Eight Sermons at the University of Oxford

THREE SERMONS ON LUKE CHAP. 9. VERS. 23. And he said unto all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

THE righteous branch raised unto David by the Lord God of Israel, of whō it was foretold, that he should come, like a purging fire, and like fullers sope, and should be ready to sit down, to try & fine the silver, even the sons of Levi, as also to fifth Judah & Jerusalem, yea, all that would be his, that their sacrifices and works might be as purified gold, acceptable to the Lord as in old time; having descended from the highest heavens; well content in flesh to be wounded for our transgressions, and broken for our iniquities, even then, when he carried our sorrows, was by divers diversely reputed. Some thought of him as of John the Baptist: of others he was taken for Elias; and there wanted not such as said, he was Jeremiah or one of the old Prophets risen again: but asking his disciples ( whom say ye that I am? ) he heard otherwise. Thou art that CHRIST, the son of the living God.

And knowing that his disciples (howsoever they were well assured, that he was that King and Priest, promised to our forefathers, and foreordained by the almighty to save mankind) were notwithstanding ignorant of the means of man's redemption and salvation, and so were ignorantly by a common error of their time deceived, looking for an earthly kingdom in him whose scepter is a scepter of righteousness, he taught them in a few words, what estate & condition, both of his kingdom and priesthood, should be looked for, even that all our salvation must wholly depend upon the merit of his death, and virtue of his resurrection: and so much he signified unto them, in the former verse, the 22. verse. of this chapter, saying, The son of man must suffer many things, and be reproved of the elders, and of the High Priests, and Scribes, and be slain, and the third day rise again.

Having thus instructed them, he delivereth a new doctrine, in these words of my text, whereby all are taught, what must be done by them, who are willing to be partakers of that salvation, which he for his followers hath deserved. Which place is so much the more worthy our memory and due consideration, because small fruit may redound unto us, from all, that is delivered concerning Christ & the whole work of our redemption, except we thoroughly understand the means, by which we may be made his disciples. For to them only belong all the promises of his kingdom, and the inheritance thereof. Our Savior therefore being unwilling that anything should be hidden from us, which might direct us in the pathway to our salvation, hath said unto all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

The occasion of these words, although omitted by this Evangelist, is notwithstanding expressed by S. Matthew in the 22. ver. of his 16. chapt. & by S. Mark, ch. 8. ver. 32. where we read how that Peter offended at the former words of Christ, wherein he mentioned his own death, began to advise him to the contrary, and took him aside, and rebuked him. Thē Christ turning back reproved Peter, saying get thee behind me, Satan, thou art an offense unto me, because thou understandest not the things that are of God, but the things that are of men.

And because he knew, that this was a common fault to all his disciples, & therefore much more common to the people, who were all earnestly bent to the heaping up of worldly wealth, unwilling to endure tribulations and afflictions, he thought it now high time to instruct them unto patience, and therefore called the people with his disciples unto himself; & said unto all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Which words containing a perfect doctrine, or an exact rule sufficient for the teaching or guiding of the followers of Christ, do yield unto our consideration three things.

The first, who they are, whom this doctrine concerneth, in these words, and he said unto all.

The second, the condition, for which this doctrine is proposed, in the words following: if any man will come after me.

The third, the doctrine it self: in the last words, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

They whom this doctrine concerneth, are not comprehended in a small number; for they are all; and he said unto all. The condition importeth a necessity of this doctrine, if any man will come after me. The doctrine containeth 3. precepts. 1. let him deny himself; 2. let him take up his cross daily, 3. let him follow me. Of these in their order.

And said unto all] here is the vniversality of this doctrine, delivered by our Savior, not only to his disciples and their successors in the ministry of the church; nor to the people only, which were then with him, but jointly to all: yet not to all simply as some have defined, but to all with are straint, even to all that will follow him. For albeit we have learned that God will that all men shall be saved, and come unto the knowledge of the truth; and hath shut v • all in unbelief, that he might have mercy on all; and would have no man to perish, but that all should come to repentance; yet if our understanding of these, & the like places be right, we shall find, that their generality is also restrained. God will that all men shall be saved. 1. Tim. 2.4. yet God will not that all men shall be saved. For Tophe • is prepared of old; it is even prepared for the King, it is made deep & large, the burning thereof is fire and much wood, the branch of the Lord take a river of brimstone doth kindle it, Isaiah. 30.33. God hath st ••• up all in unbelief, that he might have mercy • n all, Rom. 11.32. yet God will not have mercy on all. For he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will, he hardeneth, Rom. 9.18. God would have no man to perish, but would that all should come to repentance, 2. Pet. 3.9. yet he will have some man perish, & denieth some to come to repentance. For he hated Esau, & made his mountains wast, and his heritage a wilderness for dragons, Malachi. 1.3.

What shall we say then? that there is mutability in the highest? God forbid. Heaven and earth shall perish, before one jot, or one tittle of his word shall escape not fulfilled. He willeth that all shall be saved, and therefore it must be so. He saith, all shall not be saved, and how can it be otherwise? All indeed shall be saved, if by all, we understand the elect and chosen of God. But if under all we comprehend the reprobate, all shall not be saved. Say all the elect, not one of them shall perish; all shall repent; for God will have mercy on all. Say all the reprobate; all shall perish, and none shall repent, for mercy shall be shown to none.

S ^t Augustine in his book de correptione & gratia, cap. 14. teacheth as much. God will, saith he, that all men shall be saved, meaning by all, all that are predestinate to salvation, because all sorts of men are amongst them. Kings & private men, Jews and Gentiles, Grecians, and Barbarians, bond and free, men & women, rich and poor, all are one in Christ Jesus. All are chosen and predestinate to live with Christ, but then by all we must understand (as the learned have well noted) Omnia genera singulorum, non singula generum, all sorts of particulars, not each particular of all sorts. And so Kings, and private men, Jews, and Gentiles, men and women, and the rest are predestinate to salvation, though not every King, & every private man, every Jew and every Gentile, every man and every woman, & so forth in the rest. For he that was worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof, because he was killed, Rev. 5.9. hath redeemed men and women to God by his blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.

It was said unto the Pharisees, Luk. 11.42. ye tithe all herbs. Is it credible, that they tithed all the herbs, which the earth yielded? understand rather, that they ••• ed all such herbs as they had.

S ^t Paul saith, give none offense, even as I please all men in all things, 1. Cor. 10.33. yet who knoweth not, how far he was from pleasing the silver smyth Demetrius, & others of the Jews which persecuted him. He meant therefore by all men, all sorts of men gathered together in the Church of Christ.

It is a rule of S ^t Augustine's, and a rule full of truth, that all may be used for many, and many for all, though sometimes all cannot be many, nor many, all. His discourse is to be read in his 6. book against Julian the Pelagian and 12. Chap. Possunt esse aliqua omnia, qua non sunt multa, faith he, &c. Of some things we may say, they are all, when we cannot say they are many; as we say all the Evangelists, but cannot say many, because they are but four. Again, of some things we may say they are many, when we cannot say they are all: and so we say many do believe in Christ, when all do not believe, for all men have not faith, 2. Thess. 3.2. But that which God said to Abraham, in thy seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, Gen. 12.3. expounded by himself saying, I have made thee a father of many nations, sufficiently declareth the indifferent use of all and many. By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death went over all men, Rom. 5.12. and here, all are but many: for in the 19. ver. of the same Chapter it is said, by one man's disobedience many were made sinners. Again in the same Chapter & 18. verse. we read, that by the justifying of one, the benefit aboūded towards all men to the justification of life. Where by all men only many are understood: for in the verse following 19. verse it is said, By the obedience of one, many shall be made righteous. So then all nations of the earth shall be blessed in the seed of Abrahā, not as if all must needs be blessed, but because that all that shall be blessed, shall be blessed in his seed: & so by one man's disobedience all must be condemned, not as if all of necessity must be condemned, but because all that must be condemned, must be condemned in that one man's disobedience: and all men shall be justified by Christ his justice, not as if all necessarily must be justified, but because all that shall be justified, shall be justified by Christ's justice. The holy Ghost then useth this word, all, to give us to understand, that none may be blessed but in Abraham's seed; none condemned, but by Adams disobedience, and none saved but by Christ's justice.

If there be one way into a house by one only door, we properly say, that all men go into that house by that door, not because all men go into that house, for thousands will never come near it by thousands of miles; but because all that come into that house come in by that door. So is it here: we have one way to salvation, by one only door, the justice of Christ; & the ever true God saith, that all men shall be saved by Christ's justice, not because all shall be saved, for assuredly the lake burning with fire and brimstone never to be quenched, is not prepared in vain; but because all that shall be saved, shall be saved only by Christ's justice.

Truth cannot pass forth without contrarieties & quarrels of judgments; and no marvel, for so it hath been from the beginning. Kain could not endure that his brother Abel's oblations should be acceptable to the Lord, & not his, but he would kill him for it, Gen. 4.8. Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him, and thought in his mind to slay him for it, Gen. 27.41. The kingdom of darkness was ever against the kingdom of light. The Scribes and Pharisees were grieved with Christ: infinite have been the Heretics which have opposed themselves against the glory of the Gospel. And now, though the truth it self teacheth us, that these general propositions before alleged, cannot be spoken of, all, simply, but with a restriction; and that all shall not be saved; yet they who have given their names to the womā that sitteth upon the skar ••• coloured beast, having been often drunken with the blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus, do band themselves against the Lord's anointed, and teach that for truth, which that lying woman, the mother of abominations, hath taught them, saying: There is an universal election by which Almighty God, without any restraint or exception of persons, hath purposed by Christ to redeem and reconcile unto himself, all mankind, the whole nature of man decayed in Adam; even every private man, so that no man may be called reprobate, no man exempted from salvation.

But as Aaron's rod devoured the rod of the Sorcerers, Exod. 7, 12. so will truth devour error. They say, there is an universal election, the truth saith, few are chosen, Mat. 20.16. They say that all mankind, yea every private man is redeemed & reconciled to God by Christ; the truth saith, that Christ gave himself for us, that he might redeem us frō all iniquity, & purge us to be a peculiar people unto himself, Tit. 2.14. They say, that Christ gave himself as well for them, whom we call reprobate, as for the elect. The truth saith, I lay down my life for my sheep, John. 10.15. They hereto reply, that all men are Christ's sheep; the truth it self answereth them: My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of mine hand, John. 10.27, & 28.

They add further that all men shall be taught of God, Isaiah, 54.13. and therefore that all men may be saved; else, if all men may not be saved, to what end shall all be taught of God? I answer them, with that, which S ^t Augustine hath in his book, de praedestinatione sanctorum, cap. 8. If, saith he, in a city there be but one schoolmaster, we may well say of him, this man teacheth all in the city, not because all men in the city are taught, but because no man is there taught, except he be taught by him. Even so God teacheth all men to come to Christ and be saved, not because all men therefore come and are saved, but because no man cometh and is saved, except he be taught by God. If this be so, say they, what is become of God's justice, why doth he teach some, and not others; choose some and not all?

Such busy & too curious demanders may learn of S. Paul, that God's will and pleasure is the only chief cause, why he electeth some, & reproveth the rest; that this point of doctrine, is to be believed by faith, not to be examined by reason: and that whosoever shall dispute, to find a reason of God's will, besides that which is revealed in his word, is a pleader against God. O man, saith he, what art thou, that pleadest against God? But, I mind not to enter into the depth of this doctrine; I leave it, as better beseeming greater years, and riper judgments, and the rather, because not long since this same secret, how profound soever it is, hath been learnedly discovered out of this place, by a zealous disposer of God's secrets. Only I may warn them that shall so plead against God, in whose hands they are as pots in the hands of the potter, that they take heed least themselves be among thē, whom the same God, with his scepter of iron shall crush and break in pieces like potters vessels. And so I come to the second thing considered in my text.

Such is the condition for which this doctrine is delivered, that thereby everyone, that will be Christ's Disciple, is assigned to the necessary observance thereof. If he be a vessel of honor, having his name written in heaven, exempted from the power of Satan, as dear to God, as is the apple of his eye, yet in coming after Christ, he must be directed by Christ his doctrine; he must deny himself, he must take up his Cross daily, and must follow him. It is not then put to our choice, to do, or not to do after this rule prescribed unto us by our Savior, but we must do after it: otherwise a heavy dome is pronounced against us; I know you not, you cannot come after me. Then shall we be as okes with fading leaves, and as gardens that have no water. Our selves, how well soever we think of our selves, shall be as towe, and our pleasures as sparks, & we shall both burn together.

How much better is it for us to hark̄ unto the voice of our Lord, and to be ruled by him? He teacheth us that we must deny our selves, and take up our crosses daily, and follow him, if we will be his disciples. A hard doctrine indeed for flesh & blood to consent unto, yet a necessary one, and therefore not to be refused. You will count him a bad servant, unworthy his masters favor, that will not do, or grieve to do, that which his master shall command. The wise man saith, that, howsoever the pleasure of a king is in a wise servant, yet his wrath shall be towards him that is lewd, Pro. 14.35. Gehazi offends his master Elisha, because he takes money and raiment of Naaman the Syrian; but how shall Gehazi be rewarded for it? The leprosy of Naaman shall cleave unto him, & to his seed forever, & himself shall be a leaper as white as snow, 2. King. 5.27. The king of Egypt's chief baker must not offend his master, without loss of his head, Gen. 40.22.

If we be Christ's servants why do we not, or why grieve we to do, that which he enioineth us? If he be our master, where is his fear? Surely he is not a king in vain; his lewd servants shall smart for their lewdness. Why do we grieve him? If we would give him leave; if we would but sweep our house, and make it clean for him; he would come down unto us, and would dwell in us. Why do we offend him? Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones, which believe in me, saith Christ, it were better for him, that a millstone were hanged about his neck, & that he were drowned in the depth of the sea, Mat. 18.6. What! shall the offenders of the little ones that believe in Christ be so hardly entreated? and shall we, that offend Christ himself, look to escape blameless?

S. Chrysostom is of opinion, that there cannot be a more grievous sore to a man's conscience, then to offend Christ, for in his 37. homil. out of the 11. Chap. of Mat. he saith; Howsoever men judge of hell, as of a place of the most bitter, and the extremist torture that may be, yet I think, and will always teach, that it is a more bitter and an extreamer torture to offend Christ by living ill, then to be tormented in hell fire. Yet, assure yourselves, that they which go down to hell for their transgressions against the LORD, have not very easy, and pleasing punishments: for, their worm shall never die, their fire shall never be quenched, and themselves shall be an abhorring to all flesh, Esa 56.24. Since then it is so dangerous a thing to offend our Christ, let us endeavor to offend him no more.

The displeasure of an earthly king bringeth many enemies with it; and shall the King of all kings, moved to wrath and displeasure by our wanton and vicious lives, not be able to set his creatures against us? yes. For his hand is stretched out still. For him, the Sun abode in Gibeon, and the Moon stood still in the valley of Aialon, and there rained haylstones from heaven to take part, in the discomfiting of the five kings of the Amorites, Josh. 10.5. For him fire and brimstone fought against Sodom and Gomorrah, Gen. 19.24. For him, the water returned, & covered the chariots and horsemen, even all the host of Pharaoh, Exod. 14.27. For him, the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the murmurers, Dathan and Abiram with their families, and all the men that appertained to Korah, & all their goods, Numb. 16.32. For him, the Lions spoiled the Idolaters, their wives, and their children, and brake all their bones in pieces, Dan. 6, 24. For him, two Bears came out of the forest, and tore in pieces two and forty of them, which mocked Elisha in his way to Bethel, 2. King. 2.24. Thus hath God dealt with them, with whom he hath been displeased; and yet, his hand is stretched out still. O that the wicked would consider this, and at last forsake their wickedness.

But, I fear me, their blindness is so great, that they will not see: they draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as with cartropes: they speak good of evil, and evil of good: they are wise in their own conceits: many of them are mighty to drink wine, and among them, they are greatest, who are strongest to pour in strong drink. I could wish that such would read over the 22. verse of the 5. Chapter of the Prophecy of Isaiah, it is but short, and happily it may yield them a sovereign salve for their sore: without doubt if they have any feeling of God, they will stand in awe of him, when he denounceth a woe against them; and if they will pass but the next verse, and come to the 24. they shall there find, that, as the flame of fire devoureth the stubble, and as the chaff is consumed of the flame; so their root shall be as rottenness, and their bud shall rise up like dust, the reason is added; because they have cast off the law of the Lord of hosts, and have contemned the word of the holy one of Israel.

It may be they are the loather to leave their pleasures, and to part with their sins, because they have some persuasion, that God hideth his face from them, and seeth them not. Let them not deceive themselves; a godly preacher assureth them, that their pleasures are spurs, & their sins very hypocrites, honey in their mouths, but poison in their stomachs. Could Samuel tell Saul all that was in his heart? 1. Sam. 9.19. & could Elisha know that Gehazi had taken bribes? 2. King. 5.26. And shall not God be able to know the deeds and thoughts of men? yes, if Miriam & Aaron speak but against Moses, the Lord will hear them, Num. 12.2. & old Sarah must not think to laugh, and not be seen. Gen. 18.13. Hel and destruction are before the Lord, saith Solomon, how much more the hearts of the sons of men? He hath measured the waters in his fifth, & counted heaven with his span, & comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in a weight, & the hills in a balance, there is no thought hid from him. Let them therefore hark̄ unto the words of this God in the 3. Chap. of Mal. verse. 5. I will come near to you to judgment, and I will be a swift witness against the soothsayers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that wrongfully keep back the hirelings wages, and against them that vex the widow, and the fatherless, and oppress the stranger; and against all that fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts.

If Elah king of Judah drink till he be drunken, his servant Zimrie must kill him, 1. King. 16.9. If the men of Gibea play the adulterers with an harlot, 25000. Benjamites must loose their lives for it, Judge. 20.46. If Achan be found to be covetous, he, & all that he hath, must be burnt with fire, Josh. 7.24. If the swearer persist in his swearing, the liar in his lying, the idle minister in his idleness, and every wicked one in his wickedness, behold, he that treadeth the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God, shall come quickly, clothed with a garment dipt in blood, his eyes shall be as a flame of fire, out of his mouth shall come a sharp sword, his reward shall be with him to thrust everyone of them into the ever burning pit. This shall be the portion of their cup, if they will not turn from their wicked ways.

But if they will return from all their sins, and keep the statutes of the living God, and do that which is lawful and right, God will have mercy on them. If their transgressions were more in number then the sands of the earth, yet God will be ready to forgive them. Rehoboam could no sooner humble himself, but he was forgiven, howsoever before he had forsaken God, 2. Chron. 12.7. Manasseh did evil in the sight of the Lord, like the abominations of the heathen, and was therefore taken by the Captains of the king of Assyria, put in fetters, bound in chains, and carried unto Babel, yet he could no sooner pray unto God, but his prayer was heard, and God brought him back again to Jerusalem, & placed him in the kingdom, 2. Chron. 33.13. If the thief, even thē, when he is on the cross will pray to Christ to remember him, Christ will tell him, that he shall be that night with him in Paradise, Luk. 23.43.

Since then, such is the compassion of our God, let us not grieve him; let us not provoke him to stretch over us the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab, left so he wipe us, as a man wipeth a dish, who wipeth it, and then turneth it upside down: let him that is covetous be covetous no more; let the swearer swear no more; let everyone mend one; and then our crimson sins shall be white as snow, and our scarlet sins shall be as wool; for God hath spoken it, Esa. 1.18. Is there any soul among us, that hath oft times fallen, and most infinitely offended his maker? with such a soul God communeth in the 3. of Ierem. 1. in this sort: They say, that if a woman depart frō her husband, and do join her self to another man, she may not return to her first husband again, for that she is polluted and defiled; & yet whereas thou hast departed from me, and hast committed fornication with many other lovers, do thou return unto me again, and I will receive thee, saith Almighty God.

Remember the Ninevites; God's sentence was gone out against them: yet 40. days and Nineveh shall be overthrown. Come, see, & taste, how good our God is: the mountains shall remove, and the hills fall down, but God's mercies shall not depart from his people, neither shall the covenant of his peace fall away. The Ninevites could no sooner in detestation of their former lives, proclaim a fast, put on sackcloth, and turn frō their wicked ways, but God repented him of the evil, which he had said, that he would do unto them, & he did it not.

Let us look to our selves: God's sentence is given, against all Idolaters, adulterers, wantons, and the like, they shall not inherit the kingdom of God, 1. Cor. 6.10. yet let not such despair of God's mercy, & so be hardened to persist in living wickedly; the Ninevites can assure them, that they may be forgiven. If they have fallen, they may rise again; if they have been lost companions, yet they may be saved; if they have committed adultery, or have been drunken for the time past, they may be continent, and sober for the time to come: if they have delighted in lewd and evil company, they may hereafter acquaint themselves with good. This only is necessary that they begin their conversion out of hand, that they repent unfeignedly, & thoroughly reform themselves. If they do this they shall live. Yea we must all do so, or else we shall not live. We must repent us of our sins from the bottoms of our harts, and turn frō our wicked ways, and now at last begin to deny our selves and to take up our crosses daily and to follow Christ; and this is the doctrine which I noted in the third place.

Diosc. li. 4. ca. 77. Describing the nature of the rose-laurel, saith that the flower thereof is a very strong poison to all cattle and four footed beasts, but to men of a sovereign remedy against poison: of such a nature is this doctrine of our Savior. It is as poison to the wicked and unbelieving, the very savor of death unto death; but to the godly and believing, it is a preservatiue against poison, even the savor of life unto life.

The first precept contained therein is, that we must deny our selves; in which the whole nature of man is rejected and disallowed, together with all the powers and desires thereof, as far unfit to be in any of Christ's disciples. What is man that he should be clean? and he that is borne of a woman that he should be just? Job. 15.14. we are borne in iniquity, and our mothers have conceived us in sin; yea, we are servants of sin; all the imaginations of our hearts have been evil even from our youth. By this corruption of our nature, self love hath been so rooted in us, that we marvelously please our selves, even in our worst desires. But S. Paul telleth us, that the wisdom of the flesh, is enmity against God, because it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be, Rom. 8.7. Wherefore since they that live in the flesh, overruled by the affections and pleasures which are naturally engrafted in them, cannot please God; it is very necessary that we deny our selves in renouncing all such delights, in humbling our selves under the almighty hand of God, and consecrating our selves wholly to him through the obedience of faith. We then being commanded to deny our selves, are commanded nothing else, then that, which is signified by the mystery of regeneration, John. 3, 3. & by the mortifying of our earthly members, Colos. 3.5. In the first place Christ telleth us: Except a man be borne again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. In the other S. Paul warneth us to set our affections on things which are above, and not on things which are on earth. Abraham denied himself when he went out of his country, and from his kindred, and from his fathers house, not knowing whither he should go, or where he should find any rest, Gen, 12.1. Moses denied himself, when he refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter, and chose rather to suffer adversity with the people of God, then to enjoy the pleasures of sins for a season, Heb. 11.24. Paul denied himself when he accounted all things loss, & judged them to be filthe for Christ's sake, Phil. 3. •

Wilt thou know what it is to deny thyself, saith S. Chrys. hom. 56. in 16. Matt? Then consider what it is to deny another man. If thou seest another beaten with rods, or imprisoned, or stoned, or suffer any other ill, as hunger, thirst, cold, nakedness, or the like, and doest not seek to help him, nor takest pity upon him, then thou deniest him: so if thou wilt deny thyself, thou must not favor thine own body, whensoever it shall be beaten, or stoned, or burnt, or howsoever it shall be afflicted. S. Gregory upon Ezekiel saith, Semetipsum aburgat, quicun{que} mutatur ad meliora, & incipit esse quod non erat, & definite esse quod erat. Be thou changed from worse to better, and begin to be that which thou hast not been, and leave of to be that which thou hast been, and thou hast denied thyself. S. Jerome. in 16. of Matth. saith that he, that putteth of the old man with his works, denieth himself. But, howsoever Christ hath commanded us to deny our selves, we may not presume of our own ability herein. For he that is borne again, is borne not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God, by the seed of his word, by the lively operation of the holy Ghost.

Yet God would not have us to be idle and careless, he hath therefore appointed certain exercises for us, as good helps for our denying our selves. 1. We must pray for God's assistance. So did David; Create in me a clean heart O God, & renew a right spirit within me, Psal. 51.10. So did the spouse; draw me, & we will follow thee, Cant. 1.3. So did the Apostles: Lord increase our faith, Luk. 17.5.

2 We must use a daily & a serious meditation of our professions and vocations. As God hath called every man, so let him walk. Rom. 7.17. We give no small occasion to sin when we careleslie forget our estates, or but seldomly think of them, and that as by the way, nothing mindful of our accompt which we are to render unto God, who is ready to require at our hands, the blood of all such as shall perish by our negligence. The consideration hereof without doubt made David pray to the Lord, that he would lay the pestilence vpō him & his fathers house, and spare the people committed to his charge, 2. Sam. 24.17. the like affection was in Moses, when he prayed that his name might be rased out of the book, wherein God had written him, rather then the sins of the people under his government should not be for forgiven, Exod. 32.32. Such was the zeal of S. Paul, when he wished with his own damnation, to redeem the rejection of the Jews, Rom. 9.3. Such should be the affection, love, and zeal of all the ministers of God's word.

But as she in respect of her tribulations, said, call me no more Naomi, but call me Mara, that is, call me no more beautiful, but call me bitter; so may too many of the ministry of this age, say very justly, call us no more Pastors, that is freeders of our flocks, and call us no more Doctors, that is, teachers of others; but call us robbers, for such we are: call us sleepers, for we never watch in our vocations: neither is there any other reason, why they should be called pastors and doctors, which feed not, & teach not the people committed to their charges, then that the Idols which Rachel stole were called God's, because in Laban's judgment they were like God's, when indeed they were very stocks. Such may learn of Solomon, that as a bird is that wandreth from her nest, so is a man that wandreth from his own place, Prov. 27.8.

3 We must duly consider the estate of the things of this world, and confer them with things celestial and eternal: & so finding nothing under heaven, worthy to make us desirous of our lives, we shall be the more ready to deny our selves. The preacher considered all the works that were done under the sun, and behold, all was vanity and vexation of the spirit, Eccle. 1.14. He made great works, he built houses, he planted vineyards, he had large possessions of beeues and sheep; and he gathered together silver and gold, the chief treasures of kings and provinces; he provided himself men singers and women singers, yea all the delights of the sons of men; whatsoever his eyes desired, he withheld it not from them; he withdrew not his heart from any joy, he was great, and increased above all that were before him in Jerusalem; yet when he looked on all his works that his hands had wrought, behold all was vanity and vexation of the spirit, Eccles. 2.11. Of such a spirit was S. Paul, judging all the things of this world to be dross for Christ's sake, yea, he desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ, Phil. 1.23. He saw a law in his members, rebelling against the law of his mind, leading him captive unto the law of sin, which was in his members, which made him to cry out, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Rom. 7.24. As for the Epicures and carnal men, who, making their belly their God, admire the things of this world, and think it far better to be a living Dog, then a dead Lyon, not caring how abject and vile soever they be, so that they may live: they may know, that it shall advantage them nothing to win the whole world, because they destroy and loose themselves for it: they may believe, that whosoever will save his life shall loose it, and whosoever shall loose his life for Christ's sake, the same shall save it, for he that is all truth hath said it, Luk. 9.24.

4 The careful breeding of a man from his childhood, shall be much available to the denying of himself. To do or to suffer, whatsoever, contrary to the sense of the flesh, shall be very easy to him, that hath been taught, and accustomed in his first years to keep under, and to bridle his affections. It is good for a man, that he bear the yoke in his youth, saith the Prophet, Lament. 3.27. for so when afflictions grow greater, his patience also by experience shall be stronger.

Here all governors to whom the oversight of the younger sort is committed, may remember themselves of their duties, Plin. lib. 7. cap. 2. reporteth of a nation in India called Pandora: that the inhabitants thereof have hoary hairs when they are young, but black, when they are old. I would it might not be reported justly of this place, that many scholars, young gentlemen, & others, come to our University, as it were with hoary hairs, well nurtured, full of tokens of sobriety & modesty; which staying here but a short time, have black hairs, (such is the contagion of this place) their manners are lost; the tokens of their modesty and sobriety are no more to be seen. For the better wiping away of this blot, it were to be wished, that all they, who are any way in place to govern, (remembering, that a child set at liberty maketh his mother ashamed, and that wisdom is given by the rod and correction) would be no less careful to teach the young ones under their rule to walk in truth, then was that noble Lady to teach her children, 2. John. 4.

It remaineth that I should come to the second precept, but that, with the last I must omit, because of the shortness of the time. Here therefore I will conclude. As the Philistines shut up the calves at home, whilst the two milch-kine carried the ark of the Lord to Bethshemesh, because the crying of the calves should be no stay to the kine; even so let us, that live here on earth as pilgrims, travailing towards our own home, shut up as it were, all things wherein we have delighted, let us deny our selves, let us not give ear to the cryings of our Fathers & Mothers, or of any our wretched companions, that they be no stay to us in this our journey; and then as these kine went on, till the Lord brought them where the ark should rest, so shall we go on, till the Lord bring us where our rest shall be. To which rest of blessedness the Lord of his infinite mercy vouchsafe to bring us all, for the love of his only son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

THE SECOND SERMON ON LUKE, CHAP. 9. VERS. 23. And he said unto all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his Cross daily, and follow me.

THat flying book, which the son of Berechiah saw in a vision, bearing in length 20. cubits, and in breadth 10. contained that curse, which then was gone forth over, and yet is continuing upon the face of the whole earth. For everyone that stealeth shall be cut off, as well on this side, as on that: and everyone that sweareth shall be cut off, as well on this side, as on that: and everyone that maketh light of the law of his God shall be cut off, as well on this side, as on that: Of this curse flying about with this book, the LORD of hosts hath said, I will bring it forth, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him, that falsely sweareth by my name, and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof, and with the stones thereof.

When not long since I began the unfolding of this piece of Scripture which I have now read unto you, containing a perfect doctrine, or an exact rule, sufficient for the teaching, or guiding of all that will follow Christ, then in part I declared the means, by which we might be so qualified, that the curse of this flying book, might no way take hold of us, or any our houses. Then in this Scripture I considered,

First the vniversalitie, in these words, And he said unto all.

Secondly, the necessity implied in the condition, in the words following, if any man will come after me.

Thirdly, the doctrine it self, divided into 3 precepts, in the last words, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, & follow me.

You heard then, that this doctrine was universal, for that Christ delivered it unto all, yet to all not simply, but to all with a restraint, to all the elect, not to any one of the reprobate. And then likewise you heard that this doctrine was necessary: for that everyone that would not hearken to the same, was to look for no better, then to be cast into old, deep, and large Tophet, whose burning is fire and much wood, kindled with the breath of the Lord, as with a river of brimstone. And then last of all, I spake of the third precept, wherein you heard that the whole nature of man was rejected and disallowed, together with all the powers and desires thereof, as far unfit to be in any of Christ's Disciples; & therefore that a necessity was laid upon us to renounce all fleshly delights, to humble our selves under the Almighty hand of God, & to consecrate our selves wholly to him, through the obedience of faith, and that for the better performance hereof, we ought, First, to pray for God's assistance. Secondly, to use a daily and a serious meditation of our professions and vocations. Thirdly, to confer the estate of the things of this world, with things celestial and eternal. And lastly, to be careful of our living and conversing even from our childhood, till both our feet be put into the grave. So far I then proceeded as God gave utterance, leaving the 2. precept with the 3. unspoken of according to which if we will frame our lives, we shall find that they are most forcible means to make the curse of the flying book of no force against us.

The 2. precept therefore is, that we must take up our crosses daily; wherein let me desire you, to consider with me, First, what crosses are, for every man must take up a cross. Secondly, what cross it is that everyone must take up, it is his own cross; let him take up his cross. Thirdly, of what behavior everyone must be in bearing his cross; he must show willingness and obedience, for he must not so much as dislike when his cross is imposed upon him, but he must take it up. Fourthly, when this cross is to be taken up, and how long to be borne; this cross must be taken up today, and not be laid down again tomorrow; for it must be borne daily. Of these only at this time.

Man that is borne of a woman is of short continuance, and full of troubles, Job. 14.1. troubles by land, and troubles by sea, troubles by day, and troubles by night; many are the troubles of the righteous, and many are the sorrows of the wicked, every day addeth a new affliction, & every night a new cross: every man hath cause to cry out, and say: Our transgressions & our sins are upon us; we are consumed because of them, Ezech. 33.10. That which is vnsavorie shall it be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg, saith Job. 6.6. What delight then can we take in our lives, whose griefs and miseries, were they well weighed and laid thgether in the balance, would be heavier then the sands of the sea: the arrows of the Almighty are in us; their venom hath even drunk up our spirits. Wretched man, that thou shouldest be thus troubled with crosses.

Howsoever these crosses seem to be infinite, yet the smallest number may well include them. For either they are such as are common to all men in general, whether vessels of honor or of dishonor or else they are such as are proper only to the vessels of honor. For after that the first mā had offended against the law, which he had received of his God, a curse was pronounced against him, and against all other creatures of the earth for his sake: cursed is the earth for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou e •• e of yt all the days of thy life; thorns & thistles shall it bring forth unto thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return to the earth again, Gen. 3.17, 18, 19. Here you see a common cross: labor for every man, of what estate soever he be: labor for the servant, and labor for the master, labor for the subject, and labor for the King. Art thou a child of disobedience, reserved unto the day of destructiō, to be brought forth to that great day of wrath? Then hast thou no reason, why thou shouldest not labor. Art thou an obedient child registered in the book of life, and thereby exempted from the power of Satan? then hast thou reason to rejoice; but yet behold, in the sweat of thy face, thou shalt eat thy bread.

