OVr Lord Iesus Christ is Rom. 9. 5. God, and2 Tim. 2. 5. Man, Symbol. Ni­cen. & Athan. God of God, light of light, very God of very God, Man of theMath. 21. 9. & 22. 42. Luke 3. 23. 31. seede of Dauid, borne of a womanGal. 4. 4. at the fulnesse of time, a virgin-man of aMath. 1. 25. virgin-mo­ther, theMath. 1. 21. great Sauiour of the world, theIs. 9. 6 King,Heb. 4: 14. Priest, andMath. 23. 8. 10. Doctor of the Church, which is hisEph. 1. 23. mysticall body, and deerestCant. 4. 9. Spouse.

A true Christian is he, that belieues truly in Christ, and expresseth his con­fidence in him by constant obedience to his law, which is his light, and by sincere loue vnto him; and vnto his members.

Hee is vnworthy the name of a [Page 2] Christian, that is not indued with the faith of a Christian.

He doth really deny Christ and his Lordship,Luke 19. 27. that will not that Christ raigne ouer him. Hee doth deny him, that denies to serue him. And he doth not loue him, that doth not loue his seruants. He is indeed a Christian (faith Saint Augustine) who sheweth mercy vn­to all, who feeles another mans sorrow, as his owne, who denies no poore man his meat, who is contented to be inglorious be­fore men, that hee may glory before God and his Angells, who despiseth earthly things, that he may haue heauenly, who succours the miserable, and is mooued to weepe by the teares of others.

A true Christian is the true sheepe of Christ: now the Sheepheard best knowes his owne sheepe, and is best a­ble to describe them, and shew with what markes they are branded, and are to be discerned.

Ye belieue not (saith Christ) for yee are not of my sheep.John 10. 24. 26. 27. My sheepe heare my voice, and I know them, and am knowne of mine, and they follow me.

A true Christian is Christs true [Page 3] Disciple; one, that heares his word gladly, and conformes himselfe vnto it carefully, delighting to heare the things that are worthy to be done, and to doe the things, that are worthy to be heard, accounting it to learne well to liue well, and to know well to be­lieue well. Now true Christian chari­tie discouers the true disciple of Christ. By this (saith Christ) shall all men know that ye are my Disciples, John 13. 35. if yee haue loue one to another. For sure hee loues not the Master, that hates the Scholler: neither deserues he the name of a scholler in the schoole of Christ, that loues not the learning of Christ, wher­with all his schollers are both knowne, and graced; and this is Charitie, the poore mans riches, the rich mans ho­nour, and the great mans crowne, without which rich men are worse then beggars, learned men viler then idiots, and they, that thinke themselues highest, are lower then the lowest, e­uen nothing, iust nothing,1 Cor. 13. 2. worse then nothing, for nothing can neither doe hurt, nor take hurt.

So then, true Faith in Christ, true [Page 4] knowledge and acknowledgement of Christ, true and right hearing and dis­cerning of the voice of Christ, which is his word, and true following of him, which consists in obedience, subiecti­on and conformity to him, and final­ly true Christian charitie, are true markes and characters, and infallible arguments, by which a man indued with them may demonstrate & proue himselfe to be a sincere Christian, or true disciple and sheepe of Christ le­sus, who is that good Ioh. 10. 11. Shepheard, euen the1 Pet. 2. 25. Shepheard and Byshop of our souls, theHeb. 13. 20. great and 1 Pet. 5. 4. chiefe Shepheard, who gaueIoh. 10. 11. his life for his sheepe, that they might not die, but haue euer­lasting life throughhim.

This true Christian, and Christ Iesus, God and Man, are vnited, and coupled together by God so, as that they are now no more two, but one: yet not one flesh,1 Cor. 6. 17. but one Spirit, or spirituall bodie.

Before a man bee ioyned to Christ, that is, before a mans effectuall vocati­on, a man and Christ are at oddes, are two, are diuided, are enemies. Te were [Page 5] at that time, saith Saint Paul, Eph. 2. 12. that is, in your daies of ignorance and paga­nisme, without Christ, and were aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel, and were strangers from the couenants of pro­mise, and had no hope, and were without God in the world.

But after they bee conioyned and knit together, after they haue giuen themselues each to other, and haue ta­ken and entertained each other, they are now like man and wife no more to be reputed two, but one.

Neither is a man to thinke that he is a true Christian, and adorned with true Christian faith and charity before hee be vnited vnto Christ. But then, when he is first truely coupled vnto Christ, euen then, and not before, he is indued with those Christian vertues, and is be­come indeede a Christian. For there must be an vnion with Christ, before there bee communion, or fellowship. Wee are knit to Christ, before wee draw any vertue from him. Before I say, not in time, but in nature. So that faith, hope, charitie, obedience, are not vertues had before this vnion is [Page 6] made, but then, when it is made, and after wards. They go not before the vnion, but they are giuen at the ma­king of the vnion, and shew him, that is vnited. Then, when Christ is plea­sed to come vnto a man, and to vnite himselfe actually to him, euen then, and not before, hee breathes into him the breath of life, to wit, his holy Spi­rit, who creates in him faith and loue, and moues him to giue himselfe vnto Christ, and workes in him a certaine spirituall hunger and thirst after him, and learnes him to feede vpon him, as a childe on's Nurse, or as a hungrie man on the meat, that's set before him. But more of this hereafter.

This Coniunction is not imaginary,Ioh. 17. 22. 23. 26. and deceitfull, but reall, and true. The glory, which thou gauest me, saith Christ, I haue giuen them, that they may be one, euen as we are one: I in them, and thou in mee, that they may be made perfect in one. And I haue declared vnto them thy name, and will declare it, that the loue, wherewith thou hast loued mee, may be in them,Ioh. 14. 20. and I in them. And againe, At that day shall ye know, that I am in my Fa­ther, [Page 7] and you in me,Vers. 23. and I in you. And yet more, If any man loue me, my Father will loue him, and we will come vnto him, and will dwell with him.

There are some, that dreame they eat and drinke, yet indeede they nei­ther eate nor drinke: but awaking they rise vp hungrie, and a thirst. Some haue imagined in their dreames, they haue beene married, and yet in truth, were not. These marriages are but dreames and phansies: but the vnion of Christ and his members is true, cer­taine, and demonstrable. Indeede as some phrantique men haue thought many things theirs, which were not: so Hypocrites who are like the flower Granadelle, which is very faire to the eye, but hath no smell (as Ioseph Acosta writeth) and other wicked and false hearted Christians (who are like the wilde Tunalls in the westerne Indies, Ios. Acost. hist. Ind. lib. 4. c. 23. the which doe cary no fruite, or else that, which is very pricking and vnprofita­ble) may through a certaine phrensie of spirit imagine and perswade them­selues, that they are true Christians, wedded and vnited vnto Christ, and [Page 8] possessed of his grace, being in trueth cleane voide of Christ, and wedded to their owne Idolls, which they dote on, and embrace for Christ, as Ixion did the cloud for Iuno.

There is a true Vnion, or Coniun­ction of loue, among true friends, as betweene Dauid, and Ionathan. For (Amicus est alter ego) a man and his friend are both as one; either one, or none. If diuided, then no friends. But this is the vnion of amity, the coniun­ction of consent. Such a like coniun­ction is vnderstood, where it is said, the multitude of them, that belieued, Act. 4. 32. were of one heart, and of one soule. And be­hold the communion issuing of this v­nion, behold the goodly fruit of this their godly coniunction by their Chri­stian charitie, an effect indeed of their vnion with Christ himselfe; Neither said any of them, that ought of the things, which he possessed, was his owne: but they had all things common.

For true loue rauishes the louer, and transports him out of himselfe into his loue, and makes him to communicate and distribute himselfe and his vnto his [Page 9] beloued for his good: whence it is truely said, that among true friends and louers all things are in common.

Now sure it is that there is a league of loue and friendship between Christ and all true Christian people.Ioh. 15. 14. 15. I haue called you friends, saith Christ, and ye are my friends, if yee doe whatsoeuer I com­maund you. And by reason of Christs loue to them, and of their loue to Christ (springing from him, as water from a fountaine) Christ and they are vnited and ioyned together in one, like louing friends, one of them ina­mored with the other, he delighting in them, and they in him, he seeking their glorie, and they his. For as hatred parts those, that are vnited, so true loue vnites them, that were diuided, it conioyneth soules, and causeth true contentment and delight among those,1 Cor. 13. 5. that it hath vnited, and makes them to seeke one another, and not themselues, or their owne thinges onely.

But yet this is not all the Coniun­ction, that is betwixt Christ and his Church, and the true members of it. [Page 10] A friend cannot do that for his friend, that Christ doth for vs, who giues vs his very Spirit,Ioh. 14. 17. the Spirit of truth, who dwelleth with vs, and abideth in vs: who himselfe also is in vs, as an helper and vpholder: and from whose aide and presence no distance of place, or fury of the enemie can disioyne vs: and from whose very sacred body also we sucke that nurriture, which doth not onely refresh and comfort vs (as meat doth a mans body) but as a true caelestiall and lise-giuing cordiall re­paires and preserues the supernaturall sappe of the soule, the radicall humour of grace infused into our hearts in our conuersion, that tho there may bee a separation made of soule and body, yet there shall bee no totall separation of the soule from God.

Friends may dye, must die. They are but men, and men must die. Dust we are, and to dust we must returne. Wee and our friendships too must pe­rish. We are seene a while, and after a while wee are seene no more, but fall like drops of raine into the sea, and are knowne no more. And oftentimes [Page 11] friends fall flat out, and end their friendshippes before they end them­selues. But Christ and his faithfull friends doe neuer part, the graue can­not part them, neither can any such vnkindnesse happen betweene them, but that they may and shall bee recon­ciled.

And whereas many men will shake of their friends and acquaintance, if they grow poore and needy, the Lord Iesus, tho now at the right hand of the Father, farre aboue all Powers and Maiesties, doth take great delight in all those, whom he hath vnited to him, how poore or meane soeuer, and is a Cherisher of them in all their wants, yes is troubled with them in all their troubles, afflicted in all their afflicti­ons, and accounts himselfe the recei­uer, when any of his poore friends are relieued, entertained, honored. But I passe on further.

The Soule and body of a man are ioyned together to make a true and perfit man. For neither the soule alone, nor the body alone, but the soule and body together doe make a perfit man: [Page 12] as neither the King alone by himselfe, nor the people alone by themselues, doe make the Kingdome, but the King and the people ioyntly together. But the coniunction of Christ and of Chri­stians is not of the same kinde.

For the vnion of soule and body is naturall: but our vnion with Christ is supernaturall.

The soule is not giuen a man in the very act or instant of generation: but afterwards, when there is some organ or organs fitted for it: but Christ is gi­uen a man in the very act and article of regeneration.

The soule is created by God in the body, and to euery particular body there is a particular soule. For though all mens soules are one in kinde, yet they are not one in number, but haue their numericall and particular diffe­rences. But there are not so many Christs, as men. There is but one Christ in all belieuers. And although Christ may truely in the Apostles sense be said to be formed in vs,Gal. 4. 19. which is when we are reformed, and made con­formable to him, yet we must beware [Page 13] we do not thinke him to be formed in vs as the soule is, which is formed wholy at once, and not by degrees, and is so formed in vs, as that it is not out of vs, nor in any other body, and did not subsist out of vs before it was created in vs.

The soule now framed, and being by nature immortal is vnited to a fraile and corruptible body, and enters vp­pon it with condition to depart againe and leaue it, when God shall please: but Christ comes not into vs vpon the same tearmes, but taries with vs, and abides in vs for euer. Hee takes the soule into an heauenly mansion, where it forsakes her earthly Tabernacle, and forgets not our dust, our lesse then dust, which we leaue behinde vs, but sees it alwaies, is mindfull of it, and can distinguish it from the dust of beasts, of Reprobates, and will againe one day blow vpon it, and make it liue againe.

And whereas the soule and body be­ing knit together make one and the selfe same person, so that the soule is not one person, and the body another person. For in a man there is (aliud & [Page 14] aliud, but not alius & alius) diuersitie of natures, but no distinction or diuision of person. Our Lord Christ Iesus is a distinct, compleat, and absolute per­son, subsisting by himselfe: and there are as many distinct and particular persons of Christians, as there are Christians, euery man being a distinct and perfit person by himselfe, as Christ is by himselfe. Indeed he and they al­together make but one entire mysticall bodie, and wheras euery man susteines himselfe, I confesse that Christ doth vp-beare vs all with his grace & power, as a goodly Oake or Cedar doth her branches, or as a foundation and pil­lars do the building of stones, & tim­ber, and other materialls, that are laide vpon them.

Christ (as the Apostles,Rom. 9. 5. 1 Iohn 5. 20. S. Paul, and S. Iohn doe teach vs) is very God, God ouer all, blessed for ever. Now to Christ, as God, the great Creator and Vpholder of all things,Joh. 1. 3. Heb. 1. 3. by whom all things were made, who vpholdeth all things with the word of his power, All things created are vnited (vnione depē ­dantia) with the vnion of dependance, [Page 15] without the which nothing that is cre­ated, can last a moment. But as the light depends vpon the Sunne, and is after a sort ioyned to it, so that if any thing should come betweene the light and the Sunne, which is the fountaine of light, the light would instantly va­nish, and there would bee nothing but very darkenesse: and as in this Micro­cosme of man the liuer is the source of bloud, and the spring, by which it is disfused by veines throughout the bo­dy: and the heart is the fountaine of the vitall spirits, which are thence by arteries carried into the body, as neede requireth: or as the head is the origi­nall of the nerues or sinewes, by the which motion is caused, so that if any thing should come betweene the liuer and the veines, the heart and the arte­ries, the head and the sinewes, that they should bee parted, of necessitie bloud, spirits, motion, and life it selfe must presently decay and faile: euen so all creatures in the world depend on Christ, as God, and are so vnited to him, that they cannot be without him: so that if any thing could come be­twixt [Page 16] him and them, which might hin­der their dependance on him, and co­herence with him, they could not but vanish as light, and bee brought to no­thing. The very dust of dead men would not be dust, but would presently perish, were it not vpheld by the power of his word. But the godly are vnited to Christ more blessedly then thus on­ly. For euen beasts, yea and the Diuels themselues, and all damned soules are thus coupled with him and depend vpon him. Without this kinde of vni­on they were not able to subsist the twinckling of an eye, but must needes perish, vanish, and come to nothing.

This therefore is not the vnion wee treat of, which makes a man, that is, to be well: it presupposes being, but cau­ses blessednesse: it findes nature, but giues grace: it meets with a man, but it makes a Saint: it finds him on earth, but brings him to heauen: it findes him poore, naked, wounded, sicke and succourlesse, but it giues him riches, garments, soundnesse, health and com­fort, which shall not bee taken away from him, whether hee will, or no, as [Page 17] his body, goods, good name, life, li­berty and such transitory and glassie things, ouer which fire, water, earth, ayre, beasts, men, and Diuells haue a tyrannizing power, when God per­mits.

But besides this vnion of vniuersall Dependance there is also another kind of Coniunction, whereby not onely all Christians, but all other men also, yea and all the creatures in the world are vnited or ioyned vnto Christ, as God.

For the Deity by reason of the im­mensitie and subtilty thereof is most fully, and most inwardly, totally pre­sent in, and to, and throughout all creatures corporall and spirituall, com­prehending all things, but comprehen­ded of nothing, piercing all things, but pierced of nothing; and is farre more thoroughly present, and more fully, then either light, or heate, is in the aire, or then the soule is in the body. So that if that should bee, which yet can­not be, that is to say, if the creature did not depend on Christ, yet by rea­son of the all-piercing subtilnesse, and [Page 18] vnmeasureablenesse of his Godhead, he should penetrate and fill all things (it selfe being fill'd of nothing) and be most inwardly and thoroughly pre­sent vnto them, and so be in some sort conioyned with them. But this Con­iunction is common: that of true dea­ling Christians and Christ Iesus is spe­ciall, and proper to them.

This Coniunction is of the Crea­ture to Christ, as God: but the other is of man to Christ, God-Man, or Man-God, & Mediator betwixt God & man.

Here Christ is present by a most in­ward, and thorough penetration, his very Deity inclosing, touching and piercing all things. But there hee is present by the presence of supernatu­rall grace, yea and his very flesh is not away, or wanting, but present, as I will declare hereafter.

The Coniunction, which is by pe­netration and omni-presence, makes no man happy, as the other doth: with the which whosoeuer is vnited vnto Christ, he is certainely in the state of grace, and liues in sure hope of the state of glory.

[Page 19] And whereas the vnion of Christ and a Christian is indeed a true and certaine vnion, and may properly bee so called; this Coniunction by pene­tration and presence doth not proper­ly conteine any vnion, but onely vbi­quity, indistancy, and an insensible, but thorough, repletion of all things.

There are not two Christs, but one: and this one Christ hath two distinct natures in him; one Diuine, the other Humane: and both these names are v­nited together in one and the same person by a personall vnion.

But we are not so vnited to Christ, as our nature is to the nature of God in Christ. (I call Christs humane na­ture ours, because it is indeed ours, not in number the same with any mans, but in kinde the same with all mens, indued with a true humane soule and body, not being created a new of nothing,Gal. 4. Heb. 2. 16. Luke 3. or from another peece of clay, but made of a woman, who came from the loynes of Adam.)

For by the vertue of this vnion, which is Hypostaticall, God is man, & man is God. But if Christians were v­nited [Page 20] personally to Christ, then the very name of Christ and God should be giuen to them, which were absurd to think. And which were very grosse and horrible, then also God might bee as truely and as orthodoxally said to sinne, when a Christian man sinned, as it is said that God died, was crucifi­ed, and rose againe, because the man, who is true God, in one person, our Lord Iesus Christ was crucified, died, rose againe.

Though it be true that Iesus, the Sonne of the blessed Virgin Mary, be the true and eternall Son of the eter­nall and true God, yet it were false and impious to say that the Church is the eternall and true naturall Daughter of God, or that euery true belieuer were Gods naturall Son, or God, which yet were so, if wee were personally vnited to the Godhead.

