The Layers Question, Text 2 – Title page 2
THE LAVVGIVERS Ansvvere to the Lavvyers Question.
Luke, 10.
And he saide vntounto him, what is written in the law, how readest thou? &c.
YOV hauehave heard the Question propounded: Now you shall heare the Question answered. And he saide vntounto him, what is written in the law, how readest thou? As if hee should hauehave saide: I marueile that thou beeing a Doctor of the Lawe, which should bee able to instruct others in matters of Religion, art ignorant of that vvhichwhich it behooueth eueryevery man to knowe by what meanes hee may inherite eternall life. Wherein hast thou bestowed thy study, wherein hast thou imployed thy w…, and howe hast thou spent thy time? Thou seemest to bee a Lawyer: Tell me what doth the Law require of thee: Thou seemest to hauehave read the Scriptures, let me see how thou hast profited by thy reading. Thus doth our Sauiour send this Lawier to the Lawe to learne his dutie, and setteth him to schoole that thought himselfe too good to learne. Hee came to tempt Christ by asking the question, but nowe himselfe must make the answere, vnlesse he will bewray his owne ignorance. If hee be a Lawier, let him looke what the lawe saith concerning this question, because the lawe is able to resolue eueryevery doubt, second Timothie, the third Chapter; sixteene and seauenteene verses. Therefore the Prophet Esay sendeth vsus to the lawe and to the testimonie, Esay the eighth Chapter, and twenty verse. And our Sauiour Christ biddeth vsus search the scriptures, Iohn 5. And telleth vsus that the ignorance of them is the cause of all errour, Matthew twelue Chapter. If then thou wouldest know the will of God studie the scriptures, there hee hath reuealed his will vntounto thee: If thou desire to please the Lord, looke into his worde, there hee hath shewed thee what his pleasure is: Finally, if thou wouldest hauehave thy works to prosper, consider what is written in the lawe, aske counsell at the mouth of the Lord: Examine all thine actions by the touchstone of the worde, and bee sure to doo nothing for the which thou hast not the worde for thy warrant: If harlots entise thee to lewdnes as Putiphars wise entised Ioseph, Genesis the thirty nine Chapter, fly from them as Ioseph did from hir, and remember what the law saith, thou shalt not commit adulterie. If sinners such as hauehave no feare of God before their eyes entise thee saying; Come with vsus wee will lay waite for blood, and watch to state the simple man: consent thou not, but consider what is written in the Law. Thou shalt do no murther: If they say cast in thy lot among vsus, wee will all hauehave one purse, wee shall get great riches, and fill our houses with spoile, Prouerbs the first Chapter and fourteenth verse. Walke not thou in the way with them, refraine thy foote from their path, and looke what the Lawe requireth of thee, thou shalt not steale. If Papists would perswade thee to change thy religion, because thy Fathers were of another religion, looke into the Scriptures, examine thy religion by the word of God, and then as Elias saide vntounto the people, If the Lord be God then follow him, but if Baal be hee then goe after him, the first booke of Kings the eighteenth Chapter and twenty one verse. So answere thou them, if this religion be agreeable to the worde as in truth it is, then will I be of this religion, though my forefathers hauehave beene of your religion: And to conclude, if thy father that begate thee, thy mother that bare thee, thy wife that lyeth in thy bosome, thy friend that is as thine owne selfe, or thy childe which is the fruite of thy body (Deutronomium the thirteenth Chapter and sixth verse) shall require thee to doo any thing which the Lorde hath forbidden in his law, or shall forbid thee to doo any thing which the Lorde hath commanded in his word, then thou maist answere them as Iob answered his wife, thou speakest like a foolish woman, Iob the second Chapter and tenth verse; or as Christ answered his mother, VVoman what hauehave I to doo with thee? Iohn the second Chapter and fourth verse; or as hee answered his friend Peter, Go after me Sathan, for thou sauerest not the thinges that bee of God, &c. Matthewe the sixteenth Chapter and twenty three verse. Yea if it come to this, that thy Prince which hath power ouer thy life commaund one thing, and the Lord commaund the contrary, thou must answere as Peter and Iohn answered the Rulers (Acts the fourth Chapter and nineteenth verse) whether it bee meere, &c. Yea thou must be content with Sydrach, Misach and Abednego, (Daniel the third Chapter) to vndergoe any punishment euen vntounto the death, rather than thou wouldst dishonor him or disobey his worde, that hath power to call both bodie and soule into hell together, Matthew the tenth Chapter and twenty eight verse.
