Works

PROVERBS 4. 23.

EVERY way of man (saith the same mouth which uttered this) is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts, Prov. 21. 2. And chap. 16. 2. All the ways of man are clean in his own eyes: but the Lord weigheth the spirits. Which words have this Discretive sense, that Although the eyes of men judge of the rightness of the ways of men by that which appeareth to the eye: yet God he is not as man, nor judgeth like him; but he pondereth the heart and spirit. Therefore in Scripture he is styled A God that searcheth the heart and reins: Ier. 17. 10. I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins; even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. Which words our Savior useth Rev. 2. 23. in his Epistle to Thyatira, I am he which searcheth the reins and the hearts; and I will give unto everyone of you according to your works: that is, Men esteem of works as they see; but I judge and reward them as I see. Men punish and reward according to the outside only, which comes under the view and stands in awe of men: but God judges and rewards according to the Heart or inward man, which he only sees, and which therefore stands in awe and fear of none but him. For as for the outward act, it may as well be done for the praise and awe of men, as for love and fear of God; and therefore by it cannot be discerned whether our obedience be to God or man: But the Heart is that divine Touch-stone, as that which hath none to fear, none to please, none to approve itself unto, but him who alone sees it and is only able to try and examine it,

If therefore any Precept, any Admonition in the whole Book of God deserve the best of our attention to hear, and greatest care to put in practice, this of my Text is worthy to be accounted of that number; Keep thy heart above all keeping: For out of it are the issues of life.

The words divide themselves into two parts; An Admonition, and A Motive. The Admonition, Keep thy heart above all keeping: The Motive, For out of it are the issues of life; that is, Even as in the life of nature, the Heart is the fountain of living, and the well-spring of all operations of life; so in the life of grace, we live to God through it.

In the Admonition consider 1. The Act, Keep: 2. The Object what we are to keep, [unspec I] our Heart: 3. The Manner and Means how it must be kept, with all diligence, or above all keeping.

Of the Act Keep I shall not need say much; it is an easy word, and we shall not [unspec I] forget it in that which follows, but ever and anon have occasion to repeat it. Only here observe in general, That our Hearts are untrusty, unruly, and obvious to be surprised; for such things we are wont to keep: and so much therefore is implied, in that they are to be kept, else they needed no keeping. This is therefore the condition of our Hearts. 1. They are untrusty. The heart is deceitful above all things, Ier. 17. 9. Therefore it stands in hand to watch it, to suspect it, and deal with it as we would with a notable Iugler or with an untrusty and pilfering servant, to have a jealous and a watchful eye over it: For if our eye be never so little off, it will presently break out into some unlawful liberty or other. 2. It is an unruly thing; if it be once lost, a man cannot recover it again without much time and labor. For it is like unto a wild horse; if the bridle be once let go, he will be gone, and not gotten again in haste; yea it may be we shall be forced to spend as much time in recovering him, as would have served to have dispatched our whole journey: So if the bridle of watchfulness be once let go, and our Hearts get loose, they will not easily be regained; it will ask us no small time to temper and tune them again for the service of God. Lastly, our hearts are continually liable to surprise; we walk in the midst of snares, encompassed with dangers on every side. What is that almost which will not entice and allure so fickle a thing as the Heart from God? We can be secure of it at no time, neither sleeping nor waking; in no place, neither house not street, neither bed nor board; not in our Closet, no not in the Church and Pulpit.

THUS much shall suffice to have been briefly observed by way of implication from the Act, Keep.

[unspec II] Now I come to the Object itself, The Heart, Keep thy Heart. By Heart we must understand the inward thoughts, motions and af • ections of the Soul and Spirit, whereof the Heart is the Chamber. But not a natural man's Heart, for that is not worth a keeping; but such a Heart as lives to Godward, a good and gracious heart, which consists in two properties, in Purity and Loy • lty. This is the state and temper we must keep our Hearts in. I will speak of them in order.

[unspec I] And first of Purity and Cleanness: We must keep our Hearts in Purity and Cleanness; For Blessed are the pure in Heart, for they shall see God; and none but such shall ever see him. It behooves us therefore to know what this Cleanness is, the having or not having whereof concerns us so nearly. Know then, A clean or pure Heart is that which loathes sin, and loves righteousness. For the better understanding whereof, we must further know, That an absolute cleanness and pureness of the heart and soul from sin is not attainable in this life: Prov. 20. 9. Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? Yet is there a cleanness of heart which must be had, and without which we shall never see God, as you heard before. Such was that which David prays for, Psal. 51. 10. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. And 2 Tim. 2. 22. true Christians are described to be such as call upon the Lord out of a pure heart. 1 Tim. 1. 5. The end of the Commandment, saith the Apostle, is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned. And himself 2 Tim. 1. 3. thanks God whom he served from his forefathers with a pure conscience.

But if this Purity of the heart were no other than a total freedom thereof from all unclean thoughts and sinful motions and desires, in such sort as a man should never be troubled and defiled with them; alas! who then should see God? who should be saved? That Claenness therefore, that measure of Purity which God requires to be in the heart of everyone who shall see him, and with whom he will vouchsafe to dwell, is (as I told you) the loathing of sin, and the love of righteousness: that is an accepted Cleanness through Faith, when the hate of impurity and love of cleanness in the heart is accepted with God for cleanness and pureness itself. Though not a cleanness of all our affections, yet at least (and what can God require less?) an affection to all cleanness: For God accepts the will for the deed. If we love, if we desire, if we delight heartily in that which is clean and pure in the eyes of God; if we hate and abhor, if we loath in ourselves all sinful impurities and pollutions both of flesh and spirit; howsoever we find in ourselves a great want of the one, and our hearts much and often vexed and troubled with the other; yet is this affection of our hearts accepted with God for a pure and cleansed heart indeed. And where this disposition is, the heart cannot choose but grow cleaner and cleaner, even with real and formal cleanness. For a man cannot but cherish that which he loveth, and rid himself as much as may be of what he loatheth. So he that loveth and affecteth cleanness of heart, will cherish and make much of every good motion which the Spirit of God shall put into it; and if he indeed loath and abhor unclean and sinful thoughts, will do his best to stifle them and remove them far from him.

This Cleanness and Purity of Heart is that which the Scripture slyleth Holiness, even that Holiness without which, S. Paul tells us, Heb. 12. 14. no man shall see the Lord. For in the Law, the legal cleansing, washing and purging of that which any way belonged to God or was prepared for his presence and service, is called sanctifying or hallowing, Exod. 19. 10. When the Lord was to come down upon Mount Sinai, Go unto the People, (saith he to Moses) and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. 2 Chron. 29. 5. Hezekiah saith to the Levites, Sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place. And accordingly in the 16. ver. the Priests go in to cleanse it; which cleansing in the next verse is called their sanctifying it. In Deut. 23. 14. where a law is given for cleanness and neatness in the Camp, the reason is rendered in these words, For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of the Camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee: therefore shall thy Camp be holy, that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee. The same expression S. Paul applies to spiritual cleansing, 2 Cor. 7. 1. Let us (saith he) cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Here, with S. Paul also, Holiness is Cleansing, and Cleansing is Holiness. So Eph. 5. 26. That he might sanctify and cleanse it, &c.

As therefore under the Law that place was not fit to entertain the presence of God, nor anything duly prepared to approach or come near him, which was not thus externally cleansed and sanctified: Such is the case of the inward cleansing of the heart; unless it be sanctified with purity and cleanness, God will never dwell in it, nor suffer ought from it as acceptable to come near him. Wherefore it is not without good reason we pray in our Liturgy, O Lord, make clean our hearts within us; And take not thy holy Spirit from us: For God's Spirit will not dwell in a sty; it is a clean Spirit, and will have a clean habitation. That which S. Paul speaks of the whole man (2 Cor. 6. 16, 17.) Ye are the Temple of the living God, wherefore touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you, is principally true of the heart and spirit. The rest of the Body is but as the Court of the Temple; but the Seat of his presence in the spiritual man, as the Holy place, is the Heart: even as it is also the Seat of life in the natural; primum vivens & ultimum moriens, the first that lives and the last that dies.

But by what means should a man get and keep such a Heart as this? How is this Holiness and Cleanness of heart to be come by? I answer, The General means on our part to obtain this and all other Graces of God is faithful and devout Prayer; But this being common to all Graces, is not proper to be spoken of in this place. Let us therefore see a means more special and peculiar for obtaining this Cleanness and Purity of heart; such a one as though it may have some use for other Graces, yet I think is more proper unto this than unto any other whatsoever; and that is, For a man always to possess his heart with the apprehension of God's presence, and to walk before him as in his eye. Wheresoever thou art, there is an Eye that sees thee, an Ear that hears thee, and a Hand that registreth thy most secret thoughts: For the ways of man (saith Solomon, Prov. 5. 21.) are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings. How much ashamed would we be that any one we loved and honored should surprise us in our corporal uncleanness, to see and behold any nasty pollution either of our bodies or chambers? How would a man blush and be confounded to be taken and seen in the manner, as we speak? But every unclean thought, wicked desire and motion of our heart, is more open and revealed to the eyes of God than the works themselves, if we should put them in execution, could be visible to the eyes of men. Yea and these thoughts and desires wherewith our hearts are besmeared are as foul, ugly and loathsome in his sight, as the works themselves would appear shameful in the eyes of men, if we should commit them openly in the street and in the fight of the Sun. Nay suppose that men could see our hearts as well as they may our out-works would we not be as much ashamed they should behold the foulness of the one, as see the shamefulness of the other? Consider it; What if such a Patron, such a Friend, such a one to whom I desire to approve myself, should know what I now ruminate in my heart; what unchaste pollution, what other abhorred desire and thought it now wallows and delights in? should I not blush and be ashamed?

What horrible Atheism doth this argue, That the presence of man, yea sometimes of a little child, should hinder us from that wickedness which God's presence cannot? If we did thoroughly and indeed believe this Ubiquity of God's Eye, and let it make a firm impression in our minds, how would it quash the first rising of evil thoughts in our hearts? The eye of man draws from us a care of our outward behavior; why then should not the All-seeing Eye of God, if we loved him, if we honored him, if we desired at all to approve ourselves unto him, draw from us a care of the inward behavior of the Heart? since he sees thy Heart better than man sees thy Face, and understands thy Thoughts better than any man thy Works and Words. Little children when in the midst of their disorders they spy once their Father's eye, they are hushed presently: So should it be with us, when, through forgetfulness of this Allseeing Eye of our Heavenly Father continually overlooking us, our Hearts begin to break loose and to sport themselves in vain and idle thoughts and desires, then should we consider that all this while God looked upon us and beheld our misbehaviour; then should we cry him mercy with Jacob at Bethel, Surely God was here, and I was not aware.

And thus I come to the second requisite of that gracious Temper a good Heart must be kept unto, which is Loyalty unto God; We must keep a loyal heart. The Loyalty of the heart to God consisteth in an universal purpose of obedience, and resolution against all sin, without Reservation and Exception. Sceptra non ferunt socium; Kings can endure no copartners. Nor can a purpose of obedience mingled with Exceptions and Reservations stand with a true faith and allegiance to Christ our Lord. In anima in qua peccatum regnaverit, non potest Dei regnare regnum, saith S. Jerome; In the Soul where sin reigns and has got dominion, God's Kingdom can never be set up nor established. For how can he be a faithful servant of Christ, who still holdeth correspondence with, and is a Pensioner to, his Arch-enemy the Devil? Even such an one is he who hath any sin which he holds so dear, that he hath no purpose nor will to part with it. What will it profit thee to keep thy Heart at all, unless thou keepest it loyal? Will God accept a piece of thy Heart? No, he will have a whole Heart and a whole Soul, or none. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and whole mind: otherwise thou keepest not thy heart to God, but betrayest it unto the Devil. For one breach in the walls of a City exposeth it to the surprise of an enemy; one leak in a S •• p neglected will sink it at last unto the bottom of the Sea.

• 1. If thou wilt therefore have a Loyal heart, know that such a heart cherisheth no darling sin, no Herodias, no bo • om-sin; such a dead fly as this will mar the whole box of ointment.
• 2. A Sound and Loyal heart is not that which boggles and scruples at small sins, but makes no conscience of greater, like the I harisees straining at a Gnat, and swallowing a Camel; nor the contrary, whose conscience is only for the greater matters of the Law, Mercy and Judgment, without any regard of Mint or Anise. A Loyal heart is like unto the Eye troubled with the least mote.
• 3. A Loyal heart as it hates all sins, so at all times. Sometimes the unsound heart will hate sin, when there is no benefit by it; but if it chance to be once beneficial to ourselves, then we love it. Here is the trial of a Loyal heart to God, to prefer virtue before vice then, when in human reason virtue shall be the loser, vice the gainer. This note discovered Jehu, who destroyed the worship of Baal with a great show of zeal; but when it came to Jeroboam's Calves, he dispensed with them, lest it might prove dangerous to his Kingdom, if the Israelites should go worship at Jerusalem.
• 4. To conclude; A Loyal heart is that which the Scripture calls in the Old Testament A perfect heart, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Not perfect in respect of degrees, for such a perfection is not attainable in this life; but perfect in respect of parts; Cor integrum, a heart wherein no part is wholly wanting, howsoever weak and a great deal short of due proportion. 1 Kings 11. 4. when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other God's, and his heart was not perfect with his God, as was the Heart of David his Father: not because he served not the Lord at all, but that he served him not only and entirely. Joshua 24. 14. Now therefore, saith he, fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and truth, (Heb. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in perfectness and truth,) and put away the God's which your Fathers served: which was as much as to say, Serve the Lord wholly, and quite renounce all service to others. 2 Kings 20. 3. Hezekiah prays in his sickness, Lord, I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. He saith not, he had done perfect Actions, or performed perfect service, (for who can do such?) but yet that he walked with a perfect heart, that is, with a loyal heart before God. So 1 Kings 15. 14. it is said, That though Asa failed in his Reformation, and the high places were not removed; nevertheless his heart was perfect (that is, loyal) with the Lord all his days.

THUS much shall suffice to have spoken of the Act, Keep; and of the Heart, the Object of our keeping: which are the two first things I considered in this Admonition.

[unspec III] The Third remains, which is the Manner or Means how our heart is to be kept, viz. with all diligence, or above all keeping saith the Text: that is, with the best, the surest, the chiefest kind of keeping; which is not only now and then to look unto it, but to set a continual guard about it. Nature hath placed the Heart in the most fenced part of the body, having the Breast as a natural Corslet to defend it. If the Heart be in fear or danger, all the blood and spirits in the body will forsake the outward parts, and run to preserve and succor it. If Nature be so provident for that which is but the Fountain of a natural life, what care should the spiritual man have to keep his heart and soul guarded and fortified against all annoyances spiritual? The life we lose, if this be wounded or poisoned, is inestimable; the other of Nature is of no great value.

