Believers Evidences for Eternal Life, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Evidences or Signes of our true love to God, and to Jesus Christ.
I.
FIrst, Our true love to God, flowes from Gods love to us. Love breeds I.love as naturally as light breeds light, and fire breeds fire. We love him, because he first loved us, 1 John 4. 19. *Omnis equitas dictat, ut dilectus diligentem diligat, & amatus amanti mutuam charitatem impendat. Bern. De Coen. Dom. Serm. 13. p. 1358.All equity, (saith Bernard) dictates, that the beloved should love the lover. Had not God first loved us, we should never have loved him, being naturally God-haters, Rom. 1. 30. and, 8. 7. But when once God pleaseth to shed abroad his love in our hearts, Rom. 5. 5. giving us some sense or taste of his love to us, viz. of his Electing love, Rom. 9. 13. Col. 3. 12, *O stupenda Deimiseratio! verbum …arnem, Deus cinerem, figulus lutum, vita morticinium induit, ut jumenra mandutarent panem Angelorum. Bernard in Coen. Dom. 1678, Antverp.of his Redeeming love; Gal. 2. 20. Rev. 1. 5. of his Regenerating love, Tit. 3. 4, 5, 6. of his Adopting love. 1 John 3. 1, 2. &c. How can we chuse but love him againe, and love him much? Luk. 7. 47. *Desidero itaque amare, & amo desiderare te: & hoc modo curro ut apprehendam in quo apprehensus sum, scilicet ut amem te perfectè aliquando, O qui prior nos amasti, amande, & amabilis Domine. Bernard. Soliloq. Sect 6. p. 511. M. Antverp. 1616.I desire to love thee, (said Bernard) and love to desire thee, O amiable Lord, most worthy to be beloved. And thus I runne to apprehend that wherein I am apprehended, viz. That I may perfectly love thee at last, who hast loved us first. But how or wherein did God love us first, he expresseth thus, saying, *Quicquid fecit, quicquid dixit in terris, usque ad opprobria, usque ad spura & alapas, usque ad crucem & sepulchrum, non fuit nisi loqui tuum nobis in Filio, amore…tuo provocans & suscitans amorem nostrum.—Qui docuit nos amare se, cum prior dilexit nos: A mando & diligendo suscitans nos ut amemus eum, qui prior usque in finem dilexit nos, &c. Bern. Soliloq. Sect. 11. p. 513. E. F. A. B.Whatsoover he did, whatsoever he spake on earth, to reproaches, spittings, buffetings, Crosse and the grave, was nothing but Gods language to us in his Son, by his love provoking and stirring up our love.
Wouldest thou know now whether thou lovest God? Search diligently whether God loves thee in Christ; what application hath he made of his love to thee; what true effect dost thou find of the special love of God or Christ upon thee.
Signes of Gods speciall love, of Christs peculiar love actually applyed to us.
1. Is this love of God shed abroad in thine heart by the holy Ghost, that thou hast an inward cordiall experimentall taste of Gods love? Rom. 5. 5.
2. Hath this love of God effectually regenerated and renewed thee by the Spirit? Tit. 3. 4, 5, 6.
3. Hath this love of God adopted thee, that thou art numbred among the Sonnes of God? 1 Ioh. 3. 1, 2.
4. Hath this love of God sanctifyed thee, and made thee holy? Col. 3. 12.
5. Hath this love of God brought thee to live the life of faith, yea, rather to have Christ living in thee? Gal. 2. 20.
6. Doth this love of God and Christ sweetly overpower, constraine, and even compell thee to be chearefully serviceable to him in thy place and calling? 2 Cor. 5. 13, 14, 15, 16.
II.
Secondly, The rejecting or casting out II.of base sinfull servile feare; evidenceth our true love to God and Jesus Christ. There is no feare in love, but perfect love casteth out feare: because feare hath torment. He that feareth, is not made perfect in love, 1 Joh. 4. 18, 19.
