OF all things which God hath given us we must make an account at the day of Iudgment, and expect retribution according to our account. Now, D [...]na Dei, what God giveth us, are either interna, within; or, externae, [Page 2] without us. Those within us are partly gratia gratum faciens such as are for our owne good, (to use the distinction of Aqui­nas) faith, hope, love, joy, and the like, numbred by the Apo­stle, Gal. 5. 22. partly, gratia gratis data, such as are for the benefit of others; as the gifts of teaching miracles, government and the like, numbred by the Apostle, 1 Cor. 12. 28. Those without us are riches, whose use, like Ianus, looketh two wayes; to our selves, to refresh us; to our neighbors, to releeve them.

Our Saviour in this Chapter sheweth us both our reckoning and doome, in regard of all these: of inward blessings in two parables, the one of the foolish and wise Virgins; the other of the Talents diversly di­stributed: of outward blessings in the manifest description of the judgement of the last day.

My Text lets us see Gods ap­probation of the well imploy­ing such inward gifts as men re­ceive to vent for others bene­fit, which is set out in two things; libera agnitione, a free acknowledgement; and larga promissione, franke promise of greater endowment. The ac­knowledgement is expressed two wayes: 1. By the kind en­tertainement of the doer, Euge serve, well done thou servant: 2. By commendation of his do­ing, fidelis fuisti, thou hast been faithfull. The promise is of enlarging his. Charter, and ex­tending his command, I will make thee ruler over many things.

To beginne then with the entertainement of the doer, Well done good and faithfull ser­vant: In it are two particulars, 1. Laeta exultatio, Gods tri­umph in him, Euge, well: 2. gra­tiosa compellatio, God's grace­full [Page 4] entituling of him, good and faithfull servant.

1. God's triumph, Euge, well; I finde this word used three wayes: Sometime it is vox a­dulantis, men flatter with it: When we doe any thing that is right, saith Saint Austine, the people are ready to cry Euge, euge, well, well, whereby to make us conceit too well of our selves, and grow proud. Sometime it is vox irridentis, men scoffe with it; Thou sai­dest against my Sanctuary, when it was prophaned, Euge, Ezek. 2 [...]. 3. well, now it is as it should be. Sometime it is vox exul­tantis, men rejoyce with it: let them not say, Euge animae nostrae, Psalm. 35. 25. our soule skips at this, so would wee have it. The first way it cannot bee taken here; for God, who is most direct in all his dealings, slattereth no man, fawneth up­on no man. Much lesse the se­cond [Page 5] way, for though he mocke the scorne [...]s, yet not those of his owne houshold. But the third way it well befits him, qui delectatur bono, as the Psal­mist fings, Psal. 35. 27. who delighteth in the prosperity of his servants, and is merry and glad at their welfare. Luk. 15. 32. Therefore seeing them give up their account with cre­dit, receives it at their hands with joy, Euge, well done.

This triumph of God's, hath two grounds: 1. The relation wherein he stands to them, and they to him: The father joyes at the good of his sonne; the husband at the good of his wife; one friend at the good of ano­ther: So God exults and is much affected when his servants per­forme such duties as they ought that it may goe wel with them, because he is theirs in all these relations; their father, their husband, and their friend. 2. His [Page 6] owne glory, which by his ser­vants good employment is much advanced. God indeed is in himselfe [...], All-suffi­cient, and from all Eternity, de­lighted in himselfe without the accesse of men or Angels; but when it pleased him to create man, and communicate himself unto him, by giving him ta­lents, hee is well pleased with that which his grace hath wrought out of himselfe with the right ordering and disposing of it, receiving the returne of it to him againe with a joyfull Euge, oh well is it done.

The duty that I would en­force from hence, is this, that every man in his calling should [...], as Saint Paul speakes, 2 Tim. 1. 6. quicken the gift that is in him, to stand either Church or Common­wealth in stead, even upon this encouragement, that God re­joyceth in his worthy employ­ment. [Page 7] I remember, Anselme Ansan. 1 Cor. 6 reading those words of the A­postle 1 Cor. 6. 19. Your bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost, which you have of God, falls upon this discourse; You offend grievously if you pro­phane God's Temple, your own body; because, as you would not have your house defiled, no more would God have his; Si vobis igitur non parcitis propter vos ipsos, at parcite vobis propter Deum, quifecit vos Templum suum: If the comfort which your selves shall thereby reape, cannot move you to spare your bodies from pollution yet spare them at least wise on the behalf of God who hath made them his: So when I looke upon my Text, and see God with such hearty affection entertaining mens good endevours, I can­not but inferre thus much, that surely we greatly sinne, if we use not our stocke aright which [Page 8] God hath given us to trade withall, since it is his will that his money should be put to the banke, and bring in increase. If then the discharge of our du­ties cannot worke upon us to be industrious and painefull in our places, yet let the thought of pleasing God perswade us. For how expedient is it for us, that when wee come to reckoning, God should smile upon us with a chearefull countenance, and embrace us with an Euge, re­joycing in our good; rather, than that hee should knit his browes, and cast us off with a vah of indignation.

The point concerneth all men whom God hath adorned with the least talent of ability in any kinde; it more neerely toucheth those who are furni­shed with knowledge, dexteri­ty, yea, and with authority, to doe much good to many, and thereby bring in a large crop [Page 9] into Gods barne at the day of harvest. Consider with your selves, you that are rulers, and have the government on your shoulders, what fruit God may have by yourusing your graces and places aright; what benefit may redound unto his houshold which hee takes care of: how hee joyes in seeing his plough goe by your ministery; honour him who hath honoured you; he hath lwone plentifully in his gifts to you, let him reape a­bundantly in your increase to him; that when he comes into your fields, hee may see them stand full of corne; when into your Circuits, hee may see the torrents and streames of justice running downe, and so may cheare you up with much en­couragement, and give you this for a largis euge, well have you done. This for God's exultati­on. The compellation followes, Good and faithfull servant: [Page 10] Where are two things, Mans reference to God, servant: The qualities where with a right servant is adorned, Good and faithfull.

1. Mans reference to God, servant: It is proper to God to be a Master, he hath propriam & singularem conditionem Do­mini, saith Aquinas, the true 2. 2. q. 81. res. ed 1. ground of Lordship, therfore it is proper to man to bee his ser­vant: he hath propriam & sin­gularem conditionem servitutis, the true ground of service. The foundation of this relation is twosold: 1. God's making all things; so man is a servant to him, secundum conditionem, saith Saint Austine, in regard of his very being; every worke oweth this to the maker, that it is to be subject unto, and or­dered by him: 2. God's prin­cipality over all things; every inferiour is servant to his supe­riour; the Curator to the Pro­consull, [Page 11] the Proconsull to the Emperour, and all to God, who is primus, the first and chiefe, in and by whose vertue and power all things move. This reference to God is so rooted and setled in our nature, that his servants wee are whether we will or no his servants, de jure, he hath command of us; I, and de necessitate too, he will have the rule of us, making us by his ineffable disposition, that wee can doe nothing but what hee wils, or suffers to bee done, though de fact [...], wee be rebels, and set our selves andaciously to contemne his precepts.

His servants wee all are by these bonds, but some men ser­vants in a neerer kind; those whom hee hath set on worke to some notable employment, either in the Church, thus Saint Paul saith of himselfe, Rom. 1. 1. a servant of Christ, set apart to the Preaching of the Gospell: [Page 12] or in the Common-wealth; thus is David marked out, Ps. 89. 20 I have found David my servant, with my holy oyle have I anoin­ted him: these are not onely God's subjects, over whom he rules [...], by generall command as a King; but men of his houshold, whom hee go­vernes [...], by speciall power as a Master, and these are the servants here spoken of. This service of God, it is bonos full of dignity, and onus full of duty.

1. Full of dignity; for what more honourable than to serve so gracious and great a Lord? The Princes and Rulers of the earth content not themselves with their owne excellencies, but it is their ambition to bee entertained as speciall servants to the King. Though a man would wonder that they who in some distance from the Sunne might shine bright themselves, [Page 13] should desire to bee so neare a­bout him, by whom their owne splendour is much ecclipsed: but it seemeth the light of a Kings countenance, and the breath of his nostrils shining comfortably, and breathing sweetly, is more glorious to men, than all the command o­ver all the crouching, reveren­cing, and obeysance of meane persons. And if it be an honour to serve a mortall man, how great soever; it is sweetly tran­scendent honour to serve the immortall God; it is more then a weighty thing to have Com­mission from him, and to be im­ployed about his businesse.

See your calling, ye Rulers and Iudges of the earth; Reve­rent you are, because [...], sent of the King to punish, to protect: but this is not all, you also are [...], Rev. 13. 4. God's Ministers, and ye judge not for man primarily, but for [Page 14] the Lord. 2 Chron. 9. 6. And this is your greatest honour, tri­umph in this, that God hath put your worke into your hands: you are not onely the King's, but God's Iustices; in this glory ride on prosperously, and let your right hand teach you vali­ant things: you are God's ser­vants, this is your dignity.

2. Servus est nomen officii: God's servants have much duty required of them: a servant is not [...] one that moveth absolutely of himselfe, hee is [...] and [...], saith Ari­stotle, the masters instrument; and [...], not onely the masters servant, but the masters wholly. Two things then befit a servant, Consulere Dominum, and Obedire.

1. To receive instructions from his master in his actions: The eyes of servants looke unto the hand of their Masters, and the eyes of a Mayden unto the [Page 15] hands of her Mistresse, Psalm. 123. 2. What is this looking to their hands, but waiting for their command by which they must be guided? It is a brave thing when servants know their bounds, and presume not above their Masters pleasure: things then goe right when the hands take counsel of the head; servants goe, when their Ma­sters say, goe; come, when their Masters say, come; doe, when their Master saith, doe it. It is so in every houshold, it is so in the great houshold of God: the Common-wealth, it then flourisheth when they whom God hath set over it, looke what he will have done, and ad­dresse themselves to doe that. It is reported of Scipio Africa­nus, Gel. sit. 7. c. 1 that hee was wont before day to goe into the Capitoll in Collam Iovis, and there to stay a great while, quass consultans de Republic [...] cum Jove, discoursing [Page 16] with Iupiter concerning the administration of the Common­wealth: whence it came to passe that his deeds were plaera­que admiranda, saith the Histo­rian, very worthy and remarke­able. The Heathen man did thus by the light of nature, let grace teach the Christian Ruler the same course, that he enquire at the Law of God for his directi­on. I am sure this was enjoy­ned Ioshua, when hee tooke up­on him the Principality of Is­rael, Meditate in the booke of the Law day and night, so shall thy way be prosperous, Iosh. 1. 8. This is one thing concernes a servant, to bee ordered by his Master.

2. He must obey instructions received; doing is the life of having; therefore doth he aske his Masters advice, that what his Master will have done, may be effected. Hee is a bad ser­vant that consulteth with his [Page 17] Master for fashion, but will doe what he list himselfe: and a bad Magistrate is he, who com­ming to the Temple of God to heare what is the Word that commeth from the Lord, re­solves for al that to let his heart runne after covetousnesse, and practise injustice, either for money or favour to pervert the wayes of righteousnesse, which God, who hath given him his chiefe Commission, chalketh out unto him. Iudges ought to remember that they are the servants of God, and as they know his will concerning their government, so they must take heed and doe it, 2 Chron. 19. 7 this is mans reference unto God, servant.

The qualities of this servant follow, bone & fidelis, good and faithfull: the one whereof, that is, goodnesse, belongeth to him qua homo, as a man; the o­ther, that is, fidelity, qua ser­vus, [Page 18] as he is a servant. An ex­cellent paire of vertues where they are united, goodnesse gracing the person, and fidelity adorning his employment; so that if you looke upon him in his private course, you shall see an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile; and if in his publike calling, a true dealer for his Lord & Master, [...], with­out turning aside any way.

1. Good, well affected, well conditioned. An excellent thing it is when this Attribute may bee given to men in authority, that they are good men; it ma­keth the City rejoyce, saith Sa­lomon, Prov. 11. 10. And so it well may, for it followeth, By the blessing of the upright a Ci­ty is exalted. A good man will doe much good in his place, and make many glad hearts by par­taking of his goodnesse. There­fore Ietbro wishing Moses to set men over the people, would [Page 19] have them timentes Dei, and veraces, Exod. 18. 2. servers of God, true-hearted men: and the Lord himselfe appointing Ioshuah over the congregation, testifies of him, that hee was a man in whom was the Spirit, Numb. 27. 18. It is said of Ru­lers, ye are gods, Psal. 82. 6. It is true, they are gods by their power one way; I, but doubly, age Pol 3. 13 if goodnesse dwell with their power. Aristotle puts them to­gether: they that are gods a­mongst men, [...], [...], excell both in vertue and power. And indeed they had need have goodnes, that are such eminent servants, and have many Talents committed to them, they will never else beare their great burthen of being Pillars to up­hold a State, Streames to refresh it, Pilors to guide it, Havens to harbour it, Castles to shelter it, the good Magistrate will be all [Page 20] this; when a wicked man will fall short, a crack'd Pillar, a bit­ter streame, an erring Pilot, a sandy havon, a broken Castell, in whom the ship of the Com­mon-wealth cannot put any confidence. I will conclude this point with Davids exhor­tation to the great ones of the world, Psalm. 2. 10, 11. Be wise now therefore O ye Kings, bee instructed ye Iudges of the earth; serve the Lord with feare, and reioyce with trembling. It is not enough that ye be wise and learned, that you know how to manage affaires, and order your businesse, though this be an e­minent quality; serve the Lord likewise, and bee full of piety, that your care of discharging your duty, may issue forth from the fountaine of an honest heart in you; for if it come not from hence, it will scarcely have be­ing: That servant who gained somuch, was good and faith full [Page 21] but good in the first place, faith­fulnesse followeth, the second quality.

A quality very pertinent to a servant: it is required in a ste­ward that he be faithfull, 1 Cor. 4. 2. and it consists in this, us depositum ad voluntatem dispo­nentis disponatur, that what a man is betrusted with, hee im­ploy according to the will of him that betrusted him. God giveth divers abilities to men, to some more, to others lesse; hee that shineth according to [...]he measure of his light, that worketh according to the per­son of his strength, that helpeth according to the quantity of his [...]yle, hee is faithfull: This faith­fulnesse is commended in Christ in the dayes of his dispensation upon earth, who finished the worke which his father gave in to doe: and in Moses, of hom it was witnessed that he as faithfull in all the house of [Page 22] God, Heb. 3. 2. This faithful­nesse supposeth Talents given; they were receivers first, who were now called faithfull; and it hath these ingredients to make it perfect:

1. Industry; the Talent must be imployed: the slothfull ser­vant is vnfaithfull, because he frustrateth his Lord of the one of his gift; hee gave it the [...] that from thee it should be de­rived to the helpe of others; thou keep it to thy selfe, the d [...]ner is injured. Synefius speaks De Dion. some, who having a treasure abilities in them, [...], [...] would as soone part with the harts, as their meditations: so there are many of all profe [...]ons, who let their gifts, like Churles money, lye rusting them, by which meanes t [...] become unfaithfull; the ca [...] of their great skill shall b [...] witnesse against them, and [Page 23] the treasuring up of learning, they treasure up to themselves guilt and sorrow. Better it is by farre to have a little knowledge and use it rightly, than to have a vast braine, full of windings and turnings, wherein much knowledge is with great per­plexity tossed to and fro, but can never finde a doore of utte­rance.

2. Prudence to discerne what is to bee distributed, for all men whom wee deale with are not alike if we will use our talents right, we must give to e­very mā that part which belon­geth unto him. As for Exam­ple: In the exercise of Iustice, some mens sinnes are open, and with a clamorous voice goe be­fore unto judgement; these must have those kindes of pu­nishments which the ancients Gel. 6. 14. [...] all [...], exemplary [...]nd for terrour: some are slips, [...]nd must have [...], such [Page 24] instrumēts as serve for admoni­tion, whereby the offender may be moved better to look to him­self afterward: he that punisheth great transgressions with whips and light with halters, cannot bee faithfull, in that hee doth not proportion the sentence of Iustice to the sault committed.

3. Frugality; non incassum expendere, saith Chrysostome, Hom. 78. in Mas. not to waste our talents with­out cause. It is too common a fault in the world, that many who have quicke wits, and rea­dy tongues, spend them oft­times to small purpose, even where there is no probability they shall prevaile, or if they prevaile it shall overthrow e­quity. Love of profit, and hope of gaine swalloweth up men faithfulnesse: they will take the defence of a bad cause, and set a good face upon the foulest matter, with as much earnest­nesse, as if they contended for [Page 25] the truth of the Gospell, to which end I dare say they doe not thinke God either gave them their wit or tongues; but to stretch the one, and shorten the other for the upholding of just and righteous cases. I know not how they salve the matter, but I take the conclusion of the Schoole for sound, That it is unlawfull for any to co-operate to the doing of mischiefe; and therefore though they conceit they have done well quantum ad peritiam actus in shewing their skill, they surely offend grie vously quantum ad iniusti­tiam voluntatis, in voluntary abusing their Art unto unrigh­teousnesse. But let us all learne fidelity, my brethren, in our se­verall rankes, because the time will come e're long, when ho­nest dealing shall more availe than house and land, full bagges and large possessions, when it shall bee tenne thousand fold [Page 26] better for us to heare God cal­ling us faithfull servants, then now to have the world admire us for our getting money, o [...] fawne upon us because wee are rich. So I have done with the compellation, the last thing ob­servable in Gods entertainment of the doer.

I come to the commendation of his doing, fidelis fuistisuper pauca, thou hast beene faithful over a few things; where wee have both testimonium facti God's witnesse of his deed Thou hast beene faithfull; and latitudinem facti, the object whereunto the deed exten­deth, few things.

1. The Testimony: God be­fore gave him a double Title of good and faithfull, yet now affirmeth of one onely, his fidelity; not thereby excluding the other, but re-iterating the immediate cause, that which i [...] ncarest to the effect of trading [Page 27] for good advantage; so that goodnesse may bee repeated [...], thou hast beene good and faithfull. The words seeme to occasion a question, how God, who is veritas, truth it selfe, and cannot bee deceived; who is verax, true in his spee­ches, and cannot deceive, should here apprehend his servant as good and faithfull, and call him so, whereas weeread, Mat. 19. 17. There is none goed but God, no not one, Psa 14 2. And, Quis est fidelis? Mat. 24. 46. Who is the faithfull servant? hee rightly asketh, as being well advised, that if the whole earth be searched, a faithfull servant cannot be found: if then none good, none faithfull, how this servant? I answer, there is a two-fold goodnesse, Originall, in God alone; by participation, this in many; God giveth us leave to kindle our candles at his light, as all naturall things [Page 28] have heat from the Sunne This derived goodnesse is either that which should bee perfect and without all admixtion of evill, so no man good: or imperfect in degree, though sincere and sound, such as viatores, men in this life are capable of, this in the Saints. The like wee may say of fidelity; though there be no man who can give an exact account pro omnibus articulis temporum, for the whole time of his trading with his Talents; yet such an account as God in his mercy doth accept of, many doe give, and so God calleth them good and faithfull: 1.prop­ter propositum boni, their full ayme and endevour is good, though they swarve sometime, because David swore to keepe Gods righteous judgements, Psal. 119. 108. hee was a man after Gods owne heart, though fouly overtaken: Saint Austin faith, Nullus vivit sine peccato, [Page 29] nec cessat tamen bonus esse, quia affectu tenet pietatem. 2. Com­parative, they are good and faithfull, compared with the rabble of unfaithfull men; as those which study are called learned in comparison of such as know not their letters, though yet they be ignorant of many things. Saint Paul saith, Let us which are perfect, bee so minded, Phil. 3. 15. Whereup­on Ambrose, Comparatione eo­rum qui res Divinas negligunt perfecti dicendi sunt, qui pieta­tis iter ambulant. 3. Denomi­natione facta a meliori parte, the regenerate man consists of flesh and spirit, hath in him the Law of the members, and the Law of the mind, Rom 7. 23. hee is called good and faithfull from the better part, as man is said to bee reasonable in respect of his soule, though his body be unreasonable: and not snow alone is white, but even linnen [Page 30] also, which hath upon it some aspersion. Certaine it is, all men ought to conforme to the I­mage of God, wherein they were created, standing in righ­teousnesse and true holinesse; if God should enter into judge­ment with them, they could not answer for one defect, but because our wants are supplyed in Christ, if the heart be honest, and we follow piety, wee are reputed and accounted good and faithfull.

I observe this point the ra­ther, because I know the diffi­culty of obtaining a thing, terri­fieth men most commonly from prosecuting it: because men cannot be every way good, and exactly faithfull as they should, but when they endevour the most, then faile in many things, they therefore set all at six and sevens, and care not to be wic­ked and unfaithfull: but let no man thinke so, Honestum est ei [Page 31] qui in primis nequit, in secundis terliisve consistere, saith the O­rator truly; Wilt thou not take Physicke for thy fore eyes, be­cause when they are well thou canst not see into the other world with Lynceus? Wilt thou not seeke a medicine for the stone or gout, because at the best thou canst not be as strong as Sampson? This were a mad­nesse: and so it is for any man to neglect the care of goodnesle and fidelity, because when hee hath done what hee can, hee commeth short of what hee should doe. Est quiddam prodire tenus, si non datur ultra; it is for good purpose for a man to strive unto perfection, both be­cause hee shall by this meanes grow every day more and more perfect, though he come not to the full [...], and pitch there­of, as also because good ende­vours are accepted of God for good employments, who looks [Page 32] upon what we doe with an ho­nest hart, and covers the defects in Christ, that when in our own eyes we seeme to be unprofita­ble servants, hee accounts us good and faithfull. The Church, Cant. 1. 4. complaines that she is blacke and sunne-burnt, but Christ her husband thinkes not so; Thou art all faire, my love, and there is no spot in thee, Cant. 4. 7. As therefore David spake to his sonne Salomon concer­ning that great taske of buil­ding the house of God, 1 Chro. 22. 16. so may I speake to all whose charge and worke is great and full of difficulties, A­rise and be doing, and the Lord will be with you: Hee will bee with you in enabling you to his service: hee will bee with you in burying your infirmities, not seeing what is blacke and de­formed in your actions, but what white and lovely, com­mending it, fidelis fuisti, thou [Page 33] hast beene faithfull. You have seene God's testimony of the fact, behold now the latitude of it, fidelis super pauca, faithfull in few things.

