THEOPHILUS, OR LOVE DIVINE. A TREATISE CONTAINING FIVE DEGREES, FIVE MARKS, FIVE AIDES, OF THE LOVE OF God. Translated by Richard Goring, out of the third French edition: renewed, corrected and augmented by the author M. Peter Moulin, Preacher to the reformed Church of Paris. LONDON, Printed for Samuel Macham, and are to be sold at his shop in Paul's churchyard, at the sign of the Bulhead. 1610. To my Worshipful good Friend M. George Hakewill, Bachelor of Divinity, and Fellow of Exeter College in Oxford. SIR, when you first wished me to read this Discourse, (commending it as a work, no less scholarlike then religious) I was thinking how I might some way requite with somewhat more than verbal thankfulness, your kind favours & good wishes towards me. But having perused the same, I thought I could not better employ my time of small employment, then to translate the same, as being a subject fit for all men seriously to meditate upon, supplying with my willing but poor endeavour, that which you could have better polished; and I dare say willingly would, by reason of your familiar acquaintance with the Author, if your leisure might have served you to have taken it in hand yourself. Therefore as you commended it unto me, for a piece neatly and eloquently done in the original: so surely it did ravish me in the reading, as being a most worthy theme; and hath emboldened me to recommend it back again unto you, thus homely appareled in our mother tongue; in which it can lose but little grace, being in itself so gracious as it is. Suffer it therefore I pray you (if it be not too full of defects) to pass under your name, who best deserve herein, if ought there be deserving. For mine own part, I will only say, I have strived to show some part of the pains, I would gladly take to do you any pleasing service in requital of your many favours; which I will pray you still to continue, as I will always endeavour to be thankful, and constantly rest Your very affectionate and much bounden Rich. Goring. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY Lady Anne D' Allegre, wife unto the high and mighty Lord Monsieur de Fervaques, Martial of France, and the King's Lieutenant in Normandy. Madam: The Apostle unto the Hebrews teacheth us, that within the Ark of the covenant there was a cruse full of Manna and Aaron's rod. Heb. 9 4. God thereby instructing us, that he hath not only a care of the nourishing of our souls, but to correct us for our sins also: and that he hath given us together with the bread of his word, his rod of afflictions. The one nourisheth us, the other exerciseth us: the one instructeth us, the other reformeth us: the one teacheth us to do the will of God, the other maketh us to renounce our own: both equally effects of his love. For God humbleth us by afflictions, and pricketh the swelling of our pride. He cutteth & loppeth us, to the end we may bring forth the more fruit. He filleth us with bitterness in this life, to the end we might long for the life to come. For those whom God afflicteth grievously in this world, leave it with less grief. And indeed if the children of Israel, being come out of Egypt, after having endured there so many afflictions, did notwithstanding grieve, and oftentimes mutined to return thither again: how much more had they grieved if they had suffered nothing? Add hereunto, that God who hath form us to fear him, knoweth that our prayers are slack and cold in prosperity, as proceeding from a spirit that is cooled by success, and which are indited by custom. The cries which our own will produceth are feeble, in comparison of those which grief expresseth. There is nothing so strong as necessity: nothing so ingenious to pray well as sorrow, which in an instant formeth the slowest tongues to a holy eloquence, and furnisheth us with sighs which cannot be expressed. It is not then in anger that God afflicteth us; but because that sin is a kind of falling sickness, God striketh and afflicteth us to awaken us. His beat are fatherly corrections: if he used us otherwise, we should not be his children. For if a man seeing two children a fight, do chastise one for the same, without touching the other; the standers by, without further knowing him, presume that it is his father: so God correcteth as his children those which he embraceth with a fatherly love. 1. Pet. 4. 17. He beginneth his chastisings at his own house. Now if jesus Christ (as saith the Apostle) hath learned obedience by the things which he hath suffered, Heb. 5. 8. although he were the Son: how much more ought we to bow down our necks unto God's corrections, & humble ourselves in his presence, rather than to kick against the prick, or to make the afflictions which are bitter enough of themselves, to be yet more bitter by impatience? None can make a white hair become black with all his care: but well may he make his black hair become white through his unprofitable discontent. It is ever better to follow, then to be dragged on, above all when God conducteth us: for if the way through which he leadeth us be thorny, yet is it strait. Now when I cast mine eye upon all the remedies of afflictions, I find there are three things which may assuage grief; time, reason, and the fear of God. For length of time mitigateth sorrow, and closeth up the wound, yea even in the weakest spirits, and most uncapable of consolation: but reason esteemeth this remedy too long, and unworthy of a courageous man; for weariness of weeping is a poor remedy. The fear of God doth more: for as to appease grief, reason stayeth not for time, so the fear of God stayeth not for reason; but before that reason can bring in her consolations drawn from the inevitable necessity of evils, or from the unprofitableness of tears, that resolveth promptly upon the love of God, who chastiseth us for our good: so as in steed of casting forth complaints, it findeth out occasion of thanksgiving, and formeth not only unto patience, but also unto joy, as acknowledging amongst his afflictions certain signs of God's love. These documents Madam, are so much the more familiar unto you, as you have had often experience of them, and who being past her apprenticeship in afflictions, have carefully sought out the lenitives which Gods word doth furnish us withal: which, besides that sobriety and modesty which shineth in you, and hath altogether estranged you from the vanity which now a days reigneth in the world, have taught you to solace yourself with God. But take heed also lest you suffer yourself to be overwhelmed with sorrow, and make piety the nurse of discontent. Inueterat griefs do often turn into habit, and old wounds become fresh with too much handling; which me thinks is above all very unfitting your nature, whose meekness and gentleness so pleasing unto all, is much more at accord with joy. Shall it be said, that the great vivacity of spirit which God hath given you, serveth you but to feel grief more sensibly? or that God hath made you great, that your tears might have the greater fall? Time which easeth the most ignorant people of their evils, cannot it finish the sighs of a person whom God hath so much enriched with his knowledge? Shall it not be better to joy in future good things, which are great and certain, then to afflict ourselves for evils passed, which are remediless? Herein surely God is offended, if in worldly crosses we find more occasion of grief, than matter of joy in heavenvly riches. And wrongfully do we complain of our afflictions; seeing we hurt ourselves, we do underhand as it were confess, that God hath not afflicted us enough. The Psalmist saith indeed, that God putteth up our tears into his bottles, as precious things: but he speaketh of tears bred of repentance, or of grief, to see God blasphemed and despised amongst men. For God gathereth not up obstinate tears, which extending themselves beyond their limits, occupy the time due to consolation. How many times (giving yourself to reading) have you bedewed the holy scripture with your tears, and yet this book containeth the matter of our joy? And in the book of Psalms, the tunes whereof you love, and yet much more the matter, where you see your own picture, and the anatomy of your inward affections: Have you not observed that all the Psalms which have their beginnings troubled, and whose first lines contain nothing but profound sighs and broken complaints, do end in delight, and terms which witness contentment and peace of conscience? Let your tears Madam, be form upon this example, and let them end in spiritual joy. Let your faith raise herself from under her burden, and let the sluices of afflictions, which God hath stopped her course withal, make her to run forth with the greater impetuousness: let her take strength from resistance. Hereunto the meditation of God's graces will much serve you: the which if you counterbalance with your evils, they will mightily weigh them down. The only attention of future glory, which you apprehend by faith, can it not digest all bitterness? That faith which filled the Martyrs with joy in the midst of their present torments, may she not in our rest comfort us against the memory of passed evils. And you who acknowledge what servitude those people live in, which are dragged into perdition by the invisible chains of opinion and custom: can you sufficiently magnify the grace which God hath given you, in honouring you with his alliance; and enlightening you with his truth? Yea, and in your life time, how many of God's assistances, how many difficulties happily overgone? God having given you the grace to be alone in your family an example of constancy and holy perseverance in the profession of his truth, having made you great, that in the contradiction of the world, you might be an example of firmness and constancy. And yet admit your wounds were more grievous, as taking all at the worst, our lives being so short, they cannot long last: for you are not troubled to seek consolations against death, seeing that death itself is a consolation unto us. For God if he receive the sighs which we power forth in our prayers, much more regardeth he the sighs which our souls give up unto him in our deaths. Which being a place of shelter, and which putteth our souls into security, we ought not only look for his coming, but even go forth to meet him: hastening his coming by our desires, by the example of S. Paul, Phil. 1. 23. who saith, that his desire tendeth to dislodge, and be with Christ. And to say with David: Psal. 42. 2. O when shall I present myself before God's face? For our souls being bound unto our bodies by two bonds, whereof the one is natural, and the other voluntary: if through hatred and contempt of life present, we untie the voluntary bond, waiting the time when God shall break the natural, death then coming shall find the business begun, and our souls prepared to this dissolution. These cogitations Madam, and such like, have hitherto given you consolation: the which although you be sufficiently provided of, and have always ready, many spiritual remedies, yet you borrow from other the receipts; and have thought that I could contribute something to your consolation. And to this effect having heard talk of some of my Sermons upon the Love of God, you would needs make use of the power you have over me, demanding them of me in writing; knowing well, that of the discontentments of this life, there is no such gentle removal as the love of God, or more stronger remedy than that he loveth us. Herefrom I drew back a long time, partly through idleness accompanied with some other distractions: partly through fear, apprehending your judgement, which far surpassing ordinary spirits, feedeth itself not upon vulgar meats. At length, after long delay, being not any longer able to strive against your instant requests, which are unto me as so many commandments, I have let this discourse come forth in public, under the protection of your name, to the end that the imperfections thereof may likewise be imputed unto you, and that you might bear also a part of the blame, for having assisted at the birth of that which ought not to have seen the light: but I shall be easily excused, as having obeyed you. For honour shall it ever be unto me, to execute your commandments, and to employ myself to do you most humble service, as being your Most humble and most obedient servant Peter du Moulin. A Table of the Chapters, and principal points contained in this Treatise of the Love of God. OF true and false love. Chap. 1. fol. 1. Five degrees of the love of God. Chap. 2. fol. 24. 1. Degree to love God, because of the good he doth us, and which we hope to receive of him. fol. 28. 2. To love God for his own sake, because he is sovereignly excellent, and chiefly to be beloved. fol. 45. 3. Not only to love God above all things, and more than ourselves: but also not to love any thing in this world but for his sake. Fol. 67. 4. To hate ourselves for the love of God. Fol. 79. 5. Is the love wherewith we shall love God in the life to come. Fol. 94. Of the marks and effects of the love of God. Cham 3. Fol. 102. 1. Mark is, that it extinguisheth all voluptuous love. Fol. 105. 2. That it is the peace and tranquillity of the soul. Fol. 122. 3. That it is charity to our neighbours. Fol. 136. 4. And the pleasure to communicate often with God. Fol. 153. 5. It is the zeal of the glory of God. Fol. 184. Five means or aids to inflame us in this love of God. Chap. 4. Fol. 202. 1. Means is the image of vices. Fol. 206. 2. The choice of friends. Fol. 215. 3. The hatred of the world Fol. 226. 4. Prayer. Fol. 238. 5. The hearing and reading of the word of God. Fol. 254. CHAP. I. Of true and false love. Love is that point of our spirits, whereby she joineth herself unto objects. That which is weight in heavy things, Love is the very same in our souls. For as weight moveth earthly bodies towards the place of their rest, so love moveth our souls towards that object which promiseth rest & contentment. Whereupon it followeth, that as heavy things do move in a direct line towards the place of their rest; so if we will attain unto any perfect repose, our love must go right, and have an equal motion. 1 True love than is that same, Seven reasons to prove that the love of God, is the only true love. which giveth rest and contentment unto the soul; whereas false love is an irregular agitation, and endless motion. Such is worldly love, which we see to be filled with unquietness, and not to stay his agitation, but through wearisomeness or despair, which is no rest, but an unableness to move, because that force failing, desire doth still continue; like unto a tied horse, which gnaweth his bit. Such are almost all men: they have many desires, and little power; they most desire that they can least do: neither being able to obey or command their covetousness. They cannot obey it, because of their weakness; nor command it, because of their incontinency. So that if a man enjoy, without any let, that which he loveth, that very easiness itself bringeth him a distaste withal. For worldly love is inflamed by resistance, and nourished with difficulties: like unto those fishes which love to be in violent streams and flood-gates, but do die in a still water. The cause of this unquietness, is because that our love chooseth false objects, and which cannot satisfy covetousness. For if you pass your eye upon all which is best and most pleasing in the world, you shall not find therein any firm and stable quiet, but a chain of cares linked together, a web of perpetual unrest. The most grave sweets are sow●ed in bitterness. The atcheivement of riches, pleasure and honour, is painful, and many perish in the pursuit thereof: the possession is uncertain, but the loss certain. For if these things leave not us by some accident, we shall leave them by death. These are things which are bestowed not only upon the wicked, but even because they are bad, as being rewards of wickedness. To expose a man's love towards these things, is but a pursuing of the wind, and a perpetual travel. For even when these things might be termed always good, yet are they uncertain. A man cannot take good aim at a flying fowl, nor have any assured designment, aiming after transitory goods and pleasures. We must seek our rest then some other where than on earth, and turn the edge of our love, towards heaven. For even as the lower part of the elementary region, is the seat of winds, tempests and earthquakes, but that part towards heaven is always peaceable & still: so our love shall be ever full of unquietness, whilst it setteth itself upon base things; but it shall find rest if it raise itself towards heaven, & God's promises. And for this cause is it, that in the midst of tempestuous wether at sea, the needle of the Compass remaineth always unmovable, and stayed upon one point, namely, be cause it governeth itself by the Pole. In like sort the soul of a faithful Christian, in the midst of the confusions of this world, & most grievous afflictions, shall enjoy a most assured peace, because his love aimeth at heaven, and stayeth itself upon God's promises, which is the true object of our love, which alone is to be chiefly loved; which can make us lovely in loving us, and which alone can, yea will make them happy who love them. As the Apostle S. Paul saith: 1. Cor. 2. 