THE Right Rule of a Religious Life: OR, The Glass of Godliness. Wherein every man may behold his imperfections, how far he is out of the way of true Godliness, and learn to reduce his wandering steps into the paths of true Piety. In certain Lectures upon the first Chapter of the Epistle of S. JAMES. THE FIRST PART.  
By WILLIAM EST Preacher of God's Word.  TIT. 38. 
These things I will thou shouldst affirm, that they which have believed in God might be careful to show forth good works; these things are good and profitable unto men.  
LONDON, Printed by Nicholas Okes, and are to be sold by Richard Lea at his Shop on the North entry of the Royal Exchange. 1616.   

Reverendo Admodum in Christo Patri ac colendo Domino Clarissimo utique viro, GVILLIELMO Episcopo Exoniensi, GVILLIELMUS ESTVS Salutem exoptat precaturque perpetuam.  
QVAM PRIMUM me operi accingere sum aggressus, ut hanc divinissimi Apostoli epistolam ad populum illustrarem; (Reverendissime & Ornatissime Domine) protinùs tot egregijs pietatis documentis refertam, tot tamque varijs & insignibus ad vitam christian instituendam, promovendamque scatentem locis perspexi, ut si quis pro rei dignitate expendere, & exact explicare velit, vix ullum dicendi finem aliquando inveniet & unde exordiri potissimum debeat, planè nescius, haerebit statim vix ultra progredi valens.  
ovid. lib. 5. Fast.  
 stat & incertus, qua sit sibi nescit cundum:  
Cum videt ex omni part viator iter.  
Veluti & in prato quodam varijs floribus ornato, florem omnium pulcherimum fragrantissimumque reperire, & decerpere, non admodum promptum est, ob pulchritudinis & fragrantiae aequalitatem, alio nimirum alias olfactum, & aspectum ad se distrahente, atque adprimùm cum decerpendum alliciente: Hoc illi evenire certum est qui tot argumentorum foecunditate, locorum copia, sententiarum gravitate abundaverit, quot Divinus noster Apostolus suppeditare locupletissimè poterit sagaci & industrio rerum sacrarum porscrutatori. Si itaque Phocion quidam (referent A. Gellio) ex Peripatetica disciplinae haud ignobilis librum suum, si & Philostratus Dione m Sophistam inscripsit & appellavit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 velut omni genere virtutum expolitum; aequiore sane iure huius Apostoli oracula divino afflatu conscripta, cornu copiae appellari meruerunt. Haec quidem cum animo mecum volutare caepi, (praesertim, expertus in hisce exulceratissimis temporibus quam sit periculosum aliquid literis mandare, idemque populo legendum proponere) mihi statim in mentem venit caeptis desistere, ne tanto labori vel saltim invidorum telis succumbere, & cedere sim coactus. Quorum rabidos latratus, rictusque verè caninos, cum multi viri doctissimi, omnique literarum genere excultissimi ti nuerint, opera, ac labores suos perpetuo silentio cum magno Ecclesiae damno, sepelierunt, & obruerunt. Sed quoniam neque ab imperita multitudine pendere, neque invidorum voces pertimescere debent, qui studia & curas ad Dei gloriam, & Ecclesiae emolumentum retulerunt: tandem animum resumpsi & (ut ingenuè fatear) vicit pietatis amor, vicit Deus ipse, ardua quamuis sit via, non metuit virtus invicta laborem, ut olim cecinit poeta. Te autem (Reverendissime vir, mihique multis nominibus colendissime) ex omnibus selegi cui me & labores meos consecrarem, tu enim es, & egregius bonarum literarum fautor, & acerimus religionis propugnator. Itaque ut qui subdío solem non ferunt, in moeniana umbracula se recipiunt: sic certè cum gravissimos aestus invidiae pertimescerē, in tui nominis praesidium me contuli, veritus non defuturos Aristarchos severiores, adversus quos vix tutum invenietur Herculis scutum, è numero praesertim illorum, qui minime dijudicare possunt quid distant aera lupinis, ut dicit Flaccus. Non me clam est, quam sit hoc levidense munusculum magnitudinis tuae impar, verùm fore confido temostrum laborem ut certissimum meae erga te obseruantiae quoddam Mnemosynon approbaturum, nec non ingenij mei (quod sentio quam sit exile) qualemcunque ac penè abortiwm foetum accepturum, gratumque habiturum. Deum Optimum maximum summis deprecor votis, ut te patriae, cathedrae huic, nobisque diú incolumem servet.  
Amplitudini tuae deditissimus, GVILLIELMUS EST.   

¶ To the Christian Reader.  
IT is an usual Apology (Christian Reader) made for the divulging of books: That it was at the motion and urgent importunity of friends; complaining also that the Print is pestered, and the Press oppressed already with an exceeding multitude of Writers: which one rightly compareth unto Guests bidden unto a sumptuous feast, which, for fashion sake, will seem to dislike with the excess and variety of dishes, as superfluous, and yet their appetite invites them to feed on every kind of meat. This excuse is no less trivial than frivolous; and the best Apology (in my judgement) that we can make is, the iniquity of these times, wherein the arrogant Atheist, the lose Libertine, the shallow conceited Schysmatick, the pestilent Papist, the carnal Professor, etc. seem to breath forth their infectious blasts, and proclaim defiance to God's glory, and true Christian piety: This indeed should rouse up, and awake, the Tribe of Levy, to gird their spiritual sword upon their thigh, to fight, the good fight of the Lord, 
1. Tim. 1.18  in season and out of season, against the monsters of this age, by Preaching, Writing, by all means, to labour, Ornare Spartam quam nacti sunt, and strive to cut off the head of this cursed Hydra, and reduce Zion to her perfect beauty, that she may shine as a pure and uncorrupt Virgin to be presented unto her Bridegroom jesus Christ. 
2. Cor. 11.2  This exceeding growth of satans seed, which seemeth to be even ripe for God's revenging sickle, should stir up God's Watchmen (considering the great charge they sustain, and the strict account shall be required at their hands) to be ever vigilant, to stand in the gap, with the sword of the Word ready drawn, lest their Master coming in a day they think not, 
Luk. 12.46 2. Tim. 2.3  and in an hour they are not aware of, finding them secure and careless, shall give them their portion with the unbelievers: This should move us, I say, to be Soldiers, not Sluggards, to stand ever in Palestra, non in Orchestra, To fight the Lords Battle, as the good Soldiers of jesus Christ, and not to fit as idle spectators, taking delight to behold the inundation of iniquity. And this indeed is a just and irrefragable Apology (never gainsaid of any that is truly religious) in defence of myself and others, which in tender zeal of God's glory do enter the lists, and challenge the combat, to encounter with the monstrous sins of this age, by Prayer and Preaching, Writing, and all spiritual Artillery. The Lord give a powerful working to his blessed Word: If there be any which being puffed up with a proud conceit of their own gifts (as these exulcerate times are full of envious Critics, which cannot look with a right eye upon the doings of others, but with their Canine tooth must needs be biting) shall not vouchsafe these my poor labours the reading, let them know I have not laboured for such, but to profit the unlearned, the simple, and ignorant: 
Heb. 5.12. 1. Cor. 3.2. Mat 25.25 Luk. 19.20.  Such as have need of milk and not of strong meat: not hiding my talon in the earth, nor laying it up in a napkin with the unprofitable servant. These first fruits of my labours upon this excellent part of Scripture, I have entitled, The Glass of Godliness, because the Apostle, in this Epistle chief, insisteth upon good works and a godly life, as the inseparable fruits of a lively & justifying faith, wherein every one may see his blemishes, how far exorbitant his steps are from the paths of piety, and endeavour by God's grace to reform the same. And whatsoever thou shalt find defective, or omitted, in this first Part, shall, by God's assistance, be supplied when I come forth with the rest. In the mean time, (Gentle Reader) I request thee diligently to peruse, religiously to use, kindly to accept, and favourably to interpret, this little Mite, which I offer to the Treasury of the Church, in sincerity of heart, for the furtherance of a godly life. And so I conclude with this of the wise son of Sirach: 
Chap. 33.15.16.  I am awaked up last of all, as one that gathereth but after others in the Vintage, 
Tanquam is qui spicas legit post messores.  in the blessing of the Lord I am increased, and have filled my winepress; yet, like a Grape-gatherer, I have not laboured for myself only, but for all them that seek knowledge.  
Thine in the Lord, WILLIAM EST.   

De Speculo Pietatis, GVIL. EST.  

SVnt duo quae coniucta diû consistere nolunt,  
Naturâ a number is dissiliente suis:  
Cor & lingua hominis, quorum est concordia discors,  
Et perversa procax & simulata loqui.  
Sunt duo quae disiuncta diû persistere nolunt,  
Virtute ad numeros se revocante suos.  
Sancta Fides & Amor, quibus est sic mutua vita,  
 nequeant (uno non moriente) mori:  
Quatuor haec, pia mens, placida & s●pientia iungat:  
Et verae Speculum Relligionis erit.  
Gratia larga Dei sua munera non mutilabit,  
Aut totum, aut plusquam tu petis, ille dabit.   
Geo. Salteren.   

De scopo vitae hominis Christiani Tetrastichon.  

PRaefixus tibi quis scopus est? Reverenter jesum  
 prompta semper lingua animoque colam:  
Tum quemuis studeam verbis operaque iuvare,  
Et cautam ne me, otia tarda premant.    

Pietatis praeclara remuneratio. Hexastichon.  

CApturo pisces hamata in littore seta,  
Nafrauga forte hominiscalua prehensa fuit:  
Qui caput awlsum membris miseratus, inermi  
Prosubigens fecit vilia busta manu.  
Pondus ubi infossi terra grave repperit auri,  
Gratia sic justis nulla bonisque perit.    
THE RIGHT RULE OF A RELIGIOUS LIFE: OR, THE GLASS OF GODLINESS.  

THE FIRST SERMON.  
james a servant of God, and of the Lord jesus Christ, to the twelve Tribes which are scattered abroad, salutation.  
HE beginneth first with the Inscription or Title of the EPISTLE, wherein are three things;  
1 The name and office of the Author.  
2 To whom he writeth.  
3 His Salutation.  
For the first, there are two things to be considered; his name who he was, and his office. His name he expresseth that it was james. I find that among some ancient Writers, there hath been some controversy hereabout; some affirming, that there were three of his name, and all viri Apostolici, Apostolical men, and that it is uncertain to which this Epistle is to be ascribed: the first they say was james the brother of john, and son of Zebedee, whom Herod killed with the Sword. 
Acts 12.  The other they would have to be the son of Alphaeus, who had to his brethren the Apostles, Simon and jude. The third they think was one of the 72. Disciples, and called, the Brother of the Lord; and to this opinion seemeth to lean Eusebius, and citeth for his proof Clemens Alexandrinus, & Hegisippus, to which Epiphanius and Ambrose consenteth. But against these, we oppose the universal consent of the whole Church, which proveth, that there were only but two of this name of the number of the Apostles & Disciples, 
Hier. contr. Heluidium. Beda super 1. Act.  so doth Saint Hierome and Beda. To this agreeth (besides many other) the sixth general Council of 227. Bishops, and other Greek Fathers assembled Anno Dom. 684. and the whole consent of the Greek and Latin Church. This james than was son of Alphaeus a holy man, and Mary the daughter of Cleopha, cosin-germane to the Virgin Mary, as Saint Hierome in many places affirmeth. He was called james the Less, as the Greeks' use the word in the Positive degree, not that he was inferior in zeal or authority unto the rest of the Apostles, but because he was less of body, and shorter of stature than the other james the brother of john. He was also called james the Just, by reason of the most excellent gifts of the Holy-ghost, and most singular virtues that shined forth in him. 
Hegisippus  For as Hegisippus witnesseth, who succeeded the Apostles, that he was holy from his Mother's womb, after the manner of the Nazarites, he never drank wine nor strong drink, the Razor never came upon his head, he abstained from Oil and Baths, he never wore a , but a Linen vesture called a Syndon, with continual prayer his knees were grown so hard as a Camel's skin: he was had in such holy reputation among the people, that they pressed to touch the hem of his vesture. He was called also the Brother of the Lord, 
Galat. 1.  not as some Greek Writers untruly suppose that he was the son of joseph, by his first wife, before he took the blessed Virgin, but because he was the son of Mary Cleopha cousin german to the Virgin Mary, and so CHRIST'S kinsman, and therefore his Brother after the manner of the Hebrews, which call them that are of their next blood, Brethren, as Abraham calleth his nephew Lot, 
Genes. 13.  Brother. and Laban calleth jacob, his Cousin, Brother. 
Genes. 29  Thus the Hebrews called them Brethren, that were of affinity and kindred, in which respect james is called the Lords Brother, only because he was his kinsman after the flesh. He was the first Bishop of Jerusalem, appointed by the Lord himself, as Clemens writeth, and constituted by the rest of the Apostles. The jews, 
Clemens.  for his admirable holiness of life, permitted him to come into the Sanctum Sanctorum: he wore on his head, the Petalon, that is, Episcopi ensign, the Bishop's mark or attire, as Hegisippus and Clemens write; he governed the Church with great praise for the space of thirty years, and was at last martyred, being cast from a Pinnacle of the Temple, and afterward his brains dashed out with a club. This testimony (Brethren) should procure no little authority with the hearers of this Epistle; & attention: for who is so blockish and foolish which will not reverence so great an Apostle, an Ambassador of the eternal Son of GOD, by the testimony of the jews themselves a most holy man, the first Pastor of the first Church, ordained by Christ himself to preach his Gospel? Notwithstanding there have not wanted some (such is the policy of Satan) which have gone about to discredit the authority of this Epistle, as if it should not proceed from james the Apostle, 
Tertul. libr. Prescript.  that (as I may say with Tertullian) Firmos' fatigarent, infirmos caperent, medios cum scrupulo dimitterent: That they might weaken the strong, ensnare the weak, and the rest let go with suspense.  
First (say they) he calleth not himself an Apostle, 
Their first reason.  but a Servant of jesus Christ. This reason is very frivolous: Saint john calleth himself neither the Servant nor Apostle of Christ, should we therefore conclude, 
1 joh. 1.  that john was neither the Apostle nor the Servant of Christ? Were not this absurd? By the like reason we might infer, that Saint Jude was no Apostle, because he termeth himself the Servant of Christ, and brother to this james. If a King in his Title should call himself the Servant of God, and omit the name of his Kingdom, were he not therefore a King? Away with such frivolous reasons.  
Another as foolish a reason they have, 
Their other reason.  that this Style savoureth not of the Haebraismus, or Hebrew phrase, as is expected of so great an Apostle, and first Bishop of Jerusalem. To this I answer, as Cicero did once; vappis, ac lippis & in tenui farragine mendacibus: To the rabble of liars, dizzards, and purblind persons it seemeth so, but to such as are well acquainted with the Hebrew Idiom, it seemeth far otherwise. Indeed, it was not expedient, that he being by Nation and Tongue an Hebrew, and yet writing in Greek, should be tied to the tropes of the Hebrew tongue: Again, 
Acts 2.  seeing he had received of the holyghost, the gift of all Tongues, it was no hard thing for him to abstain from the obscure Hebraismus, and to use the more plain Greek phrase; and lastly, it is false, that he useth no Hebrew phrase: for gignere verbo veritatis, 
Verse 18.  To beget with the word of Truth, is a plain Hebraismus, used for the true doctrine, as filius perditionis, the son of perdition, for filio perdito. Again, he calleth the Gospel the Law of Liberty, 
Verse 25.  after the Hebrew phrase, for a perfect Law which bringeth true liberty to the believers and followers thereof. Again, generare mortem, after the manner of the Hebrew phrase, to bring certain and present destruction, and such like.  
Next, he expresseth his office and profession, which is the second part of this Epigrapha, The Servant of God. But why; omitting the name of Apostle or Disciple, calleth he himself The Servant of God? Surely (as the Learned do answer to this question) when he might have termed himself an Apostle, an Ambassador of the high God, the brother of our Lord, or any more lofty Title; he chooseth rather the title of a Servant, aswell for that he is delighted with humility, after the example of Christ, who made himself of no reputation, 
Phil. 2.  taking on him the form of a Servant, and commanded all men to learn of him humility: As also, 
Matth. 11.  that he might reprove the arrogancy and pride of the Scribes and Pharisees, which arrogated to themselves proud and glorious titles; and that by this moderation of mind, he might allure the hearts of men to love him. 
Cicero.  For as Cicero saith, Modestia claram & stabilem comparat authoritatem: Modesty procureth an evident, famous, and sure authority to any matter. 
Greg. 7. mor.  Superbia odium generat, humilitas amorem: Pride begetteth hatred, humility love. 
The use.  Here (Brethren) we are taught humility, to think humbly of ourselves, & to speak modestly, & wisely, that all pride be far off from our words and writings. The Pharisees are condemned of our Saviour, because They loved greetings in the markets, 
Mat 23.6.  the highest rooms in the Synagogues, and to be called Rabbi. And are not many nowadays subject to the same reprehension, which being puffed up with conceit of themselves, of their birth, riches or dignity, affect these glorious Titles, and rage, stamp and chafe, if they be denied them. How far off were the Saints of God from this humour? Saint Paul gloried in his infirmities, stripes, imprisonments, & in the Cross of Christ, whereby the world is crucified unto him, 
Galat. 6.14 Luke 1.38. Apoc. 19 10  and he unto the world: the blessed virgin calleth herself, The Servant of the Lord, and the glorious Angels, Our fellow Servants.  
There be two kinds of Servants; 
Servants by condition and profession. Aug. 19 Civit. dei c. 15  Servants by Condition, and Servants by Profession: by condition, as borne by nature, caught in war, bought with money, and therefore Saint Augustine deriveth the Latin word, à seruando, because they were reserved and kept alive, being taken in war, when they might have been slain. Of this servitude speaketh the Apostle: Let as many Servants as are under the yoke, count their masters worthy of all honour: but of this kind our Apostle speaketh not here.  
The Servant by Profession, 
1 Tim. 6.1. Col. 3.22.  is every good Christian which makes profession sincerely to serve God and his Son jesus Christ, 
Ephes. 6.5. 1. Pet. 2.18  in holiness and righteousness all the days of their life. This is the general calling of Christianity; in this general calling, Prince and people, young and old, learned and unlearned, bond & free, honourable and base, if they be true professors of jesus Christ, are the Servants of God: this title is more glorious than the diadem of Emperors, than the Crown of Princes, 
The Servant of Christ an honourable Title.  than any dignity of a Duke, more honourable than the stately Titles of any Peer, and more magnificent than the name of the greatest monarch, to be dignified with the title of the Servant of Christ: Therefore the princely Prophet maketh protestation hereof to God before the title of his kingdom, as his chiefest glory: Behold Lord, for I am thy Servant, I am thy Servant, and the son of thine handmaid; so all the holy Patriarches & godly Kings of juda, as their chiefest honour, entitle themselves the servants of God. As in general, so also in special, men are called the Servants of God, who in their special charge do serve God, and further his kingdom: so Princes in their places, Preachers in their functions, are the Servants of Christ in their several callings, and special service in the Church and Commonwealth, in which respect our Apostle here calleth himself The Servant of God: 
1. Cor. 1.1. Phil. 1.1. Tit. 1.1.  So Paul calleth himself the Servant of jesus Christ. So again he calleth himself and Timotheus, the Servants of jesus Christ, and to Titus he useth the same Title.  
It is meet then (Brethren) that we should all acknowledge ourselves the Servants of jesus Christ, and labour faithfully to perform our duty towards him. We are his Servants by the right of our creation, for all things were made through him. We are his Servants by the right of our conservation, 
john 1.4.  for in him we live, move, 
Acts 17 28  and have our being: by the right of our redemption, for he bought us with the price of his own precious blood: by the right of his empire & rule over us, for all rule is given unto him in Heaven and in Earth: by the right also of his judicial power, 
john 5.22.  for the Father hath given all judgement unto the Son. Seeing then (Brethren) that in so manifold a bond of duty we are bound unto our Christ, let us so serve him in sincerity of heart, that we be never numbered among the number of stubborn and disobedient servants, of whom our Saviour speaketh, 
Mat. 25.30  Cast the unprofitable Servant into utter darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 
The duty of a good Christian showed by the duty of a profitable Servant.  But let us now a little examine the duty of a profitable Servant, that we may perceive how far off most men are from the regard of this duty. The profitable Servant employeth the chiefest part of his time, not in his own, but in his masters business: but now men spend the whole race of their life in the service of the world and the devil, and the things pertaining unto God are least of their care. Servants possess little, and that but things necessary, and which they receive from the hands of their Masters: but now men catch and scrape whatsoever they may, and by what means soever, and what they can not catch, they still covet it in heart, and envy it unto others. Good Servants, though they suffer many stripes, they answer not again, but use gentle words, & take it patiently: but now in crosses and adversities, many will murmur against the highest God, yea sometimes blaspheme and despair. Good servants hearing the threatenings of their masters, do fear, and are the more wary how they offend: but now adays, God's threatenings for sin of many are despised: Good Servants use no familiarity with their masters enemies, but now, men enter into deep league and friendship with the world and the Devil, which have continual enmity with God, yea, They have made a covenant with death, 
Esay 28.15  and with hell are at an agreement: Good Servants do not their own wills, but execute the wills and commandments of their masters: but now the commandments of God are kicked at, and trodden under foot: Is this to be the Servants of Christ? are these the marks of our Christian profession? All covetous wretches than are not the Servants of Christ, but of their god Mammon: the glutton and drunkard are not the servants of God but of their belly, which they make their god: all filthy and carnal livers, serve not God, but the unclean spirit: All proud and ambitious men, are not the Servants of Christ, but do homage unto Satan. But for what stipend and reward do they serve? 
Bernard. li. Senten.  Saint Bernard showeth, Quatuor sunt, quorum in hac vita, obsequijs, deseruimus: caro, mundus, diabolus, Deus: habent singuli principes isti dona propria, etc. There are four masters, to whom men in this life yield their service, the flesh, the world, the devil, or God. The flesh giveth to her servitors a little momentany pleasures, full of stings and remorse: the world transitory advancements: the Devil perpetual captivity; but God eternal felicity: quibus ergo potiùs aut impensiùs seruiendum? saith he. Which of these, now (tell me) oughtest thou rather, or more earnestly to serve?  
Of these words (The Servants of God, and of our Lord jesus Christ) among the learned Expositors I find two Interpretations; first, that the Apostle speaketh coniunctim, that he is the Servant of Christ, who is God and Lord, as well of the Apostle, as of all men. 
Heretics confuted.  And here he meeteth with the heresy of the Ebionites, Cerinthians, Carpocratians, Arrians, and the jews, which affirmed Christ to be only man, the son of joseph, and not God the Lord; whose blasphemies, in few, but in most effectual words he confuteth, teaching that the same Lord jesus Christ is both God and Man, the very consubstantial Son of the Father.  
The other Interpretation is of the later Writers, which read the word disiunctim, servus Dei, & Domini nostri, the servant of God, and of our Lord jesus Christ; where he hath respect unto two of the Persons in Trinity, the Father and the Son, whose servant our Apostle here professeth himself to be. And this interpretation proveth also the Divinity of Christ, seeing that equally he professeth himself to be the servant of God the Father, and of his Son jesus Christ, and both his God and his Lord. And here the heresies of the Sabellians and Priscilians are refuted, etc.  


The second part.  Unto the twelve Tribes which are dispersed, salutation.  
Having spoken before of the person of the Writer of this Epistle, and of his Office, next he showeth to whom he wrote, to the twelve Tribes dispersed, wherein these three things cometh to be considered.  
1 Of the dispersion of the jews.  
2 Why he wrote especially unto them.  
3 Of his salutation.  
It is well known that the Israelites were divided into twelve Tribes, according to the number of of the twelve sons of jacob, which were the twelve patriarchs, from whom, as from Fountains, sprang many and great Nations. 
Gen. 35. & 49.  They first dwelled with their father jacob in the Land of Canaan, afterwards in Egypt, after that in the Deserts of Arabia, from whence they inhabited the Land of Palestina, where having received the Law of God and Religion, they were joined together into the body of one Kingdom, and Synagogue, and so long they remained united, as they clave unto God; but when they revolted from the high God, unto idolatry, and the service of strange Gods after the manner of the Heathen, who in steed of the true God worshipped devils, 
Psal. 106. ver. 40.41.  than was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, and he abhorred his inheritance, and he gave them into the hands of the Heathen, and they that hated them were Lords over them; As the Lord also before had threatened, if they would not be reform, but walk stubbornly against the Lord, that he would scatter them among the Heathen, 
Levit. 26.33.  and will draw out a sword after them, and their land shall be waste, and their Cities shall be desolate. Again, 
Deut. 4.27  and the Lord shall scatter you among the people, and you shall be left few in number among the Nations whither the Lord shall bring you.  
And lest any should think these threatenings to be vain, and but words, let us see with what horrible examples the Lord hath confirmed them. Hoshea reigning over the ten Tribes in Samaria, they turned from the Lord, and committed all abominations against him, wherefore God stirred up Salmanazar King of Assiria, who after three years war, took Samaria the Metropolis of that Kingdom, 
2. Reg. 17.  spoiled the Country, carried away all the people into the most cruel captivity of the Assyrians. Secondly, the other two Tribes; namely, the Tribe of juda, and the Tribe of Benjamin, 
2. Reg. 25.  were dispersed, jerusalem being taken with their perfidious King Zedekia, by Nabuchadnezzar, with their wives, children and other Princes, as jeremy before prophesied; 
jerem. 27.  then was the City overthrown, the Temple consumed with fire, and they that escaped the sword, famine, fire, and pestilence, as flocks of cattle were driven away into the miserable captivity of the Chaldaeans. Thirdly, the Relics of the Israelites were oppressed, and dispersed, now by the King of Syria, now by the King of Egypt; sometimes with civil wars among themselves; so that wretched judaea standing in the midst, and addicted sometimes to this side, sometimes to that, was trodden down of both and exposed to the direptions of both sides; so that many good men, not enduring the sight of the profanation of their Country, and holy Things, wandered far and near; Yea some betook them to the Desert, choosing rather to lead their lives with brute beasts then with such kind of men, as the History of the Maccabees doth testify: and they wandered up and down, 
Heb. 11.37  in sheeps skins, and in goats skins, being destituted, afflicted, and tormented.  
Hear (brethren) we are to observe two notable Lessons for our instruction.  
First, that with all reverence we hear and believe the word of God, that we may learn thereby to fear the Lord; For his word is never in vain, nor returneth void, as the Prophet saith: 
Esay 55.10 11, etc.  Surely as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it to bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sour, and bread unto him that eateth: So shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I will, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. And the Lord hath in all ages, severely punished the contempt of his Word and Messengers; 
2. Chron. 36.15.16.  Therefore the Lord God of their Fathers sent to them by his Messengers, rising early and sending: for he had compassion on his people, and on his habitation. But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his Prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, and till there was no remedy.  
Secondly, to hate sin, and fly from sin, as from a serpent, as the cause of all evils and calamities that are in the world: 
The evils of sin.  Sin blindfoldeth the mind, taking away the supernatural light of God's grace, it defileth and spotteth the conscience, as a thing most filthy and unworthy for a man, it accuseth us guilty before God, as injurious to his Divine Majesty, it impoverisheth us, spoiling us of all our spiritual riches, it dishonoureth us, making us odious in the sight of God, and of his holy Angels; in this life is the cause of sickness, famine, sword, pestilence, and all evils that may happen to the body, and of eternal destruction of body and soul in the life to come. To conclude, seeing that God is the inexhaust treasury of all goodness, and sin separateth from God, it followeth then that sin bringeth upon us incomparable and infinite loss; for it depriveth us of God the infinite good: Your sins have divided betwixt your God and you, 
Esay 59.2.  If then o man thou dost so diligently take heed of temporal loss; if thou so carefully keepest thy money and treasure: how art thou deceived through blindness of mind? how is thine understanding darkened with folly? how is thy reason obscured by the devil? If thou fearest not to fall into sin which deprivest thee of God the fountain of all happiness: Why makest thou so small account of the God of infinite Majesty? Why fearest thou more to lose one penny, then by sinning to be deprived of thy God? and through lying, deceiving, swearing, etc. to be separated from him who is insititly good, and who hath power to cast both body and soul into hell, and without whom there is no blessedness?  
Thus, for their sins, was that Nation of the jews (Gods vengeance pursuing them) many times dispersed and persecuted: But of this the Apostle hath not respect in this place, but of the dispersed Christians, which for the name of Christ were scattered abroad and persecuted. For many, out of all the Tribes which professed Christ, after Saint Stephen was stoned, 
Acts 7.  flying the rage of the pharisees, were scattered in divers Countries. 
Acts 8.1.  At that time (saith the Scripture) there was a great persecution against the Church which was at jerusalem, 
The state of the Church militant.  and they were all scattered abroad, except the Apostles.  
And here (brethren) again, we are to note the state and condition of the Church militant, and of all the faithful while they are in their exile and pilgrimage in this life, traveling toward their Country; in the way they are to suffer many crosses, troubles, persecutions, and many iviuries of the world and the devil, and if we will arrive at the haven of happiness and port of felicity, we must follow our Pilot and Captain jesus Christ, the same way he went before us: 
Act. 14.22.  For through many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of heaven: 
2. Tim. 3.12  And all that will live godly in jesus Christ must suffer persecution: It cannot then be otherwise, but the godly going to heavenward, must be enforced to suffer divers troubles. 
Pathemata. Mathemata Afflictions are instructions.  These are the trials of the faithful by which God exerciseth the faith, hope, charity, and patience of his children: and confirmeth them, and therefore in the book of Wisdom, this trial of faith is compared to the trial of gold. As gold is tried in the fire, 
Wisd. 3.6.  so men are tried in the furnace of affliction. And again, 
1. Pet. 1.6.7  Through manifold temptations ye are in heaviness, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perisheth (though it be tried with fire) might be found unto your praise and honour and glory at the appearing of jesus Christ. For as by the fire, gold is tried whether it be pure or no; so by the cross, faith whether it be without the dross of hypocrisy.  
Now the comforts that all the faithful (and chief Gods Ministers which for their calling sake, are most subject to all crosses and injuries of the wicked) may gather from hence in all their troubles, are  
First, that the cause is not theirs, but the Lords.  
Secondly, that they come forth to battle, being armed not with carnal, but with spiritual weapons.  
Thirdly, that they have present with them a King or Captain, under whom they fight, even Christ himself, who hath vanquished the whole Kingdom of darkness.  
Fourthly, that they have regard to the incorruptible crown of glory, which Christ, their chief Captain, hath reserved in heaven for them.  
Lastly, let them consider, that as Saint Augustine saith: Afflictions to the faithful, are but as files and hammers to the gold, Milles to the wheat, or the Oven to the bread: gold by the file and hammer, wheat by the mill, and loaves by the oven, are brought to their perfection: So a true Christian is purified and perfected by crosses and afflictions. 
Aug. de tempore ser. 78.  This is the highway to our heavenly Country.  
The last thing in the Epigrapha or Title, is the salutation or greeting. 
The third point.   
A certain form of salutation, hath ever been usual among all Nations, 
Three manner of salutations Plat. in Epist. 3. Dionis.  as both holy and profane Writers witness, who have set down divers forms thereof. Plato expresseth three that were most in use among the Grecians, as to wish Prosperity, to wish Health, to wish joy.. The first was common to the Philosophers, the second to the Physicians, the third to the vulgar people.  
The ancient Romans used commonly but one form of greeting, as Salutem optare: to wish Health, as it is evident by Cicero's Epistles. The most usual among the jews was to wish Peace. The Apostle Saint Paul in every of his Epistles, useth this form of greeting. 
Rom. 1.7. 1. Cor. 1.3. 1. Cor. 1.2. Gal. 1.3. Ephe. 1.2. Phil. 1.2, etc. Acts 15.23  Grace be with you and Peace, from God our Father and from the Lord jesus Christ. Saint Peter useth the same form. Saint Jude wisheth, Mercy, peace, and love to be multiplied. The first general Council held at jerusalem useth the same manner of salutation as this our Apostle Saint james doth. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to Rejoice, laetari, bono animo esse, to be of good cheer, or comfort, howsoever the external affairs of this world fall out.  
He wisheth them all health and happiness which may happen to strangers and Pilgrims in this life, both of body and soul. He wisheth them a true and constant faith whereby they may acknowledge God. He wisheth them a steadfast hope, whereby they may cleave to God's promises in jesus Christ.  
He wisheth them true charity, whereby they may love God with all their heart, with all their soul, and with all their mind. He wisheth them patience in adversity, moderation in prosperity, eternal salvation, with perfect glorification, both of body and soul.  
Obseru. 1 Hear observe that the Apostle wisheth not unto them the honours of this world, great riches, or liberty (which yet they might seem to want) but spiritual good things, that they may lead their lives acceptable unto God, that they may be at last truly happy and blessed for evermore. 
Math. 6.33  Seek first (saith Christ) the Kingdom of heaven: For what shall it profit a man though he should win the whole world, 
Mat. 16.26  if he lose his own soul. So the Apostle john, inspired with the same Spirit, wisheth to the Elect Lady, 
2. John 3.  and her children, above all things, Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord jesus Christ. And Saint john unto the seven Churches wisheth Grace and peace from him which is, 
Apoc. 1.4.  which was, and which is to come. He wisheth not unto them, these false, fading and corruptible goods, which are common to the good and bad, to the just and unjust indifferently, and which do perish with us; but the gifts of the Spirit, which can neither be given, nor taken away of men.  
Obseru. 2 Here again let us consider with what care and diligence the first Pastors of the Church, performed their office of Preaching, and teaching the people, when they not only fed the present with their wholesome word of exhortation, examples and doctrine; but also laboured to draw the absent, dispersed, and future age, to all piety with their holy Writings. They watched over the Flock of Christ, as they that were to give account for their souls: They knew well the word of the Lord to be stable and sure: Their blood will I require at thine hands: 
Ezech. 3.18  This care also had all God's servants in the succeeding ages, as Clemens Alex. justinianus, Tertullianus, Cyprianus, etc. a precedent for all true Pastors to have before their eyes.  
Obseru. 3 Again, here is laid before our eyes, the sweet mercy and goodness of God towards the exiles, and dispersed Christians, when he raised up godly and faithful Pastors to comfort them and further their salvation. The Apostles, after His Passion, being scattered abroad, by sundry apparitions he comforted them. Can a woman forget her child, 
Esa. 49.15.  and not have compassion on the son of her womb? though she should forget, yet will I not forget thee, saith the Lord. So David in his exiles, in the wilderness and wars, and in his greatest temptations, this loving Lord never forsook him, but with his comforts always accompanied him. 
The Use.  Let not the godly therefore in their sorrow and adversities despair; let none distrust God's fatherly care towards them. Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, 
Psal. 40.4.  and regardeth not the proud, nor such as turn after lies.  
Obseru. 4 Lastly, here we learn that the duty of kind greetings and salutations, is Apostolical, and a work of charity, whereby, as members of one body, we wish well one to another. This duty of every true Christian is not to be rejected, or proudly to be disdained, as all holy and Apostolical men, the Saints of God, by their own examples have taught us: Yea, Christ himself most lovingly saluted his Disciples, 
Math. 28.9. Luk. 24.36 joh. 20.26. The Use.  and the women, being in distress, God save you: Peace be unto you.  
Here are reproved the proud Stoical, sullen Sectaries of our time, who being puffed up with self-conceit of their own worthiness, disdain to afford so much as salutations to any they meet, which descent from them in some opinions, concerning their humorous fancies; rightly resembling the old Donatists, or Anabaptists of this age: plainly showing hereby, how far off they are, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, from the disposition of the true servants of God, 
Bis per omnia. musicorum proverbium.  and the humility of the soul wherein the Spirit of CHRIST delighteth to dwell. And thus much for the Title.    

