THE words as I haue read them are a ge­nerall instruc­tion, absolute in it selfe, springing or growing of a particular precept in [Page 2] the former verse, and a­gaine diuiding it selfe into seuerall heads in the verses following. Let me consider it a part by it selfe for intire: then if I dare I will tell you how it growes. In this place a preface to moue your attention I shall neede to vse none; for my text it selfe is but a preface, and a proposi­tion; the preface doth prepare the heart with faith and reuerence to receiue the sentence; be not deceiued God is not mocked, and you shall finde this that followeth to bee most true; that whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall he also reape. A [Page 3] saying whereupon the Holy Ghost hath repo­sed more than ordinarie. It is but a plaine sen­tence; yea see, it presents it selfe in the country method of sowing and reaping, but it is a sen­tence of that note as is not marked with a com­mon ecce, but set in the forehead with a double sentence, be not deceiued. The preface then, and the proposition, make the two parts of my text: the preface importeth thus much, that not to im­brace the truth of this saying is a dangerous er­ror, dangerous in two respects.

First, because it doth [Page 4] not deceiue others but our selues, yea our owne soules.

Secondly, it is a falla­cie so much affected, so wilfull an errour, as is re­ported to bee the delu­ding of God himselfe, who will not be mocked. Then followeth the sen­tence, and it followes vpon this preface. First, as an vndoubted truth, that as a man soweth so he shall reape; and secondly, as a generall truth with­out exception, that what­soeuer a man soweth that shall hee also reape. Of which and of the bran­ches in the ordering of my text, I will speake by Gods holy assistance, & [Page 5] your honorable & chri­stian patience, so farre as the time will consent, or the poore strength of my spirit shall be able to sub­sist. In those many seue­rall places in the Epistles, where this word [...] is vsed for the error of the minde, it is no where ta­ken for any common er­rour, but for that which is a damnable, and fun­damentall error seducing the soule vnto eternall perdition; and so I would desire you to take it in this place, that you may take it to heart. Nei­ther doth the Apostle speake these words vnto those that are without, but vnto Christians, such [Page 6] as had bin catechised, as it is in the former verse, and brought vp in the bosome of the true Church, as you all are this day. How were they deceiued so grosely and dangerously? Euen by those false teachers, that tooke to themselues a li­bertie & boldnes to pre­scribe vnto their bre­thren a secret forme of religion, that so long as they kept within compas of the generall faith, so long as they did beleeue and profes the true faith of Christ, though they had certaine reseruations by the way which were not alowable; yet that they might be saued not­withstanding. [Page 7] Dealing and dallying with God Almighty, as Naaman the Assyrian did, God be 2. King. 5. 18. mercifull vnto thy seruant in this point, in this dar­ling sinne, in that reser­ued affection, herein God bee mercifull vnto thy seruant. The falla­cie it selfe I finde in those other places which shall serue for a sit commenta­rie and doth fall directly vpon this text. The first, in the 6. chapter of the first Epistle to the Corin­thians vers. 9. Be not de­ceiued neither fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor adulte­rers, nor wantons, nor abu­sers of themselues with mankind, nor theeues, nor [Page 8] drunkards, nor raylers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdome of God; the parallel with the 5. to the Ephes: the 5, 6, verses, This you know, that neither whoremonger nor vncleane person nor couetous person which is an Idolater hath any inheritance in the king­dome of Christ and of God. Let no man deceiue you with vaine words, for for such things commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience. It seemes there were some in the Church of Co­rinth, that were of He­rods religion, who thought that so long as he heard Iohn Baptist in many things gladly, hee might com­mit [Page 9] incest with his bro­thers wife, and there were some in the Church of Ephesus, who were seduced by vaine teach­ers, that sowed pillowes vnder their elbowes, and drew the curtaines to lull them asleepe, and per­swaded men out of the Stoikes Paradox, that all sinnes were equall, alike mortall, and all alike ve­niall, putting little diffe­rence betweene sinnes. Confounding infirmi­ties with sinnes of pre­sumption, and saith the Apostle, for such things commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience, and to the Corinthians he saith, [Page 10] Such as these, som of you were before you were in Christ, but now yee are washed, but now yee are sanctified, but now yee are iustified in the name of the Lord, for such as these cannot be actually true and naturall mem­bers of Christ; they may crowde in amongst vs, but they are not of vs: they may carry the name, and weare the li­uery, but they haue not the soules of true Christi­ans; who while they are in the flesh, all are sin­ners, but yet not so grosse sinners as these; subiect they are to mani­fold infirmities, but not to presumptuous sinnes, [Page 11] sinne will dwell in them; it will liue in them, and sometime it will tyran­nize ouer them, as in the first to the Rom. 7. 20. but it shall not raigne in their mortal bodies, they wil not yeeld the Scepter vnto it, and become vo­luntary subiects there­unto. Rom. 6. 12. bad weeds wil grow in them, but they will not plow and sow iniquity, as in the 22. of the Prouerbes verse 8. The world will catch holde of them to make them (with the Prophets wife) to desire one vessell more, when all is full, as in 2. King. 4. 6. but euery couetous desire to haue more, doth [Page 12] not exclude a man from heauen, but that coue­tousnesse which is idola­try, which preferres a mans gaine before his God, which dares make ship-wracke of consci­ence, rather then part with his golde. Such haue no inheritance in the kingdome of Christ nor of God, they that wil be rich fall into temptati­ons in 1. Tim 6. 9. not they that would be rich if it pleased God by good meanes; but they that will be rich, by hooke or by crooke; by Hophnies 1. Sam. 2▪ 13. Abac. 1. 16. flesh-hooke, or the net, Habacuck speaketh of, they shall fall into noy­some lusts that drowne [Page 13] men in perdition. The Apostle Iames hath yet an other maner of speech in the first of his Epistle the 13. verse, Let no man say when he is tempted that he is tempted of God, as if these seedes of temptati­on were of Gods sowing, and not of our owne growing, & so we might happily escape this bitter haruest; erre not my deere brethren, saith S. Iames, for this is a dangerous errour; it is that imputa­tion, which old Adam by way of insinuation laide vpon God, as if God had made him a wife for to tempt him; and it doth sticke fast in the hearts of many of his sonnes vn­till [Page 14] this day; that in eue­ry sinne that a man com­mitteth, there is some fa­tall necessity from aboue, that driues him thereun­to, but if there had been no other booke written but that which euery one carries about him, in his owne bosome, it would conuince him of this errour. For my con­science tells mee that I haue omitted many du­ties which I might haue done, and haue commit­ted many sinnes which I might haue left vndone, doth my conscience erre in this accusation or not? if it erre, how can it iust­ly be mine accuser at the last day the 2. Rom. the 15 [Page 15] if it erre not, then erre not my deare brethren saith Saint Iames; bee not deceiued, saith my text, for there is no place for excuse or extenuation, but as a man soweth so shall he also reape, be not deceiued; for if thou be, thou canst not deceiue God; he is not mocked; is it not a mocke and an indignitie both for to ac­count the blood of Christ an vnholy thing? as if it had beene shed to Heb. 10. 29. wash swine withall that delight to wallow in the mire, or dogges that re­turne backe againe vnto their vomit? Such sinnes of recidiuation as those wherof the Apostle spea­keth Heb. 10. 26. [Page 16] before, what is the reason, that the holy Ghost hath not recorded in the booke of God any one example, of any that receiued pardon & was restored, for any grosse sinne by him committed that euer fell afterward into a relaps and was sau­ed? what is the reason of this? Surely because it is to bee feared that the re­pentance of such a one was but a mock-repen­tance; the burned childe dreades the fire, and so will a true penitent shun that grosse sinne whereof hee hath had a true re­morse. If this clause of my text shal seem obscure vnto any, how God is [Page 17] mocked; this Citie will yeeld vs too large a com­mentary, for to make the same plaine vnto you A man with an ill purpose hath gotten & doth keep an other mans goods in his possession (no rare-example); his conscience tells him, this is a great sinne; for if others should deale so by him he would be iustly & greatly offen­ded; now for this sinne amongst the rest, he doth aske and hope for par­don at Gods hand, as if he did repent, but it is but a mock-repentance, for saith S Austin a thiefe takes my purse, he saith hee repenteth and doth aske pardone, but hee [Page 18] keepes my purse, and holdes it still, doth hee not mocke mee? I may put vp this flout because I cannot remedie it, but God is not mocked, hee will haue iustice satisfied. So I vnderstand my text. A Merchant liueth rio­tously not like the prodi­gall Sonne, vpon his owne Luk. 15. 13. Luk. 16. 6. portion, but as the vniust Steward, vpon other mens; in the end either for ne­cessitie, or in policie which is worse, hee be­comes Bankerout, no rare example; he agrees with his Creditours for the halfe, for the third, yea for lesse; he doth not obserue the Prophets rule, first sell, and pay, then 2. King 4. 7. [Page 19] liue thou and thine on the rest, but first he reserues a rich portion for him & his, then he paies of the rest, so the world is blin­ded, his Creditours are deluded, but God is not mocked; there will come a day when all recko­ings shall be cast ouer a­gaine, when iustice must bee satisfied to the full; then, shall this debter be cast into prison, that is, into a prison out of which he shall not come, till hee haue paid the vt­termost farthing, and yet shall not haue a farthing for to pay it. Therefore beloued in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ this wee doe say and affirme [Page 20] and I beseech you for to carry it home with you, for one sound point of doctrine, that the bloud of Christ was not shed vpon the Crosse for to pay mens debts ciuilly vnderstood: not because it wanted vertue, for there is more vertue in the seede of the woman, then there can be poyson in the head of the Ser­pent; but it is, because that debt was paid vnto God, and not vnto men; It was because thou couldest not performe the least part of that price that was tendered vpon the crosse; but this debt to thy Creditour thou maiest; It was be­cause [Page 21] by a counterfet re­pentance thou hadst made thy selfe vncapea­ble of pardon; and it was because thou didst offer an indignitie vnto thy blessed Sauiour, in set­ting such a reckoning vp­on his score. Let mee conclude then in one word, these debts Christ doth not pay, for the reasons alleaged, thou canst and wilt not dis­charge thy contracted debts; iustice one day must be satisfied vnto the full; therefore look thou to it, and looke to it be­fore thou die, for after death comes iudgement. So I vnderstand my text, let mee speake vnto you [Page 22] beloued as the Apostle speaketh in this place, not vnto those that are with­out, whom God shall iudge; but vnto those that are in the Church, vnto you that call vpon the name of the Lord, who call Christ Lord as Professours of the true Christian religion; who as zealous Professours of the same, can double it, and crie Lord, Lord; if any of you desire to put off almighty God with a sleight and a slie repen­tance for your great sins committed against his diuine Maiestie, or seeke to defraude his brother of his owne right and therein doth persist, such [Page 23] a one, doth but deceiue his owne soule, God is not mocked for as a man soweth so shall he also reape: Now this that hath beene said it doth onely make way vnto that which follow­eth, it is but a preface, be not deceiued, God is not mocked, &c. Then wher­in should wee not be de­ceiued? what is that truth that we should take so se­riously to heart? whatso­euer a man soweth that shal he also reape, a firme trueth without doubt, that as a man soweth so he shall reape; either the same in kinde, or the like in proportion; and it is a generall truth without exception, that whatsoe­uer [Page 24] a man soweth either in kinde, or proportion hee shall be sure to reape the same.

To beginne with the first, and first in kinde: the very inference of this sentence vpon the pre­face doth argue a very pregnant instance, that whosoeuer doth goe a­bout to delude or mock God, as hath before bin said, hee shall finde, that in the end God will mock him; he that sits in hea­uen shall laugh him to scorne, and the Lord shal haue him in derision the 2. Psalme the 4. verse: he shall reape the same at Gods hand.

