THE HEAVENLY Conversation.

[...]

Our Conversation is in Heaven.

THe Learned Ori­gen being at the Church in Ieru­salem, was reque­sted to Preach there; but open­ing the Booke for that purpose, [Page 2] he fell upon those words of the Psalme; But unto the wicked, saith God, what hast thou to doe to take my words into thy mouth, seeing thou ha­test to be reformed, and hast cast my Commandements behinde thee, &c. which awakned more the memory of his sin, which was this; He being apprehended, and put to his choise by his persecutors, whether hee would offer sacrifice to their Idols, or suffer his body to be de­filed with a most ugly Blackmore, (one hee must of force) shunning the latter, hee yeelded inconside­rately to the former: his consci­ence now as it were thundering from heaven against him; he could not goe on, but closed the Booke againe, and sate him downe with bitter weeping and lamentation; all the people also out of a tender affection, and sympathy of his sorrow, giving, as the Father speakes* a charitable contribution of [...]. teares towards the reliefe of his misery, and bearing a part in the [Page 3] burden of his sad Song, and dole­full Ditty, the briefe whereof they had then heard and seene.

Beloved, I feare that wee must either close the Booke, or dis­close our owne shame; for this Text upbraides our times; and Saint Paul, for ought that I see, is resolved, and speakes enough to shame us all. For where are the Christians now that can say the Responsall after him, Our conver­sation is in heaven, without blush­ing outward for shame, or blee­ding inward for griefe? Who can behold the deformitie of his Chrystall life, in this Chrystall glasse without teares, such as may truely be stiled, Sanguis animae, the blood of the soule?

It is reported of one, that hee was so lusty and quarrel some, that hee was ready to fight with his owne Image so often as hee saw it in a glasse: let us fall out with our sinnes, the spots that deface the Image of God in us: but God [Page 4] forbid that any should picke a quarrell with the glasse of Gods Word, by which wee may dresse our selves to perfection of beauty: wisely Socrates, who commendeth the use of a glasse to all sorts, as if the friend in it gave faithfull coun­sell in all cases: Art thou beauti­full and comely? Cave ne animi im­probitate corpus tuum dehonestes: Art thou homely, and deformed? Fac [...]ut animus virtute corpus suum consecret: Art thou faire? take heede thy body bee not like an Aegyptian Temple, stately with­out, but having within a soule as blacke as a Gypsie with vice: Art thou foule? see that thy soule within make amends for thy bo­dy without, being like a rich pearle in a rude shell.

But most true is this of this Glasse, which of all other knowes not how to flatter: and who knowes, whether there be not that vertue in this divine specu­lation, to restore a man to him­selfe [Page 5] as hee that was transformed into an Asse, returned to his owne shape, when hee came to behold himselfe in a Glasse, the strength of the charme being wholly evacuated.

Well then let us behold our selves here in this Glasse, if not what wee are, at least what wee ought to be. [...],

The words looke backward to the former, and that ambiguously, either, as part of a Collation to what is in the immediately prece­dent verses, if you read them with the Adversative, [...], But, Illi sic, nos, autem non sic: They do thus, But we doe not thus: or as a ground of Illation to the 17. Verse, if you read them with the Causall, [...], For, Nos sic, vos ergo etiam sic, wee doe thus, and therefore doe yee also thus; Be yee followers of me, [Page 6] and such as tread in our steps, For

Our coversation is in Heaven.

The word [...], though it may be diversly rendred,

First, Our Citie, and so it suits best with the latter part of the 1. Verse, wherein otherwise there will be an incongruitie of Lan­guage, if you referre [...], from whence wee looke, a sin­gular Relative, to [...], in the Heavens, a plurall Antecedent, which may be salved, if you re­ferre it to [...], as it may wel stand in that sense.

Secondly, Our municipall state, and dignity, our Burgesship. 2.

Thirdly, Our politique bent, aime, & fetch, for I suppose [...] may 3. signifie the same in civill affaires, that [...] doth in warlike.

Fourthly, Our Politicall, and Civill Administration, and mana­ging 4. of things.

Fifthly, our Carriage, deport­ment, and behaviour, as we are 5. Citizens, &c.

[Page 7] Yet I confine my selfe to the last, which I see our learned In­terpreters have expressed also, whose judgement and authoritie I willingly follow, not troubling my selfe, or you, with any further anxious disputes, or curious Criti­cismes: the stones were hewed and squared in the mountaines, there was no noise of hammer in the building of Salomons Temple, which yet was so compact, they say, as if it had bin but one stone without any joynting or ciment.

The Astronomers cut the hea­ven into many circles, and plough up many barren furrowes by their suppositions, as lightly as the Mathematicians draw lines in the dust: but wee shall not neede many Hypotheses to salve the [...], or appearances of these heavens.

Observe also with mee in the whole Frame, but one line which you see written in legible Chara­cters, as it were with a Sun-beame. [Page 8] The conversation of a Christian is in Heaven.

In which notwithstanding it will be usefull to consider, and distinguish three imaginary Points.

• First, [...], Conversation,
  1.
  the Axel-tree, upon which the whole spheare is turned.
• Secondly, [...], Our, the
  2.
  inferior Pole, and
• Thirdly, [...], In Hea­ven,
  3.
  the superior Pole.

These shall be my Ecliptique Line, with in which, my Discourse shall bound it selfe.

First, I will explaine Quid sit, [...]. what it is, and how a 1. Christian hath his Conversation in Heaven.

Secondly, I will examine Quale 2. sit [...], Whether the life of ordi­nary Christians be according to this Rule, or not, and

Thirdly, I will suggest Quan­tum 3. sit [...], How forcible motives may provoke us to this [Page 9] Heavenly conversation.

First, Let no man say, who shall 1. give me Elias Chariot, in which I may mount up to heaven [...]. here needs no change of place, but a change of minde, which may lift it selfe up to heaven, while the body lies upon the earth, as Abraham went into the Mount, while the Ser­vants and Asses staid below in the Valley.

Let no man say, what must I be like the prophane Gyants, which heaped mountaine upon mountaine to scale heaven (al­though the violent take the king­dome of heaven by force, as our Saviour speakes in another sense) or like proud Lucifer who made his nest among the starres?

No, [...]. blessed is he who hath a Low minde, in an high Conversation, God is high, as Austin sweetly, and yet the more we lift our selves up, the further we are from Him; the more we humble our selves, the nearer: the swelling leaven of [Page 10] pride can never doe it, the true growth and stature of Grace, and Vertue, makes a Christian as high as heaven, makes him in heaven many wayes.

First, Affectu, in affection. A friend of Cyrus in Xenophon being asked where his treasure was which might enable him to be­stow his daughter honourably, ac­cording to his ranke and place; made this answer [...]. Where Cyrus is my friend: and a shame it is for a Christian, if hee either know not, or professe not that his treasure is there, [...]. where the Lord is his friend. Where the body is, thither the Eagles, where Christ is, thither sharp-sigh ted and lofty soules will resort: for according to our Saviour, Where the Treasure is, there is the heart al­so: and according to the Philoso­pher, Animus est ubiamat, non ubi animat, the minde is where it loves, not where it lives.

No marvell then, if in this re­spect, we say, The conversation of [Page 11] a Christian is in heaven, though you see his person here upon earth: so you see the starres some­time in the water, you see them move, which notwithstanding you know are fixed above in the Firmament: so the Christian, though he seeme to flote up and downe in the troublesome waves of the lower world, yet there is he fastened with the Anchor of Hope, and thither is he carried with the sailes, and oares of desire: for Vt radi solis con­tinguntqui­dem ter­ram, sed ib sunt, unde mittuntur: sic animus magnus sa­cer conver­satur qui­dem nobis cum sedhae­ret Origin suae. as the raies of the Sunne touch the earth, yet still are there from whence they are darted; so a lofty and pious, heart is familiarly conversant withus, but re­maines fixed in his Originall; as Se­neca makes the comparison, where being mounted like Saint Paul in Gregory Nyssen, ^d He lets fall a looke c [...]. upon these lower things from a loft, not without some scorne; they seeme little or nothing in his eyes: and no won­der; for as heavenly things seeme small to an earthly man, as the starres to him that beholds them [Page 12] from earth, appeare but as a point, (a glistring point indeed, a gol­den point, and yet but a point) so by a farre better reason to a godly man, whose affections have raised him to heaven, when hee beholds it from thence, the whole earth is contracted to a Point, or rather appeares like as they call a shadow nigrum nihil, a little blacke; and darke nothing: So a Christian in­deed during the time of his Pil­grimage, useth these earthly things as necessaries, though hee accounts them but as Accessaries; like the haires upon our heads, they are but an excrement, yet they are an ornament; and as Austin speakes of Maries, with which she wiped the feete of our Saviour, Capiti quidem su­perslua, sed pedibus Christi ne­cessaria. They were superfluous for her owne head, yet they were necessary for the feet of Christ. The Church in the Revelation hath a crowne of starres upon her head, and the Moone is un­der her feete: The Spirit in the Acts descended upon the Head (they [Page 13] thinke) of the Apostles, the Dis­ciples cast the money at their feete: Heavenly blessings, spirituall gra­ces are the crowne of a Christian, earthly things he tramples under his feete, according to that of the Psalmist, Blessings are upon the head of the righteous, that is, heavenly, Thou hast put all things under his feete, that is, all earthly: Heavenly blessings they are Bona throni, the goods of the throne; Earthly, they are Bona scabelli, the goods of the footestoole (as Austin tearmes them) in the account of a Christi­an, who in this is like God him­selfe, of whom the Scripture speakes, Heaven is his Throne, and the earth is his Footestoole: for so a Christian useth all earthly bles­sings but as helps, as a footestoole to climbe into the throne of Hea­ven: and this use is lawfull; for as Tertullian saith, a Christian may make a Nose-gay of flowers to smell to, but hee may not make a crowne of flowers to set upon his [Page 14] head: so God allowes the sweet­nesse of outward blessings to his servants for a refreshing, alwayes provided, they set them not in the highest place, in the highest price. In a word, Res illi temporalis in usu est, aeterna in desiderio. Temporall bles­sings are for his use, but eternall, for his desire and affection, as Gregory speakes.

Anaxagoras being asked whether he cared not for his countrey, with the ruine whereof he seemed to be little moved; yes, said he, there is none of you that cares more than I doe for my countrey, pointing with his finger up to heaven, as though heaven were his countrey: and so it is a Christians indeed: for if the proposition of the Phi­losopher be true, Patria est ubicunque bene. that is our country where wee have the best fare, and entertainement, then his conclusion is infallible, therefore heaven is my countrey, without which I cannot live well, for [...]. Est quia non potuit dicere, dix­it, erit. there is a plenty of all good things. Let then the Philosopher comfort [Page 15] himselfe that he was not banished (though out of his countrey) and that he was not confined to any place, like a Snaile to her shell, because he was a [...]. free denizan, and a Citizen of the world; the Christian is not ashamed to con­fesse the whole worlds libertie to be but a banishment to him, who is but a Pilgrim in a strange Land here, because he is a free Denizan, and Citizen of Heaven. d [...].

Nay more, he stayes in the world, as in some more free and noble Prison, where you must par­don him, if he cannot be in love with his fetters, though perhaps of gold: Hee is in the body as a child in the wombe, in a [...]. walking Sepulcher, his delivery from thence shall be his Nativity, from whence he meanes to begin the account of the tearme of his Life: To live with God is the onely life, to raigne with Christ, the onely li­bertie according to that of Sime­on, [...] Now lettest thy servant depart, [Page 16] so that the body is as the [...]. Bride­well and Prison of our life, as Basil interprets it, this is that hee sighes and breaths after, Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell in Meshech: I desire to be dissolved and be with Christ; Come Lord Jesus, come quickly: How long Lord, for ever! Christ was borne in an Inne to teach him to make the world but a throwfare, where if hee take his rest, yet he must not set up his rest.

Secondly, Conatu, in Endeavour, without which affection is like Rahel, beautifull but barren, [...] nei­ther doth a woman without a man, neither doth the Affection of hope, produce any thing serviceable without Endeavour.

Pythagor as was wont to say that he had another errand to the O­lympick games, then the most that frequented them: some came for pleasure, and to pot it in a knot of good fellowes, which were like to meet there; some for gaine, and [Page 17] to vent their commodities at a good rate in such a faire of peo­ple; some for Glory, and hope to be crowned conquerours, and win the Garland for valour, and activitie in those sports and ex­ercises; but he professed that hee came onely as a looker on: plea­sure, and gaine and glory are the Tri­nitie which the world adores, and the behaviour of the most is such, as though they came into the world upon no other errand, but to scramble for some of these.

They smile perhaps when they see children so fond, and busie and eager about their toyes, making Houses, and Pies of dirt, kissing their babies of clouts, blowing bubles into the ayre out of a shell, and running after them; and when they reade that Domitian the Emperour persecuted the poore Christians abroad in his Empire, and persecuted the poore flies at home in his Palace, they would take respit perhaps to de­cide [Page 18] the controversie, whether that act had more crueltie, or this idle­nesse more folly: but let them looke to it, whether they be not carius ineptis, haunted with a more tragicall and costly folly, who be­ing placed by God in this August Palace of the world, where the Heaven is the sieling, the Earth the floore, can finde no better em­ployment.

The carriage of a Christian I am sure hath passed this sentence upon them already, which is such, as though he repined that he was forced to be so much as a looker on at these Apish Anticks: which in, a scornefull silence he checkes with the severitie of his frowne, and confutes with the majestie of his countenance, in which you may reade his minde written in Hieroglyphicall letters, that he thinkes with Anaxagoras, that he was borne to contemplate hea­ven, & observe which way he may get thither: and therefore he fol­lowes [Page 19] the suite for these earthly things something coldly, & negli­gently as one that cares not much which end goes forward, or ra­ther generously and nobly, tan­quam Candidatus Caesaris, as a Fa­vorite of Caesare (as they were wont to say at Rome) and if he speed, enjoyes his conquests moderatly, using them, as the dogs drinke at Nilus; or as Gidions Souldiers, lap and away, lest if hee should let loose the reines, he might be guil­tie in the use of his lawfull liber­tie, as a man (they say) may com­mit adultery with his owne wife; in a word, useth them as though he used them not, tanquam aeterni­tatis Candidatus, as Tertullian speakes, as one that is a favorite of eternitie.

But for heavenly things (good Lord) what alacritie shewes he! what diligence! what resolution?

They report of Mahomet an ordinary Turke that this was the first step of his advancement to [Page 20] the Empire, his Master Solyman the great, let fall a letter out of a win­dow, which while the rest to ap­prove their diligence to their Lord ran about for Ladders, he without any more deliberation, or circuit leapt out of the window and re­turned presently: This is the na­ture of Love and Zeale to overlook all danger, to forget themselves to please God, and these are they that came to preferment, to be fa­vorites in the Court of Heaven, when they that are so wise to looke before they leape, may look long enough before they rise, and a foole he is that lookes for any other ladder to climbe to Honour besides his Masters favour.

What diligent? The Ancients were wont to paint fortune ta­king Cities in a net, for one Ti­motheus an Athenian Captaine whom they drew sleeping by: but our Timothy knowes the new Ie­rusalem, the Citie above cannot be taken otherwise, and therefore [Page 21] plants a streight siege about it with an army of vertues, plies the battery with the ordinance of prayer, casts up mounts against it, giving all diligence that he may adde to faith vertue, and to vertue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to tem­perance patience, and to patience god­linesse, and to godlinesse brotherly kind­nesse, and to brotherly kindnesse, moun­taine upon mountaine as the Gy­ants did, that at last he may scale heaven.

What resolution? the famous Ar­tificer Phidias advised the Athe­nians, to make the statue of Miner­va the Tutelary goddesse of the Citie, of Marble rather then Ivory, alleadging two reasons.

First, because Marble was more durable and this passed with al­lowance.

Secondly, because Ivory was more chargeable: at the mention whereof, with infinite indignation they commanded him silence: base wretches, that study to beate [Page 22] downe the price of heaven, and will not deale, except they may have it under foot: the ancients were wont to call an Holocaust pro­digam hostiam, the prodigall Sa­crifice: but a Christian thinkes it the best thrift, and most saving bargaine, when he can offer him­selfe wholly to God a living Sacri­fice, pleasing and acceptable in his sight: and therefore resolves with David, I will not serve the Lord of that which cost me nothing, and fol­lowes our Saviour whose coun­sell it is, Let not thy right hand know what thy left hand doth, doe not anxiously compute the charge of a good worke, as men doe some Summe upon the fingers end, con­sult not with flesh and blood, for what can be so bard, that hee is affraid to undergoe? or what so sweete, that he is not resolved to forgoe, that he may gaine heaven? The way is [...]. Sic Clemens Alexandri­nus. straight and narrow, yet he will strive to enter, for the way to heaven is not easie, he is like [Page 23] to meete scoffes, and scarres, and a Non est ad astra, mol­lis é terris via. thousand Scarcrowes (for many thwarting inconvenience, and discouragements lie crosse in [...]. the way to heaven) but hee accounts these the glory of his triumph, [...] I have fought the good fight, saith the Apostle Paul as a word in a boasting; it is a goodly thing to goe to heaven any way, lame, maimed, or blind, even the right foote, the right hand, the right eye, if it offend him, cut it off, plucke it out, [...], it is a goodly thing. [...]. Burne my foote if you will, that it may dance e­verlastingly with the blessed Angels in heaven, stil'd the Mar­tyr in Basel nobly. He is a wise Merchant, that can purchase hea­ven at any price.

To conclude, hee knowes this life is but a way to life, as the Spartan mother comforted her sonne, who in a battell where hee fought valiantly, had received a [Page 24] wound, of which he was like to limpe ever after, that his hal­ting would but make him remem­ber vertue every step: so the worst that can happen to him, doth but make him remember vertue every steppe, that every steppe may set him so much nearer to heaven: hee thinkes hee is placed in this world as in a royall Theatre: the Earth, the Stage, the Heavens the Scaffolds round a­bout: the spectators, God, men, and Angells, himselfe an Actor, his part, Piety; his reward, Eternity; his conscience alwayes prompting him behinde the Curtaine; it skils not what the spectators thinke, or say, looke to the Iudge, [...], saith a Father. be ambi­tious to please God who beholds thee: and therfore resolves Populus me sibilat, at mihi plaudo. though the world hisses me, yet I heare, I eare not, so I may heare a plaudite from him, Well done good servant, enter in­to thy masters joy: O blessed plau­dite, he stirres his hands to clappe them, and droppes a crowne of [Page 25] life from betweene them upon my head.

Thirdly, Actu, In act; for hee cannot be out of heaven, whose conversation makes that place heaven, wheresoever he is, and that by a double Analogie, and conformity with heaven, of san­ctity and felicitie, of happinesse and holinesse.

First, Conformit as sanctitatis, a conformity of sanctitie, which ap­peares in every part of his life, as the light of the candle breakes out at every side of the Lanthorne, and as the leaven in the Gospell, which the woman put into three pecks of meale, insinuates it selfe into his thoughts, words, and deedes, all which it makes to rise and swell toward heaven: for what shall wee say of his Heavenly Me­ditations, in which methinkes hee resembles a Bird of Paradise, so called, which is reported by the Naturalists to flie continually without any rest, and was never [Page 26] observed so much as to touch up­on the earth: no more doth this blessed Bird of Paradise, but is alway upon the wing in divine medi [...]tious, unlesse perhaps you may thinke he comes nearer the Phoenix, which is said to beget her heire of her owne ashes, to which she is resolved in her bed of spice, her neast being nothing else but a pile of the most precious spi­ces of Arabia, curiously collected by her afore for that purpose, and kindled by the heate of the Sunne­beames: as a Christian kindles by frequent meditation the sweete notes that hee hath collected in reading or hearing, which like the Angel in the sacrifice of Manoach, car­ries him up to heaven in a flame of hea­venly affection, and leaves her selfe an heire behinde of her owne ashes, a never failing succession of the like heavenly meditations.

I know this practise is not vulgar, or easie; for the Monke said truely, that to be [...]. a Monke in [Page 27] outward shew, was easie, but to be a Monke in inward reality, was hard; it is no hard matter in comparison to make the outward man, the visi­ble man a Monke, immure him in a Cloyster, and retire him from worldly distractions: nor is it any easie matter to circumscribe the infinite libertie of the inward man.

