Two assize sermons preached at Bridgnorth for the county of Salop in the year 1657. The first, upon Psalm 58. verse 1. Doe you indeed speak righteousnesse, o congregation? Doe ye judge uprightly, o ye sonnes of men? The second, upon Psalm 37. verse 37. Marke the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace? / By Mich. Thomas; rector of Stockton in the same county.

TWO ASSIZE SERMONS Preached at Bridgnorth for the County of Salop in the year 1657.

The firſt, upon Pſalm 58. verſe 1.

Doe you indeed ſpeak Righteouſneſſe, O Congregation?

Doe ye judge uprightly, O ye ſonnes of men?

The ſecond, upon Pſalm 37. verſe 37. Marke the perfect man, and behold the upright: For the end of that man is peace?

By MICH. THOMAS;

Rector of Stockton in the ſame COUNTY.

LONDON, Printed by W. Wilſon for Humphrey Moſeley, and are to bee ſold at his Shop, at the Prince's Armes in S. Paul's Church-yard. 1659.

A SERMON, Preached at the ASSIZES Held at BRIDGNORTH For the County of Salop in the year, 1657.

On the Firſt day of the Aſſizes, By Mich: Thomas, Rector of Sockton in the ſame COUNTY.

LONDON, Printed for Humphrey Moſeley at the Prince's Armes in St. Paul's Church-yard. 1659.

TO MY WORTHY FRIEND MAJOR EDMUND WARING. SIR,

WHen the Command of the Power of this County, both Civill and Military, was committed to your care and management; you were pleaſed to exerciſe a little of that power you had over me, in deſiring me (and your deſires are commands) according to my Function, to attend upon the Judges.

You cannot but ſay, you found me both willing & obedient. And I undertook the work, upon a threefold encouragement.

Firſt, as it was a Service to your Selfe. Secondly, as it was a Service to my Country. Thirdly, as it was a Service to the Lord.

For your ſelfe; I am glad that I have occaſion to make this publike profeſſion, that I am very ſenſible of thoſe great Civilities, I have received from you. I know, that, by the laws of Friendſhip, where there are receits, there ſhould be returnes; which though they do not anſwer in proportion, are yet compleated by their intention.

I have alwayes thought, That to be the truest love, which projects and works to the good of Souls. It is ſtrange, that men ſhould delight in the ſociety, and neighbourhood of each other in this; and not deſire to meet, and live together, in Another world: That they ſhould ſtudy the Comfort, and Welfare of each other, in reſpect of their Perſons and Eſtates, and not beſtow a thought on their Salvation.

Devout Bernard complain'd of old; Omnes amici, et omnes inimici: omnes neceſſarii, et omnes adverſarii; pax à paganis, ſed non à filiis: and we are fallen into ſuch times. There is a generall pretence of amity, yet a generall emnity: we are all neighbours, yet all adverſaries; we have peace with the heathen, and we Christians differ among our ſelves: Our diviſions are the ſparks of that fire, which our bleſſed Saviour came to kindle, namely about the purity and power of Evangelicall doctrines and ordinances. We agree about the ſubſtance of divine worſhip, and conteſt about the circumſtances.

It is our ſinne, and our ſhame, that we out-doe the Jewes in our malice againſt Chriſt: They crucified his body, but kept his garment whole: we teare both his body and his garment. We diſpute, and wrangle about thoſe reverend ſolemnities, wherewith the Chriſtian religion in all ages, and among all nations, hath bin apparelled and adorned.

But we ſhould all ſit downe, and conſider, what St. James ſayes; The wrath of man worketh not the righteouſneſſe of God, Jam. 1. 20. When all's done, when all is written and ſpoken that can be, on either ſide; The work of righteouſneſſe must be minded and regarded. That's ſoul-work. That will be the buſineſſe of inqeuſt at the laſt day: The queſtion then will not be, Who hath bin the beſt Souldier, nor who the beſt Scholler, but who hath bin the best Chriſtian.

Sir, Upon this meditation, I thought no argument more proper for ſuch a ſolemne Convention, than this of Righteouſneſſe. It is a doctrine of univerſall concernment, and ſince you were pleaſed to call me to preach theſe two Sermons, I conceived it the beſt expreſſion of a reall affection, to preſent them to You, as a teſtimony, that I am an hearty wiſher both of your preſent and future happineſſe: That as you have bin a man of Warre, ſo by the ſtudy and acqueſt of that righteouſneſſe which is taught and recommended in theſe diſcourſes, your end may be Peace.

The ſecond encouragement was the Service of my Country: for which (though not my native) I have a great obſervance and reſpect. I came a poor ſtranger into it, yet have received many, and great favours from ſome eminent members of it; and no ſmall ones, from the generality. Their candid cenſures, and acceptance of my weake labours in this kind, was not the leaſt motive to undertake this ſervice. And they are able to teſtifie for me, that ſo often as I have appear'd in it, my diſcourſe hath had a tendency this way, to inſtruct in ſome point of righteouſneſse, that, through the bleſſing of God upon his Ordinance, I might redeem the reputation of this County from an unhappy obloquie it lay under.

The Third Encouragement, which was the higheſt and the greateſt, was the Service of the Lord; whoſe honour and glory we ſhould all ſtudy and endeavour to promote and advance, and which we can do in no better, or more acceptable way, than by ſpeaking and doing righteouſneſſe.

Sir, I humbly preſent theſe plain Diſcourſes to your, and my Countrie's; ſervice but more eſpecially I devote them to the Glory of our God, whoſe unprofitable ſervant I am, but deſire to improve.

And as I have caſt forth this holy ſeed of righteouſneſſe into the world, ſo I ſhall not ceaſe to beſeech the Lord to water it with the dew of his grace, that it may bring forth the wiſhed fruits of it: Peace and quietneſſe and aſſurance for ever.

This is the deſire, and ſhall be the prayer of

Sir, Your affectionate Friend and Servant, MICH. THOMAS.

A SERMON Preached at the Aſſizes holden at Bridgenorth for the County of Salop, in the year, 1657. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Pſalm 58. verſe 1. Doe ye indeed ſpeak righteouſneſſe, O Congregation? Doe ye judge uprightly, O ye ſonnes of men?

IF we inquire into the Argument, or Occaſion of this Pſalm, and gueſſe aright at that; It will give us ſome light, to the proper Application of the Text. And I ſhall neither waſte the time, nor your patience in unneceſſary quotations, or comparing the opinions of Expoſitors. I ſhall preſent that conjecture which I humbly conceive the moſt probable, and ſo proceed upon it.

Lorinus, who with great induſtry hath collected the opinions of the Greek and Latine Fathers; And Marlorate, who, with the like diligence, hath ſummed up the Judgements of the Divines of the Reformed Churches, do both agree in this, that this Pſalm was written by David, and intended as an admonition to all the Officers of Juſtice in the Court of Saul; that when Saul ſhall call them to Councell, and they ſhall be ſitting in Judgment upon Him; that they vvould ſpeak righteouſeſſe, and judge uprightly; that they would not hearken to the malicious informations of his Enemies, nor forme their Judgements according to the humour or the Deſignes of Saul, whoſe Counſellours and Officers they were; but prudently, and equally to conſider both his Cauſe, and his Converſation, and to give ſentence accordingly.

And allowing this to be the Argument or Occaſion of the Pſalm (as truly it is grounded upon very fair probabilities) you will eaſily perceive, that the Text, in the proper Application of it, will have an influence upon this Congregation, and prove a word in ſeaſon, in reſpect of the occaſion of this ſolemn Convention.

We are met at this time in the Name and fear of God, about the work of Juſtice: the Perſons, and Cauſes of men, are to be weighed and examined; And as I cannot ſay that there are any Davids to be tryed at this Aſſizes, men of ſuch eminent Pietie and Integrity as He was: So I hope there are none of Saul's Officers here, neither Men of ſuch proſtitute and mercenary conſciences as they were: Omnia Dicta Domini, omnibus poſita ſunt, ſayes Tertullian. The words of God have a generall proſpect; and though they may ſeem a particular Admonition to ſome few men, yet they intend a generall Inſtruction to all men who may be concerned in the like caſe. This Pſalm was written about a matter of Juſtice, and Judgement: and that is the buſineſſe wee are all met upon: And foraſmuch as the Adminiſtration of Juſtice in this Nation, is by the Prudence and Wiſedome of our fore-fathers, caſt into that forme that in all judiciall proceedings there are many Parties; The ſentence upon any cauſe, iſſues not from the boſome of any Judge alone, ſeeing he is tyed up to Proofs and Allegations: So that the miſcarriage in the worke of Juſtice, may proceed from the corruption of thoſe parties which prepare a Cauſe for Sentence.

If the Counſellors ſhall be corrupt and Covetous, and by their flouriſhing Eloquence ſhall guild over a rotten Cauſe.

If the Witneſſes ſhall be falſe and malicious, and ſeek rather their private revenge, than Publick Juſtice.

If the Jury ſhall be pack'd and partiall, or inſtructed to ſweare according to the private intereſt of a Friend or a Landlord; there may prove ſad obſtructions in the vvork of Juſtice: this (as the Prophet Amos ſpeaks) may turn judgement into gall, and the fruit of righteouſneſſe into hemlock.

And therefore I ſhall not addreſſe my diſcourſe to any particular Party, or Officer, in this great work of Juſtice; but to all, who are in any reſpect concerned in it, and enforce Holy David's admonition in the Text, That they would ſpeak righteouſneſſe, and judge uprightly in all cauſes, and between all parties: that ſo Wickedneſſe and Impiety may have its condign puniſhment; and Innocence, and Honeſty, their due protection and reward. And this is the deſign and project of the enſuing diſcourſe; for which I humbly entreat your Chriſtian patience and the Lord's aſſiſtance.

