Exposition Upon 1 Peter

Verse 13.

And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?

TO requite evil with goodness, is a weighty and difficult point, many reasons have been already laid down about it: Heres also another reason to enforce the same, It will be the way to save us from may harms in our life, which he takes from experience, and sets out by way of interogation, that none almost, not one of a thousand will be so vile, or so without all grace, and good nature, as to hurt us, if we follow ever that which is good, that is, if we live profitable towards our brethren in all the duties of love, with relation to their bodies, souls, goods, goods name, places, callings, and the like, and when any wrong is offered us, not only we do not revenge it, but on the contrary, overcome it with well-doing, none almost will be so wretchedly minded as to harm us.

Note then, That

Patience and innoceny of life, are the way to escape harms and wrongs from men; This must needs procure quiet to those that are endued herewith, Who can harm such a one? As grievous words stir up anger, so a soft answer turneth away wrath: Thus Gideon pacified the Ephraimites, and thus did David overcome Saul: Contrarily, such as requite word with word, wrong with wrong, suit with suit, &c. they do but stir the coals, and blow the fire of dissention, and may look to be harmed of everyone; experience showeth that if any shall harm the innocent, there's none almost but cries against it (as Jonathan blamed his Father, for setting himself against David; and the people the same Saul, when he would have put Jonathan to death, for tasting the honey, yea, he himself was convinced of his own Conscience for wronging David ) but that the covetous, contentious, hasty, and hurtful, and that in wrongs are impatient and given to revenge, are continually talked of, ill spoken of, and railed on; yea, meet with adversaries, that do and will oppose them, so that most of the ordinary wrongs that come to us from our Neighbors, have their beginning from our selves, who do not that good in our places which we might, or are impatient when we are wronged: None is hurt but of himself, whatsoever others do to us, we are not hurt thereby, so we be innocent and sin not; yet doth not this justify them that do harm us, but teacheth us by what means especially we may avoid being harmed.

1. This rebuketh our folly, that would fain live without harm, and yet cannot be wise enough to use the means to bring it to pass, but take the contrary course: either we do not perform our duties to our neighbors as we should, and so catch harm and are evil spoken of, which is the case of some, or we be impatient in wrongs, apt and given to revenge, which is the case of some others; we must therefore labor to do our duties in our places, and live profitably, endeavoring withal for such humility, meekness, and patience from the Lord, as we may be able to overcome evil with goodness; Hereupon must ensue much good.

2. When any have harmed us, and the same proves grievous unto us, let us examine ourselves, whether we may not justly lay the blame on ourselves: If we have been in fault, then are we to be patient, to humble ourselves, and to acknowledge God's hand on us, to teach us more innocence, and more patience, and not to stand out so bitterly against them that have done us wrong; thus shall we find comfort in afflictions, which else (bringing the same upon ourselves) we cannot expect.

Verse 14.

But and if ye suffer for righteousness sake, happy are ye, and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled.

NOw the Apostle makes an exception, that howsoever for the most part the course prescribed will save us harmless, yet some there are that be so wicked, as they will wrong a man, though he be never so innocent and godly, nay, will wrong him the more for his goodness, and for that alone: They will injury men for righteousness sake, that is, wrongfully and without cause, or for Religion and godliness sake; yet be not you (that meet with such wrongs when you be innocent, nay for your goodness) dismayed or faint concerning this, for this shall not turn to your hurt, but to your great good, for you are blessed if you suffer anything whatsoever in this kind.

But and if ye suffer for righteousness sake,] Here Note, That there are

1. Some which are so bad, as that they wrong the innocent, even them by whom they have been at no times wronged, from whom they have received no harm: Thus was Abel hated and killed of Cain, Moses misused by the Israelites, David railed upon by Shimei, and persecuted of Saul: This is against all equity, and that which the Lord must needs revenge, for its his honor to defend the innocent; yea, if he will not bear doing wrong to them that have wronged us, much less will he endure that the innocent should be wronged.

O take heed of wronging such, whether in words, by slandering them, backbiting them, or bearing false witness against them; or in deed, by oppressing them, griping, grinding their faces, and the like.

2. Others which are worse, even such as hate God's servants for well-doing and their godliness: Thus Ishmael persecuted Isaac, for that he was the son of the promise: Thus Ahab hated Micaiab, as both he and Jezebel Elijah: Thus was Jeremiah hated, so John the Baptist, the Apostles, Christ himself: How many thousands of such were persecuted unto the very death, under the bloody Emperors of Rome? and since hath not Antichrist been drunk with the blood of God's Saints; yea, amongst ourselves there be, that hate men for their forwardness and zeal; Some Ministers think their people too forward, some people their Ministers, O they could love them well, were it not for their preciseness: These be not led by David's spirit, nor can have any mark that they are translated from death unto life, or that they are true members of the Church: They are of the brood of Cain, of Ishmael's generation, worse then Balaam, yea of Satan's company, who is the accuser of the Brethren.

O be not of this number, add not unto the measure of your sins, by hating those whom God loves, and esteems as the apple of his eye! O what fearful judgments have been inflicted on such, especially having thus done against their own knowledge! Neither only will the Lord be revenged on bloody and hateful persecutors, but he will not suffer the least of their disgraceful and hard usages to go unpunished, but as a cup of cold water given to a Christian, in the name of a Christian, and because he is so, shall not go unrewarded; so shall not their small indignities go unpunished: If whoso shall offend one of these little ones, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, & that he were drowned in the depth of the sea; then how fearful is their condition that misuse them, abuse them, backbite them, persecute them, &c? If men do not like and approve of such, yet may they let them alone: Cannot they be content to follow the world, Ale-houses, Whore-houses, &c. but that they must hate and trouble them that do not? you like your course, so do they theirs; you should rather love them that will take pains to do good and be good, whereas yourselves will not.

Happy are ye,] Such as suffer wrongfully, or for Religion and Conscience sake, are happy.

1. Such as suffer wrongfully or without a cause; for 1. To suffer justly, is an hundred times worse, sin giving more cause of grief then the cross. 2. In such case we have our conscience on our side, and that is a feast. 3. We may go to God and make our moan to him. 4. God will make a good end, he will make our innocence break forth as the light, and our righteousness as the noon-day, which will be the more taken knowledge of, then if it had never been oppugned. 5. God will take the matter into his hand, and requite to them according to their works, ridding us out of their hands.

Its then our duty not to be dismayed, if we meet with hurt without cause, for the innocent to be harmed, its no new thing; lets be thankful for the same, say not impatiently, What a vile thing is this, that one should be so misused? as if we were too good to be served; or, If it were true, and I had deserved it, I would never have cared; for then shouldest thou have had much more cause of shame and grief, as having deserved the same: O let us keep our innocence still, so shall we either have no harm, or at least, not such as whereat we need be much troubled.

2. Such as suffer for Religion, good conscience sake, for the whole truth of God, or any part of it, the profession or practice thereof, the omission of evil prohibited, or performance of duties enjoined, &c. Such, I say, as thus suffer, are happy: So saith our Savior, so the Apostle Peter.

For 1. This is an argument we are not of the world, but are chosen out of the world. 2. That we love the truth, as who can be content even to suffer for it: Many will profess it in fair weather, but how few stick thereto in adversity? 3. Its to be made like unto Christ our head. 4. All the Prophets and Apostles have walked in this way to Heaven; we are shrewdly hurt to be companions with them. 5. Thus to suffer is no small honor. 6. Their reward is great in Heaven: Herein flesh and blood can see no happiness, such as live at ease, or in wealth and pleasure are with them happy indeed, but Moses had respect hereunto, and did clearly discern the same.

Q. May we then offer ourselves to trouble?

A. Ordinarily we must not; If any in extraordinary times should feel an extraordinary zeal, and desire hereto, as it seems the Apostle Paul had, when he would needs go to Jerusalem, questionless they should have joy in their sufferings; we must tarry till God call us.

Q. May we flee persecution?

A. If God make make us a way, we may, as who haply are not as yet so fully fitted and resolved to suffer, as were meet, or who know not whether God will have us scatter his truth further, or remain to be as feeds thereof for afterwards, but if we see that its God's mind we should be s • ffer, then its our duty willingly and cheerfully to put forth ourselves.

This confuteth the foolish world, that judging it to be a most miserable thing thus to suffer, will therefore never come at it, either not professing Religion at all, or else revolting therefrom in time of trouble; yet would they be happy, but they take a contrary course, they being ashamed of Christ here, he will be ashamed of them hereafter: In saving a transitory life, they lose life everlasting; yea, how do we ourselves shun sufferings, as if they were miserable which do suffer? whereas the Spirit of God hath pronounced them blessed: Happy are they that suffer for a good cause, for righteousness, for Religion, for conscience sake; such as stick fastest to the truth, provide best and most wisely for themselves, what can their enemies do to us? If they take away our goods, we shall have a thousand fold more in this world, and in the world to come life everlasting; If they mangle our bodies, God will raise up the same gloriously; If they separate our souls from our bodies by death, the Angels will carry them into Abraham's bosom; If our cause be good, we have cause to rejoice in our sufferings; so are we enjoined, so did the Apostles in their sufferings, so also the holy Martyrs. I might to this purpose allege the story of Alice Driver, of Priests wife in Exeter, of the Christians in Edessa, &c. but that they may be read at large in the Book of the Martyrs: O that we should be so discouraged at a mock, at a frown of our betters! O that we should be as soon ready to give over, as to begin to do well! though the more religious we are, the more we esteem of the word, the better both God, his angels, and people like us; yet is it not so with the world, they liked us better before, but do not now approve of our course: howsoever, this is our duty, hereof shall we have the benefit; yea, to be disliked, to suffer for this, will be our honor, our advancement: As David being mocked of Michal, resolved to be yet more humble, so should we be so much the more for goodness, as we see the world oppose it, and set themselves against us because of the same: We must not be discouraged at the very greatest, much less at small trials: We know not what we shall suffer, For yet we have not resisted unto blood; only let us be careful that we suffer for Righteousness, and for a good cause; for though we have some good things in us, yet haply we may be brought to suffer for some fault in us, and therein we can have small peace: Beware we suffer not as Separatists, that fly out against and from the Church; that we suffer not for contempt or usual neglect of our Ministers, if they preach the Word truly; that we suffer not for rash, heady, hasty and violent carriage of ourselves; that we suffer not for our censuring, for our meddling with things or persons wherewith we have nothing to do; or for passing our bounds in things beyond our reach. Servants must beware that they suffer not for their carelessness in their places, as those which having liberty granted them to hear the Word, upon their not profiting thereby, are restrained therefrom; so if they shall suffer for being negligent, untrusty, slothful, stout in answering again, &c. they suffer deservedly, not for righteousness sake; yea, this their carriage makes the godly householders to grieve, and those that be not so well seasoned, to think ill of the profession, and it makes the name of God and his Gospel ill spoken of; and hereupon many say, Oh, I will never meddle with these Bible-wenches, &c. fie upon it, what a fearful thing is this? The like may be said of the poor which neglect their callings, and are caraless of their Families, &c. Note further, That

A godly man is blessed, happy in what condition soever: He is happy not only in prosperity, but even in sufferings, even in the very lowest abasement, nothing can make them miserable; having God and a good conscience, though they meet with affliction from God, or persecution from men (as here) yet are they happy: Imprison him, fetter him, let no creature come at him, put Lions to him, &c. yet he is still, and shall be the child of God, the member of Christ, the heir of Heaven, a Kings son, &c. and how can he be miserable that hath the Comforter within? For the wicked, nothing can make them happy; let a wicked man have Samson's strength, Absolom's beauty, Ahasuerus his wealth, Nebuchadnezzar's stately Babel, Dives his costly apparel, &c. yet is he miserable, he is under the curse of God, there's but a step between him and Hell: As Jonah was asleep whilst God was offended with him, the winds raged against him, the Whale was ready to swallow him, so do the wicked eat, sleep and are jovial, while God is offended, Heaven is shut up against them, Hell gapes for them, and the Devil waits on them as his prey: Their security will end in a fearful wakening, they shall be snatched from their beds of ease, and cast into everlasting torments.

1. This may encourage God's servants to suffer for righteousness: They shall not be the less happy; let the world do its worst, it cannot make them miserable: They are every way happy, in poverty, sickness, persecution, and the like; O who would not labor to attain this honor and happiness?

2. It may dissuade the wicked from their mischievous plotting against God's servants; For why do they pursue them? To make them miserable, its impossible: They may indeed make them the more to shine forth through their constancy in Faith, and increase their glory in Heaven, and so make them more happy, but to make them miserable they cannot: O that they would break off this their course, and be weary thereof! for so long as they be wicked, how rich soever, or how high a pitch soever of honor they have clambered to, they are miserable; yea, these and the like make them more miserable, as being fuel to their lust, being to them occasions of sinning; cease therefore to be wicked, else shalt thou never cease to be miserable.

Be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled.] To comfort them in their sufferings for Christ, he removes the enemy of constant and patient suffering, namely, Fear: Be not (saith he) afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; that is, Either be not afraid with the fear of ungodly men, and such as have no hope in God, who in the very least danger are altogether dismayed (as the words in Isa. 8. 12. (whence these seem to be taken) do imply, or, Fear not the things wherewith they seek to afright you, the Apostle using the words but to his own sense, Fear not their faces, big looks) threats prisons, censures and tortures) neither be dismayed at them; fear is an enemy to constant suffering (as a coward can be no true Soldier) and therefore are we often disuaded therefrom: This hindered Nicodemus from coming unto Christ by day, and multitudes from confessing him, even for fear of the Scribes and Pharisees; made Peter deny his Master: and because of this, in all alterations of Religion, most turn with the time: And would not many be more forward in goodness then they are, if it were not for fear of displeasing.

O strive against this fear, and be courageous; so were Daniel, the three Children, the Apostles, Moses, the holy Martyrs, &c. Their Faith overcame their fear; we need not fear men, or what they can do to us, for God will stand by us, we must fear him, fear to sin against him; for unbelievers and fearful, they shall have a fearful portion: such as fear man more then God, fly from the stroke of a child, and fall into the hand of a Giant, from a straw to a sword.

Verse 15.

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.

HEre's the true means of constant and patient suffering, even faith resting itself confidently on God.

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts,] We sanctify God, or his name (as its in the first petition of the Lord's prayer) not when we add any holiness thereto, which is holy beyond comparison, but when we acknowledge and give that holiness which belongs to it: Particularly, herein we sanctify the Lord in our hearts, when we believing his faithfulness in his promises, do thereupon rest on him in time of our troubles, and this is to glorify him.

Faith is the mother of constancy in suffering; I know thy faith and thy patience: Be thou faithful unto the death, &c. By faith, those worthies mentioned in Heb. 11. did undergo all their sufferings: This is the victory that overcomes the world: The want of faith makes the world fly from God and his cause; weakness of faith causeth fear to overflow us, as in Peter and Cranmer, as soon as we see some trouble to arise, then are we ready to say with Peter, O Master, we perish! If we do believe ourselves to be the Lord's, and that our cause is just and good, and that he hath all power in his hand, and that none can stir further then he pleaseth, and that he will strengthen his servants to endure, and after this transitory life, translate us unto life everlasting: O this will encourage us indeed.

Labor we therefore for a good stock of Faith now in this time of peace, and let us in our daily trials, reproaches, and afflictions, exercise the same, and make good use of it: If in these we can give glory to God by depending on him, we may trust our Faith will not fail us, when greater trials shall befall us: to believe God of his Word, is to give glory to God; as on the contrary, to faint, tends to his dishonor, and as to believe on him is great ease to ourselves, so not to believe but faint, very troublesome.

And be ready always to give an answer, &c.] He proceeds to another duty, as a fruit of the former trust in God, exhorting us in token of our Faith in God, that we be ready with courage to acknowledge and make confession of our Faith, to those that shall demand a reason thereof: This we must be ready at all times to do, and so often as we shall be called thereto, and to all men that have authority to call us, and to any that shall demand it with a desire to learn, or whensoever and wheresoever we shall see it meet and requisite so to do (as the Spirit of God will direct his servants where, when and to whom) yet so as we do it with courage, meekness, and godly reverence.

Our duty then is, not only to believe the truth of God in our hearts, but we must be ready outwardly to make profession thereof, and confess the same with our tongues, when God shall call us thereunto: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob walked as Pilgrims here on earth, professing themselves God's servants; and Joshua professed, That he and his would serve the true God: Accordingly must we, both by our speeches and actions declare whose servants we are, so walking, as that men may see we are not ashamed of God, or his Word and way, whatsoever others do, most do, yea rich and wise men do, the great ones of the world do, yet do we thus walk, daring do no otherwise, and not caring who know our carriage and behavior; and though they scoff at it as scruplous, too strict, and precise, and call us fools for our labor, and ask us, Why we do not thus and thus as we see most men do, yet need not we be dismayed, as being warranted by the Word of God: So in all Companies we must make known what we are; If we hear any rail at goodness, speak ill of good duties, oppose any part of God's truth, reproach the professors of Religion, whether unknown or known unto us, we must take the cause in hand, standing for the defense of God's truth and servants: If by our timely answer any good may come to the Gospel, we must not through our silence betray the same; but if we be among scorners and dogs, we must show our dislike by departing from them: Thus must we do being in company with profane ones, so if we be among Papists or other adversaries to the Truth, we must have the zeal of God in us; so if it be in the times of persecution, that we be called forth by Magistrates, or their authority, we ought not to flinch, nor be ashamed or afraid, but show what our Religion is, what our Faith and Hope, giving a Reason thereof out of God's Word; or if they demand us about any point of Religion, we must in the defense of God's cause speak our consciences freely: Thus if the Jews or Turks should call us to know, through whom we did hope & look to be saved, we must acknowledge Christ Jesus, and our Faith and Hope of Salvation in him, as of whom the Prophets foretold, and who did every way for time, place, manner, &c. fulfil their prophecies of him: This we must believe with our hearts, and confess with our mouths, in this Faith we must both live and die: The like might be instanced about Justification, if by Papists we should be called to an account. Thus Moses came often before Pharaoh to justify his demand; thus Elias did acknowledge and maintain the true God, and his pure worship, against Ahab and his false Prophets; so Daniel and the three Children, so the Apostles, so the Apostle Paul, so the Church of Pergamos, so the holy Martyrs, they could not be drawn from the truth, either by promises, threats or torments; so in this Land in the days of Queen Mary, God's servants shown good skill in the Word, and made known their Christian courage.

