A SERMON PREACHED AT. St MARY SPITTLE on Easter Tuesday 1613.  
BY ROGER FENTON D. in Divinity.  
LONDON Printed for William Aspley. 1616.   
GALAT. 6. 7. Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. 
THE words as I have read them are a general instruction, absolute in itself, springing or growing of a particular precept in the former verse, and again dividing itself into several heads in the verses following. Let me consider it a part by itself for entire: then if I dare I will tell you how it grows. In this place a preface to move your attention I shall need to use none; for my text itself is but a preface, and a proposition; the preface doth prepare the heart with faith and reverence to receive the sentence; be not deceived God is not mocked, and you shall find this that followeth to be most true; that whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. A saying whereupon the Holy Ghost hath reposed more than ordinary. It is but a plain sentence; yea see, it presents itself in the country method of sowing and reaping, but it is a sentence of that note as is not marked with a common ecce, but set in the forehead with a double sentence, be not deceived. The preface then, and the proposition, make the two parts of my text: the preface importeth thus much, that not to embrace the truth of this saying is a dangerous error, dangerous in two respects.  
First, because it doth not deceive others but ourselves, yea our own souls.  
Secondly, it is a fallacy so much affected, so wilful an error, as is reported to be the deluding of God himself, who will not be mocked. Then followeth the sentence, and it follows upon this preface. First, as an undoubted truth, that as a man soweth so he shall reap; and secondly, as a general truth without exception, that whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. Of which and of the branches in the ordering of my text, I will speak by God's holy assistance, & your honourable & christian patience, so far as the time will consent, or the poor strength of my spirit shall be able to subsist. In those many several places in the Epistles, where this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for the error of the mind, it is no where taken for any common error, but for that which is a damnable, and fundamental error seducing the soul unto eternal perdition; and so I would desire you to take it in this place, that you may take it to heart. Neither doth the Apostle speak these words unto those that are without, but unto Christians, such as had been catechized, as it is in the former verse, and brought up in the bosom of the true Church, as you all are this day. How were they deceived so grossly and dangerously? Even by those false teachers, that took to themselves a liberty & boldness to prescribe unto their brethren a secret form of religion, that so long as they kept within compass of the general faith, so long as they did believe and profess the true faith of Christ, though they had certain reservations by the way which were not allowable; yet that they might be saved notwithstanding. Dealing and dallying with God Almighty, as Naaman the Assyrian did, God be 
2. King. 5. 18.  merciful unto thy servant in this point, in this darling sin, in that reserved affection, herein God be merciful unto thy servant. The fallacy itself I find in those other places which shall serve for a sit commentary and doth fall directly upon this text. The first, in the 6. chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians vers. 9 Be not deceived neither fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor adulterers, nor wantonness, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God; the parallel with the 5. to the Ephes: the 5, 6, verses, This you know, that neither whoremonger nor unclean person nor covetous person which is an Idolater hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words, for for such things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. It seems there were some in the Church of Corinth, that were of Herod's religion, who thought that so long as he heard john Baptist in many things gladly, he might commit incest with his brother's wife, and there were some in the Church of Ephesus, who were seduced by vain teachers, that sowed pillows under their elbows, and drew the curtains to lull them asleep, and persuaded men out of the stoics Paradox, that all sins were equal, alike mortal, and all alike venial, putting little difference between sins. Confounding infirmities with sins of presumption, and saith the Apostle, for such things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience, and to the Corinthians he saith, Such as these, some of you were before you were in Christ, but now ye are washed, but now ye are sanctified, but now ye are justified in the name of the Lord, for such as these cannot be actually true and natural members of Christ; they may crowd in amongst us, but they are not of us: they may carry the name, and wear the livery, but they have not the souls of true Christians; who while they are in the flesh, all are sinners, but yet not so gross sinners as these; subject they are to manifold infirmities, but not to presumptuous sins, sin will dwell in them; it will live in them, and sometime it will tyrannize over them, as in the first to the Rom. 7. 20. but it shall not reign in their mortal bodies, they will not yield the Sceptre unto it, and become voluntary subjects thereunto. Rom. 6. 12. bad weeds will grow in them, but they will not blow and sow iniquity, as in the 22. of the proverbs verse 8. The world will catch hold of them to make them (with the Prophet's wife) to desire one vessel more, when all is full, as in 2. King. 4. 6. but every covetous desire to have more, doth not exclude a man from heaven, but that covetousness which is idolatry, which prefers a man's gain before his God, which dares make shipwreck of conscience, rather than part with his gold. Such have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ nor of God, they that will be rich fall into temptations in 1. Tim 6. 9 not they that would be rich if it pleased God by good means; but they that will be rich, by hook or by crook; by Hophnies' 
1. Sam. 2▪ 13. Abac. 1. 16.  flesh-hooke, or the net, Habacuck speaketh of, they shall fall into noisome lusts that drown men in perdition. The Apostle james hath yet an other manner of speech in the first of his Epistle the 13. verse, Let no man say when he is tempted that he is tempted of God, as if these seeds of temptation were of Gods sowing, and not of our own growing, & so we might happily escape this bitter harvest; err not my dear brethren, saith S. james, for this is a dangerous error; it is that imputation, which old Adam by way of insinuation laid upon God, as if God had made him a wife for to tempt him; and it doth stick fast in the hearts of many of his sons until this day; that in every sin that a man committeth, there is some fatal necessity from above, that drives him thereunto, but if there had been no other book written but that which every one carries about him, in his own bosom, it would convince him of this error. For my conscience tells me that I have omitted many duties which I might have done, and have committed many sins which I might have left undone, doth my conscience err in this accusation or not? if it err, how can it justly be mine accuser at the last day the 2. Rom. the 15 if it err not, then err not my dear brethren saith Saint james; be not deceived, saith my text, for there is no place for excuse or extenuation, but as a man soweth so shall he also reap, be not deceived; for if thou be, thou canst not deceive God; he is not mocked; is it not a mock and an indignity both for to account the blood of Christ an unholy thing? as if it had been shed to 
Heb. 10. 29.  wash swine withal that delight to wallow in the mire, or dogs that return back again unto their vomit? Such sins of recidivation as those whereof the Apostle speaketh 
Heb. 10. 26.  before, what is the reason, that the holy Ghost hath not recorded in the book of God any one example, of any that received pardon & was restored, for any gross sin by him committed that ever fell afterward into a relapse and was saved? what is the reason of this? Surely because it is to be feared that the repentance of such a one was but a mock-repentance; the burned child dreads the fire, and so will a true penitent shun that gross sin whereof he hath had a true remorse. If this clause of my text shall seem obscure unto any, how God is mocked; this City will yield us too large a commentary, for to make the same plain unto you A man with an ill purpose hath gotten & doth keep an other man's goods in his possession (no rare-example); his conscience tells him, this is a great sin; for if others should deal so by him he would be justly & greatly offended; now for this sin amongst the rest, he doth ask and hope for pardon at God's hand, as if he did repent, but it is but a mock-repentance, for saith S Austin a thief takes my purse, he saith he repenteth and doth ask pardon, but he keeps my purse, and holds it still, doth he not mock me? I may put up this flout because I cannot remedy it, but God is not mocked, he will have justice satisfied. So I understand my text. A Merchant liveth riotously not like the prodigal Son, upon his own 
Luk. 15. 13. Luk. 16. 6.  portion, but as the unjust Steward, upon other men's; in the end either for necessity, or in policy which is worse, he becomes Bankrupt, no rare example; he agrees with his Creditors for the half, for the third, yea for less; he doth not observe the Prophet's rule, first sell, and pay, then 
2. King 4. 7.  live thou and thine on the rest, but first he reserves a rich portion for him & his, than he pays of the rest, so the world is blinded, his Creditors are deluded, but God is not mocked; there will come a day when all reckoing shall be cast over again, when justice must be satisfied to the full; then, shall this debtor be cast into prison, that is, into a prison out of which he shall not come, till he have paid the uttermost farthing, and yet shall not have a farthing for to pay it. Therefore beloved in our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ this we do say and affirm and I beseech you for to carry it home with you, for one sound point of doctrine, that the blood of Christ was not shed upon the Cross for to pay men's debts civilly understood: not because it wanted virtue, for there is more virtue in the seed of the woman, than there can be poison in the head of the Serpent; but it is, because that debt was paid unto God, and not unto men; It was because thou couldst not perform the least part of that price that was tendered upon the cross; but this debt to thy Creditor thou mayest; It was because by a counterfeit repentance thou hadst made thyself uncapable of pardon; and it was because thou didst offer an indignity unto thy blessed Saviour, in setting such a reckoning upon his score. Let me conclude then in one word, these debts Christ doth not pay, for the reasons alleged, thou canst and wilt not discharge thy contracted debts; justice one day must be satisfied unto the full; therefore look thou to it, and look to it before thou die, for after death comes judgement. So I understand my text, let me speak unto you beloved as the Apostle speaketh in this place, not unto those that are without, whom God shall judge; but unto those that are in the Church, unto you that call upon the name of the Lord, who call Christ Lord as Professors of the true Christian religion; who as zealous Professors of the same, can double it, and cry Lord, Lord; if any of you desire to put off almighty God with a sleight and a sly repentance for your great sins committed against his divine Majesty, or seek to defraud his brother of his own right and therein doth persist, such a one, doth but deceive his own soul, God is not mocked for as a man soweth so shall he also reap: Now this that hath been said it doth only make way unto that which followeth, it is but a preface, be not deceived, God is not mocked, etc. Then wherein should we not be deceived? what is that truth that we should take so seriously to heart? whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap, a firm truth without doubt, that as a man soweth so he shall reap; either the same in kind, or the like in proportion; and it is a general truth without exception, that whatsoever a man soweth either in kind, or proportion he shall be sure to reap the same.  
To begin with the first, and first in kind: the very inference of this sentence upon the preface doth argue a very pregnant instance, that whosoever doth go about to delude or mock God, as hath before been said, he shall find, that in the end God will mock him; he that sits in heaven shall laugh him to scorn, and the Lord shall have him in derision the 2. Psalm the 4. verse: he shall reap the same at God's hand.  
