THE whole booke of God writtē by his finger, deliuered by his power, inspired by his spirit, and revealed by his will, is as Cassio­dore obserueth, Schola coelest is, e­ruditio vitalis, auditorium veri­tatis, disciplina singularis, profi­table to teach, to instruct, to re­proue, to correct, that the man of God may be per­fect in al good works: whatsoeuer is contained in this booke, God hath reuealed to man, [...] is become [...], secretum, relatum, nay not only relatum but revelatum, The whole booke from Genesis to the Reue­lation is the Genesis of a Revelation, here beginneth the Exodus the end, termination, complement, accom­plishment of the Reuelation. Iob may conceaue Secre­ta Dei, Iob. 11.6. Daniel may obserue abscondita Dei. Dan. 2.22. The Apostle may discerne profunda Dei, 1. Cor. 2.10. And Paule wrapped vp to the thirde hea­uens may heare arcana Dei, 2. Cor. 12.4. But now se­creta, profunda, arcana, abscondita, be revelata. The Aenigma is disclosed, the knot vnloosed, the mysteries interpreted, the vaile remoued, all things reuealed, & he that was vailed in the flesh is reuealed in the spirit, and in this booke, is the manifestation of our God & of his will, of the Lambe, and of his life, of the spirit, and [Page 2]of his truth, of his seales, trumpets, angels, viols, thun­ders, lightnings, threatnings, iudgements of heauē, hel, the earth, the sea, consumption, destruction, dissoluti­on, desolation and final consumation of the world.

Jf the whole Scripture may bee called the Librarie of the holy Ghost, then this is the Closet of that libra­rie, if the Lanthorne of Jsrael, then this is the light of that Lanthorne, if the Alphabet of God, then this is then of that Alphabet, this is the ende of his booke, who is the beginning and the end, the last of his book, who is the first and the last, the Ω of his booke, who is α and Ω, the Amen of his booke, who is yea and Amen. The holyest place not more worthily called sanctum sanctorum, or the Iubile Sabbatum sabbatorum, or the Canticles Cantica Canticorum, or Empireum Coelū Coe­lorum, I say not more truely called so, then this Revela­tio Revelationum, the Compendium and Epitome of all the works, wonders, secrets, depths, and misteries of God, so that as a father well speaketh of the whole scripture,Hugo. I may also in particular speake of this Apo­calips, pascit miraculis, oraculis, figuris, verbis, myste­rijs, Greg. Morall And as Manna as Gregory obserueth, habet omne delectamentum, & omnis saporis suauitatem, so I may speake of this booke of the Reuelation, (which is the hid Manna, kept long in the Arke, inter arcana, and now manifested among Reuelata.) O then come, and see, and see heare, and taste how good and sweete this Manna is, it wil giue to euerie man his gust & rellish, if yee be ignorant here yee may be instructed, if weak, heare yee may be strengthned, if feareful, here ye may be hartened, if fighting here yee may be comforted, if [Page 3]triumphing, here yee maie be crowned, and more thē this, here is the greatest blessing pronounced that e­ver was to anie booke, Blessed is he that readeth,Revel 1. & he that heareth, and he that vnderstandeth, and hee that keepeth the words of this booke.

Out of this book & out of that Manna of this booke haue J chosen this portion of scripture, as a portion of meate in due season, which if you wil staye till J haue prepared it for you, J will present it to bee panem nostrum hodiernum, or rather, panem nostrum quotidi­anum. He that overcometh and keepeth my workes to the end to him wil I giue power ouer nations. what subiect more sit for Heroicall spirits then an encitement to chiualtrie, nay what subiect maie speake of a fitter subiect before a most royal King, then of a kingdome. Be­holde both these in this Hee that ouercometh &c. Hee that ouercometh, here a christian is made a conque­rour, and keepeth my woorks to the end, hereof a Con­querour he is made a Continuer, J wil giue him power ouer nations, hereof a Continuer he is made a king. He that ouercometh here hee is approued a Christian and keepeth my woorkes, here hee is a Catholike, I will giu [...] him power over nations, here he is Defēder of the faith A Conquerour, a Continuer, a King, a Christian, Ca­tholike, Defender of the faith. In a woorde in these woords ye shal finde, a Conflict, & a Conquest, Mar­tyres miserie, Saints dignitie, the state of seruants, in this life laborious, the state of Saints in the life to cōe glorious, a precept to take vp the Crosse, a promise of the Crowne, an exhortation from God to man, a Cō pensation for man from God. All this in these wordes [Page 4] hee that ouercometh and keepeth my woorkes to the ende I will giue him power ouer nations.

Obserue breefly these 2 parts praelium & pramium, Diuis. praelium admortem; praemium advitam, a warre, and a rewa [...]d, warre to the end, the end of that end to be re­warded, In praelio, in the warrfare obserue, 1 that the true Christian must ouercome,Subdiuis. He that ouercometh, 2. that he must continue, and keepe my workes to the end, in praemio, the reward, obserue 1. the giuer promising. I will giue him. 2. the gift promised▪ power ouer nations [...]hus you see the body and soule, the heauen & earth of my Text, the parts and particular circumstance, thereof, of al which in their order, and first of the first. He that ouercometh.

