The first part.

If oppression be a monster with many heads, so is division which you cannot look upon without fear and horrour, in Kingdomes, Families and Churches, for you know that there is a civil or po­litical division which ruineth all things in King­domes, Cities, and Villages, for by that division Kingdomes are destroyed, men slain, Virgins de­floured, women abused, children corrupted, Cities [Page 4]everted, Villages ruined, houses by fire consumed, Palaces demolished, and the most pleasant dwel­lings wasted, nay, more then that Emperours and glorious Kings dethroniz'd; so that nothing but desolation and ruine appears before our eyes, as you your selves lately have seen in this Kingdom; but this monster of division is not satisfied to spoil the glorious Kingdomes of the earth; it reacheth further unto private families to confound them, for there is a domestical division which everteth all oeconomical order and government, and procre­ates confusion and disorder in families, for in that fatal division the Father is against the Son, the Son against the Father, the mother against the daughter, the daughter against the mother, the husband hates his wife, and the wife despiseth her husband; nay, you see that monster of division go up and down in the house to the ruine and de­struction of all things in families, for in that divi­sion Parents neglect their children, with their em­ployments, and spend all that they have by pro­fusion and carelesness.

But me thinks, I see this monster of division go yet further, and by a damnable presumption en­deavour to enter into the Church of God to spoil and defile it; me thinks it prevaileth so far that the Church seems rather a chaos or confusion then a distinct fabrick, and if that Ecclesiastical monster be not stayed that it go no further, it will spoil and ruine the sacred house of the Almighty God; [Page 5]which the Apostle Paul did well know, for hearing of the Ecclesiastical diuision among the Corinthi­ans, he writes unto them to extinguish it, saying I hear that there be divisions among you: I hear saith the Apostle, not by a special revelation (as if God should have revealed him that which the Co­rinthians would not have him know) but by let­ters, or rather by some that came from Corinth, who informed S. Paul of the disorders of the Co­rinthians, and so writing unto them saith, I hear that there be divisions among you, as he had told them in the 2. verse of the first Chapter, con­cerning their contentions about Paul, Apollo, and Cephas; it hath bean declared unto me that there are contentions among you;

But for a clear intelligence of the Ecclesiastical division of which the Apostle here speaks, you must observe that it is vel circa doctrinam vel cir­ca disciplinam vel circa ceremonias; Either about the doctrine, or about the discipline, or about ce­remonies where the Ecclesiastical division about the doctrine, is that by which the true principles & fundamental points of Religion are everted, which is such a pernicious division that from thence comes her pestilent daughter heresie; the divisi­on about discipline is that by which the Ecclesia­stical Jurisdiction established for the correction of Christian sinners, and preservation of the Church is destroyed, which is that division which most shamefully brings forth licentiousness; the Eccle­siastical [Page 6]division about Ceremonies, is that by which the rights of the Church observed in the outward service of God, are most irreverently de­spised and abolished, which is a division from which cometh schisme, which the Apostle speaks of when he saith, I hear that there be divisions a­mong you; for the word of my Text in the Ori­ginal is [...] schismes, which nevertheless may be extended to the division about doctrine and di­scipline, by which the Church is rent as well as by that of Ceremonies and much more.

Indeed all these divisions were to be found a­mong the Corinthians; for among them some there were who would corrupt the doctrine by their erroneous opinions, some among the Corin­thians did condemn the marriage, not as if it were instituted by a wicked God or by the devil (as Si­mon and Saturninus said) but as a thing somerhing impure which was not fit for a Christian, whose life was to be every way most pure, which obli­ged the Corinthians to write unto the Apostle Paul to have his judgement about it, which was, that marriage was lawfull for every man, as you may see in the 7. Chapter of our Epistle, nay, ho­nourable in all, and the bed undefiled; some among the Corinthians being infected with the Sadduces heresie, denied the resurrection of the bodies, as you may observe in the 15. Chapter: some would defile the Christian doctrine with Judaicall Su­perstitions, which some false Doctours would in­troduce [Page 7]in the Church as necessary to salvation; moreover they would infect the doctrine of the Gospel with the prophanations of the Gentiles, as it appears by the 8. and 10. Chapter; Concern­ing the Discipline and government of the Church some there were among the Corinthians who would not have any, desiring to live according to their own minds, that they might give themselves to all licentiousness without any reprehension or correction; which prevailed so far, that the Church of Corinth did bear with the whoremongers, drunkards, and contentious; which gave our A­postle occasion to write the 5. and 6. Chapters of our Epistle to extinguish that monster of licenti­ousness.

As for the Ceremonies, there was division in the Church; for among the Corinthians some would not submit themselves unto the perfor­mance of them, as you may see in our Chapter; where you must observe that the divisions of the Corinthians, were not about the saving know­ledge of Jesus Christ, nor about heresie which e­verteth the doctrine; but about the manner of preaching and praying, and about the manner of receiving the holy Sacrament: Concerning the first, the contention was about the covering of the head, as if we should now dispute about a hat and a coife, for men and women had engaged them­selves in that division: According to the custome of the Corinthians, as well as to that of the Church [Page 8]of England the men were to be uncovered as well during the Sermon as during the prayers, and women as now they are, were to be covered, as you may see by the 4. and 5. verses of our Cha­pter, where we may very well take praying and prophesying actively and passively; actively, for those that pray and preach, and passively for those that joyn their vows and prayers with him that prayeth, as those that are present at the hearing of him that preacheth; so that not onely he that did preach according to the custome of the Church of Corinth, was to be uncovered, but those also that were present at the hearing of the Sermon, but some lovers of divisions would not submit to that custome; Some men covered them­selves in the holy Assemblies, and some women were uncovered, which S. Paul hearing of, endea­voureth to instruct them about these things, shew­ing them the lawfulness of that custome, which the Church had thought fit to be observed by both Sexes in their publick and holy meetings from the 6. ver. to the 16. ver.

For the manner of receiving the holy Sacra­ment, be it standing or kneeling, the Apostle leaves it to the custome and ordering of the Church, that such things might be established not by the common people, but by the Ecclesiastical Superiours; for these injunctions belong onely to them, as being sub potestate ordinis, under the power of order, which is insinuated in the [Page 9]1 Corinth. 14. at the last verse; Let all things be done, (that is, by the Ecclesiastical Superi­ours) decently and in order; but if these injun­ctions regard the Ecclesiastical Superiours, know ye also that the Ecclesiastical corrections for the prophanation of the Lords Supper belong to their persons, as it appeareth by our Text, I hear that there be divisions among you, which hath rela­tion to the following verses, where the Apostle condemns the profanation of the Corinthians a­gainst the holy Sacrament.

And indeed it was very sit for the Apostle to condemn their profanation which was commit­ted in their banquets of charity, which were kept in the Church before the participation of the Sa­crament; for it came to pass soon after the insti­tution of these banquets, that the rich men that were at the expences of them, would not tarry for the poor, and so the rich were drunk, and the poor hungry, as the Apostle speaks in the 21 ver. of our Chapter; the rich man came to the Sacra­ment without reverence, being in that sinfull and shamefull condition, and the poor discontented; for (as I have said) these banquets were kept in the Church before the reception of the holy Sa­crament, although soon after the Apostles time that custome was changed, and these banquets kept after its celebration, as it appears by Tertul. Apolog. for the Christians; and Chrysostome in moral. homil. 27. their prophanation then caused [Page 10]divisions in the Church, and disorder among the Christian Corinthians, which obligeth the Apo­stle Paul to write and say, I hear that there be divi­sions among you.

But brethren, if all these things which I have mentioned were among the Corinthians, give me leave to tell you without offence, that the same things are to be found among us who have desiled the glorious Church of England, as the Corinthians did the eminent Church of Corinth: it was that Ecclesiastical monster of division that spoiled it when it did appear against doctrine, discipline and Ceremonies; and it is that monster that is yet ready to ruine that glorious Church, which as a Phoenix is newly born of her ashes; consider I beseech you the divisions which are yet entertain­ed amongst us, and you shall see that they regard the Doctrine, Discipline, and Ceremonies, for heresie reigneth yet in England; Socinians, Ana­baptists, Quakers and Millenaries, with others, ap­pear in great number, and with a damnable consi­dence endeavour to corrupt and desile the Evan­gelical doctrine, that they may insinuate and scat­ter their errours and heresies among the poor Christian people; licentiousness appeareth too much in this Kingdom; we are willing to give our selves to all the corruptions of the world; but we are not willing to be reproved for our sins, we slatter our selves in our iniquities, and wickedly make use of the Christian liberty to maintain our [Page 11]rebellion: as for Schism it is too well known in this Countrey, and I wish (as my duty with my affection to this Nation obligeth me) that that monster might be hated of all, and that those that have been contentious might quietly return into the Church; let them consider that those things which they trouble the Church for, touch not the substance and body of Religion, but onely the circumstances of it, and they shall learn of our Apostle to hate divisions; for (saith he) speaking about these things to the Corinthians, if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, nei­ther the Churches of God; and to correct their ir­regularities about the holy Sacrament, I hear that there be divisions among you, which shews the con­tentious that schism about Ceremonies leads to prophanation about other things, and to heresie, if it be not stayed; but behold, there are some monsters that appear unto me black and obscure, coming from the dark prison of the prince of the air, the God of this world, and that is pride with many other daughters of hell, which you shall see in the second part of my Text.

The second Part.

As pride made division between God and the Angels, that are now devils, and ambition did alienate our first Parents from God, so pride and ambition makes a division between the Church and her children; for you shall often see the chil­dren of the Church to be so ambitious, that they [Page 12]will esteem themselves above their mother, and indeed there is no schismatick, much more an here­tick but is ambitious, and so the Shoolmen speak when they say, that a Schismatick is one who re­taining the fundamental points of Religion rends impudently the Church by reason of some Rights and Ceremonies which his ambition approves not of; but me thinks that the next daughter of hell is envy, which seems sad by reason of the union which she fears in this Kingdom, for envy loves nothing but division, because that vice and immo­derate affection of our soul, will never permit us to like what is done by those that we do not like, or to consent unto these things which we had no hand to in their Institution; for in the injunction of such things we are perswaded by that fatal pas­sion that our advantage is hindred or diminished: but behold there is another which is covered with a very black garment, where you can discern no­thing, and that is ignorance, which cannot inform us of the nature of those things which are impo­sed upon us by our Superiours, for Ignorance makes us esteem the circumstances and garments of Religion to be of as high a nature as the body and substance thereof, and by that means we can­not agree, nor receive the circumstantial things which our Superiours impose upon us for the good order of the Christian Church: but further give me leave to let another monstrous daughter of hell appear with the others, that we may eschew [Page 13]the fatal effects thereof, in the knowledge of her nature, and that is obstinacy, which is not con­tent to cause division but will countenance it: for obstinacy (as every one knows) will always have us to defend that which we once have maintained and blame that which we once have declaimed against although we know not any reason for it, and so the obstinate men will remain in their er­rours and entertain division.

Now if you consider the causes of our divisions without partiality, you will confess with me, that Pride, Envy, Ignorance, and Obstinacy, were those monsters which would not permit, as now will not yet suffer the fomenters of division to ad­here to those things which their Superiours impo­sed upon them; for otherwise I do verily beleeve, that they had not embroyled this Nation with such a cruel war; neither had they upon their pre­tended occasions so violently persecuted the Church; for these things which many (who agree in the substance of Religion with their mother the Church) contended about, are harmless and can­not offend moderate and prudent men, for not a­ny of the authours of the division of this King­dom, I hope, will blame the moderation of the first Reformers of the Church of England, who seriously examined the Church of Rome in its Doctrine, Discipline, and Worship, to reject the Errours and Heresies of the Doctrine, the Ty­ranny and oppression of the Discipline, and the [Page 14]Superstitions of the Worship; and retain that which the Church of Rome had from the Christi­an Primitive Church; nay, more then that, they took a way the abuse of things indifferent in their nature, and reduced them to a lawfull use.

But for all that, some contentious, like those that were in Corinth, of whom the Apostle speaks when he saith, I hear that there be divisions among you, would not be satisfied, they blamed many things that could be easily passed by, as now ma­ny of their imitatours do; for the white colour of the garments of the Church of England offend their sight, they say that these garments are su­perstitiously used in the Church of Rome; as if in the Church of Rome the Clergy regular & secu­lar did not use garments of several other colours as well as white; nay, more then that, those that know the Church of Rome, as I have reason to know it (having lived among them, & in their communion 23 or 24 years) are not ignorant that she makes use of all sorts of colours, so that if we would not use any of those she makes use of, we should go all naked, & so we should prove very fit to be among the Adamites; but as S. Jerome saith very well a­gainst Pelagius what enmity is it against God if the Bishop, Priest and Deacon, do go in white vestments when they are to officiate.