Again, Solomon going about to persuade the young man to sow his seed betime in the morning, the 11. of the Preacher the 6. verse, the seeds of virtue in the morning of his youth; the young gallant is not disposed; he is no fit auditor of that doctrine; he hopes for to live many years; and in them all to rejoice, as it is at the 8. verse. And therefore if we come to urge his conscience so soon, he thinks of us, as the Devil said to Christ, that we are come to torment him before his time; But Solomon tells him, that though he live many years, yet they are but vanity, and they come to the end of darkness; he cannot prevail with his many years, mark what followeth at the 9 verse, saith GOD by Solomon, Rejoice oh youngman in thy youth, let thy heart cheer thee in thy young days, so God saith, but he doth but mock him, for if God laugh, it is time for the young man to weep, for there followeth a most fearful Catastraphe: for know and be thou sure, that for all these things GOD shall bring thee to judgement. But most excellently and fit for this purpose, is that that wisdom herself delivereth, or rather GOD, who is wisdom itself, in the first of the proverbs at the 20. verse, she calleth without, she uttereth her voice in the streets, she stretcheth out her hands in the high street among the press of the people, and uttereth her words in the city, the 21. verse, as if he had said in your Churches, at the Cross, or in these places, and 
The Spittle.  what be her words? because I have called, and you refused, because I have stretched out mine hand and none would regard, yea, despised my counsels & would none of my corrections, at the 24. verse, Therefore I will laugh at your destruction; when fear cometh like sudden desolation, and your misery and destruction like a whirlwind, when affliction and anguish shall come upon you, then shall they call, but I will not answer, they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me. Mark these that mock God, how God mocks them again; For they reap the same in kind, they would not hear him, when he preached unto them in their health, therefore God will not hear them when they shall pray to him in their sickness: they heard God preaching by his word out of the pulpit, but they would not obey, therefore God shall hear them cry from their deathbeds, but he will not answer them, they shall seek him early, but shall not find him, and as they sowed so shall they reap; the same in kind, if not the like in proportion, as you may read the quality of the sin in the nature of God's punishments, be it temporal or be it eternal, if temporal, look upon the root, was not Adam's temporal punishment well fitted to his fall? He did eat in wantonness, he shall now eat in sorrow, in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life: The shame of his soul it was the sin of his soul, it was expressed in the nakedness of his body. His aspiring mind in affecting to be above a man, was pulled down so low, that he was beholding to the poor beasts for a covering, and we his sons, if our coats be of wool, the sheep wore them first; if of silk, the poor silk-worm may pull down our pride. The hardness of Adam's forehead, in excusing and defending his sin so obstinately before God, face to face, was well dissolved into the sweat of his brows; his brow also remaining the seat of shame. That extraordinary delight the woman took in the forbidden fruit, multiplied her sorrows. Oh it was pleasing unto the eye, in the 3. of Genesis the 6: therefore the eye is the catarract and floodgate of sorrow; sorrow shall remain in her eyes more than ordinary. She had a longing desire to that fruit, oh the fruit in the midst of the garden worth all the rest; and what else is the reason that so many quames and unnatural long are yet in that sex. She so abused her liberty in overruling her husband, to whom before she was sweetly subordinat without renitency; therefore now, will she, nill she, she must be subject, and he must rule over her. Look upon the tree that springeth out of this root. A deluge of sin overflowed the old world, which brought a deluge of water to wash the same, and that which the water cannot wash the fire shall purge. Behold the builders of Babel's Tower conspired against heaven; therefore were they scattered upon the earth By that conspiracy they had thought to have gotten them a name; therefore God makes them so ridiculous, that one man knows not an others language, and all this in the very tongue, which is the very instrument and trumpet of fame. And that burning lust of the Sodomites was fitly punished with fire from heaven; that unnatural lust, with unnatural fire and brimstone from heaven; that now it remaineth a monument of that their filthy abomination until this day.  
I could hold you too long in the proportion of God's judgements unto the sins of Countries and Nations. As of the Egyptians, the Edomites, the Canaanites, the jews themselves for killing the Lord of life, whose blood according unto their own imprecation is remaining upon their children unto this day. But that which is personal is more sensible to every one of us, and cometh home to my text, that as a man soweth, so shall he also reap, either the same in person, or he shall reap the same in kind; an eye for eye, a tooth for a tooth, a toe for a toe; 70 Kings (saith Adonibezek) with their thumbs and toes cut off, have eaten meat under my table, just as I dealt with them so hath God dealt with me, the 1 of judges the 7. If not the same in kind, yet in exact proportion, as Abel's blood cried for vengeance against his unnatural brother. Nature was offended, nature will be revenged; as in the 4. of Genesis at the 2. verse, Thou shalt till the ground and henceforth she shall not yield thee her natural strength. Because Cain would not afford an abiding place for Abel upon the earth, therefore the earth would not afford an abiding place for Cain, a vagabond and a runagate shalt thou be upon the earth. That wicked Cham the spot of nature who against natural reverence dishonoured his father Noah, was accursed in his own son, whose graceless posterity, the Canaanites, (for Cham was the father of Canaan Gen: 9 18) given over to all unnatural vice became natures vomit in the 18 of Leviticus, the land spewed them out, v. 28 For a remembrance of that unfaithful soul that would believe no more of God's judgements than she saw with her eyes, there stands a pillar of salt deprived of all sense for abusing her sense in looking back, for an everlasting monument; & for an example of God's judgement, to salt and season all posterities to take heed of back▪ sliding into sin. She might pretend that she looked back to encourage her two daughters that followed her, but because her heart followed her eye back again into Sodom, therefore was this punishment upon her, as a dreadful document to answer all turne-backs unto sin, that they shall not have God's grace to step one foot forward to the service of God. Nay the servants of God who have obtained pardon upon their true repentance, God doth notwithstanding proportion his temporal punishments unto their sins, to teach us that none of us shall ever be any gainers by sinning. Was not David's adultery well rewarded in Absalon's folly with his Father's Concubines? And for his murder of Vriah, the sword was not to departed from his house all the days of his life. And because his son Solomon divided God's kingdom and religion, between God and Idols, therefore God divided his kingdom between Rehoboam and jeroboam. And because his son Rehoboam would need be a yokemaker to oppress Israel, so as his little finger should be bigger, than his father's loins; therefore God brought it about that his loins were no bigger than his father's finger, by cutting off, of ten Tribes at one blow. So I have given you a taste, and but a taste of this truth, in the root, in the tree, and in the branches: in nations, & in persons that be reprobrate, & in the true servants of God; but these are but temporal judgements, God tempers all his judgements; they be like our quarter Sessions; here and there some are adjudged in this world for examples sake, and as David saith in the 58. Psalm, the last verse, that men may say, doubtless there is a God that judgeth in the earth. For as S. Austin hath well observed, if all sinners should be punished in this world, we should fear no farther judgement; and if none at all, we should doubt of God's providence, in the first book de Civitate Dei the 8. Therefore there shall come a day when this my text shall be fulfilled in plenitudine, in weight, number, and measure, in a most exact proportion; when the denial of a crumb of bread unto poor Lazarus, shall be requited with a denial of a drop of water in hell fire; When the vials of God's vengeance shall be powered out in full measure upon damned spirits. When infinite torments shall be inflicted upon sinners for their sins; which as the hairs of their heads are innumerable and infinite, so shall the punishment be upon obstinate sinners against that divine majesty which is infinite; And upon impenitent sinners for frustrating and making void that price of their redemption, which is infinite. And upon those ungrateful wretches, who have made so little reckoning of the graces and blessings of God towards mankind, which are infinite. And as infinite torments shall be inflicted proportionable unto their infinite sins committed against God; so likewise the omission of our manifold duties, shall there be punished with an utter deprivation of all comfort: there shall be utter darkness, and no mitigation of torments, no not for a moment; Where the tormentors are spirits and cannot be weary; where the worm shall ever gnaw, and never die: where the fire shall be unquenchable never going out; where the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it, Esay 30. 33. there shall be no hope of deliverance (and yet were it not for hope the heart would burst) no, there shall be no hope, yet the heart must hold a root of immortality, continually feeding both soul and body unto eternal death. What remedy then but patience? Nay, no patience neither; who can dwell with everlasting burning, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, and not lose his patience? seeing that gnashing of teeth is an effect of an impatient fury. But alas, replies the unfaithful sinner, what proportion is here? Shall I be punished with eternal torments, for my momentany sins? everlasting burning for a few years sinning? what proportion? Verily a most exact proportion; for he that doth delight in sin, doth desire that those delights of his, might continue if it were possible for ever; now saith St Bernard the very desire of sinning is sin itself, before God; therefore an infinite desire shall be eternally punished. Besides, that of S. Gregory (I take it) is well grounded, he that dieth without repentance, justice doth presuppose that if that man could have lived for ever, he would have sinned for ever; if thou then wilt offend thy God in aeternitudine, that is, so long as thou livest, than God will justly punish thee in aeterno, that is, so long as God himself liveth, for ever and ever. For those, that will sin against God, so long as they have any being in this world, without repentance; they shall be punished by God, so long as they shall have any being in the world to come, without mercy. The contrary doth illustrate and prove both; whosoever continueth to the end he shall be saved, saith the text: By what proportion? Because God in mercy doth presuppose, that that man if he had lived for ever would have continued for ever in well doing. Therefore as God in his just mercy doth crown our perseverance with immortality; so likewise in his most just judgement shall he punish finally all impenitency with eternal vengeance, just as a man soweth so shall he also reap in most exact proportion. And let this serve for the truth of this proposition.  
Now followeth the general to be examined, whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Whatsoever; be it good, or bad; be it sown to the flesh, or to the spirit, which is the Apostles distribution in the verse following. If to the flesh; then is it general without exception, that whatsoever is sown turneth to corruption and to our confusion, as Hosea saith cap: 8. 7. they sow the wind, and shall reap the whirlwind. Their root is rottenness and their bud dust, Esay 5. 24. But mark the phrase, Quicquid seminaverit homo: Whatsoever a man shall sow. For there are some weeds which grow of themselves naturally, without sowing; others about which we take pains and employ ourselves with all industry, and are of our own sowing. As S. Bernard amongst his sentences like wise expoundeth, semine tuo, i. e. operibus tuis: calling the deeds which we do, the seed which we sow. And joh. 8. 44. our Saviour saith, that when the Devil speaketh a lie, de suo loquitur, he speaketh that which is as it were of his own sowing and growing.  
1. As for those weeds which grow up in us with out our sowing, if so be that they displease us, as they did the Apostle in the 7. to the Romans, verse 24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death? if we find in ourselves a loathing of our sins, or of ourselves for sin: If we be vexed at the soul for our own sins as the Cananitish woman's daughter was 
Matth. 15. 22.  for her devil: if we labour to suppress them; and learn of our Captain Christ in the 3. of Gen: vers. 15. to strike at sin in us, so soon as ever it gins to put out the head; If we dash these Babylonish Brats against the stones whiles they be young Psalm. 137. 9 (for sin is a nettle, it must not be dallied withal, or tenderly handled, for than will it sting us,) if we do labour I say to weed out these sins that grow in us; then God is merciful to pass them over, for if thou Lord shouldest mark what is done amiss who should be able to abide it? we should reap then nothing but gall and bitterness, if we do that which we would not do then it is not we, saith the Apostle, but sin that dwelleth in us, sin that is present with us, sin that grows in us naturally without any sowing.  
But on the other side if we blow and sow iniquity; if we do imagine mischief upon our beds, as David saith; if we do study to be nought, and take great pains to do wickedly as jeremy speaketh cap. 9 5. if we break up the fallows and furrows of our hearts unto sin; and make our eyes Brokers unto the heart of iniquity; if we go and buy strange seeds at the Theatre; and (I tremble to speak it) fetch home new fashions from the house of God; if we do delight to be merry in impiety, and to animate and stir up one another as the Prophet Isaiah speaketh the 56. chap. the last verse. Come I will bring wine and we will fill ourselves with strong drink, to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant: then what is this but to blow and sow and water wickedness; and then shall we be sure to reap a most rank harvest?  