Man the Modell of the worlde in respect of his mi­serie, 1. Obs. hath his life cōpared to things most momētary. by Eschilus to smoak, by Varro to a bubble, by Crates to hey, by Socrates to a Iourney, by Epictetus to a Tor­rent, by Pindarus to a shadowe, by Plutarch to a Flower by Petrarch to a feather, by Iacob to a Pilgrimage. Gen. 47.9. wherin is casualtie by Dauid to a span. Psa. 39.5. wherein is breuitie by Hosea, to a cloud, Hosea. 13.3. wherein is mutabilitie, by Paul to a Race. 2. Tim. 4.7. wherin is Celeritie, by Iames to a vapour. Iames 4.13. wherin is inconstancie, & by Iob to a warfare. Iob. 7.7. wherin is much conflicting miserie, God that is him­selfe, a man of warre, Exod. 15.3. made man also to bee a man of warre. Gen. 3.15. put emnitie betweene the woman and the serpent, & betweene the feed of the woman and the feed of the serpent. In the 3. of Gene­sis you maie see the begining of this warre, there was [Page 5]the first quarrell about the first broken head, Genes. 3.15. hee shall breake thine head▪ and thou shalt bruise his heele. here vpon the challenge was proclaymed, the Campe pitched, the battell fought, and the hatred continued euen to this houre. Herevpon God prouided for man an armour, knighted him a Christian, prepared the Cross for his ensigne, blood for his Colours, Christ for his Captaine, and taught his hands to fight, & his fin­gers to battel, so that now Iob maie trulie speake Militia est vita hominis super terram, non super coelum qui super coelum triumphant, non sub terra qui sub terra quie scūt sed super terram quia qui super terram pugnāt Tsaba as the Hebrews read a continuall dimication, or [...] as the Greekes a Piracie by sea & a Con­spiracie by land or a temptation, as the septuagint trā ­slate it, a Conflict, Combat, battel, a warring agoniz­ing kinde of life, in which al quoad maius & minus haue their partes as Petrarch obserueth, Hic in castris, ille in Rostris, in scholis, in memore an agro, in pelago, in pa­lat so: hic ferro corpus, ille animum dolis, hic argutijs lin­guam armat, hic pedibus, ille equo, hic currit, ille nauigat omnes militant. Many striue saith the Apostle but one receaueth the Crowne, so many sight but there is but one sort of souldiers that receaue the reward. Benaiah was honorable among thirtie but he attained not to the first 3, And so many a Benatah may fight and yet in fighting not attaine to the holie warfare of the Trini­tie, which is the first three. Therefore as there is a Soe runne that ye maie obtaine, so also is there soe fight that yee maie ouercome, Non pugnanti, sed vincenti, Not to him that fighteth, but to him that ouercom­meth [Page 6]the aime, the marke, the scope, the end, the Cy­nosura the Causa Causae of our fighting to ouercome. To him that ouercommeth. But is man able to over­come, hath he power to wil, wil to desire, desire to effect, effect to continue. Hath he strength to stand that is so weake, force to fight, that is so wearie, meanes to ouercome, that is so vnworthie. The Pelagian and his heire apparant of that heresie Bellarmine in his 5. book de gratia & libero arbitrio, Bel▪ lib. 5. de gra. & lib. arb. answere that man though he be seeble, weake, wearie, vnworthie, yet hath he liberty, and strength, and free wil to run, & to continue and perseuere, else were al precepts and exhortations and expositions and reproofes altogither in vaine. For as the Pedestri senatores among the Papists aske what follie were it to exhort, or commande vs, to doe that which is not within our power, or liberty to performe, it were as if a man should exhort one to runne, which were fast inclosed in a prison. For answere whereunto I saie Austine by anticipation in his booke de gratia & libero arbitrio, answereth Bell. argument in his booke de gratia & libero arbitrio. Ideo Deus, &c. Therefore God commaundeth somewhat that man cannot doe, that man maie learne to seeke abilitie of God to doe it, Fides enim impetrat quod lex imperat, for faith ob­taines from God by praier, what God prescribeth to man by law. So that the Imperatiue in God begets an Optatiue in man, not an Operatiue: and therfore whē in David in one verse,Psal. 119. we read Tu praecepisti, thou hast charged that we should keepe thy commandements, hee addeth vtinam sic vie meae parentur, O that my waies were made so direct, that I might keepe thy sta­tures, [Page 7]his commande excitants gratia, his assistance operans gratiam. Commandement maie extende fur­ther then strength, but Gods assistance stretcheth as far as his commandement. He hath not only in an A­ctiue commāded Reuertere Returne, but also in a Pas­siue Convertere, be thou conuerted, and therefore mans power is neuer operant vnlesse God be Coope­rant. We are al as spring lockes, shut wee can of our selues, not open, for our naturales Potentiae, Aquin. as the schooles speake, be become naturales impotentiae, and as S. Austine speaketh, Libero arbitrio male vtens ho­mo & se perdidit & ip sum. So that whosoeuer will as­cende Iacobs ladder must acknowledge still Dominus super scalā, and howsoeuer the sword of the Lord and the sword of Gedeon maie goe togither, yet the hand of Gedeon or the sword in his hand, or the edge on his sworde is not able to pierce vnlesse God giue power, Non enim tam agimus quam à Deo agimur, Zanch. saieth Zanchius, for man is not so properlie said to doe good, as to be compelled to doe it by the good spirit of God. And the Apostle teacheth, that it is not in him that willeth or in him that runneth, but in God which en­ableth vs, we can doe al things. Austen endeth al this in his 3. booke de lib. Arbit. 16. Esay. Deus & velle praecepit & posse praebuit et non impune nolle permisit. God commands all men to be willing, he giueth vnto some his grace to be able, he permitteth others to re­maine vnwilling but neuer to remaine vnpunished. And therfore our prayer must be as the same fathers is, Da Domine quod iubes & iube quod vis, giue vs O Lord abilitie to doe what thou commandest, and cō ­maunde [Page 8]what thou wilt, for without thee our know­ledge is ignorance, our power is infirmitie, our sight is blindnes, our light is darknes, our strength is weak­nesse. But J have founded a retrait too longe from my warfare, he that ouer commeth.

