I O My Soule! wast thou not sent downe heere in time, by that blessed wise Creator, to seeke after that aeternitie which is aboue? O my Soule! Couldest thou learne to know with what loue thy GOD loved thee; in what accompt thy GOD hath thee, busilie wouldest thou, while this ever-slyding time remayneth, seeke after that ever-abyding aeternitie. Oh, ô my Soule! When shall I beginne grauely to consider that admi­rable order kept by my GOD, in bringing foorth that great Worke of Creation, praesented unto mine eyes by that first Chapter of holie Scripture? Wouldest thou, O my Soule, leasurelie payne thy selfe a little, to meditate aright upon that order: O! with what a loue wouldest thou loue thy GOD! O, in what accompt wouldest thou haue thy GOD! And so, O, with how swift feete wouldest thou endevour to run, through fleeting sinfull tyme, towardes that ever-continuing aeternitie, in the which dwelleth Righteousnesse! Yea, O my Soule, I must tell thee, Could that order bee well taken to heart by thee, were I warming my selfe in my Parlour, at the refreshing and dauting fire of greatest Honoures, Plea­sures, and daintiest Cheare, even with my dearest Compa­nions, [Page 6]thou wouldest bee able easilie, by a verie little nod, to draw mee to the doores, making mee, with Peter, to seeke af­ter some secret place, that there I might weepe bitterlie, be­cause I cannot bee mooved to seeke Him, who could not bee stayed from seeking of mee, because I cannot learne to ac­count of Him, who could willinglie account of nothing till Hee found mee. The Worke of Creation is begunne the first day, The Worke of Creation is prosecuted till the sixt day, and a number of good Creatures, of diverse kindes, aboue us, about us, beneath us, in the Heavens, in the Seas, and in the Earth, brought foorth: But can our GOD cease to worke, till Hee haue made Man? And when Hee hath made him, will He goe anie farther? Yea, resteth He not then? O my Soule! I charge thee before GOD, that thou remember this: I commaund thee, as thou wilt bee aunswerable unto GOD, that thou forget not this.

II BVt, O my Soule! what would thy GOD tell thee, by this comlie admirable order, kept by His Majestie, in bringing foorth that Worke of Creation? Surelie, That Hee made all the other creatures for thee, which Hee made before thee, and that Hee made thee for Himselfe, whome Hee made after them. And what would thy GOD, O my Soule, teach thee heereby? Surelie, That all His other creatures could not content Him, untill Hee founde Man. And darest thou, O my Soule, attempt to thinke, or alleadge, That thou art made for anie other beside thy GOD? Yea, darest thou rest upon anie of those creatures, were the sight of them never so pleasant to thine eyes, the sound of them never so meledious to thine eares, the savour of them never so delicious to thy smelling, the taste of them never so sweete to thy mouth, the touch of them never so alluring to thine other members? O my Soule! manie servantes hast thou: for thy Maker hath made all the other creatures for thee: onelie one Master hast thou; even that GOD who made thee for Himselfe: and therefore see that thou use all [Page 7]these creatutes which thine eye seeth, thine eare heareth, thy smelling savoureth, thy tasting tasteth, or anie member of thy bodie toucheth, as pleasant sweete Coardes, sent downe from Heaven, to draw thee upwardes, towardes that GOD, who made them for thee, and thee for Himselfe: otherwayes, bee assured, thou shalt bee convicted; not onelie of grosse un­thankfulnesse, but of high treason, forgetting the Giver, and abusing the gift: yea, for thrusting the perishing gift into the Throne of the ever-living Giver.

III HEarken, hearken, O my Soule! and belieue mee, speaking unto thee from the mouth of thy GOD, who esteemeth of thee highlie, out of that loue, wherewith Hee hath loved thee freelie. Haddest thou, O my Soule, that hearing eare to hearken unto, and that understanding heart, to perceiue, that which thy blessed Maker would leade thee unto, by that more than Majesticke, Glorious, Comfortable Oracle, sounded by His Majesties Glorious Lippes, while Hee is about to make Man for Him­selfe, after that Hee had made the other creatures for man, Let us make Man in our owne Image. Belieue mee, O my Soule! Could this Oracle (never, alace, sufficientlie as yet conside­red by man) bee rightlie weighed by thee, thou wouldest learne to thinke lesse of the other creatures: (after the which, alace, so manie doate so miserablie; yea, by the which alace, there is a verie worlde grosselie bewitched.) Yea, thou wouldest learne to accompt of none, but thy GOD: yea, not to attempt to loue thy selfe, but for GODS cause, and in so farre as thou findest thy selfe like unto Him. What? O my Soule! Shalt thou bee made to see and heare, if thou shalt compare the twentie sixe verse of the first of Genesis, poin­ting at Mans Creation; with the third, sixt, ninth, fourteenth, twentie, and twentie foure verses, of that same Chapter; lea­ding us to the Creation of the other creatures? True it is, O my Soule, that all these were created by that same GOD, by whome Man was also created; yet they and Man are not [Page 8]brought foorth after one and the same manner: for albeit our GOD being to create the Light, the Firmament, &c. be con­tent to say, Let there be Light, let there be a Firmament, &c. yet it contenteth not His wise, mercifull Majestie, when He is to make Man, barely to say, let there be a Mā; but he must say, Let us make Man to our owne Image. Thus passing from the Crea­tion of the other creatures, to the making of Man, not with­out speciall advise and deliberation, as it were: and yet heere thou must not thinke ô my Soule! that thy powerfull GOD, to whom all thinges are easie, brought foorth Man with anie greater difficultie than He brought foorth the other creatures; or that Hee doubted anie wayes about the making of Man: but this is done by Him, that hereby His wise Majestie, one in substance, three in Person, Father, Sonne, and Holie Ghost, might recommend to our consideration, the excellencie, and eminencie of Man, beyond and aboue the other Creatures; daining Himselfe to take a speciall consultation onelie about the making of Man, as about His most excellent and glorious Worke. Shall these three sacred Persons, of that incompre­hensible Deitie, after mature deliberation, as it were, concurre joyntlie and joyefullie for the making of Man; and should not I, O my Soule! summonding all thy powers, with all the members of my bodie, after due advise, charge them all to concurre, for the loving, for the seeking, and for the serving of that blessed GOD againe? crying aloude, O my minde! O my heart! O my will! O my whole affections! and so, ô my loue! ô my hatred! ô my feare! ô my confidence! ô my joy! ô my sorrow! ô mine anger! ô my patience! concurre to seeke Him, concurre to serue Him, who concurred to make you: yea, ô mine eyes, mine eares, my lips, mine handes, my feete, and remnant members, see you all concurre to withstand sinne, the enemie of that GOD who with joye concurred to make you; and to proue your selues alwayes to be His duetie­full servants, who hath proved so gracious a Lord unto you.

III MOurne, Mourne, ô my Soule! when thou remem­berest what I was from my GOD, being created by Him in Adam, and what I am now from my Fa­ther & Mother, having fallen with them in Adam: was I not created to the verie Image of His Majestie? being so righteous and perfect, that in my whole minde, heart, and will, yea, that in all the powers of my soule, and members of my bodie, there was sufficiencie of strength, and power, whereby I was able to know my GOD, to loue my GOD, and my Neighboure, according to that voyce of the Law, Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soule, Mat. 22.37 39 and with all thy minde. And, Thou shalt loue thy Neighbour as thyselfe. And that without anie disorder, rebellion, or corruption; and so, without anie darkenesse in the minde, frowardnesse in the will, rebellion in the heart, corruption in anie of the remnant powers of the soule, or members of the bodie: and being thus spirituallie beautified, was I not beside this, that great empe­rour (greater than the Turke, who styleth himselfe, THE GREAT EMPEROVR) having all the fowles of the Aire, all the fishes of the Sea, with all which is here on Earth to be found, bound by the verie appointment of GOD, to serve me, yea, most readilie willing, (by the force of His Majesties blessing accompanying me) for to serue me. But alace, ô my soule! as I am now from my parents, having fal­len with them in Adam, I am deprived of that Image of my blessed GOD, to the which I was made; and so voyde of that righteousnesse, wherewith I was then cloathed, being shapen and fostered, as Seth the son of Adam and Evah, was shapen and fostered: and how was that? O my soule! surelie in the sinnefull Image of his sinnefull parents; so that now, my soule is not simplie wounded through sinne, but starke dead in sinnes and trespasses: and therefore no wonder that our GOD (who onlie knoweth perfectlie, what harme sinne (alace) hath procured to us) speake thus of man,Genes. 6.5. All the imaginations of mans heart are onlie evill continuallie And lest anie man should haue proved, or should proue so peart, as to apply that saying, [Page 10]to these of that first world, overthrowne by the Deludge, it pleased our wise GOD, O my soule! (after that Noah was brought foorth of the Arke, to plenish the Earth againe) to sound over againe his former Iudgement touching Man, saying,Genes. 8.21. The imagination of mans heart is evill, even from his youth. Oh! ô my soule! when shall wee learne to consider rightlie, that third Chapter to the Romans, by the which that Spirit of trueth describing man unto us, as he is out of Christ, and destitute of the grace of GOD, proclaimeth him to be nothing, but a verie masse of vilde, and loathsome corruption: yea, is not this our originall corruption, cleared unto us by the holy Scriptures so sensiblie, that as wee are acquainted with that good, which wee cannot possiblie doe because of it, so we are informed anent that evill, which we cannot but doe, by rea­son of it:1. Cor. 2.14. 2. Corin. 3.5. Roman. 7.18 Roman. 8.7. The naturall man perceiveth not the thinges of the Spirit of GOD: neyther can hee know them; because they are Spirituallie dis­cerned. Wee are not sufficient of our selues, to thinke anie thing, as of our selues. I finde no meaues to performe that which is good. The wisedome of the flesh, is enimitie against GOD: for it is not subject to the Law of GOD: neyther, indeede, can bee. Yea, is not holie Paul couched under the tyrannie of this fearfull originall cor­ruption, (where-with, alace, wee are infected, O my Soule) compelled to make this confession, I finde another lawe in my members, Rom. 7.23.24. rebelling against the law of my minde, and leading mee cap­tiue, unto the law of sinne, which is in my members? And, after this, bursteth he not foorth, into that languishing complaint, O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver mee from this bodie of death? Besides this, O my Soule, is not miserable man thus depryved of all righteousnesse? and corrupted throughout, in bodie and soule, made a miserable Beggar, beeing before so great a Monarch, that hee hath no title to anie of the crea­tures of GOD: so that beeing out of CHRIST, the verie meate which hee eateth, the verie cloathes which cover his nakednesse, the verie aire which hee breatheth into, &c. shall procure his condemnation, suppose hee sinned not otherwayes against his GOD. But which is moste lamen­tablie [Page 11]miserable, O my Soule! not onelie is man thus depry­ved of good, and corrupted with evill, made a miserable Beggar; but a monstrous Slaue: yea, a Slaue, unto a fearfull Slaue: even unto Satan, that evill one; who not onelie lod­geth, but even worketh in the children of disobedience:Ephes. 2.2. figh­ting against man by those his ugliest champions, Sinne, the Worlde, Death, and the Graue. When shall this bee seene, and perceived by us, O my Soule? Surelie, could this bee seene, Sinne should bee hated by us, with an unfained ha­tred: Satan should bee resisted by us, as our onelie deadliest enemie. Wee use to say, O my Soule, Burnt Bairne, Fyre dread­deth. Hath not that fierie Dragon, long agoe, burnt us all, (alace) in our first parentes? Feele wee not, even to this day, the fearfull hurt which wee received by that burning? Yea, carrie wee not, about with us, (goe where wee will) the scarres, and markes, of that burning? Should wee not then abhorre to looke to that Dragon, to obey anie of his counsels, were they never so apparantlie profitable, or plea­sant? For albeit his coate appeareth somewhat to bee friend­lie, his heart shall remaine alwayes the heart of an irrecon­cilable Foe.

IIII SCarre, scarre, O my Soule, with sinne, as thou lovest thy GOD, and thy selfe: for hath not thy GOD, who loveth thee with a great loue, with a wise loue, tolde thee, That whosoever sinneth against Him, must not onelie receiue wages for his sinnes; but besides his wages, that boontieth which is due unto Sinne also. The wages of Sinne, O my Soule, as thou knowest, is Death:Rom. 6.23. even that first death, with all those diseases which leade a man unto it: separating the soule from the bodie, and the bodie from the soule: and that second death, banishing soule and bodie from the comfortable sight of Gods saving Face, and gracious pre­sence for ever; and why wilt thou die thus, O my soule? The boontieth of sinne, ô my soule! is shame;Rom. 6.21. procuring such con­fusion to man, that he dare not lift up his head, before GOD, [Page 12]before Angels, before Men, unlesse in soule he bee senselesse, both of his GOD, and of his sinne. This shame, was that boontieth, wherewith our Iust GOD, propined our first pa­rents, the first sinners, O my soule! for howbeit Adam and Evah being free of sinne, were naked altogether, in respect of materiall, naturall, seene cloathes; yet they were not ashamed, but could stand before their GOD, and looke one upon an­other, with a good heart, and chearfull countenance; so glo­rious were they, through the beautie of the Image of GOD, which then covered them. Alwayes, O my Soule! no soo­ner are they infected with Sinne, by disobeying the Voyce of their GOD, Gen. 3.7.8. but as soone they were so covered with Shame, that they dare not looke upon GOD, and are confounded, while they beholde themselues.

V VVOuldest thou bee freed, O my Soule! from that Death, which is the Wages of Sinne? and delivered from that Shame, which is the bon­tieth of Iniquitie? I beseech thee, shake off that Shame, which (alace) too manie (misseled by Satan) in this our Age, are clogged with; albeit it procure daylie mat­ter of new death, and greater shame, unto them: and with a good heart, & smyling countenance, put thou on that Shame, where-with too few (alace) in this our Age are covered; al­beit it bee able (GOD beeing mercifull unto us) not onelie to slay Death, and shake off confounding Shame; but also to procure quickening Grace, and saving Glorie. Alace, O my Soule! how manie with Vincentius the Hereticke, beside Au­gustine, in his fourtie-eight Epistle, while they thinke shame to amende their Faultes, thinke no shame to continue in their Faultes? Corah, with his companions, lift up themselues against Mo [...]ses, Numb. 16. and Aaron. A certaine space is graunted unto them, to advise themselues, about this their sinne. But dare they not face the matter peartlie? beeing as readie to present themselues upon the morrow before the LORD, as Moyses and Aaron were? What wonder then, that our GOD, just [Page 13]in all His Wayes, cover them with Death, and with Shame, to their destruction, who would not confesse their sinne, and willinglie acknowledge, That Death and Shame belonged unto them, because of it, to their conversion? Fewe Sinners (alace) O my Soule, in these our dayes, with Moyses, with David, with Daniel, with that Great Apostle Paul, can acknow­ledge, and confesse their sinnes, crying: yea, crying aloude, That Shame: yea, open Shame, belongeth unto them: and, That Glorie, and Righteousnesse, belongeth to their GOD: and therefore, what wonder, that amongst our Sinners, there bee fewe who haue our Blessed GOD, to looke their eyes, with Moyses; to put away their sinnes, with David; Deut. 34.6. 2. Sam. 12. Dan. 9. 1. [...]m. 1. to heare them, with Daniel; to receiue them to mercie, with Paul? Pro­nounce thy selfe, heerefore, O my Soule! worthie of death; because of thy sinnes, that GOD, through His CHRIST, may receiue thee to Life. Take the Coate of Shame to thee, for thy sinne, O my Soule! to the ende, that thy GOD, for thy Saviours sake, who for a while was covered with Shame for thee, may cloathe thee with Grace heere, and with Glo­rie heere-after, for ever.

VI FOrget not, forget not, O my Soule, to giue in a Bill of Complaint, against thy selfe, unto thy GOD; accusing thy selfe, condemning thy selfe, before His Majestie, for the secret sinnes committed by thee, hid from the Worlde, yet knowne by Him. And with this, forget not to giue in the like Bill, against thy selfe, before GOD, before Angels, yea, before Men, for thy manifest and knowne sinnes, seene by that Sunne which shineth by day, and not kept se­cret from that Moone which governeth the night. For if thou, O my Soule! deceived by that olde cunning Deceiver, vvho as yet taketh pleasure to deceiue, shalt attempt to re­fuse (for anie alluring promise can bee made unto thee, for anie harming threatning can bee pronounced against thee) to giue in those Billes against thy selfe; to the ende, that thou happilie judging thy selfe, bee not justlie condemned with [Page 14]the Worlde. I know one, beeing taught of my GOD, who will both peartlie and fearcelie giue in his Bill against thee, ayming at no lesse than thy comfortlesse confusion, and reme­dilesse condemnation. Alace, alace, O my Soule! When shall the dead senselesse sinners of this Age reade with atten­tion? consider with meditation? that fearfull Stile, vvhich that good Spirit of GOD, our Teacher, giveth to that Evill spirit, the Devill, our irreconcilable Adversarie? Is not that evill spirit stiled by that Good Spirit, The Accuser of the Bre­thren? Where-by thy Teacher,Rev. 12.10. ô my Soule! the Spirit of thy Father, and of thy Saviour, vvould teach thee, That no sooner doe anie of the Children of our GOD, commit espe­ciallie, anie grosse knowne sinne against His Majestie; but as soone that Evill one praesenteth craftilie, albeit maliciouslie, the names, and sur-names, of those, vvith their sinnes, be­fore GOD, crying, O LORD, Thy Majestie madest this Man to Thine owne Image, Thy Majestie delivered Thy Sonne to death for him, Thy Majestie vvast readie, by Thy Spirit, to renewe him; and yet, for all this Thy great loue, hath hee not defiled him selfe, vvith abominable Idolatries? blooddie Murders? filthie Adulteries, and Fornications? brutish Drunkennesse? mercilesse Oppressions? &c. Wilt Thou not, ô just Iudge of the Worlde, rub Shame upon the face of such a one, vvho hath so grosselie rubbed Shame upon Thy Name, and upon Thy Blessed Gospel, professed by him? Yea, vvilt Thou not, ô just Iudge of the World, adjudge such a one to bee mine for ever, vvho hath (after the offer and proofe of such rare loue and kindnesse) refused to bee Thine? O my Soule! vvouldest thou not bee loath that such an Ac­cusation should bee made against thee? especiallie by such an Accuser? Forget not then, forget not then, to accuse thy selfe, before thy GOD; to the ende, that His Majestie may bee mooved, out of pittie, for thy Savioures sake, to excuse thee: yea, to defende thee, even before, and against, the Devill, thine Accuser, and deadliest Enemie.