But a Christian labours to be the same without, that he is within, like the beautie of a Diamond, not skinne deepe onely, like the ordi­nary beauty; for if you could have a window in his breast, you should see nothing within but heavenly thoughts: hee breathes not oftner than hee thinkes on God, according to the Father: he climbs often into Mount Nebo, the mount of Meditation, for a prospect of the land of Promise, from whence his blessed eyes of Faith and Hope; like Calib, and Jo­shua, the faithfull Spies, animate him to a noble resolution by their [Page 28] happie tidings, The land is good, let us goe up and fight for it: and if he chance to step aside sometime among worldly affaires, you must understand he is there, not as a Tanquam explorator, non ut Transfuga. turne-coate Traytour, but as a wise Intelligencer, as a Spie: was the Spies that went to Iericho to a­void being snared by any ambush, he returnes by the Hill-countrey, that is, as I interpret it, improves even humane occurrences to some divine expedience, and reduceth temporall occasions, to spirituall use: Wherefore saith Chrysostome very sweetly, [...]. The literall foules of the heaven have wings, and these mysticall foules of the heaven have wisedome to flie aloft, that the snares and lime-twigges of the world may not entangle them; & surely in vaine is the net spread before the eye of all that hath wings, as Salomon speakes.

Such in the second place is their Conversation, for as our Savi­our after his Resurrection con­versing [Page 29] with his Disciples, spake of such things, as concerned the Kingdome of God: and Moses de­scended from the Mount, where he had conference with God, brought the Tables of the Law to the people: so the Law of Grace is in his lippes, and out of the Abun­dance of the heart the mouth speaketh. As the posts of the doore of the house without were sprinkled with the blood of the Lambe which was eaten within; so the heart that is washed with the blood of Christ, cannot be ashamed to have their lippes painted with the same. It is Nazianzens comparison; for this is the beauty of the Spouse in her Lords eye, who like some ele­gant Lover, makes this a great part of her commendation, Thy lippes are like a threed of scarlet: this is the safetie of the Spouse, as the blood sprinkled upon the Posts, was the Israelites, as the scarlet thread in the window was Rahabs; for with the heart man beleeveth un­to [Page 30] righteousnesse, and with the mouth man confesseth to salvation.

The Latines call the roofe of the mouth, Coelum, Heaven, and the lower part, Solum palati, the ground of the palate: The most mens speech is altogether of earth, as though they had no heaven in their mouth, they dash all their words against the earth, like the fish in the Gospel, either dumbe, or nothing but gold in their mouth: It is cleane contrary with S. Pauls Christian, who not content to be a silent, and dumbe spectatour of heaven, like the fish so called [...] and so to suffer the conceptions of his minde to die there, like abortive birthes smo­thered in the wombe, but labours to bring them to the light, and deliver them to others, that they may also partake of his sweet­nesse, and so dividing himselfe be­tweene solitarinesse, and compa­ny, meditation and communica­tion, thoughts, and speech, that [Page 31] one may make the other profita­ble, [...]. 3. the one being begunne, and inducted into the soule by the Spirit, and the other having in­structed others in the way of god­linesse, as the Father hath it.

See in the last place, his opera­tion, for what is his whole life, but an Angels worke, a continuall attendance upon God. The Church is, as the Father stiles it, an [...]. heaven upon earth, the presence Chamber of the great King: how often doth hee waite there? with what devotion? like David, accor­ding to Saint Austins Glosse, I will goe into the house of the Lord, as Tanquam lapis, cre [...] do in aedifi­cium di­ctum est. a stone in his building, saith the Father: like Christ himselfe, his parents sought him in vaine, in cognatione carnis, a­mong his kindred, but found him imployed in domo Patris, in his Fathers house.

The Sabbath is the Lords day, our rest, and employment, then a short abridgement of the long [Page 32] story of eternitie is seasonable, how truely doth Hee call this Day his delight: how cheerefully doth he welcome in? Hee com­meth forth of his chamber like a Bridegroome, and rejoyceth as a Gyant to runne his race: like the Jew, that was wont to put on his best apparell, to expect the approach of this day, and hasten it forward, wooing with these words, Veni sponsa mea, Come my Spouse; like the Spouse in the Canticles, rather, untill the day breake, and the shadowes flee away, I will get me to the mountaines of Myrrhe, and to the hill of Frankincense: he hath espoused his soule to the beauty of holinesse in these blessed ordi­nances; and therefore his eyes will prevent the morning watch, that hee may adorne, and prepare himselfe be times, and meete these solemnities with the sweete per­fume, and incence of meditation and prayer.

Prayer, and the rest of the works [Page 33] of Piety are the Ladder to Hea­ven; how often may you see him like the Angels in Iacobs vision, a­scending and descending by this? It is a received maxime in Philosophy, that Oratio is Quantitas discreta, but it is a certaine truth in Divi­nitie, that Oratio debet esse Quanti­tas continua, according to that of the Apostle, Pray continually: Too 1 Thes. 5. 17. much discretion in the world hath brought too little devotion, and unjustly censured the heate of devotion, for want of discretion: But 'tis not either the virulence of the tongue, or violence that can make a Christian intermit this course. The Angel that strove with Iacob said, Let me goe, for the mor­ning approacheth, forsooth afraid, as the Rabbins would have it, that if he were deteined any lon­ger, he should incur [...]e some cen­sure of irregularity, or be injoyned some pennance for tardinesse at his Mattins: But a Christian saith indeede to his deare sinnes, Let [Page 34] me goe, sollicitous to prevent all intanglements, to shake of all im­pediments, which might hazard the least interruption of his sweet intercourse with God in prayer.

And (to make no more particu­lar instances) the heavenly Hie­rarchies of Angels, are they not all ministring Spirits, sent forth to minister for them that shall be heires of salvation? or is not this the very trade and occupation of a Chri­stian? the magnificence of Piolo­maeus Philadelphus, I suppose gave originall to the phrase, in which all noble and magnificent workes are called opera Philadelphia: I dare say a Christian esteemes that his most honorable imployment, when he may provoke the glory of God, in the good of his brethren, especially in the matter of hea­ven and salvation, these are his opera Philadelphia, workes of Charity: For he holds the common truth in Philosophy, Proprissi­mum opus viventis, est generare sibi simile. the most proper worke of a living creature is to beget one in [Page 35] his owne likenesse, to be a certaine truth in Divinitie, the most spe­cificall, and characteristicall act of a living Christian is (at least to endeavour) to beget another in his owne likenesse: to draw many to God, and therefore that which Plato said divinely, was the end of marriage, that when out race shall be ended, and we must [...]radere Lampada, give up our borrowed light, wee may have those Vt Deo post nos Cultores relinqua­mus. that may rise up in our place, that may stand up in stead, to serve God, that the fire of his Altar may ne­ver goe out: this may be truely said, the end of all his commerce, and converse with others.

Neither is he thus in these great things of the Law only, but as carefull in the lesse Ne (que) enim auri [...] tù [...]assas tollunt, sed & bract eo­las. men will not lightly lose the least ends of Gold: the least Com­mandement observed, brings a great reward, and the least sinne cannot bee committed without great danger: even the secret lusts, and motions of the heart [Page 36] which cannot bee discerned for sinne (otherwise when motes, and atomes) in the tenth Commande­ment, as it were in the Sun-beames: the point of the speare pierced our Saviours side, so did the prickes of the thornes wound his sacred head: and therefore though counterfeit Christians make no bones of les­ser sinnes, make no conscience of lesser duties, like Pharoahs Magi­cians, whose art could not reach to make such things as were lesse then a Barly-Corne, and there­fore failing in the production of Lice were forced to acknowledge the finger of God, as the Rabbins give the reason; yet a currant Christian is the same in great and lesse matters, in both like him­selfe, if not like God himselfe, of whom Austin elegantly, Ita mag­nus Artifex in magnis, ut minor non sit in minimis. he is so great an Artisan in great matters, as that hee is not lesser in the smal­lest.

He did all with the same care, and by the same rule: the Iewes have a [Page 37] Law, which enjoynes them to take up any paper which they see lying on the ground, and the rea­son is, lest happily the Name of God be written in the paper, and ignorantly troden under foote: the Christian is free from such su­perstitious curiositie, yet full of religious care, observes every ti­tle in Gods Word, least una­wares hee might dishonour the name of God, and trample upon any of the least of his Commande­ments: and therefore he hath re­spect to this in all his wayes; this is the Card and Compasse, without this, (as there be few men that can draw a streight line, or a circle, without a Rule or compasse) none can leade their life aright, or make streight steps to heaven: with this they may, for as while one line of the Compasse is firmely fastned upon the Card, the other goes steadily the true circuit: So while the mind of man is fixed upon the Word by contemplati­on [Page 38] and observes it, he may keepe his life and actions within com­passe, and run safely the way of Gods Commandements.

A man may huddle up a mud­wall, a banke of earth in haste of that which comes next to hand, saith the moralist, but 'twere mad­nesse to attempt to build a Pa­lace, a Temple without choice stones, without line and levels: Now a Christian by a holy life labours to build himselfe up a Pa­lace for the great King, a Temple for the living God, and therefore thinkes hee can never be choice enough of the stuffe, or worke­manship, whereas any rubbish, trash, or any slovenly slubbering over is good enough for another use.

Socrates was said to have cald Philosophy downe from heaven to earth, so doth he draw the pra­ctise of Divinitie even to his earthly and domesticall, and daily affaires, and by this heavenly [Page 39] course rather then he should not bee in heaven, makes his house wherein he walkes before God in the uprightnesse of his heart, and sinceritie, be it never so meane a Cottage [...]. a very heaven, as Chryso­stome speakes.

To conclude this: That which the Ruffians in Seneca scoffe at in the sober young man, is true of him in a sense more divine Ita la­borat, ita ludit, ita coenat, ita votat, ita loquitur, ita vivit, ut qui ephe­merides pa­tri est ap­probaturus. hee so workes, so recreates him selfe, so sups, so drinkes, so speakes, so lives as one that is to give a just account to his heavenly Father, wherein hee would not faile or bee taken trip­ping for all the world: and in a word, he passeth his life in this world, as in a royall Temple, which God hath built for his owne service, [...]. the world is a sacred Temple to those that study perfe­ction, the moralist acknowledg­eth, appointing man his Priest; every day of whose life is marked in the Calender of truth, for an holy day, upon which all other [Page 40] worke is unlawfull: this onely we must labour, that we may serve our course, and keepe our [...], or turnes so faithfully in the Temple of vertue here, that through it we may assuredly passe and be preferred to the Temple of honour, which God hath prepa­red for us in heaven, to which (God hath framed it so) there is no accesse but by the former, as it was also signified at Rome in the two Temples, which were so con­trived, and so called.

Secondly, conformit as felicitatis. 2. A Christian is an heaven by a confor­mitie of happinesse, which is so great, that the Father calls it, [...]. an heaven, before we come to heaven, not without reason. There be two things indeede, that make a broad difference, sinne and misery, which we are subject to here, but shall be from hereafter, and yet these two deprive us rather of the degree, than of the truth of the perfecti­on, rather than of the possession [Page 41] of happinesse. The present tense in Grammer is accompanied with the imperfect: the future with the plusquam perfectum, and such is the condition of our present, and fu­ture happinesse; our future is more then perfect, our present is imperfect indeed, but yet true happinesse.

Misery may eclipse it here per­haps, but cannot extinguish it: they may kill me said a Philoso­pher to the Tyrants, but they can­not hurt me: they may take away my head, but they cannot take a­way my crowne, saith the Chri­stian: and divinely Tertullian, Nihil sen­ [...]t crus in nervo, quā ­do animus est in coelo. the thigh feeles not the paine in the sinew, when the soule is in heaven: the heire of heavenly joyes may passe through the vaile of teares, and goe mourning all the day, going weeping all the way, scattering his precious seede with his teares, but you know the saying, Haeredis fletus, sub persona, ri­sus est. an Heires teares are laughter under his mourning cloathes.

[Page 42] Sinne is infinitely the worse of the two; and yet sinne doth not separate us from Christ, it drives us closer to him rather, and he can­not bee farre from heaven that is so neare Christ, ^c For where Christ [...]. is, there is heaven, saith the Father. Sinne doth not separate us from God, who reconciled in Christ, be­holds us, not as a Judge, guiltie malefactours, but as a father, weake children, and he is not farre from heaven that is so neare God: for where the King is, there is the Court, is our common saying; sinne doth not separate us from the communion of the holy Spi­rit, who dwells in us, and makes us living Temples of God: and what difference I pray betweene the Temple of God and Hea­ven?

To end this in a word: a Chri­stian is in this world like Adam in Paradise, which as some imagine was situate above the clouds, and therefore not defaced in the uni­versall [Page 43] Deluge of waters: in the Paradise I say of a good conscience, the Garden of God, which is situate above the clouds of all misery, where the Tree of Life, is continually watered with the Torrent of pleasure, which never leaves running, till it ends his course in his Ocean of Eterni­tie.

Such is the Conversation of a Christian in Heaven; but is Ours such? That was the second Point we propounded.

2.

I am afraid that some may say after this character of a Christian, as Linacer, when he had heard our Saviours Sermon upon the Mount, Profecto aut hoc non est Evange­lium, aut nos non su­mus Chri­stiani. Either this is not Gospell, or we are not Christians, our Sa­viour asked who toucht him then when the multitude pressed about him: many throng about Christ in profession, and a forme [Page 44] of godlinesse, but few touch him to draw any vertue from him, and power of godlinesse: many beare the name of Christians ^b to their judgement, and condemnation, not to a Ad judi­cium, non ad remedi­um. their salvation and remedy, as the Fa­ther speakes, to whom we may say, as Alexander did to a souldier, who was called Alexander by his name, but played the coward e­gregiously, either fight bet­ter, either live better, or else presume not to usurpe the glo­rious name: many flie to that of the Jewes, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, and thinke to take Sanctuary, and save themselves there from all danger; as the Jewes fable, that Og the King of Bashan escaped in the floud by riding astride upon the Arke without; though they never enter, as if they thought with Martius, that they could not possibly be condemned within sight of the Capitoll, the Temple.

[Page 45] For to point at these in a word, are there not many Prophane per­sons, whose conversation is in Hell? like the Demoniacke in the Gospell, whose abode was in the graves: and how farre are they from hell, thinke you, who will goe rather to an Alehouse, Whorehouse, Playhouse, then to the House of God? Vbi fuisti? Where hast thou beene? apud Inferos, in Hell, saith Erasmus merrily, comparing Tipling Cellars to Hell. Her feete goe downe to death, her steppes take hold of Hell, saith Salomon of the Harlot: Est de Ec­clesiâ Dei, in Ecclesi­am diaboli tendere, de coelo quod aiunt in caenum, saith Tertul. to leave a Sermon to goe to a Play, is to forsake the Church of God; to betake ones selfe to the Synagogue of Satan, to fall from Heaven, to Hell.

And what are they, who doe nothing else all their life, but warre against heaven; more pro­perly than the barbarous Scythi­ans, who thought they did it vali­antly, when they shot their ar­rowes against heaven, which fell [Page 46] upon their owne pates, the true Antipodes of God, and all good­nesse? that by a new found Art of memory, never remember the Name of God that made them, but in their oathes and blasphemies, and by a new found Art of forget­fulnesse, seeme to have forgotten their owne name, (as they say Messala did) that they are called Christians: that rather than faile of sinning, with mutuall emula­tion, like unhappie boyes, strive who shall goe furthest in the dirt: Nolunt solita pec­care, saith Seneca. Et pudet non esse impuden­tes, saith Austin. they thinke it a foule shame, to be ashamed of sinne, and their ambi­tion is, who shall be most famous for infamy.

The Jewes observe that the same word diversly pronounced, Bethsheba, with [...] Shibboleth, signi­fies the well of Oath, and Bethsaba with [...] Sibboleth, the well of plen­tie. I am sure, for Oathes the Land mournes, of which there is such store, as if men by an easie mistake of the point, used to draw and [Page 47] drop oathes (as it were) out of the well of plentie.

But I shall shew you greater abominations then these, it is the Apostles exhortation, [...], follow peace and holi­nesse, without which no man shall see God: the word indeede is ambi­guous, and signifies sometime to follow, and sometime to perse­cute: the Apostle delivers this with the right hand, and would have us follow, and pursue holi­nesse, as it were withdrawing our selves from earth, and reti­ring to heaven, and that apace, for feare we overtake them not; but many take this with the left hand, and running upon a wrong sent, follow neither peace nor holi­nesse; but breake the peace by pro­clayming open warre and perse­cuting holinesse, without which no man shall see God, the tongue is set on fire on hell, and they set their mouths against heaven and blaspheme the Saints.

[Page 48] Good Lord, that ever the re­formed Church should verifie that which the Poet wrote once of Rome!

When it is lawfull to bee all things, but to be piously dispo­sed, and these times to be the pro­phesie of the morall Philosopher, when Quando vitio honos habebitur Honour is attributed to vice! Gideon received those for his Soul­diers, that bowed not the knee to drink, but lapt like a Dog, and Iephta made that the tryall of life, or death, if they could pronounce Shibboleth: and is not now swea­ring a sufficient pasport for enter­tainement in the world, and drun­kennesse, as good as letters of Com­mendation for preferment? he that is so precise hee cannot kneele to Bacchus, and carouse it so, hee that lispes at an oath Sibboleth, and cannot thunder them out thicke and threefold with a full mouth Shibboleth, dismisse him for a co­ward, he is an Ephramite, and as [Page 49] he was wont to doe, note him in your Calendar, for a Priscillianist, a Puritan, but they that can do both, and with a grace, he is a brave lad, a true trojan, a Gileadite: For those two (for the most part) are com­panions in evill, Simeon and Levi, as though wine sprung out of the earth from the blood of the Gyants that fought against the Gods (as they in Plutarch ima­gined) so it armes the Tongue a­gainst God & all his Saints, whose persons because they are out of reach, they rend and teare their names.

Poore blind men, that offer vi­olence to the Saints, as Sampson laid hand upon the Pillars, to plucke the house upon their owne heads: For this I feare will be the end of this sport, and I would to God onely the Princes of the Philistims (as in­deede they doe) sate and laught at this: the Poets say, Iupiter never throwes his thunderbolt, but when the Furies wrest it out of [Page 50] his hand, I feare these Furies will draw Gods judgements upon us.

I know not what [...]. vaine hopes, like false guides, which set a man out of the way, beare us in hand, that we may goe by sinne and hell to holinesse, and shut our eyes a­gainst the light of the Gospell, and yet at last come to heaven: the way indeede to hell is easie, for as Bias scoffed, the dead goe thither blindfold, with their eyes closed: but let no man thinke, any life will bring a man to heaven, as though Christ sent blood out of his side to redeeme us, and not water also to purge his redeemed, and wash them from their sinnes? As though those, whom the divell drives headlong to hell, as once hee did the Gadarens hogs into the deepe, had any reason to conceive, they were mounting to the pina­cle of the Temple, to some high place in heaven, who, if there were as many heavens as there be [Page 51] dayes in the yeare, as the Basilidi­ans foolishly dreamed, are not like to come to the lowest point of the lowest, without more then ordinary repentance?

Secondly, wordlings, whose con­versation is in earth; who degene­rate so far from all noble thoughts that they had rather be Terrae filii, sonnes of the earth, then heires of hea­ven: which deface the Image of the heavenly Father, stamped in the soule (not in their coines) with continuall rubbing against the earth. Wormes and no men, that doe not walke upright to heaven, but crawle upon the earth: the seede of the Serpent, inheriting his curse, to creepe upon their belly, and licke the dust, and like that better then the choice delicates, the foode of Angels: like the Israelites of whom Tertullian, whose Quorum palato, cae­pe magis sapiunt, quam coe­lum'. pallats rellish Garlick or an Onion of the Aegyptian earth, better than the Angelicall viands of heaven: whom the earth hathwholly swal­lowed [Page 52] up, as once it did Corah: who lulled asleepe with the flattering blandishment, and faire enter­tainement they meete with in the world, are nayled to the earth, as Sisera was by Iael; and will not so much as lift their eyes to hea­ven, unlesse it be as the moralist observes, that Hogs doe, who goe nodling downe, and rooting in the earth all their life, and ne­ver looke upward, till being rea­dy to be kild, they are laid flat up­on their backe, and forced: so those men are all their life scra­ping in the dunghill, and never thinke upon God or heaven, till wrastling with the pangs of death, they are even overcome, and laid flat upon their backe, then they that were prone to earthly cares like Martha, like the woman in the Gospel, that had a spirit of infirmi­tie and was bowed downeward, and carelesse, and supine to all hea­venly things are forced to thinke of heaven: but perhaps can brook [Page 53] them little better then Cerberus did the light at which he startled, and strugled so, when Hercules had brought him so farre, that he had well nigh twitcht him downe backe againe to hell, if the hand, and the chaine that held him, had not beene the stronger: or as the noble King Richard, the first of the name, who when the rest of the Princes, and Gallants travai­ling in the Holy Land, where they then warred, were come to the foote of an hill, from whence they might view Jerusalem, the holy Citie (then possessed by Saracens without hope of recovery for the present) and therefore put Spurs to their Horses, every one in a youthfull contention who should be the first, and have the maiden­head of that prospect. Hee puld downe his Beaver over his eyes, and would not gratifie them with the vaine pleasure of so sad a spe­ctacle; for God forbid said he, that I should be hold that Citie, though [Page 54] I could, which though I would, I know not how to rescue: so is it but cold comfort to such to thinke of heaven, whose life gives so weake evidence for their Title to it, whose possibilities are so remote, upon I know not what reversion, after such, and such, and such a thing done, which they finde then too late, that they are not likely to have either space, or grace, or place to doe.