The heathens had sundrie times, at which they did especially practise militarie actions, and points of chi­ualtie, & had their Nemea, Istmia, Pythia, & Olympia, in which they did exercise striuing, wrestling, runing, fighting, and other feats of Martialisme. The verie sāe exercises hath God appointed for his seruāts, he hath appointed them to runne, 1. Cor. 9.24. per viam man datorum. Ps. 119.32. per viam patientiae. Heb. 12.1. he hath appointed them to resist. Eph. 6.13. in fide. 1. Pet. 1.9. In sanguine. Heb. 12.4. hee hath appointed them to wrestle. Eph. 6.12. vs (que) ad auroram. Gen. 32.35. adversus principatus, adversus potestates, adversus mūdi d [...]minos. adversus spirituales astutias. Eph. 6.12. hee hath appointed vs to fight. Iob. 14.14. non secundum carnē. 2. Cor. 10.3. sed bonam militiam militare 1. Tim. 1.18. and in all these the life of a Christian is a busie, stirring, agonizing trade of life, a pressing to the marke a striuing to enter in at the narrowe gate, and a vio­lēt suprising of the kingdome of heauen. So the doct­rine hence to be obserued is this,Doct. that Christianitie is not a licētious, or a libertine like securitie but an earn­est, painful, watchful, Conflicting, Combating life.

And whosoeuer wil vndergoe this & be cōtēted to take presse mony in this warfaring life shalbe sure to haue God stil helping strengthning, encouraging, Cō ­forting, and assisting, so that what is faynedly reported [Page 9]of Pindarus to be continuallie assisted by Apollo, Ly­curgus by Pithia, Numa by Aegeria, Socrates, by his Genius, Phiddias by his Iupiter, and Philemon by the Muses, may more truelie be said of the Lord our God, who doeth continuallie assist his seruants to the last of their life to ouercome.

Manie things are said to ouercome, the word of God to ouercome man, that word made man to ouercōe for man, man himselfe by repentance and praier to o­uercome God, by faith, hope, & charitie, to ouercome al spiritual aduersaties. The word of God powerful to ouercome strong holdes: and to cast downe and ouer­throw euerie high thing, 2. Cor. 10.5. witnes Niniueh imperious, insolent, intollerable Niniueh, Niniueh, the imperial cōmander of the Easterne parts, prowde of her wals and bulwarks, Niniveh the mother Cittie of Assiria, the Metropolis of the Countrie, the goldē head of the picture, the glorie of the earth, the seate of the Empire, the Ladie of the East, and the Queene of the Nations, so strong, so potent, ouercome with this word, yet fortie daies and Niniveh shalbe destroied. The message▪ of their ouerthrow, ouerthrew the mes­suage saith Chrysost. the prophecie fel, the Cittie fel not because her fal was prophecied, Vincit verbū. The word made man, ouercame for man. Christ saith, Ioh. 16. I haue ouercome the world, witnesse, that bloodie conflict, when Mount Calvary was the field, the Crosse the bloody banner, his blessed body the weapon of his warfare, his anguishes his armies, My God why haste thou forsaken me, the Trumpet, his death, the life, his miserie, the victorie, his crucifying, the conquest, his [Page 10] Tortours the Triumph, Vincit Christus. Repentance o­vercommeth. Affliction is said to ouercome man, and Repentance is somewaie said to ouercome God, for as Affliction causeth man to turne to God; so repetance causeth God to turne to man. Apostrophe in man frō God breeds Apostrophe in God, from man, Epistro­phe in man to God begets Epistrophe in God to man. Repentance in man begets Repentance in God, non per naturam sed per effectum, though the heauens bee readie to plague vs, the sun & moone to raigne downe blood vpon vs, the fire hote burning coles, the aire I hunderbolts, the earth readie to swallow vs, the wa­ter to drowne vs, hel to deuour vs: nay, al the hosts of the God of hosts, to ouercome vs, yet by faithfull re­pentance wee ouercome them all. Vincit Peniten­tia. Praier doth ouercome. For it is not onlie Angelis solatium, Aug. Daemonibus flagellum, animae praesidiū, as Au­stine speaketh. But it is more, it is Eliahs key, Moyses rod, Iacobs sword and bow, Davids shield and speare, the most powerful of al the weapons of a Christian. I wil fetch but one drop from the Ocean, to proue this. When Egypt was smitten, and Pharaoh plagued, and their waters, and riuers, and streames, and ponds, and pooles, and vessels of stone, were silled with blood, and frogs, and lice, and botches, and soares, and haile, and thunder, and lightning, and grashoppers, & morreine, and darknes, were sent vpon the Countrie, By Moyses praiet they were remoued, dispersed, scattered demo­lished, vtterlie dissipated as the dust before the winde. Vincit Oratio, Oratio paenetrat coelū. So might I speak of faith, hope, and charitie, which be most forcible, sin­guler, [Page 11]effectual, powerful, energeticallie potent, I had almost said omnipotent in the trials, trauils, battels, warfare, combates, conflicts, conquests, victories, tri­umphs, trophes of the Saints.

To end this point God hath made man a Christian, and dubd euerie Christian a knight,Eph. 6. prouided him the armor of God, nay God for his armor, giuen spirite to his sword, for it is the sword of the spirit, giuen safety to his helmet, for it is the helmet of saluation, righte­ousnesse for his brestplate, for it is the brest plate of righteousnesse, faith for his shield, for it is the shield of faith, veritie for his girdle, for it is the girdle of veritie, giuen him the Gospel of Peace for his feet, for his feet bee shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. This is now that Complete knight, Hauing on his feet spurs guilt with his blood, who tooke awaie the guilt of the law, on his head, a helmet saluation, on his hart, a brest plate righteousnesse, on his loines, a girdle veritie, in his hand, a sword the spirit, on his whole bo­die a robe, the seamelesse garment the Lord Iesus Christ, and vpon this garment putting on an armour, Armaturam Dei. naie more, Armaturam Deum, the whole armour of God, naie whole God for his Ar­mour. Euerie man is this Christian, euerie true Chri­stian must thus arme, watch, stand, run, wrestle, resist, striue, fight and ouercome.

