Exposition of the Apostles Creed

1. He walks in darkness.

What darkness Saint John means, is not hard to guess: viz. Ignorance, love and practice of sin, with Impenitence.

1. As Christ raiseth his Kingdom by light, so doth Satan advance his by this darkness. In the first Creations God began at the Light: Fiat Lux: and in the second Creation he doth the like; opens the eyes, heart, understanding of those, whose salvation he will promote. Satan on the contrary is careful first to blind his Captives, to deal by them as the Philistines by Sampson, pull out their eyes that they should not know sin to be a work of darkness, nor the wages thereof to be the blackness of darkness. For this would stay their walk, and cause them to turn back their feet. Take heed then of ignorance.

2. And much more beware of the effects of ignorance, the love, the practice of sin, and irrepentance; for an impenitent heart heaps up wrath against the day of wrath. To this pitch whosoever arrives, out of doubt he is the man that walks in darkness.

Zanchi observes rightly upon these words, that there is a great difference betwixt esse in tenebris, and ambulare in tenebris, to be in, and to walk in darkness. In darkness the best man is: For no man knows what he should, nor no man knows what he would. But a good man will labor to see what he knows not, and to turn back when he discovers his error: Whereas a bad man still walks on his way, as the blind blunders in the dark, presuming that no harm shall happen to him. To walk in the Hebrew Dialect is a common expression, whether in the way of vice or virtue, and it signifies a perpetual and constant motion, such as is in a walk for pleasure, or a way for progression. Heed then must be taken, that though we step into the darkness of wickedness, yet we neither make it our walk, or our way, neither take delight in it, nor proceed, nor labor about it. For this is a Note of one who hath no fellowship with God. This our Apostle teacheth in plain terms; if we say we have fellowship with him, and yet walk in darkness,

2. We lie, and do not the truth.

We lie in our profession; we do not the Truth in our Manners; There is a doing of the Truth, as well as talking of it; and that man whose life doth not answer to his profession, is but a lying Christian. Which when some of the enemies of the Gospel beheld, in derision they said, Aut hoc non est Evangelium, aut hi non sunt Christiani, either this is not the Gospel in which is taught so much goodness, or these are no Christians, in whom there is no good at all. You see now, what comes of walking in darkness, in affected and willful ignorance, in willful and obstinate rebellion; it thrusts a man out of the Communion of Saints and convinceth him of a grand lie.

There is not so great Lyar, as a profane Christian; for he lies to God, he lies to Christ, he lies to man, and he lies to himself.

1. To God he lies first; for he promised him, when he became his, to forsake all works of darkness, when yet he walks in them: He calls himself God's child, when he carrieth the image of Satan, as if it were possible for God to beget children to another image.

2. He lies to Christ; for Christi nomen induere, &c. to put on Christ's name, and not to walk in the way of Christ, what is it else quàm praevaricatio divini n • m • nis, then to preva • icate, and abuse the Divine Name! In effect, he gives out this false testimo • y against Christ, that there is no power in his death, no virtue in his resurrection, no renewing grace of power to sanctify those who are his. The lie of the tongue is nothing so dangerous as that of the life. For let the walk be as it will, where the feet wander after impiety, there is a real abrenunciation of the Faith.

3. He lies to man; for man seeing his outward Communion in the Word and Sacraments, in charity takes him for a friend, a Brother, one of the society of Saints, when all the while he is but the Devil in Samuel's mantle, or like the apparition of a spirit: have but patience, and I will open to you the resemblance. First, these spirits for a time assume bodies; they seem to eat, to drink, to speak, to do what other men do, but they are not nourished nor thrive by it. So these fair-faced Christians do all the actions of the most sincere; they eat with us at the Lord's Table, and drink with us in the same Cup: They talk of the Words of God, they hear, they pray, they read, they preach, but yet they are not nourished, or are ere a whit the better for it; because all's done in show, nothing in Truth. Again the motion of that body assumed by a Spirit is not Natural, or from an inward essential principle; The Spirit assists it, informs it not: Such are all the motions of those who are the spectra or puppets of religion. Their eyes are made to roll, their heads hang down, their lips are made to wag, their breasts to shake, and sigh; and sometimes fear, and sometimes praise, and sometimes policy, and sometimes philosophy, but most often gain, assist, and do the work; when none of these worldly respects give any impulse or assistance, the motion is at an end. For this is another property of assumed bodies, that the Spirits which take them, lay them down at pleasure: so is it also in these counterfeits, they are never religious long, but inconstant and fickle; today an Anabaptist, the next a shaker. Lastly, what actions soever the spirits perform in these borrowed out-sides, they are only fictions; Such are the actions of these hypocrites, appearances only: An apparence of a fast, a mask of devotion, an Act of prayer, a Scene of Alms, ad Plaudite usque vivunt; they present the interlude till the Plaudite, and that b • ing given, the hangings are taken down, and the play is done. Say now, whether such white Angels be not great liars to men.

4. To themselves, as the end will show; they lie abominably; fo • they say no harm shall happen to them; they promise to themselves life and happiness however they live; general Grace shall save all, when yet their doom is extant, Depart from me all ye that work iniquity; for I know you not.

Truth is but only one, and simple without doubling, but falsehood is full of folds: Of true Christians there are but one kind; men who are re & nomine Orthodoxi, Orthodox in name and life; and it is to be wished, as there is but one Christ, so also there were but one kind of Christians. But besides those hypocrites I now named, there be other profane people, whom we need not stick to call apparent liars; for these we know walk in darkness; in this black book are the names of all those who live dissolute lives; fornicators, drunkards, proud, blasphemers, all those, qui ad palatum applicant religionem, who make their belly their God. Those who live dissolutely, and boast of, and glory in their shame, shall have their names enrolled in the head of this book; and those shall be registered in the foot of it, who take up their Christianity upon the stock of their fore-Fathers, as they do their land; suck it in with their first milk, & never inquire farther into the power and force of it. Would to God there were not just reason for me to make this partition: I had rather to have said, you had been all one, all true, all sincere, all upright men, nor hypocrite, nor profane Esau amongst us. But I have done it, to make the Good cautelous; the profane fearful; which are the two uses of this point.

1. First, since there be so many, who profess Communion with the Saints, and yet walk in the dark, it behooves Christians to be wary and circumspect, lest they be not circumvented, lest they take a vizard for a man, and a Wolf in sheep's clothing for a sheep. Jehu 's question is fit to be propounded to such as Jehu was, before we give him the right hand of fellowship, Is thy heart upright? and that he give some manifest of this, before we admit him to our society. For there be many, who will come in Christ's name and deceive many. It is not good to wrong any man upon a groundless suspicion, neither is it wisdom to wrong ourselves by over-easy credulity. The same Spirit that saith charity believeth all things; saith also, that a fool believeth all things; and charity is not foolish; as not prone to be suspicious, so not lightly credulous; that then many liars and hypocrites may be of this fellowship, 'tis a good caution, That we be not easy of belief, and give credence to every spirit.

Secondly, And as we ought to be circumspect and wary, that we be not deceived by others; so we ought to be as careful, that we be not deceived by ourselves: For there is no flattery so dangerous, as is that of a man's own heart, which is apt to persuade, that a Christians life need not be so pure, so strict, so severe as is called for. Hence there be who live profane and unholy lives, and yet take upon them to be good Christians; this is that spiritual whoredom so much complained of by the Prophets, causing a divorce betwixt God and his people: For as the case is of her who hath played the Harlot, that for it is put from her husband with shame; such is his, who follows his own corrupt heart, and walks in darkness; his union with God is quite broken off, so long as he remains such, he hath no fellowship with him.

Satan hath two Arms with which he wrestles with man, and labors to overthrow him; despair & presumption; and if he cannot thrust him down to hell with despair of Mercy, he will labor to mount him to a higher fall by presumption on Mercy. Talk with such a presumptuous soul, and he will be ready to boast, that he is secure of Heaven, that he is a partaker of the Divine Nature, one of the Members of the Holy Society; when indeed this is but infidelis fiducia, a confident boldness, not grounded upon Faith, but Arrogance; for can a man have f • llowship with God who is light, and still walk in darkness?

Do but hearken to the voice of Nature among the Philosophers; among them, they were accounted the best men, who did what they said; for the rest, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , they taught Philosophy as far as their words might be taken. Such was Aristippus, who for his wording only of Philosophy, and practicing the Court-manners, was usually styled Canis Regius, the Court-dog. Again, in Nature there is nothing feigned, nothing counterfeit, but everything is what it seems to be; we know the Nightingale by her Tune, the Crow by his Throat, the Lyon by his Roaring, the Fox by his Barking; so a man may with no great labor know a counterfeit Christian from a true, by his life, and by his works; let his words be never so smooth, if his works correspond not to his words, there can be no congruity; for as in Music there is the best Harmony; when there is a right proportion observed betwixt the upper and the lower strings; so also in our Christianity there is the best Music made, when our manners answer to our profession, and our words keep time and tune with both.

Hence our Savior often condemns these outside Christians; at prayer, he will not that they be tedious, and babble; at fasting, that they be sour-faced, and look like leaven; at alms, not vain-glorious, as were the Pharisees: But that they be zealous and fervent, peaceable, poor in spirit, humble, meek, patient, hunger af • er righteousness, suffer pe • secution, be merciful, be perfect, as their Father in Heaven is perfect. Let all them then please themselves, they I mean, who boast of their communion with God and Christ, yet divorce Religion, and a holy life: For upon a second thought they will find an impossibility in it, that they lie, they do not the truth, so long as they walk in darkness. The true Note of a ch • ld of God is,

3. To walk in the light, as he is the light.

As, notes to us a similitude, not an equality, as in other places, Be perfect, as your Father in Heaven is perfect: Be merciful, as your Father in Heaven is merciful; the meaning is, that though we cannot equal his perfection, his mercy, yet we endeavor in some measure to represent it, to imitate it; So hereof Light, though it is not possible to attain to that light and purity which is in him, yet we take his light for our example, and walk in light, as he is in the light.

There be Sicuts for this in other luminous bodies, but they are not perfect. A Sicut for this in the Sun, but that light suffers an eclipse. A Sicut for this in jewels and gems that receive light into the whole body, but they also have their terrene parts which darken them. Another Sicut for it in rotten wood, fish-bones and skins, but this is merely outward, some glisning and shining rather than properly light; so Hypocrites shine. But our pattern is more perfect, it is God himself, in whom there is no eclipse, no dark part, no appearance; and to him it is, that we must, so far as we can, labor to be like. And the more we resemble him, the more

2. We walk. Walking is a progressive motion; in goodness then there is no standing still, no giving over. In our walk of Christianity, the motion must be continual and constant; we are bound to grow and increase, to go on from virtue to virtue, and so long to continue in this course, till we attain all possible perfection. But of this before.

3. In the Light. And this our progress must be in the Light. There is the Light of Knowledge, The Light of Faith, The Light of good works. And in these we walk, when we know what to do, and do what we know: when in that vocation and condition of life to which God hath called us, we labor to exptesse our inward light of Faith by good works to the glory of God, and edification of our neighbor. In a word, then we walk in the Light, when our soul is enlightened with Knowledge and Faith, our life is glorious by sanctity and purity.

Give me leave to put you in mind of that which Saint Paul inculcates to the Ephesians, Ye were darkness, but you are now children of the light, walk therefore as children of the light. And that you be not to seek in your walk, I shall teach it out of the same Apostle, who in the same place prescribes you these three stations;

• 1. That you prove that which is good and acceptable to the Lord.
• 2. That you have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.
• 3. That you do reprove them.

First, He that will walk in the light, must know the light by which he will walk, for a false may seduce him. To the Law then and the Prophets such a man must go, and learn what light God hath hangd forth therein; there he shall find what's good, what's acceptable, what pleaseth, what displeaseth. You see then whence to fetch your test, and by it be sure not to make a superficial trial, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , make a full search and experiment, and you never shall be mistaken, but be sure to know what work will please him, what he will accept.

2. Which I am sure is a holy and good life; this he expects, this he will accept, which will be much helped on, when a man hath no commerce, nothing at all to do with the unfruitful works of darkness. A quality to be learned from the Light also, whose property it is to join itself, and to commingle its beams with the most impure things; and yet partakes not with their impurity. So also it cannot be avoided, but the sons of light in their walk will meet with the impurest men, for else they must go out of the world, but in their way they may not be defiled and foul'd with them, they may not communicate with the works of darkness, from which they shall reap no fruit, except that of death and darkness, the same that Adam did for eating of the forbidden fruit.

3. Lastly, light detects and brings into open view the foulest, the basest things, and by detection brings an odium, an hatred upon them. And it behooves a Christian to walk in that light, which will detect any action, and show of what nature it is; which if it appear to be foul, he will reprove and condemn it, and labor to make the doer ashamed. Which is done two ways.

1. Either by words, as Lot did the Sodomites; O my friends, do not so wickedly. Thus Christ commands, If thy brother sin against thee, go and tell him his fault betwixt thee and him alone.

2. Or else by deeds, by a spotless life, and a holy conversation, which is of the two the most effectual. For everyone, who walks in the light, doth convince wicked men in their consciences, and shame them in their ungodly courses. So walk then in the light of holiness and purity, that when a drunkard sees thee live a sober life, and when a wanton beholds thee to walk chastely, he may be suffic • ently convicted, that his riotous and lewd course is not good.

Now the high favor and honor that will ensue upon this walking, may not be forgotten; 'tis not long since I insisted at large upon it; howsoever it will not be amiss to rub up your memory a little about it, because our Apostle comes over it again. Your honor is, that if ye walk in the light,

4. Ye have fellowship one with another.

There will follow upon it a mutual fellowship, a firm league and society; A Society with us, us the Apostles, and the Church of true Saints, and consequently a Society with God and Christ, which he mentioned before Verse 3. Similitude of manners as it is a strange motive to beget love and friendship, so also it is a fast bond and tie to continue it. Like will best agree with its like, good men with good, bad with bad. Hence good men are called the friends of God, wicked men his enemies. Continue then in holiness, goodness and light, and ye shall be his friends; But if you fall once from this, and walk in darkness, he estemes you not any of his company, his Society, you are his enemies. Neither can the Church esteem you of her company, for she is Holy, and all that are truly hers are holy ones, a holy Priesthood. Ne impii vane de societate Dei, & de Ecclesiae amicitia sibi plaudunt. Wicked men do in vain boast of their fellowship with God, of their friendship with the Church.

Behold then you black Swans, the Dignity, the Honor, the high calling to which you are called, and walk worthy of it. You were far off, but now you are brought near; you were strangers, but now are made of the household; you were enemies, but now you are reconciled; you were dark, but now are made light; you were aliens, but now are made fellow-Citizens with the Saints. A new honor calls upon you to be new men, a new condition, new deportment and behavior. One kind of life becomes a common man, and another him that is ennobled: any him who lives in obscurity and darkness: but a man reserved and circumspect, that man walks in the light and eyes of all. You are called to honor, you are raised to great dignity, to be friends, to have fellowship with God and Christ, and with his Saints; take care then your life be answerable to your state and condition, and be an evidence to yourself, and to the world, that you set a price upon this fellowship. How you can prove that you are of this corporation, is not visible to me, except it be by your walking in the light, and therefore walk worthy of it.

Good counsel, perhaps you will say; but who is able to hear and follow it? Not to wander, not to slip and fall, and foul ourselves, is an higher perfection than our nature can attain to. Being men, and carrying this flesh about us, the corruption of which is so well known, and walking in this world, the ways whereof are so dark and dangerous, we cannot choose but err and mistake, be the light never so resplendent. And to confess the truth in multis omnes, the best of us one while or other follow a false light; and if any man say to the contrary, our Apostle in the very next verse tells him, not that he is proud, and wants humility, but that he is a liar and hath no truth in him.

Our estate then needs some Scripture that may help us in our walk, and comfort us when in the dark we fall. For if our society with God be broken off, when we cease to walk in the light, our case, God help us, is very lamentable. Behold then a text that offereth Grace, 'tis the comfortablest close that ever ended verse. Call for this light, hunger and thirst after the splendor of it, walk along in the way; by it feel an unfeigned desire to put away that very work of darkness in which sometimes you are involved, and your falls, your failings will not break the knot of amity; a pardon then is purchased and sealed for all with the Son of God's own blood. So saith Saint John here,

5. The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

This is the sum of the Gospel, the Anchor of our hope. Every word drops like an honey-comb, and were it not that I had fully pressed out this Nectar in my Exposition of the former Articles, I would not touch it so lightly. However I shall present you with these tastes of it.