Moreover, they will not admit the singing of the Creed nor many pious Songs, when other Pro­testants beyond the Sea, whom the contentious [Page 15]approve of, sing the Lords Prayer in their temple, as the Dutch Churches and those of Hesson, or the ten Commandments, with that which we call the Song of Simeon, as our French Reformed Churches and others do; and if they tell me, that the Church of England cannot produce any pas­sage of Scripture for the singing of the Creed, &c. I answer, that it is not necessary for circumstanti­al things, and that our Protestants beyond the sea, whom the causers of division in this Kingdom do approve of, cannot bring any passage of Scripture to prove the singing of the Lords Prayer, and the ten Commandments.

But their contentious humour goes yet further, for they will not have the people answer in the ce­lebration of the Divine Service, and they are of­fended at the repetitions which the Church of England makes use of; but

For the first, I say, that it is good according to the custome of the Church of England, to joyn our selves with the Pastours in the Church, as you did this day, in the celebration of the Divine Ser­vice, for it is nothing else but a sacred conce [...]t in imitation of that which the sacred Angels make use of in heaven in their praising of the Lord, as you may see in Isa. 6. and the Church of England is not the onely Church amongst the Reformed which makes use of answers in the celebration of the Divine Service, for the Reformed Churches of Hungaria, Transilvania and Lithuania, as I am [Page 16]credibly informed, make use of some answers in their Divine Service; but I need not to pleade in that manner; for if in that the Church of England should be alone among the Protestant Churches, I would hold it lawfull, because it is not against Scripture but rather conformable to it; when the blessed spirits and sacred Angels cry or answer one to another, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of Hosts.

Concerning the repetitions of the Church, let me tell you that they are as so many productions of a sacred and vehement affection like unto that of David, Lord, have mercy upon me, Lord, have mercy upon me; and that of the Angels, Holy, Holy, Holy; indeed if the Church of England should make use of her repetitions by number, as the Church of Rome doth, so that by the repeating of so many times such a prayer she should think to merit something before God, as the relaxation of some temporal punishment, or to obtain the pardon of her sins for 40. 50. or a 100. years; I would account them vain and superstitious, but it is clear that she doth not do it, for all that the Church of England doth intend in her repetitions, as I conceive is to inflame our zeal and affection towards God; as the Prophet David left us an example, that we might conform our selves to it; repeating many times the wonderful favours of our God towards the humane kinde, and saying Psal. 136. in every verse for his mercy endureth for ever.

But this is not all which the Authours of our divisions condemn, for the signe of the Cross made upon the forehead of the baptized Infants, passeth for a superstition and a rest of Papism, as the commemoration of the principal mysteries of our redemption, observed at certain days of the year, with the Festival days of the Blessed Vir­gin, the Apostles, and Martyrs; nay, more then that, they cannot endure to hear any thing about the bowing to the Name of Jesus.

But for the signe of the Cross, those that have perused the antiquity know that it was used in the Christian primitive Church for a signe of the Christian profession, as it appeareth by Tertul­lian, Cyprian, and Augustine de verbis Domini the eighth Sermon, and that is granted by our Learned Peter du Moulin in his little Tractate of the Traditions, Chap. 25. and I will not omit our judicious Bucer, who saith, in his first Book De Regno Christi, cap. 12. ‘I think that the signe of the Cross is neither indecent nor unprofitable, non tam quod est in Ecclesia usus antiquissimi, quam quod est admodum simplex & praesentis admoniti­onis crucis Christi; not so much because it is of an ancient use in the Church, as that it is very inno­cent, and of a present admonition of the Cross of Christ.’

I confess that the signe of the Cross is super­stitiously used in the Church of Rome, for they make use of it with their holy water for the expi­ation [Page 18]of their venial sins, which are not to be found in the Scripture, nor in antiquity, nor in nature; they make use of the signe of the Cross to drive away the devil and scare him; they use it before a Cross, because it hath been cause (as they say) of great wonders, and occasion of the conversion of S. Christopher, who (as some of them say) was before engaged in the service of the de­vil, although it is very true, that there was never such a man as they imagine him to be: nay, they make use of the signe of the Cross before and af­ter their meat, some being of that perswasion, that their meat and drink cannot profit them without that signe; but the Church of England admits none of these Superstitions, for she onely makes use of the signe of the Cross for a mark and to­ken of the Christian profession as it was used in the Primitive Church.

And do not tell me, that it was upon occasions which are not now to be found among us, for I will tell you, that now the occasions are as great if not greater, being among those who under the pro­fession of Christ endeavour to ruine his Church; and if that were no sin to do it in the Primitive Church, as I hope the contentious will confess, I may certainly say that it is none now to do it; but those that condemn the signe of the Cross, should not at all speak against it, for if they are persecuted as they say, let them according to the custom of the Church Primitive, make the signe of the Cross among themselves.

As for the Festival days, or the commemoration of the principal mysteries of our Redemption, and other special favours of God which gloriously shi­ned in the Blessed Virgin, the Apostles, and Mar­tyrs, observed at certain days of the year; it is well known to such as are but meanly read, that it was the custome of the Christian Church be­fore the Apostatick seat of Rome, as you may see by Jerome in his Commentary upon the Epistle to the Galatians, cha. 4. adding there further, that soon after the Apostles time the Histories of their lives and deaths were read in the Church, and their godly examples commended to the people; and although Antiquity is not sufficient of it self to justifie this or that Observation, yet next unto the Holy Scriptures it is to be reverenced accord­ing to that of S. Austin, Epist. 118. tom. 2. post sa­cras Scriptur as ea nobis sunt observanda quae vel ab Apostolis profecta esse per traditionem, vel ab uni­versalibus consiliis desinita esse judicantur; those things are by us to be observed next unto the Holy Scriptures, which are judged to come from the Apo­stles by tradition, or to have been desined by general Councils.

Indeed we must acknowledge, that many su­perstitions are used these days in the Church of Rome; for in the Festival dayes of the blessed Vir­gin, and holy Apostles, those of the Church of Rome pretend to merit before God in their sin­full devotions before such an Altar and no other, [Page 20]and in such a Chappel; they offer unto them Vows, present them their prayers, and give them an honour which is due unto God; which if these Saints had any knowledge of, they without doubt would implore the Divine Majesty to punish their presumption; for if they could not endure such an honour upon the earth, Act. 10.14. as being onely proper to God, much less will they suffer it in heaven, being indued with a greater charity toward the God of glory, whom they must reve­rently adore; therefore the Church of England admits not these Superstitions in her Festival days; she doth nothing but meditate these days on the wonderfull graces of God, which did appear in these Saints, of whom she celebrates the com­memoration, and desireth of God, that she may imitate them in the holy life and pious conversa­tion which they did leade upon the earth, and so she saith with S. Austin lib. de vera relig. cap. 55. Sancti honorandi sunt propter imitationem, sed non adorandi propter religionem, the Saints are to be ho­noured for imitation, but not worshipped for Religi­on, for although these days are kept holy in Comme­moration of the Saints, yet they are not kept holy to the Saints but to God.

For the bowing at the Name of Jesus, I con­fess, that at first coming from the Church of Rome I thought it was superstitious, but having seriou­sly examined the thing, I see that it can be done without superstition; for we owe to our blessed [Page 21]Saviour an outward and inward reverence, because Christ hath redeemed not onely our souls but also our bodies from eternal corruption, and indeed we may observe that in Phil. 2.10. where it is said, that at the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, things in earth, and things under the earth; for although the Apostle speaks imme­diately of the glory and authority given our Savi­our, yet we must make it known inwardly and outwardly, by an inward and outward reverence: and the famous Zanchius acknowledgeth the law­fullness of the bowing at the Name of Jesus, in that verse of the Epistle to the Philippians, say­ing, whereas before the Name of Jesus was bla­sphemed by almost all the Jews, after his death his Divinity being manifested, he is adored of all men, so that even at the mentioning of the Name of Je­sus they all how their knees to him: atque hinc non dubito quin profecta sit illa antiquissima consuetudo in Ecclesus, ut cum nominatur Jesus omnes ape­riant caput in testimonium reverentiae & adoratio­nis: ‘and I doubt not but that from thence came that ancient custom used in the Churches, that all should uncover their heads at the naming of Jesus, in signe of reverence and adoration,’ and that is used not onely in the Reformed Churches of England, but also in those of the Palatinate, as I have heard of those that came from that place.

Indeed I must confess, that to do it as the Church [Page 22]of Rome doth, is a thing superstitious, for they place some vertue in the Name of Jesus, qua no­men, consisting of its two syllables; so that they superstitiously worship the word it self; nay, more then that, they say, that the Name of Jesus, qua nomen, is greater, holier, and more reverent, then the Name of God, as Cornel. à lapide expresses; but the Church of England admits no such thing, she bows at the Name of Jesus, to express a signe of the reverence which she owes not to the word it self, but to Christ signified by the word; and there is no more superstition in that, then there is in the kneeling at these words, Et verbum caro fa­ctum est, and the Word was made flesh; but some of the Learned Protestant Doctours conceive no Su­perstition at the kneeling at these words; for as Peter Martyr Coc. com. Class. 4. cap. 10. sect. 50. saith, many there be who piously kneel and worship at the hearing of these words of the Gospel, [and the Word was made flesh,] and yet it must not be said, that these words themselves are worshipped, but that which is by them signified; then there is no Super­stition at the bowing at the Name of Jesus.

I could raise many other Objections, which those make who love division, but I will not be tedious, it is enough to tell you, that that which our divided people, enemy of the Episcopal Go­vernment, and of all the Rights which the Church of England observeth, blames, is approved of by all the Protestants beyond the Seas as good or [Page 23]esteemed as indifferent; which may be enjoyned and made necessary necessitate convenientiae by the Ecclesiastical Superiours; and I remember that I heard from a Polander with whom I was sometimes at Paris, that in the Reformed Churches of Bo­hemia, and those of little Poland, the people kneel­ing did receive the Sacrament, and that these Pro­testants did celebrate the Feasts of our blessed Sa­viour, of the Virgin Mary mother of Christ, and of the Apostles; as in all these Churches and o­thers, they bury the dead with certain forms, which contain Lectures, Hymns, and Prayers, which as in the Church of England shew the de­sire we Christians ought to have for the enjoying of the eternal felicity and glory both in body and soul, with those that are departed this life in the faith of Jesus Christ; whereof the Church of Rome superstitiously prays for the dead, that they may enjoy an eternal rest, and that their souls may be delivered from the flames of Putgatory, which is a place which they cannot finde in the Scripture, nor in the Writings of the Doctours of the Primi­tive Church, as it appears by some of the Learn­edest of our adversaries, for Fisher Bishop of Ro­chester in his Writings egainst Luther, says, that in the ancient Writers there is little or no menti­on of Purgatory; and Durand doth ingeniously confess, that Ambrose, Austin, Hilary and Jerome do not at all speak of Purgatory; as Marous as it is reported Bishop of Ephesus declared in the Coun­cel [Page 24]of Florence, that Chrysostome denied it; by that then you see that those things which the Church of England observeth, are harmless, and have no­thing of Popery with them, which is so evident, that some of the most eminent Ministers of the Reformed Churches of France, M. du Moulin, and the Learned Bochart did in the English Churches follow their customes, which they did approve of as good and lawful, as it appears by their letters to several Bishops of England; for indeed I may say, if they had thought that their customes and cere­monies had been sinfull, they had not communi­cated with the Church of England.

And if you tell me, why do not then the Churches of France and others beyond the Seas, observe the same Ceremonies, I will answer with the Church of England according to the 34. of her Articles, that it is not necessary, that ceremonies be in all places one and utterly like, for at all times saith the Article, they have been divers, and may be changed according to the diversity of coun­treys, times, and mens manners; let then those that will not submit to the order of the Church consider these things, and I am sure that we shall not have occasion to say with the Apostle, I hear that there be divisions among you: Indeed brethren, not to submit our selves to the customes of the Churches in things which are not contrary to Scri­pture, is a signe of a notable frowardness, and a token of an humour which abhorreth tranquillity [Page 25]and concord, saith the Learned du Moulin, in his Book concerning traditions, chap. 24. pag. 346. for we ought to conform our selves to such customes and ceremonies of the Church; as Jerome in his Epistle to Lucinius, teaches us, saying, I think that I must tell you that the Ecclesiasticall Tradi­tions, specially those that are not contrary to faith ought to be observed, as we have received them from our ancestors, and so speaks S. Ambrose to S. Austin, and S. Austin to Januarius, epist. 118. saying, when I am at Rome I fast on Saturday, but when I am at Millan, I do not fast; so when you come into some Church keep her custom, if you will not scandalize any nor be scandalized of any; and indeed it is necessary for Christians to submit to customs, not necessary in their natures, for if the evil be not so great as touching the doctrine, it may be very great as touching the manners and disorders which from thence come forth.

