THe words going before are these: ‘Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do wee and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bride-chamber mourn, as long as the bridegrome is with them? But the daies will come when the bridegrome shall be taken from them, & tunc jejunabunt, And then shall they fast.’

AS it is now the unhappinesse of these times, just so was it of the Primitive, not to please all, either full or fasting, nei­ther with their Festivals, nor their Eves. For our Saviour came eating and drinking, and the Pharisees had an [Ecce] for him; Behold a man gluttonous, and a wine-biber. A glutton perchance, for his great feast made to the 4000; and a wine­biber no doubt, for that marriage-miracle [Page 2] of Cana in Galile [...], the turning of the six water-p [...]ts into wine, a great quantitie in­deed, when each contein'd two or three fer­kins a piece. Again, the Baptist came nei­ther eating nor drinking, saith the the same text, and yet according to the 10 ver. of 69 P.s. even that was turned to his reproach: for they said he had a divel; a strange divel certainly, not unlikely to be of the same kinde our Saviour mention'd, Matth. 18. that could not be cast out but by fasting. But John must be content: for if they call the master of the house Beelzebub, well may it be endured by those of the family; and i [...] Christ, who fasted fourtie daies, be brought in for a glutton, I see not how his Apostles, men that could not abstein nibling corn on the Sabbath, should scape the disciples of John for not fasting. The disciples of John? What, did the Voice contadict the Word? were the Baptist followers against the Sa­viours? did John that came to prepare the way of Christ make it more crooked and uneven? No certainly: for this was done instigan [...]thus Pharisaeis, saies Maldonete, the Pharisees putting them upon it; a sort of people that had their very name from divi­sion, [Page 3] w^ch in this place they make good, draw­ing the disciples of John into their partie, & so siding against Christ: A [...]rick much pra­ctised by the Pharise [...]s of these d [...]ies, who the better to colour their own hypocrilie, and increase the faction, abuse the honest simplicitie of well-affected men; setting some conscientiou [...], plain-meaning disci­ples a work to ask questions, and move such doubts in Church and State, as they them­selvs have long before resolv'd upon. This Quaere then came not from the disciples of John, as their own proper doubt, but these being wrought over by the Pharisees, came to Christ, and said, Why do we and the Pha­risees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not, &c.

These words are a precept, or command: in which, may it please you to observe, first the Substance or main businesse of it in the word Fast, jejunabunt, they shall fast; next the Circumstance, or time measuring this Fast, implied in the Adverb [then] & tunc jejunabunt, and [then] shall they fast. Now from this Precept arise two questions, one about jejunabunt, whether wee will fast at all; and we may very well make a questi­on of it, for you know there are certain in the world who have been enjoin'd by Au­thoritie [Page 4] to Fast, yea and to Feast too, but they'l do neither. The other question is about the [tunc], the time when these men will fast; and I fear this question will be answered by them in Felix his words to S. Paul; Not now, but when we have a con­venient season, wee will send for this tunc: and Felix his convenient season never came as I reados; when theirs will be voted and resol­ved upon, they know themselvs best, I have not yet found it to sal upon the last Wednes­day of any month. Well! but get us a Fast first, and then a time after; and this to do will be no easie task; most of them being like the Israelites in the wildernesse, when once they begin to fast, they begin to mur­mure; to murmure I say, not at the act a­lone, but the very name and mention of Fasting, at the bare reading of a text that doe's but look towards an Ember-week: but and if that text be a commanding one, if Autoritie comes along with it, Autoritie said I? nay then so much the worse for that; for if it have a jejunabunt, they shall fast in it; why then, forsooth, they will fast; yes they will fast, but it shall be that fast in the 58 of Is [...] a fast for strife and de­bate, a fast from all love-feasts you may be [Page 5] sure. How these men can answer my text I know not, sure I am Expositors give it up for a main precept of fasting, and by such an one enjoined, who could command a Fast to the Sea and Grave, two great de­vourers, and both should abstein, the one from a Peter, the other from a Lazarus. A precept then perchance they will grant it, but by whom to be obeied: tunc jejunabunt then they shall fast, they, Christs disciples dead long since, and their. Fast with them; this belongs not to us, they'l crie; and they say true, if they are not of Christs disciples For if they be of the number of these they in my text, they must be the Nominative case to this Verb, agree with this jejunabunt, they shall fast with Christ disciples here, or not feast with them hereafter. And so much for the Tense shall, next for the Verb Fast, and about this I told you there was a question: Now that all questions may be fully under­stood, 'tis necessary the terms should be fore known, an sint, & quid sint▪ whether there be any such things or no, and what those things be; the same method must we observe about our terme of fast, adding withall the cur sit, the ground and reasons of fasting: First then let us enquire alter [Page 6] the an sit, whether there has been such a thing in the world as Fasting, and that there has, I could bring down, if I so pleas­ed, as others have done in lesser cases, from the very beginning of the world. Nam à principio fuit sic, it was so even in Paradice, and the first precept God gave our fore-fa­thers after their Creation was that in Gene­sis, Yee shall not eat of the tree of good and evil, not eat, that is fast. And surely had their meat and drink been to have done the will of him that sent them, that other place of Scripture had not followed, Meat for the bellie, and the bellie for meat, but God shall de­stroy both it and them, there had been no de­stroying, nor cutting off from eating now. Thus was it before the Law, and no other­wise under it: for you shall finde Moses commanding the children of Israel, and that twice in one book, to keep a strict fast every year on the tenth day of the seventh month: and a strict Fast it was, even like unto that in Paradice, In the day thereof that he eats, the partie must die the death, Levit. 16. Now more then this one day, though wee read not that Moses ordained, yet Prophet Zechary in his 8 Chap. has his Fast of the fourth, his Fast of the fifth, and his Fast of [Page 7] the tenth month; and not onely Prophet Zechary, but Prophet Elias, and Prophet Daniel may be brought in for fasters, this last for his three full weeks of abstinence, Eliah for his 40 daies; for which act alone he might very well be interpreted by Christ of John the Baptist, they both being our Sa­viours fore-runners, John in his Doctrine, Eliah in his Fast. Now for the quid sit, what fasting is; all that I have met with, define it to be, An abstinence from meat and drink, joined with an inward grief and sorrow of heart: which last part is made good from the very text: Our Saviour was ask'd, Why fast not thy disciples? and he said, Can the chil­dren of the Bride-chamber mourn. The que­stion was of Fasting, & his answer of Mour­ning; as if fasting and mourning had been all one: and that this outward fast of the bodie is an abstinence from all natural food clearly appears out of Esthers 3 daies fast, a long Lent for a Queen. Now least any should say we are the children of grace, as little bound to your old Testament Fasts as your old Testament meats, let such but turn over their Bibles, and they shall meet one bringing both Ashwednesday and Lent home to them in the Gospel, I mean the [Page 8] Baptist coming with his leathern girdle, and garment of Camels hair, a habit very well agreeing with the humiliation of this day, as also neither eating nor drinking, saies the text, an abstinence [...]it for the follow­ing fourtie. Fasting then, is a with-holding of meat and drink even under the Gospel. But now non omnes capium sormo [...]m h [...]nc, all are not capable of this precept, and therefore our indulgent mother the Church, that none might compl [...]ine of wrong do [...]e to Christian liberty, or the weake stomack of any weak brother, remits all she can of this rigour, and enjoins not for a fast either that of, Esthers or this of Johns, and yet qui porest capere cap [...]at, he that can fast so, let him fast a Gods name; but if he must needs eate, then let him sit down with Daniel, and fall to his pulse: our Church forbid­bing onely that pan [...]m desider abile [...], the pleasant bread there mention'd, your Lents of sweet-meats, & E [...]ber-weeks of preservs, all high-feeding dishes, and in parler flesh; and yet even this also doth our Church al­low to such as are in Timothies case, that have their [...] often infirmities, and to them is permitted flesh and wine, but it must be [...], as 'tis there in Timothie, [Page 9] a little to suffice nature: 'tis not the [...]il­ling of our selvs, but our lusts, no de [...]ay of nature, but chastisement of sin that shee aims at; and therefore forbids all die [...] nou­rishing blood with blood, not through a [...]u­perstitious abstinence, as it she did judaize in consecrating mea [...]s, and placing more ho­linesse in one dish then another, but onely that by the waterish and flaccid diet of fish, and so unapt for nourishmen [...], we might keep our bodies low, but our souls high, the flesh in subjection to the spirit, and the ap­pe [...]i [...] to the minde, hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse, and lusting no more after flesh-pots and onions, but Mannah; which brings me to my third Quaere, the cur sit, the reasons why we should fast, & tunc jejunabunt, and then shall they fast. Though according to our Church Homily the civil respects of the Common-wealth may require a fa [...]t, the narrow [...]eas and shambles exact their Ember-weeks & Lents to increase the breed of cattel, and maintein certain fish-trades; yet according to the Scriptures intent and the Churches, we must sanctifie a fast, prescribe these fourtie daies to a religious end, to bridle and keep in the lusts of the flesh, so to prevent sins to come, [Page 10] and punish our selvs for those already past. And this last S. Paul calls [...] an ho­ly chastising and afflicting himself for that thorn in his flesh, which forc'd him to his watchings often, and his fastings often, to his castigo corpus meum to correct the out­ward man, and bring his bodie under the lash; and certainly to be abridged of that which otherwise we might freely use, has in it the nature of a punishment, they are the very words of the Psalmist, I wept and chast­ned my self with fasting: chastned himself, a chastisement then it it is. And as it pu­nishes for sin past, so it prevents also for sins to com: and this was Christs time of fast­ing before temptation, who fasted to so good purpose, that the Tempter, like the Pharisees, from that day forward never durst ask him any more questions, but this one­ly, What have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth; there was no medling, no do­ing with him after his fasting. Now Christ abstein'd thus, not for himself, for the Di­vel could not have prevailed had he not fa­sted; there were no faultie desires of the flesh to be tamed, no possibilitie of a freer and more easie assent and compliance of his soul with God, who was already perfect­ly [Page 11] united to the Deity: But as for us hee would suffer death, so for us he would suf­fer hunger, that first as our Saviour, this last as our example, pointing us that had need (for hee had none) the best way to encounter the evil spirit of concupiscence, which is not cast out, no not kept out nei­ther but by fasting. Saturitas ventris semi­n [...]rium libidinis, a [...]ul [...] bellie and a foul heart scarce go uncoupled: for indeed how should they per membr [...]rum ordinem (saies S. August. in his 65 de tempore) ordo vitio­rum intelligitur, as in the Anatomie of our bodies the parts of gluttonie and lust are link'd together, so are the sins themselvs. And therefore the Apostle ioynes them, riot­ing and drunkennesse, chambering and wantonnesse; first rioting, and then wanton­ness, that leads on this, and not only this, but a whole troope of rebellious actions, secu­rity, disobedience, idolatry. Thus when the fools barns in the gospell were filled with corn, there was no thought of God the be­nefactor, all the care was about [...], soul take thy case, eat, drink and bemer­ry. And indeed this eating quite takes away our stomacke from all holy duties. I need not tell you of Adams surfet, the Isralites [Page 12] in their paradice of Canaan fell to eating 100, and by eating fell, as hee did, from their God; and this the Lord foretold them in the 31. of Deuteronomie: when saies hee I shall have brought Israel into the land that floweth with milke and honey, and they shall have eaten and fill'd themselvs, then will they turne unto other gods, then, and not till then: and just so they did, for in the very next Chap. at the 15 ver: you have Jeshurun (which is Jsra­ell) wax'd fatt, and kicking; and then saies the text, hee forsooke God which made him. Ano­ther end of fasting is to elevate the soul, and put her upon the wing of holy contempla­tion and prayer; for it stands with reason, that so long as shee is conversant in the kitchin, so long as her spirits and faculties are spent in dispersing vapours and exhala­tions of meats, shee her selfe must needs bee l [...]sse apt and free for heavenly emploiment. Full bellies are fittest for [...]est, and not the body, so much as the soule, is most active with emtinesse: for this reason fasting and praier go together in Scripture, and as in Scripture, so in our Churches practise, so­lemne praier almost ever takes fasting to att [...]nd it. A third reason of fasting is, to [...]estify our repentance by our penance, the [Page 13] prostration of our soules by the humiliation of our bodies; and thus did the primitive times, by their course diet and cloathing, present their unworrhinesse of the benefits of this life, and by casting ashes on their heads, speake themselves but dust, altoge­ther deserving to be as farre underneath the earth, as they were above it; and this repen­tance Christ implied to bee the most reall and unfained of all others, when hee told the Jewes, That had the mighty works been done in Tyre and Sid [...]n which were done amongst them they would have repented; and is that all? no, they would have repen­ted sitting in sack-cloath and ashes, their ve­ry cloaths and haire had done pennance. For t [...]ue repentance is not a bare turning to God, but turning with fasting: they are Gods own words, Turn to mee with fasting, weep­ing and mourning. The belly must grieve and sympathize with the heart, and the eye be as contrite as the minde. Repentance then must together with fasting under the Law in Leviticus it was so, their solemne re­pentance was ever at the time of their gene­rall fast: and they which had not the law (as Nineve [...]) nature it selfe taught them to take this Physicke, as wee use all other, fasting; [Page 14] and fasting wee must take it, if wee would have it worke kindly. Nay Saint Basil in his first dejejunto, saies, it works not at all upon a full stomack: [...] re­pentance without fasting is idle, [...] meerly idle, without any stirring any moving the ill humors atall. The meaning is according to S. James; As faith without works, so repentance without fasting is little better then dead: and again, As faith without works so fasting too without works is dead: and this is another end of our fasts, the exercise of our charity & alms. To keep a fast for a nation and relieve it not, is but to repeat that Sarcasme in the 2^d of S. James, Depart in peace, when they are already destroied by war; warm your selves and fill your bellies, without fire or meat. Could we everimagine how our devo­tion should rout an enemie, or our fasts raise a siege? Joshua must sight against Amalek as well as Moses pray; it were well then if they would order it, that our hands may be lifted up no lesse then our votes and praiers, and our Chests lie as open as our Church­doors. For this is to fast saies God by his Prophet Isaiah, To deal thy bread to the hun­grie, to bring the poor to thy house; Israel was not chid for eating, but laying up of their [Page 15] Mannah; and therefore saies a Father, Ita jejuna ut alio manducante prandisse te gaude as, so fast, that the poor may fare the better for it; let thy Eves be their Festivals, thy Lent their Easter. And now we have got a fast for our time, let us see whether wee can finde a time for our fast, a tunc for our je­junabant, which is my last part to be hand­led, the circumstance or time of this fast, implied in the Adverb then, And then they shall fast; and then. Allowing the thing, we can't chuse but allow it a time, for there is a time for every thing under the Sun: a time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourne, and a time to dance (saies the prea­cher) to dance when the Bridegroom is with us, to sit down and mourn when hee is taken away, when the marriage feast is at an end; and this is that then in my text, then shall they fast; that is, when the Bride­groom is taken away; and the Bridegroom is taken away, saies our Church Homilie, when we are cast down with sicknesse, grief of minde, or the like. As for sicknesse 'tis a plain case that takes away the stomack quite, and the time of grief is a time of fa­sting too. Thus Hannah when she was up­braided by her adversarie, wept: and how [Page 16] then? and did not eat saies the 1 of Sam. 1. 7. nor drink neither, I believe, unlesse her tears. So Ahab also when he could not obtein the Vineyard, mourn'd: I, that's granted you'l say; for 'tis wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and Naboth denied that; mourn'd? yes and fasted saies the text, no meat would down with him he was so ve­xed. And so 'tis here, while Christ was with the Apostles, they could not grieve, for they had the fulnesse of joy; but when that fulnesse of joy was to be taken away, then they shall mourn, & tunc jejunabunt and then they shall fast, mourn and fast all one in the text. Another time of Fasting is the time of danger; for when men are in jeopar­dy, what pleasure can they take in meat; knowing not how soon they may eat their last. When the children of Israel saw the Egy­ptians, at their heels, they had no time then to think of their flesh-pots and onyons. And this then, this time of fasting is the most usu­all in all the Scripture; if a plague, famine or Rabshekah bee fear'd, sanctifie a fast in all hast, put on sackcloath, send for the Arke. And thus was it with the Apostles, Christ was their rocke and sure tower of defence from all danger, and the feare of it: but [Page 17] when this rocke was removed, when Christ was once taken away, then they were at St Pauls quotidie morimur, every hour in dan­ger to be drawn to the stake, & tunc jeiuna­bant, and then they did fast. Now if for the effect of sin we fast, for the cause for sinne it selfe much more: and this then, this time of fasting for our sinns, should wee duely ob­serve, our tunc would bee nunc, our then would be now, and as now ita nunc & semper & in secula, so both now and for ever; for should wee live alwaies, wee should sinne al­waies, and so fast alwaies. But this because wee cannot, nay, were it possible wee could, I beleeve wee would not; for were wee left to our selves, our then would be then when wee list, and if wee list and not else; I say therefore cause wee neither can fast alwaies, neither will fast of our selves scarce at any time; the primitive Church thought it fit to enioyne the people their set there; their solemn daies of fasting, which are these fortie daies now at hand, & the wednesdays & fri­daies of every weeke, & tunc jejunabant, and then saies the Church, they shall fast. And this is the Churches then; the Churches? yes and the Scriptures then too; some of these dayes, if not all, comming under the jurisdi­ction [Page 18] of this then in the text; for as for the wednesday and friday in that magnâ & sanctâ hebdomadâ, that great and holy week, as the Fathers call it, the Passion-week, the weeke next before Easter, 'tis confess'd on every side the bridegroome was taken from them; for on wednesday counsel was taken against him, money was taken for him, and then [...], saies the Evangelist, he was taken, as good as taken away then; but upon the friday following, as we all know, he was ta­ken, and taken away quite; and therefore then in a more especial manner they did fast: and not onely then, in the Passion-week, but then on those daies (at least one of those daies, the friday) ever after. For this then must be interpreted of the whole time after the taking away of the bridegrooms bodily presence; tum, tamdiu; then all that time and course of years till his second coming. Now for this time of Lent something may be said to bring it near the text: as that then when we fast for the Bridegroom, we should fast w^th the Bridegroom (as he did) fourtie daies; thus applying that precept of our Saviour (that we shall fast) to his own example, how we should fast. And this example both the Apostles after Christ, and the Church after [Page 19] the Apostles have strictly followed: whose intent it ever was in the celebration of these her holy Solemnities, not onely to inform us in the mysteries commemorated, but also, and that chiefly, to conforme us thereby unto him who is our head, and the substance of all our rites and customs. Let us therefore who professe our selvs members of the Church, be like affected with the same Church in this holy exercise of Fasting and Pennance, the onely way to render us con­formable to our great example in his suffer­ings. For repentance is the agonie, the bloodie sweat, the crosse of every Christian: whereby he dies unto sin, and is crucified with his Saviour. Each circumstance then of Christ's Passion, each bloodie Scene in this Tragedie must be re-acted on our own bodies; which are to be spread upon the crosse, as the Prophet was on the dead child, in answerable extention to [...]ll parts. First then the remembran [...]e o [...] o [...]r sins, and ho­ly cares for a better life must be the thorns, and when our ill thoughts are mortified, then is our head crowned with them. Severe Christian rigour is the gall and vineger; and when by an holy abstinence we came our wanton and rebellious flesh, then drink [Page 20] we the bitter cup. Restraint from wonted courses of sin is the hammer and nails, and the curbing of licentious actions is the stri­king through our hands and our feet. In a word, deep remorse is the fatal spear, and when the life-blood of our reigning corru­ptions is let out, then are our hearts pearc'd, and we crucified with our Saviour. Which if we indeavour to be; the same blessing shal be pronounc'd from Christ to us, which was from Christ to his Disciples, Blessed are yee that weep now, for yee shall laugh; blessed are yee that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied, and that with an everlasting Passeover, the Lamb of God at the great Easter day, the day of the general [...]esurrection, & tunc non jejuntibunt, and then there shall be no mour­ning nor fasting any more, but perpetual Halelujahs, and fulnesse of joy for ever: of which fulnesse God of his infinite mercie make us all partakers. To which God, &c.

AFter the sufferance of a four­tie years wildernesse-journey, and the more rugged waies of a perverse people, now was Moses drawing to his long home. He had brought the Israelites with­in sight of their long-look'd for inheritance, but himself must enjoy the beatifical vision, and that Jerusalem whereof the promised was but a type. The governors of God's Church would be thought but poorly re­warded, were their wages onely the milk and honie of a temporal Canaan. He that sends them to dresse his Vineyard is pleased to stand indebted for a better peny then this earth is master of. To receive this, our Pro­phet must ascend Mount Nebo, and die. And here since God had so well provided for Mo­ses, Moses will do his best for God's people; being not satisfied with his own happinesse, unlesse his charge may prosper; nor con­tent [Page 24] to have been their convoy all his life, except he might direct the way at his death also. 'Tis a clear Sun-set that commends the day, and the chief grace of the Theater is a good com off: wherefore our Prophet reservs his best Scene for the last Act, and in in the evening of his life shines most glori­ously; breaking forth upon the Tribes with a double ray of counsel and blessing. Coun­sel in the former Chap. Set your hearts to do all the words of the Law, &c. How divine a care it is while we are on earth to improve others for heaven, and after the assurance of our own eternitie, to help our brother to the same happinesse. But counsel is lit­tle worth, unlesse a blessing follow it; as that Sermon is unedifying [...]hat is not seconded with a benediction. Now this is given in the Chap [...] ▪ of my text; so fit withall and per­tinent to the Tribes, that each had a bles­sing proper to its self. For of Reuben it is said, Let not his men be few; of Benjamin, that he was the beloved of the Lord. Thus still the retinue, the servants are entail'd up­on the first-born, but the last is heir to his parent's love, that is the young master, this the darling. All but Levi were for temporal ends, & their legacies are answerable: Moses [Page 25] gives them as much as they cared for. Zebulun & Issachar shal be fill'd with the treasures of sea & land, & that's enough to stop their mouths. Benjamin shal be bless'd with repose & secu­ritie, and hee'l gladly sit down with that. Lastly surround Judah with a spatious crown, and large territories, you set him upon the highest pinacle of his ambition. But now it is not wealth, nor ease, no nor honor that best suits with the Ephod: all worldy blessings are jewels of too low a price, too faint a blaze and lustre to be set there; And therefore of Levi he said, &c.

The text conteins the Levites portion, and may be divided into three parts; the Donor, the Donative, and (as our Law terms it) the Donee, or partie endowed. The Donor you have implied in the Pronoun Thy, and that's God, who relates to each part; for 'tis Thy Thummim, and Thy Urim, and Thy holy One, all are Gods. And so 'tis not our own per­fection nor innate holinesse, nor our own illumination or private spirit, neither is this holy One one of our own making, any invention of man, but an order founded by God himself. Secondly the Donative is dou­ble, Thummim and Urim, w^ch are perfection and illumination as the Rabbins, holinesse [Page 26] and learning as our own men interpret; the two main things enquired after, not onely by the Universitie in degrees, but the Church in all her Ordinations. And lastly the par­tie endowed with these gifts, the holy One, includes the whole Tribe of Levi; by con­comitance that of the Old, by correspon­dence this of the New Testament. For Thummim and Urim respects the Clergie in general, and is as large as bot [...] Cove­nants. Of these particulars very briefly, and first of the Donor as he severally relates to Thummim, Urim, holy One▪ Non per nos-ipsos necviribus natura, sed perspiritum sanctum was the doctrine of Saint Austine, and the Ca­tholick Church: our will here being like a lower sphere, quae non nisi mota movet: if no inspiration no co-operation; and our graces are as the money in Benjamin's sack, of anothers putting in; all springing from Christ, as the branches from the Vine, and cease to be graces when they forget their Author. Our strength then is but borrow­ed, our going but leading in God's hand; who is to us what his Cloud was to Israel; if he please to make a stand, we know not which way to turn our selves; meer nature cannot direct to heaven: and therefore wee [Page 27] say well in our praier, for thine is the Power, and the Glori [...], it being by that Power wee come to this Glorie. Secondly as our Thum­mim, so our Urim too is from God; for there is no illumination but proceeds à Pa­tre luminum, saies Saint James, from Him that enlightens every one that coms into the world à Patre per modum naturae, as the child from the father; à Patre luminum per modum emanationis, as the shine from the Sun. As well then the Fierie-tongues as the Dove come from on high, Learning no lesse then Innocencie. Thus if Saint Paul have a door of Utterance, God himself keeps the Key: if Isaiah's lips want purifying, no lesse then a Seraphin must expiate them, and hee too with no fire but the Altars: neither Prophets nor Apostles can speak [...], as 'tis in Acts 2. the wonderful works of the Lord, unlesse the Holy Ghost first bring the Tongues. But now quis vituperavit? not the most factions but will agree that Thummim & Urim, all perfections and illuminations, even those dim ones of their own private spi­rits are of God, but this holy One not so far fetched; & therefore you take too much up­on you, yee sonnes of Levi, seeing all the Con­gregation is holy, even as your selves. [Page 28] And it must needs be granted they are so; all the Congregation of the Lord sanctified as well as his Priests, yet not to the same degree of holinesse, but they sicut populus, as Gods people, these sicut Aaron, as his pe­culiar servants; they are holy 'tis true, but these holiest of holies. Hence it was that when the Law kept Ordinations, certain pieces of the Sacrifice were put into the Priests hands; and now instead of that, a Bible into ours: Not onely as a rule to direct, but a sacred witness of that professi­on, into which wee are by a Divine hand invested. Hence also it is that we so of­ten meet with a mittet operarios, and a dabit Angelos, all of Gods mission. And indeed who more fit to appoint Laborers for the Vineyard, then the Lord of the Farme; who Steward for the house, if not the Master. None then may usurpe this holy charge, assume this honour. We are Embassadours; and 'tis treason to enter upon an Embassy, before commanded by our Prince. And therefore to bee [...] a man's own ordainer, as Basil's word is, to clap down into Moses chair upon a vain Enthu­siasme is prophane presumption; and not to undertake our Office, but to invade it: be­ing [Page 29] so esteemed of God, as may appear by that feareful Ironie to the false Prophets, I sent them not, yet they run; run, knowing nor why, nor whither▪ like Ahimaaz in Samuell, and at length like him too, they can tell no tidings. Thus neither unbidden nor yet unprepared guests, may come to this Supper of the Lord: For a wedding garment is required. Whom God imploies in his service hee calles, and whom he calles he cloathes; gives them as well abilities of doing, as autority to do: which leads me to my second part, the double Donative, Thummim and Vrim, life and learning, the two maine things enquired after by the Bishop in all Ordinations; And of Levi hee said, Let thy &c. Thummim and Urim, Religi­on takes place of Learning, and he must first be good to himself, that will be so to o­thers. For which end the antient Fathers, led by example of the Prophets and Apostles (saies our Canon) appointed Ember-weeks before Ordination, a strict severe govern­ment of our owne affections, ere we have an­tority to guide the peoples: example being the life of doctrine; and therefore the Praedi­cants of old were called operarii, quia opere magis quam ore praedicarent, as Stella glosser, [Page 30] and that both in respect of our calling and charge. For our calling as 'tis most emi­nent, so most eyed, and worst censured. If an Apostle rub but an eare of corn on the sabbath, 'tis breaking of the day; the peoples moates are the Priests beames, and anothers indifferency is my evill: somthings being expedient in respect of the man, which are scandalous meerely for his coate. None therefore to keepe within so strict lines as the Aaronite, being one ever under mo­nitors. For behold (saies the Apostle) we are made a gazing-stock to the World, to An­gels, to Men? to men, which are our charge. Governors live not their owne lives alone, but the peoples; their actions being not personal, but epidemical, and whether good or bad are held authentick; it being enough for the rout that their betters did so. Do any of the rulers believe on him was thought sufficient argument why others should not? Thus if Jeroboam transgresse, he makes an Israel to sinne; and if Aaron set up an idol, a whole nation will worship it. Holinesse then becomes every man wel, but best of all publick persons; and that not onely for ex­ample of good, but liberty of controlling ill. The snuffers of the sanctuary made to [Page 31] purge others, must be of pure gold them­selvs. Thus Herod feared John, not 'cause he was a powerful teacher, but a Just man. This holinesse casts a more dazleing lustre then any other accomplishment what-ever. But let that passe, and suppose this Thummim be not with the holy One, admit the Priest sinnefull; shall the people notwithstanding follow his doctrine, his doctrine whose life is not the use, his voice whose hand points a contrary way? Nothing more, for what if the sacrificer bee unclean, is the offering so? was the glory of Israel, the Arke, any whit lessened when it came from the Phi­listines? did the breath of the Lord his an­swers passe by the lesse regarded, 'cause a Saul Prophesied? Scripture is scripture though the Divell speake it; no mans sinns should bring the service of God into con­tempt, nor may good be refused 'cause the meanes are accidentally evill. Non ergome­rita personarum sed officia sacerdotum conside­rentur, saies Ambrose in his 5 Chapter de iis qui mysteriis initiantur: and 'tis a grosse dull capacity that can't distiuguish 'twixt the worke and the instrument, the weakenesse of the person and the power of the functi­on. You know no unclean viands were for [Page 32] the table of an Israelite, no birds of prey [...]it company for a Prophet; yet Sampson made much of his hony, though in a putri­fied Lion; and if Ravens are sent to preserv an Eliah, he willingly accepts their courte­fie, and dislikes not the meat 'cause the wai­ters were black. These then of the Law are lesse scrupulous then some of the Gospell, who disdaine the graces of God, when not served in the pure [...]t vessels, that loath their Mannah, if not out of the Tabernacles gol­den pot, all Urim not coupled with Thum­mim; The other part of the Donative.

