Ca/n.1. Ofthe Love of God,and thecontraria thereto. Chap. 1,2. 16 to take into the Ship, they conceived that Chrift warned them from Bread : for ifa Maus mind be fer upon any thing above other , he thinker) that is rncant, when ought is fpoken that may be taken that way. So then it is a fignof our love toGod, whenwe think upon him. Thoughts are of three forts. r. A deep thought. 2. A long thought. 3. A thought often repeated. Cogitatioprofunda, continuata, crebra. . Profundacogieatio. 'This deep thought was efpecially inthole Saints of God ; when it .a s tb deep,that in recounting themercies of God, (the matter of their love) they fcemed to be in an exrafie. i. Continuata cogitatio. As in fecular matters, Old Age is continually thinking Upon k W ; r ealth, Youth upon Paftime, and the like : fo ifour thoughtsbe continued upon LZe God, though they be not deep, yet they are d good fign of love. 3. When a Man bath neither long nor deep thoughts, yet if his thoughts be crebra, often; though they be not extatical, nor continual ; but withTome intcrmiffion, they fignifie that the love of God hath taken root in us. 2. A fecond fign is , if we efteem well ofthe pledges of that party to whom we Teem to bear affe£tion , if we account of thofe carncfts which he hath left us i as King David ; I love thy Law. W hen a Man loves the very pledges that he leaves; as the Word, Sacraments, andPrayer : as ir is on the contrary an ill token to negleEt Z.dl.t 9 97' thorn. It was accounted a great pledge ofGods favourto have primogenituram; and Efau is called by the Apoftle a profane Perfon, or one that loved not God, for felting Mob. i a.t6 nos love fo upon his Brothers Pottage , to love his Belly fo much, as to neglea the Gen. S'3' pledge ofBirthright, and fell ir. 3. When we earneftly deGre the pretence ofhimwe love; for, astheiecthen faid ubi amor, ibi ocutur, where the heart is,there will the eyebe; and ifwe cannot fee the Party, yet ifwe have his PiGure, our eye will not be ofit. Nowbecaufe we walk here by Faith, and not by fight,it is a fign of our love to God todeGre his prefence,and to behold him in his Ordinances, the Word and Sacraments, to behold his Picture, as in all the Creatures,fo efpecially in hisServants,in whomhisImage is renewed.Davidi delight was in thofe that excell'd in venue. q.. Where there is love , we will readily foregowhat is dear to us, to enjoywhat we deGre. Thus Efau did part with his right of primogeniture, the belt thing hehad, the pledge of Gods favour, for 7acobs Pottage, Genefis 25. 30. fo well did he love his Belly. If we then can accept ofany conditionbe it never fo hard , which may fee or keep us in Gods favour it is a good fign we love him. 5. The fifth fign (as the former) falls into defiderium , which is a grief for Gods abfence from us: for the deire of that we love not being acomplifhed turns to grief, and makes us break out intopailion with theProphet, When Thal! I come io pfal.4,.,; appear before the pretenceof God? Saint Gregory faith, it is inatiditios amor., a love unheard of, for a Man to love one, and not to delire his company. So tha, Pe which defireth to live here , and not to be diffolved, ( with the Apoftle) bath nr Ph;i.a, love. Thefe are figns ofthat part of love which is called defiderium, deGre; now follow the figns of that part of love which is, paudium, joy. t. The Gott isalicratas, cheerfulnefs, in doing or fuffering for the party we Io(e , an efpecial fign of love when a Man hath gladnefs in his heart, no lets joy for encreafe of fpiritual things, than the worldly Man hathofagoodHarvetî. Whou yacab had ferved Laban feven years for Rachel they Teemed but a few days` , the love he had to her. If we can do thus in the fervice Of God , it iS a fign w, trill, 4 8. love him. But if a Man count Gods fervice a burden, and be weary ofit, thinking Goa. i9a0 one hour three which is fpent in it, furely he hath nojoy nor delight in God, and by confequence no love. z. Whenthe affe&ion oflove is truly fettled ; the Philofopher faith , ..Quad cupis Were, times perdere, cuicunque cupis tonjungi, ab eo times feparari, thou art afraid to lofe that thoudefireft to have, and artafraid tobe fevered from him that thou de- fireft tó be joyned with. Now if a Mans heart bear himwitnefs, that he is fearful of fin as that which may feparate him from God, it is a, good fign of love. On the other fide; when
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