• 1. The 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Laver, or Purgation, Blood.
• 2. The Person, whose blood it is, Jesus Christ.
• 3. That which gives it virtue and force to purge, 'tis the blood of Jesus Christ, his, that is, God's Son.
• 4. The power and virtue itself, It cleanseth.
• 5. That on which the virtue is operative, Sin.
• 6. The extent of this virtue, It cleanseth from all sin, Original, and Actual.

1. Sin is a foul thing, a stain, a running sore, a Leprosy; conceive what loathsome thing you will, that is filthy in your eye; that and much fouler is sin in God's. It stains the infant in his mothers womb, and fouls every man after in his way of life. Now to wash off this filth, God hath provided a Lavor; but not of water, nor of Fullers sope, but that which passeth all other Lavers whatsoever, a Laver of blood. Not the blood of Bulls or Goats poured forth in their legal sacrifices. No nor the blood of the first-born neither; for this was not available for the sin of the soul. And if not these, then sure not other Lavers of an inferior degree; not the legal and often purifications of the Pharisees, nor the frequent Baths and Lotions of the Judaizing Ebionites, (whom 'tis not improbable, Saint John aims at in this place) nor the sorrow of the Socinians, nor the naked faith of the Gnostics, no nor the Indulgences of Rome are ever able to purge this uncleanness. It must be the blood of Jesus Christ. This alone can purge the conscience from dead works. This alone can cleanse the soul from sins. In him we have redemption by his blood, viz. remission of sin. In him, then by no other, redemption we have, that is, remission of sin, which was not effected by a gracious manumission, as when a master frees his slave; nor by a commutation, as when one prisoner of War is set free for another; nor yet by force of arms, as when David freed his captives from the Amalekites; but it was by laying down a sufficient price, a price of blood, by the effusion of which in justice he paid our debt, for it was the blood of

2. Jesus Christ his Son.

In which words first our Apostle gives a blow to three Heresies at once; of the Manichees, who denied the truth of his human nature; Blood he had, and then he must be perfect man. Of the Ebionites, who denied him to be God; that cannot be true, for he was the Son of God, saith our Apostle. And of the Nestorians, who divided his person; that may not be; for it is the blo • d of Jesus Christ his Son, his Son and Jesus Christ are but one person.

But then secondly, it is not without great reason that the Apostle adds his Son to Jesus Christ. For this universal purging virtue belongs not to it, because it is blood, nor because it is the blood of man; that conceit is heathenish, Sanguine placastis ventos & virgins caesâ. The true reason is, because it is the blood of the Son of God, this gave it a transcendent power, and made it a sufficient price. The Son of God; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , is our Redeemer. This work required that he be God, that he might conquer death; and man, that he might die. As God, a property he had in, and undertook the work to redeem his creatures: And as man he, became our kinsman in the flesh, and undertook the work to redeem his brethren. Not the Deity, not the humanity alone could perform this great work of Redemption, but only the Son of God. His humanity was the instrument, his Divinity the principal Agent in this great work of our cleansing. Whence the Apostle excellently, God hath purchased the Church with his own blood. It was not the blood of the Son of Mary, but that blood which hypostatically was united in his person, that made it a Catholic purge. For such is the virtue of this blood, that it

3. Cleanseth. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

There is in sin Macula & reatus. More than a spot there was, there was a guilt; A spot, and soil, that makes us loathsome in God's eye; and a guilt that subjects us to punishment; water may do one, wash off the spot, but blood only can do the other, remove the punishment; that then our cleansing might be perfect, our persons nor loathsome, nor guilty when we should be called to the Bar, He shed out of his side both water and blood; water to wash away the spots, and blood to satisfy the guilt and punishment.

And the power of this cleansing blood is not only operative upon what is past, but powerful and effectual upon him who is cleansed by it, through his whole life. For it is not only said to cleanse in that sense, as if it took away the guilt of our former sins, but it purgeth the will from all affection and love to sin, conferring at the same time a true conversion of the heart, a love of righteousness, and the practice of virtue. For it brings with it a Communion with God in the Light of Faith, and a society with Christ for our justification and sanctification.

4. It cleanseth us.

But that no man be too presumptuous upon the purging power of this blood, and vaunt that he is cleansed by it, when he is not; The Apostle tells us here, that it cleanseth us. Us who have fellowship with God and Christ, us who walk in the light; as for those who have no society with God, those who walk in darkness, these are not like to have any benefit by it, nor remission, nor purgation. These are mercies that belong to the society of Saints, these it will purge from

5. All sin.

For as for that sin against the Holy Ghost, which is never to be cleansed, those who are of this Society shall never be fouled with it. Into all other they may and do fall; yet so often as they are sensible of their filth, and bemoan themselves for it, and fly penitently to this Lavor, it is at hand ready prepared for them to cleanse them from all sin. From all sin original, and actual; from that of the womb, from that of the way; from the error, from the slip, from the fall; I go farther, from the vomit, from the wallow after the fall.

Find me now if you can such another Bath, any that will cleanse from sin, any that from all sin, to all persons, at all times; this hath, doth, and will do it: Our Apostle speaks in the present Tense; it is not emundavit, nor emundabit, but emundat; it is always present to those who are of the Communion, and doth cleanse Men, Women, Children, Masters, Servants, Kings, Subjects from every kind of offense: David from blood-guiltiness; Peter from Apostasy; Mary from seven deadly sins; Paul from persecution of the Saints; what foul penitent sinner can you name, who hath not had his purging from it?

The APPLICATION.

First then, we shall do well to take notice of our own pollution, and what we are without Christ's blood. A sinners case, how gloriously soever he or she glisters in the eyes of men, being in God's eye, but as the case of a foul diseased person; and we thereby so taught to conceive of sins, as of foul spots without, or as of such excrements and ill humors within, which pass from us by purging, inquimanenta spiritus & carnis, pollutions which defile both flesh and spirit; and unless they be purged away, there is no entering into the heavenly Jerusalem; for into that holy City, no unclean thing shall enter.

Secondly, Next, that you who are of this fellowship, do not think too highly of yourselves, even you have your spots and bad humors still; though you walk in the light, yet you have your Defects, your Eclipses; even you a • so have need of the blood of Christ to cleanse you: The Apostle tells us in the next words, That if any man think he hath no sin, he deceives himself. Being a sinner then, he needs the common receipt to purge him, viz. the blood of Christ, no less than he who is foulest.

Thirdly, Yet here is a wholesome Bath for a timorous trembling conscience, which when it finds about it an unclean thing, is presently quite cast down, utterly disheartened, as if fought these blains and blotches the man should forever be cast out of God's eye: Raise up thy spirit, O thou dejected soul; it was for thy sake that Christ shed his blood, it was for thee he made a Lavor of it; peccatum non nocet, si non placet; the sin that fowls thee, and pleaseth not, shall not hurt thee; though it be a scarlet sin, yet upon thy conversion, it shall be as white as wool; though it be a crimson offense, twice died, died in the wool, and died in the cloth, it shall be as white as snow.

Fourthly, But the greater sort by far are in the other extreme, who are nothing timorous; so far from that, that they are dissolutely wicked; they never care how many bloches and biles they contract; the blood of Christ they presume is able to purge all; and so indeed it is; but whether it will cleanse any stains of a presumptuous sinner, may be well doubted. Read over this Text, and mark it well, and you shall find, that it is thus written, It cleanseth us; Us, and who are those? I but now told you, those, whose study it is, to walk in the light; those, who are careful to retain their fellowship with Christ. These are the men, who have his blood applied to them for the • r Justification; his Name was called Jesus, because he shall save his people from their sins. Now his people they alone are, which walk as they have him for an Example. Whereas, if men be destitute of faith, and walk in the darkness of ignorance; be destitute of holiness, and walk in the foul ways of sin, the blood of Christ will not profit for their remission, for their cleansing.

The Lord in his whole Book hath not spoken one syllable that can be wrested for hope of pardon to an impenitent, presumptuous sinner; to the repentant, to him th • t comes in, laments for, and forsakes his sin, there be store of comfortable Texts; he is often in these, and the like cordial promises; When a wicked man shall turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive: He that co • fesseth, and forsakes his sin, shall find mercy; and as it fol • owes in this Chapte • , If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sin. But where is it written, where to be found upon Record, that men living in their sin, shall find mercy, pardon, forgiveness? where that such an one as goeth on still in his wickedness, shall save his soul alive?

It is then the divinity of the Father of divinations, that the blood of Christ will cleanse men, though they presume obstinately and willfully to foul themselves. Our Savior teacheth another Lesson, Behold thou art made whole, sin no more; Behold you are washed; upon which Saint Paul thus comments, You are washed, you are cleansed, you are sanctified, you are purified; defile not then yourselves with Drunkenness, with Fornication, with Adultery, &c. Return not to your vomit, wallow not again in the Mire.

So Christ, which hath washed you with his blood of the Cross, will by virtue of the same blood yet farther cleanse you; and having purified you a peculiar people to himself, will at his second coming take you to himself, that where he is, you may be also; seated with him in a Throne of glory, and live with him for evermore. Amen.

1. If we say that we have not sinned, we make God a liar, and his Word is not in us.

Who they were that said this in Saint Johns time, is not evident, but in all probability the Judaizing Corinthians were these bold men, who came to that rashness, that they denied the perverseness of our corrupt nature, affirming that they had never sinned; who afterward trode in these steps, is well known. Pelagius, and his Scholar Celestius were of opinion, that sin was not subjectively inherent in our nature, nor by propagation transmitted to us, but only by example and imitation of our parents taken up by us, so that children were not guilty of it from their birth.

An heresy which Bellarmine endeavors to fasten upon us, because we affirm with Saint Paul, That the children of faithful parents are holy: But against the old Heretic, and maltcious Adversary, we profess, That holiness is not in us by nature, but by grace; that it is not our first, but second birth, which makes men good: For whatsoever is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that by nature we are the children of wrath; that even 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the new born babe is conceived of unclean seed, and warmed in a sinful womb. In the conception, I say, polluted no less with sin than blood. Adam represented all mankind; and as in the loins of Abraham Levi paid tithes, so also in the loins of Adam every mothers son that descended from him, is a disobedient person; Saint Paul saith it in plain words, In him, that is, in Adam all sinned.

Should I hold my peace, even the very children would cry this abroad; a man might find enough out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings to still the enemy; for these silly, harmless, Pelagian Innocents can no sooner speak, but you shall see in them a crafty lying disposition, an inclination to revenge, stubbornness against their parents, with the like enormities. These blossoms show what the Tree is, and by what sap it is nourished; neither can they learn these ill qualities by imitation of their parents bad example, before they know what it is to imitate. The truth is, that same sin which dwells in the nature of man, which is by Baptism wounded, but not wholly healed; imminuta, but not sublata, weakened, but not removed, produceth these effects.

David acknowledgeth himself infected and defiled with this universal contagion: Behold I was formed in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. He fetcheth the cause of his actual Murder and Adultery from that Original, and in this common fate he doth lament his own; two words he useth to express it by: The first Cholel, signifying to create or form; the other Jacham, to warm; whereby he declares, that even in his forming in the womb he was defiled, while he was foster'd, warmed, nourished in his mothers belly, he was polluted with this Original uncleanness; which being stirred up, and brought to flame by a beautiful object, • gg'd him on to commit that outrageous sin;

For which, he was in Law but a dead man; and from the very root, whence his sin did grow, all other Infants are obnoxious to death; to their Graves it brings them; and dare any man say then, that they have no sinful quality in their nature? This were to tell us of an effect without a cause, and to make God punish such as never deserved it; for the wages of sin is death; nay, the wages of this sin, is death; for one man's offense, God wrote this sentence of condemnation against all: And when we see death reign, and his will executed upon Infants as well as others, what reason is there to conceive, that any one put to death by this righteous Judge, should be an Innocent. Innocents indeed we call these, and well we may in comparison of ourselves, which are such notorious Nocents; but if they, or any for them say, they have no sin, they make God a liar, and his Word is not in them; for in his Word he hath said, that all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.

But Pelagius for the better color of his Error, hath ranked Infants into two sorts: Some that are descended of parents who believe not the Gospel; and these he confesseth obnoxious to sin and corruption: Other, who are the Off-spring of the godly and faithful; These godly parents (saith he) being holy themselves, cannot bring forth an ungodly child; no more than an unclean thing can come out of a clean; and to give strength to this shift, he applies the Apostles words, Your children are holy.

True it is, that some are the issue of believing, some of unbelieving parents; but as untrue, that there is in the first an exemption from original sin, as it is true that the latter are guilty; for Saint Paul affirms, that this sin is in all alike, nor more, nor less, because by the offense of one, many were dead alike, even those who had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression; that is, propriae voluntatis actu, by an act of their own will, as did Adam, and he means Infants: All die, and therefore no difference betwixt a child of a believer, or an unbeliever; of a Jew, or a Gentile, in respect of natural corruption: And indeed how was it possible, when the child of Jew and Gentile was unborn at the commission of Adams sin, that one should be guilty of the transgression of the Law in Paradise more than the other? If they equally sinned in the loins of Adam, as they did, either then exempt both, or exempt neither; for free the one, and you must free the other. Pelagius distinction then of children of good and bad parents, to this purpose, is altogether frivolous.

And that he collects from it, is as false, That the children of good men are without sin, confirming his assertion by that of the Apostle, Your children are holy.

For holy they are not, as if descended from holy parents, they had an inherent holiness from the birth; yet holy they may be said to be, because the children of believing parents have this Prerogative above Infidels, that they are born within the pale of the Church, and therefore have a present right and interest to those means, whereby the Ordinance of Christ is, that his Church should be sanctified.

And this Laver their good Mother the Church bestows upon them, because they are polluted; what do you at the water? why hath there been such care taken to wash little children? In vain were they washed in this Laver of Regeneration, were they without the spots and filth of sin. Go and wash your spotted dirty-tail'd Sheep there; Lambs these are, and if Pelagius Doctrine be true, I ask, What have they done? What have they done? They have sinned in him, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , in whom all have sinned, they art involved in that great offense, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , of which all are guilty; and therefore they are all washed in that water, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , in which all must be washed; this very Baptism of the Church is an evident Argument, that they are soil'd with the stain and pollution of the womb.

Yea, but Pelagius goes on, and lays hold on this answer as advantageous for him: For (saith he) are they washed? are they by it sanctified? then it will follow, that the children begotten by them, are not born of blood, and the will of the flesh; but coming from regenerate loins, are a holy seed.

Suppose that were true, which this wise man takes for granted, viz. That grace did so far elevate our nature, that it raised it to the first integrity; that a father were as holy and clean, as Pelagius would have him; (which yet is not so, since in Baptism there is a remission of the guilt of sin, the ill quality remaining) Yet suppose all this true, this will not make holiness hereditary; for piety and holiness, and other Christian virtues are adventitious forms, not natural to any man; these belong not to the nature of a man; for a man is a man without them; these then the Father begets not. That a good man beget a man, is natural; but that he beget a just, a holy man, is no ways necessary, because he begets not a child as he is just, but as he is a mere man: And, since now to the nature of man sin cleaves, it is no wonder, that together with his nature, the corruption is infused into the posterity.

This is easy to be seen in Adam himself, to him God made a promise of pardon, his faith relying upon the seed of the woman to break the Serpents head, justified him in the sight of God: And yet this believing Adam begets his eldest son, and Eve brings him forth a Cain, no Saint I am sure, no heir of his fathers faith, and imputed justice.

Go now Pelagius, and say, That good parents must have good children; that sanctified persons must needs bring forth Saints; when justified Adam begets an impious Cain: And why should any man wonder at this, since every days experience can teach us, that a circumcised Jew begets an uncircumcised Infant, and the purest grain of Wheat thresh'd, and winnow'd, and •• nn'd from the Chaff, grows up, and ripens in the Ear with the husk about it; what the fore-skin is to the circumcised Jew, or the Chaff to the purest grain, that sin is to our nature, it sticks so fast on, that it will appear with it.

