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.

Fiue instructions are gathered out of the consideration of our princehood.

THose of the second sort, be such as arise out of the consideration of these two titles or callings, apart by themselues, one of them beeing di∣stinctly considered by it selfe from the other. And for the former first.

First, forsomuch as wee are kings, we ought to acquainte our selues with our owne Kingdomes, and not to be good States-men abroad, and (foris sapere) to be wise in other mens affayres, and to be ignorant of, and inconsiderate, or rechlesse of our owne. It is not the least * 1.1 praise of a Prince to know his subiects. And for as much as the kingdome of our heartes hath no small number of traytors and enemies to our Crowne, lurcking in secret corners, readie like Wolues at the least aduantage to work a mischiefe, to make an vprore, or an o∣pen rebellion in vs: it is requisite that

wee labour to knowe that faithfull Io∣nathans, and what faithlesse Iudasses, we haue within vs; For as ther is no earth∣ly kingdome, but hath some enemies to it: euen so there is no spirituall king a∣mong vs, which hath not enemies to his crowne and kingdome. Yea wee haue within our own courts many, that would (if they could) pull the crowne from our heads, and thrust vs from our thrones.

Secondly, seeing wee are Kings, wee ought to keepe ccontinuall watch and ward, contending by all good means to defend our selues and states. For wise kings haue their guardes, and are dili∣gent to preuent all mischiefes that may befall them. Nehemiah faith (chap. 7.) that after the walles of the Citie were built, he appointed wardes: euē so, see∣ing God hath giuen vs a kingdome, & hath in part repaired the ruines of his i∣mage in vs, let vs ward, that wee be not depriued of our crowne, and frustrated of our hopes: and that not without our weapons to defend our selues, and of∣fend our enemies, which are for num∣ber

many, and for power mighty. And that wee may proue good watch-men, and not be surprized before wee be a∣ware, let vs first commend our selues and estates vnto God. For except the * 1.2 Lord doe keepe the Citie, the keeper wat∣cheth but in vaine. Vnlesse the Lord doe watche for vs: vnlesse the Lord do protect vs with the shield of his grace, & couer vs with the wings of his mer∣cie, we lye exposed to our enemies, ea∣sie to be taken of them. Secondly, let vs haue a watch-full eye to the Phili∣stines abroade, to the tentations of the Diuell, & the allurements of the world. For Satan is subtill. When hee can∣not oppresse vs with violence like a Li∣on, then hee begins to play the Fox, transforming himselfe into an Angell of light, and so seeking (like a Wolfe in a sheepes skin,) to seduce and kill vs. And what are the sweet intisements of the world, but pleasant enchantments to be witch vs, and as the Fishermans bayte, which hath an hooke inclosed in it to catch the fish by the iawes? Third∣ly, look narrowly to the Cananite with∣in

doore, that is, to the corruption of thine heart, that cruell Abimelech, that false-hearted Delilah, and ambitious Absalom, which beeing but a bramble, would faine be king, and ouertop the vine of Gods graces in vs, seeking by fraude and force to depose vs from our kingdomes. Remember the counsell of the holy ••host, who saith; keep thine * 1.3 heart with all diligence: for thereout com∣meth life. To this ende doe these three things. First, let Gods word dwell plenteously in thee, and meditate vp∣on good things: turne thine eyes from beholding vanities, and inure thy feet to right pathes. Dauid saith; I kept thy * 1.4 word in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Secondly, haue warrant from the word of God for all thy thoughts and actions, and let it be the key to locke vp & to open the doore of thy lips. Salomon saith: establish thy * 1.5 thoughts by counsell. And Dauid saith; thy testimonies are my delight and counsel∣lers. * 1.6

Thirdly, be sure to vse all those things, which may cherish the spirit,

and weaken the flesh. Hear the word: be frequent in prayer: foster good mo∣tions: meditate of the death of Christ: apply the vertue of his resurrection vnto thee by thy faith: and greeue not * 1.7 the holy Spirit of God by whom ye are sea∣led vnto the day of redemption.

