A Commentary on 1 Peter 1-3

Vers. 11, 12.

Dearly beloved, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which fight against the soul:

And have your conversation honest among the Gentiles; that they which speak evil of you, as of evil doers, may by your good works which they shall see, glorify God in the day of their visitation.

THese words contain the epilogue or conclusion of the whole exhortation, as it concerns Christians in general, from verse 13 of the former chapter, hitherto: and it hath in it matter both of dehortation and of exhortation, as answering in the substance to all that he hath hitherto entreated of by way of use. The dehortation is in verse 11; the exhortation, in verse 12: in the one showing what they should avoid, in the other what they should do. They should avoid fleshly lusts: and that they should do, is, to live honestly.

In general, we may note, That it is the proper effect of all sorts of doctrine in Scripture, to make an impression of care in our hearts, about the reformation of our lives; that it is in vain heard which doth not some way breed in us a hatred of vice, and a love of honesty: This is the use of all Scripture, 1 Tim. 3.16, 17. Which may serve for trial of such as come to the Word. They may know whether they be good or evil hearers, by the impression made upon their hearts by the Word. And it may serve for information, to show us the excellency of the Word above all other Writings, because there is no line in Scripture, but some way it tends to the redress of our natures from sin, and to plant holiness in us: which can be true of no human Writings. And withal, it shows the happy estate of the godly, who, though they have many diseases in their natures, yet they have wonderful store and variety of medicines in God's Word, to heal their natures. If, for the diseases of our bodies, there be but one herb in the whole field that is good for cure, we have reason to think that God hath provided well in nature for us: but how is his mercy glorious, who in the spiritual field of his Word, hath made to grow as many herbs for cure of all our diseases, as there be sentences in Scripture! And lastly, it should teach us to use the Scriptures to this end, to redress our ways by them. And thus in general.

The first part of the epilogue hath in it matter of dehortation: where observe,

First, the parties dehorted; who are described by an epithet importing their privilege above other men, viz. Dearly beloved.

Secondly, the manner of propounding the dehortation, viz. by way of beseeching: I beseech you.

Thirdly the matter from which he dehorts, viz. fleshly lusts.

Fourthly, the manner how they are to be avoided, viz. abstain from them.

Fifthly, the motives: first, Ye are strangers and pilgrims : secondly, these lusts are fleshly : thirdly, they fight against the soul.

Dearly beloved.

This term is not used complementally or carelessly, but with great affection in the Apostle, and with special choice and fitness for the matter entreated of; which we may observe in the most places, where this lovely epithet is given to the godly in other Scriptures. God is exceeding choice of his words: he never mentioneth the terms of love, but he brings to his children the affections of love, as I may so say. Men, through custom, use fair complement of words, when their hearts be not moved: but let our love be without dissimulation. But let that go. The point here to be plainly observed, is, That Christians are beloved: of all other people they are most loved. I will but briefly explicate this. First, God loves them, and that with infinite and everlasting love, and hath manifested it by sending his own Son to be a propitiation for their sins, 1 Job. 4.9, 10. Secondly, Christ loveth them, which he showeth by giving his life for them. Thirdly, the Angels of heaven love them; which they show by joying in their conversion, and by their careful attendance about them. Fourthly, the godly, in general, love them. There is no godly man that knows them, but loves them: for everyone that loves God that begot them, loves everyone that is begotten of God; everyone, I say, that he knows, 1 Job. 5.1. Lastly, the godly Teachers love them; which they show, in that they are not only willing to impart to them the Gospel, but even their own souls, because their people are dear unto them, 1 Thess. 2.8.

Now this love of God, of Christ, of the Angels, of godly men and Ministers, should serve to support us against the contempt and hatred of the world. We have a love that is much better than the love of worldly men can be to us: First, because it is of better persons: and secondly, because it is of a better kind; for it is more servant, and it is more pure, and more constant. Worldly men can show no love that hath comparison to the love of God, or Christ, or any of those, for the servencie of it. And if worldly men love us, it is to draw us unto one evil or other; and besides, it will not last: for, wicked men will agree with themselves no longer than so many Curres will agree: they are always contending, hateful, and hating one another. Secondly, this point should much check the unbelief of Christians, and their unthankfulness: for many times they are affected as if they were not beloved of any: whereby they much dishonor the love of God, and of Christ, and of Christians towards them also; and thereby they flatly contradict the Text, which saith, They are beloved. Thirdly, impenitent sinners should be moved hereby to become true Christians, because till then they are monstrous hateful creatures: God loathes them and their works, John. 3.36. Esa. 1.11, &c. And such vile persons are vile and odious in the eyes of the godly, Psal. 24.4. Psalm. 15.

Fourthly, Christians should labor to preserve this love unto themselves, with increase of the comfort of it: and so divers things would much advantage them in this love: as,

1 Faith. To live by faith commends them wonderfully to God's love; as being the condition mentioned when he sent his Son into the world, John. 3.16. For without it, it is impossible to please God.

2 Humility would much commend them to the love of the Angels; who rejoice more in one sinner that is penitent, than in ninety nine just men that need no repentance.

3 The fruits of wisdom, mentioned, I am. 3.17. have a marvelous force to win love among men. To be pure, in respect of sincere Religion, to be gentle and peaceable, free from passion and contention, to be easy to be entreated, to be also full of mercy and good works, and all this without judging or hypocrisy; to be no censurers, nor counterfeits: Oh this is exceeding amiable, if these things were carefully expressed.

4 And for their Ministers, two things would much increase their love to them. First, obedience to their doctrine: for this will prevail more than all the bounty in the world, 1 Thess. 2.13. Heb. 13.18. Secondly, to converse without back-biting, or uncharitable judging of them. By these two, the Philippians and Thessalonians were highly advanced in the affection of the Apostle: and through the want of these, the Corinthians lost much in the love of the Apostle.

Thus of the persons dehorted.

The manner of the dehortation follows.

I beseech ye. ]

In that the Apostle in the name of God doth beseech them, divers things are imported: as,

First, the marvelous gentleness and love of God to men: he that may command, threaten, punish, yea cast off, yet is pleased to beseech men.

Secondly, the dignity and excellency of a clean heart, and honest life; It is a thing which God (by his servants) doth vehemently beg at our hands.

Thirdly, the honor of a Christian; he is spoken to as to a great Prince, as the two former reasons show him to be.

Fourthly, a rule of direction how to carry ourselves towards others in the case of reformation; we must learn of the Apostle to express a Spirit of meekness, and love, and humility. Passion and pride work unspeakable prejudice and hurt in the care of other men's faults.

Fifthly, with what reverentnesse and earnestness we should speak to God, when he speaks thus to us.

Thus of the manner of propounding the dehortation.

The matter to be avoided is lusts.

Abstain from fleshly lusts. ]

By lusts are sometimes meant gross sins and disorders, which are the fruits of lust; and so the sins mentioned chapter 4.4. of this Epistle, are called lusts of the Gentiles.

By lust is sometimes meant corruption of nature: But I think it is taken neither of these ways here.

By lust is sometimes meant the filthy desire of the heart after bodily uncleanness, and so called the lusts of uncleanness, Col. 3.5. Rom. 1.24.

But by lusts here (I take it) is meant all sorts of evil desires in the heart of man, and so called worldly lusts, Tit. 2.12. And in special these sorts of lusts are named in Scripture, which Christians should especially avoid.

First, the lusts of uncleanness: filthy desires.

Secondly, the lusts of covetousness, and worldly cares.

Thirdly, the lusts of vain-glory, whether of envy, conceitedness, or desire of applause.

Fourthly, the lusts of Epicureanism: those desires after delicious or excessive fare, or vain apparel.

Fifthly, the lusts of malice and revenge.

These and such like, are the lusts which Christians must forsake.

The use is divers.

Uses. First, for information: and so it may show us,

1 That outward honesty will not serve the turn: It is not enough to be free from gross sins. What case then are civil honest men in?

2 That in reformation it is not enough to forsake the evils we have no desire after, but we must leave our own lusts.

Secondly, for consolation. Here is imported an excellent comfort to the godly in the case of inward and hateful temptations. When vile things come ento the mind of the godly, if they dislike them, and do not lust after the • , nor entertain them with spiritual dalliance, they may be assured, that those evils shall not be charged upon them: For before a temptation can be a sin, it must have somewhat of coveting in it. Christ was tempted as we are, and yet he sinned not, because he liked them not, but rejected them.

Abstain from them. ]

The manner how they are to be avoided, is contained in this word abstain: which doth import divers things;

First, that without departing from iniquity, we cannot have comfort of our repentance. To come into the company of the godly, to make show of Religion, to come to Church, or use private means, or barely to confess sin, or to feel terrors for sin, is not enough, unless we leave sin. Judas, Demas, Cain, and the wicked Israelites could do the former; yet never repented.

Secondly, that the occasions of lusts will be daily offered to us from the world, or the devil, or our own corrupted nature. Now it is not an argument of our misery to have them, but to entertain them.

Uses. The use may be,

1 For information: The true abstinence is to abstain from sin: the other abstinence from meat, or the like, is but circumstantial, and not in it self acceptable to God, Esa. 58.

2 For trial: Those are sound Christians indeed, that abstain from fleshly lusts.

Quest. But are there not lusts in godly men, as well as in wicked men?

Answ. There may be, but with great difference: for,

1 The godly man may be entangled with evil desires, but the wicked man is more: For he burns in lust, yields himself over to his hearts lusts: He is given up to his lusts, he takes care for the lusts of the flesh to fulfill them: He serves his lusts, &c. Rom. 13.13. and 1.24. Tit. 3.3. Ephes. 2.3.

2 The godly man, if he be overcome of his lusts for a time, yet he humbleth himself, and judgeth himself for them, and grieves for them; whereas the wicked boasteth himself of his hearts lusts, and placeth his contentment in them, Psal. 10.3.

3 The godly man, if he be yet overcome, he will break off his iniquity by repentance; whereas the wicked in his lusts is like the devil. He is incorrigible, no ill success, or judgment, or reproof can break off his desire of transgression: yea his lusts are called, The lusts of his father the devil, John. 8.44.

Thirdly, all godly Christians should learn from hence to be seriously bent to preserve themselves in the purity of Christian Religion, and to keep their hearts from these soul annoyances.

Quest. But what should we do to be preserved from lusts?

Answ. First, thou must avoid the occasions of lusts: such as are,

• 1 Evil company, and therein evil example and evil counsel, Psal. 1.1.
• 2 Idleness and solitariness.
• 3 Excessive desire after,and delight in riches, 1 Tim. 6.9.
• 4 Ignorance, 1 Pet. 1.14.
• 5 Intemperance, drunkenness, and fullness of bread, and deliciousnesse of fare, and apparel.
• 6 Hardness of heart, Eph. 4.17, 18.

Secondly, we must walk in the Spirit, cherishing all good motions, and pure imaginations, yielding our hearts over to the government of God's Spirit, doing all duties with the powers of our soul, Gal. 1.16.

Thirdly, we must crucify them, if they arise among ourselves, with the same mind was in Christ, and resolve to suffer in the flesh by the sound practice of mortification.

Fourthly, we must strive after contentation, 1 Tim. 6.

Fifthly, we must get knowledge: for as ignorance brings them in, so knowledge fills the heart, and dares them out.

Thus of the manner of avoiding them. The motives follow: and the first of them is,

Ye are strangers and pilgrims. ]

A stranger is he that lives in a place that is not his own Country, or Kingdom, or Nation, whither by right he belongs: so Abraham was a stranger, Gen. 21.23. and the Israelites in Egypt, Exod. 2.12. Now, a pilgrim is he that resteth not in a place, but travelleth onward from place to place.

Godly men are said to be strangers, and not strangers, in divers respects. It is said, they are not strangers in respect of freedom to the City of God, and the Common-wealth of Israel, Ephes. 2.29. They are strangers in respect of their absence from the heavenly Canaan, which is their own home, to which they were borne by regeneration.

In this world then, all the godly are but strangers and pilgrims; which may serve,

First, for reproof even of divers godly men; and that in divers respects:

1 For their too much minding of earthly things. Why do our hearts carry us away after the world, considering it is but an Inn to be in for a little time?

2 For their meddling with other folks business. A stranger only thinks of his own affairs, and doth not interpose himself in the affairs of others: so should we study to be quiet, and meddle with our own businesses.

3 For discouragement of heart under the sense of our own weaknesses and weariness in spiritual things: we must expect in such travel much weakness and weariness.

4 For impatience, either under the crosses of life, cast on us by God (whereas strangers arm themselves to bear all weathers) or under the scorns and contempt of the world: whereas we should look for it, that the world should gaze at us and deride us, as usually men do at strangers. Nor should Christians be at leisure to stay their journey, by seeking revenge for their wrongs, or be troubled if they cannot get preferment in the world.

Secondly, for instruction. It should wholly impose upon us the care of carrying ourselves like strangers and pilgrims;

• 1 By having our conversation without covetousness.
• 2 By our language, speaking always as may become the people of God, and heirs of heaven; that the men of this world may perceive by our speech, that we are not of this world.
• 3 By our circumspection and desire to live without offense: as a stranger is very heedful of his ways in all places where he comes.
• 4 By our daily enquiring after the particular way to heaven.
• 5 By our thankfulness for the favors we find while we are in the world, seeing it is a place we are not to look for much in.
• 6 By our apparel. If •• rangers be known by their garments, then is it a great fault for Christians to be found in the fashions of this world.
• 7 By our delight in good company: we should be glad of any that would go with us to heaven.
• 8 By our affection homeward: our minds should still be in heaven.

Nor should godly men be overmuch troubled, that they are strangers here in this world, and pilgrims, in the condition of travellers: for,

First, they are not strangers in the Common-wealth of Israel, and in the Kingdom of Christ: though at the same time they are strangers, in respect of their condition in this world.

Secondly, they are well provided for at their Inns. God provides their resting places, and no good thing will he with-hold from them. That God which commands men to regard strangers, and show them mercy, will himself much more be careful for his strangers.

Thirdly, their pilgrimage will not be long.

Fourthly, they have good company: all the godly travel their way.

Fifthly, God hath appointed them guides: yea, Christ himself will be their way.

Sixthly, by prayers they may send home continually.

Seventhly, it should much comfort them, to think what a glorious condition they shall be in, when they come home, in the new Jerusalem.

Thus of the first reason.

Secondly, the lusts must be avoided, because they are fleshly.

Fleshly. ]

These lusts are fleshly in divers respects:

First, because they please after the flesh, which is the corrupt nature of man: they hold no delight, or show of profit, but to the flesh: they are exceeding noisome, and grievous and foolish to the Spirit.

Secondly, because they reign only in fleshly persons: they be the lusts of Gentiles, and such as are strangers from the life of God. Godly men complain of them as an extreme misery, Rom. 7.1 Pet. 4.3.

Thirdly, because they arise most from the body, which is but a servant to the soul: and it is an extreme unmanlinesse, for the soul to be at the command of her servant the body; which concludes against the lusts of uncleanness, riotousnesse, drunkenness, vanity of apparel, &c.

Fourthly, because they proceed from the old man, or corruption of nature, or the flesh, considered as the enemy to God, and man's salvation: and so it is an argument taken from the hat •• ulnesse of the flesh, and her working in us. The lusts and desires of the flesh ought to be hateful, and we should suspect and abstain from the projects of the flesh, if we consider,

1 That the flesh savoreth not the things of God, Rom. 8.

2 That she opposeth all good ways, partly by objecting against them, and partly by making evil present, when we should perform them.

3 That her wisdom is against God: her fairest reasons are pleaded for things that are hateful to God: such also are her excuses, and extenuations, and promises.

4 That if she be followed, she will lead us by degrees into all abominations; as whoredoms, murders, debates, heresies, &c. these are her fruits, Gal. 5.

5 She will betray us to Satan, that he may by himself set up strong fortifications in our souls: and her treason is the more dangerous, because she is a domestical enemy; and by his working in secret, our hearts may become a very cage or sty of unclean spirits.

6 She hath already spoiled the Image of God in us, and made us look most deformedly.

7 If she once get power▪ she is most tyrannical: no respect of credit, profit, no nor salvation it self, can stir: she will be served, whatsoever come of it.

8 We should abhor her, for the very mischief she doth to our posterity: we cannot look upon our children, but we may see what woeful hurt she hath done by the infection they received in their propagation.

Uses. The use may be,

First, for reproof of such as lay the blame of their faults upon their evil luck, or evil counsel, or the devil: whereas they ought to lay the fault upon their o • ne fles • , even their own ill nature. The devil no • the world could never hurt us, if the flesh did not betray us by defect, or consent, or evil action.

Secondly, for information. We may see what we should mortify, and abstain from. Religion doth not bind men to mortify the substance of the flesh, but the lusts of the flesh: we are not to destroy any faculty of the soul, or in the soul, or part of the body; but the inordinate appetite and desires of either; we are not to abstain from the necessary means of life, as house, lands, diet, apparel, company, &c. but the evil concupiscence about these.

Thirdly, for instruction. It should teach us therefore to restrain the flesh as much as we can; and therefore we shall with the same labor, restrain the lusts of the flesh: and to this end,

• 1 We must with all fear and jealousy watch our own natures, as mistrusting.
• 2 We must silence the flesh, and not suffer it to plead for sin.
• 3 We must by a daily course of mortification, judge the flesh; that so we may be, as it were, condemned in the flesh.
• 4 We must keep from it what may pamper it; as idleness, excess of diet, apparel, recreation, &c.

Which war against the soul. ]

These words may be considered either in their coherence, or in themselves: in their coherence, and so they are the third reason taken from the evil effects of those lusts. In themselves there are two things to be opened; both what the soul is, and what this war in the soul is.

The point is clear, that fleshly lusts do much hurt the souls of men; and so, both the souls of wicked men, and of godly men.

First, of wicked men. These lusts hurt their souls,

1 Because they provoke the wrath of God upon them. The Israelites were not estranged from their lusts, and therefore the wrath of God came upon them, Psal. 78.29, 30, 31.

2 Because they make us resemble the devil, John. 8.44.

3 Because they hinder the power of the Word from them: they will never come to the knowledge of the truth, 2 Tim. 3.6.

4 Because it brings the soul in bondage: so as all the conversation of the soul is in a manner about those lusts of the flesh, Eph. 2.2.

5 Because they make all their prayers abominable, I am. 4.

6 Because sometimes they are scou • ged with a reprobate mind, being given up to their lusts, Rom. 1.

7 Because they may drown the soul inperdition, 1 Tim. 6.9.

If godly men entertain these inward evils in their thoughts and affections, many evils will follow.

• 1 They hinder the Word.
• 2 They grieve the good Spirit, by which they are sealed to the day of redemption.
• 3 They harden the heart, and blind the understanding.
• 4 They hinder good cuties, Gal. 5.17.
• 5 They wound the soul.
• 6 They make the mind soul and loathsome: they defile.
• 7 They may bring outward judgments upon thee, or inward terrors of conscience.

Use. The use may be partly to declare the misery of such Christians, as are fallen away from the acknowledgement of the truth, by entertaining these loathsome lusts: of whose fearful estate at large, 2 Pet. 2.18. to the end.

Partly it should work in all the godly obedience to the Counsel of the Apostle here, in abstaining from these lusts, as grievous hurts to the soul, or their souls: they shou • d put on the Lord Jesus in sincerity, and never more take care to fulfill these lusts of the flesh, Rom. 13.13.

Thus of these words in the coherence: The sense will be more full, if we consider more at large two things in the words.

First, what the soul is.

Secondly, what this war in the soul is.

Two things have made the inquiry about the soul exceeding difficult. The first is the nature of the soul. For it is a spiritual essence, and therefore wonderfullhard to be conceived of. There be three things cannot fully be conceived of, or defined by man: first, God: secondly, an Angel: and thirdly, the soul of man. Now besides this transcendency, as I may call it, of the soul, the fall of man, and custom in sin, and the remainders of corruption in the best, have made this doctrine so hard, that wicked men scarce discern that they have a soul; and godly men are very ignorant, and impotent in conceiving the condition of the soul.

This word Soul is diversely accepted in Scripture: for it signifies sometimes

The life of man, as Matt. 6.25. Be not careful for your souls, what ye shall eat, &c.

Christ: because look what the soul is to the body, that is Christ to the whole man: so Psal. 16.10. Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, that is, Christ, Act. 2.25, 29, &c. and 13.35, 36.

The dead bodies, Levite. 19.28.

The whole man: to Gen. 46.26. by a Synecdoche.

But here it signifies that part of man, which is called his spirit.

By the soul then we understand that part of man which is invisible, and invisibly placed within the body of man. Now the things which are fit for us to inquire into and know, concerning the nature and excellency of the soul, may be comprised briefly in this description of the soul.

The soul of man is a substance incorporeal, invisible, and immortal, created of God, and united to the body, and endued with the admirable faculties of vegetation, sense and reason, to this end principally, that God might be of man truly acknowledged, and duly worshipped.

Every branch of this description contains an excellent commendation of the soul, and should much affect us with admiration of God's workmanship, and his love to us in making us such excellent creatures; and withal it should breed in us the care which the Apostle here calls for, of avoiding all things that might defile our precious souls.

The soul is the abridgement of the invisible world, as the body is the abridgement of the visible world: man is rightly said to be a little world. God made man last; and in man made an Epitome of all the former works: For all things meet in man, who consists of a substance partly corporeal, and partly spiritual. For all things which God created besides man, are either such creatures as are discerned by sense, being bodily, or such creatures as are removed from sense, being spiritual, as the Angels. Now I say, man may resemble both sorts of creatures; the visible in his body, and the invisible in his soul.