Reasons hereof may be these: 1. That it may appear God hath some [ 1] that know and love, and will defend his Truth, as the Devil also the [ 2] contrary. 2. That we may declare we be not ashamed nor afraid of [ 3] men, to confess the cause of God. 3. That we may confirm our own consciences, and may also (if possible) win others to the truth, as Paul had almost done Agrippa: No doubt many standers by were won by Paul's defences, and the Martyrs, and not a few weak ones confirmed, the rest being left without excuse.

1. This condemneth that horrible wicked practice of the Church of Rome, in keeping the people in miserable blindness, and holding it a deadly fin for them to read any part of Scripture, in a tongue they understand, or any book touching the true Faith and Religion, nay, read both Scriptures and Prayers to them in an unknown tongue, and lock up all knowledge from them, and means thereof, like the Scribes and Pharisees, that took away the Key of Knowledge: How shall they then be ready to give an account of their Faith? They must believe as the Church believes, and that is all they can get, only they preach to them in their own language, which yet is but lies and errors for truth: This is most gross robbery of the people, Christ bid Search the Scriptures, they charge the contrary, and curse them that do: Its cruel tyranny and murder of their souls; they take away their weapons that they may make a prey of their souls, as the Philistines did from the Israelites, to keep them under: Those are not of Moses his mind, that wished, That all God's people might prophesy; nor of St. Paul's, That the Word of Christ might dwell in them richly in all wisdom, &c. None have need to be discouraged from seeking knowledge, for most be too careless and lazy.

2. This rebuketh the gross ignorance of most part of people, that notwithstanding this light that we have, and so many helps of preaching, liberty of reading, and so many Books of all kinds, and of the grounds of our Religion, yet know not what they hold, nor what be the points of their Religion; but as Market news, they hear they must serve God, and come to Church, and must be saved by Jesus Christ, but to prove that he is the true Christ, or that they must be saved by him, and by no other, in whole nor in part, or that the Scripture is the Word of God, they are altogether ignorant, and so might be carried away to any Religion: This is an horrible sin, especially considering the helps and liberty which we enjoy; What notorious carelessness is this? must we not buy the truth, prize the truth, know it, hold it fast, not part therewith? Most have such skill in worldly businesses, that they are altogether unskillful in the Word, regard not the means of their Salvation: This is condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness more then the light: O how many perish for want of knowledge? yet are there some which having knowledge, but not the love of the truth nor Faith in God, will flinch from it if ever they be tried, for there is no hold of him that loves not the truth, though he have never so much knowledge, as we may read of Dr. Pendleton and others in Queen Mary 's time: Such, if they be in company of Papists, of Cavillers or Railers, they can stand or sit still and say nothing; How would these confess the truth with peril of their lives, when they be affriad of a great man, &c? Let such know, that Christ esteems them as his enemies, For he that is not with him, is against him; they being ashamed of him in this world, he will be no less ashamed of them on the last and great day.

3. O then let all of us labor for knowledge, and to be grounded in our Religion, and to know the points of Catechism, and be able to prove them by some place of Scripture, so as we may be bold to believe them, and stand to the defense of them: To this end, we must give ear to Catechizing, read the grounds of Religion, and study the Scriptures in humility and with Prayer, having a care to know the will of God, and to be guided by it, and to stand in the defense of it to God's glory, against such as oppose it: This is the glory of a man, of a Christian, to make confession of his Faith in Christ, and stand to the defense of it; this God may justly expect of us, it hath been performed by them which had not the hundredth part of the means which we have: O let us both love and live in the Truth, sticking close thereto, whatsoever it cost us! And if at any time we shall hear it spoken against, we must have the zeal of God in us to stand in the defense thereof: Thus confessing Christ here among men, he will confess us before his Father in Heaven and his holy Angels.

Of the hope that is in you,] Faith and hope must be rooted in our hearts ere we utter the same with our tongues; In vain do we talk of things whereof we have not the inward feeling.

With meekness and fear,] Here's the manner (for good things must be done in a right manner) we must temper our courage and zeal, in setting out the truth with meekness and fear; we must avoid pride and insolency by forgetting our places, or those we have to speak to, or breaking out into violent speeches, mockings, gibings, or such like, for so we may do much hurt, and this is unbeseeming the Spirit of God's Servants. Besides, the things we speak of, being the matters of God, our speech and behavior must be suitable thereunto.

This rebuketh the preposterous zeal of some, which defending the truth and a good cause, forget duty and respect to their Superiors, and break out into violent and unseemly speeches, and be at defiance by and by, and straight condemn all that are not as they should be, whereas they should by a wise, meek, and moderate defense, and kind persuasions win credit to the truth which they defend, and so do good; they on the contrary cause them to speak evil, and to think that its but a preposterous hate and pride of heart in them so to speak, and so do hurt: Some sober Christians do much good, and win on many that at first were opposite, when they hear the wait of their reasons, rather then the bigness of their words, and seeing they do it in the fear of God, and for conscience sake: Some are not so mild as others, but of an hotter nature; this must in any wise be tempered with wisdom, yet are not we to part from any part of the truth, but to stick as close thereto as we may.

Verse 16.

Having a good conscience, that whereas they speak evil of you, as of evil doers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

TO our constancy in the confession of our faith, we must have a good conscience, not so only as it may be known to ourselves, but we must so walk, that others, even our adversaries may perceive the same, that thereupon changing their minds, and being ashamed that they have spoken so evil of us, they may cease to blame such as walk in so good a conversation, as becometh the Servants of Christ: Before I come to handle the points particularly laid down herein, I will show, 1. What conscience is. 2. The offices thereof. 3. Resolve some questions about it: and 4. Treat of the kinds thereof.

For the 1. Conscience is a faculty or power, placed by God in the soul of a man, which determineth of his thoughts, desires, words and deeds, either with him or against him in the sight of God: I say, Its a faculty or power, not a bare act, for many actions are ascribed thereto, as to accuse, excuse, comfort, terrify, &c. Placed by God; for God being the creator of the soul, he must accordingly be the creator of all the faculties of it: In the soul, called also the heart, and the Spirit of a man: Herein there be diverse faculties, as the understanding (whereby we conceive what is true and what is false, what is good and what is evil) the will (whereby we will or nill, choose or refuse anything, whereto are joined the affections, joy, grief, love, hope, fear, &c.) and the memory, whereby we hold fast things conceived, or else call to mind, and remember things past: So also is conscience another faculty thereof, whereby the soul reflects upon itself, whereby I know that I do know such a thing, that I think this or that, that I affect or desire, love or hate this or that; for its one thing to know a thing, think a thing, remember a thing, &c. and another to know that I know it, think it, remember it: Now in which part of the soul it hath its place, as whether in the understanding or will, or in every part of the soul, I will not stand; its enough for us to know that there is such a faculty in man's soul. True it is, it not only gives witness of all the faculties, & tells what I think, desire, affect, &c. but it useth and worketh upon all the faculties as the understanding; for by it, it directs, and according to it, it doth accuse, so as if the judgment be well informed, the conscience will give right witness, if ignorant or ill informed, then it gives wrong testimony: So the memory, accusing or excusing for things past; so it worketh upon the will, by provoking it to choose or refuse this or that; so it worketh upon the affections, raising up in us comfort and joy upon well doing, fear and grief upon ill-doing: Now though it have to do with all, yet it may have its proper place in the understanding and mind, according to the judgment of most Divines: Of a man, for no Creature on earth hath Conscience, but man. True, the Angels are not without it, the good having a good, comfortable, excusing, joyful Conscience; the evil, a woeful, ill, accusing, and tormenting Conscience, which is so much the worse, for that they know so much, and be so maliciously bent against it, so that even when they be not in the place of torment, but have leave to range the world, yet they carry Hell with them, even a tormenting Conscience, whereof their trembling (according to Saint James ) is an evident testimony: But no other Creature hath it, for having no Reason, they have no Conscience; therefore we say in our speech of a bad and unconscionable man, he hath no more Conscience then a Dog, or as much Conscience as an Horse, whereby we mean none at all, for these Creatures have none: Man then hath a Conscience, yea every man, yet as the use of Reason may be lost, by folly, frenzy, &c. so the use of Conscience in such: So by notorious wickedness, a man may lose the use of his Conscience for a time, whereupon we say of such a one, he hath no Conscience: yes, every man hath a Conscience, though as the use of Reason is taken from one deeply drunk; so custom of sinning hath taken away use of Conscience, so that it doth not admonish him before he do ill, nor check and accuse him after, or hath such an erroneous judgment, thinking good evil, and evil good, that he hath also an erroneous Conscience: But this benumbed or beguiled Conscience will be awakened at one time or other, in life or death, or at the day of Judgment; for no man's Conscience dies, but lives, and shall meet him at the last day: and though his sins be now as words written with the juice of Lemmons, nothing to be seen, yet when their Conscience comes to the fire of God's Judgments, then every little dash, idle words, vain thoughts, &c. will be perceived: Though men choke and smother Conscience, though they strangle it, or so drown it in their cups, yet it will and doth abide still; what made Joseph 's Brethren troubled in Egypt, but Conscience, which told them of the sin committed by them twenty years before? So Conscience told Pharaoh that he and his people were wicked, which determined of his thoughts, desires, words, and deeds, or more briefly, beareth witness either with us or against us in the sight of God: It meddles not with other folks actions, for that is science or knowledge, but with our own, and that is Conscience: Conscience, that is knowledge with another, that is, either another knowledge, when I knowing anything, do know that I know it, and so know myself and what is in me, or another person that knows with me what I know, and that as well as I, or rather far better, namely, God, who made the Conscience, and will judge it, and is privy to all that is in it; for so is no other, neither man nor Angel, and accordingly the Apostles Paul and John join both together: Great is the force hereof: as both being within us, and so more able either to comfort or terrify us then any other thing (as the wind that gets within the earth, shakes it most terribly) and likewise so inseparable, that a man cannot get from it.

1. This showeth plainly that there is a God, who hath set Conscience on work thus to admonish, warn, comfort, accuse, terrify, &c. Having done evil, why should a man's Conscience accuse or terrify him, but that God hath ordained it should so do? and accordingly it doth cite him before God, and judge him before hand; for not man or Angel can take the accusation of Conscience, it bears record in the sight of God: Why have the most unbridled despisers of God, when any token of God's wrath hath appeared, run into holes and cellars under the ground; yea, and such wicked monsters after some foul offense, though so secretly done as that they needed not to have been afraid of men, yet been so much vexed and disquieted, but that their Consciences informed them of God against whom they did sin? and that his wisdom and knowledge did far surpass that of men or Angels, as knowing not only what is done and spoken in the world, but what is in every man's heart.

2. This confuteth those which affirm, That we cannot be assured of our Salvation, and why? because we cannot know whether we believe or not, &c. But as we may know a Tree by the fruits, so may we our Faith: God gives us not grace, that we should not know whether we have it or not: wherefore serves Conscience but to witness what is in us? Thus what Conscience is.

For the second, The Offices of Conscience, they are to bear witness, and to give judgment.

First, I say, To bear witness, and that 1. Of our thoughts, whether they have been proud, distrustful, unclean, wandering at the hearing of the Word, or in Prayer, worldly on the Lord's day, &c. for the understanding hath two faculties, one whereby it conceives or thinks this or that; the other, whereby it doubles upon itself, and knows that it did think it: The mind thinks a thought, the Conscience goes beyond the mind, and knows what the mind thinks; so that if a man would hide his thoughts from God, his Conscience can bear witness of them: Thus it discovers the very bent and sway of our hearts. 2. Of our will and affections, whether the same be set on good, or that which is evil. 3. Of our speeches, whether they be agreeable to God's Word or not. 4. Of our actions, though never so secret: Thus David's Conscience told him that he had sinned in numbering the people, but that he had not conspired against Saul, howsoever he was by him persecuted; so Jobs Conscience witnessed against him, that he had spoken somewhat impatiently, but for him, that he had not eat his morsels alone, &c.

1. This setteth out the great mercy of God to man, God hath not here left us alone, but besides his Word and Ministers, every man hath a keeper still going along with him (who is to pry into our actions, and to bear witness of them all, and when we have done amiss, to tell us secretly thereof, that so we may ask pardon and amend, and may not complain that we had none to tell us of our faults, &c.) and that is our conscience: Hereby such as belong unto God are stirred up to have recourse unto God for mercy, and thereupon are pardoned; after their conversion, they are also hereby kept from many evils, and through the checks of Conscience we are driven to repentance: Happy are they that have tender Consciences, and turn not the deaf ear thereto: Doth our conscience tell us of anything amiss? if we do thereupon amend, we make good use thereof; but if we do not, whereas it now speaks softly between it and us in our ear, it will roar out one day, when it will be heard, whether we will or not, namely, Both at the hour of our death, and on the day of Judgment. Most men count their conscience a common Barretor, one that troubles them (as Ahab said Elias did Israel) therefore is it just with God to give them benumb'd consciences, that they go snorting to Hell.

2. It setteth out the Equity and Justice of God, that condemns no man till he hath given him both a law to guide him, and a conscience to admonish him, yea, to accuse and condemn him: When God judgeth, every man's conscience shall justify God for so doing; when God shall awake the conscience, then it will speak true, give a righteous verdict, and condemn the civilest for want of Faith in Christ, and not performance of the duties of the first Table.

3. It teacheth us to beware we sin not, whether in thought, word or deed, either out of hope that none shall know it, or that we shall scape for lack of witnesses, or that we may allege that we knew not that so and so to do were sins: Thus we should but deceive ourselves, for there be witnesses enough, thine own conscience is as a thousand, and God as ten thousand: Lets do no other thing but that whereof we would hear again, for conscience will bear witness; do not we bless ourselves for our sins done in secret, as if none saw them, or could witness anything against us: The bird in the breast knows, and God knows; hang down thine head then, and ask mercy of God, and confess thyself to him; if not, even thine own conscience may break it out in this world, as Judas 's in accusing himself, whereas he was not taxed by others, and many have confessed Murder, Adultery, Theft, &c. some with repentance, others in hellish horror: Do not anything in hope of secrecy, unless you can keep God and your consciences from being present, neither be we careful for eyewitnesses of our well doing in the performance of duties: Its enough if our conscience tells us we have done well; yea, if we be taxed for Hypocrites, or otherwise be slandered, its sufficient that God and our own conscience can bear witness of our sincerity and uprightness; its more then if everyone should speak well of us, excepting our own conscience: Thus was Job, thus Hezekiah comforted.

2. To give judgment, and that whether things be good or bad, whether they be well done or ill done, and this judgment is given either before our actions, or after them; before, Conscience gives judgment thus, it tells us what is good, and what bad, and not so barely, but with some furtherance, This is good, therefore do it; This is ill, therefore do it not; so Pilate knowing Christ to be innocent, his conscience moved him to seek to loose him; so Reuben when his brethren would have killed Joseph, apprehending that to be ill, and that from his conscience, he dissuaded them therefrom; so David's conscience told him that he should do ill to kill Saul, and thereupon would not give ear to those that persuaded him hereto: Thus being tempted to Lye, Deceive, Swear, Profane the Lord's day, &c. the conscience tells us that its evil so to do; Again, being called upon to any good duty, the conscience tells us its good, and provokes us to do it.

Why, then Conscience is a Puritan if it do thus, is not this corrupted as well as the other faculties?

O yes, therefore it gives judgment very weakly and imperfectly in all, but especially in the unregenerate, and especially in the most ignorant and most wicked, yet it retains some part of her office and power, and will be doing as its enlightened, and therefore it will give this judgment in foul and gross things in the worst of all, as when they go to commit Murder, Adultery, &c. or tell them on the other side, they should go to Church, &c. but in the regenerate it doth much good work, its as a guide to conduct us in our way, and whereby we shun all by paths; Its a bridle to keep us from sin, and a spur to goodness, its joined in Commission with the Spirit of God, they are obeyed or rejected together.

1. Our duty then in token of our thankfulness is, That we listen to the voice of Conscience, and be ruled by it; we must take advice thereof ere we do anything: If we will not be ruled thereby, but do contrary thereto, it will one day exclaim against us, when God shall judge us for our disobedience; Why, did not I give thee a Conscience to tell thee of these things, will God say? Yes, Lord, shall Conscience answer, I told him it was naught, and yet he would do it; I told him such and such a thing was his duty, and urged him to it, and yet he would not give ear, but put off the time from one day to another; he would not repent, have prayers in his family, &c. such shall then be stricken speechless: Most are so eagerly carried after their passions and unruly affections, as that they do not hear the voice of their conscience, the noise of those drowns the voice of this.

2. Even natural men have a light of conscience urging them to good, and restraining them from evil: None so evil, but they have in them some light, by which conscience is set on work to advise or counsel to the doing or avoiding this or that good or evil; its therefore no note or sign of grace in any, because their conscience doth thus and thus: This is in mere natural men, from the light and knowledge that conscience hath of things good or evil, yea, oftentimes so forcible are those stirrings of conscience in them, as that it keeps and restrains them from many sins which they are inclined to, and would otherwise commit, and puts them upon many good things which it urgeth them to, which of themselves they have neither will nor power to do; not from the love they have of the good, or hatred of the evil, but beca • se they would please Conscience, which will not suffer them to be at quiet till it be obeyed; this they may do, and yet in the mean time may be only in the state of Nature; for though here they obey Conscience, yet they do it not for Conscience sake: Their obedience ariseth not from the purity and holiness of the Law of God, but from fear of men, from discredit or shame, from hope of reward, desire of ease or the like: If there were no other cause to move them to enter upon good duties, or to restrain them from doing evil, but the Law of God, they would not yield that obedience to Conscience, which now they do: And thus conscience gives judgment before things be done.