Other crosses there are, as common to all men, as this former. Consider, and there shall appear unto you a man's sorrows at his birth, his whole life a valley full of sorrows, & his sorrows at his death: besides the infiniteness of diseases, to which every mā is by nature subject. The reason of all which is, for that everyone of us in our first parēt, whē he should have sown to him self in righteousness, that he might have reaped after the measure of mercy, hath plowed wickedness, and reaped iniquity, Hos. 10.12. to all which the patient man respecteth, saying: Misery cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth affliction spring out of the earth, but man is borne unto travail, as naturally the sparks of the fire fly upward, Job. 5.6, 7,

Now, because the world lying wholly in wickedness, unable to receive the spirit of truth, hateth with all bitterness all such, in whom the light of the truth showeth it self; other crosses there are proper to the vessels of honor only. Such are the strange & diverse kinds of persecutions, in which the faithful have been from time to time afflicted, with false accusations, with imprisonments, with loss of goods, with banishment, with dreadful deaths before unheard of. Eliiah for killing Baals Prophets, found Iezebels heart set against him even to the death, 1. King. 19.2. Micaiah for speaking to Ahab according to the word of the Lord, was put into a dungeon, and there fed with bread and water of affliction, 1. King. 22.27. The hot burning furnace was thought punishment little enough, for the three children which refused to worship Nebuchadnezzar's God, and his golden Image, Dan. 3.20. All which, & like afflictions of the godly, of what sort soever they be, are called here by Christ, crosses, to put us in mind, of the communion, which is between us and himself. For as he for our sins hath endured upon the cross unspeakable griefs, and a cursed death, so must we for his sake hating this world, and the pleasures thereof, be ready to bear all such afflictions as shall befall us, that our faith in him may be kept holy, and undefiled.

Every Christian therefore is to take up his cross, his own cross, even such a cross, as God shall lay upon him, as his own; yet so, that he must not neglect the miseries of others. The rule of charity inviolably to be kept by all Christians, bids us to weep with them that weep, Rom. 12.15. Pharaohs daughter teacheth us, when we meet with a child cast of to the wide world, to take it up, and nourish it, Exod. 2.6. The Samaritan shall condemn us, if when we find our neighbor in the high way wounded, we take no compassion upon him, Luk. 10.33.

We are all members of one body; Christ Jesus is our head; where is the sympathy should be between us? Can one member be grievously tormented, and the rest suffer nothing? You know that in your natural bodies, if the foot be hurt, the hand is ready to lay a plaster to it. Why should it be otherwise in this our spiritual body? Can your hearts suffer you, seeing the poor in this time of dearth crying out unto you at your doors, and in the streets for relief, to yield them no succor? Be not loath to lend unto the Lord, for he will repay it, Prov. 19.17. Learn counsel of the wise man. He telleth you, that whosoever giveth unto the poor shall never lack, but he that hideth his face from the poor, shall have many curses, Proverb. 28.27.

Our Savior then commanding us to take up our own crosses, doth not forbid us to pity such, as are to be pitied, but signifieth unto us, that the cross, which we are to take up, is such a cross, as God in his good pleasure shall lay upon us, & thereby is made our own. Shall there be any evil in the city, & the Lord hath not done it? saith Amos. 3.6. Howsoever we are fed with the bread of affliction, we must still acknowledge God 〈◊〉 be the author thereof, our sins moving him thereto. Miriam spake against her brother Moses, the servant of the Lord. God said a cross upon her for it; she was made leprous like s ••• e, Num. 12.10. Baasha, he walked in the way of Jeroboam, and made the people of Israel to sin, and with their sins provoked the highest God. Behold his cross for it: He that dieth of Baashaes stock in the city, him shall the dogs eat; and that man of him, which dieth in the fields, shall the fowls of the air eat, 1. King. 16.4. IEHORAM walked in the way of the king of ISRAEL, as the house of Ahab had done before him, •• e slew all his brethren with the sword. See, God had a cross for him in readiness; for he smote his people, his children, his wives, and all his substance, with a great plague, yea, he smote Jehoram's own bowels, with an incurable disease, so that in process of time after the end of two years, they miserably gushed out, 2. Chron. 21.18.

What is man that he should be clean, or he that is borne of a woman that he should be just? Job. 15.14. God hath found no steadfastness in his saints; yea the heavens are not clean in his sight, how much more is man abominable and filthy, which drinketh iniquity like water? he is altogether sinful; sinful in his conception; sinful in his birth; in every deed, word, and thought, wholly sinful. And can we so sinful, by our sin provoking to wrath our good God, think to escape our due crosses? let us believe S ^t Paul; he telleth us, that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution, 2. Tim. 3.12.

Yet behold, she that hath been so oft drunken with the blood of the saints & martyrs of Jesus, teacheth her followers to undertake new crosses, which are not laid upon them by God's finger. Some must bring down thenselves with needles fastings, others must vow pilgrimages full of dangers; many must make choice to live poor hermites in an hermitage; such as keep thenselves within the walls of their cloisters, must watch much, lodge hardly, even upon the ground; & often scourge themselves. All which they do not with-out pretence; for everyone must take up his own cross.

S ^t . Austin in his 50 Epist. written to Boniface, speaketh of three kinds of deaths wherewith the Donatists willingly desired to be killed, or rather killed themselves. Some of them would make request to the worshipers and keepers of Idols to destroy them; others would offer themselves to armed men lying by the high ways side to be slain of of them; and there wanted not such among them, as delighted to cast themselves down headlong from high places into the water, and into the fire. This these did with like pretence: Everie one must take up his own cross.

In these our days the Anabaptists desire to have crosses laid upon them, without just cause, and before God layth them on there shoulders, they are willing to forsake wife, children, substance, and country to, to oppose themselves to manifest dangers. A zealous preacher of late years of Zurich saith that himself saw a woman, which (after that she had lived many years, honestly with her husband, and among her neighbors) instructed by the Anabaptists, ran away from her husband, and forsook her seven little children, nothing pitying the youngest, although a sucking child, and when she was asked why so unlike a mother, she left her children, she had that pretence which the rest of the Anabaptists have, Everyone must take up his own cross Monks, Donatists, and Anabaptists, all account themselves blessed, for their voluntary taking up of their own crosses.

The searchers out of natural causes do teach, that in many senseless things, there is a secret friendship, so that the one is much the better for the presence of the other. Pliny saith, that the Elm flourisheth if it be set by a vine, Lib. 16. cap. 17 & that Rue groweth best being planted under a fig-tree, Lib. 19. c. 8. and the Heliotropium, spreadeth her leaves at the presence of the Sun, Lib. 22. cap. 21. All which will not be of so good liking, if these their natural loves be removed from them: the Elm will scarce thrive; the Rue will hang down her tops: the Heliotropium will close her leaves again. Me thinks that zeal is not of a far unlike condition.

If it be joined with a good cause, how gracious is it in the eyes of the Lord! The zeal of Phin • has, manifested in his killing Zimrie and Cozbi, was of force to turn away the anger of the Lord from the children of Israel, Numb. 25.11. The zeal of Hezekiah breaking in pieces the brazen serpent set up by God's word, when it was abused unto Idolatry, was a sweet smelling sacrifice; the Lord was with him for it, and he prospered in all things that he took in hand, 2. King. 18.7. The zeal of Moses commanding the Levites to kill all them, which worshipped the golden Calf did so please God, that he turned the curse of Jacob against Levi to a blessing, Deut. 33.8. &c.

But once take away a good cause from zeal, and the very absence of it shall make zeal iniquity. If Joshua in zeal desire Moses to forbid Eldad and Medad to prophecy, Moses will tell him that his zeal is envy, Numb. 11.29. And let not Peter in zeal desire Christ to pity himself, unless he will be called Satan for it, Mat. 16.23. Though Saul never so zealous (as he thinks, in God's cause) breath out threatenings and slaughter against Christ's Disciples; yet in the ende he shall receive a reproof from God's own mouth; It is hard for thee, Saul to kick against the prick, Act. 9.5.

I can easily persuade myself, that all such men, as these were, (of whose forwardness in taking up their own and voluntary crosses, you have already heard) are very zealous in their sufferings; yet because their zeal is not accompanied with a good cause; because they do, whatsoever they do in this, with a misconceit of God's word; I must needs say, that their zeal is not worth commendation, it is superstition, it is abomination. Although Martyrdom be an excellent work, and the gift of God; and howsoever Polycarpus did very well, to give thanks and praise to God when he was put into the fire, as Eusebius specifieth, Lib. 4. Eccles. hist. cap. 15. yet hence it cannot be proved, that a man should voluntarily endanger his life, or any way torment himself. Let Marculus fling himself down headlong from a rock, and let Donatus in like sort cast himself into a pit, both with intent to end their lives, yet shall they not therefore be called Martyrs, saith S ^t Austin Trac. 11. in cap. 3. Johannes.

Dost thou deserve to be called reprobate silver, because the LORD hath rejected thee? or art thou to be compared to the raging sea, whose waters cannot rest, but must cast up mire & dirt? Be thou never so wicked, yet thy death may be like to the death of a Martyr. There were three at once on the cross; one, the Savior of the world: the second a repentant sinner, which was to be that night with Christ in Paradise: the other a thief far from repenting, who was to be rewarded with damnation: All these three had like punishment, howsoever their causes were altogether different. Wouldst thou be counted a Martyr at thy death? saith the same father in his 71. Ep. which is to Dulcitius, be thou then a good Christian in thy life assuring thyself, that it is not the punishment, but the cause that maketh the Martyr. Eor, saith he, Lib. 1. c. 17. contra ep. Parmeniani, if punishment, without due regard of the cause be sufficient to eternize a Martyr, then let Pagans be Martyrs, as oft as they are lawfully punished for their superstitiō, which in their opinions, is holy religion: yea then let the devils be Martyrs too, for they also in a sort suffer persecution at the hands of Christians; when their temples all the world over are overthrown, their Idols broken, their sacrifices prohibited, & their worshippers punished. The consideration of the absurdity hereof, maketh him in the same place to conclude: Non ergo ex passion certa est iustitia, sed ex iustitia passio gloriosa est, A man is not therefore righteous because he suffereth, but his suffering is therefore glorious, because it is for righteousness. And therefore the Lord hath not said in general, blessed are they which suffer persecutiō, but he hath restrained it, blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousness sake, Mat. 5.10.

It is the righteous cause then that maketh the persecution glorious; if our death be for righteousness sake, blessedness shall attend us: yet with a caveat, that we be not the procurers of our own persecutions, that we be not the causes of our own deaths. For if we are such, the goodness of our causes cannot excuse us. Christ his counsel is; when they persecute you in this city, fly unto another, Matt. 10.23. So far is he from willing us to undertake needless crosses. Wherevpon Clemens Alexandrinus in his 4. book of his Stromata, discourseth thus: Christ persuades thee to fly, not as if it were ill for thee to suffer persecution, or as if thou shouldest fear death; but that thou mightest not be author of any ill, either to thyself, or to thy persecutors. Wilt thou not obey him, then art thou presumptuous & over rash, running unadvisedly into manifest dangers. Thou canst not be ignorant, that it is sin against God, to kill a man. Knowe this then, that if thou dost not fly in time of persecution, but dost offer thyself to be apprehended by the persecutors, thou killest thyself; & as much as in thee lieth, thou givest assistance to effect the wicked intents of such as persecute thee.

What then? Is it lawful to fly in time of persecution? He that flyed not, but stood to it, and suffered death for us all, telleth us that the good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep, John. 10.11 but an hireling, and he which is not the shepherd, neither the sheep are his own, seeth the wolf coming, and he leaveth the sheep and flieth, and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep; so the hireling flieth, because he is an hireling, & careth not for the sheep. If then the shepherd ought to put his life in jeopardy for his sheep, and if all that fly be not shepherds, but hirelings, how is it that the shepherd may fly?

S ^t Augustine in his 180. Epist. which is too Honoratus, is of opinion, that Christ's flock, purchased and gotten with his own blood, may not be forsaken, and made destitute of the necessary ministry. Wherevpon this is his resolution, that the Pastor, when, and where, there is none to supply his room, so that in flying, his sheep may be brought in danger of destruction, ought not to fly, but with a bold mind to abide, and sustain persecution, evē unto death, if need be. When S. Paul fled from Damascus, let down through the wall in a basket, Act. 9.25. the Church was not left void of the necessary ministry, but the thing which ought to be done was accomplished by other faithful brethren, which remained there; all which willed and egged him forward, that he should preserve and keep himself to the use and profit of the Church: and therefore he addeth; let the servants of Christ, the ministers of his word and sacraments, do that which he hath commanded and permitted; let them fly at all times from city to city, when any of them specially and personally is sought of the persecutors, so that the Church be not left desolate of others, which are not so persecuted, that their fellow servants may have their food; and if it shall happen, that the peril and persecution be general, pertinent to the whole number of Bishops, and the Clergy; then either let them all go to places, where they may all be defended, that they may altogether live; or else let thē all tarry, that they may altogether suffer.

To which S. Augustine's judgment, Lyranus, expounding the 11. verse of the 10. chap. of S. John, giveth his consent, saying: nomine lupi venientis super oves, aliquādo intelligitur diabolus, per tentationes fideles infestans: aliquando haereticus, per falsam doctrinam corrumpens; aliquando tyrannus, violentiâ armorum persequens, &c. The name of wolf hath three significations for thereby is meant either the Devil, which molesteth the faithful by often temptations: or the Heretic, which seduceth them by his false doctrine: or the Tyrant, which persecuteth them by his mighty violence. In the first and second significations, if the wolf come to the sheep, the Pastor must not fly: for such wolves are not to be resisted by the Pastor corporally, but rather spiritually, by devout prayer, by holy preaching, and by sound doctrine. In the third signification of the name of a wolf a distinction is to be made; for the persecution is either personal, or general: if personal, so that it be against the Pastor only, and not against the flock committed to him, then he may lawfully fly: but if it be common, both against the shepherd, & also against the flock, yet a distinction is to be made; for either there is but one Pastor, or else there be many: if but one, he ought not to fly, and forsake his flock, for so he should be a hireling and not a shepherd: if many, of whom the Church hath need, then some ought to remain, and others may fly; the flock remaining behind ought to be sufficiently provided for. Wherefore if they shall contend, who shall tarry, calling for the grace of the holy Ghost, they may decide it by lots.

Athanasius that good Bishop of Alexandria, seeking by flight to escape the fury of the Emperor Constantius, left behind him a sufficient, and a learned ministry to govern the Church; and in his Apology to Constantius, using many examples out of God's book to prove his flight lawful, as the flying of Jacob from Esau, of Moses from Pharaoh, of David from Saul, of Elias from Jezebel, of Christ and his disciples from the Jews, (I omit the rest) maketh this his resolution: Our Savior commanded us to fly away, and to hide our selves, as oft as we shall be persecuted, and sought for to the death, Siquidem in aequilibrio est, & seipsum occidere, & se inimicis ad occidendū propinare: for it is all one, saith he, for a man to kill himself, and to offer himself to his enemies to be slain.

So then, if the Pastor can leave his flock sufficiently provided for, he may fly in time of persecution; but if there be none to supply his room, he must stand to it: he must take up his own cross: yea every Christian is bound to the obedience of the same law: as he must not be froward in taking up needless crosses, which may not be called his own; so he must not be backward in bearing such crosses, as God in his good pleasure shall lay upon him; for they are his own. Wherefore let us now see of what behavior we must be, in bearing our own crosses, which is my third note of the second precept.

Jacob served Laban for Rachel 7. years, & they seemed unto him but a few days, because he loved her, Gen. 29.20. Hearken all yea that are negligent, and reckless, by living in all ingratitude towards God: consider this, that just one for the love of Laban's daughter purposed withal willingness to serve Laban 7. years. He resolved with patience to endure whatsoever pains and cares might befall him in a shepherds life; his love so fed him with hope, that so many years were but as a few days unto him. How canst thou be excused before God, thankless Christiā? a LOVE is offered thee; not Laban's daughter, but the son of God, even thy Savior CHRIST JESUS; I know thou wouldst gladly obtain this love; yet art thou unwilling to serve God, (I say not 7. years,) but 7. days for him: thou art not resolute with patience to endure such crosses as must befall thee in thy Christians life: howsoever thy love feeds thee with hope, yet so few days seem as many years unto thee. Wouldst thou know in this thy froward course how to be amended? Hearken unto thy love; he bids thee take up thy cross. When it shall please God to visit thee with any kind of affliction, thou must bear it willingly, thou must bear it patiently.

Here you see what behavior is required of us, in bearing our crosses; we must be willing, we must be patient. He could give good counsel that said; Refuse not the chastening of the LORD, nor be grieved with his correction, Prov. 3.11. His coūsails there is not without reason, because the Lord correcteth him, whom he loveth, even as the father doth the child, in whom he delighteth. What! shall we receive good at God's hand, and not receive evil? Job. 2.10. Let us arm our selves with patience; which is as powerful to the seasoning of our crosses be they never so bitter, as was the tree, which Moses cast into the spring of force to season the bitterness of the waters, Exod. 25.25.

The Persians had a custom among thenselves, as oft as they would punish any noble man, to take from him his head tire & his upper garment, & to beat thē instead of the man himself: God's dealing to us ward is not much unlike; our sinful souls provoke him to wrath, instead of thē he punisheth our bodies with diseases, our fields with barrenness, our goods with fire, or otherwise.

Behold though Lazarus lie at the gate; Joseph in prison Jeremiah in the dungeon, Daniel among the Lions, the children in the furnace; yet shall they not be tempted above that they are able to bear, 1. Cor. 10.13. Though the troubles of the righteous are great, yet the Lord delivereth him out of all Psa. 34.19. Though for a time we dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in misery and iron, Psal. 107.10, yet at last comes the year of Jubiliee, (wherein all the Lord's prisoners, all prisoners of hope, so called because they may hope to be set at liberty, Zach. 9.12, shall be set at liberty) and then shall we have our liberty too. Then those sweet scriptures will have their end: the Lord retaineth not his wrath forever, because mercy pleaseth him, Mich. 7.18. After two days he will reviue us, and in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight, Hos. 6.2. Surely there is an end, and thine hope shall not be cut of, Prov. 23.18. Heavinesse may endure for a night, but joy shall come in the morning, Psal. 30.5.

O that we would therefore Praise the LORD for his goodness, and declare the wonders, that he hath done, & doth for us. Rather then Elijah shall starve, the ravens shall feed him, 1. King. 17.6. Rather then Jonah shall be drowned, the fish shall save him. Ion. 1.17. and if the glutton will not, the dogs shall pity Lazarus; Luk. 16.21. For as David charged his soldiers, not to kill Absalom his son, although he sent them against him, to stay his rebellion, 2. Sam. 18.5. So God forbiddeth his crosses to destroy his children, though he send them against his children to purge their corruptions. In regard thereof P. Martyr upon the 4. verse of the 5. chapter to the Romans, likeneth us to certain spices whose sweet smells cannot be perceived, except they be bruised; and to the Marchasite, which cannot exercise that force which it hath of burning, unless you press it between your fingers.

If that which hath already been spoken, be not of force to work in us willingness, & patience, at such times as crosses are upon us, let us enter into a due consideration of God's providence, without which no afflictions can come near us. And what are we, that may dare to say, why hath God done this? If Solomon in all his majesty could not make himself so brave, as the Lilyes of the field; if we cannot add one cubit to our stature, not change the color of one hair; if no sparrow lights upon the ground without the foresight of God; if no water falleth from the clouds without his ordinance; if the very tears which trickle down our cheeks, be numbered in his bottle; how is it, that we dare repine, when we are afflicted, finding fault with our ill luck or hard fortune.

The scripture teacheth us that all things, howsoever many of them seem casual and contingent to our weak conceits, are notwithstanding determined and regular in the course of providence. The fish that came to devour Jonah may seem to have arrived in that place by chance; yet the Scripture saith the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, Ion. 1.17. The storm it self which drove the Pilots to this straight, may like wise seem centingent to the glimpse of carnal eyes; yet the prophet saith, I know that for my sake, this great tempest is vpō you, Ion. 1.12. The fish which Peter took, might seem to have come to the angle by chance; yet he brought in his mouth the tribute, which Peter paid for his LORD and himself, Mat. 17.27. By the diversity of opinions among the brethren touching the manner of dispatching Joseph out of the way, we may gather that the selling of him in Egypt was but accidental, and only agreed upon, by reason of the fit arrival of the Marchāts while they were disputing, and debating, what they were best to do; yet saith Joseph to his brethren, you sent me not hither, but God, Gen. 45.8. What may seem more contingent in our eyes, then by the glancing of an arrow from the commō mark to kill a traveler that passeth by the way; yet God himself is said to have delivered the man into the hands of the shooter, Exod. 21.13. Some may think it hard fortune that Ahab was so strangely made away, because the Scripture telleth, that a certain man having bent his bow, and let slip his arrow at hap hazard, without aim at any certain mark, stroke the King; but here you shall find no luck, nor chance at all, otherwise then in respect of us, for the the shooter did no more, then was denounced to the King by Micah from God's own mouth before the battle was begun, 1. King. 22.17. What in the world can be more casual, then lottery; yet Solomon teacheth, that when the lots are cast into the lap, the providence of God disposeth them, Prov. 16.33. The Prophet saith that evils shall light heavily upon our necks, whose original or cause we shall not understand, Isaiah, 47.11. yet howsoever in respect of us, & our knowledge, they may seem casual & contingent; in God's good providence they are absolutely necessary.

The consideration hereof made Job even then bless God, when news was brought him of the loss of his sons, and all his substance: The LORD hath given, and the Lord hath taken it, blessed be the name of the Lord, Job 1.21. The like consideration made David forbid Abishai to hurt Shimei: though Shimei came out from Bahurim cursing, and casting stones at David, and all his servants; and crying: come forth, come forth thou man of blood, and thou man of Belial; yet David said unto Abishai; Behold, my son, which came out of mine own bowels, seeketh my life; then how much more may this son of Iemini? suffer him to curse for the Lord hath bidden him, 2. Sam. 16.11. Our Savior respected the same, when he said unto Pilate; thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above, John. 19.11. Hence it was that the Macedonians in great trial of affliction had their joy abounding, 2. Cor. 8.2. And for the same cause the Apostles rejoiced in their tribulations, Rom. 5.3.

Why then do not we, with like consideration of God's providence, bless God, when we are punished? Why do we not glory and rejoice in our tribulations? Happely you will say, that they are evil, and therefore make a question, how we may glory in them? I must needs grant, that they are evil, and death, sergeants, far to be removed from the godly. For God shall wipe away all tears from the eyes of his Saints, Rev. 7.17. Yet must I ad, that they are evil in their nature only, e • i • to the reprobate; but to the elect by God's mercy, good and profitable. For we know, that all things work together for the best unto them that love God, even to them that are called of purpose, Rom. 8.28. Neque enim pij patiuntur ad noxam, sed ad triumphū, saith P. Martyr, Rom. 5.3. The godly are not afflicted for their hurt, but for their triumph. And therefore he compareth afflictions to the red sea, wherein Pharaoh was drowned, but Israel saved; they make the wicked oft times desperate, when the godly are confirmed in a most sure hope by them. They are the Lord's instruments, by which he trieth our hearts, as the fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, Prov. 17.3. By them he chasteneth us, that we should not be condemned with the world, 1. Cor. 11.32. And therefore be the cross never so bitter, yet is it sweet to the hungry soul, Prov. 27.7. Resolue we then to take up our crosses daily; which is my last note of the second precept.

The body is then of best liking, when it is daily exercised, and the godly are then of best living, when they are daily afflicted. Agur knew it well: and therefore he prayed God not to give him riches; but only to feed him with food convenient, lest he should be full and deny God, and say who is the Lord? Prov. 30.9. When Israel waxed fat, he spurned with his heel, and regarded not the strong God of his salvation, Deut. 32.15. When Gideon was poor, and a thresher of wheat, the Angel of the Lord visited him; but after that the Lord had given the Midianit • into his hands, he made an Ephod of golden earings, and placed it in his city, OPHRAH, so that all Israel went a whoring after it, Iud. 8.27. We find not that Jeroboam was reputed evil, as long as he was of low estate, but when he was once preferred to be ruler of the 10 tribes, he made two golden calves, & called them the God's of Israel, 1. King. 12.28.

We likewise since God hath given us prosperity, since he hath withholden from us his afflicting hand, are very ready to forsake him: to swear by them that are no God's, yea impiously to swear by him that is the revenging God, to commit adultery, to assemble our selves by companies in harlots houses; to rise up in the morning like fed horses; to account religion a pretty policy to keep the meaner sort in awe; to think him scarce worthy a Gentleman's company, that will make a conscience of committing any vice, be it never so brutish? Shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord? shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this, Ierem. 5.9.

Many of these were the sins of Judah, and all of them are our sweet sins. Would you know, what was the portion of Judah's cup, for these her transgressions. The 15. verse. of the 5. Chap. of Ierem. will show you what the LORD hath said I will bring a nation upon you from far, a mighty nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say: whose quiver is an open sepulcher: they are all very strong; they shall eat thine harvest and thy bread, thy sheep and thy bullocks, thy vines and thy fig-trees; they shall devour thy sons and thy daughters, they shall destroy with the sword the fenced cities, wherein thou hast trusted. Shall our trespasses against God be more then Judah's were, and can we look that our punishments should be less? Let us not flatter our selves: there is scarce any one of us, that hath not heard news of a nation, that is coming against us from far, a mighty nation, an ancient nation, a natiō whose language we know not, neither understand we what they say. If they come, we have learned so much, that God in his good providence, bringeth them upon us, & who knoweth whether God will strengthen them, that they shall be able, with fire and sword to beat down all our forces, to devour our sons and daughters, to eat up our harvest and our bread, our sheep & our bullocks, our vines and our fig-trees. It may be, that the strength of our country maketh some, little to regard the invasion of any foreign enemy.

O put your trust in God, for vain is the help of man. The king is not saved by the multitude of an host, neither is the mighty man delivered by his great strength, Psal. 33.16. Jabin, with his confederates, even thirty and one Kings, with all their forces, must fall by the edge of the sword, if the LORD do but send Joshua with a few against them, Josh. 12.24. The whole host of the Midianites shall be discomfited, if the LORD do but once bid Gideon go with his three hundred men, Iud. 7.7 The Moabites and Ammonites, be they never so many, shall yield to Jehoshaphat and his small number without resisting, 2. Chron. 20.17. And what are we, that we may be sure, that the LORD will not deliver us into the hands of our enemies? how can we presume to think so, since, as a cage is full of birds, so are our houses full of deceits, Ier. 5.27.

Many among us are become great and rich; they are waxen far and shining; they do overpasse the deeds of the wicked, they execute no judgment, no not the judgment of the fatherless. Shall not the LORD visit for these things? shall not his soul be avenged of such a nation, as this? He turneth the floods into a wilderness, and the springs of waters into dryness, & a fruitful land into barrenness for the wickedness of them, that dwell therein, Psal, 107.33. It may be Achan offendeth; yet three thousand Israelites shall be put to flight for it, Ios. 7.4. David committeth the sin; yet seventy thousand of his people must die for it, 2. Sam. 24.15. Baasha may be the man, that transgresseth; yet his whole household, his kinsfolk, and friends shall smart for it, 1. King. 16.11.

Rent your harts therefore, and turn unto the LORD your God with fasting, with weeping and with mourning, for he is gracious, and merciful, slow to anger, & of great kindness, & repenteth him of the evil, that he hath said he will do, Joel. 2.13. Who knoweth if he will return, and repent, and leave a blessing for us, and make his cup to pass from us? His mercies are called everlasting, because they endure forever: but his anger is compared to the clouds, because it lasteth but a season: whom he loveth, he loveth to the end; but whom he scourgeth, he scourgeth till they repent. Hezekiah was sick, but until he wept, 2. King. 20 3. Nebuchadnezzar was banished, but until he repented, Dan. 4.34. And no doubt, if we will repent us unfeignedly of our sins we shall find that, to be the best remedy against our present famine, and the wars we look for.

Now as peace, plenty, and prosperity maketh men, yea many of us, to think that there is no God, at least to forget him, so on the other side, daily afflictions will make us feel that there is a God, and daily to remember him. The blueness of the wound serveth to purge the evil, and the stripes within the bowels of the belly, Prov. 20.30. Sharp punishments that pierce even the inward parts, are profitable for us to bring us to amendment. When we are tried, we shall receive the crown of life: we shall then be bl • ssed, when we endure temptations, I am. 1.12. Let us therefore take up our crosses daily; that is, as S. Peter doth interpret it, every day, if need require, 1. Pet. 1.6. or every day, if the will of God be so, 1. Pet. 3.17.

Here might I take just occasion to reprove diverse sortes of men, which are so far from taking up their crosses daily, as that they refuse to take them up at all. No excuse can be made for these Christians, which in time of persecution become Turks, denying Christ, and renouncing their faith: nor for our sea-mē, which, rather then they will be taken by their enemies, will sink their ship, and drown themselves: nor for those at land, which in their miseries, are their own murderers: nor for those poor ones, which make light, (so they may relieve their poverty ) to be thieves, robbers, userers, enemies to Churches, and Colleges, covetous persons, malicious and shameless slanderers, & the like. But neither the time, nor your patience can suffer me, to speak of all these: yet let me briefly touch them, which loosing but an ox, or having any about them strangely fall̄ sick, run forthwith to the wise ones of this our age, to cunning men & cunning women, to witches, enchanters, conjurers, and the like, seeking for help of them; and it shall appear, that neither these may be excused.

God hath promised by his prophet, that whosoever calleth upon his name, and giveth ear to his voice, as to the sole and only shepherd of his soul; good things shall betide him in this world and his soul shall live, Ier. 38.20. His plants shall prosper his counsels shall take effect, his corn and oil shall multiply; he shall lend unto many, but he shall not borrow himself; his children like olive branches, shall encloase his table round about. On the other side, whosoever will not give ear to the voice of the LORD his God, but will seek unto strange God's and oracles, to false prophets, to witches, & conjurers, making more accompt of Beelzebub, then of Christ; of Gerizim, then of Zion; of the prince of darkness, then of the morning star; of pleasing error, then of smarting truth; shall sow his field, but never reap it, for the grasshoppers shall destroy it: shall plant a vineyard, and dress it, but shall neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat it: shall have olive trees in all his coasts, but shall not anoint himself with the oil; for his oliues shall fall: shall beget sons and daughters, but shall not have them; for they shall go into captivity: the Lord shall smite him with a consumption, with a fever, with a burning ague, with fervent heat, with the sword, with blasting, with the mildew; all these shall pursue him till he perish, the Heaven, that is over his head, shall be brass, and the Earth, that is under him, iron, Deut. 28.23.

Was King Asa punished with death, because in his sickness he sought for help of the Physicians, and not of the LORD, 2. Chron. 16.12. and thinkest thou that runnest to Satan's instruments, for recovering of thy lost goods, or of thy health, to escape unpunished? If Ahaziah consult with Beelzebub the God of Ekron about the recovering of his health, the LORD will send him word that he shall not come down from his bed, but shall there die the death, 2. King. 1.4. If Saul ask counsel of a witch the archers shall wound him, and his own sword shall kill him, 1. Chro. 10.13. If Manasseh use them, that have familiar spirits, and are soothsayers, God will send him such evils, as that who so heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle, 2. King. 21.12. And can you, that have consulted with Ekrons God, with witches, with them that have familiar spirits, think that God will not smite you.

O turn unto the Lord with unfeigned reap̄tāce, that God may withhold his revenging hand from you, and you may live in his sight. For as S. Jerome writes, that God knows not the women which are painted, because they carry not that face, or favor which his hands have made, so if you fly from witches, and conjurers unto him upon necessity, and not for love, his answer will be, I know you not: Come you to dem •• nde advise of me? As sure as I live saith the LORD God, when I am asked, I will not answer you, Ezech. 20.3.

And therefore, whensoever it shall please God to visit us with loss of goods, with want of health, or other like afflictions, let us not seek, by those wicked means, to be relieved. Why should we, so much desire to live at ease? What are we else, thē earthen vessels, soon broken? A spider poisons us, a gnat chokes us, a small pin kills us. Why then should any crosses in this life, so trouble us? As he said, it is enough for me, that Joseph my son liveth; so let it be in our greatest miseries our song, it is enough for us, that our Savior Christ reigneth. He our head is already crowned, we his members, are thereby honored: he is already glorified, because he hath ascended, whither at last we must ascend, that we may be glorified. To which place of glory the LORD of his infinite mercy: vouchsafe to bring us all for his son Jesus Christ his sake, to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost, be all praise, power, majesty, and dominion, both now and ever. Amen.

THE THIRD SERMON ON LUKE, CHAP. 9. VERS. 23. And he said unto all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his Cross daily, and follow me.

S ^t John in his Revelation, as appeareth, chap. 19. ver, 11, Saw heaven open, & behold, there was a white horse, and he that sat vpō him, was called faithful & true, and he judgeth and fighteth righteously. His eyes were as a flame of fire; on his head were many crowns, and he had a name written, which no man knew, but himself. He was clothed with a garment dipt in blood, and his name is called, THE WORD OF GOD. Out of his mouth went a sharp sword, wherewith he might smite the heathen; them shall he rule with a rod of iron. He it is, that treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of almighty God. Upon his garment, and upon his thigh, hath he a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORD'S.

This our great captain, because he daily cometh forth to battle against the enemies of his church, hath set down a rule inviolably to be observed of all such as will come after him, & fight under his banner: for he hath said unto all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, & follow me, when heretofore I entered the examination of this rule, then in part I declared how every Christian soldier guided thereby, ought to prepare himself to follow this high captain. For the better explication whereof I observed

• 1 That this rule was general out of the first words: And he said unto all.
• 2 That it was necessary, as it is implied in the condition, if any man will come after me.
• 3 That the rule it self consisted of 3. precepts; let him deny himself, & take up his cross daily, and follow me.

You heard then that this rule was general, for that Christ delivered it unto all, yet to all not simply, (for the beast, & the Kings of the earth, with their armies, following this beast, and fighting under his colors, are no way to be guided by this rule) but to all with a restraint, but to all the armies in heaven, which the divine saw following him that sat upon the white horse, which howsoever, they are called armies in heaven, are notwithstanding men upon the earth: such are Godly Kings, Princes, Nobles, worthy Captains, and Soldiers, which with the material sword, defend the Gospel: such are zealous Ministers, & preachers of the truth, which with the spiritual sword fight against Antichrist: such are all blessed Christians, walking before God in the places, whereto they are called, warring daily against their proud enemies, the flesh, the world, and the devil. All which are said to be the armies in heaven, (albeit as yet they live on earth) in regard, that their cause, for which, and the power, by which, they fight, are both from Heauē. These ride upon white horses, and are clothed in fine white linen, and pure; these come strongly, swiftly, and cheerfully to this battle: these are clothed with sincerity, integrity, and purity of faith, love, and other affections, for all is pure white about them. To these only, and to all these doth this rule appertain: for he said unto all, if any man will come after me.

Out of this condition you have also heard, how necessary this rule is; even so necessary, that neither subject, nor prince, neither people, nor pastor, neither soldier, nor captain, how godly soever they seem in man's eyes, can be fit to follow this highest Captain, except he be qualified according to this rule Let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me, saith CHRIST.

Of the first two precepts, I have likewise already spoken; now let us consider the third: And follow me. Which words do lead me to speak.

