A PASTORAL Charge.

THe Church of God and Spouse of Christ, (right Re­uerend, right wor­shipfull, and wor­thily regarded) is by the princely Preacher Salomon Cant. 6. 3. right­ly Cant. 6. 3. termed and entituled, Castrorum [Page 2] acies ordinata, an army well mar­shalled, where euery company hath his Captaine, and both Cap­taines and companies vnder one cheife cōmanding Generall Christ lesus, are well and wisely ordered. For the preseruation of which or­der by the corruption of times much decayed, and for the refor­mation of such enomorties as in the declining ages of the world haue greatly increased, not onely oecumenicall Counsels for whole Christendome, and nationall Sy­nods for seuerall Regions and Countries haue beene constituted and ordeined, but also Episcopall Visitations for peculiar Diocesses, and particular Countries, haue beene appointed, kept, and obser­ued. Of all which visitations and convocations of the Clergy, how­soeuer some supercilious Critickes either preiudicating the sinceritie, or vnder-valuing the sufficiency, or maligning the superioritie of Church-gouernours, haue too pe­remptorily [Page 3] concluded what Saint Paul once and but once 1. Cor. 11. 1. Cor. 11. 17. affirmed of the Corinthian assem­blies, that they met together [...], not for the better but for the worse, not for the grace and emolument, but for the dis-esteeme and detriment of and detriment of the Church and Church-men too: yet the discreet and godly wise, not transported by passion, or sinister suggestion, both know and acknowledge that as the vse of them hath somerimes beene and ought alwaies to be wholsome and profitable, either ad medelam, to cure the maladies, or ad cautelā, to preuent misheifes in the body Ecclesiasticall; so the authoritie of them is and certainely hath beene most auncient and excellent and immediately grounded vpon pra­ctise Apostolicall, viz: vpon the practise of the blessed Apostle S. Paul recorded in Act: 15. 36. and Act 15 36. and in the 17 verse of this 20 Chapter, whence my text is taken, where [Page 4] S. Paul is said to haue summoned and called together the Elders or Ministers of Ephesus in Asia, to whom when they came (as they came willingly and obediently, re­uerencing the graces of God in him) hee made a graue and vehe­ment Oration. Wherein hee de­clareth the integrity of his humble & harmles conversation amongst them, the painfulnes which he en­dured, and faithfulnesse which hee vsed to testifie the gospell of grace, and to shew the whole counsell of God vnto them, the constant reso­lution which hee had to fulfill his course, and the ministration recei­ued with ioy, whatsoeuer dangers or difficulties might befall him, & the certaintie of his departure ne­uer to see them more: after which departing wolues should enter in­to the flocke and seeke to deuoure them. From the due consideration of all which premises, as President (if I may so say) of that convoca­tion, he commendeth vnto the care [Page 5] of the Pastors assembled the good gouernment and incolumitie of the Churches, and earnestly pres­seth vpon their consciences the most necessary duties of their cal­ling in this pithy and powerfull ex­hortation, Take heed therefore vnto your selues and to all the flocke &c. which words being the select sub­iect of that discourse which vpon your iniunction (right Reuerend Father) I am this day to commend to your christian consideration (right well-beloued brethren) seemes not vnlike the sound of a loud claryon or voice of a shrill trumpet able to moue those that are musing, to rouze those that are slumbring, to awake those that are sleeping, and is in effect as if in more words the Apostle had thus pathetically and emphatically ex­pressed his meaning, and excited the Pastors of Ephesus, and in them all Ministers of the Gospell to the more watchfulnes, diligence and faithfulnesse in their calling. [Page 6] My brethren, freinds, and fellow­labourers, Paraphr: T [...]: so it is that I must now depart from you without hope of euer visiting you againe, and I protest before you (such is my con­fidence to God-wards, and the clearenes of my conscience witnes­sing for me) that I haue opened to you the whole will of God concer­ning the saluation of mankind, and the true way to life euerlasting, and haue beene wanting to you in no­thing (oh that all Prelates and Pa­stors could truly say the like) I haue with sinceritie and sedulitie done, with meeknes and humilitie suffred whatsoeuer to the vtter­most of my power and patience and grace giuen to mee might be suffred or done, to publish the pu­ritie and to promote the peace and prosperity of the pretious gospell preached amongst you. And now sith I can be no longer present to instruct, counsell, comfort and en­courage you, therefore in the bow­ells of Christ Iesus I earnestly be­seech [Page 7] you to supply by your owne extraordinary care and diligence whatsoeuer may bee wanting through my absence. Watch, stand 1. Cor. 16. 13. 1. Pet. 1. 13. fast in the faith, gird vp the loynes of your minde, quit your selues like men, bee zealous in the way and worke of the Lord, and iea­lous ouer your selues with a godly iealousie, Take heed to your selues, make sure worke for your owne soules, that yee be not corrupted or seduced, and take the like care and thought with an equall bent and extent of good-will and affection for the flocke, the whole flocke, wherof (not the authority of man, or power of Angels, or any priuate spirit of your owne, but) the Holy Spirit of God hath made you o­uerseers; suffer not this flocke, or any part thereof to pine for want of spirituall prouision to be wan­dring, wounded, wearied, wronged, but see that it be fed, refreshed, che­rished, preserued: For herevnto are yee called, not to be loyterers [Page 8] but labourers, not to be idle spe­culators, but painfull Pastors to feede with wholesome foode in due season the family of God, Gods Church, Gods chosen, Gods people, a precious people bought and redeemed with a price, a rich price, a price of infinite value, euen with bloud, with Gods bloud, with Gods owne bloud, for so by rea­son of the hypostaticall vnion of two natures in Christ that which is proper to the one is attributed to the other, per [...], as we speake in schooles, Take heede therefore to your selues and to all the flocke whereof the Holy Ghost hath made you over-seers &c. Suffer not the sheepe of Christs pasture, his peculiar, his cheife treasure, so much set by, and so dearely pur­chased by the vnvaluable price of his most precious bloud to perish or miscarry through your default or negligence. For if you doe, I call heauen and earth to record against you, that both the bloud of [Page 9] Christ shall bee charged on your heads, and the bloud of his peo­ple perishing required at your hands. O terrible blast like the sudden sound of a mighty thun­derclap, or the roaring of many waters able to make the two eares to tingle, and the heart-stringes to tremble of all euill and idle Pa­stors, which either cannot, so great is their ignorance; or doe not, so little is their conscience; or will not, so graceles is their negligence, feed the flocke of Christ and take heed therevnto. And thus hauing som­what fully and freely by way of paraphrase opened and enlarged the coherence, sense and substance of this parcell of Scripture; for my more orderly proceding there­in, let me intreat you to obserue with me by way of diuision, two principall parts thereof.

Diuision. 1 The first a strict charge and in­iunction what to do, actuated and enforced by this illatiue particle [Therefore] h. v. Take heede there­fore [Page 10] to your selues and to all the stocke.

2 The second an important cause and consideration why it is to be done, in the words following, be­cause the Holy Ghost hath made you over-seers to feede the Church of God purchased with his owne bloud.

Subdivision 1 The charge it selfe (to omit the ordinarie circumstances of the per­son giuing it, and the parties to whom it is giuen) containes a two­fold substantiall caveat or caution, the one intrinsecall, [...] Take heed to your selues, neglect not the care of your owne saluation, for sibi nequam cui bonus? hardly will he doe good to others exten­siue, that is not good for himselfe intensiue. 2 The other extrinsecall, take heed to the flock, [...], to all the flocke and euery part thereof, strengthen the weake, re­duce the wandring, raise those that are falne, confirme those that stand. For this, and all this, and more then this vnder this allegory and [Page 11] comparison of a minister to a shep heard is comprehended.

As for the cause and considera­tion, that consisteth of a threefold reason. 1 The first drawen from the author of their sacred function, viz: the Holy Ghost which had made them Over-seers, importing their calling to be not an humane in­uention, but a diuine institution, wherein they were assisted by the presence, protected by the power, directed by the wisdome of Gods Spirit.

2 The second from the end and burden of their office, in that they were made overseers non ad deglu­bendum, sed ad pascendum, and as the originall [...] will beare it, Reu. 2. 17. ad regendum, not to fleece, but to feede the flocke of Christ pabulo coelestis doctrinae & orationis, not to greiue but to gouerne the Church of God pedo disciplinae & exemplo conversationis.

3 The third and last sharp-pointed reason from the dignity of the [Page 12] Church, and the qualitie of the flocke which is to be fed, namely, [...], as S. Peter calls it, a peculiar people purchased (as it 1. Pet. 2. 9. is in my text) with Christs owne bloud, hee hath paide full dearely for them, hee hath best right vnto them, he sets highly by them, and therefore will call those to a strict account which take the charge of them, Take heed therefore to your selues, and to all the flocke, whereof the Holy Ghost &c. These (right Re­uerend and worthily regarded) are the seuerall branches of my text, and the bounds and limits of my intended meditations, by the very surueigh whereof, though I doubt not, but you (Fathers and breth­ren) may readily apprehend and praeconceiue before I speake the summe and effect of all that I haue to say; yet sith it is no disparage­ment to learning to heare what we know againe confirmed, no pre­iudice to a well ordered priuate life and publique gouernment to [Page 13] heare and see what we doe, and ought to doe often preached, pres­sed, and approued, I will now by Gods assistance and your continu­ed patience descend from the su­perficiall pointing of them out vn­to your view for obseruation, vnto a more substantiall prosecuting of them in their order for your better vse and application. And first of the first, viz▪ the charge or iniun­ction, and therein of the first in­trinsecall caueat or caution contai­ned h. v. Take heed therefore to your selues &c. Our blessed Sauiour Christ Iesus that good and great shepheard of soules seeking the breed of his spirituall flocke out of all the heards that fedde on the mountaines of Iudah, got vnto himselfe in a short time the num­ber of twelue Apostles. All which though they did eat of their Ma­sters morsels, and drinke of his cupp, and enioy his company, yet receiuing as euill through the fleshes weaknesse, what Christ gaue [Page 14] to them as life through the spirits goodnes, they became reprehen­sible both in doctrine and man­ners. In doctrine, for they doub­ted whether Christ were the Mes­sias, and were ignorant of the re­surrection; In manners, for some of them were chilling cold in cha­ritie, others exceeded in the heate of ambition. To which maladies that there might be the fittest me­dicines applyed, our Sauiour (Mark. 9. 50.) as a skilfull Phisition Mark. 9. 50. proposeth a soueraigne potion, wherein for the rectifying of their knowledge, he prescribeth salt to sauour them, haue salt in your selues, & for the tempering of the heat of their ambition & coldnesse of cha­rity, he warneth them to haue peace the queller of factions & cōpoun­der of cōtrarieties, Haue salt in your selues, and peace one with another. But first haue salt in your selues, that is the acrimony of true know­ledge and godly wisdome, that hereby you may the better season [Page 15] others, as here in my text it is, Take heed first to your selues, that you may the better attend to the flocke, whereof the Holy Ghost hath made you Ouer-seers. For as Philosophy telleth vs of a twofold action, the one, immanent; and the other tran­seunt, and withall teacheth vs that immanent actions, whereby some Action 2. good thing is wrought in our selues are waies to the transeunt, whereby wee leaue the end and effect of our well-doing in others; so diuinitie approuing this distin­ction of her handmaid philosophy groundeth herevpon this conclu­sion, which is the first doctrinall point of my text worthy your ob­seruation.

Doctr. 1 That all men, especially Mini­sters and Magistrates should haue that really and actually in them­selues, which they would haue to be wrought and effected in others. Charity and true zeale in her as­cendent begins with it selfe, and it is meete that we be as cesternes to [Page 16] hold cleane water in our selues, be­fore wee become as conduits to convey the same to others. Timo­thie ought first to take heede to himselfe, to walke warily in the pathes of holinesse and righteous­nesse for the furtherance and assu­rance of his owne saluation, and then he must attend diligently to his doctrine and teaching, that as much as in him lyeth he may saue others 1. Tim. 4. So the Elders and 1. Tim. 4. 16. Ministers of Ephesus are here en­ioyned first to looke to themselues Act: 20. 28. and to make sure worke for their owne soules, and then to attend to the guidance and direction, to the safety and protection of the flocke of Christ. The Cocke first clap­peth his owne winges to rouze himselfe, and afterwards croweth aloude that others may be awake­ned; so surely all they whose la­bours God imployeth in drawing others to any good dutie and well-doing ought to bee such them­selues▪ and to shew themselues [Page 17] such as they would haue others to be. He is too nice a Phisition, saith S. Ierom, either for the body or the soule, that prescribeth fasting to others, and is sicke of a surfet himselfe, si vis me flere dolendum est primo tibi, if thou wilt worke powerfully on my affection, thou thy selfe must not be voide and exempt of passion. When Abime­lech Iudg: 9. 48 had cut downe Iudg. 9. 48. boughes and carried them on his shoulders, then saith he to the peo­ple, what yee haue seene mee doe doe the like: so our blessed Saui­our Ioh: 13. hauing washed Peters feete, Ioh: 13. forthwith telleth his disci­ples that therein he had giuen them an ensample to do as he had done; and in the 11 of Matthew, where he vseth that gratious call, Ʋenite ad Mat: 11. 29. me omnes, Come vnto mee all and learne of me; he saith not, learne of mee because I talke of humilitie, but learne of mee because I am humble and meeke, and walke in humilitie, and am a patterne of [Page 18] that which I giue in precept; and such he was beyond all exception, his birth and education, his life and conuersation, his death and passion being altogether a pageant of humilitie. So likewise S. Paul Philip 4. 8. 9. from his owne example and prece­dency commendeth to the pursuit and practise of the Philippians, whatsoeuer things are true, are ho­nest, iust, pure, pertaine vnto loue, and are of good report, willing them to bee followers of those things euen as they had heard of him and seene in him, they had heard his doctrine, they had seene his vertues and vertuous life a­greable thervnto; both these must go together, if we will take heede to our selues, as here wee are en­ioyned to doe. And here to be­gin with our selues of the Ministry, this ought to be our first and prin­cipall care to keepe diligent watch and ward ouer our owne hearts, as Salomon aduiseth Prou. 4. to keepe Pre. 4. 23. this pretious vessell from all fraud [Page 19] and violence safe and sound, lock­ed with the key of faith, barred with resolution against sinne, guar­ded with supervisiting diligence, and to take heed that no pleasures, profits, or preferments cause vs to make shipwracke of a good con­science, which is the casting away of all other excellencies, it being no rare thing to note the soule of a wilfull sinner stripped of all her graces and by degrees exposed to shame; The more serious must our studie and vigilancy be with often and earnest prayer vnto God, that the peace of our consciences and purity of our hearts may be preser­ued, and consequently our conuer­sation so well and warily ordered, and inoffensiuely guided, that intus puri, extus boni, vtrin (que) sani vitam Deo gratam, gregi acceptam, omni­bus probatam agamus, being sincere in heart, and vpright in life, our whole comportment may be ac­cepted of God, approued of men. Omnia, saith Ierom, in sacerdote Hieron. [Page 20] debent esse vocalia, all things in a Minister, Vestis, gestus, manus, mensa, mores, his coate, his coun­tenance, his gesture, his diet, his discourse, his priuate as well as publique behauiour must preach sanctification and holinesse: thus integrity of life as he is [...] a dis­ciple and sheep of Christ, is first re­quired in euery worthy minister; and secondly soundnes of doctrine and assiduity in preaching, as he is [...], a teacher of Christians, and a Pastor of Christs flocke with his personall graces, [...] to walke vprightly and circumspe­ctiuely, Gal. 2. 14. the gifts of his Gal. 2. 14. ministeriall function, [...] to diuide the word of truth with di­ligence and dexterity, with mode­sty and grauity, 2. Tim. 2. must bee 2 Tim. 2. 15. tempered & conioyned, and both these implements, or rather com­plements of a godly minister are typicallie and liuelie represented to the eyes of our vnderstanding by the two Cherubins in Salomons [Page 21] Temple, Chron. 2. 3. by the mysti­call creatures Chron. 2. 3. which had hands vn­der their wings, Ezek. 1. and by the Ezek. 1. 8. Vrim and Thummim in Aarons brest-plate, and by the golden bels and pomgranates in the skirts of his garments, Exod 28. which two Exod. 28. 34. whosoeuer shall carefully and con­scionably ioyne together (as all of vs should doe) both obseruing and teaching to others the commande­ments of God, he shall not onely be great, but shall haue the honour to bee called great in the kingdome of heauen, Mat. 5. 19. Such a one, Mat. 5. 19. and amongst others, a singularly eminent and excellent minister of the Gospel, and preacher of repen­tance, did Iohn the Baptist shew himselfe to bee, of whose worthy praise, that praise-worthy testimo­nie of our Sauior (who being truth itselfe, Ioh. 14. would not flatter, could not lie) is registred for all po­sterity, Ille erat lucerna ardens & lu­cens: he was a burning and shining lampe, Iohn. 5. 35. Lucerna praedica­tionis Iohn. 5. 35. [Page 22] beneficio ardens charitatis in­cendio, ardens & lucens virtutis exer­citio, burning inwardlie with true zeale and charity, outwardly shi­ning by the luster of his liuely prea­ching, burning and shining with the continuall exercise of vertue, of whose singular graces and vertues, wee of the Ministery (men, fathers, and brethren) should bee studious emulators and followers, that so like men of God, tam magisterio vir­tutum quam ministerio verborum, as well by the example of our good workes, as by preaching the incor­rupt 2. Tit. 7. and wholesome worde, wee may better and benefit the people of God; and with Basil the great, whom Nazianzene emblazeth, do­ctrina Naz. tonitruantem, vita coruscantem, thundring in his doctrine, glistring and shining in his life may be ena­bled [...], euery manner of way at all [...]as. hom. 6. in [...]ex. times, in all places, amongest all persons, to edifie the Church, [...] [Page 23] in preaching, practising, by pra­ctise preaching, as Clem. Alex. pi­thily Clem. Alex. streom. writeth. And the reason for all this is very good, which Saint Gregory in his pastoralls yeeldeth, quia exemplaris vita est concio opti­ma, illud (que) cum imperio docetur, quod Rat. Greg. in pastor. prius ag [...]ur quam docetur, because (saith hee) the exemplary good life is the best sermon, & that is taught with authority, which is first acted by our selues, before it be giuen in charge to others: semenque verbi fa­cile germinat, &c. and the seede of Gods word, and of wholesome in­struction doth easily bring foorth increase, when the godlines of the Preacher doth water and moisten the same in the hearts of the hea­rers. And so much of the duety of Ministers, in taking heede vnto themselues, that by composing their liues religiously, and by pro­posing Gods word reuerently they may go before the people with the lampe of life and doctrine, to the heauenly Canaan, and land of the [Page 24] liuing. Which duty of selfe heede-taking, not onely concernes mini­sters, that beare the Lords arke, but Magistrates also, which weare his armour, and weilde his sword, and all inferiour houshold gouernours too, who in the feare of the Lord m [...]st looke to it, that they be good, and well affected themselues, if Offic. mag. & pat. fa. they will worke the like effect in o­thers, which belong to their charge: they must with Dauids resolution say, Psal. 39. I will take heed to mine Psal. 39. 1. 101. 2. owne waies: and Psalm. 101. I will walke with an vpright heart in the middest of mine house. They must re­semble the snuffers in the Taberna­cle, Exod. 25. 38 which beeing or­dained Exod. 25. 38. to purge others, were made of pure gold themselues. It is a rule or ouerruled case in Philosophy, that the braine is sencelesse, though the fountaine of sences, and that the vniuersall causes haue not actu­ally in themselues, what they pro­duce in their effects: howsoeuer this be, sure I am, it ought to bee [Page 25] farre otherwise, not onely with mi­nisters, as I haue in part shewed, but with Magistrates also, with Parents, Masters, and all Domesticall Go­uernours, with whose wisedome and welfare, it stands much to bee circumspect in their doings, that by the staid gouernment of them­selues, they may impresse deepe characters of good behauiour in all those which depend and attend vpon them, who Lycurgus like must make their liues the example of their Lawes, and their Lawes, pre­cepts and iniunctions, must bee as sound axiomes drawen from the integrity and vprightnesse of their liues, that so their inferiours their hearers, their children, seruants, and followers, may as well by that which they see in them, as heare from them, be instructed and edifi­ed. This kinde of instruction both by doing and teaching, is that two­edged sword, which proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lambe, Reuel. 1. able to diuide betwixt the Reuel. 1. 1. [Page 26] marrow and the bones, betwixt the soules and the bosome darling sins of those whom we would & should amend: With which double edged sword, sharp and keene on the tea­ching side, and cutting deepe on the doing side, If Prelates and Preachers in their assemblies: if Iudges and Iustices in their circu­ites and countries: if Magistrates in their townes and cities: and Ma­sters in their houses and families would resolutely fight withall a­gainst sinne and vngodlinesse, cer­tainelie they should preuaile farre more then they doe in rep essing of iniquity, and redressing of abu­ses and disorders: neither could presumptuous impiety long stand out, and beare vp the head against them, but they would soone nip it in the blade, smite it on the head, yea pearce it to the very heart. But alas, the condition of these times is much to be lamented, wherein Ministers and Magistrates, which should ioyne hand in hand, and v­nite [Page 27] their forces to see iniquity pu­nished; are for the most part; ey­ther in their iudgement or affecti­ons so diuided, that whereas the Priests lips should preserue know­ledge, and the magistrates hands keepe good order, the one de­nounce Gods iudgements against sinne, the other execute them, and both combine their strength, like Moses and Aaron, Dauid and Io­nathan, Iudah and Symeon, to re­forme abuses, in Church and com­mon-weale: little or nothing (God wot) is by them amended, whether through the wilfulnes and corrup­tion of the one, the pride and co­uetousnesse of the other, or the cowardlinesse and slothfulnesse of both, or rather throgh the Church­wardens and sworne mens neglect to present faults for feare, fauor, or affection dangerously dispensing with their oath, I leaue it vndeter­mined; neither is it my part or pur­pose to publish the ouerthrow of the mighty in Gath, or the faults & 2. Sam. 1. [Page 28] fallings out of great ones, in the streetes of Ascalon, least the vncir­cumcised should triumph. I will rather lay my finger on this scarre, so farre forth as the trueth of my loue may not preiudice the loue of truth; only this betwixt shame and sorrow I must say; that for want of the Lawes iudicial execution, both the vnbrideled lusts of mans cor­ruption in spirituall consistories re­maine vncorrected; and the wick­ed attempts of mans presumption in temporall courts remaine vnre­pressed, and the originall of both defaults and defects is this, that some officers in eyther, doe too much resemble the Idoll Molech, Leuit. 18. 21. liuely described, or are Leuit. 18. 21. not much vnlike those Giants which called themselues Rephaims Phisitions and reformes of vices, whereas they were Zanzummims, Deut. 2. 20. most distempered, vicious and fla­gitious themselues, as in the 20. verse of the second of Deuteronomy, it is plainely and pregnantly no­ted. [Page 29] O that my words were in an Apostrophe. auncients mouth, that gray haires might giue grace vnto them: then would I the more boldly beseech you, right reuerend Father in God, that (according to your wisedome & grauity, place and dignity, power and authority, being armed, with the compleat armour of temporall and spirituall iurisdiction) you would with vndaunted courage and resolution, strike at the very roote of those enormities. And sith in this course of reformation, you haue the prayers, helpe, and approbation of all good men, and the assured assistance of God him­selfe, who will reward your care, and crowne your diligence; O goe on with the spirit of fortitude, well tempered zeale, and godly con­stancy, to brandish the sword of iustice against the faces of presump­tuous idolatrous Papists, of mis­creant irreligious Atheists, of pro­phane Neutralists, and seditious Priscillianists, and alother enemies [Page 30] of God and his Church, and with the speare of reproofe, and seuerest castigation, run through (as I may say) the very heart of farre sprea­ding Popery, of whoredome, drun­kennesse, bribery, extortion, con­tempt of the Ministery, periury, blasphemy, sacrilegious Church-robbing, and of other grosse cor­ruptions, wherof the Church war­dens (whom I againe, and againe, aduise to make conscience of their sacred oathes) shall make presenta­tion. Magna quidem est in illa seueri­tate piet as per quam tollitur peccandi Sen. libertas. O make the truth heereof to appeare by your seuerity, in gi­uing a downe-right blow to those offensiue euills which cry for a mighty stroake, that they may no more stalke by you, much lesse stare vpon you vncontrolled, but that by your two staues of bands and beauty, in imitation of the great shepheard of Israell (Zachar. Zach. 11. 7. 11.) that is, of doctrine and disci­pline of coactiue & correctiue iu­risdiction, [Page 31] either with an oportet haec facere, or decet haec fieri, with a pro­hibe, or cohibe; a caueat or a capias; with an [...], Tit. 2. a cut Tit. 2. 13. off, a put downe, or shut vp, the au­thors and actours of these ranging, raging, roaring sinnes, in Cleargy & Laity, may be seuerely censured, and as much as in your Lordship lieth, vtterly suppressed. For the better accomplishing of which needfull worke (to returne to that from which I haue a little digres­sed) it is of vs all (Deare Christians) to bee heartily wished, and by all good meanes to bee endeuoured, that such alway bee placed in the Magistracy and Ministery, as may not onely by the duty of their calling, seeke earnestly the refor­mation of those things which are amisse, but also may by their well-ordered holy liues, be lanternes & spectacles of vertue and godlines, patternes and presidents of well-doing grace, and goodnes to all o­thers. That the people by them as [Page 32] by a glasse (euen as the youth of Greece did by Epaminondas) may learne to timme and adorn them­selues with al vertuous ornaments; This, this, is the most hopefullest course to rectifie things that are de­praued, to vnite things that are di­uided, to set in order and reforme things, which had neede to bee a­mended. I doe not deny but that multi multis prosunt dicendo quae non Aug. tract. 46. in Ioh. faciunt: but I also auerre with Saint Augustine: that longe pluribus pro­dessent faciendo quae dicunt, and with­out taking this course of making our lippes and our liues, our hands and our hearts, our wordes & our works, our profession and practise to agree together in a competent commendable manner, little a­mendment in publique or in pri­uate, is to be expected, though the complaints of Ministers concer­ning their hearers prophanesse and ignorance; of Magistrates concer­ning their peoples stubbornnesse and disobedlence; of Parents and [Page 33] Masters concerning their children and seruants wantonnesse, faithles­nesse, and negligence bee neuer so much aggrauated, neuer so often reiterated. For when, I pray, will a leaud seruant bee dissuaded from his drunkennesse and whoredome, by the words of a luxurious and li­centious Master? when wil a hand­maid be reclaimed of her folly by the perswasion of a loose Mistresse? when will disordered people, and dissolute parishioners be reformed of their vaine and vile courses, by the counsell or threatnings of vn­ruly rulers, and carnall careles Mi­nisters? But it is high time for mee to shut vp this poynt, (for I haue a long way to goe, and but lirtle time to spend) and therfore I hum­bly beseech you all, Men, Fathers, and Brethren, beloued in Christ, that you would seriously medi­tate on so necessary and profitable a Christian duety, as hath now by way of doctrine of generall exhor­tation, and particular application, [Page 34] been commended vnto you, Vse 2 let it haue its due entertainment in your soules, and take deepe impression in your hearts for the amendment of whatsoeuer is amisse, eyther in your own persons, or in your pub­lique assemblies, or priuate fami­lies. Againe and againe I say vnto you all, Take heede vnto your selues, and more especially, to you my brethren in the ministery, who by your callings are captayns of Gods army, dispensers of Gods myste­ries, stewards of Gods houshould, builders of Gods Church, sheep­heards of his flocke, and therefore should bee couragious, faithfull, skilfull, watchfull, Take heed to your selues, and looke to your families, that there be not sound in them an Hophue or Phineas to make the Lords sacrifices abhorred as it fell out in the time of Eli, 1 Sam. 2. beat 1 Sam. 2. downe the body of sinne in your selues and others, that you may grow vp in the spirituall strength of your soules, be much in conference [Page 35] with God and practise of holy du­ties, pray much, reade much, me­ditate much, preach often and ear­nestly; and least by any meanes af­ter, you haue preached vnto o­thers, and prepared an arke for their safety, you your selues should be reproued, and perish with No­ahs carpenters, in the floud of your owne iniquity: Take heede, aban­don all impiety and scandalous ir­regularity, and as S. Paul exhorteth Timothy, 1 Tim. 6. Flee couetousnes 1 Tim. 6. and noysome lusts, and follow af­ter righteousnesse, loue, patience, meekenesse, and labour alwaies, a­mongst all persons, to manifest a laudable congruity & correspon­dency betweene your good teach­ing, and godly liuing. Let that pro­phane prouerbe (doing and saying be two mens offices) be verified among the Heathen, as for vs (beloued) which would bee accounted good Christians, and indeed should bee approued patterns of Christianity: Let it be our principall care & stu­die [Page 36] that our wordes and workes, our doings and sayings, our profes­sion and practise may agree toge­ther in one tune, and draw in one line, as it becommeth the Gospell of Christ Iesus, which is truly cal­led the Gospell of Peace, 2 Ephes. [...] Ephes. whose author is the God of Peace, 1 Cor. 14. whose ministers are mes­sengers [...] Cor. 14. Rom. 10. of Peace, 10 Rom. whose followers are the children of Peace Luke 10. whose duety is the studie Luk. 10. of Peace, Rom. 12. and end that Rom. 12. Peace which passeth all vnderstan­ding, Phil. 4. and all to moue vs to Philip. 4. haue Peace amongst our selues, and as much as in vs lieth with al others that so liuing in Peace, and spen­ding our daies holily, wee may die in peace, and end our daies happi­ly, and after this mortall pilgri­mage ended, may passe by the life of grace, to the life of glory, and immortality which neuer shal haue end. And so much, if not too much (in regard of the precise modell of time alotted for me to speake, and [Page 37] you to heare) bee spoken of the first intrinsecall caveat, Take heede to your selues.