Urim is a large word, and reciprocal with sapience in Tully, the science of humane and divine matters; whence it seems the Levites divinity and scholarship are not synoni­ma's, at least not this and preaching? Lo a vision appeared to me, saies Ezekiel, a whirlwinde and a fire; to [...]hew, the Prophets of the Lord must have light with them as well as noise, understanding as tongue. Gods Ministers are Angels, and these called [...], from their manifold knowledg. I speak this meerely, for that there is a generation which square out the Divines studie by the Scripture Canon onely, all other rules being crooked, and of no use. Would you know [Page 33] the reason? The lesse learning the lesse sti­pend: and indeed good Letters have not a little pined away, since Divinity began to officiate at the tables end for the trencher. Now 'tis true Scripture was ever the Levites predominant element; but if you'l make him a perfect mixt body, the Arts too are ne­cessary ingredients. And therefore though Hadrian the sixt, in his tract de ver a philsophia cries down humane learning with a noise of Fathers, yet he concludes, utilem esse sci­entiam gentilium, dummodo in usum christia­num convertatur, that to shave and par [...] the captive woman, & then espouse her, was ever held lawfull matrimony. Look backe upon the two famous patterns of Jewish and Chri­stian divines; Moses learned in all the wis­dom of the Aegyptians, and S. Paul wise in all the learning of the Grecians, a great ar­tist, and a good ling [...]i [...]; and no lesse may we expect from the rest of the Apostles, to whom it was not said, [...]ollow me, and strait way be fishers; but follow▪ and I will make you fishers. They were to learne, ere they were to teach, to be Discipls, before Apostles. No man is born an Ar [...]isicer, his soul com­ing as naked into the world as his body, not having so much freedome as to set up in [Page 34] the meanest-trade without serving an ap­prenticeship And for that dabitur in illa hora to speake without conning, was a promise made to the Twelve, when they should be called to the barre, not to the pulpit. This place, how ever some have made it scanda­lous, requires both learning and industry; and thus much S. Paul intimated, when he sent for his bookes, finding as great want of them, as his cloak in winter. Yet here not­withstanding this Urim is os so large an ex­tent, as compassing the whole body of knowledge; we must remember that our most acute and clearest illumination is but dull and glimmering, and though it be said to be Gods, yet 'tis not meant of that light which is tanquam lux in lucido, sed lumen in diaphano, not as the Sun, but as the shine. And therefore if any in this fraile tenement of flesh, shall dare to hope for the master­reach in Gods secrets of state, such I mean as put the great Apostle to his gaze with [...] and [...], hee mistakes his measure, and forgets that his dwelling is in the dust. And why should I call for day where God will have night, and covet to see that brightnesse, whose least ray will in­stantly blind me; it being too strong an [Page 35] object for the weake eye of mans understan­ding? I will rather admire God in his acti­ons, and be content to know the Al­mighty no farther then his Word shall re­veal, where this light leaves mee, I will cease the quest, and boast of my ignorance; never desiring that Urim, that illumination, which leades to utter darkenesse, nor that Thummim, that holinesse, which will unho­ly mee. And this points at my last particu­lar, the party endowed with this gi [...]t, the Holy One.

Wee are all Gods, but not all Gods holy Ones. This title is proper to the Priests hiral­dry, a jewel only for Aarons brest-plate. And certainly the office being sacred, the name must be answerable. Now the Levite was thus styl'd from a two-fold holinesse, that of his life, which you have heard, and ano­ther of his person. For all sanctity is not inward, nor is all Thummim (perfection) that of the soule. Gods holy one must be his faire one too, without blemish no lesse in body, then in mind. Thus under the law no monstrous issue, no blind seer, might offer the bread of his God Levit. 21. And shall the Evengelicall Ministration be worse ser­ved then the Legall? while the Sacrifice is [Page 36] more noble, shall the Priest be lesse? onely the fattest in the herd, the fairest in the flock were the oblations of the Law: and shal the poorest onely of the Tribe, the most de [...]orm­ed of all the issue, be the offerings of the Gospel? The Lords house is no hospital; nei­ther the sacrifice, nor the Priest must be ad­mitted unsound, or imperfect; and if not a maim'd lambe, much lesse a maim'd Levite. God of all things will [...]rooke no defilement in the Priesthood: we find Miriam ad Aa­ron both in the same sinne, yet Miriam one­ly the Leper; least (saies S. Chrisostom, Hom. 3 ad Colos.) the uncleannesse of the others person should sticke upon his office; and therefore I find a leprous King, but no where a leprous Priest in all the Scripture. Now seeing our outward bearing and persons must be blamelesse, why should not our condition be so? To effect this, nothing bet­ter then a continual meditation of that so­lemne pompe and Ceremony used in our Orders. When the reverend Prelate laies his hand on thy head, remember thou art then manumniz'd from all secular ties, and sequestred no lesse from the Callings of the people, then their vices: and certainly the holy impression▪ of Episcopal hands set o [...] [Page 37] from above, is such an Elixar, as by con­ [...]action, if there be any disposition of good­nesse in the baser mettle, it will render it of the propertie. Again, when thou takest the Bible, with autoritie to dispence the Word and Sacraments; Oh! let us not a­buse our Masters trust, in betraying that sa­cred pledge to the vain Pulpit applan [...]e and Church flatterie of a giddie multitude; but may that Apocalyptical curse be ever be­fore thee, of adding or detracting from the words of Gods book; quod dicitur in falsa­tores hujus libri doctrinae, which is denounc'd (saies a Father) against such as ravish Scri­pture to force out doctrines for their own ends, and then emptie their rancour, by turning them to Uses. But above all, those divine extasying words, Receive the Holy Ghost, strike through the soul; the very sound comes crosse me, and ties down those hands which otherwise might stab my bro­ther, that tongue which else might curse my King, or blaspheme my God. Receive the Holy Ghost, the syllables are an historie, and present my thoughts with all those sa­cred breathings of the Spirit throughout the Scripture. Here I finde a single Prophet pos­sess'd of a double portion, and heir no lesse [Page 38] to Eliah's Spirit, then his Mantle: there twelve Aprostles, each speaking with as ma­ny tongues; whose powerful Rhetorick did convert thousands at a Sermon; their edi­fying being a conquest, and their Proselites not so properly to be styled a Congregati­on, as a people. Receive the Holy Ghost? Good God, what more can we ask, or thou bestow! The holy Ghost? Why then (as S. Paul saies) receive also the gift of Prophesie by the same Spirit, the gift of Healing by the same Spirit, the gift of Miracles by the same Spirit. But these are Apostolical ta­lents: and wee, O Lord, the most unpro­fitable of thy servants, are altogether un­worthie the meanest of thy gifts: yet vouch­safe us, we beseech thee, who have now devo­ted our selves for thy service, to be filled, though with the smallest measure of thy ho­ly Spirit, to be overshadowed but with a single feather of that Dove, enlightned with the least ray of that Cloven-tongu'd fire; and this for thy Gospels sake, for thy promise sake, for thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ his sake: to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be ever, as is most, &c.

AS Abraham's mystical Ram in the thicket, when Isaac was offered up on mount Moriah, and yet not sacrific'd, was Christ crown'd with thorns; so Solomon's typical Lillie in the text, is Christ's Church inthron'd among the bri­ers: who though she bee born a King's daughter, yet is her coronet but in-lai'd with thorns; and though the 45 Psalm cloaths her with a robe of wrought gold, and all glorious within, yet is this glorie of her roial apparel at the best but the glorie of the Ermine, shadowed over and eclips'd with the black spots, and that gold but the gold of the Psalmists furnace, seven times purified and martyr'd in the flame. Now that the coat of Christ's Spouse hath been thus blazon'd, all Historie both Ecclesiasti­cal and Civil will be our Heralds, and wit­nesse. Ensebius, with his fellow-pens of [Page 42] Church-storie, have sufficiently written the Acts and Monuments of this truth: their volumnes being so many books of Martyrs, in which you may read the Christian bap­tiz'd in his own blood, and receiving his confirmation from the fire; being condem­ned ad bestias onely for the Roman sport and recreation, and to the stake in usum nocturni luminis, saies Tacitus, to save the Citie-candle, and light home passengers in a dark night. Our religion in the mean time being scandalized for superstitio exiti­abilis, the very fate and bane of Common­wealths, and the professors of it for novato­resrerum, the grand Innovators and Boute­feus of the world. Insomuch saies Tertullian, that if an Earthquake shook town or terri­torie, straight Christianitie was called in question; as if the breath of Christian prai­ers vented in religous caves (the onely Tem­ples of those daies) had rais'd that subter­raneous winde, and their grones caus'd the motion. And for this reason etiam susp [...]ria & lac [...]rimae scribebantur saith the histori­an, their very tears were registred as the Malignant Partie, and their [...]ighs for plots against the State. And all this [...]t implere­ [...]r, that Gods Word might be fulfilled, and [Page 43] written the second time in the afflictions of his Church. Thus Nero persecuting in the Roman storie, is the red dragon driving the woman to the wildernesse in S. John's Pro­phesie; and the Churches martyrdom the truth of that type, the sight of that vision, and even the revelation of the Apocalypse. Or if you will, the Woman there is the Love here in the text, that Wildernesse these Thorns, representing to you the face of this glasse, the original and person of this picture or similitude: As the Lillie, &c.

This text you heard me now call a picture or similitude; in which picture, as in all draughts of the pencil, you may behold the lights & the shadows, the lights shining forth in the Lillie and the Love, the shadows mask'd under the Thorns and the Daugh­ters▪ for those black Thorns are as the sha­dow to this white Lillie, and these soul daughters the foil to set off that fair Love. Now as all pictures must have their place of view; so may it please you to look upon, for a third particular, the seat or▪ standing of this Lillie, it is in [...] in the mid­dle, or among the Thorns; and last of all to vouchsafe a glance or two upon the Ar­tisan himself, implied in the particle my; As [Page 44] the Lillie among the Thorns, so is my Love▪ my, who am the Limmer that hath drawn and owes this piece, whose hand protects it here, and will new trim and varnish it hereafter, turning these lights into Glories and ever­lasting shines, and those shadows into utter darknesse. Thus have you from a rude pen­cil the chief lines of this Landskip of the Church, and my present discourse; of all which as they lie in the frame of the text, where you are first presented with the lights of this piece, the Lillie and the Spouse, As the Lillie, so is my Love.

The Lillie is a flower of that brightnesse, not Solomon (saies our Saviour) exalted on his throne, shin'd with that majestie as one of these humbled in the valley, no [...] were his robes half so glorious as their leaves. And as this flower excels in an outward bravery, and ga­d [...]nesse of leaves, so in an inward goodnesse of the stemme; out-shining not onely the King, but all his plants, from his Cedar of Lebanus to the Hisope that groweth on the wall; being of that medicinall virtue with the Herbalist, idolatrous Israell might have receiv'd from hence an antidote against the Serpents sting, and rebellious Pharaoh a new skin for his blister'd flesh▪ Now though [Page 45] Christs spouse in the text answers all, and more then hath been spoken of the Lilly; yet for the present I will drawe out this paralel but onely in two lines; the one pointing to the humility of Christs Chuch, in the grow­eth of the Lilly, which is but low, and there­fore called the Lilly of the vallies; the other to her Virgine purity, and innocency of life, from the whitenesse of the same flower; a colour nature doth die; simple and so fittest for religion. I'le take my rise from the humi­lity of Christs spouse, As the lilly, so is my love.

Aquinas his humility, the lowest of acts, and yet the highest of virtues, would scarce speake good schoole divinity, had not our Saviour preached it by his actions: who not onely died but lived for our salvation; teach­ing us a way to mount upwards by descend­ing, and to be exalted through humility. Thus he that was the fullnesse of the God­head, exinanivit se, emptied himselfe into a man: he that dwelt in the highest regarded the lowlinesse of his Handmaiden, as 'tis in the Magnificat, and the brightnesse of the Fa­ther became over-shadowed with a vaile of flesh. And as if for a God to be borne, and a Diety to enter a body, were not sufficient humiliation; his whole life was but the [Page 46] Schooles twelve rounds or degrees of humi­lity. For though we hear Christ preaching up­on the mount, in the 5. of Saint Matth: yet were his doctrines there onely of the vallies, To rejoice when men shall revile, to bee exceed­ing glad for a persecution, so the twel [...]t pe­riod of that sermon; again, to have a cheeke to receive an injury, to go to law not to reco­ver, but give away a garment, in the 40 ver: of the same chap: last of all to blesse for a curse, to wish heaven to such as desire your damnation, to deny even our selves, that is saies a Father, our great parts and eminent endowments; duri sermones hard lessons, and yet all tooke out by our Saviour; his hand directing the same way with his voice, and what he taught was but his owne example; shewing, he enioyn'd no impossibilities, in that he acted his owne commands. Thus I find him on the crosse in the greatest agony for his persecutors, their blasphemies wrest­ling with his benedictions; the Jewes curse ascending heaven, and Christs blessing keep­ing it downe: who not suffering them to en­joy their damnation, resolved upon with so much plaudite & acclamation, his blood be upon us and our children, opened the mouth of that blood into a praier, and made it crie, [Page 47] Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. And this my God was according to thy promise, the giving of a new commande­ment: for whereas the old runns, I will vi­sit the sinns of the fathers upon the children, thy law of the Gospell proclaimes, I will remit those sinns unto the third and fourth generation, I will shew mercy upon thous­ands of them that hate me and not keepe my commandements. Now for the second act of our Saviours humility, the deniall of his eminent gifts, what greater could there be, then the forbidding his patients to declare their cure, and desiring his miracles might be as invisible as his Godhead. As if a mira­culous health were the shame of the physiti­an, and a Lazarus raised to life, the spoiling of his practise. Or else how is it we read in the Gospell, of our Saviours unlocking the mouth of the dumb, and then crying, See you tell no man; which was to tie up that organ, which he had before loosed; as he did in drawing the curtaine from the blind mans eyes, & yet commanding him not to see and take notice of his physitian; or in restoring the withered hand, and straitway drying it up againe, in forbidding it's use; and saying, point not at me. And therefore learn of me, [Page 48] was our Saviours saying to his Church, for I am lowly in heart, Mat. 11. In heart, aflecting no vain glory in my miracles, no high opini­on of my great parts; which instructs us not to commit Idolatrie with our own bosom, and to fall down to the thoughts of our hearts; by which wee deifie these moulds of earth, as if we could raise eternitie out of ashes, or build immortalitie on pillars of dust; wherefore learn of Christ to think meanly of our selvs, and mistrust even what we know: and this, saies Aquinas, refraenat animum, is a bridle to curb and keep in our hot-mettel'd and unweighed minds, from running upon every dangerous precipice; the want of hu­mility expelled our first parents paradise, the angeltheaven, and may us too from the same joyes for som mens eminencies are their vi­ces, and a good name as dangerous to them as a bad, their greatest parts being made their greatest sins; and the rationall soul to answer more at the last day, for it's know­ledg, then ignorance. Hence it is we hear Phi­sophy turned into Atheism, and a deep dis­course to subtle blasphemy; which dares cen­sure the holy Ghost for no good Philospher in placing the waters above the firmament, cause all their elements are sublunary, & to [Page 49] dispute the first Chap. of Gen. out of the Ca­non, for that it is no where to be found in the Physicks. Thus they cry down Moses by Ari­stotle, & as i [...] the Divel were as great a mover of sedition in the study, as in the shop, they raise a Brownisticall mutiny of the Arts a­gainst Divinity, setting up that to preach which never tooke Orders. Nor stop we here, but upon the same proud dotage of our able parts presume to remove those Land-marks in Divinity, our Fathers have set; to leave the old beaten way of the Church, trod by so many ages of Divines, and follow a pecu­liar tracke of our private fancy leading to the-by wayes of heresy and schisme; God in his just judgement, making all the travel and throwes of our braine abortive, like those untimely miscarriages of the wombe not honoured with a soul, or the shape and line­aments of an infant. From this self conceit arise those sublimated disputes of Faith, which make men forget their Charity; of Predestination, till they Prove themselves none of the Elect; as also about the blessed Trinity, till at last they believe there is no such thing: a mysterie whe [...]ein our quickest sight is as but one degree above blindnesse; and yet there are, who have boasted to make [Page 50] it so cleare and easy, as if they enjoyed the beatifical vision in this life: & wil have Christ's presence in the Eucharist to [...]e as visible, as though by a miraculous multiplying eye they saw him bodily move in each crum of bread and drop of wine. And why should I call for day, where God will have night, and covet to see that brightnesse, whose least [...]ay wil instantly blind me? I wil rather with Mo­ses fall flat upon my face, humbly admire that Dietie which I cannot conceive, and bee content to know the Almightie no far­ther then his Word shall reveal: where this light leavs me I wil cease the quest, and boast of my ignorance; never desiring that illu­mination which leads to utter darknesse, nor that holinesse which will unholy me: And this points at the other parallel before men­tion'd, the whitenesse of the Lillie, and the innocencie or holinesse of the Spouse, As the Lillie, so is my love.

Christianitie a bare name, Religion a [...]eer shadow; not as they appear in them­selvs, but as made so by the Seemers of this age; who use Gods cause as Hunters do a Scand, the more covertly to shoot at what game they please; making their Religion their Part, and onely personating their god­linesse; [Page 51] their devotion being like the hang­ings of the scene, which they can take off and tack on as they list. Thus Saul's spa­ring of Agag, and the best of the spoil was pretended for ends holy; not for his own private table at any hand, but Gods Altar; whose command he neglected to observe his worship, and offered up disobedience in a sacrifice. And thus about an age since, that rebellion of the frantick Sectarists in Ger­many was anabaptiz'd with the sanctified name of a Reformation, and those bar­barous Armies slick'd over with the plau­sible title of lawful brotherly Assemblies, and a Christian Congregation: their burn­ing of Libraries was pretended for the en­couraging of Learning; persuading the people, that to take up arms against Charles their Emperor was onely to protect his of­fice; and to destroy his person, that they might the better preserve his dignity, & make his Crown the greatest Prince in Christen­dom: And yet these were esteem'd (no Saints indeed but) meer innocent holy men.

But now our Lillies whitenesse is not of this colour, Chist's Spouse her innocencie and holinesse not of their Religion: the Kings daughter in the 45 Psal. was all glo­rious [Page 52] within; if wee bee good Christians we are both sides alike, and best at the core. No matter then for this bark and outside of Religion, this skin and shell of Christianitie, the heart and the reins are those that God looks after: God? I and man too. For this Love, this Spouse in my text, as she is most fair, so most eied, and worst censured by the unbelieving world. Thus if an Apostle rub but an ear of corn on the Sabbath 'tis brea­king of the day: the Infidels moats are the Christians beams, and his indifferencie my evil; somthings being expedient in respect of the man, which are scandalous m [...]erly for his Calling. None then to keep within so strict lines as the Christian, being one ever under monitors; for behold (saies the A­postle) wee are made a gazing stock to the world, to Angels, and to men. In [...]omuch that wee live not our own lives alone, but the life of the whole world; as if at our Rege­neration we took upon us no private per­sons, but the common nature, and were not baptized men, but mankinde: our actions being therefore not personal but oecumenical, & whether good or bad are held authentick. Thus had not our Saviour paid tribute, it would have been thought sufficient argu­ment [Page 53] why others should not; it being e­nough for the Rout that their betters did so. No wonder then if Sechem ravish, when the first-born of Jacob commits incest; if an Ae­gyptian falls down to an Oxe, when an Isra­elite worships a Calf; if Simon Magus offers to buy the Holy Ghost; when an Apostle dares sell his Master. Holinesse then becoms every man well, but best of all the baptiz'd; who is the Mirrour in which the unbeliever beholds heaven, and the Convoy to direct him thither: Now if the glasse be spotted, instead of an Angel we look upon a furie, and if the conduct be fals, there is more dan­ger in the guide then the way; which hath caus'd many Pagans to step back, having had one foot in the Church, when they have seen Christians believe so well, and live so ill, breaking the Commandements against the Creed, and contradicting the doctrine of the seventh day by the practice of the other six. And here though I plead for holinesse, yet not the Pharisees, Touch me not, for I am ho­lier then thou; no holinesse of the Separati­on, but what is diffusive, and holds commu­nion with all: for our Lillie is the Lillie of the valleys, and not of the garden; and this Love in my text is seated among the daugh­ters, [Page 54] the daughters of the whole world, and neither of a Parlour nor a Cloister, a Con­venticle nor a Nunnerie; which leads me to my next particular, the seat or standing of the Lilly, it is [...], in the middle, or among this thorns.

The blessed Trinitie is therefore most per­fect, cause most one, and man is more or lesse God's image, as he does more or lesse resemble that Trinitie, which is one [...] saies Nazian. Ora. 12. as well in respect of agree­ment as essence; being therefore styl'd in Scri­pture Peace and Love, to shew, that the next way to set thee at opposition with thy God, is to divide thee from thy brother, and to hazard thy interest in the head is to dis-joint thy self from the members; being thus an enemy not onely to thine own salvation, but thy neighbors; to thine own, by refusing their goodnesse; to thy neighbours, by not communicating thine. To prevent this, the Almightie hath made thee a sociable creature, and every part of this world as accessible and sociable as thy creation: the Scythian may embrace the Moor. and the East join hands with the West-Indian. Whilst then thou hold'st no communion with thy brother, thou unman'st thy self, [Page 55] separating from thy humane nature; nay more, being not among these Thorns thou art not with this Lillie; but like Donatus, con­fining to som Africk, thou excommunicates thy self out of the Church Militant below, and perchance the Triumphant above: as the ambition of those apostate Angels no sooner distinguish'd them from the rest, but it threw then from heaven. Nor is this se­paration destructive onely of thy self, but of the whole Church; from whose bodie eve­ry one that separates tears off a several limb, and becoms a murtherer of the whole. For which reason it hath been ever the devils policie (who is encouraged not so much by his own strength, as our weaknesse) first to divide this armie with banners, and then to assault through the breach; because the conquest is easier against an hundred then against a thousand; especially when the combatants fight with the publick enemie against themselves: and that too commonly either about a School-subtilty, or Church­ceremonie; the usual difference being not so much in the foundation, as the paint and dresse of the building; nay perchance a meer [...] (as Scotus upon the first of the Senten. censures that grand controver­sie [Page 56] about the procession of the Holy Ghost) a consent of opinions in contrary terms; as a sundry dialect maketh not a several lan­guage; both sides speaking the same way to heaven though in a diverse tone. In these cases then no separation, onely let thy charitie pi­tie thy brothers mistreading, & speak it errour in him, but no irreligion; in that he loves God with as strong a flame, though of a weaker light, with as high a zeal, though a lower knowledg; his slips (alas) being to him as part of his religion & Creed, & errs meerly least he should dishonor God. Leav him not therefore for his errors in doctrine, nor yet for his errors in life: separate neither from a particular Church nor a particular Congregation, either for the Priests sin, or the peoples; refuse not to take the blessed Eucharist from him, or receive it with these. For first, what if the Priest the sacrificer be unclean, is the offer­ing so? 'Tis a grosse dull capaeity that can't distinguish 'twixt the worke and the instru­ment, the weakenesse of the person and the power of the function. Now as we may not separate from the Communion for the Priests folly, so neither for the peoples. For what though some in the Congregation be prophane? Wilt thou thrust all into the [Page 57] pit of hell, because some few walke near the brink? 'Tis a priveledge of the Church triumphant to be all faire, and have no spot in her; the best proportion'd body hath not every part of an equall comlinesse, nor is beauty made up of one colour. Our spouse in this booke of Canticles wears a black eye in a cleare complextion; that is but her naturall beautie-speck: the moon's a glori­ous body for all her moles; the Church a faire Lilly, for all the thorns. And what are those to me? Can't I enjoy the sweetnesse but I must needs pricke my fingers? if I ad­monish the sinner, and detest his sin, what's anothers profaennesse to my religion? Our Saviour could be of the same table with Publicans and sinners, yet none of their counsell, eat of their meat without tasting their gall and bitternesse. And we read his Apostles did communicate with Judas, and yet not with his treason; partake of the Pas­chal Lambe, without tasting the bitter herbs. And now what remedy for this confus'd communion of the multitude? certainely none. If the Children of God come to pre­sent themselves before his Throne, there seldom misses a Sathan in the mid'st, as we read Job 2: no crosse or holy water can keep [Page 58] him out. Our bells are not exorcists, they may cleare the aire if you will, but of no e­vill spirits; neither is their sound so subtle to distinguish 'twixt good and bad, invites not the Publican and forbids the Pharisee, they both came up to the Temple at the houre of praier: there seldome being a ga­thering together into the Arke, the Church, but some uncleane beast enters; not the most perfect Synod on earth, even that of the Apostles, but had its Judas; and yet these Apostles were Chist's, and that Ark God's: which points to my last parti­cular, the Artisan or Limmer himself, that hath drawn, and owes, and will protect this piece, implied in the particle my; As the Lillie, so is my Love.