1 Of imitation, or following in general.

2 Of following the best; of such an imitation as beseemeth Christians.

Man by nature how strangely he is given to following, if I should hold my peace, servants, soldiers, all inferiors would make it manifest: servants will eye their masters, soldiers their captains, inferiors their rulers: be they good, or be they bad, get they honor, or get they discredit, come their profit, or come their loss, their lives will be instead of laws, and that must be holden for well done, which is done after their example, saith Siraches son, Cap. 10. verse. 2. Thus examples, not laws, do (when laws, not examples, should) teach men to live.

And so it was in former ages. In regard whereof the divine Philosopher would by no means suffer Homers book to be read in his commonwealth, because in them, God's & Goddesses were feigned to be such; as no honestly minded man, or woman would have their sons, or daughters like them, Yea so it was from the beginning. Eve’s eating the forbidden fruit, was sufficient, to make Adam do the like, Gen. 3.6. The younger sister would make her father Lot drunken, as well as the elder, Genes. 19.35. When Judah was forward, his brethren were ready to give their consents, to sell Joseph to the Ishmeelites, Gen. 37.27.

Dead flies cause to stink, and putrefy the ointment of the Apothecary, saith the Preacher, Cap. 10. verse. 1. Dead works the works of darkness in the better sort, do cause to stink, and putrefy the towardly inclinations of the inferiors. For if any man see thee which hast knowledge, fit at table in the Idols temple, shall not the conscience of him that is weak, be boldned to eat those things, which are sacrificed to Idols? saith S ^t Paul, 1. Cor. 8.10. Thou that preachest a man should not steal, doest thou steal? Thou that shouldst punish adulterers and reprove swearers, dost thou, by thy oaths give them example? dost thou commit adultery? Marvel not then, if thy weak brother, seeing thy knowledge, become a swearer, a thief, and an adulterer. Thy life shall be his law.

Upon consideration hereof a country man of ours, hath added, that we of all other people under heaven, are most famous yea, & infamous too, for our imitation. For do we not imitate, the Spanish in his bravery? The French in his vanity? The Italian in his perfidy? Yea we follow the Dutch in luxury, who hears not of it? The Papists in idolatry; who knows it not? The Atheist in all impiety, and impurity of life; why lament we not?

O come hither, all ye, that are any way either for birth, or calling, whether it be spiritual, or temporal, better then other men; yea and all ye too, which in the same respect are worse then others: for here are lessons for you both, to teach you to look unto your footings. Is there old custom against you? Respect it not; for it will be foiled by a better custom. Is the flesh against you? Care not for it; for that will be bridled by the heat of the spirit. Is that old serpent Satan against you? Fear him not; for he both at your prayers will fly, and by your godly exercises will be made to run away.

First therefore for those, that are better then others; wonder we may, what the matter is, or with what spirit they are led, or what cometh into their minds, that knowing their lives and examples to prevail when laws cannot, do notwithstanding with such care, and study seek after vile, and vanishing things; and so seldom call their wits together to think of doing any good. Is it not because they are persuaded that the LORD spareth the Cedar tree, for his height, the oke for his strength, the poplar for his smoothness, the Laurel for his greenenesse? O! then they are deceived: for from the Cedar that is in Lebanon, even to the Hyssop, that groweth out of the wall, every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down and cast into the fire. Is it not, because they partly think that God hideth his face from their sins, & seeth them not? O! then they are deceived: for Samuel could tell Saul all that was in his heart, 1. Sam. 9.19. And Elisha knew, that his servant had taken bribes, 2. King. 5.26. And shall not God be able to know their deeds, and thoughts? yes: if Miriam, and Aaron speak but against Moses, the LORD will hear them, Num. 12.2. And if Sarah laugh, but within her self; God will see her, Gen. 18.13. Hell and destruction are before the Lord, saith Solomon, Prov. 15.11, how much more the heart of the sons of men? Ad to this what the Prophet Isaiah hath chap. 40. verse. 12. God hath measured the waters in his fist, he hath counted heaven with his span, he hath comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, he hath weighed the mountains in a weight and the hills in a balance. Can their deeds then, yea can their thoughts be hid from so powerful a God? Is it not because man (of whose censure they stand more in awe, thē of God's wrath ) is not able to discrie their wickedness, which they have so secretly wrought? O! then they are deceived. For town & country howleth and crieth out, too much overladen and wearied with adulterous Shichemites, tyranous Saul's, negligent Eli's, cruel Ahab's, proud Herod's, incredulous Pharaohs; here ambition, there covetousness, everywhere glutony, and excess.

One mole or freckle in the face offends more, then many and great spots, and scars in the other parts of the body. Men in authority, all, I mean, that are better then others, either for birth, or calling, are as the face of the commonwealth. One small escape in them, hurts more, then many great & grievous faults in the inferiors, and therefore one was bold to compare thē to a book, after whose pattern others are printed; if the first draught have faults, all the books printed thereby, must needs be faulty; but if there be no fault in the first, all the rest will have the fewer.

Whosoever openeth a well, or diggeth a pit, and covereth it not, and an ox or an asse fall therein, the owner of the pit shall make it good, saith God by his servant, Exod. 21.33. Hath any of us by bad living caused his inferior, his weak brother, to sin. O! let us not be deaf (beloved in the Lord.) That mā, whosoever he be, hath opened a well, and digged a pit, which he hath not covered, into which, because his neighbor hath fallen, and so perished, he must look to make answer for it; his blood shall be required at his hands.

Thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed, it is the Lord's commandment, Levite. 19.19. What is this militant church wherein we live, but God's field, whose husbandry yea are, 1. Cor. 3.9. Whosoever in this field, sitting either in Aaron's seat, or Moses chair, shall say, but not do; shall say good things, but do the contrary; shall in word sow wheat, but in example cast abroad the troublesome seed of cockle and darnel, he it is, that soweth mingled seed in God's field, and such are they whom the author of the book of wisdom aimeth at, chap. 6.6. When he saith, that mighty men shall be mightily tormented.

In the second place, instruction is here to be had for such, as are, either by birth or calling, worse then other men. They seeing themselves so addicted by nature to follow others, in duty ought to take special heed whom they follow. For all may not be followed. Ask counsel of the wise man, & he will persuade with you, by no means to follow g • uttons, sleepers, and drunkards: for the glutton shall be poor, and the sleeper shall be clothed with rags, Prov. 23.21. As for the drunkard, he shall have no want of woe, sorrow, strife, murmuring, wounds without cause, and redness of the eyes: he shall be bitten as with a serpent, and hurt, as with a cockatrice: he shall be, as one that sleepeth in the midst of the sea, or on the top of the mast, Prov. 23.34. Ask counsel of S. Paul, and he will persuade with you, by no means to follow fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, covetous persons, and the like: for such shall not inherit the kingdom of God, 1. Cor. 6.10. Ask counsel of the LORD himself, and he will persuade with you, by no means to follow the doings of the land of Egypt, or the manners of the land of Canaan. For if you commit such abominations, the land shall spew you out, Levite. 18.28.

O, walk not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand ye in the way of sinners, nor sit ye in the seat of the scornful, for such may not be blessed. You know who hath said it. Assured I am, that in Noah's ark, among his three sons, there was one cursed Ham: that in Isaac's house of 2. sons, one Esau was rejected: that in Jacob's house among twelve brethren, one only Joseph was innocent; that in Christ's house among twelve Apostles, there was a treacherous Judas; neither may I deny, but that at this day among many Magistrates, Preachers, and Masters, there are some licentious Magistrates, some bad living Preachers, some too too wicked Masters. But what is that to us? We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, to receive according to our own deeds: For so may we read, 2. Cor. 5.10. The licentious life of the Magistrate shall not quite the subject, if he disobey the laws: the wickedness of the Master may not excuse the servant, if he be ungracious: the bad living preacher is no cause to save my soul, if I be ungodly. For God himself telleth us, that, that soul that sinneth shall die the death, Ezech. 18.4. And thus from the general imitation; I come to that which best beseemeth Christians.

Follow me] The Lyon hath roared who will not be afraid? The LORD God hath spoken, who can but prophecy? Amos 3.8. Ever worthy is his Majesty to be reverēced, whose voice nothing (be it above or beneath, in heaven or in earth, sensible, or insensible) ought to disobey. Hear then ô heavens, and hearken, ô earth; and therefore hear and hearken both men & women, for the LORD hath said: follow me. Else whom will ye follow? Is not he the way to guide you? Follow him; and he will lead you in the paths of righteousness, Pro. 4.11. Is not he the truth, to give you light? Follow him, and the sun of justice shall arise unto you, Malac. 4.2. Is not he the life, to feed you? Follow him, and you shall go in and out, and find pasture. John. 10.9. He is the way, in example: for he hath given an example, that we should do, even as he hath done, John. 13.15. He is the truth, in promises; for his covenant he will not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of his lips, Psal. 89.34. He is the life, in reward; for howsoever the wages of sin is death, yet the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our LORD, Rom. 6.23. This our LORD, the way, the truth, and the life, in his journey towards heaven, began betime; for at twelve years of age he went about his fathers business: and he kept the right way; for he boldly said, who can accuse me of sin: & he made speed; for he spake, and did more good things in 33. years, then might be contained in all the books in the world: and he continued unto the end; for he died like a lamb, prayed to his father, and forgave his enemies; See here, those four notes, to which my desire is you should well listen, because they may be much for instruction in this Christian imitation; wherein you are to begin betime, to keep the right way to make speed, and to continue to the end. And first begin betime.

Know ye not, that man assone as he was created, had a law given him? Hence may we learn, that everyone of us from the first day of his birth is to live under obedience to the great lawgiver. Doth not experience teach you, that in infancy ye are baptized in the name of God? Hence are we taught, that when we are not able to run to Christ, yet should we, as well as we may, creep unto him. Is it possible for you to forget your daily prayer? Therein you pray, first, that God's will be done, and then you ask your daily bread: to show us that the very food whereby we live, is no way to be preferred before the blessed will of God.

God requirest the first borne for his offering, and the first fruits for his service: and dare we presume to present him with our second labors? He requireth a morning sacrifice, as well as an evening. Abraham rose early in the morning to sacrifice his son to God, Gen. 22.3. So should we rise early in the morning of our lives, even in our youthful days, and sacrifice our selves to God. We should give up our bodies, living sacrifices, holy, and acceptable to him. For why should not he that is Alpha, the first, the beginning in everything, be the first and the beginning in our conversion too? Manna was to be gathered betime before the rising of the sun, otherwise it would melt away, Exod. 16.21. So fareth it with him, whom ye ought to follow; if you come not to him betime, but stay till business & pleasures arise unto you, well may you seek him, but you shall not find him. For wisdom her self hath said, they which seek me early shall find me, Prov. 8.17. but of them which are slow in seeking her, she hath also said; they shall seek me, but they shall not find me, Prov. 1.28.

The guests are bidden, yet no man cometh: all things are ready, yet no mā regardeth. One saith, I have bought a farm, and must needs go out, and see it; O let me be excused: a second saith, I have bought Oxen, and I go to prove them; I pray thee have me excused: another saith, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come: if our fathers be unburied, if our friends be not bidden farewell, then in reason we think we may be excused for not coming. O, saith one, were I a freeman; and another, were I a rich man, and a third, were I an old man, then should we be at leisure to come to Christ; but yet, & till then let us be excused.

Thus the whole head is sick, and the whole heart is heavy, and within us is nothing but wounds, and swelling, and sores full of corruption. For although we persuade our selves that Christ ought by us to be followed, yet can we not by any means accord of the time, when to begin to follow him. Wherein we are not much unlike those Jews: spoken of, Agge, 1. 2. who knowing that the Lord's house ought by them to be built, did notwithstanding sing always this song: The time is not yet come, that the Lord's house should be built. And did they for this escape unpunished? Read ye but the 6. verse of the same chapter, and you will say no: for they did sow much but brought in little; they did eat, but had not enough; they drank, but were not filled; they clothed themselves, but they were not warm; they did earn wages, but the wages was put into a broken bag.

We know that the Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, otherwise doubtless ere this, his scepter of Iron should have crushed, and bruised us in pieces. For what is he among us all, that in his heart hath not said, the time is not yet come, that the Lord Jesus should be followed? How long, how long, o ye sons of men, will ye turn God's glory into shame, by loving vanity, and seeking lies? you say the time is not yet come, that the Lord Jesus should be followed: but the holy Ghost saith, behold, now the acceptable time; behold, now the day of salvation, 2. Cor. 6.2. To day if ye will hear his voice, Psal. 95.7. To day, even this day, if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts.

There was at Jerusalem the pool Bethesda, where the sick, the blind, the halt, and the withered lay; once in the day an Angel came, and stirred the water; & then whosoever stepped in first was made whole, of whatsoever disease he had, John. 5.4. He which stepped in first was made whole, saith John; none but he, which stepped in first. This is the acceptable time, this is the day of salvation, this is the day wherein we may hear God's voice: take we then this opportunity while it is offered; & let us not forslow the time; for the strongest of us all is not able to assure himself, that he shall live till tomorrow. Elias would be served before the widow, although she had but a little cruse of oil, although she had not enough for her self, 1. King. 17.13. And can we be so senseless to think, that God will be served after us, after the flesh, after the Devil? God would not have the laborers hire stay in thy hands all night, but would have thee pay him before thou sleep, Levite. 19.13. Yet we dare keep God's due from himself, shall I say, day and night? I may say, many days, and many nights, many weeks, many months, yea & perhaps many years too.

Thus have we cast behind us the first lesson which John the Baptist taught, that was, repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand, Mat. 3.2. Thus have we set at naught the first lessō, which the Disciples taught; and that was, repent, for the kingdom of Heavē is at hand, Mat. 10.7. Thus have we spurned against the first lesson which Christ himself taught; and that was, REPENT too, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand, Mat. 4.17. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

REPENT is the first lesson to be learned both by young and old. It is not sufficient for a young man to say, I will repent: for assuredly, could Judas have repented, when he had listed: he would never have hanged himself: neither may it suffice an old man to say, I have repented; God is, I am; & therefore is best pleased with, I am; he careth not for, I was, or will be. And this the Preacher knew well, and therefore in the first verse of his 12. Chapt. he directeth his speech to young men: there he saith; Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth. And because young men are very ready to post over this remembrance, unto age, that general day, which all men set for themselves to repent in, he in the verses following brings in the old man, with the keepers of his house trembling, with his strong men bowing down, with his grinders ceasing, with his lookers out by the windows darkened, with his doors shut, with his daughters of singing abased; that is, he brings in the old man, feeble, lame, deaf, blind, and stammering, for the young man to behold; as if he should say, See here my son, is it possible for this man to serve God, he can neither hear, nor see, nor feel, nor speak, nor go. Therefore serve thou thy God in the days of thy youth.

The chiefest thing that made Rehoboam in the beginning of his reign to choose young counselors, was, because they were his companions before, 1. King. 12.8. Because they were his companions before, therefore they became his counselors after. This is the preferment of your sins, if they have been your companions in youth, in age they will look to be your counselors, yea, and it may be, your masters too. Begin therefore, as Samuel did, to serve God in your minority; and use, as Timothy did, to read the Scriptures in your childhood; thē shall you, as John did, grow in spirit, as you ripen in years. O blessed are you, if you begin betime: yet so, that you keep the right way. Which is the second note, to be observed in Christian imitation.

Many false Prophets shall arise, saith our Savior, and shall say unto you, loe, here is Christ, and loe, there is Christ, but with all he counsels you, not to believe them, Mat. 24.23. Long have some continued, and yet they are not weary of professing, that there is life in their pardons, life in their pilgrimages, life in their sacrifices. Rather then fail, they can make shift to clamber to Heaven, by Angels, by penance, by merits. Each of them hath his way, yet not one of them the right way.

I doubt not, but that all that hear me this day, are sufficiently already persuaded not to believe them. For you have learned, that Jacob in his way to Haran, saw, not many, but one ladder reaching up to heaven, Gen. 28.12. And that the forerunner of Christ prepared, not the ways, but the way of the Lord, Isaiah, 40.3. And thereby are you taught, that there is but one ladder to clime, but one way to walk in, to come to Heaven. And as Herod sought over all Jury for Christ, but could not find him, because he followed not the star; so may you, long enough, seek for Heaven all the broad way over, but you shall not be able to find it, unless you follow the straight way, & enter in at the narrow gate; for that way alone leads to Heavē. One only river, the river Jordan was of force to deliver Naaman the Syrian from his leaprosy, neither Abana, nor Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, could do it, 2. King. 5.12. One only way, the true and living way, Christ, our Savior, is able to set us in our resting place, in the place of eternal bliss; neither the seeming powerful beast, nor any other besides is able to do it. For as he, which promised a land to the Israelites, sent before the Israelites a pillar of fire to bring them to that land, Exod. 13.21; so he, the same God, having prepared a Heaven for us, hath sent before us that everliving word, clothed with our own flesh, to guid us unto Heaven.

Behold here the pattern of your imitation, such a pattern, as must be followed, always and necessarily. Always, for that no deceit was in his mouth, Es. 53.9. and necessarily, because S ^t Peter doth counsel it, 1. Pet. 2.21. Always, for that no man was able to rebuke him of sin, John. 8.46. and necessarily, because S ^t Paul commandeth it, Ephes. 5.1. Always, for that he is perfectly good, 1. John. 3.5. and necessarily, because himself will have it so, Mat. 11.29.

Always therefore, and necessarily, Christ is to be followed, yet not without a limitation. For as he was God, many things were done by him, wherein we may not follow him, without note of superstition, or zealous impiety. It was for God alone with seven loaves, and a few little fishes, to feed, and suffice four thousand men, besides women, and children, Mat. 15.38. It was for God alone with five loaves and two little fishes to feed and suffice five thousand men, beside women and children, Mat. 14.21. It was for God alone, to rebuke the waves of the sea, and the winds, and to cause them to cease raging, Luk. 8.24. To fast forty days, and forty nights; to turn water into wine; to walk on the Sea, as one dry land; to restore sight to the blind, health to the sick, life to the dead; these are miracles wrought by God alone, which we may not dare to imitate, because there is neither commandment that we should, nor example of any Disciple, or Apostle, that would, or durst do so. In those things therefore, which Christ did as God, worship him religiously; but in those things, which he did as man, follow him zealously. Love and detest whatsoever Christ, as God, loveth and detesteth, and so shall you imitate Christ, as much as a man may imitate God; but with all, do that as Christ did, as man, and so shall you follow Christ, as a Christian should.

And here, for that my limited time will not suffer me to be long, I can but only point at a few of the particulars, wherein you are to follow Christ. Follow him therefore in obedience, for he is become obedient unto the death, even the death of the cross. Accursed are the disobedient; the Lord shall laugh at their destruction, Prov. 1.26. Follow him, in innocence, for in his mouth was found no guil • . Accursed are the wicked; they are kept unto the day of destruction, and shall be brought forth to the day of wrath, Job. 21.30. Follow him in humility, for he drank of the brook in the way, he made himself of no reputation, & became for us a servant; Accursed are the proud: though their excellency mount up to the heaven, yet shall they perish forever like their dung, Job, 20.6.

He is an example for you in patience, for he was oppressed and afflicted, yet as a sheep before his shearer was he dumb, and opened not his mouth; being reviled, he reviled not again; suffering, he threatened not, but committed it all to him that judgeth righteously, 1. Pet. 2.23. He is an example for you in Charity: for he prayed for his enemies; Father forgive them, for they know not what they do, Luk. 23.34. He is an example for you in Constancy: for he died like a lamb, Revel. 5.6. These, & such like, are the things wherein Christ must be followed, always, & necessarily: which although it may not be gainsaid, doth notwithstanding permit the examples of good men to be imitated, sometime, and in some things.

For the better conceiving whereof, let it not be troublesome to us, to observe four sorts of examples of the elect, and righteous, set down unto us in the holy Scriptures.

1 Some we find, were singular, such as neither others in those days might, nor we in our days may follow; for that they alone had the special, and extraordinary motion of the holy Spirit for their warrant. Such was Abraham's readiness, to kill his own, and only son Isaac, Gen. 22.3. Such was the spoil of the Jews made of the Egyptians, by detaining their jewels of gold and silver, Exod. 12.35. Which deeds in them, because they were commanded, were commendable; but in us, because they are forbidden, should be most damnable.

2 Others in those days were general, which we in our days may not follow, without displeasure of the Highest. They circumcised their male children the eight day: but we may not do so; for if we be circumcised, Christ shall profit us nothing, Gal. 5.2. They offered bloody sacrifices unto the Lord; we are forbidden so to do; for being dead with Christ, from the ordinances of the world, we ought not, as though we lived in the world, be burdened with traditions, Coloss. 2.20. Among them one brother married the wife of another. Far from us let such weddings be removed. It is not lawful for Herod to have his brothers wife. Mat. 14.4.

3 There were wicked examples, which none of us, I hope, will dare to follow. You cannot, but hear of Lo •• incest, Moses incredulity, David's adultery, Peters denial; the ambition of the Apostles, and such like: which all are set before us; but doubtless for good ends. First to show us, how false it is, which some teach, that the elect, and regenerate sin not. 2. To make us wary how we walk: for if such, whom God hath favored so highly, and adorned so singularly with his celestial gifts; if such, I say, did fall, and so filthily defile themselves, with how great fear and trembling ought we to make an ende of our salvation? 3. To strengthen us, that though we sin, we go not on forward in sinning, nor despair of God's mercy, no more then they did. For the son of man came to seek and save that, which was lost, Luk. 19.10. and he came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance, Mat. 9.13. and by him Paul did attain mercy to the ensample of them, which shall in time to come believe on him unto eternal life, 1. Tim. 1.16. Last of all, to teach us, that as God is merciful, so should we show mercy unto all, that in God's judgment we may find mercy.

4 There were good examples, which we may be bold to follow; as Abraham's faith, Joseph's chastity, David's zeal, & the like; which are set before us, as the Apostle witnesseth, that we should not be slothful, but followers of them, which through faith, and patience, inherit the promises, Heb. 6.12. And hitherto belongeth that which S. Chrysostom hath, Homil. 62. in Mat. 18. If, saith he, it seem a hard matter unto thee to imitate God, betake thyself to the imitation of his servants. Imitate Joseph; for he was a relief unto his brethren in time of famine, although they injuriously sold him into bondage, Gen. 42.25. Imitate Moses; for he spared not to pour forth his prayers to the living God for the people, although they had done him many wrongs, Exod. 32.11. Imitate S. Paul, for he could have wished that he might be separated from Christ, for the Jews, although they had many times oppressed him, Rom. 9.3. Imitate S. Steven, for he prayed for the people, even then when they stoned him: LORD lay not this sin to their charge. A & 7.60. Imitate Joseph, Moses, Paul, Steven, and the whole company of holy ones, as Paul himself desireth to be imitated: Be ye followers of me, saith he, even as I am of Christ, 1. Cor. 11.1.

Walk therefore in the way, which the LORD hath made plain for you; and tread ye those paths, wherein by the good examples of God's Saints ye are directed; and so shall ye be able to follow the lamb, whithersoever he goeth. O blessed are you, if you keep the right way; but withal you must make haste. Which is my third circumstance observed in Christian imitation.

The wise man passed by the field of the slothful, and lo, it was all grown over with thorns, & nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down, Prov. 24.30. Our corrupt nature, what is it, but this field? If we be slothful, and slack in husbanding it, how can it bring forth anything, but thorns, & nettles? The wise man passing by, may easily through the broken wall, descry all manner of filthiness, and abomination. If Saul lie sleeping with his servants, it will be no hard matter for David to come, and take away the spear, and the pot of water, even from Saul's own head, 1. Sam. 26.12. If we, being now set in the right way, in the Lord's way, shall be negligent, & given to sleeping, too easy will it be for Leviathan, that piercing serpent, that crooked serpent, that serpent which fell down from heaven like lightning, to come and steal away all good motions, even from our inmost heart.

The enemy came, and sowed tares among the wheat, but it was while men slept, Mat. 13.25. The foolish virgins, were not provided to go with the bridegroom, for they slept too, Mat. 25.5. It is time then to watch, that the enemy choke not up out whom with his tares: it is time to watch, if we mean to accompany the bridegroom.

We must run (for a slow pace will not serve the turn) we must run, if we look to obtain, 1. Cor. 9.24. CHRIST telleth us, that the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force, Mat. 11.12. And why doth he tell us so, but to teach us, how earnest, and zealous, we must be in our professed religiō? If we be but luke-warm, you know, God hath threatened to spew us out of his mouth, Revel. 3.16. If our righteousness surpass not the righteousness of Pharisees, Heaven is no place for us, we may not enter therein, Mat. 5.20. If we be no more then statute protestants, that is, if we think our duties sufficiently discharged, in coming once a month to the church to pray, in hearing once a quarter a sermon, in communicating at the Lord's table once a year, well may we hope to come to Heaven, but that shall be then, as a late and zealous preacher hath said, whē hypocrites have leave to come out of Hell.

Therefore were the golden Cherubims set upon the two ends of the mercy seat, with their wings spread out on high, Exod. 37.9. to teach us, to be as quick about the Lord's business, as the Cherubims. Therefore did God reject the blind, and the halting sacrifice, Deut. 15.21. to show us, how he abhorreth slackness in all our duties. Therefore did the Apostles leave all, and follow Christ, Mat. 19.27. for our instruction, that we should speedily follow Christ too. For he is not accursed only which doth not the Lord's business, but he also, which doth the Lord's business negligently, Ier. 48.10.

Watch therefore the star, so soon as it ariseth, & follow the Pillar, so soon as it remooveth, and so shall you withal speed, be received into the building, that precious building, not made with hands, & shall dwell in those tabernacles, those joyful tabernacles, which God himself hath pitched. O blessed are you if you make hast: yet not so, unless you continue to the end. And this is my last note.

Some came into the vineyard at morning, & some at noon, but no man received any reward, but they which staide until night, Mat. 20.8. Jacob did not prevail with God, when first he began to wrestle with him, but when he had wrestled with him all night, Gen. 32.26. It is not your praying this day only, that can do you good, for you must pray continually, 1. Thess. 5.17. He runs in vain ( run he never so swiftly) that sits him down before he comes at the goal. Heaven is the goal, whither our race is intended. Begin we this race betimes, and keep we the right way, and make we hast too, yet if we continue not to the end, our portion shall be as his, whom CHRIST hath said, the last estate of this man is worse, then the first, Luk. 11.26.

Having hitherto been fed delicately, and brought up in scarlet, shall we now perish in the streets, shall we now embrace the dung? Lam. 4.5. Having as yet had our heads of gold, shall we now (to become like to Nabuchadnezzars image) have our feet of clay? Dan. 2.33. Having already begun in the spirit, shall we now end in the flesh; Gal. 3.3? He that thinks be standeth let him take heed that he fall not.

What shall I say (saith Josh. chap. 7.8. When Israel turns the back. What shall I say? The trembling of the Pillars is enough to make the whole Temple shake. Peter, he which said even now, that though all should, yet he would never forsake Christ, curseth and sweareth, that he knoweth not the man. Lot, he which erst strived so much to preserve his daughters chaste in Sodom, doth now in the mount commit incest with his daughters. Solomon himself, which so lately erected a Temple for the worship of God, falls now to the worshipping of Idols: As if the stars were falling from their heaven, and the light departing from the sun.

But it is not long since we were taught, that the Saints of God, though they fall not finally in the end, nor utterly at any time, do notwithstanding, fall grievously, and dangerously: of which we then heard in all plenty, and sufficiency, so that I may well surcease to speak thereof. Only let me say once again, He that thinks he standeth, let him take heed, that he fall not. For not everyone, but he only that 〈…〉 shall be saved, Mat. 10.22. and not everyone, 〈…〉 faithful unto the death, shall receive the 〈◊〉 of life, Revel. 2.10. and not everyone, but such only as are marked in their foreheads with the letter Ta • , with the note of perfection, and perseverance, shall enter the inheritance of the blessed, Ezech. 9.4.

Let the dog return to his vomit, and the sow to her wallowing in the mire, but do you (as Abraham did) hold on your sacrifices unto the evening, the last evening of your lives, and so shall a full measure be measured unto you. O ever blessed shall you be, if you continue to the end. Then shall the prayers which you have devoutly made, and the tears which you have repentantly shed, and the alms, which you have charitably given, set upon your heads the crown of glory, and the Angels shall triumph for your glorious coronation, and the Saints shall rejoice at your blessed perfection, and God himself shall say AMEN, to your never dying happiness. To which happiness (O gracious father) receive us all, for his sake in whom thou art best pleased; to whom with thee and the holy Ghost, be all praise, power, majesty, and dominion, both now and forever, AMEN.

FIVE SERMONS ON THE EPISTLE OF S ^t JAMES, CHAP. 4. VERS. 10. Cast down yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

CVrious questions, and vain speculations how like they are to plumes of feathers, each of us in part may judge; for that many very earnestly, and others nothing at all, are desirous to be seen in them. The time was, when Paul reproved such, as had their heads troubled with Genealogies: were he now living, to see, how men and women of our days, busy their heads about as vain questions, tracing dangerously upon the pinnacles, while they might safely walk upon the pavement, could he, (think you) be silent? It is a world to see, how many at this day are much more desirous to learn where Hell is, then to be instructed any way how they may escape Hell. much more ready to hear what God did purpose before the world began, then to learn, what he will do, whē the world is ended: much more willing to understand, whether they shall know one another hereafter in Heaven, then to know now whether themselves belong to Heaven, or not. Vnwise, though worldlings: so ready are they to search mysteries, before they know principles: so presume they to understand, above that which is meet; not much unlike the Bethshemites, who were not content with the sight only of the Ark, but they would also pry into it, and finger it.

The star when it came to the place, wh ••• Christ was, stood still, and went no further: We likewise when we are come to the knowledge of Christ, should stand still, & go no further. Are we better then S ^t Paul? he was content to know • nothing save Christ Jesus, and him crucified. For he knew well, how impossible it was for man's wit, to found the depth of God's secrets. And farther; what shall it avail a mā, subtly to dispute about the TRINITIE, if through his want of Humility, he displease the TRINITIE? How can it profit thee, to have the whole book of God at thy fingers end, if through thy want of Charity God withdraw his favor from thee? it cannot benefit me, schollerlike to define what sin is, if beastlike wallowing in my sins, I provoke God's wrath against myself.

It is an item for us all: To him, that knoweth how to do well, & doth it not, to him it is sin. Howsoever in our age less, knowing is not, yet more doing beyond all question is required. It hath pleased God to bless many among us with great, and each of us with some, measure of knowledge; this place is plētifull in witnessing as much. But how small fruit ariseth from this knowledge, our careless kind of living maketh to plain a declaration. So that I may fitly seem of these our days, to make that complaint, which Jeremiah made of his, cha. 12.11. The whole land lieth wast, because no man setteth his mind on it. Because no man regardeth God's word, no man considereth the plagues which he hath sent upon the land, therefore are the destroyers come upon all the high places; therefore the Lord's sword devoureth all the land from one end thereof unto the other: therefore no flesh may look for peace. And why may I not use that which he hath added in the 13. verse? For see we not God's Ministers painful, and labor some in sowing of wheat? Yet behold, the badness of the ground is such, that they can reap nothing but thorns. Are they not even stoke with lamenting sinful souls? Yet, where is their profit? They are, and that worthily, (because worthily they may be) ashamed of such a people's fruits, which instead of amendment groweth worse and worse.

Do I speak this for a fashion only? or do not God's heavy judgments testify the truth hereof? doth not his fierce wrath speak as much? O then, let us humble our selves under the Almighty hands of this revenging God, that so once again his face may shine unto us. Away for a time with your subtle questions, & attend you the amendment of your lives, for, if not so; God's anger may not be appeased. And that you may in part know what belongeth to the amendment of your lives, let not your hearts be shut against S ^t James his counsel, as it is in the first words of my text: Cast down yourselves before the LORD. And how can you disobey this counsel, if you do but think of the reason used by him for persuasions sake, in the words following? And he will lift you up.

In his counsel, we observe 3. notes.

• 1 (Not lift up, but) cast down.
• 2 Cast down (not others, but) yourselves.
• 3 Cast down yourselves (not before mē, but) before the Lord.

And in delivering this third note, I may be fitly occasioned to speak somewhat of the reason brought to persuade us to the obedience of this counsel; for we must cast down our selves before the LORD, who, as he is most liberal to us, most present with us, most able to help us, when we stand in need, is also most willing at all times to work our ease; and therefore hath our Apostle added, and he will lift you up. Cast down yourselves before the LORD, and he will lift you up.

Lift not up, but cast down ] It hath been observed, that the Peacock, as proud as he is of his gallant feathers, as soon as he beholdeth his foul feet, abateth himself, and is humbled. Here might we learn so much wit, as by the feeling, sight, & apprehensiō, of many our foul feet, of our corrupt, & perverse passions, which rule, and reign in us, to humble our selves, & to abate our pride engendered but of a few feathers, and those indeed very black, howsoever they carry an appearance of beauty. But the prince of darkness, that subtle serpent, which fell from Heaven like the lightning, not content with that rule, which he hath over the children of unbelief, hath soe busied himself to obscure even those, which should shine as lights in this world; that (although the Moon shall be abashed, and the Son ashamed, when the Lord of Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, yet) we, dust and ashes, clothed in iniquity, and replenished with the loathsome infection of sin, are bold to lift up our heads in the presence of God's Majesty, nothing ashamed of our selves, and that at this time, when in our Zion, and Jerusalem he reigneth gloriously. For examine we our selves, and we shall scarce find one, that can endure to cast down, that striveth not, with all his might to lift up himself.

Some are never contented with their present estate, but would fain be higher; & these do ambitiously lift up thenselves. Others, pretend glory, & praise in those gifts & graces, which they have received from the Lord; and these do proudly lift up themselves. Ambitious men, and proud men, both are lifters up, fowl sins, and infectious: most of you know them to be such. Notwithstanding that we may the better see into them, and by seeing into them more willingly endeavor to avoid them, let not a several examination of each of them, seem tedious unto you.

The first is Ambition, an evil deeply rooted in man's heart; an evil, that maketh man evermore discontented with his present estate: a secret poison, a hidden sin, a forger of fraud, a mother of hypocrisy, a spring of envy, the fuel of all vice, a mouth to holiness, a blinding of the heart; it converts remedies into diseases, and medicines into languishing; so saith S. Bernard, Serm. 6. in Psal. 91. Here might we wonder, how it can be possible, that man, so excellent a workmāship favored so highly, and adorned so singularly with all celestial gifts, & that by the highest God, should suffer so fowl a mōster to nestle with in his breast! Yet so it is; man hath a long time fostered, & yet is not weary of making much of his sweet Ambition.

