GOod Counsell, short and pithy. These words, like REVBEN; are strong, full of life, though few in number, Deuter. 33. 6. Here is (as S. Basil speakes) [...], the full weight of few words. Virtus [Page 2] maxima, in mole minimâ, very, very much in a little, Ilias in Nuce, Ho­mers Iliads in a Nut-shell, [...] In searching the veines of the earth (saith Clemens A­lexandrinus) we finde a little gold in a great deale of Ore: But in searching the Mynes of holy Scriptures, with­in the compasse of a little ground, we finde a great deale of gold.

They are the words of a great Commander, Moyses the Law gi­uer. Though (as hee excused him­selfe) he was slow of speech, yet was he Exod. 4. 10. deepe in knowledge, well seene in all the learning of the Aegyptians, and Acts 7. 22. better learning then theirs. He was [...], weighty in his sentences. And here is Imperatoria breuitas, a Lord-like breuity, the more autho­rity the word he giues, carries with it. He speakes ex Cathedrâ, his word is a law. 'Tis short, for feare mans [Page 3] brittle memory should come short of it; and to avoide obscurity, it is ex­pounded, and re-inforced in the words following, Et custodi, &c. And keepe thy soule diligently, lest being short and darke, it might be slippery too, and slip the sooner out of minde and memory. Duo verba, duo lu­minaria. Gen. 1. 16. These two words, like the two great lights in heauen, serue to direct vs all in all our wayes. As ce­lestiall lights they looke vpon all that looke vpon them, and cast their beames vpon euery head that heareth mee this day. They compasse this great assembly (euen euery one) with­in their spheare, yea, all the men of the world. There is no sonne of man that's out of the compasse of this Text. Now God giue Grace, that euery heart here present, may hence borrow some influence, light, and motion. Haue ye not seene the great [Page 4] lights of Heauen mounting aboue the Horizon, how they first shine vpon the Hills, and high Cedars; and after vpon the vallies, and lower shrubs? Euen so This, and such like lights, or Caueats, Imprimis, Primos, doe most eminently direct men in eminency, and (not skipping ouer medios, those of the middle sort) in due order descend ad infimos, to them of the lower forme, call vpon all Gods people (as it were) by the poll, euen from Him that sitteth vpon the Exod. 11. 5 Throne, to him that grindeth at the Mill. See this graduall descent, Psal. 72. 3. The mountaines shall bring forth peace, and the little hils righte­ousnesse vnto the people. Gods Grace is like the deaw of Hermon; like the pretious oyntment which was powred Psal. 133. 2. vpon Aarons head, descended on his beard, and to the vtmost skirts of his garments. Behold heere is a Beacon [Page 5] set on fire on the holy Mount. It be­houes euery one of vs to looke to himselfe. Some great sudden danger there's towards from within, and from without too. Homo homini Lu­pus, A man is a perilous beast to him­selfe, who should be custos, a keeper; who should be Deus, a God. Cain lost himselfe, when hee refused to be Gen. 4. 9. his Brothers keeper, which euery man should be, much more his owne. Al­ter Scneca. alteri Theatrum sumus, we are all Theaters one to another; wherein wee may obserue what's well acted, what's amisse. Yea euery man is a Citie, a Common-wealth, a World within himselfe. Ye are not prest to any forraigne seruice: Euery man is both Custos, and Castrum, the Watch, and the Cittadell; when the Beacon is fired, when this Alarme (Attende ti­bi) sounds in our eares, he that doth not gird vp his loynes, hee that doth [Page 6] not stand vpon his guard, is a traytor to his owne soule.

I come not into this Presence with an Attende mihi, a suit for my selfe, nor Attende gregi, Take heed to thy Acts 20. 28 flocke; But like the poore Italian Beggar with an Attende tibi: For Gods sake be mercifull, be charitable to thine owne soule. If euer precept came home to the heart, it is this; if euer a charge was reasonable, and ea­sie, it is this, Attende tibi; be thine owne Guard, and Guardian, Ouerseer, and Keeper. I may tearme it a Writ of Ne exeat, to confine euery rouing eye, and euery stragling ranging thought. Looke not, thinke not on [...], things without you, nor on [...], on the outward appearance of things, the iugling shewes of the world: Non alijs, non alienis, non tu­is; sed Attende tibi; looke not at o­ther persons, other matters, thinke [Page 7] not on thine owne businesse. Let not thy soule gad abroad with Dinab, Gen. 34. 1. Psal. 4. 4. but commune with thine owne heart, retire to thy best Fort, and arme thy selfe against the subtile stratagems of Sathan. Here is periculum animae, thy soule lyes at the stake, thy soule lyes a bleeding, [...], Time and Place, are powerfull perswaders. These be the perilous Times in S. Pauls Prog­nostickes, 1 Tim. 3. 1. This world is the wildernesse of Sinne, Exod. 16. 1. the very Region of Death. Vnder e­uery stone there is a Scorpion, and in euery bush a fiery Serpent. In auro, S. Hierom. S. Bernard. in cibo laquei. There are snares in our Coffers, and snares in our dishes, there is death in the pot, Mors in 2 Kin. 4. 40 ollâ, mors in ollis carnium, etiam in si­nu nostro Synones. Our bosome is a Troian Horse, and within it are the worst traitors, the most dangerous enemies. 'Tis time to looke to our [Page 8] selues. So that whether I looke on the place we stand in which is holy ground; or the time we are met in, which is the holy time of Lent; or the face of Christendome; which is mangled with selfe-giuen wounds, and besmeared with her owne bloud; or the persons before whom, and to whom we speake; or the importance of the message; so neerely concerning euery soule here present: in all these considerations, Moses is a necessary Monitor and Remembrancer at euery mans elbow, and eare, with an At­tende tibi, a Take heed to thy selfe: yea, Behold a greater then Moses is here, e­uen He, by whom the Gospell came, Christ Iesus, the great shepheard of all our soules. Solus verus [...], the only deliuerer of his people, of whom Moses was but a Type. The spirit of Deut. 18. 15. God in the mouth of Moses doth star­tle our dull, and drowsie sences with [Page 9] an Attende tibi. This my Text is to passe as a Watchword from one to an­other; to which military forme of communicating the Watch-word, the warlike Prophet alludes where hee saith, Thy word runneth very Ps. 147. 15. swiftly, when the Watch-word is once giuen by the Generall, 'tis sud­denly in euery quarter of the Armie. Entertaine then this Text as a Watch-word from the Lord of hoasts, ecchoed in the eares of all Israel, by their great Leader Moses, Take heed to thy selfe.