It was the Prerogative of Christ alone to be free from this blot; he derived not from his mother original sin; for he was not from Adam, as from the Agent principal, and from the seminating power; but from the Virgin he took that matter, which by the over-shadowing power of the Holy Ghost, was freed from the common contagion with which all other are polluted: Et fic actum est de Pelagio.

2. That Concupiscence in the Regenerate is a sin, against the Papists:

One of the main Reasons that persuaded the Romanists, that the vicious nature of original sin in Regenerate persons, is so far unrooted, that they are not guilty of it, is, because the Messalians were by Theodoret condemned for Heretics, in that they thought Baptism as a Razour to shave away past sins; but that it took not away the root, concupiscence remaining behind: But our Adversaries are partial in relation of the Messalian Heresy; they thought indeed Baptism did not unroot original sin, but they added, that it did not deliver men from the tyranny of Satan, nor yet conferred grace to the resistance of sin: This last we disclaim; the first part of their assertion hath some truth in it. Now those of Rome explain themselves about it one way, and we another.

1. The Romanists grant, that this original corruption is in all men at their conception; which yet so far by Baptism is taken away, that it ceaseth to be properly sin; that yet it is so called, they confess, because it is the incentive to sin, being much like Tinder, which though it be not formally fire, yet it is very apt to catch the flame; they liken it also to some hereditary disease, put case the Stone or the Gout, which being received even with the seed from the Progenitours, disaffects the sons body.

2. We agree with them in this, that it remains in our nature after Baptism, that also it is a provocation to wickedness: but withal we say, which they deny, that it is a sin, and leaves a blot upon the soul.

I know very well that original sin extends farther than concupiscence; yet since Thomas, Lombard, and the other School-men speak of both as one, I in this place will not separate them; especially since the distinction of concupiscence will give great light and satisfaction in this controversy: Concupiscence is to be considered three manner of ways.

First, As it is a power and faculty of the soul, by which we are stirred and moved from within, to desire somewhat without; and this power is like the visual faculty of the eye, or the prime ability of the ear, both natural and inseparable; neither is the motion anymore sinful, when it moves the soul to desire anything lawful, than that of the eye, or the ear are, when they are stirred up to behold their proper object. Concupiscence then in this sense is a natural faculty inseparable from the soul, and it offends • ot, when it desires anything for quantity or quality as it ought, and in that decent order as it should; the fault is when things transitory and sensitive, are inordinately and overmuch, and eternal and spiritual matters too little desired.

Secondly, Concupiscence is taken then for an inordinate motion, deviation, or ataxie, either in the mind, or in the heart, or in the will, or in the affections, or in the conscience, making a man rebellious to the Law of God, and soliciting to evil. This in the Scripture is called the law of flesh, because it is in the flesh as the subject; the Law of the Members, because it makes an active rebellion in all parts; fomes peccati, because from this scum all filth of sin is fomented; languor naturae, because it infeebles a man to do the good he would, and as he would. This is not so properly Original sin, as it is an ill consequent accompanying Original Sin. For in Original Sin there be two things.

The One is a privation of, and a defect in Original righteousness, or as Thomas teacheth, an Aversion from good, which is the formal part of it: The other is a proneness to evil, and a difficulty to do good, which is the Material part thereof. Both these are in Original sin. For as sickness is not only a privation of health, but also an ill affection of the body arising from the distemper of the blood and humors: so also this hereditary stain is not only the want of righteousnfes, but also an exorbitancy and a defection to iniquity. This last ptoceeding from the former, as the act from the habit.

For thirdly, Concupiscence is taken for the effects themselves, which follow upon it; blindness in the mind, perverseness in the will, a tumult in the appetite, the loss of supernatural endowments, and the corruption of those which are natural.

To apply this; Let Concupiscence be taken in the first sense, for the affection naturally arising from the soul, whereby it is carried to desire its proper object in an orderly way, and we grant it is no sin. But take it in the second and third acceptions, as it provokes to evil, averts from good, and sets us to desire unlawful and forbidden things, and so it is a sin: and the reasons to prove this are very pressing.

1. Is it not a breach of the last Commandment? hath God in vain said, Thou shalt not covet? In which, that not actual concupiscence is condemned, but original, is evident; because the act was prohibited before in the other commands; necessary then it is, that in this there be somewhat forbidden, which was not before, except we will make but nine Commandments. Which what it should be except original concupiscence, I see not: to which Zanchi adds many other reasons, Tom. 4. lib. 1. cap. 5. thes. 4?

2. But the confession of the Apostle is plain; for five times he calls it sin in the sixth chapter to the Romans, and six times in the seventh, and thrice in the eighth; and were it not truly and properly such, he never would so much for it have lamented in his own person the estate of a regenerate man, detested it, and himself for it. This he confessed dwelt in him. This he confessed made him do that which he would not. Against this he fought and strugl'd, but could not be rid of it. For this he judged himself to be a miserable man. And is it not then sin? Let any man show, what more sin is able to do.

3. Farther yet, that vicious quality which lusts against the spirit, and by lusting tempts, and in tempting allures, and by alluring draws the heart to sin, is in nature sin itself. But concupiscence in the regenerate lusteth against the Spirit. It tempts: It draws away as well as allures: there is a conception from it, and the birth is sin. For from within come murders, thefts, fornication, adultery, &c. Now such as the fruit is, such the tree is like to be; but the fruit is naught, sour and bitter, and then tree cannot be good and sweet.

4. But after all the heat of dispute, our Adversaries me thinks break the very neck of their own cause by their own concession; for they grant that it is prohibited by divine Law, and repugnant to the same. What's this I read! prohibited by divine Law! repugnant to the same! and yet no sin. Opus est Oedipo, this a Sphinxes riddle for Oedipus to interpret; for it far passeth my capacity.

I could be tedious in this P • int; but it is, as I said, an intricate discourse, fitter for the School then the Pulpit. I w • ll therefore shut up all, with that excellent determination of Saint Augustine; Sicut coecitas cordis &c. As the blindness of the Heart is both a sin, in that by reason of it men believe not in God; and a punishment of sin, by which the proud heart of the sinner is worthily punished: and the cause of sin, since by it man becomes obstinate, and does that which is evil: So concupiscence against which the Spirit doth struggle, is a sin; because there is in it a disobedience against the Law of the mind; and a punishment of sin it is, it being just, that those who rebel against God, should have within a rebel to rise and rebel against them; and it is a cause of sin, in that wicked men do consent and yield unto it.

But at these last words of Saint Augustine our Adversaries hastily catch, hoping to make their advantage by them; for say they, the consent indeed is sin, but not till that be had; and to this purpose they cast in those words of Saint James, Lust when it hath conceived, brings forth sin. It is not, say they, sin, till it brings forth, which without consent it will never do.

We answer, first that the very conception of sin is a sin, though it have not out consent, because it is a filthy motion of the soul in the affection of an unclean lust. Then secondly, that the argument follows not; for one Serpent may bring forth another, and yet that not hinder the first to be a Serpent; and so concupiscence, that conceives and brings forth sin as the mother, may be no less a sin then the daughter. The inference to my understanding were far more strong to the contrary and for us, that since lust brings forth sin, therefore itself is a sin; because the fruit declares the root.

The Pelagians then that deny the corruption of Nature, and the Papists who teach that Grace doth so far free us from this corruption, that the contrariety betwixt the flesh and the Spirit, and the proneness to desire inordinately things transitory, sensible, and outward, are not sinful, are by this Text found to be Deceivers and Liars.

A third sort there are, who yer go one step farther, and free those who are born of God, from all sin, original and actual. They boast, that they are purified, sanctified, washed; all other men are a sort of impure, unholy creatures; they themselves only exempted from the condition of sinners; which is ex diametro contrary to Saint Johns words; for saith he,

That they are better then other men, let them bless God for it. I envy not their holiness, but will pray that it may be far greater, and that God would add to it, how much soever it is. But perhaps while in the arrogance of their heart they exalt themselves above other men, they may for this their spiritual pride be far worse in the eye of God. The Publican that stood afar off, and beg'd money, was dearer unto God, then the insolent Pharisee: when he should have prayed, he pray'sd himself, he thanked God for what he was not, when he should have confessed, and a • k'd pardon for what he was. And so should the proudest Sectary that lives now; for if he, or any man else say they have no sin, they deceive, and are deceived.

A man is said Haber • peccatum, to have sin three ways: 1. Propter affectum peccati, for the affection he bears to sin; and there is not a man to be found, whose affections are not inordinate and vicious; for every man bears too much love and goodwill to sin, being in one part carnal. In a man's own bosom a Saint shall find what he may reprove.

Secondly, A man is said to have sin, propter peccati reatum, for the guilt of a sin newly contracted by him; there being • ot a man living who daily sins not. For if our affections to sin be not purged away in this life, the work one time or other will be committed, even by the most regenerate man; upon which there will follow a guilt, which that it may be removed, our Savior hath taught us daily to pray, Forgive us our trespasses. One reason perhaps, why those pure souls dislike that form.

Thirdly, Sin a man may to be said to have, propter actum peccati, because he is a continual and daily actor in sin; for which Saint John appoints him Confession, and upon it comforts him with the blood of Christ, which will cleanse him; and in the next chapter assigns him an Advocate; If any man sin, we have an Advocate; Whosoever therefore saith that he hath no sin, that is, that he bears not too much love to sin, that he contracts no guilt of sin, that he acts not sin, he deceives himself.

In Baptism there is Grace confer'd for the non-imputation of sin, but not for the non-existence of it: for this cause we say, that God vouchsafeth two blessings in Baptism; Remission of sin, and Mortification. He then remits the guilt of sin, so that the iniquity thereof shall be no more imputed to the condemnation of him that is born again. The guilt that is afterward contracted by an actual sin, rhough it needs not a new Laver, yet it needs a new repentance. As for the power of Mortification then bestowed, it goes further; and were it perfect, it would wholly abolish sin in the mind, w • ll, and affections, that so no corrpution, no not vicious concupiscence should remain behind; But because it is begun only, and not accomplished till death, therefore the bitter root still remains, though the fruits it brings forth, be not imputed.

We disclaim then the whole extirpation of corruption. Yet we say, that Grace in the very act of regeneration doth work very powerfully upon the soul; that the tyranny of sin is thereby much allayed and still • 'd, and continually brought to a kind of rest and sleep. The rage then of sin, the dominion and reign is very much abated in the regenerate persons, but nor the root, nor the branches are quite taken away. This is a work for death, which God brought into the world, least sin should be immortal.

A skillful Artisan frames a statue of the gold of Ophir, which some malicious hand envying the glory of the workman, batters, and bruises, and defaces so much as lies in his power: The workman brings this to the file and the hammer; but when he finds that no art will reduce his Statue to the first luster, in pieces, he breaks it, and melts it anew, that so it may recover its first beauty: God did thus with man, framed him to his own likeness, a goodly creature, which the envy of the devil presently defaced. And God perceiving that no skill or power would ever remove from him the bruises and scars, that he had received from that envious spirit, resolves to bring him into the dust of death, that so his blemishes might not remain forever, but that they might be by the furnace of death as it were melted out. and never appear more.

Hence you may see, that in the judgment of antiquity, that sin doth so far deface our Nature, that the image of God first impressed upon us, can never be fully repaired, till we be dissolved, and as a statue newly melted.

The cracks and blurs in a Statue may be perhaps stopped up, and scoured off, yet to a curious eye they will appear. And so Grace may and doth very much mend the flaws of our corrupt flesh, but cicatrix manet, the scars of that wound we first received, yet remain behind; and though the indiligence of man may pass by them, yet they are apparent to the eye of God.

Saint Paul acknowledgeth so much, that in the Hebrews there was a root of bitterness, and that in himself there were too manifest fruits of this bitter root. By which texts it is manifest, that the bitter root of sin yet remains in the regenerate, and that it is not dead, but living; and that the operation thereof is only kept in, and restrained from prevailing in such sort as it did before, but it is not wholly taken away. If the faithful would do God's will on earth, as the Saints in heaven, they cannot; for the flesh lusteth against the Spirit; if they would sin maliciously and obstinately as the Devils, blasphemously as Julian, they shall not; because the Grace of God's Spirit doth allay the power and tyranny of this inbred enemy.

Zanchi hath well observed upon this place, that there is a vast difference betwixt the sins of the Regenerate, and those who are not born again. Both sin, but not both in the same manner. Those he calls deambulationes, walks in sin: These, Lapsus, slips only.

1. First, the wicked walk in darkness; their ways be dark and slippery, and yet they voluntarily and freely continue in them. 2. Then they take great delight in this walk; sin is no burden to them, but a pleasure; so that the works of darkness give them great content; according to that of our Savior, Men love darkness more than light, because their deeds are evil. 3. Lastly, they give not over till they have walked out their walk, and brought their sin to the Consummatum est, to be perfect.

2. But with a regenerate man it is quite otherwise. For first, sin may surreptitiously and in a cunning way steal upon him in his walk, but he will never give it the right hand of fellowship. The purpose of his Will is always entire, fixed as the center immovable, that God be King, that his Law be his guide. That he makes his scope, though by the practice of the flesh against the Spirit, destruit in particulari, quod in generali intention est constitutum; He doth that he would not. For secondly, he rejoiceth not in doing evil, but rejoiceth in the truth. He finds sin a burden too heavy for him to bear, and therefore hates, and is willing to cast it off. A full pleasure he takes not in the Act, and less after; peccat remurmurante conscientiâ, his conscience murmurs and riseth against that he does, and mutters that it should be done; His heart hath little rest within, comes and goes, and disciplines him, and puts him to pain even when he yields; displicet sibi quia displicet Deo, he is displeased with himself because he hath displeased his God. Lastly, having slipped, he recovers, if possible, or if his hard hap be to take a foul fall, he lies not along, and tumbles in his filth, but rises quickly and goes to his God, and complains of his own heart, and of his enemy. He pours in salt tears to his sweet sin, and pays for his pleasure with brine. And ever after is afraid of sin, as of the plague, he flies from it cito, longe, tarde. His departure from it speedy, his remove far, his return is very slow, or never. He looks to every rub, to every stone, every rock against which he may dash his foot; and goes on his way with fear and trembling. He never awakes this sleepy Lion, nor stirs these dregs in the bottom by some tempting object let in by the ear, or any allurement from the eye; knowing well that these provocations will be like Jacob's pil'd sticks in the troughs and gutters; the heart that beholds them with delight, will bring forth no other but speck'd and spotted births:

These then are the differences betwixt a good and a bad man about sin.

• 1. The one offends freely, the other with reluctancy.
• 2. The one loves his sin, the other hates it.
• 3. The one continues on his course, the other breaks it off by repentance, flies from it, and takes care, that he provoke it no more.

Yea but now some will ask, Could not God have utterly destroyed sin, root and branch, so that it never should have sent forth a blossom, nor born these sour and hedge-grapes in the regenerate? Yes, no question he could have unrooted sin as well as have pruned it, but he hath left this root and sap in our nature, and permits it to be free and luxuriant even in his choicest vines, for divers weighty reasons.

1. The first is, to take down their pride, and to humble them. Man is too apt to have too high a conceit of his own person, his own wit, power, grace: So that there is not such a dangerous enemy to the soul as spiritual pride. The Pharisee because he was a little better, in his own conceit, than the Publican, contemned him. That a man therefore might descend into his own heart, and know himself, God lets the best of his servants be obnoxious to this poison and the effects of ir, and so makes sin a remedy to slay pride, that invincible Monster which otherwise would slay the soul. Saint Paul for his abundance of Revelations, was in danger to be puffed up; to asswage this tumour, there was given to him a thorn in the flesh, the minister of Satan to buffet him. The heart in the body is so full of heat, it would stifle itself, and us also, were it not that God hath provided the lungs to cool it: Semblably in the soul grace is full of heat and spirit, were it not, that God had ordained these infirmities to cool it, and keep it in temper, to awake our care, and provide that we presume not too high.

2. Again, God suffers his servants to have sin about them, and to fall into it, that thereby he may quicken and revive those graces which lie hidden in their hearts; Saint Peter is more bold after his denial; Thomas more strong in faith, after his infidelity: The good husbandman cuts his Vines, not with a purpose to kill them, but to make them bear more fruit. In the Canticles, when Christ left his Spouse, then she riseth out of her bed; she opens the door; then her hands drop myrrh upon the Bar; then she seeks, then she calls for him, but not before. No man is crowned, except he strive; and therefore the Lord, who hath prepared for us a Crown, hath also suffered some enemies to remain, that by the battle and conflict with them, our faith, our patience, our perseverance might be tried and increased; no otherwise than the Canaanites were left in the Land, that his people might thereby be proved, whether they would walk in the way he set them, and keep it.