For its judgment after our Actions: It then gives sentence, This was well done, This was ill done, and not so only, but with an Absolution or Condemnation: This was well done, therefore you are innocent in it, and deserve neither guilt nor punishment; This was ill done, therefore you are guilty, and have deserved God's wrath hereby: Samuel's Conscience spake for him, Whose Ox have I taken, &c. Pharaohs against him, I have sinned, &c. Thus is Conscience as a Judge acquitting or condemning us, yea, a little God as it were in the midst of man, giving sentence beforehand, as it shall be at the Tribunal seat of God on the last day: If it acquits us, then it worketh Peace, Joy, Comfort, Boldness; if it condemn us, especially forcibly, O then it causeth shame (as in Adam, when he fled and hid himself in the thicket after he had offended) so also fear, yea, in the midst of all jollities, as in Belshazzar, and at small things, as the shaking of a leaf; so also sorrow (which the world judgeth to be melancholy, whereas it is far otherwise, and yet both may and do often meet together) yea, desperation as in ( Cain and Judas ) and an universal distraction of body and mind: the accusation of conscience are wounds to the heart; David's heart smote him: A wounded Spirit who can bear? They are as the gnawing of a Worm that never dieth, but lieth continually gnawing at ones heart.

1. If our consciences do excuse and acquit us, bearing witness of the truth and integrity of our hearts, of our hatred of evil, our delight in God's word, and endeavor to please him above all things, &c. then may we rejoice and be of good comfort, the same being an infallible mark of our Salvation, and may be bold in believing the same against Satan and all his discomforts: Theres a great fault in many Christians, though (as the Apostle saith) They know nothing by themselves, but that their hearts bear witness with them, of their care and faithfulness in all things, yet are never the more comforted, but are still cast down through Satan's suggestions and lies, and their own unbelief: If thine own conscience well informed according to God's Word acquit thee, why shouldst thou not be of good comfort? you may be humbled for your failings, yea, deeply for your strong corruptions, & yet for the main, be of comfort; if in any particular we have done well, we may be comforted.

2. Let us always keep ourselves in well-doing, that we may hear our consciences speak comfortably, so may we keep a continual feast.

3. If we have anything lying on our consciences, for which they boil within us, and accuse and pronounce judgments against us, let us not make a slight matter of it; but seek to God for mercy, and to be discharged of it, that so we may still conscience, which then may be done, not before: Stop not the mouth of conscience, as many do by mirth and toys, this is but to delude thyself and delay time; others let it alone, and think to wear it out in time: O no, conscience will still cry louder! What if one should make the Bailiff drunk, and so get away, the debt is never the more paid, he will come again; though the evil Spirit in Saul went away by the Minstrels playing, yet it returned to him again; the like may be said of conscience: I wonder at the horrible madness of some people, though their consciences do already accuse them and condemn them for many things, yet are so far from seeking to disburthen them, that they daily add more and more thereto: How justly may these fear, lest the terror of conscience come so fiercely on them, as even to weary them out of their lives? But howsoever they sleep now, there will be a time when they will awaken and cry to the purpose.

4. Let us take heed that from henceforth we do not burden our consciences, they will be Witnesses, Accusers, Judges, Tormentors, If this be against us, what shall be for us? and if this condemn us, who who shall clear us? If we have eaten too much, or some unwholesome thing, and it lie on our stomach, we cannot be at rest, till we be emptied thereof, and accordingly thenceforth are more careful to abstain from the like; so should we do in respect of sin, yea, in our places, as Magistrates, Ministers, Husbands, Parents, Masters, &c. we must discharge our duties, and for the same have the testimony of our conscience, and enjoy the peace thereof; then which, what's more to be desired? & which not gain, pleasures, honor, &c. can procure: Because thy conscience doth not now accuse thee, thou dost haply conceive that all's well, but assuredly hereafter it will, though it may be twenty years hence, and that when thou shalt be least able to undergo it, as in sickness, &c.

5. This cleareth God's justice, he will nor needs not bring other witnesses or occasions against us, then our consciences; they will testify with us, or against us on that day. Before I leave this Point, consider we, that the Word of God is that which tells us what is to be done, and what left undone, and that this binds the conscience to obedience; when anything is done agreeable to the Word, the conscience saith, its well, and excuseth; when anything is done contrary to the Word, the conscience saith, its ill, and condemneth: As for them that have not the Word, their consciences judge by the light and Law of nature, which was left man after the fall (for there remain some general notions in man's heart both of the first and second Table, as appears by the Laws which the Heathens have made about the worship of their God's, and against perjury, murder, theft, adultery, &c.) These I say, are judged by this: Its true, that men's Laws, an Oath, a Vow, do bind the conscience, but its by virtue from the Word; now if the mind be enlightened with the true knowledge of the Word of God, then will the conscience give right judgment, but if it be ignorant of the Word, then it may make the conscience erroneous, or scruplous and doubtful.

An erroneous conscience, is when it accuseth where it should excuse, or excuse when it should accuse, which comes from an erroneous judgment, which judgeth good to be evil, and evil to be good; hence the conscience of some men excuse them in doing things that be flatly bad, and accuse them for doing good things: Thus a Papist thinks he doth well to go to Mass, and that he should do very wickedly to come to Church with us.

A doubtful conscience is, when a man is not persuaded of the lawfulness of a thing, or the unlawfulness of it, but is as a man that holds a Wolf by the • ars, he knows not whether he should let him go, or hold him still, whoso thus doth anything, sinneth; both this and the former proceed from the want of the knowledge of God's Word.

We must therefore labor to be well instructed in the Scriptures; ignorant persons must needs fill their lives with swarms of offenses and sins, for they not knowing many things to be sins which be, swallow them, and never accuse themselves for them; as we say, the blind cats many a fly, and do many things which they have no faith of the lawfulness of, but do them for custom, example of others, and the like, and so sin in them; people think if they be free from murder, whoredom, theft, &c. they be in a good case, but being ignorant, their lives abound with sins: O therefore let the Word be a light unto our feet, and a lanthorn unto our paths: Thus of the offices of conscience.

For the third, Three questions here offering themselves, require resolution.

Q. 1. Whether doth a man sin, that doth according to his conscience: As a Papist thinks he serves God highly well in going to Mass; one in the Primitive Church, thought Fornication a thing indifferent, and so committed it; A man thinks he may lawfully travel homeward on the Lord's-day, being in a journey.

A. He doth ill that doth any of these, or the like; for his erring conscience cannot make that good, which God hath before pronounced to be evil, by forbidding it in his Word; our conscience is not our rule, but God's Word: Thus everyone should be saved by his own devotion, and it were lawful to go to a cunning man, to sell as dear as we can, to deceive them that deceive us, to use the Creed and Ten Commandments as a Prayer, &c. which who can justify?

Q. 2. Whether it be lawful for a man to do a thing against his conscience, I mean, though his conscience be erroneous and deceived: As if a Papist be persuaded that its a sin to come to Church with us, and yet for fear comes; an Anabaptist holds it unlawful to take an oath before a Magistrate, and yet through fear he doth?

A. They do ill, not simply for doing these things, as being good, and such as God requires, but for doing them with an ill conscience against their conscience; so that if they do not these things being required, they sin; if they do them, they sin, what then? They must labor to be informed, and persuaded of the lawfulness of them, and then do them: So that though (as in the former question) our persuasion of the lawfulness of a thing being indeed unlawful, makes it not good; so the doing of a good thing against ones conscience, makes it unlawful: If a man think himself bound in conscience to pray three times in a day, he ought so to do, though God hath left it indifferent: An erroneous conscience must be followed till it be better informed, but how vile is it to commit an evil against the checks and light of conscience, and yet whats more frequent?

Q. 3. Whether is it lawful to do a thing with a doubtful conscience.

A. By no means, a particular faith must be had for all our actions; we must forbear a thing till we be persuaded, and such ought to be born with that seek resolution: A scruplous Conscience is, when a man is inclined to think a thing lawful, and yet hath some scruples and doubts, by reason of many difficulties that he hath heard of, which he knoweth not how to answer or resolve: Here our rule is to labor to suppress all difficulties that make us doubt; but if it cannot be done, then its lawful to follow conscience notwithstanding those doubts and scruples, as Deut. 13. when the people were settled in a true way of serving God, if one should come and teach them a contrary way, confirming the same by a sign, this must needs breed some scruples in the people's minds; nevertheless, conscience inclining to the truth of the former Doctrine, they are bound to stand to it: Thus of these three Questions.

For the fourth, There are good and bad consciences; Mans conscience was only good in the Creation, since the fall all men's consciences are corrupted and perverted, whereof some are renewed and sanctified from Heaven, and so become good, though not perfectly, because of the remnants of corruption: Whosoever is not sanctified, hath an ill conscience of one kind or other.

An evil conscience is either a still and quiet evil conscience or stirring, either by accusing, or excusing wrongfully; for the true property of a good conscience, is to excuse altogether for well-doing: Now when the conscience is either num and dead, and lies still, or otherwise accuseth for sin, or excuseth wrongfully, this is an ill conscience.

Of a still quiet ill conscience there be three kinds, namely, sleepy, secure, and seared.

The first, a sleepy drowsy conscience, that lives and lies in many sins, and yet accuseth not by reason of ignorance in the Word of God, as the common sort neglect many a duty, and commit many a sin, that conscience never checks them for, because they be ignorant of God's Law, for which another that knows the Law of God is humbled, with them are omnia been; they hope to be saved by their good meaning, and crying God mercy at last; they are not troubled at wandering thoughts, worldly talk on the Lord's day, to go to bed without prayer, and the like: They are like one that comes into a sluttish house in a dark night, and sees nothing amiss, but when the Sun shines perceives the foul corners, yea, the very moats that fly in the Sun-beams: Some such have come under a lightsome Ministry, and have wondered and been ashamed of themselves, and have been humbled and converted; Thus was it with Paul before and after his conversion.

The second, A secure conscience, that is stirred only at foul and staring sins, hates murder and fighting, but in rash and unadvised anger is not moved at all; is somewhat troubled at swearing by wounds and blood, but makes nothing of By my faith, truth, this bread, fire, Sun that shines, and the like; such have wide throats, that can swallow all small things: So there are that make conscience of oppression, cruelty, in justice, but none of neglecting the Word, Sacraments, and Prayer, or profaning the Lord's-day, which be greater then the former, though they do not so think; and partly the commonness of them makes their conscience not accuse in them, or that they be never awakened for their sins, till some great cross do befall them, or after some rousing Sermon, then their consciences work; therefore they cannot abide such Preaching, though it were happy for them, if they might hear such still, till they were wearied out of themselves.

The third, A benumbed, brawny and seared conscience; benumbed, as a member in the dead Palsy; brawny, as a laboring man's hand; seared, as with an hot iron, which is worst of all: when men go on and make conscience of nothing, but do what they list, and their hearts scarce smite them, being (as Nabal ) like blocks and stones, daring do anything, and committing most horrible foul sins, and yet not being troubled thereat: This comes by the custom of sin, and refusing the checks of their conscience, and God's giving them up to a reprobate mind, and an hard heart, to work wickedness, and that with greediness: great sins also lain in without repentance, do harden and benumb the conscience, as a part of the body that is seared is past feeling: They not only doing against the light of God's Word, but even against the light of nature, and their natural conscience, God gives them over, and so they go on in sin, without sense of anything.

The cause of these, especially the two first, is chiefly the want of a faithful Ministry, for where this is, though they be not converted, yet they be convinced, and sin not so quietly as others; or if they live under such a faithful stirring Ministry, and yet have drowsy and secure consciences, its because they come not to the Word, or regard not what they hear, or understand it not, or sleep thereat: But there are some more notorious, which will not lightly abide a zealous or powerful Ministry, but will get away from it, else if they tarry, through long contempt of the Word, and hardening their hearts, they grow past feeling, having set down with themselves, they will never be moved with whatsoever is said: This is a great plague, it takes from a man the only means under God of his repentance; he is as one under a grave stone, that cannot rise: These are lusty and merry, they think their case happy, they say, Peace, peace, they thank God they were never troubled in conscience, and marvel at them that be, thinking them out of their wits, or else that they have been some great offenders, &c. but they are troubled, not because they be out of their wits, but because they now begin to come into their right mind, as its said of the Prodigal, They be troubled not because they be greater sinners then the others, but because they see that the others see not, which if they saw (as it were happy for them if they did) they would see cause enough to be wounded to the purpose: But do they think their conscience will ever lie thus still? No, let them be assured God will set all in order before them, and their benumb'd conscience will prove a raging conscience. A Bankrupt makes a great show at first, afterward breaks, and is arrested and imprisoned; many make fair promises unto Delinquents, that they will speak to the Judge for them, &c. but do indeed prove their chief adversaries, such are the consciences of these men: If it be once awakened and stirred, it will roar as a Lyon, and tear out their throats; a sleepy conscience is like a starcht Ruff, that stands up brave in fair weather, but falls quite down in a storm: The peace of such a conscience is naught, it comes not after humiliation, nor proceeds from apprehension of God's love, but from a false imagination, having no true reformation of life accompanying it.

Now that the consciences of such may be awakened here, whilst there is help (though usually most shun the same) they must 1. Labor to be acquainted with God's Law, wherein they shall as well see the smallest as the greatest sins: Therein they shall perceive their own [ 1] error, as who thought that they did love God above all, and their neighbors as themselves; that they did ever serve God, and put their whole trust in him; that it was lawful for them to swear, so it were true; that it was lawful to go to wizards, that on the Lord's day they might walk about their fields, and do their other businesses, and yet serve God as well as they that went to Church; that they might do [ 2] with their own what they list, &c. 2. Labor to know and believe that the least sin is damnation (yet do most bless themselves in their evil courses, and are not a whit moved by all the threatenings of God's Word) that thereupon they may be humbled and terrified, and fly out of themselves to God for mercy, which is the only way to come to good: To this end let them make use of the most stirring sermons, meditate of God's judgments, go to such as are afflicted, or lie on their death beds, consider that there be thousands in Hell which have not committed the tithe of their sins, and that if they themselves should die suddenly (this night) their condition were miserable: If any shall say, My conscience hath been quiet all this while, I do not mean to call my estate into question; let such know, that many go snorting to Hell, and that a troubled conscience is better then a drowsy secure conscience, for that may come to good, the other is out of all possibility of mercy: Indeed, to stay in terror of conscience is fearful, yet not worse then to have a benumb'd conscience; there's hope of them that be troubled, of the others but a little. Physicians prescribe their Patients sometimes to go to sea to be sea sick, and that to purge away some ill humors, for the health of the body; no less needful is it to be soul sick for the welfare of our souls; yet is it a common speech of most, at the visitation of the sick, Oh, I pray do not trouble him, he is in a very good mind, &c. but the Prodigals condition (though he had ragged clothes and a rent heart) was better then his elder brothers; and the Publican justified, not the Pharisee: Thus of the quiet ill conscience.

The stirring ill conscience, is either when it stirs by excusing, or by accusing.

Excusing, upon the doing of some evil, whereof John 16. 2. or the omission of some duty, as the hearing of the Word, Prayer, and the li • e: Thus was it with Saul when he was questioned by Samuel, for not obeying God's Commandment; thus hath it been with some Papists, when they have practiced Treason against their Prince and Country. A good conscience doth excuse indeed, but rightly, not amiss, in all things, not in some only, for the manner as well as the thing itself.

Accusing, and that 1. When it should not, as an Idolater is troubled in conscience for leaving undone some piece of idolatrous service. [ 1] 2. For trifles, and not for matters of weight, as the Pharisees made [ 2] great conscience of going to meat with unwashen hands, but not of murthering Christ; as Papists make great conscience of eating flesh on a fasting day, who yet make no conscience of Whoredom, Swearing; so Civil persons would be much troubled if they should be but accused for wronging their neighbors, who yet are no whit moved for profaning the Lord's day, not coming to the Sacrament, neglect of Prayer and the like. 3. When it is forcible and violent, [ 3] causing horror and fear, gastliness, terror in the dark, or at the sight of any of God's Judgments, trembling at the rattling of a leaf, yea, and desperation itself: This, though it be not good of itself, yet turns to the good of the godly; God brings them this way, only he leaves them not here, but by the voice of the Gospel doth relieve their minds, and persuades them to seek mercy, upholding them with the hope thereof: Some have checks of conscience, but so, as they can bear them out; some again, so as they cannot endure them.

Who so find their consciences accusing them for their sins, and know no pardon, but their consciences still tell them of their sins, and that their course is bad, let such know, that they have evil consciences, which being let alone, will accuse them worse: If their consciences accuse them, God is greater, and knows more: Therefore let them seek to pacify God and their consciences too. To this end, consider, That God hath provided in his infinite mercy an all-sufficient remedy in the death and bloodshed of Jesus Christ, then which there is no other way to satisfy God's displeasure, nor to stanch the terrors of conscience; let such bewail and lament their state to Almighty God, confessing their sins, and judging themselves as the Prodigal for the same, thereupon craving of him with strong cries and humble prayers, the pardon and forgiveness thereof: To such as thus come in the truth of their hearts, God hath made many gracious promises; Thus suing to him, he will in his own good time send down a comfortable answer: This is the only course to come to good (to still conscience with forgetting our sins, and mirth, is but to deceive ourselves, to wear it out by head and shoulders; its but as the putting away of the tooth-ache with cold water, which will still it for a little, but after it reboundeth more violently) this is the way to get peace: After this will our consciences begin to be quiet, and thereupon excuse and comfort: Then will Faith purify the heart, and work an hatred of all sin, with a continual care to please God in all things: Then shall we be quite altered and changed from that we were. I cannot but wonder at a number of men, whose consciences witness against them, who yet seek not to pacify them by assurance of pardon, but add more daily unto their sins; whose consciences bear witness, That they have no care to please God, but their way and works be naught, assuredly their consciences will one day cry louder; O lay up no new matter of accusation, all the profit and pleasure that comes of it will be dear bought: Its as to drink pleasing poison, it goes down pleasantly, but afterward wounds the bowels: If a man had never so much wealth, yet if he have an ill conscience, what shall it profit him? It were as if a man had a costly banket, rich apparel and attendance, &c. and one with a sword drawn were standing ready by him to kill him: This is a Bailiff to arrest, a Jailer to keep safe, a witness to accuse, a Judge to condemn, an Executioner to torment, &c. Its of all foes the worst, they accuse to men, this to God; one may go from them sometimes, but not from this: Its an evil help in adversity, which like Jobs friends troubles us more then all the rest; It will be a woeful companion at the hour of death, and day of Judgment: Its like a woeful contentious wife, when a man hath had trouble enough abroad, coming home, he finds more there: O their life is no life, that live with a worm gnawing within! Thus, what joy will there be of health, wealth, or whatsoever else? yea, as we are to take heed of this, so also are we of a benumbed conscience, the end of both being bad, the one no less dangerous then the other; Thus of a bad conscience.