Now it followeth, and that by a necessary consequent (for Christia­nitie extendeth both her charitie and industry to the good of o­thers) Take heede to all the flocke, which I terme the extrinsecall ca­ueat or caution; wherein before I descend to the distinct duties of Ministers in particular, without any other curious induction, I ob­further this doctrine in generall.

Doct. 2 That all Christians which by ta­king heede to their waies and wal­king after Gods will haue tasted the sweetnesse of Gods graces in themselues, are or ought to be wit­nesses of the same graces of God vnto others, and workers of them in others, as much as in them lyeth. The gifts of Gods spirit, and profi­table employment, may not be se­parated; in whomsoeuer the gra­ces of God be they must be seene in doing some spirituall good ac­cording [Page 38] to their place and calling who are endued therewith. It was said to Peter, Luk. 22. when thou art Luk. 22. 32. converted strengthen thy brethren; and it is said by S. Paul, Gal. 1. 16. Gal: 1. 16. that it pleased God to reueale his Sonne vnto him, that hee might preach him to the Gentiles: and in the 2. Corin: 14. that God did 2 Cor: 14. comfort him in all his tribulation that hee might be able to comfort others in their affliction. And hence it is that hee giueth that ge­nerall charge, 1. Thess. 5. 11. exhort 1. Thes. 5. 11. and edifie one another as yee doe, admonish the vnruly, comfort the feeble, &c. and in the 10 Heb. 24. Heb: 10. 24. Let vs consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes. and Rom: 15. 2. Let euery man please his Rom. 15. 2. neighbour in that which is good to aedification. and to this purpose the commandment of S. Peter, 1. Pet: 1. Pet: 4. 10. 4. 10. is very expresse and preg­nant, Let euery man as he hath recei­ued the gift minister the same one to another as good disposers of the mani­fold graces of God.

R. 1 Euery one is Gods steward, not to ingrosse the gifts and graces of God to himselfe, but to imploy them to a common benefit. And the example of God himselfe that eternall essence, whose perfection must be the patterne of our wills, teacheth vs so much, whose imma­nent operatiōs though they might cleare him from preiudice, work­ing vpon so good and infinite an obiect as himselfe, yet would hee not rest, in that which was excel­lent, but passe to that which was most gracious, and his eternall essence would giue to euery thing a being or entity, and his truth ve­rity, and his existence an vnity, and his perfection goodnes, and his hap­pinesse faelicity. If then we will be conformable vnto him, wee must not content our selues in the excel­lency and pleasure of our owne contemplation without casting an eye downeward vpon our breth­ren; neither must the receipt of infused graces purchased by christ, [Page 40] rest vpon our selues alone, but when we are in some measure fil­led, wee ought to looke vpon o­thers that are lanke and leane, till they be as full as we; being en­lightned our selues, we must seeke to make others wise vnto saluation. Peter Antaeus-like hauing gotten strength by his fall endeuoureth to breed the same qualitie in his bre­thren; and Paul being converted addicteth himselfe wholy to the converting of others, and Rom: 1. 14. acknowledgeth himselfe a deb­ter Rom: 1. 14. both to Iew and Gentile in that behalfe. Dauid Psal. 12. prayeth to be holpen and saued himselfe, but Psal: 12. 1. so as the word (Hoshignah) in the originall importeth, that he might helpe and saue others. The true lights of the firmament are euer in motion for the good of others, whilest comets and blazing starres fed with corruption from below, stand at a stay and vanish away. And surely this is a property of euery righteous and holy man, [Page 41] that hauing his owne heart posses­sed with the true feare of God and vnfained loue of religion, hee hath his desire also enflamed to draw others therevnto, and it is the ioy of his heart to see others as good as himselfe; yea hee thinketh the framing of others to conformitie with himselfe to be a most necessa­ry operation of the life of grace, R. 2 in­fused into his soule; and nature it selfe inioyneth him this dutie ari­sing from the necessary relation [...]etweene his lippes and feeding, as it is liuely expressed Prov: 10. 21. Prov: 10. 21. the lipps of the righteous feede many, the righteous man who hath ob­tained pardon of his sinnes by the bloud of Christ, and hath his righ­teousnes imputed to him, and in assurance hereof endeuoureth with a sincere heart to please God in all things, and hath the good treasure of his heart filled with all spirituall wisdome, the word of God dwel­ling plenteously in him; such a righteous man hoordeth not vp [Page 42] his treasure as the miser doth his corne, and the couetous his riches, but lets it passe through his lipps thereby to feede, not a few but ma­ny, and to spread abroad know­ledge Pro: 15. 7. so that from the Prov: 15. 7. righteous mans treasure (and such a man especially euery Minister should bee) the ignorant hath a portion, and that is instruction; the perfract and obstinate hath a portion, and that is reprehension; the wanderer a portion, and that is admonition; the penitent a por­tion, and that is consolation; and it cannot well be otherwise. For if it be a true Maxime that euery in­strument worketh dispositively at the command of the principall a­gent, then since God hath giuen lipps to serue the soule as princi­pall commander, either there must be little store of grace in the heart, or else out of the store thereof the lipps will vtter it, and from the abundance of the heart speake a­bundantly. To be short, the spiri­tuall [Page 43] good of those with whom the righteous man liueth, and whom he loueth, taketh vp a chiefe room in his affections, hee seeketh their conversion and saluation, this is an imployment worthy his loue, his labour, his prayers, his paines. Herein hee sheweth himselfe the childe of God, and his wishes ac­cord with Gods; Oh (saith the Lord Deut: 5.) that there were in Deut: 5. 25. my people an heart to feare me; Oh (saith the righteous christian) that there were in my frends, kinsfolke, neighbors, and acquaintance, an heart to feare the Lord and keepe his commandments, that it might goe well with them. Would to God, saith Moses Numb. 11: all Gods people were Prophets: and Numb: 11. 29. Paul Act: 26. wisheth that not one­ly Acts 26. 29. Festus the President, and Agrip­pa the King, but all that heard him were as he was, not in bands, and captiuitie, but in grace and christi­anitie. Seldome shall you heare these or the like voyces amongst [Page 44] worldlings; I wish others were as rich as I, as learned as I, and in as good credit as I am; for these things make men earthly-minded, base selfe-louers, and priuately af­fected; but grace and holinesse is of an excellent royall nature, and enlargeth the heart wherein it is with such loue to other men, that nothing more contents the righte­ous man then to make others as good as himselfe, and to see them goe in his Masters heauenly liuery. Hee taketh heede to himselfe, hee taketh care of others, tanquam sidus clarum & beneficum, as the Sunne in the firmament is benefi­ciall to all.

Ʋse. 1 Wherefore to make some vse of this point. Rouze vp your selues (ô yee Christians) which heare me this day, vp and be doing, and the Lord will be with you; suffer not this doctrine to passe vnregarded, vnpractised, but as you would be accounted the holy and righteous seruants of the Lord, quickned and [Page 45] enlived with the spirit of grace and power of godlinesse, so shew your selues to bee such by communica­ting the good graces you haue re­ceiued to the benefit of others, lay aside all hypocrisie in seeming to be what you are not, & remoue all slothfulnes in not appearing to be what you are, and as the elect of God put on the bowells of mer­cy, and with cheerefulnes and ala­critie spend those talents where­with God hath enriched you, and adventure them for your Masters best advantage, and vse your gifts as Dauid Psalm: fitted for the good of all which may be or desire to be benefited by them. Bee not spare in spending, what God hath been bountifull in bestowing, make knowne your selues to be not one­ly like the good tree which bring­eth forth its owne good fruit in due season; but like the fire, and Psal: 1. 3. the fire, non in silice, sed in sinu, not in the flint, which will hardly bee beaten out, but in the bosome [Page 46] which cannot be concealed, but will soone shew it selfe, and hauing matter to worke vpon, will send out a flaming light to direct and comfort others. O consider from what misery by nature you your selues are freed, and to what an ex­cellent estate by grace yee are tran­slated, and be not so thanklesse to the authour of your happinesse, or hard hearted to the good of your brethren, as to neglect to pay to either what you doe owe them. You owe glory to God for his ma­nifold mercies vouchsafed vnto you, and the greatest thing where­in you can glorifie him is to be the meanes of drawing others to his kingdome; you owe loue vnto your brethren, and the greatest thing wherein you can shew this loue, is to seeke their freedom out of the bands of sinne and Sathan, and to bee instruments of sauing their soules O set then close to this worke, vse all the good means of prayer, counsell, conference, [Page 47] comfort, and admonition, and commit the successe vnto God. Petitur avobis cura non curatio, as Bernard speaketh: God requireth Bern: lib. 4. consider: not at your hands that you should cure your brethren, for that is his immediate worke, Hebr: 13. but that you should care for them, and doe what in you lyeth to procure not only their temporall, but espe­cially their spirituall and eternall good. Blessed and beloued Chri­stians, wee are all and ought to bee one anothers keepers, and it was but Cain a murtherer which made question to the contrary, Gen. 4. Gen: 4. 9. Wherefore as brethren, sonnes of the same Father, seruant [...] to the same Master, heires of the same promise, fellow-trauellers bound for the same countrey, let vs make on an other partakers both of our temporall goods, according to the rule of Salomon, Prov: 5. Let thy Prov: 5. 16. fountaine flow forth, and thy riuers in the streetes; and especially of our spirituall graces, instructing, coun­selling, [Page 48] comforting, and aedifying one an other in an holy faith and godly life. It is a true saying, [...], a good man is a common good. Oh then let vs shew our selues to be such good men and louing Christians indeed leauing behind vs in all plaees where wee liue and haue to doe some tokens of our goodnesse, some monuments of our godlines, some sweet sauour of our virtues; especially as occasion is now gi­uen, let vs expresse our bounty for a common good, namely in fur­thering (by our willing contribu­tion therevnto) the honorable plantation of Ʋirginia, for the re­ducing Virginia. of pagans vnto Christiani­tie; and the praise-worthy erecti­on of the Colledge of Controuer­sies, Chelsey. for the speedier refuting of the errors, and repressing of the insolencies of malignant popish aduersaries. Those worthies which are imployed in these famous workes cry vnto vs as the Angell [Page 49] of Macedonia did vnto Paul, Come and helpe vs. Let vs then be help­full Act: 16. 9. vnto them; and as profitable members in the Bee-hiue of christs Church, let vs bring by our loue our largesse; by our prayers, paines, or practise, wax or hony therevnto, for the benefit of many; and not be like those haughty vn­gentle spirits, in whom the grosse humours of pride and couetousnes haue bred such an obstruction of liberalitie and kindnes, that neither good workes, nor gracious words at all proceed from them. Solon in Plutarch. in moral. Plutarch made a law that if any one had digged 20 foote deepe in his owne ground and found no water, his neighbour should per­mit him to draw water out of his Well: Doe then such and such men labour to liue, and endeuour to learne, and yet want some main­tenance and learning, which God in some greater measure hath af­forded vs; why then we are bound to giue vnto them of that little [Page 50] which we haue, and to teach them of that little which we know, and to doe them what good wee can; if we doe, God will reward vs; if we doe not, the heathen man will rise vp in iudgement against [...]. In the 26 of Exodus, you may Exod: 16. 20. read how that Manna being hoor­ded vp for priuate vse continued not sweet two daies, but being potted vp for a common remem­brance lasted many yeares: So if we keepe vp our goods and graces for our selues alone, they will rot, decrease, or be diminished; but if we dispose them as we ought for a common benefit, they shall last long, and increase, and for them shall we be rewarded: for the mer­cifull man rewardeth his owne soule, Prou. 11. and the Prophet in Psal. Prov: 11. 17. 112. hauing said that the righteous man is mercifull and distributeth, the next newes we heare of him is, that his righteousnesse endureth for euer, and his borne shall be exalted, Psalm: 112. 9. Thus and thus shall they [Page 51] be rewarded, which honour God in bestowing for the publique good, those gifts and graces where with God hath honoured them. Which being a duty that concerns all Christians in generall, doth in a more peculiar manner appertaine to vs Ministers in particular. For to vs of the Ministry, who are Em­bassadors of Christ, dispensers of his secrets, corriualls of his spouse, watchmen of his Citie, ouer-seers of his seruants, pastors of his flock, and therefore deserue audience, reuerence, loue, obedience, and that which is most denied, or en­uied vnto vs (by such as would bring on vs verissimos labores, certis­simam egestatem, vnstinted paines, vndoubted penury) liberall main­tenance. To vs (I say) this charge of superuisiting diligence is chiefly directed, Take heed to all the flocke, and as it followeth in my text, to feede the Church or familie of God, &c. which being things in sense and substance well agreeing, de­serue [Page 52] ioyntly to be handled, as on the contrary, things that differ, de­serue to be distinguished.

Doctr. 3 The point then to bee conside­red is this. God who is absolutely good, and doth nothing but to ve­ry good purpose, hauing made vs men to resemble his image, and called vs to be men of God [...], to partake of his homage, hath withall precisely enioyned vs this taske, to take heede to his flocke, to feed his family, to preserue and protect his heritage. To watch o­uer his owne soule is euery mans duety, but to watch ouer the soules of others, is a more especiall boun­den seruice of ours, who are called men of God by a kind of excellen­cy. This is our worke, as conduit pipes of grace to conuey to the thirsty soules of our hearers, the li­uing water of Gods word, and to be as the mesaraicall veynes in the bo­by naturall, through which the spi­rituall foode must passe, whereby the members of Christs body my­sticall [Page 53] are to bee nourished vp vnto euerlasting life. This is our worke, and as the Apostle calleth it, [...] Tim. 1 Tim. 3. 1. 3. a worthy worke; If any desire the office of a Bishop, of a Prelate or Pastor: he (saith the Apostle) de­sireth not a good dignity, a good delight, good riches, great reue­nues, a good and gainfull office, but a good duety, a painefull great and worthy worke. For the better & more beneficiall accomplishing whereof, three principall vertues, as implements and ornaments in vs which would bee accounted his 3 Vertues req. in godly min. workemen, are necessarily requi­red. First, skilfulnesse to beginne. Secondly, faithfulnesse to goe on. Thirdly, zealousnesse to continue couragious vnto the end. 1. Skil­fulnesse, and dexterity, bene preesse. 2. Faithfulnesse and sincerity, sem­per prodesse. 3. Zeale and constan­cy, nunquam dcesse aut deficere. First, 1. Skill. euery Minister, and Pastor, ought to be skilfull and dexterous in tea­ching, knowing as the wise stew­ard, [Page 54] Luke. 12. how to giue Gods Luk. 12. 42. houshold their portion of meate in due season, and how to diuide the worde of truth aright, that all may be edified, 2 Tim. 2. being not only 2 Tim. 2. 15. learned himselfe, implyed in that speech, Mal. 2. The Priests lippes Mal. 27. should preserue knowledge, but al­so [...], 1 Tim. 3. apt to teach 1 Tim. 3. 2. others, which was signified in the old Testament by the golden bells which hung on the skirts of the Priests Garments, the sound wher­of was to be heard when hee went into the holy place, and came out vpon paine of death, Exod. 28. and Exod. 28. 35 in the new Testament by the des­cension of the holy Ghost vpon the Apostles, in the likenesse of clouen tongues, Acts 2. 3. not of Acts 2. 3. hands, whereby to ouercome the world by worldly force, or of feete, to flee from the rage of persecuting Tyrants, nor of eyes and eares fit instruments to learne, but of tungs to teach them their duety in teach­ing others, and what else doe their [Page 55] names and Titles declare? why are they called the light of the world, but that beeing enlightned them­selues, they should blaze foorth the Math. 5. 13. 14 beames of trueth, to giue light to those which sit in the shadow of darkenes, or the salt of the earth, but that beeing sauory themselues, they should season with wholesom doctrine the weake soules that bend to corruption; or builders of Gods house, but that with Bezaleell and Aholiab, they should be skilful in the worke of his sanctuary; or Captaines of Gods army, but that they should know to order and marshall his hoast, and to destroy the stratagems of the enemy. Ʋse. The more lamentable is the state of our Church in many corners and quar­ters of this land, which being diui­ded into seuerall congregations, as an army into seuerall companies, hath more then a good many of such captaines and leaders as haue not such tolerable knowledge and skill as their place and office requi­reth: [Page 56] For whereas they should bee as the keepers of Salomons bed, Cant. 3. All valiant men of Israell, Cant. 3. 7. all handling the sword, and expert in warre: these on the contrary, are as Ieroboams Priests, of the reuersi­on and refuse of Israell, altogether 1 King. 12. 31. vnskilfull in managing the wea­pons of this spirituall warfare, rura­les Nomades, and as Pindarus terms them, [...] not [...], fitter to be any thing, then that which they take vpon them, to bee spirituall shepheards. It cannot bee denied, but that in many auncient Coun­cells, as also in our late Church-Canons, it hath been decreed, that none should enter into this sacred function, but such whom morum innocētia & literarum scientia reddi­derunt insignes. The more scanda­lous to religion, & disgracefull to the Ministery it is, that such should now adayes be both admitted, & permitted, sacra mysteria tractare, quos morū petulantia & literarū igno­rantia reddunt infames, by whome [Page 57] this Priestly order which in it selfe (as Chrysostome at large sheweth) is Cbr. l. 3. desa­cerd. dig. most holy and honourable, is made [...], ridiculous and con­temptible, by whom God is disho­noured, good Lawes are deluded, holy things are prophaned, the Church stained, the people starued. This, this, Fathers and Brethren, is a sore which had neede to bee deepely launced. I would to God it might this day begin to be cured; In hope whereof, and in hearty prayer for the same, I passe ouer this vnrelishing reproofe of wilfull and vnskilfull ministers, and passe to the second good quality, imple­ment, or ornament required in e­uery godly Pastor, to wit, faithful­nesse, 2. Faithfulnes. which importeth both sedu­lity in respect of the matter taught, that we should be [...] 1 Tim. 5. laborious in the word and 1 Tim. 5. 17. doctrine, and sincerity in the man­ner of teaching, that we should not bee [...] hucksterers of the word, 2 Cor. 2. Either adding 2 Cor. 2. 17. [Page 58] thereto, or distracting there from, or adulterating the sence thereof. He that hath my word, saith the Lord by the Prophet Ieremy, chap. 23. let Ier. 23. 28. him speake my worde faithfully: for what is the chaffe to the wheat, saith the Lord? The trueth then, not lyes; Scriptures, not fables; the pre­cepts and worde of God, not the dreames and dotages of men are to be spoken: and the word of God is to be deliuered as the word, not 1 Pet. 4. 11. cockishly, corruptedly, or vnfruit­fully, but grauely, modestly, pious­ly, profitably, as the religious si­lence of the people, the reuerence of the place, and the greatnesse of our office doth require. Of this faithfulnesse, both in respect of the matter and manner, S. Paul shew­ed himselfe an excellent patterne, not onely teaching openly and in euery house, Acts 20. ther's his in­dustry; Acts 20. 20. but in declaration of the truth, approuing himselfe to euery mans conscience, in the sight of God, 2 Cor. 4. there's his sincerity, 2 Cor. 4. 2. [Page 59] which hauing thus carefully pra­ctised himselfe, he giueth the same in charge to Timothy, with a seuere 2 Tim. 4. 2. kinde of adiuration, charging him before God and Iesus Christ, the Iudge of quick and dead, to preach the word in season, and out of sea­son: in season, volentibus & propi­tijs, for aworde in due season, is like apples of gold in pictures of sil­uer, Prou. 25. out of season, nolen­tibus Prov: 25. 11. & iratis, for charit as ad saluan­dum est violenta, charity is earnest to saue all. And the like charge doth Sen: 55. 11. ep. our Sauior with a thrice ingemina­ted expostulation, giue vnto Saint Peter, Iohn 21. If thou louest mee: Iohn 21. If thou louest mee: If thou louest mee: Feed, feed, feed, my sheepe, my lambes, my flocke. Whereup­on S. Bernard sweetly, Si me ames Bern. plusquam tua, plusquam tuos, plusquā te, pasce oues meas, pasce agnos meos, & pasce in pascuis pinguibus vbi est co­pia alimoniae, ibi in docendo assiduita­tem, pasce in pascuis salutaribus, ne inficiantur tabe, hic in docendo sinceri­tatem, [Page 60] pasce in pascuis discriminatis (vt oues in gramine adulto & laetiori, agnelli in tenera & molliori herba exspatientur) hic in docendo pruden­tiam postulat: I know how the time passeth, and to whome I speak, and therefore forbeare englishing. And the same charge, with a statute of addition, S. Peter cōmendeth to al his successors, & to all faithfull Pa­stors, 1 Pet. 5. saying, feed (non dicit 1 Pet. 5. 2. Beza in Locū. (saith Beza) offerte pro viuis & mor­tuis & peregrina lingua centones male consutos cantillata) But pascite feed, (not your flocke, but) the flock of God which dependeth vpon you, caring for it, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready minde, not as dominee­ring ouer Gods heritage, but exhi­biting your selues patternes of wel­doing to the flocke. Ʋse. Which duety of faithfulnesse and watchfulnesse infeeding defending & attending Christs flocke, sith it is so often and earnestly charged vpon all that are ministers of the Gospell, what then remai­neth [Page 61] as a portion for faithlesse Pa­stors that receiue Gods wages, and doe not his worke. For faithlesse Captaines that receiue the Lords pay, and fight not his battailes, but the doung of disgrace & doom of woe: Woe vnto the shepheards which cloath themselues with the wooll and feed not the sheep, Ezek. Ezek. 34. 2. 3. 4 34. which see the flocke to putrifie, and yet haue salt, and sauour them not: to faint, and yet haue Wine, and comfort them not: to wander, and yet haue light, and guide them not: to bee besieged of sinne and Sathan, and yet see the danger, and warne them not: to bee euen hun­gerstarued, and yet haue bread and refresh them not. If such as preach not in conscience of their wants, are to bee reprooued, then those which for want of conscience, ra­ther then knowledge, remaine dumb and open not their mouths, are more deepely to bee censured. Woe vnto me, saith S. Paul, 1 Cor. 1 Cor. 9. 16 9. if I preach not the Gospell, for [Page 62] why, a necessity is laid vpon mee [...] and is it not likewise on you Fa­thers, on you Brethren, on vs al [...] Ministers? Yes surely, Vt discamu [...] inuit at nos veritatis suauitas, vt doce­amus cogit, nos charitatis & officij ne­cessitas. Whereunto that earnes [...] exhortation of Saint Bernard in ser▪ Bern ser. 76. in Cant. 76. mainely tendeth, Attendite pre­tioso deposito quod vobis concreditum est: ciuitas Dei est, vigilate ad custodiā [...] sponsa, studete ornatui: oues, attendit [...] pastui, educite è lacu miseriae, condu­cite perviam iustitiae, perducite ad pas­cula Ʋitae. Ʋse. 2 Wherefore farre bee i [...] from vs, (beloued) to suffer our Ardens post. gifts to bee wrapped vp in an idle braine without practise, as Goliah [...] sword was in a cloath without vse 1 Sam. 21. or to suffer the fountaine of our knowledge, like Labans well, 1. Sam. 21. 9. to bee shut vp with a great stone of security or saturity, as some doe which make the Court with Diotre­phes, or the Vniuersity with Cle­anthes, a sanctuary for their idlenes and non-residency. Rather let vs stir [Page 63] vp [...], as S. Paul aduiseth 2 Tim. 1. 6. Timothy, and euen blow vp with a paire of bellowes (as the originall importeth) the graces of God in vs, and striue to shew our selues truly learned, and to the flocke of Christ truly louing, by truely labouring in the diligent instruction and edi­fication thereof, labouring so to nourish infants with playnnes, that wee deny not to feede great ones with profoundnesse; descending so in our ordinary doctrine, to the meanest capacity, that at somtimes we speake aloft, as beseemeth Gods Maiesty, so vsing a sanctified kinde of sauce, to succour some mens weaknesse vpon extraordinary oc­casion, that at most times our spi­rituall prouision bee fitted for the better appetites of the whole con­gregation. Beleeue me, brethren, idlenesse in action, argueth empti­nes in affection, and I leaue you to iudge what he is that hath an head full of learning, and a mouth full of nothing; sure am I, that hee can [Page 64] hardly be said to haue the spirit of grace in his heart, which beeing a Minister, and learned too, hath no worde of Prophecy at all in his mouth. From which fearefull cen­sure that we (Fathers & Brethren) may be freed, let vs hereunto bend all our studies, and extend the vt­termost of our endeuours, both by our diligence and faithfulnesse in dispensing the word, by our discre­tion and wel aduisednesse, in hand­ling the worde, by our obedience and carefulnesse in framing our liues according to the worde, to shew our selues gratious Ministers. And that wee may be compleat (as farre as is competent to humane frailtie) to our skilfulnesse and dex­terity, to our faithfulnesse and sin­cerity.

