CHAP. I. Of the Image of GOD.

THE Image of God in Man, is a conformity or similitude of the Man, concerning th [...]e Soule, Understanding, Spir [...]t, Mind, Will, and all the faculties both of Body [Page 2] and Mind, with God or the holy Trinity, and with all his divine Attributes, vertues, will and proprieties, said, Faciamus, Let us make (which are words, as I may s [...]y, of the Man the Image of the Trinity. sacred Senate of the holy Trinity, Gen. 1.) man, after our image and similitude, and let him rule over the fishes of the sea, and fowles of heaven, and beasts of all the earth, and every creeping thing that moveth on the earth. Whereby evidently appeareth, that the ho­ly Trinity planted his Image in man; so as meere divine holinesse, justice and good­nesse might shine and send forth light in his soule, understanding, will, and hearts de­s [...]e, yea even in his life, and all his acti­ons nothing but divine love, vertue and pu­rity be found in him no otherwise then in the blessed Angels. This Image God had made in man to take delight in, and re­joyce as it wee in his soule. Truly, even as one becomming a father, and beholding himselfe, or an other selfe in his off-spring, cannot but rejoyce with an inward joy hardly to be expressed: So Gods delight and chiefe pleasure was, to be with the sonnes of men, or our first Parents, Prov. 8. For although God rested in all his works, [Page 3] yet he did take singular and chiefe delight in man, because in him his divine Image did most perfectly and exactly appeare or shine forth by his innocency and excellen­cy, The I­mage of the Tri­nity in the soul. or inward beauty. For [...]at cause God had planted three chiefe faculties, as a most ample dowrie, in the soule of man, to wit, Intellect, Will, and Memory; and those the same holy Trinity doth produce & pre­serve, sanctifie and illuminate: and lastly, doth most beautifully adorne them with his graces, gifts, and works. Certainly it is the property of every image whatsoever, to set forth the like forme and figure, nei­ther can it be thought worthy the name of an image, unlesse it be as like as it may be to that body that it ought to represent. Let us take for example of what we say, a loo­king-glasse in this, an image cannot ap­peare unlesse it draw a similitude or like form from elsewhere, and as I may so say, conceive it, then also by how much purer and clearer the glasse is, so much the more evidently doth the image of God appear in it. In like manner, the more clearer and pure the mans soule is, so much the clearer doth the divine Image shew forth it selfe. And [Page 4] therefore to this end our great God crea­ted man altogether pure, without blemish or spot, indued with faculties of soul and body, blamelesse & unreproveable, that the image of God might be seen in him, and not so as in a glasse a vain and livelesse sha­dow appeareth, but a true and a living I­mage and likenesse, or similitude of the in­visible God, and of his inward hidden immense beauty; I say, an Image of the divine wisedome, the understanding of man, of long suffering, goodnesse, meek­nesse and patience of God in the spirit of man, of love and mercy in the affections of the heart, of justice, sanctity, sincerity, and purity in the will, of lowlinesse, gen­tlenesse, humanity and vertue in all his actions and words, of power in his Domi­nion and rule over the earth, and fear of The true use of the image of God. all living creatures granted unto him: last of all, of eternity in the immortalitie of the soule. Moreover, out of this Image man should or ought first of all, know God, and then himselfe; I say, God his Creator to be all things, the chiefe and on­ly being, of whom all other created things have their being, and all those essentially, [Page 5] whose image should shine in man. There­fore seeing that he should cary the image of God is all good­ness es­sential­ly. the divine Goodnesse, it consequently fol­loweth, that God is the chiefe and univer­sall goodnesse essentially, and also the essen­tiall love, life, and holinesse: wherefore to God alone all honour, praise, glory, mag­nificence, where­fore to God a­lone honor & glory is due. fortitude, power, and vertue is due, because he is all these essentially; but to any creature none of all these is due. And thereupon it is, Matth. 19. to a cer­tain man thinking Christ to be onely man, and therefore saying, Good master, what good shall I doe that I may have eternall life? an­swer is made, What doest thou call me good? None is good but onely God alone, that is to say, essentially; and but for, and without God, no good can be. Yet further is to be noted, that man out of this Image, should learn to know himselfe, to wit, that there The I­mage of God ought to re­present nothing but God. is a very great difference between him and God, and man not God himselfe, but his Image, similitude, likenesse, or proportion, in whom God alone should be seen. And therefore besides God, nothing should live, appeare, work, will, love, think, speak, and rejoyce in man; but if any thing else be­sides [Page 6] God should move and work in him, then the man cannot be the Image of God, but his, contrariwise, by whom he is mo­ved, driven, and carried away. And to speak briefly, the man ought to suffer him­selfe wholly to be delivered up, devoted, & resigned up to God, fulfilling the divine God wil be all things in man. will by a passive manner, by denying his [...] proper will, and suffering God alone to doe and work in him: this truly is the accomplishment of God, so that the man may be a more pure and holy instrument of God and his works and will, by which it cometh to passe, the man doth not move his will, but hath the divine will for his own, he loveth not himselfe, but God; he seek­eth not his own honour, but Gods; he chal­lengeth no goods to himselfe, being con­tented to possesse God, and consequently without the love of the world, and the creatures. In briefe, nought should be in man, live and work in him, but God alone, wherein consisteth the chief innocency, pu­rity, and holinesse of man: for what grea­ter The chiefe inno­cency and sim­plicity. innocency can be thought upon, then that the man should not do his own proper will, but to suffer God in him to work, and [Page 7] finish all things? what greater simplicity can there be, then that in little children void of all ambition and selfe-love? The King­dome of God in man both without and within, Christ Jesus shewed a most perfect [...]xample of in his life time, which was the most absolute Image of God, by sacrifi­cing Christ the per­fect I­mage of God. and consecrating his will to his hea­venly Father in perfect obedience, humili­ty and meeknesse, dispoyling himselfe of all honour and selfe-love, all pleasure and joy, permitting God alone to think, speak, and doe all things in him by himselfe alone. In a word, he had the will and pleasure of God for his own, that which God himselfe testified by a voyce sent from heaven, Mat. 3. This is my welbeloved Sonne, in whom I am well pleased; this Jesus Christ, I say, is the true Image of God, out of whom nothing did appeare and shine forth, but God him­selfe, that is to say, meer love and mercy, long-suffering, patiences, meeknesse, mild­nesse, love towards man, holinesse, cons [...] ­lation, life and blessednesse eternall, by him the invisible God would be seen, ma­nifested, God manife­sted in Christ. and known to men, who also yet after a more sublime manner, is the Image [Page 8] of God, according to his Divinity, as be­ing God himselfe, and his essentiall Image, a splendor or clearnesse of the uncreated light, as it is, Heb. 2. of which I will say no­thing now, but onely of his appearing and manifestation according to his humanity in his life and most holy conversation, such an Image of God, or most perfect innocen­cy also Adam had, which I would to God he in true humility and obedience had kept, and had acknowledged himselfe not to be the chiefe good; but yet to be the expresse and perfect Image of the chiefe good. Now seeing he would be the chiefe good, and God himselfe; herewith he con­taminated himselfe with the greatest and most detestable of all sins.

But there was another part of know­ing himselfe through the Image, to be de­sired, that he was made capable of the be­nefits of this divine Image, and most sin­cere pleasure, of flowing love, joy, peace, life, rest, fortitude, vertue, and light, that God alone in him should be all things, and alone live and work, selfe-will being ex­cluded, and the love, and honour, and praise of himself denied, only God should [Page 9] be his glory, and praise and honour: for e-every like is capable of his like, not of his contrary, and in that rejoyceth and is glad: In this wise God had decreed to in­fuse himselfe with all the treasures of his goodnesse into the man, and so goodnesse is most of all communicative of it selfe. Last The chiefest tran­quility is the union of God. of all, by the image of God, the man ought to understand, that he is by it united to God, and in this union the true union of the man doth rest, peace, joy, life, and ever­lasting happinesse: contrariwise, the chief unrest of the mind, torment and vexation, cannot happen otherwise then by ceasing to be the Image of God, or giving over to be the Image of God, turning himselfe from God to the creature, and consequent­ly hereby is frustrated or deprived of the chiefe and eternall good.

CHAP. II. Of the fall and apostasie of Adam.

THe sin of Adam is disobedience against God, by which the man turned from God to himselfe, became a theefe of the divine honour, whilst he went about to make himselfe God, deprived himselfe of the divine image, and perfect hereditary justices and holinesse, blinded in his un­derstanding, in will undutifull and contu­melious against God. Lastly, as concerning the affection of the whole heart, from God alienated, and in hostiall manner opposite. Which abomination in all men, is propa­gated by carnall generation, and passeth by hereditary necessity, and bringeth to passe that man is spiritually dead, and the sonne of wrath and condemnation, unlesse Christ redeem him; and therefore let poore simple Christians take heed lest they exte­nuate the fall of Adam in their own inter­pretation, The fall of A­dam was the greatest sin. and account it as a light matter, and the eating of an Apple, but rather let them beleeve, that Adams and Lucifers was one and the same offence, and that most grievous one, and extreamly to be detested, [Page 11] even a tyrannicall affectation of the divine Majesty. This sinne in the beginning was conceived in the heart, soon after by eating of the forbidden apple, broke forth into light; of which the sinne of Absolom gi­veth us a faire and elegant example or pattern: for as he was not content first of all to be the sonne of a King; then to be the most beautifull amongst men, without ble­mish from the head to the sole of the foot; thirdly, most dearly beloved of his parents, (as may be gathered by the teares of David) unless actually he were a King by thrusting his father out of his Kingdome by violence; which opinion once confir­med in the mind, he did after professe him­selfe the enemy of his father, and began to lie in wait for his life: So when man did not account it sufficient to be the Sonne of God, that he was the fairest of all creatures in body and mind, without fault: and last­ly, that he was in the favour and love of God, unlesse he should be God himselfe: hereupon he conceived hostile hatred a­gainst God, being ready, as farre as in him lay, utterly to deface and extirpate God. A more detestable sinne then this, can no [Page 12] man think. Then afterwards it follow­ed, Adam and the Devill Lucifer com­mitted one fault. that the man concerning his heart and minde, became like unto the De­vil, because they both committed one fault, and now was no more the sonne of God, nor the Image of God, but of the Devil, and the instrument of the Devill, capable of all Devillish malice: to this adde, that he became of a divine cele­stiall and spiritual Image, altogether earth­ly and carnall, and a beastly creature: for the Devill, that he might erect his own I­mage in man, durst first by inticing, de­ceitfull and crafty speeches, sow his seed in man, that is to say, selfe-love, ambition, selfe-will and affectation of the Divini­ty; whereupon the Scripture calleth all selfe-lovers a Generation of vipers, Matth. 3. and those that be of a Devillish nature, The seed of the Serpent: I will put enmity between the seed of the Serpent, and the seed of the wo­man, Gen. 3. And from this seed of the Ser­pent, or seed of Vipers, nothing, or no off­spring can come, but terrible fruit, as the I­mage of Satan, the off-spring of Belial, the children of the Devil: for as even as in any other seed, be it never so small, yet after a [Page 13] wonderfull and hidden manner, all the qualities and properties, stature, thicknesse, length, bredth, with boughes, leaves, flow­ers and fruits, and so the whole tree with innumerable fruits of the whole stock and plants is contained, so in this pestilent and The pe­stilent seed of Adam. fatall seed of the Serpent, I say, in the self­love of Adam and his disobediences, so oft as we delivered it by carnall genera­tion, there lieth the death deadly bearing tree, the innumerable fruits of malice; and lastly, the image of Satan, with all his markes and properties. For shew me any child, and behold even from his mothers womb & first swadling cloaths, this native Scandal called an acti­on ori­ginally sinne. corruption, and especially disobedience and selfe-love, doe grafie or sow it selfe; and so soon as it groweth up, regard and you shall see a violent naturall self-love, ambition, a desire of glory, covetous of revenge & lying, and by and by as an Army marching, com­meth on disdain, arrogancy, pride, blas­phemy, oathes, fearfull dire imprecations, deceits, contempts of God and his Word, contempts of his parents & Magistrates: to these adde wrath, brawlings, hatreds, en­vie, dissimulations, revenge, homicide, and [Page 14] all kind of cruelty, especially, when scandals, and occasions doe happen therewith, which as Midwives doe help to bring forth the off-spring of Adams and the Devils corruption: for you shall see break forth impudencie, shamelesnesse, lust, venereall cogitations, whoredoms, obscene and filthy speeches, shamelesse behaviour, both in words and deeds, drunkennesses, gluttony, intemperance in food and ap­parell, levity, effeminacie: Besides all these, covetousnesse, usury, deceits, frauds, falla­cies, craftinesse, impostures, and juglings: and to speak all at once, all kind of wicked­nesse and naughtinesse; and so various and abounding, that cannot be declared, Scan­dals of doctrine according to that of Jeremy 17. The heart of man is wicked and inscrutable, who shall find it out? But if you adde thereunto the seducing and hereticall spirit, then you shall heare renouncing of God, forsaking of him, idolatry, hatred of the truth, and persecution, the sinnes against the holy Ghost, faith-breakings, corruptions of the faith, depraving of Scriptures, and terrible seducings. All which are no other then the fruits of the Serpent, and the image of Sa­tan [Page 15] in the man. And who could even suspect in the beginning, in so weake and feeble an Malice is hid­den in man. infant, such a heap of wicked deeds, or a heart so pestililent, and that such a Ba­silisk did therein lurk, and hide it selfe thereunder; but he that is in life and con­versation worst of all, and in the co­gitation of his heart intentive to evill at all times, even from his tender infancy, as it is Gen. 6. written, who could have produced these things to light, and expressed them, if triall had not manifested it; therfore wic­ked and extream evill is that root from whence so deadly and pestiferous a tree doth grow. O terrible seed of the Serpent, and of vipers, from whom so deformed and stinking an image doth arise and in­crease! for within all evils are fomented, and from thence doe arise and grow, pro­voked, nourished, & set forward by exter­nall provocations, for what cause it is to Why offences were for bidden by Christ. be th [...]ught, Christ Jesus did so seriously prohibit, that children should be provo­ked by evil example: for in whom this seed of the serpent lurketh, and the beginning of all wickednesse and flagitious acts, their beginning and entrances are closely hid­den, [Page 16] and are deceiveable, no otherwise then cruell poyson in a pestilent worm. Learn therefore, O man, of me, that the sins of Adam, and originall corruption of Origi­nall sin unex­pressi­ble. our kind, is not lightly to be regarded, or slighted, because this infection and depra­vation, is greater then any words can ex­presse, or human intellect can search into, know thy selfe, and what thou becamest to be after the fall of Adam, consider how thou from the Image of God became the Image of the Devill; a compendium I say, and an epitome or an abridgement, to re­ceive all Devillish nature, malice and wic­kednesse into a little roome: for even as in the Image of God all vertues and divine The I­mage heaven­ly and earthly. properties were contained: and as before the fall, man did carry the celestial Image, that is to say, he was all heavenly, spirituall, An­gelical and divine; so now after his aposta­sie, he carrieth about with him the image of The man is a beast, the earthly, and is become altogether and fundamentally earthly, carnall, and beast­ly. And why so? This thy fierce wrath, is it thine? Is it proper to a Lion, or to a Man? Thy envie and covetous­nesse insatiable, do not Dogges and Wolves [Page 17] the same? Thy intemperance and shameles­nesse is hoggish; yea, if thou look rightly into thy selfe, thou shalt find within, even in thy heart, a certain world of beasts, yea even in thy tongue alone, in that least of thy members, as St. James saith, Chapt. 3. a lake and a sea of venemous worms, a har­bour of unclean spirits, a biding place or cage of unclean birds, as witnesse Isa. 3. & Apoc. 18. but we often increase so much in malice that in wrath we exceed all kind of beasts; the Dogges in envie, the Wolves in covetous ravening, the Foxes in crafti­nesse, the Basilisk in poyson of the eye: and last of all, the very Hogges in filthinesse: And from this beastly nature Christ (Mat. 3.) calleth Herod a Fox, and the impure, Dogges and Hogges, Matth. 7. Furthermore whosoever amendeth not the corruptions of our generation, and is not renewed in Christ, but dieth such a beastly man as we have described, this man shall everlastingly retain his Satanicall nature, arrogant, dis­dainfull, proud, and shall remain a cruell Lion, an envious Dogge, a ravenous Wolfe, a venemous worm, and a Basilisk never to be reformed; he carrieth about with him [Page 18] alwayes the image of Satan in everlasting darknesse, to beare witnesse he lived not in Christ, nor was renewed according to the Image of God, according to John, Apoc. 21. Without be Dogges, Idolaters, and all In­chanters, that love and tell lies.

CHAP. III. How the man is renewed in Christ to life eternall.

REgeneration is the work of the holy Ghost, by which the man, the sonne of wrath and eternall condemnation, is made the sonne of grace and salvation, and of a sinner a just man, through Faith, the Word, and the Sacraments, by which our hearts, both sense, mind, understand­ing, will and affections, are renewed, illu­luminated [Page 19] and sanctified in Christ, and ac­cording to Christ, unto a new creature. Therefore regeneration is conceived chief­ly in two benefits and graces. I say, in Ju­stification and Sanctification, or Renova­tion, Cap. 3. ad Tit. Wherefore the originall of every Christian is two-fold, his line, or Two­fold birth. nativity and generation, the one carnall, de­filed with sin, damned and accursed, de­scending from Adam, by which the seed of the Serpent, the image of the Devill, and the earthly and beastly man is propagated: The other spirituall, holy, heavenly, hap­py and blessed new birth or regeneration, through Christ, doth plentifully grow forth, by which the seed and image of God, and the man of God, so heavenly, and like unto God, is after a spirituall manner begotten & produced: for even as the stem of old Adam is in us, so is it necessary also, that the new stock, progeny and kindred of Christ be truly in us. And this is that old & new man, old and new birth, old & new A­dam, The word of God is the seed of the new birth. the earthly and heavenly image, the old and new Jerusalem, the flesh and the spirit, Adam and Christ in us: lastly, the outward and inward man. Now goe to, [Page 20] let us see how we are regenerated by Christ: Even as the old birth is propaga­ted carnally from Adam, so regeneration is made spiritually from Christ, through the word of God, which is like unto a seed of a new creature, born (saith Peter, Epist. 1. cap. 1.) not of a corruptible seed, but of incorrup­tible, by the word of God, living and remaining for evermore. And blesed John, Cap. 1. For he begot us voluntarily by the word of his faith, tbat we might be a certain beginning of his creatures. Therefore this Word produceth Faith, which apprehendeth in like manner the Word, and in that Jesus Christ, toge­ther with the holy Ghost, and by that ver­tue, force, and efficacie, the man is rege­nerated. Briefly, regeneration is made first by the holy Ghost, John 3. and this doth Christ call, or term, to be born of the Spirit. Secondly, by faith, John 5. He that beleeveth Jesus to be Christ, is born of God. Thirdly, by Baptisme, John 3. Ʋnlesse one be born again of water and the Spirit, he cannot Faith is the means of the new birth. enter into the Kingdome of heaven. Of which things let us see further: By Adam the man came by the greatest and chiefest of evils, sinne, abomination, wrath, death, devill, [Page 21] hell and damnation: for these are the fruits of the old descent, and originall: but in Christ the man recovereth, and receiveth the chiefest good, as justice, grace, blessing, The fruits of both births. life, and eternall salvation. From Adam the man hath a carnall spirit, and the ru [...]e and dominion of wicked spirits: contrari­wise, from Christ he hath the holy Ghost, with his gifts, and a most quiet reigne and Kingdom; for such as the spirit of man is, such is his originall nativity and propriety. You know not of what spirit you are of, saith Christ, Luke 9. From Adam the man hath an arrogant spirit, swelling and proud, who if he have a desire to be regenerate, and born again, and to be renewed, then it will be necessary for him to receive an hum­ble spirit, plain and simple from Christ by A new spirit from Christ. faith. From Adam we receive an unbelee­ving spirit, blasphemous and ungratefull; therefore it behoveth us by faith in Christ, to attain to a beleeving spirit, faithfull, ac­ceptable, and well pleasing unto God. From Adam a disobedient, fierce, and rash spirit is given unto us: from Christ we must take the spirit of obedience, meeknesse and modesty, through faith in Christ. [Page 22] From Adam we possesse the spirit of wrath, hostility, revenge, and homicide; but from Christ, by faith in the place thereof, is to be gotten the spirit of long-suffering, love of man, and goodnesse it selfe, which is charity. From Adam by our nativity, and carnal off-spring, the man hath a covetous heart, and spirit churlish, seeking one­ly his owne commodities and profits, snatching, and catching, that which is a­nother mans; but from Christ by faith, is to be obtained the spirit of mercy, piety, and liberality. From Adam by carnall pro­pagation doth proceed the spirit of shame­lesnesse, uncleannesse, and intemperance; against which it is meet to seek to obtain a chaste spirit, clean and temperate. From Adam is communicated to him a lying spi­rit, speaking nothing but falsenesse and ca­lumniation: from Christ we ought to par­ticipate the spirit of truth, integrity and constancy. Last of all, from Adam doth From Adam all evill, from Christ all good­nesse. passe the spirit of beasts terrene or earthly, and meere brutish: and contrariwise, there is to be conceived from Christ, a spirit from heaven, celestiall and divine: and for that cause it was behoovefull for Christ to [Page 23] take humanity upon him, to be conceived by the holy Ghost, and to abound with the same spirit above measure; yea, for this cause it was convenient that the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of wisdome and under­standing, the Spirit of counsell and forti­tude, the Spirit of knowledge and the feare of God should rest upon him, as saith Isaias, Chap. 11. that the humane nature in him The hu­man na­ture is renew­ed by Christ and his Spirit. and by him, should be renewed, and that we in him, and by him, and through him should become a new off-spring and a new creature, receiving from him the spirit of wisdome and understanding for the spirit of foolishnesse; the spirit of knowledge in room of our naturall and inbred blind­nesse; the spirit of the feare of the Lord, in stead of the spirit of impiety: in which permutation consisteth the new life, & the fruit of the new creature, or regeneration. For as in Adam we were all spiritually dead. neither could we expect other then death and works of darknesse it selfe, in Christ In Christ by faith we are restored to life again. we must be raised again to the workes of light. As by carnall generation we entred into the sinne of Adam, so by faith through Christ, we must attain unto righteousnesse. [Page 24] As by the flesh of Adam, pride, covetous­nesse, lust, and all kind of uncleannesse is begotten, born, and groweth old in us; so by the holy Spirit our nature ought to be renewed, sanctified, and repurged from all pride, covetousnesse, lust, and envie. And it is needful that we from Christ should draw a new spirit, a new heart, sense and minde, in the same manner as we drew from Adam our fleshly subject to sinne. And as concer­ning regeneration, Christ saith, Isai. 9. Our Al good works ought to pro­ceed out of the new birth. Father is eternall. After this manner then are we renewed in Christ to life eternall, regenerated by Christ, and in Christ be­come a new creature: by this regeneration by Christ, and the holy Ghost, and Faith, it is necessary works must flow and pro­ceed, which we desire we should please God in, so we live in the new birth, and the new birth doth live in us, so we in Christ, and Christ in us: so last of all, we live in the The descrip­tion of the new birth▪ and the fruits▪ thereof. Spirit of Christ, and the Spirit of Christ in us. This regeneration and the fruits there­of Paul Ephes. 4. calleth and termeth thus, To be renewed in the spirit of our minde, to put off the old man, to be transformed into the Image of God, 2 Cor. 3. To be renewed and [Page 25] known according to his Image that made you, to the Coloss. 3. Regeneration and renovation of the holy Ghost, to Titus 3. Last of all, to take away the stony heart, and to give us a New birth is from Christ. fleshy heart, Ezek. 11. And by this appeareth, how by the incarnation and humanity of Christ, regeneration is raised, or proceed­eth; that is to wit, because man out of his ambition, pride, and disobedience, of­fended and turned himself from God: this Apostasie could not be amended, or put a­way, but by extream humility, lowlinesse of will, and obedience of the Sonne of God. And as Christ in his conversation upon earth among men, was most humble, it is necessary that he should be the same in thee, to live in thee, and to renue the Image of God in thee. See now and behold the most amiable, the most lowly, curteous, the most The life of Christ in us. The ex­ample of Christ is the rule of our life. obedient, and most patient Christ, and learn of him, or even as he is, live in him. For what was the cause, sayest thou, why he so lived? Truly, that he might be thy example, looking-glasse, and rule of life. He (I say) and no St. Bennets rule, nor of any other man commended unto thee, but the example of Christ, I say of Christ, [Page 26] which his Apostles with one consent and direct finger did alone point at. And this is the reason of his passion, death, and re­surrection; that is to say, that thou with The new life is the fruit of the death & passion of our Lord. him mayst die from thy sinnes, and again in him, with him, and by him, mayst rise spiritually, & walk in a new life; of which argument thou mayst see more hereafter in the 11. and 31. Chapters: therefore our re­generation ariseth out of, and disperseth it selfe, from the healthfull fountain of the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ: whereupon S. Peter (1 Epist. 1.) saith, God hath regenerated us to a lively hope, through Je­sus Christ: and thereupon it commeth to passe, that the Apostles every where do lay the foundation of penitence and the new life, to be the passion of Christ, as Rom. 6. 1 Pet. 1. Spend your time in reverent fear, know­ing that you are not redeemed with corruptible gold or silver, but with the pretious bloud, even the Lamb the Lord Jesus. Where thou seest the most pretious ransom of our redempti­on, to be the cause of our holy conversati­on. The same Peter (Epist. 1. Cap. 3.) wri­teth, Christ bought our sinnes in his body upon the Crosse, that being dead unto sinne, we might [Page 27] live unto righteousnesse, by whose stripes we are healed. And Christ himselfe (Luke 24.) saith: So it behooved Christ to suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and preach repentance and remission of sinnes in his name. By which words it is manifest, that from the fountain of the passion, death, and re­surrection of Christ, doth flow both prea­ching and repentance. Therefore the passi­on of Christ is both satisfaction for our sinnes, and the renewing of man by faith, both which together, and at once, are re­quired to the redemption and reparation of mankind, because this is the fruit, and this is the efficacie of the passion of Christ, working in us renovation and sanctificati­on, 1 Cor. 1. This lastly, is the means whereby we are born again, and renewed in Christ; neither is the laver of regneration a­ny other thing wherein we are dipt to the death of Christ, to wit, to die with Christ from our sinnes, by the help and efficacy of his death, and arise from sin by the grace of his glorious resurrection.

CHAP. IV. What is true Repentance, what al­so is the Crosse, and Yoak of Christ.

REpentance and true conversion is the work of the holy Ghost, through which the man acknowledging his faults by the Law, and together therewith the most just wrath of God against sin, doth earnestly grieve for the same, and would not have committed those things he hath done: and through the Gospel understan­ding the grace of God by faith in Christ, obtaineth the remission of his sins; and by this penitency, the mortification and cruci­fying The proper­ty of true re­pen­tance. of the flesh, and all carnall pleasures and concupiscences of the heart, is accom­plished, and together with the same quick­ning of the spirit, whereby it followeth, that Adam with all his corruptions, dieth [Page 29] in us, and Christ contrarily liveth in us by faith, because these two neceslarily do grow together; so as the resurrection or renew­ing of the spirit, doth follow the mortifi­cation The old mans death is the life of the new of the flesh at the heeles; and the quickning of the new spirit followeth the abolishing of the old man: although the outward man decay, yet the inward man is renewed daily, 2 Cor. 4. Mortifie your earthly members. Coloss. 3. and so think your selves dead in sinne, but alive in God through Christ The flesh is mortifi­ed by true re­pen­tance. Jesus our Lord, Rom. 6. But let us consider why the flesh is to be mortified by true re­pentance: We said even now, by the fall of Adam, that the man became even devillish, earthy, carnall, without God, and with­out love, that is, without God and chari­ty, changed from divine love to worldly love, so that every where in all things, he studies himselfe, favours, counsels, applauds himselfe, and setteth forth and provideth for his own honour and glory. And this as I say, is the effect of the fall of Adam: whiles hee studieth to make himselfe God, he involved all mankind, in one and the selfe-same calamity. And this corruption and depravation of human na­ture, [Page 30] must be changed and amended by se­rious repentance, that is to say, by true and divine contrition, by faith apprehending the remission of sins, and by the mortifica­tion True peni­tence chan­geth the heart. of carnall pleasures, self-love, and pride: Neither doth true repentance con­sist, that you put away the great and out­ward sins, but that you descend into your selfe, and look inward, into the inward of thy heart and mind, turn over the secrets and closets therof, change and renew them, and convert thy selfe from selfe-love to di­vine love, from the world and all worldly cōcupiscences, to a spiritual & heavenly life, and participating the merits of Christ by faith; whereupon it followeth that a man must deny himself, as it is Luk. 9. that is, to The proper­ty of true re­pen­tance is to die to the world & him­self. tame his will, & suffer himself to be carried wholly by the divine will, not to love him­selfe, to account himselfe the unworthiest of all mortall creatures, to renounce all things he hath, Luke 14. that is, to con­temne the world, with all the pomps and honours thereof, to passe by his own wis­dome, and all endowments or gifts of na­ture To hate ones own life. with closed eyes, to trust in no creature but God alone, even to hate his own life, [Page 31] that is, carnall will and pleasures, concu­piscence, pride, covetousnesse, lust, wrath, envie, to mortifie these, to displease himself to set nought by all that is his own, to boast To die to the world. in nothing, to attribute nothing to himself or his proper strength, to die to the world, that is, to the concupiscence of the eyes and the flesh, to the pride of life, and to be cru­cified to the world, Gal. 6. This, this, I say, is true repentance and mortifying of the flesh, without which no man can be the disciple of Christ: this is the true conversi­on from the world, from himselfe and the Devill, to God; without which, no sinner can have remission of sins, nor attain salva­tion, Acts 26. This penitence and conver­sion is the deniall of himselfe, and the true crosse and yoak of Christ, of whom himself speaketh, Matth. 11. Take up my yoak upon The yoak of Christ is easie to the spirit, to the flesh a crosse. you, and learn of me, for I am meeke and lowly in heart. As if he should say, by earnest and inward humility is thy selfe-love and am­bition to be tamed; and by curtesie wrath & desire of revenge, is to be kept under: that which indeed to the new man is an easie yoak, and light burthen, howsoever to the flesh it seem a most heavie and bitter crosse. [Page 32] And this is indeed to crucifie ones flesh, The true crosse of Christ what it is. with the vice and concupiscence thereof, Gal. 5. Therefore they erre, and doe greatly erre, which know no other crosse then tri­bulations, and worldly afflictions, being ignorant of inward repentance and morti­fying of the flesh to be that true crosse, which we ought to carry after Christ dai­ly, in bearing our enemies with great pa­tience, and in overcomming the disdain and arrogancy of our slanderers and ad­versaries with mildnesse and humility, af­ter the pattern and example of Christ, who was willing to die to the world and all worldlinesse, most perfectly; (I say) this What it is to die to the world. yoak of Christ is our true crosse, which we are bound to beare; which when we doe, then we die to the true world: and not if we hide our selves in Monasteries; and if wee make singular orders and rules of living, being in the mean time inorderly in the heart, full of the love of the world, spiri­tuall pride, pharisaical contempt of others, lust, envy, and secret hatred. I say, this is not to die to the world, no it is not; but to mortifie the flesh, with all things which are pleasant to it, and daily within, and secretly [Page 33] to be sory, and to turn himselfe from the world inwardly to God, [whereby it can­not but come to passe, that the outward life and manners be renewed and changed; what if now one should only doe outward repentance or penance, abstaining from great and enormous offences for the feare of punishment, and the inward man doe keep his old spots still?] and daily inward­ly in heart to die to the world, and to live to Christ by faith in sincere humility, and lowlinesse: and lastly, to confide in the grace of God in Christ Jesus, alwayes doing such and so great things. To this re­pentance are we called by Christ: I say, that true and inward conversion from the With­out true repen­tance Christ profits nothing world to God, to whom also alone the imputation of his justice, and righteous­nesse, and obedience, through the efficacie of faith, together with the remission of our sinnes is promised; so that without this in­ward repentance, Christ profiteth man nothing, that is, he shall not participate of his grace, and favour, and merit. The rea­son The fruits of the death & pas­sion of Christ. is, because they are to be comprehen­ded by a contrite heart, faithfull, humble, penitent. Truly this fruit of the passion of [Page 34] Christ is in us, that we may die to sinne by true repentance; and of his resurrection, in that Christ in us, and we in Christ, might live: And hereby commeth the new crea­ture True re­pentāce inward. in Christ, and regeneration, which onely is available with God, Gal. 6. Vide infra, Chapt. 33. Therefore let us learn the nature & constitution of true repentance, and let us not erre in the common errour, but let all of us esteem and beleeve to bid adieu to externall idolatry, blasphemy, ho­micide, adultery, whore-hunting, thefts, with all such enormities and vices exter­nall, to be the true and onely repentance: neither yet doe I deny that this externall repentance is forbidden by the Prophet, as Esay 55. and Ezek. Chap. 18. and 33. who likewise with the Apostles most certainly doe command and give charge to levell at the inwards and heart it self, even another repentance inward, more noble then the outward, even that whereby the man di­eth to pride, covetousnesse, and lust, deni­eth and hateth himselfe, renounceth the world, despoyleth himselfe of all his own, committeth himselfe to God, crucifieth the flesh, offereth a daily contrite heart, hum­bling [Page 95] and trembling, as the best and well-pleasing sacrifice unto God. And last of all, doth live with a heart full of tears and groanes; which Character of inward re­pentance, the Psalmes of David doe every where set forth: So it remaineth that this is the true repentance, when inwardly in the heart with earnest sorrow, and most assured feeling of heavinesse, we be made contrite and afflicted; and again be made holy and joyfull, purged and changed, and amended by remission of sinnes by faith in Jesus Christ, whereby it cannot but come to passe, that the outward life and man­ners be renewed and changed. What if now one should onely doe outward penance or repentance, abstain from great and erro­neous offences for the feare of punishment, and the inward man doe keep his old spots still, and take no care to enter into the in­ward and new life in Christ, shall not such a one neverthelesse be damned? neither shall it profit him a straw to cry, Lord, Lord, but he shall be constrained to hear that terrible voice, I know you not: For certain and sure it is, not all that say, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven, but onely those [Page 36] that doe the will of the heavenly Father. Un­der which terrible sentence of the Divine Majesty, it is manifest, men of all orders are comprised: for as many as doe not in­wardly and from the heart truly repent, and become new creatures in Christ, those surely Christ will not acknowledge for his.

CHAP. V. What is true Faith.

FAith is a solid trust, and a firm and cer­nain perswasion of the grace of God promised in Christ for the remission of sinnes and life eternal, kindled through the word of God, and the holy Ghost in our hearts: by this faith is conferred unto us the remission of our sinnes, and that gratis, or freely, for no merits of ours, but Christs alone; and that of meere grace, that our faith may remain fixed, or unmoveable, up­on a firme and solid foundation. And this [Page 37] absolution or forgivenesse of our sinnes, is our justice or justification, and that true, solid, and eternall, before God: For neither is it of Angels, but by the obedi­ence of the Sonne of God, his merits and ransome, which by faith we appropriate unto us, fixing and applying the same to our selves; therefore neither is the imper­fections Proper­ties of a true faith. of our life, or any sinnes left re­maining to withstand us, but they be cove­red with the vaile of grace, for Christs sake, Psal. 32. Furthermore, by this solid and firm trust, this followeth, that the man doth dedicate his whole heart solely to God, in him he resteth alone, to this one is he glewed or fastened, with this alone he entreth society, and is joyned to God, and participateth all things that are of God, and Christ, and is made one spirit with God, taketh and collecteth from him power and strength, a new life, new joyes, many recreations, peace, lightnesse of heart, the soules Sabbath and rest. Lastly, justifi­cation and holinesse, or sanctification in the holy Ghost. What other thing then is it at the length, but to be regenerated through faith? for where true faith is, there [Page 38] is Christ with all his justice, holinesse, re­demption, merit, grace, remission of sins, adoption, and inherttance of life eternall. And this is the new life and regeneration, New birth. through faith in Christ, whereupon the A­postle to the Hebrews, Cap. 11. calleth faith a Substance, that is, the undoubted, solid & firm trust of things which were hoped for, and a certain manifest and notable convi­ction and experience of things invisible: And finely, so great and powerfull is the consolation of a true living faith in our hearts, as it cannot but convince by argu­ing most firmly from experience and tast of the soveraigne good in his soule, that is, from the quietnesse and peace in God, Iustified faith where peace. whereby that preservation remaineth most certain, which a Christian doubteth not to seale with his death: and this is that strength of spirit and inward man; this is vigor and alacrity of faith, or Parrhesia, Eph. 3. Phil. 1. 1 Joh. 2. & 3. this joy in God, 1 Thess. 2. Lastly, this Plerophoria, and im­moveable The certain­ty of faith. & firm certainty, 1 Thess. 3. even for which I shall dare to dye, that truly cannot but first be perswaded in my mind most firmly, through the H. Ghost infixed [Page 39] and impressed in my inward understand­ing; also it behoveth to be lively & inward in most powerful consolation, wherby that commeth to the mind which is supernatu­rall, divine, and a celestiall strength to o­vercome the feare of death, and the love of he world to be uttetly extinguished in me: I say, so great & so solid Prolepsis, or perswa­sion To be born of God, is no dead work. and union with Christ, is needfull, that neither death nor life can dissolve it, Rom. 8. whereupon B. John pronounceth, That he that is born of God, hath overcome the world. But to be born of God cannot be any vain, or shadowed thing, it ought to be a lively thing, and very powerfull: For it were wickednesse to beleeve that the living God did beget a dead off-spring, frivolous an [...] dead members, or instrumentss: but It is li­ving & over­cometh, so it be true faith. rather it is for a certain rule that God can­not, being a living God, but beget a living man, no other then new. Now seeing our faith is the victory, by which we overcome the world, who can doubt that it should overcome, being indued with powerfull strength, and greatest force, and that our faith, which is commanded by God to o­vercome the world, ought to be lively [Page 40] overcomming, and affections working di­vine faith, a certain force and influence, yea Christ himselfe apprehended by faith, and fixed in our minds, and graffed in our understanding: and by this vertue of God What we are with Christ, & with­out him what. we return into God, and become intimate and one with God. And from Adam as from a cursed Vine, we are transplanted in­to Christ that living and blessed Vine, John 15. So in Christ we possesse all his goods, and in him are justified. Even as a Scien, or a plant graffed in a good tree, groweth, flourisheth, and beareth fruit; without it, it withereth: so man without Christ is a cursed vine, and all his works are sin­full, the grapes of it are bitternesse & gall, Deut. 32. but in Christ blessed and justified; wherefore St. Paul saith, 2 Cor. 5. that hee [...]hat knew no sinne, for us became sinne, that we might be justified before God in him. By this it appeareth manifestly, that works do not justifie, because we must be graffed in Iustifi­cation is not by works. Christ by faith, before we can do any good work; and so thy justification is the gift of God, freely given before, and preventing all our merits; we may as well say, a dead man may see, stand, and doe good of him­selfe. [Page 41] I think so indeed, but he must first bee raised from death: so thou likewise that art dead in sinne to God, canst not performe any work to God; unlesse thou be first rai­sed by Christ to life: which being granted, it followeth, thy justification onely procee­deth from faith in Christ: And faith is like But in Christ. a new-born babe, newly come into the world, weake and naked, set before the eyes of his Saviour, from whom, as from his parent, hee receiveth justice, honesty, holinesse, grace, and the holy Ghost. And after this manner is the naked child, by the mercy of God cloathed, and both his bracelets being taken away, he receiveth of God grace, health and holinesse: This alone therefore, this only receiving, maketh him godly, holy, and happy, and our true justification, onely through faith, and not What our ju­stifica­tion is. through works: I say, by faith, which ap­prehending Christ, be it what it may be, with all his goodnesse, he challengeth and maketh it his own properly, then of neces­sity sinne, death, Devill, and hell, must Sin and death, & hell are subiect to faith give back and vanish away: and so power­fully, lively, and effectually doth the merit of Christ through faith work and abound, [Page 42] that even the sinnes of the whole world cannot hurt them. Now seeing that Christ by faith liveth and dwelleth in thee, let us never think or beleeve, that this his habita­tion is a dead work, but rather a certain li­ving thing, not idle; powerfull working, or as I may say in one word, a renewing: for faith performeth two things; first, it trans­planteth thee into Christ, and giveth him freely unto thee, with all that he hath: secondly, it reneweth thee in Christ, that thou mayst grow green and flourish, and live in him: neither is the graffe brought into the stock for other pur­pose, but that it should flourish and bring forth fruit in it. And even as by the Apo­stasie of Adam, and by the deceit and sedu­cing of the Devill, the seed of the Serpent, and the Diabolicall corruption of his na­ture, is sown in man, growing up into a tree bearing the fruits of death; so by the word of God, and the holy Ghost, the faith is sown in our hearts, as the seed of Faith is the seed of God. God, in which after a wonderfull manner, are shut up all divine vertues and proper­ties; from whence in a like manner doth flow forth a most glorious and new Image [Page 43] of God, and bringeth forth a new tree, whose fruits are obedience and pati­ence, humility, courtesie, peace, chari­ty, justice, a new and another man; and so the whole Kingdome of God: for true and saving faith reneweth the whole man, ma­keth clean the heart, joyneth and uniteth it to God, purged anew, and set free from earthly things, it hungreth and thirsteth after righteousnesse, it worketh love, it bringeth peace, joy, patience, strength, mo­deration in adversity, it overcommeth the world, it maketh us the sonnes of God, and heirs of all celestiall goodnesse, and co-heirs with Christ. If it happen any to be with­out, or to be ignorant of this joy which is by faith, acknowledging himselfe to be of little faith, let him beware he distrust not therefore, but rather let him trust in grace Conso­lation of those that have little Faith. promised by Christ; which promise remai­neth certain, immoveable, and everlasting. And although we through humane infir­mities, doe often fall and goe backwards, let us in the mean while alwayes account it sure and certain, that the grace of God re­maineth solid and firm, whensoever by true and serious repentance we arise from our [Page 44] fall; for Christ is and will be Christ and Saviour, although you take hold of him by a firm or weak faith, for he imbraceth both alike, and Christ is alike to all. More­over, the promise of grace is universall and perpetuall, upon which it is necessary our faith be founded, without difference, firme or weak, and in the mean time erect and fill thy heart with hope, God will in his good time, & in his own season, bring that sincere and sensible joy unto thee, although he hide himselfe a while in the inwards of thy heart, Psal. 37. 77. Of which Argu­ment I shall say more, Lib. 2.

CHAP. VI. How the word of God by faith in man, ought to spread forth & live.

BEcause in Regeneration and Renova­tion of the man, all things are in us, therefore our great Gods will was, that [Page 45] those things which by faith in man, ought All the new man is set forth in the Scrip­ture. to be done spiritually & fulfilled, should be outwardly set forth in writing, and the whole new man painted and fully set forth in his word: for seeing that his word is the seed of God in us, certainly it is necessary that it should bring forth fruit, and out of that seed to grow by faith, which the Scrip­ture outwardly doth teach and beare wit­nesse of, or certain it is, that the seed and embryon is dead: I say, in faith and spirit I ought to tast, prove, and joyfully in the inward sense perceive, heare, see, and touch even those things the Scripture doth di­ctate The word of God is to quic­ken in us. and declare most truly; neither did God the Father in his counsell manifest the Scripture, that as a dead letter it should lie hid in paper & ink, but that it should receive life in faith and Spirit, or as we vulgarly say, be turned into our juyce and bloud, & spring up and grow young in us, to ano­ther new and inward man, because I say all things ought (and it is meet so to be) to be fulfilled and performed in faith and spirit through Christ, whatsoever the Scripture doth outwardly teach. Let us shew it in the example of Cain and Abel, whose natures, [Page 46] manners and actions, if you call to mind, you cannot but understand that History: If you suppose in the place of Cain and A­bel, the names of the old and new Man to be in the like manner to be done and itera­ted: for what is the displeasure of both? what is that lying in wait that Cain laid against Abel? What others are all those, then the daily strife of the flesh and the spirit? what other enmity then the seed of the new man, and the seed of the Serpent? Neither is there other reason in common sense: for by the food from heaven the corruption of the flesh is to be drowned and washed; but just and faithfull Noe is to be preserved in the Ark, and a new Cove­nant is to be made between thee and thy great God. Moreover, the Tower of Ba­bel, or Confusion, ought not to be built in thee. Thou must, with Abraham, goe forth of thine own Countrey, or knowledge, and all things are to be left, even thy life it selfe, that thou mayst walk perfectly before God, carry out the victory, and goe into the land of promise, and Kingdome of God. And Christ meaneth no other thing Matth. 10. Luk. 14. If any come unto me, and [Page 47] hateth not his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters, yea and fur­ther, his own life, he cannot be my Disciple; that is to wit, he must bid all these adieu The strife of the flesh & spirit is the mystical faith of Abra­ham. Mysti­cal So­dome. rather then Christ. Furthermore, with A­braham, as Abraham did, thou must fight a­gainst five Kings which are within thee. I say, the Flesh, the World, Death, Devill, and Sinne. And with Lot t [...]ou must goe out of Sodom and Gomorrah; that is, thou must renounce thy wicked and world­ly life: neither must thou with Lots wife, look back, as Christ commandeth, Luke 12. Briefly, our great God hath composed all the holy Scriptures for faith and the Spi­rits sake: And it all ought to be fulfilled in thee spiritually. And to this belongeth all the warres and battels of Israel against the The type of the old Testa­ment is to be fulfill­led by faith. Infidels and Heathen people. And no other thing covered under the bark of the letter and the history, then the continuall strife between the flesh and the spirit. Of this place and to this purpose is whatsoever is extant of the Mosaicall Priesthood, the Tabernacle, the Ark of Covenant and Pro­pitiatory: all which doe pertain unto thee to whom it belongeth to pray in faith and [Page 48] spirit, to burn incense, and to kill the Sin-offering, Christ Jesus will have all these to be done and performed in thee, who hath contracted these in the new Man and Spi­rit, as an epitome and words abbreviated, to be fulfilled in thee by faith, and some­times in one sigh: for the man is a brevia­ry of all natures, is the Center and little world; so is it a compendium of the sacred All the new te­stament is to be fulfilled in man. Scripiure, and abridgement of the Word. And to come to the new Testament, what other thing is it according to the letter, thē an externall testimony and pattern, because all things in like maner are to be iterated & fulfilled by faith in man? I say all, even all the new testament, so much as it is, ought to be in us, & this one thing it doth require & look for at our hands, because the kingdom of God is in us: Therfore even as Christ by the holy Ghost in the faith of Mary, was conceived and brought forth; so ought the Sonne in me likewise be conceived after a spirituall manner, and begotten, increase, and grow up. Furthermore, because I am become a new creature in Christ, it remai­neth The life of Christ in us. and it followeth, that I should live and walk in it, in it and with it to flie into [Page 49] exile, with it to exercise humility, contempt of the world, patience, loving kindnesse, and charity, and to pardon or forgive our enemies their injuries, to use mercy, to love our enemies, to doe the will of the Father, being tempted of Satan to carry a­way the victory from him, by reason of the truth that is in me, derided, despised, and contemned; and if necessity require, to die for, and with him after the example of all the Saints, to beare witnesse before him, and all the elect, that he is in me, and I in him was joyned by faith, and so lived. And this is that which is spoken, saying, To be conformed to the image of Christ; for example, to be born with and in Christ, to The death and re­surre­ction of Christ in us. put on Christ, to grow up and wax strong in him, to live in exile, to be dipped in his baptisme, with him to be derided, to die together, and to be crucified together, to a­rise together from the dead, and reigne to­gether, and not that alone by the crosse, and patience, and suffering adversity together; but by daily repentance, and inward con­trition and griefe for his sinnes committed: I say, after this manner to die daily with Christ, and by crucifying our flesh, if we [Page 50] be minded to be joined w^th him as with our Christ ought to be in us. head, and to be united therewith: if it be otherwise done, then is it not in thee, but without thee, far from faith, heart, & spirit, otherwise it will profit thee nothing; for he would have thee to be inwardly retain­ed, so to live, to bee inwardly consolated All things ought to be fulfilled in faith. and kept safe. All which faith in Christ performed, whilst the word of God doth live within us, and it is as it were a living witnesse in us of those things which are spoken of in the holy Scripture. And after this manner faith is called Hypostasis, or a Substance, Heb. 11. And out of this which we have said, it doth appeare manifestly, all the Sermons and Epistles of Christ, the Prophets and the Apostles, and the Scrip­tures so generall, doe belong to one man, The whole Scrip­ture be­longeth to man. yea to us all, with all the Parables and Miracles the history of Christ is replenish­ed; therefore neither was it necessary those things should be appointed & to come to passe written to the knowledge of all peo­ple, unlesse they were spiritually in us to be fulfilled. Therfore when I read that Christ cured others, I doe promise to my self the same, because we live one with another: [Page 51] when he cured the blind, I am in good hope that he will give unto me, being spi­ritually blinded, by his grace and blessing, a spirituall sight, I mean other miracles, seeing there is the same reason of all, and then being blind, lame, palsie, leprous, and dead in sinne, doe thou understand it by The let­ter of the Scrip­tures by faith is to be fulfilled. thy selfe, acknowledge it, and confesse, and he will make thee whole in him, that thou maist have part in the first re­surrection: the summe is, the Scripture doth bear witnes outwardly to those things which inwardly by faith the man should fulfill: So it painteth out the image of God outwardly, according to which inwardly within thee by faith thou oughtest to be so. So is the Kingdome of God according to the letter, Christ according to the spi­rit, as speaketh the Apostle, 2 Cor▪ 5. So A­dam his apostasie and redemption, the new Jerusalem, regeneration; finally, another creature; he describeth outwardly all with­in thee by faith; yea thou thy selfe ought to be so, or the Scripture profiteth thee no­thing. And thus much of faith, & the work of it in us, yea of God himselfe, and the reigne of Christ in our heart.