The second Sermon.  
2 My brethren, count it exceeding joy, when ye fall into divers temptations.  
3 Knowing that the trying of your faith bringeth forth patience.  
4 And let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.  
Having ended the Title and Inscription of the Epistle, now followeth the Narration.  
First, he beginneth with an exhortation to suffer affliction, 
The division.  which is the proposition of the place contained in this second verse.  
Secondly, he confirmeth his Proposition, with certain motives or reasons in the third and fourth verse.  
By temptations he understandeth the hatred of wicked men, 
Temptation what.  their threatenings, slander, persecutions of the godly, their exiles, loss of temporal goods, imprisonments, death, and all kind of calamities inflicted upon the godly, for the faith and true religion. In this sense the plagues of Egypt are called temptations. 
Deur. 29.  And Christ saith to his Apostles, 
Luk. 22.28  Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations: that is, in my travails, watchings, and persecutions. Cicero also sometime useth the like phrase: 
Cicero in Tuscu.  Animi valentes morbo tentari non possunt, corpora possunt, etc. Our minds being strong, cannot be tempted or assailed with diseases; our bodies can: as if the Apostle had said in express terms, Seeing the community of Faith, Baptism, and Religion, uniteth all Christians as brethren: and among brethren there should be a society and partaking of joy and sorrow; your misery would much perplex my mind were I not thoroughly persuaded of your constancy in the faith: Neither am I ignorant that to the children of this world, which measure all their felicity in earthly goods and pleasures, it would seem heavy and intolerable, besides law and right, to be driven into exile, to be banished from their dear friends, to be hated of all men, for the truth's sake, to be exposed unto all injuries: But as for you, which do place Foelicitatis puppim ac proram, the sum of your felicity in Christ only, which do aspire to your heavenly country, which believe the immortality of the soul, which expect a blessed resurrection, and eternal life after this, should be far otherwise persuaded. For if you would weigh with yourselves the manifold fruits that spring of these temptations, surely you will find, Plus mellis inesse quam fellis; more honey than gall in them. For they happen not unto you by chance and fortune, but are sent us of God, our most loving Father, who is most tender of our salvation, that with them he may shake off our drowsiness, prove our patience, exercise our obedience, purge out our filthiness, stir us up to fervent prayer, teach the contempt of the world, and kindle our minds with the love of heavenly things: Ye ought therefore not in mind to be cast down, or faint in adversity, but rather with all your hearts to rejoice when the world frowneth and rageth against you for CHRIST his sake, and repute it as great gain: For as much as this is an infallible sign that ye are dear unto GOD, who is at hand as your sole and only Comforter and Deliverer at time convenient in all your crosses and afflictions.  
In this Proposition there are many things which are to be observed.  
Obseru. 1 The first thing is, that the Cross, that is, manifold persecutions, and troubles are inseparable companions of the true faith and Christian godliness; 
2. Tim. 3.12  so that the Apostle saith; All that will live godly in jesus Christ shall suffer persecution: 
joh. 15.20. & 18.  And Christ, If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you also, If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before you. So the Apostle, not complaining, but rejoicing, 
Rom. 8.36.  saith: For thy sake are we killed all the day long: we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. 
2. Cor. 4.11  Again, We which live are always delivered unto death for jesus sake, that the life also of jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.  
But what is the cause of these crosses of God's servants above others? 
The cause.   
First, the hatred of Satan with all his Army, against mankind, which he seeketh by all means to bring to final destruction: Hence proceed the horrible titles and names, given to him in holy Scripture.  
The second is the malice of unpure and wicked men, the very members of the devil, which serve him in all filthy desires, and cannot endure to be rebuked of their beloved sins: hereof speaketh our Saviour: The world hateth me, 
john 7.7.  because I testify that the works thereof are evil.  
The third is the secret judgement of God, who by these crosses would prove the patience of his servants and crown them.  
Secondly, we are here to observe that these calamities happen to God's children, 
They proceed from his merciful providence. Amos 3.6. Esa. 45.7.  through his will and merciful providence, as the Prophet saith: Shall there be evil in a City, and the Lord hath not done it? And again, I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things. And: 
1. Sam. 2, 6.  The Lord killeth and maketh alive: bringeth down to the grave, and raiseth up. Yea sathan himself that Prince of darkness, had no power over the body of holy job, his children, oxen, sheep and camels, farther than the Lord permitted: 
Math. 8.  neither had the Legion of devils without his permission, ability to enter so much as into the swine: no tyrants therefore, no bloody persecutors, 
God's punishments upon persecutors. Augustine.  not all the infernal spirits, are able to touch God's servants, but as far forth and as long, as pleaseth our omnipotent God, Cuius voluntas occulta esse potest, iniusta esse non potest, whose Will may be secret, but cannot be unjust. 
Eusebius.  Eusebius reporteth that Aurelianus the Emperor was presently stricken with sudden death, 
Aurelianus.  as he stretched forth his hand to subscribe unto an Edict for the persecution of the Christians. 
Anno 380. Valens.  The like happened to the wicked Emperor Valens, a fautor of the Arrian heresy: going about to confirm the unjust sentence of condemning Saint Basil to exile, his pen by no means would take any ink, but when he still persisted, his sinews shrank, and hand withered, and was able no longer to hold his pen; that God might manifest unto the world, that we are punished, not when the Tyrant will, but when it pleaseth God.  
Thirdly, we are here taught not to despair in adversity, or to murmur against God's providence, but rather to rejoice as of things most profitable and healthful for us. For the Son of God witnesseth: 
Mat. 5.10.  Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousness sake: for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. And the holy Apostles being afflicted and beaten went rejoicing from the Council: 
Acts 5.41.  and Paul speaking of himself and fellow Apostles saith; 
Rom. 5.3. Gal. 6.14.  We rejoice in tribulation: And again, God forbidden that I should rejoice but in the cross of our Lord jesus Christ: And justinus Martyr witnesseth, that the Martyrs of the primitive Church, being led to their death, said to the Magistrates, Gratias agimus quod à molestis dominis liberemur, & ad patrem regemque coelestem proficiscimur: We give thanks, that we are freed from cruel masters, & do go to our heavenly King, & loving Father.  
And Tertullian saith: 
Tertul. ad Scapu.  Magis damnati quam absoluti gaudemus: we rejoice more being condemned, then when we are set at liberty.  
Thus the holy Martyrs and Saints of God, have in all ages counted it exceeding joy when they fell into temptations, and by the inward consolations of God's Spirit, have, above the strength of man's nature, rejoiced, when the wicked rage and stare, mutter and murmur against God, in all their miseries. Of the sweet comforts of the godly in all their adversity, speaketh the Apostle: 
2. Cor. 1.3.4.  Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, which comforteth us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort them which are in affliction, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 
Aug. in soliloq. cap. 22.  I cannot here omit the sweet words of S. Augustine to this purpose, speaking to God: Tu solus dulcis appareas qui es dulcedo inestimabilis, etc. Thou only seemest sweet unto my soul, which art the inestible sweetness, which maketh all bitter things sweet. Thy sweetness made pleasant unto Saint Stephen, the stones cast at him: Thy sweetness made pleasant to Saint Laurence the iron gridiron whereon he was broiled to death. For thy sweetness the Apostles went rejoicing from the Council, 
Act. 5.41.  that they were counted worthy to suffer for thy name. This made Saint Andrew go securely to his cross, for he hastened to thy sweetness. This thy sweetness did so fill the hearts of thy Apostles Peter and Paul, that the one went willingly to his cross, the other joyfully yielded his neck to the sword: To buy this sweetness, Bartholomew gave his own skin. This, as soon as Peter had tasted, he forgot all worldly things, and as drunken, cried out: Lord here is good being for us: 
Mat. 17.4.  if thou wilt let us make three Tabernacles, one for Thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias: unam stillam dulcedinis gustavit & omnem aliam fastidivit: He had tasted but one drop of this sweetness, and he loathed all other. What thinkest thou then would he have said, if he had tasted the full draft of the sweetness of thy Divinity, which thou hast in store for all them that fear thee? This that tender Virgin had tasted of, whom we read of, that she went joyfully to the prison as invited to a banquet. This, Lord, is the blessedness which we expect at thy hands, for the hope whereof we fight continually under the banner of jesus Christ; for the hope whereof, we are killed all the day long, that we may live with thee for ever. So far Augustine.  
Fourthly, we are here to observe that the joys of the children of this world, that is, of wicked men and reprobates, are far diverse from the consolation of the godly, and children of God: They (as job saith) take the Tabret and harp, 
job. 21.12.13.  and rejoice in the sound of the Organs. They spend their days in wealth, and suddenly they go down to the grave. Laetantur cum malefecerint & exultant in rebus pessimis: 
Prou. 2.14.  They rejoice in doing evil and delight in the frowardness of the wicked. Therefore extrema huius gaudij luctus occupat: 
Prou. 14.13  The end of that mirth is heaviness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 
Math. 8.12  Woe be unto you (saith the judge of the quick and dead) that laugh, for ye shall weep: 
Luk. 6.25.  woe be unto you for ye have your consolation here. The wicked rejoice, some in one vain thing, some in another, as in riches, honours, worldly pomp and pleasures, etc. and account sickness, poverty, slander, backbitings, revilings, hatred of the world, and such like, with other of God's crosses, to be evils, and undoubted signs of God's wrath and hatred unto them, which are afflicted with them; such was the sentence of Eliphas against job, 
job 4.  who condemned him as wicked because God afflicted him. But the children of God rejoice greatly in afflictions, as the signs of God's love, being assured that these afflictions shall tend to their furtherance and salvation in jesus Christ: their joy consisteth in the testimony of a good conscience, and in the expectation of the future and eternal blessedness: Your sorrow shall be turned into joy (saith Christ) and your joy shall no man take from you. And with the Apostle they say: 
2. Cor. 4.17  Our light affliction which is but for a moment, causeth unto us a far more excellent and eternal weight of glory. The labour is little, but the reward is infinite.  
Virg.  

Durate, & vosmet rebus seruate secundis.   

Endure the state that adverse is,  
And keep yourselves for future bliss.   
If we put in the balance the afflictions of this life, they will be found of no weight, nor in any wise able to counterpoise the greatness of the reward.  
Tribulation is but a passion, 
Tribulation is but a Passion: But Glory is an Action.  and therefore small is the force thereof; but Glory is an action, and therefore powerful and increaseth every moment. This life passeth away and soon vanisheth, but the glory hath no end and endureth for ever. Persever therefore O Christians, and constantly finish your course, for great is the reward that we expect.  
Fiftly, 
The Use.  in that he useth the word (Fall) he maketh a difference betwixt the sufferings of the godly and the wicked. We are here taught not to deserve, or procure, through our default, to be afflicted of the world, as thieves, Murderers, quarrelers, busy-bodies in other men's matters, which by their own desert procure their own misery: These ought not to rejoice in their afflictions. 
1. Pet. 4.15 16.  Let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a Thief, or an evil doer, or as a busybody in other men's matters: But if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this behalf. We should therefore rejoice under the cross which God imposeth upon us.  
Sixthly, he expresseth the time (when) that is, whensoever ye fall into temptation: Whereby we are taught, that it is not enough once or twice to rejoice in affliction, but as oftensoever we are assaulted with temptations, so often to show ourselves patiented and joyful; For the Crown is not given before the end of the combat: Be thou faithful unto the death, 
Reu. 2.10.  and I will give thee the Crown of life.  
Our life cannot be without sin, 
Aug. sup. ps. 60. vita nostra non potest esse sine peccato, sine tentatione, quia profectus noster per tentationem fit, etc.  nor temptation: for our profit and increase in godliness, is through temptations, saith Aug. And his reason followeth, for neither doth a man well know himself except he be tempted, neither can he be crowned except he overcome, neither can he overcome except he fight, neither can he fight except he have an enemy and temptations to encounter with: So far S. Aug.  
Seventhly, these afflictions are also (divers) and that in three respects.  
First, in regard of the divers instruments, which God useth in inflicting them: for sometimes he useth the devil, sometime wicked men he useth as means, sometime other creatures.  
Secondly, they are divers, in regard of the temptations themselves, which are divers and man if old: therefore the Prophet saith, 
Psa. 34.18.  Great are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of all: as famine, banishment, hatred, slander, infamy, poverty, etc.  
Thirdly, they are divers in regard of the ends, for which they are inflicted, which are also divers; sometimes we are afflicted that we may be humbled, and the pride of our hearts abated; sometime to the end we may not fix our love upon the world; sometime to make us more zealous in good works; sometimes that partaking with Christ in his sufferings, 
Rom. 8.17.  We may also be glorified with him.  VER. 3. 
Knowing that the trying of your faith bringeth forth patience.  
THE Apostle, not ignorant that it seemeth a hard thing to carnal men, to rejoice in the afflictions of this world, by an elegant gradation he reciteth certain utilities and profits that cometh of them, as reasons why the children of God should be comforted in afflictions, considering the fruits that come thereby.  
The first is, that by them our faith is tried.  
They bring forth, and exercise our patience.  
They make men entire and perfect.  
Obseru. 1 For the first, that afflictions make manifest trial and proof of our faith, the Scripture abundantly maketh mention. God doth many ways prove and examine the faith of his children, not that he is ignorant what it is, but that we knowing our own weakness should always fly unto him, and say, 
Luk. 17.5.  Domine adauge nobis fidem: Lord increase our faith. 
Genes. 12.  He proved the faith of Abraham, when he commanded him to departed from his Country, and acquaintance: 
Genes. 22.  He tempted him also when he commanded him to sacrifice his dear and only son Isaac, in whom only was the hope of the promise. By many peregrinations and troubles, he proved the Israelites by the space of forty yearcs in the Desatt. Again, 
Deut. 8.  he proved them, by suffering many false Prophets to arise and seduce the people: which was only for their trial, as Moses witnesseth. 
Deut. 13.3  The Lord your God proveth you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul. He proved also the Apostle Philip, 
joh. 6.5.6.  when he said: Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat, (and this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do) and of all the godly it is said: 
Wis. 3.5.6.  They are punished but in few things, yet in many things shall they be well rewarded, for God proveth them and findeth them meet for himself, he trieth them as the gold in the furnace, and receiveth them as a perfect fruit-offering. Tribulation therefore may be compared to the herb Cheledonie, 
Greg.  with the juice whereof, 
Pliny.  as Pliny writeth, the Swallows purge and clear their sight, from dust and dung that maketh them dim. So saith Gregory: oculos quos culpa claudit, poena aperit: The eyes which sin shutteth, the punishment for the same openeth. 
A Simile.  It is like unto the root of the Vine or Olive tree, which though the radical humour of the root thereof be bitter, yet through the influence of the Sun and heat, it is so digested that it becometh sweet in the branches, and yieldeth most pleasant fruit: So the bitterness of tribulation, through the benefit of GOD'S grace, causeth the sweetness of consolation: In the multitude of the sorrows of my heart, 
Psal 94 16  thy comforts have refreshed my soul. Tribulation may be likened unto the Tree called Rhamnus, whose root, leaves, 
Rhamnus.  and branches, though (as Physicians say) be exceeding bitter, yet are they very medicinable, for the seed thereof purgeth the body of all gross humours, and the juice cleareth the sight. So afflictions, 
Simile.  though they seem bitter to flesh and blood, yet they are very medicinable and healthful to the soul, they purge out the noisome humour of sin, and clear the eyes of our mind, which prosperity blindeth, that we may truly know ourselves, and see our own corruption, and horrible filthiness, and become henceforth more wary, and careful, how we offend, or displease, our loving and good GOD, and fly unto him in all our miseries. 
Aug. sup. ps.  Flagellum tribulationis excitat torpentem, humiliate superbientem, purgat poenitentem, & coronat innocentem. The scourge of tribulation stirreth up the drowsy, humbleth the proud, purgeth the penitent, and crowneth the innocent.  
Obseru. 2 Secondly, we are here to observe, that God doth prove and try our faith, not that he might make it known unto himself, what it is: (for he knoweth the secrets of the heart, he searcheth the reins, and knoweth all things before they are done) but first that our faith may become more pure and perfect, even as gold out of the furnace: Secondly, that we might the better know ourselves, that is, that we might more clearly see our own weakness and frailness, which without the help of his grace we are not able to help ourselves: Thirdly, in respect of others, that we might be an example of patience, and constancy unto our neighbours. 
Math. 26. Mar. 14.67 joh. 21.  So Christ proved the faith of Peter on the Sea, at his Passion, and after his Resurrection, when he asked him three times whether he loved him above the rest: And the Apostle witnesseth, that through his persecutions and bands, 
Phil. 1.14.  Many of the brethren were boldened, and did more frankly speak the word. Hence proceeded these confident speeches of the Christians, to their tyrants and persecutors: Cruciate, torquete, damnate, atterite, 
Tertul.  probatio innocentiae nostrae est iniquitas vestra. Torment us, rack us, condemn us, break us in pieces; your iniquity, is the trial of our innocency.  
As therefore the Chrysopass, 
Chrysopass. Simile.  or Ethiopian stone shineth in the darkness, but waxeth pale in the light: for (as Isidorus saith) in the night it shineth like fire, but in the day time looketh pale like gold: So in the night of adversity, the virtues of God's children shine most clear, which when men are in prosperity are obscured and covered. The godly then count it exceeding joy when they fall into divers temptations; knowing that afflictions are therefore sent of God for the trial of their faith: and this is the first reason of the confirmation taken from the profit of affliction.  Knowing that the trial of your faith bringeth forth patience. 
Hear is now the second profit that cometh of affliction, 
The second profit of Afflictions.  namely, patience, the beauty, foundation and crown of all other virtues. A virtue (saith Tertullian) which hath such a pre-eminence in the rank of virtues, 
Tertul.  that without it no man can fulfil any precept, 
The praise of patience.  or do any work acceptable unto God: as contrariwise, impatience is the mother of all fins, and every vice may be ascribed to impatiency. God himself is unto us a daily example of patience, 
From the example of God the Father.  which maketh his Sun to arise upon the just and unjust, and bestoweth innumerable benefits upon unthankful men, and such as fight against him, and maketh as though he saw not the sin of men, 
Wis. 11.20.  because they should amend. And the same Son of God, 
Of Christ.  showed his wonderful patience at his Conception, Nativity, Death, and Passion: he cured his enemies, he washed the traitor's feet, and gave him a kiss: 
Esay. 53.7.  He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a sheep dumb before the Shearer, so opened not he his mouth: When he was reviled, 
1. Pet. 2.23  he reviled not again, when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed it to him that judgeth righteously. The faith and patience of Abraham was proved by many and hard peregrinations, 
Of the faithful.  by domestical broils, by the sacrificing of his only son. The patience of Esay was proved, being cut asunder with a saw. Of jeremy, by imprisonements, captivity, and stoning. Of Micheas by reproaches and buffeting. Of Elias by the terrible threatenings of Kings, in the Desert, and of famine. Of job, by his plagues of body, and loss of all his temporal goods. And to conclude with Saint Paul, 
Heb. 11.25  they chose rather to suffer adversity with the people of God, then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Who now would not embrace this noble virtue, who would not aspire to such a treasure?  
But with what Simile should I delineate this noble virtue unto you? 
Simile.  Let us compare it with the purest metal: Patience is like unto pure gold, and that in three respects.  
First, 
Patience compared unto gold.  in regard of the solidity of it; for nothing is more  and compact then gold, for being put into the fire, it neither cuaporateth or is diminished in the weight, or consumed; but when through the violence of heat it is dissolved, if it have any admixtion of impurity, it is cleansed and becometh more bright. So the patiented man hath such solidity of mind, that being put into the fire of tribulation, doth neither evaporate through anger and impatiency, neither is diminished in the weight of virtue, through diffidence and distrust, or consumed through pusillanimity, or faint-heartedness, but is made the more pure, and shineth the more bright in virtue, 
1. Pet. 1.6.  Though now for a season ye be in heaviness through manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perisheth (though it be tried with fire) might be found to your praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of jesus Christ.  
Secondly, in regard of the ductibility thereof in working; for gold is so ductible that betwixt the anvil and hammer, without any division or interruption of parts, it is dilated and extenuated into most thin plates: So the patiented mind resisteth not persecution, but is so flexible that it is not broken through inconstancy, not divided of his persecutor through wrath, but is dilated into charity through patience: So were the holy Martyrs, when they prayed for their persecutors.  
Thirdly, in regard of the tranquillity thereof: For nothing among metals in working maketh less noise, for being stricken it soundeth not as doth brass and iron: So the true patiented mind resoundeth not in murmuring, cursing, railing, or scolding against a contumacious tongue, after the example of Christ, Who when he was reviled, 
1. Pet. 2.23  reviled not again, when he suffered he threatened not, but committed it to him that judgeth righteously. Such also was the patience of the blessed Martyrs, which being scourged and buffeted of their persecutors, answered not again, nor resisted through impatiency: if then we will retain this noble virtue, we must in these properties resemble the pure gold.  
Contrariwise the devil himself is the persuader and author to impatience; for, not able to suffer that God had made all things subject unto man, through envy deceived he our first parents, discontented with their estate, which brought all misery to them and their posterity. Cain, 
Gen. 4.  not able patiently to bear the felicity of Abel, oppressed and slew him. The Israelites always sinned through impatience. The want of patience was the cause that they rose up against Moses and Aaron, yea against the Lord himself. The jews and Gentiles persecuted the Apostles and Martyrs, because they could not patiently endure their preachings and reprehensions.  
Here (brethren) we see that patience and suffering of adversity, 
None a perfect Christian without patience.  is so necessary unto a Christian man, that without it he can indeed be no perfect Christian: For against the fiery darts of the devil, through innumerable snares, through infinite assaults, we must pass through and endure to the end, before we come to our heavenly Country: unless therefore we be armed with a strong and constant patience we shall often faint before we come to the midst of our course; 
Heb. 10.36 Nulla anceps luctamen init virtute sine ista. Virtas nam vidua est quam non patientia firmat. Prudentius  therefore saith the Apostle: Ye have need of patience that when ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 
No virtue may endure conflict, if Patience be away,  
For virtue like a Widow goes, where Patience doth not stay,  As well saith the Christian Poet Prudentius  
This is the true patience, which is not overcome with any adversity, and is exercised chief in suffering three things, which are: Oris opprobria, corporis flagella, damna temporalia, the reproaches of men's mouths, 
Patience exercised chief in three things.  the stripes of body, temporal losses, into which a certain Schoolman reduceth all adversity, which the true patience must vanquish.  
First, it is not overcome with opprobrious speeches, for commonly the wicked are wont to load the godly with contumelies, injuries, reproaches, and taunt, scoffings, and railings, and such like. Now they have retained the true patience which can carry themselves uprightly in these things, not rendering evil for evil; this the Apostle counseleth, 
Rom. 12.17 1. Thess. 5.14.15.  or rather commandeth; Recompense to no man evil for evil: And again: Be patiented toward all men, see that none recompense evil for evil unto any man, but ever follow that which is good, both towards yourselves and towards all men. And this is the weapon of God's children, whereby they are conquerors as Prudentius aptly saith: 
Prudentius  
— Lex habet illud  
Nostra genus belli, furias omnemque malorum  
Militiam, & rabidas tolerando extinguere vires.  
This noble kind of conquering, our Christian Law doth tell,  
The furies of all wicked rage, with patience to repel.   
When contrariwise wrath is vanquished with his own weapons; as he saith again. — Moriturque suis ira ignea telis,  
The second note of true patience, consisteth in suffering scourges and crosses which are inflicted upon the body, wherewith God's children are nothing daunted or weakened, but patiently endure whatsoever plague, or sickness, the Lord shall lay upon them. 
Simile. 1. Reg. 6.  And even as at the building of the Temple, there was heard neither the sound of the Axe, Hammer, or any tool of Iron: So when God by afflictions, crosses, and corrections, buildeth his spiritual house in the hearts of his children, they murmur not, repine not, nor are overcome with impatience, knowing that we must through many afflictions enter into the Kingdom of heaven. 
Act. 14.22.   
The third note of patience, is in suffering patiently the loss of temporal goods. Such was the patience of holy job, who when he had lost all his substance, which was very great, he was not touched with the least motion of impatiency, but said: 
job. 1.21.  The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken, blessed be the name of the Lord: So in all temporal losses the godly should say with job and Ely the Priest: 
1. Sam. 3.18  It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good: and this is the second reason why the godly should count it exceeding joy when they fall into divers temptations, because the trial of their faith bringeth forth patience. For what our patience is, it is not known but by adversity; 
Simile.  For even as a man that is sick of a fever quartan, or Tertian, if he have some rest in the time between his fits, is not said therefore to be cured of his fever: So no man may be said to be patiented when he is never disturbed, or assailed with adversity; but if in the midst of tribulation and misery, he be not shaken from a constant and quiet mind, he is truly said to be patiented: as he that in the time of his fit, is not touched with his fever, is said to be perfectly cured. 
Simile.  And as the Tree that moveth not when the wind is still, is not said therefore to be immovable: or as the wood that burneth not, when there is no fire, is not therefore incombustible: So a man that never tasted adversity, cannot be said to be patiented: 
Qualis quisque apud se luteat illata contumelia probat.  For (as Gregory saith) whatsoever a man's disposition is, secret with himself, reproaches make manifest. And thus we see, the trial of our faith bringeth forth patience: tribulation therefore is so far off from harming us, if with all humility we submit ourselves unto God, that it is a cause of our exaltation. 
Simile.  As the wood of the Egyptian Figtree, being cast into water, contrary to the nature of other wood, sinketh down to the bottom; but being full of water (when by nature it should be more heavy) it mounteth up to the top: so if in the water of adversity we descend to the bottom of humility, we shall be exalted (though the world thinketh otherwise) unto the top of felicity.  VER. 4. 
And let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.  
Reason. 3 A Third reason, or fruit that cometh of affliction; the godly must count it exceeding joy when they fall into divers temptations; and why? because patience in afflictions, if it have his perfect work in us, maketh us entire and perfect. Now that patience may have this work in us, it must not be momentany, and for a while, but we must perserver unto the end: that the whole building of our patience may be perfected and consummated. Some in the beginning do show an heroical fortitude of mind, but in midst of their course they faint and give over, but our Captain jesus Christ approveth, and alloweth, and crowneth them that persist constant unto the end.  
Obseru. 2 Hear first we observe that it is a most certain sign of election, when we persever in faith & good works; as contrariwise, a defection from the faith, is an evident testimony of reprobation, and therefore saith the Lord: 
Eze. 18.24.  If the righteous turn away from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and do according to all the abominations that the wicked men doth, shall he live? all his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: and to them only that endure to the end, 
Math. 10.  our Saviour promiseth salvation. And the Spirit of God saith? 
Apoc. 2.10  Be faithful unto the death, and I will give thee the Crown of life.  
Secondly, we are here taught, that it is not enough once, or twice, to fight against temptations, except we continue the combat unto the end: for what do our good beginnings avail, if being wearied and vanquished, at last we shake hands with Satan? judas began well, but his defection made him a Traitor: So did Simon Magus, Nicholas, Cerinthus, Hymineus, Alexander, Philetus, etc. which at first professed the Gospel of Christ, but at length, both to the shipwreck of their own souls, and many others, they were backsliders. In cassum bonum agitur, si ante vitae terminum deseratur, 
Greg. mon.  saith Gregory; It is in vain to do good, if we give over before the end of our life: And why? Quia frustra velociter cunit, qui priusquam ad metas venerit, defecit: because in vain he beginneth to run, which fainteth before he come to the goal. And to this purpose, S. 
Ber. in Ser.  Bernard hath this golden sentence: Bonam vitam ego duco, mala pati & bona facere, & sic perseverare usque ad mortem: 
A Golden saying of S. Bernard.  I count that a good life, to do good, and suffer evil, and to persever unto death.  
Perseverance may be likened unto the brave flourishing Laurel tree, 
Simile.  which remaineth always green, and is not spoiled of his vigour and beauty, neither in the heat of Summer, nor in the cold of Winter: So the truly perseverant man is neither broken in the Winter and storms of adversity, nor puffed up with the heat of prosperity, but keepeth still the same mind, the same constancy, the same tenor of of virtue. 
Simile.  And even as the skilful seafaring man is not daunted with every storm, nor giveth over for a contrary wind, but laboureth with perseverance against the wind, until he cometh to the haven: And as the hound followeth the Hare through brambles, thorns, hedges, until he catch her: So we must not give over our purpose of well-doing for any adversity, difficulty, or temptation, but with perseverance to overcome the troublesome storms and waves of this world, until we come to the safe haven and port of everlasting life: 
1. Cor. 9  So run that ye may obtain. 
Simile.  The wicked contrariwise may be likened to a rotten worm-eaten apple, which falleth from the Tree before it be ripe, when the sound grow fast until they come to maturity: So they that are putrefied and worm-eaten, through custom of sin, fall away from a good purpose, through want of perseverance, with a little wind of temptation; He is as the chaff which the wind scattereth away from the face of the earth. 
Psal. 1.5.  Who ever continued in well-doing and found not the mercy of the Lord? 
Mar. 16. joh. 20.  Marry Magdalen persevered at the Sepulchre, and the Lord first appeared unto her. The woman of Canaan persevered in prayer unto the Lord, 
Math. 15.  and ceased not at so many repulses, and therefore heard these words: O woman great is thy faith, be it unto thee even as thou wilt. The importunate friend in the Gospel, who knocked at his friend's door, craving to borrow three loaves, 
Luk. 11.  obtained that by perseverance, which for friendship he could not. To conclude, the people continued with the Lord three days in the Desert, and our Saviour rewarded this their perseverance with a notable miracle, whereby both their bodies were fed, and (which is more) their faith also confirmed. O (brethren) that we would persever thus in prayer and in our good purposes, in hearing the word, in meditation of heavenly things, etc. O that they which spend whole days and nights in play, cards, dice, and filthy pleasures, would spend but one day with the Lord in prayer, godly meditation! etc. How far greater would their gain be, than what they get by vain pleasures? But what say I one day? I would to God they would bestow but one hour in a day in this duty, great surely then would be the profit they should get thereby, etc. And thus through perseverance, patience hath her perfect work in us: it followeth, that ye may be perfect and entire lacking nothing,  
Here the word (perfect) signifieth stable, constant, persisting to the end in the profession of the Gospel. For God useth patience as an instrument and mean to make us perfect. Now in that some in Scripture are called just and perfect men, 
Math. 2. Luk. 2. Math. 5. Math. 19 Perfection two ways taken.  as joseph and Zacharias; be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. We must understand that perfection is two ways taken, either absolutely, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that is in respect of some other thing. The absolute perfection is such which can not be increased, but is so full and absolute as nothing may be added unto it; In this degree of perfection, no man in this infirmity and weakness of nature is perfect: the just falleth seven times a day, and therefore the very Apostles prayed the Lord to increase their faith: 
Luk. 17.  And the Apostle speaketh of himself, and of all the Saints of God in this life: 
Rom. 7.18.  For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present, but I find no means to perform that which is good: That we might understand that in the most perfect dwelleth the body of sin, as he saith again: O wretched man that I am, 
Rom. 7.24.  who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  
For the second, which is in deed the perfection of God's children, it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, certae cuiusdem rei respectu tantum, only in respect of some certain thing: so was joseph, job, Zacharias, called just or perfect men; not because they were absolutely perfect, but because they had attained to the perfection of sundry virtues, as far forth as of men this life might be attained. Thus the godly are called perfect, either in comparison of the wicked, in respect of whom God's children are holy, and in comparison of them, perfect. Or because the measure of their gifts and graces, and the virtues to which they aspire by the imputation of Christ's perfection, are reputed perfect, and made acceptable unto God. We are now therefore in the way where we are tending towards perfection, and shall at last obtain the same in our Country, and as all our righteousness is of faith; so, as our faith doth increase in us, so doth also our righteousness and perfection. What this perfection is in this life, the Apostle notably explaineth: 
Phil. 3.12.13.  Not as though I had already attained to it, either were already perfect: but one thing I do; I forget that which is behind, and endeavour myself to that which is before. This the Apostle teacheth by an elegant Simile taken from runners in a race. But what do these valiant runners in a race? 
In dies ulterius.  They forget that which is behind: That is, first, they never look back, nor regard how many paces they have run, but what yet remaineth farther for them to run, that with an unwearied course they may hasten to finish it, going still farther, never declining from the mark and goal, until they have attained the same. Secondly, they endeavour to that which is before, they have their eyes and mind, intent and fixed upon the mark to which they run, and will by no means divert either mind, or eyes from the same: Herein consisteth our Christian perfection in this life, and therefore he addeth: Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded.  
The use (beloved) we should make hereof is: 
The Use.  that seeing by patitience under the cross, and afflictions of this life we increase in godliness, and grow towards perfection, and this our aspiring towards perfection, and growth in godliness, is by the imputation of Christ's perfection, accepted and accounted for perfection before God; O then, let this move us to hold fast this exhortation of the Apostle: Brethren, count it exceediug joy when ye fall into divers temptations: Knowing that the trying of your faith bringeth forth patience: And let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire lacking nothing.   

