Chap.13 SeCl:.9. of the Church Cwm and leuu rewm mtto the Lord, for be bath tom, a.1d he will heal m; · he bath (mitte; a11d helvil! bindew. up. . . . · 8. j(it be joyned with a fecret trufl: in the accept1tion of God mChnfl: : . Ifno m·~ fcry can beat thy foul from inward afliance,or hope of mercy; if in the very difqumncf!e ofththeart, the deflreofthe foul be to the Lord; if he be never fo much cajl down, yet he waits upon God fur the help of his cu1mtenance, and in fomc meafure condemns the unbelief of his own heart, and fupports himfclfwith the hope of the ncver-fa•lmg com– paffions of God in Chrifl:, where,in it differs ftom the Repentance of Cam and 'f~tdas. , SECT. 9· Examination •f low to Cbrift, 'J73 Pfa!. sS. 9 Pf~,t: 42. 5 ,il A Fourrhgracc which every worthy receiver mu!! findc in himfelf is loveofChrift; and by fuch marks as thefe he may try whether hts luve tu Chrijl bea true love. r. ifit ~e ready to do for Chrif! whatfoever he commands; ifye love me(faith Chrifl:) Jolm i4: 1 s.' kJep my commandments: Again, he that hath my commandments, am/ k.;cpet/z them, he ]elm '4· >1 it is that lovcrh me: and again, ye are my friends, ifye d? whatfoevcr I commandyou: John :s. 1 + what child can truly love his father, what fcrvant hismafl:er, but h't will be obedient to him? What Chrifiian can truly. love Chrift, but he will chcarfully, and univerfally obey Chrifi? The l•ve of Chnft c•nftrainrs w, faith the 1\pofile ; both Ch rill:s love to us,and 2 cJY. 5• 1 4 our love ofChrift compel us with a fwcet force to obey him, that we cannot chufe but obey him. If mry m11n loves me, he will,kJep my Commandments, and my Fmher will love ]o.)n •4· ·~ him, and we will come unto ht'm, and ma/z! our abode with him. . 2. If it cares not what it fuffers for Chrifl:; if it glory in his fufFerings, l!nto yonit is l'bil. '· •9 given in the behalfofChrijl, flot onely to believe un him, bllt al(o to f1fer for his {ilk! ; we fee how far an humane love either of their country, or ofvain.glory hath tranfported fome heath~n men to the devoting, and call:ing away their very lives; how much more will a fpiritual/ov< ofChrift put courage into the fouls of Saiuts to bear all things, to endure •IL things? I am perjivaded (faith the Apoftle) t!. at neither Death, r10r Life, uor Principa!iries, nor Powers, nor things Prcfent, .,.,or things to Come, nor Height, nor Rom. 8. ~g D epth, nor any uther creature fha/1 be able to feparate uJ from the Love of God which is in Ch~ift Jefm our Lord. Nothing is able to turn away Chr~{ls love from Us,and therefore nothing fhould be able to quench ot<r love to Chrift,Many »•aters ( i. c.) many afflictions; Cant, a 6 perfecutionS) temptations cannot qucnrh love, neither can the floo.ds drowne it. 3· If it loves Chrifl: above all, the l<JVe of Father,·Mother, \V'ife, Sonne, Daughter, Brother, ~ ifl:er, yea and of a mans own Life gives place to this hve to Chrift; yea fomething further ; as Chrifl: is loved above all , fo all mufl: be hated in comparifon of Chrilt: He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worrhy ofme , and he th1lt Mm. •o·l7,3S loveth (on or da~t,ghur more than me, is not worthy ofme, and he that taktrh not his croffc, a~d foll{)!Veth lljtcr me, is not worthy of me, Againc, if any man come to me, and hate not h., Father, and Mother, and Wife, and Children, and Brethren, and Sifters, yea and his Lulce 14 • =6 O!Vn Life alfo, he ca1moc be my Difciple: not that we mufl: properly hate our allyes ~nd !tfe; bu't comparatively, ifthey are compared with Chrifl:, we mufl: love them ldfe than Chrifl:: Chrif! mull: fit in the throne of all hearts and affections, and all thefe mull: fit below at his foot:l:ool; hence were the Martyrs commcnded, that for che Love of Rev. 12• it Jejiu they luved not their lives unto the death. Excellently Ignatitv., Now begin I to be I~nalius F. a Dtetple, I z.ealoufly ~ffeil nothing ofvijibles or invijiblcs, that [may obtaine Jefu ChriftJ ptj!. ad Rmt• let fire and the cro([e, and, the Joynt rijing "P of wilde beajlJ, the dij[<fliuns, Jtparations, p.rg 86 dijfipattons of my lJones, c~ttting in pieces ofmy members, dij[olmion ofnrywhulc body, and the pmrijhment ofthe dt:".;tl come ~epon me, only that I may win 'Jejiu Chri{f. 4· If tt breath after more and more alfurance and evidence of Chrifls lov~ to the foul, the more the Saint~ love Chrifi, the more they dcfirc to be loved of Chrifi. l ove IS a greedy affechon, fbll coveting after more love; Set me'" a fealttpon thine he~~rt, as Ciant. 8 · 6 11 ("' npon thme arme,for love is Jl.rong as death, jealoufie is cruel M thegrave, the coalcs fi ereofare CM!s offire w?ich hach a moft vehement flame. Scaling is for ratification,conrmatton, ?r furc_makmg of any thing; now the Church would be confirmed and e~abh(hed. mChnlts love , or her own love would confumc her as a burning flame ; l elther Ch~of! mu(\ manifef! his love to her, or flle (hquld dye and perifh through her ove to htm. 5· !fit loves every thing wherein Chrill: is prcfent to his Church. As, 1. If it N n iovd
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