Now the former description of the soul of man doth commend the soul for seven things.

First, that it is a substance.

Secondly, that it is incorporeal.

Thirdly, that it is immortal, and cannot die.

Fourthly, that it is created of God immediately.

Fifthly, that it is joined to the body after a wonderful manner.

Sixthly, that it hath these excellent faculties.

Seventhly, that hereby man hath honor to know God and his works, which all other creatures in this visible world want.

The first thing then to be inquired after is, what the soul is in respect of the being of it. And this I must answer, first, by removing from the consideration of it, what it is not.

First, the soul is not the harmony, or right temper of the harmonies of the body, as Galen that great Physician is said to affirm; which appears evidently by these reasons:

1 That then everybody, in which the harmonies, or four elements are tempered, should have a soul in it, and so stones should have souls, yea such as man hath, endued with reason, &c. And therefore simply the soul cannot be the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or temperature of the elements or humors.

2 It is apparent, that the soul governs the excesses which arise from the humors of the body, as a man that by temper is apt to be angry or heated, yet hath something within him which bridles this anger, notwithstanding the heat of his body.

3 If the soul were nothing else but the temperament of the humors, then it were but a mere accident, in that it can be present or absent as the corruption of the body: but we see that cannot be: For remove the soul from the body, and it ceaseth to be a living body.

4 By Scripture it is evident, that when the body was formed, the soul, as a thing distinct from it, was infused into it by God himself, Gen. 2.7.

Secondly, the soul is not a power, force, or faculty infused into the body, by which it is able to live, or move, or work: For then removing the body from it, it cannot subsist; whereas we shall prove afterwards, that the soul will subsist without the body, and therefore cannot be an accident in the body, or a power only of the body. Besides, the soul is the subject of virtues and vices, of sciences and arts: Now, no accident can be so.

Thirdly, the soul is not the life of man: that is apparent in Scripture, when a difference is put between the soul and life; as, what soul shall be blessed in life? So 2 Sam. 11.11. By thy life, and the life of thy soul.

The soul then is a substance of it self, put within us by God, distinct from the body: this may be evidently proved.

First, God, after he had made the body, is said to breath into it the breath of life, to note, that his soul was a substance distinct of it self.

Secondly, because it can subsist without the body, as is apparent in the soul of Abraham, Lazarus and Dives, Luk. 16. And of the soul of the thief on the cross it is said, This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise.

Thirdly, God is said to have formed the Spirit in the midst of man; so it is a substance of it self: Note, he saith, in him, not of him.

Fourthly, those words of David and Christ prove it: Into thy hands I commit my spirit: the body being committed to the earth, there remained a substance delivered to God.

Fifthly, that place of Ecclesiast. Chap. 12. is most plain; The body returns to dust, and the Spirit to God that gave it: therefore there is in man a Spirit, which returns to God.

Sixthly, Paul desires to be desolved, and to be with Christ: so there was a substance which should enjoy the presence of Christ, Phil. 1.23.

The second thing to be proved is, that the soul is incorporeal. It is joined to the body, but it is nobody; it informeth the matter of man which is his body, but it is without matter it self: it is immaterial: it is wholly a spiritual substance: It is not a bodily substance, no, not a most subtle, or pure body, but altogether incorporeal: This is a high doctrine, and shows the soul to be an admirable kind of sustance. Now that the soul is void of matter, and is no bodily substance, may be plainly proved, though not easily explicated.

First, it is expressly said to be a Spirit: now spirits are not flesh and bones, or any like bodily substance, Psal. 31.6. Eccles. 12.7. and Zach. 12.1. It is reckoned one of the wonders of God's creation, that he made in man a spirit.

Secondly, the soul is after the Image of God, and hath imprinted upon it the similitude of the goodness, wisdom, and holiness of God. Now it were not like God if it were a body, nor were it capable of such habits which can be stamped upon mere natural or bodily things.

Thirdly, the soul performeth those actions which depend not upon the body, and are done without bodily instruments; for it understandeth and willeth.

Fourthly, if the soul were a body, then it must be corpus animatum or inanimatum: but to say it is without life, is sense-less, because it enlives and animates the body: and to say it is animatum, enlived it self, it must then be so by some other body. All which the same questions might be asked, and so run into an infinite.

The third thing is, that the soul is invisible. This shows the transcendency of the nature of it; and experience in all men proves this: for, whoever saw a soul?

Obj. The soul of Dives in hell saw the soul of Abraham and Lazarus: and John saw the souls of those that suffered for the testimony of Jesus, Revel. 20.4.

Sol. These souls were seen by the eyes of understanding, not by the bodily eyes.

The fourth thing to be proved, is, that the soul is immortal, it cannot die: when it is once kindled, it will never go out, or be extinct; as the Sadducees wickedly imagined, and some Athiefts still think the contrary. This is a point necessary to be known; as for the truth it self, so for the use of it in our lives. For, to doubt of immortality makes us miserable; and to believe the souls are mortal, makes men Epicures: Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die. But to be fully assured of an estate after life, makes a man careful so avoid sin, lest his soul live forever miserably; and to serve God, that he may live forever happily.

Now things may be said to be immorrall two ways: either absolutely, and in their own nature; and so God only is immortal: or else they are so by the will and pleasure of God, and not by their own nature; and so the souls of men, and so the Angels are immortal.

There have been two sorts of men that have denied the immortality of the soul: the one were the Sadducees among the Jews, who held that in death the soul of man is utterly extinct, as the soul of a beast: the other were certain Arabians, of whom Eusebius and Saint Augustine make mention; who said that the soul died with the body, and so remained dead till the day of Judgment, and then they revived with the resurrection of the body.

Now against the first sort may be produced many reasons, as also evident Scriptures.

The reasons are such as these:

1 The providence and justice of God proveth the immortality of the soul. For here in this life good men have not all their happiness; and evil men live in prosperity: so there must be another life, where justice must be done.

2 Religion confirms this: for to what end were religion and serving of God, if the soul died, like the soul of a beast, seeing in this life the most godly are outwardly in great misery many times? For if S. Paul say, If the dead rise not, then of all men are we most miserable; it will hold much more strange, if the soul live not at all after death.

3 The wisdom of God proves it: for else man were not in better case than the beast, yea, in some cases worse. For, man from his infancy to his death, is liable to many diseases, subject to cares and griefs, which the beast is free from: yea, this adds to man's misery, that he knows he must die which the beast doth not. Now, shall man, that was counted like God, be thought to have no better end than the beast, that did exalt himself so much in the glory of his beginning?

4 The conscience of malefactors proves this, who fear a judgment after this life, and an estate of misery.

5 The nature of the soul proves it; for it is simple, and void of all contrariety, and accidents, and causes of corruption or putrefaction, and is, besides, the Image of God. Now, no mortal thing can be the image of that which is immortal.

These reasons make it exceeding probable. But I am of their minds, that think it may be believed by faith, but not be proved by reason.

The Scripture therefore only makes this point clear, such as these:

First, our Savior proves it out of the Word of God; saying, I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, &c.

Secondly, it is most plain, Mat. 10.28.

Thirdly, eternal life is everywhere promised to them that believe.

Fourthly, such places as treat of the Resurrection, last Judgment, and the Glory of heaven, prove it.

Now for the other sort, that confess the life of the soul after the last Judgment, but deny that the soul lives after death till then, there are divers Scriptures against their opinion: As,

First, the former Scriptures. The soul cannot be killed at all, Matth. 10. And God was presently the God of Abraham, as then living: and for eternal life, it is not said, He shall have; but, He hath eternal life that believeth.

Secondly, Christ said to the these, This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise; not at the last day.

Thirdly, Ro. 8.38. Death cannot separate us from God in Christ, as it would if the soul were dead, or a-sleep, and did not enjoy God.

Fourthly, the dead that die in the Lord, are forthwith blessed, Rev. 14.14.

Fifthly, the souls of Abraham and Lazarus were in joy and alive after death; so was the soul of Dives in hell.

Sixthly, John saw, under the Altar, the souls of them that were slain for the testimony of Jesus, and they cried with a loud voice, O Lord, how long? &c. Revel. 6.

Seventhly, the souls of the wicked die not, but are kept in prison, and are now in prison too, 1 Pet. 3.19.

Before I leave this point of the immortality of the soul; it is profitable, briefly, to answer certain objections which may be brought out of some words in the Scriptures: as,

Ob. 1. The soul that sinneth, shall die, Ezek. 18. Therefore it seems the soul is mortal, or at lest for sin it must die; and the rather, because it was threatened in Paradise: That day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death.

Sol. The Scriptures evidently show, that since the fall, and sin, yet the soul doth not die, as the places before alleged prove: But the answer is, That this death threatened, or inflicted, is not the destruction of the being of the soul; but the depriving of it of the grace, and savor, and presence of God.

Ob. 2. Eccles. 3. It is said that there is one end of the man and of the beast; As dieth the one, so dieth the other.

Sol. These are not the words of Solomon, but of the Epicure, who is here, as in other places of that book, brought in, declaring his mind of things: For, Solomon himself concludeth evidently, that the soul returneth unto God that gave it, as in the last Chapter.

The other objections are the objections of the dreamers, that is, of such as imagine that the soul lieth a-sleep till the day of Judgment, and perceives nothing, and is without operation, which is to say, it is dead, seeing life is nothing else but the continual motion and action of the soul.

Object. 1. It is said that man, when he dies, sleepeth; as Christ said of Lazarus, He sleepeth, John. 11. and, Stephen slept in the Lord, Act. 17.

Sol. Other Scriptures add another word, viz. in the grave, or in the dust, Job 7.21. and Psal. 78. sleeping in their graves; but it is evident, that the soul cannot sleep in the grave, but the body only: And Stephen delivered his Spirit to Christ.

Object. 2. Paul saith, that if the body rise not, we are of all men most miserable: That, it seems, cannot be true, if the soul enjoy blessedness without the body.

Sol. The immortality of the soul, and the resurrection of the body, are conjoined: For the Soul without the body can be forever, because it is the form of the body. Though God for the time do, by his power and race, provide for the soul in glory, yet it is not at full happiness, till it be joined to the body again: For without the body it hath no use of vegetation, or senses, but only of reason. But for the Argument of the Apostle, it holds good of that part of man which is in question, which is the body of man: for the bodies of godly men are more miserable than other men; kept under and exposed to many restraints and pains, either by mortification or persecution, which the bodies of wicked men are not exposed unto.

Ob. 3. It is said of the spirit of Princes, that it returneth to his earth, and in the day of death his thoughts perish: So the soul thinks of nothing after death, till the day of judgment.

Sol. The place is corruptly alleged, two ways: One in the words, the other in the sense: for the text doth not say, That his spirit returneth to his earth; but thus, His spirit returneth, viz. out of his body to God, and he (not it) returneth to the earth, viz. in respect of his body: for the other, these words, His thoughts perish, must not be understood of his understanding after death, but of his projects while he lived. For men are exhorted not to trust in Princes: for they may die, and then all their promises and projects will be of no use, and come to nothing

Ob. 4. It is said that the dead cannot praise God, Psal. 87. and 113. and 30.

Sol. That the souls of the godly in heaven do praise God, is manifest, Rev. 5.11, 13, 14. and 19.1. Now the Scriptures cannot be contrary one to another: and therefore the places in the Psalms must not be taken simply, but only in some respect. The dead do praise God, but not as the living did in their lives: their praises cannot provoke other men to believe in God, or serve him, as in this life they might.

Thus of the immortality of the soul.

The next thing to be inquired after, is about the original of the soul: and about this point in several ages divers men have breathed divers and strange conceits, erring, because they knew not or regarded not the Scriptures.

First, some conceived so highly of the soul, as to think it was no creature, but uncreated and eternal, without beginning; but this must needs be false,

1 Because then the soul should be God, and infinite too; for God only is uncreated.

2 Because then the soul had understanding, and thoughts, and willed from eternity, whereas till it was in our bodies it did not work: and to imagine, it should be as a dead lump all that while, is monstrously absurd.

Secondly, others have conceived, that when men die, their souls go into the bodies of other men that be borne; and so our souls heretofore were the souls of some men that be dead. This was the opinion of divers of the Philosophers. And it is apparent, that divers of the Jews were infected with it: for about Christ they said, Some, that he was Elias ; some, that he was Jeremiah ; and some, one of the Prophets; and some, John the Baptist. Now they saw that his body was not theirs, and therefore they thought, that his soul was the soul of some of them. Now this opinion cannot be true;

• 1 Because no Scripture gives any notice of it: for in that place the conceit of the Jews is told with dislike.
• 2 Because the souls that were delivered out of the miseries of this life, should be brought from their blessedness into misery again; which is most absurd.

Thirdly, others have imagined that the Angels should beget our souls, as our parents beget our bodies: but this is extremely absurd;

• 1 Because then our souls should be in the Image of Angels, whereas they were made in the Image of God.
• 2 Because this was an heresy long since condemned, and with hatred cast out of the Church.

Fourthly, many Divines, both of ancient and moderne Writers, have declared themselves to be of the mind, that the soul comes from the parents by generation, per traducem, and that the parents do beget the whole man, which consists of soul as well as body. Now though it be true, that this opinion hath had, and still hath great patrons, and that it may not be denied, but that it is defended with marvelous great appearance of reason and truth; yet it is rejected, and hath been by the greater part of sound Divines, and by reasons unanswerable: for, if the soul come from the parents, then it must come either from the body of the parents, or from their souls. Now it is apparent it cannot come from their bodies,

• 1 Because a bodily substance cannot beget a spiritual substance; because it cannot derive from it self that which it hath not.
• 2 Because the soul must consist of the four elements, of which the body is compounded: but it is apparent, there are no bodily humors in the soul; for it is not hot, nor cold, nor moist, nor dry.
• 3 Because nothing that is mortal, can beget a thing that is immortal, such as the soul hath been proved to be.

Nor can the soul come from the soul of the parents,

First, because if it did, either the whole soul was derived of the parents, or but a part of it. If the whole soul was derived, then the parents should die: nor can a part of the soul be derived, because the soul is indivisible: there can be no partition in an essence which is simple and uncompounded.

Secondly, we know that Angels produce not Angels: nor can the souls of men produce souls, because they are spirits as the Angels are.

Nor can the soul come from the whole man:

First, because it is evident by experience, that after the parents have done the work of generation, the first matter lies divers days in the womb; in which the parts of the body are secretly formed, before it have life, or a living and quickening soul: which is an evident demonstration, that from the parents comes nothing but the bodily substance, which is fashioned by degrees, to be a me • e Tabernacle for the soul afterwards to be infused into.

Secondly, because if the parents did propagate the soul, they must propagate such a soul as at that time they had; which cannot be: for then godly parents should derive a soul to their children, which at the least in part was regenerate. But this is evidently against all Scripture; all confessing, that the child is borne infected with original sin.

Thirdly, because it is contrary to the Scriptures; which acknowledge, that the soul was formed by God himself: which was true both of our first parent Adam, Gen. 2.7. and of the souls of all his posterity, which are expressly said to be made by God, Esa. 57.16.

Lastly, it remains then, that the souls come from God. Now, if the souls come from God, then it must needs be, as God is the material cause, or as he is the efficient cause.

It is true, that some have imagined, that the soul of man was made of the substance of God, because it is said, God breathed into man the breath of life, Gen. 2.7. as if he infused into him somewhat from himself, as a part of his divine substance. And the Apostle Paul saith, Act. 17.18. We are the Progeny of God: and Saint Peter saith, We partake of the divine Nature, 2 Pet. 1.4.

Now this opinion cannot be true, and was worthily condemned by the Fathers as heretical: for,

Then man should be God. For, whatsoever God begets from himself, is God: and therefore we say, Christ is God.

Then some part of God's nature should be infected with sin and ignorance, and be damned in hell too; which is wonderful blasphemous to believe.

Now for the places alleged, That in Gen. 2. must be understood figuratively: for God hath not properly breath; but he meaneth, that God after a wonderful manner did infuse the soul into the body. And for the place in the Acts, we are said to be the progeny of God • not in regard of substance, but in respect of resemblance in gifts, with which man's nature is adorned. And for the place in Peter, we are said to partake of the divine nature in the same sense, namely, as we are qualified with gifts; as wisdom, goodness, holiness, in some kind of likeness of God.

It remains then, that we are of God effectually, because God hath created our souls, and formed them in us. This then is the truth, that God doth create the particular soul of every man, and inhere it to the body, when it is formed and distinguished in the parts thereof. This may be proved diversely:

First, it is clear, it was so done with the soul of Adam : for his body was already framed, and then his soul breathed into him. Now, if the soul of Eve, and of all others, had another manner of beginning than the creation of God, it would have been mentioned in the Scriptures: but that is nowhere mentioned.

Secondly, Moses calls God the God of the spirits of all flesh, Num. 16.22. and 27 16.

Thirdly, David saith, the Lord fashioneth the hearts of all men alike, Psal. 33.15. It is God's work then to create the heart.

Fourthly, Solomon saith, Eccles. 12.7. The body returns to the dust, and the soul to God that gave it: in the dissolution of all things, they return to the first causes and matter. As the body may be proved originally to be of the earth, because it returns to dust: so must the soul be of God, because it returns to God which is said to have given it.

Fifthly, the Prophet Isaiah useth this phrase concerning God, and in his name: The souls which I have made, Esa. 57.16. Do you ask how the soul comes into the body? The Lord answers, I made it.

Sixthly, the Prophet Ezekiel, showing how man becomes a living creature, speaks thus: Thus saith the Lord to these bones, I will cause a spirit to enter into them, and they shall live, Ezek. 37.5.

Seventhly, the words of the Prophet Zechariah are yet more clear. Thus saith the Lord, the Lord which spreads out the heavens, and foundeth the earth, and formeth the spirit of man in him. Out of these words it may be proved that God created the soul of every man, and that it is his only work. For first, he saith expressly, God formed the spirit in man. Secondly, this work of God is compared to two other works, viz. the spreading out of the heaven, and the laying of the foundation of the earth. Now it is evident that those two things he did of himself, of nothing, without any means.

Lastly, that place in Heb. 12.9. is most clear. The words are these: We have had the fathers of our flesh, which chastised us, and we reverenced them: how much more should we be subject to the Father of our spirits, and live? Where is a manifest antithesis between the flesh and the spirit; and the fathers of our flesh, and God the Father of our spirit: we had our flesh from our parents, and our spirit from God. I might add the reason, taken from the manner of giving of the soul of Christ: for, he was made in all things like to us, sin only excepted. Now it is evident, that Christ's soul was not begot by carnal propagation; and therefore it was created of God.

Ob. 1. Now against this is strongly objected, that if the soul be created immediately of God, then it is created either pure or sinful; if pure, then how is it that the soul is guilty of original sin? if impure, then how can it be avoided but that God must be the author of sin?

Answ. This reason drave divers of the Fathers in the time of Jerome •• , especially the Western Fathers, to believe that the soul was propagated from the Parents: and Saint Augustine is doubtful which opinion to take to, the inconveniences of each opinion seemed so great.

But other Divines answer this objection in this manner:

First, that the soul is created of God, pure, but joined to a body conceived in sin: which is no injustice in God, because he delivers the soul, but into such an estate as man had cast himself into by his own willful sin, bringing this corruption not only upon himself, but upon all his posterity, who fell in him. He by agreement with God, being as the common sort of mankind, was with him to stand or fall, in that general respect. Nor may it be doubted, but that the body may work upon the soul: as we see by experience, when the body is full of choleric humors, it inclines the soul to anger; and so when the body is burdened with melancholy humors, it evidently makes sadness even in the very mind, &c.

Another answer may be this: God creates the soul pure; but yet that soul is guilty of owing though not of doing; debendi, though not agend • : it is charged with the debt of Adam, as children may be charged with their fathers debts. Now this is one part of original sin. As for the other of corrupt inclination, it is to answer modestly, if we say we understand not: being assured of two things; the one, that God is the Father of spirits; and the other, that all men are infected with sin from the womb. Both are to be believed, though in this life we cannot explicate it. And what hurt is it if we be ignorant how sin entered into our natures, seeing it concerns us to know it is there, and to learn how to get our natures recovered?

Ob. 2. Other living creatures beget the like to themselves, both in body and in soul too: and therefore by this doctrine men should be more unable and imperfect than any living creature. For, if he do beget but only the body, he doth not beget one in specie like to himself.

Answ. Though God create the soul, yet it follows not, but that it may be truly laid, that man begets a man, and that he is not more imperfect in generation than any other creature: for,

First, the Virgin Mary did bear Christ-man in her womb: and Christ-man is said to be of the seed of the Virgin; and yet his soul was created of God, as hath been shown before.

Secondly, though there be some dissimilitude in the generation of man, and of a beast, yet it doth not follow that man is more imperfect. As for instance: The bea • t begets his young, and brings him forth strong, covered with a hide, able to feed himself presently, full of leaping and other actions: But man brings forth an Infant, weak, crying, naked, unable to feed it self. What, is man therefore more imperfect? No, for the perfection of generation doth not consist of these things, or in these things. For here man excels all other living creatures in the world in generation, because he is God's instrument for the begetting of a body fit to be united to such a soul. God also doth hereby commend the generation of man, and dignify it, that he is pleased so to work in man's generation as he doth not in any other creature, vouchsafing to give unto man's generation such an admirable soul to his body. For therefore was the creation of the first man more excellent than the creation of other creatures, because God having framed his body of the dust of the earth, did infuse such a soul into him.