If it be good seed that we sow, we shall be sure to reap the same at the hand of God whatsoever it be, whether it be benevolence unto men, or devotion unto God, be it sown never so secretly; the closer the better, thy father which seethe thee in secret shall reward thee openly. Whatsoever a man soweth there is an other difference in respect of God; For God doth sow much good seed amongst us and he reaps little or nothing at all. When his son Christ, did sow his seed himself with a most skilful hand, some fell by the way side and wanting good mould to cover it, it was quickly taken away, that is, the people would press and throng one another in the gates, and flock unto his Sermons, but it was out of curiosity or for formality (like these times) a solemn hearing, and a solemn forgetting Some fell in stony ground, and was well bladed, but not well rooted, & therefore quickly faded, that is, so long as the loaves lasted, so long as the Ministers of Christ did fill their bellies they heard the word with cheerfulness and alacrity; but when the Sun of persecution arose, they withered, when the cross came they fled. Some fell amongst thorns which choked his good seed; yea and persecuted the Son of God the seed-man of the word, with great sharpness & bitterness. Now if the son himself had no better success no marvel though his servants have great cause to complain, with the three great Prophets of God with Esay in the 49. the 4. verse I have laboured in vain and for nothing, our judgement is with the Lord and my works with my God: with Ezechiel the 33. and 32. verse whose Sermons were like the songs of one that could sing well and had a pleasant voice, for they heard him but they did not understand; as if we were called unto these places only to tickle and fill your ears with a tickling phrase or plausible eloquence. With the Prophet jeremy the 6. chap. the 29. verse, who complains, that his bellows are burned, that the lead is consumed, and the fire hath melted in vain, it seems he had gotten the consumption of the lungs amongst them; he had burnt a hole in his bellows, had spent his Spirit, and laboured in vain. Thus, I say, God doth plough and sow, and call to his people by his son, by the Prophets, by his ministers, he looked for fruit, and behold hedge▪ fruit; such as the heathens bring forth & scarce so good; he waited for grapes and behold labr●s●ae wild grapes. But now whatsoever good thing a man shall sow unto God, he shall be sure to reap the same at God's hand whatsoever it be; be it sown in piety, or sown in charity; in piety, to the maintenance of God's servants; or in charity to our brethren, whether it be given to a Prophet in the name of a Prophet; or to the poor in the name of Christ; it shall have a Prophet's reward, to prepare his soul in this life and a kingdom for to crown him in the life to come, that's for the quality.  
So likewise for the quantity whatsoever a man soweth be it little or much; the 9 of the 2. Corinth. the 6. verse, He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly, he that soweth bountifully shall also reap bountifully, both shall be Reapers according to the quantity be it little or much whatsoever is sown; if it be sown with the right hand; if it begiven in the right name; be it more or less, he shall reap the same at God's hands from a cup of cold water unto the erecting of Hospitals; from a crumb of bread given to poor Lazarus at your gates, unto the continual feeding and clothing of such as these littly-great friends well purchased by Mammon. If ye will listen to the advice of our Saviour Christ, who is wisdom itself, he tells you, that you cannot make better use of your wealth nor make a better purchase, then to purchase such friends as these. Then by his advice, let us be strong in well doing, and encouraged by the example of others, for whom we are to praise God, & bless his name, for sending down his gracious Spirit and moving the hearts of many in this kind, as you heard the last day.  
These and others present themselves at this time like Lazarus in Abraham's bosom; a most heavenly ornament unto this City, and they shall rise likewise at the last day not to condemn but to commend and by their public testimony before men and Angels to receive their good Benefactors into those everlasting Tabernacles. This shall be the thankfulness these friends shall return if you will make the purchase. Let us therefore be moved by the wise counsel of our blessed Saviour, and so use these temporal blessings that God hath bestowed upon us; as we may still live in hope of that blessed sentence at the last day, Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you. Why? because ye have clothed the naked, and fed the hungry; doing it unto them, is as unto myself. And let us be assured of the truth of this my text; that whatsoever we do sow, little or much; we shall be sure to reap the same.  
Here right honourable, right worshipful and beloved in our Saviour Christ, I would very gladly have made an end, but as I have viewed my text a part by itself, so is it my part to set it in frame as I found it; and then I must of necessity fall upon a point, which I may not touch without a preface. I have broken the rule of method in making that an Appendix which should have been an exordium and entrance unto my speech; because I thought that if the time would have cut of any thing it should cut of that, if I should baulk it, or wilfully omit it. Here be many Scholars and Divines present, that would say, I came not close home to my text: And when I am come to it, my conscience tells me, that true preaching is to carry the text home to your consciences. Let me ingenuously confess unto you, that when I first pitched my meditation upon this sentence, I did not at all think of the words immediately going before, which now I must needs read unto you, for they are the very key that open my text; let him that is taught in the word, make him that hath taught him partaker of all his goods. Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. The words are plain enough without a commentary; let him that is taught in the word, be he whatsoever, (so he be taught in the word) let him make him, not them; though them also as occasion shall require; (for the Galathians no doubt had many Teachers, as we also have) but make him especially, who hath the cure and charge of thy soul Partaker of all thy goods; This is the Apostles precept.  
But if thou seekest shifts, and devices to defraud him; thou thinkest thou deceivest him, but thou deceivest thyself; Be not deceived; for though thou be, yet thou canst not deceive God, it is his portion, it is set a part for the maintenance of his service, and God will not be mocked. whatsoever thou sowest in this kind thou shalt also reap. You see, beloved, how this Scripture falls, and I am afraid it falls heavy upon many in this City.  
Be not deceived, first in confounding benevolence and duty, there is a subtle fallacy in these terms and in these our times. Benevolance is like their free-will offerings of old: and duties as their ordinary oblation. Benevolence doth remit the quantity of the gift and the comfort of the person to whom it is given, unto the liberality of the Benifactors; But duties they do prescribe, and limit, & cut by a thread. For the first, this place, where now we are assembled is to be commended, and this will reckon and renown you amongst the virtuous of this City; but this is not the point of my text. The Apostle speaketh of an other kind; We praise God for this, and bless him for the benevolence of many, unto divers: But as a duty of all, unto all those whom God, in his providence, hath set over their souls, is that whereof the Apostle speaketh. This appeareth in the 9 of the first to the Corinthians vers. 4. Have we not power? that is, have we not right as a duty belonging unto us? that milk that the flock doth owe to the Feeder; that fruit that the vine gives to the planter, is (in that place) that portion which God takes to himself if it be withheld from him, he counts it a mocking of him. Let those (Beloved) who have not in this kind urged the purses of any, nor hope that they ever shall, let them have leave, something more freely, to discharge their consciences herein.  
What is the part then, the Apostle means or alludeth unto in this place? is it that portion which God allotted unto the Levites under the law? No, by no means; that were too much; for the Levites had, besides their tithes and offerings, beside their first fruits, sacrifices and vows; they had 48. walled Cities, with large Suburbs for their cattle; large glebes to plant and sow in; when as their whole land, was not so big as the third part of England, what then, is it precisely the tenth part, which God doth challenged to himself in mount Sina the 27. of Leuit. the 32. almost 430 years before the levites had any part? no by no means, that were too much; how then? is it any part at all, of all thy goods? Verily thus much is agreed upon, of all sides; (for now I must touch no controversies) this I say is agreed upon under the Gospel, that the Church of Christ, after that it was once erected, did in her continual practice according to the very letter of Saint Paul's text in this place, determine a portion, be it what it will be, a portion I say in all thy goods, the reason was, that the Pastor and the people might stand, and fall together: that he might have compassion of thy loss, as well as comfort in thy increase; both alike depending upon the providence of God; that he might pray as affectionately in a storm as the Merchant; and praise God in time of safety also. Why, so he should do howsoever; yet because we are men, and not Angels; the wisdom of God thought it meet to encourage them by allotting a portion both in town and country, out of all thy goods. So saith Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
Yea but ye will say put out that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we will compound with you by house-rent, so shall you be at a certain; exchange is no Church-robery, the Law hath determined it, true and in great wisdom, for the law must of necessity, to prevent many mischiefs, it must, I say, leave many things unto the liberty of thy conscience, for to be answered in a higher Court. Will't thou perform no more duties to God nor men, than the Law of man can extort from thee? if we should preach unto you no more Saboth days in a year, than the Law doth exact at our hands, you would think we scarce discharged our consciences. But to the point; what rent do you mean? that which is in true value, or that for which, it may be or hath been lately let? No by no means, that were too much; then our Pastors would be so proud that their own sheep should not be able to rule them; they would tell us too plainly of our faults, & look over seriously into our actions. How then? it shall be after the old rent, but so old, that a new rate of all things are since that time increased fourfold, and our families (by permission of marriage) are manifold. Is this a fit proportion, when a Citizen shall pay but in proportion but a fifth of the tithe to that that the country labouring man doth pay? When a man shall give a commissary so much towards the poor man's box, for a licence to eat flesh in Lent, as he gives to his Pastor for feeding of his soul all the year long? Is that a good proportion? howsoever it falls more or less, better or worse, you will give no more; and by a fraudulent devise under hand, thus you convey the matter; we will pay part of the rent by bond, and the rest by lease, so we will swear, and swear truly, that we pay no more rend: Or in the same lease, I will pay part in the name of a fine, For I have learned a pretty distinction between Fine and rent in that kind, so I will swear and swear truly that I paid no more rent. And wilt thou swear this? oh collusion worse than jesuitisme.  
Beloved, you had better equivocate for all the clothes in your shops; for all your goods by sea & land, then in this case. It is God's cause, and God is not mocked, whatsoever a man soweth in this kind he shall be sure to reap the same. Remember Ananias and Saphirah; for this is done not unto men, but unto God, did you sell your possession for so much? yea, for so much, saith Ananias, and just for so much saith Saphirah; they said so, but they did not swear so; yet you see what a harvest they did reap presently, by not obeying God's will; I would to God we were worthy to move that high Court of Parliament in this one mischief. If we have too much, let them give us less; only let there be plain dealing in God's cause; let them not suffer men to run their souls and consciences upon the pikes of perjury, upon these nice equivocations which shall pierce them through unto eternal death.  
I am sure I have wearied your patience; but one word more, and I will remove my finger from this sore. Shall I tell you what is the cause of all this, besides that root of all evil, covetousness which roots up all piety and duty, that concerns the purse? beside that pride of heart that makes every one almost to think himself wiser than his Teacher, and that they are able of themselves to prescribe Laws unto their own consciences; there is one especial cause of the transgression of this my text: The very same which was the occasion that moved the Apostle Paul to write this text. Do you know what Corban means? it is in the seventh of Saint Marks Gospel at the 11. verse, it is when as voluntary oblations do dispense with necessary duties: Bring your offerings to us say the Pharisees, and then for the rest it is no matter; Corban, such Pharisees did bewitch the Galathians, against whom the Apostle writeth this Epistle; who as they did withdraw them from the truth, so withal they did withdraw the maintenance from their true Teachers. And our Apostle may seem by the spirit of prophecy to have directed this worthy Epistle against our Priests and jesuits, who cry, Corban unto their Disciples; telling them, that they are their ghostly fathers; it is no matter for their Ministers; neglect them as Heretical: and I pray God that Micah, that is, the Courtier 
judg. 17. 10.  and the Church-robbing Patron have not taught his Levite and trencher Chaplain also who sits at his table and serves in his house, to say Corban, that his stipendary pension which he begrudgeth him out of his benefice is rather a benevolence then a duty.  