A good conscience, is an excusing and comforting conscience, that speaks on ones side, and that for well doing: Thus have the Angels in Heaven a perfect excusing conscience; So had Adam in his innocence, and we shall one day have in heaven: Now our conscience is but so in part, as all our other faculties; Some corruption remains therein, even in the best, and therefore doth sometimes accuse, or excuse when it should not, but for the most part it excuseth and witnesseth comfortably on our sides; this is either a good quiet, or a good troubled and trembling conscience.

A good quiet conscience hath these two parts, an heart witnessing to us, 1. The pardon of our sins past in the blood of Jesus Christ [ 1] (for as Jonah 's casting into the Sea, stilled the same; So believing in Christ, stills the most troubled conscience; if we be justified through him, who shall condemn?) and 2. Our unfeigned uprightness and [ 2] care to please God in all things, detesting all evil, and bearing true love to his Word and Saints; of the former read these Scriptures, Job 19. 25. Romans 8. 16. Psalm 4. 6. and 32. 1. Gal. 2. 20. Cant. 2. 16. Of the latter these, Psalm 26. 2. and Isaiah 38. 3. Acts 23. 1. 2 Cor. 1. 12. Heb. 13. 18. They that believe most assuredly the pardon of their sins, and walk most steadfastly with God, they have the good quiet conscience, at least so far as is here to be attained: This is a wonderful Jewel, a continual feast; This causeth joy; This causeth boldness to come to the Word, boldness before God, boldness also towards men (let men say what they will, we care not, if our consciences witness truly on our sides) yea, boldness against the Devil, who will lay much to our charge, sifting us to the full: O thou art a damned Creature, will he say: No, Satan; yes, an horrible sinner, and who hast deserved Hell fire: I grant (Satan) but Christ Jesus hath paid my debt, and delivered me; If thou shalt scape Hell, yet thou shalt never get to Heaven (will he say) for none come there but such as keep the Law: O Christ hath kept it for me! But he hath died but for a few, whereof thou art none; yes, I am: He died for none, but such as truly believed in him, so dost not thou: Yes, I do believe, and do lay hold on his gracious promises: But Christ dies for none, to whom he gives not power to become new Creatures, so art not thou: Hereunto will a good conscience answer boldly, and so put Satan to flight.

This differs from a bad quiet conscience, that comes from ignorance of their danger (as a blind man standing before a Canon) this out of knowledge of God's Word; This is quiet upon examination, that because never examined; This is quiet upon good grounds, that upon nothing but upon bear conceits; This hath joy adjoined therewith, which that hath not: That leaves one in deadness, this quickens the heart to every good duty; This holds at all times, that driven away by the terror of the Ministry of the Word, or by afflictions, especially it fails at death and Judgment day.

A good troubled and trembling conscience is, when one is persuaded of God's love, and the pardon of sin through Christ, but cannot hold it firm and fast; and this not in the beginning of their conversion only, but after they hold it with a wavering hand, so doubtful and full of fears, because of their unworthiness, and the greatness of the mercy, so that ever anon they are to seek, and ready to faint: And for the other, their heart witnesseth the true hatred of all sin, and care to please God in all things, but herein they think they do nothing as they should, and that they can do no good, and even when they have done duties very carefully, yet are they still troubled, as if they did all for fear of pain, and Hell, and not for the love of God, or out of self-love in hope of Heaven, and to save their souls: And because they find some corruptions and rebellions, they think that these spoil all their duties, and that they themselves are vile wretches, yea, though they hate them deadly, yet this doth not satisfy them, they hate them not so much as they should. Again, they are so timorous and fearful, whether they may eat this or that, or thus much, wear such good apparel, do this or that, go this way or that, all which notwithstanding are lawful for them, but they are so afraid to offend God, that they often accuse themselves, &c. This is a good conscience, though not so settled as were to be desired, and as the other is: This may appear by these Notes;

Such would not part with the comfort they have for the world, nor be utterly out of hope, and are glad when they can believe best: They resolve to trust in God, and serve him, though he would kill them; They are humble, and both much and servant in Prayer; They hang upon the Ministry of the Word, hunger after the Sacrament, long for the Sabbath, delight in the Saints: There's no Physician more welcome to a sick body, then a godly Minister to them in time of trouble; They walk usually more strictly, then they that have more comfort, and are more zealous, and more afraid to sin, and more grieve at sin in others; So that this is a good conscience no less then the former, Both go to Heaven, the one in sharpness, the other in sweetness run the way of God's Commandments; They be like to two Travelers through a Wilderness, or in a dark night, one of good courage, afraid of nothing, the other of a fearful nature, afraid of every thing, both which get well through: So do these, the one hath experience of God's goodness in not being troubled and tempted, the other of his power in being upheld, that he is not swallowed up and overcome of fear and grief: O that there were many such consciences! And yet it cannot be denied, but that the other is better, as having more comfort in themselves, and being more fit to do good unto others, and yet they may scape some checks the others may meet with, as Peter; yea, God seems more to tender these then those; as a Father having two Children, both beloved of him, the one sick, the other in health, is most careful of him that is sick, that he may recover: To have a tender conscience, checking us for the least sin (idle words, vain thoughts, and the like) as David's, for curting off the lap of Saul's Garment, is a singular blessing, and therefore to obtain it, we must both see the odiousness of sin, judging aright thereof, and must bring our hearts to mourn even for the smallest sins.

1. Let every man examine himself whether he hath a good conscience or not, whether art thou assured of the pardon of thy sins? whether doth thine heart bear witness that thou hatest all sin, and art truly desirous to please God in all things, as well great as small, secretly as openly? at least in the deep sense of thy misery, art thou wearied under it as an intolerable weight? hearing of the only remedy, dost thou long after it above all the world? art thou as willing to turn from sin, as to have sin forgiven; to take up his yoke, as to be refreshed by him? If not, thy case is fearful; What have we, if we have not this? Its our duty then to labor for it, and not rest till we obtain it; What may not incite us hereto? It procures Joy, Peace, Comfort, Boldness before God and men; such are bold to pray unto God, bold to crave others to pray for them: Its comfortable in prosperity, a sweet companion at home and abroad, night and day; its a sweet companion in adversity, like a good wife by her kindness cheering her husband when he comes home, who hath been much turmoild abroad, another Simon to bear a piece of our cross, yea in the greatest crosses, this assureth us, that yet God is our Father: he visits us in love, he will assist us, and at last deliver us: Its a Castle of comfort, an armor of proof, a continual feast, an Heaven upon earth: It makes a man embrace the flames, kiss the stake, and being in the fire, accounts as if he were on a bed of Roses: In death its comfortable when all things else forsake us; then when our eyes are shut up, yet through this we shall with Steven, see Christ Jesus ready to receive us, and shall say, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace: In the day of judgment it will make us lift up our heads with joy, when we shall see our Savior Christ come to receive us into his heavenly kingdom: O they that have a good conscience should make much of it, as of their jewel, and labor to keep it: It may be easily lost, and is hardly recovered, as may be seen in David and Peter.

The first part of it, namely, The assurance of our Salvation is kept by daily renewing our Confessions, Supplications and Thanksgivings: To this end we must labor to know the will of God, and daily to grow in knowledge, by our diligent perusal of the Scriptures.

The 2 part of it, namely, our care to please God is kept & maintained by a daily and constant resolution not to offend God, and so we must both strive and watch against our frowardness, worldly-mindedness, &c. and covenant and vow to do the will of God to the uttermost of our power: Hereupon we must walk carefully, as in the presence of God, avoiding all occasions of sinning, & using all good means to keep us in a good course publicly and privately, being diligent and careful in our particular calling, to the glory of God, and good of our brethren.

2. This reproveth those that having a good conscience, fail as much in laboring to keep it, as the World doth in not laboring to obtain it: How do Christians go on carelessly, without renewing their exercises of Faith and Repentance, and so their assurance is to seek, or else hold it at a venture, and coldly? our worst day in the week might be better then our Sabbath, had we but the grace to use our time aright: O how many are careless, watch not, give way to their lusts? therefore fall into many evils, and so wound their consciences very often, which is dangerous. A place often wounded or hurt, will not at last be healed: We dishonor God much, disquiet our consciences, give evil example to others by our frowardness, impatience, worldliness, hard dealings, &c. Hence it cometh, that the Word pincheth us, evil tidings amaze us, we are loath to die, and the day of Judgment is fearful to us.

3. This may encourage and comfort those that have good consciences, though they be timorous: What, God shows mercy, even to men unworthy, and though thy sins be many and great, ye • hast thou to deal with him that's able to pardon them: Lose not that thou hast; when we lose good consciences, all God's graces diminish and vanish away, neither can we thrive any whit, as is seen by daily experience: But nothing can do us hurt as long as our consciences hold good; then are we fit to live, and fit to die; fit for the Word and Sacrament, fit for death and judgment: Thus of the kinds of conscience, and so of conscience in general.

Having a good conscience, &c.] Now of the Words in particular, whereof I have laid down their coherence with the former, and from whence may be noted, That a godly conversation in all things, is to be joined to a bold and zealous profession of our Faith; to our knowledge and profession, gifts, utterance, and the like, we must add a good life; these two be two Twins (St. Paul often joins them together) neither must they be parted, saying and doing, the tongue and hand must accompany one another.

Reasons hereof may be these: 1. God expecteth of us, that where [ 1] he reveals the knowledge of his will, that we add obedience, or else we shall be beaten with more stripes: Where God finds this, he delights in it, as in Abraham, who is called, The friend of God; in David, whom he calls, A man according to his own heart; so in Joh, in Zacharias and Elizabeth, &c. we find the same commended: The contrary God loathes, as in his own people, whom he did again and [ 2] again advertise hereof. 2. This will prove our profession sound, and not hypocritical (for hypocrites go a great way, but its only Faith that purifieth the heart) and that our knowledge is not swimming in our brain, but sound and saving knowledge, purging both heart and life, when we dare compact with any other, and say, Shew me thy Faith by [ 3] thy works, as I can. 3. This not only God's children look for, when we have got knowledge, and come forward in profession more then before, then we should live answerably, that they may boldly converse with us, but the common sort of the world also, they expect it, for though they will take liberty themselves, yet they look that we Ministers and Professors of Religion, should lead a strict life in all things: If we do otherwise, we shall hear of it; and surely we are beholding to them for this (though they do it of no good mind) and may make good use thereof to look to ourselves, as questionless Abraham did, when in the matter of variance which arose between him and Lot, For that the Canaanite and Perizzite were then in the [ 4] Land. 4. Its an honor to our profession, when with Job, we dare bid our adversary write a book against us; and the contrary is a disgrace, not to ourselves only, but to our profession, yea, our Religion itself in the account of the wicked, whereat they blaspheme, yet ought not they to judge ill of all for the fault of some, but especially of Religion itself, though the professors thereof were naught: No man blames the Trade for the fault of the Tradesman, nor all for the fault of some, yet here they do it, when they see men make a show of Religion, but denying the power thereof: If professors differ not in their lives from others, it makes the world think that there's nothing in profession, and yet they may perceive some few walk without exception.

1. This rebuketh some, that having good knowledge, and are very ready to speak, yea, and to censure and blame that that is not good, and are very forward in profession, yet halt foully in their lives; as the Brownists, that are very hot, and so holy, as they not only censure others, but condemn the Church itself, not only as impure, but as no Church, and yet themselves, besides that, they are Proud, Scornful and Obstinate (not to speak of their living out of any Church, and their spending their Sabbath) they foully sin against the second Table; they borrow what they can, not caring to pay again, are breakers of their Word and Promise, think to live of other men's labors, and yet that herein they should be born with, as being extraordinary persons, they would say, in being idle and negligent in their callings; yea, there are some of them which will swear, steal, and break the Sabbath: A woeful Generation.

2. It reproveth such among ourselves, which place all Religion in hearing Sermons, and talking, as some servants do, which yet perform not the duties of their calling, are idle, untrusty, lazy, stubborn, disobedient, as if all should be born with because of their hearing sermons, whereas on that very ground more is to be looked for at their hands: And this is grown to such a pass, that many of the common sort of people say, of all they will not meddle with these Biblewenches (of which before) Is not this a good report you have brought upon the Word? yea, many godly Christians are weary of such (not but that I know there be godly servants of both Sexes, that have learned to show the fruit of their hearing by all good carriage in their particular calling, and are as jewels to them they be with, but these be rare) Do these things agree? as well as Harp and Harrow: Doth God take pleasure in this, that you should hear his Word, and yet not mind to be guided thereby? How can you approve that there's any more in you then in Hypocrites and Reprobates? can you show your Faith by your works? Dare you bid your adversary write a Book against you? Do you not set men off from Religion, and make them speak ill? You all that usually resort hither to the Word, I bescech, to show the fruits of it when you come home; your neighbors look for it, your lives be pryed into, it may do you good; we see your faces only, and think well, that you will hear, but your neighbors they see your lives, and God seeth your hearts; and if your faces were like Angels, and your hearts corrupt, and lives unreformed, you shall have your portion with Devils. And here I think it requisite to speak of an abuse amongst us, that they which bring in here (because of the concourse of people) their commodities to sell, raise the prizes, and sell dearer then in any of the Market Towns round about us, whereby they wrong the poor here, and raise the prizes elsewhere (for if a price be up, its a president straight) yea, and also raise an evil name on the Gospel: I do not mean yet that Christians going to Market are bound to sell at lower rates, then the ordinary, though I take them so bound at home in dear times to their own poor Neighbors, yet is it not the part of a Christian to be the raiser of prizes, especially in dear times; Its indeed a note of a wicked worldling.

3. This rebuketh even good Christians that walk not so wisely towards them that be without as they ought, nor yet so strictly in their lives, but are too forward, hasty, strict in their dealing, slack in paying their work-folks, are careless of their words, &c. O let all such professing themselves the Servants of God, show forth the same by all good conversation in their particular Callings: Thou must not be a zealous woman, and yet an unquiet wife; a zealous man, and yet a cruel husband; a zealous young man or maid, and yet an unfaithful Servant; a zealous man, and yet a false dealer in your Shops and Trades.

Good] This is fitly added, and well required, for one of wicked life will never stand to the truth, but fall from it, for Heresy is the punishment usually of foul sins, but a godly man will stand most to the truth.

They that speak evil of you, as of evil doers] Here note, That

The wicked are very apt and much bent to speak ill of God's Servants: Thus Elias was said to trouble Israel, Elisha termed a mad fellow, and called bald-head; Micaiah said, that he never prophesied good; and Jeremiah, that he raved; so Steven was said to have blasphemed, as Paul to be a pestilent fellow; nay, the perfection of innocence, Christ himself was most foully spoken of, termed a Samaritan, a friend of publicans and sinners, one that had a Devil, &c. Thus was it in the Primitive Church; thus is it still: If the godly do anything amiss, how do they toss and increase it? If they do but groan under an infirmity, they will be sure to set that abroach against them; if they know nothing, they will devise some evil of them, or if they hear of any from others, though never so unlikely, or on never so a bad ground, yet shall it go for payment, and currant; yea, though they can make their own vices go under the name of virtues, yet they will call their virtues by the name of vices: If zealous, then hot and rash; if courageous in a good cause, then stomackful; if patient, then blockish; if wise in their matters, then subtle fellows; if diligent in their place, very officious, busy, medlers, troublesome; if they run not to the same excess with others, then precize fools, &c. Thus even for their godliness do they speak evil of them, and so call light darkness, and darkness light.

1. Therefore, God's people must walk wonderful warily.

2. They must not think it over-strange, nor be discouraged, if notwithstanding all their care of well-doing, they be ill spoken of.

3. We must not readily believe of men that have carried themselves well, all that we hear; but try it out, ere we censure, or change our mind.

4. For ill speakers; Its a woeful badge of Ishmael's generation, that shall be shut out of Heaven, and of Satan's brood, who accuseth the Brethren: Cursed are they, God hath appointed a time to judge them for their cruel speakings.

Nay, the world will not only speak ill of God's Servants, but do ill to them, slay them, as Cain dib Abel; imprison them and pinch them, as Ahab did Micaiah; cast them into a dungeon, as the people did Jeremiah; into the Lions den, with Daniel; spoil them of their goods, as those in Heb. 10. 34. rack them, torment them, torture them; even such as the world is not worthy of, and that for their good works; so Herod dealt by John the Baptist, and thus were the Apostles served, and after, the Martyrs in the Primitive Church, and since, multitudes under Antichrist.

If therefore we meet with hard dealing, and doing as well as speaking, we must not think it strange: If we can hardly bear a few ill words, how shall we bear stripes? how Imprisonment, and loss of all, yea, toturings and death? ye have not yet resisted unto blood, or undergone the fiery trial: we have infinite cause to be thankful together for our governors, for if they were so minded as many particular persons, there would be no peace for any zealous Christian: If I had authority, will some say, I would hang up all these Puritan knaves, &c. Neither must we think the worse of those that be troubled, for the the very best have been thus dealt withal.

They may be ashamed, &c.] The best way to stop the mouths of the world, and to make them think well that they have done otherwise, is not by goodly great words, but by a good and constant godly conversation: Thus David convinced Saul, for he spared him, when he could have once and again killed him: Thus have many who have thought very hardly of such and such upon reports which they have heard of them, upon the view of their godly and innocent carriage been much grieved that they were so far abused: Thus were the Martyrs thought well of by the common people, yea, by great ones, yea, by their very Jailors.

1. As therefore we would muzzle and stop the mouths of our adversaries, that they may have nothing to say against us, nay, may be brought to acknowledge and love the truth, and be converted and glorify God in the day of their visitation, let us live holily and innocently; else if they find us halting, we set open their mouths to speak ill, continue them in their ill mind and hard conceit, and set them further off from all goodness: Too too many professors fail this way, either they fall into foul sins, or live not so christianly, or else at least, with zeal they are very rash and indiscreet, by every of which, much hurt hath been done from time to time.

2. This showeth them to be odd persons, that knowing and seeing the innocent conversation of God's Servants, yet cannot be satisfied nor quieted, but still speak evil of them; a sign of a very bad heart, who therefore will hate them, because they be good, whereas those that be but indifferently minded and civil, seeing their good conversation, will think and speak well of them: Cain had no other cause to kill Abel, but for his godliness; nor Ishmael to mock Isaac, but because he was the Son of the promise; nor these to speak evil of those, but because they are godly: Assuredly, a life agreeable to their profession should stop their mouths.

