Body of Divinity, Book 7 · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX. I. Of the Simple Affections.
Pretium hominis amor.THe two first and fundamentall Passions of all the rest are Love and Hatred.Nerembergius A man is worth no more then his love.
1. Love, This is the master Bee which carries all the swarm with it, a cardinal affection, Iohn 11. 35, 36.
It is the opening or letting out of the heart after some Good proportionable to it self.
Or, It is an affection by which the soul setleth it self in the liking of what is esteemed good, as it is good. The Schoolmen say, It is not only vinculum ligans, but pondus inclinans, quod pondus in corporibus id amor in spiritibus. Amor meus pondus meum. Aug. in confess. It should be an equal weight, greatest to the greatestSi terram amas terra es, si Deum amas quid…i dicerem Deus es. Aug. good; our love to all other things should be subordinate to that. Fecerunt itaque civitates duas amores duo, terrenam scilicet amor sui usque ad contemptum Dei, coelestem vero amor Dei usque ad contemptum sui. Augustin. de civitate Dei, lib. 14. cap. 28.
The Image of God in this affection was the placing of it on its proper object forTo love God is to become godly, and to have the mind after a sort deified, 2 Pet. 1. 4. To love the world is to become a worldling. The Schools mention three kindes of love, which indeed are rather three effects of love, 1. Love of benevolence, whereby one wisheth, and so farre as he can procureth the welfare of the thing loved. 2. Love of concupiscence by which it is carried with a longing to be united to the thing loved, or to enjoy it. 3. Love of complacency by which the soul is satisfied, contented and made to rest in the thing loved when it doth enjoy it. So when our hearts so cleave to God as the chief Good, that we wish all Glory, Honour, Felicity to him, and long to enjoy him, and be satisfied so far as we have power or hope of enjoying him. Measure, Weight, Intention, Order, Degree.
God is the great and proper object of it, from the knowledge of his excellencies, and the sense of his ravishing goodnesse. Adams heart was wholly carried to him as his chief good.
1. The love of concupiscence or desire made out to the possession of God.
2. The love of complacency took wonderful pleasure in him.
3. The love of friendship was willing to do what God would have him.
4. The love of dependance expected good from no other.
The soul did this, 1. Freely without violence. 2. Superlatively.
The second object of mans love in his pure condition was himself, all his love to himself was to take delight in that in himself which was most lovely, Gods Image in himself.
Thirdly, All the rest of the creatures save the Devil, as any creatures did set out Gods glory, or was a means to bring him to the fruition of the chief good, all creatures were loved in a sweet order and subordination to God.
2. The Image of the Devil in our love.
First, This love of God is wholly rooted out of the heart, naturally men are haters of God.
1. We have no desire to enjoy him, we like not to walk in the wayes that may bring us near God.
2. For complacency, we would not have God to be such a one as he is.
3. For friendship, a natural man abhors to do what should please God.
4. For dependance, though we are upheld by him, yet we will rather trust to any thing then God.
Secondly, We are fallen from that love God would have us bear to our selves for our being like him.
Thirdly, We hate the creatures as they are like God, the Saints, Gods Ordinances. Our depraved love is beastly or devilish, it is bestowed on things which we and the beasts love alike, sensual delights or spiritual wickednesses.
The work of Gods grace in sanctifying this affection, consistsTwo things draw out our affections towards good things, 1. The good that comes by them. 2. The good that is in them, a wicked man may love good things for the good that comes by them, a godly man for the good that is in them. Two things draw out our affections against evil things, 1. The evil that comes by them, so a wicked man may be affected with the evil that comes by them, Exod. 10. 17. Act. 8. 24. a godly man is affected with the evil that is in them, he loves God and hates sin for it self, Hos. 14. 1, 2. 2 Sam. 24. 25. Luk. 15. 18. Zech. 12. 10. Jer. 31. 19.
1. In turning the bent of the affection toward those things which God at first made its proper object.
2. In guiding and directing it proportionably to every object, to God, the creatures, and self, in due measure, method, order and degree.