9 The eye of man hath not seen, his ears heard, nor hath ever entered into his heart, what things God hath prepared for those which love him. Also he promiseth in S. john: To come unto him which loveth him, joh. 14. 23. and to dwell with him. Admirable love, which maketh our souls to be the palace of the King of heaven, and the sanctuary of his Spirit. 2 Philosophy leadeth us hereunto at unawares: for it hath for a general Maxim, that God and nature make nothing in vain. Now this infinite desire, this un satiable appetite which is in man, should be in vain, if there were not something to content it; which being not found upon earth, must be sought for in heaven, and towards God, who is infinite goodness. 3 Add hereunto, that God having created the world for man's use, hath without all doubt created man for some better thing than the world, to wit, for God himself. 4 And that amongst all creatures, God hath created man alone unto his Image, alone with upright stature, & visage erected upwards, to the end he might love him whose resemblance he beareth, and that his desire and his love might aim at heavenly things. 5 Add we hereunto, that the perfection of our spirits cannot be but in the union with the Chief of spirits, which communicateth his virtue unto the creature, in like fashion as the Sun darteth out his beams, that is, giveth it in such sort, that it yet dependeth upon him after having given it. 6 Moreover, true love is that which transformeth the lover into the thing beloved. Now if a deformed man love a corporal beauty, never shall he by that love correct his own imperfection: chose, by loving God, we become like to him, and as the Apostle saith in the 2. Corinth. chap. 3. Beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord with open face, we are changed into the same image. 7 Finally, beauty being the first spark of love, we shall see hereby how that which we call love, is not so, but only a superficial colour which covereth filth; but that light is true beauty. God then being the first light, & father of lights, is also the chief beauty, and by consequent he that we ought chiefly to love. Yet human Philosophy disagreeth here in one point from divine, which is the word of God. For natural Philosophy holdeth, that natural motion is always better than that which is against nature. On the contrary, in matter of love, the Scripture teacheth us, that the love contrary unto our nature, is better than the natural. For since Satan by seducing Adam hath disfigured the Image of God in man, man's desires have turned towards the world, and in a manner our love hath been fallen headlong down from heaven to earth. The affections of the flesh are enmity with God. Rom. 8. Rom. 8. If any one love God, it is not of his own nature, but it is a gift of God. Wherefore our Lord jesus in the eight of Saint john, saith, that none can come to him if his Father draw him not, And the Apostle S. Paul pulling us out of the mire and thick mud, commandeth us to seek the things which are on high. Coloss. 3. ver. 1, 2. For the saying of the Apostle S. john is most true, that we must love God because he hath loved us first. This is also one of the effects of the love of God towards us, to wit, Ephes. 3. 19 our love towards him. And there is nothing that we ought to demand of God with more fervency, then to have the grace to love him: for this is unto the faithful a witness that God loveth him: it is the first effect of faith: it is a most express trace of God's image: it is the most lively mark of God's children. This love is the soul of other virtues, the rule of our actions, the summary of the law. This love is the upholder of Martyrs, the ladder of heaven, the peace of conscience: yea, I dare say, it is a taste and a beginning of the union and communication which we shall have with God in heaven. Our meditation cannot choose a more excellent subject: for what is there which is greater than God, or more sweet than his love? The profit likewise is no less than the sweetness: for men are good or bad, Augustine's Enchiridion to Laurentius cap. 117. not because they believe, but because they love. Those be good which love good things; and amongst good things what is there like unto God? who not only is sovereignly good, but who also maketh them good which love him. Let us then endeavour so to do, and to be disciples unto the holy Spirit, which is love itself, and which will form our hearts unto love; lest we be deceived under this name of love, and lest we should take for this true love, a corporal love, an importunate itching, a furious heat, to wit, the worst of vices for the chief of virtues, a brutal sickness for an Angelical perfection. I know truly that he who shall dispose himself to love God with all his heart, & to neglect all other considerations in regard of his service, shall necessarily incur the hatred of the world, whose love is enmity with God, jam. 4. 4. as the Apostle Saint james saith. But God causeth this hatred of the world to profit us: for as the Apostle saith, All things together, Rom. 8. one with another, turn to the good of those which love God. Evils become blessings unto them, corporal afflictions are so many spiritual exercises unto them, the sicknesses of the body are medicines unto their souls: for in the hands of this sovereign Physician, very poison itself becometh a medicine; his strokes are balm, Psal. 141. 5 as David saith: and in suffering for God's cause, there is not only matter of patience, but even occasion of glory. They are like scars on the forehead, honourable maims, conformities unto jesus Christ, liveries of a Christian soldier. And all through the underpropping of this love, whose sweetness tempereth this bitterness, and maketh us rejoice for his name's sake. Some one will say, that the love of God is an excellent virtue indeed: but that to love him, we must know him before, and that we cannot know him in this life, but with a slender & obscure knowledge. This is true: but for all this, we must not let to study the same, we must not suffer ignorance to be cause of negligence: for we cannot have so little knowledge of God, but it will profit us, and stir us up unto the love of God. One beam of his light is worth the whole Sun. A man were better to have an obscure knowledge of God, than a clear understanding of natural things. If a beam of the Sun do enter into an obscure den or dungeon, the prisoner by this little snip knoweth the beauty of light: so the little which we have of the knowledge of God, is sufficient to give us a taste of his excellency, and to inflame us with his love. Moreover, the knowledge which Gods gives us of himself, is not so small, but it is sufficient unto salvation: and the obligations which we owe unto the goodness of God (the causes of our love) are fully represented unto us in the word of God, where the Apostle Saint Paul herald of the said word, saith, That unto us is declared all the counsel of God. Acts 20. 27. CHAP. II. Five degrees of the Love of God. WE are so uncapable of the love of God, that we are even ignorant what it is. This herb groweth not in our garden; it is a gift from above, coming from the Father of lights, who is love & charity itself, as saith Saint john. It is a liquor which God poureth into our souls by drops as into narrow mouthed vessels. Wherefore to deal with ourselves according to our own slowness, we will endeavour to receive it into our minds by little and little, and by easy steps to bring ourselves to the highest degree of love. There are five degrees of this love; the lowest whereof being the most imperfect, doth serve notwithstanding to raise us to the highest. 1 The first degree is to love God, because of the good which he doth us, and which we hope to receive of him. 2 The second degree is to love him for his own sake, because he is sovereignly excellent, and most excellently amiable. 3 The third is, not only to love God above all things, and more than ourselves, but also not to love any thing in the world but for God's love. 4 The fourth is, to hate ourselves for God's sake. 5 Above all which degrees, that love of God excelleth, wherewith we shall love him in the life to come. A love which burneth in the breasts of Saints and Angels, which stand before his throne of glory. We call these sorts of love, degrees, and not kinds; because the higher degrees contain the inferior: even as the most excellent white differeth from other whiteness less clear, not in kind of colour, but in degree: steps upon which we must get up, and upon each of them stay a little our spirits. The first degree. THe first and lowest step, To love God for his blessings. is to love God because of the good which he doth us. Upon this degree of love was David, when in the 116 Psalm he saith, I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice: and so in the 18. Psalm. For God will be loved for doing good unto us. It is God which hath made us, which keepeth and guideth us, which nourisheth our bodies and instructeth our souls; redeemeth us by his Son, governeth us by his holy Spirit, teacheth us by his word: maketh us his servants, yea his friends, joh. 15. 15. & joh. 17. 17. yea his children, yea even one with himself. Plato philosophising upon the grace of God, according as he was able, gave thanks unto him for three things. 1. For that he had created him a man, & not a beast. 2. That he was borne a Grecian, and not a Barbarian. 3. That not only so, but a Philosopher also. We that are instructed in a better school, do otherwise distribute our thanksgiving, and do praise him for three things also. 1. That amongst all his creatures, he hath made us men, created after his own image. 2. That from amongst all sorts of men he hath made us Christians. 3. That amongst those which bear the name of Christians, he hath made us faithful ones. hereunto you may add if you will the 4. that he hath adopted & elected us in his Son before the foundation of the world: having had care of us not only before we were borne, but even before the world was made. For if a woman lately conceiving, love her future fruit, much more doth she so when it is borne and embraced in her arms: so if God loved us before we had any being, how much more when we call upon him and love him with a filial love? Now in this grace, the less our number is, the greater is our privilege, the greater his bounty and mercy towards us, to be like a few well sighted amongst a throng of blind men; like the portion of jacob in Egypt, alone enlightened in the midst of that darkness which covered all the country: like gedeon's fleece, alonely watered with his blessing, whilst all the rest of the earth is dry and destitute of his grace. God hath environed us with examples of blindness, to the end we might make the more account of light, and that we should go on in the way of righteousness whilst the day lasteth, whilst he enlighteneth us by his word. All these graces depend upon one special grace, which is our reconciliation with God by the death of jesus Christ; it is he that is the conduit-pipe, through which the graces of God do flow unto us: it is Jacob's ladder, which joineth earth unto heaven, which joineth man again with God. The Angels ascending this ladder, do signify our prayers. The Angels descending, signify God's blessings. Jacob's sleeping at the foot of this ladder, representeth the rest of our consciences under the shadow of his intercession. For before, on what side soever man could turn his eyes, he could see nothing but matter of fear and astonishment. If he looked on God, he saw a consuming fire, and a sovereign justice armed against sinners. If he looked on the law, he saw the sentence of his condemnation: if on the heaven, he said, I am shut out thereof by my sins: if on the world, he saw himself fallen from the empire he before had over the creatures: if on himself, he saw a thousand corporal and spiritual infirmities. By the signs in heaven, and earthquakes, he was seized with trembling and fear: then Satan, death and hell were the enemies which either drew him to perdition, or tortured him with their apprehension. But now each man which hath an assured trust in jesus Christ, looketh on all these things with another eye, and singeth another song. If he look upon God, he will say, It is my Father, who hath adopted me in his Son. If he think on the judgement seat of the last day, he will say, My elder brother sitteth thereon, and he who is my judge, is also my advocate. If he think on the Angels, he will say, These are my keepers, Psal. 34. If he look on heaven, he will say, It is my house. If he hear it thunder from above, he will say, It is my Father's voice. If he consider the law, he saith, The Son of God hath fulfilled it for me. If he be in prosperity on earth, he will say, God hath yet better things for me in store. If he be in adversity, he will say, jesus Christ hath suffered much more hereof for my sake; God exerciseth me, proveth me, or correcteth me, or rather honoureth me, making me like unto his Son. If he think on the devil, death, or hell, than he will triumph over all, saying with the Apostle, 1. Cor. 15. O death, where is thy victory? O grave where is thy sting? Thanks be to God who hath given us victory through jesus Christ our Lord. If these things buzz and keep a noise like angry wasps, yet have they lost their sting. If the old Serpent prick our heel, yet is his head bruised. If the devil through persecutions give us a false alarm, yet belong we to jesus Christ, who hath bought us, and none shall snatch us out of his hand. Who will fear having such a patron, who not only maketh intercession for sinners, but of sinners maketh them just? who not only pleadeth for a bad case, but also of bad, maketh it good, because that he doth not only pray, but also pay for us: so that to pardon us is not only a work of his mercy, but also an effect of his justice. These obligations unto the loving God, are common unto all the faithful. But I think, if each one would look back into the course of his life, and call to mind the time passed, there is none of us but should find just cause to acknowledge beside these common benefits, many particular witnesses of the care and love of God towards us: Of deliverances out of many dangers, unhoped for good chances, commodious afflictions, our purposes crossed, but for our good, extraordinary means to bring us unto the knowledge of his truth. Shall it be said, that the blessings of God have reigned upon the sands, without making us more fruitful of good works? Shall we be like unto beasts, which drink of the brook without thinking of the spring; without raising up our thoughts unto God the wellspring of all blessing? Mean while, when we say that God doth us good, to the end we should love him: it is not because he hath any need of our love: but because he would save us, he would that we should love him; because it is impossible to be saved whilst we hate him. Moreover, our loving him also, is partly his gift; for it is he which kindleth his love in us. God doth not only give us his graces, but giveth also grace to demand them, the hand to apprehend them, & grace to make good use thereof: the virtue to glorify him for the same, in such sort, as to acknowledge that we owe unto him not only those his good things, but even ourselves also. God doth good unto the unworthy, but he maketh them worthy by this doing them good: his spiritual graces being of such nature, as that they transform such as receive them. This first degree of love being holy and necessary, is not for all that any more than a beginning of the love of God and as the first stroke of true piety. For he who loveth God but for his profit, is like unto little children, who say their prayers that they may break their fasts: and to speak properly, they love not God but themselves. Such a love, if it extend itself no further, is a mercenary love, yea and injurious unto God. For it may be always thought, that the end is better than those things which tend thereunto. If then the love of God have no other end but our own profit, we place the same above God, and make our interest more excellent than his service. Let him then which is come to this first degree of love, if he pass on no further, know that God pardoneth us much, if he punish not that which is grounded but upon the love of ourselves: wherefore we must mount higher, and come to the second step. The second degree of God's love. THe second step of God's love, To love God for Gods own sake. is to love him, not only for our profits sake, but even for his own sake, to wit, that laying aside all consideration of his benefits, yea and our hope of any profit from him, yet to love him above all things. David speaketh of this love in the 69. Psalm, Psal. 69. 