In the third and last place zeale 3. Zeale. and feruent constancy must also bee adioyned, which by the rod of correction (that was reserued in the Arke of the Testament, with the Manna of refection, and Ta­bles Exod. 37. [Page 65] of direction) is liuely prefi­gured, and by Gregory in his pasto­ralls Lib. 2. past. c. 6. plainely intended h. v. sit & districtio virgae quae feriat, & consola­tio baculi qui sustentet, sit p [...]etas sed non plus quam expedit parcens, sit zelus sed non immoderatè saeuiens; where he requireth in euery Mini­ster, as well a zealous disposition, as a pious affection. And what else was signified by the donation of the Holy Ghost in fiery clouen tongues, but a zealous hot and piercing ministry, such as will en­ter into, and quicken the hearts of Gods children, and like a purse­uant dispatchd from heauen will attach a wicked man by the shoul­der, yea and catch him by the bo­some too vnlesse hee amend. I confesse there is no working in mettals without very hot fires, nor in distillations without soft & slow fires, yet there is fire in both, for else how should the one bee melted, and the other distilled? So in truth, there ought to be the [Page 66] fire of zeale more or lesse in all Gods ministers, and the more the better if discreet: As for that vn­ [...]screet zeale of those which can endure nothing read or said or sung, but what agreeth with the consonants of their precise Alpha­bet, which wrangle about formes and shadowes, cauill about cere­monies, and slight the Sermons, and censure the persons of those which will not do the like, making the Pulpit often-times a Pasquill to ease their spleenes, and to tra­duce superiors; I account it to be schismaticall. But the zeale of god­ly Pastors, which with a good con­science in Gods cause for the good of his people are as earnest in the pursuit of sinne, as Eleazar was of the Philistims 2. Sam: 23. cleaning 2. Sam: 23. 10. as fast in their hearts to the word, as his hand claue to his sword, I both loue and approue as spirituall. Such was the zeale of the Prophet Dauid Psal: 69. where he saith, the Psal: 69. 10. zeale of Gods house had euen con­sumed [Page 67] him. Such the zeale of S. Peter, when hee so pricked the hearts of his hearers with the ra­zor of the word, that they came to him and the rest of the Apostles with weeping eyes, and mourne­full voyces, saying, Men and breth­ren what shall we doe that we may bee saued, Acts 2. Such the zeale of Acts 2. 37. Iohn the Baptist, when he so pierced the hearts of his hearers by his powerfull preaching of repentance Luk. 3. that they came to him by Luk: 3. 4. seuerall companies according to their seuerall callings, as so many wounded souldiers to a Chirurgi­an, saying, What shall we doe then? what shall wee doe? Such likewise was the zeale of S. Paul Acts 24. Acts 24. 26. when preaching of righteousnesse, temperance, and the iudgement to come, hee made the bribe-taking Gouernour Foelix, if not to blush for shame, yet to tremble and shudder for feare. O let vs (Fa­thers and Brethren) whether wee be young, as Samuel and Timothy; [Page 68] or old, as Paul and Eli; whether we haue ten or fiue or two Talents, striue to attaine the like zealous vehemency, and to expresse the like godly earnestnes in our effe­ctuall preaching, not onely in ob­scure Bethania, our priuate Pari­shes, but also in eminent Ierusalem, in more publique places, if wee be called therevnto. What if the mountaines being touched doe smoake? what if greatnes being taxed for want of goodnesse doe fume, fret, swell, sweat? what if for rebuking of sinne iustly, yee be depraued and maligned vniustly, yet dicatur veritas, rumpatur invidia: Rebuke (saith S. Paul) them that [...]. Tim: 5. 20. sinne openly, euen to their face, that the rest which are witnesses hereof may stand in awe and feare. It becommeth not those free and ingenuous spirits, to whom Christ hath committed the dispensation of his glorious gospell to feare the face of man, to be dulled, daunted, dispirited. Be wee then what wee [Page 69] ought to be, not onely luciferi, as Bern. Bernard speaketh, & scientia fulgē ­tes, hauing some lights of knowledg in our heads, but also igniferi & zelo flagrantes, hauing the fire of true zeale in our hearts. And that our discourses be not weakned by vn­graciousnesse, or by any dullnes, and flatnesse of spirit, and so proue like morall philosophie Lectures, and the collations of the Scribes and Pharises, cold and comfortles, let vs ioyne with our doctrine ge­nerall exhortation; and to our ex­hortation adde particular applica­tion; and in our application speake home to the conscience, and vse a feruent feeling affection. To con­clude, as skilfull, faithfull, and zea­lous pastors our ioynt care and stu­dy must be that our Sermons and publike meditations may so well be sorted, that (the loue of truth conceiuing them, the truth of iudgement forming and framing them, variety of learning amplify­ing and exemplifying them, mo­desty [Page 70] of stile and distinct vtterance deliuering them) the plaine and powerfull euidence of the spirit may be seene in them, the congre­gation may vnderstand them, feele the benefit of them, receiue instru­ction and comfort by them. This, this is to be worthy preaching pa­stors; of whom it may bee truely said, that the Holy Ghost hath made them Ouer-seers. Which title of o­uer-seeing Ouer-seers. and superintendency importing the dignitie of Mini­sters should now bee considered. But on your patience I haue alrea­dy too much presumed, and there­fore will reserue this taske for some other time and place. In the meane time let vs all make our retreit to the throne of Grace, beseeching Almighty God to multiply his graces vpon vs all, that at all times, in all places, amongst all persons, we may behaue our selues as faith­full and zealous Ministers of the gospell of grace, and in the midst of our ouer-seeing and ruling here [Page 71] may remember our account and reckoning hereafter, and so passe the time of our dwelling here in his feare, that when wee shall passe from this earthly habitation to an heauenly, in his louing fauour, wee may be brought in peace, with a good report, especially a good conscience to the bed of the graue, that after the sleepe of death, in the morning of the resurrection we may awake to blessed immortality,

Amen.

CHRISTS LARVMBEL OF LOVE RE­sounded.

AS couragious Iudith hauing Iudith. 13. 11. beheaded Ho­lofernes, retur­ned to the gates of Be­thulia, crying, open, for God euen our God is with vs: So hauing made headlesse some vprising doubts and difficulties which [Page 2] would haue hindred my approch to this place, I appeale this day to the gates of your hearts, calling and cry­ing open, for God is with vs, euen our God, the true Emmanuel Christ Ie­sus. In whose name I am at this time to deliuer a message vnto you (Right worshipfull and well be­loued in the Lord) not by way of petition to intreat you, or by faire promises and perswasions to in­duce you, but by a precise pe­remptory commondement to re­quire and charge you, to performe a most necessary Christian duty of mutuall loue and charity one to­wards an other: My message is ta­ken out of the 15. Chapter of Iohn the 12. verse, the authoritie wher­of depends not on the Messenger which brings it, but on the maiesty of God which sendeth it. Wher­fore with reuerence and attentiue regard harken vnto it. This is my Ioh. 15. 12. commandement that ye loue one ano­ther as I haue loued you. Which words commend vnto vs all a [Page 3] lesson of loue fit to be learned and practised, not onely on this day of the faire, but all the faire daies of our life: And so much the more to bee attended vnto, because in these last and worst daies, iniquity increasing, deceipt, dissimulation, craft, couetousnesse, hatred, and contention euery where aboun­ding, the loue of many, yea of Math. 24. 12▪ most is waxen cold. For the blow­ing vp of the dying embers where­of, least it be wholy extinguished, our Christian hearts ought to giue the best entertainement to that which Christ hath here comman­ded, This is my commandement &c. Which charge of our Sauiour be­ing somewhat enlarged, vnfolds it selfe to our better vnderstanding in these termes, as though he had said: My Disciples, my friends, & Paraphrasis textus. followers, so it is that very shortly, I am to finish that great worke of mans saluation, for which I was sent into the world, and to seale the reuealed mysterie of your re­demption, [Page 4] by my pretious bloud, by my bitter death and passion. 1 Wherefore this is my last will and testament, this is my commande­ment (not but that all other com­mandements are mine, hauing their authority from the highest heauenly court of Parliament) but this in a more especiall manner and meaning, and in a kinde of excel­lency is my commandement, which among the rest I would haue all Christians to hold in chiefe regard and estimation, to obserue with the greatest diligence care, & * contention: this is my pe­culiar Emulation. commandement, which I do most vrge, and by mine owne ex­ample most plainely teach, 2 That ye loue one another. That yee which professe Christianity, and are ioyn­ed together in my name, by my spirit, beare a most feruent and vn­fained affection each to other (not but that your enemies and stran­gers, yea all men in whom nothing but nature doth appeare, are also [Page 5] to bee beloued) but the fellow members of the same misticall bo­dy, yea brethren by grace and a­doption, by calling and professi­on Chtistians, begotten by the same word and spirit, redeemed by the same bloud, Heires of the same promise & kingdome, are to haue the chiefe seate of loue in your soules, and as it were the highest and fairest roome of true affection in the house of your hearts.

This is my commandement that yee so loue one another, 3 3 As I haue loued you. That which I haue comman­ded in word, I haue for your in­struction and imitation practised in deede, I haue made my life the example of my law, and therefore may iustly require, that loue at your hands, whereof I haue exhi­bited my selfe a continual patterne before your eyes. I haue most au­thoritie to command, and my ex­ample should bee of most force to induce; you will readilie imitate him of whom you thinke well, es­pecially [Page 6] hauing receiued some great benefit from him; now of whom should you thinke better then of mee, and to whom are you more beholding then to mee, who haue indured a miserable life, and must suffer a contemptible death for your sakes; wherefore my dis­ciples, my friends, my followers, Loue one another as I haue loued you. And with cheerefulnesse and con­stancie follow my example in this principall and most necessarie Christian duty of mutuall charity each to other. This (beloued) is the full sense and meaning, the maine drift and substance of my text. Which as a fountaine of li­uing water diuideth it selfe into three streames, and in the diuision thereof, commends to the duty of our obseruation these three distinct parts.

• [Page 7]3 parts
  • 1. A commandement or law prefixed, to win the
    Deuision.
    greater reuerence and at­tention, in these wordes, this is my commandement.
  • 2. A duty of mutuall loue enioyned to worke in vs the deeper impressi­on in these words, That ye loue one another.
  • 3. A reason or motiue thereunto, grounded on Christs example, most worthy of imitation, in these words. As I haue loued you.

This is my commandement▪ a com­mandement Illustratio [...] ­tus. of absolute soueraign­tie, and therefore to bee obeyed; that ye loue one another, a worke of excellent vse and commodity, and therefore to bee performed; As I haue loued you, an example or pre­sident of singular sufficiencie, and therefore to be followed.

This is my commandement] Not an earthly Prince though his ordi­nance [Page 8] be as full of soueraignty as his seate of maiestie: Neither hea­uenly Angells, though in them all things make remonstrance of great power, and glorious excellencie, gaue this charge; But the Lord Ie­sus, the Lord of Angells, the King of kings, the Destroyer of Sathan, the Sauiour of Saints, the Con­querour of death, the Giuer of life, whose goodnesse is such, as all are bound to loue him; and greatnesse such as none may disdaine to obey him, the Lord Iesus Excelsus in ho­nore, August. enchyr. suauis in amore, diues in haeredi­tate, primus, supremus, liberrimus: The first before all in eternity, the highest aboue all in infinite maie­stie, most free and absolute, at his owne libertie, by nature essentiall and very God, by distinction of [...]. Heb. 8. [...]. Ioh 1. [...]. Heb. persons the Sonne of God, by of­fice the word of God, by holinesse the expresse Image of God, the brightnesse of his glory, the sweet­nesse of his goodnesse, the great­nesse of his power. The Lord Ie­sus, [Page 9] the Creatour of our persons out of nothing, the Reformer of our natures out of sinne, the Re­deemer of our estates out of mise­rie, the raiser of our soules, from death to life, and the exalter both of body and soule vnto glory. Whose comming in the flesh the Patriarchs honored, by their pre­figuration, Princes and potentates by their expectation, Iohn Baptist by his preparation, the three Wise­men by their offrings and oblati­on, the Angells by their song, the Sheepheards by their ioy, Simeon and Anna by their praise, euen the Lord Iesus whose comming into the world was thus honored, going now out of the world he thus com­manded This is my commandement.

2. That ye loue one another] That yee the naturall branches of Christ the true vine, of whose fulnesse ye 1. Ioh. 16. haue all receiued, from whom the soule-sauing-sappe of meekenesse, mercy, loue, liberalitie, temperan­cie, and humilitie, and all other [Page 10] spirituall graces, are alone deriued, that ye which are Christians, not in name onely, but in nature, not in outward appearance, but in reall existence; not only by externall profession, but by eternall election, and internall regeneration, that ye 1. Pet. 1. 21. loue one another. Brotherly, with a pure heart feruently, being of one minde, will, and affection, not hau­ing your wills diuided, your iudg­ments distracted, your affections a­lienated, but supporting one ano­ther through loue, and alwaies consorting as Brethren therein, en­deauouring to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace. This is Christs commandement Ephes. 4. 3. that we which professe Christiani­tie in sinceritie should loue one an other, verè sine fictione, purè sine cor­ruptione, Hug. Card. constanter sine defectione: Truly without dissimulation, pure­ly without corruption, constantly without flinching or defection.

3 3 As he hath loued vs] Who, so loued vs that hee made a progresse [Page 11] from dignity to basenes in his in­carnation, from the ioyes of hea­uen to the paines of hell in his bit­ter passion, to free vs from sinne and death, and to purchase for vs euerlasting life and saluation. Who so loued vs, that hee turned the white robe of his innocency into the red robe of his martyrdome, that the blacks raggs of our sins, and sable weeds of sorrow might bee converted into triumphant robes of gladnes and ioy. Who so loued vs, qui tantus, tales, tantillos, Bern. in lib. de dibde. Rom. 5. 10. Ephes. 2. 4. 1. Ioh. 4. 14. tantum prior gratis dilexit. Who being so great and high in power and dignity, loued vs so bad by nature, so base in qualitie; and that so much, and that before wee loued him, and that freely. Who so loued vs, as Bernard speaketh, Bern. in Cant. Ser. 20. Suauiter quod carnē induit, prudenter quod culpā cauit, fortiter quod mor­tem sustinuit: so sweetly investing himselfe with our humanitie, so wisely auoiding euery sinne and impiety, so strongly in suffering [Page 12] death for vs, and triumphing ouer the powers of darknesse victori­ously, that this his loue in respect of the admirable and vnmatchable perfection thereof, may rightly be termed and entituled, A None­such. Wherevnto there hath not beene, beene? no nor shall be the like, like? no not the like in any degree. O amor sine exemplo, sine gratia, sine merito, charitas sine modo. Ambr: Bern: O loue without it's like, ô grace without merit, charitie without measure! yet in what manner or measure wee can, let vs (beloued) imitate this his measureles loue, and Loue one another as he hath lo­ued vs. And thus much for the ex­plication, diuision & illustration of my text. Now in the feare of God, let vs come to the handling of such plaine and profitable doctrines, and obseruations, as naturally arise out of the same. First, in that our Sauiour giueth so especiall & strict a charge vnto vs of louing one an other in these words, This is my cō ­mandmēt [Page 13] that ye loue one another, &c. Thereby to incite vs the rather to loue, and to teach vs how to loue one another. Doct. 1 The lesson hence to bee learned is, that it is a thing which Christ most earnestly requi­reth, & all Christians ought most earnestly to labour for, that they be tender hearted & louingly affe­cted each to other. Secondly, in that our Sauiour proposeth and setteth downe his example, in these words, As I haue loued you.

Hence two doctrines, without wresting of the words from their proper scope, are to be gathered.

Doct. 2 The one, that the feeling ap­prehension and consideration of Christs tender loue towards vs, is a most effectuall meanes to inlarge our hearts in true affection to­wards our Brethren.

Doct. 3 The other, that Christians should not content themselues with any measure of loue, or thinke they had gotten loue enough, but con­tend rather and striue, to come dai­ly [Page 14] nearer to that perfection of loue, whereof Christ gaue him­selfe an example. Of these three points of doctrine, their reasons, and vses in their order; and first of the first, namely,

Doct. 1 The thing which Christ doth chiefly require at our hands, and we are especially to labour for, is to haue a tender regard each of o­ther, to loue one another vnfai­nedly; As if there were no other commandment, nor any other duty: so expresly doth hee prefix his owne authoritie to this precept saying, This is my commandment: there being nothing which our Sa­uiour doth vrge more and call for, nothing which wee his seruants should more study and striue for, then this vicissitude of loue, and commerce of kindnesse, and pra­ctise of mutuall charitie and good­will. To haue our hearts enlarged to our Christian Brethren, and the dores of our soules and kinde affe­ctions, set wide open to the Saints, [Page 15] is that wherein hee taketh most pleasure and contentment, and wherein we must take most paines, and vse our chiefest endeuour and employment. And indeed if we may iudge either of the necessitie of a duty on our parts, or the ac­ceptablenesse of a duty on his part, by the often and earnest repetition of a commandement; then this wanteth not that proofe. For be­sides that the whole life of Christ, from the day of his conception, to the day of his passion, was nothing else, but an actuall seruice and continuall preaching of loue and charitie: euen now when hee was to take his last farewell of his disci­ples, and to sing his dying song, as he went along to the place of his apprehension (where Iudas was to betray him most vnnaturally; and that for thirty peeces of siluer most basely; and that to the murdrous Iewes, most cruelly; and that with­out cause most vniustly) euen now did he thrice repeat this precept, [Page 16] and three seuerall times exact this duty. In the 13. chapter of his gospell and 34 verse, he doth (as I may say for feare of failing, twice repeat in one sentence the same precept: A new commandment giue Ioh. 13. 34. I vnto you that yee loue one another. As I haue loued you, that yee also loue one another. He calls it there a new commandment, not because it was then first brought forth, but because the most absolute and ex­cellent patterne thereof, was then seene in himselfe; as also because he would haue it new and alwaies fresh in their remembrance, as [...] charge newly giuen, that they might not suffer it at any time, to bee cancelld out of their mindes and memories, and therefore not content to speake it once, he doub­leth it saying, that ye loue one another, that yee also loue one another. As if he had said, of all things forget no [...] this loue, this is an inexhaustible fountaine which cannot be drawne dry; a precious mine, wherein the [Page 17] more yee digge, the more treasure yee shall finde; this is so sweet a grace, Mel in ore, melos in aure, iu­bilaeum in corde, as Beruard speak­eth: and so full of profit and plea­sure, and so fully taught by my example, that at any hand, yee should not forget this, To loue one another. So likewise in this place which is my text, you see how hee vrgeth it, as a matter of great con­sequence and importance; and as the famous Troiane Aeneas, encou­raged his sonne Ascanius, Disce puer virtutem ex me verum (que) laborē: So doth our Sauiour here from his Ioh: 15. 17. owne example make way for the better entertainment of this com­mandment, Loue one another as I haue loued you. Againe in the 17^th Ioh. 17. 21. verse of this chapter, he in generall tearmes redoubleth the charge, These things I command you, that yee loue one another. And yet not con­tent to giue the same command­ment, with so many repetitions, he commendeth this dutie also to his [Page 18] Fathers care, chap. 17. begging of Ioh. 17. 21. him, that hee would keepe all his in one, meaning both that they might be kept one with him, and not to be plucked from him by the violence of any temptation, afflic­tion, or sinfull affection; and also continue in vnitie and amitie a­mongst themselues, not hauing their iudgements distracted, or their affections estraunged from one another, but bee vnited and knit each to other, in an indissolu­ble band of loue and good-liking. These proofes would suffice to make plaine the necessitie of this duty: but because our Sauiour vrgeth it so much, his best beloued disciple, S. Iohn, forgetteth not to presse it, and that often, and that hard and close vnto the soule. I will not striue to shew this out of the Ecclesiasticall history. Where it is recorded of him, that hee Euseb. Socrat. would shut vp many of his discour­ses and maine sentences of his Ser­mons with this sweet Epiphenema [Page 19] and exhortation, My little children loue one another. The euidence hereof is most pregnant in all his Canonicall Epistles, in the third 1. Ioh. 3. 23. Chapter and 23 verse, 1. Epist. hee putteth vs in minde of Christs commandement in these expresse words, That is his commandment 1. Ioh. 3. 11. that we beleeue in the name of Iesus Christ, and loue one another as hee hath commanded: and in the 11^th verse of the same Chapter, as also in the 5. verse of the second Epi­stle, 2. Ioh. 5. v. he commends this, from its an­tiquity; for a good thing the more ancient, the more excellent. This is the message or commandment, that yee had and heard from the beginning, that yee loue one another. It is a duty as old as Adam, wherein wicked Cain failed, in that hee slew his brother, and thereby abideth in death; but on the contrary wee know that we are translated from 1. Ioh. 3. 14. death to life, because we loue the bre­thren. Whereby the Apostle set­teth it downe, for a sure marke of [Page 20] Gods children, to be louing one to another, which hee doth more at large amplifie in the 7, 8, 9, and 1. Ioh. 7. 4. 16. 12 verses of the fourth Chapter; and in the 16 verse concludes with this prouerbiall sentence, neuer to be forgotten, or committed to ob­liuion, alwaies to be practised, and by Christians put in execution: God is loue, and he that dwelleth in loue, dwelleth in God, and God in him. I will not loose my selfe or you, in heaping vp any more needlesse proofes in a point so plaine. S. Paul Rom: 12. Cor: 1. 13. Eph: 4. 2. Col: 3. 12. is very vehement in pressing this argument of mutuall loue, but I will leaue his plentifull exhorta­tions, to your priuate meditations, holding it sufficient for the confir­mation of this doctrine, that Christ Iesus made his whole life, the ex­ample of his law, this law of louing one another, being no other than an irrefragable and most sound axiome, arising out of the irrepre­hensible and most sincere actions of his life, who was borne, liued, [Page 21] and died to restore man to the loue and fauour of God, to pro­mote loue and friendship betwixt man and man, and to expresse the aeternitie and bounty of his loue to all mankinde, who brought loue as the prince of peace, and our King conquering death and Sa­than, the enemies of it; who wrought loue as our Priest, giuing himselfe to his Father, as a peace-offering for it; who taught loue as our Prophet, abundantly prai­sing and preaching it, often pres­sing and alwaies practising it, the more strictly to binde vs thereby to the embracing of it, and to the willing obedience and conformitie of our wils to his will therein. And so much of the doctrine or lesson it selfe.

Let vs now consider a few rea­sons, to riuet this doctrine and obseruation, the better to perswade our hearts in this behalfe, which reasons are especially foure.

First we are to loue our Christian [Page 22] brethren, because God loues [...]easons of [...]octrine. them.

2. Because we are neere of kinn and condition, and tyed together by many linkes of loue.

3. Because this brotherly loue will make vs most seruiceable each to other in Church or Common­wealth.

4. Because it will preuent a multitude of mischiefes and in­conueniences.

Let these reasons bee weighed a little in the ballance of our Chri­stian iudgment, and we shall soone perceiue, if Sathan haue not ex­ceedingly captiuated our senses, that the loue of our Brethren is a most requisite and necessarie, a most commendable and profitable thing.

Reason. First, the Lord of heauen and earth, the Creator of vs all and our Father loueth them, with whose loue ours should sympathize, with whose affections ours should make a perfect harmonie, that where he [Page 23] loueth, there wee should loue also, and that earnestly: for it is good in a good thing to loue earnestly, Gal 4. and where he hateth much, Gal. 4. 18. we should hate also, and that vehe­mently, for as our vehement ha­tred, cannot but bee good, if that No: which we hate be naught, so our earnest loue can neuer be naught, if that which we loue be good, and how can that bee otherwise then good, which God being goodnes it selfe doth effect. If then it be a suffi­cient argument, & incitement to vs to hates any thing, which is an ab­homination to God, then it cannot be a weake consequent, but a strong encouragement for vs on the con­trary, that where God loueth most, we should loue most also. Now the Lord loues all his Creatures in a generall manner, approuing them as the workemanship of his owne hands, and therefore there should be a correspondency in our affecti­ons, to loue and like all the Crea­tures, as they are his Creatures. But [Page 24] as for Christians, they are his pecu­liar, Christians Gods peculiar his children, the sheepe of his pasture, his treasure, his chosen ge­neration, by all the possessiue, re­latiue, respectiue tearmes of alli­ance and vnity his, as neere and deere to him as the apple of his eye the signet of his right hand, alwaies vnder the eye of his protection & prouidence, vnder the light of his louing countenance, the proper obiect of his lookes and loue too. Wherefore as he doth tenderly re­gard them, such should be the fer­uency of our loue and affection [...] Iohn 5. 1. toward them: for euery one which loueth him which begate, will loue them also which are begotten by him, and if wee say wee loue God whom we haue not seene, and yet hate our brethren whom wee haue seene, we are but lyars. It cannot be 1. Iohn. 4 20. that the fire of our affection should burne hot in the Lord, and but like ice (that is to say) no whit at all to­wards those which are his sonnes, seruants, and chiefe friends. Wee [Page 25] haue an old Prouerbe; somewhat homely, but true, and by common experience verified, Loue mee, and loue my dog, how much more, Loue me, and loue my sonne or my wife. See­ing then God hath adopted all true Christians, (bee they neuer so full of infirmities, wants, and imperfe­ctions) as sonnes vnto himselfe, & hath married them in mercy and fidelity, giuing them in assurance thereof, a ring with sixe spirituall Hose. 2. 19. 20. Iewells, described by the Prophet Hosea: How can we then euer ap­proue our selues to be well affected towards him, if our behauiour bee strange, our kindnes cold towards them? if either with cruell Ahab we preferre our beasts before our bre­thren in the time of scarcitie, as I feare too many haue done. Or else with churlish Nabal, deny the smal­lest 1 Kings 18. 5. reliefe to Dauids seruants, or to the seruants of the Lord in their ex­tremity, 2 Sam. 25. 10. 11. verses. as too many amongst vs at this day doe. O let vs blush for shame, and sigh for sorrow that we [Page 26] cannot, that wee doe not affect, where the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost conspire with ioynt consent to fauour: and let this be a prouocation to vs all, to blow vp the dying coales of our almost ex­tinguisht charitable affections, and seeing our good things cannot ex­tend to thee Lord in Heauen, (as the Prophet speaketh.) Let our Psalm. 16. 2. well doing bee extended, towards his Saints on earth. And because God doth not only loue them, but professeth this loue, and proclai­meth to the world; that to bee done to himselfe, which is done to Christi­ans in his name. Let vs no way ex­clude them from the benefit of our best friendshippe, which are euery way so much interrested in his bounty and fauour: Let vs loue them, because GOD our Father loues them, and this is the first rea­son.