For our orderly proceeding, ra­ther in dispersing than diuiding this Text, not long enough for a diuision, (for a Watch-word must be carried entire:) let your attention go along with me, & by the guidance of Gods holy Spirit I shall shew you three watches and wards implyed in At­tende tibi.

The first is Attende corpori, a [Page 10] strict guard ouer the body, in appoin­ting euery man to be the Squire of his owne body. For as there is a body of sinne, so there are sinnes of the body; corporall vncleannesse, and fleshly 2 Cor. 7. 1 lusts, which are the Diuels Souldiers, 1 Pet. 2. 7. to fight against the soule. There is a fault in the Caske, a rust of the Scab­berd, the body is but Vagina, the Sheath, the faculties of the soule are the weapons: Scowre both for the watch and the warre.

The second is, Attende animae, the soules ward, and this must be more carefully kept: For by the sinnes of the body (lust and drunkennesse) men become beasts; but by the sinnes of the soule (Pride, Enuie, and such like) men become Deuils.

The third is Attende Deo, the watch on our bulwarke, most careful­ly to be kept, Our waiting vpon God: which is requited with Gods watch­ing [Page 11] ouer vs. This alone secures body and soule. In vaine doe we trust our blinde skouts, and drowzy Centinels, except the Lord keepe our [...], our Citie and our Cinque ports. Our first Watch may be called Custodia Carce­ris, the second Custodia Palatij, the third Custodia Templi. The Watch is set, and the watch word giuen. Three Watches there were, before we come to reuew them in order, listen we a while to the two voices that ex­cite vs to diligence in keeping this watch. The first is Vox Naturae, eue­ry creature would preserue it selfe, and by naturall instinct preacheth, (as it were) this Text to man, to euery man, Attende tibi, Take heed to thy selfe. The Roe auoides the toiles, by the quicknesse of her sight (as S. Basil S. Basil. saith) being therefore called [...]. Frustra iacitur rete ante ocu­los pennatorum, surely in vaine the Prou. 1. 17. [Page 12] Net is spred before the eyes of any Bird. The Birds haue eyes to see, and wings to escape the Springes. And shall onely man, like a tame foole, run his necke into euery noose? In vaine then hath God giuen him reason, which flies beyond the swiftnesse of of any wing, which sees beyond the compasse of any eye; by reflection, sees into it selfe.

The second is vox Gratiae, the voyce of Grace, and that riseth many notes higher. Take heede to thy selfe, take heede of thy selfe. For man is turned rebell to God, thereby become a des­perate Asassinate to himselfe. Nemo laeditur nisi a seipso, no man takes hurt but by his owne fault. Take heede of this, looke to thy being: looke to thy eternall being; looke to thy soule, the life of thy body; and looke vp to God, [...] the life of thy soule. Ipse est [...] animae tuae, for God is thy life [...] 20 [Page 13] Deut. 30. 20. And here by the way let me poynt at the goodnesse of God, and our owne benefit: both are mani­fested in this watch-word, Attende, take heede, On Gods part, ther's Gratia excitans, A Grace stirring vs vp: our benefit, (if we giue due attendance) is Salus safety, of state, body and soule. By nature we are careles, and drowzy in matters of saluation; like the Inha­bitants of Laish, wee lie open and se­cure: Iudg. 18. 7. 1 Sam. 26. 7 yea like Saul wee are in a dead sleepe, we may loose our armes, our liues, our soules before we awake. It is a remarkeable art of Gods exciting Grace, to goade vs in this lethargie, to quicken euery man with an Atten­de tibi, take heede to thy selfe.

This exciting Grace doth snatch vs out of the fire and water. It called vp­on Lot, to auoyde that hell from hea­uen, Ge. 19. 15. fire and brimstone. It stirred vp Noah to prepare an Arke against the Gen. 6. 18. [Page 14] deluge: and it still sweetely whispers in euery one of our eares; Looke to thy selfe: prepare an Arke, now that God doth threaten an inundation of iudge­ment. Euery passenger in a ship is to looke to himselfe, the Pilote more es­pecially to all. Quis vtilem causae a­lienae S. Ambrose. iudicet, quem videt invtilem vi­tae suae? Who will esteeme that man vse­full for another man, that is not care­full for himselfe? saith Saint Ambrose. The Lion King of beasts, and the Ea­gle King of birdes are most vigilant and circumspect. Our Moses in the text stout as a Lion, but meeke as a Lambe; strong-tallond as an Eagle, but innocent as a Doue; is a paterne of a pious and a prudent Gouernour; who lookes to the safety of Israel in state, body and soule.

And when Moses doth call vpon vs, to looke to our selues, wee should bee ready to looke to Moses. How for­ward [Page 15] ought all true Israelites to be to powre in their oyle for supply, rather then the light of Israel should bee put out? And so now I come to the three watches: and first of Custodia carce­ris, or corporis, the watch ouer our bodyes.

