(5.) The next means is, to join fear with our love to God. Whom we love thoroughly, we will do nothing that shall displease. The fear of God, whom we love, will cause us to make conscience of the least sin against him ; for there is no sin, be it never so little, but it will weaken our aflec- tion to goodness. When we venture upon anything against conscience, is there not a decay of our love to God and of our sense of his favour towards us ? Surely sin is the only make-bait in our souls, and weakener of all our comforts. Those, therefore, are the lovingest souls towards God that are most conscientious in their ways. Careless Christians have not that feeling of God's love which humble fruitful Christians have, neither do they live or die with that comfort as these do.
We are the spouse of Christ, and he is jealous of our love. Our betrothed husband cannot abide that w-e should set our aflections upon strangers. Take heed, therefore, of adulterous and false aflections. The more we love earthly things, the less we shall esteem of heavenly ; and as our affection towards the creature increaseth, so our heat towards Christ abateth.
(6.) The next direction to stir up our love to God is, to exercise the same daily. For true love is not an abstractive f affection, but an affection in practice ; and we know everything doth increase by exercise. Exercise it, therefore, in fighting against the love of the world and all self-love ; for as there are contrary commands, so there are contrary desires in a Christian. As there is the old man and the new man, the flesh and the spirit, so there are contrary affections, one setting itself against another in him.
When we see a poor Christian, the love of God will say unto us, Now shew thy love unto Christ in succouring one of his members. No, saith flesh and blood, charity begins at home ; thou mayest want, thyself, another day.
In doing good likewise we should say. Here is now an occasion offered me of honouring God, and I will embrace it. Oh but, saith self-love, there is time enough hereafter ; hereby you may run into poverty and disgrace ; be not too forward. Therefore there must be a perpetual denial of ourselves against our whole thwart J nature. Those that are Christians know experi- mentally what belongs to these things. But take a carnal man or woman, and they are led altogether by their sensual lusts as brute beasts. What-
* That is, ' anticipate.' — G. | That is, ' abstract ' = theoretic ?— G.
t That is, ' thwarted' or ' twisted' = evil. — G.
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Bocvcr case and sclf-lovo wills, that sways their hearts any ways. And indeed the most sincere Christian hath the motions of these carnal and wordly respects ; but his love unto God constrains him to deny all, and listen to what Christ whispcrcth in his heart.
Consider wo a little what may stir us up to exercise ourselves herein. Love, it is the light of our life ; love we must, something ; and he lives not that loves not. Seeing then wo cannot but love, and that the misplacing of our affection is the cause of all sin and misery, what can wo do better than attend to directions how to love as we should ?
To come therefore to the four things before mentioned, being the branches of love. First, We must admire God above all things. And can we admire anything with wisdom but God alone ? It is commonly said that we cannot be wise and love together, for that this affection is blind, except it be in God. Again, Is there anything more comfortable than that we give content to God ? Is any service comparable to the service of a prince ? We must serve the Lord only, and others in and for him, or else all we do is naught. All other services are bondage ; this a perfect freedom. Again, Is there anything more worthy our souls than to be united to God ? Can we have a greater happiness than to be made one with Christ ? By loving a thing we come to be like to it. Is there anything that may or ought to challenge our love but Christ ? Is it not a base thing to unite our souls, which are the best things under heaven, to earthly contentments, than which we shall one day find nothing to be worse ? The love of God planted in our hearts maketh Christ and us one. As a pearl in a ring makes the ring more pre- cious and valuable, so the soul united unto Christ cometh to be more gracious and heavenly. The more excellent the soul is, the more loving it will be to God. The holiest saints have ever burned with most affection to Christ, as Moses and Paul. Can anything satisfy us more than God ? Know we not that all things here shall perish ? Therefore when we place our love and joy in the world, do we not lose them too ? We shall leave behind us the things of this life ; our sins only we carry away, which cleave fast unto us and stain our consciences world without end. What might more con- tent us than the love of God, which will endure for ever and accompany us to heaven, when all other loves perish ?