A20559:98
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.
The next duty is Love. That we must love God withal our harts, and all our souls, as is commanded. Luke. 10. The reason is, because he is that Jehovah in whom we live, we move, and have our being, he is our God that gives us all good things, and can only free us from all sin and misery, therefore we are bound to love him. And indeed, this is the chief duty, and the best fruit of knowledge: but because it is so plain a duty, as that no man will deny it, it is best for us (leaving to use more words in proving the duty) to show some marks of love of God, (that we do not deceive our selves) whereby we may see, in what measure we keep this first and chief commandment. The first mark may be, how we delight to meet God in those means, wherein he hath appointed to meet us: for in what measure we can offer our selves to God in those things, wherein he offers himself to us, in that measure we love ⟨p. 17⟩him. If we be willing to ask all good things and seek comfort at his hand by prayer, and to lay open our wants to him, and as it were to confer with God. If we be desirous to come to hear his word spoken unto us, wherein we may see his wisdom for our direction, his mercy for our comfort, his power for our defence, and for the subduing of our sins, and his riches to make us rich, and supply all our wants, then we do indeed love God, and the more we can rejoice in these things, the more we love God, and the less, the less we love him. So for the sacraments, in them Christ Jesus offers himself unto us, and to make us partakers of his body and blood, would we then try how we love God? we may do it by examining what desire we have to these things, would we rather come to this banquet of the heavenly King to eat the body and blood of his Son, that is set before us, rather then to the table of an earthly king, to taste such good cheer as he can make us, is there such an affection to us? then indeed we love God, for then we have a delight to come where he is. For in these means God doth bestow himself upon us, and comes to dwell in us, as Christ saith, that he will dwell in us, and his father: the holy ghost will come into our harts.
The next dutie is Loue. That wee must loue God withall our harts, and all our soules, as is commanded. Luke. 10. The reason is, because he is that Iehouah in whom we liue, we moue, and haue our being, he is our God that giues vs all good things, and can onely free vs from all sinne and miserie, therefore wee are bound to loue him. And indeede, this is the chiefe dutie, and the best fruit of knowledge: but because it is so plaine a dutie, as that no man will denie it, it is best for vs (leauing to vse more words in prouing the dutie) to shew some markes of loue of God, (that we doe not deceiue our selues) whereby we may see, in what measure wee keepe this first and chiefe commandement. The first marke may be, how we delight to meet God in those meanes, wherin he hath appointed to meet vs: for in what measure we can offer our selues to God in those things, wherein hee offers himselfe to vs, in that measure wee loue