CHAP. VII. How the Law of God is written in the hearts of all men, that they be inexcusable at the day of Judgement.

VVHen God made man after his I­mage in perfect justice and holi­nesse, he adorned him with divine vertues of all kinds, as some pattern of Art, and an unimitable work, and most accurately set it forth: three things he infixed in his con­science so firmly, and imprinted them, that Three things notable implan­ted in the soul they could never be put out or defaced. The first, is the naturall testimony of God: the second is an inbred knowledge of the last judgement, Rom. 2. The third, is the Law of Nature, or naturall justice, by which ho­nest and dishonest are commonly discer­ned, [Page 53] whereby both joy and sorrow are dis­cerned and reconciled. For there was ne­ver The light of nature. any Nation so barbarous and c [...]ell, which did not acknowledge some God to be, nature arguing and convincing this by both inward and outward reasons most firmly: yea, they did acknowledge not on­ly there was a God, but taught by their owne conscience, because therein somtimes they were cruciated with sharp and terrible things, and sometimes they did find an in­ward pleasure and tranquillity, thereby collecting that God was just, and ought so to be; and that he was the revenger of ev [...]ll things, and the rewarder of good things; by which knowledge they went further, to find the knowledge or doctrine of the im­mortality of the soule, as appeareth by Pla­to, who most gravely hath discussed and treated of this businesse. Last of all, by this law of Nature, or inbred light, they gathe­red that God was the author and cause of good, according to whose nature the best and true worship was the study of vertue, and a mind purged from vices: wherefore they defined the summe or chiefe good by vertue, vertue is the chiefe goodnesse; and [Page 54] there were for that cause Schooles of Mo­rall vertues founded and maintained by Socrates and other Philosophers; which things doe serve us for instruction, that God hath left in man a spark of the light of nature, and as it were a certaine token of footstep of in-bred knowledge and un­derstanding Sparks of na­turall Theolo­gie. of God, that thereby he might be admonished of his off-spring, and by following these footsteps, might so come to his Maker: neither was many of the Ethnickes ignorant of this, and amongst those, Aratus the Poet spoken of by Saint Paul, Acts 17. We are the off-spring of God. And Munilius, who thus saith: Is there a­ny doubt that God dwels in our hearts, and that our souls return to heaven, as they came from heaven? Moreover, because the Gen­tiles had this naturall testimony of God, and a conscience besides, which is a con­vincing argument, that he is our maker; and hereupon through their own fault and merit, man shall be condemned, and shall be altogether without excuse. And St. Paul Eth­nickes are in­excuse­able. to the Romans argueth thus, Chap. 1. He who knoweth that God is, and doth not study to know him aright, and him to worship, he shall [Page 55] be inexcusable at the day of judgement. See­ing then that the Gentiles did know the justice of God, that is to say, taught by their natural conscience; because they that do evill, are worthy of death, not only be­cause they doe evill, but because they are delighted therein, and thereby have con­demned themselves. And in Chap. 2. hee speaketh of their consciences in themselves in like manner accusing or excusing them­selves, will be a testimony at the future day of judgement, when God shall judge the hidden thoughts of men, which if the Gentiles for that cause shal be inexcusable, because being indued with the naturall knowledge of God, against their consci­ences they have not sought God, what shall they say for themselves to whom God hath manifested his Word, and by Jesus Christ his onely begotten Sonne, hath in­vited them to repentance, that is, that they should abstain from sinne, and decline from the works of malice, to participate by faith False Christi­ans lesse excuse­able then Eth­nicks. the merit of Christ, and obtain thereby e­ternall salvstion? Wherefore every halfe Christian in that day shall be condemned of two most grievous witnesses, by their [Page 56] conscience, I say the law of Nature, and by Two witnes­ses shal cōdemn the wicked. the revealed word of God: Whereupon the terrible sentence will follow, Christ saying, In that day it shall be easier (or better) for Sodome and Gomorrah, then for them; and that the Queen of the South shall arise to the condemnation of the wicked generation. The reason is, because our great God made the Where­upon cometh the e­ternall vexatiō of the soul. soule immortall, and in that soul a con­science, which can neither forget God, nor come at God: and hereupon followeth the terrible vexation and unrest of the soule, and the everlasting pains of the damned, which also will be so much more heavy hereafter, by how much more by impeni­tency of heart they have heaped up the wrath of God against the day of judge­ment, 2 Thess. 2. for even as our great God, Why a­mongst Christi­ans be wicked­ness un­known to the hea­then. by a most just judgement, hath given over the Gentiles into a reprobate sense, because they contemned the inward Law of Na­ture and their conscience, and the Law of God written in their hearts, and contemp­tuously resisted it, as God himself; whereby they become blind in their understanding, they fell violently into filthy and abomi­nable heynous offences, thereby heaping up [Page 57] the just wrath of God: So false Christians, because they have contemned both, as well the inward as the outward testimony of God, in not repenting, doe resist the holy Ghost, and blaspheme God: For this cause God giveth them over to a reprobate sense, worse then Ethnickes and Turkes: And moreover, suffereth them to fall into terri­ble errours, to beleeve lies; and that all those should be punished that are delighted in unrighteousnesse. Whereupon it is, that such filthy abominable offences do creep a­broad among Christians, and doe beare rule, pompous and Satanicall pride, unsa­tiable covetousnesse, abominable intempe­rance, beastly lust, and every kind of most inhumane wickednesse; all which doe arise from wilfull blindnesse, hardnesse of heart, and are in a reprobate sense: and the rea­son is, because Christians in their life and They that wil not fol­low Christ follow Satan. conversation will not follow poore, cour­teous, meek, lowly Christ, and are scanda­lized in him, thinking it a shame to them to lead his most holy life, whom God hath given to the world, that they might live af­ter his example, as in the light, and walke in his steps. Hereupon the the same most [Page 58] just God suffereth them to follow Satan, ta­king the life of Satan upon them, full of all abominable wickednesse, lying, and un­mercifulnesse, to execute all the workes of darknesse, because they resolved in their minds, not to walk in the light, according to that of Christ, Walk in the light while you Joh. 12. have the light, that the darknesse doe not over­take you. Lastly, if God did punish the Eth­nicks with such terrible blindnesse and re­probate sense, because they contemned the Law of Nature, being like unto the snuffe of a Lamp smoking; and the remainder of the darknesse of the light of Nature and Conscience, or as the words of Paul to the Romans, Chap. 1. they did not approve it to have God in their knowledge: so that by their own fault they went without their own salvation: how much more true is it, The new co­venant written in our hearts. that those doe not attain to salvation, in whose hearts not onely by nature, but by the word revealed & the new covenant, the word of God is written, and yet do de­spise and cast behind them this grace and favour? Of which new Covenant Jeremy saith, Chap. 3. This shall be my compact, I will put my Lawes into their inwards, and I will [Page 59] write it in their hearts, and a man shall not a­ny more teach his neighbour, and a man his bro­ther, saying, Know the Lord: for all men shall know me, saith the Lord, even from the least to the greatest, because I will forgive their iniqui­ty, and I will not remember their sins any more. Heare what is said, Heb. 10. To those that vo­luntarily offend or sinne against God after the knowledge he hath received, for such there is no sacrifice left for him, but a certain terrible ex­pectation of judgement, and offering by fire, which consumeth the adversary. He that brea­keth the Law of Moses, without any mercy, by the mouth of two or three witnesses, shall die the death; how much more and worse doe you thinke, doe they deserve death, which have contemned against the Sonne of God, and polluted the bloud of the Testament in whom he is sanctified, and contumaciously despised the spirit of grace; for we know who hath said, Vengeance is mine, and I will return it upon them. And a­gain, because the Lord will judge his peo­ple, It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God. With which heavie sen­tence without doubt those are not struc­ken, which fall through humane frailty, [Page 60] but those that wittingly and willingly sin against the tru [...] knowledge, and persevere in impenitencie.

CHAP. VIII. Without true repentance no man can challenge Christ and his me­rits to belong unto him.

THe words of our Saviour Christ, Mat. 9. are, The healthy hath no need of the Physitian, but the sick: I did not come to call the just, but the sinners to repentance; where­by we are clearly taught that Christ indeed did call sinners, but to repentance, neither can any come unto him without repen­tance, without conversion from sinne, and What is true re­pen­tance. faith: for repentance is no other thing then by true contrition and sorrow to die unto sinne, and by faith to obtain forgive­nesse for sinne, and to live unto righte­ousnesse [Page 61] in Christ, so that in true repen­tance, necessarily serious and divine con­trition must go before, a heart as I may say, broken, and c [...]ucifying the flesh, whereup­on in Cap. 6. Epist. ad Hebr. Repentance is said to be, or is called the worke of dead men, because by it we abstain from those works whose reward is death; which if it be not done, then the merit of Christ pro­fiteth not us one haire: For seeing Christ proffereth himselfe to be the Physitian of our souls, & his holy bloud to be the only and most true medicine of our sins, and no medicine, although it be most pretious, can cure the sick man, which will not refraine from hurtfull thin [...]s, and things resisting the power of the medicine: so it remaineth that the bloud of Christ and death can profit nothing those that purpose not to abstain from sinne: Whereupon blessed Paul, cap. 5. ad Galat. saith, Whosoever doth such things (the works of the flesh) doe not obtaine the Kingdome of heaven, nor shall have any part in Christ. Moreover, if Christ by his bloud is become our medicine, who can doubt that first we must be sick? for the whole have no need of a Physitian, but [Page 62] the weake. And none is spiritually sicke, who is not penitent, and who is not sor­rowfull from his heart for his sinnes, who hath not a contrite heart and humble, who is secure as concerning the wrath of God, who hath not resolved, and firmly in his mind decreed to flye all worldly concupi­scence; who lastly, seeking after honour, wealth, and pleasure, takes no knowledge of his sinnes, such as are so, those are not sick, and consequently need no Physitian, and Christ profiteth them nothing, it is manifest. Therefore again and again, let this be remembred, that Christ called sin­ners, but it was to repentance, because a penitent heart, contrite, pensive, and faith­full, onely and alone is capable of the most pretious bloud, death, and merit of Christ. I account him happy whosoever he be, that heareth this holy calling inwardly, and in his heart; I call that a divine sorrow and anguish for sinnes, which worketh repen­tance God work­eth spi­rituall sorrow. to stedfast salvation, as the words be, 2 Cor. 7. The holy Spirit doth produce this divine sorrow by the Law, and seri­ous meditation of the passion of the Lord, because it not onely aboundeth with the [Page 63] documents of grace, but also withall hath in it an earnest exhortation to repentance, and a most terrible glasse of the divine wrath. For if we seek into the cause of his The Passion of Christ efficiēt to re­pen­tance. most bitter death, what else can we say was the cause, but our sinnes? If you joyn the divine love, out of which he most wil­lingly gave his Son for us, as also you shall have his singular example both terrible and wonderfull of his divine justice and clemency; which seeing they are so, who then sincerely loving Christ, can be affected and delighted with sinne, which he knows Christ had with his bloud washed and purged? Consider also with me, O man, which art subject to pride, and art slave un­to ambition, with what contempt, and how great humility, Christ Jesus ought to re­paire our pride and insolency, think of his poverty, that he might satisfie for thy co­vetousness; The fruits of Christs passion. surcease at last, through God, so studiously to seek after wealth, and insati­ably to thirst after riches most wretchedly. He with incredible griefe of mind and an­guish not to be uttered, doth satisfie and a­bolish the pleasures and concupiscence of the flesh: and thou contrariwise conti­nually [Page 64] dost give thy selfe to pleasure and lust, how evill is thy preposterousnesse, pra­vity and wickednesse, to take delight and pleasure in those things which to Christ were so wonderfully bitter; he died to ex­piate thy wrath, hatred, enmity, rancor, bitternesse, desire of revenge, and implaca­bility, with extreame mildnesse and pati­ence, and wilt not thou even for the least cause, be very angry, and account revenge more pleasant then life, even for which thy Redeemer did drink the most bitter cup of death? wherefore so many as aspire to the name of Christians, and doe not abstain frō sin, those (I say) do even crucifie Christ, and doe make a mock of him as it is said The im­peni­tent do even crucifie Christ. in the Epistle to the Hebrews, Chap. 6. Therefore it is unpossible that those should participate of the merits of Christ, which indeed they doe tread under foot, as it is in the same Epistle Chap. 10. And because they doe pollute the blood of the Testament, neither beleeve truly that their sinnes are expiated by him, or much esteem his death, or think he died for his cause, because they contemne the sptrit of grace, that is, they despise it and repell it, even for that they [Page 65] by their wicked life they deride and con­temne Christ his bloud calleth for re­venge against the wic­ked. the mighty grace of God offered: so that the bloud of Christ shed for them, cri­eth for revenge against them, and that by the just judgement of God (which is most terrible to heare) all which they doe offer up & draw upon themselves: for truly it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God, as it is written in the same Chapter: for God even our God, is a living God, not a livelesse Idoll, that will not, or is not a­ble to revenge this refusall and contempt of his grace: which revenge and divine wrath, even their own conscience doth threaten them, and follow them at the heeles, who hearing that the Sonne of God did die a most terrible death for sinne, yet doe not take any care to abstain from sinne. And this is the cause wherefore present­ly after the death of Christ, repen­tance Why God re­quireth repen­tance of all men. was preached over all the world, both because he died the death for the sinnes of the whole world, and in all places of the world men should repent, as it is writ­ten, Chap. 17. Acts, and that they might re­ceive that Panacea, that soveraigne hearb that cureth all diseases with a contrite, pe­nitent [Page 66] and faithfull heart, lest the grace of God should be frustrated and made voyd: With­out re­pen­tance sins are not for­given. for after this serious repentance remission of sinnes doth follow immediatly after; neither is it possible he should have his sins remitted that repenteth not, grieveth not, that hath sinned, and yet rejoyceth in sins: as also nothing is more fooolish and pre­posterous, that those sinnes should be par­doned, the which thou never didst think to abstain from, or challenge the merit of Christ to himselfe, and in the mean time to wallow in his sinnes, which was the cause of Christs death. And yet there be many, who although all their life they never re­pented seriously that they had sinned, nor have abated a hair of their wrath, covetous­nes, pride, hatred, envie, hypocrisie, and un­righteousnesse; but rather have grown and augmented their sinnes more and more, and yet dare require remission of their sins, The false faith of false Chri­stians. and challenge the merit of Christ to belong unto them, which indeed is their blind and deplorable impudencie. These are such as flatter themselves to their exceeding e­vill, perswading themselves through their own foolishnesse, that they are good Chri­stians, [Page 67] because for sooth they know and be­leeve, that Christ died for their sinnes, and by this meanes they doe beleeve sted fastly they shall be saved: but thou art an un­happy, and after a most miserable manner bewitched false Christian; for neither doth the word of God teach, that by this means life eternall is to be obtained, nei­ther any of the Prophets or Apostles did any time so preach; but this is the unani­mous consent: Thou which requirest to have thy sinnes pardoned, first repent, abst. in from thy sins; and then grieving from thy heart, & earnestly, that thou hast sinned, beleeve in Christ. But how should he bee sorry for his sinnes, who never thinketh how to eschew sinne? or how should he eschew his sinnes which is not sorrowfull for the committing of them? Wherefore Christ with all his Apostles & Prophets, doth teach thee that thou must What it is to die to the world. dye to the world and sinne, as to pride, co­vetousnesse, lust, wrath, hatred, and that thou must return with all thy heart to the Lord, and ask pardon of him; which be­ing done, now thou art absolved and free from thy sins, and now the heavenly Phy­sitian [Page 68] respecteth thee, who onely healeth contrite hearts; if thou insist upon any o­ther way, Christ profiteth thee nothing, and in vain, and of no value, or belong­ing to salvation, is the boasting of thy faith: for true faith, which reneweth the man, it extinguisheth and mortifieth sinnes in man, and quickneth him in Christ, that is, maketh him to live in Christ, in faith, and in his charity, humility, meeknesse, and patience. And after this manner Christ is to thee the way to life, and thou in like manner art a new creature in him. But if thou intend to sinne, and hast not yet de­termined to leave thine iniquity, but ap­plaudest all thy old sinnes or actions of old Adam, let it be; how canst thou be another creature, or how canst thou belong to Christ, when thou dost not crucifie the flesh with all the desires thereof, and concupiscences? as the Apostle saith, Galat. 5. Goe then, and daily heare ten Sermons a day, and e­very The vaine worship of God. month confesse thy selfe and commu­nicate: for all these things are farre un­worthy of remission of sinnes; because a pe­nitent heart, contrite and faithfull, which maketh thee capable of this wholsome me­dicine, [Page 69] thou dost not bring with thee. Truly and indeed, the Sacraments and Word of God, which are the most powerfull reme­dies & helps, yet but only to those that re­pent of their sins from the bottom of their hearts, and that with daily faithfull mour­ning doe detest the way of their old and former life: For what profiteth it to anoint a stone with pretious oyntment, or a me­dicine? Or what harvest shalt thou reap if thou sowest amongst thornes and briers? Therefore thou must first pull up all these young thornes that choak the good seed, and all things that hinder thee from reap­ing Whom Christ profit­eth no­thing. a good harvest. Last of all, whosoever cleaveth to his sinnes, it is sure that Christ profiteth him nothing; the nativity of Christ helpeth him nothing, who careth not to be born with him; nothing the death of Christ, him who hath not determined firmly in his mind to die unto sin; nothing the resurrectiō of Christ, him who refuseth in him to arise from sin: lastly, the ascension of Christ profiteth nothing to him that will not lead a heavenly life. But if conver­ted with the prodigall, thou deplore, hate, and slye sinne, and then prayest to ob­tain [Page 70] pardon of God, and beholding by faith Christ crucified, and his wouuds, like unto the true Israelite, thou mayst say, Good God have mercy upon me a most grievous sinner; then pardon is at hand, what and how great soever thy sinnes be thou hast com­mitted, so great truly is the perfection in the redemption gotten by the bloud of Christ, and so is the perfection of applying the grace and imputation of the whole merit of Christ by faith: and it is most true, that is in 12. Sap. God giveth place to repentance for sins, that is to say, pardoning [...]reely & per­fectly, and wholly, the penitent for Christ; yea, it is the great good pleasure of God to exercise mercy, and to pardon sinnes freely. My bowels are troubled within me as towards them, I am merc [...]f [...]ll, and I will have mercy of them, saith the Lord, Jer. 31. For then the death of Christ is effectuall, and cometh to perfection, or bringeth forth his fruits; and therefore the Angels of God in heaven re­joyce, because the bloud of Christ is become profitable to sinners for whom it was shed.

CHAP. IX. The Antichristian life of men of this time, doth deny Christ and the true faith.

BEcause no man doth boast himself that he is no Christian, although he doe no part of a Christian; it followeth that by Christ is deri­ded by a wick­ed life. those manners he denieth Christ, or Christ is denied, contemned, derided, blasphe­med, whipt, crucified, slain, and buried ac­cording to the Apostle, who saith, that cer­tain men crucified the Sonne of God again, and doe boast thereof: and also according to Da­niel, who in the twelfth chapter foretelleth that Christ shall be pulled up by the roots; which Prophesie is vulgarly expounded of Christ crucified at Jerusalem by the Jewes crying, Away with him, Away with him, cru­cifie him: which exposition I would to [Page 72] God it were true, and that Christ were not yet daily by the Antichristian life taken from amongst us, so that his life truly holy and excellent at this day, is no where Where the life of Christ is not, there is no Christ. to be found: for what darest thou speak of thy faith and doctrine? where the life of Christ is banished, there is no Christ, that is more true then may be doubted: or what is faith without a Christian life? even a barren tree without fruit, according to blessed Jude, who calleth the false Apostles, Summer trees without fruit, twice dead: of which sort the world is full. That which Christ foretold would come to passe, Luke 18. When the Sonne of Man commeth, doe you True faith. think he shall find faith upon the earth? He speaketh of faith, not this faith of which the world is full, and which we professe in our mouthes, and deny the same in our workes, as if it consisted in this, to love Christ in words, and not in deeds and truth; but the new man is another man, regeneration, a good tree, with his fruits, a man renewed by faith, in whom Christ liveth and dwelleth by faith. This is the faith that our Saviour meant, which according to his prophesie, is almost [Page 73] no where to be found at this day. For where true faith is, there Christ and his life must needs be: even so contrariwise, whosoever doth not imitate the life of Christ by faith, in him is neither faith nor Christ. The words of our Saviour are, Luk. 12. He that shall deny me before men, I will de­ny him before the Angels of God. This deniall Deni­all of Christ. is not onely done in words, or by the mouth, as when we renounce our faith and Christ, but much more and more power­fully when in deeds and life we resist Christ and the holy Ghost voluntarily: that which St. Paul calleth deniall in workes and deeds. For it is most certain, that Christ is no lesse denied by a wicked and Diaboli­call life, then if he were denied openly by open words: even so it is with hypocrisie, with a specious and verball holinesse, as if it were by doctrine: to which purpose the Parable is extant, Matth. 21. of two sons, to one of which his father said, My sonne, goe worke to day in my vineyard: but be an­swered and said, I will not; yet afterwards he repented him, and did goe. And coming to the other sonne, he said in like manner to him, who answered, I goe Lord, and went not; which of [Page 74] these two did the will of his father? They said, The first, who denied to goe, yet afterwards did goe and labour. But the other, that said he would, and lied, or deceived, did not he The greatest con­tempt of God is in or by a wicked life. mock and deny his father? And so there are many at this day of our false Christians crying, So, so, Lord, Lord, the worst of all others, not any of them doing the com­mandement of the Father. And to this be­longeth the saying of Saint. Paul, They have indeed a shew of godlinesse, but denie the power thereof. And what else is it to deny the power of godlinesse, then to betray False Chri­stians. and violate their faith towards Christ, and to play the Ethnick under the name of a Christian? whom therefore St. Paul right­ly calleth Infidels, the children of infidelity, having no faith. Lastly, those that usurp a Christians name, and doe nothing; and therefore Christ saith, Depart from me yee accursed, because I know you not: And worthy it is that I should deny you, who first durst and did deny me.

CHAP. X. The moderne life of worldly men is against Christ, and is false Christianity.

IF any will examine the life and manners The life of the worldly of these times, after the square of the life and doctrine delivered by Christ, shall not he find the life of most men to be Antichri­stians; because they have no other thing more then covetousnesse, the study of get­ting, usury, concupiscence of the flesh, and of the eyes, pride of life, ambition, pomp, hunting after fame and glory, disobedi­ence, wrath, strife, warre, disorder, dis­pleasure, thirsting after revenge, secret ha­tred, envie, implacability, unrighteousnesse, uncleannesse, falsenesse, frauds and back­bitings. In briefe, we are all for the most part, selfe-lovers, seekers of the world, gree­dy, The life of Christ & Chri­stians. affecters of honours and our own pro­per gain: when contrariwise the life of [Page 76] Christ is nothing but the most pure and sincere love of God and man, courtesie, mildnesse, humility, patience, obedience to death, mercy, righteousnesse, truth, cha­stity, holinesse, contempt of the world, of honours, wealth and pleasures, deniall of our selves, to beare the crosse continually, trouble and affliction, daily study and thirst after the Kingdome of God: and lastly, an unexpressible desire to fulfil the divine will: seeing Christ saith, He that is not with me is He that hath not the Spi­rit of Christ is Anti­christ. Antichrist. But the modern life of worldly men hath no community with Christ, but most men are at discord with Christ, and dissent with their whole heart, will, mind, and spirit, from Christ, (Paul 1 Cor. 2. com­manding another thing, But we have the will of Christ; and to the Phil. 2. Have yee the same manners with Christ) it is agreeable that all worldly men should be adverse to Christ: what every one doth, this is Anti­christ, not in doctrine, but in manner of life; which being so, in what place shall we find true Christians? Seeing then this flock should be lowly in their own eyes, Luke 12. to whom the Prophet Isaias agreeth, who compareth the faithfull assembly and true [Page 77] Church to a little Cottage in a Vineyard The paucity of true Christi­ans. and a Watch-tower in a garden of Cu­cumbers, and to a wasted Citie. And Micah compareth it to a cluster of grapes; which grapes the gatherers left by negligence in the vineyard, saying, cap. 8. Woe is me because I am become as one that gathereth grapes to make wine in Autumne. And blessed David likeneth it to a solitary Turtle, to a little Sparrow, hiding it selfe under the eves of the house; and to a night-crow in the desert, and to one remaining amongst the rubbish of a de­stroyed Citie: but where, where they are, the most high knoweth. Certainly Christ is and will be with them even unto the end of the world; neither will he leave them with­out succour, or desolate: For the Lord knoweth his, and those that be his Christs. Amongst whom whosoever is to be recko­ned, the Apostle declares, Let all depart from their iniquity which usurp the name of Christ; and they that are not so minded, let them get unto themselves another name.

CHAP. XI. He that doth not imitate the life of Christ, and doth not repent, is neither Christian nor the Son of God: then what the se­cond, or new birth is; and what the yoak of Christ is.

OUr great God gave unto us his Son, to be our Prophet, Doctor, and our Master, whom in like manner he comman­ded us to heare him by a voyce from hea­ven; which office the Sonne of God did execute, not in words onely, but in exam­ples also of a most innocent life, valiantly and boldly, and as it was worthy such a true teacher: Whereupon Saint Luke, Acts 1. The former Treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all things which Jesus be­gan [Page 79] to doe and to teach, even unto the day he was taken up; where it is to be observed, that the blessed Evangelist joyneth the deeds and doctrine together, by a most cer­tain counsell that cannot be separated: for it behoveth a true Teacher, which would teach others, first to doe the things himself, and such a teacher Christ shewed himselfe to be by his example, whose life is the true doctrine and booke of life. And for that Christ is the light of our life. cause the Sonne of God became Man, and was conversant amongst men on earth, that he might shew unto us a living example of a heavenly life, divine, innocent, and per­fect, that we might follow him as a light in the dark; for which cause he calleth him­selfe the Light of the world, which if we fol­low, we doe not walk in darknesse, as wit­nesseth John, Chap. 8. Whereby it evident­ly appeareth, that all those doe remain in the darke, and will never attaine to the light of life who doe not follow Christ in faith and life. And what this darknesse is, St. Paul teacheth us, Rom. 12. comman­ding to lay down the works of darknesse, and to put on the Armour of light, as if the Mysti­call darknes should say, Repent. But we have sufficiently [Page 80] declared before that true and divine re­pentance, together with true faith, doth utterly change the man, crucifie the flesh, and impose and beget a new way of life through the Holy Ghost. There­fore, lest wee being seduced by error, should believe Christianity to be words only, and not a reality or reall being; and that there should be a living example of the quickened Spirit or new man, God Christ is the shape of the new man. set before our eyes his own Sonne, not only as a ransome and Mediatour, but as a glasse of true piety, and shape of the regene­ration, or new man, in whom not the fleshly Adam through sin, but God himself did raign, that we might daily be renewed in him, according to his own Image, of which many things remain to be spoken. We know every one of us, and find by dai­ly experience, our nature offending; that is to say, our blood, our flesh, body and mind to be polluted with all kinde of unclean­nesse, malice, sin and wickednesse; all which are both the works of the Devill, working powerfully in the carnall and naturall man: The ori­ginall of all sins. as also more especially, the wicked and de­praved will, because the depraved will is the [Page 81] root of all sins, which being taken away, there would be no sin; for the evill will is it which turneth him from God and his will: for whatsoever differeth from God, or the chief good, that cannot but be evill. And this aversion, or falling away of both, was, I say, of the Devill, and the fall of man, and thereby sin came into the world, which we deliver one unto another by car­nall propagation; whereby it appeareth, that our flesh and blood by nature, and off­spring, doth nourish our aptnesse to evill, and the seed of the Devill and our flesh will be infected with the venime of Satan, as in­deed pride is, lying, lust, and every wic­ked work condemned of God: And for this inclination so wicked, Christ calleth the Pharisees, sons of the Devill, Joh. 8. and many other their disciples, by the name of Satan; no otherwise then, as if covetous­nesse, lying, pride, and all wicked concu­piscence were the Devill, wherewith the na­turall and carnall man is infected; where­upon it followeth further, that as many as lead their life without repentance, full of pride, covetousnesse, lust and envie, all those do live in the Devill and do partici­pate [Page 82] of the inclination and nature of the Devill. In which number all those which take upon them any work, having an out­ward shew of integrity, or honesty of their own inducements, or bringing up, and yet are in their heart and inwardly, full of the Devill, or that the Devill remaineth with­in, according to the saying of Christ to the Jews, which, although it be a terrible thing to speak, yet it is really so, no con­jecture; Our ex­treme wicked­nesse to be a­mend­ed by the chiefest good. Why Christ was in­carnate. wherefore, seeing, as it is confessed, our nature is so extremely & miserably de­praved, it is behoofefull without doubt, that it should be corrected and amended, which by no means could be obtained or effected, but by this; that is to wit, that the chief good should destroy the chief evill; and that God himself should become man. Now then the Son of God became man, not for his own cause, but for ours, that he might reconcile us by himself unto God, and make us partakers of the soveraign good; and be­ing purged, sanctifie us; for what is to be sanctified, that of necessity is to be sanctified through God & with God; and as God is personally in Christ, so we w^th God by faith must be united, that we may live in him, [Page 83] and he in us; Christ in us, and we in Christ. Wee must be uni­ted to Christ by faith Lastly, the divine will in us, and we in it, which is the only means by which Christ Jesus becometh our medicine to our most corrupted nature, of which so much as is in man, so much is his depraved inclination His no­bility in whom Christ liveth. Christ is the new life of the new man. amended. Happy & most noble is that man in whom Christ is all, and doth all, whose noble thoughts, mind & words are the will of Christ, the thoughts of Christ, and the mind of Christ, (according to that of Paul, 1 Cor. 2. We have the mind of Christ.) Lastly, whose words are Christs. And so it needs to be in­deed, because the life of Christ is that new and another life in man; neither is the new man any other thing, then he who liveth in Christ, according to the Spirit; whose life, I say, courtesie, patience, and humility, is no other then that of Christ: And this the new creature, and the life of Christ in us, according to that of Paul to the Galatians, G [...]l. 2. I live, but not I, but Christ in me liveth, this also is to follow Christ truly, and truly to repent, for by this method the old man is destroyed, and the carnall life declineth, the new spirituall and heavenly life ariseth and breaketh out of the clouds. [Page 84] This who ever doth, he truly is a Christian, not in title only, but in work and truth, a true son of God, begotten of God and Christ, renewed in Christ, and quickened by faith; and so long as the inward man dwelleth in flesh and blood, we may wish so much perfection, rather then attain un­to it; but it is as meet and necessary to in­deavour and to aspire thereunto, and study the same, and to wish it from our inward minde, and to strive that the life and king­dom The strife & daily fighting with corrupt nature. of Christ may be in us, and not the life of Satan; let all our counsels respect this, all our cares and inward groans be sent this way, and let this be our only strife and warfare, that we may mortifie the old man by daily repentance: For how much every one dieth to himself, so much doth Christ live in him; how much corruption How the man is daily renew­ed. departeth from our nature by the Holy Ghost, so much divine grace cometh in; how much the flesh is crucified, so much is the spirit quickened; so much of the work of darknesse as is destroyed, so much is the man illuminated; by how much the exte­rior man is lessened and wasted, so much the inward is renewed, 2 Cor. 4. so much [Page 85] as you lose of your vaine affections and carnall life, and are wasted, as self-love, ambition, wr [...]th, covetousnesse, and volup­tuousnesse, so much Christ liveth in you; the further a mans heart is set from the world, from concupiscence of the eyes, flesh and pride of life, so much more of God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit, doth flow in­to him. Last of all, the more nature, flesh, darknesse, and the world do bear rule in man, so much lesse grace, spirit of light, God and Christ, is found in him. More­over, this new kind of living, is to the flesh The new life is the crosse of the flesh. an enemy and bitter crosse, because it is that by which it is subjugated and brought un­der, and crucified with all the desires and concupiscences thereof, but yet is that wherein the whole power and fruit of pe­nitency consisteth. This is the inward de­sire of the flesh and blood, that it had rather lead a free life, dissolute, according to its own will, and among pleasures and all kind of voluptuousnesse; for it only knows this to be sweet and pleasant; as contrari­wise, the life of Christ to the flesh and the old man, is a heavie crosse; but to the new man, and him that is spirituall, it is an easie [Page 86] yoak, a light burden, and a most quiet Sab­bath; truly the true rest is sought for in vain, else were they in the fai [...]h of Christ, and in his sweetness, humility, patience, and love of Christ; whereupon it is said, Mat. 11. You shall find rest for your souls. Truly he that loveth Christ will not think it bitter to suffer death it self for him. This there­fore is that sweet yoak of Christ, which we are commanded to take upon us, that our soules might be refreshed, and come into his rest; which command, if we determine to obey, and mean to put on Christ his life and yoak, then we must shake off the yoak of the Devill, our way of carnall life, wicked and dissolute, nor must we suffer the flesh as a Lady to insult and disquiet the spirit, but all things are to be brought under the Law, obedience and yoak of Christ, will, I say, reason, understanding, and all car­nall What the yoak of Christ is. appetites, which the concupiscence of Adam, and this flesh of ours is well plea­sed to be honoured, worshipped, and to be praised of men, to abound in riches and pleasures, to bring all which on the other side, under the yoak of Christ and his discipline, nothing regarding his igno­miny, [Page 87] contempt and poverty, to think him­self unworthy all things that the world ga­peth What the life of Christ is. after; and for which other men do contend, that truth is the crosse of Christ wherewith the flesh is delighted. I say, that extreme humility of Christ, and his most noble life, which to the spirit is a most ea­sie yoak and a most easie burden; for what other was the whole life of Christ then ho­ly poverty, extreme contempt, and vile per­secution, who came not into the world to be attended on, but to serve us himself, and spend his life, and shed his dearest blood to redeem our offences. It is the property of The na­turall man & the spi­rituall. the naturall man to seek after honours, and hunt after great things: The spirituall on the other side loved the humility of Christ, and desireth to become nothing; And whereas most men do desire to go be­fore, or excell others, scarce one coveteth to be reputed as nothing, of whom the one belongeth to the square or rule of life of the old Adam, the other to the rule of Christ. The carnall man, and he who hath not yet learned what Christ is; that is to say, meer humility, courtesie and love, accounteth it folly to live as Christ liveth, and thinketh [Page 88] those onely wise that live after their owne The false & true light. will, delicately and easily; not knowing that then he chiefly liveth in the Devill, when most foolishly he applaudeth him­selfe, and esteemeth his own life as the best and most pleasing, which most miserable men, being fast bound in the lust of their own carnall wisdome, doe inforce others to follow the like errours: contrariwise, those whom the true and eternall light hath in­lightned, those are touched at the heart, when they doe see the pomp and disdaine, pride, pleasure, wrath, revenge, and such kind of fruit of the carnall life, which cau­seth them to sigh from the bottome of their hearts, saying; How farre is this from Christ and his knowledge, from true re­pentance, from genuine Christianity, and lastly, from the fruits of the new birth of the sonnes of God? for he liveth yet in A­dam, in the old creature, and in the Devill himselfe: for to offend boldly, and wil­lingly to sinne, is nothing else then to live in the Devill. In whom therefore the life of Christ is not, this man is without repen­tance, neither is a true Christian, nor the sonne of God; nay, Christ knoweth him [Page 89] not. He who will rightly know him as a Saviour and example of life, it is meet he know him to be meere love, meere courtesie, patience and humility; which vertues of Christ it behoveth thee to have, and love them from the bottome of thy heart, and fasten them to thy self. As a plant by its favour and smel that it sendeth forth, bewrayes its own nature: so thou oughtest to know Christ, and by experience be cer­tain, that he is a certain most fragrant The true know­ledge of Christ. stock, from whence thy soule doth draw and obtain admirable strength and new vitall spirits, as also singular joy and solace. And after this manner is tasted how sweet the Lord is, so is the truth known, so is the chiefe and eternall good perceived, and then doth he know certainly that nothing is better then the life of Christ, nothing more pleasant, sweet, pretious, or more full of tranquillity. And lastly, nothing can be more likened, or be compared to life eternall. And do we doubt that because it is better then all, it should be more desire­able? for in whom the life of Christ is not, this man cannot know what the peace and tranquillity of eternall life is, nor what the [Page 90] chiefe good is, nor everlasting truth, nor what is true peace and joy, the true light, and true charity, seeing Christ is all these himselfe; whereupon John Ep. 1. chap. 4. saith, Every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God; he that loveth not, knoweth not God, because God is love. Whereby the fruits of the new birth which is of God, appea­reth, and also life and a new creature; not to be words and an externall forme, but a substance, but the Queen of vertues, and which is God himselfe, that is to say, Cha­rity: for of whomsoever any is born, it is meet he should have the same properties; and he that saith he is born of God, let him shew that by charity, because God is charity. In like manner, the knowledge of God resteth not in words, and shadowed or vain knowledge, but in lively, amiable, plea­sant, and most sincere pleasure, which ought to flow into the bottome of our heart and mind, and there to dwell, when we taste by faith inwardly in our hearts, the sweetnesse of God. This, I say, this is the true, lively, and efficacious knowledge of God, of which David, in Psalm 84. spea­keth, saying, My heart and my flesh rejoyceth [Page 91] in the living God: and Psalm 63. How plea­sant is thy mercies over our lives! where it is presently manifested, the joy and sweet­nesse of the knowledge divine, which is in­fused into the faithfull heart: and so at length the man liveth in God, and God in him; so is truth known, and so the same truth knoweth man.

CHAP. XII. The being of a Christian man is to die to himselfe and the world, and to live unto Christ.

OVer and above this, that this sentence is full of consolation, whilst it is ma­nifested that Christ died for all men, as also it containeth a most wholsome doctrine concerning the way of a Christian life, how [Page 92] we ought to live, that is to say, not to our He that wil live in Christ; must dy to the world. selves onely, but to him who died for our cause: but this by no means can be done, unlesse first we die to our selves and the world: Therefore if thou hast purposed to live in Christ, necessarily thou must die to worldly concupiscence: but if thou mind to live to thy selfe and the world, it will profit nothing to be with Christ. But there be 3. kinds of death; one spirituall, when the Death is three fold. man daily dieth to himselfe, that is, to the concupiscence of his flesh, covetousnesse, pride, voluptuousnesse, wrath, & such like: the second naturall, the third everlasting: of the second speaketh Paul to the Philippi­ans, ch [...]p. 1. To live to my selfe it is Christ, and to die it is gain; as if he should say, To a Christian desiring to die, Christ is his life, and death gaine: for when he changeth this short and miserable life for a better life, and this earthly and fraile goods for stable and eternal goods, this is a most gainful ex­change: and he who shall be well pleased with this saying, and fit himselfe to the first sort of death, in my judgement he shall not erre: For that soule is thrice and foure The life of Christ. times happy, to whom to live is Christ, [Page 93] that is, wherein Christ liveth, or that hath the life of Christ, that is, followeth his hu­mility and lowlinesse. But alas, most men The life of the Devill. at this day have taken upon them the life of the Devill, and their life is the Divell. As for example, covetousnesse, pride, concu­piscence, wrath, blasphemy: for this is the life of the Devill. But thou, O man, walk carefully, and look about thee again and again; and see who liveth in thee, and thou What it is to die to them­selves and the world. shalt be most happy, if thou canst truly say, To me to live is Christ, not in the other life only, but also in this present life; & so truly it is needfull also in this present life now, that for thee to live is Christ, & gain to die: For is there any thing more profitable then to die in this condition, to covetousnesse, pride, concupiscence, wrath and hatred, that Christ by that means may live in thee. For how much every one dieth to the world, so much Christ liveth in him. Goe to them, let Christ live in thee in time, that thou in like manner maist live with him in From whence be the pertur­bations of the mind. eternity. But seeing that the mind distracted with divers worldly concupiscences, is not capable of true tranquillity and peace, it followeth, that those that doe die before [Page 94] they begin to live in Christ, that which our Sarah the type of the new birth. great God hath taught us in divers figures in the old Testament: for Sarah when by reason of her age she was unfit to bring chil­dren, and dead to marriage bed, did con­ceive in her womb, and brought forth I­saac, which word signifieth Laughter. So then, unlesse thou root out of thy mind, worldly love, thou shalt not be able to feel and receive the joy of the Spirit: The pro­mise was not made unto Abraham of Christ, Abra­ham is a type of the abnega­tion of the world. and the covenant of circumcision annexed, before he left his proper habitation, and his own inheritance: it is no otherwise with man, so long as he hath his mind fixed to the world, it is impossible for him to taste and receive Christ into his heart. Herod be­ing dead, Christ returned into Judea, Matth. 2. The document is plain, so long as the mind doth play the Fox with the World, Christ cannot enter into it, and therefore thou must die to the Fox First die unto A­dam that Christ may live in thee. Herod, that the child Christ may live in thee. All which returnes to this, that you must die unto Adam, or the old man, be­fore Christ can live in thee. Paul to the Ga­lat. 2. saith, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth [Page 95] in me. And to the Coloss. 2. You are dead, yet he writes to the living, and your life is hid in Christ: for then every one is truly dead, when he ceaseth to be that he was before. Those which are of the spirit, doe un­derstand the things of the spirit, saith St. Paul, Rom. 8. and to the Galat. 5. If we live in the spirit, we walk also in the spirit. Neither is it sufficient to boast of the faith and the spirit in words, but words are to be approved by the fruits and works: for it is spoken to all men by the Apostle, If you live after the flesh, you shall die; but if you mortifie the works of the flesh by the spirit, you shall live: wherein very many are like unto Saul, who did not slay Agag, the King of the Amale­kites, Concu­piscen­ces are to be mor [...]i­fied, not hidden. as God commanded him, but put him into prison: so these men doe nourish and hide closely their concupiscence, when they should be eradicated utterly, and not any part of the root left behind: let us doe this, unlesse (with Saul) we lose our King­dome; The scope of the whole Scrip­ture re­quireth the new man. that is, lest we be deprived of our eternall life. In briefe, the whole Scriptures with the consent of all Histories, Types and Figures, doe point out Christ, whose life we ought to imitate, and doe set out the [Page 96] scope thereof; neither doe I speak here of the great world, and of his exceeding te­stimonies of God, and divine love. There is a sort of men that not unfitly may be com­pared to Winter trees: for as they receive easily their leaves which were cast off, the yeare changing and becomming favou­rable; so many in adversity doe retaine their pleasures within, and hide them, which yet doe forthwith in prosperity, ha­ving, as it were, gathered a troop, breake out on a sudden. A true Christian is most unlike to those hypocrites, who in prospe­rity and adversity liveth according to piety, equally just and faithfull to his Christ, and taketh all things indifferently his lot doth cast upon him. When our great God did grant to Achab victory over the King of Sy­ria, upon that condition that being taken, he should hold him in prison, that he should remain an example to shew that God was stronger then all his enemies, and did require just punishment against those that did blaspheme his Name, he despising the Name of God, and his Commande­ments, having taken his enemy in battell, saluted him as his brother, and let him goe; [Page 97] for which disobedience, and giving life to a man deserving to die, the Prophet pro­nounceth the pain of death to Achab by Gods appointment. To whom these are most like, who nourish and feed their own concupiscences, when they should pull them up by the roots, & therefore willing­ly without mortifi­cation of the flesh, there is no good in man. do draw eternall death upon themselves. And therefore it is most true, that without mortification of the flesh, no prayer nor piety. Lastly, without mortification, no work of spirituall devotion can abound in the soule, which was the cause God Al­mighty, Exod. 19. appointed all those beasts to die, that should approach unto the mount Sinai: and by how much more ought we to kill our beastly concupiscen­ces, if we ascend to the holy mount of God and offer our prayers to God, and if we meditate on the word of God, lest if we do otherwise, we die the death. Gen. 32. we Iacob thou must be before thou be Israel. read that a new name was given unto Ja­cob, to wit, Israel, which signifieth a Cham­pion, or a Prince of God; because in wrast­ling with the Angell of God, he beheld his face. But before this, Jacob, which signi­fieth a Supplanter, or Ʋnderminer: for so he [Page 98] was, not onely in name, but in deed; after whose example, unlesse thou first through the holy Ghost, doe tread down thy con­cupiscences, to become Israel, or the Prince or Captain of God, thou shalt never attain Man must dis­please himselfe to please God. the place of a Captaine, or see the face of God. The same Jacob, that he might en­joy the beautifull maid Rach [...]l, he was con­strained to take Lea with bleared eyes; doe thou such a thing, and if thou art in love with Rachel, that is, if thou darest marry with Christ the true Jacob, first doe not de­spise Lea, that is, despise thy self as a beast­like and sinfull man, displease thy selfe and force it to death. But there be very many who like unto Jacob, are deceived of their owne life, thinking verily he had met with Rachel, that is, that he had led a Christian life, pleasing to God, inwardly declared in truth; afterward then see that they live with Lea, that is, they have not yet learned Christ, and therefore not in the favour, but in the hatred of God, and that most de­servedly. Therefore let us doe this, Before all, let us displease our selves, and as Lea in the house of her father, be counted un­worthy: so let us contemne our selves, ta­king [Page 99] to us humility, lowlinesse, and pati­ence, that at the last we may obtain faire Rachel, for whom, as Jacob served con­stantly the whole seven yeares, her love The ser­vice of mystical Iacob. mitigating the hardnesse of his labour, and wearing out the time without tedious­nesse: so the most faithfull spouse of our soules, Christ Jesus, served full thirty three yeares in this world, a most hard service or servitude, for our cause, according to that of Matth. 20. The Sonne of man came not to be ministred unto, but to serve o­thers, and give his life a redemption for many. And according to that of Jacob, which he indured after a sharper manner for our love: This twenty yeares (saith he) I served thee in thy house, abiding both heat and cold, and frost; and I watched both day and night. And shall we doubt yet to love Christ again, and make warre all our life, against his capitall enemy the world?

CHAP. XIII. For Christ and eternall salvation, to which we were created and re­deemed, every Christian ought willingly to die to them­selves and the world.