This servant had the largest portion given him as the eldest sonne of his father, the greatest regiment committed to his trust, as the chiefest servant of his Master, yet the census, the value of all these, of these five talents, it is but pauca, a few things. So that there is no man in the world lord of many things: The Kings of the earth indeed are like Nebuchadnez­zars tree, Dan. 4. 20. their height reacheth toheaven, their sight to al the earth, their leaves are faire, their fruit is much, the God of heaven hath given them power, and strength, and glory, so that if they be compa­red with meane men, they seeme infinitely to differ from them, and to bee gods in the [Page 34] shape of men: but take them by themselves, and view them in all their greatnesse, what they have is but an handfull; that which their power exten­deth to, is but a few things. For, 1 the earth, over which they command, is but punctum, a point of the world; and can you looke for many things in a point? it goeth into a little cor­ner; the heart of Alexander could hold many earths, and can there be many things in a little roome? The Divell shew­ed Christ all the kingdomes of the world, [...], in an instant, and an instant will not afford space for the sight of ma­ny things. 2. Hee that hath the greatest territories, hath but a part of this point, a corner of the earth to exercise his autho­rity in; and de paucis pauca, what is taken from a few, can­not be but few: so that the greatest Monarch of the world [Page 35] may here see Troy in a Nut­sh [...]ll, all his Provinces in a lit­tle compasse, all his glory in a short summe; let him have all which the earth and sea afford him, they are but pauca, a few things. Much lesse have they that receive but two Talents, such as are sub graviore regno regnum, Commanders under others, who have government in such a Circuit, such a Liberty, such a City, such a Towne; they are as those semper divisibilia, into which, Mathematicians tell us, the least quantity may be resolved; what they have to deale withall are not many things.

I speake not this to detract from either Soveraigne or sub­ordinate authority, God forbid; they are as the Sunne and Stars, which in their severall kindes doe sustaine the earth by their heats and influences; many pri­vileges, much honour belongs [Page 36] unto them, let them with all comfort enjoy them: Onely this they must know, that these things which appeare so great and so many to men looking with the spectacles of bodily eyes, to a soule fraught full of love, and respect to an infinite God, are small, are few, are nothing, therefore ought not to puffe them up with pride and arrogancy, to turne them from him who is the incommutable good, but so must they use them as not possessing them, that ha­ving them, they may also have God with them.

How little then remaines to them who have but one Talent? It is, God wot, a poore pittance, yet is there that selfe-love in many men, that they thinke their mole-hill a mountaine, their Kestrill an Eagle, their Goose a Swanne. It is a strange thing to see that the very attoms of the Countrey, who are but [Page 37] at the ut most borders of these few things, doe yet set an high price upon their meane wares. If a man get but a little money, some house and land, a small command in a poore village, hee presently thinkes himselfe to bee more than some body, boasts of many things, con­temnes his equals, oppresseth his poore neighbours, growes stubborne, obstinate and wilful, will doe what hee list, as if hee were lord of the world: Why? the lords of the world should not doe so; God here cals them rulers in a few things, that they may know, meeknesse, humili­ty, gentlenesse ought to dwell with them; much lesse should the thistles of Lebanon advance themselves for a matter of no­thing, and be so lusty.

Well it were that every man would well view the latitude of that station wherein God hath set him; consider the largenesse [Page 38] of his gifts, that hee might bee the prompter touse them wel, because Crescunt dona, cres­cunt Greg. bene. 9. in Even. et rationes donorum, the more he hath, the greater must be his account; and the small number of them also, that pride may not steale into his heart to make him forget God, and over­top his brethren. Hee that walketh in this middle way of the estimate of his gifts, riches, honours, authority, and such like, shall, when hee comes to make up his reckoning, have God acknowledge him for one of his, and say, Well done good and faithfull servant, thou hast beene faithfull in few things: but this acknowledgment is not all, there followes a promise of greater endowment, J will make thee ruler over many things.

Where are two things: Re­muneratio, I will make thee; modus remunerationis, ruler o­ver [Page 39] many things:

1. The reward propounded; I will make thee, I wil set thee in an happy state and condition. No man ever served God in vaine; when hee sends men into his Vineyard, hee agreeth with them for a penny, and a penny they shall bee sure of; howsoever the Atheist saith, it is no profit to serve God; yet Saint Paul saw benefit in his service; I presse forward to the marke, Phil. 3. 13. And faith­full Moses looked to the re­compence of reward, Heb. 11. 26. A great encouragement it is to a man in all his labours, to know that they are not fruit­lesse, but that after wrastling hee shall bee crowned; after running, haue the prize; after sowing, reape; after painefull employing of his Talents, bee advanced. Though without a promise a man might bee idle, and have no heart unto his [Page 40] worke, yet hope should make him active to overcome all im­pediments; Virtus ad praemium prompta vinci non potest, saith Gregory, Vertue inflamed with sight of reward, is invincible.

2. The manner of the reward, Ruler over many things: where two particulars observable: 1. The nature of heavenly things opposed to earthly; they are few, these many; the oppo­sition is manifold, they light, these weighty, 2 Cor. 4. 1 [...]. they finite, these infinite, Psal. 36. 8. those of narrow com­passe, these incomprehensible, 1 Cor. 2. 9. they small, these great, Psalm. 31. 19. Rightly Saint Hierome, Omnia quae in presentihabemus, lieet magna videantur, comparatione tamen futurorum exigua sunt; Oh that ye could see how excellent these many things are! they would provoke us to infinite love of them. Oh that we could [Page 41] esteeme them as we ought! it would make us sell all to pur­chase them. Foolish Esau's they are, who for a messe of pottage part with their birth­right; like Glaucus in Homer, exchāge [...], chooselight for hea­vy; finite, for infinite; com­prehensible, for incomprehen­sible; small, for great; few, for many: Pray wee with the A­postle, Ephes. 3. 17. that wee may bee able to comprehend those many things in all their dimensions, bredth, length, depth, height; that seeing the small current of these few things here, and the vast sea of those many hereafter, we may to passe from these former, that wee misle not finally to attaine the latter. 2. The Order where­in this faithfull servant is to these many things; hee is super [...]ulta, made ruler over them; [...]is vessell shall so be filled with [Page 42] those glorious qualities, that he shall with full liberty use them to his perfection, the glory of God: there shall not then bee that strife betweene flesh and spirit; the spirit willing, the flesh weake; the spirit lifting up the heart, the flesh depressing it but that body of sinne, which warreth against the mind, being wholly destroyed, wee shall [...], love God with all our hearts, our soules and strength delight in him as the chiefe good, and have all our facultie prest to sing with the Elders a praise and glory to his holy name. This is the end of our Creation, for it were we made and had wee command of o [...] selves now, we should doe it in this vaile of mortality; but [...], the sin that compasseth us, will not now permit it; the divell who opposeth us, maketh us as slaves to follow his will; then, then shal [...] [Page 43] wee perfectly serve our God, when we shall be full comman­ders of ourselves; when the sting of sinne being removed, and Satan trodden under our feet, our hearts shall be W els of living waters; our eyes shall behold our blessed Saviour, our hands take hold of happinesle and felicity; and we wholly, in­stead of toyling among the few things of this world, shall bee rulers over those many things which attend Eternity.

Thus have I briefly runne through these words; in a word of Application I conclude. You Right Honourable, and all that have to doe in these affaires of the Common-wealth) see your places, you are God's servants: your duties, goodnesse and fide­lity are required of you; God invites you to them by his ap­probation, testimony, and re­ward; doe you your parts, I dare say God will not be wanting in [Page 44] his: When the great Assise of the world shall be kept, you shall heare, Well done good an [...] faithfull servants, you have bee [...] faithfull in few things, I wi [...] make you rulers over man [...] things.

THE whole duty of man hath ever beene reduced to two heads: by the Stoikes, unto [...], and [...], abstai­ning, and sustaining: by Saint Paul, to [...], and [...], Tit. 2. 12. denying ungodlinesse, living [Page 46] godly. And surely, all the lawe of God being either negative prohibiting evil; or affirmative commanding good; wh [...] mens actions are correspodent to the lawes, both forb [...] ring to doe what is forbidde [...] and doing that which is enio [...] ned, then are they due obse [...] vers of the Law.

Nehemiah, whose spee [...] my Text is, was both a go man, and a good Magistrat [...] and doth in this Chapter decl [...] his integrity in those two f [...] mer respects: My Text to you what hee did not: So not I. The last verse she [...] what he did, The good th [...] [...]. have done for the people. T [...] was hee square and every [...] complete: complete in person, a godly man, and honest Governour; compl [...] in his actions, not doing wr [...] but doing right.

My Text suffers mee not [Page 47] set the whole face of this wor­thy Patriot before you, but a part of it: For if I consider his person, I am to speake of him onely as a Commander; this particle, I, points at him as he was Tirshatha, the Kings De­puty. or Legate; and yet on the by, you may here see what he was as a man, for Magistratus indicat virum, let the Politickes dispute the question, I take the conclusion to be this, A good Citizen is a good Christian. A­gaine, if I consider his actions, I must speake of him onely as abstaining from evill; my Text is negative, sic non feci, I did not so: yet by concomitance also, as doing rightly; for the whole booke shewes that his disposition was not like Galba's Hist. l. 1. [...]. 12. in Tacitus; Ingenium magis extra vitia, quam cum virtuti­ [...]us, rather not evill than good, [...]ather harmlesse than vertuous; but so was innocency linked to [Page 48] true justice in him, that he, who having power in his hand, would doe no hurt; when hee had occasion, would furely doe much good.

I may call my Text Nehemi­ah's profession; and a professi­on, by our Saviours warrant, is like to an house, Matth. 7. 25. as therefore an house may bee resolved into two parts; super­structum, the building that is apparant to the view of the world; and substratum, the foundation which lyes hid in the ground; so are there two things in this profession: 1. [...], his behaviour manifest, So did not I: 2. [...], the hid man of the heart, upon which his behavior was setled, the feare of God. The wise builder takes care that his house bee right set, and therefore workes by line and levell, but especially hee lookes to the ground-worke, for if this bee [Page 49] not well laid, the frame is weake: So the good magistrate will doe no wrong and this is commendable; but if this streame of Iustice flow also from the fountain of Gods feare in him, which is [...] [...] the head of wisdome, Prov. 1. 7 [...] then is it true and solid, de­nominating and making him just; then is not his Iustice sho­red up by popularity, gifts, or other base respects, as it was said of the Sarmatians, Omnis Ta. l. 1 6. 10 Sarmatarum virtus extra ipsos; but resting upon this foundati­on of Gods feare, standeth by it owne strength unshaken. Truly happy was Nehemiah, who had thus conjoyned equi­ty and piety; and truly happy shall ever be those of Nehemi­ah's ranke, who are so tempe­red, that their actions proceed from the feare of God, and the feare of God moderateth their actions, who can professe, as [Page 50] here Nehemiah doth, But so did not I, because of the feare of God.

I have thus taken in sunder this house, this profession, I must now set it up againe, and that [...], shewing you first what was last in Nehemiah, his dealing; so did not J: and last what was first in him, the feare of God: Det Deus, ut Sermo­meus adeo commodus sit, quam sit accommodus; I wish my Sermon as profitable as it is seasonable.

First, his dealing; but so did not I: This particle, so, which is the maine hingel upon which this whole sentence turnes, i [...] relative, pointing backeward to something that went before and this particle, but, which stands at the entrance of my Text is adversative, differencing the consequent course from the precedent; by it Nehemiah dis-joyneth his practis [...] [Page 51] from the practise of others his predecessors, they did so and so, but so did not I. The thing observable is this, Nehemiah in his government followed not the examples of others that went before him. This is the full sense of the words, in which are couched two propositions: 1. Nehemiah made not exam­ples his rule, no, though they were worthy ones. So, may here be taken in the si, generally; others did as they thought fit, but I did not so, not as they. 2. Nehemiah in his course went crosse to bad examples: So, may be taken in hypothesi, answerable to the matter in hand; his Ancestors did naugh­tily, but hee did not so; did not evill as they did: The former of these declares his wisdome; the latter, his honesty.

1 Nehemiah made not wor­thy examples his rule & square to worke by, and therein did [Page 52] wisely in these 2 respects: Be­cause it is not alwayes lawfull for one to doe that which ano­ther hath done lawfully. 2. If it be lawfull, yea if a man bee bound to doe the same thing, yet not idco, not because ano­ther hath done it. In which re­gards it is a weake conclusion that riseth from an example: The great Logician could say, Arist prio l. 2. 6. 24. [...], an Example is not demonstrative and con­vincing.

1. It is not alwayes lawfull for one to doe what another hath done lawfully: In the following of good Presidents there be many circumstances, the concurrence whereof is re­quired, and the failing in any of them may change the nature of the thing, so that one may erre in doing that, which another did and erred not: The Anti­type in an example must be like Re [...]n, pro [...]. 18. the Prototype in five things: [Page 53] The person doing, the thing done, the party to whom, the time when, the end why; where there is not an agreement in all these, every wise man must professe with Nehemiah, So did not J.

1. The person doing must be like; for all men stand not in the same reference in regard of actions: He said well in the Comedy, Hoc licet impune fa­cere huic, illi non licet; non quia Ter. in adel. dissimilis res sit, sed quod is qui facit; Be the things never so like, if the person bee unlike, there is an error. No man doubts but Elias did well in commanding fire to come downe from heaven to destroy the two Captaines and their fifties, for hee was a messenger of Gods wrath to punish the Idolatrous Israelites: but the Apostles might not doe so. When Iames and John urged this Example, Luk. 9. 54. and [Page 54] would call for fire from heaven upon the Samaritans, as Elias did; they are taken up short by their Master, Nescitis cuius spiritus sitis vos, you are men of another mould then Elias was; he a Minister of indignation, you of consolation; his actions fit not you, because your persons are not like his. Though Phi­nehas be Canonized in all gene­rations, for flaying the persons taken in the act of Adultery, Num. 25. 8. yet neither private men, nor Magistrate, upon this example must doe so, put of­fenders to death without due proceedings and course of Law; Zelaus zelo. typia [...]. Num. 25. 11 for Phinehas was filled with an heroike spirit, a Divine man, transported with zeale for the Lord of Hoasts, to which height of heat ordinary mens tempers Morel, 1, 7. c. 1. are not raised; [...], saith the Moralist; it is a rare thing for a man to be thus Divine.

[Page 55]2. The things done must bee like, else instead of fish a man may swallow a stone; instead of an egge, a Serpent. David the sweet singer of Israel pro­vided Instruments of Musicke to sound out the praises of God, and therein did worthily, as be­came a Psalmist; but when as drunkards and roaring boyes patronized their fidlers and ri­bauld songs by this example, the Prophet denounceth a woe against them. Amos 6. 5. Woe to them that chaunt to the sound of the violl, and invent to them­selves Instruments of Musicke like David: His Instruments were holy, theirs profane; his songs religious, theirs lascivi­ous; they had no reason to shroud themselves under his example; his Musick and theirs agreed like harpe and harrow, as it is in the Proverbe. Though Jacob sent a present to Esau, that he might find favour in the [Page 56] sight of his lord, Gen 33. 8. yet is not the fact of those made good by this parallell, who give bribes to such as are Iudges in their causes; the a­ctions are not sutable; Esau was an enemy, and might bee pacified with gifts, but it is un­lawfull by gifts to blinde the eyes of a Iudge.

3. The party to whom, must be like: Those that have an e­vill eye at the Churches pos­sessions, her glebes and tithes; though they favour Saint Pauls Doctrine never a whit, yet can propound his practise to us rea­dily, that in Preaching to the Corinthians, he made the Go­spell of Christ, [...], with­out charge, 1 Cor. 9 18. and would have us doe so also; they cannot endure wee should reap where they have sowne, but woldhave us Weaver it, Taylor it, Cobler it, they care not what worke wee did, so our hands [Page 57] might not be in their Dairies and fields: but our answer is, we doe not so, for neither did Saint Paul so to all, hee prea­ched indeed gratis to the Co­rinthians, because of their po­verty, but tooke largely of o­ther Churches, so that hee is said to rob them, 2 Cor. 11. 8. and should wee follow this in­stance of theirs, wee should doe wrong at least to our rich pa­rishioners, in giving way to their sacrilegious humour, to let them devoure that which is holy, contrary to Saint Pauls precept, Gal. 6. 6. Let him that is taught in the Word, communi­cate to him that teacheth him, in all his goods.

4. The time must bee like; for every thing hath his season, and what profitech now, may hurt anon. Some of old held Aug. ep. 5 this position, Semel recte fa­ctum, nulletenus esse mutan­dum, once well done, and ever [Page 48] well done: but Saint Augu­stine denyes it, affirming, that though they say, what was right before, cannot bee right if it be changed; yet indeed it cannot be right except it bee changed. Hee instanceth in Vindicianus, a learned Physici­an, who prescribed a potion to a young patient, which hee would not after give him be­ing old; Ego ills aetati hoc nun­quam eram iussuries, Divers yeares require divers kinds of Physicke.

5. The ends must bee like. David used direfull imprecati­ons against his enemies, and cursed them with an heavy curse; yet we must not doe so; his example is no warrant for fell and bitter men to banne and execrate those which anger them. The reason is, In reuna quam faciunt, non eadem est causa propter quam faciunt, as [...]o. 48. ad Vincent. Saint Augustine speaketh; they [Page 59] doe the same thing to another end. His maledictions were predictions; his optations, pro­phetations; what hee uttered, came a spiritu praevidentis, non voto optantis, rather from fore­sight of what should bee, than simple wishing that it might bee: but these men are whol­ly ignorant of the event, onely their malice carrieth them to desire it may be evil and unfor­tunate.

Since then there are so many wayes of going amisse in imita­tion, that a man may easily wander when hee thinkes hee is right, Nehemiah did wisely in this regard, that he followed not examples, but professeth here, I did not so.

2. If the example bee alike, and a man bee to doe the same. thing, yet not ideo, hee is not therefore to doe it because an­other hath done it; but there is a common rule which both [Page 60] guideth Sempronius in doing well, and directs Tit [...]us in do­ing that which Sempronius did. The reason of the action must enforce imitation, not the acti­on. [...], Ar. Rhet. ad. Ac. c. 9 saith the Philosopher; when wee apprehend the rea­son of things, then wee yeeld to follow them. O imitatores servum pecus! they are beasts without understanding, and have not the spirit of men, who magnifie and sticke unto cu­stomes, as they are customes, without respect of right and honesty. Nehemiah, when hee looked upon others to see what they did, observed the rule whereby they did it, making that his guide, not the Example. I did not so.

And this surely is the best way for all men to goe to worke, not to regard so much what o­thers have done, as what they ought to doe, especially Nehe­miah, [Page 61] and men in authority, who are in the Common­wealth as Pilots in a ship, and therefore wisedome is most of all required in them; they must have their synosura, their starres to direct them in their judgoments, in the carri­age of their affaires; without which, in hoysing up sailes to teach others, they may split a­gainst the rockes, and be wrac­ked. Among the rest, they must especially take notice of three constellations: ius Divinum, ius humanum, [...]; the law of God; the kingdome; Equity.

1. The Law of God, that gi­veth wisedome and understan­ding, and must therefore bee a light unto their feet. and a lan­thorne to their pathes: Liber Legis, a Copy of the Law was to be with Josuah, Jos. 1. 8. and the Iudges must determine ac­cording to the sentence of the [Page 62] Law, Deut. 1 [...]. 11. they are to judge, pro Domino, saith Iehe­shaphat, 2 Chron. 9 6. for the Lord; and must therefore judge secundum Dominum, as the Lord hath enjoyned. It is a great fault among men, learned in other professions, too much to neglect Divine Writ. I thinke the reason is, because as they exalt themselves above Divines, whom they justle into the kennell; so they would ad­vance their profession also a­bove Divinity, and turne Sarah into the Kitchin, the place of Hagar: But these Achitophels, though wise in their own eyes, are but fooles indeed: the Pro­phet hath concluded against them, Ier 8. 9. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken; to, they have reiec­ted the word of the Lord, and what wisedome is in them? What? if there be any, it is lux vespertina, that dim light [Page 63] which twinckleth in the night of nature; not lux matutina, Psa. 8. 20 the cleare light shining in the day of grace. Nehemiah, who did not so as others did, did so as the Law of God comman­ded; and therefore punished those which transgressed against God, Neh. 13. [...]7.

2. The Law of the Nation and kingdome wherein wee live; for though the Law of God be the spring from whence flowes righteousnesse, yet the good and wholesome lawes of men be as rivers, which if a go­vernour take along with him, they will bring him to the Sea of Iustice. [...], saith A­ristotle; Pol 3 [...] c. 26 hee that is taught by the lawes, judgeth rightly. A brave thing it is for a Iudge to be [...], a living and a speaking law; but to determine causes without law, is too great liberty. The Law is to a ludge, [Page 64] as the bankes to the Sea, Huo­usque, hither must hee goe, and no further. Nehemiah, who did not so in following ex­amples, did so in looking to the Law; hee told the builders the Kings words which hee had spoken to him, Neh. 2. 18.

2. [...], Moderation; a vertue commended by Saint Paul, Phil. 4. 5. [...], let your equity bee manifest: Mor, l, 5. c. 14. and by the Philosopher, who gives the reason of it; Lawes being made for generall, can­not fetch in all particulars, which are infinite; there may then a cause come to hearing, which may in equity be right and yet against the Law; here the good Iudge doth not urge the Law to the worse, but so pronounceth, as the Law-giver himselfe would have said, if he had beene present. But I stay not upon this point, it may be I am out of mine Element. I once [Page 65] heard at a Sessions, the Preacher in the Pulpit pleading for this quity, and hee that supplyed the place of the Iudge, con­ [...]mning both him and it. I will goe no further in it than Beza doth, and so farre I dare say I 1 Tim. 1. 3 may goe; Hoc accipe de eo iure de quo remittere aliquid possu­nus: where the Iudge may [...]ake from the rigor of the Law [...]n cafe of equity, there hee ought to loose the cords of it; or this is the end of lawes and [...]udges, that every mā may have his right, be maintained in a just cause; over throwne in a bad.

Thus have wee seene in Ne­hemiah the first thing which he did not, not make examples the [...]ule of his actions; whereunto hath been referred the affirma­ [...]ive, what it is that hee, and all in his place must bee guided by.

