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. IIII.

Foure instructions arising from the cōside∣deration of our Princehood.

HAuing now declared the nature of this benefit, it remaineth for me to gather the Instructions: which may from hence be reaped. And these are of two sorts. Of the first kind are they that arise from the consideration of these two states together: and they are in number foure.

First, we are taught to take heed of all staine of sinne. For though it be dis∣honorable in all, yet in those speciallie * 1.1 which are in any eminencie aboue o∣thers. Euery vice of the minde hath in it selfe a fault more apparant, and so much more pernicious & discommendable, by howe much more hee is accounted grea∣ter, which offendeth. Blacke spots are soonest seene in the whitest cloth. And the falls of Gods childrē are most obserued and soonest espied. The bare practise of a King, is as a precept to the

people: and wicked priests are by their very examples occasions of much euill.

And if wee, that would perswade the world by our outward profession that wee are as kings and priests vnto God, shall break forth into open enormities, we shall not onely disgrace our calling, but we shall cause many other to stum∣ble and fall by our example. Men are by nature like Towe: and leaude ensam∣ples are as Matches to set them on fire, and to make them rage in sinning like wild-fire.

Secondly, seeing we are so highly graced by Christ, we should arme our selues with comfort against all our e∣nemies, and against the bitternes of all afflictions. What though man disho∣nour thee, yet Christ doth honour thee? What if thou beest poore, yet thou shalt be rich, yea thou art rich; For (as the Apostle sheweth) all things are * 1.2 yours. Whether it be Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death: whether they be things present, or things to come, euen all are yours. And shall we thinke that he, which hath thus highly

promoted vs, will suffer vs to want those things, which in his wisedome he knoweth to be fit for vs? There is no reason for vs thus to thinke. Therefore Dauid saith; Feare the Lord: for nothing * 1.3 is wanting to them, that feare him. The Lions do lacke, & suffer hunger, but they, which seeke the Lord, shall want nothing that is good. And he saith in his owne experience; I haue beene young and now * 1.4 am old: yet I neuer saw the righteous for sa∣ken, nor his seed begging bread. For the Lord forsaketh not his Saints (his kings and priests) they shalbe preserued for e∣uer. Yea but the world doth disgrace and deride thee. It is no maruell. For she did as much for Christ before thee. And shall the seruant thinke to fare better then his maister? Canst thou beare no disgrace for him, that suffe∣red so much for thee, and hath brought thee into grace with God, and highly honoured ••hee? And though the world repute basely of thee, yet are thou ac∣counted of God a king, and priest, e∣uen one of his Annointed. For all, that Christ hath thus dignified are an∣nointed

with the oyle of gladnesse, the * 1.5 oyle of grace. The oyle, which was powred on Arons head, ran downe vp∣on * 1.6 his beard, and to the border of his garmēts. Euen so the oyle of our Aron was not shut vp wholly in himselfe, but (as the Holy Ghost saith) of his fulnes haue we receiued, and grace for grace. Of * 1.7 his blazing Torch haue we light al our candles. Now doest thou not think that God will defend his annointed? Dost thou thinke that Christ will forsake those, whome he hath so graced? Yea, God will defend them: Christ will not leaue them. They, which touch them, * 1.8 touch the apple of his eie. And though the wicked haue drawne their sword, and * 1.9 haue bent their bow to cast downe (those whome Christ hath exalted) the poore and needie, and to slay such, as be of vp∣right conuersation, as they are, whom he hath made kings and priests: yet is it bootlesse to them. For the Lord shall laugh them to skorne: their sword shall en∣ter * 1.10 into their owne hart (God wil sheath it in their owne bowels) and their bowes shalbe broken, though they were of * 1.11

steele. But marke the vpright man, and behold the iust. For the end of that man is peace. Finally, doth death a••rest thee? Or doth the feare thereof oppresse thee? Be not dismayed: for peace shall * 1.12 come: they shall rest in their beds, euery one that walketh before him. Thou art a Priest: thou art cla•• with righteous∣nes, and thou shalt be cloathed with saluation. Thou art a King, and thou shalt enioy thy kingdome, and shall be set in a chaire of state: and the s••oner thou doest die, the sooner thou shalt come to thy crowne.

