A Godly Man Is a Lover of the Word

9. A godly man is a lover of the Word,¹ Psal. 119. 97. O how love I thy Law.

10. A godly man loves the Word written. Chrysostom compares the Scripture to a garden set with knots and² flowers: A godly man delights to walk in this garden, and sweetly solace himself; he loves every branch and parcel of the Word.

11. He loves the counselling part of the Word, as it is a Directory and Rule of life: The Word is the Mercurial Statue which points us to our duty; it contains in it credendae and facienda, things to be believed and practised: A godly man loves the Aphorismes of the Word.

12. A godly man loves the Minatory part of the Word: The Scripture, like the Garden of Eden, as it hath a Tree of Life in it, so it hath a Flaming Sword at the Gates of it; this is the threatning of the Word; it flasheth fire in the face of every person that goes on obstinately in wickedness, Psal. 68. 21. God shall wound the hairy scalp of such an one, as goes on still in his trespasses. The Word gives no indulgence to evil; it will not let a man halt between God and Sin: The true Mother would not let the Childe be divided, and God will not have the heart divided: The Word thunders out threatnings against the very appearance of evil; it is like that flying Roll full of curses, Zac. 5. 1.

A godly man loves the menaces of the Word, he knows there is love in every threatning: God would not have us perish, therefore doth mercifully threaten us, that he may scare us from sin: Gods threatnings are as the Sea-mark, which shows the Rocks in the Sea, and threatneth death to such as come neer; the threatning is a curbing bit to check us, that we may not run in a full careir to hell; there is mercy in every threatning.

3. A godly man loves the consolatory part of the³ Word, the Promises; he goes feeding upon these, as Sampson went on his way eating the honey-comb, Iudg. 14. 8. The Promises; are […], all marrow and sweetness; they are our Bezar-stone when we are fainting; they are the conduits of the Water of Life, Psal. 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my Soul. The Promises were Davids Harp to drive away sad thoughts; they were the breast which milked out Divine Consolation to him.

A godly man shows his love to the Word written:

1. By diligent reading of it: The Noble Bereans did search the Scriptures daily, Act. 17. 11. Apollos was mighty in the Scriptures, Act. 18. 24. The Word is our Magna Charta for heaven, we should be daily reading over this Charter: The Word is index sui & obliqui, it shows what is truth; and what is error; it is the field where the Pearl of Price is hid: How should we dig for this Pearl! A godly mans heart is the Library to hold the Word of God, it dwells richly in him, Col. 3. 16. It is reported of Melancthon, that when he was young, he carried the Bible always about him, and did greedily read in⁴ it. The Word hath a double work, to teach us, and to judge us: They that will not be taught by the Word, shall be judged by the Word: Oh let us make the Scripture familiar to us! What if it should be as in the times of Dioclesian, who commanded by Proclamation the Bible to be⁵ burned; or as in Queen Maries daies, wherein it was death to have a Bible in English; by diligent conversing with Scripture, we may carry a Bible in our head.

2. A godly man shows his love to the Word, by frequent meditating in it, Psalm 119. 97. It is my meditation all the day. A pious Soul meditates of the Verity and Sanctity of the Word; he hath not only a few transient thoughts, but lays his mind a steeping in the Scripture; by meditation he sucks from this sweet flower, and concocts holy truths in his mind.

3. He shows his love to the Word by delighting in it, it is his recreation, Ier. 15. 16. Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and thy Word wa[…] unto me the Ioy and rejoycing of my heart. Never did a man take such delight in a dish that he loved, as the Prophet did in the Word: And indeed, how can a Saint chuse but take great complacency in the Word, because all that ever he hopes to be worth is contained in it: Doth not a son take pleasure in reading over his Fathers Will and Testament, where he makes a conveyance of his Estate to him?

4. He shows his love to the Word, by hiding it, Psal. 119. 11. Thy Word have I hid in my heart: As one hides a treasure that it should not be stoln away: The Word is the Jewel, the heart is the Cabinet where it must be locked up: Many hide the Word in their memory, but not in their heart. And why would David inclose the Word in his heart? That I might be kept from sinning against thee. As one would carry an Antidote about him, when he comes neer an infected place; so a godly man carries the Word in his heart as a spiritual antidote to preserve him from the infection of⁶ sin: Why have so many been poysoned with error, others with moral vice, but because they have not hid the Word as an holy antidote in their heart.

5. He shows his love to the Word by defending it: A wise man will not let his Land be taken from him, but will defend his Title. David looked upon the Word as his Land of Inheritance, Psal. 119. 111. Thy Testimonies have I taken as an Heritage for ever. And do you think he would let his Inheritance be wrested out of his⁷ hands? A godly man will not only dispute for the Word, but die for it, Rev. 6. 9. I saw under the Altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God.

6. He shows his love to the Word by preferring it above things most precious. 1. Above food, Iob 23. 12. I have esteemed the words of his mouth, above my necessary food. […] Above riches, Psal. 119. 72. The Law of thy mouth is better unto me, then thousands of gold and⁸ silver. 3. Above worldly honor. Memorable is the story of King Edward the Sixth, who upon the day of his Coronation, when they presented before him three Swords, signifying to him that he was Monarch of three Kingdomes, the King said, there is yet one Sword wanting; being asked, what that was? he answered, the Holy Bible, which is the sword of the Spirit, and is to be preferred before these Ensigns of⁹ Royalty.

7. He shows his love to the Word by talking of it, Psal. 119. 172. My tongue shall speak of thy Word. As a covetous man is talking of his rich purchase, so a godly man is speaking of the Word: what a treasure it is, how full of beauty and suavity; they whose mouths the Devil hath gagg’d, who never speak of Gods Word, it is a sign they never reaped any good by it.

8. He shows his love to the Word by conforming to it; the Word is his Sun-Dial, by which he sets his life, the balance in which he weighs his actions; he copies out the Word in his daily walk, 2 Tim. 4. 7. I have kept the Faith. St. Paul kept the Doctrine of Faith, and lived the life of Faith.

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