Object. 3. It is a peevish objection that some make, thus: If God create the soul in all men, then when any is borne of Adultery, God should cooperate with the adulterer, and so be either the author, or the approver of sin, that will give the soul to such a wicked generation.

Sol. Some answer thus, That God is not the author or approver, because out of evil he only works good for his own glory.

Others answer, That God only cooperates with the action, not with the sin of the action, or the evil of the action, or the evil which is in the will of the agents.

But the best answer is theirs, that answer by a similitude, thus: The earth hath received her nature and vigor from God, to nourish and bring forth the seed that is cast into it, without difference, whether the seed be lawfully taken out of the barn, or stolen by fraud. The stolen grain doth not cease to grow in the earth, nor is it to be expected, that nature should cast out such seed; and yet the earth doth not justify the action of him that stole the grain: so is it with God that works according to the grounds of nature, and his own decree and providence. He is not to be blamed for the evil of the action, when he works according to the rules of nature, and will glorify himself by raising a frame of good out of that which by men was ill done.

Object. 4. We see, that children resemble the virtues or vices of their parents; and therefore as from the bodies of their parents they receive a likeness to them in body, so is it that from their souls they receive this similitude of their virtues or vices.

Solut. Experience shows, that this is not always true. For many children have no resemblance in them of their parents qualities. Secondly, where this is true, it is not because their souls are derived from the souls of their parents, but they have it from the bodies of their parents: For the soul after suffers from the sympathy with the body; as by reason of certain humors in the bodies of parents, that incite wrath, or grief, or lust, or the like, may come infection to the child, but not from their souls. Thirdly, rather the argument may be retorted upon them, that in as much as the souls of all children are not like in qualities to the souls of their parents, that therefore they receive not their souls from their parents.

Ob. 5. Gen. 9. Lev. 17. The soul is said to be in the blood: Now it is evident, that the blood is from the parents.

Solut. The soul is in the blood, but how? By the effect of it, which is life: otherwise the soul is neither devoured in the blood, nor depends upon it in it self.

Ob. 6. It is said, Gen. 2. That God rested from all his works. Now if he did daily create new souls, then he rested not from all his works, but continues creation still.

Solut. The meaning of Moses cannot be, that God rested simply from all creation. For then it must needs follow too, that the soul of Christ was not created, but propagated: which cannot be true. But his meaning is, that he rested from creation of things in specie ; he made no more new sorts of things. That hinders not creation in individuo, which is a work of God, preserving those sorts he had made at the first, by creating successively a new supply, as in this case of the souls of men. That God did not rest absolutely, is plain by the words of our Savior Christ: My Father worketh hitherto, and I work, John. 5.

Hitherto of the original of the soul. The union of the soul with the body follows, which is a consideration of no less difficulty than the former, no less needful to be known, no less certain. That it is united to the body so as to make it one man, is apparent by the words of God in the creation: He breathed into him the breath of lives, and so Adam became a living soul. He became then a man, or a living creature, distinct from other creatures, upon his conjunction of the soul with the body. And by this union with the body doth the spirit of man differ from the Angels, who are spirits separate, and such as exist without relation to a body: whereas the soul of man, in the creation of it, and the disposition of it also, tends unto this conjunction with the body, and doth not fully exercise it self living without the body; and that is the reason why man is not absolutely perfect after death in his soul, till the day of judgment. For though the soul do enjoy an estate free from sin, or pain, or misery: yet two of the faculties of the soul are without exercise, till it be united again to the body, viz. the faculties of vegetation and sense, which cannot be exercised but in the body.

The manner how the soul is united to the body, is full of difficulty to express: The question is, whether the soul work upon the body from without, and so is by that means joined to it; or whether it be placed in the body, and work there, and from thence. This latter is the truth: for the soul doth not work from without: which I show by a comparison. The light and the eye are joined together in seeing: But how? The light, from without, extends it self to the eye, and so is joined to it: so is not the soul joined to the body, but is seated within the body; which appears so, partly by experience: for we may all perceive that our thoughts, reason, will, affections, &c. do discover themselves within us; and it is manifest that God infused the soul, not upon the body, but into the body, seating it within us.

The soul, then, is within the body, and so joined to it; But how? Divines have sought out divers similitudes to express their minds. And first to show how it is not joined:

First, not as water and the vessel that holds it are joined by contact, or touching one another: for, the soul is not a bodily substance, and therefore cannot be joined by touching; nor do the water and vessel make one thing, as the soul and body do one man; nor do they work together, as the soul and body do: for the water doth all the work thereof in watering or cleansing, without the vessel.

Secondly, not by mixture, as water and wine are mingled together. For things mingled cea • e to be what they were: for there is no longer water nor wine now they are mingled; nor is the soul material, to suffer such a mingling.

Thirdly, not as the heat of the fire is united to the water, when the water is heated: for though the heat be joined to the water as the former, yet it is but an accidental form; and they are one by accident, not per se.

Thirdly, not as the voice is in the air: for though the voice be dispersed abroad the air, and doth likewise carry something to the understanding, besides the sound; yet doth not this reach to express the union of the soul with the body. For, the voice is not the form of the air, nor is it conceived in the air, without the breaking of the air; and besides it presently vanisheth: whereas the soul is a substance, and doth not easily depart out of the body.

Fifthly, nor as the Mariner is in the ship with the Governer, for the dispatch of his journey: for though the body be as a tabernacle wherein the soul dwells, yet that similitude doth not express this union, because the soul and body make one thing; whereas the ship and the Mariner do not make one thing, but are two distinct sorts of things: yea the soul and body are soon, that by sympathy what one suffers the other feels; whereas the wounding of the Mariner is not the tearing of the ship, or contrariwise.

There are two similitudes that do more nearly reach this secret.

The first is of Christ. For, as God and man make one Christ, so the soul and body make one man. But I will not meddle with the breaking open of that dreadful mystery.

The other is of the light of the Sun in the air: for there are many things in this comparison, do fitly resemble this divine light; which is our souls as they are joined to our bodies.

1 This light doth fitly resemble the soul, because it is a thing that cannot be corrupted or divided.

2 This light doth so pierce into, and penetrate the air, that they are both made one, and are not separated: so doth the soul the body.

3 The light and the air, though joined together, are not confounded or mingled together: for, the light remaineth light, and the air the air; so is it in this union between the soul and the body.

4 The light is so in the air, that the air being smitten, yet the light is not touched, nor divided, nor carried about, as the are is: so doth the soul remain unpierced, though the body be wounded, and fall, yea, and die too.

5 As the light is only from the Sun: so is the soul only from God.

6 As the air, without the light, is as it were dead, because it is dark, and cold, and will putrefy: so is the body without the soul.

7 As no man can show, by what bands the light is fastened to the air: so is it extremely difficult to show how the soul is fastened to the body.

This similitude, we see, doth in many things fit this case, but yet not fully. For the light is not the essential form of the air: only this comparison doth in many things sati • fie the question, in that it shows, that the soul is in the body by penetration, or immeation, as they call it: it pierceth thorough the whole body. Only we must take heed of two things;

First, that we imagine not the soul to be in the body, as in a place, or as contained of it: For the soul cannot be circumscribed by the measure of a place: we may not imagine, that the soul is just as big as the body, and no bigger. For though it be true, that the soul is in the body, and the whole soul too, yet it is not contained there, as bodies be contained in their places: for rather the soul sustaineth the body.

Secondly, God is said to be in us: and so is the soul, but not alike. For God is in us by his virtue, and grace and operation, but not as our former: whereas the soul is the form of the body, and both make one man.

Quest. But someone will say, Can it not be shown by what band the soul is tied to the body?

Answ. Some Divines and Philosophers undertake to determine that, and say, that God hath created in the body of a man a certain humor, which is fitted for this union; and so they say, the soul is united to the body by the vital spirits, which are of nature mixed, partly corporeal and partly spiritual: For as those vital spirits do consist for the matter of them, of the radical heat and moisture in man, so they are corporeal; and as they have an unexpressable nimbleness in working, or sparkling in the body; so they draw near to the nature of the soul; and by these vital spirits thus enlived, are the soul and body joined together.

Quest. There yet remaineth another question, and that is, Where the soul resides in the body? in what place is it centred?

Answ. The most say, that the whole soul is in the whole body, and the whole soul in every part of the body.

Others say, it is a vain question, seeing the soul is not in the body as in a place. For it cannot be measured by length, breadth, or depth, but it is in the body as the essential form is in the matter; which cannot be locally.

Others say, that the soul is seated in one principal place of the body, as the chief palace and seat of residence, and is in all other parts by diffusion of virtues, through the instruments thereunto fitted and placed of purpose by God in the framing of the body: and thus the soul reasons in the head, wills and affects in the heart, sees in the eyes, &c. The chiefest mansion of the soul seems to be in the heart, because it is the last that dies in us.

Hitherto of the union of the soul with the body: The faculties of the soul follow.

There are three faculties, or powers of the soul, by which it works: or there are three things which the soul effects, viz.

• 1 Vegetation:
• 2 Sense:
• 3 Reason.

And thus the soul may be considered, either as it works upon, or by the body only, or as it works in and by it self chiefly. Upon the body, and by certain instruments in the body, it works vegetation and sense; and by it self, without the necessity of using the body, it works reason.

The first power then is vegetation, by which the soul works four things distinctly upon the body.

• 1 Life:
• 2 Nourishment:
• 3 Growth:
• 4 Procreation.

The first thing then by the vegetative power of the soul, wrought upon the body, is life; which is in respect of the body nothing else but the kindling the radical and vital heat in the body, through the conjunction of the soul with the body, and the continuation of that he • , until the time appointed of God for the dissolution of it. So that life is two ways to be considered: first, either in the breeding of it: secondly, or in the continuance of it. The breeding of it is in the very first moment of the union of the form with the matter, and by that instrument of the vital, or radical heat. The continuance of it, is nothing else but the preservation of the motion and duration of the working of these vital spirits.

The second thing wrought upon the body by the vegetative power of the soul, is nourishment: and this power of nourishing is a faculty, by which food taken into the body by the force of natural heat, is turned into the substance of the body, for the repairing of that which is consumed in the body. And this is a work to be admired: For the soul by the use of natural heat is fain to subdue the nature of the food received, and having melted it, as it were in a furnace, it casts out what is contrary to the body, and extracts for the use of the body, so much as is now made like unto it.

The third thing, which the soul works upon the body by the vegetative power, is growth. And this it doth, by employing that part of the food which is now made like to the body, unto the extension of the body, unto the dimensions thereof, even to the increase of bigness and force, which increase for the convenient actions of the body: and this work is done upon the body, but unto a certain time of man's age, or till about thirty years; and then, because nature tends not into infiniteness, she gives over this work.

Lastly, procreation is the fourth work of the vegetative faculty of the soul, by which it raiseth up seed in the body, and formeth in it a mere substance like unto the body, from whence it comes unto the perpetual preservation of the sort of the creature. And this is an admirable power. For hereby living creatures do approach unto eternity, and are made, as it were, immortal. For though the body die, yet by procreation it is, as it were, kept alive, and so the kind of creature is perpetuated: for the other two works of nourishment and growth, only serve for that body in individuo ; but this power of procreating reserves the sort or species from ceasing to be.

Thus of Vegetation: Sense follows.

The second thing the Soul works either upon or by the body, is Sense; and by this faculty, a man, in his body, is enabled to discern things without himself, and accordingly to desire and move to them, which the former faculties did not reach unto. Now as the soul works sense upon, or by the body, it must be considered two ways: First, as it works either apprehension: secondly, or motion.

The apprehendnig senses wrought upon the body by the Soul, are of two sorts: first, either outward; secondly, or inward.

Outwardly the soul works upon the body five senses, or five ways of apprehending things by sense.

The body of a man is enabled by the soul, to discern of things without it self by outward helps five ways:

• viz. By 1 Seeing.
• viz. By 2 Hearing.
• viz. By 3 Smelling.
• viz. By 4 Tasting.
• viz. By 5 Feeling.

And these ways of discerning, are not to be contemned: For admirably ought it to be conceived of God's wisdom in and towards man, even in these.

For, first by the sight, through the benefit of light, which God hath caused to shine upon his whole creation, man may see what God hath wrought: whereas else, if the light be taken out of the air, or sight from man, the works of God are buried, as it were, in the dark; yea, the body of a man is, as it were, but a dungeon without sight; and what the Sun and Moon are in heaven, that are the eyes in man, shining in his head, as these Stars in the firmament. The fight is a chief help for all the great employments of life in all callings: The eyes are as watchmen set on high in their watch-Tower, to discover the coming of enemies. The eyes are also as the true windows of the soul, by which the Species or forms of things are taken into the soul: For, God hath caused all substance in the World, to cast out beams, as it were, which have the pictures of the things themselves carried about; and these coming to the sight, are by it (above all other senses) taken in, and delivered to the Souls within, the eyes being a looking glass that resemble the things seen. And this noble sense may put us in mind of God's knowledge, if we mark the degrees of seeing. The eye of man discerns at once, a great share or quantity of things together: The mind of man will take-in a far greater quantity and number, and yet is finite, for it cannot reach to all things that God hath made at once. Now God's understanding is infinite, and beholds all at once.

For the second, the sense of hearing is worthy to be thought on, if we consider either the benefits come by it, or the manner how it is performed; for by hearing is let into the soul and body, not only sounds of delight or wonder, but also sounds of necessity, both for natural life, by letting in speech and discourse, and for eternal life, by letting in the Word of God. First, the manner of hearing is admirable: Sound is the breaking of the air, stirred up by the dashing or collision of solid bodies, and is spread in the air, as a stone cast into the water makes and draws from it circles. Thus▪ the sound being brought to the ear, the hollow turnings in the ear gather and hold the sounds, as it were canes: The sound at length rusheth upon a little bone or gristle like a hammer, which moved smites upon another bone like an Anvill, by which stroke the spirits in the hearing move, and are stirred up: and so they take in the sound, and carry it to the brain, the feat of inward senses.

These two are the most noble outward senses; yet there is great use of the other three:

Thirdly, for by tasting we discern of meats profitable or hurtful for the body.

Fourthly, by smelling we receive in those delightful savors God hath caused to arise from divers of his creatures, and to avoid things by savor noisome to the body.

Fifthly, and touching, though it be the most stupid sense, yet is it of great use for the safety of the body. All these senses are as a guard for the body, and as Intelligencers for the Soul.

Thus of the outward senses. The soul worketh likewise inward senses upon and by the body; and the general use of these inward senses, is to receive and lay up, what is brought unto them by the outward senses; for the outward senses are like servants, that trade abroad and get together the images of divers things, which they carry with them home to the inward senses. Now there are three inward senses.

• 1 The common Sense.
• 2 The Fantasy.
• 3 The Memory.

And these are lodged in three several rooms or little cells in the brain.

First, the common sense lieth in the former part of the head, and contains all that store, by which all the outward senses are furnished: For spirits fetch the vigor of each sense from this the common sense. As the lines that go to the circumference, meet all in the Center: so do all the outward senses meet in the common sense. And hither likewise are all the forms of things taken by the outward senses brought, and distinguished.

Secondly, the fantasy is lodged in the middle part of the brain, where, as in a shop, it takes in the Images of things brought to the common sense, and there forms them more exactly, and oftentimes makes new after an admirable manner, by thinking; and then, after it hath separated what it likes not, it delivers the rest over to the memory, which is lodged in the hinder part of the brain, which is as it were the treasury to keep what the Fantasy as a [ 3] Judge hath sentenced to her keeping, the common sense being but as the door-keeper unto the Fantasy. And these three senses differ in the ability to receive, and keep the impression of the images of things brought to them: For the common sense is seated in the more soft part of the brain, and so not able to keep them long: as wax over-soft doth not long keep the impression of the seal. The pantasie is placed in a harder part of the brain, and therefore keeps the impression longer: But the memory is placed in the hardest part of all, and behind in the head, further off from the concourse and trouble of the outward senses, and by reason of the stifnesse of the brain, it keeps the impression longest. Now that natural heat with the animal spirits, is like a fire to keep the brain soft in the degrees thereof, that it may receive the impression, as hot water the wax fit to be marked.

Thus of the senses. But before I pass from them, it is profitable to note certain things which befall the senses for the good of the body, and soul; and that is the binding and loosing of the senses. For God hath so tempered the state of the senses in man, that they should neither always rest, nor always work. Hence, from their resting comes sleep, and from their working comes waking, or watching. We make, when the senses are loose; & sleep, when the soul binds them up: both are thus wrought; when the vegetative power wants help for concoction of the meat, the natural heat is sent from the senses to dispatch that work, and then we sleep; and when that is done, the heat returns to the senses, and tickles them, and so they awake.

But it is to be observed, that though in sleep the common sense, and so the outward senses are all bound, yet the fantasy and memory do not cease, but being now freed from the attendance upon the intelligences of them, or the outward senses, as if they were at more liberty, they are exercised more freely, and often fall to new forming, and compounding of the images brought in before by the common sense, and so erect a new frame of things, which are vented and expressed by dreaming. In which a secret and admirable working of God by the soul may appear, if we consider the strange things are fashioned in our imagination in our sleep: yea, the reasonable soul in sleep comes into this shop of the fantasy, and there doth strange works, which, as I said, are vented in our dreams; in which we find as effectual use of reason, as we had waking.

Thus of the soul, as it worketh apprehension. Now followeth it to consider, how the soul works motion upon the body.

It is out of all doubt, that motion in the body is from the soul. For of it self it is but a dead lump, as it shows it self to be, when the soul is gone out of it.

Now the soul gives unto the body a threefold motion.

First, the vital motion.

Secondly, the motion of appetite.

Thirdly, the motion from place to place.

The vital motion given to the body by the soul, is wrought two ways, both by the pulse and by breathing; both of absolute necessity to preserve life in the body.

The motion of pulse is begun at the heart, which is made continually to beat by the soul; which beating of the heart begets those sparkles, which we call vital spirits, arising out of the finest of the blood, which spirits are carried by the pulse thorough the arteries, and they shine in the whole body, according as their passages are more or less open.

Breathing is another strange motion of the soul in the body, by which both air is fetched in continually for the cooling of natural heat in the heart, and other members, and the spirits refreshed, and also the gross and more smoky spirits are exhaled out of the breast.

Thus of the vital motion.

The motion of appetite is a contrary commanding motion in the creature, by which he is inclined to take to him such things from without, as he conceives good and needful for him, and so likewise to avoid things hurtful, and so the soul begets divers appetites and desires: as, the desire after food, which we call hunger and thirst; and the desire after procreation, and the appetites, we call affections or passions, so far forth as they are seated upon the body, and exercised by instruments in the body; such as, in general, breed sorrow, or pleasure, or passivenesse in us; such as are joy, grief, anger, and the rest, &c.

It were too difficult and too tedious for popular reaching, to show in particular, and distinctly, how the soul admirably worketh about each of these.

The motion from place to place is the last: and this is a strong work of the soul, driving on the body to the motion of the whole, or of some part of the body. The body cannot remove it self, but it is of the soul that it is stirred up and down: for when the soul is gone, it can move no longer. And in vain were appetites or desires given to the creatures, if this motion from place to place were not given, because without it, it could never compass things desired.

Hitherto of the working of the soul upon the body, and those strange things it doth in the body, by the faculties of vegetation and sense. It is true, that those things are done by the souls of brute creatures: but, as their souls differ exceedingly from the glory and excellency of the souls of men, so are the effects upon their bodies but certain glimpses of those things which are done exactly by the souls of men; I mean, in respect of the inward senses of fantasy and memory: there is in beasts but only a dark shadow of them, in comparison of what is in men.

But for the third faculty of the soul, which is reason; therein men excel all creatures in this visible world: and it is profitable for us to know what God hath done for us in our souls, generally considered above all other creatures. And so man excels in respect of his reasonable soul:

1 In that he can conceive of things by the light of understanding, as well as by sense. This light is admirable, whether we conceive of it as proceeding from God, who shines upon the soul as the Sun doth upon the body: or whether we believe it to be a light conferred upon the understanding; by which from within, it discerns things.

2 In that it can conceive of things that never were in the senses; as things absent, that never were seen: yea things altogether immaterial; as Angels, and virtues, and vices.

3 In that it can conceive of the nature of God, and discern God from his works.

4 In that it can conceive of things by a discerning reflection; as it can conceive of it self, and understand that it doth understand.

5 In that it can distinguish between good and evil, truth and falsehood; I say, of the moral goodness of things: whereas the fantasy can judge only of so much of the natural goodness of things, as they show to the outward senses.

6 In the largeness of the extent of our understanding. For the understanding can, in a small moment of time, go almost over the whole world, and view it all, as it were at once; whereas the senses are forced in within a narrow compass.

7 In that it can invent things that never were in being: and thus we see daily, what strange things, for number and skill, are invented for the use of the life of man, by art and skill of man's understanding, in every calling of men.

8 In that the reasonable soul governs, and appoints, and crosseth, and fetters, and alters, and rectifies the other faculties of vegetation and sense; and in respect thereof can turn, and tame, and rule, and order all sorts of other creatures.

9 In that, by begetting with strange variety, it can make known what images are within, whether begotten by the senses, or by the mind it self.

10 In that it is the faculty by which only true blessedness is apprehended and attained.

11 In that man's understanding is made after a sort, all things. For the understanding becomes the things understood, in that it doth conceive a true and evident image of the thing to be understood: so that, as man is the Image of God, so hath he in him the images of all things, printed as it were in his understanding. This is a most dreadful dignity in the souls of men; yea, herein he resembles God in the creation of the world: for man's reasonable soul doth, as it were, form worlds of things in it self. If any object, that the sensitive soul hath the images of things in it: I answer two things. First, that the sense can receive only the images of a few things, that is, only of such things as have color, found, taste, smell, or touchable qualities: but the mind can beget the images of all things. Secondly, that those images in the senses, are dull, and dark, and confused, in comparison of the likeness of things in the mind.