The vse of the doctrine is to encite al the seruāts of the Lord to be Martialists to be souldiers in this wic­ked world. Our life is militia, Vse. we haue an oath sacramentū militiae, we haue an armour Armaturam militiae we haue a place locum militiae, we haue a combat luct­am [Page 12]militiae, we haue a reward coronam militiae, our dā ­gers diuerse, our conflicts mightie, our adversaries many,Cic. pro Arch Poet. Nihil horū ora vultus mouerunt? within vs guil­ty consciences oppressing vs, before vs trapps for our destruction to ensnare vs, behind vs memorie of sinns past to torture vs, ouer our heads, the wrath of God to terrifie vs, vnder our feet the dungeon of damnation, to entrappe vs, the flesh insulting, the world triumph­ing, the deuil tempting, sinne slinging, Nihil horum ora vultus (que) mouerunt? Wel my beloued at the length Arise, arme your selues fight the Lords battels. Alex­ander the yonge Prince did more earnestly desire to learn, because Arist. the Prince of Philosophers taught him, And the souldiers did more streniously fight be­cause that the renowned Alexander did lead them Beloued your Arist. is Alexander, your Alexander is Christ, hee doth teach you to fight and doth fight to teach you, In him yee are Conquerours, by him yee are more then Conquerours. Neuer did any Conque­rour so victoriously, if you fight as ye haue him for an example. The Philistin with his speare, the Israelite with his slinge, the Indian with his darre, the Persian with his bow, the Schithian with his launce, the Mir­madon with his strength was neuer able to be so pow­erfull in conflict as thou mayst bee, And as the conflict is victorious so the victorie is as glorious, neuer had Moses such a victorie ouer the Caananits, Ioshua ouer 31. kingly Captaines, Israel ouer the Philistins, Da­uid ouer the Amalekits, Alex. ouer the Barbariās, The­mistocles ouer the Persians, Aemilius ouer the Mace­donians, Marcellus ouer the Sithiās, or Scipio ouer the [Page 13] Carthaginians, as thou maist thy selfe obtaine by thy Christ. O thē who would not in a spiritual ambitiō de­sier so to triūph, so to Celebrat his Trophies. But yet if any wil desire this, let him remember the tenour of his knights seruice is the Crosse, and as the Romans coulde not come to the temple of honour, but by the Temple of vertue, so hee by noe meanes can come to the Crowne but by the Crosse. Hee must come to fight before hee fight to ouercome. He must ouercome the world, the deuil, the flesh, in the world, he must ouer­come himselfe a little world, in himselfe he must ouer­come his tongue a world of wickednes, himselfe a little world in the great worlde, his tongue a great worlde in that little world, a world of wickednesse. Iames 3.6. If he can ouercome the world and himselfe, he shalbe able to ouercome tribulation, anguish, persecution, famine, nakednesse, perill, sword, life, death, angels, prin­cipalities, powers, things present, or things to come, height or depth, or any other creature especially if he be able to ouercome & to hold fast til C. come. For the promise is made to him that ouercometh and keepeth my workes to the end, and so J end this point & come to shew that wee must ouercome to the end.

Not the hearers but the the doers of the lawe are iustified. Rom. 2.13.2. Obs. 1. part. Not the doers for a time but the continuers, beyond time, the faithful vnto the death, Reu. 2.10 Many herd C who vnderstood him not, so the vulgar Iewes, many vnderstood him who beleued him not so the Scribes & Pharises, many beleeued him who profest him not so the Hypocrite, many professed him for a time, but after fel away so the Apostats. This an­swereth [Page 14]al Iewes-Scribes Pharisais Hypocrits & Apo­states, hee that keepeth my workes to the end. Not hear­eth but keepeth, not words, but workes not for a time but to the ende, hee that keepeth my woorkes to the end to him and to none but to him.

It was a brutish speach of Brutus, Liuy Te colui virtus vt rem ast tu nomen inane es, that Pietie, Honestie, Religi­on, bee but names, for Christ here makes a sufficient explication of his will in these words, Hee that keepeth my workes vnto the ende, giueth the name, and nature, the words, and workes, affections, and actions, al that is to be performed. The in vndation of hipocrisie hath almost drowned the world how many good woordes, in the world, how sewe good workes, how many bee like Christians, yet noe Christians, like Professours yet no Professors of whom the obseruatiō of Guicciardine maie be true Caesar Borgia and his father Pope Alex­ander the 6 had a prouerb fastened on them by the I­talians of that time,Guicc. lib. 5. that the one of thē neuer thought as he spake, and the other neuer spake as hee thought. Many are like to Panarches aenigma, to the Poets Her­maphrodites, Athaen. Dipnosoph. to the Grammarians Participles, to Ba­nacles which are fish and noe fish, foule and noe foule: many are outward not inward Christians, extra mit­tendo, non intramittendo, by profession not by practise by sight not by faith.

God requireth the externe and interne, soule & bo­die, hart and face, words and works, hee requireth that his seruaunt shoulde not onlie keepe the waies of the Lord, Gen. 18.19. and the couenants of the Lorde, 1. Kings. 11.11. and the commandements of the Lorde, [Page 15] Neh. 1.5. and the Sabaoths of the Lord, Levit. 26.2. and the ceremonies of the Lord, 1. Kings. 2.3. and the iudgements of the Lord, Esec. 18.19. the statuts of the Lord, Ps. 119.5. and the words of the Lord, Rev. 22.7. but here the works of the Lord which Hugo expresseth to be mandata the precepts, or as he expresseth him­selfe the practise of the precepts of the Lord.

In which words, to keepe my works, hee ioineth faith & works togither, to keepe credendo my works. faciendo, to keep by beleeuing, to expresse by practising. For the Gospel is not a doctrine of libertie, Epicurisme or sen­sualitie, but a Gospel of exact action & perfection, not a gospel of beleeuing only, but of liuing, not of Theorie onlie, but of practique, consisting not in hearing, but doing, not in affecting, but an effecting faith So that hence J obserue this doctrine that true Christianitie must be manifested in a liuely, effectual,Doct. powerful practise, otherwise our faith is no faith, our faith must dif­fer from the only knowing faith of the Deuils, for that is Historical, from the bragging faith of the Iewes for that is Pharisaicall, from the bare faith of Hypocrits, for that is vneffectuall, from the fained faith of the A­postates, for that is but Temporall, from the false faith of the Papists, for that is phantasticall.

