Of Love — Sermon 5

(GALAT. 5:6)For in Jesus Christ, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but Faith which works by Love.

THE last thing we did was to give you the properties of love to the Lord Jesus.

Now that which remaines to doe at this time, is to apply that which has beene said, that is, to bring your hearts and the rule together, and to exhort you, that what you have heard in this, it may not passe like airy notions, and never be brought home to your particular practise. For, my beloved, the word that we deliver to you, should be like nailes, driven home to the head, fastened by the masters of the assemblie, as the Wiseman speakes, that they may sticke and abide in the soul, as forked arrowes doe in the bodie, that they may not easily fall out againe. Therefore the maine businesse that we have to doe in preaching the word, is to fasten these words thus upon your hearts. That which we will doe therefore at this time shall be to exhort you to question your own hearts, and to examine them upon your beds, whether these characters and properties of love which have beene delivered doe agree to you or no. For, as the Apostle says, Vnlesse you be in Christ, that is, unlesse you be knit to Christ in love, you are reprobates: it concernes every man therefore that heares me at this time, to examine this strictly with himself.

We will expostulate the matter a while with you at this time, and you must expostulate the matter betweene God and your own consciences, whether this love be in you or no. And although indeed this needeth not any distinct dividing into branches, yet that we may helpe your memories we will put it into a number.

And first we will make this expostulation, you that professe you love the Lord, (as who will not be ready to doe that, to say he loves Christ; but yet as the Apostle John speaks of love to the brethren, that men love them in show, and not in truth; so it is with most men, they love the Lord in word, and in profession, but they love him not in deed, and in truth) therefore first let me aske you this.

You that professe you love the Lord, doe you not grieve him, and vexe him from day to day, and provoke him by your words, and by your workes? If this be your case, it is certaine you love him not indeed. Some there are that professe much love to the Lord Jesus, but yet spend their time idly, are diligent in no calling, but waste their precious opportunities in sports, in idle visitations, in gaming, in doing nothing that is profitable either to themselves or others, but eate and drinke, and rise up to play: It is the case of many of our young Gentlemen; a shamefull thing before men, and abominable in the sight of God, that men should live like beasts, & make their souls like the souls of swine, serving for nothing but to keepe their bodies from putrifaction, doing so much the lesse worke, because they have the more wages; burying so many precious talents, of which their time is the chief, because it helps to improove all the rest; of which they shall give an exact account at that day, When God shall judge the secrets of mens hearts according to our Gospel. Doe you professe that you love the Lord Jesus, and doe you neglect him thus?

Besides this mocking of the Lord, and dissembling with him, you deale most foolishly with your selves: for all the comfort that you shall ever finde in this life, it will be from working, from being serviceable to God, and profitable to men; empty lives cause but empty joy. Therefore if any man shall finde this to be his case, examine it, it is but a false profession of love. And as I speake to those that are young, that spend their time, Nihil agendo: so I may say the same to those that are of more yeares, that waste their lives in doing something indeed, but it is not that which they should doe, or in doing it in another manner than they ought; those that are so drowned in businesse, so overwhelmed with imployment, so occupied with outward things abroad, that they have no vacancie to feede their souls within, to cloathe them with graces. For you must know, my brethren, that your souls have neede to be trimmed every morning, as well as the body, they have neede of breakfast, and dinner, and exercise, as well as the body; and as you faile in giving this due respect to the soul daily, so you shall finde that proportionably in that degree the inward man will languish, and grow faint. But to speake a word to you likewise: Doe you think that you love the Lord Jesus in good earnest, and yet have scarse leisure to think of him from morning to night, that you cannot take time to speake to him, to seek him, nor to prepare your hearts for him?

Besides this generall, come to particular sinnes, sabbath-breaking, neglecting of private prayer, vaine speeches, concupiscence and sinfull lusts, secret courses of uncleannesse, swearing, if not by greater, yet by lesser oathes, which indeed in this exceede the greater; because in the other you sweare by the Creatour, in these by the creature. You that doe these things, will you say you love the Lord? You must know that it is a contradiction, it is impossible: For, if you love me, keepe my commandements: if you keep not the commandements of God, certainly you love him not.