37 ver. 37. Let all them which love thy name, rejoice. He would have us love God for his name's sake, that is to say, because he is sovereign Lord, wise in his counsels, just in his actions, true in his promises, dwelling in glory which none can attain unto, possessing a sovereign perfection. God, whose life is without beginning and ending, his eternity without change, his greatness without measure, his power without resistance: who hath made the world by his word, governeth it by his sight, and shall ruinate it by his will: who in one virtue and perfection, which is his essence, encloseth all virtue, which is every where dispersed in the creatures; as divers lines which meet in one centre, do disperse themselves by their extension. For these considerations, God ought to be loved more than for the good which he doth us. jesus Christ himself teacheth us the same, in the prayer he form for us; in which he appointeth us to demand the sanctifying of his name, and the advancement of his kingdom, before we crave any thing for our profit. A desire which so possessed the spirit of Moses, and the Apostle S. Paul, that forgetting themselves, they desired rather to be blotted out of the book of life, and to be accursed, then that God should not be glorified. Wherefore to plant in us this love, which loveth God for his own sake, it is necessary to know so far forth as we may, what he is in himself, and wherefore sovereignly to be beloved. We naturally love beauty; now light is the chief of beauties, without which all other beauties do nothing differ from deformities. God then being the chief light, is necessarily the chiefest beauty: He is the Father of lights, saith S. james. The fountain of light is in him, and through his light we see crearly, saith David in the 36. Psalm. For this cause, when he first set his hand unto the creation, he began with the light, as a thing best representing his nature. He is the Sun of justice: the Sun which setteth not, which maketh no shadow; unto which all things are transparent: which not only enlighteneth the eyes, but even giveth sight. And judge you what this sovereign brightness is, Psal. 146. 8 seeing that the Scraphins standing before the Throne are dazzled, Esay 6. 2. and fain to cover their faces with their wings, as Esay saith, being not able to endure so great a splendour. For if at the glorious apparition of the humanity of jesus Christ, the Sun shall be darkened as some little light at the appearing of a greater, what may be the splendour of his Divinity? If you will consider the life of God, The life of God. ours is but a shadow, and nothing in comparison. For our life is a flowing and succession of parts: but God possesseth his life entirely at one instant, and all at once. He who will know what the life of God is in comparison of man's life, let him compare the sea with some little brook. 1. The sea is very great, and the brook very little. 2. The sea budgeth not from his place, but the brook runneth still forth, and is always a new water. 3. The waters of the Sea come from no other place; but all running waters come from the sea, and return thither. The like is the life of God compared with ours. 1. His life is infinite, and ours very short. 2. His life consisteth in rest, and to possess all his life at one instant: but our life is a flux, and succession of parts. 3. His life cometh from none other, but our life cometh from him, Acts 17. ver. 28. and returneth unto him again, as Solomon saith in the 12. of Ecclesiastes: The earth returneth unto the earth, as it was before, and the spirit unto God which gave it. God's knowledge is also a bottomless pit. The knowledge of God, what it is. He knoweth all things, yea even such as are not. Things passed, are not passed unto him: the future are present before him. He soundeth the heart: he seeth through the cloak of hypocrisy. We behold things one after another, but he seeth them all at one view: as if a man were all eye, and should see all that were about him without turning himself. We see things because they are: on the contrary, things are, because God seeth them. For in God to see, is as much as to will, and his will is, to do. To know things, we look upon them: but God to know things, looketh on himself, because that in his wisdom he hath the models of all things, and in his will the sentence of all chances. How admirable also is his holiness! His holiness. It infinitely surpasseth the holiness of Angels and Saints: as it is said in the book of job, chap. 15. Behold, he hath no assurance in his Saints, and the heavens are not pure in his sight: how much more abominable and vile is man, who drinketh iniquity like water. Even as the holy Scripture calleth the highest heaven, the heaven of heavens, because it encloseth the inferior: so also it calleth God, the holy of holies, because his holiness encloseth that of all the Saints, as being infinitely inferior. The holiness of the creature is a quality: that of God is his substance. God is holy of himself; but men and Angels are not Saints, but because God hath sanctified them. His justice. Also after a clean contrary manner unto men, is he just. For men are just, because they do just things. In God it is otherwise: for the things are just because God doth them. For he is justice itself. Wherefore he is just for no other cause, but for that he doth according to his will: according to which he hath given us his law, the perfect rule of justice, which he not only setteth before us, but also writeth it in us, and engraveth it with his finger in the stone, as he promiseth us in the 31. of jeremy: I will put my law into them, and will write it in their hearts. He loveth justice and truth. He hateth the workers of iniquity, he rooteth out liars, he hateth the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. Psal. 5. What shall we say of his goodness, His goodness through which he loveth them which hate him, by which he causeth his Sun to shine upon the just and unjust, the good and bad: by which he raineth down his goodness even into the mouths which are open to blaspheme him? Above all, this infinite goodness shineth in the person of his Son: This Son so begotten before all eternity, that he yet now begetteth him: Son without beginning of time, Son of the like age as his Father: Essential Word, eternal Wisdom, God everlastingly blessed. That Son which Esay calleth the Father of Eternity, Esay 9 would make himself the Son of man, to the end that we might be children of God: yea was content to be borne in a stable, to the end that we might be received into heaven; to be borne amongst beasts, to the end that we might be companions with Angels. He who is the Word itself, was content to stammer as a child, to the end that we might speak unto God in all liberty. He who is the bread of life, was content to be an hungered, to the end we might be satisfied. He who is the fountain of life, was content to be athirst, to the end our souls might be moistened. Briefly, he who is life itself, hath suffered death, that he might give us life. All this for vile creatures, yea enemies unto God, that he might make them of slaves unto Satan, his own children, and transport them from hell into his kingdom. These are the bottomless pits of the bounty & goodness of God, which do gently swallow up our souls; there is pleasure to lose one's self therein. For these are the bottomless depths of the grace of God, which pass our understanding, but do recreate our hearts; which give matter of admiration, and also no less subject of consolation. Here are the highest witnesses of his love: here are all his fatherly affections laid open; all the riches of that grace which the Angels themselves admire, and as Saint Peter saith, 1. Pet. 1. & 12. endeavour to pry profoundly into; loving in this case the goodness of God, not for their own profit, but in respect of God himself: for jesus Christ is not come into the world for their redemption. Now to what end all this, but that we should love him who hath so much loved us, and admire with joy the treasures of his grace? O God, as thy greatness is incomprehensible, so also thy bounty is infinite! our spirits are stopped with this contemplation; our words are beneath our thoughts, and our thoughts yet much lower than the truth. We speak of this greatness but stammeringly, our praises do abase thee, we draw the picture of the Sun with a coal. But o God, raise up our souls to thee: and if our spirits be too weak to know thee, make our affections ardent to love thee. Thou who wast pleased to be our Father, touch our hearts with a filial affection. Thou which givest us occasion to love thee, give us also the motions thereof. For, as much as we are poor in means, so much are we uncapable to receive them, and to love thee after having received them, if thou thyself dost not plant thy love in us. All these considerations do raise up our spirits to love God, not for ourselves, but for his own sake: which appeareth also in this, that our love to God cannot be well directed, if it be not form upon the model of that love wherewith God hath loved us. Now God loveth us for the love of himself, as he saith by the mouth of Esay: Esay 43. It is I, it is I, that blotteth out thy sins for mine own sake. And it is the prayer which Daniel maketh in his ninth chapter, Lord hear, Lord pardon, Lord tarry not, but hasten for thine own sake; for thy name hath been called upon this city, and upon thy people. God considereth that we bear his image: he considereth that we are unworthy of his grace, but that it is a thing worthy of his bounty, to do good unto the unworthy, and which is more, to make them worthy by doing them good. He considereth that his Church is like unto a flock which carrieth his name, Osea 2. and is called the people of God; and therefore he will not let it be Satan's prey, nor a matter of triumph unto the adversary. The third degree of the love of God. THe third degree or step, is so to love God above all things; that we should love nothing in the world but for his sake. For example, there are many persons and many things in the world that we cannot keep ourselves from loving, yea and it would be ill done not to love them. So a father loveth his children, a wife her husband; our kindred, allies, neighbours and friends have part in this amity. So a man loveth his health, his house, his land, his study, etc. To go about to dispossess a man of the love of these things, would be an inhuman doctrine, and more than tending to brutality. He is worse than an infidel that hath not care of his family, saith the Apostle. Piety rooteth not out these affections, but doth husband them, and of mistresses which they were, maketh them but handmaids unto the love and fear of the Lord. No more than josua would kill the Gibeonites, but subjecteth them unto the service of God's house. For than doth a father love his children as he ought, if in bringing them up, he purpose to use them as men do young plants, which shall one day bring forth fruit to the glory of God. If he so remember himself to be their father, that he be yet more mindful that God is his. Then a man loveth his friends as he ought, when he loveth them because they love God, and because he seeth the image of God shining in them. So we shall then justly love health, when we shall love it, not because it is more gamesome and without pain, but because it bringeth vigour unto our bodies, and liberty unto our minds to serve God in our vocation. The like aught to be said of riches, of honours, of knowledge, things which one may honestly love; provided that their love do not distract us from the love of God, but may rather thereto advance & help us to perform good works. And as there is not any so little brook but it leadeth unto the sea: so let these goodnesses of God, seem they never so small, lead our thoughts to this great depth of the goodness and greatness of God. Briefly, all our lives and affections towards our neighbours, shall be well squared out, when they shall be branches & brooks of God's love, and a reflection of our sight, which from God glanceth upon his image. Never love the persons for that which is about them, but for what is in them. Esteem not of men, as of purses for the money which is therein. If you honour a man because he is well clothed, by consequence ought we to salute satin in whole pieces. If you account of a man for his honour's sake, you tie his dignity to his titles and to his habit: which things being taken away, there is no more of any thing which ought to be loved; as a horse which carrieth an idol, which being taken away, hath no more reverences done about him. On the contrary, if you love a man because he feareth God, because he is firm in the faith, forward in the knowledge of God, true in his words, just in his actions, charitable towards the afflicted, burning with the zeal of God's house, you shall never want occasion to love him. Take away from him his goods, his honours, yea his clothes, yea even his body; all these ornaments will remain, and that excellency which consisteth in the image of God, and the graces of his Spirit. I am not ignorant, that the secrets of men's hearts are very deep; and oftentimes the friends which a man chooseth for virtuous, do become vicious, or else show they were never otherwise In this case the man which loveth God, aught to reprehend his friend, and to reform him if he can possible. Flattery hath taken away from true friendship all his terms, except the liberty to reprehend. To be afraid to chide one's friend, lest we should offend him, is a respect full of cruelty: as if when he were ready to be drowned, thou shouldst fear to catch him by the hair of the head, lest he should lose a hair or two. If by these reprehensions thy friend do not amend, the friendship of a man must then give place unto God's love. We must do like Moses, who made use of his rod whilst it was a rod, but fled from before it when it became a serpent. And yet in this case it were better to separate ourselves by little and little, and to unsow friendship rather than to tear it asunder. Unto all these difficulties the love of God serveth as a rule. Many heathen have gathered a number of precepts of friendship, but have not discovered this secret, which ruleth all their rules, that is, to learn first to love God, and to cause our friendships to be derived from his love. Such as the brain is unto the sinews, the liver unto the veins, and the heart unto the arteries, that very same is the love of God unto human friendships; that is to say, they are but threads and branches which depend thereon. This divine love not being therein, friendships are no friendships, but a conspiration; an accord or agreement to disagree with God: friendships grounded upon pleasure or upon gain, which cease when pleasures lose their taste through age, or when profit diminisheth, or is not equally distributed: but friendships grounded upon the love of God, are firm, because they are grounded upon a sure foundation. Which love ought so far to advance itself, that for the love of God we ought not only to love our friends, but even our enemies, because God willeth it. Matth. 5. Because that amongst these enmities, some marks of God's image do yet appear; because they are as it were rods in God's hand for our amendment, and enforcements unto his fear. The fourth degree of the love of God. WE are not yet at the highest. To hate ones own self for the love of God For we must come even to the hating of ourselves for the love of God. For even as there is not in man, any love more strong or more natural than the love of ourselves: so is it that same which most resisteth the love of God, and which is most uneasy to be surmounted. That which the shirt is in our clothing, the same is the love of ourselves in our affections, to wit, that which is last put off. There we are to fight a great combat: it is as it were Satan's last entrenchment, from whence he is uneasily driven away. Yet none can love God as he ought, who hateth not his own nature; who is not grieved at his own desires, and maketh not mortal war against them, being desirous to finish this combat by death, & to be dissolved, that he might be with God: ready to be prodigal of his blood, that he may be sparing of God's glory: waxing weary of this body of ours, as of a moving prison or portable sepulchre. Like unto him that being in prison, looketh through the grates, desiring his liberty: so look you not to get out at the door, you shall only get out through the ruins thereof, by the destruction of this body: as when the prison sinketh, & the prisoner escapeth at some breach thereof. He which shall have most made war with himself, shall have the more peace with God: he which shall not have pardoned himself, God shall pardon him: he which shall have despised, Luk. 9 & 14. yea hated his own life, he shall save it. Here is the fourth degree or step of love, and the highest that man can reach unto in this life. It was this degree of love, which made the Apostle to cry out: Rom. 7. 