WE haue heard (good Brethren) hereto­fore, howe to behaue our selues one with another touching strifes and con­tentions; that we must not be mooued to reuengement vpon euery light oc­casion, but put vp iniuries and harmes, and pray for our enemies, following the exāple of our Lord Iesus our chiefe peacemaker with God: that we euery one in like maner should be studious of peace in our selues, and helpe others to be at one among themselues, that the prince of peace may rest among vs: all this we haue heard at large declared vnto vs: it remay­neth onely that we be diligent followers of it, for thereunto tendeth all teaching and preaching, to beate into our heades knowledge of our dutie towardes God and our neighbour, that we should not onely be knowers of his will with the wic­ked seruant, but practisers of the same with the godly childe. And because in this point we be very dull, & content our selues often with the bare knowledge of our dutie, thinking it suffi­cient, [Page 2] that we can make iolly discourses of matters, whereof we be nothing at all touched in our heart: I haue therefore cho­sen out this portion of Scripture, to this end, that it might part­ly awake vs out of such a sound sleepe of securitie, to the more deepe and effectuall consideration of our dutie.

These words as I haue read them vnto you be vttered by the Apostle to this ende, that he might stirre himselfe vp more fer­uently and earnestly to the doing of his dutie not onely before men in shew, but also syncerely from the bottome of his heart before God the searcher of the heart. For so it doth appeare by the verse going before: howsoeuer it be, saith he, whether it be that we be at home in this bodie, 2. Cor. 5. 9. or remoouing from home out of this bodie, we doe alwaies indeauour that our actions and deedes may please our God. For we must all once appeare before the iudgement seate of God, as though he should say, Howe men iudge and e­steeme of me, I make not so great account, so that my doings may be allowed of my God, for there is no remedie they must once come to be skanned before God, where all the allow­ing or disalowing of man can take no place.2. Cor. 5. 17. And herin also he secretly represseth and beateth backe the vaine ostentation of the false teachers,1. Cor. 4. 2. that had nothing before their eyes, but one­ly to haue the applause and the liking of men. I dare not so doe my dutie, saith he, as some teachers among you, who frame them selues to please men, but my chiefe and whole purpose is to please God in my calling; for when men shall haue giuen vpon my doings their verdict and iudgements, either in liking or disliking of me, I know that when men shall haue don with me, with their iudgements and censures, that I must after all that come before God, and he must take the viewe of me and my life, not according as it hath appeared outwardly to the shew of men, but as it hath beene indeede before God, and therefore I dare not frame my selfe to the onely liking of man, but especially to the pleasing of my God, before whose iudge­ment seat I must once stand, and that is it, that maketh me so carefull (as he addeth in the verse following) not onely to doe my dutie before men so truly as they can not iustly blame me,2. Cor. 5. 11. but especially to examine my heart before God, that it be vp­right [Page 3] before him, as my outward doings are before mē: because I set before mine eies this terrible iudgement of the Lord, who is a sore reuēger of all dissimulatiō. Thus ye heare then for what purpose the Apostle bringeth in this sentence of our appea­ring before the iudgement seat of God, that is, to stirre himself vp to walke more sincerely before God, & not to be contented with the applause or liking of men. It remaineth now that we gather our profit by it, & applie it to our vse, that it may serue vs in as good stead, as it did the Apostle: for I neede not stande long to prooue the truth of the sentence, seeing it is so euident through the whole bodie of the Scriptures, & so apparant as cā be, that Christ shall come to iudgement: it is a thing euident y­nough of it selfe, and denied of none, the simplest of all doe ac­knowledge it, euery one knoweth that doomes day wil come, it is an article of our Creede, that Christ shall come to iudge vs, so that I neede not busie my selfe to set out that matter in large proofe, which is of all so generally confessed: but this especially we haue to note out of it, that we learne to make our profit & benefit by it vnto our soules health, as the Apostle doth vnto his soule, and applie it vnto our soules, as he doth vnto himselfe. For he bringeth this sentence, not to doe vs to vnderstande, that he knoweth onely and acknowledgeth a iudgement to come (for the very diuels do in like maner so much, & yet cease not continually to rage against God) but that by the acknow­ledging of that iudgement,2. Cor. 5. 11. he is inwardly touched with a re­uerent feare, and an earnest desire to doe his dutie and walk vp­rightly both outwardly before man, & inwardly before God. This profit doth he gather to him selfe then, by thinking vpon the iudgement to come, & setting it before his eies, that therby he is stirred vp to walke this life warily & sincerely both before God & men: & by this example we are admonished (good bre­thren) to doe the like, that is, to set the remembrance of the iudgement seat of God before our eyes, that thereby we may be raised from our securitie: but alas, we are very farre from it; euery one of vs, I graunt, can confesse, (and I thinke we doe beleeue it too) that Christ shall come to iudgement, we can so say, but alas we goe no further, wee gather not hereupon [Page 4] with the Apostle, a lesson to our selues to walke therefore vp­rightly and without guile before God, knowing that all our doings must once come to the skanning before his iudgement: this we leaue out, and content our selues onely with a vain re­petition of bare words in our Creede: & think that we are no­table Christians when wee haue rolled vp the wordes in our Creede, that Christ shall come to iudge both the quicke and the dead, & in the meane time neuer apply it to our life, to take admonition thereby to walke in the feare of our God, this I say, men litle thinke vpon: but we see how the Apostle teacheth vs another lesson by his example, to apply the consideration of the comming of Christ vnto our soules with feare and tremb­ling, to walke in simplicitie before God, because we cannot e­scape his iudgement. And it standeth vs in hand to learne it well, and put it in practise, for we see the vntowardnes of the world, & our owne blindnes, how we doe not onely suffer our selues to be blinded by others, but willingly cast before our eyes a thousand clouds and mysts of hypocrisie and securitie to blind our selues with all, that we should neuer see our owne pe­rill and danger, & vtterly to burie in vs altogether the remem­brance of the last iudgement, that we might more safely sleepe in our deadly securitie and sinnefull behauiour, to our vtter de­struction both of our soule and bodie: therefore it is notable here that the Apostle calleth vs to the iudgement seat of God, for such kinde of doctrine hath great force to waken vs more liuely out of such perill & danger, when we commonly vse to tumble and wallow without feeling: for as long as we thinke we haue to deale but onely with man, we take vpon vs to rage like cruell beasts, without al reason & cōscience in oppressing one an other & in deceiuing one an other, we cōmit all abho­minable wickednes in corners, & in the darke night, & thinke we be in excellent good safetie, because our naughtines cānot be espied, nor tried out by men: but alas the Apostle saith we must all appeare before the iudgement seate of God; when all the men in the earth haue done with vs, and can finde out none of our naughtines, then must the Lord beginne to try out our wickednesse: and shall he in like manner (thinke you) [Page 5] be constrained to give vs ouer as one not able to bewray our lewdnesse!1. King. 8. 39 No, no, all the secret thoughts of our hearts are open vnto him: all our subtill practises which we contriue ne­uer so closely are every one of them apparent to his eyes, and he will sit in iudgement vpon them, and euen condemne vs for them to everlasting torment, if wee doe not now repent while he gives time. Yee see then it standeth vs in hand to put this lesson well in practise, to avoide the danger now in this time of mercie, which otherwise will fall vpon vs. And away with all vaine gloses, and visours of hypocrisie, whereby we vse both to deceiue our selves and others, and let vs learne now at last to walke in simplicitie before our God, and in plaine dealing with men. For otherwise, there is no remedie, when we haue wrangled out the matter never so stoutly before men, it must be brought notwithstanding in hearing before our God, whome wee can not with all the fetches of our subtill heads, neither deceive nor abuse. And yet it is a wonder to see how boldly men dare deale with God, and how impudently they dare behave themselves in his presence, what wicked­nesse we dare commit even before his eyes, without all feare of his iudgement seate, as though he had neither eye to see out our lewdnesse, nor sword to punish, nor yet iudgement seate to condemne. Wee dare boldly in the open presence of our God commit filthy adulterie, fornication, & all vncleannesse, which wee durst not for our lives be so bold as doe in the pre­sence of a child of xiii. yeres old for feare of his presence, that could bring vs to a little shame here in the world, & yet sticke nothing at all like bruite beasts, to commit all such villany in the presence of our God, who hath his iudgement seate to condemne vs eternally. Doth not this sufficiently bewray our blockishnes, that there is no feare of God in vs at al, when we dare so proudly checke against his maiesty, and do vtterly se [...] to bury vp all the remēbrance of his iudgment, that we might like filthy swine wallow and tumble our selves in all wicked­nesse and abominations without controlment! But like mise­rable caitiffes, which dare be so bold with our God, to make no account of his maiestie, and doe so lightly esteeme of his [Page 6] iudgement continually in our sinnes without repentance, vvee shall be haled before his iudgement seat in spite of our teeth, when we vvould be glad to haue the hils & mountaines to fall vpon vs,Luc. 23. 30. to hide vs from his presence:Revel. 6. 17. & 9. 6. but all shall not prevaile. This sentence must stand more firme & sure then heauen and earth, that all of vs must appeare before the iudgement seate of God; wherfore good brethren, let vs not abuse this time of mercy, but now repent, while God giveth vs time, for after­warde is a time of iudgement without mercy to all those that dare so horribly abuse Gods maiesty, & do not study to repent while they haue time: let vs now, while we liue vpon this earth set daily before our eyes the continual remembrance of Christs comming to iudgement, that wee flatter not our selues in our sinnes: and the more carefully must we looke vnto it, because we see what blockish heathenishnes the vvorld is grovven vnto for lack of practising this lesson: for vvhat is the cause of all the disorders grovven amongst men, & all outragious dealing, but that men forget themselues, and think nothing of their ap­pearance before the heauenly iudge? What is the cause of such flattery & craft among vs, such fetches, shiftes, & devices to deceive one another, such swearing & forswearing? what is the cause, I say, of all this, but only that men doe not effectually consider vvith themselues of the day of iudgement, vvhen all matters shalbe righted, all secrets revealed, & craftie iuggling vvith God & man disclosed? mē, I say, do not think upō this, & therefore do harden themselues in their sinne. And especially here in Norffolke it is a marvelous thing to see hovv vve haue so shaken off all feare of God, & utterly buried the remembrāce of his iudgement: if vvee can once deuise shifts & subtilties to delude Iustices, Iudges, and Gods magistrates, that the lavv of man can not take hold of vs, vve thinke our selues as sure and [...]e as can be: if vve can find out any colour or fetch that can not be espyed by man in the iudgement seate, vvee on as slily vvith the matter as can be, & think all cock sure. And though the matter be never so well knovvn vnto our consciences, whē vve do iniuries vnto others, yet if there be no vvitnesses of the matter, or evident proofe by lavv to convince vs, vve thinke vve [Page 7] be as safe as can be: & if vve be dealt vvithall by good men to deale uprightly vvith men & according vnto conscience, oh vve be straightvvaies vpon them; vvhat sirrha? vvhat knovve ye by me? vvhat can ye charge me vvithall? vvhat vvitnes haue yee against me? if ye haue any thing to charge me vvithall I vvill ansvver it: & thus vve play the iolly fellovves in advancing of our selues, & setting vp our crest, if nothing can be prooved against vs by man. And vvhat if no man liuing can charge thee vvith any thing, thou miserable caitiffe, & that things can not be laid out plainly by vvitnesses, & evidences before men? dost thou thinke therefore to escape scotfree at Gods hand, & so to escape his iudgement? vvhat if there be no mā that can charge thee? hast not thou vvithin thine ovvne breast a guest at home, euen thine ovvne conscience that chargeth thee of a thousand matters more strongly, and more fiersly pursuing the matter then a thousand vvitnesses? So could that cruell beast Cain, that bathed in the blood of his brother, vvrangle vvith God after that manner:Gen. 4. 8, 9. What doest thou meane to aske me of my brother? saith he, what have I to doe with him? am I my brothers keeper? is he not old enough to keepe himselfe? He thought forsooth, he had made sure vvorke on all hands vvhen he had gotten his brother into the broad fields far from the presence of men that none could espie him to beare vvitnesse of the fact;Gen. 4. 8. but the Lord findeth out this cruell tiger, and subtill foxe, & bringeth in vvitnesses enough to condemne him, that vvere present, euen at the deed doing.Gen. 4. 10. Thy brothers blood, saith God, crieth aloud for venge­ance in mine eares: doest thou thinke to escape scotfree in my iudgement, because no mortall man can testifie of it? the blood vvhich I put into thy brothers body, and thou cruelly didst let out the same, that same blood hath a lovvd voice be­fore my iudgement seate,Genes. 4. 11. to beare vvitnesse against thee, and to call for iustice at mine hand to revengement: the verie earth vvhich opened her mouth to receiue the blood is ano­ther loud vvitnes before me to condemne thee, vvhat saist thou to the matter? vvhat hast thou to say for thy selfe? Alack poore soule, he standeth as dumb as a block before his iudge, & hath not a vvord to ansvvere in his defence against these vvitnesses [Page 8] but like an obstinate rebell against Gods maiesty, doeth mur­mure against God, that he is hardly dealt withall, and that his punishment is greater then he is able to indure,Gen. 4. 13. that he is op­pressed and throwne downe with the fierce wrath of God. Let vs see then what we can prevaile with all our shiftes and sub­tilties here, where wee thinke no man can charge vs, no wit­nesse against vs: the Lord needs no such witnesse in his iudge­ment seate, he can call all his creatures to witnesse against vs: the very house wherein we commit wickednesse, our consci­ence in our breast witnessing thereunto, the darke night, the ground we tread vpon, the bedde we lye vpon, all the crea­tures of God about vs, when we are committing wickednesse, shall be sufficient testimonies against vs. The matter that we so subtilly contriue in our braines, for to wind in our neigh­bours and deceive them, euen the very matters them selves shalbe sufficient before our God to stand against vs to condem nation. The pen, ynke, paper, parchment, scribe, subtill pe­ty-fogger, and whatsoever haue bene instruments with vs in our craftie deuises, whatsoever of Gods creatures we haue vsed or rather abused thereunto, shall testifie their humble o­bedience to their creatour to our condemnation: yea, euen our owne hands that wrote, our tongue that spake, our feete that went, our heart that devised, our body that executed, must needs stand in iudgement as an army of witnesses, to condēne vs. What did it availe that miserable caytiffe, that he could use his legges and feete to meete his Master, and his armes to imbrace him, and his tongue falsly to speake wordes of pre­tensed friendship,Matt. 26. 48. Haile master, & his mouth like a trusty frend to kisse him: what could all these prevaile, I say, when God pursued him more narrowly, and haled him more neerely vn­to his iudgement seate? what did they prevaile? Alas poore damned creature, his conscience was made his hangman. The Lorde needed no other witnesse to bewray the false meaning of his fained friendly heart, then his owne conscience within his breast, that spake so lowd against him to his condemnati­on, that he could not abide, but cruelly caused his owne selfe same legges and feete to carry him to his owne death, and the [Page 9] selfe same hands to hang vp his body to dispatch his life: and then, which is most lamentable, when he thought to be ridde from his Iudge, then alas did he but begin his torments, which never can be ended.Heb. 10. 31 So horrible a thing it is to fall into the hands of so mighty a Iudge. O good breethren, let vs lay vp these examples deepe in our hearts, to bring in continuall re­membrance before our eyes the iudgement seate of God, that we may learne to feare his maiestie, and stand in awe of his dreadfull iudgement seate, that we be not so bold with our God, to dally with him, and as it were, play with his nose as they say; thinking our selves sure enough when we can make faire weather with men, and with our smooth lookes, sugred wordes, and faire countenances subtilly intrappe our brethren. Alas good brethren this geere will not be good stuffe with our God, when hee calleth vs to answer the matter in his highest court of parliament, it vanisheth away as smoke. Those same Iudas kisses be to common against vs, and which worse is, it is holden almost no sin: nay, I am afraid, it is accounted of most of vs a notable point of pollicie, as without which we could not be able to live amongst men, to flatter, speake faire, and as it were, to creep into mens bosoms, whereas within there is no­thing but falshood and a double heart: and yet we are growen to this brutishnesse, as though God had no iudgement seate, that we thinke we could not otherwise live amongst men, un­lesse we play on both hands with God and the world: and we haue made it, as it were, an infallible rule, and brought it to a common proverb, Nescit regnare, qui nescit dissimulare, He knoweth not how to keepe his owne, that knoweth not how to dissemble & fayne: flatterie & faire speech is called holy-water of the court, and I can not tell what. I know not what is in the court, for I am no courtier, but I am sure that we haue too much of such holy-water amongst vs here in Norffolke: faire words and false hearts, sugred talke and subtill meaning; it is too too common the Lorde be mercifull vnto vs, as though God did not see vs, view vs, marke vs, and even register vs vp vnto his iudgement seat:Psal. 10. 11. well good brethren, let vs not deceiue ourselves, all this our faire subtiltie is no more but Iudas kisses, [Page 10] and vndoubtedly, vnlesse we in time repent, we shall with Iu­das at the hand of Almighty God taste of the like vengeances for God will not be mocked:Psal. 6. 7. & although during our life wee come not to the gallowes, or to fordoe our selues as he did, yet our God hath his iudgement after this life, & will hang vs vp in hell with Iudas everlastingly: all of vs, if we doe not repent, yea although we do weare velvet coats on our backes, all shall not save vs: there is no remedy, we must all appeare before the iudgement seat of God: & therfore let vs now think upon it whiles we have time, that vve may be in a readines when it commeth: for therfore we are summoned, & in that court we must appeare. Away then with all these counterfaited devises, which be so common amongst vs, and fall at length to plaine dealing: let vs examine all our doings euen now presently, as they must be examined before the iudgement seat of God,Dan. 5. 27. and farse in no bumbasies of our own gloses, for that wil be found too light in the ballance: let euery one of vs now present, exa­mine our selues, & apply this sentence unto our selues, & make our profit by it, to the direction of our life according to the wil of our God, and not only to please man. What naughtines so­ever we go about, let vs alwaies enter into our selues and say, what am I doing now? doth not God see me? yes: doth he not abhor this my doing? yes: hath he not summoned me to an­swer this my doing before his iudgement seat? yes: O what a miserable wretch am I then,Psal. 50, 21. that dare so boldly commit open sin before my God, as though he were fellow with me in my sinnes! should I cast mine own soule away! O good Lord for­giue me, I will never do the like againe, graunt me thy strength to beat back al the false allurements of Satan, that goeth about to destroy my soule, be merciful vnto me, & set alwaies before mine eyes a reuerent feare of thy iudgement seat, that I neuer [...]ep in my sinne, but thereby may be awaked to walke simply & plainly before my God without hypocrisie dissimulation, or subtilty during the whole course of my life. Loe then how we must apply this doctrine vnto our selves, that it may be profi­table unto vs, & stand us in stead against the subtill practises of our adversarie Satan.

[Page 11] But here is yet a further thing in this matter needfull to be considered, namely that whereas the holy ghost here calleth into our remembrāce the comming of Christ to iudgement, he leaueth out the time when he will come, & maketh no mentiō of it at all. We must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ, but when the time shall be, whether to morrow, this night, or the next yere, or ten, twenty yeres, he telleth us not: no he speaketh not one word of that, he leaveth it out cleane: the holy ghost through the whol Scriptures hath left that time un­certen unto man,Mat. 24. 36. yea the very angels in heauē are ignorant of that, they know not when the Son of man shall come, no crea­ture in heauen, earth, or hell knoweth that; the Lord hath hid it from his creatures, & only reserved it to him selfe: wherfore? that we knowing certenly that he will come, & not knowing when,Mat. 24. 41. might alwaies be in a readinesse, when he commeth, lest he taketh vs vnwares:Mat. 13. 35. for so doth our Lord Iesus Christ ad­monish vs,Mat. 24. 44. therefore be ready, saith he, for ye know not when the Son of man shall come: & to waken vs up more sharply, he tel­leth vs, that his comming will be sudden, saith he, at an houre when ye least thinke, even as a theefe in the night. And upon the contemners of God saieth Paul, which lie and wallow them­selues in their sinne, 1. Thes. 5. 2, 3 the day of the Lord shall come vpon them sud­denly to their destruction: yea when they shall think themselues most sure, & safe, & make no more but a tush at the matter, & say in themselves,Vers. 34. tush all is well, all is quiet, euen then sudden­ly shall destruction come vpon them, as sorow upon a woman with child. God then hath left the certen time of his comming vncerten vnto man, that we might alwaies be ready and deferr not the time of our repentāce till to morow, because we know not whether the Lord will call us before to morrow: and this point is most specially to be noted, for else all that ever hath bin taught hitherto concerning the appearāce before Gods iudge­ment seat will be altogither vnprofitable vnto vs: we vvil ac­knowledge that vve must appeare before the iudgement seat of God, but we think it vvill not be so soone, but that vve may haue a litle space to continue in our sinne: & you shall see that this is the chiefest thing that Satan useth to bring into the heart of man, to make him beleeve that the day vvil not be so soone, [Page 12] but that he may have time enough before that day come, and therfore that he may yet a long time take his pleasure in his sin and repent before that day come. And I waraant you he hath bene busie euen with some of you since that time that I haue bene intreating of this matter, to blow this blast in your eare, that that day is not yet so neare, but that you may continue a while in your sinne & amend afterwardes. The carnall eare of him that is soked in the sweetnes of his sinne, hath heard me al this while intreating of the iudgement of God to come, & very pleasantly laugheth in his sleeue: oh, saith he, here is a fellow indeed, he is afraid of his owne shadow, belike he thinketh we be babes, & would afray vs with bugs: he hath bin telling a lōg tale of Gods iudgement seate, as though there were any that denied it, & as though we did not know it as well as he: but what for that? should we forgo the pleasures of our youth, the commodity of our crafty subtilties, & the hope of our gaine therby for feare of this iudgemēt? as though forsooth we could not amēd all this geere before that day come: nay, nay, let him speak what he vvill, we will take the pleasure and gaine of our sinne, and afterwards we will amend, & we trust all in time e­nough too. O subtill deuill that can so be witch the soule of mā to vtter destruction! but harken thou carnall beast to the voice of the Sonne of God,Mat. 24. 41, 44. he telleth thee that this day is not known to any of Gods creatures, & darest thou appoint with thy selfe a certenty of it, as though it were not so soone? thy God saith, it shall come suddenly, and darest thou set him to schoole, to be wiser thē he? and say tush in thine heart, it will be lōg first? no but he telleth thee, if thou be secure, it vvill take thee vnwares, in a moment,1. Cor. 15. 52. in the tvvinkling of an eye, before thou be vvare, and vvhere is thy amendment then?1. Thess. 5. 2. therfore he chargeth thee to amend novv, & deferre not the time, least thou be taken vn­avvares, and so caried to eternall destruction, and vvhat shall then all thy vaine hoping for a longer day profite, vvhen thou art taken suddenly, as the bird in the net? But thou saist, it vvill not come so soone, but Christ saith, it vvill come at an houre, vvhen thou least thinkest:Luc. 21. 55. & telleth thee flatly, that if thou shalt play the vvicked servant, and thinke thy master will tary long, [Page 13] and be many yeares and daies before he come,Mat. 24. 48, 50, 51. and thereupon fallest to beate thy fellow-seruants, and deale subtily with thē, without regard of the comming of thy master, Iesus Christ flatly telleth thee, that he will come in an houre, when thou least thinkest, and giue thee thy portion with hypocrites in e­ternall burning fire: then what hast thou gained by such pre­suming vpon Gods mercie, and hardning of thy selfe in thy sinne against God, when thy pleasure is turned into paine, and thy securitie and ease into continuall torment? Alas, good bre­thrē, that we should be so blinded with the subtilties of Satā, for the gaine of a small earthly trifle to cast away soule and bodie eternally.Mat. 16. 26. VVhat can it profit vs to winne the whole world, and loose our owne soule? and this we doe so long as giuing care to the vaine allurement of Satan, we continue in our sinne, deferring the time of our repentance till afterwards, thinking that the Lord will not come so soone: you see then the lacke of practising this doctrine, that is here taught vnto vs, is the cause that at this day men are so hardned in their sinne, and boldly goe on forward to eternall destruction. Men doe imagine with them selues, that although they must one day appeare before the throne of God, yet it will not be so soone, and thereupon they neuer thinke of that matter, but deuise all wickednes in their braines to fill their purses, feede the paunches, deceiue their neighbours, and generally all o­ther spite and villanie against God and man: and all because they thinke themselues in sure case, that the day of repentance is not so neere, but that they may amend all this geare in time: but it is not so, they are deceiued. The Scripture telleth vs it will come sooner then we thinke, & therefore amend betimes, least we perish all. And it is a maruelous matter to see howe wonderfully the aduersarie hath preuailed in this: for whereas God would haue vs alwaies in readines, because the time [...] vncertaine, the cleane contrarie is settled in our hearts, name­ly to take our libertie in sinning, because the time is a farre off, as we dreame: and this perswasion is so deepely settled in our breast, that if men be admonished to take heede of their dealings: for a day will come when all things shalbe righted, [Page 14] then they thinke straightway they haue a great long scope gi­uen them to range in: for they take it as a principle most surely rooted in their hearts, that that day is a far off. If they be threat­ned with the comming of Christ to iudgement, you shall see them make of the matter no more but a scoffe and a mocke: oh syr, if ye giue me so long a day, nay then I shall doe well y­nough: and here they can fall to gybing, and make themselues merrie with the talke of the welchman, who hauing robbed a man of his budget, and beeing threatned that he should an­swer for it at the day of iudgement, made answer, that if he might haue so long a day, he would haue the cloake too: and thus miserable caytiffs they thinke they haue notably preuai­led, when thus they haue scoffed out the matter: but alas, pore soules, it is no more then a laughter from the teeth forward: for when they haue put from them the day of the Lord as farre as can be, and that God for a time let thē play vpon the hooke, yet alas, there is a thing within their brest, that sometimes will sting them to the heart in spite of their teeth: but yet here-with­all you see how common this is amongst men, that the day of the Lord is a farre off:Amos 6. 3. for when we can so readily giue such an­swers as this, If ye giue me so long a day, &c. surely we bewray our owne heartes vnawares, that wee are perswaded in our breasts, that it is long to that day. And the same opinion haue we in like maner of the day of our death; there is scarcely found amongst vs any so old, but he wil thinke he might liue one yere longer, or at least one moneth, or one day, so farre he is off from thinking on his death: if we be young, oh then we thinke our selues as sure from dying, as God had sealed vs his letters pa­tents for our life till old age: and hereupon it commeth, that in our lustie youth (as they tearme it) we neuer thinke to make our selues readie to God-ward: nay so farre are we from all [...] of God, that vnlesse we play the wilde coltes in all licen­tiousnesse and sinne, we thinke we haue not well spent our youth according to the course of nature: and into such beast­lines we are gone, that we haue framed an heathenish, nay worse then heathenish, rather a deuilish prouerbe, A young saint, an old deuill; as if so be we should beginne to be holy in [Page 15] our yong age, it were the next way to make vs diuels when we are old: and as though it were the best way to be a diuell in thy yong age, that thou mightest be made a good holy man in thy old age. But I pray thee, what if thy God call thee while thou art a young deuill, what shall become of thee in thine old age? if the Lord cut thy yeares short, and make an ende of thy life, while thou art playing the yong lustie deuil, I warrant thee thou shalt neuer come to be neither old saint nor young saint. This I speake (good brethren) with griefe of heart, to see into what miserable blindnes we are tumbled, that the thing which God hath hid from vs so secret to himselfe (the day of his com­ming, and the day of our death) as though we were of Gods counsell, we will be so cunning in it, as if he had not onely re­uealed it vnto vs, but also had sealed vnto vs the assurance of it. And all this we doe, that we may more boldly sinne without controlment, thinking when we are old, we will then beginne to frame our selues to godlines: but alas, good brethren, we deceiue our selues, it is not so, we haue no assurance of our life, we can not tell when it shall please our God to call vs, at midnight, noonetide or cockerovve, wee are not certen one minute of an houre to liue, and therefore let vs not driue off from day to day, and thinke he will amende, least he come vpon vs vnwares, and finde vs vnprepared. Take heede, good brethren, that we doe not flatter our selues, to thinke I am but yong, & I trust I shall not die so soone, I will take the pleasures of my youth a while, and when I beginne to be old, I will then wholly applie my selfe to Gods will: or thus, although I be some what aged, yet I trust I shall not goe so soone, I thanke God I feele my selfe strong and lustie, I can eate my meate well, and I will not yet settle my selfe to be readie, when God calleth me: I may continue yet a little while in my craft and subtiltie, til I haue got but such a piece of ground▪ or so much money to lie by me, and then I will amend: when I shall begin to be sicke, then I will settle my selfe wholly to God-warde: Let vs take heede, good brethren, of these blasts and temptations of Satan, that we be not deceiued; doe we not see both daily and hourely how that the Lord calleth as wel [Page 16] the young as the old? and what patent haue we of our life, that we are not in the number? Doe we not see that God calleth men euen suddainly, when they are in as good health as can be, yea euen when they are eating their meate at dinner, euen supping an egge is the last breath that euer they draw? where­fore doth the Lord this, but onely to let vs vnderstand and see before our eyes, how soone our life is gone, that so we might alwaies be in readines: we see these things continually, and yet alas howe smally we profit by them: wherefore we see it needefull, and a thousand times more then needefull, to haue this soundly imprinted in our heart, and the remembrance of it continually before our eyes, that we must hence we can not tell when, that our heathenish eares, and Epicures pleasures may be cut off by the continuall meditation of the same, other­wise vndoubtedly, good brethren, when we thinke our selues most at ease, we shal vnderstand the sentence here that Christ Iesus spake,Luc. 12. 17, 18. That we shalbe taken in an houre, when we least thinke. That rich Epicure that wallowed and tumbled in his wealth, little thinking vpon his death, but soked in his sinne­full pleasures, sitteth at his ease debating with himselfe howe he may make his life most easie, and at length concludeth with himselfe such a way, as he thinketh to liue most pleasant­ly and easily for many yeares: he will pull downe (forsooth) his old barnes, and build him greater, that shalbe able to receiue all his grayne, and then like a iolly carnall swine, he will say to his soule, Oh soule, eate and drinke, and make lustie good cheare, for thou hast ynough laid vp for many yeare▪ here is nothing with him but cherishing the belly and pampering the bodie, as though God had put life into him, and set him in this world for none other end, but like a bruit beast to crāme vp his bellie to the corge, and feede him selfe fat against the [...] of slaughter: this miserable caytiffe hath forgot himselfe that he must die, there is no remembrance of death, but as though he must liue euer: but when the carnall belly-god in his chiefest ruffe and (as he thinketh) in his greatest felicitie, his cheare was cleane changed in a moment, he heard a voice that daunted his courage, it was said vnto him in the selfe [Page 17] same houre,Luc. 12. 22. Thou foole, this night shall thy soule shall be ta­ken from thee, this night thou must needs die, and what shalt thou then be better for all this false conceiued ioy in thy plea­sures and riches, when thou must not inioy them one minute of an houre? I am afraid, good brethren, it is too liuely and too true a description of vs Englishmen, which haue neuer done with feeding the belly and cloathing the backe, as though we should liue here euer. I am afraid too many of vs haue vtterly vanished out of our remembrance the day of our death,Amos 6. 5. or els haue put it a farre off, as though it would not come of a long time: I am afraide too many of vs say in our hearts with this worldly wretch: Oh, if such a thing and such a thing were brought to passe, I would say to my soule, take euen thy full pleasure, eate and drinke thy belly full, make merry, take euen thy hearts desire. Alas, good brethren, let vs take heede vnto our selues, what shall it auaile vs, when God shall suddenly take vs from all our pleasures in a moment, and throw our soules into euerlasting torment? The cause of this loosenes a­mongst vs is, because we doe not practise that doctrine that is taught vs out of this sentence, namely that the day of our de­parture is vncertaine, euen oftentimes when we least thinke: wherefore I desire you in the feare of God, for the loue we beare vnto our owne soules, that we make our profit of this sentence better then we haue done heretofore: let vs apply it vnto our selues, and call our selues to an account, euery one of vs enter into his own heart, and thus say, VVhat wickednes doe I know by my selfe? Am I a thief, a murtherer, a couetous person? is all this hid from man? yea. But alas, God doth see it, and hath ap­pointed a iudgement to punish it, therfore I will no more con­tinue in it: I will now repent while I haue time, I will not dāme mine own soule, for once I must appeare before the iudgemēt seat of God. And if the deuill would goe about to suggest into thine heart, that it wilbe long before the day come, and that that thou hast yet a long time to liue,Matt. 24. 51. and 21. 44. and therefore thou maist a while continue in thy sinne, answer him with Iesus Christs words, that then I shall haue my part with the wicked seruant in the continuall burning lake: that the time is not knowne to a­ny [Page 18] creature, it is vncerten, it will be sudden when we least think: & therfore defer not to be alwaies in a readines: if he will reply and say, it is not like to be so soone, for that all things are well, and there appeares no tokens of sicknes, much lesse of death, answer him againe, that euen therefore I ought more to suspect the day to be neare, [...]. Thess. 5. 2. because it shall be at such a time, as men shall thinke all thinges well and quiet, euen then shall it come and take men vnprepared. Let vs, good brethren, in this manner applie this doctrine to our selues, that we may profit by it in newnesse of life: let vs not deferre the time till to mor­row, the Lord God knoweth where we shall be to morrow: we are al of vs here now, God be thāked, but the Lord knoweth whether we shall euer come togither againe or not: the Lord may take vs before we goe out of the Church-doore; so vn­certen are we of our life: wherefore let vs for Gods sake de­ferre the time no longer, but euery one of vs now beginne to amend, and lie no longer in our sinne, but turne to the Lord by true repentance, knowing that our time is vncerten; thus doing, we shall finde the Lord our God mercifull vnto vs, he will increase in vs his graces and gifts of his holy spirite, that we may grow on forward from faith to faith in sanctification and newnesse of life, till it shall please his goodnes to call vs in his good time to euerlasting rest.

