AT the tenth ver. of this chapter, S. Iohn is commaunded by the Angel, not to seale vp the Pro­phesy of this book: at the eleuenth v. he meeteth with an obiectiō which men might make. The obiection is this; It may be some will abuse this Scrip­ture to their owne destruction: S. Iohn answereth after this manner: Be it so, he that is filthie, let him be filthie, yet the righteous and holy men wil reape [Page 3]good by it, these are to be regarded, not the other. Out of which answer, we may gather how fitly the Papists may be answered. The Papist to keepe lay-men from reading the Scriptures, plead, that common people will per­uert them to their owne destruction: be it so, yet will the godly vse them to their owne saluation. But I desire to know of the Papist, whether that lear­ned men, as Arrius, and others, haue not abused the holy Scriptures to their owne hurt or no? it cannot be deni­ed, yet will they suffer learned men to read them. It is but bad logicke to di­spute from the abuse of a thing to take away the lawfull vse of the same. So the Sunne, and the Moone, and o­ther creatures may be taken away, be­cause they haue beene abused to Ido­latrie. To leaue the Papists, and to come to the handling of the words, two things are to be considered in them. The first is a commination or threatning, that howsoeuer the wic­ked encrease in naughtines God hath [Page 4]prouided answerable punishment for them: for the Euangelist doth not ap­prooue their continuance in wicked­nes, but sheweth the godly that such cursed incorrigible creatures are not to be regarded, and that the godly are not to be hindered from their good course by these mens examples. The second thing to be considered, is an exhortation to continue and to en­crease in righteousnes, he that is righ­teous, let him be righteous still. Concer­ning which exhortation, I will first shew what a righteous man is: second­ly I will lay downe the impediments & hinderances of continuing in righ­teousnes: thirdly I will speake of the meanes by which a righteous man may continue and encrease in righte­ousnes. Touching the first, he is righ­teous that is without fault in the com­mon place where courts and matters of iudgement are pleaded and deci­ded. Prov. 17. v. 15. He that iustifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the iust, euen they both are an abomination [Page 5]vnto the Lord. 2. He is righteous that is without sinne. 1. Tim. 1.9. 3. He is righteous that dealeth sincerely in his office: a man may be a iust Magistrate, and yet a wicked man. 4. He is righ­teous that giueth euery man his own. 5. He is righteous that performeth his promise. Lastly, he is righteous that walketh in all the commaunde­ments of God, though not perfectly. In the first and last signification the word may be taken here: for it may either signifie him that is righteous before the iudgement seate of God, by the imputed righteousnes of Iesus Christ, or els it may note him that is sanctified. Thus hauing declared the signification of the word righteous, I am now to answer the Papist, who ga­thereth out of this place, That a man may increase in iustice and righteous­nes, and so all men are not equally iust. Touching which collection, I an­swer, that man doth and may increase in iustice, which is sanctification, but in Christ his iustice, which is perfect, [Page 6]men cannot encrease: to make this plaine by an example; take two deb­tours, the one oweth an hundred pounds, the other twentie, the credi­tour forgiueth them both; they are both equally free from debt, yet not both equally thankfull: so the Lord dealeth; he forgiueth some men ma­ny sinnes, some fewer sinnes, all then are equally iust: for iustice is the for­giuenes of sinnes, Rom. 4.6. yet are not all equally sanctified. Thus we see how all men are equally iust; in re­spect of Christ his perfect righteous­nes imputed to them, but in respect of sanctification, all are nor equally sanctified: and in this we may en­crease, in the other, which must make vs righteous at the barre of Gods iudgement, we cannot encrease. Ex­cellently speaketh Bernard, ser. 11. ad milit. Mors morte Christi fugatur, & Christi iustitia nobis imputatur, death is driuen away by the death of Christ, and his righteousnes is imputed vnto vs. This is that we must cleaue vnto.