VII BLinde Man, slipping the first Path, in the which hee should stay his steppes, is made to fall from that high vvay, in the which alone hee should walke heere; and to deboash him selfe in that by-way, vvhich leadeth him (alace) towardes that Lake, out of the which there is no redemption: because man cannot seeke after that true Dire­ctor and Guide, vvho neyther can deceiue, nor bee deceived. While hee looketh for Life, hee findeth in ende nothing but Death: yea, vvhile delighting unhappilie in his praesent foo­lish sportes, hee promiseth great commodities, and comforts to himselfe, confusion, yea, condemnation, proue in ende to bee his portion. What Noble wise man, ô my Soule! having his young Childe to put to Schoole, doeth not, even after deliberation, make choise, both of that Master, by whom hee would haue him to bee taught, and of that Pedagogue, by whom hee would have him attended? O Man! I must tell thee, were thy Raiment never so course, were thy Cheare ne­ver so sober, yet thou lodgest, within thy Clay Bodie, an im­mortall Soule, which would bee wiselie committed to some good Master, to some faithfull, and painfull Pedagogue. But where shall such a one bee found? Let no man seeke after Man, to bee his Pedagogue; seeke after Man, to bee his Ma­ster: but after that Blessed GOD, vvho onelie made Man, and is able to instruct man truelie, to governe man rightlie. And so let man, seeking after a Master, after a Pedagogue, runne to the Face of GOD, runne to the Mouth of GOD; even unto holie Scripture, by the which Hee sheweth Him selfe to man, by the which Hee speaketh unto man; inquiring there, To what way he shall take him selfe; in what way he shall keepe him selfe, while hee so journeth heere; to the ende, when that Night of Death shall fall downe upon him, hee may set his feete upon the Thresholde of the Gate of that Citie; and bee received with joye, to lodge, even for ever, in the inwar­dest Palaces of that Citie,Rev. 21.27. within the which no uncleane thing can possiblie enter. Oh, my Soule! when shall the men of this Worlde prooue as holilie wise, about the governing of [Page 16]their Soules, (which must necessarilie, either liue, or die, for evermore) as Monoah, the father of Sampson, was circumspect about the dressing of the bodie of that his sonne, who was onelie to liue for a while with him? Hee was not praesent with his Wife, vvhen the Angel of God appeared unto her: but can hee not runne to his God, and say, I pray Thee, my Lord, let the man of God, whome Thou sentest, come againe nowe unto us, Iudg. 13.8. and teach us, what wee shall doe unto the Childe, when hee is borne? Alace, alace, ô my Soule! who runneth thus to God? Who prayeth thus to God? That Hee, by His Spirit, would teach them, by that blessed Booke of His Worde, what they shall doe to their owne Soules, and to the Soules of those who belong unto them, while they liue heere. Oh, Lord God, vvhen shall that true aunswere, given by Thy Majesties gracious Mouth, made unto David, Thy Scholler, inquiring Thy Majestie about this purpose, bee hearkened unto by the men of this Age? bee believed by the men of this Age? By what meanes shall a young man redresse his way? By taking heede there-unto according to Thy Worde. Psal. 119.9. That which our Master spake to the vylde Sadducees, touching the grounde of their fearefull errour, denying the rising againe of the dead, may bee moste truelie applied unto all kinde of sinners, debording from the vvayes of Pietie, of Righteousnesse, or of Sobrietie: Thou art an Idolater, a Blasphemer, a prophaner of Gods Sabbath, a Traitor, an Oppressor, a Murderer, a false man, an Adulterer, a Fornicator, a Drunkard; because thou knowest not, and belie­vest not the Scripture, to bee that Booke vvhere-by God, thy Master, teacheth thee, vvhat is that thou shouldest eschew, vvhat is that thou shouldest imbrace.

VIII IN manie respectes, ô my Soule! is the estate of man now (alace) couched under Sinne, to bee pittied; but in this respect especiallie, That beeing naturallie sensible of the mortall Clay Vessell, hee is naturallie senselesse of the immortalt heavenlie Soule. What man, having a maimed, or diseased bodie, hearing vvho can cure him, knowing vvhere [Page 17]he may find that Cure, seeketh not incontinent for that man? longeth not, even with wearinesse, to be with that man? and yet (alace) while man is not onlie wounded, but dead in soule, through a greater number of sinnes lying on it, than there be haires on his head, he cannot only refuse to heare that Physician, to come to that Physician, who is onelie able to cure him; but he can finde an heart to hate such, a tongue to revile such, yea, now and then, a verie hand to stryke such as advise him to heare that Physician, to belieue that Physician, and to bee content to receiue his Potions, and to use that his Salue, which is only able to cure his soule. Naaman the Syrian, beeing infected with Leprosie,2. Kings, 5. informed by that base hand­maid who served in his house, That there was a man in Israel able to cure him, will not stint till he goe thither: so desirous was hee of corporall health. That poore woman, who was long subject to a bloodie issue,Matt. 9.20. is not affraide to throng through the people, till she come to IESVS, so carefull was shee to bee made whole. Can blinde Bartimeus (knowing that IESVS was comming by,Marke, 10. who was able to cure him) be stayed from crying, O Sonne of David, haue mercie on me? yea, which thou wouldest admire, ô my soule! no sooner hea­reth he it sayde to him, Bee of good comfort, arise, Hee calleth thee; but assoone, albeit he was blinde, he threw away his cloathes, and hastened unto IESVS. Oh, LORD GOD! when shall the Naamans of this our Age, leprous in soule, by reason of their monsterous sinnes, seeke after that water of the Spirit, and of the Word, which is onlie able to cleanse them? when shall the men, the women, of this Age, monsterouslie defiled, from the toppe of the head, to the soale of the foote, through that continuall running issue of iniquitie, which maketh them not only uncomely, but loathsomelie stinking, in the nosthirls of GOD, of Angels, and of men; sensible of GOD, runne with faith towards the Hemme of CHRISTS Garment, even His blessed Worde, that by it this their running stinking issue may bee happilie dried up? when shall the blind men of this world find feete, to runne with courage, and with confidence, towards that bright Sunne of Righteousnesse, and light of the [Page 18]Worlde, IESVS, to the ende, they may see, that the things which bee seene heere, are temporall, and not to bee rested upon: and that the thinges which are not seene otherwayes, but by Fayth, are aeternall, and onelie to beeloved, and longed for? O my Soule! for thine owne vvarning, and vvake­ning, remember CHRISTES loving Invitation, Come unto Mee, Matth. 11. all yee that labour, and are heavie ladened, and I will giue you rest to your Soules. But, with this, forget not CHRISTES just Conviction, if thou attempt to despise His alluring Charge, O Hierusalem, Hierusalem, which killest ihe Prophets, and stonest them that come to thee; Luke, 13. how often would I haue gathered thy children together, as the Henne gathereth her Brood under her winges, and yee would not. Beholde, your house is left unto you desolate. If I had not come, Iohn, 15. and spoken unto them, they should not haue had sinne: but now haue they no cloake for their sinne.

IX OH, LORD GOD! vvhen shall the loose Christians of this last Age, beeing enlightened, and quickened in Soule, by Thy Majestie, in Mercie, looking on their dead Soules, in the Face of Thy Well-beloved, beginne to accompt of that Heavenlie and wholesome Poole, of Thy Sacred, and saving Worde, happi­lie now running plenteouslie (through the force of Thy ten­der Mercies towardes us) through everie Citie, everie Vil­lage, everie Cottage; so that all persons, of all Rankes, (bles­sed bee Thou, for this Thy great kindnesse) may freelie with­out feare, in season, and out of season, resorte unto it, as those olde Iewes accompted of the perishing Poole of Bethesda, Iohn, 5. which vvas not to bee found, but in the Holie Land; neyther in it, but in the Tribe of Iuda; neyther there, but at Hierusa­lem. I must confesse, ô my Soule! That that Iewish dead Poole of Bethesda, in foure thinges resembled our Christian liuelie Poole, of the blessed Worde of GOD: And yet I dare affirme before GOD, Angels, and Men, That our blessed Poole, of the Worde, surmounteth that of Bethesda so farre in one thing, that if men could take it to heart, where one Iew esteemed of that their Poole, and resorted unto it, hundreths, [Page 19]thousandes, should esteeme of this soft running Poole of GODS Worde: not onelie carefullie resorting unto it; but enduring their verie life heere, joyfullie delighting to dwell beside it. First, vvhatsoever disease bodilie a man was sub­ject unto, this disease that Iewish Poole was able to cure: even so, this our Poole, of the Worde of GOD, is able to cure the Sinner, of vvhatsoever Spirituall Sicknesse can over-take thy Soule, because of anie sinne thou canst fall into. Secondlie, as none could bee cured in bodie, by that Iewish Poole, but such as stepped in, into it, and were wet there-with: so, im­possible is it, that anie sinner can bee freed from his sinnes, by the meane of GODS Worde, till his soule bee dewed by it; and so, till hee bee mooved, and perswaded▪ to heare, to be­lieue, and obey it. Thirdlie, as that Iewish Poole coulde not possiblie cure, so much as one mans bodie, till the Angel came downe, and troubled the Water of it: so, this Poole of the Worde can cure the soule of no sinner,1. Cor. 3.6.7. till that blessed un­created Angel, even the Spirit of the Father, and of His dea­rest Sonne, come downe, as it were, to his soule; joyning His owne inward Vertue, with His owne outwarde Worde: and that way stryking the heart by His owne Finger, as Hee stry­keth the eare by His Trueth. Fourthlie, as amongst the Iewes no man knewe at what time the Angel woulde come downe, and trouble the Water, for curing of their diseased bo­dies; vvhich mooved the sicke persons, looking, and longing, for health, resorting to that Poole, constantlie to lye still at it; not departing after manie dayes, vveekes, monethes, yea, yeares, as is manifest by the practise of that man who lay there thirtie eight yeares. So amongst us Christians, there is ney­ther Preacher nor Hearer, King nor Subject, Man nor Wo­man, olde nor young, can possiblie knowe, vvhat day, vvhat houre, vvhat minute, that blessed Spirit of GOD will joyne His Force and Vertue vvith that His Worde, which is heard, making it effectuall to quicken the dead, to enlighten the blinde, to convert such as haue gone astray, to comfort the broken hearted, and to confirme those who stand. I vvould heerefore advyse thee, O my soule! if thou bee sensible of [Page 20]thine owne Spirituall wantes, and if thou long to haue them supplied, to resort thither, where thou mayst heare this Word, crying unto thy GOD, with David, One thing haue I desired of the LORD, that I will require: Even that I may dwell in the House of the LORD, Psalm. 27.4. all the dayes of mylife, to beholde the beautie of the LORD, and to visit His Temple. Yea, it were good ô my Soule! in this respect that thou resolve with Anna, that religious old widow, Never to goe out of GODS Temple,Luke, 2▪ 36.37. but to serue Him there, with Fastinges, and Prayer, night and day. But, ô my soule! lift up thy selfe on high, and hearken, even with greedinesse, I pray thee, to the ende, thou mayest heare, and consider, that one thing; yea, that incomparablie profitable one thing, wherein this Heavenlie Poole of GODS Worde, accompa­nied with His Spirit, excelleth, yea, surmounteth, that visible Iewish Poole of Bethesda. Could that Iewish Poole, ô my soule! even beeing troubled by the Angell, possiblie cure moe at once, or one onlie? onlie one at one time, beeing troubled, could it cure, for no moe at one time were cured by it, beside that person who first stepped in after the troubling of it, as the Scripture testifieth. But as for our Poole of the Worde (blessed be that GOD who hath enriched, and honoured thee, O my soule, with it) it can cure, and make whole at one time, scores, hundreths, thousands, diseased in soule, what ever sinnes they haue committed. O Peter! the healing Streames of this curing Poole, flowe so aboundantlie out of the fountaine of thy mouth, that Spirite of Iesus thy Ma­ster, (who came downe upon thee, in the day of Pentecost) joyning His vertue with them, that not one soule only, not tē only, not 20 only, not an hundreth only, not a thousand only, but even three thousand diseased, yea, dead soules, are that day added unto the Kirke.Acts, 2.41 Coulde this be considered, O my soule! O, how frequently! O, how busilie! O, how joy­fullie would men of all ranks, and conditions, resort to this blessed Poole of the Worde of GOD! O, how carefullie, and attentiuely,Acts, 10.33 would men resorting unto it, with Cornelius, hear­ken to it! Yea, ô, how earnestlie would they in their Cham­bers, awaiting for the Spirit of GOD, vvith the Apostles, [Page 21]pray for the Spirit! to the ende, that His Vertue, being joy­ned with that Worde, they resolue for to heare in the pub­licke Congregation, they might haue their deade diseased soules cured, and quickned thereby.

X WOe is mee, vvoe is mee, O my Soule! that so manie baptized in the Name of IESVS, should thinke, and speake, of that good Worde of IE­SVS, vvhich is the onelie Worde of Life, as that Reprobate Pharaoh thought, and spake, of that good Word of GOD, sounded by Moyses and Aaron, unto the Israelites, and to himselfe;Exod. 5.9. directing his Taske-masters thus to speake to the people, Let them not regard vaine wordes. When vvee Chri­stians consider this, O my Soule! vvee all condemne Pha­raoh: but (alace) howe manie bee there amongst us, who saye not onelie in their heart, but with their lippes; yea, by their workes, The vvordes of GOD, are vaine wordes? O Idola­ters, Blasphemers, Adulterers, and other grosse Sinners! If anie time yee resorte to the House of GOD, vvhat rounde ye one to another? And when yee goe foorth from His House, what bee your speaches? Let yonder Blast goe, yonder wind shaketh no Corne. Hearken, for GODS cause, O my Soule! Our GOD hath not mens Cornes in such account, neyther counteth Hee so baselie of His Worde, that Hee will daine to shake their Cornes with it: For Hee hath a baser winde, of the which Hee accounteth not so much; whereby Hee is able to shake all the Cornes in the Worlde. Besides this, I must tell thee, O my soule! Albeit that Worde which the men of GOD preach, shaketh not mens Cornes, yet it can shake Kinges, it can shake Queenes, and Subjectes, of all estates. That same Pharaob, who durst open his blasphemous mouth against GOD, and His Worde, founde this to bee true, by a dolefull experience: For shooke not that Worde of GOD him, spoken by Moyses unto him, out of his Royall Chariot, when hee was ryding securelie there, in the bottome of the Sea, yea, in the Dungeon of Hell? Shooke not that Worde, spoken by Ieremie, unto Zedekiah, King of Iudah, not [Page 22]onelie out of his Royall Palace, of Ierusalem, of Iudea; but scattered it him not unto Babel? ô poore Iewes! saw ye ever an Edie winde, as wee call it, scatter an heape of light Chaffe, towardes the foure corners of the Earth, so miserablie, as that Worde of GOD, spoken by IESVS, and His Apostles, un­to your Fathers, hath scattered you, and your praedecessoures, these sixteene hundreth yeares agoe? I know a Blast, or two, of this winde of the Worde of GOD, which shooke a King so, that it chaunged his countenance, it loosed his loynes, and made his knees to smyte, one against the other, sitting at his owne Table,Dan. 5.5.6. at a Banquet Royall, accompanied with his Queene, and Counsellers. I knowe a Blast of this Winde, blowne by a man of GOD, standing at a Barre, to bee accu­sed, which made his Iudge to shake, and tremble: for while Paul is disputing of Righteousnesse, and of Temperance, and of the Iudgement to come, Foelix, the Iudge, trembled, so that hee might abyde Paules praesence no longer: saying, Goe thy wayes, for this time; and when I haue a convenient time, I shall call for thee. Act. 24.26. VVere the emptie Houses, and olde Livinges, amongst us, fearfullie burdened, miserablie wracked, and daylie chaun­ged, from man to man, from surname to surname, looked un­to, it might bee seene, that even the deboashedest amongst us, might learne to scarre from attempting, to style that good VVorde of GOD, vanitie, or winde. If thou loue thy selfe, heerefore, ô my Soule! abhorre to thinke, and speake, of the VVorde of thy GOD, vvith Pharaoh: and learne to thinke, and speake, of it, as thy GOD hath directed thee: and so thinke, and speake thou of it, as of that Milke, where­by the New-borne Babes of GOD are nourished; as of that Bread,1. Pet. 2.1. Deut. 8.3. Luke, 24.32 Ier. 23.29. vvherewith GODS Children are fedde; as of that Wine, vvhereby they are refreshed, and comforted; as of that Fire, vvherby that Drosse of the remnant of their sinnes, is purged from them, and they are purified, as good Golde, to be layde up, in that cleane Treasurie which is aboue; as of that heavie Hamber, which is able to breake, and bruise in pieces, all such as dare attempt to contemne it: yea, in a worde, as of that Meate, vvhereby their hungrie Soules are fedde: and as [Page 23]of that Medicine, vvhereby their sicke, and bruised Soules,Ezek. 47.12 are bound up, and cured.

XI O LORD GOD! VVhen shall Men beginne, to haue the Preaching of the Sacred VVorde (albeit it bee sounded by Heard-men, by Fishers, and so by the verie off-scouringes of the Earth) in anie kinde of reverence? For what heard by mans eare, in this our dead time, is so neglected, is so despised, by mans heart, as Thy Ma­jesties Worde, preached, is? Alace, alace, ô LORD GOD, that blinde man should willinglie suffer himselfe to bee decei­ved, by that great Deceiver Satan; that hee can even despise speciallie that, which Thy wise Majestie hath highlie advan­ced. Tell me, Tell me, ô my soule! whereby is it, that thy mercifull wise GOD, hath appointed that saving Grace to bee conveyed to thee on Earth here, which is onlie able to bring thee to that perfect Glorie which is aboue? It is not, ô my soule; by the touching of thine hand, or anie other member of thy bodie; nor by the taste of thy mouth, nor by the smel­ling of thy nosthirls, nor by the sight of thine eyes, that thy GOD will gift thee with that grace on Earth in time, which must crowne thee with glorie when time shall cease: but it is, by the hearing of thine eare, that thy GOD will doe this. Let others neglect this, let others mocke this: alwayes, ô my Soule! when thou hearest this, I charge thee, that thou re­joyce; Yea, I charge thee, that thou loupe for Ioy within me: For by this, vvould not thy blessed powerfull GOD, whose wayes passe finding out, not onlie overthrow, but also mocke, the malice and craft of the devill, to His Majesties great Glorie, to Satan his sensible shame, and to thy ever­lasting comfort? ô malicious subtill Serpent, thou canst cun­ninglie convey by Evahs eares, that fearefull poyson towardes her foule, which was able to slay her, her husband, and their posteritie: but is not my good GOD both mercifull, and powerfull, able to convey to my Soule, even by mine eare, that wholesome Salue, whereby that thy poyson is not onlie made ineffectuall, but whereby I am made to liue for ever? [Page 24]Thou seest, thou smellest, thou touchest, thou tastest, yea, thou readest (ô man) manie thinges: alwayes, understand, it is not by thy sight, by thy smelling, by thy touching, by thy tasting; yea, it is not by thy reading (if thou attempt to despise hearing, and so to contemne the Worde preached) that thou canst be saved. ô! when shall that shining Golden Chaine of Salvation, presented to us by Paul, first be reveren­ced, and then be embraced, and keeped by us? Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the LORD, shall bee saved: but how shall they call on Him, in whome they haue not believed? and how shall they be­lieue in Him, Rom. 10.13.14.15.17. of whom they haue not beard? and how shall they heare without a Preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent? then faith is by hearing, and hearing by the Worde of GOD.

XII EVerie man naturallie loveth life, and loving life, desi­reth to liue: but alace! scarce one of a thousand, doth know, and consider, wherefore life should bee loved; and so, wherefore man should desire for to liue. The Ambitious man, with Haman, desireth for to liue, to the ende, his Honour may bee increased. The leacherous man, with Ammon, desireth to liue, to the ende hee may satisfie his beastlie Lust. The seditious man, with Ahitophell, desireth to liue, to the ende, that accomplishing his crooked plottes, hee may throw downe such as hee hateth, and advaunce those which followe him. The avaritious man, with the Foole in the Gospel, would liue, to the ende hee may inlarge his Boundes, and augment his Summes. The Bellie-god would liue, that with the rich Glutton hee may please his taste, and fatte his vylde Bellie, with the daintiest Fare. But bee not those men, O my Soule! with their desires, more than abominable in the Eyes of that holie GOD, who made all men for Himselfe, and no man for anie thing beside Himselfe? Wherefore, O my Soule! if thou, loving thy lyfe, wouldest loue it as it be­commeth the Childe of GOD to loue life; and so, if desiring to liue, thou wouldest liue for the right ende, I would adver­tise thee, to learne of that wise, graue, Heavenlie-learning Fa­ther David, That this lyfe is not to bee loved, but for GODS [Page 25]cause onelie: and so, man should not desire to liue,Psal. 119.17. Genes. 3. Luke, 1.74.75. Rom. 8.11.12.13. but to the ende hee may keepe GODS Lawe. This was the Ende wherefore man, having lost himselfe in Adam, was redeemed by IESVS CHRIST: Yea, this is the ende, wherefore dead uncleane man is quickened, renewed, and sanctified, by the Spirit of the Father, and of His dearest Sonne.