Foolish men that lay the grea­test burthen upon the weakest horse, and leave that one thing which is necessary to their bed, when they are fit to doe nothing: God cal­led to them to hasten in their life, to day if yee will heare my voyce, har­den not your hearts, then they were loath to forsake their sweete sins, as Lot to goe out of Sodome, till the Angel pluckt him out: then they answer coldly, as Austin re­ports of himselfe, Da Do­mine, sed non modo. Give Lord, but not yet; then they devise a thousand shifts to delay: let Salo­mon [Page 55] bid them remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth, they are ready to say (to thinke at least) as the Devills to our Savi­our, Art thou come to torment us be­fore our time? Whereas they are a­fraid, if they should beginne too soone in Religion, they might be Saints; and happie before their time: but when death comes, they change their note, their pulse then beates quicke, and faint, a dange­rous symptome of Death, O Lord make speede to heare us, O Lord make haste to helpe us.

Then in haste the Minister, the Sacrament, their prayers, then Lord have mercy upon me; and so like Gallants that have lost their time in the Alehouse, to make amends, ride all upon the spurre suriously, (right Jehues march) ready to o­verrunne the sober traveller: so these runne upon the speede at last, and thinke to be at heaven before those who have travelled soberly thitherward all their life: but [Page 56] what if God should answer their [...], it is not yet time in their life, with [...], at their death: what if God should say to him, as the Crabbe in the Fable to the Serpent, when hee had given him his deaths wound for his crooked conditions, and then saw him stretch himselfe out streight, At oportuit sic vixisse; It is too late now, you should have lived so? What if the sword of Gods Iustice seaze upon him? that flies so to the Sanctuary of his Mercy, as Joab was slaine even at the hornes of the Altar? May not a man receive unworthily, not discerning the Lords body, by the eye of faith (for ac­cording to the Father, this is the food of [...]. Eagles, not of Dawes) and so eate damnation to himselfe? for in this case, it Non ci­bus est, sed gladius. is not meate but a knife, or sword, saith Cyprian: The Emperour was poysoned in the Hostie: and at last a man may die notwithstanding the Sacrament, as the Israelites in the Wilder­nesse, [Page 57] died with Manna in their mouthes.

Basilides the Emperour of Russia refused a Coelestiall Globe of gold (wherein the cunning Artificer, as it were in emulation of God, had curiously framed a modell of heaven, nothing was wanting of the number of the spheares, or of the life of the mo­tion) which was sent unto him as a rare present from the German Emperour; for, said he, I doe not meane to busie my selfe in the con­templation of heaven, and in the meane time, did lose the possession of the earth, as the German Empe­rours doe daily to these Turkes; it may be wisely: and a m [...]id laught at her master Thales, the great Astronomer, who gazing on the Starres on a sudden fell in­to a ditch: [...] thinke justly: and the Iew is little pittled, who let goe the helme of the ship, which he steered at the first approach of the Sabbath, and so suffered ship­wracke, [Page 58] for ought I know, deser­vedly: For our Conversation must he in Heaven indeede; but it is not a Iacobs staffe, but a Iacobs ladder will bring us thither; we must behold the heaven, but wee may hold the helme also, and guide our course the better, as Pilots doe; we may looke to our estate, and walke in the labours of our calling with diligence, and if wee doe this with conscience, every day is [...]. a Sabbath, as Clemens speakes: what then is to be done as Basil in a like case? [...]. Let not all thy delight befor earth, but minde also hea­ven: so here, we must not be all for the world, nothing for heaven: Suffer not the world to take up the best roomes in the heart, while Christ by that meanes, is shuffled into the stable: but as the Aethio­pian Indges in all their meetings, reserve the highest seat empty for Felix do­mus, ubi de Maria, Martha conqueri­tur. God: so doe you seeke the kingdome of Heaven in the first place. ^e That house is happy, where wordly Martha [Page 59] complaines of heavenly-minded Mary, saith the Father. Happy is that soule, which is so tempered, that though it run betweene both, yet the by as is alway drawing toward heaven, that abounds so much in expressions of love that way, that the world may have cause to be jealous, and complaine of some neglect: that feares not the feare of the worlding, that if he should follow holinesse toofast, he should not be able to live by the trade, like the Athenians, who in the Consulation, whether they should admit Alexander the Great into their Calender, and Canonize him for a God, which he sued for; at first were very zealous against his impious ambition, but were soone cold upon the poli [...]icke suggestion of a crafty companion, who put them in minde of the power of Alexander, and wished them to consider, Ne dum Coelum de­fendimus, terram a­mittamus. lest while they stood so much for Heaven, they were likely to lose earth: so these had [Page 60] rather forgoe heavenly, than un­dergoe any hazard af the losse of earthly thinga; but the Christian not so, but resolves, Viderit utili­tas, let the world looke to that, let the world goe as it will, I will doe according to the command of my Saviour, and build upon his Promise; Seeke the Kingdome of God, and all these things shall he cast upon you.

Hypocrites, whose conversation is betweene heaven and earth: like Erasmus, as the Papists paint him: like the flying Angel in the Reve­lation; which In para­bolâ ovis, capras sues quaerunt. in the Parable of the Sheepe, seeke out their goates: under the cloake of Religion, Gods Li­very which they weare, as though they served him, doe but serve their owne turne: like the Eagles which soares aloft, not for any love of heaven, her eye is all the while upon the prey, which by this meanes, she spies sooner, and seizes upon better: as Thales some­time contemplated the heaven for [Page 61] no devotion I wist, but to picke some gaine out of it, as hee did in­deed: for re ading thus much in the volumne of heaven, that there was like to follow a scarcity of Olives, he got all that hee could into his hands, and so having the mono­poly, sold them at his own price.

Who would not have admi­red, and honoured him as one sent from heaven, and Deo de proximo amicum. Gods neare familiar, or intimate friend, according to the phrase of Ter­tullian, who not content to fit in the Temple of God; unlesse hee were also pearcht upon the high­est pinnacle of the Temple, were not the fetch long since transpa­rent to the world, that he is moun­ted so high, onely for the love of the situation and goodly pro­spect, it hath of all the kingdomes of the world, and to bargaine with the devill for them, the Vicar of Christ, thought he was not well advised to refuse so faire an offer at which his fingers itched: as [Page 62] Gahazies teeth watered after the Talents and the change of raiment: and I suppose he would not be troubled to weare the keyes of heaven at his girdle, but that hee hath found that they will open to him the Treasures of the earth: and wherefore [...] doth hee shrowd himselfe under the shadow of Peter, but as they did, sometime to heale, and cure diseases? so at least to hide, and obscure the deformitie of his swelling pride, and infinite ambition.

They say, when Astraea (Iustice, and Piety suppose) betooke her selfe from the unworthy world to heaven, her veile fell from her, (or maske I know not well whether) the onely relique and monument, the earth can produce she once had her abode among men: and you may remember when Elias was taken up, and rode thether in his Triumphant charriot, his man­tle dropt from him, and since that, how many have masked un­der the veile of Piety, and cozen'd [Page 63] the world with the mantle of Elias, (as the Devill once Saul with Samuels) as though they came from heaven, or were left sole heires to him: whereas God knowes, they have not the least part of the Spirit of Elias, they are nothing akin unto him: they never came neare heaven, but as­cend out of the earth, as the coun­terfeit Samuel that cozen'd Saul, the true devill under his mantle.

For what are their letters of credence? but faire shewes, good words, cheape ceremonies: pellucidae technae; shining and perspicuous juggling, who cannot see tho­rough these trickes? the Iewes observe, that the second temple came short of the glory of the first in this especially, in stead of U [...]im and Thummim, it had nothing but Bach Col, the daughter of a voyce: and who sees not the glozing of the tongue, how short it falls of the glory of truth of sinceritie? when one Alexander gave it out [Page 64] that he was Herods sonne, Augu­stus to discover the impostor, felt his hand, and by his hard rough skinne, easily found that there was no gentle blood ran in those veines, no noble spirit did be at in that pulse, he was some handy­crafts man, he was not his crafts­master: and who but blind Isaac would blesse him for the first borne of God, the heire of heaven, whose voice is indeed smooth, the voice of elect Jacob, but his hands are rough with sinne, the hands of repro­bate Esau?

These Juglers cannot play their trickes so cleanly, but they are perceived: they dance in a net, the world sees their dissembling, and accounts them but like those Images which you see sometimes underpropping the beames of some great building, they sweat, they stoop, and bow under the burden they lay their hands upon their head as it were to ease them­selves as though the whole weight [Page 65] of the roofe lay upon them, like to fall (you may make children perhaps beleeve so) if they should remoove never so little and not support it: so these men are so bu­sie, so zealous, so hot, a man would thinke the Church, the truth, the Gospel, all religion could not stand without them: when indeed they doe no more then these Images: like Atlas, whom the Poets feigne (for his skill in Astronomy) to beare up the heaven upon his shoulders: so every one of these would make the world be­leeve he were a Pillar, an Atlas of the Church: and so he is indeede an Atlas, but according to the Anagrammatisme of his name, [...], a miserable prop and pillar of the Church of God.

Miserable man in truth, whose dissembling, and doubling God sees, and will one day unmaske to all the world: and canst thou thinke foolish hypocrite to be saved by thy booke at that triall: yes, get a [Page 66] faire Bible, bind it in a Velvet case, gild the leaves, make much of it, let all the world take notice of this in the meane time, live as thou list without booke; but know that booke is not subject to the Orators [...] to bee flattered or bribed with such a simple fee, not so much as to be si­lent: for though thou thinkest to stop the mouth for pleading a­gainst thee with such idle courte­sies; and content that it should countenance thee before the peo­ple, as Saul would have Samuel, as if it were of this familiar acquain­tance, whereas thou keepest it shut at home, and muzzled for feare it should worry thy darling sinnes; yet the bookes shall be opened one day, and thou shalt be judged by that booke and condemned. Or wilt thou hope to take sanctuary at the Church? yes no doubt, because thou hast beene diligent there to play the part of a Christian in seeming devotion, and mocke [Page 67] God to his face: because thou hast cheated the world in the Church with the shew of Pietie, that thou mightest the better cheat them in thy shop, thou art like to scape well enough: shall I tell you how? Xerxes destroyed the Tem­ples of the Grecians, because by building them, they seemed to overthrow the infinitnesse of God, and circumscribe him with­in the roofe of a Temple: and God will smite thee, thou whited wall, whose religion is circumscribed within the walls of the Church, and goes no farther.

All these according to the common similitude of the ferry­man, looke one way, and goe ano­ther: they looke to heaven when they are going to hell: though their forces, and their footesteps seeme to stand toward heaven, yet the divell drawes them to hell, when [...] that wicked one, as the Poets say Cacus used to draw the Oxen he stole, by the tailes back­ward [Page 68] into his men, that so men being set at a nonplus in their search, by this sophistry his theft might remaine undiscove­red.

3.

The third thing propoun­ded, was to shew the seve­rall motives which may pro­voke us to this heavenly conver­sation.

First, The excellency of heaven. 1.

Jacob for the love of Rachel, co­venanted to serve an apprentiship of seaven yeares to Laban; and when bleare-eyd Leach was thrust upon him, he refused not her nor seaven yeares more, that he might enjoy his beloved Rachel. God hath two daughters, eternall happinesse the sai­rer, but the younger: and sineere ho­linesse the elder indeed, but not so lovely; because she is something tender ey'd with the teares of repen­tance, & the exercises of mortification, [Page 69] which yet wee must not refuse, if we love the other: The beautie in­deede of celestiall happinesse like Rachel first woves a man to the ser­vice of God: but this is the Law of the place, the younger sister can­not be bestowed in marriage be­fore the elder, a man cannot enjoy beautifull Rachel, unlesse hee bee content to imbrace bleare-eyd Leah, a man cannot enter the joyes of heaven, till hee have first passed through the valley of teares, neither is the condition hard: I suppose Iacob buried all his cares at last in the bo­some of his beautifull Rachel, and forgot all his labour in her sweete embraces, as if hee had tasted a cup of Nepenthe, or drunke the whole River of Oblivion.

And how much more shall a Christian in heaven? They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fat­nesse of thy house, and thou shalt make them drinke of the river of thy [Page 70] pleasures, or as the old translation hath it Inebria­buntur in ebrietate domus tuae. they shall be drunken with the plentie of thy house, upon which Saint Austin thus descants, Quaesitum verbum, & exquisitum, inebria­buntur. it is a most requisite, and exquisite word, they shall be drunken with the fatnesse of thy house. I, with this cup the Apostles were drunken, and therefore being beaten with rods, they went away from the councell, rejoycing that they were counted wor­thy to suffer for the Name of Christ, with this cup were the Hebrewes drunken, and therefore suffered the spoyling of their goods with joy, expect­ing a City in the Heavens: with this cup were althe Martyrs drunk, who therefore) as we say a drunken man will take no hurt) ran to meet death, kissed the stake, sang in the midst of the flames, and felt no harme, being farre from feare or paine.

Euagrius in Cedrenus bequea­thed three hundred pound to the poore in his will, but tooke a bond before hand of Synesius the [Page 71] Bishop for the repayment of this in another life, (according to the promise of our Saviour) with an hundred fold advantage; and the very next night after his departure, ap­pearing to him in his shape, de­livered in the bond cancel'd, as fully discharged. Beloved, one day in the presence of God, one day will make amends abundantly, abun­dantly for an hundred yeares trou­ble: you will not aske my bond for this, I know you will take Gods word: but then, according to the Arabick proverbe, Obstrue quinque fenestras, ut luceat domus, et qui sunt in eâ. shut your five windowes, that the house and all that are therein may shine, consult not with your senses, with carnall rea­son, which like Sarah laughs at hea­venly promises, looks onely to earth­ly possibilities: and as the Sunne whose rising discovers the Terre­sttiall Globe to our sight, but hides the starres, and the coelesti­all: but beleeve these things, be­leeve them firmely, and meditate on them freequently: and as An­taeus [Page 72] overcome by Hercules, re­newed his strength, by falling to the earth: so let us quicken our selves to an heavenly conversation, when wee finde the world hath dul'd us, by raising our mindes to the consideration of the excellen­cie of Heaven.

Uanity of the world. Quod hic facio? What do I here, said Moni­ca, Austins mother, when she had heard an excellent discourse, of the incomparable joyes of Hea­ven? What doe wee here say I, poring and losing our time about earthly things, who are invited to heavenly? What doe wee, I will tell you, like the young man at Athens, who fell in love with the Image of [...]. Good Fortune, an elegant statue that stood in the Senate house, and because hee could not obtaine her for his wife of the Senate to whom hee commended his sute, set a crowne, a garland of flowers upon the head of it, and put a rope about [Page 73] his owne necke, and so died: and they are not like to make much the better match, who dote upon the glory of the world, scarce a picture, a counterfeit, a shadow of true happinesse.

For what true content can all the world affoord a Christian? They say it is not the great Cage, that makes the Bird sing: I am sure, it is not the great fortune, the greate estate, that brings al­way the inward joy, the cordiall contentment: therefore Qui vult securus gau [...]ere, i [...]lo gaude­at, qui non potest peri­re. he who would seriously rejoyce, let him take comfort in that which will never pe­rish: many times great estates, like the Camels bunch will not suffer men to enter the straitegate, no more than that creature can goe through an eye of a needle: and like long gar­ments, a thousand to one, if they doe not trippe up the heeles, at the least, if they doe not hinder our speede in the race of godli­nesse, whereas a meaner conditi­on makes us seeke the way to [Page 74] heaven, and secures us in it: for as we see at London, because they are straited for roome, they build more in height; and as souldiers are defended in their Tents, by a trench dig'd round about, which is nothing else but an hollow­nesse, and want of earth, as Pari­siensis, whose comparison this is: so for the most part, want of earthly things, puts us upon a ne­cessitie of seeking heavenly, and withall, is our best security against our spirituall enemies. Glasse keepes out the winde and raine, but lets in the light, and therefore is usefull in building; and a mo­derate estate is not much unlike it in nature or use, and therefore is most desirable, which is nei­ther so meane as to expose a man to the injuries, nor so great, as to exclude a man from the influence of heaven.

His left hand is under my head, and with his right hand, he shall embrace me, saith the Spouse of her welbe­loved [Page 75] in the Canticles: and this is the dealing of God with his Church for the most part, he be­stowes the blessings of the left hand upon her in such a measure, as to support her from perishing with want, or extremity, he holds her up by the other hand to keepe her from drowning: his left hand is under my head: but so still, that she may be kept hungry, and longing for the blessings of the right hand, and account them the principall.

With his right hand, he shall em­brace me: and while she is in this state, she is so farre from murmu­ring, that she sings this as a song of triumph: and will be conten­tented, not troubles her selfe a­bout many things, but in the words of Salomon, Uanitie of vani­ties, all is but vanitie, bids adieu to the vanitie of the world, and as the Father glosses upon these words, to raile upon them, and chide, and raile them away.

[Page 76] Dignity of man: They that looke towards the earth onely, are but equivocall men; ^c men in name, but [...]. not in minde, to use the words of Chrysostome: for what is there even in our nature which doth not lift us up to God, to Heaven: the frame and fabricke of our bodies so upright, that it compels us to tread, to trample upon the earth, to looke up to heaven, and for this purpose, Anatomists observe, that beside foure muscles in the eyes, common to us with bruite creatures, there is a peculiar one in mans to lift it upward; the head is therefore round, a fit seat for the minde, and withall, that it may be put in minde to thinke upon heaven whence it is, and whereof the figure is a resem­blance: the heart is both a tri­angle, and a Pyramis, a Triangle, because the world cannot satisfie it, no more than a round can fill a Triangle, but there will be empty corners still, onely the blessed [Page 77] Trinity can fill the capacitie of the heart, whose Pallace and Chamber of Presence it should be, according to the Initiall letters of the Latine word COR, which makes Camera Omnipotentis Regis, The Chamber of the Omnipotent Ru­ler, as some have seriously obser­ved, and an inverted Pyramis, nar­row below, almost sharpened to a point, that it might touch the earth no more than needs must, Tota in puncto, in Ieroms phrase, the whole stands in a narrow point, and broad above to re­ceive the influence of Hea­ven.

The Rabbins also have obser­ved, that there be just so many bones in a mans body, as there be letters in the Decalogue: and just so many joints and members, as there be dayes in the yeare, teach­ing us to offer up a double Holo­caust of all our strength, and all our time wholy to God, in the obedience of his commandements:

[Page 78] And the whole man is Inversa planta, a tree turned upside downe, (as the Philosopher hath noted long agoe) whose rootes are to­wards heaven, from whence it de­rives all the sappe and juice of Grace, which makes the branches towards earth flourishing, and be fruitfull in good workes: My well­doing extends not unto thee, saith the Psamist, but unto the Saints that doe excell in vertue: and therefore to conclude, this in a word (because I know these are but allusions, and Symboli­ca Theolo­gia non est argu­mentati­va [...]. Theologicall comparisons are not Syllogisticall to enforce an argument to prove) is a worke most proper, and peculiar to the heavenly Ierusalem, Plant even Christ himselfe, who is God-man blessed for ever in heaven, as Clemens speakes.