24. Alas miserable man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? It was this degree of love which caused David, having a sceptre in his hand, being vanquisher of his enemies, and filled with earthly riches and honour, to acknowledge himself but a stranger and way faring man upon earth. Psal. 39 & 129. It is this degree of love which hath sustained Martyrs in their torments, the heat whereof hath been hotter than the heat of the fire: can you think that they had their muscles of steel, or bodies uncapable of torment and pain? it is not so. But as the heat of a fever drieth up outward ulcers, and a lesser heat is surmounted by a greater: so the interior heat of God's love did surmount the heat of the flame, and had more strength to sustain them, than pain had power to prevail against them. Martyrs, whose virtues do yet unto this day sustain our vices; whose ashes do yet heat our coldness; whose blood doth yet cry, speaking both for the truth of the Gospel, and against our slackness, who in a little time are so far degenerate from their constancy. Surely if they do not serve us for an example, they will serve us for a reproach and condemnation. Now to come to this degree of love, we must have a long and hard combat: for our flesh is rebellious & mutinous, and covetousness so rooted therein, that to pluck it up (as witnesseth the Son of God himself) is as if a man should cut off a hand, Math. 5. or pluck out an eye. And Saint Paul also calleth our desires our members. Coloss▪ 3. Notwithstanding God saith, that he will make an end of his work in our infirmity: 2. Cor. 12. he maketh us to be victorious, but after many falls. Oftentimes man being placed as in a crossway, Gal. 5. between the spirit and the flesh, between the love of God and the love of the world, he feeleth contrary suggestions, and a marvelous combat. How many times cometh it to pass, that after the love of God hath had the upper hand, and that the faithful hath resolved to be good, by and by his desires do reassemble themselves, & give a new assault unto the fear of God? The faithful being thus assailed, either with some appetite of revenge, of rapine, or lust, shall feel this love of God speaking thus unto him in his heart: Miserable man, whither goest thou? doth not God see this? despisest thou his threatenings? rejectest thou his promises? forgettest thou thy vocation? Wherefore wouldst thou grieve the Spirit of God? wherefore wouldst thou bring a scandal upon his Church? Where are the promises which thou hast made him? where is thy mindfulness of his benefits? Is this the way to the kingdom of heaven? Art thou assured that being fallen, thou shalt rise again? For a little pleasure mingled with bitterness, wilt thou trouble the peace of thy conscience? For a little porttage of herbs, wilt thou neglect thy birthright? At these suggestions the faithful will stay himself, he will sigh before God; and like Samson, he will break the bonds of his desires: but all is not yet done, nor this rebellious flesh is not yet quelled. For after these holy resolutions, we have for certain spaces, great dullness again. Then the devil espieth occasion, if he see us in bad company, if he see us idle, if we have discontinued prayer, reading or hearing of the word of God, than our desires do rouse themselves up again; then the contrary suggestions of the flesh and the spirit struggle together for mastery: which maketh the life of the faithful oftentimes seem bitter, even to the desiring of death to end this combat. O miserable nature, enemy to it own self! o engrafted and deep rooted corruption! O mutinous sedition, which wouldest bring us back into Egypt: which after our coming out of Sodom, makest us look back again, like unto Lot's wife; and makest us loath to leave the evil we are come from. Corruption which troubleth our best actions by bad suggestions, and besmeareth them with some evil. If we think upon death, our flesh suggesteth unto us, that there is yet time enough to think thereon. If we hear or read the reprehensions of God's word, it persuadeth us that it is spoken unto others. If we think of heaven, it saith, we shall come time enough thither. If thou thinkest to give alms, it will softly suggest in thine ear, What know I that I shall have no need thereof myself? If thou wouldst reprehend thy friend for his amendment, it will draw thee by a cruel respect, namely, for fear of offending him. Each good affection hath as it were two ears like a pot, by which the flesh and the world take hold to hinder the execution thereof. Here than we must carefully have recourse to God's assistance, and imitate Rebecca, who had recourse unto prayer when two children strove in her womb: a most express figure of these two men which are in every faithful person; the one which is the old, the other which is the new man; the one our corrupted nature, the other the regenerate spirit, which do covet one against another, as saith the Apostle S. Paul. Gal. 5. 17. Wherefore also God answered Rebecca, The elder shall serve the younger. For the old man must be subjecteth unto the new, until he be fully ranked in due obedience unto God. The fifth degree of the love of God. THere remaineth now the last and chiefest degree or step, How the Saints in glory, do love God. which is the love wherewith we shall love God in the glory celestial. For we love things according as we know them. We shall therefore love God much more then, because we shall much better know him. Now (saith the Apostle) we know in part, 1. Cor. 13. 12. now we see as in a glass obscurely; but then we shall see face to face. Our love which seeth from a far off, and which is distracted by divers objects, shall then see near at hand, and shall wholly be fixed upon God. And as when two great high swelling rivers come to encounter one another, they make a marvelous inundation: so the love of ourselves and the love of God, are like two streams which never join themselves together on earth, but shall meet in heaven. What then shall the vehemency be of both these affections, when they shall be mingled both together, and joined in one love? For then in loving God, we shall love ourselves, because God shall dwell in us, and because that (saith the Apostle S. john) we shall be like unto him. 1. joh. 3. Nor are we not to doubt, but that the Angels and Saints do love themselves ardently, but with a love which distilleth from the love of God. O happy and admirable love of ones self, which is mingled with the love of God Let us forbear to love ourselves until that time, and let us love nothing in ourselves but what doth prepare us and entertain us with the hope of this love. But because this love, with which we shall love God in Paradise, doth grow from the view & contemplation of his face, (for love is kindled by the sight) let us learn what sight this shall be, that shall cause this our love. Our bodily eyes see things by two means, either by receiving their images; for so we see the bodies exposed to our view; or by receiving into our eyes the thing itself which we see: so we see the light, which we see in such sort as that it entereth even into our eyes. Now God who is the chiefest of lights, will make our souls to see him in heaven in this latter fashion. For he dwelleth in his Saints, and is in them all in all. But in this life he causeth himself to be seen by images, that is, by the contemplation of his works, in which he hath imprinted a picture (as it were) of himself, and the express marks of his virtue. Therefore we shall then see our God in such sort as we now see the light: but that now we see it not but by the windows of the body, that is, by the eyes: for than we shall receive throughout all our parts the light of God, which shall enlighten us on all sides with the beams of his holiness. Even as if a man were all eye throughout, and should receive light in himself on all sides. This same sight of God, will make us like unto God, as Saint john saith, 1. joh. 3. We shall be like unto him, for we shall see him as he is. For as a looking-glass cannot be exposed to the Sun but it will shine like the same: so God receiveth none to contemplate his face, but he transformeth them into his own likeness by the irradiation of his light and perfection. urim & Thumim. And as God is charity and love itself, 1. joh. 4. 8. as the same Apostle teacheth; it is necessary that the creature being by this view made like unto God, should also be seized with this love, and inflamed with this spiritual fire. A fire which hath given name unto the Seraphins, so called because of their ardour, which is nothing else but the love of God, the fervour of their zeal, and their readiness to do him service. Here necessarily must end these degrees or steps of love, and our meditation can mount no higher: it is the last step of Jacob's ladder, by which we mount up unto God. CHAP. III. Of the marks and effects of the love of God. WE all make profession to love God, but few love him seriously. By this profession we deceive men, yea we deceive ourselves, but cannot deceive God. Wherefore it is necessary to bring hither the touchstone, to discern the true and pure love of God from the false, and of base allay. As there are five degrees of true love, so are there also five marks to discern it. 1 The first mark of the true love of God, is, that it quencheth all unchaste loves. 2 The second mark and effect of this love, is, that it bringeth peace and tranquillity to the mind. 3 The third is, charity towards our neighbours. 4 The fourth is, the pleasure to communicate often with God. 5 The fifth is, the Zeal of the glory of God, which rejoiceth or sorroweth according as God is honoured or dishonoured. Whosoever feeleth in himself these effects, may assure himself that he loveth God with a true affection, yea although that some coldness chance amongst this holy ardour, and that the love of himself be mingled withal; yet this love for being weak, shall not let to be true, provided, it do daily go on tending unto perfection. Let us run over again each one of these marks, that we may know them more perfectly. The first mark of Gods love. THere are three sorts of love: That unchaste loves must be extinguished. the one whereof, is ever good: the other is ever bad: the third, good of his own nature, but accidentally bad because of our bad disposition. That which is always good, is the love of God, in which it is impossible to sin through excess: and in this point it is good to let slip the reins of our desires. The measure of loving God, is to love him without measure. The love which is always bad, is the love of murder, of theft, and of unchaste pleasures, etc. The love which being good of it own nature, becometh evil by accident, is the love of meat, of drink, of ease, or recreation; appetites which are naturally good and necessary, but which we make to be bad by excess and intemperance. The love of God doth diversly behave itself towards the other two sorts of love. For it ranketh the latter within the limits of mediocrity, & teacheth us to satisfy our necessity, and not our curiosity. It rejecteth all farre-fetched delicates, being the distaste of a proud stomach, which awakeneth itself with artificial means: teaching us to nourish this body, so that it may not be a hindrance to the soul: to watch and be sober lest we enter into temptation. As for the second love, it can in no wise remain with the love of God: but the fear of God doth wholly cut it off, because that in a thing entirely bad, we are not to seek for any mediocrity. None can be a fornicator, an adulterer, or a murderer by measure; for the least inclination unto these things is sin against God. But above all, the strength of God's love is shown in rooting out of our hearts unchaste love, which kindleth in the minds of worldly men a firebrand of filthy desires, which defile our souls with a thousand beastly thoughts, and importunate; which of our bodies dedicated to be temples of God, make an infectious brothel, and (as saith Saint Paul) of the members of Christ do make them the members of a harlot. Pleasures which weaken the body, cool the spirit, and abate courage, which after the strength is consumed, leave yet a desire. Infamous pleasures, which place men beneath beasts; of which, man in this point ought to learn the laws of continency and sobriety. Traitorous pleasures, which embrace men to strangle them: dally with him on the lap of delight, as Dalilah played with Samson, that they may deliver him, not to the Philistians, but unto the devil; who having poked out the sinners eyes, oftentimes lead him this way unto the temple of the Idol. Yet as if this were not enough, man hath chosen out a painful way unto his pleasures; they are not esteemed if not troublesome. The stolen waters are sweetest, saith Solomon; and the malice of man supposeth all other entries better than the legitimate. The love of God entering into the spirit of any one for to purge it, doth presently void out this filth, and smothereth up this love by his greater force: which teacheth us to love in our neighbours, not their bodily beauty, but their soul's ornaments. This holy love having for his object the chief of spirits, What is true beauty loveth consequently in men their spiritual beauty, a beauty which consists in the image of God: an image, whose principal lineaments are justice and holiness. A beauty which is not superficial as that of the body, which hideth within itself blood, brain, and things which one may not behold without horror; but it is a beauty which extendeth itself unto the bottom, as the beauty of a diamond, or of the light itself. The beauty of the body, is but a flower which is withered with age; but the beauty of the soul is not subject unto time; and which is more, the wrinkles which it hath, are done out with time. Many women might have been more happy if they had been less beautiful; for their beauty hath plentifully afflicted them: but spiritual beauty is always accompanied with God's blessing. Besides, consider attentively the fairest visage of the world, and you will become never a whit the more fair yourself, but shall rather seem the fouler being near it. But carefully to contemplate a soul which God hath embellished with virtue, will make you become virtuous, and will form you according to his example. Carnal eyes perceive not this beauty, and pleasure knoweth not what it is. For, as a horse loving a mare, thinketh that in the world there is no other beauty: so the carnal and sensual man thinketh there is no other beauty but that which through the sight toucheth his desires. But the view of the faithful pierceth further, and oftentimes clean through a corporal beáutie, seeth the vetie image of the devil. Contrariwise, the inward beauty is oftentimes under an exterior foulness, as that of a slubbered diamond. As that of jesus Christ during his opprobrious handling; whereof Esay in the 53. chap. saith, that there was not in him either form or beauty: and yet in the 45. Psalm, he is called the most fair amongst the sons of men. As the beauty of the Church, whereof it is said in the first of Canticles, that she is brown, and yet fair; being black without, and burnt with afflictions, which notwithstanding blot not out her inward beauty. Therefore that women curious of their beauty, may rather study to adorn themselves inwardly, as it is said in the 45. Psalms, The King's daughter is full of glory within: Let them take heed lest in decking artificially their bodies, they become a snare of desires, an instrument in the devils hand. A soldier having a sword that hath surely served him in many combats, will be careful to scour and polish it: and do we marvel if the woman having served Satan to overthrow Adam, be carefully decked & embellished by him; and that women are so curious in ornaments, by the suggestion of the devil? But we whom God hath honoured with his knowledge, to the end we might be inflamed with this love, let us shut our eyes to these allurements, possessing (as saith Saint Paul) our vessels in holiness: abstain yourselves not only from evil, but also from all appearance and occasions of evil. Eschew idleness, for it is the pillow of vices. Let Satan, coming to assail you, find you ever occupied. Fly bad company, filthy talk, books of love; for they are firebrands of lust, the hooks and baits of the devil. None cometh to do evil but by these accessaries, yea the evil is already in these accessaries. Many will say, that they are chaste of body, but their eyes, their ears, and their thoughts are culpable of lust. Yet Christ saith, that he who looketh on his neighbour's wife to lust after her, hath already committed adultery. The best company and the best business to divert our minds from this evil, is the careful reading of the word of God joined unto prayer. Saint Augustine in the eight book of his Confessions, cap. 8. & 12. saith, that when he was upon terms of rendering himself a Christian, that which most troubled him, was, that he must leave his fornication; and that in this combatfull anguish, he withdrew himself into a