A Lace, ô my Soule! as men desire to liue, and in de­siring to liue, doe sinne grosselie; XIII because they desire not to liue for the right ende: so men desire also to die, but, alace, they sinne in desiring to die; because the groundes of their desire are vylde before GOD, and no­wayes profitable, but hurtfull to themselues. Could wee desire to liue, submitting humblie, and holilie, our crooked willes, to the straight will of GOD; to the ende, that with David wee might keepe His Law; and with Hezekiah, that wee might be­nefit His Children on Earth heere. Could wee desire to die, submitting also heerein our will, to the good will of GOD; to the ende, wee might cease to breake the Lawe of our GOD; and so to sinne against His Majestie: yea, to the ende, that wee might bee with IESVS, who is our onelie advantage, both in lyfe, and in death, holie should this our desire bee, and happie should wee prooue, having such a desire wrought in our Soules. Vnderstand, understand, O my soule! that this naturall life is no benefit unto man, can bee no benefit for man at all; but onelie in so farre, as it goeth before Spirituall, and aeternall life; and so, in so farre, as it hath Spirituall, and aeter­nall life following it: for as that olde Saying ever remaineth true, Nemo renatus, qui non prius natus: None hath GOD, bea­ring them over againe, by His Spirit, to bee a Christian, but such who were borne first of flesh and bloode, to be men and women: So that shall ever holde true, which our Master spake of Iudas, It had beene good for that man, who is not borne over againe by the holie Spirit, that hee had never bene borne of a Woman: For Death seazing on that man, cannot possibly but sende him to Hell; unlesse before death man cease for to sinne. And if through GODS Grace man die to sinne, [Page 26]before hee die before the worlde, hee shall cease from his la­boures, and rest with GOD for ever. Bernhard, meditating long agoe upon this, and subscrybing to the trueth of it, from a renewed, humble, honest heart, drewe up this Prayer unto his GOD, I beseech Thee, O LORD, my Father, to be­stowe upon mee, Thine hungrie Childe, three Bread, Even that I may knowe, that I may loue, and, that I may doe Thy will; So shall I liue: for in these three standeth the whole lyfe of my Soule. And againe. It is commonlie sayde amongst men, Hee who feedeth well, liveth well. But heere Wicked­nesse doeth most grosselie (ô my GOD) bewray it selfe: for none can possiblie liue well, but such who liue ordinatelie, so­ciallie, and humblie: ordinatelie, studying to procure honest thinges, both before GOD, and man; that neyther hee sinne against his GOD, nor by his sinfull lyfe offend his Brethren. Sociallie, living so, that hee studie, to bee beloved of others, and to loue others. Humblie, that while hee is made thus, through the Grace of his GOD, to carrie himselfe, he be not puffed up with pryde, as (alace) too manie bee: But contra­rie-wise, that with the holie Sainctes of GOD, yea, with His most blessed Angels,Rev. 4.9.10 hee cast himselfe alwayes downe, before that Majestie, who hath beene so mercifull, and beneficiall unto him.

XIIII O My Soule! When shalt thou beginne to loue that GOD truelie, who hath loved thee dearelie, with that sincere loue which His Majestie will ac­cept of, as of that loue which commeth from Him, and sendeth thee backe unto Him againe? Belieue mee, ô my Soule! albeit there bee some, yet there bee not manie, who be beautified, and gifted with this sorte of loue; for thou must know, ô my soule! that the heart of man, hath beene, and is, clogged, and cloathed, with a foure-folde loue, which would be considered by our Gospellers, who professe, That they know, and loue that CHRIST who hath dearelie loved them, if they had heartes to perceiue His loue towards them. The first sort of loue is most corrupt, in the corrupt [Page 27]heart, of corrupt man, whereby man loveth himselfe, and beside himselfe nothing, hunting after nothing while hee liveth, but that which may profite or please himselfe, yea, not reguarding, suppose the whole worlde were overthrown with Sodome, after that his eyes were closed by death. The se­send loue is corrupt also, in the corrupt heart of corrupt man; whereby man seeing, and considering, that hee is not of him­selfe sufficientlie able, eyther to procure unto himselfe such thinges as hee accounteth to bee good, or to defende, or deli­ver himselfe, from such thinges as hee holdeth to bee evill; he is mooved, not onelie to loue himselfe, but to loue his GOD also. And yet, while hee loveth GOD thus, hee loveth not GOD for GODS cause, but GOD for his owne cause: and so, as Demetrius loved Diana, Acts, 19.25. who lived by making Silver Shrines unto her. The thirde sorte of loue is holie, and rene­wed, in the new sanctified, and softened heart, of the regene­rate Childe of GOD; whereby, he having happilie, through the effectuall working of CHRISTES Spirit dwelling in him, tasted the Sweetnesse of the bountie, and of the good­nesse, of his GOD, beginneth to loue GOD, even for GODS cause; & that with a more fervent loue, than he loveth Father, Mother, Wife, Childe, or anie other whosoever. The fourth sorte of loue is altogether Spirituall, and Heavenlie, transporting, even with exceeding joye, and alacritie, the Soule of man from all thinges heere beneath, towardes the third Heavens; whereby the Childe of GOD is not onelie mooved to loue GOD for GODS cause, but to loue himselfe for GODS cause, and all other thinges beside himselfe, no otherwayes, but in GOD, and for GOD. This was that loue, O my Soule! where-with Moyses loved his GOD, when hee forsooke the Court of Aegypt, and choo­sed to suffer trouble for CHRISTES cause. This was that loue, where-with Paul loved GOD, vvhen hee sayde, My life is not deare unto mee, so that I may fulfill my course vvith joye: I am readie, not to bee bound onelie, but also to die at Hierusalem, for the NAME of the LORD IESVS. And this sorte of loue, vvhich is begun onelie heere, shall bee fullie per­fected [Page 28]in the Heavens. Oh, LORD GOD! vvhen shall I beginne to loue no Honour, but that vvhere-by I may ho­nour Thee? No Pleasures, but those which may please Thee? No Wealth, but where-with I may haue my Soule enritched by Thee, and with Thee, for the better seeking, and finding, of Thee? Yea, vvhen shall I begin onlie to loue to liue, to the ende, that Thy Majestie mayest liue in mee? and mayest bee glorified by mee? Yea, ô LORD GOD, let me steppe one Steppe higher: VVhen shall I beginne to delight to bee sha­med, to the ende, that Thou mayest bee glorified? to delight to bee grieved, and pained, to the ende, that Thou mayest bee pleased? to delight to bee stripped mother-naked, of all the earthlie thinges vvhich I possesse, or can possesse; to the ende, that I may possesse Thee? Yea, vvhen shall I long, and desire to die, to the ende, that I may liue with Thee? And yet, could I doe all this, vvhat should I doe? vvhat could I doe? I could doe nothing, but prooue myndfull, but prooue thank­full: and that not through anie grace in mee, vvhich is from mee: (for, alace, ô my Soule! forgettest thou not thy GOD fearfullie? art thou not unkinde to thy GOD grosselie?) but through thine undeserved favour onelie. Would not that blessed Sonne of GOD, yea, that verie GOD of Glorie, thy Saviour IESVS, (ô my Soule) bee shamed, to honour thee? bee pained, to please thee? bee grieved to grace thee? bee made poore, to make thee rich? Yea, would Hee not die, to quicken thee? And so, ô my Soule! vvhen thou hast sha­med thy selfe, to whome Shame is due for Sinne: vvhen thou hast grieved thy selfe, to whome Griefe is due for sinne: vvhen thou hast depryved thy selfe of all thinges, to whome nothing is due, because of sinne: yea, vvhen thou hast layde downe thy lyfe, vvhome sinne must bereaue of lyfe, having death for its Wage, vvhat hast thou done? considering that Hee who never sinned, beeing that GOD of Glorie, unto vvhome all Honour, all Pleasures, all Wealth, and onelie lyfe did belong, depryved Himselfe of all these thinges, and cloa­thed Himselfe willinglie with the contrarie evils, and that for thee. Bee myndfull of these thinges, ô my Soule! and for­get [Page 29]not to beg Grace from thy GOD, to prooue thanke­full for them.

FOolish Man, pittying manie, cannot (alace) pittie him­selfe: yea, hee cannot so much as dreame,XV that hee is to bee pittied: and yet what creature is to bee pittied, as man (who should prooue GODS best creature heere beneath) is to bee pittied? Oh, LORD GOD! howe manie men lay downe their lyues daylie; and so, are remooved from this Earth, by death, before they know by whom, and where­fore they were gifted with lyfe, and placed on this Earth? And if man, in this respect, bee not to bee pittied, let all such, who be sensible of humane miserie, judge. O my soule, if living heere I knowe not of whome I haue my lyfe, for vvhome I haue my lyfe; and so, vvho is Hee, unto whome I shoulde looke, after whome I shoulde seeke, studying al­wayes to serue, and to please Him, even in the whole course of my life; had it not beene better for thee, ô my Soule! that I had never tasted of lyfe? That man who never was, who never shall bee, shall never (indeede) taste of that sweetest Milke, and moste wholesome Ho­ney, which is to bee founde in that Heavenlie Canaan, which is aboue: But, with that, hee shall never bee tormented with that ever-burning Fire, which cannot bee but found in that deepest Gulfe, out of the which there is no redemption. But as for that man, ô my soule! who lives, and knoweth not Him, from whom, and for whom, hee hath his life, bee sure die he, before his minde be enlightened to see his GOD, before his heart bee mooved to loue Him, to belieue in Him, and his life bee so sanctified, that in some measure hee may serue and please Him; not onlie shall hee bee depryved, of that immortall Heavenlie Inheritance, but also adjudged to reme­dilesse, and comfortlesse condemnation. Oh, oh, when shall the Inhabitantes of this Earth, hearken to that wise advise, given by that wise Preacher, Remember now thy Creator, in the dayes of thy youth, while the evill dayes come not, Eccle. 12.1. nor the yeares ap­proach, in the which thou shalt say, I haue no pleasure in them? When [Page 30]shall they suffer that great Conclusion to bee brought to their heartes, which vvould quicken the deadest, and waken the most secure, which the same Preacher bringeth to our eares in the same place? Let us heare the ende of all; Feare GOD, and keepe His Commandements: for this is the whole duetie of man: for GOD will bring everie worke uto Iudgement, with everie secret thing, whether it be good, Eccl. 12.13.14. or evill. Oh, oh, when shall Preachers, when shall Hearers, out of a sense hereof, learne to cry unto GOD, with David? Open mine eyes, that I may see the wonders of Thy Law. Teach me, Psaml. 119.18.33.34. ô LORD, the way of thy Statutes, and I will keepe it to the ende. Giue mee understanding, and I will keepe it with my whole heart. Yea, ô would to GOD, that thou, ô my soule, couldest in this last age, see and feele that which Augustine saw and felt in his time; to the ende, that out of that sight and sense, thou migh­test make the like confession before GOD, which hee made; and send up the like Petition to GOD, which hee sent up unto Him: My Bodie, ô LORD, liveth by my Soule, and my Soule liveth by thee, ô my GOD: Be neare me heerefore, ô GOD, neare in mine heart, neare in mine eares, neare in mine eyes, yea, neare in my whole body, and everie member of it, that they may all serue Thee.

KNewest thou, ô my Soule! how blessed IESVS hath loved thee,XVI be sure thou wouldest loue Him; and out of that thy loue thou wouldest be carefull to keepe His Commandements. Iaakob loved Benjamin dearely: but, ô! how more dearelie hath IESVS loved thee! Iaakob pintched with Famine, is content, for the safetie of his owne life,Gen. 43.11.12.13. to twinne with Benjamin, and to send him downe to Aegypt: but blessed IESVS, to the ende, that Hee might feede thee, and keepe thee, O my soule! will not onlie subject Himselfe to Hunger,2. Sam. 1.26. but unto cruell death. Ionathans loue towards David, exceeded the loue of Women: but IESVS His loue towardes thee, O my Soule! exceedeth not onlie the loue of Women, but the loue of Ionathan. Scripture telleth mee, Historie telleth mee, That Mothers haue slaine their owne children,2. King. 28.29. to keepe in their owne lives: but neither acquainteth [Page 31]Scripture, nor Historie mee, with anie Woman, who ever was contented, to cutte and dresse her owne flesh, for the safetie of her chylde. Alwayes, Scripture largelie telleth mee, That Thy blessed IESVS, O my Soule! is that kindliest Peli­cane, who could be content to giue His owne flesh, not onlie to be scourged, to be nailed, to be pearced: but to be crucified, and die on the Tree; to the ende, that thou, O my soule! mightest feede upon Him, unto life aeternall. IESVS His loue towards thee, O my Soule! exceedeth also the loue of Iona­than; Ionathan (indeede) loued David so, that he incurred his fathers wrath for David; that he was contented heartfullie that David should succeede to his father in the Kingdome; yea, Ionathan oft times hazarded his verie life for David: alwayes thy Ionathan, IESVS, O my soule! beeing a King, yea, that King of kinges, by whom, and under whom, all kinges doe reigne, would not onlie become poore, to make thee rich; under-goe that intollerable weight of His Fathers wrath, to the ende, that thou mightest attaine unto, and enjoy His everlasting favoure; but also, He would die, to the ende, that thou beeing quickened by Him, mightest bee made a king, to liue and reigne in Heaven, with Him for ever. Yea, telleth not Scripture mee, O my Soule! That IESVS hath loved thee so, that He hath married thee, that He hath tochered thee, yea, that Hee hath provided a Dourie for thee. Abigall is dashed, when David Ambassadours come unto her, shewing to her,1. Sam. 25.41. That David would marrie her. It was a wonder, that Salomon, King of Iudah, married the King of Aegypts Daughter: But shouldest thou not bee much more astonied, O my Soule! vvhen thou hearest, That even IESVS, the great Sonne of Da­vid, that mightie KING of everlasting Peace,Ezek. 16.4.5. hath married thee, while thou wast dead in sinne, lying in thy blood, in the verie open Fielde, having none eye pittying thee? Hosea, speaking of this Marriage, bringeth in thy blessed kynde Spouse, speaking thus unto thee, O my Soule! I will marrie thee, unto Mee, for ever: yea, I will marrie thee, unto Mee, in Righ­teousnesse, Hosea, 2.19.20. in Iudgement, in Mercie, and in Compassion. Men marrie Women for a while; yea, for an uncertaine troublesome [Page 32]while. Alwayes, O my Soule! IESVS hath married thee for evermore; in such sorte, that neyther distance of place, nor death, nor the graue, can possiblie sever thee from Him, or Him from thee. Yea, vvhich is more, that the nearer death draweth unto thee, and thou approachest to thy graue, the more strictlie art thou united with Him, and Hee joyned with thee. Beside this, IESVS hath so loved thee, O my Soule! that Hee hath tochered thee: but vvhere-with, I pray thee? I heare Saul, craving from David an hundreth fore-Skinnes of the Philistims, 1. Sam. 18.25.26.27. Acts, 20.28. 1. Pet. 1.18.19. for his Daughter: and I see David laying downe two hundreth for her. Alwayes, IESVS hath tochered thee, O my Soule! not with Silver, not with Golde, not with pre­cious Stones: but with Blood. Alwayes, vvith vvhat Blood, O my Soule! Not vvith the blood of Rammes, of Lambes, of Goates, or anie man: But with His owne onelie moste pre­cious, moste honourable, and moste cleane Blood. Beside this, yet, O my Soule! IESVS hath so loved thee, that Hee hath provyded a Dowrie for thee: But what a Dowrie? Beare vvith mee, O my Soule, if heere I must confesse, that I cannot tell thee, because my GOD hath not tolde mee: For vvho, living heere, can possiblie acquaint the Childe of GOD, suf­ficientlie, and perfectlie, vvith the Valour, and Excellencie, of that Inheritance, which is appointed for thee? Some sparkes of the Excellencie, and Majestie, of it, are praesented, indeede, unto our consideration,Luke, 12.32. 1. Corin. 2.9. 1. Iohn, 3.2. Coll. 3.3.4. by Scripture: but fullie it shall not bee knowne, untill wee bee where our dearest Spouse, IESVS, is. Loue this IESVS, O my Soule, sincerelie: Seeke this IESVS, O my soule, busilie: Serue this IESVS, O my Soule, chear­fullie; and let nothing content thee, untill thou bee where Hee is, who hath so loved thee.

IF thou, O my soule, wouldest prooue truelie wise, to that last day,XVII after the which there shall bee no day, it were good, that thou werest carefull in time, to bee certified of the loue of IESVS, thy Saviour, and Master, as of that first thing, as of that chiefest thing, thou shouldest bee carefull to bee certified of, before all thinges: so that publicklie, before [Page 33]GOD. Angels, and Men; and privatelie, betwixt thy GOD, and thine owne heart, thou mayest say, and sing, Blessed bee that IESVS, who hath loved mee: Blessed bee that IESVS, who loveth mee. But heere, O my Soule! there would bee three thinges wiselie considered by thee: First, wherefore should this bee thy first and chiefest care? Secondlie, Where­by is it, that that loue wherewith IESVS hath loved thee, is intimate unto thee? Thirdlie, how mayest thou bee certified, that IESVS loveth thee? Let mee possesse all the Worlde, ô my soule! if IESVS loue mee not, woe to mee. Want what I can, ô my Soule! if IESVS loue mee, well is mee. I want that Honour, that Wealth, that Health, those Pleasures, which sometime I enjoyed; yea, I am depryved by death, of a loving Father, of kynde Brethren, of true Friendes, of deare Companions; alwayes, IESVS loveth mee, IESVS is with mee: and therefore, well is mee. And must I not bee well, ô my soule! having Him, who was the sole solace, and desire, of that holie man David, who was a man according to the heart of GOD? For can hee not, treading all Want under foote, and triumphing, as one possessing all Wealth, crye out thus? Whome haue I in the Heavens, but Thee? And I haue desired none in the Earth with Thee. But, O my Soule!Psal. 73.25. how hapned I to bring in David before thee, when I was speaking unto thee touching the happinesse of that man who possessed IESVS? Was not IESVS, was not IESVS not onelie with GOD His Father, but the verie daylie delight of His Father,Prov. 8.26.27.30. 2. Sam. 19. when Hee praepared the Heavens, and made the Earth? Mephibo­sheth hath a worthie Speach unto David, after hee returned to Hierusalem, Let Ziba take all, seeing my lorde, the King, is come home in peace. And wilt thou not gladlie bee con­tented to say, ô my Soule! O LORD, my GOD, let all that I haue bee taken from mee; seeing my Loue, and LORD IESVS, is come to mee; even Hee in vvhom Thou, O LORD, my Father, art vvell pleased with me; even Hee,Matt. 3.17. Iohn, 8.12. And, 14.6. O LORD, who is my Life, my Light, and my Salvation? This loue vvherewith IESVS hath loved thee, O my Soule! is intimate to thine eares, is sprinkled, as it vvere, [Page 34]on thy bodie, is put into thine handes, is presented to thy mouth; Yea, is as it were, eaten, drunken, and digested by thee. It is intimate to thine eare, by the sweet voyce of the Gospell, preached unto thee: It is sprinkled, as it were, upon thy bodie, by that Sacrament of Baptisme, vvhereby thou wast entered into the House of GOD: It is put into thine hand, presented to thy mouth, eaten, drunken, and digested by thee, as it vvere, by, and in that Sacrament of the LORDS Supper, administrate in broken Bread, and Wine powred out: Telling thee, ô my soule, that blessed IESVS, being that cleane, and wholesome Wheate, was heartfullie conten­ted to bee ground betwixt the Mil-stones of His Fathers wrath; to the ende, that He might become sweet, and plea­sant Bread to feede thee. Yea, that blessed IESVS being that true vine, full of heavenlie sappe, and juyce, would bee pressed in the Wine-presse of His Fathers indignation; to the ende, that He might be made a quickening, refreshing, and comforting Drinke; to quicken thee, O my Soule! beeing deade; to refreshe thee, ô my Soule! beeing wearied; and, to comfort thee; O my Soule! being cast downe. Thou mayest be perswaded, O my soule! that IESVS lo­veth thee, if thou lovest Him: for hee never loved GOD, who was not first loved of GOD.2. Iohn, 4.10 Iohn, 8.47. And 14.15. Psalm. 15.4. Now thou shalt know, that thou lovest IESVS, if thou lovest His Worde, if thou be carefull to keepe His Commandements, and if thou de­light in in the societie, of such who loue Him, and walke in His wayes.