Wee are here in the body as in 1. Custodia corporis. a prison, or darke dungeon: Some lights or inlets we haue, but they serue onely to let in sinne. They more abase the body who will haue [...] the bo­dy no better than [...] a Sepulchre, (which is trew of the surfetted body) wherein the soule lies buried. Wee will allow it to be an instrument of the soule, but a dull and vntoward one: Corpus degrauat animam, the body is a burthen to the soule, saith the wise­man. Sap. 9. 15. Bee it one of the essentiall parts of man; 'tis the worser, the earthy, and the brute part. And here admire we with adoration, and adore we with [Page 16] admiration, the wisdome and power of God, who vnited and ioyned toge­in so sweete and stable a yoke of mar­riage (as it were) two so vnsuitable things, as are Heauen and Earth, a Spi­rit and Flesh; which flesh of ours, (through the taint of sinne) like Iobs wife, becomes a bosome enemie, a trayterous inmate to our selues, a bro­ker and pander for Sathan. I take it now as it is, a cage of vncleane birds, a foule denne of beastly lusts: for being swept, it is a temple of the holy Ghost. 1 Cor. 6. 19 If we giue the body too much, wee feede a foe, If too litle, we kill a friend. It behooues vs therefore in a godly iealousie, to beate downe this rebell flesh; who like Platoes friend is [...] a changeable creature, a ve­ry Camelion: Sometimes so treache­rous, that Scriptures and Fathers cry out Crucifigatur, crucifigatur, let him be crucified. Sometime so obedient, [Page 17] that Saint Bernard restores her to her dowry, and the right of a wife, Amet S. Bernard. Adam Euam suam, Amet Anima car­nem suam, ita tamen amet, vt non to­ta in carnem transeat. Let Adam loue his Eue, the soule her flesh; but let her so loue it, that she takes heede that shee become not altogether fleshly. While shee is as Sarah was to Abra­ham, and cals the soule Lord, 1 Pet. 3. 6. she is worthy to be loued and cherished. Yet take we heede, that by fauouring of the body too much, we effeminate not the soule. Now if I should make an anatomie of this bo­dy, I could discouer in euery limme, in euery veyne and artery, an Inlet for Sinne and Sathan.

The body is as tinder, apt to be fi­red by euery spark the Deuil casts vp­on it. It is therefore requisite, that this powder be kept in close vessels, and that the passages be stopt; according [Page 18] to the rule of Saint Gregorie: Ad cor­dis S. Gregory munditiem sensuum disciplina ser­uanda est. Clense the Limbecke of the senses, lest thence some pollution drop into the soule. The Arabians pro­uerbe is elegant: Obstrue quin (que) fe­nestras, vt luceat domus, shut the fiue windowes, that the house may be lightsome. Attende oculis, Take heed 1. Eyes. to thine eyes, that they looke not out to behold vanitie, that they grow not red through lust and drunkennesse Et dixit quidam, Iu­uenes habe­re in oculis, [...] 2 Pet. 2. 14. [...], in Greeke signifies Girles, and the pupils of the eyes. S. Peter saw both together, Eyes full of adultery. The Eye is an Arch-traitour to the heart, with whom it is of counsell; yet keepes intelligence with the Deuill, mans grand enemie: blabs to Him, his most secret and sudden thoughts; thereby excites him to assault vs, when we are at weakest; and vpon his first assault, yeelds vp our strongest Fort. [Page 19] Vntill Adam and Eue lusted with their eyes, Sinne and Sathan entred Gen 3. 1. not their hearts. An ill thought is brought forth, growne vp, and able to worke, before one can say, Take heed, he that looketh vpon a woman & lusteth after her, euē in that cast of his Math 5. 28 eye, hath already committed adultery. What guard then is sufficient to set vpon these swift thoughts, which like lightning, blast and retire; like thun­der, claps and strikes dead, and all in an instant. It is Gods goodnesse to vs, that hath placed in the eye both the Malady, and the Remedy, Visum & fletum, the facultie of seeing, and the sluce of teares, vt qui delinquant vi­dende, poeniteant plorando, (as one well notes) that they who haue offended by seeing, may be recouered by wee­ping.

Attende auribus. The Eares are 2. Eares. giuen vs to be conueyers of Faith, and [Page 20] Conduit pipes of knowledge; but wee make them impure tunnells to sucke in greedily [...], the very dregs Ephe 4. 29 and lees of rotten communication, which corrupt the manners, and defile the soule of man; learne of the deafe Adder to stop them.

Attende ori, attende linguae, Take 3. The Tongue. Iam 3. 5 6. heed to thy tongue, It is a wild beast, world of wickednesse. It sets on fire the whole frame of Nature. It speakes ill of them that are in authority, blurs innocency, sets priuate men together by the eares, disturbes the publike peace of the State. The Portcullis of the Teeth, and the Counter-scarfe of the lips, are not sufficient to keepe in this vnruly member; vnlesse with Dauid we daily pray, Set a watch be­fore Psal. 141. 3 the doores of my lips, & that God heare vs, which we haue need to doe vncessantly. For the mouth though it be Lyra animata, a liuing Harpe, yet [Page 21] it is more apt to be a Babylonian dul­cimer, then an Instrument for the Songs of Zyon. I might heere blocke vp the other Ports, and pursue the rest of the Traytors: but let it suffice that as in the suppression of a great Rebellion, I shew the heads of the chiefe Rebels (as it were) vpon stakes.

And here I cannot passe by with­out looking into the Traitors vault, the Heart.

