Daniel Sennertus his meditations setting forth a plain method of living holily and dying happily / written originally in Latin, and now translated into English.

CHAP. XIV. That God is to be loved above all things.

FOR as much as God at first crea∣ted us; Christ by his Death re∣deemed us from eternal Death; and the Holy Spirit sanctifies us, and leads us to everlasting life, therefore are we to love God above all things whatever: Love naturally desires what is good and excellent, and what any one loves that he always esteems best, most pro∣fitable, and beautiful; now there is no∣thing can be suppos'd better and more beautiful than God, and therefore he is to be loved above all things: This is the first Commandment; Thou shalt have no other Gods before me: And hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thine Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Might: He

who loves God above all things, hath no other Gods; but who ever loves any thing more than God, he makes that his God; for he prefers it before God, and sets it up as an Idol in his Heart: Therefore a Christian is to despise all things in respect of God, how great and profitable, how beauti∣ful and desirable soever they may appear, and whatever he loves, he therefore loves them, because they are dear and acceptable unto God; but whatever God hates, that the Christi∣an is to despise: Thus our Saviour teacheth us: If any Man come to me, and hate not his Father and Mother, and Wise, and Children, and Brethren and Sisters, yea, and his own Life also, he cannot be my Disciple. He that loveth his Life, shall lose it, and he that ha∣teth his Life in this World, shall keep it unto Life Eternal. That is to say, a Christian ought to despise himself, and all that he hath, and every thing in the World in respect of God; to desire nothing, to love nothing that may alienate his affections from God, however specious it may seem, or how much so ever it may tend to the grati∣fication

of his pleasure, profit, fame or glory: So that though he studies the practice of Vertue, yet he doth it not to advance his own vain Glory and Honour, but because no knoweth 'tis acceptable to God; and so whatsoever he doth, he doth all to the glory of God: This is truly to die to the World, when we can despise Pleasures, Riches, Honours, and all the World enjoys; when God is dearer to us, than any thing besides, and when we dare not do any evil for the love of any Man or thing in the whole World: If this seem hard, yet is it very just and rea∣sonable: For if we love any thing be∣cause we find it profitable to us, consi∣der, that every thing we possess, we have from God; if we love any other things because they are good; God is the chiefest good, yea, goodness it self: If we love Riches, all things are Gods, he is Lord of Heaven and Earth, he filleth the needy with good things, and dispenseth Riches to whom he plea∣seth: If we love Honour, what great∣er Honour can there be, than when the Son of Man shall come in great power and glory, that they who have

loved him, and for his sake have left all things in the World, should also sit upon seats, and Judge the Tribes of Israel? All Worldly things are changeable and Mo∣mentary, and the various vicissitudes of Humane Affairs, occasion nothing but Cares, Sorrows and Vexations of Soul: But the love of God causeth per∣petual Peace and Tranquility of Mind; according to that of David: My Flesh and my Heart faileth: But God is the strength of my Heart, and my portion for ever. If for the sake of God we lose our Worldly goods, the great God a∣lone is more worth than all, and who∣ever enjoys him, hath all things else: For in God are all things that we can wish for or desire; as saith our Lord: Every one that hath forsaken Houses or Brethren, or Sisters, or Father, or Mother, or Wife, or Children, or Lands for my names sake, shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit everlasting life: And again: if a Man love me, my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. This may seem hard to Flesh and Blood, but Chri∣s••••••nity cannot otherwise subsist: The true Christian loves nothing better than

God, and whoever doth, prefers the Creature before the Creator.

In short, the Christian doth all to the glory of God; he seeks not his own pleasure or profit, or honour in any thing, but doth all out of love to God, and for Gods honour: And he that loves God truly and sincerely, loves only those things that are dear and ac∣ceptable to God; and hates all things that God hates: This Holy Men in all Ages studiously perform'd, especial∣ly the Martyrs; the World indeed e∣steemed them as fools, but they were the most prudent Men living: For is not he the wisest Man, that despiseth vile and trifling things, and sets a just value upon things that are best, and most useful? For as our Saviour says, what shall it profit a Man, to gain the whole World, and lose his own Soul?

Virtue it self, and good works are not pleasing to God, if in them a Man seeks his own glory, and not the glory of God alone: And from hence it ap∣pears, how vain the thoughts of Men are; they spend many Days and Nights in Labour and Study, that they may get Learning, and appear renown∣ed

in the World; but to be made par∣takers of the Divine Nature, to acquire a Blessed and Eternal Life, they can scarcely spare so much time from their business, as to recite one serious Prayer: What troubles do Merchants undergo, how many dangers do they run in hopes of being rich? And of how lit∣tle value are the things they gain? Nay, were they as truly great and pre∣tious as they seem to be, yet Death would quickly deprive them of all: But on the contrary, how great are those good things, which God will give in the other life to those that love him? Of which we have already treated in the fourth Chapter. That life will be void of all evil, and replenish'd with all the good and happiness that can be desired, there we shall openly behold the Glory and Majesty of God, and enjoy Communion with him; there we shall not only hear the Hymns and Songs that are sung without intermissi∣on in praise of the Eternal King, by the Angels, Archangels, and all the Bles∣sed, but shall also assist in their Quire, and praise God for ever and ever: Oh! How Blessed, how beautiful is the

Heavenly Jerusalem! Very glorious things are spoken of thee, thou City of God: In thee there is no darkness, no night, no cold nor heat, no al∣teration of Seasons, no hunger nor thirst, no labour nor weariness, no sick∣ness nor death; the glory of God shall enlighten thee; and the pure immaculate Lamb shall be thy Light. There God shall give us meat, of which whosoever eateth, he shall hunger no more; and drink, of which whosoever drinketh, he shall thirst no more: God shall be our strength, our health and our life: God will there be all in all.

And now who in his right mind would not despise and loath these vain Worldly things, and love God alone a∣bove all things else, that so after Death, when all things here below vanish and disappear, he may be made a partaker of this Blessedness, wherein God will be all in all?

The Prayer.

O Merciful Lord, inlighten the Eyes of my mind, that I may consider what immense benefits I have received from thee: When I was no∣thing, thou didst create me after thine own Image; when by my sins, I was justly doom'd to the pains of Hell, thou didst redeem me there from by the Death of thy Son, and hast sanctifi∣ed me with thy Holy Spirit: Lord, by how many Bonds am I obliged to love thee, my only good! How vain and empty are these Transitory things, which after this life is ended, must all be left behind: Grant therefore that I may set my affections on things above, that I may desire thee alone, and be in∣flam'd with the love of thee, that after Death, I may be translated to the joys

and blessedness of thy glorious Kingdom, and live with thee for ever and ev•••• Amen.

Notes

• Exod. 20.3.
• Deut. 5.7.6.4. Mar. 12.29.
• Luk. 14.26, 27.
• Joh. 12.25.
• Ps. 73.36.
• Mat. 19.29.
• Joh. 14.23.
• Mat. 16.26.
• Rev. 21.23.