The third Sermon.  
5 If any lack wisdom, let him ask of God, which giveth to all men liberally, and reproacheth no man, and it shall be given him.  
6 But let him ask in faith, and waver not: for he that wavereth, is like a wave of the sea, tossed of the wind and carried away.  
7 Neither let that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.  
8 A wavering minded man is unstable in all his ways.  
THERE are some which would have this to be the Apostles second exhortation of craving the true and Christian wisdom at the hands of God, by faithful and fervent prayer. Others restrain the name of wisdom, to the doctrine of bearing patiently the cross: where the Apostle useth a predcupation, or preventing of an objection, answereth them that might object against the former doctrine, that they want the gift of constancy and fortitude, joyfully to undergo the manifold temptations of this wretched life: as if he had said: Indeed herein consisteth a principal point of the true Christian wisdom, without which it seemeth a hard thing to flesh and blood, patiently to suffer crosses and afflictions: But if any want the gift of this wisdom, let him ask it of God, the giver of all goodness, who is exceeding bountiful and liberal, and it shall be given him. Hear I note  
1 What this wisdom is.  
2 Of whom, and how it is to be sought.  
3 The motives that should confirm our hope of obtaining the same.  
To omit the definitions of the Philosophers, which were ignorant of the true wisdom. S. Augustine thus defineth it generally: 
Definitio sap. secund. Aug. lib. 1. con. Acad.  Sapientia mihi videtur esse rerum humanarum, divinarumque quae ad beatam vitam pertineant non scientia solum sed etiam diligens inquisitio: Wisdom seemeth to me to be, not only the knowledge, but also the diligent inquisition of both divine and human things. 
Lact. l. 3. c. vlt. Qui vult sapiens esse & beatus audiat Dei volantatem, discat justitiam, sacramentum, suae nativitatis norit, bumana contemnat, etc. Psal. 19.7. job. 28.28.  And before him very aptly Lanctantius: who so will be wise and blessed, let him hear the voice of God, learn his righteousness, know the Mystery of his Nativity, contemn earthly things, love heavenly things, that he may attain to the sovereign good to which he was created, etc. This true wisdom is grounded upon the word of God; hereof speaketh the Princely Prophet: The testimony of the Lord is sure, and giveth wisdom to the Simple: And holy job: Behold the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to departed from evil is understanding. 
job. 28.15.16.  This wisdom shall not be valued with the wedge of Gold of Ophir, nor with the precious Onyx, nor with the sapphire, the gold nor the Crystal shall be equal unto it. This wisdom as it is most necessary unto all men, so especially for those which are under afflictions and persecutions, 
Rom. 5.3.  for it causeth them to rejoice in tribulation: This wisdom causeth to feel inwardly the comfort of the Spirit; this teacheth us to know the causes for which we are afflicted of God: First, for the punishment of our sins: Secondly, for the trial of our faith: Thirdly, for the advancement of God's glory: Fourthly, that we being touched, might repent, lest we be condemned with the world. This causeth to feel the comfortable presence of God's Spirit, in the midst of our miseries, whereby the burden of the cross is made light and easy.  
Now this wisdom being not a quality of nature, but an excellent gift of grace, is to be sought for of God by continual and fervent prayers, not of the wise men of this world, which count the extremest folly, the greatest wisdom, as to wallow in pleasures and delights of the world, to scrape together riches, to cog, lie, deceive, and undermine their neighbours, etc. which indeed they shall find, too late, to be mere folly and madness, to labour to win the fleeting world, and lose their own souls. Not of the Philosophers, which observing but the second causes only, and following nature their guide, do miserably ensnare, rather than comfort, the wretched minds of men. Not out of Adonis' garden of the wanton Poets, which are wont rather to corrupt and effeminate the minds of their Readers, and amaze them in the labyrinth of folly, then yield any solid comfort. But of God only is this wisdom to be sought, therefore saith this Apostle: If any lack wisdom, let him ask it of God: To this subscribeth the mirror of wisdom: The Lord giveth wisdom, 
Prou. 2.6.  and out of his mouth cometh understanding. And Daniel, 
Dan. 2.20.  the name of God be praised for ever and ever, for wisdom and strength are his. And Augustine in his Meditations, speaketh thus to God: Abs te sapere est desipere, te vero noscere, est perfect scire: 
Aug. med. cap. 5.  To be wise without Thee is to be a fool, and to know thee is perfect wisdom.  
Verse. 6 But how should we ask this wisdom? and how should we pray for the gift of patience? The Apostle teacheth: But let him ask in faith and waver not. We must ask in a firm and constant faith, if we would have our prayers acceptable unto God, and profitable unto ourselves: If we would obtain at the hands of God what we crave, we must ask without any distrust of God's power, liberality, and goodness: There is nothing that so much withholdeth God's bountifulness, in granting our petitions, as doubtfulness, when our minds are distracted into divers opinions, and not fully persuaded of God's power, and readiness, to hear our prayers, or grant the things which we desite. What is this else, but to teach God how to deny us? as one saith. It is truly said in the Tragedy: He that asketh fearfully or doubtfully, 
Sene. in Hip.  teacheth him of whom he asketh to deny him. The Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, signifieth both him that doubreth and judgeth of God's power and mercy. The Greek Scholia expoundeth it of him, which being pressed down with the weight of his sins, thinketh them to be greater than God is able, or willing, to forgive.  
Hear we are taught that without faith there is no access unto God, unless faith as a most clear light, doth disperse the darkness of our minds, show us the way, and as it were lead us by the hand unto the Throne of God: 
Rom. 10.14  For how (saith the Apostle) shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed. Without faith it is not possible to please God: 
Heb. 11.6.  For he that cometh to God, must first believe that God is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him. This our Saviour commending to the Centurion saith: 
Math. 8.13  As thou hast heleeved, so be it unto thee. And to the two blind men (that he might teach them the efficacy of faith) he saith: Believe you that I am able to do this? 
Math. 9.28 29.  according to your faith be it unto you. And to the Ruler of the Synagogue: Be not afraid, 
Mar. 5.36.  only believe: And at the raising of Lazarus, unto Martha: 
john 11.  Believest thou this? By faith, only then, our prayers are strengthened and made effectual, whereby approaching unto God, we are heard. And this that the Apostle might persuade us, willeth us to ask this wisdom of God, by faith, without wavering: For God is near unto such as call upon him (saith the Prophet) but yet only to such as call upon him faithfully.  
Now in the third place cometh to be considered, certain comfortable motives to confirm our hope, that if we ask this wisdom faithfully we shall obtain it.  
The first (saith the Apostle) is God's liberality: He giveth to all men liberally. God's liberality is altogether infinite, in imparting his goodness and graces most copiously unto his creatures: for so the adverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 affluentèr, largitèr, as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that the Apostle might express not only the readinesie, but also the effuse liberality of the Giver. God is prompt, ready, and free in his gifts; not like unto most men, which give grudginly, niggardly, and semiclusa manu; as the proverb is, as it were pinching away part of their benefits. He giveth superaboundantly above what we deserve: 
Rom. 10. Ephe. 3.20  For he is rich unto all that call upon him: He is able to do superaboundantly, above all that we ask, or think, saith the Apostle, as his nature is infinite, so is his bounty. Abraham craved but a son of the Lord, as an heir of his goods, and God promised to multiply his seed as the Stars of heaven, 
Gen. 22.17  and as the sand that is by the Seashore: And, which is the greatest of all, the Messiah and Saviour of the world was borne of the same seed. jacob desired but bread to eat, and clothes to put on, and a safe return into his Country, 
Gen. 28.29  And he had the Angels to his keepers, and companions of his peregrination, an happy marriage, a plentiful offspring, ample riches, great Flocks, Divine Visions, and sweet Promises. 
1. Sam. 9  Saul seeking his father's Asses, received the Kingdom and government of all Israel. Solomon desired of the Lord but only wisdom; 
1. Reg. 3.13  and he received with the same incredible riches, a peaceable Kingdom, and great glory, riches, and honour: so that among the Kings there was none like unto him. Neither do there want examples in the new Testament: 
john 4.  The woman of Samaria sought but for water to quench her bodily thirst, and she found the water of Life, the Saviour of the world. The thief on the Cross, craved of the Lord only to be mindful of him: and heard these wotds of our Saviour: This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise. 
Luk. 23.  Grace (saith Saint Ambrose) is so much more abundant than our prayers: 
Amb. Com. in Luc.  that the Lord doth always give more than we crave. Seeing then so great is the liberality of our God in giving; Let wretched man be ashamed (saith Augustine) of his slackness and slothfulness in ask.  
And as the Lords Liberality, should wonderfully stir us up confidently to fly unto him by faithful and fervent prayers: So Gods great Magnificence whereby he giveth generally to all men, which carrieth a comfortable Emphasis. If God giveth liberally unto all men, will he not give wisdom unto us, if we ask in faith? Shall we suspect his liberality unto us, who is so bountiful unto all flesh? So liberal is our good God, 
Rom. 8.32.  That he spared not his own Son, but gave him for us all unto death, and shall he not with him give us all things also? He giveth food unto all creatures, And feedeth the young Ravens which call upon him, And shall he neglect to hear the prayers of man, whom he hath above all other creatures created to eternal glory? Great surely is the weight of this general speech (unto all men) he denieth himself to none, he is the inexhaust fountain of all goodness, ever open unto all thirsty souls, without exception, he calleth all unto him: 
john 7.37. Mat. 11.28  If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink: Come unto me all that are weary and laden, and I will ease you. To all he giveth the law of nature, reason, the admirable glass of his creatures. 
Math. 6.  He maketh his Sun to arise upon the good and evil, and causeth his rain to fall upon the just and unjust: No man then, but through his own default, is deprived of these blessings; which serveth notably to confirm our hope of obtaining all good things at the hands of God, who is so liberal to all men.  
The third motive to confirm our hope in prayer, is taken from the goodness of God's nature, He reproacheth or casteth no man in the teeth: So great is his love and kindness, that he never upbraideth us with his former benefits, that thereby he should shame or repel those that pray unto him. We see men (yea of the most liberal sort) will oftentimes reproach such as crave of them, with their former gifts, that thereby they might shift and shake off importunate suitors. 
Eccl. 18.17  A fool (saith the Wiseman) will reproach churlishly, and a gift of the envious putteth out the eyes: An odious kind of men which reproach a friend with a benefit received, which the receiver, and not the giver, aught to remember and commend: Wherefore men are loath to make request to such for any thing, neither have they any hope to obtain of men of this disposition; 
Obiurgatio est in adversis crudelis. Sene. in Proverb.  but the thank and grace of a benefit is lost by such bragging, even among men, as the Poet aptly saith.  

Crede mihi, quamuis ingentia (Posthume) dones,  
Authoris pereunt garrulitate sui.   

Although thy gifts on me are great (friend Posthume) and thy cost,  
Yet through thy brags they perish all (believe me) and are lost.   
The use. Seeing then we have so gracious and liberal a God, who is delighted with our often prayers, Let us (beloved) cast off all doubtfulness, if we think to receive any thing of the Lord, and therefore Vers. 6. He compareth a doubtful wavering mind unto a wave of the sea tossed of the wind; such indeed is the mind that doubteth in his prayers, whether God be able to deliver him, or willing to stand to his promises, which as a wave tossed with the wind, inclineth sometime to this side, sometime to that; now he presumeth, anon he despaireth and fainteth. Therefore when thou comest to commence thy suits unto the Lord, trust confidently in his mercy; say with the Prophet: I will trust in thy mercy, 
Psal. 13.15  and then assure thyself, as Saint Bernard very truly saith: 
Ber. Ser. 5. the quadrag.  unum è duobus indubitantèr sperare possumut: aut dabit quod poscimus, aut quod noverit nobis esse utilius: One of these two we may undoubtedly hope for, that either he will grant that we desire, or that which shall be more profitable for us:  VER. 8. 
A wavering minded man is unstable in all his ways, etc.  
THIS general rule the Apostle addeth to the former conclusision, as it were assigning a reason thereof: to wit, he whose mind is two ways divided, on this side beholding God, on the other side the world: now believing God to be omnipotent, and the sovereign good; now again doubting of them both: This man is not only inconstant, and wavering, in his prayers, but also in all other things that he thinketh or doth, having one thing in his tongue, another thing in his heart, changing his affections with the time, now here, now there, as the wind: What marvel then, if such a man obtain nothing at GOD'S hands? Doth not this so filthy inconstancy deserve a just repulse? He is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which with divers cogitations about the same thing is distracted, and hath nothing certain what to follow, as indeed have all such as are doubtful, as though they had duos animos, 
Beda.  two minds. Beda reputeth him a double minded man, which in praying to the LORD boweth his knee, but distrusteth that he shall obtain; And would Hic cum saeculo gaudere & illic cum Deo regnare, and follow the delights of the world here, and yet there reign with God. Again, he is double-minded, which in the good works which he doth seeketh not to please the Lord, but hunteth after the favour and applause of men. 
Haec secund. Bed.   
Hear it appeareth, that to bear a double and inconstant mind, causeth that our prayers are not heard. Of this kind, first are all hypocrites, whom the Son of God very elegantly, and fitly, compareth to painted Sepulchres, 
Math. 23.  outwardly curiously wrought, but being within full of dead men's bones: They honour God with their lips (saith the Prophet Esay) but their heart is far from him. 
Simile. Clemens Alex. lib. storm.  Clemens Alexandrinus saith, They are like to the Temples of the Egyptians, which outwardly appear fair to the eye, but within are full of poisonous Serpents, and other venomous and unclean beasts. 
Simile. S. Chrisostomus.  Saint Chrysostome likeneth them unto harlots, which though by nature they are most stinking, corrupt, loathsome, and filthy, 
Simile. S. Bernard in sermone de Benedict.  yet they affect and forge beauty, with painting and garish attire.  
Saint Bernard saith they are like Simon of Cyren, who carried the cross of Christ, but not willingly: So hypocrites and counterfeits, will outwardly sometime do the works of a Christian, but not willingly; for in heart they love not that, which outwardly they make show of: the hypocrite is like unto copper, which emulareth the gold in colour, when it is far off in value and worth.  
He is like the stone called Chrysolenium, 
Simile.  which resembleth the chrysolite, 
Isidor.  when yet it is not the same in price nor profit, which (as Isidore saith) is of a golden colour, and in the morning appeareth most fair and bright, but afterward looketh dark and dim, and hath such affinity with fire, that being holden near the same, it is strait inflamed: So the double-minded man is all golden in show, when he pretendeth sanctity, and in the morning is most fair, when he beginneth with fervency, but is afterward obscured with many vices, and is easily inflamed with the fire of temptations.  
Secondly, they are (as another Father saith) of a double mind, of whom it is said; Vult & non vult piger: 
Salonius super Proverb. c. 13.  The sluggard would reign with God, but will not work the work of the Lord, they would attain to blessedness, yet will reject the precepts of Christ: and be not there an infinite number of these?  
Thirdly, they are duplices animo, double-minded, 
Athanasius orat. quod Nicoena Synodus. Hisunt tamvarij & versi-pelli animo quam Cameliontes in mutandis coloribus.  which are not stayed, not steadfast, in any opinion, as Heretics, Schismatics, and Nullifidians, which lean sometime to this opinion, sometime to that, that they may please the humours of men, of whom they expect some advantage. These are (saith one) so variable, and such turne-coates in their opinions, as the Chameleon is in changing his colours: And to use Irenaeus words, Cum sint duo vel tres, 
Ireneus.  de eisdem non eadem dicunt: when as there are but two or three, they descent in opinions, and speak not the same of the same things. They are like unto the reed which groweth on the sands, which are in danger of three things, of the wind, the rain, 
Math. 7.  and the flood, as it is in the Gospel: So this hypocrite, because like this reed he fixeth the root of his opinion on the sands, is either broken with the wind of temptations, or corrupted with impatience in the rain of adversity, or rooted out with the flood of persecution: And therefore among many other praises of john Baptist, he is commended by the mouth of the Son of God; 
Math. 11.  That he was not like unto a reed shaken with the wind: That we from hence be no more children, 
Ephe. 4 14  wavering and carried about with every wind of doctrine.  
Fourthly, 
S. Ber. Epist. 99  Saint Bernard calleth them duplices animo, double-minded, which once professing a religious zeal in the service of God, in hearing the word Preached, and all Christian exercises, do shamefully renounce the same, that they may follow the pleasures and liberty of the world. They are like unto Lot's wife, 
Gen. 19  who being delivered out of Sodom, looked back as loath to forego the pleasures thereof, and was turned into a pillar of Salt: They are like unto the jews, who loathing the heavenly Manna, 
Num. 12.  longed for the flesh-pots of Egypt, their pepons and onions.  
Fiftly, they bear a double mind which are parasites, flatterers, and traitors towards their brethren, which (as the proverb is) Vua manu pavem, altera lapidem aut gladium ostentant: hold in one hand bread, and in the other a stone, or a sword. They bless with their mouths, but curse with their hearts. They resemble Cain, 
Gen. 4.  who under colour of walking in the fields, slew his brother Abel. They are like joab, who traitorously with a feigned kiss slew Abner: 
2. Sam. 3.  They are the children of the Traitor judas, who also with a kiss betrayed his Master, the most innocent Lamb, the Son of God. Such the Wiseman pronounceth accursed: 
Eccles. 2.13  Woe be unto him that hath a double heart: And the Spirit of God: 
Psal. 12.1. ovid. Impia sub dulci melle venena latent.  They speak deceitfully every one with his neighbour, flattering with their lips, and speak with a double heart.   

The fourth Sermon.  JAMES 1.9.10.11.12. 
9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted.  
10 Again he that is rich, in that he is made low: for as the flower of the grass, shall he vanish away.  
11 For as when the Sun riseth with heat, than the grass withereth, and his flower falleth away, and the beauty of the fashion of it perisheth: even so shall the rich man fade away in all his ways.  
12 Blessed is the man, that endureth tentation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the Crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.  
THE Apostle returneth again to his former proposed doctrine of patience, 
The Analysis.  and comfort in afflictions, and showeth the profit that cometh to poor and rich thereby, for which they ought to rejoice; for which he also giveth a reason.  
Secondly, he concludeth this doctrine, with the reward of patitience: 
Verse 12.  Blessed is the man that endureth temptations &c.  
There are two sorts of men, poor and rich, to both which the doctrine of patience under the Cross is necessary: For the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is he which is abject, afflicted with poverty, sickness, exile, hatred of the world, and other calamities, to which is opposed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rich, to whom all things pertaining to this mortal life do succeed after their desires. The Apostle willeth the poor brethren to rejoice in affliction, because they are hereby exalted, either to the true profession of the Gospel of Christ, or because they are thereby made like unto Christ himself, and his holy Saints, who have all in this world drunk of the cup of afflictions, and have thereby a sure testimony, to their conscience, that they are the adopted sons of God, and therefore heirs of the heavenly glory, as Christ himself testifieth: 
Luk. 24.25 26.  O ye fools and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? The rich again should rejoice in affliction, as very profitable unto them, because being taught thereby how vain the pomp and riches of this world is, they are restrained within the bounds of their duty: So that the poor thereby are made content with their abject condition, and the pride of the rich thereby abated. The Elect of God ought not to change their minds with the blasts of Fortune, as the common sort of men do. But a brother, that is, an humble Christian, pressed down with divers miseries, should rather rejoice in this, for that being contemned of the world, he is beloved of God, who will exalt him to the fellowship and glory of his Saints above. Again, let the rich when he is made low, rejoice, because whereas he was, for the deceitful goods of this life, honoured in the world, now for the profession of Christ he is contemned and despised. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exaltatio is the glorification of the Saints which Christ giveth unto his faithful servants: I go (saith he) to prepare a place for you, 
joh. 14.  and I will receive you unto myself.  
First, here let us note the love and mildness of the Apostle, who calleth all Christians, though never so poor, abject, and base in the world, Brethren: for all which have partaked of the same Baptism, having the same God their Father and Creator, the same Son, their Saviour and Redeemer, the same holy Ghost, their Sanctifier; Members of the same Church, professors of one and the same Religion: What are they else but brethren, yea more nearly linked together then in any carnal affinity? Christ himself calleth us Brethren, and willeth us to repute one another brethren. 
Math. 5 22  Whosoever is angry with his brother, etc. The etrnall Son of God himself, calleth us his brethren; 
Math. 6. Math. 23. john 20. Math. 10.  Go tell my brethren, saith he. Again, He that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven, he is my brother, sister, and mother, But is it not to be lamented that this excellent virtue of charity among Christians, is not only cold, but almost altogether quenched? How many brawls, strifes, hatreds, treasons of one towards another, and murders, have crept now into the place thereof? This proverb, Homo homini Deus, one man is as it were a God towards another, this wretched age hath turned into, homo homini damon, Lupus, one man is a devil, or a wolf towards another: So that this complaint of the Poet is verified among us: 
ovidius.  