ALbeit Sinne, which is thine onelie Enemie, O my Soule! be a most alluring sweet Potion; yet Sinne is a deceiving,XVIII and destroying Traytor: and no won­der, it being the Arrow of that evill one, who is not onlie a subtill Foxe, but also a bloodie Lyon. O! how easilie suffer vilde men themselves to be perswaded, that Sinne may be committed; yea, that Sinne is committed behinde backe; albeit there was never anie sinne committed but in sight. It may be, that sinne be committed behinde the backe of blinde man, who seeth nothing, and of sand-blinde man, who seeth [Page 35]little: yet is it ever committed in His sight,Psalm. 94.8.9.10. who made the eye of man to see, and who knoweth his thoughtes a farre off. And so in the eyes of that holie One,Revel. 1.14. whose eyes are like a flame of fire; Yea, who is all eye, as Augustine speaketh: Kno­west thou not, O my soule! that Abell was slaine behinde backe, and yet in sight: behinde the backe of Adam, Genesis, 4. the father of his flesh; yet in the sight of GOD, the father of his spirit. Vriah was slaine by David, being farre from David, 2. Sam. 11. behinde the backe of all Iudah; yea, and of Ammon, by whose sworde hee fell, David and Ioab onlie beeing excepted; yet Vriah was slaine by David, in his sight who filleth the Heavens and the Earth; and from whom none can hide himselfe in secret place:Ier. 23.24. and this I thinke David vvas compelled afterwardes to knowe, notwithstanding of all his policie. Who in all Israel coulde possiblie thinke, That Naboth was cruellie put to death; and so,1. King. 21.17.18. that Ahab and Iezebel (who should haue prooved his Prote­ctors) were his fierce Persecuters, even unto death? seeing hee was convicted by a formall Assize, having Witnesses, te­stifying, that hee had blasphemed GOD, and the King. And yet that blessed GOD, vvho searcheth the heartes, and vvho judgeth, not according to the outward appearance, but righ­teous judgement, can both accuse Ahab, of Oppression and Murder, and punish him for the same. Oh! ô my soule! When shall the blinde men of this dead Age, learne to hearken un­to, and to belieue, that blessed Spirit of Trueth, vvho cannot lie: teaching us clearlie, That no sinne can bee committed in secret. Came never that Sentence (ô my Soule) to thine Eares? Vnderstand, yee unwise amongst the People: And, yee Fooles, when will yee bee wise? Hee that planted the Eare, shall Hee not heare? Or Hee that formed the Eye, shall Hee not see? Psal. 94.8.9.10. Or Hee that chastizeth the Nations, shall Hee not correct? Or Hee that teacheth man knowledge, shall Hee not know? Hath that come to thine Eares, O my soule! Whither shall I flee from Thy Spirite? If I ascende unto Heaven, Thou art there: If I lye downe in Hell, Thou art there: Let mee take th [...] Winges of the Morning, Psal. 139.7.8.9.10.11.12. and dwell in the utter­most partes of the Sea, yet thither shall Thine Hand leade mee, and Thy Right Hand holde mee. If I say, Yet the Darknesse shall hyde mee, [Page 36]even the Night shall bee light about mee: yea, the Darknesse bydeth not from Thee: but Night shyneth as the Day: the Darknesse and Light, are both alyke. Came ever that unto thine Eares, ô my Soule▪ Woe unto them that seeke deepe to hyde their counsell from the LORD: for their workes are in darknesse: Esai. 29.15 and they say, Who seeth us? And, who knoweth us? I haue seene thine Adulteries, and thy Lyinges, the filthinesse of thy Whoredomes, Ier, 13.27. upon the Hilles, in the Fieldes, and thine Abominations. O my Soule! knowest thou not Him, who saw Nathanael, before Philip called him, when hee was under the Figge Tree?Iohn, 1.48. Yea, knowest thou not Him, who knewe the verie thought of the heart of Simeon, the Pharisee, speaking thus within himselfe of thy Saviour, If this Man were a Pro­phet, Hee would surelie haue knowne what manner of Woman this is, which toucheth Him: Luke, 7.39.40. for shee is a Sinner. Oh! ô my soule! when shall that which was seene, felt, and confessed, by olde Bern­hard, who lived in that blinde Age, which was couched un­der grosse Darknesse, bee seene, bee felt, and bee confessed by us? who liue nowe, hauing that great shyning light of the Gospel, continuallie with her hote pearcing Beames, stryking, as it were, our verie Eyes, so that wee cannot hyde our selues from them, eyther LORDS Day, or Weeke day: yea, eyther by day, or by night. Bringeth hee not in the wicked man, speaking thus to himselfe, Parietes inquit sunt undi (que)ue, quis me videt? I am inclosed on all sides with walles, vvho seeth me? Alwayes, how is that wicked man answered by him? Esto, nemo te videt non tamen nullus; videt te Angelus bonus, videt te angelus malus; Bernhard. videt te bonis & malis Angelis major, Deus. I giue thee (sayeth Bernhard) that no man seeth thee, yet darest thou say, that none seeth thee? the good Angell seeth thee, the evill angell seeth thee also: and, vvhich is more, one who is greater than good and evill angels seeth thee; to wit, GOD. When that evill angell, the devill, O my Soule! seeth thee; thy irrecon­ciliable Adversarie, and bitter Accuser, ô my Soule! seeth thee. When GODS good Angell seeth thee, that witnesse seeth thee, who vvill beare testimonie against thee; yea, thy loving Brother seeth thee, whom by thy sinne thou grievest feare­fullie. When thy GOD seeth thee, that judge seeth thee, [Page 37]who neyther can bee possibilie frustrate of His purpose, nor anyways corrupted when He goeth to judgement. Attempt not heerefore, O my Soule! to commit sinne, upon hope of secresie: for I must assure thee, from the mouth of thy GOD, that if thou shalt sinne against Him, thou shalt bee seene by Him.

XIX SInne and Evill, are so joyntlie knit together, O my Soule! let Satan alleadge vvhat he will, let men misled by Satan, alleadge what they please, that vvhosoever committeth sinne, doeth evill, albeit neither in the eyes of other men, neither in his owne eyes, yet in the eyes of that good GOD, before whome sinne was never good, before whom sinne shall never be good: yea, before whom sinne hath ever beene evill, sinne shall ever remaine evill, commit it who so will. I pray thee, heerefore, O my soule! while thou breathest heere, forget not to thinke grauelie up­on that warning and vvakening Sentence, which is delivered by the Spirit, touching David his adulterie and murther: And when the wife of Vriah heard that her husband, Vriah, was dead, 2. Sam. 11.26.27. shee mourned for her husband. So when the mourning was past, David sent, and tooke her to his House, and she became his Wife. Alwayes, hear­ken, hearken, O my soule, unto that which followed. But the thing that David had done was evill in the sight of the LORD. Alwayes, lest this evill which ever accompanieth sinne, be mistaken by thee, O my Soule! thou must know, that howbeit Sinne bee evill in the sight of the LORD; yet the evill of Sinne is not hurtfull to the LORD, against whom it is committed: but onelie unto that Soule, by the which it is committed. For as mans goodnesse cannot profite his GOD; Ioh, 35.6.7 8. so his sinne cannot harme His Majestie. Oh! ô my Soule! When shall the deboashed Gospellers of this our Tyme, suf­fer these Oracles of GOD to take roote downwarde in their heartes? to the ende, they may bring foorth Fruite upwards in their lyues. Doe they provoake Mee to wrath, (sayeth the Lord) and not themselues to the confusion of their owne faces? Ierem. 7.19. Eccles. 8.13. It shall not bee well with the Wicked, neyther shall hee prolong his dayes: but hee shall [Page 38]bee lyke a shadow, because hee feareth not before GOD. As thou lo­vest thy selfe then, ô my soule! strengthen thy selfe against all Sinne, if thou wouldest not haue mee to repent, (albeit, alace, out of tyme, after death, and judgement) That ever I was borne. For that Evill, which ever accompanieth the Sin­ner for Sinne, must, in despight of Devils, and men, at length ceaze upon the Sinner: unlesse, by sincere repentance, (GOD beeing mercifull unto him, for His Sonne IESVS His sake) hee quyte himselfe, tymouslie, of Sinne.

THE Wyse Gardener judgeth of his Tree, by its Fruite; XX as the vertuous Husbandman judgeth of his Seede, according to his Harvest: But, oh! O my Soule! When shalt thou, learning to bee holilie, and truelie wyse, beginne to judge of Sinne, thine onelie Enemie, by that fruite, by that harvest (alace) which it bringeth foorth? Oh, LORD GOD! oh, LORD GOD! how fearful­lie bitter is that fruit, which that rotten poysoning tree of Sin bringeth foorth! How fearfullie hurtfull is that uncouth har­vest which followeth it! I must tell thee heere, O my Soule! that that Sinne, whereinto I was conceived, and borne, and which (alace) I must alwayes keepe within my bosome, while I liue heere, bringeth foorth fruite, bringeth foorth sheaues; yea, such stoukes, such stackes, which bee so fearfullie bitter, so horriblie hurtfull, that if this bitternesse, and hurt, coulde bee perceived, even by us, who call our selues GODS Chil­dren, wee should bee easilie mooved, with that chosen Vessell of GOD, uncessantlie to crye out, O miserable man, that I am! who shall deliver mee from this bodie of death? Knowest thou not, ô my Soule!Roman. 7. that thou, and this my bodie, came joyntlie in one minute, joyned together in this Worlde? as two kynde Twinnes, loving other moste entirelie, embracing other most kyndlie. Yea, knowest thou not, ô my Soule! that thou, and this my bodie, haue lived, since that time of my birth, in this Worlde, some yeares together, as husband and wife, moste strictlie married one to another, even before GOD, and by GOD? and yet that bitter roote of Sinne, which (alace) [Page 39]was conceived, was borne, and which hath lived with us, will haue (in despight of all wee can devise, or doe) thee, O my soule! separate from this bodie of mine; and this my bo­die separate from thee. But will bitter Sinne stay heere, not­withstanding this bee a sharpe stroake? Not, ô my Soule! For Sinne, even after this separation is made, will haue that bodie, within the which it some-time lodged: (for heere I am speaking, ô my Soule! of the verie condition of GODS Sainctes onelie) albeit it bee dislodged, and put out of the bo­die, by death, couched under the vildest stinke, and most pesti­ferous flewar, that ever came to the nosthrils of man; (not­withstanding that that bodie was sometime pleasant to the eyes of the beholders, and savourie to the smell of such as ap­proached neare unto it) in such sorte, that the loving father may not suffer that his tender childe, beeing dead, to abide in one house with him: that the pittiefull hearted mother can bee contented, that the dead corpse of her dearest childe, even within some few houres, bee put foorth of her doores. But heere, ô my foule! Wonderest thou not, that a more vilde stinke, that a more loathsome flewar, over-taketh, and flo­weth, from the verie dead corpse of GODS Children, than from the dead Carions, of other creatures, as of Fowles, of Fishes, and of Beastes? O my Soule! cease to wonder at this, and learne to thinke upon that loathsome spring, where­from this proceedeth. I must tell thee, O my Soule! that the bodie of the holiest man that ever lived on earth heere, (that Glorious Sacred Bodie of blessed IESVS beeing excepted) lodgeth a more vilde guest, a more stinking guest, (onelie loathsome to GOD, and His Angels) than ever the bodie of anie Fowle, Fish, or Beast, did lodge. I must confesse, indeede, that the bodies of those creatures doe lodge corruption, yea, much corruption, as may easilie bee perceived while they doe liue, and especiallie, when they bee dead. Alwayes, that stin­king loathsome guest of Sinne, they doe not lodge, which the verie bodies of Abraham, Isaac, Iaakob, Peter, Iames, Iohn, Paul, could not but lodge: And therefore, no wonder, that a more noysome stinke, flow from the verie dead bodies of GODS [Page 40]Saincts, than from the Carions of those reasonlesse creatures. But will Sinne stay heere, O my soule! albeit this be a deepe stroake? No, no, for Sinne will haue that dead stinking body, in the which it lodged sometimes, couched under the earth, under the seas, and there returne into dust, out of the which is was taken.Genes. 3.19. Eccles. 12.7. But vvill Sinne stay heere, albeit this would seeme to bee that dead stroake, beyond the vvhich none can goe, in the chide of GOD? No, no; for telleth not Historie us, that out of the dead stinking corpse of men, and women, there ariseth most monsterous, and noysome beastes? Yea, uglie Toades, and cruell Serpents. Augustine, in his fourtie eight Sermon to his Brethren the Heremites, affirmeth, That Toades are bredde in the braines of the dead corpse; and, That Serpents are bredde in their Neares. Yea, writeth not Augustine, That hee, being at Rome, saw a Toade in the Brain­panne of one of their Emperours? Dare I here forget the like uncouth spectacle, (by GODS speciall providence, I doubt not, for my better resolution anent the veritie of the thinges alleadged) presented to mine owne eyes, beeing in the Kirke yarde of LEITH, in the Month of Iune, a thou­sand, sixe hundreth, and fifteene yeares? for beeing there, delightning to attend, for a while, those honest men, buil­ding, for the time, our Steeple, I behelde, within a grassie bush, the heade of some dead corpse, having, in the outmost part of it, a little voyde; while I haue a purpose, to cause the Kirke Officer put this skull under the earth, looking on it more narrowlie, I behelde, through the voyde part of it, (to my great astonishment) a Toade of an hudge bignesse: whereupon I called the worke-men, to consider the spectacle vvith mee: and having made a little discourse unto them, upon the Miseries, Vanitie, Vildnesse, and Pride, of man, we all beganne to consider, how vvee might haue the Toade separated from the head; but that wee found altogether im­possible, till the bone was violentlie broken, so little was the voyde part of it, and so big was the Toade. Let the reader judge where this Toade was bred, and fostered: For He who knoweth all thinges, (blessed bee His Name) knoweth, [Page 41]that I saw it lodged, as said is. O my soule! what if those thinges could be considered by men? and especiallie by wo­men, in this our licentious foolish Age? would they take such paines, and delight, to fat their claye bodies, with all sort of pleasures, and pleasant thinges, as they doe? Would they, even with the wracke of their estates, feede their bellies? dresse their heades? cover their backes, so daintilie, so glo­riouslie, which must be brought so low, and bee made a mo­ther to conceiue, a nurse to foster, yea, a lodging to keepe such uglie monsters? Yea, if this could be considered, O my Soule! O! with what an hatred would the Childe of GOD hate Sinne! O! with what a care would the Child of GOD arme himselfe, against Sinne! seeing nothing besides Sinne, hath brought all these evils upon poore miserable Man.

IN this last, and worst Age of the Worlde, (alace) O my Soule! all men, almost, seeke after Sinne,XXI defile them­selues with Sinne; yea, alace, delight themselues in Sinne: and all because few men, alace, studie to acquaint them­selues, truelie, with the nature of Sinne. Men, now-a-dayes, O my Soule! miscarried by their owne deceiving Lustes, while they fall into Sinne, looke unto men, yea, unto men onelie; as if Sinne were committed against man, yea, against man onelie. And out of this false ground, blindlinges, alace, layde by them, as they thinke of the man, with whome they haue to doe; so they thinke of the sinne, which they haue committed. If that man bee such a one, who may grieue and annoy them, then they are grieved for their sinne. Alwayes, not because that Great GOD is abused by them: but because a man, who may grieue them, is grieved by them. If that man bee such a man, who cannot grieue them, who dare not attempt to annoy them, by reason of their grandour and cre­dit worldlie, and his basenesse, and lacke of moyen with men; O, then, O my Soule! they can both digest their sinne sweetlie, and goe on in their sinne peartlie, and pleasantlie: For can those men possiblie dreame, that anie beside man, hath anie intrest, to quarrell them for their sinne? Alwayes, [Page 42]hearken, hearken, O my Soule! would man suffer that good Worde of GOD, which is that Worde of Trueth, (which never deceived any man, which never shall deceiue any man) to leade him; hee should finde, that everie sinne committed on earth, beneath heere, (bee the committer of it King or coatter) looketh not lower than the Heaven of Heavens; and so he should finde, that sinne committed beneath heere, is committed against none who liveth heere beneath; but onelie against that Supreame Majestie, who ruling over all thinges, hath His Throne set aboue all Thrones, even in the highest Heavens. I will confesse, ô my soule! that a Sub­ject may offende, and grieue, his King; that a King may injure, and grieue, his Subject; that a Father may hurt and grieue his sonne; that a sonne may hurt and grieue his Father; but Scripture beeing well considered, will not suffer mee to con­fesse, that a Subject can sinne against his King, or that a King can sinne against his Subject; that a father can sinne against his sonne, or a sonne sinne against the Father. Tell mee, tell me, O my soule! vvhat callest thou sinne? Sinne, I know, being taught of GOD, is, The Transgression of the Law. But of whose Law,1. Iohn. 3.4. I pray thee? Not of the Law of anie pettie King; but of the Law of that KING of Kinges, who is that onelie Supreame Law-giver, who is able to saue, and destroy. Knowest thou not,Iames, 4.12. ô my Soule! wherefore Theft is Sinne? and when Theft is Sinne? wherefore Murder is Sinne? and when Murder is Sinne? and so foorth, of all other Sinnes. Because GOD hath forbidden them; and when GOD for­biddeth them; are they not sinnes, and not other wayes? Hast thou not heard, O my Soule! that the Israelites spoyled the Aegyptians of all their lewels?Exo. 11.2.3. And 12.35.36. Yet, I thinke, thou wilt ney­ther accuse, nor convict them, for their deede: and all be­cause that was done of them, by the speciall commaundement of His Mouth, who can commaund no wrong. Yea, hast thou not heard, ô my Soule! that Ebud killed Aeglon? Yet thou must thinke,Iudges, 3.20.21.22. that hee cannot bee reputed a Murderer for that; it being done, by the secret commission of that Su­preame LORD, who hath couched all, living so under Law, that Hee himselfe alone doeth remaine free from all Law: yea, [Page 43]farre aboue all Law. David, againe, O my Soule! beeing a great King amongst men heere, hath defiled but the wife of his meane honest Subject: yea, David hath, by the hand of the Ammonite, slaine the Husband of this wife, defiled by him. Al­wayes, sinneth not David, O my soule? Yes, yes, hee sinneth grosselie; albeit not against Bathseba, whose chastitie was defi­led; albeit not against Vriah, whose life was taken; yet hee sin­neth against that Mightiest KING, who had sayde, Thou shalt not commit Adulterie: Thou shalt doe no Murder. Exodus, 20. The sight and sense of this Trueth, ô my soule! mooved the en­lightened mynde, the renewed and sanctified heart, of the same David, to untie his lippes, to proclaime aloude, before GOD, Angels, and Men, that notable Confession, Against Thee, against Thee, onelie, haue I sinned, and done evill in Thy sight. Psalme, 51.4. Hast thou sinned then, O my Soule! so secretlie, that no man knoweth thy sinne? Is that partie, whome thou, by thy knowne and publicke sinne, hast offended, so base, or poore, that eyther hee dare not quarrell thee, for feare, or may not quarrell thee, for want of Moyen? Yet let neyther of these, I pray thee, secure thee: For Hee is aboue thee, whome thou, by thy sinne, hast provoked to wrath against thee: whose Eyes are upon all the wayes of Man; and whose Handes bee sufficientlie able to punish Man. O my Soule! Remember Naboth, for thy comfort, in these evill dayes. Shall not that GOD, who required his blood at the hand of his King,1. Kings, 11.18.19. make inquisition for everie sinne committed against Him, by whatsoever sinner? although Hee suffer, even wicked men, for a long time.