A doctrine verie needful in these our times where in works are changed into words, walking into talking hands into tongues, harts into eares, which hath cau­sed the Romaine faction to traduce vs for a solyfidian profession, as if we did pluck vp good works as weeds, and cast them out of dores: which how much contra­rie to our profession it is, anie indicious & ingenuous [Page 16]maie vnderstād. So we that hold this against mē & An­gels, that a true, effectual, liuely faith doth onlie iusti­fie, so that we remoue not works from faith, but works from iustifying. We grant works to bee vta regni non causa regnandi, Aug. Aquin. Hil. Origen. as Austine speaketh, and to be requi­red, necessitate praesentiae, non necessitate efficientiae, for as Hilary in his Comment vpon Math. teacheth, Fides sola iustificat, and S. Austen on the 4. of the Rom. fides sola mundat, and as Origen on the same Chapter, fides sola sufficit. But then they replie out of S. Iames, yee see saith the Apostle, that of works a man is iusti­fied and not of faith onlie. Yea but saith S. Paule, we conclude that a man is iustified by faith, without the worke of the Lawe. To reconcile both which places I saie, that as we are iustified by faith without the works of the Law, so by the works of the Law must our faith be iustified. So that there is one righteousnesse impu­ted, another righteousnesse excercised, there is a iustice of iustification, and a iustice of testification, the one acquiteth before God, the other approueth before men. Paule speaketh of the former of these two, Iames of the later. The one establishing a real, Christian, iu­stifying faith,Aquin. the other confuting a false, fained, dive­lish faith, Aquinas in this one distinction ending this Christus iustificat effectiue, fides iustificat apprehensiue, opera iustificant declaratiue, our works by faith, & faith by Christ doth iustifie vs. Our workes maie claime a part in our faith, but not in our iustifying, for in that great act of Cāceling the handwriting, acquiting the conscience, pacifying Gods anger, and presenting vs blamelesse before Gods holy eies, faith is wholie and [Page 17]solely imploied, and our works not claiming anie part therein.

I speake not this to stoppe the blessed fountaine of good works, I know that he that hath proclaimed of Mary Magdalen wheresoeuer this Gospel shalbe prea­ched, mention shalbe made of this woman, he hath al­so promised that hee that shall giue to one of the lest the verie least gifte, a Cup of cold water in his name shal not want their reward. And therefore if any haue beene to busie in this kinde, I say to such, why cause ye the people to staie from their workes, get ye to your burdens, laie vpon the people the number of workes which they did in the beginning diminish nothing thereof, for they be idle, let them worke and worke, & continue in working, that when Christ commeth to iudgment he maie finde them working, and saie, good servants and faithful yee haue beene faithfull in a lit­tle, I will make you rulers over much, enter into your ma­sters ioy.

Let the vse of this doctrine mooue you al to conse­crate your external, and internal,Vse. inward & outwarde actions, vnto God, that ye maie shew forth the vertue of him that hath called you, if yee haue onlie outwarde sanctity ye deceiue others, if only inward, you deceiue your selues: if neither inward, nor outward, ye deceiue God. But be ye not deceiued, God is not mocked. S. Peter proueth, that if temperance, patience, godlinesse, brotherly kindnesse and loue be in you, you shall neither be idle nor vnfruitfull in the knowledge of Christ. 2. Pet. 1.8. Amor Dei saith Gregorie, otiosus non est, operatur magna, si est, si operari renuerit amor non est, where the [Page 18]loue of God is, it is not idle, and where it is idle it is not. Be earnest, zealous, religious, and be ye so religiouslie zealous, that you maie continue to the end, for Nemi­ni palma datur priusquam cursus conficiatur, & there­fore God required not a working only, but a cōtinuing perseuering, keeping to the end. For the end of that shal be rewarded. O beloued shal not wee continue, Tantum boni in bono quantum mali in malo? shall the drunkard continue so long as his longues last, the adul­terer so long as his loines last, the glutton while his skin, the prowd man while his purse, the wicked man while his life, and shal not we continue? To the ende that you maie continue to the ende, Remember that God in his Arithmetique requireth Multiplicatiō, not Substraction, in his iournies progreds not regredi, in his Philosophie motum velociorem in fine quam in principio. Mistake me not, I saie he requireth motum velocio­rem, not violentiorem, for I know violent motions be vnnatural, and yet there haue beene latelie so many vi­olent motions in our Church, that had not the diuine gubernation of our primū movens restrained the heat of inferiour Spheres, our Church had beene on fire & the Clerolaicall presbiterie had brought among vs a Cyclopical anarchy. But I need not to bring these in publicke. Theophilact vpon Luke, obserueth that Lady Philautia, Lady selfe loue was maried to the Pharisie in the Gospel.Theoph. in Luk. The Pharisie I am sure is dead, shee was then left a widdow. The Anabaptists, Brownists, Bar­ronists, and Humorists, are in competition yet for her, The Presbiterie is corriual with them, they much tor­ture themselues in the suit, we are not much troubled [Page 19]with them, and I hope, we shal be lesse. I come not hi­ther to trample them, if there be anie thing good in them I honor it, the exorbitancie I pitty, I would they would remēber that as knowledge without zeale is not religion, so zeale without knowledge is not discretion. They would not then be so violent and virulent.

Our motions beloued, they must not bee violent as these but natural, it must bee a perpetual motion to the end, we maie stretch out our selues but not out stretch our selues, runne but not ouerrunne, wee must conti­nue in a ciuil, sober, sanctified course, runing our race, fighting our fight, til wee haue finished our course, & we shalbe sure to finde help in running, comfort in cō tinuing, ioye in obtaineing, a reward in triumphing, though al the world bee against vs, yet wee shalbee as Mount Syon that shal not bee remoued, as Socrates whoe neuer changed countenance, or as the Cypresse tree which neuer changeth colour. Troubles maie as­sault the godly, but neuer insult ouer them, they shall haue a refection in their affliction, and Consolation af­ter desolation post praelium praemium, and so J come frō praelium to praemium, my second part.