But give me leave to go yet further, to take a­way an errour which is common in this Nation, and among the enemies of the Church of Eng­land, who say, that the Liturgy is taken from the Mass, nay, is nothing but the Mass in English, celebrated in the same manner the Church of Rome doth, which makes a great impression in the common people.

To answer unto that; I say, that (although the Church of England had taken her Liturgy out of the Mass-book, it would not follow that the [Page 26]Liturgy should not be good except they shew me, that all which is in the Mass is false and erroneous, which cannot be: for if it were so, the Creed and the Lords Prayer, which is said with the Mass, should not be good, nay, should be erroneous; but let me tell you, that it is a false aspersion and ca­lumny, which the contentious of this Nation, put upon the Liturgy of the Church of England, when they say, that it is drawn from the Mass, for in the Mass they shall not finde the manner of the confession and absolution of our sins, as it is insert­ed in the Liturgy of the Church of England; they shall not finde in the Mass the Te Deum, or song of S. Ambrose, the Benedicite, or Song of the three Children, as they are to be found in the English Liturgy; they shall not finde in the Mass, many prayers that are to be found in the Liturgy of the Church of England, nor the Litany which she makes use of; they shall not finde in the Mass the ten Commandments, nor the Commination or threatning made unto those who persevere in their iniquities, nor many other things, which are pi­ously and truly set down in the English Liturgy; but they shall finde in the Mass the superstitious invocation of creatures, of Angels, men and wo­men; the prayers for the souls of those who (as the Church of Rome saith, are in Purgatory, grounded upon the merits of the Saints, or on some bones which they call Reliques; and above all they shall finde in the Mass a new sacrifice of [Page 27]Jesus Christ offered unto God the Father for the living and the dead; but you shall not finde these things in the Liturgy of the Church of England, for the Church of England condemneth all these Superstitions and abominations in 22. and 31. of her Articles.

Moreover, the Liturgy of the Church of Eng­land is not onely different from the Mass in its matter and form, but also in the manner of its celebration, and use of it; for the Mass is onely celebrated in the morning, and after 12 of the clock there is no Mass private nor soleninal to be said; in a Cathedral Roman Church 20. or 30. Masses are sometimes celebrated at the same time in the several Chappels thereof, and one Mass being said, a Priest cometh in the place of the o­ther, that hath finished his Mass to celebrate his, having afore confessed some of his sins to another Priest, and so sometimes about an hundred Mas­ses will be celebrated in a morning in the same Cathedral: In the Mass, the Priest begins with a great signe of the Cross upon his forehead, his stomack and his shoulders, and then joyning his hands afore his breast, he saith, Introibo ad altare Dei, &c. and after the ending of the Introite, after the Consiteor, to God, to the Virgin Mary, to Mi­chael the Archangel, to John the Baptist, to the Apostles Peter and Paul, and to all the Saints; the Priest goes up to the Altar to perform the Mass, speaking sometime in secret, sometime with a low [Page 28]voice, and sometime with a loud one, except it be a solemn Mass, where the voice is higher for the most part, and the Priest that celebrates it doth many things that are not observed in the private Mass, and speaks to the Incense, and blesses it in that manner, saying, be blessed Incense through him, in whose honour thou shalt be burned, and that in Latine, as the rest of the Mass: sometimes the Priest turneth himself, and shews his face to the people to say Orate fratres, Pray ye brethren, or Ite, missa est, go ye, this is the leave or dismission; at that part of the Mass called the Offertory, the young man or childe who answereth to the Priest, and serves him in a private Mass, or the sub-dea­con which serveth the Priest with a Deacon, in a solemn Mass, goes up to the corner of the Al­tar, where he takes two little bottles, in one of which there is wine, and the other water; he gives them to the Priest that came to him; who takes them to pour into the Chalice or cup wine and water; after that the Priest draws himself to the middle of the Altar right against an Image of Christ upon the Cross, or of some Saint, where he makes the Signe of the Cross with the Cha­lice, which he after puts upon the Altar, and co­vers with the cloth called the Corporass: then the Priest comes again to him that serveth at the Mass, to wash his hands, saying, when the young man pours water upon his fingers, Lovabo manus meas inter innocentes, &c. I will wash my hands a­mong [Page 29]the innocents, &c. in the canon of the Mass before the consecration of the Host, the Priest makes many signes of the Cross, and after the consecration many more, that the assaults of the devil may not prevail against it, as Innocent the third Pope teaches, lib. 2. de Myster. Missae, cap. 58. towards the ending of the Mass, the Priest stretch­es out to the young man, or other that serves him the empty Chalice, who pours wine into it where with the Priest washeth his mouth, because it is the wine of Purification; a little after he washeth his singers, wipes them, and drinks that washing, and then kissing the Altar he bows and inclines his head towards the Cross, and turning himself to the people, he finisheth the Mass, saying, Be­nedicat vos, &c. except it be a Mass for the dead where the Priest saith in lieu of it, Requiescant in pace, let them rest in peace.

As for the Vestments which they use in the Mass, they are also different from those of the Church of England; they make use of no Sur­plice in the Mass; for when the Priest dresses him­self, first he puts the Amice, which covers the Priests head in the form of a hood, after the Amice the Priest puts the Albe, which is like a white shirt, about the borders whereof there is some light work with green or red silk, upon the Albe the Girdle is put, which is white, and adorned with two tossels of the same colour; the Stole comes after, which is for the most part very glori­ous, [Page 30]and hangs on the right and on the left hand of the Priest, who after the Stole puts the Maniple in the fashion of a napkin upon the left arm, and for the last Vestment he takes the Chasuble, which is a most rich Vestment that covers all the others that are upon him except the Amice, which espe­cially is seen when a Friar celebrates the Mass: besides these Vestments, when a Bishop of the Church of Rome saith a Mass, he hath Sandals, which they call Apostolick shoes, he hath the E­piscopal breeches, the Tunique, and the Dalma­tique; he hath also the Episcopal Gloves, the Rings and the Cross, &c. which are as many enigmatical ornaments, and of an abstruse intelligence, which we shall leave to them; by that you see how the Church of England differeth from the Church of Rome, & the Liturgy from the service of the Mass, in its matter, form and manner of its celebration.

But me thinks, that I hear some of the factious say, whatsoever you say there is something of the Mass in the Liturgy of the Church of England, and much of the Breviary (which is a Book different from that of the Mass; to which I answer, that there is nothing of the corrupted service of the Mass; and if there be something in the Liturgy which is observed and said with the Mass, and read in the Breviary, I say that in is what is good and what was observed in the Christian Primitive Church, leaving what was not good to the Church of Rome and her superstitious inventions.

The first Part.

To know well the silence which S. John speaks of, we must first enter into the place where it was kept, heaven, there was silence in heaven; but as that place is something obscure by reason of its several acceptions, we must observe that here by heaven is not understood the air, which the Scri­pture calls heaven, Gen. 8.2. the place of genera­tion of many imperfect mixt bodies, ice, dew, clouds, rain, hail, blazing stars, and other moist and siery impressions, as if these productions should cease in its breast, or the air should rest from its agitation; neither is it understood by heaven the skie, that shining and bright heaven adorned with an insinite number of glorious stars, as if there were a cessation of the motion of those shining bodies; nor is it meant the supream or highest heaven, the place of habitation of the sacred an­gels and blessed souls, which the Scripture calls the third heaven, 2 Cor. 12.2. as if there should be a suspension of the heavenly actions of the Citi­zens of that glorious palace; nor is heaven to be [Page 42]understood in this place of the triumphant Church, a glorious part of the mysticall body of our dear Saviour; which sometimes the Scripture calls heaven, Eph. 1.10. Col. 1.20. as if these glo­rious natures should cease to render their Hallelu­jahs and Thanks-givings unto the Almighty God who is set upon his throne of majesty and glory.

For here we must understand by heaven the militant Church upon the earth, as it clearly ap­pears by the preceding Chapter where you hear an angel cry with a loud voice to the four angels, which did represent the four illustrious kingdoms of the earth, with their Monarchs, or the devils to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads; after which S. John beheld a great multitude of men who were to suffer martyrdom for Christ, and wash their robes white in the bloud of the Lamb, nay, whom Christ was to lead unto the living and eternal fountains of waters; and im­mediately after the Church of God, admires the great mystery of our redemption in Christ, for which she suffereth: for it followeth, and when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven, and indeed the Scripture calls not sel­dome the militant Church heaven, as you may see, Dan. 8.10. where it is said, that the little horn which did represent the power of a Potent but wicked [Page 43]King, intra & extra Ecclesiam, within and with­out the Church, waxed great even to the host of heaven, that is, the militant Church: so in the Revelation 12. chapter, 4. verse. we reade that the great red dragon the devil, with his well affected creatures, by his fraudulent allurements, drew with his tail (the antichrist that follows the devils steps) the third part of the stars of heaven, that is, the great persons of the militant Church, which are eminent in learning, humane wisdom, nobility, and riches; and in my text there was silence in hea­ven, the militant Church; which obligeth me to tell you, that there are three considerations, for which the militant Church is called heaven.

First, because the birth of the militant Church is from heaven, for she is born of God, 1 Joh. 5.1. and so I may say with S. John, I saw the holy city, the militant Church, coming down from God out of heaven.

She is so called, because the inheritance there­of is an inheritance of heaven, and therefore it is called the inheritance of the Saints, Col. 1.12.

The militant Church is called heaven, be­cause her conversation is in heaven, as the great Apostle tels us; Phil. 3.20. and so our blessed Sa­viour calls often his visible Church the kingdom of heaven, which agrees with our assertion of that word heaven, the militant Church, of which it is spoken, when S. John saith, there was silence in heaven.

But having seen the place where silence was kept, the militant Church; let us now consider the silence, and give me leave to make a reslection upon it: Silence (brethren) which the Hebrews call [...] cheresh, and the Greek [...], if we consi­der it in general, is nothing else but a cessation of the external and visible actions of the sensible, in­sensible, and reasonable creatures; and so the learned men call the quietness of the water, silence, when the water doth not move its moist substance; nay, the conjunction of the moon with the most bright sun, where she seems to be ravished in con­templation of so glorious a Planet, is called silence; and the herbs and slowers which cease from grow­ing, are said to be silent, but it is not of that man­ner of silence which is here spoken of; for in this place silence is taken for a suspension of the out­ward actions of the intelligent creatures, but pro­perly of men, as the place where silence is kept, evidently shews, heaven the militant Church, of which they onely are members, not the an­gels.

But you must know, that there are several sorts of silence attributed unto them, which I must de­clare unto you for the better illustration of the si­lence which S. John speaks of.

First, there is silentium persecutionis, the silence of persecution.

Secondly, silentium pacis, the silence of peace and prosperity.

Thirdly, silentium admirationis, the silence of admiration.

The silence of the Church which is of persecu­tion, is the cessation of the publick worship of God by reason of the persecutions, which the Church suffereth for Christ under the enemies of the Go­spel, as it did appear in the birth of the Christian Church, which was followed with a cruell silence; and I suppose that you have heard of the great eclipse of the militant Church under the ten per­secutions, and specially the tenth bloudy and most cruel persecution under the Emperours Dioclesia­nus, Maximianus, Galienus, Maxentius, Maximi­nus, and Licinius; and how the militant Church at that time was in a profound silence; for you know that by the space of twenty years the Church was such, that she could not be seen by the eyes of her afflicted children, nor by the pier­cing sight of her persecutours who boasted to have utterly extinguished the Christians; at that time there was silence in heaven, for the Church of God was silent by reason of her persecutions; she was in her mourning apparel being under the cross, the places of her resuge were the desarts, her palaces the dens of the wilde beasts, her most plea­sant dwellings the habitation of serpents and other most venemous creatures; her voice was not heard; and she could not publickly entertain her self with her sweet and most amiable bridegroom, and say, I will rise now and go about the city in the [Page 46]streets, and in the broad ways, I will publickly seek him whom my soul loveth, Cant. 3.2. Now if we make reflection upon this Nation, we may truly say, that there was silence in heaven, when the U­surpers of this Kingdom did sit upon the Throne of our gracious Monarch Charles the Second; for at that time the Church of England was in a deep silence; her sumptuous and magnificent build­ings, erected to offer to God our publick but spi­ritual sacrifices, were demolished, the mother and children persecuted, and all her publick and holy meetings prohibited; so that she could not with a loud voice call her afflicted children to give them any consolation, or mollifie the sorrows of their souls.