There are many Maries mothers: but only the Virgin Mary was the mo­ther of God. I doubt not but that Christ is formed, and is in forming in many a Ladies heart: but yet hee was onely formed in that Ladies wombe, [Page 21] as a childe. Her childe onely is the naturall Sonne of God, he onely is the Word, the substantiall, the consubstanti­all and coeternall Word. But if we were personally vnited to the Word, or to the God head, or to both Godhead & Manhead in the Word, then might we be called the Word of God, and God, yea and the Virgin Mary might bee said to be our mother as well, as the mother of God, yes and wee could not but be full of merits, power, and ver­tue, euen as Christ. But what pious eare can indure to heare such blasphe­mies? Moreouer, though it be most true,Iohn 14. 20. which our Sauiour saith, I am in my Father, and you in mee, and I in you: yet wee must not thinke that wee are hypostatically vnited vnto Christ, nor that we are so in Christ, as Christ is in his Father. This speech therefore of Christ must bee taken with a graine of falt. For Christ is in his father, as being of one and the selfe-same substance and na­ture with his Father, Heb. 1. 3. being indeede the brightnesse of his glory, and the very cha­racter of his Person, and his true naturall Sonne and substantiall image: but he is in [Page 22] vs, as an helper, ayder, and susteiner, by whom we haue our spirituall being, life, breath, sense, and motion, and who beares vs vp and feeds vs, as the roote doth the body and branches of a tree.

Furthermore, there is a certaine vnion of the workeman and his toole, of the hand and the instrument in it. And thus by way of similitude Christ and all faithfull Christians, who are instruments of his praises, and whom he holdeth in the right hand of his power and protection, bearing them as an Eagle doth her yong ones, may be said to be conioyned. And as in an instrument of musique tho one winde giue a generall sound, yet by the diuersity and disequality of the pipes and organes, all which the wind filleth, the tones are varied: so though one Christ be in all true Christians, & one spirit be inspired as a celestiall and liuing winde into them all, yet they differ in their tunes, actions, motions, and iubilations, according to their owne personall and particular capaci­ties, and as the Spirit, who workes, not [Page 23] as a naturall, but as a voluntary agent▪ doth impart and diffuse his grace.

But whereas a sword, lute, trum­pet, and other instruments of Art, are voide of life, Christians are liuing and breathing Organs, intellectuall, spiri­tuall and voluntary instruments for Christ to worke with, and are liker a mans hand, or other liue-member of his body, then a sword of steele, or o­ther senselesse and dead instrument, voide of reason, sense, life and will, able to do no more, then it is made to do by plaine force.

And whereas the workeman doth not, nor cannot alwaies make or mend his toole, Christ doth alwaies both make and mend his tooles. For wee are his workemanship, Hee hath made vs, and not we our selues. He that makes himselfe, is alwaies marr'd in the ma­king. And he, that teaches himselfe, hath a foole for his master.

And whereas a workeman and his tooles may part: how good or deare so euer vnto him, hee may yet bee de­priued of them, and separated from them flat and full against his will, or [Page 24] may loose some one of them, or spoile it through negligence or forgetfulnes, or may throw them by, as being wea­ried with the vse or bearing of them; no such mischance and accident can come to Christ against his will: hee cannot loose vs against his will, neither is hee weary of vs, or carelesse of our good. Those, which are his, he loues, cherishes, delights in, preserues, and keepes fast and safe for euer. But this is not all.

There is also a certaine Coniuncti­on betweene brothers and sisters, and such, as are Coheires, or Partners in some office: but this is either naturall, or else legall, and politicall or ciuill. But our Coniunction with Christ is not naturall or ciuill, nor of humane institution, but ghostly, heauenly, in­uisible, and aboue nature, either as it was created, or as it is corrupted. And

Though wee be the Heires of God,Gal. 4. 7. and heires annexed with Christ, Rom. 8. 17. and be called his Brethren, and therefore must needes be coupled together,Heb. 2. 11. 12. and haue fellowship with him, yet we must not imagine our vnion or communion to [Page 25] be the same, that naturall brothers in bloud haue, or which are partners of the same office,Gal. 4. 7. or inheritance. For he is a naturall Heire, we are adopted by grace. Indeed as he is man, he is heire by the grace of hypostaticall vnion. And that we are heires we are behold­ing vnto him. For wee are Heires in him, and by him, and not without him, nor by our owne personall me­rits.

Yea whatsoeuer we either are, or haue, which is spirituall, celestiall, su­pernaturall, and Christian, or hereaf­ter shall haue, we are, and haue it all, and wholly, by Iesus Christ our Lord.

Ephes. 1. 5. Adoption,1 Pet. 1. 10.vocation,Rom. 4. 26. iustifica­tion, Ephes. 2. 10.sanctification,Rom. 5. 1. peace,1 Pet. 1. 13. hope, 1 Cor. 15. 87.victorie ouer death, and the purchase Rom. 6. 23. & 1 Thess. 5. 9. of eternall life, are all of them by the merits and grace of Christ, as the holy Scriptures shew vs.

And albeit wee haue an office and high calling (for Christ hath made vs Kings and Priests vnto God his Father) yet are we no such Kings and Priests, as he is: but as wee haue receiued our honour from him, so we should returne [Page 26] it to him, and glorifie him with it, and not bee like those captious spi­rits, who, because they heare they bee Kings and Priests, heires of GOD, and heires annexed with Christ, their Brother, thinke it a disparagement forsooth of their ho­nour (as some of them scribble, and o­ther of them babble) and weakning in shew of their fellowship with him, if they shall receiue the blessed Sacra­ment vpon their knees bended to him; either (as it seemes) forgetting, or not knowing that they are the Heires of God through Christ, Gal: 4: 7. by whose onely merits they doe receiue all their ho­nours and happinesse, their life and lu­stre, their grace and goodnesse.

Brothers and sisters may die, shall die: heires may fall out and vndoe one another, or others may spoile their in­heritance: and where many are heires, their portions are the lesse: some of them may lacke and complaine of neede. But Christ and his brethren, cannot be parted, their portions can­not be destroied, nor taken from them their inheritance cannot faile, nor dis­content [Page 27] them: but euery one of them shall haue enough, and shall enioy it for euer.

But there is yet a neerer coniuncti­on, then this of Brothers or Partners, which is the holy, honourable, and in­uiolable coniunction of man and wife.

By this matrimoniall coniunction, they that were two before, are now be­come One. Matth: 19: 6. They are no longer twaine, but one flesh, saith our Master:

And they are tuely one, and not two, because GOD the Author of man and marriage hath sayde it.

For this cause shall a man leaue his fa­ther and his mother, Genes: 2: 24. Matth: 19: 5. and shall cleaue vnto his wife: and they two shall bee one flesh. So that though all men should say that they are not one, but two, yea though they themselues should say so too, yet they are not therefore two, because man sayes so: but one, because God hath sayd it.

For, Non nostrum dicere dat veritatem rebus, sed conforinit as eius cum mente di­uinâ, things are not so and so, because men say they are so: but because they are so with God, in Gods ordinance [Page 28] and appoyntment.

Though all men should say golde were not golde, yet it is golde. And though all the Gold-smiths in the world should say copper is gold, yet it is not golde for all their saying, but copper still, because it agrees not with the diuine minde, God hath not sayd it is gold, it is not gold in his decree and iudgement, and therfore it is not gold.

Well then, man and wife are but one, and not two. Yes, they are two distinct persons, and not one. They haue two soules, and not one: two bodies, and not one: two distinct wils and not only one. They are of two different sexes, and haue their owne personall vertues and infirmities, He his, and She hers.

Yet neuerthelesse these two are made one matrimoniall creature, the man being as head, and the woman as the body; or if you will, he being as the Soule,1 Cor: 11: 3. and she the Body. For as Christ is the head of the man, so man is the head of the woman. And this is in re­spect of authority and dominion, in which regard Christ is not the wiues head, but the husbands, neither is shee [Page 29] the image of Christ, but he onely.

As Christ is the head of the Church,Eph: 5: 23. so the husband is the head of his wife.

And as the soule and body, though things greatly differing in themselues, are yet coupled together by God, and doe liue and worke together: and as two distinctNo similitude runnes on all foure. riuers meeting together, doe now mingle and blend themselues, and become as one common water or riuer: so man and wife are (indeede not confounded, but) vnited together, liue together vnder one roofe, draw toge­ther in one yoke, take care mutually of one another, and become by Gods or­dinance one foundation and fountaine of generation.

So that here is more then a coniun­ction of affections, as vses to bee a­mong friends, as was betwixt Damon and Pythias: there is also a coniunction of bodies, for the propagation and perpetuation of mankinde, and that there might also be a way made for the fulfilling of the number of Christs my­sticall members, Gods adopted sonnes and daughters.

For generation must goe before re­generation, [Page 30] and nature before grace. Yes sanctification must follow sinne. For Christ came not to call the righte­ous, but sinners to repentance: neither did hee die for the iust, but for the vn­iust. There must first bee a man, and then a Christian: first a sinner, and then a Saint: filius soli, before there be filius poli: one of Adams planting, be­fore there be one of Christs transplan­ting: one of Eues breeding, before there be one of the Churches bearing.

Now without doubt our Lord God and Sauiour, the Lord Iesus Christ, hath contracted and vnited himselfe vnto his people,Eos: 2: 19: 20. and is their head and louing husband. And therefore the Apostle tels the Corinths that hee pre­pared them for one husband, 2 Cor: 11: 2. to present them as a pure virgine vnto Christ. Wher­fore also Saint Austen is bold to say that (Omnis anima aut Christs sponsa, aut diaboli adultera est, Euery soule of man is either the spouse of Christ, or Diuels adultresse.

And as in simple contract or mar­riage, there is a mutuall & reciprocall giuing & taking made between man & [Page 31] wife of each other: so in this holy, hap­py, and spirituall contract and coniun­ction betwixt Christ and all true belee­uers, there is a mutuall giuing and ta­king of each other.

God giues his sonne to vs, the sonne also giues himselfe freely to vs: and God giues vs also vnto his sonne, as hee did Eue to Adam, and wee also by his grace preuenting, assisting and co-wor­king with vs, doe giue our selues wil­lingly vnto his sonne;Phil: 2: 13. Ioh: 3: 16. Willingly (I say) God hauing giuen vs the will, who willing­ly, and of his owne accord sent vs his Son.

And if the promise made by a wo­man to her husband in the day of her Marriage or Espousals be worthily cal­led, The Couenant of her God, Prou: 2: 17. as it is in­deed so called by the Holy Ghost, well then and worthily may our vow and promise made vnto Christ in our Bap­tisme, by which wee are engrafted into him and coupled with him, bee called the Couenant of our God, beeing made not onely according to Gods appoint­ment, and in his name and presence, but vnto him also, who himselfe is God, euen our God, who hath vpon his [Page 32] thigh and vpon his garment a name written,Reu: 19: 16. The King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

And therefore also as the wife is cal­led by the name of her husband, and no longer of her father: for to this new estate belongs a new name: so when a man hath separated his soule from the world, and hath put himselfe into the power of Christ, and hath ioyned him­selfe vnto him, as a woman vnto her husband, a new title belongs vnto him, the name of Christ is now called vpon him, and he is now no more to follow the world, nor the carnall affections and commands of olde Adam: but as a wife must forsake father and mother, and all, and cleaue vnto her husband (For thy desire (saith God) shall bee sub­iect to thy husband, Psal: 45: 10. Gen: 3: 16. and he shall rule ouer thee) so a man, that is wedded and vni­ted vnto Christ, must deny himselfe, his owne reason,Psal: 45: 10: 11 Matth: 16: 24. and will, and worth, and forsake the world, euen whatsoeuer is opposite to the will of Christ. Hee should fashion himselfe vnto his plea­sure, and cleaue vnto him, continuing constant, as Penelope, and should so [Page 33] chastely beare himselfe, & so discreet­ly, that no other name might be iustly cast vpon him, but that hee might bee called onely by the name of Christ, whose hee is, and to whom alone hee espoused himselfe.

For no greater shame can befall a wife, then to be called in contempt and disgrace by another mans name, and not her husbands, which comes to passe, when she forsaketh the Guide of her youth, and forgetteth and violateth the couenant of her God.

Such goodly huswiues were Messeli­na, the wife of Emperor Claudius, and Marie of Arragon, wife to Otho the third: but wee neede not goe so farre to seeke such weedes; they thriue too well in euery Climate. But let vs re­turne.

Albeit a woman bee allowed to change her fathers name, when shee is married, and to cleaue vnto her hus­bands, yet shee may in no case change her Christian name: that shee must hold fast vnto death. Neither indeede see wee any woman change or forsake her name in Baptisme (vnlesse such, as [Page 34] turne Turkes and Apostataes) thereby being instructed to bee faithfull vnto Christ her heauenly husband, and to weare his name as a garland of honour vnto death. For she is not married vn­to Christ, as shee is to her Christian Husband, till death her doe part. For death hath no power ouer Christ our Lord, as it hath ouer vs his seruants, who are but bubbles and breathes of aire.

And therefore though hee should change as many husbands, as SheThis woman liued at Rome in the time of Damasus and Ierom, and was at last married to a man, that had had twenty wiues before: and liuing to bury her, the people honoured him with a crowne of Lau­rell.did, who had (as Saint Hierome writeth) three and twenty, and so likewise be cal­led by as many names, yet shee must e­uer remember to keepe fast the Name and Faith of Christ, and beware shee make no change of him for Idols, like Glaucus, that changed golden armour with Diomedes for brazen, that so Christ may delight in her, and in her vertue, which (as Saint Chrysostome faith) is the true beauty of the Soule. For he is her Lord God, and most lo­uing husband, in opposition to whom she must call no man husband, nor ac­knowledge any man, nor any thing els [Page 35] in the whole world.

By reason of this sweet contract and vnion of Christ and his Church, there passe from them many louing kind­nesses and embraces, expressed by ei­ther to other really, as is euident by those patheticall passages of loue, that are set downe in the Booke of the Can­ticles (the Churches Loue song) wher­in their loue to each other is most liue­ly described.

But yet the Coniunction of man and wife in holy matrimonie, comes far short of the coniunction of Christ and his Church, and doth not suffici­ently expresse & vnfold it to vs. For by wedlock the man & his wife are made one flesh: two (faith the Scripture) shall be one flesh. Matth. 19. 5. But he that is ioyned to the Lord,1 Cor. 6. 17. is one spirit, as the Apostle tea­cheth. Now all flesh is grasse ( [...]) and all the glory of man and woman,1 Pet. 1. 24 as flesh and blood, is as the flower of the grasse, which fades and fals away, before the grasse itselfe doth die. The strongest men are but sturdie grasse, the goodliest wo­men are but goodly grasse, dust and [Page 36] ashes, wormes and wormes meat.

Death separateth the most louing and faithfull couples, that either are, or euer were vnited and wed together, as Abraham and Sarah, Iacob and Ra­cheb, Vlysses and Penelope, Seneca and Paulina, Mausolus and Artimisia, Pom­pey and lulia. But death cannot sepa­rate Christ Iesus and his Church. Rom. 8. 35. 39. Who shall seuer vs from the loue of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakednesse, or perill, or sword? As it is written, for thy sake are we killed all day long. We are counted as sheepe for the slaughter. Neuerthelesse in all these things wee are more then Conquerours through him, that loued vs. For I am perswaded, that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor Principallities, nor Powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall bee able to seuer vs from the loue of God, which is in Christ Iesus our Lord.

Wee say of many men, that they marry they Executours: but so doe not Christ who hath vanquisht death in his owne denne, and liues for euer.

Yes, many men haue married their [Page 37] owue Executioners, as did Domitian the Emperour, Albonius King of Lumbar­die, Sergus a King of Scotland, Arden of Feuersham, and many others. But the Church of Christ, and Christ her head, are free from either doing or suf­fering such barbarous cruelty betwixt themselues.

The Diuell and the World may preuaile against some married couples, and sometimes doe, to the destruction of their soules no doubt:Matth. 16. 18. but hell-gates shall not ouercome the Church:1 Ioh. 5. 4.& Joh. 16. 33. the World cannot preuaile against faithfull Christians. My sheepe, heare my voyce (saith Christ) and I know them, Ioh. 10. 27. 28. and I giue vnto them euerlasting life: and they shall neuer perish, neither shall any plucke them out of my hands. If Christ himselfe cannot be damned,Rom. 4. 2 5. then not they, that are ioyned to him, who died for them, and rose againe for their iustification. And therefore wee may boldly say, There is no condemnation to them, that are in Christ Iesus, Rom. 8. 1. who walke not accor­ding to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Euery godly Christian is endued, is [Page 38] inuested, is clad with Christ, and weares him as a wedding garment.Gal. 4. 271 For so ma­ny of you (saith S^t. Paul) as are baptized into Christ (that is, as are regenerated and borne a new of water and the Ho­ly Ghost, by whom wee are *1 Cor. 12. 13. baptized and incorporated into the body of Christ) haue put on Christ, as a rich, precious and glorious garment, where­by their naked filthinesse, and filthy nakednesse is couered, and are them­selues accepted of God as beautifull and gracious, in the beauty and grace of Iesus Christ, in which they stand and appeare most sweet and amiable. Now if such a man can bee damned, being lapped and wrapped vp in Christ, who couers him from top to toe, them must Christ needes bee damned with him (which cannot bee) as a man that is flung in the fire with his clothes on, is burnt together with them.

Many men in marrying make very dangerous aduentures. They venture their name, their peace, their goods, their soundnesse, yea and sometimes their soules too; for which respect God forbad his people to marry with the [Page 39] Heathen, for feare they should turne them from God to Idols. And this is the case of many women also, who by their marriages doe buy themselues re­pentance and sorrow, that whereas it is sayd of Iepthaes daughter,Iudg. 11. 38. that she went out to bewaile the daies of her virgini­ty, they may goe out and bewaile the daies of their mariage, and that not for two moneths only, but perchance as long as they liue. It is good for them therfore to look before they leap, and to sound before they saile. But men by ioyning themselues to Christ venture nothing, lose nothing: or if they doe lose, they gaine by their losses, and are enriched by their calamity.Matth. 19. 29. Whosoeuer shall for­sake houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name sake (saith Christ) hee shall receiue an hundred fold more, and shall inherit euerlasting life.

Many sore vnkindnesses, heart-bur­nings and quarrels doe now and then fall out betwixt many men and their wiues, that sometimes they euen loth one another, and forsake one another. But Christ neuer forsakes his Spouse, [Page 40] nor shee him.Heb. 13. 6. Hee is with her, to saue, protect,Matth. 28. 20. assist and guide her to day, and for euer. He loueth all those which are his,Ioh. 13. 1. vnto the end he loueth them. His couenant with them is euerlasting.Ier. 32 39. 41. He will neuer turne away from them to do them good: but he will delight in them to do them good, and will put his feare into their hearts, that they shall not depart from him. Hee will giue them one heart and one way, that they may feare him for euer. And if at any time they shall fall, hee will lift them vp a­gaine, as he did Dauid and Peter: and though hee doe sometimes chastize them, yet hee will not remooue his lo­uing kinduesse from them.

