BEfore I enter upon the handling of this Epiſtle, I will ſpeake briefly, firſt of the Author, 2. of the Penman, 3. of the Argument. 4. of the Occaſion of this Epiſtle. For I cannot dilate at large as Salomon did of trees, from the Cedar to the Iſop: nor as Pliny did of beaſts, frō the Elephant to the Piſmeire, nor as Lactantius did of Fiſhes, from the Whale to the Lamprey. And firſt, for the Author of this booke: it is the holy Ghoſt For all Scripture is given by inſpiration from God, and Prophecie, came 1 Tim. 3, 16. 2. Pet. 1. 20. Luke 1. not in old time by the Will of man, but holy men ſpake as they were moved by the ſpirit of God, and it was God that ſpake by the mouth of all his Prophets which have been ſince the World began. And as he directed the tongues of Holy men to ſpeake, and therfore ſaith our Saviour, It is not yee that ſpeake but the ſpirit of my father in you; ſo he directed Mat. 10. 20. their pens to write, ſo that it was not they that wrote, but the holy Ghoſt by them. By this therefore it evidently appeareth, of what reverent account this Epiſtle, ought for to bee, ſeeing it hath the holy Ghoſt for the Author.

2 The penman or writer was Iude, or Iudas, and of this name our Saviour had two diſciples: The one called Iudas Iſcariot, Who for thirty peeces of ſilver betraied, & baſely ſold his Lord and Maſter. Servus Dominum, diſcipulus magiſtrum, homo Deum, creatura Mat. 26. creatorem vendidit, The ſervant betraid, ſold, moſt baſely ſold his Lord. The diſciple his Maſter, man God, the creature the Creator; Infoelix mercator Iudas, O unhappy Merchant, Iudas!

The other called Iudas, the ſon of Alphaeas, called alſo Thaddeus & Labbeus, who was brother to Iames, & coſin to the Lord Ieſus, in the fleſh: The occaſion of which name, with the reaſon therof, is ſet down in the 29. of Gen. the 35, V. For when Leah had borne Iudg. 15. Act. 18. 28. cap. 6. 10. three ſons to Iacob, ſhe conceived and bare a fourth Sonne, ſaying, Now will I praiſe and confeſſe the Lord, and ſhee called his name Iudah.

This Iude was as rare and notable an Apoſtle to beat downe the Heretickes of that time, as Sampſon did the Philiſtines, as Apollo did the Iewes, as Stephen did the Libertines & Cirenians, as Paphuntius did the Councell of Nice in Miniſters marriage.

Concerning the Argument, of this Epiſtle, it is a ſtirring The Argument and occaſion or this Epiſtle. them up to a Chriſtian life, to ſhew foorth the fruits of faith to ioyne with Words, Workes, with communication, converſation, with hearing, keeping, with profeſſion, practice: For after planting muſt come growing, after light walking Col. 1. Epheſ 5. 9. 2 Pet. 1. Eſa. 2. 3. Iam. 1. 22. after faith workes, after teaching obedience, after a good profeſſion ſome good practice.

Beſide, here in this Epiſtle, hee inveigheth ſharpely againſt carnall profeſſion, and groſſe abuſing of Chriſtian Religion. And alſo he admoniſheth them to beware of impoſters, ſeducers, falſe teachers, cunning deceivers, which were craftily crept in amongſt them, drawing men from purity in Religion to impurity of the fleſh: Whom the Apoſtle lively painteth out in their ſeverall colours, and againſt whom hee denounceth many Iudgements of God.

The occaſion of writing this Epiſtle was this; It is affirmed by the moſt learned of all times, and agreed upon by the beſt writers, that this Apoſtle Iude, outlived many (yea moſt) of the Apoſtles, continuing and preaching in Meſopotomia, Pontus, Perſis, and other parts of the world, till the Reigne of Domitian the Emperour; in whoſe reigne Iniquity reigned, Impiety abounded, corruption of manners and diſſolution in life raged in every place; for many there were, that were Wantons in manners, and heretikes in opinion, againſt whom hee did lift up his voyce like a trumpet. So that this Epiſtle is notable, and written for our learning; howſoever ſome deny, this Epiſtle to bee Cannonicall; as Cardinall Cajetane, who Eſa. 58. 1. Rom. 15. 4. calleth it Aprocriphall: Which I note the rather, to meete with Campian, and Reighnolds, who ſay, that wee Proteſtants reject the Scriptures, that wee leave no ground for a Chriſtian to reſt his Faith on, becauſe Luther doubted of Iames his Epiſtle, and wee of the Apocripha. But did not Dioniſius Alexandrinus ſay, that moſt of his predeceſſors reiected the Apocalips? Did not the Councell of Laodicia leave it out of the Canon? Did not Eumil • us Africanus, deny the bookes of Eſra, Iob, Paralipomenon? Did not Ierome call the hiſtory of Davids Marriage, a Poeticall fiction, an unſeemely ieſt? Did not Cardinall Caietane, a Piller of the Church, a Peere of the Court of Rome, accuſe the Epiſtle to the Hebrewes to containe too weake grounds to prove Chriſts divinitie, and yet left they ground for our faith to reſt on. So that there was no cauſe for Campian and Reighnolds to pearch on their rowſes, to clap their wings, to crow ſo lowd, to whet their dogges eloquence againſt us. Some Scriptures have beene doubted of of ſome Churches, as the ſecond Epiſtle of Saint Peter, the ſecond and third, of Saint John, and ſome have beene reiected of all Churches, As the Epiſtle of Barnabas. The Acts of Peter, The booke of the Paſtor. The Goſpel of Nicodemus and Thaddaeus, &c. God hath kept the Scriptures. Of the parts the Epiſtle. The perſon writing it.

God hath kept the Scriptures in all ages, ſo much as is neceſſary for our ſalvation. At the giving of the Law, it was reſerved in tables of ſtone. After the giving of the Law the writings of the Prophets were nailed to the doore of the Temple, and reſerved in the Lords treaſury. Before the captivity the Septuagint turned them into Greeke, and Ptolomaeus Exod. 34. Heb. 2. the King kept them; After the captivitie; Ezra gathered all into one volume, in the dayes of Artaxerxes; and the Church have kept them as Aarons Rod, and the pot of Manna, and as the two Tables were kept in the Arke, &c. In the primative Church, the Goſpell of Mathew was kept in Iewry, the Goſpell of Marke at Alexandria, that of Luke at Antioch, that of Iohn and the Apocalips at Epheſus: Nam triplex eſt munus Eccleſiae, the Churches office is threefold; Sacros libros ſervare inſtar teſtis, eos promulgare instar proeconis, eos ab aliis diſcernere; to keepe theſe ſacred bookes as a witneſſe, to promulgate them, as a Preacher, and to diſcerne them from other bookes whatſoever. And thus the Church hath kept this Epiſtle of Iude, unto this day. Fremat licet C • jetanus. All Tyrants have raged againſt the Scripture; Antiochus, for his hatred of the Scriptures is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , for he beheaded them, that had the Bible; Diocleſian commanded the bookes of the Scripture to be burnt, yet by the wonderfull providence of God they are preſerved.

And thus much being ſpoken concerning the Author, the Penman, the Occaſion, and Argument of this Epiſtle, I will now come unto the Epiſtle it ſelfe: the which may be divided into five parts.

Firſt, The title or ſuperſcription.

Secondly, The Exordium.

Thirdly, A propoſition.

Fourthly, Exhortations, and dehortations.

Fiftly, The concluſion, or the ſhutting up of the Epiſtle, with a prayer to God.

But firſt to begin with the title or ſuperſcription, and therein obſerve with me three things.

Firſt, The perſon writing.

Secondly, The perſons written unto.

Thirdly, The Salutation.

Now the perſon writing is deſcribed three wayes:

Firſt by his name, Iude.

Secondly, By his calling, a ſervant of Chriſt.

Thirdly, By his kindred, The brother of Iames.

But firſt, the perſon writing is deſcribed by his name, and that was Iude, or Iudas, not Iudas Iſcariot, the traytor, but Iudas the brother of Iames, and Couſin to the Lord Ieſus Chriſt in the fleſh, yet both were the Apoſtles of Chriſt, but this man good and godly, that wicked and ungodly: For it is nor the name or The Writer by his name and calling deſcribed. office that makes a good man; but the Grace and Mercie of God; If outward titles could make good men, Iudas Iſcariot, had beene as good as this Apoſtle, Nay better, for Iudas Iſcariot was Chriſts ſteward, his purſebearer, disburſer of all things for Chriſt and his company, and yet a theefe, a traytor, a devill: Non omnes filii Sanctorum, qui loca ſancta tenent. They are not all the ſonnes of Saints, nor Saints themſelves, which hold the places of Saints. God oftentimes beſtoweth upon wicked men lofty titles and high places, partly to their greater condemnation; the mighty, ſhall be mightily tormented; and partly for the puniſhment of ungratefull people, as Saul over the Iſraelites.

Againe, in that Iude was not aſhamed of his name, but in the very firſt inſcription of this Epiſtle ſetteth downe his name, wee which are the Miniſters of God are taught, not to be aſhamed of our calling, though ſcornefully by ſcorners of Religion, wee are termed Prieſts. The Iewes though they mocked Chriſt, when bowing their knees, they cryed, Haile King of the Iewes, againſt their wils they honoured him; for indeed he was King of the Iewes, and of the Gentiles: So theſe graceleſſe contemners of our glorious calling, when they thinke to vilifie us, by calling us Prieſts, (againſt their wils) they magnifie us: their reproachfull ſcoffes ſhould not daunt us, nor diſcourage us in our calling, for he that hath called us and ſent us, will bee with us, as hee was with Moſes, and as he was with Ieremie. Be not affraid Exod. 3. 12. Ier. 1. 8. of their faces, I will be with thee.

Secondly, the perſon writing is deſcribed by his calling, for he calleth himſelfe, Servum Dei, The ſervant of God.

Of ſervants there bee three ſorts: Some are ſervants by ſlaviſh and voluntary ſubjection; theſe the Apoſtle calls, The ſervants of ſinne; Qui facit peccatum ſervus eſt peccati; He which Iohn 8. 34. Rom. 6. 16. committeth ſinne, is the ſervant of ſinne, and they which ſerve ſinne, Duram ſerviunt ſervitutem, ſerve an hard ſervice, for the wages of ſinne is Death.

Secondly, There be ſervants by condition; which are either born ſuch by nature, or taken captives in Warre, or bought with money. To theſe ſervants, Saint Paul ſpeaketh thus, Servants obey thoſe which are your Maſters, according to the fleſh, with feare and Epheſ 6. 5, 6. Auguſt de Civu Dei, lib. 19. Cap. 15. trembling, and with ſimplicitie of heart, not with eye-ſervice, as men-pleaſers, but as the ſervants of Chriſt: Nomen iſtud culpâ mervit, non natura, This name of ſervant not nature but ſinne deſerved; For the name of ſervant was never heard of, till Noah curſed Canaan, the ſonne of Cham, Who diſcovered his fathers nakedneſſe, Curſed be Canaan, a ſervant of ſervants ſhall he bee. Gen. 9. 25.

Thirdly, Servants by Office, Calling and Profeſſion, and theſe are of two ſorts; for men are either the ſervants of God generally, or particularly.

Generally, they are Gods ſervants, which acknowledge

Servants of God, divors kinds of them.

To be Gods ſervant the greateſt honour.

Particularly, they are the ſervants of God, who in ſome ſeverall calling doe ſervice to God, as Magiſtrates and Miniſters, theſe, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , in a ſpeciall ſervice be the ſervants of God. Now Iude profeſſeth himſelfe a ſervant of Ieſus Chriſt; Firſt, by condition, becauſe by Chriſt hee was redeemed and delivered from the ſlavery of Sinne, and tyranny of Satan. Secondly, by Office, and calling alſo, hee was the ſervant of Ieſus Chriſt, not onely in his generall calling, as hee was a Chriſtian, but alſo in his particular, as he was an Apoſtle. And note that Saint Iude doth not call himſelfe a governor, a or teacher, or an Apoſtle, but the ſervant of Ieſus Chriſt, as Paul doth, and as Iames and Peter did; For this is the beſt title, above the title of Lords, Dukes, Phil. 1. 1. Iam. 1. 1. 1 Pet. 1. 2. Eſa. 40. 23. Kings, Emperours, who periſh. For God bringeth the Princes to nothing, and maketh the Iudges of the Earth as Vanitie. It is more to bee the ſervant of Ieſus Chriſt, than to be the greateſt Prince, Potentate, or Perſonage in the World, for if the ſervants of Ieſus Chriſt, though never ſo poore, baſe, and beggerly, yet happy and bleſſed: if not the ſervants of Ieſus Chriſt, though never ſo rich, noble, and great, yet miſerable and wretched. This knew Paul, and therefore trode all his titles under his feet as Phil. 3. 5, 6. dung, ſo that he might know Chriſt and ſerve him. This ſervice laſteth for ever, as a colour ſet on with oyle. And the Lord Ieſus as Man is called a ſervant, as God he was Lord of men and Angels, for he was the man Ieſus, and the Lord Ieſus. Gods ſervice is perfect 1 Cor. 8. freedome, Gods ſervants on Earth, are freemen in Heaven. Citizen with the Saints, Free Denizens of the celeſtiall Ieruſalem, their Epheſ. 2. 19. Rom. 6. 22. fruit is in holineſſe, and their end everlaſting life. What honour ſhould wee deſire but this, to bee the ſervants of God? Godlineſſe 1 Tim. 1, 6. is great gaine; and to ſerve God, hath promiſe, both of this life, and the life to come. If the ſervice of Salomon was ſo good a ſervice: That they were counted happy that ſtood before him. 1. Chro. 12. What is the ſervice of God, and how happy are his ſervants? Many thinke themſelves much graced and honoured, if they can get into ſome Noblemans ſervice, and weare his Livery, as did Doeg, and the ſervants of Saul; how much more honour is it to 1 Sam. 22. bee Gods ſervant? Who will make us of ſervants Sonnes, heires Epheſ. 5, 6. and coheires with Chriſt. The Iſraelites found Gods ſervice to be the beſt ſervice, 2 Chron. 12. 8. Cyrus at the conqueſt of Babylon, offered largely to them, that would ſerve him; but God offereth more largely. Theodoſius held it more noble to be membrum Eccleſiae, quam caput imperii, a member of the Church, than the head of the Empire. So we may reſolve, that it is better to be a ſervant of God, than Lord of all the World. For while wee ſerve him, all other creatures in earth and in heaven ſerve God needs not our ſervice, wee need his Lordſhip. us. But if we will be Gods ſervants, we muſt addict our ſelves wholy to his ſervice, and to ſerve God in earth, as the Angels doe in heaven: for ſo wee pray, Thy Will be done in earth as it is in heaven. And for this end were wee created; therefore ſaith the Mat. 6. 10. Apoſtle, Wee are the workemanſhip of God, created in Chriſt Ieſus unto good workes. And what better worke than to ſerve the Lord Ieſus? Nay, the ſervice of God is the end of our Redemption, For he Luke 1. 74. hath delivered us from the hands of our enemies, that wee ſhould ſerve him without feare in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe all the dayes of our life. Nay, the ſervice of God is the end of our glorification; Therefore the Apoſtle would have us to walke worthy our God, who hath 1 Theſſ. 2. 12. called us unto his Kingdome of glory. And therefore unleſſe wee eſteeme vilely of our Creation, Redemption, and Glorification, wee muſt become Gods ſervants, and ſerve him in feare, and rejoyce Pſal. 2. 11. before him with trembling.

Auſtine Obſerveth, God was never called Lord, until he had placed Adam in Paradiſe, before he was called God ſimply; but now the Lord God, becauſe hee was not ſo much a Lord to Angels and other creatures as unto man, to teach him that hee muſt live under Gods lordſhip, and ſerve him. For though Adam was lord of the creatures, and the creatures muſt ſerve him; yet Adam had a Lord whom he muſt ſerve. And yet God needeth not our ſervice, and therefore ſaith David, O my ſoule, thou haſt ſaid unto Pſal. 16. 2. Pſal. 50. 10, 11. the Lord, my well doing extendeth not to thee: all the beaſts of the Forreſts are his, and the beaſts on a thouſand Mountaines, hee knowes all the fowles on the Mountaines, and wilde beaſts of the Fields are his. Who (ſaith the Apoſtle) hath knowne the minde of the Lord? or Who was his Counſellor? or Who hath given unto him firſt? and hee ſhall bee recompenced? Rom. 11. 35, 36. But howſoever hee ſtandeth not in need of our ſervice, wee ſtand in need of his Lordſhip and protection; that wee may bee ſafe under his Wings; that wee feare not the feare of the Pſal. 91. night, nor the arrow that flyeth by day, nor the peſtilence that walketh in the darke, nor the plague that deſtroyeth at noone-day. And doe wee ſtand in need of his Lordſhip? Let us underſtand our wants, and performe our ſervice and duty to the Lord: For thus hee reaſoneth by the Prophet; The Sonne honoureth his Father, the Servant Mal. 1. 5. his Maſter: If I bee your Father, where is my honour? If your Maſter, where is my feare? Let not God ſay of us, as of the Iſraelites, I have nouriſhed and brought up children, but they have rebelled against mee. Ravenna ſaith thus, A move radium a Sole, & non lucet, rivulum Eſa. 1. 2, 3. a fonte, & areſcit, a radice ramum, & exiccatur, a corpore membrum, & putreſcit, obedientiam a Chriſtiano, & perit. Take away the beame from the Sunne, and it ſhineth not, the river from the Fountaine, and it dryeth up, the bough from the Roote, and it withereth, the member from the Body, and it rotteth, and obedience from a Chriſtian, and hee periſheth.

Conſider what Adam loſt by his evill ſervice, he fell from purity

Adams loſſe for his evill ſervice.

If we wil ſerve God, the creatures ſhall ſerve us.

I Am now come to the perſons, to whom he wrote this Epiſtle, and they are deſcribed three wayes:

But firſt, they are deſcribed by their calling, To them that are called, ſaith hee. The beginning of our Salvation is, that wee are firſt called of God, wee come not of our ſelves, God calleth us, Nemo venit ad Chriſtum niſi pater traxerit: Iohn 6. 44. No man commeth unto Chriſt except the Father draw him: Et iſta attractio eſt noſtra vocatio per Evangelium & Spiritum ſanctum: and this drawing is our calling by the Goſpel, and holy Spirit. Caro & ſanguis non revelat, &c. Fleſh and Bloud doe not reveale theſe Mat. 16. 17. things, but God our Father by our calling in the Goſpel: As the Sheepheard with his whiſtle calleth his ſheepe: as the two ſilver trumpets called Iſrael to warre; as the maſter-Bee calleth the Num. 10. whole hyve together with his humming; So God calleth his Church running from him, by his Word and Spirit.

Wiſedome (ſaith Salomon) cryeth without, ſhee uttereth her voyce in Prov. 1. 20. the ſtreets, ſhee calleth in the high ſtreet, among the preaſe in the entrings of the gates, and uttereth her words in the City. And againe he ſaith, Wiſedome hath built her houſe, and hewen out her ſeven Pillars, ſhe hath killed her Victuals, drawne her Wine, and prepared her Table, ſhe hath Prov. 9. 1, &c. ſent forth her Maidens, and cryeth in the higheſt places of the City, ſaying, Whoſo is ſimple, let him come hither, and to him that is deſtitute of Wiſedome, ſhee ſaith, Come and eate of my Meat, and drinke of the Chriſt profitable to none but to them that are called. Wine that I have drawne: Wiſedome there, is Chriſt Ieſus, who calleth us by his Goſpel.

The loweſt ſtaffe or ſtep of Salvation, is Vocation; the higheſt, is Glorification. For whom hee predeſtinated, them alſo hee called: and whom hee called, them alſo hee juſtified: and whom he juſtified, Rom. 8. 30. them alſo hee glorified. I ſpeake in reſpect of men: For with God praeſcientia, his preſcience is the firſt ſtep of ſalvation, For thoſe which he knew before, he predeſtinated: Wee runne from God, but he Rom. 8. 29. calleth us, and cryeth after us, as the Canaanite did after Chriſt, hee ſeeketh us being loſt, hee calleth us being deafe, he lighteneth Luke 4. 18. 1 Sam. 26. 14. us being blind, hee freeth us being ſlaves, hee healeth us being lame, he quickeneth us being dead, he awaketh us by his Goſpell, as David did Abner with his ſhowting: The top, the roote, the foundation, and the roofe, the beginning, increaſing, and finiſhing of our ſalvation is of God. Coepit & perficiet, Hee hath begunne, and he will finiſh it. So ſaith the Apoſtle, Hee that hath begun this good worke in you, will performe it, untill the day of Ieſus Chriſt.

Paul arrogateth nothing to himſelfe, but placeth himſelfe in the ranck of the Wicked, till God called him: his words are, We are by nature the children of wrath as well as others. And to the Epheſ. 2. 3. Gal. 1. 13. 15. Galathians, hee writeth thus, Yee have heard of my converſation in times paſt, in the Iewiſh Religion, how that I perſecuted the Church of God extreamely and waſted it: But when it had pleaſed God, which had ſeparated me from my mothers womb, & called me by his Grace, &c. The Galathians, were Idolaters, & knew not God, til God called them. The Epheſians were darkeneſſe, but being called, they were lux Gal. 4. 8. Epheſ. 5. 9. in Domino, Light in the Lord: The ſame is ſaid of the Corinthians. But what doe I light a candle at noone-day, or adde legges 1 Cor. 12. to the Dromedarie, who runneth moſt ſwiftly? or powre water into the Sea, which overfloweth? or prove a knowne truth received of all men?

But to proceede; Chriſt is not profitable, but unto them that are called; otherwiſe hee is as a Medicine not taken, as a Plaiſter not applied, as Meate not eaten, as Light to them that are in a dungeon: Hereupon ſaith Paul, Wee preach Chriſt crucified, to the Iewes a ſtumbling-blocke, to the Gentiles fooliſhneſſe, but to them that are called of God, the Wiſedome of God, and the Power of God. Perſius wept when he ſaw a Toade, that hee had not given thanks to God, who made him not a Toade, but a Man. Socrates thanked Nature, that had made him a reaſonable creature, and not a Beaſt, and among them a Man, and not a Woman, and among men an Athenian, not a Thebane. Philip, rejoyced that Alexander was borne, in the dayes of Ariſtotle. The Queene of Sheba, pronounced Salomons men happy, for hearing him. How happy 1 Reg. 10. are wee then, that live in the call of the Goſpel? Bleſſed are the eyes (ſaith our Saviour to his Diſciples) which ſee that yee ſee, for I A little part of the World called. tell you, that Prophets and Kings have deſired to ſee thoſe things which yee ſee, and have not ſeene them, and to heare thoſe things that yee heare, and have not heard them: O terque, quaterque beati oculi noſtri, O Luke 10. 23. thrice and foure times bleſſed are our eyes. For as God called a little angle of Iewry, and paſſed over all the World beſides: For hee ſuffered all the Gentiles to walke in their owne wayes. So God Act. 14. 16. hath paſſed over all Africa, Aſia, America, and called a little piece of Europe; all nations elſe are polluted. The Grecians adore the Virgin Mary, and Saints painted, the Creature for the Creator. The Aethiopians adore the Emperour Presbyter Iohannes. The Tartarians, the Great Cham. The Perſians, the Fire and the Sunne. The Turkes, Mahomet. The Boruſſians, many gods, as Antrimpus, Protrimpus, Pelintus, &c. The Indians, ſpirits called Zemes. The Papiſts, Images: But wee adore the true God: They worſhip they know not what, we worſhip that which wee know: God hath given his Iohn 4. 22. Word to Europe, hee hath given to other Nations other bleſſings. To the Muſcovites, hides and precious skinnes; to the Moores of Barbarie, ſugar and ſweet ſpices: to the Spaniards, wine and fruits; to the Indians, gold and ſilver; to them of Cathai, pearle and precious ſtones; to the Perſians, ſilke and margarites; to them of Iſland, Finland, Greenland, fiſh and fowles: But to us hee hath given his Goſpel, Bleſſed be the day, and happy bee the houre, wherein it came to us. Let that day, be as the day wherein Iſrael came out of Aegypt, let it bee the head of the yeare, let no cloud ſtaine it, nor darkeneſſe poſſeſſe it. If we had as many tongues as Argus had eyes; if every haire of our head were a life, and every life as long as Methuſelahs; all were too little to praiſe God. Thanke God that thou liveſt in this time of the Goſpel, Let thy ſoule praiſe God, Let all that is Pſal. 103. 1. within thee praiſe his holy name. Thus muſt God call us by his Word, elſe wee are reprobates in the Church, but not of the Church: For as excrements are in the body, and not of the body; ſo reprobates are in the Church, but not of the Church. They wet 1 Iohn 2. 19. out from us; but are not of us: for if they had bin of us, they would have continued with us. Many that heare this Sermō are among us, but not Mat. 25. of us: and the time ſhall come, that the Goats ſhall be ſeparated from the Sheepe, the Dogs from the Lambes, the Crowes from the Doves, the Baſtards from the Children, the Chaffe from the Corne. Oh then heare the call of Gods Miniſters.

Calling is of two ſorts; Externall. Internall.

Externall, is either common to all, by the inſtinct of nature, and workes of God, or not common to all, by the Word preached.

Internall and effectuall, is the worke of the whole Trinitie, whereby God the Father, through the Sonne, by the holy Ghoſt, not onely offers Grace but giveth it to the Elect. Vocantur electi

Calling externall and internall.

Externall calling vnprofitable without the Internall.

VERS. I. Reconciliation part of Redemption.

AS I have begun to ſpeake of this Heavenly Doctrine of Sanctification, ſo will I proceed therein. And to ſpeake in order, wee muſt know that of Chriſts Prieſthood there bee two parts: Redemption and Interceſſion.

Redemption is the firſt part, whereby hee hath wrought for us the matter of our Deliverance from all evils; as Hell, Death, Damnation. Heb. 7. 24. Now of this Redemption, there be two members: The Luke 1. 74. merit or matter of Reconciliation, and Sanctification. According to that of the Apoſtle, But yee are ſanctified, but yee are juſtified in the name of the Lord Ieſus, and by the ſpirit of God. 1 Cor. 6. 11. 1.

Reconciliation is the firſt part of our Redemption: whereby we are reſtored from the Curſe into the love and favour of God: For when wee were enemies, wee were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne, &c. for hee is our peace. And it pleaſed the Father that in him Rom. 5. 10. Epheſ. 2. 14. Col. 1. 20. 22. all fulneſſe ſhould dwell, and by him to reconcile all things unto himſelfe, and to ſet at peace through the bloud of his Croſſe, both the things in Earth and the things in Heaven.

Now againe of Reconciliation there bee two parts: Remiſſion of ſins, and Imputation of righteouſneſſe: For ſaith the Apoſtle; He was delivered to Death for our ſins, and is riſen againe for our juſtification. And againe, God was in Chriſt, and reconciled the Rom. 6. 25. World to himſelfe, not imputing their ſinnes unto them, and hath committed to us the Word of Reconciliation. Now then are wee Embaſſadors 2 Cor. 5. 19, 20, 21. for Chriſt, as though God did beſeech you through us, wee pray you in Chriſts ſtead, that ye be reconciled unto God. For hee hath made himſelfe Iuſtification upon remiſſion of ſinnes, and Chriſts righteouſneſſe imputed. ſinne for us, that we might be made the righteouſneſſe of God, through him.

Remiſſion of ſinne is the firſt part of Reconciliation; whereby the guiltineſſe and puniſhment of our ſinnes is removed from us by Chriſts ſufferings. For thus it is written, and thus it behooved Chriſt to ſuffer, and to riſe againe the third day, that Repentance and Remiſſion of ſinnes might bee preached in his name to all nations. And, Hee through Death, hath deſtroyed him that had the power of Death, that is the Divell; and that hee might deliver all them, which for feare of Death Hebr. 2. 14, 15. were all their life time ſubject to bondage. Yea, it is Chriſt alone: That Apoc. 1. 5. hath waſhed us from our ſinnes with his bloud; Yea, His bloud it is that cleanſeth us from all ſinne. 1 Iohn 1. 7.

Imputation of righteouſneſſe is the other part of Reconciliation; whereby, by Chriſts righteouſneſſe being imputed unto us, we appeare juſt and blameleſſe before God our Father: For by him wee have received the attonement. And as by the offence of Rom. 5. 11, 16. one, the fault came on all men to condemnation; So by the juſtifying of one, the benefit abounded towards all men to the juſtification of life. And Hee hath now reconciled us in the body of Col. 1. 22. his fleſh, through Death, to make us holy and unblameable and without fault in the ſight of God his Father.

Now againe, of Remiſſion and Imputation ſpring Iuſtification and Adoption: For, Being juſtified by Faith wee have Peace Rom. 5. 1. towards God, through our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. For, when the fulneſſe of time was come, God ſent foorth his Sonne made of a woman, and made under the Law, that hee might redeeme them which were under the Law, that wee might receive the adoption of Sonnes.

Iuſtification is that, wherby we being delivered before God of the guiltineſſe of ſin, are accounted juſt. For, Who ſhall lay any thing Rom. 8. 33. to the charge of Gods choſen? It is God that juſtifieth, who ſhall condemne? As by one mans diſobedience many are made ſinners; ſo by the obedience Rom. 5. 19. of one, ſhall many alſo bee made righteous.

Adoption is that whereby wee are accounted. Sonnes and heires of God, For yee have not (ſaith Paul) received the ſpirit of Rom. 8. 15. bondage to feare againe: but yee have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we crie Abba Father: And hee further affirmeth, That we are all the Sonnes of God by Faith in Chriſt Ieſus.

From theſe two, wee obtaine theſe two bleſſings: Firſt, that all croſſes turne to us to the beſt: ſo ſaith the Apoſtle, All Rom. 8. 28: things worke together for the beſt, • o them even them that are called of purpoſe. For though hee viſit 〈◊〉 ſinnes with rods, and our offences with ſcourges, yet his loving kindneſſe will hee never take from us, nor ſuffer his truth to faile.

Secondly, by Iuſtification and Adoption wee obtaine a chiefety or rule over all Creatures, except Angels. For ſo ſaith David; Thou haſt made him little lower than Angels, and crowned him Pſal. 8. 5, 6. with glory and worſhip: Thou haſt made him to have dominion in the Workes of thy hands, thou haſt put all things under his feete. And the Sanctification in Mortification and viyification. Sanctification imperfect in this life. ſame alſo the Author of the Epiſtle to the Hebrewes affirmeth.

Now for Sanctification, whereby God beginneth in us holineſſe; that hath two members: Mortification to ſinne, and Reſurrection to righteouſneſſe.

Mortification is the firſt part, whereby the power of ſinne is killed in us; and of this Mortification Paul ſpeaketh thus: Our old man is crucified within, that the body of ſinne might bee deſtroyed, that henceforth wee ſhould not ſerve ſinne. And againe, That Rom. 6. 6. Gal. 2. 19. I might live unto God, I am crucified with Chriſt.

Reſurrection unto righteouſneſſe is, whereby ſanctity, holineſſe, is really inherent, and begun in us, and is increaſed dayly more and more. For, Wee are buried with Chriſt by Baptiſme unto his death, that like as Chriſt was raiſed from the dead by the glory of his Rom. 6. 4. Father; So wee alſo ſhould walke in newneſſe of life.

Theſe parts of Sanctification, referred unto the Soule, are called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 but referred to the Body, they are called frustus ſeu 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , fruits. This 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is a renewing of all the faculties of the Soule; a converting them from evill to good; A bringing foorth of fruits worthy amendment of life. And Luke 3. 8. this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 hath his Initium, beginning, & comitem, and his companion. His beginning is is godly ſorrow: for whoſe heart Gods ſpirit doth touch, is ſorry for his ſinnes committed againſt ſo mercifull a Father. His Companion is a ſpirituall combate: for, the Fleſh luſteth againſt the Spirit, and the Spirit againſt the Fleſh. Gal. 5. 17.

This Sanctification, being the ſecond principall part of our Redemption, is the quallity, whereby Gods ſpirit doth renew us, and begin in us newneſſe of life: but it is not perfect, abſolute in us. Paenitentia & amor ſequuntur noticiam noſtram: Repentance and Love follow our Knowledge, but our knowledge is 1 Cor. 13. 9. but in part. And this I note againſt the blaſphemy of Oſiander, who ſaith that the eſſentiall righteouſneſſe of Chriſt is in us: but the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt is without us, not within us, and is apprehended by Faith. And therefore Pauls care was to bee found in him, that is in Chriſt, Not having (ſaith Paul) mine Phil. 3. 9. own righteouſnes, which is of the Law, but that which is through the Faith of Chriſt, even the righteouſneſſe which is of God through Faith. For the righteouſneſſe whereby wee are juſtified, is the meere imputation of Chriſts worke unto us: and therefore this word Imputation is tenne times recited in one Chapter. When a friend Rom. 5. of his owne goods and not of mine, payeth debt that I owe, that payment, or ſatisfaction is mine, it is imputed to mee, when as yet it is the worke of my friend, and none of mine. After the ſame manner, the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt is ours. This righteouſneſſe therefore, whereby wee are juſtified, is Grace and not Nature; Imputation, not Eſſence; it is a Communication of the benefit of Chriſt, not a commixion of eſſence: it is Holineſſe is ſaid in diverſe ſenſes. an effect of the proper worke of Chriſt, non ſubſtantia ipſa Chriſti; not the very ſubſtance of Chriſt. The other righteouſneſſe, wherewith he ſanctifieth us, is but begun onely, it is not abſolute: For as the Sunne ſhineth, and as the fire warmeth us, and yet doe not transferre their eſſence into us: So Chriſt doth regenerate and ſanctifie us by the vertue of his Spirit, (quo homo & Deus eſt) as he is man and God, not as he is man alone, or as he is God alone; and yet he doth not transferre his eſſence into us: and therefore Oſiander is much deceived. The place of Paul, quoted by him, helpeth him nothing; for we are the righteouſneſſe 2 Cor. 5. 21. of Chriſt, ut ille fuit peccatum pro nobis, as he was ſinne for us: but ſinne was not really in Chriſt, no more is Chriſts righteouſneſſe really in us, but onely imputatively: faith as the hand applyeth it unto us, and flyeth into heaven, and there maketh us partakers of his Sanctity. Our faith wraſtleth with God in heaven, our charity wraſtleth with men here below on earth; both of them are exerciſed, neither idle nor unfruitfull: and therefore the Apoſtle joyneth, Faith in Chriſt and love toward Col. 1. 4. all Saints together. O Brethren, how many bee there that can tell a ſmooth tale of Chriſt, and yet cannot ſpeak one wiſe word of Iuſtification and Sanctification; and yet Peter requireth it of all.

Hence am I to derive an exhortation to all men to holineſſe and ſanctification, ſeeing that Rahabs houſe was knowne by a Ioſ. • . Iudg. 11. Mat. 26. 2 Reg. 9. red thread, and the Ephramites by liſping, and Peter by ſpeaking, and Iehu by driving his Chariot: So Chriſtians are knowne by ſanctification. Every child of God is ſanctified, Secundum plus aut minus, either more or leſſe. But firſt let me ſpeake of the diverſe acceptions of the word, ne inpingamus ubi non eſt lapis, leſt we ſtumble where there is no ſtone.

1. It is taken for that which is pure and perfect and cleane: Levit. 19. 2. So God alone is ſaid to be holy.

2. It is taken for that which is lawfull, as 1 Cor. 7. 14. The unbeleeving husband is ſanctified by the wife, and the unbeleeving wife is ſanctified by the Husband, elſe were your children uncleane, but now they are holy.

3. For that which is ſeparated and ſet apart from common uſes, and reſerved to ſacred and holy uſes. Thus in the Law, thoſe things were called holy and ſanctified, which were taken from the common uſe of the people, and ſet apart for the uſe and ſervice of God; as the Oyle, Shew bread; firſt fruits, veſſels of the Tabernacle. In this ſenſe the Prieſts were called holy, becauſe they were ſeparate from the common life of men, to ſerve in the Tabernacle. Thus the people of Iſrael, ſeparated from the reſt of the Nations, were called by Moſes, a ſanctified people to the Lord; and by Ieremy, a thing hallowed to the Lord.

4. For that which is conſecrated to a godly and holy uſe: Wee muſt bee holy becauſe God is holy. In which reſpect it is oppoſite to prophaneneſſe. So the Temple was holy, Ieremy was ſanctified, that is, conſecrated to be a Prophet. So Chriſt ſanctified himſelfe, that is, dedicated himſelfe to be a ſacrifice for the ſinnes of the world.

5. It is taken for purity of body and minde; as 2 Cor. 7. 5. So it is taken here.

And that wee ſhould bee holy, that is, pure both in body and in minde, it is the will and commandement of God. Would you know his will and doe it, that thou maiſt enter into heaven? For not every one that ſaith, Lord, Lord, ſhall enter into heaven, but hee that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven: then be holy; For Mat. 7. 21. this is the will of God, even your holineſſe. 1 Theſ. 4. 3.

There be many reaſons to move us to Sanctification, to Holineſſe; whereof one is often uſed, drawne from the perſon of God our Father; that children muſt reſemble their Father, elſe are they Baſtards rather than ſonnes. So reaſoneth God, Ye ſhall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy: repeated by Peter, As hee Levit. 19. 2. which hath called you is holy, ſo be ye holy in all manner of converſation; becauſe it is written, Be ye holy for I am holy. All that is in God our Father is holy, all that pertaineth to Gods name is holy: Holy is his name. His perſon is holy. Hereupon the Seraphins cryed Luke 1. 49. one unto another, and ſaid, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hoſts, the whole world is full of his glory, his workes are holy: So ſaith David, Eſay 6. 3. The Lord is righteous in all his wayes, and holy in all his Workes. His Iudgements are holy: O my God, (ſaith the Prophet in his diſtreſſe) Pſal. 45. 17. I cryed by day, but thou heareſt not, and by night, but have no audience, but thou art holy, &c. His Temple or Houſe is holy: ſo Pſal. 22. 1, 2. ſaith Paul, The Temple of God is holy, which ye are. His Mountaine is holy, and therfore called A holy Mountaine. His Kingdome is 1 Cor. 3. 17. holy, for no uncleane thing ſhall enter his Kingdome, neither whatſoever Pſal. 15. worketh abomination or lyes. Therefore we muſt be holy if wee Apoc. 21. 27. looke to live with God; Extra ſunt Canes, without bee dogges, prophane and polluted perſons. Apoc. 22. 15.

The ſame reaſon holdeth for holineſſe, that doth for mercy, clemency, love, meekneſſe, and all other attributes of the Lord. Let mee reaſon as the Scripture reaſoneth. God is mercifull, therefore wee muſt bee mercifull; God forgiveth his enemies, therefore we muſt forgive. So reaſoneth Chriſt himſelfe; Love your enemies, bleſſe them that curſe you, doe good to them that hate you, and pray for them that hurt you and perſecute you, that you may bee the Children of your Father which is in Heaven. God is love, therefore we muſt love: So reaſoneth Saint Iohn; Beloved, let us love one another, 1 Iohn 4. 7, 8. for love commeth of God, and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God, he that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love. God is meek, therfore we muſt be meek: Learn of me (ſaith Chriſt) for I am meek, &c. So God is holy, therefore we muſt be holy. Mat. 11. 29.

Another reaſon is taken from the end of our Redemption, urged Holineſſe the end of our Redemption: without it wee ſhall not ſee God. by the Apoſtle, ſaying; The grace of God that bringeth ſalvation to all men, hath appeared, and teacheth us, that we ſhould deny ungodlineſſe, and worldly luſts, and that wee ſhould live ſoberly, righteouſly, and holily in this preſent world. Hath Chriſt ſweat water and blood? hath his heart beene molten like waxe? his ſtrength dryed up Tit. 2. 11, 12. Pſal. 22. 14, 15. like a potſheard? hath his tongue cloven to his iawes and brought to the duſt of the earth, that wee ſhould be wantons? O caecas hominum mentes! O pectora caeca! nati ſumus è ſilice, nutriti lacte ferino: O blinde mindes of men! O blind hearts! wee are borne of a flint-ſtone, and nouriſhed with the milke of wilde beaſts. If Iacob ſorrowed ſo for Ioſeph; if David would have dyed for Abſalom; if Rachel wept for her children and would not be comforted becauſe they were not. Let the death of Chriſt Gen. 37. 35. 2 Sam. 17. Mat. 2. Luke 1. 75. Luke 7. Mat. 26. Pſal. 51. pierce our hearts, and move us to holineſſe, and let us ſerve him in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe all the dayes of our life. The Lord ſuſtaine our hearts, that with Mary we may waſh his feet with our teares, and with Peter wee may weepe bitterly. Create in us Lord a cleane heart, and renue in us a right ſpirit.

Another reaſon is taken from our Salvation, for without holineſſe we cannot be ſaved. For though wee be not ſaved for it, yet we are not ſaved without it. Hereupon ſaith the Apoſtle; Follow peace with holineſſe, without the which yee cannot bee ſaved. A Heb. 12. 14. ſore, a fearefull ſpeech, like the thunder in Mount Horeb; which I adde the rather, becauſe men mocke at holineſſe: Oh ſay they, you are holy men, you are men of the Spirit, you are Saints, you are Sermon-men. The Baſtard Iſmael flowted at Iſaac, Gal. 5. 29. 2 Sam. 6. Ier. 18. Michol skorneth at Davids dancing before the Arke, the men of Anathoth did ſmite Ieremy with their tongue, the Adverſaries of Iuda jeſted at the people. But if thou beeſt not holy, if thou beeſt not a Saint, thou art a divell: and know, that if ye Eſra 4. Rom. 8. 13. Gal. 6. 8. live after the fleſh ye ſhall dye; for he that ſoweth to the fleſh, ſhall of the fleſh reape corruption. As Naomi ſaid, Call me not Naomi, but Mara: So call not theſe men Chriſtians, Goſpellers, but call them ſwine, dogges, that tread pearles under their feet; call them Adders that will not be charmed; call them Wolves that heare Mat. 7. Pſal. 58. Iohn 10. Hebr. 12. Iohn 6. not their ſhepheard; call them Baſtards, and not ſonnes; yea, call them divels, as Chriſt called Iudas; and ſay unto them, as Chriſt ſaid to Peter, Come behind me Satan, thou underſtandeſt not the things that bee of God, but of man. I marvell that the Sunne, that is witneſſe of theſe villanies, ſtandeth in the heavens, that the heavens raine not downe fire and Brimſtone, as Gen. 19. 23. that the earth ſwallow them not up, as Numb. 16. that the creatures put not on their harneſſe, as Ioel 1.