3. But there is another Reason beyond all these; that is, that by feeling our wants, we may seek for help, and petition for more grace; partly to supply what is wanting, partly to cover what is amiss.

1. Did not men by experience find how powerful sin is to over-rule them, they would never be so sensible of their own bondage, and sins tyranny; for if the remains only of it in the allay and weakness produce in us so strong and restless remptations and exorbitances, how would it tyrannize, were it in its full strength and vigor? That which abates it, and takes it down, is grace; and grace descends not down upon us, till our prayer ascends up, and fetches it down: Being then, even out of the abatement, sensible of the Tyrannical power, it behooves us to call for help, for armor to resist.

2. But when we have fought, wrestled, resisted to the utmost, yet we shall be foiled. A cover then is necessary, that will hide all; and such a one there is; a long white Robe, made of our Savior's righteousness, which is able alone to cover all. He that is truly sensible how much he wants it, will alone petition for it; and it is this same root and stock of sin in the Regenerate, that forceth them to sue for it. Christ told his Disciples, it is expedient for you that I go away; and so it is expedient that Christ sometimes withdraw himself, and leave man in the hands of his own counsels, leave sin in him to provoke, to tempt, to assault, to conquer him: that being pursued, and in danger of undoing, he may fly to him for remedy.

We see it in the common course of life; it is good for some men, that their meat be taken from them, yet meat is the staff of life; that from some it is good that blood be taken, yet blood is the Nurse of life; that from men with sore eyes light be removed, and yet light is the comfort of life. Loth I am to say it, yet it is for our good that Christ absent himself; for upon his recess, men will seek him the more diligently; the people did so; the want of anything being that which will set the true price upon it. This same home-bred, inbred disability will deject a pious soul; this same sad apprehension how little we can do without the help of our good Lord, the sense we have of our failings in his absence, w ll batter a religious heart to a flat nothing; and yet again inflame his affections to grasp his Savior with all his merits, that he may be Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, Redemption, Light, Life, good works, in a word, all in all unto him.

Evident hence it is why God hath suffered sin to dwell with good men, viz. to humble them, to perfect his graces in them, to drive them to Christ, such is his love, such is his goodness; He that caused light to shine out of darkne • s, hath out of the poison of sin made a Cordial, by which he will make it appear, That all things, even sin and all, shall work together for the best, to though • e who love God.

Thus much of the Hypothesis, If we say we have no sin; which supposeth the Thesis, that there be some who say so; well, whosoever they be that say it, they are but in an ill case; for,

• 1. They deceive themselves; so are false people.
• 2. They make God a liar; and so are impious.
• 3. There is no truth in them; and then are not to be trusted.

Not to detain you long, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , we wander, and err, and put a mere fallacy upon ourselves. Wise men love not to be deceived, or if by any, yet not by one they trust, and least of all by him they most trust, the Counselor that lies in the bosom: But he who saith he hath no sin, is deceived by his own heart, his nearest Friend, his dearest Counselor; of all other Errors then, let us take heed of this: For first, no man will pity us, rather turn upon us the Proverb, Self-do, Self-have: Then by this over-swelling a man bursts to nothing, and by his nothing, thinking himself something, he deceives himself. But the greatest Paralogisme or Fallacy, is, That he deceives himself of a Savior; for Christ saves none but sinners; his blood cleanseth from sin; he that hath no sin, hath no load; and he that hath no load, feels it not; and who so feels not his burden, is not called by Christ. Beware then that pride entice you not into the company of the Cathari; for by it you cozen yourselves of salvation, and a more dangerous deceit and cozenage there cannot be.

2. We make God a liar.

But this is not all, behold a greater impiety, We make God a liar! What's this I read! God a liar! The Father of Truth to become the Author of a lie! Horresco referens: And yet this is done by him who saith he hath no sin; for God hath plainly delivered his testimony in this matter, All we like sheep have gone astray; there is not one that doth good, no not one; not the Infant of a day old is clean, All have sinned; and God hath shut up all under sin, that he might have mercy upon all. To exempt ourselves from the common condition of sinners, is to make a false conclusion, and to blaspheme God to his face. All men are sinners, saith God; nay, say these pure souls, stay there, We are not so; and what is this but to give God the lie?

3. The Truth is not in him, and his Word is not in him.

But let this lie rest with those that devised it; let God be true, and all men liars, as it is written; for he that saith it, is a liar, and the Truth is not in him. God is without sin; for he is justice and integrity itself: The Son of God is without sin; for there was no deceit found in his mouth: The Angels without sin; for they stood in their integrity: But what man soever affirms this of of himself, contradicts God's Word, Truth there is none in him. They who have said the Truth, have said to the contrary: Pettr confesseth, I am a sinful man. Paul an Elect Vessel, That he was the chief of sinners: Isaiah, That he was of polluted lips. But what do I trouble you with Instances in this kind, since they are as many as men, who are, have been, or shall be; either then a mortal must depose the nature of man, or confess himself to be a sinner, except he will deceive himself, and deceive oth • rs; except he will make God a liar, and his Word a lie.

The APPLICATION.

That counsel then of Solomon is good, Be not righteous over-much, neither make thyself over-wise, why shouldest thou destroy thyself? Righteous overmuch? Who can be so? He that rhinks he is so, that trusts in himself, and imagines he is not like other men; forever, where there is the greatest sincerity, there is the greatest humility; and where the least truth, there is the greatest pride. I know nothing by myself, saith Saint Paul, and yet am I not thereby justified: Guilty he was not of any malicious wickedness, nor to be convicted of any scandalous offense, and yet he durst not stand for, and plead his justice; for he confessed there was a Law in his memb • rs which r • belled, and led him captive to the Law of sin. Let's have no boasting then, since this chosen Vessel durst not boast, not of his Pedigree, not of his Pharisaism, not of his stripes, not of his preaching, not of praying, not of his Fasts, his penance: In his esteem all these, and all that might be added to these, in compari •• n of Christ were but dung: In the eye of man of some worth, but at God's Tribunal not worth talking of; for when all's done, the best man is but quasi justus, the resemblance of a just man; he may fall, as did David; he may sin, as did Peter, he carries flesh about him, that doth and will pollute his best actions: Wash in Abanah and Parphar, and all the Rivers of Damascus: Dowse thyself in Jordan seven times, yet this leprosy of sin will not off, it still cleaves to, and will yet dwell to the flesh. What vain confidence then is this, in which these walking Ghosts of the old Gnostiques trust? Is there not a lie in their right hand? It is a vanity to say, We have not sinned, we do not sin; and they that trust to these lying vanities, forsake their own mercy.

What the sin of this Land was, that thus hath raised the anger of God into a flame, is not hard to discover; what it is that continues it, we know: We sin, and yet we say, We do not sin; we are deceived, and yet will not be brought to confess it. O holiness, the beauty of the old Saints, whether art thou fled? in what Corners are we called upon to seek thee? And thither when we come, there we are presented with thy Shadow and Name; but thy Self, in a foul Garment, and deformed face; woe is me, it pities me to see what thou wert, and what thou art.

Wounded by ambition, wounded by sedition, wounded by covetousness, wounded by sacrilege, wounded by obscenity, by cruelty, confusion; wounded by ignorance, by error, by darkness, by heresy, by schism, by hypocrisy, and yet thy venerable Name fastened upon all these; these which were wont to be branded with the name of hellish sins, now are presented to us for the beauty of holiness.

Men may well say they sin not, when they own these for virtues; but this gilded Copper moves us not farther than to pity the sinners, and wonder at their pride and darkness.

Back then we retire, and seek for holiness, where we are sure to find her in the Word of God; there we find her as old as the Ancient of days; there we behold her clad in meekness, courtesy, charity, humility, justice; about her we find the fruit of righteousness, peace, repentance, and the love of God and man; and a great Train of old Saints in a mourning weed attending on her, lamenting that they have stained her beauty by their weaknesses and infirmities.

And in the steps of these holy men we mean to walk. While they say, they have no sin, we will acknowledge we are sinners; while they defend their sin to be no sin, we will confess it, and lament for it; nothing doub • ing but that God who sees these tears, will put them into his Bottle, and will cover our imperfect holiness with the long Robe of his Sons righteousness, in which when we shall appear before him, we shall be cleansed from all sin: When they who say they have no sin, shall be found to be liars, and have the reward of liars. From which our good God deliver us, for his Son Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

2. If we Confess, he is just to Forgive.

Saint John 's proposition is Conditional. Si, If we do it, then the effect will follow, Remission upon Confession; And the consequence will be as strong in the Negative; If we confess not, there's no pardon to be expected. Among men the case is this; Where the Condition is not performed, the party is not bound to grant the favor. In reason it ought to be thus betwixt God and us. The sins which we commit by the breach of God's Law, are the hand-writing against us, which God hath promised to blot out, when we confess the debt; no reason then we cancel the Bond, if we perform not the Condition. But this being done, pleased he is to engage himself to us, as he is a faithful and a just God, we shall have a pardon. And can there be any stronger reason to enforce the Necessity of Confession? Could this pardon be obtained without it, I would leave you at full liberty, whether you would confess your sins or no: But since without it, there is no forgiveness to be had, you must Confess.

David professeth, that nor in silence, nor in roaring he could find any ease, till he came to confession; But no sooner was he upon his knees, humbly confessing his sins, but his God was as merciful. I said I will confess, and thou forgavest. In the Courts of men it is otherwise. Confess, and suffer. Judges then if they find a Fellon, or a notorious person, try him not to absolve, but to condemn him, especially si habeant confitentem reum. But in the Court of heaven it is otherwise; for our good Lord calls upon a wicked man to confess, not that he may sentence him to death, but that he may pass by his offense, and pardon him. O the singular and strange ordinance of this kind and merciful Judge! for that end he desires to draw from the mouths of the guilty a confession, that he may find no just occasion to take revenge. After Confession among men, there follows condemnation; but here Confession and Justification go together. If we confess, he will forgive.

Not that this Confession merits Remission; but as it is a necessary Condition to prepare the man for pardon; it dejects him, and casts him down, and so makes him a fit subject for mercy. It is then presumption to snatch at the Promise before we have performed the Condition. For God deals by his children, as Joseph did by his brethren; he would not at first make himself known to them, but speaks roughly, and threatens the prison. After they were crushed with great straits, he graciously tells them, I am Joseph your brother: So till we be prepared by confession, God will nor make himself nor our pardon known to us, but speaks roughly, and threatens the prison of Hell. But upon the laying open our misdemeanors unto him, he will no more refrain himself, than Joseph did; say he will to our oppressed consciences, I am your father, be of good comfort, you sins are forgiven.

This is a special service, and therefore may not be omitted. David after his sin of numbering the people, assumes the title of God's servant, because he confessed his fault. Take away, O Lord, the trespass of thy servant. What was he a servant, that had so proudly and lately offended his Master? Not a servant in his fault, but a servant in acknowledging his fault. For I have done exceeding foolishly. As if he had said, Though I am no servant in committing folly, yet a servant in confessing it to be foolishly done. Job also, among many other proofs, that he was God's servant, reckons this for one, that he had not hid his sin as Adam. After Adam had sinned, God had pity on him, sought him in the Garden, and called after him; Adam, ubi es? Where art thou Adam? 'tis the voice of a merciful God, that was loath to destroy his creature; he called to him therefore, that he might blot out that sin by confession, which by his transgression he had contracted. But Adam gets fig-leaves about him, hides what he can, casts it upon the woman, the woman upon the Serpent. This did not Job; he seeks no cover, no excuse for his sin, but acknowledgeth the bare truth before his God. He that in the old Law was infected with the Leprosy, was to have his garment torn, his head bare, his face covered with a cloth, and to cry, I am unclean, I am unclean. Sin is this Leprosy, every servant is defiled with it; discover it we must, even when we cover our faces for shame, and cry aloud, and complain, we are unclean:

Neither yet be ashamed to do it. Non pudet peccare, & poenitere pudet? 'It is a shame to sin, never to say, I have sinned. The confessions of God's servants are extant upon record, and they are exemplary, David's especially. A pitiful thing it is, that whereas God hath ordered that shame should accompany sin, and boldness confession, that the matter should be so diverted, that men should be impudently bold in sinning, and yet ashamed to confess that they have sinned. They hide, they extenuate, they mince, they daub all over with untempered mortar. Shamelesse men, who will not be persuaded to shame themselves, before God put them to shame before the whole world.

For be it known to them, Let their sin be hid with all the Art and cunning that may be, yet God will one day produce it with all the circumstances, when, where, with what mind, how oft committed, and so recover his glory, which shameless sinners labor to take from him. To sin, and think to be hid, is exceedingly to dishonor God in his Attributes; but after we have sinned, to fall down and confess it, is to make him some amends for that dishonor. Whence Joshua thus speaks to sacrilegious Achan, My son, I pray thee give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make conf • ssion unto him. For in confession of sin we glorify God divers ways. We give him the glory of justice, acknowledging, that if we continue in sin, God ought to punish us. We give him the glory of wisdom, that no secret is hid from him; we yield him the glory of power, that there is no flying from him; and we atttibute to him the glory of mercy, when we believe, that if we confess he will forgive.

Having sinned then, lay not in the way of God's mercy the stumbling-block of neglect or contumacy; stand not out with him, justify not thyself. Remember the Pharisee, remember the Publican; with this poor wretch, shame thyself; By this thou shalt prevent that fearful accusation of the Devil. For when thou hast accused thyself, what hath that impudent accuser of the brethren to say to thee? By this thou shalt take off the File the Endictment of a a clamorous conscience, which if ever it be produced, will bring thee to a desperate case. By this thou shalt save thy Judge a labor, for 'tis his promise, he who judgeth himself shall not be judged. Lastly, by this thou shalt return unto him that he expects, and will recover, his own glory.

1. De exomologesi, or public confession.

Now such as the sin is, such ought the confession to be. Private to God alone, for what is done in private. Public for what is notorious, scandalous, and done in the sight of the Sun. As by this there is a public wrong done unto the Church, so also ought the satisfaction be made in public. And this is no Popery.

In the Primitive Church there was a godly discipline, that such persons as were notorious sinners were put to open penance, and punished in this world, that their souls might be saved in the day of the Lord; and that others being admonished by their example, might be afraid to offend. This began with the first times, and it continued very long, and the penances in some Churches were sharp and tedious, fourteen years; in other from the first day of Lent, till Maundy Thursday, in which sacco & cineri incubare, &c. I translate Tertullian's words, to lie in sackcloth and ashes, to darken the beauty of the body with a sordid garment, to deject the mind with sadness, to change those things in which they had offended by a sad meditation; and for the most part to cherish their prayers with fasting, to sigh, to weep, to sob day and night to their good Lord, to fall down before the Priests, and to bend their knees before those who were dear to God, and to employ Embassages to all the Brethren to pray for them, was their custom.

This they called Exomologesis, or the Act of penitence, and they would not grant it to any the second time; of which Tertullian 's words are to be understood, Iteranda non est poenitentia. For they are not to be understood of repentance at large, but of this Church-penance. This they would not grant the second time to a notorious lapsed sinner, lest they should prostitute and make it too cheap. And hence the distinction of remissibile, and irremissibile peccatum, had its rise; for they yet kept that poor soul, whom they would not admit to the indulgence of the Church, from splitting upon the Rock of despair, by informing him, that no question upon his confession and contrition he might receive a pardon from God; to him they left him therefore, to him they referred him: But the chaste mother (the Church) would grant no further indulgence; yet by her prayers, by her tears she would not cease to intercede for them, that God would give them Repentance. This was the practice of the Ancient Church; but as Soderino told Pope Adrian, He that would introduce it again into the Church, must bring back the old charity, sincerity, and humility of those first Saints.

2. De confession auriculari.

This public confession was in process of time turned into private; and that sin which was to be confessed in the ear of the Church, was to be told in the ear of the Priest. This course the Court of Rome finding advantageous, have retained, and enjoin'd as a necessary point of salvation; and that except it be done, when it may, or otherwise, in voto, there can be no Remission; but this Doctrine is injurious many ways.