12 In that he hath a will, in choosing or refusing things good or evil, that cannot be compelled. The liberty of the will is inseparable to it, in what it chooseth or refuseth: for, it implies a contradiction, that the will should be constrained.

13 In that it hath in it that divine thing which we call conscience, which is given to the soul as a guardian, as it were, to tend it, from God; the effects whereof are admirable in us: for it testifies to our actions, it accuseth or excuseth, it comforts when we have well done above all outward comforts, and it terrifieth and scourgeth the soul with inexpressible afflictions many times for sin: it is a Judge, witness, and executioner many times in us.

Now, if the soul be thus admirable in any estate (for all these things are true of the reasonable soul, even in the estate of corruption) then how excellent was the estate of man in respect of his soul, before the Fall? and how doth it excel in the godly, who have their souls enlightened with the light of faith, and garnished with saving graces? but especially how shall it exceed in glory when it shall be presented before God in the Kingdom of heaven?

So that, as the whole man, made in God's image, is (as it were) the visible God in this great world: so the soul is as it were a little god in the l • sser world, which is the body of man.

And thus much of the faculties of the soul.

Now the end of all this follows. The Lord made the soul, and endowed it with so excellent a being and so admirable faculties, that so the Lord might in this visible world have a creature, that would know him and serve him rightly. The creatures without sense are God's workmanship, but discern nothing of God, or themselves, or other things. The creatures with sense discern other things by sense, but know nothing of God. Now God made man, as the abridgement of all he had made, and gave him his soul, of purpose that he might discern God aright, and serve, and worship, and praise him.

Use 1. The consideration of the excellency of the soul, and of the end why it was created, should stir us up to make conscience of the service, and knowledge of God: it is as if we had never been, if we answer not this end: We should be fired to the observation and praise of God, and of his love to man.

And withal it should make us wonderful careful of our souls, since we see they are such excellent creatures: Our soul is more worth than all this visible world besides.

Especially it should fire us to a care of things that concern the blessed immortality of our souls: we should be forced to all possible care of all such things▪ as might be provision for the eternal well-being of our souls.

And in particular the excellency of the soul should dissuade us from fleshly lusts, and all inward impurity, by which the soul is defiled or wounded.

Hitherto of the description of the soul. The war against the soul is now to be considered of: Concerning which I propound these things to be handled:

First, who are the combatants.

Secondly, by what ways and means the soul is assaulted and opposed.

Thirdly, why God would suffer the soul to be thus assaulted.

Fourthly, what reason Christians have to be careful of themselves, and provide against this war.

Fifthly, by what means we must resist and defend the soul.

Sixthly, what hope there is of victory.

Seventhly, how many ways we may obtain victory.

Eighthly, by what signs we may know that we are not overcome.

And then the use of the whole.

For the first, there are four kinds of war, waged against the soul, as it is encountered by four sorts of adversaries. For both God, and the world, and the devil, and the flesh, war against the soul of man: briefly of the three first.

God wars against the soul, either in earnest and in deed, or in show and appearance, and not as an adversary in deed. In earnest God fights against the soul, by the threatenings and rebukes of his Word, when he smites and beats men down by the word of his mouth, Isaiah 11. and also by torments of conscience poured out upon the wicked men; and so he fought against Cain and Judas. Sometimes, God is but a purative adversary, and doth but seem to fight against them; and so he warreth against his own servants: either by outward crosses, or by desertion, or by fear and terror; and thus he fought against Job. And in this case, God is like a Captain training his soldiers, or like a Fencer teaching his scholar to fight.

The world wars against the soul two ways; by the enticements of profits, pleasures, honors, evil coun • ell, or example: and by persecution either of the tongue or hand.

The devil wars against the soul by evil doctrine, or temptations, or illusions. But none of these three are principally intended here: it is the flesh that maketh war against the soul, that is here meant.

By the flesh is meant the corruption that is in the nature of man, called the old man, and the Law of the members. By the soul is here meant the spirit, or regenerate man, the new man, the grace of Christ in the soul. Thus of the first point, who are the combatants: the flesh is the assaylant; the spirit the defendant.

For the second point: the flesh encounters and wars against the soul divers ways, and by strange kinds of fights: as,

1 By mists of ignorance: it casts mists before the eyes of the soul, that it might be blinded; for there is a manifest combat between the natural understanding, and the regenerate mind: carnal reason and saving knowledge often fights it out within a man.

2 by doubtings and distractions: and so the flesh casts ou • such questions as these, as so many darts into the soul; Whether there be a God, or the Scripture be the Word of God? Whether Christ be the Son of God, and our Mediator? Whether it be the true Church we are in; or whether our sins be forgiven, or we be in the state of grace? Whether there shall be any resurrection, or heaven, or hell, or immortal being of the soul? Against all these the soul is driven to make often defences, and drives them out with hard conflicts.

3 By rebellious denial of obedience to the law of the mind, exalting it self against the obedience enjoined by Christ to the soul, Rom. 7. 2 Cor. 10. and • asting out resolutions of denial, and thoughts that say they ought not, or will not obey.

4 By hindering the work of the soul that overcomes the former resolutions, and will obey: and that it doth by making evil present when she should do good; or by hindering and dulling of the affections of the heart, or by casting-in of other projects, of purpose to breed distractions in the time of doing good duties, Rom. 7.

5. By lusting, that is, by bringing-in of contrary desires, evil concupiscences, longings after forbidden things: and in these lusts usually the flesh combines with the outward adversaries of the soul, the world and the devil; and kindles the fire of those inordinate desires, by dalliance with the world, or the devils temptations. And thus of the second point.

The third thing is a question; Why God should suffer the soul to be thus annoyed by the flesh; saying, He could have made man again in Christ, as he made Adam in Paradise, and so have utterly abolished the flesh? For answer hereunto, three things may be said: First, that we are bound with all thankfulness to praise God for that grace he hath given us in Christ, though it be not full perfect; and so ought not to reason with God, why he gave us not more grace; and the rather, because we look for a time, when we shall be more happy in that respect, than ever Adam was: and besides, though grace given us be imperfect in respect of degree, and so less than Adam 's was; yet it is perfect in respect of continuance, and so it is better than Adam 's. Thirdly, there may be divers reasons assigned, why God did suffer the flesh to remain in us after calling, for a time, that is, while we war in this world. For,

1. It shows the greatness of God's power, that can keep us, notwithstanding such continual danger we are in.

2. By this conflict divers graces of the Spirit are raised up and exercised, which else were of little use; as godly sorrow, poverty of spirit, desire of death: and faith also hath much employment about this combat.

3. By this combat all the graces of God's Spirit are proved to be right, and not counterfeit in the true Christians: for no man can constantly bear arms against the flesh, but he is a new creature. This combat then serves for the trial of the gifts and graces of Christians.

4. By this combat we are cured of the horrible disease of self-love & pride in ourselves, and made more to love God, and trust in him; as knowing that we deserve no favor at his hand, nor can be strong in our own might.

5. It is equal we should war before we triumph; that we should fight in the battles on earth, before we reign in heaven.

Lastly, it makes heaven & grace more precious in our sight, and breeds in us a desire to be dissolved, and so warns from the love of this present evil world.

In the fourth place we must consider, by what means the soul may preserve itself against the treacheries and assaults of the flesh: and so the means is to be used either before the conflict, or in the conflict, or after the conflict.

Before the conflict, if we would take a sound course to be preserved against the danger of the flesh, we must look to these things:

1 We must stand upon our guard, and keep a daily watch over our hearts and ways, and not be reckless to despise our own ways, or never take notice of our hearts: he lives dangerously, that lives securely: we must take a diligent view of our own natural dispositions, to be able to discern distinctly, what it is the flesh usually is prone to, or employed in.

2. We must be sure to commit ourselves to God, and by faith lay hold upon Jesus Christ, and settle ourselves in our assurance: for that cuts off many of the main advantages of the flesh, especially it quencheth all those hellish darts that arise from doubtings and despair; which is to discern the flesh.

3. We must quicken in us our hope of a better life: for that will show us so much glory to be had in the service of Christ, as all the motions of the flesh will seem vain in comparison: we are never allured by the lusts of the flesh, but when we have forgotten heaven, or are destitute of the lively hope of it.

4. We must be sober in the use of outward things, 1. Pet. 1.13. and remove from the flesh those things we observe the flesh to be apt to dally withal: if the flesh could be divorced from the world, there were little or no danger.

5. We must with all readiness, upon all occasions, entertain all good motions any way cast into us by God's Spirit: for as those are set up and nourished, the flesh is subdued and kept under.

6. We must daily commit ourselves and our souls to God by prayer, and beseech him to keep us, and accordingly to beg strength to avoid those evils, which by nature we find ourselves most prone to, 2. Tim. 1.12.

Now if the flesh, notwithstanding, do on the sudden (either provoked by the world, or enticed by the devil) make assault and lust after evil things; then in the conflict, our armor must be,

1. Contrary lustings, Gal. 1.17. The Spirit must lust against the flesh, by raising up holy desires, and loathing of those base affections of the flesh.

2. Prayer: we must crucify them, drag them before the Cross of Christ, and there accuse them, shame them, judge them, condemn them, and beg virtue from the death of Christ to kill them.

3. The Word of God. For as Christ beat away the devil, by alleging what was written: so should we get store of places of Scripture, which we might allege to our own hearts when we are enticed to any sin: and so the promises of the Gospel would be as shoes to our feet; that neither thorny care prick, nor vain pleasures defile us: and so those promises are, because they both show us greater things then fleshly pleasures can be, and withal show us such treasure in Christ, as may free us from living in care.

Two rules are of excellent use for this purpose.

1. To silence the flesh: When it assaults, not to suffer it to plead much, but presently resist it.

2. To look to the beginnings of any corruption: not to dally with it, and give it way upon pretence of safety: for it may strangely provoke, and beyond expectation, if it be not looked to at first.

After the conflict, we must remember two things.

1. To give thanks to God for the help of his presence, as accounting it a singular favor to be protected against so vile an enemy.

2. To take heed of our security; so to consider of present deliverance, as to for more conflicts.

In the frft place it is profitable, considering what reasons Christians have to be careful of themselves, and attend their souls in respect of the flesh. For,

1. This combat is a daily combat: the war is never at an end: it is an adversary that never takes so much as a day of truce.

2. There is no safety or help by running away: for thy adversary is seated within thee, and thou canst not run from thyself.

3. The flesh hath might and continual aid from the devil and the world; which, almost with infinite variety of occasions, ministers obstinacy to the flesh.

4. For want of care many worthy Champions have been for the time foiled shamefully; as were Noah, Lot, David, Peter, and others.

5. No Christian can avoid it, but hath this combat within him, Gal. 5.17.

And as these or the like reasons may breed care and watchfulness; so hath the true Christian no cause of despair, but rather many arguments of hope of good success, and daily victories and triumphs over the flesh, if he be watchful. For,

1. God hath provided him of armor against those kinds of assaults: and it is mighty to preserve and subdue, 2. Cor. 10.3, 4.

2. Christ in his power doth rest in us, for this end, to assist us in the combat, as we cry for help, 2. Cor. 12.10.

3. We fight against an adversary hath been often foiled by all sorts of Godly Christians, and by ourselves in divers particular combats; yea, against an adversary that hath received a deadly wound that cannot be cured: for so the flesh (the first day of our conversion) was mortified. All that are Christ's have mortified the flesh with the Insts thereof.

4. We have assurance of victory if we resist, Rom. 8.38.

5. An incorruptible Crown is laid up for all that overcome, 2. Tim. 4.7, 8. Re. 2.

Now, for the seventh point: we obtain victory against the flesh divers ways; as,

1. In our justification, when we by faith obtain the pardon of our sins committed, and a righteousness able to cover us, notwithstanding all the spite the flesh doth us. This is our victory in Christ, Rom. 7.

2. In our sanctification: and so we get victory,

• 1. When we conquer some sins wholly, so that we never commit them again.
• 2. When we turn, and subdue the power of the sins that remain; so as they cannot reign, though they rebel.
• 3. We shall have our final and full victory in our glorification in the day of Christ, when the flesh shall be utterly abolished forever.

Now for the eighth point: we may know that we are not at any time overcomne, by these signs, if we find them in us.

1. If we judge ourselves for all known sins; so as there be no sin arising from the flesh, but we condemn it, and keep ourselves as men condemned in the flesh, being grieved at the rebellion of the flesh in us, Rom. 7.1. Pet. 4.7.

2. If we hold fast our assurance of faith: we are safe so long as we keep the faith, 2. Tim. 4.7.

3. If we go on in our Christian way or course, and do not give over the practice of known duties against the light of our consciences: if we finish our course, 2. Tim. 4.7.

Use. The use of all should be,

First, for information; and so two ways: for,

1. It shows the miseries of such persons as never feel this combat, that have all quiet in them: it is a sign the flesh and the devil rule all, and there is no sanctified Spirit to resist.

2. It shows the folly of some godly persons, that are troubled as if their states were not right, because they find such a combat in themselves: whereas they should rather conclude the contrary, that therefore there is some workmanship of Christ in them, which is so opposed by the flesh and the devil; and that it is the case of all the godly to be assaulted with rebellious thoughts and desires, and other practices of the flesh, reckoned up before.

Secondly, for instruction: and so it should teach Christians, and warn them to take heed of three things, viz. of security, despair, and fainting: for all these are mischievous. We may not be secure, since we have such an enemy within us: nor must we be too much out of hope, or despair of success, for the reasons before alleged: nor yet must we give way so much as to fainting of spirit; but pluck up our own hearts, and, with trust in God's grace, resist still the risings of corruption, till we get a final victory.

VERSE 12.

And have your conversation honest amongst the Gentiles; that they which speak evil of you, as evil doers, may by your good works which they shall see, glorify God in the day of their visitation.

HItherto of the dehortation. The words of this verse are an exhortation: wherein consider both what he exhorts to, and by what reasons. The matter he exhorts to, concerns their outward conversation, which he would have to be honest and amiable. The reasons are,

First, because the Christians lived among Gentiles, that embraced not the true Religion.

Secondly, because divers of these Gentiles were so spiteful against the Christians, that they would take all occasions to speak evil of them.

Thirdly, because some of them that now did speak evil of them, might hereafter be converted to the true Religion.

Fourthly, because if they now observe their good works, when they shall be visited of God, they will much magnify them to the great glory of God.

That which he then exhorts them to, is the care of their conversation; which he amplifies, by showing what kind of conversation he would have it to be, viz. A fair or honest conversation.

And have your conversation honest. ]

Divers things may be hence observed:

First, that a sound Christian must show himself to be so by his conversation; a Christian must show the power of his Religion by his works, and by sound practice; and that too, amongst men abroad: he must be known by his fruits, Col. 1.9, 10 Tit. 2.12. and therefore the Apostle beseecheth them to prove before the Gentiles, that they were true Christians, by their works and conversation.

This reproves their discontentment that are vexed because they are not reputed for sound Christians, and yet show no care of a conscionable behavior in their dealings and carriage among men; and withal, this may warn all sorts of Christians to look to themselves, that they be not deceived with vain shadows in pretences; for 'tis not talking and discoursing of Religion will serve turn, nor the frequenting of the exercises of Religion; nor is it enough to do secret duties: but they are bound to the good behavior generally in their carriage amongst men. This is the first point.

Secondly, from the coherence we may note also, that a man must first reform his heart, and then his life; he must first get a clean heart, freed from lusts, and then look to his conversation: holiness must be both within and without. He is an hypocrite, that hath a fair conversation, and a foul heart: neither may he plead the goodness of his heart, that leads a foul conversation; both must be joined together.

Thirdly, we may hence note, that every Christian must be careful, and look to it in particular, that his conversation be honest: honesty of life is with special care to be intended. Now this must be explicated.

The word translated Honest, signifies properly, Faire; and the Translatours • respecting the matter of our conversation, render it well, Honest; so as withal, for the manner we add, that it be a fair conversation: so that two things must be observed in our conversation, the Matter and the Manner. For the Matter: We must be sure that we be honest: It is a vain thing to think of being religious, if we fail in honesty; we must not only study the duties of the first Table, but we must be careful to prove the power of our Religion in the sound practice of the duties of the second Table: we must live righteously as well as religiously, Tit. 2.12. we must add virtue to our faith, 2. Pet 1.5. and withal, we should labor to excel in honesty, to carry ourselves so in all our dealings, that our carriage might allure, through the fairness of our behavior; we must in the things of honesty, strive for an alluring carriage. There be divers things in our outward conversation, which set a great gloss upon many actions, and certain particular duties which show exceeding comely in a Christian man's behavior; those the Apostle would have us to study and be careful of, even all things that are honest, and might win credit to the profession of Religion, Phil. 4.8.

This then is the question: What are those things which would so adorn the outward conversation of Christians, and make it fair and amiable? For answer hereunto, there are Six things which are of singular praise, and much adorn a Christians conversation, and make it fair.

The first is harmlessness; to be free from all courses of injury, and cruelty, and oppression, and the like. A hurtful and injurious conversation is a foul and unseemly conversation.

The second is discretion: when men carry themselves with all due respect of their words, and the consideration of the time, place, and persons with whom they converse. A discreet conversation is a wonderful fair conversation: when as a foolish, vain, rash, conceited, talkative behavior, is extremely irksome and loathsome, Col. 4.5. I am. 3.13.

The third is quietness and gentleness: which excels, as it shows it self, first, by humbleness of mind, thinking meanly of himself, and esteeming others better than himself, Isaiah 4.2. in giving honor going before others, Rom. 12.13. Secondly, by peaceablenes, when men study to be quiet, Eph. 4.11.12. and meddle with their own business, and avoid contention by all means, rather suffering wrong than prove quarelsome, Heb. 12.14. Thirdly, easiness to be entreated in case of offense taken, & willingness to be guided in things profitable and good, I am. 3.17.

The fourth is sobriety: when a man lives so, as he is not blemished, either with filthiness, or drunkenness, or covetousness: A man that is unspotted of the world for any foul crimes, and withal can show a mind not transported with the greedy desires after earthly things, is much honored, and justly, amongst men: the worst man cannot but acknowledge the praise of such: So as men show this in their dealings evidently, Rom. 13.13. I am. 1.26.

The fifth is fidelity and plainness: when men are just and true in all their dealings, and will keep their words and promises, and abhor the sins of deceit, and avoid subtlety and worldly wisdom, and show themselves to be plain men, as it was said of Jacob, that he was a plain man, not like subti •• Esau. This ought much to be sought after by Christians, that men may see their hearts by their words, 2. Cor. 1.12.

The sixth is profitableness: rendered in the end of this verse, good works. They lead a fair conversation, that do good, and are helpful to others, and ready to show any kindness or mercy to any that live near them, or have occasion to use them. This is an admirable praise.

The use should be, therefore, to teach us to study how to adorn our conversation with such integrity and virtuous behavior, as may win praise and reputation to our profession; especially we should at least shun all those hateful evils, which by experience we find to be grievous and loathsome, and are to be accounted as blemishes in our conversings; being things as are in a special manner loathsome, and provoke ill opinion in others, as being against honesty and that fair conversation should be found in us: as,

First, the sins of uncleanness, and whoredom, and fornication, and lasciviousness, and filthy speaking, Rom. 13.13. Eph. 5.3.4.

Secondly, the sins of drunkenness and riotousnes, Rom. 13.13. 1. Pet. 4.3.

Thirdly, the sins of passion, malice, wrath, bitterness, clamour, and evil speaking, Eph. 4.31.

Fourthly, sins of deceit, lying, dissimulation, and hypocrisy.

Fifthly, pride, stateliness, desire of vain glory, Gal. 5.26.

Sixthly, backbiting, complaining, censuring, judging, Mat. 7.1. I am. 4. Gal. 5.13.

Seventhly, idleness and slothfulness, 1. Thes. 4, 11.12.

Eighthly, to be a busy-body in other men's matters, prying, and inquiring, and meddling with things that belong not to them, 1. Thes. 4.11.12. 1. Pet. 4. To which, add prattling and talkativenesse, 1. Tim. 5.13.

Ninthly, such courses as have appearance of evil in them: such are, the use of vain apparel, and willful resorting to persons and places that are of evil report.

Thus of the matter to which he exhorts. The reasons follow, why they should be careful of an honest and fair behavior; and first, because they live among the Gentiles.

Among the Gentiles. ]

Those Gentiles were such as lived in their natural idolatry, the nations that had not received the Christian faith.

Those that think this Epistle was written only to the provincial Jews, allege the words of this verse to prove it: for, say they, it was written to such as lived among the Gentiles, and were no Gentiles; and they only were the Jews.

But this reason is of no force: for those Gentiles, that were converted to the Christian faith, became Christians, and so were no more Gentiles or Pagans. And so these words may be understood of all sorts of Christians that lived among the unconverted Gentiles, whether they were in their natural estate, either Jews or Pagans.

