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OF which loue of God, seeing both it's the principall, and that wherby we may know whe∣ther the loue of our neighbour be in vs, yea or no, which is the point wee mainly intend in this Treatise; I will therefore speake a little of the same. The loue of God is a most precious and ho∣nourable
esteeming and affecting of him, with a chiefe delight in him aboue all things. God is wor∣thy to be loued vnmeasurably, be∣cause he is infinitely and vnmea∣surably holy, pure, perfect, and good in himselfe. Also because he hath been vnmeasurably good to vs, especially in giuing his Son to the death for vs. Iohn 3. 16. So God loued, i. e. so vnmeasurably and vnutterably, &c. 1 Iohn 4. 9, 10. & Ephes. 3. To know the loue of Christ, which passeth knowledge: But that wee cannot; therefore wee must loue him, as Deut. 6. 5. with all our heart, soule and might. But this we cannot neyther, since the fall of Adam; therfore we must loue him with an vpright heart, and this God will accept in Christ. Wee must loue him simply and abso∣lutely for himselfe, and all other things for him, in, and vnder him. We must not loue him as we loue other things, but aboue all other
things in the world. Mat. 10. 37. Hee that loueth father or mother more, &c. Nay, Luke 14. 26. Hee that hates not father, &c. that is, when they would withdraw vs from God and his Obedience: therefore Deut. 13. 6. are we bid∣den, if any, neuer so neare and deare, should entise vs to Idola∣try, wee should reueale him, that he may be put to death. If wee loue him not aboue all things, he is not our God.
And this we ought to doe, first, because he is goodnesse it selfe, which is most worthy of all loue, and wheresoeuer we see any part of this Image, it ought to draw our hearts vnto it. Secondly, he hath created vs after his owne Image, redeemed vs by his deare Sonne, preserued vs alwayes, and multiplyed vpon vs, and daily reneweth innumerable mercies both for soule and body; and doe not these (besides what hee
hath promised vs hereafter) chal∣lenge all our best affections?
Thus haue the worthy seruants of God done in their seuerall ge∣nerations. The holy Martyrs, who haue forsaken all for his loue, and counted meanly of their liues for his Names sake: yea, chose rather to endure the vtter∣most torturings, that cruell perse∣cutors could inflict vpon them, rather than doe any thing to his dishonour.
This condemneth all such as* 1.1 are so farre from this loue of God, as they are no better than haters of God: Oh, there be none so vile. Yes, wee are all such by nature, till God worke a change, Rom. 1. 30. and 8. 7. The carnall minde is enmity against God; for it's not subiect to the will of God, nor in∣deed can be. Saint Paul, Rom. 5. Colos. 1. saith, we were enemies to God. 2 Chro. 19. 2. Wouldst thou loue them that hate God: 1. A∣hab
a wicked Idolater, and such as he? so also in the end of the Se∣cond Commandement, see if God call not Idolaters, and such as pretend great loue to him, and are at great cost and paines with him, haters of him.
Such be all Atheists, Here∣tickes, &c. Papists be Idolaters, and great haters of God, persecu∣ting also his Truth & Saints with fire and sword. Among our selues be many abominable blasphe∣mers, contemners of God and all goodnesse: The better any person, thing, speech, action, or duety is, the more they hate it; and the worse any thing, or any company is, the better it pleaseth them.
These be Sathans eldest sonnes, marching in the Fore-ranke of the Deuils Band, to whom (with∣out rare Repentance) belongs no∣thing but a fearfull expectation of vengeance, and violent fire to deuoure such aduersaries, Heb. 10. 27.
It condemneth all such as loue* 1.2 not God, which indeed are to be ranked with the former haters of God, saue that they doe it not in so high a degree. But most will say, they loue God, or else it were pity of their liues, and they defie him, that shall say, they loue not God: What, am I a dogge? Thus, if great words would carry it, euery body would bee louers of God: but it's deedes must proue it, not words. And the Holy Ghost hath left vs certaine and infallible markes, to know the loue of God by, by which if you will be tryed, let vs briefly heare some of them, and iudge your selues accordingly. They that loue God, hate euill, Psalme 97. 10. They will keepe Gods commandements, Ioh. 14. 21. 1 Iohn 5. 3.