XXII IF thou loue thy selfe, ô my Soule! holilie, and wiselie, to the benefite of mine estate, to the comfort of mine heart, even while a verie worlde of thornie crosses, and temptations, shall pricke mee; and to my full, and finall joye in Heaven: I would heartfullie advise thee, neyther to commit sinne, neyther to communicate with sinne: and so, neyther directlie to doe that evill, which cannot bee called, but thine evill: neyther anie wayes joyne thy selfe, [Page 44]with that evill, which thou wouldest account not to be thine, but the evill of another. Thus I would counsell thee, O my Soule! not onelie, not to bee an Idolater, but not to com­municate with Idolaters: not onelie, not to bee an Adulte­rer, but not to take parte with an Adulterer. But heere, ô my poore, weake soule! for the better guarding, and streng­thening of thee, on all sides, against the poysoned killing Arrowes of Satan, thy sworne Enemie; I would pray thee, grauelie to ponder, and weigh, three thinges: First, where­by doeth a man communicate with the Sinnes of others? Secondlie, wherefore should men bee affrayde, anie wayes to communicate with the Sinnes of others? Thirdlie, what should the honest wise Childe of GOD (who shoulde bee ashamed to bee a slaue to Sinne, alwayes kything himselfe a strong Souldiour, subduing it) in this respect resolue to doe? Scripture teacheth me, ô my Soule! that men communicate with the sinnes of others, by consultation, by direction, by approbation, by provocation, by toleration, by confirmation. By consultation, when they advise another how hee may doe that which is evill, albeit themselues doe it not: thus vilde Ionadab communicated with the unnaturall incest of Ammon, 2. Sam. 13.4.5. 2. Sam. 16.20.21. showing him by what way he might easilie lye with his sister Tamar. Thus vilde Ahitophell communicated with the mon­strous unnaturall incest of Absolom, advising him, even before the Sunne, to lye with his Fathers concubines. By direction, when men, out of respects knowen to themselues, will keepe as it were, their owne handes from an evill turne; and yet command another for to doe it. Thus bloodie Saul commu­nicated with the villane Doeg, 1. Sam. 22.18. 2. Sam. 11.14.15. in slaying the priestes of GOD. Yea, alace, even David thus communitated with the murther of Vriah: for was he not slaine by his direction? By approba­tion, when a man knowing that an evill turne is done by another, alloweth eyther of the turne, or of the doer. Thus the rest of Iaakobs sonnes communicated with the bloode of the Sechemites, Gen. 34.28.29.30. murthered by Simeon & Levi. By provocation, when one abusing the place hee is set into, or those gifts of mynde, or bodie, he is beautified with, abuseth others so, that [Page 45]hee provoaketh them to doe that which is evill. Thus Reho­boam communicated with that defection which Israel made from the House of David, when hee,1. Kings. 12.12.13.14. beeing abused by young Counsellers, and abusing that place which GOD had set him into, by his austere rigerous speaches, provoaked them to just wrath. Thus bloodie Iezebell communicated with all the evils done by her husband Ahab: For speaketh not the spirit touching him, and her thus, But there was none like Ahab, who did sell himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the LORD; 1. Kings, 21.25. whom Iezebell, his wife, provoaked. And in this sense, Fa­thers are counselled, by the Spirit, not to provoake their children to wrath. By toleration, when a man,Ephes. 6.4. having au­thoritie to beare downe sinne, by punishing the committers of it, overseeth them, not drawing that Sword which GOD hath put into His handes against them. And thus (alace) even olde Eli communicated, with the abominations of his vilde sonnes; who, by their uncleane liues,1. Sam. 2, 29.30. made the people of GOD to abhorre the LORDS Sacrifice. By confir­mation, when a man haunteth the societie of wicked men, so familiarlie, so frequentlie, that there-by hee strengtheneth the wicked man, in his wickednesse. Thus the Religious man cōmunicateth with the Atheisme of the Atheist, by haunting the societie of the Atheist. The true worshipper of GOD, cōmunicateth with the superstition of the Papist, by haunting kindlie the societie of the Papist; even when hee seeth hee cannot bee wonne. Yea, thus meeke men, chaste men, tem­perate men, true men, peaceable men, communicate with Murderers, Adulterers, Fornicators, Drunkardes, false men, seditious men, by haunting of their companie. This mooved Paul to charge us, who bee Christians, Not to eate with such men, not to bee companions of such men. But wherefore,1. Cor. 5.11. Ephes. 5.7. O my Soule! shouldest thou bee loath anie of these wayes to communicate with Sinne? Remember, O my soule! GODS Threatninges; and besides that, GODS Execution, according to His Threatninges: so, sure I am, thou shalt bee easilie scar­red from attempting to communicate aniewise with Sinne: unlesse unhappilie thou resolue, even with vilde Lameth, to [Page 46]The Moste High GOD. Are not GODS Chil­dren, ô my soule! thus counselled by their Father? Goe out of Babel, my People, that yee bee not partakers in her sinnes, and that yee receiue not of her plagues. Revel. 18.4. That lying Murderer, ô my soule! perswaded my Grand-mother Evah, That if shee woulde communicate with him, in transgressing of GODS Com­maundement, she should finde a shining precious Pearle. But that Spirit of Trueth, who delighteth to haue thee living for evermore, assureth thee, That if thou joyne with a man in his sinnes, thou shalt not bee severed from him, when hee is plagued for his sinnes. But will not our GOD prooue as good as His Worde? and so, execute as Hee threatned? especial­lie when Hee findeth, that His Threatninges are mocked? That will Hee doe, undoubtedlie, O my soule! Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, are sent downe, as thou knowest, to the Pitte quicke, for attempting to rise up against Moyses and Aaron. Vpon the morrowe all the multitude of the people of Israel, (alace) communicating with them, in their sinne, will ga­ther themselues together against Moyses and Aaron, crying loudlie,Numb. 16.41.42.43.44.45.46. and peartlie, Yee haue killed the People of the LORD. Al­vvayes, alwayes, came there not foorth such a fearce vvrath frō the LORD, that before Aaron can come to them (albeit he ranne vvith all his force) to make an Attonement for them, there died of that Plague, fourteene thousande, and seaven hundreth? While the Wife of the Levite vvas villanouslie abused, (at Gibea, a Citie of Benjamin) to the death, the whole Tribe of Benjamin (alace) vvill communicate with this Villa­nie: For when the other Tribes, their Brethren, besought them, to deliver unto them the committers of that wicked­nesse, to the ende,Iudges, 20. And 21. that that evill might bee put away from Is­rael; not onelie would they not obey the voyce of their Bre­thren, but they gathered themselues together, to fight against them. Alwayes, turned not this, O my Soule! at length, to the verie over-throwe of Benjamin? Nowe, what must thou doe, in this respect, O my Soule! for thine owne praeserva­tion? Hearken, hearken, I pray thee, vvouldest thou, vvith that valiant Religious Champion, Ioshua, stand by thy GOD [Page 47]with anie man, and fall from thy GOD vvith no man; lifting up thine head, aboue all thinges earthlie, all living on earth, towardes the third Heavens, in the feare of thy GOD, and by the especiall grace of His Spirit, conclude thus with thy selfe, I will seeke, and I will serue my GOD with anieman; but I will sinne against my GOD with no man. Let the King with his Subject, and Subject with his King, seeke and serue GOD, as Davids Subjectes with him, and hee with them, did. But if all the Subjectes of the Land forsake GOD, let the King say with Ioshua, I, and mine house, will serue the Lord. Ios. 24.15. 1. Sam. 21.17. If the King will fall away from GOD, let the Subjectes with Saules Courteoures, looke to him, and refuse to followe him. And if hee attempt to command them, to forsake their GOD, let them answere couragiouslie, vvith the Apostles, Whether it bee better to obey GOD or Man, judge yee. Acts, 4.19. Let the Husbande vvith the Wife, and the Wife with the Husbande, seeke and serue GOD, as the Shunamitish Ladie with her Husbande did.2. Kinges, 4. But if the Wife, vvith Lots Wife, vvill looke over her shoul­der to Sodome, let the Husband, vvith Lot, keepe his heart, and his eye, straight upon that Mountaine of Glorie,Genes. 19. towardes the vvhich the LORD hath directed him. If the Husband, with Nabal, vvill prooue prophane, and ungrate, let the Wife, with Abigall, remaine religious, and thankfull.1. Sam. 25. Let the Parent with the Childe, and the Childe with the Parent, seeke and serue GOD, as Abraham and Isaac served Him joyntlie, and sweetlie, together. But let the Parent, vvith Iaakob, learne,Gen. 22.6.7.8.9. not to sinne with the Childe: for when Simeon and Levi fell into vilde murder, vvho were both his sonnes, can hee not crye, Simeon and Levi, Brethren in evill, Gen. 49.5.6. the instrumentes of crueltie are in their ha­bitation, into their secret let not my Soule come: my Glorie, bee thou not joyned with their assemblie. If the Father will fall away from GOD, vvith Saul, yet let the Sonne sticke constantlie unto Him, vvith Ionathan. Yea, if the Mother, which brought thee foorth, fall away from GOD, not onelie suffer her not; but, if GOD haue cloathed thee with Authoritie, see that thou take order vvith her,2. Chron. 15.16. as King Aza tooke order vvith his Mo­ther, and her Groue: otherwayes, bee assured, that GOD, [Page 48](whom thou shouldst not onlie loue better than thy Mother;Luke, 14.16. but for whose cause thou shouldest hate all that belong unto thee) shall take order with thee.

XXIII OH! O my soule! when shalt thou finde eye-salue, to enlighten thee; to the ende, that thou mayest once see sinne, in the own vilde colour of it? When shall that Dew come downe from Heaven, which may happilie soften thine heart, and make it so delicatelie tender, that thou mayest once feele, sinne in the owne heavie weight of it? and so be made, now at length, to know it in the owne horrible nature, with all it drawes after it, with all it hath joyned with it; and all to the ende, that I, before I bee made to lay downe this earthlie tabernacle, may bee mooved to scarre with it; yea, to hate it; and vvith the verie hazard, and losse of all I haue, to arme my selfe against it. Stoppe thine eares, ô my Soule! against Satan, and close thine eyes upon him also, when he speaketh to thee touching sinne, when he bringeth thee before sinne, or sinne before thee: for belieue mee, hee will tone it so, hee will fairde it so, that he will make thee take it for some sweet, pleasant, wholesome, Apple, while it is that onlie bitter and destroying poyson, which slayeth bodie, and soule. Open thine eares, O my Soule! to heare thy GOD: enlarge thine heart, O my Soule! to be­lieue thy GOD, when Hee speaketh unto thee touching sinne: for Hee will tell thee, that sinne is an uglie defiling thing; that sinne is a monstruous uglie defiling thing; yea, that sinne is a cruell monstruous defiling thing. Sinne is an uglie defiling thing, making the sinner foule; yea, even foule in His eyes, before whom alone he hath speciall neede to bee cleane; and so, in the eyes of GOD his Maker, and Iudge. Sinne is a monstrous uglie defiling thing; for none can possibilie wash away that filth which it draweth upon man, beside that cleane One, IESVS CHRIST, by His owne Handes. Sinne is a cruell monstruous uglie thing; for even this cleane One, IESVS, cannot possibilie wash away that filth it draweth on by His owne handes, but in the [Page 49]Laver of His owne precious Bloode onlie. Thou thinkest, ô my soule! that thou meetest with a wonder, vvhen thou hearest that Naaman, the Syrian, was cleansed of his Leprosie,2. King. 5.14 by washing himselfe seaven times in the River Iordane. Thou thinkest much of that Poole, which beeing troubled by the Angell, was able to cure that man who first steepped in into it,Iohn, 5.4. of whatsoever disease hee had. Yea, thou meetest, as thou must confesse, with an uncouth wonder, when thou seest thy Master vvith His owne Handes, powring water in a Bason, and washing His Disciples Feete: but, O!Iohn, 13.45 with what a wonder mayest thou meete, ô my soule! beside Matthew, in his twentie seaven; Marke, in his fourteenth; Luke, in his twentie two; Iohn, in his nynteenth? for there thou mayst see blessed IESVS, not rysing from anie Table, but fixed to a Tree: not powring foorth water, to vvash the feete of anie; but yeelding foorth, out of unspeakeable loue; and with incomparable contentment, His verie heart blood, for the washing of the soules of all such as can, by a true liuelie faith keepe this His Bloode, keepe this His Bloode. The Papist mixeth this bloode, as not sufficient for him: the Papist mocketh this blood, as not onlie requisite for him: yea, which is more, the Papist avowedlie controlleth this which wee speake (being so taught of GOD) touching this blood, as not alwayes requisite for him: and which I must necessarilie deplore, and lament, ô my Soule! a verie world of Prote­stantes, in this our time, abuse this Blood of blessed IESVS, onlie able to wash sinners, as if it were not so precious, so ho­nourable, as holie Scripture affirmeth it for to be. The blinde Papist mixeth this Blood of IESVS, (as not sufficient to wash away his sinne) with the Milke of His Mother Marie: But spake Isai so,Isai. 53.5. when he deponed that onlie IESVS was wounded for our transgressions, and that wee are no other­wayes healed, but by His stripes onelie? Spake Zacharie so,Zach. 13.1. when hee saw a great fountaine opened, for the House of Da­vid, and to the inhabitantes of Hierusalem, for sinne, and for uncleannesse? Can hee who was sent before blessed IESVS (to shew what a one IESVS was) see this, which the [Page 50]blinde Papist seeth? No, no, ô my Soule! For is not this his Testimonie touching Him?Iohn, 1.29. Beholde, the Lambe of GOD, which taketh away the Sinnes of the Worlde, Yea, can that man, vvho laye nearer our Blessed Saviour than ever Sainct Francis, or anie Papist, did, perceiue this? Not forsoothe: For spea­keth hee not thus, The Bloode of IESVS CHRIST clean­seth us from all Sinne? 1. Iohn, 1.7, The blinde Papist, ô my Soule! moc­keth this also: as if CHRISTES Bloode were not fit onelie to wash away Sinne. And therefore, hee dare maintaine, That those villanous Poenitentiaries (vvho are accustomed, vvith the Priestes of Baal, cruellie to launce themselues, to the effu­sion of their blood) doe not lyinglie thinke, That thereby they deserue Remission of Sinnes, at the handes of that Great Majestie. O, vilde Papist! Bee ashamed heere. Is not thy blood such a blood, as thou thy selfe art? Vilde art thou; for thou art a sinner: and I must thinke, that thy bloode is as vilde: for is it not the blood of a sinner? And can the vilde blood, of a vilde sinner, possiblie pacifie the vvrath of that holie GOD, before whom the Heavens are not cleane? and vvho found no steadfastnesse in His Sainctes?Iob, 15.15. O, vilde Pa­pist! Was it ever lawfull, to sacrifice a Man to GOD? O vvilfull, malicious, ignorant Papist! Could the verie blood of IESVS haue beene a sufficient Sacrifice for Sinne, had it not beene the blood of Him, vvho was not Man onelie, but God and Man also? And therefore, hearest thou not the Spi­rit affirming,Acts, 20.29. That even GOD by His owne Blood hath purcha­sed a Church unto Himselfe? This mooved that Peter (shamed bee the Pope, Peter his alleadged, but Iudas his true successor) to depone,1. Pet. 1.18.19. that we are not redeemed by anie blood, beside the precious blood of. CHRIST, that Lambe of GOD, undefi­led, and without spotte. O Heavens! vvill yee not partie your holie Maker heere, against the hellish Papistes? Much blood saw that Sunne, which enlighteneth this Earth, shedde betwixt that day, in the which Kain slew Abel, and that day, in the which that bloode of IESVS vvas shedde on the Crosse; not preassing to hyde his Face. But can hee beholde the Blood of his maker, vvith anie kynde of countenance, [Page 51]vvhen it was shedde? No, no: for hee covereth his Face,Mat. 27.45 from the third houre, to the ninth. But no wonder: for be­fore that day, hee never sawe Sanguinem purum, & purificantem, cleane, and cleansing Blood, shedde. O, harde Earth! vvilt thou not heere partie thy maker also, against the indured Pa­pistes? Much blood drankest thou in, betwixt that day that Kain slew Abell, and that day that IESVS His bloode was shedde, abyding in the meane time firme and stable. But canst thou, O harde Earth! abyde stable, vvhen this honou­rable Bloode of IESVS falleth upon thee? No, no:Matth. 27.51.52. for the verie Graues open their mouthes, vvhen that Bloode be­ginneth to dew thee; so that a great number, vvho were dead, arose, and went into the holie Citie. Yea, the verie hardest Stones can cleaue themselues asunder, vvhen this Bloode is shedde: albeit the Flintie heart of the Papist, harder than the Stone, cannot bee mooved to thinke honourablie of this Bloode. Alwayes, no wonder is it, O my Soule! that the harde Earth, vvith the hardest Stones, vvere so mooved: for till that day, shee never dranke in anie cleane, anie cleansing blood. The Papist also, ô my soule! controlleth this, as a manifest untrueth: For hee would holde us in hande, That Sinnes may bee washen away, vvhere no blood is shedde: for is hee affrayde to avow, That his reall, externall, unbloodie sacrifice of the Masse, (as hee, lyinglie, and shameleslie, mis­led by that olde shamelesse Lyar, Satan, and that for his foule particular, speaketh) is a sacrifice propitiatorie, for the sinnes of the living on earth heere, and of the dead, in his impure foule Purgatorie? O Paul! vvilt thou (ledde by the good Spirite of Trueth) subsribe with the Papist, in this pointe? No, no, Paul aunswereth, I will never, eyther subscribe neare hand, nor hearken afarre off, unto that abominable Lie: For as CHRIST IESVS none otherwayes purchased a Kirke unto Himselfe, than by Blood; so without Blood there is no Remission, sayeth Paul. Our sensuall Protestantes,Hebr. 9.22. (alace) O my soule! turning the Saving Grace of GOD, into damnable Wantonnesse, in this foule Age, abuse feare­fullie this onelie honourable, and meritorious Bloode of [Page 52]IESVS: For he holds not the sheeding of it for sinne, to be a sufficient scarre, to affray him from the cōmitting of sinne; yea, from wallowing in uncouth sinnes, even with delight; as if hee were some filthie Swine, made with his Face down­wardes; and not a Man, vvhome GOD hath honoured vvith His owne Image. Tell mee, tell mee, O my Soule! if any man would, eyther of purpose, or with pleasure, defile his outward Garment, with anie kynde of Filth, if hee could bee perswaded, that nothing coulde cleanse that his Garment againe, but a Vessell full of his owne best blood? Now, tel­leth not the Scripture thee, O my Soule! That thou, beeing defiled with Sinne, canst not possiblie bee cleansed from it, but by the Blood of IESVS onelie? Shalt thou then at­tempt at anie time, to commit sinne of purpose? and to con­tinue in sinne with pleasure? And if thou darest doe so, canst thou thinke thy selfe to bee one, vvho eyther esteemeth ho­nourablie of that honourable Blood of IESVS, shedde to cleanse thee; or reverentlie, and honourablie, of that blessed GOD, vvho shedde His Blood for thee?