2. Nehemiah went crosse to 2 [...]ad examples: So did not I. [Page 66] Those that were before him did not as they ought to d [...] and had hee imitated them, he might have done as ill as they but hee detested the wron [...] which they offered, and profes­seth, he did not so. The ill dea­ling of his predecessors is speci­fied in two particulars: 1. The having abundance, oppresse [...] and sucked the blood of th [...] poore and needy people, whom they should rather have relee [...]ved: had the people been rich, they might well have required a floece for their main­tenance; for what Shephear watcheth over a flock, and doth not sheare them? but they were Tonder [...], not deglu­bere. not to flea the sheepe, because their wooll was thinne: So did others, but so did not hee. 2. Their servants domineered and bare rule over the people hee meaneth not the Minister of Iustice, and such as they put in office, for these are to rule [Page 67] and men must submit them­selves unto them, 1 Pet. 2. 13. [...]ut their under-servants, and very one which had depen­dance upon them, these would [...]ee Masters, and carry them­selves as if they were more than some body. A common [...]ault in great mens retinues, and [...]n offices Spirituall and Lay, where every hang-by will look loose upon a right good man, [...]nd a proud boy demeane him­selfe malepertly to his betters. Nehemiah thought the Gover­ [...]ours to blame, who suffered his in their Courts and Fami­ [...]ies; and therefore here pro­ [...]esseth, he did not so.

The point that I observe from henee shall be generall; Magistrates must not follow the naughty courses of their Prede­cessors. There are certaine vices which Divine Learning hath pointed out as rockes, which Governors ought to take [Page 68] heed of, which vices are no [...] idea's, and abstracted formes Esse in esse. but have had their seat in me [...] of authority; there is no evil in the world which some ma [...] hath not beene guilty of; n [...] sinne belonging to a Magistrate but some Magistrate hath offen­ded in. The godly Governour when hee seeth that other have stooped to wickednesse must resolve against it him­selfe, that hee may bee able to say with Nehemiah, But so did not I. The maine evils not to bee done by Magistrates, are these:

1. Vnjustice, judging con­trary to right and equity, both in distributive and emendative Iustices: 1. In distributive, the good Iudge must neither justi­fie the wicked, nor condemne the just, for both these are abo­mination to the Lord, Prov. 17. 15. Not justifie the wicked by suffering him to breake [Page 69] through the Lawes, as great [...]yes through cobwebs, when hee ought to bee holden of [...]hem; for the power beareth [...]ot the sword for nought, Rom. [...]. 3. 4 but as God hath, so must [...]ee have [...], a reven­ging eye over them that doe wickedly. He must bee a Iosu­ [...]h to clense the land from the Iosh 7 1 King. 2 theft of Achan: a Solomon, to take away the innocent blood, shed by Ioab, from the king­dome: yea, in this a Saul, to 1 Sam. 28 cut off such as have familiar spi­rits and wizzards, from among the people. In capitall crimes the offender must dye by the sentence of the Iudge: and in sinnes which the Law hath not said so heavy a punishment up­on, as drunkennesse, swearing, whoring, the crying sinnes of our dayes though the commit­ters of them thinke them to be nothing, no more than Aetius the hereticke accounted of for­nication, [Page 70] penna aurem scalper Epiph. bar. 76 to rub his care when it itche yet ought the honest Iudge d [...] the best hee can by all severi [...] and even by that which o [...] loose times call cruelty, to ta [...] them away; or if that be in possible, yet to chase the Birds of the night into t [...] night againe; and to restrain if not the being, yet the roari [...] of them. It is now no time spare, when the bankes of in quity are full, and ready eve [...] day to runne over to drown the world.

Againe, hee must not co [...]demne the just; hee that is n [...] an offendour must be protect [...] not punished by the lawes; G [...] appointed Cities of refuge f [...] such as had transgressed again their wils, but a mans own innocency should be his refug [...] when he hath not transgresse at all. Wilt thou stay the right [...] ­ous with the wicked? saith A [Page 71] braham to God, that bee farre from thee? shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right? Gen. 18. 25. And wilt thou con­demne the guiltlesse? may I say to an honest Iudge, that bee farre from thee? shall not hee that sitt [...]th in the seat of the righteous God doe right? It is surely unjust, as I have said, to assoile a lewd person; but of the two, farre better it is to free a man as harmelesse, who hath done mischiefe; than to con­demne a man as mischievous, who is harmelesse. David sung it of Solomon, Psal. 72. 14. and it becomes every man in place of Iudicature, He shall redeeme the innocent from violence and deceit, and precious shall their blood be in his sight.

2. Emendative Iustice; the [...], [...]. Luk. 12. 14 Iudge must not doe unjustly, but give to every man that which is his owne; he must be [...], a right divider betweene man [Page 46] [...] [Page 47] [...] [Page 48] [...] [Page 49] [...] [Page 50] [...] [Page 51] [...] [Page 52] [...] [Page 53] [...] [Page 54] [...] [Page 55] [...] [Page 56] [...] [Page 57] [...] [Page 48] [...] [Page 59] [...] [Page 60] [...] [Page 61] [...] [Page 62] [...] [Page 63] [...] [Page 64] [...] [Page 65] [...] [Page 66] [...] [Page 67] [...] [Page 68] [...] [Page 69] [...] [Page 70] [...] [Page 71] [...] [Page 72] and man; taking from the one what hee hath got of anothers, and giving it to the other whose it is. The good Magi­strate cannot, as the Popes Pa­rasites say he can, de qu [...]drato facere rotundum, make some­thing of nothing, and nothing againe of something; as the cause is, so must he judge it, that Iuel. p. 37 [...] every man may sit under his owne Vine, and his owne Fig­tree in peace. This is the maine evill which a Magistrate mus [...] not doe, not doe unjustice.

2. There are two things ten­ding to this unjustice which h [...] must not doe: The one as the way to it, the other as the cause of it: 1. The way to it, parti [...] all hearing; opening the ear [...] to one party, shutting it to another. The avoyding of this wa [...] a great part of Moses charge Deu. 1. 16. I charged your lu [...] ­ges at that time, saying, heare th [...] causes between your brethren; y [...] [Page 73] shall not respect persons in iudge­ment, but shall heare the small as well as the great. If two Ri­vers be fed by the same Spring, and the passage to the one bee free, to the other dammed up, the one may well abound with water, the other be dry: If two men bee to claime their right before the Iudge, and the one have countenance & audience, the other frownes and snibbs, a man may soon conceive which way the streame will runne, though not in the right chan­nell: Iustice must let the one skale have his due as wel as the other, and then lift both up fairely, that that may carry it which is heaviest.

2. The cause of unjustice, taking bribes: A gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righte­ous, Deut. 16. 19. Some there are that thinke it is but an act of kindnesle to give, and of [Page 74] courtesie to receive, and what hurt in this? But, as one said, raine is good, and ground is good, yet ex eorum conjunctione fit lutum, if they bee mingled Stapl dom. 2 post pent. they make dirt: So giving is kind, and taking is courteous, yet the mixing of them makes the smooth pathes of Iustice foule and uneven. As sands and shoales hinder the current of the water, so doe gifts the course of Iustice, which should runne downe as a mighty river. Amos 6. 4. When the Emperor Zeno had defloured a womans daughter, shee prayed, saith the Legend, to the Virgin Mary to bee avenged; the Virgin ap­peared to her and said, Cred [...] mihi mulier, ultionem tuam sae erat sp. c. 175. Stapl. dom. 1. post pent. pe facere volui, sed manus eiu prohibuit me, his han [...] will not let mee be revenged of him shee spake it of his giving hand in that hee was liberall to the poore; but it is true also of the [Page 75] bribing hand, many a time a Cause might have an end, and be rightly determined, but ma­nus prohibet, a gift in the hand puts a barre unto it. Samuel therefore when hee purged himselfe, demands this question of them whom hee judged, Of whose hands have I received a bribe? 1 Sam. 1 2. 3. and the people answer, Thou hast taken none. Every good Magistrate must bee able to say as much, and to professe, Whatsoever others doe, yet so doe not l. This is the first thing in the Text, Nehemiah's dealing; the ground of his dealing is the second thing. Why did he not doe so? Because of the feare of [...]od.

God is propounded in Scrio­ture, as one to be feared: Who would not feare thee, O King of Nations! Ier. 10. 7. Feare yee not me, saith the Lord? Ier. 5. 22. Feare in it selfe is a naturall passion; but feare with this ob­iect, [Page 76] God, the feare of God, is dy. 22. q. 19 donum, saith the Schoole, a gift of the Spirit; spiritus timoris Domini, Esa. 1 1. 2. the spirit of the feare of the Lord. This gift of feare respects God two wayes: 1. Mandantem, as hee commandeth, and so it is filiall fearem feare of offending: 2. vindicantem, as hee reven­geth transgressors, so it is ser­vile feare, feare of being puni­shed. It were to bee wished that the hearts of all men were filled with chast feare, the feare of displeasing God; for this indeed proceeds from love, and becommeth children, who the more they love, the more are a­fraid to offend. This feare shall abide in patria, when we come to heaven, it endureth for ever. Psal. 19. 8. our charity being perfected, our feare shall also; hee that hath this feare in him now, hath in himselfe the king­dome of God already. And [Page 77] how should wee then hunger after this feare? but because man in corruption is like an unbrideled horse, and will not bee ridden unlesse hee have the bit, it is something for a man to attaine to servile feare, to be a­fraid of God in regard of his judgements, both because this feare will be a restrainer, hold him backe from iniquity; and also because it is seta, as Saint [...] Epist [...], [...] Austine speaketh, the needle which draweth after it the love of God as the thred.

If any aske, which of these feares was in Nehemiah? I an­swer, Filiall feare surely was predominant in so excellent a servant of God, but it was not altogether without feare of pu­nishment; and therefore in A­quinas Secunda sc­cundae, q. 19 art. 22 terme it was a com­pound of them both, which hee calleth initiall, because it is the beginning of much good. Ne­hemiah rendereth it as the rea­son [Page 78] why he did not evill as o­thers did, because of the feare of God: for where the feare of God is, it is not idle, but active; honesty flowes from it as from a fountaine. It is a Probleme in Aristotle, why men are credi­ted [...]. [...]. Ar. probl. s 3. 9. 6. more than other creatures? The answer is, [...] man alone reverenceth God, therefore you may trust him. Hee that truly feareth God, is like unto Cato, of whom it is said, He never did well, that he might appeare to doe so, sed quia aliter facere non potuit; hee could not doe otherwise: The feare of God is the begin­ning of wisedome, Psal. 111. 10. The beginning of wisdome, saith one, not as it is cognosei­tiva, standing in speculation; but as it is directiva [...]vitae, gui­ding the actions and life of man: faith is the beginning of wise­dome, according to the essence of it; and the feare of God [Page 79] according to the effects, as it is operative. The foundation is the first in architecture, there the workeman sets on to build, and the feare of God, the first in a just course, it is the maine wheele which sets all the rest on going: In which regard Saint Augustine saith, Timor primum Ser dom. i [...] mont [...] [...] 9. p, 1104 locum tenet ascendendo, ulti­mum descendendo: If you looke upon the order of man Wor­king, the feare of God is first, thence all the frame of the acti­on riseth: if you looke upon the worke wrought, the feare of God is the last, into it all is resolved.

It is so in generall, the feare of God makes all men doe ho­nestly, and it is so in the matter we have in hand; the feare of God maketh a Magistrate up­right, and therefore this feare is especially required in him. Iethro's Iustice must bee a man fearing God, Exod. 18. 21. And [Page 80] the first part of Iehoshaphat's charge to his Iudges aymes at this, Let the feare of God bee upon you, 2 Chron. 19. 7. and there is great reason, that a Magistrate above others should bee a man fearing God,

1. In regard of the great­nesse of his place; authority, and power puffe men up, make them thinke they may doe what they list; it is a hard thing in nature for a man to be great and good; some who have done worthily while they have been commanded, have forgot their goodnesse when they became commanders. The Historian observes, that among all the Tac. hist. l. 1. c 13 Roman Emperors, solus Vespa­sianus in melius mutatus est, only Vespasian grew the better for his dignity: And the com­mon proverbe is, Honores mu­tant mores, Men are lightly worse after honours, than they were before. So prone are all [Page 81] men through their corruption, when they are exalted, to bee like the unjust Iudge, Luk. 18. 1. who neither cared for God nor man. Thus it alwayes fa­reth where men give way to their owne unruly affections, but where the feare of God is planted, there the greater men are, the better; their greatnesse giues them hands to bee able, and Gods fe are an heart to bee willing to do much good. There is nothing worse than a Magi­strate without the feare of God, armed injustice is the worst e­vill: and nothing better then a Magistrate fearing God, armed Iustice is most Soveraigne.

2. In regard of the many provecations they are subject unto. He that is in place of au­thority shall bee beleagred by kindred, by friends, by servants, by mony, suit upon suit, reward upon reward, to turne his heart out of the way, and his tongue [Page 82] from speaking right things: and a difficult thing it is, consi­dering our mould to resist so much importunity, to passe by so many temptations unsnared: great need then hath a Magi­strate to set the feare of God as a seale upon his senses, and upon his heart, that hee may not be perverted. I may well say to Governours, as Simeon the Propheticall Monke spake to the Pillars which hee whip­ped before the Earth-quake, Stand fast, for you shall be sha­ken. Dr. Hall, in que v [...]dis, p. 97 Satan and ill-disposed men desire to winnow them, to sift their integrity, their ho­nesty, their Iustice out of them; they had need keepe them­selves in the feare of God, that their uprightnesse may not faile.

This feare of God is the best preservative against all ill mo­tives. Shall others tell a man in place, or himselfe conceive [Page 83] that hee hath the law in his owne hands, and that he may wrest it like a Lesbian rule which way he will? the feare of God will suggest other thoughts to him; How shall J doe this great evill, and sinne against God? If great meanes be used to violate, and many rubs throwne into the way to turne aside Iustice, the feare of God will constraine a man to leape over them all, because hee will thus reason; I who sit now upon the Bench to give Iudgement, must one day stand before the Barre of a greater Iudge my selfe, to give account of my judgement, which if I can give with joy as I ought, happy I. I shall heare euge, well done good and faithfull ser­vant. But if my account bee perplexed and wrong, I trem­ble to thinke of punishment by eternall separation from God, ito maledicte, away thou cursed. [Page 84] You see what force the feare of God hath to plead for right, to plead against wrong; Ne­hemiah maketh this the reason, and it is a strong reason, of his not doing wickedly, So did not I, because of the feare of God.

I have now done with my Text, yet something by way of Application must be added, that so my Text may be laid to the businesse in hand, and fitted to it. Nehemiah's course may best be presented to you (Right Honourable, most Reverent and Worthy) for he was a De­puty under King Artaxerxes to the Iewes; so are you un­der our gracious Soveraigne to these parts; hee in his Depu­tation disclaymeth all unrighte­ous dealing, and you must doe so in yours. The Oyle therfore of my Exhortation shall first be powred upon your head, and so drop downe to the skitts of your clothing, all that have any [Page 85] hand in this great Assize; for though they all be not Nehemi­ah's, men in authority to judge, yet doe they all concurre for the production of the sacred act of Iustice, and in that respect, for the time, are not private but publike persons, and must take care so much as concer­neth them, that Iustice may runne freely without stoppage.

1. Therefore (Right Hono­rable) I desire you to set this worthy patterne before your eyes. I doubt not, but when you looke into the glasse of my Text, you see your selves in it; for it is said, that you are Nehe­miah's, men fearing God, not doing unrighteousnesse; yet give me leave to hold the glasse before you, and shew you not onely Nehemiah, but even your selves to your selves, that you may be the more incited, [...]ihil Plut. lib. 5. nat. quest. indignum tanta virtu [...]e commit­tere, as he said, to doe nothing [Page 86] unbeseeming so great worthi­nesse. If you behold the ex­amples of Iudges in former times, you shall finde some to have declined and gone out of 1 Sam. 15. 9 the way. Saul sparing Agag, who was the sonne of death; the Nobles of Iezreel stoning 1 King. 21. 13. Naboth, a man most innocent; Est 3. 13 Ahashuerus giving the Iewes goods for a prey to the rest of the Provinces; Festus hearing Acts 25. 9 grievous complaints against Paul, but cutting him off when he answered for himselfe; Sa­muels 1 Sam. 8. 3 sonnes turning aside af­ter lucre, taking bribes, and perverting Iudgement. Oh let your eyes bee upon these by­paths, but be upon them to de­cline them! oh keepe your selves from the accursed thing! that though many hurried by the evill spirit, care not how they demeane themselves, yet you may not doe so, because of the feare of God; that by your [Page 87] happy meanes, righteousnesse and peace may still kisse each other in these Easterne Angles.

2. Let mee speake unto the Lawyers who have a great stroake in matters of emenda­tive Iustice, and Pleas between man and man. For my selfe, nemo vestrum mihi iniuria co­gnitus, I know no hurt by any of your profession, none of them ever wronged mee; and I know a great deale of good by some of you; grave you are, honest true dealing men: but the common fame is, that there is much iniquity in your ranke; Dr Hal, quo vadis, p 1 1. and no marvell, for where ma­ny pots are boyling, there can­not but bee much skumme; where much practice and tem­pering with mens estates, much dishonesty and false play. Two things I have heard condemned among you: 1. That many stir up men to strife and contenti­on, that so they may have em­ployment: [Page 88] Some are said to be like the Sea-crab, who desi­rous to eat the flesh of the Oy­ster, which he cannot come by, because of his two-leaved shel, Bas. ht [...]em. bom. 7 watcheth when he opens these doores against the Sunne, and casteth a stone into them, that they cannot shut, then hee thrusts in his claw and devoures him: So the cunning Lawyer, greedy of a rich mans money, and seeing him peaceably dis­posed, unwilling to wrangle, seeketh all occasion to see his Evidences, and in them puts such rubs, that the good-man cannot but thinke his neighbor hath done him wrong, and eares not what he spends to recovera feigned right. Some like the Polypus, take the colour of any Rocke they cleave to; frame themselves to the humour of the Client, make him beleeve his Cause is good, though it be starke nought, that they may [Page 89] have a prey. 2. Many make no conscience of an honest bu­sinesse undertaken, but use such delayes, commit such errors, follow the Cause so negligent­ly, play so on both hands, that as Charondas was wont to say of going to Sea, Se non mirari Stapl. mor. do. 2. post pent. quisemel mare ingressus sit, sed qui iterum; so wee may say of going to Law; A man is not to bee wondred at for suing once, but hee that sues the se­cond time, after he hath seene the dangers and difficulties of it. The common voyce is, that these things are so with some Lawyers, but doe not you so, because of the feare of God. Consider well the saying of the Wise-man, Prov. 20. 17. Bread of deceit is sweet, but afterward the mouth shall bee filled with gravall.

3. My speech shall be dire­cted to the Iurors, upon whole integlity both the lives and [Page 90] goods of men are cast. Though many neither feare the oath o [...] God, nor regard right and wrong, but desire so to give their verdict as their owne sa­crilegious and unjust actions may for time to come receive no preiudice; yet doe not you so, because of the feare of God Yea, if there chance to be but one good man of the twelve, who seeing the combination of the rest in iniquity, resolveth a­gainst the same, let mee encou­rage him to hold fast, and not to bee drawne from his honest purpose because of the many opposites; but as Liberius, Bi­shop of Rome, once answered the Arrian Emperour Constan­tius, when he asked him, What so great part of the world hee was, that he beleeved contrary Theod. hist. lib. 1. c. 7 to others? [...] the faith is never the worse because I alone professe it: So if it bee [Page 91] Remanded how thou darest withstand the opinion of ele­ven, tell them, Iustice is never the worse, though I alone pra­ctise it. Set the feare of God before thine eyes, it will make thee bold as a Lion, not to doe [...]o as they, periuriously.

4. To accusers in criminall Causes, to Plaintiffes in Nisi prius. To Accusers: Some there are who upon malice and envy have hunted after the lives of men, and brought them to the barre, trotting about Towne and Countrey to finde faults, where they knew none, suborning false witnesses, and knights of the post to sweare untruly, not caring what course they tooke, so those whom they hated might bee brought to ruine: but doe not you so, because of the feare of God. Evl­dence of wicked facts, desire to have ungodly persons taken a­way, lest the whole Countrey [Page 92] smart for them. Zeale for the glory of God, these should move a man to prosecute an offendor, not anger, notspleene, not defire of revenge; God for­bid these should bee found in Iacob; if the feare of God bee in you, you will not doe so. To Plaintiffes; many give them­selves to undermine the state of others, seeke out quiddities and nice trickes to spoyle their brethren; who will have an A­ction for another mans Goose grazing in their groūd; enemies to peace and all tranquillity [...] wranglers, contentious, oppres­sors, who thinke with their purse to beggar a poore neigh­bour, if he will not part with his Inheritance, or stoope to them at their pleafure. A kind of men these are, of whom we may say as the Historian of Ma­thematicians, Tal [...] 6. 7 Genus hominum quod in nostra Republica, et ve­tabitur sensper, et retinebitur, [Page 93] alwayes they are cryed against, and still they grow, the Coun­trey swarmes with them; but doe not you so, because of the feare of God. If there bee any question in the Titles of land, it is honest to have them tryed: If wrong be done you, the Law is open, and there are Iudges, implead one another fairly and peaceably; but well it were if they were cut off that trouble the Countrey, and chased away from the Iudgement-seats, which they abuse not onely to the satisfying of their owne wrangling spirit, but to the de­triment of such as dwell nigh unto them.

5. To Witnesses: In all a­ges there have been some, who for feare of their great Masters, for mony or favour would give any testimony; not regarding the opening of the Truth, but clearing or condemning of such as they would set at liberty, or [Page 94] destroy. Our Saviour had then oft against him; and David i [...] his time, Psal. 35. 11. but do not you so, because of the fear of God. Art thou called to as Oath? sweare in truth, in iudg­ment, in righteousnesse, Ier. 4

2. Let not thy tongue speak contrary to that thy hart know­eth, for it is an abomination t [...] God who tooke order, Deut 19. 19. that the false witness should be punished, lege tali [...]nis; thou shalt doe to him, [...] hee thought to have done unt [...] his brother.