In that the Christians lived among the Gentiles, and must, by their fair conversation, be rightly ordered towards those Gentiles, divers things may be observed:

First, we may hence note, how hard a thing it is to recover men from a false religion, though their religion be grossly absurd. In this place, whither the Gospel came, we see multitudes of men remained Gentiles still, and would not receive the Christian faith. And this is the more to be noted, if we either consider the reasons the Gentiles had to remain in their religion, or the manifest causes they had to move them to embrace the Christian Religion. For, for their own religion, they might easily observe these things amongst many other: First, their palpable and sottish idolatry, in worshipping so many gods, and those so accounted to be gods, being many of them apparently but senseless creatures; as, the Sun, Moon, and Stars; others of them but dead men, and others of them such, as of whom there was not the least color or appearance of Divinity. Secondly, the most notorious wickedness of life, which did everywhere abound in all the nations that were Pagans, Rom. 1. Thirdly, that they followed a religion that gave them no hope of a better life after death, nor could describe any estate worth the desiring. Fourthly, there was no agreement among them what should be the chief good while they lived; but men were carried according to the sensual desires of their own hearts.

On the other side, for the Christian Religion, they saw that the doctrine of it was everywhere proved by miracles; and that their own Oracles, in every place where the Gospel came, were put to silence. Besides, they might observe, that the Christian Religion did teach the most absolute way for holiness of life, and that the Christians did live the most unrebukeably of all others, yea did with gladness die in the defense of their religion: and further, the Christian Religion did show them the glory of heaven, and discovered that certain estate of most blessed immortality.

Quest. But, may someone say, what might be the motives to the Gentiles, to make them continue so obstinate?

Ans. There were, chiefly, five things which caused this obstinacy in the Gentiles. The first was the tradition of their fathers & forefathers: thy would not forsake that religion, which for so many hundred years their Ancestors had professed, 1. Pet. 1.18. Secondly, the God of this world did mightily labor to blind their eyes, that they might not understand the Gospel, 2. Cor. 4.4. Thirdly, they saw that the Christian Religion was persecuted in all places, both by reproaches and martyrdom. Fourthly, they would not receive the Christian Religion, because there were but few that professed it, and that their wise men and great men of the world, for the most part, did reject it, 1. Cor. 1. The last and chief reason was the love of their sins, which they saw they must forgo if they embraced the Christian Religion. It was true also, that the wickedness of some hypocrites that crept in among Christians, did make the way of God evil spoken of, and many Gentiles to blaspheme, Rom. 2. I might add, that the doctrine of Christ's Passion, was a scandal unto many Gentiles, who accounted it as a foolish thing, to believe him as a Savior, that could not save himself from so ignominious a death; being willingly ignorant of the necessity of that oblation of Christ, as the Surety and Sacrifice for our sins.

It is profitable to consider of the obstinacy of these Gentiles, together with their motives: for, first we may see that they stood upon the same grounds in effect, upon which the Papists do rest at this day; for the Papists main allegations are, the traditions of Fathers and Fore-fathers, together with the multitudes of people that follow their Religion; but especially the consideration of the woeful estate of for • orne men, should teach us with the more thankfulness to celebrate the praise of God's mercy to us, that did subdue our natures, and draw us out of blindness and wickedness, into the true Religion, and into the kingdom of Jesus Christ. And Ministers should hence learn with patience to do their work, and not to be discouraged, though multitudes of people be not brought to the obedience of Christ. They must not look to speed better than the Apostles, who in all places left thousands of people that would not regard them nor their Ministries, 2. Tim. 2.25, 26.

Lastly, we should learn even of wicked men, how we should entertain the truth; for if it be so hard a matter to get men to change their minds when they hold gross errors and falsehood, how ought we to stick to the truth when we have received it, and not receive any other doctrine, though an Angel from heaven should teach us otherwise than is written in the Word of God? Gal. 1.7.

Doct. 2. We may hence also note, that God is pleased to suffer his children in this life to live amongst wicked men. A godly man can live nowhere, but there are some wicked living there; the Tares will grow up with the Wheat. There may be divers reasons assigned of this, why God doth not gather his people altogether from the places where wicked men dwell: as first, God doth hereby try his people whether they will forsake the enticements of the wicked, and cleave to him and his truth; the more by-ways there are, the more praise to him that keeps the right way. Secondly, God doth by the wicked many times refine and purify his servants; by reason of the wicked, he both keeps them clean, and if they gather any filth, by them he washeth them. Wicked men are many times God's Laundresses to godly men: for, if God appoint them to chasten his servants; they will do it thoroughly, both by reproaches and other ways. Thirdly, the Kingdom of Christ must be set up among wicked men, because amongst them are many of God's Elect, which are in due time to be converted from their wickedness. Fourthly, hereby the power of Christ is magnified, that can set up and maintain his Scepter in the midst of his enemies. Fifthly, by this course God's patience is prolonged; for God is pleased, for the godly's sakes, to forbear those destroying judgments which else would fall upon the wicked.

The use should be, to teach us to bear with patience the inconveniences which befall us in our places and callings, by reason of the neighbourhood of wicked men, as knowing that it is the condition of all the godly, and hath always been so, and is so in all places; and therefore to resolve with our selves, rather to learn how to carry ourselves fairly and honestly among them, than through impatience without calling, to shift our places, or without charity, to make any schism or rent in the Church. Secondly, since on earth it will be no better with us in respect of our habitation; we should therefore learn the more to desire to be in heaven, where all the people shall be righteous: since there is so much unrighteousness in this Wourld, we should long for these new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. We should be the more thankful, if God ease us, in any degree, of the molestations of wicked men, either ridding out manifest Idolaters, Pagans, or Papists, or restraining those that are with us from unquietness, and tumult, and daily slander, or comforting us with a large fellowship of the godly. Fourthly, it should teach us circumspection, seeing the days are evil, both to hold forth our own light in the midst of their darkness, & to take heed that we trust not every man, nor believe everything: a holy reservednesse will become this Doctrine. Fifthly, the zeal of God's house should the more overcome us to strive to win men to God, and provoke them, as we have occasion and ability, to the love of God, and the true Religion. Sixthly, we should cleave the faster to the society of the godly, and strive together, and contend for the faith, seeing that we are always in the midst of our enemies. Lastly, it may be a great comfort to such as can quiet themselves well towards wicked men, that can keep their way, and be still upright and undefiled, that can also keep peace, and win love from their very enemies, that can do valiantly in the winning men to the liking of Religion for their sakes. To be good among the good, is not singular; but to be evil among the good, is abominable; and so is it an admirable praise to be good among the evil.

Doct. 3. That in some cases the conversation of a Christian may extend it self even to wicked men. Someone will say, We are forbidden conversation with them, how then can we converse with them? Ans. First, our conversation may reach unto them by fame or report; so the Christians conversed among the Gentiles, in that what they did, was discoursed of among the Gentiles. But this is not all; for in some cases we may go among them lawfully, even into their presence and company; as first, in case of negotiation in things of necessity, as trade, public service, or the like. Secondly, in case of natural or civil obligation to them; as children, wives, servants, subjects, may not withdraw their attendance or service from them, but may and must converse with them. Thirdly in case of Religion, men that intend to admonish, confute, persuade or win them to the love of Religion, may for that end converse with them. But then two cautions must be observed; first, that the party that would so converse with them, must be able to admonish or confute, &c. Secondly, such an end must not be made a pretence, only to cover needless society with them. Lastly, a difference must be put between the open enemies of God, and such as give some hope of inclination to Religion, though yet they be not manifestly religious. There are some persons that are inoffensive, so as they are not guily of any gross and open crime, and seem to favor Religion and the exercises thereof, and do desire the society of the godly, and take no pleasure in evil company; now we must beware that we judge not rashly of these, to account them as Gentiles, and such as are without; and with these we may hold more sure society.

Doct. 4. It may be lastly hence observed, That to convince or win the Gentiles, honesty of conversation is chiefly to be respected; honesty, I say, not Religion. To show the practice of religious duties before them, is a way to irritate them: they must be beaten with their own weapons, and overcome in the things they profess to be good. The way to amaze them that are without, is to show that religion forms in us such things as they confess to be good, yet cannot come to, or not in such a manner or degree: such as are faithfulness, chastity, meekness, wisdom, taciturnity, mercy, or the like. The use should be therefore to teach godly Christians, in the places where they live, to look to this point: not only to live without offense, but to strive to excel in the virtues that concern outward honesty of life. And to this end it were excellent, if Christians would mark, in what things the men of the world, where they live, do strive to excel; and not rest satisfied, till they can make all sorts of men discern, that Religion hath made them even in those things to go beyond them. And thus they should not suffer themselves to be put down by Papists or any carnal persons, in works of mercy, or truth in their words and promises, or quietness of disposition, or magnanimity, or the like; and the rather, because their praise is of God: whereas carnal men have only the praise of men. And besides, the true Christian shall have a recompense of reward in heaven, Ephes. 6.8. whereas the Pharisee hath his reward only in this life. And further, we should be more careful to win praise to our God and the true Religion, than they are to get applause to themselves, or a strange god. And we are in the light, they are in darkness: it were a shame they should do their work better in the dark than we in the light, Rom. 13. Thus of the first reason. The second reason why they should be careful of their conversation, is, because the Gentiles are apt to speak evil of the Christians, as evil doers.

That where as they speak evil of you, as of evil doers. ]

From hence three things may be observed:

First, that it hath been the lot of godly men to be evil spoken of and traduced: as we see the Christian Churches in the primitive times were exposed to the infamous reports of the Gentiles. Two things would be here explained: First, that it hath always been so: And then the causes of it. For the first, that it hath always been so, is clear by instances of all times: before the Law, under the Law, and in the time of the Gospel.

1. Before the Law.

Ishmael scoffs at Isaac • and Joseph's brethren scorn and revile him. Job was accused as an Hypocrite by his own friends, and scorned by the basest of the people, Job. 30.1. So was it with Moses and the Israelites, Heb. 11.26.

2. Under the Law.

David was slandered by many, Psal. 31.12. The abjects tare his name, and ceased not, Psal. 35.15. the drunkards sang of him, Psal. 69.13. he was a reproach of men, a by-word, a proverb, &c. So in the Prophet Esays time, Isaiah 8.18. and 59.16. and 51.8.

Jeremiah complains, that they consulted how to devise devices against him, and to smite him with the tongue.

3. Under the Gospel.

• 1. Look to the Author and finisher of our faith, Christ Jesus: he was charged with gluttony, Mat. 11.18. blasphemy, Mat. 26.65. madness, John. 10.20. to be a deceiver, John. 7.22. and to have a devil, & work by the prince of devils.
• 2. The Apostles were made a spectacle to men and Angels, and accounted as the off-scouring of all things, 1. Cor. 4.9, 10, 13.
• 3. Yea it is foretold to be the case of all Christians, Mat. 5.12. Gal. 4.29.

The causes of those reproaches follow.

First, in wicked men: it is their natural hatred of the truth and goodness, 1. John. 2. and 3.

Secondly, in the devil: it is his policy, hereby,

• 1. To keep men from embracing a religion that is so traduced, Acts 28.
• 2. To discourage and hinder the weak Christian, and to make him fearful in the way of God.
• 3. To pull back certain men which were going towards the Kingdom of God.

Thirdly, in God's will: hereby to try the constancy of his servants • and to make them live more watchfully.

Fourthly, in Christians themselves: it is

Sometimes long of hypocrites that break out into scandalous courses, and so make the way of God evil spoken of.

Sometimes it is the indiscretion and weaknesses of some Christians, which first set wicked men awork.

But chiefly it is their goodness, because they will not run with the wicked into the same excess of riot, 1 Pet. 4.5. Psal. 38.1. John. 3.

Thus of the first doctrine.

Doct. 2. The second thing may be noted from hence, is, That to speak evil of the godly is a property of wicked men, of men not yet visited of God. Such as dishonor godly Christians, did never endeavor to glorify God himself, 1 Cor. 6.9.10. Psal. 15. Rom. 1.29, 30. and therefore their tongues that are given to reviling of the godly, are said to be set on fire from hell, I am. 3.

Doct. 3. The third thing is, That to speak evil of the good, is a vice that all wicked men are guilty of: as here he supposeth it to be the sin of all the Gentiles, so of all men by nature, Rom. • .12, 13.

It followeth that I should show the uses may be made of the three doctrines together: but first a question may be asked; and that is,

Quest. Whether may not evil be spoken of godly men at all, and in no case? I answer, Evil may not at all be spoken of them in these cases following:

First, in things that are hidden thou mayest not judge them; as, thou mayest not meddle with them for the thoughts and intents of their hearts, 1 Cor. 4.5.

Secondly, in things doubtful, of which there is no proof: for in such cases all men must speak and judge the best.

Thirdly, in things indifferent they may not be censured, either for their judgment, or practice, Rom. 14.

Fourthly, things secret, though evil, yet may not be carried about or discovered: for he that reveals a secret, goeth about as a slanderer.

Fifthly, they must not be evil spoken of for mere frailties and infirmities: for love must cover a multitude of those evils; and their nakedness herein must be covered.

Sixthly, they must not be evil spoken of behind their backs for any evils, unless it be when they are incorrigible, or may infect others; or otherwise, that their sins be spoken of for some manifest glory of God: Backbiting is directly condemned.

Seventhly, not for any faults for which they have truly repented.

Eighthly, not in any case so as to judge them with a final sentence: to pronounce absolutely of their estates, that they are hypocrites, or shall be damned.

Lastly, evil must never be spoken of them for well-doing: no man may dare to call good evil.

Otherwise in things that are apparently evil, they may be reproved by Magistrates, or Ministers, or Parents, or Masters: yea and by any that is able to admonish, so as their sins be not spoken of with hatred or mere desire to disgrace them.

The uses of all this are for instruction: and so both to wicked men and godly men. And so it is needful to be attended, because all of us either do reproach, or are reproached.

Wicked men should be warned, if it be possible, to repent of this sin and forbear it; and that for many reasons:

First, if they consider God's commandment, which forbiddeth all excesses of this kind, Psal. 33.13. Tit. 3.1.

Secondly, if they consider the causes of their evil speaking; which, as was shown before, is the malice of their own hearts against the truth, and the especial working of the devil, who is the fire of hell, that sets their tongues awork, I am. 3.

Thirdly, if they consider that this is the devils special sin, to be an accuser of the brethren, and from thence hath his name in other languages: And wilt thou make a devil of thyself; or discover such a devilish property in this nature?

Fourthly, if they consider the effect of this sin of reproaching & slandering the godly, either to the godly, or to themselves.

First, to the godly: what mischief do they? Evil words are compared to swords and razors.

It is a kind of murder: it is as hateful as if they did cut or pierce their bodies: and besides, to what grievous contempts and indignities many times doest thou bring them by thy lies and slanders?

Secondly, to thy se • f: consider what thou bringst by speaking evil of the godly.

1. Though thou do it never so secretly behind their backs, yet it is overheard, and will come out: how wouldest thou be ashamed, if he of whom thou speakest stood behind thee when thou didst slander him? O man, consider, though the godly man never hear thee, yet God doth hear it, and all thou sayest, thou must bear thy shame for it.

2. Observe what interpretation God makes of it: he calls this sin blasphemy: for so the word is in the original, Col. 3.8. to note thereby, that he is vexed at this sin of vilifying his people, as if it were the reproaching of himself.

3. Consider what a shame it will be to thee when God shall clear the innocence of his servants: how wilt thou be confounded when they are justified?

4. Consider what hurt it doth thyself and others; it is a great means to set you further off from the Kingdom of God and to harden your hearts against the cares of your own reformation and salvation: Evil words corrupt good manners. Thou losest so much even of natural honesty, as thou admittest of evil in thy tongue.

5. Consider the punishment from the Lord. This is a sin that God hath grievously threatened, as these places show: Psal. 50.20. and 109.29. Isaiah. 51. 18. Psal. 31.18. Isaiah 41.11, 12.1. Pet. 4.4, 5.

And as it is evil to speak evil of those that are godly, as it appears by these reasons: so it is monstrous to be guilty of speaking evil in any of the cases following: as,

• 1. To speak evil of the absent, that cannot defend themselves.
• 2. To speak evil of such as God hath humbled and afflicted, and do judge themselves for their sins.
• 3. To speak evil of such as have been friendly to us, and shown their loving respect of us, and done us good.
• 4. To speak evil of our superiors; as godly Magistrates, & good Ministers.
• 5. To speak evil of such as are nearly linked unto us; as of our parents: and so it is monstrous uncomely, when wives speak evil of their husbands; and contrariwise.
• 6. To speak evil of any simply for godliness sake.
• 7. To speak evil of others, and yet be guilty of the same offenses themselves.
• 8. And so it is monstrous, when men speak evil of such behind their backs, to whom they speak fair before their faces: this hooding of hatred and cursing with lying lips is abominable.

So then this doctrine against evil-speaking doth in a special manner light upon such persons as are guilty of any of those ways of evil-speaking. And thus of the uses that concern wicked men.

Secondly, godly men be also instructed from hence. For, since this doctrine tells them, that it hath been the lot of godly men in all ages, to be evil spoken of in all places where they live, they should thereby be made careful to order themselves aright, in bearing reproaches in a right manner; as resolved to prepare for the trial of this affliction, if they be not scourged with it: for as the devil, when he gave over to tempt Christ, is said to cease but for a season; so if wicked men hold their tongues, we must not think they will be quiet always: for till God turn their hearts, they are apt to speak evil.

Now, that a godly man may be rightly ordered in respect of reproaches, he must look to three things.

First, he must be sure he be free from this evil himself, that he help not the wicked against the righteous, and by his own intemperance raise evil fames, by reason of which Religion is evil-spoken of: for railing, cursing, slandering, censuring, and the like, will make the very godly look like wicked ones, yea like the devil himself. Shall it be accounted a Paganish offense, and shall a godly Christian be guilty of it? Especially such Christians should be extremely abased for their evil natures, that raise evil reports of other Christians, in cases where wicked men themselves are silent.

Secondly, that he carry himself in a holy manner when he is reproached: and so he must remember two things.

1. That he render not reviling for reviling; but if he find himself stirred, with David to go to God, and betake himself to prayer, Psal. 109.4.1. Pet. 3.9.

2. That he strive to confute them by real apologies: and so he doth, if he endeavor to put them to silence by his good works, and a careful course of conversation.

Thirdly, because the godliest men may have their passions, and may be stirred up with such indignations (as appears, Ier. 8.18, 21,) he must labor to sense his own heart with store of arguments, that may make him patient & comfortable under this cross: and thus it should comfort him to consider,

1. That no reproaches can make him vile in God's sight: how vile soever he seem to be unto men, yet in God's eyes he is honorable, Isaiah 43.4.

2. That thou art but as an evil doer, not an evil doer. It is not miserable, To be as an evil doer: but it is miserable, To be an evil doer, 2. Cor. 6.8, 9.

3. This is not to resist unto blood, Heb. 12.3. This is a far less cross than hath been laid upon many of the best servants of God: they have lost their lives in the defense of pure Religion.

4. That howsoever it go with thee in this life, yet in the Day of Jesus Christ thy innocence shall be cleared, and thy faith and sincerity shall be found unto praise, and honor, and glory: thou shalt have abundant praise in that Day, 1. Pet. 1.7.

Thus of the use that concerns either wicked men, or godly men. There is yet a use that concerns all men: and that is, To take heed o • receiving evil reports against the godly: for seeing it is so usual for ill-minded men to devise and divulge evil reports of them, all men should be wary, and take heed of receiving the evil speeches that are bruited or spoken of any in the business of godliness. The receiving of false reports is forbidden in Scripture, as well as the devising or divulging of them, Exod. 23.1. And it is made a sign of a wicked disposition, To give heed to false lips: and that man is himself a liar, that harkneth to a naughty tongue, Pro. 17.4. And therefore God will plague in hell, not only liars, but such as love lies, Rev. 22.8. And a good man is said to have this property, that he will not receive an ill report against his neighbor, Psal. 15. And by receiving evil reports, a man becomes accessory to the slander, & guilty of it: for as it is true, that the receiver of evil-gotten goods is accessory to the theft; so is it in the case of slander, & somewhat worse: for there may be thieves, though there be no receivers; but there can be no slanderers, without some to receive the slander. Neither is there any great difference between the tale-bearer and the tale-hearer: for the tale-bearer hath the devil in his tongue, and the tale-hearer hath the devil in his ear.

Quest. But what should we do to avoid tale-bearers, or if we do hear reproaches or slanders of other men?

Answ. As the North wind drives away the rain; so must thy angry countenance do the slandering tongue: thou must not any way show any liking of his discourse, but the contrary: yea, and further, thou must, as far as thou art able, make an apology for the godly man that is evil spoken of. And the tongue of a godly wise man should be in this sense healthful, because it should be ready to heal that wound which the tale-bearer hath made in the name of his neighbor, Prov. 12.18. and 25.23.

Thus of the second reason.

The third and fourth reasons are contained in these last words, viz. That they may by your good works which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. The reasons are, because God may visit them: and if he do, they will glorify God upon the remembrance of your good works.

But here I purpose to handle the words as they lie in the order of reading them: and so I have four things to consider of. First, of good works; secondly, of the beholding of good works; thirdly, of the glorifying of God; fourthly, of the day of visitation.

Good works. ]

Divers observations are implied here.

First, that Religion sets men to work: there is labor in godliness. He must work that will be truly godly or religious. God entertains no servants, but he sets them to work: they are called to labor all the days of their life. We must work out our salvation: without working we cannot be saved, though our works be not the cause of salvation. This point proves, that the Gospel is not a doctrine of liberty: religion doth call men to working, not to live as they lift, but as he lists that died for them, and requires their service.