And though the fall of man hath defaced the Image of God in him, yet the very reliques of his Nature doe testifie, that hee was framed for him, for heaven: for as [Page 79] the statue of Olympian Iupiter was framed lying all along upon the ground, out of that vastnesse of proportion and stature, that any one might easily discerne that if it were set upright, the roofe of the Temple could not conteine it: so man, the Image of God, though his fall hath layd him groveling on the earth, yet even so we can­not but perceive, that if Grace should please to raise him, there is a royall capacitie in him, for which all the world is too lit­tle.

For if nature hath not conferd so much dignitie upon man, that he cannot stoope to the earth without abasing himselfe: I am sure Grace hath: Christ hath redee­med him with his owne blood, and made us Kings and Priests to God; and therefore 'tis not amisse be­fore we be serviceable for the world to put Alexander question to his follower that perswaded him to runne at the Olympicke [Page 80] games, Doe Kings use to run at the Olympicks? and to follow the in­struction of the Philosopher to a Prince, for a direction how hee should carry himselfe at a ban­quet, in saying no more but this, Remember thou art a Kings sonne.

Fourthly, brevitie of life: wee reade in Salomons Ephemerides, there is a time to be borne, & a time to dye; the time to live is so short as some observe, that hee skips it over, and vouchsafeth not once to name it: The Philosopher af­firmes, that man is therefore the wisest of all creatures, because hee alone can number, and they note this as an essentiall diffe­rence betweene them, that Bruta non numerant; brute creatures cannot number; I am sure this is most true of that divine Arithmetick which the Psalmist prayes for, Lord teach us so to number our dayes, that we may apply our hearts unto wisedome, then wee may not spend our precious time upon trifles: the Italian pro­verbe [Page 81] is, he that will lodge well at night, must set out early and take up his Inne betimes. Beloved we cannot beginne too soone to set onward upon our journey to­ward the new Ierusalem: the Iewes tell of Ben Syra yet a child, that he begged of his master to instruct him in the Law of God, who de­fer'd it, and put him off; saying, he was to young yet to be entered into divine mysteries: then hee replyed, but master, said he, I have beene in the Churchyard, and per­ceive by the graves which I have laine downe by and measured, and finde shorter then my selfe that many have dyed younger than I am, and what shall I doe then? and if I should die before I have lear­ned the Law of God, what would become of me then master? The consideration of our short life should cause us to make haste to learne to know, and serve God, and to thinke wee can­not begin to study that lesson too [Page 82] soone, that can never be learned too well.

And withall to use all speede and diligence, lest so, as Chrildren have usually torne their books, we have ended our lives, before wee have learned our lessons: let us there­fore translate our care, and gree­dinesse from earth to heaven, and as some doe cut off their horses tailes to make their backes stron­ger, and fitter for burden, 'tis the Rabbins comparison which they apply to liberalitie, so let us cut off all superfluous expences of time, that wee may afford to bee more liberall towards necessary and noble uses: lest if wee let much water goe beside the mill, wee spend much time beside the maine businesse, as it was observed of Demosthenes, that his breast was too short for his periods, so wee finde it true in a case of the greatest im­portance, that the period of our dayes be ended before we come to the period of our desires, the comfor­table [Page 83] assurance of eternall happi­nesse.

At least, let us not thinke much to doe as much for heaven as we doe for earth. Percute quâ aratrum, be­stirre thy selfe as if thou wert at plough, said a father to his sonne Glaucus, when he saw him over­come by his Antagonist at the Olympick games, where hee had forced him to contend in hope of gayning great glory, because he had observed great experiments of strength in his ploughing: So may I say with the same diligence that men use in plowing the earrh, if they would imploy it that way, men might purchase heaven; why then are we so foo­lish to refuse a motion so equall? a bargaine so advantageous? why doe wee sticke to bid a point of Time to buy a Circle, a Crowne of eternitie: especially seeing we cannot but know it better then the heathen Philosopher did, that pronounced all that resolved it, [Page 84] Nisi ad haec admit­terer non fu­erat operae pretium nasci. Vnlesse I had beene admitted to partake of these, it had beene no great matter to be borne: unlesse wee get a part of heaven, it was not worth the while for us that wee are borne.

Fourthly, Necessitie double of ours times and place. 4.

First, Times; for send your meditations abroad as Noah did 1. the Dove out of the Arke, and they will finde no place to rest, but returne and tell you of an uni­versall deluge of affliction, which hath well nigh overwhelmed the Church of God, unlesse as the Duke of Alva told the King of France, who asked him, whether he had observed the late great E­clipse, no said he, I have so much to doe upon earth, that I have no leasure to behold the heaven: so wee are so busied in the world, that we thinke not on Gods king­dome, or be so rude and barbarous to thinke the state of the Church is nothing to us abroad, while we [Page 85] at home feele nothing. But what if our selves be in more danger, the more secure we are? Have we any priviledge above our neighbours? May not God justly take away his Gospel, and his mercies from those that abuse them? I read it obser­ved in the Scriptures, that when the Israelites came to eate of the fruites of the land, de frugibus ter­rae, the Manna ceased: Si amicus tuus mel fuerit, ne comederis totum. If Hony be thy friend, doe not swallow all, saith the Arabick proverbe; Let us take heed we abuse not the gentlenesse of God toward us, lest if we grow earthly minded, God take away his heavenly Manna, Quò ge­nerosius vinum eò acrius acetum. O [...]. the richer the Wine is, the sowrer is the Vineger saith the German, and ^c if his love hath beene so unspeakeable to­wards us, his hatred of our lewd­nesse will be infinite like himselfe, being voyd of limits and bounds, saith a father, and how shall we prevent our owne danger, or relieve the miseries of our breth­ren? When Ierusalem was taken, [Page 86] there was heard (they say) a voice from heaven, Migremus, Let us de­part hence, let us doe so, betake our selves to God, to Heaven for helpe in these dangerous times, an heavenly conversation; lest Gods judgements sease upon us, as the Souldier slew Archimedes while he was drawing lines in the dust so busily.

First, Be zealous for Religion. 1. [...].

A Lacedaemonian woman deli­vered her sonne going to the warre his fathers Buckler, with this mothers blessing, either let me see thee bring H [...]. this backe to me my sonne with life, and victo­ry, or let me see thee brought back againe upon this dead with honour: either fight victoriously, or die valiantly. The Serpent (say they) if he be so invironed, that hee must of necessitle passe thorough one of them, will sooner adventure upon the flame, or fire, then the shadow of the Poplar [Page 87] Tree: Let us resolve either to live with the Gospel, or dye for the Gospel, and the faith of our Fathers, the Buckler that defended them from all dangers: and let us feare more the black shaddow of Roman superstition, then the bright flames of a Marian persecution.

There is a prophesie reported in Telesphorus, that Antichrist shall never overcome Venice, nor Paris, nor the royall city of London. But we have a more certaine word, and let us take heed we be not luke­warme in Religion, lest God spue us out of his mouth.

Secondly, be zealous in Reli­gion.

To this end let us then practise,

First, Serious repentance, and sin­cere reformation.

If the booke of the Law chance to fall upon the ground, the Iewes custome is presently to proclaime a fast: why should not wee doe so, who have let the Law of God fall to the ground many times, [Page 88] and trample upon it too by diso­bedience: I have heard sometime that one of the wisest Statesmen that ever sate at the sterne of this Kingdome had this verse written upon his Study dore.

The English nation is most healthfull when it swimmes in teares, and more dangerous to fall into a sicknesse, when it over­flowes with laughter. The truth whereof, our late experience hath confirmed: In the Plague, what shewes of devotion? what faire pro­mises? but some have well ob­served a double fault in our nati­on concerning the state of their bodies, which may be better ap­plyed to the state of their minds, that the English are not sicke soone enough, and they are well too soone: to correct both which let mee give but one word of advice. Let Currat Poenitentia ne prae cur­rat senten­tia. our repentance be swift and currant, lest Gods decree outrun it; and let our [Page 89] fasts be according to an old Ca­non, which defines their conti­nuance, even Us (que) dum stellae in Coelo appa­reant. untill the starres ap­peare in the Firmament; and let us humble our selves betimes before the decree come forth, and let us goe thorough still with the worke when it is begunne, and resolve with Iacob, I will not let thee goe, un­till thou blesse me.

Secondly, Let us be servent and earnest in Prayer.

The Jewes have a blasphemous fable, that our Saviour found out the right pronounciation of the name of God, the Tetragramma­ton, and that wrought all his miracles; but the right invoca­tion of the name of God will indeede worke miracles; and doe wee thinke much to aske and have?

There was one at Rome offe­red the booke of the Sibyls to sale entire and whole: a rare monu­ment, but set a round price, which the King would not ad­venture [Page 90] upon; then burning the halfe of the bookes, and doubling the price of the whole for the re­mainder, he made a second offer, and that was also refused: hee made no more adoe, but burnt againe the halfe of the halfe, and doubled againe the whole price of the whole, and so once more he offered the reliques the third time, and then the King at last (bethought himselfe, and) bought.

Beloved, God offers us now his Gospell, his sonne, with peace, and prosperity) all blessings are as it were let downe from heaven to us in the sheet which Peter saw) and that at no great price, our prayers onely: if wee make nice and dainty to purchase these blessings when the Lord is so willing to make sale, I feare the time will come, when wee would be content to bid teares, and sweate, and blood, and our very soules for the least part of them, and yet may goe without: [Page 91] Let us pray earnestly then for our selves, for our brethren, let us not thinke much to weepe for them, that bleede for Christ. The Iewes have a saying, that since the de­struction of the Temple of Ierusa­lem, the doores of Prayer have beene shut: but the doore of teares was ne­ver shut; Filius la­crimarum perire non potest. a sonne of teares cannot perish. Let us knocke at that doone. Our place and Calling.

It is one of Ieremiahs Lamenta­tions, that they that are brought in scarlet, should embrace the dung; and the Lapwing is made an Hie­roglyphicke of infelicitie, because it hath as a Coronet upon the head, and yet feedes upon the worst of excrements: it is a pit­tifull thing that any child of God redeemed, and washed in the blood of Christ, should bedable his scarlet Robe in the stinking puddle of the world: but most la­mentable it is that the fowles of the heaven, by the inchantments [Page 92] of the world, should be metamor­phoz'd into the beasts of the earth: that they should degene­nerate so low, whom God hath ad­vanced so high, as to be his Am­bassadours; and more, to be Kings and Priests to him, in a more pecu­liar manner.

I will be sanctified in those that come neere Mee, saith God him­selfe: [...]. The soules of priests must be pu­rer than the Sun-beames, saith. Chry­sostome: when I am lifted up, saith our Saviour, I will draw many after me: The Minister is not like to draw many thither, unlesse him­selfe be first lifted up to heaven. Let us then leave the plough, as Elisha did to follow Eliah; leave the nets, as the Disciples did, to fol­low our Saviour: cast off the cares of the world, that we may be free for the Lords Worke. They say, Swallowes will lade and clogge their wings with dirt, that with it they may build theis neasts: and Falconers doe this with their [Page 93] Hawkes, sometime clippe [...] their wings (Ierre in the phrase) to impe out their traines: I wish ma­ny did not so spend their excel­lent wits and parts, which as with wings they might flie to heaven, by doing Gods faithfull service in his Church, to nothing but that they may heape thicke clay together, and sit warme in their nests at home, or goe sooping in a silken coat, and Ruffe, with a goodly traine after them in the streete: they doe not remember, it seemes, that the Peacocke hath the more painted plumes, gayer traine, and yet the Eagle is the Queene of Birds, they say, be­cause shee flies nearest hea­ven.

Divines contend earnestly that Decimae debentur jure divino. Tythes are due by the Law of God, and I blame them not, but then methinks, they should not con­tend so earnestly, that the Sabbatum observatur jure huma­no. Sabbath is observed by the law of man, lest the world thinke they play fast and [Page 94] loose; fast for themselves, and loose for God, when they would have the people tyed to their pay, and would not themselves be tyed to their paines: [...]. to muzzle the truth in silence, is to bury gold un­der ground, is most true in our case, and a fearefull crime you know it is in the Parable, to bury the Lords Talent in a Napkin: it is our duty Plantare verbis, ri­gare lacri­mis, alere exemplis. to plant with Instruction, to water with teares of Repentance, and nourish by Examples, as Austin excellently, to preach in season, and out of season: Inveniat me stantem Christus, & praedicantem, said a worthy Bishop of ours, I pray God, that when Christ comes to judgement, he may find me standing, and preaching. Bea­tus servus, Blessed is the servant, whom his master when he comes, shall finde so doing.

Let us then draw others to hea­ven by diligence in preaching, and goe to heaven by holinesse of life: me­thinkes, Austin is affectuall Surgunt indocti, & coelum ra­piunt, & nos cum doctrinâ, &c. the [Page 95] unlearned arise, and take heaven by violence: and shall wee perish with all our Learning? who if we seeke not heaven in the first place, are like of all other to lie lowest in Hell.

But better I goe like a Candle, so that I leave a sweete farewell, though all you burne day-light: I will rather therefore put my selfe upon your wisedome, and end hastily, then presume upon your patience, and not seaso­nably.

THE NATVRALL Mans Condition.

I Have made choise of this place of Scripture to make the groundwork of my Discourse: In which, to let passe the former part, which hath beene handled in another place, in another manner, and to another purpose, I come to the latter part: Wee pray [Page 102] you in Christs stead or in Christs name be ye reconciled to God: wherein three princi­pall parts may bee obser­ved.

First, The condition of man by nature, and this is but imply­ed in the word Reconciled, and may be thus expressed; Every man by nature is an enemy of God, for reconciliation im­ports so much.

Secondly, the dutie of man in this condition, if he will escape the misery of it, The onely way is to reconcile himselfe to God.

Thirdly, The office of the Mi­nister, who must urge man to the performance of this dutie, we pray you in Christs stead be reconciled to God: I might adde something concerning the first estate of man in inte­gritie for the terme of Recon­ciling supposeth, first an agree­ment, secondly, a falling out, [Page 103] and then thirdly, the restituti­on from the latter jarring to the former agreement: but be­cause that is not so necessary for my scope I will rather omit it: But in the second point it will not be amisse to distinguish two things for more perspicuitie.

First, the medicine, in those words [...].

Secondly, the application in the maine duty, he ye reconciled: And then in recompense of this increase I will leave out the third point altogether, concerning the office of the Minister as not so pertinent to my scope: so shall there re­maine in the words still three points.

First, the misery of man, who is by nature the enemy of God.

Secondly the remedy of that misery, which is Christ our me­diator.

[Page 104] Thirdly, the fruite of that re­medy our reconciliation with God: The first point which I shall onely insist on is this:

That we are by nature enemies of God: For the further ex­plication of which I suppose the meaning of the Tearmes, as facil and easie, and concei­ved by every one in this place, to be this.

The first word, We, or Man, which is the Subject of the Proposition to be generally un­derstood in the utmost extent of the nature of meere man: The sonnes of the mighty, and the men of the earth, as the Psalmist terms thē by way of disparage­ment: Filii [...] and filii Enos, filii viri, & filii hominis, be they but filii Adam, the sonnes of Adam descended from him; All men are by nature Gods enemies.

The second word by nature, the qualification of the Sub­ject, [Page 105] not by force of the prin­ciples of nature, qua homines, but by participation of cor­ruption superadded to this nature, qua tales: not by na­ture as primitive and created by God, but by nature as deri­ved corrupt from Adam: All men came out of his loines by naturall generation, before supernaturall regeneration, the stocke of Adam being not transplanted into Christ the second Adam, All men are thus by Nature Gods enemies.

The third word Enemies, Gods enemies, the predicate in the Proposition attributed to the Subject, because it implies a relative disposition be­tweene two: and Inimicitia, Enmitie, as you all know, is nothing else but the recipro­call affection of a morall op­position, viz. Hatred be­tweene two persons in a rea­sonable nature: in which [Page 106] there must concurre those three Conditions.

First, that it is betweene two.

Secondly, that it be recipro­call; for if the hatred be but on the one part, not on the o­ther, it is truly hatred in­deede, but it is not properly Inimicitia.

Thirdly, that it is onely be­tweene persons in a reasonable nature for the same reason, be­cause among them onely can be found the reflexion of the like affection of Ha­tred: for a man may hate a toade, or some such creature, and that by a secret antipa­thy, yet that is not enmity, by reason of the defect of that condition: therefore this word Enemies I understand both Actively and Passively. Wee are enemies to God and hate him, and God is an enemy to us and hates us; and so in both respects. All men are by [Page 107] Nature Gods enemies. Now to handle both these briefe­ly.

First, joyntly: The ground, of both is a dissimilitude, which is betweene God and us, as we are by nature, we are men of polluted hearts, and polluted lippes; God is a God of pure eyes that can behold no iniquitie: Wee are wholly in­fected with sinne and corrup­tion, but God is He to whom the Cherubins and Seraphins, doe most justly cry, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabboath: and if the Trinity were multiplied by it selfe, that [...], were thrice three times redoubled, as yee have it nine times written in Plantines Edition in the fourth of the Revelation, yet how farre were it from that which the Saints acknowledge in God, who are said there not to rest day nor night, saying, Holy, Holy, Ho­ly, [Page 108] Lord God Almighty: and how much more short of the infinite holinesse in God, whose Attributes are him­selfe, and therefore he is even Holinesse it selfe. No marvell then seeing there is such dis­similitude betweene them, nothing on mans part but sinne and pollution, nothing on Gods part but Sanctitie and perfe­ction, no marvell seeing such a dissimilitude, if we say there is such dislike that they are mutuall Enemies: for if the morall maxime which is most true be received, this cannot be avoided which followes out of it by an easie conse­quence, according to the Law of contraries, Similitudo est mater amoris: But Secondly, by the opening of these di­stinctly, This will better ap­peare, and first for the former.

We are by nature enemies to God.

[Page 109] Perhaps some will say to me here: and doe wee hate God? How can that be, that he should be hated, who is the perfection of Beauty, the pitch of Nobilitie, the pat­terne of Wisedome, the Idea of all Vertue, in a word, who is goodnesse it selfe, whereas the Object of hatred is some evill alway: And doe we hate God who hath made this world, this all, and us in it a a little world, [...], as they called Athens the principall of all the rest; and as it were an All in all: who governes all things by his providence, and by whose fa­vour wee have all that wee have, In whom we live and move, and have our being: so that if hee had not bound us to love him by the transcen­dent excellency of his nature, yet he hath even brought us by the infinitenesse of his mer­cie [Page 110] towards us, and can wee repay all this Love with Ha­tred? And doe wee hate God? Scientia neminem habet inimi­cum nisi ignorantem; say the Heathen, that have not knowne his Nature, hate him, but as for them that live in the bosome of the Church, that have sucked milke out of the breasts of the Spouse of Christ, they cannot chuse but draw in the love of God their Father, with the milke of the Church their Mother. And doe we hate God? Or doe not you rather like some [...], an hater of mankinde; say mankinde is an hater of God, and fasten a false accusa­tion, a slander upon them all unjustly?

