The Christians Apparelling, Part 3 · Section 4
Section 4.
And thus for the trials of Chriſtianitie,2 Trialls from our putting on of Chriſt. from our putting off of ſinne. It is alſo to be tried by our putting on of Chriſt, and of the new man; which, as was ſaid, is firſt to Iuſtification, ſecondly, to Sanctification.
1.And firſt to our Iuſtification. If we hauehave put on Chriſt to our Iuſtification, then are we ſtraitly and inwardly knit & vnited vntounto him by faith. Now thou mayſt try both thy faith and thy vnion with Chriſt by theſe markes.
1. By thy LoueLove; for louelove is the eldeſt daughter of Faith,Our faith and vnion thereby with Chriſt knowne. 10 by our LoueLove of God more then of the world. and is alſo a fruitfull Mother, and euer big of many children; and neereneſſe, and conjunction of good things cauſeth louelove; as the mariage bond, either doth, or ſhould tie the ſtraiteſt True-loues knot. Where then wee hauehave put on Chriſt, and are truly vnited to him, there we cannot but louelove him aboue all things, and louelove both the Father, and one another in him; which our louelove ſhall teſtifie our vnion with God. For, 1 Ioh. 4.16.ſaith John, we hauehave knowen and beleeued the louelove that God hath to vsus. God is louelove, and he that dwelleth in louelove, dwelleth in God, and God in him. It would then bee well conſidered, wheron eſpecially we ſet our louelove, and vntounto what more principally wee ingage that affection.Iam. 4.4. We are taught, that the louelove and friendſhip of the world is enmitie with God, and that whoſoeuer will be a friend of the world, is the enemy of God, in which regard men ſhew themſelues to be ſo far from being truely vnited and eſpouſed to Ieſus Chriſt, that they are called and accounted Adulterers, and Adultereſſes. 1 Ioh. 2.15.16.Wherefore Saint Iohns exhortation is, LoueLove not the world, neither the things that are in the world, (which are, luſt of the fleſh, luſt of the eyes, and the pride of life, which are not of the Father, but of the world.) If any man louelove the world, the louelove of the Father is not in him. As therefore our louelove is, ſo are wee our ſelues: if our louelove be worldly, ſo are we; if our louelove be heauenly and ſpirituall, ſo are we. Trie then this thine affection: art thou not glued in louelove to the vaine pleaſures, honours, and profits of the world, more then vntounto Chriſt? Doeſt thou not deſire in thy ſoule to inioy the things of this world, whether vnlawfull or yet lawfull, more then Chriſt & his fellowſhip? I know thou muſt be one of a thouſand, if thou in this confeſſeſt thy ſelfe guiltie. Therefore let thy workes and thine indeauours ſpeake for thee, or againſt thee. What is it thou moſt greedily, and with an inward affection purſueſt? what is it thou laboureſt moſt after? is it to inioy God or the world? is it to find comfort in him, and in the inioying of his louelove and fauour, by keeping and holding the peace of a good conſcience, or not rather in and from the things of this life? Art thou not more truely and inwardly grieued, in being denied, or in the loſſe of the comforts and contentments of this life, as of thy friends, good name, wealth, or it may bee, in being debarred of thy vnlawfull deſires and luſts, then in the hazarding at leaſt, if not loſing of Gods louelove by thy ſinfull and immoderate louing and affecting ſuch things? May not wee truely ſay of many, when wee ſee how they take on and mourne for temporall loſſes, as of the louelove and fauour of men and of the world, and of other worldly things; and withall how little they mourne when they offend God, as the Iewes ſaid of our Sauiour weeping ouer the graue of Lazarus, Behold how hee loued him: ſo behold how they louelove theſe things? Beholde, how little ſuch men louelove Chriſt, that neither weepe for offending him, nor yet for his ſake, and for the louelove of him will debarre themſelues of any vnlawfull libertie? If then we would indeed approue our ſelues to louelove Chriſt, we muſt both ſhew greater ſorrow (at leaſt for the ſoundneſſe and heartineſſe of it) for offending him by our immoderate or inordinate louelove of worldly things, then for our forgoing of them; and alſo learne to louelove all other things onelyonly in Chriſt, and for Chriſt, as giuen vsus by vertue of his purchaſe & death, to bee vſed and inioyed as tokens of his louelove, and to be imployed to the honour and praiſe of his merciemercy and goodneſſe. In vaine elſe we brag of Chriſtianitie, or of any vnion with Chriſt by faith, if thus wee ſuffer our loues and affections to bee commanded, and our ſelues to bee ouercome of the world; for whatſoeuer is born of God, 1 Ioh. 5.4.ouercommeth the world, & this is the victory that ouercommeth the world euen our faith. Thus it is with thē that by faith hauehave put on Chriſt; whereas with counterfet Chriſtians it is otherwiſe;Par. 3. § 5. ſo that we may turne it and ſay, This is the victory which ouercommeth our (counterfet) faith, euen the word, and the louelove of it. Who is he that ouercommeth the world, verſ. 5but hee that beleeueth that Ieſus is the Son of God? That is, but hee that truely beleeuing in Chriſt, is able to iuſtifie his faith by his louelove, and his louelove by the fruits and works thereof? of which afterwards.