Illud amicitiae sanctum & venerabile nomeu,  
Nunc tibi pro vili, sub pedibusque jacet.   
The reverend name of friendship pure, which once was sacred sweet,  
As thing most vile, of thee, is quite trodden under feet.   
The friendship and love of the world aimeth only at profit, 
Seneca. Mel muscae, cadavera lupi, frumenta formicae; praedam, non hominem, sequitur turba ista.  and maketh it the ground thereof, as Seneca once truly said: As the wasps and flies follow the honey, Wolves the dead carcase, Emmets the corn: so these kind of friends, follow their prey, and not the man.  
The word (exalted) I find among the Fathers to be two ways expounded. 
The word (exalted) 2 ways taken.  First, it signifieth the Crown of heavenly glory, wherewith Christ will crown all in his Kingdom which here suffer patiently the cross and afflictions for his name's sake, with the most certain expectation whereof the servants of God do erect their minds and comfort themselves in all adversity, yea, and in death itself: For the afflictions of this life are but temporary and very short, but the crown of glory in their exaltation is eternal: He that loveth his life shall lose it, 
john 12. Luk. 18.  and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto eternal life. And again, this word (exalted) may be taken for the inward and spiritual joy of the mind, wherewith God's children are cheered and comforted, when they are hated and afflicted of the wicked, as the Apostles, 
Acts 5.41.  Which went rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for Christ's name: Blessed are ye when men revile you, 
Math. 5.11 12.  and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you for my name's sake falsely. Rejoice and be glad for great is your reward in heaaen. And we must not think (as the reverend Beda noteth upon this place) that this pertaineth only to the Apostles and holy Martyrs, but unto us all, as the example of blessed job, whom God first humbled with many afflictions before he exalted him unto glory, telleth us: so Abel, No, Abraham. David, and the rest of the patriarchs and Prophets, and all the rest of the Fathers could find no other way to heaven, but through exile, persecutions, and divers troubles, let every man in his afflictions apply this unto himself, and he shall find great comfort unto his soul.  The rich in that he is made low. 
THE other part of his exhortation pertaineth to the rich men, 
To the rich.  for he taketh here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divitem, for a man any way fortunate in this world, 
Psal. 144.  Whose sons are as the young plants, and their daughters, as the polished corners of the Temple, whose Garners are full and plenteous with all manner of store: He is here commanded to rejoice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his humiliation, and abjection. As then the cross and afflictions are profitable to the poor, who are thereby exalted, so is this doctrine also very profitable to the rich, for he is taught thereby, not to be proud, Ne nimium fortunae blandienti credat, that he trust not too much flattering Fortune, seeing that his riches are unstable: the fire may consume them, the rust may fret them, the moths may eat them, the thief may steal them, or at least when he dieth, will he, or nill he, he must forsake them. When God then taketh from the rich these deceitful baits of the world, when he turneth their wealth into want, their mirth into misery, their plenty into penury, their happiness into heaviness, they are exhorted here by the Apostle to rejoice, seeing the occasion of many sins, 
Arist. lib. 3. Polit. Plato lib. de legibus. Hieron. Greg. Propert. Auro pulsa fides, Auro venalia iura. Aurum lex sequitur, mox sine lege pudor.  which commonly riches ministereth, are taken away. Is not the world full of examples that riches are the cause of tyranny, insolency, arrogancy, and intolerable pride. Aristotle saith, Pecunia seditionem efficit & malignitatem. And Plato: Divites ac bonos esse impossibile, as if it were impossible for riches and goodness to dwell together. And Saint Hierom saith: Proverbium hoc verum est, omnis dives iniquus aut iniquihaeres. And Gregory: ubi aurum, ibi & vitium: Where there is store of gold, there is store of vice, much gold and little goodness. And doth not the Scripture witness the same? 
1. Tim. 6.10.11.  They that will be rich, fall into tentation and snares, and into many foolish and noisome lusts, which drown men in perdition and destruction, for the desire of money is the root of all evil, etc., And our Saviour himself: That a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of heaven: 
Math. 19 Math. 13.  And he compareth riches unto Thorns, which choke up the good Seed. And the Apostles exhortation pertaineth not only unto them which gape by all means soever to hoard up riches, but also unto all such as are puffed up with honour, nobility, wisdom, or any other external things. When the rich man then is humbled, by loss of goods, spoil of wealth, decrease of riches, he is exhorted to rejoice, in as much as the occasion of much evil, yea perchance of the destruction of his soul, is taken away. This then is the Apostles doctrine, that seing in every estate of this life, in poverty and riches, in high and low estate, many occasions of impatience are ministered, the only remedy than is, in all the alterations of Fortune, in all the changes of this world, to bear ourselves patiented under the cross. 
Afflictions profitable to poor and rich.  And thus ye see how afflictions are profitable both to poor and rich. Out of which I observe two most excellent Doctrines.  
First, that we consider how preposterous and vain the confidence in riches is, which in a moment fadeth, and cannot protect us from diseases, nor defend us from death, nor help us at the pinch of our extremest necessity: Dives cum moritur non sumet secum omnia, neque descendet cum eo gloria eius: The rich when he dieth shall not carry his goods with him, neither shall his pomp follow him. Two dreadful examples we have hereof in holy Scripture: One of him, who, when he had heaped up much riches, heatd this voice: 
Luk. 12.  O fool, 
Luk. 16.  this night will they fetch away thy soul from thee. The other, being in the midst of hellish flames, one drop of water was denied him. To these may be added the churlish Naball, 
1. Sam. 25.  who after his royal and princely feastings, refused to give a little bread unto David, and was stricken with sudden death, and David enjoyed both his wife and riches. So Pharaoh, Antiochus, and Herod, after a few days pleasure in this life, left all their riches, and in a moment descended into hell. How needful then is it to hearken unto this counsel of the Apostle? 
1. Tim. 6.17.  Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, 
Propert. Non ullas portabis opes Acherontis ad undas.  and that they trust not in uncertain riches, but in the living God, which giveth us abundantly all things to enjoy.  
Secondly, we are here taught that the wisdom of this world deceiveth, and is filthily deceived, which judgeth their state to be wretched & most miserable, which for Christ his sake are deprived of riches and honours, whereas the spirit of God pronounceth such happy and blessed; Blessed are ye, 
1. Pet. 3.  if ye suffer for righteousness sake: Consider the examples of the Saints of God, as of Moses, who preferred the rebuke of Christ before all the treasure of Egypt: 
Heb. 11.  And of Paul, who counted all things as dung that he might win Christ. 
Phil. 3.  And in deed to lose riches, what is it else but to be rid of most sharp thorns, and to be eased of a heavy burden which stoppeth the entering of eternal life?  
Object. But here some may object, that when Saint james willeth the brother of low degree to rejoice, etc. and the rich when he is made low and humbled, he is contrary to other places of Scripture, as jerem. 9 Phil. 4. where we are commanded to rejoice only in the Lord.  
Solut. Christian Religion teacheth us, that all things happen unto us from God, who disposeth all things by his eternal Providence, which who so holdeth then in low degree to rejoice when we are brought low, what is it else but to rejoice in the Lord?  
Next the Apostle addeth a reason of this his exhortation, 
The reason.  For as the flower of the grass he passeth away. This reason he taketh from the nature of riches and worldly prosperity which is inconstant, momentany, and vain; for the success of worldly prosperity he compareth unto flowers, than which nothing may be imagined more glorious to behold, but the glory thereof is most brittle and fading, for with the heat of the Sun they vanish and whither; so that the flower which flourisheth at sun-rising, and pleaseth the eyes with the grateful colour, and delighteth the smell with the sweet favour thereof, ere Sunset fade and perish. Like unto this is the felicity of rich men: now stately in their purple, shining in their gold, glittering in pearl, guarded with a great train, honoured as a God among men, but shortly after, when fortune changeth her countenance, despoiled of all their goods, wandering in exile, pining in prison, and if none of these happen unto them, yet death, with stealing steps, will arrest them, and deprive them of all their pomp. Histories are full of these examples. 
Polycrates Prince of Samos.  Polycrates the mighty Prince of the Samians, who had fortune a long time so obsequious, that his hope was always the apprehension of the thing desired: Vota enim nuncupabantur, simul & soluebantur, cuius velle & posse in aequo positum videbatur, saith a Writer, whose wishes and vows were together made and performed, whose will and achievements seemed to be both alike: who when he would make proof of his fortune, cast a jewel of great value into the sea, which in short time he received again, being found of his Cook in the belly of a fish which his Cater had unwittingly bought in the market; yet he miserably died: for being taken in the war by King Darius, he was hanged on the top of a Mountain, and left to be devoured of the fowls of the air. 
Cyrus.  Cyrus' King of Persia, who divided the river Ganges, wherein one of his Soldiers was drowned, into 400 and 60 Channels, was at last taken by Thomiris Queen of the Masegetes, and his head cast into a barrel of man's blood. The mighty Xerxes, who overturned Mountains, and covered the sea with his Ships, this flower quickly faded, for he became contemptible to his own servants, and at last was slain by Artabanus, one of his own Captains. What should I speak of King Darius, 
Darius.  who being vanquished of Alexander, was bound in chains and fetters of gold, and drawn in a Chariot about the City Thara, where having received many wounds miserably died? What of Alexander the Great, which after so many victories, so many triumphs, and almost all the whole world subjecteth unto him, was at last by Cassander the son of Antipater poisoned? And almost infinite more recorded in histories, 
Lucan. Fertque resertque vices & habent mortalia casum. Amb. lib. 1. hexa.  whose miserable fall proved true this of the Apostle; The glory of this world vanisheth as the flower of the grass. hody (saith Ambrose) videas adolescentem validum, pubescentis aetatis virtute florentem: Thou mayst see to day a young man, strong, flourishing, in the vigour of his youth, with a lively hue and fresh colour, the next day he meeteth thee with his face & colour changed. Plerosque enim, aut labor frangit, aut inopia macerat, aut cruditas vexat, aut vina corrumpunt, aut senectus debilitat, aut luxuria decolorat, aut morbi fatigant: For most men (saith he) either labour doth break, or penury maketh lean, or crudity vexeth, or wine corrupteth, or old age enfeebleth, or riot discoloureth, or sickness weareth out; such is the miserable condition of our mortal life. Pharaoh was in the morning flourishing, 
Exod. 14.  but ere the evening made meat for fishes. 
Dan. 5.  Balthazar King of Babylon in the midst of his wines, and banquetings, was stricken with sudden horror, and the next night slain of his enemies. 
Dan. 4.  Nabuchadonozor now glorious in his Palace, but presently after cast out among brute beasts. 
Hest. 7.  Haman had in hope even devoured the Israelites, but shortly after was hanged on a tree. 
Acts 12.  Herod was honoured as a God, but in a moment consumed of worms: and many more such examples in holy Scripture. One example more I cannot omit, 
Niceph. lib. 18. cap. 22.  recorded by Nicephorus. Theodorus the Physician, a man wise and prudent, who being sent of Mauritius the Emperor unto Chaganus a most mighty Captain about a composition of peace, and finding him very obstinate, uttered this history unto him. Sesostris King of Egypt, through his many conquests, being drunken with the wine of pride and ambition, caused a Chariot to be made, adorned with gold and precious stones, which he caused to be drawn by four of his conquered Kings: And beholding one of them never averting his eyes from the motion of the wheel, demanded of him his conceit in so doing, who answered, that in the wheel he considered the wonderful change, and uncertainty of worldly things, the inconstancy of human prosperity, which is now aloft, and presently down again, up and down, like a wheel in his motion. The tyrant hereby calling to mind the frailty of human glory, restored these Kings to their former liberty. Chaganus smiling at this History, confirmed to Theodorus the propounded conditions of peace.  
If then the goods of fortune be so instable, if nothing under the Sun is durable, if all things in this world are subject to corruption: O then how are our minds bewitched, how is our understanding blinded? that forsaking God the unchangeable and eternal good, we will follow the fading shows of this deceitful world?  
Consider again how vain, futile, and less than nothing, the things are before the eyes of God, which this world so greatly admireth, and desireth, seeing the Spirit of God, the most wise ponderer of things, compareth them to the flower and the grass. The Prophet Esay incultateth, and beateth this lesson into our ears, comparing not only man's life, but also the riches and glory of this world, unto the grass and flower. I heard a voice saying unto me, 
Esay 40.6.  Cry, and I said what shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and the grace thereof is as the flower of the field. The Princely Prophet also falling into the consideration of the frail and wretched condition of man, useth the same comparison, 
Ps 103.15.  saying: The days of man are but as grass: as a flower of the field so flourisheth he. Solomon also painting out the uncertainty of the riches of the world, saith; Wilt thou cast thine eyes upon that which is nothing? 
Prou. 23.5  for riches taketh her to her wings as an Eagle, and flieth into heaven. What a folly than is it to account them happy which swim in worldly prosperity? It is even as if seeing a man in a goodly bed, served with all dainties, and with sweet music, should think him much blessed, when yet the intolerable pain of the Gout, will suffer him to take no rest nor pleasure day nor night.  VER. 12. 
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, etc.  
HERE is the Apostles conclusion of the whole doctrine of the Cross, which is taken from the reward of patience, which is blessedness: 
The division.  In which conclusion these things are to be considered, which in order are here set down.  
1 When it shall be given; when they are tried.  
2 Whereunto it is compared; to a Crown of life.  
3 The certainty thereof; because it is God which promiseth it, and not man that oftentimes deceiveth and is changeable.  
4 To whom it shall be given; to such as love God.  
The reward promised is here noted under the word (Blessed) which is the greatest reward that may happen unto any man, for, Beatitudo est status omnium bonorum aggregatione perfectissimus: Blessedness is a state most perfect of all good things heaped together.  
The wise men of this world do greatly err, which place their felicity in bodily pleasures, riches, honours, etc. For blessed indeed is that man which for godliness sake is despoiled of all his goods, suffereth imprisonment, and all misery in this life: if for the love of Christ he patiently endureth them to the end, he shall certainly be happy and blessed, for he shall receive an immarcessible crown, not querneam or lauream coronam, a crown made of oaken or Laurel boughs, but a crown of everlasting life, a diadem of the Kingdom of heaven, which God, which cannot deceive, hath promised.  
This paradox than the Apostle defendeth against the common opinion of the world, which is the same which the Son of God himself preached on the Mount: the wisdom of the world saith, blessed are the rich, etc. but Christ saith, 
Math. 5. Luk. 6.  blessed are the poor: Woe be unto you rich, for ye have your consolation here. The wisdom of the world counteth them blessed which are filled with wine and all delicate fare; but Christ pronounceth them blessed which hunger and thirst after righteousness: The wisdom of the world esteemeth them blessed which have all things at their desire, but Christ them which suffer persecution for righteousness sake, whom the wicked men of this world revile, slander, & put to death, for as much as now they are blessed in hope, & shall shortly come to the real fruition of blessedness: 
Wisd. 3.  Though in the sight of the unwise they appear to die, yet they are in rest.  
We are here to observe the old distinctions of the Divines, duplicem esse beatitudinem, that blessedness is twofold; the one of this our peregrination while we are in the way towards our Country, which consisteth, in spe, in hope; and the certain expectation of the heavenly good things which in our Country we shall enjoy. Of this speaketh the Apostle: 
Rom. 8.24 Ephes. 2.  We are saved by hope: And again: Ye are Citizens with the Saints, and of the household of God: And the Psalmist: 
Psal. 32.1.  Blessed is he whose wickedness is forgiven, and whose sin is covered. For this hope ought to be so firm and sure in our hearts, as if already we had reigned with Christ in heaven. With this hope all the faithful did comfort themselves in their miseries. For Christ (saith Augustine) hath carried with him already into heaven a portion of the flesh and blood of every one of us; 
Aug. medit. cap. 5.  Vbi ergo portio mea regnat, ibi me regnare credo, ubi caro mea glorificatur, ibi gloriosum me cognosco, ubi sanguis meus dominatur, ibi dominari me sentio: Where a portion of me doth reign already, there believe I that I shall reign, where my flesh is glorified, there know I that I shall be glorified, etc. Though I be a sinner, yet distrust I not the communion of this grace, Etsipeccata mea prohibent, substantia mea requirit: Though my sins forbidden this, yet my substance which is there already in Christ, requireth it.  
The second blessedness is in our Country, 
The second blessedness  and in the true and real possession of the Kingdom of heaven, which consisteth in the bright vision and fruition of God: 
1. john 3. Luk. 12.37  When we shall see him as he is: Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find waking: Verily I say unto you he will gird himself about, and make them to sit down at Table, and will come forth and serve them. And again, 
Apoc. 19.9  Blessed are they which are called to the supper of the Lamb: And, blessed are they that dwell in thine house: 
Psal. 84.  With the hope whereof the Spouse in the Canticles, in the person of all God's children, comforteth herself saying; 
Can. 1.3.  We will be glad in thee: where the Latin hath out of the Hebrew: Exultabimus & laetabimur in te, memores uberum tuorum super vinum: Which importeth thus much: In thee only o thou sweet Bridegroom of my soul, I will rejoice, which art able to give me the true joy, the full joy, the joy every way absolute and perfect, the joy immarcessible, and never ceasing, to which all earthly joys being compared, that spring of riches or pleasures, seem vile and loathsome. Such are these joys, that the very hope, and remembrance thereof is sufficient to glad our minds above all worldly joys: Memores uberum tuorum super vinum (saith he) In which words he notably distinguisheth between the true and the worldly joys; by Wine the Scripture understandeth worldly consolation and joy, as: They shall not drink wine with mirth: 
Esay 24.  But by this word (ubera) the Divine Consolation is signified, that most precious Nectar of eternal glory, proceeding from the breasts of GOD, wherewith all the blessed Saints inebriabuntur, shall be drunken, 
Esay 66.  that ye may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolation. O good GOD whose heart is so stony, yea, harder than adamant, which hearing these things is not dissolved and softened? O how blessed a thing shall it be to see so many holy Saints, so many blessed Spirits, to hang (as it were) at the breasts of GOD, and suck from thence that most sweet, comfortable, and precious milk of Consolation, according to the measure of every one's capacity! Inebriabuntur ab ubertate domus tuae (saith David) & torrente voluptatis potabis eos: 
Psal. 36.8  They shall be satisfied with the fatness of thine house, and thou shalt give them to drink out of the Rivers of pleasures. This (dearly beloved brethren) is the blessedness of God's Elect, these are the joys which the Spouse, the Church, affirmeth to be better than any wine, for the sweetness thereof incomparably surpasseth all pleasures that may be imagined, the remembrance thereof is sufficient (where there is one drop of the love of God) to stir up the desire, to refresh the mind, to draw the will; This inviteth the Virgin, strengthtneth the Martyr, and after his conflicts and labours crowneth the Confessor. O how sweet must the fruition of this blessedness be, when the remembrance thereof, as a little taste in this life, maketh men despise all earthly delights? This made the Prophet cry out: 
Psal. 34.  O taste and see how sweet the Lord is. Again, Quam magna multitudo dulcedinis tuae domine (as the Latin hath) How great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee? 
Psal. 31.19.  The Apostle Saint Paul, having tasted the same, but cursim & raptim, could not contain himself, 
Rom. 8 18.  but protested, That the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory, which shall he showed unto us.  
Hear we also learn that if he be blessed which patiently endureth temptations, then cursed are they which have here all their pleasure, consolation, and prosperity. Let worldlings than count fortunes flattery their felicity, let the filthy Epicures count beastliness their blessedness, let them count filthy lust their delight, let the miser churl count gold his God, the lecher his paragon his Paradise, etc. yet let the Christian confess, the bearing of the Cross, the suffering of affliction, the trial of their faith, to be their happiness and felicity, with the blessed Apostle, which saith: Blessed is the man that endureth temptation.  
We are here taught, what is the condition and state of the godly in this world, that they are even as sheep among wolves, that is, exposed to the hatred, slander, and injuries of the wicked, and that they are proved and exercised by divers temptations, and thereby prepared to receive the Crown of Glory: so would the Lord have Abel, Abraham, jacob, joseph, Moses, David, etc. to be subject to this cross: For if any man will follow me, 
Mat. 16.24 1. Tim. 3.  let him forsake himself and take up his Cross: All that will live godly in Christ jesus shall suffer persecution.  
The Apostle expresseth also the time when it shall be given, when we are tried; the Crown is promised after our conflict, the hire is not rendered before we have done our labour: 
2. Tim. 2.  No man (saith the Apostle) is crowned except he strive lawfully, 
2. Tim. 4.7. The Use. There is no garland where is no goal to run unto: There is no Crown where the race is not lawfully run.  And setting down his travail before his reward, he saith: I have fought a good fight, and have finished my course I have kept the faith. There is no price where there is no striving.  
Hear we learn that is is not enough once or twice to resist sin, for the whole life of man is a continual warfare upon earth. Again, we are here taught that our life was not given us of God, that we should serve our lusts, follow our fleshly pleasures, to give ourselves to covetousness, and ambition, whereby the soul is defiled, but that we should serve the Lord, etc. This being so, they then flatter and deceive themselves, which think to be partakers of the reward, without ever entering into the combat and trial of temptations.  
That he might stir up our minds with the greatness of the reward, and our heavenly happiness, he useth here a metaphor, taken from such as contend, and strive for masteries. Champions, and Conquerors, in sign of glory have Crowns given them, either Civicas, Murales, Castrenses, Navales, made some of Laurel, some of Oak, etc. So all good Christians, that fight in the cause of the sovereign Emperor of heaven and earth, have a Crown of heavenly glory reserved for them, as the reward of their labours. O sweet comfort to the faithful, the which in this life endure so many labours, so many crosses, so many persecutions; in the life to come they shall be free from all these things, & reign with God for ever. A shadow hereof is figured in the Welles which Isaac digged in Gerar; 
Gen. 26.20.21.22. A Figure.  the first for which they contended with the Philistimes, they called Contention; the second, for which they also strove, they called Hatred; the third, which without contradiction they enjoyed, they called latitudinem, largeness; saying, dilatavit nos dominus, the Lord hath now made us room: To signify unto us, that before we come to the fountains of living waters, where there is true rest, true safety, eternal felicity, we must first pass through hatreds, contentions, labour, strife, in this life. The Apostle Paul calleth this reward, 
1. Cor. 9  An incorruptible Crown; The Spirit of God also in another place, promiseth to the Church of Smirna a Crown of Life. 
Apoc. 2.10  This being so (brethren) I may justly cry out unto this wicked age, with the Prophet Esay: Quare appenditis argentum & non in panibus? laborem vestrum & non in satietate. 
Esay 55.  Wherefore lay ye out your silver, and not for bread: and your labour without being satisfied? By silver is meant the time of this present life, that precious gold which we should lay out for eternal felicity, which yet we spend not upon Bread; that is, upon necessary things, but on things of no value, and profit. 
Simile.  Should not he be judged for a fool and a madman, who being ready to perish with famine, and having but one piece of silver, should lay out the same to buy him a feather to wear in his hat? Would ye not justly say to such a one; O fool were it not better for thee to buy bread to relieve thy hunger? So may I say to the children of this world which follow vanities: Why ye fools spend ye your time, a thing so precious, in sinful vanities, and not in bread, not in things necessary for your salvation, but rather in filthy pleasures, worldly delights, in the pursuit, and greedy scraping together of corruptible riches?  
This Crown of glory is not given as a due desert for the worthiness of the work of patience, but by the promise of God, as a free reward of our labour. 
An Example.  God dealeth with his children as a bountiful and loving father, who promiseth his son, that if he will do such or such a thing, he will make him his heir of all his ample inheritance, which far exceedeth the deserts of his child, yet the father performeth it for his promise sake, and not for the obedience of his son: and therefore saith the Apostle here, that such as are tried receive the Crown of eternal Life, by promise. To this the Apostle Paul subscribeth: I have fought a good fight, 
2. Tim. 4 7.  I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, henceforth is there laid up for me a Crown of righteousness: And lest he might seem arrogantly to claim the same, as merited for the worthiness of his works, he ascribeth all to the gift of God, when he addeth; Which God, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: If it were given of God, then did not the Apostle merit it by his works: As he saith again, 
Rom. 6.23.  Eternal life is the gift of God through jesus Christ our Lord. For if a man could merit eternal life, then must there needs be a proportion betwixt that which meriteth, which is man's righteousness, and that which is merited, which is Eternal Life: but betwixt these (the one being temporal, the other eternal) there can be no proportion at all, and therefore saith the Apostle: 
Rom. 8.18.  I count the afflictions of this present time not worthy of the glory which shall be showed unto us. Again, 
2. Cor. 17.  Our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth unto us a far more excellent and eternal weight. Let us then hold for a truth that this crown is due to patience, not by our merits but by the promise of God, and in as much as patience is a noteable effect of a true, lively, and justifying faith.  
Now this reward is most sure and firm, and shall never fail us, in regard of the unchangeable and everliving God, upon whom it is grounded, 
Verse 17.  With whom is no variableness neither shadow of changing, saith this our Apostle: 
2. Cor. 1.20  For all the promises of God are in him; yea, and are in him, Amen. To conclude, this reward is given to such as love God: And why? because we can by no means better express our love, then by suffering for him, and in patiented undergoing whatsoever he shall lay upon us: Thus the Crown of Life, shall be given unto such, as thus manifest their love unto him in patience, and true obedience unto his will, etc.   

The fifth Sermon.  JAMES 1.13. etc. 
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, etc.  
HITHERTO the Apostle having entreated of outward temptations whereby our faith, patience, and constancy is proved; and having many ways set down the profits that come thereby, he now cometh to the other kind of temptations, which are the inward temptations of the mind which proceed from the flesh, our depraved will, and the malice of Satan, which soliciteth and stirreth us up to sin.  
1 The proposition, 
The division.  that men may not impute their temptations unto God, as the cause and author thereof.  
2 The reasons confirmatory. The first taken from the nature of God, which cannot tempt nor be tempted: The second is by an Antipophora, whereby he openeth the fountain of all sins, But every man is tempted, etc.  
3 He confirmeth this, by an elegant metaphor and gradation, when lust hath conceived.  
The Apostle in the proposition meeteth with this cavil, which some wicked men might pretend to excuse their sins, saying it was Gods will I should do this, he provoked and tempted me thereto. Let not a man say he is tempted of God, when pleasure pricketh him, when envy renteth him, when pride provoketh him, when covetousness catcheth him, when the world enticeth him, or any other temptation assaileth him, let him not, I say, impute this unto God: For it is an horrible blasphemy to make God the author of temptation; he that overcometh, by God's grace he overcometh; and he that is overcome, by his own fault he is overcome: For God giveth no occasion of sin unto man, but what God giveth as an occasion of godliness, the same our mind inescated, or corrupted, with divers affections, turneth into an occasion of destruction. For as God by nature cannot be tempted with any evil, so tempteth he no man unto evil: and this the Greek explaineth: for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is he Qui ad malè agendum solicitatur, which is solicited to do evil, and the species in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, à propria cupiditate.  
But that the doctrine of this proposition may the better appear, we must understand that there be three causes of temptations: 
GOD, Satan, Man tempteth.  either God tempteth, Satan tempteth, or Man tempteth, and in regard of these three causes, there are three kinds of temptations, divers in regard of the sundry ends of every one of them, as probationis, deceptionis, praesumptionis, of probation, deception, and presumption.  
God is said to tempt; 
How God tempteth.  that is, to prove, to make trial of, that our faith, hope, patience, and other virtues might be known unto the world; and this the name and word importeth, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth experimentum, 
The word expounded.  hence cometh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tentare, experimentum capere de re aliqua, the primitive seemeth to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stimulo, pungo, which is the property of temptation. In this temptation of trial, or proof, God tempted Abraham, willing him to sacrifice his dear and only son Isaac, 
Gen. 22.  not that he himself was ignorant of it, but that his singular faith and obedience might be a pattern for all posterities to follow: so promising Manna to the Israelites, said; That I may prove them whether they will walk in my Laws or not. 
Exod. 16.  So forbidding them to hearken unto false Prophets, he saith; 
Deut. 13.  For the Lord proveth you to know whether you love the Lord your God: that is, that ye may be known unto the world what manner of people you are. So he proveth his children by afflictions, that their faith may be made manifest: The Apostle saith: 
1. Cor. 11.9. 1. Cor. 10  It is necessary that heresies should be among you, that they which are approved among you may be known; but to these he ever giveth a good event. The Church of Christ in all ages hath been proved with these temptations: In the Apostles time many execrable heresies sprang up among them; in the succeeding ages how Satan bestirred him with his tars and darnel of false teachers, the writings of the Fathers, and Ecclesiastical Histories are full. These our times have tasted of the like temptations: How many Papists, Seminaries, jesuits, are sprung up; yea the devil seemeth to have opened hell mouth, and to have spewed out all heresies again to trouble the world: The Libertines have taken breath again, the Anabaptist is revived, the Faulily of Love is set a broach again; yea in the very bosom of the Church, among ourselves (as the Apostle before prophesied) some are start up speaking perverse things (and that under the colour of reformation) drawing Disciples after them: 
Act. 20.  Under the colour of religion bringing in a hotch-poch, and mingle-mangle of all old heresies; borrowing their disdain of the Donatists, their supposed purity of the Catheroy, their pretended equality in the Ministry, of the Aerians, their sequestering themselves from others, and disdaining to salute, of the Donatists and Anabaptists, as also their impugning of government, their pinching at Prince's prerogatives, of the Papists, etc. And all this, God permitteth for the proof and trial of the godly, that we should not be like children, 
Eph. 4.14.  wavering and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the deceit of men. In all which temptations how wicked soever the instruments are, which God useth to effect his will, yet in all things respecteth he his glory, and the good of his Church, and so he is ever just, and in no wise the author of sin and wickedness among men.  
Object. But here some may object: if God tempt no man unto evil, why is it said in Scripture that he hardened Pharaohs heart, 
Exod. 4.  that he blindeth man, and giveth him over to a reprobate mind.  
Solut. I answer, we must understand, that obduration in Scripture is taken three manner of ways, 
Three kinds of hardening.  Naturalis, Voluntaria, & Divina: Natural, Voluntary, and Divine.  
The natural hardness is common unto all men, for all men are borne with a hard heart, and a mind darkened: and therefore GOD, in the holy Scripture, by his Prophet saith, that in regeneration, or new birth, he will take away their stony, and flinty heart, that is, their hard heart, and give them a fleshy heart, that is a soft and mollified heart, flexible unto good motions. 
Ezoch 36.  Whereby it is manifest that when God is said to harden, it is not so to be understood as if he did harden them which before were soft and flexible: but thus; that it, which by his own nature is hard, he suffereth it still to be hard, and through his just judgements (but per accidens) more and more, by the means of Satan, to be hardened. And how? Per accidens: Surely because God herein worketh no evil, but the devil abuseth Gods benefits bestowed upon a man to his obduration and hardening of his heart, and causeth a wicked man, of his own accord, to abuse the same to his own destruction, as it is to be seen in Pharas, and therefore in this kind of hardening there is no compulsion, but a man is voluntarily hardened: and in this respect Satan hardeneth.  
The second kind, is called a voluntary obduration, or hardening, when man hardeneth his own heart: which is, when a man confirmeth and hardeneth himself in evil purpose; neither will he hear nor be obedient to the voice of the Lord, or to any admonitions whereby he is called to repentance, but abuseth God's suffering to his own damnation, which not only Pharaoh did, but also Saul and judas, and many other, though we do not peculiarly read of them, as we do of Pharaoh, that God hardened their hearts, but only because they voluntarily stood obstinate in their own conceived wickedness, against all admonitions: And thus not God, but man hardeneth himself.  
The third is called the Divine or judicial hardening; that is, when God as an upright judge punisheth their former sins, and the voluntary stubbornness of the wicked, by more and more hardening their heart by the ministry of Satan, being partly already of their own nature obdurate, and partly also by the sins of the wicked hardened: such properly was the hardening of Pharaoh, so often mentioned in Exodus, and in the ninth to the Romans, and besides other places, in the ninth of Exodus it is said, that Pharaoh sinned, and hardened his heart. First, it is said he sinned, expressing plainly the cause of obduration, which is his sin: next, his heart was hardened, showing the punishment of sin, which is hardness of heart; 
Hardness of heart is sin, the cause of sin, and the punishment of sin.  For Pharaoh himself first sinned: then God, as a punishment of his sin, hardened more and more his heart; so that hardness of heart is sin, the punishment of sin, and the cause of sin. Hear now it is manifest that sin, and the custom of sinning, is that which hardeneth the heart of the wicked, and therefore it is said of Pharaoh that he sinned, and his heart was hardened; and the Scripture plainly teacheth, that GOD hardeneth, Satan hardeneth, and Man himself hardeneth his own heart, but in a diverse sense, & after a diverse manner. It is spoken of God, not as the author of evil, but per accidens, by doing good, by bestowing his benefits, by using well the wicked putposes of the ungodly, and disposing them, as a sovereign agent, unto a good end. Satan hardeneth as the author of sin, blindness, and prince of darkness, he working in the wicked, perverteth the good motions which God instilleth into their minds, and under the pretext of good abuseth them to evil, unto their own destruction, he always sophistically concludeth, and showeth reasons to effect it, and therefore he is called Princeps tenebrarum, Prince of darkness: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, that is, 
Collos. 1.  from the power of Satan: 
john 13.  the example of judas maketh manifest this, who did not so obstinately proceed, before the devil entered into him, and began wholly to carry him after his will: First he consented to the counsel of Satan, but after the taking of the sop; he fully possessed him, and this is called of the Divines; proxima causa indurationis, quae extra hominem considerari potest: The next cause of obduration which may be considered without man.  
Thirdly, man himself hardeneth his own heart, who of his own will turneth his heart from God, and assenteth to the counsel of Satan: Ad actiones simpliciter à Deo motus, & ad peccandum alectus à diabiolo (saith a Father) being of God simply moved to actions, but of the devil alured to sin. By sinning willingly and persevering in sin, he obstinately hardeneth his heart to resist God, abusing all God's benefits to his own destruction; for except the will of man consented there could be no hardening, for to harden the heart, is nothing else but the will to be more and more obstinate in an ungodly purpose. So that Satan hardeneth by suggesting, Man by consenting, 
Aug. con. Fauslum  God by forsaking, as Augustine pitihily saith: Diabolus suggerit, Homo consentit, Deus deserit: the devil suggesteth, man consenteth, God forsaketh: And so this Oracle of the Prophet holdeth ever most firm. O Israel, 
Hos. 13.  thy destruction is of thyself, but thy help cometh only of me. This being so, I conclude with the Apostle: Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God.  
The second thing I mentioned is the temptation, to seduce & deceive, drawing, moving, and stirring us forward to all wickedness. And of this temptation there are two kinds: external and internal; external is that whose cause is outward, and beginning thereof, as when sathan useth the world, riches, glory, evil examples, as means to allure us: Of his snares it is said: 
job. 18.  A snare is laid for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way. The snare and the trap are the devils instruments to catch souls. The devil is like a Fowler or a Hunter, 
A Simile.  who that he may take birds or wild beasts, showeth forth a pleasant bait, but hideth the snare, that being alured with the bait, they may be caught with the snare: For when he promiseth to the proud man honours, to the covetous man money, to the lose man pleasures, etc. what doth he else, but under the bait, hide the net and the snare, that he may catch unwary souls? The Latin more plainly expresseth it: Abscondita est in terra pedica eius, & decipula super semitas: His snare is hidden in the ground, and his trap upon his paths. In which words (as a father noteth) are signified two kinds of temptations. 
Hugo Card.  The one open, which, except it be hidden under the colour of some good, it is perceived of all men, and this is signified per pedicam, by the gin which is hidden in the ground, as is fornication, and other carnal sins. The other more secret, subtle, and hidden, which scarce of the wise is discerned, which is signified per decipulam, by a deceitful trap. The devil than hath his gin and his trap, for all kinds of men, for he knoweth the manners of men, and to what vice they are most prone, and layeth that bait before their eyes to which he knoweth their mind will be most easily inclined: as to effeminate, joyful, and delicate men, the bait of lechery, and vainglory; to Stoical, stern, and angry men, the bait of wrath and pride, etc. And which is most to be feared, he worketh not this by himself only, but also by his servants and instruments. And even as a Prince, or nobleman, riding a Hunting or Hawking, hath many hunters and servants that accompany him, and whatsoever is taken in hunting is ascribed all unto the Prince: 
The devil hath his agents.  So the devil hath his guard, hath his hunters to take souls. For what else shall we call the whorish woman, 
Note this.  the fraudulent friend, the alluring companion, him that keepeth a house of play and bawdry, but the devils Huntsmen? for so the Lord himself calleth them; 
jer. 5.  There are found among my people wicked persons, that lay wait, as he that setteth snares, they have made a pit to catch men. What remaineth then (brethren) but that we hearken to the counsel of the blessed Apostle? 
1. Pet. 5.8.  Be sober and watch, for your adversary the denill as a roaring Lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Ye had need to be very careful and vigilant, for ye have to do with a most vigilant enemy, which compasseth you with a greedy desire to hurt you, seeking not only whom he may wound, but also kill and devour. 
Simile.  If any Soldier or Mariner should fall into the hand of the Turk, and be carried unto Constantinople, though he would greatly fear to fall into the hands of so cruel an enemy, of the name of Christ, yet he hath some hope of redemption, for silver and gold may redeem him: but if he fall into the hands of the Lystrigons, or Cannibals, which as soon as they have taken men, presently devour them alive: What hope then remaineth? O man, created after the image of God, that thou mightest enjoy eternal blessedness, take heed of this cruel enemy, which, as a bloody beast, destroyeth and devoureth men, trust him not, enter into no friendship with him, there is no hope of favour to be expected at his hands.  
The third kind of temptation is, presumptionis, of presumption, whereby man tempteth God; as when men abuse God's patience, and suffering, to a security of sinning, flattering and deceiving themselves in the mercy of God, and final repentance, 
Ephes. 4.  and in the mean time wallow in their wickedness, sin with greediness, saying; I have sinned, 
Eccles. 5.  and what evil hath happened unto me? The Lord hath mercy in store for us all, he will receive me whensoever I come, I will repent at the hour of death, and I shall do well enough, etc. This is a presumptuous tempting of God, an abusing (as Paul saith) of the riches of God's goodness, patience, and long-suffering: and those do, Thesaurizare sibi iram in diem irae: 
Rom. 2.  Heap up unto themselves wrath unto the day of wrath.  
Here let us learn (brethren) how dangerous a thing it is to defer repentance, and, while we have time, not to turn unto the Lord: Surely it is a fearful thing for a sinner to pass the whole race of his life in pleasure, and to protract repentance to the last minute of our life. A wise man repaireth and covereth his house in Summer, lest he be annoyed with the storms of Winter. The provident Sailor, when the sea is calm, and the weather fair, prepareth all things necessary against a tempest, least being prevented with a storm he laboureth in vain. The breach in a Citty-wall in time of peace, and not in the brunts of battle, is to be repaired. And Alexander is reported to have disgraded a Knight, because he was then preparing his armour when he should encounter with his enemies: So should we betimes, while opportunity serveth, provide us of things necessary for our journey towards our Country, I mean repentance and amendment of life, without which we shall never attain to our wished end. For if we be slack herein, and do foolishly defer it, till the future time, death may prevent us, while we are a preparing, 
Augustine. Cum vult improbus homo non potest, quia quando potuit noluit, & ideo per malum velle perdidit bonum posse. Non facile inveniuntur in adversitate praesidia quae non fucrunt in pace quaesita. Luk. 14 31.  and cast us into eternal torments. Truly, saith Augustine, when the wicked would he cannot, because when he could he would not, and therefore through the evil of his will, he lost the good of his power. And in an other place: Succours are not easily found in adversity, which were not sought in time of peace. Our saviours example of the King, teacheth us this: What King (saith he) going to fight with another King, sitteth not down first, and taketh counsel whether he be able with ten thousand, to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand. O thou unhappy and foolish sinful man, which wagest war with the highest King, even the King of Kings, whose beck all things obey, by whose providence all things are governed, whom the Angels do serve, whom the devils do fear, whose power is greater than heaven and earth can comprehend, who hath the keys of life and death in his hands: What is this thy vain confidence, upon what counsel rebellest thou against thy God? Dost thou trust unto the health of thy body, and a long life? O vain man, thou trustest then to a broken reed, which by the sin of thy first parents is bruised and crazed with a thousand chinks of infirmities, and laid open unto death; why dost thou not then crave of him the conditions of peace, why takest thou not truce with him? why with all humility, dost thou not convert unto him with true repentance, crave pardon for thy sins while he is yet far off? We read of Alexander, 
Alexand.  that mighty Monarch of the world, when he besieged any rebellious City, at length he would hang forth a Candle, burning before the gates of the City, and proclaimed that if before the same was out, they would render the City, he would receive them into favour; if not, they might know that there was no hope of mercy. While then the Lord calleth us, and offereth his mercy unto us, o let us come by repentance, lest when it is too late, the door of mercy be shut, and it happen to us as it did unto Esau, who found no place of repentance, 
Heb. 12.  though he sought it with tears: Woe be unto them which only with their life give over their sins, which will then repent when they can sin no longer: Peccata tunc te dimiserunt, 
Augustine.  non tu illa, saith Augustine, Then thy sins have left thee, and not thou them. And again: When I come to old age, (thou wilt say) than I will repent: Quare hoc fragilitas humana presumat cum diem unum in potestate sua non habeat: 
Augustine.  Wherefore doth human frailty presume on this, seeing he hath not so much as one day in his power.  
Martialis.  
Non est crede mihi sapientis dicere vivam  
Sera nimis vita est crastina, vive hody.  
Believe me, 'tis no wiseman's part to say; live here I will:  
Live well to day, to trust is vain to live to morrow till.  
Herein we are like unto Pharaoh, which when the whole land was so plagued with frogs, 
Exod. 8.  that they filled the fields, the streets, the houses, and no place was free from them, and Moses asked him when he should pray unto the Lord for him, answered, To morrow. O the madness of men which are always deferring their repentance till the morrow, till the hour of their death, when they see the sword of the wrathful judge drawn over their heads, on the one side death ready to strike them, on the other side their sins to accuse them, below them hell with open mouth to receive them, the devil gaping like a roaring Lion to devour them; then, I say, when they have lived in war with God all their life long, they fly unto him for mercy, and seek peace; this repentance proceedeth rather of a servile fear then of any love, 
2. Mac. 9  like that of wicked Antiochus: Sero sapiunt Phryges', beware of had I witted. Let us not therefore tempt the Lord by presuming upon his mercy.  
Again, they tempt God by doubting of his providence and goodness, 
Exod. 17.  as the Israelites did at Raphidim, where was no water. Of this sort are they, which distrusting God's providence for their posterity, hoard up riches by all unlawful means, etc. On the other side, they tempt God, which presuming upon his providence, neglect all ordinary means in their several Vocations, etc.  
For God cannot be tempted, etc. Hear is now the first reason why God is not the author of evil, which is taken from the nature of God, who is pure, perfect, and by nature most holy; yea, holiness itself: So that purity and holiness is a prerogative which God hath only reserved unto himself. This the Princely Prophet witnesseth: The Lord is righteous in all his ways, 
Psal. 145.  and holy in all his works. Therefore the Saints of God affirmed: Who shall not fear thee o Lord, 
Reu. 15.4.  and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy, and all Nations shall come and worship before thee, for thy judgements are made manifest: It is then as impossible for any spark of unholiness, or uncleanness, to be in God, as it is for darkness to be in the midst of light, or coldness in the midst of fire, etc.   