FOr thy Christ thou must die to thy selfe, thy sinnes, and the world, thou must doe good, and live a holy and inno­cent life; not that thou canst merit any; for Christ did that for all; but out of thy sincere love towards him, and because he To love Christ is to live in him. the love of Christ over­cometh the world & death. willingly died for thee: for neither in thy tongue or words, lest thou bee deceived, must thou love him, but in deed and work, and in vertue and truth, and in keeping his commandements, as thou art taught by himselfe, John 14. If any man love me, he [Page 101] will keep my words, and my Father loveth him, and we shall goe unto him, and have a mansion with him: For this is the love of God, That we keep his commandements, and his commande­ments are not heavie. St. John 1 Epist. Cap. 5. and our Saviour himselfe, Matth. 11. doth affirm, My yoak is pleasant, and my bur­den is light: And to those that love Christ fervently, it cannot but be easy and pleasant to want the sweetnesse of worldly trifles, and to live in Christ; mitigating all sense of difficulty through the vehemency of love: but to those that doe not embrace Christs love with sincere affection, doing all things ingratefully, and with an evill will, all things must needs be found sharp and diffi­cult in the study of an holy life: when con­trariwise, to a true friend of Christ, not death it selfe, if it be required for him, is in any wise terrible: For unto us it is given (saith St. Paul to Phil. 1.) for Christ, not onely that we might beleeve in him, but also that we might suffer and die for him. Behold Moses with me, of whom honorable menti­on is made in most ample words in the E­pistle to the Hebrewes, Chap. 11. By faith Moses denied to be made great, and denied him­selfe [Page 102] to be the sonne of the daughter of Pharaoh, rather chusing to be afflicted with the sonnes of God, then to have the pleasantnesse of a tempo­rall office, esteeming the opprobry of Christ to be greater riches then the treasures of Egypt. The love of wisdom doth cause the con­tempt of plea­sure. Consider with me Daniel, Chap. 1. set apart by the King of Babylon, with a certain num­ber of his fellowes in captivity, and reser­ved by the King, and nourished with meat and drink from the Kings Table, untill he should be fit to execute the offices appointed by the King, and forth with he was brought up; yet he and his fellowes despised those dainties, and desired the Prince of the Eu­nuches, that they might rather be fed with Lentiles, and drink water: for so much could the love of divine wisdome work in their young and tender minds; with which to be divinely indued, they onely desired: Therefore take thou heed, and doe not think thou mayst doe otherwise: but if thou wish that Christ, who is the eternall wisdome of the Father, should come into thy mind, perswade thy selfe again and a­gain, that thou must abstain from carnall pleasures, as from the delicate dishes of the Babylonians Court. And as those children [Page 103] by themselves were made more beautifull when they lived soberly and temperatly, satisfying nature with Lentiles and water; so be thou assuredly perswaded in thy mind, that it will be before God the best of all, and most excellent, and so become partaker of his divine nature, as saith Saint Peter, 2 Epist. chap. 1. if thou detest worldly pleasures and sinne. The words of S. Paul are to Gal. 6. The world is crucified to me, and I to the world; that is, I am dead to the world, and the world to me. In example of this, all true Christians are in the world truly, but not of the world; and although they live in it, no part of the love of it cleaveth unto them, accounting it for sha­dowes, and as nothing; worldly pomps, dignities, concupiscence of the eyes and the flesh, with the pride of life, how the world is dead to them and is crucified, and they Christi­ans ac­count al worldly things but shadows to the world, likewise are dead and cruci­ed, because they esteeme little of honours, wealth and pleasures, and account them as dung to obtain Christ, or in respect of Christ. But happy, and thrice and foure times happy is that heart who is so divine­ly indued, and in whose heart such graces [Page 104] are infused, that it is withdrawn with no desire of worldly honours, wealth and pleasure; which to obtain, it is needfull, and very behoovefull for a true Christian to pray daily to God for the same. Solo­mon, the wisest of all Kings, by this meanes obtained his desire of God, Prov. 30. Two things I desire of thee, deny them not unto me: That thou neither give me Riches nor Poverty, but give me so much as is necessary for my life. Let a true Christian in like manner so pray, Two things are ne­cessary for a Christi­an. Two things I desire of thee, O Lord, two things, That I may die to my selfe and the world: without these two things, it is un­possible to be a true Christian: And if thou thinkest otherwise, thou art deceived, and thou shalt heare this, I know you not. Al­though to flesh and bloud it be a grievous crosse to die to himselfe and the world, that is, to set by no worldly thing in respect of heaven; yet the spirit overcommeth, and breaketh through all these difficulties, so A spiri­tual life is a cross to the flesh great is the force, so great is the love of Christ, that they passe through all these things, as a sweet yoak, and easie bu [...]den. And although those which are so, are ha­ted of the world, yet they are beloved of [Page 105] God. For the enmity of this world, is the friendship and love of God: And in like manner, the enmity of God is the friend­ship of the world. Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world, is sure to be the enemy of God, witnesse James, chap. 4. and Christ himselfe, John 15. plainly professeth, If you were of this world, the world would love that which were its own: but be­cause you are not of the world; for I have cho­sen you out of the world, therefore the world doth hate you. For as the Sea receiveth, and will beare quick men, and casteth out dead men: so the world is adversary to those that are dead to the world, and so esteem­eth them, and is otherwise to those that live in pomp and splendor, it commendeth them. Finally, to speak briefly, he who so liveth that in his heart pride, covetousnesse, pleasure, wrath, revenge, & the desire there­of mortified, are to him indeed the world What it is to die to the world. is dead, and he to the world: this man li­veth in Christ, and Christ in him. And those that are so, these Christ doth ac­knowledge for his, to others it is said, I know you not, who in like manner knew him not, and were ashamed of his life: I say, his [Page 106] meeknesse, humility, and patience. In brief, he who refuseth to live with Christ here in time, how should he live with Christ in e­ternity? For how should he live in thee af­ter this life, who canst not live with him in this life? It remaineth therefore, whose life in this world is not in Christ, he shall not have life in the other world. Here I pray thee now examine thy life, and see whether it be more like to Christs or the Vnion with Christ or the Devill. Devils: Certainly, with one of them thou shalt be joyned eternally after death. But who is dead to himselfe, he is in love with no businesses, yea is dead to the world; what other thing is it to die unto the world, then not to love the world, and the things of this world, according to that of John, E­pist. 1. chap. 2. He who loveth the world is not of God? For what should he doe in the world, who inwardly and in his heart is dead to it? Whom also whosover loveth, he is no otherwise then Samson of Dalila, overcome of it, and condemned to all the torments and vexations which the He is o­vercom of the world that lo­veth it. worldly life containeth or affordeth. Moreover, the love of the world belongeth to the old man, not to the regeneration, be­cause [Page 107] the world hath nothing but honours, The old man de­lighteth in the world, the new man in Christ. wealth, concupiscence of the eyes, and of t [...]e flesh, with the pride of life, in which the old Adam is conversant, and delighteth it selfe. And contrariwise, to the new man, he hath all things in Christ, as joy, honour, wealth and pleasure: for what can be more The I­mage of God the great est dignity of man. honorable to a man, or is more to be desi­red then the Image of God renewed by Christ? Or if we seek pleasures, what man in his wits can doubt that God doth give delight to his, above all creatures, and de­light The man is made for greater things then this world. them more? as the words of Taulerus say. Furthermore, what think you of that which the Scripture teacheth, Man was not made for the worlds sake, but the world for mans sake, nor to fill his belly with delicate meat, pamper his own wit, heap up riches, spread his Empire abroad to get most ample possessions, grounds, and fruits of the earth, to be gorgeously atti­red, to abound in gold and silver, to be Lord of the earth, to put all his delight and joy therein, as in his paradise to place it, and know & hope for nothing but what is before his eyes: Or lastly, for any ter­rene cause whatsoever, or any thing that is [Page 108] fraile, although of it selfe it be good, plea­sant, and pretious. No truly, he must goe hence, he is but a tenant and a life-renter of this great world, into which we enter many at one instant, as it were by heaps, yet death calls for us also. As it is not pro­fitable for any of us to carry with us a grain of all the treasure we have heaped, whereby it evidently appeareth, that we were not created for this temporall life, To what man was created. neither this world to be the principall end of our creation, seeing that we live therein as prilgrims and guests, therefore another cause brought us into this world, and for whom we were born, which is God him­selfe, and the image of God which we bear in Christ, and unto whom we are renewed: In this we are convinced evidently, to wit, that we are especially created for the king­dome of God, and life eternall, which Christ hath recovered for us, and to whom we are regenerate by the holy Ghost. How preposterous then is it for one to fix his heart to the world, and give his minde to earthly things, when we know the other to be more noble then the whole word? I say, for a man to attend and spend his time [Page 109] on earthly things, which is the most excel­lent of all creatures, which carrieth about him the image of God in Christ, and is renewed to this image: Wherefore as I said before, the man for the world was not created, but the world was created for man, and therefore carrleth about with him the image of God in Christ: of which the excellency and nobility is so great, that all men with all his workes and power, could not repaire one soule, or renew the Image of God. But for this cause it was necessary that Christ should die, that be­cause the image of God was defaced and destroyed in man, it should be renewed by the holy Ghost, and he should become forthwith the habitation and house of God. And this being known and called to mind, if he be right minded, he will ne­ver compare the riches of the world, ho­nours To pre­ferre earthly things before heuven­ly, is great madnes. and pleasures, with the price of his soule, which Christ hath redeemed at such a price: for what is it to cast pearls in the mire and before swine, if this should not be? That which our Saviour saith, Matth. 16. pertaineth to this place, What profiteth it a man to get the whole world, and lose his owne [Page 110] soule? For seeing the world is mortall, and the soul of man immortall, the world with all his pomp cannot recover one soul.

CHAP. XIV. A true Christian ought after the example of Christ, to contemne the world, and hate his life in this world.

HE that will hate himselfe, he must first, not love himselfe, so that he may dai­ly die to sinne, and therefore he must con­tinually Selfe-love the chiefest enemy of the soul▪ & Idolatry wrastle with himselfe and his flesh; for nothing is more hurtfull to a man that is desirous of his salvation, and more hin­dereth him, then selfe-love; I say that car­nall Philautia, of which this following dis­course in all this book, is the subject. I doe [Page 111] not say that care of preserving our selves, but loving our selves is forbidden: For see­ing that God alone is to be loved, it fol­loweth, that he who loveth himselfe, is an Idolater, and maketh himselfe God; what every one loveth, in that his heart is fixed, neither can we be taken but with the love and servitude of something, so as we be­come servants, despoiling our selves of our proper liberties; and consequently, having so many Lords, we are subject unto, as we have objects to love; but if thy love be sin­cerely and simply towards God, then thou art subject to no object, but it is manifest thou art at liberty; wherefore thou must be very circumspect, that thou follow nothing that may hinder the divine love in thee: And if thou desirest to possesse God alone as much as thou art able, so much in like The law of God brings forth tran­quillity, the world pertur­bation. manner of thy all, must thou consecrate to him: But if thou love thy selfe, and please thy selfe, much pensivenesse, sorrow, feare, and sadnesse, will befall thee. Contrari­wise, if thou love God, and rejoycest in him onely, and dost dedicate thy selfe onely to him, then will he be thy comfort, never shalt thou be overcome with sorrow, feare, [Page 112] and sadnesse; he who seeketh himselfe eve­ry where, and in all things, and followeth after his own profit onely, praise and ho­nour, he never attaineth to tranquillity: for alwayes something meeteth him that bringeth perturbation. Therefore beware you beleeve not, that the increase of wealth, fame, and honour, is good and profitable, but rather set before thee the best things, contemne such things, and extirpate the root of concupiscence, which hindereth thee in pursuance of the love of God. Now seeing the commodities of this True & constant rest in God. life, praise, honour, and likewise the world it selfe, are fraile and floating away, but the love of God remaineth for ever: that de­light cannot be durable which thou takest in the love of thy selfe and earthly things, because it may vary by very light occasion, where contrariwise the mind firmly set up­on divine love, cannot but continually re­joyce: vain, frail, and brickle is that which is not grounded upon God; but doe thou forsake all things, and thou shalt finde all things by faith: For the lover of himselfe and the world, findeth not God. The love Who findeth not God of our selves is earthly, and not of God, [Page 113] and is chiefe enemy to heavenly wisdome: Humili­ty is the compa­nion of heaven­ly wis­dome. for it careth nothing lesse then to be emi­nent in the world, and to be accounted great; for which cause, and for their own profit and simplicity, it cometh to passe, as almost with one blot it is put out of the mind and memory of Man. Therefore al­though many in Sermons doe boast and make a noyse thereof, yet remaineth, and will remain, this pretious Pearle unknown and hidden, as long as in life and man­ners we are farre from it, and know little: And the onely way to find it, is to unlearn and forget humane wisdome, proper ap­plause, selfe-love. And for humane and earthly wisdome, which the whole world boasteth to be such, but indeed is ridicu­lous and vile, you must change for celesti­stiall and divine. It is impossible to love Where­in the love of God consist­eth. God, unlesse you hate your selfe, that is, un­lesse thou be displeased with thy selfe for thy sinnes, crucifie thine own flesh, and mor­tifie thy proper will; that is, by how much any man is attentive to the love of God, so much more doth he study to mortifie and keep under the concupiscence of the flesh, and his owne proper appetites. Also, the [Page 114] further thou departest from thy selfe, and thy proper love, by the power of divine love, by so much the nearer art thou hid­den in God and his love, through faith. For even as inward peace dependeth on vacancy and leasure from outward things; so it must needs be, that when the inwards are at leasure, and the heart free from all creatures, it cleaveth to God alone, giving back from other things; the soule must en­ter Selfe-love & the love of God, are two cōtrary things. into God by consequence. Moreover, he that goeth about to deny himself, there­in it must needs follow, that he doth not his own work, but Christs: I am, saith John 14. the Way, the Truth, and the Life: without the way no man goeth on, without Christ the way, the truth, & the life, the truth nothing is known, and without life no man liveth: Therefore look upon me who am the Way, which you ought to walk in; the Truth, which you ought to be­leeve; and lastly, the Life, which you ought to live and hope in: I am the Way that en­dureth for all ages, the infallible Truth, and the Life everlasting and eternall. The Kings way to immortall life through my merit, the truth it selfe in my word, and life through the power and efficacie of my [Page 115] death. Therefore if you continue in this Way, the Truth doth carry you to eternall Life. If you will not erre, follow me; if you will know the Truth, beleeve me; and if you will possesse Life eternall, put your trust in my death. And what is that Kings Way, that infallible Truth, and that Life the best and most noble of all others? Truly, other life cannot be then the most holy and pretious merit of Christ, nor other truth then the word of God; lastly, no other life then sempiternall happinesse. Now then if you desire to be exalted into heaven, it behooveth thee to beleeve in Christ, and after his example to follow humility in this world, which is the onely Kings way. If thou wilt not be deceived of the world, take hold of his word by faith, and follow the footsteps of his life, because this is the chiefest and the infallible truth. If thou desirest to live with Christ, with him in time, and through him, thou must die to sinne, and become a new creature, because this is life. In brief, Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no lesse by example then merit. Be you followers of God, as most deare children, saith S. Paul to the [Page 116] Ephes: 5. Let us therefore with all our Our life ought to be confor­med af­ter the life of Christ. might & power endeavour this one thing, that our life may as neere as possible it may be, be most like unto Christs life, so that if other things be wanting to confound false Christians, even this onely example of Christ might be sufficient: for we may be ashamed to lead our lives in pleasures when Christ Jesus led his life amongst sorrow and tribulation, even to his death. And if a Souldier doe forget his own proper re­creation, when he seeth his Captain by fighting valiantly, receive his death, and thou gettest honour before thy Captaines eyes, used most contemptuously, shall I not say that thou dost not fight under his Ban­ner? But alas, we will be accounted Christi­ans, Many Christi­ans, but few fol­lowers of Christ but how few be there that imitate the life of Christ? Truly, if it were the part of Christians to be seekers after wealth, pe­rishing fame, and honours, Christ would never have commanded the losse of them for eternall good. Behold with me his life and doctrine, and thou shalt not deny, that nothing is more unlike then the world and He: that manger, that stable, those swadling cloathes, are not those a spectacle [Page 117] or looking-glasse of the contempts of these worldly things? Or let us perhaps say, that thou wilt by these examples draw thy selfe from the true and right way? nay, rather it is meanes to bring thee into the right way, when we shall compare his doctrine and way together with his example: where­upon he saith and proclaimeth that he is the Way and the Truth. Therefore when they by contempt, misery, and reproaches, doe attempt to make the way to attain to heaven, it followeth, that thou that seekest after jollity and wealth, and thirstest after promotion, art in a ready way to hell, re­turne thou, and come out of that broad high-way, and come again into this way that cannot stray, and embrace the truth that cannot deceive. And lastly, live in him which is life it selfe: this Way is Truth, this Truth is the Way. O the blindnesse! a worm of the earth will make himself great, when the Lord of glory in the world did willingly give up his own life! Blush there­fore faithfull soule, and doe not thou when thy heavenly spouse, celestiall Isaac, cometh Humili­ty is the way to Christ. on foot to meet thee, fit aloft on thy Cam­mel: but like to Rebecca, who beholding her [Page 118] Husband, for bashfulnesse covered her face, and comming down from her Camel, went on foot with him; so thou from the toyl­some beast of thy proud heart, descend lowly upon the ground, and meet thy Spouse, and he wil infold thee in his armes, and bring thee into his heart. Goe from thine own land, and from thine acquain­tance, and from thy fathers house, and come into the Land I will shew unto thee: so said God unto Abraham, Gen. 12. Goe thou likewise out of the house of thy selfe­love, and proper will: for selfe-love cor­rupteth true judgement, blindeth the un­derstanding, The evil fruits of selfe. love. disturbeth the reason, sedu­ceth the will, corrupteth the conscience, shutteth the gates of life, and knoweth nei­ther God nor his neighbour, expelleth ver­tue, hunteth after honours, lyeth in wait for riches, longeth after pleasures; and lastly, preferreth earth before heaven: who so doth so love his life, loseth it, John 12. but whosoever hateth his own life, that is, doth deny his selfe-love, this man shall keep it to eternall life: selfe-love is the root of impenitence and eternal damnation; with the which whosoever are bewitched, [Page 119] they are without humility and acknow­ledgement of their sinnes: the remission whereof can be obtained with no teares. For they were not teares for God offended, but for their own proper losse. Mat. 13. the kingdome of heaven is compared to a pre­tious stone, or pearle of great value, which to obtain, the Jeweller went and sold all that he had. This Pearle is God himselfe, or eternal life, which to obtain, all other things are to be left: of which thing wee have a most absolute example, Jesus Christ, who descended from heaven, not for his owne, but for thy cause; not to serve or profit himselfe, but thee, and shall we then doubt to seek him alone, who did forget himselfe, and for us gave himselfe unto death? It is the part of a faithful Spouse to seek to please none but her husband, and thou being spoused to Christ, desirest still to please the world? See then thou remem­ber What soule is the vir­gin and spouse of Christ. that thy soule is espoused to Christ, yet not without a sacrifice, with this condition annexed, that thou mayst not love any but Christ; rather perswade thy selfe thus, that thou oughtest to contemne and put all things out of thy mind, that thy Spouse [Page 120] might deem thee worthy of his loving im­bracements; for if thou darest divide thy love, so that thou beholdest not Christ a­lone in all things, now thou art no virgin, but an adulterer: for it behoveth the cha­rity of Christians to be a chaste virgin and without spot: Therefore as in the Law of Moses it was lawfull for the Priests onely to marry with virgins; so Christ our true high Priest, doth desire a virgin soule, and w^ch is taken with nothing besides his love, and so knoweth not her own self in respect of Christ: that which he professeth in ex­presse words, saying, If any come unto me, and hateth not his own s [...]ule, he cannot be my Disci­ple. What it is so to doe, to hate himselfe, Why a man must hate himself. let us shew in a word. We all doe carry a­bout with us the old man, and are so, the old man himselfe, whose nature and pro­perty is, to doe nothing but sinne, to love himselfe, to follow his profits and honors, to pamper his own will and the flesh: for the flesh and bloud is at all times like un­to it self, studieth it selfe, giveth honour to it selfe, doth applaud it selfe, doth serve it selfe, doth respect it selfe, in all things, it is easily grieved, envious, bitter, [Page 121] covetous of revenge: All which thou dost and art; for seeing they arise and flow from thy heart, this is thy life, thine I say, of the old man. Wherefore thou must hate thy selfe if thou desirest to be Christs Disci­ple. And he that loveth himselfe, he that loveth his proper pride, covetousnesse, wrath, hatred, envie, lying, perfidiousnesse, unrighteousnesse, and wicked concupi­scence, which without doubt are not to beloved of any, they are not to be excused and covered, but followed with professed and open hatred, mortifi­ed and utterly denied by him that will be Christs Disci­ple.

CHAP. XV. In a true Christian it behoveth the old man should daily die, and the new man be renewed. Also what it is to deny himself, and what is the true Crosse of Christ.

THese are the words of St. Paul, Ephes. 4. of the old man, Lay aside according to your former conversation, the old man which is corrupted according to the de­sires of error: but be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put you on the new man, wich is created according to God in justice and holinesse of truth. And he expresseth the cause, 1 Cor. 6. For yee are bought with a great price, therefore glorifie and beare about with you God in your hearts. What the old man is, we said even now, as What the old man is. pride, covetousnesse, lust, unrighteousnesse, [Page 123] wrath, enmity, hatred and envie, all which must die in a true Christian, that the new man might spring up and be daily renew­ed. The old man therefore dying, the new man quickneth in opposit to it, that is, pride wasting, humility succeedeth by the grace of the holy Ghost; wrath dying, lowlinesse shineth in the room; covetous­nesse being extinguished, trust in God is in­creased; the love of the world being taken away, the love of God waxeth warm. And What the new man is. this then is the new man with his mem­bers, these are the fruits of the Spirit, this is the living and powerfull faith: this is Christ in us, and his most noble life, this is new obedience, this is the new comman­dement, this is the fruits of regeneration in us; in which whoso live, these verily are the onely sonnes of God; and therefore it is said, that a man ought to deny himselfe, as proper honour, selfe-will, and his own judgement, privat profits, and his own e­stimation; yea, to forgoe his own right, and not onely all other things, but to think himselfe unworthy to live his owne life. What it is to de­ny him­selfe. Wherfore a true Christian, and one that is indued with the humility of Christ, doth [Page 124] willingly acknowledge that the man can­not All things are to [...]e used with feare. by his own right challenge or require any of those things which God bestoweth on him, seeing that all things that are, are the free gifts of Gods divine munificence; wherupon he useth the same as other mens goods with feare and trembling, not to his private pleasure, or instruments of his pri­vate Compa­rison be­tween a carnall and a spiritu­all man, profits, praise and estimation. Goe to then, let us compare together a Chri­stian in deed, and selfe-lover, as also a ge­nuine man, and one answering to his name, and one desirous of this deniall of which we speak. If you offer the one a contumeli­ous affront, presently you shall see him wax hot, to be grieved with anger, to re­prove him, to brawle and play the mad­man, in words & deeds to be revenged, and to bind his allegation with an oath; all which are the old man, to whom it is pro­per and easie to be angry, to practise hatred and revenge. On the contrary, he that hath denied himselfe, is courteous, well-pleased, patient, thinking nothing of revenge, con­fessing himselfe to be worthy of all these, and much more, because all these are con­tained under the name of self-deniall: of [Page 125] which patience, humility and lowlinesse, Christ denied himself we have an absolute example, Christ Jesus, who sooner would deny himselfe, when he said, Matth. 20. The Sonue of man came not to be ministred unto, but to minister unto o­thers. And Luke 22. I am in the midst of you as one that ministreth. And Cap. 9. The Son of man hath not where to rest his head. And Psalm 22. I am a worm and no man. In like manner blessed David, when Shimei revi­led him, denied himselfe, saying, The Lord hath commanded him, for I am a worm in the sight of the Lord, I am worthy farre worse All the Saints have denied them­selves. things. Briefly, all the Saints of God, and the Prophets, have denied themselves, hol­ding themselves unworthy of any good thing; hereupon they did beare all things patiently, they cursed no man, giving thanks for their injuries, they blessed their persecuters, and prayed for them that slew What it is to de­ny our selves. them, and so by many tribulations have entred the Kingdome of heaven. Thou hast now what it is to deny their selves. That is, to acknowledge themselves unworthy of a­ny good thing, and worthy of all evils that might befall. And this is the Crosse of Christ, which he commanded us to carry, [Page 126] Luke 9. He that will be my Disciple, let him deny himselfe, and take up my Crosse and follow me. For this life of Christ is a crosse to the old man, and to the flesh and bloud a pu­nishment, The works of Christ. yea, death it self, because he had rather lead an unbridled life after his own wil in this kind of pleasure, then in humili­ty, lowlines, patience; and lastly, to assume the life of Christ entirely. Which neverthe­less is to be done necessarily; whatsoever is The de­cay of the old man is the be­ginning of the new. the old man, ought to die in a Christian: for thou shalt never put on the humility of Christ, unlesse thou put off the pride of the old man, nor his poverty unlesse thou cut off avarice by the root; nor the contempt of glory, and reproaches, unlesse thou pull up ambition by the root: Lastly, nor the lowlinesse and patience of Christ, unlesse thou correct thy desire of revenge, and thy wrath. All which things the Scripture calleth the deniall of himselfe, the bearing of the Crosse of Christ, and the following of Christ, and that for no hope of pro­fit, merit, reward, praise or glory, but on­ly for the love of Christ, because he hath done this first, because this is his life: and lastly, because he hath left this in cōmand. [Page 127] Furthermore, seeing this is the Image of God in Christ and us, a greater honor then this none can happen to man: it were a thing very unworthy to expect other re­ward The I­mage of God the greatest dignity of man. of our work and daīly labour; for those that define all things by the honour of this world, and attend this onely, by which onely part they are made better then others, when by their own judgement For­tune hath bestowed all things upon them. The beginning and end of all men is one, No man better then o­thers. neither is one better then another, nor one entreth this life, or goeth forth with better conditions then others; and yet what mad­nesse is this of ours? we vex our selves wil­lingly, and to other crosses we adde a wheele of ambition, to the vice of selfe-love, Selfe-love forbid­den. from whence that mad & giddy hun­ting after honour, doth spring or flow forth. Which whosever loveth, and ap­plaudeth, and flattereth himselfe in, and serveth both pomps, honours, and prai­ses, it is certain that he averteth his minde from God and Christ, to the world and himselfe. And to such as this appertaineth that of our Saviour, If thou wilt keep thy self, thy soul and thy life, thou must hate all [Page 128] these things; but if thou intend to love them, truly thou art in the way of perish­ing. Which paradoxicall sentence old Adam, to whom it is alwayes pleasing to be accounted some body, out of his own image or inward man, refuseth and is adver­sary to it. Thereupon it is that there be few which know this genius of Adam, or being known, dare meet and encounter it, specially when we must needs extirpate both this and all other things that have their beginning with us, and their conti­nuance, and die with Christ; as is pride, co­vetousness, ambition, pleasures & wrath, which we must kill and bury in the humi­lity of Christ, poverty, contumely, suffe­ring and lowlinesse of Christ: But whoso­ever is dead after this fashion to himselfe, he easily thenceforth contemneth the world, God maketh glad the heart of him that is dead to the world. with all the pomps thereof, wealth, ho­nours and pleasures, comprizing all these in one Christ; a true stranger to this world, & new born, but a continual guest and table-friend of Christ, who by and by will fill his heart with joy exceeding, and in this life wil, keep a daily jubilee with him, and in the other and in the other an eternall jubilee with all the Saintss.

CHAP. XVI. In a true Christian the strife of the Flesh and Spirit never ceaseth.

IN a true Christian the man is two-fold, Man is twofold in use. Exterior and Interior; which two, al­though they be conjoyned, yet they doe daily differ by turnes, ruling and dying, ac­cording to that of S. Paul, 2 Cor. 4. If our outward man be corrupted, yet the inward is daily renewed. The same Paul calleth Rom. 7. The law of the mind and of the flesh; to the Gal. 5. the Flesh and the Spirit. The flesh, he saith, coveteth against the spirit, and the spirit a­gainst the flesh. Therefore when the spirit overcommeth, the man liveth in a new na­tivity, and a new creature, and in God and in Christ: But the flesh reigning, the same man liveth in the Devill, and in the old na­tivity, The car­nall and spiritual man. without the kingdome of God, and is called carnall, and to be wise according [Page 130] to the flesh, is death. Therefore according to the rule of either of them, the man ob­taineth his name in Scripture, according as the carnall man, or the spirituall man speaketh. But if the concupiscence with his strength be overcome, it will be argu­ment of the strength which the spirit hath in the inward man; and if it faint, it is a signe of the weaknesse of the faith and spi­rit, because these two are one thing, accor­ding to that of 2 Cor. 4. having the same spi­rit The spi­rit and faith are suteable of faith for which we speak. Moreover, when one hath himselfe and his proper lusts tamed, and keepeth them in their du­ties, he is stronger then he that overcometh a most strong Tower, according to the ho­ly Proverb. Chap. 14. The patient man is bet­ter then a strong man, and he that ruleth over The greatest victory to over­come himself. his mind, then he that gaineth a Citie. If there­fore thou hast a desire, and settest thy heart upon the greatest victory, and to obtain it, then conquer thy selfe, thy privat wrath, pride, covetousnesse, and evill concupi­scence, What it is to o­vercom the king­dome of the Devlll. and thou hast overturned the king­dome of the Devill, which ruleth in the world by such things and means: of which sort of victors and conquerers, there be [Page 131] very few to be found, and there be many The vi­ctory of the soul keepeth the whole man. conquerers of Cities. Here consult with me and advise, if thou pamper the flesh over­much, thou slayest thy soul; but it is bet­ter to overcome the soule, that the body therewith may be preserved, then that this overcomming, it with the soule doth pe­rish: for our Saviour Christ once said, John 12. He that loveth his own life loseth it, and he that hateth his own life in this world, keepeth it to eternall life. But howsoever this strife may have in it sharp things to bee born, yet it bringeth forth in the end a fa­mous victory, and most beautifull Crown. Be thou faithfull unto death, (saith the Sonne of God, Apoc. 2.) and I will give thee a crown of life. And 1 John 5. This is the vi­ctory which overcommeth the world, even our What it is to o­vercom the world. faith: that is to say, the world within us, and in the inwards of our hearts; which being overcome, we become more stronger then our selves. What if some should say unto me, Shall I then be damned, if sinne sometimes subject me unwilling to it, therfore to be put out of the number of the sonnes of God, according to that of 1 Joh. 3. He that sinneth, is of the Devill? God [Page 132] defend. For if thou finde a conflict of the spirit, and a strife with the flesh, that thou dost those things that thou wouldst not, which are the words of S. Paul, it is a ma­nifestation of a faithfull heart; and that the faith or the spirit is averse to the flesh: for St. Paul by his own example teacheth, that this strife is to be found in good and faith­full The strife of faith. souls, when he professeth plainly, that he perceived another law in his members resisting the law of his mind (which is the new creature, the new and inward man) and taking him captive in the law of sinne, causing him to do the things he would not, and to will is present with him, but to fi­nish that which is good, he could not: for he could not do the good that he would, but to do the evil he would not, that was present: Therefore most lamentably he exclaimeth, Ʋnhappy man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death! Like unto which is that which Christ pronounceth, Matth. 14. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is Sinne reigning not dwel­ling, doth damne. weak. Therfore sinne doth not rule in man, so long as this strife is perceived in him, nei­ther is it to be said, that sinne exerciseth his dominion over him, against which he daily [Page 133] fighteth; and that which doth not rule, the spirit resisting it, that consequently cannot damne a man. It is the equall condition of all Saints to have sinnes, according to that of Paul, I know because it dwelleth not in me, (that is, in my flesh) good dwelleth not. Also that of blessed John, Epist. 1. Chap. 1. If we say wee have no sinne, wee deceive our selves: which vulgarly we call, Sinne dwelling in us, to distinguish it from sinne reigning, whose property it is onely to condemne: for that sinne we contend with, and doe not con­sent unto, that is not imputed unto us. Paul speaking to the Rom. 8. Now then there is no condemnation to those which are in Christ Je­sus, who live not after the flesh: that is, they doe not suffer it to beare rule: But as many as are not exercised in this daily strife, these are not born again, having sinne reigning; and therefore overcome, and servants of Sinne and Satan, and damned so long as they suffer sinne to rule over them. This strife is shadowed unto us in the type of the Canaanites, Josh. 13. 15. whose remain­der in the promised rest was suffered to dwell amongst the children of Israel, but Mystical Canaa­nite. not to rule over them: even so the holy [Page 134] men of God, every one of them feele and suffer their imperfections remaining, who in the mean time suffer them not to rule over them, as becommeth the new man; I say, a true Israelite, and Champion of God, as contrariwise, it is fitting the old Adam should be subdued and brought under. Therefore the daily strife against the old man, sheweth the new man, and ar­gueth it plainly; strength and victory shew­eth a true Israelite, and a new born man. Lastly, the warfare approveth him to be a Christian: for the Land of Canaan is con­versant The spirit ought to look, lest the flesh do rule long. and occupied in warfare; but if it happen sometimes the flesh, or the Ca­naanites doe invade the territories, it is the part of Israel and the new man, not to suffer a tyrant long; but having gathe­red his new strength and aid by the grace of God in Christ, and by serious repen­tance and remission of sinnes, to arise from his fall, and implore and intreat the true Iosua to give him victory, even that true Prince of his people, to lend him aid to o­vercome the Canaanites; which being done, first the sinne is covered, blotted out of mind, and pardoned, and the man is again [Page 135] renewed to life, and transplanted into Christ. Wherefore they who feele many imperfections in their flesh, and cannot doe and perform all things according to their mind, let me perswade them again and a­gain, as true converts, and true repentants, to impute them upon the merits of Jesus The im­putati­on of the me­rits of Christ, is onely belong­ing to the pe­nitent. Christ effectually, and intreat him to hide their spots under his most perfect obedi­ence. This (I say) is the meanes, and this is the way and lawfull appointment of the imputation of the merits of Jesus Christ, when daily repentance goeth before, and alwayes ariseth from his fall. Which when the impenitent doe not, cockering and pleasing the flesh in every thing, and sit­ting at rest under sin reigning; there­fore such as these cannot chal­lenge the merit of Christ to belong unto them; for the bloud of Christ troden under foot, can be no medicine.

CHAP. XVII. The Inheritance and goods of Christians are not of this world, therefore they must use them as strangers.

SEeing that God Almighty created temporall goods to that end, & did be­stow All things are to be used for ne­cessity, onely with feare. them on man as certain helps, and ne­cessary furtherances, it is meet that they should not be otherwise converted, but to be used and taken from our most loving God with thanksgiving, and feare & trem­bling; and whatsoever is more then ne­cessary, Riches are tri­als and proofs of men. abound and are superfluous, as are gold and silver, meat and drink, and rai­ments, these are left to man as a triall, by God for to try man, that by these things it may be seen how his mind standeth between [Page 137] these terrene things and God himselfe, that is, whether he cleave one­ly to him alone, rest in him alone, and seek onely after celestiall and invisible goods: or contrariwise, sucking in, and feeding on the inticement of earthly things, addict himselfe to this temporall life, and preferre this earthly paradise before that of hea­ven. Therefore God Almighty, by reason Man is unexcu­sable. of temporall things, and in them only gave unto man his election and choice, whom by riches, honours, graces, and goodly gifts, it might be manifested in some sort, whether he did cleave unto God, respect him, live in him, or being seduced with their splen­dor, and false shewes, turn his mind from God, and live without him, and contrary to him. After which manner, every one by his owne sentence and triall, is declared, and remaineth inexcuseable, according to that of Moses, Deut. 30. Consider what I have propounded this day before thee, Life and Goodnesse; and on the contrary, Death and E­vill; Super­fluous things are proofs of the feare of God. that thou mightest chuse life, and thou mightest blesse thy selfe. All things therefore in this world are exposed to our eyes, not for the cause of deliciousnesse and pleasure, [Page 138] but as proofs and trials, in which the fall is easie when we fall from God; and this is that forbidden tree with the fruits thereof, the eating whereof is so forbidden, lest our mind resting in them, doe take delight, and play the adulterer, after the manner of men now, who know no other pleasure but what is taken and received from earthly things, abusing thereby the creatures of God, meat, drink, and apparell, to the pleasures of the flesh, and vain delights, wherewith most men at this day are drawn from God. But it is the part of a true Chri­stian to think that they be strangers or Pil­grims, A Chri­stian is not de­lighted in worldly things. whose necessity these earthly things should serve, not for delicatenesse, and that they should not set all their delight and pleasure in the world, but should place it in God alone: but if they doe otherwise, they intangle themselves in sinne, and be­ing seduced with wicked concupiscence, be­ing womanly wanton and effeminate, no true Israelites, with Eva they eat of the for­bidden fruit. Therefore Christians do not desire curiously & deliciously dainty meats, so that they may gormondize them, but they hunger after meat which corrupteth [Page 139] not, they follow not the pomp of apparell that is earthly; but otherwise they aspire to the cloathing of divine light & glorified bodies. In briefe, to true Christians all Worldly things are a crosse to a Christi­an. things whatsoever in this world doe please others, are nothing but a crosse, temptation, allurements of sinne, gall and venome, and rightly indeed: for whatsoever a man, to obey his concupi­scence, and pamper the flesh, usurpeth without the feare of God, that cannot but be venome or poyson to the soule, howsoever to the body it may seem health­full.

But such is the indocibility of man, no man layeth to heart to know the forbidden tree, but every man most in­temperatly A Chr­stian doth use the crea­tures with feare. is fed with the concupiscence of the flesh, the fruit, I say, of the for­hidden tree; but a Christian which u­seth all things with the feare of God, and as a stranger, using diligence, and ha­ving great care that he offend not his hea­venly Father in meat, drink, cloathing, houses, or any fraile good thing by his in­temperance; or his table-friends, taking heed of all abuses most diligently, and with [Page 140] the eyes of faith he beholdeth future good things in like manner: for what profiteth it the body, by & by to be eaten with worms, if in this world it swell in all kind of plea­sure? Naked (saith Job) came I out of my mo­thers womb, and naked shall I return againe▪ that is to say, naked, infirme and brickle body we bring into the world, as an unpro­fitable burden we bring it into the world, which as the spoyle of death, when we goe out of the world, we carry it out again, and in truth poorer then when we entred: for being born, we have body and life, and things not yet ripe are at hand, cloath, cloa­thing, The bread of Christi­stians is the bread of grief. meat and drink; all which being dead, we leave behind, and so now what­soever we had even from our birth to the houre of death; in this world the solace of miserable necessity; yea the bread of mercy and griefe they were, whose use and pos­session in a moment death hath inter­dicted and taken away: therefore nothing is more wretched then a dead man, and e­specially he who is not rich in God. Goe to then, O yee mortals, because we are stran­gers and Pilgrims in this world; and be­cause we must leave all these things when we die, will we nill we, let us leave at least [Page 141] to be grievous to our souls in such things, In death all are alike, riches, cove­tousnes, is a kind of mad­nesse. and let us acknowledge it to be a kind of madnesse to gather wealth with great la­bour for a brickle and fraile body, which it cannot carry out of the world, especially seeing there is another world, and another body, and another life. Call these things, I say, O yee mortals, to mind, to you I speak, who in truth are strangers and Pil­grims before the eyes of God, as it is in the Psalmes, although very few of you doe te­stifie that you think so by your deeds; and if we be straugers in this world, it follow­eth that our countrey is elswhere, that which is manifest to man of it selfe, if we conferre or compare time with eternity, the visible world with the invisible, the earthly habitation with the heavenly, mortall with immortall things, frail with eternall things. The me­ditation of eter­nall and tempo­rall things, doth in­troduce wisdom. In which comparison or meditation of contrary things, our soule is enlightned, and by faith we behold many things, to the knowledge whereof they are not admit­ted; those which to this contemplation are not at leasure; and therefore like a Sow in the mire, so they wallow in earthly mat­ters, drowned in covetousnesse, fixed to the [Page 142] cares and study of earthly things, given to usury, and as concerning the soule blind, howsoever otherwise they have a quick sight, and have Lynxes eyes. Because such as these thereby have addicted themselves to this fraile and worldly life, and thinke this alone most pleasant, the best and most To Christi­ans the world is a crosse and ex­ile. noble, when true Christians esteeming all things with a sound judgement, and right estimation, accounteth it an exile, a valley of teares, a den of misery, a prison of griefe and sorrow. Therefore those which love the world, do not exceed brute beasts in prudence, and die like a beast as saith the Psalmist, they think not on heavenly things, they rejoyce not in God, they are pleased onely in earthly things: in these things they take sweet delight and rest, and having obtained these things, doe thinke they are exceeding well. Men in deed and truth wretched all manner of wayes, blind and meere animals, sitting here in the darkness of ignorance, and hence removing to that of death and eternall damnation. Christi­ans are stran­gers in the world. But we must firmly imprint this in our mindes, that we are strangers and Pil­grims in this world, after the example of [Page 143] Christ, whose doctrine and life wee we ought alike to love, and to him as an Image and pattern for all true Christians to follow and set before them, to conform our manners, thoughts, and the whole course of our lives & conversations. Who when he was the most noble of all men, he chose voluntarily that life in which no­thing is notable as for himselfe, besides ex­tream poverty and contempt of honour, wealth, and pleasure: which three the world hath for their three Gods. There­fore thereupon Matth. 8. he confesseth, that the Sonne of man hath not whereon to rest his head. David before he was called to the Kingdome, was poore, vile and contemned, and being made King, esteemed all Kingly splendor as nothing, in comparison of life eternall, whereupon the Psalmist singeth, Psal. 84. How delightfull are thy Tabernacles, O God of power? my soul fainted and failed me in the Courts of the Lord, my heart and my flesh were exalted in the living God: Better is one day in thy house, then a thousand elswhere. I have indeed a Kingdome, I have subjects and people subdued unto me, I have Kingly Palaces, and the Tower of Sion: but these [Page 144] are nothing in respect of thy Taberna­cle, O Lord. Neither was blessed Job of a­nother mind, when he rejoyced in his Re­deemer; nor Peter, nor Paul, nor the o­ther The Saints live in Christ. Apostles, which intended not the ri­ches of this world, but sought after the ri­ches of another world, took upon them the life of Christ, walking in his charity, lowlinesse, and patience, they contemned the world, they prayed for them that cur­sed them, they thanked them that reproa­ched them, in persecutions they praised The Saints were dead to them­selves and the world. God; by many tribulations it behoveth us to enter into the Kingdome of heaven. And last of all, when they were slain, they (with Christ) prayed, Father forgive them. And what is it to die to wrath, revenge, bit­ternesse of mind, ambition, pride, the love of the world, and himselfe? also, what is it to live in Christ, and in his charity, lowli­nesse, humility and patience? Lastly, what is it to be made alive in Christ by faith, if this be not it? Which most noble way of living, to the lover of this world is altoge­ther unknown. Therefore because they live not in Christ, being ignorant that the true life is in him, Eph. 4. it commeth to passe, [Page 145] that they are dead in their sinnes, wrath, hatred, envie, covetousnesse, usury, pride, and covetousnesse of revenge; in which so many as are drowned therein, those for that cause are without true repentance, neither live in Christ by faith, whatso­ever they perswade and boast of themselves. Contrariwise, true Christians doe under­stand that it is their duty to follow the steps of Christ, to conform their lives to the life of Christ, and to take from him as from a book and an authentick au­thor, the Rule of life and doctrine. And these are found to be such, that none but this is the onely true life which is in Christ Jesus, according to that saying, The life of Christ can teach us all things; these say with the Apostles, 2 Corinth. 4. We doe not contemplate those things which are seen, but those things which are not seen: For those things which are seen are temporall; but those things that are not seen are eternall. And He­brews 6. 13. We have no abiding Citie here, but seek after one to come. Which if it bee true, that we be strangers, and have not any abiding place in this world, it follow­eth that we were not created for the cause [Page 146] of this world; and it followeth then, that there remaineth for us another world, a­nother countrey, other dwellings, for which we shall think it gain to lay down hundred worlds, yea, our life it selfe; which a true Christian well knowing, he rejoyceth in his inwards, that he was ordained to eternall life: and attending this one thing, that he may grow rich in God, he laugheth at the madnesse of those that are made blind with the love of the world, who feareth not miserably to afflict their souls for these brickle and frail things, and so unhappily to lose them.

CHAP. XVIII. That God is grievously angry with those that prefer frail things be­fore eternall: also why and how farre we ought not to set our heart on creatures.

THe people of Israel that murmured a­gainst Moses, saying, Who shall give [Page 147] us flesh to eat? We doe remember the Fishes The type of the true & false Christi­an. and Cucumbers which wee did eat in E­gypt, is a type of men of this time, who un­der the pretext of the Gospel, and title thereof, seek after nothing but earthly and carnall things, as honours, wealth, and pleasures; they use more diligence to be sumptuous, then to become blessed and happy; they study to please men more then God: And lastly, attribute more to the concupiscence of the flesh, then to the po­verty of the spirit. Contrariwise, the Cha­racter of a true Christian is to have more care of eternal honour and glory, then this momentary, to thirst after heavenly, and let earthly goe, to seek after invisible and neglect present things: and lastly, to cru­cifie the flesh, that the spirit may live in him. Truly in this is both the foredeck and the poop of Christianity, to imitate our Saviour: or as Augustine saith, The chief­est Christ is the rule of our life. of religion is to imitate him whom thou lovest; from which opinion differeth not much that saying of Plato, drawn from the law of Nature, The perfection of men consisteth in the imitation of God; where­upon nothing else is left unto us, then that [Page 148] Christ ought to be the example and square of our life, and that all our counsels, stu­dies, and cogitations, should respect that one thing, how we should come to him, by him be saved, and live with him eternally, All things are to be done in faith. expecting with joy the dissolution of our prison. And that we shall attain, if we di­rect all our labours, actions, businesse and vocations by faith, and goe on with desire and hope of eternall life: or to speak more significantly, if we never lay aside the me­mory The love of the world is extin­guished by faith. of eternall happinesse in all our acti­ons; because through this feare of God, is begotten in man, a certain holy desire of e­ternal things, and withall the desire & cove­ting of earthly things, insatiable in its own nature, is restrained, according to that say­ing of St Paul to the Coloss. 3. Whatsoever you doe in word or deed, doe all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, giving thankes to God the Father through him. And the name of God is nothing but the honour, praise and glory of God, According to thy Name let it be O God, and thy praise to the ends of the world, saith David, Psal. 48. Which Wh [...] the name of God i [...]. scope if all our works and life doe chiefly respect, then we think of eternity, and our [Page 149] works are done in God, and consequently our selves are in God. Briefly, God our chiefe good, and the eternall life of all our thoughts, works, and words, should be the first mover, if we will not faile of eternall salvation. That which Paul most elegantly expresseth to 1 Tim. chap. 6 But thou, O man Who i [...] the man of God: or the man of the world. of God, flie these things, to wit, covetousnes. He calleth a Christian a man of God, be­cause borne of God, and living in God, hee is the sonne and heir of God. E­ven as contrariwise a man of the world is he who liveth after a worldly life, whose inheritance is the world, and whose bel­ly is filled with the goods of the earth, as it is in Psalm 17. Which way the Christian is farre from, seeking after faith and love, and unsatiably covetous of eternall life, to which he was created alone; which if it come not to passe, then the man linketh himselfe to enormous sins, which our just God doth punish with eternall fire, prefi­gured by the burning of the Tents, sent from heaven, and from an angry God to punish and revenge the excesses of the Isra­elites. The wrath of God from whence. Wherefore so often as such like plagues are sent upon the wicked, as inun­dation, [Page 150] fire, warre, hunger, pestilence, let us alwayes call to mind and remember, that these are the most just punishments of a moved and angry God, because the people of Israel unmindfull of heavenly things, did follow after transitory things, did pre­fer present things before future, and had more care of the body then of the soule; which things let us not erre in. It is an ex­tream point of ingratitude and contempt A great con­tempt & ingrati­tude to God. of God, both here and hereafter to be pu­nished, to wit, to contemne God, for whom we beare about both body and soule, and from whom we received them, and instead thereof to worship Idols of the creatures, the work of mens hands, & to esteem eter­nall things after transitory. For these crea­tures Why crea­tures are given to us. are given to us for necessity, and not to set our hearts and minds after them, that which God alone deservedly challengeth to himself, and that they might be as prints and testimonies of God, whereby we come neerer to the knowledge and love of God, the author of them all; which divine in­stitution, when the love of the world dare abrogate it, then the same, by the most just vengeance of God, together with the [Page 151] proper Idolaters, are turned into the fire The love of the world Is conver­ted into the fire of So­dom. and infernall flood, of which Sodom and Gomorrah is a type, and this burning of the Tents of which we speak. Truly all crea­tures are of themselves good, but when men set their hearts upon them, and that not af­ter a lawfull manner, but doth worship them as Idols, then they become abomina­tion How the creature becom­eth abo­minati­on. before God Almighty, no otherwise then the detestable and execrable Images of gold and silver, and therefore matters of eternall fire, although gold and silver of themselves are good creatures. In brief, the love of Christians, joy, wealth and ho­nour, are circumscribed in eternity, where­upon there followeth even life eternall: for where thy treasure is, there is thy heart, Luke 1 [...]. On the contrary, from the con­cupiscence The fruit of worldly love. and love of the world, nothing can follow but eternall damnation; for the world passeth away, with all the pomp thereof, but he that doth the will of God, continueth for ever; whereupon B. John 1. Epist. chap. 2. beseecheth the faithfull, saying, Little sonnes, doe not love the world, nor those things that be in the world; which being so manifestly shewed thee, that God [Page 152] would not have us love any creature, first, Why the crea­tures are not loved. because love is the heart of man, and the most noble of all affections; which there­fore is due to God alone as to the chief­est and onely good. Secondly, because it is a great folly to love that which cannot love us again; whereupon in vain are frail and transitory things beloved; by good right is God alone to beloved above all creatures, who out of his exceeding love created us to eternall life, redeemed and sanctified us. Thirdly, because naturally, like things are Why man was cre­ated af­ter Gods Image. loved; therefore God made thee after his own image and likenesse, that thou might­est love him and thy neighbour. Fourthly, although our soule be like to wax, ready The soule is the loo­king­glasse of God. to take any impression put upon it, rather like a glasse representing all objects set be­fore it, whether of heaven or earth, yet it is born onely to set God before it. Fifthly, as the Patriarch Jacob when he lived in Mesopotamia amongst strangers, and after twenty yeares service, demanded his two What our mind ought alwayes to re­spect. wives and his wages; and being provoked with the sweet memory of his country, did think and desire to return to the same: so our soule among worldly occupations, [Page 153] and businesses of our callings, as the Load­stone it ought never to decline from the Pole of eternity & our countrey. Sixthly, because men are good or evill by reason of that which they love; therefore he that lo­veth The fruit of love. God participateth of every kind of vertue and good thing: on the other side, he that loveth the world is defiled with all the sins and evils thereof. Seventhly, like as King Nebuchadnezzar when he loved the The love of the world maketh man a beast. world more then was meet, he lost the es­sentiall form of man, he degenerated into a beast: for when the Scripture speaketh expresly, that he in the end recovered his former shape, it followeth that he was in humane shape and kind. So all men blot­ting out of their hearts the image of God, become according to the interior man, Wolves, Dogges, Lions and Beares; even so are all those that addict themselves wholly to the love of the world. Last of all, what every one here savoureth in his The ma­nifesta­tion of hearts from the world. heart, it will be manifested in him, and he will follow it, God or the World, to which of the two he turneth himselfe into, it may be hell fire prefigured in this type.

