him, it behoves us much to love him: and let us be assured, that except we love him truly, we do not truly love ourselves; but certainly we do clean forget ourselves, if we forget to perform this duty to him: yea, we have lost ourselves, unless we have him to live in our hearts by love. 
●●e praise o● L●ue.  O Love! what shall I speak i● thy commendation? magna's, & pr●uales, thou art great in power, 
Can. 8. 6 ●  and prevailest. Thou art str●ng as Death, powerful as the grave, thy coals are fiery▪ thy flames violent, the waters cannot quench thee, the floods cannot drown thee, thou dost subdue mine understanding for God, thou bringest mine ambitious and unruly conceits into bondage under Christ, thou leadest me Captive, yea thou kill'st me, that he may live within me. 
Love a fire  Thou art a Fire to purify my mind from dross by meditation on him. 
A Light.  Thou art a Light to comfort and enlighten my soul with those lovely virtues that wait upon thee. 
honey.  Thou art Honey to sweeten my soul with the feeling of God's favour, and to make sweet unto my soul, those ordinances of life and godliness which he hath erected in his house. 
And Wine  Thou art Wine to make my soul glad by enjoying my God, my Saviour, whose goodness is equal to his greatness, both of them infinite and unmatchable. If I lose thee, I lose myself, my soul, my Saviour. If thou live in me▪ I live myself, nay I die, but God my Lord and Saviour doth live within me.  
And this is the Psalmists first reason to incite us to the love of God. The second is taken from his severe judgements against the Proud, 
The se●ond reason of the exhortation.  which will not stoop to God and his Law, but are disobedient to him, and by their pride and insolency trouble and misufe other men better than themselves. The Psalmist saith; God Rewardeth abundantly the proud doer: that is, he punisheth him for his pride with manifold and grievous puishments.  
Pride (which is hateful before God and Man, 
Ecclus. 10. 7. What pride is.  as Syracides speaketh) is a certain vice, or swelling of the heart, whereby we count ourselves worthy of more honour and dignity then there is reason, by reason of an overweening opinion of ourselves, imagining that we have those good things which we have not indeed, or that we have them in greater measure than we have.  
Now a man may show pride either against God, or against man.  

Pride is against God and man..  Against God, pride is showed many ways, some whereof I will declare, that the madness of men may appear unto you. As first, 
1. Note of pride against God  when a man imagines himself to be God, and would be so conceited of men, as Caligula, who (being an open mocker of all religion) at length fell to think there was no other God than himself. Secondly, 
2. Note.  when men imagine, that what they have, they have it of themselves, or that, if God give them any thing, it is for their deserts. Thirdly, 
3. Note.  when men in their hearts say: He shall not reign over us, who shall control us? and so contemn the ordinances of God, his Word, his Sacraments, his Ministers, their Work. their power. Fourthly, 
4. Note.  when a wan shall think he is perfect, breaks not the Law, and is able to do good deeds, whereby he shall merit everlasting life for the worthiness of them. Fiftly, 
5. Note.  when men imagine they can do good works by their own strength: or when in heart they say, we will do this and this, who shall let us? we will go thither, or thither, who shall hinder? Sixthly, 
6. Note.  when men will disobey the will of God under pretence of humility, 
Thou art unworthy to pray to God, but God is worthy to whom thou shouldst obey. Psal. 50. 15 Mat. 11. 2● 7. Note.  as they that plead for their prayers to the Saints in heaven, because they say, it is a point of humility, to come to so great a King by such means: whereas God saith: Call upon me in the time of trouble. And Christ accordingly, Come unto me ye that are heavy lad●n, and I will ease you. Lastly, when men will murmur against God, and are angry with him when he doth afflict them.  

Of pride against man..  Pride against Man discovers itself many ways: for the proud person envies the good of another, as if he deemed himself either only worthy, 
When men make great outward shows, & brave it in cost●y apparel, of purpose to be counted better men than they are, it is very pride. So painting of the face to be thought a beautiful creature, not being so, is very pride.  or else the greatness of others to hinder his. He will acknowledge no superior, nor equal by his good will, as Agamemnen and Pomp●y, he useth his equals as inferiors, his inferiors as servants, his servants as beasts: he thunders, lightens, cracks, threatens, his words are great, his looks big, he is mad if he be not applauded: and as for humling himself to any man sincerely, he knows not how: if he give back, it is but to fetch a better leap: if he stoop a little, it is but to vaunt and climb the higher. If he be below, he will not patiently tarry till one come and bid him sit up higher; but he will work by indirect courses, as by bribes, or slanders, or (it may be) poisons; nothing being so horrible in his eye, as a mean or low degree. And when he is climbed up, he plucks up the ladder after him, if he can, that no man shall come up after, or but such as he pleaseth.  