Reason. 2 Secondly, because there is a neere bond of kinne and condition betwixt vs mutually, which doth [Page 27] most iustly challenge kindnes and good affection at our hands. If a man doe not shew kindnesse to a stranger, to whom hee is no way obliged, (though yet such a one is not to be vnkindly intreated) Ex­odus Exod. 22. 21. 22. 21; We doe not so hardly censure him for it: but to be vngen­tle, froward, and discourteous to those that are neere vnto vs, and to whom wee are bound by many strong linkes of nature, duty or de­sert, wee commonly hold it for a sauage and vnnaturall part. Now christians are all linked one to ano­ther in the strictest, surest, and most inseparable manner which can bee thought: we are sonnes of the same Father, espoused to the same Ma­ster; we are heyres of the same pro­mises, wee are begotten with the same seed of immortality; wee tra­uell 1 Pet. 1. 23. towards the same Country: we are bound for the same hauen, and in one word for all: wee are mem­bers of the same body, all flesh of Christs flesh, and bone of his bone; [Page 28] all fedde at one Gods table, all eat 1 Cor. 12. 12. by Faith of one Christs flesh, all drinke of one Sauiours bloud, all baptised in one Baptisme, all pro­fessing the same Faith, all sanctifi­ed 4 Ephes. 4. 5. by the same spirit. When wee are knit together in so many bands of vnity, shall we not consort toge­ther in the same Christian affecti­on of loue and Charity? If the Bro­ther haue cause to loue the brother and be vnnaturall if he doe it not; if the husband haue great reason to affect his wife, and be barbarous if hee affect her not; if the mother haue cause to tender her child, and be accounted cruell if shee regard it not: Then how worthily are wee Christians to bee esteemed cruell, barbarous, vnnaturall, if we regard not, affect not, loue not one ano­ther, seeing wee are neerer each to other, then Parent to Child, Hus­band to Wife, Brother to Brother? Arctius enim gratiae quam naturae vin­culum. Austin. For the knot is straiter, and the band stronger of Grace, then of [Page 29] nature: the loue of Parents to chil­dren is naturall, of children to Pa­rents loyall: of husband to wife re­ciprocall: of friend to friend mu­tuall, but the loue of Christians, is all these, and more then these; im­mortall: for wee are members of the same body mysticall, as neere as the hand to the shoulder, the shoulder to the necke, the necke to the head, the very members of one another. Where then are the mutu­all 1 Cor. 12. 21. offices, which as Pilgrims heere on earth, though Citizens in Hea­uen, we should performe one to a­nother? When Merchants or tra­uellers of the same countrey meet together in a strange land, as Eng­lishmen in Italy, France, Spaine, or Turkey, many of you do know, the most of vs may easily cōceiue, what a league of loue there is betwixt them, what passages of kindnesse, & exchange of courtesie, how for­ward they will bee to benefit and pleasure one another. Syth then we are no other then strangers, and [Page 30] Pilgrimes heere in this world, all trauelling towards heauen, the place of our habitation (paulumque morati, serius aut citius metam pro­peramus ad vnaem:) should we not much more imbrace each others acquaintance, and striue to ex­presse our bounden loue, by the readyest performance of the best Christian duties, wherin we might doe a fauour, or bee a furtherance, for the good and welfare one of a­nother. In a word, wee are all tied together by many linkes, therefore we should haue much loue.

Reason. 3 Thirdly, there is nothing which will make Christians seruiceable, and ready to doe good, but loue, therfore nothing more to be requi­red, or desired among Christians than loue, for this will make vs all in our seuerall callings, whether we be Ministers or Magistrates, or Trades-men, of the towne or coun­trey, Buyers or Sellers, of what e­state, degree, or quality soeuer we be. This loue I say will make, [Page 31] will make vs prone and willing to employ our wit, our wealth, our credit, our knowledge, our coun­saile, our commodities, and all for the good of all. All other things without this, make vs worse: riches will make vs wanton or wilfull, to our selues or others iniurious. Ho­nour will make vs high minded, and in contemning others, whom we should countenance, ouerha­sty and presumptuous. Witte will make vs selfe-conceited, and either priuately slanderous, or publikely schismaticall and seditious. Know­ledge will make vs swell, to be am­bitious, curious, censorious, scien­tia immo omnia haec entia inflant, cha­ritas Bern. 1 Cor. 8. 1. solum aedificat: Knowledge yea wit, honour, wealth, and all do but blow and puffe vs vp. Charity on­ly doth edifie and build vs vp, and others, and putteth it selfe forth to the vttermost, to bee helpfull and beneficiall to all. The Prouerbe is Epich. ancient & excellent, [...]. Loue is all communicatiue, [Page 32] of a diffusiue spreading nature, not for it selfe alone, but ready to im­part wisdome, wealth, counsaile, credit, head, tongue, hand, foote, limbes, life and all to the parties beloued. It maketh the soule of him in whom it resideth to bee more, Vbi mat, quam vbi animat. Bern. Where it loueth, then where it li­ueth or quickneth. Yea, it is of so soueraigne vertue and power, that it not only restraineth vs from ren­dring Matth▪ 26. euill for good, as Iudas did to Christ, which was monstrous villany; and curbeth vs from doing euill for euill, as Ioab did to Abner, which was a sinnefull infirmity; or 2 Sam. 3. 27. vrgeth vs to doe good for good, as Ahashuerus did to Mordecay, which Esth. 6. 10. was but naturall iustice and equity: but it easily draweth vs to recom­pence euill with goodnesse, as Da­uid did to Saul, and this is without 1 Sam. 24. exception, compleat Christianitie. Hee therefore that hath a louing heart, and heartily affecteth the members of Christ, be he what hee [Page 33] may bee, for outward respects ne­uer so base and contemptible, he is notwithstanding a profitable and behoouefull member in the Bee­hiue of Christs Church, hee brin­geth either wax or honny by his payne or his prayers thereunto, for the benefit of many, [...], such a good man is a com­mon Epict. good But on the contrary, he that hath an haughty vngentle spirit, in whom the grosse humours of pride and couetousnesse, haue bred a stoppage▪ or obstruction of all liberality and kindnesse, so that in all his connsails, cogitations and actions, he aymes at his owne pro­per gaine or glory, not a whit re­garding his Christian Brethrens good, or relieuing them in their woes, their wants, their wrongs & miseries: such a one be he whatsoe­uer hee be in the eye of the world, neuer so great or glorious, hee is yet in the vineyard of Christ, but as a briar or thorne, and in Christs Church, but as a humming droan. [Page 34] As the Church of Sardy had a name a liue but was dead, so hath he And what the Apostle saith of the Reuel. 3. 1 1 Tim. 5▪ 6. voluptuous woman, 1 Tim. 5. 6. that may truly be said of him, that he is dead whiles hee liueth: For a man without loue is as a dead Carkasse without life, or like to a swoln arme or legge, that must be wrapped vp and couered, and tenderly touch­ed, but when it commeth to the vse, it will not, it cannot sturre, it doth vs no seruice. Wherefore as any man desires to approoue him­selfe a fruitfull branch of Christ the true Vine, or would that his life should be officious, or beneficiall for the vse & commodity of Chri­stians; yea for the glory and seruice of God; so let him striue to store vp in his soule this rich treasure of Christian loue, which as an odori­ferous perfume, smelleth a far off, and causeth a sweet sent where it is not seene, or rather as the eye of the soule, (charitas enim oculus mentis) Greg. in mor. is quickned in espying out all oc­casions [Page 35] and oportunities of doing good to others. It is not like to fire in the flint which can hardly be stricken out: but like fire in the Amor non est ignis in filice sed in sinu. bosome, which cannot be concea­led. This will make vs in all cases, and in all places to open our selues to our friends, and to deale friend­ly and faithfully in the affaires of them which we doe affect, and to helpe them by counsell, to com­fort them in griefe, to succor them what wee may in the sundry disa­sters of fortune, which daily and casually occurre, as Ionathan dealt 1 Sam. 19. and 20. chap. with Dauid. And to shut vp this reason, Loue it is alone, which makes vs all one, This makes vs vigilant to pry out euery occasion, wise and prudent to see euery opportunity, painefull and diligent to take any labour, cheerefull to vndergoe a­ny trauaile or trouble, constant & indefatigable in going through a­ny businesse, for the bettering and benefiting of each other: If there­fore we would not be (which it is a [Page 36] shame any Christian should bee) as stocks and Images, which stand in a wall and do nothing, let vs la­bour for loue, which will both set vs a worke, and get vs wages, make vs seruiceable to each other on earth, and aduance vs hereafter to be Saints in Heauen, according to that, Charit as est viaticum in mundo, No: Thesaurus in coelo, and this is the third reason, why Christians should be the more willingly obe­dient to Christ commandement, of Louing one another.

Reason. 4 The fourth and last reason is, because Christian loue preuenteth many mischiefes and inconueni­ences, and meeteth with many harmefull prankes to hinder them and cut them off, whereunto wee would otherwise breake foorth to our after griefe, and our brethrens hurt; it whippeth anger, malice, & enuie out of the heart as Christ did the prophane Marchandizers out of the Temple, Iohn 2. It stoppeth [...]oh. 2. 14. v. the course of ill violent passions, [Page 37] it maketh them to turne saile or come vnder the Lee: It causeth the proudest man to stoupe, the chollericke man to bee calme, the niggerdest man to be liberall, so far forth as it possesseth them, or it is possessed by them in any degree. This stinteth strifes and contenti­ons, musleth vp censurings, and backbitings, blotteth out mur­rings and repinings, and keepeth the heart from thinking, the mind from conceiuing, the tongue from speaking, the hand from acting any thing which is euill, and therefore is rightly compared to the herbe panacaea, or to the generall medi­cines of the Phisitians, called pan­chresta, which are good for all as­saies, accomodable to euery dis­ease. Pliny. Saint Austin of purpose speak­ing August. de laud char. hereof, saith thus, Charitas est mors criminum, vita virtutum, gluten animarum, quae diuisa vnit, confusa or­dinat, inequalia sociat, imperfecta consummat (i.) Charitie and loue is the very death and queller of [Page 38] vice, the life and cherisher of ver­tue, the glue, and as it were the sodder of the soules and affecti­ons of Christians: It vniteth things diuided, putteth in order things confused, matcheth and consort­eth things vnequall, and consum­mateth things vnperfected. In a word, loue is the fulfilling of the Law, the complement of Christia­nitie, Rom. 13. 18. Coloss. 3. 14. and the band of perfection; the friend of a good conscience, the companion of a liuely faith, the prouoker of good words, the promoter of good workes, the throne of God in earth, the de­light of God in heauen. Loue spea­keth with the tongue of euery ver­tue. 1. Ioh. 4. 16. Pitty biddeth thee to succour the penurious, and indigent. Iu­stice biddeth thee to giue euerie man his owne, and not to wrong the impotent. Patience biddeth thee to suffer. Mercy biddeth thee to forgiue, to helpe, and relieue o­thers. But the voice of Christian loue commandeth all these. A co­ward [Page 39] inflamed with this holy spark of heauenly fire, banisheth feare, & becommeth valiant and manfull. The couetous oppressour com­manded by the imperious resolu­tion of loue, becommeth liberall and bountifull; The ambitious Tyrant mollified hereby, becom­meth humble, meeke, and merci­full; so true is that saying, Amor Aug. de ci [...]. Dei l. [...]. meus pondus meum illo ferer quocun (que) feror: My loue is my loadstone, where it setteth mee, there am I fixed, whither it leadeth me, thi­ther am I carried, so that to close vp this point: Hee that hath much loue, doth least harme and most good, he that hath little loue, doth more harme and lesse good, and where no loue is, this is nothing but harme and no good at all. Whereof I may say as Abraham Gen. 20. 11. did of Abimelechs house, Lo Iereah Eclohim baernacon, the feare of God is not in this place. But on the contra­rie, where loue dwelleth, I may conclude thereof as Ezekiell doth Ezek. 47. 35. [Page 40] his prophesie, Iehouah Shammah, God is there.

Not to stand longer on the point, you may see now by these proofes, and reasons, it is most plaine, that spirituall Christian loue is a duty most requisite and neces­sarie to be exercised amongst Chri­stians, if euer wee will be like God our Father, who is the God of loue, or like vnto our profession which is the communion of Saints and the profession of loue, or de­cline from euill and doe good 1. Cor. 13. which are the properties of loue.

Now very briefly (before wee discend to the vse of this doctrine, Definition of loue. and come to the application) let vs consider what this loue is, which will worke such wonders, & bring men to such perfection. Loue in briefe is an affection of the soule, by which it doth settle it selfe in the liking of a good thing accor­ding to the kind and degree there­of: or loue is that power of the [Page 41] heart, whereby it doth rest it selfe in the approbation and liking of that which is good in its kind, and according to the degree of good­nesse therein. Hence [...] to loue, is by the Greekes deriued [...] from resting it selfe quieted, and contented with the thing beloued. So then spiritu­all loue is an holy affection of the Spirituall loue. soule, whereby the soule in a spiri­tuall manner doth rest and settle it selfe in the liking and approbation of a Christian man as he is a Chri­stian and according to the excel­lency of a Christian. When there­fore in our hearts and soules wee are quietly and fully possessed with the liking and embracing of any of our fellow members and brethren in Christ according to their worth and dignity as they are Christians, then doe wee loue them indeed spiritually, and as Christians ought to loue one ano­ther. I say not when we loue and like them as they are men, thus and [Page 42] thus be friended, thus enriched, thus enobled, thus outwardly beautified, or accomplish'd, for this is carnall and partiall loue. But when wee louingly regard them as they are Christians, considering the spirituall excellency of them in Christ, and knowing that diuine perfection which is in Christ for them and in them, in some mea­sure as the Apostle speaketh, and 2. Pet. 1. 4. accordingly fixing our affections on them, and highly esteeming and heartily louing them, as God doth both vs and them for Christs sake. This, this is true Christian spi­rituall loue, & that loue which our Sauiour here requireth, the which as a golden chaine consisteth of these three linkes, the good-will of Threefold cord of cha­rity. Bernard. the heart, the good word of the mouth, and the good worke of the hand. (Triplex enim funiculus cha­ritatis, beneuolentia in corde, bene­dictio in ore, beneficentia in mann) As Bernard well obserueth. Wherfore he which in this manner tenderly [Page 43] affecteth his Christian Brethren (whatsoeuer they be for outward respects) that hee can vnfainedly wish well vnto them in his heart, as Moses did vnto the Israelites, Exod. Exod. 32. 32 1. Sam. 19. 4. 32. & blesse them with his mouth, and speake good of them as Iona­than did of Dauid▪ 1. Sam. 19. and can bee willing according to his a­bilitie to helpe and relieue them in their necessitie as Nehemiah did Nehem. 5. 8. 9. 10. the Iewes, by lending to them both corne and money freely in the time of extremitie, Nehemiah 5. 10. and all this for Christianities sake, he doth rightly and in truth loue them, as Christ hath prescrib­ed, and in what measure any of vs, shall so doe, in the same degree we haue obtained that spiritual amity, and are possessed of that Christian charity, which Christ Iesus doth by so many Commandements as it were extort, and with an holy kind of violence wring from vs.

Ʋse. 1 Now to make some vse and ap­plication of that which hath beene taught: First, mee thinketh this [Page 44] should strike a terror into vs, and make vs all both to blush forshame and sigh for sorrow, sith wee haue been so cold and frozen, as it were, in the performance of this duty of mutuall loue which Christ with such vrgent vehemency doth so often require at our hands. Did hee, he I say the totall of our loue, the hight of our hope, the vtmost of our feare; the way neuer erring, the truth neuer fayling, the life ne­uer ending, so precisely prescribe vnto vs the way to loue in truth, that we might attaine to life; and haue we (as the wise man speaketh) Ioh. 14. 6. in the error or forwardnesse of life, sought death? haue wee so much forgotten, and neglected, or most sparingly practised, that lesson of loue, which he so abundantly com­mended vnto vs by precept, and the example of his whole life? Here then is matter of bewailing and la­menting for the best of vs, to con­sider how we haue beene failing or fainting in this duty, and how wee haue come farre short of discharg­ing [Page 45] that charge, which Christ hath laid on vs. We cannot deny but Christians are most deare vnto the Lord, yet who of vs made them so deare vnto himselfe? wee cannot but confesse that wee are tied vnto them many waies, and that most strongly, but yet whose heart doth so fully embrace them? whose hart doth so rest it felfe in the liking of them as they are Christians? may not the best say, that his affections are strongly setled, on such & such rather as they bee his friends or kinsfolke, his Creditors, or Bene­factors, then as they are good men, good Christians, and the friends of Christ Iesus? If any bee so farre gone, that they dare deny this (for you shall haue those which neuer had any loue, or came neere the dwelling place thereof most ful of boasting, that they loue their neighbours as themselues) specte­mur agendo, Let vs come to the trial and make enquiry of our loue by the effects, and our common dealing, and daily practise will [Page 46] soone conuince vs of the contrary. My little children saith Saint Ioh. 1. Ioh. 3. 18. Let vs not loue in word or tongue only (for this lip-labour wordy loue is not worthy the name of loue) but in deede and truth. Well then in Greg. in mor. Ne [...] aliquem amat qu [...]m non vult esse melio­rem. truth and by our deedes let vs in particular by our selues examine our owne soules, how wee haue loued our Christian brethren, and what seruice wee haue done vnto them for Christs sake? What? haue wee been desirous that our neigh­bours amongst whom we dwell or others with whom wee haue con­uersed and had comerce, and ac­quaintance, should bee the better for vs? haue wee left among them some tokens of our goodnes, some monuments of our godlinesse? haue wee refreshed them in their neede, with the sweete sauour of our kindnesse, gentlenesse, merci­fulnesse? haue wee beene content that some portion of their sor­rowes and disastrous fortunes, should be laide on the shoulders of our friendshippe, that thereby wee [Page 47] might alleuiate and lesson their weight, least they should other­wise sinke vnder the burthen of their wants, and woes? haue wee in causes of extremitie holpen them by our counsell, sustained them by our comfort, supplied their necessi­ties by the superfluity of our wealth, supported their decaying estate by our credit and counte­nance? haue wee endured much trouble and trauell for their sakes, and yet thinke no labor too much, to do them good, because they are the members of Christ? these are buddes, blossomes, and fruites of Christian loue indeede (for true loue as it maketh vs to grieue when the person beloued is decai­ed in estate, or despised, so it ma­keth vs to vse all good meanes for his vpbearing, and to reioyce when we see him benefited or aduanced) But where is this loue become now? when as a number of those that bee accounted, and wee must hope are indeed Christians, thogh very weake ones, doe make their [Page 48] owne profit, pleasure, and prefer­ment, the end of all their doings, dealings, and endeauours; yea [...] Phil. 21. when as the most of those which professe Christianity, thinke all their riches little enough to feede their fancie, to satisfie their plea­sure, to maintaine their pride, and not a penny in a pound bestowed on the poore members of Christ Iesus, when by experience we find all their time to be little enough to follow their delights, their bow­ling, dycing, carding, hawking, hunting, and not an hower in the weeke to bee spent for the good of poore Christians, either in relieu­ing their wants or in redressing their wrongs. When all their mo­ny is little enough to make bar­gaines, to purchase land, to chest vp in their Treasurie, or to set foorth to vsurie, and not a shilling in the hundred imploied for the vse and benefit of their needy neighbours or distressed brethren? Nay is it not almost euery where, come so to passe, that a wanton [Page 49] Gallant, or rich Glutton, though he be an open prophane man, and a knowne Whore-master, Drun­kard, or blaspheming Swaggerer, shall yet haue more kinde enter­tainment at our house, and better vsage at our hands, than the best Christian, being of meane estate, and in some manner of want? Are we not for the most part caried as the blinde world is, with that squint-ey'd partialitie, so much condemned by the Apostle Iam. 2. Iam. 2. 2. Let one come in with a gold ring on his finger, in gorgious apparel, we vse him with passing kindnesse, a chaire and a cushion, presently, you are heartily welcome, I am glad to see you well, the best cheer, the best lodging, the best atten­dance, all is too little, much adoe, and more then needeth: But let a poore Christian come to craue helpe at neede, either the father­lesse for releife being distressed, or the Widdow for iustice or right being oppressed, a scornefull eye, a short answere, cold comfort, a neere [Page 50] hand, a needy reward, all is too much, little done for such, and that as good as nothing. Is not this the common fashion, and the cor­rupt affection of the most of vs? O my brethren, beloued in Christ Ie­sus, is this to loue one another, with a true Christian loue, as Christ hath commanded? No: No: Chri­stianitie, Christianity, godlinesse the Image of God in the poore members of Christ, and true god­linesse it selfe is the proper obiect of this spirituall loue. A man for his wisedome is much to be regar­ded, for his religion more highly to bee esteemed, but if eminent sanctitie beautifie his profession, he is more entirely to bee embraced: euery excellency in morall vertues carrieth with it a sweete grace and motiue to amability, but such is the bright luster of Christianitie, that it alone causeth a more sollide friendship, loue and amitie; whom we affect for this, and that earnest­ly, them wee loue indeed, heere Christian loue will poure foorth it [Page 51] selfe, here it thinketh all that is don too little, no cost too much; here it will spend and extend it selfe to the vttermost. Hence it was, that Saint Paul was so kinde to the Ga­lathians, of whom he was disgra­ced, and so louingly deuoted to the vnkinde Corinthians, who the lesse loued him, by how much the more he loued them: surely the loue of Christ and Christianitie, as he con­fesseth, moued, yea constrained him hereunto. That sweete in­fluence 2. Cor. 5. 14. of kindnesse, which the spirit of God infused into his soule, testifying to his heart that Christ was his Redeemer, and had done so much for him, would not suffer him to be vnkinde, but did euen offer an holy violence vnto him, and compell him to loue all men in Christ, and to seeke to gaine all men vnto Christ. This was it which made the three thousand which were conuerted Acts 2. to be so a­boundant in charity, that they communicated each to other, whatsoeuer hee had, euery one [Page 52] esteeming his purse (as it is indeed) the common treasurie, and his house a common Inne for all the members of Christ. This caused Lydia and the Iay lour Acts 16. to Acts. 2. 44. be so kinde to the Apostles, so full of loue in heart, and outward be­hauiour, to the rest of their fellow Christians, they felt in themselues Acts 16. the life of Christianitie, and the hope of the life to come through Christ, and in consideration here­of were liberall and bountifull of whatsoeuer good things the libera­lity of Christ had made them par­takers and Stewards of. O that we did liue now in that louing and giuing age to Christians. O that our fathers charitable deuotion, sequestred from superstition were more abounding in vs. O that wee did not liue in the winter of the world wherein charity is growne chilling cold, and the fire of true Christian loue, is as it were put out and quite extinguished by the wa­ter and frost of selfe loue, the loue of the world, and worldly coue­tousnesse. [Page 53] But alasse, so it is that there is a generall defection in this duty of Christian loue, and our eyes may with Dauid gush foorth Psal. 119. 136. riuers of teares, yea our soules may droppe downe teares in secret for the same. Ʋse. 2 And to come a fresh vpon our soules with a new charge, reprehension. whose heart doth not in steed of loue, giue often and long harbour vnto hatred? whose lips are not pol­luted, with breathing forth of mal­lice, and malitious conceits? whose hands are free from offence in this behalfe? Doe not all of vs, come within compasse of iust reprehensi­on, for that wee haue so much neg­lected and transgressed this com­mandement of loue so often pro­claimed and earnestly pressed by our louing Sauior? whence is it that the false surmise of a stale wrong doth leauen our hearts with malice, and enuie, and euill intentions for twice twelue monthes together, so that we can neither thinke well, or speake well of some of our neigh­bours, much lesse do any good vn­to [Page 54] them? is it not because we haue not tasted one sponefull of the sa­cred liquor of Christian loue, which is able to quench the fiery fury of any conceiued wrong? whence is it that Christians mee­ting together in a seeming loue at Gods table, do at their owne tables so seuerely censure, vpbraide, back­bite, and slander one another, little regarding the Apostles admoni­tion, if ye backbite one another, take Gal. 5. 15. heed least ye bee deuoured one of ano­ther, When is it that they are so quick-sighted to see, and open mouthed to speake of their neigh­bours imperfections, not before God in praier for them; or in their bosome with griefe in secret to re­claime them, but in publicke a­mongst friends & foes to disgrace them? Is it not for want of the holy sparke of spirituall loue? Whence is it that Nero-like we write our e­nemies in marble, & register their vnkindnesses with deepe Chara­cters in the Tables of our minds & memories, and vpon euery light [Page 55] occasion, vex them with sutes in law or lawlesse sutes: And in briefe arme both our tongues, and our hearts, and our hands to doe mis­chiefe to the name, goods and per­sons of those whom we should call Brethren? Is it not because this christian loue, the seasoner of our life, which maketh vs full of good words and good works is banished from our society? Oh where is that loue now, wherof S. Paul maketh mention vnto the Corinthians, and 1. Cor. 15. 5. 6. 7. setteth it out by 15. properties, viz. That it is patient, bountifull, & not puffed vp, that it disdaineth not, seeketh not her owne, thinketh not euill, reioyceth not iniquity, but in the truth, hopeth all things, be­leeueth all things, endureth all things, and so forth. Was loue then neither malicious, nor disdainfull; nor suspitious, Neminē enim suspicit Bern. in Cant. Serm. 59. amor, nec dispicit quidem, as Bern. speaketh? Was it liberall then and not auaritious, humble & not am­bitious? surely then is loue chang'd much since the Apostles time, or [Page 56] else ter [...]as astrea reliquit. Loue with Iustice is fled from the earth, or couched in a narrow corner there­of, so that it is most rare to find, be­ing vtterly exiled from the cōmon society of men, as appeareth euen at this day. For otherwise how cō ­meth it to passe tbat in buying and selling, & mutuall marchandizing, men vse so many false weights, false lights, and craftie sleights. Mille actus ve [...]itos, & mille piacula tentant, to deceiue one another, and to hurt their brethren, whom they are bound to helpe? is it not for lacke of the holy sparke of spi­rituall loue? Whence is it that the swallowers of the poore, and those yron hearts against whom the Pro­phet Amos lifteth vp his siluer Amo [...] [...]. 5. trumpet, doe waite when opportu­nitie will buzz into their eares, the desirous newes of a new moone or Sabbath, that they may set forth their wheat, and make the Ephah small, and the shekle great; and falsifie the weights by deceit, and buy the poore for siluer, and the [Page 57] needy for shooes; is it not because their hard hearts are not softned by the holy fire of true christian loue? And that I may lead you along as the Prophet Ezekiel was Ezek: 8. 13. by the spirit, from abhomination to abhomination, and each greater than other: Whence is it that sub­tilty setteth on fire the tongue of the crafty buyer, so that (as the Wiseman speaketh) he cryeth out, It is naught, it is naught, but when Prou: 20. 14. he is gone boasteth of his bargaine, and giueth his tongue the lye? Whence is this dissimulation and diuision betwixt the tongue and the thought, and breaking forth euen for a little red or white earth, into lying, swearing, and forswea­ring too, is it not for want of a dram of spirituall-vpright-dealing loue? Whence doe these corrupt streames of extortion, vsury, op­pression, bribery, mercilesnes, and cruelty, and the like crying sinnes, noysome in quality, haynous in degree, dangerous in effects, pro­ceede and flow? is it not from [Page 60] the fountaine, or rather the dead sea of an vnlouing, vncharitable frozen heart? In a word, hence it is that some (I feare too many of this place) rightly termed Latrones puluinarij, gracious theeues, doe fill their coffers and enrich their treasury by the Diuells Alchymi­stry, by Iewish vsury, little better than Achans the euery, Iosh: 7. Iosh: 7. Hence it is that others iustly called griping Extortioners, and merci­lesse oppressors doe enlarge their liuings and possessions by damna­ble designments, as bad as Ahabs cruelty, 1. King. 21. Hence it is that the Rulers say with shame, 1. King. 21. Bring yee, Hosea 4. 15. and not one­ly Hosea 4. 15. superiours but inferiours too, maintaine their estate by vniust dealing, cogging collusion, and Trades more sinfull and shamefull than Gehezies bribery, 2. Kin: 5. To conclude, hence it is, that Mo­nopolites, 2. King. 5. 7. ingrossers, regraters, forestallers, transporters, and cor­morant like corne▪hoorders (qui in loculis includunt salutem inopū, & Stella in Luc. [Page 59] in tumulis sepeliunt vitam pauperū.) doe secretly laugh at the publique want and penury, and make an ex­ceeding benefit of the times extre­mity, and sacrifice to their yarne & nets of policie: Hab: 2. 16. and Habac: 2. 16. grind the faces of the poore with­out measure, without mercy, sow­ing in hardnes of heart now, and I feare hereafter reaping in horror of conscience, (for iudgement mercilesse, shall be to those which shew no mercy, Iam: 2. 13.) euen Iames 2. 13. because their corrupt hearts are not seasoned with the soueraigne sauory salt of Christian loue and charity. The hauing whereof, as it is an Antidote and preseruatiue to keep vs from running into mis­cheife and impiety; so the want thereof is the originall of all vn­godlines and villany. Witnes this that (without exception) most hor­rid and diuelish powder-treason plot, and damnable proiect of our Antichristian aduersaries, quibus nulla fides, nullus amor nisi quantum expedit, according to the rule of [Page 60] the Parthians, with whom no con­science, no religion, no band of nature, consanguinity, alleageance, alliance, affinitie, oath, or Sacra­ment standeth good, so it with­stand their mischiefe plotting pur­pose: Witnes this, I say, that their barbarous bloudy purpose and de­signement of cutting of all the heads of our Land, as it were vpon one and the same shoulder, by one Catholique blow of blowing vp the Parliament house, and so Iudas like purchasing a field of bloud, with no lesse price, then the life of King, Queene, Prince, and the cheife State of this Land. Alas had they beene possessed, but with one graine of that truely Catho­lique Christian charitie, whereof they doe so fondly boast, they would neuer haue harboured the thought, much lesse haue set for­ward the practise of so vnheard of a villanie, of a sinne so exceeding sinfull, that no pretence of religion can excuse it, no shadow of good intention extenuate it, God and [Page 61] the heauens condemne it, men and the earth detest it. But certaine it is, they had set apart all bowells of compassion and naturall affe­ction, all thoughts of humanitie, pricks of conscience, sparks of rea­son, and barres of religion, all feare of God and reuerence of men, in being authors of so execrable a worke of darknes and desolation, which to heare would make a mans eares to tingle, and his heart­strings to tremble, and in steed of the spirit of loue, they were posses­sed with the Angell of the bottom­les pit, the spirit Abadon, the spirit Apoc: 9. 11. of destruction and devastation. I would to God this spirit did not raigne and reuell so much now adaies also in the middest of them, and euen in their desperate hopes, make them to beare deadly hatred to this our Sion; so that they cry, downe with it, downe with it, to the ground; but so it is that notwith­standing the discouery and defey­sance of their manifold mischie­uous designments, and our mira­culous [Page 62] deliuerance, (for which the Almighties mercy be euer magni­fied amongst vs) they continue still our irreconcilable enemies, in their erronious bitter crosbiting books, they professe it; by their daily ma­chinations and practises they shew it; God grant wee doe not here­after to our greater wrack and woe feele and finde it. Howsoeuer let vs be confident, and commending the protections of our persons, and the defence of our cause to the God of truth, who hath hitherto gratiously deliuered and defended vs, from those massacring bloudy­minded vnderminers of his truth and gospell; Let vs follow the truth in loue, as the Apostle ex­horteth, Ephes. 4. and loue one a­nother, [...]phes. 4. 15. yea euen our enemies, as our Sauiour in my Text comman­deth, and be no waies partakers of those fornamed grosse sinnes of craft and cruelty, which proceede from hatred, malice, couetousnes, and enuy, but be euery way abun­dant in good workes, which are the [Page 63] fruits of true Christian loue and li­beralitie.