SInne is a filthie thing, Sinne is a most cruell filthie thing,XXIIII O my Soule! as thou mayest easilie perceiue: and let this humble thee. Alwayes honourable, and precious, is that Blood of blessed IESVS: Forcible, and strong, beyond measure, is that Blood of blessed IESVS: and let this comfort thee. IESVS His Blood is honou­rable, and precious; for it can doe away the filth of Sinne; making a man even cleane, in His eyes, before whom the well informed Childe of GOD, stryveth speciallie to bee cleane. Forcible, and strong, is the Blood of IESVS; for it can wash a man, not from one sinne, but from everie sinne; yea, from all sinnes, were they never so monstrous, so pre­sumptuous. Hast thou not, ô my soule! considered, that first Chapter of Matthew, for thine information? Yea, for thy speciall consolation anent this point? ô blessed IESVS, my sole saviour! of whom art Thou come according to the flesh? and so what fathers, what mothers, will Thy Majestie [Page 53](as man) haue? is Thy Majestie, O my Saviour, onlie come of Abraham, and not of Pharez also, whom Iudah begot on Tamar his Daughter in Law? Will Thy Majestie, O my Saviour, haue Sarah onlie (the wife of Abraham) for Thy Mother, and not Rahab the Harlot, and Ruth the Moabitish also? But wherefore, O my soule! would blessed IESVS, haue such Fathers, haue such Mothers, according to the flesh? Surelie, surelie, to testifie before GOD, Angels, and Men, that He came not to call the Righteous, but Sinners,Marke, 2.1 to Re­pentance, were their sinnes never so manie, never so mon­strous, providing that they, by a liuelie faith, coulde keepe that blood which He hath shedde to wash them; and by sin­cere repentance, accompaning this their faith, testifie to the world, that they haue learned, being taught by the Spirit, to accompt honourablie, of this His blood shedde for them.

XXV O My Soule! I will tell thee, to thy comfort, were thy sinnes never so manie, were thy sinnes never so monstrous, that precious blood of blessed IESVS, who hath loved thee, is sufficientlie able to wash thee from them all. Alwayes, I must tell thee, for thine in­formation, and reformation, That wise IESVS vvill not vvash thee in His blood, from thy manie sinnes by past, from thine uglie sinnes praesent, to the ende, that thou mayest af­terwardes defile thy selfe with sinne, or continue in the trade of thy praesent sinnes: but to the ende,Revel. 1.5.6. that thou being washen by Him, mayest prooue a Spirituall King; subduing Sinne: and a Spirituall Priest; offering up thy selfe, in bodie & soule, in a living, and an holie Sacrifice, unto GOD. Tell me,Rom. 12.1.2 tell mee, O Zachariah! the Father of Iohn the Baptist, Wherefore came CHRIST into this Worlde, bringing cleane, and cleansing blood with Him? Was it not, That we, being de­livered out of the handes of our Enemies,Luke, 1.74.75. should serue Him vvithout feare? O Paul! tell me, wherfore died my LORD, and LYFE, IESVS CHRIST, for mee? Was it not, That I, hence-foorth, should not attempt to liue to my selfe, but unto Him, vvho died for mee, and rose againe? Yea,2. Cor. 5.15. tell [Page 54]mee, O Paul! Wherefore hath our Glorious GOD appoin­ted, that His blessed Gospel to bee preached? vvhich I may justlie call, That buntch of Hyssope, by the which our soules are sprinkled, vvith that cleansing bloode of that cleane Lambe, vvho maketh that destroying Angel to passe by us, vvhile others die. Was is not, O my soule! that wee, de­nying all ungodlinesse, and worldlie lustes, should liue holi­lie, and righteouslie,Tit. 2.11.12 and soberlie, in this praesent Worlde?

XXVI HAth that Great GOD, and blessed Saviour of the Worlde, IESVS, loved thee, O my Soule? And loving thee, vvashen thee from thy sinnes, in His blood? Yea, renewed thee so by His Spirite, that thou darest not attempt to liue to thy selfe, seeking such things as may profite thee, may pleasure thee: but unto Him, vvho died for thee: studying alwayes, to doe those thinges vvhich may please Him, and conquish Glorie unto Him. Bee sure, bee sure, O my Soule! that this blessed One, thy great Saviour, enjoying all Priviledges, hath no Priviledge, in a manner, vvhereof Hee will not gladlie make thee Partner. And must not this comfort thee, against all temptations, and crosses, if thou canst loue Him, and cleaue unto Him? And shall not this confound thee, if knowing this to bee true; as thou must know it to bee most true: if thou darest attempt to forget Him, and to bee unthankfull unto Him? IESVS hath one GOD, O my Soule! and Hee will haue His GOD to bee thy GOD.Iohn, 20.17. IESVS hath a Father; and Hee will haue His Father, to bee thy Father. IESVS is not onelie cloathed vvith an humane nature, but also with a Divine nature; and Hee will haue thee to bee a Partner of the Divine nature also.1. Pet. 1.4. IESVS is the LORD His CHRIST; and so, that holy One, vvhome His Father hath annoynted,Psal. 45.7. vvith the Oyle of glad­nesse, aboue His fellowes, to bee the Great King, and Priest of the Kirke: and Hee will haue thee made a King, and a Priest, unto GOD, His Father also. IESVS is the Heyre of that Inheritance immortall,Revel. 1.6. & undefiled, & which fadeth not away: and Hee will haue thee to bee an Heyre of that King­dome, [Page 55]annexed with Him. Yea,Rom. 8.17. this IESVS is entered al­readie into that Heaven of Heavens, even in my nature; sit­ting there, at the Right Hand of that Great Majestie: and He vvill haue thee, O my Soule! to be there,Iohn. 17.24. even with this my bodie also: Yea, till I be there, in bodie, & in soule, & the whole Elect of GODS Members with me, that holy One, that blessed One, IESVS, vvho is Loue it selfe, (for otherwayes Hee had never died for mee) will account Himselfe to bee imperfect; yea, to bee maymed, as it were: such is the force of that loue,Ephes. 1.13. wherewith Hee loved us; and so rarelie inestimable are those Heavenlie Priviledges: unto the full fruition, and everlasting possession whereof, Hee must necessarilie haue us advanced.

XXVII BLessed, blessed, O my soule! beyonde measure, be all those, whose Father Almightie GOD, in His dearest Sonne, IESVS, hath become: And therefore, I cannot wonder, that that Disciple whome IESVS loved, speaking heereof, was mooved, with a shrill voyce, thus to crye foorth; resembling some Messenger, sounding from a Market Crosse, some speciall Proclamation: Beholde what loue the Father hath shewed on us, that wee should bee called, 1. Iohn, 3.2. The Sonnes of GOD. Manie Sonnes, indeede, hath His Majestie: yea, our GOD (blessed for evermore bee that His only beloved Sonne, IESVS, who at a great rate hath conquished these Sonnes un­to Him) hath a verie worlde of Sonnes. Alwayes,Revel. 7.9. the Scrip­ture telleth mee, O my Soule! That GOD, our Father, will make all these His Sonnes, Kinges;Revel. 1.6. and everie one of them a King: not to reigne for a while, honoured with a fa­ding Crowne: But to reigne for evermore, in that Kingdome,1. Pet. 1, 3.4.5. which is immortall, and undefiled, and which fadeth not away. What King earthlie, ô my Soule! having manie Sonnes, is able to make all his Sonnes Kinges? And yet foo­lish man dreameth those to bee happie, who bee the Sonnes of Kinges; yea, of great men: howbeit none can bee possibly truelie happie, but such, who being borne over againe,Iohn, 3.3. by the Spirit, and by the Worde of GOD, bee made the Sonnes of The Most High: and so Kings, at length, to reigne in despight [Page 56]of all Tyrantes, and tyrannie, for ever. I shall not offende, heerefore, ô my Soule! albeit my Coate now bee course, my Bread bee browne, my Drinke small, my Crowne sharpe, and pricking, having terroures within, and troubles without. Knowest thou not, ô my soule! howe thy LORD, and SA­VIOVR, comming to this Earth, by His death, to draw thee to Heaven, was cloathed, was entertayned, was crowned here: and yet, blessed bee His Name, in despight of all hellish, and earthlie Powers, is Hee not crowned nowe in that highest Heavens, with that Crowne of incomparable Majestie, and everlasting Glorie,Mat. 28.18 having all power in Heaven, and on Earth, given unto Him? Yea, possessing a Name, aboue all names which are named in this Worlde;Philip. 2.9.10. and unto the which everie Knee must bowe. O believing Trades man, Craftes man, Coatter, Beggar! Canst thou lift up thine Eyes afore-hande, to see? Canst thou bow thine heart afore-hande, to taste, the unspeakeable Ioyes which thy Soule shall possesse, that incorruptible Glorie which shall compasse thy verie clay Vessell, when thou, beeing glorified throughlie, the Lambe, with the Lambe, shall goe in, and out, before the Lambe, in that newe Hierusalem, which is aboue; having on thine head that Crowne of endlesse Glorie, cloathed with a long white Robe, having Palmes in thine hand, and crying joyfullie, with a loude voyce, Salvation commeth of our GOD, that sitteth on the Throne, Revelat. 7.9.10. and of the Lambe. Let it bee thy Meate then, thy Drinke then, while thou sojournest heere, O my soule! ab­sent in bodie, from that Lambe of GOD, thy Saviour; to thinke upon this IESVS, to speake of this IESVS, to seeke this IESVS, to serue this IESVS, who hath called thee unto this honour, to bee the Childe of GOD; and so, to be a King for ever, to possesse fulnesse of Ioye in GODS praesence, and at His Right Hand Pleasures for evermore.Psal. 16.11.

XXVIII KNewest thou, O my Soule! how farre that blessed wise GOD, thy Father, hath advanced the flesh of man; belieue me, thou couldest not offend, if I should curse thee, if thou attempted but so much, as to lust [Page 57]after those evils, wherewith (alace) a verie world of people are nowe grosselie defiled. And I could not but bee ashamed to be offended, if thou shouldest curse mee, if I should prease to giue these members of my bodie, unto the committing of those sinnes, which thousandes (alace) doe commit in this our time, even with delectation and greedinesse. O my soule! hath not GOD honoured the flesh of man verie farre, in making it to be a Cabinet, to lodge that immortal Soule, made by His Majestie, even of an Heavenlie substance? hath not our GOD more highlie advanced the flesh of man, in ma­king it to bee the Temple and dwelling place of His Holie Spirit? Yea, to be that Spirituall, Immortall, Incorruptible, and Glorious plenishing, which must fill and keepe the Hea­vens for ever? Yea, hath not His Majestie advanced it more than highlie, in His blessed and onlie begotten Sonne, IESVS, that holie One; being contented, to assume, and unite in one personall union with His Godheade, the verie flesh of man: not onlie for a while, walking on earth, in that our nature, but transporting that our flesh to the highest Heavens; so that Hee, who is GOD alwayes, aequall with the Father, and with the holy Ghost, is cloathed with the flesh of man? And He who is cloathed with the flesh of man, is GOD, aequall with the Father, and with the Spirit. ô Coelestiall Spirites, and heavenlie Angles! who serve your blessed GOD al­wayes readilie, faythfullie, busilie, fullie, and joyeful [...]ie, can ye compare with that man, who by a liuelie faith, is ingraffed into that God-Man, and Man-God, IESVS? Would that holy One cloathe Himselfe with your nature, so that you may say, He who is GOD, is also an Angell? and he who is An­gell, is GOD? Or rather,Heb. 2.16. tooke Hee not the Seede of Abra­ham? so that the believing man may say, He who is GOD, is man also; Hee who is man, is GOD also. ô Coelestiall Spirites, said that blessed GOD your and our Glorious Ma­ker, ever of anie Angell, or to anie Angell, The angell,Zach. 13.7. My fellow? And yet our blessed GOD can (speaking to, and of His Sonne, in whom we are thus beyond measure honou­red) speake thus of Him, The man My fellow. Darest thou [Page 58]then, ô my Soule! attempt to dishonour this GOD, who hath so farre honoured thee? Yea, darest thou attempt to advise me, being kitled with anie deceiueable lust, to abuse this my flesh, or anie member of it, since His Majestie hath so wonderfullie advanced it? We all thinke, that David over­sawe himselfe verie grosselie, to Mephibosheth, the creeple son of dead Ionathan, who proved constantlie rarelie kinde to David; when having tried the grosse falsehood and seditious treacherie of that villane Ziba, hee saide to the poore creeple abused honest man,2. Sam. 19.29. Haue I not sayde, Thou and Ziba divide the landes? But when shall men, who holde themselues for good Christians, thinke and confesse, that they oversee themselues, abusing most grosselie the LORD their GOD? when they crye aloude, albeit not with their shrill voyces, yet with their vilde workes, even to the hearing of that GOD, to whom they be more than oblieged in all respects, but chiefely for advancing their flesh so highly, which is the onlie ground of mans whole foelicitie. O LORD GOD! haue I not said, Thou and the Devill divide betwixt you? Offend not, O my Soule! that I speake thus: for if manie, professing CHRIST amongst us, may bee believed when they speake, they haue appointed their hearts for GOD; and yet if their lyves shall be narrowlie tryed, it shall be clearelie found, that they haue dedicated their flesh, and so their eyes, eares, mouth, handes, feete, and that foule member of their bodie, for the Devill; for (alace) be those their members imployed in the service of anie, beside the devils service? Is this to bee thankfull to that GOD, who hath beene kinde unto them? Is this to honour GOD by their flesh, who hath so honoured mans flesh? Knowest thou not, ô loose Christian! that the Devill is the Accuser of the Children of GOD, CHRISTS Bre­thren?Rev. 12.10. Who first craftilie entyseth them to sinne against GOD, and then maliciouslie accuseth them before GOD, for sinning against Him. Now, O! how fearefull an Accusa­tion shall this bee (hearken, hearken, ô my Soule!) when Satan thine accuser, ô loose Christian! presenting himselfe before that great GOD, upon the sight of thy loose and [Page 59]lewde life; shall peartlie say, ô LORD, it pleased thy Maje­stie, out of thine unspeakeable loue towardes man, to cloathe thine owne blessed Sonne with the flesh of man; even to the ende, that in that flesh He might suffer for man, and thereby to advance man to the highest Heavens, who having wil­linglie made himselfe my Companion, through sinne, should haue beene adjudged to the lowest helles, with mee for ever: and yet, LORD, here is a man, yea, a verie world of men, who haue defiled themselues, with abominable Idolatries, bowing their knees to the worke of mans handes, lifting up their handes, and sending up their cryes, to base creatures; forgetting the great and blessed Creator; yea, defiled in their flesh, with fearefull Blasphemies, cruell Murthers, filthie Incests, Adulteries, and Fornications, with brutish Drunken­nesse, Covetousnesse, and Oppression. O LORD! will not Thy Majestie, being that just judge of the world, be avenged upon such grosse unthankefulnesse, and adjudge with the soules the bodies of such men, to that Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone, forevermore: seeing they haue so grosselie shamed that their flesh, which thou hast so greatlie honoured? Thinke upon this, ô my Soule!Roman. 6.12 1. Thess. 3.3.4.5. keeping thy selfe from all inward filthinesse. Forget not this, O my Soule! but charge me alwayes, In GODS Name, to keep this my bodie, & all the members of it, from all outward uncleanenesse.

XXIX EVen the filthiest deboashed liver, O my soule! offen­deth, when hee is compared to the Devill; and yet everie filthie liver, will treade the devils path. Can­not the devill, O my Soule! peartlie praesent himselfe amonst the Children of GOD, before GOD? And yet no sooner goeth hee from His Majesties praesence, but hee can run with speede, not onlie to overthrow all that belonged to that just man Iob; but also to bereaue him of his health: thin­king thereby to make him blaspheme GOD. Even the filthiest liver offendeth, if hee bee called a Iudas: yet as Iudas went from his Masters Table, to deliver Him into the hands of His Enemies; so manie, called Christians, can take their Iourney, as it were, from CHRISTES Chamber, to over­throw [Page 60] CHRIST. Alace, alace, O my soule! howe manie bee there, who praesent themselues with GODS Sainctes, in GODS House, before GOD, to heare His Word: and yet comming from it, deboash themselues, in all uncleannesse? O! how manie bee there, who going to Prayer, and rysing from Prayer, thinke never upon that which they haue confes­sed, or bound themselues unto, while they were praying, till they goe backe againe to their Prayer; deboashing themselues betwixt their one prayer, and their other prayer, even in those same sinnes, for the which in prayer they accused them­selues, they condemned themselues, craving GOD pardon, and solemnlie avowing to abstaine from them. The judge­ment of Charitie, which suspecteth the best of all, adviseth mee to thinke, that these knowne Murderers, Adulterers, Fornicators, Drunkardes, and so foorth, when they goe to their prayer, doe nowe and then, confesse these their sinnes, craving pardon for them, and promising to amende their liues: and yet, with the Swine, even nowe washen, after they haue risen from their knees, they can turne to the puddle of their wonted wickednesse. Let all such then, who doe heare GOD speaking unto them by His Worde, and who doe speake to GOD by prayer, joyne repentance, with their hearing, and with their prayer: remembering, that he onelie is blessed, who heareth the Worde of GOD, and doeth it. And that the prayer of that man,Luke, 11, 28. Prov. 28.9. who draweth away his care from hearing the Law, is abomination before GOD.

LET mee not bee carefull, ô my Soule! for my life, what I shall eate, XXX or what I shall drinke: or for my bodie, what I shall put on: For thy blessed GOD, that Great Master-House-holde of His Kirke, can wiselie provide for His owne, even in their greatest extremi­tie: albeit not alwayes that which they would bee at; yet ever that which shall serue them, untill His good worke bee ac­complished in them. The King of Aegypt taketh Straw frō the Israelites, which before was furnished unto them: the Taske­masters of Aegypt resolue them, notwithstanding heereof, that [Page 61]the number of their Britkes must bee fulfilled daylie. And when they, with wearie heartes, are carefull to provide them­selues of Strawe, they can finde none:Exodus, 5. for the people of the Land will neyther giue them anie for request, nor sell them anie for Silver. How then shall they come by it? and where shall they finde it? Blessed bee GOD, ô my Soule! vvhen the King, vvho was a man carrying the same shape which the Israelites carried, vvith his Taske-masters, and people, can refuse all helpe, unto distressed Israel, can adde affliction, to afflicted Israel; that senselesse dead hard Earth, vvhich they trode upon, vvill offer her helpe unto them: praying them, as it were, to pull up her haire, before they should perish: and so shee propyned them with that Stubble wherewith shee was covered, before they should want altogether that wherewith they might make Bricke unto cruell, blooddie Pharaoh. O David! no favour canst thou finde, notwithstanding of thine humble carriage, and manie good services, in the eyes of Saul, thy master, and father in Law: and yet, art thou not lovinglie embraced, and kyndlie entertayned, by that stranger Achis, 1. Sam. 27. that uncircumcised King of Gath? Ahab and Iezebel doe busi­lie seeke thy lyfe, O Eliah! but doe not the verie devouring Ravens entertayne it as carefullie? O Nebuchadnezar! thou art so fearcelie set against those three Children of GOD,1. King. 17.3.4.5.6. who refused to worship that Image, vvhich thou madest, that thou vvilt not onelie haue them casten into an hote fierie Fornace; but thou wilt haue this Fornace to bee hote at that one time,Daniel, 3. seaven tymes more, than it was wont to bee hote. Alwayes, vvere not these furious, fearce, fierie flames, mercifull unto them? Yea, so mercifull unto them, that not onlie they slew them not; but that the haires of their head were not burnt; neyther were their Coates chaunged, nor anie smell of Fire upon them. O abusers of Davius! yee are so maliciouslie set against the Servant of GOD, Daniel, that yee will haue him casten into the Denne of Lyons,Daniel, 6. because hee prayed unto his owne GOD, as hee was wont, contrarie to that wicked de­cree, vvhich yee, by your malicious subtiltie, made your king to subscribe unto. And yet those Lyons will haue him saved, [Page 62]whom yee resolved to haue slaine. No refreshment can hun­grie Lazarus finde, at the handes of the rich Glutton; and yet he can finde ease from the tongues of bloodie Dogges.Luke, 16. How manie wicked men, in this our time, O my Soule! haue soft Doane Beds, and Pillowes, to lye upon; while the Religious Childe of GOD, cannot finde a Feather Bedde, no, not a Fodder Bedde? and yet the Earth is contented, to be a Bed unto him. But, ô my soule! what if the cruell Princes of the Earth will not suffer, so much as this hard earth, to be a bedde unto thee? O, then! what shalt thou doe? what canst thou looke for? be sure, either this thy provident, pittifull, power­full GOD, who hath absolute commandement over all, shall (O my Soule) eyther alter their hearts, and make them pittie thee, or furnish thee with a strong contented heart, able to beare out all that they can devise, or doe, against thee; or make death, which is a cruell Burrio to the Wicked, but a loving friende to His secret ones; to finish thy Laboures, and to sende thee to His Rest.