The sixth Sermon.  JAMES 1.19. etc. 
19 Wherefore (my dear brethren) let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath.  
20 For the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousness of God.  
THE Apostle before, having commended the excellency of the word of God, in that it is the word of God, the word of Truth, and mean of our regeneration; he next adjoineth these excellent precepts, teaching us how we should fruitfully hear the same, which consisteth in observing these three moral precepts.  
The first concerneth the facility of hearing.  
The second of restraining the tongue.  
The third of moderating of wrath.  
For the first, it is manifest that this noble sense of hearing was given us of God; that is, the power of discerning voices and sounds: For he that created the whole body of man, and powered into it a reasonable soul, created also this sense so profitable to his glory, and necessary to the attaining of eternal life, and this is it he saith: 
Exod 4.11  Who hath given the mouth to man? and who hath made the dumb and the deaf? or him that seethe, or the blind? Have not I the Lord? Again, 
Psal. 94.  He that planted the ear shall he not hear? Hereupon Lactantius concludeth, 
Lactan. lib. 3. cap. 9  that the sense of the ear is more necessary to salvation, than the sense of the eye: for doctrine and wisdom is received by the ear only, and not by the eye: And the Apostle saith, 
Rom. 10. Luke 11. john 8.  Faith cometh by hearing, And Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it: He that is of God heareth God's word. And how should we use this excellent sense to the glory of God, we are instructed in the fabrication thereof, which expresseth the wonderful skill of the Creator. First, they are not Osseae sed cartilaginiae substantiae, not of a bony, but of a gristly substance, which having their beginning from the bone called Os temporium, 
The fabric of the ears out of the Anatomists.  serveth to extend the holes of the ears, that the sound may be the better perceived: and these Cartilagines, are hollow, dry, and hard; Hollow, that by their concavity they may receive the air; tortuous, or winding, lest by any sudden, or vehement collision of the air, the tender membranes and organs of hearing should be hurt, and that the sound being temperately received should the more delight the sense of hearing; Hard, that the collision of the air might be the more mild, and the sound the greater.  
In the like manner, first that the inward mind may effectually hear the word of God, it must be made hollow through humility: Via domini ad cor dirigitur, 
Gre. inhom.  cum sermo veritatis humilitèr auditur.  
Secondly, it must also be tortuous or winding, that the word received, which is the food of the soul, may not lightly pass away, but that we may ruminate and revolve it, as the Virgin Mary, of whom it is said, that she kept all these sayings, and pondered them in her heart.  
Thirdly, the mind must also be durus & siccus, hard and dry, in retaining of the word of God. For a thing that is hard and dry, receiveth & keepeth better, what it received, then that which is soft and tender. And Aristotle saith, 
Arist. lib. de sen.  that Organum auditus est aer: The air is the instrument of hearing, 
air the instrument of hearing  and is contained within the ears, and included in the miringa, which is a little skin, and that air must be firm and still, for if it have his proper motion and sound, it perceiveth no external sound; as it appeareth in them which through the motion of such air, feel tinkling, or ringing, in their ears. In like manner we should receive this heavenly doctrine into the inward cells of the memory, there hold it fast, and persever therein, as our Apostle saith, not as forgetful hearers, 
jam. 1.25. john 15.  but doers of the word: And our Saviour, If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask what you will and it shall be done unto you.  
Again, the sound is brought thus into the ears: 
How the sound is brought into the ears.  Between the bones of the Temples, there is a way ad basim cerebri, to the ground or foundation of the brain, having within a certain concavity after the manner of a labyrinth, in the middle whereof are two little bones annexed to their membranes, the one called malleus, the other Incus, 
Malleus Incus.  in regard of the use thereof, which the prudent Creator of nature, hath so artificially placed, that in the thicker part they do almost touch one another, because the hearing is made through the motion of the air, which is brought into the passage unto these bones, and there is made a certain repercussion of the air, which maketh the sound which is heard. Hear we are taught, that even as the sound is brought into the ear through the agitation of the external air: so the sound of the heavenly Doctrine is brought by the Preacher into the mind of the hearer: 
Rom. 10.  Faith cometh by hearing. Who so loveth his own soul will diligently frequent the hearing: The heart of man that hath understanding seeketh knowledge. 
Prou. 15.  He indifferently heareth all that can instruct him, he despiseth not the doctrine for the person of the man: Non quantum sciat, sed quantum ignorat, considerate: He recounteth not how much he knoweth, but how much he is ignorant of.  
Again, the ears of man are always open, and are not sometimes shut, as are the eyes and the mouth: to teach us, that we should be always ready to hear the word of God, and therefore the ears (as Isidor would have it) are called Aures ab hauriendis vocibus, of drawing in the voice. More hereof might be spoken, but I am here to supply the place of a Divine, and not to play the Anatomist in the Physicians Art.  
Again, when the Apostle willeth us to be swift to hear, he meaneth not an unfruitful hearing, that we may carp, taunt, or scoff, or give ear to scurrile, filthy, and lewd speeches, etc. but as if he had said: Seeing that God offereth himself unto you so lovingly, so kindly, in his holy word, the mean of our regeneration, it behoveth you to show yourselves attentive, tractable, and obedient hearers. Therefore the diligence of the people is commended, 
john. 6. Math. 14.  which forsaking all things, yea the care of meat and drink, came from all parts unto Christ, to hear the word out of his mouth. But now how few be there found, in this declining age, that have that zeal and love to the word of God, as to prefer the hearing thereof before their earthly commodities?  
The second precept is of bridling the tongue, 
The second precept of bridling the tongue.  that is, the petulancy and loquacity thereof. The tongue, and the faculty of speaking, is the singular gift of God, and only proper unto man, as it appeareth as well by the framing of the whole body, as by his miracles and judgements, declared in this member. When all men had but one language, he divided and confounded it into many; at the building of the Tower of Babel; 
Gen. 11.  by giving an human voice to balam's Ass; 
Numb. 23. 2. Mach. 3.  Heliodorus, that Church-robber, by his just judgement was stricken dumb. The Priest Zacharias, 
Luke 1.  as a punishment of his incredulity, remained dumb nine months. 
Acts 2.  To the Apostles he gave the gift of all tongues; whereby he manifested that the tongue and the use thereof is by him and from him. 
Lactantius li. de opific. Dei.  And Lanctantius saith, that the faculty of speech is so wonderful, and so divine a work, that he only that created it, and no other, is able to unfold it. Again, he elegantly expresseth four offices of the tongue: 
Four offices of the tongue.  The first is with his motions to articulate and form the voice; the second is an interpreter of the mind, to utter the cogitations, or thoughts, there hidden; the third to gather together the meat broken and chawed with the teeth, and to send it into the stomach: the fourth, to receive the drink, and to discern the taste of things, etc. This the Apostle strictly forbiddeth to abuse, that we speak not rashly, and unreverently, of God, his holy word, and his judgements; not to reason and talk of those things we know not, when we are utterly unlearned and ignorant: if, 
Mat. 12.  as our Saviour saith, we shall give an account of every idle word, how much more than for our profane talking of God and his holy word? And surely if any age, than most of all this age, hath perverted this precept of the Apostle. Now every Artificer, Boy, etc. are given not only quick to speak, but also to teach, yea their own Pastors, of whom they should learn with reverence, hear with silence, and ask counsel with humbleness. David once gave thanks unto God, because he had made him wiser than his teachers: 
Psal. 119.  But now men and women, in arrogancy of spirit, in the pride of their hearts, in presumption of their own knowledge, will be slow to hear whatsoever shall cross their conceits, but swift to speak, without weight, number, or measure of their words, against order, law, government, learned Fathers, yea and Prince also, when (as Irenaeus saith) De eisdem non semper easdem sententias habent, 
Irenaeus.  & amantes vel non amantes haud eadem de eisdem judicant: Accord to their love or hatred, their judgements are not the same of the same things.  
This (brethren) the Apostle here forbiddeth, as a hindrance to the fruitful hearing of the word, and would have us with all! quietness, godly unity, and Christian humility, to hear the word of God; and not rashly and insolently prate and prattle thereof, in a presumptuous conceit of their own knowledge. For if any man seemeth to himself that he is somewhat when he is nothing, 
Gal. 6.3.  he deceiveth himself in his imagination. This moderating of the tongue, not only the holy Scripture, but also the Heathen Philosophers teach us. Aristotle, when he was asked why, when he taught others to speak, he himself was silent and sparing of his words, said: Cos ipsa non scindit, cultros tamen acuit, The whetstone itself cutteth not, but yet it sharpeneth knives. Simonides was wont to say: 
Simonides.  Silentij se poenituisse nunquam, sermonis saepius, that it never repent him of his silence, but often of his speech. Zeno hearing a young man full of words told him in derision, 
Zeno.  that his ears were grown into his mouth, because he heard little and spoke much. Yea, nature herself in the very situation of the tongue, teacheth thus much: It is fenced and included, as it were, with two walls, the teeth and the lips; it hath placed it below the brain, the eyes, the ears, the nose, as it were insinuating, that we should first ponder in our mind, first see, first hear, before we speak. 
Note.  This nature teacheth in that she hath placed the organs of the other senses above the tongue. Again, Nature hath given us two ears, two eyes, two nostrils, and one tongue, as it were inferring hereby, that we should hear more, see more, and know more, than we should speak. Besides, nature hath, as it were, tied the tongue with a certain ligament, which maketh that Candidam lineam in the midst thereof, which springeth à basi ossis hyoidis, which because it is an impediment to the speech in some children, it is cut off. Notwithstanding all these documents of nature herself, The fools heart is in his mouth, 
Eccles. 21.  whereas a wise man's mouth is in his heart, saith the Wiseman: And as one saith, their words are first sent ad rationis limam priusquam ad linguam, to be polished by reason, before they come to the tongue: fideli silentio tuta est merces, saith the Proverb, Faithful silence hath ever a safe reward. 
Prou. 10.6  In many words there cannot want sin, but he that refraineth his lips is wise: And therefore the Apostle would have our words always, to be gracious, 
Col. 4.6.  and powdered with salt. He that will speak advisedly must first ponder his words before they come to his lips. 
Simile.  And even as those that are at variance need a judge, who discussing the matter on both sides, may give true sentence: So he that will speak discreetly, must first sit as a judge betwixt his heart and his tongue strictly examining whether the words be right which his heart offereth to his tongue, before he speak.  
There is a pestilent kind of men, of whom Solomon saith: 
Prou. 12.  There are that speak words like the pricking of swords: Hereof speaketh the Princely Prophet: 
Psalm. 5.7.  Whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. Of this serpentine kind are such, as with slander, backbitings, whisperings, rent, obscure, and blemish the good name of their neighbour, and spoil them of that treasure, 
Prou. 22.  which as Solomon saith, is more precious than gold and great riches. And even as thieves, which rob us of temporal goods, the Law punisheth by hanging: So they that rob their neighbour of a far greater treasure, deserve a far greater punishment: Which the Athenians considered, who made a Law (as Vtimus de legibus witnesseth) that whosoever was convinced to be a backbiter, talebearer, or slanderer of his neighbour, he was first bitterly reproached through the whole City, and afterwards slain. Solon made a Law, that the evil tongued and backbiter should be sinned for every such offence three Drachmas to the party grieved, 
Plutarch in vita Solon.  and two to be paid to the treasury. For they judged such to be very pernicious members in a Commonwealth, disturbers of peace, authors of contentions, hatred, and murders: which I think the Poet would signify by the Serpent's teeth which Cadmus sowed in the ground, of which straightway sprang up armed men, which presently imbrued themselves in each others blood.  
ovid. lib. 3. Metamor.  
mart cadunt subitiper mutua vulnera fratres.  
— This earthbred brood anon,  
By mutual stroke of civil wars dispatched every ' eachone.  
The devil ucertainely is the sour of these teeth, of which spring wars, broils, and dissensions in the world. Was not Doeg the Edomite a Serpent's tooth, who secretly accused Abimelech the Priest unto Saul, for relieving David, perverting his innocent intention, and plain meaning, which so kindled Saul with wrath, that he slew four score and five which ware the Ephod, with the whole City of Nob, 
1. Sam. 22.  not sparing man, woman, child, and suckling. Were not the Princes of Amon Serpents teeth, 
2. Sam. 10.  which traduced King David's messengers unto their Master King Hanun, and perverted David's kind intention, which was the cause of cruel wars and much bloodshed? Therefore it is truly said: 
Eccl. 10.11  If the Serpent bite if he be not charmed: no better is a babbler. Where the vulgar Translation hath: Simordeat serpens in silentio, sic qui occult detrahit: If the Serpent bite in silence, so doth he which secretly backebiteth. The Serpent is a treacherous beast, for he doth not as the Bull which threateneth with his horns before he hurt, neither roareth he as doth the Lion, nor barketh, as the dog before he bite, but secretly stingeth making no noise: So the backbiters in silence, under the colour of religion and zeal, with their Serpent's teeth, rend the good name of others, and with their viper's tongues degenerate and stain the life of others.  
Horat.  
Pelliculam veterem retinens, & front politus,  
Astutam vapido condis sub pectore vulpem.  
This in effect.  
Thy wont form retained, a friendly face dost keep,  
A crafty Fox is hid, in wily heart so deep.  
As truly saith the Poet:  
Nunquid non vipera est lingua detractoris ferocissima? 
S. Bernard.  Is not the tongue of the backbiter a most cruel viper, which with one breath giveth so deadly an infection? Nunquid non lancea est lingua ista? profecto acutissima, quae tres penetrat ictu uno, scil. detrahentem, audientem & eum cui detrahit. Is not the tongue of a backbiter a javelining? yea surely, and that a most sharp one, which killeth three with one stroke, to wit, the backbiter himself, the hearer, and whom he backbiteth, saith S. Bernard. But of this better occasion will be offered me to speak, when I come to the handling of the third chapter.  Slow to wrath. 
THE third precept is of moderating and bridling of wrath; 
Duplex definitio irae secund. Arist. lib. 2. rhetor. c. 20  which Aristotle two manner of ways defineth. First, wrath is a desire, joined with grief, of revenge, for some apparent contempt, or injury, done unto ourselves, or friends. Secondly, Ira est ebullitio sanguinis circa cor: Anger is a boiling or inflammation of the blood about the heart. To this definition subscribe all the Physicians. To both these definitions Damascence seemeth to lean. 
Dam. lib. 2. de Ortho. fide. Greg. moral. l. 5. c. 30  Gregory maketh three species of anger: The first is a kind of bilious passion, which is quickly kindled, & as soon calmed, and this hath less danger, and malice: It is like stra● which quickly taketh fire, and quickly goeth out; This the Greeks' call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and Cicero excandescentia, 
Ira furor brevis.  An anger soon come and soon gone: The Logicians, a Passion. The second is called of the Latins Iracundia, which carrieth in mind a longer remembrance of an injury received, and is of more continuance: This Aristotle calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, though this doth not always proceed to revenge, either because men cannot, or for certain reasons will not: and this is worse than the first, because it is fixed more fast, and taketh deeper root in the mind. The third kind is of such which are soon kindled with the flames of anger, & slow to repress it: And this is a great sin so long to foster wrath in thy bosom until it turn into hatred: for what is hatred but inveterat wrath? and this seeketh all occasions of revenge, which is truly diabolical. To these may be added a fourth, which is of such as are slow to conceive wrath, and quick to remit and cast it off, which is the best of all. All these are sins, though not in degree equal.  
Christ, 
Math. 5.22  if he maketh not three kinds, yet three degrees of wrath, when he saith, Whosoever is angry with his brother unadvisedly, shall be culpable of judgement, which is meant of that which is hidden, and inward in the heart: The second Racha, is that which is expressed and manifest, yet without any open reproach. The third, Whosoever shall say thou fool, shall be worthy to be punished with hell fire, is when it is converted into hatred, and manifested in taunts, reproaches, and proceedeth to revenge.  
Anger in general, being considered in itself, is a thing indifferent to vice or virtue: And therefore the Apostle here doth not absolutely condemn all anger, but only saith that a man should be slow to wrath, that is, wise in moderating the same: For it is a virtue when it followeth reason as his guide, that the action of justice might with courage be executed, & punishment inflicted upon malefactors, according to the judgement of reason, and order of justice. And the end of this holy anger is manifold.  
First, that the person may be saved; to which pertaineth this of the Apostle, 
1. Cor. 5.  that such a one (he meaneth the incestuous person) be delivered unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, 
1. Tim. 1.20  that his Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord jesus.  
Secondly, that the wrath of God may be pacified: for if we judge ourselves we shall not be judged of the Lord. 
1. Cor. 11.  Example hereof we have, joshua 7. after the punishment of Achan, the wrath of the Lord was appeased: the like we read of the zeal of Phinees.  
Thirdly, the advancement of God's glory, and his Kingdom: This is confirmed by the example of josua, on Achan; Phinees, on the adulterers; of Moses, on the Seditious; and of others, of whom we read, that, the due punishments inflicted upon wicked men, the wrath of God was pacified.  
And this reasonable anger is twofold; 
1. In the will.  the one in the will, the other in the sensitive Appetite. The first is nothing else but a voluntary motion, whereby, not by any passion, but by the judgement of reason, a man hath a desire to punish sin. And this may be in the mildest man, as was Moses; yea, it is most necessary for those that are in authority, to punish vice; and so necessary, that if it be wanting in a Magistrate, he doth most heinously and grievously sin, as we may read of Helie the Priest, in the first book of Samuel, and the second and third chapters.  
The other is in the sensitive Appetite, and is nothing else then the motion of the sensitive Appetite, 
2. In the sensitive appetite.  to be obedient to reason for the punishment of vice. And this necessarily followeth the judgement of reason, and the rule of a just and upright will. This zealous and holy anger was in Christ, when he whipped the buyers and sellers out of the Temple: And when He looked round about on the Pharisees angrily, 
Mark. 3.5.  mourning for the hardness of their heart: And in Moses, 
Exod. 32.  when he broke the Tables, seeing the Israelites worship the Calf.  
Contrariwise, anger is a great sin against God, when it transgresseth these bounds and limits, when it followeth not the right rule of reason, but preventeth, blindeth, 
Homo iratus non est home.  and perverteth the same, being carried headlong with fury, rage, and a bloody desire of revenge, and this may be termed a mad fury, Ira furor brevis: Such was the rage of Saul, who for hatred he bore to David, 
1. Sam. 21.  most cruelly murdered the Priests of Nob. Of Pharaoh when he commanded the male children of the Hebrews to be cast into the river. 
Exod. 1.22  Of Herod, who in hatred of our Saviour caused the children of Bethlem to be slain. 
Math. 2.   
Now the Apostle here reproveth this anger, as also that which springeth from a desire of contending, which hindereth the fruitful hearing of the word of God, whereby men cannot endure to be reproved of their faults; and being kindled with wrath, rail, taunt and scoff at the Preacher, whereby the word of God is made frustrate, and fruitless in them, when through self-love, a prejudicate opinion of themselves, a conceit of their own wisdom, they disdain to be reproved, and controlled, in their wicked courses, and bend all their malice against their Pastors, from whence spring persecutions, imprisonments, etc. This was the cause that King Asa put Hanam into prison; and of the fury of the Princes against Isay, 
2. Ch. 10.16  jeremy, Micha, Amos, and the rest. This caused Stephen to be stoned, 
Act. 7.54.  and all the Apostles to be persecuted; but God's vengeance ever pursued the contempt of his Word and Servants, as the book of God expresseth: 
2. Chro. 36 16.  But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his Prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, and till there was no remedy.  
This anger is a most grievous sin, the reason is here rendered by the Apostle: Because it worketh not the righteousness of God: that is, a man possessed with this Passion, leaveth in his heart no place for the righteousness of God: For in such a one is left no humanity, no commiseration, no religion, no equity, no justice, no charity at all. It worketh not the righteousness of God, because it banisheth the fear of God out of our minds, taketh away love, and obedience, quencheth brotherly kindness, and utterly spoileth us of all Christian virtues which are acceptable unto God. Seneca could say: 
Sen. lib. 2. de ira.  Necesse est virtutem ex animo tollas priusquàm iram recipias, etc. Thou must first of necessity expel virtue, before thou retainest anger, for virtue and vice cannot dwell together: This vice being so great, and such a hindrance to the fruitful hearing of the word, the mean of our salvation; I will now proceed to set down certain remedies for the curing and suppressing of this dangerous disease. The remedies than are twofold: Some for repressing of anger in others, and some for bridling the same in ourselves.  
Now for the suppressing these furies in others, these remedies do profit.  
First, 
The first remedy.  Silence, that thou answer not again, nor return to the angry man taunt for taunt, reproach for reproach. This is the counsel of the Wiseman, Eccles. 8.16, Strive not with him that is angry, put not sticks unto his fire. And Solomon: For wrath is a fire, and answering again is, as it were, the fuel: without wood the fire is quenched: 
Pro. 22.24. Prover. 26.  And the blessed Apostle Saint Paul saith, Romans 12.19. Avenge not yourselves but give place unto wrath, for vengeance is mine, and I will revenge saith the Lord.  
But because it chanceth oftentimes that we are compelled to answer again, 
The second remedy.  as when by our silence the angry man is provoked the more, thinking thereby that he is contemned, 
john 19  as was the anger of Pilate against Christ; in this case another remedy is to be sought: 
Pro. 25.15.  and this is lingua mollis, a modest and gentle answer: Such was the wisdom of Abigal towards David, being angry. 
1. Sam. 25.  For saith Solomon, 
Prou. 15.1  A soft anger putteth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger.  
Thirdly, 
The third remedy.  to win an enemy by benefits is a singular kind of remedy, prescribed both by wise Solomon, and by the blessed Apostle: If he that hateth thee be hungry give him bread, 
Pro. 25.21. Rom. 12.20.  if he be thirsty give him water to drink, for thou shalt lay coals upon his head, and the Lord shall recompense thee. And this is a most noble kind of victory.  
And now the remedies for the repressing of wrath in ourselves are these. 
Remedies for suppressing of wrath in ourselves.   
First, the remembrance of Christ's sufferings for thy sins; and why then shouldst not thou suffer a little for his sake? 
Ephe. 4 32  Forgiving one an other, even as God for Christ's sake forgave you. Imitate their example which being stinged with the fiery serpents, looked upon the brazen serpent and were healed. Wrath is a fiery serpent; fix the eyes of thy consideration upon Christ, and thou shalt be healed.  
Secondly, repress thine anger with silence: 
Ephe. 4.31  Let all bitterness, and anger and wrath, crying, and evil speaking, be put away from you. Plutarch commendeth this counsel of Atheriodorus the Philosopher, who persuaded Augustus Caesar that when he was angry he should not say, or do, any thing, before he had, to himself, said over the Greek Alphabet, that by this means the rage of his wrath, by delay might be cooled.  
The third is to consider the cause, that is, thine own sins: for no adversity may happen unto thee which thine own sins have not deserved: Whereof pithily speaketh Augustine: Irascoris patri tuo, & peccas: irasccre tibi ipsi ne peccas: Thou art angry with thy father and sinnest, but be thou angry with thyself that thou mayst not sin.  
The fourth is a firm faith in God's providence: nothing may be said or done unto thee, which is not ordered by God's providence, yea, all the hairs of your head are numbered, 
Math. 10.  saith Christ: And again, Shall I not drink of the cup which my Father hath given me? 
john 18.11   
The fift is commiseration, to take pity on him which is angry, and provoketh thee to wrath: For while this Passion ruleth in him, he is a fool, a madman. Besides, he is the instrument of God for the exercise of thy patience. Example we have in King David: when Shemei cursed and reviled him, he was so far from taking revenge, that he said: The Lord hath bidden him to curse David, 
2. Sam. 16.10.  who dare then say, why hast thou done so? To conclude, if thou be angry, hearken to the Apostles counsel: 
Ephes. 4.  Let not the Sun go down upon thy wrath: and this may suffice to moderate this passion in a Christian man.  
Ira debet rationi ac virtuti accubare, 
Basil.  tanquàm canis pastori, quae mordeat, increpet, allatretque vitium & vitiosos velut lupos: Anger should lie down by reason and virtue, as the dog by the Shepherd: it should bark at, bite, and rebuke vice and vicious men, as wolves.   

The seventh Sermon.  JAMES 1.21. 
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness, and superfluity of maliciousness, and receive with meekness the word that is graffed in you, which is able to save your souls.  
THE Apostle here exhorteth the regenerate to the hearing of the word of Truth: And first he showeth how we must prepare our minds to the hearing of the word, that it may fructify in our hearts, which consisteth in two things.  
1 Laying aside all filthiness and malice, to hear it with meekness.  
2 Next, the reason why we must hear it, because it is able to save our souls.  
First, by an elegant metaphor taken from husbandry, the Apostle teacheth that the noisome weeds of vices both of body and soul, must be first rooted up and extirpated, before the heavenly doctrine, the word of truth, can be received, and be graffed in the field of our hearts: even as the husbandmen before they cast the corn into the ground, do first purge their ground of Thorns, Brambles, Stones, and such like, that it may yield the more increase. For in every action, either natural or spiritual, two things are necessary: Alterum quod agate, alterum quod patiatur: The Agent which worketh, and the Patient upon which it must work. And in the Agent there must be power to work, and in the Patient or Sufferer, a disposition to receive. For that the earth may bring forth fruit, it is needful that the Seed be cast into it, and that it be first prepared as I said, etc. and if either of these be wanting, in vain is the hope of fruit. The Smith that he may finish his work, first softeneth it in the fire, and maketh it tractable; for except it be mollified, in vain he laboureth to beat the cold Iron. And it is a Maxim in Philosophy, Actus activorum esse in patient dispositi: The greater in any thing the disposition is to receive, the sooner and more perfect followeth the action. We see dry wood put into the fire quickly to be kindled, and a candle lately put out, and yet smoking, with the least touch of fire to receive the flame, and sometimes without fire, with the breath only, to be kindled. So much availeth a convenient and apt preparation in the thing that receiveth any action. So though I confess the grace of God to be free, & nullis astrictam legibus, & bound by no laws (as Aug. saith) yet this grace commonly imitateth the reason and order of natural things. Hence it followeth, 
How we may profit by hearing the Word.  that a man may profit by hearing of Sermons; It is not always enough that there be a learned and apt Teacher, unless the Hearer also be apt and well disposed, that is, that the ground of his mind be first prepared, that he hear not the same negligently, only for custom, or in an affection of curiosity, but that he hear with zeal and devotion; for there are many that come to Sermons only to carp, or to note if the Preacher utter any sentence acutely, or eloquently, whereby they may feed their curiosity, 
Curious hearers.  and not satisfy the hunger of their soul. And even as (they say) there is some ground so barren, that, if they sow the finest wheat in it, bringeth not forth wheat again, 
Typha, a kind of wild corn.  but typham, or chaff, only (which in the nature of things is very admirable, seeing it is a Maxim in Philosophy, Omne agens sibi simile generare, every agent engendereth his like) So it chanceth unto them, in whose hearts if the word of God be sown, it bringeth not forth the frnite of this seed, but chaff, or Typham, that is, not the fruit of godliness, but the chaff of vanity.  
Now that this word of God may be unto us the sweet savour of life unto life, 
2. Cor. 2.  the Apostle teacheth here how we must prepare the ground of our hearts, even by casting out the noisome weeds of vices, which hinder the fruitful and happy harvest of the seed of the word; and here he nameth two; filthiness, or uncleanness; and malice; because they defile and perturb the mind that we cannot hearken nor be obedient to the word of God. By uncleanness he understandeth all impurity which springeth of gluttony, 
Siouth begetteth lust, gluttony bringeth it forth.  drunkenness, fornication, incest, adultery, and such like, which spring of fleshly lust, as a Father very truly saith: libidinem torpor gignit, gula parit, quid miri igitur filiam parentes sequi. Sloth begetteth lust, gluttony bringeth it forth, what marvel then, if the daughter doth follow her parents? 
Math. 5.19  Out of the heart (saith our Saviour) proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false testimonies, slanders, etc. And the Apostle Paul would have all Christians to be free from all uncleanness; as for fornication and uncleanness, 
Ephe. 5. Augustine.  let them not be once named among you: Vbi carnis immunditia, ibi habitatio diaboli, qui maximè inquinato corpore gaudet, saith Augustine: The devil dwelleth with uncleanness of the flesh, who most delighteth in a polluted body. For wisdom cannot enter into a wicked heart, 
Wisd. 1.  nor dwell in a body sub ect unto sin: And this not only the sacred Scripture forbidded, but also human wisdom: In hoc (saith Seneca) nos amplectuntur ut strangulent non aliter igitur quam latruncul● viatoribus insidiantes eosque seducentes ac perimentes declinandae sunt: Pleasures embrace that they may strangle us, which, as thieves that lie in wait that they may seduce and kill travelers, we should avoid.  
And surely the counsel herein, 
Scip. Afri. counsel.  that Scipio Africanus in Livy, gave to King Masinissa is excellent: Vince animum: cave ne deforms multa bona vitio uno, & tot meritorum gratiam maiore culpa, quam causa culpae est, corrumpas: Vanquish thy mind, and take heed thou do not deform many good gifts with one vice, and corrupt the beauty of 〈◊〉 many deserts, with a greater fault, than the cause of the fault is. Which a man should the easier do, if he would consider the vileness, filthiness, shortness, and end of this vice; the long shame, and the short time; and how, perhaps, the pleasure of a short minute, shall be punished with the repentance of many years, and (peradventure) with everlasting damnation. Seeing then that the Wisdom of God cannot rest in polluted and unclean hearts: O let us cleanse and purge our hearts of all unclean and polluting sins, that the soul-saving word of God may enter and dwell herein.  
The second vice here noted is maliciousness, 
Maliciousness what.  which Augustine defineth to be nocendi amor, the love of doing hurt; Saint Ambrose, to be mentis depravatio, a depravation of the mind: And Cicero, versuta & fallax ratio nocendi: A subtle and deceitful kind of hurting: all which cometh to one sense. The mind than must first be pu●●●ed of all malice before the heavenly seed of the word can take any root in our hearts; that is, our hearts must be sweeped clean from envy, hatred, desire of revenge, and wishing evil to our neighbour, for our hearts cannot be capable of them both, neither can the light of God's Spirit dwell together with the darkness of these vices. This pestilent vice always accompanieth virtue, glory and prosperity: Vulgus & livor in plateis habitant sic ut mala fere omnia (saith that famous Orator) The common people and envy, dwell together in the streets, as for the most part doth all wickedness.  
And there are certain effectual remedies to quench malice and envy, Sed morbo ipso peiora, but worse than the disease itself, 
The remedies of envy are worse than entry itself.  Misery, and an Infamous life; Of the one sprang this proverb, miseriam solam invidia career, that misery alone wants envy: and to the other pertained this of Socrates, who when Alcibiades demanded on a time of him, by what means he might avoid envy and malice, answered: Vive ut Thersites, 
Thersites a filthy and base peasant.  cuius vitam si nescires in Homerica leges Iliad: Live as Thersites did, whose life if thou knowest not, thou mayst read in Homer's Iliadoes: a scoffing and a perfect Socratical answer; For it is no wise part to forsake virtue that thou mayst avoid envy; and better it is to be noble Achilles with envy, then base Thersites without it. 
Achilles' a noble and valiant Captain.  And very aptly he calleth it Superfluity of maliciousness, a metaphor taken of a stomach surcharged with meats or drinks, which laboureth to cast out:  Omne superuacuum pleno de pectore tollit. 
So when it once aboundeth in the heart, it is cast forth at the mouth in cursed speeches: And this (brethren) is the cause, that among so many, which all their life long have frequented the hearing of Sermons, that they are nothing bettered thereby, because they come with hearts laden with all filthiness, and superfluity of maliciousness, which they should first ungorge. How many are there among us, of whom we may complain, as the Prophet did once: The word of God is to them at a reproach, they have no delight therein. For what have we profited (I mean the greatest number) by so many Sermons, so many cry out? Who hath forsaken his wicked custom of blaspheming, swearing, backbiting, cursing, deceit, or usury? Who hath cast off his hatred, contention, desire of revenge? Who hath cast off his unchaste love? Surely (with horror of mind I speak it) I may say with Saint Augustine, it seemeth unto me by so many admonitions, Nos non alium referre fructum, quam ut Dei adversus eos causam in extremo iuditio tueatur; that we reap no other fruit, then to defend the equity of God's justice in condemning them at the last judgement. So that the Preacher may say with the Prophet: 
Esay 49.  I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength in vain, but my judgement is with the Lord, and my work with God.  
The Apostle alludeth here to the parable of our Saviour jesus Christ: The seed is the word of God, whereof some fell by the way side, some among thorns, some on stony ground, and some on good ground. This seed, of itself, is very fruitful, but according to the diverse conditions of the ground, that is, of the hearers, it yieldeth none at all, or diverse fruit: For the heart of some is like an high way which is worn and trodden on of all; that is, which without any choice is laid open to all unclean thoughts, and desires. Their heart is like a common Inn which admitteth and receiveth all kind of men, good and bad, known and unknown, for it maketh no difference of good or evil thoughts. It is like unto a crazed boat, which leaketh water at every chink. It is like a City without walls, or gates, which is easily invaded of the enemy. Like a vineyard without a hedge, whose fruit is spoiled of every one that passeth by. To conclude, such a soul is like unto a house without a door, or lock, which every one useth as a filthy stable. And how shameful a thing is it to suffer the soul to be thus polluted with all unclean thoughts, it may appear by this one example: Were it not an indelible shame for a woman to fall into the degree of impudence, to prostitute herself in a common stews, Et omnibus sui copiam facere? And what an ignominy than is it unto the soul to receive within it all unclean thoughts and desires, which the devil offereth, without any difference? What is this else but to commit spiritual fornication with the harlot, whereof the Lord speaketh by the Prophet jeremy, 
jer. 2.  Like an harlot thou runnest about, upon all high Hills, and under every green Tree. What fruit now should the word of God yield in such a heart? For even as an harlot, though she know many men, yet she remaineth always barren: So though they oftentimes hear the word, yet are nothing bettered thereby: For these vices do distract the mind with divers perturbations, that they will not permit it quietly and attentively to hear the word, etc.   