But, it may be, you will say that your meaning is good, that you are well affected to Christ, and therefore surely you doe not hate him.

My brethren, you are deceived in this, your meaning is not good; for while you cast the commandements of God behinde you, you cast him away: and let me say to you in this case, as you have it in Ier. 3:4. You professe well in saying,you are my Father, and the guide of my youth, but you doe evil more and more. So I say, when you professe you love the Lord, and that you reckon him your Father, and your Husband, thus you say indeed, but you doe evil more and more; and that is a certaine argument you love not the Lord. Therefore examine your selves by this rule: For, if you love the Lord, you will reverence him: You know, whom we love, we reverence, and whom we reverence, we dare not doe any thing unmeete in their sight. Take any one whom we love, whose good opinion we seek for, we had rather that all the world should see us doe an unseemely thing, than that he should; and certainly if you love the Lord, you would not dare to provoke him to anger. Therefore this carelesnesse in serving of him is a certaine signe of want of love to the Lord Jesus, this fearefulnesse, and carelesnesse, when you dare not show your courage for him, when you account it a small matter to commit a sinne against God, this ariseth from the defect of your love.

In the second place, as you may try your love by your taking care not to offend God, so likewise you may try it by your sorrow and griefe after you have offended him: For you must know this, that love, as it has the greatest joy of any thing else, when it obtaines that which it would have, so it is attended with the most exquisite griefe, when it is disappointed. As when one loves another earnestly, if any breach fall out that shall make a separation betweene them, if any strangenesse grow betweene them, if they love, they will never be at rest, it will trouble and disquiet them; but as the Scripture speakes, they are sicke of love, that is, they cannot be quiet while there is such a condition, while there is any alienation, while there are breaches and offences betweene them. for you know that nothing is so sweete as love; as you have it in Cant. 1.Love is better than wine: and as David expresseth it, Psal. 63:3. your loving kindnesse is better than life. So sweete (I say) is love, as sweete as wine, and better than life. Now, by the rule of contraries, then, to have a breach made, to have a barre, and an interruption in this loving kindnesse of the Lord towards us, or in our love towards him, it is bitter as wormewood, and sharpe as death. Therfore you may examine your selves by the offences you offer to God, when they are past; if you love him, it is certaine they will trouble you exceedingly; for so much sorrow for sinne, so much love. And you may take it for a sure rule, in what measure any man desires to please the Lord, in that measure he will be grieved that he has displeased him. Therefore examine your selfe, Hast you sinned against him many times, and doest you looke backe upon those sinnes in a carelesse manner, be sure that you lovest him not. Examine this by that which passeth betweene man and man: When a father or a husband has any thing committed against them by a childe or a wife, if they shall withdraw themselves, and professe themselves displeased, and yet the childe or the wife, in the meane time, be never troubled at this, but be at rest, well enough content it should be so, and are not disquieted for it; will not the parent or husband take this exceeding ill at their hands, when he sees his displeasure slighted? For this is much greater than the offense it selfe. So I may say, whatever the sinne be that you have committed, this hardnesse of heart, this negligence after the sinne is committed, when you are not disquieted for it, when your hearts are not troubled for it, it is a greater signe of want of love to the Lord, it is a greater signe of an evil and untoward disposition, than the sinne it selfe. Therefore this want of sorrow for sinne, is a sure argument that you love not the Lord. You may take that for one signe of want of love, that we commit sinnes against God from day to day. For, doe but goe to your neighbours, and professe your love to them, and yet you injure them againe and againe, you care not what wrong you doe them; will they think that such a profession as you make is true? and will the Lord regard, when you say that you love him, if you provoke him to anger, and renew your sinnes, and relapse into them againe and againe, and when you have sinned, take it not to heart? No, my brethren, if you doe love him, you will doe as it is said, Zach. 12. when you have sinned, you will mourne as he that mourneth for his onely sonne, your hearts will melt, as Iosiahs did; your hearts will smite you, as Davids did him: thus it is with all that love him in deede and in truth. Therefore in Levit. 16:29, and likewise Levit. 23:27. (they are both one and the same) the Lord appoints a feast and a meeting together for cleansing of sinnes, it was the feast of atonement; says he, In that day when you come together to offer sacrifice to me, and to make an attonement, you shall humble your souls, and whoever does not afflict his soul on that day, he shall be cut off from his people. As if he should say, At that day you come to reconcile your selves to the Lord, you make profession of your love to him, and of the desire you have to bee friends with him: Now, if you come and make this profession, and doe not humble your selves, nor afflict your souls on that day for those breaches that have beene betweene God and you, all your professions are but dissimulation; and such a man as will thus dissemble with the Lord, shall be cut off from his people. So I say, when you professe that you love the Lord, and yet have hard hearts, that there is no softnesse there, that your hearts doe not melt towards him, but when you have sinned, you can looke backe upon your sinnes without any disturbance at all, know that it is but dissembling with the Lord, and you are worthy to be cut off from his people.