Laſtly, wee are ſanctified; wee muſt therefore be holy, that our names and our natures, our calling, and converſation may be correſpondent; if then we will have part with Chriſt we muſt live after the example of Chriſt; if wee will have Communion Cauſes of Sanctification. The whole Trinity ſanctifie. with the Saints, on Earth, wee muſt bee Saints on Earth, if wee will have the company of Saints in Heaven, our converſation on Earth muſt bee heavenly: Partly, Wee are choſen in Chriſt that wee ſhould bee holy, and without blame before him, and partly, becauſe the heavenly Court receiveth none, but ſuch as are pure, Epheſ. 7. 4. Apoc. 21. 27. holy, innocent.

David ſaith, holineſſe becommeth thy houſe for ever. If holineſſe become Gods houſe, much more us, which are the ſervants of his houſe. Wel, the God of peace ſanctifie you throughout, and I pray God that your Spirits, Soules and Bodies may bee holy and harmeleſſe, untill the comming of the Lord Ieſus.

For all our ſanctification and holineſſe is from the Lord, as it appeareth plainely by the words of my Text; Sanctified of God the Father: Cauſa efficiens ſanctitatis; the efficient cauſe of holineſſe is God the Father: Inſtrumentalis cauſa fides; the inſtrumentall cauſe is Faith; for, Fides cor purificat, Faith purifieth the heart. Materialis cauſa, the materiall cauſe, est energia ſanctitatis quae eſt in Act. 15. 9. Iohn 1. 16. Chriſto, for of his fulnes we have all received, even grace for grace. Formalis cauſa, the formall cauſe; eſt noſtra renovatio ab impuris qualitatibus ad puras & integras: is our renewing from impure qualities to pure and ſound: Finalis, Dei cultus, the final, Gods worſhip, to the honour of God and the edifying of our neighbour.

But yet obſerve with mee, that though ſanctification bee attributed to the Father, yet the Sonne, and the holy Ghoſt are not excluded: for wee hold the principle of the Schoolemen; Opera Trinitatis quoad extra ſunt indiviſa; the outward workes of God are common to the whole Trinity; and ſo are we ſanctified by Father, Sonne, and holy Ghoſt: yet ſanctification is here aſcribed to the Father, as being the ground and firſt author thereof. For the Son ne ſanctifieth by meriting ſanctification; the holy Ghoſt ſanctifieth by working it; but the Father ſanctifieth, both by ſending his Sonne to merit it, and alſo by giving the holy Spirit to worke. Thus Opera Trinitatis, the outward workes of God are common to the whole Trinitie. Sed opera Trinitatis, quoad intus eſſe ſingularia; the inward workes of God are ſingular, and proper to ſome perſons of the Trinitie: Vt patri potentia, filio redemptio, ſpiritu ſanctificatio tribuitur; as power is aſcribed to the Father, redemption to the Sonne, ſanctification to the holy Ghoſt: and yet theſe three now and then bee attributed to all the three perſons. Quod Vrſinus; ſervato ordine agendi, for as the Father and the holy Ghoſt doe redeeme, and yet mediately by the Sonne, ſo the Father and the Sonne doe ſanctifie, yet mediately by the Holy Ghoſt. The proper or incommunicable workes of the Trinity, are the inward eternall and hypoſtaticall properties, as thus, Pater generat, the Father begetteth, the Sonne is begotten, and the holy Ghoſt proceedeth, Diſtinction of perſons in the Trinitie. and yet the Father is not the Sonne, nor the Sonne the Father, nor the holy Ghoſt either Father or Sonne. The other workes of the Trinity are indiviſible, how ſoever ſometimes diſtinct, as Creation to the Father, Redemption to the Sonne, Sanctification to the holy Ghoſt. Peter Martyr ſayth thus; Pater ut fons, filius ut flumen, ſpiritus ut rivus ab utroque procedens; The Father as the Fountaine, the Sonne as the flood, the Spirit as the River proceeding from them both. The fountaine is not the flood, nor the flood the fountaine, nor the river either fountaine or flood, and yet all theſe bee one water. So the Father is not the Sonne, nor the Sonne the Father, nor the Spirit either Father or Sonne; and yet but one God. Et hi tres ſanctificant, and all theſe three ſanctifie: quoth Lactantius. Ab uno omnia, per unum omnia, in uno omnia, a quo, per quem, in quo omnia, unus a ſe unus ab uno, unus ab ambobus; una tamen & eadem operatio? All things from one, all things by one, all things in one: from whom, by whom, and in whom are all things: one of himſelfe, one from one, one from both, and yet one and the ſame operation. Tres ſunt in trinitate, non ſtatu, ſed ordine, non eſſentia, ſed forma, non poteſtate, ſed ſpecie, unus ſtatus, eſſentiae & poteſtatis, quia ſunt unus Deus. There bee three perſons in the Trinity, not in ſtate and condition, but in order; not in eſſence, but in forme; not in power, but in kinde: for there is one and the ſame ſtate of eſſence and power, becauſe theſe three perſons bee but one God.

But to leave this: The perſons of the Trinity are here diſtinguiſhed: they are ſanctified of God the Father, and reſerved unto Ieſus Chriſt. The perſons of the Father and the Sonne are diſcerned, as in all other places: Pater quaſi fons exuberans; filius ut rivus defluens; ille ut Sol, hic ut radius; ille ut os, hic ut vox procedens: nonautem ſeparantur, ſicut nec rivus a fonte, nec radius a Sole, nec vox abore: quia aqua fontis eſt in Rivo, & ſolis lumen in radio, & oris virtus in voce: The Father, as the fountaine abounding, the Sonne, as the river flowing; he as the Sunne, this as the beame; hee as the mouth, this as the voice proceeding: they are not ſeparated, as neither the river is ſeparated from the fountaine, nor the beame from the Sunne, nor the voyce from the mouth, for the water in the fountaine is in the river, as the light of the Sunne is in the beame, and the vertue of the mouth in the voyce.

The diſtinction of the perſons obſcurely delivered in the Old Teſtament, in the New is made clearer than the noone-day. For at the Baptiſme of Chriſt, the Sonne was ſeene: The holy Ghoſt deſcended like a Dove. Againe, Chriſt bade them Baptiſe, In the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghoſt. Againe, Mat. 3. 16. this was Pauls farewell to the Churches: The grace of our Lord Ieſus, the love of God, and the fellowſhip of the holy Ghoſt, be with you, &c. Mat. 28. 19. Againe, Saint Iohn ſaith, That there are three that beare witneſsein Sanctification not available without preſervation. heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and theſe three are one: Alſo the place, Luk. 1. 35. The Holy Ghoſt ſhall come upon thee and the power of the higheſt ſhall overſhadow thee: therefore alſo that holy thing that ſhall be borne of thee, ſhall be called the Sonne of God; doth 1 Iohn 5. 7, 8. ſufficiently prove the Trinity; which places the Confeſſion of Belgia quoted againſt Iewes, Mahomitans, Marcion, Mans, Sabellius, Samoſitanus, &c.

The third title of honour here given unto the Elect, is reſervation, that they are reſerved unto Chriſt Ieſus; that is (as St. Peter ſaith) They are kept by the power of God, through faith unto ſalvation. All former bleſſings without this is to ſmall purpoſe, 1 Pet. 1. 15. in that God not onely calleth us, but ſanctifieth us, and not only ſo neither, but alſo reſerveth us in Chriſt Ieſus. This maketh Luke 6. 38. up the meaſure of our joy, till the Buſhell runne over. So Paul told the Corinthians, that God had called them, and would confirme 1 Cor. 1. 8. them unto the end, that they may bee blameleſſe in the day of Lord Ieſus. This is the Anchor of our hope, as the Sun at noone day, as the Moone in the Full, that God preſerveth us for ever. He that keepeth Iſrael, doth neither ſlumber nor ſleepe; the Lord is thy keeper, the Pſal. 121. 4, 5. Lord is thy defence upon thy right hand, the Sunne ſhall not burne thee by day, nor the Moone by night. He that keepeth a ſicke man, ſleepeth; but he that keepeth us, never ſleepeth: his eyes are alwaies open day and night, like the gates of the new Ieruſalem. Apoc. 20. Chriſt giveth this reaſon why his ſheepe doe not periſh: My ſheepe (ſaith hee) heare my voyce, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternall life, and they ſhall never periſh, neither ſhall any man pluck Iohn 10. 27, 28. them out of my hand. Our life is like a Ship in the Sea, beaten with winde, toſſed with waves, turmoyled with all kind of troubles; and were it not that Chriſt is in this Ship, we were like to ſinke, nor with Peter into the Sea, but with Iudas into hell. And this point is moſt notably handled by Maſter Calvin, who affirmeth, that Gods providence is over all the parts of our life; we cannot Calvin libro 1. cap. 17. Instit. (ſaith he) take heat nor cold without danger; by heat wee may ſurfeit, and by colde catch an ague, if wee mount up an horſe, In lapſu unius pedis periclitatur tota vita; in the ſliding of one foot is the danger of our life; if wee enter into a Ship, we are but an inch from death; if we walke in the ſtreets, ſo many tiles, ſo many deaths hang over our heads, walk into the Forreſts or Fields, ſo many beaſts, ſo many enemies that conſpire our deſtruction, ſhut thy ſelfe in a Garden, there a Serpent may kill thee: Latet anguis in herbis. And to recapitulate all this: Bibulus a noble Romane, riding thorough the ſtreets in great pompe, a tile fell from the houſe, and ſtrooke him ſo deepe into the head, that it killed him. Pope Adrian, drinking at a Fountaine, was choked with a flye: Anacreon the Poet was choked with the graine of a Grape; Gregory the 13. was ſuddenly ſtrangled with a rheume, and it is ſaid of Plato, that he dyed in a Gods providence watcheth over all, eſpecially his. dreame, and of Publius Craſsus, that hee dyed laughing. Into theſe dangers might wee have fallen, if God had not preſerved us.

Marvellous is the providence of God in our lives: Iob in his miſery ſaw the want of it, and therefore wiſhed, ſaying, Oh that I were as in times paſt, when God preſerved me, when his light ſhined upon Iob. 29. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. my head, and when by his light I walked through the darkeneſſe; as I was in the dayes of my youth, when Gods providence was upon my Tabernacle, when the Almighty was with me, and my children round about me; when I waſhed my pathes with butter, and when the rocke powred me out Rivers of Oyle, &c. In all the parts of our life God miraculouſly preſerveth us, miraculouſly doth he preſerve us in our conception: and therefore ſaith the juſt man; Thou haſt powred me out like milke, turned me to Curds like Cheeſe, thou haſt cloathed mee with skinne and fleſh, and joyned mee together with bones and ſinewes; thou haſt given me life and grace, and thy viſitation hath preſerved my ſpirit. Miraculouſly did hee nouriſh us in our Mothers wombe, Pſal. 8. 2. miraculouſly nine moneths preſerved hee us; miraculouſly did he deliver us out of the wombe of our Mother; for at our birth Pſal. 34. not onely women but Angels did aſſiſt us; miraculouſly God keepeth us in our youth: For CHRIST ſpeaking of his little Mat. 18. 10. ones, ſaith, The Angels of his little ones doe alwaies behold the face of his Father which is in Heaven. Miraculouſly doth hee keepe us untill the day of our death: Therefore ſaith David, Thou haſt ſhewed mee great troubles and adverſities, but Pſal. 71. 18. thou wilt returne and revive mee, and wilt come againe, and take mee from the depth of the earth. Miraculouſly doth he continue his benefits towards us: Therefore ſaith the ſweet Singer of Iſrael; Cast me not away in the time of my age, forſake me not when my ſtrength Pſal. 71. 8. faileth me: let it be our Prayer. If God had not aſwell preſerved us and kept us, it had beene to ſmall purpoſe to call us and ſanctifie us. This Doctrine then is a Doctrine of comfort, that God preſerveth us; it is as Davids Harpe, which rejoyced Saul in his melancholy. God hath not onely made us, but alſo preſerved us in a wonderfull mercy. He telleth all our ſteps. He numbreth Iob 14. Pſal. 56. Pſal. 38. Pſal. 139. Pſal. 34. Mat. 10. our teares. He counteth our dayes and times. He telleth our members. He reckoneth our bones. Yea he telleth our haires.

Our ſteps, our teares, our dayes, our members, our bones, our hayres are told; and yet all theſe are but little; a ſteppe is but a little ſpace, a teare is but a little water, a member is but a little fleſh, a bone a little ſubſtance, our dayes a little time, our haire a little exerement; yet all theſe are kept of God; he that keepeth theſe little things, will keepe our bodies and ſoules: As Paul prayed for Theſſalonica, Now the very God of peace ſanctifie you throughout, and I pray God, that your whole ſpirit, ſoule and body may 1 Theſ. 5. 23. bee kept blameleſſe untill the comming of our Lord and Saviour • eſus Christ. God therefore is continually to be praiſed: (quoth Ambroſe) The Saints though afflicted yet delivered. In proſperis, quia conſolamnur; in adverſis, quia corrigimur; in proſperity, becauſe we are comforted; in adverſity, becauſe we are corrected; before we were borne, becauſe he made us; after we were borne, becauſe he ſaveth us; in our ſinnes, becauſe hee

Ambr. in ora fu. nebri in Theodoſium.

Apoc. 2. 10.

I Am now come to the Salutation, wherein the Apoſtle wiſheth and prayeth for three things.

Three things more excellent than Mat. 2. the three gifts, which the Wiſemen beſtowed on Chriſt; Gold, Frankincenſe, 2 Sam. 23. and Myrrh; three things more puiſſant to overthrow the Divell, than the three mighty men that were in the hoaſt of Iſrael to overthrow the Philiſtines, and to fetch water out of the well of Bethelem, that David longed for; three things more comely, than the three things that Salomon commended, that is, a Lion Prov. 30. among beaſts, a Gray-hound, and a Goat.

Mercy, which is the firſt thing here wiſhed for, is aſcribed to God, the Creator; Peace, which is the ſecond, to Chriſt, the 2 Cor. 1. 3. Epheſ. 2. 14. Rom. 5. 5. Reconciler; Love, which is the third, to the holy Ghoſt, the Comforter. For God hee is called, The Father of Mercies, Chriſt is called, Our Peace, and the holy Ghoſt, Love. The Apoſtle therefore in ſaying, Mercy, Peace, and Love be multiplied, is as if he ſhould have ſaid; The God of Mercy forgive you your ſinnes, the God of Peace give you Peace that paſſeth all underſtanding, and the God of Love grant that your Love may abound more and more, that yee may bee rooted and grounded in Love.

And yet all this proceedeth from one and the ſame perſon; Generall and ſpeciall Mercies of God. for albeit Mercy be aſcribed to the Father, Peace to the Sonne, and Love to the holy Ghoſt: Creation to the Father, Redemption to the Sonne, and Sanctification to the holy Ghoſt, yet all theſe create, redeeme, and ſanctifie. For wee worſhip one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Vnity; wee confound neither the perſons, nor yet their worke.

Mercie be unto you, Mercy in God is not paſſive, but active, Non quoad affectum, ſed quoad effectum. No ſuffering with us in our wants, but ſuccouring us in them.

Mercy is here taken for grace and the meere favour of God: The Apoſtle therefore in wiſhing Mercy, Peace and Love to the Saints, teacheth us, Quales eſſe debent Chriſtianorum ſalutationes, nos literis noſtris & epiſtolis, honorem, opulentiam, ſalutem, longam vitam amicis optamus, Iudas verò, miſericordiam, pacem, charitatem, & dona coeleſtia, his tribus, Eccleſia opus eſt, aliter, actum eſſet. And firſt hee beginneth with Mercie: For inſtead of Grace uſed by the Apoſtle Paul in ſundry of his Epiſtles, Iude heere nameth Mercy, which is all one; Mercy and Grace is that, whereby all good is conveyed to us: therefore an excellent bleſſing to bee prayed for, and this Grace and Mercy of God is fourefold:

1 Generall.

2 Speciall.

3 Temporall.

4 Eternall.

The generall Grace and Mercy of God, are thoſe graces and mercies, that hee beſtoweth upon all men; Hence is it, that hee cauſeth, the Sun to ſhine upon good and bad, and his Raine to fall upon the juſt and unjuſt: For there bee ſome good things, which God giveth indifferently both to the good & bad, as Riches, Honour, Strength, Beautie, Health, &c. And there be ſome good things, which God giveth onely to the good, and not to the wicked; as ſaving Faith, ſaving Grace, a new Heart, a right Spirit, peace of Conſcience, joy in the holy Ghoſt, eternall Life: And there are ſome evill things, whereof the good taſte as well as the bad; as Sickeneſſe, Sorrow, Weakeneſſe of body; Impriſonment, Famine, Sword, loſſe of Friends, &c. And there are ſome evill things which God layeth upon the wicked, and not upon the good; as intolerable horror of conſcience, deſperation, Pſal. 104. 17, 18. damnation, &c. This generall Grace and Mercy of God is over all his cratures, the Fowles of the Aire, the Fiſhes in the Pſal. 145. 9. Sea, the beaſts of the Fields; His Mercie is over all his Workes.

His ſpeciall Mercy is that, whereby hee ſuccoureth his elect. This was the Mercy of God, that preſerved Lot, from the burning of Sodome; Daniel, from the devouring jawes of the hungrie Gen. 19. Lions; David, from the cruelty of Saul; and the Iſraelites, Dan. 6. from the firy Furnace. This is that Grace and Mercy, which the child of God above all things deſireth. Lord lift thou up Pſal. 4. the light of thy countenance upon us.

His temporall Mercie is that whereby hee ſpareth ſinners, and ſtandeth at their doores, expecting and waiting their converſion. Temporall and eternall Mercies. Hereupon one deſcanteth very finely, ſaying, When vaine pleaſure biddeth us to ſell God, and be gone, his Mercy and Grace will not ſo part with us; when we are loſt in our ſelves his Mercy and Grace findeth us out; when wee lye long in our ſinnes, his Mercy and Grace raiſeth us up: when wee come unto him, his Mercy and Grace receiveth us; when wee come not, his Mercy and Grace draweth us; when we repent, his Mercy and Grace pardoneth us; when wee repent not, his Mercy and Grace waiteth our repentance.

The eternall Mercy and Grace of God is that, which concerneth our everlaſting Salvation; & this is that Mercy and Grace principally wiſhed for, By Grace wee are ſaved through Faith, not of Epheſ. 2. our ſelves, for it is the gift of God.

This word Mercy or Grace teacheth us to looke up unto God, not unto our ſelves, if wee looke to bee ſaved; wee chooſe not the Lord, but he us, Vt ſalus eſſet penes figulum, non penes lutum: Aug. Paul aſcriberh all to Grace and Mercy, By the Grace of God (ſaith hee) I am that I am, and his Grace which is in me, was not in vaine: and thus he taught the Romanes: At this preſent, there is a remnant through the election of Grace; and if it bee of Grace, it is no more of Workes, or Rom. 11. 5, 6. elſe Grace were no more Grace; but if it bee of Workes, it is no more Grace, or elſe were worke no more worke: an invincible Argument.

Peter letteth the Iewes ſee, Terminum a quo, & terminum ad quem pervenerunt; their ſtate under the Law, and under Grace. Hee hath called you (ſaith Saint Peter) out of darkeneſſe into his marvellous 1 Pet. 2. 9, 10. light, which in times paſt were not a people, but now the people of God: which in times paſt were not under Mercy, but now have obtained Mercy. We have not loved God, but hee us, Venit medicus ad aegrotos, via ad errantes, lux ad tenebras, vita ad mortuos, redemptor ad Bern. captivos: The Phyſitian came unto the ſicke, the way to wanderers, light to darkeneſſe, life to the dead, a redeemer to the captives. Wee were ſicke, hee healed us; wee wandered, hee reduced us; wee were blind, hee lightend us; wee were ſlaves, hee redeemed us: No man commeth to the Father but by him. Iohn 14. 6.

This is not onely that generall 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Mercy and Grace of God, which pertaineth to all creatures, Beaſts, Fowle, Fiſhes, whereof I ſpake before: but this is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 peculiar to man only: the Scripture calleth it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the riches of his bountifulneſſe, &c. For The Lord is rich in Mercy: rich in mercy, becauſe Epheſ. 2. 4. the treaſury of his Mercy and Grace is never exhauſted, the fountaine never dryed up; rich in Mercy, becauſe he never ceaſeth to communicate the riches of his Mercy and Grace to us; rich in Mercy, becauſe hee pardoneth all our ſinnes upon our true repentance; rich in Mercy, becauſe he not only pardoneth al our ſins upon our true repentance, but giveth us repentance, and The abundant riches of Gods mercies. faith to beleeve the remiſſion of our ſinnes; rich in mercy, becauſe he giveth us privative grace to eſcape evils, and poſitive enabling us to doe good; finally, rich in mercy, becauſe he preventeth us with mercy and grace, before we ſeeke him, and followeth us with mercy and grace when we have found him.

Bernard in a certaine Sermon, makes mention of a ſeven-fold De Evang. ſeptem panum. mercy or grace, which (hee ſaith) each child of God may finde in himſelfe.

The firſt is a preventing mercy or grace, by which the Lord preſerves his Elect from falling into groſſe evils; Fateor & fatebor (ſaith he) niſi quia Deus adiuvit me paulo minus cecidiſſet in omne peccatum anima mea; I doe and will ingeniouſly confeſſe, that unleſſe the Lord had preſerved mee by grace, my ſoule had gone neere to have fallen into all ſinne.

The ſecond is his forbearing mercy or grace, whereby the Lord waiteth for the converſion of a ſinner: in regard whereof, the ſame Author writeth thus; Ego peccabam, & tu diſſimulas; non continebam a ſceleribus, & tu à verberibus abſtinebas, I ſinned, O Lord, and thou ſeemeſt not to regard it, I contained not my ſelfe from wickedneſſe, and thou abſtaineſt from ſcourging me for the ſame.

The third is an altering and changing mercy or grace, which makes a man ſetled in the reſolution of holineſſe, whereas before he was prophane, and looſe in behaviour.

The fourth is an imbracing mercy or grace, whereby God aſſureth the Convert of his favour.

The fifth is a confirming mercy or grace, which ſtrengthneth and upholdeth the righteous in his goodneſſe.

The ſixth is a mercy or grace, that ſets him in hope and expectation of glory.

The ſeventh is a crowning mercy or grace, which is the Livery and ſeiſin, and full poſſeſſion of the Kingdome of heaven.

Thus the LORD hath ſeven mercies or graces, nay ſeventy times ſeven mercies, even an innumerable multitude of compaſſions; all which Saint Iude here wiſheth unto the Saints; by which it appeareth how great a bleſſing the Apoſtle wiſheth in wiſhing mercy. Mercy be unto you.

For indeed all that wee have is of mercy; not of merit, of favour, not of debt; of grace, not of nature. It is his mercy that wee Lament. 3. 2. be not conſumed: therefore when we pray, let this be our petition, O God be mercifull unto me a ſinner: and when we give thankes, let Luke 18. 13. Pſal. 36. this be the foot of our Song, For his mercy indureth for ever; For his mercy indureth for ever.

His mercy is Communis peccantium portus, the common harbor of all penitent ſinners: For it is not the wiſdome God, nor his power, noriuſtice that preſerves us from deſtruction, but his mercy. So many idle words uttered in a day, ſo many vaine Mercy that we are not conſumed. thoughts conceived, ſo many evill workes committed; I ſpeake poſitively, and now privatively; ſo few prayers in us, ſo few thankeſgiving, ſo few almes, ſo weake faith, ſo little knowledge, ſo cold zeale, ſo ſmall love; It is not a mercy, but a miracle, that we are not all conſumed, that the ayre infecteth us not, as it did Iuda; that the heavens raine not downe fire and brimſtone, 2 Sam. 24. as they did upon Sodome; that the clouds open not and drowne us all, as they did the old world; that the earth doth not open Gen. 19. and ſwallow us all, as it did Dathan; ſuch pride in the rich, ſuch envie in the poore, ſuch peeviſhneſſe in age, ſuch riot in youth, Gen. 6. Numb. 16. ſuch robbery on the land, ſuch piracy on the Sea, ſuch impiety in the Church, ſuch iniury in the Common-wealth, ſuch wickedneſſe and Atheiſme in all; it is a rare mercy that wee be not all conſumed.

The Angels deſire an end of this evill world, the Saints departed wiſh the accompliſhment of the Elect, the number full, the body of Chriſt made perfect. The Saints in earth cry, Veni Eſa. 6. Apoc. 6. Apoc. 22. Domine Ieſu, veni citò; Come Lord Ieſu, come quickly. Why doe wee not deſire to be looſed, that as wee are partakers of his generall, ſpeciall, and temporall mercies and graces here: ſo we may be partakers of his eternall mercies in heaven.

The ſecond bleſſing, which the Apoſtle prayeth for, is peace; which is taken three waies:

Firſt, for externall peace between man and man.

Secondly, for internall peace, betwixt God and man, peace of conſcience.

Thirdly, for proſperity, and the happy event of all things.

And in all theſe ſignifications it may be taken in this place, in a godly ſenſe; if wee take it in the firſt ſenſe, it is a notable bleſſing, and to be prayed for of all men, as Iude doth here: for peace is the ornament of all places, as a Crowne of gold upon their head, the Kingdome of Chriſt is adorned by it. The Wolfe ſhall dwell with the Lambe, and the Leopard ſhall lye with Eſa. 11. 6. 7. 9. the Kid, and the Calfe and the Lion and the fat beaſt together, and a little Child ſhall lead them, and the Cow and the Beare ſhall feed together, their yong ones ſhall lye together, and the Lion ſhall eat ſtraw like the Bullocke, and the ſucking child ſhall play upon the hole of the Aſpe, and the weaned child ſhall put his hand upon the Cockatrice hole, then ſhall none hurt nor deſtroy in all the Mountaine of my holineſſe. Here men by reaſon of their cruell affections are called by the name of beaſts; but Chriſt by his Spirit ſhal ſo reforme them, and work in them ſuch mutuall peace and unity, that they ſhall bee as Lambes favouring and loving one another, and caſt away all their cruell affections. And againe, the Prophet ſpeaking of the Kingdome of Chriſt, ſaith, They ſhall breake their ſwords into mattocks, and their ſpeares into ſithes, Nation ſhall not lift up a ſword againſt Nation, neither Mich. 4. 3, 4. ſhall they learne to fight any more, but they ſhall ſit every man under his Peace both good and pleaſant. Vine and under his Fig-tree, and none ſhall make them afraid; meaning that peace and unity ſhall flouriſh among them, and diviſion and diſſention ſhall be utterly baniſhed.

Our God is the God of peace; the Divell on the contrary is Heb. 13. 20. the Author of all diſſention; it was he that cauſed diviſion between Abimelech and the men of Sichem. Hee was a murtherer Ind. 9. 23. from the beginning: But God is the Author of peace; Litigioſi Iohn 6. 44. ergo non ſunt ex Deo; Contentious perſons therefore are not of God: For God is not the author of confuſion, but of peace. Peace is one fruit of the Spirit: ſo ſaith the Apoſtle, The fruits of the Spirit 1 Cor. 14. 33. are love, joy, peace, &c. but no peace, no Spirit of God. Paul is not earneſter in any thing, than in moving men to imbrace peace: Writing to the Philippians he ſaith thus; If there be any Phil. 2. 1, 2. conſolation in Christ, if any comfort of Love, if any fellowſhip of the Spirit, if any compaſſion and mercy, fulfill my joy that ye be like minded, having the ſame love, being of one accord, and of one judgement, that nothing bee done through contention or vaine-glory, &c. And againe, I pray Phil. 4. 2. Evodias, and beſeech Syntiches, that they bee of one accord in the Lord. This was Chriſts Ave and Vale ever, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: Dulce nomen pacis, res ipſa tum jucunda, tum ſalutaris; the very name of peace is ſweet and comfortable, the fruit and effect thereof pleaſant and profitable; Innumeris potior triumphis, more to bee deſired than innumerable Triumphes. This bleſſed peace is the language of heaven; the Angels brought it from heaven: Glory in the higheſt heavens to God, in earth peace, towards Luke 2. men good will. This is the Legacy which Chriſt bequeathed to his Diſciples; Pacem meam do vobis, My peace I give unto Iohn 20. 19. you; this was the uſuall ſalutation of the Iewes, Shenim Vbenim, peace be unto you: this is one of thoſe ſpeciall bleſſings, which all the Apoſtles in all their ſalutations pray for; Grace bee with you and peace: this David commendeth; O quàm bonum, & quàm Gal. 1. 9. jucundum, O how good and pleaſant a thing it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity; it is not bonum & non jucundum, good Pſal. 133. 1. and not pleaſant, or jucundum & non bonum, pleaſant and not good, but bonum & jucundum, good and pleaſant. There bee ſome things that be bona ſed non jucunda, good and not pleaſant, as patience and diſcipline; ſome things be jucunda ſed non bona; pleaſant but not good, as voluptuouſneſſe carnall pleaſure; ſome things are nec bona nec jucunda, neither good nor pleaſant, as envie, worldly ſorrow, &c. and there be ſome things, & bona & iucunda, which are both good and pleaſant, as peace, honeſty, charity. This peace Chriſt commendeth to his Diſciples; Have ſalt in your ſelves, and have peace one with another: this was a Mar. 13. peece of the bleſſing which God taught the high Prieſt, that God would grant them his peace. When GOD would have a Numb. 6. 6. Temple builded for his worſhip, he would not have it in Davids 2 Sam. 7. 5. time, becauſe it was troubleſome, and full of Warre: but in the Contention cauſe of Deſtruction. dayes of Salomon, who is interpreted Rex pacis, the King of Peace. When Chriſt came into the World, it was in the dayes of Auguſtus, when the whole World was at Peace; and Chriſt is the corner Luke 2. ſtone, making peace among men. Tale bonum eſt bonum pacis, Aug. ut in rebus creatis nihil gratioſius ſoleat audiri, nihil delectabilius concupiſci, nihil utilius poſſideri, ſuch and ſo great a good, is the good of Peace, that among al the things created, nothing is heard of more acceptable, nothing deſired which is more delectable, nothing poſſeſſed more profitable; Peace is the ſweeteſt harmony that ever ſounded, the ſtrongeſt bond that ever united politicall bodies together, the chiefeſt prop, pillar & preſervative of common wealths. Cum alii ſunt pacem recipientes, alii retinentes, alii facientes; when ſome embrace Peace, others retaine it, others make it.

Let us therefore, Brethren, Bee diligent to keepe the unity of the Epheſ. 4. 3, 4, 5. ſpirit in the bond of peace, being one body and one ſpirit, even as wee are called into one hope of our calling. For there is but one Faith, one Baptiſme, one God and Father over all, which is above all, through all, and in us all. For contention breedeth diviſion, and diviſion is the mother of deſtruction, here and ever hereafter, here it impoveriſheth us; ſo ſaith the Apoſtle, If yee barke one at another, and bite one another, yee ſhall at laſt bee devoured one of another: the end of Gal. 5. 15. barking is biting, the end of contention is conſumption, the end of diſſention deſtruction. This Chriſt layeth out by two ſimilitudes, ſaying, Every Kingdome divided againſt it ſelfe ſhall be Mat. 12. 25. brought to nought, and every Citie or Houſe divided againſt it ſelfe cannot ſtand, hereafter it damneth us. For unto them that are contentious and diſobey the truth, and obey unrighteouſneſſe, ſhall bee Indignation and Wrath, Tribulation and Anguiſh, &c. Herein the Divels are wiſer than Men, Eſt Daemonum legio concors, there is an agreement among Aug. the Divels. In Mary Magdalen, of ſeven; in another of a whole leagion: and Chriſt ſaith, That if Sathan caſt out Sathan, hee is divided againſt himſelfe, and how ſhall his Kingdome indure? The Divels Mat. 12. 26. Luke 11. 15. agree in miſchiefe, and they all obey one head to do a miſchiefe: Conyes are but ſmall things, yet joyning together, they overthrow the Iſles of Anaph, Maiorica, and Minorica. The Cranes are not great, but being conjoyned they beate the Pigmae, Herrings are but little, yet their forces being put together, overturne a great ſhip. Gnats are but ſmall creatures, yet many being united together, drave backe Iulian the Apostata. Rats are not great yet many of them together devoured Hatto of Moguncia. Hist. tripart. Our bodies ſtand of foure contrary Elements, Fire, Water, Ayre, Earth; but becauſe they are combined together, therfore live wee well, but if there bee a jarre among them, that one overcome another, the body then periſheth by and by.

What ſhall I ſay then of theſe brawling, ſewing, wrangling ſpirits; they are like the Salt pillar, that Lots wife was turned Gen. 45. unto; they bee of a ſalt and fierie humor, like the ſeven blaſted Motive to true Peace. eares, that conſumed the full eares; like the ſeven leane kine that eate up the fat; like the worme that ſmote Ionas wilde gourd, they hurt themſelves and others alſo, they ſtrive in the law, like the mouſe and the frogge for the mariſh ground, till the kite ſwee • s them both away, till the Lawyer eate them both up; they are like Fooles that bore holes in ſhippes to let out the water, and to let in the whole Sea; ſo to gaine ſix pence, they will ſpend ſix pounds, and at laſt die beggars. As the Friers of old lived of the ignorance of the people: ſo the Lawyers now live of the ſinne and malice of the people; they, as the Locuſts, eate up all. Wherfore if yee love your wealth; Seeke peace and inſue Pſal. 34. 14. Rom. 12. 18. it, and if it be poſſible as much as in you lyeth, have peace with all men. Remember that our God is the God of peace; Chriſt the Prince of peace; Angels the meſſengers of peace; the Miniſters, the preachers of peace; the Magiſtrates, defenders of peace, and that we are the children of the God of peace. Let us have therefore peace amongſt our ſelves; not polluted peace, ſuch as was anong Davids enemies, which laide waite for his ſoule, and tooke Pſal. 71. 10. 2 Sam. 13. 28. counſell together againſt him; nor counterfeite peace, as was betweene Abſalom and Ammon: for Abſalom prepared a feaſt for Ammon his brother, but cauſed him to be murthered in the middeſt of the banket. So the Spaniards, in 88. treated of peace, but prepared themſelves to warre: nor inordinate peace: for of this peace ſaith our Saviour, I came not to bring peace into the world, but a ſword: nor peace with ſinne, the world and the fleſh: For this is the Divels peace.

Of every of theſe kindes of peace, I ſay with a Father; Melior eſt talis pugna quae proximum facit Deo, quam illa pax quae ſeparat a Greg. Nazian. Deo; Better is that fight and conflict, which maketh a man draw neere to God, than that peace which ſeparates a man from God; ſuch agreement is not union, but conſpiracie. Our peace therefore muſt bee a Chriſtian peace; and this peace hath for her elder ſiſter, Righteouſneſſe: So ſaith David, Iustitia & pax oſculatae ſunt; Righteouſneſſe and peace have kiſſed each other: Pſal. 85. 10. As Auguſtine upon the place, fiat juſtitia, & habebis pacem; if thou wilt have peace, worke righteouſneſſe ſo peace ſhall be within thy walls, and plenteouſneſſe, within thy palaces.

Secondly, peace is taken for the quietneſſe and peace of conſcience betwixt God and man; and of this peace the Apoſtle ſpeaketh thus; Being juſtified by Faith, wee have peace with God. This Rom. 5. 1. peace paſſeth all underſtanding, the tongues of men and Angels cannot utter it; the goodneſſe of this peace cannot be perceived by the eye, nor received by the eare, nor conceived by the heart; yet the eare can heare much, as Saul aſleepe heard David; and 2 Sam. 24. Sap. 1. 10. The eare of Iealouſie heareth all things. The eye can ſee further: for Moſes ſaw Canaan from the top of Piſgah. The tongue can utter more than the eye can ſee; ſo Achitophels mouth was as an Oracle Peace of conſcience moſt excellent. of God. The heart can conceive more, than the tongue can utter; ſo Salomons heart is ſaid to be large, like the ſands of the Sea; yet cannot our eyes, nor eares, nor hearts comprehend this peace. It paſſeth all underſtanding. It is nothing to have all peace, and to Phil. 4. 7. want the peace of God, the peace of conſcience. It is nothing to have 900. chariots of Iron, with Siſera; to have ſtately buildings Iudg. 4. Dan. 4. Act. 4. with Nabuchadonezer; to have the applauſe of the people with Herod; to plant orchardes, to digge fountaines, to water gardens, to heape and gather gold, to provide men ſingers, with Salomon; to have all pleaſures, with Xerxes, and to want this peace. For Siſera died miſerably; Nabuchadonezer was turned into a beaſt; Herod was eaten of lice: Salomon called all delights, vanities; and Xerxes promiſed reward to him, that could finde him out a new pleaſure. Quá tum inventâ non fuit contentus; Which being invented, yet he was not contented.

Hath God given thee houſe and lands, wife and children, men-ſervants, and maid-ſervants? Haſt thou thy coffers full, with Croeſus? thy purſe full with Dives? thy barnes full with the Epulo? thy grounds full with Iob? thy ſtable full, with Salomon? and thy table full with Balthazar? yet all is nothing without this peace; and therefore looke into thy heart: Is there peace betweene God and thee? as he ſaid finely; Is it peace Iehu? is there not Intus vermis? a worme within byting thy conſcience? if there 1 Reg. be, looke to thy ſelfe, ſuffer not thine eyes to ſleepe, nor thy eye-liddes to take any reſt, untill thy peace be made with God, and thy pardon ſealed; O pray, pray, that thou maiſt have this peace, it is the peace of peace, and without it there can be no peace. The name of peace between man and man is ſweet, like the precious oyntment upon the head of Aaron, that ranne downe unto his beard, and from his beard unto the skirts of his clothing, but this peace of conſcience is farre ſweeter. Iuge Convivium, a continuall Pro. 15. 15. Feaſt, a daily Chriſtmas unto a good man. This peace the godly ſeeke: ſo ſaith David; marke the upright man, and behold the juſt for the end of that man is peace, but the tranſgreſſors ſhall be deſtroyed Pſal. 37. 37, 38. together, and the end of the wicked ſhal be cut off. The compariſon is, inter pium & impium, between the godly and the ungodly man; the end of the godly man is peace, when he goeth to bed, he ſaith, I will lay mee downe in peace, and take my reſte: When he Eſa. 4. 2 Pet. 3. 14. Luke 2. riſeth, He is carefull to be found in peace. When he is ſicke he ſaith, Lord let thy ſervant depart in peace. Let us then be diligent to be found in peace, then ſhall we ſee hell aboliſhed, death troden under feete, the firſt ſorrow caſt out into ſhame, immortalitie ſhall lengthen our dayes, and the glorie of God ſhal be before us as in a glaſſe. This teſtimonie is true, the Heavens have ſealed unto it, and the living God hath ſpoken it of the Sons of men; and bleſſed are we, if we doe beleeve it. There is more happineſſe in one day in Gods ſervice, than in tenne thouſand dayes of vanities, No peace to the wicked. in which we fall from the Lord of life: One day in thy Courts (ſaith David) is better than a thouſand other where: I had rather be a doore keeper in the houſe of my God, than to dwell in the tabernacles of wickedneſſe.

Sed impiis non eſt pax; there is no peace unto the wicked, their hearts never reſt, they are never quiet, their ſinne lyeth at the doores, Eſa. 57. 20. Gen. 4. 7. alwayes dogging them, and ever ready to pull out the very throat of their ſoules. As good men have the firſt fruits of the Spirit, and certaine taſtes of heavenly joyes in this life. So on the contrarie, the wicked have certaine flaſhings of hell-flames on earth, and are as the ſea, which alwayes rageth and never reſteth. And as the good man when he dyeth, bequeatheth his body which is earthly to the earth; and ſinnes which are divelliſh unto the Divell, and his goods that are worldly to the world, and his ſoule that is heavenly to heaven: So the wicked when he dyeth, bequeatheth his goods to the world, his body to the earth, his ſoule to the Divell. But ſome will ſay, The wicked are merry and quiet, none ſo merrry as they, they ſing like birds in May, like Nightingales in a cleare night.

I muſt diſtinguiſh, and ſay, that ſome wicked are blockiſh and ſenſeleſſe like ſwine, their conſciences are ſeared like dead fleſh; Mat. 7. 6. 1 Tim. 4. 2. others are deſperate, having an hell in their conſcience, trembling like Agag: but yet both ſtates damnable. For is the fiſh that skippeth in the net? or the bird that ſingeth in the ſnare? or the priſoner that is merry in the iayle in any good caſe? No, 1 Sam. 13. 1 Theſ. 5. 3. Eſa. 9. 6. Epheſ. 2. 17. no: Even ſo is it with the wicked: when They crie peace, peace, ſudden deſtruction ſhall come upon them, as upon a Woman in travell: But there is peace to the godly: Peace ſhall come, they ſhall reſt in their beds, &c. Chriſt is their peace. Pacem Evangelizavit iis qui prope, iis qui procul: he preached peace unto them that are neare, and unto them that are afarre off. To this end he died, roſe againe, aſcended into heaven; the firſt was the loweſt ſtep of his humiliation in earth, the ſecond the higheſt ſteppe of his exaltation in earth, the third the higheſt ſteppe of his glorification in heaven; In the firſt he ſuffered, in the ſecond he conquered, in the third he triumphed; the firſt tooke away ſinne, and deſtroyed death, and him that had the Lordſhip of Death: The ſecond brought Righteouſneſſe, for he roſe againe for our juſtification: The third Heb. 2. 14. Rom. 4. 25. bringeth glory, and all to this end, to make peace between God and man.