Thus we haue heard, good brethren, what we haue to learne out of this sentence, it remaineth that we knowing it, put it in practise, and that we doe not thinke it sufficient to come hither to sit here, and to lend our eares to the preaching to giue it the hearing, and haue yet notwithstāding no purpose of amēding, but rather some hard heart still to continue in our sinne, as we we came: for assuredly if we doe so, the eternall God wil neuer suffer vnreuenged such horrible contempt of his blessed word: it is an horrible abuse of Gods worde, yea of God him selfe, whē we so dally with God: ye, if I that preach the word should thinke it sufficient for me, when I haue told you Gods will out of his word, and yet not applie it to my selfe, to reforme my life after the same, assuredly I should answer that horrible contēpt of Gods maiestie before his eternall throne of iustice: if ye shall then (good brethren) harden your faces against this worde of [Page 19] God, and shake it off, and say still in your hearts, For all this I will continue in my sinne a while, and for all his threatning I trust I am not so neare death, but I may amend before that day come, let him say what he will, I vvill not yet begin: then I te­stifie vnto you before the eternall God, that the master of the house vvill come in an houre,Matth. 24. 5. vvhen ye least thinke, and giue you your portion vvith hypocrites, vvhere shal be vveping and vvayling and gnashing of teeth: and then vvhen ye vvould it is too late,Rom. 2. 4. alas ye can not. If ye shall novve abuse this day of mercie, and Gods long suffering that dravveth you to repen­tance,2. Pet. 3. 13. and like carnall beasts fling abroad, and kicke vp your heeles against the Lord, violently throvving from you all god­ly admonitions, vvhereby he goeth about to pul you vnto him, he shal come vpon you like a fierce lyon, & vtterly consume you in your greatest pride, vvhen ye least think: but I hope better of you, brethren, and good cause I haue so to doe, I thank God for it, I trust the Lord vvill vvorke in your heart, that ye vvill not deferre the time, but euen novv beginne to turne to him, vvhile he offereth you mercie, and presume not of hereafter. Remem­ber the fiue foolish virgins,Math. 25. 11. that had no oyle in their lamps, and yet for all that tooke no thought, but snorted and slumbred vvithout all care, thinking they should haue time enough to prepare, but alas they vvere deceiued, for the bridegrome came sodainly, and those that vvere found readie entred in, and those iolly fooles that deferred so long vvere shut out, and shall neuer enter in: for Gods sake, brethren, let these things enter deep in­to our head & heart: let vs haue these things so deeply imprin­ted in our hearts, that vve may think vpon them continually, & say alvvay vvith that holy man, vvhether I sleepe or vvake, me think I heare continually sounding in mine eares, the trump of the Lord that saith, Arise ye dead, come to iudgement: let vs alvvay be prepared against that day, & alvvaies say in our heart vvith the saints in the Apocalyps, Come Lord Iesu, come quickly, I am ready for thee,Reuel. 22. 20 come vvhen thou vvilt: that our hearts may still long after it,Phil. 1. 23. & say vvith the Apostle, I desire to be dissolued, & to be with thee, ô Christ: othervvise if we shall deferre it, and take our pleasures in this vvorld, then alas euen the remembrance of death, Oh how bitter wil it be to him, that hath his heart vpō [Page 20] the things of this world? it will nippe our heart a sunder to part with our goods, to part with our pleasures, and all because we haue so long abused Gods long sufferance, and prolonged the day of our repentance, till suddenly we are taken: then we could with the wicked contemners of God, wish the very hils and mountaines to couer vs and hide vs from the presence of the fierce iudge,Luc. 23. 30. whom we haue so stubbornly contemned:Reuel. 6. 17. and 9. 6. but alas, it will not preuaile, we must euen be hayled before his iudgement seat in spite of our teeth: wherefore, good brethrē, let vs thinke vpon it, and thinke vpon it againe, that it neuer part from vs: these be waightie matters to be thought vpon, these be things that must alwaies keepe vs occupied, and not heard with the eare for the space of an houre, but they must be our continual meditation our whole life: I trust by Gods grace ye wil think vpon it, that you may profit by it: I hope well of you, as good cause I haue, especially because I see the Lord hath mooued you to this good work, whereunto you are assē ­bled, that you think not much neither of cost nor trauail for the benefit of the common-wealth and ease of your brethren: con­tinue and goe on forward, be not wearie of well doing, seeing the Lord is with you in blessing your labours, remember the time we haue is short, let vs be doing good while we haue time, remember that your callings require the same, beeing magi­strates of peace, to be carefull of peace: remember that ye must once be called to account before the iudge for your calling, & then though all the men in the earth would cleare you, if God doe condemne you, there is nothing but destruction: let the vprightnes then of your consciences be in these your mee­tings, that ye may be void of vaine glorie before men, and be simple before God to doe good, and then the Lord will blesse your labours in this life, and in the life to come ye shall receiue full ioy both of soule and bodie for euer. Ye see then the mea­ning of this sentence, and how the Apostle takes it to his vse, to take his profite by it, in setting it alwaies before his eies, to keepe him thereby in a continuall awe of God, while he skan­neth his doings, not onely by man, but especially by God, who hath his iudgement to call vs vnto, to answer the matter when [Page 21] we least think: & herin how we are admonished to do the like, and to take our profite by it in like manner; thus much, I say, hath bene declared out of this place, in that sence and manner that it is vsed by the Apostle. There is yet further doctrine in particular to be delivered out of the same very profitable for vs for our instruction, of which we must in like maner gather our profit: for whereas it delivered vnto vs, that we must once ap­peare before the iudgement seate of God, we are not onely thereby taught to be raised vp to a more diligent vew of our doings, that they be sincere before God, which the Apostle doth here, but further having entred into our selves, and found in vs many imperfections, yea and horrible sinnes, which the Lord hateth, and which he hath pronounced to be punished with his heavie curse and eternall condemnation, knowing that he is both a iust God and a true, which hath set this pu­nishment downe, and hath already summoned vs to his iudge­ment seate, we are hereby (I say) admonished carefully to consider how we may be discharged in that iudgement day, & delivered from that same punishment, which our sinnes haue deserved. This is a speciall point to be considered, and deep­ly to be waighed of every one of vs, and not slightly to be pas­sed over: it is our chiefest ioy in our life, our only comfort in our death, and our true happinesse after death. Without this wee are most miserable of all creatures, yea in worse estate then the very brute beastes: for they (silly poore things) yet shall have an end of their miserie and toyle in their death: but wee if we know not this, shall then in death and after death begin our eternall torments, which shall never haue end. Without this although we liue in this world most pleasantly, most weal­thily, and most gloriously, yet we are of all creatures most un­happie: for what shall it availe vs, if we winne the wealth, plea­sure, and glory of the whole world, and at the day of iudge­ment loose our owne soules, and be throwne downe into eter­nall torment? what benefit doth that rich glutton, that now lyeth burning in hell, and shall, what benefit doth he reape of all his good cheere, that he devoured in his life time? what is he better for all the fine apparel, that he clothed himselfe with­all? [Page 22] all? what doeth he now gaine by all the glory that he inioyed in this world? what doth it help him now, when he is in ever­lasting torments? He would now haue ease for a minute of an houre, and can not. Ye see then it is a most needfull thing to think upon this now while we are living; that seeing we must once appeare all before the iudgement seate of God, we may now begin to be carefull to know the wayes and means how we may be set free in that iudgement, & so come to eternall life: for vnto this end the Lord giveth vs life and being here in this world, to the glory of his name, to learne all this while we liue here the true waies & meanes how to be delivered in that day to liue ever & never die: you see this, it is a special & a most principall point, that wee be here taught, that is, that wee be most carefull to be discharged in the day of iudgement, be­cause it standeth vs in hand in paine else of casting away both of soule and body into eternall fire. But it is lamentable to see the great ignorance among vs in this most chiefe and most necessary thing: there is none almost but he knoweth he must come to iudgement & looketh for doomes day, but alas, how or by what meanes he shalbe discharged in that doome and iudgement scarsly shal ye find the hundreth person, that know eth it: in this point generally the whole earth is ignorant. It is too lamentable, good brethren, especially among vs that haue the name of Christians, yea in the time of the gospell that wee should be ignorant of this chiefest point, how we are saued by Christ. The multitude generally are so ignorāt in this, as is mar­velous: aske thē how they hope to be saued in the day of iudge­ment, they can not tell: some peradventure will give answer in generall words, Even as it pleaseth God, or by Gods mercy, I put me wholly to his mercy, or by Christ, or such like words: but aske them further how & by what means it pleaseth God to saue them seing their sinne must be punished? or how they trust to be saved by Gods mercy seing God in iustice must pu­nish their sinne? or how or by what meanes they hope to be saved by Christ? these things, I say, they are vtterly ignorant of. And you shall see not only simple soules (as they call them) ig­norant [Page 23] of these points, but commonly even those, which other­wise haue great gifts of wit, & skill of things in the world: yee shall see a company that are so skilfull in any matter almost which is to be skanned before a mortall iudge, that they wil go neare to goe beyond a good skilfull lawyer, & put him to his pinch, & yet notwithstanding examine them of this law point, how they shalbe saued in the day of iudgement, they haue no wit to answer it, they are not book learned forsooth, as though only book-learned men shalbe saved, & not the simple as wel. Nay come also to those that haue excellēt gifts to serue in the common wealth, & seeme to be of great countenance & wis­dom, and I warrant you, if due examination were made, they should be found to be ignorant in this point, & not to knowe the way and meanes of their salvation. I speake that which I know, it is a lamentable thing to see it. I haue dealt with such men divers times, and haue found them vtterly ignorant in the knowledge of their salvation, & yet otherwise men of great wisdom. Wherfore the case is too lamentable, that that thing which the most simplest ought to know, euen the most excel­lent are ignorant of. Nay there is yet a further thing that aug­menteth the matter, and maketh it worse: namely, that mē are not ignorant of this so needfull a thing, but also they are altoge­ther retchlesse, and haue no care to seeke to know it: we haue neuer done with carking and caring for our bodies, we ride, we runne, wee digge, we delve, wee labour, wee toile, and all wee thinke too little to preserue our bodies, and in the mean time what shall become of our soules and bodies in the day of iudgement wee haue no regarde: and yet euery one of vs will confesse that we ought to be more carefull for our soules, then for our bodies, more carefull for the life euer­lasting, then for this present momentarie life: and yet con­trarie to our owne conscience, contrary to our owne know­ledge we leaue the principall not regarded, & bend our whole force, wit, skill and travell to the other, that indureth but a mo­ment in cōparison of the other, what do we now hereby good [Page 24] brethren, but onely make our selves vnexcusable before the throne of God: Nay further, even all the whole partes of vs both of soule and body, which God hath giuen vs to be most chiefly exercised about the heavenly life, we make them euen so many witnesses against vs in the day of the Lorde, because we haue abused them to serue our turne in this bodily life, far above the heauenly life. So that the Lorde need no other wit­nesses against vs to condemne vs in the day of iudgement. The wit that God giveth vs, which we haue so carefully vsed to de­vise for our bodies in this life, and never bent it carefully to seeke for the life to come, must needs beare record against vs in the day of iudgement: the tongue that we have vsed so care­fully to speake and crave for worldly things, and hath bene so dumb in heavenly things: the feete that haue so speedily runne about worldly gaine, and haue bene lame in heauenly profit: the eare that could so carefully listen after worldly gaine, and was deafe at heavenly matters: and to be short, all the whole partes both of our soules and bodies, that we haue so carefully and miserably vsed about these worldly things, and so slackly vsed about heavenly things which should haue bene the chie­fest: all these, I say, shall be sufficient to condemne vs before our God, when he shall come in iudgement. It standeth vs in hand then, good brethren, to be more carefull how we may be discharged before the iudgement seat of God, and so come to eternall life: more carefull, I say, then we haue bene. The matter must once come to handling, and it is a waightie mat­ter, it toucheth the life euerlasting. There is none of vs all, but if we had a matter to be ansvvered before an earthly iudge, if it vvere but touching a parcell of our lands & goods, if it were but an hundreth pound matter or a thousand pound, there is none of vs all, I say, but in such a case we would be marveilous [...]refull for the ansvvering of it, and seeke all the meanes pos­sible to know the remedy in law hovv to be discharged: but if it were a matter that touched the losse of our life, oh then vvee vvould trudge post vp and dovvne for counsell this way and that way, and seeke all the meanes that could be: vve could never sleepe quiet in our beddes, till vve knevv hovv the matter [Page 25] would fall out. But in the case that must be answered before the heauenly iudge, and toucheth the losse of the lands of hea­ven, the losse of the goods of heaven, the losse of the life euer­lasting, O Lord, how carelesse are we? we never care for it, we neuer ride nor run for it, we never breake our sleepe for it: wee shall see men in this behalfe as senselesse as can be, utterly o­uerwhelmed with a brutish securitie: & yet we think our selues notable Christians, and to haue wound up the matter very cunningly, when we can haue giuen some generall answeres, as to say, euen as it pleaseth God: but as he hath revealed him­selfe in his word, we never seeke that, but only keepe our selues contented with such generall speeches, and never seeke in his word the mean how. If there were any such one among vs, as hauing a waighty matter before a iudge to be answered, cared not for it, and would seeke no counsell, nor vse no wayes nor meanes for to answere the matter, would wee not sharply re­buke the man, & bid him take heed to himselfe, to seek for help in time, and cast not himselfe away, & his wife and children, & so forth? and yet if the stubborne man would notwithstan­ding be carelesse of the matter still, and wilfully cast himselfe away, will we not say straightwaies, hee was well serued? he mought haue helped the matter if he would haue sought for it in time, but he would take no counsell, and therefore hee hath cast himselfe away? we can haue these speeches too common in our mouthes concerning these worldly matters, and yet in the meane time doe ye not see, how we giue sentence against our selues? for, there is none of vs all, but we have a great waigh­tie matter of life and death, of soule and body to answer before the great iudge Iesus Christ, and yet as though the matter were nothing we will not now in this time of mercie be care­full how wee may answere it, but onely wipe it avvay with a worde: even as it pleaseth God (say wee) euen as it plea­seth God. True it is, that all must be as it pleaseth God, that is true, and that God will deale with vs in that last iudgement even as it pleaseth him, all that is true: but seeing God hath set downe in his vvorde hovv and by what meanes it plea­seth [Page 26] him to deliuer us & discharge us in that iudgement, if we shall now not seeke to know that same meanes of our deliue­rance, which he hath so plainely left unto us in his worde, surely we can not but be guiltie of our owne condemnation, and must needes confesse, that we are but rightly serued at the hands of our Iudge, when hee giueth sentence of con­demnation upon us, because vvee would not seeke that coun­sell, that the Lorde had left us, nor seeke to know the way and meanes of our deliverance, when wee had time, al­though wee can couer it neuer so closely, with, as it plea­seth God, as it pleaseth God. Wee shall finde that it plea­seth God to punish with euerlasting destruction such horrible negligence and contempt of our saluation. Away then with all such vaine colours as Satan would cast before our eyes to make us negligent still: and let us in the feare of God begin to seeke carefully how wee may be discharged in the day of iudgement, and so come to euerlasting life. It is a waightie matter, it is a great matter, it must be looked unto, it passeth a Westminster matter, this toucheth landes, goods, and life euerlasting. The reason that maketh men so retchlesse and negligent in caring for the heauenly life, is because wee dreame it to be but an easie matter to come to euerlasting life, we thinke it but a small matter and soone gotten, and there­fore we busie our selues the lesse about it. True it is we will not say so with our tongue and lippes, that it is but a small matter, but it is evident, that we accept it so in our hearts, seeing we take so little paine about it. For that we might obtaine the things that we iudge hard to come by, we doe not vse small paines, but great care and labour, for otherwise we thinke that can not be had: that is it that maketh vs so carefull for the bo­dily life, because we see it so hard a thing, that doe we what we can, all is little enough to get vs our living. So that if we were perswaded, that if it were as hard a matter to get ever­lasting life, as we see it is to get a temporall thing, we would be­stow as much paines in the one, as in the other: and therefore say what we will, our owne heart condemneth vs, that wee [Page 27] count it but an easie matter, and therefore are too negligent to prouide for it. And againe, the griefes and miseries of our soules we do not feele halfe so much, as the paines and griefes of our bodies, and therefore that maketh vs to be so carefull to pro­uide remedies for the one, and utterly to neglect the other: if our bodies be but a little touched with sicknesse, we can feele it straightwaies, we can complaine, sigh, and grone, and be­cause we feele the paine nip us, there is riding and running for the phisitian, no cost, no labour spared, yea if our litle finger be but cut, we make a doe in wrapping and saluing, & all because we feele the griefe of it: & yet for all that the silly poore soule, that same nice body is pained with sicknesse euen unto death, wounded unto eternall damnation with the fiery dartes of whordome, covetousnesse, usury, oppression, craftie dealing, idolatry, superstition, vaine glory, and such like others, and like senselesse blockes, we feele it neuer a whit, it is no griefe unto us, no paine unto us at all. These diseases of our soules do not greeue us a whit, and therefore we are not carefull to runne to the phisitian Iesus Christ to be cured: if the body be but a little pinched with cold, nakednesse, hunger, or any other calamitie, we cannot abide it, it grieveth us, we are marveilously troubled with it, and therefore are we so carefull to provide meate for the bodie, and clothes for our backe, we haue never done with that, all is too little, that we can cramme into this our filthie paunch, and to hang upon our lasie backes, all is too little, we haue neuer done purchasing, and preparing for it. What shall I say? whole towneships and lordships will not serue to fill this our greedie maw, and cloath our fine and delicate backe. And yet in the meane time alas, our poore soule within, starued with hunger, pined euen to death with cold and nakednesse, and we not a whit carefull to prouide for it the bread of life, the food of life to releeue his hunger, nor the righteousnesse of Christ to cloath the nakednes of it, least it die eternally: we are not a whit carefull for that, because we feele nothing at all the misery & dāger that our soules be in. The whol world is asleep in sinne, wallowing and tumbling themselues therein, in perill [Page 28] and daunger of eternall destruction, and hell fire euerlasting, and yet doe not see it: they thinke them-selues in no daun­ger, and that maketh men so carelesse, that they neuer seeke for any remedie. Oh a harde worlde, a hard vvorlde. God helpe, never so hard a world, we haue much a doe to liue, it is so harde a worlde: (thus can we say touching the body) ne­ver so much pouertie, and such exclamations and outcries for the pinching of the body as is marveilous, and I partly beleeue them to be true. But in the meane time in this great miserie and perill of our soules, in the great hunger of our soules, who doth exclaime upon that? skantly the hundreth person: and although it be exclaimed upon, yet it is but cold­ly looked unto for the remedie of it: other things yet tou­ching the hunger and harme of the body they are looked un­to to be remedied, and this hunger of our soules which brin­geth to eternal death is smoothly passed over. I can not see but it is the Lordes iust scourge to punish vs with our roddes in sending such scarsenesse in so great plentie, because we will needes contrarie to his commaundement be more carefull for our bodily life then for our heauenly life. For if wee did chiefely and aboue all seeke for the kingdome of heauen,Matth. 6. 33. God giueth his promise that all other things needefull should be mi­nistred vnto vs: but because we will needes be wiser then God, like a young scholler to set him to schoole, and whether he will or not, needes before the kingdome of heauen seeke the kingdome of this world, he laieth our owne deuises vpon our owne necks, and giueth vs neither the one nor the other. Therefore let vs repent in time, for a iudgement wil come, there is no remedie, we must all appeare, there is no remedie. Let vs now be carefull to be saued in that day both in soule and bo­die; let vs be carefull for it, it is a waightie matter, it is not so ea­sie a matter as men thinke. The Lord Iesus telleth vs so, the way to the deuill and eternall destruction is easie,Math. 7. 13. broad, and wide, and many finde it, they flocke thither euen by heapes; but the way to life, he telleth vs, is very painfull and rough, many pricks in our way, and therefore fewe finde it. It is not a [Page 29] tush with thy mouth, and a fillip with the finger, and three words speaking, as they say, at a mans death, that will bring a man to heauen; nay the Lorde Iesus saith, that in that day there shall be many that can say gloriously, Lord, Lord, yea and with great knowledge haue taught other the Lord, and yet for all that shall haue their portion with the deuill in the burning lake. Men thinke it not so waightie a matter, because they do not see in what peril & danger they stand in, they think themselues in good case, because they see a great number worse then they: they thinke they shall doe as well as the rest, and they are content to take part with the rest, and because Satan hath blinded them, they thinke if they be void of great notorious crimes, such as are punished with death by the ma­gistrate, treason, murder, theft, and such like, they thinke God can not iustly condemne them; what (say they) I labour truly for my liuing, and I thanke God I am no thiefe nor murtherer, I trust I shall doe well ynough in the day of iudgement: so he thinketh because he is not an outragious sinner, his other sinnes be but smal petie sinnes, & that God must needs forgiue, and so he flattereth himselfe: and because he seeth not the daunger of his sinnes, he neuer careth to prouide the remedie. But alas, it is farre othervvise, the punishment even of the least sinne, if it were but in thought is the eternall curse of God, and his e­verlasting vengeance: the Lord God himselfe hath appoin­ted it,Deut. 27. 26. which can not goe backe.Gal. 3. 10. Cursed, saith he, be everie one, which doeth not fulfill all things, that are vvritten in the booke of the Lawe: Mat. 5. 22. vvhere be novv your small sinnes, vvhen God appointeth his curse to all? And our Saviour Christ telleth vs, that he that speaketh but a railing vvorde, as foole or such like, is guiltie of hell fire: where be novv our pety sinnes, when a vvorde speaking is hell fire? Let me see vvhat man vpon earth novv is not guiltie of hell fire.Prov. 20. 9. Who can say, My heart [...] pure?1. Kin. 8. 46. there is none but hee sinneth; and the revvard of sinne is death:1. Ioh. 1. 8. vvho is there then not in danger of death? if our case stand thus,Eccl. 7. 22. then good brethren, haue wee not need to looke hovv this may be ansvvered before the iudgement seate of God?Rom. 6, 23. haue vve not neede to be raised out of our securitie, [Page 30] seeing the great danger we stand in? God is iust and true that hath spoken the worde,Rom. 3. 4. and therefore must punish our sinne with his curse:Ioh. 3. 33. it standeth vs in hand then I trow (vnlesse we will damme our owne soules, to looke for the answer of this geare VVell, the waies and meanes howe to answer it, is by Christ, and it is set downe vnto vs in euery point to the full in the word of God, for the answer of the matter, which by Gods grace I shall declare vnto you hereafter more largely: but be­cause it is waightie, and containeth much matter, I leaue the full handling of it till the next day: I trust by Gods grace, ye shall haue the whole matter out of the word of God, as fully answered before the iudgement seate of God in his heauenly court, and as strongly as you haue your euidences to confirme your goods and landes before the iudgement seate of man, in their earthly courts: in the meane time, because I will not passe mine houre, I doe here ende this matter, desiring you in the feare of God, good brethren, to applie vnto your selues all that haue beene here taught: haue alwaies before your eyes the remembrance of this iudgement seate, and thinke with your selues it must once come, and therefore frame your doings so, as they may be cleare before God, not onely haue a faire shew before men: and away with this craftie dealing, which doth so ouerflow in this our countrie: beginne to deale simp­ly and plainly, knowing that Iesus Christ will once call you to account, and because the time is vncerten, be alwaies readie, deferre not one minute of an houre. And because our account must be taken by the Sonne of God, whose eies we can not desell with our iuggling shifts; let vs be carefull to see howe the case of our saluation will stande in that day: let vs as care­fully looke for that, as we doe vse daily for the safegard of our bodie: consider it, it is a waightie matter: if our case faile [...] in that day, remember all the pleasures that we haue had will stand vs in no stead, when we must be throwne into con­tinuall torment for euer without ende: good brethren, for the loue of the Lord Iesus, for the loue of our owne soules, let vs looke to this geare nowe whiles wee haue time, and then our God shall be mercifull vnto vs, he shall increase in vs conti­nually [Page 31] his heauenly graces daily more and more, till it shall be his heauenly will and pleasure to take vs to him selfe, to raigne with him in continuall glorie for euer and euer. The Lord in mercie graunt it. A­men.