CHAP. XIX. That he who in his own judgement is most miserable, to God is most deare, and so by Christian know­ledge of his own proper misery, obtaineth grace with God.

THis sentence our most gentle God doth The contempt of our selves. set forth to erect and lift up our minds oppressed and dejected with sorrow; which propitiatory whosoever desireth to have, it behoveth him to declare himself in his own judgement wretched and unworthy of di­vine or humane favour. But whosoever yet seems somthing to himself, is not yet wret­ched nor humbled in his own opinion, nor capable of divine favour; whereupon Saint Paul saith, Gal. 6. If any man esteem himselfe [Page 155] something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. For God alone is all things, which he that onely knoweth, and doth not inwardly in his heart approve it, and shew it in his example, argueth the knowledge of God in him to be superficiall and slight. Therefore if thou wilt give God the glory, and teach it in thy deed, that God is all things, it must needs be so, that thou use a most sharp judgement against thy self, and beleeve most assuredly, that thou art no­thing, after the example of David, who dancing before the Ark of the Lord, when Michol contemned him as an abject person, he answered, I will yet bee more vile then I have been. He that wil be somthing, he is the The matter of which God maketh fools. matter of which God maketh nothing; yea, a fool. And he that on the contrary, loveth to be reputed as nothing, and in his owne judgement is so, this is the matter of which the great workman maketh somthing, yea, halfe Gods; he who professeth himselfe be­fore God to be more miserable and worse then all men, he in his judgement is made the greatest and chiefest of all others: and he that in his own judgement is the grea­test sinner, him doth God account among [Page 156] the Saints. This is in truth that humility which God exalteth, the misery which he respecteth. Lastly, this nothing is that of which God no otherwise then the old world, is wont to produce the men of God, and create them so; of which things we have David for example, whose basenesse our most gentle God beholding, transfor­med him into a most noble instrument; then Jacob whose saying this is, I am lesse then all thy mercies. And Christ dejected be­low the common sort of men, who also for God ma­keth all things of no­thing. us was accursed and made a worm, into how great majesty did his heavenly Father exalt him? For as a workman shewing his skill upon some speciall peece of work, to labour it more exactly, taketh a new mat­ter, polluted with no mans hands: so that man that God will make something, he must be nothing: And hee that will make himselfe great, and beleeveth himselfe to be something, this cannot be the matter for divine workes, because that which is no­thing, and void, is it of which he after a A man iudgeth himselfe worthy of no­thing. wonderful maner shapeth all things: which the virgin Mary knew full well, saying, Luk. 1. He beholdeth the lowliness of his Handmaid, [Page 157] behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. But he is indeed inwardly and in heart wretched, which thinketh himselfe worthy of no divine benefit, neither cor­porall nor spirituall: for he that arroga­teth any thing to himselfe, this man indeed esteemeth himself something when in truth he is nothing, and therefore is furthest from divine graces, and most impatient of all arrogances, who if he judge himselfe What is proper to man. worthy any thing, he taketh not all things gratis of God: for grace is not merit, what soever we wish to obtain for our selves from heaven. Moreover, nothing is proper to man, except sin, misery, and infirmity, all other things are Gods. Behold the sha­dow of a tree with me, which is no more something then a man, and therefore as it followeth the motion of a tree, from Man is a shadow. whom it hath its being: so this man car­rieth his life and all hee hath received of God, according to that of Paul, Acts 17. In him we live, move, and have our being. And although apples appeare in the shadow of the tree, they doe not therefore belong to the shadow, but to the tree. Now think thou the like with me, the good fruits that [Page 158] appeareth in thee, and are apparent, but are not thine own. But as the apple groweth not out of the tree, as the unskilfull vulgar think, although it hang thereon, no other­wise Man is a very tree. then a child on the mothers paps: So all men are fruitlesse trees and withered, the Lord onely is their force and vegetable power, according to Psalm 17. The Lord is the horn of my salvation. And that of Luke 23. If they doe these things to a green tree, what will they doe to a dry tree? I, saith the Lord, Hos. 14. will hear and direct him that he shal flourish, of me shall thy fruit proceed. And our Saviour, John 15. If you remain in me, you shall beare much fruit.

But when a man is truly & in his under­standing wretched, and moved at all times, and trusteth onely in the heavenly grace of Christ, then doth God respect him: which respect is not done, or commeth to passe af­ter a humane manner, and without force and efficacie; but is full of vertue, life, and consolation. And as some contrite hearts are capable of this divine aspect onely; so how much more cleare, amiable, and fre­quent it is, so much the lesse doe they think themselves worthy thereof.

How much humility have we shadowed in The tru­ly hum­bled think them­selves worthy of no­thing. Jacob, Gen. 32. who pronounceth himself un­worthy of all divine favour, and temporall blessings? Therefore to his example and pattern a heart truly humbled & contrite, acknowledging himselfe unworthy of the least heavenly visitation and consolation, be it never so little, crieth, O Lord, my soule, thine handmaid, is unworthy of thy great love and mercy which thou hast shewed it in Christ Jesus; behold since thou ga­vest me thy Sonne, I come with two troops, with the blessings (I say) of grace and glory. And indeed if a man would weep a sea of teares, it were not sufficient price for the least heavenly favour or con­solation. Therefore the grace of God is meerly pure and free gift; and the merit of man is nothing else but punishments and e­ternall damnation, which every one know­eth What misera. men God respects. through faith, and acknowledgeth freely; man consequently is guilty of his own misery, and is pardoned of God, that which cannot befall man without this zea­lous acknowledgement, and so to obtain the favour of God. Wherupon S. Paul, 2 Cor. 12. saith, I would boast of the infirmities in me, [Page 160] that the power of Christ might awell in me. For such is the mercifulnes of God, he will not see his workes suffer corruption, but so much the weaker it is in it selfe, so much more fortitude is divinely infused into it, according to that the Lord said unto Paul. My grace is sufficient for thee; for my power is made perfect in infirmity. Wherefore by how much a true Christian in his own judgment is more wretched, by so much doth God pardon more freely, to the manifestation of the riches of his glory in a vessell of mercy, Rom. 9. not looking to any merit of his by heavenly consolations, more sincere then all human joyes. Furthermore we call not him a miserable man, not he that is poore Why a man is wretch­ed. and destitute of human succour and com­fort, but he that from the bottome of his heart acknowledgeth, and is grieved for his sinnes: for if sinne were not, there would be no misery in the world, and so much could not befall man, but that he is worthy of much more. Far be it from us to grieve, because many heavenly benefits are not be­stowed, Man is worthy of no divine grace. seeing we are not worthy of the least, no not the life we carry about with us. Which saying, although our flesh think it a [Page 161] very unworthy and hard saying; yet if we will obtain the grace of God, the truth is to be spoken, and every true repentant sin­ner most be a most bitter Judge and up­braider of himselfe for his sinnes. Wherein then, and wherefore should a man open his mouth? Truly thus I think, what ever man thou be, it is better for thee to say thou canst say nothing, in these two words; Lord, I have sinned; Have mercy upon me a sinner: certainly God himselfe requireth nothing else of a man, but that he should deplore his sins, and crave pardon: which two whoso The best work of man. neglecteth, may be said, that he hath o­mitted the best part. Take heed therefore, O man, to powre forth teares for thy bo­dy because it is naked, because it is afflicted with hunger and cold, and because it suffe­reth persecutions, because it is restrained in bands, or because it is weak and sick; but bewaile and send forth tears for thy soule, which is constrained to dwell in flesh and bloud, obnoxious to sinne and death. Vn­happy man that I am, (cryeth blessed Paul, Rom. 7.) who shall deliver me from this body of sinne? And this Christian acknowledge­ment and conscience of his proper and in­ward [Page 162] misery, this grace-thirsting repen­tance, Faith is the door of grace this faith fastened on Christ alone, opening the doore of grace in Christ, by which God cometh into the soule; there­fore repent and amend, saith John, chap. 3. Behold I stand at the doore, and I beat or knock, if any shall heare my voyce, and shall o­pen it to me, I will enter therein, and I will sup with him, and he with me. Which supper is nothing verily but the remission of sinnes, consolation, life and happinesse: at this doore of faith, our most loving God at his own time doth meet the wretched soule; here the truth ariseth from the earth, and justice looketh from heaven: here Mercy and Truth meet one another, Justice and Peace doe kisse each other, Psalm 85. Here the offender Magdalene, I say, the soule of Mystical Magda­len. man, all confused and powring forth tears, anointeth the feet of our Lord, washeth them with teares, & wipeth them with the hairs of her head, of most profound humi­lity. Here the spirituall and mysticall Bi­shop in the holy ornaments of faith, offe­reth the true sacrifice, the contrite heart and lowly, and the frankincense of true repen­tance and contrition; I say, the teares for [Page 163] sins committed, that true cleansing water, The mi­sticall Bishop and sa­crifice of a Christi­an. wherewith the mysticall Israel are washed and made clean by faith and efficacy of the bloud of Christ. And thus much, Christi­ans, it appeareth how by the acknowledge­ment of your proper misery, and faith in Christ, you may attain the grace of God; so that by how much every one in their own judgement is more wretched, so much the more dearly beloved of God, and by him is adorned with great favours.

CHAP. XX. By Christian contrition our life is daily amended, and made more and more fit for the King­dome of Heaven, and life eternall.

TRue Christianity consisteth in pure Faith, true Charity, and holy life, [Page 164] which have their beginning out of se­rious Holiness from whence. contrition, repentance, and a strict and severe knowledge of himselfe, percei­ving daily more and more his defects, and amending them daily, and participating the righteousnesse and holinesse of Christ by faith, 1 Cor. 1. and cannot be obtained The fear of God. by any other means; in which, if we walk in the continuall feare of God, after the example of good children and subjects, we doe not nourish any thing belonging to the flesh. All things are lawfull for me, (saith Paul, 1 Cor. 6.) but are not all expedient in me, ma­king me better. For even as a sonne in his fathers house doth not all things, which many times the lust of the flesh prompteth him unto, but warily observeth his father, and as it were by the eye doth counsel with him before hee cometh to say or doe any thing: So a true Christian, and the Child of God will chastice his senses with Chri­stian modesty, neither will doe or speak a­ny thing without the fear of God. But for The ioy of the world doth ex­tinguish the fear of God. the most part all men are without the feare of God, & do addict themselves to world­ly pleasures, not knowing it is better continually to feare God, then to wallow [Page 165] in the pleasures of the world: for the fear of God is the foundation and beginning of wisdome and devotion; all which the concupiscence and delight of the world doth extinguish. For even as by daily con­trition or sorrow for sinne, and mortificati­on The renewing of the man with his soule. of the flesh, the man is daily renewed, ac­cording to that of the Apostle, 2 Cor. 4. Al­though our outward man be daily broken, yet our inward man is daily renewed in bearing heavenly fruits and celestiall, of unexplicable sweetnesse; So contrariwise the pleasure of the world bringeth heavinesse, vexation, and wound of conscience; yea so great The losse of the soul by worldly pleasure is the calamity of the mind, and so hea­vie is the losse of heavenly gifts, which flow from the pleasure of the flesh, and worldly delights, as he that calleth them to mind, or would call them to mind, he cannot overcome or detest any of the worldly joyes. Two things there be which whosoever disputeth, and seriously pon­dereth The fruit of the medita­tion of eternal ioy and misery. with himselfe, hee must be nei­ther affected with worldly pleasures, nor moved with calamities. The one is the pain of the damned, which whosoever shall bee willing to consider of deeply, [Page 166] truly the more for that cause, because it is e­ternal, he is never heartily merry or joyous. The other is life eternal, which he cānot for that cause neither take out of his mind, nor The im­pedimēt of spiri­tuall ioy and sor­row. mitigate, do what he can: neither whereof because we sometimes doe revolve them in our mind, seriously can we revolve here­upon; it is no wonder that wee are both without wholsome contrition and sorrow, as also ignorant altogether, and unexperi­enced of celestiall joyes: and it is the pro­perty The true cause of ioy and sorrow. of a true Christian to be equally minded, who rejoyceth very sparingly in earthly things, being full of divine plea­sures and life eternall; neither is he carried away immoderatly with calamities, or de­jected in adversity; but against the losse of the soule only, he beareth it so, as for that cause all his life time he doth not refuse to account it a thing worthy of lamentation: for a Christian loseth nothing that is ne­ver so little, of these fragill things, which perish, but he shall receive a thousand fold in another world: but if the soule once pe­rish, it cannot be repaired or recovered. Blessed then is the man that findeth this di­vine sorrow, and besides that, celestiall and [Page 167] spiritual pleasure. But oft times we perversly and crookedly doe laugh, when we ought rather to weep; seeing there is no true li­berty or delight but in the feare of God, and a right conscience, which without faith and holy life can neither be had nor kept: For faith accompanied with divine sorrow, by the holy Ghost, doth correct The hinde­rāces of the king dome of God. the defects of man daily; which daily means every man neglecteth, and he loseth the best cause and part of living, thereby he is adversary to the new life, hindereth the kingdom of God in himselfe, neither can Who is truly wise. he be set free of the blindnesse of his heart. Whereupon it followeth, that he onely de­serveth the name of a prudent and wise man, who declines w^th all study what he un­derstandeth shall be an obstacle to amend­ment of life, and proficience of heavenly gifts; neither doth he determine to flie those things only whereby any calamities might arise to the body and the faculties thereof, but much more those things which he un­derstands to be grievous to the mind, or any wayes burdensome. Be of good cheare then, and learn to warre like an enemy, and so continue: a valiant man can best resist a [Page 168] wicked custome, according to that of Saint Paul, Rom. 12. Be not overcome of evill, but o­vercome the evill with goodnesse: For there is no cause why thou shouldst think thy selfe sick of incurable evils; if thou reflect thy thoughts upon thine own mind & cogitati­ons; & first view thine own proper defects, and do not curiously first cast a rash censure of judging thy neighbour in admonishing him before thou hast controlled thy selfe first. Wherefore if this daily sorrow, and spirituall contrition beget reproach and reports, and for that cause the good will of men grow cold towards thee, take heed therefore that you grieve not at it, but rather complain of thy selfe, as becometh a Christian, and live Christian-like, as thy mind desireth; and that thou mightest in good works equall the dignity of the name of a Christian. For it is meet for thee to be afflicted by the world, & grieved at it, that therefore in like maner God might delight in thee, according to that of Isai. 57. I doe The ioy of the world and of heaven are quite contrary dwell on high in the holy place, and with a contrite and humble spirit, that I might quicken the humble spirit & contrite heart. It is impossi­ble that divine & worldly joy at one time [Page 169] reside in the heart of man, so contrary they are, and so different in their off-spring; when the pleasure of the world begetteth one in prosperity, the other of heaven is be­gotten in adversity: I acknowledge it indeed to be beside, yea against nature, to rejoyce in adversity, according to that of Paul, 2. Cor. 6. As heavy, yet rejoycing; as poor, yet being rich; as having nothing, yet possessing all things. But the grace of God doth mend, and purifie, & change nature: whereupon the Apostles rejoyced because they were accoūted wor­thy to suffer some things for Jesus Christ, Act. 4. Neither do all true Christians other­wise, who are made the new creature, and become other men, for they rejoyce and are glad in adversity; and indeed those things that disturb the old man, cānot disturb the new man, who with S. Paul, Rom. 8. glorieth in tribulation. The joy that is from above, is more noble then earthly pleasures, which he perceiveth very well by the contumely and contempt of Christ who belongeth to him, of whom if we be ignorant, let us per­swade our selves again and again, that this happeneth by reason of the love of the True humility world. A man truly humbled thinketh [Page 170] himselfe worthy of afflictions and tribula­tion, and unworthy of divine consolations. But by how much he thinketh himselfe un­worthy, so much more largely is he visited of God: And by the more and the oftner he deploreth his sinne, so much the lesse is he affected to the world; yea it becometh more grievous and bitter to him thereby. He who considereth himself as is meet, find­eth More causes of mour­ning then ioy. more things wherein to mourn, then wherein to rejoyce: And he who exami­neth another mans life, shall gather more things worthy pitie and compassion, then arguments of envie thereby. When Christ wept over Jerusalem, which persecuted him, and followed him to death, even be­cause he deplored the sinnes and blindnesse of it, let us think the same is to be done to us, and no other matter more heavie and more worthy of tears, then the sinnes and impenitencie of men. If it came to mind so often unto a man that he should die, and that he was to plead his cause before God, as often as he in a pensive man­ner Cause of mourning. discusses the matter with himselfe of the helps of this life, surely he would be more sad, and more diligent in the amend­ment [Page 171] of his life, and of repentance. And if the same man should call to mind the e­ternall torments, he could not but despise the world, and in comparison of them, think all the afflictions of this world plea­sant. From which opinion, and fervency of devotion, we are the more distant, be­cause we are so much inveagled with the inticements of the flesh. In brief, it behoveth The life of the flesh is the death of the spi­rit. a Christian most firmly to perswade him­selfe, that if it goe well with his body, and that he flow in pleasures of this world, that his spirit is dead, but that hee liveth if hee crucifie his flesh with his desires and concu­piscences, for the one is the death of the o­ther: if the spirit live, it must needs be the body shall spiritually die, and be offered a living sacrifice, Rom. 12. Which way of life all the Saints from the beginning of the world did observe, eating and drinking with thanksgiving the bread and cup of The bread of tears. tears, according to that of David, Psalm 80. Thou shalt feed us with the bread of tears, and thou shalt give us drink of teares by measure. And Psalm 41. My teares were unto me my bread both day and night. And this bread of teares faith by a wonderfull sweetnes doth [Page 172] mix and temper; and the drink of teares is pressed from the tender grapes of devout hearts, by true repentance and sorrow, which worketh to stedfast salvation. As The fruit of worldly sorrow. contrariwise the sorrow of this world bringeth forth death, witnesse St. Paul: the losse of honour, temporall and frail goods; and it is often so sharp and bitter, and im­patient, that men catch themselves in a net, or bring themselves to their own death by divers wayes, of which there be many ex­amples in the histories of the Ethnicks, for which it were better to be more moderate, and shew themselves better Christians, who know it to be far unworthy their profession, for the loss of frail goods to lose their souls, which the whole world will not recom­pence. Far be it from us that for temporall goods we should not mourn or thirst after eternall, seeing the use of them is most short, & ends with death. When a man de­parteth (saith the Psalm 49.) he taketh not all, neither doth his glory descend with him; which law is equally spoken to all, no lesse to the King then to the meanest Begger; the dead body putrifieth, and so a living Dogge is bet­ter then a dead Lion, as saith Solomon, Eccles. [Page 173] 9. yet the Lord will set the death at all times, and the face of them that are in bonds among all people, and he wipeth the the teares from every face, as it is written, Isa. 25. Therefore remember to carry mo­deratly the losse of earthly things, and that the whole world is not worth one soul for The love of the world bringeth sorrow. which Christ vouchsafed to die; But if thou prosecutest not these frail things with so unruly a love, thou shalt be lesse troubled with the losse of them; seeing this, that it is the condition of things beloved, that things lost are more desired, and so the la­bour of fools afflicteth them, which are the From whence the per­tur bati­ons of the mind. words of Eccles. 10. The sons of this age doe gather goods with great labour, with no lesse fear doe they possesse them, and with greatest griefe forgoe them, which is the sorrow of the world begetting death. Apoc. 10. we read of those that followed & adored the Beast, had no rest: to whom all these are like, that adore the goodly Beast of earthly wealth, and avaritious desires thereof, a kind of men most wretched, un­quiet, and full of sorrows; whom perhaps we shall shall not evilly compare to Camels, or Mules: for as they by rockes, and steep [Page 174] hils, carrying Silken Garments, Pearls, A­romatick Spices, and generous Wines on their backs, doe draw many servants with them for security sake, and so at evening coming to their stables, their pretious or­naments, and painted cloathes and gar­ments, are taken from them, and now be­ing weary and stripped, nothing but the prints of stripes & foul marks of blows are to be seen: So those which in this world did shine in Gold and Silkes, the day of their death being come, have nothing but the prints and skars of sinnes through the abuse of riches committed unto them. Learn then, O learn to leave the world The world in the world i [...] to be left. before it leave thee with most bitter pains; which he who doth, and first separateth his soul from the world; to this man it is easie to be separate in body from it, neither doth he grieve for the losse of it. For as the Israelites even now being about to leave Egypt, were daily pressed with greater bur­dens by Pharaoh, going about utterly to o­verthrow their whole progeny, or stock; so We car­ry no­thing out of the world. the infernall Pharaoh envying our eternall salvation, when we are neer to death, so much greater care and rapacious desire of [Page 175] earthly things, is hee wont to infest our soules withall; which blindnesse is the more remarkable, because we cannot carry the least dust with us of all those heaps of mony which we have gotten, into the King­dome of heaven; because that way is so strait, as all earthly things and of the body, doe exceedingly hinder the passage of the soule: The way is strait which leadeth to hea­ven, and few there be that find it, Matth. 7. As the Husband-man on the Barn-floore se­parateth the Wheat from the Chaffe, so death setteth free the seed of the faithfull souls from the chaffe of the world, neither are they any other thing else indeed but chaffe carried hither and thither with the wind, Psalm 1. Therefore do that with all thy might, and let not that depart out of thy mind which we brought before out of St. Paul, The sorrow which is according to God, worketh repentance to a firm salvati­on, but the sorrow of the world bringeth death.

CHAP. XXI. What is true divine Worship.

THis fire is said to be strange fire, because it was other then that which burned perpetually on the Altar, and which by the commaandement of God did burn the Of­fering, and it is a type of the false divine The false worship of God. worship. The sonnes of Aaron did deserve to be burned with the fire of revenge, be­cause they broke the commandement of the Lord: which zeal of the most just God, those likewise provoke against themselves, which out of their own invention and sin­gular devotion and presumption of religi­ous sanctity, doe invent a new and un­commanded kind of worship, not of God commanded. Into which indignation of the divine Godhead, lest perhaps we The pu­nishmēt of it. should fall into it also, it remaineth to see [Page 177] wherein the true worship of God consist­eth: for the punishment of the temporary fire, which in the old Testament is remem­bred against feigned worship, standeth as an argument that God will doe the like in the new Testament for false religions both with eternal fire, and warres, and devastati­ons of the lawes, then which I know not whether any fire can be more terrible; if he so avenge, it is most sharp. And the nature The true worship of God. of the true divine worship, and the reason wil easily appeare to us by the comparison of both the covenants together; that which God required in the old Testament, it was externall and typicall, full of figures and shadowes of the Messias, and full of cere­monies, which that nation was bound to observe strictly, and according to the letter. In which rites and images the faithfull of the Jewes did as it were behold the Messias, & by faith in him are saved through the compact and promise divine, which God in the new Testament did fulfill. This con­sisteth not in externall Figures, Ceremo­nies, Rites, Statutes and Lawes, but is al­together inward, and drawn into Spirit and Truth, consisting of faith in Christ, be­ [...]ause [Page 178] by him the Temple, the Altar, Sacri­fices, the Ark and Priesthood, with all the Morall and Ceremoniall Law, are fulfilled, whereby consequently we are graffed into Christian liberty, free from the maledicti-of the Law, Gal. 3. and Jewish ceremonies, Gal. 5. So that with a free heart and holy spirit dwelling in us, we might serve God, Jer. 31. Rom. 8. And our faith and con­sciences are bound to no traditions of men. The truē worship of God consist­eth in 3 things Moreover, three chiefe things are requisite to a true spirituall, internall; and Christian worship, that is to say, The true knowledge of God; Then of Sinne and Repentance; Thirdly, of Grace and remission of sinnes. And these three are one no otherwise then God himselfe is one in Trinity: for in the knowledge eternall of God is contained both repentance and remission of sinnes, and that consisteth in faith, which ta­keth hold of Christ, and in him and through him, acknowledgeth God his omnipotence, love, mercy, righteousnesse, verity, wisdome of God; all which is God himselfe, and Christ, and the holy Ghost. And that not absolutely alone, and by his What i [...] God. own nature, but respectively also, and be­holding [Page 179] of me by his gracious wil in Christ, by which means he is God omnipotent to me, mercifull to me, eternall righteousnesse to me by grace and remission of sinnes, and to me eternall truth and wisdome. Nor there is no other way with Christ, who is become unto me, eternall omnipotency, omnipotent Head and Prince of life, my most mercifull Saviour, perpetuall love, ju­stice and righteousnesse immoveable, ac­cording The true know­ledge of God. to that, 1 Cor. 1. Christ is become our wisdome from God, and righteousnesse, and san­ctification, and redemption. All which, and every one of them also are spoken in like manner of the holy Ghost. And this is the true knowledge of God, which consisteth in faith, and it is not a meer knowledge, but a joyfull, living, and powerfull trust, by which I sweetly feele in me, the beams and infusion of the divine omnipotencie of God, so as I am held and carried by it, to live in it, and perceive my selfe to be moved and to be so. In a word, that I may feele and apprehend the riches of his good­nesse and mercy in me: for can can there be greater charity thought upon, then that which God the Father, Sonne and holy [Page 180] Ghost have shewed unto us all most abun­dantly? What righteousnesse more per­fect and ample, then that whereby he draweth us from sinne, death, hell, and the Devill? Or what can bee added to that Faith is the ver­tue and power of God. heavenly and infallible truth and wisdome of his? This then is the true and solid faith, consisting in lively and effectuall trust, and not only in words, or the noyse of words, or externall sounds. In which knowledg of God, or faith, it behoveth us all, the sons of God, daily more and more to profit & be perfected. Whereupon bles­sed Paul hath sufficient for us to wish for, Ephes. 3. That we may know the love of Christ exceeding all knowledge; as who should say, all the study of our whole life if it were imployed to know the love of Christ, it would not be sufficient to learn the excee­ding largenesse thereof. Neither doth onely knowing define this knowledge, be not de­ceived, but thus much more he wil, that we The lively know­ledge of God. participate, tast, and have triall of the sweetnesse, well-pleasingnesse, vertue, and lively infusion in our hearts, inword, and in faith, of his divine love so great and im­mense without expression. For shall we [Page 181] say he knew the love of Christ which never tasted it, never proved it? according to that of the Hebrewes, chap. 6. Who have tasted the heavenly gifts, and the good word of God, and the power of the world to come; which in faith is obtained through the word: Neither is any other, the effusion of the love of God into our hearts by the ho­ly Ghost, Rom. 4. wherein consisteth the fruit and efficacie of the divine word. And to shut up all, this is the true knowledge of God arising from tast and experience, and consisting in living and solid faith, which therefore the Epistle to the Hebrewes cal­leth Hypostasin, and most certain eviction. Furthermore; this knowledge of God, which consisteth in living faith, is a part of the eternall and spirituall divine worship, What faith is. as in like manner faith it selfe is a spirituall gift, living and heavenly, as also the light The true know­ledge of God doth change the heart, & brings forth vertue. and vertue of God. Therefore when this knowledge goeth before, by which God doth as it were drinke to our souls, to tast and relish it, according to Psalm. 34. Tast and see how sweet the Lord is, it cannot be but serious repentance will follow, that is, the renewing of the mind, and amend­ment [Page 182] of life. For from the perceiving & so­lid knowledge of the omnipotency of God, there followeth withall humility, seeing that it is not possible under the powerfull hand of God not to be made crooked, nor to make himselfe straight. From the tast of the divine mercy, proceedeth love to­wards his neighbour: for no man is or can be childish, or can deny his neighbour any thing, who is experienced of the divine love, and shall remember that God out of his meer mercy hath given him Him­selfe. From divine patience and long-suffering, ariseth a wonderfull patience to­wards his neighbour, and that so great, that if it were possible for a Christian to die seven times, yet he would forgive his enemy that cruelty, being mindfull of the great mercies of God, first shewed unto him. From divine righteousnesse floweth the ac­knowledgement of his sinnes, whereupon he prayeth with the Prophet, To thee, O Lord belongeth justice, but to us confusion of our faces, Dan. 9. Enter not into judgement with thy servant, because no flesh is justified in thy sight, Psal. 130. Lord, if thou regardest our iniquities, who can stand before thee? Psal. [Page 183] 143. Out of the knowledgement of the divine truth doth flow faith and integrity towards our neighbour, whereby frauds do cease, falshood and lying, and a true Chri­stian with such thoughts fortifieth his heart, doth not circumvent his neighbour; for by this means thou shalt offend the ve­rity of God, which is God himselfe, who when he dealeth so faithfully & truly with me, it were very unworthy for me to carry my self otherwise towards my neigh­bour. Out of the knowledge of the eter­nall wisdome of God, floweth forth the feare of God, whom it is manifest to be the searcher of the hearts, to see into the in­ward of man, whereby deservedly we reve­rence the eyes of the divine Majesty. He that planted the eare, shall he not hear? or he which made the eye, shall he not see? Psalm 94. Woe unto you that are of a deep heart, that you might hide your counsell from the Lord, whose works are in the dark, and say, Who seeth us, and who doth know us? Perverse is this your thought, as if the clay should rise against the Potter, and the work should say to the maker, Thou didst not make me; and the workmanship should say to his [Page 184] maker, Thou understandest not? And thus farre of the true knowledge of God, where­in consisteth repentance, and repentance in the renovation of the mind, and these things concerning the amendment of life; that which concerneth the other part of divine worship, and is that holy fire appoin­ted by God for offering the sacrifice, lest he wax hot in his wrath, and send revenge. A type of this repentance was the forbid­ding-drinking The type of repen­tance. of wine by divine comman­dement to the Priest when he entred the Tabernacle of the Testimony, which spiri­tually belongeth to all Christians: for if we will enter into the Tabernacle of eter­nall life, it is necessary that we abstain from concupiscence of the world and of the flesh, also from all things by which the flesh may subjugate the spirit: for the love of the Pleasure is like unto wine. world, pride, and other vices, as sweet and strong wine, doe cloud the soule and the spirit, whereby they are brought under the power and servitude of the flesh. For even as Noah and Lot being overtaken with wine, left themselves uncloathed; so ho­nour, pleasures, and riches, after the man­ner of strong wine, doe invade, try, and di­sturb [Page 185] the soule and the spirit, whereby a man may be prohibited entrance into the Tabernacle of the Lord, that is, from his knowledge, and driven from his sanctifica­tion, losing the difference of holy things and prophane, clean and uncleane, so that he understandeth nothing in divine things, and therefore neither can instruct the peo­ple left in his charge with wholsome do­ctrine, which is a just judgment of all those that mad themselves with the wine of con­cupiscence, so that their own thoughts and intellect are not conversant in the true light; and at the last doe rush into everla­sting darknesse. Moreover, this repentance, or sorrow and griefe for sinnes, and also ef­fectuall faith in Christ Jesus, before remis­sion of sinnes, which as it doth consist one­ly in the sole merit of Christ, so no man can challenge to himselfe this merit of Christ without repentance; whereupon remember the Thiefe upon the Crosse, who repented before his forgivenesse, and Christ admit­ted him to Paradise: and that was not a slight or superficiall repentance, but a hearty and true, as appeared by the chi­ding of his fellow Thiefe, And dost not thou [Page 186] feare God? For us, we receive punishment due for our deeds, but this man hath done none e­vill. And moreover, he praied unto Christ, Lord have me in remembrance when thou comest into thy Kingdome; which certainly were most sure arguments of a faithfull and contrite heart. And that free pardon of his sinnes, which a repentant heart in true faith apprehendeth and requesteth, is Christ suppli­eth all things for us. of such force as God excuseth all things, which was impossible for us to expiate, and that for the death and bloud of Christ, wherewith he purgeth all things, blotting out all our offences, as if they never had been done, and his abundance of satisfa­ction, not now equalling, but exceeding the heavinesse of our offences and sinnes: Whereupon blessed David crieth out, Psalm 51. I shall be made clean from my offences, and I shall be whiter then the snow. Now seeing the condition of our pardon is such, and our payment so good, as the Creditor can make no more demands, nor the debter hath not any thing to pay; Hereupon it is said, that God forgetteth them, and never Why God forgets sinnes. more will call our sinnes to mind; so that the sinner turns to him; as witnesses Esa. 18. [Page 187] & chap. 1. This conversion, or condition not without which, he commending speci­ally to the people under the person of God, saith, Wash you, be you clean, [...]ease to doe perversly, and after that come and argue with me: If your sinnes were as red as Sk [...]rlet, they shall be made as white as snow. As if he should say, You which require your sinnes to be pardoned by compact and promise, go to, if you will, and call me to account; Truly I deny not that I promised you to pardon your sinnes, but it was no other­wise but you must first repent: which if you prove together with a true and lively faith, you overcome, and then there shall be no delay in mee, but your sinnes how many and how great soever, they shall be put out of my memory with one blot. Repentance therefore, repentance I say, is true confession, that contrition I say, of the spirit in faith, which whosoever findeth in his heart, this man our Bishop Christ Je­sus, by his death and bloud, doth absolve from all his sinnes; I say, with that bloud True absolu­tion. which crieth to God in heaven for us. Deut. 4. we read that Moses set apart Cities, Be­zer, Ramoth, and Golon, to which one [Page 188] might flie if hee had killed his neighbour Spiritu­all ho­micide. by chance; by which most beautifull type we are taught so often as we kill our neigh­bour by our tongue, thoughts, hatred, en­vie, anger, revenge, and unmercifulnesse, we are to run by flight of faith and repen­tance to the throne of Grace and Mercie, which is the Merit and Crosse of Christ, which being taken hold on, we are in safe keeping; nor with what measure we mea­sure to our neighbour, with the same mea­sure shall it be meted unto us. For those three Cities should effectually represent Christ who is the sole merit, as Bezer soun­deth, that by interpretation is a Tower of Defence, according to the Proverb. 18. The Name of the Lord is a most strong Tower, (Jesus Christ) to that runneth the just, and shall be exalted: the same is true Ramoth, which Christ our re­fuge. voyce signifieth Exalted, to whose Name e­very knee shall bow, in heaven, in earth, or in hell, Phil. 2. Neither is there for us ano­ther Golan besides him, which according to the etymology of the name, is nothing but a heap of thankesgiving, or graces and gifts ce­lestiall, as a certain overflowing vessell: Whereupon (Psal. 29.) we read, With the [Page 189] Lord there is mercy, and with him is abundance of redemption. And Rom. 10. The Lord is rich to all those that call upon him. And thus much of the third part of the internall, spirituall, and true divine worship, flowing from the knowledge of God, which is likewise the fountain of repentance, as this is of remissi­on of sinnes; which three indeed are one, and set forth and declare the solid know­ledge of God: And God did shadow unto us this third part by the Priest, which was to eat of the oblation of God (which what other thing did it imply, then the applica­tion of the merits of Christ by faith?) in the holy place, wherein is signified repentance: For the faith by the vertue and merit of Christ and his bloud, doth make the man before the just God, as if he had never been defiled with any sinne, according to that of Ezekiel 18. If the wicked shall repent him of all his iniquities that he hath committed, I will not remember them. And after this manner the Law of Moses is changed into the spirit Moses Lawes & holy things are chāged into spirit. or life internall, holy and another life; and his sacrifices into repentance, by which we offer our bodies and souls a living sacrifice, and give thanks unto him, because hee hath [Page 190] manifested unto us what is the true con­version acceptable unto him, which is the justification and remission of sinnes, that God alone be all things, his grace, as it is meet, should be acknowledged, and with gratefull minds and tongues be praised for ever and ever. This then, as we have often said heretofore, is the true divine worship, of which Mich. chap. 6. speaketh, I will shew thee, O man, what the Lord requireth of thee, that thou execute judgement, and love mer­cy, and walk carefully before the Lord thy God. Because therefore, O mortals, doe we re­pent to get remission of sinnes, seeing but by this alone we cannot come to remission of sinnes; for neither can those sins bee re­mitted, whose sense and griefe the mind never yet found by grace divine, and con­sequently never to grieve for them; nor hee which never had it in his mind to change The true worship of God consist­eth in the heart, & is not external his life, and mend his manners. Which true and safe-making conversion, that God for his Christs sake would bestow it upon us, I humbly pray: whose favour also it is, that now it appeareth, that his true worship consisteth in the soule and mind, in the knowledge of God, & in true repentance, by [Page 191] which the flesh is mortified, and the man re­newed after the image of God, whereby he is made the Temple of God, wherein by the holy Ghost, the true and divine worship of the holy Trinity is exercised; I say, Faith, Love, and Hope, Humility, Pa­tience, Prayer, giving of thankes and prai­ses to God. And although this worship re­specteth God himselfe; and is performed to him alone, let us not think or beleeve, Why called the worship of God. that God for his own cause, and because it joyneth with his profit, that he inviteth us unto him; but rather let us be so assured, that he is willing through his boundlesse mercy, to bestow and communicate all himselfe to us, with all his benefits, and to live, work and dwell in us, if so be we be ready through his true Knowledge, Faith and Repentance, to receive him. For no work is gracious and acceptable to God, of which hee was not the authour of in us; What kind of works are pleasing to God. therefore he commandeth us to repent, to beleeve, to pray, to fast, not as to him, but that the fruit thereof might be ours. No man can give or take any thing from God, nor hurt nor profit him: for we sow and we mow to our selves, if we be good; but [Page 192] we create evill to our selves if we be evill. And what dammage hath God if thou wilt not doe well? therefore he comman­deth thee to serve him, not for his owne cause, but for thine: who seeing he is Cha­rity it selfe, therefore amongst things ac­ceptable and deare, and so fit, accounteth it, that there be many be who participate of his charity, yea of himselfe; that is to wit, as a mother loveth her Infant, cannot but rejoyce that it sucketh her milk from her; so God is to be thought of, out of his most loving com­municating of himself af­ter his manner to receive singular delight.

CHAP. XXII. As we know a tree by the fruit, so a true Christian by no other to­ken is known then by love and amendment of life daily.

IT is not the name, but the life of a Chri­stian that maketh a true Christian; whose daily and onely study ought to be, that in him Christ might be manifested, and be made conspicuous by love, humili­ty, and humanity. In whom therefore [Page 194] Christ liveth not, it followeth that this man cannot be a Christian. Furthermore, it behoveth this life to be from the bottome of the heart and spirit, even as the Apple is derived and commeth from the naturall branch of the Tree, faculties and vegetable power; yea, it is necessary that our life be informed by the Spirit of Christ, and fa­shioned after his life, according to that of Paul, Rom. 8. Those which are carried by the Spirit of God, those are the sonnes of God. But if any have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his, or belongeth not to him; to wit, every life cometh of the Spirit, which even as the All life is from the Spi­rit. inward man moveth, driveth, and is car­ried; so in like manner the outward man fareth, or is carried: whereby it is mani­fested how much it availeth to a Christian life, to have the grace of the Holy Ghost, which therefore Christ did command us to seek, not with praiers onely, but promi­sed also the spirit of new birth; I say, by whom we live, and are quickened in Christ to a new spirituall and heavenly way of li­ving; and out of whose eternall and quick­ning power all Christian vertues doe flou­rish, and the just man doth increase as a [Page 195] Palm-tree, and a Cedar of Lebanon which the Lords right hand hath planted. Where­upon it followeth, that a man must first be inwardly renewed in the spirit of his mind, after the Image of God, so as his desires and affections be conformed to Christ, and his outward life proceed from the inward A Chri­stian ought to bee within as he is without, or see­meth to be. feeling of the heart, and be most like to them. And seeing that God searcheth the heart, and reins, as it is, Psalm 7. it is most right and equall that a man should have more in the inwards, and in the bottome, then outwardly, and in the porch. And be­cause it cannot come to passe that our in­wards can obtain the purity and cleannesse The clean­nesse & righte­ousnesse of Chri­stians. of Angels, yet it is convenient to aspire to it, seeing God accepteth of the votes of our spirits, and sighes, and approveth of them, the holy Spirit helping our infirmi­tie, and intreating for us with mourning unexpressible, Rom. 8. yea Christs bloud purging us by faith, so that we are without spot or wrinkle, Ephes. 5. Neither now shall our purity be Angelicall, and our ho­linesse and righteousnesse so, but of Ghrist, yea Christ himselfe, 1 Cor. 1. Jer. 33. Which free holiness and righteousness is to [Page 196] be preferred before the purity & innocen­cy of Angels, it behoveth us to renew our soules and spirits, and to lead a working holy life in us, that as the Palm tree flou­risheth continually, groweth and increa­seth, so we through Christian Discipline in our selves, may become more and more perfect in Christ; and so much every one in Christ doth flourish and profit as he groweth in faith, holy vertues, and Chri­stian life, and so much as he amendeth dai­ly in himself; and lastly, so much as Christ himselfe liveth in him. And this is to flou­rish like the Palmtree, and as that continu­ally Christi­an like a palm tree. groweth upward, daily to be renewed, alwayes repeating his purpose to his holy Name, to be pleased no otherwise then as if it were the first day of thy entrance into Christianity, or didst receive the Sacra­ments, nor to have any other thing in thy desire, then that thy life & workes should br answerable to thy profession and dis­cipline. And as those that are chosen to some office, are wont to prefer nothing before the study, be it never so difficult, that The cal­ling of Christi­ans. belongeth to his vocation; so must we doe that are called to Christ, we are called to a [Page 197] holy calling, to whom we shall never be like, unlesse we hold this purpose and this opinion, and it be a most firm Antidote or prevention to us: for this holy purpose not stablished nor confirmed, we be not care­full of amendment; neither do we increase and profit in Christ; nay rather we be al­together without Christ. Because this pur­pose of living well is the work of the holy Ghost, and that preventing grace, which The wisdom of God calleth us. allureth all men, inviteth them, and driveth them. on Then happy is he who hath eares and a mind at leasure, and en­tertaineth the Wisdome of God crying in the streets, understanding all things we be­hold to be the monuments and remem­brances by which he inviteth and in it selfe goeth about to allure us; which touch and motion so soon as we perceive, forthwith we must put our hands to the worke, and assent and take hold of this point of time without impediment: which being negligently lost, perhaps many dayes shall succeed in which we cannot heare, speak, doe, or think a good thought, which the Procra­stin [...]tiō i [...] to be es [...]ew­ed, eternall wisdome knowing it, calleth us in all places, lest we neglect time and occa­sion: [Page 198] and be like to the tree in the open aire, and without cover, which expecteth the be­nigne aspect of an immoveable Sunne, and propitious heaven. And we are daily nouri­shed The grace of God is every where present. by the grace of God & heavenly influ­ence, and there remaineth no more but that all impediments of the world being shaken off, we admit of them, and draw them un­to us with all our heart. O mortall men, let us call to minde the brevity of time, how many opportunities of Christi­an The brevitie of our life. vertues we have neglected, that we have spent much of our lives in sleep, and cares of the body, and that we are to die by and by, and that we have scarcely begun to lead a better life. As every one wisheth to die the death of the righteous, so it is needfull so to live. And if thou abhorrest to die an evill death, live godly; if thou desirest to goe out of the world like a Chri­stian, How it behoves a Chri­stian to live. here in thy actions and life labour to be a Christian; and he liveth like a Chri­stian, who liveth so as if he should every day die, well knowing it is the part of a good servant to be ready at every call of his master, and God calleth us by Death, as his Apparitor or Sumner. Happy is that [Page 199] servant whom his master shall find watch­full; verily he will make him Steward o­ver all his goods. But who doth watch? Onely he who suffereth not himselfe to be seduced of the world, and the lovers there­of. Therefore let us flie it, and such lovers of the world, such water-bearers are un­profitable, with which the good tree grow­ing wild, it is hindered to flourish, and be­cometh fruitlesse.

CHAP. XXIII. He that will grow in Christ, and profit in him, must flie worldly friendship.

FRequent familiarity with worldly men is to be eschewed by thee; because as we are no where so well fitted, or well pleased [Page 200] as when we are at home: so it is never bet­ter with the soul then when it is in its own house, that is, resting in God, whose off­spring sith it is, it must needs return to him again, if it desireth to be qui­et. For this is the condition of all creatures, that the same place is to them both of be­ginning and rest; for Fishes, the sea; to Birds, the aire; to plants, the earth; and to the soul, God, according to the Psalm 84. The Sparrow hath found a house, and the Turtle a nest, wherein to put her young. For even as he begetteth evill to himselfe, that suffereth his sonnes and daughters to wan­der abroad: so he begetteth evill to him­selfe that suffereth his tongue and thoughts to be conversant amongst many men: he shall decline many scandals, if he keep them within the circle and circum­ference of his heart. In the tents of the Lord our God, the plants of the Lord doe flourish, as the Cedar in Labanon. These tents are the meeting-place, or inward and spirituall Sabbath of our heart; and the flourishing Lebanon is in the desart and so­litarinesse of the spirit; which solitarinesse thou oughtest to follow diligently, that [Page 201] thou mightest search thy selfe, and con­template the benefits and wonders of God. Neither are those to be followed or imita­ted, who are delighted in the reading of What­soever doth not make us better, is to be avoided subtile and quaint things, whereby the heart is more provoked then amended: whatsoever doth not further, or disturb the quietnesse of the heart, or is not a fur­thering to amendment of life, let it be farre from thine eares, thy mouth, eyes and thought: for the trees of the Lord doe at­tend nothing, but to grow and profit in Christ; such as was Paul, who desired to know nothing but Christ crucified: so did all the Saints of God; who strived with all diligence to live in silence, and by inward devotion after a divine manner to emulate the heavenly and holy Intelligences, and to hide themselves in God alone, which is the onely rest of our souls; of which number I have heard one say, so often as he con­versed with men, he was made lesse in some part or other: For seeing humanity con­sisteth in the similitude of God, and there­fore The de­finition of man. God defined man to be an Image like to him; it follows by how much the liker he is to God, he hath put off so much the [Page 202] more of his humanity; and the neerer he is joyned to God, by so much he shall become liker unto him. But no man can be joyned to God, who first doth not forsake the world. The same reason is of all seeds, that The seed of God bring­eth di­vine fruit. they bring forth fruit like themselves: therefore if the seed of God be in thee, as the holy Spirit and Word divine, it fol­loweth that thou become a tree of righte­ousnesse, and plant of the Lord, to glorifie him, Esay 61. Nothing is more frequent Scan­dalous words offend the soul then that a word may fall from thee or a­nother, whereby the heart afterwards is pricked, and the soul abhorreth it; where­fore no man is more secure, safer, and more at tranquillity, then he that keepeth him­self at home, & so containeth his thoughts, words, and his senses within the threshold of his heart.