It followeth verse twenty seauen, And he answered and saide, Thou shalt louelove thy Lord God with all thy heart, and with all thy soule, and with all thy strength, and with all thy thought, and thy neighbour as thy selfe. Before the Lawier mooued the Question: Now tis the Lawiers turne to answere, and in his answere he sheweth him selfe a learned Lawier: for whereas the lawe of God consisteth of tenne precepts, he reduceth the same vntounto two; The one taken as it seemeth out of Deutronomium the sixt Chapter, conteining our duety towarde God; the other taken out of Leuiticus the nineteenth Chapter, conteining our duety to our neighbour. Here is the abridgement of Moses lawe, which as it was deliuered in two tables, so it is reduced to two dueties, and both these require but one thing and that is louelove, Deutronomium the tenth Chapter. So doth our Sauiour Christ himselfe diuide the lawe, Matthew the twenty two Chapter, where beeing asked which is the great commandement, hee answereth as here this Lawier dooth; Thou shalt louelove the Lorde thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soule, and with all thy minde: This is the first commaundement and the second is like vntounto this; Thou shalt louelove thy neighbour as thy selfe. Heere is nothing but louelove (my brethren) and yet here is the fulfilling of the law, Romaines the thirteenth Chapter. For all the benefits that God had bestowed vponupon the Israelites his people, hee requireth nothing but louelove: And for all the fauours which he hath done vntounto vsus, he asketh no more but louelove againe.
If wee were not too vnkinde, God needed not to craue our louelove hauing so well descrude our louelove, in louing vsus before wee loued him, first of Iohn the fourth Chapter. But nowe hee is …aine to become a Suter for our louelove which he hath dearely bought, for he shewed his louelove to vsus before hee craues our louelove to him. By his almightie power hee created vsus of nothing, and made vsus the most excellent of all his creatures; if that bee little worth because it cost him little, for he spake the word and we were made, Psal. 33.9. Yet this is such a louelove as cannot be expressed, that when wee were fallen from that excellent estate wherein wee were created and become heyres of hell and condemnation; so did he louelove this sinfull world, that he gaue his onelyonly begotten sonne to die for the sinnes thereof. That hee might bring vsus to heauen, hee came downe from heauen; that hee might deliuer vsus from hell, hee went downe to hell for vsus; Not golde nor siluer, but his dearest bloud was the price of our redemption, 1 Peter, 1. What can a man doo more than to giuegive his life for his friend? Rom. 5.6.7. And what can God doo more, than to die for sinfull men? And for all this, what dooth this louing Lorde require of thee, but that thou louelove the Lord thy God. Blessed be such a Lorde that requireth nothing of his seruants but louelove. If any Prince were so gratious vntounto his subiects that he would require no other subsidies, nor tribute, nor custome of them but louelove: how were the subiects bound to louelove and honor such a Prince? And such a one is our most gratious Lord and King, who for all the blessings and benefits that we enioy vnderunder his most happy gouernment, craueth no more but louelove at our hands for recompence. Once he required burnt offerings, that was a deere kinde of seruice; but now he asketh louelove, a kind of seruice which eueryevery man may well affoorde. He asketh not learning, nor strength, nor riches, nor nobility, but he asketh louelove; a thing that the simplest, the weakest, the poorest, the basest may performe as well as he that is most learned, most strong, most riche, or most nobly borne. If God had required this of thee, that thou shouldst be able to dissolue doubts like Daniell, and to dispute subtile questions, what should then become of thee that art vnlearned? If the Lorde should accept of none but such as were strong and valiant, what should then become of women, olde men and children, which are weake and feeble? If God should regarde none but the riche and wealthie, what should then become of the poore and needy. To conclude, if God should make choice of none but such as were of noble parentage, what should wee do that are the common people? But now hee requireth such a thing of vsus, as the poorest & simplest may performed as well as the wealthiest or wisest man in all the world, for if we cannot louelove, we can do nothing; specially if wee cannot louelove God, that hath so loued vsus, we go not so farre as the wicked doe, for sinners also louelove their louers, Luc. 6.32. And therefore blessed be God, that for the performance of so small a worke, hath proposed such a great rewarde, and for the obtayning of such a happy state, hath imposed such an easie taske. The eye hath not seene, the eare hath not heard, neither can the heart conceiue, what God hath prepared for them that louelove him, Esay 64. chap. 4. verse. 1. Corinthians. 2. chap. 9. verse. And for all these vnspeakeable ioyes which God hath prepared, hee requireth no more of vsus but louelove. How is God enamoured of our louelove, and how vnkinde shall wee bee to withholde it from him? He hath an innumerable company of Angels, which are inflamed with his louelove: and not content therewith, he sues to hauehave the louelove of men. God hath no neede of our louelove, no more then Elisa had neede of Naamans cleansing, but as Elisa bad Naaman wash, that he might become cleane, in the second booke of Kings the fift chapter: so God bids vsus louelove, that wee might be saued. It is for our good altogether, that God requires our louelove in earth, because he meanes to set his louelove on vsus in heauen. If the man of God had willed Naaman doe some great thing, ought he not to hauehave done it? So if God had willed vsus doe some great thing, ought wee not to hauehave done it? How much more when he saieth vntounto vsus; LoueLove, and you shall liue for euer.