And secondly, this doctrine shows who is a true Christian. For as the Scripture is wont to describe a profane man, by saying, that he is a worker of iniquity: so doth it avouch, that he is a godly man, that worketh truth and righteousness, Psal. 5. Prov. 14.23. John. 3.21. Psal. 106.2. To be a worker of iniquity, imports three things: First, gross known sin; secondly, a daily custom in the practice of it; and thirdly, an estimation of sin as the means of our happy life. The wicked man lives by sin, as the laborer doth by his trade. So here, that man that will labor, and that constantly, about the works of a holy life, making it his every days care to do God's will, and accounts it the happiness of his life to do good duties, that man is a godly man. It is not talking of Religion will serve the turn, nor the shows of it, but he must work, and endure the labor of godliness, I am. 1.25. Act. 10.36. And further, this should teach Christians often to remember their holy calling, and examine themselves what works they have done, as such servants as desire to give a good account to their Master; and the rather, because no servants can have fairer work: it is all good work: and servants were so engaged to their masters, nor did owe more service; and because never was there a master that gave better wages than God doth to his servants. And therefore let every Christian be daily careful to look to his work, that when his Master cometh, he may find him so doing. Thus of the first point.

Doct. 2. Secondly, that works do specially commend us to the good opinions of men: it is our works must justify us before men: by good works we must win testimony to our sincere religion from men. Faith justifies us before God, and proveth us to be true Christians; as works do before men prove us to be so. And therefore we should strive, by well doing, to win as much credit as we can to our Religion among men, I am. 3.13.

Doct. 3. Thirdly, that the foundest way of confuting our Adversaries, is by our works: we must make real apologies: we must put them to silence by well-doing. Now, in that he calls the good works done by them, their good works, I might note divers things.

1 The necessity of good works: they must have works of their own: the good works done by others avail not them, nor justify them.

2 The goodness of God, that vouchsafeth to call those works their works, when yet they were wrought by him, as having had their beginning from his grace and Spirit, Esa. 26.12.

3 It is true, that they only can do good works; good works are only theirs: a wicked man cannot do good works, because his person is hateful to God, and his nature altogether impotent; and though he may do some actions, which for the matter of them are good, yet he pollutes them with his sins, of which he hath not repented; and cannot bring them forth complete for matter, manner, and end, Tit. 1. ult. Mat. 6.

But it is the goodness of works which I specially intend to entreat of in this place. Good works. ]

The goodness of men's works may be diversely considered; either according to the differences of works good, from such as are not so, or according to the forms of good works, or according to the time of doing works, or according to the uses works are put to.

For the first. Some men's works are neither good nor seem to be so; as are the apparent sins of men. Some men's works seem good, but are not; as the alms, and prayer, and fasting of the Pharisees. Some men's works are good, but seem n • t so, at least in the eyes of some men: and so the religious duties of godly Christians seemed to be vain practices of Sectaries and innovators, Act. 28. and so Paul's zeal and knowledge seemed madness to Festus, Act. 26. Some works seem good, and are so: such are the open good works of the godly in the judgment of godly men guided by charity.

For the second. If works be tried by their form, then those works are good works which are done with correspondency to the revealed will of God in his Word they must be commended in the Word, and done according to the directions of the Word; so that all works done besides or above the Law of God, are sinful and naught: and the doing of the works of supererogation, or those works they call Counsels, fall to the ground. And yet we confess, there were some works good, which were not commanded in Scripture; as Phine •• his work in slaying the fornicators; and Mary's work in annointing Christ unto the burial (for so it is called a good work, Mat. 26.10.) and Abraham's work in sacrificing his son, and the like: these were good works, and had no • warrant from Scripture, but were warranted by extraordinary calling thereto: and so they differ from the works of superstitious persons, done without warrant ordinary or extraordinary.

For the third. The time of doing some works, adds much to the consideration of their goodness: as for instance; The charitable & religious works done by men before their conversion are not to be reckoned good works, because the person that doth them is not reconciled to God, and lives polluted in his sins. Likewise the works of our calling, done in the week-days, are good works; but done on the Sabbath day, are evil works. So works done too late are not good; as their prayers that would not answer when God called them, Prov. 1.

For the fourth▪ If the uses of works be respected, the outward works of wicked men, that for the matter of them are required in the Word, may be said to be good works, beca • e they are good for men unto whom they are done: as the alms of a Pharisee is a good work, in that it is good for the relief of the poor, though it be not good in the sight of God; as failing of the right end, which is, God's glory. Thus of the acceptation of the terms. The good works here mentioned, are such as are good in God's sight, as being done in obedience to God's will, and by persons that are godly.

Now concerning those good works, I propound divers things profitable to be considered of.

First, the rules of good works, which do tell us what must be had, before a work can be a good work.

Secondly, the kinds of good works, or what works we may account in the nature of good works; how many sorts of good works there are.

Thirdly, I would answer a question or two, needful to be considered of, about good works; and in the last place, the uses of all.

For the first of those. There are many rules to be observed, before we can do works that God will account good. And those rules are absolutely necessary, and they are these:

First, the person must be reconciled unto God in Jesus Christ, or else all he doth will be abominable in God's sight. He must be turned in Jesus Christ, Eph. 2.10. He must be pure, or else his work is not right but polluted, Tit. 1. ult. Prov. 21.8. The people that do good works, must be purified unto God, being redeemed by Jesus Christ, & so made a peculiar people, Tit. 2.14. He must be purged, and sanctified, and so prepared to good works, 2 Tim. 2.21.

Secondly, his works must be warranted and required and prescribed in the Word of God: he must walk by rule: his pattern must be found in the Scripture, Gal. 6.14. he must come to the light of the Word, that his works may be manifest that they are wrought in God, John. 3.21. The Scripture is given by inspiration of God to this end, that the man of God might be perfectly directed unto every work that is good, 1 Tim. 3.16, 17.

Thirdly, he must propound a right end in doing his works: or else though the matter be good, yet the work is polluted, as was shown before in the instance of the alms of the Pharisees: and this right end is not the praise of men only, or to merit thereby, but the glory of God chiefly, in the discharge of our obedience to God, and the edification of our neighbor.

Fourthly, the works must be done in the name of Jesus Christ. We must rely upon the merits and intercession of Christ Jesus, as that which can cause our works to be pleasing to God, Col. 3.17. Whatsoever it is we do in word or in deed, all must be done in the name of Christ, or it is done in vain. Without faith it is impossible to please God, Heb. 11.6. Now our works are done in faith, first, when we believe and know they are warranted by the Word, John. 3.21. Secondly, when we believe God's promises concerning the reward of well-doing, Heb. 11.6. Thirdly, when we fly to Jesus Christ to cover the imperfection of our works from the sight of God: and so in that place, Col. 3.17. and fourthly, when our belief of God's goodness to us, makes us careful to do all the good we can.

Fifthly, his works must be done with repentance for his sins, and the judging of himself for the evil of his best works. By repentance, I mean not the first work of a sincere turning to God, for that is comprehended in the first rule: but the preservation of himself in his uprightness, and the daily judging of himself for his frailties. For if a godly man after his calling fall into presumptuous sins, his works done all the time he liveth in beloved sins, without the renewing of his repentance, are polluted, Esa. 1.

Sixthly, his works must be done willingly, not grudgingly or of constraint, or only to avoid shame or punishment: God loves a cheerful giver. That alms that is given with an ill will, or forced from men by the laws or otherwise, is not accounted a work of mercy in God's sight: to do mercy, is not enough to make it a good work pleasing to God, but to love mercy▪ Mic. 6.8. and to come into God's presence to do his service, is not pleasing, unless we humble ourselves to walk with our God.

Seventhly, his works must be finished: to intend it, or promise it, or begin it, will not serve turn: as in the case of mercy, to promise to contribute, or to begin for a day or a week, is not sufficient, unless we do it constantly, 2 Cor. 8. and 9. So it is in repentance: it is then a good work, when it is finished, not when a man hath had some remorse, or uttered a word or two of confession, or prayed for a day or two: but when a man having repented, repents still, till he have soundly humbled himself for his sins, and reformed his ways, Ier. 31.19, 20. So it is in general in any work God sets us to do, John. 4.3, 4.

Eighthly, his works must be his own fruit, such as belong to him in his place and calling. As in the calling of the Ministry, his good work is, to preach the Gospel with all frequency, and diligence, and power, &c. So in the Magistrate, to do the works of justice: so in other callings, every man must look to the duties of his own place: and so it is in our general callings; as Christians, we must do those which are meet for repentance, which not only concern a penitent life, but such as have a due respect unto the performing the things we are called to in our repentance, Luk. 4.44. Act. 6.20. Every tree must not only bear fruit, but his own fruit, proper to his kind: as the proper fruit of rich men is mercy: and if they had never so many praises otherwise, that they were courteous, wise, just, chaste, &c. yet if they be not merciful, their works are not good works.

Ninthly, his works must be full before God. It was an objection against the Church of Sardis, that her works were not perfect (or full) before God; & therefore she is threatened, if she repent not, to feel the heavy hand of God, Rev. • .1, 2. No • , as I conceive, a man's works are not full, when he is not careful of every good work, which he knows concerns him; as for instance: if a man pray, and yet be not careful of hearing the Word, his prayers are abomination to God, because his works are not full. There be some duties which he makes no conscience to obey in, though he know they be required: he that turneth away his ears from hearing the Law, his prayers are abominable, Pro. 28.9. If a man would be never so careful about God's service, and yet make no conscience of the works of mercy required of him, his sacrifice is not accepted, Hos. 6.6, 7, &c. Thus the long prayers of the Pharisees will not be regarded if they devour widows houses, Mat. 23. and so on the other side, if a man were never so merciful a man, if he were not also a religious man in the things of God's service, his works would not abide trial before God: they were not good, because they were not full. And for this reason the works of civil honest men are not good: such were Paul's works, Phil. 3.6. which he accounts but dross and dung in comparison (verse. 8.) of such as these.

Thus of the rules of good works: the kinds follow.

The vulgar commonly when they hear of good works, think of nothing but alms and hospitality or other courses of showing mercy. Now though it be true, that works of mercy be good works, yet they are but one sort of good works; whereas the Christian is bound to be ready to every good work, 1 Tim. 3.17. and therefore it will be profitable to inform ourselves of the many ways by which we may do good works: for thereby such Christians as are not able to give alms, may see a way how to enrich themselves in well-doing other ways. These then are the sorts of good works:

First, to believe is a good work, yea it is instead of many good works, yea in some sense it is to us instead of the works of the whole Law; as it is a means to lay hold on all the good works that ever Christ Jesus did. To put on the • ord Jesus, is a good work in a high degree: and so every act of faith in all the passages of a man's life, is a good work: for this is the work of God, to believe, as our Savior shows, when he gives that for answer for such as asked what they must do, to do the works of God, John. 6.28. Rom. 13.12, 13, 14. This is clearly acknowledged in these other Scriptures, 1 Thes. 1.3. 2 Thes 1.11.

Secondly, all works of piety are good works; all works of worship, that is, such works by which a man doth service to God, are all in the number of good works: and so to pray, to fast, to hear the Word, to receive the Sacraments, &c. are good works; for godliness hath the promises of this life, and of the life to come: and therefore it is profitable to all things, 1 Tim. 4.8. And these works must needs be accounted good works, for they are dear works: the blood of Christ was poured out, that we might be cleansed from dead works to serve the living God, Heb. 9.14.

Thirdly, all works of repentance: all that a Christian doth about his humiliation or reformation, are evangelically good works; as, if he confess his sins, and do execution upon his sins; if he make satisfaction for his trespasses to men; if he reform himself, or his household, or his charge: these and the like are all good works, 2 Chron. 19.3.

Fourthly, to suffer for a good cause, is reckoned in the number of good works; as to forsake father or mother, house or land, wife or children, liberty or life, for Christ's sake and the Gospels, it is in the number of those good things that shall have a good reward, Mat. 19.29. Ier. 31.16. Ruth. 2.11, 12.

Fifthly, works of men's particular callings, whether in the Common-wealth, or Church, or family, or any vocation or trade of life: so, works of Justice are good works; and to obey Magistrates, is called well-doing, verse. 14. of this chapter: so to preach the Gospel, is a good work, 1 Tim. • .1. So in the family, for parents to bring up their children well is a good work, 1 Tim. 5.10. yea the labors of servants in the family are such works as shall have reward of God, as well as works of piety, Esa. 6. Col. 3.

Sixthly, works of mercy are good works, whether it be spiritual mercy to instruct, admoni • h, or reprove, or comfort, Psal. 140. or whether it be outward mercy, in giving, lending, visiting, defending the poor, or the like. All confess these to be good works, Act. 9.16. But that alms may be a good work, these three rules must be observed: First, that it be given of goods well gotten, else no good works. Secondly, that he that gives it have a good eye, to distribute where there is need: for to keep a good house, and to entertain russians, and drunkards, and gamesters, is not a good work, nor hospetality, because here is not a good eye. Thirdly, alms mu • t be given to a good end, not for the praise of men, or to merit thereby, Mat. 6. Thus of the kinds of good works.

The questions follow.

Quest. 1. How can any works done by any man in this life be accounted good, seeing there is none that liveth and sinneth not? yea all our works, even the works of the most righteous, are as a menstruous cloth, Esa. 64.6.

For ans • er hereunto, I say, It is true, that if God look upon the best works of the most godly in this life, and examine them by the rigor of his covenan • , which he called, His covenant of works, then no flesh living can have comfort of his works, but all will appear loathsome as a menstruous gar • ent. But the works of the believing Christians are otherways to be considered of: for,

First, they are tried by the covenant of grace, by the benefit of which covenant he is delivered from the rigorous perfection of the Law, & his uprightness is accepted instead of perfection: he is now no more under the Law, but by God's grace and acceptation, his works are taken as if they had been perfect.

Secondly, he hath the benefit of Christ's intercession, who presenteth his works before God, covering the evil of them, and tendering them to God, who accepts them for the love he bears to his Son. And thus we read in Scripture, that Christ presents the prayers of the Saints.

Besides, that the Christian may not think too vilely of his works, but be comforted in the Lord concerning them, let him further consider these things:

First, that his good works have the Spirit of Jesus Christ, which is in him, for the fountain of them, 1 Cor. 12.11. Esa. 26.12.

Secondly, that the blood of Jesus Christ was shed, not only for his justification, but also for his sanctification, Heb. 9.14.

Thirdly, that though his works are not good effectu, yet they are good affectu, they are good in desire: his desire was to have them as good as God himself did require. And this God is pleased to accept, as if the work were perfectly done.

Quest. 2. What are works good for, in that they are called good works?

Answ. I answer, first, affirmatively: they are good,

• 1 To testify our thankfulness to God for all his benefits, in respect of which we are debt • s unto God, Rom. 8.12.
• 2 To assure the truth of our faith, as the fruits of faith, Mat. 7.17. 1 Tim. 1.19. James 2.
• 3 To witness our election, and to make our calling sure, 2 Pet. 1.10.
• 4 To discharge our duty of obedience, unto which we are bound even in the covenant of grace.
• 5 To further the edification of our brethren, whom we help both by example, and by well-doing to them.
• 6 To win wicked men to a better estimation of our Religion, and to stop their mouths, as here, so verse. 15.
• 7 To glorify God, as is in this place mentioned.
• 8 They are good to make us capable of rewards from God in heaven, Heb. 10.36. Rom. 2.7, 8. yea and in this life too, 2 Tim. 4.8.

Secondly, I say, they are not good,

1 To justify us before God, as it is at large proved by the Apostle in the Epistle to the Romans and Galatians; only they are good to justify us before men, I am. 2.

2 Not to merit or deserve heaven by them: men's evil works do merit punishment: (for the wages of sin is death:) but our good works cannot merit, both because the Scripture denies it expressly, Eph. 2.8. as also (to omit other reasons) because the nature of merit casteth away our works: for there must be three things in a work that must merit. First, it must be a free work, that was not due by any debt: whereas our works are a part of ou • duty; and we owe more to God, than we can do, Luk. 17.9. Rom. 11.35. Secondly, the work that should merit, must be profitable to him of whom we would merit; but no goodness of ours can reach to God to profit him, Psal. 16.3. Job 22.2. Thirdly, the work that must merit, must be of equal value with the thing that is given for it; but neither our sufferings, nor our deeds in this life can be worthy of the glory that is to be revealed, Rom. 8.18. and therefore is eternal life called, The gift of God, Rom. 6.2 • .

The uses follow, and are especially for instruction: for this doctrine of good works should teach us,

First, to take notice of this doctrine, and as we are careful to believe, so to be careful to maintain good works; and hereby to confute the malicious Papists, that falsely charge us to deny and disgrace good works, Tit. 3.8, 14.

Secondly, every man should be ready to do good works, yea to every good work: since they are required of God, and are so many ways good, and serve us for such excellent uses: yea we should be zealous of good works, wonderful eager and desirous to enrich ourselves that way, Tit. 3.1. & 2.14. yea we should hereby show that we are indeed wise Christians, and well skilled in the use of our Religion, I am. 3.13. and not men only, but women also should be forward in good works, 1 Tim. 2.10. It is their best apparel: which should be a special motive to them that are so careful of their attire. And indeed good works are to be desired and labored for, as the best apparel of any Christian; yea, they are his armor too, Rom. 13.13. yea, they are a principal way for his enriching and preferment, 1 Tim. 2.20. so as it is a great curse upon a Christian, to have no mind to do good works, to be reprobate to every good work, Tit. 1. ult.

Thirdly, since there are so many things necessary to the constitution of a good work; Christians should (instead of prying into the lives of others) everyone try his own works, and turn often to the light, that it may be (indeed) manifest that his works are wrought in God, Gal. 6.4. for one day every man's works shall be tried in the fire, when times of trial, by great afflictions, either upon men's Consciences or otherwise, come; that man's works that never seem glorious and praise worthy, will be rejected and cast away, even by ourselves, as vile and unprofitable. Besides, at the best, in our prosperity, if the most of our works be tried by the fire of these rules of God's Word, it is much to be doubted that our works will burn, though upon our repentance for the evil that cleaves to our best works, ourselves may be saved in the day of the Lord. Let Christians therefore be careful, that they lose not the things which they have wrought.

Now a Christian may lose his works divers ways:

First, if he be but a Christian in show, he may, nay he shall lose all he doth. The Pharisees lost all their works, because they were done in hypocrisy.

Secondly, the Christian that hath some kinds of heavenly gifts, and temporary graces, by falling away in the time of temptation loseth all that he had wrought before. God requires patient continuance in well-doing, Rom. • .8.

Thirdly, the true Christian may lose what he wrought, if he do his works without respect of these Rules: If it be not manifest that his works are wrought in God, they are lost to him, so many of his works as are so wrought: Besides, he loseth the comfort of all that he hath wrought, and the sense of it, if he fall into gross sin after calling, for so long time as he continueth in sin without repentance.

Thus of good works.

Which they shall behold. ]

It is manifest from hence, that good works may, and ought to be so done, as that men may see them. It is not true that all good works must be hid from the view and beholding of other men. This may seem strange, because the Pharisees were blamed for doing their works to be seen of men: but yet it may be easily and plentifully proved. I will first prove it, and then explain it. For proof, our Savior Christ requires that the light of men's good works should shine, that men may see their good works, Mat. 5.16. Christians in respect of their practice, should be as shining lights in the midst of a froward and crooked generation, Phil. 2.15, 16. They must maintain good works, Tit. 2.8. They must show their faith by their works, and so they are justified before men, by the works which they behold, I am. 2. They are the express words of S. James also, in his third chapter, verse. 13. Let him show by good conversation, his works. And the Apostle Paul saith, If there be any praise, think on those things that may get praise, Phil. 4.8. Yea some Christians are charged to be patterns of good works, Tit. 2.7.

Now for explication of this point, I would consider (first) what works may be shown; and then (secondly) what works may not be shown.

For the first, I will only (now) instance in the Apostles catalogue in the second of Titus.

Old men may safely show sobriety, gravity, temperance, soundness of their faith, love, and patience.

Old women may safely carry themselves in a holy behavior, and be teachers of good things, especially to the younger women.

Young women must show their sobriety, love, and obedience to their husbands; discretion, chastity, care of their children and household affairs.

Young men may show, that they be sober-minded.

Ministers offend not, by teaching uncorrupt doctrine with gravity and sincerity, nor when in conference they speak soundly, and things that cannot be justly taxed.

Servants offend not, by showing obedience to their masters, and all good faithfulness, and desire to please them well in all things.

For the second: the show is condemned in divers sorts of works: as,

1 Secret duties, of what kind soever, must not be done to the beholding of others: thus, to pray or fast, that others may see or hear, is not lawful, Mat. 6.

2 Such works as are done deceitfully, are justly taxed for the show of them: as when Ananias and Sapphira will make a show of bounty, which was not performed as they pretended, Act. 5.

3 All works that are done with affectation, when the praise of men is simply and only sought, are Pharisaical, and ill done.

4 All the works that are done about the use of the means of godliness, if practice be not joined with them, are rejected of God, and the show of them is condemned. Thus to make a show of hearing Sermons, reading the Scriptures, frequent and long prayers, strict observing of the Lord's day, and the like, when there is not a sound care of a holy life, are not good works, n • r is the show of them commended, Esa. 1. Mic. 6.

5 To show care of lesser duties, and live in the careless and manifest neglect of greater and more necessary duties, is likewise Pharisaical, and condemned, Mat. 23.

Thus of the beholding of good works.

They may glorify God. ]

To glorify God, is, in the etymology of the word, to make God glorious. Now the glory of God is the excellency of God above all things, as is by way of exposition added, Esa. 35.2.