garden, where twice he heard the voice of a child, as it were, coming from the houses hard by, saying, Take and read. At this voice he took the book of the Epistles of S. Paul, and chanced at the first opening of the book, on this text of the 13. chapter to the Romans, where he saith: Let us walk honestly as in the day time, not in riot and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, neither in strife or envy; but put you on the Lord jesus Christ, and have no care of the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof. There was enough for him: and thereupon, were it that this voice came from God, or that it chanced by other means, he resolved to follow the counsel of the Apostle, who without looking for any revelation thereupon, doth sufficiently manifest unto us the will of God touching the laying off of these desires. The second mark of the love of God. THis same love bringeth forth another effect, Peace and tranquillity of the soul. by which it is to be known, to wit, the peace and tranquillity of the soul: it chaseth away fears, assuageth cares, sweeteneth afflictions. For what evil soever happeneth him who loveth God, he will ever remember the sentence of the Apostle, Rom. 8. That all things turn to the best for them which love God. Even their crosses become blessings; their bodily poverty is a spiritual diet unto them; their banishments teach them to leave the world: their sequestering from honours is their approach unto God: their enemies are their Physicians, causing them to be wary, and to live in God's fear. Their corporal diseases are spiritual cares: death is an entry into life, and a bringing forth, by which the soul is delivered of the body, as of her last afterbirth; and cometh forth of a dark den, to enter into God's light. The passage through afflictions, resembleth the passage of the red sea; for the wicked are overwhelmed therein, they are unto them forerunners of damnation; but the faithful and God's people find that way a passage unto the land of promise. This very same love of God, will suggest unto the faithful this thought: Seeing that I love God, it is certain that he loveth me. For Saint john saith, 1. joh. 4. that we love him because he loved us first. For I had not naturally in me any inclination to love him; but it was he who loving me, framed my heart to love him. Now if God love me, he intendeth my good; and he can do all that he will, nothing happeneth but according to his will. He will not then permit that any evil happen me; he will turn my evils unto good for my salvation: he will lead me thereunto, through a way thorny unto flesh, but healthful to my soul. Briefly, the love of God excludeth fears, and is the prop of our assurance, as saith the Apostle Saint john: 1. joh. 4 3. There is no fear in charity, but perfect charity driveth forth fear. This same love sweeteneth afflictions, and maketh our Lord's yoke easy and tolerable. For you shall see by experience, that in a house where love is great between the husband and the wife, they pass the bad time over with content, and have mutual consolation one of another: yea, to have a faithful friend, into whose bosom you may shed your tears, and power forth your complaints, doth bring a man much ease, although it bring no remedy. How much more shall the faithful soul find & feel in the love of his God? of God, who not only knoweth our evils, counteth our sighs, layeth up our tears in his vessels; but who can and will remedy them: and not only remedy them, but turn them to good; giving us in our afflictions, not only occasion to suffer, but even matter of rejoicing. So the faithful speak in the 46. Psalm: Let the waters of the sea make a noise, and let the mountains shake by the rising of his waves: in the mean time the brooks of the river shall rejoice the city of God. These troublesome waters are the people banded against God, as is expounded in the Apocalypse, chapter 17. These brooks which in the mean time do rejoice the holy city, are the instructions of God's word, whose voice is our consolation. For in his afflictions the faithful will turn aside his eyes from his enemies, and from all second causes, and will say: Lord, it is thou that hast done it; I receive this affliction at thy hand; make this prove healthful unto me, and permit not that I ever come to murmur against thee, or to kick against the prick. We swallow with the better resolution a bitter potion, when it is presented us by a friendly hand, whose ignorance or falsehood we fear not. We find all these things in God, who moreover maketh venoms themselves to prove good medicines. So the love of God is a retreat and shelter against all anguish: it is the ground of true peace: it is the prop of our assurance, which causeth us to despise the threatenings of men; to look on the enterprises of great men, and the risings of people with disdain; which causeth us to find ease on the rack, and to look on death's face with assurance, and take off his mask to see jesus Christ, which cometh unto us under that show: which maketh the faithful to stand upright in the midst of the ruins of his country. This holy love made S. Paul to say, Rom. 8. If God be with us, who shall be against us? He which hath not spared his own Son, but delivered him over for us, how shall not he give us all things with him? Let us likewise say, He that layeth up our tears, will not he gather up our prayers? He, without whose providence a sparrow lighteth not on the ground, would he permit that our souls should fall into hell for lack of caring for them? He who extendeth his care to gather up our tears, yea to count our hairs, how much more care will he have of our souls, for which his Son hath died? This same love made David say, Psal. 23. Even when I should walk in the way of the shadow of death, I would fear none evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and staff do comfort me. Hereby we may judge what difference there is between loving God and men. Let us not speak of the weakness of our friends to deliver us, their little constancy in their love, yea and of the cruel officiousness of some friends, who desire to see their friends in trouble, to make them beholding unto them for succouring them. And let us talk that which is best and honestest in our friendships. I say then, if there be any one who loveth a dozen persons faithfully, he must then necessarily be miserable: for it is a very likely matter, that one of a dozen persons will ever be in trouble, or sick, or afflicted. If then a man shall according to the laws of friendship participate of his friends afflictions, shall he not by having many friends, be in perpetual misery? Love is a thing full of care and fear. And if any one of them be absent, it is a subject of continual apprehension. So that many are of opinion, that to be obdurate, and without compassion, is commodious. Faithful friendships are kinds of sicknesses ingenious to fear, and which from divers parts draw unto themselves grief and compassion. The love of God hath none of these incommodities: for we love him for whom we can be in no fear, and who puts us out of all fear for ourselves, and warranteth us from all evil. Now if the love of God be so full of rest, in comparison of the most faithful & honest friendships amongst men; how much more than in comparison of unhonest loves, which torture the conscience, which hide themselves for shame; where spending, riot, jealousy, lyings in wait, & alteration of humours, torment the mind with a perpetual unquietness? The third mark of the love of God. IN the third place, The love of our neighbour. the love of God is manifested by the love of ones neighbour. It is impossible to love God, & hate his image; to love jesus Christ, who is the head, & hate our neighbours who are his members: it were as if a man kissing another should tread on his toes; things unsufferable: as saith the Apostle Saint john: 1. joh. 4. 20. He who saith, he loveth God, and hateth his brother, is a liar: for who so loveth not his brother whom he seeth, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? That is to say, if he have not so much as natural love, how can he have the supernatural? Wherefore, in the summary of the law expressed in the Gospel, unto the love of God is adjoined the love of our neighbour, as a necessary consequent, & an undoubted proof. And the Apostle S. Paul saith, Gal. 5. 14. that all the law is accomplished in this word alone, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Not that it is enough to love one's neighbour without loving God; but because the love of ones neighbour doth necessarily presuppose the love of God. Now if we ought to love our neighbours for God's sake, it followeth that above all we ought to love those which love God: following the commandment of the Apostle unto the Galathians, chap. 6. Let us do good unto all, but principally unto the household of faith; with whom we have many good things in common, to be together children of one Father, and likewise brethren of jesus Christ; nourished with the same meat, which is the word: of one household, namely the Church: travelers and pilgrims together, combatants for one self-same cause, called unto one self-same hope, coheirs of one self-same kingdom. All which are considerations resembling many lines, which do all meet in one point: for these are obligations to love one another, who do all of us meet in jesus Christ, in whom we are all one, because we are one with him. This charity amongst the faithful, is extended two ways. The one is the charitable relieving of our afflicted brethren. The other is, peace and concord amongst ourselves. As touching our brotherly relief, it necessarily cometh from the love of God, as S. john saith: 1. joh. 3. 17. Who so shall have goods in this world, and see his brother in necessity, and shall shut up his compassion, Brotherly relief. how shall the love of God dwell in him? Also, God appointeth himself a rewarder of alms, as done unto himself, yea even unto a cup of cold water, Math. 10. To give unto the poor, is to lend out money for usury unto God. Prover. 19 Of all that we possess, we shall save nothing but that which we shall have thus given. By this means (saith jesus Christ in Luke 16.) we make ourselves friends, which shall receive us into the everlasting tabernacles. Thou fearest to lose thy money by giving it; and yet the bestowing it in alms, is the means to keep it. Thou fearest to lose thy money by giving it, and fearest not to lose thyself by keeping it. For our goods avariciously reserved, are not only spoiled, but do also spoil and corrupt our spirits. It will be for this sin that God will judge the wicked at the latter day. Math. 25. The wicked rich man, who despised the poor Lazarus craving a morsel of bread, doth now beg of Lazarus a drop of water to allay his heat. An heat begun by the retention of those goods which were due to the poor: which (as Saint james saith) shall consume james 5. the flesh of the rich like fire: and are as a treasure gathered for them against the latter day. And justly are they ranked with murderers. For as there is two ways to put out a lamp, either by blowing it, or not pouring in oil in good time: so the covetous man, if he take not away the life of the poor by killing him; at least he suffereth him to wither and dry away for lack of pouring into him some liberality. The root of this duty, is the love of God, which redounds upon his members: wherefore also, as the love of God is free and voluntary; so also must not our alms be forced or unwillingly done, but free and voluntary. God loveth a cheerful giver, 2. Cor. 9 7. saith the Apostle Saint Paul. And to this purpose he calleth there in that same place almsdeeds a seed. A seed which we cast in the earth, but gather the crop in heaven. Seeing then we must give cheerfully, it is here the contrary of that which is said in the 126. Psalm: Those which shall sow in tears, shall reap in joy and triumph. For he who shall sow this relief with tears, shall reap with grief. None shall reap with joy in heaven, if he have not joyfully sowed upon earth. An alms given unwillingly, doth not only lose all reward, but also deserveth no pardon. It fareth alike with alms which are vaingloriously given, and to be seen of men, which our Lord condemneth in the 6. of Matthew. Also it fares alike with alms done of goods ill gotten; who having enriched himself by fraudulent means and extortion, thinks to appease God by giving part of his robberies in alms, goes about to corrupt God with presents, & call him to take part of the spoil. As in the law, God received not as an offering, neither the price of a dog, nor the hire of the lecher: so in the Gospel, God will that alms (which the Apostle to the Hebrews calleth a sacrifice) should be of just things, Heb. 13. 16. and gotten by labour: that he who hath stolen, steal no more, but rather labour with his hands, that he may have to give unto him that hath need. Ephes. 4. Wherefore when jesus Christ in the 16. of S. Luke, will that we give alms of unjust riches; he calleth riches there evil, not because they were unjustly gotten, but because that ordinarily they are enticements & baits of iniquity; otherwise he would sooner have commanded them to be rendered unto such as they had been wrongfully taken from. This same love of God, Agreement among brethren. produceth peace and concord amongst brethren. For it is impossible to love God, without imitating him. Now he is the God of peace. Rom. 16. We must therefore be children of peace, in imitation of him: for so are the faithful called in the 10. of Luke. To this purpose in the 19 of the first of Kings, God is represented as not being in the storm and boisterous wind, but in the still and quiet sound; because God is not amongst confusions and quarrels, amongst persons which eat up one another, but amongst those which be at peace and unity. But the devil liveth upon discord, and is friend unto strife. Even as men cause two dogs or two cocks to fight together for pleasure, the lookers on encouraging them to the combat: so doubt you not, but when two men fight together, the devil pricketh them on, and taketh pleasure thereat. Let us take heed lest before we be aware, we make ourselves the devils babble or pastime. We (I say) that be brothers, who have all the world on our skirts; who by one self same combat, do tend to one self same hope: called to repair the breaches of jerusalem, to build again the house of God in the view and despite of the devil. It is written in the 1. of Kings, chap. 6. that Salomon's temple was builded without any noise, there was not one stroke of a hammer heard. Let us labour in the work of God without any noise, and without strife. And here may and aught to be remembered the advertisement which joseph gave to his brethren, at their going out of Egypt, to return to their father; he sent them away, and said unto them, Gen. 45. 24. Fall not out by the way. For what is the life of a faithful man but an issue out of Egypt, a voyage to return home to our father? Let us not quarrel then on the way, let us live in peace, and the God of peace will remain with us; whom we shall love the more ardently, when we are joined in affections for to love him. The fourth mark of the Love of God. WE presume that such are friends whom we ordinarily see together. Often communication with God. Communication and familiarity are the nurses of friendship, yea more than good turns. He which doth a pleasure with a severity, withdrawing his company from all; who giveth with a refusing countenance, like one that should fling his bread at a beggars head, doth unbind in binding, and is paid well enough if his benefits be pardoned. Friendship also requireth, that a friend should in all things be advised by his friend, discharge unto him his cares, discover his sorrows, and power all his grief into his bosom, to take counsel of him if there be any remedy, and to ease himself if there be none. This is then also one of the marks of the love of God, to wit, a frequent communication, by the which the faithful Christian doth counsel or consolate himself with God. For the man which loveth God, being to deliberate upon any thing of importance, doth first consult with the oracle of God's mouth, and inquireth after his will. As for example, upon the choice of religion, he will not call the belly to counsel, nor worldly hopes; he will not imitate the Shechemites, Gen. 34, 23. which took the seal of God's covenant upon them, to have the substance and cattle of the children of jacob: nor the jews, which in the 6. of Saint john, follow Christ to have bread; he will not make jesus Christ serve him for a purvey or, nor religion to be a merchandise of the time, or a dependency of his domestical affairs. The fear of men, shame, respect, worldly honours, covetousness, like blind and traitorous counsellors, shall not be admitted unto this counsel: but he will withdraw himself unto God; & after having ardently craved his grace, he will resolve to believe nothing but what he teacheth us in his word: wherein if there be any difficulty, yet that which remaineth clear, is sufficient for our instruction. Add hereunto, that if he demand faithfully in jesus Christ his name, the grace to understand enough for his salvation, jesus Christ promiseth that all which we shall so demand in his name, he will give us. Likewise if he be to make a match, or choose any vocation, he will first counsel himself with God, that he may choose that vocation in which he shall be least solicited to offend God, and in which he shall have most means to glorify him. After this consultation, human wisdom may be heard in her rank, not as a mistress to rule the roast, but as a servant, who speaketh when he is questioned: she shall propound what our forces are, what the present necessity is, what the courses of the time, and the circumstances of places and persons. In like sort, if there be any question of marriage, the faithful will before all other things consult with God's mouth, and will hear the Apostle Saint Paul (1. Corin. 