Nowe if you would knowe whether you hauehave this louelove of God in you, examine your actions, whether they bee done with delight and comfort. In amore nihil amari; In louelove there is no mislike. Tis like the waters of Iordane wherein Naaman washed: for as his flesh which before was leprous, became faire and tender after his washing, so all our actions, and labours, and afflictions, which before were tedious and irkesome, become ioyous, and pleasaunt, and comfortable, after wee are once bathed in the louelove of God. It is like the Salte that Elisa cast into the noysome waters, to make them wholesome, in the 2. Kings and second chapter; or like the meale that Elisa put into the bitter pottage to make them sweete, as in the 2. Kings the 4. chap. So the louelove of God being shed in our hearts by the holy Ghost, dooth make all anguish, and sicknesse, and pouerty, and labours, and watchings, and losses, and iniuries, and famishment, and banishment, and persecutions, & imprisonment, yea & death it selfe to be welcome vntounto vsus. Such was the louelove of that chosen vessell, who for the louelove that he bare vntounto God, waded through all these afflictions, 2. Cor. 12. and could not for all these and many more, be separated from the louelove of God, as he protesteth, Rom. 8. Wherefore (beloued) seeing God that hath done so much for vsus, requireth no more but louelove of vsus, which eueryevery one may easily affoord: let him be our louelove, our ioy, and whole delight, and then all our life will seeme delightfull. As Iaacob serued seauen yeares for Rachaell, Gen. 29.20. and they seemed to him but a few daies for the louelove that he bare vntounto hir: so when we hauehave once set our louelove vponupon God, our paine will be pleasure, our sorrow will be ioy, our mourning will be mirth, our seruice will be freedome, and all our crosses shall be counted so many comforts: for his sake whom we louelove a great deale more then Iaacob loued Rachell, because his louelove to vsus is like Ionathans louelove to Dauid, passing the louelove of women, 2. Samuel 1.26.
Thus we hauehave heard, what it is that the Lord requireth of vsus, namely louelove. Nowe let vsus see what manner of louelove he requireth. Thou shalt louelove the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, with all thy soule, with all thy strength, and with all thy thought. Here the Lord setteth downe the measure of that louelove which he requireth of vsus, that first it must be true and vnfained, as proceding from the hart & minde; secondly that it must be sound and perfect with all the heart, with all the minde. The Lorde which is a spirit and trueth, Iohn. 4. will be serued in spirit and in the truth. He cannot away with hypocrites, which drawe neere vntounto him with their lips, but their hearts are farre from him. Matth. 15. He cannot abide dissemblers, which flatter with their lips, and dissemble in their double heart, Psal. 12. and therefore though he requireth all the heart, yet he requireth not a double heart; to signifie that a single heart is pleasing vntounto him, and that he detesteth a double hart. As there is a glosing tongue a wanton eye, an idle eare, a wicked hand, and a wandring foote; so there is a false and dissembling heart, which marreth all the rest. As is the eye, such is the light, if the eye be single, the body is full of light: if the eye be wicked, the body is full of darkenesse, Matth. 6.22. So as is the heart, such are the actions of the body, which proceede from the heart. A good man, out of the good treasure of the heart, bringeth foorth good things, and an euill man out of the euill treasure of the heart bringeth foorth euill things, Matth. 