The question then is, How can God be made glorious or excellent, seeing his excellency is as infinite as his nature is; and to that which is infinite nothing can be added?

For the resolving of this question, we must understand, that if God's nature be considered in it self, it is so excellent, as nothing can be conceived or done, that should bring glory to it. But when the Scripture speaks of glorifying of God, it means it of such an excellency, as (to our capacity) by reflection, and resemblance, some way expresseth the similitude of God's excellency, which we call his glory.

And so God is glorified by himself or by us.

God hath made divers impressions of his own excellency, and set it out by way of image or similitude: as,

First, in the divine nature of Christ. For Christ, as the Son of God, is said to be the splendor and brightness of his Fathers glory, Heb. 1.2.

Secondly in the human nature of Christ. For in his human nature did the God-head dwell, and shine as the candle in the lanthorn: and so the glory of God appears amongst men: for when Christ was incarnate, and came to dwell amongst men, they saw his glory as the glory of the only begotten Son of God, Job. 1.14.

Thirdly, in his works: for the invisible things of God (as his power and wisdom in the excellency of them) are made visible unto our observation in the creation and government of the world: in the great book of the creatures is the glory of God written in great letters, Rom. 1. Thus the heavens declare the glory of God, Psalm. 19.1. And in this great book the glory of the Lord is said to endure forever, and the Lord will always rejoice in this impression of his glory in his works, Psalm. 104.31. and as all the works of God are his glory, in that they do some way set out his excellency; so especially miracles are in a high degree resemblances of God's glory, and therefore are these works of wonder called the glory of God. Thus the power of God in raising Christ, is called his Glory, Rom. 6.4. and so the marvelous works mentioned, Psal. 97.4, 5, 6. so Christ in working the miracle in Canaan of Galilee is said to show his glory, John. 2.11. And as works of miracles are called the glory of God, because God hath in them stamped some lively resemblance of his excellency: so also works of special justice done upon God's enemies are called his glory also, as the se places show, Exod. 14.14. Num. 14.21. Esa. 13.3. So also God's mighty working in delivering his servants, is called his glory also, Psal. 105.5, 6. and 57.6. and 85.9.

Fourthly, in man God hath imprinted his glory, and so in all sorts of mankind: they are called the glory of God in respect of their resemblance of God's sovereignty: man is as it were a visible God in this visible world, and in respect of his superiority over the creatures, resembles God, 1 Cor. 11.17. And as God hath imprinted his glory upon all men in general, so in a special manner upon some men: as,

1 Upon such men as shine in the outward dignity and preeminence of their places in this world above other men; their glory is said to be God's glory, 1 Chron. 29.11, 12.

2 Upon such men as are endued with the grace of God, and the virtues of Jesus Christ: these bear God's Image, and are therefore called his glory, Esa. 46.13. 2 Cor. 3.18. Psal. 90.17.

3 In a more principal manner, upon such as be received up to glory in heaven. Thus God will be glorified in his Saints at the day of Judgment, 2 Thes. 1.10. This is that glory of God, which the godly do hope for with so much joy, Rom. 5.2.

Fifthly, in certain visible signs and testimonies of his presence. Thus the consuming fire on mount Sinah, is called the glory of God, Exod. 24.6, 16, 17. So also the cloud that filled the Temple, Exod. 40.34. and the cloud that rose upon the Tabernacle in the wilderness. And so the signs of God's presence in heaven, are in a special respect called his glory. Thus Stephen saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at his right hand, Act. 7.55. Thus we are said to appear before the presence of his glory, Jude 24.

Sixthly, in his Word: and so the Word of God is the glory of God, either in general, as it describes the excellence of God's nature in his properties or attributes, Psalm. 26.8. Or in special, the Gospel is called his glory, as it sets out the goodness of God, after a matchless manner, relieving for lorne mankind, Esa. 6.1. And thus that part of the Word of God that doth describe God's mercy, is called his glory, Exod. 33.18, 19.22. Ephes. 2.16. Thus also that way of showing mercy, by bringing in the infinite righteousness of his own Son, is called the glory of the Lord, Esa. 40.5.

Thus God glorifieth himself.

Secondly, God is said to be glorified by us. Man may make God glorious▪ but that he cannot do by adding any glory to God's nature: and therefore we must search out to find by the Scripture, what ways man may glorify God; and so we may be said to glorify God, or to make God glorious three ways:

First, by knowledge, when we conceive of God after a glorious manner; thus we make him glorious in our own hearts, and this is a chief way of making God glorious: and this is one way by which the Gentiles glorify God: and this God stands upon, so as he accounts not himself to be known aright till we conceive of him, at least, as more excellent than all things. Seeing we can add no glory to God's nature, we should strive to make him glorious in our own minds and hearts. And we may by the way see, what cause we have to be smitten with shame and horror to think of it, how we have dishonored God by mean thoughts of him. And hereby we may also see how far man can be said to have the true knowledge of God in him; yea, there is some comfort in it too to a Christian, that humbleth himself to walk with his God: for though at the best he come far short of conceiving of God as he is, yet God accounts himself to be made glorious by us, when we get so far as to conceive of him above all creatures; and that is, when he comes into our hearts as a King of glory, far above all that glory can be found in earthly Princes, Psal. 14.7, 9. And thus we make him glorious, not when we barely judge him to be more excellent than all things, but when our hearts are carried after the apprehension of him, so as we love him above all, and fear him above all, &c. And thus we make God glorious in our hearts by knowing him.

Secondly, by acknowledgment, when in words or works we do ascribe excellency unto God; and to glorify him, is to acknowledge his glory; or as the phrase in Scripture is, To give him glory; and so there be divers special ways, by which we are said in Scripture to glorify God: as,

First, when in words we magnify God, and speak of his praises, and confess that he is worthy to receive honor, and glory, and might, and majesty: so Rev. 4.11. Psal. 29. & 86.9.

Secondly, when men confess that all the glory they have above other men in gifts or dignity, was given them by God: So David glorifies God, 1 Chron. 29.11, 12. And thus we make God the father of glory, as he is called, Eph. 1.17.

Thirdly, when men that are guilty of sins that cannot be proved against them, yet feeling themselves to be pursued by God, do confess to God's glory & their own shame, their secret offenses: Thus Achan gave glory to God, Josh. 7.19. And thus the penitent sinner glorifies God, when he cares not to abase himself in the acknowledgement of his own vileness, that God may be magnified in any of his attributes or ordinances by it, Ier. 13.16. Mal. 2.2.

Fourthly, when the praise of God, or the advancement of his Kingdom, is made the end of all our actions: This is to do all to his glory, 1 Cor. 10.31.

Fifthly, when we believe God's promises, and wait for the performance of them, though we see no means likely for their accomplishment: Thus Abraham gave glory to God, Rom. 4.

Sixthly, when we publicly acknowledge true religion, or any special truth of God, when it is generally opposed by the most men: Thus the Centurion gave glory to God, Luk. 23.47.

Seventhly, when men suffer in the quarrel of God's truth, and true Religion: So 1 Pet. 4.16.

Eighthly, when on the Sabbath men devote themselves only to God's work, doing it with more joy and care, than they should do their own work on the week days, refusing to profane the Sabbath of the Lord by speaking their own words, or doing their own wills: Thus Esa. 58.13.

Ninthly, when men do in particular give thanks to God for benefits or deliverances, acknowledging God's special hand therein: Thus the Leper gave glory to God, Luk. 17.18. so Psal. 113.4.

Tenthly, by loving, praising, admiring, and esteeming of Jesus Christ above all men: for when we glorify the Son we glorify the Father, John. 1.14. and 11.4.

Eleventhly, when we account of and honor godly men, above all other sorts of men in the world; and so these Gentiles do glorify God, in that they praise the Christians above all men, whom before they reviled: This is one way by which the Gentiles glorified God.

Thus of the second way of glorifying God, which is, by acknowledging his glory.

The third way of glorifying God, is by effect, when men make others to glorify God, conceiving more gloriously of him, or in praising God and his ways: Thus the professed subjection of Christians to the Gospel makes other men glorify God, 2 Cor. 9.13. So the fruits of righteousness are to the glory of God, Phil. 1.10. So here the good works of Christians do make new Converts glorify God: so every Christian that is God's planting, is a tree of righteousness that God may be glorified, Esa. 61.3. So are all Christians to the praise of the glory of God's grace, as they are either qualified or privileged by Jesus Christ, Ephes. 1.7.

Use. The uses of all should be especially for instruction and humiliation: it should humble us, if we mark the former doctrine, in that it discovereth many deficiences in us: for besides that it showeth, that the whole world of unregenerate men lieth in wickedness, and that as they have all sinned, so they are all deprived of the glory of God, and altogether delinquent in each part of making God glorious; I say, that besides the discovery of the general and extreme corruption of wicked men, it doth touch to the quick upon divers persons, even the godly themselves. To give instance

In the first way of making God glorious. How meanly and dully do we, for the most part, conceive of God! How far short are our hearts of those descriptions of God made in his Word! What strange thoughts come into our minds at sometimes! Oh how have we dishonored the most high in our unworthy conceptions of his Justice, Power, Eternity, Wisdom, and Mercy!

For the second way of glorifying God. What heart could stand before his holy presence, if he should examine us in justice.

1 For our language. What man is he that hath not cause to mourn for his want of language daily, in expressing of the praises of God! When did we make his praise glorious? have our mouths been filled with his praise all the day long?

2 For our extreme unthankfulness, when we meet with God himself: we have been healed with the nine Lepers; but which of us have returned to give glory to God, in the sound acknowledgment of his goodness to us? It is required we should in all things give thanks, and yet we have scarce used one word of praise for a thousand benefits.

3 Our slight acknowledgments of sin, our backwardness to search our ways, our carelessness when we know divers grievous faults by ourselves, either avoiding God's presence, and making confession for fashions • ache, neither out of true grief for our sins: and in a special manner do we fail in those cases of trespass or sin that come • to the knowledge of others. Do we knowledge our sins one to another? Oh how hard it is to bring us to be easy to give glory to God herein!

What man is he that liveth, and hath not failed of the glory of God about the Sabbath? Do we delight in God's work? Have we consecrated that day as glorious to the Lord? Have not our minds run upon our own ways? After what an unspeakable manner have we slighted God in his Ordinances?

Lastly, what shall we answer to the Lord for our neglects of Jesus Christ? Have we glorified the Son? or rather have we not shameful wants still in our faith? Which of us can say that he lives by the faith of the Son of God? And are not our affections to the Lord Jesus extremely dull and adverse? Where is the longing desire after him, and the fervent love of his appearing?

And for the last way of glorifying God by effect: How unprofitably and unfruitfully do the most of us live? Who hath praised God in our behalf? Whom have we won to the love of God and the truth? Where are our witnesses that might testify, that our good works have caused them to glorify God?

But especially, woe be to scandalous Christians, that have either caused wicked men to blaspheme, or God's little ones to take offense, and conceive ill of the good way of God: if they repent not, it had been better for them they had never been borne.

And as for wicked men that are openly so (to give a touch of them and their estate) they have reason to repent in sackcloth and ashes, if their eyes were but open to see what terror is implied in this doctrine, and how God will avenge himself upon them, both for their not glorifying of him, and for changing his glory, and for the opposing of his glory.

1 In not glorifying God: they have spent their days without God: they have either not conceived of him at all, or in a most mean and vile manner: they have not honored him in his ordinances, or in his Sabbaths: they never loved the Lord Jesus in their hearts, &c.

2 In changing the glory of God, they have done shamefully. Some of them have turned God's glory into the similitude of an Ox or a Calf that eareth hay. Some of them have given his praise to Images, and the works of their hands. Some of them have fixed the glory of their affections upon riches, pleasures, and favor of men. Some of them have made their belly their god: and some have given their bodies to harlots.

Thirdly, in opposing God's glory, they have likewise offended grievously; they have spoken evil of the good way of God; they have abused his servants, and so despised him; they have set themselves against his Sabbaths, &c. to omit that they have opposed God's glory in their hearts, by setting up Idols there, & by allowing & striving to maintain Atheistical conceits against God.

The second use should be therefore to beget in us a care to use all means to dispose of, and fit ourselves, that we might make God glorious, and so amend and redress our ways herein; and that we may the more effectually be wrought upon herein, I will consider of two things: First, I will briefly show the reasons should stir us to all possible care and diligence herein. Secondly, I would show how we may distinctly attain to the glorifying of God in all the three ways before mentioned.

For the first. Divers considerations should move us to the care of magnifying or glorifying of God by all the ways we can.

First, it is a great honor that God doth unto us, to account himself to receive glory any way from our endeavors. Shall the creature be admitted in any sense to that glory, to make his Creator, to make him (I say) in his excellency or glory? God doth account himself to receive a new Being, as it were, by those inward conceptions of his glory, and by those outward honors done unto him. Shall the King of glory vouchsafe to dwell in our hearts? and shall we not be exceedingly desirous to entertain him?

Secondly, not to glorify God is to sin grievously: it is not arbitrary, but most dangerous to allow ourselves, either in inward neglects of God, or in outward unfruitfulness. Shall we attribute so much every day to the creatures we deal with? and shall we know or acknowledge so little of the Creator? It cannot be safe to slight God.

Thirdly, it is one of the first things that breaks out in the new Converts: so soon as any of the Gentiles are visited of God, in the same day they glorify him, by conceiving gloriously of him, and by magnifying God in himself, and his servants, and service, &c. And therefore without singular danger of losing our evidence of our calling, we must attend to this Doctrine, how hard soever it seem.

Fourthly, we are bought with a price and are God's, and therefore now both in soul and body we should be wholly devoted to his glory, 1 Cor. 6 ult. as God hath glorified us in our creation, and the many treasures he hath given us in Jesus Christ, and we hope the accomplishment of ma • chlesse glory in heaven: and shall we not be zealous for the glory of the Lord? Many glorious things be spoken of us through his grace: and shall we think or speak meanly of God?

Fifthly, the Lord our God exceeds all things in glory, and therefore we should extol his praise above the heavens, and the whole earth should show it self to be full of his glory.

Sixthly, he is our heavenly Father: and can we think too well of him, or do too much to win him praise? Matth. 5.16.

Lastly, think with ourselves, What make we in God's Vineyard or Orchard? If we be trees of his planting, ought we not to be filled with the fruits of righteousness, that the Lord may be glorified? Isaiah 61.3.

Thus of some motives. The main care should be to learn what to do, that God might be made glorious by us: and so we should distinctly consider how to make him glorious in ourselves or in others.

In ourselves we should learn how to make him glorious, first, in our hearts by a glorious conception of him in our minds: secondly, in our words and works, by acknowledgement.

The first question then is, what should we do that we might conceive more gloriously of God? For answer hereunto, we must look to our hearts in divers particulars: for, that we may conceive of God according to his excellency, we must proceed by these degrees.

1. We must strive to bring God into our minds: for naturally we live without God. And we may observe, that at the best we are wonderful prone to forget God: and therefore we must learn how to bring our hearts to the meditation of God. For not to think of God, or forget him, is a grievous offense, as well as to think of him after a base manner.

2. It is not enough to bring God into our thoughts, but we must then be wonderful careful that we bring not in an Idol of our own forming instead of God: we must learn how to think of God as he is described to us in his Word: for fearful Idolatry may be committed in the heart of a man, as well as in his outward adoration; and therefore we must learn soundly to conceive aright of the nature of God.

3. When we have God there in his own likeness, we must enlarge his room in our hearts: For the true knowledge of God comes in but by sparkles; and God will be magnified. We must make him great, and enlarge the thoughts of God when we conceive of him. This is that that is so often required in Scripture, under the term of magnifying God.

4. When we have attained to this, to think of God, with an ability to make him great in our hearts, then we must yet proceed to the establishment of this conception of God: for else the thoughts of God will pass thorough our heads like lightning, and be gone: and therefore we must be careful to establish the thoughts of God in us.

5 We must then labor to clothe the thoughts of God with glory and majesty: this is that which is here intended; we must not only make him in our hearts, and nourish the sparkles of his knowledge, but we must make him glorious also.

6 Yea yet farther, when God is conceived of according to his excellency, we must love the Lord thus conceived of, our hearts must cleave unto him, and esteem him above all things. So that here are six distinct things to be heeded of such as will conceive of God aright. Now how these things may be attained to by us, followeth to be considered of.

Now for the first: to bring God into our minds, two things are of excellent use;

First, the enforcing of ourselves to consider of God's works, and so to strive still to read in that great book of the creatures.

Secondly, the exercising ourselves daily in the Word of God: Without these two helps carefully used, experience shows, that God never comes into men's thoughts. And by the way, here may be framed an answer to that sorrowful complaint of many Christians, that they cannot meditate. Now if they would be taught to meditate, or would at any time have their thoughts set awork, let them lay before them either of these books of God, either the great Book of the creatures, or little book of the Scriptures; and so praying God to direct them, take those things that easily offer themselves from thence. The other way of meditating without book, as I know not whether it be absolutely required, so can it not be so fruitfully performed, nor so comfortably. But to return, the viewing of God's workmanship in his creatures, and of his wisdom and rule in his Word, will help us in the first point, which is, to bring God into our minds.

For the second: that we may not mistake, but conceive of God aright, we must look to divers things carefully.

First, we must resist and subdue, and no way harbor or favor any atheistical conceits against the doctrine of God's nature or providence. If we find our minds entangled with any such, we must labor to get them cured: for till our hearts be whole of such diseases, we are disabled from any true conception of God.

Secondly, we must in thinking of God, then cast out all likenesses: we must not conceive of him in the likeness of any man or other creature, but get above all similitudes, and there rest in the adoration of him that is not like any of those things: we must have no Images of God, neither in our Churches, nor in our heads, Command. 2. Deut. 4. Esa. 40.

Thirdly, we must learn distinctly the attributes of God's praises in the Scripture, and conceive of him as he is there commended to us: I mean, we should, as we are able, when we think of God, think of him as he is omnipotent, most wise, most just, most merciful, &c. It is an excellent praise of the diligence of a Christian, to accustom himself to conceive of God according to descriptions made of him in his attributes in his Word.

Fourthly, it may much help us, if we conceive of God as dwelling in the human nature of Christ, for thereby it may somewhat arise in our minds, if we be prone to conceive of likenesses: Mark it carefully, we may • ot set before our minds Christ-man, and so worship without anymore ado: but if we conceive of the man-Christ, and then worship that God-head that dwells in him, we do right; and besides attain unto a point farther, which is, to conceive of God in Christ.

Thus of the right conceiving of God's nature.

The third thing which we must labor for, is, to magnify God in our hearts, to make him great, to conceive largely, with full thoughts of God: and to this I add also, to conceive gloriously of him, to clothe our thoughts of God with a shining excellency above anything else we think of. Now that God may be magnified, and thought on after a glorious manner, these things must be done.

We must with all attendance and reverence wait upon the presence of God in his house, for that is the place where his glory dwelleth, Psal. 27.8. And God hath magnified his Word above all his name, Psalm. 138.2. And the use of the Gospel is said to be the Gospel of the glory of the blessed God, because it doth with the liveliest impressions make a man's heart to discern God's excellency, Mic. 5.4. 1 Tim. 1.11.

Secondly, the meditation of the wonderful works of God recorded in Scripture, or observed by experience, is good to br • ed great and glorious thoughts of God. For as the sight of the miracles of Christ, wrought this in the hearts of the people, Matth. 15.31. Luk. 7.16. so the contemplation of such great works may work the same effect in us: and the same effect also may the thoughts of the works of God's special justice or mercy have, Ezek. 38.23. Esa. 13.13. especially the consideration of those works of favor or deliverance, by which God hath declared his special goodness unto us, Gen. 19.19. 1 Chron. 17.24. David also clotheth the thoughts of God with glory & greatness in his heart, by thinking of the monuments of God's wonderful Power and Wisdom in the heavens, earth, and seas, &c. Psal. 104.1. &c. yea by thinking of his own forming and making in the womb, Psal. 139.15.

Thirdly, we must pray earnestly to God (with Moses ) and beg this of God that he would show us his glory. Thus also of the third thing.

The next thing is, to learn how to establish the thought of God's glory in us: and this is done especially two ways. First, by striving to set God always before us, as David did, Psal. 16.8. Secondly, by remembering God in all our ways, doing all our works unto the glory of God, 1 Cor. 10.31.

Lastly, to make us in love with God thus conceived of according to his glory, the thorough meditation of his mercies to us is of singular use, to think either of the variety of them, or of the special respect God hath had of us above many others, and the frequency of his mercies, that he showeth us mercy daily: but above all to consider that his mercies are free; to think how vile we are, upon whom God looks with such grace and goodness. Thus the blessed Virgin taught her self to magnify God, and to love his name, Luk. 1.46, 48.

Thus of making God glorious in our hearts by knowledge.

Now for the second, which is to make him glorious by acknowledgement. The particular ways how that may be done have been reckoned before in the explication of the doctrine, only we must labor by prayer to fashion ourselves to that work, that God in any of those particulars doth require of us: and that is the most special help which I know thereunto. But by the way let me warn thee to look to two things: First, that in any course of glorifying God, which is to be done by thy words, thou be careful to avoid hypocrisy; and be sure that thy heart be lifted up, and affected according to the glory of God: for the Lord abhors to be glorified with thy lips if thy heart be far from him, Esa. 29.13. And the next is, that thou presume not in any case to make the pretence of God's glory a covering for any wickedness: as the Pharisees that would hide their devouring of widows houses under the praise of long prayer: or those in the Prophet Isaiah's time, that would persecure godly men, and molest them with Church-censures, and say, Let the Lord be glorified, Esa. 66.5. Thus of making God glorious in ourselves.