Indeede (to answer this, if I speake this without the war­rant of the Word of God, then say, if you will, that my tongue is noslander: but if I [Page 111] bring that to avouch so much as I have said of every unrege­nerate man; consider well whether I have not slan­dered them with a truth: I neede not put you in minde of this place which (as I ob­served before) sayes it in ef­fect: but I will produce a pa­rallell place, which will give better light to this, and grea­ter strength to the matter in question, Col. 1. 21. And you that were sometimes strangers and enemies in your minde by wicked workes, yet now hath hee recon­ciled: Where you see you have the same phrase of reconci­ling, and lest men signifie this obscurely; you have fur­ther, you that were strangers and enemies in your minde, [...], where that was but intimated and insinu­ated onely in the former wotd is literally and punctually ex­pressed. And that there are [Page 112] some indeede that hate God that are his enemies, appeares generally out of infinite places of Scripture, where there is mention made of Gods enemies; and more particularly in the 139. Psalme, 21. Uerse. Doe not I hate them O Lord that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with a perfect hatred, I count them my enemies. And tell me what mans is that title of honour, that Elogium that Paul gives the Heathen and naturall men in the Catalogue, Rom. 1. where he hath heaped up the most of them together, Backe­biters, haters of God, despitefull, &c. there you have among the rest [...], haters of God: And if that be not plaine enough, I thinke the eight Chapter of the Romans speakes home e­nough to this purpose: where you shall finde these words in the seventh verse, [...] [Page 113] [...]: where according to the streame of our interpreters, the subject is emphaticall, [...], not the inferiour faults, as the Pa­pists would have it, but the highest, the most refined por­tion of the unregenerate, [...]: and the pre­dicate is emphaticall [...] the abstract for the concreat, as though there were no com­position of substance and qua­lity, of constitution and cor­ruption, but all were turned into meere and simple enmity [...]. The wisedome of the flesh saith the old transla­tion, the carnall minde, saith the new, is enmity against God: and if the common axiome be true, mens cujusque, is est quisque. I thinke it may be thus resolved at last, The car­nall man is an enemy to God: And what doe they want thinke you of being Gods e­nemies, [Page 114] or what injury should a man doe them if he called them so, of whom the Apostle speakes, in 2 Tim. 3, 4. that they are [...], Lovers of pleasure more then lovers of God: doe not you thinke that they love God much, that love pleasures more: If there were yet need of further testimony to this truth, I might confirme it with advantage out of the third Chapter of the Pilippians and the 18. verse. For many walke, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even wee­ping, that they are the enemies of the Crosse of Christ: Here be enemies, and many enemies, and that of Christ (which is more I thinke then of God) and that of the Crosse of Christ, which is more per­haps than of Christ simply: of whom the Apostle told the Philippians, and told them of­ten, [Page 115] and told them weeping. But I thinke by this time it is cleare enough out of Scrip­ture that so it is, that we are enemies of God, and hate him: Now to answer the objection distinctly, and shew how this may be, that God may be ha­ted as an enemy, seeing he is goodnesse it selfe, and the object of hatred is some evill: You must consider three things.

First, the degrees of hatred which are three.

First, the first is not to love so much as we ought, or not so much as some other: and so the beloved Wife, and the ha­ted are distinguished in the Law, where is not meant that she is absolutely hated, but not so much loved as the o­ther, and from this degree may arise this distinction of hatred, that is, either absolute or comparative.

[Page 116] Secondly, the second de­gree is, where there is no love at all, and in this case this is sufficient from this negation, to conclude an affirmation of the contrary, for betweene love and hatred in respect of God, there is no Medium ab­negationis, according to our Saviours speech: He that is not with me is against me: And from this degree you may frame a second distinction of Hatred, that it is either Nega­tive or Positive.

Thirdly, the third degree is a positive ill-will or hatred, where there may be conceived a great latitude, and so many degrees likewise: but it will be sufficient to declare the na­ture of it, if you observe but one distinction: for this po­sitive hatred may be either ex­plicitely such, or implicitely, ei­ther formaliter, or interpreta­tivè: by the former I meane [Page 117] such hatred as a man enter­taines against any thing wit­tingly, and upon actuall con­sideration and intention: by the latter, such as (although the former be not seene) by which a man doth the same things in effect, as if he did purposely hate a thing: He that sinneth against me hateth his owne soule, saith Wisedome, Prov. 8. All they that hate me love death: not that any man hateth his owne soule ex­pressely or purposely: for no man ever yet hated his owne flesh, saith the Apostle, Ephes. 5. much lesse his spirit, his soule: neither doth any man love death in that manner: but they that doe those things which proceed indeed from hatred (though they intend not so much) are said to hate interpretativè: So the Wise man saith, He that spareth the rod hateth his sonne: because if [Page 118] he hated him, he could not doe him a worse turne: And thus you have a third distin­ction of hatred, that it is ei­ther of Ignorance or Ma­lice.

And this is the first thing to be considered, the degrees, or if you please, the severall ac­ceptions of hatred.

Secondly, the second thing is the degrees of Corruption which is to be found in a car­nall man: which be two, ac­cording to the two kindes O­riginall and Actuall,

First, Originall is equall in all men: for it containes in it all sinnes, and all degrees of sinnes, tanquam in origine, and that I may so speake, tanquam in ratione seminati: but

Secondly, Actuall is diverse in diverse men; in some more, in some lesse, and that not from any speciall, which is in one man more then ano­ther [Page 119] by nature, for all (as I said) are equally poysoned and infected with the bitter roote of Originall sinne, but from the Generall Grace of God, who in his providence doth bridle and restaine that unlimited boundlesse dispo­sition of sinning, as it seemes good to his owne wisedome, by civill education, and morall instructions and the like; and doth not administer those oc­casions which should serve to educe it into acts, which if they were applyed to all alike, all would be alike, as ranke in sinne one as another. And this is the second thing, the degrees of corruption.

Thirdly, the third thing to be considered, is concerning the Object of love or hatred, Good or Evill: which are of two sorts.

First Absolute, as they are in their owne nature: and [Page 120] so every creature much more; God is good and cannot be ha­ted, and no creature, much lesse God, is evill.

Secondly Relative, in re­spect of some other thing: and so we see there is a natu­rall hatred or opposition be­tweene some creatures, which is properly called Antipathy, where the cause is secret: not because such a nature is in it selfe evill, but because it is evill to it: and the first of these kinds may be called sim­ply Bonum or Malum, the second perhaps, bitter, conve­niens or inconveniens, Con­gruum or Incongruum: and that which is bonum may not be conveniens: And these two are to be found in God, who according to his absolute being is [...], but ac­cording to diverse respect to diverse creatures, may have diverse aspects of convenience [Page 121] or unconvenience? these three things being premised accor­ding to the faculty, and the degree of corruption in it, and the object with the kindes of good or evill in it, and the affection or habit of hatred, in the degrees of it, it is not hard to answer the question, and declare how it comes to passe that man by nature should be Gods enemy and hate him: and thus you may take it.

All men, that are yet in their originall corruption, be the degree of their actuall, what it will, more or lesse, cannot chuse but hate God in all the degrees of hatred, Comparative, Negative, Posi­tive: though in some more appeare, in somelesse: in those namely whose actuall corrup­tion, is improoved more through Gods just judgement, there it appeares more foule, [Page 122] and more cleere, and more ex­plicitely, who harden their forehead, and with set malice fight against God: in those whom Gods bridle of restrai­ning grace hath curbed, more or lesse, and but implicitely, according to that explicati­on which I gave before: and the ground is manifest out of that which hath beene said before in generall; now, not for any evill that is in God, but for that good rather, because they being evill, there is no congruity or convenience betweene them and it: And as there be two things in them First A Love to Malum Culpae, and secondly an Hatred to Malum Poenae: and two things in God, cleane opposite to those, first an Hatred to their Malum Culpae, and secondly a Love to their Malum Poenae, supposing the other: the for­mer flowing from his Holyness, [Page 123] the latter from his Justice, they must needs hate him in both respects: As Author legis prohibiting all Malum Culpae which they love, by severe lawes, and as ultor peccati in­flicting upon them Malum Poenae which they hate, vin­dicating their Malum Culpae by sharpe punishment: and these are so predominant in them, that they cast an aspect of deformity upon other the most lovely attributes of God, an aspersion of bitternes upon the most sweete among them: so that his infinite perfection, and incomparable mercy, are so farre from altering and in­chanting them, that they drive them further from him; because though they can see in them [...], yet not fin­ding [...]: they see perfe­ction of beauty, but they can­not see affection whereupon to ground propriety: And [Page 124] therefore they thinke they doe, as indeed they doe, make so much the more against them: and hence it is, that though they cannot hate God for them directly, yet they hate him with them, and indirect­ly for them; as infinitely ag­gravating by accident, the hainousnesse of their crime, as well as the grievousnesse of their condemnation: And thus you see the truth is sal­ved, and the objection satis­fied: which if it be not suffi­ciently opened out of the te­stimony of the word, and the generall ground of mans sin­fullnesse, I will further shew how that makes a man enemy to God.

And first you may easily un­derstand it out of the generall nature of sinne: which stan­ding so opposite to God, the love of it must needes argue the hatred of God: for as our [Page 125] Saviour requires obedience as a tryall of the truth of his Disciples love to him, If you love me keepe my Commande­ments; Then the Argument will be as strong to conclude backeward, If you keepe not Gods Commandements ye hate him. But this hath beene in­timated already: the second more particularly, Sinne is enmity to God, and that two wayes.

First, Immediately in him­selfe, Secondly, Mediate­ly.

Immediately, against in all those three degrees of hatred; which I mentioned be­fore.

First, Comparative Hatred; which is, when something is preferred before God in our affection, and prized above him: and this is done in e­very sinne, otherwise how could it come to passe that [Page 126] we should cleave to it, or any inferiour thing rather then to God, nay forsake God to cleave to it? How could we disobey God to obey a filthy lust: and that this is truely hatred, appeares by that of our Saviour, Matth. 6. 24. No man can serve two Misters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon, nor God and pleasure, and the like: Where you see such an opposition, that if we love a­ny thing beside God, so as to be a servant to it, we are be­side the love of God that should make us his servants, we will hate him: we must be so farre from serving any thing before him, that we have no liberty to serve any thing be­side him, if we meane to stay in his service, this Text ex­cludes not onely all superiors [Page 127] that may outstrippe him, but all equalls that may compare with him, yea all comportures and competitors with him in our love and service: If this be not plaine enough then that is, Mat. 10. 37. He that loveth Father or Mother more then me, is not worthy of me: compared with Luke 14. 26. If any man come to me, and hate not his Father and Mother, and Wife and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea and his owne life also, he cannot be my Disciple: Whence it appeares that re­misser love is but hatred, and so to love any thing more then God, is to hate him; and the reason is plaine, both in generall because if those two so unequally loved should come to thwart one another, then to shew the love to the principall, they would not sticke to doe reall acts of ha­tred against the other, and so [Page 128] discover themselves: and in particular because of the in­finite eminency of Gods goodnesse above any other thing, and so of our obligati­on to proportionable love: But I need not stay long in this: it being so plaine that men by nature are wholly a­verse from God and convert themselves to the creature, and therefore enemies and ha­ters of God.

Secondly, the second de­gree is of Negative hatred, namely, where there is no love at all: and this is easie to be observed in all naturall men toward God: for whereas it is the nature of love whereso­ever it is rooted to have the command of the whole man, and sway it as it listeth, all o­ther affections, and faculties, and parts giving attendance to it as their Queene and Sove­raigne: and in the love of [Page 129] God this is to be seene in a pe­culiar manner: and therefore we are commanded to love him with all our heart, and all our soule and all our might; and all our minde: The understanding, the will, the affections, all the faculties of the soule together, with all the powers of the bo­dy, must be wholly taken up with this love, you shall find that none of these in the car­nall man, are any thing of kin to the love of God. Love is busie in:

First, Not his understanding, the mind and thoughts will be alway running on the party beloved; dies inoctisque [...]ames me, me desideres, me somnies, me expectes, de me cogites, me spires, me te oblectes, mecum tota sis, meus fac sis postremo animus, quando ego sumtum. You know who said it, and in this case; and in this respect the com­mon saying I thinke is verify­ed, [Page 130] especially animus est ubi amat potiùs quàm ubi animat. Where it loves rather then where it lives: But is there any such thing in the wicked toward God? No surely, All things concerning him are meere strangers with them, and very unwelcome guests, that marre all their mirth.

The wicked will not seeke after God, God is not in all his thoughts, Psal. 10. 4. And if God offer himselfe, as he doth many times, And be found of those that sought him not, they will not sticke to say, either with the foole, in their heart there is no God, or with them in Job 20. 14. That say unto God de­part from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes.

Againe, Love is learned in the knowledge of all the commendable parts, and per­fections in the party beloved: But is there any such thing in [Page 131] the wicked toward God? No surely, the Booke of Nature lies open before them, and will not suffer them to looke off it, though they would: and yet they will not vouchsafe to looke on it though they ought, and reade a noble story of the Power, and Wisedome, and Goodnesse, and Magni­ficence and Beauty of their Creator, but seale up their eyes with a sullen igno­rance, which would faine feast themselves with the sight of of their blessed Maker, and bury their talent of under­standing, which would faine be imployed to his use, and improved to his honour, with this prophane Epitaph, [...]. The sweetest life is to under­stand nothing.

Lastly, Love is witty in de­vising meanes to injoy the party beloved: if wanting to procure it, if gotten, to [Page 132] perpetuate, if lost, to re­recover union with him.

But is there any such thing in the wicked towards God? No truely: For my people (saith the Lord in Jeremie, 4. 22.) is foolish, they have not knowne me, they are sottish children, and they have no understanding; they are wise to doe evill, but to doe good they have no know­ledge. I might inlarge this, but I must passe to that which is behinde: for though wee have viewed the intellectuall part of the carnall man, and can observe no footsteps of the love of God, yet perhaps his will and affections are better, which are indeede the proper reason of Love; but if there be so little light in the under­standing, I am afraid there is little heate to be expected in them; What the eye sees not, the heart rues not, is so of sorrow, a and a liking is deri­ved [...]. [Page 133] from looking; and who knowes not ^b Ignoti nulla cu­pido: The will moves when the understanding gives the watch-word, and depends upon it, as the Verdict of the Iury upon the Judges in­formation: and that as wee have seene that his understan­ding hath no tang of the love of God in the first place, so it must needes follow. Secondly in the second place, Not his will and affections neither, which you shall understand, if you runne over in your minde, but three kind of af­fections.

First, such as are conversant immediately about the good wee love, either absent, as Desire, or present, as Joy; where there is no joy in the presence of God in the light of his countenance, nor desire of it; where there is no delight in his Ordinances, nor desire to them which should [Page 134] leade us, as it were, by the hand to him, to heare him speake in his Word to us, or to speake in our prayers to him, to walke with him in obedi­ence of his Commandements: where there is no cheerefull in­tertainment of messengers that come frō him; no delight or de­sire to heare of him, which is evident of the naturall man to God, you shal pardon me if I be­leeve not that there is any here.

Secondly, looke upon such affections as are occupied a­bout the will, that are contra­rie to the good. 1 of love: either absent, as feare; or present as griefe; where there is no feare of the losse of the former good even now mentioned, or griefe, if through our fault or negligence wee have lost them; I thinke my caution will not deserve blame, if I dare not trust with such a rich Jewell, such a precious grace, as the Love of God is, without [Page 135] better security than their sim­ple word, a better pawne than their bare profession.

Thirdly, looke upon their anger, a mixt affection, the ob­ject it selfe being evill indeede, but the motive good, whereby the mind rises against some evill of difficulty, that hin­ders it in the prosecution of some good: where there is not an holy anger, a zeale, an indignation against sinne or Sa­tan, the world, or the flesh, that either diminisheth the good of God or derogates from his glory, as wee love him for him selfe, amore bene­volentiae, or desturbs our union and conjunction with God, as we love him for our onely happinesse, amore concupiscen­tiae: in this cause tis true that Phavorinus in Collins, saith of of anger in great wits, [...]. It is well neigh, or almost a noble pas­sion: and where this is not [Page 136] to be found, at least in some measure (and it is impossible it should be found in wicked men and carnall) that is true, which Austin saith in a like case, Qui non zelat non a­mat: and you may conclude, The love of God dwells not in him. You see then how a natu­rall man doth not love God [...]. with all the minde; [...]. nor with all the heart: and perhappes it will be needlesse to touch the third, [...] with the whole strengh, because as the under­standing composes the Ditty, so the will chants the Song: and after these, the rest of the powers and parts will dance: yet we will mention this too, as we have done the rest, and but mention it, and that may note the highest intension of the other, that they must be set at the highest pegge and pitch that can be, and that both in actu primo & secundo: [Page 137] but wee will take it now for all other things by which the former doe use to manifest their love: and they are three.

First, a mans tongue: second­ly, the rest of his members: thirdly, his goods.

All these, how willingly will they be imployed about that we love? with what dex­teritie, what diligence, what expedition will they behave themselves therein? Well might Plato descant upon the word [...]. Whom men call Love, the immortall call winged: for love hath two wings when, it is to goe to or for the thing that is loved: but on the con­trary, what dulnesse, what deadnesse, what difficulty is there for a carnall man to per­forme any service for God; which is an evident argument there is no love: but I doe but name this. I should come to the Positive Hatred, which [Page 138] I principally and onely inten­ded. My purpose is not to repeate any thing that hath beene said concerning those two degrees of hatred of God, which are to be found in every naturall and unregenerate man Comparativè, whereby he comes short both of that which he owes him, and that which he bestowes most free­ly upon other things: and Negativè, whereby hee denies him that love that he requires in all particulars, [...]; neither loving him with all his minde, or all his heart, or all his might: neither will inlarge any of them: but proceede rather to shew

The third degree, the posi­tive hatred, that every carnall man hath towards God: and as this is most properly Hatred, so it is principally to be considered: for though [Page 139] that be a pittifull condition, man, in whom the Image of God is, should so farre dege­nerate from his nature, as to preferre in his affections the creature before the Creator, and as the Apostle speakes, [...]. Rom. 1. 25. They worshipped and served the creature before the Creator, who is God blessed for ever: and that yet worse, to yeeld him no love, no service at all: yet to harden the fore­head, to professe open enmity, to proclaime warre against him, to make our understan­dings, or wills and affections, our tongues, together with all our members, which [...]hee hath formed and fashioned, with all our outward good things which his providence hath fastened upon us, to make all these as so many weapons of unrighteousnes, to fight against him; I know not whether I should say that it stirres more misery, [Page 140] or more madnesse, but this I thinke you all conceive that it is the toppe and heighth of both: But so it is with every sonne of Adam, in his natu­rall condition, by the same reason that he is the Heire of Originall, and the Father of A­ctuall sinne, his soule and all the powers thereof, being but a shop of sinne, his body and all the parts of it tooles of sinne, his life and all his actions of both soule and body, a trade of sinne, by the same reason.

I say he is [...], and Gy­ant-like, doth fight against Heaven and against God: I must desire you here to re­member onely the distinction, which I propounded when I spake of this last degree of po­sitive hatred, that it is either explicite, when it is purposed and intended, upon actuall consideration; or inplicite when the same thing is done [Page 141] which we would doe, if we did purpose and intend hatred against God, the use and ground of which I then shew­ed you out of some; places of Scripture.

Secondly, remember the difference of the degrees of corrup­tion in men: for though all men be equally infected in re­gard of the roote and originall of sinne; yet it doth not e­qually breake forth into actu­all, but in great variety, accor­ding as they be more or lesse bridled and curbed by Gods restraining grace: which makes that though all men have the seedes of all sinnes, and all the degrees of sinne in them, yet they doe not bud and bring forth fruite in all a­like; These things being re­membred, I shall easily cleare the point in hand, which in plaine termes is this.

That Sinne (in which all [Page 142] men are naturall) is direct en­mity to God, and hatred of him: And so consequently, all men as they are in this estate of sinne (in which they are all naturally) are direct enemies and haters of God.

To Illustrate this you may consider

The definition of Love, and so compare hatred with it, ac­cording to the nature of op­position; and that is this, as you have it in Aristotle [...] To love is to will to any one the things be thinkes good for his sake, but not for his owne sake, and to practise them according to his ability: and others say the same in substance: in which description there be three things observeable especially.

First, the affection it selfe, the willing of good to the party we love.

Secondly, the ground and formalis ratio of this affection, [Page 143] not for our owne benefit, or any good that redounds to us therefrom, but sincerely for his sake.

Thirdly, the effect or fruite of it, which is a forward dispo­sition and indeavour, to procure the good we wish him, so farre as it shall lye in our power to doe it: and the contrary to these three will shadow forth unto us the nature of hatred, which hath therefore three things in it.

First, a wishing of evill to the party hated.

Secondly, not for any inju­ry of his offered to us, but sim­ply for himselfe.

Thirdly, a disposition to en­deavour so much as lyes in us, to bring those evills upon him which we wish unto him: for though the second condition be not so necessarily required, to make up that hatred which the Schoolemen call odium im­micitiae [Page 144] but rather makes that other kind, which they use to call odium abominationis, which is not needfull to finde in sin­ners toward God: yet because it doth indeed agree to them, and therefore to set it out so much the more fully; and be­cause it then agrees better with the description of love alleaged out of Aristotle, and therefore to parallell it more fitly, I would not omit it. Now that all three are in the carnall man,

First, A wishing of all evill to him.

Secondly, and that not for any injury done to him, or good that would redound to him for his evill.