Concerning sanctification, how we may encrease in it, I am now to speak. And first of the impediments and hin­derances, which are many. The first hindrance why men doe not increase in sanctification, is an opinion that they are holy enough. Thus braggeth the church of Laodicea, Revel. 3.17. saying, I am rich and encreased with goods, I haue neede of nothing. So doth Ephraim, Hos. 12.9. saying, I am rich, I haue found me out riches in all my la­bours, they shall finde none iniquitie in me. Who wil suffer himselfe to be taught, that thinketh he hath learning e­nough? Many might profit in know­ledge but that they perswade thēselues falsly and erroneously that they haue knowledge enough; so who will la­bour to encrease in sanctification, which perswadeth himselfe that he is sanctified enough? Well saith Seneca, cap. 7. de. br [...]. vitae. Tota vita discendum est mori, & vivere tota vita discendum est: we must all our life learne to die, & all our life learne to liue. Hierome his saying is worthie [Page 8]to be heard, Haec hominibus sola perfe­ctio si imperfectos se esse noverit: ad Ctesiph. this is the onely perfection of men, if they know them-selues to be imperfect. Wherfore abandon this vile cōceit & opinion, that thou art holy enough.

The second hindrance of progresse in sanctification, is an opinion that a little will suffice, and this, as likewise the first, are maine hinderances of san­ctification. For who will take paines to goe forward, when a little will suf­fice? Many perswade themselues that God is contented with a little, as if he were a child that would be stilled with an apple, or a nut, but these men shall know, that God is a consuming fire, and let them know, that they are to striue with S. Paul to perfection. 3. Phil. v. 12.

The third impediment, is the ex­ample of other men. Some think that, quod exemplo fit id iure fit, that which is done by example is warrantable by law: but they must know, that wee must liue by Gods lawe, and not by [Page 9]example: and indeed to compare our liues with other mens liues, and to liue by examples, is most daungerous, ex­cept they had this priuiledge, that they could not erre. Well saith Bona­venture, Nullus est qui falli non possit & fallere nescit nisi deus & S. sanctus: there is none but may be deceiued, and also deceiue, but God, and the holy Ghost.

The fourth impediment of progres in pietie, are scoffes and tauntes of the wicked men. Ieremy in the 20. chap. would not speake any more in the name of the Lord because the word of God was daily had in derision: but let men knowe that the heathen man could say, qui vult esse bonus oportet eum rideri, he that wil be a good man must be mocked and laughed at.Phoci [...]. A wicked mans tongue is but a fooles dagger, which is soone drawen, good Christi­an remēber this, if wicked men teach their tongues to speake euill, why shouldest not thou teach thine cares to heare euill? as these miscreants of [Page 10]the world laugh at Gods children, so the lord will laugh them one day to scorne, yea they shall change their mindes and sigh for griefe of mind,Wisd. 5. ch. and say within themselues, this is he whom we sometimes had in derision, and in a parable of reproch, we fooles thought his life madnes, and his ende without honour, how is he counted a­mong the children of God, and his portion among the saints of God?

The fift impediment, is respect and looking backe to the world: euen as a man cannot looke vp to hea­uen and downe to earth at one time with his bodily eyes, no more can he with the eyes of his soule.Plu. Sextius a Romane hauing resigned his dignities betooke himselfe to the study of phy­losophy, but when his mind could hardly beare the difficulties, he had well nigh cast himselfe out of a ship into the sea: so is it with many men, which hauing betaken them selues to religion, looke backe againe to the world: but let vs here consider the ex­amples [Page 11]of heathen men, Fabritius divi­tias reiecit. Tubero se paupertate dignum iudicauit. Fabritius cast away riches, Tubero iudged himself worthy of po­uerty: and canst not thou that wilt be a christian, renounce the world? remem­ber this thing, that mortale est omne mortalium, all that mortall men haue is mortall.

The sixt hinderance is sloth­fulnes, Proverb. 21.29. v. The desire of the slothfull slaieth the foole: for his handes refuse to worke: many are so nice that they can take no paines in the seruice of God: they cannot tra­uaile to here sermons, they cannot rise to serue God.