The Text, you ſee, is preſented in the form of a Queſtion, but it appears by the Context, that it is ſuch a Queſtion, which (as Divines obſerve) hath vim Negationis; it implyes a denyal, like that of St. Paul, Doe we provoke the Lord to Jealouſie? are we ſtronger then He? No, wee are not. So here in the Text: Doe yee ſpeake righteouſneſſe? doe ye Judge Uprightly? No, ye do not: for, their conviction followes in the ſecond verſe; Yea, in heart yee worke wickedneſse, and weigh the violence of your hands in the earth. So that the Text becomes (as Muſculus hath it) an invective, or a reproofe of the iniquity and injuſtice of Saul's Officers, and Counſellours, that when according to that place and power which they had with Saul, they ſhould have defended and protected Him as an innocent perſon; they on the contrary proſecuted, and ſentenc'd him as a ſeditious conſpiratour. And this reproofe is imbitter'd with terrible threatnings and imprecations, as we find in the body of the Pſalm. And theſe David, in the Spirit of propheſie, breathes out, and denounces againſt them, as knowing that the Lord in his due time would plead his Cauſe, and by the glorious effects of his Power and Juſtice would give men occaſion to ſay: Verily there is a Reward for the Righteous? Doubtleſſe, there is a God that judgeth in the earth.

It well became the majeſty of that Spirit by which David wrote, to convey his admonition in that form, by way of reproof or invective: But it will become me, to obſerve a greater diſtance. And I humbly crave leave to preſent that inſtruction, which I conceive due to this Auditory, and Occaſion, by way of Exhortation. Let me exhort you (I ſay) juſtitiam loqui, & recta judicare, to ſpeak righteouſneſſe, and to judge uprightly. And when I have opened the Duty to you, and ſhewn you what it is, and how it may be done; we ſhall find, in the other words of the Text, weight enough to preſs it by way of motive or conſideration. And this I ſhall do (by Gods aſſiſtance,) with all reſpect to your Patience and Imployment.

For the Duty it ſelfe, to declare unto you what Righteouſneſſe, and Upright Judgement is; I ſhall not perplexe your attention with the variety of definitions, and diſtinctions which might be offer'd out of the School-men and Caſuiſts. In this firſt part, I intend onely the edification of the common ſort of people, who now are, or hereafter may be concerned as parties in the Adminiſtration of Juſtice. To them I ſay this; Righteouſneſſe is a conſtant purpoſe and reſolution, of giving to every one their own.

And you may very eaſily perceive how this Definition agrees with the Caſe in the Text. David complaines of the Corruption, and Iniquity of thoſe that were Judges in his cauſe. Doeg was a falſe witneſs, and gave in a malicious information againſt him. Saul was too apt of himſelfe to believe it; and yet he wanted not ſome flattering Courtiers, ſome perchance of his privy Councell, who blew the Fire, and by their evill ſuggeſtions, turn'd Sauls hatred and jealouſie into a flame; that David was a ſuſpitious, diſcontented perſon; and the Crown would not ſit faſt upon his head, while David lived: and with this unrighteous dealing, David charges them. Now,

Had theſe men been endued with the grace of Juſtice, and Righteouſneſſe; had they had a conſtant purpoſe and reſolution of giving to every one their owne, that is, their due, then they had given David that Character and commendation which vvas due to him, namely this: That David was miſ-repreſented to Saul; that he had given large teſtimonyes of a peaceable and quiet Spirit; that he had ſpared the Life of Saul, when it was in his power twice to have ſlaine him: Thus they ſhould have ſpoken righteouſneſſe; and defended an innocent perſon: But they did not. They wrought wickedneſſe in their hearts, as David ſpeaks here; they complied with Saul's humour in his bloody intentions, and perſecutions againſt David; and did not care though he periſhed, ſo long as they might ſecure their owne perſons and fortunes.

But this caſe, this tryall of righteouſneſſe, doth not often happen, yet ſometimes it doth: And then, thoſe that are in power and authority in any State, cannot better improve their greatneſſe, than by countenancing and ſupporting oppreſſed Innocence. Holy Job in his own juſt vindication, relates this, as one evidence of his righteouſneſſe; I delivered the poor that cryed, and the Fatherleſſe, and him that had none to help him. The bleſſing of him that was ready to periſh, came upon me; and I made the Widdows heart to ſing for joy. I brake the jaws of the Wicked, and pluckt the ſpoyle out of his teeth, Chap. 29.

Even the heathens by the light of nature, did diſcern this to be the duty of a Magiſtrate. Sudandum eſt his, qui Magiſtratum gerunt, pro communibus commodis, ſayes Cicero: Such as undertake the office of Magiſtracy, muſt ſweat and lay out themſelves for the common good, muſt endure ſtorms and emnityes, and conteſt; not only with unjuſt and audacious, but even with potent adverſaries, in the defence of Innocence. And Seneca reports it in the commendation of Caeſar, Omnium domos illius vigilia defendit: He was a man of ſuch a publicke Spirit, that his watchfullneſſe defended all mens houſes; his labour and induſtry ſecured all men in their eaſe, and pleaſures, and vocations. A precedent, not unworthy of the knowledge and imitation of thoſe, who ſhine as Starrs of the firſt magnitude in the Orbe of Honour: and let them know, that they are then truly glorious, when their Goodneſſe ſends forth as bright a beame, as their Greatneſſe; when they uſe their power, as well to defend the oppreſſed, as to puniſh the tranſgreſſour.

But I muſt not reſtraine the worke of righteouſneſs to this caſe only; the duty is of a greater latitude, and yet St. Augustine in his Enarration of this fifty eighth Pſalme, hath reduced that great variety of caſes, to that one Head which our bleſſed Saviour in his Sermon layes down before us: Whatſoever yee would that men ſhould doe unto you, even ſo doe ye unto them. This is the grand rule of Equity. He that obſerves this rule, ſhall thinke and ſpeak, and do righteouſly, and be of an holy and blameleſſe converſation: This (ſayes that Father) was the firſt law which God wrote in the heart of Mankind. In matters of civill righteouſneſſe and morality, in all thoſe dutyes which we owe to our Neighbour, a man need but knock at his own heart, and ask, What ſhall I do in ſuch or ſuch a temptation? and he ſhall hear this anſwer Ecchoing and ſounding thence: Do as thou would'ſt be done by.

Would'ſt thou, not have thy Children, or thy Servants diſobedient or undutifull to thee? Honour thy Parents.

Would'ſt thou prolong thy Life to a good old Age? Do no Murder.

Would'ſt thou have thine owne Marriage-bed honourable, and undefiled? Do not commit Adultery.

Wouldſt thou poſſeſſe thy goods and eſtate in peace and ſafety? Do not Steal.

Would'ſt thou not be overborn in thy righteous cauſe by indirect proceedings? Do not bear falſe witneſſe againſt thy neighbour.

Would'ſt thou enjoy thy own houſe, and vvife, and ſervants, and cattle, entire and without dammage to thy ſelf? Covet nothing of thy Neighbours: Do as thou wouldſt be done by.

This rule (ſayes St Hierom) is Compendioſum commonitorium. A breviate of the whole duty of man to his neighbour: If he would neither do evill to, nor ſuffer evill from, his neighbour; let him remember This. Lorinus tells us, and Beza affirmes as much, that, in ſome Antient Greek Copyes, This rule of our bleſſed Saviour was inſerted by the Apoſtles into their canons, in their firſt Councell at Antioch. Having decreed, that they ſhould abſtaine from meats offered to Idolls, and from bloud, and from things ſtrangled, and from fornication, then it was added: And whatſoever yee would that men ſhould doe unto you, doe ſo unto them. As if this were the moſt perfect rule for a Chriſtian to walk by.

Lampridius tells us alſo, that the Emperour Alexander Severus, did ſo highly prize this Rule, that He cauſed it to be written in his Palace, and in many publike places; and that in his Military diſcipline, he was wont to puniſh his Souldiers in this manner; If upon their march they had plundered any thing, and were taken with it, they were brought back to the owner, and there in his fight and preſence were beaten either with clubs, or with rods; and upbrayded in this manner. Would you be content that that ſhould have been done to you, which you have done to him? You have robbed and ſpoyled this man of his goods would you be robbed and ſpoyl'd of your own? And being thus upbrayded for tranſgreſſing this evident law of nature, he was diſmiſſ'd with ſhame and ſorrow.

And (my Chriſtian Brethren) let us all with ſhame and ſorrow, conſider our delinquency in this caſe, How contrary we have walked to this rule of Equity; either in an utter contempt, or forgetfullneſſe of it. How many poore Soules are there now in the Jayle, and to be tryed for their lives, who with a deep ſorrow and remorſe of conſcience wiſh they had alwayes walked according to this rule. Such as are to be arraigned for Murder, or Felony, how paſſionately do they wiſh, they could gather up that bloud which they have ſpilt, and that they had kept their hands cleer from all acts of Violence and Robbery. But alaſs, it is too late, and 'tis to be feared that ſome of them muſt yield up their lives, to ſatisfie thoſe righteous and equall lawes, which they have tranſgreſſed.

And although our piety and our prayers are in a great meaſure due to Them, let us not forget Our ſelves. Let us look into, and examine our owne hearts, whether we ſtand not guilty before the Judge of all the World of many acts of unrighteouſneſſe. Alaſs, it is but little, that our finns, are not written on our foreheads as theirs are; that they are not legible to the World in a publike inditement. The time will come, when we ſhall be arraign'd in the Court of Conſcience, and groan under the gnawings of that greedy worm, which nothing can ſatisfie but a broken heart. Oh (my Bretheren) lets think upon it. We know not how neer the day of the Lord, is. 'Tis 1600 years ago and upward, ſince St. James told us: The judge ſtandeth at the doore. 'Tis his infinite patience and long-ſuffering; that he doth not enter into Judgement with us. 'Twere wiſe and ſafe, by a ſpeedy and unfeigned repentance to prepare to meet Him, and by faith to get on the Breſt-plate of Righteouſneſſe, by which only we ſhall be able to ſtand in that evill day.

But although we muſt make mention of the righteouſneſſe of CHRIST onely, in the point of juſtification, yet there is a ſtock of morall righteouſneſſe we muſt lay in too, to declare the truth and life of our faith, of which we have a pregnant intimation in the Text. And having ſhewn you the Quid, what this duty is that David enquires after: It followes now that I ſhew you the Quomodo, How it is to be performed; which appeares in the words of the queſtion, Do ye indeed ſpeak righteouſneſs? do ye judge uprightly?

I ſhall obſerve in this part but two branches; for we may well conceive, that thoſe phraſes, Speaking righteouſneſſe, and judging uprightly; are but Synonyma, important of the ſame thing, and under that joynt-notion, I ſhall conſider them.

And then a ſecond thing will be: This ſpeaking righteouſneſſe (indeed); we ſhall perceive ſome weight in that word, when I come to open it.