The eighth Sermon.  JAMES 1.22, etc. 
And be ye deres of the word, and not hearers only, etc.  
THE Apostle having before spoken of regeneration, here he proceedeth, exhorting the regenerate to show forth the fruits thereof, 
The Division.  which consisteth in three especial members,  
An exhortation to obedience, confirmed by certain reasons in the first four verses.  
The second taken from the nature and quality of God's word, which not only teacheth us to do well, but to speak well also, If any among you, etc. with certain reasons.  
Thirdly, he showeth wherein true religion consisteth: Pure religion and undefiled, etc.  
By doing the word, the Apostle meaneth not an absolute and perfect fulfilling of the Law, which no man can possibly perform, as the Apostle Peter witnesseth; 
Act. 15.  but the doing of the word, by the imputation of the righteousness and obedience of Christ, who hath perfectly fulfilled the Law for the salvation of the faithful, which when they have truly received Christ, by faith, he giveth them such measure of the spirit of sanctification, that they obediently endeavour to conform their will to the will of God, to fear, love, and to serve him, to love their neighbour, and always to proceed towards perfection. 
Men dinersly affected to the word.  There are some which neither hear, nor do the word of God; others which will hear, but not do; and there are others which hear the word and endeavour to do the same. For the first sort of these, it is plain that they are of their father the devil, by the sentence of Christ himself: john 8. chapter, and 47. verse, He that is of God, heareth God's word, ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God. 
Simile.  Doth it not seem that he is not the Lord of a Castle, which when he would enter, the gates are shut against him? So the gate by which God would enter into our hearts, is the hearing of the Word Preached: who so then that refuseth to hear, doth, as it were, shut the gate of his heart against Christ: Even as a City which receiveth victual, and all necessaries, for the sustentation of their life from some other place, if thou stop the ways and passages by which it was wont to be brought, they must needs faint and perish with famine: So the life of our soul dependeth of some other: For every good giving, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father. The word of God is the way by which all good things cometh to the soul, which if thou stop, thy soul must needs perish. The ground which is not manured & tilled, what can it yield but weeds, brambles, and thorns? it bringeth not forth corn of his own nature: If thou wilt not hear the word, Quid nisi peccata germinabis, saith one.  
There are many (now a days) which bear the name of Christians, which will so practise the manners and rules of true Christianity, as one, once, did embrace the studies of Philosophy, who (as Cicero saith) was wont to say, Philosophandum esse, 
 ne quid nimis. Terent.  sed paucis, that is, He would not wholly addict himself to the studies of Philosophy, Sed summis tantum labijs degustare, that is, but a little taste and away. Such are many professors now a days, which will not give their whole heart, and love, to the word, but lightly and carelessly touch this heavenly Philosophy. Such care for the word of God, in the same measure, 
 canis é Nilo. Simile.  as they were wont the holy water coming into the Church, content to be sprinkled with a few drops, but taking it in evil part if one should cast much upon them: So these content themselves with never so little, or none at all, so much do they fear to fall into the excess of ne quid nimis. Again, as that man seemeth not to be of his household, or family, whose commandment he will not hear; for shall he do that which he refuseth ro hear? Is it not a wonderful thing that all the members of the body should be consecrated to Christ, both for that he hath created and redeemed us, and yet we cannot afford him one member, not so much as an ear? To the poisons of detractions we have our ears open, but to the word of salvation men give a deaf ear. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? 
Rom. 10.14  and how shall they hear without a Preacher? But leaving these men as incorrigible and desperately wicked, 
Contra negantes principia non est disputandum.  but praying to God for them, I will proceed to the rest.  
The second sort are such as can be content to hear the word, but have no care to do it: For this seed of the word, though of its own nature it be most fruitful, yet according to the variety of the ground, that is, of the hearers, among whom it is sown, it bringeth forth no fruit, or very diverse, by reason that their hearts are carried away with divers affections; 
Ecles. 2.10.  So that this of Solomon may be verified in them: Whatsoever mine eyes desired, I withheld it not from them, I withdrew not my heart from any joy. Those idle hearers our Saviour likeneth unto seed sown among thorns, stones, 
Math. 13.  or in the highway. 
Simile.  And are not many like unto away, in which if there lie any money, or thing of value, it stayeth not long there, but is taken up of travelers; but if it be a clout or some vile thing, it is let alone, there is none that taketh it up: So, scurrile things, unhonest speeches, filthy songs, we receive into our hearts, and fix in our memory, as things very precious, but the divine and precious jewel of God's word is straightway forgotten, the devil catcheth it away: and why? because we are like the highway; we are hearers and not doers. What shall I say? 
Simile.  He that hears the word and doth it nor, is like unto him that carrieth his adversary with him, which will accuse him, and deliver him to the judge to be condemned: The word which I have spoken shall judge you in the last day: 
john 12. Mat. 5.25.  Again, agree with thine adversary quickly whiles thou art in the way with him, lest thine adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the Sergeant, and thou be cast into prisou. Will you know what an adversary the word of God is to the wicked? 
How the word of God reproveth.  it crosseth all their desires, it standeth by and reproveth them to their faces, it telleth the wicked that their palate is infected, their taste corrupted, the sweet seemeth bitter unto them, and bitter sweet: it telleth them that they are like unto swine which have no smelling, and therefore they willingly wallow in the mire, which if they had in them a spiritual nose, a sound judgement, they could not endure their own stink, by reason of the filthiness of their swinish lives: It telleth them that they are near unto death, and must give account unto God for the least sin they commit, and that if God doth not punish them in this life, he hath reserved them to the more severe punishment in the world to come: It telleth them that no sin shall escape unpunished, nor no virtue be defrauded of a reward: It denounceth woe, woe, woe, unto them, if they repent not betime; woe be unto them in their life, woe unto them in their death, and woe be unro them after death. O what a terrible litigator is this (brethren) agree with this adversary betime, while thou art in the way of this life: Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only: Contend not with it, strive not with it, repine nor at it, for thou shalt never overcome it. For a while, happily, you may plead excuses, extenuate your sins, sed tandem, tandem, causa cadetis, but at length your cause shall fail and be overthrown, and thy conscience itself being illuminated, and better informed by reason, shall one day condemn thee, and deliver thee into hell never to come out from thence, so great is the sum of thy debts which thou shalt never be able to pay. Our Saviour joining the hearing and doing of the Word together, 
Math. 7.24  saith: Whosoever heareth the word and doth it, is like unto a wise man which hath buth builded his house upon a rock, etc. be ye therefore doers of the word and not hearers only, etc. Many can boast that they have heard a Sermon this day, or that day, yet diminish they nothing of their pride, and other vanities, neither have they left their boiling malice, their swelling hatred, their cursed coveteousness, their fleshly pleasures; neither abate they any thing of their wanton banquets, their riotous feasts; neither stay they their bribing hands, their slanderous mouths, their blasphemous tongues, their lying lips; neither refrain they from pestilent usury, cruel oppression, violent extorsion, fraudulent dealing with their neighbours: Therefore saith the Apostle, Be ye doers of the word, not hearers only.  
The third sort are these which hear the word with all diligence, and have a care to practise the same, and endeavour to square their lives by the line thereof: these only are pronounced blessed by the mouth of Christ himself: 
Luk. 11.  Blessed are they which hear the word of God and keep it; and showing whom he counteth for his brethren, he saith; that they are his mother and his brethren, 
Luke 8.  which not only hear, but do the word of God: And, If ye know these things, 
john 13.  happy are ye if ye do them. We all make profession of Christ, and say we have faith, when we never go about to bring in tune our jarring lives to this unison: Faith indeed is the foundation, saith the Apostle, but where is our Christian building? 
1. Cor. 3.  O build upon it, build upon it, be ye doers of the word. This than shall be my counsel and request to you all, even for Christ's sake, and so I will conclude, I beseech you be attentive.  
Ye Gentlemen, 
Gentlemen  build upon this your faith in Christ, the works of clemency, justice and liberality, that ye may be indeed such as your names do import, this is the first I would have you to build upon your faith. Oppress not your poor Tenants with unreasonable rents, and heavy fines: 
Esay 3.15.  What have ye to do, that ye beat my people in pieces, and grind the faces of the poor, saith the Lord, even the Lord of Hosts. Give one part of your substance unto God, another to the poor, and with the rest uphold an honest estate and calling; this is the second. Be humble, not proud of Gentility and riches, but remember ye must all die, return naked into the earth, and give account to the supreme judge for all your actions; let this be the third, so shall you not be hearers only, etc.  
Ye Merchants, 
Merchants.  build you also three things upon your faith in Christ. Play not the usurers, and prostitute not your money to unlawful gain, this is the first: Do not adulterate, or falsify, your money or wares, let this be the second. 
Deut. 25.  Have not in your houses two weights, and two measures, one to buy with, and another to sell with, for this is abomination to the Lord, let this be third, so shall you not be hearers only, etc.  
Ye Youngmen do not impinguate and pamper up your flesh, 
Young men.  lest like an untamed horse, it doth recalcitrare, lift up the heel against you, but chastise the same with fasting, embrace sobriety; let this be the first stone you lay upon the foundation of your faith: enure and exercise yourselves in the wholesome discipline of learning, lest idleness effeminate your minds, and sathan make it a seed-plot of all vices, which like Pthisicorum Febris, a fever hectic, will cleave ever after to your bones, and departed only with your life; Adeo à teneris assuescere magnum, so much prevaileth an evil custom taken in youth: Have always in mind this counsel of the Spirit of God: 
Eccle. 12.1  Remember thy Maker in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years approach wherein thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; let this be the second. Fly evil company as from a noisome pestilence, 
Fly evil company.  which, that ye may the better do, be sometimes alone, and meditate with yourselves, that youth soon vanisheth, you must one day die, and give account for your whole life past; let this be the third, which if ye do, Ye shall not be idle hearers but doers of the word.  

Women.  Ye women build you also these three things upon your faith in Christ. Keep inviolated your matrimonial chastity, train up your children in the fear of God, be honest in your apparel, in your gesture in your words and works, and be obedient to your husbands, which if you do, notwithstanding the cares and troubles which wedded estate bringeth with it, ye shall one day enjoy the incorruptible crown of glory, being doers of the word and not hearers only.  
Ye Poormen, 
Ye poor.  whose vocation affordeth nothing in this world but cares, labours, and sorrows, and conflicts with penury, build you also these three virtues upon your faith: use patience in adversities; hope that at length you shall be delivered; give thanks unto God in all events and accidents of this life, which if you do, ye shall one day, with poor Lazarus, exchange your sorrows for never-failing joy, being doers of the word, and not hearers only.  
Ye sinful men and women, despair not of God's mercy, 
Ye sinful men and women.  but, without delay, build these 3 things upon your faith in Christ: True sorrow and contrition of heart for your sinful lives; sure hope of pardon at God's hands; and amendment of life, in the study of all good works for that you have displeased God, offended your neighbour, and most hurted your own souls, so shall not your sins separate betwixt God and you, being doers of the word, and not hearers only.  
Having before insisted at large upon the Apostles admonition, I will now proceed with the reasons.  
The first is taken from the detriment which cometh unto them which join not practise with their hearing, 
The reasons.  They deceive themselves: Non enim stertentibus provenit regnum coelorum sed laborantibus, 
Augustine.  sed vigilantibus: The Kingdom of heaven is not given to the careless, sleepy, sluggard, but to such as labour, to such as watch. And this labour (as he saith again) to the loving sons, and good servants, seemeth not only not hard and onerous, sed suavis & levis, but sweet and light, as our Lord witnesseth: My yoke is easy, 
Mat. 11.30  and my burden light. It is an old proverb, Amanti nil difficile, & crcdenti nil non possibile: Nothing is hard to him that loveth, and nothing impossible to him that believeth. Surely it is a wonderful thing if we consider the love of God towards us, which seeketh by threatenings, promises, and rewards, to induce us to the practice of his Word, and obedience to his Laws, which yet by all these means will not yield unto him: When yet if there were in us, but scintilla germanae pietatis: One spark of true piety, we would verily rejoice that any occasion were offered unto us whereby we might declare our gratitude, love, and obedience, to so loving a God: For whatsoever he commandeth us, for our good he commandeth it:  ansam habeat nobis gratificandi: that he might take occasion (saith a Father) to do us good: But we unthankful wretches. Surdis auribus praeterimus, pass by with a deaf ear: and yet are we not ashamed of so great unthankfulness; but what get we by this? Surely the Apostle here telleth us, We deceive ourselves: Nobis hic seritur, 
Bernard.  nobis metitur, our sowing and harvest is to ourselves. 
Cyprianus. Et quid tam amentiae simile imo ipsa amentia, stolidius, quam in rebus serijs, quae non de lana caprina, sed nostra vel salute vel pernitie sempiternaagant, tam esse socordes ac stupidos.  Many can (saith he again) verbis crepitare evangelium, prattle of the Gospel, but have no care to practise the same: But whom deceive they but themselves? And what can be more like to madness, yea more foolish than madness itself, then in things of so great importance, which concern our salvation or damnation, to be so lumpish and blockish?  
Many now adays of the laity will challenge to themselves great knowledge, yea and think themselves (not in the mild spirit of David, but in a proud conceit of themselves) to be wiser than their teachers, whose hearts are yet puffed up with pride, whose minds are set on mischief, whose feet are swift to swift to shed innocent blood, whose hands are full of briberies, whose heads are full pestered with covetous desires, whose lives are stained with usury and oppression, whose bodies are wearied and wasted with fleshly pleasures, ravished with inordinate desires, choked with cares, enticed with delights, carried away with vanities. Is this (my brethren) to hear the word? what is this else but to deceive ourselves?  
O my (brethren) we which thus deceive ourselves, shall never be able to deceive God: Be not deceived, 
Gal. 6.7.  God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. 
Simile.  Should not he seem a fool, which would sow his ground with nettles, cockle, and darnel, and expect a plentiful harvest of wheat? He that soweth no good thing, shall he reap any good thing? Shall not he that soweth in the flesh, of the flesh reap corruption? and he that soweth in the Spirit, of the Spirit reap life eternal? Surely then these idle hearers to whom the word is but diversorium otij, and have no care to lead their lives by the line of God's Laws, what do they else but deceive themselves.  
Brethren, we all hope to be saved, we all make profession of the hope of eternal life, but do we not deceive ourselves, whiles we look for the inheritance of sons, and our degenerate lives acknowledge not God for our Father? Let us not (my sweet brethren) thus abuse the long patience of our loving God, and so enhance our condemnation at that dreadful day. Some of us he hath waited for, which add sin upon sin, forty years, others fifty, others sixty, with wonderful patience inviting us to repentance. Why is our life given us by God, the Author of Life, but that it should serve and obey the Giver thereof? For he hath not given us life, and necessary aids of life, that is, the service and obedience of all his creatures, to this end, that abusing his gifts, we should provoke and kindle his wrath against us, or should let lose the rains of gluttony, drunkenness, and other wicked desires. So many years then as thou hast lived wickedly, so long hath God patiently looked for thy repentance: In which time what means hath He not attempted? what hath he not done that he might reclaim and recall thee to a better mind? With how many plagues hath he stricken thee, with how many benefits hath he alured thee, with how many diseases hath he roused thee? with the loss of how many of thy neighbours hath he set the image of thy mortality before thee? With how many secret inspirations, and that in the midst of thy sinful race, hath he sought to reform thee? With how many calls of his Preachers hath he warned thee? how many and infinite sins, hath he patiently suffered, that he might draw thee unto him, and provoke thee to repentance? The longer than he hath forborn thee, and left nothing unattempted to win thee, the more justly and fearfully will he strike thee: Patientia laesa, fit furor. This the Lord himself saith by his Prophet Esay: 
Esa. 42.  I have a long time holden my peace, I have been still and refrained myself, now will I cry like a traveling woman, I will destroy and devour at once.  
Tste Philosophers say, 
A Simile.  that the Adamant (which of all stones is the most  and hardest) if by Art it be dissolved, it turneth into so small a dust, that it may hardly be discerned by the eye. Such is the nature of this high judge, and his Divine fury as the Psalmist saith: Deus judex fortis ac patience: 
Psal. 7.12.  And God is provoked every day, if a man will not turn, he hath whet his sword, he hath bend his bow and made it ready. 
Eccl. 5.  The Almighty (saith the Wiseman) is a patiented rewarder, but when his patience is often and much abused, than his great lenity is dissolved into most fearful and bitter wrath, and the more patiented he is in suffering, the more terrible will he be in punishing, Et tarditatem, 
Valer.  gravitate supplicij compensat, and for the slowness of punishing he addeth the greater punishment in the end: then shall we surely find how bitter our former pleasures are, which have been the cause of such horrible torments. Faws distillans labia meretricis, novissima autem illius amara, quasi absinthium, & acuta quasi gladius biceps: The lips of a strange woman drop as an honey comb, 
Pro. 5.34.  and her mouth is more soft than Oil, but the end of her is bitter as wormwood, and sharp as a two-edged sword. Rightly saith he (two edged) for it giveth a deadly wound, not to the body only, but to the soul also. This considered, let us not tempt the Lord and promise to ourselves security in sinning, but let us be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves.  
The second reason why we should be doers of the word, and not hearers only, is taken from the loss of the use of God's Word; the word of God serveth to reform in us the things which are amiss; of this profit we deprive our selves, when we are content with bare hearing without any care of reforming our lives thereby. This reason he confirmeth by a fit similitude, comparing the Word unto a Glass in which every one may behold himself, 
The Word compared to a glass.  from whence he came, where he is, and whether he goeth: that is, his sins, his exile, his misery: his future state of wretchedness, never after to be changed, if he persist in sin, the face of our nativity is the manifold misery to which we are borne when we come into this world, which being newly borne we presage by our weeping.  
The word of God is in many respects compared to a glass.  
1 Even as in a glass we may behold our deformities, and blemishes, which we seek to amend; So the word of God showeth us the filthy pollutions of sin. In this glass, David, Mary Magdalen, and all the Saints of God, beheld their wicked lives, and thereby conceived a just dislike of those sins whereunto heretofore they were addicted. In this respect the word of God is compared unto a Glass: and therefore the Apostle saith, that thereby we come to see sin, 
Rom. 3.  and by the Law have knowledge thereof.  
2 The Glass showeth their own faces unto men, and not the faces of others, that they might be careful to wipe away their own blemishes, and not to be curious in scanning the lives of others: So the word of God showeth, unto every one that looketh therein, his own sins chief, and not the sins of their brethren, to the intent that every one should be careful of his own life, and not too curious to pry into the lives of others; therefore the Apostle willeth us, by rule of the Word, to to prove yourselves whether you are in the faith: Examine yourselves. 
2. Cor. 13.5.  Hypocrites hear the Word, 
hypocrites.  as fools are wont to look into a glass, to see themselves, not to correct their deformities, but persuading themselves that they are fair, when they are deformed, and so go away as wise as they came: So hypocrites think themselves righteous when they are wicked, go as wise from a Sermon, as they came thither.  
We have then the word of God as a glass to look in: We have in the Saints, and true worshippers of God a glass of examples to look into. We have within ourselves a Glass of Reason and Conscience, wherein every man may know in himself, what is praise worthy and what deserveth reproof. All these are rules for the direction of our lives, and yet we never care to reform ourselves thereby. 
Luke 19  O if thou hadst known, etc. (saith our Saviour, unto that wicked City) that is, thou wouldst then bewail thy state, as I now bewail thee. Augustine speaketh thus unto the sinner, 
Augustine.  in the person of God, saying: 
Augustine.  O homo quia te non vides, tibi places, si te videres tibi displiceres: sed veniet tempus quando te videbis, & tibi pariter & mihi displicebis, tibi quia ardebis, mihi quia damnaberis, O man because thou seest not thyself, thou pleasest well thyself, if thou sawest thyself, thou wouldst take small pleasure in thyself: But the time will come when thou shalt see thyself, and shalt displease both me and thyself; thyself, because thou shalt be tormented, and me, because thou shalt be condemned. Then when the Lord shall reveal the secrets of the heart, when He shall search jerusalem with a Candle, 
Zeph. 1.  and nothing can be hidden from his eyes. Now is the time (brethren) to behold our blemishes in this glass, that we may be induced to wholesome repentance, & by judging ourselves to prevent the judgement of God: But, alas, how far otherwise do we use this glass of the Word: Some beholding in this Glass their frailty, sins, and dangers they are in, for a time are humbled and touched with sorrow, but by and by, being alured with worldly vanities, they forget themselves: 
Luke 8.  Like the Seed which fell by the way side; which are they that hear the Word, then cometh the devil, and taketh it out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. Others having a conscience clogged with all kind of sins, veridici speculi contuitum fugiunt, they cannot endure the true glass, which showeth their deformities, lest their minds should be troubled: Such are they, 
job 22.  as it is job. 22. which say unto God, Depart from us; those blindfold themselves that they may not see, and therefore their fall shall be justly imputed unto themselves. Others beholding their deformities in the glass, depart away offended with the Glass, and not with themselves, defending their vices for virtues: Those are like wicked King Ahab, which hated the Prophet Micheas, for speaking the truth, etc. 
1. Reg. 22.   