Yea but perhaps a natural man's heart is liable to more natural dangers than the heart of a man that lives to Godward is to spiritual annoyances. I answer, The contrary is true: For the Heart we speak of, whence the Issues of the life of grace proceed, is like a City every moment liable both to inward commotion and outward assault: Within, the fountain of original Impurity is continually more or less bubbling with rebellion; Without, the World and the Devil continually either assault it, or lie in Ambuscado to surprise it. The world batters it with three great and dangerous Engines, of Pleasures, Riches, and Honors, wherewith she endeavoreth to lay it waste, and rob it of all heavenly treasure. The Devil watcheth every opportunity to hurl in his fiery darts, to cast all into a combustion, and thereby farther to invenome and enrage the already-too-much empoisoned vitiousness and impetuousness of our corrupt nature. How needful a thing is it therefore to follow this precept of Solomon, to keep our hearts with all diligence, or above all keeping; to keep them with a continual guard, to keep a continual watch and ward, left the enemies surprise them? Watch and pray, (saith our Savior, Matt. 26. 41.) that ye enter not into temptation. Watch in all things, saith S. Paul to Timothy, 2 Tim. 4. 5. Be sober, be vigilant, (saith S. Peter, 1 Pet. 5. 8.) because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. If the heart be to be kept with all diligence, or above the keeping of anything else, then is this Watch we hear commanded, and this Guard of Prayer (and this is a strong Guard) to be chiefly and above all applied unto it.

But for a more particular direction of this guarding of the Heart, we must be careful to observe this order following.

• 1. As those who keep a City attempted or besieged by an Enemy have special care of the Gates and Posterns whereat the Enemy may get in: So must we in this Guard of the Heart watch especially over the Gates and Windows of the Soul, the Senses; and above all the Eye and the Ear, whereat the Devil is wont to convey the most of those pollutions wherewith the Heart is wasted. First, concerning the Eye, David's example may warn the holiest men to the world's end to keep a watchful jealousy over it. What a number of Cut-throats did one idle glance upon Bathsheba let in, who made that Royal Heart, whose uprightness God so much approved, to become a sty of uncleanness, and robbed it of those heavenly ornaments wherewith it was so plentifully adorned? For the Ear, take heed of obscene and wanton talk, which by those Doors or Windows entering like Balls of Wild-fire, inflame the Heart with lust. We must beware also of the slanderer's mouth and backbiters tongue, whose lying reports and malicious tales, if they get in, would sow in thine heart the seeds of heart-burning spite and mental murder, which in that sinful soil will fructify very rankly. And think them no small sins which make thee guilty of innocent blood; for thine heart and tongue may kill thy brother as well as thy hand.
• 2. As those who keep and defend a City make much of such as are faithful, trusty and serviceable; and if any such come, will entertain and welcome them with much kindness; but a Traitor, or one of the enemy's party, they presently cut short as soon as they discover him: So must we make exceedingly much of all good motions put into our hearts by God's Spirit, howsoever occasioned, whether by the Word of God, mindfulness of death, good Admonition, some special cross or extraordinary mercy, any way at any time: These are our Hearts friends; we must cherish, increase and improve them to the utmost with meditation, prayer and practice. But, on the contrary, we must resist and crush every exorbitant thought which draws to sin at the first rising. Tutissimum est, It is most, safe (saith S. Austin Epist. 142.) for the Soul to accustom itself to discern of its thoughts; & ad primum animi motum, vel probare, vel reprobare, quid cogitat; ut vel bonas cognationes alat, vel statim extinguat malas; and at the first motion thereof either to approve or else to disallow what the Mind is thinking of; and so either to cherish and improve the thoughts and motions of the Mind if good • or presently to extinguish them if evil.
• 3. Lastly, Let him that will indeed guard his Heart as it should be, take heed of familiar and friendly converse with lewd, profane and ungracious company. There is a strange attraction in ill company to poison and pervert even the best dispositions. He that toucheth pitch (saith the Son of Sirach) shall be defiled therewith. Can a man take fire in his bosom (saith Solomen) and his clothes not be burnt? For believe it, when a man is accustomed once and wonted to behold lewd and ungodly behavior, there steals upon him insensibly, first, a dislike of sober courses; next, a pleasing approbation of the contrary; and so presently, an habitual change of affections and demeanour into the manners and conditions of our companions. It is a point that many will not believe, but few or none did ever try but to their cost. It was wise counsel, had it not been in a sinful business, which Jeroboam advised; If this people (saith he) go up to sacrifice at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. O that some men would be as wise for their good as he was for his sin!

THUS I have done with the first part of my Text, The Admonition, Keep thy [unspec II] heart with all diligence, or above all keeping: Now I proceed to the Motive, For out of it are the issues of life; that is, All spiritual life and living actions issue from thence. All living devotion, all living service and worship of God issues from the Heart, from those cleansed and loyal affections and dispositions of the Soul and inward man whereof I spake before. Where such a Heart is not the Fountain, there no action to Godward liveth, but is spiritually dead, how gay and glorious soever it may outwardly seem. No outward performance whatsoever, be it never so conformable and like unto a godly man's action, yet if it be not rooted in the Heart inwardly sanctified, it is no issue of spiritual life, nor acceptable with God. Even as Statues and Puppets do move their eyes, their hands, their feet, like unto living men; yet are they not living actions, because they come not from an inward Soul, the fountain of life, but from the artificial poise of weights and device of wheels set by the workman: So is it here with heartless actions; they are like the actions of true Christians, but not Christian actions; because they issue not from a Heart sanctified with purity and loyalty in the presence of God who tries the heart and reins, but from the poise of vain-glory, from the wheels of some external respects and advantages, from a rotten heart which wrought not for the love of God but for the praise of men. As therefore we judge of the state of natural life by the Pulse and beating of the Heart; so must we do of spiritual. No member of the body performs any action of natural life, wherein a Pulse derived from the Heart beats not: So is it in the spiritual man and the actions of Grace; That lives not, which some gracious and affectionate influence from the Heart quickens not.

Now this Issuing of our works and actions from the Heart is that which is called Sincerity and Truth, so much commended unto us in Scripture: For this Sincerity and Truth which is said to be in the works and actions of all such as fear and serve the Lord with acceptance, is nothing else but an agreement of the outward work seen of men with the inward and suitable affection and meaning of the heart, which God and ourselves alone are privy to. For as our words and speeches have truth in them when we speak as we think; so our works and actions are done in sincerity and truth, when they are done according to our heart's affection. Sincerity therefore and Truth is the life of all our works of devotion and obedience unto God; without this they are nothing but a carcass; they are dead, they live not, neither doth God accept them: For he desireth truth in the inward parts, Psal. 51. 6. that is, truth which proceedeth or issueth from the inward parts. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, that call upon him in truth, Psal. 145. 18. For God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth, John 4. 24. Whatsoever ye do, (saith S. Paul, Col. 3. 23.) do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men. Our faith must be unfeigned, 1 Tim. 1. 5. that is, in truth and in sincerity. Also our Love must not be in speech and tongue only, but in deed and truth, 1 John 3. 18.

And this is the highest Perfection attainable in this life, for which God accepteth of our obedience as perfect which springeth from it, though it be stained with much corruption and full of imperfection: That which is wanting in the measure of obedience and holiness, is made up in the truth and sincerity thereof. If it have not this, whatsoever it be, it is good for nothing, because it wants the Issue of life.

And such Actions are all the Actions of Hypocrites: For Hypocrisy is the contrary to Sincerity; and wheresoever Sincerity and Truth is not, there Hypocrisy is, being nothing else but a counterfeiting and falsehood of our actions, when they come not from a Heart suitably affected: and therefore is otherwise in Scripture understood by the name of Guile; when those who serve God in sincerity and truth, are said to be without guile, that is, without hypocrisy. So Nathanael (John 1. 47.) is called an Israelite indeed, in whom there was no guile. And of the Virgin-Saints ( Rev. 14. 5.) it is said, that in their mouth was found no guile; for they are without fault before the Throne of God: that is, they served God without hypocrisy, in sincerity and truth; and therefore God accepted of their obedience as if it were without fault and imperfection; as he is wont to do the works of those who serve him in that manner. If therefore Sincerity be the life of our obedience, and that which makes it graceful in the eyes of God; then is Hypocrisy the death thereof, which makes him loath and abhor it as a stinking carcass.

Hitherto have I spoken of the Influence of life into a Christian's actions in general. But as in natural life, so in spiritual, are many Branches, as the words of my Text imply; speaking not singularly of one Issue, but plurally of many Issues of life. For that which lives, exerciseth many living acts, as so many streams flowing from the Fountain of life; none of which belong unto that which liveth not. These Issues in Nature are five; Health, Nourishment, Growth, Sense, and Motion: and the Heart is the Fountain of them all; without it they are not, they cannot be; but as it fareth, so fare they all. The like unto these are to be found in our spiritual life, of which I will speak somewhat in special, the rather because every of them are as so many Motives to incite us to the attainment of this life to Godward, by serving him in Sincerity and Truth.

• 1. The first Issue of Spiritual life, flowing from the Heart, is spiritual Health. For the curing of our Souls of their Spiritual diseases must begin at the Hearts, and the inward causes of corruption must thence be purged, before there can be any true Reformation or sound Health in the outward parts: Even as the heat of the Face is not much abated by casting water and cooling things upon it, but by allaying inwardly the heat of the Liver. Again, That which seems to spring and flourish in our lives, unless it be rooted in the Heart, will wither and die. The Fig-tree that only made a show with leaves, having no fruit; in the end, being cursed, lost the leaves too wherewith it deceived our Savior. So the Seed which sprouted upon the stony ground is said to have withered, because it had no root. And if an Apple seem never so beautiful, yet if it be rotten at the core, it will quickly putrefy.
• 2. The second Issue of spiritual life is spiritual Nutrition, whereby the Soul continually feeds upon Christ in his Word and Sacraments. But this is in none whose works and actions issue not from the Heart by Sincerity and Truth. For where Hunger and Thirst is not, the body is not nourished: He must have a stomach to his meat that will have good by it: Chewing in his mouth will not do it, though he swallow it; if his stomach be against it, he will vomit it up again. And can this spiritual hunger and spiritual thirst be where the inward man is not sanctified? Can he have a Spiritual stomach whose heart is not cleansed?
• 3. The third Issue of Spiritual life is spiritual Growth. It is God's wont to reward the sincerity of a little grace with abundance of great graces. Nathanael, a man of no great knowledge, yet being a true Israelite, void of guile, is further enlightened by our Savior, who gives him a sight of the true Messiah, endues him with true faith, and promises him still greater matters. A weak and dim knowledge had the Eunuch and Cornelius in the Mystery of Godliness: yet because they worshipped God sincerely, an Evangelist was sent to the one, and an Angel and an Apostle to the other, to give them clearer light of the Gospel and a fuller largess of spiritual gifts. The curse of God is upon Hypocrisy, to destroy a great deal, a great stock of grace; but his blessing is upon Sincerity, to improve a little portion to a greater measure. A little Spring is better than a great Pond; for in Summer, when Ponds are dried up, little Springs will still hold out.
• 4. The fourth Issue of Spiritual life is spiritual Sense, the Sense and feeling of the favor of God: This no man shall ever find who lives not the life of sincerity. For this is the most found and undeceivable evidence of our portion and interest in the power and purity of Christ's saving passion and sanctifying bloodshed.
• 5. The fifth Issue of Spiritual life is spiritual Motion; such I call Alacrity and Courage. Sincerity is the cause of these: It makes us cheerful in all duties of service and obedience unto God; it makes us valiant and courageous in all dangers, trials and temptations; begetting in us a true, manly, generous and heroical spirit. The wicked (saith Solomon, Prov. 28. 1.) flee when no man pursueth, but the righteous are bold as a Lion.

ISAIAH 55. 7.

I Will not speak of the coherence of these words, for they are an entire sense of themselves, and contain in them two parts: First, The Conversion of a sinner; Secondly, The Condition of one so converted. The Conversion of a sinner is expressed in three degrees: In the forsaking of wicked ways; In the forsaking of evil thoughts; and thirdly, In returning again unto the Lord. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return to the Lord. The Condition or State wherein he stands who hath done all this, is no state of Merit, but of Mercy; no not so much as a little Merit, but even abundant Mercy. If the Lord after all this accepts him, it is because he will have mercy upon him: if our God forgive, he doth even abundantly pardon.

[unspec I] Of these I intend to speak in order: and first of the First, which is The Conversion of a sinner, which is (as I have said) laid down in three degrees or steps, the latter always excelling the former. Even as in the Temple of Solomon, he that would approach the Mercy-seat of God must ascend through three parts of the Temple, the Court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies: So must he that will attain this Condition of Mercy mount these three steps of Repentance, that he may enter into that glorious Sanctuary which is not made with hands, where the great God that • hews mercy unto thousands lives forever and ever.

The first two of these forementioned degrees [ To forsake a wicked way, To rid the heart of evil thoughts ] lest they seem but one thing expressed in many words, I must handle both together, that by comparing I may the better distinguish them.

As for the latter therefore of these words, they have no great difficulty, and therefore will not need much explication; but in the former [ Let the wicked man forsake his way ] the Metaphor of way causeth some obscurity, which I think is thus to be unfolded. Every way implies a walking, a way being that wherein men use to walk: In whatsoever sense therefore the Metaphor of walking is taken elsewhere in Scripture, in the same is way taken here. But To walk, in Scripture, seems in a special and proper sense to signify the outward life and conversation of men. For as in the natural man the act of progression or moving to and fro is the most external act of all others, and the most obvious to the sense of everyone: So in a man spiritually considered, his way or walking should be the outward actions of his life, which are or may be seen of others. And as in the natural man, his moving to or fro is the execution of the hidden intendments of his Fancy: So in a man spiritually considered, To walk is to put in execution outwardly what the Heart conceives inwardly.

I will not deny but this phrase of walking, or treading out a way is in Scripture sometimes taken more largely for the whole course of our Life whatsoever: but here the Antithesis of the words following, viz. evil thoughts, do manifestly imply that the former, viz. a wicked man's way, is to be taken for an evil Conversation, in the sense I have spoken. So also in Psal. 1. 1. Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly; the collation of walking with ungodly counsel may warrant the like expression, that the counsel of the ungodly should signify evil thoughts and purposes, walking in these counsels the practice and execution of them.

Moreover, if I did delight in such subtleties, I might confirm this Exposition by the word here used for a wicked man, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which signifies properly 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a laborious sinner, a practitioner in sin; the verb 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifying to make a stir, to be exceeding busy, unquiet, or troublesome: whence some do expound that Eccles. 7. 17. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Be not too wicked, for Be not too busy or too stirring; Keep not too great a coile, namely in things of this world. Semblably here, Let the wicked man forsake his way, is, Let him that bestirs himself in the execution of sinful counsels, leave his busy practice; and in the next place, he that hath but evil thoughts or bad desires, purge his heart of them also. Let the man who walks wickedly in his outward conversation, forsake his evil way; this is the first step of a Convert: But more than this, Let him that hath but an evil heart, though his actions were outwardly blameless, banish even all his evil thoughts and cogitations; and this is the second degree of a sinner's conversion.