Lastly, that we may make God glorious in the hearts of other men, and cause them to speak of his praises, we must carefully look to four things:

1 That when we speak of God or his truth, we do it with all possible reverence and fear; that we be careful, in all our discourses of Religion, instructions, admonitions, reproofs, confutations, or the like, to treat of these things with all meekness and reverence: God hath given us a commandment of purpose to restrain the taking up of his Name in vain.

2 That we strive by all means to live unspotted and inoffensive in life, that if any perverse men did seek occasion against us, yet they might find none; and to this end, striving to avoid those things distinctly, which we perceive, by the miserable example of others, do vex and provoke men to speak or think evil; such as are idleness, frowardness, deceit, conceitedness, and the like, Phil. 2.15.

3 That we show forth the virtues of Christ. It is a singular means to stir up others to glorify God, if they might perceive in us the sound habit of such Christian virtues, as are not to be found in other sorts of men; such as are humility, lowliness, contempt of the world, subjection to God's will, love of the godly, and the like. The most of us have but the bare names of these: there is not a real demonstration of them. Christian virtues, set forth to the life, are amiable, and will compel men to conceive and speak gloriously of God and his truth.

4 That we be helpful upon all occasions to others, ready to every good work, and hearty in all works of mercy: it is our good works must make men speak well of us, and our God, and Religion.

Hitherto of the doctrine of glorifying God.

In the day of visitation. ]

This word Visitation is in Scripture attributed both to men and to God. To men in such cases as these: as first, to shepherds; who when they did specially survey their •• ocke, with intent to redress what was amiss, were said to visit them, Ier. 23.2. As also to such men as had the gathering of tribute: when they came to exact their tribute, to the great vexation of the people, they were said to visit them. So the word rendered Exactors, Esa. 60.17. in the Original is Visitors or Visitations. Thirdly, to visit was a term given to the Bishops & Apostles in the Primitive Church, that went about through the Churches, to take notice of the estate of the Churches, and to reform what was amiss, Act. 15.36. And so the original word here used is translated a Bishopric. Act. 1.20. agreeable to the Hebrew word used Ps. 109.8. Finally, to visit is reckoned among the works of courtesy or mercy, I am. 1.27. The Hebrew word in the Old Testament signifies oftentimes to muster or number up the people: as 1 Chro. 21.6. But in this place visitation is not referred to men, but to God.

Now God is said to visit, not only men, but other creatures: so he visited the earth, graven Images, the vessels of the Temple, and Leviathan. He visits the earth, when he makes it in an especial manner fruitful, Psal. 65.9. He visited Images when he brake them to pieces, and confounded them. He visited the vessels of the Temple, by causing them to be brought back again into the Temple, Ier. 27.22. He visited Leviathan the devil, by restraining his power, and disappointing his malice, Esa. 27.1. But, most usually, God's visitation is spoken of in Scripture, as it concerneth men. And so God holdeth two sorts of visitations: the one is the visitation of all men; the other of some men only.

The visitation called the visitation of all men, concerns either life or death. In respect of life, God is said to visit all men, in that he doth by his daily providence, both give and preserve life till the appointed time: so Job 10.12. And in respect of death, God keeps his visitation, when he causeth men to die an ordinary death at the time thereunto appointed: so Num. 16.29. But it is not the common visitation is here meant.

God's special visitation of some men, is when in a special providence he takes notice of certain men, and comes among them to work the redress of sin: and that is here meant. And this visitation must be considered, either according to the kinds of it, or according to the time of it, here called, The day of visitation.

For the kinds: God doth visit men either with the visitation of justice, or with the visitation of mercy; in wrath or in grace: and the former words of this Text are true of either of these kinds. For if God visit wicked men by his special judgments, they will then give glory to God, and commend godly Christians; whom before, against their consciences, they spake evil of: which they will also do much more, if God visit them with his grace, and convert them.

First then, of the visitation of justice: and so the point to be here observed is, That though God may spare wicked men long, and seem to wink at their faults, yet he will find a day to visit them for their sins: he will hold a visitation for their sakes: he will discover their wickedness, and avenge himself on them, Psal. 50.20. Eccl. 8. Ps. 37.13. Job 18.20. As they have had their days of sinning: so will he have his day of visiting; and that not only at that day of the universal visitation in the end of the world, but even in this life also.

Use. And this doctrine should especially humble wicked men, and awake them out of their security; and the rather, if they consider seriously of divers things about this day of their visitation:

First, that it shall certainly come upon them, Rom. 2.5.

Secondly, that when it doth come, it will be a marvelous fearful time with them: for,

1 God will then discover their sins, and make their wickedness manifest in the hatefulness of it, Lam. 4.22.

2 God will inflict sore punishments upon them: he will be avenged on them. The day of their visitation will be the day of their calamity, Ier. 46.21.

3 The punishments determined cannot be resisted: there will be no help, Esa. 10.3. and 29.6. and 26.14.

4 God will not then respect their strength, but their sin. He will recompense them according to all that they have done, Ier. 50.29, 31.

5 If they escape one judgment, another will light upon them, Ier. 48.44.

6 God will give them the repulse in all they do: even in his service he will not accept them, Ier. 14.10.

7 It will be a time of great perplexity, and counsel will perish from the prudent, Mic. 7.3, 4. Ier. 49.7, 8.

8 God will declare himself to be in a special manner against them, Ier. 50.29, 31. Hos. 9.7.

Quest. But what sort of men are in danger of such a fearful visitation?

Answ. All men that live in any gross sin against their knowledge: such as are the sins of blood, whoredom, deceit, swearing, profanation of the Lord's day, reproaching of God's people, and the like, Ier. 5.9.29. and 9.9. especially where all or any of these things be found in them.

First, extreme security in sinning: God will surely visit such as are settled in their lees, Zeph. 1.12.

Secondly, such as place their felicity in offending: such as love to wander, Ier. 14.10. such as do evil with both hands earnestly, as the Prophets phrase is, Mic. 7.3, 4.

Thirdly, such as continue and persist in wicked courses: such as cast out wickedness as a fountain casts out water, as the Prophet speaketh, Ier. 6.6.

Fourthly, especially when men are shameless and impudent in offending, Ier. 6.15. and 8.12.

Use 2. And therefore men should be instructed and take notice of their condition and danger, and foresee this day, and use all means to prevent it: for if men would turn unto God speedily, & repent with sound sorrows for their sins, the Lord would perhaps be entreated, and forgive the punishment of their sins Ier. 6.6.

Thus of the visitation of justice. The visitation of mercy follows.

The visitation of mercy is, when God comes amongst men, to show some special mercy: and so he visits either about temporal or about spiritual things. In temporal things he visits either in the case of blessings or afflictions. In respect of temporal blessings, he visited Sarah, ( Gen. 21.1.) when he gave her a son. In respect of afflictions, God visits (first) when he sends such crosses as do try the innocence and sincerity of his servants: so Psal. 17.3. Secondly, when he lets his people know that he takes special notice of their distresses and sorrows: so Exod. 4.3. Thirdly, when he sends his servants special deliverances: and so to visit is to deliver.

Thus of the visitation in temporal things, which is not here meant.

The visitation in spiritual things, is the gracious providence of God, revealing his marvelous and everlasting mercies unto his Elect: and so he visits man either by Christ, or by the Gospel: He visited his people when he sent his Son to redeem them, Luk. 1.68, 78. and 7.16. And so he doth when he sends his Gospel by his servants to this end, to reconcile the world to himself in Christ: and thus God visited the world, when he sent his Apostles unto all Nations, preaching the Gospel. And thus he doth visit a Nation, when he sends the Gospel thither; or a Congregation, when by the preaching of the Gospel, he gathereth a people to himself. There is also a personal and particular visitation, when God singles out this or that man from the rest, and converts him. And so in this place, to visit the Gentiles, is to gather out of the Gentiles a people to his Name, as in the case of this Apostle is said, Act. 15.14. Which place may well expound this: So that the day of visitation, if we respect whole congregations, is the time when God sends them the powerful preaching of the Gospel, and doth thereby muster and press a people to himself. And if we respect particular persons, it is the day when God effectually calls them, and converts them.

Six things may be observed here concerning this visitation of grace.

Doct. 1. First, that till God do visit wicked men with his grace from heaven, there will be no sound reformation in them. Their natural conscience, the shame and punishment of men, with the Laws of Princes or Churches, may restrain somewhat of the excess of sin; but it is God's visitation only that can work a sound and thorough reformation. There is little hope these Gentiles, which speak evil of Christians, will ever cease till the day of this visitation: and the reason is plain, because the laws and punishments of men cannot give a new nature to the offenders, which God in his visitation doth.

Use. The use is therefore to confirm the patience of the Saints. They have endured and must endure the evil words of wicked men: and if any be weary of their injuries, they must pray earnestly for their conversion. The wolf doth not always devour, nor the fox always deceive, nor the dog always bark: but yet so long as they keep their natures, they will occasionally discover themselves. And therefore also Christians should learn discretion, not to trust worldly men over-far, upon new pretences.

Doct. 2. Secondly, hence we may note, that God hath his time wherein he will certainly visit his people: he hath his day of visitation. All that God hath given unto Jesus Christ shall be gathered in God's due time. That which was believed concerning the gathering of the Israelites out of Egypt into Canaan, that God would surely visit them, and bring them out, Gen. 50.24, 25. is much more certainly to be believed of the spiritual gathering of the elect out of this world, into the Canaan of God. And the reason is, because their conversion d • pends upon God's eternal decree: and the foundation of God remaineth 〈◊〉 , and he knoweth who are his, 2 Tim. 2.19. and not one of them shall be lacking in the season of their calling, Ier. 23.3, 4. The use may be for the confirmation of our faith, concerning the calling of such Jews, Gentiles or Christians, as yet sit in darkness and want the means of their calling. God hath his day, and he will provide for the calling of all his Elect, how unlikely soever the work seem to us.

Doct. 3. We may hence note, that when God hath visited a man with his grace, he is suddenly become another man, he is wonderfully altered from that which he was before.

Use. The use should be for trial: No Christians can have comfort that they are visited with the grace of God, if old things be not past with them, and all things become new. For every man that is visited with true grace,

First, hath a new Master: He will no longer serve any strange Lord; for he hath covenanted firmly with God to work righteousness, Rom. 6.16, 18.

Secondly, hath new acquaintance: He that was wont to walk only in the way of the wicked, is now a companion only with them that fear God: all his delight is in them, Psal. 16. and 26.

Thirdly, hath a new language: he speaks not as he was wont to do. For first, his Mother-tongue he hath utterly forgotten: He cannot curse, and lie, and swear, and rail, and speak bawdily, as he was wont to do, which the coherence shows here. Secondly, in divers things he is furnished on a sudden with language he could never speak before, as in the gift of prayer, he can now speak to God, and discourse with him, that before was dumb, and opened not his mouth, Zeph. 3.9.

Fourthly, he hath a new heart, Zech. 36.27. Which appears in what he hath not, which was wont to be in his heart; and in what he hath, which was never there before. And for the first branch, there is not in him any of these things following: by the way understand, that these things are not in him as they were wont to be (that is) they reign not, or they lie adying: and so,

1 There is not guile there; his spirit is without guile, Psal. 32.2. which he shows, in that he avoids lesser sins as well as greater, is good in secret as well as in company, and serves God in his spirit as well as his body, and is more desirous to be good than to seem so.

2 There is not malice and passion there, Esa. 11. His outrageous and boisterous passions are subdued: of a Lyon he is become a Lamb.

3 There is not covetousness or the love of the world there, 1 John. 2.14. I am. 4.3. he useth the world, but he admires it not. His taste in earthly things is lost, he savors them not as he was wont to do, Rom. 8.5.

And as in these things he is new, so in the furniture of his heart he is in many things new: for,

First, he hath a new mind; he is renewed in the spirit of his mind: which appears (first) by his capableness in spiritual things. He that lately could not perceive the things of God, 1 Cor. 2.14. now hears as the learned: he sees in a mirror: he looks and wonders. The veil is taken away, that before covered him, 2 Cor. 3. Secondly, by the transcendency of the things he knows: he can now look upon the very Sun: he knows God, and Jesus Christ, and the glory to come, and the excellent things given of God, which the heart of the natural man never perceived, John. 17.3. 1 Cor. 2.9, 10. Thirdly, by the instrument by which he understands: he sees by faith and not by reason in many things: he is fully assured in divers mysteries, where sense and reason can give-in no evidence.

Secondly, he hath new affections: I will instance but in two of them; sorrow and love. He is another man in his sorrows: which appears both in the causes, and in the remedies of his sorrows. For the causes, he was wont never to be sorry for anything but his crosses: now he is seldom sorry for anything but his sin. And for the remedies, he was wont to drive away his sorrows with time, sleep, merry company: but now nothing but good words from God will ease him. His love may be tried by the objects: and so whom he can love truly, or whom he doth love vehemently. He can love his very enemies, which he could never do before. And he doth love Jesus Christ, though he never saw him, 1 Pet. 1.9. and so fervently, as he accounts all things in the world, which he was wont so much to dote upon, but as loss and dung, in comparison of Jesus Christ, Phil. 3,8,9.

Fifthly, he hath a new behavior with him: he is wonderfully altered in his carriages: which appears in divers things; First, in respect of the rule of his life: he walks by rule, Gal. 6.16. He cometh daily to the light, to see whether his works be wrought in God, John. 3.21. This is a sign given by our Savior Christ in that place. He is careful to order his behavior by the warrant of the word, Phil. 2.15,16. Secondly, in respect of the means he useth for the ordering of his conversation. And so he taketh presently hold on God's Sabbath: he is careful to keep the Sabbath, honoring that day above all others, and esteeming and desiring it for the employment thereof. Thus the Lord of the Sabbath saith, that it is a sign by which he knows the people, whether they be truly sanctified or not, Exod. 31.13. Esa. 56.2.6. Thirdly, in respect of the things he employs himself in, he chooseth the things that please God, Esa. 56.4. his desire is now in all his ways to do such things as might be acceptable to God: whereas before he was most careful to please men, or to satisfy his own lusts. Fourthly, in respect of the manner of his conversation. In which four things especially shine: first, humility. He shows that the great opinion of himself is taken down in him: he is lowly and meek, which he hath learned of Christ, Mat. 11.29. Secondly, affectionateness. He loves the name of the Lord, and to be the Lord's servant, Esa. 56.6. He doth good duties with good affections. Thirdly, contempt of the world. He can deny his profit, pleasure, ease, credit, or the like. He is no more worldly or eaten up with the cares of this life: He doth not esteem of earthly things as he was wont to do, and shows it in his carriage. Fourthly, sincerity. For now he hath respect to all the Commandments of God: he desires to be sanctified throughout: he is not mended in many things, as Herod was, but is, in some degree, mended in all things: and besides, he is careful of his ways in all places and companies: he will obey absent as well as present, Psal. 2.12. and there is no occasion of offense in him, 1 John. 2.8. He is wonderful wary and carfull to provide, that he may not be an offense to anybody: and withal, he is not found to strive more for credit than for goodness; or more ready to judge others than to condemn himself, I am. 3.17.

If this description be thoroughly weighed, it will be found to contain the most lively and essential things that distinguish true converts from all other men. Nor may the force of any of these be weakened, because many that seem true Christians, do show the contrary to some of these: for many that seem just to men, are an obomination to God; and besides, these things may be in the weak Christian in some weak measure, though not so exactly.

Thus of the third doctrine.

Doct. 4. We may hence note, That there is a peculiar time for the keeping of this visitation of grace. All the times of men's lives are not times of visitation: there is a special day of visitation, called in Scripture, The day of salvation, the accepted time, the due time, the season of God's grace, 2 Cor. 6.2. That this point may be opened, first we may consider of the acceptation of this word Day. It usually notes a natural day, that is, the space of four and twenty hours. Sometimes it notes the artificial day of twelve hours, from the morning to the evening: so, John. 11.9. Sometimes it notes time generally: as in such Scriptures as say, In those days; the meaning is, In those times. Sometimes it notes some peculiar season for the doing or suffering of some notable thing: as the special time when God plagues wicked men, is called their day, Psal. 37.13. Io • 18.20. So the time when Christ declared himself openly to be the Messias, is called his day, John. 8.46. So it is here taken for that special part of our time of life, wherein God is pleased to offer and bestow his grace upon us to salvation. Now this cannot be the whole space of a man's life: for it is evident, that many men, for a long time of their life, have not at all been visited of God in this visitation of grace: they have fate in darkness, and in the shadow of death: and this time is called night, Rom. 13.13. Again, others are threatened with the utter loss of God's favor, if they observe not a season, as Heb. 3.6, &c. Luk. 19.41, 42. Yea loam men have lived beyond this season; and for not observing it, were cast away, Prov. 1.24, 28. The very term here used, shows it: for when he saith, The day of visitation, he manifestly, by the Metaphor of visiting, proves a limitation of the time: for all the year is not the time of visitation among men; but some certain season only.

Quest. But how may we know when this season of grace is?

Answ. It is then when God sends the Gospel to us in the powerful preaching of it: when the light comes, then comes this day: when the doctrine of salvation is come, then the day of salvation is come, and God offers his grace then to all within the compass of that light. God keeps his visitation at all times, and in all places, when the Word of the Kingdom is powerfully preached: the time of the continuance of the means is the day here meant, in a general consideration. But if we look upon particular persons in places where the means is, then it is very hard precisely to measure the time when God doth visit, or how long he will offer his grace to them: only this is certain, that when God strikes the hearts of particular men with remorse,or some special discerning or affections in matters of Religion, and so bringeth them near the Kingdom of God; if they trifle out this time, and receive this general grace in vain, they may be cast into a reprobate mind, and into incurable hardness of heart: and so God shuts the kingdom of God against them, while it is yet open to others, Mat. 3.12. Esa. 6.10. compared with Mat. 13.14, 15.

Use. The use is for the confutation, especially of the madness of many men, that so securely procrastinate and put off the time of their repentance, as if they might repent at any time; never considering that the means of repentance may be taken utterly from them, or that they may be cast into a reprobate sense, or that death may suddenly prevent them, or that the times are only in God's hand: it is he that appoints, and begins, and ends this day of visitation at his own pleasure; yea he doth not allow to all men, in every place, the like space of time for the continuance of the means. This day lasteth, in some places, to some men many years: whereas in other places the Kingdom of God is taken away from them in a short time; as when the Apostles in the Acts were driven from some Cities, after they had been in some places but a year or two; in others, but a month or two; in others, but a day or two.

If men object that the these on the Cross did delay, and yet found the visitation of grace at his last end; I answer four things. First, that the these was by an unexpected death prevented of a great part of that time he might have lived by the course of nature: and therefore his example cannot patronize their resolution, that think they may safely put over all till their last end, and yet suppose they may live the full age of the life of man. Secondly, what can the example of one only man help them, seeing thousands have perished at their latter end, going away without any repentance or grace? Why rather, do they not fear, seeing so many millions of men are not visited in their later end? yea, at the very time, the other these repented not: so that that example can show no more, than that it is possible that a man should find grace at the end: it doth not show, that it is probable or usual. Thirdly, they should show the promise of grace, not such men as willfully neglect the present means, and put all off to their latter end. What can be concluded from an example, when God's promise cannot be shown? If any object that they have a promise (for the Scripture saith, that At what time soever a sinner repents himself from the bottom of his heart, God will forgive him ;) I answer, that this sentence doth contain no such promise: for it only promiseth forgiveness to them that repent at any time, but it doth not promise that men may repent at any time when they will. Besides, the words in the Prophet Ezekiel are only, In the day that he turneth; which import nothing to prove that a man may repent in any part of his life when he will. Fourthly, the conversion of the these was without means, miraculously, by the divinity of Christ, and is recorded among the works of wonder; such as were, The raising of the dead, the trembling of the earth, the darkening of the Sun, and the like: and if men dare not be so foolish as to expect that at their pleasures these other wonders should be done, then neither may they in that of so late conversion without means.

If others say that men were hired into the vineyard at the eleventh hour, and were allowed and rewarded as well as they that went in at the third hour; I answer, that the drift of the parable is only to show, that men that had the means later than other men may yet be saved: it cannot be stretched to so large a sense. Besides, being a Parable, it may illustate, but cannot prove without some other Scripture, to which it serves as an illustration. But my special answer is this, that those men were never hired before the eleventh hour: they went in so soon as any came to hire them. And so it is true that if men have lived till extreme old age, and never had the means till then, they may have as much hope as they that had the means in their youth: but that will not warrant the presumption of such, as being called the third hour, will not go in till the eleventh hour.

Use 2. And therefore the second use should be for instruction, to persuade all that mind their own good, to walk and work while they have the light, while it is yet today, before the shadows of the evening be stretched out, as our Savior exhorts in the Gospel. We should bestir ourselves to make all the profit we can of the present means God affordeth us: for the night may many ways come upon us ere we be aware. For first, who knows how soon the night of death may come upon any of us? and then if we have no oil in our lamps, it will be too late to go to seek. Secondly, the night of restraint may come upon us: the means may be taken away: we are not sure how long the Candlestick may continue before it be removed. God may take away good shepherds, and suffer idle shepherds to succeed in the room of them. Besides, a mighty storm of cruel persecution may surprise us. Thirdly, the night of temptation may come, and so, for the time, frustrate the life of the means: for either God may hide himself from us, and then the Sun will be set to us, even at noon day; or God may hide the power of the Word from us, even when it is of power to others, as