Quest. But what fear is it now, which is thus inconsistent with love, which love casts out?
Answ. Feare may be considered, either,
1. Objectively, as it is the object feared, so it denotes, 1. God, Psal. 76. 11. called the Feare of Isaac; either because Isaac yielded feare to God, or because God struck Isaac with feare when he would have blessed E—sau, Gen. 31. 42, 53. 2. Gods Word; The rule of feare, Psal. 19. 9. True love casts out neither of these, but keeps and cherisheth them in the soul.
2. Subjectively, As feare is subjected in us; Thus feare denotes, 1. The naturall affection, or Passion of feare. *Si malum naturae quod est corruptivum, apprehendatur ut propinquum, & tamen cum aliqua spe evasionis tunc timebitur. Aquin. prim. s…cundae, Q. …42. Artic. 2. Conc…us.Arising upon some apprehension of some evill as imminent, and hardly to be avoided. This feare is in it selfe, neither morally good nor bad: but as sanctified or mixed with diffidence, &c. Meer humane feare was in Christ, yet without sinne, Heb. 5. 7. Love casts not out this feare: for that were to put off humane nature. 2. Feare the sanctified affection, whereby the Saints are afraid to offend God their heavenly Father, for his mercy, goodnesse, &c. through the love and reverence they beare to him for his eminency, *Oderunt peccare boni virtutis amore▪ Oderunt peccare mai… formicine poenae. Horat.and to true piety, Psal. 130. 4. and this feare springs from love, 3. A sinfull servile slavish feare, whereby we inordinately, slavishly feare either God, Rom. duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page 8. 15. as the Samaritans for his Lyons, 2 King. 17. 25, 32, 33, 34. or the creature, Matth. 10. 28. This is the feare that love casts out. Love hath boldnesse and confidence in it; feare is full of diffidence and cowardlinesse. Hath thy love to God cast out this base feare? that's love indeed.
Signes that Hagar is ejected, that slavish feare is cast out.
1. The Spirit of adoption, Son-like Spirit removing base fear, Rom. 8. 15.
2. The Spirit of supplication, crying with filial boldness and confidence, Abba Father, Rom. 8. 15. Gal. 4 6.
3. The soules pacification by justifying faith. This allayes tumultuous feares. That diffusion of the love of God in the heart, and quieting of conscience by faith, are companions, are twins in the same soul, Rom. 5. 1; 5.
4 True awfull religious feare of God, swallowing up base fears of the Creature, Mat. 10. 28. Isa. 8. 12, 13.
5. Magnanimous courage and resolutions from love and zeale to Christ and his Cause, against sharpest sufferings and persecutions, Cant. 8. 6, 7. Acts 20. 23, 24, and 21. 13 Rev. 12. 11. Such hath beene the love of Saints and Martyrs to Christ, that they have not feared to owne and confesse Christ in worst of times; nor feared to go with Christ both into prisons, and to death. *Denique memor Apocalypsis suae, in qua timidorum exitum audierat, de suo sensu admonet & ipse, timorem rejiciendum, Timor, inquit, non est in dilectione. Sed enim perfecta dilectio foras mittit timorem: Quia timor supplicamentum babet: utique ignem stagni. Qui …em timet, non est perfectus in dilectione, Dei scilicet. Porro quis fugiet persecutionem, nisi qui timebit? Quis timebit, nisi qui non amavit? Tertull. de fuga in Persecut. l. c, 9. p. 585. Franekerae 1597.Who will flee persecution, (said Tertullian) but he that feares? who feares, but he that doth not love? And elsewhere, *Non potest qui pati timet, ejus esse qui passus est: At qui pati non timet, iste perfectus erit in dilectione, utique Dei. Tertul. ibid. c. 14. Quem timorem intelligi praestat, nisi negationis auctorem? Quam dilectionem perfectam adfirmat, nisi fugatricem timoris & animatricem confessionis? Tertul. Scorpiacum advers. Gnostie. c. 12. p. 490. Franeker. 1597.He that feares to suffer, cannot be his that suffered: but he that feares not to suffer, he is perfect in Gods love.
