The Christians labour and reward, or, A sermon, part of which was preached at…

This in Scripture, is made one of the fairest evidences for our love to God. Every one that loveth the Father that begat, loveth him that is begotten, 1 John 5.1. A man may love the Child, and not love his Father; but he cannot love him, because he is his Child, and because he is like his Father, but he must needs love his Father. Yea love him first and most, because his love to the Child, springs from his love to the Father. This Good Lady then, was a great Lover, doubtless, of God himself, because she had ⟨p. 138⟩so dear an affection to his Children. She did not praise the dead Saints, and persecute the Living; she did not pretend love to those that lived far from her, but showed kindness to them that lived near her: She did not factiously love some of one Party, and reproach those of another. In a word, she did not love the Saints in an equality with others, from a Natural tenderness, which disposeth some to be kind to all, good and bad; but her love was a Spiritual, Cordial, Special, and Uniform Love to them. Where-ever she saw any thing of God, her Love was drawn out towards them, and had the most love for those, that discovered most of God; she loved them so, as to delight in converse and communion with them; yea, and the chief of her Charity was extended to them. As for the Faithful Ministers of Christ, whose Function lifts them above private Christians, few ever exceeded her, in loving and honouring of them; yea, she loved first the Ministry, and then the ⟨p. 139⟩Ministers; professing seriously, the great love and high esteem she had for them, was for their dear Masters sake, whose Ambassadors they were. So that what I have heard concerning her worthy Son-in-Law, in Norfolk, Sir Roger Townsend, that for his Love to the Ministry, he got the title of being called, Deliciae Cleri, The Ministers Delight; may be truly given to her.

This in Scripture, is made one of the fairest evidences for our love to God. Every one that loveth the Father that begat, loveth him that is begotten, 1 John 5.1. A man may love the Child, and not love his Father; but he cannot love him, because he is his Child, and because he is like his Father, but he must needs love his Father. Yea love him first and most, because his love to the Child, springs from his love to the Father. This Good Lady then, was a great Lover, doubtless, of God himself, because she had