6. And lastly, to us all: We are not ignorant of the cryin sinnes which reigne inthis land prodigious drunkennesse, who ring, swearing, killing, thee ving, pride, aspersion, whic [...] are come to that height tha [...] they know no bounds; so which God hath a controversi with the land, and hath alread smitten us for them. May we [Page 95] not say of England, as hee once of Rome? Nunquam mag is Ta hist. l. c. iustis iudici is approbatu [...] est, non esse curae Deo securitatem nostram, esse vindictam! God hath manifestly declared, that as he hath hitherto watched o­ver us for good, so now hee watcheth over us for venge­ance: And yet what sinne puls in his hornes? Men are as briefe in all kind of lewdnesse as e­ver. But oh, beloved, let not us doe so, because of the feare of God. If before wee have beene guilty, let us now repent and doe so no more; if we have beene free from these enormi­ties, let us goe on in a right course still. The feare of God calls upon us for it; the feare of God commanding, that we be not rebels against him: the feare of God revenging, lest he come in fury and destroy us. We never had greater cause to feare Gods anger than now; I [Page 96] wish our care to please him may be answerable, that wee may truly say with Nehemiah, Though the whole world lyes in wickednesse, yet so doe not we, because of the feare of God.

Deo gratias, qui aperuit nob is ostium Sermon is.

These two Sermons were prea­ched at the Assizes in Bury, Maurice Barrow, Esquire, then high Sheriffe of Suffolk.

IN Repentance are two things; Aversio a ma­lo; Conversio ad bonum; the loathing of what is evill, by sorrow for it; the pursuit of that which is good, by longing after it: Or, to speake the same thing in other words; Mortifi­cation, whereby the world is crucified to the penitent, and he unto the world; and Vivifi­cation, [Page 98] whereby his dead and be [...]ummed limbs are warmed in righteousnesle, to live the life of God, and bring forth the fruits of the spirit; the for­mer commeth unto him by vertue of Christs death, we are buried with him into his death, that the body of sinne might be destroyed: the second by ver­tue of Christs Resurrection; we are ingrafted with him into the similitude of his resurrecti­on, that like as Christ was raised from death by the glory of the father, so we also should walke in newnesse of life, Rom. 6. 4.

This present Chapter presen­teth unto our view both these; Vivification in this first verfe, If yee be risew with Christ: Mor­tification in the 3. and 5 verse [...] You are dead, mortifie therefore your members. In the words read, (of which alone I am to intreat) we have a double vivi­fication, one substantiall, the o [Page 99] ther accidentall; one of Christs body, his resurrection from the grave wherein hee lay three dayes; the other of our whole man, his resurrection from the grave of sinne wherein na­ture hath buried us all Here is Christs rising, and here is our rising, both in their causa­lity: Christs rising is the cause that wee rise, ye are risen with Christ: our rising is the cause of our seeking heavenly things, If yee be rison, seeke the things that are above. A Text, which beside the generall doctrine of rising from sinne, and seeking heaven, matter necessary to be taught at all times, is fitted like­wise to the season: one part pointing at Easter, a feast not long since past, [...] you are risen with Christ: another part pointing at the Ascension, the feast wee now solemnize, [...], things above, among which, Christ is the chiefe; [Page 100] who having conversed with his Disciples, by the space of forty dayes, as on this day was taken up on high, and exalted with great glory into his king­dome in heaven.

In the words, I purpose to speake of three things: 1. That glorious worke perfor­med by our Saviour his resurre­ction; this the Text neceslari­ly implyeth, The Elect are risen with Christ, therefore Christ is risen: 2. The vertue of his resurrection in his members, they are risen with him: 3. The effect or fruit of their rising, they seeke the things that are a­bove; for this conditionall con­junction (if) maketh this see­king a note of rising; if you be risen you will seeke things above; if you seeke not things above, it is a plaine argument that you are not risen.

And first of Christs Resurre­ction: of which while wee [Page 101] speake, it is necessary that wee cast backe our eyes a little to that which was done but as two dayes before, namely, his buri­all and intombing in the earth: Quis enim ascendit? idem qui descendit, faith the Apostle, E­phes 4. 9. Resurrection presup­poseth falling; and it is Ter­tullians Lib. de re­sur. car. note, Cum audio Re­surrectionem homini imminere, quaeram necesse est quid eius ca­dere sorti [...]um sit: None can know that Christ hath rose to life, but hee that knoweth hee once fell by death. See then, after he had breathed forth his so blessed soule, and committed it into the hands of his father, how carefull just Ioseph was to interre his body, wrapping it decently in linnen clothes with sweet odours, as the Iewes u­sed to bury; thinking, good soule, that as he now was dead, so he was to goe in statum mor­tuorum, and that the same con­dition [Page 102] should befall him as did other men: See now the ama­zed hearts of all his Disciples cast downe; and doubting what was become of the hope of Israell; they looked indeed that he should have beene a Sa­vior, but now because he would not, they thought he could not save himselfe: they looked that hee should have restored the kingdome to Israel, but be­hold they now they wot well all hope of a kingdome to bee cleane gone from him, having lost both kingdome and life, and being conquered of the all-de­vouring grave: Which of them all had not now his heart resol­ved into teares? and his eyes full fountaines to send them foorth? Which of them now hanged not downe his head for shame, and thought himselfe mocked in following him? But stay a while, O yee afflicted soules, expect but the [Page 103] dawning of the third day, and your eyes shall well perceive that hee, whom you thought to have beene among the dead, is among the living; your selves shall witnesse, that he was not holden long of the sorrowes of death, but hath loosed them, breaking, like a victorious Con­querour, the gates of brasle and smiting the barres of Iron a sun­der: untying the bands of dark­nesse and of death, and carrying them away with him, as Samp­son, his type, did the gates and bars of the City Azzah, where­in he was inclosed: the first day of the weeke is come, et ecce non est hic, looke for him no longer among the graves, for he is risen.

He is risen? the Iewes count this a fable; for so it is noysed among them to this day, That all his rising was but his Apo­stles theft, their stealing away his body while the Watch-men [Page 104] slept; and the Gentiles thinke it a meere imposture: Haba­k [...]k so foretold, Hab. 1. 5. and the event sheweth how truly, Acts 1. 3. 41. that God wrought a worke in these latter dayes, a worke which men would not beleeve, no, [...], let them be told it never so plain­ly. But let Iew and Gentile be as incredulous as they will, the Scriptures testifie, and we must beleeve that Christ is risen: What though all the world be­side make this signe of Christs Divinity, his Resurrection, as a thing worthy to be spoken a­gainst, yet amplectatur et gan­deat Christianus, the Christian must embrace it with joy, and joyfully acknowledge that Christ is risen. But not to stand upon this point, which I would have but an Introduction to that which followeth, observe in it onely three things briefly: Suscitatum, suscitans, suscitati [Page 105] statum; the thing raised, the vertue raising it, the estate of it being risen.

1. The thing raised was his body, which alone catched the fall, and was layd low in the dust; yet doe we referre this resurrection to the whole per­son when wee say, Christ is ri­sen; because the soule was re­turned tothe body, whose man­sion, hard entreaties e're-while made itleave; and the Deity, (though in abstracto, in it selfe uncapable of either falling or rising, yet in concreto, in his person, because of that unspeak­able union with the manhood and communication of proper­ties) having rising truly attribu­ted unto it. Christ then rose, but secundum humanam natu­ram, in his Humanity, and his Humanity properly, [...], in the body; which be­ing to stand up from the dead, was met by that glorious soule [Page 106] which for a time had departed from it. Christ, he was not (as once his Disciples swallowed up with feare mistooke him, and other since blasphemously have said in earnest) [...], a spirit, a shadow, a man of Ayre; but he had a reall, sub­stantiall, humane body like un­to ours; which as hee walked with all his life time, and carri­ed up with him to the Crosse at his death, and left it after death to be buried by his loving Disciples, so brought hee the same againe from the depth of the grave, not changed in kinde, but the very same; be­hold me, for it is I, even I myselfe, Luke 24. 39. Christ de­monstrated his body to bee the same by certaine degrees, one proofe being more strong than another: 1. In that it had ve­ram corporis effigiem, a bodies shape and proportion, therefore hee bid deth his Apostles behold [Page 107] and see him; but so, spectra, spirits, as they call them, ap­peare in humane forme. 2. In that it was solidum, a fast so­lid body, not thinne and subtill, therefore he biddeth his Disci­ples handle him; but this, though it prove a body, yet not the same. 3. Therefore, to take away al doubt, and to shew indeed it was the same, he cal­leth for Thomas, who now might see his hands, and touch his side; his hands bored with the nayles, his side pierced with the Souldiers Speare; and then (as faithlesse as he was be­fore) he became faithfull with the assurance of faith, and cry­ed, My Lord, and my God. Here then wee have to consider of these three things: 1. The ve­rity of Christs humane nature, that the same body which hee brought from the wombe of the Virgin at his first being up­on the earth, the same hee [Page 108] brought againe from the womb of the earth, when hee opened it the second time, to tread up­on it; a maine pillar of our comfort, that Christ tooke our flesh; for, [...], if he tooke not our flesh, wee are not saved by him. 2. Here is the truth of his Resurrecti­on, the eleven incredulous A­postles, the two Travellers to Emaus, Mary Magdalen, five hundred brethren at once, a thicke cloud of witnesses; all these saw, all these testifie (and we know their testimony is true) that the same body which was hanged upon the tree, the same did God raise up the third day, having loosed the sorrowes of death. 3. Here wee see with what bodies we shal arise at the day of Iudgement, with these we have about us, as Christ rose with his: So Iob speaketh, Iob 19. 26. Though after my skinne wormes destroy my body, yet [Page 109] shall J see God in my flesh; whom I my selfe shall see, and mine eyes shall behold, and none other for me. And this is the thing raised.

But what great matter, will the Atheist say, is this, that Christ rose againe? Have not others risen, which have beene longer dead than he? It is true, they have; but marke the vertue Raising, and you shall finde novum super terram, a thing never heard of upon earth before; they were raised, Christ raised himselfe. Lazarus must have the lowd call of Christ, Joh. 11. 43. or else had hee slept his long sleepe: Elizeus with the touch of his bones set a man upon his feet, who was cast dead into his Sepulcher, 2 King. 13. 21. yet long and long may Elizeus lye in the grave himselfe, waiting to bee raised by another, because hee cannot raise himselfe. Hence [Page 110] came Saint Bernards distinction, Aliorum resurrectiones, vel suscitationes potius; they had externall force raysing them, Christ alone internall; as hee saith of himselfe, I have power to lay downe my life, and I have power to take it againe, Joh. 16. 18. But what then meant Pe­ter to say, God raised up Iesus, Acts 2. 32. and Paul, Christ was raised from death by the glo­ry of the Father, Rom 6. 3. The answer is plaine, that Christ may be considered two wayes: 1. Ratione unitae Deitatis, as he was God as well as man; and so wee may say, his body resu­med the soule which before it lost; and the soule came againe to the body which before it left; the Divinity of Christ (which never left the Huma­nity, but was united unto it, [...],) working this wonderfull conjunction. 2. Ratione natura create, he may [Page 111] bee considered in his passible humane nature which was ray­sed; and this had not that great power in it selfe, but was raised by the God-head both of the Fa­ther & himself; for opera Trini­tatis ad extra sunt indivisa; in these outward actions, the per­sons of the Trinity concurre joyntly, so that when God the Father raiseth, the Sonne ray­seth also; and therefore might truly say of the Temple of his body, In three dayes I will raise it up againe, Ioh. 2. 19. and here­in did Christ plainly shew him­selfe to be God, [...], migh­tily, saith the Apostle, Rom. 1. 4. for, super as evadere ad auras hic labor, hoe opus est, It passeth the bounds of all humane strength to unwind it selfe out of the snares of death. Let then the accursed Arrian call into que­stion the God-head of our Sa­viour; let him imagine this ri­sing to proceed from the assi­stance [Page 112] of the Deity present with him, not from the verity thereof in him; but let us, fol­lowing the rule and light of Scripture, acknowledge the bright beames of his Divinity, amidst the most dusky clouds of his Humanity; confessing him to be God, one with the Father, and co-equall: as upon other grounds, so among the rest upon this, That once he was dead, but is now alive; once he was buried, but the third day risen. This is the second thing, the power whereby Christ was raysed.

The third is his state being risen, and this was a state of im­mortality; hee had privilege from future death; hee dyed indeed, but it was but once; Being raysed from the dead, hee dyeth no more; death hath no more power over him, Rom 6. 9 Others being raised, must passe the second time the streights [Page 113] of death, the anxiety whereof being once acquainted with, it must surely bee great horror to thinke that once againe they must goe through them; but Christ having once made spoile of that All-ruling Tyrant, hath so over-mastered him, that he durst never since set upon him. Therefore is it the Motto of the Sonne of man, I am alive, and I live for evermore, Rev. 1. 18. Others rising was in this imper­fect, that being actually freed from death, and ransomed from his captivity, yet are they sub­ject every houre to become his thralls, and to be catched in his ginnes: but Christs rising was perfect, in that hee was freed, non a morte solum, sed a necessi­tate et possibilitate moriendi; not alone from the actuality of death (from which many o­thers) but from the power of ever being againe a prisoner to him. And thus it is a comfort [Page 114] to the afflicated soule rent asun­der, and torne grievously with the pangs and girds of sinne, a comfort, I say, it is to know that his Redeemer liveth that hee wanteth not a friend in the Court of heaven to behold the face of the great God of glo­ry, and earnestly to solicite him suit daily before him. It is the Apostles conclusion, Heb. 7. 2 [...] He is able perfectly to save them that come to God through him seeing that hee ever liveth to make intercession for them Many men we see doe floarish and lift up their horns on high while they have their Patrons in great mens houses, who may be ready at every turne to see meanes of their preferment marry, this a little cutteth their combe, that they have not [...] lease of their patrons life; a thousand wayes there are o [...] bringing him to his end, and then their hornes may shrinke [Page 115] as farre as they spread before; but wee who rely upon Christ risen from the dead for our sal­vation, are quit of this feare; so that wee cast our hope, the Anchor of our soule, both firme and stedfast, because Iesus is entered into heaven, Sacerdes in aeternum, never againe to see death, an High Priest for ever: Thus hath Christ led captivity captive, and quit himselfe of death, not so much for him­selfe, though herein he shewed the greatnesse of his power, as for us whose chiefest good was to be procured therby, as Iustifi­cation, Resurre [...]it propter iusti­ficationem nostram, Rom 4 3. he by rising ratified the payment formerly made for our sinnes; and Sanctification, the thing which in the second place this Text giveth us to consider; Consurrexist is cum ille, You are risen with him.

A threefold Resurrection we [Page 116] read of in Scripture, which doth depend upon Christs ri­sing: The one, of those holy Saints of Iury, which came out of the graves after his Resurre­ction, and went into Ierusalem, Matth. 27. 53. and thus it was peculiar to those few men: the second, of all the Saints in the world rising out of the death of sinne to the life of righteous­nesse; and this is especiall to that kind of men which are re­generate: The third (if not ge­nerall of all, both Saints and wicked, which some affirm [...] out of those words, Christu [...] primitiae dormientium, Cor. 1 [...] 20. Christ as man, is the fir [...] fruits of the lumpe of them that sleepe, yet) shall not be accomplished in the Saints till the en [...] of the world, the day of judgement. So that when we hear [...] that we are risen with Chri [...] we must not bee like Hymenae [...] and Philetus, to dreame tha [...] [Page 117] there is no more resurrection to come, but that all is past al­ready, 2 Tim. 2. 17. but wee must learne to distinguish be­tweene the first and second re­surrection; the one to come at the end of all things, the other to be every day by us practised; for blessed is hee that hath his part in the first Resurrection, Rev. 20. 6. The one is a morte simpliciter, ad vitam sim liciter, from death to life; the other, a morte quadam, ad vitam quandam, as Austine speaketh; from the death of infidelity, to he life of faith. from the death of error, to the life of truth: from the death of iniquity, to [...]he life of righteousnesse; so that this is a metaphoricall kind of rising from the dead; and of this latter it is, that the Apostle here speaketh of, you are risen with Christ.

Of which rising of ours, wee may speake two wayes; either [Page 118] in causa, as it is referred to Christ, the Author of it: or in se, as it may be considered in it selfe with the parts and mem­bers thereof; the first included in these words, with Christ; the second in the other words, you are risen.

For the first, Christ is the cause of our rising, two wayes; exemplariter, and efficienter both by way of patterne and ex­ample; as wee have our rising from sinne mystically figured in his rising from the grave; as al­so by way of power and com­munication, as by his rising wee receive grace, and strength to rise: In the one, he is to u [...] as the Copy to the child that writeth, which giveth him n [...] ability to write, but onely sheweth him in what sort he should frame and make his let­ters: In the other, he is like the expert Scrivener who gui­deth the childs hand, and ma­keth [Page 119] him write according to the Copy. Christ his rising pro­poundeth unto us, both [...], that we must rise, and [...], how we should rise; but this is like the Law, a yoake that we could not beare: therefore also hee giveth us vertue which maketh us rise, and helpeth us up againe if we once be downe.

1. Christ is the cause of our rising by way of example, in his Resurrection shewing us two things for our imitation: 1. what must bee the end and scope of our whole conversation; name­ly, that wee may attaine the glory of the life to come: and of this, Gregory speaketh in his Morals; There are, saith he, two wayes of all men in the body; one before death, the other af­ter the resurrection; in the for­mer all men walked, wholly ig­norant of the latter, till Christ came in the flesh, and by ente­ring one himselfe, pointed un­to [Page 120] us the other: by dying, he led the life we enjoy; by rising againe, opened the way which we are to seeke; teaching us by his example, that this life is not to be loved for it selfe, but to be tolerated for a better. 2. By what meanes wee must attaine this end; that is by ho­linesse of life, and pious carri­age; and this patterne Saint Augustine telleth us of, Re­surrectione Domini configuratur vita quae hic geritur, Christs ri­sing fashions the whole course of the life wee live here; and therefore said the Apostle, we are ingrafted into the simili­tude of Christs resurrection that like as he was raised from death by the glory of the Fa­ther, so we also should walk [...] in newnesse of life, Rom. 6. 4. Thus is Christ as a Beacon se [...] upon the top of an hill, his acti­ons are our instructions, he ha­ving given us an ensample that [Page 121] we should follow his steppes: Now his actions they were of two sorts: some morales, which respected the fulfilling of the Law, such as were his humani­ty, meeknesse, innocency, obe­dience to parents, magistrates, and the like: Others mediato­riae, such as respected his office of Mediatorship, as yeelding himselfe to death, rising againe from the dead; in both these is he a patterne unto us, though not after the same manner: In the former wee are to imitate him in the same kinde, doing what he did, though wee can­not doe it in the same degree; therefore he the great Master, calleth to all his Schollers to learne of him, that he is humble and lowly, Matth. 11. 29. And Saint Peter willeth us, when we are reviled, not to revile again; when we suffer, not to threa­ten, because Christ himselfe also did so, 1 Pet. 2. 23. In [Page 122] the latter we are to imitate him by similitude; translating that unto our spirituall life, which he did as Mediator; thus his dying teacheth us not to die the death of the body, but of sinne; to crucifie the flesh, with the affections and lusts thereof: and his rising againe teacheth us, not to come out of the graves when we are buried (alas, it passeth the strength of all hu­manity) but to arise from sinne, the death of the soule. Behold then, apish man, who art ready to follow every fashion, a pat­terne worthy the looking up­on, an example worthy the following, even thy Saviour rising! Oh be thou a Saint, and rise with him! Dye he might, but could not be overcome of death, and therefore loosed the sorrowes of it: So, howsoever thou hast sinned, yet bee not o­ver-ruled by sinne, suffer it not to reigne in thy mortall body. [Page 123] Voluntarily went hee once in­to the darke bowels of the earth, and there remained three dayes; necessarily through the corruption of thy nature, and voluntarily also through the de­pravation of thy will, hast thou fallen into the depths of sinne, and there hast laid three daies; the day of thy conception, for thou wert shapen in wicked­nesse: the day of thy birth, for thou wert polluted in thine owne blood: the day of thy life hitherto, for thou hast beene a stranger from the womb, from the wombe hast thou erred: as therefore thy death of sinne hath beene like unto Christs being in the grave, so let thy rising from sinne bee comfor­med to the similitude of his Resurrection: now the third day breake forth into the light, throw away thy grave-clothes, the workes of darkenesse, and put on the apparell of a man, [Page 124] the armour of light. It was that, they say, which made Alexan­ders souldiers so willing to at­tempt desperate matters, that what he would have them doe, himselfe first beganne; and therefore was wont to say, Ea­mus, faciamus; what you see mee doe, doe you the same likewise. Wee have here the same encouragement which they had, Christ our head is risen before us to lead the way, and shew us how wee should rise; Et nos ideo surgamus de tumulo terrae, saith Saint Am­brose; having so good a Pre­sident for our direction, let us also rise.

2. Christ is the cause of our rising, by way of efficacy; for by vertue of his Resurrection hath hee derived grace and strength to us all. M^r. Calvins note is good upon this place, That wee are not here invited onely by the example of Christ [Page 125] risen, to follow newnesse of life, sed eius fieri virtute doce­mur ut regeneremur in iustiti­am; this Text teacheth us that our regeneration is from the vertue of his Resurrection: To small purpose had it beene for Christ to have gone before us in that which we could not doe, unlesse he had enabled us also that we might doe it. To teach a cripple how to goe, or a dumbe man how to speake, is a fruitlesse thing; but to streng­then the feet and ankle-bones of the one, to untye the strings of the others tongue, this is the way to make them goe and speake: So fareth it with us all (my beloved) wee were like that man possessed with Divels, who abode among the graves; sinne had so wounded us, that we were cut off from the land of the living, being dead in trespasses, Ephe. 2. 1. what could it then have benefited us, if one [Page 126] whose life was within him should walke and stirre? that Christ who was quickened by the Spirit, could come out of the grave? surely nothing, un­lesse he that raised up Christ from the dead, had also quicke­ned our benummed soules then and not otherwise could wee a­rise: it was therefore requisite that to his example set before us, Christ should adde the com­munication of vertue to us, that we might rise with him. And this is that which the Apostle Paul speaketh, Ephesians 2. 5. [...], God hath quickned us together with Christ; giving him the Spirit of life, whereby he was raised from the dead, and with­all, to us the life of the Spirit, that we might rise from sinne: And this is that medicinalis convenientia of Saint Austins, wherby the Example of Christs rising is made effectuall; name­ly, [Page 127] the applying of medicines to out infirmities, purging out all humours whereby we might be stayed in our corruptions; and strengthening the vitall fa­culties for the exercise of spiri­tuall things; for as Christ dyed to take away from sinne the guilt, the punishment, and do­minion which it got over man, so that man might be said to be dead to sinne, because hee no longer lived therein; so did he rise againe to furnish man with all gifts and graces necessary for his soules salvation: and every faithfull man is partaker, as of Mortification by vertue of Christs death, so of Vivificati­on by vertue of his Resurrecti­on. For fuller perceiving wher­of, we must know, that Christ is as the head, his Saints the members; Christ the root, his Saints the branches; as there­fore the motion of the mem­bers, and governing them in [Page 128] their actions proceedeth from the head, where is the motive faculty in greatest vigour; so doe the members of Christ his mysticall body derive from him the influence of grace, whereby they are enabled to performe their functions, de plenitudine eius, Ioh. 1. 16. from him we draw, of him we re­ceive. Now Christ is the head of his Church as Mediator, and by his workes of Mediation most of all diffuseth life and motion, and that sweetly in an analogy to the worke; so his death giveth a motion to cor­ruption, the corrupting of the old man; and his Resurrection, a motion to quickening, the quickening of the new man; these two, like maine channels, convey whole streames of gra­ces from him into the Church: neither doth the disproportion of soule and body hinder this conveyance at all, Christ rising [Page 129] in his body onely, the soule of man being the proper subject of grace; for, it is not the ver­tue of the body raised that ma­keth this diffusion, but the Di­vine vertue, raysing the body, scattereth abroad his graces per actionem, [...], by this won­derfull act of God-man his re­surrection: and thus as Augu­stine Ser. 181. de temp. observes, Resurrectio sim­plex format resurrectionem du­plicem, Christs rising in his bo­dy causeth in his Saints a dou­ble resurrection, the one of their bodies at the last day, be­cause his flesh is of the same masse with theirs; the other of their soules continually, be­cause hee is the head of the whole man. Behold then the vertue of Christs resurrection, as Saint Paul calleth it, Phil. 3. 10. the raysing vertue; giving to him that was downe through infidelity, saith to beleeve and stand up aright: to him that [Page 130] was fettered in malice, and could not stirre, charity to walk in good workes; because Christ lives, therefore shall his live al­so: because he is risen, they shall rise together with him.