When Diogenes the Philosopher was met by a certain man, who being imper­tinently acute, accosted him after this man­ner; Man or no man. What I am, thou art not: But I am a man, therefore thou art none: He merrily taxing his foolish acutenesse, answered; It will be truer, if thou begin with me.

He who will speake laudably, let him first learn to hold his peace: for to speak many things is no eloquence, it is garruli­ty or pratling. He that will rule his heart Vertue ariseth frō con­traries. well, let him learn first to keep it well, see­ing it is an impossible thing rightly to ex­cell others, unlesse he learn to serve & obey God. He that loveth peace and tranquillity of the minde, let him keep his tongue, and study to preserve a good conscience: True rest. for that which is evill, foameth as the sea, unlesse it return to its rest, which is Christ, by contrition and repentance. The Dove which Noah sent out of the Ark, when it found no rest, returned to the Ark. This Ark is Christ, and the Church, having on­ly one Doore, or Window, that is, repen­tance, by which we must goe to Christ for aid. As the Dove having made her flight, returned to the Ark of God; so doe thou remember so often as thou fliest into the sea of the worldly businesses, that thou return by and by to Christ, and thy rest; yea, whilst thou art conversant a­mongst men, and attendest worldly affairs, The fear of God. let it be done with feare and humility, yet let it be without secure and precipitate rash­nesse: [Page 204] but be thou like the Shrub bound to the pearch of distrust, and the feare of God, lest perhaps the wind of perturbati­on doe break thee, then which nothing is more frequent amongst men, little conver­sant with the inward man, and using the world more freely. Wherefore perswade thy selfe there is no more trust to be given to the world then to the sea; and that the externall calm of the world doth easily turn it selfe into a whirl-wind, and an evill conscience doth obey the delight there­of. True peace and rest But if men would seek no pleasure in ftail things, if they were not intangled with the world, lastly, if they would trust lesse to their worldly goods, then they would by experience find more peace and tranquillity in their consciences, and divine consolations and visitations would be oft­ner manifest, but seeing that they will not beleeve these things, it cometh to passe that they lose that conversion, amendment, and devotion amongst men, which they might find in themselves. For what things within, and in the heart, are found by resting, they are by seeking here and there unwarily and hastily lost, and this followeth upon [Page 205] course. As a tree no where profiteth better then in his naturall soile: so the inward man in no place groweth in goodnesse sooner then in the profound inwards of the heart where Christ is. Joy and heavi­nesse is in the hand of the conscience, which if thou usest and imploy it in inward and The na­ture of the con­science. divine things, it will return thee again sweet and delightfull pleasures: but if in outward and worldly things thou dost rest, it will return thee vexation and tor­ment. As often as a faithfull soul grieveth and is sorrowfull for his sinnes, so often Whol [...] ­some sorrow. he mourneth secretly, and in the foun­tain of teares many nights washeth himself therein, and cleanseth himself in the Spirit and Faith in Christ, that he may become holy, and worthy to enter into the Temple and most holy place, where the Lord may have most secret speech with him. And be­cause God is an unknown God, it beho­veth the soul to be most familiar with him, if he will have him to communicate his di­vine mind unto it, Psalm 85. I will bear what Divine commu­nication the Lord will speak in me, Psal. 34. I sought the Lord and he heard me, and took me out of my trouble; he being poore, he cried, and the Lord [Page 206] heard him, and he delivered him out of all his troubles, Psalm 5. But I will pray unto thee, and thou wilt heare my voyce right early: I will meet thee early, and I shall see thee. By how much more our soul departeth from the world, so much more familiar it becometh with God; so did the Patriarch Jacob when he estranged himself from his countrey and kindred, he had conference with Angels, and with God. Neither can it be sufficient­ly expressed by any words, with how much love God and the blessed Spirits embrace an holy soule.

CHAP. XXIV. Of the Charity or Love towards God and our Neighbour.

THis being delivered, blessed Paul de­scribing the most noble vertue, that is [Page 207] to say, Charity, doth insist chiefly on foure things concerning it: First of all, that it is the end of the Law, or a brief and short collection of all the commandements, be­cause by this, or in this, the law is fulfilled. The reason is, because in it all the comman­dements are fulfilled: and lastly, because without it all the gifts of vertues are unpro­fitable, idle, and fruitlesse. And whereas he saith in the second place, that Charity ought to proceed out of a pure heart, that The sin­cerity of divine love. pertaineth to charity towards God, wher­to it is requisite, that the heart be void of all worldly love, according to that of 1 Ioh. 2. Little children, do not love the world, nor the What a cleane heart is things that be in the world, because every thing that is in the world, is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life. The world passeth away, and the concupiscence thereof, but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever. Therefore whoso­ever hath his heart free and at liberty from all love of the creatures, so as he rest not in any fraile creature, neither put his trust in them, but onely from the bottome of his heart longeth and seeketh after God alone, after the example of David, who in the [Page 208] Psalmes saith, My flesh faileth me, and my heart it fainteth, O God of my heart and my portion for ever, O God. For what is there in heaven that I regard, or in earth that I preferre before thee? This mans charity proceeded out of a pure heart. Also, if any take sin­gular delight, pleasure and joy in the love of God, such a purity of heart as the holy Ghost sheweth in the Psalm 18. I will love thee, O God my strength, the God of my health and my refuge, my rock, my protection, the horn of my salvation, and my Redeemer. The Charitie out of a good consci­ence. third thing requisite to charity, was a good conscience, which respecteth our neigh­bour, who is to be loved of us for no profit sake: (for this is the property of false love, and that which proceedeth from an evill conscience,) neither in word nor deed proudly to offend him, and diligently to beware neither openly nor closely to de­tract from him, or hate him, nor with en­vie, wrath or disdain, to maligne him, lest our heart doe check us in our prayer, 1 Joh. 3. The fourth thing requisite in Charity, Love from fraile consci­science. is faith unfained, lest we determine any thing against the rule of Faith and Chri­stian profession, and lest we deny God [Page 209] openly or secretly, in prosperity or adver­sity. Goe to now, let us consider apart the singular heads. Paul saith, Charity is the end of the Law. For Charity, or Love, which proceedeth out of true faith, is the most noble of all fruits and works of God, then which a man can doe nothing better, or more acceptable to God: for God re­quireth God re­quireth not of us cost­ly gifts and workes. not of man any heavie things, nor lofty nor great workes to his service and worship; but rather he hath contracted the most rigid religion of the old Testa­ment, and a multitude of Commandments, and the variety of them, in Faith and Cha­rity, and hath added thereunto, the gift of the holy Ghost, according to that of Saint Paul, Rom. 5. The love of God is infu­sed into your hearts by the holy Ghost, which is given unto us. By which words he insinu­ateth unto us the originall of Charity. Moreover, Charity is not a heavie work, but a pleasant and easie work to a good and faithfull man, according to that of St. John, 1 Epist. chap. 5. His commandments The ea­sines of charity. are not heavy, that is to say, to illuminate Christians, to whom the holy Ghost hath given a cheerfull heart, and a free will, [Page 210] moved and stirred up. Furthermore, God God re­quireth not much learning requireth not of us much learning or tea­ching, but only charity, which if it be sin­cere, burning, vehement, is far dearer then arts, and wisdom of the whole world, so that all other things, Arts, Sciences, works and gifts, without it are unprofitable, and thought of as dead works, 1 Cor. 13. For without Charity every work is of no momēt. learning is indifferent and common equally as well to Christians as to Ethnicks, and the works of the faithfull and the Infidels in that are alike. But charity onely is the sure Badge and Character of a Christian, discerning the false from the truth. For where charity is wanting, there is no good­nesse, whatsoever externall shew of great­nesse and excellency it commendeth it selfe by. For God is Charity, and he that abi­deth in Charity, abideth in God, and God in him, 1 John 4. Whereupon it follow­eth, where Charity is not, God is not there. Charity maketh all things easie, & is heavy to no man. Charity is pleasant and acceptable with God, and also the man that exerciseth it. For where other Arts and Sciences, and Wisdomes, are gotten with great labour care, and griefe, and with the losse of their strength, charity onely cheereth the body [Page 211] and mind, doth adde vegetation, and men­deth the soule: neither is it losse to any, but rather of it selfe bringeth ample fruits. For love is the reward of the lover, and vertue is a reward unto it selfe, like as vice in like manner doth punish and torment it selfe. And when other faculties of the bo­dy What is done out of charity, hath God the Au­thor, & pleaseth him. and mind are weakened, and tired, and wearied, only charity is never weary, nor ever ceaseth, howsoever Prophesie may passe away, Tongues may cease, and Sci­ences may be destroyed, yea and faith it self shall fail, 1 Cor. 13. What God will ac­cept, must necessarily proceed from God: He that loveth God praieth wel and freely. for he approveth of nothing which he doth not first work in us. And seeing that God is love, therfore that ought to proceed from faith, which is pleasing to God; and out of love, without hope of any pro­fit, that it shall profit our neighbour. And so should our prayers arise from love. Oh then you mortals! imagine what pray­ers those can poure out to God, whose hearts are ful of wrath and rancor, which if such should recite the whole Psalterie, they can neverthelesse be nothing else but abomination before God; when true ado­ration [Page 212] consisteth in Spirit, in Faith, and chiefly in Charity, not in words. Let Christ be in our memory, who out of his abundant mercy prayed, Father forgive them. In a word, he that loveth not God, that man prayeth not; in whom the love of God is, that man preferreth nothing be­fore God, nor esteemeth any thing so sweet. He that loveth God, serveth him from his heart; he that loveth not God, he serveth not him, although he heap mountains up­on mountains. So then nothing can befall a man better, or more profitable, then that the love of God should wax warm in his heart. Whatsoever faith worketh in man, (and all things ought to be done in faith) Faith in charity should doe all things in man. ought to be done in charity, no otherwise then the soule through the body, see­eth, heareth, tasteth, smelleth, speaketh, and doth all things; I say, after that manner should charity doe all things in thee, that All things ought to be done in charity towards our neigh­bour. whether thou eat or drink, hear or speak, praise or dispraise, all things should be done in charity, after the example of Christ, in whom most pure love wrought all things. Wherefore if thou dost look upon thy neighbour, let sincere charity fix thine eyes [Page 213] upon him: if thou hearest him, let charity erect thine eares; if thou speakest unto him, let most loving commiseration go­verne thy tongue. Lastly, have a care and study this one thing, that charity through faith may be the root and beginning, and cleave unto thee alwayes, which can beget in thee nothing but what is good, and wherewith thou beginnest the law of God, whose love also is the fulfilling of the law, or the true abridgement thereof. Which majesty of the divine love, all the old Saints of God with admiration exclaime, O Cha­rity The praise of Cha­rity. of God in the holy Ghost, the sweet­nesse of the soul, and the divine life of man; he who hath not thee, is dead, though a­live; he that hath thee, never dieth before God; where thou art not, there the life of men is continuall death; where thou art, there the life of man is a fore-tast of the e­ternall life. And thus much of Charity, so farre as it is the end of the Law. Let us God is mans sove­raigne good. come now to the other attribute, the puri­ty of the heart, which consisteth in this, That the mind being void of worldly love, doth rest upon God as his chiefest good, according to Psalm 16. The Lord is the portion [Page 214] of mine inheritance, and of my cup: thou art he that dost restore my inheritance to me. Psal. 37. The Lord knoweth the dayes of the unspotted, and their inheritance shall be for ever. And therefore the mind of man ought to take his chiefest delight and pleasure in God a­lone, because he is the chiefest good, and consequently good it selfe, and vertue it selfe; verily meer favour, grace, love, low­linesse, patience, faith, truth, consolation, peace, joy, life, and happinesse: all which he bestowed upon Christ also; so that he Why vertue is to be loved. which hath him, hath all things. Where­fore he that loveth God, ought to love al­so his truth, mercies, goodnesse, and all vertues: For the true lover of God, loveth all things that are acceptable to God: and contrariwise abhorreth and hateth all things that be against God. Therefore ju­stice is to be beloved, truth, mercy, because God is all these, meeknesse, humility, by reason of the example of our most humble and meek Saviour. Contrariwise, a true lover of God hates every vice, as the adver­sary and enemy of God, and the work of Why vice is to be hated. the Devill; therefore he hateth a lie, be­cause the Devill is a lier, and consequently [Page 115] other sinnes, because they are part of the Devill. And whosoever loveth sinne, as a lie, and injustice, this is a sonne of the De­vill, as it is in John 8. Even as he that lo­veth Christ our Redeemer and Saviour, he also loveth the example of his most inno­cent life; I say, his meeknesse, humility and patience, he is the sonne of God. But thou must remember that thou pray to God for this purity of love, who certainly, willing­ly, and freely, through the love of Christ, doth kindle it in thee: if so thou in­cessantly with daily prayers cease not to importune him, and offer up thy heart unto him every houre and moment. But if thy charity be could and weak, so that sometimes thou faile and fall; goe to, rise again, and goe to work, and renew thy Charity, be sure the eternall light of the divine love is not extinguished, God our most gentle Saviour will enlighten thee a­gain; which albeit it be so, yet thou shoul­dest The charity of God and our neigh­bour cannot be se­vered. pray unto God daily lest at any time hereafter he suffer the most bright fire of divine love to be extinguished. And thus much of the Charity from the heart pur­ged from the love of the world, and the [Page 216] creatures. Let us see now the charity of our neighbour, out of a pure conscience. The charity of God and our neigbour is one, and they cannot be severed; neither is the love of God more manifest in any thing, then by and in the love of our neighbour. If any man say that he loveth God, and hateth his neighbour, he is a lier: For hee that lo­veth not his brother whom he seeth, how can he love God whom he seeth not? And this is the commandement we have received from God, That he that loveth God, should love his bro­ther also, 1 John 4. For the love of God cannot dwell in the heart of a man-hater, or hostile revengefull man. Whereupon if thou hast no pitie on thy brother, and knowest that he hath need of thy help, how canst thou love God, that hath no need of thy help? As by faith we are united to God, so by charity wee are to our neigh­bour joyned. 1 John 4. He that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him. As a man consisteth of body and soule, so faith and charity of God and our neighbour, doth make a true Christian. And seeing that God is well affected towards all men, who is so indeed, it followeth, that he [Page 217] is of one mind with God, and so con­sents It is the proper­ty of Charity to be­waile a sinner. to him; he that doth contrary, is ad­versary to God; because he is an enemy to mankind. Furthermore, it is the property of this charity to bewaile humane errors, because they represent as in a glasse, our own proper defects, and bring to our me­mory the most infirm condition of our hu­manity; whereupon it followeth, that we are to bear the infirmity of our neighbour with patience, humility, and meeknesse. Truly, such as sin through want of strength We are to bear with the weak. more then of purpose, and whereof they soon recollect themselves, doe rebuke and punish themselves, and doe of themselves acknowledge their sinne: these truly are to be pitied and condoled, and doe deserve pardon. He that denieth this, surely hath not the spirit of Christ. For to punish the fallings and infirmities of our neighbour, rashly, and with severe judgement without mercy or commiseration, onely is proper to him that is without the most mercifull law of God the Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost, and without God himselfe. Con­trariwise, a true Christian, and he which is anointed with the spirit of Christ, doth [Page 218] beare with all men in condoling, commise­rating, and loving him, after the example of Christ. And this is the Touch-stone whereby every one is to be tried, whether Where charity is not, there God is not. he be of God or not. But if he find he hath no love of his neighbour in him, let him assuredly perswade himselfe he hath not the charity of God in him, rather let him feare God himselfe hath forsaken him, wherewith he ought to be afraid, and be sory from his heart, and seek to return in­to his neighbours favour. Which being done, God through his love will marry himselfe unto him; and whatsoever there­after he shall doe in faith and charity, is, and will be accounted for good, holy, and divine. Moreover, by reason of the inhe­rent love of God, of his free will, he em­braceth all with his mercy and love; nei­ther is any thing more acceptable then to doe good; or as Jeremy speaketh, He re­joyceth in them, he will doe good unto them. Without charity in man all things are al­together evil and Devillish; neither is there Why all things that the devill doth, are evill other cause why the Devil can do no good, but because he is destitute of the love of God and his neighbour, and thereupon [Page 219] what he doth is altogether evill; neither doth his workes and counsels whatsoever, tend to other end, then the reproach of God, and damage of mankind, and that he may satisfie his malicious mind and rancor against God and man. For which cause he useth such cruell and vengeable mindes to execute and bring to passe the counsels and contrivement of his wrath & envy. And this is the mark of the sonnes of Satan, where­by they are discerned from the sonnes of God. Charity proceedeth from faith not fained, which cleaveth and adhereth to God equally in prosperity and adversi­ty. Whosoever loveth a man heartily, he cannot be ungratefull, because what God He that loveth God, all his works he lo­veth, & all his punish­ments. hath appointed against him, he doth after the example of Christ, who with a cheer­full mind tooke up his Crosse which he knew to be put upon him by his Fathers will; whereupon Luke saith, chap. 12. I have a baptisme to be baptized with, and how grie­ved am I untill it be finished! which all the Martyrs of the Church did imitate, bearing his Crosse with joy. And for a truth, whosoever loveth God heartily, he cannot but beare his Crosse easily; [Page 220] which, he knoweth to be the yoak of Christ. And if a Load-stone can lift up a weight of Iron, and draw it unto it selfe, what cannot that celestiall Load-stone of love divine do? Shal not it take up the worst weight of our Crosse, and mitigate the feeling of it? Also, why doth Sugar rather correct the bitternesse of the hearb and me­dicine, then the sweetnesse of, love take a­way the ungratefull and inhumane savour of our crosse? whose force is such, as the holy Martyrs had no other where that strength of their incredible and cheerfull constancy, but they did draw it out of this fountain of Love, wherewith being most sweetly intoxicated, they did not feele the paines of their torments.

CHAP. XXV. Of love to our Neighbour in speciall.

AMongst all kinds of servitude, none is The ser­vitude of the affecti­ons is most heavie. more hard and sharp, then to be under the subjection of affections; neither of these is any more cruell then hostility or inhu­manity, because that wearieth and bindeth all the powers and strength of the body and soul, and so leaveth to a man not the least thought free, but he that exerciseth or re­maineth in charity, he is free in his minde, neither is he the servant or captive to wrath, envie, covetousnesse, usury, pride, lying and slander; from all which, being free by charity, he suffereth not himselfe to be brought into slavery by his evill concu­piscences, but remaineth a freeman of Christ through the spirit of liberty, 2 Cor. 3. For where the spirit is, there is liberty. [Page 222] whosoever therefore walketh in the chari­ty of Christ, he ceaseth to be the slave of sinne; and servant to affections and car­nall lusts: For by the spirit of divine charity, we are purged and set free. And The u­niversa­lity of divine Charity. charity divine is equally reached and exten­ded to all men, so that not onely out of the word of God, but by nature universall al­so, it is made known: for we are all equal­ly and alike covered with the heavens, and we have the use of the Sunne, Aire, Earth, Water, both high and low degree alike. Moreover, with what mind God Almighty is towards all mankind, so ought our mind to be affected towards our neighbour, see­ing what things even now we shewed, thou dost not say it happened for that cause God would have it so, but that by his ex­ample he might teach us, and make it ma­nifest that he loveth all with like equall af­fection, and that it is without re [...]pect of persons, and prerogative of dignity or me­rit in Christ to love every one alike; so that as hee sheweth himselfe towards us, such ught we to be, and to carry our selves to­owards our neighbour; whom after the same manner as wee shall deal with, God [Page 223] will deale with us. Which Law God writ in our hearts, that evidently he might convince and teach us, with what mind he was affected to us, lest we should be mista­ken and overtaken unawares, we ought to carry the same mind towards our neigh­bour every one of us. Wherefore he that would know what respect hee is in with God, it is sufficient to ask his conscience: for that thing will tell him presently, as his mind is towards his neighbour, whereby he The tri­all of divine love. may gather how God is affected towards him. For like as we have done to our neighbour; so it is meet God should doe to us. And in this sense the great God is good to the good, and averse to the averse; neither doth hee deserve to have God his friend, that is an enemy to his neighbour. Now seeing that God hath no need of our works, as our neighbour hath, it appeareth by this counsell, that the charity towards our neighbour gives us in charge, that it should be as a Load-stone, a most certain argument of our charity towards God. For if these things were otherwise, he would not have directed these things to our neighbor so exactly as to a certain sope, [Page 224] nor bound us to this as a law, but that we might know his affection to us thereby, and we should approve the same mind eve­ry houre and moment to our neighbour. Wherefore though Christ Jesus by his death once sufficiently made satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole world, and all men therein, for which all men are to give thanks, no man can warrant him, who is Christ doth as it were call back his merit from them that do not par­dō their neigh­bour. not first reconciled to his neighbour. For all mankind, under the person of the wic­ked servant, Matth. 18. is described, who when hee had not wherewith to pay, the King remitted him all his debts; but when he afterwards behaved himselfe so cruelly towards his fellow servant, the King revo­ked his pardon, condemning the wicked servant by reason of his hard usage of his neighbour. Which Parable Christ conclu­deth with this farewell: So will my heavenly Father doe unto you. Like unto that is the saying of Matth. 7. What measure you mete unto others, the same shall hee meted unto you. Christs man­date. Whereby it appeareth, that man was not onely created for himselfe alone, but for his neighbours cause also. And immediatly he passeth over the precepts of loving our [Page 225] neighbour, to withdraw the love of God, and to proceed with his justice, by whose most rigid decree hee is immediatly con­demned; but if we should call such things to mind as this Parable, we should never be angry long with our Neighbour, neither should the Sun go down in our wrath: for it A heart irrecon­cilcable is not capable of Christs merits. is in truth a horrible thing to be thought, that the merit of Christ, whereby he satis­fied for the whole world fully, and after the example of that little King, of meer grace hath remitted all our sins; I say, that this merit should be cut off, and become of no effect, if we do not pardon our brother, and hate him. But although this law seem hard, yet so it is written, and it so bindeth us, that God without the love of our neigh­bour, will not be loved of us; and if wee become irreconcileable, wee lose the love and favour of God. Neither may we think The cause of cha­rity. it was for other cause that man was not created one better then another, but that one should not insult over another, but as twins of one mother and one father, we should live lovingly & peaceably together, our consciences never accusing us. Therfore whosoever hateth his brother and despiseth [Page 226] him, let him know that God doth hate him, and despise him, because he hath most severely forbidden it, and consequently that he is hatefull and abominable to him, as also guilty of eternall condemnation, and altogether excluded from the merit of Christ. Neither can it by any means come to passe, that a heart in enmity, without mercy, and inhumane, should participate of the bloud of Christ, which was shed out of meere love: seeing out of the Pa­rable, Matth. 18. it is manifest, that God was lesse moved, or offended, for the debt of ten thousand Talents, then at the unmer­cifulnesse and cruelty of the fellow-ser­vant. Wherefore let us never forget, but daily remember that saying of Christ: So will my Heavenly Father doe unto you.

CHAP. XXVI. Wherefore a mans Neighbour is to be loved.

THese are the words of Micah, chap. 6. What good things shall I offer unto the Lord? Shall I offer unto him Meat-offerings, and Calves of a yeare old? Can the Lord bee pleased in thousands of Ra [...]nes, or in many thousands of fat be-goats? Shall I give my first­born for my wickednesse, and the fruits of my womb for the sinnes of my soule? I will shew thee, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee: Even to doe judgement, and to love mercy, and to walk carefully before thy God. By which judgement he teacheth us Where­in con­sisteth the true worship of God. wherein the true worship of God consist­eth, not in Ceremonies and Sacrifices, which conferre nothing on God, because [Page 228] all is his own; nor in humane offerings, which hee requireth not; nay rather hee abhorreth, because they contain the re­proach of Jesus Christ the Propitiatory offering which God appointed to take a­way the sinnes of the world; but in pure faith, which the Prophet describeth in this form, To doe judgement, I say in the exercise of faith, in charity, in mercy, better plea­sing then all sacrifices, & in humility, accor­ding to the Psalm 51. The sacrifice to God is a troubled spirit, a contrite heart and humble, O God, thou wilt not despise. To which divine worship, consisting in the inwards of the heart, and in faith, charity, and humility, Saint Paul exhorteth us, Rom. 13. whose admonition we have prefixed to this chap­ter, which containeth the praise of Chari­ty, and the perpetuall debt to our neigh­bour. For certainly there is no other way of serving God but this, to whom we can approve of nothing but what wee our selves allow, and he himselfe worketh in our hearts; so that to worship God, is nothing but to observe our neighbour, and to doe him good. To this love of our neighbour the Apostle inciting us, useth an [Page 229] argument somthing plausible to those which Charity praised are desirous to lead a Christian life, calling it a breviary of all vertues, and a fulfilling of the Law: not that we are able possibly by our charity to fulfill the divine Law, or that consequently it followeth, to gain eternall life thereby; but it insinuateth unto us the noble bounty and majesty of this most ex­cellent vertue, and inflameth us to love it with all our desire. For our justice and happinesse is founded on the merit of Jesus Christ, which we apply to our selves by faith; out of which also the love to our neighbour doth flow, and all other vertues, which therefore are called the fruits of ju­stice to the praise and glory of God. See­ing then the dignity of this vertue is so great, it were worthy the labour to seeke more arguments to draw us unto the love of it, but the strongest in my opinion, is that which Saint John useth, Epist. 1. Chap. 4. The im­p [...]lsive cause of cha­rity. God is Love, and he that remaineth in Love remaineth in God, and God in him: for who would not wish to be in God, and remain in him, and that God in like manner shall be and remain in him? And who on the contrary would not abhorre to bee in Sa­tan, [Page 230] and Satan in him, which is so often as charity is repulsed, barbarisme and inhu­mane hostility doth dwell in our hearts. For as it is the delight of God to be with the sonnes of men: so contrariwise the De­vill is a devourer of men. To which belon­geth that place of John, who saith, He that Charity is a to­ken of the sons of God. loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. In this is made manifest whether they be the sons of God or the Devil: and can there be any thing more desirable then to be the sonnes of God, to be begotten of God, & to know God truly? and whosoever hath his heart void of charity, nor by experience hath known the force of it, life, gifts, good­nesse, gentlenesse, long-suffering and pati­ence, this man it is manifest doth not know God, who is nothing but Charity or Love. For the knowledge of God and Christ is known by experience, and feeling and see­ing that Christ is meer love and meeknesse, it followeth that he that is without chari­ty, is without Christ, according to that of By cha­rity God is known. Saint Peter, Epist. 2. chap. 1. If you had cha­rity, this would not leave you empty, nor with­out fruit in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. And Christ himselfe, John 13. In [Page 231] this all men may know if you be my Disciples, What a disciple of Christ should doe. if you love one another. But to be the Disciple of Christ, is not sufficient to be a Christian in name and outward profession, but it be­hoveth us to be more, to beleeve in Christ, to love him, and follow him, to live in him, to counsell with him, to listen to him, to be inwardly loved of him; and lastly, to participate with him in all his goodnesse. Which love of Christ who so hath not, this man is not of Christ: for how should Christ know him which is destitute of Christ? For even as an Apple by his savour, and a Flower by his smell, is knowne: so a Christian is known by his love. Bouldly, and without doubt, blessed Paul affirmeth it, 1 Corinth. 13. All gifts without Charity is nothing. And in truth, the knowledge of divers Tongues, nor Miracles, nor knowledge of Myste­ries, or any such like good things, doe shew a good Christian, but faith which God re­quireth no hard thing. worketh by charity. Moreover, God com­mandeth not hard things unto us, as to work miracles, but to exercise charity, and humility: neither in the day of judgmēt shal it be demanded of thee, how thou hast been [Page 232] verst in the Arts, Tongues, Sciences, but whether thou hast loved charity through faith; I have been hungry (saith our Savi­our, Matth. 25.) and thou gavest mee to eate. And blessed Paul to the Galatians, chap. 5. witnesseth, In Christ Jesus neither circum­cision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcisi­on, but Faith which worketh by Charity. Furthermore, the words of Saint John, E­pist. 1. Chap. 4. If any man say he loveth God, and hateth his brother, he is a lier: For he that doth not love his brother whom hee seeth, how can hee love God whom hee hath not seen? And this commandement have we of God, He that loveth God, should also love his brother. And this one thing they teach, That the charity and love to­wards God, cannot consist without the He must love his neigh­bour that wil love God. love and charity towards our neighbour. For he that hateth him, cannot but hate God that is the chiefe lover of man.

Charity is the Law of Nature, from which doe flow all good things to man­kind, and without it mankind would pe­rish Al good is out of charity. of necessity. When any good thing happeneth to man, it proceedeth from Love; whereupon Saint Paul calleth cha­rity [Page 233] the Bond of perfection to the Colossians, chap. 3. and Rom. 12. doth declare in ex­cellent words and magnificent oration, the fruits thereof. And our Saviour him­selfe, The whole law de­pends on cha­rity. Matthew 7. doth teach, All things that you would that men should doe unto you, doe you the same unto them: for this is the Law and the Prophets.

I passe by that of the Ethnickes, whose famous Adage or Sentence is out of the Law of Nature, and taken from their Schoole, That which you would not should be done to you, doe not the same unto ano­ther. Which most excellent admonition the Emperour Severus, a Prince most praise­worthy, daily had in his mouth, and in­serted it in his written lawes. Charity is a Charity is the hope of eternall life. certain figure of eternall life, and a fore­tast or sweet drink of it, wherein the elect doe mutually love each other sincerely, do receive singular delight one from another, and doe converse together in a wonderfull and ineffable concord, sweetnesse, affection, cheerfulnesse, and mildnesse, and courtesie one with another.

Who so therefore doth desire as it were a certain fore supper of the eternall beati­tude, [Page 234] let him study Love, wherewith he may Affinity with God by charity. be delighted with singular pleasure and af­fection in the inward of his soul. For how much purer, more fervent and fruitful your charity is, so much the neerer it approcheth to the divine nature; when in God, in Christ, and the holy Ghost, the charity is most pure, most rare, most fervent and no­ble. Therefore that love will be pure when we love not for private profit, but onely for the cause of God alone, whom we may know in like manner he loved us, and took in us delight most purely, and for no good of his own. Which he that doth not so, but loveth his neighbour for his own pro­fit, his love is not pure and divine: where­in The dif­ference betwixt Ethnick and Christiā charity. also consisteth the difference betweene Ethnick and Christian charity: for they do all their vertues in seeking after their own private gain and honour, do as it were cast ink upon Ivory; but the Christian he lo­veth his neighbour in God and Christ gra­tis. And the love is true and unfained when the [...]e is no hypocrisie nor dissimulation, and love is born in the heart, not in the lips and tongue, wherewith many are deceived. Lastly, charity is ardent when it is accom­panied [Page 235] with mercy and compassion; and when the affairs of our neighbour goe as near to our heart as our own, so that we should be ready to lay down our life, if need It is the Christi­ans pro­perty to love their enemies were, for him, John 3. after the example of Moses and Paul, who wished to be accursed for their brethren. Wherupon that also fol­loweth, that we ought even to love our e­nemies, Matth. 5. Love your enemies, do good unto those that hate you, and pray for them that persecute you, & revile you, that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for if you love them which love you, what reward have you, or shall you have? Doe not the publicans the same? In this therefore con­ [...]isteth the excellency, prerogative, nobility, and dignity of Christians, to subject nature unto it selfe, to tame his flesh and bloud, and to overcome the world with the evill that is therein, with goodnesse; to the Ro­man [...], chap. 12. It is the commandement of God in Exod. 23. If thou meetest with thine e­nemies Oxe or Asse going astray, bring him home. If thou seest the Asse of him that hateth thee falling under his burden, thou shalt not passe by him, but thou shalt succour him. What care hath God about dumb creatures, bles­sed [Page 236] Paul, 1 Cor. 9. admiring, writeth, Hath God care of Oxen? And doth hee not speak this concerning us much more? And Rom. 12. he elegantly giveth in charge, If thine enemy hunger, give him meat. Wherefore lest wee think it not sufficiēt, not to hurt our neigh­bour, but moreover we might doe good unto him; which to perform, if any con­temn and refuse, this man cannot bee the sonne of God, because he loveth not his neighbour. He that exerciseth not Chri­stian Charity doth shew a man how to be a li­ving mem­ber of Christ. charity, that man separateth himselfe from the spirituall body of Christ, which is the Church, and forfeiteth or loseth thereby all the merits of Christ, according to that of the Ephesians, chap. 4. One Lord, one Faith, one Baptisme. For even as the members pulled from the body, doe not participate of the life and bountifull influ­ence of the head, but dieth every member: even so as many as live not in charity, these because they separate themselves from their head Christ, doe not participate nor receive his life, lively motions, and ful­nesse, Prayer without charity, is un­profita­ble. according to that of Saint John, E­pist. 1. chap. 3. He that loveth not his brother, abideth in death. Last of all, because by [Page 237] prayer all good gifts are to be obtained of God, and without it, all helps, conso­lation, and freedóme, wee may look for but in vain, being without blessing and safety; And God Almighty giveth hea­ring to no prayers but to those that are grounded on Faith and Charity, accor­ding to that saying of Matthew, chap. 18. If two of you upon the earth consent toge­ther, whatsoever they shall desire, it shall be granted unto them by my Father which is in Heaven. Goe to therefore, O mortall men, let us live in charity, wherein is peace Peace in cha­rity. and union: and where peace is, there is the God of peace; where he is, in that place the Lord hath commanded his blessing and life for ever­more.

CHAP. XXVII. Wherefore our enemies are to be loved.

THe first cause for which our enemies ought to be beloved of us, is the com­mandement of God, to which he giveth no other reason, but that you may be the sonnes of your father, of him (that is to wit) that loved us when we were his enemies, Rom. 5. As if he should say, Unlesse you love your ene­mies, you cannot be the children of the heavenly Father. And he that is not his sonne, what father shall he have? To which commandement when exceeding few of us doe obey, it is manifest how farre wee are from the fruits of the children of God, wherein we ought to use charity towards [Page 239] our enemies. He that loveth not his bro­ther (saith blessed John, Epist. 1. chap. 3.) abideth in death; for hee hath not in him the true life, which is of Christ, which is spirituall and heavenly, which consisteth in faith towards God, and charity towards our neighbour, according to that of bles­sed John, We know that we are translated from death to life, because we love the brethren. Whereupon it is manifest, that the fruit & testimony of our quickning in Christ, is brotherly charity: and contrariwise the ha­tred of him is death; so that whosoever di­eth in hatred, hee shall die an everlasting death. And all his good works that hateth his neighbour, his divine worship, and ob­servation of the commandements of God, are in vain, according to that of Paul to the With­out cha­rity all works are dead. Corinthians, Epist 1. chap. 13. If I give and distribute all that I have to feed the poore, and give my body to be burned, & have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Moreover, it is the property of a noble, great, and divine mind to pardon injuries. For let us behold God both how long suffering he is, and consider how suddenly hee is reconciled. Behold Christ, how amongst his most heavie tor­ments, [Page 240] and most inhumane pains on the Crosse, like unto a Lamb, did not so much as open his mouth, Isa. 53. Let us con­template the holy Ghost, who for no o­ther cause rather appeared in the form of a Dove, then to teach unto us the meeknesse and lenity, and simplicity of manners. Be­hold Moses, with what patience hee did bear the reproaches of the people, whereby Numb. 12. he deserved this praise, Moses was a most meek man, above all men which remai­ned on the earth. David also, with what Ie­nity of mind he did heare Shimei cursing of him, 2 Sam. 16. And one saith, True cha­rity knoweth none to be angry with, but himselfe; and true peace consisteth not in a great fortune, but in humble bearing of adversity and his adversaries. Publius said excellent well, The free estate of an honest man receiveth no reproach. And Seneca, If thou be magnanimous, thou wilt never judge thy selfe any reproach to be done to thee. Even as the Sun, if any mad man should reproach it, and call it meere darknesse, for that cause it would not, nor doth it change the nature of it: so neither a valiant mind, or generous, [Page 241] whose great generosity is also to pardon The Ethniks exam­ [...]le of long-suffer­ing. revenge. And many Ethnicks in their exam­ples did expresse th [...]se golden sayings and admonitions: As Pericles, that was the most pleasant Orator of Greece, who ha­ving heard a man upbraiding and reproa­ching him the sp [...]ce of a whole day with his own eares, [...]ght comming on, did command him to bee brought into his house, lest he should take any harm; this speech b [...]ing added, It is an easier thing to speak evill of vertue, then to possesse it. Phocion the Prince of the Athenians, when he had deserved exceeding well of his Countrey, through the envie of some was adjudged to death; which being about to undergoe, when he was asked by one, if hee would command him any thing to his sonne, No­thing else, said he, but that he never take in hand or goe about to revenge this inju­ry which I suffer of my countrey. Titus the Emperour, when it was told him, that two brethren did affect the Empire of Rome, and that they had conspired his death, made no scruple to bid them to supper, and a­bout three dayes after set himselfe betwixt them, to behold a Stage-play; with which [Page 242] admirable clemency he overcame their im­probity. When it was told to Julius Cesar that Cato had laid violent hands on him­selfe; He hath bereaved me, saith he, of the greatest victory that ever I had: for I had decreed with my selfe freely to pardon him all the injuries he had done unto me. But most of all, whom would not the ex­tream patience and meeknesse of the Sonne of God himselfe move to love his enemies? The great long-suffe­ring of God. neither this, nor any of those of the Eth­nicks which I mentioned, nor any of the Saints in their examples, did equall him. For what greater injustice and dishonesty can be thought on, then that the Sonne of God should bee so miserably handled of men, to be made a laughing-stock, to bee scourged with stripes, to be crowned with thorns, to be spit upon; and lastly, to be nailed on the Crosse? What extream impie­ty out of his great and meer favour, did he pardon his enemies, crying, Father, pardon them? Truly to this end our Redeemer set his example before our eyes, that it might The ex­ample of Christ, our Pa­nacea. be an ever-living mark set before us in our whole life; by which whatsoever was proud or lofty in us, might be depressed and aba­ted; [Page 243] what was weak, should be comforted; what was unprofitable, should bee made good; lastly, whatsoever was wicked, or depraved, should be corrected. Or at the last, what pride of man is so cruell and in­tolerable, that cannot be made whole with the extream humility of the Sonne of God? Or what covetousnesse is so great, that can­not be sanctified with the poverty of Christ? What wrath so vehement, that his meeknesse cannot mollifie? What desire of revenge so barbarous, that his patience can­not asswage and reconcile? What inhu­manity so great, which Christ with his cha­rity and benefits so great and so many, doe not expell? Lastly, what heart so hard, that is not mollified with the teares of Christ? Or who would not wish from the bottome of his heart, to be like God the Father, and his Sonne, and the holy Ghost, and to carry the excellent image of the ho­ly The I­mage of God. Trinity, which chiefly consisteth in cha­rity, and pardoning injuries? For it is the principall of all divine properties to have mercy, to spare, to pardon, & to be propi­tious; The highest degree of ver­tue. wherupon it can no way be doubted, but that that is the most noble of all vertues [Page 244] by which we become most like unto God and all vertuous men, most eminent in praise. Last of all, the highest degree of a vertuous man is to overcome himselfe, and consequently, to forget, pardon, and exercise clemency. He is stronger that overcommeth himselfe, then hee that o­vercommeth strong Walls, and Vertue can goe no higher: whose double Kins­man is that in the Proverbs, Chap. 16. A patient man is better then a strong man, and hee that ruleth over his own minde, then one that overcommeth Cities. And this as I said, is the top and stem, be­yond which no man can goe, be­cause then he is in God, rest­eth, is sanctified, and made perfect.

CHAP. XXVIII. How and wherefore the love of the creator of all creatures, should bee preferred in love. Also wherefore our Neigh­bour is to be loved in God.

IN the heart of man such is his nature, and that property indued of God, that it cannot cease to love: and therefore one man loveth God, and another the world, another himselfe. Whereby appeareth the necessity of love, this most noble of all af­fections, Charity is the most noble of all the af­fections there­fore on­ly due to God. implanted by God, and kindled by the holy Ghost, is to be bestowed in the study of the chiefest good, and given unto God by seeking daily of him that he would vouchsafe to kindle the divine love more and more. For he loved us first, which [Page 246] if it meet with love again, the same doth more and more ardently imbrace us, ac­cording to that of Saint John, 14. He that loveth me is loved of my Father. Now in whomsoever the love of God is, hee ought to love and wish well unto all men, which is the property of the love in God, and consequently circumvent no man, nor to No­thing bette then the love of God. hurt any man in word or deed: but for the most part all men are so fascinated with the love of the world, that they never admit the love of God into their heart, that which they doe openly in their hypocri­ticall love towards their neighbour, cove­tous of their own gain or advantage, not of him nor his. But it were more meet so to love the world, and whatsoever is in the world, that no injury be done to the divine love, nor the way or means thereof impeached, especially seeing there is so great vanity and vilenesse of the world, and The crea­tures unwor­thy of our love. of God so great eminency & majesty as no comparison can be betwixt them: for even as God doth infinitely excell all his crea­tures, so doth the love of him in holinesse, nobility, and dignity, goe before all the love we have to any creature, and leaveth [Page 247] it behind, by a most exceeding distance, not to bee computed by humane reason: therefore no creature is worthy to be com­pared to divine love. The words of Saint Paul, 1 Cor. 9. Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? Let us make something like to this, and say, Who is more worthy of our love, then he that put it in our hearts, and to whose love we owe our life? And we all live by the love of God in Christ, whose way of love is shew­ed unto us throughout all our life, what condition soever we be of. Even as Mari­ners, when a storm commeth, do cast an­chor: so wee, so often as this great sea of the world doth tosse and shake the little ship of our heart hither and thither with the Floods and waves of sinne, as wrath, pride, impatience, covetousnesse and lust of the flesh; we should remember to strengthen our selves by the Anchor of Divine love, and love of Christ, being ready rather to suffer the losse of all things then our selves The love of God cannot be ta­ken a­way from us. to be pull'd from him; of which mind we ought to be so often as we fall into spiritu­all temptation, and be tossed by sin, death, Devill, hell, and miseries, no otherwise [Page 248] then when we are tossed by cruell & raging floods and waves. For the love of God is that hill which was shewed to Lot, that he might flie unto it, and eschew the fire of Sodom. For what other thing is this world then spirituall Sodom? Also, what is the burning of it, but the burnings and flames of worldly concupiscences, which must needs burn those that doe not endeavour to keep in memory the divine love, or wil­lingly to depart with it? I say, of that love, or divine fear which preserveth a man from the world, as Joseph was preserved from the wife of Potiphar. For no man can love the world, but he that never tasted the divine Love: no man can hate his neigbour, but he that doth not love God from his heart. For the sweetnesse and de­light of divine love is so great, that it mi­tigateth the sense of all miseries, and death it selfe. Such is the nature and instinct of Love, as all cogitations omitted, it is fixed upon that onely thing which it loveth, and forgetteth and contemneth all other things by reason of the incredible desire by which The na­ture of divine love. it is carried towards that which it lo­veth. Therefore can you shew any [Page 249] cause, O mortals, which say you love God, that for all things for which others are wont to contend, you blot all out of your minds w^th one stroke, I say, for honor, plea­sure, and wealth, which you doe not strive for this one thing, that you may enjoy God alone? That which in old time was done by the holy men of God, whom the divine love, with the admirable sweetnesse thereof, had so tied and fixed them thereunto, that they became forgetful of the world, and of What man is most wise, & who most foolish. themselves also. Whom therfore as fools, & worthy to be derided, some did so account them, when themselves indeed were the most foolish of all others; because they preferre fraile things like unto childrens lakings, before the greatest good. A true lover of God loveth him no otherwise then as if there were nothing under the heavens but God alone; and therefore followeth him onely: And by this reason he findeth [...]ll things in God, which hee followed be­ [...]ore in the world. For God is all things essentially, true honour and joy, peace and pleasure, riches and magnificence, all which [...]re found in a more excellent manner in God then in the world. Whosoever there­fore [Page 250] loveth any creature for beauties sake, take my counsel, neglect those things, trans­ferre thy love unto God which is the foun­tain of all beauty. And he that would fol­low any thing because it is good, follow God rather, which is the onely and eternal good essentially, and without whom no­thing is good; so that all creatures for that From whence all crea­tures do receive their good­nesse. cause onely are good, because even a spark, and a little drop of water, be it never so little a thing, stained with many imperfe­ctions, because they participate of that O­cean of goodnes; why then do we not rather love God the fountain and perfection of that which is good, and who is the good essentially, and the out-flowing of every good thing in singular manner? By how much lesse earth or earthly gravity every thing hath, so much lighter it is, and is ea­sier carried upwards: so our soules and mindes, the more they are addicted to earthly things, and by them are as it were, made heavie, doe by consequence endea­vour celestial things the lesse, and joy lesse in God: weigh well alwayes the damage of The gravity of earthly minds. earthly love, with the divine love in bal­lance, and that which is necessarily annexed [Page 251] unto it, that of our neighbour. Whereup­on it followeth, that he which loveth God cannot but love his neighbour: and hee that dare offend God, will not forbear to offend his neighbour.

CHAP. XXIX. Of the Reconciliation of our Neighbour, without which God taketh away his grace from us.