I come to a third tryall: If you love the Lord Jesus, have you your hearts after his own heart? that is the disposition of all those that love him. Acts 13:22. the Lord says of David,. I have found a man after my own heart,that will doe whatever I will: That is, looke how the Lord himself was affected in any businesse, so was Davids heart affected, and so it is with all those that love the Lord: (for this is proper to the Saints) If you love the Lord, you will be of one heart with him; if we have hearts after his heart, as every Christian must have in his measure, (though perhaps he reach not Davids measure) in all the turnings of our lives, upon all occasions, in the diverse disposition of our wills, we will be conformable to the Lords will, we will be like God, affected in every thing as he is affected.

But, you will say, this is a hard thing, how shall we discerne it?

You shall discerne it by these two things: If you be affected as he is, you will doe whatever he will; as those words are added concerning David, I have found a man after mine own heart, for he will doe whatever I will. You may examine your selves by that; doe you doe whatever he will? are your affections aright, that you love what he loves, and hate what he hates? For your actions are the immediate fruites and effects of your affections, and as every man is affected so he does.

And besides, as that is one way to discerne it, so this is another which you shall likewise finde in David, that he loved those that feared the Lord; and those that love vaine inventions, doe I not hate them, says he? &c. And that you may discerne this, consider whether you love all those that fear the Lord, and hate all those that are enemies to the Lord. For while there is nothing but nature in a man, so long those that are of good natures, that are faire in their carriages, and kinde and loving to us, those we love, and those that are contrary we hate and dislike; but when you love the Lord, and are after his heart, and have another nature in you, it raiseth you above this nature of your own, and then you will love those that are like the Lord, whoever they are, though perhaps they are not so sociable, not of so faire a naturall disposition: but if you have a new nature, and are become new creatures, now you have common friends, and common enemies.

Doe not object now, that you are willing to doe so, if they were sincere and upright, but they are hypocrites.

I say, doe not deceive your selves in this: for as they rejected Christ under the person of a counterfeit, and of a wine-bibber, so you maist persecute Christ under the person of an hypocrite. Paul; you know, he thought he did God good service in persecuting those whom he persecuted, yet though he did it ignorantly, he confessed of himself that he was a blasphemer, and a persecuter: So I say, though you doe it ignorantly, under the person of an hypocrite, yet that is the judgement, and the censure that will be upon you, that in so doing you are persecuters.

And if you shall say, that if the Lord himself lived among us, if Jesus Christ were here, I hope I should show that I doe not hate him.

You shall see what the Lord himself says,In that you have done it to these, you have done it to me. As he speakes there in the matter of giving, so may I say to you concerning this case, in that you have despised those that fear his name, in that you have spoken against such as are his, you have done it against the Lord: in this thing you have showed your hatred against him. Examine your hearts therefore seriously by this marke.