Thirdly, seeing we are kings, we ought to be valorous, constant, and couragious. An effeminate and time∣rous disposition is a disgrace to a Prince. But it is the royaltie and grea∣test commendation of a king to be he∣roicall and valiant, and to beare all things, that may betide him, with a * 1.8 magnanimious, noble, and vndaunted spirit. Kings ought to be Eagles for their wisdome: Doues for their inno∣cencie, but yet withall, Lions for their fortitude: and so should we be also, that are things in Christ.

Fourthly, let vs beware of illiberall and base mindes, that wee solder not our affections to the earth.

An abiect & vassall-like minded king is a very skoffe among men, and a very Monster in nature. It would amaze

thee to see a king neglect his robes, and embase himselfe in begg••rs wo••des. When we giue our selues to the world, we lay downe our crownes (as it were) & strip our selues of our p••i••cely ••obes. For as Christ said of his kingdome, so shuld al•• Christiās say & think of their * 1.9 kingdome, that it is not of this world; a d••h••refore let vs so vse this world, as that it may app••••re that w•• are but t••a∣uello••••s ••e••e, and way-f••ring men, and that wee make no account of abyding here, but look daily to be sent for home into our owne 〈…〉〈…〉rey; whereon (in this time of our (••journing,) our heart must be so fixed, as if wee esteemed all thinges but losse in compar••son of the crowne prepared for vs in the heauens, where our kingdome is. If ye be risen * 1.10 with Christ, (as all spirituall kings are) seeke those things which are aboue, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Set your affections on things which are a∣boue, and not on thinges, which are on the earth. The Sunne scatters his beames downe to the earth: but wee should send the beames of our thoughtes vp∣ward

to the heauen. A stoole is an ease to a weary man to sit on: but if it be set vpon his head, it will offend him. And water is a great helpe to the sailing of a ship, but if it leake much into her, it will goe neare to sinck her.

Euen so the world beeing rightly v∣sed, may further vs in the race of godli∣nes, and ease vs in our trauell: but if the loue thereof doe leake into vs, if the world, which should be vnder our feet, be set vpon our heads, & take vp all our thoughtes, shee will hinder our course, endanger our soules, and be so great a burthen to vs, that we shall not be able to clime vp Iacobs ladder to heauen, and to go vp that mountaine, which is so steep: and so we shalbe kept from that Crowne, which wee seeme to coue••, and from that goodly Kingdome, which, if wee could discerne it with our eyes, would make vs crie out with Peter, It * 1.11 is good beeing heere.

Lastly, seeing that wee are all of vs Kings, let vs like valiant Princes wage warre with Sathan and all our sinnes, which are our enemies, & labour our

eternall ouerthrowe.

For if wee be kings in the kingdome of light, wee ought to be enemies to those that belong to the kingdome of darknes. They are enemies of our gra∣ces, and to our glorie; therefore let vs pu••sue them with irrecōciliable hatred. Let vs make no leag••e, no peace, ••o truce, no•• couenant with them, but fight against them to the ende, with all the forces of our soules. A wise King scat∣tereth * 1.12 the wicked, and causeth the wheele to turne ouer them. So if we would shew our selues wise princes, wee ought to scatter & put to death our sinnes. Mor∣tifie therefore (like good Princes,) your * 1.13 members, which are on earth, fornication, vncleannesse, the inordinate affection, euil concupiscence, and couetousnesse, which is * 1.14 idolatrie. For hee that ruleth his owne mind, is better then he that winneth a Cit∣tie. A King is not worthy of his name, vnlesse hee be able to rule himselfe.

Though a man were king of all the earth, yet were he but a weake and mi∣serable king, if hee gaue the reignes to his flesh, and did not gouerne himselfe.

But though a man were as poore as Iob * 1.15 in his greatest miserie, and had not one foote of ground, yet if he rule himselfe and bridle his appetite, hee were a rich king, and a mightie Prince. Lordship and Loue, can brooke no fellowes. Wee are kings (here then is Lordship) let not sin reigne together with vs, but labour to suppresse it, least it tyrannize ouer vs. The Scripture saith that when Asa had * 1.16 taken away the high places, and the i∣mages, his kingdome was quiet before him: euen so shall wee enioy the true peace of conscience, and shall haue much quietnesse in our mindes if wee subdue our lusts, & cast away our cor∣rupt affections. And although we can∣not fully doe it, yet let vs doe our inde∣uour. A will is commendable to affect * 1.17 it, thogh there want power to effect it. And (Si quod vis, non potes, Deus factum computat, Aug.) if thou canst not doe that which thou hast a desire to do (from thy heart) God doth account it as done. A couragious and wise king wil vse all meanes to suppresse rebells and tray∣tours, though hee cannot vtterly per∣forme

his purpose: euen so labour by all means possible to suppresse & roote out thy sinnes, which take vp armes a∣gainst thee, and doe not onely striue to ••••ot out Gods graces, which hee hath planted in thee, but will if they be per∣mitted, destroy ••hee quite, and depriue thee of thy kingdome.