The Heart as it is the Center of the 4. The Heart. body, is but a little lumpe of flesh, and will scarsely serue a Kite for a breake­fast, yet all the world will not serue it to wander in: there is such an endlesse maze of exorbitant desires in it: it continually casteth vp sulphureous flames of lust and reuenge. And which makes the malice and malady thereof more incurable, that of the heart, is a secret and subtile wickednesse vn­searchable [Page 22] to man, himselfe, or others. The heart of the sonnes of men is full of euill, and madnesse is in their heart Eccles. 93. while they liue, saith the wiseman. Eccl. 9. 3. And againe, Cor hominis Deo, vt lutum figulo, mans heart is in Gods hands, as clay in the potters. Where­vpon saith an ancient Father, It is indeede lutum deo, as stiffe and hard clay to God, had neede of much tem­pering, before it can be made confor­mable to Gods will: But it is also, Ca­ro Doemoni, a heart of flesh to the De­uill, very pliable to any wickednesse he shall put it to, or into it.

Should wee neuer see ill example, should wee liue out of any outward tentation, yet our owne heart in it selfe is so wicked, that it would tempt vs to, and teach vs all manner of wic­kednesse; there is such a perpetuall spring of wickednesse there, that with­out Gods speciall Grace, we could not [Page 23] one minute of our life, cease to doe wickedly in the highest degree. Om­nia S. Basil. reliqui, sed cor meum non reliqui, I haue left all, but my heart, I cannot leaue it, (saith Saint Basil) in the wil­dernesse. In that he had his heart with him, he had ill tentations enough. And were it not for this deceitfull, deceiueable heart of ours, other out­ward tentations could not hurt vs. Adam and Eue were not effectually tempted, vntill they were corrupted in their hearts. Let euery man then apply to his heart that which the pro­phet speakes to Hierusalem, O Hieru­salem Ier. 4. 14. wash thine heart from wicked­nesse, that thou mayest be saued: how long shall thy vaine thoughts lodge within thee. It were well our wicked thoughts would lodge and abide with­in vs; but they breake out into wic­ked deeds. So our Sauiour tells vs, that euery thing that defiles the man Mat. 15. 18 [Page 24] cometh from out the heart. The filthi­nesse of mans heart was so great, that it was faine to be washed with a de­luge of waters. And it is growne so Gen. 6. filthy againe, that all the water in the world will not serue to wash it, it must rather haue a world of fire to purge it, to consume it. Euery man there­fore must circumcize his heart. Cir­cumcision Ierem. 4. will not serue the turne, we must vse Incision, that's not enough: we must (as Esay speakes) not onely circumcidere, pare it about; and inci­dere, cut it deepe; but decidere, and excidere, and deprimere, cut it off; and if it rise againe (like hidras heades) cut it out, or presse it downe, euen beate it to powder, and annihilate it, that God may create a new heart within vs.

'Tis Lent-time, a Time of fasting, and prayer; a time of pennance and contrition. Lent in the ancient Saxon language signifies the Spring: now [Page 25] then most fitly, when our ranke bloud recouers the pride of it's spring, should we by a slender dyet beat down 1 Cor. 9. 27. our bodies, and keepe them vnder. Now is the time to put our kniues to our throat, to vse Daniels fare, and Daniels prayer. By prayer will the soule learne to command the body, and by fasting, the body will learne to obey the soule. Nature is content with a little, Grace with lesse. It is now a time of mortification, & ashes. High-fed lust, and high-wrought fu­ry, and high-flowne pride, are Lordly companions, but are not to be trusted with the Empire; which if you trans­ferre from Reason to Passion, (as Con­stantine remoued from Rome to Con­stantinople) it is the onely way to ru­ine both soule and body, as he ruined that which hee thought to enlarge. Such a state of body naturall or poli­tique, is like the Serpent A [...]phisbaena, [Page 26] whose taile goes formost. Wake not therefore to dreame of Kingdomes, as the mad Spanish Lacquey did, who tooke himselfe to be King of Spaine, the Pope to be but his Chaplaine, tal­ked of nothing but his Indies, and of the returne of his Plate-fleets, and would goe no lesse then the vniuersall Monarch.

This is Spanish pride, beware of it, and vse towring thoughts, as men vse rising Bees, Cast [...]ust vpon them, let meditation of mortality bring them downe againe. Art thou rich? thou art but rich earth, and Gold Ore is ri­cher then thou. Art thou honoured, and euen adored of thy enemie? ma­ny a rotten blocke hath been made a greater Idoll. Art thou beautifull? thy picture well drawne will one day be better to locke on, then the face it was drawne by. Remember thou art rich­ly mortall, honourably mortall, beauti­fully [Page 27] mortall, how euer mortall. Look oncc into a charnell house, a Golgotha, and see if by the bones, or the skuls, thou canst discouer who was rich, beautifull, or honourable: where now are the Nimrods, and Belshazzers, the Gyants of the old world? their names we finde registred, but 'tis for their Gyantly vices; and they are now in­ter potentes, qui potenter peccauerunt, & potenter torquebuntur, amongst the mighty men, which shall be mighti­ly tormented.