Verse 17.

For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well-doing, then for evil doing.

NOw follow some reasons to persuade to willing suffering for righteousness sake (which was then common, and the profession of the faith dangerous) 1. For that this being a world wherein we must suffer, its better a great deal to suffer for well, then for ill doing. 2. Because the Lord will have it so, to whose will we must be subject.

For its better, &c.] Naturally we will choose the better, if we know it, so should we in this, seeing we are subject to suffering, and that we are apt by nature to evil, and so to suffer for it; we must choose rather, as being far better, to suffer for well, then for ill-doing: Its every way better; better, as being more pleasing to God, he delights in the one, not in the other; pronounceth those blessed, these accursed: Besides, its no credit to suffer for ill doing, but matter of shame and reproach, whereas its honor to suffer for a good cause: That of the penitent Thief seems to import so much, we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds (and so have cause to be humbled) but this man hath done nothing amiss: Again, there's no comfort in suffering for ill-doing, as there's for well-doing. Suffering of itself is ill and grievous, therefore there had need be somewhat to mitigate it, but if it be for well-doing, a good conscience will bear it out; its for God's sake, its that wherewith all his servants have met, and hereof the conscience takes notice, and that to this there's a reward, none at all for the other.

1. This rebukes those that suffer for their foul offenses, Theft, Adultery, and the like; howsoever they be punished, yet have they cause of hanging down the head, not for the punishment, but for the cause: O how many refusing to be ruled by God and his Word, bring misery upon themselves and ruin? The Gaols are full, the gallows catch many: Its a fearful thing when they go to their punishment impudently, and be not ashamed and humbled, its but the forerunner of fearful judgments: When therefore men have brought themselves into trouble justly, their best way is to be humbled, and repent, so shall they find favor with God and men: We must avoid evil, as we would avoid suffering for ill-doing, avoid the sin, if we would avoid the punishment: We are also to be careful that we suffer not for Railing, Slandering, Backbiting, Meddling with other folks matters.

2. This may comfort them that suffer for well-doing; its pleasing to God, they are fellows to the Saints, Prophets and Apostles; the honor is great, the cause is good, how base or grievous soever the punishment be: Both John the Baptist and Barabbas were imprisoned; Achan and Steven stoned; and Witches and Martyrs be burnt; the cause was not the same, and in the cause the shame lies: If a Christian (as Paul ) be a prisoner, and have chains on him, and being demanded why he came there, and is there so used; if he can truly say, Its neither for Treason nor Fellony, I thank God, but for preaching the truth of God to the world, then its well; yea, this will quiet his conscience, when he knows its God's cause, who will take care of him, strengthen him, and receive him to glory.

If the will of God be so,] Heres the other Reason: We must be patient and comfortable in suffering for well-doing, for its God's will it should be so. Here note, that

No affliction or persecution comes to us, but by the will of God: Whatsoever was done to our Savior Christ, was done by God's determinate counsel; not an hair falls from our heads without our heavenly Father: Christ foretold Peter of his bands before they came, and so Agabus forewarned Paul of his, which showeth that they came by the will of God.

Obj. How can this be by the will of God, seeing its a wicked thing, and displeasing to God that his servants should be persecuted for well doing, and he hath both forbid it, and will punish the same.

Answ. As it comes from the Devil and persecutors, its a sin, and they do wickedly, and its forbid, but God hath an hand in it so far forth as it is good, and he that brought light out of darkness, can and doth bring good out of the evil of the wicked: They intend evil, but God good, as in Jobs losses; so in crucifying Christ, Judas, the High Priests, the Jews, Soldiers and Pilate did evil, yet all this was by the will of God, even so far forth as it was the mean of our Salvation, and thereupon Peter that gave counsel against it, was rebuked sharply; so in the affliction of God's children by the ungodly, the devil and they of spite punish them for their goodness, and to discourage them quite, but God wills this for many good reasons; as, to try his, that they which be approved might be known, and to exercise and try their faith and patience, and show, that they serve not in show, and for wages; to confirm the truth, not for itself, for their sakes which are weak ones, and to leave the others inexcusable; to manifest the wickedness of the wicked, and make way for the manifestation of the glory of God's justice in plaguing them, as the glory of God is made manifest by the constant and patient suffering of the Righteous, which they could never have done of themselves.

1. Heres a comfort to God's servants, that we are not left here to the will of the Devil and wicked men, to do what they list against us: O no, they are set their bounds, beyond which they cannot pass: The Devils could not enter into the Swine without permission, nor go one whit further with Job then God gave Commission: A Sparrow falls not to the ground without his providence, and we are of more value then they: The Lord appoints out our troubles, and measures them; they shall not be as little as we would, for then should they be too little (our tender nature loathing troubles, and being unwilling to undergo the same) nor so great as our adversaries would (for then would they be too great) but as God will: The wicked are but the Lord's drudges to scour us and make us bright; They are his Landresses to wash us white, not so little as we should be never the better, nor so much as should rend the Lord's linen.

2. When we be ill dealt with in word or deed by the men of the world, we should sit down quietly and bear it: Its the will of God it should be so, and he doth all things in infinite wisdom, and lovingly for the good of his; accordingly when Paul would needs go to Jerusalem, where he was to be in great danger, his friends said, The will of the Lord be done; thou mayest say, If the Lord hath sent this to try me, I pray God strengthen me; if to chasten and purge me, then to awaken me out of security and love of the world: I thank God for it, if he will any way have glory by me, I am glad, blessed be God, its his will, I am content to wait upon him; not but that we may with our Savior and the Apostle Paul, plead our innocence, as also use lawful means for our freedom, if God see it good.

3. But yet let the wicked think never the better of themselves, nor look ever the more to be freed from punishment, because its God's will, for they do it to no such end, and therefore he will cast the rod into the fire when he hath chastened his children, as he did by Ashur, and the enemies he used to punish his people: Did Judas, or the Priests and Jews, aim at the Salvation of the world in Christ's death? Nothing less; Covetousness drave on the one, malice the other: If God brought good out of it, what thanks to them? He is to be praised for his goodness, they to be plagued for their sin.

4. We must not bring trouble upon ourselves, for in that we can have no comfort, but if God bring us into it, we may comfortably look up to him.

Vers. 18.

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.

ANother Reason to persuade to courageous suffering for righteousness sake, from the example of Christ, Christ suffered, therefore need not we shrink or think much: He that was just, yea, that just one, therefore much more may we that be sinners, and by infinite degrees deserve more grievous things then we suffer: He for the unjust, for us wretches, and to take away our sins, and reconcile us to God, therefore ought we to bear somewhat for his cause, that is most just, and hath done so much for us. Speak we first of the words briefly, as they are the reason of the point in hand, and then more particularly and largely of the matter contained therein, namely, The Sufferings, Death and Resurrection of Christ.

Christ suffered] Suffered every way, in Body, Mind, Name, at the hands of men, wretched and base persons misused him, railed at him, slandered him, spit on him, smote him, scourged him, crucified him between two Thieves, &c. Now, The servant is not greater then the master; If they misused Christ so, what may we look for? In thy sufferings, help thyself with this meditation, Christ Jesus suffered, and what am I to him?

The just] He is the just one, as God, holiness itself, as man filled therewith, above Men and Angels. Just, not as Job, Zacharias and Elizabeth; They were Righteous by his Righteousness imputed to them, as Abraham also, but he by his own; they by Sanctification imperfectly Holy and Righteous, he most perfectly; nor as Adam, who though perfectly Holy and Righteous by his own Righteousness, yet was mutable therein and lost it; not so in Christ, but immutably so: There was no guile found in him, none could accuse him of sin; nay, he was the light and glory of the world, yet suffered he gross things: We then, though never so just and innocent, must not think much if we suffer altogether without cause: Its the better, its but as Christ did.

But alas, we are very faulty before God, and deserve far greater things then we meet with, yea, cannot be innocent towards men, how much less towards God? The meditation of this point, will much help us in our sufferings.

For the unjust,] That is, for us wretched and miserable sinners, and his enemies, who could do nothing for him to deserve such kindness: How much rather ought we to suffer for him that just one, and for his sake, especially considering our sufferings are nothing to his; The meditation of this also, will much help us in suffering.

For sins, that he might bring us unto God,] Christ's sufferings were altogether for our good, and if it had not been for them, we had been utterly lost: But for ours, they be nothing to him, he is never the better for them, neither be they for his benefit, but for our own, even the purging of our souls, the trial and proof of our faith and patience, and the preparing of us to the greater glory in Heaven.

Let's think of this also, and it will make us suffer the more willingly and patiently: Lastly, as he after his sufferings and death rose again, and entered into glory, and sits at the right hand of God; So if we shall sow in tears, we shall reap in joy, having fought the good fight, we shall receive an incorruptible crown of glory.

1. This reproveth our notable tender daintiness, that can endure nothing for Christ, but as if we were too good to suffer▪ though in company we should hear never so much spoken against God's Servants, and sincerity of Religion, we can be silent and pass by the same; and there are many that would be forwarder, but for fear of being counted Puritans: O cowardly fearfulness! No wonder if such be never called to that honor to suffer for Christ, What if to please the world we be luke-warm, and God vomit us out of his mouth? What if for our zeal the world hate us, and God approves of us? what do we lose? Shall we make friendship with the world? Know we not that its enmity with God? He is praised that is allowed of God.

2. Let us take heed of all preposterous zeal, and rash unwarrantable causes, whereinto some run • under color of zeal, and be zealous for God; we cannot hate sin too much, nor love goodness too much, nor the Word too much, nor keep the Sabbath too carefully, nor govern our families too religiously: Let us go on in a zealous godly life, and if this offend any, let them pardon us, we would do no other then God requires, and for this we must pray our Landlord or whosoever to give us leave, we have served the Devil a great while, tell them, Its time now to begin to serve God, and to look about us for our souls good; thus in suffering for well • doing, we may be comforted, and by these reasons kept from being discouraged. Now of Christ sufferings, death and resurrection, particularly.

Christ hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God,] In handling the sufferings of Christ, observe, 1. The circumstance of time, or how often he suffered, once, 2. Who he was, or the quality of the person suffering, Christ the just. 3. For whom he suffered, for the unjust. 4. Why he suffered, even for sins; and 5. To what end, that he might bring us to God; and hereinto our Apostle is again willing to fall, as we should be to hear and often meditate thereof, as hath been already shown in the end of the last Chapter; namely, from verse 21. to verse 24. Much profit follows on it.

For 1. It sets out a notable mixture of justice and mercy. 2. It shows what a mighty Savior we have, in whom we may trust, and to [ 1] whom we may have recourse. 3. It may wound our hearts for sins past, [ 2] and make us hate sin for the time to come. 4. It sets out God's infinite love, and accordingly of all that have assurance of their part therein, requireth [ 3] unspeakable love. 5. Its a comfort to all that mourn in Zion. [ 4] 6. It shows that all that miss of Christ must bear their own burden. 7. It provokes us to labor to know whether Christ hath died for us or not, and for our assurance thereof, to find that we are truly humbled, [ 5] hunger after Christ, and are ready to take up his yoke.

[ 6] O that all ignorant persons which do not in any measure know the [ 7] grounds of Religion, that all civil persons which trust to their own righteousness, that all worldlings, whose hearts are altogether glued to the things which are here below, and do not so much as mind those things which are above, the same being out of their element, that all profane persons which go on in open notorious lewd courses, and that all Hypocrites (not to speak of Turks, Jews, and Papists) which content themselves with shows and common gifts, would but duly meditate on Christ's sufferings, that so they might have part in Christ! Assuredly, all they that believe not, shall be condemned, but of all others, they that have lived under the Gospel, shall have greatest judgment; and to make up all, it will increase their torment, to think that they had offer made of Christ, and yet had not the grace to apprehend it; that they were so near, and yet missed, and that some that sat with them were converted and are now in Heaven, and they careless or willful, are now in irrecoverable damnation: This will make them gnash their teeth, gnaw their tongues, & curse themselves and the day wherein they were born: Let such see, feel, confess, and fly to Christ, there being no other way of Salvation besides him. I come to the particulars propounded.

The first concerneth the time, how often he suffered, Once: Its true, Christ suffered throughout his whole life, and that diversely, but all make up one perfect suffering; and he suffered so, as at once he finished all, never to suffer again, wherein his suffering is opposed to the sacrifices of the Law, which were continually renewed, because of their imperfection; whereas he suffered once for all, for being God as well as man, he both endured the infinite wrath of God, and besides, his person was of such infinite worth, as gave such value to his sufferings, as fully satisfied the justice of God.

1. This confutes the Papists, who make Christ's sufferings imperfect two ways, namely, by teaching that we ourselves must suffer the punishment of our sins (hence are all their masses, penances, pilgrimages, almsdeeds, and charitable Works, to take away the punishment of their sins after Baptism) and by their renewing of Christ's Sacrifice in the Mass, which is (as they say) a Propitiatory Sacrifice for the sins of the quick and dead: Their distinction of bloody and unbloody is but a shift.

2. This is a wonderful comfort to all God's children, that our debt is so fully dischaarged, that there's nothing remaining for us to suffer. Thus of the first.

The second concerneth the quality of the person which suffered: He was that just one, the Lamb of God, which was undefiled and without spot, conceived by the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin; had he not been such a one, he could not have been our Savior: Though he was innocent, yet were our sins imputed to him; and though we have not suffered, neither of ourselves have Righteousness, yet as verily as he had pain and sorrow, we shall have mercy and Salvation through him: what can be more comfortable? Thus of the second.

The third concerneth the persons for whom he suffered, The unjust, not the Devil nor Reprobates, but for the Elect, which yet are by nature unjust and wretched, servants of sin, and children of wrath, as well as others: He hath suffered for them that be never so unjust, provided they feel their misery, and have course unto him for help.

1. Then, for them that be in great distress for their sins, and think they be so many and so great, that they cannot or shall not be forgiven, let them be comforted, Christ came to die for the unjust, to call sinners to repentance, to seek and save that which was lost: If being weary you will come unto him, as he invite you, you shall be refreshed: Though their sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool: Paul was a great sinner, yet forgiven.

2. Let such, as bad as they be, yet come to Christ, and be truly humbled; He came to save such as thou art, as Mary Magdalene, Zacchaeus, the Jailor, and such others: His mercy on them, may put thee in hope, and provoke thee to seek unto him. Thus of the third.

The fourth, Why he suffered for sins, for our sins, to take them away, for they only are our woe; our sins caused all Christ's sorrow, and his sorrow is our happiness. Thus of the fourth.

The fifth, To what end he suffered, that he might bring us to God: Ever since Adams fall we are gone from God, and born strangers, nay enemies to God, and therefore further and and further off from God, and are gone to the Devil indeed: Now Christ by his death reconciles us to God, and him to us, and makes a blessed peace, so as we may look up to him as to our Father, and come into his presence with comfort: He also gives us grace by his holy Spirit to be renewed, sanctified, and so to do works pleasing unto God, and when we die, brings our souls to God, as afterwards possesseth both body and soul of Heaven.

1. Then how infinitely are we bound to God? how welcome should Christ Jesus be to us all? One would think all should flock unto him, for as none are with God, but such as came by him, so neither shall there be: All that mourn for their sins, come to him, believe in him, and obey him, he will bring them to God; such as continue in their enmity against God, shall forever be separated from him: Many hope to go to God, that were never reconciled to him through Christ, nor sought after it, but its as possible for a dog, for the Devil to enter into Heaven, as for us, without being reconciled to God by faith in Christ: Is it not lamentable that Christ should have so few that inquire and search after him, nay, that reject him, being offered again and again!

2. How welcome faithful Ministers should be to the world; The worst hurt we wish you, is but to bring you to God, we are appointed Christ's instruments herein, we must Preach him, and persuade you to embrace and believe in him, by whom you may be brought unto God; we have a worthy task and work, and so must not either be idle, or by false teaching, and wicked living, drive you from Christ, but be faithful, that your Salvation may be our Crown; yet of all persons and kinds of people, the world thinks we may be best spared, and are unto most, of all others most unwelcome: But not alone Ministers, but even every private man, must help men to God as much as he can: They that by vile counsel, bad example, or otherwise, drive men from him, are not Christ's, but the Devils instruments and Factors. Thus of Christ's sufferings.

Being put to death in the flesh,] This clause concerneth his death, as the following his resurrection: He was put to death concerning his Human nature; for as for his Godhead it could not die, and he was quickened and raised again by his Divinity and Godhead: By flesh is meant his whole Human Nature, as in the following; By Spirit, his Divine Nature.

Our Savior suffered not only in body and soul things intolerable, but he also died, gave up the ghost, as all the Evangelists set down, and other Scriptures testify, as they also that speak of Christ's blood, of his offering himself a Sacrifice for our sins, of his bearing our sins on his Body on the Tree, and the like: This was prefigured of all the Sacrifices of the Old Law; The Prophets also foretold that he should be slain: Neither could it have been otherwise, or otherwise he been a Savior for us, for our sins deserved death, and God had pronounced that death should be the reward thereof: This his death was voluntary, accursed (as we had deserved it) for our sins, and for a common good.

Which meets with that wicked opinion of the Jews, that neither think it voluntary, nor that it is a propitiatory Sacrifice for sin, as it is indeed, and wherein our happiness lieth, and without which we must all have perished forever.