12.35. therefore as Christ saith, Make cleane within, and all will be cleane, Luc. 11. So I say vntounto you: looke that your heart be sincere and single, and then your tongue, your eye, your eare, your hand, your foote, that is; all your actions will be holy to the Lord. The heart of man is the storehouse wherein his treasure lyeth, and therefore God seeking to hauehave the treasure, requires the heart: For where the treasure is, there will the heart be also, Matth. 6.21. But he will hauehave it freely, not by constraint; and therefore he requires the heart, because whatsoeuer is done with the hart, is done willingly, and that which is done against the heart, is done as it were against the haire. Therefore in requiring the heart, God sheweth that hee delighteth in voluntary seruice. Among all the offerings that the Lorde in his lawe required of his people, he liketh none so well as the free-will offerings of their hande. Princes require helpe of their subiects, because they stand in neede of helpe, not regarding whether they doe it willingly or against their willes; but God requireth the heart, because he needeth not our helpe. As God giues to all men indifferently, & casteth no man in the teeth, Iame. 1. chap. 5. verse; so hee would hauehave vsus to giuegive that which we giuegive vntounto him willingly, without grutching. If we giuegive him louelove, we must giuegive it louingly; if we giuegive him our heart, we must doe it heartily; if we giuegive him our almes, we must doe it cheerefully: for as he loueth a cheerefull giuer, 1. Cor. 9.7. so he loues a cheerfull louer: but he that loues not with the heart, loues not cheerefully, for out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, Matth. 12.34. the head deuiseth, the eye seeth, the eare heareth, the hand worketh, the foot walketh. If the heart be enditing of a good matter, the tongue will be as the pen of a ready writer, Psal. 45.2. but if the heart be vnwilling, eueryevery thing will be yrkesome like the gift of Ananias, that was loth to part from the price of his land, because Sathan had filled his heart with couetousnesse. Acts. 5. chap. 2. ver. Such are the gifts of many now a dayes, which either giuegive not so much as their abilitie might affoorde, or if they do, then presently they begin to repent that they gaue so much; and as Iudas murmured that the oyle was not soulde, and giuen to the poore, Iohn 12. chapter, so they greeue that their almes was not spared, and put to some other vse. Thus though they giuegive sometime as Ananias did for fashion sake, because they see other giuegive, yet is their gift nothing worth, because it comes not with a willing minde. God more regarded the sheapheards sacrifice of the first fruites of his sheepe, Genesis 4. chapter, and 4.5. ver. than the husbandmans oblation of the first fruites of his ground; because Abel offered sincerely with all his heart, and Caine offered like an hypocrite for an outward shew. The widdowes mite, Luc. 21. was more esteemed, than the riche mens much, because she offered of her penury with a willing minde, they of their superfluitie for ostentation. A cup of colde water or a morsell of bread, that is giuen with cheerefulnesse, is better then a fat Oxe with hatred & ill will. When we giuegive to the poore, we lend vntounto the Lord, and the Lord to whom we lend, measureth the gift by the minde of the giuer, and not by the worth of the gift. A small thing (saith Dauid, Psal. 37.16.) that the righteous hauehave, is better then great riches of the vngodly: so a small thing that the righteous giuegive, is better then great gifts of the vngodly, because they giuegive for the louelove of God with all their heart, but the vngodly giuegive for other respects, either for the louelove of the man to whom they giuegive, or (like the Pharises Matth. 6.1.) for the praise of men before whom they giuegive.