7.) commanding that it be done in the Lord. And God himself in the 7. of Deuteronomie, charging us not to contract marriage but with true believers. So Isaac and jacob were married by the commandment of their fathers; but Esau took unto him wives of the Gentiles, Gen. 26. 35. which were a bitterness unto Isaac and Rebecca. I pass over the consideration of the inconveniences which do spring thereof, for at this time we do seek only after the proofs and effects of the true love of God. For if a friend should marry himself without communicating the matter unto his friend; might he not take occasion to say, You do mistrust me, and do all your business without speaking thereof unto me. Now if God hath communicated unto us all his counsel, as saith S. Paul, Acts 20: shall we make difficulty to let him know ours? His counsel (I say) which is a bottomless depth of wisdom, full of wholesome and holy mysteries: on the contrary, our counsels which are but light things, and wherein he will be our counsellor for our good, and which he knoweth without our communicating them. Certainly the word of God is our good counsellor, who counseleth us without flattery, who ruleth us without ambiguity: and the Prophet Esay, cha. 9 calleth jesus Christ the Counsellor, not only because he hath manifested to us the counsel of God in the Gospel, but because he is to counsel us in our doubts, and resolve us in our deliberations. That which I say of our difficulties, ought also to be understood of our sorrows; in which we ought to address ourselves to God, make our complaint to him, power out our tears & discover our afflictions unto him with a son like liberty: and though he know them well without this communicating, yet will he thereby give us ease and contenting. Take example hereof in the Psalms of David, where you have an anatomy of the thoughts of the faithful, and the picture of a divers agitation within him. You shall see many Psalms, as the 6. the 22. the 51. etc. wherein the beginnings are full of fear, & the entry full of anguish, and as it were within two fingers of despair; but in the end you see nothing but joy and assurance: so that you would think that the Psalm were composed by two men of contrary humours. From whence cometh this so sudden change? was it, that in the midst of his prayer, some good news arrived, which might allay his grief? no such matter: but thus, that according as he grew more and more fervent with God, his soul rising from under her burden, stayed herself upon his promises, & came forth with peace & assurance. Who is that faithful Christian, who hath practised this exercise, and hath not felt ease? And if an obstinate pensiveness, which holdeth the hand still on the wound, seize on our spirits and consume them, ought it not to be imputed unto the want of communicating with God? for tears suppressed procure double smart; and although but unprofitably spent, yet do they discharge us of grief, and give air unto the wound. But being spent before God, who hath bound himself by promise, yea even by oath, not to abandon us, doth bring us a great consolation, before God (I say) who doth register our requests, yea even preventeth them, so far forth as David saith in the 32. Psalm, that God hath pardoned him his sin, not only after his prayer, but even as soon as he had any will to crave it. For he requireth not any prayers of us, because he hath need of our service, but because we have need of his grace: and that according to his justice it cannot be given to those which shall not deign to crave it. As the Sun draweth up vapours from the earth, not for itself, but to render them to the earth in rain to moisten and fatten it: so God the true Sun of our souls, draweth from us our sighs and prayers, not for his own profit, but to make them rain down again upon us in so many blessings. This same frequent communication with God in our afflictions, will teach us to turn away our eyes from men which do afflict us, towards God who doth employ them, that we may not be like the angry dog, which biteth the stone which is cast at him. The man that shall love, will say as David when Shimei cursed him: 2. Sam. 16. Suffer him to curse, for the Lord hath bidden him. The Lord proveth me, or correcteth me; my sins fortify mine enemies, and make them necessary: the strokes of God are more wholesome than the flatteries of the world. In our domestic harms let us take heed of resembling such hurt men, as falling into frenzy, do tear all things prepared to dress them withal. Yea even out of affliction, and in full prosperity, what sweetness & pleasure is there in this communication? For according to the commandment of our Saviour, Math. 6. the faithful shall enter into his closet, and having shut his door, shall pray unto his Father, who seeth him in secret, and who will reward him openly. There being covered from the eyes of men, he shall discover himself before God with less distraction, & more familiarity. There, after having spoken to himself, he will frame his own indictment, & condemn himself that God may pardon him. And taking the law as a looking-glass, he will acknowledge therein the spots of his soul, will seek to cover them by faith, & to correct them by repentance. There he will meditate upon the works of God throughout the world, his judgements against his enemies, his benefits towards his Church; and particularly unto himself, how God hath guided him, instructed him, and brought him unto his knowledge. How many monarchs & peoples have set themselves against the church being weak and contemptible in appearance, and have crushed themselves thereagainst: but the church of God subsisteth, and so shall do unto the end. Yea even using a ladder as it were in his meditation, he shall raise himself to the contemplation of the works of our redemption, marking therein how God would have the remedies proportionable unto the evil. For, because man desiring to make himself like unto God, by exalting himself, is fallen into death: God having made himself like unto man, by abasing himself, hath restored him unto life. And as the woman brought unto man the fruit of death: so God would that woman, to wit, the holy Virgin, should bring man the fruit of life. And as out of the profound sleep of the first Adam, God drew him forth a woman, who was bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh: so by the death of the second Adam (which the Scripture calleth a sleep) God hath gotten him a Spouse, that is to say, his Church, which is one body with him. In this same meditation he will admire, how in one person, God hath united himself unto man, having joined the author of life with a mortal body, shutting up all his celestial treasures in a vessel of earth, to the end we might there draw of his fullness. How by the infirmity of this flesh, he vanquished the force of Satan; from his extreme shame hath drawn exceeding glory; from the death of that man, drawn the life of all men, by that very same virtue, through which in the beginning of the world he had drawn light out of darkness. In this contemplation, as being inflamed with this divine love, he will raise up himself through faith, even unto the joys of heaven; where God discovers himself face to face; where the harps of Saints sound forth; & where the Seraphins assisting before the throne, cry, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. O how sweet a thing is it to join unto these their praises, and have a part in this celestial harmony! One only beam of this glory in the transfiguration of jesus Christ on the mountain, had taken away from S. Peter the remembrance of his home, and of his wife and family: It were good (said he) that we stayed here; and would have set up tents there. How much more would he have been ravished, if himself had been transfigured: as the Apostle saith, Phil. 3. 21. that jesus Christ shall transform our vile bodies, that they may be made like unto his glorious body. Who doubteth, but that when this glory vanished, S. Peter was seized with great sorrow: and so indeed the heart of the faithful coming from this meditation again to consider these base and earthly things, is necessarily touched with a great distaste and base esteem of them, and is grieved to see himself tied thereunto, and to say with David, Psal. 42. O when shall I present myself before the face of God? It was these thoughts which made the Prophet greedy and thirsty after the Lord. These were the thoughts which made Paul desire to be dislodged, and to be with Christ: which made him think that which was gain unto others, to be loss unto him. These are the thoughts which have even in our time sustained the Martyrs, which have made them go unto death as cheerfully as those which come thence. For love is strong (saith Solomon) as death, yea stronger, seeing it maketh one to despise life. This ardour of love is entertained in our souls by a frequent communication with God: and we may easily see, that the cause of our slackness and coldness in this love, is, because we speak not often with God. The most exquisite friendships do wax cold for want of communication: how much more if friendship never hath been, as indeed man is naturally borne and inclined unto enmity with God. This is a common evil, to wit, that we are much exercised in speaking with others, but very little with ourselves, and yet less with God. If some hours of leisure do steal us from men, they give us not any whit the more unto God. If we enter alone into our closet, we enter not ever the sooner into ourselves, to examine our consciences, to search our wounds, to feel the pulses of our consciences, or to talk with God. And yet none shall see him above, who hath not carefully sought him here below; and hath not carefully walked with him by prayers, meditations, and by the study and reading of the word. This let us study, and from our life, which is divided into a thousand parts, amongst a thousand occupations, suits, solicitations, public and domestic affairs; let us withdraw some hours to give ourselves unto God, retiring ourselves out of the throng and noise of this world, quietly to meditate on those things which pertain to our salvation. As if by a little channel we would divert a part of the troubled waters of a stream, that they may run more gently and clearly. A running brook presenteth not any images; nor a spirit which is ever in action, & always puffed with business, hardly can he frame himself unto the image of God. We must then separate some hours to speak with God. All the time of our life is lost except that which is thus husbanded. That time alone is only ours which we give to God. Let none here allege his domestic affairs. For if we be God's children, his service is part of our domestical affairs: yea, and whilst we are doing our handy works, what hindereth us that we may not think of God, and send him up by our broken sighs, those sort of prayers which the ancient Fathers called eiaculatoriae? short prayers which may be said every where, prayers lanced forth, spiritual sallies borne of the present occasion; prayers which have no other ornament but fervency, whose clauses have no other contexture but necessity. Who doubteth, but that the Prophet Eliseus ploughing of his field, of that very labour of his took occasion to say, We sow here in tears, but we shall reap in heaven with joy? Or that the Apostle S. Paul, labouring with his hands to make tents, of this earthly travel, took occasion to think of our heavenly rest? The way is every where open unto prayer: and the love of God is ingenious to suggest thoughts, which like sparks of piety mount up unto God. The fifth mark of the Love of God. THe life of the body is discerned by these Zeal of the glory of God. two marks: 1. by motion: 2. by feeling. The love of God being the life of our souls, is also known by these two things. The four marks of this love which we have hitherto presented, are the motions of our souls; for they are holy actions, and spiritual motions, produced by the love of God: but this fifth mark is the feeling, to wit, an affection which maketh a man sensible, to be moved either with grief or with joy, according as God is blasphemed or glorified. Carnal and vicious love may serve us for an example. We read of the son of king Antigonus, that being grievously sick, and none knowing the cause of his malady: his Physician perceived the cause to be the love of his mother in law, because that she being entered into the chamber, his pulse began to beat extraordinarily. The like happeneth in the love of God. All men that are therewith possessed, when that they see God glorified, or his name & his truth blasphemed, although he intent to contain himself, yet will the pulse of his conscience be extraordinarily moved, either with joy, or sorrow and impatience. It will chance him as it happened unto Croesus his son, who having been ever dumb, came suddenly to his speech, seeing his father assailed, fear and grief having overcome all natural hindrances. For the Spirit of jesus Christ dwelling in him, produceth the same effects in him as in himself; joh. 2. 17. of whom it is written, The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up. Rom. 15. 3. This affection did exulcerate the Apostle Saint Paul being at Athens, Act. 17. 26. and grieved his soul to see the Town so given to idolatry. This same zeal was it which seized on the soul of Eli his daughter in law; so as in her death she was not so much afflicted either for his or for her husbands, as for the Ark of the covenant which was taken by the infidels. It is of this alone that she speaketh dying: Sam. 4. 21. The glory of the Lord (saith she) is departed from Israel. There is no more certain effect of the love of God than this here: for if at one time we receive several news; the one of the loss of a lawsuit; the other of the revolt of some persons bought; and are more grieved with the last than the first. Or if we be more angry to hear God's name blasphemed then to hear ourselves evil spoken of; then have we in us an assured witness, that the love of God is lively imprinted in our souls. Good blood will not belly itself. All well-born children are touched at the quick with the injuries are done unto their fathers: who so is not moved therewith, confesseth himself a bastard or a stranger. This is an evil which we see before our eyes, to our great grief: that unto them which make profession to carry weapons, and to understand the terms of reputation, if one speak the least cross word, it is enough to cut one another's throat: so that they confess their lives to be little worth, seeing they will hazard them for so little, making it an every days exercise: but if God be blasphemed, & his truth slandered, if his name be abused before their eyes, they remain unmovable, and bear a part therein. We are lepers, without feeling in spiritual things, but very sensible in carnal. We go for curiosity unto sermons, where God's truth is opposed against, and our presence by the weak taken for an approbation: but we would be loath to be found i● a place or company where the honour of our house should be defamed, but to contradict the same. Let us undergo in this point a voluntary condemnation, and let us acknowledge that this spiritual feeling is very feeble in us, to the end we may crave of God to awaken it, by quickening us with his love. From these five degrees and five marks, you may easily gather, that the love of God consisteth not only in having a good opinion of him, or to have a good feeling, or to speak well of him; but that chiefly it consisteth in obeying him, and conforming us to his wil So God in his law saith, that he showeth mercy unto them which love him; but he addeth, & which keep my commandments. And jesus Christ, joh. 14. Who so loveth me, will keep my sayings. And the same Apostle in another place: 1. joh. 3. My little children, love not in word, neither in tongue only, but in deed and in truth. So S. james saith: Cham 1. v. 17 That pure and underfield religion before God, is to visit the fatherless and widows in their adversity, and to keep ourselves unspotted of the world. But there be many that are religious in speech, not in actions; and who study to be more skilful, not more wise; who confess God with their lips, but deny him in their hearts. Like unto those which struck jesus Christ, saying, Hail master: or to Rabshakeh, who spoke not the language of the people of God, but for to dishonour him withal. He knoweth not God, who loveth him not; & he loveth him not, who obeyeth not his wil The children of Eli were instructed in the will of God; for being Priests they taught it unto others; and yet the Scripture saith, 1 Sam. 2. 