OVT of this portion of Scripture (good brethrē) the other day we were taught to examine all our thoughts, wordes, and deeds, how they should be allow­ed before God, and not to content our selues either with the vaine allowing or applause of man, nor yet with the simple discharge of man, because our God, when all men haue done and can finde nothing by vs, hath afterward his iudgement seate, whereunto we must be brought to answer the matter there where no wrangling nor craftie iuggling must preuaile, but things must be laid open euen as they are in deede, and not as they appeare to be before men: and moreouer because the Scripture leaueth this time vncerten, we were admonished al­waies to be in a readines, and not to deferre the time from day to day, because we know not when it shall please God to call vs, for that euery momēt we are subiect vnto death, yea often­times when we thinke our selues most safe, and furthest from death, it pleaseth God euen then oftentimes to call vs sudden­ly, whereof we see daily examples before our eyes: And euen since that time that we were last here, it hath pleased God to teach vs by experience, howe true these things are by one of [Page 33] our neighbours in Yarmouth as ye knowe, whome suddenly the Lord tooke away euen in drinking of a cuppe of beere, o­therwise beeing in as good health as could be: thus the Lord letteth vs see in what case we stand in the vncertentie of our departure hence, that we should not giue eare to the flattering allurements of Satan, to sleepe in securitie, but to be awaked out of our drowsines, and fall earnestly to repent, and make rea­die for the Lord against he call. VVe are all in the same taking that he was, he thought himselfe as sure of his life as any of vs doth now, and yet now he is gone ye see; and after him must euery one of vs goe, how soone we can not tell, whose course amōg vs is next we know not: but euery man perswadeth him­self it is not he: so far off are we frō that which god would teach vs herby, that is, that we should euery one of vs think that our own course is next, so far are we from that, I say, that we think cleane contrarie, it shall not be we: it is maruelous to see how little we profit by such examples for all that, that euery one almost thinketh he hath notwithstanding assurance of his life for as many yeres, as he himselfe shal think good: it is wonder­full, I say, to see howe such examples mooue almost no whit at all, but are straightwaies buried in forgetfulnes, as though there were no such thing: well, for my part, I can not, nor dare not, let such examples slippe, but put you in minde of your du­tie by them, especially when I see God speaketh, as it were from heauen, by such examples, and as it were by his owne finger to write out our lesson,Luc. 13. 3, 5. I dare not but with the Lord Iesus say, Vnlesse ye repent, ye shall all in like manner perish: gaze not so much vpon the man, but looke into your selues; it is for vs, for vs (good brethren) and not for him alone, that we might be taught hereby to thinke that all of vs are in like case, if God should call vs: vve be too carnall, vve thinke our selues too sure of our life: the Lord vvould open our eies by such signes, if vve vvere not to stubborne & vvilful to shut our eyes against them.

It pleased God then at our last meeting, to vse my tongue out of this portion of Scripture, to admonish you to be alvvaies readie to this iudgement of the Lord, because our life vvas so vncerten, that vve are oftē takē avvay vvhen vve least thought, [Page 34] and it hath pleased God to confirme the same hard by vs, by this example of this our neighbour, now suddenly gone from vs: let vs take it as though God in heauen himselfe had spoken vnto vs, & said, Ye Norffolkemē beware, looke that ye be rea­die when I call you at a minuts warning: then we shall like the deare children of God, well profit by the Lords dealing, & not like stocks and stones without sense neuer be mooued, though the Lord should knock vs on the head with a beetle: you know how Christ Iesus teacheth vs to apply such things to our pro­fit,Luc. 13. 3. 5. to stirre vs to repentance: Let vs do it then in deed, God lo­ueth no delaying: he would haue vs begin, & therfore vseth all meanes to drawe vs thereunto. And thus much for that point.

Now whereas the holy Ghost calleth vs to the iudgement seat of God, we were admonished the other day not onely to view our doings before God to be sincere, not double, nor dis­sembled, but also we were further taught to prouide for a re­medie when as we see our selues in so much sinne & wicked­nes, considering that God, as he hateth sinne, so because he is iust, must needs punish, & because he is true must punish with the same punishment, which he him selfe appointeth: consi­dering this, I say, we were taught to seeke for remedie against this euill, how we might be discharged from this punishmēt in that day: for it is not sufficient, that mooued with this feare, we indeuour our selues to vprightnes of life only, vnlesse our cōsci­ences also be perswaded of our ful discharge in the same iudge­ment day from the great debt that we owe vnto God for out daily sinnes: this, I say, is the chiefest thing to be carefully con­sidered vpon, while God giueth vs now time: and hereunto we were exhorted the other day, and our negligence herein con­demned, I trust we haue amended it: & novv if the Lord hath giuen you eares willing to heare, & hearts readie to imbrace, I purpose to lay out the matter more at large, and fully to set be­fore your eies, as plainly as God will giue me grace, the waies and meanes howe we are discharged before this iudge from whatsoeuer can be laid against vs: & because the matter is tou­ching our care before a iudge, I purpose to handle it euen after the same maner, that ye vse to handle your law matters before [Page 35] iudges, sauing that I meane not to bring such slender stuffe for the proofe of the matter, as you vse in your brablings. I dare not so deale with so waightie a cause, especially before so wise and sincere a iudge, that can not be deceiued, and will not be corrupted: I minde to bring into this heauenly court no other euidences, but of such strength and soundnes, as shalbe able to abide the pearcing eies of this seuere iudge without blemish, and that is euen out of Gods blessed word: I purpose to bring no other euidence, witnesse, nor writing, then is there found, and that onely will stand for good stuffe in this high court,Ioh. 12. 48. and no other thing, for so saith the same God, that by his worde he will iudge in that day: he will not goe by heare-say, nor by had I wist, nor by coniectures, nor receiue one man for fauour, an other for feare, but looke howe he answereth the matter by proofe out of Gods word, so doth this iudge pronounce vpon him sentence, either of saluation, or of damnation: all deuises of mens braines, what goodly shewes so euer they haue made here in this world must needs vanish away as smoke, before the heauenly iudge. I purpose therefore, as I say, to handle this matter of our saluation euen after the same maner, that ye vse to handle your court matter, that it may more deepely sinke in­to our dull braines: for we can good skill of law matters, we be maruelously practised in them, euery countri-clowne here amongst vs in Norffolk is able to set a good lawyer to schoole, in worldly brabbles, about worldly goods, lands, and liuings. Well, because ye haue so good a fancie to law, I wil teach you, if ye will learne, to be as cunning in this great law matter tou­ching the goods of heauen, the land of heauen, the liuing in heauen. I would, if it pleased God, that all Norffolk men were men of law to answer this waightie matter in the high court:1. Cor. 9. 10. we must all to it: the simplest must answer it: we must needs ap­peare to the action, and that by no atturny, but in our own per­son: we must all be summoned to appeare there personally, the writ is already gone out, and serued vpon vs: The Apostle Paul here is our herald, shrieff, sergeant, or bayliff, that doth ascite vs before this iudge: we be arested alreadie, and the mace vpon our shoulders, to be readie at a minuts warning (when we shall [Page 36] be called) to answer to an action of high treason committed by vs against the King of kings, for that he taking vs to be his subiects, we haue trayterously forsaken him, and ioyned our selues with a forrain prince enemie to this high king: & further also to answer an other action of rebellion against his maiestie, for that he fauourably receiuing vs to mercie, after our trea­son committed against him, haue neuer since ceased to rise vp against him, but continually spurned against his will, and ne­uer would suffer our selues to be ruled by him, but like proude rebels haue started vp against him, seeking to thrust him out of his throne, and to place our selues, and our owne deuises there, that we might rule and raigne after our lusts: and for these and many such like hainous crimes are we to receiue iudgement, to loose the hold we haue of Gods kingdome in heauen, and to take possession of the eternall torments in hell. These great and weightie matters are we summoned to answer vnto, not in Westminster court before my L. chiefe Iustice, my L. Chaun­celour, the Q. Maiestie, or her counsell; those be men flesh and blood, and not appointed iudges of so waightie matters, they must needs come to be iudged them selues, and yeild vp their account then and there: but we are summoned to answer these matters in the Court holden in heauē, before the kings maiesty of the whole earth, and his counsell and assembly of glorious Angels, before my Lord chiefe iustice of the whole earth, and Chauncelour of the whole world, the deare Sonne of God, Ie­sus Christ the Lord of all: before him we must appeare perso­nally then and there, to answer these and such other waightie matters, as shalbe laid to our charge. Thus we are all summo­ned and ascited, & thether must we go whither we will or not, there will no bayle serue, we can not vse any shift to winde vs out of his presence, we can not fee the officer with bribes, that the might friendly in our behalfe returne, Non est innuentus, the Lord wil find vs, I warrant vs: we are found out alreadie, & ap­parant before his eies. VVell, thus standeth the case, what shall we doe then? flying will not serue, bribing will not serue, bol­string will not serue, there is no remedie but appeare we must to the action, & stand to the answer, & submit our selues to the [Page 37] sentence: what shall we do then? I tolde you before, because we might see the matter more plaine before vs, I purposed to handle it after the common processe in law, as we vse to deale with our common worldly matters: what then would we doe any of vs if we had a matter to appeare vnto that we must an­swer, the writ and all serued, what would we doe in this case? we would strait waies first learn out at whose suite vve are trou­bled, who it is that is our accuser, then we would learne out di­ligently what matter he hath to lay against vs, what it is that he purposeth to charge vs withall: and last of all we would be glad to know what evidence he can shew for the proofe of his matter: all these things we would be glad to know if we can by any meanes before vvee come in open court: and if so be that vve haue once gotten out, who is our accuser, what mat­ter he hath against vs, and vvhat sound proofe he can bring in for to make his matter good: when vvee know all this, vvee know in a manner before vve come there how the matter will goe: for then vve vvill seeke out our euidence on our side, what sound geere vve haue, and hovv vve may make answere to his euidences on the contrary side: thus vve vse to do in our world­ly matters. It standeth vs in hand I trow to be as carefull in this our heauenly action. Novv before vve come to the iudge, vnlesse we will loose the hold of euerlasting life, and throvve our selues headlong into everlasting death. It standeth vs vp­on losse of life and goods euerlasting to looke to this geere, both to looke out our accuser and pursuer of this matter against vs, and also vvhat vvee are charged vvith: and finally vvhat proofes he hath for it, that knovving the matter throughly, we may be carefull to see it ansvvered novv before the great iudge­ment day come sodenly vpon vs. Who is then our accuser? can we knovv that? I told you the vvord of God vvill lead vs strait to all those things that must be handled in this iudgement, as strait & more straight then any counsellour can infourme vs of our vvordly matters out of his lavv booke.Apoc. 12. 9. The holy ghost tel­leth vs plainly, that the deuill is our accuser, for so he saith, the great dragon, that old serpent, which is called the deuill & Sa­tan, vvhich deceiueth the vvhole vvorld, & the accuser of our [Page 38] brethren, vvhich accuseth them before God day and night, the same old subtill beast, saith he, is throwen downe. Lo here the spirit of God giueth us to understand, that we haue an olde subtill serpent, the deuill, that by his craft hath deceiued the whole vvorld, we haue such a furious beast our accuser: yea, that doth not reserue his matter till then only, but euen now is alwaies accusing vs before our God, and neuer ceaseth night nor day: it is high time for us then to looke about us, seeing we haue so craftie an accuser that hath by his subtiltie decei­ued so many, and by his long experience is an old worne sol­dier in such dealing, yea, and our olde sworne enemie, furi­ously set on rage against us to destroy vs in a moment if he could: be sure we shall haue no fauour at his hand, but what­soeuer he can lay against vs, for he hath bene priuie to most of our naughtie doings, yea the very authour him selfe, and we his slaues in doing them: vvell then ye see, seeing we haue such an enemie for our accuser, we had neede to furnish our selues on all sides against him. But what can he lay to our charge now? let vs see that: hath he any matter of waight to lay to our charge? Hee layeth to our charge matters of high treason against God the supreme King, and rebellion against his maiestie, and there withall putteth in his plea, to prooue us guiltie of the forfeiture of our heauenly inheritance, & there­fore to be throwne out into euerlasting fire: these matters then toucheth the quicke, seeing they concerne life euerlasting, or else death everlasting: if we be convicted, there is no way with us, but euerlasting torment. But let us see what proofes he hath for his matter, what evidence he can bring into this high court to prooue this great action: for if he haue nothing to prooue and make good that, which he layeth against vs, then, although the action be never so great, it is to no purpose, it must fall and come to nought: for it may be he playeth with vs, as a company of his members vseth to deale with poore men here about us, who put in their actions of thousands and thousands, and make simple men beleeue that great mat­ter is against them, and when all comes to all that poore [Page 39] men haue bene tossed from post to pillar up to London, and downe againe, and emptyed their poore purses among the rich lawers, then the matter falleth out neither so nor so, nei­ther thousands nor hundreths, no not of a farthing weight, not the very turning of a strawe: and yet great a doe made a­bout it till it come to the triall, as though it concerned infinite worldes and mountaines of golde, and at the length all not worth a strawe. It may be then their master Satan purposeth so to deale with vs, as he hath taught these idle fellowes his seruants to play with poore folkes. It may be, I say, he pur­poseth to face out the matter with great bragges in this high court, and make us beleeue we be in danger of hell, and losse of life euerlasting and such like, and when it commeth to the triall, nothing so: therefore let vs see what strong euidence he can shew for the proofe of it. He bringeth in for the proofe hereof no smaller stuffe then the very worde of God: he brin­geth in the great charter made betwixt God and vs, wherein the Lorde bindeth himselfe to be our God, and we to be his people, if we performe the couenants therein contained: & we on our side do assent to the performance of the same, if he will vouchsafe to be our good and gratious god, & take vs to be his seruants & tenants: this great charter & handwriting of God confirmed, sealed, and ratified vnto vs, first by the old seale of the blood of calves and goates, secondly in the new seale of the blood of the Sonne of God: this same great charter & hand writing of God doth Satan bring in against vs, to prooue vs guiltie of forfeiture of the kingdome of God, and heires of hell sire, because we haue not performed the couenants of that writing; for that is one clause of the charter: if we do not ful­fill all the couenants, that then we should be excluded from the ioyes of heaven, and haue Gods curse raigning ouer vs, as it doth appeare Deuter. 27. [...]ut. 27. 26. Cursed, saith God, is every one, which doth not fulfill all that is written in the booke of this law: Gal. 3. 10. and the Apostle Paul bringeth the same sentence in, to proove that all of vs are guilty of curse & condēnation, & saith moreouer, that the law doeth condemne us, because we did not performe the couenants contained therein. Ye see then what is brought [Page 38] [...] [Page 39] [...] [Page 40] against vs to proove us to be cast off from God, and guiltie of the wrath and curse of God, here is the word of God brought against vs to proove the same, because we haue broken and transgressed the couenants which God gaue vs to walke in: & further to proue that we haue brokē them (if vve should be so impudent as to stand to the deniall) there is avouched the selfe same word of God, which flatly convinceth vs, and telleth vs that there is no man but sinneth; all haue sinned and stand in need of the glorie of God:1. Kin. 8. 46. If we should say that we have no sin, we deceive our selves, Rom. 3. 23. and there is no truth in vs: these evidences and records out of the worde of God do beate vs downe to the hard ground before the iudgement seate of God,1. Ioh. 1. 8. besides the record and testimonie of our owne consciences, which stan­deth in greater force to condemne vs, then a thousand witnes­ses,1. Ioh. 3. 20. especially before God, who is greater then our conscience, and knoweth all▪ yea many things which our consciences be not touched withall. Thus you see here is brought in, in this iudgement, sufficient proofe against vs for our condemnation, it is no sleight nor slender stuffe, but sound proofe out of the word of God:Mat. 5. 17. here is no counterfeit deeds, no forged eviden­ces, but such as are sealed and ratified by the Sonne of God himselfe,Mat. 5. 18. which testifieth of himselfe, that his comming was not to disanull them,Luke 16. 17. but to fulfill and accomplish them: wee must not then thinke,Ioh. 12. 48. but that this geare, that is here brought in against vs,Matt. 24. 35. will stand and be allowed euen before the Lord in his tribunall seate, because it is nothing but his owne word, by the which he telleth vs he will iudge vs: and though hea­ven and earth passe, yet that word never passeth: wherefore it standeth vs now in hand to see how this matter may be answe­red on our part: we had need to looke about vs, and seeke for as good stuffe for the answering of the matter to our discharge, as is brought in against vs to our condemnation, or else (the Lord knoweth) we be in miserable case: vnlesse we haue as sure profe out of the selfe same word of God for our discharge, there is no remedy but we perish euery mothers child: for the Lorde can not goe against his worde. let vs see then, good brethren, how we can answer the matter, and let vs beware that we bring not [Page 41] our ovvne cauills against God, not the deuices of our ovvne braine, nor that vvhich vve thinke good of our selues, unlesse it haue his ground on the vvord of God, vvhich onely must be the great court rolles that this heauenly iudge vvill use in this court. And this is one speciall cause that mooveth me to han­dle the matter of our saluation before the throne of God, & not as here upon earth, because euery fond devise of our ovvn foo­lish head seemeth to vs vvhile vve keepe vs here belovv to be most excellent & sound, as nothing can be more: euery toy & trifle that liketh vs, seemeth to be so firme & strong, as God must needs yeeld unto our liking: but it shalbe far othervvise vvhen is commeth to be handled before God: all such imagi­nations must needes vanish avvay as smoke before the iudge­ment seate of God: nothing can abide his presence there, but only his ovvne blessed vvord, and that vvhich is grounded upō it. Let us therefore so examine the matter of our saluation, as it may stand steady & strong before the eternall God against Sa­tan, sinne, & all the povvers of hell. Let us come novv to the an­svvering of the matter. There hath come proofe against vs as ye haue heard out of the vvord of God, that vve are all of vs ac­cursed of Gods ovvne mouth,Deut. 27. 26. because vve haue transgressed his lavv and holy commandements,Gal. 3. 10. this is prooued against us: vvhat shall vve say, can vve deny it? not unlesse vve vvill denie God himselfe,1. Reg. 8. 4 [...]. for it is prooued unto us out of his vvord, that all of vs haue sinned,Rom. 3. 23. & none but sinneth, vve can not then deny that;1. Ioh. 1. 8. & if that be graunted, the other must needs follovv, that vve are therefore subiect to the curse of God & eternall death, because it is vvritten,Rom. 6. 23. that the reward of sinne is death: &, Cur­sed is every one that doeth not abide to fulfill all that is written in the booke of the law: Gal. 3. 10. it is then apparant, that the vvrath of God is pronounced upon us for our disobedience to God: that can not be denyed, vvhat shal vve say then? vve stand before God to ansvver the matter, vvhat shall vve say to it? I am afraide a great number of us are far to seeke in these lavv points of our saluation, although vve be othervvise neuer so excellent, cun­ning & skilfull in other lavv matters to handle them maruei­lous subtilly & vvisely, I am afraid for all that vve are farre to [Page 42] learne in these most chiefe & waightie causes of life & death eternall. And yet I know we be not altogether without our answers, such as they be, very simple (God knoweth) & slen­der, far unmeet to come before so glorious a iudge in so waigh­tie causes. We doe not deny but we haue broken these blessed commandements of God, we confesse that, but in the meane time, vve haue our shifts & gloses to assvvage the matter with­all: vve can alledge for our selues, that although vve haue bro­ken Gods cōmandements & offended God, yet they be not so great offenses as deserue any great punishment: & herein vve be marveilous eloquent to paint out the matter, to make our selues beleeue that our sins be not so great, because we see o­ther men haue done greater: or, because vve see our selues void of notorious crimes, & such as be punished by the magistrate: vve can very readily alledge for our selues; what man? I trust I am not so great a sinner, I thank God I am no theefe, I labour truly for my liuing: nor, I am no murtherer or cōmon whore­master, & such like: and hereupon we set our selues in a good stay, & neuer busie our selues to answer the matter any further before the throne of God: but conclude with our selues that God must be good vnto us, because vve be not so notorious sin­ners, as outragious men be. Yea (good brethren) but will God be so answered think you? wil this stand for good euidence be­fore the throne of God? Doth the vvord of God say, Cursed be euery one that doth not abide in the greatest commandemēts, as in abstaining from murther, man slaughter, whordom, these & such like? doth it speak on this matter only? no it goeth fur­ther & saith, Cursed be every one that doth not abide, & fulfill all that is written in the book of the law: it doeth not say, some part, but all: & so forth in the rest. Although thou be no whorema­ster nor murtherer, & yet be a swearer, thou hast not fulfilled al. And therfore the Apostle S. Iames reproueth such kind of peo­ple as dare so boldly blanch vvith Gods commandements, to think themselues in good case for doing one or tvvo of the commandements,Iames 2. 10. & neglecting the rest. He telleth vs, Whosoe­ver should filfill all the cōmandements, & yet breake but one of them, is guiltie of the whole burthē of the law; which threatneth curse to [Page 43] the transgressours & breakers of any one,Mat. 5. 10. yea euen of the lest, as Christ Iesus also vvitnesseth: yea further, Gods commandemēts be so pure, deare, and precious, that they are to be fulfilled and done not only with our outward body, but especially with our heart: for the commandements of God are spirituall, (so saith Paul) & pearce euen to the heart:Rom. [...]. & God that giueth them, is not God of our bodies only, but also of our soules, & therefore giueth us lavves not only to tye our hands frō doing euill, but the heart also frō thinking & deuising euill, because he is a God that loueth pure truth & sincerity, not only in outward shevv, but especially in the in ward heart,Psal. 51. [...]. as testifieth the Psalm. Ther­fork Iesus Christ doeth tell vs, that they be broken, not onely whē our body doth cōmit the outward fact, but also euē when the heart doth break it, although the body haue not done it, that thou art guilty before God,Mat. 5. 28. when thy heart hath broken it, euen whē thou hast lusted after thy neighbours wife,Mat. 5. 22. thou hast cōmitted adultery in thine heart, saieth Christ: yea, and if thou speak but a railing or reprochfull sentence, thou art guilty of hel fire: & although thou neuer neither kill thy brother nor smite him,1. Ioh. 3. 15. yet if thou hate him in thine heart, thou art a mankiller be­fore God, who condemneth the thoughts of our hearts. Yea & further, it must be done not only with thy heart after a cold fa­shion with some part of thy good vvill & liking,Matt. 22. 37. but cheerfully vvith all the heart, with all the mind, yea & with all the soule. So that although vve could fulfill all the cōmandements of God, & yet break but one of them once in al our life, yea & although it were but in our heart, yet that vvord condēneth vs as guilty of Gods curse,Gal. 3. 10. vvhich saith, Cursed is euery one, which doth not fulfill all that is written in the booke of this law: if any one cōmandemēt be but once in all our life brokē, all is not fulfilled, & therfore is a curse pronounced against vs. This is brought in against vs ye see, and alledged to prooue vs guiltie of the curse and venge­ance of God, for breaking his commandements: the least of them, although it were but in thought, yet sufficient to throw vs downe to hell: all this is brought against vs out of the word of God in this iudgemēt, & therfore cannot be answered with gloses: we may vvel enough surmise of our own head what we think good here below, whē we come before god nothing wil [Page 42] [...] [Page 43] [...] [Page 44] serve but his vvord. It vvill not availe thee a stravv (vvhen thou shalt stand before the iudgement seat of God) it will not availe thee to say, O good Lord, I graunt indeed I haue sinned, but yet they are but small sinnes, for strait thou shalt haue ansvver, Cursed is every one that doth not fulfill all, not onely the great, but also the small, these gloses vvill not serue at that day: and yet see hovv many are caried avvay novv a dayes by such ima­gination of Gods commandements. For a great number think, that if they be not notorious sinners before men, they shall be vvell enough: for they think that the rest of their sinnes are not of so great vvaight because they be knovvn only to God, & not greatly hated of the vvorld: & this the, fall into because they measure the breach of Gods commaundement by the rule of their ovvne iudgement, or by the common opinion of men. But alas (good brethren) it vvill go farre othervvise vvith vs be­fore the iudgement seat of God,Rom. 6. 23. vvho vvil measure the breach of his blessed vvill not by mens vvord, but by his ovvne vvorde: & that vvord telleth vs, that the revvard of the lest sin is death. We must seeke then for more sound stuffe then this to answer our cause, or all vvill else go vvrong vvith vs. We go on yet fur­ther vvith the matter, & vvhen vve are conuicted that our sinnes are great & grieuous before God, vve acknovvledge it to be so, but vve haue remedy enough for it, as vve thinke: for vve bring in to ansvver the matter, the punishments vvhervvith vve haue punished our bodies, as pining our selues vvith fasting, vvhip­ping, scourging, & such like: and these things vve thinke be a sufficient recōpense to God for our sins, as so much as he must needs be satisfied vvith, & therfore vve call them Satisfactions. oh, (say vve) vve haue sinned indeed, & our sins be grieuous, but yet for al that vve haue pinched our body for our sins, vve haue scourged our selues euery day, vve haue gone on pilgrimage in frost & snovv barefoot, and therfore although vve haue sinned, yet we haue satisfied God for our sins: vve trust this vvill be a sufficiēt recōpense to God for our sins: yea but let us see, whe­ther this wil be a sufficient ansvver before God, vvhether God vvill take this recompence for our sins or no. The Lorde our God hath appointed in his vvord a far greater punishment and recompense for our sins, then can be fall the body of man: whē [Page 45] they haue pined it all that euer they can: the punishment and due debt of our sinne by the word of God, is not onely a puni­shment of the bodie but also of the soule, not onely for a cer­taine time of daies and yeares which haue an ende,Matt. 25. 4 [...]. and 10. 28. but daies and yeares which neuer ende. It is the fire which neuer goeth out,Marc. 9. 44. which can neuer be quenched: it is the worme which ne­uer dieth:Apoc. 20. 6. and 21. 8. it is a second death, where men be alwaies dying, and neuer can make an end, because it is euerlasting; this is the iust recompence of our sinnes: we must not then thinke we haue trimly satisfied for our sinnes, when we haue vndergone and taken vpon vs certaine punishments in our bodies, which we thinke be very grieuous; for although we should our whole life long pine our selues with the greatest and extreamest tor­ment that could be, it is nothing in comparison of that full measure of punishment for our sinnes, which God setteth downe: for that is not for a day or two, or as long as we liue, no not for twentie thousand yeares, but for euer, euer, euer, and hath neuer ende: and not onely in the torments of the bodie, but also in soule, the griefe whereof can not be expressed, a thousand times more intollerable then any griefe that can come to the bodie. Doth the Lord God say, VVhipped be that bodie for certaine yeares, which doth not fulfill all that is writ­ten,Gal. 3. 1 [...]. &c. no, he saith not so; but he saith, Accursed be he: I trow the curse of God stretcheth further then the bodie of man: the curse of God containeth in it all the torments that can be de­uised both in soule and bodie, euen as his fauour and goodnes containeth all happines. This curse of God which is due for our sinnes, as it containeth all the torments which can be de­uised both of soule and bodie, so is it set forth vnto vs in Scrip­ture by such things as seeme terrible vnto vs, to expresse vnto vs more deepely the terrour of it by such things as seeme ter­rible vnto vs in this earth:Matth. 5. 41. as fire that can not be quenched, burning lake,Apoc. 19. 20. and 20. 10. second death, damnation, where is weeping and wayling and gnashing of teeth, and such other like kinde of speeches,Marc. 9. 44. to expresse vnto vs the horrour of the same: not that any terrible thing in this life can sufficiently expresse the hor­rour of these paines, as they are in deede, for the tongue of man [Page 46] can not vtter, nor heart thinke the torment prepared for sinne. The burthen thereof caused the deare Sonne of God to sweat, not vsuall sweat, but droppes of blood, not one or two drops, but in such abundance,Luc. 22. 44. but in such abundance, that it came flowing downe to the ground: the waight of the punishment of our sinnes, is more grieuous then men doe thinke. Let vs not then flatter selues, good brethren, and dally in this matter with our God, bringing in recompence and satisfaction for our sinnes, after our owne deuising, it will not stande for good stuffe before the iudgement seat of God: if we will take vpon vs to satisfie for our sinnes, then we must take vpon vs hell fire, the curse of God, eternall death, for these punishments hath the Lord God appointed to be due for our sinnes.Gal. 3. 10. Let vs not then thinke that the torments of our bodie,Rom. 6. 23. although it be neuer so hainous as long as we liue, although it be an hundreth yeare can be any sufficient satisfaction vnto GOD, no not for the least of our sinnes, for we see flatly that the Lord him­selfe hath appointed farre greater, to be endlesse both in soule and bodie foreuer. Peraduenture it may be, that we shall think our selues well ynough eased by these satisfactions, so long as we are quiet here be low, and no torment commeth to our consciences, but alas, when we must answer it before our God, all these our dreames must needes vanish away as smoake, from the presence of our God, because they haue not their ground vpon the worde of God, by which all thinges must be tried in that day. It is alleadged vs before the great iudge, that we haue sinned:Ioh. 12. 