Againe, Salomon go­ing [Page 25] about to perswade the young man to sow his seede betime in the morning, the 11. of the Preacher the 6. verse, the seedes of vertue in the morning of his youth; the young gallant is not disposed; he is no fit au­ditour of that doctrine; he hopes for to liue ma­ny yeeres; and in them all to reioyce, as it is at the 8. verse. And there­fore if wee come to vrge his conscience so soone, hee thinkes of vs, as the Diuell sayd to Christ, that we are come to tor­ment him before his time; But Salomon telles him, that though he liue many yeeres, yet they [Page 26] are but vanity, and they come to the end of dark­nesse; he cannot preuaile with his many yeeres, marke what followeth at the 9. verse, saith GOD by Salomon, Reioyce oh youngman in thy youth, let thy heart cheere thee in thy yoong dayes, so God sayth, but hee doth but mocke him, for if God laugh, it is time for the young man to weep, for there followeth a most fearefull Catastra­phe: for know and bee thou sure, that for all these things GOD shall bring thee to iudgement. But most ex­cellently and fit for this purpose, is that that wis­dom herselfe deliuereth, [Page 27] or rather GOD, who is wisdome it selfe, in the first of the Prouerbes at the 20. verse, shee calleth without, she vttereth her voyce in the streets, shee stretcheth out her hands in the high street among the presse of the people, and vttereth her words in the city, the 21. verse, as if he had sayd in your Churches, at the Crosse, or in these places, and The Spit­tle. what be her words? be­cause I haue called, and you refused, because I haue stretched out mine hand and none would regard, yea, despised my counsels & would none of my corrections, at the 24. verse, Therefore I [Page 28] will laugh at your destru­ction; when feare com­meth like sudden desola­tion, and your misery and destruction like a whirle-winde, when affli­ction and anguish shall come vpon you, then shall they call, but I will not answer, they shall seeke me earely, but they shall not find me. Marke these that mocke God, how God mockes them againe; For they reape the same in kinde, they would not heare him, when hee preached vnto them in their health, therefore God will not heare them when they shall pray to him in their sickenesse: they heard [Page 29] God preaching by his word out of the pulpet, but they would not obey, therefore God shall heare them cry from their death-beds, but hee will not answer them, they shall seek him early, but shall not finde him, and as they sowed so shall they reape; the same in kinde, if not the like in proportion, as you may reade the quality of the sinne in the nature of Gods punishments, be it temporall or bee it eter­nall, if temporall, looke vpon the roote, was not Adams temporal punish­mēt well fitted to his fal? He did eat in wantonnes, hee shall now eat in sor­row, [Page 30] in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the dayes of thy life: The shame of his soule it was the sin of his soule, it was expressed in the nakednesse of his bo­dy. His aspiring minde in affecting to bee aboue a man, was pulled downe so low, that he was behol­ding to the poore beasts for a couering, and we his sonnes, if our coats be of wooll, the sheepe wore them first; if of silke, the poore silke-worme may pull downe our pride. The hardnesse of Adams fore-head, in excusing and defending his sinne so obstinately before God, face to face, was well dissolued into the [Page 31] sweat of his browes; his brow also remaining the seate of shame. That ex­traordinary delight the woman tooke in the for­bidden fruit, multiplied her sorrowes. Oh it was pleasing vnto the eye, in the 3. of Genesis the 6: therefore the eye is the catarract and floud-gate of sorrow; sorrow shall remaine in her eyes more than ordinarie. She had a longing desire to that fruit, oh the fruit in the middest of the garden worth all the rest; and what else is the reason that so many quames and vnnaturall longings are yet in that sexe. Shee so abused her liberty in [Page 32] ouer-ruling her husband, to whom before shee was sweetly subordinat with­out renitencie; therefore now, will shee, nill shee, shee must be subiect, and hee must rule ouer her. Looke vpon the tree that springeth out of this root. A deluge of sinne ouer­flowed the old world, which brought a deluge of water to wash the same, and that which the water cannot wash the fire shall purge. Behold the builders of Babels Tower conspired against heauen; therefore were they scattred vpon the earth By that conspira­cie they had thought to haue gotten them a [Page 33] name; therefore God makes them so ridicu­lous, that one man knowes not an others language, and all this in the very tongue, which is the very instrument and trumpet of fame. And that burning lust of the Sodomites was fitly pu­nished with fire from heauen; that vnnaturall lust, with vnnaturall fire and brimstone from hea­uen; that now it remai­neth a monument of that their filthy abomination vntill this day.

I could hold you too long in the proportion of Gods iudgements vnto the sinnes of Countries and Nations. As of the [Page 34] Egyptians, the Edo­mites, the Cananites, the Iewes themselues for killing the Lord of life, whose bloud according vnto their owne impre­cation is remayning vp­on their children vnto this day. But that which is personall is more sensible to euery one of vs, and commeth home to my text, that as a man soweth, so shall he also reap, either the same in per­son, or he shall reape the same in kinde; an eye for eye, a tooth for a tooth, a toe for a toe; 70 Kings (saith Adonibezek) with their thumbs and toes cut off, haue eaten meat vnder my table, iust as I delt with [Page 35] them so hath God delt with me, the 1 of Iudges the 7. If not the same in kinde, yet in exact proportion, as Abels bloud cryed for vengance against his vn­naturall brother. Nature was offended, nature will be reuenged; as in the 4. of Genesis at the 2. verse, Thou shalt till the ground and hence-forth shee shall not yeeld thee her naturall strength. Because Cain would not afford an abi­ding place for Abel vpon the earth, therefore the earth would not afford an abiding place for Cain, a vagabond and a runna­gate shalt thou be vpon the earth. That wicked Cham the spot of nature [Page 36] who against naturall re­uerence dishonoured his father Noah, was accur­sed in his owne sonne, whose graceles posteritie, the Cananites, (for Cham was the father of Canaan Gen: 9. 18) giuen ouer to all vnnaturall vice be­came natures vomit in the 18 of Leuiticus, the land spued them out, v. 28 For a remembrance of that vnfaithful soule that would beleeue no more of Gods iudgments than shee saw with her eyes, there stands a pillar of salt depriued of all sense for abusing her sense in looking backe, for an e­uerlasting monument; & for an example of Gods [Page 37] iudgment, to salt and sea­son all posterities to take heede of back▪sliding in­to sinne. She might pre­tend that shee looked backe to encourage her two daughters that fol­lowed her, but because her heart followed her eye backe againe into Sodome, therefore was this punishment vpon her, as a dreadfull docu­ment to answer all turne-backs vnto sinne, that they shall not haue Gods grace to step one foote forward to the seruice of God. Nay the seruants of God who haue obtained pardon vpon their true repentance, God doth notwithstanding [Page 38] proportion his temporal punishments vnto their sinnes, to teach vs that none of vs shall euer be any gainers by sinning. Was not Dauids adultery wel rewarded in Absolons folly with his Fathers Concubines? And for his murder of Ʋriah, the sword was not to depart from his house all the daies of his life. And be­cause his sonne Salomon diuided Gods kingdome and religion, betweene God and Idols, therfore God diuided his king­dome between Rehoboam and Ieroboam. And be­cause his sonne Rehoboam would neede be a yoke­maker to oppresse Israel, [Page 39] so as his little finger should be bigger, than his fathers loynes; there­fore God brought it a­bout that his loynes were no bigger than his fathers finger, by cutting off, of ten Tribes at one blow. So I haue giuen you a taste, and but a taste of this truth, in the roote, in the tree, and in the branches: in nations, & in persons that be repro­brate, & in the true ser­uāts of God; but these are but temporall iudgmēts, God tempers all his iudgments; they be like our quarter Sessions; here and there some are ad­iudged in this world for examples sake, and as Dauid saith in the 58. [Page 40] Psalme, the last verse, that men may say, doubtlesse there is a God that iudgeth in the earth. For as S. Au­stin hath well obserued, if all sinners should bee punished in this world, wee should feare no far­ther iudgement; and if none at all, wee should doubt of Gods proui­dence, in the first booke de Ciuitate Dei the 8. Therefore there shall come a day when this my text shall be fulfilled in plenitudine, in weight, number, and measure, in a most exact propor­tion; when the deniall of a crum of bread vnto poore Lazarus, shall bee requited with a deniall [Page 41] of a drop of water in hell fire; When the vialls of Gods vengance shall bee powred out in full mea­sure vpon damned spi­rits. When infinite tor­ments shall bee inflicted vpon sinners for their sins; which as the haires of their heads are innu­merable and infinite, so shall the punishment bee vpon obstinate sinners a­gainst that diuine maie­stie which is infinite; And vpon impenitent sinners for frustrating and ma­king voide that price of their redemption, which is infinite. And vpon those vngratefull wret­ches, who haue made so little reckoning of the [Page 42] graces and blessings of God towards mankinde, which are infinite. And as infinite torments shall be inflicted proportio­nable vnto their infinite sins committed against God; so likewise the o­mission of our manifold duties, shall there be pu­nished with an vtter de­priuation of all comfort: there shall be vtter dark­nes, and no mitigation of torments, no not for a moment; Where the tor­mentors are spirits and cannot be weary; where the worme shall euer gnaw, and neuer dye: where the fire shall bee vnquenchable neuer go­ing out; where the breath [Page 43] of the Lord like a stream of brimston doth kindle it, Esay 30. 33. there shall bee no hope of deliue­rance (and yet were it not for hope the heart would burst) no, there shall be no hope, yet the heart must hold a roote of immortalitie, conti­nually feeding both soule and body vnto e­ternall death. What re­medy then but patience? Nay, no patience nei­ther; who can dwell with euerlasting burning, where shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth, and not lose his patience? seing that gnashing of teeth is an effect of an impatient furie. But alas, [Page 44] replies the vnfaithfull sinner, what proportion is here? Shall I be puni­shed with eternall tor­ments, for my momenta­nie sins? euerlasting bur­ning for a few yeares sin­ning? what proportion? Verily a most exact pro­portion; for hee that doth delight in sinne, doth desire that those de­lights of his, might con­tinue if it were possible for euer; now saith S^t Bernard the very desire of sinning is sinne it selfe, before God; therefore an infinite desire shall be eternally punished. Be­sides, that of S. Gregorie (I take it) is well groun­ded, he that dyeth with­out [Page 45] repentance, iustice doth presuppose that if that man could haue li­ued for euer, hee would haue sinned for euer; if thou then wilt offend thy God in aeternitudine, that is, so long as thou liuest, then God will iust­ly punish thee in aeterno, that is, so long as God himselfe liueth, for euer and euer. For those, that will sinne against God, so long as they haue any being in this world, with­out repentance; they shal be punished by God, so long as they shall haue any being in the world to come, without mercy. The contrary doth illu­strate and proue both; [Page 46] whosoeuer continueth to the end he shall be sa­ued, saith the text: By what proportion? Be­cause God in mercy doth presuppose, that that man if he had liued for euer would haue continued for euer in well doing. Therefore as God in his iust mercy doth crowne our perse­uerance with immortali­tie; so likewise in his most iust iudgment shall he punish finally all im­penitencie with eternall vengeance, iust as a man soweth so shall hee also reape in most exact pro­portion. And let this serue for the truth of this proposition.

Now followeth the ge­nerall to bee examined, whatsoeuer a man soweth, that shall hee also reape. Whatsoeuer; be it good, or bad; be it sowen to the flesh, or to the spirit, which is the Apostles di­stribution in the verse following. If to the flesh; then is it generall with­out exception, that what­soeuer is sowen turneth to corruption and to our confusion, as Hosea saith cap: 8. 7. they sow the winde, and shall reape the whirlewinde. Their roote is rottennesse and their bud dust, Esay 5. 24. But marke the phrase, Quicquid seminaverit ho­mo: Whatsoeuer a man [Page 48] shall sow. For there are some weeds which grow of themselues naturally, without sowing; others about which wee take paines and imploy our selues with all industrie, and are of our owne sow­ing. As S. Bernard a­mongst his sentences like wise expoundeth, semine tuo, i. e. operibus tuis: cal­ling the deeds which wee doe, the seede which wee sow. And Ioh. 8. 44. our Sauiour saith, that when the Deuill speaketh a lye, de suo loquitur, hee spea­keth that which is as it were of his owne sowing and growing.

1. As for those weeds which grow vp in vs with [Page 49] out our sowing, if so be that they displease vs, as they did the Apostle in the 7. to the Romans, verse 24 [...], O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death? if we finde in our selues a loathing of our sinnes, or of our selues for sinne: If we be vexed at the soule for our owne sinnes as the Cananitish womans daughter was Matth. 15. 22. for her diuell: if wee la­bour to suppresse them; and learne of our Cap­taine Christ in the 3. of Gen: vers. 15. to strike at sinne in vs, so soone as euer it begins to put out the head; If wee dash [Page 50] these Babylonish Brats against the stones whiles they bee young Psalm. 137. 9. (for sinne is a net­tle, it must not be dallied withall, or tenderly han­dled, for then will it stinge vs,) if wee doe la­bour I say to weede out these sinnes that grow in vs; then God is mercifull to passe them ouer, for if thou Lord shouldest marke what is done amisse who should be able to abide it? we should reap then no­thing but gall and bitter­nesse, if we do that which we would not do then it is not we, saith the Apo­stle, but sinne that dwel­leth in vs, sinne that is present with vs, sin that [Page 51] growes in vs naturally without any sowing.

But on the other side if wee plow and sow ini­quity; if we doe imagine mischiefe vpon our beds, as Dauid saith; if we do stu­die to bee naught, and take great paines to doe wickedly as Ieremie spea­keth cap. 9. 5. if we break vp the fallowes and fur­rowes of our hearts vnto sinne; and make our eies Brokers vnto the heart of iniquity; if we go and buy strange seedes at the Theater; and (I tremble to speake it) fetch home new fashions from the house of God; if we doe delight to bee merrie in impiety, and to animate [Page 52] and stir vp one another as the Prophet Isaiah speaketh the 56. chap. the last vers. Come I will bring wine and wee will fill our selues with strong drinke, to morrow shall be as this day and much more aboundant: then what is this but to plow and sow and water wickednesse; and then shall wee be sure to reape a most ranke haruest?