This Exposition therefore being taken for a ground, now I come to the Observations I collect from thence. The first Observation I gather, is common to both these degrees of a sinner's conversion; and that is from the word [ forsake: ] For to forsake is an Emphatical word; To forsake sin is more than a bare refraining from sin, or a withdrawing a man's self from doing wickedness; To forsake sin is to give over all acquaintance, all dealing with sin, or to forego it altogether: For a man that refrains a friend's company, is not by and by said to forsake him; no more can he that only refrains from sin be said to forsake it.

Hence therefore we learn, That whosoever retains any one darling sin, is no forsaker of sin, though he refrain from all other; for this is not to break off all acquaintance with sin, but rather to make choice of his sin, to choose what sin he will use, and what sin he will refuse. Thus did Herod in the Gospel, he reformed many things at the preaching of John the Baptist, but still he kept Herodias his brother Philip's wife Mark 6. 19, 20. But we must know that he that keeps any one sin, hath forsaken none: so saith S. James, chap. 2. verse. 10. He that offends in one point, he is guilty of all. God must have our whole heart or none, he will not be served by halfs: For that were to say as David said to Mephibosheth, 2 Sam. 19. 29. concerning his lands, Thou and Ziba divide the lands; so we, God and the Devil his slave divide our hearts between them.

What will it profit to guard never so strongly all the other parts of a City walls, if any one part be left open for the enemy to enter? or what is a Ship the safer, though all other parts be strong and sound, if but one leaking hole be unstopped? will not this sink the whole Ship, be it never so sound? Even just so will it be with us, if we leave any one place in our Soul for any one sin to enter. Do we not know that a little crack in one place of a Bell mars the sound as well as if it were clean through? So will any one crack of sin mar the music of our Souls in the ears of Almighty. Do we not know that the laying but a finger upon the edge of a thing which giveth sound, damps the sound, as well as the whole hand? Even so is the Devil lay but his finger upon our heart, he damps all our actions of devotion, and makes them give but a dead sound in the hearing of the Lord of Heaven. How true this is, I appeal unto every man's conscience who hears me this day, whether he finds not, in his own experience, that the cherishing of any one Sin makes him dead-hearted toward God, dull and heavy in all works of devotion.

THUS much of this general Observation: Now I come to several Observations I gather from the several parts. The first whereof was (as you may remember) The forsaking of wicked ways, which I expounded in this place, The forsaking of sin in our outward walkings and conversation before men. If this therefore be the First degree of Conversion, then may we learn, That those who want this, have not gone the first step [unspec I] of a new life. Indeed in the eyes of God, who sees that which nobody else can see, no man appeareth blameless or free from sin: But that those who are entered the way of a new and holy life should walk so, that men may not accuse them of open crimes, this, I say, is required of every true Convert. So it is said of Zacharias and Elizabeth ( Luke 1. 6.) that they walked in the Commandments of God blameless; yea even many Heathen men have come thus far, that men could not accuse them, and yet they perished everlastingly.

Let no man therefore deceive or flatter himself; Those who fall into open and grievous sins, are not yet in the state of a true convert sinner. If any man (saith S. James 1. 26.) seem to be religious, and bridles not his tongue; he deceiveth his own heart, his religion is vain. What S. James saith of wicked speakers, may be said of open wicked doers: if any man who is a drunkard, an extortioner, or falls into such open sins, if he seem religious, he deceiveth his own heart; his Religion is in vain. Remember therefore what Christ saith in the Gospel, and let your light so shine before men, that they seeing your good works, may glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Secondly, If a Reformed conversation before men be required of every true Convert, then are they deceived who think it sufficient if they keep their hearts to God, though they [unspec 2] apply their outward and bodily actions unto men's liking. No matter, they think, what their speeches and gesture and their outward seeming be, so that in their hearts they condemn and abhor such sinful actions as outwardly they seem to approve. This is the opinion of too-too many: But let us hear what our Savior Christ saith, He that denieth me before men, him will I deny before my Father which is in heaven. Would any man excuse his wife's adultery, though she should say never so often she kept her heart and love only unto him? No more will Christ excuse us, when we yield our outward man to wickedness, though we say we keep our hearts entire to him. Christ suffered not only in Soul, but also in Body, that he might redeem us both Body and Soul from everlasting destruction: and shall not we glorify him with both? Yes verily; and since God hath given us both a Body and a Soul, it becomes us (as S. Paul saith, 2 Cor. 7. 1.) to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

[unspec II] THUS having spoken sufficiently of the first degree of Repentance, I come unto the second, which is contained in these words, Forsaking of evil thoughts. Whence [unspec 1] first I observe, That Concupiscence, or the evil dispositions or motions of our hearts, are sins before God, though we never consent to put them in execution. For this is the style of the holy Ghost in my Text, not only to call the bad liver a wicked man, but the owner too of evil motions, unrighteous. If we seek for a Law whereof they are a breach, it is the last Commandment of the Decalogue, which prohibits all irregularity of our desires and thoughts whatsoever. Non concupisces, Thou shalt not so much as covet anything amiss; if thou dost, it will be sin. The natural man could not know thus much; S. Paul himself confessing, that he had never known concupiscence to be sin, had not the Law said, Non concupisces, Thou shalt not covet. Concupiscence he calls not the Faculty or nature of the Act itself, but the Anomaly of the Act; not the desire only, but every motion of the heart not agreeable to the will of God; and that from the Style of this Commandment, Non concupisces. If any shall say that the inward motions of our Mind are involuntary, and past the command of the Will, and therefore not sinful; I answer, Ab initio non suit sic, It was not so from the beginning: we procured this evil unto ourselves in the sin of our first parents, and therefore the fault is our own. Secondly, It is not necessary that whatsoever is sin should be under the mastery of our Will, for so original sin should be none: But this is necessary that all should in some sort belong unto the Will; and so do our desires, affections, and all other motions (as we call them) of the Mind. If any shall further add, that the Apostle James, 1. 15. saith of Concupiscence, that it bringeth forth sin, and therefore itself not like to be sin, the Cause being always diverse from the Effect: I answer, The Apostle saith not, it is the cause of sin simply or all sin, but only of outward sins or sins of fact: and howsoever, this reason is so far from proving Concupiscence not to be sin, that it argueth the mere contrary; for that so bad an offspring as sin cannot find a more natural parent than sin it self.

The serious consideration hereof should be a cooling to the pride of our nature, and a strong motive to Humility in the esteeming of ourselves and our best actions. Alas! what are we, that any good work we do should make us so highly conceit of ourselves! Let us examine our inward thoughts, our hopes, our fears, our by-respects, our vain-glory, the whole Regiment of Concupiscence; and it will make us even ashamed to think what we have done, howsoever that which is seen outwardly be blameless and glorious in the eyes of men. If the Peacocks-wings of a laudable work, or the gay feathers of seeming worth do make thee swell; do but cast thine eyes a little upon the legs whereon thou standest, upon the rotten post whereon thou hast reared thy work so glorious without, and then thou wilt cast down thy high looks, and cry with S. Paul, Rom. 7. 18. Lord, whatsoever men see without me, I know there dwelleth no good thing within me,

[unspec 2] The second thing I observe from hence is, The Priviledg the Law of God hath above the Laws of men. It is true, in the Laws of men, that Thoughts are free; but with God's Law it is not so. Men's Laws are not broken though only the outward man observe and keep them; but God's Laws are broken, if the inward man alone transgress them, be the outward man (I mean, man in outward conversation) never so conformable. And this is our meaning when we say That the Law of God only doth bind the Conscience, meaning the inward actions of the soul and spirit, those actions which only God and our Conscience are privy unto: But the Laws of men do bind only the outward man, that is, to the performance of outward actions, which men either do or may take notice of.

Which that we may the better understand, we must know that Laws are said to bind in two regards: 1. in commanding the doing of some actions, which else were at our choice; and 2. in making liable to an agreeable punishment if they be transgressed. Now whosoever commandeth, must be Lord of what he commandeth; whosoever maketh liable to punishment, must both be able to take notice of the fault, and of power to inflict the punishment. Seeing then God alone is Lord of the soul and spirit, he alone can bind them by Commandment: Seeing God alone can take notice of the sins of the heart, and is only able to inflict the punishment, namely, everlasting death and damnation, the proper punishment which the conscience feareth; he alone may command upon pain of eternal damnation. Man's Law therefore, in this sense which I have spoken, binds not the Conscience or inward man, because no man is Lord of another's conscience, nor can take notice of the actions thereof; nor yet hath in his power to inflict the punishment which it only feareth.

In one word, conceive it thus; The actions whereunto the Conscience alone is privy are not the object of the Laws of man, but only such actions as fall within the notice of men. And yet this is also true, Though the Laws of men do not bind the Conscience, yet a man is bound in Conscience to obey the Laws of men; but this bond is from the Law of God, which commands us to use suitable affections in obeying the Laws of men: Obey every ordinance of men, not for fear of punishment, but for conscience sake.

If now we did truly acknowledge this Prerogative of the Laws of God, we would witness the same by our extraordinary care in keeping them, in an extraordinary fear of breaking them. But what do we? even the clean contrary; we fear man more than God, those that can but kill the body, above him that hath power to cast both body and soul into hell-fire. Who would not be loath to break a King's laws in a King's sight? and yet for God's Laws who fears, though our most secret thoughts be always in his sight? In the outward work which men see, we are careful to restrain our hands and tongues from slipping, lest man's Law might take hold of us; but the thoughts of our heart we with all security let run at random, and never once curb them. What is this but to account the Laws of God as cobwebs, the Laws of men as chains of Iron; or openly to profess that of men we have some little fear, where they command with God; but where God commands alone, no fear at all? Even as those wicked ones whereof David speaks in the 94. Psalm, v. 7. who say, The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. But he that planted the ear, (saith David v. 9, 10, 11.) shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see? He that teacheth man knowledge, shall he not know? (yes) The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, &c. Who then art thou (to use the words of Isaiah) that art afraid of man who shall die, and of the son of man who shall be as the grass? and forgettest the Lord who made thee, who stretched out the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth?

The last thing I mean to observe from these two first degrees of a sinner's conversion [unspec 3] is, Wherein the life of a true Convert doth exceed the works both of the heathen and the hypocrite. Glorious things are spoken of Aristides, of Scipio, of Socrates: But their best works are but like unto counterfeit coin, the outside glistering with gold, but the inside lead or worse metal; their hands, their feet, their walk like the Gate of an Israelite, but their heart was uncircumcised like the heart of a Philistine; for they wanted the purity of the heart seasoned with the love of God, they wanted these cleansed thoughts, these holy affections, and therefore were their best works no better than glorious sins. Even as statues and puppets do move their eyes, their hands, their feet, like unto living men; and yet they are not living actions, because they come not from an inward soul, the Fountain of life, but from the artificial poise of weights and wheels set by the workman: Even such were the virtues of the heathens, very puppet-plays, like unto the actions of Christian men, but not Christian actions; because they came not from a pure heart, which gives life unto a Christian, but from the poise of vain-glory, from the wheels of corrupt affections, from a rotten heart, which wrought not for the love of God, but for the praise of men. •

And no better are the works of Hypocrites, • ay worse: for they knew not that the heart was to be cleansed, or how it should be cleansed; but these know that God requires the heart, and yet their works are nothing but shows unto men. Such were the Pharisees, of whom Christ saith, Matth. 23. 27, 28. Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness: Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity; and v. 25. ye make clean the outside of the Cup and platter, but within ye are full of extortion and excess. But if we are loath (as who would not?) to share our portion with the Gentiles, or to have our lot fall with the Hypocrites; let our righteousness then exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees: let us remember that God challenges the heart and inward man as his peculiar due; Let us not therefore only forsake the walk and external gate of wickedness, but even bad thoughts and evil motions, with all the occasions of them: Let us (I say) with Solomon, Prov. 4. 23. Keep our heart above all keeping, for out of it are the issues of life: But the joy of the hypocrite (saith Zophar, Job 20. 5.) is but for a moment. v. 6. Though his excellency mount up unto the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds; v. 7. Yet shall he perish forever, like his own dung.

[unspec III] Having spoken of the two first degrees of Repentance, I come now to the third, which is Returning unto God. It is not enough to forsake the works of wickedness, or the heart to forgo the thoughts of unrighteousness; but this is more required of a sinner, than he should return unto the Lord. He that hath gone out of his way, (and knows it) will not only make a stop and go no farther in the wrong way; but if he means to arrive at the place he desireth, will seek the new and right way and follow it; for he that standeth still, will never come at his journeys end: Even so must every sinner do in his journey of Repentance. The putting off the old man we heard before, now come we to the putting on of the new. In the two former steps we had eschewing of evil; in this we have doing of good; and without this the other is altogether vain. That tree is not called a good tree which bringeth forth no ill fruit, but that is a good Tree which bringeth forth good fruit; and Every Tree that bringeth forth no fruit, shall be hewn down and cast into the fire.

But for the better understanding of this, we will consider two things proper to a man that returneth; 1. To go away clean contrary to the way he went before; 2. To outtread and obliterate his former steps. Both of these everyone must perform who truly returns unto God by Repentance.

First, (I say) He must go a way clean contrary to his former way. Many men think that the way to Hell is but a little out of the way to Heaven, so that a man in a small time with small ado may cross out of the one into the other; but they are much deceived: For as Sin is more than a stepping aside, viz. a plain and direct going away from God; so is Repentance or the forsaking of sin more than a little coasting out of one way into another; crossing will not serve; there is no way in the world to come to the place we seek, but to go quite back again the way we came.

The way of pleasure in sin must be changed for as extreme a sorrow for the same. He that hath superstitiously worshipped false God's, must now as devoutly serve the true; the tongue that hath uttered swearings and spoken blasphemies, must as plentifully sound forth the name of God in prayer and thanksgiving; the covetous man must become liberal; the oppressor of the poor as charitable in relieving them; the calumniator of his brother, a tender guarder of his credit; in fine, he that hated his brother before, must now love him as tenderly as himself.

What traveler is there that knowing himself to be in a contrary way, and admonished that he must go back again, would not return speedily? Who but a fool would not consider that the longer he went forward, the further he had to go back again; the sooner he returned, the easier would be his return; the longer he went forward, the more hard and difficult? Why, this is the case of every sinner; every step he takes, the further he is from God: How painful then and tedious will that return be which is not speedily undertaken? Nay, when looking back we shall behold the infinite distance between God and us, how can our heart almost but fail us and despair utterly that so long a way can ever be accomplished? The Stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed time, (Ier. 8. 7.) the Turtle, and the Crane, and the Swallow observe the time of their coming: Let the wise man be ashamed that knows not, the sinner that considers not the time of his Return.