Be not offended, Beloved, because I have told you the truth, I have of purpose abstained from any thing that is questionable; the truth, as I have conceived it, I have told you plainly and briefly, & as I have discharged my conscience in this point, so I do humbly and hearty pray unto the God of heaven, that all of us, may both in this, and all the rest, discharge our consciences in obeying the truth; that we may so dispose of ourselves, as neither the profits nor the pleasures of this world any way hinder us from this truth, that we may place our hearts & souls on the certainty and the generalty of the same, that as a man soweth so shall he also reap, either the same in kind, or in proportion. Whatsoever it be, be it good or evil, sown to the flesh or to the spirit; be it in piety, or Charity; be it more or less, he shall be sure to reap the same; partly in this world, but most fully in the world to come. Let us now desire of Almighty God our gracious Lord for a shower of grace for this that in some weak measure hath been sowed amongst us at this time, that it may fructify and be covered and received into our hearts so as Satan do never steal it away; but that it may take deep root in our hearts, and bring forth fruit to our endless comfort through jesus Christ our LORD  
Amen.   

A SERMON PREACHED AT Mercer's chapel in LENT 1614  
BY ROGER FENTON D. in Divinity.  
LONDON Printed for William Aspley. 1616.   
CANTIC. 8. 6. Set me as a seal on thine heart, and as a signet upon thine arm, for Love is strong as death, jealousy is cruel as the grave. 
THE sudden change, of the person in this kind of SCRIPTURE which is penned Dialoguewise is the cause of the greater difficulty of it, but for the understanding of these words which now I have read unto you, they do concern the Speaker whose words they be, whether the words of the Bridegroom unto his spouse, or the words of the spouse unto her Bridegroom, whether Christ speaketh them unto his Church or the Church of Christ unto him. And it makes little difference whether that Christ our Saviour do exhort us to set him as a seal upon our hearts and to wear him as a signet upon our arm, or whether that the Church do desire Christ to set her as a seal upon his heart or to set her as a signet upon his arm, the difference is no more than the counterpane between one and the same lease, for here the same things are delivered up between Christ and his Church interchangeably, so hath Almighty God in his wisdom ever provided throughout the whole doctrine of Christianity as Saint Austin noteth, that those places which are of most difficulty there is in them the least danger of mistaking, and those points that are most necessary to be known unto salvation they are most plainly of all other expressed in the book of God. If ye conceive them to be the words of the Church unto Christ, than they divide themselves into a petition and a reason of the petition, & if you conceive them to be the words of Christ unto his Church then they divide themselves into an exhortation and a motive, each of them twofold; for the word of this affection of love never useth to come single, for he that loves, loves for to dwell upon it, for to repeat and to reiterate the petition or the exhortation which is the first part, which is expressed by a seal on the heart, and again by a signet placed upon the arm; the reasons or the motives being also double it taketh hold of two affections, the affection of love and fear, the two hands of the soul as Saint Austin calleth them by which the soul is pulled and moved to and fro; either unto good or unto bad actions. Here is Love, strong love, strong as death, and affection that will move us: if not, here is fear of jealousy that grows cruel, jealousy cruel as the grave, if love will move us, we shall be knit unto Christ, that way; if not, if fear will move us, we shall be drawn unto Christ that way; and if neither of these single will move us: if both together will move us, here is fear that grows out of love, & grounded upon love; love is strong as death; but if abused she grows jealous, and that jealousy grows cruel. But if neither love nor fear nor both these grafted together, will draw us, then is our case most desperate, & this I conceive to be the resolution of the text, & the branches whereof you have heard in my text, Set me as a seal on thine heart and as a signet upon thine arm: that is the petition of the Church; or the evidence of Christ his two metaphors, which do most lively express and set forth unto us. The near conjunction between Christ and his Church, in the 22. of jeremy the 24. verse, as I live saith the Lord, though Coniah the son of jehoiakim king of judah were the signet of my right arm, that is, as near to me as near possibly could be, yet I would cast him off; The personal union of the son of God unto our nature it is the first great mystery of godliness, for without controversy great is the mystery of godliness the 1. of Tim. the 3. chap. the last verse. God manifested in the flesh. Yet notwithstanding you may be bold to say that this union whereof Solomon doth here speak it is above that and a nearer union and conjunction unto us in two respects; first that hypostatical union, it was the conjunction of God and man's nature in general, but this comes nearer & doth incorporate our particular persons into one body with Christ. Howsoever the other in his own nature be great between the things themselves united, yet notwithstanding this is unto us more comfortable because it brings with it a particular application to every one, that we may say and pray with David in the 35. Psalm the 3. verse, Say unto my soul I am thy salvation, not only unto all in general but unto thy soul and my soul in particular which is more comfortable. Therefore God he hath for this purpose not only ordained the preaching of the Gospel in public to declare the love of God in Christ jesus to mankind, in general; but he hath also instituted sacraments which are ministered unto every one's persons in particular; that as God's love is unto all, so he confirmeth the same love to every one in particular that is capable of the same.  
Secondly, this conjunction which this metaphor expresseth, it exceedeth the other in this, that though Christ did take our nature upon him, and our nature with all human infirmities, yet he did take it clean void of all sin; but in this mystical union between Christ and his members, though we be full of sin and infirmities as well in soul as body, yet he vouchsafed to knit us unto himself as being one body. jesus Christ ties us as in an unseparable knot, which unity is most comfortably in the Scripture set forth by two Metaphors, both which come short of these meraphors in my text. It is expressed by the head and the members; and by man and wife, but Nero or some Tyrant may chop the head from the members; and death doth make a separation between man and wife; but of this union, saith the Apostle Paul, I am persuaded neither death, nor life, principalities, nor powers, shall be able to separate us from Christ, and in the 8. of the Epistle to the Bomanes the 28. also we know that all things work together for the best unto them that love God, even to them that are called of his purpose. But the two metaphors of my text are more emphatical; for the heart, it is the fountain of life, it is the first that liveth and the last that dieth; and the arm is the instrument of power; if Christ have set us as a seal upon his heart, and as a signet upon his arm, let us see what principalities or power, what life or death, is able to make a separation between us, except he can be overcome who is omnipotent God himself, this signet shall never be plucked from his arm; and unless he can die again, who is life itself, the Lord of life, this seal which is imprinted in his heart shall never be blotted out; this admirable conjunction between Christ and us, it is here declared in this place, and propounded by way of a petition, whereof we may be bold to make a position and say indeed that Christ hath set us as a seal upon his heart and that he hath worn us as a signet upon his arm. For that which was the wish the prayer & desire of the Church, in salomon's time when this song was sung, that is now enjoyed by the Church of Christ; their wish is our Article; their prayer our creed; we do believe it, because Christ hath manifested it; since the Son of God did take unto him an heart and an arm, that is to say a human soul within, and a natural body without, he hath in that soul and body fully granted the petition to the Church, and set us as a seal upon his heart. For were not we deeply imprinted in his heart when he suffered his heart to be divided by the point of the spear, when he shed out water & his heart blood in love unto us, when he was in a manner forsaken of his own Father rather than his father should forsake us. That evangelical Prophet Isaiah in the 49. cha: ver. 16. saith in the person of God unto Zion, I have engraven thee in the palms of my hands; were we not deeply engraven in the palm of Christ's hands when he suffered both hands and feet to be pierced upon the cross, it was a deep impression; and Christ would never have suffered it unless this seal had been deeply printed in his hands, showing them after his resurrection this print still, in the 24. of Luke, Behold my hands and feet. It is a question amongst Divines whether those scars in the hands and in the sides of our blessed Saviour which remained in his body after his death & resurrection (to the end that he might show himself unto a few) do not yet remain in his glorious body being in heaven; that he may show them at the last day of his resurrection, that they might look upon him whom they had pierced; and this is without all question the impression spoken of in this place, remaining still on his hands and heart, and jesus Christ doth even wear us and makes as precious account of us as the signet of his right hand; for the same affections he had here on the earth, he hath carried them with the same body up into heaven; and as he remembered us upon the Cross, so doth he not forget us when he is now in his kingdom. He is not like Pharoahs' Butler that forgot joseph (who was so kind to him in prison) when he came to his preferment; but Christ he remembered the petition of the thief, thou now remember'st us because thou art in the same passion with us, subject to the same death, but when this passion is past, when thou comest into thy kingdom, o God remember me then. So doth Christ remember us now when he is come into heaven to the right hand of God; he remembers us as he did remember us when he was dying and shed his precious blood for us on the Cross. Wherefore did he take human affection upon him, but that he might express this love unto us?  
The affection of love is noted to be most vehement in women, as David doth express 2. Sam: 1 26. speaking of jonathan; Thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. And because the affections of that sex are natural & so should be most tender, therefore our Saviour when he came to be incarnated and to take our flesh upon him, he was made of a woman Gal: 4. 4. and yet because sin doth naturally harden the heart, and dull the affection, therefore he took them from a pure Virgin, and that they might yet be more tender, he did free them and purge them from all sin: and these affections hath he in his body taken up with him into heaven and set them at the right hand of God his Father, and therefore I may be bold to say he hath set us as a seal upon his heart, and as a signet upon his arm, and with his stretched-out arm he hath mightily defended us, and preserved his poor Church from time to time from all enemies.  