Some will not giuegive at all, wherin they declare that they hauehave no louelove at all: When a poore man comes to their doore, or to their pue, then (as Naball answered Dauid, when he desired reliefe for himself and his company. 1. Sam. 23.10. VVho is Dauid? or who is the sonne of Isai? There be many seruants now a daies, that breake euerie man away from his maister: shall I then take my bread and my water, and my flesh that I hauehave killed for my shearers, and giuegive it vntounto men whom I know not whence they are: so they aunswer the poore man: who art thou, & whence commest thou? there are too many such as you are in eueryevery place, we hauehave poore enough of our owne to helpe, I must bestow mine almes on them, and I hauehave not for you. Thus do they excuse their niggardise and vnmercifulnesse by the poore that dwell among them; vppon whome God knows they bestowe no more than that which law compels them to bestowe, and that for the most part against their will. Where is the louelove of God my bretheen? If you say you louelove God, & shew not your louelove to your brethren, you lye, for if you louelove not your brother whom you see, you cannot louelove God whome you hauehave not seene, 1. Iohn 4.20. As we must louelove God with the heart, that is, sincerely, so we must louelove him with all the heart, that is, with a perfect louelove. God is like a iealous husband, lothe to hauehave a partner in his louelove. Exod. 20. He will not hauehave halfe the heart, nor a peece of the heart, but all the heart. When the heart is deuided it dieth, therfore God will not hauehave the heart deuided, least it die, because he desireth a liuing and not a dying heart. He is not like the vnkinde mother that would hauehave the childe deuided; 1. Kin. 26. but like the naturall mother, who rather than it should be deuided, would forgoe the childe. So God will hauehave all or none, if he may not hauehave all the heart, and all the soule, and all the strength, & all the thought, he will hauehave none at all. The diuell, or the worlde, or the flesh, will play small game as we vse to say, before they will sit out; if they cannot get full possession of our hearts, thē they are content to hauehave some part of our louelove, as it were a litle roome in our hearts, a wicked thought, or a consent to sinne, like Pharao the king of Egipt, who when he could not keep the Israelits still in bondage, would keep their wiues and children back: and when this would not be granted, then he was content to let them go & doe sacrifice, but their sheepe and their cattell must stay behinde: and when this might not be obtained, then he desired them onelyonly to blesse him before they went, Exod. 10. But God is of another minde: he that made all the hearts of men, & trieth them, and knoweth them, and renueth them, and mollifieth them, and lighteneth them, and ruleth them, and turneth them which way it pleaseth him, wil hauehave all the heart because he hath best right to all. Therefore as Moses answered Pharao. There shall not a hoofe be left behinde vsus: so whensoeuer the deuill, the world, or the flesh, are suters vntounto vsus for any part of our heart, as commonly they are, when we hauehave any sacrifice or seruice to performe vntounto the Lorde our God, then we must aunswer them, as Moses answered Pharao; Thou shalt hauehave neither hand nor hoofe in this action, Exod. 10.26: or as Peter answered Simon Magus when he offered mony for the holy ghost; Thou hast neither part nor felowship in this businesse, Acts 8.20.21. I must not yeeld one iot to your suggestions, for I must louelove the Lord my God, with all my heart, with all my soule, &c. That God may be our God, he will hauehave the greatest louelove, because whatsoeuer we louelove best, we make our God: we may louelove our parents, or our wiues, or our children, or our friends, or our neighbors, aswell as we louelove our selues, with a true & vnfained louelove, but we must louelove God better thā our parents, or our wiues, or our childrē, or our friends, or our neighbors, or our selues with all our hearts, & with all our soule, that is with a sound & perfect louelove. As we louelove a ring or a iewell for his sake that gaue it, so we must louelove althings of this life for his sake that gaue them, & for his own sake aboue all the rest. This perfect louelove we can bestow but once, and but one can hauehave it, and who so hath it, must be our God; if we set our hart vpō riches, we make riches our God, therfore Dauid saith Psal. 62; If riches increase set not your heart vponupon them; if our whole delight be in eating & drinking, then we make a god of our belly, and the Apostle tels vsus, Phil. 3. that our end is damnation, if we be giuen to wantonnesse and fleshly pleasure, then Venus is our goddesse, and Salomon tels vsus, Prou. 6. cha. 26. ver. that our end will be beggerie. But if we hauehave set our louelove on God, the eye hath not seene, the eare hath not heard, neither hath it entred into the heart of man what God hath prepared for them that louelove him, 1. Cor. 2.9. Nowe if you woulde know how you must louelove God with all your hart, thus you must doo it. When the diuell or the world, or the flesh, shal set any thing before thee to louelove, wherewith thou shalt offend thy God, thou must bee content to loose and forgoe the same be it neuer so precious, be it neuer so louely: He loueth God aboue all, which not for the louelove of any thing that is created, can be brought to sinne against his Creator. So Ioseph loued God aboue all, who though hee might hauehave had the louelove of his Ladie and Mistresse without suspition of man, yet he would not consent, and so to loose the louelove of God, Gen. 39. Such was Dauids louelove to God, 1. Kings, 24. who when hee had gotten Saul (his greatest enemy that sought his life) into a Caue, where hee might at once hauehave beene reuenged on him for all his iniuries, was content onelyonly to cut off the lap of his garment, and so to let him goe vnhurt, rather than hee woulde sinne against the Lord in laying his handes vppon the Lords annointed. Such also was the louelove of chast Susanna Dan. 13. who when shee might hauehave gained the louelove and fauour of the Elders without any note of infamie, chose rather to vndergoe the danger of hir life, than to sinne in the sight of the Lorde. Therefore thou mayest louelove the things of this life, thy parents, thy wife, thy children and the rest, the Lorde giues thee good leaue to louelove them, so long as thou maiest louelove them without offence to God. But if once they be vntounto thee an occasion to sinne, thou must leaue to louelove them, and rather choose to susteine any losse, though it bee to the cutting off thy hande or thy foote, or to the plucking out of thine eye, Math. 5.29. or to the hazard of thy life, than thou wouldst offend so diuine a Maiestie.