[unspec 2] The second thing proper to a man's returning is, to obliterate and tread out his former footing. This is also required of every truly repentant sinner, that wheresoever any footing remains of his former works, he should tread them out; for a repentant sinner must return by a line in the very path and tract of his sins. Now some sins do vanish in the act, and so leave no print behind them; and such, because they perish in the doing, remain not to be undone by repentance. But other sins there are which pass not away in the very doing, but leave as it were a footing behind them; I mean the work of the sin remains when the act is past, and these works are to be undone in repentance. Of this sort are sins most-what against the eighth Commandment, Robbery, Cousenage, all ill-gotten and ill-withholden gain; for in these, Restitution is as it were the recalling, undoing, and treading out the mark of the sin committed. He that hath taken a man's purse, may give it him again; but he that hath blasphemed, cannot recall his blasphemy, nor the refractary his former disobedience. He that hath taken his brother's life, cannot give it him again; nor he that hath defamed him, undo the word he hath spoken. In these and such like Restitution hath no place; but only [God forgive me] and doing the contrary hereafter. But in Robbery, Bribery, Cousenage, and all ill-gotten goods, the goods we have taken from our neighbor remaining in our hand and power, there is no repentance, no forgiveness, no returning, without restoring what we have gotten.

Upon this I will dwell a while, because I verily think that many men do not believe it, but think it enough to cry God mercy; but as for restoring of ought, he must pardon them. Surely Zacchaeus the Publican had never learned this Evasion, who (to make good his Repentance) gave half his goods unto the poor, and promised fourfold Restitution of what he had gotten from any man wrongfully. But if we will live by Laws, and not by Examples, hear the express Law of God, Levite. 6. 2, &c. where the Lord thus speaks unto Moses: If a Soul sin in fellowship or dealing, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbor, &c. or hath found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, &c. Then it shall be, because he hath sinned and is guilty, that he shall restore what he hath taken violently, or the thing that he hath gotten deceitfully, &c. he shall even restore the principal, and add the fifth part more thereunto in the day of his trespass-offering. The day of our trespass-offering who are Christians, is the day wherein we offer Christ unto his Father by a lively Faith for atonement for our sin; the day of our repentance or our turning to God. If the Jew's sacrifice could not be accepted without thus doing, no more shall a Christian's repentance.

Neither will it be enough to confess our sins and cry God mercy as we say; For Numb. 5. 7. (where this same law is repeated) Those, saith the Lord, which have thus sinned, shall confess their sin which they have done, and yet recompense his Trespass too with the principal thereof, &c. Yea so rigid is the Lord in exacting this, that if the man himself who was thus wronged were dead, and had no kinsman living; yet the party offending was not so excused, but was to make a recompense unto the Lord himself, by giving it to his Priest; as ye may see in the same place, v. 8.

Hence it is that the Lord, Ezekiel 33. 14, 15. maketh Restoring a main part of Repentance or Returning unto him; If the wicked (saith he) turn from his sin, and do what is lawful and right, if he restore the pledge, give again what he hath robbed; then he shall surely live, he shall not die: If he will not do this, it is easy to imagine what will follow, namely, that he shall surely die, and not live.

But thou wilt say, I am not able to make Restitution. Why, then show thyself willing unto thy power, for in this case God accepts the will for the deed. But take heed thou dissemble not with him that knows thy most inward thoughts; for he it is that trieth the heart and reins, and nothing can be hid from him: upon peril therefore of thy salvation deal truly with him that made thee; for he is not as man that thou shouldst mock him, or as the son of man that he should be deceived.

But thou wilt say, I cannot do it, unless I leave my wife and children to beggary. Alas! wilt thou venture thy own Soul to perish eternally, to save thy house from beggary? I must say unto thee as Peter said to Simon Magus, Acts 8. 21, 23. Thou hast neither part nor lot in the life to come, for thy heart is not right in the sight of God: Thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity; thou preferrest the momentary glory of thy house before the everlasting safety of thyself. Thou fool, what will it profit thee to win the whole world, and lose thy own soul?

But I shall (thou wilt say) in so doing proclaim mine own shame unto the whole world. What then? wouldst thou not be willing to undergo a greater penance than this for thy Soul's safety? or how comes it to pass thou art more loath that men should know thy shame, than God himself who made thee? Lord, how hard will it be for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of heaven!

If men would think of this in their unjust dealing, if they would remember this who scrape unto themselves riches by unlawful and ungodly means; if those who get by extortion, by cozening tricks of Law, by bribery, by sacrilegious Simony, would think of this; methinks it should make them pull back their hand. For what joy and pleasure should a man take in that gain which he knows he must one day forgo as willingly as now he desireth covetously? when he might thus say with himself,

Surely he that had this in his mind, would think it would not quit the cost to attain any of this world's goods unlawfully. But let them think as they will, as sure as God is true, Without Restitution Repentance can never be true, and without true Repentance it is impossible to be saved. And thus much of this Third degree of Repentance, and of the First part of my Text.

[unspec II] I COME now to the Second, which is The Condition and State he comes unto who hath done all this, and that (as ye hear) is a State of Mercy; The repentant sinner is capable of the Mercy of God to pardon and forgive his sin: If the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous his thoughts: The Lord will have mercy on him, our God will abundantly pardon.

The Mercy of God is here (as you see) his loving-kindness unto a sinner, to set him free from that evil he is liable to through sin, and to restore unto him the good he hath lost thereby; that is, with commiseration of his misery to forgive him, and restore him to that blessedness which is in the favor of God. This mercy or mercifulness of God is here expressed, first simply, in the words, The Lord will have mercy on him; and secondly, with a degree, he will pardon abundantly. Of these I will speak briefly, and so make an end.

And first of the first: If the forgiveness of our sins, and the accepting of us into the everlasting favor of God, be a work of Mercy; then not of any Merit or deserving on our part; for these two cannot stand together. So saith S. Paul, Tit. 3. 5. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he hath saved us. For if when we have done all we can, we are still the subjects of pity; it needs must be we are still in misery; for no man shows pity or commiseration but to those that are in a pitiful case; wheresoever Mercy is shewn, the party aileth something: But to be in case of Merit, is no pitiful case; what can he aile for his sin, to whom Heaven is due for his merit? who need not be beholden to God for his kindness, but may challenge him for justice? If this then be the manner of God, to show mercy unto those who deserve nothing at his hands, it is our part to be like unto him: We are not in actions of charity to look upon the merit, but the misery: the bestowing of Alms is no paying of wages, or giving of rewards, but an act of holy pity. The like I might say of forgiving the offenses of our brethren: If he repent him of the injury, thou are not to exact a merit of forgiveness; but let thy love be as ingenuous unto thy brother as God's was free unto thee.

The last thing to be considered is, The degree of God's mercy in delivering us from our sins: It is no small favor, for he pardoneth abundantly. Amongst all the works of God his works of Mercy toward mankind are in surpassing measure: Hence it is that he proclaims himself by this as by his principal style, Exod. 34. 6. The Lord, the Lord God, merciful, gracious, longsuffering: which David expounds ( Psal. 103. 8.) The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy: S. Paul describes him, Ephes. 2. 4. a God who is rich in mercy.

This may appear by the admirable way of our Redemption, in sending his own Son from Heaven to suffer the ignominious death of the Cross for our sake: Even so God loved the world, saith S. John, that he gave his only-begotten Son for the same. This may appear by his patience and longsuffering in enduring sin: In the 65. chap. of this Book, v. 2, 3. He spreadeth out his hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, yea, which provokes him to anger continually to his face. Lastly, It may appear by that huge proportion wherein his Mercy exceeds his Vengeance. He visits the sins of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of those that hate him, but showeth mercy unto the thousandth generation of those who love him and keep his Commandments. This may serve for our consolation in the most grievous temptation about the greatness of our sin: The Lord is rich in mercy, and therefore he will forgive the most grievous sin; for the mercy of the Lord is greater than the sins of the whole world. This Argument of comfort Moses bringeth in Deut. 4. 31. Because the Lord thy God is a merciful God, he will not forsake thee, nor destroy thee, nor forget the Covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.

S. MATTHEW 7. 21.

THERE are three sorts of men in the World: Some which call not Christ their Lord, as Turks, Jews and Infidels: Some which call him Lord, as all Christians; but not all in like manner: for there are two sorts of them, some which call him Lord, and that is all; others which both call him Lord, and do the will of his Father, the administration whereof is committed to him. The first of these three sorts, Those who do not so much as call Christ their Lord, it is plain they cannot be saved; for there is no other name under heaven to be saved by • but by the name of Christ only. For the second sort, Those who call Christ their Lord, that is, are Christians, and profess to believe in Christ, and hope to be saved by him, and yet do no works of obedience unto God; though such as these may think themselves in a good estate, yet our Savior here expressly excludes them from entering into the Kingdom of Heaven. But the third sort, which do not only call Christ their Lord, but do the will of his Father, these are the only true Christians; for these there is hope, but for none other: Not everyone (saith our Savior) that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, &c.

Our Savior foresaw there would be, among those who believed on his Name, such as would think their Faith sufficient, &c. that as for Works they might be excused, having him for their Lord and Captain of their Salvation, who himself had both undergone the punishment due for their sins, and fulfilled that obedience which they should have done; so that now there remained nothing on their part for to obtain Salvation, but to trust and rely upon him, without any endeavor at all to please God by Works, as being now become unuseful to Salvation. If ever there was a time when Christians thus deceived themselves, that time is now; as both our practice showeth plainly by a general neglect of such Duties of Piety and Charity which amongst our forefathers were frequent, as also our open profession, when being exhorted to these works of Piety to God and of Charity towards our brethren, we stick not to allege we are not bound unto them, because we look not to be saved by the merit of works, as they, but by faith in Christ alone: As though Faith in Christ excluded Works, and did not rather include them, as being that whereby they become acceptable unto God, which of themselves they are not; Or as if Works could no way conduce unto the attaining of Salvation but by way of merit and desert, and not by way of the grace and favor of God in Christ, as we shall see in the handling of this Text. We greatly now-a-days, and that most dangerously, mistake the error of our Forefathers, which was not in that they did good works; I would we did so; but because they knew not rightly the End why they did them, nor where the Value of them lay: They thought the End of doing them was to obtain eternal life, as a reward of Justice due unto them; whereas it is only of Grace and Promise in Christ Jesus: They took their Works to have such perfectness in them as would endure the Touchstone of the Law of God, yea such Worth and Value as to merit the Reward they looked for; whereas all the Value and acceptableness of our works issues from the Merits of Christ, and lies only in his righteousness communicated unto us and them by Faith, and no otherwise. But setting aside these errors of the End and of the Value of works, we must know as well as they, That not everyone that saith unto Christ, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doth the will of his Father which is in Heaven.

Now for the Explication of the Words. To call Christ Lord, is to believe in him, to acknowledge him, to look for Salvation by him, or (as the Scripture expresseth it, Luke 6. 47.) to come unto him; Everyone (saith our Savior there, explaining this very Text we have in hand) that cometh unto me, and heareth my words, and doth them, I will show you who he is like: where To come unto Christ is put instead of that which in the former was To say unto him, Lord. The doing of his Father's will is the doing of those works of obedience which his Father hath commanded in his Law, and now committed to his Son, whom he hath made the Head and King of his Church, to see executed and performed by those he bringeth to Salvation. But how, and in what manner, we shall see by and by.

The Text consists of two parts: The one negative; Not everyone that saith unto Christ, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven; The other affirmative; But those who do the will of his Father shall only enter thither. But these are so nearly linked together, that they cannot be handled asunder. And the Observations which I shall draw thence depend on the whole Text. The first and chiefest whereof is this, That Faith in Christ without works of obedience and amendment of life is not sufficient for Salvation, and consequently not that Faith whereby a Christian is justified. For if it were, it would save us: If it be not sufficient to save us, it cannot justify us. This floweth directly from the Text, and cannot be denied; if ye remember what I said before, That to call Christ Lord, is to believe in him.

For the better understanding of this, you must take notice that there is a threefold Faith whereby men believe in Christ. There is a false Faith: there is a true Faith, but not saving: and thirdly, there is a saving Faith. A false Faith is, To believe to attain Salvation through Christ any other way than he hath ordained; as namely, to believe to attain Salvation through him without works of obedience to be accepted of God in him: which is a Faith whereof there is no Gospel. A true Faith is, To believe Salvation is to be attained through obedience to God in Jesus Christ, who by his merits and righteousness makes ourselves and our works acceptable to his Father. A saving and justifying Faith is, To believe this so as to embrace and lay hold upon Christ for that end: To believe to attain Salvation through obedience to God in Christ, so as to apply ourselves and rely upon Christ for that end; namely, to perform those works of obedience which God hath promised to reward with eternal life. For a Justifying Faith stayeth not only in the Brain, but stirs up the Will to receive and enjoy the good believed, according as it is promised. This motion or election of the Will is that which maketh the difference between a saving Faith which joineth us unto Christ, and that which is true indeed, but not saving, but dogmatical and opinionative only. And this motion or applying of the Will to Christ, this embracing of Christ and the promises of the Gospel through him, is that which the Scripture (when it speaks of this • aith) calleth coming unto Christ, or the receiving of him. John 1. 12. As many as received him, to them he gave power (or privilege) to be the sons of God, even to them that believe on his Name: where, receiving and believing, one expound another. So for coming; Come unto me (saith our Savior, Matth. 11. 28.) all ye that are heavy laden, and I will ease you. This last is very frequent. John 5. 40. Ye will not come to me (saith our Savior) that ye might have life. And Chap. 6. 37. All that the Father giveth me, shall come unto me. Ver. 44. No man can come unto me, unless the Father draw him. 45. Every man that hath heard, and learned of the Father, cometh unto me; and such like. All which express the specification of a saving Faith, which consists in the embracing, receiving and applying of the Will to the thing believed.

What this embracing, receiving or applying unto Christ is, I will farther make plain thus. He that believeth that Christ is an atonement to God for the sins of all repentant sinners, (and surely he is an atonement for none else,) must repent and turn from all his sins, that so Christ may be an atonement for him; else he embraceth not what he believeth. He that believes that God in Christ will accept and reward our obedience and works of Piety, though short of perfection and of no worth in themselves, must apply himself accordingly to do works of Religion and Charity, that God in Christ may accept and reward them. For our Belief is not that saving Belief, until we apply ourselves to what we believe. To believe to attain Salvation through Christ without works of obedience to be accepted in him, is (as I have already said) a false Faith, whereof there is no Gospel, no Promise: To believe the contrary, That Christ is given of God to such only as shall receive him, to perform acceptable obedience to God through him, and yet not to apply and buckle our selves thereto, were indeed to believe what is true; but yet no saving Faith, because we embraced not the thing we believed as we believed it.

Thou sayest then thou hast Faith, and believest that Christ is the atonement to God for the sins of all such as leave and forsake their sins by Repentance: why then repent thee of thy sins, that Christ may be an atonement for thee. Thou sayest thou hast this Faith, That God in Jesus Christ will accept thy undeserving works and services unto eternal life: why then embrace thou Christ, and rely upon him for this end, that thou mayest do works of Piety towards God and Charity towards men, that so God in Christ may accept thee and them unto eternal life.