Thirdly, peace is taken for proſperitie and happy ſucceſſe of all things; as in the Pſalme, O pray for the peace of Ieruſalem, they ſhall Pſal. 122. 6. proſper that love thee; peace be within thy walls, and plenteouſneſſe be within thy palaces. Peace and plentie are here Synonymies, the one openeth the other, he prayeth for plentifull peace, or peaceable plentie. God hath promiſed his Church this peace (ſaying,) The Lord ſhall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, in the Proſperitie is termed peace. fruit of thy cattell, in the fruite of thy ground, the Lord ſhall open unto thee his good treaſure, even the Heaven to give raine unto thy land in due ſeaſon, and to bleſſe all the workes of thy hands, thou ſhalt lend to many Deuter. 28. 11, 12, 13. nations, and not borrow thy ſelfe. The Lord ſhall make thee the head, and not the taile, & thou ſhalt be above only, & not beneath, &c. Iacob bleſſing Iudas, ſaith, That he ſhall bind his Aſſe fole to the Vine, & his Aſſes colt to the beſt Vine, he ſhall waſh his garments in wine, & his Cloake with the Gen. 49. 11, 12. blood of the grape: that is, he ſhall have all proſperitie: and this proſperitie Iude wiſheth unto them (ſaying,) peace be multiplied upon you. Eſay prophecied of the wealth and abundance of the Church (ſaying,) Thou ſhalt ſucke the milke of the Gentiles, and ſhalt Eſa. 60. 16, 17. ſucke the breſts of Kings, and thou ſhalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour, and thy redeemer the mightie one of Iacob: For braſſe I will bring gold, and for Iron I will bring thee ſilver, and for ſtones Iron: I will alſo make thy government peace, and thine exactors righteouſneſſe, violence ſhall no more be heard in thee, neither deſolation nor deſtruction, &c. And God wiſheth that his Church had hearkened to his commandements, Then had thy proſperitie beene as the Flood, and thy righteouſneſſe as the Waves of the Sea. In ſix evils God would have delivered Eſa. 48. 18. Iob. 5. Pſal. 65. 11. Mal. 3. Iob. 1. Gen. 26. 1 Reg. 10. 27. it, the clouds ſhall droppe fatneſſe upon it; God would open the windowes of heauen, and powre downe a bleſſing with plenteouſneſſe. God hath inriched the members of his Church in all ages, as Iob in Huz, Iſaac in Gerar, Salomon in Iſrael, who had ſilver as ſtones.

Yea this peace and plentie is proper and peculiar to the Church onely, to the godly; the wicked have no right nor intereſt in the bleſſings of the earth: For the elects ſake God made Gen. 1. 1 Tim. 4. 8. Iohn 3. Mar. 13. Apo. 6. Rom. 8. the world; For them he enriched it; for them he redeemed it, for their ſakes he preſerveth it, for their ſakes hee deferreth his comming to judge this world. That the wicked enjoy ayre, fire, water, let them thanke the godly, who are coheires with Chriſt in all things: the wicked are uſurpers intruders into all Gods bleſſings, they have no right to any furrow or foot of land. The faithfull only are coheires with Chriſt, in whoſe right they are inveſted into all the benefits of this life. Thou art no more a ſervant but a Sonne, (ſaith Paul) now if thou be a Sonne, thoſe art alſo the heyre of Gal. 4. 7. God through Chriſt. As a baſtard hath no inheritance among the legitimate Children; So the wicked, as baſtards, have no inheritance among the faithfull. They may ſay of God and heaven, as the tenne Tribes ſaid of David and his Kingdome. What portion have we in David? we have no inheritance in the Sonne of Iſhai. So they have no portion in heaven, no inheritance in the Sonne of God, Chriſt Ieſus; they are Aliens from the commonwealth of Iſrael, ſtrangers from the Covenant and promiſe: But the godly have right and intereſt in earth, and heaven alſo; In their elder brother Chriſt Ieſus, heaven is theirs, heaven and earth is theirs, land and ſea are theirs, yea all theirs, men and Angels are ſubject unto them. Proſperitie oft hurt to the Church. All things are ours, (ſaith the Apoſtle,) whether it be Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the World, or Life, or death: Whether they be things preſent, or things to come, even all are yours, and yee are Chriſts, and Chriſt 1 Cor. 3. 21, 22, 23. Pſal. 112. 6, 7. 9. Gods, (an elegant Climax or gradation.) For he riſeth by ſteppes. Such a like figure, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; is 2 Cor. 6. 9. 10. Obiter now, that peace and plentie are ſo farre given unto the Church as is profitable for it, and expedient for the ſetting out of Gods glory. The Church ſometime eateth aſhes as bread, and mingleth her drinke with weeping, ſhe is as a Pelicane in the wilderneſſe, and like an Owle, that is in the deſart: She is as a Sparrow, that ſitteth alone upon the houſe top, and her enemies revile her all the day long; Sometime ſhe is eaten up like a Sheep, and ſcattered among the Heathen, ſhe is ſold for nought and made a rebuke, Pſal. 44. 9. 11, 12. rebuked of her neighbours, laughed to ſcorne and derided of all: Nay, ſometime ſhe is ſmitten into the place of Dragons, and covered with the ſhadow of death.

The Church is oftentimes more hurt by plentie, than penurie, according to the voice in Conſtantines dayes: Hodie venenum effuſum eſt in Eccleſiam; this day is poiſon powred into the Hierom. Church. The Church, when it came to Chriſtian Princes to be defended, Major erat divitiis, virtutibus minor.

Againe, God putteth off her ſackcloath and girdeth her with gladneſse. He giveth her beauty for aſhes, and rich apparell inſtead of ſackcloath, Pſal. 30. 12. Eſa. 61. 3. as he ſeeth it expedient. Non audit ad voluntatem, ut audiat ad ſalutem.

THe third and laſt bleſſing, which the Apoſtle here prayeth for, is Love, which of ſome learned men is thought to bee the cauſe of Mercie and Peace: For Mercy and Peace are the fruits of Love; Love is the fountaine, Mercie and Peace the water that floweth from the fountaine; Love is as the mother, Mercy and Peace as her daughters; Love as the cauſe, Mercy and Peace as the effects; yea Love is the cauſe of al bleſſings, & as I may ſay, the cauſe of it ſelfe: yea, Cauſa cauſarum, the cauſe of cauſes; or Cauſa cauſae, the cauſe of the cauſe; or Cauſa cauſati, the cauſe of the thing cauſed. God is mercifull becauſe he loveth us, and hee loveth us becauſe hee loveth us. Eligit quia diligit, & ideo diligit quia diligit; thee hath choſen us becauſe hee loveth us, Aug. and therefore hee loveth us becauſe hee loveth us: No reaſon can bee rendred of the love of God, but the love of God. Let us not buzze too neere the candle, with the flye Farſalla, leſt we burne: Let us not ſoare too high with the Eagle, leſt wee melt; let us not wade too deep with the Elephant, leſt we drown. Let us not bee curious in theſe things: It is enough that Moſes ſetteth downe, Love to bee the cauſe of all bleſſings. So God turned Balaams curſe into a bleſſing unto Iſrael. The cauſe Moſes affirmeth to bee Gods love (ſaying) Becauſe the Lord thy God Deut. 23. 5. loved thee. So Moſes telleth Iſrael, that God did ſet his Love upon them, and did chuſe them, not becauſe they were more in number than any people. For they were the feweſt of all people; but Becauſe hee loved them. Iude here prayeth for it, as a moſt excellent bleſſing, without which all is nothing. For as Deut. 7. 7, 8. wee ſay, In triviis. Hee is poore whom God hateth; ſo hee is rich and happy whom God loveth; his favour is as the dew of the Gods love abundant, unmeaſurable, immutable. morning, as the ſhadow in the heate, and as an haven to them that are toſſed; as the Cities of refuge to them that are purſued. In thy preſence (ſaith David,) is fulneſſe of ioy. That is; where God loveth and favoureth, there is perfect felicitie.

Iohn calleth all men to behold the love of God: Behold what love the Father hath ſhewed us, that we ſhould be called the Sonnes of God: behold his love, that hee calleth us his ſervants: and behold a 1 Iohn 3. 1. 2 Cor. 6. Epheſ. 2. greater love, in that hee calleth us his Sonnes: and yet behold a greater love, that he calleth us his heyres and coheyres with Chriſt; and yet behold a greater love, in an higher degree, that he calleth us his Mother, Brethren and Siſters; but behold the greateſt love of all, that he calleth us his Spouſe, or Wife, to note, that he loveth us, with all loves; with the maſters love, as Abraham loved Eleazar; with the friends love, as David loved Ionathan; with the Childes love, as Ruth loved Naomi; with the Gen. 15. 1 Sam. 16. Ruth. 1. Gen 29. husbands love, as Iacob loved Rachel: What heart of ſtone is not moved with this love: Nati ſumus è ſilice, nutriti lacte ferino. This love of God is gratuitall free, partly becauſe it floweth from his grace and goodneſſe, and partly becauſe he loveth, not for his owne, but for our good. And it is unmeaſurable; therefore ſaith the Apoſtle, Herein is love, not that wee loved God, but that hee 1 Iohn 4. 10. loved us, and ſent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our ſinnes: greater love could not the Father ſhew, than to ſend his Sonne out of his owne boſome, and greater love could not the Sonne ſhew, than to die for his enemies.

Yea, this love of his it is immutable and conſtant: For whom he loveth, he loveth to the end, hereupon the Apoſtle calleth God love. God is love (ſaith he) and not only love; for there are many properties and attributes in God, as Truth, Mercie, Iuſtice, Power, Eternitie: Novit omnia, ut veritas, tuetur ut ſalus, Iohn 13. 1 Iohn 4. 16. ſedat ut aequitas, dominatur ut majeſtas, operatur ut potentia, manet ut aeternitas; he knoweth all things as veritie, defendeth all things as health and ſalvation, appeaſeth all things as equitie, ruleth all things as Majeſtie, worketh all things as omnipotencie, and abideth and remaineth as eternitie. God is not made of love only as wood of trees, as a fountaine of water, as a plaiſter of Balme; but all theſe attributes are in the Lord equally: But becauſe God delighteth in love, and he repoſeth a great part of his glory in love, therfore is he deſcribed by that attribute of Love; by this attribute the Evangeliſt deſcribeth him, God ſo loved the Iohn 3. 16. Cap. 10. 16. 1 Iohn 4. 18. World, that he gave his only begotten Sonne, &c. And by this attribute the beloved diſciple deſcribeth him, ſaying, God is love, and hee that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. By this attribute David deſcribeth him, As a Father hath compaſſion on his children, ſo hath the Lord compaſſion on them that love him. And againe; The loving Pſal. 103. 13. 17. kindneſſe of the Lord indureth for ever and ever, upon them that feare him, &c. This made Paul to ſay, Who ſhall ſeparate me from the Love exceeds all other vertues. love of God? ſhall tribulation, or anguiſh, or perſecution, or famine, or nakedneſſe, or perill, or ſword? I am perſwaded that neither death nor life; nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things preſent, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature ſhall be able to ſeparate Rom. 8. 35. 37, 38. us from the love of God which is in Chriſt Ieſus our Lord. Malitia noſtra finem habet; Our malice hath an end, but Gods love hath not; our malice is finite, but his love infinite. As a drop of water to the whole Sea, ſo are our ſinnes in regard of the love of God, his love is ſo great, as it cannot be meaſured; ſo much as it cannot be numbred; ſo precious, that it cannot be valued; ſo large and long, that it cannot be ended: the bredth and length, the height and depth of his love, all the tongues of men, and of Angels cannot utter. As Iude wiſheth unto them, the love of God, ſo hee wiſheth them alſo mutuall love, whereby we love one another; he meaneth both theſe loves in this place.

Mutuall Love is a chiefe and principall vertue: Faith and Love, the one with God, and the other with men, be as the roote and the branch, as the mother and the daughter, as the foundation and pillars of all Chriſtian building: the end of all is Love; the end of the firſt table is the Love of God, the end of the ſecond table is the love of man: ſo ſaith the Apoſtle; The end of the Commandements is Love, out of a pure heart, out of a good conſcience, and 1 Tim. 1. 5. Gal. 5. 22. Exod. 16. Iudg. 6. out of a faith unfained, Paul reckoning up the fruits of the Spirit, nameth Loue firſt, as the Gentleman-uſher to goe before all: For as Manna excelled all bread, as Aarons rod did eate up all the rods of the ſorcerers, as Gedeons ſword paſſed all the ſwords of the Madianites; ſo love paſſeth all other vertues: all our debts ſhould ſtand in love; Owe nothing to any man, but this, that yee love Rom. 13. 8. Num. 14. Iohn. 2. one another; our debtes were ſooner paid, and our executors but ſmally troubled, if this were; of this debt, wee cannot bee diſcharged ſo long as we live. The journey of the Iſraelites was ended in forty yeares; Herods Temple was finiſhed in ſix and forty 1 Iohn 4. 7, 8. 16. yeares; Noahs Arke was perfected in an hundred and twentie yeares, but this debt is never ended. Let us therefore love one another: For love commeth of God, and every one that loveth, is borne of God, and knoweth God, he that loveth not, knoweth not God: but he that dwelleth in Love; dwelleth in God and God in him. S. Peter naming 2 Pet. 1. 5. 7. many vertues, maketh up the meaſure, and ends in Love. Ioine (ſaith he) vertue with your faith, and with vertue knowledge, and with knowledge temperance, and with temperance patience, and with patience godlineſſe, and with godlineſſe, brotherly kindneſſe (Love.) This vertue above all is as the hoope or faggot bond, that keepeth all cloſe. Therefore let me exhort you, with the Apoſtle, Above all Col. 3. 14. things put on love, which is the bond of perfectneſſe. As the Sunne giveth light to all planets, as ſalt ſeaſoneth all meates, as the Moone ruleth over the Sea, and all moiſt bodies, as the rod of the tribe of Levi paſſed in honour all other tribes: So love paſſeth Little love to be found on earth. all qualities in men; therefore let us follow after Love, and let us not give over till we have overtaken her.

Love is as the apple-tree of Perſia, which buddeth and bloſſometh and beareth fruit every moneth. Now abideth faith, hope and Numb. 17. 1 Cor. 14. 1. 1 Cor. 13. love, but the chiefe of theſe is love. It laſteth longer, like a pillar of ſalt, it reacheth further, it profiteth more among men. Faith flieth up to heaven, Love is occupied below, on earth; Faith wraſtleth above with the promiſes of God, Love is buſied in good workes, as Faith is with God: Paul prayeth for it, in reſpect of the ſcantneſſe and excellency of it: For Charitas laudatur & alget; Aug. de eivitate Dei. lib. 14. c. 7. yet, diligi non potest Deus ſine proximo, nec proximus ſine Deo, qui proximum amare negligit, Deum diligere neſcit.

England is as the Land of Canaan, wee have corne, cattell, fleſh Pſal. 65. 11. Iudg. 1. 1 Sam. 13, 1 Reg. 8. fiſh, wooll, cloath; our vallies ſtand thicke with corne, we have plenty of all things, but of Love, that is ſcant: As in the dayes of Debora there was neither ſpeare nor ſhield; As in Saul his daies there was no Smith; as in the dayes of Salomon, there was no Manna to be found: ſo in our dayes little or no Love.

When I behold the ſtate of many townes, me thinke I ſee Bulls, Beares, Lions, Tig • es, Wolves ſhut up, as it were in an iron cage biting, tearing, renting and devouring one another, view all Courts, Aſſiſes, Seſſions, Leets, Law-dayes, and you ſhall ſee, there is no difference betwixt us, and the Corinthians, but they went to law under Infidels, and wee under Chriſtians. 1 Cor. 6. Gal. 5. 15. We forget Pauls Caveat; If yee bite and devoure one another, take heed yee be not devoured one of another: If there be an hundred men in a towne, ſcarce two love together as they ſhould: We are divided into three companies, like Labans ſheep, ſome white, ſome blacke, ſome ſpeckled; ſome Proteſtants, ſome Papiſts, ſome Neuters: Nay, even among Proteſtants there is hard agreement. But God I hope will make us friends in heaven, where al injuries ſhall be forgotten; where are thoſe noble pair of lovers David and Ionathan? Who had but one ſoule; Euſebius, and Pamphilus, Martyrs, 1 Sam. 18. who had but one name; Pilades and Oreſtes, who had but one life, Ruth. 1. the one being dead, the other died alſo: Ruth and Naomi, who had but one grave; Baſill and Nazianzen, of whom it is ſaid, Anima una erat incluſa in duobus corporibus, one ſoule was included in two bodies: Mariage maketh two bodies, one, but love maketh two ſoules, one; yea many ſoules, many bodies, but one: If an hundred love, together it is but one heart; as it is ſaid of them of the primative Church, That they had but one heart and one ſoule. If a man hath an hundred friends, that man is become as an hundred Act. 4. 32. men: Nam amicus alter idem, a friend is a ſecond ſelfe: Charitas Chryſoſt. eſt res augmentativa. There was a day when Herod and Pilate, were made friends, but that day (I feare) with many will never bee, they are like the ſtone Asbeſtos, found in Arcadia, being once kindled is never quenched; once angry never pleaſed. The Heathens We muſt love as God doth without deſert were wont to ſay of themen of the primitive Church; Ecce ut invicem ſe diligunt: behold, how they love one another; they knew Chriſtians by that badge: but we may ſay (quoth one) Ecce Zaneh. ut invicem ſe oderunt: behold, how they hate one another, oppreſſe one another: not Chriſtians but Wolves, Lions, Leopards, Divels, nay worſe: for one Lion eateth not another, and the Divels ſtrive not amongſt themſelves, but maintaine their kingdome. Let Tygers, and Beares, and Leopards teare one another; Let Scythians and Cannibals eat one another, who Mat. 12. know not God nor good humanitie. Let them bee, without naturall affections; but let us love one another, and let the Apoſtle his precept be our practiſe; Be of one minde, one ſuffer with another, 2 Tim. 3. 3. love as brethren, bee pittifull, bee courteous, not rendring evill for evill, nor rebuke for rebuke, but contrariwiſe bleſſe, knowing that yee are thereunto 1 Pet. 3. 8, 9. called, that yee ſhould bee heires of bleſſing.

But yee will ſay, ſuch and ſuch men deſerve no kindneſſe nor love at our hands: I but ſee what Chriſt deſerveth, his eyes blinded, his face ſmitten, his hands nailed, his feete pierced, his heart thruſt through with a ſpeare; how ought wee then to love one another? Beloved (ſaith the Apoſtle) if God ſo loved us, wee ought to love one another. In no quality doe wee reſemble God 1 Iohn 4. 11. more than in this Love: God the Father is Love, God the Son is Love, God the holy Ghoſt is Love: God the Father in Love gave his Sonne, God the Sonne in Love gave himſelfe, God the Iohn 3. 16. cap. 10. 16. holy Ghoſt in Love applyeth all this unto us, Charitas Dei diffuſa in corda noſtra per ſpiritum.

But note here what love Iude praying for, a true Chriſtian love: framed by knowledge, for among theeves, murderers, Drunkards, ther is a kind of Love.

Firſt, therefore the love of Atheiſts is condemned, which come from profit or from pleaſure, which love men, as the dog doth the bone; but this love proceedeth not Excorde puro, from a pure heart, therefore to be condemned.

Secondly, the love of Gameſters, Drunkards, and Pot-companions is here condemned: For to gloſſe, play, eate, drinke, game bee no good workes, therefore this is not to love; wee call it good fellowſhip, but ſuch good fellowes will go to the good fellow the Divell, if they repent not.

Thirdly, all carnall love is here condemned: For love in man may bee a vice aſwell as a grace, it is a vice, when it is ſet upon a wrong object, or is diſordered, and that three wayes:

Firſt, when wee love things unlawfull, as ſinne.

Secondly, when wee love things lawfull, but too much, as the world.

Thirdly, when love is turned into luſt, and ſo it is the mother of fornication, adultery, inceſt, and ſuch like.

But if wee will have our love a grace, it muſt be a Chriſtian

Our love muſt be truly Chriſtian.

Graces muſt be dayly increaſed.

Here alſo is condemned the love of Papiſts, In cathedra unitatis Deus poſuit doctrinam veritatis; In the chaire of unity God hath put the doctrine of verity: they agree as the falſe Prophets did, not in the Lord, but againſt the Lord; they make adoe of their councell of Trident, and how they agree in all meetings. Alas a few buckrome Biſhops of Italy conſpired together, but thirtie eight Biſhops in all, not like the councell of Nice, where were three hundred and eighteene; or of Arimine, where were ſixe hundred Biſhops: Nor like the Councell of Conſtance, where were foure Patriarks, twenty nine Cardinals, two hundred threeſcore and ten Biſhops, forty ſeven Archbiſhops, five hundred threeſcore and foure Abbots and Doctors, at the depoſing of Benedict the third.

But let our love bee, as it ſhould bee, Chriſtian love: Let us love as brethren, and then the God of Love and Peace ſhall bee with us: and ſo much for this love, that Saint Iude prayeth for.

But before I ſhut up this heavenly doctrine, note that the Apoſtle wiſheth an increaſe of Mercy, Peace and Love; he would have theſe things to be multiplyed, Mercy, Peace, and Love be multiplied unto you: in that he wiſheth a multiplication of theſe Graces, he ſheweth that there is no perfection of vertues in this life: for there is a double grace of God.

A Reſtraining and A Receiving Grace.

The one to keepe us from ſinne, the other to increaſe all vertues in us; for in all vertues wee creepe like Snayles, wee glide like Wormes, wee goe like the Meſſenger of evill newes: but in all vices wee runne like Hazael, or the Roe of the field, we flie like Doves, wee grow like the Lily in a night. Paul therefore exclaimed; The Law is Spiritual, but I Carnall, ſold under ſinne, for Rom. 7. 14, 15. I allow not that which I doe: for what I would, that doe I not; but what I hate, that doe I. Whereupon Saint Auguſtine ſaith, Impii & volunt & valent peccare, pii volunt ſed non valent, benè agere, quia nequiunt quod deſiderant; the wicked are willing and able to ſinne, the Auguſt. godly are willing, but not able to doe well, becauſe they cannot doe that which they deſire to doe. This made this holy Father Never perfect till wee come to Glory. to pray, Domine dominetur carni anima, animae ratio, rationi gratia, &c. Lord, let the Soule rule the Fleſh, Reaſon the Soule, Grace Reaſon; ſubdue me to thy will inwardly, outwardly ſharpen my tongue more and more to ſound forth thy praiſes, illuminate my mind more and more to ſee thee, inlarge my heart more and more to beleeve in thee, &c. For we comprehend not the Mercy, Peace, and Love of God in any meaſure; Beatitude noſtra tribus gradibus perficitur: in hac vita per ſpem & fidem quotidie creſcentem; poſt hanc vitam, cum anima Dei praeſentia fruetur; poſt extremum judicium, cum anima & corpore glorificabimur. Our happineſſe is perfected in three degrees; in this life by Faith and Hope increaſing and growing daily; after this life, when the Soule ſhall enjoy the preſence of God; after the laſt Iudgement, when as in Body and Soule wee ſhall be glorified; and when as wee ſhall ſing the ſongs of triumph, ſuch as none can underſtand ſave the hundred and forty foure thouſand which are Apoc. 14. 3. brought from the Earth.

Let us therefore pray for grace to increaſe in us, and ſay with Auguſtine, Si quando ſteti, per Dominum ſteti; ſi quando cecidi, per me cecidi, &c. If at any time I ſtood, I ſtood by the Lord; if at any time I fell, I fell of my ſelfe: his Grace did prevent me, ſaving me from evils paſt, preſerving me from evils preſent, and defending me from evils to come. But I will follow this point no further: but as Iude prayed that Mercy, Grace, and Love might be multiplied; So ſhall I pray, Mercy, Peace and Love bee unto you. Mercie from God the Father, the Father of Mercies; Peace from God the Sonne, the Prince of Peace; Love from God the holy Ghoſt, the Love of the Father and the Sonne: Mercy unto you releaſing your ſinnes; Peace unto you, quieting your conſciences; Love unto you, joyning you to God, and one unto another: Now the very God of Mercy, Peace, and Love give you Mercy, Peace and Love. Amen.

HAving ſpoken of the Title or Inſcription of this Epiſtle, I am now come unto the ſecond part thereof, namely, the Propoſition, which is a ſtirring of them up to maintaine the Faith, worſhip and religion of God, which was now at an ebbe, like the Sea, and eclipſed like the Sunne with falſe Apoſtles, & had ſhaken her leaves like a tree in winter. Where note two things.

1 That they muſt labour for Faith.

2 The reaſons, why they muſt ſo labour.

The Reaſons be three:

The firſt, taken from the perſon of the Apoſtle.

The ſecond from the perſon of God.

The third from the perſon of the Adverſaries.

From the perſon of the Apoſtle three wayes:

From 1 His love. 2 His paines. 3 His mildneſſe.

The ſecond reaſon is taken from the perſon of God, in that he gave this Faith; where note three things:

The neceſſitie and excellencie of Faith. That it is 1 His gift. 2 Once given. 3 Given to the Saints.

The laſt reaſon is taken from the Adverſarie; where note two things:

1 The qualities 2 The end of the Adverſarie.

But firſt, for Faith; all men muſt labour for it, that they may ſay on their death-beds with Paul, I have fought a good fight, I 2 Tim. 7, 8. have finiſhed my courſe, I have kept the faith, from hence-forth there is laid up for me a Crowne of righteouſneſſe, which the Lord, the righteous Iudge will give me at that day; and not to me onely, but unto them alſo, that love his appearing: None can ſpeake of a Crowne of glorie, but he that can ſay, that he hath kept the Faith; For without Faith, it is impoſſible to pleaſe God: Wilt thou pleaſe God as Enoch did? and Hebr. 11. 6. not grieve God like Iſrael? then get faith. Quod enim non eſt a fide, peccatum eſt; whatſoever is not of faith, is ſinne Paul deſcribing 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Chriſtiani, the armour of a Chriſtian, compareth faith unto a ſhield; all armour is neceſſarie, but ſpecially a ſhield: Therefore ſaith the Apoſtle, Above all things take the ſhield of faith, Epheſ. 6. 17. wherewith we ſhall bee able to 〈◊〉 all • he 〈…〉 of the wicked. Where note, that the Apoſtle contenteth not himſelfe with a bare exhortation to ſtirre us up to labour for faith, but with weighty reaſons preſſeth his exhortation before and behind: before comparatively, preferring it before all other graces (Above all:) behind ſimply, declaring the vertue and efficacie of it (Wherby yee ſhall bee able to quench, &c.) By the firſt, hee maketh way to his exhortation; by the laſt, he knocketh it downe faſt, even to the head, as wee uſe for to ſay.

And the Apoſtle writing to Timothie, willeth him to get faith 1 Tim. 1. 19. and a good conſcience, naming two fearefull examples; One of Hymenaeus, another of Alexander, who had made ſhipwracke of faith, and a good conſcience: And therefore Paul delivereth them up to Satan; That they might learne not to blaſpheme; that is, he did excommunicate them.

Faith is the vertue of all vertues: As all rivers runne into the Sea; ſo all vertues come of faith. It giveth light to all vertues, as the Sunne doth to all planets: therefore the Apoſtle is ſo prolix in it: Faith maketh us the ſonnes of God, elſe are we baſtards illegitimate; So many as received him, to them gave he power to be the Hebr. 11. 4, 5. Iohn 1. 12. Epiſt. ad Adimanth. Gen. 26. 2 Tim. 1 Cor. 4. 15. Gal. 4. Sonnes of God, even to them that beleeve in his name. Auguſtine diſtinguiſheth of Sonnes, that they are threefold; ſonnes by Nature, ſo Eſau was the ſonne of Iſaak; ſonnes by doctrine, or imitation, ſo Timothie was Pauls ſonne, ſo he begat the Corinths, ſo hee travelled of Galatia: Laſtly, ſonnes by inſpiration or faith, ſo are we the ſonnes of God: Chriſt is the naturall, wee the adopted ſonnes of the Almightie. The third is beſt; for well is hee that hath God to his Father: for the Sonne abideth in the houſe for Faith muſt be ſtriven and laboured for. ever. Faith is the life of the ſoule, as the ſoule is the life of the body: Quod carni eſca, hoc animae fides; what food is to the fleſh, the ſame is Faith to the ſoule; quod cibus corpori, hoc verbum ſpiritui; what meat is to the body, the ſame is the word to the Spirit. Iohn 8. 35.

To ſtirre us up to ſtrive for this Faith, the Holy Ghoſt adorneth it with many Epithetes: he calleth it Rich faith, 1 Pet. 1. Holy faith. Iude vers. 20. ſtrong faith, 1 pet. 5. 8. a ſaving faith, Epheſ. 2. 8. a pure faith, Act. 15. 9. a precious faith, 1 Pet. 1. 7. If their we regard riches, ſtrength, holineſſe, ſalvation, puritie, let us maintaine Faith, which hath all graces in it; as Paradiſe had all fruites in it, as Lapis Indicus hath all cures in it.

And note, that they muſt contend, ſtrive for faith, for all they are accurſed that doe the worke of the Lord negligently; and all Ier. 48. they ſhall be ſpued out of Gods mouth who are key-cold, lukewarme, and not fervent in the faith. Moſt men therefore ſhall Apoc. 3. 15. goe unto the Divell, and be vomited out of Gods mouth; for they are, Tepidi in Fide, they care not what become of faith and religion, ſo they may proſper in the world: they ſay unto God, Ioh 21. 14, 15. Depart from us, for we deſire not the knowledge of thy wayes: Who is the Almightie, that we ſhould ſerve him? and what profit ſhall we have, if we ſhould pray unto him? they ſay with Alexander Borgia; Da mihi divitias, caetera tolle tibi, fidem, ſpem, charitatem: Give me riches, take all the reſt to thy ſelfe, (ſpeaking unto the Divell,) Faith, Hope, Charitie, body and ſoule, and what thou wilt: for many are cold in faith and many are utterly ignorant in the faith, and regard no faith; they are like Horſe and Mule, in whom is no underſtanding; Pſal. 32. but are men Omnium horarum, as one ſaith, like the raine-bow of all colours, like the Troianes tun to hold all liquors; like the Iſraelites, that cried haile King Salomon, haile King Adonia: So they have cried, haile Queene Marie, haile Queene Elizabeth; they can live in all times, for they can ſhift their ſailes for all windes; they regard no faith, but are fit for all faiths, all Princes; yea, for the Divel, as the men of Calecut at this day; they have two faces with Ianus, two tongues with Iudas, two hands with Ioab, Pſal. 78. one to embrace withall, the other to ſtabbe withall; they have two hearts with Iſrael, a double heart, a heart, and a heart. Paul compareth a Chriſtian to a husband-man, to a wreſtler, to a ſouldier, all which labour hard or elſe they get nothing. No man that 2 Tim. 2. 4, 5, 6. warreth (ſaith Paul) entangleth himſelfe with the affaires of this life, becauſe he would pleaſe him that hath choſen him to be a ſouldier: & if any man alſo ſtrive for a maſterie, he is not crowned except he ſtrive as he ought to doe: the husbandman muſt labour before hee receive the fruites. Such like ſimilitudes he hath in another place: know yee not that they which runne in a race runne all, &c. In this ſenſe ſaith Salomon, Buy 1 Cor. 9. 24, 25. Prov. 23. 23. the truth, purchaſe it, redeeme it with the loſſe of all that thou haſt. But wee will give all gold and ſilver for lands, but not a Miniſters muſt maintaine true faith to death. penny for Gods truth and Religion, that ware is out of requeſt; So Chriſt ſaith, Strive to enter in at the ſtraite gate; for many ſhall ſeeke to enter and ſhall not be able. The Antitheſis is betweene ſeeking and ſtriving; ſome ſeeke, and have ſome cold deſire but they Luk. 13. ſtrive not; Paul therefore calleth it, The fight of faith: and he 1 Tim. 6. 12. 2 Tim. 4. 7. Iude v. 9. 1 Pet. 5. 8. ſaith of himſelfe, I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith, &c. The Divell never ſo ſtrove with Michael for Moſes his body, as he doth with us for faith; therefore reſiſt him in the faith. Thus Ambroſe ſaid to Valentinian, Prius animam, quàm fidem auferes mihi, ô Imperator; O Emperour, thou ſhalt firſt take away my life, before my faith: Hic; hic occidite; here, here kill me, and doe with me what 1 Reg. 21. thou wilt: Si Naboth vineam patrum tradere noluit, if Naboth would not depart from the vineyard of his Fathers; Abſit ut vineam Domini tradam; God forbid, that I ſhould depart from the vineyard of the Lord: So Ierome ſaid to Ruffine; Si veritas eſt cauſa diſcordiae mori poſſum, tacere non poſſum; If truth be the cauſe of diſcord and jarre, I may dye, but I may not hold my peace: thus Chryſoſtome would not give place to Arcadius & Eudoxia, but went into exile; and Calvin ſaid in a like caſe to the Syndici of Geneva, Exareſcet hoc brachium pr •• ſqu • m coenam Domini indig • i • praebere velim; this arme of mine ſhall firſt wither, before I will give the ſupper of the Lord to the unworthy. Hemingius ſaith, that there Libro de Paſtorum. is a foure-fold fight and a fourefold-flight in Miniſters; his words are theſe; Quatuor modis ſunt mercenarii, cum ſe non apponunt Sophisticae, tyrannidi, flagitiis, & Hypocriſi; exponant Sophiſticae veram doctrinam ſeu fidem tuendo; tyrannis, tum voce tum precibus, non adulando; flagitiis, ea accuſando; quartò hypocritis eorum larvam detrahendo. Men become hirelings foure manner of wayes, &c. Quia tacuiſti, fugisti; tacuiſti, quia timuiſti; becauſe thou wert ſilent, thou fled'ſt; thou wert ſilent, becauſe thou fearedſt. Aug.

Thirdly, they muſt ſtrive, and that earneſtly, even ſtrive unto death; ſo ſaith the Wiſeman, Strive for the truth unto death, and defend justice for thy life, and the Lord God ſhall fight for thee againſt Eccleſ. 4. 28. Eſa. 59. 4, 5. 14. thine enemies. God complaineth of the want of this, ſaying, No man calleth for juſtice, no man contendeth for truth, they truſt in vanitie and ſpeake vaine things, they conceive miſchiefe, and bring forth iniquitie, they hatch Cockatrice egges, and weave the Spiders webbe; he that eateth of the egges dieth, and that which is troden upon breaketh out into a ſerpent; therefore iudgement is turned backeward, and iuſtice ſtandeth farre off, for truth is fallen in the ſtreete, and equitie cannot enter. In Gods matters we muſt be earneſt, & ſay, Be ſtrong, and let us be valiant for our people, 2 Sam. 10. 12. and for the Cities of our God, and let the Lord doe that which is good in his eyes. Even ſo let us fight for our God, the Goſpell, and the ſacraments of our God. If every haire of our head were a life, and every life as long as Methuſalah's, all are to be ventured for the faith of Gen. 5. our God, every drop of blood muſt bee powred out. So the Apoſtle telleth the Hebrewes, yee have not yet reſiſted unto blood, ſtriving The earneſtneſſe of Idolaters muſt make us zealous. againſt ſinne: yet had they ſtriven much, and long; and therefore the Apoſtle telleth them, that they had endured a great fight in afflictions, partly whiles they were made a gazing ſtocke both by reproches and afflictions; and partly while they became companions of them, which were ſo toſſed to and fro: he putteth in Heb. 12. 4. this word (Earneſtly,) becauſe of the adverſaries, that will ſo earneſtly impugne it. Who uſe their profeſſion, as Iehu uſed his chariot, he drove as if he had beene madde; who plead for Baal, 2 Reg. 9. 20. as Craſſus pleaded for Pompey; who brake his ſides, and died within three dayes after; for they are earneſt in all errors. The Iſraelites gave all their Iewels to make an Idoll, a Golden Calfe: The men Exod. 32. Ier. 44. 19. Act. 19. 1 Reg. 18. 28. Mat. 23. Levit. 20. in Ieremies time were at great coſt and burnt incenſe to the Queene of heaven, and powred out drinke offerings unto her, made Cakes, &c. The Epheſians yelled together, Great is Diana of the Epheſians: Baals prieſts cried loud, and cut themſelves, as their manner was, with knives and Lancers till the blood guſhed out upon them: The Phariſies compaſſe Sea and Land to make one Proſelyte: The Canaanites burnt their children to Moloch. The Pagans did eate Cyrils heart or liver with ſalt: The Turkes in the ſervice of their Mahomet on fridayes houle, that yee may heare them 〈…〉 off▪ The Aethiopians tread not in their Temples but barefooted: The Indians kill their Children to the Zemes: The Papiſts take great paines in their pilgrimages and faſtings: A condemnation to us, that are ſo cold in Religion.

But will ſome ſay though we be not ſo earneſt; yet we love God and his truth: I confeſſe, that there be degrees in zeale; All have not the like earneſtneſſe, yet all muſt have ſome earneſtneſſe and fervencie of ſpirit; ſome creepe, ſome goe; ſome runne, ſome flie, and, all doe well, that tend to perfection. For wee muſt all forget that which is behind, and endeavour our ſelves to that Phil. 3. 13, 14. which is before, and follow hard towards the marke, for the price of the high calling, which is in Chriſt Ieſus: ſome creepe like ſnailes, ſome goe like horſes, ſome runne like dromedaires, and ſome flie like Eagles, and all doe well, that doe their beſt to Godward: Some creep like Agrippa, who was almoſt perſwaded to be a Chriſtian; Act. 26. 28. ſome goe in Religion, like the Galathians, Yee did runne well, (ſaith the Apoſtle) but who did let you that yee did not obey the truth? Some Gal. 5. 7. Pſal. 119. 32. runne like David; I will runne (ſaith he) the way of thy Commandements, when thou haſt ſet my heart at libertie. Some flie like Monicha: volemus in Coelos; volemus in Coelos; Let us flie into heaven; let us flie into heaven. Chriſt riding to Ieruſalem, all ſtrawed not carpets and coverlets in the way; ſome ſtrawed their garments, ſome cried Hoſanna. All did their endeavours; and hee that doth his beſt, doth as much as God requireth. For if there be a willing minde, it is accepted, according to that a man hath, and not according to 2 Cor. 8. 12. Luk. 8, that he hath not. All have not the like meaſure of zeale; ſome have thirty, ſome ſixty, ſome an hundred fold; and hee that hath the All have not the ſame meaſure of zeale. leaſt zeale, if it be in ſinceritie, it is not rejected of God. A drop of water, is water, and a dramme of zeale, is zeale. Let every man ſtrive to his power, and doe that he may, and God will accept it: Saul ſlew his thouſand, and David his tenne thouſands, and both did valiantly. Still I ſay, that he that hath ſome heate, muſt labour 1 Sam. 18. to have more; wee muſt both ſhine and burne, like Iohn the Baptiſt, who was A burning and a ſhining candle: Lucere parùm eſt, Iohn 5. 35. ardere parùm eſt; lucere & ardere perfectum est; To ſhine, it is not enough, to burne, it is not enough; but to ſhine and burne, this is as it ſhould be: he that burneth a little, like a ſea-cole, muſt burne more like the Iuniper, that keepeth heate a moneth long. Some ſhine, like the glow-worme, but have no heate; ſome burne like rotten wood, but have no light: But a Chriſtian muſt be like the Sunne at Noone-day, which hath Magnum ſplendorem, magnumque fervorem; great ſhining, and great heate. Where the dead carcaſe is, thither the Eagles reſort, Chriſti doctrina eſt cadaver, & nos aquilae; Chriſt his doctrine is the carkaſe, and wee be the Eagles; Contendamus pro ea, ut aquilae pro cadavere; Let us ſtrive for it, as Eagles for the carkaſe; Let us not as Iayes, hop and skippe here below, ſed 〈…〉 , but let us flie aloft like the Eagles.

Yet ſtill I ſay with Ambroſe, Qui non poteſt volare ut aquila, volet ut paſſer; he that cannot ſoare as the Eagle to the circle of the Sunne, let him flicker like a Sparrow to the houſe top. If wee cannot with Paul ſet our feete in the third heaven, yet let us lift up our eyes and hearts to heaven: Let us ſtrive in beleeving, as 2 Cor. 12. the Nightingales doe in ſinging, Qui priùs ſpiritum quàm vocem Strigelius. amittunt; that loſe their breath before their voice. So much for this that we muſt labour for the faith, yea ſtrive for it, and that earneſtly.

And now to the reaſons, why we muſt ſo labour and ſtrive: and the reaſons be three:

The firſt, taken from the Perſon of Iude, and that three wayes:

Firſt, from his love & good will towards them: For he calleth them Beloved, I love you, I care for you, I deſire your ſalvation; thus he ſhewes his love to winne them. Now love asketh love, and it pierceth a man much and deepely, like an arrow out of the hand of a Giant, when he ſeeth the partie that ſpeaketh, to ſpeake in love: then vulnera diligentis, the wounds of a lover, are better Prov. 28. 23. taken than oſcula blandientis, the kiſſes of a Flatterer. Therefore Paul to perſwade the Churches, ever proteſted his love; writing to the Church of Philippos, he ſaith thus; God is my record, how I long after you all from the very heart roote in Chriſt Ieſus. And writing Phil. 1. 8. to the Church of Corinth, he ſaith thus; Yee are our Epiſtle written in our hearts, not with inke, but with the ſpirit of the living God, not in 2 Cor. 3. 2, 3. tables of ſtone but in the fleſhly table of the heart. And againe, O yee Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is made large, yee Love ought to be the motiue in all actions. are not kept ſtraite in us, but yee are kept ſtraite in your owne bowels. And having chidden the Corinthians, ſaying, Now are yee full; now are yee made rich, yee reigne as Kings without us, and I would to God, yee did reigne, that wee alſo might reigne with you. For, I 2 Cor. 6. 11, 12. 1 Cor. 4. 8, 9, 10. thinke that God hath ſet forth us the laſt Apoſtles, as men appointed to death, for wee are made a gazing-ſtocke unto the World, unto Angels, and unto Men. Wee are fooles for Chriſts ſake, and yee are wiſe in Chriſt; Wee are weake, and yee are ſtrong; Yee are honourable, and wee are deſpiſed. And though hee did thus taunt them, yet hee proteſted, that hee did it in love; and therefore hee ſaith, I write not theſe things to ſhame you, but as my beloved children, I admoniſh 1 Cor. 4. 14. Gal. 3. 1. you. And though he ſpake roughly to the Galathians, ſaying, O ye fooliſh Galathians, who hath bewitched you? Yet hee did it not as one that hated them, but as one that loved them; and therefore hee ſaith in the ſubſequent Chapter, Am I therefore become your enemy, Gal. 4. 16. Epheſ. 4. 15. becauſe I tell you the truth? 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Let us follow the truth in love, and in all things grow up to him which is the head. Let us pray in love, not as Iames and Iohn did, for fire to come downe from Luke 9. Heaven to deſtroy Samaria; Let us argue in love, not as the Ephramites did wi • h 〈…〉 fuerunt verbera, whoſe Iudg. 8. words were nothing elſe but wounds; Let us talke in love, not as the men of Anathoth did with Ieremy, Qui loquuti ſunt ampullas, Ier. 11. 21. & ſeſquipedalia verba, which ſpake proud, haughty, great, and ſtout words; Let us reprove in love, not as Saul, who breathed Act. 8. out threatenings and ſlaughter againſt the Congregation of Chriſt; but Let all things be done in love. For love is like honey 1 Cor. 16. 14. in bitter broth, and ſugar in ſowre wine; it is like the Sunne unto the world, and a candle unto the houſe; a light for our journey, a line for our life, and a rule for our reprehenſions: Si diligis, fac Aug. in Epi. Iohn quicquid vis; If thou beeſt in love, doe what thou wilt, ſpeake, or be ſilent, exhort and rebuke, call or cry, ſo it bee in love, all is well.