Now thou seest (if thou be not wilfully blind) how farre thou art from this perfect louelove which God requireth of thee. Thou hast not alwaies preferred God before all thy worldly profit, thou hast not alwaies preferred God before all thy fleshly pleasure: when thou hast gotten oportunity to be reuenged of thine enemie, thou hast not spared him; when thou hast gotten oportunitie to commit wickednes, thy louelove to God hath not restrained thee; where God required all thy heart, thou hast giuen him no part of thy heart: Somtime all thy heart runneth after thy couetousnesse, Ezech. 33.31. Sometime thy soule is wholly set vponupon-delight and ease; sometime thy minde is all vppon thy corne, Luke, 12. or thy cattle, or thy pasture; and sometime thy thoughts are all vponupon thy merchandise: seldome thou thinkest vppon God, but when thou commest into the Church of God; and then thy minde is so distracted with diuers thoughts, and eares, and affaires of this life, that thou canst not thinke vponupon God one houre together. Therefore what remaineth in this case for thee to doo but confesse thine owne imperfection: and flie to Christ to supplie thy wants, and earnestly to desire the Lorde to change thy heart, to take from thee thy old heart, thy vaine, thy wandring heart, which hath loued other things more than God; and in stead therof to giuegive thee a new heart and to create a right spirite within thee, Psal. 51. wherwith thou maist louelove God aboue all things in this life, that in the life to come thou maiest finde the rewarde of thy louelove, such ioyes and comforts as cannot be expressed.
Thus we hauehave heard what duety wee owe vntounto God himselfe; Now wee shall heare what duety we owe vntounto our neighbour. That which we owe vntounto them both is louelove, but yet the louelove which we owe vntounto them is not alike. For albeit the second commaundement bee like vntounto the first, Matthew, 22. for the necessitie thereof and in respect of the subiect or qualitie which is required, namely louelove; yet in respect of the obiect which is God, and the measure of our louelove which must bee perfect; there is great odds betweene them. In that they both require but louelove, they are both alike, but in that the first requireth louelove to God, the second louelove to men, the first requireth a greater louelove than the second there is the difference: But here a doubt ariseth, seeing God requireth the louelove of all the heart, soule, &c. what louelove remaineth for our neighbour? If God must hauehave all our louelove, what louelove is left for any other? Whereunto I answere, that the louelove of our neighbour doth not derogate nor detract from the louelove of God; As the light of a candle doth not dazel, but rather commend the light of the sunne: so our louelove to our neighbour doth not diminish, but rather accomplish our louelove to God. He that loueth the frute, will louelove the tree whereon it groweth, and hee that loueth the streame will louelove the fountaine from whence it floweth: euen so he that loueth man which is a creature, will much more louelove God that hath created him. But let vsus examine the words: Thou shalt louelove thy neighbour as thy selfe, Heere are foure thinges to bee obserued: First, what is required, namely louelove: Secondly who must louelove, thou: that is eueryevery man. Thirdly, whome wee must louelove, namely our neighbour. And lastly, howe and in what manner wee must louelove him, as we louelove our selues. Concerning the first, as in the former precept, so in this also the Lord requireth louelove; wherein hee dealeth as a kinde father with his children, who desirous to hauehave them so to resemble him, as by their conditions eueryevery man may knowe whose they are: Therefore▪ our louing father, desirous to hauehave vsus like himselfe, requireth vsus to be kinde and louing one to another, as he is kind to the vnkind, to the euill, to the iust, and to the vniust, Matt. 5. He will hauehave vsus perfect, as he is perfect, he will hauehave vsus holy, as he is holy; he will hauehave vsus mercifull, as he is mercifull; he will hauehave vsus louing as he is louelove it selfe. Againe, it is the nature of a louing father, by all meanes to procure the welfare of his children: so our heauenly father desirous of our continuall happinesse, commandeth vsus louelove, that so we may leade our liues with delight and pleasure. If he had hated vsus, he would hauehave commanded vsus to liue in hatred, and enuy and malice with our neighbours; For among all the miseries that are vnderunder the sunne, there is not a more miserable and yrksome life than the life of the enuious. Salomon; Prou. 14.30. calles it a rotting of the bones, and as it were a consumption of the body, because the enuious man alwaies repineth, and pineth away at other mens prosperitie. As all things worke to the best to them that louelove God; Rom. 8. so all things worke to the worst to them that are enuious. Therefore one wisheth, that