12. that they knew not God, because they loved him not. 1. Cor. 4. 20. The kingdom of God (saith S. Paul) lieth not in words, but in power. It is even so with his love. So David in the 33. Psal. saith, that praises are very comely; but he addeth, in the mouths of just men. As for the wicked, God saith unto him in the 50 Psalm, Wherefore takest thou my words into thy mouth? For this cause was it that jesus Christ, when the devil confessed him, said unto him, Hold thy peace, hold thy peace. For the praise of God, and the truth of religion, are vilified and debased in the mouth of the wicked, and thereby lose their authority: for she is made a companion of vice; and the livery of God's children becometh by this means a cloak of impiety. Thou sayst, I love God, but dost despise his will: I love God, but dost hate the image of God. Canst thou love God without following him? or follow such as do good to their enemies, whilst thou livest in discord with thy brethren? We protest all of us to love God, but we better love the increase of our moneys then the advancement of his cause. We protest to fear him, but we do not fear to do before him such things as we would shame to do before men. Who is that quarreler or thief, that will strike or steal in the presence of the judge? and for all this, what do we not in God's sight, the judge not only of our actions, but also of our thoughts? We protest to love jesus Christ, and yet abandon his members which are the poor. We spend more in a quarter of an hour at play, then in a whole year in alms. The superfluity of our attire, would clothe a great number of poor. All is spent in pleasure, and nothing in piety. All is for our covetousness, & nothing for God's sake. Doth that man love God, which will not willingly speak unto him, nor of him; or who taketh no counsel of God in his distress? or who is not touched with the zeal of his glory? In the mean time there is none amongst us, who maketh not profession to love God: which showeth that we love him in gross, but hate him in retail; this being in general, and gainsaid in particular. We speak of heaven, but have our hearts on the earth. By this means if one mark apart our love to God, it may be found some special matter; but if we balance it with our love of the world, our pleasures, our riches, our preferments, it is found very light: so that our love is a kind of disesteem, and almost an hatred. Let us take heed to ourselves; for we shall not be judged according to this general profession, but according to our particular actions. And if so it be, that we love not God as we ought, or if we love some other thing with him otherwise then for his sake, how shall we subsist before him, loving any thing better better than he? yea even against him, loving that which God hateth, to wit, the world and the desires thereof, and cherishing his enemies in his presence. CHAP. IU. Five means or helps to inflame us in the love of God. NOw we are to treat of the means to nourish in us this love. It is surely an effect of the Spirit of sanctification, which God giveth only to his children: whereupon this spirit is called the spirit of adoption by the Apostle, Rom. 8. because it is not given to any other than the children of God, which he hath adopted in jesus Christ: and that therefore he frameth their hearts unto a childlike love, and to have recourse unto God as their Father. It is requisite, that the grace of God should prevent our wills, to make them willing; that it may accompany them, that they may will fervently; and that it follow them, to the end they may not will in vain, and without fruit. Phil. 2. 13. It is God which bringeth forth in us with efficacy, both the will and the deed, according to his good pleasure. Notwithstanding God moveth us not like stones; he maketh us follow willingly, he bendeth our wills by an unconstrained necessity. For this cause is it, that we are called, workers together with God: 1 Cor. 3. 9 & that in the same place where S. Paul saith, that God giveth the will and the deed according to his good pleasure: he willeth notwithstanding that we should work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Phil. 2. 12. 13. The means than which we have to employ ourselves in the nourishing and cherishing of this love of God in us, is in general, to give ourselves to good works, which be pleasing unto him. But in this travel, I find five helps, by which, wisdom joined with piety, through a holy industry do quicken this love in us, and do put matches as it were unto our hearts, thereby to kindle this spiritual flame. These means or aids are: I. The image of vices. II. The choice of friends. III. Hatred of the world. IV. Prayer. V. The hearing and reading of the word. The first help or aid of the Love of God. THose who void out of their lodgings their stable dung, The image of vices. do fatten their fields withal; and by ridding themselves of this infection, do otherwise make a profit thereof. The faithful Christian ought to follow this example. For it is the duty of piety, to discharge ourselves of those vices which are of ill savour before God: but Christian wisdom findeth means to draw even from this filth, some commodity. He then which would seek some model, whereon to form the love of his God, aught to observe amongst all the rest, the most monstrous and the most obstinate vices, & they are so all indeed. Yet I think that extreme avarice doth some deal bear away the bell. Let it then be exposed to open view; and let this monster, which corrupteth man when it is within him, teach man being thrust forth, and instruct him afar off. For will you love God, as you ought? love him then as a man extremely covetous loveth his money. Avarice taketh away rest, and troubleth sleep; his money is the first thought at his waking: so let the love of God break our sleep, possess our thoughts in the night; let it be the first of our thoughts at our awaking, to meditate on his former graces, to dispose of our future life, to bewail our sins at the cock-crowing. Covetousness doth shut the heart of the covetous into his coffer, where his treasure is: so also let the love of God fix our hearts in heaven, to the end that there where our treasures be, there may our hearts be also. Avarice snatcheth out of the niggards hand the bread he should eat, and maketh him be content with little: so must the love of God teach us abstinence, and how to bring under our bodies; to live with little, and to deprive ourselves when it is requisite, of temporal commodities for his service. The avaricious man undertaketh for gain long voyages, sequestering himself from his wife and children: so must the love of God prepare us to endure banishment, to leave wife and children to follow God; remembering the saying of our Lord, Mat. 10. Who so loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me: or who so loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. The covetous man having put his money unto usury, calculateth the time, and with impatience attendeth the term: so we that know that God hath in his hands our pledge, and that he will render us our alms with usury, aught with impatience to attend the time of payment; and in the mean time very preciously keep his obligation, which is the doctrine of the Gospel. The covetous man, the older he waxeth, the more greedy he is to gather; he liveth poorly, that he may die rich; his purpose to gather is at the greatest, when the term of his life is at the shortest: so must the old man fearing God, make more careful provision of faith and good works. Let him live poor in worldly goods, that he may die rich in heavenly. Old age is the grounds and lees of life; but in the faithful man it reneweth, Psal. 103. as unto an Eagle: for than he feeleth more lively and certainly the motions of the life to come; then hath he the wager almost in his hand, being near the end of his course. When the rivers are near their end, and approach unto the sea; the tide cometh towards them, and meeteth them: so when the course of a faithful man's life cometh near his end, than God cometh to meet him; and before death, giveth him some taste and feeling of the life to come. Then it is that we ought to have a holy covetousness to husband our time, make a stock of faith, send our good works before us, and to make ourselves friends which may receive us into the everlasting habitations. This meditation, which giveth vice a double construction, and maketh it look both ways, enforceth it to be an example and help unto virtue: as Amorrhean captives, to cleanse & deck the tabernacle; as a woman of Hethe, whose hair and nails are cut off, Deut. 21. For virtue is so feeble in us, that to raise itself up, it borroweth help of vice; it passeth over to the Philistians to whet her tools. 1. Sam. 13. 20. Because we cannot comprehend how much we owe unto God, but through the consideration of that which we give unto our concupiscence; for all that is stolen from him, The second help unto the Love of God. THe sheep of jacob brought forth spotted lambs, Choice of friends. according to the colour of the rods were laid before them: so men produce works conformable unto the objects which they have before their eyes. And this is a great evil, that good examples have nothing like so great force to form us unto goodness, as bad have to induce us unto evil. For, as a man strucken with the pestilence, will sooner infect a dozen sound men which shall approach to him, than these whole men can help him: in like sort, a vicious man will sooner infect many honest men, than he will correct himself by their example. For vice is here in his own soil, it cometh up without planting, it groweth without pain; much more than being fortified from without, & well laboured: but virtue is a stranger, and resembleth a grain brought from the East, which after much care and labour, doth yet little prosper but degenerate; especially in the contagion of these times, which is as the dregs and sink of all seasons and ages, in which virtue is a prodigy, and piety a crime or simplicity. For thus do men call foolishness in this age; in which, that they may tender or make virtue to be odious, they cloth brutishness with his habit. Even as it is uneasy that the flocks feeding amongst the thorny bushes, should not leave some of their wool: so is it hard for an honest man, living amongst so great corruption, but he must leave some of his innocency. We fall away insensibly; we go on in badness, without being aware thereof, like people sleeping in a boat, and carried down the stream, which make much way without thinking thereon. Wherefore we are to look to ourselves, and in so contagious an air, to provide ourselves of preservatives, of which, the best is the love & fear of God. And this love is nourished by haunting those which love him. We must acquaint ourselves with such as we should be like; to the end that the faithful with some few friends loving God, withdrawing himself as it were from vices, may look with horror upon them as from a far off, upon this overflowing torrent and powerful reign of the devil; comforting himself in the mean time in God, and relying on his love. This same friendship among the faithful, will serve the better to make them know themselves. For seeing we be blind in our imperfections, we ought to borrow our friends eyes, and lend them ours, to the end we may mutually reprehend and correct one another. The serious reprehensions of a friend, do more good than praises, were they never so true. Whoso shall take away from friendship the liberty of reprehending, leaveth nothing that may distinguish it from flattery. And seeing that we are naturally lame and benumbed in things touching God's service, we must employ the help of our friends, to the end they may bring us into this bath to receive healing. For God communicateth not his graces unto us, that they should fade and vanish with us, but that we might multiply our talon; and that the spring of his spiritual benedictions, which he causeth to break forth in us, may run out, and serve for instruction to our neighbours: as Christ saith to S. Peter: But thou being converted, confirm thy brethren. For if God command us to take up our enemies strayed beast; how much more to reform the soul of our friend, when it wandereth out of the way of salvation? This communication also among the faithful, bringeth comfort in affliction, which being divided among many, is more easily borne. Many small brooks reunited in one channel, carry great vessels: many afflicted spirits joining themselves together by concord & mutual support, will easily bear an affliction. And the word of God witnesseth unto us, that God looketh on, hearkeneth unto, and taketh pleasure in the consolations and mutual exhortations of his children. So the Prophet Malachi in the 3. chapter saith, that when the proud are esteemed happy, and the bad advanced, than those which feared the Lord, spoke one unto another, & the Lord was attentive and heard: and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them which fear the Lord, and think on his name; and they shall be mine (said the Lord) when I shall lay apart my most precious jewels. O how precious a treasure is a virtuous friend fearing God And would to God that as we are used to know by certain marks the goodness and courage of a horse; so also in the choice of friends, that we might with the sight of a man know his virtue: but the lurking holes of the spirit of a man are so deep, that he deceiveth both himself and others, and he is hidden even from himself. Yet by a man's innocency of his actions, sobriety of his words, by the simplicity of his habit, by his zeal and ardour in God's cause, by his disesteem of gain, by his eschewing of pleasures, you may very probably know the purity of his mind within: even as by the sparks coming forth of a heap of ashes, men know the hidden fire. The third help of the love of God. THe disesteem likewise and hatred of the world, Contempt and hatred of the world doth not a little aid unto the love of God. For the love of the world (saith S. james) is enmity against God. And S. john likewise: 1. joh. 2. If any one love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. By the world, I understand human business, worldly pomp, carnal enticements, earthly desires, deceitful and uncertain hopes: who so loveth God, will look on these things with disdain. He will pass over all the ages of man, from his conception unto his rotten sepulchre: he will consider in all the conditions and states of his life, his certain misery, his uncertain hopes, unfruitful gain, that he may say with Solomon, Vanity of vanities, Eccles. 