God is in the world as the soul in the bo­die, life and government; and as the soul is in every part of the bodie, so is God in everypart of the world, no quartermaster, but universal Monarch, a God every where, & every where wholly a God; his power ex­tending as well to an Ant as to a Man, to an Atome as to a Citie, but not in the same degree: as his glorie fill'd both Moses his bush, and the space about it, but not with the same measure; the one being too holy [Page 59] onely for the Prophets shoo's, the other even for his feet. Thus do Common-wealths inherit a greater share of the Almightie's Providence, then single families; their laws being wrap'd in his decrees, and their policies in his counsels; plotting and con­triving nothing but what meets with an E­ternal thought. And even amongst Com­mon-wealths; some enjoy more, otherslesse of divine protection; for though all Nations beare God's stampe and image, yet Israel had his superscription too; those tribes were writ his, and none but his; here was his lot, his inheritance, his Church; and where this is you have still a greater influence of the Diety. And by this right of inheri­tance hath God jus patronatus, the perpetual Advousen of the Catholick Church: and therefore well may hee say in the text my love; mine, for I made her, there is the right of Creation; mine, for I made her again, wash'd and cleans'd her, there is the right of Regeneration; mine, for I bought her, there is the right of Redemption; mine, for she is my self, my Spouse, there is nexus indissolu­bilis, the right of matrimonial union. And as mine to love, so to defend; the result and inference is natural; I am thine there­fore [Page 60] save mee, O Lord, was the Prophets▪ Interest cannot stand without protection, as one relation lives not without its bro­ther: the hand saies it is my head, therefore I will guard it with my strength; the head replies it is my hand, therefore I will advise it with my counsel. And thus it holds in all, save where is lack of love, or power; but with God is want of neither: not of love, for he that toucheth Israel toucheth the ap­ple of Gods eie; nor of power, the agent being omnipotent, able to compasse his will both without means, and contrarie to all. Thus rather then his children shall perish, either by a deluge, or a drought, by too much, or too little water, the red sea shall be divided into walls, and the stonie rock in­to springs: and if the Church hath yet any adversaries more mercilesse then water, [...]he earth shall open from below, and burie them before dead, or fire shall descend from above, and make them a sacrifice without an offer­ing: God never suffering this Lillie either to be cut down by the sword, or burnt up by the fire of martyrdom. 'Tis true it may somtimes like a nipp'd blossom hang down the head; nay, be driven by a winter of persecu­tion to keep house under ground, retire I mean [Page 61] to her antient Chappel-grots and caves (as flowers in hard weather depart to visit their mother-root) yet those places shall not prove her grave, but sanctuarie; and the e­nemies of Gods Church be no more able to burie it in those vaults, then was the stone & guard of our Saviours [...]epulchre to lock him up at the third day, or then our graves shal be to keep us down at the general Resurre­ction: for God hath set bounds to the Di­vel as well as the Sea, and chain'd him up from devouring his Church, as he did that from drowning his Israelites. And after this manner do we meet with in Ecclesiasti­cal storie now the full face of a Church, and by and by but one cheek and an e [...]e; yet still the same hand that drew out protecting both. Thus when the believing world was gathered together in Noah's floating Isle, what a wonder of providence do I here meet with! one poor family call'd out of the world, and as it were eight granes of corn fann'd from a barn-full of chaffe, and yet for the increase but of these eight granes was the whole earth preserv'd under the flood, else a shower of fire had purg'd that world, which could not be cleans'd by a deluge. And here how securely doth the Prophet Noah ride [Page 62] out this uproare of heaven and waters; knowing that planted paradise was not so firm as his Arke, whose anchor was his God, and he that owed the waters steering the vessel. After this when the Church was upon the Altar, and now about to be sacri­fic'd in Isaac, when the sword was drawn, and the blow ready, how did the Almighty prevent the execution; the sacrificer Abra­ham in the mean time, whom it nearest con­cern'd, being least touch'd; faith having wrought that in the Patriarch which cruel­tie would in others, not to be sensible of his own action: he contemns all fears, and over­looks all impossibilities; his heart telling him, that the same hand that had rais'd Isaac from the dead wombe of Sarah, could raise that same Isaac again from his own urne; and the God, who promis'd to increase a sin­gle person to the number of the stars, might (for all he knew) make this single persons very dust to conceive and bring forth, and so perform that almighty promise out of the ashes of his sacrifice. Last of all, when this Isaac was multiplied to an Israel, and this Israel (God's Church) was shackel'd (per­chance for their forefathers selling Joseph to be a slave) shackel'd I say with the Irons of [Page 63] Egypt, where their burthens were turn'd into bondage, and their bondage into blood; their souls also being ever on the rack of continual fear and suspence, least their bo­dies might be thrown into the same Brick­kills they had built, and become the fire to harden their own handy-work: yet here how did God tie up Pharaoh's hands with plagues; and the same voice that cried, Touch not mine Anointed, commanded like­wise and my Anointed touch not mine; tur­ning their poisons into cordials, and their enemies malice to their greatest improve­ment; in that he made them grow under their burthens, and propagate through that inhumane destruction of the male-fruit of their bodie: So still does Gods Vine bear the better for the pruning-hook, and looks much fresher by being let blood. And thus with the same Prospective might I shew you God's providence over-shadowing the Chri­stian Church no lesse then the Jewish, which hath had her Pharaohs, and her Wildernesse, as also her guardian fires and clouds; our persecutions being as many, and our delive­rances as great; and as the Jewish Church did multiplie by afflictions, so also the Chri­stian▪ [Page 64] whose custome it was to bring her Martyrdoms to the Bank, and to put out pers [...]utions to Use and Interest. Thus a single grain of the Church cast into the ground hath returned an harvest, the blood of a private Christian baptiz'd a Citie of Un­believers, and from the Martyrdom of the Twelve Apostles have sprung as many nati­ons of the same Faith: their blood like a se­cond Deluge covering the face of the earth, and their fires as well as their Gospel being the light of the whole world.

And may thy Church (O Lord) shine still the light of the world, but not still thus (O Lord) in fire; may thy Spouse thy Love look ever beautiful and ruddie, but not with her own blood and martyrdom. To this end let thy Providence lie alwais thy Churches Leiger here upon earth, working and counterplot­ting against [...]ll Agents of the Prince of dark­nesse. Protect, we beseech thee, thy Lilly both in radice and in flore, from Rooters there, and from Branchers here; I mean from such as strike either at her vitals by Heresie, or at her out­ [...]imbes by persecution: and this even till that day when thy Love shall bee married to thy Lambe, and this Lillie transplanted in­to [Page 65] thy Paradise; where it shall flourish with a continual spring, and remain like those Lillies of our Saviours in Saint Matth. That neither toile nor spin; changing her wreath of Thorns for a crown of Stars, and her rod for a Scepter. And this blessed day God of his mer­cie hasten for his Chur­ches sake, Amen, Lord Jesus, Amen.

THis Parable presents to your view the reckoning, or bill of accounts of the unjust Stew­ard, and my text is the summa totalis of that bill, or the moral to this parable; in which our Saviour taught his Disciples then, and doth us now, how we should provide against that great Audit the day of Judgment. As for this unjust Steward whether he were Saint Paul before his Conversion, as Theophylact would have him, or the Jews as Tertullian: whether he be onely the Rich-man, or onely the States­man, or onely the Church-man, or rather every man to whom any charge is commit­ted by God (as the Doctors have severally gi­ven in their opinions) I will not dispute, as being not much to our purpose: sure I am he was bad enough, yet not so bad neither [Page 70] but our Saviour pickes good out of him; at your physical Confectioner (the Apotheca­rie) extracts Treacle from the Viper, and the most cordial of Antidotes from the deadliest poison. For what S. Paul makes the Law to his Galathians, Christ hath made this unjust Steward unto us, a Schoolmaster to bring us unto God, and by his care for this world doth point us the way to the next, and that by way of commendation, quia prudenter [...]git, non quia fraudulenter, not cause he dealt dishonestly, but wisely; so the verse before my text; that he carried the businesse clean­ly, handsomely; the manner how, you may read from the 5 to the 8 ver. of this Chapter; and therefore make you friends, learn of him, saith Christ. Had it been learn of me, as our Saviours precept was, Matth. 11. 29. it had been an admirable pattern: nay, had it been but Solomon's lesson, Go to the pismire Pro. 9. I should not have marvelled, for she would have taught honest providence: but learn of an unjust Steward; can there come any goodthing from one so evil? Yes, For the children of this world are in their generation wi­ser then the children of light, so the 8 ver. of this Chapt. therefore learn of him: what to do? To make you friends. How? Of the un­righteous [Page 71] Mammon. Why? That when yee faile, they may, &c.

Which three Queries will direct us to three General Parts for our division. The first is the quid, the matter, to provide for our selves by making us friends. The se­cond the cujus, the manner to use the best means to get them, unrighteous Mammon. The third the cuibono, the end, that when yee faile, they, &c. Of which in their order, be­ginning with the first, the quid, the mattor, to provide for our selves by making us friends.

And that I think is good counsel at any time: and as ever, so most especially now, when brotherly affection is become so chan­geable and double-faced, as 'tis hard to find a true friend; and liberalitie is grown so in­direct and improper, that 'tis shewen now adaies rather to enrich a Closet or Parlour then a Christian, in clothing of walls soon­er then men. Now the friends here meant are the Angels say some, who are made out friends by works of mercie towards our bre­thren; but the common tenet is the friends in my text are the poor, quos Deus permisit egere ad illorum & nostram probationem, whom God suffers to want, for the exercise of their [Page 72] patience and our charitie: and the ordina­rie exposition of make you friends, it, give Alms, make you friends by works of Cha­ritie; which shall be the subject of the first part of my discourse; and so much the ra­ther, because the doctrine as well as the pra­ctice of it is almost forgot. The Divinity of Justification by Faith alone, like one of Pharaoh's lean kine hath clean devoured the fat ones. And therefore my first particular position, or doctrine rais'd from this general thesis, shall be to rectife your understanding in this deep point of Justification by Faith, and Justification by Works, to reconcile these two, and make them one.

The Position is this, That Faith & Works1. Doctr- must alwaies be united, ever go hand in hand in a believer. It is evident to all, ex­cept they be blinde, that the eie alone seeth in the bodie, [...]et the eie which seeth is not alone in the bodie without the other sences; the fore-finger alone pointeth, yet that finger is not alone on the hand; the ham­mer alone striketh the bell, yet the hammer that striketh the bell is not alone in the clock; the heat alone in the fire burneth, and not the light, yet the heat is not alone without the light; the helme alone guideth [Page 73] the ship, and not the tackling, yet the helme is not alone, nor without the tackling. Thus we are to conceive, that though Faith alone doth justifie, yet that Faith which justifies is not alone, but join'd with Charitie and good Works. Saint Bernard's distinction of via r [...]gni and causa regnandi cleareth the truth in this point. Though good Works are not the cause why God crowns us in heaven, yet we must take them in our way to heaven, Mat. 5. 16. It is as impi­ous to deny the necessitie, as to maintein the merits of good Works.

The first reason of the point wherfore1. Reason. Faith and good Works must alwaies be uni­ted, alwaies go hand in hand in a Believer, is, because that God hath joined good works and salvation together in his Word, and what God hath join'd let not man put asun­der. Now doing and life, working and salvation, running and obteining, winning and wearing, overcoming and reigning in holy Seripture evermore follow one the o­ther: wherefore the young man puts the question to our Saviour, Mar. 10. 17. and the people likewise, and the Publicans, ▪and the Souldiers to Saint John, Luk. 3. 10, 12, 14. and the Keepers of the prison to Saint [Page 74] Pau [...], Act. 16. 30. and the Jew [...] to Saint Pe­ter, Act. 2. 37. What shall we do? Not what shall we say, or what shall we believe? but what shall we do? This is the tenour of the Law, Do this and thou shalt live, Levit. 18. 5. Deut. 5. 33. And the Gospel also runs in the same tune, Mat. 7. 24. And again, No [...] the hea­rers, but the doers of the Law shall bee justified, James 1. 22.

A second reason of the point is, because [...]. Reason. that though Faith justifie our Works before God, yet our Works justifie our Faith before men. Though the just shall live by his Faith, Hab. 2. 4. Yet this his Faith must live by his Charitie.

Let us therefore take from hence first a1. Use. word of Cantion, not to turn the doctrine of Free Justification into carnal libertie, nor impose upon Christ's mercie what it will not bear, nor indeavour to sever faith from good Works, least we sever our soul from life. I grant, when we have done all we can we may, nay we must say, we are unprofita­ble servants, Luke 17. 10. None may trust in their own righteousnesse, but on the con­trary all ought to pray that they may bee found in Christ, not having their own right­eousnesse, Epb. 3. 9. yet their righteousnesse [Page 75] must exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees, or else they shall never enter into the kingdom of heaven, Mat. 5. 20.

In the second place this will serve for a2. Use. word of Reproof for all those that separate Faith and Works. Tell not me, whoever thou art, of Faith without thy Works, nor of Praiers without thy Almes, nor of piety without thy compassion, nor of real with­out thy charitie; if the hands be not Ja­cob's as well as the voice, I fear thou wilt appear before God for no better then a meer Impostor and Cheat. If wee are good trees by our fruit men shall know us, Mat. 7. 15. by your fruit, not by your blossoms of good purposes, or your leaves of good profession, but by the fruit of your actions. What is your devotion when it is peevish; or your zeal when it is malicious, or your puritie when it is schismatical, or your conscience when it is factious, a mover, a ring-leader of sedition. Too too many in this rotten age wherein we live are speakers, not wor­kers; as if ostendere fidem the Apostle Saint James his shew thy Faith by thy Works were o [...] tendere, to stretch the jawes, to shew thy Faith by strong Protistations. But this must not be a work of the mouth, but hand. If a [Page 76] man question thee of thy faith, spare thy lips and let thy mouth make answer. If words might be credited, if a bare profession of the Gospel might be believed, no man would want faith; every one would crie with the blind man to Christ, Lord I believ: what mouth would not make one lie for its master? Nise videro, unless I see, saith Thomas of Christ's ri­sing, so unless I see and feel thy saith, I will not believe. If therefore thou criest, the Tem­ple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord with the Jewes, and with them dost not obey the Lord of that Temple; if thou art onely Ser­mon-sick whilst thou art rock'd in a Church­tempest abroad, and presently do'st recover again as soon as thoudo'st lie at hull at home, if thy voice be Jacobs, but thy hands Esau's; if thou do'st acknowledge God with thy tongue, but denie him in thy life; professe a Christian, and live a Pagan; join together Christ and Beliat, the Temple of God and the Temple of Divels, the holy and the un­holy Ghost; if thou do'st run to heaven one day, to hell six, and do'st contradict the truth of those Sermons thou do'st hear by the errors of thy life, I must tell thee by way of reproof, that this is the part of a grand hy­pocrite, and not of a good Christian, and [Page 77] at the last day shall receiv the portion of hy­pocrites in the lake of fire and brimstone.

In the third place you may here take un­to3. Use. your selves a word of Admonition, to be­ware of these hypocrites, and this is our Saviour's own use, Mat. 7. 15. Beware, saith Christ, of those that come to you in sheeps cloathing; in sheeps cloathing with such a cast of mortification and integritie, as if their conversation spake nothing but inno­cencie and immaculatenesse, when within they are ravening wolves. A handsom gar­ment is no argument of a straight bodie, nor are those alwaies the best men that make the most shew of Religion. All are not Natha­naels, Israelites indeed, that are of Israel: many have Abraham to their father, but a few his children; many that came out of his loins, but few that shall sit in his bosome. Therefore I say again, take our Saviour's advice; Beware of those that come to you in sheeps cloathing: you shall know them by their fruits, saies Christ; fruits indeed to the eie beautiful and glorious, but to the finger dust and smoke, like those hypocritical ap­ples, that well-complexion'd dust of Sodom: and so much shall suffice for our first doctri­nal [Page 78] position, rais'd from this first general part of the Text.

The second Observation that I shall2. Doctr. draw from this general point of Charitie and Almsdeeds, is, that this work is not a free-will offering, left to our selves to bee done, or left undone, as we think fit, but it is our dutie, and we are bound to do it if we are able: and this is proved from 1 Tim 6. 17, 18. It is the rich man's charge, precept, and dutie; and therefore what is here with our Saviour a counsel, was with his Apostle a precept. Charge the rich, saith the afore­mentioned Epistle to Tim. that they do good. It is not left to their free choice to do good if they please, but it is laid upon them as their charge and dutie, they must do good Work [...], and wo to them if they do not.

And the reason of the point is, becauseReason. God haih not made them owners, but ser­vants, and servants not of their goods, but the giver, not treasures, but stewards and Almoners.

And this dispensation and ordering ofUse. God's, that rich men should be his Stewards, may very well serve for a word of encou­ragement and exhortation to those rich [Page 79] men to go on and glorie in this office of Stewardship, especially when they shall consider that the praise of a Steward is more to lay out well, then to have received much, knowing that Well done faithful servant Mat. 25. 21. is a thousand times a sweeter note then soul take thine ease, Luk 12. 10. for that first is the voice of the Master recom­pencing, this last of the Carnal Heart pre­suming; and what followed to the one in the Gospel, but his Masters joy; what to the other, but the losse of his soul. But what need here either our Saviours counsel, or his Apostles precept you'l say, for we shall have friends enough no doubt, so long as this Mammon in our Text is our friend: wee shall indeed; and therefore,

Our third Observation on the point shall3. Doctr. bee, that in making of friends by works of Charitie, we must use discretion and pru­dence: and this will teach us First, Nega­tively who in this particular are not to bee our friends: Secondly, Positively who are to be these friends in the Text. First then Negatively, those are not to be our friends, who when we fail will not receive us into habitations; who will bee ready to embrace all the favours and good turns you shal con­fer [Page 80] upon them, but will return none back again. These are such friends of whom holy Job in his 6 Chap. complain'd of; like the brooks by the which the merchants do tra­vel into Teman, frozen in winter, and dried up in Summer: friends no longer then you can befriend them, like leavs that fall from the trees when they begin to wither, and with Saint Peter know not the man; such as will bee your servant in a complement, and not look upon you in a busines [...]e. These are the first sort of friends that are not to bee made of the unrighteous Mammon, com­mon sence and reason forbids it. Secondly you must not make those your friends, who though they may perchance receive you in­to habitations, yet they cannot receive you into everlasting habitations; though they are able to give you houses, they are not able to give you heaven; and these are the rich in this world, of whom our Saviour fore­warns you, Luke 6. 82, to 35. We there­fore are to engage none of these to our friendship, but such as when we fail, shall receive us into everlasting habitations, and these are the poor and needie: which seemed such a paradox to the Pharisees, as they de­rided Christ, ver. 14 of this Chap. whose [Page 81] laughter occasioned the following Parable of Dives and Lazarous: had the Rich man there made this Beggar his friend with b [...]ead (and a few crums would have done it) himself had not afterwards wanted wa­ter; but now it is but justice, that he which denied a crum, should be denied a drop.

Now in the fou [...]th place for a fourth ob­servation4. Doctr. upon the point you are to take notice, that if you will be Gods Almoners and Stewards, to disburse to the poor, God will be your pay-matter, and undertake for the poor; if you will be their friend here, he will be your friend both here and here­after. To prove this, you must know that these words of my Text were not spoken, as if the poor were able of themselves to bee our friends, but God undertakes for them; hee hath given his word, and entered bond for every act of Charitie, whether i bee a work of pietie to his Church, or mercie to the poor. And first for pietie, He that re­ceives a Prophet in the name of a Prophet, saith our Saviour, Matth. 10. shall [...]eive a Pro­phets reward, either in the b [...]ssin [...]s of earth, with the widow of Sarepta, 1 King. 17. 14. whose cruse and meale did not waste, of which the Man of God had a cake▪ or in [Page 82] the blessings of the wombe with the Shuna­mite, who for her Candlestick and Stool received life from the deadnes [...]e of her womb, a son when shee was barren, 2 King. 4. there's for pietie.

Secondly for mercie; give, and it shall be given unto you, saith the 6 of Saint Luke: He that commands the one, promiseth the o­ther. Alms never undid their owner, nor is Charitie so ill a servant, as to leave the ma­ster a beggar. And again, Hee that gives to the poor, lends to the Lord, Pro. 19: and if God freely gives us what wee may lend, will he not much more pay us what wee have lent, and give us because we have given; that first is his bountie, this last but his justice.

Now from this last Observation may be1. Use. gathered by way of Use, the happinesse both of Poor and Rich. And first of the Poor, when he shall consider himself God's seed­plot, his plow'd-land which God hath so bless'd and improved with the showers and dew of heaven, that if you chance but to throw in a single grain, even one poor mite of your charitie, it shall return an hundred fold; low earth and you shall reap hea­ven.

Secondly from hence appears the blessed2. Use. [Page 83] condition of the Rich. Oh how happie is that man, that may be a creditor to his Ma­ker: heaven and earth shall become empty, before he shall want a roial paiment; never any was a looser by God; For God returns large consideration and interest for what he takes up, and paics not the use for the principal, but the principal for the use; not six in the hundred, but an hundred for six, and who then would not be an usurer to the Almightie. But you'l reply, I have ta­lents committed to my charge, knew I but the best way to improve them, I would wil­lingly give, but I see my alms abused.

To direct you therefore, in this great and necessary duty of Christianity, I shall hold out unto you 4. generall rules of giving almes, and out of each of these 4. generall rules draw out severall particular directions. The 4. generall rules are these. First the un­just stewards rule, in my text. Secondly So­lomons rule. Thirdly Christs rule. Fourthly Gods rule.

For the first, the unjust stewards rule, that1. Rule. will teach you how to give almes, from these particular directions. First saith the 5. ver. of this Chap. he called his masters deb­tors, and stayed not till they call'd him A­braham [Page 84] and Lot are said to fit in the doore of the Tent to call in strangers; they need not knock: commonly they that crave least have the most need. For there are many per­sons, that have nothing left them, but mi­sery and modesty, and towards such we must add two circumstances of Charity. First to enquire them out. Secondly to con­vey our reliefe so to them, as we do not make them ashamed.

Secondly, the second particular direction from this unjust steward was this, that what he did was with dispatch; he called his Masters debtors, and bid them sit downe quickly, verse 6. vt hilarem it a celerom dato­rem diligit Deus; God delights in expedition as well as cheerfulnesse: give almes with a cheerful heart and countenance, not grudg­ingly, or of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver, 2 Cor: 2. 7: and therefore give quickly, when the power is in thine hand, and the need is in thy neighbour, and thy neigh­bour at the door. He gives twice, that re­lieves speedily. The more speed, the more comfort. Neither the times are in our own disposing, nor our selves. If God had see us a day, and made our wealth inseparable, there were no danger in delay. But now our [Page 85] incertainty if it quickens not deceivs us. How many have meant well & done nothing, loo­sing their crown with lingring: to whom that they would have done good, it is n [...]t [...]o great praise as it is dishonour, that they might have done it; their deaths oft-times prevent­ing their desires, and making their good in­centions the Wards of their Executors, who many times prove the executioners of their wills and estates.

From hence then take a word of advice1. Use and caution; let their wracksbe ourwarning, who are equally mortall, equally fickle. It is a wofull and remediless complaint, that the end of our dayes should out-run the beginning of our good workes: which are commonly so don, as the poor may thank our death-beds for them, and not us; our disease rather then our Charitie. For he that gives not till he dies, shewes that he would not give then if he could keep it: and they that give thus give by their testaments it is true, but I can scarce say they give by their wills: the good mans praise Psal. 112. was that himself dispersed his goods, and not left them behind him; and his distribu­tion is seconded with this retribution of Gods, his righteousnesse indureth for ever. The [Page 86] Saints of God are like Dorcas in the Acts, rich in good works which shee did herselfe, and not entrusted others to do them, being her own executrix.

Secondly, let this be an use of exhorta­tion and encouragement, to do good in [...]. Use. your life time. Our Saviour tells us Mat. 5. that our good workes, are our lights; Let your light so shine, as m [...]n may see your good works, and glorifie your father which is in hea­ven. Now which of you will have his candle brought behind him, and not rather carri­ed before, that he may see which way it goes, and which way himself goes by it. Do good therefore in your life: early beneficence hath no danger, many joyes Isa. 58. 8. For first, the conscience of good don. Secondly the prai­ers and blessings of the relieved; Thirdly, the gratulations of the Saints, are as so ma­ny perpetuall comforters, which will make your life pleasant, and your death happy; when every one of you may say to his Soule with that rich man in the Gospel, but upon better grounds, Soul take thine case, for thou hast treasure laid up, not for many yeares, but for ever.