1. When they go about to impose this upon men's consciences as necessary to salvation, out of the Word of God, which cannot be found in it; for where is it written, Go and open thy sin in the ears of a Priest! The Romanists have much streined their wits to find it in the Scriptures; and at last, that they may put off their Error with the fairer color, they put us in mind of the people that came to John, confessing their sins; but the Text tells us not, whether to John, or to God; or if it were to John, yet it was not in his ear, but before the whole company; and then may well be pressed to prove public confession in notorious and scandalous sins, but it will never bear up Auricular. Lastly, that all those who do desire Baptism, do acknowledge themselves polluted Creatures, and stand in need of that Laver: For brevity sake I omit other Texts wrested by them to this purpose; wrested I say, because in the judgment of many (the best learned among them) there is no manifest Authority, either of the Old or New Testament extant, that ever God or Christ commanded us to confess our sins to a Priest.

To make that then an Ordinance of God, which at the highest is but an Order of the Church, is very injurious. Especialiy to impose it upon the conscience with this tyrannical necessity, that there be a particular enumeration of all mortal sins, with all the circumstances which may aggravate it, once at least every year unto the Priest, or else God will not forgive; This is a Doctrine which lays a yoke upon the necks of Christi • ns, heavy and impossible. There may be policy in it, and is, but there is no Truth: and much less, when they make it meritorious, and such an act of religion which ex opere operato procures remission. Yea, put case, that he who thus confesseth his sin, be brought to it merely out of the sense of the ax laid to the root of the tree, and the wrath to come, and so only is an Attrite person yet by the power of the Priests key, that is, his Absolution, his attrition is turned into contrition. This is a most ridiculous deceit of souls; for the Priest never can make him contrite that is not, or cause God to accept that which he hath said he will not. A conrite heart is only his sacrifice, which this being not, the Priest tells the penitent a lie, that God will accept him for his attrition only.

2. But now let this injunction of necessity, the opinion of merit, the deceit that follows upon it be taken off, together with that necessary enumeration of all mortal sins: Let these abuses, I say, be disclaimed, and the wisest Divines of the Reformed Church acknowledge, that confession to a Priest or Minister of God's Word, may be of singular use and benefit both for instruction, counsel and comfort.

1. First of great use it may be for instruction, partly in the Faith, partly about our sin. To go to a Lawyers reading, and hear it, serves us not in our worldly doubts: Nor to hear the physic Lecture for the diseases of our Bodies; No, no; we call the learned in both sciences to us; we question them in particulars, and have private conference about our state, and estates. If the like course were taken in the business of our souls, great profit would arise from it. Every man is blinded with self-love, which makes him judge that often to be no sin which is, or that to be well done which is not, or at least the sin not to be so great as he is made to believe. In these and the like cases, would he but call to him some learned and pious Pastor, he might find somewhat whereon to settle, either to go on in a good way, or to repent and desist in a bad, and have an apt and fit remedy prescribed him. Besides a man is oftentimes through ignorance, negligence, or iniquity of the times, blinded or perverted in many fundamentals of religion; to rectify which, though books and Sermons are very good helps; yet an information in private, and a retired conference is far more powerful. Then the reasons are more narrowly sifted, and the doubts cleared, which in general applications are either omitted, or but lightly touched. In private then the acknowledgement of a man's own weakness to a knowing and judicious Physician of thy soul may be an excellent means to stay thee, tht; thou stagger not in the faith. To what purpose else are these words, The Priests lips shall preserve knowledge, and thou shalt require the Law at his mouth!

2. Again of great use this may be for counsel; Advises in general are but as general prescriptions in Physic; they have not that effect that particular doses have. The Quantities or Ingredients must be varied according to the particular constitution, or condition of the party. The same variety there is of diseased souls; and in general only we can prescribe, till we are acquainted with this or that man's imperfection. Then we can take away, or add to the dose, as we see occasion. It were then a wise way, when thou findst thy soul diseased, to go to some approved and experienced Doctor, and to ask his counsel how to be cured of those sicknesses of soul, to which thou art inclined. Behold how John the Baptist the penitentiary, applies the parts of his Sermon of repentance to every penitent that came to him; they had all their several an • wers. To the people, who asked, What shall we do? he returns answer, He that hath two coats, let him part to him that hath none. To the Publicans, who sought what they should do, he gives in charge, Exact n • more but that appointed. To the Soldiers, who demanded, what they were to do? upon them he laid this apt command, Do violence to no man, out of fear accuse no man falsely, be content with your wages. When he had opened to him their necessities, he prescribes apt and fit remedies. One dose served not all.

3. Lastly, this private Confession is useful also for Comfort. God saith the Prophet, hath given me the tongue of the learned, to speak a word in due season. And he that is a good and wise Steward, will give to everyone his portion of meat. Which cannot be so well done, except he know what meat every stomach requires. A Pastor may propound the mercies of God in general to repentant sinners, but then they are most cordial, when he declares it to that sin with which a man finds his conscience loaded; and the load he cannot know, till it be made known to him. Then he can turn the key, which Christ hath put into his hand, to the comfort of a poor soul, and say with confidence, Thy sins are forgiven thee. That then a penitent may have apt consolation, solid information, and sound advice, wisdom it were to repair to those who are set over him, and appointed to give it: And there are as great reasons to persuade it, as that we repair to the learned in the Law, when the Title to our Land is questioned, or that we send for the Physician in any desperate disease. Cases of Conscience, are nice points, and they are to be resolved only by the wise.

The CONCLUSION.

To this kind of Confession I shall not farther press you; for I know it is arbitrary. But for the other that which is to be done to God, it may not be omitted. Done it must be, if ever you expect remission. Hence God calls for it, commands it, and exhorts to it. After your shipwreck in sin, he hath left you only this board to swim to shore. Therefore, O thou sinner like to me, nay far better; for I am the chief of sinners; catch after and lay hold on this plank as a man at sea ready to perish, seizeth on some broken piece of the Ship; for this will bear thee up being almost drowned in the waves of God's anger, and set thee safe on the shore of God's Mercy.

Neither let the difficulty of this Duty deter thee; unpleasant I know it is to flesh and blood. For if it be a discredit to a man to err, and be deceived, a hard matter it will be to bring a man so far to discredit himself as to confess that he hath erred, and is deceived. Yet thus it must be, this hard task must be undertaken, the error must be confessed, the deception acknowledged, and by sorrow retracted; for without it there is no hope of pardon.

When Herod had accused his son Alexander to Caesar, the young Prince in these words speaks to his angry Father; Sir, how kindly affected you are to me, this your sentence declares; For if it were your purpose to destroy me, you would never have remitted me over to Caesar, the common preserver of men. Especially when you might by either right, or that of a King, or that of a Father have dealt with me at your pleasure; but since you have made Caesar to be the Judge, servare volentis argumentum est: This is an argument you desire to save me. For no man sends him to a Sanctuary, whom he will destroy. In the same manner may we say of our heavenly Father and Confession; How kind is Almighty God to us, this his ordinance doth well show: For had his purpose been to destroy us, he never would have sent us to take Sanctuary by Confession. When he might justly have taken away our lives, to bid us Go, confess and be saved, is an evidence beyond exception, how willing he is to save us.

Tell me, who is there that ever betook him to this Sanctuary, that hath not been the better for it? O Lord, I confess that I have sinned, is the powerfullest Rhetoric in God's ear, it charms, and changeth and alters his heart, turns him from an angry Judge to a merciful Father. And therefore all who have come to ask pardon, have served themselves of it; still they begin with confession of sin, according to that of Solomon, justus in initio sermonis est accusator ipsius. It seemed to me to be delivered by Tradition, and ecchoed from ear to ear to all posterity. It was the voice of Pharaoh, I have sinned: The voice of Balaam, I have sinned; The voice of Saul, I have sinned; The voice of Job, I have sinned; The voice of David, I have sinned. Good and bad you see have served themselves of the argument to obtain a pardon. And good and bad have been the better for it. Pharaoh is respited, Balaam and Saul deferred, David pardoned, and Job in his last days, blessed more than the first. So powerfully are three syllables, p • ccavi, in the ears of an offended God; they can turn him from anger to pity, and win him to set his hand to a pardon, as he is faithful and just.

The fury of God's indignation hath been long poured out upon this Land, and as yet we drink up the dregs thereof. This seems to be marvelous in our eyes; but the reason is evident, we have not been at confession as we ought; some slight acts perhaps of this duty have been from sense of our sufferings extorted from us, but truly ashamed of our sins we are not; for we continue in them; nor contritely sorrowful for them we are not; for they are not forsaken; nor religiously angry without selves, that we have commi • ted them; for we show them too much love, and is it any wonder then, that we cannot obtain a remission?

Down, down then O you obstinate and rebellious impenitents, fall on your knees and confess with shame, we have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled in depa • ting from thy precepts and from thy judgments. He expects that we be contrite and humbled out of a quick sense of the offense and dishonor done to him, but attrite only we are from the sense of what we suffer; whereas we ought to chafe and fret, and smite upon our thigh, and say to our sins, as repenting Ephraim to his Idols, fie g • t ye hence: angry we are with his just proceedings, and are apter to accuse him then ourselves, and retain our Idols still. And is this to be Confessionists? is this to be true Penitents?

O you whose happiness I tender as my own, Turn unto the Lord that he may turn unto you: take up those words of the Prophet Jeremy, and pour them out before your God; Hast thou utterly rejected Judah? hath thy soul loathed Zion? why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? we looked for peace, but there was no good; and for the time of healing, and behold trouble. We acknowledge, O, Lord our wickedness, and the iniquity of our forefathers; for we have sinned against thee. Do not abhor us for thy Names sake; do not disgrace the Throne of thy glory; remember, break not thy Covenant with us: Presumption, and continuance in your sin, will continue his anger and fury; some such real submission, and humble confession, may reduce his love and pity.

Defer it not then, but go about it; cry mightily to heaven, Lord, be merciful to us poor sinners; ye are but men, call therefore upon God; sinful men, pray then to a merciful God. It is no shame to be sorrowful; cry aloud, O God; It is no discredit to beg grace and pardon, pray him to be merciful; It is no dishonor to confess a fault; acknowledge then, that you are sinners. If your sins past do utterly displease you, your God will return in mercy to you. Your merciful Father when he sees that you weep, will wipe off all tears from your eyes. Deal he will by you, as the kind Father did by his Prodigal, give you a robe, a ring, and a kiss; a ring as a sign that he takes you for his; the robe of his Sons righteousness to clothe your nakedness; and a kiss of peace, love, and reconciliation. You shall be taken into favor again, and at last by his favor rewarded with an immortal crown of glory, Amen.

1. He.

To God it is that we must confess, and from him alone to expect our pardon: For who can forgive sins, but God only? Truly and properly this power belongs to him; this he challengeth as his Prerogative, I am he, I am he, who blots out thine iniquities. No not Christ himself could have forgiven sins, had he not been God; this the Pharisees knew well, and therefore infer'd from our Savior's words to the sick of the Palsy, Son, thy sins are forgiven thee, that he had spoken blasphemy. Ignorant they were not, that there was power in the Priest for Remission; they knew one brother might remit an offense to his brother; but to grant a pardon with Authority, properly and truly to set the Seal to it, was in their judgment an act that belonged to the Deity; and therefore looking upon our Savior as mere man, they charged him with blasphemy.

1. Vere, Truly only God can do it, since there can be no error in his pardon; whereas in a remission from man there may be a fallacy, the person being perhaps not capable of a pardon; and therefore the Rule is, that an absolution from man is good, Clave non Errante. Then again, in sin there is the guilt and the punishment; in both these consists the whole debt, which the Creditor only can truly remit; for should any other take upon him to do it, he commits a double fraud. One to the Creditor, whose Authority he takes upon him; forgiving that debt in which he hath no right: And a second to the debtor, making him believe his debt is remitted, when it is not.

2. Proprie, Properly it belongs to him, because he is the sole Superior: Man then having not absolute Authority, cannot of his own power grant an absolution. Besides, the offense is not always committed against him; what then hath he to do to remit the injury offered to another! A wrong that is done unto him, he may and must forgive; but truly, properly, authoritatively to remit a sin committed against heaven, he must leave to him that dwells there.

But how God will have this pardon made known to us, rests in his own breast; for he doth it sometimes immediately: But the ordinary way to receive it, is from the hand of the Minister, to whom he hath committed the Word of Reconciliation. Say not thou then in thy heart, Who shall ascend up to Heaven, to fetch my pardon from thence! for he hath erected an office on Earth, whither we may come, and find grace in the time of need. It pleased him out of his plenary power to grant a Commission to men, and in his stead to delegate them to forgive sin. That ye stagger not at it, their Power and Patent is extant, Whose sins you remit, they are remitted.

The Apostles first had it, and their Successors have it also, because those who live in the Church to the end of the World, do as much need remission, as those who lived then; and therefore it ought to continue unto the end of the World.

Of which we may not so conceive, as if God absolutely without them cannot bestow a pardon, or that he is bound to this way alone, and cannot work without it; for the grace of God is free, and can work, as without the Word, so without Ministers: But if we look to that which is common and ordinary in the course established by him, this is an Ecclesiastical Act, committed, as the rest of the Ministry of Reconciliation, to Ecclesiastical persons: To these, when we testify our Faith and Repentance, they have power to remit, and what they do, is confirmed by him; for so he hath promised, Whose sins you remit, they are remitted.

Note only here this great difference in this power; for the power of God is Absolute, theirs is limited; his is Primitive, theirs derived; his Imperial, theirs only Ministerial. This power being solely invested in God, he might have kept it, without any wrong to any, in himself; but it pleased him to commit it to the hands of men, that from them also it might be sought.

This little I have said, that the power be not despised, and that men take not themselves to be wiser than God, and chalk to themselves a way of salvation which he never taught. That Faith and Repentance may procure a pardon, I deny not; but that, he, who shall deride, and out of contempt scorn and cast aside this delegated power, I shall not easily believe, that he is endued with these conditions; and therefore may justly doubt whether God out of fidelity and justice is bound to remit his sin: To those who shall submit to his ways, a pardon he will grant; for he is faithful and just.

2. He is faithful, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

Faithful he is, and he will keep his word; gracious in his promises, and firm and constant in his performance. Fides dicitur, eo quod fiat quod dictum est. The Consuls bade Hanno be bold, and never fear; the faith of our City frees thee. The same say I to every penitent sinner, Fear not, the Faith of our God frees thee: For God is not as man, that he should lie; he is faithful, and he cannot deny himself; and among his faithful sayings, this is one, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners.

Why was it that his Son was incarnate, but that his word was passed for it so soon as man had sinned; the seed of the woman should break the Serpents head? Why did he take the Name Jesus, but to save his people from their sins? Why did he turn in, teach, converse and eat with Publicans and sinners, except for their conversion? Why did he ordain his Word to be preached, his Sacraments to be administered? Why doth he call to him all that labor, and are heavy-laden, except it were to make it evident, that he came to seek and save that which was lost? His Word for this was passed to the Patriarchs and old Prophets, and he sent his Son in the similitude of sinful flesh to perform it.

This is the Rock on which a distressed soul may safely Anchor. Say the winds of temptations rise high, and the waves roar to split thee on the Rock of despair; look from thyself to God: Thou in a moody fit mayst say, I am cast out of the sight of thy eyes: But he is the same God, and his promises cannot fail; he hath said it, nay, sworn it, As he liveth, he will not the death of a sinner; let but the wicked man turn from all his iniquities, and he will not remember them: They are his own words; and therefore he calls, Turn unto me, and I will turn to you.

Let it but be shown what one promise he ever made that was not performed, and then I am content that you distrust him for this. He promised to I • rael deliverance from bondage; to the Jews, a return from captivity; to Abraham's posterity the Land of Canaan; with thousands of this kind, all which he performed in their due time. He is the same God still, immutable, unchangeable, verus & verax; and hath he said it, and shall he not do it? Is his word passed to a penitent, and can you think, that he who is faithful, will break it? Th • Earth may shake and reel too and fro; the Mountains may fall, and crumble to nothing; the Heavens shall be wimpled up as a garment; but not one word, not one Iota that he hath spoken, shall be disannul'd.