48. we confesse it, but we say, we haue satisfied for our sinnes, we haue pined our bodie with fasting all our life long, we haue gone on pilgrimage barefoote and bare legged, we haue whipped our bodie till the blood euery day, we haue worne hairecloath vpon our bodie, and this we haue done for a recompence for our sinnes: God answereth vs by his word, I haue appointed the due recompence for sinne, my euerlasting curse,Marc. 9. 44. the worme that neuer dieth, the torments of hell, haue ye suffered these,Matt. 16. 28. and ouercome them? we must needes con­fesse No: but we say, yet good Lord we haue suffered a little (in our bodie: but he saith, the punishment which I appoint is [Page 47] both of soule and bodie euerlasting, and therefore that punish­ment which ye bring in, is not able to answer the debt, it is but onely a forged recompence of our owne braine. This geare then good brethren, can not fall out iumpe in the iudgement seat of God, the Lord our God will not be satisfied with our answer to the debt, which we forge of our owne head, but he wilbe an­swered the true debt in deede: the true debt which we owe our God in deede for our sinnes, is the euerlasting curse of God, which neuer hath ende, it is not a certaine punishment of the bodie for a certaine time, that is but false and forged of our owne head, that is not the right debt. Is it not an intollerable thing, and not to be suffered before a mortall iudge, when as the right debt is a thousand pounds, to bring in stead thereof a false forged debt of halfe a mite, and there face out the matter, as though all were discharged, because he can bring proofe y­nough, that that forged debt is discharged? can this be suffered among earthly magistrates? and shall we thinke to glose out the matter with our forged debts before the heauenly iudge? There is sound proofe come in against vs, that we are indebted vnto our God the penaltie of his curse, euerlasting torments both of soule and bodie, this debt must be answered vnto our God, or else wee shall neuer he discharged, this our right debt must be paid, and sure proofe brought in how it is paid, or else wee shall neuer haue our generall acquittance, but lye in the prison of hell for euer. The like is to be said of all other the satis­factions, that haue beene forged by man, they can nor stand in this iudgement. That same great and horrible Masse, which hath bin thought to be a sufficient recompence for the sinne both of the liuing & the dead, it can not stand before the iudge­ment seat of God, it is but a counterfeit payment of our debt: the true paiment is to pay the true debt of our sinnes, and that is the curse of God, but the Masse is not the payment of that debt, that is too waightie and heauie both for the masser and the masse it selfe, to ouercome the torments of euerlasting death; that can not recompence God there for our sinnes, see­ing the true and onely recompence is, to vndergoe the tor­ments of hell due for all our sinnes. Neither can their forged [Page 48] purgatorie paines be a recompence to God for our sinnes, be­cause the true debt vvhich must be ansvvered, is infinite and without end: the full punishment which we owe for our sinnes is incomprehensible and infinite, euen as our God, against whome the offence is committed. All these then, and whatso­euer haue bin deuised by man, will fall out in the day of iudge­ment to be no payment, but onely forged payments, and so we found alwaies guiltie, and our debts vnanswerable: it stan­deth vs in hand (good brethren) to looke to it, you see it is a more waightie matter, then men doe commonly iudge it, it will not be so soone discharged as men doe dreame: let vs take paines in it for Gods sake, nowe while we haue time, and not flatter our selues with our owne weenings, the Lord will not so be answered at our hands: he giueth vs nowe time to looke for the answering of it, he giueth vs his blessed word, wherein we may learne how to answer it, euen to the full: if we careles­ly passe ouer this time of mercie, and seeke not for this geare, we shal herafter tast of his iudgements without mercie. VVell, thus ye see all this stuffe that is yet brought in, will not serue to answer the matter: we must trie further what we can say for our selues: we goe on yet further, and will acknowledge that we haue sinned grieuously, and that our sinnes are horrible, but we thinke although we haue done many ill deedes, yet because we haue done many good deedes, we thinke God must needes hold vs excused: and therefore we thinke our almes deedes and many praiers, and fastings, must needs binde God to giue vs heauen for them, we thinke we may addle heauen (as they say) by our good deedes. But the answer is giuen vs herein, that was giuen vs before, that the recompence to God for our sins, is not two or three good deedes, no not tvventie thousand thousand, but the curse of God, death, and damnation: that must be sustained and ouercome, or other recompence to God is there none. True it is that the Lorde promiseth vnto vs euerlasting life for doing his commaundements: he that doth them shall liue in them: God promiseth life to the doing of his commandement, yea euen euerlasting life, but then he re­quireth that they be done not in part (as hath beene said be­fore) [Page 49] but in whole,Matt. 22. 3 [...]. and that with al the heart, with all the mind, with all the soule: vpon this condition in deede, that we doe all his commandements, and neuer breake one of them, he put­teth vs in good assurance of euerlasting life, and surely he will not faile vs, if we performe all those couenants: but if so be we breake but one of them, we then forfeit our hold, & incurre the penalty of the breach of the couenants, which is the euerlasting wrath of God:Gal. 3. 10. for so doth God say, Cursed is euery one which doth, &c. The life euerlasting is, as ye would say, let to farme to vs, to haue and to hold to vs and our posteritie for euer, vpon this condition, that we performe all such and such couenants as are contained in the booke of God: Doe these, saith God, and thou shalt haue life. But prouided alwaies, that if thou breake a­ny one of them once in all thy life, then accursed be thou from my face: here is indeede heauen promised to vs, if we do Gods commandements, but then we must doe all, and not some one, or else we forfeit all. Now let all the men vpon the earth come and stand before the iudgement seat of God, and let me see a­mongst them al, that euer haue beene, or euer shalbe to the end of the world, let me see if any one can be found, that euer hath done all these commaundements of God, that he may iustly challenge his right and interest in heauen by it: let me see if such an one can be found; onely one excepted. Iesus Christ God and man. The Scripture and worde of God flatly con­demneth all of vs of sinne,Gal. 3. 22. and therefore can we challenge no right nor interest in heauen by our deedes,Rom. 3. 23. because we haue not done all:1. Ioh. 1. 8. but rather our interest for our deeds is of right in hell, because we haue broken some one,1. Reg. 8. 40. yea all,Prov. 20. 9. and all againe euen the best of vs all. VVe must not then seeke to claime heauen by our deeds, but we must be carefull howe to be deliuered from hell, which we haue deserued by our deeds. Thus you see then it will not auaile to alleadge one or two good deedes before God, no nor twentie thousand, vnlesse thou bring the full per­formance of the deedes of the whole lawe: for God promiseth not life but to the performance of the whole: our good deedes will not serue vs then to set against our euill for payment be­fore God, seeing one of our euill deedes, euen the least which [Page 50] we doe or thinke, condemneth vs to hell. We can not seeke life then in our workes, because we are not able to performe all,Gal. 3. 20. and neuer offend: and that is that the Apostle so often saith, That by the deedes of the Law,Rom. 7. 4. & 3. 20. & 4. 15. no man can be saued: that the law worketh death, bringeth the knowledge of sinne, worketh wrath, can not giue life, &c. because we doe not fulfill it. This wil then seeme for no answer before God,Gal. 3. 20. to say I haue sinned, but I haue done so many good deedes for the recompence thereof:Rom. 6. 23. for he answereth out of his owne worde, that the re­ward of sinne, is death, and he will take no other recompence, but that which he himselfe hath set downe, and therefore we must looke that that may be carefully sought. Thus then, good brethren, in viewing the true and right debt which we owe to God for our sinne, it bringeth to nought all forged debts of mans braine: for seeing the curse of God, euerlasting death and damnation, is the iust punishment which God hath set downe for our sinnes, and all our fastings, masses, pilgrimages, pardons, scourgings, mans-merits, wilfull pouertie, watchings, prayers, almes deedes, purgatories, will not serue to recom­pence God, because the punishment is farre greater then all these, and a thousand such like: And yet herein, good brethren, I would not haue you take me, as though I did speake against fasting, praying, and almes deedes doing, I doe not meane so; the word of God straightly chargeth vs both to fast, pray, and exercise our selues not onely in almes deedes doing, but also in all other kinde of well doing, and the Lord knoweth we are too slacke in such matters (but I shall haue occasion to handle those matters hereafter, God willing:) my meaning nowe, I say, is not to speake against fasting, prayer, and other good deedes, for the word of God commandeth them to be done: but here onely I tell you out of the word of God, that these and all the good deedes that ye doe, can serue for no part of the least recompence to God for one of your least sinnes: for the least deserueth euerlasting death. You see then it is a greater mat­ter to satisfie God, thē to bring in a companie of good deeds, seeing our least euill deede hath the threat of Gods euerlasting curse: that debt must be satisfied, or else the Lord our God [Page 51] will neuer be satisfied. The Lord will not accept our owne forged debts, but he will haue the true debt answered: this is a great matter, and deepely to be wayed, good brethren, that wee may vnderstande the depth of our saluation to be more waightie, then it is generally accounted. This maketh men so careles of their saluation, as common they are, because they dreame the price of sinne to be so vile, that a certaine pining of the bodie will satisfie God for it, or that a little holy-water will wash it away, or certaine deeds doing, or certaine praiers said, will please God for it: they doe not way that the debt for sinne is Gods curse and condemnation. And surely nowe in these our daies in the time of so great light of the gospell, the people are maruelously ignorant of their saluation: generally they know no other way to be saued, but by their good deeds, and yet they be void of them too (God knoweth) and hereof commeth that common saying, framed in the time of darke­nes, and continued still among vs, that we must carie nothing with vs but our good deedes and our bad; and where is Christ Iesus then?Eph. 3. If he be not in our hearts, we shall neuer come to life e­ternall: if we haue Christ, we haue life and all: if we haue not Christ, all our good deeds and bad deeds we carie with vs, shall nothing auaile vs, but throw vs downe to hell. This will not then serue before our God, to bring in our good deeds for re­compence of the debt we owe, which is the very wrath of God: we must then yet looke further, what we haue to say for our selues, and lay in for answer of the matter. VVe goe on yet fur­ther, and will acknowledge our selues sinners, and all that hath beene said before, that the punishment of sinne is euerlasting death, and that nothing that we can doe is able to recompence or satisfie God for it; but yet we haue our starting holes, & win­dings whereby we can winde and wring our selues iollily out of the matter, that we may more safely lye and continue still in our most senseles securitie and wilfull wretchednes and blockishnes. VVe flatter and soothe vp your selues with the mercies of God, and because we heare that the Lord God is mercifull, we sleepe in the matter, & neuer go about to see his [Page 52] iustice answered, but content our selues with these vaine glo­ses, that he is a merciful God, and therefore we will neuer trou­ble our selues about the matter to see our sinne answered: for why? God is mercifull, we shal do wel ynough with him. Yea, but is not God also a iust God?Rom. 3. 4. is he not also a true God? is he not an hater of sinne?Ioh. 3. 33. is he not a sincere and grieuous punisher of sinne? VVilt thou make the Lord so mercifull a God that he shall not be also iust? wilt thou make him so mercifull, that he shall not be also true? shall God become so mercifull to forgiue thy sinnes, that he shall not be also iust to punnish thy sinnes? wilt thou haue him so merciful, to passe ouer thy sinnes, that he shall not be also true to execute to execute that, which he hath appointed for the rewarde of thy sinnes? The Lorde hath appointed for all sinnes, yea for the least breach of his commaundements, (as hath beene prooued before) eternall death. [...]al. 3. 10. Is God false and vntrue when he saith, Cursed is eue­ry one, which doth not abide, and fulfill all that is written in the booke of the Lawe: is not this sentence true? wilt thou haue God in forgiuing thy sinnes goe backe with his worde here, and play as men play, say and vnsay, one thing to day and an other thing to morrow? and wilt thou haue the Lorde of truth in forgiuing thy sinnes to forget all truth, as he shall not looke vnto the execution of the curse vpon thy sinnes, ap­pointed by the euerlasting truth? It will not auaile thee to al­ledge Gods mercie to forgiue thy sinnes, vnlesse thou seeke al­so the satisfying of Gods truth and iustice which punisheth thy sinnes. The Lord God can not of his iustice and truth, but he must needes punish all sinnes of all men with his heauie curse, which he hath appointed for all sinne in all men, as he is also a mercifull God notwithstanding when he hath appointed a meane to saue from this curse all those that be his, God cannot then goe backe with that which he hath spoken, because he is the truth that can not lie: he must therefore needes vnlesse he should denie him selfe, punish thy sinne with euerlasting curse, because he hath so spoken, that both meant it, and can not goe from it, but must needes execute it. If thou say; yea but he is [Page 53] mercifull, and therefore I trust he will not: it is answered, he is iust and true, and therefore hee must and will. Let vs see now vvhat all the vvranglers vpon the earth can say to it, in bringing in all their brabbles against God to impeach Gods cleare iustice and truth, to establish their fleshly mercie, such a mercy in God as they dreame, that doeth uphold their car­nall securitie and beastly pleasures. Nay, nay, they shall finde him a God of iustice, a severe reuenger of all such contempt, a sharpe iudge against all such worldly heartes, that vnder pre­tence of Gods mercy set them dovvne in all sinne and filthi­nesse, never seeking for the remedie hereof in this time of mer­cie, they shall finde it I warrant you too true. The Lorde God giue vs hearts and mindes to thinke upon it while we are here, for all such gloses can not prevaile against God in the day of the Lord. True it is, that the Lord is a mercifull God, a God of all mercies,2. Cor. 1. 3. yea so mercifull that all his vvorkes are iudged with his mercies,Psal. 145. [...]. & 86. [...]5. yea even unto those that he doth of his iu­stice condemne. They can not deny, euen the damned cay­tiffes can not denie, but that the mercies of God haue bene powred upon them aboundantly, yea a thousand thousand fold: it is Gods mercie that maketh the comfortable sunne to shine vpon them, that maketh his sweete showres to water their groundes, that maketh their land fruitfull, that giueth them eyes to looke vpon the light▪ eares to heare, feete to walke, to take the profite and benefite of all Gods blessings: these singular mercies and a thousand more, it can not be denyed but God shevveth vpon the vvicked and damned creatures, as vvell as vpon his ovvne children, but they like carnall svvine doe abuse them every one of them: they vvill not giue their eares to heare the vvorde of life, they vvill not giue their heartes to take pleasure in it, they vvill not vse their feete to seeke after life, they cast of all these heauenly mercies of God, and abuse Gods benefites to deuilish uses, there eares are open to heare vvickednesse, vanitie, and filthinesse, their tongue loose to speake lyes, abomination and naughtinesse, their feete svvift to shedde [Page 54] innocent blood, and all other the great mercies of God doe they horribly abuse to their utter condemnation, so that they can haue no iust cause to wrangle against God, but must needes acknowledge their condemnation to be most iust, hauing tasted so many of Gods mercies, and utterly abused them. So then this their wrangling shifte of Gods mercie will helpe them not a vvhit in that day of iudgement, but rather increase their damnation; and let vs that be the children of God here also be admonished that it will not a­vaile vs to alledge Gods mercy for vs, unlesse we can also as vvell alledge hovv his iustice and trueth is satisfied. And this must now be looked for, vvhile vvee are here, God gi­veth vs our life to this ende: vvee must seeke for it more earnestly a thousand folde, then for our bodily life, as ye often haue heard. Let vs not flatter our selues with these speeches, God is mercifull, God is mercifull, and there­fore vvill forgiue vs our sinnes, but also let vs acknowledge that God is iust and true, and therefore must punish our sinne euen vvith that same punishment, that hee him-selfe hath appointed: and let vs be carefull novv to seeke out how and by what meanes this same iustice and truth of God in puni­shing our sinne may be answered, that vve may be saved. Well then, because God is true, which hath appointed eue­ry of our sinnes to be punished with damnation, and there­fore vvill haue it so, vve must therfore seeke hovv this same may be vndergone and ouercome. Are vvee able to take this heavie curse vpon vs, and make an ende of it? It is end­lesse, the vvorme that never dieth, the fire that can not be quenched.Mark. 9. 44. The most highest, that euer were, are, or e­uer shall be of the posteritie of old Adam must needs shrink vnder this burden,Matt. 25. 40. no flesh is able to sustaine and ouercome it: the damned soules indeede doe feele the waight of it, & shall both in soule and body feele the full measure of it after the last iudgement, but they shall neuer be able to ouer­come it, they shall alwaies be dying and neuer die, they can not make an ende of it, they can not ouercome it. Let all [Page 55] flesh stoope then vnder the heauy iudgement of God vpon sinne, let us pull downe our loftie crestes, which we so proudly set up, & let us learne at length to humble our selues under the hand of our God, and seeke otherwhere then in our selues the discharge of this heauie burthen of our sinnes, which so pres­seth dovvne all the posteritie of Adam, that the holiest quaile vnder it. It is time for vs to looke to it, and high time: yee see vvhat is laide against vs in this high court, whereunto we are summoned, euen matters of high treason against the king of glory, wee can not deny it, the matter is so euidently prooved against vs by Gods ovvne mouth in his word, and therfore guil­tie of the forfeiture of our hold and interest of euerlasting life, and to be punished with everlasting death, as a iust recom­pense for our treason & rebellion against our God. No other forged recompences of our ovvne fancy will be receiued, no presence of Gods mercy will colour the matter against Gods truth and iustice. What shall we doe now? we in our selues cannot indure and ouercome that same punishment of our rebellion▪ shall we stand to it, and sticke by it, to take the debt vpon vs? then we utterly perish: and if we bring any other debt but that, it will not serue; so that both that debt, & no o­ther forged debt must be answered, and we also are not able to pay it. What shall we doe in this case? Iustice must proceede, the law must haue his course: if it were a vvorldly matter we could deuise shiftes for it, to saue vs from the Iayle: vvhen the matter is fully concluded against vs, that the debt must needes be answered, and wee not finde our selues able to dis­charge it, our last refuge is to trie our friends, and trie if vvee can finde any of abilitie, that can and will pay it for vs, and if wee haue founde out such a one that vvill vndertake the debt for vs, we are discharged: We shall see, good breethen, if vve will be conuersant in the vvorde of God, that the Lorde God hath beene as carefull for vs in this point, as any of vs could be carefull for our selues in our ovvne vvorldly causes: he hath provided for us a good and trustie friend, that freely and frankely hath discharged for vs the vvhole debt. We finde in the word of God that same true and trustie friend, that hath [Page 56] paid the debt for vs; that although the angels can not helpe here,1. Ioh. 2. 1. nor the Saintes, nor any other creature in heauen or earth, the Sonne of God steppeth out, and taketh to him that which pertained to vs and vvas ours, and whatsoeuer Gods iustice & truth doth require on vs, he willingly hath performed it for vs: vvhatsoeuer is due for our sinnes, he hath willingly taken it vp­on him, and discharged it: and because he could not tast of the punishment of mans sinne, vnlesse he had bene man, he tooke vpon him true flesh of the virgine,Gal 4. 4. that he might become per­fect man,Heb. 2. 9, 10. & 4. 15. as vve are subiect to all infirmities, sinne onely excep­ted:1. Tim. 2. 15. and that he might not only as man sustaine and abide the punishment due to our sinnes, but also (which no man can do) ouercome and make an end of it, he ioyned his God head with his manhood, so being perfect God and perfect man, hath fully in our nature paied whatsoeuer the iustice of God can lay against vs. What is due to our sinnes? death: he hath sustained death.Rom. 8. 3. What is due to our sinnes? curse: he became accursed for vs, sustaining and abiding the fierce and terrible wrath of God for our sinne:Gal. 3. 13. as testifieth the Apostle: that he deliue­red vs from the curse of God in that he became accursed for vs: for it is written, Cursed is he that hangeth vpon the tree. This was an apparant proofe vnto vs that hee hath vndergone the curse for vs:Matt. 27. 46. and partly he giueth vs to vnderstand the heauines of it, vvhen he mightily crieth vnto his father, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? He felt the tast of abiection to be cast off from God,Esa. 59. 2. for that same is a part of the curse of God which is due to our sinnes, according as the holy ghost saieth, that our sinnes do separate vs from God: vve deserve then to be cast off from God,Luc. 23. 46. and this same sharpe abiection did Christ sustaine and yet ouercame it: for although he cryed neuer so lovvd as forsaken of God:1. Cor. 4. yet he willingly yeeldeth his soule into the hands of his Father:Eph. 1. 20. Father, into thine hands I commit my spirit. And although he suffered death, yet by suffering he ouercame death, and rose vp from death, and is ascended vp into heauen, aboue al power and principalities of things in hea­uen, in earth, or in hell. Here then you see Iesus Christ the [Page 57] Sonne of God, taking vpon him our nature hath borne and ouercome for vs whatsoeuer God of his iustice and truth can lay against vs. And here behold the depth of the misterie of Gods eternall wisdome, his mercy and his iustice ioyned togi­ther: his mercy in forgiuing our sinnes, his iustice in punishing our sinnes: his iustice that would not suffer one of our sins un­punished, but euen with his heavy curse doth reward them: & yet his mercy toward his elect, that he doth not punish their sinnes in themselves, but layeth them all vpon the shoulders of his owne deare sonne for vs. Here behold the wonderfull wisdom of God, who in saving of his children, yet omitteth no part of his iustice, but punisheth their sinne euen to the ful with that self same punishment which he himselfe hath appointed: & this which he hath suffered is a full recompense for all our sinnes, according as the holy ghost alledgeth, If any man sin, wee haue an advocate with the Father,1. Ioh. 2. 1, 2. euen Iesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation or ransome for our sins, so much as is sufficient, & well pleasing the Lord our God, it is a sweet smelling sacrifice before our God.Eph. 5. 2. This then is sufficient for the sinnes of the whole world. But here yet ariseth a doubt, for seeing Iesus Christ hath sustained and borne the punishmēt of our sinnes, so much as the sinnes of the whole world deser­ueth, it should seeme then that all the world should be saued: but we see the cleane contrary,Matth. 7. 13. even by the testimony of Ie­sus Christ himselfe, who saith, that many runne to damnation, and fewe in comparison to saluation. How can this be then that Christ hath satisfied the punishment of all our sinnes? True it is that Iesus Christ hath borne whatsoeuer is due for all our sinnes, & that which hee hath borne is also sufficient pu­nishment for all the sinnes of the earth, and yet as true it is also that a great number are damned notwithstanding, and that because they haue not the hand of faith to take some part of this recompence for their sinnes. For the blessed word of God, which setteth forth vnto vs Iesus Christ a full ransome of our sinnes, doth also giue vs to vnderstand, that none are benefited to saluation, sauing only those, vvhich do beleeue. So God lo­ved the world,Io [...]. 3. 16. 18. that he gaue his onely begotten sonne, to the [Page 58] end that all that beleeue in him should not perish, but haue e­uerlasting life: he saith not, all the world; but, all that beleeue: he saith on the contrariwise, whosoeuer doth not beleeue is dā ­ned:Vers. 18. 36. looke now, none are saued, saue only those which doe beleeue in Christ: if we do not beleeue, the word of God saith, we are condemned: ye see then although Christ hath suffered for sinne, yet vnlesse we beleeue, we can not be saved. But yet here ariseth another doubt, which might seeme to bring with it also a liberty to sinne, for it should seeme, if all are saued that beleeue in Christ, then all England, France, Ireland, Spaine, I­taly, and all Europe shalbe saued; & none should be damned, but the Turke, Iewe, & such other as denie Christ: for all Eu­rope doe beleeue in Christ, & acknowledge Christ, whether they be papists or protestants, none doeth deny Christ: all be­leeue that Christ is God, the sonne of God, borne of the virgine & so forth, therfore it should seeme that none of those should be damned, for they all beleeue. True it is, I graunt, all these do beleeue, & so do the deuils too & yet are damned. They do be­leeue & confes as fast as the best of them all,Mat. 8. 29. that Christ is God, sonne of the living God,Mark 5. 7. we know whō thou art (say they) euen Christ the sonne of the highest God: yea they beleeue he shal come to iudgemēt,Iam. 2. 19. art thou come to tormēt vs before the time? to be short, there is no article of our faith but they know it as wel as we, & beleeue it to be true, & yet notwithstanding they do nothing but tremble, & shake, & must utterly be damned. The whole company of them that beare the name of Christ, & are called Christians do beleeue, that Christ is God▪ so doe the diuels. They beleeue that Christ is the sonne of God, so doe the diuels: They beleeue that Christ was borne of the virgine, suffe­red vnder Pontius Pilat, was crucified for mans sin, rose again, ascended into heauen, & shall come againe at the latter day, all this do the divels beleeue, & yet are damned: seeing thē the word of God setteth down vnto vs two kinds of faith or belee­ving in Christ, the one, such as the diuels & wicked mēbers of Satan haue to damnation: the other, such as the childrē of god haue to saluation, we must therefore be very carefull to seeke out that true & sound faith of Gods people, lest we flatter our [Page 59] selues, & thinke we beleeue wel enough, when we haue no o­ther beleefe, then the very deuils in hell haue: we must be ther­fore very carefull to know in what points the deuils faith doeth differ frō the sound faith of Gods people. First of all the diuels although they beleeue that all that Iesus Christ did was truely done, yet they do not beleeue that he did it for them: although they can acknowledge & confesse all the articles of our faith, yet they can not apply them unto thēselves: although they can beleeue that Iesus Christ is God, & soone of God, & hath paid the punishment of mans sinne, yet they can not beleeue that he hath done this for them, they can not beleeue that he hath paid the punishment for their sins, they can not beleeue that, for they haue not assurance therof out of the word of God: nay they know the clean contrary,Hebr. 2. 16. that Christ came not to saue thē: for the Apostle to the Hebrewes writeth, that Christ tooke not vpon him the nature of spirits & angels to ransome them, but the nature of man: therfore although the deuills can say neuer so fast, we beleeue that Christ hath paid the punishmēt of mās sinnes, yet they must needs withall say, acknowledge, and be­leeue, he hath paid the punishment of mans sinnes, but not for ours, & therfore we looke & beleeue to be tormented. This is then the most chiefe and principall point in our beleefe, that is, that we beleeue whatsoeuer Christ hath done for the saluation of man, pertaineth to vs our selves as well as unto others: we must beleeue euery one of us that wilbe saued, that the ransome which Christ hath performed is euen the ransom of our sins, yea every one of vs particularly must apply it unto himselfe, & say, I beleeue that Iesus Christ did suffer to pay the punishmēt of these my sins, I beleeue that he hath purchased euerlasting life euen for me as well as for others. Otherwise if we beleeue neuer so much that Christ hath suffered for the ransome of o­thers, & not for us our selues, it is no faith, but a deuils faith, such as makes us tremble before our God. For alas, what would it availe me if I could neuer so much beleeue, that Christ had ran­somed other mens sins, & in the mean time could not beleeue that he had ransomed my sins? I beleeue indeed, he hath purchased life for others, his elect, but alas not for me. I must looke for [Page 60] nothing but hell, what, I say, could all this beleefe helpe me? Alas nothing, but make me looke for Gods dreadfull venge­ance, and therefore euery houre tremble and shake. So could that miserable poore caytiffe Francis Speyra acknowledge & confesse, when they brought out of the word of God that Christ was the Saviour of the worlde, the ransome of mens sinnes, that by his death he had pacified Gods wrath, that hee had purchased everlasting life for vs, & so forth: all this is true, saith he, I beleeue it as well as you, but all this pertaineth no­thing to me, he hath done this, saith he, for his people, not for me. I beleeue, saith he, that he suffered the punishment of the sinnes of his people, not for my sinnes, I looke for nothing but extreme horror, vvhich I do already tast of. For this cause doth the worde of God set forth unto us Iesus Christ to be ours, not onely other mens,1. Cor. 1. 30. but our ovvne. Christ is become our righ­teousnesse, our iustification, our sanctification, our redemp­tion:Rom. 8. 15. and for this ende is the holy spirit of God sent into our hearts, that we might cheerfully beleeue God to be our Fa­ther: hee beareth recorde to our spirits, that we are the chil­dren of God, not onely others, but that we our selues are the children of God. And this our true faith doeth not onely let vs see Christ a farre off to appertaine vnto others,Eph. 3. 17. but bringeth him to vs, and maketh him ours, euen to dwell in vs, euen in our hearts, not onely in others, but in vs, yea in our heartes. The promises of God which be in generall to his people the particular faith of every one applyeth them to himselfe, and maketh him say, I am fully assured, that neither life nor death, principalities nor powers,Rom. 8. 38. neither things present nor things to come, neither height nor depth, nor any other creature can separate vs from the loue of God, vvhich is in Christ Iesus our Lorde. And for the confirmation of this in vs, be the Sacraments ordained to be applyed to euery one particularly, not only to be deliuered to others, but also to euery one of vs to be partakers of thē, that we might be more certenly perswaded, that the benefits of Christs passion wrought for the saluatiō of his flock in common pertaineth euen to euery one of vs parti­cularly, as certenly as we be partakers of the outward seales & [Page 61] pledges of them. This is then the chiefest point in a sound be­liefe, wherein it differeth from the deuils beliefe, to applie whatsoeuer Christ hath done to our selues, not onely to other men: this is a speciall point, and pertaineth to the true faith of the children of God. The deuils can not beleeue that Christ is theirs: peraduenture they may say Christ, Christ, and Lord, Lord, but they can not beleeue in their heart that Iesus Christ is theirs with his death and passion; and that is also another point in true and sound faith, that is, not onely to say with the tongue notably and finely, that I beleeue that Christ is mine, and dyed for me, &c. (for so can the deuils and damned crea­tures say, and yet lye impudently) but it is to beleeue, and in­wardly to be perswaded thereof in the heart, which no diuell nor damned creature can doe, but rather they feele the horror of Gods iudgements in full measure in their hearts and con­sciences. True and sound faith of Gods children is not then a whirling knowledge and speculation of the braine, but it is an inward feeling of the heart: for a great number haue a know­ledge what they should beleeue, and yet not an heart to be­leeue: yea further, not onely a knowledge what they ought to beleeue, but also be able notably to set out the matter, to teach others how they should truly and rightly beleeue, and yet they themselues damned creatures, members of Satan, and fire­brands of hell,Mat 6. 