Thirdly, as this unjust steward dealt his almes speedily, so also bountifully; ver. 6. [Page 87] For which, divinity hath no particular and set rule: because Charity is not [...]t by a thred, as justice; but only in generall, and at large; that it be proportionable to our ability, parallel to our meanes, according to what a man hath, was Saint Pauls to them of Corinth 1 Cor. 8. Liberality is as well seene in a little as in much; in a few scattered crums, as the rich gluttons throng'd table; in the poor widows mite, as the vaste offerings of the treasu [...]ie; in the good Sa­maritane's drops of wine and oile, as in all the Vines and Olive-yards of Jurie. For charitie (say the Schools) is of what a man hath, and not of what he has not. If thy purse will not hold out to a sepulchre for Christ, with Joseph of Arimathea, yet with the Maries, a pound or two of spice would bee seen. If silver and gold thou hast none, yet with Saint Peter in the Acts, such as thou hast give unto the poor; and with that A­postle, let at least thy shadow be a covering for their nakednesse, if thy substance can­not reach to a garment. It was our Savi­ours promise in the Gospel, That he which gave a cup of cold water, should not lose his re­ward; and certainly I can never be so poor as to want this. Where the widows cruse of [Page 88] oyle and meal was low, the Prophet did not look for a feast, but for a cake.

Lastly, though he was bountiful, yet with discretion and difference; fiftie to one, and but twentie to another; the most to those who were most likely to help. Do good to all, but especially to those of the houshold of faith, was the Apostles advice, Galat. 6. 10. let the righteous man have the greatest share in your Mammon of unrighteousnesse. Our rule then of doing good, must be a rule of wisedom and charitie; of wisedom in ma­king good choice of the parties, of charitie in hoping the best of them. Charitatis error salutaris est, wee seldom fin in charitie: ad­mit their praiers whom thou hast relieved are not acceptable to God, yet thy Alms­deeds are; the beggar may be damn'd, when the giver shall be saved. To instruct you therefore more particularly in this case take with you these three directions: First, Ac­cording to thy abilite give to all men that need, and in equal needs give first to good men rather then to bad men; and if the needs be unequal, do so too; provided that the need of the poorest be not violent, nor extreme: but if an evil man be in extreme necessitie, he is to be relieved rather then a [Page 89] good man who can [...]a [...]e longer, and may subsist without it; and if he be a good man, he will desire it should be so, because him­self is bound to save the life of his brother with doing some inconvenience to himself: and no difference of virtue or vice can make the ease of one beggar equal with the life of another Secondly, give no Alms to vitious persons, if such Alms will support their sin, as if they will continue in idlenesse; if they will not work, let them not eat, 2 Thes. 3. 10. or if they will spend it in drunkennesse and wantonnesse. Such persons when they are reduced to very great want, must be reliev­ed in such proportions as may not relieve their dying lust, but may refresh their faint and dying bodies. Thirdly, the best objects of charitie are poor house-keepers that la­bour hard, and are burdened with many children; or gentlemen faln into sad pover­tie, especially if by innocent misfortune; (and if their crimes brought them into it, yet they are to be relieved according to the former rule;) persecuted persons, widows and fatherlesse children, putting them to honest trades or Schools of learning; and search into the needs of numerous and mea­ner families; and when thou spiest a multi­tude [Page 90] of poor▪ Christians in one family, con­ceive that family to be an hospital of God's own erecting, into which the charitie of well-disposed Christians is to be cast. And so much for the first of our four general rules of Alms-giving, drawn from the Un­just Steward.

Our second general rule is taken from So­lomon, 2. Rule. in that charitable advice of his, Eccle. 11. 1. Throw thy bread upon the waters; from whence you may observe, First that it is not da, a thing utterly given away, bur mit­te, a thing sent abroad, like an adventure at sea, which shall another day return with great advantage. And then Secondly it is bread, not a stone: when thy brother asks, thou must give him an Alms to fill his bel­lie, not a reproach to break his heart. Hee that gives Alms must do it in mercie; for Alms without mercie, are like praiers with­out devotion, or religion without humility. Thy charitie then must be distributed in mercie, that is out of a true sence of the ca­lamitie of thy brother, first feeling it in thy selfe in some proportion, and then eudea­vouring to ease thy selfe and thy brother of the common calamitie. If thou hast no mo­ney, yet thou must have mercie, and art [Page 91] bound to pitie the poor, and pray for them, and throw thy holy desires & devotions into the treasurie of the Church; & if thou doest what thou art able, be it little or great, cor­poral or spiritual, the charitie of alms, or the charitie of praiers, a cup of wine, or a cup of water, if it be but love to the brethren, or a desire to help all, or any of Christ's poor, it shall bee accepted according to what a man hath, not according to what he hath not. For love is all this, and all the other Com­mandements: and it will expresse it selfe where it can, and where it cannot yet it i [...] love still, and it is also sorrow that it can­not. Now against this rule they offend who give Alms out of custome, or to upbraid the povertie of their brother, or to make him mercenarie and obliged, or with any unhandsom circumstances.

Thirdly, it must be de pane tuo, of thine own bread, not anothers; thou must not un­do an hundred men, their wives and children, and build a poore hospitall to keep seven; but of this more hereafter.

In the fourth place it must be super aquas, upon the waters, expounded in the follow­ing ver: thus give thy portion to seven, and to eight, we must not heap all our liberality [Page 92] on one, but contrive it that it may extend to many. Ali [...]dest dare pauperibus, aliud di­tare pauperem; it is one thing to give an alm [...], another thing to give an estate. He dispersed and gave to the poor, was the good mans praise Psal. 112. there must be distribution, and then all is well. But now although in giving almes to beggars, and persons of low ranke, it is better to give little to each, that we may give to the more, so extending our almes to many persons; yet in cases of reli­gion, as in building Hospitalls, Colleges, and houses for devotion; and in supplying the accidentall wants of decaied Persons, fallen from great plenty to great necssity; it is better to unite our almes, then to di­sperse them, to make a noble reliefe and maintenance to one, and to restore him to comfort, then to support meerly his natural needs, and keep him alive only, unrescued from sad discomforts.

Lastly 'tis said here, Throw thy bread upon the waters, i. e. upon the standing waters, saith a Father, the running waters will shift for themselves: they that abide in their pla­ces, whether Hospitalls, or Universities, are like standing waters, most subject to putre­faction: and yet by the way these last are [Page 93] not to undergo neither those unjust asper­sions of dumb dogg [...], or drones; for though they stand in the market-place, yet they stand not idly there, not altogether unwilling to go into the viney ard, had they a vine­yard to go into; ready to be hired, would any one give them their penny. And this shall suffice for our second generall rule, Solomons rule of giving almes.

Our third generall rule of direction3. Rule. in this particular, is Christs own rule, which you have set down Mat. 5. 16. where in the First place note that they must be works; which is a word that implies difficulty, and pain, and labor, and is acc [...]mpanied with some loathnesse and conluctation; do such works for Gods sake as are hard for thee to do. In such a word does God deliver his Commandement of the Sabbath; not that word which in that language signifies or­dinary and easy works, but servile and labo­rious works, toilsome and painfull works, those works thou maist not do upon the Sabbath. But those works in the virtue of the precept of this text thou must do in the sight of men, those that are hard for thee to do. David would not consecrat [...] nor offer unto God that which cost him no­thing. [Page 94] First he would buy Aranna's threshing floor at a valuable price, 1 Sam. 24. 14. and then he would dedicate it to God. To give old cloaths past wearing to the poore, is not so good a worke, as to make new for them. To give a little of your superfluities, not so acceptable as the widowes gift, who gave all. To give a poor Soul a farthing at that door wher you give a plaier a shilling, is not equall dealing, for this is to give God the refuse of thy wheat. Amos 8. 6. but do thou some such things as are truly works in our sence, such as are against the nature and ordinary practice of worldly men to do; some things by which they may see that thou doest prefer God before honour, and wife, and children; and hadst rather build and endow some place for Gods service, then powr out money to multiplie titles of honour upon thy self, or inlarge jointures and portions to an unnecessary and unmea­surable proportion, when there is enough done before.

Secondly these works must be good works. They are not good works how mag­nificent soever, if they are not directed to good ends. Aseditious end vitiates the best work [...] great contributions have been rai­sed, [Page 95] and great summs given for the main­tenance of such refractory persons, as by opposing the goverment and discipline of the Church, have drawne upon themselves silencings, and suspentions, and deprivations, but this hath a seditious end; give so then as that thou maist sincerely say, God gave me this to give thus, and so it is a good work. Thus it must be a work, something of some importance, and a good work not depraved with an ill end; and then in the last place, it must be your work, that they may see your good works.

They are not your works if that which you give be not your own, nor is it your own if it were ill gotten at the first: how long soever it hath been possessed, and how often soever it hath been transformed, from money to ware, from ware to land, from land to office, from office to honour; the mo­ney, the ware, the land, the office, the ho­nour, is none of thine if in thy knowledge it were ill got at the first. Zacheus. Luk. 19. 8. gives half his goods to the poor, but it is half of his own: for there might be goods in his house, which were none of his: therefore in the same instrument, he passes that scruti­ny, [...]f I havetaken anything unjustly, I restore it [Page 96] foure-fold. First let that which was ill gott­en be deducted and restored, and then of the rest which is truly thine own give cheer­fully. When Moses saith that our yeares are seventy, if we deduct from that terme all the hours of our unnecessary sleep, of super­fluous sittings at feasts, of curiosity in dressing, of largeness in recreations, of plot­ting & compassing of vanities or sins, scarce any man of seventy, would be ten yeares old when he dies. If wee should deal so with worldly mens estates, (defalce unjust gettings) it would abridge and extenuate many a swelling inventory. Till this defal­cation, this scrutiny be made, that you know what's your own, what's other mens, as your tomb shall be but a monumen [...] of your rotten bones, how much gold or mar­ble soever is bestowed upon it; so that hospi­tall, that free-schoole, that colledge, that you shall build and endow, will be but a monu­ment of your bribery, your extortion, your oppression; and God, who will not be in debt, (though he ow you nothing that built it) may be pleased to give the reward of all that to them, from whom that which was spent upon it was unjustly taken; for the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the righ­teous, [Page 97] Prov. 13. 22. the finner may do p [...]o [...]s works, and the righteous may be rewarded for them; the world may thinke of one founder, and God knowes another.

We are now at length, come to our last 4. Rule. general rule of giving almes, which is Gods way and method of giving almes. Which I shall hold out unto you in this position. Gods way of giving almes, is a free and a large giving of what is meerely his own, looking for no recompence againe. To ex­plaine this, that you may see that all these conditions are required, to this goodnesse of God, and in all of them who desire to imitate God in this particular.

First, he that is bountifull, must be a giver and bestower of good things, and all he bestowes, it must be by way of gift, not by way of requitall unto, or by desert from the party he bestowes all on. Thus Christ saies Luk. 6, 33. that to do good to those who have done or do good to us, is not thank-worthy, nor is it bounty; but God is therefore truly good, because he simply meerly, and absolutely, gives away all which he bestows: for he was not, nor can any way become beholding to any of his crea­tures, nor had formerly received any thing [Page 98] from them which might move him hereun­to. So Rom. 11. 35. who hath &c. Nay un­till he gave us a beeing we were not capa­ble of so much, as receiving any good thing from him.

Secondly, he who is truly termed good, or bountifull, all that he gives away must be his own; and so all which God bestowes it is his own▪ So Psal: 24. 1. The earth is the Lords, the ground we tread on, the place we dwell in, he is our Landlord. But is that all? for the house may be the Land-lords, when the furniture is the Tenants, therefore hee further adds, and the fulnesse of it is his al­so, i e, all the things that fill the world, all the furniture and provision of it: both all the moveables, So Psal: 50. 11. 12. the cattel and the fowles upon a thousand hills are mine, saith he, and also all the standing goods, the corne and the oyle, which you set and plant are mine, Hos: 2. 9. yea and the Psalmist in the same 24. Psal. adds further, that they who dwell therein are his also; not the house and furniture only, but the inhabi­tants themselves. And this by the most sure and most Soveraigne title that can be, bet­ter then that of purchase or inheritance, of and from another: for he hath made them; [Page 99] all is thine because all comes of thee, saith the same David 1 Chron: 29. 11, 12. And all things are not only of him, but through him Rom. 11. 36. i e. they cannot stand nor sub­sitst without him.

Thirdly, he must give largely; it is not bounty else: now God is therefore said to be rich in goodnesse, because he is abundant in it; so we find it comparing Psal. 33. 5▪ with Psal. 104. 24. in which it is said that the earth is full of his goodnesse, and his riches; which we may judge of, by what he saies vers 27. of Psal 104. of what an house he keepes, and what multitudes he feedes, all these saith the Psalmist wait on thee &c. King Ahasuerus to shew his bounty, made a feast to his cheife Subjects, but it was but for halfe a yeare, and not to all: some few halfe yeares more would well nigh have beggard him: but God doth this continual­ly. The greatest and most bountifull of men, when they would expresse the largest of their bounty, speake but of giving halfe of their Kingdomes; so Herod, and he did but talke so neither. but God▪ bestowes whole worlds and Kingdomes, as Da­niell speakes Dan. 4. 35. and gives them to whom hee pleases.

[Page 100]Fourthly, he that is bountiful must give all he gives freely and willingly, which though I put together, yet may imply two distinct things; as first, that he that gives must be a free agent in it, who is at his choice whether he would give any thing a­way or no. The Sun doth much good to the world, it affords a large light, and even half the world at once is full of its glorie, yea and all this light is its own, not bor­rowed as that of the Moon and Stars is; yet this Sun cannot be called good or boun­tiful, because it sends forth this light neces­sarily, and naturally, and cannot chuse but do so, neither can it draw in its beames: but God is a free giver; hee was at his choice whether he would have made the world or no, and can yet when he pleaseth withdraw his Spirit, and then all things perish, Psal. 104. 29. Secondly it must be willingly al­so, i. e. no way constreined or wrung from him who is to be called bountiful. Now of God it is said, that he gives all away with delight; for Psal. 104▪ 31. having spoken of [...]eeding every living thing, and of other the like works of his goodness, he con­cludes with this, God rejoiceth in all his works; i. e. doth all the good he doth with [Page 101] delight: It doth him good, as it were, to see the poor creatures feed. The last requi­site in bountie, is to look for no recom­pence for the time to come: So saith Christ, Luke 6 34. If you give, &c. but ver. 35. So doth not your heavenly father. For saith hee, Do good, and hope for nothing againe, so shall you bee like your Father; and the reason is, because he is so great and so high a God, as nothing we do can reach him, as David speaks, Psal. 16. 2. My goodnesse extends not unto thee, hee is too high to receive any be­nefit by what we do. And this shall suffice for the four General Rules of giving Alms, and also of the first general part which we obser­ved in the division of these words, the quid, the matter, what we are to do, and that is to provide for our selves by making us friends.

The second General that we held out to2. General. you in the division, was the Manner, to use the best means to get these friends, unright­eous Mammon. Where in the first place I shall resolve a doubt, and withall the mean­ing of this expression, The Mammon of un­righteousnesse. How comes it to passe that this Mammon, which is the subject of so much good, should deserve a name so bad? [Page 102] why is it styled the Mammon of unrighteus­nesse? you are to know therefore that wealth is call'd the Mammon of unrighteous­nesse for two reasons; the first taken from the cause, the other from the effect.

1. First from the cause, for that wealth is an instrument and cause of much iniqui­ty. In Cyrus his Court, the Counsellours shall be fee'd, that the building of the Tem­ple may not go on, Ezra 4. and if Saint Paul would but have said tantum dabo to Felix in the Acts, there had been more Rhe­torick in the Apostles fee, then in all Ter­tullus his starched Oratory. For this reason Simon Magus, when he sued in the 8 of the Acts for the holy Ghost, trusted more to his Mammon, then his Familiars; being con­sident, there was greater power in money then in all the Devills in hell, to have con­jured, if it might have been, even the Apostles themselves. And therefore it was the De­vills last assault and battery against our Sa­viour in the 4 of St. Matt: For it any promise could have seduced Christ, it had been that of the worlds Kingdome and glory: he is the Sonne of God indeed, that for such againe will not cast himselfe from the pina­cles of the Temple. It would be no hard [Page 103] work to manifest this truth through every age of the Church, were it not too visible in our own.

And therefore, I shall from hence, in the1. Use. first place, draw an use of reproofe for the Ministers of these times. I would to God I could not say (but I must) even of our own divine Profession, that which our Savi­our of his Twelve, Yee are clean, but not all; for how many have these few year [...] brought forth, which having been hereto­fore forward and eager for conformitie to the doctrine and discipline of this Church, do now seek to wave and decline both; and that not out of malice or ambition, vices that move with a kinde of life and spirit, but out of that base, earthie, dunghil-sin Avarice. These are they that long for the Wedge of gold more then the Babilonish gar­ment, and so themselves may put up the means of a Bishop, care not who puts on the robes. These are they which make use of the Priest's office like him in Samuel, onely for a piece of bread, and will with that Chap­lain of Micah's, Judg. 17, set you up Idols if you give them but silver. Men that mea­sure their religion by their fortunes, incli­ning ever not to what weighs most, but [Page 104] what advantageth: Saint Augustines Am­phibions in Christianitie; Hermophrodite Divines; now a Sectarist, and then a Confor­mist, and next a Sectarist again; now an Episcopal man, then a Presbyterian, after that an Independent; any thing to keep his own, and to get more and more of the Mammon of unrighteousnesse.

Secondly from hence let mee give them a2. Use. word of Dehortation, from all such corrupt sordid courses, whereby they make Divi­nitie a Trade, and the Pulpit a Shop, where they vent their doctrines according to the fashions of the Time, not the truth; for­getting that solemne pompe and Ceremonie used in their Orders; where when they re­ceived the Bible from the holy man, with autoritie to divide the Word and Sacra­ments, it was not given to abuse their Ma­sters trust, in betraying that sacred pledge either to Pulpit-applause, or Pulpit-gain, to the flatterie of the giddie multitude, or the reward.

Secondly this Mammon is call'd unright­eous Mammon, or the riches of iniquitie, ab effectu, from the effect, because it common­ly makes men unrighteous, endangering the soul of the possessor; and therefore the [Page 105] Church Liturgie doth teach us to pray, In all time of our wealth good Lord deliver us; there being as great danger in the multi­tude of temporal blessings, as there was in the multitude of fish, John 21. where if Christ had not seconded their great draught with divine help, they had lost both the ship and themselves.

From this expression thus interpreted1. Doctr. our first consideration shal be that of our Sa­viour, Mat. 19. 24. that 'tis a very hard thing for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of heaven. Gold is the heaviest of all mettals, no wonder then if it somtimes carries the rich man downwards. 'Tis hard for the soul clogged with many weights to ascend to heaven. Laban and Nabal think onely of their Sheep-shearing, and making merrie when they have done, their businesse is thought on, not their salvation: so great an enemy is our temporal happinesse to our eternal; the love of this world being that great gulfe betwixt Abrahams bos [...]me and us. Secondly if it be so hard for the rich,2. Doctr. then surely 'tis as easie for the poor to enter into the Kingdom of heaven, which is our second consideration upon the point.

Whether a storme or calme are most dan­gerous, [Page 106] Jonah's Whale or his Gourd, whe­ther prosperitie have lost, or adversitie re­covered more I know not; certain I am, none praies so heartily for his daily bread as he that wants it: miserie like Pharaoh's plagues sends them to their praiers that ne­ver thought of God when they were well. Outward losses are inwardly gainful, and it is good for us that wee have been afflict­ed, nay it would be worse with us were it not sometimes thus bad; many, had they more wealth would be more wicked, and if they were not kept short of this world would come short of the next, and then it had been better for them had it not been so well. I know 'tis pitie that fair weather should do any harme, and yet 'tis often seen, we even adore those Physitians in our sicknesse, which being recovered, we onely salute with a complement: abundance makes many for­get that God, which want would make crouch to; like Pharaoh's Butler, shaking off his friend with his shackles; or like beggars, that are no sooner serv'd, but they are gone. Thus I hear Israel praying in Egypt, quar­relling in the wildernesse: When they were at their Brick-kills they would be at their devotion, and no sooner are they at ease, [Page 107] but they are wrangling for their flesh-pots. I think many a man had not been so bad had he been but poor. It is the saying of a wise Father, That Solomon's riches did him more hurt then his wisdom did him good. Wealth like knowledge puffs up, when po­vertie (as their infirmities did many in the Gospel) makes men flock to Christ.

But then in the Third place, I would not have any one here thinke I speak this to barr rich men heaven, God forbid. For though 'tis hard for a rich man to enter in­to the Kingdome of Heaven, yet he may en­ter notwithstanding, the gate of heaven stands open for him as well as for the poor: and as 'tis Scripture. Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven, so 'tis also as true. Blessed are the rich, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Which shall be our third consideration3. Doctrin. upon the point, that heaven gate stands open for the rich, as well as the poor. Thus Adam and Noah flew up to heaven, with the double monarchy of the world upon their backs: for they were sole Emperors both of the East and West, and the whole universe. The Patriarchs also did climb to heaven [Page 108] with much wealth; many holy Kings with massy Crowns and scepters. It is not wealth therefore as wealth, but sin that is the clogg that keeps men from ascending; the burden of covetous desires being more heavy to an empty soul, then much treasure to the full; for not the meer possession and use of riches offends, but the affectation. And to this purpose Lombard puts in his observation with a non dicit propheta, the prophet sai [...]s not in the Psal. 62. 10. have not riches, but set not your heart upon them; which is the true meaning likewise of Prov. 23. 5. for cash not your eyes, in the English is, set not your heart in the original, as the 4 ver. also testi­fies; so that the error hangs not upon those, but our selves; not on riches but that which Idols them, our heart. And therefore Moses gave a strong caveat to the Israelites, that when their flocks and heards increased, and their silver and their gold was multi­plied, they should beware least their hearts were lifted up, and so they should forget the Lord their God, Deuter. 8. 13. Those sublu­nary creatures raise not distraction in us, so we make them not our center, if we rest not in them, if we can look through them to [Page 109] heaven, we may by a good use of them come to heaven, and be received into these ever­lasting habitations of the Text.

The use then of this particular conside­ration1. Use. is, first to direct thee, either to abate of thy load, if thou find it too pressing (which may be done either by loving lesse, or giving more) or else to add to thy strength and activity, that thou maist as­cend: it is more commendable, by how much more hard to climbe to heaven with a burthen. But if the soul be not so active and nimble as to carry up it's selfe and such a load, we must with Eliah drop our mantle upon the Prophets, disperse our goods to the poor, it being better going to heaven naked, then to hell in purple. For when we are na­ked these friends of my text shall cloath us with the garment of righteousness, and when we want, they shall receive us into everlasting habitations.

Secondly, here is a word of comfort both2. Use. to poor and rich, when they shal think upon the goodness of God, who hath open'd heaven gates both to the poor and rich. Art thou poor? he that wore a crown of thorns fo [...] thee, hath taught thee of thorns and tribu­lations to make a crowne of glory. Art [Page 110] thou rich? he that is Lord of heaven and earth instructs thee from this text to attain ev [...]rlasting habitations. So the poor and ri [...]ch, the one by suffering, the other by do­ing well, may meet at the last day with rich Abraham, and poor Lazarus, in the Kingdom of heaven. Thus have I don with a third consideration upon the point.

Now in the fourth place, our fourth consi­deration4. Doctrin. shall be de modo, touching the man­ner how farre we are to desire, and in what respects to entertain this unrighteous mam­mon. And doubtlesse we may entertain this unrighteous Mammon in my text not only as a servant, but a friend, but by no meanes as a Lord. There is vertue in the true use of it, if there be a qualification in our desi­res. And therefore Saint Augustine (10 ser: de tempore. 5 ser. De Verbis Apost. & cap: 10 de civit dei.) disputing of that impossible a­nalogy between heaven and a rich man; a camell, and the eye of a needle; would have a rich man understood there cupidum rerum temporalium, & de talibus superb [...]en­tem, such an one as joines avarice to riches, and pride to avarice: not prohibiting a moderate and timely care of necessarie tem­porals, but their inordinate appetite; not [Page 111] their propriety and possession, but the diffi­culty and eagernesse of the pursuit. A wise man, as he will not make riches the object of his pursuit, so not of his refusall; non amat divitias sed mavult. He weighs them so evenly 'twixt desire and scorne, that he doth neither undervalue nor indulge them, he makes not his minde his chest, but his house; in the which he doth not lock, but lodge them: he loves them not properly, but by way of comparison; not as they are riches, but as they are not poverty. Yes too as they are riches, they may not one­ly be temperately lov'd and desired, but prai­ed for, praied for as our daily bread; not absolutely as for our spiritual improvement but by way of restriction: first humbly with submission to the will of God; then con­ditionally, so they prove advantagious, either to our civill or morall good.

And the reasons of the point are first this:1. Reas. For if riches are pursued either with an un­lawful or unbridled desire, they lead our reason captive, blindfold our intellectuals, and so dampe and dead all the faculties of the inward man, that in way of consci­ence and religion we are benummed meerly; Naball himselfe not so stony [Page 112] and chu [...]ish, not halfe so supine and stupid as we. And therefore your earthly sensualists have this woful brand set upon them by the Spirit of God, they are men of this world, they have their portion in this life onely, Psal. 17.

Secondly we are not to set our hearts2. Reason. upon Riches, because riches have nothing substantial in them that may allure us, but our custom of admiring them. And to cut out our desires by presidents of custome, is at once follie and madnesse: 'tis miserable to follow error by example. That this man huggs his Mammon, is no autoritie for my avarice: I must chalk out my proceedingsby the line of God's command, square them by the rule of divine truth, and that tells mee riches are but snares, vanities, shadows, no­thing, 1 Tim. 6. & Mat. 13. Wilt thou set thine eies upon that which is not, faith the Wiseman: For certainly riches make them­selves wings, they flie away as an Eagle to­wards heaven, Prov. 18. Mark, all their pompe i [...] without certainty or station: things not onely fleeting, but voluble: they steal not from us, but flie away. Their ebb i [...] as sudden, as their flow doubtful; and therefore Psal. 62. presupposeth the one with [Page 113] a si affluxerint, if they flow about thee, as if their increase were meerly casual: but if they do, what then? Set not your heart up­on them, saith the same Psal.

