A Treatise of Love, Chapter 2
CHAP. 2. Of the LoueLove of God.
OF which louelove of God, seeing both it's the principall, and that wherby we may know whether the louelove of our neighbour be in vsus, yea or no, which is the point wee mainly intend in this Treatise; I will therefore speake a little of the same. The louelove of God is a most precious and honourable esteeming and affecting of him, with a chiefe delight in him aboue all things. God is worthy to be loued vnmeasurably, because he is infinitely and vnmeasurably holy, pure, perfect, and good in himselfe. Also because he hath been vnmeasurably good to vsus, especially in giuing his Son to the death for vsus. Iohn 3. 16. So God loued, i. e. so vnmeasurably and vnutterably, &c. 1 Iohn 4. 9, 10. & Ephes. 3. To know the louelove of Christ, which passeth knowledge: But that wee cannot; therefore wee must louelove him, as Deut. 6. 5. with all our heart, soule and might. But this we cannot neyther, since the fall of Adam; therfore we must louelove him with an vpright heart, and this God will accept in Christ. Wee must louelove him simply and absolutely for himselfe, and all other things for him, in, and vnderunder him. We must not louelove him as we louelove other things, but aboue all other things in the world. Mat. 10. 37. Hee that loueth father or mother more, &c. Nay, Luke 14. 26. Hee that hates not father, &c. that is, when they would withdraw vsus from God and his Obedience: therefore Deut. 13. 6. are we bidden, if any, neuer so neare and deare, should entise vsus to Idolatry, wee should reueale him, that he may be put to death. If wee louelove him not aboue all things, he is not our God.
And this we ought to doe, first, because he is goodnesse it selfe, which is most worthy of all louelove, and wheresoeuer we see any part of this Image, it ought to draw our hearts vntounto it. Secondly, he hath created vsus after his owne Image, redeemed vsus by his deare Sonne, preserued vsus alwayes, and multiplyed vponupon vsus, and daily reneweth innumerable mercies both for soule and body; and doe not these (besides what hee hath promised vsus hereafter) challenge all our best affections?
Thus hauehave the worthy seruants of God done in their seuerall generations. The holy Martyrs, who hauehave forsaken all for his louelove, and counted meanly of their liues for his Names sake: yea, chose rather to endure the vttermost torturings, that cruell persecutors could inflict vponupon them, rather than doe any thing to his dishonour.
This condemneth all such asVse. 1. are so farre from this louelove of God, as they are no better than haters of God: Oh, there be none so vile. Yes, wee are all such by nature, till God worke a change, Rom. 1. 30. and 8. 7. The carnall minde is enmity against God; for it's not subiect to the will of God, nor indeed can be. Saint Paul, Rom. 5. Colos. 1. saith, we were enemies to God. 2 Chro. 19. 2. Wouldst thou louelove them that hate God: 1. Ahab a wicked Idolater, and such as he? so also in the end of the Second Commandement, see if God call not Idolaters, and such as pretend great louelove to him, and are at great cost and paines with him, haters of him.
Such be all Atheists, Heretickes, &c. Papists be Idolaters, and great haters of God, persecuting also his Truth & Saints with fire and sword. Among our selues be many abominable blasphemers, contemners of God and all goodnesse: The better any person, thing, speech, action, or duety is, the more they hate it; and the worse any thing, or any company is, the better it pleaseth them.
These be Sathans eldest sonnes, marching in the Fore-ranke of the Deuils Band, to whom (without rare Repentance) belongs nothing but a fearfull expectation of vengeance, and violent fire to deuoure such aduersaries, Heb. 10. 27.
It condemneth all such as louelove2. not God, which indeed are to be ranked with the former haters of God, saue that they doe it not in so high a degree. But most will say, they louelove God, or else it were pity of their liues, and they defie him, that shall say, they louelove not God: What, am I a dogge? Thus, if great words would carry it, eueryevery body would bee louers of God: but it's deedes must proue it, not words. And the Holy Ghost hath left vsus certaine and infallible markes, to know the louelove of God by, by which if you will be tryed, let vsus briefly heare some of them, and iudge your selues accordingly. They that louelove God, hate euill, Psalme 97. 10. They will keepe Gods commandements, Ioh. 14. 21. 1 Iohn 5. 3.