Now if this be the Faith which is Saving and unites us unto Christ, and no other; then it is plain That a saving Faith cannot be severed from good works, because no man can embrace Christ as he is promised, but he must apply himself to do them. For out of that which hath been spoken three Reasons may be gathered for the necessity of them.

First, It is the end of our Faith and Justification by Christ, yea the end why he [unspec I] shed his blood for us, that we being reconciled to God in him, might bring forth fruits of righteousness, which else we could never have done. This is no Speculation, but plain Scripture. S. Peter 1 Ep. 2. 24. telleth us, that Christ his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness. S. Paul, Tit. 2. 11, 12, 13, 14. The grace of God (saith he) that bringeth salvation, hath appeared unto all men; (wherefore?) Teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, and righteously, and godly in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Savior Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These words contain the Sum of all I have hitherto told you; That Christ is therefore given us to be a Propitiation for our sins, and to justify us, that in him we might walk before God in newness of life; so to obtain a Crown of righteousness in the world to come.

Answerable is that place Ephes. 2. 10. where the Apostle having told us, v. 8, 9. we are saved by grace, through saith, and not of works, lest any man should boast: he adds presently, (lest his meaning might be mistaken, as it is of too many) That we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) that we should walk in them: as if he should say, Those works of obedience ordained by God aforetime in his Law for us to walk in, which we could not perform of ourselves, now God hath as it were new molded us in Jesus Christ, that we might perform them in him; namely, by way of acceptation, though they come short of that exactness the Law requireth. And thus to be saved is to be saved by Grace and Favor, and not by the Merit of works; because the Foundation whereby ourselves and our services are approved in the eyes of God, and acquitted of guilt, (which the Scripture calleth to be justified, ) is the mere Favor of God in Jesus Christ, and not anything in us. And this way of Salvation excludes all boasting: for what have we to boast of, when all the righteousness of our works is none of ours, but Christ's imputed to us; whereby only, and not for any merit in themselves, they become acceptable and have promise of Reward? But that men should be saved by Christ, though they be idle and do nothing, I know no such Grace of God revealed in Scripture.

Now that in Christ we may perform works of righteousness which God will accept and crown, is plain by the tenor of Scripture. S. Paul, Phil. 1. 11. desires that the Philippians might be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God. And the same Apostle tells the Romans, Rom. 6. 22. That being made free from sin, and become servants to God, they have their fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life; that is, as the Syriac turns it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . they have holy fruits, whose end is life eternal.

And if we would seriously consider it, we should find, That the more we believe this righteousness of Faith in Christ, the more reason we have to perform works of service and obedience unto God, than if we believed it not. For if our works would not be acceptable with God unless they were complete in every point as the Law required; if there were no reward to be looked for at the hands of God unless we could merit it by the worthiness of our deeds; who that considers his own weakness and insufficiency would not sooner despair, than go about to please God by works? He would think it better to do nothing at all, than to endeavor what he could never hope to attain, and so lose his labor. But we, who believe that those who serve God in Christ have their failings and wants covered with his righteousness, and so their works accepted as if they were in every point as they should be; why should not we of all men fall to work, being sure by Christ's means and merit we shall not lose our labor?

[unspec 2] A second Motive why we should do good works is, Because they are the Way and Means ordained by God to obtain the Reward of eternal life, without which we shall never attain it. Without holiness no man shall see God, Heb. 12. 14. Look to yourselves (saith S. John Ep. 2. ver. 8.) that ye lose not those things ye have wrought, but that ye may receive a full reward. The Angel's message from heaven to devout Cornelius was, Thy prayers and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God: whereupon S. Peter inferred, That in every Nation, he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted with him, Acts 10. 4, 35. In 1 Tim. 6. 17, 18, 19. saith S. Paul, Charge them that are rich in this world—That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, Laying in store a good foundation against the time to come; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; (ut accipiant, nanciscantur) that they may receive, or obtain, eternal life.

Hence it is that we shall be judged and receive sentence at the last day according to our works. Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was hungry, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. For inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Lord, how do those look to be saved at that day, who think good works not required to Salvation, and accordingly do them not! Can our Savior pass this blessed Sentence on them? think they he can? If he should, they might truly say indeed, Lord, we have done no such matter, nor did we think ourselves bound unto it; we relied wholly upon our Faith in thy merits, and thought we had been freed from such services. What? do they think Christ will change the form of his Sentence at that great day? No certainly: If the Sentence for Bliss will not fit them, and be truly said of them; the other will, and must, for there is no more; Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels: For when I was hungry, ye gave me no meat, &c. This must be their doom, unless they suppose the righteous Judge will lie for them.

And it is here further to be observed, That the Works named in this sentence of Judgment are works of the second Table, and Works of Mercy and Charity; feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick; all Almsdeeds, which men are now-a-days so much afraid of, as if they looked toward Popery, and had a tang of meriting; for now-a-days these costly works of all others are most suspicious: But will it be so at the day of Judgment? True it is, they merit not the Reward which shall be given them: but what then? are we so proud we will do no works unless we may merit? Is it not sufficient that God will reward them for Christ's sake, though they have no worth in themselves? And thus much of the second Motive why we should do good works, Because howsoever they merit nothing, yet are they the means and way ordained by God to attain the Reward of eternal life.

[unspec 3] The third and last Motive to works of righteousness is, Because they are the only Sign and Note whereby we know our Faith is true and saving, and not counterfeit. For 1 John 1. 6. If we say we have fellowship with Christ, and walk in darkness; we lie, and do not the truth. Chap. 2. ver. 3. Hereby we know that we know him (viz. to be our Advocate with his Father, and the Propitiation for our sins,) if we keep his Commandments. And Chap. 3. 7. Little children, let no man deceive you: He that doth righteousness is righteous, even as Christ is righteous. The same almost you may find again, Chap. 2. 29. For if everyone that believeth in Christ truly and savingly believes that Salvation is to be attained by obedience to God in him, and not otherwise, and therefore embraceth and layeth hold upon him for that end; how can such an ones Faith be fruitless? How can he be without works, who therefore lays hold on Christ that his works and obedience may be accepted as righteous before God for his sake, and so be rewardable? It is as possible for the Sun to be without his light or the Fire to want heat, as such a Faith to be without works.

Our Savior therefore himself makes this a most sure and never-failing Note to build our assurance of Salvation upon, Luke 6. 46. where the mention of the words of my Text gives the occasion, Why call ye me Lord, Lord, (saith he) and do not the things which I say? 47. Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doth them; I will show you to whom he is like. 48. He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it; for it was founded upon a rock. 49. But he that heareth, and doth not; is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great. Whom these three Motives or Reasons will not persuade to good works, let not my Soul, O Lord, be joined with theirs, nor my doom be as theirs must be.

A SECOND Observation out of these words, and near a-kin to the former, is, That it is not enough for a Christian to live harmlesly and abstain from ill, but he must do that which is good. For our Savior excludes not here those only who do against the will of his Father, but those who do not his Father's will. It is doing good which he requireth, and not the not doing evil only. This is an error which taketh hold of a great part of men, even of those who would seem to be religious. He is a reformed man and acquits himself well who abstains from fornication, adultery, who is no thief, no couzener or defrauder of other men, who will not lie, or swear, or such like: But as for doing any works of Piety or Charity, they think they are not required of them.

But they are much deceived: For God requires some duties at our hands, which he may reward, not out of any merit, but out of his merciful promise in Christ. But not doing ill is no service rewardable. A servant who expects wages, must not only do his Master no harm, but some work that is good and profitable: otherwise the best Christian would be he that should live altogether idly; for none doth less harm than he that doth nothing at all. But Matth. 25. 30. He that increased not his Master's Talent, though he had not mis-spent it, is adjudged an unprofitable servant, and cast into outer darkness, where is weeping and gnashing of teeth. So also Matth. 3. 10. The tree that beareth no good fruit is hewn down, though it bore none that was evil: The axe is laid to the root of the tree; Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down and cast into the fire. Matth. 21. 19. The fig-tree was cursed for having no fruit, not for having evil fruit. And the Sentence of condemnation, as you heard before, is to pass at that great day for not having done good works, not for doing ill ones: Go ye cursed, for when I was hungry, ye sed me not, &c. Matth. 25. 41, &c.

THUS having let you see how necessary it is for a Christian to join good works with his Faith in Christ; I will now come to show you How you must do them, hoping I have already persuaded you that they must needs be done.

First therefore, We must do them out of Faith in Christ, that is, relying upon him [unspec 1] only for the acceptance and rewarding of them: for in him alone God is well pleased with us and with what we do, and therefore without saith and reliance upon him it is impossible to please God. We must not think there is any worth in our works, for which any such reward as God hath promised is due: For, alas! our best works are full of imperfections, and far short of what the Law requires. Our reward therefore is not of merit, but out of the merciful promise of God in Christ: which the Apostle means, when he says, We are saved by grace, and not by works; that is, It is the grace and favor of God in Christ which makes ourselves acceptable and our works rewardable, and not any desert in them or us.

Having laid this foundation; The next thing required is Sincerity of heart in doing [unspec 2] them: We must do them out of the fear of God, and conscience of his Commandments; not out of respect of profit, or fear, or praise of men; for such as do so are Hypocrites. Not everyone, saith our Savior, that saith unto me, Lord, Lord; but he that doth the will of my Father: Now it is the will of our heavenly Father that we serve him in truth and uprightness of heart: I know (saith David, 1 Chr. 29. 17.) that thou my God triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. And so he said to Abraham, Gen. 17. 1. I am the Almighty God, walk before me, and be thou upright, or, be thou sincere. This manner of serving of God Joshua commended to the Israelites, Josh. 24. 14. Fear the Lord, (saith he) and serve him in sincerity and truth: and the Prophet Samuel, 1 Sam. 12. 24. Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart. This sincerity, uprightness and truth in God's service is, when we do religious and pious duties, and abstain from the contrary, out of conscience to Godward, out of an heart possessed with the love and fear of God. It is otherwise called in Scripture Perfectness, or Perfectness of heart: For it is a lame and imperfect service where the better half is wanting, as the Heart is, in every work of duty both to God and men. And therefore it is called perfectness, when both go together, when conscience as the Soul enlivens the outward work as a Body. And indeed this is all the perfection we can attain unto in this life, To serve God in truth of heart, though otherwise we come short of what we should: and therefore God esteems our actions and works, not according to the greatness or exactness of the performance, but according to the sincerity and truth of our hearts in doing them: as appears by the places I have already quoted, and by that 1 Kings 15. 14. where it is said, that though Asa failed in his reformation, and the high places were not taken down; nevertheless his heart was perfect with the Lord his God all his days.

A note to know such a sincerity and truth of heart by is, If in our privacy, when there is no witness but God and ourselves, we are careful then to abstain from sin, as well as in the sight of men: If when nobody but God shall see and know it, we are willing to do a good work, as well as if all the world should know it. He that findeth himself thus affected, his Heart is true, at least in some measure; but so much the less by how much he findeth himself the less affected in this manner. When we are in the presence and view of men, we may soon be deceived in ourselves, and think we do that out of conscience and fear of God, which indeed is but for the fear or praise of men; either lest we should be damnified, or impair our credit, or the like: But when there is none but God and us, then to be afraid of sin and careful of good duties, is a sign we fear God in truth and sincerity, and not in hypocrisy.

The special and principal means to attain this sincerity and truth of heart is, To possess ourselves always with the apprehension of God's presence, and to walk before him as in his eye. Wheresoever thou art, there is an Eye that sees thee, an Ear that hears thee, and a Hand that registreth thy most secret thoughts: For the ways of man (saith Solomon Prov. 5. 21.) are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings. How much ashamed would we be, that men should know how much our hearts and our words and actions disagreed? How would we blush that men should see us commit this or that sin, or neglect this or that duty? What horrible Atheism then doth this argue, that the presence of man, yea sometimes of a little child, should •• nder us from that wickedness which God's presence cannot? This having of God before our eyes, and the continual meditation of his All-seeing presence, would, together with devout Prayer for the assistance of God's grace, be in time the bane of hypocrisy and falsehood of heart, and beget instead thereof that truth and sincerity which God loveth.

[unspec 3] Another property of such obedience as God requires is Universality: we must not serve God by halfs, by doing some duties and omitting others; but we must, with David, ( Psal. 119. 6, 20.) have respect to all God's Commandments; to those of the second Table as well as to those of the first, and to those of the first as well as those of the second. The want of which Universality of obedience to both Tables is so frequent, as the greatest part of Christians are plunged therein, to the undoubted ruin of their fouls and shipwreck of everlasting life, if they so continue.

For there are two sorts of men which think themselves in a good estate, and are not. The one are those who make conscience of the duties of the first Table, but have little or no care of the duties of the second. And this is a most dangerous evil, by reason it is more hard to be discovered; those which are guilty thereof being such as seem religious, but their Religion is in vain. Such were those in the Church of Israel against whom the Prophet Isaiah declaimeth, Chap. 1. from the 10. verse to the 17. To what purpose are your sacrifices and burnt-offerings? saith the Lord: your oblations and incense are abomination. Your New Moons, Sabbaths, calling of Assemblies, even the solemn meeting, I cannot away with; it is iniquity. Would you know what was the matter? see the words following, Learn to do well, seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Lo here a want of the duties of the second Table. Such is that also of Hosea 6. 6. I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; which is twice alleged by our Savior in the Gospel against the Pharisee's hypocritical scrupulosity in the same duties of the first Table, with a neglect of the second. But here perhaps some may find a scruple, because that if Sacrifice in this or the like places be opposed to the duties of obedience required in the second Table, it should hereby seem that the duties of the second Table which concern our neighbor should be preferred before the duties of the first which concern the Lord himself; forasmuch as it is said, I desired mercy, and not sacrifice, that is, rather Mercy, which is a duty of the second Table, than Sacrifice, which is of the first. I answer, The holy Ghost's meaning is not to prefer the second Table before the first, taking them singly; but to prefer the duties of both together before the service of the first alone: Be more ready to join mercy or works of mercy with your sacrificing, than to offer sacrifice alone.

To go on. The duties of the first Table are by a special name called duties of Religion; those of the second Table come under the name of Honesty and Probity. Now as a man can never be truly Honest unless he be Religious; So cannot that man (what show soever he makes) be truly religious in God's esteem who is not honest in his conversation towards his neighbor: Religion and Honesty must be married together, or else neither of them will be in truth what it seems to be. We know that all our duty both to God and our neighbor is comprehended under the name of Love, as in that Sum of the Law, Love God above all things, and thy neighbor as thyself. This is the Sum of the whole Law contained in both Tables. But S. John tells us 1 Ep. 4. 20. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; which is as much as if he should say, He that seems religious towards God, and is without honesty towards his neighbor; he is a liar, there is no true religion in him.