Againe, fourthly, we will bring you to that expostulation which is grounded on 1 Ioh. 2:15.Love not the world, nor [•]he things of the world; for if you love the world, the love of the Father is not in you. Now question with your own hearts about this, whether you love the world, and the things of the world; for if you doe, the words are cleare, The Love of the Father is not in you.

You will say, how shall we know this?

You shall know it by these three things.

First, by your delight in the things of the world, and your griefe and sorrow for the losse of them after you have enjoyed them; for if you finde that you are much affected about them, it is certaine that you love the world, and the things of the world: Intemperate and excessive griefe, and complaint for worldly losses and crosses, is a sure argument and evidence that you love the world.

Whereas when you love the Lord, you will be indifferent in those things; if a worldly losse befall you, you will grieve as if you grieved not; if any worldly advantage happeneth, you will enjoy it as if you enjoyed it not: A man will be thus affected, If I have God sure, I reckon him onely my portion, all other things are by accident, he onely is essentiall to my happinesse.

We doe not denie that a man may grieve upon such occasions, but it is a lighter kinde of griefe; and therefore it is expressed well by the former phrase, As if he grieved not: He knows all this while the maine is sure, and so long his heart is stedfast within him: but when a man shall fall into excessive griefe, when the affection shall be exceedingly stirred about worldly things, it is a signe that you reckon not God, and the assurance of his favor to be the maine thing in your happinesse: you should be affected to the world with a remisse affection. Now when your affections are so much taken up about them, it is a signe you love the world, and the things of the world. It is true, you may doe the things of the world, and enjoy them, and follow after them, but in a remisse manner; but when your affections are so much stirred about them, when you come to excessive love in the having them, and excessive griefe in the losing of them, it is a signe that you love the world, and the things of the world.

Secondly, you shall know it by this, when worldly things shall come into competition with those that belong to a good conscience, and the service of God, you shall finde this one way by which you may discerne your love to the world. When Christ would make a triall of the young man, whether he loved the world or no, he puts him to it by this, Goe, (says he) and sell all that you have, and come and follow me, and you shalt have treasure in heaven. When it came in competition once, whether he were best to follow Christ, and sell all that he had, and that he must either forsake Christ, or forsake his riches, he went away sorrowfull, and would not doe it. So we shall finde it in John 12:42. when the matter came there into competition, that if they confessed Christ they should be cast out of the synagogue; says the text, though they believed, They confessed him not, for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Their carriage there towards Christ, when their confessing of him came in competition with their applause and honor among men, it was an argument that they loved the world, and the things of the world.

You shall see in Abrahams case, when the Lord would put him to the triall, and bidds him come from his kindred and from his fathers house, and from his Country, this in Heb. 11 is taken as an argument of his love, that when he was put to doe either the one or the other, he made his choise to obey the Lord, though it stood with the losse of Countrie and friends. So I say, consider with your selves, and you shall finde many cases in which your conscience will dictate to you, this you must doe, this you ought to performe, this you ought not to doe. Perhaps it shall be said to you againe, if you doe it, you shall lose such a friend, you shall lose such credit, you shall suffer such losse in your estate, you shall expose your selfe to such and such danger, you shall incurre such and such inconveniences to your selfe; consider what you doe in such a case: Many businesses fall out everie day, in which the like case is offered to you, many times you think it were best to doe so, and if it were not for the losse of some thing, or for the discredit, you would doe it. By this you may examine your hearts whether you love the world or no.