As long as we are compassed with this body of sin, our heart will be affrighted with distrusts, with fears, with doubts; need we have to pray, Lord increase our faith. That which can especially keep us from despair, is the meditation of this Attribute, God is faithful; I know whom I have bel • eved; neither can I be disappointed of my hope, unless the Lord should fail in his truth. This is the first Reason why we may hope for a pardon, which is drawn from God's truth and faithfulness; and yet there is another drawn from his justice.

3. And just.

Just to forgive! Man would have made a clean contrary conclusion, just to punish, just to take revenge: Sin going before, and following, more proper it had been that severity than mercy should have followed. And so it had been, were it not for confiteamur, confession that preceded; for where this goes before, there pardon attends upon it, which is highly consonant to the justice of God, except we should call him just and unjust with the same breath. Thus then the case stands.

The sins of all penitent sinners he hath once punished in his Son; from him he received a full price, an ample satisfaction for them; and upon it, was pleased to cancel the Bond, and to blot out the hand-writing against us: So that now if we confess our sin, and acknowledge the debt, yet truly by faith in Christ plead it to be paid, his justice doth much more embolden us to be confident of Remission, then drive us upon the Rock of diffidence and distrust: For God forbid but the Judge of all the World should do right. When therefore he is a just God, he cannot in justice impute and punish those sins, which were once over and above punished in his Son. Non factum then we may not plead; confiteamur, stands flat against that; but full payment and satisfaction we may plead, which if with a penitent and faithful heart it be put in, the Judge will be pacified, and his justice will save thee.

There is then in this Attribute great comfort to an afflicted soul; He may at first sight think it makes against him, but being rightly examined, it makes much for him. For say his enemy catch him by the throat, and cry Pay what thou owest, his answer may be, that he owes nothing; for his Savior that was engaged for him hath paid the whole debt, taken up and cancelled the Bond. And so in equity being bound to proceed no farther, he will forgive.

4. To cleanse. To forgive.

This term 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is borrowed from such as are in a strait. The other 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 from men that are foul and defiled. In sin there seems to be great liberty; whereas yet the man is but a slave or prisoner. In sin there seems to be great purity, the ways of a man being clean in his own eyes, whereas there is nothing more foul and filthy. Now to him that feels himself in these straits, God hath promised remission; for him that feels himself polluted, God hath provided a Bath, a Purgation.

Not this to Devils or damned spirits. The lapsed Angels sinned voluntarily having no temptation, but from themselves it came to rebel. The damned souls maliciously refused the pardon offered them; and therefore are reserved to the judgment of the last day. But with man, with a living man it is not so; he may confess his sin, and ask pardon; which if he do, a free pardon shall be sealed to him.

And a free pardon I call it, because remission is a wonderful favor proceeding from the mere grace of God, procured by the death and passion of Christ, whereby the guilt and punishment of sin is freely remitted. Terme it Grace, Mercy, Love, by what name you will, 'tis the same thing; we deserve it not. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts hath done it. A gratuito it must be, or nothing. For we have not wherewith to buy it, the best work that ever we do, being his gift; and therefore suppose the pardon were to be purchased by it, yet it must be imputed to Grace, since from his favor we had wherewith to purchase it. But God help us, so far we are from that, that non sumus solvendo, we are not able to satisfy for the wrong we do him daily, the injury being infi • ite, and our works few, finite, imperfect. As for our sufferings, non sunt condignae, they are not worthy; for paena nulla hominis nocentis est peccati deletiva, no punishment of a guilty person can blot out sins. We must then rely only upon his favor and free good-will for our discharge. 'It is a pardon of Grace. So much he hath taught us in the Parable of the two debtors, One ought two hundred pence, the other fifty; when they had nothing to pay, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , he freely forgave them both. His mercy, his free grace • ore the Bill. But yet more clearly, and in no Parable, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , he hath forgiven you all trespasses. He hath gratified you in this, that he hath taken as it were a spunge and blotted out your sins for his oath sake, for his promise sake, for his name sake, for his own sake, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , freely, freely by his grace, Rom. 3.24.

Yea, but here the Socinian steps up and asks, How was this pardon freely granted, when he required and accepted a price for us, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , his Sons blood for our redemption? Doth he a courtesy gratis, that takes a recompense and ransom for the doing of it?

I confess a ransom he had, and a full recompense; he took the blood of his dear Son, without which we never had obtained a pardon. And yet it is a free gift for all this. For first, what cause did we give God to love us, or Christ to die for us? What reason can be given of God's 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , good pleasure, or his Sons 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , love to mankind? Then again it is another degree of grace to accept of the satisfaction of another person for us; To punish him, and let us go. In common justice the soul that sins must die, but here the soul that sins is set at liberty, and the person that never sinned is put to the death. This is another Gratuito.

Consider then the case betwixt the Father and the Son, and no man dare call it a free remission; for the purchase was dear, and the price inestimable. But consider again the persons whom Christ pardoned, sinners; The person who put himself to satisfy, never being requested to do so much; Or God ordaining his Son to satisfy, and that he would accept the payment, though made by another; and we must needs conclude with Saint Paul, that in the remission of sin 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , The grace of God appeared. His Son given for us a free gift, his Son given to us a free gift; that we are given to his Son and pardoned in him, and for him, another free gift proceeding from his mere grace and favor.

Well yet, say some, let it be granted, that it is a pardon of Grace, for those respects before named, yet in regard of some other it cannot. For are not they who receive it, tied up to hard conditions? must they not confess? must they not repent? must they not believe? are they not tied in the bonds of new obedience? must they not become new creatures? are they not tied to put off the old man, and to put on the new, and to serve him in righteousn • sse and holiness all the days of their lives? without which the pardon can never be obtained, or being obtained, forfeited, and of none effect: Will you call that then a free pardon, which is granted upon such terms?

Yes, yes, free enough it is for all this. For I hope when it lay in God's power, whether he would grant any pardon upon any conditions, that he would grant it upon these, was a gracious offer, and came freely from him, and therefore he might put into it, and bind us, if we would be benefited by it, to what laws and conditions he pleased. Secondly, These conditions being performed, are not the causes of the pardon, that was freely purchased and freely granted: It was neither for the merit of these, nor yet their worth and dignity that God pardons the sinner. These are only causae sine quae non, without which the sinner shall not be pardoned. For God grants not the pardon for these, but freely bestows it where these are found. A King offers to a poor man who hath offended him, a pardon, and withal tells him, that he will give him Honor and a Crown; only he binds him to confess his fault, that he trust to him, that he offend him no more, and to perform that, he will give him ability: Will he not acknowledge this to be a gracious and Princely courtesy? Or shall he say, that it was for his own worth and merit that he was thus pardoned and honored? The King of heaven deals thus by poor sinners; he forgives the whole debt, quia rogamus, because we ask; and he gives a Crown, because we ask. And therefore everywhere the Scripture attributes this Remission to the mere mercy of God, who freely promised the pardon to the merits of Christ, who freely died to satisfy his justice. Those conditional expressions then, If you confess, if you repent, if you believe, &c. rather put us in mind to whom the Remission is granted, then for what it is granted. For even these also are the free gifts of God, and therefore for these, if performed, we cannot deserve it. Now where there is no merit, there the effect must be a mere Gratuito, and of mercy.

But could not God, without these conditions, have remitted sin? Out of his absolute power he could, by the same power, that he could command twelve Legions of Angels to his assistance; but he would not do it, because it was not for the honor of his justice, or mercy; it was not compatible with his decree of Election, no nor yet profitable for mankind.

1. Suitable it had not been to his justice; For justice will never endure, that obstinate, rebellious, contumacious, and impenitent persons receive a pardon. It rather cries aloud, Let such be severely punished. To have granted a pardon then to such as willfully and maliciously go on in wickedness, had been to violate all proceedings of justice.

2. This also had been a great wrong to Grace and Mercy; for is it fit that a pardon of Grace be offered to him that rejects it, and casts it off? which that man doth which is not penitent. For what is it else to say, I will not confess my fault, I will not repent, I will not be a New creature, but in effect, I will none of God's Grace, I will have no pardon? Besides, Mercy must be a distinct act from justice. But if impenitents should not be punished by justice, but should receive a pardon equally with the penitent, what difference could be found betwixt mercy and justice?

3. This course would clearly overthrow the Decree of God's Election. Chosen some are to life, and in Christ they are chosen, in which decree Faith and Repentance are included. For none are in the number of the redeemed, but such who are tied to the conditions of Redemption. Promiscuously then to confer a pardon, is against the nature of God's election, which made choice of some to life, and expressly set down upon what conditions it is to be obtained.

4. Lastly, this had been to deboist the world, and consequently unprofitable to mankind. For the fear of God had been taken away: The doors had been opened to all villainy, and a flood of wickedness had over-spread the face of the earth. Who would have stood in awe and feared to sin, had he been (whether penitent or no) secure of a pardon. For if our ingeminating in men's ears, that there is no pardon to be had by those who drink iniquity as an Ass drinks water, that is, with ease, with delight, and yet this will not keep men from sinning against heaven with a high hand: in what ruff, height, impudence shall we conceive would malice have shown her face, had God ordained a pardon for the impenitent? It was then the goodness and wisdom of God for these causes to enjoin, That if we confess our sins, he would forgive, not else. And here you must give me leave to pause, and wonder, and to cry out with David, O Lord, who is like unto thee! Offend but a man, whose breath is in his nostrils, and tis a marvel, if he grow not implacable, if he rage and swells not as the troubled sea. Will he study, and invent a way of reconciliation? will he admit of any Mediation, or Mediator? Such may be the fury of a mortal soul, that no Messenger or message will be accepted, all offers of peace rejected; and the man no better thought on then a Heathen or Publican. What a good Lord then do we serve, that though he be offended day after day, yet if we will confess our fault, repent, return and ask pardon day after day, we shall find it true, that furor non est illi, he will not keep his anger forever, he will forgive.

To this purpose he hath exalted his seat of mercy, and set it above all his works, on which being set, he proclaims, Come ye all unto me, and gives us under an oath assurance to come, protesting, I will not the death of a sinner. Weigh but his ways well, and you shall find this true. Why was it that his Son came down from heaven? why born so meanly? wrapped so homely? why was he baptized? why was he tempted? why did he hunger and thirst? why betrayed, arraigned, crucified? why did he bear our iniquities? was it not that we might be freed, discharged, forgiven? Say now that he will not pardon, who would not spare his Son, that he might find a means to pardon.

And that for this we might find the greater security, to his Ministers he hath committed the Word of reconciliation; and there is nothing in their Trust, be it either the Word, the Sacraments, their Prayers, the Keys, but very nearly relates to Forgiveness.

1. He hath made us his mouth to the people, so that preach we must; and what must we preach? Repentance and remission of sins. That is our main Text, the rest but expositions upon it. All that we can say, is but to humble you, make you sensible of, and sorry for your sin; that being contrite and penitent, you may be a fit subject for mercy and favor, that is, capable of a pardon.

2. But our Office is not only to preach. Pray we must also for you; and that we are to pray for especially, is, forgiveness. As we are to put you in mind of God, so to put God in mind of you. Stand we must betwixt the Temple and the Altar, and cry, Spare thy people, O Lord, spare thy people; to stand in the gap with Phinehaz, to lift up our voice with Isaiah, for the remnant that are left; to entreat God, as Moses; as Job; to make an atonement, with Aaron, and being called to pray over the sick person, that the sin he hath committed, may be forgive • .

3. Come to the Sacraments, of which we are the Ministers; Two they are, and both have Remission of sin annexed to them. To water at the Font: To blood at the Lord's Table forgiveness is promised. That is the special Grace assured by these seals. Go and baptize all nations f • r remission of sins, that's the promise made to Baptism: This is my b • ood of the New Testament shed for you, and for many, for the Remission of sin, that is, the Grace received in the Eucharist. Both Minister then, and holy Rites for this end.

4. Lastly, into the Priests hand God hath delivered a Key; and to what use doth it more serve, than to secure a pardon? Lock out the Pastor doth, and must, but that's not his prime intention; tis with a hope to open the door, and let in again, when he shall see the offender truly penitent and sorrowful, that gave him just occasion to turn him out, and shut the door upon him. To absolve, to remit, to forgive, is his aim and end, even then, when he doth not forgive.

Cast but up all this, and you shall see to what it amounts. The Total will present unto us the free Grace and Mercy of our good God, and his readiness to grant a pardon, in that he gave his Son to purchase a free Remission: and to pass security of it to us, he hath made known to us his word, instituted Sacraments, ordained Priests, left the keys in their hands, that by the word dropt from their lips, by the prayers offered by their devout hearts, the Sacraments consecrated by their hands, and the keys kept in their Office, the full pardon and remission • f sin, might be obtained, sealed, and delivered over unto us. Hitherto of the first favor past over unto us upon Confession, which is a Pardon; but besides that, there is another, which is the cleansing; for

5. To cleanse us from all iniquity.

It is the Apostles meaning, that there is nor only upon confession a free pardon granted, but there is a purgation that goes along with it, that carries away the malicious filth of sin. The pardon is available for our justification, but the purgation hath an influence upon our lives. By it we come to be new creatures, and are by little and little freed from the pollution of sin. For together with the action of God in forgiving sin concurreth another action of divine Grace, enabling a man to forsake and mortify every greater sin which God pardoneth. The filthiness of the flesh and spirit is taken down.

That we may understand this point the better, and be practitioners in it, know we must that there is a twofold purging: One that is made by the blood of Christ; this is perfect even now; for they to whom the merit of Christ is imputed, have instantly the Guilt of their sin remitted, so that it hath no power to condemn. The other purging away sin, is by the spirit of Christ, which will never be brought to perfection, while it works upon this our flesh. For his Spirit begins only this work in this life by the mortification of our earthly members, weakens and subdues the power of sin, so that though ir remain in motion and act, yet the dominion is removed; for not any one sin reigns in us to command as it was wont to do.

Men then do but deceive themselves with hope of a pardon, except they find in themselves the effect of the purgation also. The blood of Christ is applied to no man, but by his Spirit; and upon whom the Spirit works, he will be cleansed; so that if after confession a man obstinately and willfully remains in those foul and enormous sins which he did confess, and lets them reign in him, his pardon is evacuated, and of none effect. For whom the blood of Christ frees from condemnation, his Spirit raiseth and quickeneth to Sanctification.

I know well, that while we are in this life, we never can be cleansed from frailties and infirmities; in purging, all the noxious humors pass not away at once, but yet there is still a discharge of them, they are lessened, they decay, they flow away still; so it must be in this spiritual putrefaction, although we cannot be rid of it all at once, yet care must be taken, that it be lessened and weakened, purged out as much as may be. Minime bonus est, qui m • lior non vult fi • ri. He is no good man, that would not be better; for the light of the righteous shines more and more to the perfect day.

And to that end these three Assays would be made towards perfection, these three degrees of ascent and proficiency observed.

1. There would be a barring up of all the inlets, and an obstructing the avenues against the future breakings in of the old polluters, those old profane polluted habits of sin, and a resistance made to all new and fresh temptations.

2. A daily recourse by prayer to the finger of God, which alone can cleanse Lepers, that he would make us clean, and prepare us for new Jordans of grace, in which we may wash, and by that virtue be cleansed.

3. That when he hath prepared them, we go down and wash in them, acting with his grace, and co-operating with it to the utmost of our strength and endeavor; which directions, were they taken out, and put in practice, no question there would be greater proficiency in our cleansing; from iniquity, from all malicious iniquity we would be cleansed at least.

The APPLICATION.

Did you ever read of the Well which the Angel shown to Hagar, when she and her Ishmael were ready to perish for thirst in the Wilderness? Have you ever heard of the Israelites Manna? the Rock of water which followed them? the bunch of Figs that cured H • zekiah? the Spou • es Apples, and the Flagons in the Canticles? All this, and much more is Remission of sins, to a soul pressed down with the weight, and scorchit with the sense of God's wrath; for till such time he hears these gracious words, Remissa sunt peccata, Thy sins are forgiven, go in peace. He knows that he is more odious in the eyes of God, than the creature we most hate is in ours; subject to what penalty the Majesty of Heaven pleaseth to inflict, and that his very prayer is abominable.