If you would then know whether a man professing Religion, by diligent frequenting God's service and exercises of devotion, keeping sacred times and hearing Sermons, be a sound Christian or not, or a seeming one only; this is a sure and infallible note to discover him, and for him to discover himself by: For, if notwithstanding his care of the duties of the first Table, he makes no conscience to walk honestly towards his neighbor; if he be disobedient to Parents and lawful Authority, if he be cruel and uncharitable, if he be unjust in his dealings, fraudulent, an oppressor, a falsifier of Covenants and Promises, a back •• ster, a slanderer, or the like; his Religion is no better than an Hypocrite's: For such was the Religion of many of the Pharisees, whom therefore our Savior termeth Hypocrites, Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. They were scrupulous in the duties of the first Table, they paid tithe even of mint and anise, they fasted twice a-week, they were exact observers of the Sabbath and other ceremonies of Religion; but judgment, mercy, and saith in their conversation towards men, our Savior tells them they regarded not.

Besides our Savior's woe denounced against such, there are Two dangerous Effects which accompany this evil disease, which should make us beware thereof.

• 1. Those who are addicted to Religion without any conscience of Honesty, are easily drawn by the Devil to many intolerable acts under color and in behalf thereof, as they imagine. We see it in the Papists and Jesuits, whose preposterous zeal to their Religion makes them think Treasons, Murthers, Rebellions, or any other such wicked acts, are lawful and excusable, so they be done for the good of the Catholic cause, as they call it. And if we search narrowly amongst ourselves, we shall light upon some examples of indirect and unlawful courses undertaken otherwhile on the behalf of Religion; and all through want of this conscionable care of maintaining Honesty towards our neighbor, together with our zeal for Religion towards God. Even as we see an Horse in some narrow and dangerous passage, whilst he is wholly taken up with some bugbear on the one side of the way, which he would eschew, and in the mean time mindeth not the other side, where there is the like danger, he suddenly slips into a pit or ditch, with no small danger to himself and rider: So is it here with such as look only to the first Table, and mind not the second; whilst they go about, as they think, to advance the duties of the one, they fall most foully in the other.
• 2. The second evil is a most dangerous Scandal which follows profession of Religion without honest conversation towards men: It is a grievous stumbling-block and stone of offense, making men out of love with Religion, when they see such evil Effects from it and those who seem to profess it. Those who are not yet come on, are scared from coming; resolving they will never be of their Religion, which they see no better fruits of: Those who are entered, are ashamed and discouraged, forsaking the duties of Religion, that they might shun the suspicion of hypocrisy and dishonesty. But woe be unto them by whom scandal cometh. Let us all therefore take heed to adorn and approve our profession by bringing forth fruits, not only of Piety and Devotion towards God, but of works of Righteousness and Charity to our neighbor.

GENESIS 3. 13.

THE Story whereof the words I have read are part is so well known to all, that it would be needless to spend time in any long Preface thereof. Who knows not the Story of Adam's Fall? who hath not heard of the Sin of Eve our Mother? If there were no Scripture, yet the unsampled irregularity of our whole nature, which all the time of our life runs counter to all order and right reason; the woe • ul misery of our condition, being a Scene of sorrow without any rest or contentment; this might breed some general suspicion that ab initio non suit ita, from the beginning it was not so; but that he who made us Lord's of his creatures, made us not so worthless and vile as now we are; but that some common Father to us all had drunken some strange and devilish poison, wherewith the whole race is infected. This poison, saith the Scripture, was the breach of God's commandment in Paradise, by eating of the forbidden fruit: for which Adam being called to an account by the great Judge, and laying the fault upon the Woman which God had given him for an helper; God vouchsafes (as ye hear in my Text) to examine the Woman, saying, What is this that thou hast done? And she answers, The Serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

These words contain in them two parts: First, God's Inquisition accusing; Secondly, The Woman's Confession excusing her fact. The first in the first words, And the Lord said unto the woman, &c. The second in the last words, And the woman said, The Serpent beguiled me, &c. For the first words which God speaks, being considered absolutely, are an Indictment for some crime; as they are Interrogative, they are an Inquisition concerning the same; and therefore I call them an Inquisition accusing. So the second are a Confession, as the Woman says, I have eaten; but with an excuse, when she says, The Serpent beguiled me; and therefore I call them a Confession excusing.

In the Inquisition are two things to be considered. First, The Author and Person who makes it, which is the Lord God himself; so saith my Text, And the Lord God said unto the woman. Secondly, The Inquisition itself, What is this that thou hast done?

In the Person who comes and makes this Inquest, being the Lord God himself, we may observe and behold his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , his wonderful Goodness and unspeakable Love to mankind, which here reveals itself in four most remarkable Circumstances.

[unspec 1] First, In his forbearance; And the Lord said: When said the Lord? namely, not till Adam had accused her; she who was first in the sin, was last questioned for the same; and that too because her husband had appealed her. God knew and observed well enough the first degree and every progress of her sin, he needed no information from another: yet as though he were loath to take notice thereof, as though he were loath to find her guilty, yea as though he were loath to denounce the punishment which his Justice required, he comes not against her until now; and that as though he were unwilling to come at all.

If we look back into the Story, we shall yet find a further confirmation thereof. How long did God hold his hand before he stripped the woman especially of that glorious beauty of her integrity, and made her with opened eyes to see her shameful nakedness? She had at the first onset of her Conference with the Serpent sinned a sin of Vnbelief of God; and yet God spared her: In the progress she sinned more in her proud Ambition of being like to God himself, and to be wise above what was given her; and God yet spared her: She sinned when she coveted and longed once to eat of the forbidden fruit, when it began to seem more pleasing and desirable unto her than Obedience to God's Commandment; and God yet spared her: At last she takes and eats thereof, and so came to the height and consummation of her sin; and yet behold and see the Clemency and Longanimity of our good God, he paused yet a while until she had given unto her husband also; and then, and not till then, he opened their eyes to see their woeful misery.

A Lesson first to us men, if so be we think the Example of God worthy our imitation, to bear long with our brother, as God bears with us; to admonish him, as it is in the Gospel, the first, second and third time, before we use him like an Heathen or a Publican; to forgive him seven times, yea, (as Christ says to Peter ) if he repent and ask forgiveness, seventy times seven.

Secondly, This may be a cordial of spiritual comfort unto us sinners; Though we make a shift to keep ourselves from the execution of sin, yet we find our hearts full of sinful thoughts, ungodly desires and unclean lusts, and such like sinful motions from the infirmity of our flesh: which notwithstanding we cannot ever expel or be rid of; yet let us hope that God out of his mercy will bear with our weakness, and pass by our infirmities, who bore with the sin of our first Parents until it came to execution.

The second Circumstance is The temper of his Justice; in that he vouchsafes first to [unspec 2] inquire of the offense, and examine the fact, before he gives Sentence, or proceeds to execution. The like example we have Gen. 11. 5. where it is said, The Lord came down to see the City and Tower which the children of men had built, afore he would confound their language, or scatter them abroad from that ambitious Babel upon the face of the earth. Again, Gen. 18. 20, 21. the Lord says, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is very grievous; I will go down, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. He from whom no secrets are hid, he that formed the heart of man, and knows all the works we do, he that trieth and searcheth the heart and reins, even he will first examine the fact, will first hear what miserable man can say for himself, before his Sentence shall pass upon him: not out of ignorance of what was done, for how should the omniscient God be ignorant? but out of his wonderful clemency, and unspeakable moderation towards Man: I say, towards Man; for to him alone he shows this favor; for as for the Serpent, we see he vouchsafes nor to ask him one question, nor to expect what he could say for himself, but presently without examination proceeds to judgment against him.

Doth the great God, the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth, deal with so unspeakable: temper with his creature; and is vile man, a base earth-worm, so austere unto his brother? It was the height of Eve's whole ambition to be like unto God; but her offspring's ambition is to be most unlike unto him: He glories in mercy and clemency, we in rage and rash austerity; He hears his creature speak before he condemns him we condemn our brother before we hear him speak. Be wise, be instructed, ye Jude’s of the earth, let this great Example of God be the pattern of your imitation: yealet no private man condemn another rashly, until he hath heard what he may say fo • himself, as God himself here vouchsafed to go before us.

The third Circumstance is God's condescent unto man, in that he sends neither Angels [unspec 3] nor Ministers to examine our first Parents and to make inquisition of their offense, but he co •• s himself in person to take notice thereof. When men are offended, especially great • en, they will not deign to look upon or to admit into their presence those that have offended them: How great therefore is this indulgence of Almighty God, who deig • s here his presence to our most wretched and most naked Parents who had so grievously sinned against him? How happily graced would a poor offender think himself, if he night be admitted to the presence of his Prince, there to say what he could either for his defense or excuse, or else to sue for mercy and move compassion? By how much therefore God is greater than the greatest Monarchs of the world, even as much as they are greater than nothing; so much is this indulgence of God here exp • essed in my Text to Eve, as before to her husband, surpassing all the favor and • ondescent of men, who sent not for man, but came himself unto him; yea who vouchsafed then to seek them out when they ran away from him.

Now all this is spoken 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , after the fashion of men, and therefore not so much to express what God himself did, as what men ought to do. Let it be a Lesson therefore to those who are set over others, not to be too hard of access to such as are obnoxious unto them. If God himself vouchsafed so far unto his creature so wretched, much more should man unto his brother.

The fourth Circumstance is The manner of his speech to Eve, in that he that was the Lord God should so mildly speak unto her, What is this thou hast done? The Lord God said it, saith my Text; but who would not think it rather the speech of a familiar [unspec 4] and condoling friend, than of so great a Judge so greatly offended? Here is no word of asperity, but of lenity; no menacing, no upbraiding terms, but only, What is this thou hast done?

And should not we learn hence not to insult over such whose offenses make them liable either to us or others? should we upbraid, rail, triumph, and vomit our impotency upon them? Certainly we seem not to remember what a gentle and commiserating Judge God is, or that ourselves are men, and have to deal with human frailty, and man's miserable condition, which we ought to behold with pity, and not handle with bitterness.

THE next thing is, The Inquisition itself; What is this thou hast done? Some read, Why hast thou done this? expounding 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . But Eve's answer following, where she saith, I have eaten, plainly argues the question was What she had done, and not Why she had done it: And therefore I take the words as our Translation hath them, and understand this manner of asking by God to be a Scheme of admiration, and to imply an exaggeration of the woman's sin; as if he had said, O what an horrible sin is this thou hast committed! How grievously hast thou transgressed! O what hast thou done! And therefore, God enquiring of her sin with exaggeration, she makes answer with diminution; Indeed she had offended, because she had eaten; but yet the offense was the less, for the Serpent had deceived her.

This then being the meaning of the words, let us behold in them the greatness of the sin of our first Parents; which made the Lord God himself to say, What is this thou hast done? The greatness of this sin I will first consider as it concerns them both in general, and then as in particular. The greatness of the sin in general appears in these four Considerations.

[unspec 1] First, It was a transgression of such a Law as was given only to prove man whether he would be under God or no. For the Moral Law which was written and engraven in the Hearts of our first Parents was for the doing of things simply good, and abstaining from things simply evil; such things as a good man would do were there no Commandment, and such things as he would not do were there no Prohibition; so that in these there was no trial whether man would obey God or no, only because he commanded him and merely for obedience sake. And therefore had God ordained this Symbolical Law, prohibiting a thing in itself neither good nor evil, neither pleasing nor displeasing unto God, but indifferent; that man's observance thereof might be a profession and testimony that he was willing to submit himself to God's pleasure, only because it was his pleasure. And that it might yet the more appear, God made not choice of such a thing as man cared not for, but of a pleasant and desirable thing; whereunto the more his inclination was carried, the more by his abstaining might his willing subjection be approved. The violating therefore of this Law was an open profession that he would not be under God, and renouncing of him to be his Lord. And this is the first respect wherein appears the greatness of Adam's sin.

[unspec 2] The second Consideration arguing the same is, That he on whom God h • d bestowed so many glorious endowments, whom he had as it were stuffed with so man • excellent abilities, and adorned with so many precious graces, that he should sin against him, and set so light by his commandment: For of those to whom God had given so much, he might justly require and expect much. Therefore those whom God hat • furnished with the best gifts, either of knowledge or other abilities, they, if they s • , sin most grievously: So that in this respect the sin of Adam and Eve exceeded the •• ns of their posterity, as much as their integrity did our corruption. The greater • he person, the greater his sin: The sin of a Prince greater than the sin of a vulgar person; and therefore in the Law there was a greater Sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the Prince and Priest than of the people.

[unspec 3] The third circumstance aggravating his sin was, The easiness of the commandment, and the easiness man had to keep the same; Both in regard of himself, whom no itching Concupiscence urged, as being altogether free therefrom, and not as we his offspring are continually vexed with the boiling thereof: Secondly, in regard of the thing itself he was to abstain from being only one fruit, in so great a liberty of all the garden besides. How easily might he have abstained from one, to whom God had given the use of all saving this one? He wanted not to feed him, he wanted no variety of food, he had even enough to surfeit on; only to approve his obedience to Him who had given all the rest unto him, he was to abstain from one, and yet he would not. Quanta • uit (saith S. Austin) iniquitas in peccando, ubi tanta erat uon peccandi facilitas? How great an iniquity was it there to sin, where it was so easy a thing not to sin?

The fourth circumstance aggravating this sin was The place, which was Paradise, as it were in God's own presence, even afore his face: For as Heaven above other parts of the world is the place of God's special presence; so was Paradise above other parts of the earth as it were an Heaven upon earth, the place wherein he singularly revealed himself, and therefore an Holy place and the Temple of God. Do not men, otherwise giving the loose rein to wickedness, yet abhor to commit it in God's Temple? How impudently contumelious was this Sin therefore which was committed in God's very presence-chamber?

All these Aggravations are common to both our Parents, which all laid together [unspec 4] make their Sin as great as ever any was, saving the sin against the Holy Ghost; for so the best Divines do think. But Eve adds one Aggravation more to her weight, in that she was not content to sin herself alone, but she allured and drew her husband also into the like horrible transgression with her; whereby she was not only guilty of her own personal sin, but of her husband's also. And this added so much unto her former sum, that S. Paul (1 Tim. 2. 14.) speaks of her as if she had been the only transgressor; Adam was not deceived; but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. So great and horrible a thing it is in the Eye of God to because or mover of another's sin. Woe be unto them who by any means are the cause of another's fall. And justly might God say to Eve for this respect, though there had been no more, What is this that thou hast done?

NOW I come to the Woman's excuse, The Serpent beguiled me. In which words are three things considerable. The Author, The Serpent. The Action, Guile. The Object, Me.

Concerning the Author, The Serpent, two things are inquirable. First, What the Serpent was indeed. Secondly, What Eve supposed him to be.

For the first, I think none so unreasonable as to believe it was the unreasonable and brute Serpent: For whence should he learn, or how should he understand God's commandment to our first Parents? and how is it possible a Serpent should speak; and not only so, but speak the language which Eve understood? For though some there be who think that Beasts and Birds have some speech-like utterings of themselves; yet none, that a Beast should speak the language of Men. It remains therefore that according unto the Scriptures it was that old deceiver the Devil and Satan, who abused brute Serpent, either by entering into him, or taking his shape upon him. The last of which I rather incline unto, supposing it (as you shall hear presently) to be the Law of Spirits, when they have intercourse and commerce with men, to take some visible shape upon them, as the Devil here the Serpent's; whence he becomes styled in Scripture, The old Serpent.