10. 1. as the miserable caytiffe Iudas, who with the rest of the twelue went and preached the Gospel of the king­dome, and sealed it with miracles in Christ name, and as Christ Iesus testifieth of many that not onely know to say Lord, Lord, but also had knowledge to teach others, and prophesie and preach in his name, and yet Iesus Christ refuseth them to be his. Let vs then, good brethren, looke well to our selues, and content not our selues with a vaine babbling tongue-faith, that will not serue in the day of the Lord, it must be an heart-faith: let vs looke whether we feele Iesus Christ there or not. Therefore saith the holy Ghost,Eph. 3. 17. that this true faith maketh Christ Iesus dwell not in worldly brauerie in our tongues, but in our hearts, in our hearts: in our hearts, good brethren, in our hearts. It is too too lamentable to see how the world is bewit­ched [Page 62] with this tongue faith, with this carnal gospelling-faith: it is an horrible abuse of Iesus Christs gospell, we shall dearely abide at his hands, vnles we speedily repēt: it is euident ynough that Iesus Christ dwelleth not in that inward heart, where the deuill apparantly sheweth his hornes (as they say) in the out­ward deeds▪ there is not Iesus Christ in that heart, but the whol power of Satan, and therefore no children of Gods faith in that heart, but a deuils faith. Let vs not deceiue our selues, good bre­thren, a true and a sound faith admitteth Christ with further en­trance into vs, then our tōgues, & lodgeth him into our hearts: I can not enter into your consciences, but there is a Lord Iesus that seeth them: onely I desire you in the name of God, to en­ter euery man into his owne heart, and examine himselfe dili­gently whether he beleeueth that Christ hath redeemed him & ransomed, or not, whether he beleeue that Christ Iesus hath purchased euerlasting life for him, or not; Let him examine him selfe throughly whether he beleeue it in his heart, now while it is the time of mercie: for once we must come to iudgement, and so let him rest himselfe in the Lord Iesus with full assurance of euerlasting life, not mistrusting our good and gracious God, nor doubting of his good will towards him:Iam. 1. 6. for he that doub­teth is like the waues of the sea, that be tossed to and fro: such wauering is farre from the certentie that true faith bringeth vn­to our consciences,Rom. 5. 1. whereby beeing iustified by faith, we haue peace with god.Eph. 3. 12. For this true & sincere faith maketh vs to haue entrance vnto our God with boldnes, so that it is far from the wauering vncertenty of the wicked vnbeleeuers, & yet the dea­rest children of God, euen the most faithfull, haue often marue­lous assaults to shake their faith, & oftentimes feele thēselues al­most deadly woūded, as though they were almost past al hope, but yet their faith getteth the victorie in the ende. At that stay was the Prophet,Psal. 77. 3. when he said to himselfe, Hath the Lord for­gotten to be mercifull? is his mercie cleane gone? but yet they vse to striue and stirre vp themselues by calling vpon God and tary­ing Gods leasure:& 42. Why art thou vexed, o my soule? (saith Dauid) why art thou so troubled within me? &c. So that although the children of God be oftentimes maruelously assaulted with di­strust [Page 63] and doubtings of their saluation, yet they striue against them,Phil 5. 6. & at Gods appointed time & leasure, they feele the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding. Thus farre ye see then the full answer of our cause and matter of our saluation before the iudgement seat of God, against Satan, sinne, deuill, death, and hell, that we that be the people of God doe fully beleeue, not onely say with our tongue, but beleeue assuredly in our heart, that Iesus Christ hath satisfied whatsoeuer Gods iustice doth require for our sinnes not onely for other mens sinnes, but euen for our sinnes, whereby we feele our selues at peace with God, reconciled by the death of his Sonne, & brought into an assured hope of euerlasting life: thus far haue we heard taught, and now yet further least any carnall wretch should thereby take libertie to sin, saying within his heart, If there be nothing but this, that whosoeuer beleeueth shalbe saued, then I care not what I doe, I wil continue in my sinne, & then I wil beleeue to be saued, & I shalbe saued, I can beleeue when I list: the word of God to answer all such filthie sinne, doth testifie vnto vs, that this true & liuely faith of Gods people to saluation, is not in the power of man, to beleeue when he list, but it is onely the worke of God:Matt. 16. 17. Flesh and bloode, saith Iesus Christ, hath not reuealed this vnto thee, but euen my heauenly father which is in heauen: it was the Lord which touched the heart of Lydia to beleeue the do­ctrine of saluation preached by Paul:Act. 16. 14. It is the Spirit of God that beareth record to our spirits, Rom. 8. 15. that we are the children of God, and heyres of euerlasting life: all the men of the earth if they would come, & beare record with vs in the day of iudgement, that we are saued, can not preuaile, vnles God be witnes vnto our hearts & consciences: no if all the men of the earth should but speake to a pore soule in this life, & say, I warrant thee man, my soule for thy soule, thou shalt be saued, vnles God touch his heart & perswade it, their warrants be nothing. Alas what can the wit­nes of the whole worlde preuaile, when the Lord is witnes in the heart of the pore man against himselfe. So could Franciscus Speyra cry out to thē that perswaded him to beleeue assuredly that Iesus Christ hath saued him, I would, said he, I would be­leeue, but I cannot: faith is Gods gift: all the worlde can [Page 62] [...] [Page 63] [...] [Page 64] not giue it me: you fare with me, saith he, as if one were fast ty­ed with chaines, and the passers by bid him come out and loose himselfe, but they can not helpe him, neither can he help him­selfe, although he would neuer so much: euen so, saith he, ye pitie my case, and bid me beleeue in Christ; I would doe so, but I can not, for it is Gods gift, and I haue denied him before men, and therefore he hath denied me, and wil not giue me an heart to beleeue. Let al the skoffers vpon the earth that think it so small a matter to haue a true faith in Christ, and therefore take libertie to sinne freely, let all the packe of thembe taught, if they will be taught, by this horrible iudgement of God, that they can not beleeue, vnlesse it be a speciall and mightie wor­king of God: and let vs (good brethren) let vs hereby be ad­monished and all the deare children of God with vs, to seeke the Lord now while he may be found: and let vs in this good time of mercie that he giueth vs, enter deepely into our selues, and examine it to the full, whither we haue this faith or no, in this full assurance that we be saued: if we haue it not, let vs ne­uer rest knocking, asking, and seeking at Gods hand till he giue it vs: we shall surely haue it, if we aske, for he promiseth that neuer deceiueth any,Math. 7. 7, 8. Aske and ye shall haue, seeke and ye shal finde, knocke and it shalbe opened vnto you. Can a father de­nie his childe any good thing, if he haue it? this is a good thing, and our God hath it in store, he will neuer then denie it vs. Thus then ye see it is a greater thing to haue faith, then a great number of men make account of, it is the onely worke of God, and a rare worke of God which he bestoweth vpon his chil­dren onely: men may haue peraduenture a certaine fleshly per­swasion, and some carnall opinion of their saluation, which peraduenture may seeme vnto them, while all things be quiet and no distresse of conscience, to be maruelous strong; but a­las, because it is not from the spirite of God, but onely a fleshly brauerie, as soone as God doth but touch them, it vanisheth a­way as smoake: as that carnal brag of Peter, which was at the very looke of a litle damsell cleane daunted. So all the worldly perswasions of men, which for a time keepe them in very great securitie, must needs fall before the iudgement seate of God: [Page 65] there can nothing stand against the deuil, death, hel, sinne, & Satā, but onely that which proceedeth from him, who hath o­uercome hel, death, sinne, Satā. It may be that for a time it may be couered as it were a sparkle of fire in ashes, but gathering strēgth by gods promises, & depēding only vpon him, it passeth through al douts, til at lēgth it getteth victorie. Thus ye see thē the true and liuely faith of Gods children, is not in the power of any to haue it when he will, it is the speciall gift of God, and peculiar onely to his people, and therefore can giue no libertie to sinne vnto the carnall man, in hope that he can beleeue when he wil. And yet here on the other side we must beware of an other vice tending to the same, and yet growing of a con­trarie cause. A great number of worldlings and others, which care neither for God nor deuill, hell nor heauen, so they may liue at ease in this world, those, I say, hearing that faith where­by we come to saluation, is the onely gift of God, and not in mans power, these iolly fellowes set cocke on hoope (as they say) and vtterly cast away all care of their saluation. For say they, seeing faith is the gift of God, and not in our owne pow­er, wherefore should we trouble our selues about it? we will neuer care to seeke for it, for if so be God will giue it vs, wee shall haue it, though we neuer seeke after it, but lie snorting in our beds: and if God will not giue it vs, we can neuer haue it, therefore we neuer purpose to care for the matter, but euen sit vs downe, and take our ease, and fill our paunch, and if God will giue it vs, he will giue it vs euen in our greatest securitie. But here I aske these senselesse caytiffs, of whome they haue their life and beeing, and who doth feede their bodies, and preserue their life: they must needes confesse it to be God that giueth foode to all liuing creatures: I aske them whether they will sit them downe, and neuer neither eate nor drinke, because it is God that feedeth vs: they should within a little while tast of such horrible contempt, and be guiltie of their owne death, at the hande of that God that gaue them both life, and the meanes to preserue their life. For although God doth feede vs, yet he doth it by the ordinarie meanes of meats and drinkes, which if they be reiected, the life it selfe is reiected. Euen so the Lord our God hath prepared a remedie against these wrang­lers [Page 66] against their own saluation: for although he onely do giue faith, whereby we come by saluation, yet he plainly in his word doth shew vnto vs a way whereby he giueth it vnto vs, and that is the preaching of the word,Rom. 10. 17. for so he saith, Faith commeth by hearing, and hearing by the word of God: & least we should think it were a sufficient means the hearing of the word read, he ad­deth & saith,vers. 14. Who cā beleeue without the hearing of the word prea­ched? by this mean of preaching the word hath the Lord appointed to giue faith ordinarily, & by no other ordinarie means; For who, saith he, can beleeue without a preacher? & vnles we beleeue, there is no saluatiō, for whosoeuer beleeueth not is dāned: if this thē ordinarie means of preaching the word be reiected,Ioh. 3. 18. 36. we re­iect our saluation, & so are we willingly guiltie of our own dā ­nation: So then the Lord onely doth giue faith, yea but he gi­ueth it ordinarily by the preaching of the word. It may please him, I graunt, to giue faith otherwise, if he see it good, but we haue no warrant out of his word to come by faith, but only by the preaching of the worde. So it may please him, if he see it good, to feede vs otherwise then by meate & drinke, but if we refuse these ordinarie meanes of feeding, surely we shal die, and be guiltie of our own death.1. Cor. 1. 21. The Lord hath appointed to saue his people by preaching▪ so saith the Apostle: he can saue them otherwise if he will, but it pleaseth him by this meanes to saue them; if this be neglected, our saluation is neglected, & where­as this faileth, the people perish. Alas, what shall we say to the state of this people here in this land? skarsly the twentie parish hath a preacher,Ioh. 3. 36. & can they be saued then? Shal we make God a lyer?Rom. 10. 14. he saith, whosoeuer doth not beleeue, is damned: & none can beleeue without a preacher; if then we will haue the peo­ple of the Lord to be saued, let thē haue preachers: It is a great blessing of God, I graunt, that we haue it as we haue it, for the Lord knoweth a great number can not so haue it: but alas, see­ing the Lord giueth vs this mercie and quietnes, that we may haue further care of it, let vs for Gods loue be carefull for the soules of our brethren, poore soules that starue round about through the lacke of the foode of their soules: but alas, I cā not preach to the whole land, but for the discharge of my consci­ence, I desire you, good brethren, so many of you as haue any [Page 67] voyces in place and parliament where these things may be re­formed, consecrate your tongues to the Lord in the behalfe of your poore brethren, that ignorant & blind guides which haue the conducting of Gods people to the great danger of losse of the soules both of the leaders and the people, that these blinde guides, I say, be remooued, and true preachers placed in their roomes, that they may labour cherefully to get the Lords har­uest into his barne, to inlarge Gods kingdome: the Lord shall then blesse this land & kingdome, wherein his kingdome is first sought for:Matth. 6. for so he saith, First of all seeke the kingdome of God, and then all other things of this earthly life shalbe giuen you: be carefull for this, good brethren, when ye come in parliamēt where these thinges may be prouided for through the whole land, that Gods people may be taught: In the meane time let euery one of vs doe what we can by prayer to God, to thrust forth labourers into his haruest let vs bestow our labours care­fully to seeke for them: let vs stretch our purses to relieue them, then the Lord our God shall blesse vs with all spirituall graces daily more and more. Alas, let vs remember, good brethren, that they are in daunger of damnation, vnlesse they haue the word preached; the Lord saith so, let vs not be wiser then God. Let those especially that by the gouernement of this Church haue the prouiding & placing of guides ouer the Lords flock, let them be carefull that they seeke out those onely which be preachers, otherwise, good brethren, the people do perish, but they shal not scape skot-free that were the causes: whether it were the couetous patrone in presenting, or the negligent Bi­shop in admitting, or the blinde guide in taking vpon him that waightie charge of leading Gods people. The Lord will haue the blood of his people answered: he will call to an account both Bishop, patrone, and blinde guide for the losse of the soules of his people. The same price of bloode which is taken by the couetous patrone, wherby the soules of Gods people are bought & sold, although he laugh in his sleeue and think him­selfe in good case when he hath pursed his hundreth poundes for the benefice, yet that same price of blood shall speak aloud in the eares of the Lord to his vtter condemnation in the day of the Lorde. I am not ignorant howe the patrone will shift it [Page 68] off to the Bishop, and say it is the Bishops charge to looke to its and that he as patrone hath no more to doe but seeke out his clarke, the Bishop shal answer for it, if he admit him & be not able: & the bishop on his behalfe can as cunningly shift off the matter from him to the patrone, & say, he can not stay them, for the patrone hath presented them, & if he should not allowe of them, a Quare impedit would come vpon him, which he pur­poseth not to beare for none of them al. And the ignorant blind guide, he hath his letters of orders, institution, & induction, & hath filled the purse of the patrone, he thinketh himselfe as wel discharged as the best, no law in England can put him out: & thus the pore sheepe of Iesus Christ, which Christ hath bought with his precious blood, they perish for it, and are deuoured of Satan. But let thē wash themselues as cleane as they will, they shalbe found before the iudgement seat of God no more in­nocent of the bloode of Christs flocke, then was Pilate of the blood of Christ himselfe: let them shift off the matter as fast as they can, the people of God perish by them: I knit them toge­ther all of them in one farthell, & throw them into the pit of hel as guiltie together of the death of the Lords flock, if they do not repent this perishing of all the Lords people. For Iesus Christ that bought them with so deare a price, wil not haue them pe­rish of so vile a price as they are bought and sold for. Seeing thē the people perish without preaching, it standeth the patrons in hand, I trow, to present, & the Bishop to admit none but those which be able to preach, vnlesse they purpose to be guiltie of the blood of the people that perish for want of preaching. Nei­ther shal the people that are led by an ignorant guide, & so pe­rish, be excused before God: for although they can alledge for themselues, we could not doe withall, he is placed by law, pre­sented by the patrone, admitted by the Bishop, all the lawes in England can not remooue him, all this wil not serue for excuse before God: for although there be no law in Englād to displace him for his insufficiēcy, that by law is placed; yet I answer there is no law in England that forbiddeth thee to place a preacher besides, if thou wilt stretch thy purse: I know no law that for­biddeth prouiding & seeking for preachers, vnles it be the law of our purse: & if thou say, I am but one, the rest wil not, I can not [Page 69] maintain him my selfe: then, I say, if thou can not get preaching to thee, there is no law in England that forbiddeth thee to go to it, to transport thy dwelling thither, where thou maist haue it: there is no law, I trow, forbiddeth this, vnlesse, I say, the law of the purse. And if thou say, I can not there be able to liue: I answer thee, first seeke the kingdome of God, and the righteousnesse thereof, and all other things needfull shall be giuen vnto thee, as ouerplus. So we see, there is nothing can excuse us before God, vnlesse we get vs preachers. I know there be other kind of excuses, that vve frame unto our selues as we thinke sufficient to exempt vs from the preaching of the word: but let vs not deceiue our selues, vnlesse there be preaching, the people perish: vnlesse they haue beleeued, they are damned: and beleeue can they not without preaching. Away therfore with all vaine excuses, which might make vs thinke our selues well enough without preaching, these gloses will not serue before God; the Lord will haue his people taught, there is no shift, otherwise we shall all of vs answer for it, so many of vs as haue our hands stained with the blood of them that perish. And let all of vs in the feare of this our God fall seriously to meditate of this geare, and now at the length begin to make more diligent and careful preparation for the preaching of the word then hitherto we haue done, seeing it so standeth vs in hand vnder paine of damnation. God may otherwise saue vs as I haue told you,1. Cor. 1. 21. if he will, but it hath pleased him to let vs vnderstand, that he will haue vs saued by preaching: if we shal not be carefull and carefull againe to prepare for that meanes of our saluation, surely we shall declare our selues either to be wiser then God, esteeming his heauenly wisdome but base and foolish, or else plaine contemners of God in despising so hea­uenly and wholsome ordinance. Wherefore (good brethren) if ye will be saued, get you preachers into your parishes, that may instruct you in the wayes and meanes of your salvation a­gainst that day that yee must appeare before this iudgement seate: bestow your labour, cost, and trauell to get them, ride for them, runne for them, stretch your purses to maintain them, we shall begin to be rich in the Lord Iesus, and so much riches [Page 70] also of this world we shall haue, as our God shall make vs con­tented withall: and then our ioy shall be full in the last day, when we must leaue all these earthly things, & receiue at the hands of the Lord Iesus an heauenly & an euerlasting crowne. Thus farre then, good brethren, how we are discharged in this iudgement seat from the euerlasting curse and condemnation which euery one of us haue fallen into by breaking Gods cō ­mandements:Gal. 3. 13. ye haue heard how we are discharged from this punishment by Iesus Christ who hath fully taken it upon him & ouercome it,Ioh. 3. 16. how it is made ours & applied vnto us by faith:Rom. 8. 15. not such a faith as the deuils haue:Eph. 3. 17. 12. but such as teacheth unto us all that euer Christ did for us,Matt. 16. 17. & maketh Christ dwell with us, not in our tongues but in our hearts,Rom. 8. 15. not in a wauering maner, but in a true certenty, not by a vaine perswasion of the flesh, by the liuely witnes of Gods spirit: & all this to be deliuered unto vs by no other ordinary means, but onely by the preaching of the word. Here is then the full waies & means of our saluation declared unto us to be in Christ, & onely in Christ, in no worke, deed, or merit of ours, or any saint or angell for us, but in Christ alone, & none other: & herein remaineth our whole comfort & ioy, which passeth all the ioyes of the earth. But I haue yet one thing more to answer, which the deuill might bring into the head & heart of the carnall gospeller hereby. What? saith that filthy Epicure, this is sweete doctrine in deede, now I may take my pleasure at will, & liue at lust in my sinne, for I beleeue in Christ, & therfore must needs be saued: it maketh no matter I will sin my belly full, for I beleeue that Christ hath borne the burthen of my sin, & therfore what need I care. I answer, these abuses of Gods mercy, that if there be any such that either hath such a blasphemous tongue to speake, or an heart to pur­pose to sinne, or one minute of an houre to continue in sinne, because he beleeueth that Christ hath paid the punishment of his sinne, if there be any such that thus say or purpose, I say with the worde of God, that such haue no sparkle of true faith: for the word of God setteth forth unto vs this true faith, not such a faith as filleth the heart with sinne and all uncleannesse, as these carnall Epicures speake of,Act. 15. 9. but such a faith as maketh [Page 71] the heart pure, such a faith as doth not incourage men to sinne but such a faith as maketh men to hate their sinne,Roman. 8. 9. lothe, & ab­horre it;Ephes. 3. 17. because this true faith of Gods people proceedeth frō the spirit of Christ,Rom. 8. 15. & maketh Christ dwell in vs by his holy spi­rit, which spirit of Christ can neuer dwell in one and the same heart with sinne & wickednes in such maner, as to be at agree­ment with it, to like well of it, & take pleasure in it, but conti­nually striveth and struggleth against it. And although sin doe continually hang on vs, yet this spirit of Christ dwelling in vs will not let sin raigne & rule in vs: therefore such carnall wret­ches as shall loue sinne, take pleasure in their sinne, doe suffici­ently declare that they haue no part nor fellowship with Gods spirit & consequently no true & liuely faith. They haue no part of the spirit of Christ that suffered death for sinne, but the spirit of Satan the authour of sin, the spirit of the world, the imbra­cer of sin, the spirit of the flesh, the nource of sinne; for it filleth the heart with the fruits not of the spirite but of the flesh,Gal. 5. 19. lust, whordom, fornication, uncleannesse, wantonnes, vanity, filthi­nesse, couetousnes, extortiō, usury, oppression, pride, contempt, disdain, flattery, dissimulation, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, ma­lice, division, drunkennes, gluttony, &c. And I warrant them, let these carnal swine, that thus wallow in their sinne, taking their full ioy & pleasure in it, & yet say stoutly, that they haue a be­leefe that Iesus Christ hath paid the punishment of their sin, let them, I say, enter a litle more deep into their own heart, & they shal find a thing within them that shal speak the clean contra­ry; euen their own cōscience doth cry aloud within their brest, if they would let it speak, that they beleeue no whit at all of the discharge of their sin by Christ: for then they would not loue & like wel of their sin, which was the cause of the death of Christ. Is it like they hold any thing of Christ, which ioyne hands with the wicked Iewes to put Christ to death? They neuer therfore haue any true faith in Christ, unlesse they detest their own sin, which was the cause of the death of Christ. Therfore this true & liuely faith of Gods people is so farre from making men lie wallowing in their sin, that untill such time as they haue it they neuer haue a perfect hatred of their sinne: then onely when wee haue faith, and neuer till then begin we to take pleasure [Page 72] in those things,Roman. 6. 4. which are allowed and liked of God. For this true liuely faith maketh vs new creatures,Ephes. 4. 25. beareth vs a new, & maketh vs the children of God,Galat. 3. 20. whereas by nature we are the children of Gods anger,Ioh. 1. 2. that hee can neither loue vs, nor any thing that we doe.Ephes. 2. 3. Then begin our blind hearts to be lightned to perceiue our sinne, which before we did not see, then be­ginneth our hard heart to be softened and effectually touched with griefe and horrour of our sinne, which before wee did like well of: whereas we had a delight in deceit and craft, flat­terie and briberie, now we begin to abhorre it, and to loue plaine and simple dealing, whereas before we were covetous, hard hearted, vnmercifull, usurers, oppresours, now we begin to hate it, and to study after pity and compassion. The selfe same tongue that had a pleasure to talke of filthinesse, lying, & blasphemie, now is framed a new to hate all cursed speaking, and hath a delight to speake the truth, and talke of godlinesse, and to reprooue wickednesse. To be short, when we haue this true and liuely faith wrought in vs by Gods spirit, we are then framed a new by the same spirite into an inward lothing of our sinne, and continually pricked on forward to striue a­gainst our sinne by true repentance, and not to say, we pur­pose to continue in our sinne, but to labour continually against our sinne. Let vs therefore, good brethren, diligently enter in­to our selves, and examine the thoughts of our hearts, whether we haue our delights in our craft, subtiltie, whordome, forni­eation, vncleannesse, and such like: whether wee set downe with our selues to abide in it yet a certaine time: and if wee finde such an vncleane, filthy, and beastly heart in our selues, let vs not flatter our selues, good brethren, vndoubtedly there is no true faith in such a heart, but onely a fleshly and carnall perswasion, there is not the spirit of Christ, which ouercometh sinne and death, & the deuill in vs, & continueth firme, stead­fast, and strong euen in the great and terrible day of the Lorde, there is not that spirite in vs: but the spirit of the world, which perisheth with the world, the spirit of Satan which shalbe con­founded with Satan, and the Spirit of the flesh, which brin­geth forth in vs the workes of the flesh and darkenesse, and [Page 73] therefore shal come to nought with the deeds of the flesh. Let all those therefore that haue shadowed them selues vnder the name of the gospell, and say they doe beleeue, and say they haue faith, and yet when they come home nearer to them­selves into their owne bosome, and finde no loue there to the gospell, to Christ, to holinesse and righteousnesse, but a lust, li­king, and pleasure in all their wonted sinne, let them once for all be answered out of Gods blessed worde, that they haue no portion with the gospell, that they pertaine not to Christ, not his sanctification and holinesse: and let all such as by these fil­thy beasts, which pretend the gospell and yet haue such abo­minable heartes and carnall liues, are caried away to mislike Christes glorious gospell, and to forsake the truth therein tho­rough these carnall professours: let all such as haue bin drawne away by them, I say, be answered, that the Sonne of God ne­uer taketh such carnall professours for his, that they be no true gospellers, that they be none of his members, none of his faithfull, but meere members of Satan transformed into an angell of light: and therefore that although they cloake them selues with the name of the gospell, and can say, Lord, Lord, and Christ, Christ, that they may more safely worke all sinne and wickednesse to the shame of the gospell & Christ, yet in the great and terrible day, when all must yeelde up their ac­compts,Matt. 28. 41. he shall giue sentence against them, Depart from me ye cursed caitiffes, workers of iniquitie, I neuer acknowled­ged you for mine, depart from me into euerlasting torments, to the deuill and his angels, to whome alwaies you appertai­ned, and whome in heart you serued, there shalbe weeping & wailing, and gnashing of teeth. Wherefore let vs all humble our selues under the hand of God: abuse not his gospell, so ma­ny of us as the Lord hath called to tast of the sweet cōfort in his gospell, let the fruit of it appeare in our life and conuersation to the glory of Gods gospell. For the Lord is a seuere reuenger of the blasphemie done to his heauenly gospell, if wee shall seeme to professe it, and through our conuersation cause it to be ill spoken of. Wherefore, good brethren, let vs remember our selues,1. Thess. 4. 7. that we are called to an holy calling, the Lorde is [Page 74] holy and loueth holinesse that hath called vs, we are called to holinesse, and not to filthinesse, let us walke then in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life. Thus then, good brethren, you haue heard the wayes and meanes of our salva­tion handled before the iudgement seate of God at large, how we are delivered from sin, death, hell, and Satan by the meanes that Iesus Christ in our nature hath ouercome them all for us, that so many as take hold of him by faith should be deliuered from eternall destruction, and haue everlasting life: ye haue hearde that this true faith is not to beleeue generally, but to reach all that Christ hath done unto our selves, not to say with the tongue wee beleeue, but to feele in the heart, not with a worldly perswasion of the flesh, but with an inward perswasi­on of Gods spirit, that sealeth all these same in our hearts, ordi­narily by the preaching of the worde, whereby we are trans­formed into the image of Christ, and renevved in the inwarde heart to haue our delight and pleasure to walke in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our life: all this we haue heard, as it hath pleased God to giue me wisdome and know­ledge out of his word to vnderstand it, and vtterance to deli­uer it. I haue bene peraduenture longer in handling the mat­ter then some would haue wished, to whome these principall groundes of religion are knowen well enough, and perad­venture therewith all looked for more curious speeches in han­dling of the matter: but such must understand, that my pur­pose is to instruct the ignorant in the waies and meanes of their salvation: not to speake to the eares of men, but to the heartes of men, if I can, that the deuill may be pulled out from thence, and Iesus Christ planted there. I will neuer so abuse Gods blessed worde to satisfie the vaine humour of men, so long as I liue by Gods grace, it is sufficient for me that I know Iesus Christ and him crucified. The matter of our saluation is waightie, and such deepe matters can not be passed ouer in a vvorde or tvvo: and the best of vs all can neuer learne it too much, nor heare it too often: it must be our comforts, and our onely ioy in death and after death: it must be that vvhich must sticke by vs vvhen vve must shake handes with all the world, [Page 75] and say, farevvell father, farevvell mother, farewell my dearest friends, farewell my riches, wealth, and vvorldly ioyes, it must then be our only ioy to say, vvelcome Christ, vvelcome hea­ven, welcome euerlasting ioy. Happy shalbe the day, and bles­sed shalbe that houre, when vvee shalbe crowned with an e­uerlasting crovvne of glory,Phil. 1. 23. vvhen all teares shalbe washed from our eyes. The Lord God for his deare sonnes sake graunt vs to haue heartes and mindes to long after it, and to say with the holy Apostle, I desire to be dissolued and be with the Lord Christ: and that we effectually thinke upon it, & take our profit of all this that hath bene taught vs, let vs pray to the Lord our God, that he will giue his holy spirite to write it deepe in our heartes, and seale it in our consciences, that it may bring forth fruite in us to the comfort of our conscience and glorie of our God. O most mercifull God and heauenly Father, &c.