The second Part.  VER. 25. 
But who so looketh in the perfect Law, etc.  
THIS is the Apostles conclusion of his former similitude, why we should be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. Where he stirreth up all Christians to the fruitful hearing of the Word, by the utility and profit that cometh thereby, consequently reproving those which hear the same perfunctoriè, and with contempt. Whosoever beholdeth in the glass of the Word the face of his conscience, and cordis intimos recessus, 
The inward closet of the heart.  and seeing the deformities of his sin, wipeth away his blemishes by repentance, and adorneth his life with Christian conversation; this man indeed shall be the blessed of the Lord. Let no man therefore sit idle, let none be careless, let none be negligent in serving the Lord, while we have time let us do good; 
Gal. 6.  let us work while it is day, for the night will come when none can work. Now is the time of our labour, but the life to come is the place of reward, what a man soweth here, he shall reap there.  
The Gospel of Christ is here called a Perfect Law, 
Why the Gospel is the perfect Law of Liberty.  and a Law of perfect liberty, whether it be considered in itself, or whether it be compared with the Law of Moses: For by the profession thereof we are freed from the heavy burden of Circumcision, Sacrifices, Ceremonies, wherewith the people of the jews were so burdened, that Saint Peter calleth it a heavy yoke, 
Acts 15.  which neither they, nor their fathers were ever able to bear. 
Rabbi Moses.  Rabbi Moses writeth, that the jews had two hundred and eighteen precepts affirmative, according to the members of man's body, and three hundred sixty and five negative, according to the number of the days of the year. Contrariwise the Law of the Gospel is complete in this one word (diliges) For he that loveth hath fulfilled the Law. 
Rom. 13.   
It is the Law of perfect Liberty, because it savoureth of nothing else but love, grace, charity, sweet promises: As contrarywtses, the Law of Moses is full of threatenings & terrors: therefore Aug. saith well: 
Augustine.  Brevis differentia evangelii & legis est amor & timor: Love & fear, is the brief difference betwixt the Gospel and the Law. For the Law only displayed sin, reproved, and condemned, but could not pardon: as; 
Deu. 27.26  Cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to do them. And therefore Saint Paul calleth it the ministration of death, 
2. Cor. 3.  and he compareth it to Agar the Bondwoman, which engendereth children unto bondage. 
Heb. 10.  And again he saith: The Law having the shadow of good things, and not the substance, could make nothing perfect; but the Gospel lovingly inviteth sinners to repentance, and promiseth pardon to the penitent, it layeth before us the love of God towards mankind, the merits of Christ, and with the promises of most ample rewards allureth us unto godliness. What heart is so flinty, and hard, that is not mollified at these sweet invitings of our Saviour? 
Mat. 11.28  Come unto me all ye that are weary and laden, and I will ease you. I came not to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance: 
Math. 9.13  And, the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. 
Luke 9   
The Gospel is called the perfect Law of Liberty, because Christ hath freed the true Professors thereof from this fourfold bondage, Sin, Satan, Hell, and Death, and promiseth a blessed life to his faithful servants: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. 
Math. 5. Luk. 12.32  Fear not my little Flock, for it is your Father's pleasure to give you the Kingdom. And again, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit ye the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundations of the world. 
Mat. 25.34   
The doctrine and use hereof is this; 
The Use.  that calling to mind the miserable bondage and servitude of sin, from which none but the Son of God can set us free, and for which purpose he shed his own precious blood: 
john 8.  we would be wary how we captivate ourselves a fresh in this miserable thraldom, and as the Apostle counseleth, 
Galat. 5.  Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free. Sin is as fetters, chains, and cords, to bind the sinner in bondage: 
Prou. 5.  He shall be holden with the cords of his own sin: And again, Woe be unto them which draw iniquity with cords of vanity, etc. 
Esay 5.  Upon which place, saith Jerome, 
jerom.  the ropes and bands wherewith the wicked are bound in the prison of Satan, are their sins; 
john 8.34  For whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin: And these bonds (saith he) are, Foediora, arctiora, fortiora, graviora, molestiora omnibus totius orbis vinculis; are more filthy, straight, strong, heavy, and troublesome, than all bands in the world.  
First, 
1 The filthiness of sin.  for the filthiness of sin, it taketh away, or staineth, the beauty of the soul, it blemisheth and deformeth the image of God, and transformerh men into the image of sathan; For seeing the devil, only through sin, is filthy, who so plungeth himself in sin, what doth he else but die and paint himself with the devils colours? this only is the difference, that the sinner may wash himself with timely repentance, which the devil cannot. And surely if the wicked which without remorse of conscience eat fin as they would eat bread, and swallow it down like drink, could see their own filthiness, they would seem loathsome unto themselves: For whatsoever, by the instinct of sin, is done, spoken, or in mind conceived, is abominable, filthy, and detestable unto God, who clearly beholdeth the deformity of such a soul. And sometime this filthiness of the soul showeth itself in body also; the proud man, Elata ceruice, prodit superbiam, By his lofty gate bewrayeth his pride, with his scornful countenance, and proud gate, as if his feet made Geometrical paces: The covetous man, with care and anxiety, always feareth: the envious man consumeth himself in his sad humour: the wrathful man with his swollen face, and staring eyes bewrayeth his wrath: the Drunkard resembleth rather a beast then a man. To conclude the unthrifty and wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth (saith Solomon) maketh a sign with his eyes, 
Prou. 6.  signifieth with his feet, and instructeth with his fingers: And thus much for the filthiness of this bondage of sin. For even as the body is adorned with chains of gold and jewels, but is deformed with fetters and irons: So the soul is beautified with the graces of God, but with sin is polluted and defiled.  
These bands also are (Streight:) 
2 They are strait.  For the bands of the body can but bind the outward members, but the bands of sin bind the soul within and all the powers thereof. For even as God's grace, resting in the soul restoreth the same to liberty, and maketh it acceptable unto God; so sin, so holdeth the wicked in the servile bands of Satan, that they are bereaved of all true liberty, and become abominable in the sight of God.  
The bands of this servitude are not only strait but most strong, 
3 They are strong.  wherewith the wretched sinner is drawn to and fro, at the will of the devil, 
john 8.  For he that committeth sin is the servant of sin: And to be delivered from thence by his own power and might he cannot; for they are more hard than adamant, more strong than iron, which not only in this life, but also in the world to come, shall bind both body and soul (unless they repent) in eternal fire. But even as iron is mollisied with fire, and the Adamant with the blood of a Goat; so these bands of sin are only loosed by the Love of GOD, and blood of CHRIST: O then (brethren) let us not wilfully entangle ourselves in these bands of sathan.  
The bands of sin are not only strong, but most heavy also, 
4 They are most heavy.  which by their weight do press us down, and draw still sin upon sin, more and more, unto it, until we be pressed down unto eternal destruction; and, like a talon of lead, or Millstone, plungeth us and drowneth us in perdition. A Type hereof we see in our Saviour, at his Passion, who sustained the person of a sinner, that he might set before our eyes the weight of these bands; the farther he proceeded in his Passion, with the more bands was he laden of every judge. First, he was bound in the Garden, 
john 18.  and Annas sent him bound unto Caiphas, he sent him unto Pilate, and Pilate unto Herod, Herod sent him back again bound and laden with a white vesture; then was laid upon him a Crown of Thorns, & an heavy cross of wood, to bear to Mount calvary, where he exchanged his bands of cords, for sharp nails of iron: So the sinner augmenteth his bonds, by adding sin upon sin, as to gluttony whoredom, to whoredom theft, etc. O (brethren) and shall we, which are called into the glorious liberty of the sons of God, 
Rom. 8.  which make profession of the Gospel, which is the perfect Law of Liberty, wilfully, for a little momentany pleasure of sin, cast ourselves headlong, by adding sin upon sin, into satans prison, to be chained with such grievous and heavy bands?  
To conclude, 
5 They are most grievous.  these bands are also molestissima, most troublesome and grievous, for they yield no rest unto the sinner: Quia non est pax impij dicit Dominus, Because there is no peace to the wicked, saith the Lord; nothing is more subtle than the soul, nothing more tender than the conscience, unless it be cauteriata, burned with an hot iron, 
1. Tim. 4.  that is, which through desperate wickedness hath lost the sense of feeling. 
Simile.  For even as Nerves or Sinews affected, feel the least touch of the finger: so the Conscience, in feeling the burden of sin, findeth no rest; which the very Heathen: Orator truly confesseth, 
Cicero.  Animi conscientia improbi semper cruciantur, furiae agitant & insectantur impios: Their conscience ever tormenteth the wicked, the furies pursue and vex them. Not ardentibus taedis, with hot torches, as it is in the sabulous Poet, but in very grief and sadness of conscience. 
No wicked man quiet in heart.  For no wicked man can be quiet in heart (what face soever he make) for his conscience is an heavy burden unto him.  
Consider therefore (brethren) the miserable servitude of the wicked which do not know that they are in the miserable bondage of the devil, and therefore they glory and boast of their sins, as if it were an ornament unto them to be wicked: Et exultant in rebus pessimis, 
Prou. 2.14.  and rejoice to do evil: They bewray their sins even in their speeches: men most wicked borne, and brought up in the servitude of sin, and therefore know not the sweetness of liberty, which in the children of God is so pleasant that no external cross may obscure or take away the same.  VER. 26. 
If any among you, etc.  
THE Apostle showeth wherein Christian Religion consisteth by the properties thereof negative, and affirmative.  
First, that the word of God teacheth us, not only to do well, but also to speak well, and this consisteth in the moderation of the tongue. The unfeigned Professors of the Gospel must endeavour thereby, not only to reform their actions, but also to restrain and bridle their tongue, that both in action and communication they may be holy unto the lord 
Pro. 25.18.  A man that refraineth not his appetite is like a City that is broken down, and without walls. Again: 
Sicut urbs patens & absque muris, ita vir qui in loquendo cohibere non potest spiritum suum. Pro. 10.19. Qui moderatur labia sua prudentissimus est. Prou. 13.  He that refraineth his lips is wise. If a Castle, or City, be kept and watched never so careful, yet if the gates be not kept their labour is in vain. So, if a man be never so careful to keep watch over his affections in other things, if he be careless in governing his tongue, it is all in vain: He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life. Howsoever a barrel be hooped it is all in vain if there be any hole open whereat all the wine runneth out: So is his Religion in vain, though having attempted to the practice of many virtues, if he polluteth them all with an unbridled tongue.  
Levis est sermo sed graviter vulnerat, 
Bernard.  aptissimum evacuendis mentibus instrumentum; A word is but a light thing, but it giveth a deep wound, a fit mean to ungorge the mind of all goodness.  
The sacred Word of God mentioneth many kind of tongues, thereby to express the manifold vices committed by the tongue; but because it would be too tedious to recite all, 
Three kind of tongues.  I will insist but upon three kind of tongues which are most common and pernicious in the world: Lingua serpentina vel venenosa: the Serpentine or poisoned tongue, and Lingua dolosa, the deceitful tongue, Lingua mendax, the lying tongue.  
The first of these is the backbiting tongue which is in envious wretches; hereof the Prophet speaketh: They have sharpened their tongues like a Serpent, Adder's poison is under their lips: And of this hatesome vice of detraction, or backbiting, I will say three things.  
1 How many ways it is committed.  
2 How grievous a sin it is.  
3 The comparisons thereof.  
First, there are three kinds of detraction, as the Schoolmen have rightly noted, 
Psal. 144.3  Iniquus, Astutus, Simulatus; Unjust, Subtle or Crafty, Hypocritical.  
The first is called Iniquus, unjust, not that this so pestilent a vice may be in any sort justly done, but because, Summa iniquitate committitur (saith Aquinas) it is committed with great iniquity, 
Aquin.  and is most repugnant to the rule of equity, uprightness, and justice, that should be amongst men.  
This backbiting for memory sake I will reduce to three heads, it is three manner of ways committed: Ruelando, fingendo, scribendo; by revealing the secret infirmities of our neighbour, by forging against him, and by writing infamous Libels against him.  
The first is in a malicious revealing of the secret infirmities of our neighbour, of purpose to defame him, and impair his honest reputation in the world; contrary to the precept of Christ, 
Mat. 18.15  If thy brother sin go tell him his fault between thee and him alone. This evil how great it is, and how largely it hath spread itself in the life of man, who so blind that seethe not? who so ignorant that knoweth it not? who so wilful that confesseth it not? Is not this the custom, and common course, of most men, to revile, to speak evil, to judge, at their pleasure, whatsoever is not squared after their fancies, than which, there is not a greater, and more manifold mischief in the life of man? This vice is so odious in the sight of God, that the Spirit of God reckoneth backbiters among the cursed crew which God hath given over to a reprobate mind: 
Rom. 1.  Detractor expressa quaedam sathanae imago: 
Chrys. sup. Math.  A backbiter is the express image of the devil.  
Secondly, fingendo, by forging against his neighbour things whereof he is innocent.  
Thirdly, by writing infamous Libels against any man, or invectives, Lenocinio verborum fucatas. The first of these is a great sin, for it maketh a breach of the Law of brotherly correction: The second greater, because it is joined with a lie and slander: The third most grievous, because a man is more generally infamed by writing then by words only.  
The second kind of these serpentine, and poisoned, tongues, 
The crafty Backbiter.  is Detractor astutus, the crafty, or subtle detractor: for there are of this cursed kind which with a subtle style and politic carriage of themselves will transfufe and spread the venom and poison of their tongues like a serpent, to the hurt and destruction of their neighbour: And this is also three manner of ways, Tacendo, Negando, Venenando, by silence, by denying, by poisoning their speeches.  
By their silence: As when a man is asked of the virtues of his neighbour, though he speak no evil, yet he concealeth the virtues and good gifts of his neighbour, which he knoweth and aught to have spoken; and this he doth of hatred and envy he beareth to his neighbour; as if he be asked of the chastity, sobriety, learning, liberality, or other gifts of God bestowed upon his neighbour; he either says nothing, or else replies, I know not, I will not meddle with other men's doings, etc. This kind of Backbiter, though not directly, yet indirectly, hurteth the good name of his neighbour, therefore well saith Gilbertus: Gravis est rapacitas cum veram alterius gloriam etsimendacio non corrumpis, silentio tamen praeteris: It is a grievous theft, though with a lie thou corruptest not the glory of another, yet with silence thou passest it over: And therforein this pestilent kind, the very imps of the devil sinneth against the goodness and glory of God, and as much as in him lieth (o fearful sin) seeketh to overthrow and obscure it: against his goodness, because all graces, virtues, and good things, which are in any man are God's gifts, and sparkles of the infinite treasure of his bottomless bounty. Now to seek by our silence to suppress the same, what is it else but to offer injury unto God, and to raze out his goodness, and so (as much as is possible) to obscure his Godhead, who is altogether and nothing but goodness: he sinneth against the glory of God; for the virtues that are in any man God would have to be lights to shine unto others unto his glory; for our good deeds are a part of his glory as he saith: 
Mat. 5.16.  Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven: Therefore to seek by our silence to obscure the virtues of any, what is it else but to labour to put out the light which God would have to shine unto the world? and so to show ourselves enemies to God's glory.  
The second kind of these serpentine tongues are such, 
Second kind.  which though they say no evil of their neighbours, yet they deny the good properties which they hear others to commend in them, and think the praises of others to be an obscuring of themselves.  
The third sort are such which cunningly backbite their neighbour venenando, 
The third sort.  as when they are enforced to speak much good of an other, whom they know to be favoured of him to whom they speak, they will presently poison the same again with some exception: As, he is a good man if he had not this or that infirmity, etc. or such a man hath many good gifts if he had not this or that defect; or such a one is learned, but he wanteth humility; such a man or woman is honest, etc. but very proud: So these cunning backbiters, that they might not seem to be backbiters will praise, that they may with the greater liberty dispraise again, and so with honey they reach poison to drink, and as Hierom saith: 
Hieron.  Venena non daunt nisimelle circumlita: pessimum genus hominum, qui cum maxime fallunt id agunt ut boni viri esse videntur, saith Cicero, 
Cicero.  they give their poison covered with honey: They are the worst kind of men of all, which when they mean most deceit, they so carry it, that they might seem to be good men. Valerius Maximus saith, 
Valer. Max.  that when it was related unto Diogenes, that many spoke evil of him, he answered: Oportet sapientiam ab nisipientibus feriri: Fools must needs strike at wisdom: 
Valer.  And Valerius giveth the reason, Esse enim meliorem indicat quem carpit; he plainly showeth that he whom he backbiteth is a better man than himself.  
The third kind of these Serpentine tongues are the counterfeit and hypocritical backbiters; 
The hypocritical backbiter.  and those also cast forth the poison of their tongues three manner of ways, dolendo, augendo, nominando: by counterfeit sorrow, feigning good will to their neighbour; by increasing and amplifying their neighbours faults; by naming him with praise, but presently adding his vices.  
First, they will feign in words, gesture, and sighs, that they speak not for any ill will, when they defame their neighbour, and publish his infirmities, but that they speak charitably, when yet they are full of impiety, envy, and malice: As, I am sorry for such a man, or such a woman, that he would do such a thing, otherwise he were a good man, etc.  
Secondly, the hypocrites will backbite, augendo, as when they speak of any small infirmity of their neighbour, they will in words amplify the same, saying; There is like to grow a great inconvenience of such a man's doing, of purpose that they might aggravate a small offence and so make the party odious unto others.  
Thirdly, nominando, as when they will name any man with praise, but will presently add the vices he is subject unto. This vice is directly contrary to the law of charity, the very band of perfectness, 
Coloss 3.  whereby we are (if we be in Christ) coupled together in one mystical Body. This is a manifest breach of the second Table of God's Divine Law, and therefore God himself in the ordering of the Commonwealth of Israel, his people, commandeth, that none should go about as backbiters and slanderers among his people. 
Levit. 19   
The second thing which I promised to handle of this matter, 
In three respects a grievous sin.  was how grievous a sin this is; which we may gather three manner of ways, in regard of the generality, cruelty, and contrariety of this vice.  
In regard of the contrariety it is a great and dangerous sin, 
The contrariety.  for it is contrary to our good name, which of all worldly things is most precious, as Solomon saith: 
Prou. 22.  A good name is to be chosen above great riches: And the Wiseman: 
Eccl. 41.12  Have regard to thy good name, for that shall continue with thee above a thousand treasures of Gold: And Augustine, Qui famam suam negligit sibi crudelis est: He that neglecteth his good name, is cruel to himself. This the very Poet confesseth. 
ovid.  
Omnia si perdas, famam servare memento,  
Qua semel amissa, postea nullus eris.  
Though all things else thou lose, good name keep still with thee:  
Which lost, is credit lost, thou nought esteemed shall be.  And Plautus: 
Plaut. in Mustella.  Ego si bonam famam mihi seruasso, sat ero dives: I shall think myself rich enough, if I retain a good name. A good name therefore is the most precious jewel that any man hath, whether he be Prince or Subject, noble or ignoble, of what estate soever he be: A good name is an ornament which adorneth and beautifieth every degree and calling, but the backbiter robbeth and spoileth a man of this precious treasure, therefore is a great sinner, yea, a most grievous thief, and therefore the backbiter is bound, by the Canon Law, to make restitution: Quia non dimittitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum, 
Augustine.  because sin is not forgiven, except that which was taken away be restored. If then the good name of a man is above all earthly treasure, he that robbeth him thereof sinneth grievously and is bound to restitution, if he look to have his own sins forgiven: For this perpetual bond, this vice carrieth with it, that howsoever thou repentest, howsoever thou sorrowest, except thou make restitution of thy neighbours good name thou standest still guilty before God. And how few do we see that are so studious of their salvation, that they have any care to restore their neighbours good name? O (brethren) in what danger now standeth the backbiter? Seeing then that this vice bringeth with it, tantam malorum segetem, an occasion of so many evils: who is so wicked, who is so prodigal of his salvation, that even gratis: that is, for no profit at all, will fall into so many mischiefs, and carry in his tongue such poison, a sword, sharp arrows, and death itself?  
Secondly, 
2 In respect of the generality.  the greatness of this sin appeareth in regard of the generality of it; for there are many sins which though they be committed, yet not at all times, in all places, and of all persons: But this vice excepteth no time, no place, no person: therefore this Apostle saith, That this tongue is full of deadly poison, 
Chap. 3.  and more dangerous and infective than any poison. For the poison of the Scorpion hurteth only such as he striketh with his tail, and none other: The Viper infecteth none but such as he biteth: The Basilisk killeth none but such as he reacheth with his sight: The venomous roots, herbs, and plants, infect none but those which either handle, smell, touch, or taste, some of them: But the backbiters tongue, stingeth and striketh, infecteth and poisoneth, killeth and destroyeth, at hand and far off, at home and abroad, by sea and by land; such as meddle not, as well as such meddle with it, friend or foe; no love so nearly linked, no friendship so firm, no band of duty so strong, no desert so well deserving, which the poisoned tongue of the wicked doth not, or hath not molested. Hear we may judge of the greatness of this sin by the generality thereof. An evil the more general it is, the more greater and more evil it is: But this is an evil and a general evil, therefore the more great and dangerous.  
Thirdly, as by the generality, 
3 In respect of the cruelty thereof.  so this sin is much aggravated by reason of the cruelty thereof, Summa iniquitas est fratres detrahere, quia omnis qui detrahit homicida est: It is a great iniquity to backbite our brethren, because he that backbiteth is a murderer, saith a Father: for even as a murderer taketh away the life of his neighbour, so doth the backbiter his good name, which to an honest man is dearer than his life: He is also occasionaliter (as a schoolman  termeth it) homicidij causa, by way of occasion, the cause of homicide, when through his tongue, he giveth occasion to another, to kill, hate, or contemn his neighbour; and therefore the backbiter is compared to a Lion: 
Ezech. 19  He is become a Lion, he hath learned to catch the prey, and hath devoured men. Gregory expoundeth these words of job: Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh: and saith: Hi sunt qui detractione alienae vitae pascuntur, 
Greg. in moral. sup. job 19  & aliorum procul dubio carnibus saturantur: Those are they which are fed by backbiting the life of an other, and doubtless satisfy themselves with their flesh.  
This vice maketh a man a brute beast, yea worse than any wild beasts, as this Apostle saith: The whole nature of beasts and of birds and of creeping things, 
I am. 3.7.8.  and of things of the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of the nature of man, but the tongue can no man tame, it is an unruly evil full of deadly poison: Whereby it is concluded that backbiting is a damnable, cruel, and a general sin, and contrary to our good name.  
The very Heathen themselves, by the light of Nature, seeing how excellent a thing it is, and of how great perfection, wisely to govern the tongue, have commended silence as a crown of glory, and condemned an unruly tongue as a great mischief in the world. 
Zeno.  Zeno being asked by certain Legates, what commendations they should relate of him unto their King, answered; tell your King that I am a man that can keep silence. 
Lycurgus.  Lycurgus instituted this custom among the Lacedomonians, that when they went to any banquet, or feast, the oldest in the company should show the door unto the rest, saying; Per has nullus egrediatur sermo: Let not a word go out of these doors, because meats and drinks did then invite men to intemperancy of speech. 
Valerius lib. 2. the instituend is antiq.  Valerius saith, that the ancient Romans would admit none to the administration of the commonwealths affairs, before good trial, being first had of his silence, and moderation of his tongue. And Antonius Florentinus hath a History of the strange silence of a certain young man of Rome called Papirius, 
Anto. Florem.  
Papirius.  who being but yet a youth went with his father into the Senate house, and heard there many secret things debated about the managing of the public state; returning home his mother inquired of him what matters were consulted upon in the Council-house; who answered, that it was not lawful to reveal the counsel of the Senators. which consulted for the good of the State Public: When she persisted (such is the importunity of that sex) and threatened him with correction unless he would confess all unto her, he, after the manner of children, fearing correction; choose rather to forge this officious lie, then to reveal the secrets of the Senators, and said; it was there proponed whether it were expedient for a man to have two wives, or a woman to have two husbands: when she had heard this, she ran presently to other women of her familiars, and told them what she had heard of her son: A day after, this mother, with many other women, came into the Senate-house, and in the behalf of all the rest, made this petition: that the decree might pass on the women's side, that it might be enacted that one woman might have two men: At which words the whole Senate being amazed, inquired the state of this strange request, and when it was found that it proceeded of the forged answer of Papirius, that he might not reveal the counsel of these grave fathers, they had him in great estimation, loved him exceedingly, and ever after, 
Antonius' Frorent.  for honour's sake, gave him a place in the Senate-house.  
Now for the comparisons of this vice, which was the third thing I promised to handle: I find so many vile things to which it may be compared, that I know not with which to begin first, or with which to end: 
Delectus florum quip moratur opus. 
Samb.   
Variety is a hindrance to what I would say:   
And therefore I say with our Saviour, Whereunto shall I liken this generation, 
Luke 7.  etc. The Backbiter is like unto an hog: for even as the filthy swine spareth not his mouth from any filthy, 
similia.  or unclean thing, so doth not the backbiter his tongue, but polluteth it with the filthiness of others vices. 
The Backbiter like an hog.  The hog, if he enter inter into a pleasant garden, and seethe on the one side sweet flowers, and on the other side a filthy dunghill, or puddle; leaveth the flowers, as taking no pleasure in them, runneth to the dunghill, and thrusteth his nose therein and walloweth therein: So the backbiter, seeing on the one side many good gifts and virtues, which are as flowers in his neighbour, and on the other side some infirmities worthy to be reprehended, he leaveth his virtues untouched, as things wherein he hath no pleasure, but hath always his infirmities in his mouth. The famous Augustine so hated a backbiter, that he forbade him his Table, over which he wrote these verses. 

Quisquis amat dictis absentum rodore vitam, 
Augustine.   
Hanc mensam vetitam noverit esse sibi.   

Who takes delight with carping taunts, the absent wight to touch,  
Let him well know this Table here, forbidden is to such.    
But whereunto shall I liken this generation? They are compared unto a serpent: 
Eccles. 10. The Backbiter like a serpent.  If the Serpent bite if he be not charmed (some hath occultè, secretly) no better is a Babbler: As a Serpent secretly casteth his poison, so the backbiter privily ungorgeth the poison of his heart; that is, of envy, hatred, and infamy, 
jam. 3.  the tongue is full of deadly poison. The Serpent is a prodigious creature, which creepeth, winding itself and biting secretly: so the backbiter is a traitor, for he biteth them secretly, whom in presence he feigneth to love: and as the Serpent is terrified at the sight of a man, so the backbiter feareth when he seethe him whom he backbiteth: He also goeth winding like a Serpent, when he beginneth with the praise of his neighbour, and endeth with his dispraise, adding (tamen yet) which is coniunctio adversativa: He also eateth the earth like the Serpent, that is, hath ever in his mouth that which is earthly, as the infirmities and vices of others.  
But whereunto shall I liken this generation? 
The Backbiter like unto an Owl.  He is like unto an Owl, whose eyes the night maketh bright, and the light maketh blind: So the backbiter is sharpsighted to see the infirmities of others, which are as the darkness, and obscurity, of a man's life, but in the virtues, which are as light as the day, he is purblind, he can neither see nor hear them.  
But whereunto shall I liken this generation? He is like unto a thief, 
The Backbiter like unto a Thief.  yea worse than any thief that stealeth garments, or any temporal goods: Tolerabiliores sunt fures qui vestes ac alia bona diripiunt, 
Ambrose.  quam qui famam nostram lacerant: thieves which steal from us our clothes, or any other good, are more tolerable than those which do spoil us of our good name, according to this of Solomon: A good name is to be chosen above great riches, 
Prou. 22.1.  and loving favour is above silver and above gold: He than that robbeth a man of his good name, hurteth him more, then if he stole great riches from him, and therefore his theft is hardly, or never, restored again.  
But whereunto shall I liken this generation? He is like unto the Scarabee, 
Like unto a Beetle.  which delighteth to feed on the ordure and dung of beasts: so he feedeth, with delight, on the infirmities of his brethren, and loveth to talk of their vices.  
But whereunto shall I liken this generation? 
Like unto the devils advocate.  He is like unto the devils Advocate, for he pleadeth for nothing but for the kingdom of Satan, and, as much as in him lieth, maketh God's part to be the devils, when he saith, such a one is a fornicator, drunkard, etc. which are the pillars of the devils kingdom, etc.  
Object. It may here be replied, 
Tho: Aquin. in 73. quest. Artic. 4.  we have heard how great the sin of detraction is; what is to be thought of them that give a willing ear to detraction, is that so great a sin?  
Solut. To this Thomas of Aquine answereth: The hearer, Tribus modis se possit habere; vel ut inducens, ut placens, vel ut tacens: may three manner of ways behave himself, either as inducing, pleasing, or holding his peace: as inducing or provoking to backbite, and then his sin is greater than the others that backbiteth; the reason is: because that sin is greater in the cause, and original, of an evil, then in that which is derived and springeth from the cause, but he that induceth and draweth another to backbite, is the cause and original of the evil; therefore the sin is greater in him then in the backbiter: 
Hieron. in Epi. ad Nepolia. Caue ne linguam aut aures habeas prurientes ut alijs detrabas. Ber. lib. de consider. Detrabere aut detrahentem audire, quid horum damnabilius est nescio. Iten. in quad. serm. Detractor & lubens auditoruterque diabolum portat, detractor in lingna, auditor in aure.  As if he provoke him to speak, saying; I pray thee tell me of such a man, I will keep it secret, etc. when he cannot conceal it one hour.  
Secondly, the hearer is as consenting, and pleased with the hearing of detraction; for though he enticeth not another to backbite, yet if he be delighted with the hearing, for hatred he beareth unto him who is back-bited, his sin is equal with him that backbiteth. Hereof Jerome saith: Beware that thy tongue, or ears, be not inflamed with the desire of detracting, or hearing detractions against others. And Bernard: I know not which is more damnable, to detract, or to hear detractions. Again, The backbiter, and the willing hearer, both carry the devil, the backbiter in his tongue, the hearer in his ear.  
Thirdly, the hearer, of backbiting, who holdeth his peace, and doth not testify, though he be not delighted with it; if for fear, negligence, or verecundia quadam, through a certain shamefastness, he doth not rebuke the backbiter, such a one sinneth, but not so much as the backbiter.  
The second tongue which maketh our Religion vain before God, is Lingua dolosa, the deceitful tongue. The malignity of this tongue consisteth in three things. 

1 In consortijs  
2 In consilijs,  
3 In iuditijs.   in 

1 In fellowships.  
2 In counsels.  
3 In judgements.    
The first is used, when outwardly men make a show of love, friendship, and plain dealing, and under the colour hereof practise all treachery and falsehood. From this tongue (because it maketh his religion vain) the Princely Prophet prayed unto the Lord to deliver his soul: Deliver my soul (o Lord) from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue: 
Psal. 120.2 jer. 9.4.5.  hereof the Prophet jeremy also giveth this caveat: Let every one take heed of his neighbour, and trust you not in any brother; for every brother will use deeeit, and every friend will deal deceitfully: And every one will deceive his friend, and will not speak the truth, for they have taught their tongues to speak lies, and take great pains to do wickedly. This deceit is most practised in contracts, bargaining, buying, and selling; yea, among some which make profession of Religion and the Gospel, whose houses are upholded, whose riches are increased, whose children are advanced, whose sons are made Gentlemen, by the deceitful tongues of their fathers, and servants, in their shops and warehouses, in false weights and scant measures made for their advantage. But (brethren) have we thus learned Christ? Is not all our profession vain by the falsehood of our tongues? Doth not the Spirit of God tell us; That no man oppress and defraud his brother in any matter, 
1. Thess. 4.6.  for the Lord is the avenger of all such things. 
Pro. 21.6.  Again, The gathering of treasures by a deceitful tongue, is vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death: He calleth evil gotten goods, The robberies of the wicked which shall destroy them. 
Idem ver. 7 Pro. 22.16.  Again, He that oppresseth the poor to increase himself, and giveth unto the rich, shall surely come to poverty. Of this kind is all crafty and subtle circumvention of our brethren, which, like the Fowler, maketh traps and snares to catch the simple-meaning man: They do nothing from the heart, but all things, miris cuniculis & maeandris (as it is in the Proverb.) 
Math. 24.  Like the pharisees, which laid snares to entrap Christ in his talk. Those are of that pestilent crew, which speak one thing in word, and carry an other conceit in their hearts. 
Psal. 62.4.  They bless with their mouths (saith David) but curse with their hearts: and the words of his mouth are softer than butter, yet war is in his heart: 
Psal. 55.  And, they speak deceitfully every one to his neighbour. 
Similia. janus.  They are like janus, whom antiquity was wont to paint with two faces; they are called bifrontes. They are like unto seditious Catiline, who was, 
Salustius.  as (Salustius saith) cuiuslibet rei simulator ac dissimulator: a notable dissembler, and forger of any thing. They are like to the Fox (as it is in the Fable) which deceived the Raven of his prey, by praising him, and enticing him to sing, that opening his mouth, he might let fall the flesh, which the Fox presently snatched up and devoured it.  
Secondly, deceit is committed by the tongue in counsels, hereof speaketh Solomon, 
Prou. 12.  The counsels of the wicked are deceitful: They counsel against God, against justice, against equity, for love, hatred, or for their private gain: They deceive the simple ears of Princes, and of men in authority, giving them crafty counsel for their own advantage: And indeed, non tibi, sed sibi consulunt, they counsel for their own profit and not for thine. To avoid such counsellors, let this of Seneca be holden good policy: Omnibus credere, & nulli, utrumque vitium est, sed alterum honestius vitium dixerim, alterum tutius: It is both a vice to believe all men, and to trust no man; the first is more honest, but the other more safe. The Religion of those men is in vain (as the Apostle saith) howsoever they profess in words and outward shows.  
Thirdly, this deceitful tongue (as in many other things, so in nothing more) showeth itself then, in iuditijs, in judgements, both in the plaintiff in the crafty contriving of his actions, and in the defendant repelling fraud by fraud: There is utterly a fault among you, 
1. Cor. 6.7.  because you go to Law one with another: Why rather suffer ye not wrong? why rather sustain you not harm. Seneca could tell such, even by the light of nature, non est vitium, vitio vindicandum, we must not revenge evil with evil. The plaintiff than committeth injustice in offering injury, 
See more in my book, entitled: The judges, and juries instruction.  and so doth the other in deceitful defending of himself: Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of heaven? saith the Apostle. But of this, occasion is offered to speak more in the next part, which is of the lying tongue: now I will conclude this part with setting down the greatness of this sin that is committed by the deceitful tongue, and how much it is to be detested, and this appeareth many ways.  
First, by the multitude of sins which accompany it.  
Secondly, by the greatness of the damage that cometh thereby.  
Thirdly, by the necessity of restitution.  
Fourthly, by the severity of the eternal punishments.  
This vice, of the deceitful tongue, is never alone, but hath many other vices joined with it: As in buying and selling; what lying, what swearing, what promises, what sugared and sophistical words, doth not the deceitful tongue practise?  


Hor.  Laudat venales qui vult extrudere merces.   

