The treasure of true loue or A liuely description of the loue of Christ vnto his spouse, whom in loue he hath clensed in his blood from sinne, and made a royall priesthood vnto his Father. / By Thomas Tuke, preacher of the word..

CHAP. V.

A looking-glasse, to behold the loue of Christ in. The consideration of it, affor∣deth vs three instructions.

Fourthly, in that the Apostle saith, Christ hath washed vs in his bloud fr•• [Doct. 4] our sins, his loue is cleared and greatly cōmended to vs. For what is nearer to a man then his life? And what is dearer to him then his bloud, his heart bloud? Christ hath layed downe his life that we might liue: Christ hath parted with his bloud, his heart bloud, to do vs

good, to purchase our pardon, to purge * 1.1 vs from our sins. The diseases of the body are cured by naturall medicines: but our sins, which are the diseases of the soule, are clensed only by the bloud of Christ. And that this might be done, he did freely forgoe his life, and loose h••s bloud: which argueth is exceeding loue vnto vs. Greater loue then this (saith * 1.2 Christ) hath no man, that a man should 〈◊〉〈◊〉 d••wne his life for his friend. It is not possible for a man to manifest his loue more effectually then by giuing his life for another; and therfore our Apostle * 1.3 ••a••th, Hereby haue we perceiued loue, that hee layed downe his life for vs. If * 1.4 the woman declareth her loue by wa∣shing Christ feet with her teares then great is the loue of Christ, that hath washed vs in his bloud. And his loue appear••th ••et more plainely, insomuch * 1.5 as he, who is the Lord of life, and God of heauen and earth, did lay downe his life for vs wretches, and hath wash∣ed vs in his bloud, who by nature are his enemies. If thou hadst a most pesti∣lent and strong aduersarie, and hadst

also a friend, that did freely lay downe his life to preserue th••e from him, were it not ••n argumen•• of his inward and h••••••e lo•••• vnto thee? Sinne is thy mortall and implacable enemy, too hard for th••e ••o cōquer by thy selfe, & it is imposs••ble for ••hee to saue thy selfe from that intollerable calamitie, which it brings. Christ thy soules friend hath ouercome it: He•• hath smote downe great Goliah the Prince of darknes, the friend and father of thy sinnes: He is thy Sampson, that by his death hath slaine the Philistines, euen all thy sins. Hee hath ouerwhelmed Pharaoh and the Egyptians, Satan and all thy sinnes in the red sea of his b••••ud. His bloud hath su••kt out the ••eart▪ bloud of thine enemies, and hi•• death h••th beene the death of them all; therefore ••hou cans•• no•• chuse but see his adm••••able l••ue vnto thee, seeing he shunned not death, but sp••lt his bloud, and hath embrued thee in it to doe thee good. I•• thou hadst committed some offence against a king, for which without his speciall pardon thou shouldest be condemned

to death and executed: and if by all the meanes thou couldst make thou art not able to procure it: if the kings onely sonne and heyre, whome also thou hast dishonoured, should voluntarily without thy suite and against thy de∣sert laye downe his life and loose his bloud for thy pardon and absolution, did hee not shew vnspeakeable grace, and giue an vndoubted testimony of his pittie towards thee. Thou canst not but confesse it? Thou ••ast committed many capitall and grieuous offences a∣gainst the Kings of Kings: his owne and onely Son Christ Iesus, whome thou hast oft disgraced, oft abused, hath f••ee∣ly without thy desert, and when thou hadst no grace of thy selfe to desire him, hath giuen his life for thy life, he hath dyed to preserue thee from eter∣nall death, which is the wages of thy * 1.6 sinne: he hath purged and rinsed thee in his blood, that thy soule might not bleed, his blood hath bought thy par∣don; canst thou then deny that he loues thee? Hath he not aboundantly testifi∣ed and confirmed his pittie towards

thee? Thou canst not but acknowledge it. The consideration of this doctrine [Vse. 1] teacheth vs to remonstrate our loue to him. And seeing that be spared not his blood for vs, let vs also be readie to part with ours for him, if he shall re∣quire and except it of vs. Dauid saith; * 1.7 I loue the Lord, because he hath heard my voice: euen so should we loue the Lord Iesus, because he hath bathed vs in his bloud: yea let vs extoll his loue from our hearts, and celebrate his name in worde and worke.