MEmorable is this Sentence, because Offen­ding man offends God. he conjoyneth both God and Man, as also the love and offence of both, that every one, by Moses Law, in expresse words, that did offend his neighbour, might be judged to offend God, or injure God: Whereby that followeth consequently, He that will bee reconciled to God, hee must [Page 252] do the same to his neighbour, seeing that God taketh the injurie offered to man to be his own, then he that offendeth God and man he cannot return into favour with him, before hee bee reconciled to his neighbour. As Christ manifestly beareth witnesse, Matth. 5. Wherefore it is needfull and a work worthy regard, that I should forthwith shew that the love of God and The love of God & our neigh­bour clea­veth toge­ther our neighbour cannot be separated, which is the true and most clear shining fountain of brotherly love. The words 1 Ioh. 4. If any man say that he loveth God and hateth his brother, he is a lyar: For he that loveth not his brother whom he seeth, how can he love God whom he seeth not? And this commandement wee have of God, that hee that loveth God, should love his neighbour also. Which Sen­tence teacheth the same that we exhor­ted even now, That the love of God cannot consist without the love of our neighbour. Whence also floweth or followeth this saying, He that sincerely without hypocri­sie, loveth God, loveth his neighbour with the same love: But contrariwise, hee that loveth, or can love either of both with false and fained affection, loveth neither of [Page 253] them truly. Whereby it commeth to passe, that the love of our neighbour is a sort of divine love, and that which is no other then a Loadstone pointing out the since­rity or hypocrisie of it. Wherefore we shall not erre if we shall speake of a double The double scope of man. scope or end prefixed to man, whereunto all the actions of his life are to tend, as to certain tooles, which we ought to imitate and use: I say, charity of God and our neighbour, whereunto all our studies ought to obey and be bestowed, and we ought to profit and make progresse therein more and more daily, seeing that we are to this end created, redeemed, and sanctified, although The charitie of God is mani­fest in the in­carna­tion of Christ. perhaps it is more fit to say, Christ is our scope, to whom we are so much the nearer joyned in neighbourhood, as we are neerer him in charity. For by this counsel God is made man that he might set before our eyes a living and breathing image of his love, and that he should shew his love to be in the inscrutable, incomprehensible es­sence, infintie and divine, that men should be transformed through Charity into this image of God, which is Christ. Further­more, The bond of charity. as in Christ God and man are bound [Page 254] together by an undissolveable knot: [...]o the Charity of God containeth in it the Charity of our neighbour; which are and be no more easily dis-joynted and pulled asunder, then the divine and humane na­ture in Christ: so that he which hath in­jured the humane nature of Christ, the same man is held guilty of the divinity: and he which offendeth man, is declared guilty God is offen­ded in our neigh­bour. to offend God; nor any man, the bond of charity being broken, can bee angry with his neighbour, separate himselfe from him, but by that divorce he declineth from God, and sinneth against him. Let us shew that which we teach by a similitude: Even as hee that by the middle circle draweth lines every way from the circle about, or out circle, beginneth at the same or from the said circle, but uniteth and gathereth together all the neere joyning poynts in the center, from whence it must needs de­part, if we will take any away from ano­ther: so God is a center, as it were, or a certain center from which hee departeth, that separateth himselfe from the charity of his neighbour, but he that will continue neer unto him, he must relieve him, and [Page 255] participate by a sympathy with him in his Com­passion out of charity. afflictions and miseries: for if he do other­wise, it is manifest, in God he is not, who is as it were in a center wherein all lines are coupled together. And to this place be­longeth the history of Job, which doth in­sinuate what we spake erewhile in a most gallant, divine, or mystical way. There­fore when it was told Job by a messenger, that he was overthrown and spoiled of all his goods and livelihood, he said, The Lord gave it, the Lord hath taken away; Let the Lords name be blessed; bearing such and so great a losse moderately. But when it was told him that he had lost all his children, even then he was much more moved, and began to rent his garments. Let a true Christian doe so or the like, when he hea­reth of the calamity of his neighbour, whom the children of Job do represent, let him know that must be more grievous un­to him, then if that affliction had touched his fields. For the property of true love is to be more moved with other mens mise­ries, then his owne. Therefore O happy The happy life in or of love. mankind, if we could all live in love, frauds would cease, injuries would not be known, [Page 256] neither would there a man be found to vex another, or complain of damage. Tru­ly, that we might think of this, therefore God Almighty in the beginning of the world, when he had brought forth many beasts and plants, on the other side created but one man, from him by and by produ­cing Eva, that humane kind derived from one stock or root, and mindfull of his own originall and kindred, should con­spire in love, and mutuall affection one to­wards another. The excellency of charity commanded by God to us, is onely want­ing, that causeth us to faint both in strength of body and mind, a thing most convenient to our nature, and that which bringeth with it a most quiet life. And if the same God Almighty had commanded thee to hate thy neighbour, then he had set thee a farre ha [...]der burden, and heavier yoak upon thee: for the hatred & revenge­fulnesse of a mind of an enemy, doth tor­ment and cruciate it selfe. On the other To love is more easie then to hate. side, love onely recreateth the whole man. Also, to those that love God, it is a plea­sant thing to love their neighbour; onely it is hard and difficult to those who do not [Page 257] love God. But if thy depraved nature hold it a hard matter to settle it on the love of thy neighbour, bethink thy self, thou shalt take in hand a farre harder task if thou in­curre the pangs of hell; which if thou hadst rather to doe, then be reconciled to thy neighbour, certainly then thou art Recon­cilia­tion brings rest. the most unhappy of all men alive; seeing it is no great labour, nor can be, in recon­ciliation, which a man of small experi­ence may understand. Even as faith begets peace with God, Rom. 5. so charity and re­conciliation with a man, maketh our minds more quiet and easie. Contrariwise, hatred and revenge doth vex and torment them: For this is the property of all ver­tues, that he that hath them, of their own accord they increase in worthy esteem and honour: and of vices, that they punish their favourers with the punishment which they deserve. But how friendships are to be re­newed, we are taught by Scripture, which Vertue is a [...] word to it selfe. commandeth the faulter to bee reconciled to his neighbour, and ask pardon of him; then to restore the thing taken from them, that is the thing it self, the head or lot, and the fifth part over and above to him whom [Page 258] they have offended; and if there be none Restitu­tion is a part of repen­tance. to receive it, to give it to the Lord. Which restitution of things taken away, is com­manded in expresse words, Numb. 5. and is part of true repentance. Whereupon B. Augustine saith, The sinne is not remit­ted, unlesse the thing taken be restored; and by and by, as a declaration of what he had spoken, he addeth, When the thing (saith he) that is taken away, may bee restored, and is not restored, there is no repentance that is true, but fained. Because it is the property of true repentance which conver­teth man unto God, to contemne all earth­ly things, and esteeme all things as dung, in respect of the grace of God (that which Zacheus by his example teacheth us to doe, very few such are now to be found) to cleanse their heart, to purge their consci­ences by faith and restitution of the thing wrongfully detained. For which in the heart and in the conscience he remaineth a thiefe before God, who keepeth back He that resto­reth not, be­fore God is a thiefe and doth not restore the thing taken away by theft; howsoever hee cease to steale any more thereafter. Wherefore that repen­tance may be true, and the conscience may [Page 259] be pure, restitution is to be made as much as possibly may be; or otherwise, he must pray to God with all his heart, that he would in his room or place restore the things taken God is not re­conci­led un­lesse there be first restitu­tion to our neigh­bour. away to his neighbour. For seeing that a sinner is bound in two things, to God & his neighbour, that his repentance may be full, both are to be satisfied, God not acknow­ledging repentance unlesse a man be recon­ciled to his neighbour. Therefore it suffi­ceth not, no, if thou shalt say unto God, Most loving God, I doe acknowledge and confesse that I have offended and done in­jury to my neighbour, I have damaged him by wicked gain and fraud; and lastly, have dealt so with him as I would not another should deale with mee; which iniquity I humbly intreat thee to pardon me for thy Sons sake. And even this prayer is most un­just, which God repelleth neverthelesse, and saith, Restore that which w^th fraud & usury thou hast taken, and thy pardon shall bee ready. Not indeed as if a man after this manner should deserve remission; No, not so, but because not this onely is due to his neighbour, but many things more by him are owing to his neighbour, & that because [Page 260] it is the divine decree, Matth. 7. Whatsoever Repen­tance without restitu­tion is nothing things you would that men should doe unto you, doe you the same unto them. Also, Luke 6. The same measure that you measure to others, shall be measured to you againe. Matth. 5. Goe first, and reconcile thy selfe unto thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Isa. chap. 1. Wash yee, and bee cleane, take away the evill of your thoughts from mine eye, cease to doe per­versly, learn to doe good, seek after judge­ment, aid the oppressed, judge the Orphan, de­fend the widow. And come argue with mee, saith the Lord. If your sinnes were as scarlet, they shall be made white as snow; and if they shall be as red as bloud, they shall be as white as wooll. And chap. 58. And is not this that which I have chosen rather then fasting? Ʋn­bind the bonds of impiety, loose the bonds of oppression, let them goe free that are bound, and unlade every burden that is burdensome or hea­vy, breake thy bread to the hungry, and bring the wayfaring man and the needy into thy house; when thou seest one naked, cover him, or cloath him, and doe not despise thine owne flesh. Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy salvation shall arise betimes, and thy justice shall goe before thy face, and the glory [Page 261] of the Lord shall gather thee together. All which with one voyce do cry, That God will not accept the repentance of any man, or his prayer, unlesse he first be reconciled to his neighbour.

CHAP. XXX. Of the fruits of Love.

EVen as in the middest of Paradise the Tree of Life was planted, the fruits whereof whosoever should eat, hee should lead an immortall life, according to that of Gen. 3. Now therefore lest he hap to put his [Page 262] hand thereto, and take of the Tree of life, and The life of the faithful is Christ eat, and live for ever, the Lord God sent him out of the Paradise of pleasure, that he might labour the earth from whence he was taken. So Almighty God, in the midst of the Pa­radise of the Christian Church, set Christ Jesus, that all the faithfulll from him might draw life and spirit, and be comfor­ted. For all Christian discipline consisteth in Faith and Charity; and the summe of Christian life in generall, by reason of faith in Christ, is pleasant & acceptable to God: So in like manner we cannot approve or allow of the reasons of our neighbour, but through charity. And so true it is, that all vertues without charity, are nothing, and dead, that faith it self is not excepted; w^ch although it onely justifieth when it onely apprehendeth the merit of Christ, neither in the businesse of justification any reason of workes going before, present; or to come, or to follow, but Christ onely is ac­counted of, yet it is most sure, where cha­rity doth not follow, there is not true faith, but hypocriticall, although it work by mi­racles. For even as a body destitute of a soule, is dead; so the spirituall or inward [Page 263] man, whose members are vertues, if cha­rity be wanting, with all his members ought to be accounted for dead. Whereupon B. Paul hath set it as a Loadstone of faith, and such faith doth require as worketh by charity. Truly I know well, in the work of justification, that faith without works doth consist, Rom. 4. but that it should want works, I professe it cannot be, when it shall have to doe amongst men in the market of charity. Wherefore to the Galatians, chap. 5. it is called Faith which worketh by charity. And 1. Cor. 13. the fruits of this most beau­tifull Tree are remarked to bee fourteen. And the first of these is Patience and Long-suffering, whose nature and constitution no man better expresseth, then Christ himselfe the true tree of life, whose goodly fruits we ought to eat, and turn them into the juice and bloud of Christ. Therefore even as he by his wonderfull long-suffering, did beare the malice and sinne of the world, that he might allure and draw sinners to repentance, Rom. 2. So then also order thy life and manners that the most gentle Christ may live in thee, and thou in him, as a member united to his head, and breathe [Page 264] together. The second fruit is Benignity, or well-doing, which was chiefe and princi­pall in Christ, according to Psalm 45. All grace did drop from thy lips. And Luke 4. They wondred at the words of grace which pro­ceeded out of his lips. Which doe thou heare, that thou mayst follow, and to cause thee love thy neighbour, Christ will speak by thy mouth, and thou shalt remain united to him in perpetuall charity. The third fruit is, not to be emulous, or revengefull, but to remit and pardon, then which nothing is more proper to God, Psal. 103. David saith, He will not be angry for ever, threaten thee eternally. He hath not done to us accor­ding to our offences, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. To which like is that of Ezekiel, chap. 18. If the wicked shall repent him of all his sinnes and iniquities that he hath wrought, he shall live by his life, and shall not die; I will not remember all his iniquities which he hath wrought. And in Jeremy 31. In perpetuall love have I loved thee, therefore have I drawn thee to me in mercy: I will have pitie on them, I will be reconciled as concerning their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more. And in Esay, chap. 43. I am, I am he [Page 265] that blotteth out thy iniquities for my own sake, and I will not remember thy sins. There­fore doe thou the same, remit, I say, par­don, and forget thy neighbour, and in like manner Christ will pardon thine offences, and thou shalt have his Spirit, and shalt re­main in him. The fourth fruit is, not to mis-judge thy neighbour, nor causelesly, or crookedly, or perversly to deride thy neigh­bour before others, or by sycophantizing or collusion, to damnifie him: but contrari­wise, let thy heart bee seen in thy brow, and doe all things ingenuously and clear­ly, without hypocrisie. Example whereof Christ gives unto us, who carried himselfe equally to his friends and foes; and from the bottome of his heart would that all should be most rightly guided, both in deeds and counsell: in which foot-steps whosoever doth insist, in him doth remain the candor and ingenuity of Christ. Therefore let all of us from the heart stu­dy the good of others, by which means we shall remain united as true members to Christ our head. The fifth fruit is, Not to be puffed up, to insult or wax proud, but be­hold Christ Jesus the tree of life, to whom [Page 266] the woman, Luke 11. with a loud voice in a great assembly and concourse, was bound to say, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps that gave thee suck: He turned this praise most worthily due, from himselfe to them that feared and loved God; yea ra­ther subjecting himselfe, saying, Happy are they that heare the word of God, and keep it. And this is the character of true love, to transferre all his praises due to himself, up­on his neighbour: which if thou, after the example of Christ, dost resolve to doe, then truly humble Christ liveth in thee, and thou in him. In the sixth place, true cha­rity is not cruell, not disdainfull, not rough, not discourteous in manners, but tempe­red, and composed to all humanity: which Charity Christ used, according to the pro­phesie of Esay, chap. 42. who was not rigid nor turbulent, but with admirable gentle­nesse and sweetnesse of tongue, hee accom­modated The worship of God profi­teth not God, but our selves. himselfe to his neighbour, and commanded the same to others. Whoso­ever studieth to imitate him, hee is trans­formed into his Image, and is united by an everlasting conspiration. The seventh fruit of love is, Not to seek that which is his own, [Page 267] nor to have nothing more acceptable or pleasing, then gratis, or without expectati­on to serve others, and as much as he can to be helpfull to others: that which onely God most abundantly performeth, giving all things to us freely, and commanding his worship and feare unto us, not for his own sake, but that we might receive the fruit of his divine love, and carry away the blessing thereby. So Christ had no recom­pence but onely the cause of our salvation: neither did he come to be ministred unto, but to minister unto us; and like unto the tree which without envie or respect of persons doth give his fruits such as he hath received of God, first to all men indiffe­rently, doth wholly spend himselfe un­pon us: yea, God himselfe in Christ hath reacht himself with all his gifts to humane kind, and delivered it by a right of property to have and possesse them in this thing, o­penly making himself to be the chief good, which needs must be most specially in com­municating himselfe; he who studieth to make himselfe like unto him, he shall be a plantation of the Lord to his glory, Esay 61. and Christ shall bud and flourish in [Page 268] him a living vine, and a Palm alwayes flou­rishing, or waxing green. The eighth fruit of love is, not to be provoked to anger, not to be inflamed with anger, nor that which ma­keth man no man, to utter wrath concei­ved by cursing & railing speeches, but to imi­tate Christ Jesus, which did not cry out or open his mouth, witnesse Esay, cha. 42. nor any kind of bitternesse, but spake meer be­nediction and life. And although hee did denounce threats against Chorazin, Caper­naum, and Bethsaida, and against the Phari­risees themselves, uttering many woes a­gainst them, yet it came not from a cruell or vengeative mind, it was a serious and se­vere exhortation to repentance. Therefore let us be wary lest any root of bitternesse springing again, doe hinder our charitie, and many bee offended thereby, Heb. 12. The ninth fruit of charity is, Not to think any evill, which is the property of Almigh­ty God, as hee testifieth, Jeremy 39. I know the thoughts which I think of you, or concerning you, the thoughts of peace and not of affliction, that I may give an end, and have patience. Seek me and you shall find me, when you shall seeke me with your whole hearts. Whereupon [Page 269] it followeth, He that hath the thoughts of peace towards his neighbour, hath the heart of God, and the understanding of Christ, and as a living member knit unto his head, is inspired of him. Tenthly, It rejoyceth not in iniquity, nor in the injury or oppression of injustice, as wicked Shimei did when David fled from Absolom, but it imitates Christ Jesus, who with most tender compassion beholding Peters perju­ry, did with his most benigne aspect recti­fie him according to the Psalm. 146. God doth raise them that [...]e fallen: who deplo­red the evill that was to befall the men of Judea, and the destruction of the Jewes: lastly, who with all his heart desired to bring his wandring and lost sheep into their way, and that which was in him, with a sweet and most gentle voyce did allure them home. Let us imitate this so great a Master of love, and if any bee fallen from his love, let us deplore him after this man­ner, Let us instruct him in the spirit of love and lenity, and help to beare his burden, that we may fulfill the Law of Christ, Gal. 6. His law, I say, that first did beare the burden of our sinnes, and let him be in us as in true [Page 270] members of our head, life, sense and spirit. The eleventh fruit, Doth rejoyee together with the truth, and where all things are done rightly and decently; after the example of Christ, who at the return of his seventie disciples at their well doing rejoyced very heartily, and confessed himselfe to his hea­venly Father; and also the Angels in hea­ven doe rejoyce, as Christ teacheth, at the return of a sinner: which if we do the like, then truly we have the understanding of God and Angels. The twelfth fruit of cha­rity is to suffer all thi [...]gs, as may appeare by this bond of peace, after the example of blessed Paul, I am made weak with the weak, that I might profit the weak: I am made all things with all men, that I may save all men. The same beleeveth all things, suspecting no evill of his neighbour; hopeth all things, praying that nothing may fall amisse to his neighbour: lastly, It sustaineth all things, that it may goe so much the better with his neighbour, and more profitable. All which our Saviour by a lively example of his life did teach us, by bearing most heavie injuries and reproaches for our sins, as also most inhumane scourgings, and ex­tream [Page 271] poverty and hunger, that we in him and by him, might obtain joy and ho­nour. The thirteenth fruit of love is, Not Gods love is eternal. to be weary, nor to cease. Like unto God, whose mercy from eternity to eternity is upon those that feare him, Psalm 103. who respect­eth not that he may have mercy on us, and rose up to spare us, Esay 30. whose love is strong as death, Cant. 4. which many waters cannot ex­tinguish, Cant. 8. Lastly, from which nothing can separate us, Rom. 8. who hath mercy on us with everlasting mercies. Isa. 54. And although, Jer. 15. he denieth that henceforth he can have mercy, to those onely it pertaineth who repell obstinately the divine mercies, contemne his grace, and abuse them with high contempt, but not to those that feare him, according to that of Esa. 54. The mountaines shall be moved, and the little hills shall tremble, but my mercy shall not de­part from thee, and the covenant of my peace shall not be moved: Thy mercifull Lord hath spoken it. To which example also we must comply our love, that it bee never weary, no not towards our enemy, but even as Christ praieth in us. Christ did live and prayed, let Christ in us say, Father forgive them.

Last of all, love is the Head and Queen of all vertues, because God himselfe is love, and because it is the end of the com­mandments, and summe or collection of the Law; and because it is eternall; neither will it vanish with faith, hope, tongues, and so forth, our happinesse appearing, which is the end of faith; because it work­eth all things, and all vertues without it are as nothing; and last of all, because it will give us testimony through faith in Christ, that we shall have eternall happi­nesse: Whereupon it followeth, that Chri­stian charity must needs excell all Gifts and Arts whatsoever, according to that of the Ephesians, chap. 3. To know the supereminent love of the knowledge of Christ, that you may bee filled in all fulnesse of Christ.

CHAP. XXXI. Self-love and Arrogancie, is as Ink upon white Ivory, spotting and defiling the greatest and most excellent gifts.

LEst any man should marvell that Saint Luther of the Church. part. 2. fol. 13. Paul doth adorn Charity with so ma­ny praises, you must know that God him­selfe is love; and consequently, like praise to belong to both: neither greater or more ample vertue to be found in man or in God himselfe. Now that which respecteth our neighbour is twofold, one true, living, sin­cere and cleare; the other, hypocriticall and dissembled, or cloaked. The first St. True love & false. Paul describeth by a most ample catalogue, and an account of the fruits and proper­ties thereof added thereunto: the latter [Page 274] with all his words, gifts and workes, abu­sed as a Bawd, to and for private gain and honour: And howsoever in outward shew it seemeth to affect divine and humane good and profit, yet inwardly and in his heart he respecteth nothing but his private profit, and honour, and wealth; and what­soever floweth from this fountain, cometh not from God, but from the Devill, and it What ariseth not of charity, ariseth not of God. is poyson, infecting all good workes, and the most excellent gifts. For as a flower in sight, tast, and smell, most beautifull and sweet, if it retain any venome, is not ap­proved by the beauty of the colour, nor pleasantnesse of smell, nor sweetnesse, be­cause it is deadly or hurtfull to man, if it be not foreseen: So man, if he be adorned with the gifts of Angels, and if he be full of avarice, pride, selfe-love, and arrogan­cy, then those gifts doe not onely faile in their fruits, but become pernicious: for that which is good indeed, ought to have God in the beginning and ending: who as he is the onely author of every good thing, What is good. so whatsoever he worketh in thee, is truly that onely good. But it is otherwise, if ar­rogancy, selfe-love, the desire of honour, [Page 275] or private profit, shall have any designe in it: for when it commeth not from God, his impulsion and provocation, it can ne­ver be good. Therefore God alone is good, also love it self, by which all good is con­veyed to our neighbour through love, no otherwise then from God to our selves, this necessarily cometh to passe. It is said, that a certain Saint of old should wish, that he should be of no other use unto God, then his own right hand was unto him; which seeing it was nothing but an instru­ment, aptly to give and receive what was fit, and consequently arrogateth neither honour nor glory to it selfe. And indeed it is meet we all should be such; and because all things come from God to us freely, in like manner we should render all things to our neighbour in single simplicity, and without the desire of vainglory, and praise, out of pure love: for unto God alone, as to the author, is honour and glory due; but unto us nothing at all: we are onely instruments created and made fit to receive and deliver; which if any be without this sincere charity, he with all his gifts is no­thing: So I say, Although hee speake with [Page 276] the tongues of Angels, can prophesie, know all mysteries, and all knowledge, and had never so much faith, even that it would re­move mountaines, and give all that he hath to the poore; lastly, give himselfe to be bur­ned, Selfe love and ar­rogance was the fall of the De­vill. 1 Cor. 13. For all selfe-love, that is, the desire of honour, and praise, and private profit, is of the Devill, and was his Apo­stasie by which hee fell from heaven, and for which hee was worthily driven from thence. For when God had created Luci­fer the most beautifull Angell, and adorned him with most excellent gifts of wisdome, light, glory, and riches, he began to ad­mire himselfe in his gifts, as a Peacock doth admire himselfe, to love, honour, and praise himselfe, which was the first step to his ruine, even to give honour to himselfe, not to God, and to turne his love from God to himselfe: whereupon he was worthily cast out of heaven, with all his companions, which his pride by contagion had infect­ed: neither was hee contented with his principality amongst Angels, according to that of Saint Jude, The Angels which kept not their principality. And that of Saint Paul to the Colossians, chap. 2. Spoyling Principa­lities [Page 277] and Powers, traduced them confidently, And of man. and openly triumphing over them in himselfe. Now by what sinne Lucifer procured his own ruine, he was the cause and perswa­der by the same sinne, of the losse of man­kind, turning him frō the love of the honor of God, to himselfe; whereby followed self-love and arrogancy, such and so great, even to affect the similitude of God, whereby consequently hee was no o­therwise cast out of Paradise, then Lucifer out of Heaven, leaving to us all the heri­tage of arrogancy and self-love. And this is the fall and Apostasie of Adam, which all men in like manner doe iterate, and with flesh and bloud give and deliver every one to other the same: the means of amend­ment, and cure whereof, can and ought no other wayes be sought and obtained, but by the merit of Christ apprehended by faith, whereby thenceforth wee are renewed in Christ, and our flesh is crucified, neither now doe we love our selves any more, but Deny­ing our selves necessa­ry. hate our selves, Luke 9. that is, all our own works doe begin to displease us, we do not honour our selves, or beare out our selves, but deny our selves, Luke 14. that is, wee [Page 278] set nought by our selves; lastly, we do not now seek our singular praise and glory, but by denying all things that we have, place our pleasure and trust in no earthly thing; and likewise doe fight and strive with flesh & bloud our inward enemies, which who­soever hath not, nor doth not, as above­said, he neither is nor can be the Disciple of Christ, seeing by this meanes in serious and true repentance, the conversion of hu­mane nature must be changed. Moreover, seeing that means is greater then the strength of man, which of it selfe, and by its nature, can doe nothing but love it self, favour it selfe, and boast, and cannot for­beare By the incar­nation of Christ our na­ture is renew­ed. to seek his own ends, or to speak in a word, to sinne: therefore it behoveth God to be the beginning, middle, and end and prop, the Sonne of God to take the forme of a man upon him, and consequently to renew our nature, that thereby every one of us being regenerate, by him, in him, and from him, we become a new creature: for even as in Adam we were dead bodily and spiritually, so it behoveth us in Christ to rise and be spiritually renewed. Even as by carnall nativity we entred upon the sin of [Page 279] Adam, as a certain heritage: so in Christ by a spiritual birth and faith wee must bee justified. Finally, as radically we draw from Adam sinne, selfe-love, arrogancy, and am­bition; New-birth is found in Christ so from Christ by faith, and the ho­ly Ghost, our nature is to be renewed and sanctified; all selfe-love, arrogancy and ambitition to die in it: and it behoveth us to get a new heart and spirit from Christ, as we have from Adam flesh subject to sin. And of this new birth Christ is called Fa­ther eternall, or of the future Age, Isa. chap. 9. The works of Chri­stians ought to pro­ceed from the new birth. Whereupon it followeth consequently, that all the works of Christians, and gifts which shall be acceptable to God, ought to pro­ceed from the new creature, that is, from faith in Christ, and the holy Ghost; which if it be not so done, whatsoever things, al­though they be most excellent gifts, and e­ven miracles themselves, before God they are void, and to no purpose. And towards our neighbour all things ought to be done in charity, 1 Cor. 14. and without hope of proper gain, or honour. For example of which, and a most excellent pattern, God Almighty offered, and gave us his Sonne, in whom there was no selfe-love, no arro­gance: [Page 280] lastly, no desire of private profit, or praise, or glory, and nothing but sincere and meere love and humility; neither also as other Saints was hee proposed to us to imitate, because their example was from without, and so to behold, or renew; but that hee might by faith live and breath in us: which when it cometh to passe, even then all our works, words, and so our knowledge doe proceed from Christ as from a living foundation and originall; if otherwise, then all our works and gifts, if they be Angelicall, or of what kind soever, they are neverthelesse nothing worth. For where selfe-love is, there the hatred of God is; where arrogancy, there the contempt of God, where by no reason it can come to passe, that works springing from thence, should be acceptable to God. Let us there­fore doe this, let us beseech Almighty God from the bottomes of our hearts, to give us faith and sincere love, contaminated with no desire of honour, profit, or glory, but proceeding from a pure heart; which be­ing obtained, not onely illustrious gifts and works, but the least also, even a cup of cold water, will be most deare and acceptable to [Page 281] God: For a small worke that proceedeth Charity maketh the least work great. from sincere charity, and humility, is most excellent, and better then all great ones, that have their original from the desire of pride and glory.

CHAP. XXXII. Not great gifts, but faith that wor­keth by charity, doth shew a man a Christian, and ac­ceptable to God.

BLessed Paul going about to describe a Christian man, in briefe finishing the thing, saith, 1 Tim. 1. The end of the law is cha­rity God doth not require great know­ledge. from a pure heart and a good conscience, and faith unfained: as if he should say, That any man may bee made a Christian, and [...]cceptable to GOD, are not required hard and lofty matters, no worldly wis­dome, [Page 282] no humane learning, no gifts, no eloquence, no knowledge of tongues; last­ly, no miracles; but that hee have faith in charity to doe all things, resigned to God, devout and well addicted, and not carelesse of the motions and rule of the holy Ghost. Wherefore let us not much regard, that What it is to mortifie the flesh. any one is expert in the tongues, and how eloquent he is, but how he shewes forth his faith by love, and mortifying of the flesh: For they that be Christs, doe mortifie the flesh with the concupiscence thereof, that is to say, arrogancy, selfe-love, covetousnesse of glo­ry, proper gain, hunting after praise, where­upon blessed Paul denieth the Kingdome of God to consist in words, or gifts and Arts, but in vertue, or living exercise of vertue in faith, as charity, lowlinesse, and humility. There­fore Before God nothing availeth but a new creature no man, I say, no man is in greater grace with God, or blessed, because he is indued with great gifts, but because hee is found in Christ by faith, and liveth in him as a new creature. And if any man have Great gifts od not make a man happy. attained unto so great and such gifts, as no man else, neglecting daily repentance, he is not renewed in Christ; and if he deny not the world, although hee have never so [Page 283] many gifts, if he despise not himselfe, nor hate himselfe; last of all, doe depend upon the pure and sole grace of God, no other­wise then an infant dependeth of the pap, he with all his Arts and Gifts shall be dam­ned, it is a thing most manifest. For nei­ther are those given us of God, that by them before God wee should bee great or blessed, but for the edification of the To what end gifts are given of God. Church. Therefore when (Luke 10.) the seventy Disciples returned with joy, say­ing, Lord, even the Devils are subject unto us in thy name; Christ answereth, Doe not re­joyce in this, for neither miracles nor gifts shall save us; but rejoyce that your names are written in the book of life; that is, because you beleeve and acknowledge me. By faith Moses was saved, not by hi [...] miracles: and Miriam the sister of Moses, being indued with [...]he gift of prophesie, and by whom the Spirit of the Lord did speak, was punished with Leprosie. Finally, the Apostles, not because of their miracles, or tongues sake, but for their faith, were made Citizens of Heaven. Let us remain, I say, let the least and the greatest remain in faith, humility, [...]epentance, in crucifying and mortifying [Page 284] of the flesh, and in the new creature (which as in Christ in faith and charity it liveth, so in like manner Christ liveth in it) So let us be found, that Christ may acknow­ledge us for his. Let Christian Charity re­main to be that new life of the new man; yea the life of Christ in the faithfull, and that efficacious and working power of the holy Ghost, by which Saint Paul, E­phes. 3. wisheth us to bee filled in all ful­nesse of God. Like unto that of Saint John, God is Love, and he that remaineth in love, remaineth in God. Whereupon it followeth, that hee that feeleth love in his heart, fee­leth God himselfe: Where, as a certaine fore-runner, or leading-starre, it is pre­sent; therefore Saint Paul, as a tree from the root whereof, with all the fruits there­of, describeth it in 1 Corinth. chap. 13. Charity (saith hee) is patient, &c. All which are the properties of Christians, and consequently the life of the new man. And to speak in a word, God the Father is Love, God the Sonne is Love, God the ho­ly Ghost is Love; the whole mysticall bo­dy, who is Christ, or the Christian Church, is bound together in the bond [Page 285] of Love: So there is but one God, one Christ, one Spirit, one Baptisme, one Faith; and lastly, the happy and sempiter­nall life shall bee nothing but meere love. Wherefore he that liveth not in Charity, this man is a dead member of Christ ma­nifestly, if hee bee in the body of Christ. For even as a dead member is not warmed with naturall heat, nor nourished; and for that cause is altogether without life: So hee that liveth not in charity, hath not the spiritual life of Christ, but is dead to God and Christ, because he is without faith, and is a dry tree without juice from the Vine, which is Christ, and to be cut off: lastly, He that hath no charity, is dead. without God, Christ, and the holy Ghost, the Christian Church, and life eternall, where God face to face shall bee seen, which is love it self.

CHAP. XXXIII. God giveth no respect to the works of the persons, he judgeth and esteemeth the worke according to the heart.

WHen the Prophet Samuel, by the commandement of God, went to anoint David King, he entred his Fathers house, and would have anointed his first­born, the Lord said, Doe not thou respect his countenance, nor the height of his stature, be­ing I have rejected him, neither doe I judge ac­cording to the countenance of a man: for a God iudg­eth all things by the heart. man seeth those things that are open and evi­dent, but the Lord beholdeth the heart. By which example God teacheth us, that he hath no regard to any person, although ne­ver so great and illustrious, when his heart [Page 287] is void of goodnesse, love, faith, and humi­lity, but to esteem of the workes by the in­ward spirit and intention of the mind, and to allow them according as it is in the 21. of the Prov. Moreover, all gifts, how great soever, illustrious, praise-worthy, and ex­cellent they are in the judgment of the world, unlesse they proceed from a pure heart, unlesse they respect the sole honour of God, and the profit of our neighbour; lastly, unlesse they be free, and altogether separated from pride, arrogancy, self-love, desire of private praise and glory, they can­not please God. Therefore whosoever thou art, O man, be assured and certainly Arro­gancie corrup­teth all gifts. perswaded, that if God should bestow on thee alone all the gifts he hath bestowed on all men, yet if thou shouldst not use them to the profit of thy neighbour, and honour of God, to which end God bestowed them upon men, but shouldest use them as certain instruments of praise, glory, honour, and lucre, God would abhorre them no other­wise then the greatest sinnes. This you may learn from the example of Lu [...]ifer, a fairer and more beautifull Angel heaven had not, who when hee vilified the gifts of [Page 288] God with his own honour and selfe-love, and did not purely respect the love and glory of God, by his own act hee became a Devil, and was cast from heaven. There­fore those things which God will accept and account well of, ought to proceed out of faith alone, and most pure love of God and men, and ought to be void of all selfe­love, arrogancy, and private gaine, so much as may be by the grace of God in this infir­mity: whereof Saint Paul writeth; If I speak with the tongues of Men and Angels, and have not charity, I am as a sounding brasse and a tinckling Cymball; that is, I am in vain, and altogether unprofitable. In truth God regardeth no faculty but in humble hearts, not arts, not much learning, but whether our spirit doth seek the honour of God, & Miracu­lous faith & saving faith differ. edification of our neighbour: not a miracu­lous faith to remove mountaines for glory sake, but the pure and contrite in spirit, trem­bling at his word, as it is read in Isa. 66. not lastly, if any covetous of fame and renown, doe distribute all he hath to feed the poore, and give his body to be burned alive; but the heart and the cause of them all. That which is manifest by many examples to be brought. [Page 289] Cain and Abel both of them brought Sa­crifices Diffe­ring sa­crifices. to God, one of them acceptable, the other was execrable, by reason of the dis­parity of minds. The same reason was of David and Saul, both which attended Gods service, but with unlike event for the foresaid cause. David, Manasses, Ne­buch adnezzar, and Peter, by repentance obtained grace; contrariwise, Saul, Pha­raoh, Vne­qual re­pentāce. and Judas, did misse the same by reason of the same variety of mind: Pha­raoh, and Saul, and Manasses used the same prayer, Lord, I have sinned, they recei­ved unlike rewards. Judith and Hester, and the daughters of Israel, Esay 3. they ador­ned themselves, and combed themselves, with praise and renown the one, the other dispraise and reprehension. In like manner the prayer of Hezekia, Josua, and Gideon, by which they required a signe from heaven, as approved is praised: Contrariwise, the Pharisees, Mat. 12. doing the same are reproved of the Lord. The Publican and the Pharisee, both of them pray in the Temple, not approved. The Ninivites and the Jewes, and Pharisees, doe fast a­like, but the one God heard, the other [Page 290] he heard not: wherefore (Isai. 58.) they cry; Wherefore have wee fasted, and thou regardest us not? The Widow which brought into the Treasury, two small Mites, is praised of Christ; he that gave more, was not. Herod and Zacheus in the sight of Christ doe rejoyce, but had most differing rewards. The holy Martyrs for Christ suffered death; Achab and Ma­nasses offer unto the Lord their own chil­dren, and God accepted the sacrifice of the one, and the other was rejected. Which variety proceedeth from no other cause, then from the heart, which God onely re­specteth: whereupon hee onely accepteth those works which come from a heart unfained and sincere charity, and free humility: Contrariwise, whatsoever gifts they be, if arrogancy, self-love, and the contagion of lucre doe infect them; he reject­eth them.

CHAP. XXXIV. That a man doth nothing at all to his salvation, but God doth all things to us, onely we admit of his grace, as a sick man doth his Medicines; to those without repentance the merit of Christ is not imputed.

BY this Sentence Saint Paul teach­eth us what things are necessray for our salvation, by Christ all things are done for us. For when we were ignorant of the way of life, he was made wisedom unto us; whē we were sinners, our justice; when we were abominable, our sanctification; lastly, when A man cannot help himself. we were damned, our redemption. Where­upon it remaineth, that the man doth not [Page 292] confer one jot to the beginning, middle and end of his salvation with all his merits of works, strength and free will: But sinne he could of himselfe, but he could not ju­stifie himselfe again; lose, but not recover; kill, but not raise again to life; be subdued to the Devill, but not set free from him a­gain. For even as a dead carkasse cannot quicken it selfe again; so neither can a man, as the Apostle saith to the Ephesians, chap. 2. which was dead in sin, help himself. Al­so, even as we did not bring so much as a haire to our creation, so neither to our re­demption, or regeneration and sanctifica­tion, which are much greater, and more noble then our creation it selfe: Wherefore The cause of the in­carnati­on of the Son of God. it was necessary, that the Sonne of God should take humane nature upon him, to recover that which was lost in Adam, to revive that which was dead in him; which that it may be brought to effect according­ly, we must imitate the Traveller, which is cruelly handled, and wounded, and laid upon the ground, and could not help him­selfe; him therefore the mercifull Samari­tan taketh up, and bindeth up his soares, and then laieth him upon a horse, leadeth [Page 293] him into the Stable, and after that omit­teth nothing which an industrious and faithfull Physitian can administer to a sick person. And as the Traveller also sheweth himselfe observant to his Physitian, and Christ i [...] our Phy­sitian, not we our selves. observeth his beck and command: so let us remember to doe the like, if we desire to be healed: Let us doe our full diligence and power to our Physitian Christ; let us re­signe our selves wholly unto him, let us trust in his faith, that he will bind up and cure our wounds; also, let him powre in Wine and Oyle into them: neither will hee be wanting, or faile to restore us to our for­mer health: that is, so soon as a sinner repē ­teth, converteth himselfe by heavenly grace to God, is grieved from his heart for his sinnes, and resisteth not that his wounds should be washed in the sharp wine of con­trition; and lastly, to be anointed with the Oyle of Consolation: then presently Christ by his grace doth work and bring forth faith in him, and the fruits of faith, as life, peace, joy, consolation and happi­nesse, renewing him after his own image, and working in him to will and finish accor­ding to his good will, Phil. 2. For seeing that [Page 294] the abundance of sinnes are greater then humane nature can beare, as witnesseth the Scripture, which John 8. pronounceth the naturall man the servant of sin, and Rom. 7. sold under sinne, and can doe nothing but sinne, according to that of Jeremy 13. If the Aethiopian can change his hue, or the The na­turall man neither can nor will doe doe any good. Leopard his spots, and you can doe well, and forget to doe evill: therefore the singular grace of God appeared to all men by his Gospel, teaching us (by the words of Paul to Tit. 2.) that denying all impiety and worldly de­sires, wee may live a just and sober life in this present world. As if hee should say, by the The grace of God doth all things in us. word of God grace is offered unto us, and doth instruct, inlighten, allure, and teach us heartily to move and provoke us to de­sist from sinne, which teaching of the di­vine grace, or joynt warning by the Word, consenteth with the inward testi­mony of the conscience, whereby the man both from without and within is convicted that he doth evill, and of leading a life a­gainst the way of God, and his conscience, he ought to change it to better, let him know this if he would bee saved. Further­more, if hee will bend his eares and mind, [Page 295] and being full of good hope, denounce warre against vice, then the grace of God Man is meere darknes Christ is meere light. worketh all things in man, as faith, chari­ty, and all the fruits of faith. For as dark­nesse cannot lighten it selfe, and the Sunne not shining we doe in vain open our eyes: so neither can man inlighten himselfe, ac­cording to that in Psalm 13. O Lord thou gi­vest light unto my Lanthorn and my darknesse. But the divine Grace, or Christ himselfe, is the cleare light which is risen to all men sit­ting in darknesse, and in the shadow of death, How the true light light [...]s all men. which inlightneth all men (or every man) that cometh into this world; that is, by ma­nifesting himselfe, and offering his grace; He, I say, is the light of the world, shewing to all men the way of life; and like a good Shepheard, guiding his Flock into the right way, he sought us as his lost sheep, & daily even now seeketh us and allureth us; nay more followeth us & embraceth us after the manner of a bride, or spouse that he loveth, whose grace I would to god most men did Christ as a Bride­groome imbra­ceth our souls. not refuse, & give repulse to his love, & pre­fer the darknes of vice before his light. And even as a Physitian saith to his sick Patient, Beware of this if you will not dye: for you [Page 296] hinder the efficacie and force of the medi­cine, that you cannot bee made whole: so Jesus Christ, the true Physitian of our souls, saith, My sonne, I pray thee incline thy mind to repentance, and leave thy sinnes, Impeni­nitence hinde­reth the efficacie of Christs merits. that pride, covetousnesse, concupiscence of the flesh, wrath, revenge, and forsake them, or most certainly the honour of my merit shall profit thee nothing, when thou art a hinderance that my grace cannot be sown in thee, that it cannot increase in strength & bring forth fruit. Truly, for this very cause I give my Apostles in charge, before all things, to preach repentance; and I called Why repen­tance is to be preach­ed be­fore all things. sinners to repentance, because an impeni­tent heart cannot participate of my merits. Which speech, when a sick man heareth the Physitian of our soules, as to abstaine from sinne, or else he must utterly perish; the word of God coming expresly to his mind, let him know this, that it is most certain, that God hath promised remission of sinnes to all men gratis, but under this law and condition, if they will convert themselves to God, according to that of E­zekiel 33. If the wicked shall repent him of his sinnes, hee shall live the life and not die: all [Page 297] the offences which hee hath done, shall not bee True faith. imputed unto him: Wherein truly the repen­tance of sinnes is joyned to remission; nei­ther doth Christ the sonne of God in any other sense promise life eternall to those that beleeve in him: For faith doth al­wayes oppose it selfe to the Old Man, ta­meth the flesh, and subjecteth it to the spi­rit, that is, converteth the man, rooteth up and amendeth sinnes, and cleareth and purgeth the heart, it being the fountain of all evill. Truly, this is true faith, that I say, that turneth it selfe from the world, from sinnes, and from the Devill to Christ, and seeketh solace and rest for his soule a­gainst the grieving debt of his sinnes, in the onely blood, death, and merit of Christ, without the works of any man whatsoever. What man is so foolish to beleeve that his sinnes are pardoned of God, although hee doe not desist from his sinnes, this man hath a false faith, neither ever shall he ob­tain everlasting life, unlesse he first repent. The example of this doctrine is set forth by Zacheus the Publican, Luke 9. who un­derstood the doctrine of faith and conver­sion in a sound sense, acknowledging that [Page 298] onely to bee true faith, by which a man should be turned from his sinnes to God, and which expected and hoped for the re­mission of sius from Christ, and desired to participate of his merit, it behoveth him to give over sinning, and in firm trust of the divine grace, to cleave to the bounty of Christ: and so he construed or understood the Sermon of Christ, Mark 1. Repent and beleeve the Gospel, that is, desist from sin­ning, be yee filled with the good hope of my merit, and expect the remission of sins from me onely. Wherefore Zacheus saith to Christ, Behold, Lord, I give halfe of my goods unto the poore: and if I have defrauded any man of any thing, I doe restore it fourefold. By which words he doth not commend his works, no, but extolleth grace, by which he was given to understand the way of true repentance; therefore this sense hath his prayer, O Lord, I am so grieved that I have circumvented my neighbour, that I Acknowledge­ment of sinne in faith doth the Son favour. will restore unto him fourfold, and I will bestow halfe my goods upon the poore. Wherefore seeing that I confesse my sinnes, and likewise doe fully purpose in my mind, to leave my sins, and doe firmly beleeve in [Page 299] thee, I doe pr [...]y and beseech thee to pardon me, and vouchsafe to circumvent me with thy grace. Which lawfull form of conver­sion, the heavenly Physitian allowing and receiving, he answereth, This day is salvati­on come unto tby house. For the Sonne of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost. And this is the true repentance and con­version by faith which God worketh, therefore is the beginning, middle, and ending; so that no other thing is required of us, then a will not to resist the will of God, or voluntarily not resist the holy Ghost, after the manner of the contuma­cious Jewes, of which mention is made, Acts 17. and 13. wee read of those whom Saint Paul reproacheth in this manner, It behoveth us first to speak unto you the Word of God: but because you reject it, and judge your selves unworthy of eternall life; behold, we turn us unto the Gentiles. It is our part there­fore after the manner of sick folks, to take the counsel of the Physitians, and to obey their Precepts; and as he in the beginning The processe of spi­rituall cure. of the disease doth signifie the pains to the Patient, so God la [...]eth open our sinnes, as he doth to the sick, and gently admo­nisheth [Page 300] us what things are to be avoided, that his medicines may exercise their full strength: so God doth shew us what is to bee declined, or avoided, lest the medi­cine of his most pretious bloud bee made void, and work nothing at all. Moreover, so soon as a man by the grace of the holy Ghost, doth forbeare to sinne, here upon A man of him­self can neither think nor doe any good. truly the grace divine doth begin in him to work new gifts, which before and without this would make no beginning, nor was sufficient by himselfe to think any good thought, much lesse to doe any good but from thence forth the good that is in us, is not ours, but cometh of divine grace, (according to that of Saint Paul, Rom. 12. I speak by the grace that is given me. And 1 Corinth. 15. By the grace of God I am that I am) and to us grace is freely imputed, with the whole merit and the obedience of Imputa­tion to whom it be­longeth Christ, no otherwise then if it were our own, so we bee penitent. Neither doth im­putation, lest we erre, belong to the wic­ked, and the contemners of the word of God; neither doth Christ work but in the penitent. And even as a Schoolmaster lea­ding the hand of a child that he learnes to [Page 301] write, and then praiseth his writing; so God which in us doth work crowns and commends those things. Without me, saith Christ, you can doe nothing that is good; and we are apt by nature without him to doe the things that are evill; and this one­ly is proper to us: But that which is good is meer grace, neither hath flesh any thing whereon to boast. Therefore happy are you, O mortals, if you give your minds to forbear sinning, and to consent unto God, no otherwise then a young Virgin that gi­veth her promise and faith to her Spouse that embraceth her. And Christ truly the Spouse of our soules, goeth about or endea­voureth to manifest in us that he is willing, Christ worketh the will in us. or doth consent by calling us so courteously to him in his Word and our Conscience, I say, by seeking us, alluring us, and imbracing us thinking no such thing, as to desist from sinne, lest his pretious bloud be spilt in vaine for us.

CHAP. XXXV. Without a holy and Christian life all Wisdome, all Arts and Sci­ences, yea the knowledge of the whole Scripture and Theology is in vain.

BEcause in charity consist, or are con­tained all the duties of a Christian man, and so all the life of Christ was no­thing but a sincere and most pure love; hereupon blessed Paul, 1 Cor. 13. under the name of Charity comprehends the whole life of a Christian man. And it is the pro­perty of true charity to respect God alone in all things, not to have the least respect to The proper­ty of sincere charity. his own honour or profit, but in all things gratis, and for that cause onely, because [Page 303] God is the chiefest good, and to doe it for his honour and the good of his neighbour. Which charity whosoever hath not, he is a Who is an hy­pocrite. true hypocrite: and when in all his workes he respecteth onely his own works, and not God alone, it appeareth to bee false love which he boasteth of. Therfore let us allow that this man understand the holy Bible without book, and speak with the tongues of Angels, yet all these things shall profit him nothing, but he shall bee as a sounding With­out cha­rity all things profit nothing brasse, or as a tinckling Cymball. For as no food can nourish the body, unlesse it be tur­ned into juice and bloud: so the word of God and the Sacraments are to no pur­pose, if they be not expressed in our life and The true fruit of faith and the Sacra­ments. works, neither is the new man any other then a man converted, holy and full of cha­rity. Therefore Saint Paul saith, 1 Cor. 13. If I could prophesie and know all mysteries, and all knowledge, and all faith, so that I might remove mountaines, and have no charity, I am nothing. That is, if I should shadow mine own honour under them, and expect any thing besides the honour of God, and the good of my neighbour: therefore all are abomination & accursed before Almighty [Page 304] God, according to that of Matth. 7. Many Why God re­specteth not the gifts. shall say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy Name, and cast out Devils in thy Name, and have done many mi­racles in thy Name? And then I shall say unto them, Because I know you not, depart from me The alms of the am­bitious is damna­ble. you workers of iniquity, and you have not re­spected me sincerely, but your selves. Of the like mind is Saint Paul, If I should give all that I have unto the poore, and have not charity, it profiteth mee nothing. Even that love, which exerciseth or sheweth liberali­ty for Gods cause alone, and not for his own praise or profits sake. Such as was the righteousnesse of the Pharisees, who offered many sacrifices, and drew on o­thers that they might adorn their Tem­ples with their gifts, and offer costly offe­rings, the slaverie of which ambition drew them to forget the offerings of the poore, whose gifts ought rather to bee preferred out of pitie alone. Which preposterous charity in them Christ upbraideth, Matth. 23. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypo­crites, because under long prayers you devoure widowes houses. In which perverse religion there be now followers, which bequeath [Page 305] large legacies to Temples and Monasteries, that their Clerks and Monkes may make long prayers for them: which truly is false love, seeking themselves; and, if you scan it well, not respecting divine honour, but themselves. But we who know to live justly by faith, let us rather be penitent, a [...]d offer our selves to God by mortifying and cruci­fying our flesh, then all our works of chari­ty, not out of selfe-love, nor for the cause of praise or profit whatsoever; but let us doe it for the love and sincere love of God, being sure, if we doe it otherwise, they will not profit us a haire. Therefore, although thou give thy body to be burned, and want love, which is due to God alone, and his praises and honour, thou doest nothing, saith Saint Paul. Neither doe they profit any more, which whip and burn their bo­dies by humbling and afflicting their souls, as speaketh Isai. 58. because indeed they are conceited in their singular sanctity, and affect their own proper praises, and their presumptuous religion, in their private judgement, doe not respect God, but ap­plause, popular praise, and estimation, [Page 306] whereby many of them are so blinded, God suffering them the work of error, 2 Thess. 2. that they make no doubt to suffer them­selves to be burned for the defence of their False Martyrs conceived heresie, and if God be pleased, to become Martyrs of Christ; when yet they doe not serve Christ but themselves, neither doth the punishment but the cause make a Martyr. Such Martyrs as these the Devill even amongst the Ethnickes hath, many were so blinded in their understanding, they were contented to die for their Altars and Idols. And the same is done this day amongst Christians, under the shew of the Christian faith, seeing the Ethnicks them­selves to gain an immortall name, to per­swade themselves they doe well in so doing. To whom for self-love and glory, or praise, there were like unto them certain Monks, devout persons in our age, which are cal­led Catholicks, which for the cause of pro­pagating Religion, will perswade Princes and Monarchs, that they are to doe the like unto them, even die for the Catholicks cause. Whose madnesse is so much the more manifest, being they beleeve that they suffer for Christs cause, and they become his [Page 307] Martrys, when contrariwise they become the Martyrs of Roman Bishops, and of their private renown and praise. And thus much of coated or cloak charity, powerful­ly seduced and carried on by a false light. It remaineth therefore, without the sincere love of God and our neighbour, and a ho­ly and Christian life, all Arts, Sciences, Fa­culties, profit nothing; wisdome, how great soever, and if it be as great or greater then that which was in Solomon, is nothing, the knowledge of the whole Scripture, and uni­versall Theology, is nothing; lastly, all works whatsoever, and Martyrdome it selfe, if you will so call it: yea, to know the will of God, and his word, and to live after the prescript rule thereof, that onely augmenteth the guilt of eternall damnati­on, according to that of Saint John, 15. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had had no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.