Thirdly, seeing our calling is so great, & our place so high, it behoueth vs to be carefull of our companions. It beseemes not the maiestie of a king, nor the grauitie of a priest, to conuerse with eueryrif-raffe person. We are spi∣rituall kings and priests: wicked and profane persons are verie Naballs, that is, base & vile, euen the Gally-slaues of * 1.13 the diuel, which row in the ful sea of ini quit••e, & make it a pastime to do wickedly.

Therfore we ought to shun their company. We are a royall Priesthood

and an holy nation to shew forth the ver∣tues of him, that hath called vs out of darkenesse into his maruellous light, and not to defile our selues with wickednes, nor to disgrace our selues or him by frequenting the companie of the vn∣godly, and filthy enemies of goodnes. Is it seemely for a kings sonne, to be a companion with rebells, traytors, and those, which are enemies to his fa∣ther? Are not we the sonnes of God, the king of kings, nay are we not kings our selues? And are not profane and wicked persons our fathers ene∣mies, and enemies to his crowne and dignitie? Shall we then delight in their fellowship? Can a man take fire in his * 1.14 bosome, and his clothes not be burnt? Can a man goe vpon coales and his feet not be burnt? Can a man be in the water, and not be wet? And is it possible for a man to conuerse with Athists, and to delight in the company of the wicked, and yet not be corrupted? Birds of one feather will flie together: and if thy companions be wicked, it is verie like that thy heart is not right, whatsoeuer

thy profession is. Tainted barrels cor∣••upt good wine: and euill companie corrupts good manners. But kings & priests of all others should be most mannarly, that their ensamples might be as paterns for the people to resem∣ble. They be good bookes for lay-men, for all men to looke vpon, and good glasses for thē to see how to dresse their soules withall. Let vs therfore abandon the companie of all euil liuers. Keep not * 1.15 company with drunkards nor with glut∣tons. Make no friendship with an angry * 1.16 man, neither go with the furious man, least thou learne his waies, and receiue destruc∣tion to thy soule. Follow the practise of Dauid, who was both a temporall and a spirituall King likewise. He haunted not with vaine persons, neither kept com∣panie * 1.17 with dissemblers. I haue (quoth he) hated the assembly of the euill, and haue not companied with the wicked. I am a * 1.18 companion of all them that feare thee, and keepe thy precepts. It cannot but be an encouragement to the wicked, a dis∣grace to our calling, a reproach to our persons, a scandall to the weake, an

offence to God, a dishonour to Christ, a griefe to the godly, and a breach of our owne peace, when we that are thus dignified by Christ, & so seuered from the multitude of the world by our holy profession, shal delight in their fellow∣ship, that liue in all sensualitie and profanesse. Let vs therfore be circum∣spect, and make speciall choyce of our companie.

And lastly, prudence and prouidence doe well beseeme Priests and Princes. We should therefore be wise, not onely to preuent and auoyde dangers and e∣uils, but also to forecast for, & procure those thinges that become our Priest∣hood and Royaltie, and concerne the wealth & welfare of the Soule, which is as much to bee preferred before the body, as the sword before the scabberd, or as the hand before the Pen, wherwith it writes, or the knife, with which it cuts. And so much for the common instruc∣tions.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Omne ani∣mi vitium, tanto con∣spectius in se crimen habet, quan∣tò maior, qui peccat, habetur, Iuuen. Fecisse principis, quasi praeci∣pisse est.
• * 1.2

  1. Cor. 3. 21. 22.
• * 1.3

  Ps. 34. 9. 10.
• * 1.4

  Ps. 37. 25.
• * 1.5

  Ps. 45. 7.
• * 1.6

  1. Ioh. 2. 20 Ps. 133. 2.
• * 1.7

  Ioh. 1. 16.
• * 1.8

  Zach. 2. 8.
• * 1.9

  Ps. 37. 14.
• * 1.10

  13. 15.
• * 1.11

  37.
• * 1.12

  Is. 57. 2.
• * 1.13

  Pro. 10. 23. 1. Pet. 2. 9.
• * 1.14

  Pro. 6. 27. 28.
• * 1.15

  Pro. 23. 20.
• * 1.16

  Pro. 22. 24. 25.
• * 1.17

  Ps. 26. 4. 5.
• * 1.18

  Ps. 119. 16.