The Plain Mans Spiritual Plow, Chapter 27
CHAP. XXVII. The fourteenth and laſt part, is the Tawe.
Spirituall LoueLove.THere nowe remaineth one other thing in this Soole, no leſſe neceſſarie then any of the former: yea, and that without the which, all the former members of the ſame are nothing auaileable to this ſpirituall husbandry. That is, the Tawe, or that yron Rope which embracing the Beame, aſſureth it to the Tractory or Lambe. By this is meant that Spirituall LoueLove, which is ſo often commended and commaunded vntounto the brethren of Chriſt, as whereby, not onelyonly the mortification of the fleſh is faſtened to the faithfull hope, and ſo the former is the better ſuſteined and performed by the latter: but alſo the whole Soole, with his parts holden together by the helpe of the Key of Chriſtian faith. This is that ſweete delight of a mans heart towardes ſomething, for the ſake of ſome what,Auguſt. which runneth through deſire, and ſurceaſeth in hope by a deſire in luſting for, and by a ioy in hauing it. Neither if mans heart be good, can it be good of any other occaſion, then by louing that well which is good: nor can the ſame be euill, if euer it be of any thing elſe, ſauing in not louing well that thing which is good.
As this Taw is made of three or foure yron rings, or lincks of yron faſtened one wtihin an other, in the order of a chaine, the greateſt wherof compaſſeth or embraceth the Beame: the ſecond lincked to the firſt, the third to the ſecond, and the fourth to the third, which is alſo aſſured to the Tractory or Lambe. So in the ſpirituall Taw, which is LoueLove, there bee foure kindes or branches.4. Branches of LoueLove. The firſt (which is the higheſt & greateſt) is the LoueLove of God the Father: the ſecond, is the louelove of God the Sonne: the third, is the louelove of God the holy Ghoſt: the fourth, is the louelove of man: of God the Father, as our Creator and maker: of the Sonne, as our redeemer and Sauiour: of the holy Ghoſt, as our ſanctifier and conſolator: of man, as our neighbour and brother.
Therefore it is commanded, that we louelove God the Father, with all our heartes, ſtrength, ſoule, minde, and whatſoeuer elſe we hauehave. LoueLove him, for he loued thee firſt: louelove him, for hee ſent his onelyonly Sonne into the world that thou ſhouldeſt liue through him: louelove him, for he is thy Father, thy King: thy God, and beſt good for euer. This is well reſembled by the great Ring in the Taw, which embraceth the Beame, and pulleth on thoſe other partes which follow it: (by which Beame (as is before ſaid) is ſignified the Maceration or mortification of the fleſh.) For as this Ring of the Taw compaſſeth the Beam, ſo LoueLove compaſſeth or embraceth true maceration of the fleſh in the godly, who after the example of Chriſt (being perſwaded through LoueLove to take our fleſh, & therin to be macerated & mortified) we are well pleaſed for the louelove & good affection they hauehave to God, to ſuffer and ſuſtaine hunger, colde, nakednes, watchings, trauailes, perſecutions, and all afflictions, whereby the fleſh is often manifeſted and ſubdued to the Spirit. For this louing Taw,Raban. in ſermon. eſteemeth nothing hard, nothing bitter, nothing heauie, nothing deadly: what hard yrons, what bitter wounds, what intollerable paines, what mortall pangs preuaile to daūt LoueLove, which is a ſhield impenitrable againſt all dartes, withſtanding all ſwords, contemning all perils, and diriding all deaths? Therof could the moſt holy Spowſeſſe ſay:Cant. 5, 6, 7. As ſtrong as death is LoueLove: much water cannot quench it: neither can the floods drowne it: If a man ſhould giuegive all the ſubſtance of his houſe for LoueLove, they would greatly contemne it.