Men and their wiues are sometimes clouen-hearted hypocrites vnto God, and hollow-hearted one towards ano­ther, inconstant, vneuen, and like the beast called Onocentaurus, whose vpper part resembleth a man, and the nether an asse.1 Pet. 2. 22. Cant. 6. 8. 9. & 7. 10. But Christ and his Spouse are true-hearted, and holy. All the essen­tiall and true members of the true Church,Ephes 5. 26. 27. 1 Cor. 6. 11. Reuel. 1. 5. are true Saints, iustified and sanctified.

[Page 41] Euery person married is not a mem­ber of the Church, hath not the Church for a mother: but euery one, whether wedded or single, that is true­ly ioyned vnto Christ, may iustly call the true Church, Mother, and the true God, Father.

Euery man and his wife are indeed partakers of the nature of man: but euery true Christian, who is borne of God, and is the Sonne of God, and is espoused and vnited vnto Christ, is partaker of the Diuine nature, 2 Pet. 1. 4. which many a man, and his wife too, are void of, being not the children of God, but the sonnes of Belial: not the members of Christ, but the very limmes of the Diuell.

But yet the Churches true children, true Christian belieuers, are not so, in that manner and measure, partakers of the diuine nature with Christ, as wo­men are partakers of the humane na­ture with men, as I haue sufficiently before declared. And besides, the dif­ferences of a man and a woman (if we regard nature) are not specificall, and substantiall, but numericall and acci­dentall. [Page 42] Homo, [...], Man, is a name as common to women, as to men; But Deus, God, is a name pro­per to Christ, who is essentially God, and in whom the Diuinitie dwelleth personally; and doth not commonly belong to all Christians, who are par­takers of the diuine nature, as concer­ning consolation, assistance, and holy, happy, and sauing operations: and are indeed indued with a new nature, which may be call'd diuine, because it is from Gods speciall grace, and is for his honour and glory, is according to his will, and is opposite to that vicious and sinfull worke of the Deuill, which hath corrupted the nature of man, de­forming the image of God, according to which he was created. For sure it is, if any man be in Christ, hee is a new creature, a diuine creature, the worke of Heauen. The diuell (who raignes in moe, then in vnmarried people) is expulsed out of him, the spirit of God is inspired into him, and a new spirit, another heart, a better heart is giuen him: which spirit a woman hath not, because this or that man hath married [Page 43] her, but because shee is ioyned vnto Christ, who hath giuen himselfe vn­to her.

There are some men, that neuer truely loued their wiues, but their wiues wealth, not Them, but Theirs. For their riches they tooke them, and when once they became Masters of them, they cared no longer for them. And such vsually proue those young sprigges, that are grafted into olde stockes. Vnhappy women, who loue, but are not loued againe! But they more vnhappy, who in their elder daies, when their wombes are dead doe giue the reines to lust, dreaming and doting after youthes, when they should rather bee preparing and trim­ming themselues for Christ, their thoughts being ascended higher then the Temples of Venus, Flora, Cupid, mounting vp into the highest heauens, where are perfect pleasures, pure de­lights, immortall ioyes, and euerlast­ing contentment. But Christ loueth his Church truely, expressing his loue to her,Ephes. 5. 25. by laying downe his life for her. He was so desirous to clense her, [Page 44] that he spared not his owne bloud, his best bloud,Reuel. 1. 5. his heart bloud, but washt her in it. Here was loue indeed. Hee did not loue her, because she was faire, or rich: for she was of her selfe (till he came & preuented her with his grace, and made loue to her) poore, naked, polluted,Izek. 16. wretched, and inglorious: but by his loue he hath made her loue­ly and louing: by his ornaments hee hath made her shining: by his purity he hath made her cleane: by his beau­tie he hath made her gracious: and with his blessednesse shee is made an happy woman.

She was once as blacke as pitch: but shee is now as white as the driuen snow.Psal. 45. 13. The Kings daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of broydred gold. She is so faire and louely in his eye, as that his loue will suffer him to spie no blemish in her,Numb. 23. 21. as it is written, He seeth no iniquitie in Iacob, nor transgression in Israell. For indeed he hath couered all her sinnes, and washt her from all her foulenes,Ephes. 5. 27. ridding her of all her wrinc­kles, freckles and deformities, by the merit and vertue of his owne blood. [Page 45] Behold his owne speeches of her prai­ses, which he speakes vnto her, and mockes her not.Cant. 4. 6. Thou art all faire my Loue, and there is no spot in thee. Cant. 6. 9. Who is she, that looketh foorth in the morning, faire as the Moone, Cant. 7. 1. 6. and pure as the Sun? How beautifull are thy goings with shooes thou Princes daughter! How faire are thou, and how pleasant art thou, O my loue, in pleasures!

Yea to expresse his full contentment in her, hee speakes somewhere to her, like a man rapt out of himselfe, and o­uercome of loue. My Sister, my Spouse,Cant. 4. 9. thou hast wounded mine heart: thou hast wounded mine heart with one of thine eies, and with a chaine of thy necke. My Sister, my Spouse, how faire is thy loue! How much better is thy loue, then wine, and the sauour of thine ointments, then all spices? Thy lips, my Spouse, drop as hony-combes: hony and milke are vnder thy tongue, and the sauour of thy garments is as the sauour of Lebanon.

It is certaine that the power of ru­ling appertaines vnto the Husband: but yet sometimes hee wants wit to rule himselfe: and some wiues are now [Page 46] and then sicke of the vnruly euill, being very thwart, and foolish.

But Christ being the Wisedome of God, and the very fountaine of good­nesse and commiserations, performes the office of a wise and tender-hearted Husband alwaies to his Church, his Spouse, which is not morose, scorne­full and vnruly, but humble, gentle, and obedient. And therefore the A­postle exhorting women to be submis­siue to their Husbands, propoundes vnto them the example of the Spouse of Christ.Ephes. 5. 24. Therefore (saith hee) as the Church is subiect vnto Christ, so let the wiues bee to their owne husbands euery thing. And when he would perswade the men to loue their wiues,Eph. 5. 25. 29. and to vse them tenderly, hee prouokes them to it by the practise of Christ, who loues the Church, and nourishes and che­rishes it, as a man his owne flesh.

It is allowed to one man to haue one wife at once, and no more then one. For God gaue Adam but one. Though he had abundance of spirit,Mal. 2. 15. yet he made but one, but one woman of one ribbe, for the helpe, comfort, [Page 47] and contentment of one man. There­fore he saith by his Prophet, keepe your selues in your spirit, Mal. 2. 15. that is, bridle your affections, and keepe your selues with­in your compasse, and let none trespasse against the wife of his youth. Our Lord likewise hath but one wife or Spouse, our Head hath but one Body. For though euery godly man bee vnited vnto Christ, and bee a member of his body, yet all the godly in the world, that either haue beene, are, or shalbe, being all ioyntly considered together, doe make that one and onely Spouse or wife of Christ, who shall raigne at his right hand with him in all honour and glory for euer and euer. This is she, that is his, and his onely, and no others with him. This is his Doue, his Loue, his louing Hinde, and plea­sant Roe. Her eies doe hold him, her breasts doe satisfie him, her loue con­tents him, in her, and in her loue hee delights continually.

Yet truely may euery true Belieuer say, Christ is my Head, Christ is my Husband: for he is vnited to him. But yet is Christ husband and head to one [Page 48] so, as he is Head and Husband to the rest: as Iacob was a father equally to all his sonnes: as a mans head is the head of all his members, the feet as well, as the hands: or as a King is head and husband ciuill vnto all his Subiects in­differently, without respect of per­sons.

But Christ doth much more to the Church, then the Husband can vnto his Wife. A man may, as our Seruice­booke speakes, worship his wife with his body, that is, hee may honour her with his body, which hee doth in that hee doth appropriate it to her, making her the Mistris of it: for as the Apostle sheweth,1 Cor. 7. 4. the Husband hath not the power of his owne bodie, but the wife. But no man is able to giue his wife his spi­rit or soule. Though a man and his wife may liue so louingly and peacea­bly together, specially a time, as that a body would almost thinke and say there were but one soule in both their bodies: yet in truth each of them haue their owne priuate spirits; the mans soule is not in the woman, nor the wo­mans in the man. His animates and [Page 49] possesses him, and hers animates and possesses her, one of them truely dif­fering from the other, not in kinde, but in number, not in substance, but in accidents.

But our Lord Iesus Christ hath be­stowed his Spirit on his Church. She liues not by her owne life, but by his life. She is not ruled by her owne spi­rit, but by his Spirit. Yes, euery man vnited to Christ hath the Spirit of Christ. The very soule of man is not more common to all his members, then the holy Ghost is to all the godly.

And whereas some mens wiues haue beene (and I would none were now) possessed with an euill Spirit, be­ing very torments and trouble houses: the Spouse of Christ is possessed with the good Spirit of God,1 Cor. 6. which is the Spirit of peace, gentlenesse and loue, who susteines, comforts, instructs,Gal. 5. 1 & leades her, and dwelleth with all those,Ioh. 2. 27. that can truly call her Mother. Joh. 14. 23.

There is a certaine transcendent and strong coherence betwixt Christ and his Church. He cleaueth to her, as an husband to his wife; and shee to him, [Page 50] as a wife to her husband: but yet so, as that one of them cannot be broken from the other, one of them cannot be absent from the other, no distance of place, nor crossenesse of winde and weather, nor any perturbations of minde, being able to diuide or diuell them, as they may doe a man and his wife.

An husband may bee in Italy, and his wife in England: and when hee is there, hee is not with her here. And while shee is here, she is not with him there: but one of them (both being definite and circumscriptible) is absent from the other. But (Christus est totus in toto corpore Ecclesiae, & totus in quali­bet eius parte) Christ is whole with the whole Church, and whole with euery part of the Church, as touching his person, which can no way diuide it selfe, or be possest by degrees or por­tions.

Christ is no where, neuer, absent from any godly Christian: but is pre­sent with him in all places, with his light he sees, with his grace he is ador­ned, with his Spirit hee is reuiued and [Page 51] comforted, which Spirit resideth in him alwaies, and worketh in him real­ly, though not alwaies sensibly. Hee worketh in him, I say, yet not as an in­strument, but as an artizan: not as a seruant, but as a master: nor as the Sunne or Moone, which are naturall Agents, but as a voluntary Motor or workeman, according to his will, in which he is one with Christ, who sends him.

There is many a true soule, which puts her trust in her husband, and re­lies vpon his honesty and faith, but be­ing absent from him is deceiued, iniu­red, mis-vsed, by reason of his vnfaith­full and insatiate spirit, and sometimes is left in scorne, and turned of at sixe and seauens. But Christ is fast and faithfull, constant and true, plaies not fast and loose, as incontinent and goa­tish Carnalists: and being still present with his Church is a wall of fire round about her, a shaddow against the heat, a fountaine against her thirst, an anti­dote against poyson, friend in trou­ble, a treasure of all good thinges a­gainst want, an impenetrable Buckler [Page 52] to all those, that put their confidence in him. He,1 Pet. 2. 6. that belieueth in him, shall not bee ashamed. Whereas many a poore woman is ashamed of her hus­band, and confounded in her selfe, being euen at her wits end, not know­ing which way to turne her selfe.

We haue a By-word, Out of sight and out of minde. And indeede it falls out often twixt man and wife, that ab­sence and distance make them forget each other, or not so mindfull, as they should bee. But the Church is neuer out of Christs sight, neuer out of his hand, neuer out of his heart. Can a woman (trow ye) forget her childe? can she forget or not haue compassion on the sonne of her wombe? but say she should,Is. 49. 15. 16. yet will not Christ for get his Church. Why? she is set as a seale on his heart, as a signet vpon his arme. Behold, saith he, I haue grauenthee vpon the palme of mine hands: thy walls are euer in my sight.

Men must needes rest themselues and sleep (Quod caret alternâ requie, durabile non est) and so shut their wiues out of their eyes, tho not out of their [Page 53] breasts: and in sleepe much crueltie (as Stories declare) haue been shewed sometimes against both them & their wiues. But the Lord Iesus Christ, the great Keeper of Israell, and husband of his people needs no such refreshment. Hee that keepeth thee, Psal. 121. 3. that is, the Church, will not slumber. Behold, hee, that keepeth Israell, shall neither slumber, nor sleepe.

Yea such is his power and proui­dence ouer her, that hee will preserue her night and day continually from all euill, and so order all thinges, that nothing shall hurt her, but work-toge­ther for her good,Rom. 8. 28. and the good of all her children, which she beares him.

But this is quite out of mans power. He is vnable to turne all things to his wiues good, or to the good of his chil­dren by her.

Hee can say vnto her, with all my worldly goods I thee endow. Though they be his onely in discretion to dis­pose, yet they are all hers in participa­tion to vse: all which sometimes are so few, as that they are scarce able to dis­charge the Churches rites, and buy a [Page 54] wedding Dinner, and a bed to lye in. But how many soeuer,2 Tim: 6. 17. and how glo­rious, yet are they very vncertaine, and loue to change their Masters often: yes and she too, (vnhappy man) doth som­times proue as vncertaine her selfe, as any thing hee hath, shewing her selfe a mooueable, euer a gadding, euen the same that Salomon speakes of,Prou: 7. 11. 12. whose feet cannot abide in her house: but now she is without, now in the street, and lies in wait at euery corner.

But be his goods what they may be, and be his Wife another Sara, Rabel, Anna, Penelope, or Lucretia, yet hee is not able to say to her, because she is his Wife, that therefore all things in the world are hers. The greatest Prince on earth cannot say so, and speake the truth, vn­to his Wife. But the spouse of Christ isI desire this may not bee strained, but in­terpreted by Rom: 8. 28. 32. & 1. Cor: 3. 22. & 2. Cor. 6. 10. Lady of the whole world: Christ hath giuen her of his owne riches, his owne ornaments and honour, and bought her such a Crowne, such a massie Crowne, set with such rich Pearles and Iewels, as doth as farre surpasse the Crownes, all the Crownes of all the Kings and Emperours in the World, [Page 55] as Heauen doth Earth, as the fayrest Diamond doth the poorest stone.

One looking on a Crowne when it was offered him,Valer: Mau. sayd vnto it, before he would accept and take it, Oh Oh if men knew the miserie that comes with thee, there is no man would stoope to the ground to take thee vp: For as Seneca well sayd,Senec. ad Polyb. consol: cap. 6. Great seruice followes vpon a great estate. The waking of the Prince defendeth the sleepes of all men, his labour maintaines their leysure, his industry their delights, his occupation their vocation. Crownes are full of care and feare: and bee they what they may be, they are subiect to alteration and destruction: But the Churches Crowne is incorruptible, & eternall, neuer to bee won from her by deceits, nor taken away from her by force and fury. And when once she is actually inuested with it, shee shall en­ioy it alwaies without feare or doubt.

Yea euen in this life we haue such ri­ches as the world cannot affoord vnto her followers. For wee haue the grace of God, pardon of our sinnes, the free­dome and peace of a good conscience, hope, and comfort. Yea, the kingdome [Page 56] of God is in vs, all things are cleane vnto vs,Tit: 1. 15. al things in the world are ours, if we be Christs, if Christ be in vs, and we vnited to him.

All things are yours (saith the Holy Ghost) Whether Paul, 1 Cor. 3. 22. or Apollos, or Ce­phas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, All are yours. And if all things be ours, then nothing shall hurt vs, but all things shall further vs. For seeing all things are ours, it is meet that all things shold co operate for our good. Yea the Di­uels themselues are ours, if wee be not theirs, but Christs. Christ will so order the matter that they shall but wreath garlands of immortality for vs (though sore against their wils) and increase our glory.

And whereas many men forget the honour of their wiues, and are regard­lesse of their decency,Lanquet. Chron as Sergus that Scottish King, who so basely neglected his Wife, and held her so penurious, that shee was driuen to serue other No­ble women for her liuing; Christ Iesus is so carefull ouer his Spouse, who stands at his right hand in gould of Ophir, Psal: 45. 9. [Page 57] that rather then shee shall want atten­dance and honour, he will moue euen Kings to be her nourishers, & Queens her nurses,Is. 49. 23. who shall bow downe vnto her with their faces towards the earth, and licke vp the dust of her feete.

The coniunction of Man and Wife doth not necessarily cause eyther, or both of them to bee piously disposed: For, as hee that toucheth pitch is vsu­ally defiled with it, and as sweet riuers running through fennish grounds are thereby corrupted, so the company of a wicked man doth oftentimes corrupt the manners of a good natured wo­man. And although a man may take a woman to his wife, yet it is not in his hands to make her eyther a good Wo­man, or a good Wife, if he finde her naught. But our coniunction with Christ doth chaunge vs all ouer, and turnes vs vpside downe: hee contami­nates and infects no man, hee cannot but he purifies and makes good al that come vnto him, and bestow them­selues vpon him.

And albeit the Wife doth in some sort depend vpon her Husband, seeing [Page 58] she is vnited to him, and is his: yet if that knot were dissolued, either by iust diuorce, or death, it might fall out that shee might liue still as well, and bee as godly as she was before. For neither her Vertues, nor her life, depends on him, nor vpon his life, neither yet her hap­pinesse alway, nor her good successe it'h world. She may find better friends then her Husband was: or shee may be married to a second Husband, in whom shee may be happier by far, then in her first. But the Church and all her chil­dren doe so depend on Christ, that without him they cannot continue a moment: for by him we liue, & moue, and haue our being, and all our well­being, both as wee be men, and as wee are Christian men.1 Cor. 1. 30. From him we haue our selues, our iustice, holinesse, and all our happinesse. In him wee areEphes: 1. 4. ele­cted, in himEphes: 2. 10. created, by himCol. 1. 14. redee­med andIude 1. Iohn 15. 12. preserued. Without me (saith Christ) ye can doe nothing; and so also without Christ wee can be nothing. If something, yet that something, that's worse then nothing; for nothing can­not sinne, and nothing cannot suffer [Page 59] for sinne. Nothing can doe no wrong, and nothing can feele no paine. It were more profitable for a man not to bee, then to be a man out of Christ. Though hee were married to the best woman in the world, though hee were coupled with the best friends i'th world, though he were ioyned in bloud or alliance to the cheefest Monarchs in the world, though hee were possessed with the greatest and richest kinngdomes of the world, yet if hee were not vnited to Christ Iesus, if hee were not possest of him, he were nothing, he had nothing, hee were more miserable then the dust he treads on For Christ is all things, he that hath Christ, lacks nothing: he that wants Christ, hath nothing. A man were better be nothing, then something hauing nothing. Who is able to ex­presse the worthinesse of Christ Iesus? He is our life and our light, our com­fort and our crowne, our grace & our glory,Col. 3. 11. he is our all things: he that hath him,1 Iohn 5. 12. hath life (saies Saint Iohn) but hee that hath not him, hath not life. But had I the tongues of Men and Angels, I could not declare the praises due to [Page 60] Christ Iesus my Lord and Sauiour. If all the water in the Maine were incke, yet all that incke were not enough to write downe his worthy praises.