Lastly, you shall know whether you love the world, and the things of this world by your actions; for where your love is, there your tongue, and your hand will be, and all your endeavours: Now trie your selves by this, Are you occupied so abour the world, and the things of it, that all your endeavours and all your actions are taken up about them? some about matter of pleasure, in hunting and hawking, in gaming and sporting, your thoughts are there, and your speeches there; others againe in seeking wealth, and worldlie greatnesse: Are you taken up about these? I say, the actions of a man are a sure signe, for the Lord judgeth us by our actions; therefore we may judge our selves by them. Consider in what element you live, if you be so busied about worldly things, that you are never well but when you are there, and as for heavenly things, you doe them but by the by, and when you are doing them you are wearie; this is an argument that you love the world, when a man shall turne the streame of his endeavours all that way, when he shall turne all his projects, all his actions, all his labours into that. As when the bodie has a wen or a wolfe in it, all the nourishment is drawne to that, and in the meane time the bodie is leane and poore: so is it when a mans heart is taken up with the world, it eates up and devoures all the thoughts, all the intentions of the minde; all his care, and endeavour, and striving runnes this way; & the hidden man of the heart, in the meane time, is left starved and pined within: This is a signe that you love the world, this so much intending the things of the world, as Christ speaks, The lusts of your Father will you doe, John 8. What is the meaning of that? That is, looke to your actions, to your doings, to your executions and performances, and you shall finde that they are according to the lusts of your father the Divell; those actions they did were a signe that they did affect those things that the Divell affected.

But you will object, the holiest man, he that is most regenerate, yet is inordinately affected to the world, is too readie to grieve, and to rejoice inordinately, it too readie to faile when these things come in competition with God. Therefore how should we examine our hearts by this?

I answere in a word, that it is true in the Saints, there is something in their hearts that does all this that I have spoken; but it is not they that doe it: as the Apostle speakes, It is not I, but sinne that dwells in me: We cannot denie but that there is flesh and worldlie-mindednesse even in them; but yet this they doe, these worldly lusts and desires they are still checking them, and restraining them, and keeping them downe, so that though they be there, yet they doe not walke after the vanitie of their mindes, they are not led by it, but they are led by the Spirit, and walke by the Spirit. Indeed sometimes they fall, when they are transported with temptations, and through incogitancie, and infirmitie, yet their constant walking is not after the vanitie of their minde, for that is proper to those that fear not God. Therefore know thus much (my brethren) that though the Saints doe these things sometimes, yet their purpose, and their desire and care is to crosse and resist them as much as they can, that though they have these inordinate worldly desires in them, yet they are not midwives to themselves, to bring forth fruite to the flesh, they are not stewards to provide for these before-hand, as it is in Rom. 13. Put you on the Lord Jesus, and take no care for the flesh, to make provision for it: I say, they are not stewards for their lusts, but they resist them, and strive against them. But to conclude this also, examine your selves by this rule, whether you love the world, and the things of the world.

And if we take an examination of men by this, how few are there that love the Lord? We may trulie say as the Apostle says, The love of God is not in them, for men seek themselves, and their own things, and not the things of Jesus Christ. One followes this particular, another that, everie man fitting and plotting a garment to himself composed of such vices as doe suite everie mans humour. This is a signe that you love not the Lord, when you minde the world, and goe with the world, and let your whole bodie and soul follow it, with all the actions, and all the strength and indeavour thereof. The love of many shall waxe colde, because iniquitie shall abound. What is the meaning of that? That is, because the men of the world, those that are in place, because they shall countenance iniquitie, because the streame of the times shall goe that way; for this cause the love of many shall waxe colde: that is, because they mind the world, wheras if they did not love the world, and the things of it, though iniquitie did abound, yet their love would waxe hotter. When things are so that iniquitie abounds, some will not take the paines, they love their ease, and contentment; others want courage to doe it, they are faint-hearted, and dare not adventure. Now from where does this come but from the love of the world? for no man is fearful, but because there is something that he is in love with, and is loath to part with. If a man did not love the things of the world, he would have courage for the truth. This is therefore an argument that men doe love the world, and consequently the love of the Father is not in them.