I will giue him power ouer nations, were there not greater reward for delightinging in the Lord then the delight of that delight, the ioie of that ioie, [...]. Pars. the plesure of that pleasure it were sufficient dilectionis nulla ma­ior expetenda est remuneratio quam ipsa dilectio saieth leo. But behold the bountifulnesse, mercy, liberalitie, munificens of our good god, hee inciteth, and allur­eth, and heareth, and promiseth wages, yea promiseth to reward his owne merits in vs, by his owne mercy [Page 20]on vs. So true is hee in his word, so faithfull in his pro­mises, man cannot obiect against God,Ouid. Met. as the Poet doth against man Mobilis Aesonide verna (que) incertior aura curtua policiti pondere verba carēt, He deserueth not to bee called Doso as Antigonus was who pro­mised much and performed little, hee wil not equiuo­cate with man, as hee did that promised centum oues & brought but centum oua, Austine witnesseth Deum fecisse Chirographum promissorum suorum, Austin. non deben­do sed promittendo. Hee oweth vs nothing, because he neuer receaued anie thing, and yet he maketh his pro­mise his debt, his deed, his word, his worke, & his mercy a merit, yet not our merit, for St-Paul anticipateth the doctrine of merits in the 2. Eph. 8. wee are saued not of our selues, not of our workes, least any man shold boast [...] but it is the gift of god wher­vpon Bernard concludeth demeritis sufficit scire quod non sufficiant merita. Bern. So that againe I saie he promis­eth to reward his owne merits by his owne mercies, he promiseth this and hee performeth this, his worde, his deed, his promises, his reward, be not as the worlds bee. In the world some promise what they cannot doe as Sathan to Christ Math. 4.9. some what they cā doe but meane not, as the sonns of Iacob to the sonnes of Sichem Gen 34 16. Some what they meene for a time but afterwards deny it, as Laban did to Iacob, Gen. 29.23. Some what they promise willinglie, but giue vn­willinglie, as Herod Io. Baptists head. Mark. 6.16. Sōe what they giue willingly but afterwards repent, as Io­shua his graunt to the Gibeonits. Ios. 9.23. But Gods promises bee performances, and therfore bee to bee [Page 21]beleeued, In spe, extra spem-supra spem, contra spem.

And in this God hath done with man as the rulers of states, and makers of statutes, who haue sought not only to punish the bad, and to prouide some sharpe & fearful tortors for them, but haue euer a regard to en­corage and reward the vertuous office of the God. So did Zoroaster amōg the Persians, Trismegistus amōg the Aegyptians, Charondas among the Carthaginians, Minos among the Cretians, & Solon among the Athe­mās, that as in Hercul. Biuiū they were 2 waies, the on via virtutis Non est ad astra mollis è terris via, the o­ther via voluptatis, facilis descē sus Auerni. So there should bee also diuerse respects had for the followers of these two diuerse waies, as Antishenes the Philo­sopher in Laertius and Achilles, that valiant martia­list in Homer doe testifie. So God the life giuer of all, these law-giuers, hath prouided the one and the other for the wicked whoe wil bee warned by noe warning, feared by noe threatning, affrighted by noe terrifying admonished by noe exhorting, he hath prouide fear­ful, and horrid and eternal paines, tumultuous horrour, firie Chaines, flamming whipps, schorching darknesse, tormenting Deuills, vpon whom houling, roaring, la­menting, blaspheming, and eternal death gnawing on them, shalbe powred out, the ful flood of Gods wrath and the dreggs of the vnsauorie cōposition of the cup of Gods displesure.

But for his seruants (as in al other things he is a god of great mercy, magnificence, liberalitie, and princely munificence soe) in this aboue all the rest, hee is most munificent in rewarding his Saints, and seruants, with [Page 22]many, and most infinite blessings, as hee often promis­eth & here expresseth I will giue, out of which words J obserue this doctrine,Doct. that God is able and willing to reward his Saints that which he promiseth. The scrip­ture giueth proofe to this doctrine. God hath made promises before the begining of the world. 1. Pet. 1.12. firme and stable promises. 2, Cor. 1.8. most greate and pretious promises. 2. Pet. 1.4. hauing a time of promise Act. 7 17. giuen a word of promise. Rom. 9.7. proclaim­ed a Gospel of promise 1. Tim. 1.9. purchased inheri­tances of promise Heb. 6.12. adopted sonns of promise Gal. 4.28. drawen couenants of promise Eph. 2.12. ap­pointed the spirit as the scriuener of these couenants of promise Eph. 1.14 and added yea and Anen as a seal to these couenāts of promise. Cor. 1.10. So that a Chri­stian may now be sure that al bands, bills, obligations, leases, Indentures, alienations, contracts, Couenants made neuer so curiously by the Meander of Lawyers wit shalbe annihilated before the least of the promises shal faile, nay heauen and earth shall faile before the least Iota of his promise.

The comfort of this made St-Bernard to be almost in a heuenly extasie, when hee considered, Charitatē Adoptionis, Veritatem Promissionis Potestatem red­ditionis, Gods loue in adopting his truth in promising and his power in performeing, and surely it cannot choose but stirre and incite euerie true Christian to a most feruent and earnest embraceing, of these pro­mises.