If it bee good seede that wee sow, we shall be sure to reape the same at the hand of God whatso­euer it be, whether it bee beneuolence vnto men, or deuotion vnto God, be it sowne neuer so se­cretly; the closer the bet­ter, thy father which seeth [Page 53] thee in secret shall reward thee openly. Whatsoeuer a man soweth there is an other difference in re­spect of God; For God doth sowe much good seede amongst vs and he reapes little or nothing at all. When his son Christ, did sow his seed himselfe with a most skilful hand, some fell by the way side and wanting good mold to couer it, it was quickly taken away, that is, the people would presse and throng one another in the gates, and flocke vn­to his Sermons, but it was out of curiositie or for formalitie (like these times) a solemn hearing, and a solemne forget­ting [Page 54] Some fell in stonie ground, and was well bladed, but not well roo­ted, & therefore quickly faded, that is, so long as the loaues lasted, so long as the Ministers of Christ did fill their bellies they heard the word with cheerefulnes and alacri­tie; but when the Sunne of persecution arose, they withered, when the crosse came they fled. Some fell amongst thornes which choaked his good seede; yea and persecu­ted the Sonne of God the seed-man of the word, with great sharpe­nesse & bitternes. Now if the sonne himselfe had no better successe no [Page 55] maruell though his ser­uants haue great cause to complain, with the three great Prophets of God with Esay in the 49. the 4. verse I haue laboured in vaine and for nothing, our iudgement is with the Lord and my workes with my God: with Ezechiel the 33. and 32. verse whose Sermons were like the songs of one that could sing well and had a pleasant voice, for they heard him but they did not vnder­stand; as if we were cal­led vnto these places on­ly to tickle and fill your eares with a tickling phrase or plausible elo­quence. With the Pro­phet Ieremie the 6. chap. [Page 56] the 29. verse, who com­plaines, that his bellowes are burned, that the lead is consumed, and the fire hath melted in vaine, it seemes hee had gotten the consumption of the lungs amongst them; he had burnt a hole in his bellowes, had spent his Spirit, and laboured in vaine. Thus, I say, God doth plow and sow, and call to his people by his sonne, by the Prophets, by his ministers, he look­ed for fruit, and behold hedge▪fruite; such as the heathens bring foorth & scarce so good; he wait­ed for grapes and behold labr [...]s [...]ae wild grapes. But now whatsoeuer good [Page 57] thing a man shall sow vn­to God, he shall bee sure to reap the same at Gods hand whatsoeuer it bee; be it sowne in pietie, or sowne in charitie; in pie­tie, to the mainetenance of Gods seruants; or in charity to our brethren, whether it be giuen to a Prophet in the name of a Prophet; or to the poore in the name of Christ; it shall haue a Prophets reward, to pre­pare his soule in this life and a kingdome for to crowne him in the life to come, thats for the qua­litie.

So likewise for the quantitie whatsoeuer a man soweth be it little or [Page 58] much; the 9. of the 2. Corinth. the 6. verse, He that soweth sparingly shall reape sparingly, hee that soweth bountifully shall also reape bountifully, both shal be Reapers according to the quantity be it little or much whatsoeuer is sowne; if it be sowne with the right hand; if it be­giuen in the right name; be it more or lesse, hee shall reape the same at Gods hands from a cup of cold water vnto the erecting of Hospitalls; from a crumme of bread giuen to poore Lazarus at your gates, vnto the continuall feeding and cloathing of such as these littly-great friends well [Page 59] purchased by Mammon. If ye will listen to the aduice of our Sauiour Christ, who is wisedome it selfe, he tells you, that you cannot make better vse of your wealth nor make a better purchase, then to purchase such friends as these. Then by his aduice, let vs bee strong in well doing, and encouraged by the ex­ample of others, for whom wee are to praise God, & blesse his name, for sending downe his gracious Spirit and mou­ing the hearts of many in this kind, as you heard the last day.

These and others pre­sent themselues at this [Page 60] time like Lazarus in A­brahams bosome; a most heauenly ornament vn­to this City, and they shal rise likwise at the last day not to condemne but to commend and by their publike testimony be­fore men and Angells to receiue their good Bene­factors into those euerla­sting Tabernacles. This shall be the thankefulnes these friends shall return if you will make the pur­chase. Let vs therefore bee moued by the wise counsell of our blessed Sauiour, and so vse these temporall blessings that God hath bestowed vp­on vs; as wee may still liue in hope of that bles­sed [Page 61] sentence at the last day, Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the king­dome prepared for you. Why? because yee haue clothed the naked, and fed the hungrie; doing it vnto them, is as vnto my selfe. And let vs be as­sured of the truth of this my text; that whatsoeuer wee doe sowe, little or much; we shall be sure to reape the same.

Here right honoura­ble, right worshipfull and beloued in our Sauiour Christ, I would very gladly haue made an end, but as I haue view­ed my text a part by it selfe, so is it my part to set it in frame as I found it; [Page 62] and then I must of necessitie fall vpon a point, which I may not touch without a preface. I haue broken the rule of me­thod in making that an Appendix which should haue beene an exordium and entrance vnto my speech; because I thought that if the time would haue cut of any thing it should cut of that, if I should balke it, or wilful­ly omit it. Here be many Schollers and Diuines present, that would say, I came not close home to my text: And when I am come to it, my con­science tells me, that true preaching is to carrie the text home to your con­sciences. [Page 63] Let me ingenu­ously confes vnto you, that when I first pitch­ed my meditation vpon this sentence, I did not at all thinke of the wordes immediately going be­fore, which now I must needes read vnto you, for they are the very key that open my text; let him that is taught in the word, make him that hath taught him partaker of all his goods. Be not deceiued God is not mocked for whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall hee also reape. The words are plaine e­nough without a com­mentary; let him that is taught in the word, be he whatsoeuer, (so hee be [Page 64] taught in the word) let him make him, not them; though them also as oc­casion shall require; (for the Galathians no doubt had many Teachers, as wee also haue) but make him especially, who hath the cure and charge of thy soule Partaker of all thy goods; This is the Apostles precept.

But if thou seekest shifts, and deuices to de­fraud him; thou thinkest thou deceiuest him, but thou deceiuest thy selfe; Be not deceiued; for though thou be, yet thou canst not deceiue God, it is his portion, it is set a part for the maintenance of his seruice, and God [Page 65] will not bee mocked. whatsoeuer thou sowest in this kinde thou shalt also reape. You see, be­loued, how this Scrip­ture falls, and I am afraid it falls heauie vpon many in this City.

Be not deceiued, first in confounding beneuolence and duty, there is a suttle fallacie in these tearmes and in these our times. Beneuolance is like their free-will offrings of olde: and duties as their ordi­narie oblation. Beneuo­lence doth remit the quantity of the gift and the comfort of the per­son to whom it is giuen, vnto the liberality of the Benifactors; But duties [Page 66] they doe prescribe, and limit, & cut by a thread. For the first, this place, where now we are assem­bled is to bee commen­ded, and this will reckon and renowne you a­mongst the vertuous of this City; but this is not the point of my text. The Apostle speaketh of an other kinde; Wee praise God for this, and blesse him for the bene­uolence of many, vnto di­uers: But as a dutie of all, vnto all those whom God, in his prouidence, hath set ouer their soules, is that whereof the Apo­stle speaketh. This appea­reth in the 9. of the first to the Corinthians vers. 4. [Page 67] Haue wee not power? that is, haue we not right as a dutie belonging vnto vs? that milke that the flock doth owe to the Feeder; that fruit that the vine giues to the planter, is (in that place) that por­tion which God takes to himselfe if it be withheld from him, he counts it a mocking of him. Let those (Beloued) who haue not in this kinde vrged the purses of any, nor hope that they euer shall, let them haue leaue, something more freely, to discharge their consci­ences herein.

What is the part then, the Apostle meanes or alludeth vnto in this [Page 68] place? is it that portion which God alotted vnto the Leuites vnder the law? No, by no meanes; that were too much; for the Leuites had, besides their tithes and offrings, beside their first fruits, sa­crifices and vowes; they had 48. walled Cities, with large Suburbs for their cattle; large glebes to plant and sowe in; when as their whole land, was not so bigge as the third part of England, what then, is it precisely the tenth part, which God doth challendge to himselfe in mount Sina the 27. of Leuit. the 32. almost 430 yeares before the Leuits had any part? [Page 69] no by no meanes, that were too much; how then? is it any part at all, of all thy goods? Verily thus much is agreed vp­on, of all sides; (for now I must touch no contro­uersies) this I say is agreed vpon vnder the Gospell, that the Church of Christ, after that it was once erected, did in her continuall practise accor­ding to the very letter of Saint Paules text in this place, determine a porti­on, be it what it will be, a portion I say in all thy goods, the reason was, that the Pastor and the people might stand, and fall together: that hee might haue compassion [Page 70] of thy losse, as well as comfort in thy encrease; both alike depending vpon the prouidence of God; that he might pray as affectionately in a storme as the Marchant; and praise God in time of safety also. Why, so hee should doe howsoeuer; yet because we are men, and not Angels; the wis­dome of God thought it meet to encourage them by allotting a portion both in towne and coun­trie, out of all thy goods. So saith Paul [...].

Yea but ye will say put out that same [...] and wee will compound with you by house-rent, so [Page 71] shall you be at a certaine; exchange is no Church-robery, the Law hath de­termined it, true and in great wisedome, for the law must of necessity, to preuent many mischifes, it must, I say, leaue ma­ny things vnto the liber­ty of thy conscience, for to bee answered in a higher Court. Wilt thou performe no more duties to God nor men, then the Law of man can ex­tort from thee? if wee should preach vnto you no more Saboth dayes in a yeere, then the Law doth exact at our hands, you would thinke wee scarce discharged our consciences. But to the [Page 72] point; what rent do you meane? that which is in true valew, or that for which, it may be or hath beene lately let? No by no meanes, that were too much; then our Pastors would bee so proud that their owne sheepe should not be able to rule them; they would tell vs too plainely of our faults, & looke ouer seriously in­to our actions. How then? it shall be after the old rent, but so old, that a new rate of all things are since that time in­creased fourefold, and our families (by permis­sion of marriage) are manifold. Is this a fit proportion, when a Citi­zen [Page 73] shall pay but in pro­portion but a fifth of the tithe to that that the countrie labouring man doth pay? When a man shall giue a Comissarie so much towards the poore mans boxe, for a licence to eate flesh in Lent, as he giues to his Pastor for feeding of his soule all the yeere long? Is that a good proportion? how­soeuer it falls more or lesse, better or worse, you will giue no more; and by a fraudulent deuise vnder hand, thus you conueigh the matter; we will pay part of the rent by bond, and the rest by lease, so wee will sweare, and sweare truly, that we [Page 74] pay no more rent: Or in the same lease, I will pay part in the name of a fine, For I haue learned a prettie distinction be­tweene Fine and rent in that kinde, so I will swear and sweare truely that I paid no more rent. And wilt thou sweare this? oh collusion worse then Iesuitisme.

Beloued, you had bet­ter equiuocate for all the clothes in your shops; for all your goods by sea & land, then in this case. It is Gods cause, and God is not mocked, whatsoeuer a man soweth in this kinde he shall bee sure to reape the same. Remember Ana­nias and Saphirah; for this [Page 75] is done not vnto men, but vnto God, did you sell your possession for so much? yea, for so much, saith A­nanias, and iust for so much saith Saphirah; they said so, but they did not sweare so; yet you see what a haruest they did reape presently, by not obeying Gods will; I would to God wee were worthy to moue that high Court of Parlia­ment in this one mis­chiefe. If wee haue too much, let them giue vs lesse; onely let there bee plaine dealing in Gods cause; let them not suffer men to run their soules and consciences vpon the pikes of periury, vp­on [Page 76] these nice equiuoca­tions which shall pierce them through vnto eter­nall death.

I am sure I haue wea­ried your patience; but one word more, and I will remooue my finger from this sore. Shall I tell you what is the cause of all this, besides that roote of all euill, coue­tousnesse which rootes vp all pietie and dutie, that concernes the purse? beside that pride of heart that makes euery one al­most to thinke himselfe wiser then his Teacher, and that they are able of themselues to prescribe Lawes vnto their owne consciences; there is one [Page 77] especiall cause of the transgression of this my text: The very same which was the occasion that moued the Apostle Paul to write this text. Doe you know what Corban meanes? it is in the seuenth of Saint Markes Gospell at the 11. verse, it is when as voluntarie oblations doe dispense with necessarie duties: Bring your of­frings to vs say the Pha­rises, and then for the rest it is no matter; Cor­ban, such Pharises did bewitch the Galathians, against whom the Apostle writeth this Epistle; who as they did with­draw them from the [Page 78] truth, so withall they did withdraw the main­tenance from their true Teachers. And our A­postle may seeme by the spirit of prophecie to haue directed this wor­thy Epistle against our Priests and Iesuits, who crie, Corban vnto their Disciples; telling them, that they are their ghost­ly fathers; it is no matter for their Ministers; ne­glect them as Hereticall: and I pray God that Mi­cah, that is, the Courtier Iudg. 17. 10. and the Church-robbing Patron haue not taught his Leuite and trencher Chaplaine also who sits at his table and serues in his house, to say Corban, [Page 79] that his stipendarie pen­sion which hee begrudg­eth him out of his bene­fice is rather a beneuo­lence then a dutie.