This is a time to manacle the hands, Sap. 6. 7. those instruments of violence, bribery and extortion: to gird vp the loynes, those Seminaries and bankes of con­cupiscence: to stocke the feet, those swift supplanting blood-drawing Cursitors, and in a word, to crucify the olde man. Let not the proclamation and the Almanache be the only argu­ments and proofes that 'ts Lent: let [Page 28] our brawnie knees, our course backes, our thin bellies, our amended liues, proclaime the same; and so stop the complaint of Saluian, Christianè vi­uere dedecus est, to liue like good Chri­stians, to fast and pray, is turn'd to our reproach. 'Tis signe the old Ser­pent doth lurke in our old wals, when being sicke of the Mother, we still long after forbidden fruit. Let it be thy dis­cretion to giue each part his due, to thy soule the gouernment; to thy bo­dy necessaries, raiment and food, exer­cise withall, and correction. And in this there must be obserued a Ne quid nimis, a due proportion to either. The soule ought to [...], rule, but not [...], tyrannize ouer the bo­dy. The Primitiue and purer disci­pline doth not put iron whips and lanching kniues into your hands to cut and furrow your flesh. Let the Priests of Romish Baal vse and inioyn [Page 29] such exercise and heathenish incision. I commend vnto you a weeding hook and a pruning knife, to pare away lu­xurie and excesse, and to pull vp [...], the root of bitternesse. O [...]ci­dat, Heb. 12. 15 modo imperet, let my Son kill me so he may be Emperour (saith Agrip­pina of Nero.) It were a happy de­gree of mortificatiō, would our proud flesh be content to say, Let me be cru­cified, so my soule may raigne with God. S. Lucy in the Legend, who pul'd out her own eyes, mistooke the Text. A darling sinne is that rigbt Matt. 5. 39 eye, which thou art to pull out; and some wicked beloued instrument is that right hand, which we are to cut off. If we cocker Adoniah, our owne flesh, let vs know that one day this 1 Kings 1. 5, 6. wanton will proue a Rebell, and wee shall be scourged with a Scorpion of our owne bowels.

By this time we see that this Atten­de [Page 30] tibi, is a frontlet for our eyes, a iew­ell for our eares, a golden chaine for our necks, a bracelet for our armes, a tablet for our brests, and a priuy coat for the whole man.

S. Ambrose vpon occasion of the Cant. 8. 6. words of the Spouse, Set me as a seale vpon thy heart, and as a signet vpon thy arme, doth sweetly obserue, that Christ is a seale on our forehead, when we openly confesse him; a seale vpon our heart, when wee sincerely loue him; a signet vpon our arme, when wee worke righteousnesse and fence our selues against these Iebusites, and Edomites, our soules enemies. Thus haue we passed the first watch, At­tende corpori, Take heed to thy body. We enter now vpon the second, At­tende animae, which is Custodia Pala­tij, the watch about the Palace, or the Kings Pauilion. Si tanti Vitrum, quanti Margarita? 2 If flaring Glasse [Page 31] be so valued, at what shall the orient Pearle be prised? If we be so carefull for the Cabinet, the body, how many millions of new and greater cares should we take for the Iewell, which is our soule?