But wee are like the dogges of Coriben, wee ſpeake not, but barke and bite one at another. Such were the men, that Paul Phil. 3. 2. gives us warning of, ſaying, Beware of dogges, beware of evill workers, beware of conciſion. The mother of Nero, ſhewed him her wombe to move him, but he unnaturally ript it up: but the mother of the ſeven children ſhewed them her breſts, in token 2 Mach. 7. of love, and they would not eate Swines fleſh, to dye for it. Sic Bern. miniſtri proferant ubera, non verbera, ſo let Miniſters ſhew their breaſts, not their battes; Docendo, non jubendo, movendo potius quàm minando procedant, let them proceed and goe forward in teaching, not in commanding; in moniſhing, not in menacing: Nam Aug. plus penetrant mollia quam aſpera verba, milde and gentle ſpeeches doe more penetrate and pierce, than tart and bitter. As for example, the milde zeale of Paul, preaching before Agrippa, perſwaded Chryſost. him almoſt to become a Chriſtian. They that goe about In Gods matters we muſt be diligent and zealous. to perſwade with roughneſſe; Quos volunt meliores, plerum que faciunt deteriores, whom they would amend and make better, many times they marre and make worſe. Miniſters muſt be like unto Paul, and handle their people as he did the Philippians, kindly Act. 26. 28. Aug. Phil. 4. and lovingly, My brethren, beloved, and longed for, my ioy and my Crowne: they muſt ſtrengthen the weake, heale the ſicke, binde up the broken, bring againe that which is driven away, they muſt ſeeke up the loſt, and not rule with crueltie and rigour; they muſt bee as the Pelicane, that feedeth her yong with her heart bloud; like the Eagle, that carrieth her yong on her wings: ſo much for the firſt reaſon.

Another reaſon drawne from Iude's perſon, is taken from his paines; He gave all diligence to write of Faith, In Gods matters, wee muſt be diligent, like the Dromedaries of Aegypt, like the wilde Aſſe uſed to the Wilderneſſe, that ſnuffeth up the winde Ier. 2. 24. at her pleaſure, &c. wee muſt bee ſwift as Hazael or the wilde Roe in the cauſe of God; not creepe, nor goe, nor run, but flye. Wee muſt march on in Religion, like Iehu in his Chariot, ſwiftly and couragiouſly; wee muſt be like the ſhips of Merchants, that bee good under faile. Eſay compareth the Church unto Eſa, 60. 8. Doves; Who are theſe that flye like a Cloud, and as Doves to their Windowes? Doves they flye ſwiftly, and they flye in companies, ſo ſhould we in matters of Religion.

Demoſthenes was aſhamed, if hee heard the Smiths hammer goe, before hee read his booke in the morning; Plus olei quàm vini expendiſſe dicitur; hee wrote more than hee dranke. If this diligence was in him for humane learning, what ſhould be in us for divine Knowledge? It is ſaid of Alphonſus King of Naples, that hee read the Bible over fortie times in his life; ſuch paines did he take for Salvation, and ſo diligent was hee in the worke of the Lord; and ſo muſt wee. Many for the goods of the World, Riſe early, goe to bedde late, eate the bread of carefulneſſe. Pſal. 127. Looke upon the covetous man, hee runnes through thicke and thinne for gold; the voluptuous, he refuſeth no paines in purſuing his pleaſures: Now this care muſt bee in the Church, for the Religion and the worſhip of God. Let us learne huſbandry for our Soules, from the husbands of our bodies, they are diligent to provide for the body, let us be as provident for our Soules: let us ſay with the faithfull, Wee, o Lord, have waited for thee in the way of thy Iudgements, the deſire of our Soule is to thy Name, and to the remembrance of thee; with my Soule have I deſired thee in the Eſa. 26. 8, 9. night, and with my Spirit within mee will I ſeeke thee in the morning. Wee muſt take all paines to doe the Church good; Iewell ſaid, oportet Epiſcopum mori concionantem, a Biſhop muſt dye preaching: Paul for the ſpace of three yeeres ceaſed not to warne every one Act. 20. 31. night and day, hee was as diligent in teaching, as Iude was in writing, and as diligent muſt wee be in reading and hearing, like Moſt men more diligent in earthly than heavenly things. the men that followed Chriſt into the Wilderneſſe, and abode with him three dayes, hearing him and eating nothing. The Artificers left their trades, the Chapmen their ſhops, the Merchants their exchange, the Mariners their nets, the husbandmen their fields and vineyards, yea blind Bartimaeus left his cloke Iohn 6. 2. to follow Chriſt and to heare him. Salomon would have men labour for Wiſedome, as they doe for Silver, and then they ſhould have it; If it concerne our profit, or our pleaſure, Lord, what paines will wee take? Impiger extremos currit mercator ad Indos, the unwearied Merchant runnes to the furtheſt Indies. Againe, as touching pleaſure; pernoctant venatores in nive, pugiles ceſtibus, contuſi non ingemiſcunt, the Huntſmen ſleepe in the Snow, watch Tulli. in Tuſcuk. upon turffes, though bruiſed they are not moved. Onely for Faith wee will take no paines, though Chriſt cry unto us, Ho, every one that thirſteth, come unto the Waters, and yee that have no mony, Eſa. 55. 1. come buy and eate; come I ſay, buy wine and milke without ſilver, and without money, yet wee come not.

But to proceede, why was Iude ſo carefull and earneſt, that hee gave all diligence to write unto them? It was becauſe he wrote to them of Salvation, 〈◊〉 was it that carryed him into this heate; as the Apoſtle ſaid, They could not but ſpeake the things which Act. 4. 20. they had heard and ſeene: So Iude gave all dilgence to write of Salvation which hee had heard and ſeene. If a man had as many hands and pennes as Argus had eyes, all were too little to write of Salvation, the worthineſſe and rareneſſe of the Argument is ſuch.

What a care had Paul of his Salvation; it carried him away in ſuch ſort, that hee ſaid; Behold I goe bound unto Ieruſalem, and know not what things ſhall come unto mee there, ſaving that the holy Ghoſt Act. 20. 24. witneſſeth in every Citie (ſaying) that bonds and afflictions abide me: but I paſſe not at all, neither is my life deare unto my ſelfe, ſo that I may fulfill my courſe with joy, and the miniſtration which I have received of the Lord Ieſus, &c. And how deſired hee it in the Iewes? Brethren. Rom. 10. 1. my hearts deſire and prayer to God for Iſrael is, that they might be ſaved. And he biddeth Timothy lay hold on it, ſaying, Fight the good 1 Tim. 6. 12. fight of Faith, lay hold on eternall life, whereunto yee are alſo called, &c. And when the Church would triumph, it is in this, Now is Salvation in Heaven, and ſtrength, and the Kingdome of our God, and the Apoc. 12. 119. power of his Chriſt, for the accuſer of our brethren is caſt downe, which accuſed them day and night before God. And this was the earneſt Pſal. 67. 1, 2. prayer of the Church, God bee mercifull unto us, and bleſſe us, and cauſe his face to ſhine among us, that thy way may be knowne upon earth, Tit. 2. 11. thy ſaving health among all nations, not a bodily health, but a ſpirituall heavenly health. When Paul will commend the grace of God, and make way for it in the Gretians, hee calleth it a ſaving grace. The Phyſitian can give thee but health, as the Ier. 9. Phyſitians of Gilead did; The Lawyer can but pleade for thee, as Many regard more vaine pamphlets than found doctrine. Tertullus did for the Iewes; The Magiſtrate can give thee but thine owne, as Salomon did to the two harlots; The muſitian can give thee but pleaſure, and tickle thine eare a little, as the Sonnes of Aſaph did: The hiſtoriographer can give thee but the knowledge of the times: But the Divine offereth thee ſalvation, Act. 24. 1 Reg. 3. 2 Sam. 23. 1 Tim. 4. 16. he writeth and ſpeaketh of ſalvation. Hereupon ſaith Paul to Timothie, Take heed unto thy ſelfe, and unto thy doctrine, and continue therein, for in ſo doing thou ſhalt ſave thy ſelfe, and them that heare thee. If one ſhould come from the Prince, and offer to every one of you an acre of Land; how would you heare him? as they heard Paul at Troas, till midnight. But wee from God offer you an inheritance in heaven, and yet yee regard it not: Pauſanias wrote of Act. 20. Nettles; Eraſmus, of Fooliſhneſſe; Demoſthenes, of the ſhadow of an Aſſe; Muſonius, of the wooll of a Goate; Virgil, of Gnats; but Iude wrote of ſalvation. If Alexander ſlept alwaies with Homers Iliades under his pillow; If Lepta forgot to ſleep, reading Tullie de oratore; If Cyprian read daily Tertullius Apologiticon: If Chriſippus, read Logicke, ſo that he had periſhed, but for Meliſſa his mayd: how ſhould the Church read this Epiſtle? There be many that follow the Apoſtles diligence in writing, but then it is in fooliſh, filthie, bawdie matters. To this purpoſe wee have gotten our ſongs and ſonnets, our palaces of pleaſure, our unchaſt fables and tragedies: Our fathers had their ſpirituall inchantments; as Gui of Warwicke, Bevis of Hampton, Arthur of the round table, and a number of ſuch vanities: as Garagantua, Howleglaſſe, Frier Ruſhe, the Fooles of Gotham; ſtrong illuſions of the Divell to keepe them from reading the Scriptures: And we, like new borne Moabites, that wallow in our vomit, have gotten the Court of Venus, the Caſtle of love, Perce-pennyleſſe, &c.

But if he was ſo carefull to write of ſalvation, wee muſt be as carefull to heare and learne ſalvation. The Iaylor made inquirie after it, ſaying to Paul, and Silas; Sirs, what muſt we doe to be ſaved? And let us alſo ſearch, and enquire after ſalvation. For many never Act. 16. 29. looke in what ſtate they ſtand, whether in the ſtate of grace and ſalvation, or in the ſtate of death and damnation. But as it was ſaid of Bonoſus the Emperour, That he was borne not to live, but to eate & to drinke, and to ſcrape in the ground like molles, or to play like the dormiſe of India, that ſleepe all winter, and play all ſummer. There are none, but muſt have a care of ſalvation, except they be Reprobates. The ſcoffing Iewes cried, Da Iohn 6. nobis ſemper hunc panem, give us evermore of this bread. The man in the Goſpell would eate of the bread of heaven, and therefore cryed, Happie is he that eateth bread in the Kingdome of Heaven. Balaam prayed to die well; O that my ſoule might die the death of the righteous, Luk. 14. Numb. 23. 10. and that my laſt end might be like unto his. There is none ſo wicked, but he would be ſaved; but if that wilt be ſaved, examine thy Every man to be carefull to know in what ſtate he ſtands in. ſelfe, and aske thy ſoule; whether thou beeſt a dogge or a Lambe, a Citizen or a ſtranger, a ſheep or a goate, to ſtand on the right hand or the left.

All men know their ſtate, ſaving Chriſtians; the Merchant can tell whether he gaineth or loſeth; the Mariner can tell his Mat. 25. 40. courſe, whether he be right or wrong on the ſea; the Husbandman knoweth his times for earing and reaping; the Phyſitian knoweth his body whether it bee in a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , conſumption, or in good eſtate? But we looke not whether we be ſaved or damned; but looke into thy ſelfe as thou doeſt into the world, whether thou beeſt even with God, whether his debt-booke bee diſcharged, whether thy ſinnes bee forgiven, or no, whether God hath given thee Faith to apprehend his promiſes, whether the fruites of Faith appeare in thee or no. A priſoner will looke unto himſelfe before the Aſſiſes, and looke into thy ſelfe before the Iudgment day, empanell a Queſt on thy ſelfe and let thy heart bee the Foreman of the Iurie.

And note, that he calleth it Common ſalvation, not proper to Abraham, Iſaak, Iacob, David, Peter, &c. but common to all.

1. Firſt, hee calleth it common ſalvation. Firſt, to admoniſh all men to lay hold of it. So ſaith Paul to Timothie, lay hold of eternall life. And alſo to admoniſh Miniſters to neglect no ſheep of God, not the very leaſt. Paul ſaid that he was a debter both to the Grecians and Barbarians, both to the wiſe and vnwiſe, that hee was not Rom. 1. 14. 16. aſhamed of the Goſpell of Chriſt, for it was the power of God to ſalvation to every one that beleeveth, to the lew firſt and alſo to the Grecian. And further he ſaith, that hee made himſelfe a ſervant unto all men, that he might winne the more, that unto the Iewes he became as 1 Cor. 9. 20, 21, 22. a Iew, that hee might winne the Iewes; to them that were under the law, as though he were under the law, that hee might winne them that were under the Law; to them that were without law, as though he were without law, that he might winne them, that were without Law; to the weake he became as weake, that hee Act. 20. 20. 1 Theſs. 2. 11. might winne the weake; and became all things to all men, that by all meanes he might winne ſome: Hee taught publikely and privately, throughout every houſe, exhorting and comforting every one, as a Father doth his Children: Even ſo the Miniſter of God muſt be carefull of every ſoule, that he may bee partaker of this common ſalvation.

2. Secondly, hee calleth it common ſalvation, becauſe it is not prepared for ſome few, as the Arke was for the Deluge; For 1 Pet. 3. 20. Exod. 19. Iohn 4. 22. then but a few, that is, Eight perſons were ſaved in the water: Neither becauſe it appertaineth to one nation, Kingdome or people, as the Law of Moſes to the Iſraelites; Salvation is of the Iewes: But the doctrine of the Goſpell is offered unto all. Chriſt ſent his Apoſtles in orbem, non in urbem; Goe into the world, preach the Goſpell to every creature. Erunt illi teſtes uſque ad fines terrae, they were As Salvation is common, ſo the Church is Catholike. his witneſſes to the end of the world. With theſe places, Auguſtine refuted the Donatiſts, which tyed the Church to a ſmall corner of the world, Africa.

Thirdly, hee calleth it common Salvation, becauſe we are all ſaved by one common meanes, that is, by Chriſt; Salvation is of the Lord. Ego ſum, ego ſum, & praeter me non eſt Salvator, I am, I Pſal. 13. Eſa. 43. am, and beſides mee there is no Saviour, no true Saviour. All other come ſhort; Vana ſalus hominum, Mans ſalvation is in vaine. And therefore the Elders, the Angels, and all Creatures give this glory to Chriſt, Salvation is of him that ſitteth on the Throne, and of the Lambe; and they all together, cry, Amen. For theſe cauſes it is called common Salvation.

In this ſenſe, as Salvation is called common, ſo the Church is Apoc. 4. called common or Catholike in three reſpects:

Firſt, it is not tyed to any time, as the time of the Law, but it endureth ever. Mar. 16.

Secondly, it is not tyed to any place as to Iuda: For in Iuda was God knowne, and his name was great in Iſrael; but to the whole Pſal. 76. 1. Act. 10. 34. world: For God is no accepter of perſons, but in every nation hee that feareth him and worketh righteouſneſſe, is accepted. And the true worſhippers, worſhip him in ſpirit & truth: As Chriſt ſaid unto the woman. Iohn 4. 23.

Thirdly, it is not tyed to any perſons, as to the ſeed of Abraham, but to all that beleeve: There is neither Iew nor Gentile, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, but wee Gal. 3. 28. are all one in Chriſt Ieſus. In theſe reſpects Salvation is called catholicke, or common, and ſo is the Church.

It is worth your noting, that Iude ſayth, hee gave all diligence to write. For Iude ſpeaketh here of neceſſity of writing. For Hoſius, Eckius, Pigheus, Andradius ſay, that Chriſt commanded the Apoſtles to preach, not to write; and that their writings are ſubeſſe, non praeeſſe fidei noſtrae; that Scripturae ſequuntur Eccleſiam, the Scriptures follow the Church, and not the Church the Scriptures. But Saint Peter ſaith, he wrote that the truth might remaine to poſterity; his words are theſe; I thinke it meete ſo long as I am in 2 Pet. 1. 13, 14, 15. this tabernacle, to ſtirre you up, by putting you in remembrance, ſeeing I know the time is at hand, that I muſt lay downe my tabernacle, &c. I will endevour therefore alwayes, that yee alſo may bee able to have remembrance of theſe things, after my departing. So Saint Iohn wrote to all, Little children I write unto you that your ſinnes are forgiven you. And againe, I write unto you Fathers, becauſe yee have known him 1 Iohn 2. 12, 13, 14. that is from the beginning. And againe, I write to you young men, becauſe yee have overcome the world. I write unto you babes, &c. Chryſoſtome writing upon theſe words, They that are in Iewry let them flie to the Math. 24. 16. mountaines: Id eſt, qui in fide ſunt, conferant ſe ad Scripturas, that is, quoth Chryſoſt. Let them that are in the▪ Faith flie unto the Scriptures. I love not allegories, but it is true, that Chryſoſtome ſaid, Traditions the meanes of propagating errors. though not upon that occaſion. S. Iohn ſaw three Goſpells written; viz. Mathew, Marke, and Luke, and approved them. S. Peter allowed of Pauls Epiſtles, and commended them unto the Churches; yea, the Prophets nayled their prophecies in writing 2 Pet. 3. 15. Hebr. 2. 2. Hebr. 2. 1. 2 Tim. 3. 16. to the doores of the Temple, which the Prieſts reſerved in the Sanctuarie, leſt the things ſhould runne out that they received by word of mouth. Paul at the end of his life ſaith of all the bookes of the New Teſtament, that they were able to make the man of God perfect.

Traditions, and unwritten verities, or vanities, have beene ever the Pandora-boxes, full of poyſon; the Troiane horſe, out of which all enemies have iſſued; that curſed water of Styx, that killeth them that taſte it. Theſe traditions the Holy Ghoſt ſometime likeneth to ſowre grapes, which cannot bee eaten; Sometime to broken ciſternes, that can hold no water; Sometime to ſand, wherupon Eſa. 5. Jer. 2. Mat. 7. Eſa. 64. to build it is not lawfull; Sometime to a menſtruous cloth; And ſometime to things more baſe and vile than any of theſe.

On the Contrarie, the written Word is called a Fountaine, waters of life, a Rocke whereupon the Church is built, the ſword of the Eſa. 55. Apoc. 21. Luk 6. Epheſ. 8. Epheſ. 2. 19. ſpirit; Baſis Eccleſiae, the foundation of the Church. But what will not hungrie dogs eate, and Papiſts receive? all the ſpite of the Papiſts is againſt the written word, that they may give us poyſon for meate, ſowre Leaven for ſweet dough, thornes for grapes, thiſtles for figges, the Legend for the Goſpell, mens traditions, Mat. 15. 9. Gen. 8. for Gods precepts; the cup of the whore of Babylon for the cup of the Lord.

But as Noahs dove found no reſt, but in the Arke; ſo our conſciences find no reſt, but in the Word: Auguſtine calleth the ſcriptures, the Lords Scales, which ſhew Quid grave, quid leve, what Auguſt. contra Donat. is heavie, and what is light; Vbi non appendimus, quid volumus, ſed omnia per trutinam Domini; whereby wee apprehend not what we would, but all things according to the ballance of the Sanctuary, of the Lord himſelfe: And he ſaith unto them often, Auferantur de medio chartae noſtrae, procedat in medium codex Dei; take away from among us our owne writings, and let the booke of God be brought forth: Non audiamus, Haec dico, haec dicis; ſed hoc dicit Dominus; Let us not heare theſe words, This ſay I, this ſaieſt thou, but this ſaith the Lord. Chriſt entring into his glory, could have ſaid much of the traditions of the Prophets; yet notwithſtanding he alledgeth only thoſe things that are written; Luk 24. 44, 45. Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Chriſt to ſuffer, &c. Traditions and leaving the written word, is the originall of all miſchiefe: Hence came the Iewiſh Cabal and Thalmud, the Turks Alcoran, the Ruſſian tales of S. Nicholas, the Iriſh fables of S. Patricke, the Romiſh traditions of their new Saints: hence come the horrible opinions of Ebion and Cerinthus de regno Chriſti terreno, of the earthly Kingdome of Chriſt, and of the Leviticall obſervations, under Milde exhortations more powerfull than menaces. colour or pretext of Apoſtolicall traditions: And the Apoſtles being all dead, Sua dogma vocarunt 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as though it contained the moſt deep knowledge of heavenly things, but was indeed drawne out of the dungeon of hell. Thus, as Midas had power to turne all he touched into gold, ſo theſe men have power to turne all they touch into lyes, and all under colour of traditions. The Apoſtles dehortation therefore is to bee embraced; Beware leſt there be any man that ſpoile you through Philoſophie, and vaine deceit, Col. 2. 8. through the traditions of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not after Chriſt.

The third reaſon, taken from the Perſon of the Apoſtle, is from the mildneſſe & manner of his doctrine: For he exhorted them, he intreated them, as if a man ſhould lay his hands under their feet; he came not in the Imperative, but in the Optative mood; hee came not like Tyrants, or great men, with Sic volo, ſic jubeo: For mē will rather be drawne with lenitie, than driven by extremitie. He came not with a ſearing iron, not with vinegar to ulcerate, but with oyle to mollifie; he came not with a rod, as Paul to the Corinthians, ſedſpiritu lenitatis, with the ſpirit of gentleneſſe. 1 Cor. 4.

Exhortation is Gods whetſtone to • et an edge of our zeale, it is Gods ſpurre to make us runne faſter in Religion; it is Gods milke to nouriſh us: What face of flint or heart of Adamant, but will be moved with exhortation? The three thouſand Iewes, though vile men, were moved by it, it pricked their hearts, and made them crie out, Men and brethren, what ſhall we doe? It moved Valentinian much when Ambroſe ſaid, Rogamus Auguſtum non Act. 2. 46. pugnamus, we pray Auguſtus, we fight not; Arma noſtra ſunt preces & lachrimae, our weapons are prayers and teares. And it moved Arcadius much, when Chryſoſtome wiſhed that the Emperor might ſee his heart as he ſaw his face, that he might ſee his care to doe him good.

The Miniſter muſt learne here to be diligent in exhorting: So ſaith the Apoſtle; Preach the Word, be fervent in ſeaſon and out of ſeaſon, improve, rebuke, exhort with all long ſuffering and doctrine; and 2 Tim. 4. 2. as Paul commanded it, ſo he practiſed it: You know (ſaith Paul) how we exhorted you, and comforted you, and beſought every one of you, as 1 Theſs. 2. 11. a father his Children. The ſhepheard hath his whiſtle and his dog, and the Miniſter hath exhortation and reprehenſion; witneſſe the Apoſtle; Theſe things ſpeake and exhort, and rebuke with all authoritie.

And as the Miniſter muſt exhort, ſo you the people muſt ſuffer the word of exhortation. I beſeech you brethren (ſaith the Author to the Hebrewes) ſuffer the word of exhortation. The wounded man muſt ſuffer the Surgeon to lanche, to ſeare his wounds; The Hebr. 13. 22. ſicke man muſt ſuffer the Phyſitian to preſcribe ſweet or bitter potions unto him; and the ignorant man of a dull ſpirit muſt ſuffer the Miniſter to exhort him. So God cried unto Ieruſalem, As Miniſters muſt exhort ſo the people muſt ſuffer the word of exhortation. Be you inſtructed ô Ieruſalem, leſt my ſoule depart from you, leſt I make you deſolate as a land not inhabited. So wee cry to you to bee inſtructed; O England, bee inſtructed; O Norfolke, bee inſtructed, O Northwalſham bee inſtructed, leſt the ſoule of the Lord depart from you; and the rather, becauſe we have cried long, like Cocks that crow at midnight, and againe, at three of the clocke, but Ier. 6. 8. longeſt and loudeſt towards day. The miniſters are Gods Cocks, they crowed in King Edwards dayes and in Queene Elizabeths days, but longeſt and lowdeſt in King Iames his dayes. As Peter therefore wept at the crowing of the Cocke; ſo let us weep and wake at the crowing of theſe cocks: For now conſidering the ſeaſon, it is high time for us to wake out of ſleep, for our ſalvation is neerer than Rom. 13. 11. when wee beleeved: the night is past, the day is at hand; let us caſt away the works of darkneſſe and put upon us the armour of light: Bee awake therefore and ſtrengthen the things which remaine and are ready to dye; Even ſo awake England, thou haſt ſlept fifty yeares, like Endimion, like the ſeven boyes of Epheſus mentiond by Nicephorus; like Abner, that would not be awaked. The cruelleſt Lion is tamed 1 Sam. 28. 15. by long art; the ſtiffeſt yce is thawed with long heate: the hardeſt marble is pierced with continuall dropping; and let us be pierced with continuall exhorting. We teach and exhort you from yeare to yeare, from thurſday to thurſday; let us not rolle Siſyphus ſtone, nor reach for Tantalus apples; let us not caſt pearles before ſwine, nor give holy things to dogs. Mat. 7. 2 Cor. 5. 20.

We intreate you, as Paul did the Corinthians, That yee will be reconciled unto God; wee pray you to heare the word, not to ſweare; we pray you to ſanctifie the Sabboth, to be chaſt, liberall, mercifull, &c. The unrighteous Iudge, though a vile man, was overcome with importunity, and let our importunity overcome you, Suk. 18. and be you moved with continuall exhortation: Let not God ſay of us, as he did of the Iewes; I have ſpread only my hand all the day unto a rebellious people, which walked in a way that was not good, even after their owne imaginations, a people that provoked me ever to my face, Eſa. 1. &c. But let us be warned by the admonition of the Prophets: for by theſe God exhorteth continually, and ſtretcheth out his hand to draw us.

THE ſecond reaſon is taken from the perſon of God, that he gave Faith. Now every man muſt maintaine the ordinance of God: For we can doe nothing againſt the truth, but for the truth: So reaſoned Ambroſe with Valentinian, when hee commanded him to give up his 2 Cor. 13. 8. Church to the Arrians; Si Naboth vineam patrum tradere noluit, &c. If Naboth wold not deliver up the vineyard of his fathers, he muſt not deliver up the vineyard of the Lord. 1 Reg. 21. Here note three things:

And firſt, that faith is a gift, it is evident by the Apoſtles owne words, where he calleth Chriſt, The author and finiſher of our faith; as the Athenians were called, Inventrices & perfectrices omnium doctrinarum, the inventers and perfecters of all good learning: The Hebr. 12. 2. Romanes had their learning from the Grecians, & the Grecians from the Aegyptians, and the Aegyptians from the Chaldees, and they from Adam, Seth, Noah & the old Patriarchs: but the Church 1 Cor. 2. 22. Act. 7. 222. hath all her learning, religion & faith from God; he gave it at the firſt, and he confirmed it at the leaſt: He gave ſome to be Apoſtles, ſome Prophets, and ſome Evangeliſts, ſome Paſtours and teachers, for gathering together of the Saints, for the worke of the miniſterie, and for the edification Faith diverſly taken. of the body of Chriſt, till wee meete together in the unitie of faith, and knowledge of the Sonne of God, &c. Luke, having ſpoken of Stephens faith, noteth the cauſe of it, that is, that Stephen was full of the Spirit; Epheſ. 4. 11. Act. 7. 55. Gal. 5. 22. 1 Cor. 12. 9. Rom. 3. 3. For God worketh it by his Spirit: All good workes are the fruits of the Spirit, therefore faith; The fruits of the ſpirit are love, ioy, peace, long-ſuffering, gentleneſſe, goodneſſe, faith, &c. and it is reckoned up among the gifts of the ſpirit; To another is given faith (ſaith the Apoſtle) by the ſame ſpirit: But faith is in the Scriptures diverſly taken; ſometimes it is given to God, and it ſignifieth his faithfulneſſe in his promiſes: In this ſenſe the Apoſtle uſeth the word, ſaying, Shall their unbeleefe make the faith of God of none effect? when it is given to man, it is taken ſeven manner of wayes.

Firſt, it is taken for Fidelity, as it is a vertue in the ſecond Mat. 23. 23. table; So Chriſt uſeth the word; where ſpeaking to the Phariſees, he ſaith, Yee tythe Mint, Aniſe and Commin, and leave the weightie matters of the Law, as iudgement, and mercie, and faith.

Secondly, It is taken for the doctrine of faith, and Chriſtian Religion; ſo it is ſaid, Many were added unto the faith; that is, to Act. 6. 7. Chriſtian Religion. And againe▪ God opened the doore of faith unto the Gentiles; that is, of Religion. Act. 14. 27.

Thirdly, It is taken for profeſſion of religion; thus Elimas is Act. 13. 8. charged, To turne the Deputie from the Faith; that is, to make no more profeſſion of Religion.

Fourthly, It is taken for Chriſt himſelfe, by a Metonymie, who is both the object and cauſe of faith: So the Apoſtle uſeth the word ſaying, But after that faith is come, wee are no longer under a Gal. 325. ſchoole-maſter.

Fifthly, It is taken for knowledge only; and thus the Divels are ſaid to beleeve.

Sixthly, It is taken for the gift of working miracles; If I had 1 Cor. 13. 2. all faith ſo that I could move mountaines, &c.

Laſtly, It is taken for that grace by which, felicity and the chiefe good is applied; and thus it is taken in my Text.

And this the Apoſtle Paul cals the faith of Gods elect; For none but the elect, have it, & al the elect have it, at one time or another; and once had it can never be finally and totally loſt, but it continueth with them, till they come to ſee the goodneſſe of the Lord in the land of the living & then they ſhall have no more need of it: It is therfore called Saving faith, becauſe it brings us to ſalvation: Epheſ. 2. 8. And Iuſtifying faith, becauſe it is that meanes or inſtrument which Gods ſpirit worketh in us, whereby wee apply unto our ſelves Chriſt Ieſus, in and by whom wee are iuſtified: And Sanctifying faith, becauſe by it God purifieth our hearts. This ſaving, iuſtifying, ſanctifying faith is Gods gift: for hee is the Authour of this faith; From whom every good gift, and every perfect gift commeth. And that which is ſaid of Lydia, is true The meanes to beget faith. of all the faithfull, That the Lord opened the heart of Lydia, ſo that ſhee beleeved. And Chriſt ſaith, This is the worke of God, that yee beleeve; not the worke of the Father alone; or of the Sonne alone, Iam. 1. 17. Iohn 6. 29. or of the Holy Ghoſt alone, but of the whole Trinity: For this is one of the workes of God, which are ſaid to bee Ad extra, and therefore attributed to all the three perſons. To the firſt, where Chriſt ſaith, No man can come unto me, (that is, beleeve) except the Iohn 6. 44. Father draw him: to the ſecond, where the Apoſtle calleth Ieſus, The author and finiſher of our faith: to the third, where the Apoſtle reckoneth faith, amongſt the fruits of the ſpirit: And the onely Hebr. 12. 2. thing that moved God to worke this precious gift in us, is his meere good will: So ſaith our Saviour; It is ſo Father, becauſe thy good pleaſure was ſuch. And the end at which he aymed in working Mat. 11. 26. this grace, is, firſt, the ſetting forth of his owne glory: ſecondly, the ſalvation of mankinde; and therefore S. Peter calleth ſalvation, The end of our Faith. 1 Pet. 1. 9.

This doctrine ſerveth to humble us; to let us ſee, that it is not in our power, that faith is not hereditary: God beginneth it, and increaſeth it, and finiſheth it. The Apoſtles prayed, Lord, increaſe Luk. 17. our faith: The meanes to get this • aith is double; Outward; Inward. The outward meane is the word; hereupon ſaith the Apoſtle, How ſhall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard? Rom. 10. 14. Rom. 10. 8. and thereupon thus concludeth, faith commeth by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God: and hereupon it is called, The Word of faith. And Paul ſaith of the Epheſians, that they beleeved, After they Epheſ. 1. 13. heard the Goſpell. And finely ſaith Chryſoſtome, Accenditur fidei lampas igne divini verbi; the lampe of our faith is lighted by the fire of the divine word. And this faith, is wrought in us, both by reading and preaching of the word, and both are commended and ordeined of God: and firſt for reading, God himſelfe commandeth it; and by reading, S. Auguſtine was converted: for he confeſſeth Deut. 3. 1. 9. of himſelfe, that being inclined to the hereſie of the Manichees, he heard a voyce, ſaying, Tolle & lege, take up and read; meaning the booke of God; which he preſently did, and ſo by reading was converted: for ſurely the reading of the word is a meanes appointed of God, to the begetting of faith and raiſing up the Kingdome of God in the hearts of men; And to ſay that bare reading is bare feeding, and a thing unable to worke faith in us, is to avouch a great untruth.

But the eſpeciall ordinary meanes, and the moſt powerfull uſuall meanes, is the word preached. This is that which the ſcripture laieth downe: How ſhall they beleeve in him, of whom they have not heard? how ſhall they heare without a preacher? And againe, It pleaſeth Rom. 10. 14. Gal. 3. 1 God by preaching to ſave. Reading is profitable, but preaching doth profit more than reading doeth: Spice, when it is whole ſmelleth ſweetly, but when it is broken and bruiſed by the hand of the Apothecarie, it ſmelleth a great deale more: So is the word read of The miniſtery of the word & motion of the ſpirit meanes of faith. us, or to us, ſweet as they hony, and bringeth the light of life to many; but if the ſpirituall Apothecarie breake it and bruiſe it, cut it, and divide it, as the Lord hath appointed by preaching, then reacheth the ſavor of ſuch heavenly ſweet to many moe, in a fuller meaſure, by reaſon of the bleſſing, that God giveth unto it. The Eunuth read, but he underſtood not; but when Philip preached unto him, the ſweet brake out to his laſting good. Act. 8.

The inward meanes wherby faith is wrought in us, is the bleſſed Spirit of God, which ſofteneth, and openeth our hearts, and maketh them as good ground, that when the ſeed of the Word is caſt into them, it taketh deep rooting, and bringeth forth the bleſſed fruit of faith. The Apoſtle ſaith, that His preaching was 1 Cor. 2. 4, 5. in demonstration of the ſpirit, that their faith might be in the power of God. And the preaching of the Goſpell is tearmed, A miniſtration of the Spirit: yea, he uſeth this phraſe, The Spirit of faith; becauſe 2 Cor. 3. 8. cap. 4. 15. that faith is wrought inwardly by the Spirit. Thus yee ſee, faith is wrought in us outwardly by the word of God, and inwardly by the Spirit of God; he is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

Where are confuted Andradius, Latomus, Hoſius, who ſay, that Philoſophie iuſtified the Gentiles; that Socrates, Plato, beleeved aſwell as Abraham, Iſaak, and Iacob. Yet Howlet, a Papiſt ſaith, that faith is both begunne and increaſed by the word preached, 1 Pet. 1. 23. and that therefore it is called Incorruptible ſeed.

Here are confuted alſo the Atheiſts, that thinke, that faith is common: For all of them ſay, that they beleeve: but faith is a gift, yea a moſt rare gift of God; God ſent his Patriarchs in the ancienteſt age of the world, and could find no faith: Hee ſent his Prophets in a latter generation, and could find no faith: Laſt of all, he ſent his owne Sonne, a man approved of God, and approved his doctrine with miracles and ſignes following, and could find no faith. And when the Sonne of man ſhall come, ſhall he find faith on the earth? We read but of two beleevers in all the hoſt of Luk. 18. 8. Num. 14. 1 Pet. 3. 20. 2 Tim. 1. 26. Act. 1. 15. Apoc. 3. 4. Mat. 16. Iam. 2. 19. Iſrael; but of eight in all the old world; but of one family that beleeved in all Aſia; but of a hundred and twentie in all Chriſts time; but of a few in all Sardis: Caro & ſanguis non dant fidem, ſed pater in coelis; Fleſh and blood give not faith, but the Father in heaven. Many boaſt of faith, but if they have any, it is the Divels faith. Nay, many beleeve not ſo much as the Divell doth; but ſay with the foole, Non eſt Deus, non eſt daemon, non eſt infernus, non Pſal. 14. 1. eſt coelum; There is no God, no divell, no hell, no heaven. All by nature are Infidells, we draw it from Adams loynes, and ſucked Gen. 3. it from the breaſts of Heva, who beleeved the divell before God. And in that ſome few beleeve, it is by grace, not by nature. Now grace is rare; therefore ſaith the Apoſtle, unto you it is given for Chriſt, that not onely yee ſhould beleeve in him, but alſo, &c. If any aske me, when God gave this faith, I anſwere, that he did it in the beginning and it hath, doth, and ſhall continue for ever. This As God is immutable, ſo true faith and Religion. commendeth the Faith, the Religion of God, that it is before all religions; the ancienteſt Philoſophers, and Poets, as Orpheus, Homer, Heſiod, exceeded not the dayes of Salomon, who yet lived five hundred yeeres after Moſes the writer of the Law.

Againe, all the wonderfull things recounted in the Scripture are recorded by the Heathen; as Noahs flood by Beroſus, the tower of Babel by the Sibyls, the ſtorie of Abraham by Dupolimus, the acts of Salomon recorded by Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus.

But to proceed to the next point: This faith was once given, once for all, once for ever; which commendeth unto us the conſtancie of God, With whom is no variableneſſe, nor ſhadow of change: Hee Iam. 1. 17. Pſal. 33. 9. ſpeaketh, and it is done; he commandeth, and it is made; he giveth and granteth without revocation. Therefore it was well ſaid Balaam, God is not as man that he ſhould lye, nor the Sonne of man, that he Num. 23. 19. ſhould repent: Shall God ſay, and not doe? ſhall he ſpeake, and not performe? With men there is unconſtancy; as in Iael; who offered Siſera reſt and milke, but there withall a nayle and a hammer. Saul granted peace to David, with a breath, and with a breath revoked Iudg. 4. 1 Sam. 26. 2 Sam. 13. Iohn 6. it. Ammon loved Thamar once, but hated her by and by more than hee loved her. The Iewes gave Chriſt the title of a King, & anon after the title of a Rebell. The Antiocheans honored Paul as a God, but after changed their mind. There is ſuch mutabilitie in men, that they change like the Moone, they alter like the Cameleon; but God alters not; but giveth his gifts to his Church once for ever. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance. Rom. 11. 29.

Note this word (Once) ſo often repeated, once God gave the Law, once he gave the Goſpell; Once more will I ſhake, not the earth only, but alſo Heaven: And againe, After he had offered one ſacrifice Hebr. 12. 26, 27. for ſinnes, ſitteth for ever at the right hand of God. And againe, with one offering he hath conſecrated for ever them that are ſanctified. And againe, Heb. 10. 12. 14. Hebr. 9. 27, 28. Rom. 6. 10. It is appointed for men once to dye, &c. ſo Chriſt was once offered to take away the ſinnes of many. And againe, In that he died, he died once to ſinne. Note all theſe Texts; one Goſpell, one Sacrifice, one death, one appearing of Chriſt, one death of Chriſt, one for all, and one for ever.

If any object, and prove a change in God, becauſe God gave Circumciſion, the Paſſeover, the Sabboth, the Sacrifice, and after tooke them away againe; yee ſhall underſtand, that hee gave them as figures and ſhadowes, and therefore no mutability in the Lord: The ſhadow muſt give place to the body, the figure to the truth, the greene bloſſome to the ripe fruit, the ſeed time to the harveſt. So reaſoneth Paul, Let no man condemne you in meate and drinke, or in reſpect of an Holy day, or of the new Moone, or of the Sabboths, which are but a ſhadow of things to come; but the bodie is in Chriſt. The day-ſtarre muſt give place to the Sunne-riſing, and that to the Sunne at Noone-day. Chryſoſtome compareth Though types ceaſe, yet truth and ſubſtance remain ever the ſame. the Iewes to a candle; the Chriſtians, to the brightneſſe of the Sunne; The Iewes, to the firſt draught of an Image in bare lines; the Chriſtians, to the ſame Image filled up with all due proportion and furniture of colours; the one to the ſeed-time, Hom. 10. in Mat. Gal. 4. the other to the harveſt, and reaping of the Corne: So Paul compareth the Iewes to a Child, the Chriſtians to a perfect man: the ſame light, though not in the ſame quantitie; the ſame Image, though not with like furniture; the ſame corne, though not growne to the like ripeneſſe; the ſame perſon, though not in the like perfection of age.

The Iewes note five things wanting in the Goſpell, and in the latter Temple, that were in the firſt (to diſprove this that I have ſaid.)

Firſt, the fire that came downe from heaven, to burne the Holocauſts.

Secondly, the glory of the Angells appearing among the Cherubins.

Thirdly, the inſpiration of Gods ſpirit ſpeaking in the Prophets.

Fourthly, the prefence of the Arke.