Hee is a worthie Souldier that figh∣teth fiercely against his sinnes.

It is an holy ambition to striue to win the scepter from sin & Sathan, the king and queene of the kindome of darknes, and to labour to cast them quite o••t of their th••o••es. It is a religious fast to abstaine from fleshly lusts, which fight, * 1.18 against the soule; and to loose the bondes of wickednes. It is a lawfull couetousnes * 1.19 to get, what may be got, from the Di∣uell. It is no superstitious pilgrimage nor idle trauelling, to take our iourney from the Diuell, and to trauell from our own corruptions to God, to Christ, to the land of promise, celestial Canaan. It is a lawfull rebellion to take vp armes against the prince of darkenes. that rebellious Tyrant. It is an holy

war, and honorable to fight against the Diuel And it is no fra••d at al to de∣ceiue this fraudulent & perfidious ad ••uersarie, but wisedome to discerne and defeate hi••sleights and stratagems. It * 1.20 stands with right & reason that kings should wisely frustrate the purposes of their wi••y enemies, and a••me them∣selues against them, that arme them∣selues to worke their ruine. Let vs therefore sight against our sinnes, and resist Sathan who walketh about like a * 1.21 roaring lion (strong & hung••ie) seeking whome he may deuoure.

It is no tyrannie to tyrannize ouer them: but it is a prudent and godly crueltie to kill them all, head and tayle, damme and cubb, and to smite them hip and thigh with a mightie destruc∣tion, as Samson did the Philistines. For * 1.22 (as the Psalmist saith concerning Ba∣bel) blessed shall he be that taketh and da∣sheth her children against the stones: euen so blessed is that man that putteth his sinnes to the sword, & that mortifieth his corruptions, dashing them as it were to the ground. Is it posible that

any men should be so sauadge as to * 1.23 rip vp women with childe, to enlarge their borders: & shall not we seeke the death of our sinnes, that would ••ip vp our soules and vtterly consume vs, if Gods mercy did not hinder. The wicked wat∣cheth * 1.24 the righteous, & seeketh to slay him: and shall not we marke our vnrighte∣ous affections, and labour to kil them? Shall they practise against the godly, and shall we do nothing against vngodli∣nesse? * 1.25 kings cannot indure to be thwar∣ted and ouer topt in their owne king∣domes. Wee are kings, wherefore then should we suffer our sins to braue vs, and to vaunt themselues within vs? Here we may lawfully resemble Dio∣trephes * 1.26 and the Pharisees, who hunted after preeminence and the highest roomes; We may lawfully challenge the primacy ouer sinne, and it is wis∣dome, and worthy our labour to seeke for a seate aboue sinne. It is neither maiestie nor modestie (but sordide and seruile humilitie, or negligence) for a king to suffer a slaue or obiect to sit about him. And thus far also we

may be like Caesar, who could brooke no superiour, & Agamemnon and Pom∣pey, * 1.27 who could endure neither superi∣our, nor equall. Yea we ought to stand vpon our dignitie against sinne, and to tread it downe. When Pharoah saw the Israelites increase, & fearing least they should growe too mightie for him, he said vnto his people; Come, let vs worke * 1.28 wisely with them, least they multiply: and therevpon they set task masters ouer them, to keepe them vnder with bur∣dēs: so should we deale wisely with our sinnes, that they multiplie not in vs, nor wax too mightie: we should beate downe our bodies, & labour to subdue them to vs. Neither must we only re∣presse and keepe them vnder, but la∣bour also to subuert and kill them vt∣terly. And to this end we ought to put on the whole armour of God, that we may be able to resist & conquer them. Stand therefore, with your loynes girded * 1.29 about with veritie, & hauing on the brest∣plate of righteousnesse, and your ••eet shod with the preparation of the gospell of peace. And aboue all, take the Shield of faith,