Let the vse therfore of this Doctrine bee this, Vse. that wee remoue al misdoubting & vnbeleeuing thought▪ [Page 23]from vs that at no time there bee found an euil minde in vs, not crediting the promise of God. Let vs assure our selues that if we can credere & vivere beleeue and liue after our beliefe, we shal surely receiue the perfor­mance of this promise in due time. The bargaine be­tweene God and vs, is Crede quod habes & habes, like to Ithiell and Vcall. Ithiell signifieth God with vs, Vcall is to preuaile, so that Ithiell and Vcall must go to­gither, if we preuaile God is with vs. It is double, a mutual, reciprocal, interchangeable dutie, a twofolde Indenture on our behalfe, as wel, as on Gods. If we o­uercome he hath promised, and hauing promised, hee wil performe, he wil giue to him that ouercōmeth po­wer ouer nations, & so I come in few words to the last & best words of my Text.Vlt Cir I wil giue him power ouer na­tions.

There is a power giuen, & a power vsurped, a pow­er giuen to man ouer Gods creatures, giuen to the K. ouer men. A power vsurped by the Deuil ouer Chri­stians, by the Tyrants ouer kingdomes, by the Pope o­uer Kings; for the Pope hearing that the Diuell hath power, he thinketh that he also may haue a power, be­cause he is the Deuils vicegerent in causes Ecclesiasti­cal and Temporal: but in this the Pope is deceiued for the Deuils patent is more potent, his power stronger & and longer then the Popes.

Bellarmine in his 1. booke de sumo Pontifice the 22. Chapter, and since Baronius in his letter to Paule the Venetian proue out of scripture, that the Pope hath special power, and is the head of the Church, out of the Acts, 10.13. Kil & eate. Bellarmine proueth it out [Page 24]of the word Eate, Baronius out of the word kill, a kil­ling argument, I should thinke Bellarmine might ra­ther proue him out of the word eate, to be the mouth then the head & Baronius might prone out of the word kill, that he is not the head, but the headsman of the Church. For out of the word eate, we maie conclude him to bee the mouth & I maie saie as Cato spake to Lentulus, Dicam cos falli qui te negant habere os, I saie they are much deceiued, who denie him to haue a mouth and a fowle one to. Euen such a mouth as vtte­reth blasphemies. Whose lips haue the poisō of Aspes. Whose tongue is sharpned like a Serpents. Whose teeth be like to Lions teeth. And whose throat is an o­pen sepulchre. Yea a deuouring Sheol, hel it selfe. Thus he is the mouth. Now that he is not so much the head as the headsman of the Church, may be proued by those manie stratagems, engines, tortures, burnings, broylings rackings, dilaniating, murthering, & massacring, wher­by the Pope hath made the Church the shame & sham­bles of the worlde, as maie be seene by the manifolde floods of warm, reaking, gore blood, that he hath shed and by the soules of the Martyrs crying vnder the Al­ter, How long Lord Iesus. Bellarmine and Baronius▪ in this are like to those wicked Iudges, founde in a diuerse tale, the one out of kill, the other out of eate, making him their head, and therfore they well deseruing by him to bee rewarded, the one by beeing his butcher, the other his cooke, I could proceed further in the dis­cribing of this child of the deuil and father of darknes, whose religion is rebellion, whose planters are supplā ­ters, whose professors be Traitors, whose oracles bee [Page 29]lyes, whose miracles bee strawes. But J come to my Text. Jn that potestes data wee must consider another 2 fold power, power in hoc seculo, power in futuro. That the Saints of God shal enioie power ouer nations, In hoc seculo as the Glosse interpreteth in finali Iudicio as Lyra readeth, In vtro (que) as Austin testifieth,Gloss. Lyra. Austin. Hugo. Hierom. In this life to come super motus Carnales saith Hugo, & in this life to come super thronos iudicātes tribus Israell saith Hierome. So that here, and hence, in this life and that to come in earth and in heauen.

Doct. The Saints shalbe sure to receiue power ouer Nati­ons the Doctrine is this that the Saints of God shal re­ceiue in this in God & in the life to cōe with God more true glory, and honour, and power, then euer any Mo­narch had vpon the earth. I need not to proue this the verie text promiseth to giue power ouer nations. This power Christ calleth a kingdome, Luk. 12. Math. cal­leth it an heauenlie, Mat. 21.24. Luke a blessed king­dome, Luk. 14.15. Peter an eternal kingdome, 2. Pet. 1.11. & because you shal not thinke it a kingdome with­out a Crowne, C. hath promised a Crowne, yea an immarcessible Crowne 1. Pet. 5.4. and to the inestima­ble price, hee hath added glorie a Crowne of glorie, Esay. 28.5. and to this glorie hee hath added Righte­ousnes, a Crowne of righteousnes. 2. Tim. 4.8 and to this righteousnesse hee hath added life, a Crowne of life. Revel. 2.10.Vse. The vse of this doctrine is to enflame the soules of the godlie, and to stir them vp to the see­king of this kingdome. All the world cannot afforde more riches, honour, pleasure glorie, power, and con­fluence of ioieful comfort, then this kingdome. O then [Page 30]striue, resist, wrestle, run the race, fight the finish the course that you maie ouercome.

My most gratious soueraigne let it not be offensiue that I haue beeene so bould in a time of such gratious and glorious peace to moue this assembly to fight espe­cially, seeing the Gospel, is a Gospel of peace, & we that preach that Gospel are bound to the peace by S. Paul.

Seeing I haue begun to speake, 1. Tim. 3.3. O let not my Lord the king be now angry, God hath chosen and apoint­ed and anointed your Maiestie, to fight his battels, hee hath giuen you the head of Salomon, the hart of Dauid hand of Gedeon, to make you able to ouercome. Hee hath already giuen you power ouer nations, in the vā ­quishing of Heresie, Poperie, Idolatrie. He hath enabled your highnesse in this high woorke, to establish true re­ligion in one kingdome, to confirme it in a nother, to found it in on, to finde it in a nother, to plant it in the oue, to water it in the other, and at the length to ioine both in on, so that male diut sum, is become bene con­iunctū. O let these kingdomes neuer knowe that falla­cie a bene coniunctis ad male diuisa, Those that God hath ioined to gether let no man put a sander.