Thus the petition is easily heard and granted, therefore I will not stand long upon it; that which happily you are more loath to hear, yet that which is more needful for me to speak, is the duty reflecting upon it, if we take that sense, or the very literal sense itself, that Christ doth exhort us that we set him on our hearts as a seal, and wear him as a signet on our arm. And of this duty here be many branches notably expressed in these two metaphors. For first there's a heart, there we must ever begin. It is a maxim in Divinity, that which the heart doth not, is not done at all before God: for whatsoever is done, is but formally done, it is not effectually done, unless the heart be affected with it: the heart it is the first that lives by nature, so it is the first that must live again in our regeneration and new birth: It is the first that God doth challenge in the first Commandment of the first Table, Thou shalt have no other gods before me, that is, in my presence, or before me in thine own affection, but thou shalt love me with all thine heart and with all thy soul etc. It is the last Commandment of the second Table, Thou shalt not covet, in thy heart. God in his Table gins with the heart first, because in all our actions the first thing that God beholds is the heart: but in the second Table which is for continual duties amongst men, it is in the last place, because the last that a man can see, is to see into the heart; so then to take all ten Commandments together, the heart you see it is the Alpha & Omega the first and the last of all, and so in truth it is all in all, for give God the heart and all the rest will follow; a heart therefore he doth claim at our hands in this exhortation in the first place, and this heart it must be wrought like wax that it may receive the impression of a seal, for so saith Christ here to his Church, set me as a seal upon thy heart. You know the matter that is disposed for to receive an impression, it must neither be too hard nor too soft, for if it be over hard it will not take it, and if over fluxible it will not hold it, therefore the heart must be of a good temper to receive the impression of the seal of Christ. As a brain if it be too dry it will not be apprehensive, and if too moist it will not be retentive, it must be a well tempered brain that shall receive both in apprehension and memory: So the heart that receiveth Christ and his righteousness must be of a good temper: some hearts are too hard that will take no impression at all, like the hearts of the Cheifetaines among the jews, that nothing could mollify them, nothing would move them, nothing would persuade them to have pity and compassion on our Saviour Christ. Pilat himself when he had made furrows on his back with scourging him and crowned his head with thorns, he brought him out before them, to see if they would have pity and compassion on him to say it is enough; but their hearts they were hardened they would receive no impression at all: On the other side the hearts of the people, they were soft and unstable and unconstant, ready to cry Hosanna one day, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; and shortly after Crucifige, Crucifige; the hearts of men do offend in these two extremities, sometime they are too hard to receive any impression, and sometimes they are again too inconstant they will not hold it, there be as a Divine speaketh, not only Sabbatarians that were heretics, but Sunday-Christians also that haply upon the Sabbath will take some impression; some certain qualm of religion haply may come over their consciences, but it is quickly gone again; they serve God upon the Sabbath, and serve themselves and the Devil all the week after: they are resembled unto that goodly Idol Dagon in the 5. chap: of the 1. book of Samuel the 4. verse, who so long as he stood in his place in the temple was a goodly Idol to look upon, but the next morning when they came they found his hands and his head at the threshold of his temple, so as the text saith, there was nothing left but the very stump of an Idol; so is it with many of us who coming into the house of God to hear a Sermon, and it may be with great show of devotion also to receive the Sacrament, but at the Church do●e there lies their hands and affections, nothing remaineth but a very stump of religion, they have neither hands to do a good deed, nor happily tongues to speak a good word all the week after; these be Sabbath day Christians. But if we will fruitfully receive the engraffed word of Christ which is able to save our souls, as the Apostle speaketh Iam: 1▪ 21 We must have a heart fit to receive and retain that his impression; set me (saith Christ) as a seal upon thy heart, the image of Christ and the superscription of Christ must be both upon our hearts, our Saviour Christ saith in the 17 of Matthew, when they brought him a piece of money, Whose image and superscription is this, they said it was Caesar's, why then give unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and give unto God that which is Gods: the image that must be upon our hand, it must not be the mark of the beast Apoc. 13. 16. in token that we subscribe to the doctrine of Antichrist, but it must be the image of Christ, and the superscription written about it must be the gospel of Christ. If in our lives and conversations we conform ourselves to the image of Christ in righteousness and true holiness Ephes. 4. 24. walking not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom: 8. 1. and if only to the gospel of Christ which is his true stamp and superscription; then we are Christ's▪ For Christ will make alike difference of men at the last day, as he did of the money-coines amongst the jews; he looks upon the heart and tries the reins, and will then ask Whose superscription have ye on your hearts, which must either be the print of Christ, or the devils stamp, those which are Christ's shall be given to him, and that which is the Devils shall be rendered to him, to be tormented for ever. It behoveth us therefore to look unto this main point above all the rest, that we receive the right stamp of our Saviour Christ, and be obedient unto the superscription of his gospel; and then shall we be sure to give unto him a hand and a heart, but that's not all, we must have an arm of prompt execution, to an heart of sincere religion. You know that the heart is the seat of affection, and the hand it is the instrument of action, and if Christ be imprinted in our affections, then certainly we will show Christ in our actions; They be the two parts of the sacred Law of God.  
The first table as our Saviour Christ teacheth▪ it was thus, thou should● love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, there is the seal on the heart; and with all thy strength, there is the seal on the arm, for that is the instrument of strength. Again, an heart without an arm, you know, it is impotent, it would feign, but cannot: and an arm without an heart is lame and maimed, therefore both these must go together, we must have an heart to receive the impression of Christian religion, and we must have an arm also to defend it. Religion must have a soul and a body; again, the love that is in the heart is secret to ourselves, so is all affection; the seal upon the heart is within, but the seal upon the arm is apparent to the world, so that if we wear Christ in our hearts inwardly, certainly we will show him in our actions outwardly, as thou wearest Christ upon the heart, that is, as a privy seal between God and thee; but if thou wearest Christ as a signet on the arm, that is, as the public great seal before the world. Secondly, how must we wear him on the arm? as a signet, saith the Text, that is, as an ornament; so far we must be from being ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, that we must glory in it, and say with the Apostle, God forbidden that I should glory in any thing but in the cross of Christ; Galat. 6. 14. As the Prophet jeremy saith, Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number, saith the Lord. God would have us to make account of him, as of that which we most esteem, as an ornament on thine arm. But what ornaments are signets? a signet is that which makes an impression on another thing, as you use to wear your rings on your thumbs, not only for ornament, but ro seal letters withal: so a signet was worn on the arm, to make an impression and seal, in like manner would Christ be worn of Christians, not only to rejoice and glory in him publicly, and by an expression of him in their outward actions; but so to set him out, as they make an impression of their religion & of Christ in the hearts of others. In the 12. of Dan. the 3. those that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars in the firmament, for as the stars are the brightest parts of their orbs, so those that are truly wise, not to themselves only, carrying the light of their knowledge reservedly in their own hearts, but so show it and communicate it, as that they convert others: they shall shine in an higher degree of glory in heaven, than others, and this is a point that doth especially concern those that are in any place of authority whatsoever, according to that talon of government that God hath entrusted them withal and tied as a bracelet about their arms, that they should in their Christian and religious carriage, make an impression of virtue and devotion in those that are under them. And this is to wear Christ, not only as an ornament to themselves, but as a seal to imprint him in others. It is a point that the school Divines have determined upon good and probable ground, that as those who are religious in their places, and have power to do much good in this world they shall shine more gloriously in heaven; so like wise, they that are in place of authority, and by their bad examples draw others from God, they shall be cast as deep into hell; Potentes potenter tormenta patientur; mighty men shall be mightily punished, Wisd. 6. 5. 8. therefore it is said 
Es. 30. 33.  that Tophet is prepared for great personages that are wicked ones, and by their evil examples draw multitudes after them. What moved the rich glutton in hell to become solicitor for his brethren at home that they should convert and repent, was it any charity or love towards them? No his conscience told him that he had showed them bad examples while he lived, and if they were damned his torment should be the greater for it. This is the exhortation that Christ makes to his Church that we would set him as a seal upon our hearts, and set him as a signet on our arm.  
The motives to stir us up to this duty follow, for love is strong as death and jealousy cruel as the grave. But whose love and whose jealousy doth my text here speak of? of the jealousy of the Church unto Christ, or of CHRIST unto the Church? It is the jealousy of Christ without question; for God he is jealous of us, but we cannot be jealous of God: and to speak after the manner of men, we conceive jealousy (if it be true and unfeigned) to be nothing else but an affection of love, tending unto hatred upon suspicion that love is abused: Now when we do ascribe any human affection unto God, we must separate from it all imperfections whatsoever; if there be a jealousy not grounded in love it is faulty; or if it be a jealousy without cause it is blame worthy: neither of these faults are in the jealousy that we ascribe unto GOD, and unto CHRIST: he is a jealous God, but his jealousy proceeds of love, though it tend unto hate upon suspicion that love is abused; and not without cause: so God may be jealous of us, but we cannot be jealous of God; the reason is, because he that is jealous is jealous of a partner in love. I would to God (saith S. Paul to Agrippa, Act. 26. 29.) I would that all that hear me this day were both almost, and altogether such as I am. S. Paul cares not how many partners he hath in the love of Christ; the reason of the difference is that the love of God towards us is infinite; but our love unto Christ it is so strait and so narrow, that if so be he have any partners with him, it is to be feared he shall not have his due, so that he hath cause to be jealous. Wherefore without all question we must take this motive to be spoken of Christ and of his jealousy. Love is strong as death, jealousy is cruel as the grave, to show the strength of Christ's love unto us, the Holy Ghost hath made a fit comparison. For what is stronger than death that devoureth all? Surely the love of Christ unto man. Mark then what is the general effect of death; ye know it is the separation of the soul and the body; taking the soul out of the body, and leaving it wan, pale and ghastly. And that is likewise the effect of the extremity of love; especially of Christ's love towards us. For this pure, chaste and divine love wherewith Christ loved us, it made him to empty himself that he might fill us; to go out of himself that he might dwell in us; to die once in himself that we might live for evermore.  
Wherein did death ever show his greatest power? Verily in seizing upon the Son of God our Saviour himself, than was shown the greatest power that ever death exercised. Yet let me tell you, herein the love of Christ was far stronger than death. Death seized on Christ when he was become man upon the earth, but the love of Christ to us, pulled him out of heaven, when he was in the bosom of his Father; and humbled him and made him so weak, that he might become a fit Redeemer for us. What ailed thee thou great strong Samson of heaven, saith Chrysostome, thou that bindest Kings in chains, what means this, surely it was the love of Christ to our treacherous nature, that dealt so untruly and so falsely with him, that pulled this Samson out of heaven, and made him as weak as one of us. To speak properly, when death did seize on christ in his weakness, it was not the power of death, but the power of love Christ tells us so plainly in the 10. of john the 18 verse: I lay down my life, no man taketh it from me. So then take death at the strongest, still the love of Christ unto us is stronger than death. We have heard sufficiently of the love of Christ unto us, if this will not draw from us love again unto Christ, what will? True love is of the nature of a Loadstone it draws love unto it, Magnes amoris amor; but such is our ingratitude, though we love to hear of the love of Christ, yet we care not to show our love to him again. This unthankfulness of us ingrateful wretches is the the cause that we are ever so loath to be drawn unto him. David in the 118. Psalm the 27. vers. speaking of the sacrifice that was offered; when he reckons up the love of God towards us, he speaketh suddenly in regard of our retribution of love back to him again, bind the sacrifice with cords, yea even to the horns of the Altar. It is a saying amongst the Hebrews, that the beasts that were offered in sacrifice they were the struglingst 
Procul extensum petulans quatit h●stia funem. Juven: satire. 12.  beasts of all the rest, such is the nature of us unthankful beasts, when we should love God again, we are readier for to run away from him, we must be tied to the Altar with cords, to draw from us love or fear. Though it be true that forced love is no love; Non extorquebis amari. His love is strong as death, but if we abuse his love by our unthankfulness, then mark what follows, out of his love, he grows jealous, and that jealousy grows cruel, cruel even as the grave. jealousy (saith Solomon) it is the raging of a man, it will not be pacified, Prou: 6. 34, 35. Remember the Law and the sacrifice that was appointed for jealous persons in the 5. of Num: the 15. verse, there was neither oil to make it gracious, nor incense to give place of atonement or reconciliation. For entire love it will not be adulterated, nor yet suffer itself to be wronged: such is the nature of man's jealousy. Our God he is a jealous God, and our blessed Saviour out of the vehemency of his love, he is a loving Saviour and jealous too; but the ground of this jealousy it is love, and if his love be abused, it tends unto hate upon just suspicion of a just cause. Then to sum up all in a word; it is the primary nature of our good God & blessed Saviour to be most loving and gracious unto us; so is it the nature of that love if there be just cause to grow jealous, and it is the nature of that jealousy to be cruel, cruel as the grave, if so be before the grave we do not appease it, and be reconciled to our husband Christ by true repentance. For we may assure ourselves, that if our Saviour Christ find any impression in the heart, deeper than this set upon it, or any ornament above true religion & faith in Christ; he will presently grow jealous, and that jealousy will grow cruel. In the 22 of Genesis, when as Abraham seemed for to be fond of his son Isaac, God trieth Abraham what he would do for his sake: yea he tries him whether he loved him truly and indeed, or no: Therefore, saith he to Abraham, go and take thy son, thy only son Isaac, and offer him up for a sacrifice: Abraham shows there though he loved his son Isaac very dearly and tenderly, yet notwithstanding, it was not to be compared with his love to God.  