Prouide a good guard for this Queene, she is the great Kings daugh­ter, and the spouse of Christ. It was no base purchase, which cost the Sonne of God his dearest heart-bloud. 1 Pet. 1. 19 It is no meane booty which Sathan so hotly pursues by compassing Sea Iob 1. 7. and land. It is not a thousand rammes, nor ten thousand riuers of oyle, nor so many sacrificed sonnes the fruit of thy body, can satisfie for the sinnes of thy soule. It cost more to redeeme a soule. Mica. 6. 7. How much more? Dauid wants A­rithmetique to expresse it, and where he failes, who can tel the proportion, or rather infinite disproportion be­twixt any price, and that great pur­chasse. [Page 32] Christ who best knew the price of soules (as being sole purcha­ser) doth passe all the world in the va­lew of the ransome of our soules: what shall a man giue in recompense of Mar. 8. 37. his soule? and in the verse before, wbat shall it profit a man, though he win the whole world, if he loose his soule? Sure he will be a most wretched bankrupt by the bargaine. In the Philosophers Scale, Anima muscae est sole praestātior, The soule of a silly flye is more excel­lent (in nature though not in vse) then the glorious Sunne in the firmament. In the Ciuilians account, Omne mem­brum est inestimabile, Euery limbe of a man is vnvalewable: Can you giue me the iust price of a leg, of an arme, of an eye? Now Saint Chrysostom hath S. Chrysost. well obserued, God hath giuen mem­bra duplicia, two eyes, two armes, two legs, that the failing of the one, may be supplied by the other. Animam ve­ro [Page 33] vnam, but one soule, when that is lost, ther's no supply. Admit there were so many worlds, as there are motes in the sunne: lay them all in one scale, they will not counteruaile one soule, which is not redeemed with Siluer and Gold, but with the precious bloud of Christ, as of a lamb vndefiled. 1 Pet. 1. 19 Oh the prodigals of our age! I trem­ble to poynt at their vnthriftinesse: what cost and care is bestowed vpon houses, horses, haukes, dogs? meane while what cheape account, what wilfull neglect of soules? The house Plutarch. liues. must be like that of Valerius magnifi­cently built, and furnished, the horse fat & faire, [...] all things must S. Chrysost. be braue, and gorgeous; but there is no care taken, that there be [...] a Basil. beautifull soule. Should I tell this presse of people, that that there were many cutpurses amongst them (as there vse to be in crowdes) euery man [Page 34] would presently put his hand into his pocket, and looke to his purse. The safest man here is in such danger, as he had neede of some friends to cry loud and suddenly, Take heede to thy selfe. Giue me leaue to tell you, yee haue brought with you, euen within your­selues an Impostor, a heart-stealer, euen now whilst I call vpon you to the scruteny of conscience, to arraigne your selues in interiore domo, in the inner closet (as Saint Bernard cals it.) There is an Absolon at the gates, that S. Bernard. stealeth away the hearts of the people. Looke to your selues, and apprehende 1 King. 15. 6. the traitour, your selfe-loue, and selfe-flatterie. Deliuer me, O Lord, from the euill man▪ id est, from my selfe, pray­ed that holy Father S. Austin. Let e­uery S. Austin. one lay his hand vpon his heart, and say to himselfe in the language of the prophet Abacuck, I will stand vp­on Abac. 2. 1. my watch. I for my part will looke [Page 35] to one, I'le take heede to my soule. There are two sorts of euil thoughts, 1. immissae or iniectae, infused or cast into vs, which are of the Deuils dar­ting into the heart. 2. ascèndentes, which as vapours naturally arise out of the heart. A 3. sort there are good, descendentes, inspired by the holy Ghost, clap a guard of thoughts vpon your thoughts, of good ones vpon bad ones; preuent them, by diuine medi­tations, diuert them, by feruent eia­culations; correct them, by sighs, and speedy repentance. In bad thoughts ye may obserue, ingressum et progres­sum, the ingresse and the progresse. For the first; the vapor will ascend you cannot hinder it; t'is well if you can but come to this to quench, and to represse it, that it goe no further: and when your strength failes, pray with Saint Anthony in Eusebius, Do­mine, cupio saluari, sed non permit­tunt [Page 36] cogitationes meae, has reprime, bo­ne S. Anthon. in Euseb. Iesu & salua me, Lord, I would gladly be saued, but my thoughts will not permit me: sweet Iesu represse these, and saue me. And for the other, Take along with you Saint Austins councell and comfort, Si tentationes pulsant cor tuum, suspira. If tempta­tions beat at thy heart, sigh and ease it. Si non superant, respira, but if they ouercome thee not, take heart agrace again, take breath & be comforted: if they haue not ouercome thee, thou hast overcome them. Marke how the holy Ghost in this guard of the soule, doth excite a watchman to grapple with e­uery sinne, and is a monitor to checke euery ill motion. Idolatry is couetous­nesse, and couetousnesse is Idolatry. Attende vtri (que). Is there feare of Ido­latry by mixture of nations? Attende tibi ipsi. Take heede of Canaanites. It is the scope of the text, and the text [Page 37] is a speciall Amulet against that infe­ctious sinne. Peccare dicitur quasi pel­licare, sinne intices like an harlot. Such sinners especially goe a whoring after their owne inuentions, the soule that thus sinneth is an adultresse, a Messa­lina, prostitutes her selfe to the inferi­or creatures. The Aegyptians did wor­ship the pyed Oxe Apis, and thence Exod. 32. 4 the Israelites did learne to make a gol­den Calfe. The Canaanites adore the Moone; ther's danger that the Israe­lits may offer Cakes to the Queene of Ier. 7. 18. heauen. Of all outlandish and new­fashions, new-fashions in Religion are most dangerous, the subuersion of the State. Doth Couetousnesse make a drudge of the body, and a slaue of the soule? Attende tibi, non tuis, looke to selfe, not to pelfe. Set not a higher rate vpon a wife, a farme, a preferment, Luke 14. then vpon thy soule: prize not things temporall, as if they were eternall; neg­lect [Page 38] not things eternall, as if they were temporall. Saint Chrysost. doth fitly S. Chrysost. compare toyling worldlings to men that worke in a dangerous myne, Ef­fodiunt & necantur, in seeking gold they dig their owne graues, and are buryed aliue.

3 Doth Curiosity peep in at a Neigh­bours window, and meddle without commission? Attende tibi, non alijs, non alienis, looke to thy selfe, not to o­ther men or matters, thou hast worke enough at home, Occupa te in proprijs vitijs, Pull out the beame that's in Luk. 6. 42. thine own eye first. [First sweepe be­fore thine owne doore, before thou beatest thy neighbor with the broom­sticke. Be thine owne examiner one halfe of the day, and then wilt thou haue little leisure (I suppose) the o­ther halfe to sit as Iudge vpon o­thers.] Rigid censurers, and hypo­crites, who cry out of sinnes in others, [Page 39] and dispense with their owne, are like cunning Robbers, who first raise the Hue and Cry, that whiles they pursue others as seeming honest Officers, themselues may escape who were the offenders.

Doth Security, [...], that poyson in a golden cup, cast vs into a deepe sleepe. Attende tibi ipsi, Friends cry, and fall; Foes come on. Simon dormis, & Iudas non dormit? Doth Peter sleepe, when Iudas wakes? The Deuill like Dalilah, will not suffer a man to see his danger till it be too late. Vp Sampson, the Philistims are Iudg. 16. 12. vpon thee. And if Sampson will not vse his eyes in time, hee shall loose them. What is a State without vigi­lancy, but a Polyphemus, a vast body without eyes, running headlong to it own ruine? And an eye to our selues will not make all sure without an eye to Heauen. Thither our soule (which [Page 40] came thence, and thither will) will teach vs to looke. Sibi maximè atten­dit, Act 17. 28. qui maximè attendit Deo, Hee best lookes to himselfe, that best looks towards God. In him we liue, we moue, and haue our being [...] with him and by him, and through him we are, and can doe all things; without him we not onely can doe nothing, but are nothing. And thus am I come to the third watch which is the last, Custodia Templi, the watch about the temple.