XXXI IOyne, ô my soule! the thirtiefiue, and thirtiesixe verses, of the twelft of Exodus, with the sixt, seventh, and tenth verses, of the fift Chapter of that Booke; that thou mayest learne, even with joy, to put on that Head-piece of Hope; possessing thy selfe alwayes in patience, confidentlie, and lea­surelie, depending upon thy GOD; even when the King, vvhen the Task-masters, vvho command under the King; yea, even when with the King, & his Task-masters, the whole People of the Land are set against thee, and busied about nothing, but thine overthrow, and destruction. But vvherefore? but vvherefore should I doe this, O my soule? because He who hath the hearts of all men in His hands, can alter both Court and Countrey so, that, that man vvho this day, who this yeare, would neither grant thee for begging, nor sell thee for Silver, a poore Sheafe of Straw, to make Bricke of, to thy King; will another day, another yeare, giue the willinglie, and freelie, all his Golde Chaines, all his Bracelets, all his Ringes; and so spoile himselfe, to make thee [Page 63]rich. And vvould ye not thinke this a vvonder of vvonders? Liue there not manie this day, who having experience of this, in their owne person, may say, that that King, vvho sometime vvas seeking mee, to haue offered my bodie to the Gallowes, mine head to the Axe, hath, since that, lovinglie embraced mee, graciouslie accepted mee, to kisse his hand, and set mee higher than ever I was before? Hast thou compared, ô my Soule! the ende of the third of Ester, with the ende of the eight of Ester? In the ende of the third of Ester, the Scrybes are writing Letters, the King is signating Letters, and the Postes are riding, and running, through the Countrey, with Letters. In the ende of the eight of Ester, the Scribes are wri­ting Letters also, the King is signating Letters also, and the Postes are running, and riding, upon Horses of Pryze, and Dromidaries, with Letters. Alwayes, tell me, vvhat Letters are the Scribes writing, is the King Signating, are the Postes carrying, in the ende of the third of Ester? And what Letters be those which the Scribes are writing, the King is signating, the Postes are carrying, in the ende of the eight of Ester? In the ende of the third of Ester, Letters are vvryting, signating, and carrying, by the Scribes, King, and Postes, to roote out, to kill, and to destroy, all the Iewes, both young, and olde, Children, and Women, in one day. In the ende of the eight of Ester, Letters are vvriting, signating, and carrying, by the same Scribes, by that same King, by those same Postes, who vvrote, signated, and carryed the former, granting the Iewes, in vvhat Cities soever they were, to gather themselues toge­ther, and to stand for their liues; and to roote out, to kil, and to destroy, all the power of the People, and of the Province, that vexed them; both Children, and Women, and to spoile their goodes. Hast thou compared, ô my Soule! the 19, 20, and 21, verses, of the third of Daniel, vvith the 28, 29, and 30, verses, of that same Chapter? In the 19, 20, and 21, verses, fearce Nebuchadnezar, is so furiouslie set against Hana­niah, Mishael, and Azariah, and that GOD vvhome they worshiped, that hee would haue them casten into, and devou­red, by the hote fierie Fornace. But in the 28, 29, and 30, [Page 64]verses, pacified Nebuchadnezar thinketh so reverentlie of their GOD, and is so favourablie disposed towardes them, that blessing their GOD, hee maketh a Decree, That everie People, Nation, and Language, which spake anie blasphemie against their GOD, should bee drawen in pieces, and haue their Houses made a jaxe. And besides this, hee promoted those three, in the Province of Babel, highlie, whom hee de­creed before to burne cruellie. We use to say, (and would to GOD our tongues were onelie accustomed with such speaches) Blessed bee hee who can make friendes of fremde folke. And vvhen I consider this, O my Soule! I must say, Blessed be hee, who can make deare Friendes of deadlie Foes. Alwayes, what must thou doe, ô my soule! to the ende, thou mayest finde this to thy comfort, and benefite? Let that wise King Salomon informe thee, as he was informed by that true Salomon, the King of wisdome: When the wayes of a man please the LORD, Prov. 16.7. he will make his enemies to be at peace with him. If thou haue compared, O my Soule! the 41 verse, of the 27 of Genesis, with the 4 verse, of the 33 of Genesis, and with the 29 verse, of the xxxv. of Genesis, thou shalt find this to be most true. In the 41 verse, of the 27 of Genesis, I heare cruell Esau avowing to slay his brother Iaakob, when the dayes of mour­ning for his Father should come. Alwayes, not onlie see I this same Esau in the 4 verse, of the 33 of Genesis, embracing this Iaakob, falling upon the necke of this Iaakob; but in the 29 verse, of the thirtiefiue of Genesis, I see Esau and Iaakob most kindelie, as it became Brethren, burying their dead Father Isaac. So great advantage reaped Iaakob, by walking before GOD, and amongst men, so, that his wayes pleased GOD. If a Subject then find that he is wrōged by his king, let him not doe that which may grieue GOD, and please his King; to the ende hee may obtaine his Kinges favour. If a Childe finde, that he is wronged by his Father, let him not doe that which may grieue GOD, and please his Father; that hee may ob­taine his Fathers favour. If an Husband finde that hee is wronged by his Wife, let him not doe that which may grieue GOD, and please his Wife; to the ende, he may obtaine his [Page 65]Wiues favour. If a Wife finde, that shee is wronged by her Husband, let her not doe that which may grieue GOD, and please her Husband; to the ende, shee may obtaine her Hus­bandes favour: But let them all sticke constantlie unto GOD, doing that alwayes, which is good in His Eyes: so bee sure, that GOD shall eyther mooue King, Husband, Child, Wife, and so foorth, to doe that which they shoulde doe; or else strengthen Subject, Childe, Husband, Wife, &c. to beare out, with contentment, the greatest wronges that can bee done unto them. Wilt thou not then, ô my Soule! loue this GOD? seeke this GOD? serue this GOD? with all men, and against all men, whether hee clappe thee, or kuffe thee; heale thee, or wound thee; quicken thee, or slay thee?

XXXII TRue Saving Prayer, O my soule! may justlie be sty­led, That Royall Ambassadour, Prudent, and Cou­ragious: Who lodging alwayes in a cleane Cabinet, is directed, from that Greatest King, towardes that Greatest Monarch: and who can no wayes, upon anie condi­tion, bee mooved to stay, from journeying forwardes, till he come before Him, to whome hee was sent: discharging that Commission which hee carrieth in his Bosome: and, besides Him, neyther to Mineon, nor Courteour, or anie of his Sub­jectes, whatsoever. Tell mee, ô my Soule! can anie in Hea­ven, anie under Heaven, teach thee to pray, to thy Salvation, besides that Great King, even the Spirit of the Father, and of His Dearest Sonne? And therefore, that Great Teacher of the Gentiles, can resolue thee thus:Roman. 8.26 The Spirit helpeth our in­firmities: for wee know not what to pray, as wee ought: but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for us, with sighes, which cannot bee expressed. This Ambassadour of Prayer, comming from the Spirit, can­not lodge, but in the quickened Soule, and renewed heart, of GODS Childe. Reprobates, I confesse, may possesse ma­nie Delicates: but this Delicate, of Saving Prayer, they can­not haue. And therefore, the same Great Teacher of the Gen­tiles, can marrie, as it were, Prayer and Salvation, after an un­separable manner together, saying:Rom. 10.13. Whosoever calleth upon the [Page 66]Name of the LORD, (to wit, being ledde by the Spirite of Adoption, the onelie Anker of Heavenlie Supplication) shall bee saved. Saving Prayer, besides this, is so prudent, and couragious, that beeing sent by this Spirite, from the honest heart of GODS renewed Childe, towardes that onelie Su­per-excellent Monarch, GOD, his Father, it will not giue so much as a looke, let bee a God-spcede, as it were, unto anie Angel, unto anie Sainct, in Heaven, unto anie Man on earth, (beeing so directed by that Spirit, by whome it was sent) till it come in, before that Great Majestie of the GOD of Hea­ven, with whome onelie it hath to doe: and there, in His Bo­some, powre foorth the selfe. O my soule! Art thou not thus charged, by GOD, thy Father?Psal. 50.15 Call upon Mee, in the day of thy trouble. Art thou not thus charged, by GOD, thy Saviour? When yee pray, pray thus, Our Father, which art in Heaven, Matth. 6.9. &c. Art thou not thus charged, by GOD, thy Re­deemer, thy Comforter, and Keeper? If anie man aske Wise­dome, let him aske it of GOD. Iames, 1.5. Search, search, ô my soule! the whole Olde Testament, the whole New Testament, and trye, if there thou mayest forgather, eyther with Praecept, dire­cting thee to pray unto anie in Heaven, or under Heaven, be­sides thy GOD: or, with anie Promise, That if thou prayest unto anie besides His Majestie, thou shalt come speede: or lastlie, with anie practise, shewing thee, that ever anie of GODS Children, ever sent up their Prayers, to anie, besides that Blessed GOD, in whome they believed. Vnderstande, understande, heerefore, O my Soule! that the ignorant, pro­phane, vaine bablinges, of the blinde, superstitious Papistes, can bee no Saving prayers, indyted by the blessed Spirite of GOD: but windie, foolish, effectlesse words, comming from their owne deceived Braynes, and fonde imaginations: For if they come from GOD His Spirit, they would bee dire­cted unto God onelie: but since they bee drawne up un­to creatures, they cannot come from the true Spirite of that Creator, blessed for evermore: but from the lying spirites of base cursed creatures.

XXXIII THE blinde, blooddie, restlesse Seminarie, compas­sing the Earth to and froe, with Satan, sowing al­wayes where hee commeth (anie occasion being of­fered unto him) his poysoned, and poysoning Pop­ple: eyther to impede the receiving, or to hinder the grouth, of the good Wheate of GODS Worde: to the ende, that hee may perswade Man and Women, of all Rankes, even with some Greedinesse, readilie to imbrace his lying Doctrine, tou­ching the Invocation of Sainctes, hath verie highlie here-to-fore, and doeth verie farre as yet, advaunce that effectlesse Comparison, taken from the Courtes of Earthlie Kinges. And this Comparison hee hath hatched, to the ende he may the more subtillie advaunce the Grandour, and augment the Wealth, of that Vylde Court of ROME. And with this, not onelie draw away poore simple people, from beeing truelie courteous with that KING OF GLORIE, Blessed for ever; but also to stirre them up (albeit hee abhorreth to confesse this) to kythe themselues grosse and avowed Traytors, against His Majestie. O shamelesse Papist! Is not this thy fonde al­leadgeance, as Subjectes considering the Grandour of their Princes, and their owne basenesse, are accustomed to goe un­to their Kinges, by Noble-men, and Courteoures; So the Children of GOD, considering the Excellencie of that Ma­jestie, wherewith their GOD is cloathed, beeing sensible in the meane time of their owne vildenesse, by reason of those sinnes, wherewith they are clogged, should not attempt to goe to their GOD, but by those Saincts, which bee in heaven. Hadst thou, ô effronted Papist! hearkened unto that answere, now neareby twelue hundreth yeeres agoe, given to this purpose, by that famous Bishop of worthie memorie, Ambrose, thou wouldest haue beene affraid from kepping so greedilie, without anie shew or reason,Ambrose, on Rom. 8. this effect­lesse comparison, & from keeping it so pertinaciouslie, even to this day, without anie kinde of shame. For this cause men and women, are mooved to goe unto Kinges, by Noble-men, and Courteoures, because Kinges bee but men, and know not to whom they should commit the governament of their [Page 68]Countrey: but while a man hath to doe with his GOD, from whom nothing can be hidde, (for all men are knowne by Him) wee haue neede of no such mediator, but of a devoate, humble, holie heart; for whensoever such an heart shall speake, GOD shall loving lie answere it. But, O de­ceived, and deceiving Seminarie! to what purpose will this thy comparison serue thee, in that countrey, where the King, with whom thou hast to doe, hath, by a speciall Edict, under His great seale, and publicke Proclamation, raised thereupon, authorized His eldest Sonne, to bee the onlie Mid-man, by whom all His Subjectes, great, and small, anie wayes offen­ding Him, or standing in neede of anie thing from His hands, should haue recourse unto Him; discharging them herewith, under all highest paine, to make anie sure by the mediation of anie other whomsoever? Secondlie, if the Prince, the Kinges eldest Sonne, beeing thus authorized by His Father, haue by his publicke Proclamation (having received speciall warrand from His Father to doe so) certified all His Fathers Subjectes, That none of them can possiblie come to His Father, but by him. Thirdlie, if the Lordes of the Kinges secret Counsell, beeing certified of the trueth hereof, would beside this (being commanded by the King, and His Sonne) charge all the Subjectes, to come to the Kinges Sonne, yea, to His Sonne onlie, whensoever they haue to doe with the King His Father? Now, O blind, peart Seminarie! I appeale thy conscience, unlesse thou hast lay de aside all conscience, and made that Whore of Babel thy god; if thou be acquainted with that voyce which was sounded from the Heavens, that day, in the which that blessed, and sole Saviour of the world, was baptized, This is My welbeloved Sonne, in whome I am well pleased. Math. 3.17. Yea, hearest thou not this voyce sounding over againe, with an addition, that day in the which that holie One was transfigured? This is My welbeloved Sonne, in whome I am well pleased, Math. 17.5. heare Him. ô Seminarie! wilt thou not heare the Sonne, saying unto thee; I am the Way, the Veritie, and the Life: Iohn. 14.6. no man commeth to the Father, but by Mee? Hearest thou Him not thus sweetelie inviting thee to come directlie unto [Page 69]Himselfe? Come unto Mee, all ye which are wearie, and ladened, Mat. 11.28 and I will ease you. Yea, O Seminarie! possessed with a deafe devill, when GOD speaketh to thee, by His Worde: wilt thou not heare that great Apostle Paul, who was well ac­quainted with the whole counsell of GOD, saying unto thee, There is one GOD, and one Mediator betwixt GOD and Man; even the Man CHRIST IESVS? Sure I am,1. Tim. 2.5. were olde Chrysostome aliue, hee would as farre condemne the avowed, prophane, madde follie, of the superstitious papist in this point, as hee commended the holie wisedome of that sin­cere Woman, whose Daughter was possessed with a De­vil: for speakes hee not thus, touching her? Beholde the wis­dome (sayeth hee) of the woman: she prayeth not to Iames, Chrysost. de Cananea. she maketh not her supplication to Iohn, she goeth not to Peter, neither respecteth she the companie of the Apostles, requiring helpe from any of them▪ but instead of them all, (taking happily unfained repentance for her companion) she goeth directly forward to blessed Iesus, that only Well which was able to yeeld out that sweet Water which she thirsted for. But will the rest­lesse Seminarie rest, ô my soule! when these things are broght from the verie Mouth of GOD, unto his eares? No, no, for the tricking Seminarie, who can cunninglie catch simple souls by his intrapping subtilties, will confesse, that blessed IESVS, that onlie Sonne of the Great King, is the onelie Mediator of Reconciliatson betwixt GOD and Man: But, with this, he will maintaine, That there be other mediators of Intercession, be­sides Him, who may make, and doe make, request unto GOD, for us. Spare not, spare not here, O my Soule! to say unto the shamelesse peart Seminarie, while hee speaketh thus, Avoide, Satan, as one sent foorth by that craftie Foxe, and cruell Dra­gon, first, by his subtiltie, to snare thee; & then, by his crueltie, to slay thee: demaunding him, even from a strong heart, and with a good countenacce, thus, O Seminarie! out of what booke, out of whose mouth, learnedst thou to put a difference betwixt the mediator of Reconciliation, and the mediator of Intercession? For out of GODS Booke, out of GODS mouth, speaking to thee by Scripture, thou learnedst it never: albeit no booke, besides GODS Booke; no mouth, besides GODS [Page 70]Mouth, must in this point informe thee, direct thee, cōmand thee. For telleth not GODS Booke mee, and so GODS Mouth, first, that wee haue no mediator, who can possiblie intercede for us at the hands of our GOD, but that Mediator who hath reconciled us unto GOD? For be not these the words of Paul? There is one God, and one Mediator betwixt God and Man, the Man Christ Iesus. 1. Tim. 2.5. If Paul had spoken thus, There is one Mediator betwixt God and Man, the man Christ Iesus; hee had spoken enough to convince the lying Seminarie: but he wil say more; even thus, There is one God, and one Mediator betwixt God and Man, the Man Christ Iesus; to make the Seminarie ashamed (if hee could be) of his subtiltie. For hereby he would tell thee, ô my soule! That as there is onelie one true God, and no wayes, in anie respect, another, even the Father, Sonne, & holie Ghost; so there is onlie one true Meciator, and no wayes, in anie respect, another. Secondlie, telleth not Gods Booke, and so Gods Mouth, mee, That this Iesus Christ could not possiblie haue bene a Mediator of Intercession for us, praying to God for us; unlesse Hee had bene a Mediator of Reconciliation for us, by His blooddie Sacrifice, satisfying His Fathers Iustice for our Sinnes? O vilde Seminarie! darest thou giue that great Dis­ciple (whome Iesus loved, and who lay in Iesus Bosome) the Lie? And yet speaketh he not thus? If anie man sinne, we haue an Advocate with the Father, Iesus Christ, the Iust: and He is the Reconci­liation for our sinnes. 1. Iohn. 2.1.2 Thus joyntlie joyning Christs Intercession and Reconciliation together, and from His Reconciliation of us, proving, That He hath onlie right to intercede for us: for if He had not reconciled us, He could no wayes haue had any interest to pray for us; neither durst we haue had attempted, to haue had recourse to Him, as to our Mediator. Yea, which is more, O my soule! if He had not bene our only Reconciler, He could not haue bene our Mediator at all. Let me not here­fore, ô my soule! heare anie more word touching Maries inter­cession, anie whisper touching Peter, Paul, and so foorth, of An­gels, and of Saincts intercessions: for were anie of these cruci­fied for me? hath anie of these reconciled my God to me? but let mee heare alwayes my blessed and onelie Iesus: let mee see [Page 71]Him: let mee imbrace Him: let mee kisse Him: yea, let mee keepe Him, while I breathe, in the inward Coffer of my heart, as mine onlie Mediator, who hath reconciled me to God, who intercedeth for me with God: for mine eyes haue seene, mine eares haue heard, mine hands haue hādled, that sweetest smel­ling Sacrifice, offered up by Him, upon the Crosse, unto God His Father, for all my debt of sinne, and of punishment, due unto mee for my sinnes. And this His Sacrifice I haue seene, heard, and handled, in that cleane and cleare Looking-Glasse of Gods Worde, and in that shining Mirrour, of the Sacra­ments, annexed by His Majestie unto it.