1. all is vanity. Looking on these things with a disdain, mingled with compassion: a disdain extending even unto hatred, when he shall consider wickedness to be mingled with vanity, and the devil to have so established his reign in the world, that it is a kind of miracle and prodigy to see therein a good man. So as the Prophet Esay acknowledgeth chap. 8. Behold me (saith he) and the children which the Lord hath given me, for a sign and for a miracle in Israel. Now if it were a miracle in Israel to see a family instructed in the fear of the Lord, how much more amongst infidels? and if in jerusalem, how much more in Babylon? It is then without reason that we wonder when we see examples of disloyalty, cruelty, uncleanness; seeing that on the contrary the Spirit of God teacheth us, to hold the example of piety and the fear of God for a miraculous and unusual thing. These and such like considerations joined unto the feeling of the excellency of the children of God, will cause the faithful to esteem himself better than the world; and looking on the earth as a place cursed, will live therein as a passenger and traveler: as an Englishman that should travel over Persia or Tartary, intending to return into his country. For he will not answer as that Philosopher, who being inquired, of what country he was, answered, that he was a citizen of the world: but the faithful saith, he is a stranger in this world, and a citizen of heaven; and therefore withdrawing his affection from the world, and raising up his heart unto God, he doth like him, who from the top of the Alps where the air is clear, looketh upon the fields beaten with tempest, the country all about foggy and misty; and there rejoiceth himself, resting himself upon the love of God, which hath delivered him from this general male diction. So in the 29. Psalm, after having represented the tearing of the Cedars, the shaking of the mountains, and the discovering of the forests by the force of the thundering voice of God; he withdraweth the children of God out of this confusion, and assembles them into God's palace, where he is glorified; and assures himself that God will give peace and strength unto his people. For in this palace of God, which is his church, doth sound that voice, not which shaketh the mountains, but which assureth our hearts; not that voice which rooteth up the Cedars, but that which comforteth our consciences: not that which causeth the Hinds to cast their young ones, but which maketh us to conceive hope. It is the word of the Gospel, in which God layeth open the treasures of his love: in which whosoever shall take a relish, he shall find the sweets of the world to be bitterness, and hating the same, will learn to love God. Now we say this, not to discharge ourselves of all earthly things: this carelessness of the world hindereth not the love of our children, nor the care of our family, nor our endeavour in the administration of our magistracy; but the faithful will do these things, as a passenger fits himself in the best manner he may at some Inn. He who is not to stay there above a night, will not stand to build a wall; and if he suffer there any discommodity, he will patiently digest it, because it is but a passage. For the faithful will follow domestical and civil affairs, not as if he meant there to set up his staff, to tie thereunto his designs, or therein to place his hope. His thoughts will ever be in some other place; and during his business, will ever think of the vanity of his travel. He will always begin his actions with the service of God, and invocation of his name; and that shall ever be the first, which he will have last: whilst worldlings, after the example of Martha, pain themselves excessively in domestic affairs; he after Mary's example, will choose the good part, which shall not be taken from him, placing himself at Christ's feet to hear his word. If he have any worldly fears, they will give place unto the fear of God. If he have any hopes, they will give place unto his hope of the kingdom of heaven. If he have any sorrows, they will be swallowed up of a greater sorrow, proceeding from the sense of his sins, or the bruisings of joseph. God himself herein is an example unto us. For in building of the world, he hath done contrary unto men which do build also: men begin at the foundation, but God beginneth at the top. He stretched out the heavens, before he laid the foundations of the earth. The natural works of God, are spiritual instructions unto us. To the end that we may follow this order, and that we may ever begin by the care of heavenly things; the earthly will present themselves in the second rank to be thought on, not of love or of purpose, but by necessity, and as much as is required, for not seeming cruel unto those which be ours, or enemies to ourselves. Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof, and all other things shall be administered unto you. Math. 6. 33. The fourth aid of the love of God. FRequent and often prayers do likewise nourish this love; Prayer. I mean as well public as private: for the public, are a choir of sighs, a harmony of affections sent up with one accord unto God; which imitateth that holy consort of the Angels & souls of the Saints sounding on their harps in heaven; whereof mention is made in the 5. of the Apocalypse. In our private prayers, the faithful man being hidden from man's eyes, discovereth himself unto God, maketh his complaints to him with a childlike familiarity, prayeth unto him, not of custom, but with affection, with words broken off with sighs, which are used even in the midst of business, through a gentle distraction and wholesome interruption: which prayers have no other motive but love, nor other subject but necessity, or other eloquence but affection. None craveth an alms with the flowers of Rhetoric. Familiar simplicity is very comely in prayer. To make these solitary prayers, Gen. 24. 63. Isaac went out into the fields. So king Ezechias turned his face unto the wall, Esay 38. 2. for fear to be troubled in his prayer. So the Apostle S. Peter went up unto an high room of the house to pray alone. Act. 10. 9 jesus Christ himself in the 6. of Luke, withdrew himself into a mountain to make his prayers, and continued therein all night. Both these sorts of prayers have promise of God to be heard. As touching the public, our Saviour promiseth us, Matth. 18. v. 19 20. that there where two or three be gathered together in his name, he will be in the midst of them: and that all which they shall ask with one accord, shall be ganted them. As for the private, he also speaketh thus in the 6. of S. Matth. When thou prayest, enter into the closet, and having shut the door, pray unto thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which is in secret, shall reward thee openly. These prayers are so many matches of the love of God. For as soon as God will be prayed unto by us, this is a great witness unto us that he loves us. Our importunity is pleasing unto him; he giveth by his commandment free access unto our prayers. That we may obtain his graces, he demandeth no other price of us but our prayers. For rivers of his goodness, he demandeth but some drops of our thankfulness. He is attentive unto the cry of the afflicted. He is nigh unto them which call upon him. Psal. 45. 18. If the cry of dead Abel's blood came up unto him; how much more the cry of his living children, which call upon him in the name of jesus Christ? If he reckon our hairs, how much more our sighs and our prayers, which he himself hath prescribed us? Add hereunto, that prayer is a strong bridle unto us, to hold us in the fear of God. For this only thought, that it is before him that we present ourselves, before him who knoweth our hearts, who seeth all our filthiness through the cloak of hypocrisy; obligeth us to purify our hearts and our hands, to wit, our thoughts and actions; according to the commandment of the Apostle: 1. Tim. 2. I will (saith he) that all men make prayers in all places, heaving up pure hands without anger or debate. On the contrary, God (by the Prophet Esai) rejecteth hands full of blood, Esay 1. even when they lengthen out their prayers. Then when we come to frame our prayers, each word that we say, is a lesson or a reproach. For example, we thus begin the Lords prayer, Our Father which art in heaven. In calling him our Father, we learn on the one part to be his obedient children, and to be persuaded of his love: on the other side, to despise the world, as inferior to our dignity, seeing we be the children of God. This word also of Our, frameth us unto charity towards our neighbours, & to procure their good, not only in our prayers, but in all our actions. And these words, which art in heaven, advertise us to seek for heavenly things; and that our conversation should be as that of heavenly citizens, and children of the heavenly King. Then when the faithful shall come to propose his demands, he will chide himself on this sort: I crave of God that his name may be hallowed, and yet I profane and dishonour it. I desire that his kingdom may come, and be advanced; and notwithstanding I resist and foreslow it as much as lieth in me, unwilling that he should reign in me; not subjecting myself unto the sceptre of his kingdom, which is his word; nor contributing any thing to his Church, which is called in the Gospel, God's kingdom. Item, I pray his will may be done, and yet I resist this wil I beg my bread, and yet covet another man's: My daily bread, and yet my covetous care extends itself unto many years. So likewise we crave that God would forgive us as we forgive them which have trespassed against us: and for all that we are unreconcilable, our hatred is mortal, or to say better, immortal; and yet fear not that God should hear us, pardoning us according as we pardon our neighbours. So we desire not to be led into temptation, and yet we run after temptations, bad companies, books of love-tales, after enticements and occasions of doing ill. Finally, we finish this prayer with mention of the kingdom and glory of God, by which this same prayer began, that it might warn us, that even as our prayers, so also all our affections ought to begin and end with the glory of God. So many petitions, so many advertisements: for jesus Christ most artificially, by teaching us how to crave for good, teacheth us also to do it. In ordering our prayers, he also ordereth our actions: so as speaking to God, we also speak to ourselves; by praying unto God, we learn also to fear him. And surely when you shall see unruliness in a household, either by disobedience of the children, or by dissension between man and wife, it is a certain witness that God is not there called upon as he ought. For this only action of lifting up of hearts and hands together unto God, might have sufficed to reunite their divided affections, and entertain from day to day their family in the fear of God. For by speaking often to God, we learn to love him, and loving him to follow him. Moses his face became shining for having spoken with God: so our souls will become enlightened in the knowledge of God, when we and counsel, all the ambition of so great a monarch, and making him contribute at unawares unto the accomplishment of the prophecies? That which is the greatest of the world, employeth itself for the least of his children, and serveth for the execution of his love. The holy Scripture being full of such examples, rightly may it be called the book of true love; seeing that therein God not only unfoldeth his love, but also bindeth us to love him; and not only exhorteth us to this love, but also produceth it in us by this same word, accompanying the preaching of the same with the efficacy of his holy Spirit. And to say true, I think that the most part of us have had experience, that after the hearing of the word, the sparks of love do kindle in our hearts; and that hearing God speak, or speaking of God, we are inflamed with his love. So the two disciples being in Emaus, after jesus Christ was vanished, said, Did not our hearts burn within us, when he spoke unto us on the way, and preached the Scriptures? And jeremy in the 20. chap. desiring to reserve the word of God in his heart without uttering it, saith, that he felt it in his heart like a burning fire. Wherefore so? but because this word received into the hearts of the auditors, heateth them with the like ardour: as also the tongues of fire descending upon the Apostles, witnessed that God gave them burning tongues, and a word full of efficacy, to inflame men's hearts. Wherefore those which being carried away with their business, or withheld by fear, or persuaded of their sufficiency, neglect coming to sermons, shall insensibly feel that this heat waxeth cool, and that a call groweth over their consciences. This negligence will grow to a distaste, this distaste to a disdain, this disesteem unto a hardness of heart & enmity against God. Whosoever will entertain the love of God in his heart, ought daily to come & hear his word, the which he hath chosen as a wholesome means to move our hearts and to purge our spirits: as Christ saith to his Apostles: joh. 15. 3. You are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Being there, we must hearken to the preaching with greediness, suffer reprehensions gently, receive exhortations with ardour. And even as those, upon whom men mean to make some incision, suffer themselves to be bound and pinioned by the Chirurgeon, lest the motion of the patient should hinder the operation: so must we, when the servants of God are occupied about pricking the apostumes of our vices, and cutting off our concupiscences, which S. Paul calleth our members; Coloss. 3. 5. stay our moving, lightness and inconstancy, lest it hinder the efficacy of this word by our impatiency. To the hearing of the word, we must add the reading, according to the example of those of Beroea; Act. 17. 11. who after they had heard S. Paul's preaching, went and consulted with the Scriptures, to see the conformity thereof with the writings of the Prophets; although that the Apostle being powerful in miracles and in words, did preach with authority enough to be believed, as might be thought: how much more ought we now a days, at our coming from the sermon, content our curiosity, to know if that we hear that day, be true? We which hear Pastors which are not receivable, but so far forth as they prove their sayings by the word of God? Amongst all the books of holy Scripture, the most obscure is the Apocalypse, and yet it is said in the first chapter, that happy are they that read, and those which hear the words of this prophesy. In the 17. of Deuter. God commandeth Kings to read the book of the law, all the days of their life. Reading thereof was the exercise of the Queen Candaces Eunuch, as he road in his chariot. If he read being a pagan, how much more being become a Christian? And if he read when he understood not, how much more when he began to understand? If he read in his chariot, how much more in his house? Also God hath tendered him his hand by the ministry of Philip; and upon the reading, the light of the Gospel is come unto him, for an argument unto us of hope, that in reading carefully the holy Scriptures, God will enlighten us. He which accuseth it of obscurity, accuseth it also of leasing: for it saith of itself, Psal. 19 v. 9 & 10. that it enlighteneth the eyes; that it giveth wisdom to the poor and simple; that it is a lantern to our feet, Psal. 119. v. 103. & a light unto our paths. If it be obscure, 1. Cor. 3. it is (saith the Apostle) to those, of whom the god of this world hath blinded the understandings. At least let us have good opinion of God our Father. Let us not think that he hath written his Testament in obscure terms and ambiguous clauses, to entangle us in suits. The Father of lights in never cause of obscurity. Let us not endeavour to make this word suspicious unto the people, as if the reading thereof were dangerous; as do those profanely fearful people who under every stone imagine a Scorpion to lurk. If there be any difficulties, the rest which is clear is sufficient unto salvation. If it appertain but unto the learned to read the Scriptures, it appertaineth then unto none to read them, for no body is skilful before he have read them. We read not the word of God because we are learned, but to become so. Now here we pass over an infinite number of profits which we gather of this reading; as is the confirmation of our faith, consolation in affliction, a gentle diverting; a master which flattereth not, a company which is not troublesome, a spiritual munition house, which containeth all sorts of weapons against temptations, which furnisheth wherewithal to resist against error, following the example of our Lord, ever resisting the devil by Scripture, and saying unto him, Mat. 4. It is written, it is written, Luk. 4. etc. Only we will stay ourselves upon this, to wit, that the reading kindleth in our hearts the love of God. This is known by experience. For after a man once begins to take a taste in reading the holy Scriptures, other studies begin to prove without relish: you shall see no more upon the Carpet, books of love; the ridiculous Romans and tales of Amadis do fly before the Bible more than the devil before holy-water: all these pleasing and vain readings which busied the spirit and tickled the imagination, do lose their taste after this spiritual nourishment. Another kind of love is kindled in the spirits of those which daily propose unto themselves the witnesses of the love of God towards us, contained in his word. This meditation furnisheth us with a just subject of complaint. For then when they burned us for reading the Scripture, we burned with zeal to be reading them. Now with our liberty is bread also our negligence & disesteem thereof. We are barbarous, and new to seek in the language of God's Spirit. Our hearts then resemble flintstones, which cast no sparks but when they are strucken. Many will have a Bible well bound & gilded, lying upon a cupboard, more for show then for instruction: we love but the outside thereof. We adorn the holy Scriptures outwardly, but it were better it might deck us within. It were better it were torn with often reading, that thy conscience might be more entire: for it is more easy for thee to have another, than it is easy for thee to be an honest man without it. We desire a fair impression; but the fairest impression is that which is made with the finger of God in our souls. The matrices of these characters are in heaven. This love of God is engraven in our hearts with his hand, and is form upon the model of that love which he hath borne us in his Son: according as he saith in the 15. of Saint john: As my Father loved me, so have I loved you: remain in my love. FINIS.