A long time it hath been fostered; the beginning of all ages witnesseth as much. Eve would be as a Goddess, Gen. 3.5. The builders of Babel would up to Heaven, Gen. 11.4. Miriam and Aaron would speak for the Lord, as well as Moses, Num. 12.2. Look we to succeeding ages, and they will speak the same. Did not Jonathan say unto David, Thou shalt reign, and I will be next to thee? 1. Sam. 23.17. Did not Zebedees wife make suit to Christ, that her children might sit in his kingdom, the one one his right hand, and the other on his left? Mat. 20.20. Did not Christ's disciples among themselves contend, who should be the greatest? Mark. 9.34. Yield we then, that a long time Ambition hath been fostered, and yet behold we are not weary of making much of it.

The Church and Common wealth both do find it to be so. The Church, she groaneth, for that she is almost eaten up. The Cōmon wealth hath cause to lament too; for (albeit she yieldeth to everyone sufficient for his vocation, yet) no man is contented with that he hath. Both in Church and Common wealth everyone is set to lift up himself.

For the Church what shall we say? Sisac must be lifted up; his wealth must be increased; but how? even thus: He will spoil the Temple: he will take away the treasures of the Lord's house: Solomon's golden shields, shall be turned in Rehoboams shields of brass, 1. King. 14.26. Dionysius his religion is not forgotten: if Jupiter's coat be rich, it must be had away: it is too cold for winter, and too heavy, or to hot for summer: It is a shame the son should have a beard, since the father had none; and thus wittily (they think) they carry away the golden beard. In that old Ark of the testament overlaid round about with gold, were these three things, Manna, Aaron's rod, and the tables of the testament; for so may we read, Heb. 9.4. Our Ark had these sometimes; but those times are gone. Many Sisackes, and many of Dionysius his scholars, have fatted themselves with a great part of our Manna; that little which remaineth they snatch at too; and would willingly feed thereon, could they but pul down Aaron's rode; and so would they leave us nothing but the two tables, nothing but poor scholars books to live by. So common a thing it is to rush into God's treasury, and to rob his sanctuary.

It may be, they are persuaded, that herein they do God no wrong. If they be so persuaded, the surely they remember not, or they care not for, that writing hand which appeared to Belshazzar, while he was drinking in the place, which his father had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem: for some of them have done so, and more: and then surely they remember not, or they care not for, the word of the Lord, who hath said, ye have spoiled me, by deteining your tithes and offerings, Mal. 3.8. for many of them have done so, and more: and then surely they remember not, or care not for, the dreadful judgment, which befell Ananias, and his wife for keeping back part of the price of their own possession, which they sold to the use of the Church; for all of them have done (shall I say so? I may not; for neither their ancetors have ever brought so much as one stone to the foundation, nor themselves so much as one tile to cover the roof of the church) but, I must say all of them have done much more and more wickedly.

And yet they are not without all excuse; for were there no buyers, there could be no sellers; would no man give them the liuelyhood of the Church, they could not take it: Ambitious Pastors do make their Patrons rich. Thus while the seller defends himself by the buyer, the taker by the giver, the patron by the hireling, and each by the other, they are all become like to Samsons foxes, Iud. 15.4. in their tails they are united, they are knit together in mischief, & they have their firebrāds too, to burn up the commodities of the CHURCH.

Silvester 2. gave himself to the Devil, that he might attain to the papacy, so writeth Platina in the life of Silvester. Silvester hath left many sons behind him, as desirous of preferment as himself: I forge it not, neither suck I it out of mine own fingers ends: the decayed maintenance of some of our Bishoprics, Deaneries, Probends, Personages, and Uicarages cries out, and tells you it is so.

I meddle not with particulars, being very willing with Sem, and Japheth to cloak, and cover our fathers nakedness. For I persuade myself, I may not reveal all their sins, lest the uncircumcised rejoice: yet know I withal, that I may not cover some of their sins, jest the uncircumcised increase. One said, if some men's drunkenness were not reproved, they would be drunken still, and make a common wealth of drunkards: let me change the speech, I say, if Simony were not reproved in some, they would use Simony still, and fill the Church with other like themselves. To what end serve those warnings, reproofs, excommunications, and corrections which Christ hath appointed, if every man's nakedness should be covered? We may, and must be content to cover the first nakedness, if they will reap̄t and do no more so.

But now, when in the hardness of their hearts, that cannot repent, they say they stumble not, although every man may see them lie groveling on the ground, shall we follow them, like a blind man's boy, to stay them so oft as they fall? Shall we say, all our Bishoprics are as good as ever they were? shall we say, none of our Deaneries are impaired? shall we say all come freely to their Prebends, their Parsonages, their Vicarages? shall we thus cover their nakedness? So should we indeed make a cloak for their Simony, but it were a cloak of flattery, not of reverence, and therefore not worth the having. Wolves are not the Lambes fathers, but the Lambes butchers; shepherds learning finds that to be true. The maintenance of the Church, the liuelyhood of the young Lambes, the Lambes not yet borne, is even consumed, by the greediness of the Wolves. How can we cal them Fathers, since they are our Butchers? Let them speak to their own children to cover them: let the dead bury the dead; the wicked are fittest to cover the wicked. We have a rule, and this it is: Them that sin openly, reprove openly, that the rest may fear, 1. Tim. 5.20.

You have heard the groaning of the Church; consider now what cause the Common wealth hath of lamentation. Her members will be no longer members; they must be exalted too. But how? How they care not, so they be exalted. Athaliah would be sole governor and Queen, and that made her destroy all the Kings seed, 2. King. 11.1. It was a kingdom that Sellum looked for, and therefore Zechariah must be done to death, 2. Kings 15.10. Abimelech will not stick to murder his 70 brethren, if so thereby he may attain to a soveraignety, Iud. 9.5. And what shall I say more? For the time would be too short for me to tell of Absalom, and of Scheba, and of Adonijah, and of Zimrie, also of Ahasuerus, Schebna, and many others, which through a desire of lifting up themselves, have wrought wickedness, conspired against their masters, rebelled against their rulers, not spared their own fathers; have packed craftily, and got of the best offices into their own hands, ever aspiring to the highest; have made feasts only to show forth their riches, their glory, and the honor of their majesty: have been full of wrath, because others have not bowed the knees unto them: whom the world was well weary of, because they wearied all, but themselves. And can we now look for a milder flame, when the fuel of all vice is heaped up upon the fire?

Honor is the mark we shoot at; and honorable we cannot be, except we be rich; for that is against the fashion of the world. Well, if that be all, we will be rich. Deceit, bribery, oppression, rapine, and usury, all are our helpers. Tell me, doth not the country gentleman enclose his commons? doth not the landlord rack his tenants? doth not the seller then think his gains best, when he deceaues the buyer? Conceaue you of the rest. For a general deluge of wickedness is gone over the whole world. Now may Amos say justly of us, as sometimes he said of the Jews. Chap. 2.6. They sell the righteous for silver, and the poor for shoes.

Thus you see, the Church hath her sore, & the Commonwealth her gall; both so festered that they may not abide long spurring. And therefore it is high time that we endeavor to cure them. One salve may serve for both; and the receipt thereof is prescribed by S ^f Paul, 1. Tim. 6.6. Godliness, saith he, is great gain, if a man be content with that he hath. The neck of ambition both in Church, and Cōmonwealth will soon be broken, if men be content, with that they have. Had Haman been contented, when Mordekai refused to do him like honor, as others did, he might have enjoyed his honor longer then he did. Had Achitophel contented himself, when the counsel of Chushai the Arachite was preferred before his, he would not for despite have hanged himself. And could this contentment but once possess us, the number of our ravening Harpyes, our cruel Tigers, and our devouring Cannibals, which draw the skins of the poor from their flesh, and the flesh from their bones, to the very dividing of their joints and marrow, would soon be lessened.

Never was Barzillai so happy, as when he would not be exalted, 2. Sam. 19.34. Never had the Shunamite such quiet as when she cared not for preferment, 2. Kings 4.13. Never did the Disciples seem so rich, as when they were willing to leave all, Luk. 5.11.

Art thou poor? so were the Smyrnians, be content as they were; and then what God said to them, shall be said to thee, I know thy poverty, but thou are rich. Art thou afflicted? so were the Apostles: be content as they were, and then shalt thou rejoice in thy tribulations. Art thou spoiled by thieves? hath fire consumed all thy goods? or is it worse with thee? such was Job's lot: be content as he was, and even then shalt thou say, blessed be the name of the LORD.

Thus is contentation like the waters of Jordan, wherein Naaman was washed, 2. Kings 5.14. For as his flesh, which before was leprous, became fair, and clean after his washing; so after we are once bathed in the rivers of contentment, proceeding from so sweet a fountain as Godliness is, all our tedious and irksome leprosies shall be cleansed, all our actions, and labors, and afflictions shall become joyous, and pleasant, & comfortable. It is like that tree, which Moses cast into the spring to season the bitterness of the waters, Exod. 15.25. or that salt, which Elisha cast into the noisome waters to make them wholesome, 2. King. 2.21. or that meal, which the same man of God put into the bitter pottage to make it sweet, 2. Kings 4.41. For come anguish, come sickness, come injuries, come losses, come famine, come banishment, come death, and worse then death, if worse may come, all shall be sweet to the contented soul.

This did Abraham's grandchild know well, and therefore for worldly matters, he desired no more of God, but bread to eat, & clothes to put on, Gen. 28.20. And Agur knew it well: & therefore his prayer was not for riches, but to be fed only with food convenient, Prov. 30.8. And Paul knew it well too: whereupon his counsel is; when we have food and raiment, let us be therewith contented, 1. Tim. 6.8. Neither doth he herein counsel us to that which himself had not undergone, for he had learned in whatsoever state he was, to be content therewith, as appeareth, Philip. 4.11. And that you may in some measure learn the same, take with you these three notes.

1 See, that in worldly things you propound not to high an estate to yourselves. You are compared in the Scriptures, not to Lions or Horses, such proud creatures, but to sheep; to put you in mind of the modesty, and simplicity, which is required of you: and you are likened not to the high oak, or tall Cedar, but to the low creeping vine; to remember you of humility.

2 Take heed that at no time ye deny, or lessen the benefits of God, but labor ye rather to seek them all, & acknowledge them to be so great as they are, that so in respect of them you may confess your estate to be so good as it is. It will be imputed to you for great ingratitude, if being fed even with Angels food, as you are; ye speak of it contemptuously as the Israelites did, and say, there is nothing but this Manna.

3 Perswade yourselves of God's fatherly providence watching over you continually for your good. He hath given his son Christ Jesus unto you, will he not with him give you all things needful for you? He hath provided a kingdom for you in Heaven, will he then be wanting unto you on Earth? he will not. For rather then so, the raven shall be ready to feed Elias; the fish to save Jonah; the Asses tooth to yield water to Sampson for his relief: and since our gluttons will not, our dogs shall pity poor Lazarus.

O could our hearts once become fleshy, and take the impression of these few lessons, then would we not strive for this world, as we do, Lawyer against lawyer, neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother, as if we were a company of beggars thrusting at a dole: then would there be no Ahab's, to be sick for Naboth's vineyard: then should we, like Christ's disciples, want nothing, though we have nothing and then should we have a poor widows mite for others, how little soever we have for our selves: then should we have contented minds waited upon with a thousand blessings: we should have in readiness for the curing of every wound, a Surgeon; for the preventing of every disease, a Physician; for the ending of every strife, a lawyer; for the satisfying of every doubt, a preacher; for asswaging of every grief, a comforter; and all this within our selves: so should we, like Daniel, Dan. 1.12. thrive with water, and pulse, as well as others do with their wine, and junkets. And so I come to the second sort of lifters up, which in the pride of their hearts, do pretend a glory, and praise in those gifts, and graces which they have received from the Lord.

A little wormewoode is of force sufficient to make bitter a great vessel; and a little leaven maketh sour the whole lump. As is this wormwood, or this leaven, so is pride. A little of it is of force enough to corrupt, and deprave even an Angels life. For, be he what he may be, that arrogateth anything to himself, he cannot choose, but put some trust therein; & his trust therein, be it never so little, must needs breed in him some distrust in God, whom thereby he shall alien, and estrange from himself: and when once the fountain of all goodness, of light, of life it self is departed from him, how can that man be but wretched, but wicked, but accursed?

If a merchant, and a friend of yours, after his long travail to the farthest parts either of the East or West Indies, returning home with great riches, should in his own country haven before your eyes suffer shipwreck, & loose all, I know you would pity his estate. Meditate here a while, and think whether you have not as great cause to pity yourselves. You yourselves have been travelers a long time in a strange country, far from your home, much farther then either of the Indies, and many of you have laden yourselves (I doubt it not) with great riches, with the precious riches, of knowledge, of honesty, and of Godly living, and you seem to be clothed with sincerity, integrity, and purity, of faith, love, and other affections, as if all were pure white about you; and are even ready to enter the haven of the celestial Jerusalem: now if any of you thus furnished with the abundance of God's blessings, shall thereby exalt, and lift up himself, and think in his heart, with the proud Pharisee, that he is not, as other men are, I may boldly say, that, that mā hath made shipwreck of all, and is now as much to be pitied himself, as erst himself would have pitied that merchant.

If you should be set upon a pinnacle, or upon the ridge of an house, and then would not look to your footing, could you be thought less then desperate? Such is your estate: it hath pleased God many ways to bless you all; all of you must needs confess as much. Such his blessings are unto you, as so many ridges of houses, or tops of pinnacles, whereon he hath set you to walk, though spiritually: but your immodest, and proud usage of thē, argueth your careless looking to your footings. For could you but enter the examination of your own harts, it would easily be granted me, that the Magistrate taketh a pride in his authority, the Gentleman in his parentage, the Rich man in his wealth, the strong man in his strength, the learned in his knowledge, the preacher in his preaching, yea and every man in every good thing he hath, or doth.

So ready are we sacrilegiously to attribute to our selves the praise of God's blessings due to him alone, imitating herein those Angels, which, for so doing, were cast down frō Heaven, and are now reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of that great day, Jude, 1.6. and Nebuchadnezzar, who for so doing was expelled his palace, and made to eat grass with the beasts of the forest, Dan. 4.32. and Pharaoh, who for so doing, was brought out of his kingdom, and lodged in the red sea among the fishes, Exod. 14.28.

No sin hath pulled down so many as this which promiseth to set us up. The first sin that conquered man, will be the last, and worst sin for us to conquer. Were it not for this the Pharisees would have received Christ, as meekly as the disciples did: our mighty ones would come to church, as well as the people do; our elders would abide reproof, as well as their inferiors do: our young ones, and ancients too of our own coat would leave swearing as well as any do: then would our men content themselves to go like Abraham, and our women like Sarah; then would they not make this their work (as one hath lately and too truly said) so soon as they rise in the morning to put a pedlars shop upon their backs, and color their faces, & prick their ruffes, and frisle their hair, (and then, saith he their days work is done) as though their office were to paint a fair image every morning, and at night to blot it out again.

Hence it is, that flesh & blood putteth such confidence in it self. Naked we are, yet vaunt we our selves, as though we were gorgeously appareled: weak we are, yet think we with Nimrod to build a tower to Heaven: ready are we to renounce Christ, yea daily in deed we do renounce him, yet stoutly we protest with Peter, that we will die with him, rather then forsake him. Thus whilst everyone speaketh pleasing words unto himself, & saith I will reign, or I shall not be removed, or who shall ascend above me? yea though he speak nothing, but in his heart receiveth the applause of the people, as surely as he liveth, he shall be cast down to the ground. The Alarum hath sounded unto him already from above: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence; saith the LORD, Ier. 49.16. He casteth down the proud, and exalteth the humble, and meek: this one sentence is observed to be repeated at the least 19. times in the old and new Testaments, and all to teach us, how detestable a thing pride is in the sight of God.

Absalom slue his brother Amnon, and did many more things wickedly, and all that while was he spared; but when once in the pride of his heart he sought to be king, God resisted him; & hanged him on a tree, 2. Sam. 18.9. Shebna had his purposes to betray the Church, and to provide for himself against all dangers, & all that while was he spared; but whē once in the pride of his heart he built a sepulcher for his memorial, God resisted him, and made him to be buried in another country, Es. 22.18. Herod, he killed James, imprisoned Peter, and much more did he as wickedly, and all that while was he spared; but whē once in the pride of heart, he accepted the immoderate applause of the people, shouting out, and saying, the voice of God, and not of man, God resisted him, & made the vile worms to be his murderers, Act. 12.23.

God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace unto the humble. Flatter not yourselves: whosoever professeth of himself, that he is not, as other men are, that he is no extortioner, no adulterer, no sinner; his profession is as the professiō of that Pharisee, Luk. 18.11. & God will resist him: but learn ye of him, who in humility of spirit hath said, LORD, be merciful to me a sinner, and you shall be exalted. Whosoever speaketh pleasingly to himself, and saith, Is not this great BABEL, which I have built for the house of MY kingdom, and honor of MY Majesty? Have I not done thus, or thus well, by the might of mine own power? his words are as the words of Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. 4.26. and God will resist him: but learn ye of him, who in humility hath said, I can do nothing of myself; and you shall be exalted. Whosoever thinketh with himself, I will ascend into Heaven, and exalt my throne above besides the stars of God, and will be like the most high; his heart is as the heart of Lucifer, Isaiah. 14.13. and God will resist him: but learn ye of him, who in humility of spirit drank of the brook in the way, and became for us a servant; and you shall be exalted.

And now that we may the better apply our selves to this humility of spirit, let us here also take two notes with us.

1 Let us enter into a due consideration of our estate, as it is by nature: which shall easily appear unto us what it is, if we do but call to mind the metal whereof we are made; the shortness of our lives, and the miseries to which we are subject.

Consider we the metal whereof we are made. You know, it is no better then clay, no better then mire, no better then the very slime of the earth. And therefore it best and most naturally agreeth with us, if we be beaten as small as the dust, and trodden under foot as the mire in the streets. This was well known (that I may omit the rest) to Abraham, Job, and Paul; for our bodies, in Abraham's judgment, are dust, and ashes, Gen. 18.27 very ready with every b • ast of wind to be scatered. And in Job's judgment they are houses of clay, Job. 4.19. very easy to be broken. And in Paul's judgment, they are earthly tabernacles, 2. Cor. 5.1 certainly, and within short time to be destroyed. The cogitation hereof made Moses to say, who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh? Exod. 3.11. & it made David to cry out, and say, I am a worm and no man, Ps. 22.7. and it made Jeremiah to say, I cannot speak, Ier. 1.6. And could the like cogitation but touch our hearts, it would crop, yea more then so, it would pull off, and consume all our fig leaves of vanity. He that hath a heart to consider, let him consider of what metal he is made; and then be he proud if he can.

And consider we the shortness of our lives. All flesh is grass, and the glory thereof is as the flower of the field; the grass withereth and the flower fadeth, a voice bad Isaiah cry so, Isaiah 40.6. Wisdom in the 5. chapter of that book verse 9. telleth you, that all things are passed away like a shadow, and as a post that hasteth by. A ship passeth over the waves of the water; but when it is once gone, the trace thereof cannot be found, neither the path of it in the floods: a bird flieth through the air, yet no man seeth any token of her passage: an arrow is shot at a mark, it parteth the air, but immediately the air cometh together again, and then cannot you know where it went through. As is this shadow, this post, this ship, this bird, this arrow; so are our lives, in great hast, and speedily flying away: we are no sooner borne, but we begin to draw to our end.

All things (saith S ^t Chrysostom, homil. 19. ad Eutropium ) are but a night, and a dream; the day cometh, and they vanish away. Smoke was, but that is dissolved; bubbles were upon the water, but they are broken; Spiders webbes have been in our windows, but we have swept them down. Here we have patterns of our lives. We that are met here together at this present do live together; but we shall be dissolved, and therein are we like smoke; but we shall be broken, and therein are we as bubbles upon the water; but we shall be swept down with the besom of death, and therein do we resemble spiders webs.

Now would ye use some accompt to find out of what length your lives are? So may ye follow either Jacob's, or David's, or the Hebrews, or the Fathers account. Would you follow Jacob's account? then must you not reckon years; for whē Pharaoh asked him, how old he was? he made this answer: few and evil have my days been, Gen. 47.9. and Moses prayer to the Lord, was, to be taught to number his days, Psalm. 90.20. thereby showing how small wisdom is seen in reckoning after either years, or months, or weeks. Would you use David's accompt? then may your hand serve you for a measure; for so your life will be found to be but a span long, Psa. 39.5. Would you reckon like the Hebrews? Then thus do ye: first deduct your time of sleep, so, that if your years be threescore and ten, as it is, Psalm. 90.20. five and thirty of those at once must be dashed out: then take away the time of your youth, for it is not so worthy to be called life, as vanity, saith Ecclesiastes chap. 11.10. and last of all abate ye the time of your sorrow, wherein you had rather die then live. This reckoning once made what a small remnant will there be for your lives? But would ye make choice of the Fathers account? then thus proceed ye: first cast away the time past; for it is not: then account not of the time to come, for it is uncertain: and thus shall you leave nothing for your lives, but the time present; nothing but a moment: and what is a moment to your expectation? What is a moment to eternity? He that hath a heart to consider, let him consider how short his life is, and be he proud if he can.

And consider we also the miseries, to which we are subject. A long time would be too short for me to recount them all. Let a general view of them suffice. The Goats of Candie being shot in with a shaft or iavelin, do forthwith seek out the herb Dittanie, and eat it, by virtue whereof the arrows or iavelins fall out, and their wounds are cured. If the young swallows eyes be sore, the old bird fetcheth the herb Celandine, and applieth it to the young ones eyes, & healeth them. Bears against the evil of mandrakes do use the benefit of Emmets. These, and many like examples hath Plini • set down, lib. 8. cap. 27. Erasmus hath added this conclusion, Nullum est animal, quod non intelligat sua remedia; &c. There is no living creature but knoweth well how to remedy his own diseases. Man only, only man is of no understanding, he knoweth not any remedy for any grief, either of his body, or mind.

Man that is borne of a woman, saith Job 14.1. is full of troubles. At land, or at sea, by day, or by night troubles wait upon him. That which is vnsavorie, shall it be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg? Languishing Job maketh this question, chap. 6.6. O then what delight can we take to live, since our griefs, and miseries, were they well weighed, & laid together in the balance, would be heavier then the sands of the Sea? The arrows of the Almighty are in us, their venom hath even drunk up our spirits. Miserable men that such should be our lot. And yet behold, much more miserable are we, if we be not called to grace in this pilgrimage; for so, after this life we shall be nothing but prays for Satan, nothing but firebrands of Hell. He that hath a heart to consider, let him consider, how subject he is to miseries, and then be he proud if he can.

A second note to move us to Humility is this: even to consider, whence we have those good things which we do enjoy. Meat to nourish us, we have it from the Lord. Apparel to clothe us, we have it from the Lord. The Sun to comfort us, the Moon to pleasure us, we have them from the Lord. Life for our being, riches, honor, and whatsoever else for our well being, all cometh from the Lord. This is the reason which S ^t Paul used to beat down pride in the Corinthians: what hast thou (saith he) that thou hast not received? 1. Cor. 4.7. Art thou rich? it is not of thyself: the Lord giveth, saith Job. 1.12. & he can take away. Art thou in estimation in this world, it is not of thyself. The Lord setteth up, saith Hannah, 1. Sam. 2.7. and he can pull thee down. Hast thou cunning, or skill in anything whatsoever? it is not of thyself: God teacheth handycraftsmen to work: himself saith so to Moses, Exod. 31.3. and he cā again make them unskillful. He can, and will take away thy riches, be they never so great; he can and will pull thee down, be thou never so high; he can and will make thee unskillful, be thou never so cunning, or will do unto thee more then so, if for any his gifts, and graces thou be puffed up, & swell in pride. Art thou steward of much? little cause hast thou to be proud; thine account shall be for much. If thou have five talents, thy Lord will look for the increase of five: if thou have more riches then others, know, that they are bestowed upon thee to relieve, and succor those that want; thou mayest not lay them up in store for thyself for many years; For how knowest thou (ô fool) whether this night they will fetch away thy soul from thee? And thē whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

And thus, whether we consider our estate as it is by nature, or the fountain, from which all good things, which we enjoy, do proceed, we may in some measure be moved to embrace humility. For so shall we be taught, though we give alms, yet not to blow a trumpet, though we fast twice a week, yet to make no words of it: though we have done many good deeds, yet to forget them all. Then shall we be able to make for our Lord borders of gold guilt with silver; that is, we shall be rich inwardly, howsoever our outward appearance is: then shall we be willing to strow our best garments & our most flourishing branches at our Savior's feet: then shall we be ready speedily to cast down our crowns, yea our very selves, before the Throne of the Lamb. And our Lord and Savior, this Lamb of God, as he is able, will also be willing, & ready to lift us up, and will give us a resting place, where no night shall be; there shall we need neither candle, nor light of Sun, for he will give us light, & make us to reign for evermore. Even so be it, Lord Jesus. To God the father, the son, and the holy Ghost, be all praise, power, Majesty, and dominion, for evermore.

THE SECOND SERMON ON THE EPISTLE OF SAINT JAMES, CHAP. 4. VERS. 10. Cast down yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

REturne, and cause others to return away from your wicked ways, cast from you all your sins, wherewith you have transgressed, and make you a new heart, and a new spirit, for why will you die, O house of Israel? When the Lord spake so by his Prophet, Ezech. 18.31. in effect he spake thus: repent, or be damned, amend your lives, or be damned; consider it well, and you shall find no mean. If they then, then we much more now, and now if ever, had need unfeignedly to repent, & amend our lives. Hereto have we been invited (you cannot forget it) by a late pretended invasion: but then we cried unto the LORD in our troubles, & he delivered us out of our distress. Hereto have we as lately been summoned (and this you may remember) by a grievous sickness, by a far scattered plague, by a present death eating up our brethren almost in every place of this land; but then we cried out unto the LORD in our troubles, and he delivered us out of our distress. O that we would therefore praise the LORD for his goodness, and declare the wonders, that he hath done for us.

But what? Are we now amended? have these two messengers of the Lord turned us from our ungodliness? I would I could say they had: to me it seemeth, that they have rather strēgthened us in our iniquities. For they which were ignorant, are ignorant still; they which were unjust, are unjust still; they which were filthy, are filthy still: yea they which seemed religious, like so many Damases have embraced this present world. Thus have all, as it were, made a league with death, and a covenant with the grave, persuading themselves, that albeit there come a sword, there come a plague, there come the worst that may come through the land, yet shall there no evil come at them. Now therefore hath the LORD sent a third messenger to try whether thereby he can stir us up to this repentance, and amendment of our lives. Al of you have heard of it; the godly, and laboring poor, they especially feel it.

Can we think of it without bleeding harts how this want of bread in all our quarters hath set the very print of death in the yet-living faces of many of our brethrē, which are as dear and it may be, much dearer to God, then our selves? Now reason have we (as the Prophet Hosea speaketh, Chap. 7.14.) to assemble our selves, & howl upon our beds for corn and for wine; that is, for the belly, & for the throat, necessity constraineth us: yet should we not forget, that their is a greater leanenes in our souls. Now ready are we to bite the stone, which the Lord hath cast at us; need drives us to it: but withal we ought to look at the hand, which did send it; for so shall we find it to be a punishment for sins reigning among us. For this famine is sent us by him, whose property it is to turn the floods into a wilderness, and the springs of water into dryness, and a fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. It is sent us by him, who for Achan's offense, caused three thousand to be put to slight; for David's sin, flew with the pestilence seavēty thousand of the people; for Baashaes own transgression brought evil upon his whole household, his kinsfolk, and his friends; and who knoweth whether the same God, ever just in his punishings, hath laid his heavy hand upon our poor brethren, for our, or someone of our iniquities? Howsoever it standeth, we may not presume of the contrary, least the Lord make us like vile figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so naughty.

What remaineth then on our parts, but that we rent our hearts, and turn unto the Lord our God with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning: for he it is that must call for corn, and increase it, or else we shall bear the reproach of famine still: he it is that must bind us up, or else we shall continue wounded still: he it is that must heal us, or else we shall lie thus spoiled still. Come therefore, & rent, not your garments, but your hearts; cast from you all your sins; wherewith you have transgressed; turn, and cause others to return from your evil ways to the Lord your God, and he will be ready to repent him of this evil: Humble yourselves under the Almighty hand of God, and he will once again make his face to shine unto you. The sum of all is this; Cast down yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

I have heretofore remembered you of this counsel of Saint James in the first words of my text: Cast down yourselves before the Lord, and of his reason used by him to persuade you to the obedience of his counsel; in the latter words, and he will lift you up. And then in the counsel I observed 3. notes, using the direction of the words themselves.

• 1 Lift not up, but cast down.
• 2 Cast down not others, but yourselves.
• 3 Cast down yourselves, not before mē, but before the Lord Where I signified, that just occasion was given, to speak of the reason moving us to the obedience of this counsel, for we must cast down our selves before the Lord, who as he is most liberal to us, most present with us, most able to help us, when we stand in need, is also most willing at all times to work our ease; and therefore hath our Apostle added, and he will lift you up. Cast down yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

I have already spoken of the first general note, wherein I laid open two grievous wounds of our Church, & Cōmonwealth, two reigning evils among us, the evil of Ambition, and the evil of Pride, and at that time, I applied medicines to thē both. Now followeth the second note, ( cast down, not others, but yourselves, ) which devideth it self into two parts: 1. cast down not others: 2. but yourselves. Cast down not others; for that is injury, & you may not do it: but yourselves, for that is humility, and you must embrace it: not others; for you may not deal uncharitably with them; but yourselves, for high minded men are to high to enter in at Heavens straight gate. So then, that ye do no injury to any, but deal charitably with all, out of the first part, you may learn three things.

• 1 Not to disgrace your neighbors.
• 2 Not to judge the persons of sinners.
• 3 Not to condemn the whole profession, because all live not in the same perfection.

Cast down not others.] As for the second part it hath relatiō to the third general note, where it may most fitly be considered, for you must cast down yourselves, not before men, but before the Lord.

Cast down not others) the first thing we learn here, is, not to to disgrace our neighbors. We that are Christians and iournying towards Heaven, must go, not so much by walking, as by loving, not so much with our feet, as with our affections: neither is there anything which maketh a good or a bad life, but a good or a bad love. If therefore we will to Heaven by the right way, we must be rich in good works, we must be framed according to the rule of Gospel-like perfectiō; we must love not our friends only in God, but our foes also for God. We presume that fire is then hottest, when it warmeth them that are farthest of: so is it with love; it is then most fervent and, perfect, when it forsaketh neither friend, nor foe, be they never so far of. Is thy neighbor thy friend? Civility bids thee love him; Is he thy foe? Christianity forbids thee to disgrace him. Friend or foe, is he thy neighbor? Civillity then wills thee to do unto him, as thou wouldest be done unto; & christianity requireth of thee, that thou love him as thyself. Now think, how thou lovest thyself: It is not with a feigned love, not with a cold love, not with temporary love, not in word only: therefore must thy love towards thy neighbor, be unfeigned, it must be fervent, it must be enduring, it must be effectual; add hereto a fifth condition; it must be holy, that is, thou must love thy neighbor, you must love one another, in God, for God, and to God's glory.

The full measure of this our love is set down unto us by our Savior Christ, John. 13.34. Who hath given us a new commandment, that we love one another, as he hath loved us, evē so that we love one another: where we are willed in loving others, not so much to regard that love, wherewith we love our selves, as that, wherewith Christ loves us. As he hath loved us, even so must we love one another. But how is that? Consider with me but 5. things, and you may learn how.

The first is, the cause which moved Christ to love us. We have been chosen in him by the Father, that we might be saved by him, and therefore hath Christ loved us with a peculiar love above other men, Galat. 2.20. Therefore must we also love our brethrē peculiarly in the Lord, for that very cause, because (for ought we know) they are the elect and chosen of the Father in Christ, that they may be saved by Christ.

2 The time, when Christ loved us. He loved us first, 1. John. 4.19. Therefore must we also prevent one another in love; we must not look that they love us first (for the heathens can be content to yield love for love, Mat. 5.46.) But we must love thē first, and by so loving them stir them up to love us again.

3 The quality of the persons, whom Christ hath loved. He hath loved us, John. 15.9. us: that is all, all the elect, Jews, and Gentiles, Grecians, & barbarians, bond, and free, men, & women, the base, and poor as well, as the noble, and rich: for all which, and therefore for all us he died, when as yet we were his enemies, when as yet we were sinners, Rom. 5.8. Therefore must we also love all men, be they sinners, or seem they just; seem they our friends or be they our foes, be they of what estate and condition soever.

4 The end, for which Christ hath loved us. He loved us for no profit of his own, but for our souls health. Therefore must we also love our neighbors, not for our own gain, but for their good: and thereto doth S ^t Paul counsel us, Let every man be careful for the things of his neighbor, Phil. 2.4.

5 The measure of Christ's love to us ward. It is a true love; for Christ is truth it self, John. 14.6. It is an ardent love • , for Christ laid down his life, he shed his blood, for his sheep, John, 10.15. It is a never dying love, for Christ loves his unto the end, John. 13.1. And therefore must we also love our neighbors truly, earnestly, & constantly. We must abandon all false, feigned, and vain love, all corrupt love, all gainful love, all tongue-love, and the like, as Christ hath loved us, even so must we love one another.

How this love hath been written in the hearts of the godly, which long since have slept in peace, their practices are sufficient to declare. Could anything else have made Moses pray to have his name raced out of God's book rather, then that the sins of the people under his government should not be forgiven? Exod. 32.32. Could anything else, have caused David to make his petitions to God for to lay the pestilence upon him and his fathers house, and to spare the people committed to his charge? 2. Sam. 24.17. Could anything else have moved Paul to wish with his own damnation to redeem the rejection of the Jews? Rom. 9.3. What shall I tell you of Elisha, who took order for the safe return of his enemies, the king of Arams servants, to their Lord and master? 2. Kings 6.22. or of Jeremiah, who stood before the Lord, to speak good for such as had digged a pit for his soul, Ierem. 18.20. or of Steven, who then prayed for the people, when they stoned him? Act. 7.60.

Naomi might have done her kinseman all the disgrace set down in the law; she might have pulled of his she; she might have spit in his face, and so have defamed him, and his house forever; yet would she not. Joseph when he might have disclosed the lust of his mistress, and have saved his own imprisonment, did choose rather to conceal it. The supposed father of Christ, that just one, perceiving that his betrothed spouse was with child before ever they came together, was minded to put her away secretly; for he would not make her a public example.