Be not offended, Be­loued, because I haue told you the truth, I haue of purpose abstain­ed from any thing that is questionable; the truth, as I haue conceiued it, I haue tould you plainly and briefly, & as I haue discharged my consci­ence in this point, so I doe humbly and hearti­ly pray vnto the God of heauen, that al of vs, may both in this, and all the rest, discharge our con­sciences in obeying the truth; that wee may so [Page 80] dispose of our selues, as nether the profits nor the pleasures of this world any way hinder vs from this truth, that wee may place our hearts & soules on the certainety and the generalty of the same, that as a man soweth so shall hee also reape, either the same in kinde, or in proportion. Whatsoeuer it be, be it good or euill, sowne to the flesh or to the spirit; be it in pietie, or Charitie; bee it more or lesse, he shall be sure to reape the same; partly in this world, but most fully in the world to come. Let vs now desire of Al­mighty God our graci­ous Lord for a shower of [Page 81] grace for this that in some weake measure hath bin sowed amongst vs at this time, that it may fructifie and be co­uered and receiued into our hearts so as Satan do neuer steale it away; but that it may take deepe roote in our hearts, and bring foorth fruite to our endlesse comfort through Iesus Christ our LORD

Amen.

THE sodaine change, of the person in this kinde of SCRIPTVRE which is penned Dia­logue-wise is the cause of [Page 86] the greater difficultie of it, but for the vnderstan­ding of these wordes which now I haue read vnto you, they do con­cerne the Speaker whose words they be, whether the words of the Bride­grome vnto his spouse, or the wordes of the spouse vnto her Bride­grome, whether Christ speaketh them vnto his Church or the Church of Christ vnto him. And it makes little difference whether that Christ our Sauiour do exhort vs to set him as a seale vpon our hearts and to weare him as a signet vpon our arme, or whether that the Church do desire Christ [Page 87] to set her as a seale vpon his heart or to set her as a signet vpon his arme, the difference is no more then the counterpane betweene one and the same lease, for here the same things are deliuered vp betweene Christ and his Church enterchange­ably, so hath Almighty God in his wisedome e­uer prouided through­out the whole doctrine of Christianity as Saint Austine noteth, that those places which are of most difficulty there is in them the least danger of mis­taking, and those points that are most necessarie to be knowne vnto salua­tion they are most plain­ly [Page 88] of all other expressed in the booke of God. If yee conceiue them to bee the wordes of the Church vnto Christ, then they deuide them­selues into a petition and a reason of the petition, & if you conceiue them to be the words of Christ vnto his Church then they diuide themselues into an exhortation and a motiue, each of them twofold; for the word of this affection of loue ne­uer vseth to come single, for hee that loues, loues for to dwell vpon it, for to repeate and to reite­rate the petition or the exhortation which is the first part, which is expres­sed [Page 89] by a seale on the hart, and againe by a signet placed vpon the arme; the reasons or the mo­tiues being also double it taketh hold of two affe­ctions, the affection of loue and feare, the two hands of the soule as Saint Austin calleth them by which the soule is pul­led and mooued to and fro; either vnto good or vnto bad actions. Here is Loue, stronge loue, stronge as death, and af­fection that will mooue vs: if not, here is feare of Iealousie that growes cruell, Iealousie cruell as the graue, if loue will moue vs, wee shall bee knit vnto Christ, that [Page 90] way; if not, if feare will moue vs, wee shall bee drawne vnto Christ that way; and if neither of these single will moue vs: if both together will moue vs, here is feare that growes out of loue, & grounded vpon loue; loue is strong as death; but if abused she growes iealous, and that Iealou­sie growes cruell. But if neither loue nor feare nor both these grafted together, will drawe vs, then is our case most des­perate, & this I conceiue to bee the resolution of the text, & the branches whereof you haue heard in my text, Set mee as a seale on thine heart and as [Page 91] a signet vpon thine arme: that is the petition of the Church; or the euidence of Christ his two meta­phors, which doe most liuely expresse and set foorth vnto vs. The neere coniunction be­tweene Christ and his Church, in the 22. of Ie­remie the 24. verse, as I liue saith the Lord, though Coniah the sonne of Iehoiakim king of Iu­dah were the signet of my right arme, that is, as neere to mee as neere possiblie could be, yet I would cast him off; The personall vnion of the sonne of God vnto our nature it is the first great mysterie of godlinesse, [Page 92] for without controuersie great is the mysterie of godlinesse the 1. of Tim. the 3. chap. the last vers. God manifested in the flesh. Yet notwithstan­ding you may be bold to say that this vnion wher­of Salomon doth here speake it is aboue that and a neerer vnion and coniunction vnto vs in two respects; first that hypostaticall vnion, it was the coniunction of God and mans nature in generall, but this comes neerer & doth incorpo­rate our particular per­sons into one bodie with Christ. Howsoeuer the other in his owne nature bee great betweene the [Page 93] things themselues vni­ted, yet notwithstanding this is vnto vs more com­fortable because it brings with it a particular appli­cation to euery one, that wee may say and pray with Dauid in the 35. Psalme the 3. verse, Say vnto my soule I am thy sal­uation, not onely vnto all in generall but vnto thy soule and my soule in particular which is more comfortable. Therefore God hee hath for this purpose not only ordain­ed the preaching of the Gospell in publike to de­clare the loue of God in Christ Iesus to mankind, in generall; but hee hath also instituted sacra­ments [Page 94] which are mini­stred vnto euery ones persons in particular; that as Gods loue is vn­to all, so he confirmeth the same loue to euery one in particular that is capable of the same.

Secondly, this con­iunction which this me­taphor expresseth, it ex­ceedeth the other in this, that though Christ did take our nature vpon him, and our nature with all humane infirmities, yet hee did take it cleane voide of all sinne; but in this misticall vnion be­tweene Christ and his members, though we be full of sinne and infirmi­ties as well in soule as [Page 95] body, yet he vouchsafed to knit vs vnto himselfe as being one bodie. Iesus Christ ties vs as in an vn­separable knot, which v­nity is most comfortably in the Scripture set forth by two Metaphors, both which come short of these meraphors in my text. It is expressed by the head and the mem­bers; and by man and wife, but Nero or some Tyrant may chop the head from the members; and death doth make a separation between man and wife; but of this vni­on, saith the Apostle Paul, I am perswaded neither death, nor life, principalities, nor pow­ers, [Page 96] shall be able to sepa­rate vs from Christ, and in the 8. of the Epistle to the Bomanes the 28. also we know that all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God, euen to them that are called of his purpose. But the two metaphors of my text are more em­phaticall; for the heart, it is the fountaine of life, it is the first that liueth and the last that dieth; and the arme is the in­strument of power; if Christ haue set vs as a seale vpon his heart, and as a signet vpon his arme, let vs see what principalities or power, what life or death, is able [Page 97] to make a separation be­tweene vs, except he can be ouercome who is om­nipotent God himselfe, this signet shall neuer bee plucked from his arme; and vnlesse he can die a­gaine, who is life it selfe, the Lord of life, this seale which is imprinted in his heart shall neuer be blotted out; this ad­mirable coniunction be­tweene Christ and vs, it is here declared in this place, and propounded by way of a petition, whereof we may be bold to make a position and say indeede that Christ hath set vs as a seale vpon his heart and that he hath worne vs as a signet vpon [Page 98] his arme. For that which was the wish the prayer & desire of the Church, in Salomons time when this song was sung, that is now inioyed by the Church of Christ; their wish is our Article; their prayer our creede; wee doe beleeue it, because Christ hath manifested it; since the Son of God did take vnto him an heart and an arme, that is to say a humane soule within, and a naturall bo­die without, hee hath in that soule and body fully granted the petition to the Church, and set vs as a seale vpon his heart. For were not we deepely imprinted in his heart [Page 99] when he suffered his hart to bee deuided by the point of the speare, when he shed out water & his heart bloud in loue vnto vs, when he was in a man­ner forsaken of his owne Father rather then his fa­ther should forsake vs. That Euangelicall Pro­phet Isaiah in the 49. cha: ver. 16. saith in the person of God vnto Zion, I haue ingrauen thee in the palmes of my hands; were we not deepely ingrauen in the palme of Christs hands when hee suffered both hands and feete to bee pierced vpon the crosse, it was a deep impression; and Christ would neuer haue suffered it vnlesse [Page 100] this seale had bin deeply printed in his hands, showing them after his resurrection this print still, in the 24. of Luke, Behold my hands and feet. It is a question amongst Diuines whether those scarres in the hands and in the sides of our blessed Sauiour which remained in his bodie after his death & resurrection (to the end that hee might shew himself vnto a few) doe not yet remaine in his glorious body being in heauen; that he may shew them at the last day of his resurrection, that they might looke vpon him whom they had pierced; and this is [Page 101] without all question the impression spoken of in this place, remayning still on his hands and heart, and Iesus Christ doth euen weare vs and makes as precious account of vs as the signet of his right hand; for the same affections hee had here on the earth, he hath carried them with the same bodie vp into heauen; and as hee re­membred vs vpon the Crosse, so doth hee not forget vs when he is now in his kingdome. Hee is not like Pharoahs Butler that forgat Ioseph (who was so kinde to him in prison) when hee came to his preferment; but [Page 102] Christ hee remembred the petition of the thefe, thou now remembrest vs because thou art in the same passion with vs, sub­iect to the same death, but when this passion is past, when thou cōmest into thy kingdome, ô God remember me then. So doth Christ remem­ber vs now when hee is come into heauen to the right hand of God; hee remembers vs as hee did remember vs when hee was dying and shed his precious blood for vs on the Crosse. Wherefore did he take humane af­fection vpon him, but that hee might expresse this loue vnto vs?

The affection of loue is noted to be most vehe­ment in women, as Da­uid doth expresse 2. Sam: 1 26. speaking of Iona­than; Thy loue to me was wonderfull, passing the loue of women. And because the affections of that sexe are naturall & so should be most tender, therefore our Sauiour when hee came to bee incarnated and to take our flesh vp­on him, he was made of a woman Gal: 4. 4. and yet because sinne doth natu­rally harden the heart, and dull the affection, therefore he tooke them from a pure Virgin, and that they might yet bee more tender, he did free [Page 104] them and purge them from all sinne: and these affections hath he in his bodie taken vp with him into heauen and set them at the right hand of God his Father, and therefore I may be bold to say hee hath set vs as a seale vpon his heart, and as a signet vpon his arme, and with his stretched-out arme he hath mightily defen­ded vs, and preserued his poore Church from time to time from all enemies.