WE haue heard, good brethren, hereto­fore sufficiently I trust out of the fifth to the Corinthians declared unto us, how we are cleared and discharged before the iudgement seat of God, reconciled unto our good and gratious God, by the means of his deare sonne our only Lord & Saviour Iesus Christ, our only recon­ciliation and attonement applied vnto vs by the holy spirite of god, working in our hearts a true & a liuely faith, which taketh hold of all the righteousnes, ransome, & satisfaction of Christ, and makes it ours, wherby we are iustified and holden as righ­teous being clothed with the righteousnes of Christ, & so our conscience pacified before the throne of Gods glorious ma­iestie. All this, I say, we haue sufficiently heard uttered unto us out of the blessed word of God: & this is the chiefest & most principall thing that wee must labour for during the vvhole scope of our life, and our onely comfort in our death, and our onely life after death, and therefore I trust it hath beene well marked of us and considered, & in our hearts deeply im­printed. Now it followeth, that knowing how we be set at one with god, we do also indeavor our selues to be at one with mā: for which purpose I haue chosen out this piece of Scripture, [Page 77] which you heard now read vnto you, which containeth a short exhortatiō to loue: a short lesson, & soone learned, that we loue one another; in a word, it is no more, but that we haue sincere loue one with an other: it is an easie lesson & soone borne away, the dullest memorie that is here present may easily beare it a­way, and the simplest wit among vs may without any great discoursing of the matter, straightwaies vnderstande it, that we neede not pretende any excuse of simplicitie and dulnesse, whereas the playnnesse and shortnesse will straightwaies con­vince vs. It is then a lesson soone learned, which we haue here taught vnto vs, to loue one an other: if nothing els were requi­red, but as schollers in grammer schoole to conne it by heart, and say by rote, we might dispatch it in a minute of an houre: but alas, good brethren, because it is in Christs schoole, wee must not onely like grammer schollers haue it by heart, but like Christs schollers haue the feeling and loue of it in our hearts; not onely by rote like children say it with our mouth, but like Gods children practise it in our deedes. And herein (good Lord) how smally haue we profited this xv. yeares, learning the practise of this lesson in Christs schoole? or if we haue lear­ned it, how soone haue we forgot it? or if we haue both known it and thought vpon it, in what case are we that so generally haue vsed continually against our owne conscience & know­ledge to doe contrarie vnto it? VVell, for that which is past let vs repent, and now in the feare of God let vs beginne more deepely to consider the thing, especially seeing the deare Sōne of God exhorteth vs thereunto, and saith, I giue you a new com­mandement, that ye loue one an other: if a prince or any noble personage speake vnto vs, exhorting vs to any good thing, wee vse to giue attentiue care, and for the authoritie of the person the words haue credite with vs, that we dare not doe contrarie thereunto for feare of loosing their good will and fauour: what shall we then say to our Sauiour Christ, the king of kings, a­boue all the nobles vpon the earth, who doth here exhort vs to loue one an other shal we make none account of his words, but without regard fling them at our heeles, not caring for the losse of his heauenly fauour, who gaue his owne selfe to the [Page 78] death to purchase our life? Surely we should then declare our selues to be worse then the bruit beasts, who yet vse to haue some regard to their masters that feede them and shew them fauour. If we should not then carefully take heede vnto those things which are spoken vnto vs of the Lord Iesus Christ, who hath so dearely loued vs, euen▪ the very bruit beasts should be sufficient to condemne vs. Let vs therefore in the feare of God looke vnto it, not slenderly and with dull eares, and hard hearts consider of it, for it is the deare Sonne of God that speaketh vn­to vs, that requireth of vs, that we loue one an other. If he had but slenderly handled our matter concerning our redemption, we had beene but in slender case: if we shall nowe giue but slender eare vnto that which he speaketh vnto vs, and make it as a thing of course, surely we prouoke his iudgement against vs, whose maiestie we dare so boldly abuse: if it be high treason to cast off the words of a prince, & make no account of them, what shal we say of the reiecting the words of this our heauen­ly prince and Sauiour? Ye see then it standeth vs in hand dili­gently to heare, prudently to marke, and deeply to waigh these wordes which here be spoken, for they are the wordes of the Lord Iesus, who of his vnspeakeable loue, hath giuen him selfe for vs. And yet further then this, if we consider the circumstan­ces of the time when these words were spoken, it will make vs yet a little more carefull to thinke vpon them: It was at such time as he was now neare his death, for in the verse going be­fore he told them, he was going from them. These words were vttered then by our Sauiour Christ, when he was going to his death, as a thing specially to be marked of vs, & which he knew to be most needefull for vs, and therefore of vs more to be con­sidered and marked, yea and neuer to be forgotten, but alwaies deepely imprinted in our minde. You know those things that are spoken of men lying vpon their death bedde vse to pearse much, that commonly the words be neuer forgotten, but still almost as fresh in memorie as when they were newe spoken: those words which be spoken by a louing father vpon his death bed vnto his childe, take great effect in a good childe: if a tender father at the point of death doth call his sonne vnto [Page 79] him, and vttereth these or such like words; Oh sonne, thou see­est in what case I am, I am euen now readie to goe from thee, these be the last words that I shall speake vnto thee, remember them well, thou shalt neuer heare me more speake, I must goe from thee, yet for a remembrance, that thou maist thinke vpon me when I am gone; I will giue thee one lesson from my mouth while I liue, that thou maist remember me when I am dead, as long as thou liuest; I charge thee therefore, as thou louest me, doe this or that, &c. thou knowest I haue had many troublesome daies for thee, much cost and paines I bestowed vpon thee, nowe I must goe from thee, thinke vpon this that I charge thee, euen as thou louest me: if a tender hearted fa­ther giue this or such charge vnto his sonne vpon his death bed, will it not make the heart of any naturall childe to bleede in his bodie to heare such tender wordes of his louing father: alas, those louing wordes neuer be forgotten of any naturall childe and good sonne, vnlesse he be an vnthrift and past all grace, which careth neither for father nor friend, liuing nor deade. Euen so in like manner will these words of our Sauiour Christ, spoken at his death, pearce the hearts of any of the chil­dren of God, vnlesse they be bastards and no sonnes: we can not if we loue the Lord Iesus, but remember this his last lesson, which he giueth vs for his farewell. And I am sure vnto the children of God it pearceth a thousand times more their ten­der hearts to heare them so louingly taught of their louing Lord, then any other rough manner of dealing, because they be children and not slaues, and therefore serue of loue and not of slauish feare; although it be sometime needefull for the best of them to feele of the louing correction of their louing fa­ther for the taming of their wilde flesh. But because in the house of God all be not children which haue the outward coū ­tenance of children, but there be a great companie of dissem­bling hypocrites, which take the libertie of the Gospell to liue after the flesh, & doe nothing but only make a mock of all lo­uing kind of dealing & laugh in their sleeues when they heare any such exhortations, because they wil not be taught by faire meanes, and as ye would say by maner of intreatie: therfore the [Page 80] Lord Iesus for their cause especially dealeth after an other sort here in this sentence, and calleth this same his admonition to loue not onely a friendly exhortation as by way of request, but also a commandement. Not onely a matter of intreatie for­sooth, to doe or not to doe as best liketh vs, but a speciall com­maundement to be done whether we will or no, whether we like it or not like it, vnlesse we will abide the penaltie of disobe­dience. And herein then he dealeth with us, not only as a louing friend to exhort, but also as a prince of authoritie to command, that if we should violently cast off from vs all kinde of friend­ly admonitions here, and thinke we haue escaped wel, because we haue broken in sunder all the fast bonds of louing exhor­tations; we should yet vnderstand he is our Prince, that hath his iudgement seat to arrayne vs there to answer the breach of his blessed commandement: and that we should not thinke or say, Oh I will indeede loue my brethren, but it shalbe at lei­sure, when I see my time, and when I thinke best; but rather thinke because it is commanded vs, we must doe it whether we will or no, not at our pleasure, but at the pleasure of the commander, vnlesse we wilbe guiltie of his curse in his iudge­ment seat. So then ye see what we haue to marke in this, where the Lord Iesus doth not onely exhort, but commaund vs to loue one an other, that is, that we not only haue a cold affectiō thereunto, but that we be liuely touched with the authoritie of the commander, setting before our eyes his princely iudgemēt seat, where he will bring in triall all stubborne breaches of his blessed commandements, although they be neuer so smoothly passed ouer in this life. Ye see then this hath, or at least vvise ought to haue a vvonderfull vvaightie force vvith it, vvhere the Lord Iesus falleth a commanding, and therefore ought of vs deepely to be considered, and not coldly for fashion imbraced, because it is the Lord Iesus, that not onely vvilleth, but com­maundeth it. But alas, it is a vvonderfull thing, to see the au­thoritie of the Lord Iesus so smally regarded among vs: if once the vvill of a prince be but knovvne, it is a vvonder to see hovv readie vve are to frame our selues thereunto; but if he fall a com­manding, vvho doe not then tremble at his displeasure? But [Page 81] the Lord Iesus may intreat, pray, and beseech, nay straightly charge and command, and for all that not regarded of a straw. It declareth certenly, good brethren, that there is no feare of God among vs, but onely a certaine worldly feare of man, and yet the one killeth the bodie alone,Math. 10. 28. the other throweth both soule and bodie into hell fire eternall. Oh, good brethren, let vs not deceiue our selues, it is the Lord Iesus that commaun­deth vs, let vs obey: he chargeth vs to loue one an other, let it be done, not onely said, but done: done, done. Let vs earnestly repent, that we haue beene so slacke in doing this commande­ment for our Sauiour hetherto, that we haue done nothing, but onely make a mocke of it: oh it is his mercie that hath saued vs hetherto, and hath not throwne vs downe to hell, as we haue deserued, but in mercie hath kept vs till this day: let vs nowe from henceforth thinke earnestly vpon this commandement of our Lord Iesus Christ, and now begin to practise it, that there may be loue among vs, and not such brabbling, brawling, and contention, as we see daily, and is too lamentable, but like to good schollers in the schoole of the Lord Iesus let vs haue loue and peace among vs; and surely then he will dwell among vs, and protect vs for euer.

Nowe it is said in the text, that this commaundement of lo­uing one another, is a new commaundement: it may seeme strange that he calleth it new, and yet was giuen so long agoe by the Lord God himselfe in his commandements,Lev. 19. 18. and is the very summe of the whole second table, as it doth appeare by the Lord Iesus Christ his owne interpretation,Matt. 11. 39. that we loue our neighbour as our selfe. This then seemeth not to be new, which was deliuered to Moses a thousand yeare before & more. True it is our Sauiour Christ doth not here call it newe, as though it had neuer bin vttered before, but because he would call a newe to the minde that which they had heard of old out of the lawe before: he calleth it therefore new, which is newly renewed a­gaine in memorie: & moreouer also now at his death, because he would haue it sticke continually in their mindes, as a thing new told fresh in our mindes: for we know things that be old done or spoken are not so ripe in our heades, as that that is new­ly [Page 82] done or spoken: that it might be therefore vnto vs conti­nually newe, and fresh in our minde, he calleth it newe, not olde and raw, but fresh and new. VVe haue therefore well to consider of it, and euery one of vs to enter deepe into our selues, and trie our hearts whether this commaundement be newe, fresh, and greene in our mindes or no, or rather whe­ther it be so old vnto vs, that we haue cleane forgot it. I am afraid if we well trie and examine our selues, we shall finde it fresh and newe amongst a very fewe or none of vs, but so olde that it is euen at the last cast with a great number of vs, and a new commaundement come in the roome of it, not from Ie­sus Christ, but Satan and the deuill: a new commaundement, that we loue not one an other, but euery man him selfe. This same new commandement of Satan of louing our selues, oh it is maruelous rife, fresh, and newe amongst vs: but the newe commandement of the Lord Iesus of louing one an other, it is so stale and worne out of vse amongst vs new-fangled english­men, and especially amongst vs Norffolke men: if Iesus Christ had giuen vs this commaundement to loue our selues, how notably could we haue practised it? and what a num­ber of followers thereof should we haue found amongst vs at this day? all England, all Norffolke should haue beene found very perfect in it: But alas, good brethren, it is cleane con­trarie, that commaundement which he would haue newe amongst vs, is not to loue our selues, but to loue one an other: this is that which is very rare in our daies, and must be newe, fresh, and rife amongst vs, there is no remedie, or surely the Lord will beginne a newe worke amongst vs: he cannot a­bide to heare his commandement so contemptuously and de­spightfully troden vnder our feete: therefore let vs be carefull in the feare of God, to amende that which is amisse in vs, and now beginne to imbrace this newe commaundement of the Lord Iesus of louing one an other, and vtterly forsake and re­mooue that olde Satans commaundement of louing of our selues, that wee may be right disciples and schollers of Iesus Christ, as we say we are Christians, and hold of Christ. VVell, thus you see what waightie charge is giuen of our Sauiour, [Page 83] to loue one an other: it is no small matter, and therefore not hastily to be put vp, because it is both a commaundement, and proceedeth also from him that hath authoritie ouer all things to commaund, which hath his iudgement for vs in the life to come, if we will not be taught by faire meanes here in this life.

Now it followeth in the text, Euen as I haue loued you: This sentence serueth both for a reason more vehemētly to perswade vs to loue one an other by his owne example, that so tenderly loued vs, & also it serueth for a patterne to try our loue by, whe­ther it be sincere or fained. The reason whereby he exhorteth vs to loue one an other, standeth thus: I so tenderly loued you, that beeing from all eternitie with my father in ioy eternall,Phil. 2. 6. humbled my selfe to become man in your nature,Hebr. 4. 15. sub­iect to all miseries and sorrowes as you are, and for your loue yeilded my selfe not onely to all spight and villanie that wic­ked men could doe vnto me, but euen to the very death I sub­mitted my selfe, and that to the most shamefull death for your death, to bring you to a glorious life: and this I did not onely when ye were no friends of mine, but also when ye were mine vtter enemies:Rom. 5. 8. ought not you then in like manner much more loue one an other, beeing thus redeemed silly poore soules by my bitter death?Ioh. 15. 13. you were all alike subiect to eternall hell fire, and now I so loued you▪ 1. Ioh. 3. 6. that I gaue my selfe a ransom for you, ought not ye then much more considering my goodnes, loue one an other? If a king should of his great goodnes giue his owne life to ransome a companie of beggers beeing in bon­dage, and besides not onely deliuer them out of slauerie of a forraine prince, but also exalt them to the state of lords and no­bles, by deuiding his inheritance amongst them, were it not, I say, an intollerable thing, if these exalted beggers, forgetting their former estate, should nowe be so puffed vp in pride, that one of them would not vouchsafe to looke vpon an other, but contemne, hate, and disdaine one an other, were not this thing intollerable and not to be suffered amongst men, so to re­quite the goodnesse of their king? nay would not we rather giue our verdict vpon them, and thinke them well serued to [Page 84] be set againe all alike in beggerie and slauerie as they were before, and looke if they could agree any better among them­selues there? yes surely would we, and thinke them well ser­ued; euen so, good brethren, if we will not loue one an other since our Lord Iesus Christ hath so tenderly loued vs, that he hath giuen him selfe for vs, to redeeme vs from hell, surely it can not be otherwise thought but that we deserue to be throwne downe headlong to hell eternally, and looke if we can agree any better there. It pleased the Lord Iesus to re­deeme vs from damnation, that we might loue one an other, as he loued vs: if we will not then loue one an other, what is it else but euen to prouoke the Lorde Iesus to leaue vs euen where he found vs, that is, euen firebrands of hell, and looke howe we can away with that geare. Wherefore, good bre­thren, let vs take this argument to our selues, and although we would not loue one an other for no other thing, yet at the least let vs loue one an other for Iesus Christes sake, who so tenderly and dearely loued vs, that he gaue his owne life for vs: if not for his sake, yet good brethren, for our owne soules sake, which shall perish in hell euerlastingly: thus ye see what force this reason hath, which the Lord Iesus vseth here charging vs to loue one an other, as he hath loued vs, that is, that it maketh vs inexcusable before his iudgement seat, if we can not finde in our heart to loue one an other, see­ing he so dearely and tenderly hath loued vs. It carieth with it also a further thing to be considered and thought of, and that is this, that it serueth for a notable and most excellent patterne for vs to trye and examine our loue by it, whether it be sincere and sound or no: for when he saith, Let your loue among your selues be such a kinde of loue as mine was to­wardes you, he condemneth all fayned and vaine loue, all cor­rupt loue, gainfull loue, tongue-loue, false loue, and such like; and biddeth looke as his loue was towards vs, so let our loue be one towards an other: his loue was not towards vs, when we were his friends, but euen then he loued vs when we were his e­nemies, and gaue his life for vs: this is a speciall point to be considered of vs, good brethren, and pithely to be waied; for it [Page 85] toucheth vs very neere: we be so corrupt in iudgement, and measure all things so by our owne ease, that we thinke it suffi­cient, if we haue made some countenance of loue to them, that neuer did us harme, when as in the meane time we rage like cruell beastes against those, which haue but a little touched us with harme and iniurie, and we thinke we may doe it lawful­ly, it is so generall a thing, and toucheth the corruption of our nature so neere, that if he doe or speake but any ill by vs, vvee thinke vve may very iustly be incensed against him.Rom. 5. 8. Yea, but was the love of the Lord Iesus so in that maner, nay he loued us euen when we were his enemies, and telleth vs that our loue must be in like maner one towards another, not only to them that loue vs, but also to them that be our enemies. Our Savi­our Christ telleth vs,Matth. 6. 32. that the very heathen will so loue one an­other as long as they haue no harme, and we would be asha­med being Christians to be no better then they: we say wee are Christian men and not heathen, let vs then I pray you pro­ceed one steppe further then the heathen, who will as fast as wee for our liues love them that doe them good: let vs, I say, go one steppe before them, & follow our Sauiour Christ, who biddeth vs loue one another as he loued vs, not as the heathen use to loue. Oh saith one, I could be content to loue him, if hee had not so railed upon me, and done me so much spight and villanie, I could haue bene content to haue borne it, but it is too too, no man can beare it: and I pray thee, hath he done thee more spight then thou hast done to the Lord Iesus Christ? I trow not: thy spight and villany hath put the Lorde Iesus to death, and wouldest thou haue him not hate thee for thy spight done to him, as thou doest thy brother for the harme he hath done unto thee? thou shouldst be in hell then straightwaies. Looke now then, I pray you, whether it stan­deth vs not in hand to put well in practise this lesson that our Lord Iesus Christ here teacheth vs, when he saith, our loue a­mong our selues must not be to avenge our spight, to wrecke our malice, but euen as he loued vs: to be content to forgiue our greatest enemies, & put our hatred and malice out of our hearts against them.Matth. 6. 12. Iesus Christ teacheth vs to pray for for­giuenesse [Page 86] at Gods hand euen as we doe forgiue others: would we thinke it a good prayer to pray to God in this manner: O Lorde God if my sinnes towards thee had bene but a few and small, I could haue bene content, thou shouldest haue forgiuen them unto me, but because they be so many and so spitefull, now I would haue thee euen poure out all thy displeasure vp­on me, for so doe I use to do with them, that do offend against me, therefore I pray thee, deale euen so with me now, good Lorde, for after this maner I do use to forgiue them that offend me: I use to doe the worst I can to them either by worde or deede, therefore I pray thee, doe the worst to me thou canst: were not this, I pray you, to pray for vengeance upon our own head? yes surely: and certenly euen so do we, as oft as wee dare pray the Lords prayer, and yet can not finde in our hearts to forgiue offences done against vs. Good brethren, let vs not de­ceiue our selues,Matth. 6. 15. the Lord Iesus flatly telleth vs, we shall neuer be forgiuen, unlesse we can be content to forgiue others, let vs say what we will, the Lord Iesus saith so, we shall neuer be for­giuen, unlesse wee can forgiue others, there is no remedy, the truth hath spoken it: let vs flatter our selues as long as vve vvil, we cannot be forgiuen unlesse we forgiue, therefore if euer we will be forgiuen at Gods hand, unlesse vve vvill be throwne into the pit of hell, let us forgiue: and away with these fond & brabbling excuses, to say they be so many, and so great, I can neuer forgiue him. Wouldest thou be contented that the Lord Iesus should answere thee so, when thou comest unto him for forgiuenesse? If he should say unto thee, O silly poore soule, I could be content to forgiue thee, if thy sinnes had not bene so many and so great, but because they are so huge & so hainous, I can not forgiue thee, go thy wayes to hell, for I can not finde in mine heart to forgiue thee; wouldest thou be content with this answer at the Lords hands for thy sinnes? I trow not: And yet cruell hearted tyrant thou canst be content to say so, and thinke so of them that haue not offended thee the thousand parte so much, as thou hast done the Lorde thy God. Doest thou thinke then thou canst so s [...]ly escape the Lord thy God? thou canst not, thou canst not: and therefore there is no re­medie [Page 87] but either thou must forgiue, or surely thou shalt neuer be forgiuen: looke now to it, as thou wilt, and fling avvay from God as fast as thou wilt, they be vvordes of the Lord Ie­sus vvhich can not lie. Let us for Gods loue looke unto them, it standeth vs in hande: thinke vve to be forgiuen of God our great and intollerable sinnes, and can not be content to forgiue small sinnes in comparison? No surely, it can not be. The Lord Iesus setteth out this matter more largely in the 18. of Mat­thevv,Matt. 18. 23. by the example of a king, vvhich minded to take a rec­kening of his seruants, vvhereof one was brought unto him, which did owe him a thousand talents, & he not being able to pay, commandement was giuen, that he, his wife and children, should be sold and paiment made: the man with pitifull teares fell dovvne at the feet of the king, desiring him onely to beare with him for a time, and he vvould pay him the vvhole: the king taking compassion upon the man forgaue him the whole debt: this man being so discharged went his vvay, and found one of his fellovves that ovved him a certaine small trifling peece of money, and ragingly caught him by the throate, commaunding him to pay that he ovved; the poore man ama­sed fell downe at his feete with vveeping teares, humbly be­sought him to be good unto him, and he vvould pay him all. The other vvould not heare, but cruelly commaunded him to be cast in prison, and there the poore man lay. The king hea­ring of this crueltie, called him and saide, I forgaue thee the vvhole debt vvhen thou besoughtest me, oughtest not thou to haue had compassion upon thy fellow also, as I had on thee? & the king in great displeasure cōmanded him to be deliuered to the tormentours.Vers. 35. Euen so, saith our Saviour Christ, vvill my heauenly Father doe to you, unlesse you forgiue one another from the bottome of your heartes your sinnes and offences done one to another. This is the doctrine of the Lord Iesus, it is not mine, they be his ovvne vvords, and therefore they must be marked. It is a vvoonder to see how much vvee can make of a smal offence done unto us, & how small account we make of our great offences done to God: if one do but a litle contrary to our mind in any smal matter, oh we make it so great a matter [Page 88] we haue never done with it, and hardly shall a man bring vs to any good agreement: we be so hard hearted, it will not out of our stomacke, but we must be reuenged strait waies, vve will waite him at the advantage once in our life time, to be euen with him if we can: What is this els but to prouoke Gods fearce wrath and indignation vpon vs, and to heape Gods iudgement vpon vs? Iesus Christ telleth vs, euen so will our hea­uenly father deale with vs. Doeth it not now then stand vs in hand to forgiue one another, to put malice and hatred out of our hearts, and now at the length to learne perfectly this les­son at our Sauiour his hand to loue one another as he loued vs? not onely them that doe us good, but euen our enemies, and them that hate vs. True it is, wee must neuer loue the sinne of our enemies, nor of none els, but alwaies be in deadly hatred with that, but yet we must loue and pity the person of our ene­mies, that is in dangered thereby. And if this were well waigh­ed, you should see that we had more need to pity, then to hate our enemies. If there be any iniurie or harme done unto vs either by word or deed,Matth. 5. 22. they that doe it are guiltie of hell fire, so saith Iesus Christ: would it not pitie our hearts to see any in the torments of hell? alas yes, if we were not worse then bruit beasts, we would take pitie vpon them: and surely in that case are all those vvhich doe vs harme, vnlesse they repent: and therefore the Lord Iesus pitied the case of them that put him to death, because he knew in what dangerous estate their soules were, whereas they in spight and rage against him were so blind, that they could not see it: but alas, he saw it, and pitied their case,Luc. 23. 34. and prayed, saying, O Father, forgiue them. they can not tell what they do, they are euen almost in the gulfe of hel, and yet see it not, they are so blind in their rage, that they run headlong to hell, and neuer thinke upon it. The same affe­ction must be in vs towardes our enimies, if we be of the same spirite of Christ: we must pitie their case that haue done any harm or iniurie against vs, & thus think, O Lord God, this their fact is damnable before thine eyes, they haue deserued hel fire, and yet, O Lord, they see it not, Good Lord giue them hearts and mindes to see their sinne, that they may see in what daun­ger [Page 89] they be in, and so turne unto thee and repent. Thus you see, how we must pity our enemies, and pray for them, & doe what we can to bring them out of the danger: there is none without so much naturall affection, but he will pitie the life of any thing being in danger, if it be but an oxe or an asse to put it out of the mire if he could, there is none so brutish that will suffer the life of a beast to perish if he can helpe it, much more is the life of man to be pitied being in danger, but much more is the everlasting life of the soule of man to be tendered being in daunger: while thine enemie rageth against thee with all despite and villanie, his poore soule is in perill to be drowned in the gulfe of hell, oughtest not thou to pitie his estate, and reach out thine hand to helpe him out, and not like an un­mercifull man to plunge him downe to be drowned, that thou mightest reuenge thy spite and malice for the iniurie & harme he hath done vnto thee? There is none so cruell that woulde deale so with a very beast. If vve had receiued any harme at any beastes handes, either a stroke with an horse his foote or such like, if wee should happen to see the poore beast after that, in perill of drowning, is there any so cruell that he might be revenged of the harme done unto him, would let the poore beast starue, or else violently push him headlong, and holde downe his head to drowne him? Surely none would doe it, vnlesse he were worse a thousand fold then a beast. What do we meane then, seeing the soules of our enemies in so great perill by continuance in their sinne, that we doe not pitie their case, to pray for them, to helpe them out, but rather to re­venge our malice, doe sooner push them in forwardes head­long to destruction? Nay rather what doe wee meane in pushing them forwarde to destruction to throwe our selues downe headlong with them to the pit of hell? For what is it els when we beare hatred, spite, and malice against them? It is murther before God, and therefore guiltie of hell sire. Haue wee not then notably prevailed against our enemies,Ioh. 3. 15. when for pure spitefull loue, and reuengefull good will tow­ards them wee vvill euen iumpe with them into the dunge­on of hell? This is not to loue one another, as the Lord lo­ued [Page 90] vs: well then, good brethren, I pray you, let us looke un­to it, vvee must loue one another, yea, euen our enemies, for so did Christ loue vs his enemies: we must loue their soules, and pitie their soules, and helpe them euen as we can: vvee must not so much regarde the spite they haue done unto us, as the daunger their soules be in before God, and this may make vs to stay our rage and reuengement against our brethren, vvhen they haue offended us: for what is the cause that we be so out of patience with them that haue done us iniurie, that wee can not finde in our heartes to forgiue them? Surely euen this, because wee doe onely looke upon the hurt done unto us, we muse upon that, we make much adoe about that, and so marveilously weigh what losse we haue by it on euery side but in the meane while, wee doe not consider the soule of him that did vs the iniurie, continuing in impenitencie: for then wee should be driuen to pitie him for the daunger be­fore God, and not hate him for our losse before man. The want of this is the onely cause then why wee be so hatefull and ma­litious towardes our enemies, which haue iniuried vs, because we looke upon our owne harme, and not on the harme of the soule of man before God: but wee must doe it, certenly the Lorde Iesus commaundeth us, Pray for your enemies, doe good to them that hate you: and here biddeth us, loue, as he loued us, euen enemies to him. Well then, good brethren, thus yee haue heard, how by the loue that Christ loued us, wee be taught, to frame our loue one towardes another, euen towards our enemies, in pitying them, praying for them that they may be brought to amendment, not for the hurt done vnto vs, but for the auoiding of the hurt of their soules. I haue bene some­what more long in this matter of loue towardes our enemies because I know it is so hard a matter for flesh and blood to be satisfied in this point to stay from revengement: it is marvei­lous neere growen into the corruption of our nature, and ther­fore it must be more carefully taken heed of us, and we must bende our force more to resist it, and so shall we not onely be hearers of this lesson of our Lorde Iesus, but also followers of the same.

