The Godly Mans Journey to Heaven, Treatise 1 · Meditation 20
20. GiueGive no sleepe to thine eyes, till thou be certified that Iesus, the louelove of God his elect, loueth thee.
IF thou my soule, wouldest proue truly wise to that last day, after which there shall be no day, it were good that thou were carefull in time to be certified of the louelove of Iesus thy Sauiour and Maister, as of that first and chiefest thing thou shouldest be carefull to be certified of before all things: so that publickly before God, Angels, and men, and priuately betwixt God and thine owne heart, thou mayest say and sing; Blessed be that Iesus who hath loued me, blessed be that Iesus who loueth me still. But heare, ô my soule, three things are wisely to be considered by thee. First, wherefore should this be thy first & chiefest care? Secondly, whereby is that louelove wherewith Iesus hath loued thee, intimated to thee? Thirdly, how mayest thou be certified that Iesus loueth thee? Let me possesse all the world, ô my soule, if Iesus louelove me not, woe vntounto me: want what I can, if Iesus louelove me, well is me. I want that honour, that wealth, that health, those pleasures which sometime I enioyed, yea I am depriued by death of a louing father, of kind brethren, of true friends, of deare companions: alwayes Iesus loueth me, Iesus is with me, therefore well is me. And must I not be well, ô my soule, hauing him who was the sole solace and desire of that holy man Dauid, who was a man according to the heart of God, for did he not, treading all want vnderunder foote, and triumphing as one possessing all wealth, crie out thus: Whom hauehave I in the heauens but thee? Psal. 73. 25.and I hauehave desired none in the earth but thee. But, ô my soule, how happened I to bring Dauid before thee, when I was speaking to thee touching the happinesse of that man, who possesseth Iesus? Was not Iesus, not onelyonly with God his Father, but ye very daily delight of God his Father,Prou. 8. 26. 27. 30. when he prepared the heauens and made the earth? Mephibosheth hath a worthie speech vntounto Dauid, 2. Sam. 19. 30.after he returned to Ierusalem: Let Ziba take all, seeing my Lord the King is come home in peace. And wilt thou not be contented to say, ô my soule, O Lord my God, let all that I hauehave be taken from me, seeing my louelove and Lord Iesus is come to me, euen he, in whom thou ô Lord my Father art well pleased with me,Mat. 3. 17. euen he, ô Lord, who is my life, my light, and my saluation. This louelove wherewith Iesus hath loued thee,Ioh. 8. 12. & 14. 6. ô my soule, is intimated to thine eares, is sprinkled as it were on thy bodie, is put into thine hand, is presented to thy mouth, yea is as it were, eaten, drunke, and digested by thee. It is intimated to thine eare by the sweetest voyce of the Gospell preached to thee. It is sprinkled as it were vponupon thy bodie by that Sacrament of Baptisme, whereby thou wast initiated in the house of God. It is put into thine hand, presented vntounto thy mouth, eaten, drunke, and digested by thee, a… it were by and in that Sacrament of the Lords Supper, administred in broken bread and wine, powred out: telling thee, ô my soule, that blessed Iesus being that cleane and wholest wheate, was heartily content to be ground betwixt the milstones of his Fathers wrath, to the end he might become sweete and pleasant bread to feed thee. Yea that blessed Iesus being that true vine, full of heauenly iuyce and liquor, would be pressed in the wine-presse of his Fathers indignation, to the end that he might be made a quickening, refreshing, and comforting drinke, to quicken thee, ô my soule, being dead, to refresh thee, ô my soule, being wearied, and to comfort thee, ô my soule, being cast downe. Thou mayest be perswaded, ô my soule, that Iesus loueth thee if thou louest him, for he neuer loued God,Ioh. 4. 10. who was not first loued of God. Now thou shalt know if thou louest Iesus,Ioh. 8. 47. & 14. 15. if thou louest his word, if thou be carefull to keepe his commandements, and if thou delight in the societie of such as louelove him,Psal. 15. 4. and walke in his wayes.