I know that some learned men take the silence of the Church, which S. John here speaks of, ac­cording to that sense, by an allusion to the Angel who was to perform the sacred function upon the altar of incense, as you may see in the third verse of our Chapter; for you must know, that when the Levitical Priests killed the beasts which were to be offered in sacrifice, there was a great noise heard in the temple by the roaring of the beasts, which were tied fast to the horns of the altar of the burnt­offerings, and from thence were called victimae, victims, quia ammalia vincta ad altare immola­bantur, because the beasts were tied to the altar at their immolation; but when they burned in­cense there was silence in the Church, every one [Page 47]did consult in their hearts with the Almighty God of Israel, and as the pious Hannah, moved onely their lips, but did not open their mouths to cause any noise in the temple, as you may observe Luk. 1.10. where you reade, that the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of the incense; so by an allusion to the offering of the sacred in­cense where silence was kept, they understand the silence of persecution, wherein the Church is in a profound silence by reason of her persecu­tours.

But leaving that opinion I pass unto the silence of peace and prosperity, to tell you, that it is a ces­sation in regard of the Church, of her persecuti­ons, when she publickly resteth from her cruel la­bours, begins to take breath, and publickly re­ceives a great and exceeding consolation from her dear Saviour and blessed Lord, where in that con­dition the Church of God remains in a profound silence, considering with her self how God is care­full of those that are in affliction for his sake, & as he comforts them by his holy Spirit inwardly, al­though under the burthen of persecution, so he delivers them from their calamities, and restoreth his people into a peaceable and sweet condition both in body and soul, as it was done in the time of Constantine the great, where the Church began to respire from her cruel persecutions, for at that time there was silence in heaven, silence of prospe­rity and peace; and so we may say, there is silence [Page 48]in heaven, when the Church of God is in a peace­able and quiet condition, without schisms and di­visions.

But we must go further, and evidently see that it is of the silence of admiration that S. John speaks of when he saith, there was silince in heaven, be­cause this silence tends to the present action, where angels and men are ravished in the contem­plation of it; for it was kept at the opening of the seventh seal, as you may see in the beginning of the 1. ver. by the words that immediately pre­cede my Text; and therefore you must observe, that here is question of a great and sublime my­stery which was to cause unto the Jews and Gen­tiles a profound silence, in the consideration of it; do you not see all the court of heaven to be si­lent, the angels that are sent for the protection of the militant Church, dare not sound their trumpets, lest any thing should hinder the great and sublime actings which did appear in the Church, to teach us, that we must keep silence, to contemplate with admiration what is acted in heaven? me thinks I see the Church in a pro­found silence, she is admiring with amazement that great mystery, the object of her contempla­tion, and let me tell you, that it is not without cause, seeing it is the matter of the great myste­ry of our redemption, which the militant Church upon the earth admireth in every age with a pro­found silence; for at the opening of the seventh [Page 49]seal, Christ God and man, the cause of this silence, appeareth, for the angel that came and stood at the altar is our blessed Saviour, as the best of inter­preters teach us, God manifested in the flesh, an ob­ject which angels and men are not us'd to behold, Christ the angel of the great council, and the mes­senger of the covenant, as the Prophet Malachy tels us, Mal. 3.1. Christ our high-Priest who of­fered a sacrifice not of beasts, but of himself upon the altar of the Cross, and therefore at his coming into the world to assume our humane nature to sa­tisfie the divine justice for mens sins, he caused a great admiration unto angels, and at his manife­station procured in heaven, the militant Church, a profound silence.

But that you may have a greater satisfaction, I beseech you look upon the 3. verse of our Cha­pter, and you will easily see the cause of this si­lence to be Christ our Redeemer, for it is said in that verse, that another angel, Christ our Priest and Mediatour, came, having assumed our humane nature, and stood at the altar, to shew us, that he was offered in sacrifice for our sins; where you must observe, that Christ is our Priest according to both his natures, our altar according to his divine nature; for as the altar sanctified the oblation, Mat. 23.19. so Christ as God sanctified himself in his humane nature, according to which humane na­ture Christ properly is our sacrifice, as you may see in the first Chapter of the Epistle to the Co­lossians, [Page 50]22. ver. and in 1 Pet. 4.1. although the principal vertue of his sacrifice did depend on his divine nature; Moreover it is said, that the angel had a golden censer, to teach us, that Christ gave God the Father a perfect and eternal satisfaction, that we might be delivered from the eternal sla­very of the prince of darkness, which our sins had made us subject to; and further it saith, that much incense was given him, to shew us, that the pecu­liar office of Christ, is to present God the Father the prayers of the righteous, and make them ac­ceptable unto him through his intercession, which alone without the intercession of the departed Saints, is sufficient for all those that he redeemed by his precious bloud, as you may see in the 4. verse, where it is said, that the smoak of the incense which came with the prayers of the Saints, ascended up before God out of the angels hand; all which things could not but cause silence in heaven, the militant Church, and ravish with admiration all the intelligent creatures in the opening of so great a mystery which the angels desire to look into, 1 Pet. 1.12.

Moreover, seeing that the angel Christ, took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, as we reade in the 5. verse, and cast it into the earth, to prepare by that sacred sire the Ministers of the holy Gospel, to preach one Jesus Christ and him crucified, as he did after his ascension into the glo­rious palace of his Father, as we reade Act. 2.3. [Page 51]the Church could not but keep silence, and fur­ther hearing voices, thundrings, lightnings, and earthquakes at the opening of the great and sub­lime mystery of our redemption, for the confir­mation of it she could not but admire with a pro­found silence such prodigious effects, as many for certain do in this world at the hearing of this great mystery, and I hope many in this company cannot but wonder at it, and say, being ravished in admi­ration with S. John, at the opening of so great a mystery, there was silence in heaven; but I am a­fraid of abusing of your patience, seeing that this silence should continue but half an hour, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour, which leads me to the second part of my Text.

The second part.

As the intelligent creatures are limited and fi­nite; so is their contemplation which doth not permit them to consider several things at once; for their understandings present them the objects one after another, according to the capacity of their natures, and indeed God alone is he who can at once comprehend all things, because he alone compasseth about all the creatures of the Uni­verse, and which is most admirable in the know­ledge which God hath of all things, is, that to know them he doth not look upon them, but up­on himself▪ for in his wisdom he sees the eternal models of all things, and in his will the efficient cause of all the events, so that by the knowledge [Page 52]that God hath of himself he knoweth all things; but it is not so with the intelligent creatures, for they must alternatively and by degrees consider several natures, whether they look upon them In­tuitivè, intuitively as angels; or discursivè, dis­cursively as men; or consider them with admira­tion, as both angels and men, as you may see in our Text; there was silence in heaven for the space of half an hour, because the sacred attendants of the militant Church could not at once in a mo­ment perceive all those wonders which we have told you were seen in heaven during the celestial silence, of which S. John speaks, saying, there was silence in heaven for the space of half an hour.

But this duration of time half an hour, hath some difficulty in its explication; for some learn­ed men will have it to be the duration of the ex­ternal peace of the Church of God under Constan­tine the Great, which seemed to have lasted but about the space of half an hour, for soon after that peace heresies and schisms did spring up in the Church, as it did appear by the Arians, against whom the great Council of Nice was held, being called by Constantine the Emperour; Lyranus will have the space of half an hour to be the duration of the persecution of Julian the Apostate, who imposed silence unto the Church, and command­ed her not to instruct her children, nor give them any consolation grounded upon the merit of our blessed Saviour, which continued but a little [Page 53]while, about the space of half an hour, for soon af­ter he died in the wars, which he did undertake a­gainst the Persians, where this monstrous Apo­state vomited out a damnable blasphemy against our blessed Lord, whom he used to call Galilean, for he dying took some of his bloud, & cast it up in the air, and said Vicisti Galilaee, vicisti; thou hast o­vercome Galilean, thou hast overcome at last: but

Leaving those interpretations with many others give me leave to tell you, that by the space of half an hour is understood all the time of the actings which S. John saw in heaven, the militant Church, at the opening of the seventh seal, from the 2. ver. of our Chapter to the 7. for the things which are represented unto that verse, did seem to Saint John to have continued but a little while about the space of half an hour; so short a time that S. John was nothing weary in the contemplation of them; and indeed if you observe our Chapter, you will easily perceive a perfect silence kept in the mili­tant Church by the sacred members of it unto the 7. verse, where the first angel by the sounding of his trumpet did break that sacred silence; for you must observe that those voices, thundrings, light­nings and earthquakes which are mentioned in the 5. verse, and seem to break our sacred silence, do not at all break it; for you see that it was the angel Christ our Redeemer, and not the Church that caused such things, and these thundrings, voices, lightnings and earthquakes [Page 54]which follow after the casting of the sire into the earth, signifie and represent to us the effects of the Evangelical doctrine, of which the sacred ob­ject is Christ and him crucified.

For the Evangelical doctrine tels us with a sweet voice, that salvation comes into the house of those that are in Christ Jesus; and with a thunder teach­eth us what punishments attend the impenitent, and if the wicked do not repent, they will be con­sumed by the thunder of the divine justice; this celestial doctrine with lightnings declareth unto us the purity of our conversation, the holiness of our life, and integrity of our actions, which are as so many lights shining before men to the glory of God, and sacred assurance of our salvation; and with a kinde of earthquake the doctrine of the Go­spel reacheth unto us, because it makes us trem­ble when we hear, that we must give an account of all our actions even of our idle words, Mat. 12.36. before the tribunal of the Almighty God, which things did not break the silence, but rather confirmed and caused it, for the Church could not but keep silence at the hearing and consider­ing of all these sacred and heavenly effects of the Evangelical doctrine.

So then you will easily perceive, that silence was kept in the latter end of the second vision, which appears in the 4. Chapt. (the beginning of the prophetical revelation, and endeth at the 7. verse of our chapter, in which there was silence [Page 55]during all the time of the actings, that the prece­ding verses represent unto us; which S. John ex­presseth to have continued about the space of half an hour, and not without cause; for these things are so agreeable unto the sacred angels and holy members of the Church, that the continual con­templation of them seems not long.

Moreover, you must observe, that S. John is very judicious, when he represents unto us, our con­templation in this life, on the great mystery of our redemption, with a profound silence under the space of half an hour; for he did know that the life of the militant Church upon the earth is short, and passes almost as soon as it appeareth in this world; nay, more then that, he was not ignorant, that whilest we live in our mortal bodies, our contem­plations upon that great mystery continue not long; for soon after our divine meditations, even in our contemplations, the devil, the world, and our flesh cause our attention to be turned from them to look upon some terrestrial, vain and cor­ruptible objects, by the representing of several things which sollicite us to obey that cruel master, run after its ambition and follow the sinful motion of our lust.

Conclusion and Application.

But let us conclude, and being here taught to admire with a profound silence the great mystery of our Redemption, let us learn to look upon Christ the angel of the great counsel of the almighty [Page 56]God, and the messenger of the covenant, Mal. 3.1, 6. our Mediatour who performed that incomparable work; for as himself saith, Joh. 4.34. My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work, which was our redemption, and indeed as the world was erected by Christ, so it was redeem­ed by him; let us consider that in the perform­ance of our redemption, the just did suffer for the unjust, as S. Peter teacheth us, 1 Pet. 3.18. where God commendeth his love towards us, as S. Paul saith, Rom. 5.8. in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us; Christ a lamb without blemish, and without spot, 1 Pet. 1.19. Christ our High-Priest, holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and higher then the heavens, Heb. 7.26. but let us stay here to cast the eyes of our understanding on our blessed Redeemer, that we may seriously consider the holiness and integrity of his life and conversa­tion, to imitate our Saviour, for saith S. Paul, Rom. 8.29. whom God did foreknow, he also did pre­destinate, to be conformed to the image of his Son; Let us consider the punishments which Christ en­dured upon the Cross to redeem us from our ini­quities, which punishments were so great, that they drew from his sacred mouth this complaint, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me, Matth. 27.46. Let us look upon them, that we may im­pose silence to our sins, which speak so loud in our mortal bodies, that the clamour of them a­scends up to heaven, and draweth down upon our [Page 57]heads the punishing thunder of the divine Justice.