The benefits ensuing to us hereby are divers: 1. We are delivered hereby from all kinds of evil, from the first and second death, and all forerunners of both, and from our sins the cause of all; Its the blood of Christ that cleanseth all our sins: So from all Spiritual enemies; [ 1] See Luke 1. 71, 74. Col. 2. 15. Heb. 2. 14. 1 John 3. 8. So from the second death, Rom. 8. 1. Gal. 3. 13. as from the first, so far forth as its a punishment and piece of the curse, and the nature of it is changed to believers, for whom Christ hath died; its become a Serpent without a sting, yea a blessing, as being hereby freed from sin, and not before: Hereby the soul is let out of the prison of this body, into the liberty of God's Servants, and put into the possession of life: Hereby also the body is freed from all toils, labors, infirmities, and pains, waiting in the Grave for an happy and glorious resurrection: In which respect death is termed a sleep, an advantage to the Saints, and is better in the day wherein they were born: So from all forerunners hereof, which are curses, plagues and punishments, in body, mind, goods, and name, all which Christ hath born; what crosses we meet withal, they are to further our Sanctification and Salvation, but not punishments for sin, or parts of God's judgment, as they be to the wicked. 2. We are hereby made partakers of all good, God is [ 2] reconciled to us (which is more then to have our sins and punishments quite removed) yea, and showeth us the light of his countenance; not as David, who though he staid his wrath from Absalom at his return home to Jerusalem, yet was not fully reconciled to him of two years: The Creatures also are at peace with us; The Angels become Servants and ministering Spirits for our good, in life, to direct us, protect us, comfort us, &c. and at death, to carry our souls to Heaven; so all other Creatures: the very Devils and wicked men shall do us no hurt, we have also right and title to this life, we lost it in Adam, but have it restored in Christ. 3. Hereby he conveyeth power into [ 3] the hearts of all that believe in him, to enable them to die unto sin, and to mortify their lusts more and more.

This is a singular comfort to all that believe in Christ, who only partake of the benefits of his death; we need not fear Hell, condemnation, nor any enemy of our Salvation, nor any curse or punishment in this life, all shall be for our good; we need not fear the first death, but rather have cause to desire it: O the happiness of such! God is at peace with them, all Creatures in Heaven and Earth are their friends, they have right to whatsoever they have, little or much, therefore may they rejoice: O happy that ever we were born, what pains soever we have taken to come to the knowledge of Christ Jesus, by whom we obtain such unspeakable things! whatsoever the world esteemeth of believers, they are the only happy persons in the world, yea, we shall have power to mortify our strongest corruptions and lusts, fear it not, beg it, and use the means, if all these be put together, O how happy is a Christian! who can value his riches? On the contrary, they that have not their part in Christ's death, are most miserable; their sins are not removed, they lie under them, so under the curse of God in this world, and the world to come; so in danger of the first death, which will rend the soul and body asunder, that the soul may be cast out into Hell; so also of the second: O that such would labor for their part in Christ, Christ came into the world, Christ is now Preached and offered unto us, men be in a woeful case, and are told of it, and yet how few regard to embrace Christ, how few customers hath Christ? one would think that all that hear of Christ, should be heartily glad of him, and embrace and fly unto him; but alas, most men for profits, pleasures, or love of their vile lusts, are content to let go Christ, and he lies as a dead commodity, and they that bring him to the world be unwelcome, and so indeed few have part in Christ.

The consideration hereof, might make us mourn for our sins, the cause of Christ's death, might be a corrasive to eat our sin, and make it odious to us, might make us serve God zealously and faithfully all our days, yea, to suffer for his sake, and rather to die with the Martyrs, then any way to dishonor him; and besides, to labor to find the virtue of Christ's death, working mightily in us the death of sin, and sinful lusts. Thus of his death.

But quickened by the Spirit,] Now of his Resurrection: His body and soul that had been sundered, were by the power of his Godhead reunited, and he made alive, so continuing with his Disciples until his ascension into Heaven.

Touching it, consider, that it was so, the Reasons thereof, the place, manner and time, with the benefits flowing from thence, and the duties thereupon to be performed.

That Christ rose again, is so plain, that none needs doubt thereof: The Angels that rolled away the stone, the Soldiers that watched the Sepulcher, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary that came to see the Sepulcher, the two Disciples going to Emmaus, the eleven Disciples being together, &c. all were witnesses hereof: So his appearances were many, as to Mary Magdalene, then to her and that other Mary, then to two Disciples going to Emmaus, then to them all save Thomas, then both to Thomas and the others; another time to Cephas, another time to seven of them at the Sea of Tiberias, as at another to Five hundred Brethren at once; so when he was to ascend, he was taken up in the sight of all those there present; all which are so many evidences of his Resurrection.

Reasons: 1. That it might appear he had fully discharged our debt. 2. Because being the Son of God, and Author, and Lord of [ 1] life, it had been unmeet, nay, it was impossible he should be held under [ 2] of Death. 3. By reason of the second part of his Priesthood, which was yet to fulfil: One part was, to offer himself a Sacrifice Propitiatory [ 3] to God, for the sins of his people, this he did by his death; now the other is, to make intercession for his Church, and to apply the virtue of his death to those for whom he died: This he could not have done, if he had not risen again.

The manner: When they had rolled a great stone to the door of the Sepulcher, sealed it, set Soldiers to watch, yet he rose: They could as well have hindered the rising of the Sun in the Firmament, as his rising; An Angel was sent that caused a great earthquake, and rolled away the stone, &c. No counsel or strength can hinder the work of the Lord.

Place: The same where he was laid, which was by God's providence to avoid cavils, in a new Sepulcher hewn out of a rock, wherein never man had been laid.

Time: It was the third day, early in the morning, on the first day of the week, the third day, as was foretold by Christ himself, for he was buried the evening before the Sabbath, and rose the day after; so long between, to approve the truth of his death, and no longer, that he might see no corruption: Early in the morning, to show that he was the light of the world, the Son of Righteousness, a light to be revealed unto the Gentiles, one that was to lighten everyone that came into the world, namely, that is lightened, even us that are by nature darkness itself; from hence must every man fetch light: On the first day of the week, for so God disposed of it: This first day was answerable to the first day of the world; it was the morrow after the Jews Sabbath: As he began to make the world the first day of it, when before it was not, so now that it was decayed and corrupted by sin, he now came to make it up again, which he did by his Death and Resurrection.

Hence the Reason of the alteration of the Sabbath, from the Jews Sabbath to the day following, which is ours, to keep a memorial, as of the Creation of the world, so especially of the renewing of the world, by the work of Redemption; and as the first Sabbath continued from the Creation to Christ's Resurrection, so no question ought this to abide to the worlds end.

The benefits ensuing hereupon are, 1. To assure us that Christ hath fully paid all our debts: If Christ be not risen (saith the Apostle) we are [ 1] yet in our sins, and our preaching is in vain. 2. To give us power to rise [ 2] to a new life. 3. To assure us of our Resurrection.

[ 3] O then, who shall lay anything to the charge of Believers? Its Christ that is dead, nay, rather which is risen again, for whom therefore there's no evil remaining: They shall have power given them to walk in holiness of life, as the Zion, graft into a stock, receiveth juice and life therefrom; yea, they shall enjoy a comfortable and joyful Resurrection: Contrarily, miserable is the case of the wicked; their debt is all on the File against them, they shall rise but to their cost and smart, to a dreadful judgment, when they shall stand trembling, and wishing that the hills might fall on them, on them the second death shall have power: Now they lie snorting, neither will be awakened by our preaching, notwithstanding their present and approaching misery.

The duties which are hereupon to be performed, are, 1. In imitation [ 1] of Christ's Resurrection, in a spiritual manner to rise out of the graves of our lusts and sins, to a new and holy life: O awake thou [ 2] that sleepest! the Word is appointed for this end. 2. To endure any thing, rather then to be deprived hereof: The faithful in Heb. 11. endured racking, and would not be delivered therefrom with an ill conscience, [ 3] that they might have a better and joyful Resurrection. 3. Set our affections on those things which are above. Thus of his Resurrection.

Verse 19.

By which also he went and preached to the Spirits in Prison:

Verse 20.

Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the Ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

THe Apostle proceeds to comfort the faithful that suffer for Righteousness sake: He had said before, That as Christ rose again after his sufferings, and had a good end of them, so shall all that suffer for his sake: Now, lest this should be doubted of, he showeth how it cometh to pass, namely, by the help, assistance and power of the Spirit of God; who as he shown himself mightily in Christ's person, so hath and will in his members: and for instance, he looks back a great while ago, when long before Christ's coming, the Spirit shown himself to the confusion of the wicked and disobedient, and to the comfort and deliverance of God's servants; as Noah, whom as this Spirit enabled to preach the to wicked world, so they disobeying and mocking him, the same Spirit preserved and saved in the common destruction: And therefore if the Spirit of God shown himself so in the people of God, for their good so long ago, then we need not fear, but that he will much more show himself in and with us, inasmuch as now the Spirit is bestowed in a larger and fuller manner, then before our Saviors coming into the world: Now he reckons this, rather then any other example, because it was a famous one, both of convicting the wicked world, and preserving the servants of God in such a bad time, and because it was so long ago. I come to the meaning of the words.

By which (his Spirit) namely, his Godhead and Divine Nature, which raised him from the dead, He went and preached, namely, by the mouth and ministry of Noah, To the Spirits in prison, even them that be now and were in Peters time Spirits and Souls in Hell, but when Noah preached, were disobedient men and women, when God seeing the notorious corruption of the times, threatened to destroy the world with a flood, if they did not repent: To them Noah preaching, both by word, and by deed also, in preparing the Ark, they not being moved hereat, nor at the long suffering of God, were at the length drowned, Noah only and his wife, with his three sons, and their three wives being preserved in the Ark.

This Scripture hath suffered (as Mr. Luther saith of the Lord's Prayer) much Martyrdom by false interpretations, and erroneous constructions, whereof that of the Papists is most gross.

They understand it thus, that Christ being dead, in his soul went down to the lower parts of the world, where be four several places together, one above another, Limbus patrum, Limbus puerorum, Purgatory, and Hell, which is the lowest and hottest of all; that Christ went into Limbus patrum, to fetch out all the godly Fathers that died from the beginning til his coming, and all such as in Noah 's time seeing the flood come, indeed repented, and went to Purgatory, and had there suffered all; and so were gone into Limbus patrum also, to deliver the souls then in Purgatory; and into the lowest part, namely Hell, to Preach to the convicting of the Reprobates there, &c.

But though in truth Christ had done thus (which yet he never did) this proves no such matter, will afford no such sense: for 1. By Spirit, [ 1] whereunto the word which hath relation, is not meant Christ's soul, but his Godhead; not his soul, for then it was, that Christ was quickened in his soul, or by his soul, but neither can be true; not in his soul, for his soul never died, nor was mortal; not by the soul, for it was not the soul that raised him again, but the power of God that joined them both together, as the Scripture testifieth: and that his Godhead is hereby meant, will appear by the like places, as Rom. 1. 3, 4. 2 Cor. 13. 4. 1 Tim. 3. 16. where that which our Apostle calls flesh, Saint Paul calls infirmity; and what he calls the power of God, our Apostle calls the Spirit, both which are in effect one. 2. Hereby [ 2] cannot be meant the Fathers and godly, for he speaks only of the disobedient and Reprobate ones. 3. He speaks only of those that [ 3] lived in Noah 's time, and no other age of the world. 4. This Prison [ 4] was an unhappy and miserable place, and not Abraham's bosom, nor the place of the Fathers. 5. Even after our Saviors Resurrection, when [ 5] our Apostle wrote this, they were then still in Prison, therefore Christ had not delivered them, nor fetched them out, but they that had been there, were there still: And where they say he went to Preach to the Reprobates, this will not stand neither; for he speaks here only of the Reprobates of Noah 's time, and why should Christ in his soul go unto them, rather then unto any other? Besides, to Preach to them, and do them no good, nor intend any, is against the nature & end of preaching.

But that there are any such places as Limbus patrum, Limbus puerorum, or Purgatory, the Scripture gives not any inkling. 1. That the Fathers went to no such place, is certain, but that their souls loosed by death, went to Heaven; Jesus Christ, yesterday, today, [ 1] and the same forever: They had the same benefit by Christ (as we) [ 2] after their death. 2. They also believed in Christ as well as we, Abraham saw my day and rejoiced: They ate the same Spiritual meat, and drank the same Spiritual drink, and so were partakers of the same benefits of Christ. 3. Their Spirits went to God that gave them; they [ 3] enter into peace, and so not into the Prison. 4. Abraham's bosom into which Lazarus was carried by the Angels, was above, not beneath, [ 4] an happy, not a miserable place; Christ therefore went not to fetch them out thence, there being no such place.

For Purgatory, they say, there's such a place in the brim of Hell, where the pains be almost as bad as Hell pains, and the fire as hot, into which are sent the souls of the godly, that die in faith and repentance, but yet have not suffered the punishment of their sins in this world, therefore must make up their sufferings in Purgatory (for they teach, that for our sins and punishments both committed before Baptism, Christ suffered, but for those after Baptism, though Christ takes away the sins, yet the punishment must be suffered by ourselves, and that partly in this life by penances, &c. and the rest by suffering in Purgatory; & that for every sin is due seven years of payment in Purgatory, and therefore the Pope gives Pardons, sometimes for fifty, sometimes for an hundred years, &c. and therefore they say Masses for the souls of them that have been dead many 100 years; and when they have suffered for all their sins, & paid the utmost farthing, then come the souls out; & after they have been a while refreshed in a fair green field, full of pleasant flowers, which is hard by Purgatory, then they go up to Heaven; notwithstanding, oftentimes through the mercy of the Popes, those pains are mitigated. We say, 1. That as they themselves do not agree about the place, &c. So neither is it otherwise grounded, but on unwritten [ 1] verities: The Scriptures mention but two places, whereinto the souls go immediately after death, Heaven, which is for the godly, and Hell, which is for the ungodly; for the godly, that they do immediately go into an happy place, all the Scriptures sound; with Simeon, they depart in peace, go not to Purgatory, scorching pains; Christ is to them, as in life, so in death, advantage: Having finished their course, henceforth there's laid up for them a crown of righteousness: They have, after the dissolution of their earthly Tabernacle, a building of God, an house not made with hand, eternal in the Heavens; Christ hath prayed for them, that they may be where he is, even in Heaven: The thief on the right hand had as much need to have gone to Purgatory as any other, yet on that day wherein he died, he was with Christ in Paradise. Blessed are they which die in the Lord, saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labors: After death, presently comes the judgment, that every man shall stick to. Among all those things which God spake to Moses, there's not a word of this; among all the Sacrifices that God ordained, there were none appointed for souls in Purgatory; and amongst all the cleansings and purifyings of all kind of impurities of Leprosy and Issues, &c. there's not a word of this: What, was God so unmindeful of his Church and people then? Neither is there in all the New Testament any word for it. 2. What a wretched thing is it to hold, that our sufferings should satisfy the wrath of God, and punishment of our sins, when the least sin deserves eternal destruction both of soul and body. And for their distinction, that Christ's death gives power to the pains of Purgatory to satisfy, is an idle and ridiculous conceit. 3. To say that Christ should satisfy for our sins, and take them away, but not our punishment, is it not a wicked abuse of God's justice? where he forgives the sin, doth he not also forgive the punishment? True, he chastens his servants, but they are no part of satisfaction of his justice, only a means to prevent sin to come, and humble for that which is past; as if I had a quarrel against a man, I might forgive him, and yet if I see him in an Appoplexy or Swoon, I may hit him a blow to fetch him again. The truth is, Purgatory was devised, partly of a blind and curious devotion of some Monks, that thought that they that had some beginnings (as they thought) of goodness, and so died, it were no reason they should be damned, &c. who were therefore to be purged in Purgatory, and so come to Heaven; and that seeing most men have much sin in them, even when they die, it were unreasonable they should go straight to Heaven, for no unclean person shall come there, and therefore they must suffer and be cleansed in Purgatory: Who doth not see the absurdity of these conceits, when the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth in him shall not be condemned; & that whosoever dieth in the Faith, all their sins and corruptions are done away, and they received into Heaven: But principally the Pope and his Clergy out of covetousness, were chief founders hereof; for hereby they did infinitely enrich themselves, and everywhere enjoyed the very fat in the Land: It was devised for the pampering of the living, not the punishing or purging of the dead: Through their covetousness, meeting with the people's ignorance, Purgatory was hatched.

But what a cruelty is this of the Pope, who hath power, as he saith, to deliver as many as he lists out of Purgatory, & yet will suffer so many so long to lie there frying? But he knows well what he doth; if he should make it too common, or let out too many, then would the people care the less, and say, Though I go to Purgatory, yet the Pope of his clemency will deliver me, and so I mean to give my goods and lands to my children, and not beggar my posterity by giving them for Pardons or Masses, &c. Thus indeed their trade would go down.

1. This may stir us up to give thanks to God for his mercy, in delivering us from those cousenages, and revealing unto us his truth: We ought to be so much the forwarder in every duty towards the worship of God, the Ministers maintenance, the poor, &c. you save it an hundred times over, through the preaching of the Gospel truly: Its a foul fault in people, that they cannot be content thus to enjoy their goods & lands, and leave them to their children (which they could not do) but pull and rake from the Minister, care not how little they allow him; yea, and are so miserable, as they will scarce allow their part to keep the house of God upright, or in decent sort, neither give the poor without grudging, or upon necessity.

It may comfort the godly; There is no delaying place by the way, to keep them from the joys of Heaven.

3. It may teach men in any wise to look to themselves how they live, for as soon as the breath is out of them, they go presently to the place where they shall abide forever; as the Tree falls, so it shall lie.

Neither went he down to Hell to preach to the Reprobates; for as its absurd for one soul to preach to another, so preaching is to do some good, and thereby only to do hurt is against the end thereof: But, say they, he only went and preached experimentally by his presence, and shown himself to them to convict them, but they were already sufficiently convicted, condemned, and put in their place of torment; if Christ should have gone thither to convict them again, they were not sufficiently convicted before: But if they say he went to triumph over the Reprobate there, &c. it may be answered, That he triumphed on the Cross, and shall triumph over the Reprobates mightily on the day of Judgment. I proceed unto the Doctrines of the Text.

By which also he went and Preached,] Here note,

1. That when God's faithful Ministers Preach, its the Spirit of God that preacheth in them: Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost; He that heareth you ( saith our Savior ) heareth me.

1. Therefore Ministers must endeavor so to preach, that it may appear unto all, that its the Spirit of God which Preacheth in them; their matter must be sound, and wholly agreeable to the will of God; and for the manner, it must not be with enticing words of man wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power; we must not seek ourselves, but God's glory in the Salvation of our people: Such as for their matter Preach contrary to the Word, its not the Spirit of God which Preacheth in them, but the Spirit of Error; and for the manner, such as use a dark kind of Preaching, or curious and quaint terms, or in such sort as the people cannot understand or profit, do they woo for Christ, or rather do they not speak for themselves? Such kind of Preaching is blasted and cursed of God, and the Preachers thereof shall have their reward accordingly.