Thus having shewen you how you may5. Doctr. lawfully desire riches, I shall now in the fi [...]e place declare, how you may as lawful­ly use them. And to this purpose every Christian ought to imitate the high pattern of his Creator, whose best riches is his boun­tie; Hee that hath all, gives all, reservs no­thing; in our Creation he gave us our selvs, in our Redemption he gave us himself, and in giving himself for us, gave us our selves again that were lost. Onely good use then commends earthly possessions, and he alone knows the true use of this unrighteous Mam­mon, that receives it meerly to disburse it. For what commendation is it to be the keeper of the best earth? That which is the com­mon Coffer of all the rich Mines, the earth, we do but tread upon and account vile, be­cause it hides those treasures: whereas the skilful metallist that refines these pretious veins for publick use, is rewarded and ho­nored. If therefore your wealth and your will be not both good, if your hands be full and your hearts emptie, you deserve [Page 114] rather pitie then commendation, and may be said to have riches indeed, but not goods nor blessings, your burthens being greater then your estates, and your selves richer in sorrows then in metalls: and this was the rich gluttons case in the Gospel, who was damned, non quia abstulerat aliena, sed quod non donarat sua, not for taking any thing from poor Lazarus, but because he relieved not his wants. 'Tis reported of Warram Archbishop of Canterburie, being on his death-bed sent his Steward to see what store of coyn was in his treasurie; and when answer was brought that there was either very little, or none at all, the good man cried, in mirum sic oportuit, that it was ve­ry fitting it should be so; for when, said he, could I die better, then when I am thus even with the world.

Last of all, our last consideration shall be6. Doctrin. this; that though we must, as I said, give of our goods to the poor; yet we must not give any of our ill gotten goods to the poor, though we may make to our selves fri [...]nds of the mammon of unrighteousnesse, yet we may not make to our selves friends by riches un­lawfully gotten: God is not pleased with such sacrifice. You know Zacheus his division [Page 115] Luke 19. Halfe my goods I give to the poore, and if, &c. Restituit aliena, dedit sua, saith Am­brose, he restored other mens, but gave his own. That's given to the poore is given to me, saith Christ, shall we then make our Savi­our a receiver of stollen good's? God forbid. Yet one case there is, where ill gotten goods must be bestowed on pious uses, of necessity; and that is, when we know not the right owners, nor where to find them to make restitution: in this case Saint Augustine must be followed; Acquisisti male, impende jambene, thou hast gotten them ill, bestow them well. However what is so bestowed is not almes neither: and therefore it is that gene­rally cheaters and robbers cannot be truly and properly said to give almes of what they have cheated and robbed, unlesse they cannot tell the persons whom they have in­jured, or the proportions; & in such cases they are to give those unknown portions to the poore by way of restitution, for it is no almes: Onely God is the supreme Lord to whom those escheats devolue, and the poor are his receivers; And therefore are said in my Text, to receive you into everlasting habi­tations, which is my last generall part of the [Page 116] division beeing the end and motive to good works, That when yee fail, &c.

In the handling of which part I shall First propose to your consideration three brief positions, and then proceed to a more full ex­plication of this generall head.

For the Positions, the First is this; that if1. Position. men were their own friends, they would make others so with their Mammon, and while they are on earth, provide for heaven. Blessed are the mercifull, for they shall re­ceive mercy, was our Saviours in the Gos­pell. God's promises though they be gra­cious, yet they are confined, and he onely shall receive mercy, that shewes it: The Almighty being therefore bountifull to us, that we might be so to others; promising, that if we feast those that cannot bid us a­gaine, and build for those that cannot lodge us againe; We shal be made partakers of that Mariage-feast, and those habitations, whose maker and builder is God. If men then were their owne friends, they would make others so with this Mammon; Why should the rust of that gold rise up in judgment against thee, the right use of which will place thee with those, that shall sit in judg­ment? [Page 117] Turning thy Talents into Cities, and saying the foundation of that building, whose walls reach up to heaven. And that is our First Po [...]ition. But can good workes, purchase these eternall habitations? By no meanes. And therefore

Our Second Position is this: That not2. Position. our good workes, But Christ's merits, are the formall cause of our Salvation. For nei­ther the vertue of the works, they bee but the fruits of charity; nor the vertue of chari­ty, that is but the fruit of faith; nor the vertue of faith, that's but an instrument to apprehend Christ; but he alone our Saviour alone by his merits hath made this purchase, and prepared those mansions for us. And yet mistake me not, there is no lesse necessity of good workes, then if you should be saved by them; & that though you cannot be saved by them, as the meritorious causes of your glory, yet that you cannot be saved without them, as the necessary effects and arguments of that grace which brings glory. Which is our Second Position upon the point.

Our third runns thus: The poor by3. Position. their praiers receive us into those eternall habitations which Christ bestowes and con­fers upon us. Now the poor here meant in [Page 118] the Text, are either Pauperes spiritu, the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of God. Mat 5. or Pauperes sacculo, the poor in purse, and these by their prayers shall re­ceive thee into heaven. For as Christ is said to receive those almes on earth which the poor put up, and not he: so the poor in heaven are said to receive us into everlasting habitations, which Christ shall bestow, and not they. Can you conceive how the Queen of Sheba and men of Nineve shall rise up at the last day? In the same manner, but for a better end, shal the men women and chil­dren of your Hospitals rise up and testify on your behalf, saying, Sweet Jesus! had it not been for these, and these Benefactors, we had perished for want. As therefore Saint Paul said to the Thessalonians, 1 Thes. 1. Ye are our hope, cause these at the last day would witnesse how he had laboured for their salvation; so may every one of you say of all those to whom you have done good, You are our hope; for that they shall testifie your good works before men and Angels, & justifie that sentence which shal re­ceiv you into everlasting habitations. These are the three brief Positions I mentioned.

Now that we may come to a more full [Page 119] explication of the point, these everlasting habitations according to several Expositors are severally interpreted; for first, to be re­ceived into these everlasting habitations, is to be taken into the protection of God, accor­ding to Psal. 90. 1. which is interpreted by the next Psal. 1, ad 4. ver. from which first interpretation our position shall be, That it is better to give away all that wee have to the poor, and have God with nothing, then all the world without God. To have God with nothing, did I say? Nay in ha­ving him wee have all things, saith Saint Cyprian de Coen. Dom. cum Dei sint omnia. Since all things are God's, to him that hath God nothing can be wanting, except he be wanting unto God: nothing saith the Fa­ther, no good thing saith the Prophet; the young Lions do lack and suffer hunger, but they that seek the Lord shall want nothing that is good, Psal. 34. Though all earthly per­secutions entrench thee, and miserie seems to come upon thee like an armed man, and thou art fallen into the jawes of those ene­mies, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword, yet Angels shall encampe about thee, and the Lord of Hosts shall be thy buckler and thy shield; [Page 120] the neighing of the horse, the noise of the trumpet shall not invade thee; or if they do, and at such a strait that the arme of flesh growes weak, yet his mercie is great unto the heavens, and his truth reacheth unto the clouds: the glorious hoste above shall muster all their forces to assist thee; the starrs shall fight for thee, and thunder speak loud unto thy enemies. Thus in the height of miseries God shall be thy castle and strong tower, and under the shadow of his wings shall bee thy refuge, till these calamities bee overpast. God never leaveth his in their extremities, whether in the Cave, or in the Mountain; in the Den, or in the Dun­geon; hee is alwaies there both in his power and assistance, and somtimes in his person too: when all natural supplies grow hope­lesse, God purveies for his children by his miracles: rocks shall burst with water, and Ravens provide bread, and clouds drop fatnesse, and heavens shower mannah, and Angels administer comforts, which when we are naked shall cloath us, and receive us, or rather usher us into these everlasting habi­tations.

Now besides this exposition of the words, these everlasting habitations may receive a [Page 121] double interpretation; one in respect of the everlasting fame and glorie of your name in this world, the other in regard of your ever­lasting reward in the next: and that first branch hath a double relation; one to your self, the other to your posteritie: & truly even this part of the reward and retribution, namely in this life, is worth a great deal of your cost and alms, that God shall establish your posteritie in the world, and in the good opinion of good men. The righteous shall have hope in his death, Prov. 14. 32. i. e. hope for himself in another world, and hope of his posteritie in this world; for, saith hee, hee leaveth an inheritance to his children's chil­dren, Prov. 13. 22. i. e. an inheritance out of which he hath taken and restored all that was unjustly got from men, and taken a bountiful part which he hath offered to God in pious uses, that the rest may descend free from all claims and incumbrances up­on his children's children. The righteous is merciful and lendeth, Psal. 37. 26. merci­ful as his Father is merciful in perpetual, not in transitorie endowments (for God did not set up his lights, his Sun and Moon for a day, but for ever; and such should our light, our good works be) He is mercifull [Page 122] and lendeth. To whom? for to the poor he giveth, he looks for no return from them; yet he lendeth, he that hath pitie on the poor, lendeth to the Lord, Prov. 19. 17. The righteous is merciful and lendeth, and then as David adds, his seed is blessed; blessed in this which follows there, that he shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever; which he rati­fies again, Surely he shall not bee removed for ever, i. e. he shall never be moved in his posteritie.

Secondly as he is blessed that way, bles­sed in the establishment of his possession up­on his childrens children; so he is blessed in this, that his honor and good name shall be powred out as a fragrant oyl upon his posteritie, The righteous shall bee had in ever­lasting remembrance, Psal. 112. 6. Their me­morie shall bee alwaies alive, and alwaies fresh in their posteritie, when the name of the wicked shall rot. So then the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, Prov. 11. 30. i. e. the righteous shall produce plants that shal grow up and flourish, so his posteritie shall bee a tree of life to many generations.

The other interpretation of everlasting habitations, is in regard of your everlasting reward in the next world: but before I [Page 123] speak of your reward in the next world, I will speak a word or two of your reward in this world, and shew you how God will reward you with grace in this world, before he rewards you with glorie in the next; by giving you the grace to use those temporal blessings which he hath given you to his glo­rie here, and to your glorie both here and hereafter: which shall bee cleared to you from Mat. 5. 16. Let your light so shine, &c. Your Father is not meant here as if men should glorifie God as the common Father of all by Creation, nor as he is the Father of some in a more particular consideration, in giving them large portions, great patrimo­nies in this world: for thus he may be my Father, and yet dis-inherit me; he may give me plentie of temporal blessings, and withold from me spiritual and eternal bles­sings. These are not the Paternities of the Text, that men should glorifie God as the Father of all men by Creation, nor as the Father of all rich men, by their large patri­monies, but as he is your Father, as hee is made yours, as he is becom yours by that particular grace of using the temporal bles­sings which he hath given you to his glory, In letting your light shine before men.

[Page 124]Upon which our first doctrinal Observa­tion shall bee, That it were better God dis­inherited1. Doctrin. us, so as to give us nothing, then that he gave us not the grace to use that, that hee gave us, well. Without this all his bread were stones, all his fishes ser­pents, all his temporall liberality and blessings, a meer malediction and curse. How much happier had that man been, that hath wasted thousands in play, in riot, in wantonnesse, in sinfull excesses, if his parents had left him no more at first, then he hath left himselfe at last, how much neerer to the Kingdome of heaven had he been, if he had been born a beggar here. Nay though he have done no ill of such excessive kindes, how much happier had he been, if he had had nothing left him, if he have don no good.

The second Observation in this particu­lar2. Doctr. shall bee, That 'tis a fearful thing for rich men, not to use their riches for God's glorie. There cannot be a more fearefull commination upon man, nor a more dan­gerous dereliction from God, then when God saies Psal: 50▪ 8, 12. I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices; Though thou offer none, I care not; i'le never tell thee of it, nor [Page 125] reprove thee for it; I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices. And when he saith, as he does there, If I be hungry I will not tell thee, I will not awake thy charity; I will not ex­cite thee, nor provoke thee with any occasion of feeding me, in feeding the poor. When God shall say to thee, I care not whether you come to Church or no, whether you pray or noe, repent or no, confesse, receive or no; this is a fearefull dereliction: so it is when he saith to a rich man, I care not whether your light shine out, or no; whether men see your good workes, or no; I can provide for my Glory otherwise. For certainly God hath not determined his glory, and his purpose, so much in that, to make some men rich, that the poore might be releeved, for that ends in a bodily releife; as in this, that he hath made some men poor, whereby the rich might have occasion to exercise their charity; for that riches to spirituall happiness. For which use the poor do not so much need the rich, as the rich need the poore; the poor may better be saved without the rich, then the rich without the poore. But when men shall see that that God who is the Father of us all by creating us, and the Father of all the rich, by enriching them, is also become [Page 126] your Father, yours by adoption, yours by infusion of that particular grace to do good with your goods; then are you made blessed instruments to that which God seekes here, his glory, they shall glorifie your father which is in heaven; and then your Father which is in heaven will glorify you. Herein is my Father glorified, saith Christ, John. 15. 8. that ye beare much fruit. The seed sowed in good ground bore some a Hundred fold, the least Thirty, Marke. 4. 20. The seed in this case is the example that is before you of those good men whose life hath shined out so, that you have seen their good workes. Let this seede, these good examples bring forth Hundreds, and Sixties, and Thirties in you, much fruit: for herein is your Fa­ther glorified that you beare much fruit. Of which plentifull encrease I am afraid there is one great hindrance that passes through many of you, i. e. that when your Will lies by you, in which some little lamp of this light is set up, something given to God in pious uses; if a Ship miscarry, if a Debter breake, if your Estate be any way empaired, the First that suffers, the first that is blotted out of the Will, is God and his legacy: [Page 127] And if their estates encrease, portions en­crease, and perchance other legacies; but Gods portion and legacy stands at a stay.

Now let me from hence give you a dou­ble use▪ as our Saviour did of his passion: Christ left two uses, of his passion, applica­tion, and Imitation: he suffered for us; 1. Pet. 2. 22. For us, i. e. that we might make his death ours, apply his death; And then as if followers there, he left us an ex­ample. So Christ gives us two uses of the reformation of religion; First the Doctrine how to do good workes, without relying on them, as meritorous; and then example. Many, very many men in this Citie, Whose lights have shined out before you, and you have seen their good workes; That as this noble City hath justly acquired the reputation; and the testimony of all who have had occasion to consider their dealings in that kinde, that they deale most faith­fully, most justly, most providently in all things which are committed to their trust, for pious uses from others, not onely in a full employment of that which was given, but in an improvement thereof, and then an imployment of that improvement to the same pious uses▪ so every man in his particu­lar, [Page 128] may propose to himselfe some of those blessed examples, which have risen among your selves, and follow that, and exceede that: that as your Lights are Torches, and not petty Candles, and your Torches bet­ter then others Torches, so he also may be a larger example to others, then others have been to him: For herein is your Father glori­fied, if you bear much fruit; and that is the end of all that we all do, that men seeing it may glorifie our Father which is in heaven, that our Father which is in heaven may glorifie us, by receiving us into these ever­lasting habitations, which is the last inter­pretation of the words, our eternal reward in heaven.

Of which everlasting habitations of this eternal reward I know not well what to say. And indeed it is not for a finite intel­lect to conceive, much lesse to expresse those infinite joies which God hath prepared (saith the Apostle) for them that love him, 1 Cor▪ 2. 9. And those that think to attein to the knowledg of these eternal habitations by spe­culation, will be reckoned as curious sear­chers into God's secrets, and may justly ex­pect the reproof of the Galileans, Acts 1. Why stana yee gazing up into Heaven. Ne­verthelesse [Page 129] to satisfie you as far as the Scri­pture, and the Antient Doctors of the Catho­lick Church warrant me, I will observe this method in explaining these eternal habitati­ons, which is all one with eternal life. I will first shew you what this eternal life is by the privation of it, what the life of heaven is by the life of hell; and then I will give you a glimpse (for a full sight it is impossible) what it is in its selfe.

For the first the privation of this life1. Doctr. which is hell our first position or Doctrine shall be this; There are some things con­cerning hell, in which a man may goe be­yond his reason, and yet those things have no relation to his faith. For that there is an hell, a damnation, an eternall life there; and why it is; and when it is; it is clear enough from Scripture: but what this dam­uation is, neither the tongue of good An­gels, that know damnation by the contrary, by the fruition of salvation; Nor the tongue of bad Angels, who know damna­tion by a lamentable experience, is able to expresse it. There are things in which a man may go beyond his reason, and yet not meet with faith neither: of such a kind are those things that concern the locality of hell, [Page 130] and the materiality of the torments thereof. For that hell is a certain and limited place, beginning here, and ending there: and extending no farther; or that the torments of hell, be materiall, or elementary torments, which in naturall consideration can have no consideration, no affection, or appliablenesse to the tormenting of a spirit; these things neither sets my reason, nor the bind my faith; neither opinion, that it is, or is not▪ so, doth command our reason so, but that probable reasons may be brought on the other side; neither opinion doth so command our faith, but that a man may be saved, though he think the contrary. Our instruction therefore is, that in such a point it is alwayes lawfull to think so: as we find does most advance, and exalt our own devotion, and Gods glory, in our estimation. But now in the Second place when we shall have given to these words, by which hell is expressed in the scripture the heaviest signification, that either the nature of those words can admit in themselves, or a [...] they are types and representations of hel; as fire and brimstone, and weeping, and gnashing, and darknesse, and the worme; and as they are laid together by the Pro­phet, [Page 131] Isa. 30. 33. Tophet, (i. e. Hell) is deep and large (there is the capacitie and extent, room enough) it is a pile of fire and much wood (there is the durablenesse of it) and the breath of the Lord to kindle it like a stream of brimstone (there is the ve­hemencie of it): when all is done; the hell of hells, the torment of torments is, the ever­lasting absence of God, and the everlasting impossibilitie of ever returning to his pre­sence.

This then is our second Position of our2. Doctr. discourse in this particular, that hell is the privation of the beatificall vision of the bles­sed Trinity. And this I shal amplifie by give­ing you the several degrees of this privation. First in generall, for the foundation of all the rest, you are to know that the torments and miseries of hell are thus described, by our blessed Saviour, Matt: 25. 4. depart from me ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepa­red for the Devill and his angels. In this word from me is the height of paint, the extremi­ty of torment: and thus I will prove it. Frst it is fearfull to undergo pain, though that pain be but momentary: as for instance, to thrust a finger into the fire, though but for the turning of a hand, or to have but one [Page 132] single drop of brimstone fall into the eye, the misery but of this single drop of brim­stone were unsufferable. But then Second­ly, for the whole man to lie under everlast­ing Cataracts, and showers of Brimstone: to have the body eternally fed upon by a fire that never goes out, and the soule by a worme that never dies, the misery of this as far surmounts that other, as eternity ex­ceeds time; and yet this is not all. For thirdly, the damned sinner must go from Christ into this eternity of torment. De­part from me yee cursed, into everlasting fire. Where the first part of the sentence is in­comparably the heaviest; the departing from Christ worse then the everlasting fire: the intensiveness of that fire, the aire of that brimstone, the anguish of that worme, the discord of that howling, the gnashing of those teeh is no comparable, no considera­ble part of the torment, in respect of this departing from Christ. Which is the priva­tion of the sight of God, the banishment from the presence of God, an absolute hope­lesnesse, an utter impossibility of ever com­ing to that which sustaines the miserable in this world; who though they see no sun here, yet they shall see the sonne of God [Page 133] there. This depart from me then is the per­fection of horror, the very essentiall forme and quiddity of damnation it self. The righteous they depart, they go to [...], but they go with Christ into heaven, the other must go from Christ into hell. Into hell did I say, why that is not so much neither. It were an hapinesse to go to hell with Christ, no joy, no blisseat all to the righteous to go without Christ into heaven. For heaven is hell with­out Christ, and hell with Christ is heaven; and the reason of this is, because the happi­nesse of the Saints doth not consist in the place where they are, but in the company which they injoy: their beatitude is not bounded and terminated by any etheriall dimensions of space, any supernaturall lo­calities, but it is comprehended in the Beati­ficall Vision of the Fathers power, the Sons wisedome, the Holy-Ghosts goodnesse; it is swallowed up in that extati [...]all ravishing contemplation of the incomparable beauty, the unutterable and unconceivable glory of the blessed Trinity; the privation of which Beatificall Vision exceeds the miseries and torments, those matchless, those endless mi­series and torments even of hell it selfe. And thus have I given you a generall description, [Page 134] of this privation of the Beatifical Vision, what it is in the general notion of it.

But then in the second place, to come (as I promised) to the several particular de­grees of this privation; there is compre­hended in this privation of the Beatifical Vision in the first place, a privation of the care of God, that a damned sinner is out of his care, out of his thought. It is a fearful thing, saith the Apostle, to fall into the hands of the living God, Heb. 10. 13. Yet there was a case in which David found it an ease to fal into the hands of the living God, but to fall out of the hands of the living God is an horrour beyond our ex­pression, beyond our imagination: that God should let my soul fal out of his hands into a bottomlesse pit, and roul an unre­moveable stone upon it, and leave it to that which i [...] findes there (and it shal finde that there which it never imagined till it came there) & never think any more of that soul, never have any more to do withit. Then se­condly a second degree of this privation of the Beatifical Vision i [...], that herein doth con­sist a privation of the general providence of God, that such an one is out of his gene­ral providence as wel as his particular care: [Page 135] that of that Providence of God that studies the life of every Weed, and Worm, and Ant, of every Spider and Toad, and Viper, there should never any beam flow out upon me, never any ray dart upon mee, never any line center in mee: That the most contemptible creatures under heaven, and the most loathsom crea­tures under heaven, and the most venemous creatures under heaven, should be enter­tain'd and protected under the shadow of his wing; and I, onely I, excluded as a cer­tain prey for the Raven and Dragon of the bottomlesse pit. Thirdly here is a priva­tion of the power of God; that that God who look'd upon me when I was nothing, and cal'd me by his omnipotent power when I was not, as though I had been, out of the wombe & depth of darknesse, will not look upon me now: when, though amiserable & a banish'd and a damned creature, yet I am his creature stil & contribute something to his glorie, even in my damnation. Lastly which is the highest degree of this Privation, here is an eternal privation of the mercie of God: That that God who hath often look'd up­on me even in my foulest uncleannesse, and vilest sins: who when I had shut out the eye [Page 136] of the day, the Sun; and the eye of the night, the taper, and the eies of all the world with curtains, and windows, and doors, did yet see me, and see me in mercie too, by making me see that he saw me, and sometimes brought me to a present remorse, and for that time to a forbearing of that sin, I was then acting, should now so turn himself from me to his glorious Saints and Angels, as that no Saint nor Angel, nor Christ Jesus himself should ever pray him to look towards me more, never remember him that such a soul there is▪ That that God who hath so often said to my soul, Why wilt thou die? and so often sworn to my soul, As the Lord liveth I would not have thee die but live, wil nether let me die nor live, but die an everlasting life, and live an everlasting death: That that God, who when he could not get into me by standing and knocking at my heart, by his ordinarie means of entring by his Word, & Ministershis mercies, hath applied his judgments, and hath shak'd the house this bodie with Agues and Palsies, and hath set this house on fire with Fevers and calen­tures, and frighted the master of the house, my soul, with horrors and heavie apprehen­sions, [Page 137] and so made and forc'd an entrance into me; That that God should frustrate all his own purposes, and practises upon me, and leave me and cast me away, as though I had cost him nothing, that this God at last at the houre of death, should let this Soul go away, as a smoake, as a vapour, as a bubble, and that then this Soul cannot be so happy, as to be a smoake, a vapour, nor a bubble, but must lie in darknesse, as long as the Lord of light is light it's selfe, and never spark of that lighe reach to my Soul; what Tophet is not Paradise? what brim­stone is not amber? what gnashing of teeth is not musick? what gnawing of the worm is not a tickling? what torment is not a mari­age bed to this damnation? to be secluded eternally, eternally, eternally from the sight of God. And thus have I shewn you what this eternal life is by the privation of it, what the life of heaven is by the life of hell, I will now endeavour to give you a glimpse, for a full sight it is impossible, of these everlasting habitations, this eter­nal life in it self.