For the firſt of theſe: How are we to ſpeak righteouſneſs, or to judge uprightly?

Mollerus tells, that ſome Expoſitours render the words thus; An certè mutam juſtitiam loquimini? It ſeemes to be an improper ſpeech: but they thus explaine it, that David charges the counſellours of Saul with an unjuſt ſilence. Do ye ſpeak righteouſneſſe? that is, Ye do not ſpeak righteouſneſſe: ye do not declare that innocence and integrity, which in your owne conſciences ye believe to be in me.

I touch'd upon this before, and ſhewed you, what reflection it might have upon the great Officers and Counſellours of State; let me in a word or two bring it a little lower.

As it may be a fault in a Witneſſe to depoſe more then the truth; ſo it may be a fault to conceal any materiall circumſtance, which may make for the diſcovery of the truth. They had a proverb among the Antients, when a man would not ſpeak freely what he thought or knew in any cauſe, they would ſay: Bovem habet in lingua: He hath a bull in his tongue; the Atnenian money having the figure of a Bull, ſtamp'd upon it: and by that proverb they would taxe him with bribery, that he had taken money to hold his peace. And the like ſcoff was put upon Demoſthenes, when, upon a gift received he would not plead, as he did againſt the Meleſian Embaſſadours: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , He had ſwallowed a bribe, and that made his throat ſore: I have heard complaints in this kind. Poor men, when with great coſt and trouble, they have prepared their Cauſe for a hearing, have yet loſt it; their witneſſes have bin corrupted to ſay leſſe then they knew; and their Counſell taken off to attend other cauſes in other Courts; and ſo all hath miſcarried for not ſpeaking righteouſneſſe: unrighteouſneſſe hath prevailed againſt him. But ile carry this note no further.

Let me now take up that terme in the Text (indeed), and weigh it to you, and you may receive ſome farther light and inſtruction from it. The Lxx render it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, Do ye truly ſpeak righteouſneſſe? Apollinarius thus: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; that is, do ye undauntedly ſpeak righteouſneſs? So now we may gueſſe at holy Davids meaning. Do ye ſpeak righteouſneſſe without feare, without favour, from the truth and ſincerity of your hearts?

And now that I have clear'd the words, let all the Officers and Miniſters of Juſtice from the higheſt to the loweſt, be pleaſed to ſuffer a word of Exhortation.

There is no one thing, Religion onely excepted, that more ſecureth and adorneth a State then juſtice doth; It is both Columna & Corona Reipub: A prop to make it ſubſiſt firme in it ſelfe, and a crown to make it glorious in the eyes of others. Jus et Aequitas vincula Civitatum, ſaies Cicero; As the Cement is to the Building: ſo is Juſtice to the Body-politick; it holds all together. Bodies politick owe both their ſtrength, and their height to Juſtice. So Solomon tells us: Righteouſneſs eſtabliſheth the Throne, and exalteth the Nation.

It was the Lords command to the officers of juſtice in the 16 of Deuter: That which is altogether juſt ſhalt thou follow. Juſtiſſimam Juſtitiam ſectare, Tremelius renders it: The old Vulgar, Juſtum juſtè perſequere. According to the originall, we ſhould read it, Juſtice Juſtice ſhalt thou follow.

The Charge you ſee from the great Law-giver, is very ſtrict, preſſing all his under-officers to the execution of Juſtice. We of this Nation are happy in an excellent body of Lawes, and we want but one Law more, to enforce Magiſtrates to the execution of thoſe Lawes. Execution in Polity, is like Elocution in Oratory. Primum, Secundum, Tertium: The prime, and the maine, the all in all of it.

The Lord by his Prophet Iſaiah commands, Keep ye judgment, and execute Juſtice. Now it were a ſad thing if we ſhould keep judgment as a Priſoner, or execute it as a Malefactour. The Apoſtle Paul complain'd of ſome ſuch, that did withhold the truth in unrighteouſneſſe: but God forbid there ſhould be any ſuch found amongſt us, who by any baſe arts ſhould obſtruct the courſe of judgment, or award a puniſhment to any one, who hath walked according to antient and known Lawes.

The purpoſe of the Lord by his Prophet was this: keep Judgment: that is, declare it, lay open the Law in the grounds and reaſons of it, and execute juſtice, that is, adminiſter it impartially, indifferently, and without reſpect of perſons. The Jewes had a proverb; Tranſgreſſours need a Seſſions houſe.

It is not enough that good Lawes are enacted by pious Princes and their Councell.

It is not enough that they are rightly underſtood by the Reverend and learned Judges.

Nor enough, that they are diligently enquired into by the Grand or petty Juries.

The maine thing, is, the execution of the Lawes, that unrighteouſneſſe ſhould not dare to out-face Juſtice, that the Magiſtrate do not withhold his hand from ſeizing upon impudent iniquity. Remember the importance of this word in the Text [Indeed]: that ye ſpeake and doe righteouſneſſe 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , truly, without any by, or baſe reſpects, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , without fear or care.

Self-reſpects are too often obſtructions in the courſe of Juſtice. Viderit Utilitas, is no good motto for a Magiſtrate. Favour may blear his eyes, but gifts will blind them: He that is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 will eaſily become 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and that undoes all. Conſider the caſe in the Text, between SAUL and DAVID, and you will wonder the leſſe at the Corruption of his Officers, when you hear the argument he urged to them. He had intelligence that his Son Jonathan was in league with David, and, ſuſpecting the revolt of other great Officers, he ſpeaks thus to them: Hear now ye Benjamites: Will David give every one of you Fields and Vineyards, and make you Captains of thouſands, and Captains of hundreds? 1 Sam. 22. 7. Here was an hook cunningly baited, to draw them to his own party; and it is hard to ſay, in whom the Corruption was greater: In Saul to offer, or in his Officers to accept? in Him to ſuggeſt a temptation, or in them to yeeld to it; but between both, we know that David a man after Gods owne heart, was purſued and perſecuted. So David tells Saul: I have not ſinned againſt thee, yet thou hunteſt my Soul to take it, 1 Samuel. 24. 11.

I perſwade my ſelfe, you never readd the Hiſtory of David but it begat ſad thoughts in you, that a man ſo innocent, ſhould be ſo violently proſecuted: but ſee, what ſelf reſpects will doe, when once a man layes-by all care of piety and religion, and deſignes nothing but the advancement of his own private intereſt, Hee cannot ſay at what ſinne he will ſtop. It is a great truth that of Solomon, Hee that receiveth gifts over-throweth a land.

Vir Oblationum according to the Original, A man that is ready to receive any motion that ſhall be offer'd him, if it come with a gift; A man that comes to an Aſſizes, as Plutarch ſaid of Stratocles, tanquam ad meſsem auream as to a golden Harveſt, and brings a mercenary tongue and conſcience with him; what man though never ſo innocent can be ſecure of his life or fortune? VVhen Judas opened his heart to the High Prieſt with that indication Quid dabitis? What will ye give me? They knew they had an agent for their turne. He betrayes his Maſter, and ſells his bloud, though he knew it was innocent.

That moſt Chriſtian duty of Selfe-denyall, runnes through all the offices of a mans life. It is the greateſt preſerver of Peace and Unity, and righteouſneſſe: He that hath learnt to deny Himſelfe, will never envy the happineſſe of his neighbour; much leſſe invade his rights or poſſeſſions, and with a violent hand ſeize upon them. He hath learnt with St. Paul, in whatſoever ſtate he is, therewith to be content; and to ſuch as are in a better condition then himſelfe, he can ſay, The bleſſing of the Lord be upon you: I bleſſe you in the name of the LORD.

Againe to ſpeak Righteouſneſſe truely, is to ſpeak it without favour. Favour in a Magiſtrate, when miſdemeanours are groſſe and palpable, is the nurſe of Vice. St. Chryſoſtome calls it, the mother of all ſin. It is not ſeldome ſeene, that when a man hath ſpent his youth, and his ſtrength in the ſervice of ſome great One, he is at length rewarded with a Licence to hang up a Signe: and that proves perchance a Sign of drunkenneſſe, a ſign of unthriftyneſſe, a ſign of wantonneſſe, a ſign of prophanneſſe, and all kind of wickedneſs. The Spirits of Godly men are vexed, to ſee ſuch a confluence of all ſorts to that Sign of ſinne: and they doe not only grieve that that houſe of ſinne is ſometimes as full as the houſe of God, but complaine of it; yet that Sign muſt not be pull'd down: Why? He was my old Servant, and I muſt winke at him. And this favour hath an evill influence upon his fellow Commiſſioners: If he will winke, they muſt not ſee. They muſt ſhew favour to his Servant, that their owne may find the like.

But what will be the end of this? He that will winke at the treſpaſs of the Lawes in his ſervant, how pore-blind would he be toward a Friend, or a Kinſman? Yea, ſtarke blinde, if a Sonne ſhould be a treſpaſſer.

Such was the Juſtice of the Heathens that they did not ſtumble at greater ſtones then theſe. Torquatus a Romane, and Zaleucus a Grecian, ſpared not to give ſentence even upon their own Sonnes. You know the old word, Amicus Plato &c. Sed magis amica Veritas. Truth and Righteouſneſſe ſhould be dearer to us then all the World beſide; We may have a fair reſpect for ſervants, and friends, and kindred, and Children: but the peace of our Country, and the honour of Religion, and the glory of God ſhould over-weigh all. Let the Chriſtian Magiſtrate hear the Heathen Oratour Exuat perſonam Judicis, qui induit Amici. The affection of a friend fits not the function of a magiſtrate. He may ſay to his Acquaintance, In all matters of civility I am yours, but in matters of Juſtice I am God's, and my Country's ſervant.

Let me note but one thing more in this part, If yee would ſpeake Righteouſneſſe indeed, ſpeake it according to Apollinarius Metaphraſe 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : without feare. It was fear, no doubt that made Saul's Officers ſo corrupt as they were. When ſelfe-intereſt brought them to ſerve him in his unrighteous deſignes, ſelfe-preſervation continued them in his ſervice: Their worldly wiſedome made them conſider that, He that could give them fields and vineyards, and thoſe great commands, could as eaſily take them away. And ſuch as yeeld themſelves ſervants unto ſinne for gaine; 'tis ſome queſtion, whether they would yeeld themſelves ſervants unto righteouſneſſe, upon apparant diſadvantage. The Kingdome of Iſrael was in a ſad ſtate; when Naboth muſt dye, rather than Jeſabel be diſpleaſed: and Chriſt muſt be Crucified, rather than Pilate offend Caeſar. And it will grow as ſad with us, if the portion of the Widdow, and the Fatherleſs may be ſwallowed up; and neither Witneſs, nor Jury-man dare ſpeake his Conſcience, for feare of the mighty Oppreſſour.