But all these are dead and gone, and (I fear me, I may to truly say it) their love is also dead and gone with them. For if not so; could deceit, could bribery, could oppression, could rapine, could usury, could many more such adversaries of true love be so common among us, as they are? Whence is it, that the hand of Cain is so ready at the throat of Abel? Gen. 4.8. Whence is it that the shepherds of Gerar, and the shepherds of Isaac cannot agree? Gen. 26.20. Whence is it that Esau hateth Jacob? Gen. 27.41. that Joseph is ready to be sold for 20 pieces of silver? Gen. 37.28. That Saul seeketh David to slay him? 1. Sam. 20.33. that a man lieth wounded by the high way, & neither Priest, nor Levite will help him? Luk. 10.31, 32. Is it not from our want of true love? Now have we many of Haman his spirit, who did maliciously inform Ahasuerus against the Jews, that so he might utterly destroy them, Hest. 3.8, 9. and many of Doeg his spirit, who by his false accusatiō murdered 85 Priests and smote the city Nob with all the men, women, and childrē in it, 1. Sam. 22.9, 18. and many of Ziba his spirit, who did wrongfully slander Mephibosheth, his Lord, unto the King, 2. Sam. 16.3.

Now the great man curseth the poor; the poor man complaineth of the rich; the seeming godly man hateth his neighbor, for he is wicked; the wicked man flieth from the pure in heart, he is not for his purpose. Knowe we anything, wherein our brother hath offended? we will ring it presently in the ears of his dearest friends. But know we no ill by him? A small matter, we can and will forge enough; only must we have one condition yielded unto, namely, that we shall not be reviled, & then our brazen faces will bear us out without blushing to report of any mā, that there is neither honesty, learning, nor religion in him; or that he is good for nothing, but to be factious, or the like.

Thus do the wicked bend their bow, and make ready their arrows upon the string, that they may secretly shoot at them, which are upright in heart. And can we much blame them for so doing, since their nature is so to do? Vilium est hominum alios viles facere, & qui suo merito placere non possunt, placere velle aliorum comparatione. You may hold it for a truth, S ^t Jerome hath spoken it; It is the property of a vile nature to seek by tales to make others vile, or by comparison with others to come to he accounted of.

Dead souls I have no hope to move: to feeling hearts, which God vouchsafeth to touch with his powerful word, as with a sharp sword, is my speech made. Read, and remember, what is written in the law; Thou shalt not walk about with tales among thy brethren, Lev. 19.16. Learn, and forget not, why Jerusalem was reproved; it was, because in her were men, that carried tales up and down to shed blood, Ezech. 22.9. Here, and follow, the counsel of S ^t James in the words next after my text; speak no evil one of another. For all which take this reason: he, which slaundreth with his tongue, may not dwell in the LORD'S tabernacle, Psal. 15.3. So filthy and foul it is to be a false reporter.

And can it be better to have itching ears to hear such? Surely if he that speaketh slanderously against any mā, hath the Devil in his tongue, he that willingly heareth such a speaker, hath the Devil in his ear. There cannot be a greater poison, there cannot be a verier cut-throat of all friendship and amity betwixt man & man, then to love to hear, what peevish tongues shall seek to speak. Soone creeps it into your ears, that will never out again, whilst the breath is in your bodies. For instance: suppose a man be misreported to you, to be spotted with adultery, with bribery, with theft, or with any like grievous offense; and admit you can be content not to credit all, because no proof is brought for it, but much against it; yet something remains to the blot of your brother; yet sticks the scar of suspicion still. And therefore the law is, thou shalt not receive a false tale, Exod. 23.1. and David's assertion is; thou shalt never dwell in the tabernacle of the Lord, thou shalt never rest in his holy mountain, if thou receive a false report against thy neighbor, Psal. 15.3. And Sirachs son gives this counsel; if thou have heard a word against thy neighbor, let it die with thee, Eccles. 19.10. By all which, what are we taught else, but how we should hear? If we will needs hear what is reported of others, & that as we ought, we must not be too easy in believing, we must wisely weigh, who telleth it, of whom, in what manner, to what end, and such like circumstances; for so may we, more boldly, and with less danger hear.

The Lord God, Deut. 13.12. hath spoken to the rulers of Israel, thus; If thou shalt hear say (concerning any of the cities, which the Lord thy God hath given thee to dwell in) that wicked men are gone out from among you, and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city: then thou shalt seek, & make search, and inquire diligently. And why, I pray you, is all this repetition of words to seek, to make search, to inquire, and that diligently, if not to give us to understand, what a fault it is to condemn before we know, and by and by to believe what ever we hear? If an Idolater were accused, and had but one witness against him, he might not be put to death by the testimony of that one; for the law saith plainly, that whosoever is worthy of death, shall die at the mouth of 2. or 3. witnesses, Deut. 17.6. & all to teach us, not to be light of belief, when we are whispered in the ear against any man, and in our hearts by and by to kill him by conceiving ill of him upon one reporters speech. To rob my neighbor of that his credit in my heart, which he hath had there heretofore, unless he deserve it, can in me be no less then a branch of murder. To answer a matter before a man hear it, is folly and shame, saith the wise man, Prov. 18.13. & can it be less then folly, can it be less then shame, to believe a matter of our neighbor, before we know it?

This then must be our care; not to believe any ill report against our neighbor, unless we know it; not to hear it, if we can choose; in no wise to be the author and reporter of it. For have we not all one father, hath not one God made us all? Why thē should we transgress everyone against his brother, and break the covenant of our fathers? It is an Item to us all, & worth our remembering too, although it be but S ^t Augustine's: Non poterit habere concordiam cum Christo, qui discors voluerit esse cū Christiano: It is impossible that we should be at one with Christ, if we be at variance with our neighbor.

Cast down not others] The second thing we learn here, is, not to judge the persons of sinners. What is man that he should be clean, or he that is borne of a woman, that he should be just? Job. 15.14. He is borne in iniquity and in sin hath his mother cōceived him. His whole head is sick, and his heart is heavy, and within him is nothing but woe •• ds, and swelling, and sores, full of corruption. He is laden with sins; sins like crimson, and sins as red as scarlet. Therefore inexcusable art thou, ô man, whosoever thou be that judgest; for in that, that thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself: for thou that judgest doest the same things. He that knoweth well what is in man, tells thee so, Rom. 2.1. When Agur had beheld the follies of other men, he beheld his own too, and then his saying was; I am more foolish, then any man, Prov. 30.2. When Judah had thought upon Thamars unrighteousness, he thought upon his own too, and then his confession was; She is more righteous, then I, Gen. 38.26. Whē the Publican had considered other men's sins, he considered his own too, and then his prayer was; O Lord, be merciful unto me a sinner, Luk. 18.13. Come hither, whosoever thou be, that hast a desire to judge other men, if thou be not too good to learn. Behold (and spare not) the follies of other men, but behold thine own too; and then wilt thou say, I am more foolish then any man: think upon (as long as thou wilt) the unrighteousness of other men, but think upon thine own too; and then shalt thou thus confess; They are more righteous then I. Consider (and cease not to consider) other men's sins, but consider thine own too; and then (if there be any grace in thee) that little bird within thy breast, will mournefully sing, and pray for thee: O God be merciful to me a sinner.

So then, thou mayest behold, think upon, and consider, the foolish, unrighteous, and sinful dealings of other men, (as a godly man may behold an image, and detest it) and not offend; but if thou look upon them with pleasure, or for some advantage against any man, then art thou amiss, then thou seest them not aright. There is a wise eye, Eccl. 2.14. and there is a foolish eye; Proverb. 17.24. Now if thou have this wise eye, it will remain in thy head, and teach thee like the be, to gather honey out of every weed thy neighbor hath. But if thou have that foolish eye, it will wander up and down, and make thee like the spider, out of the best flowers thou canst find in thy neighbors life, to suck strong poison. Ham the father of Canaan, saw his fathers nakedness, and took pleasure in it; & he had the foolish eye: but his two brethren, Sem and Japheth, covered their fathers nakedness, and looked another way; and they had the wise eye, Gen. 9.22.23. The Edomites looked upon the afflictions of their brethren, and are reproved, Obad. 12. for their foolish eye made thē rejoice to see it. But Job's friends looked upon his afflictions, & are not reproved: for their wise eye wrought in them a sorrow for it.

Be wise then, and joy not, when thine enemy falleth, nor let thine heart rejoice, when he stumbleth, lest as the leprosy went from Naaman to Gehazie, so God turn his wrath from them that have fallen, and make it light upon thee. Be wise then, and when thou seest thy brothers nakedness, let it move thee to a compassion on him, & a fear of thyself. Be wise then, & when any spectacle of frailty is in thine eye, think with thyself, that thy neighbors house is on fire, & that it is thy warning, for what privilege from sin, hast thou, or any man, that another hath not? You know that the greatest light may be eclipsed, the fairest beauty stained, and the goodlyest fruit blasted. So is it with your souls; the purest may be corrupted.

What if godly Bohaz and Ruth will not pass the bounds of continency? Yet David and Bathschebah, godly also, may be overtaken with that folly. What if good Joseph refuse his lady and mistress? yet Judah, a good man also, may be allured by his disfigured daughter in law. What if many endued with great graces of God's spirit, do, like Zacchaeus, distribute the greatest part of their possessions to satisfy their injuries and relieve the poor? yet many partaking also the like graces, are to much given to the love of money. Yea two of the Apostles, James and John, will desire the superiority and the highest places in the church, howsoever all the rest envy and disdain them for it. Thus are many of the Lord's tallest Cedars blown down to the ground, and thinkest thou (O much inferior to a Cedar ) to stand firm? S. Paul giveth thee friendly counsel, 1. Cor. 10.12. He that thinks he standeth, let him take heed that he fall not.

Hast thou hitherto been fed delicately, and brought up in scarlet? take heed: ere long thou mayest perish in the streets, thou mayest embrace the dung, Lam. 4.5. Hast thou as yet had thy head of gold? take heed: least, to become like Nebuchadnezzar's image thy feet turn to clay, Dan. 2.32.33. Hast thou already begun in the spirit? take heed: as good as thyself have ended in the flesh, Gal. 3.3. Peter he which said even now, that though all should, yet he would never forsake Christ, curseth and sweareth, that he knoweth not the man. Lot, he which erst strived so much to preserve his daughters chaste in Sodom, doth now in the mount commit incest with his daughters. Solomon, blessed Solomon (for so I reckon him) which so lately erected a temple for the worship of God, falleth now to the worshipping of Idols; as if the stars were falling from their Heaven, and the light departing from the Sun.

I will not trouble you with the relation of Noah's drunkenness; David's murder; Sarah's lie; Rebeccaes persuading her son Jacob, to beguile his own father; the theft of Onesimus; the many concubines of the Patriarchs; and the like; only I say, as David said in another case: O noble Israel, how are the mighty overthrown, 2. Sam. 1.19. When Elisha told Hazael, whst wickedness he should do in time to come, that he should slay, and trample men, women, and children under foot; what? said Hazael: Am I a dog, that I should do this? 2. King. 8.13. If I should say to you, that the time shall come, wherein you that seem most holy, shall become murderers, adulterers, thieves or the like, I doubt not, but everyone of you would have his answer in readiness; what? Am I a reprobate, that I should do thus, or thus? But I say not so of you; those good graces of the Lord in you, do promise better things; yet let me desire you to remember S. Paul's counsel; He that thinks he standeth, let him take heed that he fall not.

What shall we do then, when we here of, or see, the slips and escapes of other men? Hear what our Savior saith, Judge not, that ye be not judged, Mat. 7.1. The wise man passed by the field of the slothful, and lo it was all grown over with thorns, & nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down, Prov. 24.30.31. But what did he, when he saw such a confusion? Himself telleth you in the verse following: I beheld, I considered it well, I looked upon it, & I received instruction; the marginal note of our English Bibles is, That I might learn by another man's fault: Our neighbors life resembleth this field; which because he is sloth-full and slack in husbanding, can bring forth nothing, but thorns and nettles, so that through the stone wall, which lieth wasted and broken down, there may be seen all manner of filthiness and abomination. In such a case what must we do? Even as Solomon did; that is, we must behold it, we must consider it well, we must look upon it, and receive instruction: that we may learn by our neighbors fault.

Doth our neighbor stand in a slippery place, where it is easy for him to slice? So do we. Is he sent forth weak, naked, and unarmed, to fight, with powers, and principalities, with the Devil, with the world, withal their adherents? So are we. Is his flesh as false unto him, as Gehazi was to Elisha? 2. King. 5.25. Is it ready to lie unto him, & to face him out, that it hath not sinned, even then, whē it cometh frō sinning? So is ours. Then judge we not, that we be not judged. The best men, we see, have had their falls, yet they have risen again: the godliest, they sink with Peter, yet they perish not, because they are lifted up and saved by CHRIST, as Peter was. Old Adam hath caused the children of light, to commit many and grievous sins, yet their new Adam hath removed them all. Then judge we not uncharitably of them.

Do our brethren in our knowledge fleet from one sin to another, like a fly, which shifteth from one sore to another? Do they, (like the Jews, 1. Cor. 10.6.) tempt the Lord, do they murmur? do they lust? do they commit Idolatry? do they serve the flesh? do they sit down to eat, and rise to play? do they every day fall so grievously, or more then so? Yet may they rise again. Why then should we judge otherwise of them, then in charity? God forbid, by speaking thus I should encourage any to sin: for howsoever grace aboundeth above sin, yet cursed are they, yea ever cursed shall they be, which do sin, that grace and blessing may abound unto them, Rom. 6.1. We are forbidden to do evil, where we certainly know that good may come of it; much less may we make the mercy of God a defense for our sins. Let this then be unto us as a Memorādum, never to be forgotten; There is no condemnation to the righteous, although he fall seven times a day; but if any man shall sin presuming of God's mercies, let him know that his damnation is just, and himself is like that thief, which stealeth because he seeth one among 20. pardoned by the Prince. And so come we to our last note.

Cast down not others] the third thing we learn here, is, not to condemn the whole profession, because all live not in the same perfection.

The grapes of the vine have some less, & some more sweetness, yet sense teacheth, that all are grapes, and do grow of the vine: so is it with the Saints of God, some have more purity and some less, yet all are Saints, and do grow in Christ, that true vine, John. 15.1. What if some (saith the Apostle, Rom. 3.3.) have not believed? shall their unbelief make the grace of God of none effect? and Rom. 11.22. What if some have fallen into sin, shall the whole Gospel for their sakes be discredited?

Jacob's family may be blemished; the wife of his love that sleeps in his bosom may be all spotted; yet evermore shall Jacob's sacrifices be acceptable unto God, and his family shall be cared for, as the house of the Lord. Jericho may be conquered and rased by Joshua; salt may be sown in it to make it barren; and he whosoever shall attempt to build it again, may be cursed, Josh. 6.26. Yet see in this rased Jericho, in this barren soil in this cursed city, Christ hath his spiritual harvest, he hath his holy Temple he hath his blessed building. Cursed Jericho hath a blessed Zacchaeus, Luk. 19.2. Aholah sister to Aholibah, Idolatrous Samaria, may be set on fire with her lovers, & play the harlot, Ezech. 23.4. she may be made as an heap of the field, her stones may be tumbled down into the valley, her foundations may be discovered Micah. 1.6. Yet may such a city, a wasted city, afford many that believe in Christ, John. 4.39. yea from Galilee, from whence some thought no good thing might come, John 7.52. Christ called diverse of the Apostles, John. 1.43

Fyrre trees and thorns, nettles and myrrh trees may grow together in the good-man's garden; and why may there not be in the Lord's field as well brambles, as lilies? why not as well tares, as wheat? The husbandman knew well it was so, & therefore he charged his servants to suffer the tares to grow up with his wheat until the harvest Ma • . 13.30. Assured he was that the wheat would continue wheat still, howsoever it was accompanied with the tares. Let Chaldea be never so unrighteous, yet may it have a righteous Abraham: let Sodom be never so unjust, yet may it have a just Lot; let Babylon be ever wicked, yet may it have a godly Daniel; yea let the whole world (for ought we can see) be tied together with cartropes of vanity; yet shall Nineveh have a devout Tobias, and Huz a patient Job, and Damascus a zealous Nehemiah's. Condemne not then the whole profession, howsoever all live not in the same perfection.

We shall impiously conclude, if against truth we draw our argument from a multitude: neither will it follow; many Ministers, many Christians, have devoted themselves wholly to the flesh, to the world, to the Devil; therefore all of both sorts are naught. For what are we, that we may not judge amiss, as well as Elias did? He complained that he was left alone. Nay saith God, thou art not alone: I have reserved unto myself seven thousand, which have not bowed the knee to Baal, 1. King. 19.18. In regard hereof S ^t Paul telleth us, that of Israel there is a remnant left, Rom 11.5. And that great shepherd speaking of the Chu • ch calleth it a little flock, Luk. 12.32 Fear not little flock, for it is your fathers pleasure to give you a kingdom. But seven thousand, but a remnant, but a little flock, and yet you shall not be discomfited; fear not, for it is your fathers pleasure to give you a kingdom. A kingdom; & therefore for all inferior things he will not stick with you.

Saul's court shall yield a Jonathan to favor David, 1. Sam. 20.28. Ahab's court shall have in readiness an Ob • diah, to entertain the Prophets, 1. King. 18.13. Zedech •• court shall afford a Ebed-melech to entreat for Jeremiah, Ierem. 38.7. O the merciful kindness of the Lord, how it endureth forever and ever upon them that fear him! Job's bones and flesh may be in the Devils hand, but God will save his life, Job. 2.6. Peter may be imprisoned by Herod, but the Angel of the Lord will bring him out Act. 12.7. Shadrach, Mes • ach, and Abedueg • , may be cast fast bound into the seven times hot fiery furnace, but the Lord's Angel will come, and vnbind them, & walk with them in the midst of the fire, so that not one hair of their head shall perish, Dan. 3.25.

Do you remember this little Churches complaint, Ps. 129.1. There she saith: Many times have they fought against me, even from my youth up. Hear now, how she comforteth her self, verse. 2. But they have not prevailed against me. Do you remember, how she further complained, verse. 3. The pl •• ers plowd vpō my back, and made long furrows. Hear now her comfort in the verses following: But the righteous Lord hath cut the cords of the wicked, and they that hate Zion shall be all ashamed, & turned backward, they shall be as the grass on the house rops, which withereth afore it groweth up. And therefore I cannot say too oft, O the merciful kindness of the Lord, how it endureth forever and ever upon them that fear him!

This kind and merciful God hath reserved to himself, evē in the midst of Wolves, & Lions, some Isaac, some Joseph, some Bohaz, some Daniel, some Zechariah, some Elizabeth, some few or more, whom all the world with all the malice it hath cannot blemish. Condemne not then the whole profession, howsoever all live not in the same perfection.

And know that all live not in the same perfection, know that some of the best have had their falls, for these reasons: I will but point at them.

1 That we be brought from that error, which some maintain, namely that the elect, and regenerate sin not.

2 That the work of repentance, so sweet a grace of God, might be exercised among us.

3 That God's mercy in saving great sinners might be magnified

4 That the faithful considering their daily falls, might more earnestly desire their final deliverance.

5 And lastly, that the Lions whelps, all the children of darkness, by this means might be occasioned by their blasphemies, to work their own damnation.

Thus hath the unsearchable wisdom of our God disposed the evil deeds of his dear ones to great, and good purpose. What remaineth then on our parts, but that we frame our selves to have a fellow-feeling of other men's imperfections, & not to condemn all, because some are faulty? The Church may be black; and so she is; for so much she confesseth of herself, Cant. 1.5. yet condemn her not rashly; for her, and our best beloved saith unto her: Thou art all fair, my love, and there is no spot in thee, Cant. 4.7. The Church may be all spotted, and so ashamed, that she be driven to hide her self in the holes of the rock, and in the secret places of the stairs, Cant. 2.14. yet condemn her not rashly: for her, and our best beloved, is so well pleased in her, that in the same verse he breaketh out into these speeches show me thy sight my love, let me hear thy voice for thy voice is sweet, and thy sight is comely. The Church may be grieved, and tossed with the misshapen wickedness of her menbers, as with a tempest, Isaiah 54, 11. yet condemn her not rashly: for it appeareth in the same place, that her, and our best beloved, will lay her stones with the carbuncle, and her foundations with saphires; and will make her windows of pearl, and her gates shining stones. So excellent is the Churches estate under her well-beloved.

What remaineth then on our parts, but that we frame our selves, to have a fellow feeling of other men's imperfections, & not to condemn all, because some are faulty? And here again we should remember (that so we might be careful) neither to judge the persons of sinners, nor to disgrace our neighbors. Endeavor we but to do so, or so well, and then the Churches, & our best beloved, will be ready to take us up, and deliver us frō this worldly prison, to a heavenly palace; from present dangers to certain security; from manifold miseries, to never ending felicities. As thy will shall be, so be it Lord Jesus. To God the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost, be all praise, power, majesty, and dominion for evermore.

THE THIRD SERMON ON THE EPISTLE OF SAINT JAMES, CHAP. 4. VERS. 10. Cast down yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Such is the vehemency of the Lord's arrows, when he shoots them abroad, that though king Ahab be in his chariot in the midst of his host, yet one of thē shall give him a mortal wound. So powerful is the scourge of God, when it makes a famine to invade a country, that it creepeth into the walls of the house of bread, into Bethlehem it self, & causeth the wealthiest of them all to fly. At such a beck hath the Lord all his creatures, that if he be to be avenged vpō the 5. kings of the Amorites, the Sun, and the Moon will be ready for a seasō to rest frō their courses, to perform so good a service. So wanteth he no means to dry up the roots of the wicked beneath, and above to cut down all their branches.

You therefore, from whom it hath pleased God to withhold his blessings of rule, & riches, look to yourselves, as mean as you are. Your ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all your paths. Avoide then the way of the wicked, walk not therein, turn from it, and pass by. Easily may you be snared with their pleasing words; for the wise man telleth you, that they cannot sleep, except they have done evil; So eat they the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. Walk not after such companions, least God give their cu • into your hands, and execute the same judgments, and vengeance against you, which they have deserved. But rather follow S. James his counsel: Cast down yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

And you also, whose heads the Lord's hath advanced over your brethren, look to yourselves. You are sufficiently learned to know, that the voice of the Lord shaketh as well the Cedars of Lebanon, as the low, and little shrubs in the wilderness of Cades: and that it is as easy with him to bind the nobles, and princes with chains, and links of iron, as to raise up the poor from the dunghill to the throne. Did darkness cover the country of Egypt, and not the court of Pharaoh also? Did the destroyer take away the first borne of the poor peasants of the dwelling of Ham, and not of the King also? Let not the lots of your inheritance deceive you. What if your soil be as fruitful, as that of Judah, and your possessions as great, as the greatest? yet may you know, that your dignity and your wealth, will be reckoned but for toys, not worth a pardō, when you shall stand in need of one. The counsel therefore is good for you also, and worth your following too: Cast down yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

I divided these words into a counsel, and a reason thereof. Cast down yourselves before the Lord, that is the counsel: the reason followeth, and he will lift you up. In the counsel I have been directed by the words themselves to three general notes.

• 1 Lift not up, but cast down.
• 2 Cast down not others, but yourselves.
• 3 Cast down yourselves not before men, but before the Lord.

The reason is full of comfort. For albeit we must cast down our selves before the Lord; yet it is before such a Lord, who as he is most present with us, most liberal to us, most able to help us, when we stand in need, is also at all times most willing to work our ease. And therefore is it added in my text; And he will lift you up.

I have already spoken of the 2. first general notes. In the one I laid open 2. grievous wounds made in the very bowels of our Church, & Commōwealth, two reigning evils among us: the evil of ambition, and the evil of pride: at that time in some sort, I applied medicines to them both. In the other I endeavored to show how unmeet it was first to disgrace our neighbors; then to judge the persons of sinners, and last of all, to condemn the whole profession, because all live not in the same perfection. Of both which heretofore.

Now come I to the third general note, which devides it self into two parts.

• 1 Cast down yourselves not before men.
• 2 But before the Lord.

Not before men; for that may be hypocrisy, & you must fly frō it: but before the LORD, for that will be true humility, & you must embrace it. Not before men: for so, may you have the praise of mē, your reward in this world, hereafter to be cast into torments, when that great & severe judge shall pass his sentence against you, depart from me ye cursed; but before the Lord, for so, howsoever ye may be contemned in this world, hereafter shall ye be crowned with eternity, when it shall be said unto you: Come ye blessed.

Cast down yourselves not before men.] Rejoice ye Heavens, & ye that dwell in them; for, where you are, is salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, & the power of his Christ: but woe to the inhabitants of the earth, & of the Sea; for the Devil is come down unto you with great wrath, knowing that his time is but short: such was the song of the finger for the victory which Michael had gotten over the great dragon, Revel. 12.10. As it flood then, so stands it still. Yet, and ever may the heavenly rejoice; for which there is salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, & the power of his Christ; but a w • now is and shall be unto us, as long as the Sun & Moon may endure. For the Devil is come down unto us with great wrath, he knows his time is but short; and therefore lets he slip no opportunity, but emploies all his malice, his might, his rage, his subtlety, his industry, and all to devour us. But if he cannot cōpass us about, as he did Eve, when he persuaded her to eat the forbidden apple; or as he did David, when he caused him to number Israel; or as he would have done with Job, when he intended to make him blaspheme God to his face; that is, if he cannot keep us from doing of good works, yet he leaves us not there; but puts in practice his old and usual course, He will persuade us (for that is easy with him) he will persuade us I say, to be proud of our well doing.

He hath persuaded many Ministers, (shall I say of his own intruding?) assured I am, he hath persuaded many Ministers, to be tongue-tied altogether: but some there are, whose mouths, with all the policy he hath, he hath not been able to shut; yet diverse of them hath he persuaded, to take a pride in their preaching. He hath persuaded many of the people (you know it well enough) wholly to absent themselves from hearing of God's word; but some there are (this, and the like places may witness), whose diligence in hearing, he hath not been able to hinder • yet diverse of them also hath he made to like well of thenselves for their diligence. He hath persuaded many of the richer sort (the poor know it too well) to bestow no alms at all; but some there are who in despite of him, do give daily benevolence for the relief of the needy; yet diverse of them also, hath he made to glory in their alms-giving.

Are we resolved to satisfy that charge which is laid upon us for praying? he is ready with us, to wish us to do it in common assemblies, and in the corners of the streets, that we may be seen of men. Do we intend a fasting? he is at hand with us, to counsel us to disfigure our faces, that we may seem to men to fast. Are we willing to humble our selves before our God? that is, is it our whole intent, to discharge all Christian duties, which God requireth at our hands? yet see the diligence of this worldly prince; he is nowhere wanting, to advise us, to do all such things in the sight of men. So doth he stain the beauty of our good works, and steal away our 〈◊〉 : so ••• heth he of true professors palpable Hypocrites. So that in good time may this caveat be given you, Cast down yourselves, not before men.

Art thou desirous to chastise thy body by fas • ing? Is it thy mind to be reconciled to God by praying? Art thou willing to exercise thy charity by alms-giving? Thē follow the doctrine which thy Savior delivered upon the mount: do all such things in secret; let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth, Mat. 6.3. Thy lot, and mine, is the same as was S ^t Paul's: we cannot be Christ's servants, if we seek to please men, Gal. 1.10. For Christ himself hath pronounced away unto us, when all men speak well of us. Luk. 6.26. Whether we eat or drink, fast or pray, preach or hear the word, or give alms, or whatsoever we do else, all must be done to the praise, and glory of God, our own praise, our own glory must not be regarded.

Neither indeed is there anything, wherein our selves may glory. For strength the Elephant, for courage the Liō, for sweet singing many a bird, for fair beauty many a vile strumpet passeth us. The hare out runs us, the Eagle outsees us: the Ass outheares us: the Dog outsmels us, Non pudet his gloriari, (saith one) quibus & bruta, & sceleratissimi qui{que} possunt gloriari? Shamelesse shall we be, if we seek a glory in such things, wherein unreasonable creatures, and graceless persons do far exceed us.

Can we say as the Disciples said, Luk. 10.17. Lord, even the Devils are subdued to us through thy nu ••• ? yet may we not glory herein; for Christ hath forbidden us so to do, verse 20. Can we say with the Pharisee, Luk. 18.11. We are not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or the like? can we profess that we fast twice in the week, & that we pay tithe of all that ever we possess? Yet may we not glory herein; for sorrowful sinners are like to be more justified, then we: Can we say with the young man, Mat. 19.20. concerning the laws of God, All these have we kept from our youth? Yet may we not glory herein; for still we went one thing: if we will be perfect we must fell all we have, and give it to the poor.

It hath been said that Hypocrisy is spun with so fine a thread, that we may live as long with a man, as Noah did with Cham, and scarce discern him. Which how truly it hath been said, I dispute not. Assuredly I persuade myself, that as a man may judge an Ass by his ears, to be but an Ass, howsoever he be put into a Lions skin: so someone thing or other will ever bewray an hypocrite. It is not the surest to judge of a sheep by the out-skin only, for wolves may be in sheep's clothings: neither may you safely choose your cloth by the list. Will you deem a Pharisee to be good, by his long fringe, or broad Phylactery? Then surely have you much forgotten yourselves. It cannot be, but you have heard of certain Apes in Egypt clad in purple. Thence came the proverb; Simia Simia est, etiamsi aurea gestet insignia: A carter may put on Doctors attire. The Ostrich may have gallant feathers, yet not be able to fly. You may hold it for a truth: Christianity is rei, non speciei, it is a matter of substance, not of form and show.

S ^t Bernard found fault with certain Monks, which thought it impossible the Sun should shine anywhere, but in their cell. Were he now living, how would he entreat many among us, who think themselves so godly, so wise, so sincere, so pure, so perfect, so Christianlike, as if God's holy spirit had only lighted upon them. It will not be amiss for them to consider, how our Savior Christ hath in one chapter pronounced a sevenfold woe against this sin of Hypocrisy: Woe unto you Hypocrites, ye are like unto painted Sepulchers, or white • tombs, which appear beautiful outward, but within are full of dead men's bones, and all filthiness: woe unto you Hypocrites, for ye make clean the outside of the cup, and of the platter, but within are full of all bribery, and excess. I will not trouble you with the repetitiō of the rest, they are all to be read, Mat. 23. And it may be for their bettering, to give ear to the wise man's counsel: he hath said, be not an Hypocrite in the sight of men; for the Hypocrite shall not come before God, Job 13.16. Neither can it be lost labor for them to meditate upon that which followeth, chapter 15.34. where he joineth the Hypocrite with the houses that are built, and maintained with polling, and bribery: for he saith, The congregation of the Hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall devour the houses of bribes: he addeth this reason, because they cōceaue mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their bellies have prepared deceit.

What did it avail Judas to seem to be a blessed Apostle, when in the end he proved himself a cursed traitor? Luk. 22.48. What did it profit the people to seem to follow Christ for his miracles, when indeed they followed for nothing, but for bread? John. 6.26. Felix could tremble, and seem to be moved at S ^t Paul's Sermon as he disputed of righteousness, and temperance, and of the judgment to come, Act. 24.25. but deep was his dissimulation; his drift was to get money of Paul, as appeareth, verse. 26. The Scripture telleth us, that the fathers of Israel turned unto God, and sought him early, they remembered that God was their strength, and the most High their redeemer, Psal. 78.34. You see here a goodly show of religious; yet were such fathers of Israel Hypocrites: for the same scripture addeth in the words that follow, verse. 37. Nevertheless they did but flatter him with their mouth, & dissēbled with him in their tongues, for their heart was not upright with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant. They which call themselves Jews, and are not, because they lie, shall be of the Synagogue of Satan, Apoc. 3.9.

Thus may many profess that they know God, when their works will show that they deny him: themselves inwardly being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate, Tit. 1.16. Wherein (as I take it) you may fitly compare them with falling stars, which commonly are thought to be in the firmament, and to be true stars indeed: but thinking so, we are deceived: for they are only certain fat exhalations, lifted up from the earth by the operation of the Sun, & carried through the upper region of the air, from whence being kinled by the heat and force of the fiery element, they fall again. Is it not so with Hypocrites? Such is their carriage among us, that commonly they may be thought to be spiritual lights enflamed of God, and in mind to be conversant in heaven: when indeed they are farthest from it; and therefore as the light of such supposed stars is momentary and, vanishing; so the joy of the Hypocrite lasteth but a moment, Job. 20.5. though his excellency, and his head reach unto the clouds, yet shall he perish forever like his own dung, and they which have seen him shall say where is he? he shall fly away as a dream, and they shall not find him; he shall pass away as a vision of the night.

Thus you see the portion of Hypocrites. Can you now endure to drink of their cup? Then shall you conceive chaff, & bring forth stubble, and the fire of your own breath shall devour you. O ye sons of men, sunken deep in rebellion, turn again; yet the day is with you: therefore cast away those Idols of gold, and silver, which your own hands have made; I mean your sins: cast them from you. Why will you be like them, of whom the Lord hath said; This people draweth near unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips, but have removed their heart from me? Isaiah. 29.13. Why will you not labor to be such as you would seem to be? what shall it profit you to be like gloe-worms, which, although they shine in the night, are notwithstanding in the day to behold unclean, and vile worms? What shall it profit you, I say, to shine in the night of this world, through a false show of godliness; when in the day time, that is in the world to come, you shall present yourselves before your just judge, foul and abhominable?

When the king of Judah proclaimed war against the king of Israel, the king of Israel returned this answer; the thistle rebelleth against the Cedar, 2. King. 14.9. And yet what was there, but a king against a king? but a man against a man? Humble thyself thou proud earth, not before men; for thy hypocrisy will soon be espied: but before the Lord. For if thou shalt dare continue in thy rebellion, shall not the king of Heaven much more justly say to thee, the thistle rebelleth against the Cedar? The Jews thought themselves holy by offering of sacrifices, when in the mean season they had neither faith, nor repentance. But was God well pleased with them? No: for he detested him, that killed a bullock, as if he had slain a man; him that sacrificed a sheep, as if he had cut off a dogs neck; him that offered an oblation, as if he had offered swine's blood; him that burned incense, as if he had blessed an Idole, Isaiah. 66.3. and all to make you know that he detesteth all your sacrifices, your prayers, your fasts, your alms, yea all your good works too, when they are done without faith, and repentance, as much as he detested the sacrifices of the Heathen when they offered men, dogs, and swine unto their Idols.