3 Saint Gregorie vpon the fourth of Ezech. doth well note, that Custodes Templi, the warders of the mysticall Temple do betoken the deuout soules that frequent the church, and by a ho­ly kinde of of violence, keepe possessi­on of Gods house. In humane Policy Feare is but a bad and vnsafe keeper, not like long to hold out; a iaylor ra­ther then a guardian: but in christi­anity the Feare of God is the best dore­keeper [Page 41] of the Temple. And Nazian­zen Nazian. in the praise of Hieron, doth praise Piety [...], for the greatest and safest guard of mans life. The greatest haue greatest need of this guard; and the poorest are not so poore, but they may be thus guar­ded in all perils. For euery good soule hath a train'd band of faculties, euer ready summon'd to waite vpon God. And to such as wait on him, God will send aid from Heauen. In vaine doth Ioshua lift vp his hand to fight against Amalech, except Moses lift vp his hands to pray for Ioshua: when wee haue done all wee can to keepe our Exo. 17. 13 selues, we must fly for protectiō to the great keeper of Israel, who neuer sleep­eth, nor slumbreth, or els we haue lost, Psal. 121. 4 & shall loose our labour & our selues. Our best Armory is in the Temple, & not in the Tower. Waite vpon God, and he will appoint a guard of Angels Psal. 91. 11 [Page 42] to wait vpon thee; yea God doth won­derfully order his thoughts towards men, when men doe least order their thoghts towards God. God doth mar­shall Psal. 40. 6. the meanes for our safety, when we do not know the lists, and order of the troops that guard vs: Lord, what is man that thou art mindfull of him, or Psal. 8 4. the sonne of man that thou so regardest him? yea Lord, what is man that he is so vnmindfull of thee: or the sonne of man, that he so little regards thee? And yet from on high thou regardest the lowest, euen the refuse, the off­skowring and rubbish of men. A word of comfort to the least & lowest here. What though the vnpreferd, and vn­prouided for Courtier be compared to a Blackamore, In ortu solis positus, ha­bet colorem noctis, He liues where the Sunne riseth euery day in his eies, and yet his face looks like night. Discon­solate man who euer thou be, if thou [Page 43] waitest vpon God, know that his eyes are vpon thee for good, and that a roab 2 Tim. 4. 8 and a crowne is laid vp for thee. Thou hast not here glittering seruants to at­tend thee; yet hast thou the Sun and Moone to run before thee with their glorious torches, both day and night. Yea, God hath giuen his Angels charge Psal 91. 11 Heb. 1. 14. concerning thee. They are ministring spirits sent forth for thy sake, thou art an hopefull heire of saluation.

Ob. Some hurrying Iehu, may demand, what need haue wee to looke euery man to himselfe? If God doe muster his Angels to looke to euery one of vs? So. Know that the prime cause doth ra­ther include, than exclude subordinate meanes. God can, but doth not ordi­narily worke without them. He hath made Starres to direct the Pylot, but he made not Starres to steere the ship. O culus ad Coelum, manus ad clauum, there must be an eye to Heauen, and a [Page 44] hand to the Helme: when we worke with God, God will worke for vs. Did the Easterne wise-men neglect the vse Matth. 2. 2. of tongues, and feet, because they had a Starre to guide them? A glorious band of Angels shall be your conuoy in all your waies, In vijs, non in praecipi­tijs, in your waies chalked out by the line of the law, and the rule of the Word, not in your headlong courses, and desperate downfalls. And that you may know your way, Attende Legi, looke to the Law, how readest thou? there's the old way the law of Moses. Looke in Malachy, there you are bid to remēber it, vpon the going Malac. 4. 4 out of it in the last of the Prophets, & to Christ (prefigured in Eliah) the ful­filler of the law, who is the new way.

Attende verbo, look to Gods word, there's the pillar of fire that goes be­fore all true. Israelites in the way. The way of the Gospell hath many beaten [Page 45] pathes: Keepe these with thy heart, and they well kept, will keepe thy Prou. 4. 4. heart, so that it shall liue for euer.

The Heart is an vnskilfull & guile­full guide, it had need to be guided, and kept, Keepe thy heart with all dili­gence, Prou. 4. 23 for out of it are the issues of life. Therefore follow not the wayes of thine owne heart, in which there be so many windings, and turnings, that Anselme compares it to a Mill that's euer grinding, still setting vs on worke with more commandemēts, then euer God gaue vs. He gaue vs but one in the Law, Fac & viues, doe this and liue. One in the Gospell, Crede & viues, beleeue and thou shalt liue: or rather one in both, Ama & viues, loue and liue. If thou followest the many by­waies thereof, thou goest in infinitum; and there is Error immensus, an end­lesse wandring, and the end of that error is horror and endlesse confusion. [Page 46] But giue thou thy heart vnto God the preseruer of soules. Commit thy waies Psal. 37. 5. to Christ, who is both [...], the true way, and a true guide, for he is the truth, Et ipse est via, ipse est patria, he Iohn 14. 6. is thy way, he is thy dwelling Citie. If thou walkest in this way, which is but one, in this truth, which is but one, there's aliquis terminꝰ, some end; thou art sure to come at last to thy wayes end, Rest and Peace: he is the God of both, he will bring thee home to himselfe, and as he said to Abraham Ipse erit tibi merces magna nimis, hee Gen. 15. 1. will be thy exceeding great reward.