III.
Thirdly, Not loving the world, nor the III.things that are in the world, excessively, inordinately; discovers the love of God planted in our hearts. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world: If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him, (viz. neither Passively: He is not beloved of the Father: nor Actively, He loves not the Father) 1 Iohn 2. 15, 16. For, 1. God and the world, are two such contrary Masters, and each of them are so able to take up the whole man, that they cannot be intensively loved both at once, but the love of the one will prove the hatred of the other, Matth. 6. 24. Iam. 4. 4. 2. God requires our whole love to himselfe, Luke 10. 27. and he is so jealous a God that he can endure no corrivall with himself, in our hearts and affections. Excellently *Am…orem mundi odit Spiritus Christi, ab illo fugit quemaliud nisi seipsum amare cognoscit. Ita vult amari, ut nihil aliud praeter ipsum ametur. Perfectè vult amari, qui solus vult diligi: non vult consortem habere in amore, qui parem non habet dilectionis retributione. Et tamen sic vult amari, ut cunctae res simul amentur cum ipso: & sic vult amari, ut nihil praeter ipsum ametur. Omnis enim catura jure creationis ab illo est, & omnis creatura, in eo quod est creatura, bona est. Debet ergo ad hoc diligi creatura, ut in ipsacreator ametur. Non ipsa per se, at per eum qui illam creavit. Qui enim sic diligit aurum, argentum, possessionem, vatiam supellectilem, ita ut haec sint sibi causa amoris, profecto non est in illis charitas Patris. Diligendus est ergo creator in cunctis creaturis, & cunctae per ipsum creaturae: & sic cuncta diliguntur cum ipso, & tamen ipse solus diligitur. Bernard in Can▪ Dam. Serm. 8. p. 1337. D. Antverp. 1616.Bernard, The Spirit of Christ hates the lover of the world, flies from him whom he knowes to love any thing besides him. He will be so loved, as nothing should be loved besides him. He will be perfectly loved, that will be alone loved: He will have no sharer in his love, that hath no equall in the reward of love. He will be so loved, that all things also may be loved with him: and yet he will so be loved, that nothing be beloved besides him. The Creature should be loved for the Creator that made it, The Creator in the Creature for himselfe.
Wouldest thou know whether thou lovest God truly? Search then whether thou lovest not the world inordinately.
Signes of inordinate love to the world, and the things of the world.
I. Over-desiring the world, and things of the world, craving, asking, &c. when we want them, Prov. 30. 15. Matth. 6. 25, 31. 1 Tim. 6. 9, 10. This over-eagernesse of our hearts after them when we want them, discovers it selfe in,
1. Discontentednesse at our present condition, Heb. 13. 5.
2. Enviousnesse at others prosperity and enjoyments, as in Ahab, 1 King. 21. 4. David tempted to this, Psal. 73. 3.
3. Excessive running out of the heart and mind about them, Ezek. 33. 33. Luk. 12. 17, 18, 29.
4. A Resolvednesse or fixed will to be rich, 1 Tim 6. 9.
5. Pursuing after worldly shadows, more then after the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse, Matth. 6. 33.
6. Unconscionablenesse in getting the world, by bribery, extortion, oppression, theft, fraud, &c. Amos 8, 4. 1 Thes. 4. 6.