The painefull Merchant goeth to the Indies that he might eschewe pouertie, and wilt not thou take paines that thou mightest eschewe the pouerty of thy soule? Theeues rise at [Page 12]midnight to murther men, and wilt not thou rise to saue thy soule? Omnes artes abs (que) doctore non discimus, sola pietas tam vilis est, Hierom. in 3. Eccl. vt non indigeat praeceptore? We learne no art without a teacher, is only piety so vile that it needeth no master? let vs not thinke, Christian bre­thren, that men can goe to heauen without paines.

The seuenth impediment is satiety, [...], there is a satiety of all things, and surely even in religion with many: but let vs knowe, that as divitiarum appetitus est infinitus, the de­sire of riches to a naturall man in infi­nite, so to a spirituall man the desire of the riches of the soule is infinite: for spirituall men haue tasted the sweet­nes of the seruice of God,1. Pet. 2. and therfore followe it more and more. Euen as a man that hath once tasted the sweet­nes of meat, desireth more of the same; so likewise when a man hath tasted the sweet food of his soule, he desireth the same more and more: suavitate scientiae nihil est homini iucundius, there is no­thing [Page 13]more pleasant to man then the sweetnes of knowledge, so there is no thing more pleasant to a christian thē the sweetnes of piety.

The eight hinderance, is iniury and wrong that is offered vnto Christians: an example we haue hereof in the ec­clesiasticall historie of Porphery,7. booke, 2 chap. who as it is recorded in the tripartite histo­ry, à quibusdam Christianis caesus iram non ferens christianismū deseruit per furo­rem, beeing beaten of Christians, not bearing the iniury, forsooke religiō in a fury: wherefore let men take heed how they offer iniury to any: for the nature of man is impatient of iniury, and men looke for iustice at Christians hands, or where should they looke for it? apud Christianos valebit iustitia aut ab eis repulsa vi & gratia locum vbi consi­stat reperire non potest, eyther iustice should rule amongst Christians, or els being driven from them by force and fauour it cannot tell where to haue a place to rest. Many are so prophane that they care not to abuse Christians, [Page 14]euen because they are Christians, and they are not afraid to say, with that apostata Iulian it is your parts, [...], to suffer affliction, but let the godly remember that blessed are they if they suffer for righteousnes sake, yea let them consider that the heathen man could say quo vir melior, clarior, fortior, quo plura virtutis ornamenta insunt eo maiores illires lassae sūt, the more ex­cellent a man is, the greater afflictiōs he hath. To end this point, he that is not patient is afflictions will be proud in prosperitie.

The ninth hinderance is Recidivati­on, that is, a falling into some sin: for the godly are not so priuiledged but that they may: sin hauing through infir­mity committed some sin, the graces of God are wonderfully weakned in them, so that they are long before they can recouer them; it standeth them in hand therfore to be watchfull ouer their hartes. Salomon in the. 4. of the Prouerbs giueth this counsaile, keeepe thine hart more then any thing that is [Page 15]kept. And as men must watch ouer their hartes, so must they also watch o­uer their senses: for our senses are like vnto wanton maides, if they wander abroad they will be deflowred as Di­na was: therefore Iob saith 31. chap. that he had made a couenant with his eyes why then should he looke on a maide? wherefore as Bernard saith Ie­iunet auris a fabulis & rumoribus, oculus a curiosis aspectibus, let thine eare fast from and tales, and thine eyes from curious sightes.

The tenth impediment is neglect of the meanes which God hath ap­pointed to further our piety, it is a principle in phylosophy that omnia nutriuntur ex eisdem ex quibus constāt. all things are nourished of the same wherof they are made: wherefore if faith be begottē by the word of God preached it must needes be nourished by the same: to neglect then the prea­ching of the word, reading of the same and prayer, is an exceeding impedi­ment of pietie: the apostle in the 1. [Page 16]of the Thess. 5. chap. saith, quench not the spirit, despise not the prophecie: wherfore if men will retaine the spirit of God, they must make account of preaching. Salomon also saith, Pro­verbs 29. where there is no vision the people decay: but he that keepeth the lawe is blessed. I beseech therefore all Christians that they would frequēt sermons; and as they must frequent sermons, so likewise must they not neglect reading and prayer:Hiero [...]. ad [...]tam. orationi le­ctio, lectioni succedat oratio, let reading succede praier, and prayer reading. Excellently writeth Cyprian, sit tibi vel oratio assidua vel lectio, nunc cum Deo loquere nunc Deus tecum: eyther read or preach continually, some­times talke thou with God, somtime let God talke with thee.