Laſtly, Vrim and Thummim. But all this is nothing: for there is now a fuller knowledge of God, and greater liberty to the conſcience; yet the ſame faith ſtill. For the Fathers and we have all Col. 2. Ier. 23. 5. but one faith; they beleeved that Chriſt ſhould come, according to Ieremies prophecie, Behold, the dayes come, ſaith the Lord; that I will raiſe unto David a righteous branch and a King ſhall raigne and proſper, and ſhall execute iudgement and iuſtice in the earth. We beleeve that he is come, and that Christ our Paſſeover is ſacrified for us. 1 Cor. 5. 7. Eſa. 7. They ſaid, Virgo concipiet, a maid ſhall conceive, and bring forth a Sonne; we ſay, Virgo concepit, a maide hath brought forth her S •• ne: For when the dayes were accompliſhed, that ſhe ſhould be delivered, Luk. 2. 7. ſhe brought forth her firſt begotten Sonne, and wrapped him in ſwadling clothes, and laid him in a Cratch. They had ſacrifices that prefigured his comming, we have Sacraments that repreſent his comming Heb. 9. and being with us: they and wee had but one light; they had Lucem matutinam, the moning light; wee, Lucem meridianam, the light at noone-day. Wee differ but In plus & minus: therefore ſaith Chriſt; Bleſſed are the eyes that ſee the things that yee ſee: Mat. 10. 24. For I tell you, that many Prophets and Kings have deſired to ſee the things that yee ſee, and have not ſeene them, and to heare thoſe things that yee heare, and have not heard them.

If any object, that God giveth us daily new Paith, new graces.

I anſwere, that God giveth not a new, a ſtrange faith, but addeth to our old faith, to our old graces, God increaſeth, faith and his graces in us, but not a new, a diverſe faith, like the Arrians that had Fidem annuam & menſtruam, a yeerely, and a monthly The Goſpell immutable: Traditions uncertain. Faith; For whom God loves, hee loves to the end.

This alſo commendeth unto us the Goſpell: that whereas other Lawes and Doctrines are changed, altered, augmented, and diminiſhed, Gods Law is not: The Law of the Lord is perfect. Iohn 13. 1. Pſal. 19. The Lawes of the Romanes written by Numa Pompilius, in Gold; The Lawes of the Athenians, written by Draco, in Bloud; the Lawes of the Perſians, written in Braſſe; The Lawes of the Lacedemonians, written in Milke, were altered; but Gods Lawes are not. Quoad ſubſtantiam, as concerning their ſubſtance; Sed quoad maledictionem, as concerning the curſe. 2 Cor. 3.

All traditions therefore, all Goſpels of Thomas, Nicodemus, Thaddeus, and the eternall Goſpell invented in Saint Cyrils time, by abuſing the place in the Revelation which runneth thus, I ſaw another Angel flying in the middeſt of Heaven, having an Apoc. 14. 6. everlaſting Goſpel to preach unto them that dwell on the Earth, &c. muſt fall to the ground, like the houſe built upon the ſand; as alſo all thoſe Revelations of the Paraclete, deviſed by Montanus, together with all thoſe that came after the giving of the Goſpell, which is perfect for ever, and ſo perfect, that If any man ſhall adde unto it, God ſhall adde to him the plagues that are written in Apoc. 22. 18, 19. the Booke; and if any man ſhall diminiſh from the words of the Prophecie of Gods Booke, God ſhall take away his part out of the Booke of Life, and out of the holy Citie, &c. Let us not then adde nor diminiſh from the Goſpell being ſo perfect; for there is but one God, one Faith, one Baptiſme, one Chriſtian Hope, once revealed Epheſ. 4. for all.

But of the late Romiſh traditions, which have entred long ſince the Goſpell entred, one may ſay to Rome as Eſay ſaid to Ieruſalem, Thy Gold is turned into Droſſe, thy Wine is mixed with Water, thy Seede with Cockle; thou wert ſometime a faithfull Eſay 1. City, but now become an Harlot, thou wert once the houſe of God, but now turned into a cave of theeves. Thou ſayeſt that thou art rich, and increaſed in wealth, and ſtandeſt in neede of nothing; Apoc. 3. 17. but thou art poore, and blind, and naked, (as God ſaid to the Church of Laodice) poore, and blind, and naked indeed, God give them hearts to underſtand, and eyes to ſee their poverty and nakedneſſe.

But to paſſe with this heavenly Scripture, as Moſes did with the people to the land of Canaan.

Thirdly, this Faith is given to the Saints: By Saints hee meaneth the children of God, truely converted; not becauſe they are perfectly holy and without ſinne, but in theſe foure reſpects:

Firſt, in reſpect of Separation: for they they are elected, and gathered out of this world, and joyned to Gods people, and dedicated to holy ſervices and uſes.

Secondly, In reſpect of Vocation, and therefore the Apoſtle The Saints the ſubiects of Faith and all Graces. when hee ſaid, they were ſanctified, he ſaid by explication, that they were Saints by calling.

Thirdly, In reſpect of Regeneration, becauſe they are now new creatures. 1 Cor. 1. 2.

And laſtly, In reſpect of Iuſtification or imputation, becauſe the holineſſe and ſanctity of Chriſt is imputed unto them. For men may be Saints in this life; For there are Saints in Earth as well as in Heaven: Hereupon ſaith David, All my delight is upon Pſal. 16. 3. Pſal. 37, 28. Epheſ. 3. 8. the Saints in Earth, and on ſuch as excell in Vertue: And againe, Hee forſaketh not his Saints. And Saint Paul calleth himſelfe, The leaſt of all Saints. And Saint Iude here ſpeaketh of Faith given unto the Saints. The Papiſts will acknowledge no Saints till three things come unto them: firſt, they muſt bee canonized, by the Pope; ſecondly, they muſt bee dead firſt; and thirdly, it muſt be an hundred yeeres after death: Riſum teneatis amici?

But to leave all this. In that this Faith is given unto the Saints, wee learne, that holy things are not to be given to Dogs, Mat. 7. 6. a Gold ring becommeth not a Swines ſnout; Cardui benedicti are not for the mouthes of Mules, the ſongs of Nightingales are not for the eares of Aſſes.

Faith is not given to the Reprobate: God hath made other Pro. 11. 22. things for them, & they for other things: He hath made them For Prov. 16. 4. Deut. 4. Jer. 6. the day of evill. God gave the Law, yet to the Iſraelites, not to the Hittites, Canaanites, Pereſites: Hee gave the Arke, but not to the Philiſtines: He gave Incenſe to Sheba, Balme to Gilead, fine Spices to Arabia, Ezek. 37. Milke and Honey to Canaan, Silver to Tharſis, Gold to Ophir: but Hee gave his word to Iacob, Ier. 9. Ezec. 37. Deut. 6. 1 Cbr. 29. Pſal. 147. Mat. 13. 11. 13. 1 Cor. 10. 15. his Statutes and his Ordinances unto Iſrael; hee hath not dealt ſo with every nation, neither had the Heathen knowledge of his Lawe, Chriſt ſpeakes myſteries, but hee explaned them only to his Apoſtles, Paul ſpake, but yet unto them that had knowledge; I ſpake to them (ſaith Paul) that have underſtanding, judge, yee what I ſaw. So wee ſpeake, but not to them, that are wilfully ignorant, that ſhut their eyes, ſtoppe our eares, and harden their hearts againſt the Word, with ſuch men we meddle not, but in the ſin wherein we finde them, in that we leave them; we ſpeake onely to beare witneſſe of their ſinne, againſt the day of the Lord, they have ſinned, and their ſinne will finde them out; as Moſes ſaid to the two tribes, Behold yee have ſinned againſt the Lord Numb. 32. 25. and be ſure your ſinne will finde you out; and yee ſhall bee aſſuredly puniſhed for your ſinne; All things are given unto the Saints, and nothing is given to the Reprobate but in Gods wrath, and for the elects ſake: for their ſake God made the world; for their ſakes hee redeemed it: For God ſo loved the World, that hee Gen. 1. gave his onely begotten Sonne, that who ſoever beleeveth in him might not periſh but have life everlaſting: For their ſakes he preſerveth it, and Iohn 3. 16. when the body of Chriſt is made perfect, the number of the The wicked uſurpers of Gods gifts. Saints accompliſhed, God will diſſolve the frame of this evill World: and therefore when the ſoules of the Saints that were killed cryed out, How long Lord holy and true tarieſt thou, to iudge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the Earth? Anſwere was made, that they ſhould reſt for a little ſeaſon untill their fellow ſervants Apoc. 6. 10, 11. and their brethren, that ſhould bee killed, even as they were, were fulfilled.

That the wicked live, they may thanke the Saints, the Godly; how ſoever they hate them, yet they enjoy all for their ſakes: the wicked are but uſurpers and intruders, to gift of God is due unto them, but plagues onely; Vpon them hee ſhall raine ſnares, fire and brimſtone, ſtorme and tempeſts, this ſhall be their Pſal. 11. portion to drinke: For judgements are prepared for the ſcornefull, and ſtripes for the fooles backe. For tribulation and anguiſh ſhall be upon the Soule of every man that doth evill. Rom. 2. 9.

As Eliſha would not have ſpoken, but for Iehoſaphats ſake, ſo wee would not ſpeake unto you, but for ſome good mens ſake that are amongſt you, otherwiſe you ſhould dye in your ſinne, and rot and dye in your ſinne; you have neither part nor fellowſhip Act. 8. Apoc. 22. in Ieſus Chriſt, as Philip ſaid to Simon Magus; Let him therefore that is filthy be filthy ſtill.

WEE are now come to the third reaſon, taken from the perſon of the Adverſaries; and it lyeth thus; The adverſaries impugne the Faith; therefore the Saints muſt ſtand for it.

The Church hath many adverſaries, like Bees in an hyve, like Moates in the Sunne, like Piſmires on a molehill. Iohn ſaith, That Apoc. 12. 7. he ſaw a great battel in Heaven, that is, in the Church, Michael and his Angels fought againſt the Dragon, and the Dragonfought and his Angels: And Paul ſaid, There were many 1 Cor. 16. 9. adverſaries: Wee may ſay of the Church, the Faith and Religion of God, as David ſaid of his owne perſon, Mine enemies Pſal. 38. 19. live and are mightie, and they that hate mee wrongfully, are many in number.

As there is a contrary in all, day and night, cold and heate, ſickneſſe and health, life and death; ſo in Religion. Chryſostome In ſer. de nequitat depulſa. ſaith, Ferrum rubigo laedit, lanam tinea, ovem lupus, Polium ſegetes, grando vineam, &c. Ruſt hurteth Iron, the Moth Wooll, the Woolfe the Sheepe, the Leopard the Kidde, the Haile the Vine, the Cockle the Corne, the Caterpillar the Fruits; few but have their adverſaries. So Faith and Religion, Atheiſts, Papiſts, Pagans, Heretickes, Schiſmatickes, Sectaries, all theſe barke againſt the Saints, as dogges againſt the Moone.

Religion divideth men in an houſe, I am come (ſaith Chriſt) Secret enemies moſt dangerous that pretend Love. to put fire on the Earth; and what is my deſire, if it be already kindled? Thinke yee that I am come to give peace in earth: I tell you nay, but rather debate: From henceforth there ſhall bee five in one houſe divided, three againſt two, and two against three. The Father ſhall be divided againſt the Sonne, and the Sonne againſt the Father; the Mother Luke 12. 49, 51, 52. 53. againſt the Daughter, and the Daughter againſt the Mother; the mother in law againſt the daughter in law, and the daughter in law againſt the mother in law. The godly, the faithfull are as Lambes amongſt wolves, as Lilies amongſt Thornes, as Doves amongſt Ravens; Mat. 10. 16. many oppugne the Faith, therefore wee muſt be ready to defend it, yea ſtrive for it unto death, as Ioab fought for God: ſo let us ſpeake for God, and write for God. If wee had as many tongues and pennes, as Argus had eyes, let them all ſpeake and Eccleſ. 4. 2. Sam. 10. write for the Truth; yea, if wee had as many as haires on our heads, as Ierome ſaid to Helvidius, Si veritas eſt cauſa diſcordiae, mori poſſum, tacere non poſſum; If Truth bee the cauſe of our diſcord, I may dye, but I may not be ſilent: Wee cannot but ſpeake the things Act. 4. 20. wee have ſeene and heard.

But to come to the deſcription of theſe Adverſaries; they are here deſcribed two wayes.

By their Life, End.

By their Life they are deſcribed foure wayes:

Firſt, they creepe into the Church.

Secondly, they be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , men without God.

Thirdly, they bee Libertines.

Fourthly, they are Blaſphemers, Denying God and Chriſt.

By their End alſo they be deſcribed; they are ordained to Iudgement, written in the blacke Booke, not of Life, but of Death.

But firſt, they are deſcribed by their Life: and they are ſaid firſt, to creepe into the Church. The Greeke word ſignifieth a craftie entrance into the Church; they come not in by the Doore Iohn 10. into the Sheepefold, but clime up ſome other way; they come not in the Day but in the night, like theeves; they are Woolves in Sheepes clothing, Caterpillers to devoure the vineyard of Chriſt; Mat. 24. they thruſt in themſelves, like Iudas amongſt the Apoſtles; therfore the more to bee reſiſted; for no enemy is ſo dangerous as a ſecret enemy; It was not an open enemy (quoth David,) that did defame mee, for I could have borne it: neither did my Adverſary exalt Pſal. 55. 12, 13. himſelfe againſt me, for I would have hidden mee from him: but it was thou ô man, even mine own companion and guide, and my familiar. They pray with us in one Church, and dip their hand with us in one diſh; theſe creepers are the moſt dangerous hell-hounds above all others, they have Butter in their mouths, but Swords in their hearts: A Dogge that barketh may bee prevented before hee bite, and the ſerpent that hiſſeth, before hee ſting, and the fire Satan aſſaults. ſometime by cruelty; ſometime by ſubtilty. that ſmoketh, before it burne; ſo may a knowne enemy, but a ſecret enemie, a creeper, is hard to prevent. Satan prevaileth many wayes, ſometime as a Lion, ſometime as a Serpent; ſometime by force as a Lion, as in Nero, Domitian, Trajane, Vulerian; ſometime by fraud, as a Serpent, as in Herod, in the Phariſees, in Iulian the Apoſtata, who corrupted by the faith more by lenitie and rewards, than all the bloody perſecutors did by the ſword; wherupon one diſtinguiſheth of Divels, and ſaith, that ſome are blacke, and ſome are white; to teach, that he hurteth not one way, but many wayes; he ſheweth himſelfe a blacke Divell, when He goeth about like a roaring Lion ſeeking to devoure; a white Divell, 1 Pet. 5. 8. Luk. 4. 41. Act. 16. 17. when hee cried, Thou art Chriſt the Sonne of God: and againe, hee ſhewed himſelfe a white Divell, when as he cried, Theſe men are the ſervants of the living God, which ſhew untous in the way of ſalvatio; meaning Paul and Silas. But whether Divells be white or blacke, yet they be Divells ſtill; yea and ſo much the more vile, that they be Mat. 26. Mat. 7. 2 Cor. 11. 14. white: For there is no kiſſe to the kiſſe of Iudas; no woolfe, to him that is clad in a Lambes skinne; no teare to the teare of a Crocodile; ſo no Divell to him that appeareth in the ſhape of an Angell. Satan hath ſore wounded the Church every by open & tragicall perſecutions; as in the dayes of Chriſt, Even among the cheefe John 12. 42. rulers many beleeved in him; but becauſe of the Phariſees, they did not confeſſe him, leſt they ſhould be excommunicate. And in the ten perſecutions, Satan raged againſt the Church horribly; but never ſo much as by inward enemies in the boſome of the Church: For when the Officers that were ſent to apprehend Chriſt, told the Phariſies, ſaying, Never man ſpake as this man; The Phariſees anſwered, Are yee alſo deceived? Doth any of the rulers or the Phariſees Iohn 7. 48. beleeve in him? Chriſt had no greater enemies than the Church, the Synagogue. For who reſiſted him? not Atheiſts, but the Church, the Scribes and Phariſees, the expounders of the Law, the friends of the Goſpell: Paul had more adoe with falſe Apoſtles, than with the uncircumciſed, the infidells, the Pagans; Some would deſtroy the purity of majeſty & the Goſpell by their eloquence; ſome would bring in Iudaiſme: The ſubtle Gibeonites troubled Ioſua more than the open Canaanites: The Manichees did more hurt the Church, than all heretikes, and that under the colour of not marrying, not eating of fleſh, not drinking of wine. None will weep faſter than a Crocodyle; none will make a greater face of godlineſſe than theſe hedge-creepers. Iſmael will Ier. 41. weep to Gedaliah; Herod will bid the wiſe men ſeeke diligently for Chriſt, and when they have found him, to bring him word, Mat. 2. that he may come and worſhip him; The Herodians will ſalute Chriſt Mat. 22. with many goodly titles, ſaying, Maſter, we know that thou art true, and teacheſt the way of God truly; for thou careſt for no man; thou conſidereſt not the outward appearance of men, &c. Dalila will pretend all love to Sampſon; O, I love thee Sampſon. The adverſaries of Iuda Popery prevailes more by fraud than by force. and Benjamin will ſay to Zorobabel, and to the reſt, Wee will build with you, wee will ſacrifice with you: but Iſmael killed Godaliah; Herod would have butchered Chriſt; the Herodians tempted him; Dalila betraied Sampſon; and the adverſaries of Iuda would have pulled downe the Church, and not built it up. Such trees without Iudg. 15. Eſder. 4. fruit, ſuch eares without corne, ſuch nets without fiſh, ſuch lampes without oyle, ſuch clouds without raine ſhall periſh: As they have lived without feare, ſo ſhall they did without hope; as they have a body without an heart, ſo have they a ſoule without God. They in felle nequitiae, even in the gall of bitterneſſe, & in the bond of iniquity; and therefore they have neither part nor fellowſhip in Gods Kingdome.

To apply this to the preſent ſtate of the Church: Satan hath prevailed more in Popery, by fraud, than by force; by creeping, than by breaking in with a skaling ladder. The firſt Romane Monarchie ſtood of unjuſtice, maintained by armes; and this latter of impietie, maintained by fraud and hypocriſie: Whoſe comming is by the working of Satan with all power and ſignes, and lying 2 Theſſ. • . 9, 10. wonders, and in all deceiveableneſſe of unrighteouſneſſe: The Popes Kingdome is not deſcribed by force and armes, but by ſleights and wiles, by the names of women, enchantments, cups, Apoc. 17. &. 19. fornications. The beaſt repreſenting the Romane Empire, had the hornes of a Lambe, and the mouth of a dragon. In all the Kingdome of Popery, in Pope, Cardinals, Biſhops, Monks, Friers, Nunnes, what was there but hypocriſie? How deceived they the world with their Prayers, Almes, Faſtings, Croſſings, Greaſings, Purgatory, Auricular confeſſions, Trentas, Dirges, Maſſes, Prayer for the dead, going on Pilgrimage, &c. The Friers under a colour of wilfull povertie, begged and robbed the world: The Nunnes, under a ſhew of ſingle life, filled the world full of baſtardie: Sexcenta millia capita infantum in Gregorii piſcina reperta ſunt; there were ſix hundred thouſand Childrens heads found in Gregories fiſhpoole. The Prieſts by a colour of Maſſes, made merchandiſe of ſoules, and filled Iudas ſatchells; The Abbeies, under a colour of almes and hoſpitalitie, robbed moſt pariſhes of their Eccleſiaſticall livings; they ſtole a gooſe, and gave a feather; greater theeves than ever was Barabbas; they gave a meales meate, and robbed a pariſh of their Church maintenance. The Confeſſors, under pretence of auricular confeſſion, knew the ſecrets of all Kingdomes: It was the Popes fiſhing net, it hath depoſed more than two hundred lawfull Princes; it made Fredericke Barbaroſſa the Popes Footſtoole at Venice; it exiled the King Deſiderius into Lions. The Pope under ſhew of Bulls or pardons, hath robbed God of his glorie, men of their money and, ſoules of ſalvation: he hath gotten thereby in America foure millions yearly: they are like their fathers the Phariſies, They devoure widowes houſes, even under a colour of long prayers; wherefore they ſhall All Atheiſts before regeneration and converſion. receive the greater damnation. The whore of Babylon giveth poyſon in a golden cup; Beda, Venerable Beda, ſaith, that the ſerpent in paradiſe had vultum virgineum, a virgins face, that hee might deceive Heva, a virgin: for he is a deceiver; Yea from the beginning, Math. 23. 14. Apoc. 18. Iohn 8. 44. Apoc. 20. 2. and abode not in the truth, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . The Dominicans, under the pretence of preaching; the Franciſcans, under pretence of chaſtitie, (Nam virilia amputarunt;) the Carmelites under ſhew of virginitie; and the Auguſtines, under pretext of povertie, have erected the Papall Kingdome by hypocriſie, under colour of religion. But Babylon is fallen, even Rome, the Queene of pride, the nurſe of idolatries, the mother of whordomes, the ſinke of iniquitie, Sentina malorum, lacuna ſcelerum; yea, the Romiſh Iezabel is throwne downe, and if the palmes of her hands and her skull, or any thing of her remaine with us, let us pray, that it may bee buried alſo. This Dagon is fallen downe twiſe, once in King Edwards daies, and againe in our dayes, & let it never riſe againe. Let this golden Diana be beaten downe for ever; Let this whore of Apoc. • 8. Babylon periſh, and let her ſmoke riſe up for evermore, and let all that love the Lord Ieſus ſay, Amen.

But to proceed in the deſcription of the wicked. Secondly, they are here deſcribed by their impietie, hee ſaith that they were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , without God, without Faith, without religion; they denie God the only Lord, and our Lord Ieſus Chriſt; ſo Paul ſaid Epheſ. 2. 12. Phil. 3. 17, 18. of the Epheſians before their converſion, They were without Chriſt; alienes from the Commonwealth of Iſrael, ſtrangers from the Covenant and promiſe, and had no hope, and were without God in the World. And ſuch were the Philippians; They were enemies of the Croſſe of Chriſt, whoſe Epheſ. 4. 17, 18. end is damnation, whoſe God is their bellie, and whoſe glorie is their ſhame; which mind earthly things. Such were all the Gentiles, ſpiced with impietie: For they walked in the vanitie of their minde, having their cogitations darkened, and being strangers from the life of God, through the ignorance that was in them. The world is full of ſuch Atheiſts, they ſwarme like bees in Hibla, they abound like lice in Aegypt, all the duſt was turned into lice; and in England all or moſt mens profeſſion is turned into Atheiſme, Machiveliſme; ſaying, that Religion is but policie, to keep men in awe. Many are of the Luk. 12. fooles religion, to eate, drinke, play; but to remember no God, to pluckedown, to build up, to gather in, but not to ſerve God in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe. Heu vivunt homines, tanquam mors nulla ſequatur, Et velut infernus fabula vanaforet: Alas, men live as if no death ſhould follow, and as if Hell were but a fable. There be many now like that Captaine, that warred under Adrian the Emperor, called Similus, who at his death cauſed this Epitaph to be written upon his tombe, Hic jacet Similus, &c. Here lieth Similus, a man that was of many yeares, and lived only but Seven; many yeares without God, but ſeven yeares in God; many yeares wickedly, but ſeven yeares religiouſly; many yeares like an Atheiſt, Atheiſts conſuted by reaſon and ſenſe. but ſeven yeares like a Chriſtian: So a number of us may ſay, that we have lived many yeares, and yet but few yeares for God; many yeares in ſinne and wickedneſſe, but few yeares in vertue and godlineſſe.

There is a double life, of Nature. Grace.

In the one all live, but in the other, the elect only. In all ages Atheiſts have abounded: in Davids dayes, The foole ſaid in his heart, there is no God: In Salomons dayes; they cryed, A quicke dog is better Pſal. 14. Prov. 9. than a dead Lion. We know what we have here, but we know not what we ſhall have in another world. In Eſayes dayes; For there were that ſaid: We have made a covenant with death, and with Hell are Eſa. 28. 15. we at agreement: In Chriſts time; For there were Sadduces that denyed the Reſurrection, and affirmed that there was neither Angell nor ſpirit: In Peters dayes; For there were that ſaid, Where is the promiſe of his comming? and ſo denyed the laſt Iudgement: In 2 Pet. 3. Chryſoſtomes time they cried, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , &c. give us that which is preſent; let God alone with that, which is for to come. In Calvins time; for then there were ſuch, that tooke away all difference betweene good and evill, vertue and vice, ſinne and righteouſneſſe: And in our dayes, wee have, that deny God and Chriſt, and heaven and hell, Angells, Spirits, and all. David calleth them fooles; Salomon calleth them Epicures; Eſay noteth them as blaſphemers; Chriſt calleth them Sadduces; Chryſoſtome, Nullifidians; Calvin, Libertines; wee call them, Machiavels, ungodly men.

Such are worſe than the Divell: For hee confeſſeth God, but theſe perhaps deny that there bee Divells, ſo did the Sdaduces: theſe men therfore ſhal feele Divels, before they beleeve Divels. I would not be in their coate for the Kingdome of England; no, not to be Monarch of the world for ten thouſand yeares: Divels are ſeene, they are felt, they are heard, yet theſe men deny them: but I will remit them to Philoſophie to bee counſelled, that Senſus non fallitur circa proprium objectum; ſenſe cannot be deceived about his proper object.

The very Heathen will condemne us: Tullie ſaith, Non temerè nec fortuitò ſati aut creati ſumus, ſed profectò fuit divina quaedam vis, quae generi conſuleret humano, nec id gigneret quod cum exantlaviſſet labores omnes, tum incideret in mortis malum ſempiternum; portum potius nobis paratum putemus; We are not borne or created raſhly or by chance, but verily there was a certaine divine power, which did provide for mankind, neither would it ſuffer them ſo to be borne, as that when they had undergone all manner labour, they ſhould be utterly loſt in the everlaſting evill of Death; but rather let us thinke ſome haven of reſt is prepared for us. A divine ſpeech of a prophane man. The Epicures ſaid, that God was idle in heaven, quodque Deus ambulat circa cardines Coeli: and that he was walking about Gods power & providence governe • all things. the poles of heaven; that nature ruleth all, by chance, and at adventure: On the contrary, the Stoickes held that God is nothing but nature, and that all things are wrought by neceſſity and deſtinie, that God can worke no miracle, nor contrarie to the courſe of nature, But the Platoniſts held, that nature is, Quicquid Deus vult; that it is ſubject to God, that there is neither chance nor deſtinie, but all things are done by God. Some therefore compare Nature to an horſe, and God to the rider, that bridleth her and ruleth her as he liſt. Anima mundi eſt virtus Dei, the power of God is the ſoule of the world; Mundus eſt ſchola animarum, the Origen. Baſil. world is the ſchoole of ſoules, to lead us to the knowledge of God: God therfore (quoth he) was able by his power to change the courſe of nature as thus:

To divide the Sea in two parts. Exod. 14. Ioſ. 10. Num. 16. Ioſ. 3. Pſal. 114. Dan. 3. Dan. 6. Luk. 7.

To ſtay the Sunne.

To open the Earth.

To drie up the Waters of Iordan.

To make the Mountaines skippe like Rammes.

To quench the Flame.

To muſſell the Lions.

To raiſe the Dead.

In this ſenſe Simonides the philoſopher ſaid, that Solus Deus eſt metaphyſicus, that God alone was ſupernaturall. Pindarus called God 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the beſt artificer. Diogenes ſeeing Harpalus that great theefe to be fortunate a long time, ſaid, that he gave a lively teſtimony againſt the Gods: So Dionyſius ſaid, that God favoured pirats, for that he had a good winde after the robbing of the Temple: So Hermogenes reaſoned, ſeeing ſo much evill in the world, Aut voluit Deus tollere mala, & non poteſt, & tunc infirmus eſt; aut potuit & noluit, & tunc invidus eſt: God either would take away evill and cannot, and then he is impotent; or could and would not, and then he is envious: But Tertullian retorted it thus on him, Deum velle & poſſe omnia mala tollere quatenus expedit: God is Rom. 8. 28. both willing and able to take away all evill, ſo farre as it is expedient; For all things worke for the beſt unto them that love God. Quaedam tollit in hac vita, alia reſervat in extremum judicium; ſome hee takes away in this life, ſome hee reſerves to the laſt iudgement. Faceſſant ergo illi monoculi Cyclopes, qui Deum negant; iſtud quatenus expedit relinquamus Deo; herewith therefore let thoſe one-eyed Cyclopes, which deny God, be content; let us leave to God that ſame, ſo far forth as it is expedient. So reaſoneth the Manichaeans againſt Moſes, when he ſaid, In the beginning God made heaven & Gen. 1. 1. Aug. lib. 1. de Geneſ. Iohn 1. 2. earth; quaerentes in quo principio Deus fecit Coelum? Quibus reſpondit Auguſtinus, Deum non feciſse in principio temporis, ſed in Christo per quem omnia facta ſunt; nam antequàm fecit Deus tempora, non erant tempora; nam tempus est creatura, & dicit Paulus veritatem fuiſſe ante tempora aeterna: Asking, in what beginning God made heaven? All men by the light of nature have acknowledged a divine power. To whom Auguſtine makes anſwer; God made it not in the beginning of time, but in Chriſt by whom all things were made; for before God made time, time was not: for time was a creature, & S. Paul ſaith, The truth was before time eternall. Theſe men ſay much, but to little purpoſe; Loquacior eſt enim vanitas, quàm veritas, & altiùs clamat: for vanity prattles more than verity, and Epheſ. 3. 9. makes a greater noiſe. I alleage not all theſe prophane writers for need; I know that the darts that are taken out of the Lords armorie pierce deepeſt, that the arrowes that are drawne out of the Lords quiver are the ſharpeſt, that the ſword of the ſpirit cutteth deepeſt, that proofes taken from the Scripture are ſtrongeſt. But it is not amiſſe to confute a naturall man by naturall men, as here by Philoſophers.

But to follow this point a little further: Naturally a kind of religion is found in all men, in genere, though they erre in ſpecie. Caine and Abel did firſt ſacrifice to God; Enoch was the firſt that Gen. 4. inſtituted prayer; After Noahs flood were many Lawes of religion given to many nations; Mercurie, and Mena gave lawes to the Aegyptians; Meliſſus to them of Candie; Faunus and Ianus to the Latines; Orpheus to the Greekes; Numa pompilius to the Romanes; Draco to the Athenians; Lycurgus to the Lacedemonians; Deuter. 4. but Moſes and Aaron gave lawes to the Hebrewes, that paſſed them all. Naturally we know that there is a God; For the inviſible Rom. 1. 20. things of God, that is, his eternall power and Godhead are ſeene by the creation of the world. The very Poets ſpake of Iupiter, Caſtor and Pollux, Venus, Saturne, Vulcan, Mars, Mercurie; yet Iupiter was an adulterer; Gaſtor and Pollux, two inceſtuous twinnes; Venus an harlot in Cyprus; Saturne a Runnagate in Italie; Vulcan a theeſe; Mars a baſtard; yet this ſheweth, that there is Divinum numen, a divine power, that the Heathen thinke ſo, therefore they adore ſomething as God: they invented Gods in hell, as Pluto & Proſerpina; the Aegyptians worſhipped Calves; the Ophytes, ſerpents; the Perſians, fire; they of Canopus, water; the Coloridians, Heva; the Philiſtines, Dagon, halfe-fiſh and halfe-fleſh; the Turkes at this day worſhip Mahomet; the Tartarians, grand Cam; the Calecuts, the Divell.

But there be many reaſons to prove, that there is a God; all the creatures of God doe it, from the Eágle, to the Flie; from the Elephant, to the Piſmire; from the great Whale, to the little Lamprey; from the Camell, to the Gnat; from the Cedar, to the Brake-buſh; from the Starres of Heaven, to the Duſt of the Earth; from Angels, to Wormes. And therefore men that deny God, may be ſent to the creatures, to learne that there is a God. Eſay reaſoneth thus: Who hath meaſured the waters Eſa. 40. 17. 21, 22. in his fiſt, and counted Heaven with the ſpanne, and comprehended the Duſt of the Earth in a meaſure, and weigheth the Mountaines in a weight, and the hils in a ballance? And againe, Know yee nothing? Conſcience in man a teſtimonie of the divine power. have yee not heard it? hath it not beene told you from the beginning? have yee not underſtood it by the foundation of the Earth? Hee ſitteth upon the circle of the Earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as Graſſehoppers; he ſtretcheth out the Heavens as a curtaine, and ſpreadeth them out as a Tent to dwell in. And Salomon reaſoneth thus: Who hath aſcended up to Heaven and deſcended? who hath gathered the Wind in his Prov. 30. 4. fiſt? who hath bound the Waters in a garment? who hath eſtabliſhed all the ends of the World? what is his name, or his Sonnes name, if thou canſt tell? And God reaſoning with Iob ſaith, Where waſt thou when Job 38. 4, 5, 6. 8. I layd the foundations of the Earth? declare if thou haſt underſtanding: who hath layd the meaſures thereof, if thou knoweſt? or who hath ſtretched the line over it? whereupon are the foundations thereof ſet? or who hath layd the corner-ſtone thereof? or who hath ſhut up the Sea with doores. When it iſſued, and come forth out of the Wombe? &c.

The world is, Schola Dei, the Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament ſheweth his handy worke. And the Apoſtle affirmeth, Pſal. 19. 1. that God left not himſelfe without witneſſe, in that hee did good, and gave us raine from Heaven, and fruitfull ſeaſons, filling our hearts with food and gladneſſe. O every ſhowre of raine is a Preacher, and tels us there is a God.

Note this, that nothing was made of it ſelfe, nor for it ſelfe, but for another. The Heavens (we ſee) doe ſerve the Ayre, the Ayre ſerveth the Earth, the Earth the Beaſts, the Beaſts ſerve Man; Man therefore not made of himſelfe, was made to ſerve another, which can bee no other but God; The Lord hath made all things for his owne ſake: If all things, therefore Man; which Pro. 16. 4. confuteth Atheiſme.

Againe, it is an arrow, yea a hammer againſt Atheiſme, that all men have a conſcience of ſinne, and are affraid of it: Conſcience is a witneſſe either with us, or againſt us; either to excuſe us, or accuſe us. It beareth witneſſe, of what? of ſecret particular actions. Againſt whom? againſt thy ſelfe. To whom? to God; (ſeeing neither men nor Angels know the ſecrets of thy heart.) Let all Atheiſts barke againſt the God-head: as long as they will; Intùs eſt vermis qui illos mordet; within there is a worme that gnaweth them. In that men are afraid and aſhamed of ſinne, it argueth that there is a God: we ſee, that all creatures purge themſelves of their corruption; The Sea her froth, the water her skumme, the earth her vapours, the birds their feathers, the wine his lees, the fire his ſmoke, the oile his ſome; Man therfore that would avoid his ſinne, and be rid of it, hath a conſcience of God, and proveth there is a God.

But alas, Religion beggeth in theſe dayes; Probitas laudatur & alget; our religion is in imagination, not in faith; in opinion, not in judgement; in the braine, not in the heart; in word, not in deed and effect: They profeſſe they know God, but inwardly in their works they doe denie him, being abominable, diſobedient and unto every Few truly religious but many Epicures and Atheiſts. good worke reprobate; they have a ſhew of godlineſſe, but have denyed the power thereof. O vile times; the worſt that have beene ever ſince the creation of the world; and if theſe dayes ſhould not be ſhortned, no fleſh ſhould be ſaved; but for the Elects ſake God hath ſhortned them. We Tit. 1. 16. 2 Tim. 3. 5. Mat. 24. 22. Eſa. 58. 1. 1 Reg. 19. Mar. 3. had need crie aloud and not ſpare, lift up our voices like trumpets; For ordinary ſpeaking hath no proportion with extraordinary ſinning. We cannot come to you, as God came to Elias, in a ſtill wind, in a ſoft voice; we muſt have Stentors voice, be like Iames and Iohn, the ſonnes of thunder.

The Heathen ſaid of their infidels, Plus amant bovem quā Iovem, they love the oxe more than Iupiter: we may ſay of many Chriſtians, Plus amant coenam quam coelum, cibum quam Chriſtum; they love more their ſupper than heaven, more their meat than Chriſt: they be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , like lapwings, that delight in dung; like Veſpatian, who took a tribute of urine. Many nations have lived without cloaths, without King, without armour, but never any without God, as Tullie ſaid, Nulla gens tamfera, tamimmanis, &c. never nation was ſo wilde, ſo cruell, ſo barbarous, but have acknowledged and confeſſed that there was a God. Neere the river Ganges in India be men 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , without mouthes, that live by the ſent of flowers; among us 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , men without hearts, that beleeve nothing. Socrates ſaid, Hoc ſcio, quod nihil ſcio; I know this that I know nothing; and they, hoc credo, quod nihil credo, I beleeve this that I beleeve nothing: they have ſet downe their reſt, Non eſſe Deum, non eſse daemonem, non eſse coelum, non eſſe infernum; there is no God, there is no divell, there is no heaven, there is no hell; and therefore they ſay, Our life is ſhort and tedious, and in the death of a man there is no recovery, neither was any knowne that have returned Wiſd. 2. 1, 2, 3. 4, 5. from the grave; wee are borne at all adventure, and wee ſhall be hereafter, as though we had never beene: for the breath is as ſmoake in our noſthrills, and the words as a ſparke raiſed out of the heart, which being extinguiſhed, the body is turned to aſhes, and the ſpirit vaniſheth, as in the ſoft ayre, &c. Come therefore, let us enjoy the pleaſures that are preſent, &c. Theſe wilde Bores roote up the Lords vineyard, theſe Foxes deſtroy the grapes, theſe Ionas's trouble the ſhip of England. For Chriſts Pſal. 80. 13, 14. Church is Chriſts ſhip, toſſed with waves: but let us runne with the Apoſtles, and awake our Saviour, that hee may hurle out Mat. 14. theſe Ionas's.

Thirdly, the wicked are here deſcribed by their carnalitie and libertie, they turne grace into wantonneſſe: for ungodlineſſe hath two branches, iniquitie in life and manners, and impuritie in religion: of the firſt, he ſaith, They turne grace into wantonneſſe: of the ſecond it is ſaid, that they denied God and Chriſt Ieſus. Of the Act. 6. Rom. 8. firſt ſort were the Libertines that diſputed with Steven: Paul had to doe with ſuch hereticks, vile men, that ſaid, faciamus mala ut inde veniat bonum; Let us doe evill, that good may good come thereof. Gods grace ought to lead to repentance. Or let us be evill, that God may be good: let us commit iniquitie, that Gods glorie may bee revealed; let ſinne abound, that grace may ſuperabound. But their judgement is juſt, and their damnation ſleepeth not; ſuch are all preſumptuous ſinners, Rom. 6. 1. that will ſinne of purpoſe, with an high hand, an hard heart, and a whoriſh forehead: ſuch are idolaters, blaſphemers, drunkards, uſurers, adulterers, robbers, which ſay, yet once more will I doe this or that ſinne, once more will I dallie; one cup more will I have; for God (ſay they) is patient and long ſuffering: thus ſin toucheth ſinne; but God will whet his ſword and bend his bow, and Pſal. 7. 11, 12. then yee know what followes, the blacke arrowes and inſtruments of death.

Paul ſheweth a better end of grace, than wantonneſſe; hee ſaith, The grace of God, that bringeth ſalvation to all men, hath appeared, Tit. 2. 11, 12. and teacheth us to deny impietie, and wicked worldly deſires, and to live ſoberly, righteouſly and godly in this preſent world. The goodneſſe of God leadeth us to repentance, honor, health, wealth; long Rom. 2. 4. life taketh thee by the hand, and leadeth thee to repentance; as the Angell led Ezechiel into the Sanctuarie: Noli peccare ſpe, nam Bern. paenam dabis re; ſinne not in hope, for thou ſhalt ſmart for it indeed. It is as great a ſinne to preſume of grace and mercy, as to deſpaire of grace and mercie: for they that deſpaire may be raiſed up, but ſuch as preſume are ſeldome ſaved: He that heareth Deut. 29. 19. 20, 21. the Words of this curſe, and bleſseth himſelfe in his heart, ſaying, I ſhall have peace, although I walke in the ſtubborneſse of my heart, thus adding drunkenneſſe to thirſt: The Lord will not be mercifull unto him, but then the wrath of the Lord, and his iealouſie ſhall ſmoake againſt that man, and every curſe that is written in this booke ſhall light upon him, and the Lord ſhall put out his name from under Heaven: Therefore Paul in all his writings, when he handleth the doctrine of grace and mercie he handleth it very warily, as a man handleth gunpowder or quicke-ſilver, leſt they ſhould turne it into wantonneſſe; As 1 Tim. 4. 10. We truſt in the living God, which is the Saviour of all men, 1 Tim. 4. 10. Rom. 8. 1. eſpecially of thoſe that beleeve. And Rom. 8. 1. Now there is no condemnation to them that are in Ceriſt Ieſus, which walke not after the fleſh, but after the ſpirit. And Gal. 5. 24. They that are Chriſts have crucified the fleſh with the affections and luſts. And 1 Pet. 2. 9. Yee are a choſen generation, Gal. 5. 24. a royall prieſthood, an holy nation, that yee ſhould ſhew forth the vertues of him, that hath called you out of darkeneſſe into his marveilous light. God is a Saviour of all, that is, of all beleevers; there is no condemnation, ſo that we walke in the ſpirit; we are Chriſts, if we crucifie the fleſh; a royall prieſthood, if we ſhew forth the vertues of him, that hath made us Kings and Prieſts. Other wiſdome hath no portion of the Spirit of God; we have neither part nor fellowſhip in Ieſus Chriſt, Sumus in felle nequitiae, wee are in gall of bitterneſſe.