To these proud and haughty persons God opposeth himself, these he resisteth, 
1. Pet. 5. 5.  these he throweth from their pinnacles, and tumbles down headlong, shakes with his whirlwinds, strikes with his lightnings, beats with his thunderclaps, turns up their roots, and punisheth them (when he pleaseth) very severely, openly, and (as David saith here)▪ Abundantly. But let us see some judgements of God upon the Proud.  

2. Pet. 2. 4. Jude 6. Gen. 3. 5. 6.  The wicked Angels for their pride were banished out of heaven, and are under wrath. When our first Parents would have been checkmate with God by pride, they brought a downfall of themselves and children. 
Gen. 11. 4. 9  The builders of Babel for their pride were scattered, and their tongues confounded. Haman by pride broke his neck. 
1. Sam. 17 10. 45. 50. 51.  God overthrew that vaunting Giant Goliath by David, then when he was in the top of his jollity. God threatened to visit the fruit of the proud heart of the King of Ashur, Senacherib, and his glorious and proud looks, 
Isaiah. 10. 12. 13.  because he said: By the power of mine own hand have I done it, and by my wisdom, because I am wise: and so he did, for by his Angel he killed in one night, an hundred fourscore and five thousand of his Army, 
Isaiah. 37. 36 38.  gathered against Hezekiah, and not long after his own sons, Adramelek, and Sharezer slew him as he was in his Idols Temple worshipping of Nisrech his God. 
Dan. 4. 27. 28. 30. 31. 34.  Proud Nabuchadnezzar for his pride was banished the company of men, and deprived of his kingdom: and after, coming to better sense, he could praise God, and say, That those which walk is pride he is able to abase. Proud and bragging H●lofernes by judith lost his head: 
judith. 6. 2 4. & 13. 8. 2. Mac. 1. 15. 16.  so likewise was that wicked and insolent Antiochus met withal, as he had deserved, his head being first well battered with stones, and afterwards cut off. The judgements of God upon Pharaoh for exalting himself against God, and in his people, were many, and famous. 
Nat. Comes Myth. l. 9 c. 25.  Timotheus the Ateenian never prospered in any enterprise, after he had in his account given to the state, often intermingled this speech; And in this fortune had no part; so disclaiming God's providence, and sacrificing to his own nets. Apryes a king of Egypt, 
Guid. Iwenan Ter. Eun.  which gloried that neither God nor Man could put him by his kingdom, was afterward strangled. Caphaneus, when he had said, that he would overthrow Thebes, invito Deo, whether God would or no, was struck with lightning. Ajax said, that Cowards could win with the help of God: But I (saith he) will win this glory without God: not long after God punished him by permitting him to kill himself with a sword, which he had received of Hector. Herod Agrippa for not giving glory unto God, when the people madly flatter him in their acclamation, 
Act. 12. 22. 24.  The voice of God, and not of Man, was suddenly smitten by God's Angel, and eaten of worms, and so ended his life. Simon Magus also to nuzzle the people in their foolish opinion of him, 
joseph. Antiq. lib. 19 ●. 17.  who for his wonders thought him to be a God, boasted that he would fly into Heaven: and as he was in his flight, Saint Peter commanded the wicked spirit, by whose help he slew, to throw him down, so that he fell, and was bruised to death. Alexander the great was also sick of this disease: for he practised with the Priests at the Oracle of Hammon to be pronounced the Son of I●piter: but not long after he was wounded in India, which made him confess he felt the infirmities of a man, and a little after being returned to Babylon, as he was there in all his pomp and jollity, he was poisoned in a banquet after supper, and so died. Emp●docles desirous to be counted an immortal God, threw himself into Aetna, where he perished. Domitian likewise was so blinded with pride, that he would be called a God, and worshipped: but how did God reward him? He was slain of his servants with daggers, by his wives consent, in his privy chamber: his body was buried without honour, his memory cursed, and his trophies defaced. Demetrius, Alexander's successor, was by the foolish Athenians entitled a Saving God, and had a Priest to do Sacrifice unto him, which honour he liked well of: but how did God like of it? He spoiled a number of his ships with his wind●s, he overthrew him in battle by Saleuchus, and after this suffered him to stuff himself so full with victuals, that he burst in sunder. To all these we may add those, that have by their devices counterfeited lightnings and thunders, that they might be feared as Gods, as did Alladius, 