Touching the ſecond, which is that LoueLove to the Sonne, Pſal. 2.we heare the Pſalmiſt ſay: O kiſſe the Sonne, lest he be angry, and ſo ye periſh by the way. Againe, He is the Lord, Pſal. 45.and worſhippe thou him. To this the holy Apoſtles oft perſwade, and beyond all others,1. Ioh. 1. that moſt louely Apoſtle in Chriſt is in this very emphatical: and the Lord Ieſus himſelfe (as he exhorted his Apoſtles and followers to this vertue) ſo hee willed them to expreſſe the ſame by the keeping of his commandements,Ioh. 21. by feeding his flocke, by merciemercy & charitable actions. The reaſons may bee taken from the wordes of the Pſalmiſt, where hee ſaith; Kiſse the Sonne, &c. That is, firſt he is the Son of God the Father, & of right ought to beloued: next, if we louelove him not, he will be angry: thirdly, if he be angry, hee deſtroyeth them that prouoke him: fourthly, if we louelove him, we are bleſſed: fiftly, he is the Lord our God: ſixtly, hee is our King, our Prieſt, our Prophet, our Sauiour, our Mediator, our life:Pſal. 2. & 45. & who ſhuld not louelove his King, his Prieſt, his Prophet, his Sauiour, his Mediatour, his life. The Apoſtles hauehave gathered & applied many reaſons thereof, which yet are thus concluded by a learned Father.Aug. de Caten. rudi. Ama amorem illius, qui amore tui amoris deſcendit in vterum virginis, &c. LoueLove his LoueLove (ſaith hee) who for thy LoueLove came downe into the wombe of a virgin, and there made a copulation of his LoueLove with thy LoueLove, by humbling himſelfe and exalting thee, and conioyning the light of his eternitie to the vile ſlime of thy mortalitie. Moreouer, touching the nature, operation and vtilitie of this LoueLove in our ſelues, from whence ſpring no meane cauſes to perſwade vsus. An other in a certain ſermon calleth it fire, light, honie, wine, and the Sunne. Fire in meditation, purifying the mind from all blemiſhes: Light in prayer, illuminating the minde with the cleareneſſe of vertues. Honie in thankſgiuing, ſweetning the minde with the dulcor of diuine benefites: wine in contemplation, conſolating the minde with cheerefull delectation, and a bright Sunne in the eternall happineſſe, clarifying the minde with gladſome and wholeſome light, brightening the minde with vnſpeakeable ioy and eternall gladneſſe. This therefore is a moſt diuine treaſure, the which whoſoeuer hath it, is right rich, and whoſoeuer hath it not, is wretched and poore.
The third linke is that louelove of the holy Spirite, when feeling our ſelues both ſanctified & comforted by the pleaſant beames of the ſame, wee are ſo rauiſhed with the louelove thereof, as we embrace his moſt excellent graces, not onelyonly in our ſelues, but alſo in all others. This is that Spirit of wiſedome and vnderſtanding, of counſell and ſtrength, of knowledge and of the feare of God, the which reſting on Chriſt, made him prudent in the feare of the Lord, the which all Chriſtians do both admire and praiſe before all the vertues of men.Iſai. 11.2. The ſame from his fulneſſe diriued vntounto men, hath diſtributed diuerſitie of gifts, and the manifeſtation of the Spirite is giuen to euerie man to edifie withall.1. Cor. 12.7. For one from thence hath the word of wiſedome: an other the word of knowledge: an other faith: an other the gifts of healing: an other the operations of great workes: an other propheſie: an other diſcerning of ſpirits: an other diuerſitie of tongues: an other the interpretation of tongues. And all theſe things worketh the ſame ſpirit, diſtributing to euerie man ſeuerally as hee will: the which are to be accepted and commended with ardent louelove of this ſpirit. Beſides this, by this Spirit is Chriſt Ieſus preſent with vsus in the world, euen vntounto the end thereof. For he ſaith, I wil be with you alwaies: and where two or three bee congregated in his name, he is in the middeſt of them; that is, by his Spirit. By this wee hauehave our conſolation in this world, and therefore hee is called the Comforter: as he ſaith: I will ſend you another Comforter which ſhall remaine with you for euer. Ioh. 14, & 16.This is the ſame which aſſureth vsus in our ſpirits, that we are Gods children: and to be ſhort, by the helpe of this Spirit, wee behold Gods face: for hee ſanctifieth vsus, without the which we cannot ſee the face of God.Heb. 12.14. Therefore we are to embrace him and his rich graces with faithfull and godly louelove. Theſe things Auguſtine deepely perpending, made his prayer vntounto the holy Ghoſt in theſe wordes;Sanctum opus in me ſpira vt cogitem, &c. In epiſt. ad quendam comitem. Inſpire in mee a good worke, that I may thinke thereof, prouoke mee to performe it, perſwade mee to louelove thee: confirme me, that I may reteine thee: keepe mee, that I looſe thee not.