the enuious man had eies in eueryevery citie, that he might be vexed with all mens prosperitie. As Christ said, Iohn 13. By this shall all men know, that yee are my disciples, if you hauehave louelove one towards another: so the diuell saith; By this shall all men know, that ye are my disciples, if yee hauehave enuie, and hatred, and malice, one towards another. Therefore leauing that hatefull and lothsome kinde of life to the reprobate and damned, who are alwaies mal-content like Caine, Gen. 4. and their countenance cast downe; they cannot looke on their brother with a cheerefull countenance, nor affoord him a merry worde. God hath prescribed louelove to those that are his, to shew how desirous he is of their welfare & happines. But here some churle may say vntounto me; If this be all, I shall doe well enough: if God require no more but louelove, I shall be well content to louelove, so that I be not bound to giuegive. Alas, this is a silly shift: for it is the nature of godly louelove, to relieue and helpe him that is beloued: therefore whom thou louest, if thou louest him truely, thou canst not see him lack, if it be in thy power to supply his want. If thou louelove thy horse, thou wilt giuegive him prouinder; if thou louelove thy dog, thou wilt giuegive him thy crummes, and if thou louelove thy brother, thou wilt giuegive him foode. Therefore though nothing be expressed which thou shouldest giuegive vntounto thy brother, yet in that thou must louelove him, thou art bound to giuegive him, not onelyonly thy goods, but euen thy life if neede require to doe him good. This is my commaundement, saieth our Sauiour Christ, Iohn. 15. chap. 12. vers. that yee louelove one another as I hauehave loued you, but he so loued vsus, that he gaue his life for vsus, Rom. 5.…. therefore wee also ought to giuegive out liues for our brethren. 1. Iohn. 3.16. For as much then, as thy life, which as Christ speaketh, is more worth than foode or raiment, Matth. 6.25. should not be spared for thy anothers good, from henceforth grutch not to giuegive thy goods to thy needy neighbour, defraude not him of foode and raiment, to whom thou owest euen thy life it selfe.
But let vsus come to the second thing, which sheweth who is bound to louelove, Thou shalt louelove. VnderUnder this worde thou; God comprehendeth eueryevery particular man and woman: as if hee should say, Thou thy selfe, and not any other, for thou shalt louelove thy neighbour. The poore man is not exempted from this precept, because he may louelove aswell as the riche. If he say I hauehave no wealth, and therefore I cannot shewe my louelove to my neighbour. Though he hauehave no wealth, yet he hath a heart, he hath a minde, he hath an affection; let him hauehave a louing heart, a louing minde, and a louing affection; if he cannot doo well, let him wish well vntounto his neighbour; if he can or gratifie him with any thing that he hath… let him not enuie at any thing that the riche man hath sorts the riche man shewes that hee loues his neighbour, if he relieue his necessitie: so the poore man sheweth that he loues his neighbour, if he greeue not at his prosperitie. This therefore as a generall precept, bindeth the poore aswell as the riche, it is a common yoake laide vponupon the neck, and a common burthen laide vponupon the backe of eueryevery christian, but yet it is an easie yoake, and a light burthen, Matt. 11. because it is louelove, which maketh all things to seeme delightsome. As there are some that would bee content to louelove if they might not giuegive; so there are some would be content to giuegive, if they were sure they should not want: therefore when it comes to giuing, they post it ouer to their heires or to their executors, or to their successors when they are dead; they are neuer liberall vntill they die, and then they are liberall of that which is none of theirs. They thinke to be excused by the liberalitie of their, heires, but they are bound to bee liberall for themselues: therefore they must not lay the burthen vppon them, because eueryevery man must beare his owne burthen, Gal. 6. If they say, I know not what need I may hauehave before I die, let them remember, that what they giuegive vntounto the poore, they lend vntounto the Lord, and he is a sure paymaister, he giues great vsurie, and as Dauid laid, I neuer saw the righteous forsaken, nor his seede beg their bread: so they must needes confesse, if they will confesse the trueth, that they neuer sawe the godlye man that was liberall to the poore, by that meanes to come to miserie. By other meanes many men fall into extreame pouertie, Alea, Vina, Venus, Dice, Wine, and Women hauehave brought many to beggery; but by beneficence and liberalitie to the poore, I neuer heard that any came to penurie. Such a foyson hath your almes, that by the blessing of God which makes men rich, it increaseth like the Widdows meale and oile which she bestowed vppon the Prophet, 1. Kings, 17. Therefore let no man distrust.