Silence to our ambition the first and greatest of all sins which opposeth Gods independency and immensity, and fights against him for his crown of glory; that vice and immoderate affection of our souls, the inheritance of our first Parents, pos­sesseth all men from their infancy, & groweth with them to the grave, where in golden letters, upon a most rich Tomb, you see the rest of our ambition, which should teach us to avoid such a monster; in­deed the birth of ambition is different from that of other vices; for other vices, as gluttony and drun­kenness, have vices for their parents; but ambition proceeds from vertue as a base born child; for it was born in the highest heaven, when those Angeli­cal spirits, now devils, were pure, and in the e­state of integrity; then in the terrestrial Paradise, for that bastard daughter of vertue, ambition, de­scended from heaven, and at the creation of our first Parents sho did secretly enter into the garden of Eden, where she seduced them, when they were in their most pure condition: for both angels and men desiring most ambitiously to be like un­to God, did become the most odious of all the creatures: angels became devils, and men the slaves of the prince of darkness, the god of this world, as the grand Apostle speaks, the chief of these apostate intelligences.

Silence to our vanity, for vanity is nothing else but a mortal folly, and the object of it corrupti­on [Page 58]and filthiness, as the wisest of kings teacheth us: Let us not then glory our selves in vain things, in corruptible riches, worldly honours and sensual pleasures; let us not boast of our beauty, nor worship that fatal idol of lasciviousness; for you know that the greatest beauty of the world, is but a mortal beauty, the least distemper sometimes will change the fairest face into a monstrous vi­sage, as Cleopatra did well know; for seeing that beauty decayed, she did think to have found a way to render hers immortal, by causing her self to be engraved upon a most rich diamond, but she was mistaken, for the diamond being corrupted and reduced into ashes, it could not shew any thing of her decayed beauty.

Silence to our lust and carnal affections; for you know that they destroy both body and soul, and pollute the image of our God, that we are endued with; let the monster of drunkenness be silent, for it renders us like beasts, being in that horrible sin deprived of understanding and judge­ment, and fit to commit any sin against God at the least occasion that is presented unto us; you know the fatal events of these monstrous sins, how sometimes they solicite us to kill our fathers and mothers, sometimes the object of our lasci­vious pleasures, and sometimes our selves; how they induce us to go up and down to seek after a prey, which spoils and ruines our bodies and souls, and often conducts us to a publick place [Page 59]to expire there most shamefully.

Silence to our illegitimate swearings, let us not call God witness to our iniquities, nor bla­spheme his holy name; know that it is not a small matter to call upon the Name of our glori­ous God at any occasion; and if he suffer so many swearers, it is an effect of his goodness, that they may repent and cease to swear; otherwise know that the divine justice will make them feel its eternal effects of vengeance; and indeed that sin is the sin of those that are damned, who in hell being not able to steal, commit fornication, or kill, cease not to blaspheme the holy Name of the Almighty God.

Silence to all our evil words, and all the motions of an ill tongue, which S. James in the third Chapter of his Epistle so severely condemneth, for you know that they offend God and our Christ, our neighbours and our selves, they are unworthy of a Christian, for as S. Paul saith, Eph. 4.29. Let no corrupt communication come or pro­ceed out of your mouth, but that which is good, to the glory of God, and salvation of our souls.

Silence to our covetousness, because it pulleth down the throne of our God and erecteth another in our hearts, to the prophanation of the God of heaven whom alone we must adore, for covetous­ness makes us worship the corruptible riches of this world, and causeth us to rob the poor mem­bers of our blessed Saviour.

Silence to all our sins, for they make division between God and us, and deprive us of the graci­ous presence of the blessed Spirit: you know bre­thren, that such silence is required of those that are in the militant Church of our God, where in the consideration of the mystery of our redempti­on we learn that sacred lesson, that we must ab­stain from our iniquities: indeed such a silence is our victory, and the greatness of our triumph; for in that silence of our sins, our vices are over­thrown, and our vertue shineth as a most bright star; nay, more then that, that silence is a tri­umph which excels that of Alexander the Great, when he made his entrance into the noble and fa­mous city of Babylon, where he was seen set upon a chariot richer then the Indies, and brighter then the Sun; that silence of our sins is a triumph which exceeds that of the Grand Caesar, when he caused himself to be drawn by forty Elephants unto the Capitol, (the glorious place of reception of the Roman Conquerours,) after he had obtain­ed the honour of 24. Battels; that silence is a triumph which excels that of a famous Queen of Egypt, when she made her entrance into Cecilia, where she was admired in a most glorious ship, which was so rich that no man could judge of the price; for in these triumphs ambition did sit up­on its throne, but in our Christian triumph, hu­mility, justice, and charity sit upon their thrones; happy silence then, that filleth men with grace! [Page 61]happy silence, that procures us celestial honours, spiritual pleasures, and incorruptible riches! happy silence that conducts us to eternal life! let us em­brace it, while we are in our mortal bodies, that we may hereafter enjoy the eternal Crown of glory, with the scepter of immortality, which I wish you in Christ Jesus, To whom with the Father, and the blessed Spirit, be ascribed all honour and glo­ry, now and for evermore, Amen.

The first Part.

If we consider the holy Scripture we may evi­dently see that our Saviour hath onely two seve­ral Kingdoms; the one providential, which is that universal Soveraignty by which Christ mana­geth [Page 100]the affairs of all the whole world, both in heaven and earth; the other spiritual, which is that royal but celestial authority which he exerci­seth over his people, the elect, which is that king­dom in which the Saints or faithfull live and reign with Christ, as you may see in Revel. 5.10. where it is said, that Christ hath made us unto our God kings and priests, that we may reign on the earth, or and we shall reign on the earth, [...] or [...], and that in a spiritual manner; so in Rom. 5.12. we reade, that if by one mans offence death reigneth by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ; and in our Text, and they lived and reign­ed with Christ.

Which makes me wonder at the Chiliasts or Millenaries opinion, which gives our Saviour in this place of Scripture, as in many others, a third Kingdom which they call Monarchical; wherein Christ when he enters upon it, will govern as earthly Monarchs do, universally over the world, in a visible and earthly glory and splendour, which is the personal reign which they give to our bles­sed Lord, and which I observe to be diversly un­derstood by its assertors.

For the Jews perswade themselves, that at the possession of that Kingdom, Jerusalem shall be most splendidly reedified with the Temple, which according to them will be the third, Sacrifices of­fered unto the God of Israel, Marriages amongst [Page 101]themselves most gloriously celebrated, and all pro­sperity and happiness without any molestation or hindrance of their enemies enjoyed; so that they understand that reign of Jesus Christ both carnal and spiritual.

Some ancient Doctours of the Christian Primi­tive Church, as Justin. dialog. contra Tryphon. Lactantius ille, Firmianus, Tertullian, against Mar­cion, lib. 2. and others were of that opinion, that the Monarchical Kingdom of Jesus Christ should be administred in a spiritual manner without any bloudy sacrifice or libation, without marriages or sensual pleasures; for as Justin Martyr (after his discourse about the day of judgement, which he calls [...]) saith to Trypho the Jew, at that time we shall immolate true and spi­ritual sacrifices, and offer praises and thanks-gi­vings unto our God, without any bloudy sacrifice upon an altar.

Some hereticks as Cerinthius and Apollinaris un­derstood that Monarchical Kingdom of Jesus Christ in a fleshly manner, saying, that the Saints should reign with Christ upon the earth, in all manner of voluptuous pleasures, gulae & luxuriae, of gluttony and wantonness, which perhaps may be the sense of some of our Sectaries, although they pretend to interpret it of a visible and earth­ly Monarchy, without any fleshly and sinfull vo­lupty, as one Archer a London-Divine expres­seth it.

But I will not stay so long upon that Monar­chical Kingdom, for we do not know such a king­dom in the holy Scripture, attributed unto Christ, nor to the Saints, although you reade in my Text, and they lived and reigned with Christ; and indeed it is evident that the Scripture denies it, for we read S. Joh. 18.36. that Christ said to Pilate, my Kingdom is not of this world; nor from hence, which manifestly contradicts the Chiliasts or Mil­lenaries opinion, for if Christ (as they say) will govern at that time as earthly Monarchs do in a worldly visible and earthly glory, how is his king­dom not of this world?

Moreover, if there were such a kingdom given to our Saviour, we should have heard in the Scri­pture of a third personal coming of Jesus Christ, which we do not; for the Scripture makes onely mention of two personal comings of our blessed Saviour, where the first is his coming in humane weakness, to make us strong against our powerfull enemies, the devil, the flesh and the world; the second his coming in majesty and glory, to give judgement to the quick and dead after their resur­rection, and we confess in our Creed that from thence, that is, heaven, where Christ now is, he shall come to judge the quick and the dead, which is confirmed by the Athanasian and Nicene Creed, to whith we must keep close, as being the saith which was once delivered to the Saints.

And if some Millenaries will not understand [Page 103]that Monarchical kingdom of our Saviour personal­ly, then that kingdom fals of it self, for Christ now reigneth by his Spirit in the hearts of his regene­rated Subjects, as they will confess with us, and they reign with him; for as our Text saith, and they lived and reigned with Christ.

But further that Monarchical Kingdom of Christ cannot stand without two general corporal resur­rections, the one of those Saints which were dead before that personal coming of Christ, at which he shall take the administration of his Monarchical kingdom, the other at the end of the world at his sinal coming to judgement, as they themselves acknowledge, which is a thing that the Scripture makes no mention of; for the Word of God makes onely mention of one general corporal re­surrection, at the end of the world, as you may see Job 19.25. where it is said by that most pati­ent Patriarch, I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth, and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; nay Martha as you reade S. Joh. 11.24. confesseth to Christ, that her bro­ther shal rise again in the resurrection of the last day, and not at the day of the administration of Christs Monarchical kingdom; and you know that S. Paul 1 Cor. 15.52. saith, that in a moment, in the twink­ling of an eye, we shall rise at the last Trumpet; and so in our Creed we confess the refurrection, and not the resurrections of the flesh; and that will not serve [Page 104]the Millinaries to say, that in our Chapter in the 5. ver. it appears clearly that there are two gene­ral resurrections of the flesh, when we hear of a first resurrection which insinuates a second one; for that first resurrection which is mentioned there, is the resurrection not of the body but of the soul, from the death of sin to the life of grace, as S. Aust. did well observe; I know that some take that first resurrection for the glorious happiness of the soul, by which she alone passeth by the death of the body into eternal life, and that by the prece­ding words of the 1. verse, which are, but the rest of the dead, that is, the wicked and reprobate, li­ved not again, &c. because they experimented in hell the first death and damnation, which is of the soul alone, which obligeth S. John to say in re­gard of the Saints departed who are opposed to the wicked, this is the first resurrection, and blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection, on such the second death hath no power; for those that live with Christ in heaven in regard of their souls onely, shall live with him eternally, in re­gard of both bodies and souls in the celestial Jeru­salem; but although this explication be true in it self, yet you must observe, that it is not proper in this place of Scripture, which considers the wick­ed and godly men not as departed from this world, but as living upon the earth; and so S. John con­siders the wicked as dead in their sins, and having part in the first spiritual death, and the godly men [Page 105]as living by grace, and having part in the first spi­ritual resurrection.

I could raise many more Arguments against the doctrine which the Millenaries hold concerning that Monarchical kingdom, but I will not be tedi­ous: I shall pass by the three several assensions of Christ which they hold, for we know no such thing in the Scripture; I shall also omit the place which some Millenaries maintain besides heaven and hell, where the souls of them are, who shall rise to reign with Christ a thousand years; for you know that the Scripture makes onely mention of two places after death; the one of which saith S. Austin in his hypognost. is according to the Catho­lick faith, the kingdom of heaven, and the other ac­cording to the same faith, saith this Father and Doctour of the Christian Church, is hell; Etenim tertium locum penitus ignoramus; for we are whol­ly ignorant of a third place, which is confirmed in his Book de precat. merit. cap. 28. and insinuated in the 22. artic. of the Church of England.

I will not trouble you with the several passages of Scripture which they bring to prove that Mo­narchical kingdom, which they will have with Christ, it is enough to tell you, that they put a meerly literal construction upon the Prophesies and promises of Scripture, which the holy Ghost intended to be spiritually understood; for if the Prophets speak concerning the kingdom of Christ the re-edifying of the Jewish Cities, the pomp [Page 106]and magnificence of restored Israel, and their large priviledges, they draw those things to a gross corporal, and syllabical sense, which the judge­ment of the whole Christian Church seconded by the event, hath upon good ground ever construed not of the letter but of the spirit, to shew the com­fortable condition & great advantage of the Evan­gelical Church under Christ, manifested in the flesh; which evidently teacheth us, as I said be­fore, that Christ had onely two several kingdoms, of which the one is providential, and the other spi­ritual, in which the Saints live and reign with Christ, as you may see in my Text, where S. John speaking of that kingdom, saith, and they lived and reigned with Christ.