Thus the petition is easily heard and granted, therefore I will not stand long vpon it; that which happily you are more loth to heare, yet that [Page 105] which is more needfull for mee to speake, is the dutie reflecting vpon it, if we take that sense, or the very literall sense it selfe, that Christ doth exhort vs that we set him on our hearts as a seale, and weare him as a signet on our arme. And of this dutie here be many branches notably expres­sed in these two meta­phors. For first there's a heart, there we must euer begin. It is a maxime in Diuinitie, that which the heart doth not, is not done at all before God: for whatsoeuer is done, is but formally done, it is not effectually done, vn­lesse the heart be affected [Page 106] with it: the heart it is the first that liues by na­ture, so it is the first that must liue againe in our regeneration and new birth: It is the first that God doth challenge in the first Commandment of the first Table, Thou shalt haue no other gods be­fore me, that is, in my pre­sence, or before mee in thine owne affection, but thou shalt loue me with all thine heart and with all thy soule &c. It is the last Commandment of the second Table, Thou shalt not couet, in thy heart. God in his Table begins with the heart first, be­cause in all our actions the first thing that God [Page 107] beholds is the heart: but in the second Table which is for continuall duties amongst men, it is in the last place, because the last that a man can see, is to see into the heart; so then to take all ten Commandments to­gether, the heart you see it is the Alpha & Omega the first and the last of all, and so in truth it is all in all, for giue God the heart and all the rest will follow; a heart therfore hee doth claime at our hands in this exhortation in the first place, and this heart it must be wrought like wax that it may re­ceiue the impression of a seale, for so saith Christ [Page 108] here to his Church, set me as a seale vpon thy hart. You know the matter that is disposed for to re­ceiue an impression, it must neither be too hard nor too soft, for if it bee ouer hard it will not take it, and if ouer fluxible it will not hold it, therfore the heart must bee of a good temper to receiue the impression of the seale of Christ. As a braine if it be too dry it will not be apprehensiue, and if too moist it will not be retentiue, it must be a well tempered brain that shall receiue both in apprehension and me­morie: So the heart that receiueth Christ and his [Page 109] righteousnes must be of a good temper: some hearts are too hard that will take no impression at all, like the hearts of the Cheifetaines among the Iewes, that nothing could mollifie them, no­thing would moue them, nothing would perswade them to haue pitty and compassion on our Sa­uiour Christ. Pilat him­selfe when hee had made furrowes on his backe with scourging him and crowned his head with thornes, he brought him out before them, to see if they would haue pitty and compassion on him to say it is enough; but their hearts they were [Page 110] hardned they would re­ceiue no impression at all: On the other side the hearts of the people, they were soft and vnsta­ble and vnconstant, rea­dy to cry Hosanna one day, Blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lord; and shortly after Crucifige, Crucifige; the hearts of men do offend in these two extremities, somtime they are too hard to receiue any im­pression, and somtimes they are againe too in­constant they will not hold it, there be as a Di­uine speaketh, not onely Sabbatarians that were heretikes, but Sunday-Christians also that hap­ly [Page 111] vpon the Sabbath will take some impression; some certaine qualme of religion haply may come ouer their consciences, but it is quickly gone againe; they serue God vpon the Sabbath, and serue themselues and the Deuill all the weeke af­ter: they are resembled vnto that goodly Idoll Dagon in the 5. chap: of the 1. booke of Samuel the 4. verse, who so long as he stood in his place in the temple was a goodly Idol to looke vpon, but the next morning when they came they found his hands and his head at the threshold of his temple, so as the text [Page 112] saith, there was nothing left but the very stumpe of an Idol; so is it with ma­ny of vs who comming into the house of God to heare a Sermon, and it may be with great shew of deuotion also to re­ceiue the Sacrament, but at the Church do [...]e there lies their hands and affe­ctions, nothing remai­neth but a very stumpe of religion, they haue neither hands to doe a good deed, nor happily tongues to speake a good word all the weeke after; these be Sabbath day Christians. But if we will fruitfully receiue the ingraffed word of Christ which is able to [Page 113] saue our soules, as the A­postle speaketh Iam: 1▪ 21 We must haue a heart fit to receiue and retaine that his impression; set me (saith Christ) as a seale vpon thy heart, the image of Christ and the super­scription of Christ must be both vpon our hearts, our Sauiour Christ saith in the 17 of Mathew, when they brought him a peece of money, Whose image and superscription is this, they said it was Cae­sars, why then giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars and giue vnto God that which is Gods: the image that must bee vpon our hand, it must not be the marke of the beast Apoc. [Page 114] 13. 16. in token that wee subscribe to the doctrine of Antichrist, but it must be the image of Christ, and the superscription written about it must be the gospell of Christ. If in our liues and conuer­sations we conforme our selues to the image of Christ in righteousnesse and true holinesse Ephes. 4. 24. walking not after the flesh but after the spi­rit Rom: 8. 1. and if only to the gospell of Christ which is his true stampe and superscription; then we are Christs▪ For Christ will make a-like diffe­rence of men at the last day, as he did of the mo­ney-coines amongst the [Page 115] Iewes; hee looks vpon the heart and tries the reines, and will then aske Whose superscription haue yee on your hearts, which must either be the print of Christ, or the Deuills stampe, those which are Christs shall be giuen to him, and that which is the Deuils shall bee ren­dred to him, to bee tor­mented for euer. It be­houeth vs therefore to looke vnto this maine point aboue all the rest, that we receiue the right stampe of our Sauiour Christ, and be obedient vnto the superscription of his gospell; and then shall wee be sure to giue vnto him a hand and a [Page 116] heart, but thats not all, we must haue an arme of prompt execution, to an heart of sincere religion. You know that the heart is the seate of affection, and the hand it is the instrument of action, and if Christ be imprinted in our affections, then cer­tainly wee will shew Christ in our actions; They be the two parts of the sacred Law of God.

The first table as our Sauiour Christ teacheth▪ it was thus, thou should [...] loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart, there is the seale on the heart; and with all thy strength, there is the seale on the arme, for that is the in­strument [Page 117] of strength. Againe, an heart with­out an arme, you know, it is impotent, it would faine, but cannot: and an arme without an hart is lame and maimed, therfore both these must goe together, wee must haue an heart to receiue the impression of Chri­stian religion, and wee must haue an arme also to defend it. Religion must haue a soule and a body; againe, the loue that is in the heart is se­cret to our selues, so is all affection; the seale vpon the heart is within, but the seale vpon the arme is apparant to the world, so that if we weare Christ [Page 118] in our hearts inwardly, certainely wee will shew him in our actions out­wardly, as thou wearest Christ vpon the heart, that is, as a priuy seale betweene God and thee; but if thou wearest Christ as a signet on the arme, that is, as the pub­lique great seale before the world. Secondly, how must we weare him on the arme? as a signet, saith the Text, that is, as an ornament; so farre we must bee from being a­shamed of the Gospell of Christ, that we must glo­ry in it, and say with the Apostle, God forbid that I should glorie in any thing but in the crosse of Christ; [Page 119] Galat. 6. 14. As the Pro­phet Ieremy saith, Can a maide forget her orna­ments, or a bride her attire? yet my people haue forgot­ten me dayes without num­ber, saith the Lord. God would haue vs to make account of him, as of that which we most esteeme, as an ornament on thine arme. But what orna­ments are signets? a sig­net is that which makes an impression on ano­ther thing, as you vse to weare your rings on your thumbs, not onely for ornament, but ro seale letters withall: so a signet was worne on the arme, to make an im­pression and seale, in like [Page 120] manner would Christ be worne of Christians, not onely to reioyce and glory in him publikely, and by an expression of him in their outward ac­tions; but so to set him out, as they make an im­pression of their religion & of Christ in the hearts of others. In the 12. of Dan. the 3. those that are wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firma­ment, and they that turn many to righteousnesse shall shine as the starres in the firmament, for as the starres are the brigh­test parts of their orbes, so those that are truely wise, not to themselues onely, carrying the light [Page 121] of their knowledge reser­uedly in their own harts, but so shew it and com­municate it, as that they conuert others: they shall shine in an higher degree of glory in hea­uen, then others, and this is a point that doth especially concern those that are in any place of authority whatsoeuer, according to that talent of gouernment that God hath entrusted them withall and tied as a bracelet about their armes, that they should in their Christian and re­ligious carriage, make an impression of vertue and deuotion in those that are vnder them. And this is [Page 120] [...] [Page 121] [...] [Page 122] to weare Christ, not on­ly as an ornament to themselues, but as a seale to imprint him in others. It is a point that the schoole Diuines haue determined vpon good and probable ground, that as those who are re­ligious in their places, and haue power to doe much good in this world they shall shine more glo­riously in heauen; so like wise, they that are in place of authoritie, and by their bad examples draw others from God, they shall be cast as deep into hell; Potentes poten­ter tormenta patientur; mighty men shall bee mightily punished, Wisd. [Page 123] 6. 5. 8. therefore it is said Es. 30. 33. that Tophet is prepared for great personages that are wicked ones, and by their euil examples draw multitudes after them. What moued the rich glutton in hel to become solicitor for his brethren at home that they should conuert and repent, was it any charitie or loue towards them? No his conscience told him that he had shewed them bad examples while he liued, and if they were damned his torment should bee the greater for it. This is the exhortation that Christ makes to his Church that wee would set him as a seale vpon [Page 124] our hearts, and set him as a signet on our arme.

The motiues to stirre vs vp to this dutie follow, for loue is strong as death and ielousie cruell as the graue. But whose loue and whose ielousie doth my text here speake of? of the ielousie of the Church vnto Christ, or of CHRIST vnto the Church? It is the ielou­sie of Christ without question; for God he is ielous of vs, but we can­not bee ielous of God: and to speake after the manner of men, we con­ceiue ielousie (if it bee true and vnfained) to be nothing else but an affe­ction of loue, tending [Page 125] vnto hatred vpon suspi­tion that loue is abused: Now when wee doe as­cribe any humane affe­ction vnto God, we must separate from it all im­perfections whatsoeuer; if there be a ielousie not grounded in loue it is faultie; or if it be a ie­lousie without cause it is blame worthy: neither of these faults are in the ielousie that we ascribe vnto GOD, and vnto CHRIST: hee is a ie­lous God, but his ielou­sie proceeds of loue, though it tend vnto hate vpon suspition that loue is abused; and not with­out cause: so God may be ielous of vs, but wee [Page 126] cannot be ielous of God; the reason is, because he that is ielous is ielous of a partner in loue. I would to God (saith S. Paul to Agrippa, Act. 26. 29.) I would that all that heare me this day were both almost, and altogether such as I am. S. Paul cares not how many partners hee hath in the loue of Christ; the rea­son of the difference is that the loue of God to­wards vs is infinite; but our loue vnto Christ it is so straight and so narrow, that if so be he haue any partners with him, it is to be feared he shall not haue his due, so that hee hath cause to be ielous. [Page 127] Wherefore without all question wee must take this motiue to be spoken of Christ and of his ie­lousie. Loue is strong as death, Ielousie is cruell as the graue, to shew the strength of Christs loue vnto vs, the Holy Ghost hath made a fit compa­rison. For what is stron­ger than death that de­uoureth all? Surely the loue of Christ vnto man. Marke then what is the generall effect of death; yee know it is the sepa­ration of the soule and the body; taking the soule out of the body, and leauing it wan, pale and gastly. And that is likewise the effect of the [Page 128] extremitie of loue; espe­cially of Christs loue to­wards vs. For this pure, chast and diuine loue wherewith Christ loued vs, it made him to emp­tie himself that he might fill vs; to go out of him­selfe that he might dwell in vs; to die once in him­selfe that wee might liue for euermore.

Wherein did death euer shew his greatest power? Verily in seasing vpon the Sonne of God our Sauiour himselfe, then was showne the greatest power that euer death exercised. Yet let me tell you, herein the loue of Christ was farre stronger than death. [Page 129] Death seazed on Christ when hee was become man vpon the earth, but the loue of Christ to vs, pulled him out of hea­uen, when hee was in the bosome of his Father; and humbled him and made him so weake, that hee might become a fit Redeemer for vs. What ailed thee thou great strong Sampson of hea­uen, saith Chrysostome, thou that bindest Kings in chaines, what meanes this, surely it was the loue of Christ to our tre­cherous nature, that delt so vntruly and so falsly with him, that pulled this Sampson out of hea­uen, and made him as [Page 130] weake as one of vs. To speake properly, when death did seaze on christ in his weaknes, it was not the power of death, but the power of loue Christ tels vs so plainly in the 10. of Iohn the 18 vers: I lay downe my life, no man taketh it from me. So then take death at the strong­est, still the loue of Christ vnto vs is stronger than death. Wee haue heard sufficiently of the loue of Christ vnto vs, if this will not draw from vs loue againe vnto Christ, what will? True loue is of the nature of a Loade-stone it drawes loue vnto it, Magnes amoris amor; but such is our ingratitude, [Page 131] though we loue to heare of the loue of Christ, yet wee care not to shew our loue to him againe. This vnthankfulnes of vs in­gratefull wretches is the the cause that wee are euer so loth to be drawn vnto him. Dauid in the 118. Psalme the 27. vers. speaking of the sacrifice that was offred; when he reckons vp the loue of God towards vs, he spea­keth sodenly in regard of our retribution of loue backe to him againe, binde the sacrifice with cords, yea euen to the hornes of the Altar. It is a saying amongst the Hebrewes, that the beasts that were offered in sacri­fice [Page 132] they were the strug­lingst Procul extensum pe­tulās qua­tit h [...]stia funem. Juven: Satyr. 12. beasts of all the rest, such is the nature of vs vnthankfull beasts, when wee should loue God againe, we are rea­dier for to runne away from him, wee must bee tyed to the Altar with cords, to draw from vs loue or feare. Though it bee true that forced loue is no loue; Non ex­tor quebis amari. His loue is strong as death, but if we abuse his loue by our vnthankfulnesse, then marke what followes, out of his loue, hee growes ielous, and that ielousie growes cruell, cruel euen as the graue. Ielousie (saith Salomon) it is the [Page 133] raging of a man, it will not be pacified, Prou: 6. 34, 35. Remember the Law and the sacrifice that was appointed for ielous persons in the 5. of Num: the 15. verse, there was neither oyle to make it gracious, nor incense to giue place of atonement or reconciliation. For intire loue it will not be adulterated, nor yet suf­fer it selfe to be wronged: such is the nature of mans ielousie. Our God he is a ielous God, and our blessed Sauiour out of the vehemencie of his loue, he is a louing Saui­our and ielous too; but the ground of this ielou­sie it is loue, and if his [Page 134] loue be abused, it tends vnto hate vpon iust sus­pition of a iust cause. Then to summe vp all in a word; it is the prima­rie nature of our good God & blessed Sauiour to bee most louing and gracious vnto vs; so is it the nature of that loue if there bee iust cause to grow ielous, and it is the nature of that ielousie to be cruell, cruell as the graue, if so be before the graue we do not appease it, and be reconciled to our husband Christ by true repentance. For we may assure our selues, that if our Sauior Christ finde any impression in the heart, deeper than [Page 135] this set vpon it, or any ornament aboue true re­ligion & faith in Christ; hee will presently grow ielous, and that ielousie will grow cruell. In the 22 of Genesis, when as Abraham seemed for to bee fond of his sonne Isaack, God tryeth Abra­ham what he would doe for his sake: yea he tries him whether hee loued him truly and indeed, or no: Therefore, saith he to Abraham, go and take thy sonne, thy onely son Isaack, and offer him vp for a sacrifice: Abraham showes there though he loued his sonne Isaack very dearely and tender­ly, yet notwithstanding, [Page 136] it was not to be compar­ed with his loue to God.