'Twas a noble courage in thoſe Antient Biſhops, who being charged by the Arrian Emperour, to condemne Athanaſius without witneſs, and unheard, onely propter Me, on the Emperour's word, refuſed to do it; and would rather hazzard their eſtates, then do ſuch an act of unjuſtice. And let the feare of the Lord ſo rule in all our hearts as not to feare the faces or frownes of men, by them to be over-awed or perſwaded to any act whereby the Glory of Chriſt, or his Goſpel may be diſparaged; or the right of our neighbour in any meaſure diminiſhed.

And now that I have ſhewn you What Righteouſneſs is, and how yee may ſpeake it indeed, Let me begg but two minutes more of your Chriſtian patience for thoſe two Motives or Conſiderations in the Text, that may preſs you to them; and I have done.

And theſe Motives will riſe out of the Text, like a Party laid in ambuſh, and ſurprize your Spirits, while you thinke not of them.

There are two motives to ſpeake righteouſneſs, in thoſe two Compellations, with which David beſpeaks theſe Officers of Saul.

O yee Congregation! O yee Sons of Men! Calvin conceives that David expreſses himſelf thus by way of contempt. q. d: O yee ſervants of Saul! albeit when ye are met in Councell, ye ſeem to be a Congregation, ſuch a number of men, whoſe power and policy, I, a poor fugitive, am not able to reſiſt; yet know, that yee are but the Sonnes of men. Ye, by your Counſels, ſeek to take away my life, and when ye have taken it, ye are but the Sons of men, Ye muſt dye your ſelves. Man that is born of a Woman (ſayes Job) is but of few dayes. The greater ſhould our care be to ſpend them well. And I ſuppoſe that learned man, took the ground of this gloſs from the ſignification of the originall terme, Elem: which ſignifies Manipulus ſpicarum, a ſheaffe of Straw or a bundle of Reeds: and in that ſenſe it is found in the thirty ſeventh of Geneſis, verſe ſeventh, Where Joſeph relating his dream, tells his brethren: that their ſheaves bowed to his ſheafe. There's the word Elem.

And now you may perceive the weight of this Motive. That a Congregation of men, conſpiring in an act of unrighteouſneſſe, are but a ſheafe of ſtraw, and a ſheafe of ſtraw is nothing in the hand of God. God is a conſuming fire, ſayes the Apoſtle: and when God ſhall come in flaming fire to render vengeance to thoſe who obey not the Goſpell of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, what will become of this ſheafe of ſtraw?

And it is conſiderable to this purpoſe, what David ſpeaks in the 82 Pſalm, God ſtandeth in the Congregation of the mighty, He judgeth among the Gods, verſ. 1.

Magiſtrates are called Gods, becauſe they are advanced to do the work of God, for ſuch is the work of Juſtice. And ſo Hezekiah told his Judges; See what ye do, For ye execute not the judgment of men, but of God.

Well, but yet God ſtands in their Congregation. He is preſent at their Counſells, and He judges among them. He ſees, and knowes all their deſignes, how they are laid, and how they muſt be carried on: and then, as it is in the ſecond Pſalm, When the Rulers took Counſell againſt the Lord and againſt his annointed, The Lord ſat in Heaven and laughed at them, and had them in deriſion. But be pleaſed to reflect upon this paſſage in this 82. Pſalm, God ſtandeth in the Congregation of the Mighty. The meaning is, as I ſaid, He is preſent. It is not enough that He looks down from Heaven, and ſees all Congregations afarre off, but he comes, and ſtands in them. And ſome Expoſitors conceive, that God is preſented in that poſture of ſtanding, to denote His attention. As you know it is with us, when we ſit and heare a diſcourſe, which we would liſten better to, we ſtand up. And ſo here. God is ſaid to ſtand: that is, he is ſo preſent, as that alſo he is attentive. Nothing paſſes but Deo aſtante, & atteſtante, He is an eare-witneſs, and an eye-witneſs, yea and an heart-witneſſe of all that is ſaid, or thought, or done in any Congregation.

And this notion David did conceive very proper to intimidate the hearts of his enemies, to re-mind them, that God ſtands in their Congregation, that He is preſent at all their meetings, and attentive to all their debates: that they are but a ſheafe of ſtraw, he can break their band, and ſcatter them as the chaffe before the wind. And that is the firſt motive to incline us to ſpeak righteouſly.

And the ſecond is this. Let us conſider that we are but the ſonnes of Men.

And upon this theme, Holy David in another Pſalm, preaches to us a Lecture of Mortality. Surely (ſayes He) every man living is altogether vanity. In the 62 Pſalm, He wraps up all mankind in that ſheet of corruption: Men of low degree are vanity. True: there's but little doubt or diſpute of that: but what are men of an high degree? They are a lye. That is: There is no ſafe depending on them, their breath is in their noſtrills as well as other mens, and dye they muſt; and dye they may, aſſoon as others. So that, take the whole race of mankind together; High and low, Rich and poor, the meane and the Mighty, and lay them upon a ballance, and they are altogether lighter then vanity. And this was that which David intended in that 82 Pſalm, when he ſaid, He judgeth among the gods. If God did onely ſtand in the Congregations of unrighteous men, and heard, and would do nothing, the care were the leſs; yea (but ſaies David here,) He ſtands to judge.

It is acutely obſerved by a late reverend Author; that God's ſtanding in the firſt verſ. hath reference to the fall of thoſe mighty ones in the ſixth and ſeventh verſes. I have ſaid ye are Gods, and all children of the moſt high, but ye ſhall dye like men, and fall like one of the Princes. God is a ſtanding God; He onely doth and will ſtand, when all unrighteous men, how great ſoever ſhall fall, and fall to duſt. Their greatneſs cannot exempt them from the firſt ſtatute, Statutum eſt omnibus ſemel mori, It is appointed for all men once to dye; Nor from the ſecond ſtatute; et poſt mortem Judicium, and after death to come to Judgment.

Magiſtrates, though they are called Gods, yet they are Dii ſub Judice; when they have judged others, they muſt be judged themſelves. They are Dii caduci, & Dii judicandi: Gods that ſhall fall, and Gods that muſt come to Judgment.

Now then for the Concluſion of all. Let me recommend this one Meditation to you. I may call it an occaſionall Meditation, becauſe you may have frequent occaſions to remember you of it. You know a ſheafe of Corne when it is in the band, will ſtand by it ſelfe, and endure an indifferent blaſt of wind, ere it fall: but, undoe the band, and you cannot make a ſingle ſtraw to ſtand. I inferre this.

When unrighteous men aſſemble, and ſit in Counſell together, then they are as a ſheafe in the band: their ſtrength may be conſiderable and formidable, and the upright man may be over-born in Judgement. A pack▪d jury (as I ſaid before,) and a few ſuborned witneſſes, may carry any cauſe; and it lies not in the power of the moſt prudent upright Judge, to prevent it. Whereas when the band is once broken, (as God will break ſuch bands), when ſuch men return to their ſingle capacities, their weakeneſſe will not onely be viſible but deſpicable. Although conſidered in their united capacities, in their greateſt ſtrength, compared with God, they are but as a ſheafe of ſtraw laid upon a flaming fire, which leaves onely the poor revenge of its aſhes to hide the embers of that fire which conſum'd it. Yet it pleaſes God ſometimes to break the band, and to ſingle thoſe unrighteous men out, and in their ſolitude to purſue them with horrour of Conſcience, and the diſtracting remembrance of their perjuries and forgeries, their frivolous delayes, and demurres, their frauds and ſubornations, and thoſe irreparable injuries they have done; and they ſhall be no more able to ſtand, and look either God or good men in the face, than a ſingle ſtraw is to reſiſt a whirlewind.

I ſhall ſhew you this in one example. Doeg the Edomite was an inſtrument of much evill to David, and to all that favour'd his righteous cauſe; by his malicious information, Abimelech the Prieſt and eighty four more of the Prieſts of the Lord were put to the Sword. What became of him? Lorinus tells us out of Rabbi Solomon, that it was a received tradition among the Jewes, that he and his only Sonne dyed in this manner: That Doeg himſelf was armour-bearer to Saul in that battle with the Philiſtines, at which he dyed. There, when Saul had fallen upon his own Sword, and ſlain himſelfe; Doeg calls his Son, and ſends him with Saul's Crown and bracelet to David, thinking thereby to engratiate himſelfe; and then Doeg falls upon his owne Sword, as Saul had done, and kills himſelfe; and his Son inſtead of a reward from David, is commanded to be ſlain. And there was an end of Saul, and Doeg his informer, and their family.

The Lord by that army of the Philiſtines brake up the Congregation, and made them know they were but the Sons of men, and that they were not able to ſtand, when he came to judge them.

Now the Lord help us to conſider of theſe things and diſpoſe our hearts to love the work of righteouſneſſe, and in all our dealings with men to behave our ſelves juſtly and uprightly, that when we ſhall come to dye like men, we may finde the fruit of righteouſneſſe, which is peace: even Peace with God, and peace with our owne conſciences, that we may commend our ſpirits into the hands of the God of our righteouſneſs, with joy and not with fear.

The Prayer after Sermon.

GReat and Glorious Lord God, who art righteous in all thy wayes, and holy in all thy works: be good and gracious unto us thy poor Creatures, who here stand guilt, before thee of many acts of unrighteouſneſſe, for having rejected and deſpiſed thy moſt pure and holy lawes, and have choſen rather to walke after the luſts and imaginations of our owne hearts.

We have defaced that perfect Image of righteouſneſſe and Holyneſſe, in which we were created, we have defiled our ſelves with the pollutions of ſinne; ſo that all our righteouſneſſe is but as a filthy ragge, and we cannot but loath and abhorre our ſelves for all our abhominations.

Bleſſed God, we deſire to return unto Thee, and to ſeek thy face; not only for thy mercy and pardon for the ſins we have cōmitted, but for thy Spirit and thy grace, that we may be renewed & reſtored to that ſtate of holines whence we are faln.