And are they risen together with him? Then is here a les­son of humility for every Chri­stian: If thou findest life in thy selfe, that thou art not be­nummed, nor the spirit of drow­sinesse is upon thee, but that as a living member of Christs body thou art laden with fruit, and doest those workes which become one that is alive, see here the root upon which thou growest, the fountaine from whence all this goodnesse of thine proceedeth, even Christ; by vertue of whose resurrecti­on from the grave, thou which before wert dead, art now a­live; thou which before hadst sinned mortally, art now raised eternally: Sacrifice not there­fore [Page 131] with proud Pelagius to thine owne net, nor burne incense to thine owne yarne, as if by them thy portion were fat, and thy meat plenteous; thinke not these good workes of thine to come from thine owne strength, thine owne free will rightly used by thee, but goe a little higher than thy selfe, and know thy will to bee but a lower spheare, quae non nisi mota movet, which cannot of it selfe doe anything, but in him, who by his resurrection hath quickened and raised thee up into the estate of grace. Dost thou beleeve that thou art risen with Christ? Thou must so beleeve, if thou beleevest the Scriptures: I demand then, Who separated thee? And what hast thou, that thou hast not received? And if thou hast received it, why boastest thou as if thou hadst not received it? 1. Cor. 4. 7. Boast not then thy [Page 132] selfe, either against thy fellow­branches, for that thou art bet­ter than they; or against the root, as if thou grewest of thy selfe, but know that the root beareth thee, Rom. 11. 18. and therefore confesse, both in hu­mility and verity, thy selfe to be an unprofitable servant; and say with David, Not unto mee, O Lord, not unto me, Psal. 115. 1. not unto me for my rising, not unto me for the fruits of my rising, but to thy Name bee the praise. And thus much of our rising in causa, as it procee­deth from Christs Resurrecti­on, which was the first thing: The second is our rising in it selfe, what it is; for upon Christ his rising, we are also risen, and what then is our rising?

Surely our rising hath great similitude and likenesse with Christs rising: Now in Christs rising we may especially ob­serve three things: 1. Corporis [Page 133] expulvere resuscitationem, the bringing up of his body from the dust of death. 2. Vnionem animae corpori resuscitato, the uniting of the soule with the body risen. 3. Vnitorum inse­parabilem colligationem, the im­possibility of ever having his soule and body, thus united, to be served: So must there be in our spirituall resurrection, this rising with Christ, these three things: 1. The raysing of the soule from sinne, which is the very dust and death ther­of. 2. The uniting of it to God, who is anima animae, the very life and soule of the soule, in whom it liveth, moveth, and hath it being, not in nature only, but also in grace. 3. The knitting of these two, God and the soule together in the perfect bands of love, which may not be up­on every little jarre broken, but remaine inviolably for ever firme and sure. 1. Wee must [Page 134] rise out of the grave of sinne; sinne, it is as death: Saint Gre­gory elegantly sheweth us the Greg in Psal. 142. estate of the dead sinner, in se­pulchro conscientia tumulatum, &c. he is buried in the sepul­cher of his conscience, is bound with the napkins of concupi­scence, is cast out from the sight of God, is covered with hard­nesse of heart, is shut in with the stone of iniquity, a misera­ble death! As then God said to Elias in the Cave, What dost thou here Elias? Come out and stand in the Munt before the Lord, 1. King. 19. 9. So let mee sound this speech in the eare of the sinner covered over with the moulds of sinne, What ma­kest thou there, thou sinner? Come out of this Sepulcher of sinne, if thou wilt appeare be­fore the Lord in the land of the living. To this the Scripture calleth, when it biddeth us a­wake, and stand up from the [Page 135] dead, Ephes. 5. 14. To mortifie our members which are upon the earth, Col. 3. 5. To crucifie the old man, that the body of sinne in us may be destroyed, Rom. 6. 6. This is done by repentance, sor­row for sinne, breaking off sin, leaving sinne, which is the first degree of our rising, the first step to life. 2. Having risen from sinne, we must also unite our selves unto God, for hee is our life, Deut. 30. 20. There­fore must we cleave to him if we meane to live; else are we as a body without a soule, a fil­thy carkasse. It was to no pur­pose that the dry bones came together bone to his bone, that the sinewes and flesh grew up­on them, that they were cove­red with skinne, unlesse [...] winds had breathed upon them also, and they had lived; for what difference betweene a dry bone, and a senselesse body? And to as smal end are we rou­sed [Page 136] from the grave of sinne, unlesse there be a spirit within that quickeneth; for what ex­cellency hath a carkasse unburi­ed, above that which is buried? a man not righteous, above him that is a sinner? Life then is yet further required to our ri­sing, which because wee are members of a body, is not to be had but in the body; get faith therefore, which ingrafteth in­to the mysticall body of Christ; being ingrafted, we shall bee partakers of the Spirit, which diffusing it selfe through every member, knitteth us to God, to whom to be joyned is life. Of this speaketh our Saviour, Ioh. [...]5. 3. Abide in me, and I in you: As the branch cannot beare fruit except it abide in the Vine, no more can you, except ye a­bide in mee. 3. Being united unto God, and living this new life of raysed persons, we must continue in this life, even as [Page 137] Christ having risen from death, now dyeth no more; this is the true conformity to his resurre­ction, whereas those that live to dye againe, were rather ri­sen in shew than truth; moved artificially by some Engine to make them stirre, than natural­ly by a vitall power of their owne: and of this continuance excellently sings the Prophet, Psal. 92. 12. The righteous shall flourish like a Palme tree, and spread abroad like a Cedar in Lebanon: such as be planted in the house of the Lord, shall flou­rish in the courts of the house of our God; they shall still bring forth fruit in their age, and shall be fat and well liking.

To conclude then this point, Let all of us who professe our selves Christians, and triumph in our Saviours resurrection, let all of us, I say, rise with him; as well he that hath beene dead but an houre or two, hee that [Page 138] hath fallen lately, as he that like Lazarus hath beene in the grave foure dayes, and through his continuance in sinne begin­neth to stinke in the nostrils of the Lord. Let not the young man lye still, and thinke another day will come, and then it will be time enough for him to rise; but as Christ rose early in the morning, so let him rise in the prime & morning of his youth; if he find the grave now open, and his soule to be in him, let him take heed lest the grave shut her mouth againe upon him, lest his soule being taken againe out of that drowsie man­sion, he have no more such o­portunity to rise: Againe, let not the old man lye still and not arise, because hee feareth hee hath laid too long, and there is no hope for him to recover life for sweet and comfortable is that saying of Saint Austine, V [...] radius oculi nostri, &c. As our [Page 139] eye doth not sooner see things that are near it, & thē the things that are further off, but with a like swiftnesse doth behold them both: so the vertue of Christs rising commeth not first to them who are new dead in sinne, and scarcely to those that are of long continuance in it, sed ei tam facile est, ut quae (que) recentia, diuturno tempori di­lapsa cadavera suscitare; it can as easily raise those which have longest, as those which have had smallest time therein. Let us then all, both old and young, rouse up our selves, for the Ma­ster is up, and shall it not shame the servants to be behinde? Christ is risen, and draweth us also with the cords of love, oh let us runne after him in the sweet savour of his oyntments, and ascend after him in our hearts to heaven; whither hee hath already ascended, which is the third thing propounded in [Page 140] the Text, the fruit of our rising with Christ, Seeke the things that are above.

Where two things offer themselves to be considered; the Object, things above; the Act, seeke; which Act is pro­portioned to the Object and is divers, according to the diver­sity of it. Now things above may bee taken two wayes 1. For Christ the truth, opposed to Iewish ceremonies; and this interpretation is made good by comparing this verse with the latter part of the se­cond chapter, where the Apostle reasoneth in this manner, They which wrongly conceive o [...] Christ, live still to the Ordi­nances of the world, and bur­then themselves with traditi­ons, touch not, tast not, handle not; but such as beleeving a right in his resurrection, are freed from these beggerly ru­diments, looke after things o [...] [Page 141] [...]n higher nature, Christ him­selfe, who is the body and sub­stance of all those shadowes, and is now to be apprehended [...]n himselfe, without the inter­ [...]osition of those former obser­vances, and then seeking is ta­ken for right understanding and conceiving of the state of Religion; as if the Apostle had said, You that are Christians, must know that the Ceremo­niall Law is abolished, which good in distinction of meats, [...]ayes, apparell; things, though at first appointed by God, yet [...]ut for a season, and therefore [...]ave perished in their use, and [...]ow are become commande­ments and doctrines of men: You must know, that the true worshippers must worship the father in spirit and in truth, [...]omming to him by Christ, who above in heaven at his right hand; beleeving in his death [...]nd resurrection, letting goe [Page 142] the sacrifices of the Law, a [...] Mosaicall injunctions, which though they had a shew of wis­dome in them, yet were ordai­ned to endure but till the tru [...] came. We see how the Apo­stle opposeth Christ to the earthly ceremonies, and diss [...] ­deth Christians, who were [...] lay hold on him, from any fur­ther dealing with them, and that for two reasons: 1. Be­cause he was come whom the prefigured, and therefore the [...] were to cease in him. 2. F [...] that hee was now againe ascen­ded into heaven, and therefore looked for the heart and the affections, not bodily observan­ces: Now these earthly cere­monies are not such onely were legall, belonging to Mo­ses Law, but even those which draw the heart from heaven unto the earth, placing Religi­on in outward shewes and wi [...] worship, such as the Christian [Page 143] within the Papacy hath beene miserably pestered with. Saint Austine in his time complained Epist. 119. c. 19. of these servile burthens, which though they could not be pro­ved to bee directly against the faith, yet made the Church of the Christians in worse case than the Church of the Iewes, the one being in bondage to a [...]egall yoke, the other to mens presumptions, such as are the [...]et number of Paternosters, Creeds, and Ave-maries to be [...]aily said over; the adoring of Christ, in the Rood, Windows, &c. their Pilgrimages, Whip­ [...]ing themselves, and a world more such as these, which make indeed a great shew of Devo­tion in the eyes of men, and [...]old the beguiled senses in ad­miration, yet are not of any value but for the satisfying of the flesh, mans carnall desires; who for the sinne of his soule, would give any thing rather [Page 144] than his soule; or doe any thing rather than the workes of the soule. Well are we who have shaked off this bondage, and are free to come to Christ, as him­selfe hath appointed, with hear­ty repentance, earnest faith, willing affections, so to seeke the things that are above.

2. By things above may be meant heavenly things, the happinesse which aboundeth in heaven, and which we are by God ordained unto; and then seeking signifieth two things: 1. A desire of this happinesse: 2. The using of the meanes to attaine this happinesse. 1. They which are risen, desire things above; not with a lazy wish, oh that some would give mee to drinke of the waters of life! but with ardor and fervency, such as was in David, Psal. 42. 1. Like as the Hart panteth after the water brookes, so longeth my soule after thee O God: my [Page 145] soule is athirst for God, yea e­ven for the living God: oh when shall I come and appeare in the presence of God? 2. They use the meanes of attaining it; no way so straight that they will not walke in, if it lead to hea­ven; no labour so hard which they will not endure, if it end in happinesse; fire, water, swords, stones, they will passe through them all to this weal­thy place: Thus doe the Saints, Ascensiones disponere in corde, thinke of nothing but ascen­ding upward: they digge not downe to hell, to fetch from thence wicked plots and devi­ces; they spend not themselves upon the earth to get riches, honours, and preferments, but sursum corda, all their delight is above these transitory things, their soules are heaven-wal­king spirits, ravished with the joy they know to be there, and therefore attend ever to par­take [Page 146] of it. Christ, who is their head, ascending, hath invited them that are his members, as Saint Austine speaketh, to a re­gion of Angels, to the friend­ship of the Father and the holy Ghost, to an everlasting supper, to communion with him, to himselfe; this maketh them to confesse with the Patriarkes, Heb. 11. 13. that they are stran­gers & pilgrims upon the earth, looking still towards heaven, as if they sought a Countrey; hic generatio quaerentium quae sunt supra: thus doe they, who seek the things which are at ove; and let every man aske him­selfe, Are we such? What mea­neth then the high-climbing ambition of haughty spirits to places of promotion and digni­ty? What meaneth the hoor­ding up of treasures by the co­vetous; the swimming in lasci­vious pleasures by the voluptu­tuous? Doe we not hereby te­stifie [Page 147] that wee are worldly; and if worldly, how heavenly? As­suredly, our love of earth can­not stand with the love of hea­ven; our seeking of things be­low, with seeking things above. If then we would have comfort in our owne soules, that we are risen with Christ, let us aseend with him, from licking the base dust with the cursed creatures, to feed of celestiall Manna; that though our bodies tread upon the earth yet our conversation maybe in heaven, from whence we looke for our Saviour, the Lord Iesus Christ to come; who at his comming, as he hath ray­sed our soules already to the life of grace, will rayse our bodies to the life of glory, and make them like his owne most glori­ous body.

MAn sins, and ven­geance sleepes; sentence against an evill worke is not speedily exe­cuted: So the Preacher, Eccles. 8. 11. When thou didst these things, I kept silence. So God himselfe, Psal. 50 21. The slee­ping [Page 150] of vengeance causeth the overflow of sinne; because sen­tence is not executed, the harts of men are set to doe mischiefe; because God keepes silence, the sinner thinkes hee is haile fellow with him. And the o­verflow of sinne, causeth the awaking of vengeance: The sinner shall not prolong his dayes, though without controule hee doth evill an hundred times, the same Preacher telleth us: I will reprove thee, and set thy sins in order, the same God speakes it. So that in few words I have pointed out to you foure things: Mans sinne: Gods connivence upon his sinne: Mans blodnesse upon his connivence: Gods pu­nishment upon mans boldnesse.

Will you see all these verefi­ed by an example? You need go no further than Iehu, whom my Text nameth; looke his hi­story, 2 King. 9, 10, chap. and compare it with these words, [Page 151] you shall find them all plainely laid before you. 1. He kills his Master, leboram, the King, chap. 9. vers. 24. there is his sinne; how farre he sinned in this a­ction, you shal heare afterward. 2. There neither comes thun­derbolt from heaven to strike him, neither doth the earth o­pen her mouth to devoure him, nor any other plague seize upon him for it; there is Gods con­nivence. 3. Hereupon he pro­ceedeth to dash lezabel, the Queene, against the walls, to behead the kings children, to cut off from Ahab all that re­mained, chap 10. there is his boldnesse. Hitherto all sorts well with him, the world goeth on his side still: but you looke for a fourth part, what God prepared for him all this while; my Text wil tel you that, which is nothing else, but the de­nouncing of vengeance against Iehu's house for this bloody cru­elty. [Page 152] Heare the words, and you shal understand his punishment; I will avenge the blood of Iez­reel upon the house of Iehu. You have the scope and the summe.

The parts are three: Paena, Crimen, Reus: A punishment denounced, I will avenge: A fault to be punished, The blood of Iezreel: A part to sustaine the punishment, The house of Iehu Each part subdivideth it selfe into two branches. In the punishment you have two things: 1. The foreshewing of an evill to come: The tense af­foordeth this consideration [...] in the future significa­tion, I will avenge. 2. The na­ture of the evill foreshowne, this the Verbe telleth us, it is avenging. In the crime you have likewise two things: 1. The fault in generall to bee punished, that is, murder; set downe here under the name of blood. 2. The restriction of this [Page 153] fault in respect of the persons murthered, in the word Iezreel, the blood of Iezreel. Finally, in the party sustaining, you have two things; the root and the branches, the fountaine and the rivers, Iehu and his posterity. the house of Iehu. So that these words doe give us to consider of fix things: 1. Gods predi­ction of evill to come: 2. Gods punishing of evill men: 3. His punishing of murther: 4. His punishing the murther done in Iezreel: 5. His avenging it upon Iehu: 6. His avenging it upon his house. Of these briefe­ly.

I will avenge,) this is the 1 prediction. It is observed in earthly policy among Princes, that upon any offence offered by their neighbours, they doe not presently set upon them with fire and sword, untill they have sent an Herauld to declare their grievance, and denounce [Page 154] warre: God commanded it to the Israelites, Deut 20. 10. and the law of nature, as it seemeth, dispersed it to all Nations: The manner thereof among the Ro­mans is described by Gellius; Gell. l. 16. c. 4. The Herauld threw his weapon upon the enemies ground, with this speech, Ego populu que Ro­manus hominibus Hermundulis bellum dico facioque. In like manner, God being justly of­fended with the sinnes of men, openeth not by and by the trea­sures of his wrath, but sendeth out his Embassadours to see if satisfaction may be made, and so the course of his revenge stayed. This the very Gentiles obserued in their false gods, [...] said Hero­dotus; Musa [...]. l. 6. The gods take pleasure in premenitions: And we find it every where verefied of the Lord of Hosts, the God of Bat­tels, that hee smites not before he hath given warning; sends [Page 155] not the executioners of his Iu­stice, till hee hath fore-sent the messengers of his mercy: Thus had the old world before the flood, Noah to teach them, [...], 2 Pet. 2. 5. the Trumpet of Gods righte­ousnesse, and the Arke in buil­ding by the space of 120 years, to be a visible signe unto them of their succeeding misery: Thus Moses and Aaron fore­told Pharaoh of those plagues Ioseph. de hello Iud. l. 6. c. 3. which lighted upon him and his people: Thus the blazing Starre, the battels seene in the Ayre, the voice heard in the Temple, the constant cry of Ie­sus the sonne of Anani in the streets, were to the Iewes fore­runners of their ensuing destru­ction. Not to heape up exam­ples; the sinnes of Israel were now growne ripe, and the po­sterity of Iehu fitted for the sword, which made God stirre up the spirit of the Prophet [Page 156] Hosea, to let them understand that their end drew nigh, and that the kingdome should cease from the house of Israel; for by then a yeare and an halfe were expired, the race of Iehu Zanch. in hu [...] lo [...]m was expired likewise; Shallum the usurper having slaine Za­chariah, the fourth from Iehu, and so that line ceased.

Now the end of these predi­ctions are two-fold: 1. To move the warned to labour re­conciliation with God. 2. To assure them of vengeance if they be not reconciled.

For the first: It is directly 1 expressed by the Prophet Amos, chap. 4. 12. Thus will I doe unto thee, O Israel; and because I will doe thus unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel The comminations of God in Scrip­ture, doe not shut up the way to repentance but rather open it, inviting the sinner to send up his humility, his penitence, his [Page 157] prayers, to stand in the gappe, and to keepe off the wrath of God, that it come not foorth to consume him. If I speake, saith God, against a Nation to plucke it up and destroy it, if that Nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evill way, I will repent of the evill which I thought to do unto them, Ier. 18. 7. A manifest example wherof we have in that threat­ning denounced against Nini­vie; a threatning, than which, in Scripture, none more abso­lute, none more peremptory, yet forty dayes and Ninivie shall be destroyed; yet was this sen­tence reversed by God upon the Ninivits conversion, though hereby men might conceive of him that he was as a man to re­pent; and of Ionas his messen­ger, that he was a false prophet. And I doubt not but I may safe­ly say, If the house of Iehu had by the message of Hosea lear­ned [Page 158] to walke in the wayes of God, this revenge here de­nounced might have beene re­moved, or at leastwise deferred till succeeding generations.

Let men, who find the cur­ses due by the Law dogging them for their transgressions, not hereupon grow desperate, as if there were no way of eva­sion, but they must dye for it; Daniels counsel was otherwise to Nebuchadnezzar, even after the decree of the Watch-man, and the word of the holy One, O King, breake off thy sinnes by righteousnesse, if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity, Dan 4. 27. Prolata est sententia ut non fiat, saith Chrysostome up­on these words; God threatneth Iudgment, that he may not exe­cute it; telleth men of evils to come, not onely that they may know, but especially that they may avoyd them.

For the second; these predi­ctions 2 [Page 159] assure the impenitent of vengeance, they are the earnest of that price which shall here­after be paid them to the ut­most farthing: for shall God speake the word, and shal it not be done? hath he said, and shall he not make it good? assured­ly his word shall stand, and his threatning not returne to him in vaine, every jot and tittle thereof shall be fulfilled in his season: He foretold of a flood to come upon the old world, the world remained impeni­tent, the flood came and swept them all away: Hee foretold plagues to light upon Egypt, Egypt remained impenitent, and the plagues with multipli­cation layd hold upon them In a word, hee foretold to Iehu's house the departing of their glory, Jehu's house remayned impenitent, and in a smal while their glory departed from them?

This point the Apostle Paul hath laid down in plaine terms, Rom. 9. 6. It is impossible the word of God should fall, and yet many stumble at this stone, calling into question both the justice and truth of God, when as contrary to the propheticall threats, impenitent sinners en­joy earthly good things, the Law having denounced many temporall judgements against them, all which notwithstan­ding, they live many times in great delight and prosperity, as if they were the sonnes of bles­sing, and had nothing to doe with cursing. To cleare there­fore this point in a word or two, I affirme, that not to exc­cute vengeance threatned a­gainst impenitent sinners, is nei­ther against the Iustice nor the Truth of God.