They that louelove God, would that all others did so, and draw as many to God as they can; as Philip did Nathanael, Iohn 1. 41. Matthew the Publicans, Mat. 9. to our Sauiour Christ. Isay 2. 1. and reioyce to see any come home to God by Repentance, as the Angels of Heauen doe.
They will grieue, when they see him wronged or dishonored; as Moses, when he threw downe the Tables; and Phinees, when he ran thorough Zimri and Cozbi. Lots righteous soule was vexed at the vncleane conuersation of the Sodomites.
They that louelove God, will louelove his Word, being holy and pure as himselfe, and containing his good will.
They louelove his faithfull Ministers: he that receiueth you, receiueth me, Luke 10.
They will louelove Gods Children and his Image, wheresoeuer they see it, 1 Iohn 5. 1. Psalme 16. 3.
They will take paines in his seruice, as Iacob did night and day in Labans, for the louelove hee bare to Rachel: and be at cost, as Dauid towards the building of the Temple; and Mary, with her boxe of precious ointment poured on our Sauiour Christ. Yea, and speedily hee will goe about what God cals him to; as Abraham that rose early to offer Isaac, and Hamor, who made speed to get the Shechemites to yeeld to the demands of Dinahs brethren, because he so dearly loued her.
They that louelove God, are willing and glad to meet him, or heare from him in the Ordinances of his Word, Prayer, Sacraments, as the wife desireth, and is glad to heare from her absent husband, and to send or receiue tokens to him and from him.
They that louelove God greatly, are content to suffer for his Names sake; as Paul, that said, I am not ready to be bound, but to dye at Ierusalem for the Name of Christ. And that worthy Martyr, that said, Shall I dye but once for my Sauiour? I could find in my heart to dye a hundred times for him.
Also they long for his last comming, for their full Redemption, and that they might bee euer with the Lord, as 1 Thes. 4. 17. As the Church, Reu. 22. Come, Lord Iesu, come quickly. Or else they long to be with him, in the meane time, as Paul, I desire to be dissolued, and to be with Christ, which is best of all.
Now, if these be the true and certaine markes of the LoueLove of God, and where these be wanting, or much more, where the contraries to these bee found, there is no louelove of God; then must we necessarily conclude against the most part of people in all places, that there is little louelove of God abiding in them, as will appear, if we look ouer the particulars: which might strike terror into their hearts, if it were well considered.
For those whose hearts by these markes can beare witnesse on their sides, let them labour to encrease more and more in this louelove of God, and see what priuiledges God hath promised and bequeathed vntounto them. Psal. 91. the three last Verses, Because hee hath loued mee, therefore will I deleuer him, &c. He shall call vponupon me, and I will heare him, I will bee with him in trouble, I will be with him, and glorifie him: With long life will I satisfie him, and shew him my saluation. And Iohn 14. 21. Hee that loueth mee, shall be loued of my Father, and I will louelove him, and shew mine own self vntounto him. vers. 23. Yea, these are they, to whom God hath promised his heauenly Kingdome. Iames 1. 12. to them that louelove him.
Thirdly, it condemnes those, that louelove any thing more than they louelove God; as father, mother, wife, childe, profit, pleasure, friend, yea, or life it selfe: which is no other than Idolatry, and to make that our God, which wee louelove aboue God, and spirituall Adultery, as St. Iames cals it, Iames 4. 4. as a man that loues a harlot more than his owne wife: yet what is more common than this? yea, the trade of it with the common sort, who for the sake of the things aboue named, care not what dueties they omit, or what sinnes they commit against God: who yet ought to be loued aboue all, and all things to be loued, in, and for him, and vnderunder him, and as may stand with our louelove to him, and not otherwise.
Yea, the seruants of God, because their louelove is not perfect, suffer many things to come in betweene God and vsus, and steale our heart and affection in part from him, and that obedience that wee owe vntounto him: which we ought to bewaile deeply, and labour eueryevery day more and more, that his louelove may bee greater in vsus, than to any thing; nay, all things else that are in the world besides. And so much of the LoueLove of God briefly, hauing taken it but by the way.