But for a clear illustration of those kingdoms, you must observe, that the providential kingdom of Jesus Christ, is his essential, universal and na­tural kingdom, which he administreth as God o­ver all his creatures, in Majesty and glory, with his Father, and the holy Ghost, and obtaineth as the onely Son of his Father, jure naturali, which kingdom is mentioned in Daniel the Prophet, 4.34. and 6.26. but the spiritual kingdom of Jesus Christ figured by the kingdom of Judah is the donative, personal, and oeconomical kingdom, which the Son of God received from his Father, as you may see in Psa. 2.6, 8. where God having set his Son for our King upon his holy hill of Sion, saith to him, Ask of me, and I shall give thee the Nations [Page 107]for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession; as having in any Coun­treys some that are to be saved, as we see in Rev. 5.9. where it is said, that Christ hath redeemed us unto God by his bloud, out of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation.

Moreover, you may see the spiritual kingdom of Jesus Christ, Dan. 2.44. where it is written, that in the days of the Kings of the fourth divided Kingdom, which was the Roman Empire, the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom, that is, the spiri­tual kingdom of Christ, which shall never be de­stroyed, in which kingdom the Saints living a spi­ritual and celestial life reign with Christ; for as you read in my Text, which speaks of that king­dom, and they lived and reigned with Christ.

But for a clear intelligence you must observe, that the spiritual kingdom of Christ is distinguish­ed into two wise, by reason of its two several ad­ministrations; into the kingdom of grace, and the kingdom of glory, where the kingdom of grace is the Soveraignty which Christ exerciseth in this world over the Elect, governing his people by the Scepter of his holy Word, and defending them a­gainst their enemies, the devil, the flesh, and the world, by the mighty vertue of his blessed Spirit, which is that kingdom which S. John in chap. 3. ver. 5. speaks of, saying, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the king­dom of God; and Rom. 14.17. the grand Apostle [Page 108]saith, that the kingdom of God, which is, the kingdom of grace, is not meat and drink, but righ­teousness, peace, and joy in the holy Ghost; the kingdom of glory is that Royal Government and Empire, which Christ the King of kings most gloriously exerciseth over the triumphant members of his Church after this life, and shall exercise for ever in his glorious Palace of heaven, over the bodies and souls of all the blessed of his Father, after the universal Resurrection, which is that kingdom which is mentioned, Mat. 8.11. when Christ saith, that many shall come from the East and West, and shall sit down with [...]braham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, and S. Mat. 26.29. when he saith, I will not drink hence­forth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Fathers kingdom.

But leaving the kingdom of glory, give me leave to tell you, that in our Text S. John speaks of the kingdom of grace when he saith, and they lived and reigned with Christ; for you may observe, that here is described the happy condition of the mili­tant Church all the time of the shutting up of Sa­tan, in which the faithfull will reign with Christ, over the devil, the flesh, and the world, overthrow­ing their enemies in their very death and most cru­el tortures, as you may observe by the words that precede my Text, where S. John speaks of those that suffered for the word of God, and for the witness of Jesus,; after which he addes, and they lived and reigned, &c.

Moreover, the seditions, battels, and seducti­ons which follow that happy condition of the Church, as you may see in the 8. ver. where it is said, that Satan after the expiration of the thousand years, shall go out to deceive the nations, and gather them together to battel, evidently shews, that it is of the kingdom of grace which S. John speaks of; which obligeth me to say, and they lived, that is, the life of grace, which is mentioned in Gal. 2.20. where the Apostle S. Paul saith, I live, that is, the life of grace, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life, that is of grace, that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God; and indeed, it is onely in that gracious kingdom of Christ that we live that celestial and spiritual life; for the life and kingdom of grace are inseparable, he that li­veth the life of grace reigneth with Christ, and he that reigneth with Christ lives the life of grace; and so S. John joyns them together, saying, and they lived and reigned with Christ.

And if you regard the Martyrs who died under Domitianus and other cruel Emperours, enemies of the Church of God, we may say, and they with the rest of the Saints lived and reigned with Christ; for the bloud of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church, by which many come unto the saving knowledge of Christ to reign with him in his kingdom of grace, and in regard of those Saints that are born of them, we reade in the 6. verse, and they in their seed shall reign with Christ, where you [Page 110]may observe, that here there is no mention of the Millenaries Monarchical kingdom, and indeed without such a kingdom the Saints reign upon the Earth with Christ by grace, they reign with him by faith, by hope, by patience, and by all the rest of the Christian vertues; then let us say, and they lived and reign'd with Christ a thousand years, which leads me to the second part of my Text,

The Second Part.

That number 1000 is taken in Scripture definite­ly and indefinitely; definitely for a certain & limited number, as you may see Judg. 15.15. and 1 King. 3.4. indefinitely for a great but not limited num­ber, as you may see Dan. 5.1. where a 1000. lords signifie a great multitude of nobility; and so a great but not limited number is designed by many thou­sands, Rev. 5.11. according to which sence we shall take that number of a thousand years menti­oned in our Text, for S. John speaking of the time of Satans binding, in which the Saints should reign with our Lord and Saviour with progress, although not without affliction, saith, and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years, and that is confirmed by the Royal Prophet, Psa. 90 4. where he saith, that a thousand years are as yesterday in the sight of the Lord, and after him. S. Peter, 2 Pet. 3.8. tels us, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day, to shew us, that any long time whatsoever is as one day, even [Page 111]as a moment before the Lord, because the eter­nity of God admits no succession as the eternity of angels and men, for in the eternity of God no­thing is passed and nothing is to come, all things are present unto him, which is not to be found in the eternity of angels and souls of men, where there is succession to be found, and indeed to di­stinguish the eternity of God from that of angels and men, which hath a beginning and no end; Boeth. lib. 5. de consol. Philosoph. saith, that it is possessio totalis & perfect a vitae sine termino, a total and absolute possession of a life without any limit; and so S. Austin. lib. 1. de ver. relig. cap. 44. saith, that in the eternity of God he could not perceive any interval of time, because the intervals of time consist in the motion of things, which are passed or are to come, then let me tell you, that the thou­sand years of our Text do signifie all the time of the reign of the Saints, from the binding of the dragon, untill the formal manifestation of the An­ti-christian jurisdiction, at the loosing of Satan out of his prison; as you may see by the 7. and 8. verses of our Chapter, and when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations, which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battel.

But for a clear explanation of our Text, we must observe the beginning of these thousand years, for there remains the difficulty, where many Learned [Page 112]men have pleased themselves with their sancies; for (leaving alone Prosper who beginneth them at the beginning of the Seventy weeks which Daniel the Prophet makes mention of in the ninth Chapter of his Prophesie:) Some with Alphonsus a Castro, begin the thousand years of our Text after the day of judgement, saying, that these thousand years are the eternity of the Saints in majesty and glory; but the seductions of the world after the loosing out of the devil, as you have seen in the 7. and 8. verses of our Chapter, evidently shews the con­trary: Others with the Millenaries, with Papias, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Lactantius, and others, begin them at the death of the Antichrist; but you may observe, in the 7. and 8. verses, that the de­vil being loosed, after the expiration of the thou­sand years, the Antichristian jurisdiction shall pre­vail, and so the thousand years of our Text do not follow the Antichrist but precede him: some of the Rabbins, Ketina and Eliezar among the Iews will have the beginning of those thousand years, after six thousand of the creation of the world, at the beginning of the 7000 to the very end of it; But how do they know that the world shall endure neither more nor less then six thousand years, after which the world shall have a rest of a thousand years; the Scripture I am sure makes no mention of such a thing; and therefore leaving that opinion I say, that others begin them at the Passion of our Saviour, as Gregorius and Austin [Page 113]and Pererius; but although it was said, that at that time the prince of this world should be cast out, S. Joh. 12.31. and that in the Cross Christ, having spoiled principalities and powers, made a shew of them open­ly, triumphing over them in it; yet you must know that it was not the beginning of Satans binding, and therefore I omit for the same reason the opi­nion of some Learned men that begin the thou­sand years at the death of Julian the Apostate, in the beginning of the Reign of Constantine the Great.

For if we seriously consider, we shall see, that a thousand years begin at the Nativity of Jesus Christ, at that time Christ beheld Satan as light­ning falling from heaven; for at his Nativity he took that strong man, bound him, and spoiled his house, as Christ himself insinuates, Mat. 12.29. did not the devils know that they were bound when they besought our Saviour saying, if thou cast us out, suffer us to go into the herd of swine? Mat. 8.31. you cannot but know that verity, if you consider that the devils could not stand before him without fear and trembling, as we reade in the Evangelists; and the heathens themselves shew us, that the devils were bound at the Nativity of Jesus Christ, for Suidas in vita August. recordeth, that Augu­stus the Emperour, enquiring of the Oracle of A­pollo, what man should reign after him, received no answer from the devil, then that ‘an Hebrew child newly born among the Jews, hindred him [Page 114]to speak; and commanded him to depart from thence;’ and I have read, that all the Images of Egypt did fall to the ground, when our blessed Saviour entred into that Countrey to avoid the bloudy fury of the Infanticide King Herod.

Moreover, some Learned Historians tell us, that the Romans having formerly consulted the Oracles to know how long the Temple of the Goddess Peace should stand, an answer was made them, ‘until a Virgin should bring forth a child;’ and so it came to pass, for at the blessed Virgins delive­rance, it fell to the ground; and further Plutarch. de defect. orac. doth report, ‘that in the Reign of Tiberius the Emperour, a strange voice and exceeding horrible clamour, with cries and howl­ings, was heard by many in the Grecian Sea, la­menting and complaining that their great god Pan, the master devil was now departed, inso­much that all the Sea resounded their dreadfull Ecchoes;’ whereby it is plain and manifest, that even in all parts the devil complained on the Na­tivity of our Lord and Saviour, as being at that time so bound, that he could not as he did before seduce the Nations of the earth, for many of the Gentiles seduced before by him, came at that time unto the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and suffered Martyrdom for our Lord.

And all that agrees very well with the narration of S. John described in our Chapter, for the belo­ved Disciple of Christ saith at the 1. verse, that [Page 115] he saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand, to bind the prince of darkness with it, which shews us Christ who came down from heaven, as S. John himself saith in the 6. chap. of his Gospel, that being conceived by the holy Ghost in the womb of the blessed Virgin, [...] he might be born of her to destroy the works of the devil, and binde that strong man, as you may reade in the 12. of S. Mat.

Then you may see that the thousand years of our Text begin at the birth or Nativity of our Saviour, to continue untill the formal manifestati­on of the Antichristian Jurisdiction at the loosing of Satan, as you have seen by the 7. and 8. vers. of our chapt. which time is already expired and si­nished; if you consider who are those that are called Gog and Magog, who are to exercise their tyranny against the Church of God, after the ex­piration of the thousand years, as you may see in the 8. and 9. verses, the devil shall go to deceive the nations of the earth, Gog and Magog, and gather them together, and they went upon the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the Saints about, and the beloved City.

You know that Gog and Magog are two words which are taken from the 38. of Ezechiel the Pro­phet, where the Jews by Gog understand the king, and by Magog the people; but you are not ignorant that Magog was one of the Sons of Japheth, as [Page 116]reade in Gen. 10.2. who at the first did inhabit next to the Caspian mountains, and by succession of time extended themselves into all parts of the world; from thence came the Scythians, Tartari­ans, and other Barbarians, from thence came the Hunnians, Vandals and Goths, and therefore it is not without reason, that those people are said to be as the sand of the sea in the latter end of the 8. ver. of our chapt. for they have supplied the world with almost an infinite number of people, which caused some Learned men to say, that the North was the shop of all Nations, from thence come also Turks, who by violence took away the Saracenical Empire; as for Gog you know that it is the proper name of one of Joels sons of the po­sterity of Reuben, 1 Chron. 5.4. who inhabited Eastward, and filled the Little Asia with his po­sterity, which was called Gog.