Thirdly, and both with a disposition and indeavour to bring the evill upon him, so much as lyes in him, it were no hard thing to shew distinctly and severally, if I did not feare I [Page 145] should exceed the time, and excercise your patience too much in a tedious discourse upon one and the same argu­ment: and therefore were not forced in a manner to contract as much as I may conveniently: I will insist therefore onely, which vertually includes the rest, in the last: and make it plaine, how naturall men stu­dy and labour to the utmost of their power, to bring all e­vill upon God.

'Tis true indeed that he by reason of the excellency of his nature is not capable of any suffering in that kinde, and therefore as he answered them that told him the company laughed at him, [...]. These men scoffe at thee; but I scoffe not, said hee againe: so though these men wrong God, he is not wronged: yet no thanke to them, for they doing their good will to doe it, though it [Page 146] succeed not for another rea­son beyond their reach: nay, so farre are they from hurting God, that it reflects all upon themselves: as the bigge and boistrous waves, swolne as it were with pride as well as ex­halations, rushe furiously upon some solid rocke, thin­king surely to overturne it, or eate it up, and swallow it presently: but what is the issue, the rocke remaines un­moveable, and they doe but dash themselves in a thousand peeces: so it is with the wick­ed that rise up against God; and yet this doth not excuse them: nay more, God hath such an over-ruling hand in all their actions, that what is done by them to his hurt, is directed by him to his honour: non fit praeter Dei voluntatem, quod fit contra ejus voluntatem, saith Austin: And againe, Non sineret omnipotens fieri mala, nisi [Page 147] sciret de malis bonum facere: the wicked in breaking his command, fulfill his counsell, in opposing his will they doe but accomplish it; and yet this doth not excuse them: for though the hand that acts whether it will or not, be an instrument of God, yet the wicked minde which aimes at another thing quite contrary, makes them culpa­ble though the execution must needs suite with his decree, and cannot crosse it, yet the wicked intention, whereby they would faine, makes them as guilty before him: Jason had little cause to thanke his enemy, that meant to kill him by shedding his blood, though he chanced to cure him by o­pening his Imposthume, which the Physitians could not doe. As little thanke may Iudas looke for at Gods hand, for be­traying his Lord and Master, the Lord of life, though he did [Page 148] that which God had determi­ned: And the Iewes as little as Iudas, who crucified Christ, [...]. Him have ye taken, being delive­red by the determinate counsell, and foreknowledge of God, Act. 2. 23. and all sinners as little as the Iewes: for the wages is given according to the worke in­deed, but the worke is judged according to the will of him that doth it: so that the wic­ked doing those things whereby they bring evill to God as much as they can, it must be imputed to them, as if they had indeed power to doe it, and had done it. And thus I come to the point, which is this.

That all naturall men doe wish and worke all evill to God, and therefore are direct enemies and haters of him.

Now because we cannot conceive any thing of God al­most, but in some proportion [Page 149] that we finde in the creature to him: Removing all imper­fections: I will instance in three good things, wherein they goe about to wrong God.

First, In the content and tran­quillity of minde, or if you will, his pleasure, by displeasing him.

Secondly, In his good name, and honor due to him, by dishono­ring him.

Thirdly, In his Riches and possessions, by dammaging him, yea even his Kingdome it selfe, in a manner de-throning, and deposing him. I will but briefely give a touch of every one of these, because other­wise I shall not compasse to dispatch so much as I de­sire.

The first then is the displea­sing of God: Without faith it is impossible to please God, saith the Apostle, and so it is impossi­ble [Page 150] for the unregenerate man butto displease God: their best actions stinke in his nostrills, The prayers of the wicked is abo­mination to the Lord; in the Proverbes, My Soule abborreth your new Moones and appointed feasts, they are a trouble unto me, I am weary to beare them, as the Lord himselfe complaineth of the Iewes, by the Prophet E­say 1. 14. But my purpose is not to shew how much the Lord is displeased with them, because I shall have better op­portunity for that in the next point, but how much they dis­pleased the Lord: it is their whole course, and study so to doe almost; I know saith Mo­ses to the Israelites, that evill will befall you in the latter dayes, because ye will doe evill in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger through the workes of your hands, Deut. 31. 29. And the Prophet threatens in Gods [Page 151] name, 1 King. 14, 15. The Lord shall smite Israel, and shall roote him out of this good Land, because they have made their Groves to provoke the Lord to anger: and Ieroboams sinnes, wherewith he sinned against God are ter­med in the same Booke 15. 30. His provocations wherewith he provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger: And in the second Booke, 17. 17. Where you have a Catalogue of the sinnes of Israel, this concludes all: They caused their sonnes and their daughters to passe through the fire, and used divinations, and in­chantments, and sold themselves to doe evill in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger. Therefore the Lord was very an­gry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight. Out of which places you may see what is the issue of the sinne of the wicked, what the scope, upon which their wit, and [Page 152] will, and wayes, are wholly set, namely to provoke the Lord to anger: and that sinne in this respect is enmity to God, and sinners enemies, I thinke it is plaine enough: for is not this enmity to doe all things, that we know will thwart and crosse a man, and to omit and neglect any thing, that might in any sort be to his liking: to delight to grieve, and vexe, and fret him? which the wicked doe in sin­ning against God.

Secondly, I might further illustrate this, from another peevishnesse, which the Apo­stle Paul hath observed in our nature, which is such that the Law of God, which should be a bridle to restraine and curbe our lawlesse luft, is a spurre to provoke and pricke it forward to runne more violently; the more God forbids sinne, the more we bid for it, the more [Page 153] greedily we desire it, Sinne saith the Apostle, Rom. 7. 8. Taking occasion by the Comman­dement wrought in me all manner of concupiscence: for without the Law sinne was dead, for I was a­live without the Law once, but when the Commandement came, sinne revived and I dyed, And the Commandement, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death, for sinne taking occasion by the Commandement, deceived me, and by it slew me: As if we did sinne upon purpose, so much the more, because it is offensive to God, to displease him, and as you had it even now, to provoke him to an­ger: and if God had need to deale with us, as he did in the story, who was wont to com­mand the contrary, when hee would have any thing done, because he knew they would crosse him, and as the Philosopher cousend Alexan­der, [Page 154] who thinking that he would make sute to him to restore his Country, which he had ruined (from which he was utterly averse) when he saw him come toward him swore he would deny whatso­ever he should desire, and he therefore demanded the cleane contrary of what he intended, that he would not restore his Country, and by that wile sped in his sute because he did not speed.

Thirdly, I might further presse this, because our dispo­sition is such naturally to­ward God, for the most part, as we will be most refractary, in those things which he most earnestly requires at our hands: if there be any service more pure to him, any perfor­mance of ours more precious then other in his sight, any duty that he delights in, we are more aukward and unto­ward [Page 155] to that, as if we did it of purpose to displease him, and to provoke him to anger, and I could instance here parti­cularly, in the Sanctifying of his day, in private and fre­quent prayer, and many o­ther the like, but this that hath beene said already may suffice concerning the first, the displeasing of God, to shew that it is a character of enmity, a badge of hatred: and as it is said in the Gospell of the Tares, sowne while the hus­bandman slept [...], an ene­my hath done this, so the wic­ked that doe this continually, may be branded in the fore­head with this marke, and knowne to bee an ene­mie.

Secondly, the second act of enmity whereby the wicked men seeke to bring evill upon God is by dishonouring him: which they doe in sin­ning [Page 156] many wayes, both in conceiving very meanely and base­ly of him in their minde, or else they could not sinne, and so speaking diminitively of his Ma­jestie, yea, blaspheming his holy Name; as also in the very sinne it selfe, which as it brings a deformity upon them­selves is dishonourable to him as the Creator, and as it is a difformitie from his holy Will, and disobedience there­to is dishonourable to him, as the King and Governour of all things; for as the mangling and defacing of some noble Pictures, robs the Artificer of his deserved praise, and so tends to his disgrace: and as the disobedience of the Sub­jects is a dishonour to their Soveraigne: so we blurring and mangling of our owne soules with sinne, and the Image of God in them, doe impaire the glory of his Wisedome and [Page 157] Workemanshippe of which hee made them to have beene Statues and Monuments, and rebelling against him, deny him the glory of his power and Soveraignetie, and make both his Wisedome and Power to be called in questi­on: the defects that be in us, redounding in some sort to the discredit of him that made us, as though hee wanted ei­ther power or wisedome to have prevented, or to redresse it. Now ye know that God made all things to his glory, and he is most tender of his honor, and therefore to deprive him of that is the greatest in­dignity we can offer him, and must needs proceede from the greatest enmity: Wee cannot adde any thing indeede to the glory of God, who was all glorious in himselfe be­fore the world was made, and stands not in neede of the [Page 158] creature; much lesse can wee dimme or diminish it, but we are said to glorifie him, and he takes it so, and re­wards it so, when wee doe according to the prescript of his Will, the proper end of our creation: and then wee dishonour him, when wee transgresse and swerve from that, as much as lies in us, though God cannot sustaine any losse in this neither, be­cause hee is able to correct our active injustice, by his vindi­cative justice, and so reduce them to his glory, and then when wee will not glorifie him, yet hee will be, and is glorified by us: Now both this and the former, the dis­pleasing and dishonouring of God argues the deeper ha­tred in us, because they are joyned with contempt.

First, in that we doe these things and sinne, notwithstan­ding [Page 159] Gods command, his promises, his threatnings, is not this open contempt, as Aristotle defines it: [...]. Disdaine is an action of glory about that seemes nothing worth.

Secondly, in that we doe it in his presence, and before his face, as it were.

Thirdly, that wee doe it upon such beggerly termes, for so little advantage to our selves: The first sinne, was it not for an Apple; and are wee any wiser Merchants, who exchange God and his favour for as small trifles for a little brutish pleasure, for a little red earth, for a shadow of ho­nour, &c. which argues in­finite contempt of the infinite Majestie.

But I passe to the third. Thirdly, evill which carnall men labour to bring upon God, which is of losse and dammage, and that of his [Page 160] Kingdome: Thou Lord God Almighty art King of Saints, Revel. 15. 3. and there God reigneth in a more particular manner, where his Lawes are obeyed; but they that diso­bey him, cast off his yoake, and acknowledge no subjecti­on to him: and they rebell and fight against him, and so are enemies in all properties, and he accounts them so, as you see in the Parable, Luke 19. 14. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, we will not have this man to reigne over us: and the noble man at his returne, saith, v. 27. But those mine enemies which would not have that I should reigne over them, bring hither and slay them before me: yea, they doe not onely breake their allegeance to God, and breake out into re­bellion against him, but even depose him, and set another [Page 161] in his throne: they make themselves the worst part of themselves, their flesh their God, nay, the sins of their flesh their master, For know yee not, saith the Apostle, Rom. 6. 16. that to whom yee yeeld your selves servants to obey, his servants yee are to whom yee obey, whether of sinne unto death, or of obedience unto righteousnesse: now carnall men obey the law of the flesh, the law of sinne, and it they follow, therefore that is their Master, their Lord, their God.

Secondly, the world is their God, and therefore covetous­nesse one principall part of the worship of the world is stiled Idolatry, Col. 3. 5. which may be proportionably accommo­dated to any other thing that is predominant in our heart and affections.

Thirdly, the Devill is their God, and so the spirituall ene­mies [Page 162] of the regenerate man are called, Principalities, and Pow­ers, [...], Ephes. 6. 1. and it is said of wicked men, 2 Cor. 4. 4. In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which beleeve not, lest the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ, who is the Image of God should shine unto them: and they are dead in trespasses and sinnes, Ephes. 2. Wherein in times past yee walked according to the course of this world, according to the Prince of the power of the aire, the Spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. And is not this enough to make it true that man naturally is enemie to God and hates him, when they thrust him out of his Throne, and thrust the Devill, the World, the Flesh, into his Throne, to doe all service and homage to them? And this leads me unto the last Consideration, whereby wee [Page 163] may discover their hatred to God; for you may remember that I told you the last time, that wee might take notice of their affection, both as it re­spected God immediatly; which wee have hitherto treated, and mediately as it is carried to some other thing: and that is of two kindes, the enemies of God, and the friends of God: for Amicorum omnia sunt communia; but more especial­ly they have common enemies, and common friends: And therefore hence wee know the hatred of carnall men to God, first, in that they love Gods enemies, the Flesh, the World, the Devill, and all such men as yeeld their service and obedience to them, and that in so high a degree, that they rob God to pay them, that which they never owed them: They make them their King, they honour them, they please [Page 164] them: they love them with all their heart, and all their mind, and all their strength: which are due onely to God; like some impudent whores, that bestow all their Iewels which they had received as love tokens, from their loving husbands, upon their lustfull lovers; As the Lord also com­plaines of the Israelites, by the Prophet Ezechiel, 16. 17. Thou hast also taken thy faire Iewels, of my gold, and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thy selfe images of men, and diddest commit whoredome with them. And tookest thy broidered gar­ments and covered them, and thou hast set mine oyle and mine incense before them: My meate also which I gave thee, fine flower, and oyle, and honey, wherewith I fed thee, thou hast even set it before them, for a sweet savour: And thus it was, saith the Lord God: As Eudocia the Empresse, unwit­tingly [Page 165] incurred her Husband Theodosius his displeasure, by giving a faire Apple which he had given her, to Paulinus, who ignorant of the matter, presented it againe as a rare one to the Emperour: and this was an Apple of strife betweene them: So both our first Parents gave the Apple to Diod as it were, and we all give all those precious graces of minde and body, and estate, which God hath given us, to the service of Gods enemies, and so discover our hatred to him.

The Friendship of the world, &c. is enmity with God. Iohn 4. 4.

Secondly, As this appeares by our love to Gods enemies, so by our hatred to his friends: The Apostle Iohn saith, 1 Ioh. 4. 20. If a man say I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a ly­ar: for he that loveth not his bro­ther [Page 166] whom he hath seene, how can he love God whom he hath not seene? Now this is perpetuall, for wicked men to oppose and hate the children of God. Po­nam inimicitiam, &c. saith God himselfe, I will put enmity be­tweene thee and her, and betweene thy seed and her seed, the seed of the woman, and the seed of the Serpent, the seed of Sathan, and the seed of Saints: And in those words, as one said, Incipit liber bellorum Domini, the Booke of the warres of God beginnes: and as there is an hatred in ge­nerall, so

Secondly, Those are most opposed of the world, and world­ly men, which have most simi­litude with God, which is most like their heavenly Father, and resemble him most in all gracious cariage, all holinesse of life and conversation: And those who in that respect are most deare to God: those e­specially, [Page 167] doe wicked men shoot at, with reproaches and scorne, and slander: That garment of righteousnesse, parti-coloured with all varie­ty of graces, is a great eye­sore to them, and makes them maligned, as Ioseph was of his Brethren, for some such testi­monies of his Fathers speciall love toward him.

Thirdly, those that have more neere and speciall relation to God, as his servants, in pe­culiar title, His Messengers, his Ministers, they are sure to have a large share in the worlds hatred: [...]ecially if they chance to come within a mans walke, if they come neere them, then they will be sure to blurt it out, though they smothered it before perhaps, and say as Ahab to Elias, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? All which doe argue that na­turall Antipathy which is be­tweene [Page 168] a naturall man to God; for this is a certaine conclusi­on, that they doe inwardly hate the Saints of God: And that is a certaine evidence that they remaine still in their cor­ruption, even as when we can say with the Psalmist, All my delight is in the Saints upon earth, those that excell in vertue, when we love the Brethren, that we are passed from death to life. 1 Ioh. 3. 14. And this is a certaine con­sequence, if we hate Gods chil­dren, we hate God himselfe: And now beside our aptnesse to the hatred of God, directly confirmed, I might strengthen the same with the considera­tion of our aukernesse and a­versenesse from all reconcilia­tion to him: I have stretched out my band, saith Wisedome, Prov. 1. 14. And no man regar­deth, Yea all the day long, saith the Lord in the Prophet, to a rebellious people: We are not [Page 169] willing to heare of a parley, much lesse of a peace: and this place is proofe enough of it, where you see how farre the Lord is forced as it were to condescend and yeeld to our untowardnesse, when his Ambassadours, to whom he hath committed the word of reconciliation, say thus, We are Ambassadors for Christ, as if God did beseech you by us. We pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God. But it is time to passe to the se­cond point; and having shew­ed the enmity of man to God, to shew now in like manner the other part of this relative and reciprocall affection. The enmity of God to man.

The point then is this, that God is an enemy to all men, as they are by nature, and hates them. Be­fore I proceed any further in the declaration of this truth, it will not be amisse I thinke [Page 170] to remove one objection, one scruple lest some may happily stumble at it: and that is this.

How can God whose es­sence is himselfe, who is a most pure and simple Act, and therefore [...], &c. be said to have any affection, or be that granted, how can God who is said to hate nothing that he hath made; and whose [...] is tender love to mankinde, is particularly com­mended by the Apostle, Tit. 3. 4. be said to hate men? or admit that too de posse, that it may be, how can this ap­peare true de facto esse, when as without controversie the elect of God, whom he loved from all eternity, never fall from that love, no not while they are in the state of nature, and for the Reprobate, God be­stowes many favours upon them in the things of this life, [Page 171] and offers freely and truely to them, at least many the parti­cipation of eternall life and happinesse; and so that it is their fault that they have it not? There be three branches you see of this objection, which I will answer as I can, briefely and order­ly.

First, for the first, there is no great difficulty: The an­swer consisting in two things.

First, God is to be consi­dered two wayes. First, as he is in himselfe, and his owne excellency. Secondly, as he hath revealed himselfe, and so as it were bowed himselfe downe to our capacity, in the former consideration, as in himselfe he is a simple essence, and pure act, without any composition of matter and forme, and without all distin­ction and variety of qualities, [Page 172] he is onely that which he is, and thus we cannot at all ap­prehend him but in the second as he hath revealed himselfe, so we may distinguish many attributes in him, which he hath taken to himselfe: That what we could not graspe to­gether, we may by parts in some sort lay hold of: As Cy­rus passed the river Euphrates by dividing it into many small streames.

Secondly, the second thing to be considered, is that among those things that are attribu­ted to God from the creature: some things are simply perfe­ctions, some involve some im­perfection in them also, or perhaps better, some thing in them is conceived as a perfection, to which not­withstanding there cleaves some imperfection also: here we must sever the one from the other, and ascribe the per­fection [Page 173] to God, but proscribe and banish the imperfection: As in this case, Hatred is attri­buted to God, being taken from living, especially reason­able creatures: as it imports a dislike of evill, so it notes a perfection; but as it conno­tates a dislike by way of passi­on or perturbation, as it is in the creatures, so it hath a mix­ture of imperfection: in the former sense it is properly given to God, in the latter it cannot: thus you see the first part how hatred agrees to God: as an Attribute taken from Analogy to the reason­able creature, being a simple dislike, and aversion from evill without any motion or per­turbation,

The second is, how God can hate any of his creatures, especially man.

I answer, man may be con­sidered two wayes, first as crea­ted, [Page 174] and so; God saw all things that they were good, and lo­ved them, and above all, man, whom he had made according to his owne Image. Secondly, as corrupted and defiled with sinne, and God, who is a God of purest eyes, who is not a God that delighteth in iniqui­ty, cannot chuse but abhorre him.

The third is something harder, and so the place, though it be alledged but out of the Apocrypha, God bateth nothing that he hath made, may be satisfied: not simply in it selfe and for it selfe, but yet he hateth Sinne in man, which is not of his making, and man secondarily for his sinne.

Thirdly, the third is some­what harder. How this is true, since neither Elect nor Repro­bate are hated by God, though in the state of corruption: for the Elect I answer they may be [Page 175] considered two wayes, first ac­cording to Gods eternall counsell and secret will toward them, and so he is unchangeable, he loves them from the begin­ning to the end, from eternity to eternity, Whom God loveth once, he loveth to the end: Iob. 13. 1. [...] For the gifts and calling of God, are without repentance, Rom. 11. 29. There is no interrup­tion of this love, much lesse blotting out of the Booke of life. Nulla litura in deretis sapien­tum, as the Stoickes were wont to say. I have blessed him, and he shall be blessed, as Isaack said of Iacob. Quod scrip si scrip si, that which I have written, I have written, as Pilate said to the Jewes.

But secondly the elect may be considered according to Gods revealed will, and so during the time of their corruption, he reveales no other, but that he hates them: And he may be [Page 176] truely said to hate them in two respects, or with a double hatred.

First, as they are in them­selves, Odio paterno, as a Father may be truely angry with his child, and during that state be said to hate him.