Let us come yet to another expostulation. In the first place therefore, if you love the Lord, you will finde in your selves a readinesse to please him in all things, you will doe it naturallie: As the Apostle speakes of Timothy, I know no man like minded, who will naturally care for your matters. So if you love the Lord aright, you will doe it with a naturall affection, you will love him naturally: For what is this love to the Lord, if it be right, but that which himself has planted in us? we are taught of him to love him. It is like the naturall affection which parents have to their children, such a kinde of affection will it be if you love the Lord, you will doe that which is good in his sight with a kinde of naturalnesse and readinesse, you will be carried to the duties of his service as the fire is carried upwards, and not as stones are carried upwards with the force of another, but you will doe them readilie, and chearfullie; you will not doe good duties as being haled to them, and put on to doe them, but you will be zealous of good workes, that is, you will have a burning desire in your hearts, longing after them, you shall not neede to have them forced upon you, but you will be forward to doe them, you will be affected to good workes as you are out of selfe-love to your own businesse. You know when a man naturallie loves himself, when he is to doe something that concernes his own good, how solicitous is he about it, and how provident forecasting how to bring it to passe, and if any rubbe be in the way it troubleth him, if there be any faire passage, and likelihood of atchieving it, he rejoyceth. Now, if you love the Lord naturallie and trulie, you will goe about his businesse as you goe about your own, if there be any businesse to be done: Magistrates in their place, Ministers in their place, and everie man indeed shall finde some businesse to doe, in which he may bring glorie to Gods name, and advantage to his cause. Consider now how you are stirred about it, doe you goe about this businesse, are you so industrious and laborious, doe you project it, doe you minde it as your own? you will not stand expostulating the matter, to say must I doe it? and is it of necessitie? But if it be a thing that tends to the advancing of the glorie of God, you will doe it with all readinesse, you will not so much stand upon this, what wages shall I have? and what profit shall I gaine? But as a loving womā to her husband, she is glad to doe any thing for her husbands good, she is satisfied with this, that she has an opportunitie to doe something; so it will be with you, if your hearts be rightly affected, you will then doe things after this manner.

You will say, How shall we know this love? this is a nice and curious point to love the Lord thus naturallie.

You shall know it by these two things:

First, by the evennesse of your carriage towards the Lord; for what a man does naturallie, he does with a kinde of equalitie, with a kinde of evennesse: so that, as we say, an uneven pulse is a signe of a deadlie and dangerous distemper within; so I say, when you finde an unevennesse in your carriages to the Lord, that you are off and on with him, that sometimes you doe a thing for him, and anon you will doe for your lusts, this is a signe that you love not naturally; feigned things are for the most part unequall: because when a man does not doe a thing naturallie, he cannot holde out; a man cannot dissemble so well, but at one time or other he will discover himself; what a man does naturally, and heartily, he is like himself in it still. Therefore when there is such an unevennesse in your waies, (some will be verie forward in a good cause, now in a good moode, and then out of it againe) it is a signe you love not the Lord thus naturallie, for then you would be eaven in your carriage towards him.

Adde to this the continuance of it; for if you love the Lord with a naturall affection, you will holde out, and be constant in it. The second and third ground went farre in their profession, but their inconstancie showed that they loved not the Lord with a naturall love, this discontinuing is a signe that your love is not true. I beseech you examine your selves by these things whether you love the Lord; remember what I said the last day, doe you desire that your sinnes should be utterlie destroyed? doe you not dallie with sinne? would you not have some remainders within you? in fact, I will goe a step further with you, doe you not hate the Lord?

You will say, God forbid that we should doe so, I hope we are not in that condition.

My brethren, first you must know that there are manie that doe hate the Lord: in Rom. 1. among others those are reckoned up, Haters of God: Therefore it is certaine that there are manie, and many of those that come to Church, manie that think well of themselves, and that others think well of too, that yet are haters of the Lord. You will say, how shall we know that?

I will aske you but this (to bring this likewise into examination, and so to conclude) I say, examine your selves by this:

Doe you not desire that there were no God? examine your hearts whether if this newes were brought, that you might live at libertie, that you might doe what you would, that you might satisfie your lusts in all things, that there were no God to call you to account, to reward you according to your doings, whether it would not be acceptable newes to many of you? Now it is certaine, if you would not have the Lord to be, you hate him; for whomever you would have taken out of the way, such a man you hate.