And here in my expressions of these ever­lasting habitations, I will take a new course, and onely tell you this of them, that they [Page 138] cannot be expressed. For if that beloved aisci­ple, whose head lay neer his Masters heart, who from the bosom of his Lord drank deep of the heavenly wisdome, if Saint John I say brake of his Revelation with a nemo scit no man knowes, Apoca: 2. 17. needs must I leave you at this time with a Theologia negativa, a negative divinity, or divine ig­norance, and onely tell you what is not hea­ven. The plumage of the swan appeares more faire, when it is opposed to the ravens black­nesse; and wee may best conjecture at the joyes above, if wee consider the miseries here below. This life of ours if it were not short, yet it is miserable, and if it were not miserable, yet it is short. In this world are a world of troubles, we have no resting place here saith the Prophet; glory and rest are two things that meet not here: the glo­rious life is not the most quiet, and the quiet life is for the most part inglorious; riches and honour like Absolons mule do some­times leave their Master in extremity. A consideration if well digested, which would gather our divided thoughts and rouse up our Soules to seeke first the Kingdome of heaven; and then we know coetera adjicientur other things shall be added unto us. And [Page 139] indeed when heaven is once named all o­ther things are but & cetera's, not worth the naming. But now for heaven it is obser­ved by those that are skill'd in the holy tongue, that in the sacred name Jehova are none but literae quiescentes, mystically impli­ing thus much unto us, that Deus est cen­trum quietatiuum, that God is the God of rest; in whose presence there is joy, & fulness of joy, & joy for evermore, as David sings. When once we shall be planted in that celestiall paradise, there shall no apple of contention grow between God and us. It is Nazian­zens note, upon that divine antheme, of three parts, Glory be to God on high, on earth peace, good will towards men, Luk. 2. pugnas & dissidia nescire deum & angelos, that there are no broils nor brabbles in heaven. There shall the Soul be satisfied in all her desires: there shall be no actuall or potentiall evill; no actuall, because grace being consummate in the Saints, excludes all sin; no poetential, for they being confirmed in goodnesse, can­not sin. There shall be no sorrow, nor tears the effect of sorrow, those rivers of our eyes shall be dried up; there shall be no more death, for resurrectio erit mors mortis. At that jubilee of glory, the conqueror shall be [Page 140] disarmed, and we whom death hath over­come, shall overcome death. Our bodies rising first immortall, not subject to any more dis­ease or death, we shall not any more stand in need of those ordinary helpes of meat and drinke, by which our nature is preser­ved: for it shall then be our meat and drink to do our Fathers will. Secondly, our bo­dies shall rise glorious, the just shall shine like the sun in the firm ament; saies the Prophet, & qualis erit splendor animarum, quando solis claritatem habebit lux corporum, and how great then shall the splendour of our Soules be, when that of our bodies shall exceed the Suns. And to confirme the verity and soli­dity of this glory, it shall not onely be re­vealed unto us, but (saith the Apostle) in us, Jerusalem (as the Kings daughter) is all glorious within. Thirdly, they shall be perfect, every defective member shall be restored to it's in­regrity. Jacob shall not halt, nor Isaac be blind, nor Mephibosheth be lame. Fourthly, our bodies shall be raised impassionate, free from such passions, as may hurt and offend, but not from the passions of joy, the joy of the soul, shall be the soul of joy. Lastly, they shall be spirituall, that is in quality, not in substance; they shall still remaine the same [Page 141] quantitative bodies, bounded and limited with their natural dimensions. For otherwise how could Job see God with the same eyes, he had while he lived. Our bodies therefore shall be endued with most unspeakable perfe­ctions, and most perfectly clarified from all imperfections, but they shall not be disrob­ed of their natural properties: briefly they shal be spirituall in a three-fold sence. Fist in that they shall be wholly freed from all earthly drossy corruptions, all the sences shall be more subtle, the body it's selfe shall become more light, and apt to motion; and as neer the nature and qualitie of a spirit as a body may be. Secondly, cause they shall be no more upheld, and maintain'd by earthly meanes and helpes, but be preserved by spirituall meanes, i e. by the power of Gods holy Spirit. What use shall there be of the creature, when the Creator himselfe the Lord of heaven and earth is in place. And in these two respects especially, they shall be [...], equal to angels. Third­ly they shall be Spiritual because they shall never rebell, but be alwaies subject and o­bedient to the regenerate soul, without contradiction they shall obey the motions of the spirit. Other particulars I cease to en­quire, [Page 142] cause the Scripture doth forbeare to deliver them; and in the silence of the holy-Ghost I will not be curious: least by this meanes I loose my selfe, in the labyrinth of these everlasting habitations, whereto the Arts never taught an entrance in; nor Divi­nity ever discovered a passage out. The great­est light we have (which is but dimm nei­ther) is held out vnto us by Scripture, and the primitive Doctors of the Church, in these particulars of eternall life, or eter­nal habitations: first in the comfort that the Saints shall pertake of there, Secondly in their joy, Thirdly in the sight, and Lastly in the knowledge which the Saints shall have of the blessed Trinity in heaven. And first as to the comfort, this is in some sort expressed, John 14 2. In my fathers house are many mansions. Where our Saviour admi­nisters severall Recipees of comfort to his afflcted disciples, by reason of his going a­way: and of this comfort the first beam is, that that state which he promises them, and in them all faithful believers, is a house; it hath a foundation, no earth-quake shall shake it; it hath a wall, no artillery shall batter it; it hath a roof, no tempest shall pierce it. It is a house that affords security, [Page 143] and that is one degree of comfort. And then Secondly it is his Fathers house, a house in which he hath interest; and that is another degree of this consolation. It was his fathers, and so his; and his, and so ours; for we are not joynt purchasers of heaven with the Saints; but we are co-heirs with Christ Jesus: by death we are gathered to our fathers in nature, and by death through his mercy gathered to his father also, where we shall have a full satisfaction, in that wherein Saint Philip placed all satisfaction, Lord shew us thy Father and 'tis enough, John the 4. 8. We shall see his father, and see him made ours in Christ. And then a third degree of this comfort is, that in this house of his fathers, thus by him made ours, there are mansions, which word in the originall, and latine, and our language, signifies a remaining, an abi­ding, and fixing, and denotes the perpetui­ty, the everlastingnesse of that state, an ever­lasting State; and yet a state but of one day, because no night shall overtake or determine it, but such a day as is not of a thousand yeares, which is the longest measure of any day in scripture, but a thousand Millions of Millions of generations; a day that hath no pridie nor postridie, yesterday doth not ush­er [Page 144] it in, nor to morrow shall not drive it out. Methusalem with all his hundreds of yeares, Gen. 5. Was but a mushrom of a nights growth to this day. And all the foure Monarchies, with all their thousands of years, and all the powerful Kings, and all the buea­tiful Queenes of the world, were but a bed of flowers, some gathered at six, some at seven, some at eight, all in one morning in respect of this day. In all the two thousand years of nature, before the law given by Moses, and the two thousand years of law before the Gospel given by Christ, and the too thou­sand years of grace, which are runnig now, (of which last hour, we have heard three quarters strike already, more then sixteen hundred of this last two thousand spent) in all this six thousand, and in all those which God may be pleased to add, in this house of his Fathers in heaven there was never heard quarter-clock to strike, never seen mi­nute glass to run. No time lesse then it's self would serve to express this time, which is intended in this word mansions: which is also exalted with another beam a fourth beam of comfort, that they are also many; in my Fathers house are many mansions. In which circumstance we do consider the com­fort [Page 145] of our society and conversation in hea­ven, since society and conversation is noe great element and ingredient into the comfort which we have in this world. First we shall have an association with Christ himself, for where he is it is his promise that we also shall be, John 14. Secondly we shall have an association with the Angels, and such an one as we shall be such as they. Thirdly we shall have an association with the Saints, and not onely to be such as they, but to be they; and to be with all those who come from the East &c. Mat. 9. 11. Where we shall be so far from being enemies to one another, as that we shall not be strangers to one another; & so far from envying one ano­ther, as that all that every one hath shall be every others possession: where all Souls shal be so entirely knit together, as if there were but one Soul, and God so entirely knit to every Soul, as if there were as many Gods as Souls.

And this is that glimpse of the eternal life I promised you; a meer cursorie sight and view of those everlasting habitations and mansions in the Text: and here as I have given you a glimpse of the comforts, so let me beg leave of your patience to [Page 146] present you with a taste of the joyes of heaven likewise: and it shall be a taste, most properly so called; For it shall be but of one drop of the Fountain of life; I meane that drop which Dives in Hel desired to coole his tongue with: which must not be so understood, as if the paines of hell were so small that they might be quenched by one drop of water; but rather thus, that one drop of water, where Abra­ham and Lazarus are, is of that infinite vir­tue, as could it be but drop'd into the pains of hell, it would quench them all. Now the greatness of these joies may be comprehended both by the fulnesse of the objects in heaven; and also the fulness of our enjoiying the ob­jects there. The objects in heaven are many, but the summe of all is God, whom we shall see face to face; and in him all that is good and joifull; for as looking in a glasse wee see the glasse, our selves, and most things that are in the room about it: so in the glasse of the blessed Trinitie, we shall by the Beatifical Vision, see the glorie of that Tri­nitie, our selves, an our own glorie, and all the Angels, Saints and pleasures that are about that Trinitie. And as our joy shall be full, in regard of the fulnesse of the object, [Page 147] so it shall be full too in regard of our ful­nesse of enjoying that object. Wee shall feel this joy with all the powers and facul­ties of our souls, ever beholding, though al­waies satisfied, and ever drinking, yet still thirsting, not with any thirst of drinesse, but with a thirst of desire after that water of life, those rivers of joy, which are said Psal. 46. 4. to make glad the citie of the Lord. And thus as I have given you a taste of these joies from the Scriptures drop of water, so now should I give you all those rivers of Rhetorical expressions, should I open all the flood-gates of Oratorie, with which the Primitive Doctors of the Church have endeavored to expresse those joies, all would prove but as one drop of water in respect of the infinite ocean of those joies. And this may appear from that storie of Saint Augustine concerning Saint Jerome, of whom Saint Augustine saith, quae Hieroni­mus nescivit nullus hominum unquam scivit, that that S. Jerome knew not, no man ever knew: and S. Cyril (to whom S. Augustine said that) said also to Saint Augustine in magnifying Saint Jerome, that when a Ca­tholick Priest disputed with an Heretick, and cited a passage of Saint Jerome, and the [Page 148] Heretick said, Jerome lied, instantly he was struck dumb. Yet of this last and everlast­ing joy and glorie of Heaven, in the fruition of God, Saint Jerome would adventure to say nothing, no not then when he was di­vested of his mortal bodie, dead: for as soon as he died at Bethlem hee came instant­ly to Hippo Saint Augustines Bishoprick, and though he told him Hieronymi anima sum, I am the soul of that Jerome to whom thou art now writing about the joies and glorie of heaven, yet hee said no more of that but this, Quid quaeris brev [...] immittere vascule totum mare? Can'st thou hope to pour the whole sea into a thimble, or take the whole world into thy hand? And yet that is casier then to comprehend the joy and [...]he glorie of heaven in this life. Nor is there any thing that makes this more in­comprehensible then that semper in 1 Thes. 4. 17. that we shall be with God for ever▪ For this eternity, this everlastingness, is not onely incomprehensible to us in this life, but even in heaven, we can never know it experimentally, no not in heaven: and all knowledge in heaven is experimentall; as all knowledge in this world is causal, (we know a thing if we know the cause [Page 149] thereof) so the knowledge in heaven is effectuall, experimentall; we know it be­cause we have found it to be so. The en­dowments of the blessed, those which the school calls dotes beatorum, are ordinarily delivered to be these three, visio, dilectio, fruitio, the sight of God, the love of God, and the fruition, the enjoying, the possessing of God. Now as no man can know what it is to see God in heaven but by experimental and actual seeing of him there, nor what it is to love God there, but by such an actual and experimental love of him; nor what it is to enjoy and possesse God, but by an actual enjoying, and experimental pos­sessing of him; so can no man tell what the eternity and everlastingnesse of all these is, till he hath passed through that eternity, and that everlastingnesse; and that he can never do. For if it could be passed through, then it were not eternity. How barren a thing is Arithmetick? and yet Arithmetick will tell you how many graines of sand will fill this hollow vault to the firmament. How empty a thing is Rhetorick? and yet Rhetorick will make absent and remote things present to your understanding. How weake a thing is Poetry? and yet Poe­try [Page 150] is a counterfeit creation, and makes things which are not as though they were; how infirme, how impotent, are all assist­tances if they be put to expresse this eternity? The best help that I can assigne you, is to use well aeternum vestrum, your own, as Saint Gregory cals our whole course of this life, aet [...]rnum nostrum our eternity; aequum est ut qui in aeterno suo pecaverit, in aeterno de [...] puniatur, saith he, it is but justice, that he that hath sinned out his own eternity, should suffer out Gods eternity. So if you suffer out your own eternity, in submitting your selves to God in the whole course of your life, in surrendering your will entirely to his, and glorifying him in a constant patience under all your tribulations, it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you, and to you which are troubled rest with us, 2 Thess. 1. 6. And thus much shall suffice for the joies of these eternal ha­bitations.

The third and fourth particulars (that I mentioned before) to illustrate these ever la­sting habitations in the text, are the sight and the knowledg which the Saints shall have of the blessed Trinitie there. And both these are held out unto us in that single text of the [Page 151] Apostle, 1 Cor. 13. 12. For now we see through a glasse darkly, but then face to face: now I know in part, but then shall I know even as I al­so am known. Now as for the sight of God here, our theater is the world, our Medium and Glasse is the creature, & our light is rea­son; and as for our knowledg of God here, our Academy is the Church, our Medium the Ordinances of the Church, and our light, the light of Faith: so we may consider the same termes, First for the sight of God, and then for the knowledg of God in the next life.

First the spheare, the place where we shal see him, is Heaven. He that asks me what heaven is, means not to heare me, but silence me: he knows I cannot tell him: When I meet him there, I shall be able to tell him, & then he will be as able to tell me: yet then we shall be but able to tell one another this that we enjoy is heaven; but the tongue of Angels, the tongue of gloried Saints, shall not be able to expresse what that heaven is: for even in heaven our faculties shall be finite. Heaven is not a place that was crea­ted, for al places that were created shall be dissolved. God did not Plant a Paradice for himselfe, & remove to that; as he planted [Page 152] a Paradice for Adam, and removed him to that. But God is still where he was before the World was made. And in that place where there are more Sunns, then there are Stars in the firmament: for all the Saints are sunnes; and more light inanother sun, the Son of righteousnesse, the Son of glory, the Son of God, then in all them; in that illustration, in that emanation, that effusi­on of beames of Glory, which began not to shine six Thousand yeares agoe, but six Thousand millions of millions agoe; and had been six thousand millions of millions before that, in those eternall, in those un­created heavensshall we see God. This is our sphear, and that which we are fain to call our place. And then our Medium, our way to see them, is Patefactio sui, Gods laying himselfe open, his manifestation, his revelation, his evisceration, and un­bowelling of himselfe to us there. Doth God never afford this manifestation of him­self in his essence to any in this life? We can­not answer yea nor no, without offend­ing a great part in the School. There are that say, that it is fere de Fide, little lesse then an Article of Faith that it hath been so; And Aquinas denies it so absolutely, as [Page 153] that his followers interpret him De absoluta potentia, that God by his absolute power cannot make a man, remaining a mortall man, and under the definition of a mortall man, capable of seeing his essence; As we may truly say, that God cannot make a beast remaining in that nature capable of grace or Glory. Now as 'tis fairly argued that Christ suffred not the very torments of very hel, becaus tis essential to the torments of hel to be eternal, they were not torments of hel, if they received an end; So it's fairly argued too that neither Adam in his extasy in Paradise, nor Moses in his conversation in the mount, nor the other Apostles in the transfigurati­on of Christ, nor Saint Paul in his rap­ture to the third heavens, saw the essence of God; because he that is admitted to the sight of God, can never look off, nor lose that sight again. Onely in heaven shall God pro­ceed to this patefaction, this manifestation, this revelation of himselfe, and that by the light of Glory. The light of Glory is such a light, as that our Schoolemen dare not say con­fidently, that every beam of it is not all of it. For as the essence of God is indivisible, & he that sees any of it, sees al of it; so is the light of glory communicated entirely to every [Page 154] blessed soul. To this light of glory, the light of honour, is but a glow-worm, and majesty it self but a twilight; nay that Gospel its self, which the Apostle calls the glorious Gospel, is but a star of the least magnitude. And if I cannot tell what to call this light by which I shal see it, what shal I cal that which I shal see by it, the essence of God himself? and yet there is something else then this fight of God intended in that which remaines; I shal not onely see God face, to face, but I shall know him, and know him even as I also am known.

In this consideration God alone is all; in all the former there was a place, and a meanes, and a light; here for this perfect knowledge of God, God is all those. Then saith the Apostle God shall be all in all, 1 Cor. 15. 28. Here God doth all in all, but here he doth all by instruments, even in the infusing of Faith, he works by the ministery of the Gospel: but there he shall be all in all, do all in all immediately by himselfe; for Christ shall deliver up the Kingdome to God even the Father; his Kingdome is the administration of his Church by his ordi­nances in the Church: at the resurrection there shall be an end of that Kingdome; no [Page 155] more Church, no more working upon men by Preaching, but God himselfe shall be all in all: therefore it is said, in heaven there is no Temple; but God himselfe is the Temple, Apoc. 21. 22. God is the service and mu­sick, Psalm, and Sermon, and Sacrament, and all. We shall live upon the word, and heare never a word. Here God is not all in all, where he is at all in any man, that man is well. Wisedom in Solomon, it was well with Solomon because God was wisedom with him; and patience in Job, and faith in Peter, and zeal in Paul, but there was something in all these that God was not. But in heaven he shall be so all in all, that every soul shall have every perfection in it's selfe, and the perfection of these perfections shall be, that their sight shall be face to face, and their knowledge as they are known.

But now for the first of these privileges, how shall we see God face to face; is it all­waies a declaration of Gods favour, when God shewes his face? No; I will set my face against that soul, Levit. 17. 10. but when there is light joyned with it, it is a declara­tion of favour; this was the blessing that God taught Moses for Aaron, Num. 6 25 The Lord make his face shine upon thee. And there [Page 156] we shall see him face to face by the light of his countenance, which is the light of glory. But what shall we see by seeing God so face to face? we shall see whatever we can be the better for seeing. First, all things that men believed here, they shall see there; and there­fore let us me ditate upon no other thing on earth, then we would be glad to think on in heaven; and this consideration would put many frivolous, and many fond thoughts out of our mind. This then we shal get concerning our selvs by seeing God face to face; but what concerning God? Wee shall see God as he is in his essence. Why? did all that are said to have seen God face to face see his essence? No. In earth God assumed some material things to appear in, and is said to have been seen face to face when he was seen in those assumed forms. But in heaven there is no material thing to bee assumed, and if God be seen face to face there, hee is seen in his essence. Saint Augustine summs it up, fully upon those words, In thy light we shall see light, te scil. in te, Wee shall see thee in thee, i. e. saith he, face to face.

And then secondly what is it, To know him as wee are known: it is not expressed in [Page 157] the Text so: that is onely that we shall know so, not that we shall know God so; but the frame and context of the place hath drawn that unanime Exposition from all, that it is meant of our knowledg of God then. A comprehensive knowledg of God it cannot bee; to comprehend, is to know a thing as well as that thing can be known; and wee can never know God so, but that he will know himself better. Our knowe ledge cannot be so dilated, nor God con­dens'd or contracted so, as that we can know him that way comprehensively. It cannot bee such a knowledge of God as God hath of himself, nor as God hath of us; for God comprehends us and all this world, and all the worlds that hee could have made, and himself. But it is not a similitu­dinis non aequalitatis, as God knows mee, so shall I know God, but I shall not know God so as God knows me. It is not quan­tum, but sicut, not as much, but as truly. As the fire does as truly shine as the Sun shines, though it shine not out so far, nor to so many purposes. So then I shall know God so, as that there shall be nothing in me to hinder me from knowing God: which cannot be said of the nature of man, though [Page 158] regenerate, upon earth, no▪ nor of the na­ture of an Angel in heaven left to it self, till both have received a super-illustration from the light of glorie. And so it shall be a knowledge so like his knowledge, as it shall produce a love like his love, & we shall love him as he loves us. For say the Fathers, whom Oecumenius hath compacted, I shall know him, i. e. embrace him, adhere to him. What an holiday shall this be, which no working day shall ever follow. By knowing and loving the unchangeable, the immutable God, mutabimur in immutabilitatem, we shall be changed into an unchangeablenesse saith that Father, that never said any thing but extraordinarie (Saint Augustine). Hee saith more; If God should be seen and known in hell, hell in an instant would be heaven. How many heavens are there in heaven? how is heaven multiplied to every soul in heaven? where infinite other hap­pinesses are crown'd with this sight, and this knowledge of God there. And how shall all those heavens be renewed to us every day, that shall bee as glad to see and to know God millions of ages after every daies seeing and knowing as the first hour of looking upon his face? And as this see­ing, [Page 159] this knowing of God crowns all other joies and glories even in heaven, so this very crown is crown'd; there grows from this an higher glorie, which is that we shall be made partakers of the divine nature, 2 Pet. 1. 4. Immortal as the Father, righte­ous as the Son, and full of all comfort as the Holy Ghost. To which blessed Trini­tie bee ever (as is most due) ascribed all Honour, and Glorie, Dominion, and Power, now and for ever. Amen.

AFter our blessed Saviour had made known to his Disciples, and the rest, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be reproved of the Elders, and of the High Priests, and be slain, vers. 22. fore-seeing that a great many, who now did cry him up, and highly magnifie him, would then be ashamed of him; hee tells all such, ver. 26. That whosoever shall bee a­shamed of mee, and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his glory. And again, foreseeing likewise that the same men would lose their souls to save their lives; he tells them, that who­soever will save his life, shall lose it; and who­soever shall lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it, ver. 24. Lastly understanding by the same divine foresight of his, that di­verse [Page 164] who were now his profess'd Disciples, and throng'd after him, would upon his imprisonment and trial forsake him, and follow him no longer then they might fol­low him in safety; hee laies them down in my Text the nature and condition of a Dis­ciple; and the necessary dutie of every Christian: telling them plainly in this 23 ver. what they must trust to, if they ever intend to be his Disciples, followers of him. And he said unto them all (all of them, his own twelve Apostles as well as the rest of the people, he excepts none) if any man will come after mee, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow mee.

Which words, according to the best ex­positors, hold out this sence unto you in their Paraphrase. If any man will be my Disciple, will be a Christian; for that is the meaning of coming after mee, of fol­lowing me; let him denie himself, i. e his honors, preferments, riches, pleasures: and not onely these carnal outward things, but all inward and spiritual endowments likewise; all administrations, ordinances, gifts, graces, hopes, comforts, enjoiments; nay even our religion, and heaven it self must be denied by us, resigned up of us, and [Page 165] laid at Christ's feet. For this is to deny a man'sself; when there is nothing left of self, nothing left to self; but every thing condemned in us, taken from us, and made odious unto us in comparison of Christ. Now the taking up of the Cross will be ea­sily explain'd, what its full importance extends to; namely the voluntarie em­bracing of shame, and contumelie (for the Cross was a contumelious death, Heb. 12. 2.) as likewise the losse of your goods, liber­ties, and lives for Christ: which are said in the Text to bee taken up; not when we bring them unnecessarily upon our own shoulders (for that is to pull the Cross up­on us) but when by the providence of God they are laid in our way to Christ; so that we cannot follow Christ, wee cannot bee Christ's Disciples, but it must becom de­triment and damage to us: then volunta­rily to undergo that detriment or damage whatever it is; to take up that Cross, bee that cross never so painful and bloodie; and patiently and chearfully to bear that cross, is the duty without which a man cannot bee Christ's Disciple, cannot be a Christian. And these two duties, that of self-denial, and this of taking up the crosse, [Page 166] I may very properly call peculiar-Christi­an-Gospel duties: because they were ne [...]er so much as in kinde required before by God in the Old Testament, nor yet by the laws of nature; nor thirdly by the Canons of any other Religion in the world.

I shall at present insist onely upon the first of these two duties: In the making ou [...] of the which unto you, I shall present you with these five particulars of self-denial: First, the denial of our honors, preferments, riches, pleasures, lusts, and all our carnal sinful enjoiments. Secondly the denial of our will and affections. Thirdly of our gifts and graces. Fourthly our very Re­ligion and Christianitie, which you may perchance think it is the highest sin to deny, yet we must deny even that. And further, that which concerns us something nearer then our Religion, we must in the Fift and last place deny even our own salvation, and heaven its self. And these Five parts I shall call the Five steps, or stairs that make up the storie, and lead to the top, the very highest point of Self-denial. I call them stairs, be­cause that one i [...] still higher then the other, as the Second degree of Self-denial is an higher step or stair then the First; and so [Page 167] likewise in the rest.

I will begin at the first and lowest step or stair of Self-denial, the denying of our ho­nours, preferments, riches, pleasures, losts, and all our carnal finful enjoiments. And here first for your honors, preferments, and greatnesse, you must be ready to deny these, first by doing, secondly by suffering for Christ: first by doing, by an humble sub­mission to the meanest service God shall call you to for his Name and Churches sake; though that service may seem to cloud your honours, and eclipse your greatnesse never so much in the eye of the world. You should count it an honorable emploiment to draw water and cut wood for the use of the San­ctuarie, and a far greater addition to your birth and place, to bee a poor door-keeper in the house of your God, then to be a Lord Chamberlain to Princes.

Secondly by Suffering you are to denie your selves herein, by being willing to suf­fer the greatest scandals and indignitics that can be thrown upon you for the cause of Christ. Though all your friends and ac­quaintance, your father, mother, husband, wife should cast you off and abandon you for ever, you must be content to be depri­ved [Page 168] of all your relations and allies, of all you are born unto, or hope for; to lose your honors, libertie and life to boo [...], if God shal call you to it for his Names sake, with that brave resolution of Hesters, If I perish I pe­rish, Hest. 4. 16. If I be undone I am un­done for God's glorie, and his Churches good.

And the reason wherefore Christ teacheth you to denie your selves herein is, 'cause you are to take up your Crosse and follow Christ, i. e. must expect reproaches, afflicti­ons, tribulations for the name and sake of Christ, Joh 16. 33. A man that hath not learn'd this lesson of Christ, can never suffer with comfort and joy. O saith wise Self, when it eyes those persecutions that are like to befall those that follow Christ, may I not passe by such a truth, and such a practise and yet get heaven? What need I to adven­ture my self upon such hardships, when per­chance by the neglecting of such or such an opinion, or practise, I may attein my li­bertie, my reputation, but on the contrary the self-denying Christian, when he com [...] to submit to Gospel-Ordinances, which are con­temptible in the eies of the world, for which hee is like to suffer shame and disgrace, yet [Page 169] let me submit to Christ, saith he, to every Truth, to every Ordinance, although I suf­fer losse in the world, reproach and shame from my friends and acquaintance, though I lose the love of my best friends, whether father, mother, husband, wife, yet saith the self-denying Christian, Christ hath said, that whosoever loveth father or mother better then me, is not worthie of me: And this love of Christ constraineth mee to deny my self, & follow Christ in all conditions. Thus you see the self-denying soul, and none else, is meet to be a disciple, a follower of Christ; because hee is most ready to take up the Crosse and follow him.