The eleuenth impediment is con­tention; if the heathen man said, that natura & studia ad pacem trahunt, his nature and studies did call him to peace, much more must a Christian say that his study to keepe pietie calleth him to peace: the Apostle, 1. Cor. 7. [Page 17]saith, that god hath called vs in peace; wherefore let vs auoid contentions: it is not for nothing that the Apostle, 1. Tim. 2.8. willeth all men to pray, lif­ting vp pure hands without wrath & contention: for how can a man pray aright in malice and contention; nay doth not his contention call him frō the seruice of God, and praier. When the cōtentious man should be seruing God and giuing almes to the poore, then must he giue fees to lawyers and be riding vp and downe to make friends to ende his suites.

The last impediment which I will recite, is violent changing and con­uersion. Some men will be conuerts, but their conuersion is so high at the first that it cannot be encreased: let these men consider that the workes of God are by degrees, he goeth not from one extremitie to an other with­out meanes. In nature he maketh not the sommer without a spring, nor the winter without an Autumne, so order­ly doth the Lord proceede: wherfore [Page 18]let men proceede by degrees in pietie. I doe not meane that men should not make hast in this holy worke: for nes­cit tarda molimina spiritus sanctus, the holy Ghost brooketh not slow backs: but they must hasten orderly and by meanes. Thus I haue set downe the impediments and hindrances of pro­ceeding in pietie, and haue but hastily handled them; Christians may in thē ­selues obserue moe: but let vs all en­deauour and labour to eschew and a­uoid these and whatsoeuer els we find in our selues. Res ingeniosa est esse profi­cientem in pietate, it is a cunning thing to profite in pietie. Now then I will speake of the meanes by which we may profit: for as Seneca saith, 95. epist. Qui praecipiunt vt quod oportet facias non quemadmodum, ad virtutem non produ­cunt: non enim in facto laus est sed in eo quemadmodum fiat: they which com­mand a thing to be done, and not the manner how it is to be done, bring not men to vertue: for praise consist­eth not in doing, but in the manner [Page 19]of doing it. Therefore to speake brief­ly of the meanes by which men may proceede in pietie and sanctification, I thinke it conuentent.

The first meanes is meditation: Le­ctio sine meditatione arida, meditatio sine lectione erronea, oratio sine meditatione est tepida: Reading without meditati­on is barren, meditation without rea­ding is erroneous, praier without me­ditation is luke-warme. Meditation is like vnto digestion, as the meate re­ceiued profiteth not without digesti­on, no more doth the word of God except we meditate. The beasts that did not ruminate were vncleane, the man that doth not meditate is vnho­ly. Meditate then, good Christian, vp­on these twelue things. First, that plea­sure is momentanie, and short: secōd­ly, that the reward is eternall, and the punishment is eternall: thirdly, medi­tate that the companion of pleasure, is thought and sorrow: fourthly, that in pleasure there is losse of a greater good: fiftly, thinke that the life of man [Page 20]is but a sleepe and shaddow: sixtly, thinke vpon sudden death: seuenthly, suspect repentance and impenitencie: eightly, consider the dignitie and ex­cellencie of man: ninthly, peace of conscience: tenthly, Gods benefits: e­leuenthly, the passiō of Christ: twelft­ly, the testimonie of Martyrs, and the examples of Saints: what heart is so hard as the meditation of these things will not mollifie?