Ʋse. 3 And now lastly, for our instru­ction, sith loue is not onely a ne­cessary implement, but also an ex­cellent ornament for a Christian, and therefore by our Sauiour so earnestly required at our hands, let vs know that it is our duety, by humble and hearty prayer to seeke it at his hand; let vs therefore be­seech him to grant by grace that true loue vnto vs, which nature cannot giue; let vs humbly intreat him so to shed his Spirit abroad in our hearts, that wee may loue his seruants as wee ought, that those which are neere and deere to him, may be so to vs, and where he lo­ueth most, wee may there be most inlarged in our loue and kindnesse also; that our very soules may ful­ly rest themselues in the liking and embracing of Christians, not loo­king to their present wants and im­perfections, but to their future per­fection and glory, not considering what they be in themselues, but [Page 64] rightly conceiuing what they be in Christ; this prayer, this medita­tion will be an effectuall meanes to make our loue abound; where­vnto if we shall adioyne the com­mendable practise of other Chri­stian duties, and in our often mee­tings, conferre and discourse cha­ritably and conscionably of holy things, and make one another par­takers of the benefit of our read­ing and hearing, especially on the Sabboth day, surely this would be as fewell, and towe, and bellowes too to blow and stirre vp this grace of loue in our hearts, and to make it flame in a great measure to our mutuall comfort and commodity. 2. Tim 16. Wherefore as euer we would haue louing hearts, and bee loued of him that alone knoweth our harts, let vs alwaies striue to haue our companies and societies seasoned with holy and religious exercises, and in steed of prophane talking, ripping vp of other mens faults, scoffing, and iesting, which are things vncomely, Ephes: 5. and Ephes. 5. 4. [Page 65] faults too common in our priuat mee­tings, and as it were the puddle water to quench loue, and the incentiues to prouoke hatred. Let vs on the contra­ry, vse godly conference, and delight in the practise of prayers, and singing of Psalmes, & the like duties of Chri­stianity, as often as our company in any place is thereto required, whereby occasions of hatred may be preuen­ted, & whereby Christians perceiuing the spiritual excellency which is in ech other, may be the faster glewed, and linked, and obliged in their iudge­ments, wills, and affections one to an other. Finally to shut vp this point with the exhortation of the Apostle, Ephes. 5. 1, 2. Beloued be ye followers of Eph. 5. 1, 2. God as deare children, and walke in loue as Christ hath loued vs. And, Let euery man please his neighbour in that which is good to aedification, Rom: 15. 2. and the Ro: 15. 2. God of peace and loue grant that in the eternall peace-maker Christ Iesus wee may loue each other aeternally. And thus much of the first doctrine, and of the seuerall vses and reasons thereof. And so (the time cutting off [Page 66] the intended handling of the two o­ther points following) in the feare of God I commend you all to the grace of his word, which is able to build you Act. 20. 32. further, and to giue you an inheritance with those which are sanctified: and commit that which hath been spoken, euen this little graine of loue to the ground of your hearts, & the blessing thereof to him, who is able to make an handfull of corne to proue like the top of Lybanus, Psal: 72. 16. and the Psalm: 72. least graine of mustard-seed to ouertop the trees of the forrest, Matth: 13. Math: 13. though he which sowed the same de­part: Euen to God the Father the in­exhaustible fountaine of goodnes, the Sonne the incomprehensible, wisdom of the Father, and the Holy Ghost the indivisible power of them both; To whom being three in persons, one in essence, the same onely wise, immortall and invisible Diety, we ascribe, and de­sire to be ascribed, all praise, power, might, maiesty, and dominion now and for euer. Amen.

[...].

THE SOVLES SENTINEL.

THis whole Chap­ter (Right Wor­shipfull) is as a large mappe of mans misery and mortality, and this verse now read vnto you is as a liuely mirror and looking-glasse of Christianity, representing at once three proper obiects to the Diuision. eye of our vndestanding.

[Page 2] 1. The frailty of this life present.

2. The certainty of the life to come.

3. The duty of watchfulnesse to be performed in the former, that we may ioyfully attaine the latter.

1 First, the fraile condition of this life is exhibited to our view by way of supposition. h. v. If a man die, implying by force of Logicke this plaine and peremptory pro­position, Man must die, there is no remedy.

2 Secondly, the certainty of our resurrection after death is offered to our apprehension by way of Question. h. v. shall he liue again? where by a question of admiratiō he doth put it out of all doubt and question; as Greg. Mor. D. Gregor. noteth on this place, that man dying shall surely rise and liue againe.

3 Thirdly, the duty of watchful­nesse and wayting for the disso­lution of this life temporall, and the restitution of the body to the soule in another life eternall, is [Page 3] commended to our consideration. h. v▪ All the daies of mine appoin­ted time (as Tremelius interprets it) or of my warfare (as D. Greg. and Ierom read it) will I waite till my changing shall come.

Wherein three particulars are remarkable. 1 The first is a secret concession, or granting of that which was before questioned. 2 The second is an open confession, that our time here is prefixed as the time of Sentinels in a watch, of Captaines and souldiers in the warre, so that when the great Ge­nerall of heauen and earth shall cal away the greatest, there is no meanes of withdrawing, no place of auoyding, no power of resist­ing.

The last is an expresse declaration, that this war-fare shall haue an end, & a change shall come, which

• of
  • the wicked is to be feared.
  • the godly to be desired.
  • all to be expected.

These (Beloued in Christ Iesus) [Page 4] are the seuerall streames into which this welspring of liuing water naturally deuideth it selfe. From the which very many pro­fitable Christian instructions, for the edifying of vs in an holy faith and godly life, might easily be de­duced. But as the Eagle which Esdras saw in a vision 2. Esd. 11. 1 had twelue wings, but onely three heads, and as the vine which Pharaohs But­ler saw in a dreame, Gen. 40. 10 had many clusters, but three chiefe branches: so this fruitfull parcell of scrip­ture hauing many wings, many clusters, hath yet but three maine branches and heads, or principall points of doctrine of me to be dis­cussed, of you to be considered, if the Antecedent of my text with the consequent, the Interrogation If a man die▪ shall he liue? with the Inference and illation, All the daies of mine appointed time will I waite &c.) bee rightly compared together.

1. Obser. The first, that The terme [Page 5] and time of our life is appointed, and die we must by ordinary prescription, and this I will terme mors in Olla, death is our lot.

2. Obs. The second, that A change shall come by death, and there shalbe a generall resurrection, and this I will call spes in vrna, hope is in the graue.

3. Obs. The third, that wee ought to prepare dayly for death, and to liue in continuall expectation of the iudgement to come, particular and generall, and this I will entitle Via­ticum in Via, prouision in the way to bring vs to the iournies end of euerlasting felicity: of each of these and their vses in their order, as God shall giue grace and assi­stance, and you (rightly regarded) continue your Christian attention and patience, and first of the first.

1. Doct. The time of mās life is de­termined, Mors in Olla death is our lot. and death by no man, by no meanes can be avoided. Seneca. Vita cito auolat, nec potest retineri; mors quotidie ingruit, nec potest resisti. [Page 6] Life flieth away speedily, and can­not be retained; death commeth on as hastily, and cannot be resist­ed. What one writeth wittily of the Grāmarian, that being able to decline all other Nounes in euery case, he could decline death in no case, the same may serue fitly for euery mans Motto and Memento; The longest liuer hauing no strōg­er charter of his life, then that Iob 14. 2. He shooteth forth as a flower, and is cut downe; vanisheth as a sha­dow, and continueth not. Yea the very stoutest and strongest, Gaeber, the man of might, prowesse, com­mand and greatnesse, as the word in my text importeth, must yeeld to deaths stroake, and daunce in deaths ring, leauing behind him onely this poore remembrance.

If a man die, death is inexora­ble & ineuitable, and admits of no ifs and ands, man Gaber. whatsoeuer or [Page 7] wheresoeuer he be must needs die. Iamuth. Man in the old testament hath three appellations; hee is called Adam red earth, homo ab humo, in respect of the substance where­of hee was first created; Aenosh mortall or wretched, in regard of the misery to the which by his fal he was inthralled; Ish or Gae­ber, vir a virtute, mā indeed for his vertue & valor as here he is consi­dered. But notwithstanding these different appellations, man with­out difference in respect of his final estate may rightly bee compared vnto a tree, which sooner or later must be cut downe by the axe of death, to be fuell for burning, or timber for building: to become a cursed brand in Satans furnace, or a blessed beame in Christs palace.

Indeed the time was (but a short time God knowes) when as man the mortall mirror of immortall Maiesty, created in admirable per­fection and beauty, and indowed with the richest gifts and gra­ces [Page 8] which could be competēt to a creature, did not only in the ex­quisite integrity of his soule liue­ly resemble his makers purity, but also in the most sound and health­full temper of his body carry some excellent sauor of his eternity, for the continuance whereof, it pleas­ed the Almighty to place him in the goodly garden of Eden stored with matchlesse variety of what­soeuer delights heart could de­sire, especially garnished Gen. 2. 9 beg­netz hacaijm with the tree of life, whose fruite had by Gods ordi­nance naturally vertue to banish hunger, thirst, sicknesse, age, death.

So that if Adam had neuer sin­ned, mankinde had euer continu­ed in this his primary estate and condition, free from sorrow, sick­nesse, death and corruption. But a­las now the case is much altered, and lamentable is the alteration, for no sooner had Adam by the entisement of Eue in eating the forbidden fruit transgressed, but [Page 9] God passed vpon him and his po­sterity, this sentence of temporall condemnation neuer to bee re­uersed.

Gen. 3, 19 Dust thou art, and to dust thou shalt returne againe.

As Leui was in the loines of A­braham when hee paied tithe or tribute Heb. 7. 5 Heb. 7. so were wee in the loines of Adam, when hee plaide the traitor, his disobedi­ence is in vs vnexcusable, the doome and punishment of death due vnto it is irreuocable; and all of vs, of what estate age or degree soeuer wee bee, ar [...] (without some rare and extraordinary dispensa­tion, as that of Enoch and Elias was) liable vnto the same. Though Sathan a liar from the beginning said, Gen. 3. 4 Non omnino moriemini, yee shall not die at all, and Mother Eue minced the matter with Gen. 3. 3 Ne forte moria mini least perchance ye die, yet God said expresly in that day wherein thou eatest of the tree of knowledge of good and euill. [Page 10] Gen. 2. 17. moth tamuth morte morieris, thou shalt surely die, yea through the hereditary contagion of this ori­ginall rebellion, Statutum est om­nibus semel mori, Heb. 9. 27. It is de­creed that all Adams sinnefull progeny shall once die. This is a statute enacted by three states of the highest court of heauenly par­liament, and neuer to be repealed. We came by the wombe, and must to the graue, whether old or yong, God knowes how soone: death stands ready in the gate for old men, and they cannot liue long: death lies in ambush for young men, and they may die soone: the difference is no more, the one go­eth to death, and death commeth to the other.

Belshazzars Embleme is on e­uery wall, and his Impresa vpon all flesh, able to make the proudest Tyrant, the frolikest gallant, the prophanest Church-robber, if not to blush for shame, yet to tremble Dan. 5. 25. for feare ^r Mene mene Tekel [Page 11] vpharsin. God hath numbred thy daies, he hath ballanced thee; thou art found lighter then vanity, a­way thou must.

Wee must needs die said the wise woman of Tecoah to Dauid, 2. Sam. 14. you a soueraigne and I a subiect, you a man and I a woman, wee must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground. Dauid confessed so much on his death-bed, 1. King. 2. 2 I must goe the way of all the earth, and holy Iob, Iob. 30. 23. I know assuredly thou wilt bring me to death, which is the house appointed for all the liuing, as a hauen for all shipping. It may be when a ship is come to the mouth of the hauen, a blast driueth it back againe, but thither it will arriue at last, so must wee to the gates of death. Bern: de conu. cler. Non misere­tur inopiam, non reueretur diuitias as D. Bernard speaketh Death pittieth not the poore, regardeth not the rich, spareth not any.

It is not the Maiesty of the Prince, or holinesse of the Priest, [Page 12] strength of body, feature of face, learning, riches, honour, or any se­cular regard can plead against death, or priuiledge any person from the graue. Nereus the faire; Thersites the foule; Pyrrhias the Cooke, Agamemnon the King, Absolon with his beauty, and La­zarus with his blaines must all the same way. Say Prince, say pe­sant, say rich; say poore, say all with holy Iob. Iob. 17. 14 c. 17. Corrupti­on thou art my father, rottennesse thou art my mother, wormes and vermine yee are my brethren and sis­ters, say graue thou art my bed, sheete thou art my shrine, earth thou art my couer, greene grasse thou art my carpet, say death de­mand thy due, for thy seasure is without surrender, and from thy sentence there is no ap­peale.

To this purpose the Prophets proclamation is so generall, Isay. 40. 6 All flesh is grasse. All flesh without a­ny exception, is grasse, which by [Page 13] the Sunnes angry countenance, winds blasting, frosts nipping, mans trading, beasts deuouring, and many other waies is turned to corruption. All flesh is grasse, and the beauty and grace thereof is as a flower. 1. If any thing bee more seemely, more amiable, more goodly, more gracious, more glo­rious, in man it is but as a flower, which though it bee more faire in shew, and more fragrant in smell then grasse, yet as the grasse withe­reth, so the flower fadeth. And euen so, the greatest power, pomp, authority, estimation, and most illustrious estate of man decay­eth.

Where is that wisdome, which folly hath not tainted? where is that honour, which slander hath not stained? where is that strength which sicknesse hath not impaired? where is that beauty which age hath not defaced? where is that high and happy estate of ruledome and renowne, which enuie and [Page 14] time hath not ruinated? where are either of these, or all together which death hath not spoiled and lodged in the graue?

I haue seene (saith Dauid) an end of all perfection. Psal. 119. 96 Happy are they which haue Dauids eies, and thrice happy were we if vpon true insight of our frailty & imperfection, wee did daily and duly forethinke of our end and dissolution.

To incite vs whereunto, Isaiah as the Lords Herauld, is comman­ded to deliuer the former message, not whisperinglie in a soft still voice, such as that was wherein God passed by Elias, 1. Kin. 19. 5. but to crie aloud, and to make such a noise, as would mooue him that were mu­sing, rouse him that were slumb­ring, awake him that were sleep­ing; so carefull God is we should learne this lesson, and lay it to our hearts, that our continuance in this life is but momentany, and our best estate (as the princely Prophet protesteth) in this world [Page 15] Psalm. 39. 5. altogether vanity.

For the better riuetting where­of in our mindes and memories, the holy Ghost by his pen-men & actuaries, Moses, Iob, Dauid, Salo­mon, Saint Paul, and others, hath vsed verie significant similitudes, comparing mans life to a Iam. 4. 14. Vapor that vanisheth: to a Sap. 5. 12. Ship that sai­leth in the Seas, and the path there of cannot be found in the flouds: Reu. 15. to Glasse: 2. Cor. 2. 5. to a Booth: Sap. 5. to a Bubble: Iob 14. 12. to a sleepe: Iob 14. 2. a shadow: Iob 7. 6. a weuers shittle: vers. 7. to a wind: vers. 9. a cloud: Isa. 29 8. a dreame: Psalm. 90. 9. a thought: Sap. 5. a passage: yea Sap. 5. 9. Psa. 39 & 103 1. Thess. 4. a swift post vnto death, and what not? which argu­eth vanity and mutability.

But what neede haue we of these resemblances, or of so great a noise to put vs in mind of our mortality? sith wee haue both a con­tinuall sight of it in others, in our parents, brethren, kinsfolk, neigh­bours, and acquaintance, which are gone the way of all flesh be­fore vs: and also a daily sense of it [Page 16] in our selues by the aches of our bones, heauinesse of our bodies, dimnes of our eies, deafenes of our eares, trembling of our hands, baldnes of our heads, graynesse of our haires, that verie shortly wee must follow after them.

But alas, the Diuell doth so deafe vs, the world doth so blinde vs, and the sensualitie of the flesh maketh vs so extreamlie sensles, that we neither heare, nor see, nor feele, what lieth so heauie vpon vs. If we be yong, we feare not death at our backes; if sicke wee feele not death treading on our heeles; if old wee looke asquint and see not death before our eies.

Indeede in temporall affaires, to procure security, we will all pleade mortality, and in some cases of discontentment, wee will com­plaine with Saint Austine, that our life is a vitall death, Splendida mi­seria [...] a glittering mi­serie, a liuing calamitie, wherein Austin. our best repose is full of anguish, [Page 17] our greatest securitie without foundatiō, our trauell often with­out fruit, our sorrowes and cares alwaies without profit, our desires without successe, our hopes with­out rewards, our mirth without continuance, our miseries without remedies, dangers affrighting vs, diseases afflicting vs, afflictions greeuing vs, griefes tempting and tormenting vs on euery side.

But notwithstanding these plea­dings and complaints, the most of vs put the day of death farre from vs, and would haue it rather to be the lot of others, then to belong to our selues; beeing heerein like to Cuspinian. Hist. Ʋespasian, who seeing at once two presages of his death, a bla­sing Comet, and a gaping Sepul­chre, turnd them both from him­selfe, & forced thē on others, say­ing, the sepulcher gaped for the old Empresse Iulia, and the blasing starre pretended the death of the King of Persia which ware long haire; thus wee dallie and delude [Page 18] our selues, yea in a vaine perswa­sion, that we shall see many daies, wee sing sweete lullabies to our senslesse soules, like to the rich corn-hoorder in the 12. of Luke, who hauing plentie, and for the same safe custodie, promised to himselfe a kind of eternity, saying, Luk. 12. 19. 20 Soule take thine ease, and why? thou hast goods layed vp for many yeeres. But alas, one day of ease did he not see. Foole (saith God) this night thy soule shall bee taken from thee, and thou shalt not liue to inioy that pelfe which made thee ioy to liue, but as hitherto thou hast led a life euer dying, so now thou must goe to a death neuer ending, this beeing the last will and testament of such wealthy worldlings. Bern. Re­linquunt diuitias mundo, corpus se­pulchro, animam diabolo: They leaue and bequeath their riches to the world, their bodies to the graue, their soules to the Diuell.

Simil. And as the sumpter-horses of great personages, gaine nothing [Page 19] by their great burdens of siluer, plate, and other treasures where­with they are loaden, but a gauled backe; for when they come to their Inne or iourneys end, their treasure is taken from them, and they tired and gauled as they bee, are turned into a filthy stable: so wretched worldlie men get no­thing by their coffers crambde with crownes, their barnes filled with corne, their bags stuft with coyne, but a conscience pittifully gauled with many a grieuous crime, and when they are come to the iourneys end of a toilsome life, stripped of all they had, and thrust tired and gauled, tortured and grieued, as they bee, into the stin­king stable of hell, hauing nothing there but vglie serpents for their daintiest food, damned ghosts for their best company, horrible shrie­kings for their chiefest musicke, and weeping & gnashing of teeth for their choisest mirth. This doubtles is the case of all careles [Page 20] and secure persons, they may wan­ton it for a time, but shall want at last; they may state it, and stoute it too, but shall stoope at last, and though they haue now the summe of their vnsanctified desires, they shall haue at length their full de­serts.

Alas these deceiue themselues much, by mistaking their tenure, taking that to be a free gift, which God intends for loane, and hold­ing themselues owners, not onely of lands but of life too in fee-sim­ple, whereof they are but deposi­taries and tenants at will.