They that loue God, would that all others did so, and draw as many to God as they can; as Philip did Nathanael, Iohn 1. 41.
Matthew the Publicans, Mat. 9. to our Sauiour Christ. Isay 2. 1. and reioyce to see any come home to God by Repentance, as the An∣gels of Heauen doe.
They will grieue, when they see him wronged or dishonored; as Moses, when he threw downe the Tables; and Phinees, when he ran thorough Zimri and Cozbi. Lots righteous soule was vexed at the vncleane conuersation of the Sodomites.
They that loue God, will loue his Word, being holy and pure as himselfe, and containing his good will.
They loue his faithfull Mini∣sters: he that receiueth you, recei∣ueth me, Luke 10.
They will loue Gods Children and his Image, wheresoeuer they see it, 1 Iohn 5. 1. Psalme 16. 3.
They will take paines in his seruice, as Iacob did night and day in Labans, for the loue hee
bare to Rachel: and be at cost, as Dauid towards the building of the Temple; and Mary, with her boxe of precious ointment pou∣red on our Sauiour Christ. Yea, and speedily hee will goe about what God cals him to; as Abra∣ham that rose early to offer Isaac, and Hamor, who made speed to get the Shechemites to yeeld to the demands of Dinahs brethren, because he so dearly loued her.
They that loue God, are wil∣ling and glad to meet him, or heare from him in the Ordinan∣ces of his Word, Prayer, Sacra∣ments, as the wife desireth, and is glad to heare from her absent husband, and to send or receiue tokens to him and from him.
They that loue God greatly, are content to suffer for his Names sake; as Paul, that said, I am not ready to be bound, but to dye at Ierusalem for the Name of Christ. And that worthy Martyr, that
said, Shall I dye but once for my Sauiour? I could find in my heart to dye a hundred times for him.
Also they long for his last com∣ming, for their full Redemption, and that they might bee euer with the Lord, as 1 Thes. 4. 17. As the Church, Reu. 22. Come, Lord Iesu, come quickly. Or else they long to be with him, in the meane time, as Paul, I desire to be dissolued, and to be with Christ, which is best of all.
Now, if these be the true and certaine markes of the Loue of God, and where these be wan∣ting, or much more, where the contraries to these bee found, there is no loue of God; then must we necessarily conclude a∣gainst the most part of people in all places, that there is little loue of God abiding in them, as will appear, if we look ouer the parti∣culars: which might strike terror into their hearts, if it were well considered.
For those whose hearts by these markes can beare witnesse on their sides, let them labour to encrease more and more in this loue of God, and see what priui∣ledges God hath promised and bequeathed vnto them. Psal. 91. the three last Verses, Because hee hath loued mee, therefore will I dele∣uer him, &c. He shall call vpon me, and I will heare him, I will bee with him in trouble, I will be with him, and glorifie him: With long life will I sa∣tisfie him, and shew him my salua∣tion. And Iohn 14. 21. Hee that loueth mee, shall be loued of my Fa∣ther, and I will loue him, and shew mine own self vnto him. vers. 23. Yea, these are they, to whom God hath promised his heauenly Kingdome. Iames 1. 12. to them that loue him.
Thirdly, it condemnes those, that loue any thing more than they loue God; as father, mother, wife, childe, profit, pleasure, friend, yea, or life it selfe: which
is no other than Idolatry, and to make that our God, which wee loue aboue God, and spirituall A∣dultery, as St. Iames cals it, Iames 4. 4. as a man that loues a harlot more than his owne wife: yet what is more common than this? yea, the trade of it with the com∣mon sort, who for the sake of the things aboue named, care not what dueties they omit, or what sinnes they commit against God: who yet ought to be loued aboue all, and all things to be loued, in, and for him, and vnder him, and as may stand with our loue to him, and not otherwise.
Yea, the seruants of God, be∣cause their loue is not perfect, suffer many things to come in betweene God and vs, and steale our heart and affection in part from him, and that obedience that wee owe vnto him: which we ought to bewaile deeply, and labour euery day more and more,
that his loue may bee greater in vs, than to any thing; nay, all things else that are in the world besides. And so much of the Loue of God briefly, hauing taken it but by the way.
Vse. 1.