View but the misery of him whose sin is not covered, in that mirror of sorrow our Savior, in the Garden, and upon the Cross: See if ever there were man in such a case praying with such fervor, Let this Cup pass, sweating blood, complaining with so much sense, deserted of God, Men and Angels. What was the cause of this blood, this sweat, this sorrow, this complaint? Sin it was, not yet remitted; yet not his own, but the sin of the whole World: He saw God upon the Throne, ready to take vengeance, and to damn man for it. He saw how odious the pollution of sin was to his holiness; how offensive the iniquity of sin was to his justice; and this was it that made him pray so earnestly for a pacification, melted him into sweat, a sweat of clotted blood, and caused him to complain, That he was forsaken.

Could we but see what he did feel, the wrath, the fierceness of wrath; the anger, the heat of anger of Almighty God against that sinner, whose sin is not remitted; we would hate that sin which caused and moved it, and think ourselves most happy, when we are out of the danger; for everything that befell him, might have befallen us, and one more, eternal damnation, had he not purchased, and taught, and left us a way to sue out a pardon.

But there are too many who are at ease in Zion, a sort of careless and obstinate, and malicious sinners, who flatter themselves with hope of a pardon; but take not the way to procure it: They heap up sin, and yet never doubt of Remission. This Age hath produced a Monster, the World never saw the like before; it hath two hearts, many heads, more than a hundred hands, the teeth of Lions, a Sword for a tongue, feet of clay, the face of a woman, a tail of a Scorpion, a garment dipit in blood, the talents of an Eagle, and the name is Blasphemy; there attends upon it Hypocrisy, Sacrilege, Heresy, Schism, Perjury, Murder, Extortion, Oppression; this is the description of the great Whore; It is a composition of all things, but the understanding of a man; and when that shall return, I will confess remissibile peccatum, but till then, major iniquitas.

God forgives no sin, till it be confessed and forsaken, at least in dislike or hatred. What hope then can remain for them which do not repent? Our Apostle tells us here reservedly, He forgives us, he purgeth us: Not then a pardon for all hand over-head; but for us, who are true Confessionists and Penitents. There were many Lepers in the days of Elisha, and many Widows in Israel in the days of Elijah; yet none cleansed that we read of, but Naaman; nor no Widow relieved, but she of Sareptha, to whom the Prophet was sent: 'It is so in this case, none purged, none pardoned, but to whom the pardon is sent and offered.

Beware then how you would be of the company of those penitents, who for the guilt and punishment, would be glad to hear from Christ's mouth, Thy sins are forgiven thee; but cannot endure that other counsel, Go sin no more, least a worse thing fall unto thee; which certainly to all obstinate and rebellious sinners will fall. A worse thing indeed, no less than eternal damnation, especially if they fall into that sin which never shall be remitted: For such a sin there is; I cannot now stand to dispute what it is; I shall only acquaint you with these properties of it. 1. Inward impenitence. 2. Despair of a pardon. 3. To call evil good, and good evil, & to defend it. 4. Obstinately to persevere, and impugn the truth. 5. Every day to grow worse and worse. 6. And to bear the marks of Antichrist. I leave it to every man's conscience to judge who are guilty; but this gives me leave to put you in mind of, that every such man is in a most lamentable condition; for to omit what may befall him in another world; in this either Sodom's fire, or Noah's flood, Egypt's plagues, Pharaohs destruction, Corah and Abirams ruin, Ahab and Jezebel's end, Herod's Lice, Judah's, or Ahithophel's Haltar, Absalom's Oak, Ananias sudden death may pursue and overtake him; for until he hath his pardon sealed in heaven by the blood of Christ (which in a malicious course of sin he never shall) subject he is to any one of these plagues.

The Lord hath not so much as promised, nor spoken one syllable that can be wrested for favor to those who do not forsake their sins; he is often in these promises, He that confesseth, and forsakes his sins, shall find mercy; Turn to me, and I will turn to you, with thousands to the same purpose; but where is it written, in what line is it to be found, That he that goes on in his wickedness, shall save his soul? The clean contrary is extant; They shall die in their sins, they shall have judgment without mercy, they heap up wrath against the day of wrath. It is then out of the Devils mouth, not God's, that men learn and persuade themselves they shall be forgiven, though they be great proficience in sin, and multiply their transgressions, as they increase their days, neglecting all wholesome admonition that might induce them to break off their sin by Repentance. O let it not be forgotten that here is a pardon, here is a purgation indeed promised in this verse; but that confitemur goes before it. The pardon then is but conditional, not absolute; confess then, and lay hold of it, you have right to sue it out; but if you confess not, there is no hope; the pardon then should make men better, not worse; not presumptuous to sin, but fearful to offend.

2. And such an effect it will work in the heart of everyone that effectually sues it out; for he will thus say to himself, What shall I sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. For out of abundance of love he will adhere to Christ his Savior, as one who is the Author of this great grace, as one who hath merited it, and purchased it for him.

Should a man who is in a great debt, beyond his ability to pay, find his Creditor so merciful as to forgive him all, would he not magnify his bounty, would he not love him, be thankful to him! God, when the debt was infinite, we bankrupts, that had nothing to pay, freely forgives us; nay, puts into our hands a stock of grace, that we may employ for our advantage; and can we do less than love him for this? This is all he looks for; we can, we may pay it by the assistance of his grace; and shall we then stick with him for, and deny him that, so little?

Remember the case proposed by our Savior to Simon the Pharisee: There was a certain Creditor had two Debtors; the one ought five hundred pence, the other fifty; and when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me, which of them will love most? Of their love you see he made no question, but of the quantity of their love. To which Simon answered, I suppose to he to whom he forgave most; which answer our Savior exemplifies for good, in that poor woman Mary Magdalene; Dilex it multum; her love was correspondent to her pardon; much forgiven her, and therefore in her much love: In vast sums of sin we are all engaged, and God knows what we had to pay; some ow'd more, some less; but not one who had anything to lay down; yet our gracious God forgave us all; for the pardon is universal, a pardon for sin indefinite; no sin for number or greatness in the Text excepted: Be they for tale as the hai •• of the head, or for number as the sands, yet there is a pardon for them: Be they for weight Talents, ten thousand Talents, yet for these there is a Remission; for he will cleanse us from all iniquity, saith our Apostle: And if all freed, and freed from all sin, pence, pounds, Talents, then all must love him; and he most, to whom he hath forgiven most; but that man love him also, to whom he hath forgiven little.

But I know not how it falls out, he that is the greatest debtor, is the lest lover. After a discharge, he runs most on the score, and boldly increaseth his sin, because God hath frankly and freely wiped it out: This is a high kind of ingratitude, of which Mary was not guilty; for she loved much, and she continued in her love; for she after sat at his feet, and heard his words, and she brought her box of Nard, and poured it every whit on his head; and intended to do as much at the Sepulcher, supposing that she could never show her love sufficiently to him who had given her a pardon. Go thou and do likewise, anoint his feet, pour Nard on his head, love him in his death, honor him in his resurrection; one way or other show thy love, because he hath forgiven thee a vast debt of sins.

Thirdly, lastly, because though thy love be never so perfect, yet thy performances will be imperfect; therefore be sure daily to ask for forgiveness; supplicate as Christ hath taught, forgive us our trespasses. Pray for it as for thy bread, beg it as food; for indeed it is more necessary than daily bread: For this then let us renew our suit day by day, be earnest and importunate with him; this being obtained, other requests will be speeded the easilier.

For sin separates from God; and till it be remitted, we cannot expect audience, and a grant of what we ask; for God hears not sinners; that is, obstinate, rebellious, malicious sinners; such who live in sin, delight in sin, plot sin, and practice sin; all the time that sacrilegious Achan was in the Camp, Joshua could not prevail against Ai. When Saul had sinned, he could get no answer from God, either by Urim, by Uision, or Prophet. Ask we may, and not have; seek, and not find, so long as we remain in our sins; • or the prayer of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: Whereas if we begin our petitions with confession of our unworthiness, and seriously resolve to forsake that which makes us unworthy, we shall obtain pardon for what's past, and be heard in our requests.

This is the form of the Covenant which God hath made with man, They shall confess their iniquities, then will I rememb • r my Covenant; he shall pray unto God, and he will be merciful; I confessed my sin, and so thou forgavest: But yet this is clear in the New Testament, Did I not forgive thee, because thou askedst? For according to that of David, God cannot be angry with his people that prayeth.

To be heartily sorry that we ever offended him, to confess, and beseech him to remit the offense; to be wary how we offend again, by a lively faith to present him with the ransom of our offense, and to thank him that he would provide this ransom for us, and that he hath left in his Church a means to dispense it, will pacify our God, and expedite our suits. This, this alone may quiet the conscience, and give rest and peace to our troubled souls while we live here, and seal unto us an assurance of an eternal rest with him hereafter.

The three Sermons following occasioned by the Article

1. Our Conversation is in Heaven.

All the men of the World belong to two Cities; either ad Civitatem Dei, or Civitatem Mundi; the distinction is Saint Augustine's; the compass of the World is the extent of the one, and all that walk in it; the amplitude of the Church is the latitude of the other, and in the circumference of it are comprehended, Christ, Angels and Men: But these men within this City are not of one kind; for some there be, who are such as our Apostle describes in the former verses, Enemies to the Cross of Christ, whose god is their belly, whose glory is their shame, who mind earthly things; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Politicians they are, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 They bend their wits, and beat their brains to satisfy their lusts, and fill their purses; and as if their souls were of the same mould that their bodies, their belly is glued to the dust.

But it was well observed by Plato, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to live like the most, is the most dishonest life; for the policy of the World, is enmity with God; and therefore those who belong to that other City, whose builder is God, conform not themselves to the Rules of these Politics. Live among them they must, as Lot did in Sodom, their body forceth them to that; but they hold not themselves any of their Corporation, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , they esteem themselves from their people, and out of their Country; and therefore as strangers they behave themselves quietly and peaceably, submitting themselves even for conscience sake to honest Laws, but yet live by the Laws of their own City. I (saith Saint Paul ) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , have served God in all good conscience to this day.

And I know no City in the World which hath so strict, so holy, so just Laws. Read over the Politics of Plato or Aristotle; peruse the Laws of Draco writ in blood; examine the constitutions of Lycurgus, Solon, Minos, Zamolxis, and say whether you find any State so justly, so straitly tied and ordered: Even the Israelites, who first were the free Denizons of this City, for the hardness of their hearts, had an indulgence, of which Christians dare not make use. They were suffered to give a Bill of Divorce, which we may not: They took liberty to hate their enemies, so they loved their friends; and thought they might look and long after a maid without sin, so they shown no further folly.

Whereas in the Christian state, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , an action lies against a man in this City-court, not only for the commission of evil, but for a wicked purpose, the intent being no less punishable than the act. A bloody hand, and a murderous heart, is so heinous a crime in a Citizen, that even an angry thought, if morose, and a disgraceful word is a foul out-rage; and a modest and maiden-like behavior is so far enjoined, that a wanton eye is utterly prohibited. I need not tell you how hateful among these perjury is, since that our Master hath engraven this command in fair Characters on the City gate, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Swear not at all. Many among these Citizens are not rich, God having chosen the poor and weak things of this World to confound the mighty. An Age perhaps may produce a rich Job, and a wealthy Abraham; but none of these trust in their riches, make them their Patron, their Idol, their God; so far they are from any such confidence, that at the most, they hold their place to be that of the steward of God's City, entrusted only with their Masters treasure, and bound to dispense it to those that need. Tell me, in what state did you ever hear of these injunctions? To do good to them that hate you; to bless them that curse you; to pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you: In a word, to overcome cruelty, pride, impiety, with humility, meekness, patience, except in the Christian-Common-wealth! Here indeed we have an order for all these; and those who truly observe it, may say truly with Saint Paul, Our Conversation is in Heaven, their ways being of another fashion, than the most who walk on Earth. In Heaven they are by their contemplations, in Heaven by their affections, in Heaven by their ways and works.

1. The soul of a good Christian is reposed in Heaven, and therefore he doth always contemplate, and seek the things above. His thoughts being busied not about the objects of the eye, but the objects of faith: He is ever looking, not upon the things which are seen, but upon the things which are not seen; knowing, that the things which are seen, are temporal; but the things which are not seen, are eternal. To contemplate the Earth, and things of the Earth, he leaves to Earthly-minded men, while he soars higher, and by faith beholding, what Peter saw with his eye, cries out, It is good to be here; here, if anywhere, he will make his Tabernacle.

This is a heavenly business, and therefore prosecuted by those only who are bent to Heaven; by this we make use of all good means, fit ourselves for all good duties; by this we get more light of true knowledge, more fervor of affection, more life of devotion; by this we look strange upon things on earth, and solace and please ourselves with invisible comforts; we see our Savior with Stephen, we talk with our God as Moses, we are ravished with Saint Paul into Paradise.

And because we never can contemplate aright, without sit objects to fix on, therefore hath Christ in his Word proposed to us great mysteries on which to meditate; by reading his Word, and other holy and pious books, we are moved to pray, to praise God, to give him thanks, to exalt him with Psalms and Hymns, and spiritual Songs, in all which while we spend our hours, Our Conversation may be well said to be in Heaven.

But this is a work beyond our own power; for no man can come unto me, (saith our Savior) except the Father draw him. The grace of God to call, to draw, to help, to bring us into these Cellars of heavenly and spiritual dainties and refections, is necessary. Although Mary chose the better part, yet of herself she chose it not, till moved and called by Christ; that then we be prompt and ready for this work, divers things are to be done by us.

1. We must implore the Divine help and assistance with vehement and earnest prayers, breaking forth with David in fervency of spirit, O send forth thy light and thy truth: Let them lead me, let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy Tabernacles, ducant, adducant, introducant, let them lead, bring, bring me into those dwellings of pleasure and repast, seated on thy holy hill, to which by my own strength I can never ascend. To which fervent ejaculations, we have this comfortable promise annexed, Ask and ye shall have, s • eke and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. Ask, seek, knock. We ask what we want; we seek with labor what is distant, or hid; we knock when we are near the door. Ask then with importunate prayers, that ye may have help, and you shall receive. And upon help given, seek, and cooperate with that help, and you shall find more and more assistance. Which having found, now you are near the door, and therefore now knock with more vehement importunate desires, sighs, fastings, prayers, and it shall be opened unto you: The King will bring you into his wine-cellars of comfort.

2. Before we can thus converse with God, there must be in us be a great quiescence and tranquility of spirit. Mary was at rest, and sitting at Christ's feet, when she heard his words. I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the fenced place, saith the Prophet, and I will watch to see what he will say to me. For when the mind is full of tumult and anxiety, which carries a man to another matter, it is not apt to meditate on the things of God. All impediments then must be removed, and the mind at rest. And these impediments are four especially. The fear by night, the arrow that fleeth by day, the pestilence that walketh in the darkness, and the destruction that walk • th at noon-day; From all which God promiseth his a protection.

1. That which first hinders men in their contemplations, and spiritual converse with heaven, is this same Timor nocturnus, the spirit of pusillanimity, of fear, of carelessness, of tediousness, which brings a terrible night upon the soul, and makes it fear where no fear is, fingit laborem in praecepto, it presents a command involved with a thousand difficulties full of many dangers, beset with powerful enemies, exposed if observed to scoffs, hurtful to our health, troublesome to the body. O saith this ignorant and dark fear, There's a Lion in the way; the sons of Anak are there; and will any wise man upon the view of this danger, desire to set foot in this Land? better then still to sojourn in the Desert, than by endeavoring to converse with heaven, to be thus disquieted on earth. He then, who will have his conversation above, must be as bold as a Lion, and not be frighted with this fear by night.

2. From which when he is escaped, yet he is not safe, for he is in danger of the arrow that fleeth by day: This is the spirit of pride, vain-glory, boasting, presumption, over-much curiosity; and well it is said to fly by day, for it wounds most, when the light of knowledge, or at least so supposed, is in the Zenith. They meditate, They contemplate, They spend their time in devotion? What needs that? they have greater matters to search, the secret judgments of God to pry into, to constitute Churches, to gather Saints. Meditation and Contemplation, and pious devotions are for simple souls, their employments are for higher matters. This is the arrow that flies and wounds the heart of many by day, and turns the light into dark night. Of these, those words of Hosee may be verified, Ephraim feeds on the wind, and followeth the East wind; For when they should feed their souls with Meditation and Devotion, they feed upon windy aiery speculations, vain chimera's and fancies, heats of zeal and pride, and by employing over-much time in empty and long-winded discourses to bolster up Schism and Separation, they neglect in themselves, and cool in others the main duties of a Christian, piety, devotion, contemplation, prayer, by which a man may be truly said to have a great part of his conversation in heaven. This is a sharparrow, and it wounds far and deep. God keep every good Christian out of the reach and danger of it.