But be not thou deceiued ô man whatsoeuer thou art, which hearest mee this day, bee not deceiued, God is not mocked, thy daies are numbred, away thou must, death mounting on his Reu. 6. 2. pale horse is po­sting towards thee, here is not thy rest, thou dwellest in a house of clay, in a tent pitched to day, re­mooued to morrow.

Thou art a Didapper peering [Page 21] vp and downe in a moment, and as Aristotle rightly termes thee, thou art, Fortunae lusus, inconstan­tiae Aristotle apud Sto [...]. imago, temporis spolium, imbe­cillitatis exemplum. Miserable in­firmitie such is thy person, foolish inconstancy such is thy prosperity, inconstant honour such is thy crowne, sinnes, sorrowes, sicke­nesses, such thy comforters and companions, depart thou must and be gone God knowes how soone, Serius aut citius mortis properamus ad oras.

1 It is not eminency of office or dignity can priuiledge thee: for Dauid in the Psalm. 82. 6. 82. Psalm. setteth men as high as they may goe. I haue saide yee are Gods, (nuncupa­tiuè not substantiuè, as the school­men note) and the children of the most high. This is mans aduance­ment. But hee bringeth them as low, and hath a But for them, But ye shall dy like men▪ and ye princes & great ones shall fall like others, heere is his abasement. Hee that [Page 22] made the world at first of nothing, can mar the greatest in a moment: he bringeth Potentates to nothing, and maketh the Iudges of the earth as vanity. Isa. 40. 23.

2 It is not the strength or stateli­nesse of any place or territory, can protect thee. For what Hormis­da the Persian Ambassador said to Constantius the Emperor, deman­ding of him how he liked the Ci­ty of Rome with the Amphithea­ter, the Capitoll, and other such rich monuments as were shewed vnto him. Ammian. marc. lib. 16. In truth I thinke it the most glorious City in the world, and all therein pleaseth me well but this, that I see men die at Rome as else-where. The same may truly bee auerred of all other places, from which death cannot bee excluded, but if it enter not in at the gates with full force, it will ascend by the windows with great feare. Ier. 9. 21.

To which purpose Socrates smi­lingly replied vnto his friends that [Page 23] would haue rescued him from the officers, which were to put him to death. No I will no longer liue, except ye can tell me of a place with­out the territorie of Athens where men neuer die.

3 Lastly, as no height of honour or estimation can priuiledge thee, no safety and sweetnes of place protect thee; so no power or pol­licy can preserue thee from the fa­tall dart of death. The King can­not saue himselfe by the multitude of his host. Psal. 33. 16. Ʋisuntur magni par­ua sepulchra Iouis saith the Poet, Tamberlaine the terrour of the world died with three fits of an ague, as Paul. Iouius. de vit. ill. Paulus Iouius writeth. Saladine that mighty pagan which wan the holy Land from the Chri­stians, in the height of his pride & pompe, was surprised by death, hauing no greater solemnity at his funerals then this, a Herauld carrying his shirt or shrowd on a speare or spade, and crying aloud, G. Parad. in Heroic. Hae sunt reliquiae victoris orientis: [Page 24] These are the conquests of great Saladine.

Alexander that famous Mo­narch, acknowledged in his owne person this humane frailty, when in the Olympicke games falling in the dust, and perceiuing there­in the length of his body, hee confessed with griefe that Q. Curt. in vit. Alex. seuen foote of ground were sufficient to make him a graue, Iuuenal. Mors sola fatetur quantula sunt hominum cor­puscula.

Wherefore bee our daies neuer so few, or our yeeres neuer so full, resolue we must, wheresoeuer, or in what state soeuer wee bee, to come ere long to the gates of death, there is we see no meanes of withdrawing, no place of ab­senting, no power of resisting. God alone can say, Exod. 3. 14. sum qui sum, I am what I am, and will be what I haue bene. Men can say nothing else, but I am and shall not be.

Witnesse this the Lacedaemoni­ans song of three parts; wherein [Page 25] the Elders sang, wee haue beene strong and are not now; the Youth replied, wee shall bee strong but Plutarch. are not yet; the Middle-aged sang, wee are now strong but shall not be. Witnesse this Iobs sonnes at a banquet, Iob 1. 19. suddenly destroied; Iudg. 9. 53. Abimelech brained; Holofernes beheaded; Adrian with a Gnat, and Leo with a flie, both Popes, suddainely choaked. What shall I say more? All mankind must needs sing this. Aut sumus, aut fuimus, aut possimus esse quod hic est: wee are, or haue beene, or may soone bee, such as this breathles subiect is. The dolefull pageant of whose mortality, is heere presented to our sight, hauing in euery colour a speaking griefe, in euery griefe a mourning tongue, able to worke sad thoughts in our harts, if not to wring salt teares from our eies.

So that Hesiod may tell of Ne­ctar Hesiod. & Ambrosia, and sweete wine of the Gods, which will make men immortall, and Pliny may pratle Pliny. [Page 26] of the Herbe Moly, which (hee saith) hath vertue to make an old man yongue; and Historians may write of certaine fortunate Ilands, where exceeding long liuers, for their prolonged life, are called Macrobioi. But alas, these fa­bles reiected, nothing can bee in­deed inuented, whereby life may be prolonged beyond its limited time; as burning torches wee are dailie consumed, as potters vessels euery houre endangered: Yea so dangerous a Sea is this world, wherein we are wafted, so boy­sterous are the winds and waues of woe wherewith we are tossed, and so extreamly hazardous are the rockes of profit, pleasure, and pre­ferment, against which the silly Barke of our soules is carried, that in euery calme we feare a storme, in euery storme wee are swallow­ed quicke, in all our ease we looke for paine, in euery paine wee pine away, in all our rest wee feele di­sease, in each disease wee post to [Page 27] death. The very elements them­selues by burning, infecting, drow ning, and swallowing many, be­comming caters for our corrupti­on, who were at first created for our consolation. Yea all things in this life, making way like a marshall for death, that shee may triumphantly passe through the field of this world ouer the carka­ses of her slaine.

Thus death rules on earth as e­ternity in heauen; there all liue, heere all die. Ho [...]. Omnes vna ma­net nox & calcanda semel via Le­thi. It is Iosh. 23. 14. the way of all the world. Sen. Epist. 25 Hac conditione intraui vt exirem, said Socrates.

All, both good and bad are ac­tors on the stage of mortality, e­nery one acting a part, some of lesse, some of greater dignity; and the play beeing ended exeunt om­nes euery one goes off the stage, and as Chesse-men without diffe­rence Simil. they are swept from the ta­ble of this world, wherein one was [Page 28] a King, another a Queene, a third a Bishop, or Knight, into the earths wide receptacle.

The onely distinction betwixt good and bad beeing this, that the good are alwaies actors of a Comedy, and howsoeuer they be­ginne, they end merrily; but the bad are actors of a Tragedy, and howsoeuer they beginne or pro­ceede, yet their end is miserable, their Catastrophe lamentable: Death beeing to the wicked the diuels seriant to arrest them, and carry them without bayle, to a prison of vtter darkenesse; which to the godly is the Lords Gentle­man vsher to conduct them to a pallace of euerlasting happinesse; yea death beeing to the one as Sathans cart to carry them presen­ly to execution in hell, which to the other is as Elias his firie Cha­riot to mount them vp to heauen.

For Eccl. 11. 3. Olimpiod. As the tree falleth, so it ly­eth: As a man dyeth in the fauour or disfauour of God, so without [Page 29] changing or recalling hee remai­neth. Ʋnusquisque cum causa sua dormit, cum causa sua resurgit, as D. Austin speaketh. And to con­clude Aug. this point; on euery mans particular death, his particular iudgement attendeth, either of the soules eternall blisse in heauen, or euerlasting woe in hell, which all the praises, praiers, and preaching of men, Saints, or Angels can­not reuerse.

Vse. A consideration (R. W. and beloued in Iesus Christ) by the mis­creant Atheist much contemned, by the temporizing Politician greatly neglected, by the carnall gospeller slightly regarded, by the Popes pardon purchasing, and pickpurse Purgatory beleeuing Papist corruptly intertained, and by very few of the best professors so sincerely and seriously thought on and embraced, as it ought to be. For it is the great fault, not on­ly of great men, whose greatnes maketh them too often forgetfull [Page 30] of goodnes, but euen of vs all, high and lowe, rich and poore, great and small, that wee neuer thinke on death or prepare to dy, till wee finde and feele wee can no longer liue.

Yea we so imbrace, admire, a­dore, and doat vpon this glittering world, and are so loath to leaue the ruinous tabernacle of our cor­ruptible flesh, that we are not con­tent or willing to goe to heauen, till we see there is no remedy, we can stay no longer on earth. For the reforming of which carnall and worldly affection, and for the better inciting and stirring of vs all vp to a more frequent medita­tion and Christian consideration of our soone expiring life, and speedy approaching death; let vs now in the name of God des­cend to some further vse and ap­plication of that which hath beene so largely deliuered.

And seeing we haue beene eue­ry way sufficiently taught, what [Page 31] through the frowardnesse of our carnall disposition we are other­wise dull ynough to learne, that in this wicked world (which is nothing else but a shop of vanity, a theater of iniquity, whordoms, stewes, oppression, slaughterhouse, thefts refuge, and for euery sinne a sinfull sanctuary) there is no sure rest or residence for vs, and that here we haue no continuing City, but liue euery day in such incer­tainty, that the highest, healthi­est, holiest, happiest among men, cannot promise to themselues to morrow.

O let vs I beseech you by the tender mercies of Christ Iesus, as wee tender the good of our owne soules, heare and know this for our selues as Eliphaz saide to Iob: Heare this and know it for thy selfe, Iob 5. 27.

He that knoweth not what hee should know, is a beast among men, hee that knoweth no more then he must needs, is a man a­mong [Page 32] beasts, but he that knoweth all he may know, and that for him­selfe and his spirituall aduantage, is a god among men. Let vs study and striue to bee such gods, and euer remember that wee must die like men.

Let vs esteeme of euery present day, as of the day of our death, and make such conscience of all our waies, words, and works, as if wee were presently to giue an ac­count of our life. Greg. in Moral. Qui considerat qualiter erit in morte, pauidus & prouidus erit in operatione: He that thinketh alwaies of dying, will be circumspect in his doing. The meditation of death is a Christian mans Philosophy. O let vs as carefull christians, be continually exercised in this study, and as cheerefull and faithfull professors, bee alwaies busied in performing those righteous and religious du­ties which wee would doe if wee were dying: and because that death in all places wayteth for vs, [Page 33] let vs expect it euery houre, sus­pect it euery where, and be at all times prepared for it.

And now at this time especial­ly let the dreadfull spectacle of death before our eies, be as a shrill trumpet, sounding aloud that mes­sage of Isaiah to Ezekiah in our eares, that it may sinke deepe into our hearts. Isa. 38. 1. Set thy house in order, for thou must dy, and shalt not liue: Dispose of thy temporall affaires, leaue not thy lands intangled, thy substance intested, to be a cause of variance to thy posterity; make thy will, doe it in time, whilst thy thoughts are free, thine affections staied, and thy reason not distra­cted with feare, or senses distur­bed with paines, so shall thy te­stament be testatio mentis, a wit­nesse of thy mind. Whereas on the contrary, if thou put ouer the disposing of thine estate to that troblesome time of sicknes, when thine head aketh, hand shaketh, thy tongue faltreth, thine heart [Page 34] fainteth, and euery part is pained, it may iustly bee feared, that nei­ther thy words or writing will so expresse thy meaning, but that thou shalt be easily drawn to make a will after anothers mind rather then thine owne.

Set therefore thine house in or­der now, that thy soule bee not wearied then with secular affaires, when it should be wholly busied in making it selfe ready for God. Yea set thine heart in order also, and forthwith dispose of thy soule to cast vp her reckonings; turne thy selfe as Ezekiah did 2. Kin. 20. 2. to the wall, that is, from the world to God. Silentium a mundo, est su­surrus cum deo: consider what thou hast beene, examine thy selfe what thou art, premeditate what thou shalt be. Cogita vnde venis & erubesce, &c. Thinke on thy Bern. naked natiuity, and blush for shame; on this worlds wretched­nesse & misery, &c. Sigh for griefe, on deaths approaching tyranny, [Page 35] and tremble for feare, or rather that thou mayest bee freed from feare, griefe, and shame: make soone thy soules peace with God and the world, and by faithfull repentance turne from the worlds vanities, to Gods seat of mercy, and weepe as 2. Kin. 20. 3. Ezekiah did, be­waile thy sinnes past, keepe a nar­row watch ouer thine heart for the time to come. Sow in teares that thou maiest reape in ioy, Psa. 126. And lastly, (not to leaue so good a patterne in any point vn­followed) pray too, as Ezekiah did, though thou canst not in the same manner. Lord remember how I haue walked before thee in since­rity and truth, yet to the same ef­fect, for mercy, as Dauid did. Psalm. 25. 7. Lord remember not the sinnes of my youth. Lord for thy goodnesse sake remember mee. And as D. Ambr. in Psal. 38. Ambrose did on the 38. Psalm. Lord forgiue mee my faults heere where I haue sinned, for else where I cannot be releeued, except I haue [Page 36] my pardon heer, it is in vaine to expect the restfull comfort of for­giuenesse hereafter. Now is the acceptable time, as St. Paul spea­keth, 2. Cor. 6. 2. now is the day of saluation. This world is for thy repentance, the other for thy recompence. Chrys. in Heb. cap. 2. hom. 4. Hic locus luctae, ille coronae. Hoc cunaeorum tempus est, illud corona­rum, as D. Chrisostome speaketh. This is the time and place of com­batting, that of crowning, this of working, that of rewarding, this is for thy patience, that for thy comfort.

Now God is helping to all them which repent, and forsake their euill ways, but then he will be a seuere examiner, iudge, and re­uenger of all our wicked workes. This is our day, wherein the Gos­pell of peace and remission of sins is preached, that is Gods day, wherein all that haue receiued this grace in vaine, shall be punished. They that will not now receiue good counsell at a cheape rate, [Page 37] shall then buy too late repentance at a deere hand.

For the Angel hath sworne by him that liueth for euer, that time shall bee no more, Reu. 10. 6. that is after this life, there shall be no more time for repentance, for remission, for saluation.

Life and saluation is here either lost or wonne, as D. Cyprian affir­meth, Cypr. contr. Demetr. after this life no effect or working of satisfaction auaileth. To whom D. Austin accordeth, Aug. Epist. 54 ad Macedon. Epist. ad Hesyc. saying, There is no other place to correct our manners and conditi­ons, but onely in this life: and a­gaine, as euery mans last day doth leaue him, so Gods day, (i.) the day of iudgement shall finde him. Euery man shall sleepe and rise a­gaine with his owne cause; as he dyeth so shall he be iudged.

Wherefore now whilst thou li­uest, set both thine house and heart in order, prepare thy soule and make it ready for the Lord, repose not thine vnprepared selfe vpon [Page 38] the vaine staies of deceiuing Po­pery, vpon Masses, Trentals, Dir­ges, Pilgrimages, Praiers, Par­dons, and such like superstitious shews of piety, fondly inuented to releeue soules in, and release them out of fained Purgatory.

Beleeue me, beleeue me, for what I say, the truth proclameth, the word confirmeth, and too wo­full experience testifieth, the pre­sumptuous hope of helpe in Pur­gatory, Purgatory con­futed. hath sent many thousand deceiued soules to hell. That I may say no more, I can say no lesse of that Popish puddle, if I say the truth; but as the Apostle said of an Idoll; an Idoll is 1. Cor. 8. 4. nothing, so Purgatory is nothing, it is none of Gods creatures, it is none of Gods ordinances, it was neuer in his counsell, and therefore can ne­uer stand with his prouidence.

It was neuer knowne in the Church of Israell, or a doctrine Exod. 24. 8. sprinkled vpon that people, with the bloud of the old couenant, by [Page 39] Moyses who was Nom. 12. 7. faithfull in Gods house, and deliuered all he saw vpon the Mount. Moyses prescribing all kind of sacrifices in the old law, maketh no mention either of sacrificing or praying for the dead, without which Purga­tory cannot stand.

As for the New testament, Pur­gatory hath no footing or foun­dation therein; this teacheth plain­ly and plentifully, 1. Ioh. 1. 7. Gal. 3. 13. Rom. 8. 2. that the bloud of Christ alone purgeth and pre­serueth vs, ab omni culpa & pae­na, from all sinne and all punish­ment due vnto the same. Good old Simeon neuer dreamed of Pur­gatory when he said, Luk. 2. 29. Lord now let thy seruant depart in peace, for there is little peace in Purgatory by the Papists owne positions.

It neuer came into Saint Pauls mind, when he said. Ephes. 1. 23. I desire to bee dissolued, and to bee with Christ. It was neuer reueiled to the An­gell when hee spake from heauen saying, Reu. 14. 13. Write from henceforth [Page 40] amodo. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, for they rest from their labours. There is no paine in blisse, no toile in rest, if this hap­pines be amodo, euen straight vpon the dissolution, as Ambr. Lorin. in act. Nescit tarda molimina spiritus Dei gratia; then there is no danger by the way, no delay in supposed Purgatory.

Neither Lazarus, nor the rich man were acquainted with it; for Luk. 16. the one was immediatly carried into Abrahams bosome, the o­ther cast into hell. Hee which said to the good thiefe (who came in the nicke of oportunity to beg grace, while grace was a dealing) Luk, 23. 43. This day shalt thou bee with mee (not in Purgatory, but) in Pa­radise, knew only two waies, the strait way to heauen, the broad way to hell, and therefore spea­keth to his sheepe, Mat. 25. Come ye bles­sed, to the goats, Goe yee cursed. The third way, hee which knew all things did not know, for in­deed there is no such way to know [Page 41] It is only an opinion of papizing Paganes, or rather paganizing Papists; heathenish in deuise, hel­lish for practise, Romish for gaine. It is most iniurious to the bloud of Christ, which alone purgeth our sinne, pleadeth our cause, pur­chaseth our peace, & to be briefe, it delaieth and destroieth soule sa­uing repentance; without which there is no remission of sinne here, and with which satisfaction for sinne hereafter cannot stand.

For there commeth nothing to the spirits of them that are dead, but according to that wich they wrought while they were aliue. Bona opera sequuntur bonos, to crowne them, mala opera perse­quuntur Cypr. malos, to torment them.

Wherefore (to returne to my purpose againe; and not to suffer Popish peeuish Purgatory, with which I met only by the way, to transport mee farther out of the way) mine humble and hearty request vnto you all is this, that [Page 42] yee would agree with yo [...] [...] uersary quickly, ⁱ whilst ye are in the way, and that ye would all la­bour Mat. 5. 25. and indeuour to be reconci­led vnto the Lord while it is to day. ^k Worke ô man thy righteous­nesse Eccl. 14. 16. before thy death, as the wise­man counselleth. l Doe what thine Eccl. 9. 10. owne hand findeth to do with all thy power, as Salomon aduiseth. ^m Doe Gal. 6. 10. good vnto all whilst thou hast time, as Saint Paul admonisheth. And ⁿ Worke while it is to day, as our Ioh. 9. 4. [...]ril. in Iohan. [...]. 6. c. 14. Sauiour exhorteth; for the night commeth (i.) the darknes of death wherein none can worke or wipe away those death breeding staines which in the day of his life he con­tracted, as Cyrill noteth.

Make hast then and delay not, set to the worke, enter persently into a strict course of religion, an­swerable to thy place and vocati­on, & be not discouraged, though at first a religious straight conuer­sation seeme to thee an vncom­fortable companion, for blessed [Page 43] is that mortification which so e­strangeth vs from the world, that it changeth vs into the similitude of Christ.

O deale faithfully with thine owne soule, sift, search, examine, and ransacke the same, to come to a true sight, sense, and vnfeigned sorrow for all thy sinnes, especi­ally thy bosome beloued darling sinnes; extenuate them not as Saul did, but aggrauate them as 1. Sam. 13. 12. Dan. 9. 5. Daniel did, and all other thy trans­gressions, against thy selfe, in the consistory of thine owne consci­ence, by the multitude and con­tagiousnesse of them, in that by them many haue beene infected, of whose repentance thou art not assured, but that some of them beeing dead, may for any thing thou knowest be damned, and o­thers liuing may be in the like dan­gerous estate too, euen for those sinnes which in thy company, by thine example, or through thine occasion, they commited.

O consider this, blush for shame, split for sorrow, fret for indigna­tion, ^o at the recounting hereof; 2. Cor. 7. 11. for such euils are not onely with the teares of weeping eies, but with the drops of a bleeding heart to be lamented. And that thy re­pentance [...]incere Repen­ [...]ance. may not onely bee ge­nerall in the lumpe, but personall and particular according to eue­ry transgression of the law, arti­cle against thy selfe, recapitulate thy sinnes, make vp a catalogue of thy offences. Item, for lying, swearing, whoring, backbiting, sclandring: Item for plotting of mischeefe, for vexing men with lawles suites in malice, for abu­sing Gods creatures in drunken­nesse and gluttony, for abasing his Magistrates and resisting au­thority, for prophaning the Sab­bath, neglecting the word prea­ched, and despising the ministry. Item for spending so many thou­sands to maintaine thy pride, so many hundreds to satisfie thy lust, [Page 45] so many score of pounds to please thy fancy, and not a pound, no scarce a penny bestowed in Gods seruice, or on Gods seruants to right their wrongs, or relieue their wants. The totall summe being the manifest and manifold breach of all Gods commandements.

Bring all these particulars in an holy Pro. 28. 13. confession before thy ma­ker, Iam. 4. 10. and cast thy selfe downe in humble submission and harty con­trition before his seate of mercy, earnestly begging pardon with Psalm. 51. Dauid, Ezr. 9. Esrah, Neh. 13. 22. Nehemiah, Dan. 9. 19. Da­niel, for them, resoluing neuer a­gaine in the like wilfully to offend him, but beeing iealous ouer thy selfe with a godly iealousie, and studious in all things henceforth to please him, not onely careful­ly performing those duties of pie­ty, appertaining to his immediate worship, which he hath comman­ded, but also in matters of lesse moment and consequence; in ea­ting, drinking, recreating thy selfe [Page 46] and conuersing with others, cons­cionably conforming thy selfe to those rules of modesty, equity, and sobriety, which in his word hee hath prescribed, that so vpon thy sincere repentance and sound re­formation, hee may be reconciled vnto thee: and thou (desiring in heart, and indeauouring in life, to become a new man) maiest obtaine this inestimable fauour of him, to haue all the former accounts and sinfull billes of debt crossed here, for otherwise thou shalt neuer haue thy quietus est hereafter.

To conclude this point with D. Austin. Age poenitentian dum Aug li. de mir. [...]ac. scrip▪ ser. 36. sanus es, sic si ages, dico tibi quod securus es, quia poenitentiam egi­sti eo tempore quo peccare potuisti. (i.) Repent whilst thou art in health, for in so doing thou art without danger of hurt, because thou hast repented at what time thou mightest haue sinned. And because in the yongest and stron­gest, there is no assured signe of [Page 47] safety and security; but in all of vs both yongue and old, many home-bred tokens of death and dissolution, therefore the coun­sell and watch-word of our Ma­ster and Sauiour, is to be remem­bred. Mat. 24. 42. Mar. 13. 35. Wake and watch, for you knowe not what houre your Master will come: either by the first death, or the last iudgement: ye know not that houre, therefore watch euery houre, yee know not that yeere, moneth, or day, wherein Simil. death the Lords hand-maid, with the broome of sicknesse or sorrow, will sweepe you away, (being as too many are, spider-like busied, in making nothing but nets and cobwebs to catch the flies of ho­nour and riches, which taketh her to her wings as an Eagle, & soone Prou. 23. 5. flieth away) therefore keep watch and ward ouer your soules, euery day, moneth, and yeere.

And as he which sitteth at a ta­ble, Simil. furnished with many dainty seruices, amongst which one is [Page 48] poisoned, as he hath beene secretly aduertised, will (if he be wise) not hastily aduenture on any, because of the danger that lyeth hidden in that one, so let vs be heedfull that we rush not into sinne, bee it ne­uer so pleasāt a seruice on any day, because for any thing wee know that may be the very day wherein death may ouertake vs Matt. 26. 41. Watch and pray least you enter into temp­tion. Repent and amend least yee Psalm. 2. 12. perish in the way, and die in your transgressions.

Vse. Lastly, forasmuch as in this fraile life, the meanest of vs is no lesse, and the mightiest amongst vs is no more then Gods steward, steward of Gods house. (i.) the Church Luk. 16. 1. as the Minister, of the common house the weale publike as the Magistrate, of his owne priuate sa­mily as euery houshold gouernor, of the closet of his owne consci­ence as euery particular christian man, and to euery one of vs, God hath commited the charge of his [Page 49] goods and gifts, either corporall, temporall, or spirituall, to be im­ploied as his talents for his aduan­tage and glory, and our fellow­seruants benefit and good.

Therefore I beseech you, let vs all in our seuerall places be good and gracious in our offices. For we know not when the Mar. 13. 35▪ Master of the house will come, whether at euen, or midnight, at the Cocke crowing, or the dawning of the day. We know not how soone we shall be summo­ned to giue an account of our stewardship.

And because being stewards, we are not masters but seruants, there­fore let vs not beate or abuse our fellow-seruants, Isa. 3. 15. vex and molest our poore neighbours, but as fel­low helpers let vs labour, not loy­ter in the Lords vineyard We are not hired for a day, as the Matt. 20. Labo­rers in the Gospell, or for an yere, as the Iud. 17. Leuite was by Michah, or for seuen or thrice seuen, as Gen. 29. Iacob was by Laban, but for all the daies [Page 50] and yeeres of our life: to doe his worke, therefore let vs discharge our duties diligently. And because we haue his gifts to dispose not as we list, but according to his good will and pleasure: Let vs take heed carefully that we play not the bad stewards, either in getting goods wrongfully, as too many rent-rac­king Land-lords do, or in keeping them basely as too many churlish Note. Nabals doe, or in spending them wantonly and wastefully, as too many prodigall prophane gallants doe; least in so doing, we be iustly accused for our vniust conuersati­on to our Master, and be feareful­ly conuicted of vnrighteous dea­ling by three sufficient witnesses or plaintiffes; the poore oppres­sed, Gods creatures abused, and our owne consciences wounded: as not long since a great man of this Land was, by whom a poore [...] Barons wars widow was exceedingly wronged and put from house and home, and constrained to make an old Oake [Page 51] her best harbour, the conscience of which fact so affrighted him, that when he should be most cou­ragious he was most daunted, and in horror of mind often exclai­med. O the widow vnder the Oake.