Dio●●s. Hal●a●●. 1. Antiq. R●m. Dio●. l●b. 4.  a king of the Latins before Romul●s, and a certain king of Elide: both which were notably punished for their insolency by that God into whose th●one they would have advanced themselves. For Alladius had his house fired with true lightning, and overthrown with a tempest of rain, together with the overflowing of a pond hard by it: so that he perished by fire and water, being both burnt and drowned all at once. The other was destroyed with a thunderbolt from heaven, and so suffered a just punishment of his wicked pride. Histories furthermore report, how Queen Venda, daughter to Gracus the famous King of Poland, 
H●●●. H●●. Pol●. lib. 1. c. ●.  out of her proud & stately nature, refused to be joined in marriage with any; and at length, lest her fortunate government should be disgraced by some unlucky mishap, and so her pride eclipsed, to prevent this fear, desperately cast herself from an high bridge into the River Vistula, and so suffered the punishment of her proud and stately mind, 
I●s●p●. de ●●l jadd. 1. ●. 12. 13.  by a shameful and base death. When jerusalem was taken by Herod and Sosius there was a jew, that had hid himself in a Cave with his wife and seven children; to whom Herod offered both life and liberty, if he would come forth: But he, out of the pride and wilfulness of his spirit refusing this offer, first threw down his children from an high Rock, and broke their necks, than flung his wife after them, and lastly cast himself after them; a fearful spectacle of a proud and obstinate spirit. And▪ 
Many ways GOD punisheth the proud.  many ways doth the LORD meet with the pride of men; sometimes giving them up to hardness and impenitency of heart; sometimes bringing them into disgrace and open shame, and opprobry; sometimes suffering them to fall into other sins, whereby the laws of men take hold of them, either to deprive them of their lives, or of their places, offices, and honours: One way or other he doth usually punish them, even i● this life, to say nothing of those punishments of the life to come. And his mildest and most merciful corrections of them are, 
The milder kind● of GOD'S judgements upon the proud are two.  when either by cutting their combs, and abasing them by some notable affliction, he teacheth them by his grace to confess their pride, and to see their weakness; or when he suffers them to fall into some grievous sin, at which by his grace, he makes them to blush, and moves them to distaste their proud opinions of their own strength, and to seek in all humbleness of heart for his assistance and protection. By the former mean he schooled Nabuchadnezzar: 
Dan. 4. 34  and by the latter Saint Peter, who by his fall did learn ever after, not to vaunt, or build, upon his own strength, but to depend upon the grace and aid of God.  
Now the consideration of these things teacheth us these two duties. First to detest, eschew, and abandon pride; 
Osorius de Reg. Instit. l. 5 fol. 151.  Then which nothing is more foolish, more base, more inhuman, more impious.  
For what can be more foolish, 
The folly of pride.  than not to see how frail, and brittle, all the things of the world are, how soon all things are changed, and by what sudden, and grievous chances men are deprived of their riches, glory, greatness, and life itself?  
What can be more base and abject then to have the mind pinned and nailed to the ground, 
The baseness of pride.  and not to look on heavenly things and eternal, but earthly and momentany, and to be puffed up with wealth and honours, mortal and vain things, that delight to flit, and change their Masters?  
What more inhuman and less beseeming the state of man, 
The inhumanity of pride.  then to contemn and scorn others, and esteem all as Ciphers in comparison of themselves?  

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

The injustice of pride.  Again, what more injust than pride? For a proud man ascribes more to himself then is due, and takes that from others, which is due unto them.  
What more contentious than pride? 