Now for the Second question, What Eve took him to be, whether the Serpent or Satan, If we say she thought him to be the brute Serpent, how will this stand with the perfection of Man's knowledge in his integrity, to think a Serpent could speak like a reasonable creature? Who would not judge her a silly woman now that should think so? and yet the wisest of us all is far short of Eve in regard of her knowledge then. Again, If we say she knew him to be the Devil; I will not ask why she would converse at all with a wicked spirit, who she knew had fallen from his Maker; but I would know how we should construe the meaning of the Holy Ghost in the beginning of this Chapter, where he saith, The Serpent was the subtlest of all the beasts of the field which God had made, and so implies the woman's opinion of the Serpent's wisdom was the occasion why she was so beguiled; otherwise to what end are those words spoken, unless to show that Satan chose the Serpent's shape, that through the opinion and color of his well-known wisdom and sagacity he might beguile the Woman?

For the assoiling of which difficulty I offer these Propositions following. First, I will suppose There is a Law in the commerce of Spirits and Men, that a Spirit must present himself under the shape of some visible thing. For as in natural and bodily things there is no intercourse of action and passion, unless the things have some proportion each to other, and unless they communicate in some Common Matter: So it seems God hath ordained a Law that invisible things should converse with things visible in a shape as they are visible: which is so true, that the conversing presence of a Spirit is called a Vision or Apparition. And Experience with the Scriptures will show us, that not only evil Angels, but good, yea God himself converseth in this manner with men. And all this I suppose Eve knew.

Secondly, I suppose further, That as Spirits are to converse with men under some visible shape; so is there a Law given them, that it must be under the shape of some such thing as may less or more resemble their condition. For as in nature we see every several thing hath a several and suitable Phisiognomy or figure, as a badge of their inward nature, whereby it is known as by a habit of distinction: so it seems to be in the shapes and apparitions of Spirits. And as in a well-governed Commonwealth every sort and condition of men is known by some differing habit, agreeable to his quality: so it seems it should be in God's great Commonwealth, concerning the shapes which Spirits take upon them. And he that gave the Law, that a man should not wear the habit of a woman, nor a woman the habit of a man; because that as he had made them diverse, so would he have them so known by their habits: so it seems he will not suffer a good and a bad Spirit, a noble and ignoble one, to appear unto men after the same fashion. And this also I suppose Eve knew.

Now from these grounds it will follow, That good Angels can take upon them no other shape but the shape of Man, because their glorious excellency is resembled only in the most excellent of all visible creatures; the shape of an inferior creature would be unsuitable, no other shape becoming those who are called the sons of God, but his only who was created after God's own image. And yet not his neither according as now he is, but according as he was before his fall in his glorious beauty of his Integrity. Age and deformity are the fruits of Sin; and the Angel in the Gospel appears like a young man, his countenance like lightning, and his raiment white as snow, as it were resembling the beauty of glorified bodies in immutability, sublimity and purity.

Hence also it follows on the contrary, That the Devil could not appear in human shape whilst Man was in his integrity, because he was a Spirit fallen from his first glorious perfection, and therefore must appear in such shape which might argue his imperfection and abasement, which was the shape of a Beast: otherwise no reason can be given, why he should not rather have appeared unto Eve in the shape of a Woman than of a Serpent; for so he might have gained an opinion with her both of more excellency and knowledge. But since the fall of man the case is altered, now we know he can take upon him the shape of Man; and no wonder, since one falling star may well resemble another. And therefore he appears it seems in the shape of Man's imperfection, either for age or deformity, as like an old man, (for so the Witches say:) and perhaps it is not altogether false which is vulgarly affirmed, That the Devil appearing in Human shape, hath always a deformity of some uncouth member or other; as though he could not yet take upon him Human shape entirely, for that Man himself is not entirely and utterly fallen as he is.

By this time you see the difficulty of the Question is eased. Now it appears why Eve wondered not to see a Spirit speak unto her in the shape of a Serpent, because she knew the Law of Spirits apparitions better than we do. Again, when she saw the Spirit who talked with her to have taken upon him the shape, though of a Beast, yet of the most sagacious Beast of the field, she concluded, according to our forelaid suppositions, That though he were one of the abased spirits, yet the shape he had taken resembling his nature, he must needs be a most crafty and sagacious one, and so might pry farther into God's meaning than she was aware of. And thus you may see at last how the opinion of the Serpent's subtlety occasioned Eve's fall; as also why the Devil, of all other Beasts of the field, took the shape of a Serpent, namely, to gain this opinion of sagacity with the Woman, as one who knew the Principles aforesaid.

Here I observe That overmuch dotage upon a conceived excellency, whether of Wisdom or whatsoever else, without a special eye to God's commandment, hath ever been the Occasion of greatest Errors in the world; and the Devil under this mask useth to blear our eyes, and with this bait to inveigle our hearts, that he may securely bring us to his lure. It was the mask of the Serpent's wisdom and sagacity, above the rest of the Beasts of the field, whereby he brought to pass our first Parents ruin. The admired wisdom of the long-living Fathers of the elder world, having been for so many ages as Oracles their offspring grown even to a People and Nation while they yet lived, was the ground of the ancient Idolatry of mankind, whilst they supposed that those to whom for wisdom they had recourse being living, could not but help them when they were d • ad. This we may learn out of Hesi • d; The men, saith he, of the golden age being once dead, became 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ,

they became Godlings and Patrons of mortal men, and Overseers of their good and evil works. So the opinion of the blessed Martyrs superlative glory in Heaven was made the occasion of the new-found Idolatry of the Christian Churches, wherewith they are for the greater part yet overwhelmed. And the esteem which Peter had above the rest of the Apostles in regard of chief-dome, even in the Apostles times, was abused by the old Deceiver to instal the man of sin. This made S. Paul to say, The mystery of iniquity was even then working; and therefore he labored as far as he could to prevent it, by as much depressing Peter as others exalted him. Nay, he puts the Churches in mind of this story of the Serpent's beguiling Eve, that her mis-hap might be a warning to them. 2 Cor. 11. 2, 3. I am jealous over you (saith he) with a godly jealousy; for I have esponsed you to one husband, that I might present you as a chaste Virgin to Christ. But I fear lest by any means, as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. And to come a little nearer home; Have not our Adversaries, when they would get Disciples, learned this of the Devil, to possess them first with an opinion of superlative Learning in their Doctors surpassing any of ours? I will say no more in this point, but that we ought so to prize and admire the gifts and abilities of Learning which God hath bestowed upon men, that the Pole-star of his Sacred Word may ever be in our eye.

THE next thing to be spoken of is The Action, Guile: And first, I shall show what it is. To beguile is, through a false faith and persuasion wrought by some argument of seeming good, to bereave a man of some good he had or hoped for, or to bring upon him some evil he expected not. Practice hath made it so well known, that I should not need to have given any definition or description thereof, but only for a more distinct consideration. Whereas therefore I said, that Guile wrought by forelaying a false persuasion or belief; I would intimate, that it was nothing else but a Practical Sophism, the Premises whereof are counterfeit motives; the Conclusion an erroneous execution. Now as all Practice or Action consists in these two, The choice of our End, and The execution of Means to attain thereunto: So is this Practical Sophism we call Guile, found in them both; either when an evil End is presented unto us in the counterfeit of a good, and so we are made to embrace Nubem pro Iunone, and find ourselves deceived in the event whatsoever the Means were we have used; or else we apply such Means as are either unlawful or insufficient to attain our End, as being so mask'd that they appear unto us far otherwise than they are. With both these sorts or parts of Guile the Devil wrought our first Parents ruin. First, by making it seem a thing desirable and by all means to be labored for, To be like unto God: which was an ambition of that whereof man was not only not capable, but such as little beseemed him to aspire unto, upon whom God had bestowed so great a measure of glorious perfections, as he seemed a God amongst the rest of the creatures. What unthankfulness was this, that he upon whom God bestowed so much, as he was the glory of his workmanship, should yet think that God should envy him any degree of excellency fit for him? For this was the mask wherewith the Devil covered both the unfitness and impossibility of the End he insinuated; but he beguiled them. Secondly, He put the same trick upon them in the choice of the Means to be used, which was to transgress the severe commandment of Almighty God. Had the Aim been allowable, yet could not the Means have been taken for good, but only of such as were beguiled; in that the Devil made the Woman believe with his questioning the truth of God's commandment, that the danger was not great, nor so certain as it seemed; or that evil which might be in the action, would be countervailed with the excellency to be attained thereby; the gloriousness of which End the Devil so strongly sounded, that it drowned in her imagination the least conceit of evil in the Means. And as a man which always looks upward sees not the danger in the pat • and way he walks in, until he tumbles into a pit: so was it here with our first Mother, when thus the Devil beguiled her.

This first act of the Devil is that wherein we may behold as in a glass the art he still useth to tempt us unto sin, and bring us to utter destruction: All his method is nothing else but Guile; he presents all things fair unto our face, and suffers not evil to appear before us in its own ugly shape; for so every man would fly from it. When he would tempt a man to Covetousness, he calls it Thrift; when to Bribes, he calls them Gratuities; when to Intemperance, forsooth it is Good-fellowship; when to Cruelty, it must be called Justice; when to Prodigality, it must be taken for no other but Liberality, and such like. This is that which the Scripture saith, The Devil transforms himself into an Angel of light: when he draws to Vice, he would seem to mean nothing but Virtue; when he tempts to works of darkness, he presents them as the works of light; when he plots our ruin and everlasting undoing, he bears us in hand that all aims at our welfare and felicity.

This is that which is meant in the following verse, where it it said, The seed of the woman should bruise the Serpent's head, but the Serpent should bruise his heel: as though the Serpent should love to assault at unawares, and so as he might not be seen to intend any such matter before he had done the feat; and therefore his fashion should be to come behind a man, and as it were to catch him by the heel. For that this was the Emblem of Guile and deceitful dealing, it may be gathered from the story of Jacob and Esau, when as Esau being beguiled of the blessing by the craft of his brother Jacob, makes an allusion to his name; Well (saith he) may he be called Jacob, for he hath beguiled me now these two times. Now Jacob had his name in the beginning, because he caught his brother by the heel when he came out of the womb; for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies the heel, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is as much to say as an Heeler: whence the allusion of Esau hath this sense, if we take it verbatim, My brother may well be called an Heeler, for he hath heeled me these two times. Now because to come behind a man and take him by the heel was foul play, therefore of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 an heel comes 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ( dolus, fallacia) guile, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a verb signifying to deceive or beguile; which is the second sense that Esau would imply by his allusion, That his brother might well be called a Beguiler, because he had beguiled him now these two times. But of this I shall have occasion to speak more hereafter.

Since therefore we have seen the Devil's practice, and learned that he works altogether by deceit; how wary should the consideration hereof make us to be in all the ways of our life? If we knew we had to deal with a man that used to beguile all that came into his fingers, in what continual jealousy and suspicion would we be? how would we cast about to find which way he might not circumvent us? how wary would we be to entertain any profer from him? there could be nothing made seem so fair, but we would suspect some foul meaning to be in it. If we would be thus disposed in matters of lesser moment, how careful should we be in greater? if where the ability of deceiving is lesser, what manner of men should we be when we know the Arch-deceiver of the world is continually attending upon us, laboring to beguile us? Should we here adventure upon any action rashly? No surely; but be first well advised. We should not be too confident in our own persuasions, lest they may prove the Devil's suggestions: And though the reasons we apprehend be never so good, and the case seem never so clear, and the way we are to walk in never so secure; yet ought we to make some pause, and act a fit of jealousy afore we adventure.

AND thus much of the Serpent's action, Guile: Now I come to The Object, Me. Me, the weaker of the two. Me, so much endeared in the affection of my Lord, that he could not but do anything at my request. Of these two respects I will speak in order; and first of the first.

The Devil assaults us there where he finds us weakest; as here in this first sin he attempts the Woman, the weaker vessel; The Serpent beguiled me: for he knows this is the readiest way to overcome. A skillful Commander being to take a City, will not make his battery on that part of the wall which is strongly fortified, (for so he might make his shot in vain;) but will assault it there where it is least defensible, where a breach will be easily made, and yet entering he becomes Master of the whole how well fortified soever; even so the Devil will be sure to force us there where we are least able to resist; if he finds any part not well bulwark'd with resolution, there he plants the Canon of his temptation, and with an easy breach becomes Master of the whole piece.

Hence we may learn what to esteem of those imperfect courses concerning the Commandments of God, too frequent among the sons of men: There are many who resolve firmly against diverse kinds of sins, that they will never be drawn by any means to commit them; but they have always someone wherein they demur whether they should resolve to yield to it or not, if occasion should be offered. Many will fortily themselves very strongly against the assaults of bribery, of covetousness, of theft, of promise-breaking, of drunkenness; but as concerning their lust they are unresolved what to do, if a temptation should assault them: and so in others, there is some other inclination but slenderly guarded, when for the rest they could glory how strongly they are fortified. But we must know, that when the Devil comes to assault us, he will pass by us where we are strong, and attempt us only there where our weakness lies; and then we shall find all our labor lost, and all our other strength to have stood us in little stead: For what will it boot to guard the walls of our City never so strongly, if but one part be left unguarded for the enemies to enter? Is not all the enemy's? A Ship, though in other parts never so sound, will sink if but one leaking hole be left unstopped. Let us therefore survey our Hearts diligently, and finding where we lie exposed to danger, there most strengthen ourselves with resolution.

And thus I come to the second respect why the Devil made choice of the Woman, namely, because of the vehemency of her Husband's affection towards her; so that to have gained her was to have gotten him also. For he seemed to think that her strength in her Husband's affection was more powerful to prevail with him than his subtle motives were to overcome him: and indeed the Event proved he was not much deceived. Hence we are to observe, That the Devil taketh advantage of the vehemency of our Passions to work our overthrow; if he once find these to fasten his hold by, he then thinks he may lead us whither he lift. To have gained our affections is as it were to have gotten a party within, which is a dangerous advantage to further the invasion of an enemy; especially when most of our Passions are our Favorites, which we can deny nothing they ask; and if they be once bribed, will work us wholly to the dispose of our Arch-enemy.

That we may not therefore afford the Devil this advantage, and as it were reach him a rope to hang us withal, it behooves us so to govern and temper our Passions and Affections that they transport us not into the Devil's jurisdiction: which that we may the better do, it will not be unfit to set down some Rules for performance thereof.

First therefore, It is best to resist our Passions at the beginning, and to use the same [unspec 1] policy which Pharaoh did with the Israelites, that they might not over-run his Country, in killing all their Infants as soon as they were born. While the sore is green, Surgeons seldom despair; but festered once, they hardly cure it: So it is with the Passions of our Mind; when they are first growing, they are soon curbed; but being a little entertained, they will hardly be subdued.