Common experience teacheth that women feed their children, yea out of their owne bodies,Gen: 21. 7. as Sarah did Isaak with her owne milke. And I haue read of a woman, who gaue her owne mo­ther sucke of her owne body, when she being in prison was kept from meat: and after such a sort a woman may preserue the life of her husband, a while at least: but did I neuer eyther see, heare, or read of a man that fedde and nourished his wife of himselfe. He may bring her meat, but he is no meat, hee makes not himselfe a dish to feede on: he giues his wife his heart but not as Hawkes-meat to prey on, not ro­sted to liue on. But Christ Iesus the Husband of the Church, is also the ve­ry food of our soules.Iohn 6. 48. I am that bread of life, Iohn 6. 50. 51. 56. (saith Christ) I am the liuing bread. The bread which I will giue, is my flesh. He which eateth my flesh, and drin­keth my bloud, abideth in mee, and I in him. Here is a louer indeed; the globe [Page 61] we tread on, beares not a husband halfe so kinde, nor all the Markets in the world can afford such meat, as here. If there were but a Baker, which could make such bread for the body, to keep it from death, men would to him, if he were in the farthest angle of the earth, Countries would goe together by the eares to get and enioy him. I suppose that if he had his choyce, hee would rather chuse to dye, then to liue. For sure, men would weare his flesh to the bones with labour, and would scarce suffer him eyther to eate or sleepe. But what gaines a man by long life without this Bread of Life, Christ Iesus? The Iudgement will come at length, and shall not bee put off: and the longer a sinner hath liued, the more sinnes hee hath committed, the greater accounts he must make, & the greater torments hee must indure. And what pleasure; thinke wee, will the soule then take to be kept in the body (like a Prisoner in a strong Goale, vnder much pain, want, and sorrow) against her will, and not to be able to get out, through she would begge it with flouds of teares continu­ally [Page 62] streaming from the eyes, and would giue euen all the world, if shee had it, if shee could but die, and come to nothing?

Our Lord, our Husband is better bread then so. He is the bread of eter­nall life to all that are vnited to him, and which feede vpon him. They, whom he feeds vpon himselfe, are safe from staruing, sure enough from de­struction. And. whereas other Bread is turned and concocted in vs, the truth is, This bread of life is not turned in vs, not turned into the substance of our soule or body: but it turnes and transforms vs rather into it. For Christ doth so me­tamorphise and alter a man, whom he couples to himselfe, that he doth put a new life into him, hee giues him ano­ther kinde of spirit, and doth so fur­nish him with his owne things, that it may be truly said, Hee is a man transla­ted and transformed into Christ: he is not in the flesh, but in the spirit: not Satan, but Christ Iesus doth dwell and raigne with­in him. O happy men, that are in Christ Iesus, that haue Christ Iesus for their Husband, who is the staffe of their [Page 63] liues, the breath of their nostrills, and their Hope! Many a man is saued, and his wife damned. Two shall be in a bed, one of them shall bee taken, the other forsaken. But whoseeuer shall be found coupled to Christ shall bee saued. For he is the bread of life, and life eternall to all, that haue and hold him.

There are some men (or I wot not well what in the shapes of men) that waxe weary of their wiues with a little ac­quaintance, contemne them in their decaying dayes, and whether young or olde, will not bee pleased in them without a deale of artificiall brauery, and borrowed fauour.

But the Lord Iesus esteemes the hart of a man, and not his Art: he delights in substance, not in naked shewes: coun­terfeit vertue, which is true hypocrisie, is accounted with him for double ini­quity. It is not outward beauty that he stands vpon, but inward Vertue, in­ward Trueth, and not outward trap­pings. Painting of the face with him is as the guilding of a nutmegge, or the colouring of a statue, and as pleasing to wise men when they spie it, as a pain­ted [Page 64] Sepulchre when they smell it, or as counterfeit coyne, when they discerne it. But grace, true grace, which is acci­dentall to a man or woman, is essenti­all to a true Christian.

This is that which pleaseth Christ, which hee with his owne finger hath painted and engrauen in the soule.

This, this is the tincture, and the lustre, that hee delights in. And as for old age, hee will cast no man off for that: but the longer he hath beene acquainted with any, the longer any man hath liued in his seruice: the lon­ger that any haue beene coupled with him, the more account he vses to make of them. Old friends, old seruants, old followers, old consorts, if sincere and trusty, are of all others most gracious, and shall haue their rewards with the chiefest.

I said before that the Husband and his Wife are appointed by God to bee one common fountaine and foundati­on or Originall of Posterity by genera­tion of children.

For neither is the Man without the Woman and efficient, nor the Woman [Page 65] without the Man. And neyther Man nor Woman without the benignity of the Sunne. For it is true that (Sol & homo generant hominem) the Sunne and Man beget a Man.

Our Lord, the Lord Iesus Christ, hath children, and no children, but those, which he gets himselfe. But the Sunne, which is a naturall agent, hath no hand, helpeth nothing in Regene­ration, which is supernaturall; as it doth to Generation, which is naturall.

And though a Man cannot beget without a Woman, yet is Christ, God and Man, able to regenerate a Man without the cooperation of any Crea­ture by himselfe alone. But yet ordi­narily, if not euer, he doth beget men to himselfe by the Church. For my part, I am perswaded that hee that can­not call her Mother, hath no right to call him Father. For Ierusalem, the City of God, whose Originall is from Heauen aboue, and not from the earth below,Gal. 4. 26. is the Mother of vs all.

But whereas the Mother nourishes her childe with food from her owne [Page 66] bodie, the Church feedes her children with the milk and meat of Gods word. For the two Testaments are the Chur­ches two Breasts.

And as Parents beget children ac­cording to their owne image, that is, men, and sinfull, and doe sometimes also lend them their owne diseases, as Leprosie, Palsey, Gowt: so the Lord Iesus begets his children according to his image (substantiall I meane not, but accidentall) consisting in light, iustice, holinesse, and true Christian Vertues. Indeede our Parents beget vs, when before we werenot: but Christ begets vs, being men before, though in truth but dead men, dead in sinnes and tres­passes, and the children of wrath.Ephes. 2. 1. 3. And as they giue vs their sinne, which hath beene deriued to them from Adam, so Christ giues vs his Iustice and Merits to couer our sinnes, as I shall afterwards shew more fully.

A Woman may be a Wife, and yet no Mother: and some are Mothers and yet no Wiues. Or she may be a Mo­ther, and yet an adultresse. But this [Page 67] is a mans affliction, when either his wife is barren or vnchaste. And it is a womans shame, when either shee is a mother before shee bee a wife, or is vn­faithfull when shee is a wife. But the Church can haue no children but by Christ her husband, without whose gracious influence and intention, no man can make a Christian. The Ca­tholique Church (as Fulgentius well obserueth) is a Spouse, Fulg. ad Pro­bam. do virgin. ep. 3. because she is vni­ted, and adhereth vnto Christ: a mother, because she is made fruitfull by Christ: and a virgine, because shee doth purely perse­uere in Christ.

Shee is indeed a singular wife, of rare endowments,Psal 45. and full of honour.Cant. 7. 1. For shee is the great kings Daughter, Ephes. 5. and coupled with him, that is God and Man.

Shee is not subiect to violence, as the daughters and wiues of men are, as Lucretia the wife of Collatinus; Dinah the daughteer of Iacob; and they that were rauisht by Brias, Rodericus, Nouel­lus Cararius, Osbright, and such like monsters in the shapes of men. Nei­ther brings shee any children to God [Page 68] by any adulterous mixture (as some wanton wiues) but onely by the grace of her husband Iesus Christ. As for Heretiques and Infidels, they bee not the fruits of her wombe, but Bastards of the Diuels getting, and the worlds conceiuing and bringing foorth.

Shee is an high and honourable mo­ther. For shee is Mother and Nurse (no cruell step-mother) but a louing mother and tender-hearted nurse to all Gods adopted children. They that haue not her for mother, haue not him for Father. Shee is mother to all the true members of Christ, to all his bre­thren. They that haue not her for mo­ther, haue not him for their head and elder brother.

She is our spirituall mother Eue, the mother of all the liuing, Gal. 4. 26. that either liue a spirituiall life in this world, or shall liue a celestall life in the world to come.

Shee is the mother to all true Israe­lites according to the faith, as Sarah was to all Israelites according to the flesh. And as God made Sarah a mo­ther, and gaue her a sonne out of his owne good will: so God makes his [Page 69] Church a mother, and giues her chil­dren as he pleaseth.

I read of a certaine Romane Lady, by name Paulina, a very chaste and ho­nest matron, who by no meanes would yeelde to the Iust of Mundus a Gentle­man of Rome, who attempted to haue corrupt her, who yet being couzened by certaine Priests lay with him (like a supersticious foole) in the Temple of Isis, vnder the name of Anubis the God of Aegypt, who desired her company, as those varlets tolde her. And in those heathenish dayes it was accounted a great fauour to haue to doe with a God.

But Gods Church is no Paulina, yeeldes not to Mundus, the World, but is able to distinguish betwixt God and the world, vnder what habit or colour soeuer the world appeareth. Shee is neither so dimme-sighted, nor so super­sticious and foolish, as to mistake or leaue her husband, or to giue her selfe to the Iust of any, out of the loue either of their fauour or dalliance with them. Shee loues to beare, but yet onely by her owne husband. Him shee knowes [Page 70] well, his voice she heares, him shee fol­lowes. But the voyce of strangers she knowes not,Ioh. 10. them she followes not, but flyeth from them.

A man may take a wife, but he can­not alwayes make her a mother. God maketh the barren woman to be a ioy­full mother of children.Gon. 30. 1. 2. A man is not able to remooue sterility,Psal. 113. 9. nor (though his wife were fruitfull) to beget a childe when hee will himselfe. Loe, children are an heritage of the Lord, Psal. 127. 3. and the fruit of the wombe, is his reward. But Christ Iesus the Churches husband, a man in­deede, but more then a man, euen God eternall, is able to make his Spcuse fruitfull, and to giue her children, when he will, and children of a better condi­tion and complexion, then husbands giue their wiues,Iob 25. 4. which are wormes, and worse too, vncleane and wretched, subiect to the wrath of God, and vnder death.

For all the children of the Church, which shee beareth vnto Christ, are cleane and happy, faire and louely, en­dued with the holy Ghost, and clad with Christ himselfe, who is their fa­ther, [Page 71] and enrobed with his iustice, as with a garment rich enough to redeem the world,Gal. 3. 27. in which appearing before the great and righteous God, the Iudge of all the world, they reioyce his heart, and obtaine his blessing, as Iacob ob­tained his father Isaachs, Gen. 27. 15. comming to him with his brothers faire apparrell on him, which his mother had with her in her house. Of such blessed Parents how can there be but blessed children? O blessed, thrice blessed are all the children of the Church: The children of the greatest Kings and Queenes in the world are not to bee compared to them; They are not worthy to bee na­med together in one day. The truth is they are but very wretches (how glori­ous soeuer they bee in the world) till they come and call her mother, and become obedient to her.

But be it that a woman be a wife vn­to her husband, and a mother too; yet shee is not both houswife and house too. Men dwell with their wiues, but not in their wiues, except by loue. But the Catholique Church is Christs hus­wife and his house too, his Spouse and [Page 72] his Temple also.2 Cor: 6: 16. Ye are the Temple of the lining God, saith Saint Paul. Reuel: 2: 15 In this tem­ple Christ is alway present, alway resi­dent,Cant: 8: 13. alway president. To him this Temple is erected, by him it is set vp and kept (sartumtectum) safe & sound. This he fils, in it hee walkes and rules, and takes great delight.Psal: 149: 4. The Lord hath chosen her for his owne habitation, and loueth to dwell in her,Ps: 132: 13: 14. saying; This is my rest for euer: heere will I dwell: for I haue a delight therein. Coloss: 3: 4. Shee is a liuing Temple, and Christ is the life thereof. Shee is a light house (but no light hus­wife) and Christ is the Light thereof.Ioh: 12: & 1 Cor: 1: 30. 1 Pet: 2: 5. A part of which princely Palace is eue­ry godly Christian, who as a liuing stone is hewen out of that rocke of life, Christ Iesus, and by him made vp, and put into that goodly building.

So then, wheras many a poore child which hath both father and mother, is yet destitute oftentimes of a house to put his head in, and is compelled to lie vnder hedges and wals, or in the open fields; there is not a true childe of God, there is not a man aliue, if he bee (filius Ecclesiae) the son of the Church, [Page 73] but hee hath an house to rest his soule in; and so long as he is vnder the roofe hee is safe from euill, being vnder the Lords protection,Psal: 18: 30. Prou: 2. 7. who is a sure shield and castle of defence, inuincible, vnbat­terable, vnto all, that put their trust in him, and walke vprightly with him in his house.

But I will haste a little faster on. No man makes his owne wife. For shee is first, without him, a woman, before hee take her to be with him, as his wife. It is too much for a man to make a wo­man (for some finde it too much to mend a woman) so that he must let that alone for euer, as a worke peculiar vnto God. And though it be an easie matter for a man to get himselfe a wife, such as shee is: yet a good wife, a vertuous wife, a prudent wife,Prou: 31: 12. one,Prou: 18: 22. that will doe her husband good and not euill, all the dayes of her life,Prou: 19: 14. is a blessing, that comes from God. Parents can giue nature, but God giues grace. They can giue flesh and blood, but vertue and well doing are the gifts of God,Iam: 1: 17. who is the fountaine and father of lights. And it fals out sometimes by the iniquity of [Page 74] rigid and couetous parents, that a man hath a wife thrust vpon him, beeing constrained to take her for auoyding greater dangers and more greeuous e­uils. And when they haue them, they loue them as men doe straight shooes, and clothes they care not for.

But the Lord lesus hath no wife ob­truded on him against his will: neither can any with subtill sleights steale into him, and goe beyond him, as some wo­men vse to winne their husbands. But hee takes, whom hee takes, willingly, and makes the first motion of loue al­wayes himselfe: neither doth he cozen or beguile any, but leads them on with truths and sollid demonstrations, and promises no more then he can and will performe. Yea, he takes but what hee made before. For all creatures haue past through his hands, hee had the forming of them all. And whom hee makes his wife, hee does not marre in the making (as sometimes men doe) but reformes and beautifies them: wheras men sometimes take vpon them (mo­ued by worldly respects) to marry some peruerse, wicked, or supersticious [Page 75] women, hoping, and now and then bragging they will reforme them, whereas commonly they buy repen­tance too late, and in stead of mending them are somtimes marr'd themselues, infected with their vices, as wine or water with musty vessells.

And whereas men doe not beget their wiues, they meane to marry. For men marry not with their daughters. And sure if Lot and Cyanippus had not both beene drunke,Plutarch. their daughters had not beene vitiated by them. Nei­ther had Valeria Thusculana got the in­cestuous companie of her father, but vnder the colour of another woman. Which so soone, as hee did perceiue, he kild himselfe in detestation of the fact.

Euery Christian soule (est filia & sponsa Christi) is both the daughter & the Spouse of Christ Iesus, descended from him, and vnited to him. Hee weddeth none, but his owne, whom hee doth himselfe beget by the power of his Spirit. There is none ioyned to God, but he, that is borne of God. The Spirit, which regenerates vs, and [Page 76] giues vs a new life, is the same, by which we are coupled vnto Christ, and by whose holy inspirations faith and loue are created in vs, whereby we be­lieue in Christ, embrace him, and are transformed into him. The soule is the life of the body, and Christ is the true life of the soule, euen the soules Soule: take away the soule from the bo­dy, and the bodie dies, euen so take a­way the soule from Christ, or Christ from the soule, and the soule will die. In this case the body is but a liuing and breathing Sepulchre of a dead soule, a breathlesse soule, the breath whereof is the very breath of Christ.

Eue may be some light herein vnto vs. For Eue was made of Adam, who seeing her said,Gen 2. 22. 23. This is now bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh: and so also we are of Christ,Eph. 5. 30 of his flesh, and of his bones, as the Apostle speaketh. God hath framed his Church out of the very flesh, the very wounded and bleeding side of the son of man. To all thinges liuing Christ is life, and to men light, as hee is the sonne of God: to the Church both light and life eternall, by [Page 77] being made the son of man for vs, & by being our Surety and Sauiour, whether we respect him as God, or as Man.

His body crucified, and his bloud­shed for the life of the world are the true elements of our Christian and hea­uenly being, which maketh vs truely aliue and holy, as he is, of whom wee come.

And as by nature we are in our first parents, Adam and Eue: so by grace we are euery one of vs, that are truely spirituall, in Christ and in his Church.

As men, we are all originally in A­dam: as Christians, or new men, we are all originally in Christ.

As men, wee haue the nature and bloud of Eue: as new men, or Saints, wee are partakers of the Spirit of the Church in her ministery by the gift of Christ.

As we are men, Adam and Eue were our Parents: but as we are regenerate, so Christ is our father, and the Church which sprang out of his holy side o­pened vpon the crosse, is our holy and honorable mother.

[Page 78] And as Eue made not her selfe, nei­ther was made or begotten by a man, but by the hand of God, euen by the hand of Christ,Iohn 1. by whom all things were created: so the Church is not the workemanshippe of any creature, nor of her owne making and moulding, but is made and fashioned by God, whose workemanship wee are created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes, Eph. 2. 10. which God hath before ordained, that we should walke in them.

Indeed Adam had no stroke in Eues making: she was made out of him, but yet without his helpe; of him, not by him; of his ribbe, not by his hand. But Christ hath a great stroke in the framing of the Church. Shee is both taken out of him, and made vp by him: and without him shee could not be formed.

For by his will she is, by his holy breath shee's quickned, his finger fram'd her, and his merits are her ma­king. Nay, not her selfe alone, but all she hath, that is good, she hath receiu­ed from him, of his fulnesse. There is not an ornament about her, but is a fa­uour, [Page 79] shee hath had of him. There is not a pinne of her sleeue, but hee hath giuen it her.

And tho God made Eue neither witting, nor willing, yet he quickens vs, restores and reformes vs, both wit­ting and willing. He made vs without vs, but hee doth not sanctifie and saue vs without vs.