But these Nations which came from Gog and Magog having degenerated from their ancestours, became cruel enemies unto the people of God, as you see by Ezech. 38. and from thence the Scripture speaks of Gog and Magog to represent the open and secret enemies of the Christian Church, as you see by the 8. ver. of our Chapter, with a part of the 9. ver. which shews us, that those Nations Gog and Magog compassed about the Camp of the Saints to sight them, then we can­not but understand the Turks by Magog, and the Pontificial Tyranny with the cruelty of the Se­ctaries [Page 117]by Gog; as for Magog from Miggag reveal­ed and discovered it becomes well the Turks, for they are manifest enemies of Jesus Christ, and o­pen persecutours of his poor members; they pub­lickly esteem Mahomet that grand Impostour, the son of the Prince of darkness, before our Lord and Saviour, who is the Son of God, and prefer their Alcoran full of Gentilism, Judaism, and Arianism, compiled by men of impiety, before the sacred Scripture, inspired by the holy Ghost the essential piety; as for Gog, let me tell you that it becomes well the tyranny of the Church of Rome with the cruelty of the Sectaries; for Gog from Gag is the same as covered and hidden, which is very fit for them, for they cover and hide their tyranny and cruelty under the cloak of Religion, professing one Jesus Christ, and him crucified, when they crucifie and hand the true members of our Savi­our; in all their wicked designes they pretend the good of the Church, when they rend and defile it; and so by a damnable hypocrisie cover all their profanations and wickednesses, as you have in this Realm beheld with your eyes; where the Jesu­ites with the Sectaries erected a black Tribunal for a most pious and Christian King, and his faith­full Subjects, under a pretext of a good Consci­ence.

And indeed as Gog did degenerate from his Pre­decessour Jacob, and his father Joel, who with hu­mility and reverence adored the Almighty God [Page 118]of Israel, and followed his orders, so did the Church of Rome with the Sectaries degenerate from their Ancestours, who acknowledged with all humility and obedience the Church of God and its orders; or if you will, as Gog did imitate Reuben who defiled his fathers bed, so the Church of Rome with the Sectaries imitate Satan, who de­fileth the Church of God with Schismes and he­resies; which makes you clearly see, that the de­vil is loosed out of his prison, and that the thousand years are expired and finished; they lived and reign­ed with Christ a thousand years; not that I will say that the Saints do not now reign with Christ, for I know that they do reign with him when they are his regenerated Subjects, but that now they reign not with Christ with such progress as they did before the expiration of the thousand years of Satans binding; for we seldom now see a true conversion, or a sincere repentance of our sins, but rather often obstination appears in our errours, we will not change them because we defended our sins openly, and so by our ambition we destroy the Church of our blessed Saviour; there is no fear of God amongst us, nor sincere love one to another, nor charity towards our poor afflicted bre­thren, as there was in the time of Satans binding; we are as hard as Pharaoh, as cruel as Cain, and as profane as Esau; it seems that all the Christian vertues are vanished amongst men, and that all vices have took their places to give way unto the [Page 119]prince of darkness, who is now loosed out of his prison; for they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Perhaps you will tell me, if the thousand years are now sinished, or as you said, expired at the formal manifestation of the Antichristian Jurisdi­ction, how can it be said, that Satan is loosed out for a little while or season, as it is spoken in the 3. ver. To that I answer and say, that this may ve­ry well be said in regard of Satans eternal binding, which followeth after his loosing out of his prison for a while; indeed if you consider the thousand years binding of Satan, I confess that his loosing out will seem a great while; but if you look upon Satans eternal binding, his loosing out is but a lit­tle season, which makes me wonder at the Mille­naries opinion, who expect now a visible and earthly reign, for in the expectation of such a reign, they loose the spiritual kingdom of our Sa­viour, and in their pretended happiness, they may finde a true unhappiness.

But I will stay no longer upon that imaginary kingdom, for the kingdom that I proposed unto you, is a true and spiritual kingdom; the king­dom of our Saviour which is of grace, without which it is impossible to obtain the kingdom of glory; for you know, that we must first reign here in grace, before we can reign hereafter in glory; then let me tell you, that the Saints who now reign with Christ in glory, lived and reigned be­fore [Page 120]with him in grace by many years; for as you read in my Text, and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

The first Part.

As the Philosophers place the moral vertues in two ranks, where in the first the vertues are glorious and worthy to be loved of themselves, as Justice; and in the second rank, worthy to be wished for the vertues of the first, as Courage which is a sit vertue, when justice ceaseth amongst [Page 134]men; so the Schoolmen divide the attributes of God into two orders, where in the first the attri­butes are incommunicable unto the creatures; as Gods Immensity, Independency, and Unchange­ableness, for all the creatures of the Universe, even the Angels, are dependent, changeable and limi­ted natures; but the attributes of the second or­der are said to be proportionably communicable, in effectis analogis, by the resemblance of the ef­fects, as Gods Wisdom, Goodness, and Will, for you know that those attributes are ascribed unto Angels, and given unto men; and as God hath a will, so have Angels and men, as being the right of the intelligent creatures.

But here we shall not speak of Angels nor mens will, but of Gods will, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me; for he that sent Christ is God the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost, ac­cording to the old Maxim of Divinity, opera Dei ad extra sunt indivisa, seu toti Trinitati Communia, the outward operations of God are common to the whole Trinity; so that you must observe that the Son, the second Person of the blessed Trinity, was sent as Mediatour; for he was one of those blessed Persons who did consult about mens re­demption, nay, more then that, he was that sa­cred one, who of his own free-will offered him­self to be consecrated for the performance of that gracious work, as you may see Heb. 10.5, 6, 7. Sa­crifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast [Page 135]thou prepared me, in burnt-offerings and sacri­fices for sin thou hast had no pleasure, then said I, lo, I come to do thy will; where you may easily observe, that Christ as God sent himself as Medi­atour, that he might redeem us from the power of the Prince of darkness, and the spiritual bondage of our sins.

Nevertheless because the first Person of the blessed Trinity is the Father of our Mediatour, and the Person a quo filius agit, from which the Son doth act; the sending of Christ into the world for our salvation, is particularly attributed unto him, as you may see in the 5. Chapter of S. John, 36. ver. the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me, which verily is assert­ed in many other places of that Gospel; and so in that sence we must say, my meat is to do the will of him that sent me, for indeed you must observe, that that person amongst these of the blessed Tri­nity who sends another, is that person from which the person sent proceeds, and so we reade in the Scripture, that the Father hath sent his Son, and the Son misit Spiritum à Patre, did send the holy Ghost from the Father, but we do not reade, that the Son hath sent the Father, nor the holy Ghost the Son, because the Father proceeds not from the Son, nor the Son from the holy Ghost, but the Son is from the Father alone, and the holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and Son; then let us say as before, My meat is to do the will of him [Page 136]that sent me: And indeed you must consider, that the Father is Authour of our salvation by a way which is not given to the Son our Mediatour, as the Son our Mediatour is Authour of our salvati­on by a way which is not given to the Father; for as the Learned men distinguish some essential o­perations of the blessed Trinity, respectu termini, and make them personal operations, as the Crea­tion to the Father, the Redemption to the Son, and the Sanctification to the holy Ghost; so they divide the waies by which the Persons of the blessed Trinity are said to be Authours of our sal­vation; for the first Person of the Blessed Tri­nity which is the Father, is said to be the authour of our salvation by way of procuration, because he procured us that great work in the sending of his Son, and so Christ saith, my meat is to do the will of him that sent me; the Son our Mediatour is authour of our salvation by way of merit, because the Son of God alone is the meritorious cause of our salvation, not the Father, for he alone ac­quired it for us through his bloud; the holy Ghost is said to be authour of our salvation by way of ap­plication, because the holy Ghost our Sanctifier applieth unto our souls the great benefit of our Redemption by his divine vertue.

Now you must observe in our Text the Father to be authour of our Salvation by way of procu­ration, and the Son by way of merit, for in my Text, the Father sends the Son, and the Son our [Page 137]Mediatour finisheth the work and executeth his Fathers will, for Christ speaking as Mediatour saith, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, &c.

But let us come to the explication of Gods will, and give me leave to say with some Learned men for our illustration, that there are three sorts of wills attributed unto God, respectu rerum quas Deus vult extra seipsum, in regard of things which God wills out of himself; I say in regard of things which God wills out of himself, for if you consi­der the object of Gods will, as not being out of himself, you must know, that the object of his will is God himself, and by consequence there is no difference in Gods will, for it is nothing else but Deus scipsum volens.

In regard then of things that God wills out of himself, the first sort of will attributed unto God, and that properly is voluntas decreti, the will of Gods Decrees, by which he freely and most cer­tainly from all eternity determined to manifest all things which were to be framed in time, of which will it is spoken in the 1. Chapt. to the Ephesi­ans, the 9. ver. when the Apostle saith, that God hath made known unto us the mystery of his will, that is, the will of Gods decree, which by the Schoolmen is called voluntas beneplaciti, the will of Gods good pleasure, because by it, according to his good pleasure, and without any merit in our selves he loved us; voluntas antecedens Gods an­tecedent [Page 138]will, because from all eternity, before a­ny thing was created, it was approved in God; voluntas absoluta, Gods absolute will, because it is grounded upon his good pleasure, and doth not depend of things which are framed in time; and voluntas occulta Gods secret will, because a a priori at the first, it was not revealed unto the sacred Angels, nor perceived by men;

The second sort of will ascribed unto God, and that improperly, is voluntas signi, Gods will of signe, by which God shews us what is agreeable unto him, and what he will have us to do; which is the mark and testimony of Gods decree mani­fested in his holy word, although not always the signe of that decree which is first conceived by us; which will, indued with several names, as Gods conditional will, Gods revealed will, and Gods consequent will, is declared unto us under the pre­scription of a commandment or prohibition, and under the rule of a promise or threatning; for as the Magistrates Commands are called their will, so Gods Commandments or Promises are called his will, as you may see Act. 13.22. I have found David the Son of Jesse a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will, or as it is expressed in the Original, in regard of several Command­ments and Orders, [...], all my wills.

The third and last sort of will attributed unto is voluntas objecti, Gods will of object, which is [Page 139]nothing else but the things that God wills, com­mands and prescribes unto us; that is the object of Gods Commandments, as it doth appear, 1 The. 4.3. this is the will of God, even your sanctification, so in the Lords Prayer when we say thy will be done; and in our Text, Christ speaking of that will of object, saith, my meat is to do the will of him that sent me.

Now to know what is meant by that will, we cannot have a better Interpreter then Christ him­self, who saith in the 6. Chapter of S. John, ver. 39. This is the Fathers will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day; it was that which his Father told him before his Incarnation Isa. 42.6, 7. I the Lord have called thee in righteous­ness to open the blinde eyes, to bring out the priso­ners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house; and you know when Christ prepared himself for the execution of his Fathers will, that he said, Lo, I come to do thy will, Heb. 10.9. by which will, saith the Apostle, ver 10. we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

But for a clearer illustration, let me tell you, that this will is the salvation of man, which our Lord came to advance and to accomplish, for you know that to that end Christ was sent into the world, that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life, Joh. 3.16. a [Page 140]truth which manifestly appears, Isa. 49.6. when he saith in the person of the Father, speaking to the Son, I will give thee for a light unto the Gen­tiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth; nay, a truth manifested by our Savi­our when he lived amongst us, as now he will have us to understand it, when he saith, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work; then you may observe, that this will of God was the manifestation of his Fathers most sacred counsel unto the world, Christ being the sacred Interpreter of his Father, and the word by which he informs us of his will, for as Christ saith, S. Mat. 11.27. all things are delivered unto me of my Fa­ther, and no man knoweth the Son but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father but the Son, and be to whom the Son will reveal him, this sacred will of God was the sulfilling of the Law for those who should receive him by a most siducial apprehension, for as Ambrosius saith, persectionem legis habet qui credit in Christum, he that belee­veth in Christ hath the perfection of the Law, which he had learned from the Apostle S. Paul, Rom 10.4. who says Christ is [...] the end or per­fection of the Law for righteousness to every one that beleeveth; this sacred will of God was the death of our Saviour for the sins of those that should obey him, as you clearly see, Heb. 5.9. where we reade, that Christ being made perfect through suffer­ings, he became the authour of eternal salvation unto [Page 141]all them that obey him, that they may be conformed to the most bright image of him that saith, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, but let us adde, and to sinish his work.

To tell you that, I need not to give you an e­numeration of all Gods works, for the work of God, of which it is spoken in our Text, is the same as the will of him that sent Christ; for as Euthi­mius saith, the will of the Father who sent Christ, and the work committed unto him, is the Salvati­on of men, according to that of S. John, 17.4. where Christ saith, I have sinished the work which thou gavest me to do, and so the will of God which we have expounded unto you, is the work of God which our Saviour had to perform, and indeed it is not without cause, that this will is called a work be­cause the satisfaction for mens sins, and their re­conciliation with God is a work by excellency, a work compounded of many works, which never­theless are under one work, which is our redem­ption; then you must observe that this work doth not consist in the last act that Christ performed upon the Cross; for he wrought in it when he sought after the lost sheep of the house of Israel, he wrought in that gracious work when he lett the Gentiles, their neighbours, take some crumbs of his sacred bread for the salvation of their souls; he wrought in it when he did communicate him­self unto the Samaritans which were grown a base people, and amongst whom the service of the [Page 142]God of Israel was not pure, he wrought in that sacred work all the time he was upon the earth, till his obedience was accomplished upon the Cross, where he said, It is sinished, S. John 19.30. ver.

