A20559:103
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandments gathered from the mouth of a faithful pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholar in Cambridge.The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandements gathered from the mouth of a faithfull pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholler in Cambridge.
London: printed by John Harison for Thomas Man, 1603London: printed by Iohn Harison for Thomas Man, 1603
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
We must pray therefore and endeavour that we may long for, and wish for the coming of Christ, for God hath given this to other of his children, that were as weak as we, that when they did think of their good estate, and freedom from all misery and sin, and that the love of God was shed abroad in their harts, this did so inflame their harts, as they desired his coming, by which they should be delivered from all sin and misery, more then any woman could desire the ⟨image 26⟩coming of her husband.
We must pray therefore and endeauour that we may long for, and wish for the comming of Christ, for God hath giuen this to other of his children, that were as weake as wee, that when they did thinke of their good estate, and freedome from all miserie and sinne, and that the loue of God was shed abroad in their harts, this did so inflame their harts, as they desired his comming, by which they should be deliuered from all sinne and miserie, more then any woman could desire the ⟨image 26⟩comming of her husband.
The fifth and last note, whereby we shall find out in trueth, how we love God, is to consider how we stand affected to that which he hates. One indeed may love a man truly, and yet not hate all that he hates, because his hatred may be unjust, or else he may exceed in the measure of hatred. But for God, we know that he is perfect, & hates nothing but that which is hateful, & abhors none but those which deserve to be abhorred. Therefore try and see how we stand affected to the wolrd. God saith that he hates the world, by the world is meant, as Saint John expounds it; the lust of the eyes; the lust of the hart; and the pride of life; we must hate these things, for the love of the world is enmity to God. He that loves it then, is an enemy; for he that loves Gods enemies, makes himself an enemy: as he that hates that which God loves, hates God, so he that loves that which God hates, hates God also. Also we must see how we hate covetousness, malice, pride, filthiness, falsehood, and such like, for all these things God hates. But if one be so far from abhorring lying, as that he himself will lie; & so far from hating flattery, as he himself will flatter; & speak fair before ones face, but ill enough behind his back, if one be so far from hating unthriftiness, as that he will be a gamester & spend those things idly and foolishly, which God gave him for a better end, and will take an account of him also, how he spent them, because God bestowed them for better ends, and he bestows them proudly, vainly, and unthriftily, to no glory to God, or good to men; he that will do these or any such things, it is plain that he hates not that which God hates, and therefore doth not love God.