It carries the affection of love to God in the first place,
1. In a love of Union.
2. In a love of Complacency.
3. In a love of Friendship.
4. In a love of Dependance.
Secondly, It carries it next to God to love our selves, and to love that in our selves which God would have us love, the regenerate part.
Thirdly, The creature, those to which we have any relation, so much as is of God in them.
How to know whether our love be sanctified so as to be carried unto God as it ought.The love we owe to God is setling our hearts in the liking of him as the chief, and in a manner the only good, Deut. 6. 5. Matth. 22. 37. the main intent of that precept is to shew what love is appropriated to God, we must not love any person or thing with all our hearts, this is proper only to God. There are two things in the precept, 1. The extension of parts, the heart, soul, minde, strength. 2. The intention of degrees, our understanding must think of God, our will cleave to him, our love, fear, confidence, delight must be carried out to him without division or derivation to other things. We must love God in his creatures, Christ in his members, love other things in subordination to him, Luk. 14. 26. Dupliciter contingit ex toto corde Deum diligere. Uno quidem modo in actu, id est, ut totum cor hominis semper actualiter in Deum feratur: Et ista est perfectio patriae. Alio modo, ut habitualiter totum cor hominis in Deum feratur: ita scilicet quod nihil contra Dei dilectionem c…r hominis recipiat: Et haec est perfectio viae. Aquin. 2a, 2ae Quaest. 44. Art. 4. Praecipitur nobis, ut tota nostra intentio feratur in Deum, quod est ex toto corde: Et quod intellectus noster subdatur Deo, quod est ex tota mente: Et quod appetitus noster reguletur secundum Deum, quod est ex tota anima: Et quod exterior actus noster obediat Deo, quod est totis viribus Deum diligere. Aquinas ibid. Art. 5.
All men will professe they love God. It is the first and great Commandment to love God above all, the first in order of time and eminency of nature, it comprehends in it all the other Commandments, Rom. 13. 10.
Marks of this love:
1. When we love him with all the heart, soul and strength, a superlative love, such a love that in comparison of it all other love is hatred, when a thing is lesse loved it is said to be hated in Scripture, Iacob hated Leah. We love not God perfectly, We know and believe but i… part. A true childe of God loves him with a fervent and unfeigned love, though perhaps he finde not this in time of temptation.
2. Then the soul loves him with all those kindes of love he is capable of,
First, With a love of Union, Phil. 3. 8. in other objects called the love of desire or concupiscence.
Four things are to be found in such a one:
1. His soul is carried with earnest desire after all the means that would bring God and him nearer, and he declines all those things that would separate between God and him, the wayes of sin.
2. He is troubled for … of him.
3. The soul longs after the full fruition of him in Heaven, Heb. 9. lat. end.
4. A love of union and desire of nearest conjunction with the people of God, 1 Iohn 3. 14.
Secondly, With a love of complacency and delight. We may know whether we make God our chief delight and love him with a love of content and sweetnesse.
1. If we desire to be presently possest of him, his presence is life, and his absence death.
2. Next to God himself we will take delight in those things which are Love-tokensThe Schoolmen say, we first love God with a love of concupiscence, after with a love of complacence. Comparing our affection to God with our affection to other matters is the best way to shew the temper of our love, 2 Tim. 1. 4. Luke 12. 21. 2. This love is not to be measured so much by the lively acts of love, as by the solid esteem. 3. It is not altogether to be judged by our time and care, bodily necessities are more pressing. God hath given us six days for our worldly imploiments, and reserved but one day for himself. from him, Cant. 1. 2. and those thing: that are most like him, nearest to him, his Saints, Psal. 16. 3.
3. The tongue will delight to be talking of him, and telling of all his wondrous works.
Thirdly, With a love of friendship. The whole Covenant of Grace betwixt God and us, is but a league of friendship. All that God doth for us from his Election to Glorification are fruits of his love, and what we do to God after we know him is from the law of love.
Six things will discover whether we love the Lord with a love of friendship:
1. Friends take great delight in being together, they have two souls as it were in one body, there is none then so constantly in thy tongue and thoughts as God.