Secondly, it teacheth vs to be bene∣ficiall and bountifull in benefits to our [Vse. 2] brethren. For we ought to resemble our elder brother. When we receiue a benefit of others, we are by the receit thereof, put in minde to doe good to others. The earth is kind. For as it re∣ceiues kindnesse of others, as hea••e of the Sun, and raine of the cloudes: it so returnes much kindnes vnto others, as sap to the plants, grasse to the beastes, meate to the Serpent, and many kinde and timely fruites vnto men; yea it is kind to many, that are vnkind vnto it.

They which receiue all curtesies, and p••rte with none, are like to Cerberus in the fable, that let in all, but would suffer none to returne. But let vs loue one another feruētly, as Christ hath lo∣ued vs, & declare the inward affection of our heartes, by the signes thereof in our liues. For this tr••••e may be discer∣ned by her fruits: this grace may be knowne by her works. Some man might say (saith Iames) thou hast faith; shew mee thy faith by thy works. Euen so, thou saist * 1.8 thou hast loue, shew mee thy loue by thy workes. Can there be life without breath, or fire without heate? so there can be no true loue without some loue∣tokens▪ Christ hath demonstrated his loue vnto vs, by giuing vs his blood: so do thou declare thy loue to thy neigh∣bour, by giuing or doing those things that argue charitie. Hereby (saith Iohn) 〈◊〉〈◊〉 perc••iued loue, because he layed downe * 1.9 〈◊〉〈◊〉 life for vs, wherefore we ought to lay downe our liues also for the brethren. Take heede therefore that thou dost not despise, calaumni••te, persecute and oppresse them. For this were to shew

thy selfe a very Dung-hill, which recei∣ueth wholsome ayre, sweet shewers▪ and the pleasant sun-beames, (which will do a garden good) and sendeth nothing out of it selfe, but stinking smels, and filthy vapours.

Thirdly, seeing that Christ did so loue vs, as that he gaue vs his bloud, his [Vse. 3] heart-blood, we may assure our selues that he wil not stand with vs for earth∣ly things. He will not surely sticke to giue vs the necessaries of this life, that stood not with vs for his blood, but willingly fore-went it for vs; especially considering that he is able to giue vs all things, because he is heire and Lord of all things, & being God, doth know * 1.10 when they will do vs good, and when harme. This kind of reasoning the A∣postle vseth to the Romanes, saying; If God spared not his owne Son, but gaue him for vs all to death; how shall he not with * 1.11 him giue vs all things also? Euen so say I: If Christ, the ••te••n••l son of God, hath not spared his blood, but h••t•• washed vs in it, and hath gi••en h••mselfe to death freely for vs, what reason haue

we to thinke, but ••ha•• he will giue vs al other things that are c••nue••ient for vs. If he giue the dearer, he will neuer d••ny the cheaper, if we be fit for to re∣ceiue them. So much of the fourth Doctrine.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Omnes hu∣manes san••t medicina dolores, Propert▪
• * 1.2

  Ioh. 15. 13.
• * 1.3

  1. Ioh. 3. 16
• * 1.4

  Luk 7. 38.
• * 1.5

  Act. 3. 15. Act. 20. 28.
• * 1.6

  Rom. 6. 23
• * 1.7

  Ps. 126. 1.
• * 1.8

  Iam. 2. 18.
• * 1.9

  1 Ioh. 3. 16
• * 1.10

  Heb. 12.
• * 1.11

  Rom. 8. 32.