The second means is, To inure ourselves to cross our Passions when there is no danger, [unspec 2] and to bridle ourselves sometimes from ordinary and lawful desires, that we may do it with more ease when we are in danger. For how can he hope to be able to master his Passions when dangerous temptations assault him, who never used them to it in the time of his security? We know that men who would fit themselves for the Wars, will practice in the time of Peace when there is no enemy near, and will toil and labor when they might be at rest, will lie hard when they may command a soft bed, will watch when they might sleep, and all to make them able to endure the like when they shall have need: The like must we do, that we may get an habit to cross and subdue our Passions when we shall have need.

The third means is, To fly occasions which may incense the Passions whereunto we [unspec 3] are inclined. Occasiones faciunt latrones, saith the Proverb, Occasion makes him a thief which else might have been an honest man. Wherefore he that commits himself to Sea in a boisterous tempest is worthy to suffer Shipwrack; and he that willingly puts himself in the company of infected persons may blame himself if he fall into their diseases.

Lastly, but chiefly, When thy Passions are most vehement, then seek for succor from [unspec 4] Heaven: Fly under the wings of Christ as the Chickens under the Hen when the Kite seeks to devour them: Beat at the gates of mercy, and crave grace to overcome thy misery. He is thy Father, and will not give thee a Serpent, if thou ask him Fish. Humble thyself before him, open thy sores and wounds unto him; and the good Samaritan will pour in both wine and oil, and thy Passions shall melt and fall away as clouds are dispelled and consumed by the Sun.

GENESIS 3. 14.

THESE words contain in them the Serpent's Doom and Destiny, pronounced upon him by the great Lord of Heaven and Earth. They contain in them two parts: First, The Reason of this Sentence, in the words, Because thou hast done this: Secondly, The Sentence itself, in the words following, Thou art cursed above all cattle, &c.

The Reason of this Heavy doom is, Because thou hast done this: What This? namely, Because he had beguiled the Man and Woman which God had made, and caused them to transgress his great Commandment. He therefore that is the cause and occasion of another's sin is as hateful to God as the doer, and is liable to as great or rather a greater punishment than he: For the Serpent here for causing hath this doom, as well as the Man and Woman for doing. Nay, which is to be observed, his doom is the first read unto him, as if he were the Arch-offender, and not to the Man or Woman till he was done with. What should this mean, but that his fault, being the mover, was more grievous in the eyes of God than theirs? which is the reason also why the Woman comes in the next place to have her Sentence, because she had been a sin-maker, and was guilty, not only of her own personal sin, but of her husband's also; whence the Man who had sin'd only himself, and not caused others to sin, had his judgment last of all. I might also confirm the same from the quality of their several judgments, in that the Serpent alone is doomed to be accursed, and no such word spoken either of the Man or the Woman.

But I shall not need to tarry here to prove How horrible and fearful a thing it is to be the Author of another's sin. We know they are the words of our Savior, Matt. 18. 6, 7. Woe unto the world because of scandals, and woe unto the man by whom a scandal cometh; it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the Sea. And S. Paul (1 Cor. 8. 13.) would eat no meat as long as the world lasteth, rather than make his brother to offend. Would they would consider this who are not content alone to sin themselves, but play the Devil in corrupting others. It seems they long to be double damned. I would also they would think of this who make no conscience at all by extremities and vexations, and other grievances, to drive a man to Perjury and other grievous sins, and yet think themselves free; when they should know, that he that is the Author of another's sin makes another's guilt his own, and shall share in the punishment every whit as deep as he.

But this shall suffice to have observed in the first part, The Reason of the Serpent's doom. Now I come to the second, The doom itself: wherein the words, as you see, have all relation to the Serpent; For the Lord said unto the Serpent, Thou art cursed, &c. Thou shalt go upon thy breast, &c. But because this Serpent was more than a brute Serpent, the Devil himself being the chief Agent in this his Instrument; it is a thing much controverted, Upon which of these this curse is here pronounced. 1. Some would have it spoken only of the brute Serpent, because here is a comparison made with cattle and beasts of the field, thereby accounting the Serpent one of that number. Besides, Satan (they say) was accursed before this time, and some of the words in this Curse cannot well be applied to any but the brute Serpent, as that he should eat the dust of the earth, &c. 2. Others would have this Curse pronounced only upon the Spiritual Serpent, the Devil; because the brute Serpent was only an Instrument abused by the Devil, and neither knew what was done, nor could do withal; and why should it therefore be punished? 3. Others would divide the Controversy, applying the first part of the Curse (in the 14. verse) to the brute Serpent, the latter (in the 15. verse.) to the Devil or Spiritual Serpent: because as the latter words, Of the promised seed of the woman which should destroy the Serpent and his seed, must needs be meant of Christ and Satan; so the former words are most fitly appliable to the brute Serpent only. But against this may be said, That the same Thou and Thee spoken of in the first part of the Curse is all one with the Thou and Thee in the latter; and therefore of whatsoever the first is meant, of the same is also meant the latter. 4. There is therefore a fourth opinion, That this Curse is throughout pronounced upon both, both upon the Serpent and the Devil. In which though there be some difference about the manner how, yet I embrace it as the truest, as not only conceiving it may be so, by the fitness of all the parts so applied to both; but think moreover that this only ought to be the meaning and no other, if it be conceived as I am now to show.

For in the first place, The Devil when he beguiled man came not as a naked Spirit, but in the shape and figure of a Serpent, (as I have showed heretofore;) and therefore that his punishment in the manner might be suitable and answerable to his offense, he was to receive his doom likewise under the figure of a Serpent, and the style thereof framed unto a Serpent's condition: For God useth in his wisdom to brand the Punishment with the stamp of the Sin, that the offender thereby might not only know what he felt, but also read why he suffered. Why were Adonibezek's thumbs and great toes cut off, but that he might read therein, as he did, his former cruelty? Threescore and ten Kings, having their thumbs and toes cut off, gathered meat under my Table: As I have done, so God hath requited me. Why was Pharaoh with his Host rather drowned in the Sea, than slain in the Field, but that all the world might read it was for his cruel Edict to drown all the male children of the Hebrews? Why did Absalom lie with David's Concubines, but to put David in mind that he had lien with Uriah's wife? And why was the Curse of the Devil shaped here in and unto the condition of the Serpent, but because he had beguiled man in a Serpent's shape?

Secondly, For the Serpent; The known excellency and subtlety of the Serpent, above all the Beasts which God had made, the Devil had abused to gain credit with the woman, that he was an excellent and a most sagacious Spirit, and therefore might be ably to pry farther into God's meaning than she could; which was the cause of her attention, and so of her ruin. For I have shown heretofore that the Woman in the state of Integrity knew well enough, That as it was the Law of Spirits in their commerce with men to present themselves under the shape of some visible thing; so it must be likewise under the shape of some such thing as may more or less resemble their condition: And that as the glorious Spirits might take no other shape but of Man, the glory of visible creatures; so the fallen Spirits could not then afore Man's fall take any other shape but of a Beast, thereby to bewray his abasement: Yet because the Devil here took upon him the shape of the most wise and most excellent of Beasts, he so bleared the Woman's eyes with an opinion of his Excellency and Sagacity, that in a manner she forgot, or regarded not, that he was one of the evil and abased Spirits; which was the ground of her miserable ruin and overthrow.

Now because the Excellency and Sagacity of the Serpent had thus been the occasion of man's confusion, by being made the lying counterfeit of the Devil's Excellency and Wisdom, and the mask whereby he so covered his vileness, that the Woman took him not to be as he was indeed; therefore God in his wisdom thought good to change the copy, and henceforth to blu • and deface that unhappy Physiognomical letter, and by abasing the Serpent for the time to come, to make him an everlasting emblem and monument, wherein man might hieroglyphically read the malice, vileness and execrable baseness of that wicked Spirit which had beguiled him; to hate him (as now we do the Serpent ) with mortal hatred, and by his unlucky fortune to expect the Devil's deadly destiny: In a word, that which was once used for a mask to cover the Devil's knavery, should for the future be a glass wherein to behold his villainy.

These being the Reasons which have led me to understand this Curse in an equal sense, both of the brute Serpent and the Devil; and in the literal sense applied unto the Serpent, yet therein shaping out the Malediction of the Devil, as truly as the Devil had taken upon him the Serpent's shape: Let us now come to a more particular handling of the words. And first we will consider them, As they are the Curse of the unreasonable Serpent; Secondly, As they include the Devil's malediction.

But for the better understanding thereof, before we can proceed, two things are to be resolved. First, How it could be just with God to punish the brute Serpent, who was Instrumentum 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and had neither will to sin, nor yet knowledge of what the Devil had done; especially if we suppose, as I have done hitherto, that the Devil took only the shape of a Serpent, which the Serpent could not do withal. For this argument hath driven some to affirm, That the whole Curse was to be understood only of the Spiritual Serpent, and not at all of the Natural. But why should this strumble them more as concerning the Iustness of God, than that in Adam's censure in the 17. verse where the whole Earth is cursed for Adam's sake? Cursed be the Earth for thy sake, &c. But what had the Earth done? or how was it guilty of Adam's transgression? Again, Chap. 6. v. 5, 7. it is expressly said, That because God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, he said, I will destroy both man and beast, and the creeping things, and the fowls of the air. But how were the beasts, the creeping things, and the fowls of the air partakers of man's wickedness? what had they done more than been abused by him? which they could not avoid, he being their Lord and Master. And should not we think that Law of God just, Lev. 20. 15. where if a man commit abomination with a beast, the beast is commanded to be slain as well as the man, who only had sinned? This proves that Objection to be wholly insufficient. But yet the difficulty of the resolution, How this may stand with God's justice, remains as before; which therefore comes now to be resolved.

1. We know that all the Beasts of the Field, and the Fowls of the Air, and the Fishes of the Sea were made for the use and service of Man in one kind or other, as he should have occasion to use them. 2. If Man had stood in his first creation, the service of the Creatures should have been suitable to his excellency and integrity, and so far more noble than now it is, that even the creatures might be partakers of his happiness then, in that sense they yet look for the glorious liberty of the sons of God to come. 3. But when man was once fallen, the service of the creature was altered, and became a bondage of corruption, as S. Paul terms it, that is, ignoble, and suitable to the corrupt condition of man under sin: Those which should have been employed excellently for the use of his integrity, are now to serve him ignominiously according to his sin and misery; namely, either to be the means to punish him for his sin, or to relieve him in his misery. To punish him, all the Creatures for his use are become base, corrupt and unworthy, and so nothing so useful for him as they had been: the Earth will not bring forth for him, but with his labor and toil; and then too when it should bear him corn, it brings forth thorns and thistles: the Creatures which should serve and honor him, do often seise upon him, and destroy him. And thus are the Creatures employed for man's use indeed, but a woeful use, to afflict and punish him for his sin all the days of his life. Another way notwithstanding they are useful and serviceable for his good, as helps to relieve and better him in this his condition of sin; as to be made Documents of the wrath of God to move him to Repentance, and Emblems to know the condition of his most deadly enemy the Devil, and how he ought to abhor and hate him, and the hope and expectation of conquering and triumphing over him in the Blessed seed of the woman. And for this use and service was the Serpent abased and made vile, according to his Curse in my Text; That as he was made excellent, to serve him in integrity; so he was now abased, to be made fit to do him the best service in his misery. And what Injustice could this be in God? when he made him at first, he made him so as he made him for the service of man; and now when he mar'd him, he mar'd him likewise for man's service.

The second thing to be resolved is, Whether this Curse were pronounced only upon one individual Serpent, or whether upon all Serpents in general, or upon someone only kind which the Devil had thus abused. Of one individual Serpent it cannot be, because there is mention here of the enmity of the seed of the Serpent and the seed of the woman; which implies a generation of many Serpents: and besides, this Curse was to be a Monument not only to Adam, but to all his posterity, as long as the world lasted; but one individual Serpent lived not so long. Neither is it credible to be spoken of all kinds of Serpents in general; Because there is almost as great a variety of Serpents as of four-footed beasts of several kinds and species; and why should any kind suffer save that only which had been abused to offend? Besides, I make no doubt but divers kinds of Serpents went at the first Creation upon their breasts as now they do, and were every whit as base as now they are, excepting the general decay of all Creatures since the Fall. It remains therefore that it was only one kind of Serpent which bore this special Malediction; and that such a kind as was not only the noblest of all the kinds of Serpents, but as it seems far excelling all the Creation besides ( Man only excepted) for beauty, wisdom and sagacity; but afterward by this Curse became not only baser than the rest of the beasts of the field, but even as base and vile as the vilest kind of Serpent. And therefore it could not be the Basilisk, as some have held, though it be the most poisonful of all others, and as it were a King among Serpents, as the name imports: for if Pliny and Solinus, who report the former, say true, this Serpent here accursed should rather be any other kind than that, because the Basilisk (upon their report) goes with his breast and fore-part of his body advanced, ( erectus à medio incedens, saith Pliny; or, as Solinus, mediâ corporis parte serpit, mediâ arduus est & excelsus; ) but this Serpent here was from the hour of his doom to go forever upon his breast: which I wonder they considered not, who from the advanced posture of the Basilisk's body have conceived the clean contrary. For as by this example we may believe that the Serpent now accursed did so before his curse; so that he should still do so, it is a most direct gainsaying of Scripture to imagine.

But to come to the words of the Doom; which, as you see, are first General, then Particular. General in these, Thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field. What it is to be accursed, we shall know, if we first understand what it is to be blessed. To be blessed or happy is nothing else but an all-fruition of good, or to have a sufficient provision and furniture of good both for being and well-being. So then that Creature is happy and blessed which hath a sufficiency of all good for the being and preservation of itself; which wants neither endowments inward, nor means outward for the attaining of that End whereof it is by nature capable. To be accursed is to have the contrary to this; to be despoiled either of endowments internal or inherent, without which it hath no dignity among the creatures; or external, without which it cannot live and preserve itself, but with much penury, difficulty, toil and danger. Whatsoever therefore among the Beasts of the field (for with such only is the comparison made) is for inherent perfections of all the most unworthy and base, or for the outward furniture of means for the preservation of that ignoble Being, by unprovision, of all others the most wretched and miserable, this is that which is accursed above all cattle and above every beast of the field. And such was the Serpent's condition to be for the general.

And now for the particulars; let us go on and see how they are expressed: and that is in three things. 1. To go upon the breast, or to have the posture of the Body groveling on the earth; whereby (as I shall show presently) is implied the abasement of the creature. 2. To have for meat the dust of the earth; wherein is shewn its unprovision of food for the maintenance of its life, being of all Beasts of the field to have the basest and coarsest fare. 3. To be in continual, mortal and irreconcilable enmity with man, both his Lord and the Lord of the rest of the creatures; from whom it should be in continual danger and fear of its life, and once espied be sure to have its brains dashed out by him: And which makes the misery so much the greater, to be no way able to be revenged of his enemy other than to come unawares behind him, and then also not able to reach above his heel; as being most unequally matched he walking •• o • t with his head and whole body advanced, while the miserable Serpent shall lie groveling on the ground, ready to be trodden apieces under his feet.

Of these three Particulars let us speak severally; and first of the first,