And as of late a lewd Canon of Paris was, who with the remem­brance of his adulterous and Ido­latrous Gall. Hist. life, beeing extreamly ter­rified in his death bed, at seuerall times spake but these three words, Accusatus sum, iudicatus, condem­natus. I am accused, iudged, con­demned, and so expired.

O heare and feare this, all yee that desire rather to be feared then deserue to bee loued: in the midst of your ruling remember your re­ckoning, and by your more dili­gent, charitable, and consciona­ble demeanor hereafter, preuent that iudgement which hangs ouer your heads, for your negligence and want of conscience in your callings heeretofore.

And let vs all, euen now begin, if not before, whether wee be Mi­nisters or Magistrates, or persons of inferiour place, to looke to our charges diligently, to attend on our offices faithfully, to discharge our stewardship carefully, to ex­amine our receipts and expences daily, and accordingly to make vp our perfect reckonings and ac­counts, that when that great day of reckoning shall come, our Lord and Master may say to euery one of vs: ^p It is well done good seruant Mat. 25. 23. and trustie, Thou hast beene faith­full in a little, I will make thee ruler ouer much, enter into thy Masters ioy. And thus much bee spoken of the first part, and of the vses thereof; namely Mors est in olla, death is our lot, none can auoid it.

Now of the second, and that more briefly, Spes est in vrna, there [...]ecunda pars [...]iz Spes est in [...]rna. [...]hrys. in 22. Math. is hope in the graue, beeing dead we shall liue againe, none may de­nie it. Tolle spem resurrectionis (saith golden mouth'd Chrysostome) & [Page 53] resoluta est omnis obseruantia pieta­tis: take away the hope of resur­rection, and the building of piety wanteth her foundation. For then Christ is not risen, and so our prea­ching is in vaine, and your faith is 1. Cor. 15. vaine, and of all others the best christians were most miserable, and of al stories the Gospell were most fruitlesse and vnprofitable.

But the Lords Herauld Isaiah of all the Prophets most Euange­licall, of all the Euangelists most Propheticall (besides the streame of all holy antiquitie consenting thereunto) hath plainly proclai­med it. Isa. 26. 19. Thy dead men shall liue, with my body shall they rise: and a­gaine, Peace shall come to the righ­teous, Isa. 57. 2. they shall rest in their beds, (that is) their graues, vntill the morning of the resurrection. Post tenebras spero lucem, saith Iob. Sy­billa Iob 17. prophesied heereof in this manner.

The great Poet could say, [...] [...]hocilid. [...]. Wee hope and know that we shall not for e­uer sit in darknesse, or sleepe in the graue, but we shall come to the heauenly light, & liue with Christ, ^r through the power of God, in whose 2. Cor. 13. 4. booke all our members are writ­ten.

God hath a threefold book. The first is his priuate booke Enchiri­dion, or vade mecum, in which onely the names of the elect are written, whom hee knoweth and calleth by their Exod. 32. 32. names: whose [...]sa. 43. 1. names hee will not put out of the booke Reu. 3. 5. of life, è libro praesentis iustitiae aut praedestinationis aeternae, as the Schoolmen distinguish. The second is his booke of accounts and black booke, blurde and blot­ted with the register of sin, where­in onely the wicked are written, according to that Dan. 7. The Dan. 7. 10. iudgement was set, and the bookes opened. The third is his vniuersall common-place booke, wherein [Page 55] both good and bad are recorded, according to that of the Prophet, In thy book are all my members writ­ten: Psalm. 139. so that albeit in death there be a dissolution of body and soule, yet in the resurrection there shall bee a restitution and revniting of the same body (in substāce though altered in quality) to the same soule, that the ioy of both may be consummated: to which purpose, God is said to write all our mem­bers in his booke. Yea he keepeth the very bones of his Saints Psal. 34. and not a haire of their heads Psalm. 34. 2▪ Luk. 21. 18. shall perish, Luk. 21.

Hence it is, that the Prophet Daniel speaketh so expressely. Ma­ny Dan. 12. 2. that sleepe in the dust, shall awake and rise againe, some to euerlasting life, some to shame and perpetuall contempt. Hence it is that our Sa­uiour Christ speaketh so plaine­lie. Maruell not at this, for the Ioh. 5. 28. 29. houre shall come, in which all that are in the gra [...]es, shall heare his voice, and they shall come foorth [Page 56] that haue done good, vnto the resur­rection of life, but they that haue done euill, vnto the resurrection of condemnation. To which infalli­ble truth Saint Paul beareth wit­nesse. 2. Cor. 5. We must all appeare Cor. 5. 10. before the iudgement seate of Christ, that euery man may receiue accor­ding to the things which are done in his body, whether good or euill. Whereunto, that of the beloued Disciple Saint Iohn, is very agree­able, Reuel. 20. where the maiesty [...]eu. 20. 11. 12 of Gods throne is described, the singularity of the Iudge is decla­red, the vniuersality of all both great and small which must stand before him is manifested, and the e­quity of proceeding in iudgement excellently shewed by the bookes opened, and the sentencing of e­uery mans cause according to his workes.

Whence by the way wee may Note. note the difference betweene the act of iustification, and the act of iudgement: for the act of iustifi­cation [Page 57] wherein God maketh vs righteous which were vniust, is onely by Rom. 3. 24. faith (i.) by the appre­hension, application, and appro­priation of Christs merits & righ­teousnesse by a liuely faith. But the act of iudgement wherein God declareth those to bee iust which Mat. 25. 2. Cor. 5. were iustified in this life, is accor­ding to our workes. God iudgeth not according to the root of faith which is hidden, but according to the fruits of faith, namely, good workes which are open and mani­fest, and the fittest meanes to try euery mans cause, and to discerne who were by faith working in loue, Gal. 5. 6. iustified in this life.

Not to affect more testimonies of proofe, in a point of christiani­tie so plaine. This holy perswasi­on of the resurrection after death, & impression of immortality, hath euer possessed the hearts of Gods Saints and seruants, and hath bene as a naile of the Sanctuary to keep them from desperate distractions [Page 58] in the errours of this life, and to set them forward to perfection & vndanted constancie in the terrors of death.

Iob, patient and iust Iob in the plea Iob 19. 25. of all his miseries with the single eie of faith, held fast by this hope, and made it the issue of all his ma­ladies: I know that my Redeemer liueth, and I shall liue againe, &c. this sentence of vndoubted assu­rance is matter worth the remem­brance, and therefore Iob setteth a Preface vnto it. O (saith he) that Iob 19. 23. 24. 25. my words were now written, and written not in loose papers, but in a booke, and not written onely, but engrauen, and that with an iron pen in lead, or in stone, to endure not for a time onely, but for euer, to the solace of all distressed Saints. I know that my Redeemer liueth, and though the wormes destroy my body, yet shall I see him in my flesh againe with these mine eies, &c.

Dauid, distressed Dauid ancho­red on this hold, and indeede the [Page 59] surges of sorrow had quite sunke his soule, when Saule 1. Sam. 19. persecuted him, 2. Sam. 6. Micholl derided him, 1. Sam. 22. Doeg accused him, 2. Sam. 16. Shemei rayled vpon him, and 2. Sam. 18. Absalon rebelled against him, but that hee fixed his eies on this cape of good hope, and Psalm. 27. 13. be­leeued verily to see the goodnes of the Lord in the Land of the liuing.

Paul, blessed St. Paul was raui­shed with this heauenly hope, and soule-solacing assurance of life af­ter death, and therefore desireth to be dissolued, and to be with Christ Phil. 1. 23. which is best of all.

St. Stephen, that bold champion for christianity, and faithful Proto-Martyr Act. 7. of Christ Iesus, when hee was to be stoned, feeling this holy comfort in the middest of heauy combats, opposuit furori patientiā, Lossius in Act. mortis terrori vitae despicientiam, opposed his patience to his ene­mies fury, the contempt of life to the terrour of death, and hauing a sweet foretaste of the ioies which body and foule should iointly in­ioy [Page 60] in heauen, he with a victorious grace despised all matter of tor­ment and discontentment which his aduersaries malice could inflict vpon them on earth.

Ignatius that holy Martyr in the Primitiue Church, beeing fully furnished with this assured hope of his bodies resurrection, went con­fidently vnto a bloudy execution, saying, Frumentum Dei ego sum, &c. I am Gods corne, now shall I bee ground small by the teeth of wild beasts, to bee made fine man­chet for my Lords table.

Babilas Bishop of Antioch, buil­ding on the same assurance, spake comfortably to his soule, when he was drawne to a cruell death. Re­turne my soule vnto thy rest, for the Lord hath bene mercifull vnto thee.

This infallible expectation of a glorious resurrection, made Saint Paul to conclude so triumphantly, Rom. 8. I am perswaded that nei­ther Rom. 8. 38. 39. life nor death, nor things pre­sent nor things to come, shall be a­ble [Page 61] to separate vs from the loue of God. And againe, My departing is at hand, I haue fought a good fight, 2. Tim. 4. 7. 8. I haue finished my course, I haue kept the faith, Hencefoorth is laid vp for mee the crowne of righteous­nesse, which the righteous ludge shall giue me at that day, and not to mee onely, but vnto all them also which loue his appearing.

To which purpose hee speaketh thus in the name of all the faithfull. Heere we haue no continuing City, Heb. 13. 14. but wee looke for one to come, and though we liue on earth, yet our conuersation is in heauen, from whence also wee looke for the Saui­our, Phil. 3. 20. 21. euen the Lord Iesus Christ, who shall change our vile bodies, that they may be like his glorious body. So that a change shall come, and in­deed wee are all desirous of some change, as not contented with our estate.

Adam would change to be as Gen. 3. 2. Sam. 15. wise as his maker. Absolon would sit in his fathers seat, and of a sub­iect [Page 62] bee a Soueraigne. Salomon would haue change of wiues. The Israelites would change Samuell 1. Sam. 8. 5. the righteous Iudge, for Saul a wicked King. The Sychemites Gen. 34 23. would change their religion in hope of commodity; and too many amongst vs, would change the food of Angels and heauenly Manna, for the flesh-pots of Egypt in hope of more libertie. Yea the most haue changed plaine dealing into crafty vndermining, mercy into malice, single tongues and hearts into dubble, and a great number like Proteus, can change themselues into all formes, like Polypus into all colours, like courtly Aristippus into all fashi­ons. Omnis Aristippum decuit co­lor & status & res.

But while we affect these alte­rations, not vnlike to Glaucus his commutation of gold for brasse, Homer. while we are thus occupied about these choppings and changings, we seeme seldome or neuer to re­member; [Page 63] that great change where­of the Apostle speaketh in the place before mentioned, & where­vnto Iob here aimeth, saying, All the daies of mine appointed time will I wait till my changing shall come. Which changing is not onely an exchange of earth for heauen, of a prison for a Pallace, of an estate in sinne and misery, for perfect ho­linesse and glory in respect of the foule; but a change also of a mor­tall life for an immortall, of cor­ruption for incorruption, in regard of the body.

For as there is a twofold death, the one of the soule beeing depri­ued of the operation of Gods spi­rit, and separated from God by sinne. The other of the body, be­ing 1. Tim. 5. 6. destitute of the operation and working of the soule: So there is a twofold resurrection; the one Two-fold Re­surrection. spirituall of the soule, a peccato ad gratiam, from sinne vnto grace here; the other corporall of the body, a sepulchro ad gloriam, from [Page 64] the graue vnto glory heereafter. Which great day of the generall resurrection, the Angels desire to see, the diuels tremble to heare of, and other creatures sigh & groane for, and man especially must looke and long for, and cannot be with­out it; whether we respect the ma­nifold profits which come by it, or the wonderfull inconuenien­ces which would arise from the want of it. For how can we, dwel­ling on earth, haue our conuersati­on in heauen, if we do not looke for the comming of our Sauiour Phil▪ 3. 20. 21. Christ? and how can wee looke for his cōming except wee beleeue the resurrection? and how can we beleeue the resurrection, vnlesse we acknowledge that power by the which hee is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe?

Againe, how doe wee acknow­ledge God to be God in almighty power, without the faith of the resurrection? and how can wee haue the faith of the resurrection, [Page 65] without the hope of a Sauiour? and how can we haue the hope of a Sauiour, without an heauenly conuersation? so that the life of this conuersation is hope, by the which we expect the comming of a Sauiour, and the ground of this hope is faith, by the which we are assured, that at his comming, hee shall change our vile bodies, and make them like to his glorious body. And the reason of this faith beyond reason is his power, by which hee is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe.

All these bee linkes, so diuinely hanging & depending each on o­ther, in that golden chaine of the Apostle, that if we let slip one, we loose the comfortable hold-fast of all; but good christians must not misse of any, but must be forward in the course of godlines & a holy conuersatiō, as not running at vn­certainty, or fighting as beating the aire but following hard toward the 1. Cor. 9 26. marke; knowing that they are be­gotten [Page 66] by the immortall seede of the word, in the bosome of the Church militant, to a liuely hope of an inheritance for body and soule together, immortall and vn­defiled in the Church triumphant. 1. Pet. 1. 4.

This hope as it giueth vs an edge that we should earnestly affect spi­rituall things, so doth it giue vs a backe also to indure all things. For why doe the seruants of God in­dure crosses so patiently? absteine from euill so carefully? pursue the things that are good so cheereful­ly & constantly? but because they looke for a glorious resurrection, Reasons ratify­ing the Doctrin of the Resur­rection. which is the full end of all Gods promises; when the wicked shall haue their full iudgement, and the godly their full payment; 1 when the wicked shall both in body and soule, be made sensible of all maner of misery and intollerable wretch­ednesse, and the godly which haue but breathings here, shal be bath'd in a whole Sea of comforts, and in body as well as in soule haue the [Page 67] complete inioyment of vnconcei­uable happinesse.

2 And as God hath promised it, and will accomplish it, how incre­dible soeuer it seeme to reason, and impossible to nature: so secondly, the equity of Gods iustice re­quires it; for heere oftentimes as 2. Cor. 4. 10. Aristot. in Eth. the Philosopher speaketh, Bonis fit male, malis benè, therefore it stands with Gods iustice, else-where to recompence euery man according to that hee hath done in his body 2. Cor. 5. 10. either good or bad, and in that great day of resurrection, to make both bodies & soules of penitent beleeuers, or vnrepentant sinners, ioint partakers of eternall weale 2. Thes. 1. 6. 7. or woe.

3 And thirdly, as Gods word pro­miseth, and iustice requireth it, so his power (with whom nothing Luk. 1. 37. is vnpossible) is able to effect it. For to examine what he can do, by what he hath done: could he cre­ate all things of nothing, and can hee not worke his owne will in his [Page 68] owne creatures, and restore our bodies out of the 4. Elements, to their former estate againe? could he quicken vs in the wombe of our mother, and can hee not reuiue vs out of the wombe of our mother the earth? can he with the dew of the morning and euening, giue life to the seed that is vnder the earth, and shall he not with the sound of the trumpet, and with all his pow­er giue life to vs? can we of a little sparkle kindle great flames, and cannot he of our ashes though ne­uer so small raise our bodies? or can we fetch fire out of the flint, & cānot he fetch vs out of the earth?

Could Eliah and Elisha raise the widow of Sarepta and the Shuna­mites 1. King. 17 23. 2. Kin. 4 32. Act 9. 40. Act. 20. 10. children? could Peter raise Tabitha, and Paul Eutichus, and cannot God their Lord and ours, raise both them and vs?

Yes, he can and will, and that in a moment, in the twinkling of an eie. Qui fecit idoneus est refice­re, 1. Cor. 15. 52. Tertul. l. de res. car. saith Tertullian. Considera Au­thorem, [Page 69] & tolle dubitationem, saith St. Austin. Consider the Author of this admirable worke, and leaue August. Greg [...]om. 20. in Ez [...]k. doubting or reasoning. Nam in rebus mirabiliter factis ratio facti est potentia facientis.

1 But yet, if any naturalists will farther reason against the resurre­ction of the body, let thē for their satisfaction, attend what strong reasons, euen from their rules of Philosophy, and the immortality of the soule (by themselues gran­ted) may bee drawne to confirme the same. Posita facultate (saith The Soule was not made to liue by it selfe but in the body and resteth not fully contented so long as it wanteth her organ and companion. Aristotle) ponatur & organum ne­cesse est. (i.) Admit then the soule as most Philosophers hold to bee immortall, and then it must needs follow, that the body as the orga­non or instrument thereof, should bee revnited thereunto. Againe, Nulla res imperfecta est capax per­fectae foelicitatis. (i.) 2 No imperfect thing is capable of perfect felicity, but the soule separated from the body is an imperfect thing, there­fore [Page 70] it ought to bee ioyned to the body againe, for the attaining of this perfection. Againe, Non est perpetuum, quod est contra naturam, (i.) Nothing is perpetuall which is contrary to nature, but it is con­trary to the nature of mans soule to be separate from the body, seing it is the [...]. perfecting act thereof. Wherefore the soule cannot con­tinually be separate therefrom, but must necessarily resume the body againe.

4 But leauing all other reasons, that which our blessed Sauiour hath in loue done and suffered for vs in body and soule, manifestly euinceth that our bodies shall bee raised & glorified with our soules, by vertue of Christs resurrection.

Christ our head suffered in body and soule for the redemption of Mat. 27. Act. 1. both parts, he ascended in both, & is glorified in both, and so shall we his members be. For though the vnion betwixt him and vs be spiri­tuall, yet our bodies are called the [Page 71] members of Christ, 1. Cor. 6. yea the temples of the holy Ghost, that 1. Cor. 6. 15. 19. since they are members of Christ, they might be restored vnto their head, and since in their corruption they are vouchsafed to be the tem­ples of the holy Ghost, they might put on incorruption, and as they be graced in this life, so be glorifi­ed in the life to come.

What though in the meane while our bodies be scourged, tortured, & tormented, as Christs was? what though we be bought and sold, & cruelly entreated as Ioseph was? what though death swallow vs vp, as the Whale did Ionah, and bind Ioh. 1. 17. vs hand and foot as the Philistines Iudg. 16. did Sampson, and seale vp the Se­pulcher vpon vs as the Iewes did Mat▪ 27. vpon Christ? what though in death the spirit be loosed from the flesh, the flesh separated from the bones, bones & flesh conuerted into rot­tennes, rottennes into dust, dust re­solued into the Elements, as D^r. Gregory in his Morals reasoneth, [Page 72] and the scornefull Atheist often­times Greg. in 19. Iob. Ezek. 37. obiecteth? yet as the Pro­phet Ezekiell in a vision prophesi­ed ouer dry bones, and they came together, and the flesh and sinewes grew vpon them, and life entred into them, and they became faire and strong bodies. So and more then so, shall it bee at the last day, for the trumpet shall blow, and the graues shall giue vp their dead, our bones shalbe conioyned, our parts composed, our bodies reedified, & wee presented face to face, before our Sauiour.

The carnall man stands here at a mammering and maruelling how it can be done. The Atheist stands mocking, as though it were vnpos­sible to bee done. But I answere them both as St. Gregory doth 20. D. Greg. 20. Hom. in Ezek. Hom. on Ezekiell. O ye maruellers & mockers at the resurrection, doth this seem strange, that God should raise and reforme man out of the dust, who causeth out of the lest graine the greatest tree to grow? [Page 73] doth this seeme so wondrous a matter & incredible? then mocke on, and maruell likewise at the Suns setting & rising, the Moones waxing and waining, the Seas eb­bing and flowing, the childs bree­ding in the wombe of the mother, and the hearbs fading and reflori­shing out of the wombe of the earth, for such is the resurrection frō the dead, though not wrought by naturall causes, yet by the same God of nature, and by the same power by which these things are wrought: who doubtles can as ea­sily repaire our bodies of some­what in the resurrection, as he did make all things of nothing at first in the creation of the world [...] Linus. [...].

Doe we not see how the Potter of a broken vessell turned to dust, maketh another in the same forme at his pleasure? doe we not know that the artificer, out of the ashes of Ferne, bloweth vp the purest glasse, and frameth it in what fashi­on [Page 74] he list? and do we not by daily experience find, that out of a little kernell, which was neither hard, nor rough, nor greene in shew, nor good in taste, nor sweete in smell, there ariseth and issueth the hard­nes of the Timber, the roughnes of the barke, the greennesse of the leaues, the sweet smell of the blos­some, the good taste of the fruit?

And shall wee not beleeue that out of the dust which is neither flesh, or bloud, or bone, our bodies consisting of them all, shall at the last day by the power of the Al­mighty be repaired? shall we bind God to meanes, who worketh what he will, as well against them, Dan. 3. and without them, 1. King. Dan. 3. 27. 1. King. 19. 8. 19. as with them, because his might is vnmeasurable? shall we in a rash presumption, assume to our selues to know how farre possibility can reach, by denying the resurrection impossible? shall wee presumptu­ouslie intromit our ouer-weening curiosity into the sacred bosome [Page 75] of Gods vnsearchable omnipoten­cie? God forbid. Fides credat, &c. let faith beleeue the resurrection; let not wit seeke a reason for it, Ne aut non inuentum putetur incredibi­le, aut repertum non credatur singu­lare, least if in iudgement it be con­cealed we should thinke it incredi­ble, or if in mercy it be reueiled, we esteem it but ordinary & common.

And let vs all in humility, sub­mit our reason to that rule of D^r. Greg. in 9. Iob c. 11. Gregory. In factis Dei qui rationē non videt, infirmitatem suam consi­derans quare non videat, rationem videt. In the wonderfull workes of God, he that seeth not a reason for it, if hee consider but his owne infirmity, shall soone see a reason why he doth not see it. And let vs account it euer a point of greatest reasō, to leaue reasoning in things beyond reason, beleeuing stedfast­ly this article of our faith, the re­surrection of our flesh, and in assu­red expectation heereof, studying and striuing earnestly to haue our [Page 76] part in the first resurrection, that the second death may haue no po­wer ouer vs. Reu. 20. 6.

As for those blasphemous-truth­opposing Heretikes, and Atheisti­call naturalists & prophāe wretch­es, which so tie the power of God to second causes, and allow them­selues in so irreligious courses, that they grow doubtfull, not onely of the resurrection of the body, but of the immortality of the soule, and liue not only without hope of hea­uen, but euen without feare of hell, seruing s [...]n so slauishly pleasing the Diuell so wretchedly, delighting in the world and their lusts so bru­tishly, as if their mindes were not only made of earth, but as though their soules were made of flesh: I will heere let them passe as eare­markt slaues of Sathan, with this note of horror & confusion, telling them to the sealing vp of their cō ­demnation, that though the gene­rall resurrection, seeme to them now so strange & prodigious, that [Page 77] their purest vnderstanding sight is not sharpe ynough to kenne and perceiue it; yet assuredly the day will come, and it wilbe a dreadfull direfull day for them, when their dullest deadest sense shalbe quicke ynough to feele it, when they shall see the world burning without them, feele the worme of consci­ence Anselm. gnawing within them, be­hold an vnappeasable Iudge aboue them, beneath soule-thirsty Sathan ready to execute Gods Iudgemēts vpō them, on euery side the Saints accusing them, and so in an horri­ble amazement shall cry, but all in vaine, to the mountains to fall vp­on them, to the deepes to swallow them, to the hils to hide them from the sight of him, whose eies are of flaming fire, before whom it is as intollerable to appeare, as not to appeare impossible for them. Vse. And so I leaue thē, & returne againe to our selues, who are to make a re­ligious vse of this Doctrine of the Resurrection, for the life of this [Page 78] perswasion should bee the death of sinne in vs, and the remembrance that there is dies & Deus vltionis, both a day and God of reuenge, for his iustice inflexible, for his wisdome infallible, for his power vnresistable, that there is an eie which seeth vs, an eare which hea­reth vs, and a book whercin all our words and workes are written, ac­cording to which, sentence shall passe vpon vs in the great day of resurrection.

The remēbrance of these things I say, ought to strike sinne in the blade, break it in the head, and kill it to the heart: yea, the due medi­tation of the revniting of our bo­dies and soules together in that day, to bee ioint partakers of hea­uenly happinesse, must moue vs all to consecrate both our bodies and soules as pure Nazarits to the ser­uice of God, in all holines, sobri­ety, and righteousnesse.

Belshazzar lost his Kingdome Dan. 5. and life together, for prophaning [Page 79] in a carousing iollity the vessels of Gods temple; and shall wee pro­phane the tēples of the holy Ghost our bodies & soules, and put them to base vses, to bee slaues to our lusts, drudges to the world, fer­uants to Sathan? God forbid.

Salomon when hee had drawne out the threed of delight, & stretched Eccl. 2. 11. the web of pleasures on the lar­gest tenter of variety, saith, that he found nothing herein but vexati­on of spirit; doubtles this is the issue of all worldly carnall plea­sures. Wee are therefore to deale with them, as Dauid did with the water brought by his worthies, whereof he would not drinke, but powred it foorth, saying, O Lord be it farre from mee that I should doe 2. Sam. 23. 17. this, Is not this the bloud of these men which went in ieopardy of their liues for it? are not these vain plea­sures the very price of our foules? far be it therefore from vs to touch them, or taste them, or to be caried away with the alluremēts of thē, [Page 80] least at length, we bee fully, feare­fully, and finally tormented for them.

Remember (saith Abraham to Luk. 16. 25. the rich Glutton) thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasures, but now thou art tormented. Remember that thou didst disport thy time in wanton daliance, solace thy selfe in fond pastimes, fare deliciouslie euery day, defending pride to be a point of gentry, drunkennes good fellowship, wantonnes a tricke of youth, At nunc cruciaris. But now thou which inclosedst all pleasures to thy selfe in earth, takest vp thy rents, and hast thy full payment of paines in hell.

So true it is that intollerable tor­ments there are ordained, as the wages of fleshly pleasures here: yea the more the pleasures, the greater the torments; for the Lord doth proportion his iudgements, accor­ding to the measure of mens vani­ties. So much as shee liued in plea­sure, so much giue ye to her torment Reu. 18. 7. [Page 81] and sorrow. O that those which are led with sensuality would consider of this wages of vnrighteousnesse 2. Pet. 2. 13. which they are to receiue: O that all which follow wantonnes euen with greedines, would remember that whilst they liue they are dead, 1. Tim. 5. 6. and though they think themselues in Dothan, yet if they had grace to lift vp their eies, they should perceiue themselues to bee in the midst of sinfull Samaria, & though 1. King. 6. in the worlds iudgement they seeme with Capernaum to be lifted vp to heauen, yet behold they are in the very confines of Hell

O turne you; turne you, for why Ezek. 33. 11. Rom. 6. 12. will you die, saith the Prophet. Let not sin raigne any more in your mor­tall bodies, but if you haue stricken handes with it heeretofore, shake handes with it now for a farewell. Moriantur ante te vitia, saith Se­neca. Sen. Epist. 12▪ Bernar. in Sen [...] Morere saith Bernard, an­tequam moreris, sic quando moreris non morieris. Die vnto sinne be­fore thou diest, so shalt thou liue [Page 82] when thou art dead. As God said to Moses, Ascende vt moriaris, so say I to thee ô man, morere vt Deut. 32. 49. ascendas, Die to thy earthly de­sires, mortifie thy fleshly lusts, that thou maiest ascend, and mount to­wards heauen in an holy life.