1. Not against his Iustice; for the rule whereby God squa­reth his Iustice, is not alwayes [Page 161] retributio pro meritis, that hee doe to the sinner according to his desert, but sometime conde­centia bonitatis suae, that he doe to the sinner what becommeth his owne goodnesse, as Aquinas Prima q. 2. primo 3. speaketh: though evill men in themselves deserve most righ­teously all the punishments de­nounced in the Law, yet the goodnesse of God requireth that hee empty not the trea­sure of his wrath upon every occasion, but sometime spare when he might strike; whether therefore he striketh, he is just; or whether he holdeth his hands he is still just; Cum punis malos iustus es, quia illorum meritis eonvenit, cum parcis iustus quiae bonitatituae condicit, said An­selmus Ansel. ci [...]. Aq. loco pred. cto. truly; In the former just, because mans sinnes deserve it; in the latter just, because it is consonant to his owne good­nesse.

2. Not against his Truth: If [Page 162] the sinner goe unpunished in Zanch in 2. praecep. p. 374. one sort or other, even of tem­porall punishments, then say God is untrue; but never think a thought against his truth, be­cause the sinner is not punished in this kind or that: for how­soever God hath annexed these and these judgements to the violation of his Precepts, to the intent that the wicked may know what is their due guer­don, and what they may expect De n [...]t. Dei l. 4. 6. 5. q 2. from him, yet is he I [...]dex liber, not Iuratus. as Zanchy saith well: Hee is not bound at all times to inflict them, or upon all sinners, but in his wise dis­pensation so to order them, as may make most for the manife­station of his owne Iustice, for the conviction of the wicked, for the good of his Saints, and for the terror of all men. His speciall threatnings against par­ticular, either Nations or men, lay fast hold, and misse not; the [Page 163] burthen of Ierusalem, of Ahab, of Jehu, of infinite more wee see have fallen heavy upon them: but his generall threat­nings against generall sinners, are then made good, not when they al light upon every sinner, but when some of them light upon all; and so it may be truly averred, God never said hee would avenge, but hee hath a­venged to the full, and the transgressor hath found it to his smart.

To conclude this point; wee which are the Heraulds of the Lord of Hosts, are bound to de­nounce destruction against his enemies; not so, that wee can surely tell them as the Prophets did, If they offend in this kind, they shall be punished in this sort, we have no such visions now adayes, and we may be too bold in speaking beyond our Commission; but this we may, yea and must say, that even the [Page 164] temporall evils of this life are the portion of sinners, (as Zo­phar hath excellently described it through the whole twentieth Chapter of Job) and they may justly feare to be overtaken by them; cursings in the City, cursings in the field, cursings in their body, cursings in their seed, cursings in their soules, cursings in their estate, all these wait for them; and were it not for the curbing fence of Gods mercy, would suddenly, as the old worlds water, make away with them. Repent therefore, this is the end of all, that you may bee free from the curse, sons of promise, not of threat­ning; to whom God may say, I will doe good; and not as hee did here to Iehu, I will avenge. And so I proceed from Gods woollen feet, to his iron hands; from his mercy in threatning, to his severity in executing, which appeareth in the nature [Page 165] of the evill here denounced, which is avenging.

Avenge.] The Original word 2. [...] signifieth to visit, and visiting is in Scripture taken two ways; there is visitatio misericordiae, a visiting in pure mercy; our Sa­viour speaketh of that, Luk 19. 44. Oh that thou hadst knowne the day of thy visitation! and there is visitatio vindictae, a visi­ting in wrath and indignation, called sometime the visitation of evill, Exod. 20. 4. sometime the visitation for evill, Esay 13. 11. Our Prophet Hosea, chap. 9. 7. speaking of [...] dayes of visitation, pre [...]ently [...]ddeth, [...], dayes of [...]etribution; declaring this un­to us, that Gods visiting, it is his punishing, his repaying unto e­vill doers the stipend of their [...]mpieties; this visiting here of [...]ehu's house is certainly of the atter kind of visitation; the [...]easing of Israe Is kingdome, the [Page 166] breaking of his bow, were ef­fects of it, and these, without doubt, were the works of Gods displeasure. Tremellius there­fore reads the word animad­vertam, I will punish; and our last English translation signifi­cantly, I will avenge: which word setteth forth God unto us as a Iudge, proceeding to take vengeance upon such as have broke his Law, and to punis [...] them.

1. God as a Iudge; for wee are not to imagine that we have a God to deale withall, who i [...] all mercy, all meekenesse, al [...] compassion; hee hath in hi [...] Iustice also, hee hath severity he hath anger, not onely in pre­paring against that generall day of slaughter at the end of time but even now working in this present world. Davids Ditty when he sung unto God, wa [...] composed of Discords, then was judgement as well as me [...] [Page 167] cy, Psal. 101. 1. and it is the stile of his Royall Title proclai­med by himselfe, Exod. 34. 6. The Lord mercifull and gra­cious, who will not cleare the guilty, but visit iniquity unto the third and fourth generation.

2. This word Avenge, shew­eth us, that from Gods Iustice it commeth to passe, that wicked men are truly and properly pu­nished in this life, as Iehu's house here was; I say, properly, for among those three things which the Schoole-men make Aq. quae. disp. de ma­lo in com. q. 1, ar. 4. of the essence of punishment, this is one, that it have respect unto, and follow upon a fault: Dicitur enim proprie aliquis is pu­niri, quando patitur malum pro aliquo quod commisit; Hee is truly punished who suffereth some evill for some fact: when therefore God for the sinnes of men sendeth temporall evils upon them, then doth hee pro­perly punish them: And this [Page 168] hee doth oftentimes; for al­though it cannot be denyed but that some of the evils which God inflicteth upon men, are [...], gentle chastisements of a loving father, as warning­pieces to deterre them from sinne: and some [...], trials of their faith, patience, their obedience; yet are there also [...], revenging judge­ments, whereby God he weth downe the tree for unfruitful­nesse, and casteth it, irrecove­rably, into the fire; as we see in the sudden destruction of Co­rab, Dathan, and Abiram; in the present death of Anania [...] and Sapphira, manifest exam­ples, and beyond all gainsaying, of Gods revenging judgements upon transgressors.

This punishing of sinners here with temporall punishments is necessary in a three fold respect 1. It declareth the Iustice [...] God: 2. It maketh way for th [...] [Page 169] goodnesse of God: 3. It con­serveth the order of the world; in all which respects, supplicia, they are bona, and Deo digna, as Terdullian speaketh, befitting Lib. 2. cont. Mar. c. 11. God, Zeph. 1. 12. Psalm. 58. 11, 12.

1. They declare his Iustice, so saith Saint Paul, 2 Thes. 1. 6. it is righteous with God to crush those in pieces who torment you, [...], to pay them their due hire: Had not God this power, or did hee not execute it, the sonnes of men would soone in their impudency make a skare­crow of him, and set as light by his precepts, as a rebellious multitude doth by the lawes of their King, when they thinke themselves sure enough for his punishing them. Tertullian Ibid. c. 10. expresseth it well, when hee saith, Si Deus non Iudex, certe perversus ac vanus disciplinae non vindicandae constitutor: It [Page 170] were a preposterous course, and to no no purpose for God to make lawes, if he were not a Iudge to revenge the breach of them. But it will be sayd, he de­ferreth this vengeance till the day of Iudgement? But alas, did hee deferre it till then, in­iquity would so abound, and the swelling waves of sinne so pre­vaile, that the societies of man­kind would be destroyed, and no roome left for honesty upon the earth: The Iudge of the earth well aware of this, kee­peth his petty Sessions now, let­ting the law passe upon some few, reserving the rest till the grand day of Assizes, when all shall appeare before his Tribu­nall.

2. Punishments make way for the goodnesse of God: yea, Te [...]t l. 1. cit. c. 13. they doe maintaine it, saith the Father; Ordo Dei Judicis pro­tect or est Catholicae, et summae illius bonitatis: they doe protect [Page 171] it two wayes; in it selfe, and as it is communicable to man: 1. In it selfe, by stopping the mouthes of those filthy dogges who are ever barking against heaven; and were it not that these plagues are as a gag un­to them, would not cease blas­phemously to speake of God himselfe: if they have not their owne minde, they would straight beginne to raile at God, but that they feare some fire from heaven, some gaping from the earth, some stifling from the waters, or some such other mischiefe to seize upon them for it; punishment is a good curbe for such hell-hounds, so restraining them, as that they dare not violate that goodnesse which yet they care not for. 2. As it is communicable to man; for wicked wretches labour what they can to keepe the good from either spirituall or temporall blessings; like the [Page 172] Philistims, Gen. 26. 15. they stoppe the wells of water, and are as flaming sword standing in the way of the tree of life, that none can passe by them; but Iudgements meet with these Caitiffs, and plucke them from their standings, that so the rivers of Gods goodnesse may flow out freely, and those that have a mind may drinke their fill thereof.

3. Punishments conserve the order of the world by keeping every thing in his due place: they are, it may be, things evill in themselves, and to those that feele them, yet have they a twofold good, whereby they are a very beneficiall: 1. In that they expell the evill of sin, which hath put the world out of frame, and marred all; ma­lum Esa 26. 9 supplicii, malo delicti inimi­cum. 2. In that they guard and fence in a great deale of good, which else would be scattered [Page 173] and brought to nothing; sup­plicia sunt bonorum defensoria. Gen. 31. 29 In these three regards it is, that God, howsoever mercy plea­seth him, is yet compelled to be severe, and to make those who will not know how loving hee is, to know how just he is; that although he be all good, se­cundum naturam, in his nature, yet is he also a punisher, secun­dum causam, upon occasion of mans rebellion. Take this in Cap. 10. Tertullians words, who hand­leth it heavenly, in his second booke against Marcion; Prior bonitas Dei, severitas posterior: illa ingenita, haec accidens: illa propria, haec accommodata: illa edita, haec adhibitae.

But why goe I about to speak so much for Gods punishments? I hope Marcion's spirit liveth in no man now, to thinke God cannot bee both good, and a Iudge; and yet I know there are many, who thinke the mer­cy [Page 174] of God swalloweth up his Justice: Hence springs that erroneous conceit, which, they say, once possessed Origen, that after some time of punishment all men shall be saved. Hence that opinion also, that all crosses in this life are to no sorts of men punishments, but onely [...], admonitions to reclaime them. Hence also that conceit of many, that though they live wickedly, I, and evils befall them, yet they are in the fa­vour of God. But what hath formerly beene said, sheweth the contrary: To leave them therefore, and to conclude this point, Gods revenging hand, which we have heard to be a­greeable to his goodnesse, and see here in the Text sore upon Iehu's house, may let us see how odious sinne is, which compelleth the mercifull God to be an avenger; hee who is goodnesse it selfe, to prepare e­vill [Page 175] judgements for evill offen­ces, and therefore to get out of the borders of sinne, if wee will escape feareful vengeance: Say not thou, saith Saint Augu­stine, In Ps. 101. Semper parcit Deus; ecce feci heri, et pepercit Deus; facio et hodie, et parcit Deus; faciam et cras quia parcit Deus; at­tendis ad misericordiā, non times Iudicium: We are all too for­ward to lay hold of Gods mer­cy; good it is sometime to re­member his Iustice; not to say, I have sinned yesterday, and God hath spared mee; I finne to day, and God spareth mee; therefore I will sinne to mor­row, for hee will spare mee: no, the Wise-man saith truly, Eccles. 5. 6. Both mercy and wrath come from him, and his indignation descendeth upon sin­ners. God avengeth, and he a­vengeth none but the sinner; it is for murther that he punish­eth Iehu in the Text, which is [Page 176] a species of sinne, and the third thing now to be considered.

The blood,] that is, the mur­ther: 3 Murther is expressed by this word of blood, because blood is, as the Philosopher Aq 1. 2: q 102. a. 3. 8. speaketh, Maxime necessarius ad vitam, ratione cuius anima dicitur esse in sanguine, so ne­cessary to life, that the soule is said to be in it; so that the shedding of the blood, is the letting out of the soule, the murthering of a man: This blood of man cruelly drawne out of his veynes, God alwaies detested; and thereby decla­reth that great difference be­tweene him, and the gods of the heathen; they must have sacrificiorum immanitates, as Mat. Co. p. 65. one calleth them, [...], horrible sacrifi­ces; no savour so sweet in their nostrill, as that of mans blood; melancholly Saturne was ado­red, saith Plutarch, with this [Page 177] more than wicked superstition; the Carthaginians offered to Plut lib. de superstit. him their children, and while they were most cruelly massa­cred at the bloody altar, all rang againe with Drums and Pipes, that the cryes of the poore slaughterd infants might not be heard. But the God of heaven loatheth hands imbrued with blood, and therefore nei­ther requireth the sacrifice of humane blood himselfe, nor will have his delight in blood.

1. He requireth none such himselfe, nay, he forbiddeth the Israelites to imitate this devel­lish custome of the heathen, Deut. 12. 31. Once indeed hee commanded Abraham to offer up his sonne Isaac for an whole burnt sacrifice, but it was onely [...], to try his obedience; and while Abraham was about the businesse, God sent a coun­termand, Ne extendas manum super puerum, for a world let not [Page 178] me cause thee to butcher thy sonne. Iephthai is the onely man, whom some Divines con­ceive to have sacrificed his daughter according to his vow; but that fact of his, if hee did it, hath no approbation from God, the Scripture leaveth it uncen­sured; and Saint Augustine, C [...]p. 49. though in his questions upon the Iudges, he goe about to ex­cuse him what he may; yet in his questions upon the old Te­stament (if they at least be his) he is bold to call Iephthat's de­votion foolish, his faith foolish, and himselfe facinorosum et im­providum, C [...]p 43. a Iewd and rash man in that enterprize: finally, so farre doth this kinde of bloody oblation displease God, that when the Israelits had so strict­ly besieged the Moabites, that the King thereof to pacifie his gods, offered his eldest sonne for an whole burnt offering, the Text saith, Fervor erat magnus [Page 179] contra Israelitas, Gods indigna­tion grew hot against Israel, 2 King. 3. 27.

2. God will not have his people given to blood-sucking, this mind of his he hath decla­red divers wayes: 1. By his command, Thou shalt not kill; we see in the decalogue, that next after his owne worship, and the duty to be done to pa­rents, whom he hath given un­to us as gods in his stead, in the first place he giveth this precept against blood, as being most dis­honourable unto him in defa­cing his Image, wherein hee made man, Gen. 9. 8. and most injurious to man, whose grea­test good is thereby destroyed.

2. By renewing this Com­mandement visibly in the beasts which were daily slaine for sa­crifice; for whereas some part of them was allotted to the Priests use, some part to the use of the people, God expressely [Page 180] commanded, that neither Priest nor people should have share in the blood, but it should bee sprinckled upon the ground as water, Ad informationem hu­manae Aq 1. 2. q. 102. a. 3. 8. vitae, ut horrerent humani sanguinis effusionem, saith A­quinas; to teach man to abstaine from shedding the blood of man. 3. In making the Law of blood for blood, whereby the murtherer was to be puni­shed with death: Who so shed­deth mans blood, by man shall his blood be shed, Gen. 9. 6. All that take the sword, shall perish by the sword, Matth. 26. 52. 4. By taking the revenge of murthe­rers into his owne hands, when as either they were concealed from the Magistrate, or were so great, that they had no superi­ours to execute Law upon them: This he doth two waies: 1. By strangely revealing mur­thers done never so closely: 2. By sharply punishing the [Page 181] murtherer.

1. By strangely revealing murthers: How often have we heard, that the fowle of the heaven hath carried the voyce, and that which hath wings hath declared the mat­ter? Men conscious of blood, have imagined, that the birds in their chirping did bewray them, and in articulate voyces tell them of their cruelty; yea, the stone hath cryed it out of the wall, and the beame of the Timber hath answered it; eve­ry noyse hath affrighted them, and made their guilty consci­ences never to be at rest, till they have opened themselves to the world, and have had judgement answerable to their bloody crime; surely this is the finger of God, not suffering the earth to hide in her bowels the blood of him that hath dyed in­nocently, and to bee unpuni­shed.

[Page 182]2. If all faile, by sharply re­venging blood himselfe. Cain was a murtherer, and hee had a punishment (as himselfe com­playned) greater than he could beare: God made him a runna­gate, and branded him with such a marke in his soule, as that he was infallibly knowne to be a reprobate. Joab was a mur­therer, and that made him hee could not goe downe to the grave in peace; the blood of Abner, and of Amasa, did re­turne upon the head of Ioab, and upon the head of his seed for ever▪ To conclude, Iehu was a murtherer, and behold, God here threatneth, that hee will avenge the blood of Iezreel upon Iehu, and upon his house.

Now what should all these things teach us (beloved) but onely this? that wee be wary never to have hand in this loud­speaking, and high-crying sinne of murther, which is (as wee [Page 183] have heard) against the Com­mandement of God, against which, God hath armed the hand of the Magistrate with a sword; and which, if all men passe by, God will be sure not to let goe unrevenged. Alas, the life of man, which is a thing so precious in the sight of God, is now adayes smally regarded. Blessed be our Solomon, who is carefull to keepe the blood of his subjects within their bo­dies: But what shall we say to those wretched Circumcellions which visit us ever and anon under the name of Souldiers, who, as they pretend, have beene so fleshed with blood, that they hunger and thirst after it daily; yea, cannot tell other­wise how to set themselves on worke, but by the slaughter of men. I doubt not of the law­fulnesse of killing enemies in warre, but this I doubt of, nay I condemne the blood-thristi­nesse [Page 184] of men, who pant with eager desire after the doing of that which they should not doe without a kinde of unwilling willingnesse. Iehu did at Iez­roel what he might doe, but the bloody minde spoyled all, as you shall heare by and by.

What shall we say unto our too too proud and insolent gallants? who thinke so well of them­selves, that the least word of disgrace offered them, cannot be appeased without blood; the field must be appointed, and the life of the offender sacrificed to the fury of his adversary: I may well liken them to Thra­sonical Lamech, Gen. 4. 23. who brags, that he will slay a man in his wound, and a young man in his hurt; and goeth on to out­dare God himselfe, If Cain bee avenged seven-fold, truly La­mech seventy seven-fold: As who should say, If God will take vengeance on those that [Page 185] contemne him, why may not I of those which contemne mee? nay, though God will forgive evils against him, yet will not I evils against mee. Ile have the Iu. in lot. odds of him, seventy to seven. Thus farre, if not in words, at least in deeds proceed our reso­lute Champions, boasting in how many bowels their swords have beene sheathed, how ma­ny soules they have sent out of their bodies, to hell, for ought they know: but let them heare how David reads their destiny, and be more moved at it, than at a reproachfull word, Bloody neen shall not live out halfe their dayes, thou O God, shalt bring them downe into the pit of de­struction, Psal. 55. 23. And so I leave to speake of murther in generall, and come to the re­striction of it by that murther which is here specified in the Text, The blood of Iezreel. Of Iezreel,) that is, the blood 4 [Page 186] which was spilt in Iezreel; this Iezreel and Samaria were the two mother Cities of the ten tribes who were called Is­rael, there the Kings had their palaces, and in them were all of the blood Royall at the time of Iehu's conspiracy; Ioram and Iesabel, at Iezreel; the Kings children at Sameria: to Iezreel comes Iehu, and there putteth to the sword, the King, and the Queene mother; and thence directeth his letters to have the same effected upon their children at Samaria: hence commeth it to passe, that here in the Text this murther is cal­led [...], the bloods of Iezreel, intimating both the multitude of those that were slaughtered, and the place wherin that murther was com­mitted.

And here that question com­meth fitly to be demanded and discussed, how God threatneth [Page 187] in this place to avenge upon Ie­hu the blood of Iezreel, when as hee shed it by the command of God himselfe, for so we have it laid downe in expresse terms 2 King. 9. 7. the Prophet saith to Iehu in the word of the Lord, Thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy Master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the Prophets. Bellarmine, loo­king onely, as it seemeth, upon the history, either not know­ing, or forgetting this Scripture, goeth about wholly to com­mend Iehu's fact, as altogether laudable; Quis credat Deum De am. quae. l. 2. c. 23 laudaturum factum Iehu, a [...] dicturum eum studiose fecisse quod rectum erat, si Iehu ex am­bitione rebellasset, et injuste do­minum suum occidisset? And other Interpreters miserably torture themselves, in reconci­ling Gods command with this punishment: But not to spend time in rehearsing their opini­ons, [Page 188] I am of their mind, who thinke Iehu sinned fouly in this slaughter of his, and therefore hath vengeance denounced a­gainst him by God in this place for it. Which sinne of his that I may open, I will shew two things: 1. I will lay this downe in thesi, as a ground, that a man may doe a thing according to the command of God, which is good ratione [...], in regard of the act done and e­vent, when as notwithstanding it is evill to him ratione modi, in regard of his manner of do­ing it, and deserveth punish­ment. 2. I will in hypothesi shew this to have beene the fault of Iehu.

For the first: the truth of the ground will appeare to us if we consider two things; the rule of mans doing, and the princi­ple of his doing, which two have maine sway in making all his actions good or bad: if man [Page 189] have both a good rule to direct him what is to be done, and a good principle from whence hee sendeth forth his actions, certainely the thing done must needs be good; but if hee be defective in either of these, his worke is evill: to doe a good thing not well, that is naught; and to doe with a good intenti­on an evill thing, that is naught likewise. Now then here is in the ground laid downe, the command of God, a good rule; he that doth that, cannot misse of the right; but where is principium operandi, the prin­ciple out of which man wor­keth? Surely, that is oft-times two-faced with Ianus, confor­mable to the command, in do­ing the thing commanded, but Aq. 2. 2. q. 104. a. 2. 3. yet hath aliquid de suo, some proprium volitum of his owne, never commanded, whereby it becommeth disobedient: Man doth oftentimes what [Page 190] God commandeth him, not be­cause hee commandeth it, but for the satisfying of his owne humour and so, though there­in be the Instrument of Gods will, yet is he also the cause of his owne punishment; because many things are good quatenus, and quous (que) Deus vult, as farre forth as God wills them, which when men take in hand to doe, severed from, and without re­spect of his will, are evill, and deserving judgement.