Let us not then turne the grace of God into wantonneſſe, as Gods benefits and bounty oft make licentious and impious. many do; for the better God dealeth with them, the worſe they deale with him, turning grace into wantonneſſe, and Chriſtian libertie into carnall licentiouſneſſe; not regarding the Apoſtles Counſell, Brethren, yee have beene called into libertie, only uſe not your libertie, as an occaſion unto the fleſh, but by Love ſerve yee one another. Gal. 5. 13. If God give us an inch, wee take an ell, and abuſe his goodneſſe; God dealeth with us, as a nurſe doth with her Child, he nouriſheth and bringeth us up; but wee deale with him, as the Aſſes foale with her damme, when ſhe hath ſucked her damme, ſhee kicketh with her heele; as the ſwallow doth with men, ſhe harboureth with us all ſummer, and in winter departeth, and leaveth nothing but dirt behind her. Thus Moſes complained of Iſrael; Doe yee ſo reward the Lord, O yee foliſh people and unwiſe? Is not he thy father that hath bought thee, he hath made thee and proportioned thee: So Deut. 32. 6. Eſau complaineth of Iuda; I have nouriſhed and brought up children, but they have rebelled againſt me: The oxe knoweth his owner, and the Eſa. 1. 3. Aſſe his maſters cribbe; but Iſrael hath not knowne; my people hath no underſtanding. Ieremie reneweth the ſame complaint a little before the captivity; They ſaid not, where is the Lord that brought us out of the land of Aegpyt? that ledus thorough the wilderneſſe, thorough a deſart, Ier. 2. 6. a waſt land, thorough a dry land, and by the ſhadow of death, by a land that no man paſſed thorough, and where no man dwelt: and againe, O generation, take heed to the word of the Lord; have I beene as a wilderneſſe unto Iſrael, or a land of darkeneſse? wherefore ſaith my people then, wee are Lords, we will come no more unto thee? Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me dayes without number. The matter is more fully handled by Ezechiel, Ieremie his mate and companion, both before and in the captivity, ſaying; Thou haſt not remembred the dayes of thy youth, when thou waſt naked and bare, and waſt polluted in thy blood. Thus all the Prophets Ezech. 16. 22. with open mouth crie out againſt iniquitie: The richer wee are, the vainer wee are; the higher wee are, the prouder wee are; the ſtronger wee are, the crueller, and the more quarrellous wee are; the yonger, the laſcivier; the more healthfull, the more ſinnefull and careleſſe: wee wound God with his owne weapon; For hee that ſhould have beene upright, when hee waxed fat ſpurned with the Deut. 32. 15. heele; thou are fat, thou are groſſe, thou art laden with fat; therefore hee forſooke God that made him, and regarded not the ſtrong God of his ſalvation. We abuſe every bleſſing of God; wee are like Aeſops ſnake, that lay ſtill in the froſt, but ſtung him that warmed her in his boſome; ſo long as God keepeth us ſicke, and lame, and poore, we are in ſome order, our eares are full of Sermons, our lips full of prayers, our hands full of almes, our hearts full of holy meditations; For when the outward man periſheth the inward man is renewed daily: but if we come to health, and wealth, and ſtrength, we rage 2 Cor. 4. 16. like Giants, we are like bad ground, which the more ſweet dewes it receiveth, the more weeds it bringeth out; And therefore wee Gods patience makes us preſumptuous. are neere unto curſing, whoſe end is to be burned. If God give ſome libertie and remiſſion, wee ſtretch it too farre; if hee permit hawking and hunting, we ſpend moſt of our dayes in it, wee make an Hebr. 6. 8. occupation of play: Becauſe God permitteth us to eate and drinke, and weare apparell, wee eate till wee ſurfet, and drinke till wee be drunken, and attire our ſelves like peacocks; like Geta the Emperor, that was ſerved in diſhes, after the manner of an Alphabet: like Bonoſus who (as one ſaith) was borne, not to live, but to drinke: like Tiberius Nero, called Biberius Mero; like Iezabel, that painted her face: wee powre out our ſelves in all exceſſe of riot, and ſo turne all grace to wantonneſſe: But let us thinke it ſufficient for us, that we have ſpent the time paſt of this life, after the luſts of the Gentiles, walking in wantonneſſe, luſts, drunkenneſſe, in gluttonie, 1 Pet. 4. 3. 4. drinkings, and in abominable Idolatrie: Wherein it ſeemeth to them ſtrange, that yee runne not with them unto the ſame exceſſe of riot, &c. They be vile creatures that are unkinde to their Sires: as the Hippotamos of Nilus, that eateth his damme; as the Pelicane, that ſucketh the heart-blood of the old one; as the wilde Aſſe, that kicketh her damme; as the Viper, that eateth out the belly of the old one; and ſuch be we; God may ſay of us, as Ieremie of the Ier. 5. 7. Iewes, I have fed them to the full, yet they committed adulterie, and aſſembled themſelves by companies in harlots houſes: They roſe up in the morning like fed horſes, every man neyed after his neighbours wife.

Here I have to deale with two ſortes of men; the firſt are they that refuſe the grace, & gifts & goodnes of the Lord in the land of the living. Such were the Stoickes, that would enjoy no more than they could carry with them; they ſaid, with Bias, Omnia mea mecum porto; All that is mine I carry with me; that with Crates, hurled their ſilver into the Sea: Such were the Eſſenes in Chriſts time, that had a bed but a ſpan-broad, that ſtrawed thornes under them, leſt they ſhould ſleep too long: Such were the Hermites in the primitive Church, as Antonie, Macarius, Paulus, Thebaeus, Hilarion: Such were the Monks in Ieromes dayes, of whom he maketh three kindes, Anchorites, Caenobites, and the Enobites,, which fled all company; Oppidum illis erat carcer, the towne was their priſon; ſolitudo autem erat Paradiſus, the wilderneſſe was their paradiſe; their bread was acornes, their drinke water, their meate rootes, their bed cold ground: Biberunt non è calice, ſed è concha, they dranke not out of a cup, but out of a ſhell; Amicti erant non pannis, ſed pellibus; they were clad not with cloth, but with skinnes: ſuch were our Fryers that profeſſed wilfull poverty: ſuch were women the Anchoreſſes, that had no more ground, than they ſcraped with their nayles: but God hath given the earth, and the fruits thereof to the Sonnes of men: So ſaith the Pſalmiſt, The Heavens, even the Heavens are the Lords, but he hath given the earth to Pſal. 115. 16. the Sonnes of men: It is as lawfull to enjoy the creatures of God, as to live. The wicked eate the bread of wickedneſſe, and drinke the Pleaſure oft ends with ſudden deſtructiō. drinke of violence, which is unlawfull; but to eate the bread of righteouſneſſe, and to drinke the wine well got is lawfull.

Many are theeves both to their backs and bellies, and unthankfull Prou. 4. 17. unto God; but ſo muſt not wee: Chriſt was preſent at the Iewes feaſts, he came Edens & bibens, eating and drinking; therefore they ſaid that he was Edax & bibax, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as if Luk. 7. 34. he had ſurfeited: wee are the heires of heaven and coheires with Chriſt, and have right in all the creatures of God, all is ours; heaven is ours, heaven and earth is ours, if thy garments be ſilke, 1 Cor. 3. thou maieſt put them on; if thy table be furniſhed with meate, thou maieſt eate what thy ſtomacke craveth; if thy Hounds will take the beaſts of the land, or thy Hawk, the fowles of the aire, thou maieſt doe it.

I ſpeake not to juſtifie the abuſe of the world, that have turned all into riot, and uſurped upon al the creatures of God; with ſuch men, or monſters rather, I meddle not; but in the ſinne wherein I found them, in that I leave them: I ſpeake only of the recreation that God hath given unto his Saints in this wearie life; From the heavens, in the Sunne, Moone, and Starres; from the ayre, in fowles and birds, ſome made for meate, ſome for mirth; from the earth, in trees, fruits and flowers, and hearbs, ſome made for neceſſitie, ſome for pleaſure, as ſeeing and ſmelling; from the Sea, in variety of fiſhes: Whereupon the Prophet exclaimeth, ſaying; O Lord, how manifold are thy workes, in wiſdome haſt thou made them all; the earth is full of thy riches; ſo is the great and Pſal. 104. 24. wide Sea alſo, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both ſmall beaſts and great: If by faith thou art made a member of Chriſt, his right is thine in all the creatures of the world, and in his name, and to his glory thou maieſt uſe them.

But we are not troubled with Stoikes, Eſſenes, Hermites, Monkes, Fryers, Anchoreſſes, &c. but with Epicures, qui ducunt dies in bonis, & ſubitò deſcendunt ad infernum; which a learned man engliſheth thus: They ſleepe ſoundly, and drinke profoundly, and goe to the Divell roundly, and that is no lye: For they live, waxe fat, and grow in wealth, their ſeede is eſtabliſhed in their ſight Iob 21. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. with them; and their generation before their eyes: their houſes are peaceable, without feare, and the rod of God is not upon them: their bullcoke gendreth and faileth not: their Cow calveth and caſteth not her calfe: They ſend forth their children like ſheep, and their ſonnes dance: they take the tabret and the harpe, and rejoyce in the ſound of the organes, they ſpend their dayes in wealth, and ſodenly they goe downe to the grave. Their throates are ſepulchers, their ſtomacks ſponges, their bellies graves, their hands talons, their fingers loadſtones: they eate with Ceres, and drinke with Bacchus, and ſport with Venus: Apollo muſt tickle their eares with the Lute, the Muſes muſt ſound in that ſervice, the Graces muſt waite on their trencher; Ganimede muſt fill them the cup, they are ſorry that their patrimonies are Voluptuous mens practiſes deſcribed. no larger, their bellies no wider, their throats no deeper, their lives no longer, that they might live ſtill in all pleaſure: So that the ſaying of S. Iames may be verified in them, Yee have lived in Iam. 5. 5. pleaſure on the earth, and in wantonneſſe, yee have nouriſhed your hearts as in the day of ſlaughter. They wiſh, with Philopenus, a necke as long as a Cranes necke, that they may feele the ſweetneſſe of their meate a long time; in their companie is the tabret, harpe, lute, and a paire of cards ſooner than the New Teſtament: and as the Prophet ſpeaketh, The harpe, the viall, the timbrell, and pipe, and wine Eſa. 5. 12. are in their feaſts, they regard not the workes of the Lord, neither conſider the worke of his hands. God calleth them to prayer, faſting, mourning, Et ecce mactant boves & oves: They fall to killing of ſheepe, and Eſa. 22. 12, 13. ſlaying of oxen, eating fleſh, and drinking wine; eating and drinking, for to morrow we ſhall dye. They turne praying into playing, faſting into feaſting, mourning into mumming, almeſdeeds into miſdeeds: As Xerxes, being weary of all pleaſures, promiſed rewards to the inventers of new pleaſures, which being invented, Ipſe tamen non fuit contentus, he himſelfe was not ſatisfied, was not content.

The word here is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which is derived from a towne in Piſidia, called Selge, built by the Lacedaemonians, where all were temperate and not one drunkard; the contrary whereof is named 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , laſciouſneſſe; ſuch men ſinne with an high hand. All ſin, but theſe men ſinne preſumptuouſly: they never pray with David, Keepe thy ſervant from preſumptuous ſinnes. Sinne in them raigneth, Pſal. 19. not dwelleth; contrary to the rule of the Apoſtle, Let not ſinne Rom. 6. 12. 2 Cor. 10. Epheſ. 4. 19. Eſa. 5. raigne in your mortall bodie, that yee ſhould obey it in the luſts thereof: they walke not after the ſpirit, but after the fleſh; they commit ſinne with greedineſſe; they draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and ſinne as it were with cartropes. But man with man will not reaſon ſo, the ſonne with his Fathers, the ſervant with his maſter, the ſubject with his Prince; will the ſervant be vile and unfaithfull, becauſe his maſter is courteous unto him? Abſit; God forbid.

Here I muſt anſwer one ſlander or challenge of the Papiſts; they call us Libertines, as Howlet, and others; but they take upon them to iudge betwixt us, and the Libertines, as the Aſſe tooke upon him to judge between the Cuckow & the Nightingale: of all others, the Aſſe might worſt doe it; and of all others, they may worſt do it, ſeeing moſt of their doctrines tend to libertie, proving all men to ſinne by their pardons and indulgences, ſaying, that holy water doth take away ſinne, that the ſigne of the Croſſe driveth away the Divell, calling with Alexander, whordome, adulterie, inceſt, Peccadilla, little ſinnes▪ excuſing the Popes theft as the theft of Iſrael, his drunkenneſſe as that of Exod. 11. Gen. 9. Iudg. 15. Noah, his murders as thoſe of Samſons. All their doctrines tend to libertie, as their doctrine of ignorance to be the mother of devotion, the doctrine of auricular confeſſion, which ſome learned call the Popes fiſhing net, the doctrine of Purgatorie, which Popiſh Doctrine tend to liberty. others call the Popes milch Cow, or the ſoule or panche of the Maſſe: their doctrine of ſatisfactions, that a man may be delivered out of hell by the ſatisfaction of others, as was Traian the Pagane Emperor by the prayer and almes of Gregory. What naturall man under heaven would not ſinne, if hee knew that the Pope could give him pardon, that hee could free him from hell and purgatory? So that truly, if I were not a Proteſtant, I would be a Papiſt, if I reſpected the pleaſure of the fleſh.

SAint Iude having deſcribed the wicked by their hypocriſie, that They creepe into the Church, and by their Atheiſme: For hee ſaith, they were Vngodly men, and by their Licenciouſneſſe, ſaying, They turne the grace of God into wantonneſſe; hee commeth now fourthly, to deſcribe them by their Blaſphemy, That they deny God, the onely Lord, and our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. Now there bee many wayes to deny God, as to deny his Attributes, his Power, Providence, Iuſtice, Mercy, Truth, Strength, Eternity, for theſe be the names of God, and of the eſſence of God, and theſe are denyed in the lives of moſt men. Some deny his Power, as the Proud do: ſome his Providence, as the Infidels: ſome his Iuſtice, as the Impenitent: ſome his Mercy, as the Deſperate: ſome his Truth, as Lyars and perjured men: ſome his Strength, as the Fearefull doe. Of the firſt ſort was Pharaoh; of the ſecond ſort were the Iſraelites; of the third ſort were the Libertines; of the fourth was Caine; the fifth were Zedeohia and the houſe of Saul, of the laſt were the Iewes. Pharaoh asked, Who is God, that Exod. 5. 2. Pſal. 78. 19, 20, 21. I ſhould let Iſrael goe? The Iſraelites diſtruſted God for bread, Can God (quoth they) prepare a Table in the Wilderneſſe? behold, hee ſmote the Rock, that the water guſhed out, & the ſtreames overflowed: Can hee give bread alſo, and prepare fleſh for his people? Of the third ſort Outward profeſſiō nothing without inward integritie. were the Libertines, Which turne the grace of God into wantonneſſe: Of the fourth ſort was Cain, my ſin is greater than can bee forgiven? Vpon whom Auguſtine replyeth finely: Mentiris Cain, mentiris in gutture, major eſt Dei miſericordia, Cain, thou lyeſt, thou lyeſt in thy Iude 4. Gen. 4. Aug. throat, greater is Gods Mercy than any mans Iniquity? of the fifth, was Zedechias who forſwore himſelfe, and had therfore firſt, his children ſlaine before his Face; then his own eyes put out, and laſtly, he was carryed away priſoner into Babylon: of the laſt ſort were the Iews, who relyed upon the Egyptians. Now who offendeth 2 Reg. 25. Eſa. 31. not in one of theſe, or moſt of theſe?

But eſpecially wee deny God in our lives, in our deeds, thus the Cretians deny him, They profeſſed they knew God, but by workes they did deny him, and were abominable, diſobedient, and unto every Tit. 1. 16. Tit. 2. 3. 5. good worke reprobate: and ſo are we, wee have a ſhew of Godlineſſe, but wee have denyed the Power thereof. I ſay of Profeſſors, as Paul ſaid of the Iewes, He is not a Iew, that is one outward, neither is that Circumciſion, which is outward in the Fleſh, but hee is a Iew, that is Rom. 2. 28. 29. one within, and the Circumciſion of the heart is the true Circumciſion: So hee is not a Chriſtian, that is one outward, but hee is a Chriſtian, that is one within; that ſerveth God in Spirit and in Truth. And if wee will ſerve God truly, theſe Divels muſt be caſt out of us, that are in us, and wee muſt ſay unto them, as Chriſt ſaid to Peter, Come behinde me Sathan, videl. the Divels of Avarice, Pride, Envie, Malice, &c. Which have filled our hearts, Mat. 16. 23▪ as they filled the heart of Andnias. The profeſſion of God is knowne by the fruits of it, as fire is diſcerned by the ſmoke that commeth out of the Chimney, as life is diſcerned by the motion of Man. On the contrary, if a man would perſwade us, Act. 5. 3. that there is fire where as there is no heat, or that there were life in a carcaſſe that never moved, wee would not beleeve him: ſo beleeve not him, that ſpeaketh of God, and liveth not in God. This is an Axiom in Divinitie, that all Adulterers, Swearers, Theeves, Vſurers deny God, whatſoever they pretend in words, Quid dicta audiam, cum facta videam, what doe I heare thee talke, when I ſee thy deeds? Not every one that ſaith, Lord, Lord, ſhall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven (ſaith Chriſt) but he that Mat. 7. 23. doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven. Thoſe men are come to the height of ſin; For there be ſixe degrees of ſin, firſt Neglectus Epheſ. 4. 2 Theſ. 2. Rom. 1. Eſa. 40. notitiae Dei, the neglect of the knowledge of God; the ſecond is, Execatio, execation, blindneſſe; the third is Idolatry, a fruit of execation, of blindneſſe; the fourth, outragious wickedneſſe, the effect of idolatry; the fifth, a reprobate mind; the ſixth, the fruits of a reprobate mind, that is, an univerſall injuſtice in all their workes: for they deny God in every worke. The wicked deny God, and yet all his creatues declare him; and Pſal. 19. 1. that foure wayes, ſaith Hemingius in his Enchiridion.

Firſt, In the Varietie of them. They that here feele not Gods graces ſhall feele his power.

Secondly, In the Vtility of them.

Thirdly, In the Order of Creation.

And fourthly, In the End of their Creation.

The firſt declareth his Power.

The ſecond, his Iuſtice.

The third, his Wiſedome.

The laſt, his Glory.

Seeing all things are made for man, it cannot bee but man is made for another, and that is God onely, but the wicked ſhall find God and feele God, when it is too late, though here they doe deny him. Therefore Hemingius diſtinguiſheth of Gods preſence, that it is fourefold: A preſence of Power in all men, even in the Reprobate; a preſence of Grace, even in the Elect only, a preſence of glory in the Angels & Saints departed, and an hypoſtaticall preſence of the Father, with the Sonne, Quoad eſſentiam, as touching his eſſence. The wicked that deny God here, ſhall feele his power one day, and ſay, Wee have erred from the way of Truth, the light of Righteouſneſſe hath not ſhined unto us, Wiſ. 5, 6. 7. and the Sunne of Vnderſtanding roſe not upon us: We have wearied our ſelves in the wayes of wickedneſſe and deſtruction, and wee have gone through dangerous wayes, but wee have not knowne the wayes of the Lord, &c. Thus God complained of Iſrael and Iuda, ſaying, They have grievoſly treſpaſſed againſt me ſaith the Lord, they have denyed the Lord, and ſaid, It is not hee, &c. Thus may wee complaine. Therefore Ier. 5. 11. 12. I ſay to England, as hee ſaid to Iuda: O daughter of my people, gird thee with Sackcloth and wallow thy ſelfe in the aſhes, make lamentation and bitter mourning, as for thine onely ſonne, for the deſtroyer ſhall ſuddenly come upon us.

They deny the onely God, &c. God here is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the onely God to note the Trinity in Vnity; there is one God, one Eſſence of the three perſons, Deus unus & trinus; unus Eſſentia, trinus Hierom. perſonis, God is one and three, one in Eſſence, and three in perſons. Thus Moſes taught Iſrael; The Lord our God is Lord onely. Deut. 6. 4. Malachi asketh the Iewes, if one God hath not created them? As if hee ſhould ſay, yee know well enough; for the queſtion Mal. 2. 10. is more Emphaticall, than a ſimple propoſition. In this point Paul noteth a great difference betwixt the Chriſtians and the Heathen, ſaying, Though there be many, that are called gods, in Heaven or in Earth (as there bee many gods, and many Lords:) yet unto us 1 Cor. 8. 6, 7. there is but one God, which is the Father, of whom are all things, and wee in him; and one Lord Ieſus Chriſt, by whom are all things, and wee by him. Againe, hee ſpeaketh of the Deitie, as of the Mediatorſhip, Vnus Deus & unus Mediator, &c. There is one God and one Mediator 1 Tim. 6. betweene God and Man, even the Man Chriſt Ieſus. And a number of vnities he commendeth to the Epheſians: There is one Body andone Spirit, one hope of your Vocation; there is one Lord, one Faith, Epheſ. 4. 4, 5, 6. one Baptiſme, one God and Father over all, &c. We muſt neither confound Many reſemblances to illuſtrate the Vnity and Trinitie. the perſons, nor divide the Eſſence, but hold the plurality of perſons, and the unity of the Eſſence.

The Heathen thought it impoſſible for one God to governe this great world; therefore they made one God for Heaven, as Iupiter, another for Hell, as Pluto; one for Bread, as Ceres; another for Wine, as Bacchus; one for the Sea, as Neptune; another for the Winde, as Aeolus; one for Learning, as Minerva; another for Merchandize, as Mercury. Thus the Heathen vowed Tenths to Hercules, that they might be rich; they killed a Cock to Aeſculapius, that they might recover their health; they ſacrificed a Bull to Neptune, that they might ſaile proſperouſly.

But what doe I name the Heathen, when the Papiſts multiplied to themſelves many gods? they prayed to Sebaſtian for helpe from the Plague; to Anthony, for the Gangrene; to Patronilla, for Agues; to Apolonia, for the Touth ache; to Benedict, for the Stone; to Hubert, for the biting of a madde Dog; yea they have made a ſeverall God for every Countrey, as Saint George for England, Saint Iaques for Spaine, Saint Dennis for France, Saint Patricke for Ireland, Saint Palladius for Scotland. Yea, for every beaſt a ſeverall God; as Loye for Horſes, Anthony for Pigges, Wendeline for Sheepe: But their madneſſe is evident to all 2 Tim. 3. 9. men. If they ſay, they make not theſe Gods: I aske, why pray they unto them? How ſhall they call on him in whom they have not beleeved? But wee beleeve in God alone, therefore muſt we pray to Rom. 10. 14. him alone. There is but one Sunne in the Heavens, one Phaenix in Arabia, one maſter-Bee in an Hyve, one Pilot in a Ship, one God in the World. The Trinity of Perſons the Fathers have ſhadowed forth unto us by divers ſimilitudes, as in the Rainebow, in which is one ſubſtance, namely the cloud, and yet three differences, which thou art not able to diſcerne: In the Fountain, where there is Scaturigo, the boyling or riſing up of the water out of the Spring; Rivus, the River; & Stagnum, and the Poole: In the Minde, where there is Intellectus, Vnderſtanding; Voluntas, the Will; & Memoria, and the Memory: In the Soule, where there is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Soule; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Minde, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Spirit; and yet there bee not three Mindes, nor three Soules, but one Minde and one Soule, but three powers in the Minde and Soule: In the Sun, where there is, Corpus, the Body; Calor, Heate; & Splendor, Light or Brightneſſe; and yet not three Sunnes, but three diſtinct things in the Sunne. The Orthodoxe Fathers ſaid truely and wiſely, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , One Godhead, and one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Vnity. And God is three, not by compoſition of parts, but by coexiſtence of perſons. The Iewes alſo note in the verbe 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Bara, the myſterie of the Trinity, by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Beth, the Sonne, by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Reſh, Ruah, the Spirit, by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Aleph, Ab, the Father. Chriſt is many wayes divided. But this holy myſtery is more clearely taught by Moſes, Gen. 3. 22.

Againe, They deny Chriſt; of which ſort there bee many. The Iewes deny, that he is come; the Pagans deny, that ever he will come; the Turkes confeſſe that hee is come, but yet as a man, not as a God, inferiour to their Mahomet; the Papiſts confeſſe in words that hee is come, but in truth denying the perſon of Chriſt, making his body every where, that is, no where: yea many have denyed Chriſt, and robbed the Creator, to give to the Creature; the Italians aſcribe all to the Pope; the Iriſh to Saint Patrick; the Scots to Palladius; the Ruſſians to Saint Nicholas; Munſter in Coſmog. and the Calicutes to the Divell.

But to ſpeake orderly; men deny Chriſt many wayes. Some deny his Divinity, as the Arrians; ſome his Humanitie, as the Vbiquetaries; ſome his Natures, by renting them a ſunder as the Nestorians, who make two Chriſts, one the ſonne of God, another the ſonne of Mary; ſome deny them by confounding them, as Eutiches, Qui dixit humanitatem a divinitate abſorptam eſſe, which ſaid, that his Humanity was ſwallowed up of his Divinity; ſome deny him, by concealing him in time of perſecution, as the Nichodemites doe: A Sect againſt which we are to lift up our voyces like Trumpets, for He that denyeth Chriſt in Earth Mat. 10. 33. before men, ſhall be denyed in Heaven, before Angels. For this cauſe, they of Epheſus are ſaid not to have denyed Chriſt, but to have ſuffered for his ſake, and to have laboured without fainting. And Apoc. 2. 3. they of Pergamos are ſaid, not to have denyed Chriſt: For though their habitation was where Sathans throne is, yet they profeſſed his name, and not denyed the faith. Remember that the fearefull are placed with Vriah in the forefront, in the vauntguard Apoc. 2. 13. of the damned; ſo ſaith Saint Iohn, The fearefull and unbeleeving, and the abominable, and murtherers, and whoremongers, and ſorcerers, and Idolaters, and all lyars, ſhall have their part Apoc. 21. 8. in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimſtone which is the ſecond Death.

On the contrary, Righteous men are compared to Lions, which feare no colours? ſo ſaith Salomon, The wicked flee, when Prov. 28. 1. Luke 8. 1 Pet. 1. none purſueth him, but the Righteous are as bold as a Lion: on the other ſide, its naughty ground, that will be ſcorched with heat; it is droſſe, not gold, that will bee melted in the fire, it is counterfeit, not right Balme, that will not abide the water: it is a baſtard Eagle, that ſoareth not to the Sunne: Hee is a Coward, Exod. 19. not a Souldier, that ſhrinketh in the battell, Hee is an Infidell, and not a Chriſtian that denyeth Chriſt in perſecution. For one Faith is named, one Profeſſion: Hold faſt (ſaith the Apoſtle) the Profeſſion of your hope without wavering. And againe, Heb. 10. 23. Heb. 3. 1. Conſider the Apostle, and high Prieſt of your Profeſſion, Christ Ieſus: Much Profeſſion, much Faith; no profeſſion, no Faith. Chriſt is denied, when the efficacie of his death is denied.

But chiefely we deny the Lord Ieſus two wayes: Firſt, by denying the ſufficiencie of his death, as the Galathians did, and as the Iews did, and as our Papiſts now, who will not let Chriſt be a Saviour alone, but they joyne workes with him; but all workes are accurſed (ſo ſaith the Apoſtle) As many as are of the workes Gal. 2. Rom. 10. Gal. 3. 10. of the Law (that is, thinke to bee juſtified by them) are under the Curſe.

Secondly, wee deny the Lord Ieſus, by denying the efficacie or vertue of his Death, not dying unto ſinne: Therefore Awake thou that ſleepeſt, and ſtand up from Death, that Chriſt may give thee Epheſ. 5. 14. Light. For as the Sunne doth not warme all whom it lighteneth, as the people under the North Pole, who have the Sun ſixe moneths together, and yet freeze; ſo the Spirit of God doth not cauſe all to feele the vertue of his Death, whom hee illuminateth with the knowledge of his death. Such are our Atheiſts, the former are Papiſts, the later are Atheiſts, and both deny Chriſt.

The profeſſion of Chriſt ſtandeth not in words, but in deeds, not in tongue, but in heart, not in opinion, but in life. The Apoſtle nameth a true Knowledge; for many know not God truely. Saint Peter calleth it an Idle knowledge, diſtinguiſhing of knowledge, that it is Operans, & otioſa, a working and an idle 2 Pet. 2. 8. knowledge: for ſome carrie Chriſt in their mouth and braine, as perfume in a Pomander, without ſmell; as a ſword in a ſcabbard, without cutting; as fire in a flint, without heat. But this I will ſay to thee in the ſight of God and his Angels; that if thou doeſt not dye to ſinne and riſe againe by a new life; if thou doeſt not kill ſinne in thee, as Murder, Whoredome, Malice, covetouſneſſe, Vſury, Pride, Drunkenneſſe, &c. thou doeſt neither beleeve the Death nor the Reſurrection of Ieſus Chriſt. So ſaith Paul, Know yee not that all wee which have beene baptized into Ieſus Chriſt, have beene baptized into his Death? And againe, If wee Rom. 6. 3, 5, 6. be grafted with him to the ſimilitude of his Death, even ſo ſhall wee be to the ſimilitude of his Reſurrection; Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of ſinne might be deſtroyed, that henceforth, we ſhould not ſerve ſinne. And Saint Iohn the diſciple whom Ieſus loved, and which leaned on his breaſt at ſupper, ſaith, Hereby are wee ſure that wee know him, if wee keepe his Commandements; hee that ſaith, hee knoweth him, and keepeth not his Commandements, is a 1 Iohn 2. 4, 5. Lyar, and the Truth is not in him. This Death unto ſinne, and Reſurrection to newneſſe of life, Paul calleth it the vertue of his Death, The vertue of his Reſurrection? The ſtone Dioſcorides is nothing Phil. 3. 10. in the mouth of a dead man. And all knowledge of Chriſt is nothing in a carnall man. The death of Chriſt truely beleeved, will cauſe thee to dye unto ſinne; and the Reſurrection of Chriſt will cauſe the dead body to riſe unto eternall life, and the dead minde to an holy life. So ſaith the Apoſtle, If yee The Papiſts deny the offices of Chriſt by conſequence. bee riſen with Chriſt, ſeeke the things that are above, where Chriſt ſitteth on the right hand of God, ſet your affections upon Heavenly things, and not upon Earthly, for yee are dead, and your life is hid in God, &c. The Iewes know Chriſt, but not truly, that they know him it is evident Col. 3. 1, 2, 3. by the teſtimony of the Apoſtle, Behold thou art called a Iew, and reſteſt in the Law, and glorieſt in God, but that they did not know him truly, the ſame Apoſtle alſo teſtifieth, ſaying, The name of God is blaſphemed among the Gentiles through you: yea, the Rom. 2. 17. 24. Divels knew him, and his death, but yet idly, hiſtorically onely, not unto Salvation. And many ſo beleeve hiſtorically, & no further than the very Divels themſelves doe. For ſinne ſtill raigneth Iam. 2. 19. in them, notwithſtanding the commandement of the Apoſtle, Let not ſinne raigne in your mortall bodies, that yee ſhould obey it in the luſts thereof. Rom. 6. 12.

But to returne to our Papiſts, who have opened their mouth againſt Heaven, whoſe tongue walketh through the world; for pride is to them as a chaine, they are found to be notable hereticks, denying, not in words, but in truth, the Lord Ieſus: Firſt, they make him no Ieſus, by aſcribing purging of ſin to the bloud of Martyrs, which they call, Theſaurum Eccleſiae, the treaſure of the Church; out of which they grant their Indulgences.

They make him no Chriſt, by denying his Offices; firſt, they make no Prieſt, by erecting a daily unbloudy ſacrifice, they rob him of his interceſſion, by praying to Saints.

They make him no Prophet, by aſcribing ſo much to their traditions, by giving the Pope authority over the Goſpell, to coyne Lawes as they liſt, by bringing in with Cyrill the Monke, Evangelium aeternum, an everlaſting Goſpel, which (ſay they) aboliſheth the Goſpell, of the Father in the time of the Law, and the Goſpell of Chriſt, in the time of Grace.

They make him no King, by giving all power to the Pope, to ſave & to deſtroy, to pull out of Heaven, to pluck down to Hell: Such a Cerberus is this of Rome, not with three heads, but with three crownes, boaſting De plenitudine poteſtatis, of the fulneſſe of power, whoſe comming is by the working of Sathan with all power and ſignes and lying wonders, and in all deceivableneſſe of unrighteouſneſſe among them that periſh.

This hath Sathan parted his Kingdome, that the Turke in the 2 Theſſ. 2. 9. Eaſt ſhould deny Chriſts Natures, and the Pope in the Weſt his Offices and Merits. For the former Romane Empire ſtood on Injuſtice, the latter of Impiety, the firſt injuring Men, the other God, yet not ſo much 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , againſt God, as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , againſt Chriſt. The Papiſts alleage the words of the Apoſtle, Hereby ſhall yee know the ſpirit of God, every ſpirit that confeſſeth that Ieſus Chriſt is come in the fleſh, is of God: but by the Spirit there is meant the doctrine, not of men; the doctrine is of God, though not the man. They quote alſo another place of Iohn, Whoſoever Chriſt alone paid the whole ranſome of our Redemption. beleeveth that Ieſus is Chriſt, is borne of God; but Saint Iohn ſpeaketh not of a bare confeſſion, but of a right beleefe, for the Divels confeſſed Chriſt.

To conclude, they hold not the foundation with us, For other 1 Iohn 5. 1. Luke 4. 1 Cor. 3. 11. Gal. 5. 2. foundation can no man lay, than that which is laid, which is Chriſt Ieſus: For if the Galathians, joyning Circumciſion with Chriſt, overthrew all; for ſo ſaith the Apoſtle, If yee circumciſed, Chriſt ſhall profit you nothing. The Papiſts joyning workes with faith, nature with Grace, the Law with the Goſpell, the Sacrifice with the Sacrament, Moſes with Chriſt, muſt needs overthrow all: for whole Chriſt or no Chriſt, Totus Chriſtus, aut nullus Chriſtus, Hee payd 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Ranſome, and either hee paid all, or not a 1 Tit. 2. Act. 4. penny: Non eſt aliud nomen, there is no other name given unto men, whereby they ſhall bee ſaved, ſave onely by the name of Ieſus. One compareth Chriſt to a man that purchaſeth a Leaſe with his owne money, and lets it to his ſucceſſors, to hold it by a Pepper kernell, or a Roſe leafe: Chriſt hath paid for our Salvation, For we are redeemed not with corruptible things, as Silver and Gold, &c. But with the precious bloud of Chriſt, as of a Lambe undefiled; all our 1 Pet. 1. 18, 19. workes are but as a pepper kernell; yea as nothing, For when we have done all thoſe things that are commanded us, wee may ſay, that wee are unprofitable ſervants, we have done that which was our duties to do. Luke 17. 10. If the fathers of theſe men had never ſinned, yet could they not doe greater injury to the Church of God than to beget ſuch ſonnes, or monſters rather, as Tully ſaid of Catiline, Ecce eccleſiam apoſtaticam & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , non Catholicam, utinam Deus Neſtorem excitaret, qui lites inter nos & illos componeret, Behold a Church Apoſtolicall, and ſtrife-ſtirring, not Catholike: I would God were pleaſed to raiſe ſome Neſtor up to compoſe theſe jarres, betweene us and them.

But to leave this, note that Chriſt here is called our Lord; which he is two wayes:

Iure creationis.

Iure redemptionis.

Firſt, By right of Creation: for by him God made the World. Hebr. 1. 2.

Secondly, By the right of Redemption: for God ſo loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne to ſave the World: Hereupon Iohn 3. 16. 1 Cor. 6. 20. ſaith Paul, Yee are bought with a price. Now redeeming is either by price and paying, or by power and force. Chriſt hath done both; hee gave a price to God, And gave himſelfe a ranſome for all 1 Tim. 2. 6. men, Hee came by water and bloud, not by water onely, but by water 1 Iohn 5. and bloud. In water, is ſignified waſhing; by bloud, Redemption.

Secondly, by his Power he redeemeth, and hath taken us from the Divell. So ſaith the Author to the Hebrewes, Hee hath delivered Hebr. 2. us from death, and him that hath the Lordſhip of death. And Saint Iohn ſaith, that Hee ſaw a great battell in Heaven, Micbael and his Divers effuſions of Chriſts bloud. Angels fought againſt the Dragon, and the Dragon fought and his Angels, but prevailed not, neither was their place any more found in Heaven. It was a greater matter to Chriſt to redeeme the World, Apoc. 12. 7. than to make the World. Hee made it in ſix dayes, but he was thirtie and three yeeres in redeeming it; hee made all with a word, yea, with a breath, By the word of the Lord were the Heavens made, and the hoaſt of them by the breath of his mouth. For the letter Pſal. 33. 6. ( • He) in the Hebrew is but a breath: But hee redeemed it with a great price, not with ſilver and gold, but with bloud, not with bloud of Buls & Goats, but with his own precious Bloud: 1 Pet. 1. 18. Gold and ſilver are but red earth, and white earth, which the error of man hath made to be eſteemed; but the bloud of Chriſt was ſo precious, that as a Father ſaith, Tanti quid valet? what is Aug. of equall price with it? The leaſt drop of Chriſts bloud was of ſuch value, in regard of the perſon, that it was able to redeeme tenne thouſand worlds; but leſſe than Chriſts bloud could not redeeme one Soule.

And there were divers and ſundry effuſions of his bloud. The firſt bloud he ſhed was at his Circumciſion, when hee was but De paſſione Dom. cap. 36. eight dayes old; which S. Bernard cals Maturum martyrium, a timely martyrdome: to which end hee further addeth, Vix natus eſt Coeli gloria, Coeli divitiae, deliciae, dulcis Ieſus, & ecce recenti ortui crucis dolor copulatur; Scarce was ſweet Ieſus come into the world; who was the Glory, the Riches, the Delight of Heaven, but he underwent the painefulneſſe of the Croſſe.

The ſecond effuſion of bloud was in his Agony, whereof Saint Bernard ſpeaketh thus, Ecce quam rubicundus, & quam totus rubicundus, Behold, how red, and how wholly red hee is? For Saint Luke affirmeth, that his ſweat was like Drops of bloud trickling downe to the ground.

The third effuſion, was at his whipping; O cum quanta quantitate put as illum ſanctiſſimum ſanguinem, è conſciſſo corpore & flagellato diſtillaſſein terram? Oh in what abundance thinke yee, did the moſt ſacred bloud of his, powre downe from his torne and ſcourged body, even to the ground?

The fourth effuſion of bloud was when the crowne of thornes was deſpightfully clapt upon his head, Nec hicputo defuiſſe rivos ſanguinis, ſaith Bernard, nor can I thinke, that at this time there wanted rivers of bloud.

The fifth and laſt effuſion of bloud was upon the Croſſe, where his Hands, and Feete, and Side were pierced. Quis unquā tam gravia tam pudenda paſſus fuit? who was ever thus cruelly, Bern. and ſhamefully handled? Contendunt paſſio & charitas, illa ut plus ardeat; iſta ut plus rubeat, his paſſion and love did ſtrive together that, that it may be hotter; this, that it may bee the redder: O ſuaviſſime univerſorum Domine, &c. O bleſſed Ieſus, the moſt gracious Lord and Saviour of all thy choſen, how can I render thee As Chriſt gave himſelfe for us, ſo ſhould we give our ſelves to him. ſufficient thankes? For thy garment is dipt in bloud, and the chaſtiſement of my peace hath beene upon thee, from the beginning of thy dayes unto thy death; yea, and after thy death. Thus Chriſts bloud was often ſhed to redeeme us: Heare this, you that Apoc. 19. 13. make ſo ſmall account of your ſoules, and learne to eſteeme them at a greater price: Heare this, you that are ſo careleſſe of your ſinnes, and learne to ſhunne them as Hell; heare wee this all of us, and learne to be more thankefull to Chriſt for his benefits. Perſius wept when he ſaw a Toade; and being asked why he wept? hee anſwered, that hee bewailed his ingratitude, who ſerved not the Lord, that had made him a Man, and not a Toade: Chriſts face was buffeted, his eyes were blinded, his hands nayled, his feet pierced, his ſide launched, that wee may give our eyes, hands, feet, heart to Chriſt in his ſervice, that as wee have given our members weapons of unrighteouſneſſe unto ſin, ſo Rom. 6. 13. we ſhould give our ſelves unto God, as they that are alive from the dead, and give our members as weapons of righteouſneſſe unto God. Finely ſaith one; O ſtulti! cur Satanae in membris veſtris ſervitis? O yee fooles! Why ſerve ye Satan in your members? Ille non creavit, non redemit, non ſanctificat nos, non paſcit nos, hee hath not created us, not redeemed, not ſanctified us, nor feedeth us: Quae haec inſania Chriſtum relinquere, à quo omnia bona, Diabolo ſervire, qui eſt homicida? what madneſſe is this, to leave Chriſt from whom we receive all good, and to ſerve the Divell, who is a murtherer? Iohn 8. 44. Stultum eſt ſervire Diabolo, qui nullo placatur obſequio; It is a fooliſh thing to ſerve the Divell, whom no obedience, no ſervice will content. But the wicked ſhall one day curſe theſe members, that have ſerved the Divell, Vae vobis (inquient) pedes maledicti, qui per greſſus & ſaltus illicitos me ad infernum traxiſtis; woe to you (ſhall Greg. they ſay) curſed feet, which by unlawfull leaping and dancing have drawne me to Hell: Vae vobis manus rapaces, woe to you ravenous hands: Vae tibi cor maledictum, woe to thee curſed heart, which ſeldome or never thoughteſt of God: O curſed tongue which hath uttered ſo many obſcene and filthy words; O curſed eye, which never ſheddeſt teare for thy ſinne, and therefore many thouſand yeares ſhalt thou weepe, and no man ſhall pitty thee. God challengeth both heart and body; My ſonne give mee thy heart. Whereupon one deſcanteth very finely; fili mi Mat. 22. 13. per creationem, fili mi per redemptionem, da mihi cor tuum per dilectionem Pro. 23. Holcot. & devotionem, My Sonne by Creation, my Sonne by Redemption, give mee thy heart by Love and devotion. And the ſame Author compareth Chriſt to a Falcon, and hee ſaith thus Falconi volanticor datur pro mercede; to the flying Falcon, the heart, of the Fowle ſhee taketh is given her for her reward; this Falcon is Chriſt, Ipſe volavit de Coelo in uterum, hee flew from Heaven into the Wombe of the Virgin; out of the Wombe into the Manger, out of the Manger into the World, from the Chriſts paſſions ought to move us to dutifulneſſe and thankefulneſſe. World unto the Croſſe, from the Croſſe into the Grave, from the Grave, to Heaven againe, Ergo cor vendicat pro praeda, therefore hee challengeth • hy heart for his prey. And Saint Chryſoſtome, that golden-mouthed Doctor, bringeth in Chriſt thus ſpeaking, Ego propter vos factus ſum homo, propter vos ligatus, propter Chryſost. vos in patibulo mortuus; ecce precium ſanguinis, quod pro vobis dedi, ubi eſt ergo ſervitus veſtra pro tanto pretio? for your ſakes I became man, for your ſakes was I bound, for your ſakes dyed I upon the Croſſe; Behold, the price of bloud that I payed for you, where is therefore your ſervice and dutie, for ſuch a price? your ſervice to him that gave himſelfe for you, that hee might redeeme you. Vide quid pro te patior, vide dolorem, cum Angelus venit de coelis ad conſolandum, vide clavos, quibus confodior, ad te clamo qui pro te morior; See what I ſuffer for thy ſake, ſee my ſorrow, which was ſo great, that an Angel from heaven was made to come to comfort mee: See the nailes wherewith I was pierced and thruſt through: I crie to thee, which died for thee, &c. A moſt elegant Proſopopeia: What heart of flint will not be moved with it? O Ieſu! take away theſe ſtony hearts, and give us fleſhly hearts. O duri & indurati & obdurati filii Adae! O durate, indurate and obdurate ſonnes of Adam! quos non movet tanta benignitas, whom ſuch great gentleneſſe and courteſie cannot move. Let us ſorrow with Corinth, waſh Chriſts feet with Mary, let us weepe bitterly 2 Cor. 7. with Peter, that wee ſerve God no better. The Sunne knew Chriſt, and therefore againſt kind was eclipſed, the wind knew Luke 7. Mar. 15. Mar. 2. Mat. 14. Mat. 28. Iohn 1. 10. him, and therefore left bluſtring at his word, the Sea knew him and therefore bare him up that hee walked drie foote upon the waters, the Earth knew him and therefore opened when hee roſe, the Divels knew him, onely vile man knoweth him not. Hee came among his owne, and his owne received him not, but let us receive him, and ſerve him in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, let us obey his commandements, feare his judgements, and ſubmit our ſelves 1 Sam. 3. 18. to his bleſſed will and pleaſure; ſaying with Eli, It is the Lord, let him doe what ſeemeth him good.