In the Decalogue of the Law, God hee is so iealous he wil not set any creature in the same ta­ble of the Law with him­selfe, there shal stand nei­ther Father nor Mother, King nor Caesar, Saint nor Angell; none in the same table with God: he is a iealous God if there be cause. And Beloued, there is none of vs but wee haue giuen him iust cause many times, and therefore he must needes be iealous: but yet his ielousie is not cruell, it is not cruell as the graue, if so be that before hand in time we doe preuent this [Page 137] wrath and cruelty; if so be we humble our selues and be reconciled vnto God by true repentance, God is a ielous God and visits the sinnes of the fathers vpon the chil­dren.

We haue often pro­uoked our Husband-Christ to ielousie; Oh that now we would pre­uent his wrath while there is time of grace; now is there time of re­conciliation if so be wee will labour and seeke for it, if we will humble our selues by prayer and hu­mility, by fasting and re­pentance, acknowledging our faults vnto God and vnto our blessed Sa­uiour [Page 138] with teares, and re­soluing neuer to giue him the like cause again; and as at all times this dutie is seasonable, so especially at these times when as it should be ge­nerall, to the end that the more hearts meete in this disposition, it may be so much the more ac­ceptable a sacrifice to God. Prayer and Hu­militie is required of vs at all times before God; praier and fasting is re­quired of vs vpon occa­sion; for euery mans particular sinnes present to God and himselfe is a sufficient occasion of pri­uate prayer and fasting; but publike calamitie is [Page 139] an occasion of publike fastings.

There be (as a Father calls them when he com­plaines of the time) cer­taine sinnes of Church and Common-wealth, which cannot bee impu­ted to particular persons, when sinne is growne so common and generall that it is not in the power of any person or persons to reforme the same; The remedie against such an Epidemicall disease, is the publicke supplicati­ons of the Church, when we muster vp our praiers as an armie, not onely to beseech God, but to be­siege him too, when we doe all agree and con­sent [Page 140] together by repen­tance and true humiliati­on to preuent the wrath of God vpon Church & common-wealth, which we haue deserued; pre­uent I say that, that ie­lousie doe not turne into wrath; for if it doe, and be not preuented, it will burne into the very bot­tome of hel Deut. 32. 22. Therefore let vs humble our selues before almightie God, and intreat his glorious Maiestie that notwithstanding our pri­uate sinnes, wee may be set as a seale vpon his heart so deepely imprin­ted that neither height nor depth, nor principa­lities nor powers be able [Page 141] to separate vs from him, Rom. 8. 38. And that we may bee still as a signet vpon that arme that hath defended this Church and common-wealth so long. That his righte­ousnesse may be imprin­ted in our hearts, and his glorie an ornament to vs, and his word pretious among vs, which we beg for his owne sake that gaue himselfe for vs, that wee may lay aside all in­gratitude and bee truely thankefull vnto him through Iesus Christ our Sauiour, to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour & glory for euer

Amen.

THat of the A­postle S. Paul the 4. chapt. of the 2. Epi­stle to Timoth. at the 2. [Page 146] verse, preach the word, bee instant in season and out of season; I vnderstand thus that we should not onely keep our ordinary course as Moses was preached in the Synagogue euery Sabboth day, but that we should take all fit occasi­ons to teach and instruct Gods people though at extraordinarie times as it were out of season, a­mongst the which the occasion of this our meeting is one, and as I take it none of the least, for the Prophet Isaiah chapt: 57. and the 1. v: maketh it a matter of iust reproofe when righteous and mercifull men are taken away from a­mongst [Page 147] vs and no man doth consider it, & there­fore it is fit that wee be put in minde of it. Wee haue both a righteous and a mercifull man ta­ken from amongst vs: Therefore haue wee iust occasion to take it into consideration, as the oc­casion then doth fit vs: so that wee also might fit the occasion. I haue made choyse of a righte­ous and mercifull man in his sicknesse, for hee was an vpright and a iust man; one that feared God and eschewed euill, by Gods owne testimo­nie in the second chapt: and the third verse who deliuered the words that [Page 148] now I haue read vnto you. For Iob was wearied & spent with a grieuous and tedious sickenesse in so much as he complains in the 7. chap: at the third verse that hee had for an inheritance the monethes of vanitie and painefull nights were ap­pointed vnto him. These be the words of Iob, and it was the very case of this our brother now de­parted. Monthe after monthe was he tormen­ted, and yet still put vs in hope of his recouerie but all in vaine, they were as Iob termes them monthes of vanitie, and painefull nights were appointed vnto him. wherupon the [Page 149] holy man Iob expresseth a longing desire hee had in the premises, and the reason of this his desire in the words of my text, Oh that I might haue the thing I desire and that God would grant me that which I long for, what was that? sure no­thing else but that hee might depart out of this world which he hath ex­pressed by three phrases, in the verse immediately before my text, that God would destroy him, that he would let his hand go and that hee would cut him off. The first is a phrase according to the words directly, because in the sight of the world [Page 150] outwardly the righteous may seeme to perish and bee destroyed. But the second phrase is more diuine, that God would let his hand go, as if with one hand, his heauie hand of sicknesse, he had beate him downe, and yet notwithstanding hee had holden him vp; and with the other hand sup­ported him, now he de­sires that God would take away that suporting hand that he might die, me thinkes he speakes of almighty God as if hee were a kinde of Nurse that vseth when men are drawing on towardes death to lift them vp, for if they take away the pil­low [Page 151] presently they giue vp the Ghost: so Iob de­sires God that hee would but take away the other hand, that he might de­part out of this world: & because his ordinarie glasse was not yet runne, hee might liue many yeeres by the course of nature, hee addes a third phrase that God would cut him off. But Iob liu­ed much longer after hee had this sickenesse as you may see in the last chapt. the 16 verse. And this our Brother depart­ed by the course of na­ture might haue liued much longer if it had pleased God. Now the reason of this his longing [Page 152] desire is deliuered in this my text in three points. First, in his faith and his full expectation of com­fort after this life in these words, then shall I yet haue comfort. In the second place there is inserted a parenthesis, which sets downe the encourage­ment of that faith, a god­ly magnanimitie and re­solution; though I burne with sorrow, let him not spare. And thirdly and lastly here is both the ground of that resoluti­on, and the onely touch­stone of his faith, in that his conscience tells him hee hath not denied the words of the holy one. Of these three first, and [Page 153] then of the occasion to which they are fitted, & of both briefly. For then shall I yet haue comfort though I burne with sor­row, let him not spare be­cause I haue not denied the words of the holy one. For the first death is terri­ble to nature, and there­fore is called the King of feare Iob. 18. 14. most terrible yet notwithstan­ding it is but as a cloude, and hee that hath an Ea­gles eye of faith to looke through the cloude hee may discerne that glori­ous comfortable light, and such an Eagle was the seruant of God Iob; for being inuironed with so many miseries, and in­firmities, [Page 154] as he was at this time, yet notwithstand­ing hee doth pierce through the cloude by the eyes of faith, espying his euerlasting consolati­on. When our Sauiour Christ is described that hee shall appeare in the cloudes in the last day, it pleased him to com­pare himselfe to a slaine beast; for indeed he was the lambe of God slaine from the beginning: therefore Luke the 17. and the last verse, hee saith, Wheresoeuer the bo­die is thither will all the Eagles resort, nay such is the sagacity of that crea­ture as we read, that by the resort of Eagles in [Page 155] Africa the Inhabitants foresee their should bee warre and bloud-shedde in that place: and such an Eagle was Iob: who liu­ing so many hundred yeeres before the incar­nation foresawe his Re­deemer, chap. the 19. 25. verse 27. I know that my Redeemer liueth, a vi­sible Redeemer; and so Abraham sawe Christs daies Iohn the 8. By this faith did Iob receiue comfort beyond the cloude of death. And Salomon describeth our Sauiour Christ in the se­cond of the Canticles the 9. verse, that he stan­deth behinde the Wall, and looketh through a [Page 156] grate, aluding to the manner of Nurses, and Mothers that runne be­hinde a wall that their children may seek them with a greater desire, so doth God in sickenesse he goes behinde the wall and if we haue an eye to spie him through the grate there is our com­fort, as that was Simeons ground Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace, for mine eies haue seene their saluation, after he had gotten Christ in his armes, that hee had seene his saluation, hee thought he was in prison till he departed, and the word signifieth for to be loosed out of prisonne [Page 157] [...], and you know that it was that S. Paul speaketh I desire to bee dissolued because hee would bee with Christ. No maruell if Iob when hee discerned this com­fort desired to bee taken out of the world, this eie of faith of his, begets a godly magnanimitie re­soluing with all patience to vndergoe and not doubting to ouercome whatsoeuer is or can pos­siblie bee laid vpon him, heres the phraise and a gradation though I burne with sorrow, though mine ague bee neuer so terrible, the fit neuer so fearefull, my miseries neuer so many: nay as hee saith further in the [Page 158] 13. chap. the 15. verse, Though he kill me yet will I trust in him, the word in the originall for sorrow is taken from the root chus, that signifies the sorrow of a woman in trauell that cries to God in her paine: such paines will compell a man for to pray, and to pray vnto God most earnestly: it seemes by the Prophet that a woman in trauell will crie out vnto God though shee sildome thinke of him at other times; if euer she be in a good minde it is then: and such were the paines that Iob was in at this time, though I burne with sorrow, it was a conflict [Page 159] and a great conflict that Iob was now in, and hee wrestles as it were with Iacob: and though some speeches of impatience passe from Iob, yet not­withstanding hee reco­uers himselfe and in the end his hope & patience was crowned, though I burne with sorrow, nay let him not spare; Let almigh­ty God lay as much vp­on me as it pleaseth him, so that I may at the last inherit that which is my hope and comfort. Mee thinkes hee speaketh as though hee would chal­lenge almighty God for these temporall afflicti­ons to doe his worst, so hee might take him out [Page 160] of the world. I haue ob­serued three strange phraises in Scripture, which doe amplifie that power of faith that pow­er of prayer and that power of patience, which it pleaseth God to giue his Saints: he speakes of faith in the 92. Psalme at the 9. verse, as if a faith­full man were able to point Almighty God to a thing to come. So the Prophet Dauid speaketh of faith, Lo thine enemies shall perish, as if faith did apprehend it so clearely, that it pointed God to it, a strange phrase. And ye know of prayer in the 32. of Exod. the 10. vers. hee speaketh of praier as [Page 161] though prayer were able to binde the hands of Almighty God; Let mee alone that my wrath may waxe hot against them: and so in this place, the holy Ghost speaketh as though the holy man in miserie would leaue Al­mighty God to doe his worst, though I burne with sorrow. Lastly the ground of this magnanimitie & the onely touchstone of this faith of Iob, that his conscience testified vnto him that hee had not de­nied the wordes of the holy Ghost: What are those wordes of the holy Ghost, and what it is to denie them, bee the two points. By the words of [Page 162] the holy one in this place considering the time wherein Iob liued, which is supposed for to be in the time of nature, I doe not onely vnder­stand those edicts of nature which the Apostle speaketh of in the 2. to the Rom. the 15. verse, the effect of the morall law, written in their hearts. I meane those common rules of hone­stie which wee haue re­ceiued by the light of nature and reason, the heauens declare the glo­rie of God as in the 19. Psalme: I say I doe not onely vnderstand by the words of the holy one in this place that light of [Page 163] nature but those Reue­lations also by which God reuealed himselfe more especially to the very Saints of God: and my reason is because hee giues God the name of the holy one in this place, for wee know the nature of holinesse is to separate a thing from that which is common; therefore hee doth not meane in this place, the words of God onely as God is the God of na­ture, but as he is the Au­thour of grace, and as he hath reuealed vnto mee his will by reuelation from God, and so is God promised vnto his saints. Secondly not to denie [Page 164] these words, it is first to belieue, to acknowledge, and to professe the same; not to denie the power of them in their liues and conuersations; no not to denie them in that extre­mity wherein Iob now lies. These three I take to containe the full sense of these words. For it is not sufficient by the Le­uiticall Law (whose ground is morall) to chew the cudde; but also to deuide the hoofe: our feete must bee cleane as well as our mouthes; though our lips be neuer so holy yet notwithstan­ding if our waies be vn­cleane wee are as abomi­nable vnto almighty [Page 165] God as those that haue all vncleane. All is one to the beast in the 13. of the Reuelat. the 16. whether we haue his marke in the forehead or in the right hand, all is one to Satan; many there be that haue very smothe foreheads, and carrie a goodly pro­fession of religion, yet notwithstanding their hands are full of iniquity. Iob was as well in life and profession, an vpright & iust man, one that feared God and eschewed euill, an vpright man, first as God saith of him; a iust man towards others in distributing vertues; and all this out of conscience and religion, one that [Page 166] feared God, and though as the Apostle saith, euill is alwaies with mee, yet he laboureth to eschew e­uill, so that hee denied not the power of that he professed, he performed the power of the word of God in life and conuer­sation, and that not only in prosperitie but in his extremity, in sickenesse and miserie. It is an easie matter not to denie the word of God so long as the Lord pleaseth vs in prosperity, but Iob would say the Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken, yet notwithstanding blessed bee the name of the Lord: so wee see for the clearenes of his con­science [Page 167] in the 6. chapter the 25. ver. how he chal­lenges his accusers, Can any of you iustly accuse me? this cleare conscience wrought in him true ma­gnanimitie, and it is that makes a man strong as a Lyon, as Salomon saith. As Christ is said to sleepe in the shippe in the tem­pest, so this is the onely pillow whereon a man must rest, when his con­science tells him hee is vpright, though through infirmitie yet hee hath done his poore indeauor to keepe the wordes of the holy one, & indeed with­out this cleare consci­ence let neuer any man presume of faith, for it is [Page 168] but a counterfet faith, the wordes of the holy one being first sowne as wee see in the heart, that seed knit vnto the roote of faith, that roote brings out a tree of Charitie, that tree beares the fruite of good workes, so as it is true indeed, we are our selues iustified before God onely by faith, but our faith is iustified to our owne conscience by charity, and our charitie must bee iustified before the world by our fruites of charity, and by our godly liues and conuer­sations. Faith it is an il­lumination, it is hard to distinguish betweene the illumination of the true [Page 169] spirit, and the illusion of the false, therefore it hath pleased Almightie God with that heauenly faith to ioyne another vertue of Charitie, that a mans owne conscience may testifie whether his faith be counterfet or no, and because the world can­not see into the heart, therefore that Charitie must bee iustified by workes, and a good con­science ioynes all these together, this is the ground of the resolution of that holy man Iob, wherfore he doth desire to be out of this world You haue heard briefly the commendable miserie of this holy man of [Page 170] God Iob: which as you see doth remaine vpon record, not so much for his commendations as for our instruction; yet for both. Shall I com­mend beloued this our Brother (here departed) vnto you? he hears it not, his friends desire it not, I haue not receiued any information concerning him of any, because hee affected it not, what then, a mans name is like his shadow the faster hee runnes away the faster it followes: the memoriall of the righteous shall bee blessed, reputed hee was for an vpright and iust man in all his dealings, let me vse the plaine dia­lect [Page 171] of the world, I like the phrase well, hee was an honest man, which ciuill honesty did grow out of conscience and the feare of God in him: for that is the holy salt that must season all; without which there is no sacrifice that can bee acceptable vnto him. In religion he was not facti­ous; if he had had occa­sion to speake of any that were of other opi­nions, if hee conceiued them to be honest men he would speake of them so charitably as if he did euer remember the A­postles rule the 3. to the Philip. the 15 verse, those that are perfect be thus [Page 172] minded and those that are otherwise minded God shall reueale it vn­to thee also. The marke of Iesus Christ I make no question was in his hand as well as in his forehead, his workes were answer­able to his profession. In his owne familie I haue obserued that he was nei­ther a sheepe nor a Lyon but a painefull and a watchfull Shepheard la­bouring by all meanes & diligence to bring his seruants to good; to worke in their thoughts true religion; to examine and catechise them; such a comfortable Guide both for soule and body that I thinke hee might [Page 173] haue giuen example in that kinde to the best. To his friends and ac­quaintance most louing, kinde, and true hearted, I dare say they that had occasion to trie him would testifie no lesse. In this Parish hee hath not beene of many yeeres growth, and so scarce in­corporated, but a man might easily perceue him to be both of that Spirit if the cause did require, and withall of that wise­dome to temper his Spi­rit, as I may iustly say we haue lost a worthy member in the Church of Christ: hee was a true liuing stone manifesting his liuely faith, as by his [Page 174] religious conuersation in generall, so by his for­wardnesse in any good worke whatsoeuer, and hee would doe it in that fashion as the left hand should not know what the right hand did, his heart delighted in the word of God, and hear­ing of the same, hee did flourish in the house of our God; his wife and family, friends and kin­dred, neighbours and acquaintance of the place wherein hee did most reside I suppose can testifie more then I say, grounded hee was in a true Christian faith, and had learned Iobs grace of Dominus abstulit: he was [Page 175] a true Eagle hee looked through a thicke cloude of a long and tedious sicknesse vnto the happy issue and end of all, du­ring which time of sick­nesse hee shewed such a Christian resolution that when many had thought hee himselfe had stood most in neede of comfort, then was hee most comfortable vnto o­thers; I euer found him like himselfe from the beginning of his sicknes to the end: hee burned in sorrow; God loued him and yet spared him not, and now no doubt hee doth rest in God, blessed be the name of God, for that, and let vs desire the [Page 176] Lord so to blesse vs with his spirit of grace, that as we professe the words of the holy one, so wee may neuer deny the power thereof, but so walke according to the same, that God may re­ceiue glorie, and wee eternall comfort in Iesus Christ,

