The Godly Mans Journey to Heaven, Treatise 1 · Meditation 19
19. Behold and consider, ô man, how dearely sweet Iesus hath loued thee.
KNewest thou, ô my soule, how blessed Iesus hath loued thee, be sure thou wouldest louelove him, & out of that thy louelove thou wouldest be carefull to keepe his commandements,Gen. 43. 11. 12. 13. Iacob loued Beniamin dearely, but ô how more dearely hath Iesus loued thee! Iacob pinched with famine is compelled for the safetie of his owne life to part with Beniamin, and to send him downe to Egypt. But blessed Iesus, to the end that he might feede thee and keepe thee, ô my soule, will not onelyonly subiect himselfe to hunger, but vntounto cruell death. Ionathans louelove towards Dauid exceeded the louelove of women.2. Sam. 1. 26. But Iesus his louelove towards thee, ô my soule, exceedeth not onelyonly the louelove of women, but the louelove of Ionathan. Scripture telleth me, and history likewise,2 King. 28. 29. that mothers hauehave slaine their owne children to keepe in their owne liues: but neither in Scripture nor in historie is it found,Lam. 4. 10. that any woman euer was contented to cut and dresse her owne flesh for the safetie of her child.Iosep. de bello. Iud. lib. 7. cap. 8. And Scripture largely telleth me, that thy blessed Iesus, ô my soule, is that kindliest Pellicane, who was contented to giuegive his owne flesh, not onelyonly to be scourged, to be nailed, to be pierced, but to be crucified, and die on the tree, to the end that thou, ô my soule, mightest feed vponupon him to eternall life. Iesus his louelove towards thee, ô my soule, exceedeth also the louelove of Ionathan. Ionathan loued Dauid, so that he incurred his fathers wrath for Dauid, and was contented heartily that Dauid should succeed his father in the Kingdome; yea Ionathan oftentimes hazarded his very life for Dauid. Alwayes thy Ionathan Iesus, ô my soule, being a King, yea that King of kings, by whom, and vnderunder whom all kings do reigne, did not onelyonly become poore to make thee rich, vndergo that intollerable weight of his Fathers wrath, to the end that thou mightest attaine vntounto and enioy his euerlasting fauour, but also did dye, to the end that thou being quickened by him mightest be made a king to reigne and liue with him in heauen for euer. Yea telleth not Scripture thee, ô my soule, that Iesus hath loued thee so, that he hath married thee, tutored thee, and hath prouided a rich dowrie for thee.2. Sam. 28. 41. Abigal is dashed when Dauid his Ambassadour came vntounto her, shewing her that Dauid would marrie her. It is holden for a wonder that Salomon king of Iudah married the king of Aegypts daughter. But shouldest thou not be much more astonied, ô my soule, when thou hearest that euen Iesus that greatest Sonne of Dauid, and that mightie King of euerlasting peace did marrie thee,Eze…. 10. 4. 5. while thou wast dead in sinne, lying in thy bloud in the very open field, hauing no eye pitying thee. Hosea speaking of this marriage, bringeth in thy blessed kinde spouse speaking thus vntounto thee,Ose. 2. 19. 20. ô my soule, I will marrie thee vntounto me, yea I will marrie thee vntounto me, in righteousnesse, in iudgement, in merciemercy, and compassion. Men marrie women for a while, yea for an vncertaine troublesome while, but Iesus hath married thee, ô my soule, for euermore, in such sort that neither distance of place, nor death, nor the graue, can possibly seuer thee from him, or him from thee: yea which is more, the nearer death draweth vntounto thee, and thou approchest vntounto the graue, the more strictly art thou vnited to him, and he ioyned with thee. Beside this, Iesus hath so loued thee, ô my soule, that he hath endowed thee, but wherewith I pray thee? I heare Saul crauing from Dauid an hundred foreskins of the Philistines for his daughter.1. Sam. 18. 25. 6. 7. And I see Dauid laying downe two hundred for her. Alwaies Iesus hath endowed thee, ô my soule, not with siluer, nor with gold, not with precious stones, but with bloud: and with what bloud, ô my soule! not with the bloud of rams,Act. 20. 28. of goates, nor of any man,2. Pet. 2. 18. 19. but with his owne onelyonly most precious, most honorable and most cleane bloud. Beside this, ô my soule, Iesus hath so loued thee, that he hath prouided a dowrie for thee, but what a dowrie? beare with me, ô my soule, if here I must confesse that I cannot tell thee what a dowrie that is which thy husband hath prouided for thee, because my God hath not told me, and who liuing here can possibly acquaint the child of God sufficiently and perfectly with the valour and excellencie of that inheritance which is appointed for thee? Some sparkes of the excellencie and maiestie of it are presented indeed to our consideration by Scripture, but fully it shall not be knowne till we be where our dearest spouse Iesus is. LoueLove this Iesus, ô my soule, sincerely; seeke this Iesus, ô my soule, busily; serue this Iesus, ô my soule, faithfully and chearefully: and let nothing content thee till thou be where he is who hath so loued thee. But how shall you louelove this Iesus, ô my soule, lend thine eares vntounto Iesus, cast thine eyes vponupon Iesus, and out of that louelove wherewith he hath loued thee, learne thou, I pray thee, how to louelove him againe. This is that counsell which Bernard giueth to thee,Benn. ô my soule, Disce ô Christiano à Christo quomodo diligas Christum, disce amare dulciter, amare prudenter, amare fortiter; dulciter, ne illectus; prudenter, ne deceptus; fortiter, ne oppressus; ab amore Domini auertaris. Learn ô Christian, frō Christ, how thou shouldest louelove Christ, learne to louelove him sweetly, to louelove him wisely, to louelove him strongly; sweetly, lest being allured; wisely, lest being deceiued; strongly, lest being oppressed, thou shouldest be drawn away from the louelove of thy Lord. Now, ô my soule, by whom art thou made to louelove this Iesus thus, who hath so freely loued thee, and who by louing of thee, hath deserued to be loued by thee? Angels cannot teach thee to do this, men cannot teach thee to do this; none can teach thee this lesson beside that great teacher of God his children,Rom. 5. 5. euen the Spirit of the Father and of his Sonne, by whom alone this louelove is spread abroad in our hearts.