But it is hee, that makes vs willing and obedient,Phil. 2. 13. being without his grace vnwilling inough of our selues, dead in our sinnes and trespasses, voide of a true spirituall life and being. He both giues vs feete and makes vs runne. He giues vs hearing eares, and seeing eyes, and makes vs heare and see. He opens our mouthes, and makes vs speake. Hee vnties our bands, and makes vs moue. We worke and worke willing­ly: but he giues vs hands to worke and makes vs worke. Hee workes all our workes for vs. Hee giues vs both the will and the worke, and that of his owne good will, without our deserts.

But whereas not the soule of Adam, but her owne did quicken, susteine and gouerne Eue: and whereas neither of [Page 80] their soules in number doe inhabit or animate any of their children: but that very personall soule, that euery one of them hath receiued of God, who is the Father of spirits, Heb. 12. 9. Eceles. 12. 7. and who giues vnto euery man his owne proper spirit; the truth is, that Christ bestowes his Spirit vpon his Church, which holy Spirit is deriued from Christ into euery true Christian man and woman, who are his seede and children, the issues of his Ioynes. Who are not borne,Is. 53. 10. Heb. 2. 13. as meere naturall and sinfull men, of bloud, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, Ioh. 1. 12. but of God, who of his owne will be­gets them,Jam. 1. 18. 1 Pet. 1. 23. not of corruptible seede, but of incorruptible, with the word of truth, as the holy Scriptures shew vs. And ther­fore also the holy A postle saith expres­ly, that,Rom. 8. 9. if any man haue not the spirit of Christ, the same is none of his. And a­gaine, because yee are sonnes, Gal. 4. 6. God sent foorth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts. Which Spirit no sooner comes into the heart and inhabits it, but hee giueth life spirituall, euen as the soule no sooner is in the body, and is vnited to it, and dwelleth in it, but it affor­deth [Page 81] the life, that is naturall or corpo­rall. And as the soule worketh in the body, and mainteines the naturall life thereof, and makes a man shew him­selfe to be a man, and indeede to bee a man, and not a beast, or some senseles or liuelesse lumpe of flesh: so the spirit of Christ worketh in the soule of a Christian, and preserues the spirituall life thereof, and makes him to be, and to shew himselfe to be a Christian, and not a meere carnall or naturall man, and childe of the Diuell.

And whereas many Parents are grieued to see their children increase so thicke vpon them, and some more vn­naturall through diffidence in the pro­uidence of God, are euen glad, when they are rid of them by death, or al­most any way else; the Lord Iesus Christ and the Catholique Church, his Spouse, our Mother, take great delight and pleasure in their children, are ne­uer grieued for the numbers of them, or troubled with their fellowshippe: But she rather takes it kindly, and with all thankefulnesse of heart, when her Lord doth visit her and giue her chil­dren, [Page 82] both sonnes and daughters of all sorts and nations, and is very carefull in their breeding, when she hath them, that they may be fit Instruments of his glory, & may doeseruice to his name in all ages and places of the world, wherein and whilst they liue.

But that wee may yet further our knowledge of the Coniunction, that is betwixt Christ and vs, it will not be amisse to consider of three other simi­litudes vsed in the holy Scriptures to set it foorth vnto vs. The first is of a Vine, the second of a Body, the third of a Building. And this I will do with the help of Christ.

I am (faith Christ) the Vine, Ioh. 15. 5. yee are the Branches. Now wee know that the Vine and her Branches are ioyned fast together by nature: and not as boards are in a shippe with pinnes and nayles by Arte, but a great deale closer.

For the branches shoot forth of the Vine, are animated with the spirit of the vine, liue the life of the vine, are fed, nourished, and susteined of the vine, and abiding in the vine bring foorth fruits according to the nature [Page 83] of the vine, out of which they grow and in which they liue. Euen so are we coupled and ioyned vnto Christ, and so fast, that wee cannot be rent or broken in peeces from him by vio­lence, as branches may be from a vine.

We grow out of Christ, as an hea­uenly root, from whom by the fauour of God and influence of his grace, we doe all as new creatures or heauenly branches arise and spring foorth.

Adam is the root of all men, as men: and when God created Adam, he created vs. And as many, as are sprung from Adam, haue in themselues the root, out of which they spring. Euen so the children of God haue Christ, as a second Adam from heauen for a certaine celestiall and blessed root, whose progenie and branches they are by regeneration, or heauenly birth.

And the good Spirit of Christ is from Christ deriued to them all,Rom. 8. 9. 10. who doth animate, consolate, and susteine them. And from Christ they receiue food and nourishment, by the which they are refresht and cheered, and pre­serued [Page 84] from death, by the worke of the Spirit.

True it is that life and all good gifts and graces are from the father,Iam. 1. 17. as from the originall or beginning of them all: but they come not to vs but by the Sonne,1 Ioh. 5. 11. in whom,Col. 2. 3. Life is, and, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge,Mal. 4. 2. who is the Sunne of righteousnesse with healing in his wings, Reu. 3. 18. and hath gold, rayment and eye-salue, and all other medicines to enrich vs, cloth vs, and cure vs of all our soule-diseases. But yet none of all these things come vnto any of vs in particu­lar, but by the holy Ghost: and there­fore the Apostle saith,2 Cor. 13. 14. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, and the loue of God, and the fellowshippe of the holy Ghost.

And being now indued with the holy Spirit of Christ,Gal. 2. 20. they liue a spiri­tuall and Christian life. They liue in­deed,2 Cor. 3. 17. and yet not they, but Christ and his Spirit liue within them. Christ is in his Spirit, and his Spirit is in him. And where the Spirit of Christ is, there is liberty. They liue then, and liue free, deliuered, and out of feare.

[Page 85] And for because Christ is in them, and they in him, and for that the spirit of Christ is not idle in them (euen as the soule is not idle in the body, or as a vigilant Prince is not idle in his king­dome) but is busie, as a Bee, working, like a carefull and prudent husband­man, his holy workes within them, therefore also they are not barren, and take vp roome in vaine, but beare, and bring forth fruite, as God by the influ­ence of his grace doth giue increase. For neither is he, that planteth, 1 Cor. 3. 7. any thing: neither, that watereth: but God, that giueth the increase.

Whence it is that our Sauiour spaith, Abide in me, and I in you.Ioh. 15. 4. 5. As the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe, except it a­bide in the vine: no more can ye, except ye abide in me. He, that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth foorth much fruite.

And the fruits, they yeeld, are such, as become the vine Christ Iesus, whose branches they are, and whose spirit makes them beare. For vine-branches bring foorth vine-fruites,Math. 7. 18. vine-berries,Luk. 6. 44. grapes,Iam. 3. 12. and not soure slowes, crabbes, [Page 86] or hawes. Euery tree brings foorth fruit according to his owne kind, euen as euery man, beast, bird, and fish, be­getteth and produceth according to his owne species, kinde, and image.

But although the faithfull bee in Christ, and Christ in them, yet they do not all equally draw vertue from Christ: but as one branch receiueth more from the vine, then another, and as some are stronger, fairer, and fuller of fruits, then some others are: euen so one Belieuer receiues more grace and vertue from Christ, then another: and as Christ doth more or lesse impart himselfe vnto vs, so we sucke more or lesse vertue from him, and so also are more or lesse fruitfull in good workes.

Sure it is that God doth giue all his children his spirit,Gal. 4. 6. and that this spirit resideth in them:1 Cor. 6. 19. but this spirit work­eth not equally in them all, nor alike at all seasons: but in some more, and in some lesse: and at one time more sensibly, then at an other, as the Sun doth in the heauens, or a workeman in his shoppe.

God dwelleth in all his children, & [Page 87] they in him: and they are all truely,1 Ioh. 3. 24. & 4. 15. one as well as another,2 Pet. 1. 4. partakers of the diuine nature: but yet God doth not manifest and expresse himselfe in the same degree vnto all (as neither Pa­rents to their children) not that hee could not, but because he will not for causes iust, but best knowne vnto him­selfe: and hereupon it comes to passe that one is more vertuous, and better then another, fuller of good workes, and more like vnto himselfe, as that childe is vnto his father, into whom his father hath more fully and more happily powred foorth of himselfe in­to him in generation, tending him like wife afterwards with a more carefull & ingenuous education.Aug. Epist. 57. Whence is it (saith S. Austin) that some bee holier, then others are: but because that God doth dwell in some more plenteously, then in o­thers?

Christ is the Sunne, the light,Mal. 4. 2. that giueth light of nature,Ioh. 8. 12. graceIoh. 1. 4. 9., and glo­ry vnto the world. Euery Christian man is a starre receiuing light from Christ, who shineth into his soule: now as one starre is brighter, then another, [Page 88] according as it receiueth more light from the Sunne, then another: euen so one Christian excells another in the light of grace and good workes, accor­ding as hee receiues more plentifully from Christ, and is more neerely ioy­ned with him, and partaker of his light, and spirit. And thus of the first simili­tude. I come to the second.

Christ and the Catholique Church are a certaine Mysticall, 1 Cor. 12. 27. or spirituall bo­die. Eph. 1. 22. & 5. 30 32. Christ himselfe is the Head of that bodie. And euery true Belieuer is a member of it. Wee are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones, saith S. Paul. And this is a great mysterie.

The Head is not a perfit body of it selfe alone. For no mans body is all head.

Neither is the Body a compleate bodie without the head. But being both vnited, and no part wanting, they become one entire and perfit body.

Euen so Christ, and his Church in­structed with all her true parts and members, make together one com­pleate body, or (as it were) one per­fit spirituall man.

[Page 89] It pleaseth him in his mercy to count himselfe incompleat, and mai­med, without his Church, which is his Body, Eph: 1. 23. the Fulnesse of him, that filleth all in all.

And we, for our parts, are most cer­taine, that without him we are iust no­thing, but that we all receiue of his ful­nesse, because hee is Iustification to vs, and is also in vs, as a most free mouing, and working cause, whence many bles­sed effects doe come, all of them ten­ding to eternall life and glory, as all waters vnto the Maine.

I say Christ is the head, the sole head of the catholique church, which is his onely body. For the Father hath put all things vnder his feete, and hath gi­uen him to be the Head ouer all things to the Church. Eph: 1. 22. So by way of superemi­nencie and praedominancie, he is our Head alone.

There is no other man but this man, Christ Iesus, who is head and Husband to the Church, which is his, 2. Cor: 11. 2. and his alone.

Truely (saith Saint Gregorie) PeterGreg: Mag: lib: 4. Epist: 38. the Apostle is the chiefest member of the [Page 90] the Holy Catholique Church, Paul, An­drew and Iohn, what are they else but heads of seuerall or particular people. But yet they are all members of the Church vnder one Head.

Hee (saith S. Ambrose) is the Bride­groome, that hath the Bride:Ambr: lib: de benedict: Patri­arch: c. 4. that is, Hee alone is the Churches Husband.

The Apostles, and other Pastors of the Church, Bishops and Presbyters, are the seruants or friends of the Bride­groome: but none of them haue her for their Spouse, none of them is her Husband. Saint Bernard thus speakes to Pope Eugenius, Bern: ep. 237. If thou beest(saith he) the friend of the Bridegroome, doe not call his Beloued, thy Princesse, but Prin­cesse, challenging nothing for thine in her, saue onely that thou oughtest to giue thy life for her, if it were behoouefull.

Wee doe therefore all of vs say with Saint Paul, Wee preach not our selues, 2 Cor: 4. 5. but Christ Iesus the Lord, and our selues your seruants for Iesus sake. Weacknowledge Christ for our Lord, and our selues his seruants, called and sent by him to wait vpon his Church and children,2 Cor: 11. 2. to prepare them for Christ, as a Virgin [Page 91] for her Husband, to giue them all their portion of meat in due season, and to present euery man in Christ Iesus. Col: 1. 28. 29. This is our proper office, this is our strife and study, and this is the voice of vs all, all, all.

I say further,Greg: vbi supra: that the Catholique Church alone is the mysticall Body of Christ. The Saints before the Law (saith Saint Gregorie) the Saints vnder the Law, and the Saints vnder Grace, All these perfecting the Lords Body are mem­bers of the Church. Not some of the members, but all, that are constituent and essentiall.

venerable Beda speakes the like,Bed. Hist: Eccles Lib: 5: cap: 22. when he saith, All Churches throughout the world make one Catholique.

This Catholique and mysticall Bo­dy of Christ, consists of true beleeuers, and such, as are truely sanctified. For the Church of Christ and all her pro­per members, are made clean and holy, not hauing spot, or wrinkle. Eph: 5: 26. 27. The Church of Christ is Christs Doue and Faire one: Cant: 2: 13: 14. but Doues are not Kytes, Crowes, Vul­tures, Snakes, Adders, Dragons, Li­ons, Beares, & Leopards.Cant: 4. 1. His Church [Page 90] [...] [Page 91] [...] [Page 92] is faire and beautifull, washed with Water, and annointed with Oyle, and is very beautifull and perfect through the beauty which God hath put vpon her. Ezek: 16. 9: 13. 14. Yes, She is the fairest among Women. And therefore neyther shee,Psalm: 45. 7. nor any of her naturall and louing children ought to be reputed foule,Cant: 5. 19. 17. vile, and vgly.

The members of the Church are Christs sheepe,Iohn 10. and he is their carefull and good Sheepheard, who maketh them to rest in greene Pastures,Psalme 23. 2. and leadeth them by the still Waters. But Sheepe are not Wolues, and Foxes, Goates and Tygers, Dogges, Swine, nor fatte Buls of Basan. To make any such to be members of the Catholicke Church were to make Christ a Neate­heard, which were a transcendent indi­gnity: but let vs heare the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, which shined like Lampes in the house of God in a­ges long agoe. They (saith Saint Ori­gen) which haue not spot or wrinckle, Orig: in Genes: Homil: 1. or any such thing about them, are the true Church. In Luc: Hom: 2. And in another place hee shewes the reason why the Church is said to be holy, & without spot, name­ly [Page 93] because she is reputed pure and sincere.

In the Church (saith S. Chrysostome) there is no earthen or wodden vessell:Chrys: in 2. Tim. Homil: 5. but all are of siluer and gold. For there is the body of Christ, a chast Virgin, not hauing spot or wrinckle.

When we say the Church (faith S. Cy­rill of Alexandria) we meane the most ho­ly multitude of the godly.Cyril. Alexan. in Is: lib: 4. Or at: 4.

The Church (saith Saint Ambrose) is the mother of those that are aliue. Ambr: in Luc: lib: 2. cap. 3. Surely the good Father neuer thought then that men dead in sinnes, and inwardly vicious and irreformed, though they should make a faire outward professi­on, were to be reputed true members of the Catholique Church.

The Church of Christ (saith S. Hie­rome) is glorious,Hier: in Ephe 5. not hauing spot, or wrinckle, nor any such, therefore he which is a sinner, or defiled with any filthinesse, cannot bee sayd to bee of the Church of Christ, nor subiect vnto Christ.

Prosper accordingly saith, Prosp: in Psal: 106. that the Catholique Church consists in the Elect foreknowne of God, the children of the pro­mise, the members of Christs body.

Rupertus in like manner affirmeth Rup: 1. Pet. c. 2. [Page 94] that the vniuersall Church is cleansed in the bloud of Christ from all fault.

And Bernard,Bern in Cant: Ser: 68. What is the Spouse? but the congregation of iust ones. And what is this congregation, but the generation of them, that seeke the Lord, of them that seeke the face of the bridegroome.

As for haeretiques, hypocrites, and other wicked and vngodly men, they pertaine not to the holy Church of God,Aug: de Bapt: Contr: Donat. as Saint Augustine speaketh,L. 1. c. 10. &. l. 4. c. 3. & 1. 6. c. 3. al­though they may seeme to be within it.

But as Christ is the Head of the Church, which is his Body, and shall raigne with him in euerlasting glory: euen so the Deuill is the Head (and Heards-man) of the wicked,Aug. de Doctr.who are af­ter a sort his Bodie (as the said holy Fa­ther sheweth) who shall be punished with him in aternall fire. Chr: lib. 3. c: 37.

As concerning these three points of Popery, to wit, That the Bishop of Rome is the Head of the Vniuersall Church on earth, to whom euery soule of man must be subiect, or else he cannot but be damned.

Secondiy, that the Church of Rome is the vniuersall Church of Christ, the onely Catholique Church of Christ.

[Page 95] Thirdly, Bellar: de Eccles. that no inward vertue is re­quired to make a part of the Catholique Church,Lib: 3. cap: 2. but onely an exteriour profession of the faith, and followship in Sacraments.

These three points of Doctrin haue in these latter times crept out of the Alpes, like Mise, or Rats. Rome hath set her marke vpon them, and allowed them: but the Catholique Church of Christ neyther did, nor doth, nor will euer owne them for her owne, beeing indeed meere Counterfets, and Ba­stard Plants. And so I leaue them to them that coyned them, and so pro­ceede.

This Body, this Catholique congre­gation of Saints, and all the true, na­turall, and essentiall parts and mem­bers thereof,1 Cor: 12. 12. are all of them vnited and coupled to their Head,Eph: 4. 15. and one vnto another:Col: 2. 7: 19 euen as we see a naturall bo­dy, and all the parts thereof, to be ioy­ned and knit vnto their naturall head.

But whereas the head and body of a man may be pul'd, torne, or cut asun­der, as it fared with S. Iohn Baptist, who was beheaded: the truth is, that Christ and his members cannot be parted or [Page 96] torneasunder. The Church, which is the body of our Lord, perseuering firmely in the faith (Nulla res separare potest a Christo) Nothing is able to se­parate from Christ lesus, as Saint Cy­prian speaketh truly.Cypr: Epist: 63. For why? Christ shed his bloud for the Church and all her children. Therefore sure, Hee will not that those should perish, for whom hee payed so dearely, as Saint Austin some­where speaketh. Charity faileth not from the Church (saith Saint Bernard.) The Church is founded vpon a Rocke: and the Rocke is Christ. Bern: in Cant. Ser: 79. And therefore wee ney­ther could, nor can at any time heereafter be souered from the loue of Christ, neither by the verbosity and babling of Philoso­phers, nor by the cauils and Sophistry of Heretiques, nor by the swords of Persecu­tors.

For indeed, they that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion,Psal: 125. which cannot be re­mooued, but remaineth for euer.

As the mountaines are about Ierusa­lem: so is the Lord about his people,Vers: 2. from henceforth, and for euer.

And that Annoynting, 1 Ioh 2. 27. which the members of the true Church haue re­ceiued [Page 97] of Christ, dwelleth in them: and the seede of God remaineth in them,1 Iohn 3. 9. whereby he hath begot them: & they shall remaine in that annoynting, that is, in the Holy Ghost.

Seeing therefore the Lord is alwaies about his people,1 Pet: 1. 5. Guarding them by his power through faith vnto saluation; seeing also the Spirit of Christ Iesus dwelleth and remaineth in them, and they in him, it is impossible that they should be separated or cut off from Christ, or that they should drop off from him as drie and withered leaues, or rotten springs and branches from a tree, or fall like olde rotten teeth out of a mans head.