If euer the Lord verified that prophecy of Esekiell, Faciam eos ingentem vnam, hee hath now surely, they are one, and noe more two peoples neither deuided a­ny more, so that your Maiestie may saie with Caesar veni vidi vici but J hope your Maiestie will rather speak with (a more Christian Caesar then he was) Ca­rolus Quintus whose woords were vidi, veni, at Deus vicit, by him you liue, moue, breath, haue being to be a King and Conquerour. For if euer God ouercame [Page 31]for any, or ever any ouer came by God, your Maiestie maie glorie in it, as much as euer any that breathed & J maie saie that God ouercame more gloriously for you by a weake, small vnimaginarie, Charactericall armie then euer he did, by the sun against the Ara­mits by the fier against the Sodomits, by the starrs a­gainst the Cananits, by the water against the Aegypti­ans, or by the earth against the Murmerers, hee ouer­came more powerfully, more miraculously for your highnesse in an army of letters, by a Schedule, schrole, paper gūne of their owne making, then euer be over­came for anie since the first daie of the world. As hee hath ouercome for your Maiestie, so hath hee apoint­ed your Maiestie to ouercōe for him, to ouercome and Conquer all the monsters you find in this king dome, the Bethauen of Idolatrie, the Gilgall of Heresie the houses of bribery, the Churches of Symony, the seats of iniustice, and offices of oppression, the possessi­ons of sacriledge the professions of Athessme, Mat­chavelisme, Anabaptisme, Barrowisme, Paganisme, Pa pisme, And this shall be the victory, whereby yee shal o­vercome even your faith, your Maiestie is the defender of the faith, O be an overcomer in this faith, that so this land maie obey you, your subiectes maie serue you your seruants may praie for you, the whole world may honor you, the Lord may reward you. And there may neuer be wanting one of your roial seede to sit in holi­nes and happines vpon the throne of these kingdomes vntil Christ Iesus come to iudgmēt. Let al true Chri­stian subiects saie Amen.

My Honourable Lordes, yee oracles of our wisdome [Page 32]and Chariots of our Jsrael, seeing I haue beene bold to speake vnto my Lord the King, let mee finde fauour in your sight to shew you, how you maie finde fauour in Gods sight Heauen is the hauen whether ye desire to come, otherwise though now your state be honorable it wil be most miserable. To heauen if ye desire to come here ye must overcome, yea you your selues my thrice Hon: Lords must your selues endeuour to ouercome, though worthilie you be imploied in the greatest state of the kingdome, O forget not the state of the greatest kingdome, though yee be Domint Terrae, yet yee are but terra Demint, & though yee were the Lords of the whose world, yet the whole world cannot ouercome for you. Jt is only your faith, this is the aime, the scope the marke, the armour, the complement, the weapon of your warfare, the victorie of your combat euē your faith. Not your wit, wisdome, honour, followers, not armies, not navies be able to ouercome for you. Not wit, it is vertues wanton, iudgments ouerthrow. Not wiscom it is the peoples talke, the statists opinion. Not eloquence, it is deceipts Councellour, Hipocrisies ad­vancer. Not honour, it is ennies obiect, cares subiect. Not friends, they are but profits guard, affections we thercockes. Not armies, they are wraths executioners deaths purseuants. Not navies, they are the Oceans wracke, and the windes run awaies. Not al the world and the power thereof, for the victorie of that power, is but the swords whetstone, and cruelties want. O thē remember the weapons of your warfare are not car­nal, but spiritual, & therefore take vnto you the whole Armour of God, that yee maie bee able to resist in the [Page 33]euil daie, & hauing finished all things stand fast. Yee haue latelie celebrated the festiuitie of S. Georges knights, with manie laudable, honourable, and religi­ous ceremonies. Long maie yee so celebrate it to the glorie of your God, ioie of your King, honor of your nation, and eternal perpetuitie of loue among your selues. Might I presume I could shew your Honors a­nother order of knighthood, not an new order, for I am sure it was the first that euer was in Christendome and in the scriptures heraldrie you maie finde it em­blasoned by the proper armes, robes, motto, Schutchi­on, that belong to this order,The order of S. Vincent. it is the order of the Saint in my Text, Vincenti, the order of Saint Vincent. But it is such an order, that whosoeuer be knights of this order, must first be knights of the bath, they mustwash and bathe themselues as David did, and then they shal be dubd and double knighted, and then God who is the soveraigne of the order, and Christ Iesus the Prince of Peace, the President of the order, and the holy spirit, the Bishop of our soules, and Prelate of the order, and the Angels the guardians, and heavenly heralds of that order shal bring forth the vnder robe purity, the vpper robe righteousnes, the Helmet salvation, the sword the spirit, the Eschouchion a white crosse, in a bloody fielde, vnder the Crosse a Serpent latent and a Lyon couchāt, Death and hell, ouer the Crosse a Crowne triumphant, a lawrell slorant honour and power, and the motto Vin­centi dabitur. And this is the most honorable order of knighthood, he that is of this order of S. Vincent is not onlie a knight of the Bath, but a knight of S. Michaell, for he hath overcome the deuil, and a knight of Saint [Page 34]George, for he hath ouercome the olde Dragon, and a knight of the Temple, for he is the Temple of the holy Ghost, and a knight of the holy Ghost, for the holy spirit of God dwelleth in him.

O that yee were such knights, such Conquerours? I shoulde nowe returne againe vnto my Lorde the King, to beseech his Maiestie, to establish this order, but who am I, that should I presume so much? I feare mee, I haue already presumed to too much, I wil goe to my heaunely Lord the King, & beseech him to establish it in you all, that you may all ouercome, & be al rewarded, & that what at this time yee haue herd carefully, you maie conceaue rightly, beleeue faithful lie, discerne fruitfullie, and practise effectually, that at the length you may receaue your reward in the Court of that celestial Citye, the gates wherof bee of pearle, the streets of gold, the walls of pretious stones, the Tē ­ple God, the light the lambe, the Cheere ioye, the ex­ercise singing, the Quire Angells, & the Hymne Hale­luiah. Amen, Amen.