The second meanes by which we may proceede in pietie, is daily search of our waies. To this we are exhorted in the 3. of the Lament. Let vs search our waies, and turne vnto the Lord. This search consisteth in three things: first, whether we doe things otherwise thē we should doe or no: secondly, whe­ther we doe that we should not doe or no: thirdly, whether we leaue things vndon or no which we should haue done. Pythagoras commaunded his auditours going home to repeate this verse,

[...]. [Page 21]Wherein haue I transgressed, what haue I done, what haue I left vndone? Shall heathen goe thus farre, and shall not Christians thus examine their liues? I wil in a word name the impe­diments of this search, that they may be auoided: 1. griefe, 2. securitie, 3. worldlines, 4. fearefulnes, for many men are like vnto bankerupts, that dare not looke into their estate. 5. ig­norance. 6. pleasure.

The third meanes to proceede in pietie, is praier: pietie begetteth prai­er, and prayer preserueth piety; as faith causeth hope, and hope nourisheth faith; as frendship causeth benefites, and benefites nourish freindship; and as the heat of the heart begetteth the fatte about it, and the fat preserueth the heate of the heart; so doth godli­nes beget praier, and praier furthereth godlines.

Nowe wee haue many arguments to mooue vs to prayer; First, we haue a Mediatour in heauen, Christ Iesus; Christus, saith Ambrose. lib. 5. Iacob. cap. [Page 22]8. est os nostrum per quod patri loquimur, oculus noster per quem patrem videmus, dextera nostra per quampatri offerimus: Christ is our mouth by which we speake to the father, he is our eye by which we see the father, he is our right hand by which we offer vnto the father. Secondly, the Lord commaun­deth this dutie. Thirdly, he promiseth bountifully to them that pray. Fourth­ly, Christians haue the spirit of God, which teacheth them to pray. Fiftly, it is our calling to pray: for all Christians are preistes by calling. Sixtly our ne­cessity should mooue vs to pray. Sea­uenthly, the force of prayer which is recorded in scripture to be wonder­full; Plus potest vnus iustus orando quàm mille peccatores pugnando: one righteous man can do more by prayer, then ma­ny sinners by fighting.

The fourth meanes to proceed in Christian pietie is exercise of Chri­stian duties: he that vsed his fiue talentes, gained fiue other: so he that vseth his knowledge, encreaseth his [Page 23]knewledge: to him that hath, saith our sauiour Christ, shall be giuen, and to him that hath not, shall be taken away even that which he hath. Mark. [...]. Many keepe in their giftes, as fire is kept in the flint, and doe no good with them: others let them rust with fee blenes, and so in the end by Gods iust iudgement they are depriued of them.

The fift meanes to proceed in pie­tie, is company with the godly; am not I, saith the prophet Dauid, a compa­nion of all them that keepe thy commande­ments? Quim solem venit colorabitur, Psal. 119. qui vnguentaria taberna resederunt loci odo­rem secum auferunt, & qui apud pios fue­runt traxerint aliquid necesse est, ea est vis pietatis vt non studentes solùm sed & con­uersantes iu [...]et: He that walketh in the sun shalbe coloured with it, and they that sit in sweet shoppes, shall carrie away the smell of the place: so they which bee amongst Christians, must needes carrie some pietie away: such is the force of piety, that it doth not only profit the students but those that con­uerse with them. I maruell not then [Page 24]then though mē proceed not in piety,Many Prote­stants are like Papists, who haue leane praiers, and fat fasts. seeing they are companions of pro­phane men. Noscitur ex socio qui non noscitur ex sese: he is known by his cō ­panion, that is not known by himself.