But when I say that all holy and righteous men, being the naturall and onely liue-members of the Church, are vnited vnto Christ, my meaning is not (as I haue touched before) that they are holy, righteous, and spirituall be­fore the vnion, but then, when they are vnited. They are not holy without the vnion, but by the vnion. The coniun­ction doth not finde them iust, but makes them iust. They are not holy [Page 98] till they be conioyned. For all our ho­linesse, iustice, wisedome, and good­nesse is from the Lord Iesus, partly by imputation,1 Cor: 1. 30. and partly by inspiration:1 Iohn 1. 7. which we would not haue,Ephes: 2. 5. vnlesse first we haue Christ himselfe,Rom: 8. 9. 10. 12. and be vnited to him: euen as a man cannot haue comfort from his clothes vnlesse hee put them on, and buckle them about him: or as the hungry, and sicke, or wounded person cannot haue the ver­tue of meates, and medicines & salues, vnlesse he haue the very things them­selues first, and that they he applied to him. And therefore Saint Iohn hauing sayde that Life is in the Sonne, 1 Iohn 5. 11. inferreth thence that he that hath the Sonne, hath life, and he that hath not the Son, hath not life. Now who hath the Son, but he that is vnited to him? who hath the Husbands fellowship, but the Wife? Who inioyes the loue of a friend and his loue tokens, but his friend? What hath sense or motion from the head, but that which is vnited to the Head, as are the members of the body? Who hath the payment of a surety, euen he, that hath the surety himselfe? [Page 99] And who hath the surety, but he, whose person the surety is pleased to vnder­take, and put on vpon himselfe, and with and for whom hee stands in bands or couenants to see the debt dischar­ged? Now the Lord Iesus Christ is our friend, our surety, our head and hus­band; when once we are vnited to him, (but not before, except in predestinati­on) then we come to enioy him, his be­nefits; and graces, which are more worth then the grace of all Princes, the gifts of all rich men, and the prizes of all things that can bee prized in the world.

They say of Venice, shee must bee seene before shee can bee prized. But though a man cannot tell what shee is worth, yet he may tell what shee is not worth. Shee is not worth all the Cities of Italy: She is not worth all the towns in Europe: Shee is not worth all the earth besides, is shee?

But the Citie of God,Gal. 4: 26. the Citie of the great King, Hierusalem, which is aboue, the spirituall body of Christ, the Mother of vs all, is worth all the Cities in the world, is woorth all the [Page 100] world besides. Her foundations are in heauen, her wals are Iasper, her buil­ding gold, pure golde, her streete such also, her gates pearle, and her shining like abstone most precious. Shee is wonderfully rich & glorious. Christ is her King, and her Temple, and her Sunne, shee sees by. She may well say, Come see mee, and then esteeme mee. But who can see her yet? who can prize her? I see her not, I cannot see her: but I doe beleeue her being and her beauty, and I count it aboue all earthly happi­nesse to be her sonne. If I forget thee; ô Ierusalem, let my right hand forget her dexterity. If I doe not remember thee, let my tongue cleaue to the roofe of my mouth: if I preferre not Hierusalem to my cheefest ioy. But I haue beene ouer carried.

Adam is the Head of men, of all men, both good and euill, saints and sinners, so farre as either nature or vice of na­ture reacheth: euen as Gehezi was head of all his issue, as touching their hu­mane, their sinnefull and their leprous nature and disposition: but with some difference. For hee was but a subordi­nate and secondary Head to them, as [Page 101] they were men and sinners, guilty of o­riginall corruption: for heere Adam, hath the primacie. But he was indeede the first head and originall of their le­prosie. For he was by the singular and sudden iudgment of God first himselfe a leper, & then they afterwards by him.

So Christ Iesus is the head of godly Christians, of all godly Christians, and of none but such: of all blessed men in the world, and but of such.

Adam is to he found, yea and felt in euery man: euen so Christ is to bee found in euery Saint.

There are prints of Adams setting in euery mortall man: and there are like­wise certaine markes of Christs imptin­ting in the soule of euery godly man, who is immortall in hope, which shall not faile him.

Nature springs from Adam, as Gods liuing instrument. And sin also comes from Adam, and from sinne death. E­uen so also grace is from Christ: iustice and holinesse, imputatiue and inhesiue; true life and liberty, victory ouer death at last, victory ouer the world in this life, and all future felicity proceede [Page 102] from Christ, as from their Authour, or Spring-head, from whence they flow.

There is much liberty in the world, there is a peace of worldlings, many honours and outward fauours, giuen them by GOD, but not through Christ.

Many men haue had victories from God, as Nebuchadnezzar, Caesar, Pom­pey, Tamerlane, the great Turkes, and many moe vnbeleeuers,Rom: 5: 1. but not through Iesus Christ.1 Cor: 15: 57. But spirituall peace,Rom: 6: 23. liberty, life, health, ioy, victo­ry, and saluation,Ephes: 5: 1. no man hath but by Iesus Christ or Lord.

So then, if we were not of Adam, and had not Adams nature in vs, and sinne, which doth defile it, we should neither be men, nor sinnefull men, and so not men subiect vnto death. Euen so, if we were not members of Christ, sprung from him as our head, and had him not in vs and with vs, we could not bee Christian men, we could not bee spiri­tuall and holy, we could not bee vnder grace, but vnder the Law, we could not bee free, but bond-men, wee could not [Page 103] be iustified, we could not be saued.

A man therefore that would haue life, light, grace and glory, and so be­come a true blessed man, must needes haue Christ his head, hee must needes be his member, he must needs be cou­pled with him, and issue from him, as well as sinners (to make them men and sinners) haue their father Adams na­ture in them, and that, which doth in­fect and poyson it.

Now Christ is the head of the Church, as hee is both God and Man. Euen so wee who are his members, are vnited to him, as hee is both God and Man.

Christ, God and Man dwelleth in vs, and we dwell in Christ, who is God and man. We are partakers of both his na­tures, diuine and humane: Christ is in vs, as touching both, and wee are in him, as touching both: hee in vs, and wee in him: and both fast knit toge­ther.

But this must be wisely vnderstood; and for the cleering heereof, I will speake a little yet more fully and pun­ctually, by the helpe of Christ, who is [Page 104] abundantly able beyond all to vnfolde and define what this vnion is, and to answer all the questions, that may bee put about it.

First it is readily granted, that the diuine nature of Christ filleth heauen & earth, and is essentially all the world ouer present whole in all places, and at all times.

Secondly, that very Man Iesus Christ, the Virgins Sonne, hath the diuine nature by hypostaticall vnion: so that in the person of the eternall Sonne of God, which is not double, but single, the two natures, diuine and humane, are vnited fast together, and for euer, the humane beeing recei­ued into God, hauing neuer had any personall subsistence out of the person of the Sonne of God. A certaine simi­litude thereof is in the Misselto, which (as Pliny writeth) growes not but in a Plant of another kinde.Plin. hist. nat. lib. 16. cap. 44. Indeed wher­as the Misselto may be pluckt by force or stubbed vp out of the plant it grows in, the humane nature of Christ can­not be seuered from the Word.

Thirdly, the Coniunction of the [Page 105] flesh with the Deity is extended as far, as the Deity it selfe. For the Deity is no where seuered from the Man-head: but yet the actuall Position of the flesh is restrained and tied to a certaine place.

Doubt not (sith Saint Austin) but that the man Christ Iesus is now in that very place,Aug. ep. 57. from whence hee shall come in the same for me and substance of flesh, which he carried thither, and from which he hath not taken nature, but giuen thereunto im­mortality. According to this forme hee spreddeth not out himselfe into all places. For it behooueth vs to take great heede, lest while wee goe about to maintaine the glorious Deity of him, which is man, wee leaue not the true bodily substance of man. So then, tho the flesh bee actually sea­ted there, or there, & not euery where: yet it is euery where ioyned to the God­head, which filleth the whole world: and no place, no not hell it selfe doth hinder that Coniunction.

But though wee cannot say that the Man-head of Christ is euery where present, yet we may truely say that the man Christ is euery where present: be­cause that person is euery where pre­sent, [Page 106] from whose God-head the Man-head is no where separated: or, because this man is very God, and so by his Dei­ty he is omni-present, tho in his huma­nity hee bee but in one particular space or place at once. So by reason of the hypostaticall vnion wee may say the man Iesus is eternall, is omnipotent, is God, is Mediatour betweene God and Man. But wee cannot so speake of his mans nature.

Fourthly, the flesh or humane na­ture of Christ, or Christ as he is a true man consisting of soule and body, now knit together, may bee rightly sayd to hee euery where present, as touching co-operation with the God-head, and that in all things.

For the diuine nature of Christ, which before his incarnation wrought all things without the man-head, doth now worke nothing, wherein the man-head, which he hath assumed, is either absent from it, or idle.

He which came downe from heauen, and descended into hell, is ascended in­to heauen, that sitting at the right hand of God, inuested with all maiesty, [Page 107] might, power, honour and glory, hee might from thence gouerne and dis­pose all things, and fill his Church with the gracious and blessed fruites of his sauing presence.

His humane nature before his glo­rious Ascension, and Session, was not without the possession of this power: but the full vse and exercise thereof was suspended, till his humiliation, which had before vailed Maiesty, was ended, and laide aside.

For the Session at the right hand of his Father is the actuall exercise of that power and regency, wherein his Man-head was ioyned and matched with his Godhead.

This regencie and dominion hee now exerciseth, both as God and man; as God, by essentiall presence with all things; as Man, by cooperation with his Godhead, which is essentially all the world ouer.

I say then that the Manhead of Christ cooperates with his Godhead, to which it is personally ioyned. For the humane will of Christ assenteth to althings, which his diuine will affecteth, [Page 108] and willeth, what the diuine dislikes. And from his humane vnderstanding nothing, which his Deity worketh, is concealed: so that by knowledge and assent the soule of Christ is present with all things, which his Deiry worketh.

And as concerning his very bodie of flesh: seeing it is the Body of God, and personally vnited to the Godhead of the Sonne of God, by whom it was al­so made a propitiatorie Sacrifice for the sinnes of the whole world, it there­fore receiueth a Presence of force and efficacie, by reason of the said Con­iunction, throughout all ages and ge­nerations of men. In so much that no stint, or limit, can be set to the value, vertue, and merite of his sacrificed body it knoweth no bounds of effica­cie vnto life: but is also it selfe infinite­ly able to purge and saue all in any place, or age, on whom Christ is plea­sed to conferre it.

Wee are then vnited by the vnion of grace to our blessed Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ, being locked and ioyned to him by the vnion of a singular and most blessed Dependance, as hee is both [Page 109] God and Man.

For our very being, as we are Chri­stians, & true members of the Church, his body, doth wholly depend vpon him.

Our new life and pardon, our iu­stice and holinesse, and all our spiritu­all and celestiall gifts and comforts, flow from him, as water from a foun­taine, or as light from the Sunne, and altogether depend vpon him so, as that if any thing could come betwixt vs and him, that could seuer vs from him, or from the gracious operations of his Godhead, or from the Coope­ration and merits of his Manhead, we could not, wee should not continue new creatures, Saints, or liuing mem­bers of his mysticall body, one mo­ment of time: but must needes pre­sently become nothing, dead, cursed, slaues, fire-brands of hell, and perish­able.

I say againe, the Godhead of Christ is in vs, dwells in vs, and we in it; not onely because it fills vs, as it fills all things else, and is present with vs, as it is throughout all the world: but be­cause [Page 110] cause it worketh mightily in vs, and ve­ry graciously, powring foorth and giu­ing vs all our new being, life, ioyes and vertues, which we haue: and for that it doth also susteine and keepe vs in this good estate, it sets vs in. In which respect we may truely say that God is absent from the reprobate, and that they are separated from him. And therefore also Saint Gregorie saith that All we, which belieue in Christ, Greg. in Iob. l. 2. c. 16. are out of doubt his body. And because he is become the head of his members by a maruellous dispensation of pietie, therefore he is also onely with vs, the rout of Reprobates being repulsed.

The Church of Christ is the chosen inheritance of Christ, Rab. in Eccles. l. 5. c. 13. as Rabanus truely speaketh: and therefore the Godhead of Christ visits and tends her onely with the visitation and presence of grace and mercy to saluation, passing ouer the vast and drie Desarts, and craggy rockes, and sterilous moun­taines of wicked Cast-awayes, which are the heritage of Satan, and confu­sion.

I say further, the very flesh of Christ [Page 111] is in vs, and we in it. And that, not onely Propter identitatem naturee, be­cause he hath a true humane soule and body, as we haue, but without sin: like as the head and the body,2 Cor. 5. 21. and the vine and her branches haue one kinde of substance or nature:Heb. 2. 16. 17. & 4. 15. nor yet onely Propter conformitatem affectuum, Cyril. in Job. l. 10. c. 13. for conformity of affections, or similitude of vertues, or for because hee is in our hearts by loue, and we in his, which may be among faithfull louers, and louing couples: but also, because wee are his worke and creation, his fruite and edifice. His very flesh doth sancti­fie vs, his bloud doth clense vs: by the meanes and vertue whereof, being the flesh and bloud of God, our soules are quickned,Act. 20. 28. our hearts are purified, our sinnes are washed away, and wee nou­rished, refreshed, strengthened, and preserued to life and glory.

From this sacred flesh of his our ve­ry bodies doe receiue that life, which shall make them glorious at the latter day, and for the which they are now reputed parcels of his blessed body.

These corruptible bodies of ours [Page 112] could neuer liue the life, they shall liue, but that they are here ioyned with his body, which is incorruptible, and that his is in ours, as a cause of immor­tality; a cause by remouing, through the inualuable death and merite of his owne flesh, that, which hindered the life of ours.

And if a man may say the fire is in a man, when the heat and vertue of the fire is in him, as when he is hot, burnt, scorcht, or scalded, well then may a man truely say that Christ is in a man, who partakes of his merit, vertue, and operations, and who hath his very spi­rit dwelling and abiding in him, who moulds him, turnes him, fashions him, mortifies him, quickens him, and repaires him, scorching, drying, con­suming, and burning vp the petulant and luxurious lusts and humors of sin within him.

Christ then, both as God and Man, is in vs, within vs, and is our Head,Col. 2. 10. in whom we are compleat.

And as from the head is conueied sense and motion into all the parts of the body. And as the same soule, which [Page 113] is in the head, is in all the members of the body, quickning, mouing and di­recting them. Euen so the holy Spi­rit of Christ is from Christ deriued in­to all the members of his spirituall bo­dy: and from him, as God and Man, wee receiue our godly life and being, and all those perfections, wherein our godlinesse and happinesse standeth.

The Godhead indeed is the fountain of all grace and comforts: but the man­head is the conduit-pipe, by which they are from that fountain, or spring-head, conueyed and brought vnto vs, euen as bloud is diffused by veines through­out the body from the liuer, or as the sinewes do minister sense and motion from the braine.

But whereas, sinewes, veines, and pipes of wood, lead or other matter, lacke reason, iudgement and will, the flesh of Christ is furnished with them in all perfections: so that indeed nei­ther the Deity without the Humanity, nor the Humanity without the Deity, but both do work together for our good, and worke-out our life and glorie.

So then, we participate whole Christ, [Page 114] and the whole of Christ. We participate Christ, God and Man, agent and pa­tient, liuing and dying, descending & ascending, abased and exalted.

Hee, that hath the tree, hath the fruits: he, that hath the field, hath the corne: he, to whom the sheep belongs, is owner also of the fleece and fruite.

We participate Christ partly by im­putation, his obedience, holinesse, and sufferings, being imputed to vs, and iudged to be ours, For the Suretie be­ing ours, his mony is also ours, to pay our debts, hauing freely vndertaken vpon him so to doe. This mony is the iustice of Christ imputed to vs, where­with we buy out our iustification and liberty, which we haue in Christ Iesus. This (as Salomon speakes of mony) doth answere all things. Eccles. 10. 19. By it we obteine accesse to God, pardon of our sinnes, redemption from our enemies, and euerlasting saluation.

And partly also we participate him by habituall and reall infusion, as when grace is really wrought within vs, and inhereth inwardly in vs, true holinesse being ingrauen vpon our hearts by the [Page 115] finger of God, whiles we liue on earth, and hereafter more fully, when both our bodies, and our soules, shall bee made like vnto his in perfit glory.

And because Christ worketh by his Spirit, therefore hee bestowes his Spi­rit, euen the holy Ghost, who is brea­thed from him, vpon his whole body, and euery particular member thereof. This Spirit is that odoriferous North­winde, and Southwinde, which blowes vpon the Garden of Christ Iesus, which is the Church,Cant. 4. 16. that the spices thereof may flow out. These wholesome and sweete windes do nip, and kill the naughty swelling humours of our spi­rits, and doe also mollifie, supple, re­fresh and comfort vs. So that if any man would haue these windes to blow vpon him, let him abide in this Gar­den. If any man would inioy this Spirit, let him abide in Christs body. For as Irenaeus saies well,Iren. lib. 4. cap. 18. Where the Church is, there is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of God is, there is the Church, and euery grace. Ioh. 14. 17. And the spirit is truth.

So then, a godly Christian is more [Page 116] than a man, and farre better then a sinner.

He is become a new Creature, a new man,2 Cor: 5: 17. a Saint on earth, Coloss: 3: 10. a tree transplan­ted out of an ill ground,Rom. 1. 17. out of the world,1 Cor: 1: 2. the Diuels territorie,Gal. 1. 4. and trans­lated into the kingdome of Christ,Col: 1. 14. a brand taken out of the fire, a Lamb pluck­ed out of the Lions mouth, a man taken out of Adam, and incorporated into Christ,1 Cor: 12. 13. a man baptized, that is, regene­rated and ingrafted into that One Body, whereof Christ is Head, euen the head of the whole Church, Militant & Tri­umphant, throughout the World. From whom the whole Body fitly ioyned to­gether, Ephes: 4. 16. and compacted by that, Col. 2. 19. which eue­ry ioynt supplieth, according to the effectu­all working in the measure, of euery part, maketh increase of the Body, vnto the edi­fying of it selfe in loue.

Euery true Christian therefore is a liue-man, a liuing limme of Christs bo­dy, a man reuiued,Ephes: 2: 5. reformed,Col: 2. 11. 13. and as it were transformed into Christ,Ephes: 4. 15. and may say with Saint Paul, I am crucified with Christ: Neuerthelesse I liue, yet not I, Gal. 2. 20. but Christ liueth in mee: and the life [Page 117] which I now liue in the flesh, I liue by the Faith of the Sonne of God, who loued mee, and gave himselfe for me.