And foraſmuch as the Miniſtry of thy Word is the means which thou haſt ordained, & promiſed to ſanctifie to that end; We humbly call upon thee for a bleſſing upon that portion of thy Word which hath bin diſpenſed unto us at this time.

Great God! our hearts are in thy hand, we beſeech Thee mould and faſhion them according to thine own holy will. Beget in us a conſtant purpoſe and reſolution of giving to every one their owne, and re-imprint in our hearts that excellent rule of righteouſneſſe, Not to do any thing to our neighbour which we would not be content that he ſhould doe to us.

We are met at this time, O Lord, about thine own worke, The Execution of Juſtice and Judgement; we beſeech thee aſſiſt us in it. As we begin this worke in thy Name, give us grace to continue in it in thy Fear.

Touch the hearts of all thoſe who are in any reſpects intereſted as parties in the adminiſtration of Juſtice, that they may all ſpeak righteouſneſse and judge uprightly, without reſpect to themſelves or reſpect to their friends, and without feare of the face of any man

And give us all grace to conſider that a congregation of men, conſpiring in an act of unrighteouſneſse, are but as a ſheafe of ſtraw, not able to conteſt with thee who art a conſuming fire. Oh help us to conſider, that how great or mighty ſoever we be in this World, we are yet but the ſonnes of men, fraile and mortall, and know not how ſoon we may be called to thy Judgment Seat: And let theſe meditations quicken us to an holy care to prepare our accounts, and to behave ourſelves ſo righteouſly toward all men here on earth, as that we may cheerefully commend our Spirits to the God of Heaven.

Hear us O God, and anſwer us according to thy wonted grace & goodneſſe; ſupply all our defects out of the fullneſſe of Chriſt Jeſus, who is the Lord our Righteouſneſſe: to whom with thee, O Father, and thy bleſſed Spirit, we deſire to aſcribe all honour and power, and prayſe, now and for evermore. Amen, Amen.

A SERMON, Preached at the ASSIZES Held at BRIDGNORTH For the County of Salop in the year, 1657.

On the Lord's Day.

By Mich: Thomas, Rector of Sockton in the ſame COUNTY.

LONDON, Printed for Humphrey Moſeley at the Prince's Armes in St. Paul's Church-yard. 1659.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Pſalme 37. verſe 37. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: For the end of that man is peace.

IT may perchance raiſe your attention to the Doctrine of this Text, when you ſhall conſider, that it is a branch of that Pſalme, which hath alwayes bin in very high eſteem both among the Antients, and our Moderne Divines.

Origen calls it Humanae animae Medicinam. It is Phyſick for the ſoul of man, foraſmuch as it reproves ſinne, and teaches us to live according to the lawes of God.

Athanaſius recommends it to be readd by all thoſe who are ſcandalized at the proſperity of the wicked, and find themſelves tempted to go along with them in their wayes; and to think this world to be governed by chance or fortune, that God is not a God of Judgment; that he makes no difference between the righteous and the wicked.

Calvin and Mollerus meet both in this cenſure of it, that it containes doctrinam apprimè utilem, exceeding profitable doctrine; and Lorinus tells us, that Fulgentius (that great light of the Church in Africa,) by reading St. Augustines commentary upon it, was converted by it.

The tree then being ſo good, you may fairely preſume the Text, which is a branch of it, may yield you the like fruit. I may not unfitly call the Text, Totius Pſalmi Epitomen. The ſummary or abridgement of the whole Pſalm. The doctrine which is diſperſed in the other verſes of it, is collected and united in this.

All the defect will lye on my part, by reaſon of my weakeneſſe, I ſhall not be able to ſhake this ſo full laden branch, that all the fruit of it may fall amongſt you. So farre as the Lord hath enabled me to underſtand the doctrine of it, I ſhall humbly preſent it to your religious conſideration, and ſhall hope, that that ſleight taſt of it, which you will receive at this time by my ſervice, will provoke your holy appetites to make a farther enquiry in your private meditations.

But not to waſte more, either of the time, or your patience, be pleaſed to take the Text divided into theſe three parts.

Here is an Act, and an Object; and they are both twofold.

The Act is, to Mark and to Behold.

The Object of this Act is the Perfect and the Upright man.

And in the third place here is the reaſon of the Act which is very weighty and conſiderable; For the end of that man is Peace.

But I muſt crave leave to invert the order of theſe parts, and conſider the Object firſt, Who this perfect and upright man is. And then paſſe to the Act, what it is to Mark and to behold Him. To which act, we ſhall be the better diſpoſed, by the weight of the reaſon which enforces it; Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: For the end of that man is peace.

The firſt part: The Object.

I confeſſe, I find much variety in the ſeverall Tranſlations concerning the reading of the Text. The LXX render it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and according to the old vulgate, Custodi innocentiam, & vide aequitatem: and then we ſhould read the Text, Keep innocency and take heed to the thing that is right. And although Lorinus follow theſe tranſlations, yet we acknowledge that other grave Authors, Concretè interpretantur ex Hebraeo, render it out of the Hebrew by the Concrete. Obſerva perfectum, & aſpice rectum; and ſo Junius, and Tremelius have tranſlated it; and ſo alſo thoſe Divines of the reformed Churches, whoſe opinions Marlorate hath collected. And truly the difference is not great, whether we read it in the Abſtract, or in the Concrete, the one will be the Expoſition of the other: and ſo the perfect man will be, He that keepeth innocency; and the Upright man, He that taketh heed to the thing that is right.

But we muſt behold this Object at a neerer diſtance; and let us look upon this perfection and uprightneſſe in the Root, and in the Branches of it; and then, according to our Engliſh word, we ſhall have three Marks by which we may know who this perfect and upright man is; and ſo the better judge of our ſelves, whether we are ſuch or no.

The Root of this Perfection and Uprightneſſe, I place in the Heart; and the branches of it, in the Words and Actions of men. And this method anſwers that Diſtinction ſo common among Divines; Integritas Cordis, Oris, Operis: The Uprightneſſe of the Heart, of the Mouth, and of the Hand; and upon the conſideration of theſe Marks, we ſhall have the fuller and the cleerer proſpect of Him.

And I was put into this method, not ſo much by the common diſtinction, as by the propriety of the termes in the Original. We read of Noah, that he was a perfect man, Gen. 6. 9. of Jacob, that he was a plain man, Gen. 25. 27. of Job, that He was a perfect and an upright man; and in all theſe places there is the ſame word in the originall, Tamim: and Mercerus upon thoſe places in Geneſis, and Pineda upon that place in Job, interpret this perfection to be the ſimplicity, the integrity, the ſincerity which was in the Hearts of Noah, and Jacob, and Job. For the farther clearing of the word, you know well, there is a twofold perfection: Imputata, & Impertita. A perfection which is imputed to us: and a perfection which is beſtowed upon us; the one is called the Perfection of Juſtification, the other of Sanctification.

The former of theſe, in a ſtrict ſenſe, is a compleat perfection. The Saints are compleat in Chriſt, they are perfectly juſtified, there is not any ſinne left uncovered, nor any guilt left unwaſhed in the bloud of Chriſt, not the leaſt ſpot but is taken away. By one offering, Chriſt hath perfected for ever them that are Sanctified, ſayes St. Paul. Heb. 10. 14. And then there is a Perfection of Sanctification; and that is called ſo, either in regard of the beginnings of it, or in regard of our deſires or aimes at it.

The Saints even in this life, have a perfect beginning of holineſſe, as being ſanctified in every part; they are Sanctified throughout, in ſoul, and body, and ſpirit.

And then their deſires are high and reall towards perfection; they pray, and ſtrive to ſubdue every corruption, to abandon every known ſinne, to performe every duty. And this is the utmoſt degree of perfection that any ſonne of man can attaine to, in this life. And in this reſpect it was that Job had the character of a perfect man. Not that he thought himſelfe ſo, in reſpect of an exact obedience to the whole law of God; ſo he profeſſes, If I ſay I am perfect, it ſhall alſo prove me perverſe, Job. 9. 20. but in reſpect of his deſires, and endeavours towards this perfection. Job was ſincere, he was ſound at heart, He did not perſonate religion, but was really a religious perſon. He was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as the Lxx render that place, A ſimple man, that is: plaine hearted, ſingle minded. He was not a compound, ſpeaking one thing, and meaning another. Job's heart might be known by his tongue, and his ſpirit by his actions. And this is the firſt and chiefeſt mark of the perfect man, whom David, in the Text, adviſes us to obſerve and behold.

And truly, this perfection in the root, as I have called it, this foundneſſe of heart, is that perfection, which is only valuable and conſiderable; 'tis that which the Lord ſo often calls for in the Scripture, to love Him, and ſerve Him with all our hearts, that we would not ſuffer our hearts to be divided, and carried away from God, and laid out upon the vanities of the world, while we pretend to be the ſervants of God in a more ſtrict and purer way then others are.

In the ſecond of the Kings, ch. 17. v. 33. we read of the Samaritans, that they feared the Lord, yet ſerved gods of their own. And the prophet Zephany reports it as one of the ſins of Judah, that they ſware by the Lord, and by Malcham the idol of the Ammonites.

And I would to God we that call our ſelves, and would be thought, Chriſtians, could purge our hearts from this guilt, that our hearts were perfect, and ſincere, and intirely devoted to the ſervice of God. Beata ſervitus (ſayes St. Ambroſe) ſi nihil poſſit adverſarius de tuo ſibi ſervitio vendicare, That's a bleſſed way of ſerving God, when Satan can challenge no part in it. How few are there of us that can come to God with Davids argument, and may preſs Him as he did, I am thine, oh ſave me. The worldly-man cannot ſay ſo to God, becauſe he hath many Maſters: Luſt comes and ſayes, Thou art mine, for thou makeſt proviſion for the Fleſh, to fulfill the deſires thereof.

Covetouſneſſe comes and ſayes, Thou art mine, thou ſerveſt not Chriſt, but thy ſelfe. The Gold and Silver which lyes ruſting in thy coffers, is the portion of the Widdow and the Fatherleſſe. The ſtone in the wall of thine houſe cryes out, and the beame out of the timber doth anſwer it, and the furrowes in the field joyn in the out-cry, and ſay, We were gotten by oppreſſion, and bribery.