Now man severeth Gods command from his will, two wayes: 1. In his disposition to the action. when he standeth not so affected in doing Gods command, as God would have him doe. 2. In his disposition to the end of the action, when God aymeth at one thing, he at another.

1. In his disposition to the Action: Some men being made the executioners of Gods com­mands, [Page 191] become proud thereof, and forgetting that they are set on worke, as the saw in the hand of the mover, the Axe in the hand of the hewer, make themselves the principall a­gents, and independant. This was the fault of the King of As­syria, recorded most excellent­ly by the Prophet Esay, chap. 10. 5. God made him the rod of his wrath and the staffe in the hand of his indignation, giving him a charge against Ierusalem: But he thought not so, neither did his heart esteeme it so; but be fell to dreaming of destroying & cut­ting off Nations, saying, Are not my Princes altogether Kings? Is not Calno as Carchemis [...]? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Sa­maria as Damascus? Like as mine hand hath found the king­domes of the Idols, seeing their Idols were above Ierusalem and Samaria, shall not I, as I have done to Samaria, and the Idols [Page 192] thereof, doe also to Ierusalem, and the Idols thereof? Behold a right Pyrgopolynices, when he was set a worke by God, ex­alting himselfe both above God and man: It followeth there­fore in the 12. verse, that al­though God accomplished his worke upon Sion and Ierusa­lem by Ashurs meanes, yet when hee had done that, hee threatneth to visit the proud hart of the King of Assyria, his glori­ous and proud looks. Pride made the fulfilling of Gods command a snare to Ashur, wherein hee was intrapped. Some againe in the execution of Gods Com­mands become cruell; so wee see in Shimei, 2 Sam, 16. 10. God biddeth him let David know those foule faults for which now he smarted: Shimei prepareth to doe it, but hee bringeth an heart fraught with bitternesse against his Sove­raigne then distressed, which [Page 193] made him curse, and curse a­gaine, throw stones and curse, cast dust and curse; Come forth, come forth thou murtherer, and man of Belial. David remem­bred this horrible curse, and gave a charge to Solomon, that he should not bee guiltlesse for it, 1 King. 2. 9. This dogged quality made the fulfilling of Gods Command a snare to Shi­mei, wherein he was intrapped. I might be infinite in this kind, but these examples may shew, that men doing what God bids them, faile sometime in their disposition to the action, and are therefore punished.

2. They faile sometime in their disposition to the end of their a [...]ion; Thus was Ierobo­am commanded by God to take ten pieces of the rent garment, the government of the ten Tribes of Israel upon him, that so the Idolatry of Solomon might be punished: the people [Page 194] hereupon cleave to Ieroboam, but not because God would have it so; their end was to vex Rehoboam who had given them rough speeches, and so they made themselves right Tray­tors; God had no hand in their revolt, as himselfe professed, Hosea 8. 4. They have se [...] up a King, but not by mee, therefore shall they be destroyed. If any man aske how God was just in commanding the translation of the kingdome, and yet the peo­ple unjust in translating it? I answer him as Saint Augustine answered one who demanded how God could be pious in de­livering up Christ to be crucifi­ed, and Iudas impious in betray­ing him? In re una quam fece­runt, causa non una est ob quam Aug [...]sl ad Vin ep. 48. fecerunt: Both intended the same action, but they had di­vers ends in that action; the fact was good with Gods end, but bad with the peoples end; they [Page 195] did what God would, but would not what God would; there­fore did God condemne what they did, it being his manner to respect non quid fecerint homi­nes, Ibid. sed quid voluerint; the wil, not the deed, as the same Fa­ther speaketh. You see then the ground demonstrated to you, that a man may doe the Command of God, and yet by his defect in working, charge himselfe with guilt in the effe­cting of it.

For the second; that this was the fault of Jehu, it will appeare if we weigh aright the carriage of the businesse by him, which God commanded. It is true, hee did to the house of Ahab all that was in the heart of God, and for that received prayse, and the transitory reward of a temporall kingdome, but yet his heart it was not right, either in regard of the action or the end thereof.

[Page 196]1. Not in regard of the A­ction: Two things there are which declare his aberration in this kinde, his cruelty, and his hypocrisie. 1. His cruelty, that appeareth in two things: 1. In rejoycing at the fall of these great personages whom he had slaine: When Iezabel, though a wretch, yet a Queene, was throwne out of a window, and lay weltering in her blood, he was so farre from pity, that hee sate him downe to eat, drinke, and to be merry, contrary to the tender heart of Titus, who see­ing Ios. the misery of Ierusalem by his conquest, wept, and prote­sted, himselfe not to have wi­shed those great evils. 2. In ex­tending his slaughter beyond his Commission: he had autho­rity given him over none but the house of Ahab, and yet must he needs stretch it to Aha­ziab, King of Iudah, smite him also, a King. 9. 27. 2. His Hy­pocrisie; [Page 197] hee covered his thir­sty desire of reigning, with the cloake of zeale which hee had for the Lord: it was indeed a faire pretence, that the Pro­phet set him on work, but Saint Augustine calleth his forward­nesse, Aug lib. cont. men­das. ad con­sent. Nonnullam obedientiam qua eupiditatem suae dominatio­nis exhibuit, A sparke of Obe­dience proceeding from an hot fire of ambition within him.

2. Not in regard of the end of the Action: Gods intend was, Vt sublatis idolatricis Zanch. in loc. tolleretur idololatria, that Ido­lators, and Idolatry might have beene rooted out together. Ie­bu was well enough pleased to take away the Idolators, that he might seize upon the spoyle; but for Idolatry, he was as fond of the Calfe, as Ahab had beene of Baal, both derogatory to Gods glory: Qui fuit vindex pietatis, contentus fuit praeda: He that should have established [Page 198] Gods worship, set upon the prey; that is all hee looked af­ter. Calv. in log.

To conclude this point, you see how Gods just revenge up­on the house of Ahab, in the hands of Iehu, was by Iehu's corruption turned to a sinne which lay heavy upon his owne house; to teach us all, beloved, that good wherein our soules must rest; not so much the do­ing of an outward act, as the honest disposition of the heart to doe it well; not for our owne ends, but for the maine end of all, the glory of God: we may doe good, as here Iehu did, and neither hallow Gods Name, nor doe his Will, but onely honour our selves, and e­stablish our owne purposes; but let us take heed, lest while his Name be not glorified by us in the devotion of our hearts, tru­ly bent to his service, hee bee glorified of us in our destructi­on, [Page 199] as he was here of Jehu; to whom, for not rightly doing what was commanded him, vengeance is denounced in the Text, which is the fifth thing in these words, Gods revenge upon Iehu.

Vpon Jehu.) The Text spea­keth not of this, Jehu having 5 now beene long dead, and this a prophecy of evill to come; yet will it not be amisse to consider out of the history what happe­ned unto him, and that but in a word or two. Jehu was no soo­ner established in his kingdome but it is said, in those dayes God beganne to cut Israel short, and Hazael the Syrian smote them, 2 King. 10. 32. Observe, how blood followed Jehu at the heeles; hee that entered into his reigne by murther to punish others, was all the time of his reigne prosecuted with the murther of his subjects, that himselfe might be punished: it [Page 200] is the wise dispensation of God to punish sinners in the same kinde wherein they have offen­ded: This Law himselfe ena­cted among the Israelites, life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe, Exod. 21. 23 which law was [...] answerable to his owne course hee taketh many times with men; thus did he direct the Is­raelites to cut off the thumbes and great toes of the lord of Bezek when they had taken him; whereupon he confefled, Threescore and ten Kings, ha­ving their thumbs & great toes cut off, gathered their meat un­der my Table; as I have done, so God hath requited mee, Iudg. 1. 7. here was a just remunera­tion which did ad amissum ae­quipperare, G [...]l l. 20. c. 1 and in librili perpen­dere, as Favorinus speaketh: [Page 201] the skales were even, his cru­elty in the one, his reward in the other. The Egyptians sought to root out the Israelites by causing them to drowne their male children; a plague lighted upon them in proporti­on, themselves were drowned in the red Sea; whereby the Wise-man, Wisd. 11. 7. for a manifest reproofe of that com­mandement whereby the In­fants were slaine, Thou gavest unto them abundance of water, by a meanes which they hoped not for. Ahab caused Naboth to be put to death, and for it had this doome of retaliation, In the place where the dogges lic­ked the blood of Naboth, shall dogs licke thy blood also, 1 King. 21. 19.

This course God observeth in punishing for these two ends; 1. To declare his owne good­nesse, who might judge of the fact according to the infinite [Page 202] object against whom it is com­mitted, and so inflict infinite mischiefes upon the offendor; but he taketh a milder course, in paying him in his owne kind, Cont. Faust. Man l. 9. c. 25 lex talionis, nonfomes, sed limes furoris, saith Saint Augustine; this allayeth his displeasure, rather than kindles it. 2. To convince the wicked man, that himselfe shall have no excepti­ons against Gods judgements, but confesse them to be just, Quae enim, obsecrote, ista acer­bitas [...] est, si idem fiat in te, quod tute in alio feceris? saith hee in Gellius: This David sheweth, Psal. 9. 16. The Lord is knowne by the iudgement that hee exe­cutes, when the ungodly is sua­red in the workes of his owne hands. I say no more of this point, but onely this for appli­cation, Let no man say when hee findeth Gods hand heavy upon him, why doth God thus unto mee? but let him rather [Page 203] acknowledge, God is just, and I am wicked; if his punish­ments bee so fitted as by some likenesse they put thee in mind of thy sinne, thou hast what to confesse; if they be of another straine, yet know assuredly, hee striketh not unprovoked: ran­sacke thy heart, where judge­ment is at the doore, sinne is certainely in the house: if God avenge himselfe upon Iehu, Ie­hu hath offended God. And so I come to the last thing in my Text, Gods revenging Iehu's murther upon his house, The house of Iehu.

That is, the posterity of Ie­hu, 6 those that were of his line, and proceeded from him. Now God punished the house of Ie­hu by taking away the king­dome of Israel from it, and gi­ving it unto a stranger: His promise to Iehu was, that for his service done, his children should to the fourth generation [Page 204] fit upon his Throne. This pro­mise God made good, but would not enlarge it any further: Within a short time after this Prophecy, the fourth man of his seed, being King, was slaine by a Traytor, who usurped the kingdome into his owne hands; this was the end of Iehu's house, the cause of which end is here in the Text attributed to the blood of Iezreel: As Ie­hu had a reward for his worke done, that foure of his sonnes should reigne; so had hee also a punishment for the bad doing of it, that his children should no longer sway the Scepter: thus doth God visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, as himselfe speaketh, Exod. 20. 4. and payeth home the sinnes of the predecessors, into the bo­some of their successors, Ier. 32 18. The blood of Iezreel shed by Iehu, came with a full course upon Zachariah his grand­childs [Page 205] grand-childe.

A strange thing, a man would thinke, and scarce to be belee­ved, in Gods just administration of all things, that a man should Grynist. hist. 307 p. after many yeeres be punished for that sinne which was com­mitted, it may be, before the birth of his great grandfather. It was counted a cruell tricke in the great Cham of Tartary, that when hee condemned any of his subjects to death, the pu­nishment extended to all his issue male; but how much more cruell may this seeme here in the Text, that the offenders scape unpunished, and hee that is not yet in rerum natura, to have the least participation of the offence, should after the fourth generation abide the pe­nalty of it? But stop thy mouth whosoever intendest to dispute with God, his judgements are often secret, but alwayes just; if he have done it, that is war­rant [Page 206] enough for thee to free it from injustice: And yet be­cause flesh and blood loves to be prying into the Arke, to finde out the wayes of God, and the reason of his doings, he hath vouchsafed in Scripture to open his Iustice, and to cleare himselfe from fond mens im­putations. For the understan­ding then of this course of Gods judgements, wee are to know these two things: 1. That God punisheth no man who is sim­ply innocent, and deserveth not punishment. 2. That it is in his power to punish the nocent in what kind he himselfe plea­seth, or to spare him.

1. He punisheth none who is simply innocent, and there­fore justly findeth fault with that proverb taken up in Israel, Ezek 18. 2. The fathers have eaten sowre grapes, and the chil­drens teeth are set on edge; whereby the Israelites com­playned, [Page 207] that whereas they were all holy, and no spot in them, yet did they beare the transgressions of their fathers: that whole Chapter hath God affirming, that he which sinneth not, shall surely live. It is true that God visiteth the iniquities of the fathers upon the chil­dren, but they are filii qui ode­runt, such as partake in their fa­thers sinnes; for otherwise the sonne shal not beare the iniqui­ty of the father, God will ab­solve him from the punishment of sinne, if hee be no way party in it: When therefore the Par. ani. in Bell. de a­miss. quae. l. 4. c. 8 Iewes did beare the burthen of their fathers faults, it was an e­vident signe that they were themselves a rebellious seed, such as stood up in their fathers stead; as heires of their land, so of their wickednesse. Thus it fared with Iehu's house, of whom we may read in the book of Kings, that they continued [Page 208] not his blood alone, but his Ido­latry also, Every one of them did evill in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the sinnes of Ieroboam who made Israel to sinne; as their father Iehu had done, so did they. This punishment was therefore just in respect of them, they well deserved it.

2. God may punish the no­cent as hee pleaseth, or spare him; for he is the Lord of all, and hath the reines of all things in his hands; who shal controule him in exercifing either his Iu­stice or his Mercy according to his owne mind? So that when the father committeth a fault, and God hath threatned venge­ance against him for it, he may, if he will, let the father passe, and take the sonne who hath share in guilt as well as the fa­ther had, and no man say to him, why dost thou so? There are many reasons why God passeth over the father, and [Page 209] there is one reason why he pu­nisheth the children.

The reasons why he passeth over the father as I have obser­ved them, are foure:

1. Sometime the feare of pu­nishment hath humbled him, and moved him to repentance; this effect the speech of Elias had with Ahab, which was the cause that God brought not evill upon his house in his daies, 1. King. 21. 29.

2. Sometime the father hath some good things, in regard whereof, God will forbeare to lay heavy temporall judgments upon him; thus did Ieroboams sonne come to the grave in peace, because there was found some good in him toward the God of Israel, 1 King. 14 13.

3. Sometime God will gra­tifie the faithfulnesse of his de­ceased servant, by sparing his sonne after him; so dealt hee with Solomon, Thou shalt bee [Page 210] Prince all the dayes of thy life, for my servant Davids sake, 1 King. 11. 33.

4. Sometime God hath pro­mised temporall prosperity to a man, in regard of some good service done by him: so God suffered Iehu to hold the king­dome for his time, to make good his promise wherewith formerly hee had bound him­selfe unto him: for these cau­ses God oft-times freeth the father that sinneth, from ven­geance.

The reason why he punisheth Aq. q. disp. de po [...]u. pec. Ori. q. 5. a. 4. the children, is, for that they are aliquid patris, a part, as it were, of their fathers; and therefore it is not inconvenient that they be punished for their father, no more then it is for the back to be scourged for the pilfering of the hand, especially themselves being guilty like­wise. But why is it then sayd, God punisheth the sinne of the [Page 211] fathers upon the children, and not the sinnes of the children in themselves? In my opinion, if ever Bellarmine spake rightly, he doth it in this point; Chil­dren, saith he, are punished for their fathers, not because their owne sinnes doe not deserve punishment, but because Nisi praecessissent peccata parentum, Lib de ae­miss qua. 4. 6. 8 Deus eos fortasse non puniret in hoc mundo; God maketh the fathers sinne an occasion of in­flicting that judgement upon the child, which else peradven­ture hee would not have layd upon him: These things being considered, it will appeare, hat God is just in punishing the blood of Iezreel upon the house of Iehu.

To conclude all, the conside­ration of this point may teach us two things: 1. It justifieth Lit. Aug. our [...]iturgy in that prayer, Re­member not, Lord, the offences of our fore-fathers; which, [Page 212] though some mislike, I know not upon what grounds, yet see­meth to mee a fit prayer for e­very Christian: for if God hath threatned that hee will avenge the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and hath frequent­ly done so, why may wee not pray against such an evill?

2. It teacheth parents to have a care not to displease God, if not for their owne sakes, yet for their deare chil­drens cause, whom they may, by their disobedience, bring in­to the same sea of misery into which they fall themselves: Thou thinkest it thy duty to provide for their maintenance, and lay up for them; but take heed that thou fillest not the treasures of Gods wrath, which though they misse thy head, will fall upon the hairy scalpe of thy posterity: and shall not then thy children have cause to curse their father that begat them, [Page 213] their mother that bare them, the time wherein they were conceived, when they see themselves inherit the wicked­nesse of their Parents. Labour to be of the number of those that love God and keepe his Commandements, that he may shew mercy unto thousands of thy children, that thy seed may stand fast in the Covenant, that blessing may be upon thee and thine for ever. And so I end. God, for his mercy sake, grant that those few words which we have heard at this time with our outward eares, may take deepe rooting in our hearts, and bring forth in us the fruit of good living, to the glory of his Name, and the amendment of our sinfull lives, through Ie­sus Christ our Lord and bles­sed Saviour; To whom with the Father, and the holy Ghost, three persons, and one God, [Page 214] bee ascribed all honour and glo­ry, prayse, power, and do­minion, from this time forth for ever­more. Amen.

[...].

THese words are a part of that Dis­course which pas­sed betweene our Saviour and a wo­man of Samaria: In which dis­course three things are obser­vable; The party with whom Christ talketh, The occasion of [Page 216] the talke, and the discourse it selfe. The Party, it is a Wo­man; it so falling out by the Providence of God, that shee should be the first among the Samaritans that heard the sound of the Gospell, and become an Apostle, as it were, to all her neighbours, in shewing them the Messias; that so the privi­lege of all sexes in Christ might appeare; and that as Saint Gre­gory hath well observed, Quia Ho. 25. in Evang. mulier viro prapinavit mortem, mulier viris annuntiaret salu­tem; because a woman at the first beganne to man in the cup of death, a woman here should beginne to men in the cup of life. The occasion of the talke was, this womans denying to give Christ water, because hee was a Iew; whereupon he, who was ready to take the least op­portunity of doing any spiritu­all good, taketh upon him to instruct her in that shee never [Page 217] heard before. The discourse that passed betweene them, was especially of two things, (for other things are inserted by the way) and they are, The Water of Life, and The true worship of God. The former be­ginneth, vers. 10. continued to 16. The other beginneth vers. 20. continued to the 27.

The words of the Text be­long to the latter part of the Discourse which concerned the Worship of God, and they are spoken by the woman, who doth in them three things at once: 1. She findeth fault with Christ for magnifying Ierusa­lem, as the onely place where God would bee worshipped: 2. Shee extolleth her fathers worship in that mountaine, which was neere unto the Ci­ty: 3. Shee tacitely uttereth her owne resolution, that shee would continue to worship af­ter the manner of her fore-fa­thers; [Page 218] for the words are to bee considered two wayes, either as [...], a simple propositi­on, containing in them a narra­tion of things done, Her fa­thers had worshipped in that mountaine: Or as [...] a Praemisse or Antecedent to a Conclusion, which this woman meant to inferre there from; for shee hath a further reach in them than a bare affirmation; namely, hence to approve her owne, and her peoples wor­ship, that they also might law­fully worship in that Moun­taine, as well as their fathers had done.

So that this speech of the woman is like Iacobs sheepe, varicolor, speckled, partly white, partly black; hath some­thing good in it, something bad That which was good in it is two-fold: 1. The matter of her speech, it relates a truth, her fathers worshipping in the [Page 219] Mountaine: 2. Her uttering it declares that shee had an eye to the service of God practised in former times. To her fa­thers worship: That which was bad is this, That shee was too much addicted to her fa­thers Religion; and resolved, upon that ground, because her fathers had done so, to live and dye in so worshipping, whether shee did right or wrong. I will speake of this speech both these wayes; that what is good in it, wee may bee provoked to fol­low; what ill in it, wee may be moved to avoyd.

And first of what was good in it, and there in of the matter, her fathers worship in the moun­taine. This Mountaine it was Gerazim, situated neere unto the City of Sichem, Judg 9. 7. There the Patriarch Iacob, at his returne from Labans house, built an Altar, Gen. 33. 20. Of this worship of Iacob is this [Page 220] speech mainely meant, Her fa­ther worshipped; for as the Iewes boasted of Abraham their father, so boasted the Sa­maritans of Iacob their father, as you may see, vers. 12 Now the thing here related, Iacobs worship in the mountaine, may give us to observe this point, The worship of God was of old wont to bee performed on mountaines, he appointed them especially to bee the places of his Service; as if that were true of God, which the servants of Benhadad said, 1 Kin 20. 23 Dii eorum Dii montium, the God of Israel is the God of the mountaines. Thus was Abra­ham commanded to offer up Isaac to God upon a mountain. Gen. 22. 2. It was Gods charge to Moses, that he should come up into the mountaine, Exod, 19 20. The Prophets charge to Da­vid, Ascende in aream, Goe up unto the threshing floore of A [Page 221] raunah, 2 Sam. 24. 18. When Solomon built that glorious Temple, hee set it upon the mountaine of Moriah, 2 Chron. 3. 1. Yea, our Saviour himselfe when hee prayed went into a mountaine, Luk. 6. 12. By this serving God in the mountaine, God taught the Iewes, who had all things in types and fi­gures, and us likewise to whom the morall appertaineth, that when wee come to worship God, wee must lift our soules to heavenly cogitations: So the Apostle, Heb. 10. 22. Draw neere to God with a pure heart: And David of himselfe, Psal. 25. 1. Vnto thee, O Lord, doe I lift up my soule. For as if a man be in the bottome of a deepe pit, he may call lowd to them that walke above, and not bee heard; so if our hearts be drow­ned in worldly things, we may cry oft enough, Lord, Lord, to God that is in heaven above, [Page 222] and not be regarded. The old use of the Primitive Church is still well retained among us, that the people at the Commu­nion should bee admonished by the Pastor, sursum corda, lift up your hearts; and they againe should answer, as well appre­hending his speech, Sursum ha­bemus ad Dominum, wee lift them up unto the Lord.