Secondly we must deny our selves as in our great places, and honours, and digni­ties, so likewise in our profits, pleasures, in all our carnal worldly enjoiments. Oh how hard is it for a poor crcature to deny himself in this! How hard is it for a rich man, saith our blessed Saviour, to enter into the kingdom of heaven, Luk. 18. 24. The world is a common bait wherewith the Divel en­ticeth men to fin, as Judas Anan [...]as; nay Christ himself is set upon with this tempta­tion, Mat. 4. But when Christ comes into a soul, he teacheth that soul to deny it self, [Page 170] to look upon the world as Christ did, as a very emptie thing; he gives power to over­come the world, 1 Joh. 5. 4. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. All our worldly desires therefore, and pleasures, and enjoiments must be denied by us; we must use the things of the world as though wee us'd them not. We must be so dead to the world, as to see all things that are now in our possession to be none of ours, so that the very worst things in the world that can be­fall us will be good to us: all that before were crosses and afflictions now will be joy and comfort, 'cause wee shall see it to be the will of the Father; and we shall have peace in every condition. We shall have as much comfort in a dungeon, as in the possession of the greatest state in the world. We shall cast our care upon God, and trust him as well with our bodies as with our souls. We shall not so much care for to mor­row, we shall see enough in God to satisfie us both for to morrow and for ever: For the earth is the Lords, and the fulness thereof, saith the Psal. 24. 1. All the labour of men under the Sun is but for two things, food and raiment; now when we are ascended to God by denying our selves, we shall know [Page 171] that God is able to feed us, and cloath us as miraculously as he did the children of Israel in the wildernesse. And thus much shall suf­fice for our first step or stair of self-denial, the denial of our honors, preferments, riches plea­sures, lusts, & all our carnal sinful enjoiments:

The second now followes, which is the denyall of our will and affections. First then for our will, we must deny our selves in that, as well as our Saviour did. If we will come after Christ, be followers of Christ; we must tread in this step, and follow him in this track and path, as wel as the for­mer. And indeed our blessed Saviour began betimes in the denyall of his own will. For when he was but twelve yeares old, we find him at this work, doing the will of his Fa­ther, Luke 2. 49. And he said unto them, how is it that ye sought me? wist yee not that I must be about my Fathers businesse? not fulfilling his own will, or doing his own businesse, but both were his Fathers. And as he began this course betimes, when he was but twelve yeares old, so he continued it like­wise through the whole course of his life. In his preaching, as you heard before, he did not his own worke, nor fulfilled his own will, but his Fathers; and as in his [Page 172] preaching, so in his praying like-wise, one of his first petitions was Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven; and this petition was made good even through his whole life, and death. Through his life, John 4. 34. Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his wo [...]k. And Secondly in his very death & Passion, which was full of this self-denying Spirit. For even there also his saying was, Not my will, but thine be done. Luke 22. 42.

Thus you see that our Saviour both pray­ing, preaching, living, and dying, denied himselfe, and his [...]own will: now let us go and do so likewise; let us learn [...]ather to deny our selves, and our own wils, then Gods Christ, who is the Saints patterne, did alwaies so walke as to please God. John 8. 29. And hee that sent mee, is with me: the Father hath not left me alone: for I do always those things that please him: And as he was our pattern, so he teacheth us by his Apostle the same lesson, 1 Thess. 4. 1. Furthermore, then wee beseech you, brethren: and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk, and to please God, so ye Would abound more and more. As if the Apostle [Page 173] had said, that which you receive of us, is that you ought to walk according to the example of Christ; to please God though you thereby should displease your selves. And this is a soul taught by Gods Spirit, when he prefers the pleasing of the Lord be­fore himselfe, the fulfilling of his will be­fore his own. This being once learned, is that which would carry you along, through all oppsition in a way of truth. Perhaps the poor creature resolving with flesh & blood, may be reedy to conclude somtimes, if I submit to this way, to this truth, I must ex­pect reproach, persecution. Now it would wonderfully please carnall will and reason to conceal such a truth in unrighteousoesse; but when a Soul comes to this, it is my du­ty to fulfil Gods will, and not my own; O then I dare not but do it; come what will come I cannot but do it. Truely you who indeed love the Lord Jesus, that love will constrain you to please him, though you displease your selves, to fulfill his will by denying your own. This Christ himselfe teacheth and by his own example, hath given us an example so to do, John 4. 34. Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. [Page 174] Oh blessed example, to be imitated by all the Saints; what shal Jesus Christ when he was but twelve yeares old dony himselfe, his own will; and shall not the Saints do it, his dis­ciples, his followers, at fiftie, and sixtie, and eighty do as much?

But Christ hath not onely given us his example and paterne, but hath enjoyned us thereunto also, under penalty of damna­tion, Matt: 7 21. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the king­dom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven. And the Apostle, Ephe. 6. 6. exhorting servants to be obedi­ent to their Masters, saies, Not with eye-ser­vice, as men pleasers, but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart: This selfe-will is the cause of much stir and division in the world. What is the cause of this war among us, but selfe-will? One will establish one religion, another, another religion, or else the Nation must rue it. This selfe-will is it that causes discontents and troubles in Families. The husband will have his will, and the wife her will. This causes contention in Churches among the Saints; when every one will have his own mind, his own way, his own will, will please [Page 175] himselfe whoever be displeased. And there­fore to prevent these and the like inconve­niences, let us deny our own wils after the example of Christ, and submit to the will of God in every thing. Let Gods will, his unknown will, his undesired will (by any but himself) be done by us &, upon us. What­ever his will bee concerning any, let it take place in them & upon them to the utmost. Let not me nor any else be what we would, but what Gods will pleaseth to have us; and let us pray with our Saviour, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven: that so Gods whole will and counsel may be ful­fil'd upon us, without so much as desiring him to give us the least account of it, untill he pleaseth himselfe. If God please to suffer us to be lead into folly, sin, death, hell, any thing, let him do what he will, carry us whether he will. Let our own will wholly die in us, that it may never avoid any thing more, nor chuse any thing more in any kind, but as Gods will shall chuse for us, and avoid for us. For my own particular, let it be so that I perish for ever, I had rather have it so, then have mine own will fulfilled. I know my own will so well that I desire to have it crossed, even in the things that neerest [Page 176] concerne me. I would not be saved as I have a mind to be saved, I would not go to hea­ven in my own way, and after my own will. And on the contrary, I have such a taste though that be but a smal one, of the excel­lency of the hidden wil of God, that I would not have it cross'd, no not in those things that tend to my greatest prejudice. If it be Gods wil that I must be damned, I must deny my selfe in yeelding to this wil of God, & be content for Gods glory to subscribe my own damnation. Nowthis may deserve the name of self-resignation, & the denying of our own wils; which is the second stepof Selfe-denyall.

We now come to hold out unto you the third step, or degree of our great Gospel­duty of Self-deniall; namely, the deniall of our gifts and our graces, the fruits and im­provments of our endowments, whether na­tural or spiritual. And first for our natural gifts and endowments: there is naturally in every man, selfe-boasting in the creatures own wisdom, & apprehended self-excellen­cy. There is a disposition of nature, even in the Saints to be exalted above measure, not onely in those graces received from Christ, but in their own personal excellencies. Saint Paul 2 Cor: 12. 7. Was sensible of both, And [Page 177] lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelation, there was gi­ven to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted a­bove measure. And there is in every childe of God a natural disposition to spiritual pride: he that knows any thing knows it. This is the filthinesse of the spirit that the Saints are liable unto. Truly we have very little cause to glorie in any thing, ex­cept in Christ Jesus, 1 Cor. 4. 7. Therefore the Prophet saith, Let not the wise man glo­rie in his wisdome, nor the strong man in his strength, but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and know­eth the Lord. It is the exhortation of Christ to his disciples, Luk. 10. 22. All things are delivered to mee of my Father, and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father, and who the Father is, but the Son, and to whom the Son will reveal him; and this lesson Saint Paul learned, and every Christian in some good measure must learn, Gal. 6. 14. But God forbid that I should glorie, save in the crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Let us therefore in the first place de­ny our Selfe-sufficiency and Selfe-strength. [Page 178] There is a natural disposition in the crea­ture to think that it hath power in it self to act towards God; hut where Christ comes in power, hee teacheth men to deny this principle, Jeh. 15. 5. I am the Vine, yee are the branches: hee that abideth in me, and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me yee can do nothing. And the A­postle that had experience of the workings of God confesseth it, 1 Cor. 15. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me, was not in vain: but I labored more abundantly then they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was in me. And the reason wherefore wee are to deny our self-sufficiencie and self­strength, is, that so we may be able to hold out in the evill day, when a man is put to it either by his spiritual, or temporal ene­mies. Men standing upon their own strength are gone, Isa. 40 30 Even the youths shall faint and he weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: they that apprehend a power in themselves to stand, but ver. 31. They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they that see an insufficien­cie in themselves, and trust upon the Name of the Lord, &c. Psal. 145. 1. Christ would [Page 179] have his work to be a perf [...]ct and full work, his Covenant a sure Covenant, Isa. 55. 3. Incline your ear, and come unto me: he [...]r, and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Therefore he un­dertakes not onely to being men into the Covenant, but to keep them there, Jerem. 32 40. And I will make an everlasting Cove­nant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good, but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. It is in the strength of Christ the believer stands, Job. 15. 5. You cannnot pray or perform any duty acceptable, Ro [...]. 8. 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what wee should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit it self maketh interces­sion for us with groanings which cannot be ut­tered. Much lesse stand and hold out to the end against all spiritual oppositions a Chri­stian is to enc [...]unter with all. We are there­fore to deny all our self­strength, and self­sufficiencie, and so likewise all our self­wisedom, and knowledg, and whatever natural gifts and endowments are in us more eminent then the rest. Men are natu­rally too wise for Christ; so were the Gre­cians, [Page 180] 1 Cor. 1. 22. and therefore the Apo­stle exhorts the Church to take heed of self-wisdom, 1 Cor. 3. 18. Let no man de­ceivhimself: If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become afool, that he may be wise. The readiest way to attain wisdome, is to lay all our wisedome downe at the feet of Christ: I beseech you consider this, hath Christ taught your soules this lesson? Is your wisedome hea­venly born wisedom, or is it earthly? Is it your own or God's? This is your own wise­dom, Jam. 3. 13. but see ver. 17. But the wisedom that is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easie to be intreated, full of mercie, and good fruits, without partialitie, and without hypocrisie. It is all heavenly like him whose it is; but man' [...] wisedom is all earthly, sinful, divelish, which is the reason wherefore we are here to deny it.

Then secondly as we are to deny all our natural gifts and parts, so likewise all our spiritual, all our graces, all our fruits and improvements in spiritual matters, and this must be done in a double respect: First in respect of the end of those graces; wee must deny our selvs herein by doing all for God, and not fo our selves; for his glorie, [Page 181] and not our own. Secondly in respect of the means, by referring all to God, and not to our selves, to his strength and his assi­stance, and not our own. First then wee must deny our selves in the end of our re­ceiving these gifts and graces. The Pro­phet Hosea, Chap. 10. 1. calls Israel an em­ptie Vine, that brought forth fruit: Em­ptie, and yet bringing forth fruit, how can these stand together? Yes, very well. For Israel was an emptie Vine, though they brought forth fruit, because the fruit was not such as ought to grow upon them, such as was proper to the root they seem'd to grow in; as Wells are said to be emptie when they are not full of water, though they are full of air: so here an em­ptie Vine, 'cause it brought forth all its fruit, whether good or bad, to its self: which was not proper for the people and servants of God to do; that is, those ends that did draw up the sap and did put it forth into fruit, were drawn but from themselvs, they bring them not forth prin­cipally to God, and for him. All their prai­ers, all their affections in holy duties, if they examine the reason of them all, the ends that run in them all, they will finde [Page 182] they are taken from themselves: and though the assistance wherewith they are enabled to do what they do is more then their own, yet their ends are no higher then themselves, and so employ the assi­stance God gives them, for themselves. Now [...]he end for which a true branch brings forth fruit is, that Christ may be glorified: thus Rom. 7. 4. Wherefore my brethren, yee also are become dead to the Law by the bodie of Christ, that yee should be married to ano­ther, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God, when married to Christ, they are said to bring forth fruit unto God, which is spoke in op­position to bringing forth fruit to a man's self. There is indeed a natural disposition in the creature, to seeck himself, and his own ends and glorie in every thing, Phil. 2. 21. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christs. Therefore the Apo­stle exhor [...]s the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 10. 24. Let no man seek his own glorie; and Christ teacheth his to [...]ay down all self-ends at his feet, & to seek him & hi [...] honor so, that now whatever the Christian doth it is for Christ: if hee preach, it is Christ, and for Christ, 2 Cor. 4. 5. For we preach not our selvs, [Page 183] but Christ Jesus the Lord, and our selves your servants for Jesus sake. All that ever the Saints do, they do for the honor of Christ, 2 Thes. 1. 12. That the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and yee in him, according to the grace of our God, and the Lord Jesus Christ. And why? They are not their own, they are bought with a price; therefore they are to glorifie God in their bo­dies, and spirits, 1 Cor. 6. 19, 20. But may not a Christian seek himself in any case? may hee not seek his own good, his own credit? Yes without question, he may seek his own good, his own credit, but he may not seek himself: hee may not seek him­self alone, but first the glorie of God, and seeking to glorifie God, he must of neces­sitie seek his own glorie: for God hath so join'd his glorie and the Saints together, that it is impossible to glorifie the Lord, but the glorie of the Christian must be in­cluded in it. For this is the Saints rule, 1 Cor. 10 31. Whether therefore yee eat or drink, or whatsoever yee do, do all to the glo­rie of God. This is the Saints privilege, Rom. 8. 28. And we know that all things work to­gether for good, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

[Page 184]Secondly as we are to deny all our spi­ritual gifts and graces in respect of the end of those graces, by doing all for God and and not for our selves, for his glorie, and not our own; so in the second place wee are to deny those graces in respect of the means, by referring all to God, and not to our selves; to his strength and his assi­stance, and not our own. For as we must do all things for God as the end, so also wee must refer all things to God as the means, acknowledging our selves to do all things in his strength, and by his assistance. For as it is essential to thee, if thou bee'st a true branch of the Vine, a true Christian, to do all for another, as your end, namely to God; so to do all in the strength of a­nother as your sole assistant, namely Christ, who works all in you, and through whose strength, saith Paul, I am able to do all things, and nothing without it, Phil. 4. 13. Therefore we finde both these join'd, Phil. 1. 11. Being filled with the fruits of righthousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the glorie and praise of God▪ the latter is meant as the final cause, the other as the efficient. Now temporary believers, as they do all principally for themselves, so also all as from themselves; [Page 185] and as they do not make God their end, so nor Christ their root, because they fetch not their strength, their sap to do all they do from Christ by Faith, and from their Union with him; And the reason is, be­cause they are never emptied of themselves, which is the root they grow upon, both in regard of their own ends, and also of their own efficiencie of working: whereas wee must all be brought to nothing in our selvs both in regard of Self-aims, and also Self­abilities. But indeed it is as hard a thing for us, both in respect of natural, and also spi­ritual endowments, to live out of our selvs, and fetch all from another, as not to live to our selves but to another. Wee are full of our own strength as well as of our own ends: and although wee do receive all our strength from Christ, and so all we do in what is good, is from him, yet we do not honour Christ in receiving it, by doing all as in his strength, and so do not do it as in him; but though wee receive all from Christ, yet we work with it as it were our own stock, and so glorie as the Apostle speaks, as if we had not received it. And thus though the sap and livelinesse which stirrs us to any spiritual dutie is really and [Page 186] indeed efficiently from Christ, yet wee work with it as if all proceeded from our selves, because wee neither receive our strength by faith, nor act by faith that strength received as men acted by Christ, and working in Christ; being supported with the pride and self▪sufficiencie of our own gifts and parts: whereas all true be­lievers are emptied first of their own strength and abilitie, and so walk as those who can do nothing without Christ, as those who are not able to love or believe one moment more without him. And therefore a true believer being thus sensible of his own in­sufficiencie and unabilitie, doth (when hee is at any time assisted in spiritual du­ties) attribute all to Christ when he hath done: he glories not in himself as of him­self, but as he is a man in Christ, and that as he is a man in Christ he did it, and no otherwise. So the Apostle 2 Cor. 12. 2. 5. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, &c.—Of such an one will I glorie, yet of my self I will not glorie, but in mine in­firmities. And yet it was himself he speaks of, but yet not in himself as of himself, but as he was a man in Christ, and no other­wise. Wee have done with our third step or [Page 187] degree of Selfe-denyal, the denial of our gifts and graces both natural and spiritual.

And as we have denied these natural and spiritual endowments, so in the fourth place we must deny our very religion, our christianity for Christ. This seemes at the first sight a contradiction, but it is onely a high expression, or if you Please to call it so, a new light of Self-denyal. For I do not mean so to deny our Christianity, as to be­come Jewes, Turkes, or Infidels; but so to deny it, as to resigne it up unto Christ, to lay it at Christs feet; so to deny it as not to re­ly upon it, as the onely dispensation and appearance whereby God is able to reveal himselfe unto his people: for can'st thou measure the waies, thoughts and various ap­pearances of God, whom thou thy selfe callest infinite, and unmeasurable? Art thou sure he can appeare no otherwisa then ac­cording to what thou exspectest he will? Call but to mind the religion of the Jewes: what religion that ever was since the foun­dation of the world, I will not except our own Christian religion, was more confirmed by miracles then this? what religion for it's time had the presence of God more in it; set up by the peculiar appointment of the [Page 188] Almighty; the Doctrine written in Tables of stone with his own finger; the discipline in every circumstance, and ceremony, and Punctilio, dictated not by his Spirit onely, but by the expresse word of his own mouth. Had the Christian religion, for doctrine and discipline, been as punctually set down and enjoyned, the Real Presence had not erected so many stakes and gibbets; nor the cere­monies of the Church raised so many armies in Christendom, as we find by woful experi­ence they have done. And now what is be­come of all the divine right and confir­mation; of all the pompe and glory of the Jewish Church and religion? Is it not called off all and the drosse and dung even in the very righteousnesse of it, Phil. 3. 8. And the doctrine and discipline base and beggarly elements, by the same Apostle, Gal: 4. 9. Inso­much that I here professe before you all, that ever since I knew any thing of religion; nothing hath more amazed and stagger'd my reason; then that God should first establish, and afterwards disanull the same relgion; and secondly, that the Apostles should set so low a rate upon, should have so mean, base, and contemptible an esteem of any thing, that was at any time set up [Page 189] and avowed by God. Neither know I how to answer the Jew, should he urge this very argument home to me, then by crying out with the Apostle, upon the same account and ground we now mention; O the depth of the riches of the wisdome and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his wayes past finding out! Rom. 11. 33. Thou seest therefore that the Jews were cozen'd (who were as confident as thou can'st be, that it should not be so with them as it was;) is it then so impossible that thou shoul­dest ever be deceived in what thou further expectest, because thou hast gone a step or two beyond these Jewes? Is that which thou hast attained and hoped for, of such an en­during nature, that it can never passe away? The Jewes knew Christ under the law, and it was a very glorious knowledge, compar­ed with any knowledg the heathen had; but what became of that knowledge? It vanish­ed and became of no account, as you have heard. And so likewise Christians have known Christ under the Gospel, and this kind of knowledg doth far excell that which was imparted to the Jewes; Gospel-faith, Gospel-love, Gospel-obedience, do infinit­ly [Page 190] surpasse any legal qualifications and per­formances whatsoever: but with all consi­der this, may not these Gospel dispensati­ons passe away? may not these duties be swallowed up in higher and more spiritua­liz'd duties, and the? glory of these fall be­fore a greater glory In all these then thou must deny thy selfe, thou must resigne them up, & lay them all at Christs feet. And how this religion of ours which we now pro­fesse, must be denyed by us, and be re­signed up of us, I shal endeavour to shew you in these following particulars. First we mu [...]t deny all ordinances & administrations, so as to rest & relie upon them: and here first for the ordinance of ministerial preaching, we must not [...]est, not put our confidence and faith upon that, because as it is Isa. 54. 13. We shall be all taught of God. Now the teaching of men, and the teaching of God, differ as the light of the Moon, and the light of the Sun; that shines by the helpe of this, this from it's own light. The teach­ings of men is this Moon-light, which in Gods time must vanish. For this Moon­light, this conveying knowledge to others by helps and meanes, is to be swallowed up into the light of the Sun, that God may [Page 201] become all in all, Jer. 31. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remem­ber their sin no more. By the mentioning of Sun and Moon in this place, God speakes to the capacity of men, and points out the whole creation of night and day, and that all creature-helps and meanes should fail, though they were and are as glorious helps as the Sun, that gives light to the day, or as the Moon that gives light to the night; and that the time will come, that God him­selfe will be the light of men without crea­ture-helps or meanes; and these teachings of God shall never cease. Then secondly, as we are to deny the Ordinance of Preaching, so likewise of Praying, and Fasting, and all ordinances whatsoever; so as I said before to rest upon them, to lay our faith upon them. And the reason is, cause that Ordi­nances are nothing without the Lord. Eve­ry one will confesse that the letter is a dead letter without the Spirit; and the Ordi­nances are meer formes without God's ap­pearance in them: and therefore our de­signe [Page 202] is to couple the Lord and Ordinances together, and we cannot endure to heare of the parting of them; though many now adayes do, who crie, so we have Ordinances we are well. Now this is that we must deny, or else it will appear that we promise to our selves something from the bare out­ward form of an Ordinance, and so like the Israelites we are hankering after the flesh­pots of Egypt, though they had better meat in the wildernesse, yet their flesh-pots run in their minds. So though God offer him­selfe, and though the Saints tell you they cannot find God in such and such formes, but find him abundantly good in the spirit, and they find that he recompences the want of all formes in the spirit, and presses you to wait till God appeares to you in the spirit: O! say you, I can never believe that God should do it without an Ordi­nance, or that God should strengthen you without an Ordinance. God, thinke you, with an Ordinance can strengthen me, and deliver me, and save me out of temptation, not otherwise. This is to say, that the Ordi­nance, or fleshly form, doth add something to God. If you confesse God to be all in an Ordinance, you must confesse him to be all [Page 203] without an Ordinance, to be sufficient of himselfe. I desire not to be mistaken, I judge not those that find God in Ordinances and outward formes. Let them wait upon God, and let them receive and partake of the be­nefit of the Ordinance, and let them blesse God for it, and be faithfull to their own principles; and let them be sweet to others. But when we do find God in a Forme, and in an Ordinance, to say he is not to bee found and enjoyed any other way; this is not a right spirit, and this is to be resigned up and denied by us.

A maine and principall reason of the point is, that God alone may be exalted. For as civil formes are accompanied with many corrupt, yet cleaving interests; so spirituall administrations, are attended in their Proselites with flesh, forme, & selfe, which doe many times deprave and cor­rupt the Administration, and render it in­effectuall to the end for which it was ap­pointed. And as it is the designe of God to purge the civil administration from its dregs and filth, so the Lord carries on the same designes in paring away all humane interests from the spiritual, that so he alone may bee exalted; besides as civill formes [Page 204] are not the substance but the out-side onely, and appearanee of that equity and reason which they ought to represent; So is it with the spiritual, as being onely supple­mental to our wants, absence, weaknes, until such time as we come to live in the very life or substance its selfe. So that spiritual admi­nistrations being of an inferior and enter­vening notion, cannot possibly hold forth the most compleat and glorious way of enjoyment, which in the Scripture is said to bee by sight, and not by faith; and such a sight as is not in forme, or glasse, but face to face. The sight which Moses had of God, as it did transcend the ordinary discovery to common Saints▪ so it was farr inferiour to this vision; for Moses saw but the back­pa [...]t of God. And yet as their sacrifices did t [...]e out the true sacrifices which we enjoy; so this vision, in regard of the im­mediateness of it, beares some proportion with that glorious discovery in the Saints, where God shall be seen as he is: but this discovery is darkned and vail'd in the out­ward forme, even in the designe of God himselfe; for the weake understanding be­ing not able to behold the brightnesse of this presence (as the Israelites fled from [Page 205] the sight of God) it is the pleasure of the Father to cast a vaile over his glory, which vail is the forme, that so the disco­veries thereof may bee born by us. Our en­joy ments will be then most sublime, when this vail is rent a sunder, and way made to the Holy of Holies, or the naked glory by the power and purity of the spirit. In the mean time the forme is proportioned to the darknesse of the fleshly understanding, and therefore it is that the glory is limited and confined therein; and given out according to the measure of our stature by degrees; this justifies the design and wisedom of God in choosing these waies and methods in the manifestation of himself. For the occasi­on of spiritual administrations is the dark­nesse and weaknesse of the creature, all which make up a bundle of necessities, which are thus summ'd up. Man beeing clouded with a dark and mistie understan­ding, stands at a great distance from the clear light of God, by reason wheros hee apprehends nothing but what is suitable to himself, and his enjoiment is answerable to his light; that is, weak and glimmering. But God stoops down to humane frailtie, and gives out himself in weak appearances, [Page 206] Mosaical forms, which are as mediums be­tween God and us. But when this dark­nesse and distance is removed by the power of God, man becomes near, and his enjoi­ments immediate, which must needs be the best, because nearest the fountain. For the appearances of God, like the beams of the Sun, the farther they passe, the more weak and imperfect are they, as to us. Hence it is that God in spirit beeing the most imme­diate appearance, is therefore strong­est; God in flesh the next to that, but of an inferiour cognisance and operation. And the deeper God descends into flesh, as into the sacrifices of old▪ the more is his glory cloath'd upon, and by consequence the more dark and obscure is his presence, and our enjoiment. So that still while we are within the compasse of appearances, they may afford us a good but not the most ex­cellent life. For the highest life is above all appearances, even in the substance it self. For which is better, to live in the appea­rance of a thing, or in the thing it self? in the branch, or in the tree? in the root or in the rinde? To live in the substance is a life fuller of heavenly contemplation and rest. For as the daies of God's labour were [Page 207] common and ordinarie, but the day of his rest sanctified and holy; so it is with the Saints: The life of a Christian under ad­ministrations and forms is the day of his labour, and he meets with many uncertain­ties, disappointments, and troubles in the outward form, as the experience of Saints can witnesse. But the life above is the day of his rest, wherein hee studies all things, and sees them to be very good, yea and ceaseth from his works as God did from his.

But did not God himself ordain Form, and where did he abrogate it, you will say? I answer: As there was a time to plant, so there is a time to pluck up what was plan­ted. For Form was never created as a stan­ding rule, but as a temporarie help to serve a turn; which when it is once accomplish­ed, the means cease, as having usher'd in the end. Neither is the abrogation of Form onely in the letter, but in the discovery of an higher glory, which darkens the first, as the Sun darkens the starrs. So that the discovery of Gospel-forms is the abrogati­on of Legal, and the Gospel administra­tion in external rites gives way to an high­er glory. And yet there are some hints in [Page 208] the letter of this glorious state, as Isa. 25. and Rev. 21. 2 Pet. 3. 13. Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new hea­vens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth right­eousness. Though the glorie of the myste­ries contained in it are to be experimented in us. You'l say Christ and his Apostles submitted to the outward Form. 'Tis true, Christ in the flesh was made under the Law, and submitted to Circumcision as well as Baptisme; he under-went the state of death or sorrow, and the state of flesh or form, Heb. 5. 7. Who in the daies of his flesh, when he had offered up praiers and supplicati­ons, with strong crying and tears, unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared: Wherein he praied, and at the last was raised up to the state of mirth, or immediate discovery, wherein he did rejoice. So that Christ in the flesh is the figure of several administrations, and every Christian is an embleme in one stage or another of his life. Some live in a cruci­fied, some in a glorified Jesus; some live in his life, some in his death; some live in Christ after the flesh, others in Christ after the spirit. And amongst these the highest pitch of a Christian is, Christ risen, [Page 209] or rather sitting at God's right hand: for here is immediatenesse of favour and enjoi­ment. But in the mean time Ordinances and Administrations take place after one sort or other, till this state come. For as the appearances of God are stronger or weaker, so administrations are of several sorts; the most eminent are, Paradifical, Legal, and Evangelical.