2. This love will make thee suffer and endure great matters for friendship▪ sake, 2 Cor. 5. 14.
3. The love of friendship is a most bountiful affection. David called all to contribute toward the Temple, and himself gave three hundred cart-load of silver, and yet said he did it of his poverty.
4. This makes a man sympathize with his friend in his condition. Moses was much provoked when God was dishonoured, Rivers of tears run down mine eyes, because men keep not thy Law.
5. This is the fountain of all Obedience to God, one will then be carefull to please God, and fearfull to offend him, If you love me keep my Commandments.
6. It can be satisfied with no recompence but love for love, Cant. 1. Thy love is better then wine. Psal 63. 3. Thy loving kindnesse is better then life.
Fourthly, With a love of dependency. Every creature capable of an affection of love is carried to that from whom it receives its good; so is the heart carried with delight to God from whom it expects all good, this is the sweetnesse of faith. We shall know this love by these signs,
1. All other creatures are not able to give any subsistence or satisfaction to us. In our fall we lost God and closed with the creature, and we never think of returning to God till he have taught us the vanity of all other things, there must be satisfaction in the judgement, that there is in the Lord Christ what ever will serve my turn, and fully content all my faculties.
2. The heart hath sweetnesse, joy and comfort in its portion, God is All-sufficient.
3. It is taken off from depending on any thing else.
Next to God (though he be to be loved transcendently, supereminently) there is a holy self-love. No man ever hated his own flesh; our love to our selves is the rule and measure of our love to our neighbour, I must love him as my self. Inordinate self-love is a great part of our original corruption; Men shall be lovers of themselves; If any one will be my Disciple, he must hate and reject himself. All the arguments God useth to winne men to love and fear God and walk with him, are drawn from love of our selves, that it may be well with thee.
How to know whether the love wherewith I love my self be a sanctified selflove.
1. Who ever loves himself aright, it is the regenerate self which he accounts himself. Adam while he stood had but one self, so all unregenerate men. In one renewed by grace there is a double self, flesh and Spirit, the corrupt self is lookt on as an enemy, Rom. 7. lat end. I delight in the Law of God in the inward man, and concludes, but I my self (that is, his sanctified self) serve the Lord. Mark what it is that thou esteemest in thy self: Is it Grace, Gods Image? and what thou dislikest and strivest to destroy, is it the body of sin?
2. Then that love is subordinate to the love of God. God to every sanctified man is the Summum bonum & ultimus sinis, therefore all other things are but media subordinata, none of us must live to himself.
3. Such a one loves himself for those ends God allows him.
1. That he may be happy for ever. God presseth us to duty by this argument,Our love is many wayes inordinate, 1. We love sin which we should hate. 2. We hate good which we should love. 3. We love that much we should love little. 4. We love that little which we should love much. 5. We love a private good more then the publick, the body above the soul, the creature more then the Creator, prefer things of time before those of eternity. that we may have eternal life.
2. He would have thee get more knowledge, grace, experience, that thou maist be more serviceable here.
The third object of our love is our neighbour.
Marks to know whether my love to my neighbour be a sanctified love:
First, When it is subordinate to the love of God, when I love him under God, we must love our neighbour in God and for God.
Secondly, I must love there specially where God loves, those that have most of God in them, All my delight is in the Saints; Christ calls this a new Commandment.
Thirdly, There will be a performing of all second Table duties, Love is the fulfilling of the Law. I will give him that respect which is due unto his place, I will strive to preserve his life, chastity, estate, good name. I shall be content with my own and rejoyce in his welfare. It is the nature of love to seek the preservation of the thing beloved.
The fourth object of our love is the rest of Gods creatures which he hath given to us.
Marks to know whether our love to the creature be right or no:
1. When the beholding God in the creature draws the heart out, the delighting to behold the wisdom and power of God in the creature.
2. Mark for what end thou lovest the creature. Every creature must be delighted in as it brings us nearer to God, or serves as an instrument to honour him, thou lovest the creatures because they are a means to keep thee in a better frame for duty.