The fourth lincke of this ſpirituall Taw, ſignifieth the louelove of our neighbour. Wee cannot be ignorant both what the Lord in the Lawe and the Prophets, and alſo in the Goſpel, biddeth in this point: as namely, that wee ſhould louelove our neighbour as our ſelues. And this alſo the holy Apoſtle (eſpecially St. Iohn the Euangelſt) in their Epiſtles, labour to perſwade all Chriſtians vnderunder that word (agape) that is,Charity. LoueLove, or Charitie, which is a right diuine facultie inſpired into our hearts by that diuine Spirit, by the which we euer wiſh well vntounto our neighbours, and according to the meaſure of our abilitie, ſtudie to helpe and benefit him, for Chriſt his ſake, and in the name of God. The true nature of this louely linke is well defined before in the word Mercy, the which (as Chriſt teacheth) the Lord requireth of man towardes man (to declare his iuſtice) beyond all burnt offerings,Mat. 9. Mich. 6. and externall ſacrifices. And to this are wee moued (beſides the former cauſes) in that the nature thereof is good, the vſe profitable: we are brethren, the ſonnes of one Father, of the ſame baptiſme, the ſame faith, the ſame familie: people of the ſame God, heires of one inheritance, and partakers of life together, through one Mediatour and Sauiour.
Now Saint Paul conioyning together thoſe foure Linkes, confirmeth LoueLove to bee the perfection of the Law: that is, the ſame wherein is performed our duty both to God and man. And ſpeaking of the nature, dignitie and office thereof, hee thought hee could not ſufficiently exalt the honour of the ſame:1. Cor. 13. but thus hee ſaith. Though I ſpeake with the tongues of men and Angells, and hauehave not LoueLove, I am as a ſoundiing braſse, or tinckling Cimball. Though I had the gift of prophecying, and knew all ſecrets, and all knowledge: yea, if I had all faith, ſo that I could remoue mountaines, and had not LoueLove, I were nothing. And though I feede the poore with all my goods: and though I giuegive my body to bee burned, and hauehave not LoueLove, it profiteth mee nothing. LoueLove ſuffereth long, is bountifull, enuieth not, boaſteth not, is not puffed vppe, diſdaineth not, ſeeketh not her owne, is not prouoked to anger, thinketh not euill, reioyceth not in iniquitie, but reioyceth in the truth: ſuffereth all things, beleeueth all things, hopeth all things, and endureth all things. LoueLove neuer falleth away, though that prophecyings bee aboliſhed, or the tongues ceaſe, or knowledge vaniſh away. Againe,Verſe. 13. Now abideth Faith, Hope and LoueLove: theſe three, but the chiefeſt of theſe is LoueLove. Therefore Saint Auguſtine peruſing Pauls praiſe of this moſt honourable vertue, ſeemeth to recapitulate his manifolde members in his deſcription thereof. Thus is (ſaith hee) a right Will turned vtterly away from all earthly and preſent thinges, ioyned in ſeperable to GOD, and vnited with a certeine fire of the holye Spirite, from whence it proceedeth, and is ſaide to be enkindled, eſtraunged from all filthy pollution, ignorant of corruption, empaired with no kinde of immutabilitie: ſuperiour to all thinges which are carnally minded: the ſtrongeſt of all affections, deſirous of holy contemplations, not at any time conquered of any other in any thing: the ſumme of all good actions: the health of manners: the end of the heauenly lawes: the death of all crimes: the life of vertues: the ſtrength of the fighters: the palme of the victors: the armour of ſacred mindes: the cauſe of good deſerts: the reward of the perfect, that, without the which, no man pleaſeth God: fruitfull in the repentance, gladſome in them that profite: glorious in thoſe which perſeuere: victorious in the Martyrs: profitable in all beleeuers: the ſame, in the which eueryevery good worke whatſoeuer, hath and holdeth life. Finally, becauſe Saint Paul hath conioyned together faith, hope and louelove, wee finde them ſo placed in this Soole, and conioyned, that albeit we may diſtinguiſh them, yet diuide them wee may not: for it is neceſſary the one holde faſt by the other, nor worketh the one without the other. The Taw is ſtaied with the Key or Pinne, and reacheth from thence to the Tractory or Lambe: where, by the Key is ſignified Faith: by the Tractory, Hope: and by the Taw, LoueLove: as before it is declared. Which three hauing their ſeuerall offices, may well expreſſe the ſame in three words: Faith ſaith, I aſſure it. Hope ſaith, I expect it. LoueLove ſaith, I tend towards it. For Faith is aſſured of the good thinges which God hath promiſed, nor doubteth ſhee of the performance of his word, knowing him to be righteous. Hope with a longing deſire, euer expecteth and looketh to obtain thoſe good things which God hath promiſed, and faith hath aſſured, and therefore is not wearie. LoueLove in the daily exerciſe of the diuine vertues and fruits of faith, ſtandeth not ſtill gaping for the ſame without her dutifull endeuour: but worketh righteouſly, and tendeth towards the attainement of that which is promiſed, aſſured and hoped for. Loe, ſuch a precious Iewell is LoueLove! Such a powerfull Taw hath Pieties Plough. And thus hauehave we the Soole throughly performed.