In the Decalogue of the Law, God he is so jealous he will not set any creature in the same table of the Law with himself, there shall stand neither Father nor Mother, King nor Caesar, Saint nor Angel; none in the same table with God: he is a jealous God if there be cause. And Beloved, there is none of us but we have given him just cause many times, and therefore he must needs be jealous: but yet his jealousy is not cruel, it is not cruel as the grave, if so be that before hand in time we do prevent this wrath and cruelty; if so be we humble ourselves and be reconciled unto God by true repentance, God is a jealous God and visits the sins of the fathers upon the children.  
We have often provoked our Husband-Christ to jealousy; Oh that now we would prevent his wrath while there is time of grace; now is there time of reconciliation if so be we will labour and seek for it, if we will humble ourselves by prayer and humility, by fasting and repentance, acknowledging our faults unto God and unto our blessed Saviour with tears, and resolving never to give him the like cause again; and as at all times this duty is seasonable, so especially at these times when as it should be general, to the end that the more hearts meet in this disposition, it may be so much the more acceptable a sacrifice to God. Prayer and Humility is required of us at all times before God; prayer and fasting is required of us upon occasion; for every man's particular sins present to God and himself is a sufficient occasion of private prayer and fasting; but public calamity is an occasion of public fastings.  
There be (as a Father calls them when he complains of the time) certain sins of Church and Commonwealth, which cannot be imputed to particular persons, when sin is grown so common and general that it is not in the power of any person or persons to reform the same; The remedy against such an Epidemical disease, is the public supplications of the Church, when we muster up our prayers as an army, not only to beseech God, but to besiege him too, when we do all agree and consent together by repentance and true humiliation to prevent the wrath of God upon Church & commonwealth, which we have deserved; prevent I say that, that jealousy do not turn into wrath; for if it do, and be not prevented, it will burn into the very bottom of hell Deut. 32. 22. Therefore let us humble ourselves before almighty God, and entreat his glorious Majesty that notwithstanding our private sins, we may be set as a seal upon his heart so deeply imprinted that neither height nor depth, nor principalities nor powers be able to separate us from him, Rom. 8. 38. And that we may be still as a signet upon that arm that hath defended this Church and commonwealth so long. That his righteousness may be imprinted in our hearts, and his glory an ornament to us, and his word precious among us, which we beg for his own sake that gave himself for us, that we may lay aside all ingratitude and be truly thankful unto him through jesus Christ our Saviour, to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour & glory for ever  
Amen.   

A SERMON PREACHED AT the Funeral of Mr. john St●kele Citizen and Machant-Taylor of LONDON at St. Stevens in Walbrooke 1613.  
BY ROGER FENTON D. in Divinity.  
LONDON Printed for William Aspley. 1616.   
JOB. 6. 10. Then shall I yet have comfort though I burn with sorrow, let him not spare because I have not denied the words of the holy one. 
THat of the Apostle S. Paul the 4. chapped. of the 2. Epistle to Timoth. at the 2. verse, preach the word, be instant in season and out of season; I understand thus that we should not only keep our ordinary course as Moses was preached in the Synagogue every Sabbath day, but that we should take all fit occasions to teach and instruct God's people though at extraordinary times as it were out of season, amongst the which the occasion of this our meeting is one, and as I take it none of the least, for the Prophet Isaiah chapped: 57 and the 1. v: maketh it a matter of just reproof when righteous and merciful men are taken away from amongst us and no man doth consider it, & therefore it is fit that we be put in mind of it. We have both a righteous and a merciful man taken from amongst us: Therefore have we just occasion to take it into consideration, as the occasion than doth fit us: so that we also might fit the occasion. I have made choice of a righteous and merciful man in his sickness, for he was an upright and a just man; one that feared God and eschewed evil, by Gods own testimony in the second chapped: and the third verse who delivered the words that now I have read unto you. For job was wearied & spent with a grievous and tedious sickness in so much as he complains in the 7. chap: at the third verse that he had for an inheritance the months of vanity and painful nights were appointed unto him. These be the words of job, and it was the very case of this our brother now departed. mont after month was he tormented, and yet still put us in hope of his recovery but all in vain, they were as job terms them months of vanity, and painful nights were appointed unto him. whereupon the holy man job expresseth a longing desire he had in the premises, and the reason of this his desire in the words of my text, Oh that I might have the thing I desire and that God would grant me that which I long for, what was that? sure nothing else but that he might departed out of this world which he hath expressed by three phrases, in the verse immediately before my text, that God would destroy him, that he would let his hand go and that he would cut him off. The first is a phrase according to the words directly, because in the sight of the world outwardly the righteous may seem to perish and be destroyed. But the second phrase is more divine, that God would let his hand go, as if with one hand, his heavy hand of sickness, he had beat him down, and yet notwithstanding he had holden him up; and with the other hand supported him, now he desires that God would take away that suporting hand that he might die, me thinks he speaks of almighty God as if he were a kind of Nurse that useth when men are drawing on towards death to lift them up, for if they take away the pillow presently they give up the Ghost: so job desires God that he would but take away the other hand, that he might departed out of this world: & because his ordinary glass was not yet run, he might live many years by the course of nature, he adds a third phrase that God would cut him off. But job lived much longer after he had this sickness as you may see in the last chapped. the 16 verse. And this our Brother departed by the course of nature might have lived much longer if it had pleased God. Now the reason of this his longing desire is delivered in this my text in three points. First, in his faith and his full expectation of comfort after this life in these words, then shall I yet have comfort. In the second place there is inserted a parenthesis, which sets down the encouragement of that faith, a godly magnanimity and resolution; though I burn with sorrow, let him not spare. And thirdly and lastly here is both the ground of that resolution, and the only touchstone of his faith, in that his conscience tells him he hath not denied the words of the holy one. Of these three first, and then of the occasion to which they are fitted, & of both briefly. For than shall I yet have comfort though I burn with sorrow, let him not spare because I have not denied the words of the holy one. For the first death is terrible to nature, and therefore is called the King of fear job. 18. 14. most terrible yet notwithstanding it is but as a cloud, and he that hath an eagle's eye of faith to look through the cloud he may discern that glorious comfortable light, and such an Eagle was the servant of God job; for being environed with so many miseries, and infirmities, as he was at this time, yet notwithstanding he doth pierce through the cloud by the eyes of faith, espying his everlasting consolation. When our Saviour Christ is described that he shall appear in the clouds in the last day, it pleased him to compare himself to a slain beast; for indeed he was the lamb of God slain from the beginning: therefore Luke the 17. and the last verse, he saith, Wheresoever the body is thither will all the eagle's resort, nay such is the sagacity of that creature as we read, that by the resort of Eagles in Africa the Inhabitants foresee their should be war and bloud-shedde in that place: and such an Eagle was job: who living so many hundred years before the incarnation foresaw his Redeemer, chap. the 19 25. verse 27. I know that my Redeemer liveth, a visible Redeemer; and so Abraham saw Christ's days john the 8. By this faith did job receive comfort beyond the cloud of death. And Solomon describeth our Saviour Christ in the second of the Canticles the 9 verse, that he standeth behind the Wall, and looketh through a grate, alluding to the manner of Nurses, and Mothers that run behind a wall that their children may seek them with a greater desire, so doth God in sickness he goes behind the wall and if we have an eye to spy him through the grate there is our comfort, as that was Simeons' ground Lord now lettest thou thy servant departed in peace, for mine eyes have seen their salvation, after he had gotten Christ in his arms, that he had seen his salvation, he thought he was in prison till he departed, and the word signifieth for to be loosed out of prisonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and you know that it was that S. Paul speaketh I desire to be dissolved because he would be with Christ. No marvel if job when he discerned this comfort desired to be taken out of the world, this eye of faith of his, begets a godly magnanimity resolving with all patience to undergo and not doubting to overcome whatsoever is or can possibly be laid upon him, here's the phrase and a gradation though I burn with sorrow, though mine ague be never so terrible, the fit never so fearful, my miseries never so many: nay as he saith further in the 13. chap. the 15. verse, Though he kill me yet will I trust in him, the word in the original for sorrow is taken from the root chus, that signifies the sorrow of a woman in travel that cries to God in her pain: such pains will compel a man for to pray, and to pray unto God most earnestly: it seems by the Prophet that a woman in travel will cry out unto God though she seldom think of him at other times; if ever she be in a good mind it is then: and such were the pains that job was in at this time, though I burn with sorrow, it was a conflict and a great conflict that job was now in, and he wrestles as it were with jacob: and though some speeches of impatience pass from job, yet notwithstanding he recovers himself and in the end his hope & patience was crowned, though I burn with sorrow, nay let him not spare; Let almighty God lay as much upon me as it pleaseth him, so that I may at the last inherit that which is my hope and comfort. Me thinks he speaketh as though he would challenge almighty God for these temporal afflictions to do his worst, so he might take him out of the world. I have observed three strange phrases in Scripture, which do amplify that power of faith that power of prayer and that power of patience, which it pleaseth God to give his Saints: he speaks of faith in the 92. Psalm at the 9 verse, as if a faithful man were able to point Almighty God to a thing to come. So the Prophet David speaketh of faith, Lo thine enemies shall perish, as if faith did apprehend it so clearly, that it pointed God to it, a strange phrase. And ye know of prayer in the 32. of Exod. the 10. vers. he speaketh of prayer as though prayer were able to bind the hands of Almighty God; Let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them: and so in this place, the holy Ghost speaketh as though the holy man in misery would leave Almighty God to do his worst, though I burn with sorrow. Lastly the ground of this magnanimity & the only touchstone of this faith of job, that his conscience testified unto him that he had not denied the words of the holy Ghost: What are those words of the holy Ghost, and what it is to deny them, be the two points. By the words of the holy one in this place considering the time wherein job lived, which is supposed for to be in the time of nature, I do not only understand those edicts of nature which the Apostle speaketh of in the 2. to the Rom. the 15. verse, the effect of the moral law, written in their hearts. I mean those common rules of honesty which we have received by the light of nature and reason, the heavens declare the glory of God as in the 19 Psalm: I say I do not only understand by the words of the holy one in this place that light of nature but those Revelations also by which God revealed himself more especially to the very Saints of God: and my reason is because he gives God the name of the holy one in this place, for we know the nature of holiness is to separate a thing from that which is common; therefore he doth not mean in this place, the words of God only as God is the God of nature, but as he is the Author of grace, and as he hath revealed unto me his will by revelation from God, and so is God promised unto his saints. Secondly not to deny these words, it is first to believe, to acknowledge, and to profess the same; not to deny the power of them in their lives and conversations; no not to deny them in that extremity wherein job now lies. These three I take to contain the full sense of these words. For it is not sufficient by the Levitical Law (whose ground is moral) to chew the cud; but also to divide the hoof: our feet must be clean as well as our mouths; though our lips be never so holy yet notwithstanding if our ways be unclean we are as abominable unto almighty God as those that have all unclean. All is one to the beast