Luxury comes and ſayes, Thou art mine, thy conſcience can tell thee, thou haſt ſpent more at a feaſt in one day, then thy charity to the poor hath coſt thee in a whole year; that thou haſt ſtriven to pay moſt at a Reckoning in a Taverne, but haſt pretended excuſes to give nothing to a Briefe in a Church.

Ambition comes and ſayes, Thou art mine; thou haſt affected greatneſſe and power, that thou mighteſt ſinne without queſtion or controul; and then Chriſt will put in his charge too, and ſay; Thou conſidereſt not, that I gave thee a command over men, that thou ſhouldſt obey Me; I honoured thee, that thou ſhouldſt honour Me. Now, Quem tam multi competunt, quàm vile mancipium eſt? ſayes that Father St. Ambroſe, What a vaſſall, what a ſlave is that man, whoſe heart is challenged by ſo many maſters? Such an one cannot pretend to Jacob's title, to be Homo Simplex, a perfect ſingle-hearted man: He is rather Homo Multiplex; St. James his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , doth not reach Him, He is more then a double-minded man, He hath an heart for every luſt, a new God, and a new Religion, when ſoever the ſway and humour of the times ſhall require it of him.

Upon thoſe words of the Lord by his prophet Joel; Turn unto me with all your heart; devout Bernard hath noted thus: Corporis converſio, ſi ſola fuerit, nulla erit, If the body only turn to God, and not the heart, there is no converſion. It is but the form of Converſion, there is nothing of truth in it; when there are pretenſions to godlyneſſe, but no power. He is a miſerable man that contents himſelfe in the outward formalities of religion, and neither knows, nor regards his heart. Bernard applyed this Note to his monks upon a Faſt-day, and took occaſion to reprove them for their hypocriſie. Manet tonſura, (as he goes on) yee continue your ſhavings, yee change not your garment, yee obſerve your rules for faſting, and your hours for prayer; and yet the Lord cryes from heaven, Cor veſtrum longè eſt à Me, Your heart notwithſtanding all this, is far from me.

The beſt diſcovery we can make of the integrity and ſincerity of our hearts, is to obſerve the bent and ſway of thoſe foure chiefe affections, Love, Feare, Joy, and Griefe; and ſee whether God or the World have moſt of theſe, and accordingly we may judge our ſelves, whether we are true Converts, or Perfect men.

But becauſe the nature of the root, is beſt diſcerned by the fruit which appears on the branches; be pleaſed, that the diſcourſe may paſſe from the firſt mark of perfection, which I call'd perfection in the root, the perfection of the heart, to the ſecond, which is Integritas Oris, the Integrity of the Mouth or words; and no mark can be more proper then this, or more naturally conſequent. Our bleſſed Saviour hath given us the rule, Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth ſpeaketh.

In the 32d. Pſalm David pronounces a bleſſedneſſe upon that man, in whoſe Spirit there is no guile. And there are good Expoſitours conceive, this guile to conſiſt in and about the duty of Repentance, and eſpecially in the covering of ſinne; as when men ſhall cover their extortions and oppreſſions by building an Hoſpitall, and when they ſhall cover all the Week-ſins, with a Sabbaths ſolemnity. Such is ſometimes the folly of Hypocriſy, that it will ſtrive to cover ſin though with a Net, which every man ſees thorow: they will have ſuch mean and pittifull pretences for their unjuſt actions: whereas a perfect-hearted man, is ſerious in the ſearch of his conſcience; and he will take knowledge of his ſins, before they diſcover themſelves; he will acknowledge his riot and voluptuouſneſſe before he burn in a Feaver, occaſioned by his ſurfeits. He will acknowledge his wantonneſſe and licentiouſneſſe, before he comes under the anguiſh and ſmart of corroſives. He will acknowledge his pride and waſtfullneſſe, before he lye in priſon for debt. The perfect man doth not ſeek his ſins in his belly, nor in his bones, but in his conſcience. He unfolds that, ripps up that, and enters into the privateſt and remoteſt corners thereof. And he that doth not thus, there is dolus in Spiritu, There is guile in his Spirit; and he hath no title to that bleſſedneſſe, which David was pronouncing. So that if there be Veritas in Corde, Truth in the heart; there will be alſo Veritas in Ore, Truth in the mouth: which being the ſecond mark of a perfect man, give me leave to lay it open to you.

The perfection of the Mouth hath a double proſpect; it looks towards God, and towards man. God ſhall have His glory, in the Confeſſion of his ſinne, and man ſhall have his right, in ſpeaking the truth.

Among thoſe marks which David gives of that happy man, who ſhall dwell in the holy hill of the Lord, this is one: He ſpeaketh the truth in his heart. And ſo in the 14 of the Revel. v. 5. thoſe bleſſed perſons who are ſaid to follow the Lamb, are thus deſcribed: In their mouth was found no guile.

Truth, as it is a moſt excellent vertue; ſo it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ſaies Philo: the moſt ſacred poſſeſſion, pretious and neceſſary as the Sunne to the world.

When the queſtion was put to Pythagoras, What that was, in the doing whereof, men might be like unto God, he anſwered, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , If they ſpeak the truth. It will be a good interpretation of that command of our bleſſed Saviour: Be ye therefore perfect, as your Father which is in heaven is perfect: when, as He is truth, ſo we be alwayes carefull to ſpeak the truth from our hearts, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 even the Heathen, by the light of nature could conclude, that it was a ſervile un-ingenuous humour, to lye, and to ſpeak falſely. And we have ſome impreſſion of it ſtill remaining in us, of all reproaches we can leaſt brook that: Thou lieſt. How many quarrells hath it occaſion'd? How much blood hath bin ſpilt about it? But truly, 'tis ſad and ſtrange, that men will not endure to be charged with lying, and yet make no conſcience of lying; that they ſhould take up that part of the Heathens morality, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , To ſpeak the truth, is an evidence of a noble, conſtant, well compoſed ſpirit; and deſert the other part of it, by a deficiency in their practice, in yielding themſelves up to tell lies for advantage.

Some Divines have moved and debated theſe two Caſes: Whether if a man be examined before a Competent Judge, he may not lye to preſerve himſelfe or his Friend from the penalty of the Law. And 'tis anſwer'd in the negative: He may not lye. There can no caſe be put, in which it may be lawfull for any man to lye to any man: not to a midnight, not to a noon-thiefe, that aſſaults his houſe, or his perſon, he may not lye. And although many have put names of diſguiſe upon ſuch practiſes, and call them Equivocations and Reſervations, yet they are all children of the ſame Father the Devill, who is the father of lies.

The other Caſe is: Whether if a man be examined before an incompetent Judge, he may not equivocate and prevaricate with Him? And 'tis anſwer'd thus: that if he do ſpeak, he muſt ſpeak the truth. They allow, that to an incompetent Judge, that hath no legall power to examine him, he may be ſilent without ſinne: but to a competent Judge, 'tis an indefenſible ſinne either to be ſilent, or to depoſe an untruth.

And upon this account, ſince it is ſo clearly ſinfull in a witneſſe, either to prevaricate or to depoſe an untruth; I ſubmit it to your grave Judgements, whether it be not highly conſiderable, for an Advocate to plead an untruth; by the advantage of his Rhetorick and Eloquence to palliate ſuch a cauſe, which, in his owne conſcience and opinion, deſerves rather a puniſhment then a defence; whether in pleading ſuch cauſes, they do not take part with evill doers, and encourage men to venture upon unjuſt actions, ſince they may be aſſured, that for a fee, they may have a ſubtle and ingenious Advocate, to maintain their cauſe. But in this caſe, ſince I ſpeak to ſuch, whoſe piety and integrity, I have no reaſon either to queſtion or ſuſpect, I ſhall proceed no further.

Indeed, my deſigne lyes mainely againſt that ſort of men, who inure their tongues, to ſpeak malitiouſly and defamatorily, and blaſt the fair reputation of their neighbour, by falſe ſuggeſtions and inſinuations.

It may be ſometimes unlawfull, to ſpeak all that a man knowes to be true of his neighbour; but it is alwayes unlawfull to ſpeak that which he knows to be falſe. This is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , calumnia, ſuch a practice whence the Devill takes his name, Diabolus, an accuſer: 'tis a deviliſh practice by falſe informations and ſlanders to repreſent a man worſe then he is, and to expoſe Him either to the hatred of the common people, or the cenſure of the Magiſtrate, for crimes whereof he was never guilty. Like the Heathens of old, who put the Chriſtians into the skinnes of beaſts, and then brought them forth to be torn and worried, ſuch an artifice hath Satan uſed all along, by ſuborning foul tongues, to ſully and ſtaine the fame and reputation of men, thereby to prepare them for deſtruction. When Paul and Silas were miſreported to the Romane Magiſtrates, as troublers of the City, and teachers of cuſtomes, which were not lawfull to be obſerved; we may wonder the leſſe, that they were beaten and impriſoned: yea, we ſee it in a greater example, in our bleſſed Saviour Himſelfe; when He was ſlander'd to be a deceiver of the people, a wine-bibber, a companion of publicans and ſinners, and one that had a Devill, theſe aſperſions raiſ'd the hatred of the common people, and the malice of the Jewes was leſſe diſcernable, when they cryed away with Him, crucifie Him: and you know what the iſſue was, the murder of the Lord of life.

I ſhall not need to urge any arguments to prove how farre diſtant a back-biter or a ſlanderer is from a perfect man. That grave Authour Pariſienſis calls him, Dentem Diaboli, The tooth of the Divell, which he faſtens in an innocent perſon, and tears his good name, and perchance his eſtate too, cruelly, and unmercifully, and irreparably. We may eaſily conclude the ſin is great when the Judgment is ſo heavy, when both St. Paul and St. John tell us, that whoſoever are revilers, and makers of lyes, ſhall not enter into the new Jeruſalem, the Kingdome of God.

There remaines yet the third mark of this perfect man to be conſidered, and that is, Integritas Operis, His Equity and Uprightneſſe in all his Actions.

Pineda tells us that the originall term, Jaſar; which, in that place of Job, is rendered upright; ſigniſies ſometimes Jucundum eſse: and then the upright man will be ſuch an one, as is of a complacent humour, of a mild and ſoft temper. And probably Apollinarius had reſpect to this ſenſe of the word, when he metaphraſ'd our text, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Keep meekneſſe, and then it may mean, Be neither ſowre not bitter in looks or language; be not harſh or cruell in thy dealings or actions with men.