Wherewith then shall you come before the Lord, & how yourselves before the high God? Shall you come before him with burnt offerings, & calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousand rivers of oil? Will you give your first borne for your transgressiō? Will you give the fruit of your body for the sin of your soul? The Lord hath shown thee, o man, what is good, and what he requireth of thee; surely to do justly, and to love mercy, and to humble thyself, & to walk with thy God, Micah. 6.8. to be of a contrite heart, to be poor in spirit, and to tremble at God's word, Isaiah, 66.2. And this is it, which in the Lord, I wish may be printed in our hearts, by this caveat; Cast down yourselves, not before men.

What then? may we not fast, or pray, or give alms? may we not do good works in the sight of men? Yes; we may, & must do our good works even before men. And therefore are we counseled to have our lights burning, Luk. 12.35. & to let our light shine before men, Mat. 5.16. and to make our faith known by our good works, I am. 2.18. Whereas then we have been counseled to beware, how we do any good thing in the sight of men, we have been counseled only, to beware of Hypocrisy, to beware of vain glory, to be wary, that we neither give alms, nor do any other good thing before men, with a purpose to gain unto our selves praise, and commendation of men. And therefore when our Lord forbids us to do good in the sight of men, he adds that which makes it unlawful; We must take heed that we do it not to be seen of men, or to be praised of men. As also when he chargeth us to let our light shine before men, that they may see our goodworkes, he adds that which makes it lawful; we must do our good works before men, that by thē our heavenly father may be glorified. So then, to do good works before men, in it self is not evil; yea it is commendable, it is necessary: but to do them to this end, that we may be well spoken of, that makes it faulty. In like sort to do no wicked thing before men, in it self is not evil; yea it is commendable, it is necessary: but to abstain from doing wickedly for fear of man's censure, rather then of God's displeasure, that makes it faulty. To do good works, to abstain from doing wickedly before men; both are such, I cannot but commend them: but so to do good works, but so to abstain from doing wickedly, as if we regarded man more then God, both are such, as Christ utterly detesteth them.

Would you now know, for those good works which you are to do in the sight of men, how to present them before your God pure and spotless? Hear what our Savior saith; Make clean within, and all will be clean, Mat. 23.26. It was the Lord's commandment to Noah, to pitch the Ark with pitch as well within, as without, Gen. 6.14. Without only was not sufficient, it was to be pitched with pitch as well within, as without. It is the Lord's commandment to you to sanctify yourselves, and to be holy, for the Lord is holy, Levite. 20.26. to be holy outwardly only will not serve your turns, you must be holy as well within as without. Your hearts are within, they must be holy. Let your hearts indite good matters, and your tongues must needs be the pens of ready writers. Decke your hearts with faith, & repentance, and then shall your prayers, your alms, your fastings, & all your good works be acceptable in the Lord's sight.

There is a melody may be made in your hearts, to which only the Lord will listen; and therefore Paul adviseth you to make melody to the Lord in your hearts, Eph. 5.19. So Christ did, who said it was meat & drink to him, to do his fathers will, John. 4.34. & so did David, when with all his might he danced before the Ark, 2. Sam. 6.14. & so did the Israelites, when they offered willingly unto the Lord with a perfect heart, 2. Chron. 19.9. But where this melody is wanting, the Lord's delight also will be wanting; and therefore the Pharisees prayer, the harlots vow, the traitors kiss, are nothing to him: and therefore he respecteth not the sacrifice of Cain, nor the fast of Jezebel: and therefore let Ananiah bring his oblation, and Esau his tears, they will be abhominable in his sight. There is a melody may be made in your hearts, to which only the Lord will listen; & this is that melody: to cast down yourselves not before men, but before the Lord. Now therefore spare a little more time to be remembered, how you may Cast down yourselves before the Lord, which is my second part.

This our Lord may, and ought in reverence to be considered of us, as our Creator, as our King, as our teacher, as our father, as our spouse, and as our Master. In all which respects diverse duties without excuse must by us be discharged, if we will aright Cast down our selves before the Lord. Therefore as he is our creator, it is required of us,

• 1. That we glorify him.
• 2 That we be wholly moved in him and by him.
• 3 That we rest contented in his holy will.

As he is our king, so must we fear him,

• 1 Because of the power, and authority which he hath over us.
• 2 In regard of his Majesty compared with our mean condition.
• 3 In regard of the infirmity of our own nature.

And this fear of God hath three notable uses. For it serveth as a bridle,

• 1 To restrain us from falling from God by our disobedience.
• 2 To keep us from all presumptuous, bold, and indecent behavior in respect of God.
• 3 To put us in mind, to make us acknowledge, as the baseness, infirmity and mutability of our own nature, so also the infinite power, authority, & majesty of God.

As he is our teacher, so two duties are enjoined us.

• 1 We must be ready to learn whatsoever it shall please him to teach.
• 2 We must believe it all.

As he is our father, so must we yield him son-like subjection; for we must reverence him, we must imitate him, we must seek unto him for those things we stand in need of, and lastly we must have patience, in regard of those manifold, (be they never so grievous) afflictions, wherewith it shall please God to chastise, try, and nurture us, his children.

As he is our spouse, he looketh that we endeavor withal our might to please him, and that we renounce all other things in the world to cleave fast unto him without separation.

As he is our Master, so we owe him three duties.

• 1 We must obey him.
• 2 We must minister unto him.
• 3 We must profit him.

O that our heads were full of water, and our eyes fountain • of tears, that we might weep day and night, (for day and night had we need to weep) for our continual backslidings from the observance of such duties as by our Creator, by our King, by our teacher, by our Father, by our spouse, and by our Master have been enjoined us. Shall I need to tell you (as the prophet Jeremiah told the Jews, Ier. 9.2.) that in heart, you are all adulterers, and an assembly of rebels? You know it as well as I. Shall I remember you, how you (as they did) do bend your tongues like bows for lies, to belie and slander your neighbors, how there is no courage for truth upon the earth, how everyone proceedeth from evil to worse? Would to God, remembering it would amend it. And may it not so be amended? Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no Physician there? Why then is not your health recovered? The reason is plain: the balm of Gilead is not sovereign for you; the Physicians there can little profit you; vain is the help of man: if you will recover your souls health, Cast down yourselves before the LORD.

The time will not suffer me, neither hath it ben my purpose, to enter the particular examination of those our duties before specified, and in diverse respects laid vpo • us. Since the performance of all the rest consisteth in obedience, that first duty, which the LORD, as our Master, requireth at your hands, I have chosen to speak thereof above the rest, as most befitting the times, wherein we live.

Concerning therefore our first duty to our chiefest Master; our obedience consisteth in this: that we conform our will to God's will, with a resolution to do his will. Many are of Israel, which are not Israel, & many are of the seed of Abrahā, which may not be called the children of Abraham. So S. Paul told the Romans, chap. 9. ver. 6.7. So may I say here: many do will that which God willeth, who notwithstanding conform not their wills to God's will, neither can be said to do his will. Where it shall not be much amiss for us to examine, what it is, to frame our wills to God's will, and what it is, to do his will: both which if we will learn with a purpose to perform them, we shall in some good sort discharge our first duty, we shall obey our Master.

God hath a will, which is holy, is pure, is perfect, eternal, everlasting from all beginning; according to which, his doings are incomprehensible, his judgments secret, his ways past finding out: by which he ruleth all, he governeth all, he guideth and protecteth all: in which all things are, as they are. This will of God is always fulfilled; no man hindereth it; no man stoppeth it. The Lord hath his decree above all the inhabitants of the earth, & of the Sea, and whether they will or no, they must be obedient. If he call a bird from the East, that bird must come; if he speak, he will bring it to pass; if he purpose, he will do it, his counsel shall stand, he will do whatsoever he will, Isaiah, 46.20. According to his will, he worketh in the army of Heaven, and in the inhabitants of the earth, & none can stay his hand, nor say unto him, what dost thou? Dan. 4.35. It was Jehoshaphat's acknowledgment; In thine hand, O LORD, is power, and might, & none is able to withstand thee, 2. Chro. 20.6. No Annas, no Caiaphas, no Herod, no Pilate, no Jew, no Devil could have wrought the death of our Savior Christ, if the Lord's secret will and counsel had not before determined, that it should be done.

There are two causes why this will of God is called secret, or hid̄. 1 Because it is so indeed to a • ••• en, til such time as God manifesteth by events, what he hath appointed to everyone. In respect whereof S ^t James willeth everyone to put in this condition, if the Lord will, and if we live, to do this, or that. 2. Because the reason of the Lord's will, thus or thus, when it is manifested, for the most part is not comprehended of man, but is hid̄ in himself: as why he chose Jacob, & refused Esau; why he put Saul away from the kingdom for one offense, and not David for many, no man knoweth, it is hidden in the Lord. Only this we know, that he hath mercy, on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will, he hardeneth.

Now your duty in regard of this will is, as hath been said: Non est curious investiganda sed adoranda, you must not sift it, but highly reverence it; so that, whatsoever this hidden will be concerning you, whether to live, or die, to be rich, or poor, to be high, or low in this world, you must rest in the same, and be contented, and give leave to the Lord that made you, to do with you, and dispose of you at his pleasure; & then afterward when the Lord reveal it by effects, much more must ye rest in it, & give him thanks, howsoever it is. Good Job took at the Lord's hand evil things, as well as good, sower as well as sweet; the loss of all, as well as the possession of all & so must you do, & say with him, The Lord hath given, & the Lord hath takē it: blessed be the name of the Lord. But what? Are we able to know, how the Lord feedeth the young ravens? how the Phenix is hatched? how the Stork is kept? Do we waver, do we fail in things that be common among us? Since then this will of God, this absolute, this secret, this hidden will of God is such, as our wills may in no wise be conformed to it, let us lay our hands up on our mouths, and stop the course of our lips, lest, meddling with such secrets, we falter in our speeches before the Lord.

God hath another will, which is manifested unto us, which I call another will, not as if it differed from the former in nature, (for God's will is one and the same ) but because it remains no longer hidden, as the former doth. For God's will, as yet it is partly vnrevealed, is commonly called his hidden, or his secret will: but as it is made known to us, by the written word, and continual success of things, so is it called the revealed will of God. And this is that will of God, to which we must make like, fashion, and frame our wills. And so shall we do, if first we will nothing but what God willeth; then if will it in such a sort, as God would have us will it: and lastly if for such ends.

What God willeth, you cannot well (at lest you should not) be ignorant. The Scriptures teaching, that the best of you, is borne in iniquity, and conceived in sin, and feedeth upon transgressians, do they not tell you, that God willeth the amendment of your lives? The not long since pretended invasion, which made the stoutest to fear; the late, and long, and yet during famine, which hath made most to faint; the now reigning sickness among us, which hath taken away diverse of our brethren, and still threateneth us; these three great scourges of our angry God, show they not that something among us is amiss, whereof God willeth the amendment? Thus may all in general out of God's word, and everyone in particular, by such things as daily befall him, and others, perceive what God's blessed will is; to which our wills must be framed after this manner.

Our hearts must be pure, and sincere, without hypocrisy, without guile; all the powers and faculties of our souls and bodies must be invested with integrity, and that, not for a season only, but forever. For now to be fed delicately, and hereafter to perish in the streets; to have our heads of gold, and our feet of clay; to begin in the spirit, and end in the flesh, can it be less then abomination in the Lord's fight? We must continue even unto the end: our hearts must be sincere, they must be pure, not for a season only, but forever: integrity must be in all our affections, not for a season only, but forever.

And so must we respect two ends. The one, & chiefest which is last, and is without end, is the glory of God: the other, and secundarie end, taking place in this life only, is the profit of the Church. So then, if we will nothing, but what God willeth, and that with sincerity, integrity, and purity of our hearts, our faith, our love, and all other our affections, and that with perseverance, with continuance even unto the ende, and that for no other ends, but for the good of the Church while we have our abiding here, and here, and ever for God's glory; we may simply be said to have conformed our wills to God's will.

How necessary these conditions are for the framing of our wills to God's will, you may cōceaue by two undoubted truths in divinity.

The first: Whosoever willeth that, which God willeth, but doth it with another mind, with an impure heart, with corrupt affections, and for evil ends, he cannot be said to have conformed his will to God's will, but rather to have done against his will. S ^t Agustine in enchiridio ad Laurent. c. 101. sets it down thus: Fieri potest, vt hoc velit homo voluntate malâ, quod Deus vult bonâ, a man may wickedly will that, which God well willeth.

For example sake; many a rich father hath a graceless son: this son longeth for the inheritance, and therefore willeth his fathers death: God also willeth the same, and effecteth it. Thus we see our just God, and a graceless child willing one, and the same thing; yet, because what God well willeth, that bad son willeth wickedly, he cannot be said to have conformed his will to God's will, but rather to have done against his will. As also, when God was willing that Christ should die, the Jews, Pilate, and the Devil did will the same; yet, because what God willeth justly, and lovingly, they did will wickedly, and hatefully, we cannot, we may not say, that they conformed their wills to God's will, but rather, that they did against his will. Albeit I doubt not of the truth of that which S ^t Agustine hath, concerning wicked men, that is; Dum faciunt contra voluntatem Dei, per ipsos impletur voluntas Dei. For it is a certainty, that the children of darkness, while they oppose themselves against the revealed will of God, do fulfill his secret will: yet because they oppose themselves against God's revealed will, not with a mind to fulfill his secret will, we cannot, we may not say, that they conform their wills to God's will; we must say, that they do against God's will.

The second truth as undoubted is this: Whosoever willeth that, which God willeth not, but doth it with a pure mind, with an upright heart, with integrity of affections, & for good ends he may truly be said to have conformed his will to God will. S. Agustine in the place before cited sets it down thus: Aliquando bonâ voluntate homo vult aliquid, quod Deu • non vult, bonâ multo amplius, multó{que} certi •• voluntate. Nam illi •• mala voluntas esse nunquam potest: a man may well, and religiously will that, which God much better and blessedly willeth not.

For instance; a happy father hath a good son; this his son willeth the continuance of his fathers life; but in God's good will it is so disposed, that the father may no longer live. We see here a gracious son willing the life, and our just God willing the death, of one and the same man: yet, because what God in justice will not have done, this good child with a godly mind and in charity willeth to be done, he may truly be said to have conformed his will to the will of God. So may Mary and Martha, although they willed the life of their brother Lazarus, whē God willed his death: and so may the brethren which were at Cesarea, although they willed PAVLE not to come at Ierusalē, when God's will was (as appeared by the prophecy of Aga • us ) that at Jerusalem he should suffer for the name of Christ.

So true is it, which S. Agustine addeth in the same place: Bonae Dei voluntati potiùs consonat hominis aliud volentis pietas, quā hominis, idem volentis impietas. Give me (saith he) a godly, zealous, & a pure hearted man, & admit he willeth not that, which God willeth; yet I say, that his will is rather conformable to the will of God, then a wicked man's will can be, although he will the same, that God willeth. Where he addeth this word potiùs (Rather) to show the necessity of our inward integrity, and pure affections.

For to speak simply & without comparison, I must say, as I said before: if we will simply be said, to have cōformed our wills to God's will, we must will that, which God willeth, & that with sincerity, integrity, and purity of our hearts, our faith, our love, and all other our affections: and that with perseverance, with continuance even unto the end, and that for no other ends, but for the good of the Church while we have our abiding here; and here and ever for the glory of our God.

Thus we plainly see, what it is to conform our wills to God's will. Let us now in like sort consider, what it is to do his will.

In which kind of speech by the will of God is meant nothing else, but that, which God commandeth us to do: so that properly to do God's will, is to perform such things, as we are commanded by him. That such things are to be done, that they are to be performed, it cannot be doubted. But how they are to be done, and performed, that is the question.

Some are of opinion, that to do God's will, is nothing else, but inwardly to be possessed with an hearty, & earnest desire of fulfilling his will; & wholly to employ all the powers of our souls in the observance of his commandments. They ascribe so much to the Godly purposes, and zealous affections of our minds, as that they think all external fact, all outward observance altogether needless. And thus have they thought, because they find, that many have been said to have done the will of God, to have walked in his ways, to have done judgment, and justice, to have kept their feet from treading in any evil path, and so to have been reputed for Saints, who notwithstanding have many ways, and most grievously fallen. For they can tell you of Peters denial, of Lots incest, of Solomon's Idolatry, of Noah's drunkenness, of David's murder, of Sarah's lie, of Rebeccahs persuading her son Jacob to beguile his own father, of the theft of Onesimus, of the many Concubines of the patriarchs, and the like, of whose obedience to the will of God, we may not doubt, because we may not doubt of their salvation.

Which opinion of theirs, as I may not altogether reject; so will I not simply allow of: for we have two propositions of certain truth.

1 External obedience is necessary to the doing of the will of God: and therefore that which they think, is not simply to be allowed.

2 The fulfilling of the will of God consisteth chiefly and especially in our hearty, and earnest desire of doing it: and therefore what they think, may not altogether be rejected.

That outward obedience is necessary for our doing of God's will, is so plain, that it needs no proof. For to whō gave God his commandments to be done? Was it not to man? Now who knoweth not, that man consisteth of a body, as well as of a soul? The body then is bound to obey, as well as the soul. The inward desire serves not the turn: outward obedience must be practiced. Outward obedience (I say not perfect, for that is impossible, do we all we can do, we shall be unprofitable servants; yet I say) outward obedience must be practiced. And therefore S. Paul hath beseeched you to give your bodies to God, Rom. 12.1. showing that your bodies should be God's servants, as well as your souls. Both are too little, one cannot be enough. Will you glorify God in your souls you shall do well: but glorify him in your bodies too, 1. Cor. 6.20. Do your hearts believe, yet that is not enough; your months must confess too, Rom. 10.10. your tongues must be kept from evil, and your lips that they speak no guile too, Psal. 34.13. your ears must hear too, Matt. 11.15. your eyes must behold the right too, Prov. 4.25. your hands must be lift up to his sanctuary too, Psa. 134.2. your feet must be removed from evil too, Prov 4.27. The sum of all is: you must give your bodies a sacrifice to God. Now a Sacrifice (as you know) is wherein all the members are offered together, Levite. 1.9. & 13. Therefore must you give your members also to God. Your eyes, your ears, your tongues, your hands, your feet, with all the rest, must be employed in the service of God. For he who commanded you to love the LORD with all your soul, and with all your mind, Deut. 6.5. hath commanded you also to love him with all your strength; to teach you, that the strength of your hands, eyes, and ears, and every other part of you, must wholly be employed in his service. And therefore as we would be changed in our thoughes, so must we also be changed in our words, so must we be changed in our works; we must be careful that our tongues speak no more idly; that our eyes behold no more vanity, that our ears hear no more folly; that our hands work no more iniquity: and as oft as we shall go about the service of God, which we cannot do to oft; everyone of us should cal all his powers together, and say with David, Psal. 103.1. My soul, praise thou the Lord, and all that is within me, praise his holy name. And thus much of the first proposition, of the necessity of our outward obedience.

The second proposition, if you remember was this: The fulfilling of the will of God, consisteth chiefly and especially in our hearty and earnest desire of doing it. The proof hereof is easy: The chiefest part of man is his mind, therefore the fulfilling of the Law, especially consisteth in the desires and intents of the mind: and it so consisteth in these affections, that touching the elect (who only believe in Christ, and alone may be said to do God's will ) God resteth contented with this inward desire, as long as this flesh encombreth them. All other imbecilities are not imputed unto thē. This godly purpose & earnest desire of doing God's will stands them in steed. For it is so grateful to God, as that he accepteth this begun obedience for most perfect. And reckons of thē that are thus obedient, as if they had kept the whole law; which he so doth, not for this their desire, not for this their begun obedience, but because by faith they are engrafted into Christ. So chiefly the fulfilling of God's will consisteth in our inward obedience, but not wholly.

I deny not, but that Hezekiah trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, neither were there any such before him; for he clave to the Lord and departed not from him, but kept his commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses: for so we read, 2. Kin. 18.5, 6. yet we read also that this same Hezekiah did some things, which pleased not the Lord, 2. King. 20.13. Neither may I deny, but that Josiah did uprightly in the sight of the Lord: for so it is written, 2. King. 22.2. yet it is written also, that this Josiah would not obey the word of God. 2. Chron. 35.22. Neither will I deny, but that David fulfilled the will of the Lord, for he is bold to say of himself; O Lord I have refrained my feet frō every evil way, & have not declined frō thy judgments, O Lord, Psal. 119.101, 102. yet his notorious murder and adultery are witnesses of his not fulfilling the will of God. So then of Hezekiah, of Josiah, and of David, I may say, that they have fulfilled the will of God, because with integrity of inward affections they have desired the fulfilling thereof: but to say that absolutely, and simply they have done this will of God, I may not, I dare not open my mouth. If thou, O Lord, shalt mark what is done amiss, O Lord, who is able to abide it?

Let this then be our resolution concerning this point: the holy Scriptures by this speech, by this phrase (to do the will of God) do signify perfect obedience of the whole man towards God, perfect obedience both of body and soul: yet because the chiefest part of this obedience is rooted in the mind, the Almighty by the same phrase signifieth, that he is willing to accept the readiness of our minds, if it be joined with faith in Christ, for most perfect obedience to the Law. And I add this; howsoever the Lord will accept the integrity of our minds, when it is joined with faith in Christ, for perfect obedience, yet he requireth the perfect obedience both of body and soul.

Now let us lay these things to our own hearts and consciences, and see, whether we have conformed our wills to the will of God, with a resolution to do it; whether we have performed our obedience to our great Master. To judge of your hearts is not within the compass of my commission: yet, if it be true, that a good tree cannot bring forth bad fruit; if it be true, that grapes grow not of thorns, nor figs of thistles; then may I boldly say, that your wills are not conformed to the will of God that you have much failed of that obedience, which your Lord and Master hath enjoined you.

The Prophet Hosea. 4.1.2. told the Jews that the LORD had a controversy with them; because there was no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in their land; because by swearing and lying, and killing, and stealing, and whoring, they break out, and blood touched blood. Whether this same complaint may justly be made of you, I appeal to yourselves, as judges. It may be your cheeks will be redd to talk of Christ, as theirs were who went to Emmaus, and you will blush apace to seem so holy; but say, will not the black-moore blush faster then you, when fearfully and foully you sin against the Lord? Is there any delight more wicked then other? we are by and by desirous to wallow in it, to tumble in it, to joy in it, to live and grow old in it. So bath we in all pleasure and ease this mater of earth, and worms meat, wherewith we are clogged, as if there were neither corruption to rot it, nor Heaven to receive it, nor Hell to burn it.

Hence is it, that we are dead in sleep, and watch not at all over the souls of our children, our servants, and all others committed to our goverments; who, (were they rightly trained up by us in the grounds of Christian religion) might happily grow up like to glorious oliues, for the Church, & Commōwealth.

We read Gen. 31.53. that when Laban swore by his false God's, then Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac; so excellent was the instruction given him by his father, that in the presence of Idolatrous Laban, neither for fear, nor favor would he alter his religion: yea, it was so fastened in him, that, having been 20. years among the Idolatrous Syrians, he changed not the manner of the oath, which he learned of his father. Are our fathers so careful, to teach their children in religiō? Indeed, if to be skillful in oaths be to be religious, I cannot find fault with their nurturing. But so they should not learn Christ.

The time was, when servants prayed to the God of their Masters, Gen. 24.42. But in these days if they should do so; some must pray unto pride, some to covetousness, some to gluttony, most to ignorance. Now may we say, as commonly is said: like servant, like Master, if one love the wicked, the other will loath the godly; like father, like son, if one sell virtue, the other will buy sin; like Priest, like people, if one freeze in love, the other will boil in malice: as the governor is, so are they that are ruled; if one refuse Christ, the other will choose Barabbas: such as the seed is, such is the harvest; everyone layeth away life, and playeth with death.

Yet let the children of Abraham, do like Abraham, let them teach their sons, their daughters, their servants, their people, and all that are ruled by them, the covenants of the Lord; let them teach them to conform their wills to the will of God; let them teach them to do his will; let them teach them perfect obedience both of body and soul. So they with all their seed, and posterity, shall be blessed, not only in this life with a temporal promise, but also in the life to come with that ever during promise, that they shall be inheritors of the kingdom of God. Of which promise, vouchsafe, good Lord, to make us all partakers through faith in Christ Jesus, to whom with thee, and the holy Ghost, three persons and one God, be rendered all praise, power, majesty, and dominion, for evermore. Amen.

THE FOURTH SERMON ON THE EPISTLE OF SAINT JAMES, CHAP. 4. VERS. 10. Cast down yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

WEE are come to the promise of the blessing made unto us: He will lift you up. Wherein let us consider,

1 The person, who it is that may fulfill this promise; it is HEE, the Lord, none but he, vain is the help of man, HE, the Lord, will lift you up.

2 The certainty of his promise, for it is not said, he will assay, he will try, he will do his best to lift you up, but simply it is said, he WILL lift you up.

3 The time when this promise shall be fulfilled, which note we must borrow out of 1. Pet. 5.6. where the matter of my text is thus repeated; Humble yourselves under the Almighty hand of God, that he may lift you up, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , in opportunity of time, in due time, in a time when himself shall think it most meet: He will lift you up in due time.

4 What it is, that is promised unto you, even your exaltatiō, your lifting up: He will lift you up. Of these few notes at this time, as God shall assist me with his holy-spirit.

The first is, the person, who may perform so sweet a promise: it is HE, the Lord, none but HEE (vain is the help of man) HE, the Lord will lift you up.

The word of God worthily termed the shoot-anker of an upright conscience, teacheth, that every plant, how gallant, or how fair soever, yea though for beauty it may be compared to the tree, which springing up in the midst of the garden, was exceeding pleasant in the sight of man; yet, if it be not planted by our heavenly Father, shall be rooted out. It teacheth that all coins, be they never so currant among men, yet, if they cannot abide this sacred touch, shall be counted of a base metal, as of tin, or altogether counterfeit, and so shall be burnt like dross. It teacheth, that the great ones of this world, how mighty soever they are, yea, though their heads reach unto the clouds, though they be to all others as the tallest Cedars of Libanus are to the low and little shrubs of the wilderness of Cades, yet if they build their hope upon anything besides the Lord, they shall perish forever like their dung, and you, which have seen them shall say, where are they? they shall fly away as a dream, and you shall not find them; they shall pass away as a vision of the night.

And because you have so good a teacher, well may you be persuaded, that a horse his help is vain, Ps. 33.17. that man's help is vain, Psal. 60.11. that the help of Princes is vain, Psal. 146.3. that much strength is vain, 2. Chron. 25.7. that much wealth is vain, Psal. 49.6. that all worldly helps are vain, Isaiah, 30.1. A reason of all which may be had, Micah. 5.10. for neither horses, nor men, nor princes, nor strength, nor wealth, nor all the worldly helps, that may be, shall be able to deliver you, when the LORD will punish.

Will you yet know a farther reason of this, namely why those helps before specified shall not be able to deliver, when the Lord will punish? The 3. verse. of the 31. of Isaiah, will yield you two reasons: when the I 〈…〉 upon the help of Egypt, trusting in their Chariors, beca •• e they were many; and their horses, because they were strong God gi • eth them no other answer then this, The Egyptians are men, & not God, their horses are flesh, and not spi ••• , Io •• Egyp •••• 〈…〉 , & not God] that may be a first reason; their horses are flesh, and not spirit] that may be the second.

The Egyptians are men, and not God, that is, if Abraham's exposition may be admitted, they are dust, and ashes, Gen. 18.27. very ready with every blast of wind to be scattered. They are men, and not God, that is, if Job's, interpretation be good, they are houses of clay, Job 4.19. very easy to be broken in pieces. They are men, and not God, that is, if Paul may be the interpretour, they are earthly tabernacles, 2. Cor. 5. • . certainly, & within short time to be dissolved. Cease ye then from the man, whose breath is in his nostrils, for wherein is he to be esteemed? The Egyptians are men, and therefore may they not be accounted of, as of hopes, of fortresses, of castles, of deliverers, of defenders; they cannot teach your hands to war, nor your singers to fight: they are not God and therefore must they be holden, for feeble, for weak, for miserable. Cease then frō 〈◊〉 who is like a thing of naught, he passeth away as a shadow, his breath goeth forth, he turns again to his earth, and then all his thoughts perish. The Egyptians are men: will you therefore fly from them, & seek for help at the God of Jacob? Blessed shall ye be, ye shall be as a tree that is planted by the waters, which spreadeth out her roots by the river, ye shall not feel when the heat cometh, your leaf shall be green, you shall not care for the drought of summer; neither shall you cease from yielding fruit, Ierem. 17.8. They are not God: will you notwithstanding repose your trust in them? Cursed shall ye be: ye shall be like the heath in the desert, ye shall not see when any good cometh, ye shall dwell in the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land, in a land not inhabited, Ier. 17.6. Cease then from man, even from every son of man, for there is no hlpe in him.

Their horses also are flesh, and not spirit.] They are flesh, but cursed be he that maketh flesh his arm; they are not spirit, and never blessed shall he be whose protector is not spirit. The Egyptians are men, and not God, their horses are flesh, & not spirit: and therefore let the LORD but str • tch out his hand; the helper shall fail, he that is h • lpen shall fail, they shall altogether fail.

But grant we, that in the course of this life, someone may have girded himself with strength, and decked himself with majesty, so that he may seem to have exalted himself like an Eagle, and to have built his nest among the stars; yet let such a one look back to his tr • b • , to his fathers poor house, to the pit whence he was hewe • , he shall find that at length he must be cast down to the ground: let him examine his Pedegree and descent, he shall find that he is but one of the sons of men. And then who knows not what shall be the portion of his cup?

Man that is borne of woman is of short continuance, and full of troubles; Job upon his experience hath said so much, Job. 14.1. Did it help the children of Canaan, that the sons of Anak, giants of the earth, dwelt amongst them? Indeed the Israelites somewhat daunted in bed • • at the sight of them, brake out into these speeches: this people is greater, and taller then we; their cities are great, and walled up to Heaven, moreover, we have seen the sons of Anak there, Num. 13.28. But in the end what became of them? They were all destroyed by Joshua, they and their cities, and there was not one Anakim left in the mountains of Israel and Judah, Ios. 11.21.22. Did it profit the Bashanites, to have so mighty a king as Og was? His bed indeed was a bed of iron; the length of it was nine cubits, and the breadth four cubits, after the cubit of man. Deut. 3.11. & such a man in all likelihood might be some encouragement to his people. But what was his ende? The Lord delivered him into the hand of Moses. So sweetly sings the Psalmist: He hath slain mighty kings, Sehon king of the Amorites, and Og the king of Bashan, Psal. 135.10.11. And be recounts it again in the Psal. following, ver. 18.19.20. He hath slain mighty kings, Sehon king of the Amorites, and Og the king of Bas ••• . Where to fill up the measure of his song, he adds to the end of every verse this sweet burden: for his mercy endureth forever. Did it avail anything the Philistines that Golias was amongst thē? Proud Golias of whose so huge asta ••• o you have so often heard, whose helmet, whose gre •••• , whose cors •• s, whose shield were all of brass: whose sp •• res shaft was nothing inferior to a weavers beam. But what was his ende? You know it well enough: a child in comparison came with his shepherds staff, with his sling in his hand, with a few smooth stones in his scrip, who in the name of the Lord of Hosts, did s ••• e great Golias.

What shall I remember you of that excellent, that mighty, that prosperous, that peaceable king of Assyria, set forth unto you in the 31. of Ezekiel. Albeit such was his excellency, as that he exceeded all other Monarchs, & Princes under Heaven; in regard whereof he is said to be like a C • dar in Lebanon, whose branches are fair, whose shadowing boughs are thick • , whose top is shot up very high, ver. 3. albeit such was his might, as that there was no greater power in the world, then his was, in lieu whereof, it is said, that the Cedars in the garden of God could not hide him, that no fir tree was like his branches, that no chesnut tree did equal his boughs, yea, that all the trees in the garden of God gave place unto him, verse. 8. albeit such was his prosperity, as that he seemed to be swaddled there with against all calamities; in respect whereof we read that the waters nourished him; that the deep exalted him on high with her rivers running round about his plants; that his height was above all the trees in the field, his boughs were multiplied, his branches were long, and all because of the multitude of the waters, which the deep sent out, verse. 4.5. And lastly, alb •• t such was the peace in his time, as that all people's committed themselves to his protection: to which purpose it is said; that all the fowls of Heaven made their nests in his boughs, that all the beasts of the field brought forth their young under his branches, that all mighty nations dwelt under his shadow, verse. 6. yet was such a king, this excellent, this mighty, this prosperous, this peaceable king of Assyria, ESAR-HADDON delivered into the hands of MERODAC-BALADAN.

I shall not need to tell you, how four kings, withal their hosts were discomfited by ABRAHAM accompanied only with his three hundred and eighteen servants, Gen. 14.14. nor, how the Midianites and Amalek • tes and all they of the East, lying in the valley like grasshoppers in multitude, with their cammels, like sand, which is by the Sea side, innumerable, were overthrown by the hand of Gideon, with his three hundred soldiers, without any stroke of weapon but only the bro • king of Pitchers, blowing of trumpets, and crying the sword of the LORD, and of Gideon, Iud. 7.12. nor, how those hundred and fourscore and five thousand valiant men conducted by Rabshakeh, Sennacherib's servant were all in one night overthrown, Isaiah, 37.36. The examples before specified; the fall of the sons of Anak, the destruction of Og, the death of Goliath, the delivery of Esar-haddon, into the hands of Merodac-Baladan, may persuade you, that it is but a broken reed of Egypt to rely upon those that are either mighty, or many. By so doing you may wound your hands, you may pierce your hands, you shall never help yourselves.

What shall I say of honor? It may seem to stand you much instead, when it sets you a loft, and makes the knee bow, and the tongue sooth, and the head stand bare, and all for your sakes. The wise man teacheth me, what I shall say: Humility goeth before honor, Prov. 15.33. If then you will choose the better part, if you will be humbled, and forget your honor for a while, you may conceive with me, that our estates may well be suited by counters, which in a large account stand for great sums, but after they are shuffled together in the bag, all are of equal value, the least with the greatest, one with another: you may conceive with me, that our estates may well be suited by players on a stage some represent kings, some persons of mean estate, but when the Plaudites are past, where is any difference? you may conceive with me that our very selves may welbe suited by sif •• , or wax candles, some are burned, and consumed to the socket in a reasonable time; some tossed to and fro with a great wind, begin to run, and spend apace; yea they that have the strongest wicke hold out no longer, then till the last drop of their moisture quench the last spark of their light. Your selves can make the application; only I add thus much of honor, that is a broken reed of Egypt, if you shall dare rely upon it, you may wound your hands, you may pierce your hands, you shall never help yourselves.