Who now would not be a member of this Body, who hath so glorious an head, and is indued with such an excel­lent Spirit?

Behold all the heads of the world, naturall heads, politicall heads, oeco­nomicall heads, Ecclesiasticall heads; what are they all? euen dust, earth, and ashes. A learned head, is but learned earth: a wise head is but wise earth: a great head is but a great clot of earth: a noble head is but noble earth. Em­perors and Kings, the great comman­ders and swayers of the world, they are but earth, imperiall earth, royall earth. Earth and ashes will one day lay them euen with their Subiects. The finest heads it'h world, what are they else, but handfuls of dust: make the best of them, They are but fine dust and a­shes. For all flesh is grasse: all flesh is not one manner of flesh. But there is one manner of flesh of men, another of beasts, another of birds, another of fi­shes. But the flesh of all men, as well [Page 118] as of all beasts, birds, and fishes, is but grasse, very grasse, lesse then grasse: Yet behold how we admire the persons of men, of great men, rich men, Prin­ces, Heads, who are but clay, but dust, but dreames, aliue in the morning and dead at night.

But Christ, our head, our royall head, is aliue and giues life, liues, and will liue for euer: Dust, Death, Diuels, Men and Angels, Earth and Heauen, and all things are at his becke. If hee say to the dead, Liue: they shall liue. If he say to Death it selfe, die, be not: death must die, it cannot longer be. What he will haue done, shall be done, there is no resistance.

Vouchsafe O Lord, to looke vpon me, as thou vsest to looke on those that are enamoured with thee, and doe de­sire thee. My soule thirsteth after thee: Come vnto me, bring me to thee, and let me finde thee, and enioy thee Lord Iesus come quickly, and let mee feele thy grace, and the ioyes of thy Spirit in me.

But the contemplation of our thrice excellent and most blessed head hath [Page 119] made mee tarry a little longer then I thought.

I am come at last, though long first, to the last similitude, which I propoun­ded for the illustration of our Vnion with Christ, which is of an House of Temple, wherein I promise to be plaine and breefe.

The Catholick Church is the Tem­ple,1 Tim: 3. 15. or House of the liuing God. 1 Cor: 3. 11. Christ is the Foundation thereof.Eph: 2: 20. He is the Prin­cipall and energeticall foundation, and chiefe-corner-stone thereof.

The holy Prophets and Apostles are ministeriall foundations and Pillars thereof.Reuel. 21. For by their ministery and doctrine this house is builded,Eph: 2. 20. and confirmed.

Christ also is the chiefest Architect of this building. The Apostles and o­ther Pastors of the Church, are his Mi­nisters,1 Cor. 3. 9. with and by whom hee work­eth,Math: 28. 20. and with whom hee is present to ayde and prosper them to the ende of the world.

They are in this House as Seruants, and vnder-officers,1 Cor: 4. 1. and stewards: but he is in it,Heb: 3. 6. and ouer it as a Maister, be­ing [Page 120] the onely begotten Sonne of God,Hebr. 1. 2. and Heyre of all things. He also is the light and beauty of it.Reu: 21: 23.

This house of Christ groweth out of Christ,Iohn 8. 12. and is ruled by the Faith of Christ. The rule of the Faith is the ho­ly Scripture: The Church is the ground and Pillar of the Truth,1 Cor: 3. 15. Chrysost. and the trueth is the ground and Pillar of the Church: yea therefore shee is the ground of the trueth, because the truth is the ground of her, and for because the spirit of Truth inhabits and directs her:Iohn 14. 17. which spirit, because hee spake in the holy men of God,2 Pet. 1. 22. is therefore best able to giue the sence of the Scripture, & accordingly doth teach the Church all truths therein contained, needfull to saluation.

This house is a spirituall house, a li­uing Temple,1 Pet: 2. 5. and Christ is the Life thereof,1 Cor: 6. and his Spirit possesses and keepes it.

All the stones of this Temple are liuing stones, I Pet: 2. 5. growing out of the liuing and life-giuing Rocke, on which the Temple standeth. They are all made aliue, and kept aliue by the Spirit of [Page 121] Christ, who is resident alwaies,1 Cor. 6. 9. & pre­sident in them.

There are in these diuersities of gifts and operations, but the same Spirit which worketh all in all.1 Cor: 12. 4. 6. Who is sea­uen,Reuel. 1. 4. yea seauenty times seauen fould, not in person (for so hee is but one) but in variety of gifts and gracious opera­tions.Eph: 4. 4.

Now as the foundation beares vp all the house that is layd vpon it: so Christ holds vp and confirmes the Church, beeing rooted and built in him,Col. 2. 7. and stablished in the Faith. And this he doth, partly by his prouidence and circumspection, and partly by his merits and efficacy, through his Spirit.

And as all the parts of an house are compact together, and ioyned to the foundation: so are all true beleeuers, all deuout and sincere Christians knit together in one,Colos: 2. 2. 7. & ioyned vnto Christ by Faith and Charity (as it were by lime, pins, nayles, and sawder) through the holy Ghost, who heweth, frameth, and setteth euery stone in order in Christ, In whom all the Building fitly fra­med [Page 122] together,Eph: 2: 20.groweth vnto an holy Tem­ple to the Lord.

This is a rare and singular house: for they that are heereof, are Stones, and Kings,1 Pet: 1: 5. 9. and Priests.Reuel: 1: 6. So then the Church is a liuing Temple, a spirituall House, and a Royall Priesthood: a kingdome of Priests, and a Priestlie kingdome.

And no maruell it is if Christians be stones, seeing Christ Iesus, out of whom they are cut, and grow, bee a Rocke: or though they haue a cer­taine Kingdome and Priesthood, see­ing they be members of him who is a King and Priest.Psal: 45. They are Christians:1 Iohn: 2: it is enough; they are annoiuted with the oyle of gladnesse, that they may be able to ouercome the Deuiil, the World▪ and the Flesh, as Kings that raigne by Christ; and may also haue grace like Priests to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Christ, with whose holy oyle they are annoin­ted.

For as the precious oyntment, that was powred vpon Aarons head,Psal: 133: 2. ranne downe vpon his beard, and went down [Page 123] on the border of his garments: So the holy oyle, the most sweete and sauing oyle, which was powred vpon our head Christ Iesus, hath runne downe ouer all his body into all his members, and be-deawes them all, as the deaw of Hermon, which falleth vpon the mountaines of Zion. And (which is no small fauour) this precious and ho­ly oyntment tarrieth on vs,1 Ioh: 2: 27. and dwelleth in vs, as S^t. Iohn doth assure vs.

In a word, this Temple, this House hath a priuiledge aboue all the temples and houses in the world.

For no winde can driue it downe, no water can wash it downe, no fire can burne it downe, no canon can beat it downe, no weight can weigh it downe, no might can cast it downe, no witch­craft can worke it downe, no vndermi­ner can vndermine it downe, no thun­der or lightning can teare or fire it downe: neither men nor Diuels haue power ouer it. For Christ vpholds it against all assaults of enemies whatsoe­uer. It is built by Christ vpon himselfe who hath also sayd that the gates of hell, Matth: 16: 18. shall not ouercome it. Christ hath spoken [Page 124] this concerning no house, that is mate­riall and earthly, but onely of this his owne spirituall Temple: and beeing Truth it selfe,Ioh: 14: 6. we may well beleeue him.1 Ioh: 5: 19. Whose house we are, Heb: 3: 6. if we hold fast the con­fidence, and reioycing of hope to the end, as the Apostle speakes vnto the He­brewes.

Thus haue we seene our Coniunction with Christ, Ioh: 14: 20. who is in vs, and wee in him.

He is in vs, as a cause in the effect: wee are in him, as the effect is in the cause.

He is in vs, as a worke-man is in his worke: we are in him, as a worke is in the worke-man.

We are in him, as Eue was in Adam: he is in vs as Adams rib and nature was in Eue.

Hee is in vs, as the Sunne is in the aire or house, to illuminate and warme it: we are in him, as the aire or an house is in the Sunne, which is lightned and warmed of it.

He is in vs as a kernell or seede, and the earth it growes in is in the plant:Similitudo non c [...]rrit quat uor pedibus. we are in him, as the plant is in the kernel [Page 125] or seede of which it comes, and in the ground, in which it is set, and by which it is fed.

He is in vs, and we in him, as Adam is in his children, and his children in him: or as the fountaine is in the ri­uer, and the riuer in it: or as a roote is in the boughes, and they in the root.

But who is able sufficiently to ex­presse these things? who can declare how hee is fashioned in his mothers wombe? or tell how his soule and bo­dy are knit together:Ephes: 5: 32. This is a great my­stery, saith Saint Paul; but I speake con­cerning Christ and the Church.

I doubt not but that many a poore soule is the Spouse of Christ, and one of his true members, tho hee be not a­ble to say much about his vnion and incorporation,1 Cor: 12: 13. which is by the Spirit of Christ.

And though a man sayd neuer so much hereof, and could speake of hea­uen, as if hee had beene there, yet all were but dreames, vnlesse hee bee ioy­ned to Christ, and haue his spirit really to possesse and leade him.

That which quickneth vs, is the spi­rit [Page 126] of Christ:1 Cor: 15: 22: 45 and his flesh that where­with he quickneth vs.

That which sanctified our nature in Christ, that which made it a sacrifice of reconciliation,Heb: 9: 14. is the same, which quickneth it, raised it from the graue, and exalted it to glory.

And therefore if a man haue not the Spirit, or God-head of Christ, and be partaker of his flesh, hee is but a dead man, a miserable man, a man vnmor­tified, vnsanctified, and without hope of glory. I am the liuing bread (saith Christ) which came downe from heauen. Ioh: 5: 21: 53. If any man eat of this bread, hee shall liue for euer: and the bread, that I will giue, is my flesh, which I will giue, for the life of the world. Except yee eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drinke his blood, yee haue no life in you.

But how can a man eat bread, if hee haue it not? How can wee eat his flesh and drinke his blood, vnlesse wee haue it? The truth is, hee that giues vs this meat to eat, must also giue vs hands to take it, and mouthes to taste and eat it, and a stomacke to craue and holde it. We must needes therefore be vnited to [Page 127] Christ, and be truely possessed of him and of his grace, or else we cannot liue by him.

And because no man eats him, but by grace, and for that no grace is but by the holy Ghost, who diuideth to euery man seuerally,1 Cor: 12: 11. as he will, and seeing by this eating of Christ hee is not turned into vs as bodily food, but wee receiue nurriture and confirmation from him, and are transmuted into him, and grow vp in him, and he in vs, which nei­ther can bee wrought, but by the Holy Ghost, it is of absolute necessity that we bee partakers of the holy Ghost, and haue him dwelling in vs.

So then whatsoeuer men talke of the Spirit, all is nothing, they doe but beat the aire, and make a dinne, they are most miserable wretches, viler then the dust on their shooe-soles, vnlesse they be endued with him.

Hee it is which annoynted the bles­sed soule of our Sauiour Iesus Christ, and which doth fashion, vnite, ani­mate, and actuate all that spring from him, in all the ages and places of the world, as if both he and they together [Page 128] were so many members or parts com­pacted into one body, being all posses­sed and indued with one and the selfe samesoule.

This Coniunction is most sweet and comfortable, and indeed that, wherein our blessednesse consisteth, whiles we liue on earth, and giues vs right vnto the perfect blessednesse of the life to come.

We count it a great courtesie to bee taken into some Corporation or So­ciety amongst men in some Towne, Ci­ty, or Colledge; and esteeme it a great aduancement, when a poore Mayden is married to a Prince, or to some mighty rich man: what fauour then hath God shewen vs, how highly hath hee graced vs, how great is our happi­nesse, seeing hee hath giuen vs vnto his one eternall and only Sonne, to whom wee are fast vnited, with whom wee are clothed, whose spirit, grace and merits we do participate, and from whom no­thing shall be able to disioyne and part vs, no not the gates of hell?

What shall wee render vnto the Lord for his loue vnto vs? what prai­ses [Page 129] shall wee sing vnto him? O Lord, what is man, that thou shouldst so re­gard him, or the son of man, that thou shouldst so aduance him? Man is a worme, & the son of man is a worme, dust and ashes, sin, shame, and confusi­on. What are we all, euen the best of vs all, but vapors, shadowes, dreames, glasses, and very vanity? yet as base, as wee be, the great God of heauen hath lookt downe vpon vs, and not scorn'd vs. O Lord, how shall we praise thee? where shall wee beginne, or how shall we make an end?

The Angels, which transgressed, thou hast passed by, and wouldst not giue thy Son vnto them. Thou dost punish their pride against thee, and their enuie at our felicity. They fell without a Tempter, and they pe­rish without a Sauiour. But man, poore man, distressed wretch, who being fallen by Sathans subtiltie, had no strength left him to rise againe, and with himselfe ouerthrew all his issue, thou hast out of pure pity relieued and raised vp againe, and a many also of his children, euen as many, as thy [Page 130] grace made choyce of.

On him thou didst bestow thy Son, thy deare and onely childe. Thou hast espoused and knit vs to him. His we are (who once were Satans) hee is our life,Col. 3. 4. 11. our crowne, our hope, our happinesse.

In him we haue all things, and he is all things in and to vs.

Wee poore wretches are sicke and wounded: but he is our phisique and Phisician; in him we find perfit health and soundnesse.

We are weake and feeble, but he is our fortitude and strength.

We are naked, hauing nothing on vs, but rotten ragges, and stinking patches: but he is rayment for vs, and doth aray vs, and preserue vs from cold and nakednesse.

We are hungry and thirsty, empty and hollow, yea euen famished for lacke of meate: but hee is meate and drinke, Pabulum & Pastor, our food, and feeder, our nurriture, and our nurse,1 Cor. 6. Esca mentis, non ventris, meate indeed for the soule, not for the belly. Meates are for the belly, and the belly [Page 131] for meates, and God will destroy both it and them: but this foode is for the soule, and the soule for it, and the soule shall besaued by it, if it doe receiue it, and shall not be destroyed. All refecti­ons are in him: if we haue him, we can lacke no meat to strengthen vs, no drinke to coole vs, no wine to cheere vs, no dainties to content vs, no waters to reuiue and comfort vs.

All the aqua vitae, aqua caelestis, aurum potabile, all the waters, wines, & drinks in the world, cannot quicken a dead man, or preserue a liuing man, that he see not death; much lesse then are they able to reuiue a dead soule, and to saue soule and body from hell fire, and raise a dead body from his dust.

But our Lord Iesus Christ, in whom we are, and he in vs,Joh. 14. & 17. whose flesh wee eate,Ioh. 6. 50. 54. whose bloud we drinke, he, he is able, fully able to do all this for vs.

He is the Fountaine of the gardens, Cant. 4. 15. the well of liuing waters, Eph. 4. the Leader of cap­tiuity captiue,1 Cor. 15. the death of death,Col. 3. the destruction of the graue,Eph. 5. and the Au­thor of life, grace and immortalitie to all his body.

[Page 132] When we were cast forth in our na­kednes and bloud,Ezek 16. and lay as forlorne and dead, he, I say, he came to vs, took pity vpon vs, and clothed vs, and said vnto vs liue, Col. 2. 13. and we are become aliue.

He hath crucified our sinnes, wash­ed our soules,Reu: 1. reconciled vs to God,1 Cor: 5. quieted our mindes,Rom. 5. saued vs from hel, giuen vs his Spirit, the Spirit of life and comfort, of grace and holinesse: and when the fulnesse of time is come,Ioh. 5. he will raise vp our dead bodies,1 Cor. 15. and make vs triumph ouer death, and hell, and sin, and all our infernall enemies, in eternall and euer-blessed glory with him; his holy Name be praised for euer, and for euer, Amen.

The Time, wherein we are first ioy­ned vnto Christ actually, the time, I say, in which he is first actually in vs so, as hath been said, and wee actually in him, is at our effectuall calling and tur­ning vnto God, then when wee are first actually incorporated by the Spirit in­to his body.

As concerning Gods eternall coun­sell, and fore-knowledge, and purpose of adoption, and incorporation, wee [Page 133] were in Christ, and Christ in vs, be­fore the foundations of the world were laide: but we are not actually knit vnto him, he is not actually giuen to vs, and we to him, vntill we be actually rege­nerated, or called: Euen as Eue was not actually vnited to Adam, till God made her, and gaue her to him, and hee receiued her. And our being in Christ by eternall foreknowledge saues vs not without our actuall cal­ling, and adoption, and our reall in­corporation in time into his body, which is perfit in him, the head, whence all the body by ioints and bands hauing nourishment ministred, and knit to­gether, Col. 2. 10. 19. increaseth with the increase of God. The time when our Vnion and Contract with Christ shall be solemnly celebrated, is at the latter day, then when our dead bodies are restored a­liue and glorious vnto vs, and when all our enemies shall bee actually troden vnder our feete, and for euer. Against which day hee prepare and fit vs for himselfe, who hath prepared it for himselfe, and vs. Come ô Lord, Lord Iesus come quickly, & take vs to thee.

[Page 134] The man, that is vnited vnto Christ and is partaker of him and of his bene­fits, that man (I say) may discerne this his blessed vnion with Christ, and Christs abode within him by these notes ensuing.

Our blessed Lord and Sauiour saith, if a man loue me, Ioh. 14. 23. he will keepe my wordes, and my father will loue him: and wee will come vnto him, and make our abode with him. He therefore, that loueth Christ, and keepeth his word, hath Christ in him, and is in Christ.

Againe, behold, I stand at the doore, and knocke: Reu: 3. 20. if any man heare my voice and open the doore, I will come into him, and sup with him, and he with me. He there­fore that heares Christ speaking to him in the ministery of the word and good motions of the Spirit, and opens the doore of his heart,Psal. 24. that this glori­ous King may come into him (for hee will not breake in like a Theife or Murderer by violence, against a mans will) he hath Christ in him, and hee is himselfe in Christ. For Christ is in no man, as a Sauiour, but in him, who as a man saued is in Christ, And hee is a [Page 135] Sauiour to none, but such, as entertain him for their Lord, and will be ruled by him, as obedient and louing Sub­iects.

Further,Ioh. 6. 47. He, that belieueth in me, hath euerlasting life. Therefore by true faith in Christ a man belieuing may see his vnion and fellowship with Christ. For no man hath eternall life, but he, that is in Christ, and hath Christ. For Christ is the life, euen eternall life: life, euen euerlasting is in him, and floweth from him.Rom. 8. 1.Yea Christ expressely saith, Hee that eateth my flesh, 1 Ioh. 5. 12. and drinketh my bloud, Ioh. 14. 6. dwelleth in me and I in him. But, qui credit, 1 Ioh. 5. 11. 20 edit, he eateth, that belieueth. Why preparest thou thy teeth, Ioh. 6. 56. and thy bel­ly, saith Saint Austin, Belieue, and thou hast eaten, Crede, & manducasti, He eat­eth him, which belieueth in him. Noli pa­rare fauces, sed cor: make not ready thy chaps for the matter, but thine heart.