As Lot forsooke Sodom looking Gen. 19. to Zoar his sanctuary; so let vs all flie from this world in affection, & meditate on our heauenly beeing, and striue for perfection; forget­ting Phil. 3. 13. 14. what is behind, and following hard towards the mark, for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus. Amarescat mundus dulcescat Berit. Christus. Let the world bee bitter, that Christ may bee sweet vnto vs, & let no gaude of earthly glory, or blaze of worldly beuty, withdraw our loue from him, who when wee were his enemies so loued vs, that Rom. 5. 10. he voluntarily indured vnconcei­uable torments in body and soule vnto death, to procure for our bo­dies and soules the inheritance of eternall life.

Arise and depart, for here is not your rest. Mich. 2. This is the Pro­phets watch-word to the Iewes, Mich. 2. 10. and it will stand vs in good steade if wee marke it well, and that wee may marke it well once I will re­hearse it often. Arise and depart &c. Arise, sleepe not in security, depart, abide not in iniquity, for here is not your rest; in heauen a­lone is true tranquility.

For as the Doue sent out of the Arke, found no rest for her feete, Gen. 8. 9. whilst she flickered on the flouds but was restles, vntill she returned to the Arke againe. So our soules sent from heauen, finde no restfull footing on the glassie Sea. of this Reu. 15. 2. world, vntill they returne to the true Noah & our sauing rest Christ Iesus againe. Arise then and flie from the world, that Christ may come to liue in thy heart by grace, depart, prepare to die, and goe out of the world, that thou maist come to liue in heauen with Christ in glory.

As Iacob said to Laban, this long haue I serued thee and looked to thine affaires, and now it is time to looke to my selfe, and to trauell for Gen. 30. 30. mine owne house: So say thou to this Laban-like world, this many yeeres haue I serued thee, seeking the profits and pleasures of a tran­sitory life: Now, now it is high time to make prouision for my soules health, and to labour that mine infinite debts towards God, in regard of mine innumerable sinnes, may by repentance bee dis­charged, and my Title to an hea­uenly inheritance by faith in Christs merits and newnes of life, be maintained and iustified.

Arise, stand vp from the dead, and Christ shall giue thee life. Some lie in their sinnes as children in their Ephes. 5. 14. swathling cloathes, and so sinne of infirmity; some as sicke men in their beds, and sinne of obstinacy; some as dead men in their graues, and sinne desperately; to all these in the name of Christ (who raised [Page 85] three from the dead, Iairus daugh­ter, Mat. 9. Luk. 7. Ioh. 11. the widow of Naims sonne, and Lazarus, to shew that no degree of death in sinne is incurable, when he comes to heale) is my commis­sion directed. Arise, cast off the workes of darkenes, put on the ar­mour of light, depart, not with­out some fruit of this Doctrine of the resurrection. Euen at this in­stant couenant with thine owne soule to rise from dead workes to serue hence-forward the liuing God; not God and Mammon too, not God and thy belly too, but the liuing God alone, walking before him in sincerity and truth, with an vpright hart, as good old Ezekiah, 2. Kin. 20. 2. Chro. 34. and godly yong Iosiah did.

To this purpose, first rowse thy selfe ô yongue man, whatsoeuer thou art, shake off the fetters of folly, suffer not the bud of thy youth to bee blasted in the very sprouting, the Sunne to be darke­ned in the very rising; giue not thy wine to the world, keeping the [Page 86] lees for the Lord; giue not thy prime daies to the Diuell, reseruing the dog-daies for God. Let not Lady Dalila dandle thee on her Iudg. 16. knee, till shee haue shaued all thy strength and goodnes from thee; giue thy youthfull pleasures a bill of diuorce, for their baggage dea­ling, neuer to haue more familiari­ty with them; discharge thy sinne betime, least in thine age thou beare the reproach of thy youth, and be forced to cry without com­fort or remedy, O vtinam. Re­member that of Ambrose. Mo­mentaneum Ambrose. est quod delectat, aeter­num quod cruciat; a Sea of torture, for a drop of pleasure.

And thou ô man of age and gra­uity, of what calling and degree soeuer thou bee, bee prudent and prouident, as it beseemeth thy yeeres, thy place, thy office, thy state, embrace Eliphaz his exhor­tation. Iob 12. 21. Acquaint thy selfe with God, make thy peace with him, there by shalt thou haue prosperity. Iob 22. [Page 87] Wisdome (saith Salomon) is the gray Sap. 4. haire, and an vndefiled life is the old age. Let these, ô let these, wis­dome and an vndefiled life meete together in thee, and kisse each o­ther; looke narrowly to thy waies, least either in the greatnes of thy power thou forget God, or in the abundance of thy pleasures re­member not thy selfe.

Be not like Nabuchadnezar, who in the ruffe of his pride remembred not who had made him till God had mard him, neither acknow­leged who set his ioints together, till God had rent his Kingdome a­sunder. But let my counsell be ac­ceptable to thee ô man (whether Knight, Iustice, Gentleman, or all in one) and let mee boldly say to thee as Daniel did to him. Breake Dan. 4. 24. off thy sinnes by righteousnesse, and thine iniquities by mercy towards the poore. Loe let there bee an hea­ling of thine errors. Loe, thou hast erred and gone astray by thy pride and luxury, returne, returne by the [Page 88] holy way of temperance and hu­mility. Thou hast through coue­tousnes and malice sowen in hard­nes of heart, O returne by the way of mercifulnes and charity, least thou reape in horror of cōscience: Returne, returne, ô Shulamite, as Cant. 6. 12. Christ speaketh to his Spouse, re­turne, returne, that we may behold thee, that we may see aswell a sight of thy good workes, as heare a sound of thy good words, that we may behold the fruits of amend­ment in thee: place not the anchor of thine eternall wealth and woe, on so ticklesome a point as thy re­pentance at last cast.

Repent, amend, defer not from time to time, least God in whose hands are the moments of time, cut thee off from all time, and send thee to paines eternall without time, for abusing the singular be­nefit of time in this world: make not thy death-bed to smart by thy wilfull adiournings of thy repen­tance. In the midst of thy ruling, [Page 89] remember thy reckoning, & suf­fer now whilst it is to day, the seeds of godlines to be sowne more and more in the field of thy repentant heart, that whensoeuer the night of death commeth, thou maiest reape & receiue the plentifull crop of a ioyfull haruest: furnish thy soule with grace, and inure it to a sweete conuersation with God in thy life, so shall the offering of thy death-bed be acceptable, and thou maiest boldly make God the guar­dian thereof in thy death.

And now at length to come to Tertia Part. Viaticum in via. my last part, and to shut it vp in a word, beeing desirous to recom­pence the largenes of my former discourse with the briefe touch of that which followeth; let mee (Right Worshipfull and beloued in Iesus Christ) intreat you all, both old and young, which haue heard and seene this day, the blacke co­lours of death, and the glorious ensignes of the resurrection dis­played, to make the due and daily [Page 90] meditation of both vsefull & pro­fitable vnto you, that your practi­ses in this life may hence forward be more commendable, and your passage out of this life when God shall call you, be blessed and com­fortable.

Let me (I say) intreat you all in a serious consideration of the spee­dy approach of death, sure in the end, vnsure in the time, and bitter when it commeth, and of the cer­tain appearance of vs al before the iudgement seat of Christ, to ren­der an account of our doings, in that day of resurrection; to watch all the daies of your life, and with holy Iob in my text, to waite till your changing shall come. Your change may come at a suddaine, therefore be alwaies prouided, and prouide not so much by corporall phisicke as the maner of most is, to put off death, that it may not so soone happen vnto you as by soule sauing phisicke, repentance, faith, obedience, cleernes of conscience, [Page 91] and comforts of Gods word, and confidence in his sweete promises, to cut off the sting and malignity of death, that whensoeuer it comes it may not hurt you.

This, this is viaticū in via, proui­sion in the way to bring vs in safe­ty to the iourneies end of euerlast­ing felicity. O runne with alacrity this race of piety, set before you, Gratia praeparandus animus, mens D. Ambros. li. 1. off c. 38. stabilienda ad constantiam, saith St. Ambrose, for expedition in this iourney pray for grace, practise constancie. Seeke earnestly for the things that are aboue, liue after the lawes of the new Ierusalem which is aboue; your Burgeship is in hea­uen, bee not then earthly minded, but heauenly affected; labour to get more & more assurance of the forgiuenesse of your sinnes, and to feele in your soules the power of Christs death in dying vnto sinne, and the vertue of his resurrection in rising to newnes of life. And that you may out of the court of Re­quests, [Page 92] the more easily obtaine for all your transgressions an assured pardon & indulgence; put some­what euery day into the court of Gods Exchequer, in hope of re­compence or remembrance, that, with good Nehemiah you may Neh. 13. 22. say, Lord remember me according to this, and pardon me after thy great mercies. Let the counsell of our Sauiour be precious. Lay vp trea­sure Matt. 6. 14. for your selues in heauen, send your vertuous actions (the best monuments of a Christian) thither before you. Bee zealous of good workes, studious of piety, abun­dant in the deeds of charity, for the witnes and inward testimony of a well-deeded life, when all o­ther comforts leaue you, will re­lieue and comfort you in death, & accompany you to heauen, and present it selfe with you before God.

By these fruites of a liuely faith, Ezek. 9. as his own marks, God will know and acknowledge vs to be his, and [Page 93] for these his owne gifts which are our best merits, he will reward vs, and this reward, is a life, and such a life as is eternall; is a crowne, and Rom. 6. 23. 1. Pet. 5. 4. Heb. 12. 28. 1. Pet. 1. 4. 2. Pet. 3. such a crowne as is the crowne of glory; is a kingdome, and such a kingdome as cannot be shaken; is an inheritance, and such an inheri­tance as is immortall & vndefiled. For the obtaining of which life, crowne, kingdome, inheritance, what manner persons ought we to be in holy conuersation and godli­nes? how ought wee in respect of these great and gracious promises, to giue all diligence, to ioine to 2. Pet. 1. 5. our faith vertue, to our vertue pa­tience, temperāce, brotherly kind­nes, and all other ornaments of a sanctified life?

These, these are, Ʋiaticum in Bern. mundo, the saurus in coelo. Prouisi­on for spirituall comfort in this world, for a celestiall crown in that to come. O let vs in this behalfe be prouident and thriuing Christi­ans, and whilst we are in health let [Page 94] vs ô let vs out of the large garden of Gods word, gather many sweet flowers to comfort vs in the day of sicknes, to solace vs in the houre of death. Let wisdome enter into our hearts, and the knowledge of Prou. 2. 10. the gospel delight now our soules, that the remēbrance of such good lessons as by diligent reading and reuerent hearing we haue learned, may then stand vs in stead, to con­firme our faith, to strengthen our hope, and to make vs conquerors in that our last combat.

It hath euer bin accounted, more noble and succesfull, to set vpon an Note. enemy in his owne home, then to expect till he set vpon vs, whilst we make a defensiue warre. This rule serues vs very well for our last ene­my death, with which wee must meet in the way through premedi­tation in our minds, before it seize vpon our bodies; premeditate we Rom. 7. 24. Phil. 1. 23. must with what limitations it is to be desired, in what respect it is to be feared, and for what ends it is [Page 95] daily to be expected. Happy is that soule that can send out the scouts of his thoughts before hand, to dis­couer the power, the peril, the pro­fit of death, and blessed is hee that can meditate thus with St. Austin. August. med. If my life may bring farther glory to thee, and good to thy Church, giue life sweet Iesu, giue life; but if it can­not, send death sweet Iesu, send death but in the darknes of death, thee to be mine euerlasting light and life.

Doubtles our carelesenes and vnpreparatiō is deaths aduantage, whereas if we would cōfront him with courage, in our often, deuout, and discreet meditations, and con­sider how that those worthies of whom the world was not worthy, haue gone that way before vs, how Heb. 11 38. Christ hath by his death sanctified it vnto vs, and perfumed the graue for vs, wee shall find his force lesse fearefull, and make death aduanta­geous vnto vs; namely, a passage vnto a better life, & the very gate to heauenly glory.

In a longing desire after which glory, the glimpse whereof made S. Peter cry out, Bonum est esse hic, Mar. 9. 5. It is good to be here. Let vs all not only with Iob wait for, but with St. Paul wish for our changing, let vs (setting our houses and hearts in order) henceforward prepare for our departing, stand fast with our loines girt, and staues in our hand, Exod. 12. Gen. 18. 1. King. 19. Mat. 25. that wee may passe ouer into the heauenly Canaan; with Abraham in the tent doore, with Elias in the caues mouth, with the wise Virgins hauing the light of faith in our hearts, and the burning lamps of good workes in our hands, let vs be ready to meet the bridegroom, and to follow the lambe whereso­euer he goeth.

It is recorded of D^r. Ierom, that wheresoeuer he was, and whatso­euer [...] vita Hieron he did, it seemed he heard the Archangel with the trumpet soun­ding. Surgite ad iudicium, Arise vnto iudgement. I could wish this sound were alwaies in our eares, [Page 97] that it might sinke deepe into our hearts, and worke in them a reue­rent feare of God, and rouse vs out of the sleep of sin, and make vs pre­pared willingly to leaue this sinfull and wretched world, which is such a pull-backe from God, that Salo­mon iudgeth him that is dead bet­ter then him that is aliue, for the more daies wee spend, the more waies we offend.

In regard whereof, happy were we if with St. Paul, and St. Pauls af­fection we could say. I desire to be dissolued, and to be with Christ, and Phil. 1. with Iacob and Iacobs resolution. O Lord I wait for thy saluation, and Gen. 40. with old Simeon & Simeons deuo­tion. Lord now lettest thou thy ser­uant Luk. 2. depart in peace, for mine eies haue seene thy saluation: I feare no sin, I dread no death, I haue long'd inough, I haue my loue, I haue seen ynough, I haue my light, I haue li­ued ynough, I haue my life. Lord nowe let thy seruant depart in peace.

Happy I say were we, if our harts and mouthes were full of these me­ditations, I must die because I haue sinned, I woudl dy that I might sin no more, I must dy because I am the sonne of man, I would die that I might be the son of God, I must dy because I liue with wicked men on earth, I would die that I might liue with righteous Saints in hea­uen. Happie, and thrice happy are they which are thus religiously ex­ercised, and christianly affected.

Happy then by the iudgement of charity, is he (as for the iudgement of certainty, the Lord alone know­eth his) who in a cōfortable chri­stian maner was thus resolued, and in the time of his sickenes, vnto his end piouslie deuoted. I meane this breathles deceased Knight, whose funerals we now celebrate. A man well knowne to you all in the time of his life, best knowne, and in the best sort to me, as hee drew neerer to his death.

Whom (without offence I hope) [Page 99] I may call good King Ezekiahs knight; for as Ezekiah being sum­moned by sicknes, & the Prophets Isa. 38. short sermon to prepare for his dis­solution, turned presently to the wall, praied and wept: in the like manner according to that measure of grace which God had giuē him, did this Knight demeane himselfe, who soone vpon his visitation fee­ling his infirmity, & acknowledg­ing his humane frailtie turned to the wall, that is from the world to God, to consecrate the short re­mainder of his life to diuine medi­tation, & humble & hearty praier, praying often, though not in the like maner as Ezekiah did, Lord re­member how I haue walked before thee in sincerity and truth, yet to the same effect for mercy, Lord remem­ber not the sinnes of my youth, weep­ing also and shedding teares, and such teares, as either were distilled from the bitter hearbs of others af­fliction, by the heat of compassion, or from the sweet flowers of Gods [Page 100] mercies, by the flame of godly me­ditation, or from the euill weedes of his owne sins, by the fire of hear­ty contrition. Whose setled reso­lution to die assoone as he was visi­ted, whose strong vowes a [...]d pro­testatiōs to become a new man, if hee recouered, whose patience in enduring the paines and griefe wherewith hee daylie languished, whose piety and deuotion in beg­ging pardon for his transgressions which hee freely confessed, whose charitable disposition in forgiuing all, and desiring to bee forgiuen of al whom he had any way offended, whose constant perseuerance in good motions and exhortations, in godly speeches & meditations, as long as life and memory conti­nued; as they deserue my iust com­mendation who was an often wit­nesse of it, so do they require your christian imitation, that both in life and death you may be the bet­ter for it. I will not study to speake any thing but truth in this busines.

Concerning the former course of his life I will say nothing to it, but if any other can iustly except a­gainst it, I will say this to him, A little thereof is now ynough, and any thing at all is somewhat too much.

For mine own part, as I dare not blanch any mans faults, because it is contrary to my profession, so I hold it now an vnfit time to blab or blaze a dead mans follies, it is somewhat I thinke beyond my cō ­mission. Charity vnder one vertue couers many blemishes, whereas malice like a kite, feeding on no­thing but carrion, vnder one vice couers many excellencies: I will leaue malice to those which loue to dwell in the tents of Meshek, & following the rule of charity, will passe from his former conuersation in the daies of his health, to that which was much more commen­dable [Page 102] and comfortable, his godly comportment & behauiour in his sicknes vntill his death, and what I haue seene and heard with these mine eies and eares, I will boldly testifie, that at my first comming to him, which was a fortnight before his death, I found him religiouslie disposed; and concerning his end and passage out of this life well re­solued, the apprehension of his sins beeing so well temper'd with a sweet application of Gods mercy, that he seemed to mee to goe an e­uen course betwixt feareles securi­ty and saithles dispaire, the consci­ence of his manifold transgressi­ons humbling him indeed, and ca­sting him downe, but the conside­ration of Gods infinite mercies re­uiuing him, and lifting him vp againe.

To whō after I had made known by priuate conference with him, what an especiall signe of Gods fa­uour it was, to bee so graciouslie inuited by a lingring sicknes, as a [Page 103] long sermon, to come by the way of repentance vnto him, and here­upon had cheered him vp against the terrors of death, and exhorted him to deale faithfully with his owne soule, in sorrowing yet more deeply, & suing for a pardon more earnestly, for all the errors of his life, because God did yet wait to Isa. 30 18. shew him more mercy, he heereun­to made this ready answere.

I know and feele God to bee mercifull, and were hee not excee­ding mercifull, I were very misera­ble, for I haue a long account to make; But (fetching a deep sigh) I beseech God to binde all my sins in a bundle, and to cast them into the bottome of the Sea, that they may neuer rise vp in iudgement a­gainst me; which pithy praier twice together he vttered, and that with so great vehemencie, that in some conflic̄t of passion he brake foorth into teares & wept bitterly: which signe of gōdly sorrow appearing in him, I comforted, and counsel­led [Page 104] him in the wordes of the Pro­phet, telling him that God would treasure vp al true repentant teares into his bottle: and if we did mourn Psalm. 56. 8. ouer Christ Iesus, whom wee haue crucified by our sinnes, and open vnto him a fountain of teares, God would open vnto vs a fountaine of Zach. 12. 10. Zach. 13. 1. grace, to wash vs from all our sins, which comfortable place of Scrip­ture, hee as feelingly apprehended and applied to his soule in these words, O Lord open this fountaine to me, be gracious to me, forgiue me, forgiue me as I forgiue all the world: And so vttering partly of himself, and partly repeating after me these and the like sentences, or short ciaculatory praiers. O Lord in thee Psalm. 31. Psalm. 90. is my trust, let me neuer be confoun­ded: returne Lord and bee pacified toward thy seruant, comfort mee as thou hast afflicted mee. Reueale thy grace and glory to mee, and in my greatest extremity, refresh mee with the sweet tast of thy mercy; my heart fainteth and strength faileth, but in [Page 105] thy helpe is my onely hope, O Lord Psalm. 37. 26. say to my soule I am thy saluation, &c. at length vpon his entreatie, the whole company there present ioined together with me in a more solemne praier vnto God for him, himself accompanying vs very wil­lingly and reuerently, and in this praier behauing himselfe so passio­nately, with such wringing of his hands, lifting vp of his eies, with such heauy sighs and groanes of his heart, expressing the feruency of his zeale and deuotion, that the report heere of may seeme incredi­ble to many wich knew his former life and conuersation.

But I know what I speake, and I speake it not to praise the dead, for my praises, preaching, or praiers, cānot profit him, neither to please any of his friends liuing, for it is basenes of mind this way to picke thanke of them, but to the eternall praise of the vnspeakable goodnes of our euerliuing God; who shew­ed to this deceased knight so great [Page 106] mercy, as to giue him so religious a mind in so great weaknes of bo­dy, and not onely so, but blessed him likewise with a very ready me­mory from the beginning to the end of his sicknes; in such sort that conferring diuers times with him about some particulars, concer­ning sound repentance, and the as­surance of Saluation, and the cer­taine tokens of our peace and re­conciliation with God, and quo­ting many places of Scripture, es­pecially out of the 8. Rom 17. Ioh. & out of the 51. 73. & 91. Psalmes to strengthen his faith and affiance in Gods mercy through Christs merits, to confirme his hope in the assured expectation of a ioyfull re­surrection, and to set him forward in the holy way to a happy & bet­ter life to come: I must confesse to the glory of God, that hee would many times meet me halfe waies in the midst of the said sentēces, & apply them to his soule with such feruency and feeling as was much, [Page 107] I saw to his owne comfort, but more (as I vnderstand) to his friends ioy and admiration.

To be short, I come to his death, which was on St. Stephens day, he accounting it an addition to his hoped for happines, that he should goe to heauen, when so blessed a Martyr ascended, as by one of his deerest friends I was enformed, for this I speake vpon the report of o­thers, as also how that he spent the beginning of this day in finishing his last will and testament, and in performing kinde & charitable of­fices, for his brethren, sisters, ser­uants, and other friends. The rest as a man sequestred from the world, he spent in praier, in medi­tation, and soliloquies, betwixt God & his soule, as if he had lear­ned of dying St. Ierom to say, O my Euseb. in vita Hieron. friends interrupt not my approa­ching ioy, doe not hinder me from yeelding to the earth that which is the earths: vntill about the eue­ning comming to him againe, hee [Page 108] rowsed himselfe, and glad of my presence conferred with me, recei­ued counsell, comfort, and encou­ragement from me, being desirous that I, with such also as were pre­sent, should once, yea againe, and the third time pray for him, feeling belike his time to be short, so that I found him euery way as religi­ously deuoted, and christianly af­fected, and well resolued to dy as before; yea more, for as hee held his life by many fallings & risings, by many faintings and refreshings in greater affliction, so hee had death in greater affection, his soule drawing neerer to God, as his bo­dy to the graue; so that about the end of the said Saint Stephens day, with S. Stephens affection praying, and commending his soule to the custody of his Sauiour, he peacea­bly ended his daies, and gaue vp the ghost. Sic sic iuuat ire per astra.

To liue saith the Stoike in Seneca, is but to doe as our base groomes and beasts doe, but to die wisely, [Page 109] constantly, comfortably, is a wor­thy matter. Thus this knight to the iudgement of man died and depar­ted. Worshipfully (you know) he was descended, but most honoura­bly may I now say is he ascended, He is not here. The garment which hee wore of borrowed earth, hee hath left to be restored to the earth againe, and in the better part of himselfe hee is gone, his soule as I hope passing out of Adams body, into Abrahams bosome.

And now being gone, I forbid not his parents to waile for him, as Dauid did for Absolon, 2. Sam. 18. 2. Sam. 18. 33. O my sonne Absolon, ô Absolon my sonne my sonne. I forbid not his fa­miliarest friend, and greatest fauo­rite to lament for him, as Dauid for Ionathan. Woe is me for thee my 2. Sam. 1. 26. brother Ionathan, very kinde hast thou beene vnto mee, &c. I forbid not his wife & Lady with the Hal­cinoe in solitary places to resound her griefe in lamentable accents, for the losse of her mate. As for [Page 110] his children, brethren, sisters, and kinsfolke, they may if they please for a time make lamentation for him, like vnto that mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Me­giddon, and they that are of his Zach. 12. 11. owne ranke Knights and Gentle­men, may if they list howle for him, according to that of Zachary. Howle yee firre trees, for a cedar is Zach. 11. 2. fallen, howle ye oakes of Bashan, for a defensed forrest is cut downe.

But my counsell vnto all is this, Let not the Temple of God bee o­uer sad; ô temper your conceiued griefe for that which in him yee haue lost, with a truly apprehen­ded ioy of the happinesse which he hath found, and as the Apostle ad­uiseth, sorrow not without hope 1. Thes. 4. 13. for him that is asleepe, It is but a sleep which is mis-called death, his graue is his bed, and he shall awake as sure as he lay downe, yea more fresh and glorious in the great day of resurrection. Wherefore if this cast any of you downe, that hee is [Page 111] now gone from you: let this a­gaine lift you vp, that you must (God knows how soone) goe to him, praeit non perit, praemittitur non amittitur (saith St. Cyprian in the Cypr. like case) He is gone before, he is not lost Non dolendum igitur quod decessit, sed gaudendum quod praeces­sit. Let vs not therefore bee sorry because hee is departed, but rather reioice because he is exalted in the court of heauen, where all that haue liued in Gods feare, and dyed in his fauour, are arriued in safety. They are gone before, and follow after we must, and I hope we shall, and I pray God we may.

Now the Lord Iesus grant vs all grace, so to follow him, and his faithfull seruants in holines heere, that wee may raigne with him and the Saints departed in happinesse heerafter, euen in the new Ierusa­lem, where we shall bee good and not persecuted, rich and not rob­bed, Kings & not flattered, where we shall bee rauished with seeing, [Page 112] satisfied with enioying, and secu­red for retaining of vnconceiuea­ble happinesse, happie eternitie and eternall glory. To the which hee bring vs, that by his pretious bloud hath bought vs; to whom with the Father the inexhaustible fountaine of goodnes, and the holy Ghost the indiuisible power of them both, wee ascribe and desire to bee ascribed, all praise and power, might, maiestie, and dominion now and foreuermore.

Amen, Amen.