I obſerve in moſt Latine Tranſlations, that they retain the word Rectum. In an old Manuſcript I read it, Cuſtodi ſimplicitatem & vitae rectum: and Pineda by many inſtances clears it, that Jaſar ſignifies Planitiem viae, the ſmoothneſſe and evenneſſe of a way. And then by a fair alluſion it may import that Juſtice and Equity which men ought to uſe in all their dealings and commerce. There is no trouble in walking in a plain way. When there are hills to ſtrain the nerves, or valleys to endanger a precipice; hence ariſes the trouble of a Journey.

And ſo it is in civill commerce: when we are to deal with a plain man, whoſe words and actions are both of the ſame piece, who lyes not upon the catch, and hath not his ſubtle reſerves, of falſe weights, or lights, or meaſures; there is neither feare nor danger in converſing with ſuch a man. If we look into the body of this 37 Pſalm, we ſhall find David inſtancing in ſome actions, which ſeem to be contrary to this uprightneſſe, which I am to preſent to you.

In the 12 verſe, he ſpeaks of plotting againſt the Juſt. In the 14 verſe, of drawing the ſword, and bending the bow againſt the poore and needy: In the 21 verſe, of borrowing and not paying againe. And ſo farre forth as any man is plung'd in the guilt of thoſe practiſes, he is ſo farre diſtant from true uprightneſſe. Will you pleaſe to review theſe inſtances.

Firſt, What is it to plot againſt the Juſt man? I reſt in Lorinus his opinion upon the place: It is to pick a quarrell with him about his Religion, and the worſhip of his God: ſuch enemies we find the Prophet Daniel met with. They ſaid among themſelves, We ſhall not find any occaſion againſt this Daniel, except we find it againſt him concerning the Law of his God. So we read, Luke the ſixth, That the Phariſees watched our Saviour, that they might have an accuſation againſt him. So true is that of Solomon, He that is upright in the way, is an abomination to the wicked, Prov. 29. 27. But this is certainely an abominable kind of wickedneſſe, when the worſhip of God ſhall be made the occaſion of envie. When, like Cain, they ſhall hate, and riſe up againſt their brother, becauſe he offers to God a better ſacrifice then themſelves. It was a pious wiſh that of Bucolcerus: Mortuus est Cain: ſed utinam non viveret in filiis ſuis. Cain is dead: but would to God he did not live ſtill in his ſonnes; who carry ſtill his bloody club, wreaking in the gore of Chriſtians, and ſeeking the deſtruction of thoſe, that are more holy then themſelves.

It is a ſad thing, when men ſhall come into the houſe of God, as Doeg did into the tabernacle; and to returne an informer againſt the Miniſter, as he did againſt Abimelech. Any plot againſt a juſt man, argues rather pride then perfection: He is an ill ſubject to Chriſt, who envies Him the glory of a populous Kingdome.

Conſider the ſecond inſtance: The drawing the ſword, and bending the bow againſt the poore and needy. Expoſitours conceive that David in this inſtance, points at Saul, and thoſe ſeverall acts of injuſtice, whereby he oppreſſed him. It is no new thing to ſee Right overcome by Might, and Ahab ſolacing himſelfe in Naboth's vineyard

Notwithſtanding Holy Job, and the Prophets Jeremy and Habaccuck have expoſtulated the caſe with God, concerning the proſperity of the wicked; yet in his infinite wiſedome he ſees it fit to continue it, and ſtill we ſee the poor and needy, become a prey to the rich and mighty. But theſe permiſſive acts of Providence are no warrant, or ſecurity for ſuch acts of Injuſtice. He is far from a perfect man, who ſeeks to ſlay the upright, or, as Solomon ſpeaks, Robs the poor becauſe he is poor, and unable to help himſelfe.

The third inſtance is: The wicked borroweeh and payeth not againe. In which is noted an high act of injuſtice, and contrary to that Evangelicall precept delivered by St. Paul, Owe nothing to any man but love; provided alwayes, there be ſufficiency and ability to pay. Whoſoever ſhall pretend poverty to his creditour, and make a fraudulent compoſition, contracts upon his owne ſoul the guilt of theft in an high degree. And ſome have been ſo curious to make the obſervation, That eſtates compounded for, ſeldome proſper: there is for the moſt part ſomething of fraud and concealment; and that conſtitutes the wicked man, whom David here points at, He borroweth and payeth not again.

You ſee in common experience, how the Courts of Juſtice are troubled and peſtered with ſuits and cauſes in theſe caſes; with actions in regard of conſpiracy, The wicked plotting againſt the Juſt; with actions of treſpaſſe and battery, The drawing his ſword againſt the poor, and by might oppreſſing Him; and with actions of debt, The wicked borroweth and paying not again.

And no doubt, David deſiring to winne, and work up the ſouls of men, to this perfection and uprightneſſe, hath proceeded in that Method throughout this Pſalme, as it were Antiphonically, and by way of contra-poſition, to ſet down the Characters of the upright and the wicked man, and deſcribe them by their intentions, by their words, and by their actions. Of ſo much concernment did David conceive it to be, exactly to know the perfect and the upright man.

And in all this diſcourſe, I have purſued the ſame method: as contraries are beſt diſcern'd when they are placed together; ſo in every mark of this perfect man, you have had ſomething poſitively, ſomething negatively delivered. And now that I have preſented the Object before you, in which the great part of my buſineſſe lay, I am now to invite you to the Act: To mark and to behold him, which was the ſecond part I propoſed to obſerve.

The ſecond part: The Act.

But I need not detaine you long in this Act. I do not find any Expoſitour whom I have conſulted, that ſtops upon it. Mollerus conceives, that David onely calls upon us to obſerve the paſſages of Divine Providence, and the various iſſues of his Diſpenſations, concerning the wayes and the ends of the wicked, and the perfect man. It is the humour, or rather the weakneſſe, of moſt men to judge outward appearances, and to conclude a man either Happy or Miſerable, according to his ſucceſſes in this world So Job's friends paſſed their cenſures upon Him, and he muſt needs be a diſſembling Hypocrite, becauſe He was ſo grievouſly afflicted.

But this, according to that ſaying of our Saviour, was unrighteous Judgement. And as David had made his obſervation concerning the righteous man, I have been young but now am old: yet I never ſaw the righteous forſaken, nor his ſeed begging their bread, ſo he calls upon all others to make the like obſervation concerning the perfect man. Mark and behold Him (ſayes He) And although ye may ſee the wicked flouriſhing like a bay tree, and the upright man withering like a ſhrub; the one in honour and flowing with all temporall abundancies, the other vile and deſpiſed, and lacking neceſſaries, yet judge not: They are yet upon their way; they are not yet come to their journeys end; they are now buſied in their ſeverall works, and have not received their wages: but when the day of our life ſhall begin to cloſe, and the ſhaddowes of death ſhall ſpread themſelves; and the grave begin to open her mouth; and the Arch-angell's trumpet, in a paſſing bell, ſhall ſummon the ſonnes of men to Judgement, then will be fulfilled that of the Prophet Malachi: At that time God will make up his Jewells, and men ſhall diſcern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that ſerveth God, and him that ſerveth him not, Chap. 3. verſ. 17, 18.

The third part: The reaſon of the Act.

And now, here, enters our third part, for the concluſion of all. Marke and behold the perfect man, for he is worthy of your obſervation. The end of that man is peace. Our bleſſed Saviour ſpeaking of John the Baptiſt: What (ſaith He) went yee out into the wilderneſſe to ſee? A reed ſhaken with the wind? It may be in the eyes of ſome that ſaw him, he ſeemed not much more conſiderable: but I tell you; He is a Prophet, and more then a Prophet.

And if any prophane ſpirit ſhould ſay; What do you call us to mark and behold? broken reeds? and ſmoaking flax? perſons that have lived in trouble, and are dying in diſhonour? ſuch as have been the ſubject of wanton wits to make Songs of, and the object of mens hatred and ſcorn? Such indeed is the lot and portion of the upright man: yet let me tell you, he is ſomewhat more, yea very much more then he is conceived to be. Though the Wicked raiſe warre againſt him, yet He is the Son of peace; though he ſayle through a rough Sea, yet he hath a calm haven, though he meet with croſſes on his way, yet he ſhall find comforts in his end. And herein lyes the weight of the reaſon, and upon which the ſtate of the perfect man becomes ſo worthy of all obſervation.

Man as he is a rational creature, propoſes to himſelf ſome end in all his actions. That's the great wheel that moves him, and ſets him to work; and whatſoever he propoſes to himſelf as his end, that in his preſent ſenſe and opinion, hath an appearance of Good. Thoſe two maxims in Philoſophy conſiſt well together. Omnia agunt propter finem, and Omnia appetunt Bonum.

But now it oft-times comes to paſſe, that there is a ſad miſcarriage; men project one thing, and another falls out. There is Finis Operis, & Finis Operantis. The end which is properly conſequent to the Work: And the end which is in the deſign of the Workman. And theſe doe oftentimes differ: Men engage themſelves into ſinfull actions, and propoſe to themſelves as their End, pleaſures, or profits, or preferments: this is Finis Operantis, the end of the workman; but this is not Finis Operis, the end of the worke: For, the wages of ſinne is death, In the eighth of the prophecy of Amos, the Lord threatens his people Iſrael for their oppreſſion and prophanneſſe: Hear this ye that ſwallow up the needy. I will turn your feasts into mourning, I will make it as the mourning for an only Son: and the end thereof as a bitter day, at the 10 verſe.

This bitter day was the end properly conſequent to the worke of ſinne, though they projected and deſign'd another, namely their private gain and advantage.

Let us remember then what the prophet Iſay hath taught us. The worke of righteouſneſſe ſhall be peace, and the effect of righteouſneſſe, quietneſſe, and aſſurance for ever, Iſa. 32. 17.

But we muſt not underſtand this word, Peace, in that latitude as it was uſually taken among the Jewes, for a confluence of all temporall bleſſings, as it happened in the caſe of Job, whoſe latter end the Lord made better then his beginning, that is, in reſpect of temporall abundances, having his eſtate doubled to him. We muſt take it in that ſenſe, as it means peace of conſcience, and an aſſurance of the favour of God in Chriſt, that however matters goe with him in reſpect of his perſon, or eſtate, or his life, or his poſterity, he reſts ſecure as for the ſtate of his Soul; and can with cheerfulneſſe commend it into the hands of his faithfull Creatour.