XXXIIII I Must confesse, O my Soule! that thou canst not but bee much mooved, when considering Gods Fatherlie direction plainelie given to thee, when weighing Gods Gra­cious Promises clearlie made to thee, thou askest,Matt. 7.7.8. but re­ceivest not; seekest, but findest not; knockest, but hast none to open unto thee: for as then Satan cannot but prease to take some advantage of thee, so thou canst not but at the first, con­sidering this, bee much amazed. Alwayes, ô my Soule! I must charge thee, not to murmure (so much as in secret) against thy good God, albeit Hee appeare not to heare thee when thou callest unto Him. Yea, I must command thee, not to attempt, to suffer that loue, wherewith thou art oblieged, alwayes to loue thy good God, aniewayes to waxe colde, albe­it His Majestie deferre to grant thee that which thou hast bene craving: yea, albeit He denie altogether to giue thee that which thou hast bene long seeking: yea, which is more, albeit He put into thine hand, and lay upon thy backe, that which is flat contrarie, unto that which thou hast beene, even for manie dayes, with manie sighes, having thy knees bowed be­fore Him, and thine handes lift up unto Him, desiring Him to giue thee. For I must tell thee, O my Soule! that the frow­ning lookes of God thy Father, are more pleasant to the sight of his well schooled Childe, than the smyling of all living can bee unto Him: that the hand of God thy Father, taking from his owne, that which the blinde worldling accounteth [Page 72]onlie to be profitable for him; yea, that the hand of thy Fa­ther, laying that upon the backe of His owne, which the dead worldlings account onlie hurtfull to them, is even then more kinde, more liberall unto him, and more mercifull towardes him, than the handes of all living, being opened wide, to giue them liberallie, to clappe them kindliest that possiblie can bee. Till this world shall stand, those comfortable Oracles shall alwayes bide inviolablie true, The Eyes of the Lord are upon the Righteous; and His Eares are open to their cryes. The Lyones doe lacke, Psal. 34.15.16. Roman. 8.28 and suffer hunger: but they which seeke the Lord, shal want nothing which is good. All thinges worke together for the best, to them that loue God. And so, ô my Soule! I must assure thee, that thy God, cannot but alwayes heare thee, but alwayes helpe thee: for He heareth thee, either so, that Hee granteth thee that which thou cravest, as thou cravest it; or as good as thou cravest; al­beit not that same which thou wouldest be at; or a better than that is which thou thinkest onlie to bee best. Anna maketh a sute to her God, and is heard, as she craved; for as she pow­red foorth her soule before God,1. Sam. 1. for a sonne, so she receiveth a sonne from God. Paul cryeth over, and over, to God; alwayes that same which he craveth, is not granted him, and yet that which was as good is not refused him:2. Cor. 12.7.8.9. for while he besought his Lord, that the angell of Satan, which buffetted him, might depart from him, hee is not fred from that angell, but Gods Grace is made sufficient for him, to make him stand under that assault; and in ende, to triumph valiantlie. David, a man according to the heart of God, dealeth with his God most earnestlie by prayer, by teares, and by fasting, for the life of that childe which Bathseba bare unto him, alwayes, that is not granted; for that childe died: neverthelesse, a better is given unto him: for was not that wise Salomon, who built a Temple to God, borne afterwards, of that same Bathseba, unto him? for if that childe had lived, according to Davids sute, being begot­ten by him upon her, while Vriah, her Husband, was aliue, would hee not haue lived alwayes as a manifest note of Davids Adulterie, and Murder, and so bene casten up unto him, by prophane people, who could easilie grippe his sinne, but no [Page 73]wayes consider his repentance? Forget not, O my soule! that comfortable Oracle, sounded by thy Master, and Saviour, What man is there amongst you, who if his sonne aske him Bread, would giue him a Stone? or if he aske Fish, will hee giue him a Serpent? Luk. 11.11.12. or if he aske him an Egge, will he giue him a Scorpion? And shall thy God, ô my Soule! even the God of my spirit, who is more lo­ving and wise than the father of my flesh can be, if I craue that which Hee accounteth to be a Stone, albeit, I account it to be Bread; which he accounteth to be a Serpent, albeit I esteeme it to be a Fish; which He accounteth to be a Scorpion, albeit I account it to be an Egge? Thou seekest the Bread of Honour from God; and He knoweth, that if thou hadst Honour, thine Honour would proue a Stone, to dishonour Him, and slay thee; and therefore, He refuseth to giue it. Thou cravest the Fish of Health, and Wealth, from God: but he knoweth, that Health and Wealth, would proue a Serpent, to bite thy soule, unto death. Thou wouldest bee at the white Egges of sweet Pleasure: but Hee knoweth, that they would proue a biting Scorpion, to hurt thee: and therefore Hee denyeth them to thee. Thou abhorrest ignominie, and shame before men, as an hurtfull Stone: but God knoweth, it will be Food, and Bread to thee: therefore Hee covereth thee with it. Thou abhorrest Sicknesse, Povertie, Imprisonment, Banishment, inward Temptations, outward Crosses, yea, Death it selfe, as byting Serpents, and Scorpions, able to slay thee: alwayes, thy God knoweth, that even those be the only savoury & sweet Fishes, and Egges, which are able to saue thee: and therefore He pro­pyneth thee with them. Forget not, O my soule! that sweet speach of Augustine, subscrybing unto the trueth of these three comfortable alleadged Oracles: Bonus Dominus qui saepe non tri­buit quod volumus, ut magis attribuat, quod malimus. Augustine, O! how good a Lord is our Lord! who oftentimes giveth us not that wise­lie, which wee would haue; to the ende Hee may graciouslie giue us, that which wee rather should haue craved. Bernhard, embracing Augustine in this point, can say to thee sweetlie, O my Soule! Saepe multos Deus non exaudit ad voluntatem ut exaudiat ad salutem. Our God oftentimes refuseth,Bernhard, to heare manie of [Page 74]His owne, according to their will; to the ende, Hee may heare them for their weale. But heare, O my Soule! lest thou deceiue thy selfe; thinking that thou hast right to the hearing eare, to the pitiful heart, to the helping hand of thy God: & so, that He heareth thee, that Hee pitieth thee, and that at length Hee will helpe thee: howe mayest thou bee assured, that thou art even then heard of Him, pitied of him, and that thou shalt receiue helpe from Him; even when in appearance thou must thinke, that He heareth thee not at all? Hearken, hearken, O my soule! findest thou Grace, while thus thou art used, by thy wise, piti­full God, to continue in praying unto Him, while He refuseth, as thou thinkest, to heare thee? Hast thou Grace, to desire, to continue in praying unto Him, while Hee delayeth (as thou thinkest) to heare thee? Yea, which is more, findest thou the smallest measure of griefe, because thou canst not desire to continue in praying unto Him, as thou wouldest? that thou canst not pray unto Him, as thou shouldest? Bee assured, that God, whom thou thinkest to be farre from thee, is neare thee, is with thee, yea, is in thee, by His Spirite, as in His Temple: hearing thee, albeit thou hearest not that He heareth thee: pi­tying thee, albeit thou feelest not that He pitieth thee: and for to deliver thee, albeit thou thinke, that thou canst not bee deli­vered. Answere me, answere me, ô my soule! if thou canst, If thy God heard thee no wayes, pitied thee no wayes, and were never to helpe thee, couldest thou desire to be heard of Him? to bee pitied by Him? to bee helped by Him? Yea, if thy good God longed not, as it were, to doe thee good, couldest thou eyther long, or lament, that thou longedst not for good at His hands? For, as he who never saw the Sunne, cannot misse the sight of the Sunne; so, hee who never sawe God, cannot misse God. Thus it is not nature that misseth Grace, but Grace which misseth Grace onlie. And therefore, he spake truelie, who said, Num oranti beneficia denegabit, Augustine. qui orantes at ne deficiant sua pietate instigat: Can that good God refuse to grant His Gifts unto that person, who praying unto Him for them, is stirred up, by His Goodnesse, not to faint, but to continue in praying unto Him.

XXXV THou canst not be ignorāt, ô my soule! being acquain­ted with holie Scripture, that as cruell Pharaoh, King of Aegypt, had fearce Taske-masters, set by him, over the Lords Israel; So that cruell Dragon, Satan, thy greatest Enemie, hath his owne bloodie Taske-masters, sent foorth against Gods secret ones, to shame them, to slay them: and that those his Taske-masters resemble, in one thing espe­ciallie, the Taske-masters of Pharaoh. Pharaohs Taske-masters, as holy Scripture testifieth,Exodus, 5.13 are not contented to intimate Pha­raohs will, unto the poore Israelites; but they must, with fearce countenances, sharpe tongues, & strong handes, hasten them, without all delay, to doe it: Even so, Satans Taske-masters, doe not onlie command those, over whom they are set, and in whom they doe reigne, to obey the Devils will: but they ha­sten them so to obey it, that they can neyther eate, nor drinke, nor sleepe, as it were, till Satans will be executed by them. But who be the Taske-masters of Satan, ô my Soule? Let that Dis­ciple, whome Iesus loved, and in whose Bosome hee lovinglie sometime lay, resolue thee: The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, 1. Iohn, 2, 16 and the pryde of life. Young Ammon is so boasted, and beaten, by that Taske-master, The lust of his flesh, nighing after his sister Tamar, that he pyneth away, frō day to day:2. Sam. 13. till having obeyed the command of that fearce, filthie Taske-master, he defile his sister unnaturallie. Young Absolom is so beaten, and boasted, by that alluring Taske-master, The pryde of lyfe, longing after a Crowne, that he can take no rest, by night, nor by day,2. Sam. 15. till hee put even the Crowne off his own olde father, upon his head: contenting, that his father, in the meane time, for safetie of his lyfe, flee out of Hierusalem, bare-headed, and bare-footed. That uncouth Traytor, Iudas, is so boasted, and beaten, by that de­ceiving Taske-master, The lust of the eyes; and so,Matth. 26.14.15. of Covetous­nesse, that he cannot be stayed possiblie, by all that his Master hath done to him, by all that his Master hath done for him, by all that his Master hath spoken to him, in the audience of his brethren, touching him who should betray Him; from be­traying of Him: and all to the ende, that hee may see thirtie pieces of Silver delivered unto him. Lament, lament herefore, [Page 76]O my Soule! the miserable estate of these: pitied by others, al­beit not by themselues, who esteeme themselues to bee the greatest amongst men. Will Noble men, will great men, bee commanded, by that Great Good God, speaking unto them, and hasting them to doe His Good Will, by those His kindly, smyling, and meeke Taske-masters, in whose mouthes Hee hath put His Worde? And yet they dare bee contented to bee commanded by, and to bee (as most miserable slaues) couched under that Evill one, Satan, and those his furious Taske-ma­sters: hasting them to doe the Devils evill will. Will our Gen­tle-men, O my Soule! be servants to anie man? content to bee Schollers? to bee Trades-men? to bee Crafts-men? And yet they can rejoyce to suffer themselues to be abused by Satan, & by Sinne; by the which in such sorte hee fighteth against their Soules, that no slaue roweth in a Galley so farre against his will, under the uncouth bondage of that cruell Monster, the Turke; as a very world of these men, in this our Age, row with both their hands, and feet, as it were, under the Devil: hastned in the meane time, by his foresaide Taske-masters: and yet not against their will, but willinglie: not with griefe, but with joy. Let the Adulterer, the Idolater, the Murderer, the Fornicator, the Drunkard, the Seditious man, the Oppressor, the False man, the Covetous man, lay his hand to his heart; so shall hee finde this to be true. The consideration hereof, made wise Sa­lomon (acquainting us with the nature of the wicked man, and counselling us, to beware of him) thus to speake, Enter not in­to the way of the Wicked, and walke not in the way of evill men: avoyde it: Prov. 4.14.15.16. goe not by it: turne from it: and passe by it: For they cannot sleepe, ex­cept they haue done evill: and their sleepe departeth, except they cause some to fall.

XXXVI HAth thy God, ô my soule! sweetlie this day sounded in thine eares, the soft voyce of Consolation; pro­mising unto thee comfort, deliverie, and His best things: be not offended, if to morrow thine eares be made to heare the sharpest sound of the bitter winde of Con­fusion, threatning thee with greater troubles, and griefes, than [Page 77]ever thou heardest, or felt before. O Iaakob! hath not thy God propined thee liberallie, with the Birth-right?Gen. 17.29. enriched thee gloriouslie, with His blessing? but must thou not heare af­terwards, that Esau, thy Brother, hath avowed to kill thee? whereupon thou must be contented, not onlie to turne thy backe upon thy tender Parents; but with paine and griefe, to serue a churlish Laban, for twentie and one yeares. O Ioseph! seest thou not to day thy Brethrens Sheaues standing up, and doing reverence to thy sheafe? but must thou not be conten­ted, even after that, to see thy Brethren stripping thee naked,Gen. 37. & 39. of thy partie coloured Coate? and thereafter, first, putting thee in a Ditch, and then selling thee to the Midianites, to bee carried downe to Aegypt. O distressed Israel! hearest thou not Moyses and Aaron, the Commissioners of thy God,Exod. 4.29.30.31. to day sweetlie telling thee, that they were sent of God to bring thee out of Aegypt, that thou mightest celebrate a Feast to the Lord thy God, in the Wildernesse? Alwayes, must thou not bee contented, the next day, to heare Pharaoh his Taske-masters, speaking thus to thee bitterlie? Thus sayeth Pharaoh,Exod. 5.10.11. I will giue you no more Straw: goe your selues, get you Straw where you may finde it; notwithstanding the number of Brickes which you made in time past, shall not be diminished. O David! telleth not Samuel thee,1. Sam. 16.27. that thou shalt be a King of Iudah? yea, anoynted he thee not with Oyle, in the Name of the Lord, to certifie thee hereof? Alwayes, after this, must thou not be contented, not onlie not to finde a nightes lodging in thine owne house; but not so much as a Caue, or hole, to hide thy selfe in, in all Iudea and Israel? Thus he, who to day heareth blessed Iesus, who is Loue it selfe, pro­mising unto him a Crowne, must be contented to morrow, to haue wise Iesus ladening him, with a Crosse. But, O! wherefore dealeth our wise God with His owne thus? For speciall graue reasons, ô my Soule! is this done, I assure thee: for hereby He tryeth the faith, the hope, the patience, of His owne: hereby He stirreth them up, earnestlie to deale vvith Him, by continuall Prayer: for He will haue His owne to aske that from Him, which He is to giue unto them: yea, this He doeth, to moue His owne, being set at libertie, to be the more [Page 78]thankefull; and to use Gods good thinges bestowed on them the better: to make the Wicked, His, and their, unjust ene­mies, the more inexcusable; and to conquish the greater Glo­rie to His owne Name: when having, in spight of all opposi­tions, performed that liberallie, which Hee did promise gra­ciouslie to His owne, He advanceth them, and overthroweth His, and their enemies.

XXXVII LEt it not grieue thee, ô my Soule! that some day, hid up from thee, that in some place, unknowne to thee, thou must lay downe this dustie tabernacle, vvhere­with thou hast for some yeares bene cloathed, as with a Garment: but see that thou, (being now happilie ingraffed in Christ, and through His grace dying to sinne daylie, for the which He died:Philip. 1.23. and living to Him, who died for thee, and rose againe) even with an holie languor, (submitting al­wayes thy will to the good will of God) long for that day, with that great Apostle. And when that day shall draw neare, I charge thee, ô my soule! that in that day, thou lift up thy self, & rejoice. What wise man, being wearied all the day long, with laboures abroade, will grieue to draw home at night? First, to refresh himselfe with some entertainment; and there­after, laying aside his Garmentes, to goe to his rest: knowing, that so (pleasing God) when the morning shall arise, hee will finde his Garment againe. And darest thou, O my Soule! bee grieved, when that night of Death shall approach, all thy wea­rie Labours sustained by thee here being finished, to lay down this thy clay bodie, and to haue thy selfe conveyed by those Angels of God, unto that refreshing Palace of that Paradise, which is Aboue, nowe wyde open to keepe thee, because of the obedience of that second ADAM, who died for thee? Yea, darest thou, O my Soule! be grieved, in that night of Death, to haue this clay bodie conveyed, to that resting Bedde of the Graue, sweetelie nowe perfumed, by the Buriall of the Sacred Bodie of thy gracious Saviour IESVS? For knowest thou not, when that glorious brightlie shyning Morning of Iudgement shall approach, in the which that Mightie GOD, thy Saviour, [Page 79]whom the Heavens doe now containe, shall manifest Him­selfe in Glorie, accompanied with thousands of His Angels, and with the sound of the last Trumpet, that thou shalt not onlie meet with that wonted Garment of thy Bodie; but take it up againe, but put it on againe? Alwayes, not as men take up their Garments here in the morning, after their rest in the night: but farre otherwayes, more comfortablie, joyfullie, and profitablie, by a thousand, thousand degrees. As men here lay aside their Garments at night, going to their rest, so they take them up in the morning: & having taken them up, they goe foorth againe, eyther to their wonted, or some new labour. But I must tell thee, O my Soule! to thy great comfort, That thou shalt take up this tabernacle of my bodie, in that shining Morning of Iudgement, in a farre more excellent estate, than it was laide downe into by thee, into that darke night of Death, and when it was laide downe in the Cham­ber of the Graue. It was laide downe in corruption, it shall be taken up in incorruption: it was laid down in dishonour,1. Cor. 15.42 43.44. it shal be taken up in glorie: it was laid down in weaknes, it shal be takē up in power: it was laid down natural, it shal be taken up Spiritual. Could this be well cōsidered, O my soule! would I cease, while I liue here, to imploy all the members of my bo­die holilie? And, when Death should approach mee, would I not undoubtedlie be heartfullie contented, even with joye, to lay down this earthlie tabernacle? Again, I will assure thee, O my Soule! (because so hath my Lord and Master, IESVS, by the sweetest words, of His owne sweetest Lippes, assured me) that thou, having, in that day of Iudgement, taken up, and put on, that Garment of this Bodie, shalt never goe foorth, to anie olde, or new Laboures againe: But shalt alwayes rest, in end­lesse rest, for evermore; free of all suspition of future griefes: and filled with a verie Sea of unexpressible Glorie. For in that day, thou being happilie praesented a chaste Virgine, well dec­ked, and trimmed,2. Cor. 11.2. with the Ornamentes of thy Glorious Husband, IESVS, before thy Glorious Husband, IESVS, shalt haue that Marriage nowe contracted with Him, joyfullie so­lemnized, and perfectlie consummated. And then, thy Bles­sed [Page 80]Husband, having wyped away all Teares from thine eyes, shall take thee in to His most secret Cabinet of Glorie: there, not onelie to see, but to possesse for ever, that Glorie, vvhich Hee possessed before the Worlde was made. Could this bee well weighed by thee, O my Soule! wouldest thou not crye with David? As the Hart [...]ayeth for the Rivers of Waters, so panteth my Soule after Thee, Psal. 42.1. O GOD: My Soule thirsteth for GOD: even for the living GOD. When shall I come, and ap­peare before the praesence of GOD? Yea, wouldest thou not crye with Paul? O wretched Man that I am! Who shall deli­ver mee from this Bodie of Death? Rom. 7.24. Philip. 1.13. I desire to bee loosed, and to bee with CHRIST, which is best of all. Yea, thou wouldest uncessantly crye with the Kirke, CHRISTES Bryde, Come, LORD IESVS: Rev. 22.20. Even so: Come quicklie. Amen.