CHAP. XXXVI. Of those that live not in Christ, but have their heart fixed to the world, although they possesse the outward letter of the Word, and do not tast the inward force of it, and the hidden Manna.

BY this Sentence it appeareth, wee are taught, that no man doth taste the in­ward sweetnesse of the heavenly joy and solace hidden in the word of God, which doth not overcome his own flesh, and the Who be apt to tast hea­venly sweet­nesse. world, with all the pomps and concupi­scences thereof, and lastly, the Devil him­selfe; that is to say, they who crucifie their own flesh daily by their serious contrition [Page 309] and repentance, with all the desires and concupiscence thereof, who die to them­selves and the world daily; lastly, to whom this life is a meer crosse: I say, these are di­vinely fed with heavenly Manna, and drink the Nectar of Paradise. Contrariwise, those that follow none but worldly pleasure, it is unprofitable for those to taste the hidden Contra­ries ioy not to­gether. Manna. For like things are delighted in their like; and seeing that the word of God is spirituall, it is no marvell if worldly minds be not delighted therewith. For even as the soul receiveth no strength of the food which the stomack hath not concocted: so the soule, of the divine Word, or Manna, receiveth no strength, unlesse it bee conver­ted into it selfe, that is, into life. Yea, as a man sick of a Fever distasteth all things, and are bitter unto him: so those that are sick of the worldly Ague, that is, of the love of the world, covetousnesse, pride, and lust; these, I say, doe loath the word of God, and distast it as bitter. Contrari­wise, With whom the word of God hath no savour. those that have the Spirit of God, these doe find in it the hidden Manna, ne­ver to be tasted by them that are carried a­way with the world: which is the cause that [Page 310] many by the daily hearing of the Gospel, doe feele little desire and spirituall joy, be­cause they are not carried by the Spirit of God, nor have any heavenly (but earthly) minds. But he that will fully and soundly understand the word of God, and eate Manna, it behoveth him to study to con­form all his life to it and Christ. Which being done, hee feedeth the humble with grace, comforteth the meek, and maketh his yoak pleasant, and his burden light unto them. For the sweetnesse of the hea­venly Manna cannot bee tasted but under the yoak of Christ; according to that, Hee will fill the hungry with good things, and send the rich empty away. The words that I have spoken, are spirit and life, saith Christ, John 6. Whereupon it followeth, a voluptuous heart and carnall, that is, a man that hath no spirituall understanding, cannot possi­bly understand those things. For in spirit, in rest, in silence, with great humility, & ho­ly and vehement desire, is the word of God to bee received; which if it be not con­verted into life, then truly it is no better then the external letter, and a sound of words. Even as he that heareth the noyse [Page 311] of a Harp onely, or a Song, and understan­deth it not, receiveth no pleasure by it: so no man is partaker of the virtue that is in the Word, unlesse he endeavour to expresse it in his life. And this is that which was said before out of John: I will give thee a white stone, and in the stone a new name writ­ten, which no man knoweth, but hee that hath Hee which clea­reth to the Lord. it. This is that, I say, even a testimony of the hidden spirit which hee giveth to the word of God, Rom. 8. And in like manner, the Spirit of the Word giveth testimony to our spi­rit, whereby both doe conspire and con­sent together, and so become one spirit, which is that New Name unknown but to A new name. the receiver. For as no man knoweth the sweetnesse of hony, but he that tasteth it; so the name of the testimony divine in the hearts of men, no man knoweth but hee that proveth it. This man onely knoweth the consolations and divine visitations, be­cause he perceiveth them: whose name is also called New, because they are the works and fruits of the new birth. Blessed is the man to whom God hath given himself to be so tasted in his heart! Blessed are the Prophets whom from the beginning of the [Page 312] world he hath fed with his bread so hea­venly, and by the conference of his eter­nall word: which because it was so done unto them, therefore out of sense, feeling, and experience, they have spoken of it, and composed holy Scripture. And in truth e­ven all this day he speaketh unto all men, and feedeth them inwardly with his word in the soule: but almost all men have shut their eares against his voice, and had rather The living word is meat of the soul heare the world then God, and be driven by their own concupiscences, then by the Spirit of God. Whereupon it cometh to passe, that they cannot tast the hidden Manna, swallowing up in the mean time both apples of the tree of death, and car­nall concupiscences, contemning the tree of life. Which men are not a little mad, whilst they can understand that God can give greater pleasures to his lovers then the world: so that he that hath once tasted the goodnesse of God, to him the whole world, with all the pleasures, they will seem The tree of death. to him as meer gall and bitternesse. Now seeing we know our first progenitors were beguiled with the world, and by eating of the forbidden tree have acquired death, [Page 313] yet we are so blind and mad, as fed with eternall death of carnall pleasures so dear­ly bought wee may remember. If any shall eat of me, saith Christ the true tree of life, and true bread of life, he shall live for ever, John 6. And what is it to eat of it, but to beleeve in him, in him to joy and take delight; lastly, to rest and take pleasure in him alone? Great therefore, O mortals, is the carnall blindnesse, to serve the world for trifles, vain and fraile things with such affection and desires, and not to doe the same to God, who rewardeth his worship and service with eternall things, and farre more noble goods. For who performeth to God so much and so great faith, obedi­ence, and diligence, as the vulgar we see doe perform to Mammon and the World? We see them many times for small matters, or a little mony, make journies: and for heavens cause it grieveth us to move a foot. Hereupon the holy Prophets reproach Tyre and Sidon with emphaticall upbraids for taking in hand most vast and sea journies for the advance of their earthly causes, when in the mean time they would not deigne for the soveraigne good to change [Page 314] their place. And in our time men of all sorts and conditions doe prefer the world before God, it is a thing most manifest. The sons of the world. Thereupon we see many Doctors doe study day and night to attain to honour in the world, who hardly or not at all wil take so much leasure as sufficeth to say the Lords prayer, if they might attain eternal honours and dignities celestial with so little la­bour. Therefore you see the same men to a­voyd no labour in warfare to attaine to fame and honour, and yet will not enter combat with their own vices, although they may attain heavenly nobility thereby. Therefore you shall likewise see that the Lords and Victors of many Nations and vast Kingdomes, doe not care for over­coming themselves: lastly, that infinite many doe not regard the losse of their soule and eternall happinesse, to attaine to fraile and momentany goods. And all these have not The true vi­ctory. tasted the Hidden Manna of the divine Word, and therefore doe not overcome the world, but are overcome of the world. Which whosoever dare contemne in re­spect of God, he truly finds the most sweet visits of the holy Ghost, and is filled with [Page 315] the heavenly pleasure which no man The di­vine sweetnes is tasted when the world is despised knoweth but hee that receiveth it. This therefore is to be done, the tree of life is first to bee planted in us, that wee may eat the fruit thereof: and our heart that wisheth to be recreated with the celestiall consola­tions, ought first to bee converted from the world to God; but wee being made drunk with worldly pleasures, and bewitched, do not incline our hearts and minds to think that heavenly joyes, and those of God are rather to be wished, then those which the world offereth or affordeth. Although truly that is more true that God offereth and doth, and are more noble then that which the creatures doe bring to passe. Wherfore the learning which cometh from above by the inspiration of the holy Ghost, True consola­tion and wisdom is of God. is much more excellent then that other which humane understanding with great labour doth obtain. For even as an Apple or a Lilly produced by nature, is far more noble and much better then that which a workman maketh of gold, be the gold ne­ver so fine: so one drop of consolation di­vine, The ve­nity of worldly ioy. is more noble, and by many, yea in­finite parts better then a whole Ocean of [Page 316] wordly pleasures. Which truly are to bee slighted by him that desireth divine con­solations. Which if any that wil heare me wil lend me his eares, if any wil under­stand me, let him attend what I say; final­ly, if any wil see me, it behoveth him to fix How God should bee per­ceived and ta­sted. his eyes upon me: Who doubteth that all our hearts and senses ought to be conver­ted to God, if we desire to see, heare, under­stand, tast and prove him how good he is? according to that of Jeremy, chap. 29. When you shall seek me with your whole heart, I will be found of you. Many men at this day they term admirable; O! a learned man, a rich, magnifical, wiseman; but no man regard­eth how courteous, humble, patient, and how devout any man is. Of which perverse False praise. judgement there is no other cause then that now men doe attend and admire out­ward things, and in the mean time with blind eyes passe by inward things, which are onely worthy to be esteemed. Therefore he that praiseth one because he hath beau­tified many Cities, and far situated regions; let him see if it were not farre better to have seen God. He therefore that suspecteth a­nother because he hath not served one Mo­narch, [Page 317] I would have him think whether it were not more excellent to have served God lawfully with all his heart. Those that are fatuated with the meer love of the world, doe preferre this our Age, as the on­ly learned and wise before all antiquitie: these, I say, doe not know the Art of Arts, that is, the divine love more noble then all knowledge to be extinct wholly together with the faith, Ephes. 3. Luke 18. and few to remain divinely learned, Isai. 5. and that have learned of Christ a humble and lowly life, Matthew 11. yea to speake the truth, the most learned for the most part, are void of divine love, and therefore doe not know at all that the true life is in Christ, Ephes. 4. These therefore doe circumscribe knowledge in the circle of words, when it is more true, that solid learning is a thing and not words, and to consist in eternall and true wisdome: of which we have spo­ken more at large in the Treatise of ancient Philosophy. But if any shall say that this our Age is wicked, he truly shal say that which is agreeable to the truth, and to the word of God. Likewise those are ridicu­lous which praise any because hee liveth [Page 318] gorgeously and deliciously, being unmind­full that the true dainties is the word of God, and the Hidden Manna thereof, and that it containeth in it the incorruptible bread of heaven; and that lastly, hee doth live delicately in whose presence the Lord The so­lid and only ioy is of God. hath prepared his Table, Psalm 23. to wit, who savoureth the Lord God and his Word, his palat nothing can displease; but hee that doth loath it, and is displeased with it, hee cannot soundly and truly re­joyce: for he is the joy exceeding all crea­ted joyes, and the eternall light surpassing all temporal light: who I would to God now at the last would fill our hearts with his hidden pleasure, and purge our spirits, illuminate, inlighten, clarifie and quicken them; Would to God, I say, that the time would now come, wherein Almighty God by his presence would fill us with all those things which hee is essentially. Of which desires, although we be not competent, or fit, nor doe joy true joy, having in the mean time sufficient if wee may but enjoy the crums that fall from thy table, O Lord, till we be translated to the joyes of eternal life. They are the words of our Saviour, [Page 319] Apocalypse, chap. 3. Behold, I stand at the dore, and I knock, if any man heare my voyce, and Christ is our banquet open to me, I will enter unto him, and I will sup with him, and he with me. What prepo­sterousnesse is it, O mortals, to neglect this and so great a banqueter, which hath prepared us a supper, who after the man­ner of a Prince coming to his poor friends house, bringeth all his dainty dishes, and the whole supper with him; I say, the hea­venly Bread, and hidden Manna; is not this a great oversight to let him stand waiting at the dore, and not to open readily unto him? I say, what incivility is this, not to receive a friend, but not to entertain God himself with all diligence & alacrity? Shal I tell you the reason why we doe not open the dore? because as in a house full of noyse and clamour, musick although never worldly things ought to be ex­pelled, that di­vine things may en­ter. so excellent, cannot bee heard: so neither can the voyce of the banquetter enter the eares of a worldly heart, and consequently, the Celestiall Manna cannot bee tasted by him. I think so indeed. If therefore the worldly tumults and noyse in man doe not tease and rest, who wil not doubt that the Lord beating and crying shal goe away a­way [Page 320] unheard, that they with Samuel may Why quiet­nesse is required to Gods speech. answer, Speak Lord, thy servant heareth. Moreover, this internall voyce speaketh in a spirituall and heavenly Supper, Heb. chap. 6. Those which have been once lightned, and tasted the heavenly gifts, and have been made The true spi­rit of il­lumina­tion. partakers of the holy Ghost, and also have tasted the good word of God, & the virtues of the world to come. By which wee are taught in what man the holy Ghost is, neither is his mind hindered from daily feeding of that Man­na, hidden in the sweet and mellifluent di­vine Word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God, and by which we live. That which the Kingly Prophet David by the holy Ghost found in his heart and mind, saying, Psalm 16. Thou wilt fill me with joy of thy countenance, and delight of thy right hand even unto the end. And Psalm 34. Tast and see, because the Lord is sweet, blessed is the man that putteth his trust in him. Psalm 23. The goodnes of God is Ne­ctar and Ambro­sia. Thou hast prepared a table for me in my view, against those that trouble me; thou hast anoin­ted my head with oyle, and my cup being brimfull, how beautiful is it? Psa. 63. Thy mercy is ex­cellent, farre exceeding above our lives, my lips shall praise thee, Psa. 36. Even as thou hast [Page 321] multiplied thy mercies, O God, the sons of men shall trust in the shadow of thy wings, they shall be made drunk with the plenty of thy house, and thou shalt make them intoxicated with the tor­rent of thy pleasures, because with thee is the fountain of life, and in thy light wee shall see light. Psa. 70. They shall rejoyce and be glad all which seek thee, and they shall say alwayes, Let the Lord be magnified, which love thy salvation. But I am needy and poore, help me, O God, thou art my helper and redeemer, Lord, make no delay. By which, beside other places, may bee known who those are who are inwardly fed with Gods word, to wit, those that are poor in spirit, and in God alone who place their trust and delight. Those I say, are worthy to tast heavenly gifts, of whom Da­vid Whom God feedeth with his eternal word. speaketh, Psalm 84. How delightfull, O Lord, are the Tabernacles of thy dwellings! my soule sainted and was moved in my inwardnesse in the entries of the Lord. My heart and my flesh were exalted in the living God. Whereby one may understand that the least pleasures of eternal life doe farre exceed all the joyes of this present world, and that one day there is more excellent then here to live in worldly pleasure one whole year: which [Page 322] whosoever hath once made triall of, and found to be so, the world bringeth unto him a loathing and tediousnesse, and as one accustomed to better things can relish it no more. Hereto appertaineth that which the eternal Wisdome speaketh in Ecclus. 24. say­ing, God a­lone fil­leth the soule. My spirit is sweet above the hony, and my inheritance is above the hony and the hony comb. Who eat mee doe yet hunger; and who drinke me doe yet thirst. And his hunger & thirst no creature but God alone can fill w^th his love wherewith the Saints are made drunk, ac­cording to the Canticle of Canticles, Eate, O friends, drink & he drunk▪ O my dearest friend [...]. Therefore Almighty God for that pur­pose doth make such delicacies for his dear The type of eternall life. friends, as being inamored with this bait of delight, they may forget all wordly delight. Now if in this life it be better for us to leave all the pleasures thereof for a few crums of hidden Manna, and a few drops of Nectar, and of the heavenly Vine, how much more plentiful & abundant shall that bee which wee shall attain to in the other life? That our Saviour might stirre up this thirst in us, it was expedient he should thirst upon the Crosse. For even as he alone can [Page 323] stanch our hunger and thirst; so we in like manner can restrain his most flagrant de­sire of loving. He thirsteth after us more vehemently then we thirst after him, accor­ding to that of John, cap. 4. My meat is to doe the will of him that sent mee, that I may finish his work. And what is the wil of God, but that we may attain eternal life? And if we equally thirst after him as he thirsteth af­ter us, then of a truth should we drink and be intoxicated with his Spirit most libe­rally and sweetly, so that out of our bodies should flow rivers of living water; that is, there should be nothing in us that would not be spiritual, amiable, comely; nay, no The greatnes of the humane soul, and the hu­mility. otherwise then if we were filled as from a torrent of goodnesse and consolation di­vine, in our whole mind and conver­sation we should rejoyce in God. For no­thing is of more account with God then the humane soul, or greater, when it con­ceiveth God, and heaven and earth, by way of enjoyment freely: and nothing lesse then it when it humbleth it self before God, and [...]asteth it selfe below all creatures.

CHAP. XXXVII. Those that doe not follow Christ in their life, cannot be freed from the blindnes of their heart, but do remain in perpetual dark­nes. Moreover, he cannot truly know Christ, or par­ticipate of him, or ear­nestly repent.

THat we may understand the nature of Light and Darknesse, it is necessary to seek into the definition of Light; which no man can give a better then that which blessed John himselfe delivereth. God (saith he) is light. And what is God? A spiritual [Page 325] being, eternal, infinite, almighty, merciful, gentle, just, holy, true, all-knowing; lastly, of love and faith ineffable; God the Fa­thet, the Sonne, and holy Ghost, one in es­sence, three in persons, the chiefe and all good essentially. And this is the true and eternall light, whence every one from True light & true darknes. God and his love, mercy, justice, and vir­tue, turneth himselfe when it is evident hee passeth from light to darknes, seeing with­out God there is nothing but darknesse. For if he be light, it followeth contrariwise that the Devil is darknesse it selfe: if he be charity, the Devil is nothing but wrath, en­vie, hatred, sinne and torment, it must needs be so. To which whosoever joyneth him­selfe, he is changed to darknesse and the Devil, from which he is not delivered be­fore he shall convert himselfe from dark­nesse to light, from sinne to righteousnesse; and lastly, from the Devil to God. That which is the work of faith alone, by which our hearts are purified, Acts 15. For whoso­ever beleeveth in Christ, he repenteth dai­ly, and converteth himself from sinne, that is, from the Devil to Christ. For as Adam by sinne converted himselfe from God to [Page 326] the Devil; so it behoveth every one of us to flye by true repentance and remission of sinnes, from the Devil to God. Whereup­on it followeth, that man without re­turning and conversion to God, cannot be inlightned. For what fellowship hath ju­stice with unrighteousnesse, or what place of so­ciety is there for light and darknesse? 2 Cor. 6. This darknesse is unrighteousnesse, but the light is the true knowledge of Christ, which can no wayes enter into fellowship: so that it is impossible that those should be inlightned by the Spirit and light of eter­nall [...]ruth who live in the darknesse of un­righteousnes. To which appertaineth the saying of Paul concerning the Jews, When t [...]ey shall be converted to the Lord, the vail shall 2 Cor. 3. be taken away; that is, darknesse, blindnesse, and ignorance shal cease, Christ shall in­lighten them. For what greater blindnesse, or thicker mist can cover the minds of men, then infidelity, with the fruit thereof, as pride, covetousnesse, wrath, lust; therefore where they be, it cannot come to passe that a man should acknowledge Christ the most true light, until hee beleeve in him, confide in him, and bee saved by him. For how [Page 327] shal he understand the humility of Christ, whose mind knoweth not himself through pride? How should he know his meeknes, that is altogether full of wrath and envie? How his exceeding wonderfull patience, which rejoyceth in revenge, and imitateth The true know­ledge of Christ. the brute beast in cruelty? For whosoever understandeth not the lowlinesse, humility, and patience of Christ, hee never knoweth Christ in his faith. And that you may truly and rightly know him, it behoveth thee by faith to have the heart & understanding of Christ, and to perceive his lowlinesse, pati­ence, and humility within thee in thy heart. For as a plant is known by the tast and smell: so Christ which is the tree of life, by tasting and by triall, is understood: I say, by tasting in faith his lowlinesse, and humi­lity, and patience, and by eating of his fruit, whereby consequently his soule might find rest and tranquillity, and be made capable of divine grace and consolation. Which two into a heart void of faith, and unfen­ced with the humility and lowlinesse of Christ, cannot enter to fructifie, seeing that God giveth grace only to the humble. Seeing then it is thus, what doth Christ [Page 328] profit a man who hath no society with him? Such are all those who living in the darknesse of sinne, cannot be compani­ons of light, according to that of Saint John, If we say we have society with him, and walk in darknesse, we are liers, and want the truth. But if we walk in the light as hee is in the light, we have joynt fellowship with him. Which in the second chapter hee addeth, The darknessc is passed over, and the true light now shineth: h [...]e which saith hee is in the light and hateth his brother, is in darknesse untill now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is no offence in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darknesse, and walketh in darknesse, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because darknesse hath blinded his eyes. And how long a man remaineth in that terrible cloud of sinnes, he cannot bee lightned of Christ, which is the true Light, and come to the knowledge of God. For the true knowledge of God and Christ consisteth in that hee understands God to be meere The true know­ledge of Christ. Grace and Charity: which who hath not and exerciseth, this man knoweth it with the most ignorant. So all knowledge con­sisteth, & ariseth out of the understanding, [Page 329] experience, and works of truth: and so certain it is, that hee which doth not exer­cise charity; howsoever hee make many words of it, yet he perceiveth not the perfect nature of it. In like manner, Christ is meere love, humility, meeknesse, patience, and vertue: the which who hath not, is ig­norant of Christ, although hee can prattle many things of him, and usurp his name.

After the same manner, the word of God is nothing but Spirit: where­upon they which live not in the Spirit, these consequently doe not know what the word of God is, although they fable and dispute of it every where. Therefore it belongeth not to him to judge of love, who never ex­erciseth it. For all knowledge, as we said even now, beginneth with feeling & expe­riēce. Know­ledge ariseth out of experi­ence. Nor is it his part to speak of the light that never moved a foot out of his own darknesse to see the light: and what is light in man but faith and charity, according to the saying of Christ, Matth. 5. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorifie your Father which is in heaven. Now seeing that the most holy life of Christ is nothing but meer love, if [Page 330] we endeavour to drink and draw from him true faith, humility, lowlinesse, and pati­ence, as it is given in commandement to us by the severe Law of Learning, then truly we are transformed into his image, and we are beautified and adorned with his love no otherwise then if we were covered with Christ himselfe, which is the eternal and true Light, according to that of the Ephesi­ans, chap. 5. Arise thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ will inlighten thee. Whereupon it followeth again, that as ma­ny as doe not awake from the sleep of the world, that is, concupiseence of the eyes, of the flesh, and pride of life, their soule can­not truly be illuminated by Christ. Con­trariwise, they which assume the life of Christ, and follow him in faith, these tru­ly are illuminated, according to that of Saint John, chap. 8. I am the light of the world, he which followeth me, in faith, charity, hope, patience, lowlinesse, humility, feare of Onely the martyrs of Christ illumi­nated. God, and prayer, walketh not in darknesse, but shall have the light of life. As if he should say: Onely those that imitate me, have the light of life, and the true illumination and knowledge of mee. By reason of the same [Page 331] Faith and Life of Christ, or Christian life; blessed Paul, Ephes. 5. calleth the faithful the Light, You were (saith he) sometimes dark­nesse, but now light in the Lord. And 1 Thess. 5. You are all the sonnes of light, and the sonnes of God; we are not of the night; nor darknesse, having put on the breast-plate of faith, and love, and the helmet of salvation. To this be­longeth that of the Book of Wisdome, which faith, That the holy Ghost doth flye wic­ked persons, but comes into holy souls, and of them makes Prophets, and friends of God. Which if it flye the wic­ked, it is plain that they cannot be inlighte­ned of it. To which that is like, that Christ denieth the world, that is, carnal minds not repenting them at all, can they receive the holy Ghost. But that there might be a perfect and absolute example amongst men, and an Idea of vertue, therefore the Son of God became Man, and by his most holy life, became the publick Light of the world; that all men might follow him, be­leeve in him, and be illuminated from him. Now seeing the false Christians themselves know not Christ to be the most perfect and absolute righteousnesse, or vertue, therefore [Page 332] they did not care for following him, it is manifest that the Ethnicks, the most rigid observers & lovers of vertue, did goe far be­yond them. Of whom the wisest, as Plato, A­ristotle, Cicero, and Seneca determined: If the virtue of the body may be seen, or could bee seen, it would appeare more cleare then Lucifer, or the day starre. But those that shal behold Christ with the eye of faith, he being the true Lu­cifer, or Day-star, doth far excel them, and Faith in Christ illumi­nateth the heart. those shall so see and contract the word of life, 1 John 1. But if the Ethnicks did so esteeme virtue, and desired to see it, how much more ought Christians to esteem it above all things, seeing Christ is meere virtue, meere The love of Christ is to imi­tate Christ. lowlinesse, yea God himselfe? Whereupon not without cause, Saint Paul preferreth the love of Christ before all Sciences, or knowledge: for that he which loveth him, it necessarily followeth, that hee doe em­brace his lowlinesse and humility out of his meere and most sincere love towards him: whereby he is further illuminated, and dai­ly Light & grace is given by hu­mility. transformed into the image of Christ, from glory to glory, 2 Cor. 3. For God giveth grace to the humble, saith Saint Peter, 1 Epist. chap. 5. And Saint Bernard, The floods of grace doe [Page 333] flow downwards, not upwards. By all which it cometh to passe, that the grace of the light and of knowledge divine, is not communi­cated to a man that liveth not in Christ, but walketh in the way of the Devil, when true faith, and the works thereof doe not leave us empty, or void of knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 Pet. 1. Now seeing that a man ha­ving the Light and Life of Christ, dwel­leth in him (for all these things hee is him­selfe) therefore according to the saying of the Prophet Esay, chap. 11. upon such and no otherwise then upon Christ himselfe, do rest the gifts of the holy Ghost, that is to say, the Spirit of wisdome and understanding, the Spirit of counsell and fortitude, the Spirit of knowledge, piety, and the feare of the Lord. Wherefore Saint Peter in the second of the Acts, speaketh thus to the Jewes, Repent, and you shall receive the gifts of the holy Ghost: as if he should say, The Spirit of God, of which you have had experience, and which is the Illuminator of the heart, sendeth not it self into other minds then those that are faithful and repent. Goe to then, O mor­tals, which desire to bee freed from the blindnesse of heart, and everlasting dark­nesse; [Page 334] and lastly from the Devil himselfe, imitate Christ in faith and true conversati­on, and amendment, being sure that the neerer you are to Christ, the neerer you are to Eternall Light: and by how much mor [...] unfaithful you are, so much neerer you a [...] to Darknesse and the Devill. For as Faith, Christ, and all vertues are knit together: so in like manner, incredulity, the Devil, and all vices doe cleave together. Behold with me the Apostles imitating Christ in faith, contemning the world, denying themselves, renouncing their possessions, and living in eternity: by which things they attained to this, that they might be heavenly illumina­ted, and might bee indued with the holy Ghost. To whom was most unlike the young man that was so rich, whilst hee studied himselfe, and thought himselfe something, Luke 18. Therefore hee remai­ned in the darknesse of the world, neither was he inlightned to eternall life. For hee that loveth the world, the love of the Father is not in him. And blessed John professeth plainly, That he which loveth not, remaineth in darknesse, and knoweth not whither hee go­eth, because darknesse hath blinded his eyes. [Page 335] To whom agreeth Taulerus, who in all his Sermons every where sheweth and admo­nisheth, without serious exercise of faith, without mortification and selfe-denial, without inward turning himselfe to his heart, and lastly, without the inward Sab­bath of the soule, no man can receive the divine Light, or perceive it in himselfe. In brief, as much as in the condition after con­version the works of darknes by the spirit of God in man are destroied, so much is he il­luminated: and by how much more & more powerfully on the other side our corrupt nature, as the flesh & the world, in man do beare rule; so much lesse Grace, Light, Spi­rit of God and Christ is in him. There­fore it remaineth, without daily & cōtinual repentance, no man can be illuminated, when as he hath not resisted one [...]ice, nor The fur­ther frō the life of Christ, the fur­ther from the true light. rooted out one, and exerciseth innumerable others, bringeth forth out of himselfe con­tinually with more increase then people are wont to doe. And as darknesse is thicker in it selfe, and more cloudy, by how much the Sunne goeth back from us, by so much we are unlike to the life of Christ, so much more plentiful are wee in sinne, and dark­nesse [Page 336] groweth the thicker in us, till they be­come eternal night. On the contrary, hee which by the grace of God entereth the Chariot of virtue with a good courage and firm hope, this man cannot but profit in them daily, one following another, as rings be linked one to another in a golden chain. Which connexion blessed Peter expresseth, The know­ledge of Christ in love, faith, and the fruits thereof, is to grow in Christ, & profit in him. writing in the second Epistle, cha. 1. And you ought to have care, and to use diligence, mini­string in your faith virtue, and in your virtue knowledge, in knowledge abstinence, in absti­nence patience, in patience piety, in piety bro­therly love, in brotherly love charity. And if yee doe these things and abound therein, you shall not be found empty, nor without fruit in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. As if he should say, he that shall not addict him­selfe wholly to the study and exercise of these virtues, he knoweth not Christ: but he that by faith profiteth in them, he groweth in Christ: all other, as proud ones, wrathfull ones, covetous ones, impa­tient ones, profit not in Christ, but in the Devil. And it is left us Christians in pre­cept, that as a child by little and little, and in time is made a man: so we may grow in [Page 337] faith, and in the study of virtue, to perfect The fruit of the death of Christ in us. men to the measure of full age in Christ, Ephes. 4. Coloss. 1. But to whom these things are not ready, or at hand, (saith Saint Peter, 2. Epist. 1.) he is blind and hand-bound, forgetfull of the purging of his old sinnes. As if he should say, It is for certain, that Christ by his death and bloud, took and did beare all our sinnes; but in the mean time we must beware that we addict not our selves to sin hereafter, but rather the death of Christ fructifying in us, we die to the world, and live in Christ; which whosoever doth not care to doe, to this man it is plain, that the purging of his old sins profiteth nothing. Whereupon it followeth, if wee desire to have the sinnes of our former life remitted and pardoned, we must forbeare [...] sin, we must repent and beleeve in Christ: which if we doe not, then we retain all those sinnes of our former life, and they are to be la­mented by us to all eternity, without all hope of expiation, or forgivenesse; so that it is possible that even for wrath alone, a man may be damned, which if he had by Christian lowliness corrected, then in truth he had obtained pardon for all his other [Page 338] sins, which because he neglected to do, ther­fore according to the words of Saint Peter, He is blind, being forgetfull of the purging of his old sinnes. Whereby it is given to un­derstand, The ne­cessity of re­pen­tance. how necessary a thing repentance is, and the changing to a betternesse: For although Christ died for our sins, blotting them out and abolishing them with the in­comparable price of his bloud, yet we doe not participate of that merit, unlesse we repent, it profiteth nothing. And howso­ever every man is promised pardon for his sins for the merit of Christ; yet that pro­mise pertaineth nothing to thee, to the un­beleever, nor the impenitent, but to those alone which doe amend their lives; when it is most meet that those sinnes be remitted which we goe not about to remember, but those onely which we were heartily grieved for. And to this pertaineth that which is spoken, Matth. 11. The poore receive the Gos­pel, that is, obtain the remission of sinnes.

Now let us suppose some Usurer for many yeares hath been a servant to co­vetousnesse, without amend­ment sins are not for­given. after the example of Zacheus; or to lust, as Mary Magdalen; or lastly, to wrath and revenge, as Esau: and this man [Page 339] so soon as he heard these offences were to be left, or else the death and bloud of Christ would profit him nothing, hee be­commeth a suppliant to God, and to him, as old men did speak, to give satisfaction in words, and then to desist from his sinnes to crave pardon and grace of God, and to beleeve in Christ, then it is most certain, that all his first offences are remitted him out of meere grace, and no merit, but for the death and bloud of Christ shed for them. But these that have not determined as yet to detest covetousnesse, wrath, usury, pride and lust; they, because they want faith purging their hearts, may hope in vain for the remission of their sins, but lament for them in eternall torments never to bee satisfied. Whereupon blessed Paul doth earnestly admonish, Galat. 5. Because they doe such things, they shall not inherit or possesse the Kingdome of heaven. Therefore either e­ternal damnation followeth, or amend­ment of their lives to a better; which where it is done by faith and true conversi­on unto God, there is pardon and di­vine grace ready at hand, yea Christ him­selfe, without whom there is no grace: For [Page 340] Christ doth accompany his most pretious All thing [...] necessa­ry to salvati­on do accom­pany faith, taking hold of Christs merits. merit, and consequently satisfaction for our sinnes: which being present, there is righteousnesse, with righteousnesse peace and a good conscience, as Psalm 85. Righ­teousnesse and peace doe kisse each other; with a cheerfull conscience the holy Ghost; which because it is the spirit of joy, thereup­on also joy followeth, and thereupon life eternal, which is nothing but joy sempiter­nal. And this is that light of eternal life w^th which they are crowned so many as live in Christ and daily repentance, whose be­ginning and foundation is the death of Christ. On the contrary, where there is no repentance, there is grace wanting, and grace wanting, neither is Christ there pre­sent, who being absent, his merit is not par­ticipated, and that which dependeth upon Impeni­tency hinde­reth the whole king­dom of God & eternall salvatiō it, the remission of sinnes. Where that is not to be had, or to be found, there is no righteousnesse, and consequently no peace or good conscience, no consolation, no ho­ly Ghost, no joy of heart and conscience; lastly, no life eternal, but death, but hell, but condemnation and everlasting dark­nesse. Whereby that is manifest wee affir­med [Page 341] in the beginning, That those who by true repentance in Christ, doe not in­tend to follow him in his life, cannot bee freed from the blindnes of their hearts, nor themselves freed from the eternall dark­nesse.

CHAP. XXXVIII. That the Antichristian life is the cause of false doctrine, hardnesse of heart and blindnesse; where certain things are ingraf­fed in predestina­tion.

SEing it is certain that Christ, together with faith and a Christian life, is denied, renounced, and wholly extirpated, to what end serveth his doctrine to us? which to­gether [Page 342] with the Sacraments to that end is The end of the Word & Sacra­ments. given us onely that it may bee turned in­to juyce, bloud, and our life. And as from noble seed doth arise or grow noble fruit: so from the Word and Sacraments, should arise a new man, holy and spiritual, and to speak in a word, a Christian, out of the Spirit, Word, and Sacrament, no other­wise then a man regenerate out of Christ, so beleeving in him, and living in him. For as an infant is born of his mother, so a Chri­stian is born of God and Christ by faith. But when wee have not determined to change our life, nay rather have so framed our manners, as they are against him, it is plain we are not begotten of God, and therefore his doctrine and light doth profit us nothing when we are sure wee walke in darknesse. Whereupon also the light be­ing fled and taken away, it must needs bee that darknesse and false doctrine of errors and seducing, do incroach upon us. Which to beware of, our Saviour did admonish us saying, Little children, whilst yee have light, walk in it, lest darknesse doe comprehend you; I say, the darknesse of errors, deceivers, deluding, of blindnesse and hard­nesse [Page 343] of heart: such darknesse as deceived Pharaoh, the Jewes, and Julian, who in the end convicted by his own conscience in his own evill, exclaimed openly and confessed, that Christ did yet live, and the true God, saying, Thou hast overcome, O Galilean, thou hast overcome; when it had been better for him to have said, Have mercy upon me; but he could not so say because of his blindnes, From whence hard­nesse of heart. and because hee refused and denied the mercy of Christ. And this hardnesse of heart is that terrible darknesse which in the end overtaketh those that will not walk in the light, and is the punishment of those that blaspheme the truth, as Pharaoh did, Exod. 5. Who is the Lord that I should heare Blind­nes is a punish­ment. his voyce, and let Israel goe? I know not the the Lord. Therefore it was convenient that God should manifest himselfe to him by his power, making him an example before the whole world, that it might bee manifest that man can do nothing against God. In like manner when the Jews would not hearken unto God, they were strucken with blindnesse and hardnesse of heart: that which Moses had fore-told them would come to passe, Deut. 28. & 32. The Lord shall [Page 344] strike thee with madnesse and blindnesse, and the fury of the mind; and it came to passe, witnesse Esay, chap. 6. Whereby it is mani­fest, that such [...]lindnesse is the most just punishment of incredulity and contempt of God and heavenly truth, according to that of Paul, 2 Thess. 2. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might bee saved, therefore God shall send unto them, or give them over to be deceived by the spirit of errour, to beleeve lies, that all may be judged that be­leeved not the truth, but consented to iniquity. By which it is given us to understand, why God is wont to permit such blindnesse and hardnesse of heart. Moreover to whom he denieth, and lastly taketh away his offered From whom God with­draweth his fa­vour. grace, this man is wretched of himselfe, neither can return into the way at any time, after the example of Pharaoh and Julian; and from whom the Lord taketh away his light, hee liveth all his dayes in darknesse. But Almighty God taketh it onely from those that will not walk in it; neither taketh hee his favour away, but from those that have refused it. In which sense blessed Paul, Rom. 9. recounteth that oracle of God out of Moses; I will have have mercy [Page 345] on whom I will have mercy; and I will shew The cause of blind­nesse. pitie on whom I will have pitie. Therefore on whom he will, he hath pitie; and whom he will, he hardeneth. But he hath pitie of all who acknowledge his mercies; and contrariwise hardeneth those that doe repudiate and blaspheme his offered grace: that which blessed Paul plainly reproacheth the Jewes, Acts 13. It was meet that first the word of God should be preached to you: but because you ex­pell it, and judge your selves unworthy of eternall life, behold, wee turn unto the Gentiles. And the Gentiles hearing, rejoyced, and glori­fied the word of the Lord, and beleeved as many as were ordained to eternall life: that is, as many as did not repudiate the word of grace, or meanes of faith. Of which con­tempt because the Jewes were guilty, there­fore they could not beleeve: for Almighty God hath preordained none to eternal life which repel his Word disdainfully. There­fore predestination, or preordination to life eternall, is finished or brought to passe The or­der of prede­stinati­on. in Christ: so that Almighty God offereth his grace to all by his Gospel, which who receiveth, those truly are preordained to e­ternal life: and those that do cast it behind [Page 346] their backs, and refuse it, those doe judge themselves unworthy of eternal life, as Paul saith, that is, by their own fault are unwor­thy of that blessing, exempting themselves from universal grace, and putting out their own names out of the book of life, which is Christ, by his contumacy resisting the word of God; thereupon consequently cannot be made faithfull. Let us not erre, Who those be that drive a­way frō them the word & grace of Christ. O Mortals, they doe not onely repudiate the word of God, and drive it away, which will not admit of the doctrine of Christ; such as are Turks and Jews; but those also which will not continue in the footsteps of Christ, take his life upon them, and walke in the light: for which cause consequently God himselfe taketh away even the light of the Word, and sound doctrine. I (saith Christ John 8.) am the light of the world, he that followeth me, walketh not in darknesse, but shall have the light of life. As if he should say, whosoever shall contemne to imitate my life, the darknesse of errors, of seducements, blindnesse, and hardnesse of heart. Behold with me the most proud, the most excellent, the chiefe, the most learned, and the most powerfull of this world, whose errors in [Page 347] truth, seducements and blindnesse, come From whence the most prudent of this world are most guilty of seduce­ment. from no other cause but because they live not in Christ, neither imitate his life; and therefore cannot have the light of life. From hence it must needs bee which Paul calleth the workes of errors, and Satanicall lies, which rush upon us more powerfully, because the universall world refuseth to i­mitate the life of Christ. For what society is From whence error. there between light and darknesse, and what a­greement is there between Christ and Belial? 2 Corinth. chap. 6. As if hee should say, the purity of doctrine and divine know­ledge cannot remain with those, or amongst those that live in the Devil, in darknesse, in pride, in covetousnesse and pleasure. For how should pure doctrine and divine mix themselves together, or suffer them­selves to live together with an unpure and an unchristian life? Or what is more dis­agreeing and unreconcileable then an im­pure life, and pure doctrine? Wherefore if we will retain doctrine, the way we hold, is wholly to bee changed, is utterly to bee changed by publicke suffrage of custome and applause, and it must be altered for a better then Antichristian, we must imitate [Page 348] Christ, and shake off the sleep of sinne, and He that keepeth not the foot­steps of Christ, strayeth from the way Christ will beautifie us with the light of true faith. For whoso insisteth not in the footsteps of Christ, that is, his love, hu­mility, lowlinesse, patience, and feare of God, he must needs be deceived when he walketh not the way which leadeth to truth. But on the contrary, if wee did all live in Christ, if we did walk in love and humility, if all our studies and Theology did respect this one thing, that the flesh and Adam might be mortified, Christ would live in us, that we might overcome our selves; that lastly, we might triumph over the flesh, the world and the Devil; then tru­ly there would be lesse brawling and strife about doctrine, and heresies of themselves would fall to the ground. We have an ex­ample of that in Achab, who by his wicked and tyrannical life obtained this, that through his own evil, and the lies of foure hundred false Prophets, he beleeving them, by their provocation did undertake the Blind­nesse & sedu­cing [...]s a iust punish­ment. warre, and contemne the Prophet Mi­caiah foretelling his death in that war, and contrariwise hee was constrained to give credit to the false prophets, prophesy­ing [Page 349] all things to go wel; and lastly, by right and due desert the dogs did lick his bloud. And is not this the same that B. Paul saith, 2 Cor. 4. God blinded the minds of the unfaith­ful of this age, that the light of the Gospel should not shine upon them: and also which God by Esay, ch. 29. threatens to all hypocrits boast­ing of Christ and his doctrine, and denying him in life, that they shal be seduced by the illusion of false prophets, as Achab was: For because this people draweth neere me with their mouths, & honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; therfore the wisdom of the wise shal fail, and the understanding of the wise shall be hid: the Lord shall shut their eyes, he shal darken the eyes of the Prophets, & the principal of them that see visions, and the word of God shall be as a sealed booke, and as letters to an ig­norant man. To which those are like which blessed Paul, 2 Cor. 3. mentioneth of the The blind­nesse of the Iewes through unbe­lief. Jewes, to wit, that there was a vaile set be­fore them, and over their hearts, that rea­ding in their Prophets of the Messias, they should not understand; which vaile Al­mighty God would take from them if they were converted to him.

CHAP. XXXIX. The purity of doctrine, and the di­vine Word not only by dispu­ting and writing many books, but by true repentance also, & a holy life is to bee obtained and kept.

THe purity of Doctrine, and the verity of Christian faith come to be defended against Sects and Heresies: after the exam­ple of the Prophets which preached against The ne­cessity of dis­putati­on. false and idolatrous Prophets in the old Testament: after the example of the Sonne of God, who disputed vehemently against the Pharisees and Scribes; after the exam­ple of John the Evangelist, who wrote his [Page 351] Gospel against Ebion and Cerinth, and the Apocalypse against the false Church of the Nicolaitans and others: after the example of Saint Paul, who defended most strongly the doctrine of justification by faith, of good works, of the resurrection of the dead, of Christian liberty and such like a­gainst false Apostles: after the example of the holy Bishops and Fathers of the Primi­tive Church, which wrote most strongly a­gainst the Pagan superstitions, and Here­tickes, and in the Oecumenical Councels gathered by the Christian Emperours, did condemne the chiefe Heretickes and Patri­archs, Arrians, Macedonians, Nestorians, and Eutychians: lastly, by the example of the incomparable Heroe Martin Lu­ther, by whose excellent and grave wri­tings the Papality and other Hereticks were much weakened, it is as cleare as the noon-day. Therefore it remaineth as a thing most fit and requisite, to preach, write and dispute, that the purity of the doctrine, and the verity of religion might bee mani­fest, according to the Apostle, who in the first chapter to Titus will have a Bishop to be powerfull to exhort in doctrine that is sound, [Page 352] and to argue with those that contradict it. The The a­buse of Then­logicall disputa­tion. which although it be a lawful and a lauda­ble way, it is so faln out by the abuse of it, that amongst all their bitter Disputations and Sermons of controversies, and the infi­nite heaps of writing, and counterwriting, the memory of Christian life, of true repen­tance, devotion and charity, is almost a­bolished with their names, no otherwise then if the summe of Christian Religion consisted in disputation, and writing books of cōtroversies, & not in the practice of the Gospel, and Christian learning. For if we behold the examples of the holy Prophets and Apostles, as also of the Sonne of God, it is manifest that they did sharply dispute not onely against false Prophets and Apo­stles, but also against the superstitions of the Gentiles; but with no lesse fervency did exhort to repentance & Christian life; and moreover did shew in most grave Sermons, that by their impenitency and wicked life, the divine Worship and Religion did goe backwards, and decay, the Church was wasted, that Kingdome and people were af­flicted with hunger, warre, and plague; all which came to passe as true as they [Page 353] said it. Of this kind is that Sermon of Esay, Impiery destroy­eth the worship of God, & true religion. chap. 5. where he denounceth to the peo­ple of the Jewes, because the vineyard of the Lord did not bring forth clusters of grapes, but wild grapes, therefore Almighty God had de­creed to lay it wast. Whereby it plainly ap­peareth, that impiety is the cause why God useth to take his word from us. To the same sense is that which Christ said, John 12. Walk in the light whilst you have it, lest darknesse overtake you. For what other thing is it to walk in the light, then to imitate Christ? Or what other thing is it to be o­vertaken with darknesse, then to lose the purity of the Gospel? Whereby it appea­reth without true re­pentāce none is enlight­ned. that none can without true repentance and a holy life, enjoy the light: the holy Ghost, which is the true enlightner of our hearts, flying the ungodly, and chusing holy soules onely to make friends and Prophets of God, as it is written Wisdom 7. whose beginning sith the fear of God is, as it is in Psa. 111. who likewise doubteth impiety to be the beginning of folly, ignorance and blindnesse? Moreover, the true knowledge of Christ, and pure doctrine, and the pro­fession thereof, doth not consist in words [Page 354] onely, but in deed and holy life, according The know­ledge of Christ consists not in words. to that of Titus, chap. 1. They confesse they know God, but deny him in their deeds, when they are abominable and unbeleevers and re­probates to every good work. And Titus 3. They have the shew of godlinesse, but deny the virtue thereof. Whereby it is given to understand, that Christ and his Word is denied by a wicked life as wel as words; neither hath he the true knowledge of Christ which ne­ver putteth it into action. Wherefore he that never feeleth or tasteth the humility, low­linesse, It is lame without a holy life. patience, and the love of Christ in­wardly in his heart, hee knoweth not Christ, and therefore where use and necessi­ty requireth, they cannot confesse him. For to professe & preach the doctrine of Christ onely, is truly to divide Christ, and to lame him, if you do not professe and preach It is not words, but life that makes a Chri­stian. his life. And we have abundance of books of his doctrine; of his life almost none; every where bookes of controversies concerning doctrine, but very little time spent about true repentance and a Christian life. For what is doctrine without life, but a tree without fruit? Or how should he fol­low the doctrine of Christ who imitateth [Page 355] not his life? For the head or chiefe of the doctrine of Christ is charity from a pure heart and a good conscience, and an unfained faith. But we live in that age wherein there is a great number of those whom if wee heare them disputing so acutely and well of the doctrine of Christian religion, you would think them to be men of great worth; but if you behold them narrowly, and touch them neerly, you shall then know them to bee inwardly and in their hearts full of pride, envie, and covetousnesse, that no Ba­silisk can be more venemous. Against whom therefore wee must beware, observe what Paul saith, 1 Tim. 1. he doth not rashly or suddenly joyn Love and Faith, that hee may shew that these two do or would con­spire and consent together. And although wee cannot arrogate so much to our strength and piety, that wee make it the price of our happinesse, knowing also with Saint Peter, Epist. 1. chap. 1. that wee are kept in the virtue of God by faith to salvation: yet we professe this, that by an Antichristian life the Spirit of God will avoyd us with all The wicked are not en­lightned his gifts, amongst which faith, knowledge, understanding and wisdome are not the [Page 356] least. Whereby it followeth again, with­out a holy life the purity of doctrine can­not be preserved; and the wicked which will not imitate Christ, are not enlightned with the true light. On the contrary, those that walk in the light, that is, which doe insist and persevere in the footsteps of Christ, are drenched and bathed in the true light, which is Christ, and divinely preserved from all errors. Therefore it is true which that ancient Writer Taule­rus saith, So soon as a man dedicateth himselfe to God, and suffereth him, and denieth his own will and flesh, then truly the Spirit of God doth begin to make beginning of illumination, and endowing with true and solid knowledge, be­cause indeed this man doth celebrate the true Sabbath of the heart, and keepeth holy day, and resteth from his wicked concupiscences, will and works. Which is to be taken of the state af­ter conversion, and of daily illumination, and of the increase of gifts and spirituall grace. Now neither is it unfitly said which Christ, John 14. speaketh, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; calling himselfe the Way, who sheweth the same unto us, not How Christ is the way. onely in doctrine, but in his most holy life. [Page 357] Which life is no other thing then a living faith, and working by love, hope, pati­ence, meeknesse, humility, prayer, the feare of the Lord, and to speak in a word, true repentance & turning to God, where­by we are drawn to the Truth and the Life, wherein the whole Christianity doth con­sist, which is the breviary or epitome of all bookes and precepts. Which is also the true and Kingly way to life and truth, and is Christ himselfe, the book of life, in the involving and learning whereof wee ought Christ is our book. to spend all our life. This (I say) is that strait way and narrow gate, Matth. 7. which few doe find; this is the book of life which almost none doe reade, although in it all things are contained which a Christian ought to know: so that wee shall need no other book to our eternall salvation. Which is the reason why also the holy Scripture is contained in very few bookes, to wit, that it might appeare that Christi­anity did not consist in the multitude of The bre­vity of Scrip­ture where­upon. Commentaries and great Volumes, but in living faith, and imitation of Christ, accor­ding to that of Eccles. c. 12. There is no end of making many books, and much meditation of [Page 358] the flesh is affliction. In like maner let us all hear the end of speaking, Fear God and keep his com­mandements. Moreover, Matth. 7. it is said, That the Devill when men are asleep soweth Tares in the Wheat: that teacheth us, when men neglect repentance, and sleep soundly in their sinnes, and are overtaken with the love of this world, we having more care of frail things then immortall goods, then by little and little doth the Devil sprinkle his Pride is the field of here­sies. seed of false doctrine in the field of pride; whereupon doe arise Sects and Heresies: for by pride both Men and Angels lost the true light; and all errors came into the world, which yet we might have wanted if Satan and Adam had lived in the humble life of Christ. Whereupon Saint Paul de­servedly, Ephes. 6. saith, Arise thou that slee­pest, and Christ shall inlighten thee, being wil­ling to shew that no man can bee divinely enlightned, who hath not before shaken off from his eyes the sleep of sinne, and driven from him security and impiety, according to that of the Acts, chap. 2. Repent and re­ceive the gift of the holy Ghost. And that of John, chap. 17. The world cannot receive the holy Ghost: understanding by the world, a [Page 359] wicked and worldly life. Likewise when Christ saith, You know them by their fruits, All things are known by the fruits. what other thing signifieth it, then not O Lord, Lord, but the fruits of life is the signe and mark of true and false Christians? For what belongeth the pure doctrine to those false Christians use, who under pretext of sheeps cloathing doe make shew, when in­wardly they are nothing less thē true Chri­stians. And although the life be corrupt, yet it should not, or may not bee drawn into the argument of false and wicked doctrine, as the Papists do at this day, esteeming and condemning our doctrine by the wicked­nes of our lives (which way of arguing if it were worth any thing, now the doctrine of Christ & his Apostles had not been sound, because even then many false Christians were found) but it is yet and will be a shew and mark of the men themselves whereby The life is the mark of a man. wee may know whether they bee true or false Christians; he that teacheth other­wise teacheth otherwise then he liveth, and when he beleeveth aright, he doth blot his faith with an Antichristian life, as if Ivory were spotted with Ink. In which sense so many as are so, Christ calleth them false [Page 360] Christians, unfruitfull trees, fit for nothing but to be burned; lastly, that onely is true and Christian faith, which worketh by love, by which a man is made or becometh a new creature, by which he is regenera­ted, by which he is united with God, by which Christ liveth in us, dwelleth and worketh in us, by which the kingdome of God is built in us; and lastly, by which the holy Ghost purgeth and enlightneth our hearts. To which doe belong many golden Oracles of holy Scripture, such as that 1 Cor. 6. He that cleaveth to the Lord is spirit. And what is it to have the Spirit of Christ, and to breath with it, then to have the same understanding and mind, and the same heart? which joynt breathing and consent, is nothing else but a new, holy, noble, heavenly, spirituall, and heroicall life of Christ in us. Also 2 Cor. 6. In Christ is a new creature, terming to bee in Christ, not onely to beleeve in him, but to live in him. Also Hosea 2. I will espouse thee to me for The es­pousing of Christ and its fruit. ever, in faith I will spouse thee to me. Which in­deed signifie nothing else then that a man wholly and spiritually is to bee united to Christ; so that where faith is, there is [Page 361] Christ; where Christ is, there his life is in man; where the life of Christ is, there is love; where love is; there is God him­selfe (for God is love) and the holy Ghost remaineth. For all things are connexed and chained together; they cleave toge­ther no otherwise then the head with the members, and the cause with the effect. Which connexion of faith and life, blessed The chain of vertue. Peter, Epist. 2. chap. 1. representing to us, writeth thus: But of all have especiall care, adde virtue to your faith, and in virtue know­ledge, and in knowledge abstinence, and in abstinence patience, and in patience piety, and in piety brotherly love, and in brotherly love charity. For if you have these things and a­bound therein, you shall not bee empty, nor bee without fruit in the knowledge of our Lord Je­sus Christ. But for those that have not these things, those are blind and hand-bound, being forgetfull of the purging of their old sinnes. In which place the Apostle eloquently de­clareth in whom this conjoyning of faith and life is not, when to bee ignorant of Christ, to fall from faith, and to walk in darknesse. For it is the property of true True faith. faith to change a man wholly, to renew [Page 362] him and to quicken him in Christ, so that hee may live and remain in Christ, and Christ likewise in him.