The sixt meanes by which a man may proceede in piety, is fasting: con­cerning which duty, these things are to be obserued. First, that we fast from sinne, Esay. 5.8. Ieiunium magnum & ge­nerale, saith Austen, tra. 17. in Ioh. est ab­stinere ab iniquitatibus & illicitis volup­tatibus saeculi: the great and generall fast,Ipsis Christia­nis qui omnia percipiunt non nos propter ab­stiuētiam prae­seramus. Let not vs preferre our selues before Christians, which eate all things for our abstinence. Prosper. is to abstaine from sinne and the vnlawfull pleasures of the world. Se­condly, we must not trust in fasting: this was the proud Pharisie his fault, Luk. 18. and it is the Papists likewise. Thirdly, it is better to eate daily a lit­tle, then to eate seldome, and much. Hiero. ad Furiam. Parcus cibus & venter esuriēs triduanis praefertur ieiuniis, & mul­to melius est quotidie parum sumere quàm rarò satis sumere: pluvia illa optima est quae sensim descendit in terram, subitus & ni­mius imber in praeceps arva subuertit; A [Page 25]little meate and a hungry stomacke, is preferred before a fast of three dayes, much better is it dayly to eate little, then seldome a great deale; the small raine doeth most good, great raine hurteth the fieldes. Fourthly, and last­ly, Christians must sometimes absteine from all food,Si à quadru­p [...]dibus absti­nentes à pisci­bus persruan­tur n [...]n mihi videatur res [...] ­care delectiati­ones corpo­ris s [...]d mala re. Prosp. lib. 2. de vidu. cap. 23. as good Queene Ester did, and the Niniuites: if men abstaine from flesh and eat fish, they cut not off delights of the body but chāge them.

The seuenth meanes to proceede in piety, is a Christiā exercise of vowing: concerning vowes; First, a Christian may vowe to be thankfull vnto God: as for example, if a man get the victo­ry, he may vowe to praise God, and to bestow somwhat on the poore. Se­condly, a man may vowe to put away by prayer the wrath of God: as for ex­ample, if a Christian hath offended by eating too much, knowing that the wrath of God hangeth ouer his head, for this he may vowe for a time to ab­staine from all dainties. Thirdly, a chri­stian may vowe to keepe himselfe [Page 26]more war was for exāple if be he ouer­taken in offending with his tongue, he may lawfully vow silence in company from idie wordes. Lastly, a Christian may vowe to stirre himselfe vp to re­ligion, as for example, if he feele him­selfe backward in giuing of almes he may vowe to giue almes to the poore. If a man feele himselfe backward in the seruice of God, he may vowe to serue God with greater alacritie. And nowe, Christian brethren, to conclude this point, marke the policie of the deuilltin poperie, he abused praier, in so much that men prated for the dead; now he driueth men to Atheisme, that they will not pray for the liuing: in poperie, he abused fasting; nowe he driueth men to neglect this dutie wholherin poperie, he abused vowes, nowe he driueth men to be carlesse in vowing: but the godly must re­member to practise prayer, fasting, & vowing.

The eight and last meanes to pro­ceede in pietie, is the frequent vse of [Page 27]the meanes that God hath appoin­ted; as the word preached, and the use of the Sacraments: howe should he liue that neyther eateth or drinketh? howe should he liue spiritually that neuer heareth sermons? and as he that eateth little and seldome, hath vsually but a spare and leane body; so they that heare sermons little and seldome, haue lean soules. Not to vse the means that God hath appointed, is to tempt God. Is it not strange that men should thinke to flie without wings; is it not strange to thinke that men can flie vp to heauen without the wings of faith, which is begotten by the word of God preached, and nourished by the same? By hearing sermons a Christian is reprooued, comforted, instructed, & exceedingly built vp in Christ. Habet latentis aliquid energeias viua vox, saith a father. vnde Aeschines cum Rhodi exu­laret & legeretur illa Demosthenis oratio qua aduersus eum habuerat mirantibus cunctis at (que) laudantibus quid si ipsam au­dissetis bestiam sua verba resonantem? in­quit, [Page 28]ergo vina vox in aures discipuli tranfusa fortiù sonat. A liuing voice hath some secret force in it: therefore when Aeschines was banished at Rhodes, & Demosthenes his oration was read, all men approouing and merueiling at it, what, saith he, if you had heard the best vttering these things? therefore a liuely voice hath greater force; so the liuelyvoice of preaching, hath greater force, then the word read. And thus I haue briefly finished both the impedi­ments of the progresse in piety, & the means to proceed in the same: I might haue enlarged this thing, and so haue made a iust volume, but giue a wise but an occasion of wisedome, and he wil be more wise. The Lord of his in­finite goodnes and mercy, graunt that we may carefully eschew the hinderā ­ces and impediments of so holy a worke, a [...]d diligently vse the meanes to proceede in the same, in so doing without all peradventure we shall be heires of euerlasting life.