What shall I say of riches? They also may seem to stand you much instead: for by experience we find it to be true, as it is written: Riches gather many friends, Prov. 19.4. Yet have I a word to speak unto you; Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you:, your riches are corrupted, your garments are moth-eaten, your gold & silver are cankered, the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire: you know whence I have it. Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, & smote the dust of the earth, and lice came upon man and beast: all the dust of the earth was lice, throughout all the land of Egypt, Exod. 8.17. such a dust, if not worse, hath stained the beauty of your riches, and shall be no less annoyance to you, then that truly changed dust was to them of Egypt. Behold the evil sickness which the preacher saw, Eccl. 5.13. riches reserved to the owners thereof for their evil. Are not these the broken reeds, whereon you lean so much? take heed; by so doing you may wound your hands, you may pierce your hands, you shall never help yourselves.

What shall I say of your wits, your trades, and occupations whereby you seem to live? Be they, as they may be, passing gaynefull to you: yet because your hearts are soe set upon this gain, as that ye neglect the truest gain, which is godliness; those helps shall be unto you as bad as those letters, which Uriah carried against himself. 2. Sam. 11.14. as bad as those cups of Circe spiced with conceits and fancies for the nonce, to make Vlisses his most skillful Pilots to renounce their duty; as bad as those Pomegran •• s of that excerable l • ke i • Palestine, which entice a licorice and wanton eye to pluck, but are no sooner touched with the finger, but they dissolve to ashes: yea they are as so many broken reeds, and have their splinters too. Howsoever yea lean unto them, you may wound your hands, you may pierce your hands, you shall never help yourselves.

What shall I say of all other your worldly helps? one shall serve for all. If any of you hath his child fallen strangely sick, you will by and by seek help for him, and well may it be done with this Item, that it be done by prayer to the Lord, and the ordinary help of Physicians: but your conceits are, your children are bewitched, and therefore can have no help, except they be vnwitched again. If any of you hath his horse, or his asse stollē, or looseth ware in the night time out of his shop, you will by & by seek to have your own; and well may that be done, with this Item, that it be lawfully done; but your conceits are, such a cunning man by his art can help me to my goods, then why should I loose them? So impatient are we: the Lord doth strangely visit us, we may not endure it, we will seek howsoever to be healed: the Lord taketh away our goods, we may not endure it, we will look to have our own, although it be in the Devils name.

Much better was his conceit who thus answered his tempting wife: Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and not receive evil? Job. 2.10. God hath promised (and he cannot but perform) that whosoever calleth upon his name, & giveth care to his voice, as to the only shepherd of his soul, good things shall betide him in this world, and his soul shall live, Ier. 38.20. his plants shall prosper, his counsels shall take effect, his corn and oil shall multiply; he shall lend to many, but shall not borrow himself, his children, like so many olive branches shall enclose his table round about.

If this cannot persuade you (and what godly heart can it not persuade?) to forsake those your wicked helpers, and to rely only on the Lord; then hear farther God hath promised (& he cannot but perform) that whosoever will not give care to his voice, but will relieve himself, by the practices of cunning men, witches, conjurers, and the like, preferring Belial before Christ, the Prince of darkness before the ever-shining morning star; error because it pleaseth, before truth, because it smarteth; may sow his field, but shall never reap it, for the grasshoppers shall destroy it: may plant his vineyard, and dress it, but shall never drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes, for the worms shall eat it: may have olive trees in all his coasts, but shall not anoint himself with the oil, for his oliues shall fall: may beget sons and daughters, but shall not have them, for they shall go into captivity. The Lord's still-stretched-out hand shall smite such a one with a consumption, with a fever, with a burning ague, with fervent heat, with a sword, with blasting, with mildew; all these shall pursue him till he perish, the Heaven that is over his head shall be brass, and the earth that is under him, shall be iron.

You that have known it may remember (& you that have not known it) may learn that in the 28. of Deut. from the 15 verse to the 68. there are besides those which I have recited, many other as grievous plagues assuredly allotted to all such, as disobeying the Lord's voice, shall rely upon such helpless helps, as I have already mentioned. We read, 2. Chron. 16.12. that King Asa was punished with death for no other cause, but because in his sickness he sought for help at the Physicians, & not of the Lord: and can we be so senseless, as to think, when for recovering of our lost goods, or of our healths, we seek to Satan's instruments, that we shall escape unpunished?

If Ahaziah consult with Beelzebub the God of Ekron about the recovering of his health, the Lord will send him word that he shall not come down from his bed, but shall there die the death, 2. King. 1.4. If Saul ask counsel of a witch the archers shall wound him, and his own sword shall kill him, 1. Chron. 10.13. If Manasseh use them that have familiar spirits, God will send him such evils, that who so heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle, 2. King. 21.12.

If this cannot persuade you (and what godly heart cannot this persuade?) to forsake those your wicked helpers, and to rely only on the Lord, as you have heard what dome abideth you for running to such helpers; hear also, how such may be deciphered unto you out of the holy Scriptures. Would ye know how to cal them? ye may term them rebels against the light, Job. 24.13. brethren to dragons, Job. 30.29. snares of a fowler in all their ways, snares for the ungodly, Hos. 9.8. if thou list to scan their descent, they are the seed, not of Judah, but of that cursed father of Canaan, their fathers are Amorites and their mothers Hittites, Ezek. 16.45. If their alliance, Samaria is their elder sister, Ezech. 16.46. If the lot of their inheritance; it shall be a never-ending kingdom: but full of weeping and gnashing of teeth, Mat. 8.12. where their table shall be a table of Devils, 1. Cor. 10.21. their diet worse then that Coliquintida, 2. King. 4.40. their mirth folded up in the pride of a smoke, Isaiah, 9.18. So is it not for nothing, that witches may not be suffered to live. The charge is given against them, Exod. 22.18.

The Prophet Jeremiah having roundly glanced at their faults, foretells their fall; that they shall surely be consumed with famine, and with the sword, chap. 14. ver. 15. with famine for their disquiet, & with the sword for their execution. And c. 50. v. 35. he saith there shall be slaughter upon the Chaldeans, & a slaughter upon the southsayers; & the rather because they are the vengeance of the Lord, & the vengeance of his Temple, Ch. 51. v. 11.

The like favor for all the world is to be found at the hands of Ezekiel. chap. 13.9. where he denounceth against all glossing Prophets, which see vanity, & divine lies, that the scourge of God shall be forever upon them; that they shall not be in the assembly of God's people; that they shall not be written in the writings of the house of Israel, in the book of life; that they shall not enter into the land of Israel, that heavenly Jerusalem.

Of like severity is that sentence pronounced by the Prophet Isaiah, chap. 47. Where willing the Babylonians to repair to their sooth-sayers, to their astrologers, to their star-gazers, to their Prognosticators, (for all these names he there useth, verse 12.13.) And to make trial whether they can find profit or strength among them: he speaketh to them in the 14. verse. thus: Behold, they shall be as stubble, the fire shall burn them, they shall not deliver their own lives from the power of the flame, yea they shall be so consumed with the flaming fire, as that there shall not be anything remaining, no not to much as one coal to warm at, nor any light to sit by.

Considering then your own lots, and this their portion, can ye hope for any help at their hands? Judge uprightly & you shall find that neither their leaves are delightful; nor their blossoms graceful, nor their fruits restorative: yea you must confess, that they are but so many broken reeds full of splinters, whereto if you lean you may wound your hands, you may pierce your hands, you shall never help yourselves.

By this I doubt not, but it appeareth, what affiance may be had in all worldly helps, of what sort soever. Now would I persuade you that all true help is to be sought for at the hand of the God of Jacob. For it is he; the Lord, none but he, since all worldly helps are vain, it is he the Lord, that will lift you up. And of this shall ye be well persuaded, if ye meditate upon God's presence, upon his liberality, upon his ability, & upon his willingness: for as he is most present with you, most liberal to you, most able to help you, when you stand in need: so also is he at all times most willing to work your ease.

First of his presence. We hold it as a truth undoubted, that God is everywhere, and in all things, by his essence, by his power, and by his presence: by his essence, in regard of his creating the world; by his power, in regard of his operation, & his working in the world; by his presence in regard of his preserving, his governing the world. It may fit our purpose in general only to understand, that God in presence is everywhere, and in all things. Against those of Israel; which should seek to flee frō the presence of the Lord, we have the words of the Lord, as they are writ̄, Amos, 9.2. Though they dig into the hell, thence shall mine hand take them: though they clime up to heaven, thence will I bring them down: though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them thence: though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them: and though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them. No corner in Hell, no mansion in Heavē, no cave in the top of Carmel, no fishes belly in the bottom of the Sea, no dark dungeon in the land of captivity can hide Israel from the presence of the LORD. Am I a God far off, saith the LORD, and not a God at, hand? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him saith the LORD? Do not I fill heaven & earth, saith the LORD? Thus hath the Lord spoken, Ierem. 23.23, 24. Nere or farther of, in Heaven or in Earth, in places most secret, our Lord is a God, he seeth all things, he fills both Heaven and Earth. To like purpose is David's answer to his own question. His question is: whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I fly from thy presence, O Lord? His answer is, if to Heaven, thou art there; if to Hel thou art there; if to the uttermost parts of the sea, thou art there; if to the darkness, thou art there also. Nor Heaven, nor Hell, nor Sea, nor darkness could hide David from the presence of the Lord. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee O Lord, but the night shineth as the day; the darkness and light are both alike; so should we confess with David, Psal. 139.12.

Consider the Lilies of the field, the Lord hath clothed thē: Sparrowes light upon the ground, but not without the foresight of the Lord; the clouds drop fatness, but every drop is by God's ordinance, and cold salt tears trickle down our cheeks, with remembrance of our sins committed, every such tear should be numbered in the Lord's bottle. The Lilies, the Sparrowes, the clouds, or tears are all regarded by the Lord. How then can we deny his presence?

And let us not be moved to think, that God's purity is any whit stained, because in presence he beholdeth the crimson and scarlet sins, the most vile and filthy actions of reckless mā. The Sun you know, casts his most glorious beams into foul and sordide places, yet none of you will think that the Sun is therefore defiled. But grant we a possibility for the Sun to be polluted by shining into such unclean places, yet impossible shall it be for God, all pure, all holy to partake any variableness or shadow of change. Wicked man wallowing in his wickedness, because God holds his tongue, may think wickedly that God is even such a one, as himself; but God, all pure, all holy, partaking no variableness nor shadow of change, shall at last reprove man for his wickedness, and for before him the things that he hath done, Psal. 50.21.

It cannot be that the presence of God, who sitteth upon the circle of heaven, and thence beholdeth the inhabitants of the earth as grasshoppers, whose throne is the Heaven of Heavens, whose foot-stool is the Earth, whose ways are in the great deep, it cannot be, I say, that the presence of such a God should be avoided. He is above all, beneath all, without all, within all: above, by his might, beneath, by his help, without, by his greatness, within, by his subtilitie: above he ruleth all, beneath he containeth all, without he compasseth all, within, he pierceth all. It is S. Gregory's Moral. expos. in Job. lib. 2. cap. 12. I will not trouble you with many authorities of the Fathers, who in this point are very excellent and plentiful. Out of that which hath already been delivered, it is manifest, that nor Egypt, nor any region beyond the seas, not a couch in a chamber, nor a cabin in a ship, nor clouds of the day, nor the darkness of night; nor the moūtaine caves, nor the Sea bottom; nor a secret friend, nor a more secret conscience, not Heaven, nor Hell, nor any like evasion, can hide us, can hide any our actions frō the Lord's presence. Which manifest truth, if we shall yet doubt of, I shall dare pronounce, that (according to the proverbs) we are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that we are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , more foolish then Corabus, more foolish then Melitides, those, though natural, yet most happy fools; of whom the one was never able to number above five, nor the other to tell of which parent he was borne.

But such palpable and gross ignorance is far from us. For knowing, as we do, that God was well known in Jury, & his name great in Israel, we cannot well be ignorant that God is the same God with us, and the presence of his godhead no less among us, and in our country.

Which may make us the rather wonder to think how boldly we dare deal with God, how impudently we dare behave our selves in his presence, how wickedly we dare do evē before his eyes; as if our reckoning were, that he had neither eye to see us, nor sword to punish us, nor judgment seat to condemn us. Do we not commit all uncleanness, even with greediness in the presence of our God, which, for our lives, we durst not be so bold as do in the presence of a child, were he but a doozen years old? So ready are we to eschew momentary shame that might be discovered by a child, when we care nothing at all to incur God's eternal displeasure.

Deceaue we not our selves (beloved in the Lord) we might have long since learned, that God hath seven eyes which go through the whole world, Zach. 4.10. You may interpret them with me, many millions of eyes: he is totus oculus, altogether eye, for he seeth all things. We might have long since learned that God hath hands to measure the waters, and to span the heavens, Isaiah 40.12. You may interpret it with me, that he hath many Millions of hands, he is totus manus, altogether hand, for he worketh all things. We may well remember that God hath feet, to set upon his footstool, Mat. 5.35. You may interpret it with me, that he hath many millions of feet, he is totus pos, altogether foot; fought he is everywhere.

O then, far be it from us to pluck out the eye of knowledge, as, when we sin, to say with those, Psal. 10.11. Tush, who seeth us, God hath forgotten, he hideth away his face, & will never see. Let us rather confess with the blessed Patriarch, that all places are filled with God's Majesty: as he said, the Lord was in this place, and I was not aware; how fearful is this place? This is the house of God, and the gate of Heavē, Gen. 28.16.17. So let us, (for that place, and this place, and all other places, vpō the face of the earth, are alike) let us, I say, let each of us in particular, wheresoever and whensoever, we shall be enticed with sins too pleasing bait, rouse up our selves, and be awaked, as Jacob was, and say with him: The Lord was in this place, and I was not aware, how fearful is this place? this is the house of God, and the gate of Heaven.

The due consideration of this all-eyed, all-handed, all-footed presence of God, as it must needs strike a terror into the hardest hearts of the children of darkness, while they walk by compass in their crooked and circular endless ways: so also must it needs afford a sweet comfort to the afflicted souls of the children of light, walking with a right foot toward the mark, in hope to attain to the price set before them. For whē they shall persuade themselves that God is at hand with them in all their crosses and tribulations, they cannot choose but endure with patience, the worst that may befall them: especially knowing that all all things work together for their best, because they love God, Rom. 8.28. So doth God's presence persuade his children, that it is he, the Lord, none but He, since all worldly helps are vain, that it is He, the Lord, that will lift them up.

A second motive to the same persuasion is the Lord's liberality, whereof many things (worthy our meditation) might be delivered; but let it suffice for our present occasion to understand, that all the good things we have, are from the Lord. Meat to nourish us, we have it from the Lord: apparel to clothe us, we have it from the Lord; the Sun to comfort us, the Moon to pleasure us, we have them from the Lord; life for our being, riches, honor, & whatsoever else for our well being, all cometh from the Lord. What hast thou, saith S ^t Paul, that thou hast not received? 1. Cor. 4.7. Art thou rich? it is not of thyself: the LORD giveth, saith Job. ch. 1.21. Art thou in estimation in this world? It is not of thyself: The LORD setteth up, saith Hannah, 1. Sam. 2.7. Hast thou cunning, or skil in anything whatsoever? It is not of thyself. God teacheth handy-crafts-men to work. Himself saith so to Moses, Exod. 31.3.

It is impossible for me to recount those manifold blessings, wherewith our gracious God from time to time hath blessed us: such is their infinity. Let everyone go down into the closet of his own breast; and then say he, whether the Lord hath been liberal to him. O ye righteous rejoice in the Lord for it becometh well the just to be thankful; yea, it becometh each of us very well to take up David's song, and to say with him. O Lord, let my mouth be filled with thy praise, that I may sing of thy glory, and honor, all the day long, Psalm. 71.8. Upon which place a blessed Father hath this meditation. What meaneth the Prophet by these words (all the day long?) He meaneth, saith he (continually.) O let my mouth be filled with thy praise CONTINVALLY, because in prosperity thou hast been to me a comfort, in adversity thou hast given me chastisement: when I was not, thou madest me; since I have been, thou hast preserved me; when I had offended, thou forgavest me, at my conversion, thou receavedst me, and for my perseverance thou hast crowned me. O let my mouth be filled with thy praise, that I may sing of thy glory and honor all the day long; that I may sing continually.

And the rather do I commend to you the due consideration of the liberality of our God, because I would put you in mind of your principal means to avoid desperation. It is a principal means to avoid desperatiō to cal to mind the goodness of the LORD forepassed, either to our selves, or others. If we th • nke with our selves, that it was the LORD that took us from our mothers womb, that HEE hath been our hope ever since we hung at the breasts, that HEE hath opened his hands from time to time to fill us with his goodness: if thus we think unfeignedly, can we think that HE will not bless us still?

Here should we compare and lay the times together as David's use was. Thus he argued: I have heretofore slain a Lion, and a Bear at the fold, therefore God will also enable me to prevail against the hand of this Philistine, 1. Sam. 17.37. So may we reason: The mercies of the Lord have been bountiful towards us in former times, to create us of the slime of the ground, to breath into us a living soul, to nurse us up in a civil country, to redeem us with the blood of his only begotten son, to visit us with the light of his glorious Gospel, to bless our garners with store, and our baskets with increase, to be nowhere wanting to us in anything that may do us good; such, and in such sort have the blessings of God been unto us; his arm is not now shortened, he is the same today, that he was yesterday: therefore shall his loving kindness be upon us for evermore.

Why should any afflicted child of God take up Zion's complaint, Isaiah, 49.14. and say, The LORD hath forsaken me, & my Lord hath forgotten me. Never would any so complain, if he would think upon the Lord's name, as it was proclaimed in mount Sinai, Exod. 34.6, 7. The LORD, the LORD strong, merciful, and gracious: slow to anger, and abundant in goodness, & in truth, reserving mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Never would any so complain, if he would remember, why Joel would have us turn unto the Lord, Joel, 2.13. His reason is, the Lord is gracious, & merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, & repenteth him of evil. Never would any so complain, would he but believe the Lord's answer to Zion's complaint, Isaiah, 49.15. Can a woman forget her child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Be that possible; yet will I not forget thee, saith the Lord.

O all ye that thirst, come to the waters of comfort: bibite, & inebriamini; let me use the words to you, although in another sense, Ier. 25.27. bibite, & inebriamini; drink, and drink till your souls be more then satisfied. Call to remembrance how he hath accepted the thief upon the cross confessing. Matthew sitting at the receipt of custom, the womā washing his feet with her tears, the Canaanitish womā begging for her daughter, the woman taken in adultery, the Publican standing a far off, the Disciple that denied him, that other Disciple which persecuted him and his followers, the wicked that crucified him: call to remembrance these his mercies, yea call to remembrance all other the tender mercies of the Lord, which have been ever of old, and say, whether such his liberality hath not persuaded you that He, the Lord, none but He, since all worldly helps are vain, that He, the Lord, will lift you up.

A third motive to the same persuasion, of no less weight then the two former, then that of God's presence, & the other of his liberality, is his ability; of which the schoolmen in general teach thus: That God is absolutely Almighty. In this general they all agree, but when they come to scan, how God may be said to be thus Almighty, they vary much.

Some say that God is therefore said to be Almighty, because he is able to do, whatsoever he will do. These do so tie God's power to his will, as if he were able to do nothing, but what his will is to do. But S ^t. Augustine was of another mind in Enchirid. c. 95. where he saith, Deum multa posse, quae tamen nolit, nihil autem velle, quod non possit. God is able to do many things, which he willeth not; but willeth not anything, which he is not able to do: plainly showing, that God's will & power are not equal; that his power is extended to more things, then his will: that those things which God is able to do, are more then those things which he willeth. The Scriptures also do confirm this difference of God's will and power. Thinkest thou, saith Christ, that I cannot pray now to my Father, and he will give me more thē twelve legions of Angels? Mat. 26.53. Christ was able to ask his Father, and his Father was able to give him that host of Angels, but neither would he ask, nor his father give. God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham, saith our Savior, Mat. 3.9. He is able, but will not. God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth, saith the Apostle, Roman. 9.18. Is it not herehence plain, that God is able to have mercy on all, and is able to harden all, but will not? So true is it, against the first opinion, That God is not therefore said to be Almighty, because he is able to do, whatsoever he will do.

Others are of opinion that God is therefore said too be Almighty, because he is absolutely & simply able to do all things, whatsoever may be spokē, or thought of. If you shall ask thē, whether God can sin, their answer is, he can, but will not: if, whether he cā suffer, they say he can, but will not: if whether he cā lie, they say, he can, but will not. But this opinion is, as more wicked, so more foolish then the former. For to say that God is able to do such things, as are repugnant to his nature is, as to say, the fire is able to cause cold, the Sun to make darkness, & a bad tree to bring forth good fruit. But S. Paul hath not feared to say that God cannot do some things, 2. Timoth. 2.13. He saith, If we believe not, yet abideth he faithful, yet abideth God faithful, he cannot deny himself: he saith not, he will not deny himself, but plainly he saith, he cannot deny himself. And why can he not deny himself? The reason is set down before: because he is faithful. He is faithful, non tam voluntate, quam naturà the is naturally faithful, and therefore can he not deny himself. I add; he is naturally living, and therefore cannot die; he is naturally righteous, and therefore cannot sin; he is naturally immutable, and therefore cannot be changed; he is naturally God, and therefore cannot be like man. Quam mult a non potest, & omnipotence est? Here is matter to wonder at; God cannot do many things, & yet he is Almighty: yea because he cannot do those many things, therefore is he Almighty. For could he die, he were not Almighty; could he lie, he were not Almighty; could he be deceived, could he deceive, could he do wickedly, he were not Almighty. Quā multa non potest Deus, & omnipotence est? How many things is God not able to do, and yet is Almighty, saith S. Augustine de Symbolo ad Catechumenos, lib. 1. cap. 1. So true is it against this second opinion, that God is not therefore said to be Almighty, because he is absolutely and simply able to do all things, whatsoever may be spoken or thought of.

But why thē is God said to be Almighty? Out of that which is already delivered, this proposition may be gathered; God is therefore said to be Almighty, because he is able to do all such things, as naturally in themselves, and simply, are not impossible with God. The truth whereof, as it might evidently appear by particulars, whereon I cannot now stand; so also may it sufficiently be manifest, if in general only we will consider this Alablenesse of God. I deny not, but earthly man, hard to believe the works of God, in man's eyes improbable, hath ever been ready to demand, How? How can this, or these things be? An Angel from heaven may tell Sarah of a son, after it hath ceased to be with her after the manner of women; but she will laugh within her self: but she will say, what! after I am waxen old, and my Lord also! Gen. 18.12. But what saith the Angel to her; Shall anything be hard to the LORD? verse. 14. God may promise a whole months meat to the children of Israel lusting after flesh; but Moses will hardly believe it; but Moses will say: Six hundred thousand footmen are there among the people, among whom I am, and thou sayest, I will give them flesh to eat a month long. Shall the sheep & the beenes be slain for them, to find them? Either shall all the fish of the Sea be gathered together for them to suffice them? Num. 11.21. But what saith God to Moses? Is the Lord's hand shortened? You shall see now whether my word shall come to pass, or no, verse. 23. A Prophet may prophecy in the greatest famine of Samaria, albeit an Asses head, & Doves dung be bought at an unreasonable rate, that yet tomorrow at a certain hour a measure of fine flower, and two measures of barley shall be sold at a reasonable rate: but a great man will not believe it; but a prince will say: though the LORD would make windows in Heaven, can this thing come to pass? 2. King 7.2. But what saith Elisha to this Prince, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof, verse. 2.

Distrustfull men, to satisfy our selves in such distrustful reasonings. Hear we what S. Austin saith, Ep. 3. ad Volusianum, concerning the works of God to us improbable. Tota ratio facti, potentia facientis: considera autorem, tolle dubitationem: the whole reason of the doing is the power of the doer, it is God that hath done them. Consider the author, and all doubts will cease. Sing we, with the sweet singer, Exod. 15.11. Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the God's? Who is like thee? So glorious in holiness, so fearful in praises, so doing wonders. Say we with the shipmen, Jonah. 1.14. Thou, O LORD, hast done as it hath pleased thee.

This point, as it cannot well choose, but strike a terror into the seared consciences of the wicked, because God is able to cast both body and soul into hell fire; so may it well yield comfort to the Godly: comfort to the bar̄; for he was able to make Hānah fruitful: comfort to the afflicted; for he was able to deliver Job from his miseries: comfort to the hungry, for he was able to send food to Elias by ravens: comfort to the thirsty, for he was able of an Asses tooth to make a spring of water, to quench Samson's thirst: comfort for all, for God is able to do all in all: able to deliver from the fiery furnace, able to make the shadow in the dial of Ahaz to run back 10. degrees: able to cause the Sun and Moon to rest from their courses. Thou haste done great things O LORD, LORD, who is like unto thee? O consider the Almightiness of our God, and say, whether you are not thereby persuaded, that it is he, the Lord, and none but he, since all worldly helps are vain, that it is he, the Lord, that will lift you up?

A fourth motive to the same persuasion, is the willingness of God: whereas he is most present with you, most liberal to you, most able to help you, whē you stand in need, he is also at all times most willing to work your ease; This willingness of God importeth the necessity of the fulfilling of God's promises, and so concurreth with the second general note, whereof in the next Sermon.

THE FIFTH SERMON ON THE EPISTLE OF SAINT JAMES, CHAP. 4. VERS. 10. Cast down yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

THE second note is, of the certainty of the fulfilling of this promise, concerning our lifting up. It is not here said he will assay, he will try, he will do his best to lift you up, but simply, he will lift you up.

The promises of God, made unto the sons of men, in the word of God are of two sorts: either they have a condition annexed unto them, or else they are without condition: the Gospel, which is God's power to salvation to them that believe, is the foundation of the one: the law which is his rod of iron, to crush them in pieces that transgress, is the well-spring of the other. Both one and other assuredly true, in their time shall be fulfilled. For is the strength of Israel, as man, that he should lie? or as the son of man that he should repent? Is he not yesterday, and today, and the same forever? That was, that is, and that is to come? My meaning is, not only in substance, but in will and intention, doth he use lightness? Are his words yea and nay? Hath he been known to affirm, & deny too? No. All his promises, all his threatenings, all his mercies, all his judgments, all his words, yea, all the titles of all his words are Yea and Amen, so firmly ratified, that they cannot be broken; so standing immutable; that they cannot be changed. Heaven and Earth may pass, they may be changed, they may wax old like a garment, but the word of the Lord endureth forever.

When Ahiiah the prophet had foretold Jeroboam of his overthrow; namely, that God would sweep away the remnant of his house, as a man sweepeth away dung till it be all gone: that of his stock none should die in the city, but the dogs should eat; none in the fields, but the fowls should pray upon: that there should a king come over Israel, to set abroach all those evils; unwilling to leave any hope, that this time was not yet to come, that it was far of removed; he correcteth himself with sudden and quick demand, and maketh the answer unto it; what? (saith he) Yea, evē now, 1. Kin. 14.14. as if he had said, what? said I, it should come to pass thus, or thus? Yea even now it is come to pass, it is already done. What this Prophet hath spoken concerning the Lord's threatenings against Jeroboam, may be verified of all the promises of the Lord: such is their certainty, ratified by the Lord's own words: My covenant will I not break, nor alter anything, that is gone out of my lips, Psal. 89.34. confirmed, by his visiting of Sarah, as he had said, and doing unto her, according as he had promised, Gen. 21.1. allowed of by Joshua's consent, when he told the Israelites, that there had failed nothing of all the good things, which the Lord had said unto them, but all came to pass, Josh. 23.14. What? shall I say then, that God's promises shall be fulfilled? Yea, even now; even now they are come to pass, they are fulfilled already.

God hath spoken once, and I have heard it twice, that power belongeth unto God, saith David, Psal. 62.11. and so let me say, God hath spoken once, and I have heard it twice, that truth belongeth unto God. God is very constant in the performance of his promises. To drive it into our conceits he hath spoken it, once and twice: not once, but once and twice, many times; he hath spoken it eternally, immovably, effectually, without revokemēt: once in the law, and again, & again in the Gospel. This sweet milk may be sucked plentifully out of both the breasts of the Church, out of Moses, and out of Christ; out of the Prophets, & out of the Evangelists; out of the Law, and out of the Gospel. O happy are they, that feed only on this milk.

It is commonly said, that truth cannot pass forth without contrarieties, and quarrels of judgment. And so is it here. The truth of God, the neverfading truth of his promises, hath somewhat been encumbered with doubts. This doubt hath especially been made: How it may stand with the constancy, & truth of the eternal God, to pronounce a judgment against any man, or place, and not effect it? or, to repent for anything he hath done, or hath promised to do hereafter? For if it be plain that God faileth in bringing to pass his judgments and threatenings, how can I assure myself, that he will be constant and faithful in his mercies, and promises? if it be plain that he repenteth for anything that he hath done, or hath promised to do hereafter, how can I assure myself, that he will not repent of those good promises, which I account of, as made unto myself?

Now, who knoweth not, how the Lord repented for making man on the earth? Gen. 6.6. how he repented for making Saul King? 1. Sam. 15.11. and how he promised to repent of good or evil, accordingly as man should repent of, or hold on, his evil? Ier. 18.7, 8, 9, 10. The LORD said unto Abimelech, Thou art but a dead man, because of the woman which thou hast taken, Gen. 20.3. yet the event fell out otherwise, and Abimelech was purged with God. The LORD said to sick Hezekiah, put thine house in order, for thou shalt die, and not live, Isaiah, 38.1. yet did Hezekiah live fifteen years after. The LORD would have it proclaimed in the streets of Nineveh, Yet forty days & Nineveh shall be destroyed, Ion. 3.4. yet did Nineveh escape that plunge, and was reserved to understand of her final destruction by the ministry of Nahum. These places, and the like intimating in some sort both repentance, and also change of mind and purpose in the LORD of Heaven may be some cause of the former doubt. For satisfying whereof diverse have answered diversely.

Some answer thus: As the spirit is said to make request for us with sighs that cannot be expressed, Rom. 8.26. so may God be said to repent himself. Now the holy spirit cannot be said to cry, as if it self did cry, or to pray, as if it self did pray, or to sigh, as if it self did sigh; but because it stirreth in the Saints of God such affections; and maketh them to cry, to pray, and to sigh. And so they understand that other place of S ^t Paul, Eph. 4.30. Grieue not the holy spirit, that is, say they, take heed that by your wicked living, ye offend not the Saints of God, in whom the holy spirit dwelleth. In their application they say, that God may then be said to repent, when he maketh his children, in whom he dwelleth, to repent for their sins.

But this exposition, albeit in some places it may have good use, as in those before cited of the holy spirit: yet may it not generally be applied to all such places, wherein God is said to repent. It repented God that he made man, Gen. 6.6. Here this sense may not be admitted: to say, it repented man that God made him: for it repented God himself, that he made man. It repented God also, that he had made Saul king, 1. Sam. 15.11. neither here may this sense be admitted, to say; it repented Saul that God had made him King: for it repented God himself that he had made Saul King. I will speak suddenly against a nation, or against a kingdom to pluck it up, to root it out, and to destroy it; but if this nation against whom I have pronounced, turn from their wickedness, I will repent of the plague, that I thought to bring upon them, saith the Lord, Ierem. 18.7. nor here may this sense be admitted, to say; the people should repent of the plague, which the Lord had thought to bring upon them: for it is God himself, that will repent of the plague, which he had thought to bring upon the people. I deny not, but God may truly be said, to do that which he maketh us to do; but to say, whatsoever God may be said to do, therefore he may be said to do it, because he maketh us to do it; this is utterly to be denied.

Others answer thus: God may then be said to repent, and to change his mind, when things themselves be changed. For example sake: as long as men lie wallowing in their sins, the wrath of God, God's scourges shall be upon them: such is the will of God revealed in the Law. But when men shall repent them of their sins committed, God also shall repent him of his fore-threatened plagues; when men shall be changed, there shall be a change also, not in the will of God; for that is impossible; but in the wrath of God: his curses shall be turned to blessings. And this sense is tolerable in the place before cited, Ierem. 18.7, 8. I will speak suddenly against a nation, or against a kingdom to pluck it up, to root it out, and to destroy it: but if this nation against whō I have pronounced, turn from their wickedness, I will repent of the plague, that I thought to bring upon them; because they are changed, from worse to better, my curse shall be changed into a blessing: I will repent of the plague, that I thought to bring upon them. And in the 2. verses following; 9, 10. he saith, I will speak suddenly concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build it, and to plant it; but if it do evil in my sight, and hear not my voice, I will repent of the good, that I have thought to do for them: because they are changed from better to worse, my blessing shall also be changed into a curse; I will repent of the good that I have thought to do for them.

This exposition howsoever it be natural to this place, may not generally be fitted to all other places. I deny hot, whē men repent themselves of their sins committed, but that God's sentence, in regard of any eternal punishment to be inflicted on them, shall be changed; but to say, that his sentence in regard of temporary punishments shall be changed, is more then I dare, as long as I think of the continual afflictions, wherewith godly hearts have daily been tried.

Others answer thus: God may be said to repent, as he is said to be angry, & ielouse. Where we may note that these attributs, and all other like these, must be taken 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as if they were used for man's easier understanding. It is a common thing for God, in his holy word to apply himself to our capacities, and to attribute to himself such things, as are usual in the course of our lives. For instance: because men use not to be revenged on others, except they be angry, therefore when God revengeth our wickedness, he is said to be angry. Again because men by their exceeding care they have to keep their wives chaste, do get to be called jealous: therefore God caring in like sort to keep his spouse chaste, to preserve his Church spotless, is called also Ielous. So is it here. Because men use not to change their former purposes & intents, except it repenteth them, that they had so purposed and intended before; therefore God is said also to repent, when he altereth not his will, for that is unchangeable; not his decree, for that cannot be altered; but the thing which he had promised, or threatened. Thus is God truly said to repent, according to S ^t Augustine's discourse, Lib. 83. quast. quae.. 5.2.