in the 13. of the Revelat. the 16. whether we have his mark in the forehead or in the right hand, all is one to Satan; many there be that have very smooth foreheads, and carry a goodly profession of religion, yet notwithstanding their hands are full of iniquity. job was as well in life and profession, an upright & just man, one that feared God and eschewed evil, an upright man, first as God saith of him; a just man towards others in distributing virtues; and all this out of conscience and religion, one that feared God, and though as the Apostle saith, evil is always with me, yet he laboureth to eschew evil, so that he denied not the power of that he professed, he performed the power of the word of God in life and conversation, and that not only in prosperity but in his extremity, in sickness and misery. It is an easy matter not to deny the word of God so long as the Lord pleaseth us in prosperity, but job would say the Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken, yet notwithstanding blessed be the name of the Lord: so we see for the clearness of his conscience in the 6. chapter the 25. ver. how he challenges his accusers, Can any of you justly accuse me? this clear conscience wrought in him true magnanimity, and it is that makes a man strong as a Lion, as Solomon saith. As Christ is said to sleep in the ship in the tempest, so this is the only pillow whereon a man must rest, when his conscience tells him he is upright, though through infirmity yet he hath done his poor endeavour to keep the words of the holy one, & indeed without this clear conscience let never any man presume of faith, for it is but a counterfeit faith, the words of the holy one being first sown as we see in the heart, that seed knit unto the root of faith, that root brings out a tree of Charity, that tree bears the fruit of good works, so as it is true indeed, we are ourselves justified before God only by faith, but our faith is justified to our own conscience by charity, and our charity must be justified before the world by our fruits of charity, and by our godly lives and conversations. Faith it is an illumination, it is hard to distinguish between the illumination of the true spirit, and the illusion of the false, therefore it hath pleased Almighty God with that heavenly faith to join another virtue of Charity, that a man's own conscience may testify whether his faith be counterfeit or no, and because the world cannot see into the heart, therefore that Charity must be justified by works, and a good conscience joins all these together, this is the ground of the resolution of that holy man job, wherefore he doth desire to be out of this world You have heard briefly the commendable misery of this holy man of God job: which as you see doth remain upon record, not so much for his commendations as for our instruction; yet for both. Shall I commend beloved this our Brother (here departed) unto you? he hears it not, his friends desire it not, I have not received any information concerning him of any, because he affected it not, what then, a man's name is like his shadow the faster he runs away the faster it follows: the memorial of the righteous shall be blessed, reputed he was for an upright and just man in all his dealings, let me use the plain dialect of the world, I like the phrase well, he was an honest man, which civil honesty did grow out of conscience and the fear of God in him: for that is the holy salt that must season all; without which there is no sacrifice that can be acceptable unto him. In religion he was not factious; if he had had occasion to speak of any that were of other opinions, if he conceived them to be honest men he would speak of them so charitably as if he did ever remember the Apostles rule the 3. to the Philip. the 15 verse, those that are perfect be thus minded and those that are otherwise minded God shall reveal it unto thee also. The mark of jesus Christ I make no question was in his hand as well as in his forehead, his works were answerable to his profession. In his own family I have observed that he was neither a sheep nor a Lion but a painful and a watchful Shepherd labouring by all means & diligence to bring his servants to good; to work in their thoughts true religion; to examine and catechize them; such a comfortable Guide both for soul and body that I think he might have given example in that kind to the best. To his friends and acquaintance most loving, kind, and true hearted, I dare say they that had occasion to try him would testify no less. In this Parish he hath not been of many years growth, and so scarce incorporated, but a man might easily perceive him to be both of that Spirit if the cause did require, and withal of that wisdom to temper his Spirit, as I may justly say we have lost a worthy member in the Church of Christ: he was a true living stone manifesting his lively faith, as by his religious conversation in general, so by his forwardness in any good work whatsoever, and he would do it in that fashion as the left hand should not know what the right hand did, his heart delighted in the word of God, and hearing of the same, he did flourish in the house of our God; his wife and family, friends and kindred, neighbours and acquaintance of the place wherein he did most reside I suppose can testify more than I say, grounded he was in a true Christian faith, and had learned jobs grace of Dominus abstulit: he was a true Eagle he looked through a thick cloud of a long and tedious sickness unto the happy issue and end of all, during which time of sickness he showed such a Christian resolution that when many had thought he himself had stood most in need of comfort, than was he most comfortable unto others; I ever found him like himself from the beginning of his sickness to the end: he burned in sorrow; God loved him and yet spared him not, and now no doubt he doth rest in God, blessed be the name of God, for that, and let us desire the Lord so to bless us with his spirit of grace, that as we profess the words of the holy one, so we may never deny the power thereof, but so walk according to the same, that God may receive glory, and we eternal comfort in jesus Christ,  
Amen.   

A SERMON PREACHED AT the Funeral of Mr. john Newman Citizen and Grocer of LONDON, at St. Steuens in Walbrooke.  
BY ROGER FENTON D. in Divinity.  
LONDON Printed for William Aspley. 1616.   
GEN: 15. 15. But thou shalt go to thy Fathers in peace; and shalt be buried in a good age. 
IN the premises of this Chap. there passed a covenant between God and Abraham, a covenant confirmed by a ceremony, an ancient ceremony of dividing of beasts in pieces and going through the parts of them so divided, signifying thereby that they should be so divided and broken in pieces who should first break the covenant. So we do find that covenant expressed in the 34. of jer. the 18. verse. And so did Almighty God vouchsafe to covenant with Abraham in this place in the 9 verse before my text: after the manner of men: But when Abraham had divided the beasts and God presented by the fire had passed between the parts of the same, there fell out two accidents that were not ordinary, first the text saith that the fowls of the air did light upon the parts of the beasts & Abraham drove them away in the 11. verse, signifying thereby, how the Egyptians should pray upon Abraham's posterity, the children of Israel: and yet notwithstanding for Abraham's sake, God afterward would deliver them. Secondly, it is said that there fell a heavy sleep upon Abraham: & that is now expressed in these words that I have read unto you: signifying the death of Abraham: that howsoever hereafter his posterity might happily remain in the land of Egypt: yet he should go to his Fathers in peace, and should be buried in a good age: so than you see that these words do contain a most comfortable promise, and a prophesy of Abraham's death. Death is sorrowful in itself as being terrible unto nature, but such a death is comfortable, so you see my text is like unto the occasion of this our present meeting, it is a mixture or compound of sorrow and comfort well tempered together, wherein I will desire you to consider, First the person whom this doth concern, it was Abraham: Secondly, the condition of his death, which is here prophesied; First that it is seasonable, in respect of the circumstances, as my text hath reference to the premises, thus and thus shall thy posterity fare, but thou shalt be in thy grave before thou see that. Secondly, in regard of death itself, it was a blessed death; blessed in two respects. In respect of his soul first, for he should go to his Fathers, and the manner how, in peace: Secondly, in respect of his body also, that it should be buried, in a good age, and these are the branches as you see them lie in the text, But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace, and shalt be buried in a good age: and of these briefly because the time will permit no long discourse; We must first begin with the person, for else I shall make unto you at this time but a groundless speech; For this is a sure rule as the person is, such is the death of the person: the person was Abraham; Father Abraham the Father of the faithful, and as he was called a father, so likewise was he a pattern & example of all godly virtues unto all posterities; a pattern of faith & religion, the father of the faithful. How his faith hath been tried I shall not need to particularize; And wheresoever he came, or into what country or place soever he was sent we shall read Abraham built there an Altar, to show his religion and worship of God, amongst heathens and Infidels. A pattern of true obedience, that wheresoever God called him to any country he was ready to go obediently, even to the offering up of his own son at God's commandment; A pattern of humility, of meekness and mildness, of patience, and of a peaceable disposition; When his servants and the servants of Lot could not agree, how he entreated for peace between them. A pattern of love and of kindness, unto all, even to the very Sodomites themselves, how affectionately doth he persuade with Almighty God, and pray for Sodom and Gomorah: even as though it had been for his own soul: Peradventure there be some righteous within the City wilt thou not spare the rest for their sakes, or if there be thus many or thus few, and so goes as low till he goes beyond all proportion: A pattern of righteousness and good dealing with all men. For although faith was imputed unto Abraham for righteousness, yet faith went not without righteousness, No, Pharaoh himself shall lose nothing by Abraham. A pattern of Charity, his seat and place was in the tent door, he did not hide himself, and lock the doors, and shut them after him, but he was ready to receive those, that stood in need to be refreshed. A pattern of fatherly providence in his own household providing for the same to the uttermost of his power; Marrying his son a little before his death, when he was old, he instructed and admonished his sons, from time to time, I know saith God Abraham will teach his children.  
As he was the father of the faithful, so he was a pattern and example of all godly virtues unto posterities. Thus you have heard what he was. Now will you hear briefly what became of him; He must die, but his death it was a seasonable death, it was a timely death. Seasonable in two respects, First because he should be taken away, before his eyes did see those afflictions which God meant to send upon his posterity. The children of Israel shall be thus in affliction in Egypt, but thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; his posterity should be afflicted, but not for Abraham's sake, they may thank themselves, for that, they shall be carried into Egypt for their own sins, but delivered out of Egypt for Abraham's sake, and his eyes shall not see their affliction, because he was no cause of it. A blessing that God doth promise unto his Saints, and he doth bestow this blessing upon divers of his saints, as Isay showeth in the 57 chap. 1. verse, The righteous man is taken away, and no man understandeth that he is taken from the evil to come, and so God promised to josiah the 2. of the Chron. 34. and the 28. verse, That he should go to his Fathers in peace, and his eyes should not see the evil which almighty God purposed to bring upon that place. Secondly, Abraham's death it was seasonable and timely, because it was after the covenant which now was made between God and him, God had made a covenant in this chapter with Abraham: that he would be his sure buckler and exceeding great reward, therefore now Abraham might departed in peace when God and he were so reconciled. Now Abraham may cheerfully go to his Fathers; After that old Simeon had embraced his Saviour and had gotten Christ in his arms. Then he sings Lord now lettest thou thy servant departed in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation; Therefore seasonable was the death of Abraham, both in that it did prevent the evil to come that he should not see it, and also because it was after the covenant, that passed between God & him; and there must needs follow in the next place a most blessed death, expressed well in the phrase of going to his Fathers, which must not be understood of his bodily burial for Abraham was buried in the field of Ephron the 25. of this book the 10. verse, where none of his Fathers were buried, and so the like phrase is used in the 32. of Deuter: the 50. verse where it is said that Moses was gathered to his Fathers, and yet it is said likewise in the 34. of Deut. the Sepulchre was not known, therefore of necessity this phrase must only have relation to the soul and spirit of Abraham; that, that was gathered to the society and company of those holy Fathers, that went before: thou shalt go unto thy Fathers, for there is a company and society of Saints.  