For a good soule is a good stomach: a good minde is mouth inough: it is no matter tho the teeth be rotten, and the gummes be naught, if the faith bee sound: or tho the mouth be shut, if the heart be open.

[Page 136] Moreouer, he that dwelleth in God, & God in him, dwelleth in Christ, and Christ in him.Ioh. 14. 10. 11. For Christ is in God, and God in him.Ioh. 17. 23. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfit in one. Now we may know that God dwells in vs, and we in God, by obedience to his precepts, by mutuall loue one towards another, and by his holy spirit.

1 By obedience: For, who so keepeth his word,1 Ioh: 2. 5. in him verily is the loue of God per­fited: hereby know we that we are in him. Hee that keepeth his commandements,1 Ioh. 3. 24. dwelleth in him, and he in him.

2 By mutuall loue: if we loue one an­other, God dwelleth in vs, and his loue is perfit in vs. God is loue, and he, that dwelleth in loue, dwelleth in God, and God in him.

3 By his holy Spirit: Hereby we know that he abideth in vs,1 Joh. 3. 24. by the Spirit, which he hath giuen vs.1 Ioh. 4. 13. And againe, Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and hee in vs, because hee hath giuen vs his spirit.

True it is that there is no condem­nation to them, that are in Christ Ie­sus. But who are they? Euen they, that walke not after the flesh,Rom. 8. 1. but after the spirit.

[Page 137] Certain it is, if any man haue Christ, the same hath the spirit of Christ. For if any man haue not the spirit of Christ, Rom. 8. 9. the same is none of his. And the spirit is knowne by his works, as a strong wind by his effects, as a tree by her fruits, or the soule by her actions in the bodie.Luke 6. 44. But the fruit of the spirit is loue, Gal 5. 22. ioy, peace, longanimity, gentlenesse, goodnes, fidelity, meekenes, temperance. And as the body is dead without the spirit,Iam 1. 26. so is the soule without the spirit of Christ, & a mans faith & godlines without good works, which doth manifest it, as the light doth the sunne, or as the heat doth the truth of fire.

Many men abuse themselues with their owne fansies, thinking they haue the spirit of Christ in them, whereas in truth they liue in the flesh, follow the flesh, daunce after the Deuils pipe, run when the world whoops, liuing in ig­norance, and pride, in presumption & security of the flesh, delighting in one knowne euill or other, and will not be separated from it: but cleaue vnto it (let Iohn Baptist say what he will) as He­rod to Herodias his brothers wife. But [Page 138] the truth is, the spirit of God dwells in none, but those that are not in the flesh but in the Spirit: in none,Rom. 8. 9. but those that are led by the spirit, and not by the flesh. And they that are Christs, haue crucified the flesh with the lusts thereof. Gal: 5. 24.

It is no such difficulty for a man to distinguish his friend from his foe, for a Woman to know her owne husband from a stranger, or for a man to know his owne head from another mans. Neyther is it indeed so hard a matter for a true Christian to know Christ to be his and himselfe to be Christs.

Indeede Epicures, Atheists, Mam­monists, malicious Idiots, Hypocrites, and Christians onely in name, finde it not onely difficult, but impossible: or else, like melancholy fooles and fran­ticke men, they feed & fill themselues with foolish fantasies.

For he that would know himselfe to be in Christ, must needs first bee in Christ: as shee that would know her selfe to be such a mans wife, must first bee his wife: or as a man must haue wealth or health before hee know hee [Page 139] hath it, and must bee aliue before hee knowes hee is aliue, and can tell ano­ther that he is aliue.

In vaine doe they say, that they are in Christ, which doe not the works of Christ, and haue not his holy Spirit, but a spirit of vncleannesse in them. And in vaine doe they imagine or tell folkes, that they haue the spirit of Christ, when they adhere vnto Anti­christ, or while they follow and fulfill the lusts of the flesh, as adultery, fornica­tion, vncleannesse, lasciuiousnesse, idolatry, Gal: 5. 19. 21. witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, enuyings, murders, drunkennesse, reuellings, and such like, which whosoeuer doth, 1 Cor: 6. 10. shall not inherit the kingdome of God, and there­fore plainely declare that they are not in Christ, and Christ in them.

The course that men should take to become partakers of Christ and his be­nefits, is this. First duely to consider, and bitterly to lament their wretched­nesse out of Christ, and to hunger and thirst eagerly after him.

For vnlesse we see and feele our mi­serable and fearefull estate without [Page 140] him, wee shall make no reckoning of him.

Vnlesse we know and acknowledge our indigence of him, and that hee is aboundantly able to supply our wants, wee shall not esteeme and desire him.

What should hee doe with a friend or surety, that sees no need of him? Or what should shee doe with a husband, that knowes not what a husband meanes? Or what should they do with money, that knowes not what to doe with it? or with cloathes that know not how to put them on, or what they should doe with them: like the wilde Virginians that count them cumber­some vnto them, choosing to goe na­ked?

A full stomacke loathes an honny­combe, contemnes all sorts of deli­cates: but true hunger makes a man desire and seeke for meate. The sence of sickenesse and nakednesse makes a man desire health and cloathing. The feeling of pouerty and lacke, mooues a man to seeke riches and supply. The pinching of could weather makes a man runne to the fire, and leaue the o­pen [Page 141] ayre. The smart of paines causeth a man to seeke ease. The miseries of warres make men seeke peace and pur­sue it.

Oh that we could see our vnrighte­ousnes, that wee might affect the righ­teousnesse of Christ. Oh that we could feele our heauy sinnes, our sinnes that oppresse our soules, and haue swallow­ed vs vp, that Christ might deliuer vs from them, and giue vs ease. Oh that we could feare, that we might come to hope, and sorrow, that wee might re­ioyce in Christ. They that would haue much ioy, must first haue much sor­row: there is no way to sound ioyes, but by bitter sorrow: and a little sorrow will sustaine but a little ioy: Of short sorrow arises but short ioy: of counter­fet sorrowes, but counterfet ioyes.

He that would hope, must feare: the true way to hope, is by true feare, and they that would hope much, must fear much: they that would build high, must digge low; the tallest trees haue the deepest roots: a little feare will sup­port but a little hope: a little distrust but a little confidence.

[Page 142] Oh that we could, and at last would distrust our selues, that wee might re­pose all trust in Christ.1 Pet. 2. He that beleeueth in him shall not be ashamed.

Oh that wee could sorrow, lament and howle for our vilenesse, and weepe bitterly for our sinnes with Peter, and euen wash our Sauiours feete with our teares, as that poore penitent woman did. Oh that the fountaines of sorrow were broken vp within vs, that whole flouds of teares might gush out from vs: then all our sorrowes should be tur­ned into ioyes, our mourning into merriment, and our teares into songs.

O that we could goe downe into the deepes, the deepest deepes, and cry out (as Ionah did) out of the belly of hell. Ionas 2. 2. Then our feares would be chang'd in­hope, and our sighes would end in so­lace. Oh that our soules did faint with­in vs, and that wee were euen brought vnto true despaire of our own strength and valour, that wee might onely trust in Christ, and seeke to him for succour. For all other helpes are but as a sli­ding foote, a rotten tooth, and a silly reede. And they that waite vpon lying [Page 143] vanities, forsake their owne mercie.

Behold we the spirit of S. Paul, Ion: 2: 8. who was able to say for himselfe as much as another; yet seeing his owne necessities and the perfections of Christ, hee was content to cast off himselfe, to put on Christ: to cast downe himselfe, to build vp himselfe in Christ: to vilifie himselfe to be made glorious in Christ: to become nothing in himselfe, to bee something (euen that whole thing which he is) in Christ: and euen to lose him­selfe in himselfe, that hee might finde himselfe safe in Christ.

What things (saith hee) were gaine to me,Phil: 3: 7. those I counted losse for Christ. Yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ my Lord. For whom I haue suffered the losse of all things, and doe count them but dung, that I may winne Christ, and be found in him, not hauing mine owne righte­ousnesse which is of the Law: but that, which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousnesse which is of God by faith: that I may know him, and the power of his Resurrection, and the fellow-ship of his suf­ferings, being made conformable vnto his [Page 144] death: if by any meanes I might attaine vnto the resurrection of the dead.

Secondly, to gaine Christ Iesus and his graces, and gracious blessings, wee ought to apply our selues to the Mini­stery of the Word and Sacraments. For these are the golden pipes, through which the oyle of the spirit is conuayed and brought vnto vs, and by which we become enriched with the merits and vertues of our Sauiour.

For as concerning the Word:Iam: 1: 8. it is the word of truth, by which we are be­gotten in Christ to God by the Spirit, who worketh by it.Heb: 6: 5. It is the good word of God: a word, that conuerteth the soule and giueth wisdome to the simple. Psal: 19: 7.

It is the word of grace, the word of life,Phil: 2: 15. 1 Tim: 4: 6. Tit: 2: 8. Ephes: 6: 15: & 1: 13. Iam: 1: 21: the word of faith, an wholesome word, the word of peace, the word of saluation, able to saue the soule, in which it is engrafted.

It is a word that shewes vs our poor­nesse, nakednesse, blindnesse, and wretchednesse, and is withall that hap­py organ of grace and glory, in the which God shewes vs his Sonne, in whom we may haue remedy, and holds [Page 147] him out vnto vs, willing vs to take him of him: and by receiuing of which word we may come to enioy that sub­stantiall and thrice-blessed Word, who is our life and glory.

And as touching the Sacraments: they are not onely memorials, signes and testimonies, but effectuall meanes and instruments (not naturall, but mo­rall: not humane, but diuine) by the which God, when wee take the Sacra­ments, deliuereth vnto vs Christ Iesus and his merits, and that grace that is needefull to saluation.

By these wee are put into possession of Christ, of his spirit and grace, both imputatiue and inhesiue.

In these our Lord Iesus Christ, God and Man, comes vnto our soules, and applyes himselfe vnto vs, and worketh in vs, as he pleaseth.

Yet to speake properly, by Baptisme wee receiue but the beginning of those graces, the increase and confirmati­on whereof wee receiue afterwards by the often receiuing of the Lords Sup­per.

Wee receiue Christ Iesus in Bap­tisme [Page 144] once, as the Author and first Be­ginner: in the Communion often, as being by continuall degrees the Fini­sher and Perfecter of our life.

When wee receiue this Sacrament, the spirit is sent a new into vs: not as if he mooued place (for he is euery where whole all the world ouer) but because he is now to beginne some new grace, or to confirme and augment some for­merly begun, or to raise vp some lan­guishing, or to giue some ioy, some comfort, where either none was, or was scarcely felt, or is decayed.

So then that healing and sauing grace, which Christ originally is, or hath, as the fountaine of life and grace, for the good of the whole Church, hee doth seuerally by Sacraments diuide and deriue into euery particular mem­ber thereof Neither doth hee ordina­rily bestow the grace of Sacraments on any, but by Sacraments.

But yet this grace, which wee receiue by the Sacraments organically, wee re­ceiue not from them energetically, but from him: as they that looked vpon the brazen serpent,Wisd: 16: 7. were not healed by [Page 145] that they saw, but by the Lord, their Sauiour.

But yet it is very iust, and more then probable, that they which contemne or neglect the Sacraments, should bee without the grace of the Sacraments.

Christ is the kernell of the word and Sacraments: they, that would eat the kernell, must cracke the shell. These are the vestiments in which hee comes vnto vs.

They are worthy to goe without him, that will not vse the meanes to get and keepe him.

Without doubt it is either igno­rance, or worldlinesse, or wantonnes, and presumption, or something that is naught, that makes men contemne and passe by these holy ordinances of Christ.

I assure my selfe their stomackes are full, their hearts a sleepe, and their mouths out of taste (something doubt­lesse is amisse) that they haue so small desire to them, and feele so little sweet­nesse in them.

Something doth bewitch them, that they can neither see nor feele their own [Page 146] wants, nor that superabundance of sup­ply, that is offered to them in Christ, who stretcheth foorth himselfe, and exhibits his spirit, and all his merits in these holy mysteries.

Questionlesse these men lacke faith, in steade whereof their heads are fil­led full of fansies. For had they faith, they would flie to the Communion, and presse on themselues, as she in the Gospell,Matth: 9. in her issue, whose faith made her come to Christ, and goe behinde him, tho but to touch the outer gar­ment of Christ. And what followed? vertue went foorth of Christ, shee was instantly cured. Christ Iesus is offered vnto vs in the Sacrament. Now if wee would come to it, as shee did to his gar­ment, we should finde grace. But how came she? her body was consumed, her bloud was spent, her purse was empti­ed: and all this shee felt, and was well affected with. Further, she saw all her helps failed her. Shee doth despaire of the skill of all Physicians. And for herselfe, shee saw there was no hope of helpe in nature, which dayly decayed in her: she saw she could not long hold [Page 143] out in this estate. What does she then? kill her selfe, or run out to wizards? Oh no: but shee bethinkes her selfe of Christ, whose miracles shee either had seene or heard of. To him she trudges, and touched the hemme of his garment. For shee sayd in her selfe, If I may touch but his garment onely, I shall bee whole. And shee was made whole at that same in­stant. Matth: 9: 22. In like manner the Scripture re­ports of the men of Gennazaret,Mattth: 14: 35. 36. that when once they knew Christ, they sent all the sick people about them to him, and besought him that they might touch the hemme of his garment only. And as many as toucht it, were made whole.

See, these people knew by sense the misery of sicknesse and diseases, as wee say the oxe knowes not the losse of his horne, till hee hath lost it: they also knew Christ and beleeued his power, and they were well perswaded of his gentle nature: neither were they so sim­ple as to thinke his garment able of it selfe to heale them: but they knew that the vertue came from him: but yet they desired onely to touch his gar­ment, [Page 148] because they knew it was a testi­mony or signe sufficient of their confi­dence in him.

Questionlesse Christ is the onely Physician of the soule, the onely foun­taine of life and grace. And in the Sa­crament hee tenders himselfe vnto vs, as he is both God and Man. He is the same that euer he was, as potent, as gra­cious, as easie to be entreated. And we for our parts are full of defects. F [...]ther therefore that men neglect the Sacra­ment, or make light regard thereof, it it because they are ignorant of Christ, and beleeue not in him, but either de­ny his might or else his mercy, or both: or else it is because they are in­sensate and ignorant beasts, without knowledge and feeling of their owne miserable wants and beggerly basenes: or they do not vnderstand & beleeue what the Sacrament is, and what may bee obtained by touching, tasting and receiuing it, in a faithfull, penitent, and humble manner.

But if wee came preparedly to the Sacrament, with good beleefe, and vn­feigned desire of grace, touched with a [Page 149] thorough feeling of our wants, wee should certainely obtaine his Spirit, and receiue grace by the taking and ta­sting of the Sacrament, which grace proceedeth originally from his God­head, which dwelleth personally in his flesh, which is there with his whole per­son and all his merits exhibited to the faithfull and humbled soule.

Faith then wee see is a gift of great importance: for by faith wee come to Christ:Iohn 1. 12. by faith wee loue Christ: by faith we receiue Chirst: by faith we rest in Christ:Rom: 3. by faith wee are iustified by the bloud of Christ:Gal: 2. by faith our harts are purified:Gal: 3. by faith we liue: by faith we walke:Eph: 6. by faith Christ dwelleth in our hearts:1 Pet: 5. by faith wee become the Sonnes of God:1 Iohn 5. by faith wee resist the Deuill: by faith wee ouercome the world: by faith wee are saued. What shall I say more?Heb: 11. Without faith it is im­possible to please God:Heb: 4. without faith the word will be vnprofitable in vs, & the Sacraments likewise: without faith a man cannot enioy Christ: for none shall haue him, but such as doe receiue him, and none receiue him, but such as [Page 150] put their confidence in him, and rest contented in his loue And in a word In Christ Iesus neyther circumcision auai­leth any thing, Galat. 5. 6. nor vncircumcision: but faith, which worketh by loue.

A man lackes nothing, that hath himselfe: but he hath himself that hath Christ, and hee hath Christ that belee­ueth in Christ, in the power of Christ, in the grace of Christ, in the worde of Christ, & rests himselfe in his doctrine, regency and saluation. Hee that hath faith hath all things; but hee that is without faith, hath nothing, but in the middst of all things round about him, is nothing. All the riches, treasures, ho­nours, and learning in the world come short of the worke, the worth and effi­cacy of true Christian Faith.

This is enough to make it esteemed, because by it he dwelleth in our hearts, who hath riches for vs if we be poore;Eph: 3. 17. sight for vs, if we be blind; hearing for vs, if we be deafe; apparell for vs, if we be naked; bread for vs; if wee be hun­gry; drinke for vs, if wee bee thirsty; strength for vs, if we be weake; health for vs if we be sicke; freedome for vs, if [Page 151] we be in bonds; and sufficient meanes of satisfaction if we be in debt, and will come by faith, and seeke vnto him for his grace.

O Lord increase in mee faith, and helpe mine vnbeleefe. O Lord open my blind eyes, that I may see my wret­chednesse, and beholde thy glory. Touch me with a liuely sence thereof, that I may flye to thee for succour.

Come downe to me, and make mee to goe vp to thee.

Seeke me vp, that I may seeke thee, and seeking thee may finde thee.

Let me finde no rest in my selfe, till I doe finde rest in thee.

Vnite me fast vnto thee, that I may enioy thee, and in enioying thee, enioy my selfe.

Hold mee, that nothing may with­hold thee from me.

With-hold mee, that nothing may intise or draw me from thee.

Giue me thy selfe, O Lord, yea giue me thy selfe, that I may giue my selfe vnto thee.

Pardon my sinnes, O Lord, O Lord [Page 152] pardon all my sins, and purge me with thy holy spirit.

Guide me, that I may follow thee, and follow mee that I may not goe a­way from thee.

Thou art the way, giue me grace to walke in thee.

Thou art the Trueth; learne me to know thee, and perswade mee to loue thee.

Thou, thou art the Life, make mee to come to thee, and to continue sted­fast in thee.

Thou art the onely Sauiour, saue mee, O Lord, I beseech thee for thy mercy sake, and vouchsafe to deliuer mee from the hands of all mine ene­myes: so shall I praise thy name, for euer and for euer, Amen.

Trin-Vni Deo Gloria in secula seculorum, Amen, Amen, Amen.