2. Let people know, that when they come to the Word, they come not to hear such a man (whosoever he be) but to hear what the Spirit of God saith to them; a great privilege: we must therefore prepare ourselves rich accordingly with all reverence and fear (as having to do with God himself) laying the same to heart, and endeavoring to be profited thereby, in yielding obedience thereto: O how many come hand over head, sit sleeping at Church, and are no whit moved with whatsoever is said? Did we but believe that it were God's Spirit that did Preach to us, we would give better heed. If we speak according to the Word in rebuking you for your sins, you are not to fret, and say, O somebody hath told him hereof, or he doth this of ill will; but acknowledge, that its God's Spirit which rebukes you, and that God is there indeed.

3. God's people may be comforted by the promises delivered in the Word (as the wicked may be terrified by the threatenings thereof) They shall come to pass, for that the Spirit of truth hath uttered them.

2. That God will find a time to right things, when they be disordered: Though the wicked may prevail for a time, and iniquity abound and overflow, yet will the Lord in his due time come to visit and reform all; Thus did the Lord deal with this people.

Let the godly have patience, and wait God's leisure; and for the wicked, let them be never the lustier for that the Lord is patient, and defers for a time, for he will come to give everyone his due, and will come too soon for their turn.

In prison,] That is, Hell, the place appointed for the souls of the wicked, a fearful place, of God's own preparing, and whereof the Devil is the Jailor. For the wicked,

1. They shall be separate and cast from God, in whose presence stands [ 1] happiness, that as they regarded not his presence here, so hereafter they shall not enjoy it.

2. They shall be cast into the society of Devils and Reprobates, [ 2] whom they have served, and whose society they have loved. Yet

3. Not in their company, to be with them in jollity and merriment, [ 3] &c. as here, but in torments, howling and wailing, &c. those are both intolerable and eternal; their souls are presently after death cast hereinto, as both their bodies and souls, which have been companions together in sin, shall be on the day of Judgment: And for that though many be called, few be chosen; and in the parable of the four kinds of seeds, only one of them was good; as most of the old world perished, so shall and have most of every age of the world: Though Israel be as the sand of the Sea, yet but a remnant shall be saved.

O how might this cool the wicked, the proudest that live in jollity, and set all others at naught! Now they are lusty, and swear, and curse, and do what they list, poor woeful creatures: There is a prison prepared for them, that will pull down the proudest of them; sour sauce to their sweet meat, but most live as if there were no such matter. O what fools be they, that for a few short profits ill gotten, or only sought after, or some transitory pleasure or honor, sell themselves to this woeful place. These count themselves wise, and God's servants fools; but the contrary will be seen one day, and that they themselves were indeed the mad fools.

2. How should this stir up them to be thankful to God, that know themselves freed from this woeful place, and to Christ that hath suffered for them? O what cause have they to rejoice, to walk obediently, and to bear their few short afflictions patiently? and for those that know it not, me thinks they should never be quiet, nor sleep good sleep, till they know they are delivered from this prison.

3. This should make us all, not only careful to save our own souls out of this place, but to do all our endeavor to save others, especially them that be committed to us; as, Ministers to preach diligently, zealously and plainly, to save their people out of Hell, and pull them out of the fire; such as do otherwise, are merciless and cruel; so Magistrates to punish sin zealously, that they might not be condemned hereafter; so must Parents towards their children, by prayer, counsel, education, correction; so must every neighbor do what he can to save his neighbor: If thou doest them no good, yet shall they wish one day that they had been ruled by thee.

Which sometimes were disobedient,] Here's the cause as well of their bodily punishment by the flood, as their eternal judgment in Hell, even for that they were disobedient to the Commandments of God, and among the rest, to the Ministry of Noah: This is aggravated from the length of God's patience shown towards them (though God told them how long he would wait, yet did not they hereby become the wiser) and by the real sermon which they had, which was, the building of the Ark: They had both time and means to have repented, but not repenting, their sin was the greater, and so was their judgment.

Q. Were all, save those eight here mentioned, drowned?

A. The Text is plain, that all were drowned.

Q. Were all those that were drowned damned?

A. It is said, That the earth was filled with cruelty, they are also termed the world of the ungodly; and its likely that if any had been openly known to have been good, the Lord would have preserved them that they should not have perished in the waters with the rest; yet its possible that even among them that were drowned, there might be some good, and it were hard if we conclude that all were damned; some were youths, some infants, not capable of sin, some not born, whereof some might belong to God. Again, it might be (though not very likely) that some might repent in truth when they saw the flood come. However, most no doubt were utterly cast away forever, yet some might be saved eternally, though they had part in the bodily punishment; as Cain a Reprobate had part in the temporal deliverance, and yet perished eternally. Hence perceive

1. The exceeding and almighty power of God, that was able thus to take vengeance of the impiety of the world, even of such an infinite multitude, by such a judgment; theres no power nor counsel against him: He is the Lord of Hosts, and hath all Creatures in Heaven and Earth to use to preserve his, and to destroy his Enemies; even from the Angel which destroyed Senacharibs host, to the very lice and worms, fire, air, earth, hail, blasting, mildew, lions, bears, &c. are at his command; there's no Creature so mean, which he cannot use to destroy the very proudest Tyrant: How should this strike terror into the heart of every wicked man, and make him humble himself at the footstool of the Lord, and break off his sins by unfeigned repentance. The people of Tyrus and Sidon feared Herod, because he could hurt the Land, who yet himself was worms meat; God can plague and destroy a thousand ways: What art thou that rebellest against thy Maker, the Lord of the whole world, who hath Heaven and Earth, and Hell at his command, and all Creatures in them? He is able to plague thee which way soever he will, every hour of the day: He is able by the greatest, by the meanest also of his Creatures to destroy thee, as he can also immediately by himself: But if he let all these alone, he is able to find enough in thine own bowels to torment thee, some ill humor in thine own body or bowels to vex and weary thee; any tooth in thy head may drive thee to extremity of pain, thine own thoughts may take away sleep from thee; yea, drive thee into desperation, as it befell Judas. Most Princes if a great many be in a transgression or rebellion, either cannot resist them, or if they could, dare not put them all to death, for fear of rising, or want of Subjects; its not so with the Lord, he hath no need of men; if they rebel against him, he will cut them off, if they be never so many, he fears not: O let none sin with the multitude, thinking to be hidden or escape, for God hath judgments enough, and hath prepared Hell large enough, though there be never so many that rebel against him.

2. The wonderful justice of God, and how he hates sin, that thus revenged it upon the whole world: This is a part of his name; he will not account the wicked innocent: He is a God that hateth and abhorreth iniquity, and hath shown it in all ages of the world: He hath storehouses of judgments here against the wicked, and hath prepared for them a prison and place of torment for them hereafter. This should now make them tremble and fear, hate sin and repent of it: He hath done justice on the whole world, and dost thou think to scape? The world makes an Idol of him, all of mercy; such examples as this, and that upon the Israelites in the Lamentations, and many other, show his justice; and this is such a dreadful example of God's justice, as should make all the world to tremble. If we should see an hundred men executed together, how would it daunt us? what will it then to consider, that thousands thousands are sent into Hell?

If any shall think that of those which were drowned there might some be saved eternally, because oftentimes God's servants be taken away in common calamities, let them learn, 1. To judge charitable of men taken away in such cases. 2. Not to promise themselves any certain freedom from outward calamities; howsoever, we must not voke God hereunto, but yet herein to commend ourselves to God, as which shall not hurt our souls: Though we be wrapped among the wicked in some bodily affliction, yet lets be of good comfort, we shall not be so at the day of Judgment, we shall be delivered from eternal punishment.

But disobedience is as the forerunner of destruction, its as the sin of Witchcraft; he who is the Lord of the whole world, and requireth obedience of all, cannot endure that men should contemn and disobey the admonitions of his Word, whereby they are called to repentance: This is men's destruction, see 2 Chron. 36. 16. Isa. 1. 5. Hos. 5. 4. Mat. 23. 23.

This may serve to awaken this woeful world, that is set upon disobedience. Most men do what they list, and follow their own lusts, as if there were no Law, nor any had to do with them; yea, though God call upon them, and send his Ministers unto them, yet they will not give their minds to repentance, but harden their hearts: Oh, those carry a badge of their destruction, and a mark whither they are going, a certain forerunner of judgment here, or to be sure of eternal destruction hereafter: He that lives in a flat disobedience of any Commandment, and in any known sin, is in the state of damnation: He that committeth sin is of the Devil. If thou livest in impenitency under the Word, know that thy judgment sleepeth not.

For their particular disobediences, their licentious living, their security and carelessness, their following of their lusts, their intemperancy in eating and drinking, their oppression and cruelty one towards another, &c. they be the common sins of our times, and therefore we may justly fear some heavy judgment, which in likelihood for those few sakes amongst us which fear God, hath been all this while kept off us. What marrying now only for beauty, there being no regard had of Religions, and whence this Gyantly generation (not in stature, but lewdness) springeth? How are some set only upon pleasures, some upon their profits; and what wrestling and clambering is there to get preferment? most care not whom they tread under, so they be aloft.

When once the long suffering of God waited] This aggravates their sin, that they continued disobedient, notwithstanding God did both wait for their repentance, and set them a time of One hundred and twenty years, but nothing would do them good: Thus did he to them, thus to this Nation, thus to every particular, person of us.

1. They that have received grace and are converted should be thankful to God for his great patience towards them before their calling: Oh, everyone of us have much cause of thankfulness this way: Oh, if God had cut us off in our sins, and days of our vanity, yea, after many a warning that we despised, we had now been howling without hope, with the damned spirits in Hell; yea, if God had taken away his Gospel and Peace from us but within these few years, nay haply within this twelve months, in which time God hath shined into our hearts, and hath had mercy on us, how miserable had been our condition?

2. Others that are not as yet converted, must make use of this patience, through their timely repentance: But alas, most do abuse it to the quite contrary; O how fearful will their case be, which having had experience of God's long suffering these twenty, thirty, forty, fifty years, yet abide in their old sins? If their judgment was the greater by the abuse of this patience, then what shall those amongst us, which have had longer patience, and a thousand times more means? The time allotted them, an hundred and twenty years, was not above the third part of the life of a man then, which being compared with that hath been allotted us, and the usual time wherein men now live, it will appear, that by way of proportion, we have had far more; and besides the sermons of the Prophets, of Christ and his Apostles, we have had faithful sermons from the faithful Ministers of God: Those of the old world shall rise up in judgment against us, as also Sodom and Gomorrah, and shall speed far better then we. O therefore, lets abuse the patience of God no more, but today, whilst it is called today, not to harden our hearts, &c. Oh, do we this the rather, because God hath set the time how long he will bear with us, which if it should once be out, it would be then too late for us, he would bear with us no longer, but would either snatch the Gospel from us, or us from it by death, or give us over to hardness of heart, never to be moved, or to feel our misery, but when it is too late, as it befell Esau, and the foolish Virgins: Therefore it is said here,

Once the long suffering of God, &c.] That is, it being out, there was no longer time to be granted, nor though they had cried, would God have heard, and so we may suspect, that there were but a few (if any at all) which either repented when they saw the flood come, or whom (though they cried) the Lord regarded, for that the time set was then expired.

In the days of Noah,] Here Noah's name remaining up record, honorably registered: He saith not in the days of any of the Giants, whose names are all buried, but in the days of Noah; God vouchsafes not so much as to name them.

In the Scriptures the godly are spoken of to their honor, but the wicked are either not named at all, or else to their disgrace, and their brand: Jeroboam that made Israel to sin, Ahab that sold himself to work wickedness, wicked Athaliah, that cursed woman Jezebel, Judas that betrayed him, &c. or with their sins at large to their eternal reproach: But how sweet is the memorial of the godly mentioned in Scripture? as of Mary Magdalene, Lazarus, &c. In Stories also we have the names not only of famous Ridley, Latimer, Cranmer, &c. but even of meaner men, and not only of men, but of women also, yea, and of those, even of poor ones, who are worthily reported of; whereas the names of their persecutors, are either altogether unknown, or if they be spoken of, as Bonner, Gardener, and others, its with stopping the nose, &c.

How may the servants of God be comforted? though haply they are mean in the world, yet their names be written in Heaven, and shall abide, when the names of the wicked shall rot: Labor then to be Religious and godly, that ye may be well reported of alive and dead; else if ye be wicked, ye shall have an ill report in the Church of God whilst ye live, and leave a stinking memorial behind you when ye are dead, both which are fearful.

While the Ark was a preparing,] Another thing whereby their disobedience is aggravated, that it was even then, while they saw Noah busy in making an Ark, which might have admonished them of the flood, for he in Faith made it, obeying the Commandment of God: He believed what God had threatened, but so did not they.

1. Note here, That if Noah because of the flood threatened, made an Ark to save himself from it, as God had commanded; its our duty much more, as I may say, to prepare an Ark, and use the means to save ourselves from drowning in Hell, the pit of perdition. There is a certain flood of destruction, whereinto all such shall fall, as have not before got into the Ark, as all that were out of this Ark perished. The making of this in likelihood, was a matter of great cost, of great toil, and without doubt he had many a mock for his labor when he went first about it, and whilst he continued working at it, yet went he on: As that was for the body, so are Faith and Repentance for the soul; whosoever have these shall never perish, but have everlasting life: For these we must labor, whatsoever pains they cost us; yea, and if it were to hinder our outward estate hereupon, and expose ourselves to mockings and revilings: Whosoever misseth of these, whatsoever else they have, shall questionless perish; the word tells it, and we are to believe it.

1. This rebukes the monstrous folly and madness of the world. God's Ministers, his Noah's, preach the flood, and persuade every man to make ready his Ark; but alas, how few look after any such matter, nay (as in the old world) they rather mock at those that do, or that take pains to hear the Word, which is the way to get Faith, or that take pains to lead a godly life; O these precise fellows, they be so holy, and these Scripture fellows, they be so holy, as they will be in heaven ere their bones be cold, &c. whereby it appears, that (as Lots sons in Law about the destruction of Sodom ) they believe no flood at all, no judgment at all to come; or else haply they think it an easy matter to make an Ark at any time, either thinking that some easier and nearer may be found then by Faith and Repentance (as those that hope to be saved by their good meaning, good prayers, civil life, &c. which will assuredly deceive them) or that they are easy to be obtained: Was Noah One hundred and twenty years in making an Ark to save him from drowning in the waters, and can they at pleasure, and on the sudden, make an Ark to save them from Hell, and to get into Heaven; as most hope by Lord have mercy upon me to be saved? But as no doubt, many used sundry shifts to save themselves when the flood came, and none prevailed but the Ark, so shall it be with all such: O what if the flood should now come (as it may ere the morrow) is your Ark ready or not? If it be not, defer the time no longer: No man knows that he shall live One hundred and twenty days, or a quarter so long; yet though Noah knew he should live so many years, he did not defer the time, delay the making of the Ark: It will not be done on the sudden, and after this life there's no making of any; as there was no hewing of timber or stone in the Temple, but all in Mount Lebanus: Look to it therefore betimes, regard neither the costs nor pains you may be put to: Its no matter so you be saved.

2. This may comfort them that have their Ark prepared, though thousands and ten thousands perish, yet they shall not do amiss, but be preserved and saved as Noah; then shall not we weigh what pains we have taken to make it, to hear the Word, to humble ourselves, to repent, &c. And have not others taken as much pains for transitory things, that will vanish and never do them good? and though you have been mocked, yet will the time come, when those mockers will change their note.

Again, in that they saw and heard of this Ark a building, which ought to have been a real Sermon to them, yet were not moved, their sin becoming hereby the greater.

2. Note, That when God adds to his Word Examples, and to the Ministry real Sermons also, these ought much to prevail, which when they do not, as well the sin as the judgments of the Delinquents become the more fearful; for the more means men have, if they profit not thereby, the greater will be their judgment, as our Savior said of Chorazin and Bethsaida. When God threatens to plague wicked men, it should make them stand in awe, but when they see the same, it cannot but pierce more: To this end, though God hath left some part of Scripture in Precepts and Doctrines, yet hath he left most in Story and Example, accordingly the Prophets used both: Therefore when God in his Word exhorts to diligence in laboring after Salvation, and to lead an holy life, this ought much to move; but when men see Examples of such people before their eyes, this ought to move the more.

This condemns the notorious obstinacy of our times, that notwithstanding the Word God adds so many examples of his judgments on wicked men, more by far then we could have looked for in the days of the Gospel; as untimely ends upon Drunkards, and notorious profane persons, &c. that would take no warning; yea, haply of a dozen of them which have been in a Town, cut off by one judgment or other, yet who fears? nay, do not others continue in the same state (as some old Drunkards) without amendment, as other new ones grow up every day? The like may be said of other sins: Belshazzar profited not by the judgments of God on his Father, as most do not by any judgment on others: What answer have they to make, and what judgment waiteth them, that have had many examples, and yet never the better? so of notorious covetous gripers, oppressors, rakers, how blockishly and fearfully they have died, with the miserable end of their goods? either woefully wasted by drunkards, or dispersed to those that never sweat for them, yea oftentimes to their very enemies; who seeth not? yet who are moved hereat? let these look for greater judgments; so when God raiseth up many godly Christians, that earnestly labor after their salvation, taking great pains to hear the Word and to live godly, most receive no profit by these real examples and Sermons, but some mock at them, and think them more precise then needs; as others are blockish, and are no whit moved thereby: They might think with themselves when they see some such take such pains, that there is somewhat in it, some ill to be avoided, some good to be obtained, some great matter that should move these people to take such pains; surely (might they say) its not for nothing, they have business as well as we, which they could tend if a greater thing were not in the way; its not for nothing that they thus weary themselves. But most do not understand or consider thus much with themselves, and yet God hath raised up such as lights to draw on others; and they that be not won by the Word, nor moved by the examples of the godly, their answer will be fearful: Little do these people think that those that have travelled by their doors, wet and dry, and come through their grounds to hear the Word, shall one day be their Judges; It had been happy for them, if they had dwelt further off.

3. In that this ark did betoken the judgment of God to come, and yet they feared nothing; Note, that wicked men fear not God's judgments, Thus was it with the Sodomites, with Lots sons in law, with the Israelites: This is indeed a token of a wicked man, as being an argument of unbelief, Atheism, and hardness of heart, and that they are mad on their sins; These are sure to fall into destruction.