Amen.

IN the premi­ses of this Chap. there passed a co­uenant be­tweene God and Abra­ham, a couenant confir­med by a ceremonie, an ancient ceremonie of di­uiding [Page 180] of beasts in pieces and going through the parts of them so diuided, signifying thereby that they should bee so diui­ded and broken in pieces who should first breake the couenant. So we doe finde that couenant ex­pressed in the 34. of Ier. the 18. verse. And so did Almightie God vouch­safe to couenant with A­braham in this place in the 9. verse before my text: after the manner of men: But when Abra­ham had diuided the beasts and God presen­ted by the fire had passed betweene the parts of the same, there fell out two accidents that were [Page 181] not ordinarie, first the text saith that the foules of the aire did light vp­on the parts of the beasts & Abraham draue them away in the 11. verse, sig­nifying thereby, how the Egyptians should pray vpon Abrahams posteri­tie, the children of Israel: and yet notwithstanding for Abrahams sake, God afterward would deliuer them. Secondly, it is said that there fell a heauie sleepe vpon Abraham: & that is now expressed in these words that I haue read vnto you: sig­nifying the death of A­braham: that howsoeuer hereafter his posteritie might happily remaine [Page 182] in the land of Egypt: yet hee should go to his Fathers in peace, and should bee buried in a good age: so then you see that these words doe contain a most comfort­able promise, and a pro­phesie of Abrahams death. Death is sorrow­ful in it selfe as being ter­rible vnto nature, but such a death is comfort­able, so you see my text is like vnto the occasion of this our present meeting, it is a mixture or com­pound of sorrow and comfort well tempered together, wherein I will desire you to consider, First the person whom this doth concerne, it [Page 183] was Abraham: Second­ly, the condition of his death, which is here pro­phesied; First that it is seasonable, in respect of the circumstances, as my text hath reference to the premises, thus and thus shall thy posteritie fare, but thou shalt bee in thy graue before thou see that. Secondly, in regard of death it selfe, it was a blessed death; blessed in two respects. In respect of his soule first, for hee should go to his Fathers, and the manner how, in peace: Secondly, in re­spect of his body also, that it should bee buried, in a good age, and these are the branches as you [Page 184] see them lie in the text, But thou shalt go to thy fa­thers in peace, and shalt bee buried in a good age: and of these briefely because the time will permit no long discourse; We must first beginne with the person, for else I shall make vnto you at this time but a groundlesse speech; For this is a sure rule as the person is, such is the death of the per­son: the person was A­braham; Father Abra­ham the Father of the faithfull, and as hee was called a father, so like­wise was he a patterne & example of all godlie vertues vnto all posteri­ties; a patterne of faith & [Page 185] religion, the father of the faithfull. How his faith hath beene tried I shall not neede to particula­rise; And wheresoeuer he came, or into what countrie or place soeuer he was sent we shall read Abraham built there an Altar, to shew his religi­on and worship of God, amongst heathens and Infidels. A patterne of true obedience, that wheresoeuer God called him to any countrie hee was readie to goe obedi­ently, euen to the offer­ing vp of his owne sonne at Gods commande­ment; A patterne of hu­militie, of meekenesse and mildenesse, of pati­ence, [Page 186] and of a peaceable disposition; When his seruants and the seruants of Lot could not agree, how hee intreated for peace betweene them. A patterne of loue and of kindnesse, vnto all, euen to the very Sodo­mites themselues, how affectionately doth hee perswade with Almighty God, and pray for So­dome and Gomorah: euen as though it had been for his owne soule: Perad­uenture there bee some righteous within the Ci­tie wilt thou not spare the rest for their sakes, or if there be thus many or thus few, and so goes as lowe till he goes beyond [Page 187] all proportion: A pat­terne of righteousnesse and good dealing with all men. For although faith was imputed vnto Abraham for righteous­nesse, yet faith went not without righteousnesse, No, Pharaoh himselfe shall loose nothing by A­braham. A patterne of Charitie, his seate and place was in the tent doore, hee did not hide himselfe, and locke the doores, and shut them after him, but he was rea­die to receiue those, that stood in neede to bee re­freshed. A patterne of fatherly prouidence in his owne hous-hold pro­uiding for the same to [Page 188] the vttermost of his power; Marrying his son a little before his death, when he was old, hee in­structed and admonish­ed his sonnes, from time to time, I know saith God Abraham will teach his children.

As hee was the father of the faithfull, so he was a patterne and example of all godly vertues vnto posterities. Thus you haue heard what he was. Now will you heare briefely what became of him; Hee must die, but his death it was a season­able death, it was a time­ly death. Seasonable in two respects, First be­cause he should be taken [Page 189] away, before his eyes did see those afflictions which God ment to send vpon his posteritie. The children of Israel shall be thus in affliction in Ae­gypt, but thou shalt goe to thy fathers in peace; his posterity should bee afflicted, but not for A­brahams sake, they may thanke themselues, for that, they shall bee carri­ed into Aegypt for their owne sinnes, but deli­uered out of Aegypt for Abrahams sake, and his eies shall not see their af­fliction, because hee was no cause of it. A blessing that God doth promise vnto his Saints, and hee doth bestow this blessing [Page 190] vpon diuers of his saints, as Isay sheweth in the 57. chap. 1. verse, The righ­teous man is taken away, and no man vnderstandeth that hee is taken from the euill to come, and so God promised to Iosiah the 2. of the Chron. 34. and the 28. verse, That hee should goe to his Fathers in peace, and his eyes should not see the euill which almightie God purposed to bring vpon that place. Secondly, A­brahams death it was sea­sonable and timely, be­cause it was after the co­uenant which now was made betweene God and him, God had made a couenant in this chapter [Page 191] with Abraham: that hee would bee his sure buc­kler and exceeding great reward, therefore now Abraham might depart in peace when God and hee were so reconciled. Now Abraham may cheerefully go to his Fa­thers; After that old Si­meon had embraced his Sauiour and had gotten Christ in his armes. Then he sings Lord now lettest thou thy seruant de­part in peace for mine eies haue seene thy saluation; Therefore seasonable was the death of Abra­ham, both in that it did preuent the euill to come that he should not see it, and also because it was [Page 192] after the couenant, that passed betweene God & him; and there must needes follow in the next place a most blessed death, expressed well in the phrase of going to his Fathers, which must not bee vnderstood of his bodily buriall for A­braham was buried in the field of Ephron the 25. of this booke the 10. verse, where none of his Fa­thers were buried, and so the like phrase is vsed in the 32. of Deuter: the 50. verse where it is said that Moses was gathered to his Fathers, and yet it is said likewise in the 34. of Deut. the Sepul­cher was not knowne, [Page 193] therefore of necessitie this phrase must onely haue relation to the soule and spirit of Abraham; that, that was gathered to the societie and com­pany of those holy Fa­thers, that went before: thou shalt goe vnto thy Fathers, for there is a companie and society of Saints.