Whereas the ſame prophet Iſaiah tells us, There is no peace to the wicked, Iſa. 57. 21. Such as do not walke in the wayes of peace, ſhall never find peace at their End. I deny not but a Wicked man may dye poſſeſſ'd of all the comforts this world can afford him; he may dye (as it was ſaid of David) full of dayes, riches, and honour, and yet his death-bed pillow may be uneaſie to him, when it ſhall come to that of the Poet Linquenda domus & tellus, &c. when he ſhall look upon thoſe things, which we call worldly comforts, but find no comfort in them.

When he ſhall look upon his eſtate, and not only grieve that he muſt part from it himſelfe, but he muſt leave it to a Son, whom, as Solomon ſpeaks, he doth not know whether he ſhall be a fool.

When he ſhall look upon his Wife and Children, and take his laſt farewell, and out of the horrour of his conſcience ſhall be forced to declare himſelfe thus. I leave a great Eſtate amongſt you, but I fear, you will finde it encumbred with the curſe and vengeance of God.

When he ſhall look upon his friends, that ſtand weeping and mourning over him, and ſhall breathe out Socrates complaint in that ſenſe, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Oh Friends, ye cannot help me, your counſel, nor your power cannot enlarge the terme of my life a minute, nor give a ranſome unto God for mee.

When he ſhall look upon his body waſted, and confumed by his Luxuries, and, it may be, ſo diſeaſed, as to be loathſome to himſelfe and his attendants; and from a ſad reflection upon the vanities of his life paſt, ſhall ſigh and groan out this as his own Epitaph; I have lived in ſinne, and now I lye down in ſorrow.

But above all, when he ſhall conſider the ſtate of his poor Soul, whoſe immortall nature delivers him up to an Eternity either of bliſs or miſery. When this poor Soul, poor I ſay as not being rich in faith, or any other ſpirituall grace, ſhall ſit upon his lips, as the Emperour Adrian's did, with a Quò nunc ibo? whither ſhall I go? what ſhall become of me? How ſhall I appear before God, whoſe Name and Sabbaths I have blaſphem'd and prophan'd? How ſhall I ſtand before Chriſt, whoſe Miniſters and Ordinances I have perſecuted and deſpiſed? What comfort can I expect, or hope for, from the holy Ghoſt, whoſe private motions and workings in my heart I have ſleighted and reſiſted? I never look'd upon, nor examin'd my heart or wayes, by ſaying, What have I done? And now, miſerable man that I am, I know not what to do.

Oh my Chriſtian brethren, let us think upon theſe things; this will be the certaine Fate of a dying wicked man. The Lord will be juſt and righteous though we are not, and every ſecure ſinner ſhall feel in his conſcience Futuri Judicii praejudicium, as Tertullian expreſſes it, a taſte of that eternal Judgment and Horrour, which he muſt endure irremediably and everlaſtingly.

Think upon the ſad ſtate of Cain. We cannot tell by the Hebrew, whether he ſaid; My iniquity, or, my puniſhment, is greater then I can bear. Think upon the ſad ſtate of Antiochus: when he lay dying, he calls to his friends, and ſayes, My heart faileth me, into what floods of miſery am I fallen? and now I remember the evills that I have done at Jeruſalem.

Think upon the ſad ſtate of Saul: when he was diſcomfited by the Philiſtines, he calls to his ſervant; Stand upon me I pray thee, and kill me, for anguiſh is come upon me.

And let theſe terrours of the Lord convince us, that this perfection and uprightneſſe in our hearts, and words, and actions, is a conſiderable quality. Let us with all poſſible ſpeed and care provide for our deathbed comfort, and purge our conſciences by Confeſſion, and Faith, and Repentance and Reſtitution; that we may ſtop their Mouths, and ſtill their Clamour, and not become, as Job complained, a burden to our ſelves. Job 7. 20.

It was a good Caution that Bernard gave Eugenius; Nullus moleſtior oculus ſuo cujuſque. Through the guilt of ſinne, it will ſo come to paſſe, that no eye will be ſo dreadfull and terrible to us, as our owne; there will not be a face either in Heaven or Earth, which a troubled conſcience would rather fly from than his owne, and can leſſe do it.

The Lawes of God are the rules of that perfection and uprightneſſe, which in St. Pauls phraſe we ſhould follow and preſſe after.

And Holy David tells us that their peace will be great that love, and are not offended at the lawes of God. This peace in our laſt ſickneſſe will prove our beſt Cordiall. It was ſo to King Hezekiah, when the Prophet Iſaiah brought to him that ſad meſſage: Thou ſhalt dye, and not live: He betakes himſelfe to prayer: Remember now, Oh Lord, I beſeech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, Iſa. 38. 3. It was not his Crown, or his Kingdome, nor thoſe vaſt Treaſures he ſtood poſſeſſ'd of, that then adminiſtred any comfort to him, onely the teſtimony of a good conſcience, that he had walked before the Lord in truth and uprightneſſe.

Wherefore it is a ſad thing, ſo many men ſhould ſeek after Science, ſo few after Conſcience; that men ſhould hunger and thirſt after Riches, and not after Righteouſneſſe: whereas did we beſtow as much paines in ſeeking Morall and Theologicall Vertues and Graces, as we do for Arts and Sciences, we might attaine them ſooner, and retaine them longer.

Longer, did I ſay? I need not recall the word: Spirituall graces are truly called a treaſure, becauſe as they ſupply to all purpoſes, ſo they continue to all times. Grace carries us through all duties, and through all tryalls. It makes the yoak of Chriſt eaſie, and his burden light; it weakens the ſtrength of ſinne, and takes out the ſting of death; it ſtuſſes our pillows with the Feathers of a Dove, and fills us with thoſe joyes that are ſo unſpeakeable and glorious. St. Auguſtine ſpeaking of the primitive Chriſtians: Quidam patienter vivunt, & delectabiliter moriuntur: They live with patience, and they dye with joy. Their Life it ſeemes was a trouble, Death an advantage: they endured the one, and deſired the other. That bleſſed Martyr Vincentius, had doubtleſſe a great meaſure of this bleſſed peace in his end, when he could ſay to his executioner Dacianus; Nunquam aliquis adeò benè ſervivit mihi, ut tu; No man ever did me ſo good ſervice as you are about to do: your torments will haſten me to my triumphs, your ſword will but let out that corruption of fleſh and blood, which cannot inherit the Kingdome of God.

I ſhall conclude and diſmiſſe you in the comfort of that promiſe recorded by Holy David in the 64. Pſalme. All the upright in heart ſhall glory, at the 10 verſe.

The ſubject of the promiſe you ſee, is Glory: and the perſons to whom it is due, are the Upright in heart. And we may admire the wiſdome and goodneſſe of the Holy Ghoſt in that expreſſion: (upright in heart.) A man may be upright in the deſires of his heart, when through the ſuddaineſſe or violence of a temptation, he may be over-borne into a ſinne. The Lord help us, we cannot maintaine a perfect rectitude in the wayes of this world. In every calling there are ſome in-evitable temptations: but yet let us ſtrive and beare up, though the ſtream of corruption runne ſtrong againſt us, let us put off all diſguiſes in religion, and lay down the love of craft, and falſe-hood, and circumvention in Civill actions; and then we ſhall ſecure our title to the promiſe. Of what? Of glory. So we read it; but tranſlations differ: ſome have it, Laudabuntur, they ſhall be praiſed. Uprightneſſe is ſuch a grace as creates an Holy and Reverentiall admiration in all that behold it. Even wicked Balaam could wiſh, Let me dye the death of the righteous, and let my laſt end be like the Iſrael of God. But I reſt not in that. Take the word in another tranſlation; Laetabuntur, they ſhall rejoyce. If we could crowd Heaven into a Map, we might find two Hemi-ſphears; the one would be Joy, the other would be Glory: And as of thoſe two Hemiſphears of the world, the firſt hath been known long before: The other (that of America which is the richer in treaſure) God reſerved for latter diſcoveries: ſo though he reſerve that Hemiſphear of heaven, which is the Glory thereof, to the reſurrection; yet the other Hemiſphear, the Joy of heaven, God opens to our diſcovery, and delivers for our habitation, even whilſt we dwell in this world. That which Chriſt ſhall ſay to our ſouls at the laſt Judgment; Enter into your Maſter's joy; He ſayes to our Conſcience now, Enter in your Maſter's joy. The everlaſtingneſſe of the Joy, is the bleſſedneſſe of the next Life; but the entring, the inchoation is afforded to the upright in this. Thoſe words of Chriſt, Come ye bleſſed, are words intended to them that are comming to Him, that are upon their way. And as here he bids us, Come; herafter, he will bid us, Welcome.

Let it not trouble you then, what I told you out of Solomon, that the upright is an abhomination to the wicked, and ſo, tribulations are to be expected. But you know, as a man muſt have ſome land, or he cannot be in wardſhip: ſo a man muſt have ſome of the love of God, or elſe he could not fall under Gods correction. And when the hand of God lies upon him, either in a diſeaſe, or in a perſecution, and preſſes him, ſo that even life it ſelfe is expiring, then he ſhall feel the comfort of this promiſe: Laetabitur, he ſhall Rejoyce. And as the Lord ſaid concerning the reducing of his people Iſrael out of Babylon: Sibilabo populum meum, I will hiſſe for them, Zech. 10. 8. ſo when the upright man ſhall lye panting, and languiſhing upon his bed of ſickneſſe. The Lord ſhal then come to his bed-ſide, and hiſſe for him, and whiſper gently to his departing ſoul: Feare not Sin, I am thy Righteouſneſſe: Feare not Death, I am the Reſurrection: Feare not the day of Judgment, I am thy Advocate now, and ſhall be thy Judge then. And by theſe flaſhes of joy, ſhall ſo inlighten his ſoul, as to overcome all the cares and the feares of Nature, all the Horrour of the paſſing Bell, all the cryes, and teares of a diſtracted and ſcattering family. Like bleſſed Stephen, he ſhall, by the eye of Faith, ſee Heaven open, and his Saviour ſtanding at the right hand of God. And his joy then ſhall be ſo ſtrong, as that it ſhall no more extinguiſh, or evaporate than his ſoul ſhall. And it ſhall become a Joy that ſhall paſſe up, and put on a more glorious garment above, and be a Joy ſuper-inveſted in Glory.

FINIS.