HAving thus deſcribed the wicked, Which were before of old ordained to condemnation, by their life; hee commeth now to deſcribe them by their end: and here hee preventeth an objection, by a figure called Praeoccupatio, leſt they ſhould take offence, and ſay, why doth God ſuffer theſe wicked men, Hypocrites, Atheiſts, Wantons, Libertines, Blaſphemers; why doe they proſper? why is pride unto them as a chaine? why doe the wicked live Pſal. 73. 6. Iob 21. 7, 8. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. and waxe old, and grow in wealth; their ſeede is eſtabliſhed in their ſight with them, and their generation before their eyes; their houſes are peaceable and without feare? and the rod of God is not upon them; their Bullocke gendreth and faileth not, their Cow calveth, and caſteth not her calfe, they ſend forth their Children like Sheepe, and their ſonnes dance, they take the Tabret and Harpe, and reioyce in the ſound of the Organs, they ſpend their dayes in wealth, and ſuddenly they goe downe to the grave. Iude anſwereth them, That God hath ordained them to Iudgement. Fret not thy ſelfe therefore becauſe of the ungodly, neither Pſal. 37. 1. bee envious for evill doers: For they ſhall ſoone be cut downe, as the graſſe, and withered like the greene hearbe: Here they fare well, here they have cappe and knee, and all the honour that may bee; but Reſpice finem, they walke upon ice, in the end they fall. For evill doers ſhall bee cut off; yea, the armes of the wicked ſhall be broken, the Pſal. 37. 9, 10. 20. wicked ſhall periſh, and the enemies of the Lord ſhall bee conſumed as the fat of Lambs, even with the ſmoke ſhall they conſume away. Looke not therefore to their lives, but to their end; their end is damnation; The enemies of Gods Church and Children ſhall not long flouriſh. For tribulation and anguiſh ſhall be upon every ſoule that doth evill. In the end, God will raine upon them fire & brimſtone, ſtorme and tempeſt, this ſhall be their portion to drinke. Wheat and Chaffe goe together, till they come to the flaile, but then the wheat is reſerved, and the chaffe burned: Sheepe and Goats goe together, Rom. 2. 9. Pſal. 11. 6, 7. Mat. 3. 12. Mal. 3. 17. 1 Pet. 1. Deut. 32. 19. till they come to the fold, but then they are ſeparated; Gold and Droſſe goe together, till they come to the Fornace, but then the Gold is the purer, and the Droſſe is moulten. Reſpice ergo finem, looke not unto their lives, but unto their end, O that they were wiſe, then they would underſtand this, they would conſider their latter end. For ſurely the proſperity of the wicked, ſhall not continue, it ſhall have an end, and their hope ſhall be cut off. God Prov. 24. 19. hath appointed them to Iudgement, they ſhall have no inheritance in the Kingdome of God. Thou ſeeſt Pharaoh in his Chariot, Exod. 14. purſuing Iſrael; but looke againe, and thou ſhalt ſee him in the Sea, feeding Haddockes. Thou ſeeſt Nebuchadnezzar in his Palace of Babel, vaunting and bragging, Is not this great Babel that I have built for the uſe of my Kingdome, by the might of Dan. 4. 27. my power, and for the honour of my Majeſtie? but looke againe, and thou ſhalt ſee him in the wilderneſſe amongſt brute beaſts. Thou ſeeſt Herod in his Throne, honoured as an Angell; but looke againe, and thou ſhalt ſee him on the ground amongſt Act. 12. wormes: Thou ſeeſt Dionyſius in his Chaire of Gold in Siracuſa; but looke againe, and thou ſhalt ſee him in Corinth teaching Boyes, toſſing a Scepter inferulam. A Chriſtian muſt not bee like Polipheme, the one-eyed Giant: If with one eye wee ſee Damocles in a bed of Gold, with the other eye wee ſhall ſee a Sword hang over him in a haire, to daſh that pleaſure: If thou lookeſt on the proſperity of the wicked, looke on his end alſo, which is Damnation: Antiochus ſhall not ever make havoke of the Church: the rich man ſhall not ever ruffle in Silke and purple; Senacherib 2 Mach. 9. Luke 16. ſhall not ever raile on the daughter Sion; Sapor of Perſia ſhall not ever bee drawne in a Chariot by foure Kings; there will be an Prov. 23. 18. end, there will bee an end, and their hope ſhall bee cut off.

They here uſed more the Greeke word, ſignifieth noted or written in a booke, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a phraſe often uſed. The Prophet Mal. 3. 16. Malachi uſeth it ſaying, Then ſpake they that feared God, and the Lord harkened and heard it, and a booke of remembrance was written before him for them that feared God, and thought upon his name. And Chriſt our Savior uſeth the very phraſe, ſaying, Rejoyce not that the Luke 10. 20. ſpirits are ſubdued unto you, but rather rejoyce, becauſe your names are written in Heaven. And Saint Iohn uſeth alſo the ſame phraſe; I ſaw the dead, both ſmall and great ſtand before the throne, and the bookes Apoc. 20. 12. were opened, and another booke was opened, which is the booke of Life. And againe, the ſame phraſe is uſed in the deſcription of the heavenly Ieruſalem, And there ſhall enter into it no uncleane thing, neither whatſoever worketh abomination or Iyes; but they which are Gods decree hath two parts Election, Reprobation not to be enquired into. written in the Lambes booke of Life. Not that God needeth any Booke; for this is ſpoken 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , for our capacitie; For hee is God onely wiſe, in him are hid all the treaſures of Wiſedome, Knowledge and Vnderſtanding; hee knoweth all from everlaſting, and is the cauſe of all the Knowledge, that is in all, both Cap. 21. 27. 1 Tim. 1. 17. Col. 1. 9. Iob. 14. Iob. 38. 36. Men and Angels. Hee calleth all the ſtarres by their names, he hath put Wiſedome in the reines, and hath given to the heart underſtanding, his Wiſedome is infinite. But let us ſee the certainty of his Iudgements; for, as the voice vaniſheth, but litera ſcripta manet; So the damnation of the wicked is certaine, his heart cannot endure, nor his hands be ſtrong; that is, hee ſhall never bee able to defend himſelfe, he ſhall be as droſſe, as braſſe, Ezech. 22. 14. 18 as tinne, and iron, and lead in the middeſt of the fornace, as God ſhall melt them, that is, deſtroy them.

But to proceede orderly: the decree of God hath two parts: Election, and Reprobation.

That ſome are elected, appeareth by many teſtimonies of the Scripture: Paul ſaith, Whom hee hath predeſtinate, them hath hee alſo called, &c. Moſes willeth Iſrael to Remember the dayes of old, when Deut. 32. 8. the moſt high God divided their inheritance, when he ſeparated the ſonnes of Adam, &c. And Paul ſaith, That God hath choſen us in him (that is, Chriſt) before the foundation of the World: Wherefore ſome are Epheſ. 1. 4. Rom. 9. 17. elected, ſome not; For he hath Mercie on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth. God hath made all things for his glory; yea even the wicked for the day evill. If any will goe further, and ſay, why will God be thus glorified? The Apoſtle anſwereth him, that hee will have mercy on him to whom hee will ſhew Mercy, and he will have Rom. 9. 15. 18. compaſſion on him on whom he will have compaſſion. And againe, he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will hee hardeneth: hee doth as pleaſeth him; even as the Pſalmiſt ſaith, Our God is in Heaven, he doth whatſoever hee will. Chriſt giveth no other reaſon; It is ſo, O Pſal. 115. 3. Mat. 11. 26. Pſal. 39. 9. Father, becauſe thy good pleaſure was ſuch. Obmutui (quoth David) quia tu Domine feciſti, I became dumbe and opened not my mouth, becauſe thou diddeſt it. But if any proud man go yet further, and ſay, Why will God have it ſo? It is a proud queſtion for either man or Angell, and the Apoſtle anſwereth him, O man! who art thou that pleadeſt with God? Shall the thing formed ſay Rom. 9. 20, 21. to him that formed it, why haſt thou made mee thus? hath not the Potter power of the clay, to make of the ſame lumpe one veſſell to honour, and another to diſhonour. Inſcrutabilia ſunt Dei judicia; and therefore the Apoſtle breaketh out, ſaying, O the deepeneſſe of the riches? both of the Wiſedome and Knowledge of God? how unſearchable are his Iudgements, Rom. 11. 33. 34. and his wayes paſt finding out; for who hath knowne the minde of the Lord, or who was his Counſellor? I ſay with Auguſtine; Cave praecipitium; Take heed of a breake-neck; With Iob, lay thy hand Gods will moſt perfect, his proceedings moſt iuſt. o • • y mouth; With David, meddle not with matters above thy reach, Quae ſupra nos, nihil ad nos; What are above us, pertaine not to us; With Paul, Sape adſobrietatem; Preſume not to underſtand above that which is meete to underſtand but that yee underſtand according to ſobrietie. Iob 39. 37. Pſal. 131. 1. Rom. 12. 3. Gods glory is above the Heavens; wee may barke at it, as Dogges doe againſt the Moone, but we cannot pull it downe.

To ſpeake more fully: Gods will is a reaſon of all reaſons, it is the rule of all equitie, Ideo vult, quia vult, Hee will, becauſe he will, E • ideo juſtum eſt quia vult, and it is therefore juſt becauſe hee will. Tangere vis coeleſtes ignes? liqueſces, wilt thou touch theſe Lipſius. Heavenly fires? thou ſhalt melt. Scandere vis in providentiae montem? wilt thou climbe up into the high mount of Gods Providence? Cades, thou ſhalt fall, Natabis in abyſſo Dei? wilt thou ſwimme in Gods bottomeleſſe waters? Mergeris, thou ſhalt be drowned: Thou ſeeſt a little living creature the Flye, buzzing about the Candle till ſhee bee burned: So our minde waxeth wanton about Gods ſecrets, till wee be overwhelmed. The will of God is Cauſa cauſarum, the cauſe of cauſes; Cui licet quod libet, & nil libet, niſi quid licet: The Iudgements of God are Auguſt. oftentimes ſecret, hid, but never unjuſt. Let us learne Heavenly things by Earthly: A man hath in his houſe veſſels of Gold, and of Clay for his uſe and pleaſure; That a Prince pardoneth one malefactor, and puniſheth another, and yet juſtly; That a Creditor exacteth tenne pounds of one Debtor, and remitteth twenty pounds to another, and yet in the one is but juſt, in the other is mercifull: So God damning ſome is juſt and ſaving other, is mercifull, and in neither cruell or unjuſt. David compareth the judgements of God to a great Deepe, ſaying, Thy Iudgements are like a great Deepe, wee cannot Pſal. 36. 6. wade in them. Finely ſaith Auguſtine, Tu homo expectas a me reſponſum, & ego ſum homo, ita que ambo dicentem audiamus: O homo, tu quis Auguſt. ſer. 10. de verbis Apost. es? melior eſt fidelis ignorantia, quam temeraria ſententia. Petrus negat; Latro credit: O altitudo! quaeris turationem, ego expaveſcam; tu rationare, ego mirabor; tu diſputas, ego credam; altitudinem video & profundum non pervenio: O altitudo! Thou O man expecteſt an anſwere from me, and I am a man as well as thou, let us therefore both heare another ſpeaking. O man, who art thou? Faithfull Ignorance is better than a raſh unadviſed Sentence. Peter denyeth; the Theefe beleeveth: O height! thou demandeſt a reaſon of this, I will feare and tremble; thou reaſoneſt, I will wonder; thou diſputeſt I will beleeve: I ſee a depth, but I cannot come to the bottome; O depth!

But we, as though God had made us his fellowes, as though wee were of privie Councell, will ruſh into his Chaire, and determine raſhly of his Iudgements. Some grant election, but then they adde, that it ſtandeth upon our workes: that godly are elected becauſe they will bee holy: but wee are elected, that we God elects us of his free Grace. may be holy, not becauſe we will be holy. Holines is the 〈◊〉 or effect, not the cauſe of election. So ſaith Paul, He hath choſen us in him before the foundation of the World, that wee ſhould bee holy, and without blame before him in love, who hath predeſtinate us to bee adopted, Epheſ. 1. 4, 5. through Ieſus Chriſt unto himſelfe, according to the good pleaſure of his Will. As if Paul had ſaid, that he conſidered nothing without himſelfe, but therefore choſe us, becauſe hee loved us; no cauſe can bee rendred of our election, but the Will of God. Vocavit 2 Tim. 1. 9. nos Deus, non ſecundum opera, &c. he hath called us unto an holy calling; Not according to our workes, but according to his owne purpoſe and grace, which was given us through Chriſt Ieſus, before the World was. It is true of all men, that Chriſt ſaid of his diſciples, non vos me elegiſtis, yee have not choſen mee, but I have choſen you; yea, God ſo preventeth us with his grace, that hee findeth nothing paſt or to come, whereby God choſe us, and bee reconciled unto us; For who hath given unto him firſt? that is, provoked him, by his good workes? A lively example wee have in theſe two brethren Eſau and Iacob, both twinnes, both incloſed in one wombe, yet hee rejected the one, and choſe the other; Non ex operibus, not by workes, but by him that calleth: Deus coronat opera Rom. 9. 11. ſua, non merita noſtra; God crowneth his gifts, not our merits: Cui daret juſtus judex coron ••• , niſi cui dediſſet pater miſericors indebitam gratiam? To whom ſhould the juſt Iudge give the crowne, but unto whom the Father of Mercy giveth undeſerved Grace? And he addeth, Ne dicas ideo electus ſum, quia credebam, Aug. tract. 86. in Iob. ſi enim credebas, jam cum elegeras, non ipſe te, & ſic judicium eſſet penos lutum, non penes figulum: Doe not ſay I am elected, becauſe I did beleeve; for if thou diddeſt beleeve, thou haddeſt now choſen him, and not hee thee, and ſo the Iudgement had beene in the power of the clay, and not of the potter. But heare what Chriſt ſaith, Yee have not choſen mee, but I have choſen you. I ſay therefore with Saint Ambroſe, Iuſtitia noſtra magis conſtat remiſsione peccatorum, quam perfectione virtutum, our righteouſneſſe conſiſteth more in the remiſſion of our ſinnes, than in the perfection of our vertues. Even as David declareth the bleſſedneſſe of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteouſneſſe without workes, ſaying, Bleſſed are they whoſe iniquities are forgiven, and whoſe Pſal. 32. 1, 2. ſin is covered; bleſſed is the man, to whom the Lord imputeth no ſinne.

One Father ſaith thus, when wee were not, God made us; when wee were ſinners, hee Iuſtified us; when we were in priſon, hee freed us; when wee were mortall, hee glorified us. Another Rom. 5. 1. Luke 4. 18. Rom. 8. 30. Father ſaith, God by his Wiſedome hath foreknowne us, by his Goſpell hee calleth us, by his Faith hee juſtifieth us, by his Iuſtice hee damneth us, by his Grace he ſaveth us: So that all is of his meere goodneſſe, and no cauſe to expoſtulate with God: His Iudgements are juſt, but yet ſecret. Secret things (ſaith Deut. 29. 29. Moſes) belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong unto Five ſignes of Election, two internall. us. But if the Heavens declare the glory of God, let us ſpeake to his glory: Secreta Dei ſunt adoranda, non ſcrutanda; Secret things are to bee adored, not ſearched: It is not good to eate too Prov. 25. 27. much Hony; ſo to ſearch their owne glory, is not glory. It is reported of Auguſtine, that being about to write his bookes of the Trinity, hee was taught by a childe, who laded the Sea into a little ſpoone; to whom Auguſtine ſaid, that hee laboured in vaine, for his little ſpoone could not containe the Sea. To whom the child replied, that his little Wiſedome, his ſhallow braine could not containe the depth of the Trinity.

But you will ſay, how ſhall wee know our election, that wee may bee comforted againſt all the aſſaults of Satan, that wee may ſay with the ſweet ſinger of Iſrael; Though I ſhould walke through the valley of the ſhadow of death, I will feare no evill; for thou art Pſal. 23. with mee, thy rod and thy ſtaffe ſhall comfort mee? And with Paul, I 2 Tim. 4. 6, 7. 8 have fought a good fight, I have kept the Faith, I have finiſhed my courſe, from hence forward there is laid up for mee a crowne of glory, which the Lord will give mee at that day, and not to mee onely, but unto all them alſo that love his appearing.

I anſwere, that no man can bee deceived in the ſtate of his election, but hee that deceiveth himſelfe; for wee may know whether wee ſtand in the ſtate of Grace, or no. Danaeus maketh Danaeus in Iſagog. five ſignes of election; As the comming of the Swallow is a ſigne of the Spring; as the putting forth of the figge-tree is a ſigne of Summer; as the whiteneſſe of the region is a ſigne of Harveſt: So there bee many undoubted ſignes of our election.

1 The firſt is the inward teſtimony of Gods Spirit, the ſeale and earneſt-penny of our Salvation. For it is God that hath Sealed us, and hath given us the Earneſt of his Spirit in our 2 Cor. 1. 22. hearts. The Apoſtle compareth the Word to a writing, the Spirit to a ſeale, that ratifieth all. Clamat in nobis Abba, the ſame Rom. 8. 16. Gal. 4. 6. Luke 11. 11. Spirit beareth witneſſe to our Spirit, that wee are the children of God. And becauſe wee are Sonnes, God hath ſent the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts, which cryeth Abba, Father. And if God be our Father, how can wee doubt of our inheritance? If wee aske Fiſh, he will not give us a Serpent, If Heaven, he will not give us Hell.

2 The ſecond ſigne is our faith, which is knowne by the effects, as the Eagle by her feathers, as the tree of Life by the fruits of it. Thus Paul bade the Corinths, try their faith, Prove your ſelves whether yee are in the Faith, examine your ſelves, &c. Qui 2 Cor. 13. 5. credit, ſalvabitur, he that beleeveth ſhall bee ſaved: and this faith may be knowne to us, if wee will ſearch our ſelves. Chriſt asked Mar. 16. 16. Iohn 8. the woman taken in Adultery, where her accuſers were? So aske thy heart where thy ſinnes are? and if thou doeſt beleeve, it will ſay with the woman that they are all gone: Qui enim credit tranſit Three externall ſignes of Election. a morte ad vitam, Hee that beleeveth in him is paſſed from death to life: for all that are borne of God overcommeth the World. And this is the victory that overcommeth the World, even our Faith. Iohn 3. 1 Iohn 5. 4. Hereupon Paul triumpheth over Death, Hell, Hunger, Cold, Nakedneſſe, Perill, Sword, and concludeth; That neither Death, nor Life nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Power, nor Things preſent, nor Things to come, nor Height, nor Depth, nor any other Creature, Rom. 8. 38, 39. ſhall bee able to ſeparate us from the Love of God, which is in Chriſt Ieſus our Lord.

3 The third ſigne is the conformity of our will to Gods will, to love that which God loveth, and to hate that which God hateth: therefore wee pray, that Gods will may bee done on Earth as it is in Heaven. He that doth the will of God ſhall abide Mat. 6. for ever: For not everie one that ſaith Lord, Lord, ſhall enter into the kingdome of Heaven, but he that doth the will of the Father which is in Heaven.

4 The fourth ſigne is a ſtrife againſt ſin: For as the Fleſh luſteth againſt the Spirit, ſo doth the Spirit againſt the Fleſh. And they that are Chriſts, Have crucified the Fleſh, with the affections and luſts. Gal. 5. 17. 24. And hee that is elected, will cry out with the Apoſtle, O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver mee from the body of this death? Rom. 7. 24. Meaning the corruption which yet remained. The Law in our members which rebelleth, they will tame, and give no way to the motions of the fleſh.

5 The fifth and laſt ſigne is, the reformation of our whole life, a generall walking in the paths of righteouſneſſe & holineſſe, as our election is knowne unto God from all eternity; For the foundation of God remaineth ſure, and hath his ſeale: The Lord knoweth 2 Tim. 2. 19. who are his, ſo is it knowne to us by our workes: and therfore wee are willed, To give all diligence to make our election and calling ſure, by good workes, if wee can ſo live, that at the laſt; when we 2 Pet. 1. 10. ſhall leave this World? wee can ſay with Simeon, Lord now letteſt Luke 2. thou thy ſervant depart in peace. It is an undoubted ſigne of our election.

Our election is perfected by many degrees, Paul nameth three degrees of it: Vocation, Iuſtification, and Glorification: for ſo runne his words, Thoſe whom hee knew before, hee predeſtinate; and whom hee predeſtinate, them alſo hee called; and whom Rom. 8. 29, 30. hee called, them alſo hee Iuſtified; and whom hee Iuſtified, them alſo hee Glorified. But others make other degrees:

The firſt, to be Chriſts, with his gifts.

1 Cor. 3. Rom. 8. 2 Tim. 1. 9. Rom. 4. 25. Epheſ. 2. 10. 2 Tim. 4. 8. The ſecond degree is our Adoption.

The third, is our Vocation by the Goſpell.

The fourth is Iuſtification.

The fifth, is our Sanctification.

The ſixth, is our Glorification.

Theſe are the ſignes of our election, and this election is every God reprobateth in Iuſtice, as well as elocteth in Mercy. way free: Never man layd hand on this worke, never man brought ſtone to this building, but all is from God, and his Mercy. Let us therefore throw downe our crownes with the Elders, and let us ſay with David, Not unto us, Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give the praiſe: And if our reaſon cannot comprehend this our election, Pſal. 115. 1. let our Faith comprehend it: Vbi ratio definit, ſides incipit: where Ambr. reaſon faileth, faith beginneth. Let our reaſon bee as Hagar, our faith as Sara; if reaſon will preſume, let Sara, let faith take her downe a pegge.

The other part of Gods decree is Reprobation, here named of Iude, Of old ordained to condemnation. Now whereas many grant election, but not Reprobation, Reprobation is proved by many places of Scripture. Chriſt ſaith, Every plant which my Heavenly Mat. 15. 13. Father hath not planted, ſhall bee rooted up. And Paul ſpeaketh of Veſſels of wrath, ordained to deſtruction: And Eſay telleth us that Rom. 9. 22. Tophet is prepared of old, it is prepared even for the King, hee hath made Eſa. 30. 33. it deepe and large, &c. yet many are ſqueamiſh of Reprobation, utterly denying it: And Ierome was once of the minde; hee ſaid, that God elected ſome, but reprobated none. Now if he deny all reprobation, this muſt bee wrapped up amongſt the reſt of his errors: Haec patrum pudenda tegi patior: I love to hide theſe imperfections 1 Cor. 3. of the Fathers; for they did not ever build gold upon the foundation, but ſometime hay and ſtubble, &c. Indeed God reprobates none but for ſinne: but for ſinne he reprobates. And thus God is righteous, and his judgements juſt: thus Chriſt divideth the whole world into two parts, Corne and Tares, Goats and Sheepe; the Tares ſhall bee bound up in bundels, and caſt into the fire, the Goats Mat. 13. & 25. ſhall ſtand at Chriſts left hand, and ſhall heare, Goe yee curſed into everlaſting Hell fire, prepared for the Divell and his angels: and marke that he ſaith, prepared for the Divell and his angels. If of five ſenſes, we want foure, we cannot deny this Reprobation.

But what ſhould I light a candle at noone-day, or powre water into the Sea, or bring the breath of a man to helpe the blaſt or gale of wind? Magna eſt veritas & praevalet: great is truth and prevaileth: for wee cannot doe any thing againſt the truth, but for the truth. 2 Cor. 13. 8. Reprobation ſtandeth with the glory of God: for as his Mercy appeareth in Election, ſo his Iuſtice in Reprobation, and his Iuſtice in puniſhing ſinne, is as lawfull, as holy, as glorious, as his Mercy in Chriſt Ieſus. For in God they are equall, and not qualities, but of the eſſence of God. For hee is Iuſtice and Mercy it ſelfe: God is not made of mercy only, as a loafe is of Corne, or wood of Trees, but of Iuſtice alſo: And Gods glory ſhineth as much in his Iuſtice as in his Mercy, God hath made all things for his glory, and the wicked for the day of vengeance. Shall wee then reaſon againſt God, and ſay, Why doth he thus? Abſit, God forbid.

Againe, all the works of God have their contraries, wherein God not the author of evil, but the diſpoſer. the infinite Wiſedome of God appeareth. In Phyſicke one thing bindeth, and another looſeth; one thing comforteth nature, and another thing deſtroyeth it: In the ſtate of the World, there is light and darkeneſſe, hony and gall, ſweet and ſowre, prickes and roſes, faire and foule, hearbes and weeds. In the creation of the creatures, every thing hath his contrary; the Woolfe to the Sheepe, the Weeſell to the Cony, the Mouſe to the Elephant, the Dragon to the Vnicorne, the Spider to the Flie, the Lion to the Beaſts, the Eagle to the Birds. Againe, in the Church there are contraries; the Elect to the Reject, Cain againſt Abel, Iſmael againſt Iſaac, Hagar againſt Sara, Eſau againſt Iacob, Pharaoh againſt Moſes, Saul againſt David, the Phariſes againſt Chriſt, the falſe god againſt the true God. Againe, all vertues have their contrary vices, Falſhood againſt Truth, Hatred againſt Love, Faith againſt Infidelity, Temperancie againſt Riot, Prudence againſt Folly, Liberality againſt Covetouſneſſe, Chaſtity againſt Incontinency, Fortitude againſt Puſillanimity. So God hath them that are elected to life, and fore-written to judgement: for in the whole ſtate of the world God hath ſhewed himſelfe the Authour of Iuſtice and Mercy. If there were no Darkeneſſe, wee ſhould not know the benefit of Light; If no ſickneſſe, wee ſhould not know the benefit of health; If no death, wee ſhould not know the goodneſſe of life. So Hell makes the bliſſe of Heaven ſeeme the greater; and this deſtruction of the wicked, the ſalvation of the godly, more happy and glorious.

But perhaps this ſeemeth hard, that God ſhould reprobate ſome, ordaine ſome to condemnation; but I anſwere, No, ſith hee reprobates none but ſuch as voluntarily ſinne, and ſo are the Authours of their owne deſtruction. Obj. But ſinners cannot but ſinne. Anſwer. 1. But by grace they might bee ſaved. Secondly, though being left to themſelves they ſinne neceſſarily, yet they ſinne willingly: for neceſſity is to bee diſtinguiſhed from coaction. To cleare this point and the Lord, Deus eſt neceſſariô bonus, non coactè: God is neceſſarily good, not coactedly: Diabolus & mali neceſſariò peccant, non coactè: the Divell and the wicked ſinne, neceſſarily, not coactedly. But they ſay, God will have all men to bee ſaved: Audio Paulum loqui de 2 Tim. 2. 4. generibus ſingulorum, non de ſingulis generum: I heare Paul ſpeake of ſome of all eſtates and degrees of men, not of all in generall. Noble therefore and Baſe, Learned and Vnlearned, Rich and Poore, God will have to bee ſaved; For there is neither Iew, nor Grecian, there is neither Bond, nor Free, there Gal. 3. 28. is neither Male, nor Female: For yee are all one in CHRIST IESVS.

If any man ſay that our ſinne is extenuated by predeſtination: I anſwere with Auguſtine, Deus non eſt vitiorum noſtrorum author, Mans ſinne & deſtruction from himſelfe. ſed ordinator: God is not the Authour of our ſinnes and vices, but the ordinatour, the diſpoſer. Hereupon ſaith Salomon, The Lord hath made all things for his owne ſake, yea even the wicked for August. lib. de Geneſi ad cap. 5. Prov. 16. 4. Hoſ. 13. 9. Iob 34. 10, 11, 12. the day of evill. Blame not God, as Hoſea ſaid to Iſrael, One hath deſtroyed thee, but in mee is thine helpe. Finely ſaid Elihu, God forbid that wickedneſſe ſhould bee in God, and iniquity in the Almighty: For hee will render unto man according to his worke, and cauſe every one to finde according to his way, and certainely God will not doe wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert Iudgement. Our ſinne is our owne; if wee periſh, it is our owne fault: many lay 2 Pet. 2. 12. the fault in Adam, but the Wiſe-man ſaith it is our owne ſinne, therefore hee counſelleth us, Say not thou, It is through Eccleſ. 15. 11. the Lord, that I turne backe, for thou oughteſt not to doe the thing that hee hateth. But Saint Iames anſwereth all theſe cavils, ſaying, Let no man ſay, when hee is tempted, that hee is tempted of God, for God cannot bee tempted with evill, neither tempteth hee any man, but every man is tempted, when hee is drawne away by his owne concupiſcence, Iam. 1. 13. and is entiſed.

In this queſtion wee have to doe with foure kinds of Hogges, or Dogges rather: Pelagians, Manichaeans, Anabaptiſts, Epicures.

All theſe barke as the Dogges of Corybant, who tore in ſunder Neanthes the ſonne of Pittacus. To all which I anſwere, that the perdition of the wicked ſo dependeth on predeſtination, as that the cauſe and matter of predeſtination is found in themſelves. Adam fell (God ſo ordaining it) yet hee fell by his owne fault: For God made all things good, therefore Adams ſinne was not Gen. 1. 31. by creation, but it was the malice and corruption of his will: it being as a wheele flexible to either ſide, but the hand of the turner comming unto it, it turned it to the left hand, not to the right: God made man right.

But ſay ſome, This doctrine deſtroyeth all care of well doing: Eccleſ. 7. 29. for what need wee doe well, if God hath elected us; or ſhunne vice, if God hath reprobated us? But this preſuppoſeth things impoſſible: for God elects none to ſalvation, but whom hee firſt chuſeth in Chriſt unto an holy and blameleſſe life, Epheſ. 1. 4. Neither doth hee reprobate any but for ſinne, but upon their refuſall of Chriſt Ieſus offered to them in the preaching of the Goſpell: for men are not veſſels of wrath, till conſidered as ſinners, Eph. 2. 3. nor ordained to deſtruction, but upon refuſall of the means of Grace, Ezek. 24. 13. 2 Chron. 36. 15, 16. Wherfore if one man onely were to bee damned in all the whole world, every man ſhould Lament. 3. 22. feare, leſt it ſhould be he, & walke carefully, For bleſſed is the man Prov. 28. 14. that feareth alway. And if one man onely were to bee ſaved in the whole world, every man ſhould hope that it is he, and ſo reſt on The action in ſinne is from God, the prarity from mans corruption. Gods mercie, walke carefully: Dum ſpiro, ſpero, quoth a Father, whileſt I breathe, I hope; and above all to take the ſhield of Faith, wherewith we may quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

To proceede orderly in this point: there bee three opinions, the firſt, of the Libertines: the ſecond, of them that deny Gods Aug. Providence, by granting a bare permiſſion, as that he ſuffereth all things, but not that hee willeth all things: the third opinion is of them that grant God to doe all, but ſo, that all actions, as they proceed from God, are juſt, but as they are done of us, to be unjuſt.

For the firſt; the Libertines make God the author of ſin, & ſay of all thefts, murders, whoredomes, that not man, but God did them, they call all theſe ſinnes, mens vocations, and that doing them, we do but walke in our vocations; they ſay, Omnia licent: all things are lawfull: Ergo licet ſcortari, furari, occidere, therefore lawfull 1 Cor. 10. to whore, ſteale, kill; ſo reaſoned Quintinus the Libertine with Calvin, ſaying, Omnia munda mundis: all things are cleane to the Tit. • . 15. cleane: Stuprum ergo, furtum, homicidium eſſe munda: therfore whoredome, theft, murder to be cleane. But we make not God the Author of ſin; For his ſoule hateth & abhorreth ſin, his Law curſeth and condemneth ſin. And whereas it is ſaid, There is no evill in the City, but the Lord doth it himſelfe, the words are to be underſtood, Non quatenus ſunt mala, ſed quatenus ſunt malorum poenae: not as they are evill, but as they are the puniſhment of evill. Againe, every action, ſo far forth as it is an action, is good, & of God: For in him we live, and move, and have our being. As for example, one man Act. 17. 28. killeth another; the very moving of the body in doing this villany, is of God, but the evill of the action is from Man and the Divell: as one ſaith finely, Actio eſt à Deo, nequitia vero actionis ab Bez • . homine: the action is from God, the lewdnes of the action from man. Another uſeth this cōpariſon, That as the Sun in Summer draweth ſtench from a Carrion which ſmelt not before, and yet Calvin. the beames of the Sunne pure, and no cauſe of the ſtench of the Carrion: ſo Gods Providence draweth evill out of men, and yet no cauſe of that evill. Another uſeth this Simile, That as in cutting with a bad knife, the cutting is of my ſelfe, but the evill cutting is of the knife; So the action is of God, but the evill of the action is of our ſelves. Auguſtine affirmeth, Deum per malos agere: Lipſius. Auguſt. in Enchiridion ad Laurentium. that God worketh by evill men: Deus enim, inquit ille, juſſit Shemei Davidimaledicere: for God (ſaith he) commanded Shemei to curſe David. Againe, he ſaith, In peccato peccatoris nihil eſſe poſitivum, ſed privativum: In the ſin of a ſinner, nothing is poſitive, but privative. So God is ſaid to make blind whom he inlightneth not, to harden whom he ſofteneth not, and to reprobate whom he calleth not effectually. But I will conclude this point with the ſaying of two worthy men, Auguſtine, and Fulgentius. Auguſtine The cauſes of Reprobation are hidden, but iuſt. ſaith thus, Deus operatur in cordibus hominum, ad inclinandas voluntates eorum quocun que vult, ſive ad bona pro ſua miſericordia, ſive ad mala pro ipſorum meritis; God worketh in the hearts of men, to incline their wils to whatſoever hee will, either to good things by his mercy, or to evill by their deſerts. And Fulgentius ſaith thus, Deus licet author non ſit malarum cogitationum, ordinator eſt tamen malarum voluntatum, & de malo opere cujuſlibet mali, non deſinit ipſe bonum operari: Although God be not the Author of evill cogitations, yet is hee the orderer of evill wils, and of the evill worke of every evill man, hee ceaſeth not to worke a good worke.

Beza hath three Aphoriſmes againſt Caſtellio; Primùm, cauſas reprobationis eſſe à nobis abſconditas, ſed tamen juſtas, alioquin judicium eſſet penes lutum, non penes figulum: Firſt, the cauſes of reprobation are hid from us, yet they bee juſt, otherwiſe the judgement were in the power of Clay, not of the Potter.

Secondly, Deum non ſimpliciter creare quenquam ad exitium, that God not ſimply hath created any to deſtruction, but the cauſes 1 Hoſca 13. 2 Pet. 2. of deſtruction are of himſelfe: Perditio tua ex te, O Iſrael, thy deſtruction is of thy ſelfe, O Iſrael; and the Apoſtle ſaith, that the wicked periſh through their owne corruption.

Thirdly, Deum non ſpectare reproborum exitium, ut ultimum finem, ſed gloriam ſuam, quae in eorum juſta condemnatione lucet, that God beholdeth not the deſtruction of the wicked, as the laſt end: but his glory, which ſhineth moſt brightly in their condemnation. As Salomon ſaith, The Lord hath made all things for his glory, even the wicked for the day of evill. So that the juſtice of God ſhall appeare to his glory, even in the deſtruction of the wicked.

The ſecond opinion is of them. Qui dicunt Deum omnia permittere, ſed non velle; which ſay, that God permits and ſuffers all things, but hee willeth not all things: but God ſaith that it is his will, and that nothing is done without his will. Our God (ſaith Pſal. 115. 3. Pſal. 135. 6. David) is in heaven, hee doth whatſoever hee will. No impediment can let his worke, but hee uſeth even the impediments to ſerve his will. And whatſoever hee willeth, that doth hee in Heaven, and in Earth, in the Sea, and in all deepe places. That appeareth in the affliction of Iob, Satan envied Iob; and the Chaldees robbed him; Iob 1. 1 Reg. 22. yet Iob ſaid, Dominus dedit, dominus abſtulit, the Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away. In the deceiving of Achab, the Divell is ſent of God to bee a lying ſpirit in the mouthes of the foure hundred Prophets, Si iſta execatio eſt Dei, nudum permiſſionis figmentum evaneſcit; If this execation bee the judgement of God, this bare and naked figment of permiſſion muſt vaniſh as ſmoke, and as the untimely fruit of a woman. An earthen pitcher ſhall drive away the Madianites; Trumpets of Rammes hornes ſhall blow downe the wals of Iericho; a peble ſtone ſhall God worketh by evill men, and not in them. overthrow the great Goliah; that is, the ſcripture ſhall overthrow the conceit, the imagination and fiction of bare permiſſion. As Iael with one nayle ſtroke Siſera to the ground, ſo will I with one example beate downe the paper-wals of this opinion.

Abſalom defiled his fathers bed, and committed a notable villany, yet God calleth it his worke, Verba enim Dei ſunt, they are Gods owne words; Tufeciſti occultè, ego vero palam, & coram 2 Sam. 16. hoc Sole, thou haſt done it ſecretly, but I openly, & before this Sun. To ſtrengthen this (for Vis unita fortior) The Iewes, Pilate, Herod crucified Chriſt; yet the Apoſtle ſaid, that they did nothing but that which the hand and counſell of God had decreed. And yet againe, Act. 4. that a threefold cable may not eaſily bee broken, the Ier. 5 cruelty of the Chaldees in Iudaea, Ieremy calleth the worke of God. In which ſince Nebuchadnezzar is called Servus Dei, the ſervant of God; and God calleth the King of Aſſyria, the rod of his wrath. Eſa. 10. I doe but crop ſome few examples of millions and infinite, that might bee alleaged. Nothing is clearer than theſe ſpeeches, that God blindeth men, that he giveth them the ſpirit of ſlumber, Eſa. 29. Exod. 9. Rom. 1. 28. that hee hardeneth their hearts, and ſo is hee ſaid to have hardned Pharoahs heart, and to give men up into a reprobate ſenſe. And of the inhabiters of Canaan, Moſes ſaid, that God hardneth their hearts, to fight againſt the Church. And Paul calleth the wiſedome of God 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Theſe bee not matters of reaſon, but of faith; Et ubi fides incipit, ratio deſinit, where Ioſ. 11. Epheſ. 3. 10. Ambr. faith beginneth, reaſon endeth? But I anſwere with Calvin, that though God willeth all things, yet hee neither commandeth nor compelleth the wicked; Though God would revenge the Adultery of David, by the Inceſt of Abſalom, yet God neither commanded nor compelled him, which freeth God.

The third opinion is of them, that ſay, all things come to paſſe by Gods providence, that our actions as they proceed from God, are juſt, and as they come of our ſelves unjuſt. Hereupon Beza diſtinguiſheth thus, Deum agere in bonis & per bonos, that God worketh in good men, and by good men; Per malos vero 1 parte quaeſ • ionum. agere, at non in malis; and that hee worketh by evill men, but not in evill men: In his enim duntaxat agit quos ſpiritu ſuoregit, Hee worketh in them onely whom he ruleth by his ſpirit, In malis igitur non agit aliquid, hee worketh not therefore in evill men: Epheſ. 2. 2. for Satan not God worketh in them. And Maſter Calvin againſt the Libertines produceth two exceptions, Primò, ſic Deum agere periniquos & Satanam, ut ipſi etiam ſuas agunt partes, non per illos agit, ut per truncos, & lapides, ſed ut per creaturas rationales, qui ſponte ruunt; Firſt, God ſo worketh by the wicked, and by Satan, as that they alſo play their owne parts, hee worketh not by them, as by blockes, or ſtones, but as by reaſonable creatures, which runne headlong of their owne accord. Secundò, magnam eſſe differentiam inter opus Dei & impiorum: there is great difference betweene God, Satan, & Men, concurre in the ſame action, but have different ends. the worke of God, and the worke of the wicked, in reſpect of the end of their worke: The Sunne draweth ſtench out of a dead carkaſe, Non immittit, he doth not ſend it in: So God worketh by the wicked, and yet ſo, that his juſtice doth not juſtifie them, nor their wickedneſſe contaminate him, as it appeareth in Iobs example; God, Satan, and the Chaldees concurre, move, Iob 1. worke, yet is God cleare, and they guilty; Inſpecto fine agendi, conſidering the end of their worke: God did it to trie Iob, Satan to deſtroy Iob, and the Chaldees, to inrich themſelves. So ſaith S. Auguſtine of Chriſt; Pater tradidit filium, filius corpus, Iudas magiſtrum: In hac traditione cur Deus juſtus & homo injuſtus? niſi quod in re una quam fecerunt, non eſt cauſa una ob quam fecerunt? The Father delivered the Sonne, the Son his body, Iudas his maſter; in this tradition or delivering, why is God juſt, and man unjuſt? becauſe that in that one thing, which they did, there was not one cauſe for the which they did it; Deus, in dilectione, Chriſtus, in obedientia, Iudas ab avaritia, Iudaei ob invidiam: God delivered him in love, Chriſt delivered himſelfe in obedience, Iudas of covetouſneſſe, the Iewes of envy. Thus they all did one action, but not to one end.