Meane while, in this our present warfare, though his pleasure be not, that we should fight at our owne cost and charge, yet his charge here is, vt quis (que) attendat sibi ipsi, that euery man should stand vpon his own guard, serue in his owne person, and his own furniture. Attēde tibi ipsi, I haue heard [Page 47] of an abuse in Country Musters, that diuers shew borrowed Armes: looke into their houses, ye shall finde them naked, and vnprouided for the enemy. I would to God, the case were not a­like in our spirituall armour. Many in good dayes can discourse of Abra­hams faith, Iobs patience, Iosephs care to preserue his soule; and in so doing, they do but shew other mens armour. For when they are pressed them­selues, and put to the stresse in the day of tentation, when it is their turne to watch, they giue no euidence of their own care, faith, or patience. No bor­rowing, no substitution will serue the turne here, Attende tibi ipsi, looke to thy selfe, thou canst not looke to thy selfe by a Proxie, or Deputie. The good Kings Dauid, Asah, and Iehosa­phat, did not serue God by their Chapleines, in the dayes of their dan­ger, their owne prayers are for euer [Page 48] Chronicled. And it is a high point of Piety worthy to be chronicled, that our Moses, Summus loco, sum­mus exemplo, our good King, who is first in place, hath also been formost in example, is the Coryphaeus, the first proclaimer, and in his own person kee­per of solemne Fasts, most frequent at prayers, a royall praecentor in Gods house and seruice. Then doe men on earth liue like those glorious Courti­ers (Angels) in Heauen, when they most diligently waite vpon God. It should be amongst men, as it is a­mongst the Elements, the higher the purer, the neerer to the Starres, the more conformable to heauenly moti­ons; yea the great Rulers among the Starres (whom God made to gouern Gen. 1. 16. day and night) do giue this light and example to great Rulers amongst men, that they should euer be watchfull, e­uer in motion, for the good of inferi­ors, [Page 49] and regulated by the prime Mo­tor; so doing, these great lights shall neuer be eclipsed. Thinke not that Stellae nebulosae, the lesser starres onely borrow light, but remember the grea­ter starres receiue the greater light: And if there be not a faire aspect from, and to the Sun of Righteousnesse, they suffer the greater eclipses.

God is [...], an vniuersall Bi­shop & ouerseer, out of his high watch­tower, whence he beholdeth all our wayes. It is therefore meet, that we in all our wayes should set him before our eyes: he giueth (saith the Apo­stle) [...], life and breath vnto all. To the Ant as well as to the Ele­phant. If we liue in God, rather than in our selues, we must endeuour to liue rather to God than to our selues. If God doe bestow breath vpon vs, oh let vs bestow the best of our breath vpon God. Attende deo, waite vpon God, that hath made thee the master­peece [Page 50] of Nature; and redeemed thee' the prime obiect of Grace, and sancti­fied thee, to be an heire of Glory. Oh Luke 1. 37. let thy soule be a deuout Anna, diuor­ced from the world, and wedded to the Temple; yea let thy zealous soule speake of this mantle of flesh, and mount vp in a fiery chariot: [...]. 2 Kigs 2. 11. 1. Oh my soule looke vpward, be not glued to this base earth; grouell not in this Cabul, a land of durt, in Hyrams 1 Kigs 7. 13. map; stoope not to euery, to any base Lure. The proper motion of the soule is an ascension vnto God; not by the phylosophers scale: for Saint Au­stin confesseth, that this ladder per exteriora, by outward meanes, is too short to reach to heauen, there must be a Iacobs ladder to reach home.

The pile of creatures is but the Mount vnder our feet. The illumina­ted vnderstanding and the sanctified will, are the two Seraphicall wings [Page 51] that carry vs vp before the throne of Grace.

The life of the deuoute man is a kinde of a continuall extasie, their soules doe wait vpon God in the Gal­leries of heauen, euen while their mortified bodies doe walke towards their graues; and like drowzy watch­men are ready to drop into this sly­mie gutter. I haue kept you too long waiting vpon this watch: to draw to­wards the discharging therof for this time. Dearely beloued in our Lord, ctc. Be we excited euery one of vs, di­ligently to keepe this watch, that we may walke on in the power of God, and the strength of our prayers. It is not a moate of the Sea, or a wall of Cliffs, nor our owne armes that can defend vs, except God fight for vs; except our Land bee compassed with the Ocean of Gods mercies, and forti­fied by the rock Christ Iesus. Be first [Page 52] at peace at home within your selues. Loue brotherly loue, which is the Ephes. 4. 3. bond of peace; then looke to your in­bred foes, your bosome traytors, your enemies at home; and ye shall be the safer frō your enemies abroad. It doth cost other nations much effusion of their owne bloud and others, to de­fend them selues and keepe back their enemies; shall we sit at home, with our thumbs vnder our girdles (coue­tously,) with our naked throats (cow­wardly) expecting the sword of our enemies? [choose rather to loose our liues, than lend our monyes to the sup­ply of our good King, and the defence of his & our three Kingdomes?] At least shall we not spend our breath, or rather the groanes of the spirit, in our owne defence, in the defence of our wiues and children, lands and liber­ties, against so proud and cruell an enemie?

Oh peirce the heauens with your vollies of prayers, for the safety of the state, your owne welfare, and the wel­fare of your soules, that our Path­mos (this Iland) may still be Gremi­um pacis, the lap and bosome of peace, euen to strangers; and that our selues, euen euery one of vs, may enioy the peace of our owne bosomes. We are incompassed with whole seas of dan­ger; it will be our onely wisdome and safety, to anchor our selues vpon God, to saile by the compasse of his word; and to haue an eye to that Pharos, that guides vs to the land of promise, to the land of the liuing; so shall that of Tertullian be verified, Sperando timebimus, timendo cauebimus, cauen­do salui erimus, In hoping wee shall feare, in fearing, take heede, and by taking heede, be saued. If wee keepe our bodies as the temples of God, and Psal. 18. 1. our soules as his pauilion; he wil make [Page 54] his owne name our tower of defence.

Thus much for the discharge of my conscience and duty at this time; but yet I may not quite discharge, and breake vp this watch; we must at all times stand vpon this watch, and ne­uer lay downe our armour, till wee shall lay downe our liues, and be tran­slated to that kingdome, where there is no enemy, nor danger.

To the which he bring vs, who hath so dearly bought vs, Christ Iesus, by the conduct of his holy spirit. To whom with the Father &c. three per­sons, one true, euer liuing God, wee desire to ascribe, as his due, and our duty, all praise, power, honour, glo­ry and thanksgiuing, this day and euermore, Amen.