Indeede when men are taken out of compa­nie here on earth, in this world, they goe to a better companie and so­cietie of blessed soules and spirits in heauen; a companie where there is no distraction or diui­sion, no ambition, or emulation, no strife nor [Page 194] contention, but where there is peace, ioy, and pleasure for euermore: vnto this companie and societie of blessed spirits did the spirit of Abraham goe, and what a comfort is it (Beloued) vnto a faithfull soule to consi­der what companie and society it is going vnto, when it departeth out of this life, if it bee within the couenant, if the co­uenant haue passed be­tweene God and vs, then when wee die wee shall goe vnto this place, when wee go to our Fa­thers, to the society and fellowshippe of the Saints of God, that wee are at rest with Abraham, [Page 195] where we shall inioy the companie and societie of all the Saints of God, that euer haue beene de­parted from the begin­ning of the world to this present time and here­after of all those that shall come vnto the same place, to the end of the world. Where Eliah shall knowe Moses: and Moses Eliah, and con­ferre together as on mount Tabour, although they did liue in seuerall ages of the world. Peter the Apo­stle of our Sauiour Christ, when hee did see but the least glimpes of this comfort, when hee see but two of the Saints [Page 196] Moses and Eliah on mount Tabour hee was so rauished with ioy, that he cries out, Let vs build three Tabernacles.

And it is indeede to bee obserued that the two chiefest Apostles of our Sauiour Christ, that is Peter and Paul, God did afford them this pri­uiledge, that they had both a tast of the ioyes of heauen, liuing in this life, to the end they might more effectually perswade men, to lift vp their affections to that comfortable society in the world to come, Paul was rapt vp into the third heauen, and so ra­uished with ioy that hee [Page 197] knew not whether hee had his bodie about him or no: and methinkes after hee comes downe againe out of heauen, he writes and esteemes of these worldly things as of dung, such a con­temptible respect hee hath of any thing vnder the Sunne after hee had tasted once of the sweet­nesse of Paradise: For imagine it were possible, for a man to bee lifted vp in his body whither Paul was to the third heauen, that he might be admit­ted but to looke into pa­radise, to the blessed so­ciety of blessed Angells, and Saints, and looke but downe againe and [Page 188] see this earth hanging like a Clodde beneath, and see so many milli­ons of men, busied a­bout nothing like Ants in a mole-hill, methinkes afterward hee should ne­uer esteeme of this world being rauished with this companie of the Saints in heauen. And beside Peter and Paul (except it were onely Iude that writes but one short Chapter) I thinke there was not any of the Apo­stles of our Sauiour Christ, that hath vsed ex­exhortations to the Church of God in their Epistles, but they them­selues of purpose did taste some part of this [Page 199] glorie, to the end they might the more power­fully eleuate the hearts of men; Paul in the third heauen, and Peter, Iames and Iohn on mount Ta­bour all of them see a glimpes of this glo­rie.

Go vnto thy fathers, so did Abraham, in Spirit he went vnto his Fathers that were dead before him and his sonnes after, they came vnto him. Then the manner and the passage vnto this place is expressed in the text, Thou shalt goe vnto thy Fathers in peace.

Now you must vn­derstand whosoeuer di­eth in peace must die in [Page 200] Christ, for there is no true peace without Christ, Abraham died many hundred yeeres before Christ was borne, and yet our Sauiour Christ saith of Abraham, in the eight of Iohn the 58. verse that Abraham saw his daies and reioyc­ed, hee saw him then in the eyes of faith.

Hee died, therefore in the faith of Christ and so died in peace, for Christ is the Prince of peace that conferreth true peace vpon all his Saints, hee is the Oliue tree of peace whereon peace groweth, the eleuenth to the Romans the twentie-four, Like that doue [Page 201] with the Oliue branch in her mouth, hee euer brought peace with him, it was his ordinary salu­tation when hee was on the earth, peace be vnto you, it was his legacie left with his Church when he went out of the world, my peace I leaue with you; Therefore A­braham dying in the peace of Christ, must needes die in peace of conscience, and as in peace of conscience so likewise in a most peace­able maner. In the 25. of Genes. the eight verse, it is said Abraham did yeeld vp his spirit, his spirit was not taken from him by violence but hee [Page 202] did most willingly yeeld vp his spirit into the hands of God. Oh how fearefull is the remem­brance of death to those that are not in Christ? that fearefull rending of the soule and bodie a sunder is most terrible vnto them; but the death of Abraham, it was like that sleepe which was spoken of before this verse, that signified his death, a heauie sleep fell vpon Abraham, for so likewise fell death vpon him, euen as if nature should haue falne a sleepe, quietly, meeke­ly, peaceably, and this is for his soule.

Then it followeth in [Page 203] the next place, concer­ning his bodie, that that also should bee buried in a good age. Euen for to bee buried it is a blessing, and a blessing that euery man doth not enioy. No Iehoiakim himselfe, though hee were a King, in the 22. of Ieremy the 19 verse, shall bee buried like an asse drawne and cast forth on a dunghill, as Iosephus also writes of him. It is threatned by Salomon that those who are disobedient to their parents, the rauens of the valleyes shall picke out their eyes. And those that are treache­rous to the Ciuill Ma­gistrates, [Page 204] wee see they are made a spectacle to the world, and depriued of buriall and set vp in the aire and made a prey to the foules of the aire: as this is a iudgement on these, so likewise the other is a blessing on them, that goe vnto the graue in peace, and it is an honour that is due vnto the very bodies of the Saints of God, shew­ing they are the worke of Gods hands; not as the bodies of beasts, which God did make as it were with a word after a more sleight maner, but for mans bodie hee for­med it not onely with his word, but it is the [Page 205] tabernacle of an heauen­ly substance, thats the soule, which is the image of God, because our bo­dily nature is also assu­med into the diuine na­ture at the incarnation of the Sonne of GOD. Because the bodies of the Saints are the mem­bers of Christ, and the temples of the HOLY GHOST; Know you not saith the Apostle, that your bodies are the tem­ples of the Holy Ghost. And last of all, because, though they sleepe in the dust for a time, yet here-after they shall rise in glory and shine as the Sunne in glory in the kingdome of hea­uen, [Page 206] and therfore great reason that some honor and reuerence bee done, euen vnto the very bo­dies of the Saints. So was Abraham buried, buried hy his two sonnes Isaack and Ismael, as in the 25. chapter of this booke, the ninth verse, buried in the field of Ephron, a selected groūd of purpose, where his wife Sarah was buried long before, Genes: 23. 19. and his sonnes wife Rebecca in the 49. of this booke the 31. verse. One blessing more let mee adde in my Text, to Abraham, and we will come to my purpose. Abraham was buried in [Page 207] a good age, for so God did promise, and it was prophesied in this place, and so performed in the 25. of this booke the 8. verse, and there wee finde the place amplifi­ed in three phrases to­gether, for euermore the performance of God is with the largest. The promise is like a seede sowne in the ground onely, but the perfor­mance comes in like fruit that's multiplied & caried in, in due season: so it is said that Abra­ham was buried, he died in a good age, an olde man of great yeares: here is three phrases to expresse one thing, and [Page 208] it is no idle repetition; he died in a good age, so good as hee desired to liue no longer, nor did he desire for to die any sooner: he liued to settle his houshold in or­der, to marrie his sonne Isaack, to prepare his soule for God and to de­part in peace, A good age. Secondly, he dyed an old man; If hee had liued any longer his daies would but haue beene troublesome and bur­densome vnto himselfe. An old man; ye [...] not old before his time, there­fore a third phrase is ad­ded, an old man of great yeares; and so did Abra­ham die and was gathe­red [Page 209] to his people. Da­uid liued but threescore and ten yeares, and yet Dauid was old before his time.

Secondly, hee died in good yeares: this God promised to Abraham, and this God hath per­formed, so as that was verified of him, that is promised to the Saints in the 5. of Iob the 25. verse, that they go vnto their graue as a ricke of come that goes into the barne; when the Regi­ons are white vnto the haruest, as our Sauiour Christ speaketh, so ac­cording to the Hebrew text it is here as we say, in a good age.

When the Regions are white vnto the har­uest, then the sickle of death is put in in due season and they carried to the euer-lasting barnes.

What blessing was there then that Abra­ham did want, hee was taken away before the affliction of his posteri­tie came, yet not before the couenant was con­firmed betweene GOD and him, all this was granted him, and hee dyed an ould man full of yeeres. And thus be­loued haue you heard of Abraham what he was and what is become of him.

May it please you now a little for to turne your thoughts vpon one of the sonnes of Abraham, and briefely to remem­ber with me, first what he was, and now what is become of him; For as hee did tread in the steps of his Father A­braham, so I will treade in the steps of my text, concerning him, and Abraham, hee was the sonne of Abraham while he liued, the blessing of Abraham was vpon him at his death, and so I make no doubt but hee doth rest in Abrahams bosome, Abraham the father of the faithfull a patterne of faith and re­ligion [Page 212] vnto his sonnes and posteritie, this was one of them.

It was his chiefe stay and comfort euer in his great heauinesse, and in his sicknesse long before his death, or before that deadly sicknes, the co­uenant that passeth be­tweene GOD and his Saints, in Christ Iesus, there was his stay. Abra­ham was a patterne of faith; faith was imputed vnto him for righteous­nes, but it neuer went without righteousnesse: no more did his, I doe refer him for that to you that haue had so many yeres experience of him, did this our brother do [Page 213] any man wrong willing­ly? was hee not an vp­right and a iust man in all his dealing, with all whom hee had to doe withall?

Abraham was a pat­terne of humilitie, of meeknes, of mildnesse, of patience, and of a quiet and peaceable dis­position, and so was he, witnes this Parish, where­in he hath liued. How deadly any contention or debate amongst vs was vnto his soule and spirit, how diligent would he be, and how troubled, till the peace were made, blessed are the peace-makers.

Araham was a pat­terne [Page 214] of loue and kind­nesse of kinde affection vnto all men: and so was he ready and prone to shew his kindnes ac­cording to his estate vp­on any occasion.

Abraham was a pat­terne of charitie, so was he; for I haue obserued (comming to this mans table at ordinarie occa­sions) who were his guests commonly, but such as were not able to bid him againe? such as had most neede of refreshing, like Lazarus in Abrahams bosome.

He was a patterne of fatherly prouidence in his familie, and to his children. I know (saith [Page 215] God) that Abraham will teach his sonnes, and so did hee, hee did conti­nually admonish them; and if any admonition at any time did not take that effect hee desired, how grieuous it was to his soule and spirit, let his Sonnes remember it now he is gone, and if any affliction come vpō them, as on Abrahams posteritie, let them thank themselues, it was not the Fathers fault, they shall fare the better for his sake; Abrahams po­steritie were not afflicted in Egypt for his sake, but deliuered out of E­gypt for Abrahams sake, but he is gone, hee is ta­ken [Page 216] away seasonablely from the euill that is to come, the sinnes of these times do prophesie some euill to come vpon vs, and it is a blessing vnto them that are taken a­way before it comes. He is gone to enioy the effect of that couenant made betweene God and his Saints, in Christ Ie­sus, that was his com­fort, he is gone vnto his Fathers, and if his Sons will tread in his steps, they shall goe to their Fathers; he is gone and hath left this companie, this companie now pre­sent, whereof hee was a good member, and is gone vnto an other com­panie [Page 217] of the Saints and Angels of God in hea­uen, hee is gone in peace, in that manner that his death was a slee­ping in death in peace of conscience. In a pea­ceable manner did hee depart this life, euen as if hee had stolne a nap: wee that were then pre­sent with him could not tell when he went; and now beloued are wee here assembled for to so­lemnize his Funerall in that decent manner you see, and that is besee­ming to follow, and to remember the Saints of God that are taken away from amongst vs. A­braham hee was buried, [Page 218] and hee was buried in the ground where hee had buried his beloued wife Sarai before, and so is hee. Innocent hee was in his life, innocent as a doue, hee hath con­tinued this many yeeres, solitarie as a turtle doue, and now hee is gone, yet so many yeeres af­ter, as I thinke one graue may well hold them both. Last of all, let me adde the conclusion of my text, he is buried in a good age. I may adde the three phrases before mentioned of Abraham, A good age, an old man, of great yeeres; if he had liued longer, as I haue often heard him say vnto [Page 219] mee, hee should haue beene burdensome and troublesome vnto him­selfe, a good age, foure­score & one, a good age in these times, but let me yet add one thing more, as hee died in a good age, so I may say truely that hee died vpon a good day also, for it was vpon the Saboth day in the morning, that hee commended his soule into the hands of God, in the morning when we were about to assemble in this place to praise God, then did hee sing Halleluiah with the saints and Angells in heauen. No man did more duly obserue Gods saboths in [Page 220] this place them hee did, and now his soule doth enioy that saboth of rest, in the kingdome of heauen. On the Sabboth day in the morning did he goe to solemnize the Sabboth in heauen, a Sabboth without an euening, that is an eternall rest, into this rest is hee now entred, and into this rest that we in due time may also enter, that our spirits may enioy the blessed companie of all the Saints of God, let vs desire of him who hath purchased the same Sabboth for vs, IESVS CHRIST the righte­ous; To whom with the Father & blessed Spirit, [Page 221] one euerliuing and only wise God, be ascribed all praise, power & thanks­giuing this day and for euermore

Amen.