CHAP. XL. Certain Rules very profitable to lead our lives Christian-like, and devoutly.

IN this admonition is contained a briefe description of a Christian life, by which wee are taught, that a Christian ought to spend all his time in the study of piety, (which is the compendium of all Christian virtues;) first, because it is profitable for all things, in all our words and deeds, blessing them if so be we use it in them: Secondly, because God doth reward it both in this life and the life to come, where wee shall re­ceive [Page 363] the everlasting harvest of our labours.

Rule I. First, although thou canst not live so perfectly as the word of God comman­deth, and as thy spirit would, yet thou God al­loweth the good will for the deed must never but wish ardently the same. For after this manner the holy desires of the Saints were acceptable unto God, who also alloweth them; because he is the beholder of the hearts, not the works. In the mean time having a special care of one thing, to crucifie thy flesh, and not to suffer it to rule.

II. In all things that thou thinkest or The concu­piscence of the flesh is the dore of the Devil. doest, study to preserve thy heart, lest thou be defiled with proud thoughts, words, and works; or lastly, by wrath, and such like Devillish actions: For by this meanes thy heart is open to the Divel, and shut up from God.

III. Strive for it, lest it happen that thou lose the liberty of thy mind through evil concupiscences of earthly things, ma­king thy selfe a servant and slave of the creatures. For seeing thy soule is more no­ble then all the world, it were a very un­worthy thing to put it under, and sell it to the world, and addict thy heart to frail and [Page 364] frivolous things of the world.

IV. Avoid studiously the sorrow of this world, that bringeth and worketh death, and by covetousnesse, envie, and too D [...]vine and worldly sorrow. much care of a family, and also by incre­dulity and impatience is begotten. But on the contrary, embrace divine heavi­nesse, which proceedeth from the meditati­on of his sinnes, and infernal punishment, and▪ thereby worketh a stable salvation, and also peace and joy in God, 2 Corinth. 7. Indeed man ought to beare the losse of no worldly goods so heavily as his owne sinnes.

V. If thou canst not bear thy crosse with such joy as is meet, yet at least take it with The crosse how to be bo [...]n. patience and humility, resting upon the di­vine wil and pleasure of God. For this is al­way good, neither doth it respect or in­tend other things then our profit and sal­vation. Therefore whatsoever God shal appoint or determine for thee in making thee merry or sad, poore or rich in spirit, exalted high or low and humble; and last­ly, vile or excellent: think alway this, It seemed good to him, and expedient for thee; therefore that which pleaseth him, [Page 365] let it not displease thee, but rather rejoyce if hee carry all things according to his wil and thy salvation. All the workes of God are good, saith Sirac. chap. 39. And Psalm 144. The Lord is just in all his wayes, and holy in all his works. Wherefore it is more excel­lent The wil of God alwayes good, never evill. that God in thee doe his wil, that ne­ver swarveth from good or his own end, which thou oughtest to suffer willingly, who art by nature alwayes inclineable to evil.

VI. Consolations and heavenly visits are to bee received with humble thankes. Contrariwise, if they doe not move thee, then know that the mortification of the flesh is more profit for thee then the joyes of the Spirit. For unto us that bee subject to sinne, and dwelling in flesh and blood, griefe is farre better then joy and delight. For many by reason of plenty of spiritual Sorrow and dri­nesse of the spirit how it is to be born. consolation, fall into spiritual pride: But the Lord knoweth who are fit to bee led by a pleasant and lightsome way to eternal life, and who are fit to be led by a crooked, sharp, sorrowful, fearful, and stony way. Alway think it fit for thee, that thou mayst come to life by that way the divine wis­dome [Page 366] hath chosen, although it differ from thy opinion and desire. Better is sorrow then laughter, saith Solomon, Eccles. 7. Because by sorrow the mind of the offender is corrected. The heart of a wise man is where sorrow is, and the heart of a foole where joyfulnesse and mirth is.

VII. If thou canst not bring great offe­rings of devotion, prayer, and thanksgiving to God, offer to him that thou hast, and canst, commending and adorning thy smal sacrifices with good wil and holy desires, that thy religion and devotion may become acceptable before God: because to have even that pious desire, or be willing to have, is no smal grace, and most acceptable sacri­fice to God; because so much as we wish to perform before him of devotion, prayer, praises, and desire of heavenly things, even so much it is before God. For he requireth nothing of thee but that his grace and fa­vour may worke in thee, neither canst thou return him any more then he hath first be­stowed on thee. In the mean time desire this of Jesus Christ with humble prayer, Our perfection is in Christ. that he would supply thy sacrifices with his most perfect sacrifice, because he is our per­fection, [Page 367] ours on the contrary all of them are lame and unperfect. Wherefore say, my God and Father, let my devotion be accep­table unto thee, my faith, my prayers, my thanksgivings, in thy most beloved Sonne, and those not for their own worth, but e­steem them for the merit of Christ, and it cannot be but that his most perfect works be and shall be pleasing unto thee. For he, he shall copiously supply what is wanting in me. And by this means our piety, pray­er and thanksgiving; how unperfect soever, obscure and small it be, the greatest weight of glory and dignity is given in exchange In faith & Christ all our things are per­fect. for the merit of Christ. As an infant if it be naked and defiled, is not seemly, nor a­miable; but if it be honestly clothed and a­dorned, is pleasing to all: so all thy works are of themselves, and their own nature, nothing; which yet if they bee adorned with the perfection of Christ, they are most acceptable to God the Father. Even as Ap­ples otherwise of no great value or price, if they bee placed in golden Scutcheons, or Sockets, are more excellent and beautifull then themselves: so our prayers, our piety, and thanksgiving in Christ, is more wor­thy, [Page 368] more pretious and more noble made: according to that of the Ephesians, chap. 1. He hath gratified us in his beloved Son.

VIII. When sins and manifold imper­fections doe make thee sad, let them not A Chri­stian may sorrow, but not despair. make thee to despaire. Although they bee many, think this: There is mercy with the Lord, and plenteous redemption with him, Psa. 130. If thy imperfections be great again and again, remember Christs merits are far greater, and say with David, Psalm 11. Have A repen­tanr soul is at peace with God. mercy upon mee according to thy great mercies. And when by the grace of God thou art penitent for thy sinnes, and dost behold Christ in faith, then in like manner God is grieved at thy punishment, and pardon and remission followeth this thy divine and wholsome contrition by and by: and so oft as thou becomest an offender, and retur­nest again to him by sorrowfull sighes. For even as the Leper was healed in a moment when he said to Christ; Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me whole: and he answered, I will, be thou clean: So Almighty God in­wardly and in the Spirit, maketh thee clean, saying, Be confident my sonne, thy sins are forgiven thee. Which great mercy [Page 369] of God in cleansing and pardoning our sins, prefigured in that Lepers example, ought not to give us occasion to sin again, but more and more to glorifie God: where­upon thou mayst say; My soule praise the Lord.

IX. Outward injuries, reproaches, and How iniuries are to be born upbraids, beware they doe not provoke thee to wrath, indignation, or revenge; but rather think them to be certain trials of thy heart, by which God would prove thee, what is in thee, and in thy heart doth lie hid; I say, whether meeknesse and humili­ty, or pride and wrath. For whatsoever lieth hid in a man, or concealed, provocated contu­melies do make triall of him. Therefore if thy heart bee indued with humility and lowli­nesse, thou wilt easily beare all contempts; nay, whatsoever shal happen to thee of that kind, thou wilt accept it as a punishment of God for thy just desert and sinne, after the example of David, who being reproached to his face by Shimei, said (2 Sam. 16.) God commanded him to revile David. Moreover, thou shouldst think the contempt of us to be a great part of the contumely of Christ, which a living and a true member of him [Page 370] ought to participate, according to that say­ing, Heb. 13. Let us goe to him, bearing our infirmities. Not being unmindfull with what heart, with what lowlinesse hee did beare his reproach; then conclude, for him in like manner thou art to bear thy reproa­ches and private injuries with an equal mind. Do not thou say, Shall I suffer these things at his hands? For by reason of the lowlinesse, and most patient heart of Christ, all things should bee moderately born by thee. I conceale the benignity of Christ to be so great, that for one contu­mely that an innocent doth suffer, he is rea­dy to reward it with many honours and gifts. That David knew when hee received the reproach of Shimei, as a pledge and to­ken of honour to come, saying, Suffer him to revile as the Lord hath commanded him. If the Lord shall respect my affliction, and the Lord shall return me good for his cursing this very day. Wherefore let not the fables of men perturb thee, but rather rejoyce, because the glory of Gods Spirit resteth in vile things, 1 Pet. 4. Victory consists in pati­ence.

X. Study to overcome and pacifie thy enemies and detractors with benefits and [Page 371] goodnesse; not in wrath, nor in revenge, nor in returning answer: for no man will be reconciled to thee by this means, seeing that victory consisteth in virtue, not in vice. For as Devils doe not drive one another out, or away: so revenges and maledictions doe not pacifie but provoke thy calumnia­tors. For as no man goeth about to heale a frantick man, or a wretched person, or a wounded man afflicted with soares, with beating, or club-law: so a man evil affected to you, is to be handled with lenity, and not with cruelty; and by sweet and gentle means pacified. That which God himself, to overcome us, doth think he must observe, pacifying our malice with his goodnes, and our wrath with his love, and inviting us with this such and so great benignity to re­pentance. And Paul hath commended the same Art unto us, Rom. 12. Bee not o­vercome of evill, but overcome evill with good­nesse. For this is our victory.

XI. If in thy neighbour thou observest Wee ought not to envie good in others. a gift which God hath adorned him with before thee and others, take heed thou dost not envie this in him, rather rejoyce & give God thanks: for seeing all the chosen and [Page 372] faithfull are one body, it followeth that the beauty of every member doe ennoble the whole body. On the contrary, if thou per­ceive The sin of our neigh­bour is to be condo­led. any misery in thy neighbour, lament it as thine own, thinking the condition of all men to be equall, and the weaknesse of the flesh to bee alike; and hee that cannot take compassion nor condole, he is no mem­ber of Christ. For hee thought ours his own, by compassion hee delivered us from all our miseries. To which belongeth that of Saint Paul to the Galatians, chap. 6. Bear one anothers burdens, and so you shall fulfill the law of Christ.

XII. The vices and sins of our neigh­bour are to be hated even as the works of Hate the vice, not the m [...]n. the Devil; and if he should be no otherwise, lest thou become more wicked then the man himselfe; but rather bewaile his lot, because he is subdued with such sinnes, and commend his cause to God, as Christ pray­ed for his enemies upon the Crosse, Father forgive them. And contrariwise, whoso­ever hateth man, cannot please God, seeing it is his property to desire to rectify all men, according to that of Luke 9. The Son of Man came not to destroy, but to save mens souls.

[Page 373] XIII. Think all men frail, but thy self A Chri­stian thinks himself [...] the greatest sin­ner. most frail: for before God all men are of equal condition, and alike condemnable, because we have all sinned, neither have we any thing whereon wee may boast before God. Then how great a sinner soever thy neighbour be, take heed thou beleeve not therefore thou art the better before God. Let him that standeth take heed that hee fall not. Yea he that maketh himself the lowest of all men, this man keepeth the grace and favour of God. It is sure that thou no lesse standest need of the grace and mercy of God, then the greatest sinner; which is the greater to thee, the more humble thou art. Wherefore blessed Paul accounted himselfe the greatest sinner, 1 Tim. 1. And therefore saith, That he obtained mercy Christ shewing his patience in him. To which alike is that which he saith, 2 Cor. 12. As concerning my selfe, I will boast of nothing but my infirmi­ties.

XIV. That true illumination doth follow The contempt of the world is from illumi­nation. contempt of worldly things. For even as the sonnes of this world have their inheri­tance upon earth, as temporall honours, fraile wealth, vain splendor and beauty, [Page 374] which they love and keep as treasures: so the treasures of the sons of God are, po­verty, contempt, persecution, contumely, and reproach, the crosse, death, martyr­dome and punishment; whereupon Moses preferred the contumely of Christ before the treasure of Aegypt: which is true illu­mination.

XV. The true name of Christians writ­ten The name of Chri­stians. in heaven, is the true knowledge of Christ in faith, by which we are transplan­ted into Christ, and written in him as in the book of life, from whom do flow li­ving virtues, which God in that day will beautifie with an honorable testimonie. Mat. 25. bringing forth all those treasures which we have layed up in heaven: 1 Tim. 6. and bringing to light every work which is wrought in God, Joh. 3. None of the Saints hath made himselfe famous by any vertue, which will be forgotten, Psal. 112. And this vertue of his, as faith, charity, mercy, patience, and the like, are that name writ­ten in heaven, and the note and character of the Saints, and the eternall names of hea­ven. Of which more in the second Book.

CHAP. XLI. In which is repeated the summe of the whole Book.
That the whole Christian Religi­on doth consist in the restaurati­on of the divine Image in Man, and extirpation of the Image of Satan.

IN the true knowledge of Christ, and of his person, offices, benefits, and heavenly gifts, doth consist the blessed life; which the H. Ghost doth enlighten in us as a certain new light, which in it selfe becometh more and more cleare, as a certain metalline bo­dy, Wherin consists eternall life. or a glasse by making it cleane, becom­meth more neat and clearer, or as an infant [Page 376] daily augmented in stature and growth. For even as righteousnesse is given to a man by faith in Christ, and then hee beginneth his conversion or regeneration, or to bee begotten in his conversion, and daily to be renewed after the Image of God; neither is he by and by a man, but is an infant, whom afterwards the holy Ghost doth nourish, and from day to day doth more and more conform him to Jesus Christ. For the whole life of a Christian man upon this earth, What Christi­anity is. ought to be nothing else then a reformati­on of the image of God, so that hee might live continually in the new birth, and on the contrary mortifie the old man daily. Which manner of life is onely begun in this world, and perfected in the world to come. Therefore he that before the day of the last judgement, and so of his death, hath not made his beginning, in this man the Image of God shal never be erected to all eternity. Wherefore I hold it very needfull forth­with to inculcate and inform what is the Image of God, and also what the Image of Satan is, seeing that in the knowledge of these, the whole Christian religion consist­eth, and from this one head many other [Page 377] doctrines of originall sin, of freewill, and so of repentance, of faith, of justification, of prayer, of regeneration, renovation, san­ctification, and of the new life, and obedi­ence come to be explained. Therefore the soul of man is an immortall spirit, in­dued by God with excellent powers and fa­culties, as understanding, will, memory, and other motions and affections of the mind. And this ought to be turned to God, & in him to be made the image of God; so The soul of man is the glass of God. that as the object in a glasse, so in it God may be manifested and made conspicuous. In which sense Saint Paul speaketh, 1 Cor. 3. That the glory of God in the image of God re­newed doth shine as in a glasse. Moreover, as God is good and holy himself, so the sub­stance and essence of the soule in the be­ginning, The confor­mity of our soule with God in the state of in [...]o­cency. was originally good and holy: And as in God there was no evill, so the soul of man was without all evill from the beginning: as in God nothing is but good, Deut. 32. Psal. 92. so in the soule there was nothing that was not good: as God is all-knowing and wise, the humane soule was full of divine knowledge and spiritualls ce­lestiall, and eternal wisdome: as the divine [Page 378] wisdome disposed all things in number, weight and measure, and knew the strength of all creatures, as wel celestial as terrestrial; so the mind of man was enlightned by the same light. Neither was the will inferiour to the understanding, as equally holy and conformable to the divine wil in all things. Therefore as God was, so the soule of man was, just, benigne, merciful, long suffering, patient, meek, courteous, true, and chast. Which conformity of the humane wil with the divine, all the affections, appetites, de­sires & motions of the heart, did participate, emulating or following most perfectly the motions and affections of the divine wil; even as God is charity, so the affections of the man did breathe nothing but meer charity: and as God Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost, are joyned together and con­spire in ineffable and eternal love; so all the affections, motions, and desires of the hu­mane soule, by a meer, most pure, most perfect, and most ardent love from the bot­tome of the heart, did grow warm and Th [...] bo­dy of man is the temple of God. prosper together, so that the man loved God and his honour more dearly then himselfe. Moreover, even as in the soule, [Page 379] so also in the body, the image of God did shine most gloriously, which therefore in all the faculties thereof was holy, chast, subject to no filthy concupiscences, or motions, beautiful, comely, of perfect health, immor­tal, and was without molestation, tedious­nesse, passion, griefe, vexation and old age. In brief, the whole man both in mind and body, was perfect, holy, just, and accepta­ble to God every way. For as the man was the image of God, it followeth neces­sarily that the body it self be holy, and con­formable to God, according to blessed Paul, who commanded to sanctifie the body, soule, and spirit together. For seeing that the man consisteth of soule and body, and therefore bodily and spiritual functions going together, it is necessary that a soule holy and just, accomplishing its workes through the body, and in the body, should have an observant instrument and equally holy as it selfe. Therefore as the soule did burn; or was zealous in the most pure love of God, so all the faculties of the body did imitate the same gesture in the love of God and his neighbour. As the soule was all mercifull, so the body with all the powers [Page 380] thereof, did incline to clemency. As in the divine soul chastity did shine, so all the bo­dy, with all internall and externall senses and powers, did use perfect purity and cha­stity. In brief, the perfections of virtues were conspicuous no lesse in the body then in the mind or soul. Wherefore it was ea­sie What heart signifi­eth in Scrip­ture. for a man in the state of innocencie to love God with all his heart, with all his soule, and all his strength, and his neigh­bour as himselfe. Hereupon it is, that when Almighty God requireth the heart of man, the whole man as concerning body, soule, and all his strength, is to be understood. In which sense the name of heart in Scripture is understood every where; so that with it doe come all the strength of the soul, and [...] it were the nerves, the understanding, memory, affections and desires. Neither is it for other reasons when God requireth the soule, understanding by that denomi­nation the whole man, so much as in him is: which indeed is to bee conformed to Iustice, righte­ousnesse and ioy, cleave toge­ther. him, to bee renewed in Christ, and that he ought to walk in spirit, or in a new and spirituall life. But the perfection of most sincere joy doth accompany the perfection [Page 381] of holinesse, righteousnesse, and love in the man wherewith he was most sincerely af­fected; God so disposing it, that where di­vine holinesse is, there also should be divine joy: which two, as they cannot be separa­ted, so they make the Image of God. But we who in this life doe attain to onely an unperfect and begun righteousnesse of God and his holinesse, for these beginnings of the righteousnesse of Christ living in all the faithfull, if we be devout, if we be ex­ercised in the Kingdome of God, we shal & do participate thereof in this world, and have the fruits thereof, even the first fruits of that heavenly joy. Therefore how much every Christian profiteth in love, so much divine pleasure and joy hee doth find in himselfe. Which holy and divine love, be­cause in that day it shal receive the last hand and its perfection, therefore also our joy shall be then perfect, Christ bearing wit­nesse, John 16. For charity or love is life and joy; as contrariwise, where love is not, there is neither life nor joy, but death it The greatest ioy for the love of God. selfe; wherein the Devil and wicked impe­nitent men shall remain to all eternity. This love maketh the father of the son, the [Page 382] bridegroome of the bride draw an incredi­ble delight: yet it is a far greater love that is perceived from the love of the Creator, which most lovingly kisseth us with the kisses of his mouth, that is, in Christ, and in him by the charity or love of the holy Ghost cometh upon us, and taketh up his dwelling with us. And of this image of God & the I­mage of God differ. God which consisteth in similitude with God, when wee make mention of it, we doe not mean that a man should be eve­ry way like God in justice, righteousnesse, and holinesse, and become like God him­selfe, (for God is incomprehensible, and he is immense as concerning his essence, virtue and properties) but onely to carry about the image of God, as is declared in divers places of this book. Where, what wee have commented of the Image of God, those are no conjectures, but things indeed: neither can it be denied of the most perverse, that Almighty God created man that he might be his most cleare looking-glasse, so that if one were desirous to know the nature of God, he might look back to himselfe, and counsell with himselfe, contemplate God in himselfe, as in a glasse might see his I­mage [Page 383] within and in his heart, as his life and happinesse. But the Devil beholding this I­mage The acts of the Devil to abolish the I­mage of God. of God in man with wicked envious eyes, laid in wait with many deceits and machinations, until at last through disobe­dience and an hostile mind conceived a­gainst God, hee overthrew that Image and destroyed it: which he hath attained unto with such craft, as never any thing was at­tained unto, or shall be. Neither was it an obscure thing unto him, if the man had remained in that state, he had been his Pride the ori­ginal of all sin. Lord: but so soon as he fell from him, hee became a tyrant to him. Therefore when all his forces, of malice and craft displayed, hee found nothing more fit to perfect his cogitations, then that sinne by which hee was bewitched and pulled from God; hee began to insinuate into our mother the affectation of the divine Maje­sty by sweet and flattering speeches, with the help of the Serpent, that old and de­ceitful Parasite, and the atchiever of so great The fall of Adam a wickednesse: which proud thought once entied into the heart and admitted, there followed Apostasie, disobedience and transgression of the precept concerning the [Page 380] [...] [Page 381] [...] [Page 382] [...] [Page 383] [...] [Page 384] Tree of knowledge not to bee touched. Hereby came the image of God to be over­thrown, the holy Ghost to fly away, and the image of the Devil to bee set up in the place of the divine Majesty, and both of them to become the bondslaves of the De­vil, and he their Lord, to handle their souls most cruelly, and as a Giant handleth a child, to blind the understanding, to turn the will from God, to accompany all the powers of the whole heart against God, and intoxicate them with Satanicall ma­lice, to overthrow all the image of God in man, to plant his own in the roome, to in­fect them with the contagion of his own nature, to beget after his own image chil­dren not now of God but his own, to ful­fill all kind of sinne and enmity against God; and lastly, to slay them with eternal death. For even as in the image of God, life eternall, and the happinesse of man was contained: so death and condemnati­on did follow its losse. This death those doe best understand which fall and are cast into most grievous spirituall temptations, being exposed to the tyranny of the Devill, by infesting the miserable soule of them [Page 385] most cruelly with the custome of sinning; Spiritu­al death and e­ternall by the fall of Adam. under which crosse being depressed and troden down only, unlesse the holy Ghost doe under-prop him, and comfort him, then the Devil doth fasten his death upon them, and tormenteth their soules with pains & grief infernal: whereupon it must needs be, that all the powers of the body doe faile, the heart waxeth dry, and the marrow to be consumed, Psal. 6. and the Spiritu­all tem­ptation. 38. and the word of God, if any go about to be without life, with juice, and with all devotion, and spirituall life. Into which Spiritu­al death state when the businesse is to bee brought, then the man is converted in the agonie of a true spirituall death, esteeming nothing of the holinesse of all men, righteousnesse, dignity, strength, power, glory, honour, arts and wisdome of all men, without doubt this man shall perish, unlesse the grace of God doe prevent him. Therefore learn of me, O man, that Originall sin is the most terrible of terrible sinnes, that is, the losse of the hereditary righteousnesse of God, and contrariwise the hereditary un­righteousnesse What our ori­ginall sin is. of the Devil and man plan­ted in the place, for which the sinner is cast [Page 386] from God, and judged to eternall death, incurring the same without doubt, unlesse he obtain remission of sinnes by faith in Christ. Which naturall corruption of soule, mind, and body, that thou, O man, mayst understand more exactly, it shall not grieve me to expresse it more plainly, or more at large, exhorting and praying thee for Gods sake and thine own happinesse, that thon wouldest diligently read, and daily meditate this Article, whereby thou mayst know thy naturall misery, and thy in-born wickednes, no otherwise then in a glasse, and that which followeth it, & con­tinually lament and deplore the same. For the sum of Christianity is no other thing What Christi­anity is. then a continuall spirituall wrastling with originall sinne, and continuall purging of it by the holy Ghost, and a serious (no su­perficial) repentance. For how much eve­ry one mortifieth this naturall iniquity, so much from day to day hee is renewed to­wards the Image of God. On the contra­ry, so many as inwardly and from the heart doe not mortifie it by the holy Ghost, these are hypocrites, whatsoever shew of holi­nesse Hypo­crites. they outwardly shew unto the world. [Page 387] And whatsoever is not dead in it selfe, and The ne­cessity of rege­neration is not renewed by the holy Ghost to the image of God, all that is unfit for the kingdome of heaven. Whereby there is to be noted, the necessity of the new birth, and renovation, if we will put out the I­mage of the Devill, opposite to the divine law. For as the Devill doth hate God with all his heart; so hath hee taught the humane soule, against God in hostile man­ner to behave it selfe, not to love him, not to honour him, not to call upon him, to be against, and to flye from him. As the De­vill liveth thus day by day in blindnesse, little caring what is the Divine will; so all things bewitched by him, spend the time unmindfull of God and his commande­ments; which mist and night of humane mind, is a horrible and terrible destructi­on of the light, and of the image of God, and also abominable sin, whereby the man is so farre slided back, that hee doth say, There is no God, Psalm 14. And for this blindnesse all humane kind is abomination and accursed before Almighty God. And although there bee and remain in man a certain spark of naturall light, by the force [Page 388] thereof he understandeth some God to be, and that he is just, as the Ethnick Philoso­phers doe teach; yet the spirituall life, ac­cording to God and his righteousnesse, is A spark of natu­ral light remai­ning in m [...]n. altogether extinguished in him. For the conscience, which is the Law of God writ­ten in the heart of man in the creation, tea­cheth what is good, whereby there is no man so brutish in his pleasures, but by that conscience he thinketh there is a God, and that he is moved with no motion, but is chast, and therefore it cannot but that hee abhorreth all filthinesse, neither should hee doe otherwise. But this good and right thought and spark, our light is put out by the filthy pleasures of the body, and the concupiscences thereof, no other wayes then if water were cast upon it. After the same manner a slanderer or an homicide sometime reasoneth with himselfe; Cer­tainly there is a God that wil not that men should be killed, but would have them pre­served: but this spark lasteth not long, but The spi­rituell life in man is altoge­ther dead. by and by Devillish wrath, and the sweet­nesse of revenge extinguisheth it. From which it is understood that a spirituall life consisting in love and truth, in a carnall [Page 389] man is altogether dead, neither doth hee think otherwise, howsoever sometimes by the light of nature they understand that there is a God, and that he doth governe humane affaires, yet by and by being blind­ed with the darknesse of heart, they call in The mortall blind­nesse of man. question his providence, as their books doe witnesse. And from this naturall blind­nesse and in-born mists, ariseth increduli­lity, unstedfastnesse, and wavering-minded­nesse, which all men naturally are inci­dent unto; and for which before Almigh­ty God they are abomination, because they live not in faith, and they doe not trust from their heart. For seeing that a natu­rall man of the spirituall life and works of the same, is altogether ignorant and pro­fane, hereon it is, that hee calleth not on God, but trusteth in his wisdome, power and strength, then which nothing can bee thought more foolish. Of the same blind­nesse the fruit is contempt of God, and spi­rituall security. For as the Devill secure of God, careth not to humble himselfe before him, but persevereth in his pride; so hee The seed of the Devill in man. doth infect the soule of man by the con­tempt of God, with security, and insolen­cie, [Page 390] so that he doth not humble himself be­fore God; but secure of the divine fear, doth all things after his own will and mind, proudly, insolently. As the Devill carried along with his own strength and wisdome, governeth himselfe: so the soule of man in­fected with the contagion of the Devill, is wise unto it selfe, doth counsell and go­vern it selfe. As the Devill seekes his own honour onely: so the man hath no care of the divine honour, but onely his own. As the Devil hath contended with God; so hath hee armed the soule of man against God by impenitence. As the Devill doth blaspheme the name of God, and is ex­treamly ungratefull towards his Creator, as he is unmerciful, wrathfull, and bloudy; so he hath infected man with these vices, as with a pestilent poyson. As the Devil re­joyceth to exercise tyranny against man, and stirreth up one against another; so man by his discipline depraved, insolently carrieth himselfe over his neighbour, and despiseth him as a man of no account, de­rideth him as a foole, and abhorreth him as a man covered with greatest sinnes and outrages. As the Devill is an homicide; so [Page 391] he stirreth up the soule to the same cruelty and thirst of humane bloud. Lastly, per­swade thy selfe assuredly, that God doth not accuse the outward members, but the God ac­cuseth the soul alwayes. heart and soule alwayes: for the heart and soule is an homicide, and a lier, no [...] his hand, not his mouth. Therefore when God commanded man to call upon him in ne­cessity, he gave that charge to the soul, not to the mouth. Hee that understandeth not this, he truly remaineth as a Mole-warp in the Scripture, neither understandeth the nature of originall sinne, of repentance, of the new birth; lastly, not any Article of Religion. We see daily before our eyes, the extream malice of men, their horrible pride, cruelty, hatred, and beastly envie: so that they are accustomed to lie in wait for another mans life with the hazard of their own, and desire to have their neighbour utterly overthrown. Which inhumane and detestable envie, wrath, and rancor of minds, what other thing is it then that seed The ho­ly ma­trimony in the state of inno­cency. and image of the Devil, of which wee speak? God had planted in man in the state of in­nocency, a pure, chast, and honest conju­gall affection, that he might beget children [Page 392] after the image of God according to the spirit; neither could there bee imagined a more holy pleasure or love, then to propa­gate the image of God, and to multiply humane kind to the glory of God, and good of men. So, I say, if men in the state of innocency could beget infinite chil­dren, and could propagate the honour of God and his image in infinite generations, for the great love both of God and man as the image of God, nothing more accepta­ble, nothing more pleasant, and nothing would be more to be desired. For even as God in the creation of man, did receive an ineffable pleasure, and had in him (or took in him) delight as his image; so the man was to receive and have most pure pleasure in the procreation of his life, and sending forth of the divine Image, which at this day is the reason of marriages; and how Satan hath spotted and defiled that The a­buse of matri­mony. most pure and chast matrimoniall love with his filthinesse, it is as evident as the noon-day. Therefore they mix together no otherwise then brute beasts, and in a blind and furious heat doe beget like unto themselves. Moreover, as the Devill is a [Page 393] Thiefe and a Robber, so hee infuseth the same guile and art in the soule of man. As the Devil is a calumniator, a Sophister, a Sycophant, and a Scoffer of God and man, depraving both deeds and words, and wresting the sense, and repugning it with false interpretation, (of which craft hee shewed us a faire example, when hee sudu­ced our first parents) so the minds of men corrupted with his pestilent contagion, did contract a perverse nature, lying, and cun­ning intrapping, and calumniating. Which Diabolicall and Satanicall corruption of the soule, inexpressible both in the craft and variety of it selfe, the Psalmist descri­beth under the person of a double tongued lying man, Psalm 14. Rom. 3. and blessed James, chap. 7. For God (as wee said even now) doth not accuse the mouth onely, the tongue, hands and feet, but the whole Man in his own law, yea, his heart and mind, as the cause and fountain of all evill, as appeareth by the two last precepts of the Decalogue concerning concupiscence to be avoyded. Which is well to be obser­ved The I­mage of the Devill. with special regard. And this is that image of the Devil set by his Father against [Page 394] the divine image, as lust and pleasure in sin­ning, slandering and reproaching, so farre forth as many that desire to be accounted good Christians, take occasion of tradu­cing their neighbour; which happily being done, they say, applauding themselves; I did this lately, now I have enough, I am freed of a great burden; I seeme to my selfe to returne, as it were, to life again, when at length I have satisfied my mind. What blindnesse is this of yours, and unhappinesse, O mortals, even not to know by whose instinct you doe these things? whose sonnes you are? whose image you beare about? or doe you doubt that these workes are of the Devill, the work-master, these fruits to be of the seed of the Devil, these properties to bee from the nature of the Devil, which hee hath planted in our nature, that hee might riot by a plentiful increase in vices of all kinds, as pride, covetousnesse, lust and slanders, of which wee spake erewhile? And this corruption of the Satanicall image, or originall sin, is so filthy, horrible, and pro­found, as no man can in thought, much less in speech expresse the abomination of your [Page 395] hearts. Which notwithstanding no crea­ture, no Angell, I say, nor men, can either amend, or purge, or root out. For seeing our strength and powers are utterly worne No creature can extir­pate sin. out, consumed, and spiritually dead, it is a vain thing to expect any thing from them. Therefore this remaineth, that we bee mi­serable and unhappy to all eternity, or use the counsell or help of some most po­werfull avenger and extirper of sinnes, Lord of evill and death, and which can by himselfe change, renew, and purge hu­mane nature. Whereby it appeareth in the first place, that justification can be obtained by no humane good work, as also the ne­cessity of regeneration is to bee found out. The na­tural power of man. And to speak this again, the soul can by its own power or strength do nothing but live in its in-born pravity, malice, and all kind of fins both against the precepts of God, and most especially against the first Table, in transgressing whereof consisteth the true enmity with God; in our understanding & will we are so blind, corrupt and dead, that it is against nature to feare God, love, call The true explica­tion of free-wil. on him, honour, praise, worship, trust in him, and to convert our soules to him. As [Page 396] concerning the second Table, truly I con­fesse that there is in the soule a spark of free­will remaining, yet very weak and without sinewes, which therewithall it is hardly a­ble to retain and bridle the evill concupi­scences, that they break not forth into out­ward works (to which things the example of the virtuous Ethnicks are extant in their virtue;) but to change the heart, to turn it to God, to purge it from wicked concupiscences, is a greater work, onely a work of divine strength. For the inward roots and fangs of evill are most deeply fastened, so as all the endeavours of free­will cannot perform to forbeare to breake out openly into flames to destroy all, but liveth in smoak and ashes. Therefore with­out God, this humane kind could not sub­sist, the will of man is so depraved; and howsoever the Devil can do nothing more to exercise the greatest cruelty in the mind of man, yet he cannot extirpate all naturall strength and affections, whereby wee know the law of nature, and in-bred affe­ction of married couples parents and chil­dren, which are foundations and bands of humane society. For hee that will doe all [Page 397] things to which hee is carried by the force of corrupt nature, it must needs bee that Why naturall love is left in man. he shall disturb humane society, and find out a revenging sword of revenging pow­er. Moreover, it must bee thought a deed done by the singular counsell of God, that this naturall affection was not utterly ex­tinct, that we might understand the love of God was the soveraigne good, and the I­mage of God which we lost by our fall and vice. But that which pertaineth to spiritu­all good, concerning blessednesse, and the Kingdome of God, is as true as truth it selfe; blessed Paul saith, 1 Cor. 2. The natu­rall man understandeth not the things that are of the spirit of God, for it is foolishnesse to him, and be cannot understand it: that is, he hath not the least spark of the spirituall light, tasting nothing of those things which be­long to an heavenly, divine, and spirituall life, to which man onely was created, that being enlightned with spirituall light by the inward eyes of the soul; he might con­template the presence of God, and his most sincere love towards him, might live with Man was born to a spiri­tuall life him, and depend on his beck and call throughout all his life. And of this spiri­tuall [Page 398] light in the Kingdome of heaven, the naturall man hath not the least spark, and he must needs abide in this hereditary and in-bred blindnesse, unlesse hee bee divinely Naturall blind­nesse. enlightned. To which I would to God that naturall blindnesse did not adjoyn it selfe, nor that the perversity of man were Man is nothing without Christ. so great, as to put out that small light of nature, whereby morall vertues, and externall honesty of life is governed. There is great in­firmity in the sons of God. Which when it cometh to passe, then truly all the soul is blind, and cannot be set free from such great blindnesse, unlesse it be en­lightned by Christ, regenerated by his spirit, renewed after the Image of God, and be made a new creature; or to speak more truly, in this fraile life it onely beginne to be. For if every one of us that are in the new creature by the holy Ghost, doe consi­der, it will appeare in truth, that the Image of God is lightly ingraven in us, or rather shadowed onely, faith, hope, charity, and the feare of God, these are onely in the be­ginning; little humility, but on the contra­ry, diffidency, pride and impatience, much greater; prayer weak and faint, and cold, and love to our neighbour as weak. [Page 399] Moreover, very small sparkes of spiriri­tuall chastity, on the contrary, flames of carnall pleasures, as also selfe-love, the de­sire of private profit and honour, and the heat of concupiscence will bee found in our hearts. Whereupon it followeth, that to Inward strife. the last gasp of our life, we are to fight and wrastle with old Adam, and the image of the Devil by the spirit of God, neither ought we to have a greater care, and to lay it to heart, then to pray, mourn, sigh, to ask, to seek, and knock, that the holy Ghost may be given us, who as our Captain may daily abolish in us the image of the Devil, and also renew us after the Image of God. Whereby we are to under­stand, that we are not to trust to our selves, but to the divine grace, and that is it which doth all things in us, all things are to bee sought, desired, and intreated for of Christ by faith: Divine knowledge and wisdome against our blindnesse, the righteousnesse of Christ against all our sins; Christ his san­ctification against our impurity, Christ his redemption, virtue, victory and fortitude a­gainst The use of this chapter. Death, Hell, and the Devill; pardon of all sins against the kingdom of sin & Sa­tan; [Page 400] eternal blessednesse against all spiritu­all and corporall miseries; and last of all, in Christ alone to obtain life eternall. Of which I shall say more in the second Book.

CHAP. XLII. Wherein the reason of the order of the first Book is set down, and therewith is taught that spiritual pride is to be eschewed; and herewithal that no true and celestiall gifts can be ob­tained without prayer.

BEfore I put an end to this Book, I thought good to understand and fore­see that the Reader be admonished of two [...]hings, rather two Chapters. The first is, [Page 401] that through all this book, is by penitence, with all his fruits, as by renovation in Christ, by mortification of the flesh, deni­all of our selves, contempt of the world, and exercise of charity, so copiously and dive [...]sly described, that was not without cause, nor rashly done by me. For, first of all, repentance is the beginning and foun­dation Repen­tance is the be­ginning of Chri­stianity. of Christianity, of a holy life, and our blessednesse through faith: secondly, true and solid consolation in the mind of man, cannot be felt to effect by him, that doth not not exactly understand the nature of originall sinne, (never to bee sufficiently deplored) fruits, and what kind of horrible, pestilent, deadly, and diabolicall poyson and seed it is; when we have studied what we can, which unlesse it be done, and a man before all things doe well know his owne miseries, and so the terrible corruption of our originall sin, in vain and of no account are all the books of spirituall and Evange­licall consolation; whereby it is given to understand, how preposterous and choyce our nature is, and how it rejoyceth in flat­teries, because most men about this foun­dation, and the fore-cited things of our [Page 402] sins, of our in-bred corruption, and in­born wickednesse, wee onely please our selves. Which way of reasoning the holy Scripture is just contrary, whose saying is, that a medicine is to bee prepared for the sick, and not for the sound and healthy; seeing that Christ is the true Physitian al­together unseaso­nable consola­tion. of our souls, yet the crown of his merit with all vulgar consolations, is of no worth nor use, where the knowledgement of the disease went not before; so the whole Christian life is nothing else but a conti­nuall A Chri­stian life and daily crucifying and mortifying of the flesh. Neither can any man (this to be said again and again) belong to Christ, who composeth himselfe and his life o­therwise: but those that are so, those are never Orphans, and without sincere joy; nor lastly, without celestial comfort and consolation. Seeing this which wee speak of, our proper misery, the knowledge of our corruption and infirmity by the holy Ghost, and meditation of the holy Scrip­ture and Gospel, doth bring forth most true consolation of it selfe and the own na­ture bringeth us to Christ; which seeing it is so, to bee advised by mee, Let no man [Page 403] of corrupt judgement deceive thee and per­swade thee that these bookes are of little regard: Perswade thy self these are a blind Foolish iudge­ment of this book. kind of men, and that with the most igno­rant of men they take knowledge of the misery of their nature, both what Adam and Christ is, & how Adam is to die in us, and how Christ ought to live in us; let not this be held for a dream, understand it not so. And whosoever disdaineth this notice, it is certaine that he hath his mind stuffed with the darknesse of ignorance; neither doth he understand what repentance, what faith, what new birth, what regeneration is, and in what chapters the whole course of living Christianty is contained. And this is the first I desire thee my Reader. And the second, that thou be mindfull of spirituall pride: After that Almighty God Three sorts of spiritual pride. shal begin by his grace to work in thee spi­rituall gifts, new virtues, and new know­ledge in thee, ascribe none of these to thine own strength, but wholly to divine grace; even the beginning of a holy life is righte­ousnesse before God, and so to be interpre­ted; and it is as sure, that all that thou dost, is unperfect, lame, and defective. [Page 404] Moreover, that thou beware of the Devils Cobwebs, and his devices, whose properties and custome is to sow Popple amongst the Wheat, to whom therefore thou art not to give place; but how much more is in the new gifts, the more do thou beware thou abuse it not to thine honour, but in humble fear of God, ascribe whatsoever it be, to the great and eternal author of them; Reme­dies a­gainst spiritual pride. and to thy selfe on the contrary, thou shalt deny all things, lest perhaps thou mayst say sometimes in thine heart, O great faith of mine, great knowledge, great gifts: for lest thou deceive thy selfe, none of these are thine, but Gods, without whose illumina­tion thou remainest a dead, filthy, and vile sheafe. Therefore these gifts are none of thine, no more then the glistering of a gem or pretious stone wherein as a Jeweller hee putteth his treasure: so God placeth in thee his goods, but without them thou art empty and void. And it were great dotage and foolery, to take occasion to boast thy self of another mans goods, as I shall speak more in the second book. For even as a Jeweller when as so oft as he pleaseth, hath power to put his treasure or Jewels into a­nother [Page 405] box to carry where hee pleases, or keep about him: so God every moment may take his gifts from thee, whom there­fore thou oughtst to feare, and with all di­ligence eschew spiritual arrogancy. More­over, thou must think that Almighty God will require an exact account of those things of thee. And how great soever those things be which our heavenly Father hath lent thee through Christ, they are onely beginnings and first fruits of solid graces. Furthermore, it is thy part to know, that there is no perfect gifts obtained but by prayer from God; without which what­soever they be that thou hast, those truly are but shadowes and unprofitable dead seeds, bearing no ripe fruits, as thou mayst understand by my little book of prayers, No pro­fitable gifts are obtain­ed with­out prayer. whereby examples we teach, that without prayer no heavenly gifts doe descend into the heart of man. Of which little book, that thou mayst have some taste, I invite thee to read those things which I have written in the second booke of prayers. There be two things in speciall which all our prayers ought to respect, one is the de­struction of the Devils image, which com­meth [Page 406] in power of incredulity, pride, cove­tousnesse, lust, wrath, and such like. The other is, the restauration of the divine I­mage, in which is contained faith, hope, charity, humility, patience, lowlinesse, the fear of the Lord: which two things are by The sum of the Lords prayer. divine workmanship briefly contracted in the Lords prayer, as I may so say, that it maketh part for us, and part against us. For if the power of God be to be sanctified, then it behoveth thee to kill thine owne power, with all the pride of old Adam. If th [...] kingdome of God be to be built in thee, the Devils must be overthrown: if the will of God be to be fulfilled in thee, thine must needs be contemned and denied. And these two heads in the book of prayer are requi­red, if thou wilt have it profitable unto thee, are shadowed, as I said even now, in the Lords Prayer, which is a certain brevia­ry of heavenly and temporall gifts; which because the Son of God commanded us to pray, therefore those things his heavenly Father will give us much more willingly, it is more sure then needs be called in questi­on, or any doubt made thereof. Of which in another place.