II. Over-loving and d…ting upon the world, and things of the world, whilest we have them, setting our heart on them, Psal. 62. 10. evidenced by
1. Over-highly esteeming them, above their worth, making gods of them, Col. 3. 5. Eph. 5. 5. Phil. 3. 19.
2. Relying and trusting in them, Prov. 18. 11. 1 Tim. 6. 17.
3. Boasting, glorying in them, Psal. 49. 6. Ier. 9. 23.
4. Applanding our selves as happy men, by reason of them, Luke 12. 19. Psal. 17. 14.
5. Sordid detaining, not being willing to part with worldly things, though upon most just occasions of piety, charity or necessity, as in Nabal, 1 Sam. 25. 10, 11, the rich glutton, Luke 16. 19, &c. Eccles. 6. 1, 2. Such a man parts with his pence, as if they were so many drops of blood from his heart.
III. Over-grieving and vexing when we lose the things of the world, As Achitophel losing his honour, in discontent hangs himself, 2 Sam. 17. 23.
IV.
Fourthly, Keeping of the Commandments IV.of God, and that chearfully, notably discovers our true love to God and to Jesus Christ; But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected, 1 John. 2. 5. And elsewhere: This is the love of God, that we keep his Commandements, and his Commandements are not grievous, 1 John 5. 3. To this purpose said Clement *foreign. Clem. Rom. 1 Epist. ad Cor. p. 63. Edit. Oxon. 1633.Romanus, (the Apostles Companion, Phil. 4. 3.) He that hath love in Christ, will keep the Commands of Christ. And *In hoc cognoscitur amor Christi, si quis servat praecepta Christi. Qui habet mandata mea & servat ea, ille est qui diligit me. Qui havet in memoria, & servat in vita: Quui habet faciendo, & servat perseverando; vel qui habet in sermonibus, & servat in moribus: vel qui habet audiendo, & servat faciendo, ille est qui diligit me. Multi sunt enim qui Domini mandata habent, & ea minime tenent. Multi habent in libro, sed ea non tenent in animo: multi in voce, sed non in opere: multi in memoria, sed non in vita: multi in verbo, sed non in exemplo. Illi profectò non sunt de dilectoribus Christi. Bern▪ in Coen. D…m. Serm 9. p. 1339. K. L.Bernard sweetly seconds him; By this may be known the love of Christ, if a man keep the Commands of Christ. He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. Who hath them in memory, and keeps them in life: who hath them in doing, and keeps them in persevering. Or, who hath them in words, and keeps them in manners: or who hath them in hearing, and keeps them in doing, he it is that loveth me. For many have the Lords Commandments, but keep them not; many have them in their book, but keep them not in their breast: many have them in word, keep them not in work: many have them in memory, keep them not in life: &c. truly these are not of the lovers of Christ.
And no wonder, For 1. Christ requires our keeping of his Commandements, as the singular touch-stone of our love to him, *Illum in veritate diligimus, si ejus mandata servamus. Et si ejus non servamus mandatum, cerrè nec diligimus eum. Non potest ex una parte diligi, & ex altera parte contemn.—Non vos fallat, dilectissimi, vestis religiosa: mihi credite, non diligitis Deum, si illius mandata hon observatis. Quomodo possumus Dominum diligere habitu, si eum contemnimus actu? Dilectio Dei non quaerit vestem, sed nostram mentem: nec quaerit opinionem, sed tantum bonam actionem. Probatio dilectionis, exhibitio est operis. Bern. in Coen. Dom. Serm. 8. p. 1336. L. M.exhibition of work, is the probation of love, John 14. 15, 21. Therefore if we keep not his Commandements, he will accept no love from us. 2. Love is obediential; the nature of true love to God, carries it spontaneously to the keeping of the Commands of God, Rom. 13. 8, 9. 3. Love is a lively chearfull Principle; what love acts, is acted without grievousnesse. It delights in doing any thing for the object beloved, and stands not upon difficulties, Gen. 29. 20. Therefore true love to God thinks no duty too much for God, none enough for God. 4. True love can chearfully endure for Christ, much more do for Christ, Cant. 8. 6, 7. Acts. 20. 23, 24, and 21. 13.
Search now; dost thou keep his Word? Or are his Commandements grievous to thee?
Signes of true keeping Gods Word and Commandements. See Cap. V. Signe I. p.