And yet true is the ſaying of Fulgentius, Malos ad poenam, non culpam praedeſtinari: the wicked to be predeſtinate to puniſhment, not to ſinne, non ad hoc, quod malè operantur, ſed ad hoc, quod juſtè patiuntur: not to this, that they worke evilly, but to this end, that they ſuffer juſtly: For God ordaines no man to be evil, though he hath ordained the evill unto puniſhmēt; for ſhould God ordaine men unto ſin, then ſhould God be the Author of ſin: he ordaines indeed the incitements and occaſions of ſin, to try men withall; he alſo orders ſins committed, and does limit them; and in theſe regards is ſaid as before to worke in them, and to will them: in which regards alſo they are in Scripture attributed unto him ſometimes, as 2 Sam. 12. 11, 12. and 15. 16. But yet wee muſt not ſay (as ſome do) that God is the Author of ſinne, or predeſtinates men unto it. Sed quia Dei myſteria non capimus, corripimus: becauſe wee cannot conceive Gods myſteries, wee will cavell and carpe at them. Nunquid negandum quod verum eſt, quia comprehendi non poteſt, quod occultum eſt? Is that to be damned which is true, becauſe it cannot be comprehended, for that it is ſecret? Eate hony, but not too much hony: ſo ſearch Gods myſteries, but not too far. I ſay of the proud men of this age, as Chryſoſtome ſaid of the Hereticks called Anomei; Hanc arborem Anomaeorum Paulus nec plantavit, Apollo non rigavit; this tree of the Anomaei neither hath Paul planted, nor Apollo watered, nor God increaſed: but curioſity planted it, pride watered it, and ambition increaſed it. Lipſius Lipſius de conſtantia, pag. 36. uſeth all theſe ſimilitudes; A man rideth upon a lame horſe, and ſtirs him, the rider is the cauſe of the motion, but the horſe himſelfe of the halting motion; ſo God is the Author of every action, but not of the evill of the action. The like is in the ſtriking All ſinne from Saten or evill men, none from God. of a jarring and untuned Harpe, the fingering is thine, the jarring or diſcord is in the Harpe or inſtrument. The earth giveth fatneſſe and juyce to all kind of plants, ſome of theſe plants yeeld peſtilent and noyſome fruits; where is the fault, in the nouriſhment of the ground, or in the nature of the hearbe, which by the native corruption decocteth the goodnes of the ground into venime and poyſon? the goodnes & moiſture is from the earth, the venime from the hearbe; the ſounding from the hand, the jarring from the inſtrument; So the action is from God, the evill in the action from the impure fountaine of thy owne heart. I will conclude this point with the ſaying of the Learned, Impoſſibile eſt Deum, Confeſſie. qui eſt lux, juſtitia, veritas, ſapientia, bonitas, vita, cauſam eſſe tenebrarum, peccati & mendacii, ignorantiae, maliciae & mortis, ſed horum omnium cauſa Satanas & homines ſunt; It is impoſſible that God, who is Light, Iuſtice, Truth, Wiſedome, Goodneſſe, Life, to bee the cauſe of Darkeneſſe, Sinne, Diſſembling, Ignorance, Malice, and Death, but the Divell and Men are the cauſe of all theſe.

WEE are now come unto the third part of this Epiſtle, which containeth a confirmation of Iudes purpoſe, by divers examples.

The firſt, of the Iſraelites.

The ſecond, of the Angels.

The third, of the Sodomites.

In the firſt, he noteth their Infidelitie.

In the ſecond, their Apoſtaſie.

In the third, their Adultery, and Buggery.

The firſt were deſtroyed of God in the wilderneſſe.

The ſecond fell from Heaven.

The third were burned: and thus much for their ſinnes and their puniſhments.

Now for the firſt, he ſaith that they Knew it, howbeit he will put them in remembrance, ſaying they had forgotten it. We may not thinke much to heare that which we have heard and known, were our knowledge never ſo great, like Salomons, who had A large heart, hee was filled with underſtanding as a floud, his minde compaſſed the Earth, hee filled it full of darke and grave ſentences, yet wee 1 Reg. 4. Eccluſ. 47. 14, 15 may be remembred of it againe. Paul was not aſhamed to write The memorie muſt be often admoniſhed. one thing often: For ſo hee ſaith to the Philippians, It grieveth me not to write, the ſame thing unto you viz. that which yee have often heard of me; for unto you it is a ſure thing: and we are not aſhamed to preach one thing often, it leaveth a ſurer print, and a deeper Phil. 3. 1. ſtampe in our minds; doctrine delivered, is as a nayle driven; but doctrine repeated, is as a nayle rivetted, then it ſticketh ſure. Such a Simile Salomon uſeth, ſaying; The words of the wiſe are like goods, and like nayles faſtened by the maſters of the aſſemblies, (that is, Eccleſ. 12. 11. Ezech. 36. Ier. 23. Iohn 6. 27. Iohn 6. the Miniſters) which are given by our Paſtour (that is, God:) the word of God is the water of life, the more it is waved, the freſher it runneth; it is the fire of Gods glory, the more it is blowen, the clearer it burneth; it is the bread of heaven, the more it is broken, the more remaineth; as it did in the five loaves and two fiſhes, wherewith Chriſt fed five thouſand men in the wildernes; the more it is repeated, the more knowledge it breedeth, the more faith it begetteth, the more conſolation it affordeth. Therfore Paul rubbeth the memories of the Corinths in the things 1 Cor. 6. 2, 3. 9. 19. that they knew; doe yee not know that the Saints ſhall iudge the world? know yee not that we ſhall iudge the Angells? know yee not that the unrighteous ſhall not inherit the Kingdome of God? know yee not that your bodies are the temples of the holy Ghoſt? As if he ſhould ſay, yee know theſe things, yet I helpe your memories, otherwiſe yee may forget even that yee know. This order Paul, as a carefull maſter, preſcribeth to Timothie, a painefull Scholler, ſaying; If thou put the brethren in remembrance of theſe things, thou ſhalt be a good miniſter 1 Tim. 4. 6. of Ieſus Chriſt, &c. The Epheſians, where Paul had preached three yeares, day and night, knew much, yet Paul would have them put in remembrance; and thereupon he chargeth them to Watch, and Act. 20. 31. to remember that by the ſpace of three yeares he ceaſed not to warne every one of them: So ſaid S. Peter of the Iewes, ſeeing his race was at an end, his life ſhort, and his tabernacle ready to be laid downe: I will not (ſaith he) be negligent to put you alwayes in remembrance of 2 Pet. 1. 12, 13. theſe things; though that yee have knowledge, and be eſtabliſhed in the preſent truth: For I thinke it meete ſo long as I am in this tabernacle, to ſtirre you up, by putting you in remembrance. Gutta cavat lapidem, non vi, ſed ſaepè cadendo; Sic homo fit fidelis, non vi, ſed ſaepè audiendo; As the drops of water make a hole in the ſtone, not by force, but by often falling; ſo man becommeth faithfull, not by force, but by often hearing; Et idem audiendo, in hearing the ſame: we are like flint or marble, that is not eaſily pierced; like ſieves, which in the water are full, but out of it are empty: So in the Church our eares are full of doctrine, but it is ſcattered in the Church-yard, by and by wee are emptie, Ne apicem tenemus, we carry not a tittle home. But as to eate meate, and not to keep it in the ſtomacke, is a ſigne of the death of the body; ſo to heare, and not to remember, that argueth the death of the ſoule; For whoſoever tranſgreſseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Chriſt, hath not God; but hee Variety delighteth, but the ſame thing repeated profiteth. that continueth in the doctrine of Chriſt, he hath both the Father and the Son. Remember then how thou haſt received, and heard, and hold faſt, and repent.

Let no man ſay, I wil not come to the Sermon, I know the man, I know his gifts, I know what hee will ſay: though wee doe, 2 Iohn. 9. Apoc 3. 3. yet may we be remembred. The incarnation of Chriſt was revealed to Marie by an Angell, and yet afterwards it was revealed by the ſhepheards; If Marie had beene curious, ſhee would have ſaid, Dic quod neſcio, tell me that I know not, I have heard this Luk. 1. Luk. 2. already, why tell you me it againe? here is Cooleworts twice ſodden; Crambe bis poſita mors eſt; tis as bad as death, to heare a thing twice repeated: Wee cannot abide to heare one doctrine twice; wee ſurfet of preaching, as Iſrael did of Manna; Numb. 11. 2 Tim. 4. 3. we have itching eares: many cannot abide wholeſome doctrine, but after their owne luſts, get them an heape of teachers. Wee come to the Church as the Athenians did ad forum Iulium, to heare newes; like Perillus, that would not heare one ſound of muſicke Act. 17. twice; like Heliogabalus, that fed of nightingales tongues, provided that he might not eat twice of one meate; like Xerxes, which propounded great rewards to them that could deviſe new pleaſures: and therefore wee crie out unjuſtly of vaine repetitions, idle Anaphoraes and Tautologie. We come to the preacher as men come to a minſtrell, to have our eares tickled; So ſaith God to his Prophet, They come unto thee, as people uſe to come; and my people ſit before thee, and heare thy Words, but they will not doe them: Ezech. 33. 31. For with their mouthes they make jeſts, and their heart goeth after their covetouſneſſe. It is no Sermon, except there bee ſome new and ſtrange thing in it, that wee never heard before, that may bring us into a wonderment of that we underſtand not: Then the preacher hath with Eſay a learned tongue; with Peter, a fiery cloven tongue, and with Apollo, a fine eloquent tongue; or elſe hee is Eſa. 50. Act. 2. Act. 18. but a plaine man, an Engliſh Doctor, a Dunce, &c. But wee ſay with Paul, That we have caſt from us the cloakes of ſhame, and walke not in craftineſse, neither handle we the word of God decetfully. The oft preaching of the word ſerveth to put us in remembrance of all things that concerne God, and our dutie to him, otherwiſe wee ſoone forget all: as the Iſraelites did, Who made a Calfe in Horeb, Pſal. 106. 19, 20, 21. and worſhipped the molten Image; thus they turned their glorie into the ſimilitude of a bullocke, that eateth graſſe, and forgat God their Saviour. The Iſraelites in forty dayes forgat God; ſo bee you forty dayes abſent from a Sermon, and you will forget God: Come therefore, to be put in remembrance.

A number ſay, Sermons are too oft, wee heare too many, Communia ſordent, Common things waxe vile; they muſt come as ſtrawberries once a yeare; Rara praeclara, ſeldome things are excellent things. But I wonder that any blaſphemous mouth dare ſay that there is too much preaching! once a quarter, or once a The preaching of the Word alwayes neceſſary. moneth is enough: but this is not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to preach in ſeaſon, and out of ſeaſon: Paul did not ſo; Hee, night and day, for the ſpace of three yeares, ceaſed not to warne every one: Moſes was but forty dayes abſent, and the people that had taſted 2 Tim. 4. 2. Act. 20. 31. Exod. 32. ſo lately and miraculouſly of Gods goodneſſe, fell to Idolatrie.

To proſecute this point: If men could indent with the Divell, to tempt but once in a moneth, or once in a quarter; preaching once in a Moneth were ſufficient; but if hee tempt continually, wee muſt preach continually, and you muſt heare continually, and wee all muſt be ſober and watch, ſo long as our adverſary the Divell goeth about like a roaring Lion, ſeeking whom to devoure. 1 Pet. 5. 8. The dragon with his tayle drew the third part of the ſtarres out of heaven, and caſt them to the ground; and the dragon is ready to devoure us, as ſoone as wee bee brought forth: but wee muſt reſiſt him▪ Reſiſt the Divell, and he will flie from you. So long as Ioas 1 Pet. 4. had Iehojada at his elbow, he did well, he walked uprightly in the ſight of the Lord. So long as Vzziah had Zechariah to teach him, he ſought God, and he underſtood the viſions of God, and God 2 Chron. 24. 2. 2 Chron. 26. 5. made him proſper; but they being taken away, Satan prevailed both with the one, and with the other.

Therefore the Word is compared to ſhowres; ſo ſaith Moſes, My doctrine ſhall drop as the raine, and my ſpeech ſhall ſtill as doth the dew, as the ſhowre upon the hearbs, and as the great raine upon the graſſe. Deut. 32. 2. The Word is compared to an hammer: Is not my Word like a fire (ſaith the Lord) and like an hammer that breaketh a ſtone. And it is compared to Wind; I ſaw (ſaith S. Iohn) an Angell ſtanding on the Ier. 23. 29. Apoc. 7. 1. Iohn 6. 27. foure corners of the earth holding the foure windes of the earth, that the windes ſhould not blow on the earth. And the word is compared to Food; hereupon ſaith our Saviour, Labour not for the meate that periſheth, but for that which will indure to eternall life: Graſſe groweth not greene with one ſhowre of raigne; knottie wood is not riven with one ſtroke; a ſhip ſaileth not with one blaſt; a Child groweth not to a man with one meale; and wee goe not to heaven with one ſermon; but with precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Eſa. 28. 10. line unto line; line unto line; that is, with doctrine upon doctrine, and wee muſt have one thing oft told. This meeteth with thoſe preachers and auditors, that make ſtrawberries of the Word, to have it once in a yeare, or once in a quarter; but it is Food, and every one muſt have his portion of meate in due ſeaſon, it is not ſtrawberries. It is alſo food, for that we muſt heare it often, it muſt be familiar unto us. There is a waſte in the body by reaſon of the heate in the ſtomacke and the liver, and therefore muſt be repaired with a freſh ſupply of meate; So there is a waſte in the ſoule, which muſt bee repaired with a ſupply of intellectuall meate, that is, the word. Sometime there is a waſte in the underſtanding, which is darkened; ſometime in the will and affections' Meditation & recordation meanes to enrich the ſoule. which are unruly; ſometime in the memory, which is brittle ſometime in our faith, which is weake; or in our love which is ſmall; or in our zeale, which may be cold; or in the minde which is earthly; or in the whole man which is lumpiſh, heavy, unfit for Coll. 1. Coll. 3. Hebr. 12. Luk. 17. Phil. 3. 19. any good thing.

Come therefore ſtill unto the Word, heare it ſtill, heare it to learne, and learne to remember it, and remember to follow it, and follow, to continue it; that I may ſay to this towne of Wallſham, as Chriſt ſaid to Zacheus houſe; This day is ſalvation come unto your towne. But as Lords and Barons never put on their Luk. 19. 9. Parliament robes, till they goe to the Parliament houſe: So wee put not on Religion till we goe to the Church, and there wee leave it till the next Sunday. We remember little and practiſe leſſe, like Cambridge Schollers, that leave their Logicke in Sophiſters hills till they returne againe. But wee muſt heare to bee put in remembrance; and though many bee ſoone wearie, yet muſt not wee. Be not weary of well doing (ſaith the Apoſtle) be not Gal. 6. wearie of hearing. I ſee many, that if they have a preacher in their towne on the Sunday, refuſe to heare any other on the weeke day, as though they could heare too much: Let the Word of God dwell in you plenteouſly; not as a gueſt for an houre, but as Col. 3. 16. an owner continually, which cannot be except we be put oft in remembrance, and heare often.

But in ſaying, I will put you in remembrance, he inſinuateth that they had forgotten theſe following examples: for wee are like the Oſtrich, that forgetteth her eggs in the duſt, like Partriches, Iob 29. Jer. 17. which gather the yong that be not theirs; like the bird Fulica, that forgetteth her neſt, and hatcheth ſtrange birds; like the Philoſopher that forgat his owne name: we had need therefore be put in remembrance, and often thinke, and meditate of the doctrines we have heard. Chriſtians muſt be like the cleane-beaſts that parted the hoofe and chewed the cud; ſo we muſt ruminate, and chaw that at home, and concoct that which we have heard in the Church. Marie laid up the words of the Shepheard, In her heart; we muſt learne of her: For the heart is Theſaurus, the Luk. 2. 17. treaſure-houſe to ſtore up all doctrines of life, and of ſalvation; the memorie is as a cheſt or coffer, if wee had never ſo great Iewells, yet if they be not ſafely kept, as well as truely gotten, all is loſt: not they that eate, but they that digeſt moſt, are the moſt healthfull; not they that get moſt, but they that keep moſt, are richeſt: So, not they that heare moſt, but they that remember moſt, are moſt edified. Our memories are like Bankrouts purſes, and like Danaides tunne, the one can hold no money, the other no liquor, and our memories can hold no doctrine. But let us ſtrive to remember, and as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, Whatſoever things are Phil. 4. 8. true, whatſoever things are honeſt, whatſoever things are iuſt, whatſoever things are pure, whatſoever things pertaine to love, whatſoever things God offereth mercy before hee inflicts iudgement. are of good report, if there be any vertue, if there be any praiſe, thinke on theſe things, which yee have both received and heard, &c.

But what are the things that Iude would remember them of? Three notable examples of Gods wrath he calleth to their remembrance: The firſt, of the Iſraelites: and therein obſerve with me three things.

Gods mercy in delivering them, the firſt.

His iuſtice in deſtroying them, the ſecond.

Their ſinne, the Cauſe of Gods iuſtice, the whetſtone unto it, the third and laſt.

But firſt, let us looke upon Gods mercy in their deliverance: for God beginneth with mercy, that is the firſt act, mercy is Alpha, Iuſtice is Omega, ſo David placeth it; For ſpeaking of Gods attribute, he placeth mercy in the foreward, Iuſtice in the rereward, ſaying, My ſong ſhall be of mercy and judgement. God is patient and Pſal. 110. 1. Rom. 2. 4. full of mercy. Paul calleth it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the riches of Gods mercy; God never uſeth Iuſtice, but when his mercy is deſpiſed; like a Prince, that ſendeth not his army againſt rebells, before he hath ſent his pardon, and proclaimed it by an Herauld of armes: like Tamberlaine, who the firſt day ſet up his white tents, and received all that came; the next day, blacke, betokening the death of the rulers; the third day, red, betokening the bloodſhed of all; So the Lord hath his white tents of mercy, his blacke and red of iuſtice and iudgement, if the one bee deſpiſed, the other ſhal be felt: hereupon ſaith Paul, But thou after thy hardneſſe, Rom. 2. 5. and heart which cannot repent, treaſureſt up unto thy ſelfe wrath againſt the day of wrath, and declaration of the iuſt iudgement of God; who will reward every man according to his works. More particularly, God delivered this people mercifully, yea miraculouſly, their ſhoulders from burdens, and their fingers from making of bricke, hee drew them out of a fiery oven, like the three children, he put off their ſacke-cloth, and girded them with gladneſſe, and compaſſed them about with ſongs of deliverance; hee carried them on the Wings of Eagles: He brought a vine out of Aegypt, hee caſt out the Heathen, and planted them in. Thou madeſt roome for it, and diddeſt Dan. 2. Exod. 19. Pſal. 80. 9, 10, 11. cauſe it to take roote, and it filled the land: She ſtretched out her branches unto the ſea, and her boughs unto the river. God ſeparated them from all the Sonnes of Adam: For the moſt high God, who divided to the nations their inheritance, kept them as the apple of his eye, And as an Eagle ſtirreth up her neſt, fluttereth over her birds, ſtretcheth out her wings, taketh them, and beareth them on her wings; So the Deut. 32. 8. 11, 12. Lord alone led Iſrael. But for orders ſake, I will divide the mercies of God into three ſeverall ſections or times:

Their deliverance in Aegypt, the firſt.

Their comming out of Aegypt, the ſecond.

Their deliverāce after they were come out, the third & the laſt. For Firſt, for their deliverance in Aegypt: firſt, it was much, that Gods judgements upon the Aegyptians God ſhould love them, being come of the Amorites and Hitites, wallowing in their blood, that he ſhould love them, and chooſe them for his people; as Moſes ſaid, The Lord your God did not ſet his love upon you, nor choſe you, becauſe yee were moe in number than Ezech. 16. 3. 6. Deut. 7, 8, 9. any people, for yee were the fewest of all people, but becauſe the Lord loved you. There was nothing in them, why God ſhould chooſe them, for they were no more righteous than others; and therefore ſaith Moſes againe unto them; Speake not thou in thy heart, ſaying, For my Cap. 9. 4, 5. Cap. 32. 9, 10, 11, 12. Exod. 1. righteouſneſſe hath the Lord brought me in to poſſeſſe this Land, &c. For thou ſhalt inherit this land, not for thy righteouſneſſe, or for thy upright heart, but for the wickedneſſe of thoſe nations, &c. Iſrael was Gods portion, Iacob the lot of his inheritance, hee found him in the land of the wilderneſſe, in a waſt and roring wilderneſſe, he led him about, he taught him, and kept him, as the apple of his eye. As an Eagle ſtirreth up her neſt, fluttereth over her birds, ſtretcheth out her wings, taketh them, and beareth them on her wings; So the Lord alone led him, and there was no ſtrange God with him. God multiplied them, not by meanes, but by miracle: For from ſeventy ſoules, they grew in few yeares to 600000. and which is more, the more that they were kept down, the more they proſpered, like to Camomill, the more it is troden, the more it groweth; or to a Palme-tree, the more it is preſſed, the further it ſpreadeth, or to fire, the more it is raked, the more it burneth. God gave them Moſes, and Aaron, and Miriam, Mich. 6. Pſal. 78. 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50. and God plagued the Aegyptians for their ſake, and did marvelous things in the land of Aegypt, even in the field of Zoan. He turned their rivers into blood, and their flouds, that they could not drinke; hee ſent a ſwarme of flies among them, which devoured them, and frogges which destroyed them; hee gave alſo their fruits unto the Caterpiller, and their labour unto the graſhopper, he deſtroyed their vines with haile, and their wild figgetrees with the haileſtone, he gave their cattell alſo to the haile, and their flockes unto the thunderbolts; hee caſt upon them the furiouſneſse of his anger, indignation, and wrath, and vexation, by the ſending of evill Angels; he made a way to his anger, hee ſpared not their ſoule from death, hee Act. 12. Exod. 8. 17. gave their life to the peſtilence. If it were much to eate up one man with lice, what is it to eate up a whole land? If it was much to Iohn 2. Exod. 7. 19. Gen. 19. 2 Reg. 6. turne water-pots into wine, what was it to turne all the waters of Aegypt into blood? If it was a great thing to ſmite a few Sodomites & Aramites with blindneſſe, what was it to ſmite a whole land with darkeneſſe? that no man could riſe for three dayes. So much for the benefits beſtowed upon them in Aegypt.

Now let us ſee, what he did for them in their deliverance out Exod. 10. Exod. 12. Gen. 50. 3. Ier. 31. 17. of Aegypt: In their deliverance he ſmote al the firſt borne in Aegypt, the chiefe of their ſtrength & paſſed by Iſrael; And wheras there was a great cry in Aegypt, like that for Iacob, for whom was made a great and an exceeding ſore lamentation; and like that of Rachel, who weeping for her children, would not be comforted, becauſe they were not; there was joy in the land of Goſhen; hee inclined the hearts of the Gods mercy to Iſrael after their deliverance out of Aegypt. Aegyptians to doe them good, and they received of them Iewels of ſilver, and Iewels of gold; hee ſtrengthened them ſo, that there was not one feeble perſon among them; Aegypt was glad at their departing, for the feare of them had fallen upon them. All the Idolls of Aegypt fell downe at their departure: even as all the oracles Pſal. 105. 38. of the world ceaſed at the comming of Chriſt, even that at Delphos, Dodo, Delos. God brought them as a vine out of Aegypt, God did caſt out the Heathen, and planted them, hee made Pſal. 80. 8, 9. a roome for them, and cauſed them to take roote, and they filled the land.

3. After their deliverance; when the red ſea was before them, the Aegyptians behind them, the mountaines on each ſide of them; God made a ready paſſage for them, And cauſed the ſea to runne Exod. 14 21, 22. backe by a ſtrong Eaſt winde all the night, and made the Sea dry land; for the waters were divided, and the children of Iſrael went thorough the middeſt of the Sea, upon the dry ground: but the Aegyptians purſuing them, Pſal 105. 39. Exod. 15. Cap. 16. Num. 20. Deut. 8. Num. 21. were drowned. He ſpread a cloud to be a covering, and fire to give light in the night; for God went before them in a cloudy pillar by day, and a fiery by night: he made the bitter waters ſweet, for their ſakes, and fed them with Angels food. Hee turned the rocke into a river, and the flint ſtone into a ſpringing well: their foote ſwelled not, and their cloathes waxed not old in forty yeares travell, and when they were bitten with fiery ſerpents, he cured them with a braſen ſerpent, a figure of Pſal. 136. 19, 20, 21. Chriſt. Hee ſlew great Kings for their ſakes; as Sehon King of the Amorites, and Og the King of Baſhan, and gave their land for an heritage, even an heritage to Iſrael his ſervant; hee dried up Iordan, that they might paſſe thorough it. Whereupon the Pſalmiſt uſeth a moſt elegant Proſopopopeia, Pſal. 114. 5, 6. ſaying, What ayleth thee, ô thou Sea, that thou fieddeſt, and thou Iordan that thou wert driven backe? Yee mountaines, why leaped yee like rammes, and yee hils as Lambes? God gave them Canaan, a land that flowed with milke and hony, as Iacob prophecied of Gen. 49. 11, 12, 13. Iuda, ſaying, Hee ſhall bind his Aſſe foale to the vine, and his Aſses colt unto the beſt vine; Hee ſhall waſh his garment in wine, and his cloake in the blood of grapes; his eyes ſhal be red with wine, and his teeth white with milke. For the land of Iudah, of all lands it was the fruitfulleſt. Moſes calleth it, A good land; and the goodneſſe of it, afterwards hee deſcribeth at large, and ſaith? A land in which are rivers of Deut. 8. 7, 8, 9, 10. waters, and fountaines, and depths, that ſpring out of vallies and mountaines; a land of wheat, and barly, of vineyards, and figge-trees, and pomegranats; a land of oyle olive and honie; a land wherein thou ſhlat eate bread without ſcarceneſſe, neither ſhalt thou lacke any thing therein: A land whoſe ſtones are iron, and out of whoſe mountaines thou ſhalt digge braſſe. But eſpecially God gave them his Law, to convert their ſoules, and his teſtimonies, which gave wiſdome unto the ſimple; Pſal. 19. 7, 8, 9. his ſtatutes that rejoyce the heart, and his Commandments that give light to the eyes, his feare which indureth for ever, & his iudgments which be righteous altogether; great in one word was their preferment; Gods bounty to England. For to them were committed the Oracles of God. To them alſo appertained, The adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the ſervice of God, and the promiſes, of whom are Rom. 3. 20. Cap. 9. 4, 5, 6. the fathers, and of whom concerning the fleſh Chriſt came, who is God over all bleſsed for ever. What ſhould I ſpeake of Ioſuahs trumpets, Ioſ. 6. Iudg. 7. Iudg. 3. Cap. 15. 2 Sam. 1. which blew downe Iericho? of Gedeons pitchards that diſcomfited the Madianites? Of Shamgars oxe-goad, which ſlew heapes upon heapes? Of Sampſons iaw-bone, that killed a whole army of Philiſtines? Of Ionathans bow, and Sauls ſword, that never returned emptie?

Let us apply all this to our ſelves, whom God hath laded with bleſſings, ſo that we have cauſe to ſay with the Iſraelites, Prayſed be the Lord, even the God of our ſalvation, which ladeth us daily with benefits: For God hath turned the captivity of our Engliſh Sion as Pſal. 68. 19. Pſal. 126. 1. the rivers of the South. As after a Nero, God gave a Veſpaſian, after Commodus a Severus, after a Siſera a Debora, after a Saul a David, after an Ahaz an Ezechias, and after a Domitian a Trajane, and a Nerva; So after a Marie, an Elizabeth, a princely Iames, under whoſe governments we have ſate ſafely theſe many yeares, under our figge-trees and vine-trees from Dan to Beerſheba, from the one end of the land unto the other, his eyes have beene over us, as over the land of Chanaan, from the beginning of the yeare to the end of it. Hee hath troden downe the Northerne rebells, with Parrie, Somervile, Ardington, Lopas, Hacket, Madder, Burney, hee hath put their life downe to the ground, and laid their honour in the duſt; he hath made them a portion for the Foxes, they are paſſed, as water, molten, &c. Pſal. 58.

Of late Balak of Spaine had deviſed our deſtruction, Balaam of Rome had curſed us; at his commandement ſubtle Achitophel had conſpired abroad, unnaturall Abſalom roſe up at home, and aſpiring Adonia would have the Shunamite to wife; but from all theſe God hath delivered us. We have ſeene France maſſacred, Flanders with civill warres diſtreſſed; Germanie grieved; Scotland divided; onely we ſtand ſtill as an oake of Baſhan. Pray, that God ſtretch not over us the line of Samaria, as 2 Reg. 21. 13. God hath bleſſed us above many others; his wiſe mercy is in our Parliaments Reg. 21. 13. and governments, as in Iſrael, Deut. 4. His learned mercie in our Schooles and Vniverſities, as in Naioth, 2 Reg. 2. His ſtrong mercies in our Caſtles and bulwarks, as in Iuda, Soph. 1. His peaceable mercies in our Townes and Cities, as was ſaid of Ieruſalem; Mich. 4. 3, 4. Zaeb. 8. 4. 5. They ſhall breake their ſwords into mattockes, and their ſpeares into ſcithes, nation ſhall not lift up ſword againſt nation, neither ſhall they learne to fight any more: But old men and old Women ſhall dwell in the ſtreets of Ieruſalem, and every man his ſtaffe in his hand for very age, and the ſtreetes of the Citie shalbe full of boyes and girles playing in the middeſt thereof. His rich mercies in our fields and granaries; for he maketh our vallies ſo thicke with corne, that men doe laugh and Contemners of Gods mercy grievouſly puniſhed. ſing; he crowneth the yeare with his goodneſſe, and the clouds drop fatneſſe; they drop upon the paſtures of the wilderneſſe, and the hills ſhall be compaſſed with gladneſſe. Would God, wee were halfe thankefull for ſo great bleſſings, that every one of us could ſay with David, Pſal. 65. 11. Praiſe the Lord, ô my ſoule, and all that is within me praiſe his holy name: Praiſe the Lord, ô my ſoule, and forget not all his benefits. Pſal. 103. 1, 2.

Yee heard before of Gods mercy in delivering the people, now are we come to Gods iuſtice in deſtroying them (yee once know this, that after the Lord had delivered the people out of Aegypt, he deſtroyed them.) Firſt, God ſhooteth paper, ſecondly bullet, if men yeeld not, primùm ubera, deinde, verbera oſtendit; firſt, he openeth his breſts, after ſhewes us his rods: firſt, by his Miniſters, as by heraulds, he proclaimeth pardon, after he ſendeth an army to deſtroy. The Lord (ſaith the Prophet) is ſlow to anger, but he is great in power, and will not ſurely cleere the wicked; the Lord hath his way in the whirlewind, Nahum 1. 3, 4, 5, 6. and in the ſtorme, and the clouds are the duſt of his feet: Hee rebuketh the Sea & drieth it, & he drieth up all the rivers. The mountaines tremble for him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burnt at his ſight; yea the world, and all that dwell therein: who can ſtand before his wrath? if his wrath be kindled, yea, but a little, bleſſed are all they that put their truſt in him. God telleth the Idumaeans, Though thou exalt thy ſelfe like an Eagle, and make thy neſt among the ſtarres, thence will I bring thee downe, ſaith Obadiah verſ. 4. the Lord. Paul applieth the example of Gods juſtice on Iſrael to the Church of Corinth, and all Churches; I would not have you ignorant (quoth he) that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all paſſed thorough the Sea, &c. but with many of them God was not pleaſed; for 1 Cor. 10. 1. 5. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. they were overthrowne in the wilderneſse. Now theſe are examples to us, to the intent that wee ſhould not luſt after evill things as they lusted; neither be yee idolaters, as were ſome of them; As it is written, the people ſate downe to eate and drinke, and roſe up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as ſome of them committed fornication, and fell in one day three and twenty thouſand, neither let us tempt Chriſt, as ſome of them alſo tempted him, and were deſtroyed of ſerpents; neither murmure yee, as ſome of them murmured, and were deſtroyed of the deſtroyer. Now all theſe things came unto them for examples; and were written to admoniſh us, upon whom the ends of the world are come. The continuance of Gods mercy for a long time, doth not aſſure us of perpetuall ſafety, but of greater deſtruction if we beleeve not: Quantò gradus altior, tantò caſus gravior, the higher we are in dignity the more grievous our fall and miſery; as was ſaid of the whore of Babylon, Inaſmuch as ſhee glorified herſelfe, and lived in pleaſure, ſo much give yee to Apoc. 18. 7. Mat. 11. 23. Ier. 18, 18. 21. her torment and ſorrow. And ſo Capernaum that was lift up to heaven, was threatned to bee throwne downe to hell. The Iewes thought that the dignity of their Prieſthood ſhould have continued for ever, and therefore they ſaid, The law ſhall not periſh from the prieſt, nor counſell from the wiſe, nor the word from the Prophet. Therfore ſaith God, deliver up their children to famine, and let them drop away The higher exalted the lower dejected if impious. by force of the ſword, and let their wives be robbed of their children, and be widdowes, and let their husbands be put to death, and let the yong men be ſlaine with the ſword in the battell. They bragged of Moſes, that he was their teacher, they boaſted of Abraham and a ſucceſſion from Abraham; but Iohn anſwereth them, ſaying, Say not to your ſelves, wee have Abraham to our father: For God is able of theſe ſtones to raiſe up children to Abraham, of them came the Fathers, of them came Luk. 3. 8. Chriſt, yet were they not all Iſrael that came of Iſrael, neither are they all children becauſe they are the ſeed of Abraham.

This augmented the puniſhment of Iſrael, that God had beene ſo good unto them; for every bleſſing is as good, as a bill of enditement preferred againſt us, at the great Aſſiſe-day: for liſten what God himſelfe ſaith, O my people, what have I done unto thee, Michea 6. 3. 14, 15. or wherin have I grieved thee? testify againſt me; ſurely I brought thee up out of the land of Aegypt, and redeemed thee out of the houſe of ſervants; I have ſent before thee, Moſes, Aaron, Miriam. And thus the Lord goeth on, intimating unto them, that hee never hurt them, but beſtowed infinite bleſſings and benefits upon them; but becauſe they miſuſed them, God threatneth them, That they ſhall eate and not be ſatisfied, and thy caſting downe ſhall be in the middeſt of thee; meaning, that they ſhall be conſumed with inward griefe and evill; and further he threatneth them, ſaying, Thou ſhalt ſow, but not reape; thou ſhalt tread the Olives, but thou ſhalt not annoint thee with oyle; and make ſweet wine, but ſhalt not drinke wine. This alſo augmented the puniſhment of Eli's houſe, that whereas God did chuſe him out of all the tribes of Iſrael to bee his Prieſt, and to offer upon Gods Altar, and to burne Incenſe, and to weare an Ephod before God, yet becauſe he honoured his children more than God, God 1 Sam. 2. 28. 31. threatned to cut off his arme, and the arme of his Fathers houſe, and that there ſhould not be an old man in his houſe for ever. Eſay and Michah propheſied unto Iuda ſixty yeares; Hoſea and Amos in Iſrael ſeventy yeares, yet God ſealed neither the one nor the other an obligation of perpetuall mercy; The one was carried into Aſſyria, a captivity irreturnable; the other into Babylon, where they 2 Reg. 17. 6. Pſal. 137. Amos. 8. 10. could not ſing the Lords ſongs in a ſtrange land; God turned their ſongs into mournings, and their feaſts into lamentations. The Papiſts ſpeake of our overthrowes in Ireland, as the Syrians ſaid that God was the God of Iſrael in the mountaines, but not in the vallies: So they ſay, he is our God in England but not in Ireland; they ſay, that hee was a God in the beginning of the Queenes raigne, but not now, Zidkia of Rome (the Ieſuites) have made them hornes of iron, as 1 Reg. 22. 11. ſaying, that they will puſh England; Herod of Rome hath ſent us word of our deſtruction; but if wee repent, we may anſwere him, as Chriſt did Herod, Goe yee Luk. 13. 32. Mat. 9. 15. and tell the Foxe, &c. Wee are the children of the wedding, and therefore cannot mourne yet. The arrow of our deliverance is as yet in the Kings hands againſt the Aramites, the Papiſts: If wee Where God ſpareth long he puniſheth more if impenitent. repent, all our enemies ſhall be but the Thiſtles of Lebanon; but if we bring not forth the fruits of the Goſpell, wee may rather weepe with Eliſha, to thinke what evill Hazael (the Papiſts) will doe to the Church of God. Surely God will do to us as to Iſrael; God bare long with them, but afterwards he deſtroyed them. 2 Reg. 14. 9. 2 Reg. 8. 11, 12. God hath hands of iron, and feere of lead, hee commeth ſlowly but when he commeth, he payeth ſurely: Deus tardus eſt ad iram, ſed tarditatem gravitate poenae compenſat; God is ſlow to anger, but he recompenſeth his ſlowneſſe, with grievouſneſſe of puniſhment. Hereupon ſaith Paul, But thou after thy hardneſſe, and heart that cannot repent, heape unto thy ſelfe wrath against the day of Rom. 2. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. wrath, and declaration of the iuſt iudgement of God, who will reward every man according to his works: To them which by continuance in wel-doing, ſeeke glory and honour and immortality, eternall life; but unto them that are contentious, and diſobey the truth, and obey unrighteouſneſſe, ſhall be indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguiſh ſhal be upon the ſoule of every man that doth evill. Looke not to the beginning of ſinne, but the end of it, the roote of it is a careleſſe hard heart: and therefore we are commanded to exhort one another daily, while it is called Hebr. 3. 13. to day, leſt we be hardened with the deceitfulneſſe of ſinne: the flower of it is ſweet for a time, and therefore called by the Author of the Epiſtle to the Hebrewes, The pleaſures of ſinne: the ſight of it is like Heva her apple, which was faire and pleaſant to the eye; the taſte of Hebr. 11. 25. Gen. 3. 6. 1 Sam. 14. 17. Luk. 3. 7. it is like Ionathans hony combe, which cleered his eyes, which before were dimme for wearineſſe and hunger; the committing of it, is like the birth of a viper, which eateth out the belly of her damme; the ſting of it as the ſting of an Aſpe, pleaſant at the Rom. 3. Cap. 6. 21. 23. firſt, and brings a man aſleepe, but the fruit of it, is ſhame in this life. And therefore (ſaith the Apoſtle) what fruit had yee of thoſe things, whereof yee are now aſhamed? meaning their ſinnes: and the end of it in the life to come is hell fire, For the wages of ſinne is death. For ſinne is as a Tyrant which raigneth by force, and at laſt rewardeth his ſervants with death and damnation. Thus the root, the flower, the ſight, the taſt, the ſting, the fruit, the end of ſinne, all is damnable.

Behold this monſter, this Aeſops ſnake, the uglineſſe of ſinne, in Nabuchadenezzar, transformed from a man to a beaſt; The terror Dan. 4. 1 Sam. 15. of it, in Agag the Amalekite; The folly of it, in Salomons young man; whom Salomon derideth notably, ſaying, Rejoyce thou yong man, in thy youth, and walke in the wayes of thine heart, and in the ſight of thine Eccleſ. 11. 9. eyes, but know, that for all theſe things God will will bring thee to iudgement; The bitterneſſe of it, in the rich men named by Iames; Goe to, yee rich men, weepe and howle for your miſeries that ſhall come upon Iam. 5. 1, 2, 3. you, your riches are corrupt, your garments moat-heaten, your gold and ſilver is canckred, and the ruſt of it ſhal be a witneſse againſt you, and it ſhall eate your fleſh, as it were fire; The unſtableneſſe of it, in the Amalekites, now dauncing, now dead; The reward of it, in the fooles named God puniſheth not the reprobate till ſinne be at the fall. by Salomon; The end of it, in the rich glutton, who for his ſinne lieth frying in hell in torments. The life of the godly is as a Comedie, dolefull at the firſt, but joyfull at the laſt. So ſaith David, They that ſow in teares ſhall reape in ioy; they went weeping, and carried precious ſeed, but they ſhall returne with 1 Sam. 30. VViſd. 5. Luk. 16. Pſal. 126. 5. 6. ioy, and bring their ſheaves. But the life of the wicked is cleane contrary; that is as a Tragedie, dolefull at the laſt: ſo ſaith our Saviour; Woe be to you, that laugh, for yee ſhall wayle and weepe: and Luk. 6. 25. Pro. 22. 8. Salomon affirmeth, That hee that ſoweth iniquity, ſhall reape affliction: and the rod of his anger ſhall faile: that is, his authority whereby hee did oppreſſe others, ſhall bee taken from him: and Paul ſaith, That they which ſow in the fleſh, ſhall of the fleſh reape corruption (afterwards:) this afterwards marres all; after all pleaſure commeth paine and deſtruction. So ſaid Abraham, to Dives; Sonne, remember Luk. 16. 25. that thou in thy life time receivedſt thy pleaſure, contrarily, Lazarus paine; now is he comforted, and thou art puniſhed. The pride of Adam was turned into labour and ſorrow; The ſtoutneſſe of Nimrod into confuſion; The beauty of Abſalom into hanging; The ſtrength of Goliah into ſhame; The envie of Caine into deſolatition, Gen. 3. Cap. 10. 2 Sam. 16. 1 Sam. 17. hee wandred like a Rogue; Nec in caeteris eſt contrarium videre; and we may behold the ſame in the reſt, when they have added drunkenneſſe to thirſt, afterwards commeth God and deſtroyeth them, he wayteth for the ripeneſſe of our ſinnes, before he plucke us off the tree, or cut us off the earth, he tarieth till we be dry, before hee burneth us: till wee be fat, before hee ſlay us; till wee bee withered, before hee hew us downe. Therefore is it ſaid, that the earth was full of cruelty, that the ſinne of Sodome was Gen. 6. Gen. 18. Amos 8. great, that the ſinnes of Iſrael were as ripe apples: and when our ſinnes be once ripe, God will cut us downe, with the ſcithe of his wrath, and hacke us downe with the axe of his vengeance.