[Page 91] And yet further, when he saith, that we must loue one ano­ther as he loved us, he giueth vs to understand, that our loue must be sincere, without respect of gaine or aduantage. Such loue then as is commonly amongst vs Norffolke men will not serue, that is to loue a man as long as we can get any profit by him, and then farewell: no, our loue must not be so, but it must be as Christ loued vs, which was not for any great gaine I trow that he hoped to get at our handes, and yet this is so common amongst vs, as is marveilous: there is scarsely found amongst vs any other loue, then that which is for gaine: a lamentable thing: If we haue money enough, we make our account to get friends enough, and without mony or hope of gaine we shall hardly finde any great store of friends. Is this the loue, good breethren, which ought to be amongst vs? Alas no: such loue may be found amongst the very deuils in hell: and yet we will be Christians forsooth, yea, and protestants to, but it is but onely in name: for Christ saith, that among his true schol­lers, loue must not be for advantage, but as he loued vs. More­ouer, we are hereby taught also, that our loue must not be dissembled in faire countenance outwarde, & within nothing but rancour and malice, it must not be in a faire flattering out­ward shewe, but it must be as he loued us, euen in very deede from the bottome of our heart: from our heart, from our heart, from our heart: Oh this must be marked, good brethren. The Lorde Iesus seemeth to plucke vs English men by the sleeue, and condemne our faire flattering dissembled loue, which raigneth so commonly among vs: Such faire lookes, sugred wordes, louing salutations, and courteous embracings as is marveilous, as though there were such perfect loue and friendshippe amongst vs, as could possibly be required, and yet such deepe dissembled hatred and spight in the bottome of our breastes, as we would (if we could) euen pull their hearts out of their bodies, and eate them with garlicke, as they say. Alas, good brethren, is this Christian like? is this as Christ loued vs? No, no, it is Iudas-like, faire kisses, & false dissembling harts. Is there not a God in heauen thinke you, to reuenge it? yes, no doubt, and I warrant vs, we shall feele it, if we doe not repent. [Page 92] We thinke we haue done notable finely, when we haue made a man a faire countenance, and in the meane while practise his death if we can: we go slily on with the matter, and laugh in our sleeue when wee haue thus done, as though there were not a God in heauen that did see, view, and try all the secret thoughts of our deepe dissembling heartes, and spie out all our crooked waies, and when we haue made faire with all the earth, will then call our crooked practises to account. Did that cruell wretch Cain any thing preuaile, when dissembling his cruell malice towardes his brother, he made faire words with him, till he gate him in the broad wilde field alone, and then fell upon him, and killed him: did it any thing preuaile with God, I say, that none was at the deede doing to accuse him? needed God any such thing, which was privie to his wicked malicious thoughtes? No, but he bringeth in the ve­ry blood which he shedde, and the earth which receiued the bloode to bring euidence against the man to condemnation: what shall we say then? will our faire lookes and sweet words one to another prevaile before God, when there is nothing so in our hearts but murther and malice? No I warrant you, hee will bring in account euen the very secret wicked thoughts, that we conceiue upon our beds, he will bring in euen our pil­lowes to beare evidence against vs to our condemnation, if this geere be not amended, looke as smoothly on the matter as we can: God will haue an assaying with vs, when we haue made all whole with man. Wherefore, good breethen, in the feare of God let us looke to this geere, let us giue eare to Iesus Christ his teaching, that commaundeth our loue one toward ano­ther to be as his was towardes vs, and away vvith this same dissembled loue, vvhich raigneth so amongst us, this Iudas loue, theese loue, deuils loue, and let vs like good Christi­ans here in Norffolke once at the length beginne to imbrace Christes loue, true loue, unfained, from the bottome of the heart, and sincere, to the glorie of our God, and com­fort of our soules: And thus much for this part, where we are commaunded that our loue should be as Christs loue toward vs: now it followeth. By this shall all men know that ye are my [Page 93] disciples, if ye loue one an other. This is an other reason to per­swade to the obedience of that commaundement, which he hath giuen in the verse before, that we loue one an other as he hath loued vs, for that men shall thereby take them to be his schollers, his disciples, Christian men: This is an argument which carieth with it great force to perswade amongs men, for there is none but he will say he is a Christian, euery man will say so, yea and euery man would gladly so be taken and esteemed of men, we would say so all of vs, and so would glad­ly be counted Christian men: well, then let vs looke if there be loue among vs, for saying will not serue, he telleth vs men shall take vs for Christian men, not because we can boldly say so, but because they see amongst vs loue; sincere loue, pure loue▪ no dissembling, colouring, nor glosing, but simple tender loue one towards another, euen as he loued vs: that is the cog­nisance, whereby we be knowne amongs men to be the ser­uants of Christ; as the princes and noble mens seruants are knowne by their cognisance and badges to be the seruants of their seuerall masters, so is this the cognisance and badge of true Christian men from a false dissembling Christian: its in­tollerable to abuse any princes name without some warrant, & shall we be so bold with the Lord Christ to abuse his name with the title of Christian men, when we be nothing so? if any durst be so bold as to make a facing and bracing vnto the pore people, and say, I am the Queenes seruant, and vnder that title exercise all the authoritie of the Queenes maiesties seruice, and yet neuer authorized into seruice, nor receiued her cogni­sance to be knowne by, could such dealing be well passed o­uer without punishment amongst men? No surely, it could not be: such things would be or els should be seuerely punish­ed, and that iustly, for els no man should liue vnbeguiled by such counterfeyts, and the authoritie of the prince abused, to the vndoing of her subiects. And shall we thinke then that the Lord Iesus shall so slightly ouerpasse the abuse of his name, and authoritie of Christians, when we be nothing but onely coun­terfeits? for he telleth vs we can not be his disciples, we cannot be true Christians vnlesse we loue one an other: Let vs say and [Page 94] face, and brace it out neuer so much, all will not serue: for he saith, he that can not lie, that by this we shalbe knowne, whe­ther we be in deede Christian men or no, if we loue one an o­ther. What shall we say then, good brethren, to vs Norffolke men, amongst whome raigneth too much strife & contention, hatred, malice, brabbling, brawling, & wrangling? shall we say we be Christian men, & so flatter our selues in our sinne, and de­ceiue our own soules? Iesus Christ telleth vs the contrarie, that we can not be iustly accounted of men to be true Christians, much more shal he the searcher of hearts condemne vs. VVhat a lamentable thing is this amongst vs in this little countrey of Norffolke, that we should be so farre from the badge of Chri­stian men, that cleane contrary, such contention, strife, & brab­bling, is amongst vs, that we are become infamous thereby to the whole world, when there is found more wrangling in this same little part, then is in xx. parts of the land besides? VVhat a thing is this, good brethren, that the Iudges in their assises in other places finde in some place foure, in some place three Nisi priuses, and here amongst vs x. score and more: commeth this because there is so much loue amongst vs? & yet we wilbe coū ­ted Christians; but Iesus Christ saith, that then we must loue one an other, it can not otherwise be, he hath spoken it that can not lie. Therefore on Gods behalfe, good brethren, let vs looke vnto it, let vs not flatter our selues, & so die in our sinnes; we can not be Christians, Iesus Christ telleth vs so, vnles there be loue amongst vs: & I pray you, what appearance of loue is there amongst vs, where there is such brabling and brawling, that neuer the like was heard of in any place of the land? nay, I thinke in Turkie-lande: and yet we wilbe Christians. But the Lord Iesus saith we be not, saue onely in name, & in what case are we then, I pray you? euen firebrands of hell, vnles we doe repent. VVherefore, good brethren, let vs looke vnto it, and looke to it earnestly in deede, that at the length we Norffolke men may become Christian men. I can not speake alas, to all Norffolke, my voice will not reach so farre, but I exhort you, good brethren, for Gods cause euery man put to his helping hand, that such strife & contention as is amongst vs my be sup­pressed, [Page 95] and the badge of Christians, which is true loue, may come in the roome. Where ye heare of contention betweene your neighbours, perswade with them as you can to take it vp amongst themselues charitably, and that they doe not like bruit beasts one reuenge all their spite they can against an o­ther: perswade with them & take paines with them, & you shal see God will blesse your labours. And you, good brethrē, which are here gathered together, whose hearts the Lord hath tou­ched to take paines in such matters, I desire you in the feare of God to continue, be not wearie of well doing, the Lord is with you, God doth blesse you, and your labours, ye serue God in it highly, the Lord Iesus Christ accounteth you happie, Blessed, blessed saith he, be the peacemakers. Although it be some pains vnto you, & a little cost & charges, yet remember it is done to the Lord, & the common-wealth, whose you are, & to whome you owe your seruice & dutie. Although you shall heare some that like not of it, and peraduenture of some countenance, yet good brethren, be not discouraged, the Lord liketh well of it, he which is of the greatest countenance of all, the Lord Iesus himselfe he liketh highly of it, & calleth you happie & blessed, Blessed be the peacemakers, for they shalbe called the children of God. Be not discouraged then from doing good, because some doe not like of it: Alas, they are deciued with false & slaunde­rous lies, that men blow abroad in corners, I warrant you whē they shall heare & know the truth, there is no good man but will well like of it, and further the like to the vttermost. In the meane time goe you on forward, & content your selfe with this that ye see the Lord so greatly blesse your labours in so small time, that all your cuntrie is so cleane swept of rouges, wheras in other places they abound, and so few misdemeanours foūd, scarse the tenth part that was before, and which is in other pla­ces & that euē very nere you. You see this God hath wrought by this meanes in so small a time, besides that the whole limits is so quiet & void of all contentions and brabbles, that now it is not one to an hundreth that was before, and in comparison of other places rounde about you. This ye see God hath brought to passe in a short time, for this must you be thankfull [Page 96] vnto God, and giue him the honour and glorie, and continue and goe forward in your well doing▪ leauing the successe to his maiestie, as he knoweth shalbe most for his glorie, your dis­charge, and the benefit of his people.

Thus you haue heard out of this text the earnest exhortati­on of our louing Sauiour, ioyned with authoritie in comman­ding vs to loue one an other sincerely without dissimulation, euen as he loued vs: a needefull lesson, but very ill practised of a great number of vs, who yet continually will needes be coun­ted Christians: well, let vs thinke vpon it more carefully then we haue done, for we cannot deceiue him with titles. Let vs looke vnto it, especially in this countrey, that haue beene this long time so farre from true Christianitie a great number of vs, that we haue not so much as the outward cognisance, whereby men should know vs from dissembling Christians: let vs in the feare of God now beginne, good brethren, and let vs not be a­shamed nowe at length of the liuerie of Christ, we beare his name, let vs not refuse his liuerie: throw away the deuils liue­rie, which we haue worne a great long time, we abhorre the name of the deuill, away then with his liuerie, and let vs giue a louing eare to Iesus Christ thus friendly speaking vnto vs.

YOu can not be ignorant of the generall argument that the Apostle hath in hande, which is to intreat of the mat­ter of afflictions, to this ende that he might shew, that none of them shalbe able to hinder vs from our saluation, that so we might be prepared for them, and comforted in them. For he spea­keth wisely and to the purpose, and therefore hauing prooued that we are saued onely by faith in Christ (which is the generall argument of the Epistle) he remo­ueth those things that might seeme to make for the contrarie. And namely first the consideration of our naturall corruption, cleauing fast vnto vs, hindring vs from that which is good, and drawing vs to that which is euill, euen after such time as we doe beleeue, of which he hath spoken in the other chapter, and in the former part of this, declaring that by the imputation of the perfect holines of Christ it is taken away: which we know both by the fruits of it, which is, that we are sanctified in part, [Page 2] and by the spirite of adoption, which teacheth vs to call God Abba father. Secondly the consideration of those manifold & grieuous afflictions which may & doe befall vs in this worlde, whereby it may seeme, that our waies are not so acceptable to the Lord, that we might haue comfort therein: in which he dealeth in the latter part of this chapter from vers. 17. to the ende of it, shewing that they shall be so farre from keeping vs from saluation, as that in them we haue Christ Iesus that went before in all afflictions further then we can, and yet at the last came vnto glorie, and therefore if we patiently abide, as we haue not onely the Prophets, Apostles, and Martyrs, but Christ himselfe to be our fellow in them, so we shal be fellowes with him and like vnto him in glorie. And least that it might seeme grieuous vnto vs, to goe to so happie an estate, through so grie­uous a way, and so might thinke that the kingdome of hea­uen, though it be so pretious, we should bie it too deare: he telleth vs assuredly that by casting the account he hath found it to be most true, that all the afflictions in this miserable and wretched world are not to be compared in greatnes or con­tinuance, vnto the glorie that shall be reuealed vs, vers. 18. which as it is thus great, so it is most sure and certaine, and therefore we neede not in no wise to doubt of it: for the very creatures them selues haue a certaine sense and feeling of it, which but for a time are subiect to this vanitie (that is, cor­ruption and abuse) which they are and by the instinct of na­ture doe most earnestly, and as it were, with their heads lifted vp, looke for the reuealing of the sonnes of God, that they might be redeemed from bondage, into their glorious libertie, and shall not be disapointed of their hope: therefore much more we that haue receiued the first fruits of the spirite, should with greater patience in trouble abide the will of God, and with more certentie and earnest desire▪ looke for an happie chance of all our afflictions in that most glorious day, v. 20, 21, 22, 23. The which condition, though grieuous for a time, but happie in the ende, that we might not refuse to vndergoe with the rest of he creatures, and our brethren, he willeth vs to consider the order which the Lord hath appointed in sauing of vs, which is [Page 3] by hope, and because hope is of things not seene or inioyed, therefore we must not imagine so soone to enioy all happines as we beleeue it, but be content to want all things for a time, that hoping for them with patience and long suffering, we might come to them at the last, vnlesse we will goe about to peruert this most excellent order, which the Lord hath deter­mined and appointed to vse in sauing vs, which is by training vs vp in the hope and expectation of all things promised for a season, v. 24, 25. And because the hope that is deferred is the fainting of the bones, & we might feare in respect of our owne weakenes, and the greatnes together with the continuance of afflictions, that we should not with patience vnder the crosse continue to hold out happily vnto the ende, he further addeth for our singular comfort, that the spirite which we haue recei­ued, shall helpe to beare the burthen with vs, and so though we be neuer so weake, yet by the power of it we shall be able to endure, vers. 26. So that it shall be all one with vs, as with the childe vpon whose shoulder the father laying an heauie burthen, that were able to presse him downe, doth so put his hande vnder it, that he beareth the waight and burthen of it him selfe: and if the father will not ouerlade the childe, wee neede not to feare but that the Lorde will so increase our strength according to the measure of our afflictions, that we shall finde this promise to be true, that his holy spirite shall helpe our infirmities. For as a father hath tender compassion of his children, so hath the Lord tender compassion of vs, see­ing he knoweth whereof we are made, and remembreth that wee are but dust, and that wee flourish but as a flower of the fielde: which thing as it is most comfortable to consider, so we shall finde it to be most true by experience: because our Sauiour Iesus Christ hath praied vnto his heauenly Father for vs, that hee might giue vs a Comforter, that might abide with vs for euer, euen the Spirite of truth, as the blessed Apo­stle confesseth of himselfe, 1. Corinth. chap. 4. vers. 9. saying, We are afflicted on euery side, yet are we not in distresse: in pouertie, but none ouercome of pouertie: wee are persecu­ted, but not forsaken: cast downe, but wee penish not: [Page 4] for (as it is in another place) his grace shall be sufficient for vs, for his power is made perfect through our weakenesse, so that when we are weake, then are we strong 2. Cor. 12. 9, 10. and thus we shall alwaies finde it to be most true, that God is faith­full which will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we be a­ble, but will euen giue the issue with the temptation, that we may be able to beare it, 1. Corinth. 10. 13. and if there were no Scripture to prooue it, our owne experience might tell vs the trueth of it: for if wee haue obserued any thing, wee may remember that many times we haue beene low brought, and haue sustained very heauy thinges, and thought we should neuer haue beene able to haue borne them, neither in deede should we, but that there was an other thing farre aboue our selues, which made vs indure and ouercome those thinges which we thought we should haue fainted in the middest of them, so that we may boldly say with the holy A­postle, Blessed be God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, the father of mercies, and God of all comforts, which comforteth vs in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort them that be in any affliction, with the comfort wherewith we our selues are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in vs, so our consolation aboundeth through Christ, 2. Cor. 1. 3, 4, 5. And this is so much the more worthy to be considered of vs, because he saith that the spirite shall helpe vs, not in some fewe onely, but in all our infirmities whatsoeuer, and there can be no weakenes in vs so great, or infirmities so many vpon vs, which the spirit shall not strengthen, euen to the bearing of the grea­test crosse that may be laid vpon vs, as we heard the Apostle saying before, that God did comfort him in all his tribulations; and that his consolations did abound, euen as his sufferings did abound. In the meane season he giueth vs to vnderstand, that the afflictions of the godly are so great, that they farre passe a­ny strength that is in vs to beare them: yea that we are very weake of our selues, and subiect to many infirmities, though we be partakers of the spirite of God; for it doth not ridde vs of them. Nay the very Apostles and Paul him selfe confes­seth that hee was not able to haue vndergone so many and [Page 5] great things as he did being a fraile man like vnto vs, but that he had the spirit helping him in his infirmities. The trueth of which may likewise appeare in the great complaints of David, Iob, and the rest, who though they did patiently beare many great things, yet not without many infirmities. For Iob some­times curseth his day: & Dauid saith unto God in his hast. I am cast out of thy sight, Psal. 31. 22. & therefore we are not to ima­gine of such a portion of God, spirite, that might swallowe up all our infirmities (for then we were no men) but it must be sufficient that we are ayded with the strength of it, so that wee finally fall not downe, and lye still vnder the heauy burthen of affliction, but that there is a mixt thing as it were in vs: namely, our owne infirmities to humble vs, & the strength of Gods spirit to inable vs to beare: so that hauing so able an helper to beare with vs, wee may be comforted with hope of induring the greatest thing that may befall vs in this world, though continuing upon vs never so long. And that we might doe it the rather; the Apostle further addeth, that the same spirit shall likewise stirre us up in all necessities of ours to pray vnto God, and to make our moane vnto him, as to our Father and shall be heard of him. For though we sometimes through the greatnesse of our miserie knowe not what, or how to pray as wee ought, yet his spirite shall stirre vp euen then though not many well ordered speeches or wordes, yet those sighes and grones, which being unspeakeable and only felt, are notwithstanding well vnderstoode and accepted of God, because they proceede from his spirit, whose meaning he knoweth and graunteth, because it maketh request for the Saintes according to the will of God, as it is ver. 26. wherein we are notwithstanding to consider, that though we haue re­ceiued the spirite of God, euen the spirite that teacheth vs to pray, so that we haue many times called upon God with great assurance and comfort for and with our selves and others, yet there may be a time and that very often, wherein we may be so distracted by some great affliction, and in that case that be­ing as it were astonished and ouercome with the greatnes and strangenesse of it, wee can not tell what to pray: and though [Page 6] prayer then be our onely refuge, yet wee can not tell how to begin it, or what to say. And so unlike shall we be unto our selues, and that that we haue bene in times past, as though we were not the same: nay our estate may seeme like unto the wicked, who are at their wits end. For if we were asked what we would haue, vve can not tell, and though we haue liberty to aske of God, we can not use it: for we can not tell what to pray. A wonderfull thing, but yet most true, and that which is to be found not in some, but in the most excellent seruants of God, euen the Apostles themselues, as Paul here bringeth in himselfe for an example, and in this infirmitie maketh himselfe like unto the rest. And though we haue a forme of prayer pre­scribed us by our Sauiour Christ, yet we aske those things ma­ny times which if we had them would hurt vs, and when we aske that which is profitable and good, yet by prescribing to the Lord, the time, maner, and meanes of our deliverance, we pray with such impatience and distrust, that it may truely be said, we can not tell what to pray as we ought. This was the estate of good King Hezekiah, Isa. 38. 14. when he was op­pressed in the bitternesse of his soule (as he saith) & he chat­tered like a Crane or a Swallow, and mourned as a Doue. Such was the perplexitie and more then infirmitie of Dauid, when instead of praying, he roared all the day long, Psal. 32. 3. and when hee mourned in his prayer, and could but make a noise, Psal. 55. 2. and when (as he saith) for the voice of his groning his bones did cleave to his skinne, and that he was like a Peli­cane of the wildernesse, and like an Owle of the desert, and as a Sparrow alone upon the house toppe, Psalm. 102. 5, 6, 7. and when his heart panting and his strength failing him, euen the light of his eyes, he roared for the very griefe of his heart, and he powred out his whole desire before the Lorde, by sobbing and sighing, rather then by any thing else. Thus these most excellent seruants of God, in their greatest agonies, were so farre from being able to pray unto God in any tollerable ma­ner, that in their owne sence and feeling they did but roare and crie, sobbe and sigh, mourne and complaine, and that ve­ry confusedly, euen like the Crane, the Swallow, & the Owle, [Page 7] so confused were they in themselues and full of disorder, and fallen into so many great infirmities at once: Therfore we may not iudge of our selues or others by any one such or fewe par­ticular cases, least wee deceiue our selues: neither must wee then in this great vnfitnesse of ours be like unto the wicked, who giue ouer all prayer because they are unfitte for it, but striue earnestly against this infirmitie of ours, and then pray vnto God that we might pray, vvhich if we will do, no doubt we shall finde his promise to be true in this, That euen then his Spirit shall teach us to pray; for as our Sauiour Christ com­forteth his disciples in another case. Matt. 10. 19, 20. that when they shoulde be brought before kings they should not take thought what or how to speake for he would giue them in that houre what to say, because it was not they which should speake, but the spirite of the Father vvhich speaketh in them: euen so we shall finde when we are most unfitte to pray, if we will not yeelde to it: there shall be a secrete inwarde working, whereby wee shall be stirred up to doe something, and there shalbe a labour of the heart, and an indeauour of the minde aspiring unto that which we may seeme not to attaine unto, and there shall be many sighings, though fewe vvordes, many great desires, though fewe voices, yea there shalbe that which wee can not greatly conceiue of our selues, and euery thing shall be unspeakeable. For no doubt those men that we spake of before euen at those times when they could not tell, what and hovv to pray as of them-selues, yet the spirite helping them, they did pray, and there were at least vnspeakeable sighes and grones stirred up in them, For it is said of Heze­kiah that hee then turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lorde and wept sore, 2. Kings 20. 2, 3. and Dauid vvhen as in his owne feeling hee did but roare and sigh: euen then he poured out, &, that very plentifully his whole desire before the Lord, Psal. 38. and when he did but mourne and make a noise, it was counted a prayer before the Lord, Psal. 55. 2. and when as he saith that his grouings were like the Pelicans, & the sparrows, or the shriekings of an owle, yet to shew that in them there was a worke of Gods spirite, that made them acceptable [Page 8] to him, he beginneth the Psalme thus: O Lorde heare my pray­ers and let my cry come unto thee. So it is saide of the whole Church of God in Egypt, Exod, 2. 23. 24. that vvhen for the ex­tremitie of their bondage they could not pray unto God, yet they cryed and sighed and mourned unto him. This then is a most notable cōfort in all afflictions, that beleeuing in Christ and pertaking of his spirit, it shall helpe vs in all our infirmities so, that when we can not tell what or how to pray as we ought, it shall teach us so to doe it, as wee may haue hope and com­fort of being heard. For this is that which he addeth, that the Lord which searcheth the heart, knoweth the meaning of his owne spirit, for it maketh request to him for the Saintes accor­ding to his will: for by knowing, he doth not only meane, that he understandeth it, as he doth all other things, but he accep­teth and alloweth it, and doeth most willingly graunt such re­questes, as though they were made in farre better liking to our selues, and so is the word taken, Psalm. 1. 6. The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous. For, he heard the crie of the Israelites when they did but sigh & moane, & deliuered them from the bondage: he heard Hezekiah chattering in his prayer, & raised him vp from death, & added 15. yeres more to his life: he heard David roaring for the extremitie of his paine, and forgaue the punishment of his sinne: and he hath heard us many times in our greatest need, when wee haue howled and cried, rather then haue made any setled and well ordered prayer: yea, when we haue rather sighed then spoken. For the Lord in this case regardeth not so much the multitude of wordes, as hee loo­keth to the meaning of his spirite, and graunteth that though we speake neuer a worde. For euen as a father hauing a yong Infant sicke of some sore disease, though the child can speak neuer a worde, is ready to helpe it: and if it can speake, yet being full of paine, can not call for things as it ought, yet if the mother can but by any signes gesse at the meaning of it, shee will accept as much of it as if it had spoken very plentifully: yea though it should say one thing and meane another, she would giue it according to the meaning of it. So the Lord that is filled with the bowels of compassion towardes us in Christ, farre a­boue [Page 9] any father or mother though he delighteth to heare vs pray unto him, yet when as by the extremitie of our miseries, we are oppressed or distracted, so that we can not in any order­ly maner pray unto him as we ought, he alloweth of the sighes and sobbes that wee offer vp unto him, and graunteth not so much our words (which are none or fewe) as the meaning of his spirite which is plentifull in vs. Hereupon it commeth to passe that the Lord in his rich mercy imputeth not unto his servants the manifold rebellions of the flesh, or great complaints in their prayers, as not unto Iob or to David who vvere full of them: because he hath respect vnto the meaning of his spi­rite in them: euen as the father is not so much greeued or of­fended with the murmurings, impatience, and outcries of his poore sicke childe, as he by the least token gesseth at the mea­ning of him, and taketh that in good part. What shall we then say to these things? is it true indeed that the Lord wil vouch­safe to looke vpon the lowe degree of his servants, and haue respect unto poore sinnefull creatures, who when they are in their iust deserued miserie, and euen then cannot pray vnto him one worde aright; and when they beginne to speake, and their tongue cleaueth unto the roofe of their mouth, that he vvill then heare their sighes and their cries? yea undoubted­ly, he that of his great mercie will not quench the smoaking flaxe, nor breake in sunder the bruised reede; will of the like mercie heare, not only the well ordered prayers of his Church, but euen the very cryings and roarings of his seruants, though they be like the Pellicanes and the Owles: yea their mour­nings though they be like unto the Doues, yea when they say nothing, neither indeede can, their verie lobbes and sighes which come from the aboundance of a troubled Spirite and can not be expressed: for he alloweth of the meaning of his spirit which worketh those things in them, and if they could, are willing thereby to perfourme better seruice unto him. What can be more comfortable vnto vs then this? In all our necessities let us then with great boldnesse goe vnto the Lord by Christ, and though we cannot utter many wordes, yet [...] vs speake vnto him: for surely the acceptation of our praiers [Page 10] consisteth not in the multitude or well placing of our wordes, but in the request of our hearts, and therefore if we can pray but two wordes, and say with the Publicane. Lorde be mercifull vnto me a sinner: with the Apostles, Lord increase my faith: or with the blind man, O sonne of David haue mercie upon me: or with the Theefe on the crosse, Lorde remember me: this shorte thing proceeding from the spirite in vs, and offered up in the mediation of Christ Iesus and in the vertue of his praiers, shall be as well receiued of him when we can doe no otherwise, as if we had spent an whole houre in praier: and if we can not doe this, yet if we lift up our mindes unto God as Hannah did, who spake neuer a worde, and as Nehemiah did: yea if we doe but sigh after an unspeakeable manner, the Lorde will not refuse that. Vers. 28. Also we know that all things worke together, &c. Wherein the Apostle proceeding to comfort us in afflicti­ons ministreth this soueraigne medecine against the contagi­on thereof, namely that all affliction come to the beleeuers not for their hurt, but for their singular good, seeing that they doe befall them not by fortune or chance but by the speciall proui­dence of God, & that for the same end; who as he hath chosen them frō euerlasting, so in the same counsell of his, he ordeined that they should be like unto his sōne, v. 29. & therfore calleth them in time, iustifieth them by faith, and so by the crosse brin­geth them to eternall glory as he did his Sonne, ver. 30. & ther­fore concludeth that no affliction shall be able to hurt them, seeing the Lorde is with them in it, meaning thereby to doe them good, ver. 31. and that he is so, we may be assured of it, seeing that he spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for us all to death, and therefore it can not be, but that with him hee should giue us all things also vers. 32. Therfore when he saith, All things, whether it be as generally taken as it is spoken, namely that not onely prosperitie but adversitie also: or it be restrained to his particular purpose, namely all afflictions of what kind soeuer: true it is, that his purpose is to shew, that all afflictions doe not onely not hinder the saluation of the godly, but doe greatly further it: which howsoeuer it contei­neth an whole and entire matter by it felfe, yet being inferred [Page 11] upon the former wordes: The Apostle seemeth therein to an­swere a secrete obiection which might arise in mens mindes from thence, namely, that it seemeth many times that the Lorde doeth not heare the prayers of the afflicted, because their afflictions be not onely not remooued according to their prayer, but sometimes increased contrary to their desire. Ther­fore wee must remember what hath beene alreadie spoken, how the Lorde in graunting our requestes, not so much loo­keth vnto the particular things wee desire, as to the meaning of his spirite, and graunteth that in turning the afflictions un­to our singular good, whereas if they were remooued, it would be farre worse with us though we imagine to the con­trarie: for as if one in a burning feuer should in the middest of his fitte aske colde water and his friend the Phisition should in steade of that giue him an wholesome medecine, shoulde in denying that particular thing demaunded, graunt unto his generall meaning which was that he might haue that, which might doe him most good, though now being distempered he was not able to iudge of it, but did take one thing for ano­ther: So whatsoeuer we aske in our distresse, our meaning must needes be, if it be ruled by Gods spirit, that we woulde haue that, which might procure our best good: therefore if the Lord turne our crosses to our good though we prayed for the cleane taking away of them, he fulfilleth both these promises at once. Thus when Paul prayed thrise that the messenger of Sathan might depart from him, the Lorde in giuing him his grace, that was sufficient for him, & making his power known in the Apostles weakenes, 2. Cor. 12. 