Now, touching the word of the Lord, which came to Abimelech, Hezekiah, and Nineveh, and was not fulfilled, & therefore to carnal eyes might seem to make much against the constancy and truth of the eternal God: the Schoolmen teach thus: Aliud est mutare voluntatem, aliud velle mutationem: it is one thing to change the will, another thing to wish that a change should be. God will have the law, and the ceremonies at one time, gospel without ceremonies at another time: this was his will frō everlasting, constant, and unmovable, that in their several courses both should be. There may be a change in the matter, and subject, yet not a change in him, that disposeth it. Our will is, in winter to use the fire, in summer a cold, & open air; the thing is changed according to the season: the unseasonableness of the summer craving fire, & the warmth of the winter needing none, will argue the thing changed; but our will, whereby we have decreed and determined in our selves so to do, remaineth the same. So writes S. Augustine to Marcellium: The husbandmā at one time soweth, at another time moweth, as a third time dūgeth his fields: according to the diversity of times, his works are changed. Shall we say then, that the art of husbandry is changed? No: nor yet the will of the husbandman. This is the ground of it; A mutatione effectuum non valet consequentia ad mutationem causarum, voluntate liberâ operantium: let the causes be free-working wills, howsoever the effects may be changed, they shall stand immutable.

Some teach thus: the decrees, and purposes of God consist of two parts: the one whereof God revealeth at the first, and the other he concealeth a while, & keepeth in his own knowledge: as in the action enjoined to Abraham, God's purpose was twofold, 1. To try his obedience, 2. To save the child: and if any shall impute it to inconstancy thus to bid, and vnbid, he may know that the will of the Lord was not fully understood in the first part. Hitherto belongeth that which S. Gregory hath, lib. 20. moral. cap, 23. Nouit Deus aliquando mutare sententiam, sed nūquam novit mutare consilium. God changeth his sentence pronounced sometimes, but never changeth his counsel intended.

By this counsel intended, he meaneth that decree of God, which from all eternity he hath made & established with himself, concerning anything to be done according to the good pleasure of his will: yea, by this counsel he meaneth the very will of God, which is holy, is pure, is perfect, eternal, everlasting, from all beginning; according to which his doings are incomprehensible, his judgments secret, his ways past finding; by which he ruleth all, he governeth all, he guideth, and protecteth all, in which all things are, as they are. This his will, this his counsel is always fulfilled; no man hindereth it; no man stoppeth it.

By the sentence of God pronounced, he meaneth his sentence passed, concerning punishment to be inflicted upon any, either in regard of man's deserts, or in relatiō to second causes. In regard of man's deserts: so was the sentence passed against NINEVEH: yet 40. days, and Nineveh shall be destroyed. The sins of Nineveh were winged sins; they flew up above the top of Carmel; they aspired and pressed before the Majesty of God's own throne; they cried out in the ears of God, & enforced him to pass his sentence: Yet 40. days and Nineveh shall be destroyed. In relation to two causes: so was his sentence passed against Hezekiah. Put thine house in order, for thou shalt die, and not live. The kings sickness was such, such was the weakness of his body, such was the extremity of his disease, as that the Prophet had good reason to warrant his prophecy: Put thine house in order, for thou shalt die, and not live.

Here may we see a manifest difference between God's decrees, and his menacings, between his counsails, and his threatenings. between his secret will, and his revealed will. Vnmoueable are his decrees, but his menacings changeable; vnmutable are his counsails, but his threatenings variable; his secret will may not, when his revealed will shall, be altered. One might have said, and have said truly both ways, Lazarus shall rise again, and Lazarus shall not rise again. Esteem it by the power and finger of God, it shall be; but leave it to nature, & to the arm of flesh, it shall never be. Isaiah might have said, & have said truly both ways: Hezekiah shall die, and Hezekiah shall not die: looking only to nature, and to the arm of flesh, he could say no otherwise, but Hezekiah shall die; but looking to the might, and mercy of God, who received the prayers of the king, he must needs have said, & said truly, Hezekiah shall not dy. Jonah might have said, and have said truly both ways; Nineveh shall be destroyed, and Nineveh shall not be destroyed; the sins of Nineveh might have warranted the one, and God's mercies the other. God's decree, God's counsel, God's secret will reserved salvation for them, against whom his menacings, his threatenings, his revealed will proclaimed destruction.

Others teach thus: In most of the Lord's threatenings there is a conditiō annexed, which always is not expressed, but sometimes understood: and it is, as hinges to adore; it turns forwards or backwards the whole matter. Where we must not forget, that a conditional sentence putteth no certainty; nihil ponit in esse, as the schoolmen speak; it forceth nothing, but accordingly as the condition shall be either broken, or kept. The Lord said to Abimelech: Thou art but a dead man, his meaning was; except thou restore to Abraham his wife: Sarah was restored, and Abimelech purged with God. The Lord said to Hezekiah, Put thine house in order, for thou shalt die, and not live, his meaning was; except thou be humbled before me by prayer: Hezekiah was humbled, and lived fifteen years after. The Lord would have it proclaimed in the streets of Nineveh, Yet 40. days, and Nineveh shall be destroyed: his meaning was, except Nineveh repent: Nineveh repented, and was reserved to understand of her final destruction by the ministry of Nahum.

Thus, I hope, that the afore-cited places are answered, and that the doubt arising from them is cleared. So it remaineth, that we believe God's promises to be certain, full of constancy, and full of truth. It was Balaam's confession: God is not as man, that he should lie, neither as the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? and hath he spoken, and shall he not accomplish it? Num. 23.19. It was Samuel's confessiō; Indeed the strength of Israel will not lie, nor repent: for he is not as man, that he should repent, 1. Sam. 15.29. It was God's own protestatiō my counsel shall stand, my will shall be done: as I have spokē, so will I bring it pass; as I have purposed, so will I do, Isaiah. 46.10.11.

If for Balaam's confession, if for Samuel's confession, if for God his own protestation, we will not believe the certainty of God's promises, what shall I say? Surely that the spirit of incredulity, which possessed Pharaohs heart, hath also possessed ours. He was preached unto, not only in the name of the Lord, and with kind exhortation, as: Let my people go: not only by threats, & sentences of judgment, but also by apparent plagues (and what preaching can be more effectual?) by frogs, by lice, by flies, by grasshoppers: morraine, botches, darkness, hailstones, blood, & death it self, were arguments of perswasiō. But could all these things move him? No: but the first time he returned into his house and hardened his heart; the second time whē he saw he had rest, he hardened his heart again: the third time his heart remained obstinate; so likewise the fourth time (though especial warning was given him, as: Let not Pharaoh from hence forth deceive me anymore; ) yet this fourth time he returned into his house and hardened his heart again.

We also have been daily preached unto, not only in the name of the Lord, and with kind exhortation, as; Amend your lives for the kingdom of God is at hand; not only by threats, and sentences of judgment; but also by apparent plagues (& what preaching can be more effectual?) by war, by sickness, by famine, as so many arguments of persuasion. But could all these things move us? No: but the first time from this place and the like, we returned to our houses, & hardened our hearts: the second time when we saw we had rest, we hardened our hearts again; the third time our hearts remained obstinate; & likewise the fourth time, (though especial warning were given us, as: Cursed is every man, that continueth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law, to do them) yet this fourth time also, have we returned to our houses, and hardened our hearts again: and so return we still, and harden our hearts still, as if we meant to build up incredulity, as high as ever Babel was intended, evē up to Heaven, and there to defy God to his face.

What may be thought of this? Even what S. Paul hath said, 2. Thess. 3.2. All men have not faith. If we look to the infancy of the world, God sent his Patriarchs, and found not faith: if to the generation following; God sent his Prophets, and found not faith: if to the succeeding age, God sent his own Son, and found not faith: And when the Son of man cometh again, shall he find faith on the earth? So contrary is it to our corrupt natures, to believe anything, which by discourse of reason we cannot comprehend, or wherewith by custom, and experience we have not been invred.

In this general defect what shall we do? It is no bad counsel, to lay before our eyes the example of our Father Abraham for imitation. A promise was made to him, Gen. 15.5. thy seed shall be in number as the stars in heaven. Faithful Abraham considered not his own body, even now dead, being almost an hundred years old; neither the deadness of Sarah's womb, but believed the promise of God. Afterwardes this promise was more particular: In Isaac shall thy seed be called, Genes. 21.12. here also was he strengthened in faith, and gave the glory unto God. At last a charge is given him: Take now thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee unto the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering, upon one of the Mountains, which I shall show thee, Gen. 22.2. What? must he, in whose loins the treasure of the whole world lieth hidden, must he, of whom the promise was so lately made, must Isaac now be slaughtered? Yea, Abraham persuades himself it must be so; & is ready to lay the knife to the child's throat; and yet believeth he, that in this same Isaac all nations of the earth shall be blessed: and yet believeth he under hope against all hope, that in this same Isaac, his seed shall be called: he persuades himself that God will rather raise Isaac out of the ashes, then fail of his promise,

See we not in this pattern, how we ought to be affected towards the promises of God? we must believe them, even against hope, being fully assured, that he who hath promised, is able also to perform. What if temptations assayle us? What if sin dwell in us? What if the Law accuse us? What if death it self do even devour us? Shall we therefore doubt of God's promises? No: we must believe them, even against hope, being fully assured, that he who hath promised is able also to perform, & not that only, but willing also to perform. He is a Lord of mercy; with him is plentiful redemption. Redemption a thousand ways: redemption by nature, and redemption against nature; redemption by hope, and redemption against hope: redemption by things that are, & redemption by things that are not. He hath always been mindful of his covenant, and promise, that he made to a thousand generations. He promised salvation to Israel, and effected it in the midst of the red Sea: promised salvation to his children, and brought it to pass in the fiery oven: promised salvation to his Prophet, and wrought it in the Lions den. O! let the willingness of so powerful a God move you to believe his promises. Hath he PROMISED to lift you up? He will lift you up. Nor Sea, nor fire, nor all the Lions in the Forrests, nor all the lets in the world shall withstand him, he will lift you up, but you must stay a time then. And this is my third note.

Dwell in this land, and I will be with thee, and bless thee, saith the LORD unto Abraham, Gen. 26.3. Without doubt it is a great blessing of God upon his children, when they abide where God appointeth them. If we carue unto our selves, it shall be unto us according to our boldness. But if we tarry God's leisure, if we follow his calling, and use his direction, surely it shall be unto us, there, wheresoever we shall be, according to mercy. So was it to Barzillai when he would be exalted, 2. Sam. 19.33. So was it to the Shunamite, when she cared not for preferment, 2. King. 4.13. So was it to the Disciples, when they were willing to leave all, Luk. 5.11.

It may be thou art poor; So were the Smyrnians: dwell in thy poverty, and be content as they were, and then what God said to them, shall be said to thee: I know thy poverty, but thou art rich. It may be thou art afflicted. So were the Apostles: dwell in thy afflictions, and be content as they were, and then shalt thou rejoice in the midst of them all. It may be thou art spoiled of thy sons and daughters, and of all thy substance; Such was Job's lot: dwell in these thy losses, and be content as he was, & even then shalt thou say; blessed be the name of the Lord. Dwell where God placeth thee, and he will be with thee, and will bless thee. Dwell in the land: it is David's, counsel, Psal. 47.3. His inducement is: and verily thou shalt be fed. Dwel in the land] Fret not thyself because of the wicked men; envy not their prosperity; be not grieved because they flourish; for they shall soon be cut down like grass, they shall wither as the green herb; yea, they shall be so cut off, as that they shall not live out half their days: but dwell thou in the land; commit thy way, thyself, thy life, and all thy affairs unto the Lord: wait patiently upon him; tarry his time; and he shall give thee thine hearts desire: verily you shall be fed.

I deny not, but that the consciences of the godly can hardly be quieted, so long as they feel God's wrath against themselves. For thus we read in the prayer of the Church; LORD, how long? wilt thou be angry forever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire? Psal. 79.5. LORD, how long? How long wilt thou withhold thine help and aid from us, and let the wicked insult over us, as they do? Wilt thou be angry forever? Wilt thou never put an end to our miseries, those testimonies of thy heavy wrath, and continual anger against us? Shall thy jealousy, over thine own glory, and us also, (even for our good could we see it) shall it burn like fire? shall it consume us utterly, as the fire doth everything that is before it? I deny not, I say, but that the consciences of the Godly, sometimes disquieted with the feeling they have of God's wrath, may enforce them to break out into these, or the like speeches: but assured I am, they should in all hope and patience wait upon the LORD, who by his Prophet, Ps. 37.10. hath thus spokē to alay this their impatiency: Yet a little while, and the wicked shall not appear: look after his place, and he shall not be found. Yet a little while] understand, wait thou in hope, & patience, and the wicked shall not appear] nor he, nor any of his posterity shall be left among the sons of men: look after his place] see now, whether thou canst find the place of his abode, seek with all thy diligence, and thou shalt not find him] for he is perished as the fat of lambes, even with the smoke is he consumed; utter destruction is befallen him, for as is the fat of lambs, even so is he perished; sudden destruction hath overtaken him, for as is the smoke, even so is he consumed.

Be it then true (as needs it must be true ) that the face of God is forever against them that do evil, to cut off their remembrance from the earth: & grant we that hence it followeth (as needs it must follow) that therefore the godly, have no cause to envy the prosperity of the wicked, but rather to pity them: what remaineth, but that we consider, how the distressed child of God, even falling down under the burden of his miseries, because he seeth no help near at hand, may find comfort?

To let pass those many ends, for which it hath pleased God to lay his crosses upon his children, whereof every end duly considered, would be an argument of force sufficient to work patience in the most affl • cted: let us briefly consider two propositions, both pointing at the time, when God's promises shall be made good unto us.

1 God oftentimes withdraweth himself, & his gracious help from his children, to make them the more earnest in seeking to him.

2 God oftentimes deferreth his help till greatest necessity.

Touching the first; namely, that God withdraweth himself, & his gracious help from his children, to make thē the more earnest in seeking to him, we have the confession of Christ's own spouse; who opening the door of her heart to her well-beloved, that was now past and gone, and making diligent search to find him, her soul so loved him, speaketh thus, Cant. 3.1. I sought him, but I found him not: and again, Cant. 3.2. I sought him, but I found him not: and so likewise, Cant. 5.6. I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he answered me not. We have also David's protestation: In waiting have I waited for the LORD, I have waited pacitntly for him, Psal. 40.1. And we have the doctrine of the whole Church, against which the gates of Hel shall never be able to prevail: The Saints of God, howsoever they fall not finally in the end, nor utterly at any time, do notwithstanding fall grievously, do fall dangerously: so, that for a time they may seem to be forsaken of God. But this miss of God's presence and favor, maketh them the more earnest in seeking to him. So the Spouse sought, and never left seeking, till she had found her best-beloved: and David waited, and never left waiting, till the Lord had inclined to him, and heard his cry: and God's holy ones, fallen thus grievously, thus dangerously, do request, and never leave requesting with vnexpresseable sighs, till God come with his right hand stretched-out to lift them up. So true is this first proposition, God oftentimes withdraweth himself & his gracious help from his children, to make them the more earnest in seeking to him.

The second was this; God oftentimes deferreth his help till greatest necessity. We read, when the king of Assyria had invaded the kingdom of Hezekiah, won his cities, subdued his country, conquered his people, and had made him destitute of all help, that then the LORD raised up the king of Ethiopia to cal the Assyrians from the siege of Jerusalem, 2. King. 19.9. We read, when David had been chased, as a bird by the fowler, frō country to country, first to Samuel in Ramah, then to Achimelech in Nob, afterwards to Achish in Gath, sometimes into a cave, sometimes into a wilderness, that then the LORD delivered him, and set his feet in a large room, Psal. 18.36. We read, when Abraham was at the very instant to kill innocent Isaac, lying upon the fagots, that then the good will of him, that dwelt in the burning bush, sent a Ram into a near bush to be sacrified in steed of Isaac, Gen. 22.13. Could any have thought, that an East wind should have filled the campe of Israel with Quails? Many a blast had that wind blown before, but never Quails. Could any in that great want of bread in the wilderness have looked for Manna from Heaven? Many a dew and frost had they seen upon the ground before, but never the like. Durst any presume to think, that Jordan should run back, that the red Sea should devide it self; never did they so before, yet now Jordan runneth back, the red Sea devides it self. The Babylonians would have sworen that the Lions should have devoured Daniel, and the fire the three children; yet against nature, the Lions became meek, and the fire merciful, when they were to deal with the servants of the most Highe. Excellent is that of CHRIST, sleeping in the ship on a pillow, suffering his disciples to be so long tossed with the violence of the Sea, till they cried out, LORD save, we perish: for now in this extremity, he awaketh, rebuketh the winds, stilleth the storms of the Sea, and causeth a peaceable calm to follow, Mat. 8.23. I shall not need to trouble you with the remembrance of Sampson, of Job, of Peter, of Paul, of Lazarus, and many others, miraculously above all hope freed from thirst, from miseries, from imprisonment, from shipwreck, from the grave it self, and the like: out of that which is before delivered, the truth of the second proposition may be inferred. God oftentimes differreth his help till greatest necessity.

Both these laid to our hearts and consciences, and duly thought vpō, will afford comfort to our most fainting spirits; for that they will stay our minds on the leisure of the Lord. Thus should we think with our selves; are we better then the spouse of Christ? better then David? better then any other the children of the Lord? If not: then in our greatest afflictions, in the deepest grief of our consciences, void of all spiritual comfort, learn we of the spouse, to seek and never leave seeking, til we find our best-beloved; learn we of David to wait, and never leave waiting, till our God incline to us, and hear our cry, learn we of the rest of God's children to request, & never leave requesting with vnexpresseable sighs, till God come with his right hand stretched-out to lift us up.

Why should we at the first look to have our desires? Abraham was old before he had any children, and so was Zechariah, and yet in the end the Lord promised, and also performed. It is a certainty, when we have lest hope for obtaining our desires, we may soonest receive them. God useth not at the first to grant our requests, but differreth them for the trial of our faith, and patience, that like as the wheat corn groweth not til it be dead; so his works may not answer our expectation, till they seem to us impossible. And therefore as Iudeth, chap. 8.14. spake unto the governor of Bethulia, so let me to you, my brethren, provoke not the Lord our God to anger; the words are in the latter end of the 14. verse; My brethren, provoke not the Lord our God to anger, it followeth; for if he will not help us, within these five days, he hath power to defend us when he will, even every day, or to destroy us before our enemies. Do not you therefore bind the counsels of the Lord our God, bind not the counsels of the Lord our God. For God is not as man, that he may threatened, neither as the son of man to be brought to judgment; therefore let us wait for salvation of him, and call upon him to help us, & he will hear our voice, if it please him; he will hear our voice, if it please him.

Therefore be of good comfort, you that now sorrow, for you shall be comforted; you that now be hungry, for you shall be satisfied; you that now weep, for you shall laugh. The Lord will shortly come, bear but a little, and in his time all shall be well with you, all tears shall be wiped from your eyes, and be you assured, that whatsoever he hath promised to you, (so true is he, so good is he, so himself is he, so constant, so unmovable is he) it shall be fulfilled; the LORD will rise early to do it: he will set wheels as it were, to his power, and goodness, that he may speedily bring it to pass. And hath he promised in his good time to lift you up? So will he lift you up.

Now a word or two of the thing he promised unto you: it is your exaltation, your lifting up.

Where we must be warned, not to dream of any temporary exaltation, of any worldly lifting up, like the Jews who dreamed of the restitution of David's kingdom, Mark. 11.10. or like the Apostles, who looked that Christ should shortly restore the kingdom to Israel, Act. 1.6. Preferments should not be aimed at: ambition should be put apart from us, for our exaltation is spiritual, we shall be lifted up, but in a spiritual sense.

I deny not, but it is God, that advanceth the heads of the mighty over their brethren: by him kings reign: and true it is, preferment is neither from the East, nor from the West, nor frō the South; God is judge, he maketh low, and he maketh hie; he is the bestower of all temporal blessings. Yet withal I know that such his blessings are bestowed in common, as well on the wicked, as the godly: the Sun shineth as well on the evil, as on the good: the rain falleth as well on the unjust, as the just. God bindeth not himself, either to one, or other, but storeth up his blessings for both: health, wealth, honor, and whatsoever else, this world may afford, he storeth up for both, just and unjust, good and evil, according as himself shall dispose to both. Certain it is he will dispose to both sorts; but to whom of both sorts he will dispose, it is not in man, nor in any son of man, to discern.

Set we then our hearts at rest, for any assurance we have of these temporal blessings: without doubt our exaltation is spiritual, and so shall we be lifted up. The holy are vouchsafed to enter into the kingdom of God, but we know, this entrance must be through many afflictions, Act. 14.22. Through persecutions, and tribulations, 2. Thess. 1.4. All that will live Godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution, 2. Tim. 3.12.

Give care ye faint spirits, be strengthened ye weak hands, ye feeble knees receive comfort. Is it true indeed, that the godly must be known by the badge of afflictions, of tribulations, of persecutions? Yet be ye not dismayed. Be the burdē you bear, never so vnwildy, be it never so heavy; there is one in Heaven (& he can come a pace, for he flieth upon the wings of the wind ) who is able to master it, & to lighten it. And therefore though we walk in the very shadow of death, we must not take discomfort at it.

The Lord sitteth above the water floods, he commandeth the Heaven, the Earth, the Sea, and all that in them is. Never will he forsake his children, neither in health nor sickness, light nor darkness, in the land of the living, nor in the land of forgetfulness.

But be it, we are not set free from our miseries; be it, I say, that God suffereth us, as he suffered Stephen to be stoned; or as he suffered many his blessed Martyrs, to be stretched on the rack, to be burnt with fire, or more grievously to be tormented, yet must we be full of comfort: for God hath, doth, & yet hereafter will deliver his children, and yet hereafter will deliver us, not only from the death of our bodies, when worms, & rottenness shall have made their last prey upon us, but from the death of our minds too, from that death, I say, whereby the spirit is buried under sorrows, and findeth no creature in Heavē or Earth to give it comfort.

Content we then our selves for any assurance he have of any temporal exaltation, it is manifest our exaltation is spiritual, & so shall we be lifted up. So shall we be lifted up, from mortality, to immortality; from this vale of misery, to the city of happiness, Jerusalem, which is above; from a momentary life, to life eternal. Which eternal life though we cannot fully possess as long as this flesh encombreth us, yet in this flesh also in part we do enjoy it. For in this flesh we know God to be the only very God, and whom he hath sent JESUS CHRIST. And this is life eternal, saith Christ himself, John. 17.3.

Hitherto belongeth that which is written, 1. Cor. 13.9. we know in part, and we prophecy in part. And Colos. 1.13. God hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear son, and 1. John. 3.14. we know that we are translated from death unto life. Other like places might be alleged: but these may suffice to show, that even in this life we have a feeling and a taste of eternal life: and therefore, that even in this life our exaltation is begun, which then shall be perfected, when we shall be lifted up from mortality to immortality; from this vale of misery to that city of happiness, IERVSALEM, which is above; from a momentary life to life eternal. Gratious God, make us so to cast down our selves before thee, that thou in thy good time mayest lift us up.

THE TABLE CONTAINING IN ALPHAbeticall order the particulars of this book.

A.
• AAron. 11 62. His rod. 7. 62.
• Abimelech. 65. 137. 143
• Abraham. 14. 149. His faith. 53
• Absalom. 70
• Achan. 11. 36
• Achitophel. 66
• Adulterers, 13, 45
• Afflictions. 22, 152. Compared. 34. Evil. 33. Profitable 37. They are God's instruments. 34
• Afflictions of the godly. 22
• Comfort in Afflictions. 31
• Agur. 34. 67. 85.
• Ahab. 32 93
• Ahola. 89
• Ahaziah. 38
• All shall be saved, in what sense? 4
• Ambition. 61
• Anabaptists. 24
• Anak. 118
• Ananiah his oblation. 103
• Ananias. 63
• God's Anger. 36
• Asa. 38
• Athaliah. 64
• Astrologers condemned. 124

B.
• BAasha. 23. 36
• Barzillai. 66. 146
• Begin betime. 46
• The Benefits of God. 67
• Bethesda. 48
• The Blessings of God. 129
• Our bodies must serve God. 111
• The flying Book. 18
• The breeding of a man from his childhood. 17
• Want of bread. 77

C.
• CAin. 6
• Cain his sacrifice. 6. 103
• Carnal men. 17
• Cast down not others. 78, 79. 84. 89
• Cast down yourselves not before men. 95. 100
• Things Casuall and contingent in respect of us. 33
• Christ diversely reputed. 1, His kingdom no earthly kingdom. 1
• Christ our Master must be followed 8 not to be offended. 9
• By Chance nothing falleth out. 32
• The golden Cherubim. 55
• The three Children, 22
• The rule of Charity. 22
• Christ described 39
• Christ is the way, &c. 46
• Christianity. 79
• Christianity a matter of substāc • . 98
• The Churches complaint. 62. 91
• The Church hurt by ambitiō 62. 63
• The Churches estate under Christ. 92
• Circes cups. 121
• The Commonwealth. 64
• Condemne not all. 89
• Coniurers. 37 39
• An exhortatiō to cōtentmēt. 65. 67
• Contentation. 70
• Continue to the end. 55. 56. 57. 107.
• Cozbi. 25
• The creatures of God used against man for sin. 10
• Crosses what they are 20. of two sorts. 20. every man must take up his cross 22. the Papists take up unnecessary crosses. 23. so do the Donatists 24 and Anabaptists. 24. how we must bear our Crosses. 30 an exhortation to endure our Crosses. 30
• Crosses are evil; yet must we rejoice in them. 33
• Our Crosses must be taken up daily 34
• Cunning. men. 37

D
• DAvid. 15. 33. 36. 81. 86 112
• David's adultery 53 his love. 81 his zeal. 53 his murder. 87. 110
• The Decrees of God consist of two parts. 141
• Delaies made in following Christ 47
• We must Deny our selves. 13
• What it is to Deny our selves? 14
• Helps for the Denying of our selves 15
• Inward Desire. 110
• Desperation. 130
• The Devil is come down with great wrath. 95
  • He staineth our best actions. 96.
• Doeg. 82
• Donatists. 24
• Donatus. 26
• The Drunkard. 44
• Against Drunkards. 11. 13. 64

E.
• EBedmelech. 91
• We bath in Ease. 114
• A wise Eie. 85
• A foolish Eie. 85
• Elah. 11
• Elias. 48. 21
• Elisha. 11
• Universality of Election. 3. 7
• Elisha. 81
• The Elm. 24
• Enchanters. 37
• Epicures. 17
• Esau. 6
• Esau his tears. 103
• Esarhaddon. 120
• Examples teach. 41. followed too much. 42. of good men to be imitated. 52. of the elect of 4 sorts 52

F,
• FAith necessary.
• A general defect of Faith. 144
• Famine. 77
• Saints may Fall. 87. 88
• The best men may Fall. 83
• Why the best have had their Fals. 91
• Jonah his Fish. 32
• Peter his Fish. 32
• The Flying book. 18
• Whether the minister may Fly in time of persecution. 27
• Follow Christ. 51. 46. all must not be followed. 44, 45. man is given to following. 41
• Friendship between senseless things 24

G.
• GAine. 121
• Gideon. 34
• Gloe-worms. 100
• God Almighty. 131. 132
• God his will. 106. 141. ability. 131. power. 131. 132. his secret will. 106 revealed will. 106. decrees. 141. 142 threatenings. 142
• We must seek to God in all troubles and losses. 122. 125
• God knoweth all. 43. seethall. 43. 128, able to do all. 131
• God seeth our sins. 128
• God is present everywhere. 125. 126 127, 128, 129. is merciful. 12. 48. 130. 131. is true, 136. 143. is the fountain of all good, 74. 129
• God his Majesty described, 152 his goodness, 31, his liberality, 129. his providence. 32. 67
• God how said to be angry, 140 to be iealouse, 140. to repent, 140
• The Godly sometime disquieted in conscience, 147
• The Glutton, 44
• Al our Good is frō the Lord, 74. 129
• Good works done before men, 101 done in secret 97. how they may be spotless. 102
• Governers admonished. 17
• Grapes. 89

H.
• HAm. 85
• Haman. 65 82
• The Harlots vow. 103
• Make Hast in the way to heaven, 54
• Hazael. 87
• Hear not tales. 83
• How we may Hear them. 84
• Make melody in your Hearts. 102
• The hardness of our Hearts. 144
• Heaven 56
• The way to Heaven. 50
• Heliotropium. 25
• The Help of man vain. 35. 116
• All worldly Helps vain. 116
• God deferreth his Help till greatest necessity. 149. 150
  • withdraweth his help. 148
• Herod. 50 71
• Hezekiah. 112. 138. 142. 143
  • his zeal. 25, his Honor. 65
• Honor not to be trusted to. 120
• Humility. 67. 71. 120
  • motives to Humility. 71. 74
• Hypocrisy. 98 99
• Hypocrisy spū with a fine thread 98
• An Hypocrite will ever be bewrayed 98
• The portion of Hypocrites. 100

I.
• IAbin. 35
• Jacob. 29 56
• Idolaters. 13
• Jehoram. 23
• Jericho. 89
• Jeremiah. 81
• Jezebel her fast. 103
• Imitation. 41
• The pattern of our Imitation. 51
• English infamous for Imitation. 42
• Christian Imitation. 45
• Job. 33
• Jonah his fish. 32
• Jonathan. 61. 91
• Joseph. 54. 81 his chastity. 53
• Joseph sold. 32
• Joshua. 25
• Josiah. 112
• Judah. 42 85. 86
• The sins of Judah. 35
• Judas. 99
• Judge not the person of sinners. 84

K.
• KEepe the right way. 46. 50

L.
• LAbour. 21
• Lazarus. 142
• The Life of man short. 72. 73
• The Liberality of God. 129
• Stay the Lord's leisure. 146
• The Lord our creator. 103
  • our Father. 103. 104
  • our King. 103
  • our Master. 103. 104
  • our Spowse. 103, • 04
  • our Teacher. 103
• Lot. 87
• Lots incest. 53. 56. 110
• Lotterie. 33
• Love. 79. 81
• Love one another how. 79. 80
  • the measure of our Love. 79
  • want of true Love. 81. 82

M.
• MAn: whereof he is made 71. his life short. 72. 118. subject to miseries, 20. 73. 74. sinful, • 3. 84. his help is vain. 35. his frail • . state, 69. 116. how compared. 120
• Manasseh. 31
• Manna. 62
• Marchasite. 31
• Marculus. 26
• A Martyr. 25
• The wicked may die as Martyrs. 26
• How a man may be a Martyr at his death. 26
• The cause maketh a Martyr. 26, 27
• Martyrdom. 25
• Masters followed. 8
• God is Merciful. 12
• God's Mercies. 36
• Make Melodie in your hearts. 102
• Micaiah. 21
• Ministers admonished. 16
• Miriam. 11, 23, 61
• Moses his love, 54. 81. his incredulity. 53. his zeal. 25
• Moses. 14. 15. 25

N.
• NAaman. 86
• The Name of God to be called upon. 37
• Naomi. 16. 81
• Nebuchadnezzar. 69
• Our Neighbors life. 88
• Nineveh. 138, 142, 143
• The Ninevits. 12
• Noah's drunkenness. 87. 110

O.
• OBadiah. 91
• Obedience begun, 112. perfect. 113
• Our Obedience to Christ as our Master. 105
• Out obedience to the will of God. 111
• Og. 118
• An Old man described. 49
• Onesimus. 87 110

P.
• PAndora. 17
• Patience in afflictions. 30
• Paul, 16, 59. his love. 54
• Pecocke. 60
• Persecution: personal or general. 28. 29
• Whether a Minister may fly in time of Persecution. 27. 29
• Persians. 30
• Peter, 25. 87. his denial, 53, 56, 87, 110. his fish. 32
• The Pharisees prayer. 103
• Pharaoh. 69. 143
• Pharaohs daughter. 22
• Philistines. 18
• Phinehas. 25
• We bath in Pleasure. 114
• Polycarpus. 26
• Pomgranats of Palestine. 121
• Poor. 70
• The Poor to be relieved. 22
• Pride. 69
• Pride of gifts and graces. 68. 69
• The Prowd God resisteth. 71
• Preferment from the Lord. 74, 129, 151
• Promises of God of two sorts. 135
• God true in his Promises. 136. the certainty of his Promises, 136, 137. 143, 150. how we must be affected to his Promises. 145
• Condemne not the whole Professiō for the faults of some. 89
• Prosperity. 34
• Prosperity dangerous. 34
• God's providence. 31
• The Publican. 85
• The Publicans prayer. 85
• Many Punished for the fault of one. 47
• Purposes of God have two parts. 141

Q.
• QVestions curious. 58

R.
• REbecca. 87. 110
• Rehoboam. 12 49
• Rent your hearts. 36. • 7
• Repent. 37, 49
• Repent betime. 48
• An exhortation to Repentance. 36
• Whether God Repenteth. 137, 138
• Rich. 65
• Riches not to be trusted to. 121
• Rose Laurel. 13
• Rue. 25
• Run in the way to Heaven. 55

S.
• SAcrifice blind and halting. 55
• Solomon. 16, 32 his Idolatry, 56, 37, 110
• The Samaritan, 22
• Saul. 25, 54
• Sarah. 11. her lie. 87, 110
• The Sentence of God. 141, 142
• Shebna. 70
• Shimei. 33
• Simony. 64
• Silvester. 63
• Our Sins. 35, 36, 43
• The Sins of great men. 44
• Sleep not. 54
• The Sleeper. 44
• The Slips of others. 87
• The holy Spirit. 138
• Sorrowes in man's life. 21
• Speculations vain. 58
• Spices. 31
• Falling Stars. 99
• Stephen. 54. 81
• Jacob Sware. 114

T.
• TAles, against hearers. 83, 84
• Against Tale tellers. 83
• Tares with wheat. 54, 90
• The Thief. 12
• The Lord's Threatenings have a condition annexed. 142, 143
• A warning to Tradesmen. 121
• The Traitors kiss. 103
• Troubles in man's life. 20
• Truth ever opposed. 6

V.
• VNiversall grace refuted. 3. &c.
• The Voice of the Lord to be heard. 38

W.
• WAntons. 13
• Keep the right Way. 50
• One Way to Heaven. 50
• Wheat and tares together. 54
• The Wicked God avengeth, 10. they are rebellious, 10. they may die like Martyrs. 26
• The will of God. 105. secret. 105. why so called. 106. hidden. 106. revealed. 106
• To do the Will of God. 105. 110
• Our Wills must be conformed to the will of God. 107 & how. 108. 109.
• Outward obedience to the Will of God 110. 111. the fulfilling of his will wherein it consisteth. 110. 112
• God's willingness to help. 135.
• Witches 122, 123, 124
• Seek not to witches. 37
• Wolf signifieth three things. 28
• Women painted. 38 70
• The Word of God. 116
• Worldly help. 116

Z.
• ZEale. 25. joined with a good cause. 25
• Evil Zeal. 25
• Ziba, 82
• Zimrie. 25