P●o. 13. ●●. Pride the mother of contentions.  Therefore Solomon saith, Only by pride doth man make contention. Pride hath ever been a setter on foot of all heresies and schisms, that ever were in the Church; and is a notorious makebate in commonwealths, Kingdoms, Cities, and private houses. Harder it is for a man to keep peace with the proud, then with any; and impossible it is for one proud person to agree sincerely with an other, except peradventure in such a case as this, when as one, out of his pride, will endure no man to be above him, and another being proud of humility, or humiliation rather, will not like that any should be under him: These two perhaps may live friendly together, being though both proud, yet in a different respect.  
Finally, 
The ugliness of pride.  what can be more misshaped and ugly than this vice of pride, which makes a man unlike to GOD (whom to be like is man's greatest Honour) and like to the devil, who is the father of pride, and by pride overthrew himself? What more certain sign and effectual worker of any man's overthrow, than pride? 
Pro. 16. 18.  Pride goeth before destruction (saith Solomon) and an high mind before a fall. What more hateful and wasteful enemy to all virtues and all good things, a man hath then pride? By p●ide a man is spoiled of them all: 
A Simile.  Therefore as men take heed of thieves, that rob and spoil, so and much more should we beware of pride (Quae insidiatur bonis operibus, 
August.  ut pereant) which mars all good things, and turns them up side down. 
Pride a waster.  If an humble man be proud of his humility, he hath lost of his humble mind, and is become puffed with pride: If a man be proud of his beauty, he hath lost his true beauty, and is a beautiful fool. If a man be proud of his wisdom, he is become a fool; if he be proud of his wit, an Ass hath it in keeping; if he be proud of his poverty, he is rich in pride; if he be proud of his riches, he is poor in piety. Now what a woeful and odious sin is pride, which is not only evil in itself, but it turns the nature of good things, as (they say) thunder doth good drink, 
A Simile.  and as venomous beasts turn, whatsoever they eat into venom; so pride makes the proud man, turn all his thoughts, words, and works into pride, whiles he draweth and referreth every thing to his own praise and honour. Thus pride becomes like a moth, or worm, 
Pride a moth.  which frets the cloth, and eats the wood, wherein it was bred. For pride springing of virtue corrupts it, and there is no good thing so excellent, which becomes not evil, so soon as this wicked vice hath tainted it.  
It behoves us therefore to fly this wretched vice, 
The way to withstand pride.  which we cannot, unless we submit ourselves to GOD and his Ordinances, unless we confess him to be the Free-giver of all good things we have; unless we cut off that error of conceit, whereby we think better of ourselves, than there is reason; unless we seek to GOD for his help; and finally, unless we remember that GOD resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble, 
jam. 4. 6.  
Hugo lib. 1. de anima.  and that Pride (as one prettely speaketh) was bred in heaven, but having (as it were) forgotten which way it fell from thence, it could never afterward find the way thither back again,  
Secondly, the consideration of God's judgements upon the Proud should teach us (as David would have it) to love the LORD who, hates and punishes that sin abundantly, that is, or aught to be so odious to us. Seeing therefore GOD takes part with us against the proud, and by hating them shows the goodness of his own Nature, and in that he plagues them, being ever the bitterest enemies to his truest friends, it behoves us, and the rest of all GOD'S Saints to delight in GOD and love him, 
He that loves GOD, loves himself.  and in love to submit ourselves unto him. If we love not him, we do not love ourselves; but if we love him truly, we do truly love ourselves, and we are, (not in our own opinion only, but) truly beloved of Him; which is infinitely much more worth, then if all the world besides him did affect us. Neither need we care how ill the world thinks of us, if he think well of us; 
A Simile.  as a sober and chaste woman cares not how other men are conceited of her, so be it her husband like well of her, and truly love her: or as a loyal subject, who makes more reckoning of his sovereigns' love, then of the friendship of all the traitors in the world. Now the God of love work and confirm this love within our hearts, that we may live and die in his love, and at length obtain a full and final fruition of him, whom we do love, receiving the reward of our love, the everlasting life and happiness of our souls, and that by the merits of that his beloved Son, jesus Christ our Saviour, to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost, three persons, but one everliving & Euerloving God, be all love, and honour, all praise and power, now, and evermore. Amen.  
FINIS.   

ERRATA.  
PAge 25. l. 2. read commination. l. 3. read streaming. P. 39 l. 11. read Lafford. and whence. p. 58. and last line, read, if all.