Page images
PDF
EPUB

"Whom Christ loved, he loved to the end; and they "that love Christ, love him to the end.

"3. He that truly loves God, loves him for himself, "more than for the good he expects from him.

"4. He that loves God, loves all things that are "his as his, and those most that have most impres"sion of his holiness.

"5. He that loves God, loves all those that love "him, and delights in their conversation, especially "when they contend in the praises of God, and "endeavour to magnify his name.

"6. The love of God makes true believers to love "all his ordinances, to love his word, and the mes66 sengers of it.

"7. Further, the love of God makes a true believer "to love all his dispensations, even his chastisements, so far as they are destructive to that sin "which hath procured them.

66

"8. Again, the love of God makes believers love "his interest, and be willing to part with all things "that are dear to them for the advancement of his glory.

[ocr errors]

9. The love of God makes true believers to hate. "all things that are contrary to his holiness, even in "themselves and their most beloved relations.

[ocr errors]

"10. He that truly loves God, delights to meditate "of him, and to discourse of him, and to hear the " mention of his name, and is weary of that conver"sation where God is seldom, slightly, or never 66 remembered. Do we not see that even in creature loves, whatever the heart is set on, men take all "occasions to admire it, to consult how to attain the enjoyment of it, and delight to hear the object of "their love praised and commended by others; love "those that love it, and hate those that hate it, and "use all endeavours to make others admire and love " what they do? And are we not ashamed to pre"tend to the love of God, when a little discourse of "him is tedious to us; when those that hate the

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

"mention of him, whose mouths are full of lies and "vanity, whose hearts are full of the world, and "whose conversations savour nothing of God, are our beloved and delightful companions? This is a sore evil, and deserves a deep consideration and reflection. Even the saints themselves, in their "conferences of God at this day, are rather fortifying "each other in particular opinions that they affect, "than magnifying the name of God for his excellency and his wonders manifested to the sons of "men in his great works of creation, providence, redemption, sanctification. Who declares to each "other the goodness of God daily exercised to their "souls, and calls on their friends and neighbours to "bless the Lord with them and for them? Ah, we "live in such a world, that a true lover of God cannot "do it, without casting pearls before swine that "would turn and rent them; and therefore are fain "almost in all company to keep silence, or else have "their hearts disturbed from the contemplation of "the dear object of their souls, and led astray in the "wilderness of the world."

[ocr errors]

The other passage occurs in speaking of the slavish fear of God felt by the wicked.

"This fear, bondage, and terror, believers and true "worshippers of God are delivered from, through "the redemption that is in Christ; but that gentle "curb which the love of God puts, as a bridle, on

[ocr errors]

our wild affections, is the delight of the saints, "who count the service of God perfect freedom. "These are affected with a reverential, filial awe in "his presence. They dread his displeasure more "than hell, and seek his face and favour more than "heaven. Heaven would not be heaven to a true "child of God, if God were not there in his grace and "favour; and were it possible there could be a hell "6 where God's favour could be enjoyed, a true lover "of God would choose it before paradise without "him. But God cannot be separated from heaven:

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

"he is the heaven of heaven; and where he is present " in grace and favour, there is no hell in the greatest "tortures imaginable. This made Lawrence's grid"iron a bed of roses. This made the stones that were hurled at Stephen, only to beat away the gross air from about him, and bring the glorious "heaven into his view, with the sight of which he "was so ecstasied, he felt not the pain of the strokes. "This reverential fear begets a holy care and watch "in the soul, suspecting and crying out to God to "keep his citadel there, at every small motion and appearance of the enemy, in any suggestion or any rising mist. 'Tis a holy frame of spirit that keeps us always in a reverent awe and dread of the majesty of God, and in an humble posture of soul "before him, yet cuts not off, but aggravates our delight in him, our joy and our singing before him : "it is our wall of defence, and not our prison; our

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

66

66

badge of honour, and not our chain of bondage; "herein our love is exercised; and this is one of "God's sweet embracings, whereby he holds in our "souls, and keeps them close to him. He that fears "not God, loves him not; as 'tis to be suspected "too many do, that unreverently approach his throne "in all their filthy pollutions, and dread not to come "so so undecently into his presence.'

MRS. EVELYN.

MRS. EVELYN, the lady of John Evelyn, Esq., distinguished as the author of " Sylva," was the daughter of Sir Richard Browne, Bart., ambassador from King Charles I. and Charles II. to the court of France. She was married to Mr. Evelyn, June 27, 1647, when only in her fourteenth year, but continued to reside for some time at Paris under the care of her excellent parents, her husband being called by his affairs to England. At length, in 1652, on Mr. Evelyn's taking up his residence at Say's Court, Deptford, Mrs. Evelyn came to England, accompanied with her mother, Lady Browne. In that mansion they resided for forty years, during which Mrs. Evelyn became the mother of several children; and, in 1694, removed to Wotton in Surrey, the seat of the family, where Mr. Evelyn expired Feb. 27, 1705, in the eighty-fifth year of his age. His lady survived him only four years, dying at Wotton in Feb. 1709, in her seventy-fourth year. She was buried, pursuant to the directions of her will, near her husband; "whose love and friendship," she says, "I was happy in fifty-eight years nine "months, but by God's providence left a discon"solate widow in the seventy-first of my age. His

[ocr errors]

care of my education was such as might become a "father, a lover, a friend, and husband, for instruc"tion, tenderness, affection, and fidelity to the last "moment of his life; which obligation I mention 'with a gratitude to his memory, ever dear to me; " and I must not omit to own the sense I have of my "parents' care and goodness in placing me in such "worthy hands."

The following" Character" of this excellent lady was drawn up by the Rev. Dr. Ralph Bohun, and is

given in the Evelyn Memoirs, edited by William Bray, Esq.*

[ocr errors]

"I had occasion lately to review several letters to me from Mrs. Evelyn, of Deptford. After reading "them, I found they were much to be valued, because "they contained not only a complete description of "the private events of the family, but public trans"actions of the times, where are many curious and "memorable things described in an easy and eloquent "style.

"Many forgotten circumstances by this means are "recalled afresh to my memory: by so full and "perfect a narration of them, they are again present "to my thoughts, and I see them re-acted as it were "before my eyes. This made strong impressions

[ocr errors]

on my mind, so that I could not rest till I had "recollected the substance of them, and from thence "some general reflections thereon, and from thence "drew a character of the author, so far only as by "plain and natural inferences may be gathered from "their contents. In this short model, Mrs. Evelyn "will appear to be the best daughter and wife, the "most tender mother, and desirable neighbour and "friend, in all parts of her life. The historical "account of matters of fact sufficiently set forth her praises, wherein there could be no error or selfconceit, and declare her to be an exact pattern of many excellent virtues; but they are concealed in "such modest expressions, that the most envious "censurers cannot fix upon her the least suspicion "of vanity or pride.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Though she had many advantages of birth, and beauty, and wit; yet you may perceive in her writings an humble indifference to all worldly enjoyments, great charity, and compassion to those "who had disobliged her, and no memory of past

66

Memoirs illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, Esq. F.R.S. &c. Edited by William Bray, Esq. F.A.S. 2 Vols. 4to. London, 1819.

« EelmineJätka »