Secondly, as they are in Christ, Odio inimicitiae & pro­prio, as one doth his enemy: the former may be conceived in three respects.

First, Ex quoad parte termi­ni, that I may speake so, be­cause hee sees nothing in them which hee can love, being all over-spread with sin and corruption, nothing but what he may most justly hate:

Secondly, Ex parte effectus, because hee gives no significa­tion of any thing but displea­sure and hatred, neither cau­sing the light of his counte­nance to sh ine upon them, [Page 177] not so much as giving them a good looke, much lesse be­stowing his favours upon them in that manner that hee doth where hee loveth; but on the contrary in token of dis­pleasure many times sharpely correcting and chastizing them.

Thirdly, Ex parte sensus, which followes from the for­mer two, because he behaves himselfe towards them, that they gather no comfortable assurance of love toward them, but evident tokens of wrath: and thus hee may bee said to hate them, as they are considered in themselves with a fatherly and improper kinde of hatred: but second­ly, as they have Christ their suretie, so hee hates them in­deed and properly, so that hee will inflict the utmost punish­ment upon that their sinne, justice doth deserve, which [Page 178] being considered as suf­fered and undergone by them in the person of Christ their surety, then his love to­wards them is grounded upon a new title: for besides his free mercie of predestination, he loves them now in justice, as just by vertue of Christs purchase and Redempti­on.

Now secondly, in the se­cond place for the Reprobate, I say that God doth absolute­ly and simply hate them in the state of naturall corruption: neither doth his favours of this life temporary confer'd upon them, nor eternall of a better offered unto them prove the contrary: for the favours of God are of two sorts.

First, Common, which are indifferently distributed to all out of his generall bounty and liberality.

Secondly, Speciall, such as [Page 179] are proper and Peculiar to his elect, both those are of the former kinde, and all such gifts as in Gods Decree have no necessary and infallible connexion with everlasting life, and so no marvell if the Reprobate have part in them as well as the Elect or rather: God causeth his Sunne to shine, and his raine to fall upon the evill and the good, the just and the unjust, Matth. 5. 45. for these are such things, as a man cannot know love or hatred by them, Eccle. 1. 9. The Papists abuse this place to prove that no man can know whether we be in the state of grace or no; but Sa­lomon affirmes not that, but onely thus much at the most: no man can know it by all that is before them, as our Translation hath it, that is, by outward and common favours; for Iunius reads it cleane otherwise, onely those [Page 180] are speciall favours, and to­kens of Gods speciall love which are conjoyned with everlasting life, as faith, and other saving graces, and those belong onely to the Elect. And thus having removed this dead Amasa out of the way which might have hin­dered our march; I goe on to the proofe of the Point: That God is an enemie to all men in their naturall corruption, and doth hate them: I will not trouble you with many places of Scripture heaped up, because all that have beene produ­ced in the former Point, doe give witnesse to this also, the terme Enemy, as I then shewed importing a recipro­call affection of hatred be­tweene two: two or three shall suffice: and first, that place I thinke is most pregnant in the Ephesians 2. 3. We were by Nature children of wrath, even [Page 181] as others; where the Apostle saith, that both the regene­rate and others, even all men are children of wrath: which implies two things.

First, that wee are subject and obnoxious to the wrath of God and the heavy effects of that eternall condemnation, for both, I thinke, are inclu­ded in the word wrath.

Secondly, that we are borne so, which is the meaning of the other word, sonnes or children of wrath; and to set that downe yet more expresly, there is another word joyned with it, by nature, We are by nature children of wrath: A­gaine, Rom. 5. 18. By the of­fenceof one the fault, as the old Translation supplies the Text, judgement, as the New, came on all men to condemnation; and in the 12. verse, By one man sinne entred into the world, and death by sinne; and so death pas­sed [Page 182] upon all men for that all have sinned: Againe, Gal. 3. 10. For as many as are of the Law are un­der the curse, for it is written, Cur­sed is every man that continueth not in all things which are writ­ten in the Booke of the Law to doe them: and supposing that all are borne in sinne, you have a plaine and literall testimony, Psa. 5. 5. Thou hatest all workers of iniquitie: But this will be more cleare in laying out the ground of this hatred, which in generall hath beene already opened the last time, to be that dissimilitude which is betweene God and us: he is [...], according to the accla­mation of the Elders, Rev. 4. which the Etymologists de­rive from the privative Particle and [...], earth, in whom there is no earth, no pollution, but all heavenly puritie: & we are according to that proclama­tion of God, Ier. 22. 29. Earth, [Page 183] earth, earth, our understanding and will, and affection being alto­gether earthly, no purity in them, but all earthly polluti­on: He is the King of Saints, as you had it out of the Revelati­on 15. the holy one of Israel: but wee are the slaves of sinnes and Satan, and by going a whoring from God, and committing folly with the creature, we are become eve­rie one of us, as Tamar told her brother Ammon like one of the foolies in Israel. we are an adul­terous seed, and he is a jealous God, and no marvell if there be adivorce of our affections: For what fellowship hath righte­ousnesse with unrighteousnesse? and what communion hath light with darkenesse? and what con­cord hath Christ with Belial? 2 Cor. 6. 14. And can two walke together except they be agreed, saith the Prophet: but more particularly, as I said before, [Page 184] that mans hatred to God arose from two things.

First, Because he forbids the e­vill of sinne, which they love as an holy Law, and

Secondly, because he inflicts the evill of punishment, which they hate as a just Judge, and so crosses them in both re­spects, for in the former they see he is not like them, in the latter they perceive hee likes them not: so proportionably there is a double respect in na­turall men as sinners upon which Gods hatred to them is a ground.

First, sinne as it is sinne, by reason of which they are not like to God.

Secondly, sin as it is hatred to God, by which it appeares they like not God: for there be two causes of love principal, as Gre­gory de Valentia notes, the first is the goodnesse of it; the second is the good inclination towards [Page 185] us: goodnesse of it selfe is attractive, [...] from [...] and [...], from [...], because it doth as it were invite and call to it, and every man is willingly to runne after it, but love is more lovely and more forcible, magnes amoris amor, as they say: the rea­son is because that seemes to give us some proprietie in this thing, so that we love it as our owne, and this is enough to recompence the want of the other, yea to make it seeme to be where it is not, Suum cuique, pulchrum, the Crow thinkes her bird the whitest: and as it is in love, so you must understand it contrary, in ha­tred: there are two causes: first, evill in a thing: second­ly hatred too, and these two things are in wicked and car­nall men by nature: for which God is an enemie unto them, and hates them.

[Page 186] First, Sinne, Esay 59. 2. But your iniquities have separated be­tweene you and your God, and your sinnes have bid his face from you. Sinne makes the wall of separation betweene God and his people: Sinne is the veile of covering that hinders the plople from beholding the Holy of Holies: and in the second of the Ephesians you have naturall men, stiled [...]. the children of disobedience; in the second verse, and in the third, it followes, [...]. the children of wrath, to note that our diso­bedience is that onely cause of Gods displeasure: and you shall observe it through the whole course of Scripture, that God was never angry with Israel, but Israel first provoked him by his sinnes: and therefore offensé to note the connexion of both these signifies both sinne and anger, and this appeares sufficiently [Page 187] out of all other places that have beene alleaged.

The second ground of Gods enmity to us for our sinne as it is hatred of him, is contained in the former, and needes no further explicati­on: But now for the further illustration and confirmation of the whole Point, that God is an enemy, and hates men as in the state of sinne and corruption; three things may be considered, out of which will appeare, both that it is, and what it is, and where­in it consists, and what are the fruits of it.

• The first is the filthinesse of sinne,
• Secondly, the second the holinesse of God.
• Thirdly, the third, the grie­vousnesse of the punishments that God inflicts for sinne.

The two former I will passe over now, because I meane [Page 188] to make use of that which I thinke needfull and pertinent in them, in a more oportune place: onely remember what hath beene delivered in the former point, that may helpe to the understanding of them.

I come to the third and last of them, the Punishments which God in his just wrath against sin, and hatred of it doth inflict upon sinners: which if you will see how great and grievous they are, take but a view of them three wayes.

First, in some particular and remarkable examples.

Secondly, in the generall nature and kindes of them.

Thirdly, in one singular, which hath both undergone, and overcome them all, our Sa­viour Iesus Christ. And by this, Gods detestation of sin, and sinners for sinnes sake, will be sufficiently manifested; and as I declared mans hatred to [Page 189] God by the effects of it, so the same course is more fit here, and more necessary, because there is no such affection to be conceived in God, but in relation to those effects, which he produceth like unto those creatures which are, and when they are so affe­cted.

To speake first of the gene­rall nature and kindes of pu­nishments, as man sustaines for his sinnes; Punishment is nothing else but some evill infli­cted, for some fault committed; and therefore includes two things.

First, the sufferance of some evill, and this is as it were the materiall of it.

Secondly, the reference to some fault precedent, and this is the formal as it were; which makes it properly punishment, which otherwise would break malum naturae: as suppose A­dam, [Page 190] had beene, blind or so be­fore his transgression, that blindnesse would have beene evill to him indeed, but onely malum naturae, but because it was not inflicted by justice for sin, it would not have beene malum Poenae, a Punishment: for Iustice sheweth its dislike to sinne two wayes.

First, before sinne commit­ted by prohibition.

Secondly, after sin is com­mitted by punishment: I might perhaps adde another clause, and say, there must be a third condition to make an evill, a punishment, that it be inflicted with a mind of punishment, and so maketwo kinds, or two significations of punishment.

First, Proper, where all those three conditions are found.

Secondly, Improper, where the last is wanting: the evils that God brings upon the wic­ked, are properly Punish­ments, [Page 191] because they are evils, and they flow from Gods ju­stice against sinne, and that with a purpose of punishing that sinne, the evils that Gods children suffer, are improperly punishments, but properly cha­stisements, because though they be evill, and laid upon them for their sinne, yet they are not so much animo puni­endi, as animo corrigendi, not as from a Iudge, but as from a Father, not to revenge, but to reforme them: or rather they may be distinguished, not from the persons upon whom they are inflicted, but from themselves: for Punishments may be considered, either as intermedia or as ultima: the in­termedia, &c. Chastisements of their owne nature, inten­ded for the amendment, both of the wicked and godly, upon whomsoever they fall: but Supplicium ultimum, because [Page 192] it cannot be conceived as me­dicinall at all, but as Poenall onely that is properly and simply Punishment: so in Commonwealths, all other Punishments inflicted upon the delinquent party, are me­dicinall, for the recovering of them to honest life, according to the lawes, but the last of Death, which is the last that the Magistrates power can extend it selfe unto, is onely Poenall, and cannot be concei­ved as intended in love, for amendment of the malefa­ctours.

But this shall suffice to have pointed out the nature of a Punishment, now to conceive distinctly of the kindes of pu­nishments in generall, which God in his just wrath, and in­dignation against sin, inflicts upon sinners: I thinke you must take the whole extent of the materiall of them, namely [Page 193] Evill: for man having offen­ded against Gods justice, which is infinit, cannot be satisfied un­lesse all evill be brought upon the sinner, which he is capable of: for in civill Courts of Iustice, indeed a punishment in the same kind that the of­fence was, at least in one kind of evill, will make sufficient satisfaction: but where the offence is against God, it is not so: for though it be exparte principii, but one fault, yet it hath ex parte objecti, an infi­nite guilt.

Nay, Secondly though it be ex parte principii, but one formaliter in that selfe, yet even in that respect also it is all virtualiter, in the seede, in so much as the offender in that once offended against God the Authour of the Law, and so against the whole Law, according to that in the Apo­stle Iames 2. 10. Whosoever [Page 194] shall keepe the whole Law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he [...] said Doe not commit adultery, said also doe not kill.

And thirdly, though it be but one actually, yet it is in­terpretatively by all, because the same party hath a mind and will to commit all, if there were the like occasion, now as God accepteth the will for the deed, when: there is a willing minde, so he imputeth; And though we doe not say that God will de facto punish the wicked for all the sinnes that they would have committed (as some fondly would have infants predestinated either to life eternall for the good, or to condemnation, for the evill which he foresaw they would have done, had he lent them longer life) because then all should have equall punish­ment; whereas there are de­grees, [Page 195] and that no doubt ac­cording to the degrees of their actuall sinnes. Yet it is no errour to say, that God may de jure, punish any one sinne with all kindes, and all degrees of punishment, not for sinnes they would have committed, to speake properly, but for that one which deserves all in strict rigour of Iustice, as well as if all were indeed com­mitted, and that for this rea­son, because that containes all in it, and is as much as all in the minde of the sinner that committed it, though he were hindered, that they did actu­ally breake forth: and as this is true of all sinne, so pro­perly of originall, which is all: so that to make the fault and the punishment equall, wee must divide punishment by the evill, and make it all evill that a man is capable of.

The whole laitude of e­vill, [Page 196] then you shall take by a threefold distinction:

The first is this, the first evill is either Damni or Sensus, as they use to distinguish punish­ment: either a losse and priva­tion of good, or a position and feeling of some evill, privative or positive: for this distin­ction must not be restrained to eternall punishments, as the Schoole seemes to doe, but is generall to all, as you easily doe and shall perceive: and this distinction is taken from the adjuncts or affections of evill, or at least we will take it so without scrupulous inqui­rie for the present.

Secondly, the second is ta­ken from the causes or inte­grall parts: and so evill is loathsome in effects, that death, as it is generally used in Scripture, and by name, in that of Genesis the intermina­tion of God, 2. 17. In the same [Page 197] day that thou eatest therereof, that is, of the forbidden tree, thou shalt die surely: where accor­ding to the meaning of God, there is a Synec doche of one e­minent kind of punishment for all the rest; and if the signifi­cation of the word be exten­ded to all the particulars there under comprehended, there must needs be a metaphor in regard of some: for both the separation of the soule from God is so called Death by the trope, and eternall death hath the same reason: now to lay out the parts in some order: as if divided the good of man, in the expli­cation of Happinesse; and it was either Summum, the fa­vour of God: or secondly, Subordinatum, and that againe two fold; first, Internum, with the essence of man, as it were; or secondly, Externum, with­out him. Internum againe [Page 198] two-fold, first, in the Vnder­standing, secondly, in the Will: first, in the Soule, se­condly, in the Body. In the Soule againe two-fold, so it is contrary here, which you may reduce to these five.

First, the displeasure of God, and enmity with him.

Secondly, darkenesse of the Vnderstanding, and ig­norance.

Thirdly, perversnesse and crookednesse of the Will.

Fourthly, Distemper and diseases of the body.

Fifthly, Crosses in the outward estate, want, and shame, and all the rest: And let no man looke backe to the scope of this Discourse, which was to shew how God shewes his enmitie to sinners, and ha­tred to sin, in bringing those punishments upon them for it, and than looke upon this [Page 199] Catalogue and wonder, to see both mans sinne which is in the third, the untowardnesse of the will, and Gods wrath, which is the first of them: to be brought as punishments: for there is a double conside­ation of these two.

First, for the rise of them, and then the order of them is thus. Mans sinne is the first which provokes Gods displeasure, which brings all other punish­ments upon man.

Secondly, for the continu­ation, and then it is thus: God being provoked, justly suf­fers man to continue and goe on in his sinnes, which continually addes fewell to the fire of Gods wrath, and that being the principall linke drawes the chaine of all plagues along with it: So that you see in this respect, both the con­tinuation of sinne, and of Gods wrath, ariseth from [Page 200] Gods wrath provoked by the first sinne, and so are mutuall causes one to the other: and this is the second distin­ction.

Thirdly, the third is from the effects, and containes the Species of punishment, which are two; first Temporall in this life; secondly, Eternall in the life to come: and the princi­pall differences betweene these two are three-fold:

First, in regard of the in­tension of them for the pu­nishments that God inflicts here, are not in the highest de­gree that they may be, but in a more remisse, mingled with the fruition of many mer­cies.

Secondly, in the Extension: for all punishments that make up our full misery are not in­flicted, no not upon the wicked here, but in the life to come they are.

[Page 201] Thirdly, In duration: for punishments suffered here by the wicked, are neither con­tinued without intermission, but have many Lucida inter­valla, nor continuall without end, but are all concluded in death, which brings a change of this estate: but the punish­ments of the life to come, are to indure without ease or end. And the reason is, because this life is the time of Gods patience and long sufferance, and gentlenesse towards sinners; wherein he doth either win them by his blessings be­stowed, or leaves them with­out excuse, by reason of his blessings abused, and so mani­fest both the inability of na­ture to helpe it selfe out of its misery, which it is fallen into by sinne, and the equitie of his judgements which are so sweetly tempered with many mercies, before they are [Page 202] excluded, and therfore all Gods dealing towards men here is medicinall, though in it owne nature it prove mor­tall, through the corruption of the wicked: but the other is supplicium ultimum, &c. And those are the three distin­ctions of Evill or Punishment: where the first must be in the second; and the affections in the parts; and both first and second in the third, as in the kindes. For example, in the distribution into integrall parts.

The first was the Displicere and wrath of God: where you must understand a double pu­nishment, both Poena damni, the losse of Gods favour, and Poena sensus, the feeling of his displeasure, and so for all the rest; there is both the priva­tion of some good conferring to our happinesse, and the Posi­tion of some evill conspiring [Page 203] to our misery.

So likewise in the third Di­stribution, which was into Species or kindes, but in the first of Temporall, you must ap­ply all the particulars of the second ranke by the parts of punishment (of which I na­med them as principall) and that both privately, and posi­tively according to the first: and in the second eternall, you must doe the like, onely adding those differences, which I mentioned before to their kindes.

And now if I should goe a­bout to rehearse the particu­lars, it would fill a large Volume which would be writ­ten Without and within, lamen­tation and mourning and woe: like that which the Prophet Ezekiel saw, 2. 10. If I should muster them all together, un­der their severall Colours and Ensignes they would make a [Page 204] mighty army, the Army of the great Lord of Hosts: and it would appeare by them, I thinke how highly the Lord is displeased with Sinne, how terrible an Enemy hee is to Sinners, and how he hates them. You may read a copi­ous enumeration of many particulars, especially of ex­ternall punishments, which are therefore set downe, not because they are the greatest, but because carnall men are most sensible of them, Deut. 28. and this is also evident out of that place, that all those are brought upon a man in Gods just hatred and anger for the transgressions of the Law: Who can tell the mi­sery of man, when God doth not onely withdraw the light of his countenance from him, which the Psalmist accounts the onely good; Many say, who whill shew us any good, but Lord [Page 205] lift thou up the light of thy coun­tenance upon us, as you have it diverse times repeated, Levit. when it is, as Job speakes, 16. 12, He sets me up for his marke, His arrowes compasse mee round about, hee cleaveth my reines asun­der and doth not spare: hee pow­reth out my gall upon the ground, he breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a Gyant: and Chapter 6. verse 4. The arrowes of the Almighty are with me, the poyson whereof drinketh up my Spirit, the ter­rours of God doe set themselves in array against me: when as the Prophet Ieremy complaines, Lament. 3. 12. Hee hath bent his how, and that like an enemy. Chap. 2. ver. 4. Hee stood with his right hand as an adversary, and set me as a marke for the ar­row: he hath caused the sonnes of his quiver, as the Hebrew Text hath it, the arrowes to enter into my reines.

[Page 206] Secondly, Againe, what a misery to be strucke with such blindndsse, that we cannot finde the way to heaven, no more than the Sodomties that groped for, but could not finde Lots doore where the Angels went in, no, nor see the plainest truths that con­cerne that way, not the funda­mentall and Elementary prin­ciple, no more than blind Sampson could see the pilla's of the house, but was faine to have a guide to leade him to them: but live in more than Egyptian darkenesse, and are given over to most grosse errors by the just wrath of God against sinne, as it was, and is in ma­ny Nations at this day, and in the Church of Rome, where Antichrist, in 2 Thes. 2. 9. whose comming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signes, and lying wonders, and with all deceive ablenesse of unrighteous­nesse [Page 207] in them that perish: and the reason followes, because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved, for this cause God hath sent them strong delusions, that they should be leeve a lye, that they all might be damned, who beleeved not the truth, but had pleasure in unrigh­teousnesse.