Now we are come to the third thing, which sheweth whom wee are bound to louelove. Thou shalt louelove thy neighbour. He saith not, thou shalt louelove the rich man, or thy kinsman, or thy friend or thy companion, but thy neighbour: VnderUnder which word is comprehended eueryevery man that is any way capable of thy louelove, yea; euen thy enemie is included in this precept, Matthew, 5. Rom. 12. As the Iewes thought none to be their neighbours but their owne Nation, so some thinke none to bee their neighbours but their equalls? The rich man despiseth the poore man, and he againe enuieth the rich man, and eueryevery man as the prouerbe is, delighteth in those that are like himselfe: But heere this lawe requireth that whosoeuer is our neighbor, by any meanes is to be loued. As our Sauiour Christ had two kindes of kinsfolke, Matthew. 12. one by the flesh, and another by the spirit; so we hauehave two kindes of neighbours, one by nature, and another by grace: and as Christ preserd his spirituall kindred, before his carnall kindred; so we must preferre our spirituall neighbours, before our carnall neighbours.
Therfore, although by this law we are bound to louelove all men indifferently, yet because there are degrees of neighbours, therefore there must be degrees of louelove; we must louelove our parents, and our kinsfolke, more than strangers, because they are bound vntounto vsus by a straighter bonde of nature, according to that of the Apostle, 1. Tim. 5. Hee that hath not a care of his owne, specially they of his houshold, &c. So we must louelove the faithfull more than the vnfaithfull, because they are bound vntounto vsus by a straighter bonde of faith and religion, as the same Apostle willeth vsus, Gal. 6. VVhile yee hauehave time do good vntounto all, specially to them of the houshold of faith: signifying, that as we are bounde to louelove all men with a generall louelove, because they are all the ofspring of Adam, yet must we louelove some with a more speciall louelove, because they are the children of God.
Nowe followeth the measure of that louelove which we owe vntounto our neighbor, expressed in the last words; As thy selfe: Heere is the rule whereby our louelove must be squared, and a most exquisite example of singular louelove found in our selues for vsus to imitate: He saith not, as he loueth thee, or as hee is beloued of other; but as thy selfe. Who knowes not howe well hee loues himselfe, and therefore who can excuse himselfe? I say I know not how well I should louelove my neighbor; but how doo we louelove our selues? fainedly? or coldly? or for an houre? I trow not, but truely and zealously, and eueryevery houre; so wee must louelove our neighbour with a true, zealous, and a constant louelove. Wee must not passe by as the Priest & the Leuit, but powre our oile into their wounds with the Samaritan, to helpe relieue them, and comfort them. Wee must louelove our neighbour, though he be enuious, as Dauid loued Saul, requiting good for euill; and as Ioseph loued Putiphar, not enticed to sinne against him. LoueLove is the fulfilling of the Lawe: It beginneth young with Moses, to resist the oppressor, and endeth not in old age, but desireth to perish for the beloueds preseruation; calleth infants in the streete with wisedome to learne; comforteth the imprisoned with Abacucke; burieth the dead with Tobie; visiteth the sicke and possessed with our Sauiour: couereth the multitude of offences; and shall finde this last comsort, Come ye blessed: to which ioy hee bring vsus that with his louelove from euerlasting death hath bought vsus.
Here endeth the second Sermon.
THE CENSVRE of Christ vponupon the Answere.
By HENRY SMITH.
LONDON, Printed for Thomas Gosson: and are to be sold at his shop by London Bridge Gate.