And besides this, consider whether you doe not looke upon the Lord as upon a judge, whether you doe not all that you doe to him as one that lookes upon a judge: If you fear the Lord in this manner, it is certaine you hate him: for those whom you thus fear you hate, and that you shall finde in 1 Ioh. 4. If you fear, says he, you love not; for perfect love casts out fear: when you look upon God as upon a strict judge, and that is it that puts you on to doe all that you doe, that is it that makes you keepe a good conscience in secret: for this you may doe, and yet looke upon God as a judge, to fear with this kinde of fear is a signe you hate the Lord; for whom you fear, you hate.

Besides this, Doe you not looke upon God and upon his wayes as contrary to your hearts? that your hearts, and the wayes of God are in an opposition, your hearts, and sanctifying the Sabboth will not agree; the Lord would have your speeches to be good and holy, he would have you not onely abstaine from evil, but to hate it, to have your hearts rise up against it: Are not these commandements contrary to you? Consider but that holinesse that is expressed in the booke of God, and that is expressed also in the lives of the Saints, who carry his Image stamped on them, and is there not a kinde of contrariety betweene your wayes and theirs, betweene your hearts and them? If there be, it is a certaine signe of hatred: for wherever there is contrariety, there is hatred. Examine your selves by this, and see whether you doe not hate the Lord.

And yet, to come to one more, if you love pleasures more than God, and wealth more than God, you hate God: For so you have it, Mat. 6.No man can serve two Masters, but either he must hate the one and love the other, &c. That is, when you love other things, though you think you doe not hate the Lord, yet, I say, in that you love pleasures, and love the world, and the things of the world, in that you love your lusts, and the objects of them; in doing this, you hate the Lord. Now if this be your case, if upon these expostulations that I have propounded, if upon these rules of examining your selves, you finde that you doe not love the Lord, if this be your condition, (as it is your wisdom to deale strictly with your selves; for hence it is, brethren, that the souls of men perish, because they will not see and search into their estates, they will not come to this examination of themselves, it is a painfull thing to them, men are backward to examine themselves in private; what is the reason of that phrase in the Psalme, Examine your selves upon your beds, but because examination should be when a man is most retired? I say, if you finde it to be so, as it is the case of many) then it should open a window to you, to see what you have deserved at the Lords hands, how just it were that the Lord should cast you off: For when you are enemies to the Lord, can you think much at it? My brethren, what a condition is that man in, that has the great God of heaven and earth to be his enemie?

And besides this, have you not reason to justifie God in his just judgements upon others, when you shall see God sharply plaguing them? It may seeme to you that it is a hard thing that men should be so punished; but when we consider that they are haters of God, that they are enemies to him, you may justifie God in that he does.

But, to conclude, you ought to humble your selves, if upon these tryalls you finde your selves to be lovers of the world, and not lovers of God. And you that are young, and put off repentance, it should move you to come in betimes: For if this be required of you to love the Lord, and you shall not be exempted from death when it comes, though you be never so able, and never so strong and lustly; what condition doe you think you will be in, if you die enemies to God, and haters of him, as you needes must be, if you love him not. And if you think you have time enough. hereafter to settle your affections; Consider, is it in your own power, though you have warning before death, to have this affection of love? You may doe many good duties, you may be sorry and repent for your sinnes; but though you doe this, and a thousand times more, yet if you have not this love-wrought in you by God, if it come not from heaven, if it be not the fruite of his own Spirit, all your repentance, and all your forsaking of sinne, all your doing of duties, the change of your courses is nothing, the Lord regards it not, unlesse you have this naturalnesse of love. I have stood therefore the longer upon it, and upon this part concerning examination, because it is a matter of great moment. We should have come to the next part concerning exhortation, which we would not disjoyne, because it is very usefull and profitable; but we cannot doe it now, but reserve it for the afternoone.

FINIS.