Paradifical administrations then took place, when the angelical nature being clo­thed upon with a humane appearance, did contemplate its Maker in things below himself the clear stream of the whole crea­tion; and the heavenly spirit being like­wise clothed upon, was a proportionated subject to entertain that discovery. This administration did not contein the most compleat enjoiment. For here the vail was first set up, and man of necessitie must have ceased to his being or form, though he had never sinn'd, that so he might bee raised up to an higher enjoiment. This ad­ministration was but for a season; for when flesh and self had defiled the stream, the glory crept inward, and was with­drawn from our view, and in came a mul­titude of helps to usher in but a review of [Page 210] the same glory, this was the original of le­gal sacrifices and administrations. But as the fountain was clear'd by degrees, and the imagerendred more perspicuous, so Go­spel administrations succeeded in the place of the Legal, as differing onely from them in degrees of light.

These administrations are not distin­guish'd by fleshly Epoches or Periods of time, but are interchangeably managed within the Saints, according to their degrees of light, as being partly bond, and partly free; partly in the flesh, form, and letter, partly in the spirit and power Which state is a state of confusion and mixture, not of puritie. The death of Christ him­self did not straitwaies determine the Le­gal administration: for the Apostles and Believers did continue to observe them un­til such time as an higher discovery was made known within them, and even then when an higher discovery was made known unto them, when they were perfectly under a Gospel state, yet had they but the first fruits of the spirit, and were in the dark in many things. Yea Saint Paul holds forth a state atteinable by the Saints which he him­self came short of, Phil. 4. which John saw [Page 211] by the spirit of prophesie, Rev. 21.

And if any shall deny this new state, let us reason a little from concessions and grants, and see what the enjoiment of a Christian may amount to. It is granted by all, and cannot be denied, that the let­ter of the word holds forth more glory then is yet attain'd, and that many pro­phesies are to be fulfilled relating to that glory of the Saints, among which that in the Revelations is one, as likewise that per­fection is to be press'd after, Heb. 6. which certainly is more then uprightnesse; for the Apostle speaks to upright Saints. Now what this glory, these new heavens, this state of perfection, is the dispute and que­stion of these daies, which to me is resol­ved thus. That there is a glorious state of the Saints to be discovered in the last daies, consisting not in a fleshly paradise, or ma­terial enjoiment, but in the true vision of God in the spirit and high light of heaven­ly glory. This state was the hope and joy of the Prophets, Apostles and other Chri­stians who foresaw the day thereof. And well might it bee so, considering the many mysteries contein'd therein, which no other state can attein unto. For here the Chri­stian [Page 212] sees all things in the light of God. Here is opened unchangeable glory, and es­sential will, perfect freedom, restitution of all things, heavenly rest. There man cea­seth, questions are resolved, union clear'd, and all expectations satisfied. And thus have you seen the first particular, wherein wee must deny our Religion, it is in relati­on to Ordinances, and Forms, and admini­strations.

Secondly in the second place, we must deny our religion in respect of the Scriptures, so as to rest upon the letter, and to prefer it above the teaching of the spirit in it. Heare this all you that idolize Scripture so much, as to prefer those writings before the God of the Apostles and Prophets: it is very possi­ble that a man may attain to the litteral knowledge of the Scriptures, and may speak largely of the history thereof, and draw conclusions, and raise many uses for the pre­sent support of a troubled soul, or for the restraining of lewd practises, and direction of a civil conversation; and yet they that speake, and they that heare, may be not on­ly unacquainted with, but enemies to that spirit of truth; by which those Prophets and Apostles write. For it is not the Apostles [Page 213] writings, but the spirit that dwelleth in them, that did inspire their hearts, that gives life and peace to us all. And therefore when the Prophets Isa. Jerem. and Ezekiel, spake what they saw from God, they spake Thus saith the Lord, out of experience of what they saw and felt; and they were call'd true Prophets. But when others rose up that spake their words & writings, and then ap­plied them to another age and generation of men, saying, Thus saith the Lord, as the o­ther did; they were called false Prophets; because they had seen nothing themselves of God, but walked by the legs and saw by the eyes of the true Prophets. For God doth not threaten death to every city of every age of the world, as to Sodom and Gomrorha; nei [...]her captivity to every people as he did to Israel under Nebuchadnezar in Babilon. Neither doth he promise victory, or deliver­ance to every army, or people, from ene­mies, as he did to Irsael in Jehosophats time. Now if any man. speake and assures others of victory, when God purposes distruction; or speakes destruction, when God purposes a victory, these men speake at randome, and though they speake the very words of the Scriptures, yet they speake not the mind of [Page 214] him that gives life, or destroyes, and so ha­ving seen nothing from him, they are to be reckoned among the false Pr [...]phets, they run before they are sent. A man may know the Scripture, and yet be an arch enemie to the God of the Scripture, as the Jewes were. They knew the writings of Moses, who writ of Jesus Christ; and yet they persecu­ted and killed Jesus Christ, because they knew him not. For if they had known him to have been of the power of God, they would not have kill'd him. And so many nowadayes do know Scripture, & yet may, & do persecute the spirit of the Scripture, through ignorance and unbeliefe. Truely friends, it is not the knowledge of the Scripture onely, but the knowledge of the God of the Scripture, as God is pleased to make known himselfe by his mighty working in you, that gives life and peace to you. If you know and speake Scripture, and can see nothing of God; you are like Parrats, that speake the words of another, as you have been taught by humane education. But if the same annointing or power of God dwel in you, as did appeare in the Prophets, and Apostles that writ; then you can see into that mistery of the Scripture; and so can [Page 215] speake the mind of the Scriptures; though you should never see, heare, nor read the Scripture from men. If your peace and com­fort in God should onely remain with you, while you are either hearing, or reading Scriptures, or while you have any society of such as can speake and discourse there­of; and then find again that your peace and comfort is gone, when you are depriv­ed by any occasion of that society of Saints, truely let me tell you, that though you prize and know the Scripture, yet there is a great strangeness betweene, you and the God of the Scripture. Many enjoy outward reading, and hearing, and Saints Commu­nion, and they are in peace, and they live in heaven as they conceive▪ and it is a sweet life, but it is not the life. For if the wisedom of God hedge up all these enjoy­ments with thornes, and leave these poor souls alone, (as it was Christs case, all for­sooke him and fled,) why then here is your triall. For when God hath denyed you the opportunities of hearing, reading, praying, and Saints fellowship; doth not your heart now looke for those helps, and mourn in their absence. If it be so with you, (as I know it is with you) then where is your [Page 216] knowledge, experience, and peace, in and with God? It shewes plainly that at such a time we suck'd refreshment: from the crea­tures brests, but not from God.

We are now come to the [...]ast particular, in respect of which we must deny our reli­gion, and that is in respect of the Author of it, our blessed Saviour. And herein we must first deny all false Christs; secondly all false opinions of the true Christ; third­ly, we must deny but in a Christian qualifi­ed sence, even the true Christ himselfe. First then we must deny all false Christs, you will find false Christs coming with signes and wonders Matt: 24. 24. For there shall arise false Christs, and false Prophets, and shall shew great signes and wonders, insomuch that (if it were possible) they shall deceive the very elect. You shall have Christs to do what you desire; Christs to shew you signes and wonders, as you gape after, but they shall be false Christs; and this shall be your judgement. God in judgement hath false Christs for false Seekers, false Inquirers. This is the plague of the flesh, it shall have what it doth desire, one that will open Scriptures, do mighty miracles, shew great gifts, and yet all this is but a false Christ, and the very [Page 217] elect, so far as is possible, shall be deceived therewith. Therefore let it be our speciall care to deny these false Christs, most especi­ally in these antichristian times wherein we live; in which you shall have Christs come upon you more then you would have. If you go into the desert there is Christ; if into the city there's Christ; some shall say lo here, others lo there, you shall have false Christs every where, a false spirit, a false resurrection, a false glory, a false god, continually offering themselves unto you; lo here, lo there. Such excellent glorious high ravishing, wonderfull discoveries of spirituall things, that they shall say plain­ly to you I am Christ. Such things so far excelling all that ever you have known, so heavenly, so glorious, as thereby you shall be able to say with open face, here is Christ. You shal have a light above men and Ang­els, and ye [...] all this shall b [...] but a delusion. I suppose you are not acquainted with this as yet; but you shall have [...]uch glorious dis­coveries, in such illustrious brightnesse, majesty and authority, that shall absolutely say in you, I am the Christ: I am the Lord; I am the Son of the living God. In Fzekiel 28. 2. There's a type of the false appearance [Page 218] of God in the world;—Because thine heart is listed up, and thou haist said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midd'st of the seas: yet thou art a man and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God. You shall be so enlarged in understanding, that you shall thinke your selves wiser then Daniel, that you shall see through all the mysterie of Daniel, through all the darke prophesies of Daniel, as a clear thing; yet there will be a false Christ, an antichrist under all this: go not after, saith our Savi­our Luke. 17. 23. And they shall say to you, see here, or see there: go not after them, nor follow them. Such appearances will present them­selves unto you, and invite you to the dis­covery, and clear understanding of the darke places of Scripture, but saith God, follow them not; They are such as if it were possible, they should deceive the very elect.

Now in the second place, as we must de­ny all false Christs, so we must likewise de­ny all false opinions of the true Christ. To this purpose is that, Matt: 24. 23. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo here is Christ, or there: beleeve it not. The sum is this, Christ will be spoken by no man, no man will be able to speake Christ, to say here is Christ; Christ will be understood and known by [Page 219] no man; while we are men we cannot un­derstand and know Christ, till we are rais­ed up in Christ, we understand not Christ. None but Christ can speake Christ, non but Christ, can declare Christ. It is not the Kingdome of God if man be able to declare it, and utter it. Let no man say lo here, or lo there. This is the wretchednesse of man to be something in himselfe, to take part him­selfe, and to give part to Christ; or to say here I am when he is not, or this is Christ when it is not Christ. It is the speech of some, I am in Christ, and Christ in me. He is in spiritual things, he is in preaching, and in praying, but he is not in outward things. Lo here he is, when I am wrapt up in heaven­ly enjoyments, but when I am in my busi­nesse, in my calling, I cannot say he is here▪ This voice is the same with that in Luke: 17. 21. Neither shall they say, Lo here, or lo there: for behold the kingdome of God is with­in you. Lo here is Christ, and there is Christ, and here he is not, and there he is not. To shut Christ out of any place, out of any thing, these are false opinions of Christ. This is the wickednesse of man to exclude or include Christ, to make him be one where and not another where. For Christ is [Page 220] weaknesse as well as strength, darknesse as well as light, Christ in me, Christ in all. The Lord in triumph, the Lord crucified▪ the Lord exalting, the Lord humbling, the Lord in life, the Lord in death, the Lord here blessing, the Lord there cursing, this is Christ. If you cannot see him in one thing as well as in another, in wicked men as well as in good men, you cannot see him at all. Here's the narrownesse of the heart of every man (a sensible creature, full of observation and his own reason) saying, Lo here is Christ, lo there is Christ; here he is not, there he is not, narrowing of him in their own observation: hee is in me when I am so qualified, and he is not in me when I am not so qualified; not knowing that hee is in some trampled on under the feet of his enemies, and yet there in glorie. In some he is at the top, in some he is at the bottom, in some withering, in some bringing forth fruit; in some sweetening and moderateing their na­tures, in som letting forth wrath and en­mitie.

In the third place, as we must denie all false Christs, and all false opinions of the true Christ, so thirdly must we deny, but [Page 221] in a Christian qualified sence, even the true Christ himself. As thus for instance: The Saints and children of God shall not enjoy Christ, till they have denied Christ, and re­jected him. You must forsake him, and leave him, and be Pharisees, and persecute him before you can be crown'd with him; that which is in a high degree malignity in the Pharisees, is in a less degree in the Discip­les; the Pharisees killing, and the Disciples departing, it's all flesh, man-weaknesse and ignorance. Before any man see the king­dome of God he must first reject it. Yee shall be offended at Christ, you shall stum­ble and fall, and reject him before you find him. You shall never be acquainted with Christ till you have denied him, and mur­thered him. I know you are ready to say, What must we be guilty of this wickedness? is there such wretchednesse in the heart of man to do thus? Thus speaks the flesh; but th [...]s saith the Lord, the Son of man must suffer many things from this generation. Christ must suffer by some, and be rejected by others: Some are so wicked as to kill him, others so unbelieving as to forsake him; some revile him, others shake their heads, and cannot tell what to think of [Page 222] him: some crie out violently against him, others are not able to speak a word son him; you shall never see the Lord, till you can say, This is he whom I have denied, this is he whom I have pierced, this is hee whom I have reviled and hated. Thus speaks Christ, if you stand upon terms and say, What wee crucifie Christ? God for­bid: what we that are his own people, Jews and Disciples; we that are his own dear children, and shall be saved by him? To whom Christ will say, if I suffer not by you, I will not be a deliverer to you; I will save none but those that kill me. If you will not own that you have slain me, you shall not enjoy me: you shall never eat my flesh and drink my blood, unlesse you slay my flesh and spill my blood. Jesus Christ suffers by all men, which is clear in this, that in all yee have, in all that yee do, in all that yee are, in all that yee speak, no­thing is free from the blood of Jesus; no­thing that you do, speak, or act, in the highest, devoutest and most glorious way, is any thing else but murther and blood, killing the Lord of life. Yea it is necessary he must suffer by you, he will not finde a throne in you till he hath found a grave in [Page 223] you, hee will not be rais'd in you till hee hath been dead and buried in you. You shall never see him in the Resurrection, till you see him kill'd, and then hee will rise again in your hearts, with healing in his wings, to your everlasting joy and com­fort.

Then secondly we must deny Christ ac­cording to the ministration of the flesh, ac­cording to the historie, and the reason is, because that the whole historie of Christ will profit you nothing, nor all that you know, except you finde experimentally the same things done in you by the Spirit. I beseech you therefore be not offended when as we say, that Christ according to the history of him onely, and according to his ministration in the flesh, is but a form in which God doth appear to us, and in which God doth give us a map of salva­tion; thou knowest it not to be thy real salvation, except it be revealed within thee by the Spirit. Jesus Christ is called the image of the invisible God. God comes forth to be seen in the flesh of Christ as in an image, it is not the naked appearance of God, but it is an image or representati­on of God. Now wee know the image [Page 224] serves in the absence of the lively face of the living person, and so do all these same transactions of Jesus Christ, they serve till the kingdom of God become to us in the spirit. And therefore as Christ said, wee may be bold to say after him, The flesh pro­fiteth nothing. If you onely know Christ as dying and rising without you, it will pro­fit you nothing, unlesse you know him as dying and rising within you. Any man is capable of remembring the storie of Christ, and rehearsing it if hee have but common reason, and can say as well as another that Christ died for him, and can throw himself upon Christ, and can hang upon Christ, this is not faith, this is not salvation; for saith James, Faith without works is dead: and Rom. 8. 2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath `made me free from the law of sin and death: he doth not say that such a proposition or text of the Go­spel did set him free; he doth not say, that the hearing that Christ died for the sins of men doth set him free. No: there was the Spirit of life in Christ, as well as the law or letter, it is that entails life upon Christ and his seed. There is an outward Cove­nant, and there is an inward Spirit: The [Page 225] outward Covenant is this, I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed: and may not any man pretend to be in this Covenant, of this seed? do not thousands professe themselvs to be so? Do not thousands in the world say, Lord, Lord, Lord, and presse to enter into heaven? We cannot put a difference betwixt one or other except we know this truth: for they say they are within the Covenant, and of Christs seed: and what hold they forth for this, they hold forth the confession of Christ, and say that he di­ed for their sin, and rose for their justifi­cation; and this they believe, and upon this they lay their souls for salvation. May not the veriest hypocrite do so as well as the truest Saint? but here's that which puts the difference, when the spirit of Christ brings this Covenant to the heart of a poor creature, when the Spirit of Adop­tion, the Spirit of son-ship, revealing God as our Father, revealing God in Union with us, our righteousnesse, & our strength, hee doth indeed seal us to the day of Re­demption; he sets apart Christs sheep, and this distinguisheth them from the other. So that if you lay salvation upon an historical Christ, you'l be deceived. If you would [Page 226] have that in which you may confide, you must have Christ revealed in you in the Spirit; you must have the same Spirit of Faith that was in Christ, and the same spirit of power that wrought in him: you must have the same eternal spirit, by which you must offer up your bodies, offer up your flesh to God as a sacrifice; yea your selves, and your own righteousnesse; this is true salvation, this is salvation manifested unto life.

To make this yet more clear I shal shew you the difference between Christ in the flesh, and Christ in the Saints; between that work of God within us, and that work of God in Christ; the latter is the truth of the former: Sanctifiethem through thy truth, Joh. 17. 17. that is, do thou act those things really in them, which are done in a figure for them upon mee: there is the truth. I desire to clear this to you by some familiar experience. You know that Jesus Christ is said to die for our sins, and rise for our justification. Here is now Christ in the flesh, here is his ministration. Why now hereupon salvation is preach'd to men, and they are told that God is reconciled, for he hath sent his Son; there is nothing to [Page 227] be done, God is reconciled, his justice sa­titfied, onely believ. Here is the outward dif­pensation. But now a poor soul, notwith­standing all this, lies under the guilt and weight of sin, whereby he cannot believe, or take comfort in these glad tidings. Do you not see that there is need of another ministration? Is there not need of the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, as well as the proposition of the Gospel. You come and shew a poor soul the proposition of the Gospel, that whosoever believeth in Christ shall have eternal life. Yet all this while the poor soul lies dead; till not one­ly the letter, but the spirit of the Gospel comes and appears to him; till Christ ap­pears not onely in his first Court, that is his own flesh, or the letter of the Gospel, but the inmost place of all, that is, in this man's conscience. For wee may allude to Heb. 9. 24. That Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven it self, now to appear in the presence of God for us. These words are spoke figuratively. It is true he went visibly into heaven, that is a place remote from their sight, a cloud re­ceived him out of their sight. The true hea­ven, [Page 228] and that heaven where Christ doth ap­peare to the comfort and releife of a poor soul; is the conscience of a poor sinner, and that is called heaven, because as heaven is the place of God; so is the heart of man. He is sayd [...]o be the searcher of the heart, God sits there and wounds, and heales there, that is God's true place. It is not in the understanding of a man in the Notions there; but it is in the heart of man, there it is gone. Christ in the spirit is in the heart of his people, that is Christs place, and there it is that Christ Jesus speakes a word for a poor soul▪ there it is, that Christ Jesus sits as King in our conscience. Christ may offer himself long enough in the letter, in the history of the Gospel; but if he ap­peare not in the spirit, and sit in our con­sciences to quiet them; we shall never have any true understanding of the word. Now for this reason I shall desire you to looke within your selves, and I make no question but if you do wait upon God without pre­judicate spirits; he will clear this truth un­to you.

And now while I come to some appli­cation of this truth, I shall desire you in the feare of God not to mistake me. Let us [Page 229] take heed of idolizing even the humanity of Jesus Christ himselfe, of idolizing his doings and his sufferings. We see God through these doings and sufferings of Je­sus Christ as through a glasse: but it is not blasphemie to say, that a believer may come to see a love born unto him above and before the manifestation of it in the sufferings of Jesus Christ; he may see it in God himself, though by Christ. Do not think you know so much as you need to know in knowing the flesh of Christ, in knowing the man Christ Jesus; for unlesse you know God in his appearance, under that form you mistake Christ, and make him an Idol. I am nothing saith Christ; and hee that sends is greater then he that is sent▪ If God be greater then Christ, then Christ himselfe is but a medium through which you come to be acquainted with God, and in which you must not rest. Take heed of being offended when you shall hear such like doctrine as this, that the suffer­ings of Christ for us were as it were but a parable in which God spake to us; and that God's heart was not set upon the ha­ving of a little blood for the sins of the people, but that herein he premeditately [Page 231] (if wee look upon it in the original con­trivance) would commend his love to us, and herein (if we relate to the lapsed e­state of man) he considers us poor crea­tures as we are, and speakes to our childish­nesse and weaknesse, who being made un­der such a Law, and having incurr'd the curse, could not see how there could be a reconciliation without blood-shedding. Be not offended when you hear that there is a greater work done by the Spirit in the Saints, then was the offering up the flesh of Christ. That there is a greater sacrifice of­fered up to God, when as the old Adam, man's own righteousnesse and strength is crucified and offered up to God; I say a greater sacrifice then the sacrificing of the flesh of Christ himself, if you take the flesh of Christ without the mysterie. For that sacrifice was indeed the root as well as the figure of this sacrifice.

And in the second place, if so be you need to bee warn'd of idolizing the huma­nitie of Christ, much more of idoli­zing other forms. There are two sort of forms wherein God appears to the world. There is the humanitie of Christ, which is [Page 231] the highest and most immediate form and appearance of God; and there are ordi­nances in which God appears as it were at the second hand, and by reflection; as when the Sun appears by the Rainbow, or when it makes another Sun like its self in a watery cloud, which is but the Sun by reflection: so Ordinances are but the sha­dow as it were of the image; and thus Christ is the image of the Father, but Or­dinances are but shadows of that image; therefore take heed of idolizing Formes. Your interest lies in knowing the Father, not in knowing any Form whatever. And take heed of censuring and judging spiri­tual discoveries; take heed of beeing of­fended, if we say there is an higher thing then Ordinances, then Fasting and Pray­ing, yea then Believing too; and that is, seeing the Father, and knowing the Father without a Form, manifesting and reveal­ing himself in his own immediate light.

Now by the by, let me give you this neces­sary caution; let no man think that there is no use of Christ, and no use of prayer, and preaching, and other Ordinances. No, this cannot be infer'd from the Doctrine, this [Page 232] onely may be infer'd that this is not that glorious rest, where a Christian is to sit down. Formes are but helps, and God doth by Formes, bring us to know himselfe with­out a Forme: and no man knowes the Fa­ther, but he that knowes him by Christ whom he did send, therefore you cannot cast away those Formes; the Scriptures will last so long as there is ought of them to be fulfill'd. But that which we are contending towards in all these meanes is the knowing of the Father; and then we shall see that simplicity and unity that is in the truth, then we shall see all those knots loosed, and darke waies opened; then we shall see that all those things of Christ coming, and dying and suffering for us, were but as it were parables. Now this is the sum of the Gos­pel, that God loves believers, and is their righteousnesse, and their strength, and love, and faith; and all not thus resolved into the Father, is but a parable that doth cloud the Father. They were not ordained to cloud the Father, but they do through our weaknesse cloud the Father from us. They were ordain'd that they might insinuate and convey according to our capacities [Page 233] the knowledg of the Father into us. But as I said before, in all Formes there is weak­nesse, and Formes shall be done away, as time hastens to be no more, and then God shall be all in all.

I have already brought you up four of those five staires or degrees of Christian Selfe-denyall: there remaines onely the last, the Deniall of our salvation and heaven it's selfe for Christ, of which but in a word. Oh what a stirre there is with Christians to re­signe up a few lusts to God! which not­withstanding they know, and sensibly feel, that it is their greatest happinesse to part with, and yet how far are they from attain­ing even this also; but who in this Nation dares resigne up his righteousnesse in Christ, and go and lie in the grave with the wicked? It is no very easie taske with Christians to give up themselves to God at present for him to do what he will with them; so he will bring them to heaven at the last. Thou can'st trust God, O Christian, in this present appearance of God to thee, as a Saviour of thee: thou can'st love this sweetnesse, kindnesse, grace and goodnesse of his to thee; thou can'st give up thy selfe to him to do [Page 234] what he will with thee, so hee he will bring thee to this salvation; this thou hast attain'd to in some good measure, with much difficulty and striving: but who dares say unto God, take me and throw me into hell, and let me lit there till I fall in love with it for thy sake, till I come to know and feel thee there, till I can embrace thee and hugg thee there, and fall in love with thee there, and be able to enjoy thee in the mid'st of those everlasting torments? Ah miserable is that man that is afraid of hell, and is fain to court God to free him from hell, and to crosse and deny himselfe for feare of being in danger of hell. That life deserveth not the name of life, that can loose any of it's strength, vigour, pleasure, sweetnesse, enjoyments, in the mid'st of ever­lasting burnings. For if sin could defile God, where were his holinesse? and if death or hell could entrench upon his life or joyes, (which life of his, is also made our life by his Son) any where to dampe or interrupt that life, or those joyes, that life would most certainly prove but a weake a perishing life, and those joyes fraile momentary joyes, obnoxious to the intermixtures of death [Page 235] and sorrow. And just the very same may be said of our life, and our joyes; of our salva­tion, and our heaven it's selfe. If thou beest wise then, deny thy selfe in all these things; in thy will and affections; in thy gifts and thy graces; in thy religion; and even in thy very salvation and heaven its selfe: resigne them up all unto Christ, lay them all at Christs feet. Least whilest thou lookest for most happinesse from God, for greatest neernesse to and intimacy with God; thou should'st be cast behind his backe for too much prizing and over-valuing these things. 'Tis true, perchance that thou hast sweetly enjoyed God, not onely at a distance in longing desires, but neerer at hand in close embraces: gifts, graces, ordinances, dueties, spiritual-exercises of all kinds, you have been well acquainted with; and hast known how to sucke life from them; but now you must deny all these, you must follow Christ, and learn to sucke life even from life it's selfe: being dead in your selves to all these, you must have no party, no interest, no principle, no will, no desire, no gift, no grace, no salvation, no heaven of your own; but you must lie like the clay before the [Page 236] Potter, freely delivering up your selves into his hands, to be new moulded any way, in­to any forme he himselfe hath a mind to. All the creatures must passe away and be denyed, and whatsoever appeares in you, and to you, must be God: the creature must be swallowed up; there must be nothing left but the Lord in being, the Lord in mo­tion and operation: even so Lord Jesus for thy mercy sake. Amen.