The Breastplate of Faith and Love

This is not all,¹ there is another thing, which is the second branch that I told you of; that is, to look upon God as one suitable to you, and to your disposition. For if you should find never so much excellency in him, if he be not agreeable to you, you love him not. A woman may see a man that she thinks is very excellent, in many respects, yet he is not a fit husband for her. It is the suitableness and agreeableness between God and our own condition, that causeth us to love him. Therefore when you put these two together, consider the Lords mercy, and see that, and look on your selves as sinful men needing that mercy; when you see the Lord exceeding powerful, and look on your selves as very weak, needing that power; when you look on him as the Lord of life, and see your selves subject to death, and needing that life; when you see your own folly, and his wisdom, (go through all in him, and then again look upon the contrary weakness in your selves) this is that which will make you apprehend God as one that is suitable, ⟨p. 140⟩as one that is agreeable to you; and till you come to this, you shall never love him, and long after him, till the heart namely is thus framed, till a man is humbled, till he comes to the sight of himself: for as you must know God, so you must know your selves before you can love him. I say, when a man comes to that, he begins to look on God as upon one agreeable to him: As, take a man, who is touched with the fear of his sins, whose heart is broken, who hath an apprehension of Gods wrath, and of his own unworthiness, such a man now will be satisfied with nothing in the world, but the assurance of Gods love and his favour. As you see in natural things, let a man be very weary, the daintiest meat in the world, whatsoever you give him, will not heal him; but he must have that which is fit for that particular defect, nothing will help him but rest. Again, let a man be hungry, and faint for want of meat; all the music, the best air, or whatsoever you can give him will do him no good, it must be meat that must help him. If a man have a disease, it is not sleep, it is not meat and drink, it must be a medicine that is fit for his disease.

This is not all,¹ there is another thing, which is the second branch that I tolde you of; that is, to looke upon God as one sutable to you, and to your disposition. For if you should finde never so much excellencie in him, if he be not agreeable to you, you love him not. A woman may see a man that she thinkes is very excellent, in many respects, yet he is not a fit husband for her. It is the sutablenesse and agreeablenesse betweene God and our owne condition, that causeth us to love him. Therefore when you put these two together, consider the Lords mercie, and see that, and looke on your selves as sinfull men needing that mercie; when you see the Lord exceeding powerfull, and looke on your selves as very weake, needing that power; when you looke on him as the Lord of life, and see your selves subject to death, and needing that life; when you see your owne folly, and his wisedome, (go through all in him, and then againe looke upon the contrary weaknesse in your selves) this is that which will make you apprehend God as one that is sutable,