He that bad wares away would shift,  
To prays them most, it is his drift.   
What falsehood in payments, in weights, in measures, in falsifying of wares in substance, quantity, and quality, contrary to the express Law of God, 
Leu. 19.11  which saith: Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, nor lie one to another: 
Deut. 25.13.14.  And, Thou shalt not have in thy bag two manner of weights, a great and a small, neither shalt thou have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small.  
The greatness of this vice appeareth by the greatness of the damage that cometh thereby to the deceitful persons, because for a little temporal gain, they lose the spiritual; for earthly goods they lose the heavenly; for a little transitory lucre, they lose their own souls, than which loss, what more greater and incomparable may be imagined: such neglect the Preaching of the Word, use unreverently Gods Ministers, profane his Saboaths, and what not? 
Juvenal.  
— Quae reverentia legum?  
Quis metus aut pudor est unquam properantis avari?  What reverence of Law? what fear or shame, in a covetous caitiff, that hasteneth to be rich? And so an other truly saith: 
— mortemque sequemur,  
In praeda, pudeat tanto bona velle caduca.   
Men for love of their prey will even follow death, but let them be ashamed, at so dear a rate, to seek transitory things. And therefore, 
Verse 26.  If any among you seemeth religious, and refraineth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's Religion is vain.  
How much this deceitful tongue is to be detested, it appeareth by the necessity of restitution. Is it not the part of a madman, willingly, to lose many and great things, that he may get a few, and vile things, which yet he is bound, upon the necessity of his salvation, to restore again? Hear what an ancient Father saith of this, Nullus excusatur à restitutione nisi propter impossibilitatem, sed videat ne ipse causa impossibilitatis fuerit illius: No man is excused from restitution, except it be for the impossibility thereof, but let him see lest he be the cause of this impossibility, surely he shall then be severely punished. Let pickers, thieves, cozeners, oppressors of the poor, Advocates, Lawyers, judges, etc. look unto this, yea, betime, I say, let them look to it, which live, and wax fat, with the sweat of the brows of the poor, and maintain their pride and prodigality by others labours. 
Restitution.  This almighty God in his most holy Law expressly commandeth: 
Levit. 6.5.  Or for whatsoever he hath sworn falsely, he shall both restore it in the whole sum, and shall also add the fift part more thereto, and give it to him to whom it pertaineth. Hear you see that by Gods own Law a man is bound to restore again whatsoever he hath gotten by fraud, false oaths, and a deceitful tongue: As the Lord would not then accept of his trespasse-offering, neither will he now his trespasse-offering of repentance for his sins, without restitution, which to many will be a very hard thing to do, and perchance unpossible. How few are there now which, with Zacheus, 
Luk 19  will restore fourfold for their wrongs and injuries done to others. And surely in many cases a simple restitution only is not sufficient, as when the party to whom restitution is due, is damnified by usury, deceit, and oppression, that he is constrained to sell his inheritance, or other goods, in this case (I say) a simple restitution is not sufficient, therefore the Scripture saith, that he shall add a fift part more. 
Levit. 6 5.  Here again ye see the truth of the Apostles proposition, that a deceitful tongue maketh our religion vain.  
The fourth thing, which showeth the greatness of this vice of the tongue is the severity of God's judgements denounced against the same, 
Psal. 52.2.  as; Thy tongue imagineth mischief, and with lies thou cuttest like a sharp razor that cutteth deceitfully. And again, 
Hab. 2.11.22.  The stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it; woe be unto him that buildeth a Town with blood, and erecteth a City with iniquity. A learned Rabine of the jews saith; 
Rab. Kinhi.  that their forefathers were so carefully careful not to offend in craft, fraud, and a deceitful tongue, knowing Gods severe threatenings against these things, that they made this decree: If any had wrongfully taken a beam or a rafter, and used it in the building of a Tower or Castle, he was to pluck down the same again and restore that piece to the owner. And as for the treasures of iniquity, let them plainly understand, that they put them into a bottomless bag that can hold nothing. Is it not a just plague of God, that ill gotten-goods never descend to the third heir? perhaps not to the second, nor first, nor to the benefit of him, who thinketh he hath surest handfast in them. Let us therefore (my dear brethren) better employ the tongue, this little member, that is able to make our whole Religion vain, lest it fill our consciences so full of lying, backbiting, falsehood, unjust dealing, that there will be no room left for the peace of God to dwell within us. 
D. K. Math. 12.  Let we the Kingdom and commodities of the earth alone a while, and learn we that the Kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and must be won by force, strive we then with our tongues, hearts, and hands, to win this spoil from him that keepeth it. Let us spare no invention of wit, intention of will, contention of sinews, eloquence of tongue, strength of hands, to get this Kingdom, beg it, buy it, steal it, assault it by any means; this is all the deceit of the tongue, all the fraud, all the oppression, that I can allow of, out of God's word.  
The third tongue is, lingua mendax, the lying tongue: A vice as common unto many, as words are to their mouths; in their usual talk, commerce, and communication, it is so ordinary and familiar with them, as if their whole life had been a Prenticeship to the father of lies, to learn the faculty of lying, so prompt and ready are they therein, as if it were the mystery of their study all their life long. There are many reasons why this vice should be utterly banished from among men: because we are members one of another, and members of the same body of Christ, which is the Church, and the Head of this Body is the Truth itself: I am the Truth (saith Christ) And there was no deceit found in his mouth. 
john 14.6. Esa. 53.9.  What a monster than is it that the members which live under this head should lie one to another, and use guile and deceit? In man's body no member deceiveth another, for if they did, it would tend to their own hurt and fraud; he therefore that deceiveth his brother, deceiveth himself. It is a shameful thing if one man should lie unto another, if one stranger unto another: But more shameful is it for a domestical friend to lie unto a domestical friend, a brother to a brother, a servant to his Lord. What then if a member of Christ should lie unto a member of Christ, a Christian to a Christian, the faithful to the faithful: o what a detestable and loathsomething is this!  
Though this might suffice to breed a loathsomeness of this vice, so odious in the mind of every good and godly Christian; yet, because this most pernicious vice hath so largely spread itself, through the malice of Satan, in these wretched days, and many, without all fear of God, and shame of the world, do make lying the mystery of their occupation, as though it were no sin at all: that I may discover the deformity, and greatness, of this vice, I will proceed further, and briefly touch these three points.  
1 How many kinds there are.  
2 How grievous a sin it is.  
3 Concluding with certain motives against the same.  
That the ignorant may learn, the careless consider, and the forgetful remember, how great this sin is in the sight of God.  
First, 
Aug. in lib. de mendatio ad Consen.  Augustine thus defineth it: Mendacium est voluntaria orationis, falsum dicentis, & mentis verum dictantis inaequalitas, cum studio fallendi coniuncta: Which definition containeth three things concurring in a lie. First, to write or speak that which is false, and that against the truth that is in the mind: For truth is an equality between the speech and the mind, 
Truth what it is.  so far as the speech agreeth with the mind: Therefore lying is an inequality between the speech and the mind: for mentiri, is quasi contra mentem ire. Secondly, that this is done by the rule and commanding of the will, repugning to the mind. Thirdly, that this is done of purpose to deceive. From this triple end of lying came this common division of a lie, into Officiosum, 
Three kinds of lies.  jocosum and Pernitiosum: the officious lie, the sporting lie, and the pernicious lie.  
The jesting, or sporting, lie, they say, is that which is framed to feed and please the minds of the hearers with a certain delectation: This if it be used to delight and profit any man, by some necessary doctrine, Augustine excepteth it from lies: Such are Apologues, Fables, Parables, Tropical Locutions, hyperboles, etc. which no wise man ever reckoned among lies, if there be in them no habit of lying and vanity in speaking: Therefore against the sporting lie I thus conclude; either there is in our jests some profitable doctrine, and then they are not lies, and therefore my purpose is not to reprove these: or else there is in them a vain intent and purpose, and then they are lies, and to be rejected of all good men, and left to scoffers and vain persons.  
Now for the officious lie, some commend unto us a fine, from the end or intent thereof: First, because it profiteth in the external goods of fortune, and is against no man: Secondly, that it profiteth also to the conservation of life oftentimes, and hurteth no man: Thirdly, that it hath place also in spiritual things, and defendeth sometimes from much uncleanness, which otherwise men might fall into. But against all this I oppose, that we may not do evil that good may come of it: if lying be an evil, as indeed it is, it ought not to be practised for any hope of good to ensue whatsoever; neither do this prove that lying is in any wise lawful. 
The example of godly men.  The arguments they object against this are indeed nothing, as the examples of godly men in the old Testament, to which generally Augustine answereth. First, that many things, do there seem to be lies, which indeed are not, as that of Abraham saying of his wife she is my sister, 
Gen. 12.  he said the truth according to the manner of the Hebrews, because she was filia patrum sui, which had among them the name of parents: and that of jacob, saying to his father Isaac, 
Gen. 27.  I am thy first borne Esau: for though he were not so according to his carnal nativity, yet was he so, according to God's divine dispensation the right of the first borne was to be transferred to jacob, that the elder after the flesh should serve the younger. Again, if they were lies, they are not approved by the spirit of God, & therefore the piety of these holy men is to be imitated, yet the lies they used are not to be drawn to an example to follow, neither to be wrested ad regulam morum, to the rule of manners.  
Now remaineth the pernicious lie, 
The pernicious lie  which is so filthy and hatesome a vice that it wanteth a patron to defend it, even among the most wicked sort: To this pertaineth false-witness-bearing whereby our neighbour is wronged and hurt, either in body, in goods; or defamed, slandered, and damnified in his good name: The false witness that speaketh lies is abhorred of the Lord. 
Prou. 6.  Generally all lies and falsehood may be more aptly divided into 

1 A lie in words.  
2 In manners.  
3 In the things themselves.    
In words, as the pernicious, officious, and jesting lie: Where I except honestiests, hyperbolical speeches, allegories, etc. which contain utilem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a profitable moralising upon a fable, because there is in it no intent to deceive, neither any inequality between the speech and the mind, nor will to speak falsely, especially if we have respect to the equality of the thing.  
The lie in manners, includeth all hypocrisy, dissimulation, flattery, etc. Natura, 
Cicero.  frons, oculi, vultus persaepementiuntur, oratio vero saepissimè: Nature, the countenance, the eye, 
M. Curius a noble man in Rome of singular honesty & wise doom. Bacchus' the drunken God of wine, whom they honoured with beastly ceremonies.  do oftentimes lie, but the speech most often; such go in sheeps clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves: Against such the Son of God denounceth woe in the Gospel.  
Qui Curios simulant & Bachanalia viwnt  
They Curious grave would seem to be,  
Yet Bacchus-like their lives we see.  
The lie in substance of things containeth all falsehood in buying and selling, when naughty and corrupt things are sold and warranted for good; or else one thing is sold to the ignorant for another, as among the Physicians are many such, as false Aloes, false Balsamum, etc. whereby great and intolerable errors are committed by unskilful Physicians, to the destruction of many: 
1. Thess. 4.6.  The Lord (saith the Apostle) is the avenger of such things.  
Now let us consider how grievous a sin it is. First, 
How grievous a sin it is.  he that lieth speaketh against God, for God is truth, and his Law is the rule of truth; the liar therefore sinneth against God himself: Besides, the truth that resteth in his mind against which the liar speaketh, is of the holy Ghost, the author of all truth; to lie then, what is it else but to speak against the truth of God graven in our hearts, and so to bend our tongue against the holy Ghost.  
2 Every lie is of the devil, who is a liar and the father thereof, 
john 8.  when he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own: And whatsoever is of the devil must needs be a most detestable vice; therefore a wicked spirit is said to speak lies in the mouth of the false Prophets which seduced Ahab; 
1. Reg. 22.  therefore a certain ancient Writer, upon this place of john, the devil is a liar, etc. saith, that whosoever is a liar doth, as it were, couple himself with the devils daughter, and hath divorced himself from Verity, the offspring of God. For God is the father of truth and verity, and a liar honoureth the devil as a child doth his father, who so then coupleth himself with the child of the devil, let him look also for the dowry which he is wont to give to his children, namely, eternal damnation: 
Apoc. 22.8  They shall have their portion in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone.  
3 He that perverteth the order constituted of God among men, he grievously sinneth, and the liar doth this; for the order that God hath appointed is, that by words the sense and meaning of the mind should be manifested, and therefore words are said to be notes of these things which are contained in the mind: but the liar saith contrary to that which is in his mind, and therefore perverteth the order of God, and grievously sinneth: For this cause the Spirit of God saith: 
Prou. 12.  The lying lips are abomination to the Lord.  
4 The liar (saith an ancient Father) blasphemeth God as doth the devil, for the devil as much as in him lieth, Dat esse non enti, giveth an essence to that which is not, in that he saith that to be that is not, but it is only proper to the power of God, to make to be, things that are not; the liar therefore sacrilegiously (as much as in him lieth) usurpeth the power of God in affirming, and giving an essence to things which are not.  
5 What is more clear than the testimony of the conscience of every man when he lieth: For there is none that lieth but perceiveth his conscience to accuse him as a malefactor, whereof this is a most evident testimony; because he that lieth would not be counted a liar, nor ever confess that he hath lied, and why so? because it is naturally engrafted in our minds that lying is an evil thing, and an offence and wickedness full of shame and infamy; yea, the very children, when they lie, do know they have done evil by the instinct of nature, wherefore being convicted of a lie they presently blush, etc. Again, it is a thing among all Nations, received and observed, that a good man may have no greater reproach done unto him, then if it be said unto him, tu mentiris, thou liest; and what more effectual than this common judgement of all Nations to show the filthiness of this sin, and how unworthy it is for a Christian man? And surely not without cause, for man was created after the image of God, and God is Truth; what then may be more unworthy for a man then to lie, and be a liar, especially seeing that this is the property of devil, as Christ witnesseth, in the 8 of john.  
Of this which I have said we may easily gather the reasons that should move us to cast of lying, 
The motives.  and to deal plainly and truly with our brethren.  
First, because God in his holy Law hath forbidden us to lie, and commanded us to speak the truth.  
Secondly, because it is very hurtful to the liar himself, for with lying he provoketh the wrath of God against him: 
Psal. 5. Prou. 6.  God shall destroy them (saith David) that speaketh lies: And, God hateth a lying tongue: Wherefore among other causes why the godly are said to be received into heaven, this is not the least, 
Apoc. 14.  Because there was no guile found in their mouths. Again, the liar looseth his credit among all men, so that afterward no man will believe him though he speaketh the truth, 
Cicer. in lib. de devina.  which Cicero notably expressed, saying: Homini mendaci ne vera quidem dicenti credere solemus; We are not wont to believe a liar though he speak the truth: the reason is, because. Qui semel malus semper praesumitur malus in eodem genere mali, It is presumed that he that was once evil, is always evil, in the same kind of evil.  
Now it remaineth that I pray and beseech (you brethren) to whom your life and salvation is dear, that ye carefully, considering the heap of evils that the wicked tongue bringeth with it, you would call daily upon him in whom it only lieth, to govern the tongue, and say with the holy Prophet, 
Psal. 141.  Set a watch, o Lord, before my mouth, and keep the door of my lips: And not only so, but we ourselves would put a bridle unto our tongue, and diligently weigh, in the balance of our hearts, our words before we utter them, that they hurt no man, and that our tongue destroy not our own soul, so shall it come to pass, that with this one care we shall avoid infinite sins which are committed with the tongue.  
And so I conclude this whole discourse of the tongue, with these few short lessons, which I would wish every good Christian to register in his heart, and practise in the course of his life. For the better government than of this little member it would greatly profit to observe these four things: viz. First, what we should speak: Secondly, the manner of our speech: Thirdly, the time when we should speak: Fourthly, and the cause why we should speak.  
For the first we are to observe this of the Apostle: 
Ephe. 4.29.  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouths, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers: And this in another place he expresseth more plain: But fornication, 
Ephe. 5.34  and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as it becometh Saints: neither filthiness, neither foolish talking, neither jesting, which are things not comely, but rather giving of thanks. Even as the Mariner doth carefully avoid all dangerous places delineated in his Map, or chart: So the servant of God in his daily speech should warily shun the dangerous rocks of communication discovered in the word of God, that his soul suffer not shipwreck thereon.  
2 In the manner of our speech we should be circumspect, that we speak considerately, advisedly, without too much affectation of curious, delicate, or exquisite words; but with gravity, mildness, sobriety, we use a Christian simplicity and plainness in our speech, without obstinate self-conceit, as they which strive to have the upper hand in whatsoever they shall speak, whereby the conscience of many is troubled, charity and patience infringed, and their friends offended. It is a note of a generous mind sometime to yield, and in such contention leave the palm to another, according to the counsel of the Wiseman: Give ear and be still, 
Eccl. 32. Verse 7.9.  in many things be as one that is ignorant; be as one that understandeth, and yet hold thy tongue.  
3 The third thing to be observed, is the fit and opportunate time of speaking, that we speak in due time: For as the Wiseman saith: 
Ecle. 20.5.  Some man keepeth silence, and is found wife; and some holdeth his tongue, because he hath not to answer; and some keepeth silence, waiting a convenient time: A wise man will hold his tongue till he see opportunity, but a fool will regard no time.  
Nobile lingua bonum si norit tempore fari, At si non norit nobile lingua malum.  
The tongue is sure a noble Good, if time to speak it knows:  
If not, the tongue's a mischief great, from whence much evil flows.  
4 The last thing in speech to be considered is the cause; for some will utter wise sentences that they may be thought to be wise, and others because they would show the acuteness of their wit and eloquence: the first is an note of an hypocrite, the other the mark of a fool desirous of vainglory. He therefore that would speak must not only have a care that his words be good, but also that the end and intention be good, which is, if in our speech we seek only the glory of God, and good of our neighbour.  
If any think it hard to observe these rules, I counsel him to make his refuge the safe port of silence, which will be a remedy to shun innumerable sins, which otherwise men are wont to fall into through a misgoverned tongue, as that Mirror of wisdom counseleth: 
Pro. 17.28  A fool when he holdeth his peace is counted wise, and he that stoppeth his mouth prudent. And Bernard saith, Sint verba tua rara, vera, ponderosa; rara, contra multiloquium, vera, contra falsiloquium, ponderosa, contra vaniloquium: Let thy words be few, true, substantial; against many words, false words, vain words.   

The third Part.  VER. 27. 
Pure Religion and undefiled, etc.  
THE Apostle having showed negative, what Religion is not, that it cannot stand with an unbridled and misgoverned tongue: he now describeth the same affirmative, showing what the true and pure Religion is, and that by the properties & effects thereof; & here he maketh mention but of 2 things.  
1 The works of mercy towards our distressed brethren: 2 And innocency of our own lives. 
The effects of true religion.  Under these by a figure called Synecdoche, comprehending all other duties of Christianity. Now in that the Apostle saith, Pure Religion and undefiled before God even the Father, He distinguisheth between the true Religion, and the counterfeit and false Religion of hypocrites; inferring that there is a Religion approved among hypocrites, but not with God, and a Religion that is pure before God, and allowed of him, but not with the hypocrites of the world: the true Religion acceptable unto God, showeth itself in mercy, love, & charity towards our brethren, and innocency & purity of our own lives: which being wanting in hypocrites, howsoever they please themselves, & what show soever they make to the world, yet is it not the true Religion before God: And this much the very name of Religion implieth, which cometh (as Lactantius would have it) à religando, 
Lact. lib. 4. cap. 25. Religion how derived.  quia per hoc pietatis vinculum Deo religamur & obstringimur: Of binding, because by this band of piety, we are bound and knit to God. Again, this Religion is called pure and undefiled, not only that it might be distinguished from the impure superstitions of the Gentiles: But also, because it ought to be void & sincere from all hypocrisy and dissimulation: With how many impurites the sects of the Simonians, Nicholaytans, Carpocratians, and of the old Gnostici, 
Irenaeus. Augustine.  were polluted & defiled, Irenaeus, Augustine, & other ancient Writers do witness at large.  
The first effect of true Religion is charity towards the fatherless & widows, signifying by them all our brethren which stand in need of our help, but especially our mercy should extend to the fatherless & widows, of whom God seems to have the greater care, because they are exposed to most wrong, and are destitute of the protection of their husbands & fathers, which were wont to defend them and stand for them; and therefore in a peculiar and singular manner, in holy Scripture, 
Psalm. 68  he is called, The Father of the fatherless, and judge of the cause of the widows. Which appellation in very deed is most convenient for the Majesty of God; for there is a false, and there is a true, magnanimity of mind. The false magnanimity exerciseth his rule and tyranny over the poor, the weak, and such as are able to make no resistance: But the true magnanimity of mind taketh upon it the patronage and defence of the weak, the destitute, the poor, the afflicted, which want the succours of this world: which is an especial property of God, yea which he hath engrafted in the nature of the very bruit beasts of the noblest kind and valour, as of the Lyon.  
ovid.  
Corpora magnanimo satis est, prostrasse Leoni.  
The valiant lions wrath doth die,  
To see prostrate a body lie.  
And therefore the Lord is said to take especial charge of them himself: He keepeth the stranger, 
Psal. 146.  he relieveth the fatherless and widow: So in his holy Law he hath given a strait charge unto men, concerning widows and fatherless: Ye shall not trouble any widow nor fatherless child, if you vex or trouble such, 
Ex. 22.22 23.24.  and so he call and cry unto me, I will surely hear his cry, then shall my wrath be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. Again, Relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless and defend the widow. And, 
Esay 1.17.  enter not into the field of the fatherless, for he that redeemeth them is mighty, be will defend their cause against thee. Again, Oppress not the widow, 
Zach. 7.10  nor the fatherless, the stranger nor the poor: And, 
jer. 22.3.  Deliver the oppressed from the hand of the oppressor, and vex not the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow. And again, 
Deut. 10.18.  The Lord doth right unto the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, giving him food and raiment: likewise in many other places. So then this place commendeth unto us the works of mercy and love towards all men that are in misery and distress, but chief towards the fatherless and widow.  
To this noble virtue the Son of God, by the example of our heavenly Father, exhorteth us: Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful; 
Luk. 6.36.  In which place some Writers observe a threefold mercy to be used towards our neighbout: 
A threefold-mercy.  Fraternae supportationis, benignae condonationis, temporalis subventionis: Of brotherly supportation, of courteous condonation, or forgiving, of succouring him with our temporal goods.  
The first is signified in these words, 
Ver. 37.  judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not and ye shall not be condemned; The Apostle following this precept of the Lord, saith; Bear ye one another's burden, 
Gal. 6 2.  and so fulfil the Law of Christ: Where we are forbidden to judge rashly of our neighbour, and the things that are doubtful unto us, in what mind they were done, to interpret them in the better part. This Christian charity teacheth, and the Civil Lawyers have a saying: Semper in dubijs benigniora sunt praeferenda: In things doubtful, the most friendly construction is always to be preferred. But of this I have spoken sufficiently before.  
The second is the mercy of condonation, Forgive and it shall be forgiven you. All excuse at the day of judgement is taken from him that is unmerciful, and hard to forgive, for it shall be done unto him as he hath done unto others: To this the blessed Apostle Saint Paul counseleth, Col. 3. Forbearing one another and forgiving one another, as Christ forgave you, even so do ye. And to this purpose the Wiseman hath a very true and notable saying: He that seeketh vengeance shall find vengeance of the Lord, 
Ecclus. 28, 1.2.3.4.  and he surely will keep his sins: forgive thy neighbour the hurt that he hath done unto thee, so shall thy sins be forgiven also when thou prayest: should man bear hatred against man and desire forgiveness of the Lord? He will show no mercy to a man that is like himself, and will he ask forgiveness of his own sins? O let all churlish Nabals look unto this, the kindness of whose lips is, as if Asps should vomit, which with Philocles are turned into bilem & salsuginem, choler and brine, towards their neighbour, and for the least injury offered will be like Diogenes, who was called, Canis & tuba convitiorum, a dog, and the trumpet of taunts and reproaches.  
The third kind is of subvention and liberality towards such as are in necessity: there be three degrees of this perfect charity, it must consist in: 

1 Cord, in heart.  
2 Verbo, in word.  
3 Et opere, and in deed.    
This, by his own example, the Lord commendeth unto us, in raising the widows son to life: 
Luke 7.  First, in heart he was moved with compassion towards her; then with kind words he sought, lenire dolorem, to ease her grief, saying; weep not; thirdly, in deed, for he restored him to life, and delivered him to his mother: So, in heart we should be touched with compassion of an others misery; next with mild and kind words to comfort our distressed brethren; and thirdly (if we have ability) to secure and relieve them; and if power be wanting in us, yet let us not omit the two former, whereby we are made partakers of others misery. This was the affection of all the Saints of God, as holy job witnesseth of himself: Did not I weep with him that was in trouble? And the Apostle saith: 
job 30. Rom. 12.15.  Rejoice with them that rejoice, weep with them that weep: And this (brethren) shoved we do to all men, but especially towards the fatherless and widows: For we are members one of another, neither should we despise them because they are poor and abject, but behold Christ in them, who, as this our Apostle saith: 
Chap. 2.5.  Hath chosen the poor of this world that they should be rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him: And who accepteth whatsoever we do unto them as done unto himself. But who can persuade this, in this iron age of the world, to men destitute of all sense of humanity, which do not only not help such as are in calamity, but insult upon them, and, by all means they may, increase their calamity; whose damnation sure shall be great. The Philosopher could tell us: Nihil esse tam secundum naturam, quam invare consortem naturae: 
Nothing more agreeable to nature then to show mercy.  That nothing is more natural, then to aid the consort, or companion, of our nature. Put upon you (saith the Apostle) as the elect of God, the bowels of mercy: If servants count it a credit unto them to wear their masters colours and cognisance, why put we not on the bowels of mercy, which the Lord would have to be his Ensign, and which he so highly esteemeth; especially this being so excellent a note of our election? If inhumanity and cruelty be used among the Barbarians and Infidels; if blood toucheth blood, if revenge be taken for the least injury, if they devour the flesh of their brethren, what marvel is this, seeing they wear the Ensigns, not of our Lord and Master CHRIST, but of their Master Belial? But should this be sound among Christians? 
How greatly the Lord esteemeth the works of mercy.  The Lord so much esteemeth the works of mercy and charity, and so much detesteth cruelty towards our brethren, that at the last judgement he reputeth the works of mercy as the fullness of all other virtues, and cruelty and unmercifulness, to be the full complement of all other sins: Come ye blessed (saith he) for I was hungry and ye gave me meat, etc. 
Math. 25.  but unto the other, Go ye cursed, etc. for I was hungry, and ye gave me no meat, etc. and the one he receiveth into his eternal Kingdom, and the other he casteth into eternal fire. Fulgentius upon these words of Christ, 
Fulgen.  Every Tree that bringeth not forth, etc. noteth, Si sterilitas in ignem mittitur, rapacitas quid meretur? And Rabanus upon the former place of Matthew, 
Raban.  I was hungry and ye gave me no meat; Quid accipiet qui aliena tulit, si semper ardebit qui sua non dedit? If he shall always burn which gave not of his own, what punishment shall he have which hath taken away from others which was not his own? I was hungry and ye gave me no meat: etc. nay, I was hungry, and that little bread that I had thou tookest from me: I was naked, and thou cloathest me not; nay, that simple coat that I had thou spoilest me off. As the Prophet cried out, O ye heavens drop down righteousness, because righteousness was banished from the earth; so may we now cry for want of love among us, O ye heavens drop down kindness and love into our hearts, that the unkind and churlish Nabals of our times, which are so little moved at the afflictions of joseph, as if they pertained to a foreign body, that they may know that they were not borne to live to themselves, that they are Coloni, non domini, Manurers, not Lords of the earth, and as Jerome saith of the holy patriarchs which were rich, 
Hieron.  that they were Dispensatores Dei, magis quam divites appellandi, to be termed rather God's Stewards, than richmen. Indeed so well nowadays they observe the precept of the Gospel, 
D. K.  that their right hand knows not whar the left doth; because neither right, nor left, doth any thing that good is. Well is it said of a Heathen, that a man should wish his wealth to be as his coat, rather fit then too long, Concinnam magis probo quam longam.  
That the Lord might induce us the more to mercy, he layeth before us the example of our heavenly Father, surely a motive of all motives, if we have not cauteriatam conscientiam, a conscience seared with an hot iron, past all feeling, he is loving to the unthankful, patiented towards the sinner, kind to the unkind; he maketh his Sun to arise upon the just and unjust, and his rain is to all alike profitable; the Sun shineth, the day lighteneth, the fountain watereth, the showers bedeweth, all alike; nay, without his mercy we cannot live, consist, and have our being, one minute of an hour: If then (my beloved) we be the children of God, if we think it an honour unto us to be reputed his sons, if there be in us any love of the pure and undefiled Religion, let us follow our Father's steps, and bear some part of his Image: We cannot imitate him in his strength, nor in his wisdom, nor in his miracles; only in the bowels of his pity and compassion let us be like him: Let Tigers, Dragons, Bears, Lions, be cruel one to another; let Scythians, Cannibals, which know not God, be merciless one towards another: Even as God hath loved us, let us Christians, be merciful, gentle, kind, one towards an other, let us not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, without natural affection. The merciful man's goods are blessed and multiplied of God. 
A Story.  I remember a story, in the lives of the Fathers, of a certain rich man, who as long as he was liberal to the poor and needy, his goods increased, so that he grew very rich; but, withal, when he waxed covetous, and gave over his wont liberality, his goods fell away, so that at length he became poor, and ask of an holy man the cause thereof, who answered, that as long as these two brethren, Date, & dabitur vobis: Give, and it shall be given unto you, dwell together in his house, they kept God's blessings with them; but as soon as he banished the first Date, Give ye, the other, because he cannot dwell without his brother, is also departed and hath carried away God's blessings with him. The noble Emperor Vespasian was so inclined to the works of mercy and liberality, that on a time being at supper, and calling to mind he had given nothing that day, said: Amici, diem perdidi: My friends, I have lost a day: for he knew that at the hour of his death, he might say, as Marcus Antonius being vanquished of Augustus, said: Haec habui quae dedi, caetera quae his relinquo, quomodo illa habeo, quae velim nolim alijs trado? The things which I gave I have, the rest which I leave unto others, how can I count them mine own, seeing whether I will or nill, I must leave them unto others.  
The other effect of true Religion is innocency of our lives, to keep ourselves unspotted of the world that is, not to pollute ourselves with the filthy crimes of this world, but to keep ourselves pure from the lusts of the flesh, 
john 2.  the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life. This world is wont to spot and defile men that are plunged in the love thereof, according to those verses: 

Mundus non mundus quia mundus polluit. ergo  
Qui manet in mundo, quomodo mundus erit?   

This world is unpure, for why? this world it stains:  
How can he clean endure, that in this world remains?    
And therefore when God called Abraham to the true Religion, 
Gen. 17.  he gave him this charge: Walk before me, and be thou perfect. So after be had prescribed a Law unto his people, and taught them his true Religion, he requireth holiness and integrity of life, saying; Be ye holy, 
Leu. 11.  for I the Lord your God am holy. So the Apostle warneth us, not to fashion ourselves like unto this world. 
Rom. 12.  And again he saith: Let every one that calleth upon the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 
2. Tim. 2.  O hearken unto this ye that are bondslaves unto the pleasures of this polluting world; 
Luke 8.  you that suffer the good seed of admonition to be choked with the pleasures of this life: you who love to be the sons of Pharoahs' daughter, to be the darlings of the pleasures of Egypt, and to sit upon the knees of the Dalila of this world, and to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, lose the eternal felicity in the Kingdom of heaven; you that are, as the Apostle noteth you, 
2. Tim. 3.4  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 magis quam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God: As though there were no heaven for the godly, 
Ferra pilae similis, nullo fulcimine nixa. Aere sublimi tam grave pendet onus. God hath hanged the earth upon nothing. job 26.7.  nor hell for the wicked. When thou callest to mind that thou treadest upon the earth hanging like a ball in the air, and floating in the waters, is it not evident enough unto thee that there is a God? He hangeth the earth upon nothing.  

Cum te pendenti reputas insistere terrae,  
Nun vel hinc clare conspicis esse Deum?   

When thou considerest that thou treadest on earth that hangs in air.  
Dost thou not clearly see by this, there is a Godhead fair.   
The use we are to make of this doctrine is, 
The Use.  never to fall in love with this polluting world; as our intolerable greediness plainly showeth that we are too much glued to the love of earthly things, and have little feeling of the joys of our heavenly country, prepared for all such as love the Lords appearing, nor yet of the sins of this infecting world which cleave so fast unto us. 
A Simile showing the danger of worldly love.  O that I could by any plainness of teaching imprint this so profitable a doctrine in your minds. We see (beloved) in reason that the natural heat which is within us, by external cold in the Winter kept in and augmented, which by the heat in Summer, opening the pores, evaporateth out, and is inwardly diminished. And verily so is it in spiritual matters, the colder we feel the love of the world, the more the love of God is kindled in our hearts, and the more it increaseth: but if we wallow in earthly delights, in the sunshine of polluting pleasures, o how much is the love of God within cooled and diminished in our hearts? 
1. Sam. 17.39.  Even as David was not well able to go under the burden of Saules armour about him, but when it was taken from him he courageously marched on and slew that enemy of God, and his people, the great Goliath. So whilst we are laden with Saules armour, that is, clogged and spotted with the weight of this defiling world, we are altogether unapt to any Christian combat; but if we cast of this weight, we run with alacrity as did Danid, encounter with this spiritual Goliath, prevail with honour, and give him the foil.  
The second inseparable property then, and effect of true Religion, the Apostle teacheth to be innocency of life, to keep ourselves unspotted of the world: that is, to be clear from the works of darkness, and pollutions of wicked worldlings, to abstain from carnal lusts, and filthy pleasures, to which profane worldlings are most prone. The Saints of God which truly embrace the Christian and soulesa●●●g Religion, are here distinguishe●●●●m hypocrites, and false- 〈◊〉: They only labour to be holy and pure, both in body and mind, in soul and spirit: in thought and we he: 
2. Cor. 11.  that they may be presented blameless as chaste virgins before the Lord jesus. 
Epictetus.  Epictetus' comprised all his Philosophy in these two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Sustine & Abstine, Bear, & Forbear, to suffer evil, 
Lactantius.  and abstain from doing evil: And Lactantius saith, the rule of a godly life consisteth, in Patience and Abstinence. Almighty God requireth, especially of all that profess his name, this innocency of life, that they keep themselves unspotted of the world. So when he called Abraham from the idolatry of Mesapotamia to his true worship and Religion, 
Gen. 17.  he gave him this charge: Walk before me and be thou perfect: So, when he gathered his people into one Congregation and body politic he required of them holiness, innocency, and integrity of life, as the effect and note of true Religion, saying: Be ye holy, 
Levit. 11.  for I am holy: So our Saviour, the Author of Christian Religion, calleth his from the pollutions of the world, when he willeth them to be as innocent as Doves: 
Math. 10.  So the Apostle prescribing to them the Christian sacrifice, warneth them to take heed of worldly corruptions, and not to Fashion themselves thereunto: 
Rom. 12.  This is also his counsel to Timothy: 
2. Tim. 2.  Let every one that calleth upon JESUS CHRIST departed from iniquity.  
Now the spots wherewith worldlings are chief defiled, are Thefts, Adulteries, and fleshly Uncleanness, Covetousness, Usury, Oppression, Drunkenness, Pride, Envy, Contention, Ambition, Vainglory, etc. Wilt thou know now whether thou be a true Professor indeed of this pure Religion, which only is able to save thy soul? fall then into a serious examination of thy conscience, whether thou be not defiled with adulteries and uncleanness, whether thy heart be not set upon covetousness and oppression, stained with usury & extortion, thy body polluted with surfeiting & drunkenness, whether thou be free from pride & arrogancy, void of envy, malice, and contention; whether thou be not spotted with cruelty, hard-heartedness towards thy neighbour, etc. Herewith whoseever is stained, his Religion (howsoever he flatter himself) is not pure & undefiled before God, for pure Religion and undefiled before God the Father, is to visit the fatherless & widows, etc. Examine thy conscience whether thou be studious of the contrary virtues as chastity, temperance, meekness, love, mercy, liberality, brotherly kindness, etc. wherein the true Religion consisteth: which God grant unto us for his Son jesus Christ's sake, to whom, with the Holy Ghost, be all honour, praise, power, and Dominion, for ever and ever. Amen.  
FINIS.