For Application of the point; It justly condemneth those that come to Church as if they came to Market, and talke with God as with a Chapman, never thin­king of any preparation or re­verence in regard of the glory of God; never thinking of any exaltation of the mind, by hea­venly meditation, because wee are on earth, and God in hea­ven; but we come besmeared with the dregs of filthinesse, and worldly affaires so hanging on, and prossing us downe, that wee cannot goe into the moun­taine [Page 223] to meet God, but lye groveling in the vallies, that if God will come to us, so it is, we are resolved not to goe up to him: but let us know (belo­ved) that God in this sense may be truly sayd, not to be the God of the Vallies; hee loveth not to dwell with this earthy and muddy generation, which flut­ter alow the ground, creepe or walke upon it, but cannot take the wings of Devotion, and send up their soules, as a Bird, to the hills, the hills whence commeth all their helpe: hee loveth to dwell with those Di­vine soules who have their con­versation in heaven, and are ra­vished out of themselves, and choking cares, when they come to worship him. I conclude this speech with that of Iames, chap. 4. 8. Draw nigh to God, and hee will draw nigh to you: How shall wee draw nigh to him? Purge your hearts, you [Page 224] sinners, and clense your hands, you double minded men; come out of the dirt of corruption, into the mountain of holinesse, as your fathers worshipped in the Mountaine. Thus much of the matter of the words: I come to the second thing, good in this speech, this womans loo­king backe to the Religion pra­ctised by her fathers, Our fa­thers worshipped.

Wherein shee declares, that shee conceived two truths: 1. That the Service of God is ancient; beganne, not in her dayes, but had its Original from the Fathers: 2. That antiquity of Religion is to be respected of those that seeke out the truth thereof.

For the first: The service of God is ancient; the Angels, who were first made, first beganne it. Iob 38. 7. The Starres of the morning praysed mee together, and all the children of God re­ioyced: [Page 225] Men followed in their order; Abel offered Sacrifice; Euoch walked with God; Noah builded an Altar; in Seths time men beganne to call on the Name of the Lord: the histo­ries of ancient times declare, that they before the flood ere­cted brazen and marble Pillars, wherein they left unto their posterity the memory of God, and of his providence; and that Religion was from the begin­ning of the world, may be de­monstrated divers wayes: 1. The Image of God, wherein man was made, consisted in ho­linesse, as one part thereof, Ephes. 4. 24. Now holinesse in man, respecteth the service of God; and when this Image was decayed by the fall of A­dam, yet so much of it remay­ned, as carried men to some worship of God▪ which being directed by addition of light from heaven, carried them to [Page 226] the worship of the true God. 2. God alwayes had his Church in the world; some who were sheepe of his pasture, and chil­dren of his love, and these did worship him; for worship is the bond that bindeth man to God; without which, man cannot be sayd to be the servant of God, nor God sayd to be the God of man. 3. God at the ve­ry first gave precepts of his worship. So Adam in Paradise had a command to abstain from the tree of the knowledge of good and evill; this abstinence was his worship of God: and why did Able bring his sacri­fice? The Apostle saith, it was by faith; faith respecting the promise of God in his precept, that by offering sacrifice hee should shew his expectation of that seed which was foretold to come into the world.

So that here every true wor­shipper of God at this day hath [Page 227] a good warrant for his doings, that he followeth the footsteps of all his fathers, the children of God who went before him; and it may be a singular comfort to him in his holinesse, that how­soever men of his owne time wherein hee liveth, bee crosse unto him, and every man would have his neighbour a Bird of the same feather that himselfe is, yet that he is like to the old Fa­thers, who were zealous to­ward God, and stood in awe of his pre [...]ence; that he doth con­verse with Seth, Enoch, Ahra­ham, Isaac, Iacob, the holy Prophets, yea, Christ himselfe, and his Apostles, who though they lived among Lions, yet did of old sustaine and uphold the service of God in spight of all opposition: This is it which conjoyneth all the members of the Church together, though living at severall times, that they are united in the worship [Page 228] of God, as many lines in the same center. This comforted the Apostle Paul in the midst of his bands, that after the way which the Iewes called heresie, he worshipped the God of his fa­thers, Acts 24. 14. Hee calleth God, the God of his Fathers, thereby to strengthen himselfe in his holy course against the Iewes, who cryed out of him for an hereticke; and so ought all true Christians, who ende­vouring with an upright heart to feare God, and keepe them­selves unspotted of the world, not stained with the iniquity of the times wherein they live, are like to be branded with the title of Novelists; they ought to looke upon the wayes of the holy Fathers who lived in times past, and seeing themselves walke in their steps, and to bee heires of their righteous living, hence to take courage that they goe not in by-pathes where [Page 229] none went before them, but in the Kings high-way, wherein all the Saints of God walked to heaven; thus the Fathers wor­shipped God, and thus they worship him. This is the first thing this woman conceived, the Service of God is ancient.

The second thing was, that the Antiquity of Religion is to be respected, and so indeed it is. Deut. 32. 7. Remember the dayes of old, and the yeares of many generations; aske thy fa­ther, and he will tell thee; thine elders, and they wil instruct thee: Wee are but of yesterday, and are ignorant, therefore must wee search of our fathers. Iob 8. 8. If a man were to stand up­on the waies to take his choice, hee could choose none better than the old way, wherein wal­king, he should find rest unto his soule. Ier. 6. 16. For where­as through the ages of the world there have beene diffe­rent [Page 230] formes of his Service ap­pointed by God himselfe; the one at mans Creation; a second at the Institution of the Church of the Iewes, when the Cere­moniall Law was ordained; a third at the founding of the Church of the Christians, when the Doctrine of the Gospell was set forth; they in these se­verall times did right, who kept themselves to the old forme of worshipping. Before the Law, they served God a­right, who tooke patterne from Abel, Seth, Noah, the first fa­thers of that Church Vnder the Law, they served God a­right, who imitated Moses, Aa­ron, and Iosuah the first fathers of that dispensation. Since the Law, they serve God aright, who follow the steps of the blessed Apostles, and purer times of the dispensation of the Gospell. So that howsoever wee make not Antiquity the [Page 231] rule of our faith, yet is it a good note of true Religion to agree with the first Fathers of the Primitive time: for certainly, that of Tertullian is most sound, Quod antiquissimum, illud ve­rissimum, that is the most true that is most ancient. And the ground of this assertion is de­monstrative, for the Truth is first layd, before Heresie com­meth in; good, it is subjectum mali, the subject whereto evill cleaveth, and must therefore needs be before it. Satan was first an Angell of Light before a Prince of Darkenesse: Adam was made upright, and then became crooked and corrupted through sinne: The Law of Moses first was truly taught, before it was depraved with the wicked glasses of the Scribes and Pharisies; and the Doctrine of the Gospell was at the beginning taught in the truth thereof, howsoever pre­sently [Page 232] the mystery of iniquity beganne to worke, and it was infected with Arrianisme, Ne­storianisme; and this Antiquity of the truth in regard of Here­sie, is taught by our Saviour, Matth. 13. 24. where he shew­eth, that the Husbandman first soweth good seed in his field, then commeth the evill one and soweth tares; whereupon hee is termed superseminator, not simply a sower, but a s [...]wer upon, or among the wheat.

For Application: wee may hencefor our comfort conclude (beloved) the worship of God maintained and practised in our Church to bee true worship, because it is the same with the worship of the prime and im­mediate Witnesses and Publi­shers of the Gospell, the A­postles, and such as held Com­munion with them. The Papists are alwayes objecting to us, that wee are new upstarts, but [Page 233] may truly say with Paul, Acts 24. 14. After the way they call heresie, we worship God, be­leeving those things which are written in the Gospell; and this is a testimony to us of our An­tiquity. Saint Paul, when hee came to preach at Athens, set forth no other God to them, but him whom the whole City worshipped, and yet was taken to be [...], a setter forth of new gods, Acts 17. 18. So wee, when wee preach the Faith of our first Fa­thers, and teach what the Go­spell manifestly approveth, are by Papists condemned as inno­vators, and brochers of a new Gospell: But if we looke into the point well, wee shall finde that true of them which Ter­tullian in his Apologetique spea­keth of the old Romans, Lau­datis semper antiquitatem, et no­ve de die vivitis; they cry out of the old Religion as the truest [Page 234] and safest, & yet practise them­selves a Religion, which though it hath filled the world for a great time, and found many subtill wits to defend it, is yet risen up since the time of the Gospels first publishing; and so though they hold the Doctrine beleeved by their fathers, grandfathers, and great grand­fathers, yet we truly maintaine the truth delivered by the first preachers of the Gospel. For example: Wee teach that Prayer is to bee made to God alone; this Doctrine is ancient, the Soripture every where sheweth it, and Bellarmine con­fesseth Decult. sa. c. 9 it; for having objected against Vowes made to Saints, that in the Scriptures the word (Vow) is taken for a Promise made to God, he answereth it thus, Cum scriberentur Scriptu­rae sanctae, nondum ceperat usus vovendi sanctis, when the Scrip­tures were written, the custom [Page 235] of vowing to Saints was not begunne, so that Saint-worship is new worship, not comming from the first Fathers. Againe, we administer the Communi­on in both kinds to the people, not by halfes, as the Papists doe; and our reason is, It is most an­cient. Christ at the first Institu­tion so ordained it; the Apo­stle Paul so expoundeth it; and Cassander affirmeth, that for a thousand yeares after Christ, all men communicated in both kinds, so that the mangling of the Sacrament is new worship. Againe, we say that Kings are chiefe Governours of all causes in the Church, and this Do­ctrine is ancient; such were the Kings of Israel and Iudah: and Paul bids, that every soule be subiect to the higher powers, Rom. 13. 1. This so held till the times of Hildebrand, 175 years after Christ, who exalted him­selfe aboveall that is called [...], [Page 236] or [...], the sacred name of King or Emperour; so that power in the Pope of deposing Kings, is not of the first Fathers. The same may be sayd of the adoration of Images, which tooke authority from the se­cond Councell of Nice, 789 yeares after Christ; and of transubstantiation not heard of till the Lateran Councell, 400 yeares since, and of other their Doctrines, if wee had time to examine them. Let them cease therefore to object unto us the beginning of our Religion from Wickliffe, Husse, Luther, Calvin, and those worthy Re­formers, who fetched truth out of the pit, wherein a long time shee had beene hidden, and caused us to worship after the manner of our first Fathers, and let them rather looke upon their owne hatching of new in­ventions, and thrusting them upon the Church, whereby [Page 237] the truth once given to the Saints, was so much obscured, that it could not bee knowne scarcely what the Fathers wor­shipped: and for our selves, let it stablish us in the truth of our Religion, that we have the au­thority of Christ, his Apostles, and the purer times, to con­firme the Doctrines taught a­mong us, wee reject not, but admit Antiquity, and have an eye to what our Fathers wor­shipped.

Thus you have what is good in this speech of the Samaritan, let us now see what is bad in it, for that something is bad in it, is manifest from that reply of our Saviour, vers. 22. You wor­ship you know not what. And it was this, shee resolveth to fol­low her Fathers worship what­soever it were, right or wrong, and therefore shee alleageth it as an argument to defend her owne, and her peoples worship [Page 238] in the Mountaine, which was not warrantable. The vicious­nesse of which reasoning, that you may perceive, I must brief­ly lay before you the history of the Samaritans worshipping in this mountaine.

You heard before how that Iacob returning from his uncle Laban, in this Mountaine built an Altar and there offered Sa­crifice; from which fact of his, in succeeding ages, this Moun­taine became a solemne place of worshipping, as Iosephus re­ports, by meanes of one San­ballat, a noted enemy of the Church of God, so often recor­ded in the booke of Nehemi­ah, who being a stranger to Is­rael; and so Manasses of the posterity of the high Priest, marrying his daughter against the Law, built a stately Temple in this Mountaine, by the leave of Alexander the great, and consecrated the said Manasses, [Page 239] his sonne in law, high Priest there; because in the time of the reformation of that great a­buse of joyning with Aliants, hee was either to part with his wife, or his Priest-hood in Ie­rusalem. Here arose a great Schisme betweene the Samari­tans and the Ierosolymitans; the one grounding upon Gods command, that Ierusalem was the place of the Service of God, the other patronizing this mountaine from the authority of Iaecobs worshipping; which contention being after brought before Ptolomaeus Philometor, Sabaeus, and Theodosius, pleading for Samaria, and Andronious for Ierusalem, hee proving out of the Law of God the right his Temple had, and they from Tradition the right of theirs, it was determined for Ierusa­lem: yet so did Schisme pre­vaile with the Samaritans, that still they held their argument, [Page 240] Our fathers worshipped in this Mountaeine, therefore we may worship there also. Thus rea­soneth this woman amisse from a good example. Iacob, a de­vout and holy man worshipped God in every place where hee came (because there was then no set place appointed for Di­vine Worship) and so in the Mountaine before Sichem; but the Samaritans absurdly allege his example for the continu­ance of their worship there, because God himselfe after that commanded, Deut. 12. 5. that they should seeke the place which the Lord should choose to put his Name in, thither should they bring their burnt­offerings; which place at first was Shiloh, whither Elkanah went to sacrifice to the Lord, 1 Sam. 1. 3. and afterward Ie­rusalem, where Solomon built the Temple; which places be­ing designed, it was unlawfull [Page 241] to sacrifice any where else, and therefore it was left as a blot to many the good Kings of Iudah, that though they did many things well, yet the high places were not removed, but the people sacrificed in the high places.

This being the history, wee may from hence observe how dangerous and uncertaine a thing it is for a man to bee led in any Religious Action onely by the Example of others, with­out further weighing the law­fulnesse, or unlawfulnesse of the Act it selfe, and that in two re­gards: For, 1. If a man have done evill, to imitate his exam­ple must needs be naught; this womans forefathers, for some generations, did ill in worship­ping upon Mount Gerazim, and shee doth ill in following them. 2. If a man have done well, yet may another doe evill in fol­lowing him, for want of duly [Page 242] considering some circumstance which may marre the imitati­on; thus Iacob did well to worship in this mountaine, but the Samaritans, and this wo­man erred in worshipping there, because the prohibition of God came betweene, which was not in force in Iacobs daies, but afterwards.

1. It is dangerous following Examples, if they be ill; for, a­las, a man may bee easily thus mistaken; hee may give him­selfe to imitate one who may pretend much, and make great shewes, and yet bring forth but an evill effect in the end: It was a doubtfull speech in it selfe which Ruth spake to Na­ [...]mi, Ruth 1. 16 though no doubt good, in respect of her experience she had of her, Whi­ther thou goest, I w [...]ll goe; where thou dwellest, I will dwell; thy people shall be my people; thy God, my God: Hee that will [Page 243] give unto any man this power of him, to be at his becke, may soone be drawn into a thousand inconveniences, into haeresies, into schisme, into prophane­nesse, and all kinde of loose li­ving: Into heresies; thus com­meth many a poore soule to be seduced, when as resigning up himselfe into the power of his Priest, hee will worship an Image because his Priest doth so; hee will pray to Saints, be­cause his Priest doth so; will plot the life of his Soveraigne, because his Priest doth so; will be hood-winked, and willingly suffer his right eye to be pulled out by his sinfull obedience, and conforming himselfe, without any ground of knowledge, to the will of his Superiour. It is Saint Iohns counsell to try the spirits whom wee follow, be­cause false spirits are gone into the world, 1 Ioh. 4. 1. Into Schisme; thus many fall daily [Page 244] into Brownisme and separati­on, because they see some whom they account holy men, to doe so; not observing what pride of spirit, what conceited discontent hath put them out of their right Bias; and so, like silly sheepe, if one goe, the rest will after, though it be to the slaughter-house: Into wicked­nesse; thus when Ieho shaphat would be like Ahab, hee did what God was displeased with, 1 King. 22. 4. and wee see it by wofull experience daily in many, especially young Gentle­men, that they give themselves up to the fashions of roaring boyes, and the great masters of iniquity, till, if the Mercy of God bee not the greater, they fall into hell e're they bee a­ware. Beloved, let us learne to follow men, as they follow Christ, and no further; choose out for patternes men of wise­dome, men of vertue, those you [Page 245] may trust the more; yet always hold this conclusion, not to imi­tate them in that, whereof you cannot see a reason that it is good, lest under the cover of su­gar you swallow a bitter Pill; under pretence of piety, bee drawne into wickednesse.

2. It is dangerous and un­certaine to give too much to examples, though they be good, for there are many observable circumstances which may make a man erre in doing that, which another man did, and erred not; The Philosopher tells us, that examples must be [...] both in the same kinde, or else they warrant nothing; in the same kinde, I say, in regard of many circumstances: I will name these five; the person doing, the thing done, the per­son to whom, the time when, th [...] end why; if these concurre not, a man shall bee wonderful­ly deceived in his imitation [Page 246] of another.

1. Examples must be the same in regard of the person doing, for all men stand not in like reference in respect of a­ctions: he said well in the Co­medy, Hoc licet impune facere huic, illi non licet; non quia dis­simili [...] res sit, sed quod is qui fa­cit; Be the thing never so like, be the person unlike, there is an error. When the King of Is­rael sent two Captaines with their fifties, to bring the Pro­phet Elias unto him, hee com­manded fire to come downe from heaven to destroy them; this was an action warrantable in Elias, who was a minister of Gods wrath to punish the Ido­latrous Israelites: but when the Apostles, Iames, and Iohn, mo­ved by his Example, would have done so to the Samaritans, as Elias did, they are sharpely reproved by their Master, Ne­s [...]itis cuius spiritus siti [...] vos, [Page 247] Luk 9. 55. You know not of what spirit you are; you are men of another mould than E­lias was; hee a minister of in­dignation, you of consolation; hee came in the spirit of seve­rity, you in the spirit of lenity; his actions fit you, because your persons are not like his.

2. Examples must bee of the same kind in regard of the thing that is done, else instead of a fish, a man may take a stone; in­stead of an egge, a serpent, and so manifestly deceive himselfe in that which hee doth upon so unsound a warrant: It was an excellent worke of David to provide instruments of Mu­sicke, Harpes, Cymbals, and such like, to be used in sounding out the prayses of God; but when Drunkards furnished themselves with lascivious and wanton Musicke, and patrona­ged it by the example of Da­vid, the Prophet denounceth a [Page 248] woe against them, Amos 6. 5. Wo to those that invent to them­selves Instruments of Musicke, like David: His Instruments were holy, theirs unholy; his songs Divine, theirs prophane; they had no reason to shrowd themselves under the example of David, the thing done, a­greed like Harpe and Harrow, as it is in the proverbe.

3. Examples must be of the same kinde, in regard of the person to whom a thing is done; for oft times a thing is well done in regard of one, which would be ill done in re­gard of another: hee were a strange Physician, and such they say, are many Empyricks, who seeing a man of rare skill giving a Potion to a sicke Pati­ent, whose disease and state of body hee knowes full well, would give the same to ano­ther, who, peradventure, hath not the same disease; or if hee [Page 249] have, is not of the same con­stitution to beare the Physicke: If, because Peter spake sharp­ly to Simon Magus, Acts 8. 24. telling him that hee was in the gall of bitternesse and bonds of iniquity, and that hee had no part or portion in the Gospell, wee should therefore say the same to every sinner, we might soone breake the bruised reed, soone quench the smoking flax, and curse where God hath not cursed.

4. Examples must be of the same kinde, in regard of the time; for every thing hath his season, and what profiteth now, may hurt anon: There was a manner of Gods Worship insti­tuted in old time, which must not now be used; and the rea­son is, Tempora mutantur, times are not now the same they were then. Saint Augustine in one of his Epistles sheweth this by a very pregnant exam­ple: [Page 250] There was (saith he) in my time, one Vindicianus a Physician of great note, who applyed to his Patients griefe what hee thought fitting for him, and it cured him: some yeares after, this Patient falling sicke of his old malady, would needs bee his owne Physician, and give the same physicke to himselfe; adhibitum vertit in peius, he tooke it, and was the worse for it: hereupon hee runnes to Vindicianus, and tels him the matter; he answered, This was fallen to him, because hee bade him not doe it. The man thought he was some Con­jurer, who could worke better by his words than by his art, till hee told him at length in ear­nest, Ego illi aetati hoc nunquam eram iussurus; I would never have bidden you take that me­dicine at those yeares. You see by this the great force of time, a necessary circumstance to be [Page 251] observed in all examples.

5. Examples must be of the same kinde in regard of the end of the action, or else herein al­so they will faile grossely: The Prophet David did well, and moveth by the Spirit of God, when as hee so often curseth his enemies, and useth direfull imprecations against them, be­cause hee was ravished with a vehement desire of the glory of God, and sought that there­in, without any desire of pri­vate revenge, yet Saint Paul biddeth us blesse our enemies, Blesse and curse not; because wee are not so extraordinary filled with true zeale, but curse our enemies, out of anger, pas­sion, and thirsting to have ven­geance taken on them. Thus you see the five Circumstan­ces which must be observed in our imitation, which may suf­fice to shew what I intended by them, how uncertaine a [Page 252] thing it is for any man to guide his course meerely by exam­ple; where, be the thing never so good that is followed, there are notwithstanding so many wayes to goe amisse from it.

Pittifull therefore was the e­state of this woman, and of her fellow Citizens, who had no better than this Lesbian rule to square their worship by, loo­king at their fathers who had passed so many yeares agoe; since when, the state of Religi­on had beene changed, and Mount Gerazim now become prophane, which was unto Ja­cob holy ground; but well was it with the Iewes who worshipped what they knew, being in­formed out of the Law of God, that Ierusalem was the place where men ought to worship; it was indeed the best hold they could have, and therefore An­dronicus, pleading their cause, though hee alleaged the succes­sion [Page 253] of Priests, and the many gifts conferred by the Asian Kings, yet [...], saith Josephus, made the Law of God the rocke and ground, where upon he built the rest; hee beganne his proofe with it.

Let us, beloved, though looke into our Fathers Worship, yet not so dote upon it, as we had rather erre with them, than doe rightly, according as the grace of God, the Word of salvation shining forth, instru­cteth us: Be it that they did many things excellently, yet they were men, and in many things did amisse: wee have, God be thanked, as the Iewes had, [...], the Scriptures of God, a more sure rule than example: how­soever therefore wee doe not contemne examples, and the practise of former times, but approve it in the kind, as I said [Page 254] before, yet let us alwayes [...], make the Law of God, the maine pil­lar whereon we rest, and never goe crosse to it, though some­time we goe crosse to that our Fathers practised: it is the best counsell we can take, which is given unto us by the Prophet, Esay 8. 20. Say not a confedera­cy to them, to whom this people say a confederacy; from the li­ving to the dead; to the Law, and to the Testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Wee vilifie the glorious Gospell of Christ, when as wee dare preferre before the instru­ctions thereof, either quid dicit Ecclesia, or quid fecerunt pa­tres; The Traditions of the Church, or the doings of our Fathers: That just censure may bee laid upon us in that ease, which our Saviour giveth of [Page 255] this woman and the Samaritans. Adoratis quod nescitis, You worship you know not what.