8, 9. did both satisfie the meaning of his spirit, & turne his crosse unto his singular good. But further touching this matter we are more generally to un­derstād, that th' Apostle saith not only that the crosse shall turn to our good: but that this shalbe verefied of all the crosses that euer may come upon us be they neuer so strange, as sicknes, po­uertie, imprisonment, banishmēt, losse of husbād, wife, childrē, father & mother, name, or any thing els; which is to be marked lest at any time we might be deceiued, to think if it were some other afflictiō, we could haue some good hope in it, but this is so [Page 12] great, it toucheth vs so nearely, that we can not possibly see which way it should bring any good vnto vs. Which as the deuill is ready to perswade vs, and we too ready to yeeld unto his perswasion herein, so that wee might comfortably with­stand it, we must consider, that this good commeth from af­fliction, not as though it were naturall and proper vnto it (for indeed it is otherwise) that of it selfe it maketh men worse, and driueth them from God, as the rod doeth the child from the mother: and this Satan aimeth at, as in Iob when he said, If the Lord touched him he would curse him to the face: and so he prevaileth with the wicked, as with Pharaoh. But in the chil­dren of God his goodnesse ouercommeth the deuils malice, and the venume of the crosse is taken away by the vertue of the crosse of Christ, whereby it is sanctified, so that contrary to the nature of it, it worketh good, The which that it might not seeme strange, much lesse unpossible to vs, we must remē ­ber that euen men by their wisdome are able to make those things serue for the benefite of man which of them-selues would hurt him. For if the Phisitian thorough his skill can cure a man by taking away his blood and humours, by cutting and searing his flesh, which of themselues are hurtfull: if hee can by arte so temper that which is poyson, (as the vi­pers flesh) remper it, I say, with other wholesome things, and correct it with those that be cordiall, that of it, he will make a soveraigne Treacle, euen that which shall expell poyson, and so make that which could cause death to be a preseruer of life: Shall not the Lorde by his infinite wise­dom, & almightie power, the Lord, I say, which bringeth light out of darknes, & good out of euill, & calleth the things that be not as though they were: shal not he be much more able by the most grieuous crosses that can befall us, worke the greatest good for vs that may be: so that when wee would hope for good by our afflictions, and so be comforted in them, wee are not so much to looke to the things themselues, how they are like to worke upon vs: as the promise which the Lorde hath made vnto us concerning this matter, and so to be sure that the Lord himselfe will work our good therby, because he [Page 13] hath sayde it. This perswasion, no doubt, should worke in vs great patience in all our afflictions. For howe many grieuous things will the sicke patient suffer at the hands of a Physition or Chyrurgion, by launcing, searing, corsying, &c. when he is perswaded that it will worke his good? but in deede here ly­eth the point of the matter, and this is all in all, that the poore afflicted soule knoweth not that the Lord by his affliction will worke his good, and therefore is he so vnquiet, and euer com­plaining; for giue him this faith, and the feeling of it, and lay vpon him whatsoeuer you will. Therefore let vs hearken to that which the Apostle saith, that howsoeuer we, because of our ignorance are vncertaine what will be the happie issue of all our afflictions, yet he knoweth very wel that that shal worke together our good, which he speaketh confidently both as a teacher of the Church, an Apostle, and as a man of experience, and therefore we ought to giue credit vnto him: euen as the patient doth to the Physition, though him selfe had neuer ex­perience of any such thing before; which especially we ought to doe, because vnto his owne word he ioyneth the testimo­nie of many others saying, We know, meaning the rest of the Apostles and ministers, & men of experience, that all of them knowe it, and therefore this worde beeing confirmed by the mouthes, not of two or three witnesses, but hauing so great a cloud of witnesses for it, should be receiued without all gayn­saying. For it is all one as if the fearefull patient should haue not one, but a whole companie of Physitions saying vnto him, that vndoubtedly this medicine is like to doe you good, wee know the working of it well, and haue had great experience of it in many, you neede not to feare it, take it vpon our credit: this would much mooue him: So, no doubt, this should cor­rect the too much feare, that is in vs, of beeing hurt by the crosse, that we heare so many excellent and famous men very skilfull therein, to speake so boldly vnto vs of the benefite of it: euen those whome we are most readie to beleeue in all other things, why then should we not doe so in this? but that we might doe it the rather, let vs a little consider in particulars of the benefit of the crosse, and though the Apostle nameth [Page 14] one great one here, which might be sufficient, yet before wee come to it, let vs see what other ends of it the Scripture affor­deth vs. And first of all we shall finde it to be a speciall meane to draw vs frō the too much loue of this world, that we might vse it as though we did not vse it: for when we haue all things at our will, we are wedded vnto this worlde, and thinke it best for vs alwaies to abide here, and though heauen be a thousand times heauenly, yet we desire it not so earnestly as we ought, but are stil groueling vpon the earth: but when by affliction we finde that there is no contentment in any thing here below, it may mooue vs to dispise them, and with more feruent desire to aspire at heauen, where is the fulnes of ioy and pleasure for e­uermore. For this cause the Patriarks suffered so many affli­ctions, to whome so many earthly things were promised; that they might not stay in them, but from them ascend vp into hea­uen which they were especially to looke for, as the Apostle faith, Heb. 11. 9, 10. that Abraham, Isaak, and Iaakob heyres of the promise, aboad in the land of promise, as in a straunge cuntrey: for they looked for a citie whose builder and maker is God. Thus the Lord dealeth with many before their death, laying long and grieuous diseases vpon them, that they finding no rest in this world, might be willing to goe out of it, and to desire death most willingly, which before as most ougly, they did abhorre. So that as the mother by some vnpleasant thing weaneth the child from the brest, vpon which it would other­wise alwaies linger to the hurt of it, nowe when stronger meate is more fit for it: so the Lord weaneth vs by the crosse from the loue of this worlde, and thus turneth it vnto our good. Moreouer by the same he bringeth vs to a more through re­pentance & sorrow for our sinnes, & worketh that in vs therby which the word did not before, when we find by woful experi­ence what great miseries they haue brought vs vnto: for if we would iudge ourselues, we should not be iudged of the Lord, but when wee are iudged, we are chastened of him, because we should not be condemned with the wicked world, 1. Cor. 11. 31, 32. whereunto agreeth that Psal. 107. 10. &c. that affli­ction humbleth men vnto true repentance before God, euen [Page 15] as we see it to be true in the Prodigal child, who by his great miserie came to repent him of his riotous life, Luk. 15. 16. and the brethren of Ioseph, though we may presume of them, that they being brought vp in the house of there godly father, did secretly repēt there ill dealing towards Ioseph, yet many yeres after, about 20. or there about, when they were in aduersitie, the memorie of it renued it selfe afresh, and thereby they weare brought more seriously to iudge them selues for it; so that in this respect, it is compared to fire that purgeth the gold, & con­sumeth the drosse of it; vnto a fyle that skoureth oft the rust; vn­to a purgation that expelleth corrupt humours from the body. Therefore euen as the fire doth not hurt the gold, in consuming the drosse, and the fyle in taking away the rust, and the purgati­on in expelling ill humours: so afflictions causing vs to abhorre and leaue some sinne or other, which if we continued in, would destroy vs, may truly be said to worke our good. In the third place, it preserueth vs from many sinnes, which otherwise we should fall into, but that beeing vnder the hand of God, we are kept in more awe: and as Physicke serueth not onely to cure vs of the diseases we are fallen into, but to preserue vs from them in some tollerable health: so the crosse both recouereth vs out of sinne, when we are fallen into it, and preuenteth many, that otherwise might creepe vpon vs: so that as some sickly bodies are driuen to diet them selues, and are in continuall Physicke to preuent that which their corrupt estate would otherwise necessarily pull vpon them: so some are alwaies, or the grea­test part of there liues in the dyet of affliction, not so much to bring them from grosse and grieuous sinnes which they are not yet fallen into, as to keepe them from falling, which the Lord knoweth they are readie to doe, in respect of their ages, callings, and places that they liue in. So that if the Lord deale with vs as with vntamed heyfers, which are kept from stray­ing out of there pastures with hedges and ditches; so he puts thornes and briars in our waies as Hoseah saith 2. 6. that is, lai­eth affliction vpon vs, and so as it were stoppeth the way that we might not break forth by disobedience to our hurt, must we not needes say, that euen this way as well as any other, the [Page 16] Lord worketh by affliction our singular good? and with the Prophet, Blessed is the man whome thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him in thy law, that thou maist giue him rest from the daies of euill, while the pit is digged for the wicked. And Psal. 119. 67. 71. Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keepe thy word: and, It is good for me that I haue beene af­flicted, that I may learne thy statutes. Besides all this, afflicti­ons are called trialls, because that by them the Lorde tryeth what is in vs, not that he is ignorant of it, but because hee would haue thereby our selues and others throughly to knowe what is in vs, and in what measure, and what is both good and euill, which without the triall could not so well be knowne: which serueth for this ende, that if we haue receiued any good grace, we might be thankefull to God for it, if not, we might labour for it. Thus speaketh the Apostle Peter, 1. Epist. 1. 6, 7. Now for a season if neede require, ye are in heauines through manifold tentations, that the triall of your faith beeing much more precious then gold that perisheth (though it be tried with fire) might be found vnto your praise, honour, and glorie, at the appearing of Iesus Christ. Where the Apostle saith, that if men by the fire will trie the gold to the ende that they might certenly know what is the value of it, and yet it is but a thing that perisheth, and therefore in no wise to be compared to faith and other graces of Gods spirite: then the Lord much more by affliction may make triall of them, to the ende that all men may see them to be so precious as they be. Thus was Abraham prooued, Gen. 22. 1. when the Lord commaunded him to offer vp his onely sonne Isaak whome he loued, which he willingly obeyed, and by faith offered him vp, Hebr. 11. 17. so that the Lord saith, now it was knowne by good proofe that he feared the Lord, when for his sake he had not spared his onely sonne. Thus is it knowne who are they that haue recei­ued the seede of Gods word into good ground, and who into stonie ground, euen such as goe away in tentation: and so though they beleeued for a time, yet then shew that the word was not rooted in them, Luk. 8. 13. and thus it is knowne who haue builded there houses vpon the rocke, and who vpon the [Page 17] sands, who haue beene onely hearers of the word, and who do­ers of the same. Euen such as when the rayne fals, the floode comes, and the winde blowes, there houses stand or fal, that is, they that in affliction and tentation continue the same that they were before, or are vnlike vnto themselues; to be short, thus were the Israelites tried in the wildernes, where it appea­red many waies what was in euery man, where some were murmurers, some fornicatours, some idolatours, some disobe­dient, and some faithfull, and all this by the seuerall afflictions and crosses that did befall them. Thus by the great afflictions that came vpon Iob at once, appeared what was in him, when in all that he sinned not with his mouth, but saide, The Lorde gaue, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. And thus lastly by triall appeared the weakenes of Pe­ter, who though he had made so large a confession of his faith before; yet at the voyce of a mayde, when he saw greater dan­ger, sware and foresware with cursing and banning, denying Christ, euen that he neuer knew the man: therefore if it be good for vs not to be ignorant of our selues, and so not to be deceiued with an ouerweening of our selues; if it be good for any man to see his wants and weaknes, that he may be humbled and seeke to haue them healed, if it be good to know certenly that we haue receiued such and such graces, euen in that measure that we haue, that we might be thankefull to God and com­forted in our selues: then seeing that affliction and the crosse bringeth forth all this at once, and by trial we finde what faith, hope, loue, patience, obedience, &c. is in vs, and what not, that whatsoeuer we seemed to be before to our selues, and others, yet now we know certenly that we are thus and thus, it can not be denied but that affliction worketh much good vnto vs, and we ought to say with the Apostle, that we knowe it to be so. VVhich we may much more confidently when we shall see (omitting to speake of many moe vses that the crosse hath) that last and greatest of all, that is spoken of vers. 29. Hetherto we haue seene that there is great vse of affliction, and that it worketh much good, and that in euery crosse besides the pre­sent bearing of it, the Lord offereth great commoditie vnto [Page 18] vs and worketh it in vs thereby: so that as in all other thinges there is the present possession of them, and the vse of them, in so much that many haue great goods and yet not know howe to vse them; so many haue great and long crosses vpon them, yet labour not after the fruit of them. Thus seeing afflictions are common to the good and the bad, and both doe beare them, whether they will or no, yet the one must labour for the good which the Lord offereth to them thereby, which the o­ther not once so much as looketh after: which no doubt when Gods children are some thing carelesse in, then he continueth his roddes vpon them, nay increaseth them, because his pur­pose is to doe them good: and so herein dealeth with them as a father (euen as he is) who spareth not the rodde, till his childe be thereby humbled, to the confession and amendment of his fault, because his purpose is to doe him good, when as notwithstanding he letteth his seruant goe, when he seeth that he will not profit by wordes or a fewe stripes, as not caring for him: so the Lord when he spareth the wicked in their sinnes, and reserueth them to further iudgement, correcting his owne children againe and againe, sheweth that his purpose is to doe them good. Therefore let no man in the continuance of afflictions be too much discouraged, as though the Lord were continually angrie with him, or had a purpose to destroy him thereby, which he could doe in a moment at once, but let him thus reason with himselfe out of the word; Nowe I know assuredly that the Lord loueth me in deede, because he purpo­seth to doe me good by all things, euen by affliction, and ther­fore whereas I through the vntowardnes of my nature, haue not profited sufficiently by his former chastisments, he sendeth a new fatherly correction, thereby to worke my further good, and whereas I through my crookednes and stubbornnes doe not yet profit by them, as he would haue me, therefore I see that in much mercie he continueth it, that so I might get good by it at the last: and herein the Lord dealeth like a wise & care­full Physitian, who purposing not so much to giue Physick vn­to the sicke patient, as to cure him thereby, if the first medicine will doe it, there he leaues them; if not, he applieth one me­dicine [Page 19] after an other, because he hath a diligent care of him: and if at any time he maketh any intermission, it is because of the patients weaknes, whome he would by that meanes to ga­ther some strength, not that he meaneth to leaue him: so the Lord purposing, according to his word, by affliction to doe vs good, when by the first crosse we profit not as we ought, then either he letteth it lie the longer vpon vs, or remoouing it sendeth an other in steade of it, though not presently, because we could not beare it, yet afterwardes when it seemeth best vnto him. Therefore the best thing for euery man is, soone to profit vnder the crosse, that so it may be remooued, and not so much to labour for the remoouing of it, as for the fruit of it, least it going away without profit, the Lord bring vpon vs some greater afterwards, seeing he is purposed thereby most assuredly to doe vs good. Moreouer, by this we knowe that whereas euery man desireth that which is best for him, and yet most men erre in the particulars, desiring that which is most pleasant, profitable, honourable, &c. in this worlde; that in deede is best for vs at all times, whatsoeuer it be, which ma­keth most for the glorie of God in vs, our owne saluation, and the edifying of our brethren, which because the Lord worketh many times by afflictions, as wee haue heard, euen they then are best for a man: Euen as when a mans bodie is so distem­pered, and some member so putrified, then it is best for him to haue his bloode taken away from him, to be launced and seared, yea to haue a part cut off: therefore when any afflicti­on or calamitie doth befall vs, let vs not be discontented there­with, or be impatient, but submitting our iudgements & wills to the iudgements and will of God, let vs quietly indure, seeing the Lord giueth vs that, not which we fondly desire as the best, but which he knoweth to be, and is indeede the best. Now see­ing it is so, what then I pray you is the cause why not onely the wicked, but euen the godly, which ought to knowe this, and to beleeue it, doe so grieuously complaine of there afflicti­ons? as Dauid, Iob, and the rest, as though they should be hurt thereby, when as we haue seene they worke their good and therefore are best for them: Truly it can not be denied, but that [Page 20] men for the most part doe more complaine of their afflicti­ons then they ought to doe, and doe not so comfortablely beare them as they should: yet this hindereth not but that men should get good by their afflictions, and be also perswa­ded thereof, though they be full of complaints, whilst they are in the midst of them: for who complaineth more then these two men, and yet who had more profit and got greater good of them then they? for such is our nature, that we must needes haue the feeling of afflictions, vnlesse our heart were hard like yron or brasse, and so we were stocks and no men: but seeing it is otherwise that our hearts are soft and tender, it can not be but that euery thing should worke vpon vs, and we be mooued according to the nature of it, to ioy, sorrowe, loue, hatred, anger, and feare, and therefore tribulation must needes trou­ble vs, and affliction afflict, and the crosse crucifie, and yet we may be perswaded that it is for our good, and looke for it from thence, euen as the sicke patient can not as he is man, but feele the launcing, and searing of his flesh, and so complaine of it with great griefe, yea cry out for the extremitie of paine, though he knoweth it to be best for him then, and therefore after a sort doth most willingly suffer it. But many others are so full of complaints in their affliction, because they are not perswaded at that time, that the very thing is sent for their speciall good, and therefore such are to meditate vpon that which we haue alreadie spoken concerning this matter.

In the latter part of this verse when he saith, to them that loue God, as he thereby restraineth this generall promise, so he sheweth to whome it appertaineth, namely to those that be­leeue in Christ Iesus, and are sanctified by his Spirite, for he in­treateth of the certaintie of the saluation of such: nowe the true and faithfull beleeuers as he hath before discerned them from others by this fruite of faith, namely sanctification, so he doth here by one part of it, which is loue, as in the Epistle to the Galat. chap. 5. vers. 6. so that vnder one kinde he com­prehendeth all godlinesse, but he taketh this thing rather then any other, as most fitte for his purpose; for speaking of affli­ction, he saith, By this we shall trie our faith, if our loue vn­to [Page 21] to GOD continue euen then. For vvhereas the vvicked vvill pretend to loue God in prosperitie, but in adversitie they fall unto hatred, yea unto plaine cursing and banning: he that truly loueth God, loueth him not for his backe and bellie alone, nor principally, but because he is goodnes it selfe, and therefore to be loued. And herein the one bevvray their ser­vile nature, that like as servants loue not their masters, if they once beginne to correct them: and the other their liberall and childish disposition, whome no correction or stripes of the fa­ther, can make to chaunge their loue to him, much lesse driue avvay from him. This is that which Satan knowing general­ly to be in the nature of man, thought to haue found in Iob, though he vvas deceiued, vvhen he said, Doeth Iob loue or feare God for nothing? hast not thou bene an hedge round a­bout him? but touch all that he hath, and see if he vvill not blaspheme thee to thy face. Therefore if in affliction we cease not to loue God, and in loue to serve him, vve shall be sure that he vvil fulfill this promise to vs, of turning all things to our good. Moreouer, seeing that the Apostles purpose is, to intreat of patience in affliction, this no doubt, is most fit for the pur­pose, namely the consideration of the loue which vve ought to beare unto God. For if that in worldly matters we vvill beare many great things at the hands of them vvhome vve loue, as the childe at the mother; the husband at the wife; and one friend at another; then how much more ought vve to beare all things at the hands of God, vvhome vve knovve so loueth vs in Christ, and therefore vve ought so to loue him againe: and no doubt would beare if there vvere that loue in us unto him, which ought. When he addeth in the same verse, (Which are called of his purpose) as hee doeth further shewe to whome this promise doeth appertaine, euen to such, so he shevveth the cause of it, vvhich is not any vvorthines of theirs, or right be having themselues under the crosse, as thereby deseruing it, but the free loue of God, vvhereby he before the beginning purposed to doe them good, vvhich purpose of his nothing can alter, but he maketh all things to further it, euen afflictions? so that thus he declareth the certentie of this, for vvhat can [Page 22] hinder the purpose of God? Nothing: and therefore afflicti­ons can not hinder the good of his children, seeing that hee hath purposed to do them good, which purpose of his appea­reth by their effectual calling, and therefore when he had pur­posed to saue them, he called them in time to the knowledge of it, and from thence it came that the worde was effectuall to them, when it was unprofitable vnto others. So the Lord con­tinuing the same purpose of his towards them, it shall come to passe that though all other men should waxe worse and worse by their affliction, yet the Lorde would turne all theirs unto their good because he had purposed it. So that for the certen­tie of this hee leadeth them to the consideration of the pur­pose of God appearing in their calling, which being verie strange, and many things against it, yet nothing could hinder it because it was purposed. So by the crosse our good being or­dained by the unchāgeable purpose of god, how many things soeuer may seeme to be against it within vs or without us, no­thing shall be able euer to hinder it, but we shall alwaies finde this promise to be true: that all things shall worke togither for the best to those that loue God, euen those that are cal­led of his purpose. In the next verse when hee addeth; For those whom he knew before, hee also predestinate to be made like to the image of his Sonne, that he might be the first borne among many brethren: he declareth another most excellent end wherefore the Lorde layeth the crosse vpon his children, namely, that thereby they might be like unto Christ their eldest brother, as the Lorde hath ordeined, that all that are his should be: and thus especially it worketh our good, when it maketh us con­formable to Christ: where he not onely saith, that afflictions doe befall us by the very speciall prouidence of God, and not by chance, but to what ende he sendeth them, namely that as Christ first suffered and then entred into glory, so all others going the same way might be like unto him, as he hath ap­pointed that they shoulde, and therefore wee neede not to feare that the crosse should hinder us from our saluation, no more then it hindred Christ from glorie: nay, that wee ought [Page 23] in the middest of it, to haue sure hope, that in the ende vvee shall be like unto Christ in glory, because vvee are like unto him in the crosse.

Concerning the former, that no affliction commeth by for­tune or by chaunce, but by the appointment of God, he not onely suffering it, but first ordaining it, and then laying it up­on us with his owne handes, it containeth in it most notable comfortes by it selfe, and is that vvhich the whole Scripture beareth very plentifull witnesse unto: for seeing that wee be­leeue that God made all things of nothing, therefore what­soeuer are the meanes of any thing the Lorde is the doer of it, for that they did that which they did by his speciall pow­er, seeing that without him they are nothing. Therefore the seruants of God haue confessed, that the Lorde himselfe hath brought all their troubles upon them, as Psalme 66. 10. Thou, O God, hast prooved, thou hast tried vs as silver is tri­ed, thou hast brought vs into the s [...]are, and laide a straite chaine upon our loynes, thou hast caused men to ride over our heades. And Iob vvhen all his goods were giuen into Satans hand, who stirred vp the Sabeans and the Chaldeans to spoile him, yet hee saieth, The Lorde hath given, and hee hath ta­ken it. The deuils besought Christ not onely that he vvould suffer them, but that he vvoulde sende them into the swine, that they might goe into them, Mark. chap. 5. vers. 12. So Matth. chap. 4. vers. 1. Christ is saide to be ledde by the spi­rite into the vvildernesse to be tempted of the deuill, to shevve, that whatsoeuer did befall him there, the Lorde sent him thither, and to that ende. And so hath hee taught vs to pray, Leade us not into temptation, vvhich is more comfortable then to say, Suffer us not to be ledde: because therein vvee confesse, not onely that the Lord beholdeth vs in all our troubles, but that hee, that is our Father, and knovveth our strength, layeth them vpon us vvith his ovvne hande, and therefore vvee neede so much the lesse to feare least vvee should be ouer-laden. The [Page 24] consideration of this should not onely make us patient in all afflictions, but to looke for some good from them, seeing that he vvhich hath promised to vvorke our good by them, doeth lay them upon us himselfe: this no doubt vvas that, that stayed the olde man Hely vvhen hee hearde that message from the Lorde by Samuell, vvhich othervvise might haue bene more vncomfortable vnto him, as appeareth by his vvordes, 1. Sam. 3. 18. It is the Lorde let him doe vvhat seemeth him good. For this is all one, as if the sicke patient should haue a Phisiti­an to deale vvith him, that vvere his brother, his father, or his friende, vvho shoulde not onely prescribe the mede­cine, but make it and minister it himselfe, of vvhose fidelitie and care tovvardes him, because he doubteth not one vvhit, it might make him most vvilling to receiue it, though verie bitter and unpleasant, and to hope for some good from it. Thus our Sauiour Christ speaketh, Ioh. 18. 11. Shall I not drinke of the cuppe vvhich my Father hath giuen me? speaking of [...]his sufferings. To shevv us, vvhensoeuer any crosse doeth befall us, it is the cuppe vvhich God our Father in vvisedome and mercie hath mingled for vs; and therefore vve shoulde not feare any hurt by drinking of it, but rather hope that it should vvorke our good, as he hath promised. If vvhen the childe hath offended his father, he should say to his seruant in his anger, Take him out of my sight and punish him, it would be more grieuous then if he should take correction of him himselfe: so it may minister unto us some comfort that in afflictions vve knovve that vve are under our fathers hand, and that he hath not deliuered us unto any other, to be tor­mented. If one that were blind should be suddenly taken, & ca­ried to some punishment, he knew not by vvhom, he might greatly feare, vvhat would be the ende or measure of it. Or if one shoulde be dealt withall as is the manner of the Spanish Inquisitours, to put the poore soule in the greater feare, if he should haue a tormentour sent unto him uery ougly disguised, who shovld cary him into a darke place, he knew not whe­ther, that might increase the griefe of his affliction the more, but if vvhen he were in the middest of it, he should heare the [Page 25] vnto us, because vvee looke not up unto him that sendeth it, and vvee are so blinde, that wee consider not vvho striketh us, yet vvhen wee heare out of the Worde, the voice of our Father speaking unto us, and telling us that it is hee that dealeth vvith us, hovve straunge and defor­med soeuer the tormentour may seeme to be, let vs not be too much discouraged, because that euen vvhen hee stri­keth us, the bovvels of compassion in him doe yearne upon us more then in a mother towardes her children, and hee seeketh thereby to doe us good. Thus wee see that all af­flictions are ordained and sent of God, and that the salua­tion of the Church, and euery member of it is ioyned with bearing the crosse, so that vvee are not to looke to be freed from it, unlesse vvee will pervert this order e­stablished by Gods decree, neither neede vvee to feare it vvhen as the Lorde that hath determined to saue us, hath appointed also this vvay and meanes to saue us, and vvhen his decree of sauing cannot be seuered from his decree of exercising vs under the crosse. Which that vvee might not looke to be freed from, or feare least it should hinder us in our saluation, the Apostle telleth us wherefore the Lorde hath thus decreed of the whole Church, euen that seeing his owne Sonne Christ Iesus came no other way but this unto glorie, hee beeing the eldest brother in the house of God, All other by their practise might yeelde unto his so­veraigntie, when they will not refuse to goe that way to their inheritance, which hee went before though never so grieuous, euen through many afflictions. So that euen as a noble man will haue all his servants to weare one liverie, that they might be knovven: so the Lorde would haue all his children knowen by one badge: the badge that he put up­on his eldest sonne Christ was the crosse, therefore none of us the younger breethren must refuse it. For as in a fa­milie, great is the priuiledge of the eldest brother, and none must looke to goe beyonde him, nay euery one can not be like unto him, and if any might come to as great [Page 26] an inheritance, as hee by doing those things which he did before them, they might not refuse the condition, un­lesse they woulde preferre them-selues before him. So seeing it hath pleased the Lorde to consecrate the prince of our peace through affliction, Hebr. cap. 2. vers. 10. and hee came vnto glorie no other way then this, vve must thinke it good for us to goe the same way, that we might be like unto him, and so by our practise, shewe that wee acknowledge him to be the prince of our peace, and our eldest brother. Then euen as hee is the chiefe and prin­cipall in the common wealth, in the Church, in a private familie, and in any place, that all desire to be like unto, so vvhen vvee are contented to be like unto Christ in any thing, euen in the crosse, then shall wee declare that vvee holde him to be the chiefe and principall, and as it is saide here, the first begotten among many breethren. For indeede howsoeuer there is great difference betvveene the heade and the rest of the members, yet there is a certaine con­formitie betweene the members of the same bodie and the heade, and all of them are inferiour vnto it: so howsoe­uer there is no comparison betvvixt Christ and us, yet vvee must be like him in this, that we must not be aboue him, and therefore not to refuse any condition, that he hath un­dergone before, unlesse vvee would preposterously preferre our selues the members before him our heade: vvhich were to darken the glorie of him, that is the first borne, and to staine the honour of him that is the prince of our peace. For what a disorder were it, if the subiects would refuse to doe that which the Prince had done before? and if the younger breethren shoulde thinke much to bee brought up that way that the heire hath beene before? e­uen so when vvee shall refuse to beare the crosse vvhich our Saviour Christ by the appointment of his Father hath borne in greater measure then wee shall or can, it is no­thing else but to lifte up our selues aboue him, and to say [Page 27] that wee will not be conformable unto him as to our prince or eldest brother. And what a thing were this, that vvee beeing vvorse then dust and ashes, shoulde desire to be spared aboue the onely Sonne of God, and should so loue our selues, that the estate of Christ Iesus should seeme to be vnmeete for vs, and when he was in all suf­ferings and afflictions brought vnto glorie, wee shoulde dreame of a more readie way, and thinke to come to it some other way wee knowe not what? Therefore let this comfort us in all trouble and aduersitie, that wee can ne­uer be pressed so lowe with it, but that Christ Iesus hath beene deeper plunged in it before, so that the more trou­ble and aduersitie wee suffer, the more are wee like un­to him: yea, if it were possible for us to goe dovvne in­to hell, and to suffer all torments of a desperate man in soule and bodie, euen in them wee shoulde be most like unto Christ in his great agonies and bloudy sweates, yea in his crosse when hee cryed out vvith a lovvde voice, My God, my God, vvhy hast thou forsaken mee? But if al this doe not satisfie us, and wee further demaund vvhy the Lorde shoulde appoint so harde a vvay for us vnto heauen, and ordaine that by the straight way and narrow gate, wee shoulde enter into life, and shoulde vvish that hee had appointed some easier way then this: First of all wee must not prescribe the Lorde any thing in the mat­ter of our saluation, but thinke our selues happy, that wee are saued any way, yea if wee went to heauen by hell: and secondarily when wee are come thither, wee shall finde the ioyes so farre surpasse all troubles and ad­uersities vvhatsoeuer that wee haue suffered both in great­nesse and continuance, that wee shall neuer repent vs of the hardnesse of the way, no more then it did Ioseph, that hee first induring the prison was afterwardes made ruler in Egypt: or Iacob that he came to inherite his fathers blessing at the last, by a long exile & tedious bondage: or the Israelites, [Page 28] that by passing through a forlorne wildernes fourtie yeeres, they came to the lande of promise in the ende. Or Dauid that he came to the kingdome of Israel by suffering so many things under Saule as he did.