wherewith ye may quench All the fierie darts of the wicked: and take the helmet of saluation, & the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, (where with ye may strike of the head of sin) & pray alway. When tydings were brought that the Ammonites and Moabites were com∣ming against I••hoshaphat to battell; that * 1.30 good king set himselfe to seeke the Lord, & prayed vnto him for his assistance. And as he confessed that he and his people were not able to encounter with so great a multitude, so also he shewed h••s confidence and hope in God: Our eyes (saith he) are towards thee. And the Lord gaue him an admi∣rable victorie. So when S••tan and our owne corruptions conspire together to worke our ouerthrow, we ought to flie to God by prayer for his grace that our faith may not faile, but that we may abide the brunt, and obtaine a vic∣torie ouer them. And as Dauid prayed; * 1.31 Hide not thy face from mee. Deliuer me ••o Lord) from mine enemies. And for thy mercy slay mine enemies, & destroy all thē that oppresse my soule. Cast forth the * 1.32

lightning, & scatter thē. So do thou de∣sire him, to shi••ld thee with the buckler of his grace, to dispell thine ignorance with the light of his Spirit, to cōfound the Diuel, and al thy sinnes, which op∣pres••e thy soule, and to defend and de∣liuer thee from all thy spirituall ene∣mies, which are too mightie 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hee. For it is God, that giueth deliuerance to * 1.33 kings (both temporall and spirituall.) He is able to destroy the mightiest, and to releeue the weakest. For great is * 1.34 our Lord, and great is his power: his wise∣dome is infinite. His greatnesse (if he shew it) is able to daunt the greatest. His power and his wisedome (if he list to vse it) is able to frustrate the deuises of the wisest, & r••t••rt them v•• on their owne heads. Let vs therefore in a••l our conflicts with sinne, & in all our com∣bats with the diuel, commit our selues vnto him. No victorie can be look•• for without him. And thus much for our Prince-hood.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Principis est virtus maxi∣ma, nosse su∣os, Martiall.
• * 1.2

  Ps. 127. 2.
• * 1.3

  Pro. 4. 23.
• * 1.4

  Ps. 119. 89.
• * 1.5

  Pro. 20. 18.
• * 1.6

  Ps. 119, 24.
• * 1.7

  Eph. 4. 30.
• * 1.8

  Regiū hoc ipsum reor, aduersa ca∣pere, Sen.
• * 1.9

  Ioh. 18. 39.
• * 1.10

  Col. 3. 1. 2.
• * 1.11

  Math. 17. 4.
• * 1.12

  Pro. 20. 26.
• * 1.13

  Col. 3. 5.
• * 1.14

  Pro 16. 32.
• * 1.15

  Tun com∣maiure te∣nebis, cum poteris rex esse tui, Claud. Nec regna ••oci∣••m ferre, nec te dae sci unt, Sen.
• * 1.16

  2. Chro. 14. 5
• * 1.17

  Vt desiat vires, tamen est laudan∣da voluntas, Ouid.
• * 1.18

  2. Pet. 2. 11.
• * 1.19

  Is. 58. 6.
• * 1.20

  Indice me, fraus est cō∣cessa repel∣lere fraudē: Armá{que}, in armatos su∣mere iura si∣nunt. Ouid.
• * 1.21

  1. Pet. 5. 8. 9.
• * 1.22

  Iudg. 15. 8. Ps. 137. 9.
• * 1.23

  Amos 1. 23
• * 1.24

  ••s. 37. 32.
• * 1.25

  Ps. 37. 12.
• * 1.26

  3. Ioh. 9. Math. 23. 6.
• * 1.27

  Nec quen∣quam iam ferre potest, Cesarue priorem, Pompeius ve parem, Lucan.
• * 1.28

  Ex. 1. 10. 11.
• * 1.29

  Eph. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 14. 5.
• * 1.30

  2. Chro. 20. 2. 3. 6.
• * 1.31

  Ps. 145. 1.
• * 1.32

  Ps. 144. 6.
• * 1.33

  Ps. 144. 10.
• * 1.34

  Ps. 147. 5.