Indeed when men are taken out of company here on earth, in this world, they go to a better company and society of blessed souls and spirits in heaven; a company where there is no distraction or division, no ambition, or emulation, no strife nor contention, but where there is peace, joy, and pleasure for evermore: unto this company and society of blessed spirits did the spirit of Abraham go, and what a comfort is it (Beloved) unto a faithful soul to consider what company and society it is going unto, when it departeth out of this life, if it be within the covenant, if the covenant have passed between God and us, then when we die we shall go unto this place, when we go to our Fathers, to the society and fellowship of the Saints of God, that we are at rest with Abraham, where we shall enjoy the company and society of all the Saints of God, that ever have been departed from the beginning of the world to this present time and hereafter of all those that shall come unto the same place, to the end of the world. Where Eliah shall know Moses: and Moses Eliah, and confer together as on mount Tabour, although they did live in several ages of the world. Peter the Apostle of our Saviour Christ, when he did see but the least glimpse of this comfort, when he see but two of the Saints Moses and Eliah on mount Tabour he was so ravished with joy, that he cries out, Let us build three Tabernacles.  
And it is indeed to be observed that the two chiefest Apostles of our Saviour Christ, that is Peter and Paul, God did afford them this privilege, that they had both a taste of the joys of heaven, living in this life, to the end they might more effectually persuade men, to lift up their affections to that comfortable society in the world to come, Paul was rapt up into the third heaven, and so ravished with joy that he knew not whether he had his body about him or no: and methinks after he comes down again out of heaven, he writes and esteems of these worldly things as of dung, such a contemptible respect he hath of any thing under the Sun after he had tasted once of the sweetness of Paradise: For imagine it were possible, for a man to be lifted up in his body whither Paul was to the third heaven, that he might be admitted but to look into paradise, to the blessed society of blessed Angels, and Saints, and look but down again and see this earth hanging like a clod beneath, and see so many millions of men, busied about nothing like Aunts in a molehill, methinks afterward he should never esteem of this world being ravished with this company of the Saints in heaven. And beside Peter and Paul (except it were only Jude that writes but one short Chapter) I think there was not any of the Apostles of our Saviour Christ, that hath used exhortations to the Church of God in their Epistles, but they themselves of purpose did taste some part of this glory, to the end they might the more powerfully elevate the hearts of men; Paul in the third heaven, and Peter, james and john on mount Tabour all of them see a glimpse of this glory.  
Go unto thy fathers, so did Abraham, in Spirit he went unto his Fathers that were dead before him and his sons after, they came unto him. Then the manner and the passage unto this place is expressed in the text, Thou shalt go unto thy Fathers in peace.  
Now you must understand whosoever dieth in peace must die in Christ, for there is no true peace without Christ, Abraham died many hundred years before Christ was borne, and yet our Saviour Christ saith of Abraham, in the eight of john the 58. verse that Abraham saw his days and rejoiced, he saw him then in the eyes of faith.  
He died, therefore in the faith of Christ and so died in peace, for Christ is the Prince of peace that conferreth true peace upon all his Saints, he is the Olive tree of peace whereon peace groweth, the eleventh to the Romans the twentie-four, Like that dove with the Olive branch in her mouth, he ever brought peace with him, it was his ordinary salutation when he was on the earth, peace be unto you, it was his legacy left with his Church when he went out of the world, my peace I leave with you; Therefore Abraham dying in the peace of Christ, must needs die in peace of conscience, and as in peace of conscience so likewise in a most peaceable manner. In the 25. of Genes. the eight verse, it is said Abraham did yield up his spirit, his spirit was not taken from him by violence but he did most willingly yield up his spirit into the hands of God. Oh how fearful is the remembrance of death to those that are not in Christ? that fearful rending of the soul and body a sunder is most terrible unto them; but the death of Abraham, it was like that sleep which was spoken of before this verse, that signified his death, a heavy sleep fell upon Abraham, for so likewise fell death upon him, even as if nature should have fallen a sleep, quietly, meekly, peaceably, and this is for his soul.  
Then it followeth in the next place, concerning his body, that that also should be buried in a good age. Even for to be buried it is a blessing, and a blessing that every man doth not enjoy. No jehoiakim himself, though he were a King, in the 22. of jeremy the 19 verse, shall be buried like an ass drawn and cast forth on a dunghill, as josephus also writes of him. It is threatened by Solomon that those who are disobedient to their parents, the ravens of the valleys shall pick out their eyes. And those that are treacherous to the Civil Magistrates, we see they are made a spectacle to the world, and deprived of burial and set up in the air and made a prey to the fowls of the air: as this is a judgement on these, so likewise the other is a blessing on them, that go unto the grave in peace, and it is an honour that is due unto the very bodies of the Saints of God, showing they are the work of God's hands; not as the bodies of beasts, which God did make as it were with a word after a more slight manner, but for man's body he form it not only with his word, but it is the tabernacle of an heavenly substance, that's the soul, which is the image of God, because our bodily nature is also assumed into the divine nature at the incarnation of the Son of God. Because the bodies of the Saints are the members of Christ, and the temples of the HOLY GHOST; Know you not saith the Apostle, that your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost. And last of all, because, though they sleep in the dust for a time, yet hereafter they shall rise in glory and shine as the Sun in glory in the kingdom of heaven, and therefore great reason that some honour and reverence be done, even unto the very bodies of the Saints. So was Abraham buried, buried by his two sons Isaac and Ishmael, as in the 25. chapter of this book, the ninth verse, buried in the field of Ephron, a selected ground of purpose, where his wife Sarah was buried long before, Genes: 23. 19 and his sons wife Rebecca in the 49. of this book the 31. verse. One blessing more let me add in my Text, to Abraham, and we will come to my purpose. Abraham was buried in a good age, for so God did promise, and it was prophesied in this place, and so performed in the 25. of this book the 8. verse, and there we find the place amplified in three phrases together, for evermore the performance of God is with the largest. The promise is like a seed sown in the ground only, but the performance comes in like fruit that's multiplied & carried in, in due season: so it is said that Abraham was buried, he died in a good age, an old man of great years: here is three phrases to express one thing, and it is no idle repetition; he died in a good age, so good as he desired to live no longer, nor did he desire for to die any sooner: he lived to settle his household in order, to marry his son Isaac, to prepare his soul for God and to departed in peace, A good age. Secondly, he died an old man; If he had lived any longer his days would but have been troublesome and burdensome unto himself. An old man; ye● not old before his time, therefore a third phrase is added, an old man of great years; and so did Abraham die and was gathered to his people. David lived but threescore and ten years, and yet David was old before his time.  
Secondly, he died in good years: this God promised to Abraham, and this God hath performed, so as that was verified of him, that is promised to the Saints in the 5. of job the 25. verse, that they go unto their grave as a rick of come that goes into the barn; when the Regions are white unto the harvest, as our Saviour Christ speaketh, so according to the Hebrew text it is here as we say, in a good age.  
When the Regions are white unto the harvest, than the sickle of death is put in in due season and they carried to the everlasting barns.  
What blessing was there then that Abraham did want, he was taken away before the affliction of his posterity came, yet not before the covenant was confirmed between GOD and him, all this was granted him, and he died an old man full of years. And thus beloved have you heard of Abraham what he was and what is become of him.  
May it please you now a little for to turn your thoughts upon one of the sons of Abraham, and briefly to remember with me, first what he was, and now what is become of him; For as he did tread in the steps of his Father Abraham, so I will tread in the steps of my text, concerning him, and Abraham, he was the son of Abraham while he lived, the blessing of Abraham was upon him at his death, and so I make no doubt but he doth rest in Abraham's bosom, Abraham the father of the faithful a pattern of faith and religion unto his sons and posterity, this was one of them.  
It was his chief stay and comfort ever in his great heaviness, and in his sickness long before his death, or before that deadly sickness, the covenant that passeth between GOD and his Saints, in Christ jesus, there was his stay. Abraham was a pattern of faith; faith was imputed unto him for righteousness, but it never went without righteousness: no more did his, I do refer him for that to you that have had so many years experience of him, did this our brother do any man wrong willingly? was he not an upright and a just man in all his dealing, with all whom he had to do withal?  
Abraham was a pattern of humility, of meekness, of mildness, of patience, and of a quiet and peaceable disposition, and so was he, witness this Parish, wherein he hath lived. How deadly any contention or debate amongst us was unto his soul and spirit, how diligent would he be, and how troubled, till the peace were made, blessed are the peacemakers.  
Araham was a pattern of love and kindness of kind affection unto all men: and so was he ready and prone to show his kindness according to his estate upon any occasion.  
Abraham was a pattern of charity, so was he; for I have observed (coming to this man's table at ordinary occasions) who were his guests commonly, but such as were not able to bid him again? such as had most need of refreshing, like Lazarus in Abraham's bosom.  
He was a pattern of fatherly providence in his family, and to his children. I know (saith God) that Abraham will teach his sons, and so did he, he did continually admonish them; and if any admonition at any time did not take that effect he desired, how grievous it was to his soul and spirit, let his Sons remember it now he is gone, and if any affliction come upon them, as on Abraham's posterity, let them thank themselves, it was not the Father's fault, they shall far the better for his sake; Abraham's posterity were not afflicted in Egypt for his sake, but delivered out of Egypt for Abraham's sake, but he is gone, he is taken away seasonablely from the evil that is to come, the sins of these times do prophesy some evil to come upon us, and it is a blessing unto them that are taken away before it comes. He is gone to enjoy the effect of that covenant made between God and his Saints, in Christ jesus, that was his comfort, he is gone unto his Fathers, and if his Sons will tread in his steps, they shall go to their Fathers; he is gone and hath left this company, this company now present, whereof he was a good member, and is gone unto an other company of the Saints and Angels of God in heaven, he is gone in peace, in that manner that his death was a sleeping in death in peace of conscience. In a peaceable manner did he departed this life, even as if he had stolen a nap: we that were then present with him could not tell when he went; and now beloved are we here assembled for to solemnize his Funeral in that decent manner you see, and that is beseeming to follow, and to remember the Saints of God that are taken away from amongst us. Abraham he was buried, and he was buried in the ground where he had buried his beloved wife Sarai before, and so is he. Innocent he was in his life, innocent as a dove, he hath continued this many years, solitary as a turtle dove, and now he is gone, yet so many years after, as I think one grave may well hold them both. Last of all, let me add the conclusion of my text, he is buried in a good age. I may add the three phrases before mentioned of Abraham, A good age, an old man, of great years; if he had lived longer, as I have often heard him say unto me, he should have been burdensome and troublesome unto himself, a good age, fourscore & one, a good age in these times, but let me yet add one thing more, as he died in a good age, so I may say truly that he died upon a good day also, for it was upon the Saboth day in the morning, that he commended his soul into the hands of God, in the morning when we were about to assemble in this place to praise God, then did he sing Halleluiah with the saints and Angels in heaven. No man did more duly observe God's saboths in this place them he did, and now his soul doth enjoy that Sabbath of rest, in the kingdom of heaven. On the Sabbath day in the morning did he go to solemnize the Sabbath in heaven, a Sabbath without an evening, that is an eternal rest, into this rest is he now entered, and into this rest that we in due time may also enter, that our spirits may enjoy the blessed company of all the Saints of God, let us desire of him who hath purchased the same Sabbath for us, JESUS CHRIST the righteous; To whom with the Father & blessed Spirit, one everliving and only wise God, be ascribed all praise, power & thanksgiving this day and for evermore  
Amen.  
FINIS.