Thirdly, What a depth of misery is it, that man should degenerate below the bruite beasts in brutishnesse, which notwithstanding is a just effect of Gods wrath for sinne, as it may appeare out of the first to the Romans, 21. Because that when they knew not God, they glorifyed him not as God, neither were thankefull, but became vaine in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened, &c. God also gave them up to unclean­nesse through the lusts of their owne hearts to dishonour their owne bodies: And againe, ver. 26. [Page 208] God gave them up to vile affecti­ons: And Againe, ver. 28. God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to doe those things that are not convenient.

But what Arithmeticke can count the number of those miseries that attend man in regard of his body and out­ward man; deformity, aches, dis­eases, death, dishonour, poverty, famine, pestilence, warre, and the rest: If the Cabalists count be good, there be so many precepts in the Law, as there are Letters in the Decalogue, and as many as are included in the numerall Letters of the word [...] namely 611. of which there are 365. Negative as many as there be dayes in the yeare: Affirmative 246. as many as the Anatomists number bones in a mans body: I answer, there be more pu­nishments for every joynt of a sinner, with which he hath [Page 209] transgressed every part of the most holy Law of God, than there are dayes in the yeare: And all these are the just ef­fects of Gods enmity to sin­ners, his wrath against sin­ners: And yet ye have not all, for what is all this, though we had called every one of those particular plagues by the name, as Cyrus could have done all his Souldiers, and set them all in battle aray against you, to that which is behind: the torments of hel, the black­nesse of darkenesse, the Rivers of brimstone, the fire that ne­ver goeth out, the worme that never dyeth, the breath of the Lord kindles that fire, and the wrath of the Lord feedes that worme, the apprehension of which gnawes the conscience: That weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth. No­mina vel ipso pene tremenda sono, that I may not tell you of that [Page 210] banne of Proscription, that bill of Divorce, by vertue of which they shall be separated from God, and cast out of his blessed presence for evermore: Excommunicated as Adam was out of Paradice, and ba­nished for ever out of Heaven, from the beatificall vision of God, from beholding of Christ Iesus, from the socie­ty and Quire of Saints, and Angels, which sing perpetu­all Hallelujahs to the Lord, and to the Lambe that sits up­on the throne: while they goe cursed into everlasting fire, which was prepared for the Devill and his Angels; in a word, into everlasting con­demnation: O Eternitas, as he cries out, O Eternitas in bonis infinitum bonum in malis infinitum malum!

I list not to play the Rhe­toritian, upon the considera­tion of Eternity.

[Page 211] But which of you can think upon it, and weigh those words inserted, for Ever, with­out horror and astonishment? And now perhaps if you could but repeate those words sometimes with your selves, tormented for ever, and so often as you were about to be angry with God, to sinne against him, as he counselled Augu­stus to repeate the Alphabet when he was angry, if you could rehearse that for ever, you would take heed how you ever sinned. Dives thought his brethren would beleeve, if some were sent from hell to tell them the torments of the place, and to take heede that they neere come there: Be­leeve ye Moses, and the Prophets, beleeve the Law, and threatnings of God: Beleeve an humbled Christian, for he comes from hell scorched with the flames of Gods wrath: and beleeve [Page 212] me that these argue Gods ha­tred against sinne, his enmity to sinners.

And thus much of the first things I propounded in gene­rall, to illustrate the wrath of God against sinne, from the nature and severall kindes of punishment which a sinner doth incurre.

Secondly, the second thing was (as you may remember) the consideration of some re­markeable particulars.

First, let the first be of the Angels.

The Angels, for one sinne as most thinke, and it is pro­bable, The Angels which kept not their first estate, but left their owne habitation, he hath reser­ved in everlasting chaines under darkenesse, unto the judgement of the great day, Iude 6. The ex­cellency of their nature, which bare that Image of God with the nearest resemblance, and [Page 213] are therefore called the Sonnes of God in a singular manner: their multitude, the good that might have come from their preservation, their ser­vice and praysing of God; the evill which was like to follow upon the contrary, the fall of man, their eternall blasphe­mies could not move God to compassion: but if Angels sinne, even Angels shall smart for it: And now as it is Iob 4. 18. Behold he put no trust in his servants, and his Angels he char­ged with folly: How much lesse on them which dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust: which are crushed be­fore the mouth; that you may learne from hence how great the hatred of God is to sinne.

Secondly, for I must but name those things that re­maine: Looke upon the first sin of man, our forefather: w [...] though some ignorantly [Page 214] have thought it so small that they called in question God justice in punishing it, and the proud Pope blasphemous­ly concluded, that if God were so angry for an Apple then he might be justly much more for a Peacocke, which he missed at his table, yet how hath God shewed his detesta­tion of sinne in that; in that for it man was deprived of that glorious Image of God, in which he was created, and cast out of Paradise, contracting also that guilt of eternall con­demnation, and lying under the curse of God, the slavery of sinne, the tyranny of the devill, and not himselfe one­ly, but with his 100000. of soules that were in his loynes, even all his posterity.

Thirdly, a third may be the Universall deluge, where­in God, the God of mercy, without mercy or compassion [Page 215] to man, of what condition or sexe, or age soever; to beasts, to plants, to any creature, the workemanship of his owne hands, swept away all, and defaced the beauty of the world, reducing all to the first Chaos. When the Earth was without forme and void, and darkenesse was upon the face of the deepe, rather then not to revenge himselfe upon his enemies, the sinfull men of those times: As though he had blotted that out of his titles which he saith of him­selfe, Exod. 34. 6. The Lord, the Lord God, mercifull and gra­cious, long suffering, and abun­dant in goodnesse and truth, kee­ping mercy for thousands, forgi­ving iniquities, and transgression, and sinne: And now tooke up that Emperours Motto, Fiat Iustitia & pereat mun­dus.

A Fourth, may be the de­struction [Page 216] of Sodom and Gomor­rha with fire and brimstone from heaven, which before are said to have beene like the Garden of Eden, the Paradise of God, and perhappes the fruits like the tree of Life: but now is famous for the dead sea, which will admit of no living thing, and the fruit of Sodom, or apples are said to be nothing but dust or ashes: and of these, as the Apostle Peter reasons, 2 Pet. 2. 4. If God spared not the Angels that sinned, but cast them downe into hell, and delivered them into the chaines of darkenesse to be reserved unto judgement: and spared not the old world but saved Noah, the eight person the Preacher of righteousnesse, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungod­ly, and turning the cities of Sodome and Gomorrha into ashes, condemned them with an over­throw, making them an ensample [Page 217] unto those that after should live un­godly. Then as he inferres, The Lord knoweth how to reserve the unjust unto the day of Iudge­ment to be punished: Then say I, you see how God sheweth himselfe an enemy to sin­ners.

I might tell you of the strange plagues of Egypt, and above all, the lamentable de­struction and dispersion of Gods owne peculiar people; the Iewes, and their calamities which they have undergone, the ten Tribes for more then two thousand yeares, the two for almost 1600. so great, as one of their owne Rabbins concludes from thence, that their Messiah must needs be come, and they must needs suf­fer so much for killing him, and so also the Apostle Paul, Rom. 11. 22. Behold the severity of God in their fall.

And I might adde some­thing [Page 218] of the last conflagration of the world, when by reason of the filthinesse of this latter age of the world, it shall be so, that it cannot be washed with water as the old world was, God shall waste it with fire: When the heavens shall passe away with a great noyse, and the elements shall melt with fer­vent heate, the earth also, and the workes that are therein shall be burnt up, 2 Pet. 3. 10. but I will passe to the third, and but name that neither.

Thirdly, the third thing then in which we may behold the wrath of God and hatred against sinne, is one singular example, which have both un­dergone and overcome all pu­nishments due for our sinnes, namely, our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ: In which if you will consider three things.

• First, who it was that suf­fred.
• [Page 219] Secondly, what he suf­fred.
• Thirdly, for what.

The two former are excel­lently expressed, Philip. 2. 6. Christ Iesus, who being in the forme of God, thought it not robbery to be equall with God, but made himselfe of no reputation, and tooke upon him the forme of a servant, and was made in the likenesse of man, and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himselfe, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Crosse: Christ Iesus then the Son of God, e­quall with God was the per­son: And his sufferings were,

First, his Incarnation, where­by he became in the forme of a servant: laying downe the glory which he had from all e­ternity, with his father, he ab­horred not the wombe of the Virgin.

Secondly, in his whole life, he humbled himselfe and be­came [Page 220] obedient.

Thirdly, in his death, and that the most shamefull, and painefull death of the Crosse: if you will but read the Go­spell, and goe along with our Saviour, in every passage of his infinite sufferings, and then consider something in your mind, which you cannot see with your eyes, even the paines of hell, which he suffe­red, as our best Divines thinke, and gather from his bloody sweat, arguing more then out­ward suffering, the apprehen­sion of the wrath of God, and his exclamation, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? arguing a kind of separation of God, which makes the prin­cipall substance of hell tor­ments, though he did not suffer them as the damned doe, for in the greatest Paroxysme, when he complained, why hast thou forsaken me, even then he called [Page 221] him My God, My God: But thinke withall this is the Son of God that Created the hea­vens and the earth, that suffers this by vile sinners, his crea­tures, and for vile sinners, his enemies: And then consi­der if here be not a most in­comparable demonstration of Gods hatred against sinne: and that in three respects.

First, in that it appeares by this, he will not be appea­sed without satisfaction, so great is his anger, for ever then his nature inclined to mercy, yet he would not heare of it till his justice were answered, and though hee purposed in his Counsell to receive some sin­ners to grace, yet he will have the whole debt payed: and though it be curiously dispu­ted, whether God might not have freely pardoned sin with­out such expiation, yet it is sufficient for us to know that [Page 222] hee did not, nor would not.

Secondly, hee requires an equivalent ransome, ex rigore justitiae: if not more than justice required: for suppose wee could imagine a terme of eternity in which sinners should have suffered that would bee a full satisfa­ction, but the suffering of Christ the Sonne of God is farre more than that would be, so farre as the Creator surpas­seth the creature in infinite degrees of excellencies; now because the suffering of any creature, or all creatures could not countervaile the wrong done to his Justice, rather than that full restitution should not be made, he would have it made by him, who could not chuse but pay it with overplus, if he did it at all, by reason of his infinite dignity.

[Page 223] Againe, if all the world had beene redeemed by the suffe­ring of Christ, whereas the greatest part is not, hee neede not have suffered more than he did, but that would have beene enough, ex rigore justitiae, nay, for all the devills too, if there were not another defect of a condition, rather propri­ety in that nature that suffered (he not taking upon him the nature of Angels) then suf­ficiency of the sufferings themselves, nay, for another world too if there were an­other world imagined, it would be sufficient for that too: so that God rather than hee would depart one jot from his justice, he would re­venge himselfe to the full, in taking a full discharge for all our debts, if not more, as hath beene said.

Thirdly, rather than that should faile, he tooke it not of [Page 224] the debters but of the sureties, and that though hee were in so neere relation to him, His onely begotten and beloved sonne in whom he is well pleased, and so as God said to Abraham. Now I know that thou lovest me, in that thou hast not spared thins onely sonne Isaac: so wee may say to God, not onely now wee know, O Lord, that thou lo­vest us, since thou hast not spared thine onely sonne Jesus; but also, Now we know that thou hatest sinne, seeing thou hast not spared thine onely sonne, but hast given him to die, rather than that should goe unpunished, unpai­ed to the utmost farthing.

It remaines now onely that we come to make some use of that which hath beene deli­vered, and so conclude the first Point: but as I have done in the rest hitherto, so I shall here also propound many things [Page 225] briefely, rather than presse any thing, and prosecute it fully: one generall use I purpose to commend unto you,

For Instruction; Wee may from hence take notice of the miserable condition of every natu­rall man: And this is not the least part thereof, that we are not sensible of it: it is Satans course to deale with his captives, as the Philistins dealt with Sampson tyranni­cally, first, to put out their eyes; and all sinners are possessed with a spirituall kinde of drunkennesse which makes them see no danger when they are in most, as Salomon de­scribes the corporall, Prov. 23. 34. Thou shalt be as he that lieth downe in the midst of the sea, or as be that lieth downe upon the toppe of the mast: they have striken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sicke: they have beaten me, and I felt it not: and so [Page 226] it will not be amisse to a­waken the enemies of God with an alarum from heaven, to cause an heavenly light to shine round about them, as it befell Saul in his furious march to Damascus, and I know not how it may be bet­ter done than by collecting the beames of those truths divine that ye have had alrea­dy (as they doe the Sunne in a burning glasse) and casting them in their faces: for they, I thinke will effectually disco­ver the desperate misery they are in; for misery being oppo­site to happinesse, as that is a state of Good, so it is of Evill, and evill being of two sorts, Evill of sinne and punishment, it appeares by that which hath beene said, That a naturall man is deepe plunged in both these.

In sinne by the first point, where it was shewed, That [Page 227] man is an enemy to God and hates him: in punishment, where you heard, That God is an enemy to man and hates him: now can there be any greater height of sinne, than that man should become an enemy to God? Or any greater weight of punishment, than that God should be an enemy to man? Or can there be any greater depth of misery, than both these joyned? For though some may thinke per­happes according to the strict acceptions of misery that it is onely in penall evill, and includes not sinne; yet there must be a concurrence of both: for

First, it is impossible that there should be any misery pro­perly where there is not sinne: nay, it is sinne that makes the thing which is but a naturall evill in it selfe to be a mortall evill to the sinner.

[Page 228] Secondly, as there is re­quired both an [...] and an [...], to happinesse, so contrary to misery, nay, as well doing is the principall in Happinesse, so is doing evill in misery, rather than suffe­ring evill: to speake then a little of both.

There is none of us but would defie any that should say that we are Gods enemies, to be haters of him: and would account him a most profligate and forlorne wretch that should professe himselfe to be so: even that little sparke of conscience left in corrupt nature shines in the midst of darkenesse, and discovers so much, that that must needs be a miserable estate to be so farre forsaken? and would not every one be ready to say to the Preacher that tells him such a thing, as Hazael told to the Prophet that foretold [Page 229] him of his cruelty, Am I a dogge that I should doe this thing? But you have heard that every naturall man is an enemy to God many wayes, and la­bours to doe him all the mis­chiefe he can in displeasing him, in disobeying, in disho­nouring, and as much as lies in him in dethroning him: and setting up another in his place, even the world, the lusts of his owne flesh, the devill, the basest things, the most bitter enemies of God that are: and imployes their mind and soule and strength to advance their kingdome; bring that cursed­nesse home to themselves, and make much of it: but to lay out unto you the vilenesse of the naturall man in this re­spect; consider some sew cir­cumstances in it more distinct­ly: and to omit that filthinesse with which itdefiles the nature of man, and many other, I will [Page 230] name but two: first, the univer­sality: there is scarce any so bad almost, but hee mislikes some that are given to other vices than himselfe or more, and thinkes himselfe some body in that he is not so bad as he: but if there were one that were infected with all vices, in the highest degree, how would they which are bad enough themselves, deplore his case as lamentable, and blesse them­selves an hundreth times that they are not so: and I pray tell me what sin is there which is not included in this to be an enemy to God? What would such an one sticke to commit? But I passe from this.

Secondly, The iniquity: for

First, there is no reason for this hatred of God: as the Apostle Paul speakes, 2 Cor. 7. 2. Receive us, we have wron­ged no man, we have corrupted no man, wee have defrauded no [Page 231] man: might not the Lord challenge entertainement in our hearts and best affections by the same reason? nay, doth he not expostulate the matter with the Israelites, Iere. 2. 5. to this purpose, Thus saith the Lord, what iniquitie have your fathers found in me, that they are gone farre from me, and have walked after vanity, and are be­come vaine: if the Lord should make use of his Prerogative, yet shall the clay say to the Potter, what dost thou? yet he never doth so. But it were well if this were all: but

Secondly, there is great rea­son to the contrary why wee should love God, and you may conceive that; especially three-fold.

First, for that excellencie that is in God: how doth beauty in­tice the amorous, and gold the covetous, and honour the ambiti­ous, every thing that hath but [Page 232] any luster of good in it, breeds in us a lust to have it; the least appearance of it, is a loadstone of our affections, and is attractive: and how comes it to passe that the Ocean of goodnesse and beau­tie that is in God doth not draw us to him? nay, rather drives us from him; for then this to say truth is the height of our misery, that we are sofar from loving God, that wee loath him for his goodnesse: this is the ground of the quarrell be­tweene us, as I shewed in handling the Point before: and who doth not detest in his heart such a perverse na­ture, and hold it accursed? but this is not all yet, for

Secondly, God is not onely good in himselfe, for if he were so, and withall, averse from us, and cruell to us, there were sistence of love (though even in this case wee should [Page 233] say with Iob, though he kill mee, yet will I trust in him, yet will I love him) but it is not so, for God is also good to us; and may say too, as our Saviour once to the Iewes, many good workes have I done among you, and for which of them doe you stone me? I have created you of nothing, part­ly, and partly worse almost than nothing, the dust of the earth, and that according to mine owne Image. I sustaine and support you, In me you live, and move, and have your being; I have made you Lords of the creatures, all doe service to you, even my glorious Angels have I made ministring spirits for your good, not a day passes in which you receive not from me, a thou­sand remembrances of Love, a thousand love tokens, both positive and primitive graces, provision of good, and preser­vation [Page 234] from evill; I have sent my beloved Sonne out of my bosome to die for you, so did I love the world, and when you had cast me off, how often have I offered conditions of peace, and how often would I have gathered you as an hen gathereth her young under her wings, and ye would not. Would ye have any more yet, Behold I, even I beseech you, I have made heaven and earth, that touch the Mountaines and they smoke, the Earth and it trembles, I beseech you by my Ministers to be reconciled. All this have I done and much more, if you were not your owne enemies in being my e­nemies, O ye Sonnes of men: and for which of my good workes doe you stone me, for which of them doe you hate me, O un­gratefull Children! Is this your kindnesse to your friend? to your benefactor? to your Crea­tor? [Page 235] Heare O Heaven, and har­ken O Earth, for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me: The Oxe knoweth his Owner, and the Asse his Masters crib, but Israel doth not know, my people doth not con­sider: Isai. 1. 2. Perhaps that which hath been said, will make you to see something in­to the misery of a mans natu­rall estate, and like it some­thing the worse: For who is most ready to condemne an ungratefull wretch, and they are such in such measure as you see: but this is not all nei­ther: for

Thirdly, God beside his essentiall goodnesse, and his actuall graciousnesse to us, may allure us to love, or at least scare us from hatred, by his infinite greatnesse and Power; Who would not feare thee O Lord? Rev. 15. 4. And [Page 236] so who shall not love thee O Lord and glorifie thy name? if not for piety, yet at least for policy; Who doth not pit­ty those simple nations, that when it thunders, gather to­gether and shoote their ar­rowes to heaven, as who would say, to warre and fight with God? who doth not pit­ty those men that runne them­selves against stone walls, and the like, as thinking to beare downe all before them? As Vlysses his companions told him, when he would needes provoke Polydimus [...] may not we say so to them much more that will needes provoke the Lord of hostes? if that be true any where, I am sure it is here: dulce bellum inexpertis: let them that know not the weight of Gods hand, vant of their owne strength, and desire him for their adver­sary: [Page 237] but let them know the Charots of God are twenty thousand, &c. which he will bring forth against his ene­mies, and see their owne nul­lity, send Ambassadors before and desire peace: If God be with me, as David once said, I will not be afraid for ten thou­sand that shall campe round about me: but if God be the enemy, all the armies in the world cannot secure me. Therefore this argues the desperate mi­sery and madnesse of a naturall man, that will wage warre with God: this might be won­derfully inlarged, and that not onely from his power, to love us, but to do good unto us also

I might use this as a passage to the second consideration, but I shall omit that, because the vilenesse of our condition, doth appeare sufficiently out of this, that we are enemies unto God, in our sinnes by na­ture, [Page 238] though our hearts abhor almost to thinke that any should be such, it is so fowle; and it appeares the more, if we adde that this enmity to God includes in it an univer­sall pollution of Nature, be­cause he that hates God, will not sticke to doe any thing a­gainst him: yea the more, if we consider that this enmity is most unjust, upon no rea­son, which is extreamely bar­barous, yea it is against many reasons, as the incomprehensi­ble excellency, and beauty, and goodnesse of Gods nature, the unspeakeable multitude and value of his graciousnesse and blessings, the incomprehen­sible omnipotency of his power, in rewarding or pu­nishing, and in all which we cannot choose but give sen­tence against our selves, for the horrible basenesse and vilenesse of our nature.