But observe, that this work is of another rank then that of our good works which God com­mandeth, approveth and worketh in us by his holy Spirit; for this work of our salvation is the great and sublime work of God; a work which excels the great work of the Creation, being a work, as I may say of greater labour then that of the Creation, for as S. Austin sayes, Deus loquendo creavit sed patiendo redemit, God created the world by his speaking, but he redeem­ed it by his suffering; because the ruine and per­dition of men was such, that there were more ob­stacles at the redeeming of men, then at the cre­ation of the Universe; for, besides there was the same vertue required to raise the dead, as to give being to nothing, and life to dust; the justice of the living God was opposed unto their salvation; therefore to satisfie the divine justice the death of our dear Saviour was necessary for them, to whom God had said, Gen. 2.17. In the day thou eatest of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt surely die.

Moreover this work of our salvation is a work in which God manifested his Wisedom in an higher degree then he did in that of the Creati­on; [Page 143]for besides we know more of the Divinity by the work of our redemption, then we do by the work of the Creation (the mystery of the Trinity being revealed unto us by that work of his grace, which was not not discovered by the works of nature) we see in our Redemption Gods admirable work; a most wonderfull way, where God punisheth our sins, and with all saves men by it, so that the punishment of mens sins in our Saviour becomes the salvation of them; nay, more then that, in that sacred work, Christ the Physi­cian took Physick for us his Patients, to heal us of our spiritual sicknesses, where in nature the Physician gives Physick to his Patients to cure them of their corporal diseases; then let us say, My meat is to to do the will of him that sent me, and to sinish his work; where you must yet observe that this work is the onely work of Christ, for this work is such, that no man nor angel can reach un­to it, there is none but the Lion of the Tribe of Ju­dah the Son of God, that can say in regard of this great and mighty work of our Redemption; My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to si­nish his work, which leades me to the second part of my Text.

The Second Part.

Those that are acquainted with the Scripture know there are two sorts of meat, the one for the body, which is the common signification, as it is the common meat; the other for the souls which is spiritual by resemblance and proportion to the corporal meat, which is the metaphorical signifi­cation of that word meat; and indeed as the mate­rial meat maintains and keeps our bodies, so are our souls maintained and kept by the spiritual meat; moreover, as our bodies increase and receive their strength against weakness, from the material meat, so have our souls their growing unto a per­fect man in our Saviour, and receive their strength against all temptations by the spiritual meat.

But if the spiritual meat hath some resemblance with the corporal meat, give me leave to tell you, that there is something in the spiritual meat which is not to be found in the corporal; for the corpo­ral meat must be given to those that enjoy a cor­poral life, otherwise it cannot help all our dead bo­dies, but the spiritual meat which is the nourish­ment of our souls, that proceeds from God, when it is given to those that are spiritually dead, re­stores them unto a celestial and spiritual life; moreover, the corporal meat can for a time keep our natural and temporal life, but it cannot pre­serve us from death; but the incorruptible meat of the Word of God, and above all the living bread which cometh down from heaven gives an [Page 145]everlasting life to our souls, and preserves them from eternal death.

And further you must observe; that after this life, all corporall nourishments shall cease, but ne­ver the spiritual nourishment of our souls for the blessed of [...] God the Father, shall ever sit at the table of their master, to eat with him of the sacred bread of God, and drink the new wine of the kingdom of heaven with him, that saith, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to sinish his work, where by these words you may easily see, that in this place the word meat is taken in a spiritual sence; but

For the better explication of this meat, let us observe that the spiritual meat hath some proper­ties and effects that presuppose some imperfecti­ons in our souls, when the spiritual meat is an ali­ment and medicine for them; which cannot agree with our blessed Saviour, nay, more then that, those qualities ought not to be ascribed or adapt­ed unto him, who is all perfect, Christ our Redee­mer, who is a lamb without blemish and without spot; and you will confess that Christ who gives life to the world, needs not its entertainment nor resto­ration of any strength; but behold there is some­thing in the spiritual meat which will very well agree with our blessed Saviour: delectation and pleasure, for you must know that as the material and corporal meat (when it is present and taken by a man of a good appetite) doth recreate and [Page 146]generate pleasure and delectation; and (if it be absent) causeth a great desire, so doth the spiri­tual meat; for when it is present and taken by our souls that seek after it, it recreates them, and gives the souls a great but spiritual pleasure and delecta­tion.

And after this manner the eating and drinking is taken often in the Scripture for the possession and enjoying of very acceptable and pleasant things; for the celestial and spiritual pleasures which we in this life and after it shall enjoy in the Lord; as you may see, Psal. 19.10. where the Psalmist speaking of Gods Commandments cele­brates them as more to be desired then gold, and sweeter then honey, and in many other places of the same book, as Psa. 42.3. Psa. 63.1, 5. the roy­al Prophet expresseth his most fervent desires for God by hunger and thirst; and his greater plea­sures by the fulness of marrow and fatness, saying, My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God; and then with delectation, My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise thee with joyfull lips; moreover, Christ speaking unto his Disciples of the sacred pleasures which we shall enjoy in the possession of the spiritual blessings in the Celestial Jerusalem, saith, Luke 22.30. I appoint unto you a kingdom that ye may eat and drink at my table.

In this sence Christ calls his Fathers will and work his meat, saying, My meat is to do the will of [Page 147]him that sent me, and to finish his work; because it was all his pleasure, all his delight, and all his de­sire; as if Christ should say unto his Disciples, who presented him meat that he might eat of; I am not touched now with an appetite to corporal meat, even after my weariness, which forces me to rest my self on Jacobs well, as I am desirous to accomplish Gods work, and the will of him that sent me, and indeed the care of that great and sub­lime work, makes me forget to eat any thing for the refection of my body; where you must ob­serve, that there are two things which make men forget to eat and drink, a great sadness, and a great pleasure; for you know that sometimes a great sadness will so feed an afflicted man that he will forget himself, and leave his meat and drink, as it doth appear by our royal but afflicted Pro­phet, Psa. 102.4. saying; My heart is smitten, and withered like grass, so that I forget to eat my bread, and Psa. 42.3. he saith, My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, where is thy God?

But if sadness makes us forget our meat and drink, much more doth pleasure, on which a pro­verb is framed, where it is said, he takes there so much pleasure that he loseth his meat and drink; and you know that to be true, for oftentimes a pro­found meditation on some agreeable things, or a pleasant exercise will make us forget the time of our refection, as it appears in our blessed Saviour, [Page 148]who saith, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work; for Christ refuseth the meat which his Disciples presented him, because all his pleasure and his delight was in the salvation of men, and conversion of those who were to come to meet him, as you may see in the 40. verse of our Chapter; he would not then feed upon his Disciples corporal meat, but upon the conversion of men, his spiritual meat and delicious ban­quet.

I know that our Saviour did eat many times to shew the truth of his humane nature, and make the Jews and others know that he was a true man, but he did leave his meat, when necessity of mens salvation did require it, to manifest himself the Saviour of the world; indeed he used the cor­poral meat with the common, but the salvation of men was his proper meat; for you know that a­mongst all the provisions which God gives us for our nourishment, some there are which we taste of with greater pleasure then others, as you may see in Isaac whose singular meat was venison, Gen. 27.3. and so every one saith, speaking of the meat which he singularly loves, this is my meat, as Christ in this place speaking of the meat which he loved above all, saith, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work; Indeed being question of mens salvation, he had a singular rea­son to say, that it was his meat, because no an­gels nor men could deliver us from the hands of [Page 149]the prince of darkness; none but God manifested in the flesh; for Christ alone God manifested in the flesh is the onely King who did eat at the ta­ble of mens redemption; Christ is he alone who hath troden the wine-press, Isa. 63.3. I have troden (saith our Saviour, speaking of that he was cer­tainly to perform) the winepress alone, and of the people there was none with me, Christ is he alone who hath been consecrated by afflictions for our salvation, Heb. 5.9. For Christ being consecrated through sufferings, became the authour of eternal sal­vation unto all those that obey him, and there is no o­ther name under heaven given amongst men where­by we must be saved but this of Jesus Christ, who saith, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

Conclusion and Application.

Now brethren to conclude, let us consider the great work of our Redemption, which our Lord and Saviour performed, from the birth of his sa­cred person to his death upon the Cross, where he saith, It is finished, that we may abstain from sin, and run after righteousness; let us look upon the divine wisedom that found a way to punish our sins, and with all save men by it; nay, more then that, a way where the Physician took Physick for his Patient, to cure him of all his spiritual diseases, that we may never cease to praise the Lord our God whom we adore; ler us admire here the ten­der [Page 150]affection of our dear Saviour, who being of­fended as well as his Father notwithstanding the reconciliation of men with their God and him through his bloud, that we may exclaim with the Apostle, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ.

Moreover, let us consider in the work of our Redemption the union of heaven and earth, which our sins had broke; and you shall see that the sa­cred angels descend from heaven to protect, help, and comfort us against our enemies and eminent dangers, which beset us in this corrupted world; being now ministring spirits, for them who shall be heirs of salvation, Heb. 1.14.

But to admire yet more the great benefits of the incomparable work of our Redemption; consi­der seriously what we were by our sins before the decretal resolution of God to save men by Christ; examine what we are now by nature, the slaves of the Prince of darkness, the sons of this corrupted world, and the children of death and eternal da­mnation, our condition was (as it is by nature) worse then Lots in Sodom, then Israels in Egypt, then Sampsons among the Philistins, then the Jews in Babylon, and the Prophets and Apostles in the obscure prisons; for we were under the power of the god of this wotld, bound with chains of obscurity, and tyed fast to the infernal pillory [Page 151]for our eternal shame, if Christ had not come to de­stroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.

Moreover, let us learn here, that although Christ is alone in this great work of our Redem­ption, yet in the general enterprise of doing the will of God every one according to his condition is sent from him to do his will; Kings and Prin­ces have their work from God to do, for as S. Paul saith, Rom. 13. [...], the Princes are the Mini­sters of God for good; they must kiss the eternal Son of God, the Lord of lords, and King of kings; they must lay down at his feet their Sceptre and Diadem, that their kingdoms may continue lon­ger under them; nay more then that, they must administer all things for his glory, all the kings of the world being under Christ the King of kings; which the great Monarch of England most piously acknowledgeth by the Church, when she saith, that his Majesty is next and immediately under God and his Christ, in his Dominions, supreme Governour.

The subordinate Magistrates have also their work from God to perform, they ought to do all things according to equity, and minister justice without partiality, and weigh with deliberation the considerable matters which they have in hand; lest too much rashness in the execution of them, should embroyl them and the people with ruine and confusion, or some other fatal accidents:

All the Spiritual Guides and Ecclesiastical Supe­riours [Page 152]have a work from God to do which must be their meat, they must consider, that all things ought to be done decently and in order in the Church of God; and that they must not do things to please their fancies, or the common sort of peo­ple, but our God, and Christ our Redeemer, who did seek onely the glory of his Father that sent him; the nurses of piety and learning, ought to apply their understandings for the work that they have to perform, that they may finde some means to advance and promote the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and keep the Church of God from schism, licentiousness and heresie; all the Mi­nisters have a work from God which they must accomplish, for we are embassadours for Christ, who hath given unto us the ministery of reconciliation, 2 Cor. 5.18. which is a work of a sublime excel­lence, where we feed our selves with divine meat, when we give others the sincere milk of the word of God.

But further you know, that all Christians have a work from God to do, for they are sent from him to seek after the meat of obedience unto the word of God; that they may live soberly and re­ligiously before him, and by a Christian conversa­tion, inflame the hearts of others to the glory of his holy Name: Lastly, all men and women have their work from God to accomplish in their voca­tion and family as well the greatest and richest, as the least and poorest of all; as well the Nobility [Page 153]as others their inferiours: for to all the intelligent but mortal creatures the time is precious and gi­ven for a pious exercise, it must not be employed about drunkenness but soberness, not about the profanation of the sacred Name of God, but its holy celebration; nor about idleness but watch­fulness: Let us then, brethren, forsake our cove­tous desires, let us not run after the impetuons blast of this world, the time which we have em­ployed for our covetousness, pride and vanity, ought to oblige us to redeem it, and to lay aside the sin which doth so easily beset us in this corrupted world, pursuing with patience the race that is set be­fore us, and looking unto Jesus the authour and fi­nisher of our faith, who saith, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Amen.