3. Nusquam securitas. Man that lives on earth can never be secure, for yet there is another enemy that will disturb him in his practice of piety; it is the pestilence that walketh in darkness, an infectious and deadly are that he draws in from his near approaches to the businesses and negotiations of this life; while he is over-solicitous of temporals, and walks after honors, great dignity, riches, pleasures, his heart is disquieted, distracted, and with cares so oppressed, that he cannot take time for heavenly contemplations. Leasure he hath none to converse above, because he converseth so much below. Whence Saint Paul adviseth, That no man who is a soldier in this spiritual war • are, entangle himself with the affairs of this life. When Moses saw the bush burning, and not consumed, he said, I will go and see this great sight; a generous resolution! I will turn aside from this place, I will leave my sheep, I will see this great sight, and inquire the cause, why the bush should be on fire, and yet not consumed! But when he came thither, first, he is taught to approach near God with reverence, Draw not nigh hither. Then how to be disposed; Put off thy shoes from thy feet: These are but made of the skins of dead beasts, they are a burden to thy feet; away then with these dead affections; these as thy shoes join thee to earth; a man to contemplate great sights, must be free from these. Besides, at this time, I mean to take thee to my s • lf, to be my peculiar servant; renounce therefore the service of Jethro, this pastoral office in taking care of feeding rhy father-in-laws sheep, and become wholly mine. A sign whereof was a putting off the shoe: By which Ceremony a disclaim to any title in land was past, Ruth. 4.7. And when we come to contemplate heavenly things, we must approach bare-footed, without earthly affections, passions, perturbations; these as shoes being put off, and laid aside, ultimate, that we are no longer nostri juris, at our own dispose, but wholly at the will of him to whom we approach. Secular occasions will molest and distract our pious intentions, and therefore they must then be laid aside, as Moses shoes.

4. But there is one evil spirit more, which is a greater enemy to Contemplation and Devotion than the other three; it is daemonium meridianum, a destructive Devil that walks abroad at noon-day. At noon-day cattle betake themselves to shady places, to avoid the heat of the Sun; at noon-day the weary laborer takes his rest for awhile; and in the heat of temptation, and after his wearied spirits tired out with uncessant pains, the active Christian betakes himself to Meditation and Devotion, in which Christ makes his flock to rest at noon. But then appars this noon Devil, transforming himself into an Angel of light, that he may deceive those who intend to pray and contemplate. Heu rara hora, brevis mora! nam tarde venit, cito recedit. This hour seldom comes, and is quickly gone. He persuades that the duty be either omitted, or lightly performed; and to that end he suggests some honest and lawful action that may call us off; some obedience at that time to be performed to a Superior, or some necessary office to be done for ourselves, or our neighbor; he presents things that are true and pious in their season, that he may steal from us these seasons of conversing with God.

These enemies and impediments every pious man well knows, and therefore he takes the truth of God, that shield and buckler which God hath left him; that nor the fear by night, nor the arrow by day affright him, nor the pestilential negotiations of the world infect him, nor the noon-Devil can avocate him from his devotions; • otwithstanding all these, by his daily and pious thought and contemplations, his conversation is in heaven.

2. A Christians conversation in heaven by his affections.

Now out of these happy and heavenly contemplations, there ariseth a true affection, by Divines called amor unionis, by which the soul desires to be united and joined to God. For love is that verge and inclination of the soul, by which it joins itself to the object it loves; or to speak more truly, ongeth to be mingled and made one with it. That therefore which gravity and weight is to heavy bodies, that is love to our souls, it moves them forward 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to the place of their rest and contenrment, that so ab amore desiderii, they may come ad amorem fruitionis, from desire they may come to enjoy what they love. This love was in Saint Paul, who was well-pleased to be absent from the Body, that he might be present with the Lord. Hence he desires to be dissolved; for so long as he was in this Tabernacle, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , he did groan for that burden which kept him and his Savior asunder. Christ was always with Paul by the power of his Spirit, but Paul desired to be with Christ to see his glory and partake of it. For as two loving souls, that are kept asunder, are always in perpetual fear and discomfort; quod ardentius desideres, cares aegrius: what a man ardently desires, he never wants without trouble: so is it with the soul that truly loves God, it ponders all the impediments that may withhold it from God, casts up the dangers that may encounter it in the way, and upon it thinks the time long till it come to appear in the presence of God; it laments, it mourns, it sighs, it weeps, it grieves, till it be fully united to the God of love.

It cannot be unknown to you, that Christ in the Scripture is called the Husband of his Church, she then must needs be his Spouse. What affection then every good Woman bears to her Husband, there is no good Wife but knows; she grieves at his departure, fears in his absence, longs for his return; the reason is, because the soul is ubi amat, non ubi animat, not where it lives but where it loves. Hence it is, that every good soul who truly bears an affection to Christ, though in the Word and Sacraments she enjoys many comforts from him, yet these give her not full content; she knows that she still is absent from her Lord, and therefore is full of fear, and full of sorrow. Which grief for his absence, the Spouse in the Canticles hath thus expressed; she sought, and sought, and when she could not find him whom her soul loved, she fell into a Lipothymie, wanted cordials and spiritual comforts to cheer her up; for she was sick at heart with love, being overcame with a longing expectation of her future delayed glory.

And yet observe here, that languet amor, she was sick and feeble; it was an infirmity in her, that she could love him no more: Her love though fervent, was not in that degree it should be, being too often cooled by the over-much earthynesse of the neighbouring body: For howsoever her affection stood firm and entire to God, yet she hath too many allurements to draw her downward; sometimes the beauty of the world, sometimes the glittering of riches, sometimes the incentives of pleasure, that I name not the Pandarism of the Devil, make her to entertain many an adulterous thought; so that her best love is but languor amoris, weakly dividing itself betwixt God and the world.

What then happens to other qualities, the same happens to this of Love; it is either heightened or abated, heated or cooled by certain degrees or steps. There is Tepor, there is fervor in it. And yet this Tepor, this lukewarmness inclines rather to fervor, or the utmost degree of heat, than abates to the first of coldness; for it can never be put out, or cooled by the copious inundation of wickedness; but rather as fire by the aspersion of water, it recovers strength, and breaks out into the greater flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it; nor the watery temptations from the flesh; neither the raging floods or waves of persecution, are ever able to put out this flame.

There is indeed a kind of Tepor, verging and inclinable to cold; such was that Laodicean temper, which a little water will quench, a wicked temptation, or an easy persecution alters his love. This degree is to be found in an hypocrite, whom you would think to be reeking hot in zeal, as the wind of the time blows up his coal; but all this zeal and courage is dashed out with the least water that is dashit upon it, or rather goes out of itself. We are not to seek for examples of this kind, Et si nolim dicere, quis me coget? When time served, who so hot! but time was, and time is, and they have served the time. Then their Conversation seemed to be in heaven, but after their heaven was on earth, and their Conversation is suitable.

But there is another Tepor or warmth in religion which the godly nourish by prayers, fire by their pious endeavors, and never cease till they make it burn and flame out by their religious works and conversations; for they think it not enough that they be shining, except they be burning Lamps, by which they give an evident testimony of their love, and show clearly that their conversation is in heaven.

3. Our Conversation is in heaven, in respect of an holy and heavenly life.

Which Saint Paul principally in this place professeth in his own, and in the name of the Primitive Christians: For while the Church remained a Virgin, she had the conditions and qualities of a good Maid, Modesty Sobriety, Chastity. No adulterous lust, or immodest thought, or bewitching gift could corrupt her to prostitute herself to the world, or wed her to the earth. I speak of her better and greater part; for if any proved otherwise, desinunt apud nos fieri Christiani, saith Tertullian, in their Apology, they cease to be esteemed Christians among us.

Hence it was, that as with us the Tree may be known by his fruits, the sun by his light, or the fire by the heat: so in those Primitive golden days, a Christian might be known by his life and conversation: As their Faith and Doctrine were different from other men's, so also their life and conversation were more holy then all other men's. Pliny an Heathen, gives them this Testimony, That they were a sort of harmless, innocent people, that rose before day, and sang praise and hymns to the honor of one Jesus. And when some virulent tongues set a fire by hell cast upon them some foul aspersions, Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, Cyprian, Minutius Felix, rose up in their defense, and asserted their innocence by books dedicated unto their persecutors. Hear Tertullian for all, who describes their practice to the life: Before we taste our meat, we take a taste of prayer; we eat as much as men that still are hungry; we drink as much as is profitable for them who live chaste: so we fill our stomachs as we remember, that we must rise to pray at midnight; so we talk and devise, as who know God hears all: we sing Psalms and praises to God, and thereby declare how much every man hath drunken; prayer endeth our banquet as it began it; the very name of our banquet argueth, that we meet rather for piety and charity, then good cheer; for we call it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , love; and so loving, so officious so hospital, so charitable we are one toward another, that even you Heathen note us for it; for what is more common in your mouths then this, Vide ut invicem se diligunt, & pro alterutro mori parati sunt! see how these Christians love one another, being ready to die one for the other! This was the charity, this the chastity, this the sobriety, this the piety, this the innocence of the first Christians. And this just defense and vindication of their conversation serves well for two uses; to inform us in our ways, and to reform and shame our lives.

1. It is of great use to instruct us what the lives and behavior of Christians ought to be in this world, viz. such, that though vivant corpore in terra, yet cord habitant in coelo, in the world with their bodies, but in heaven with their hearts, using the strength and youth of their bodies to the conquering of sin, but never yielding their members as weapons of unrighteousness to fight for sin. Ye may well compare them to a wheel, which in one part of the circumference toucheth the earth, whereas the greatest part of the orb either points or mounts toward heaven; so true Christians, though by reason of the provisions for the flesh, they are forced to look toward the earth, yet their chiefest and highest thoughts have respect to heaven; and that part which carries them downward, yet is not glued, and fixed and fastened to this base and dirty element, but quickly ascends, and looks to heaven again.

2. Thus it is with the true Christian. But let a man look into the world, and he shall find him as rare as a Winter Rose, or a Summers Snow; were Saint Paul now alive, he must alter his words; for it could not be said of the generality of Christians Their conversation is in heaven. A Cardinal hired the Duke of Urbans Painter to draw the effigies of Peter and Paul upon a Table, to be placed in the Popes Chapel; the picture being perfected, the Cardinal blamed the workman, that he had overlaid their faces with too red and high-colors: but the witty Painter replied, that true it was, when they were alive, they looked pale and wan by fasting and preaching, and other exercises of mortification, but now they were become red and high coloured by blushing at the wickedness of their Successors, so that very shame had altered their color. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Could. the eyes of those blessed Spirits that behold the face of God, look down from that seat of glory, and take a full view of our actions, who profess to live by their directions, how would they blush and color for shame of our impure, unsavory, and corrupted lives! So far fall we short of their rules and example.

If to oppersse the innocent, and turn from our own flesh, if to cast abroad fire-brands, and yet say I am in jest, if to vitiate virgins and defile the marriage-bed, if to fast, and smite with the fist of iniquity, if to call good evil, and evil good, if to drink, spew, and reel in the streets, if to violate oahts and swear falsely and vainly, if to corrupt the truth, and introduce heresies, if (for I want breath to say all) in a word to violate not upon infirmity and weakness, but upon malice and wickedness, all God's holy Commandments, may be characters of Professors of Religion, then indeed we may be said to be good Christians. For these works, and greater abominations appear in our lives; and if such a life be the life of Saints, then our conversation is Saint-like in heaven indeed.

I appeal to your consciences, whether these be not your sins? and whether these like those of the Amorites, are not grown to the full among you: Omne in praecipiti vitium stetit. Because of oaths, saith the Prophet, the land groaneth; and what a burden then doth this our land sustain, which is not only loaded with oaths and perjuries, but with adulteries, fornications, drunkenness, oppression, covetousness, profaneness, and a whole chaos of iniquity. Would to God men were not fallen almost with one consent from religion to Atheism, from Christ to Belial, saying, (if a man may judge by their wicked actions) with a wicked heart, and a shameless face, There is no God: The Sacred Name of Jesus Christ is made but a jest and a fable among the Jews and Heathens by reason of us, so that blasphemously they have judged the Christians God to be the worst of all God's, who hath such wicked Servants. What shall we think of ourselves, when our iniquities are grown to such an height, that they have (because unrepented) scarce left us any room with God to obtain mercy? how can we do other then expects the vials of God's wrath to be poured down upon us, since now men sin with the whores forehead that cannot blush, and so openly and impudently trangresse, as if sin were their honor, not their shame?

Is this O you who have given up your names to Christ, to have your conversation in heaven? Is this that holiness that will make you Saints of that City? Can you expect a Savior from thence the Lord Jesus Christ, when you show yourselves to be such vile servants? I know and you know, that the conditions and Laws, upon which you were admitted into his family were other. And except you perform your duty and keep your vow to your Lord, why should you expect that he should perform with you? except you observe and live by the statutes and injunctions which he hath enacted for the government of his house, how can you hope to enjoy the privileges and immunities of it? If you live like Christians, and die like Christians, you shall have the reward of Christians; but if profess the Name of Christ, and live like Infidels, you must expect the punishment of Heathens.

Live like Infidels did I say? I said too little, you live worse; I wish these my words might be blurred with a black coal, and this impeachment were a mere slander. Which of the Nations have robbed their God? yet ye have robbed me. Among the Scythians adultery is not heard of; for

To do as they would be done by, is their rule of life; just they are in their dealings and contracts, punctually conscientious to observe their leagues. Yea to go one step farther in their devotions and prayers, which they offer to their false gods, they show such reverence, such silence, such humility, such pious behavior in their Moschees and Temples, as if they meant to rise up in judgment against us Christians at the last day, and condemn our profane, careless, irreligious irreverence.

That God which searcheth the secrets of all hearts, knows how unwillingly I have broken into this bitter but over-true complaint, which proceeds rather out of compassion toward your miserable souls, then any desire to disclose your faults. I had rather with that great Constantine take my mantle, and cover all, could they by it be covered from the eyes of God. But when you and I must both appear before him, and I must answer for my silence, as well as you for your leudness, I held it profitable for neither, to palliate that which you discover, commit in the sight of the sun, and boast, and glory in, and boldly defend. He whose conscience is guilty, let him carry home this discovery, and lay it next his heart. It may perhaps have that effect upon him, that Peters Sermon had upon the traitorous and murdering Jews, prick and wound him to the soul; cause him to grieve that his life hath been no better, and move him hereafter so to frame his conversation as one that means to come to heaven. And he that can wash his hands, his heart I should say, let him bless God who hath so far sustained him with his Grace, that he hath fixed and directed his feet to walk in that path which will bring him unto that heavenly Jerusalem.

1. We look, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

God doth not presently satisfy the desires of his children, because he would have them wait upon him; he defers Abraham's seed four hundred & thirty years, before he would give them livery and seisin of the promised Land. And puts off the suits of his Saints in Heaven, though they seem to complain of an Usque quo, How long Lord, how long? to make a true proof of their patience.

For man is of an over-hasty spirit, he loves not to be delayed; what he would have, he would have it presently, or else 'tis not worth thanks. Let God but carry the Israelites abour in the Wilderness, they will murmur at it, and be ready to stone their Governors; for a gift that is deferred, breaks the heart; this is the humor of flesh and blood: But the Spirit infuseth other thoughts, and therefore they are willing to stay God's pleasure and leisure, knowing well, That the Uision is for an appointed time, and in the end it will not lie; though therefore it tarry, they will wait for it; and strong Reasons there are which move them to it.

1. God's fidelity and promise, Whose gifts and calling are without Repentance. Three things there are in us that cause Repentance: Mutability, and unwillingness of mind to perform what we have promised: Ignorance, which causeth new consultations: Impotency, to effect our promises; none of which being to be found in God, he cannot repent, he cannot revoke his Word; having therefore said he will come and save us, we may, and must safely continue in our expectation.

2. But another Reason there is, that may in gratitude moves us to it; he hath waited long at the door, and stood, and knocked, and called, Open to me; waited there till his head is filled with the dew,