This condemns the common unbelief and impenitency of most men, for though they hear God's judgments denounced against sinners, and that they hang over the pit of Hell, and that he will judge Whoremongers, and Adulterers, &c. and that no such shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, and that they are thieves for every bit of bread they eat, & that if they come to the Sacrament without their wedding Garment, they shall be bound hand and foot, &c. yet they fear no colors, but go on like blind Bayard. People were of old afraid of Purgatory, but these are not, whatsoever can be said of Hell, or the day of God's dreadful judgment: But they that now fear them least, shall one day feel them most; whereas God's Servants, which tremble and humble themselves, with David, Habakkuk, and Josiah, hiding themselves with God, shall escape, and they that fear them least before they come, and are boldest in sin, they are most stricken with horror, and most cowardly, when they come, as Ahaz, Saul, Belshazzar, &c.

Wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water,] Here's the proper use and end of the Ark, The preservation of Noah and his Family from drowning: By souls we are to understand men and women, and by being saved, their temporal deliverance.

1. In that the Ark preserved them, and was not overturned with the raging of the waters, and that Noah with his were not choked, being so long there with beasts. Note, That

What God will have a thing to do, though it seem never so weak, or unlikely, yet it shall be sufficient to effect it, as Samson's jaw-bone, the compassing of Jericho, Daniel's pulse which he eat, the Whales belly for Jonah, Jordan to cleanse Naaman; so by the foolishness of Preaching, by the Ministry of a few mean men (to speak of in comparison) to convert the Gentiles, &c. If God shut up Noah in the Ark, he shall be safe enough; yea, and how many poor live and prosper with a short and bare allowance, and many of them in sickness, get up with poor help and means? O the happy condition of God's Servants, what means soever they have, if God bless the same, they shall suffice to do them good! Hereof, how often in time of danger when means have failed, or weak means only were to be had, have we had experience?

2. In that Noah with six other righteous persons besides himself were preserved. Note

Both the reward of righteousness (though not for merit, but God's mercy) and what a dignity and privilege it is to be righteous; one such is more worth, then ten thousand others: As they are the glory, the wicked are the dross; so do they find, that godliness hath the promises both of this life, and that which is to come.

O what a provocation and encouragement ought this to be unto us, to labor to approve ourselves to God, to be righteous in God's sight, and to walk with him! Such shall be preserved from all evil of body and soul; for those that be otherwise, they lie open to all judgments here, and to eternal destruction hereafter: O that men could believe the odds between the one and the other!

Cham, being with his Father in the Ark, was preserved from the Flood, but after was cursed and condemned for his sin, and is in Hell. Note, both that

Its good to be near the godly; The place, and they that be with them, fare the better for their sake, as Laban for Jacob's, and Potiphar for Josephs, wicked Jehoram for Jehoshaphat’s, all in the Ship for Paul's, and here Cham for Noah's, and none can be saved by any other bodies goodness: The soul that sinneth shall die, and everyone shall be saved by his own Faith: Cham perished though he had Noah to his Father, who was such a good man. Note further, That

Though the wicked both may and do often escape bodily dangers (as Cham did) yea live, wax old, and grow in wealth, &c. yet they shall not escape the everlasting judgment of God for their sins: While they continue their sins, (whatsoever their prosperity be) their judgment sleepeth not, neither doth their damnation slumber.

4. In that of those which were saved from drowning, being but few, yet one was not saved eternally. Note, That

It ever hath been, is and will be, that a very few have been or shall be saved; thus you see it was in the old world: So was it under the Law, when all the Nations lived without God in the world, only God was known in Jury, yea, though Israel was as the sand of the sea, yet but a remnant of those were saved: How few in the wilderness, but were disobedient? how few under the Prophets, but were idolatrous and stiff-necked? In the days of Christ, where was faith to be found? and now (not to speak of the Jews, Turks, and Pagans) even among Christians, doth not the love of most wax cold? Narrow is the way to Heaven, and there be few that find it; Many are called, but few are chosen. God's people are a little Flock; Faith and Repentance (without which none can be saved) be so difficult things, as few attain them. An Hypocrite and civil man may go far, but come far short: If indeed to speak two or three good words at ones death, were a sign of repentance (as numbers hold) or Heaven were so easily come by, in vain did God's Servants humble themselves, and labor to cleanse themselves in innocence. I would never care for coming into Heaven, if it were so easily obtained; as the Arian at Norwich, about to be Executed, said to one standing by, Do you think Christ would forgive me, if I did confess and believe in him, and acknowledge him? O saith the party, without all doubt he would: To whom the Arian, If your Christ be so easily to be entreated, I will never believe in him: But not everyone that saith, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: Faith and Repentance, with the change of a man, is the greatest work in the world. Though we cannot judge the precise number of those which shall be saved, neither yet who they are, yet generally this is true, That in the visible Church, but a few shall be saved.

We must not therefore content ourselves to do as most do, or the rest of our Neighbors do, but rather as the fewest do, else we can never enter into Heaven, or be saved; we must crowd, and strive hard, and labor to be of the number of those few which shall be saved; we must give all diligence hereunto, seek after this, cry for this; we must not content ourselves with any shadows of grace, but seek after true grace, which is to salvation; we must not content our selves to be of the family of the righteous, but must labor and find that we ourselves are righteous.

5. In that he termeth those eight which were saved Souls (by which word also elsewhere men and women be meant) which is not at any time given unto any other Creature: Note, that

Men and women be more excellent then all other Creatures; they have reasonable souls, and so capable of the mysteries of God, of the image of God, of the graces of his spirit, and immortal souls, and so capable of living in glory forever.

1. If God hath bestowed infinite more cost on man then on all other Creatures, how should we by serving God with our reason, and having our souls adorned and filled with the gifts of the Spirit of God, labor to excel them? O the miserable and base madness of most men, who though being endued with reason, they are apt to serve God best, and may observe all Creatures serving them in their kind, yet rebel against him, and so become indeed void of reason! And how do most let their souls lie unfurnished of saving knowledge, and other graces, like brute beasts: Happy they had been beasts, God made them men, but they live like beasts that perish.

2. Our care must be more for our souls then our bodies; Those be immortal, shall live even when parted from the body: O the folly of most people, that toil and care for transitory things, as profits and pleasures, food and raiment, but have no care for anything that is eternal; God gave them souls capable of immortal glory, and they have so neglected the seeking hereof, as that they must die eternally, and be in woe forever.

Noah and the old world were a right picture of the good and bad in our age; while he was carefully workiug, they took their pleasure, but in the end he was saved and they drowned: So now the servants of the Lord, they knowing their sin and danger, they spend their time in mourning and humbling their souls, and in making of an ark of Faith and true Repentance, wherein to save themselves from the flood of God's wrath, which they know they have deserved: They take pains to hear, read, pray▪ mortify their affections and lusts, abridge themselves of many profits and pleasures, having many reproaches from men, and hard measures, yea, it may be crosses and afflictions from God to further them in a good course; while in the mean time the common sort they follow the swinge of their own hearts, and do what they list, they follow their profits and pleasures like Esau, and often escape afflictions, and have great prosperity, so that one would think their case happy in comparison of the state of the people of God: But mark the end, time will come, that the people of God shall be saved, and escape drowning, when the jolly world shall fall into the pit of eternal perdition: So the children of God begin in tears, but they end in joy, whereas the wicked begin here in jollity, but must end in eternal howling; which of these is the best, choose the first or the last, that which perisheth, or that which endureth to life eternal.

Verse 21.

The like figure whereunto, even Baptism, doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God) by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

HEre the Apostle showeth, That those of old had Types of their Salvation as well as we; for the preservation of Noah in the Ark from the flood, when the world was drowned, was a Type and Figure of their eternal Salvation from the flood of God's wrath, by the Messiah to come: To which Type of theirs, we have another correspondent answering Type, or Antitype, a Type fitly answering, and like theirs, even Baptism, which is a sign and seal of our eternal salvation, and so is said to save us. It saveth us, that is, sealeth up our salvation; not that the outward Baptism, that is, the washing of the body with water, doth save (for that Hypocrites may have) but the inward, that is, the pardon of our sins in Christ's blood, and purging our nature by Sanctification; whereof being assured by Faith, we have a good conscience, and hereby have boldness to make demand, and challenge of God eternal Salvation, which God cannot deny, having so covenanted in Baptism to the believer; and hereunto we attain, not by the work wrought, or our being Baptized, but by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, his death purchasing it, and his resurrection witnessing the same; whereof this last, which is the complement and finishing of the other, is only expressed in this place.

The like figure whereunto, &c.] Here note, That

Throughout all ages the godly have been saved by the same means that we be; we by faith in Christ who is come, as they in him to come: They are the same spiritual meat, and drank the same spiritual drink, only we have a more fuller and clear revelation of him.

Even baptism, doth also now save us, &c.] This is the first Sacrament of the New Testament, and is ordained in the room of Circumcision, as the Lord's-Supper in the room of the Passover; as Circumcision did precede the Passover, so doth Baptism the Lord's-Supper; that being a sign of our ingrafting, this of our growing in the Church; and as amongst the Jews, even Infants were to be circumcised; so amongst us Christians, are Children to be Baptized: Hereof the outward sign is water, whereby the blood of Christ is fitly resembled, which is that effectual water which doth wash and cleanse our souls: It must be pure, not mixed water, in respect of great personages, neither must anything be added thereto, as salt, oil, &c. And the person Baptized, must neither be marked with an hot iron, as amongst the Ethiopians, nor Circumcised, as its the practice of others: In ours, though some things be retained, which some good men have stumbled at, yet they that be so shy of them as to forsake the Church, as the Separatists do, or neglect and omit Baptism, or break the peace of the Church, by seeking to have their Children Baptized elsewhere, they are too bird-eyed, and I think its ignorance and weakness in them; if they were retained, as the Papists used them, putting holiness in them superstitiously; yet if there were no other cause but this, we should not forsake the Church, nor refuse Baptism; much less seeing our Church doth altogether protest against superstition in them, and retains them for order only: The thing signified, is the inward cleansing of the soul, which being impure through sin, is filthy before God, till it be washed by the blood of Christ, and Spirit of Sanctification; yet as there are some which will see no filthiness therein, so are there others, which are so far from seeking to be purged, that they wallow still in the mire of their lusts. By this Sacrament also, theres an inward and Spiritual thing sealed, and grace conveyed, though an unbeliever seeth it not, contrary to the opinion of the Katabaptists, which teacheth it to be a badge only of a Christian profession, and no further; yet are not the sign and the thing signified always and necessarily tied together, and so Baptism doth not save by the work wrought, as the Papists would: Even Reprobates may have the outward Baptism, which yet doth them no good, but rather is a witness against them.

For not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God doth save us,] To believers indeed, both sign and thing signified go together, and they may receive much comfort from their Baptism; as by it make a confident demand of Salvation from God, for they believing and desiring to obey God, there was sealed up in their Baptism, the pardon of their sins and sanctification, both which they may confidently challenge at God's hand, and therewith eternal life: This Sacrament also is our badge and livery of God, and of our holy profession, whereby we differ from Pagans, Turks, Jews, &c.

This is also an instruction to us, to lead a holy life, as we did profess and promise when we were Baptized: This is an help to keep us from sin for the time to come, being provoked thereto, we may answer, that we cannot in respect of our Baptism; yea, this also is useful to raise us up to repentance after we be fallen; and as no doubt it did Noah good every time he saw the Ark, so seeing Baptism saveth us, that is, is a sign to us of our Salvation, we should often meditate thereof, and be glad to be put in mind of the same.

For those which are to Baptize, they must be lawfully called hereunto, and for those which are to be baptized, they are not all men, but they that be within the pale of the Church, neither are beasts, or dead things to be Baptized: The Popish Baptizing of Bells, is an horrible profanation of this Sacrament: Baptism is a sign of Regeneration, neither doth it profit without Faith, therefore none may have it, but they which be capable of Regeneration and Faith: but of these particulars, as also of the Baptism of Infants, the time of Baptism, who are to be present thereat, who to present the child to Baptism, the witnesses, the name, the form and manner, whether Baptism be of absolute necessity to Salvation, whether Johns Baptism, and Christ's were all one, or diverse, with divers the like; I have largely spoken by way of Catechizing.

By the resurrection of Jesus Christ.] Here he showeth that we are not to rest in one Baptism, to find Salvation in it, but to look to the death and resurrection of Christ, whereby our Salvation is purchased and procured, though it be sealed up by Baptism: He puts one for both, his Resurrection, being the accomplishment of our Salvation, and Testification thereof, containing his death under it.

Verse 22.

Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels, and authorities, and powers, being made subject unto him.

HEre follows another Reason to comfort Christians, in suffering for Christ's sake; namely, that he for whom they suffer, and who is their head, is advanced into most high dignity, being ascended into Heaven, and there at the right hand of God, &c. that is, hath all power in Heaven and Earth committed to him in his Church, all Angels, Principalities and Powers, both good and bad, being made subject to him, who therefore can make the good to serve our turn, and can repress the bad, much more can he repress the violence and rage of men, that persecute his people.

Touching the Ascension of Christ, I have shown you what it was, namely, that our Savior having sufficiently manifested the truth of his resurrection, and confirmed his Disciples by the power of his Godhead, and partly by the supernatural property of a glorified body, he left the Earth, and was taken up into the highest Heaven, and there is, and so shall continue till his coming to judgment.

1. That he did ascend, the Scriptures declare unto us, He himself foretold it, first, more darkly, afterward more clearly; then most clearly, when it was at hand: Neither was it without cause, partly because as his Manhood had suffered the lowest abasement, so it might be advanced into the highest glory, and partly that he might also perform such things as were to be performed for the good of his Church, namely, the Application of his death and merits, to those for whom he suffered, and the sending of the holy Ghost, &c.

2. The persons before whom be did ascend, were not the Scribes, Pharisees, and Jews, but his Disciples; those had seen enough already, but not profiting thereby, they were left to themselves; these were to Preach his ascension to all, God having ordained, men rather by hearing then seeing should be saved.

3. The time, not till he had sufficiently proved his resurrection, God's goodness appearing herein, that would have all main points so clear, that they that will not stop their own eyes and ears, might believe. Neither did he ascend till he had comforted his Disciples, against all the troubles they were to meet with, and instructed them in the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God; hereby teaching that all which have charge of others, must be careful to do all the good they possibly can to them that be under their charge, while they be with them, and after to provide to leave them in as good state as possibly they can: Thus should Magistrates (with Moses, who trained up Joshua, to succeed him) Thus should Ministers (with the Apostles Paul and Peter ) Thus also should Householders, Parents, Masters do, that when they themselves shall die, others may succeed them, which may do as much, if not more service in the Church of God, then they did: But who do thus employ their talents for the good of souls? O what a fearful answer have most to make!

4. The place from whence he did ascend, Bethany, or the Mount of Olives, both which were close together; that which was often the place of his mourning, and most sorrow, was now the place of his greatest comfort: Even there where Steven had such mighty adversaries, he had a most clear sight of Heaven open, and of Christ standing at the right hand of God: Even on the bed of sickness, in Prison, in strange countries, &c. where God's people have poured forth most supplications and groans, God hath revealed himself to them more plentifully and clearly then at any time.

5. The benefits are, 1. To lead captivity captive. 2. To give gifts to men. 3. To prepare a place for us. 4. To send his holy Spirit into our hearts. 5. To make intercession for us.

And is on the right hand of God,] In general, 1. He gathers his Church by raising up Christian Kings and Governors, where he hath any Elect. 2. He governs and keeps the same, defeating all subtle plots of his Enemies, and confounding all their devices; Thus did he on the behalf of the Church in Egypt; Thus also by overthrowing Haman's conspiracy; Thus did he by dissipating the Spanish Armado, and defeating the Gunpowder Plot. 3. Exerciseth his Church with crosses, to scour off the rust, which usually long Prosperity brings thereon. In Particular, for the Members of his Church that shall be saved, he gathers them, guides them, and exerciseth them to obedience by crosses, and represseth a great part of the rage of their Spiritual Enemies, strengthening them against the same; and for the Enemies of his Church, he brings confusion upon them, as on Pharaoh, Sennacherib, Haman; Herod, &c. Thus do we also see many Enemies of Christ's Church daily cut off, what else would become of the Church?

Angels, and authorities, and powers, &c.] That is, both good and bad, the good willingly, the others against their will, are subject unto Christ.

1. For the good Angels; If such glorious Creatures be subject to Christ, then

1. How great a one is he, and how glorious is his Kingdom? He that hath Kings and Princes under him, is an Emperor; What's he then, to whom angels, and authorities, and powers, are subject?

2. The greater honor and dignity our head hath, the more joy and comfort may we have, which are his members.

Again, In that he appoints them to watch and guard us, then

1. What a great honor is this to us? as if a plain Country man should dine at a Noble man's Table, and have great Gentlemen with gold Chains to attend him?

2. How may we hereby be comforted and encouraged against Satan's malice.

3. We must keep within compass, and walk carefully in God's ways: we must take heed we do no uncomely thing, lest thereby we make the Angels loath to attend on us, or to carry ill tidings of us to God, or be Messengers of some displeasure against us; They themselves are very zealous for God, and accordingly look that we should so be.

2. For the evil Angels, I shall not need to speak of their number, power, subtlety, malice, watchfulness to do hurt, as neither of their office and work, which is to hinder all good, and further all evil. Note we only,

1. That all these are subject Christ, and he hath triumphed over them.

2. That as its no small honor to him our head to have all these under him; so the meditation hereof cannot but be comfortable to us, both in regard of him and ourselves.

3. That those evil Angels cannot do that evil they would, and if they cannot, much less can their instruments; If even the Devils be subject to him, that they cannot do what they would, much more can he repress the rage of wicked men, notwithstanding both of their malice and power: But of these points I have spoken at large by way of Catechism.

CHAP. IV.

THis Chapter consists of three parts: 1. An Exhortation to Sanctification in general, being the common duty of all Christians, and belonging to all that shall be saved, from Verse 1. to Verse 7. 2. An Exhortation to some particular duties of Sanctification, from Verse 7. to Verse 12. 3. A comfort against persecution, or an encouragement to the suffering of affliction for Christ's and Righteousness sake, from thence to the end of the Chapter.