Signes that his Commandements are not grievous to us.
I. When we have a dear and precious account of Gods Word and Commandements, esteeming them more then our necessary food, Job 23. 12. sweetert hen honey and the honey-combe, Psal. 19. 9. and 119. 103. beyond great spoile, Psal. 119. 162. Thousands of gold and silver, Psal. 119. 72. and all riches, Psal. 119. 14.
II. When our hearts and affections are strongly set upon them. Oh how love I thy law! Psal. 119. 97. I opened my mouth, and panted, for I longed for thy Commandments, Psal. 119. 131. My soul breaketh for longing to thy judgements at all times, Psal. 119. 20. Rom. 7. 22. Thy Law is in my heart, I delight to do thy will, Psal. 40. 8.
III. When it cuts and wounds our spirits, that others break Gods Lawes, Psal. P19s 53, 136, 139.
IV. When we observe and keep the Word and Commandements of God.
1. Willingly, will voluntarinesse I will sacrifice to thee, Heb.] Psal. 54. 6 Psal. 110. 3.
2. Simply, not disputing the Command of God. As Abraham, Heb. 11. 8, 17, 18, 19.
3. Chearfully, with delight, Psal. 40. 8. Rom. 7. 22.
4. Speedily, Psal. 119. 32. I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandements, Psal, 119. 60.
5. Constantly, Psal. 119. 20. I inclined mine heart to performe thy statutes alway, even unto the end, Psal. 119. 112. *Incipere multorum est, perseverate paucorum. De virt. obed. Bern. Adscript. pag. 1715. Antuerp.Many begin, few persevere. They that thus behave themselves to Gods Word and Commandements, count not his Commandements grievous, but joyous.
V.
Lastly, Our true love to the Brethren, V.the Children of God, for the heavenly Fathers sake who begat them; Evidenceth our true love to God. Every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him, 1 Joh. 5. 1. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another. God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us, 1 John 4. 11, 12. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this Commandement have we from him, that he that loveth God, love his brother also, 1 John 4. 20, 21. Who so hath this worlds goods, and seeth his brother hath need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 1 John 3. 17. In these passages are remarkable.
1. The evidencing of true brotherly love, by our true love to God in many expressions.
2. The Grounds, why they that love God should love their brethren. 1. God hath commanded both these loves. 2. It's easier to love our brother whom we have seen, then God whom we have not seen: therefore he cannot be truly imagined to love God, that loves not his brother. 3. Gods exemplary love; God hath so loved us! shall we not then love one another? 4. Gods Image is engraven upon his chiidren; therefore if we truly love the Father, we cannot chuse but love the Fathers Image in his Children. Hence *Dilectio habet duas alas. Ala dextra est dilectio Dei: Sinistra ala est dilectio proximi. Nulius hominū cum una ala poterit volare ad coelum. Quare? quia nec sola dilectio Dei sine dil…ctione proximi, nec sola dilectio proximi sine dilect…one Dei valet ad consequendam aeternam beatitudinem. Sume tibi has duas alas, viz. Dilect onem Dei, & proximi, ut libere possis volare, bona operando; & pervenire ad partiam coelestis regni. Bern. l. de modo bene vivend. Serm. 13, p. 1257, 1258. Anteurp. 1616.Bernard calls the love of God and of our Brethren, the two wings whereby the soule flies up to heaven. Love hath two wings, the right wing is the love of God: the left wing is the love of our neighbour. No man can fly to heaven with one wing. Why? because the love of God alone, without the love of our neighbour, or of our neighbour alone, without the love of God, availes not for attaining eternal happinesse. Take thou both these wings, the love of God, and of thy neighbour, that thou mayest fly freely in well-doing, and come to the Countrey of the heavenly Kingdome.
Signes of true brotherly love; See in Cap. II. Signe. VII. p. 168, to p. 173. and Cap. VIII. throughout.