and prefervation of the thing it loves, as it on the other fide funnes and avoids ought that might endanger the destruction thereof; and if notwithstanding it meete with it, interpofeth it felfe betwixt it and that to defend it, as the arme wards the blow from the head,albeit it be to the wounding of it felfe.

And when thefe three concurre together, when our love hath these three concommitants, and is attended with these fruits and effects, as you heard before, that it thus defires

fruition

the conjunction
prefervation

of Chrift.

Then may we diftinguish it from all fenfuall and carnall love; for there be many sorts of love in the world, but it is all but worldly love, not fpirituall and Heavenly love..

Firft, ther's a love of pitty, as when we bewaile a mans cafe, but hate his deeds, fo are Malefactors beloved..

Secondly, ther's a love of defire, as when the ftomacke defires fweete meates, the eare delightfome founds, and the eye fine fights, &c.

Thirdly, ther's a love of complufment, when one lufts or longs after a thing with the whole heart or foule, fo as he cannot fubsist without it; as a woman with child lufteth and longeth after a thing she hath aminde to, which fhe cannot fafely gce without.

Fourthly

Fourthly, ther's a love of friendship, when one man loves another for fome courtefie or kindeneffe he hath received from him.

Fiftly and laftly, ther's a love of dependance, when a man loves God more then himselfe, more then his life, and depends upon him for all good things belonging to body or foule.

Orto be more briefe naturall

ther's a

finfull Love

Deut. 21.23.

pirituall

The firft, is betwixt parents and children,and in it felfe is neither good nor evill.

The fecond, arifeth from evill habits bred in the foule, and it is moft hatefull to God, and makes us worse then the brute beafts.

The third, is that divine gift and grace of God which the Holy Ghost puts into o our hearts, whereby we are more then men, and defire Holy things for themfelves; and this is that love which the Apostle here calls for in this place.

Now if our love to the Lord Iefus Chrift be fuch, we shall further know it by these two things which alwayes proceede and goe before it, as the former followed after it. viz. humiliation for finne paft, and faith in Chrift for the time to comes ew soft et add svol (57%

First bumiliation for finne paft; for till a man come to have a fight and fenfe of himfelfe by reafon of his finnes, he will never B2

care

Gal. 3.13.

Doct.

care for Chrift; and when he hath beene thus cast downe, yet

Secondly, without faith in Chrift, whereby he applies him to himfelfe, and is perfwaded that he is reconciled unto him, he will not yet love him, but rather hate him of the twainę.

Now the manner or meanes of getting of both thefe,and fo confequently of love into our hearts, is by the preaching of the word of God, by prayer, and taking him when he is offered and given unto us in the fame for that end. Den

But now we must take Chrift as an husband takes a wife or a wife an husband, out of love to their perfons, not to their portions, and then shall we be the better fubje&t unto him, but except we be first humbled (as was before faid) for our finnes, and confider in what neede thou standeft of him, how that without him thou must perish; till then (Ifay) thou canst not fufficiently fet by him, nor love him aright:; but when thou know eft how neceffary he is for thee, how alfufficient, and affectionate he is towardsthee, then thou beginneft to looke at Chrift as a condemned perfon doth at him that brings a pardon for him whom he loves and longs after, joyes and rejoyceth in.

And yet all this is but a preparative to our love of him, it is faith, that is the first fountaing, where by we fo love him, as that we can cleave unto him, with purpose of heart to ferve and please him in all things, and this love which thus, ari fetli from faith, doth not onely belceve that

Chrift is mercifull, and will forgive thee thy finnes upon thy fupplication and repentance unto him for the fame, but also that he is moft fit and conformable for thee, fo that thou couldst finde in thy heart to be anathematized for his fake, and to be divorced from all things in the world for love of him:. And fo much for the fecond thing alfo, I come now to the laft; to wit,

Thirdly, to the reafons, why he is worthy to be had in execration, and to be curfed even to the death that loves not the Lord Iefus Chrift? and they are chiefly these five.

Firft, because when Chrift fhall come and be a Sutor unto us to love him, and we refufe to doe it, and to be reconciled unto him and receive him, then he growes angry to the death; you may fee this in the Parable of the Marriage of the Kings fonne, how wroth he was when he heard they had abused and beaten his fervants which he fent to call them to the wedding: and therefore the Prophet David bids us kiffe the Sonne left he bee angry, * and fo&c. that is, as if he fhould fay, when he offers himselfe to kiffe you with the kif fes of his mouth, be not too coy and curious, but imbrace his offer returne his curtefie with the like kindneffe, and kiffe him againe, left he take it in great indignation at your hands; and be fo angry with you, that you die for it.

Indeede when we knew not the Gofpell, he was content, though we were froward and fruitleffe; but now that he fends his Defciples to preach

B 3

Reaf.

Mat, 22. 1. 2.

Pfal. 2.12.

Matth. 22. 37.

Object.

Sol.

Numb. s. IS.

preach unto all Nations, then if they bring not forth fruits worthy amendment of life, he tells them, the axe is laid unto the rootes, &c.

Secondly, because he that in old time brake the law, was accurfed; now this was the Lords Commandement, that we love him.

But you will fay, we are not able to fulfill the law of our felves; and how then shall we doe

it?

Ianfwer, ther's a two-Legall, and

fold obedience,

Evangelicall, that requires exact obedience in our owne persons; but this requires no more but onely our endeavour, and faith in Christ.

Thirdly, because he loves fomething elfe more then God, and fo commits Adultery; now fhee that in the old law did commit Adultery, had a drinke of bitter water given her, which made her belly fwell &c. fo that thee died; how much more worthy of death is he then that thus deales with God, and going a whoring after it, commits spirituall fornication.

Fourthly, because that commonly belongs to Hypocrites, they are a curfed crew, to whom Chrift fhall fay at the laft day, goe ye curfed &c. Now all fuch as love him not, are, no better nor worfe,but wretched and damnable Hypocrites.

Fiftly, becaufe love governes the whole man, its as the Rudder of a fhip, which turnes it any wayes; and fo which way foever this affection of love goes, it carries the whole man along with