A Watchword, OR, The Alarm, OR, A good Take Heed. A SERMON Preached at White-Hall in the open Preaching place the last Lent before King CHARLES. By the R. R. Father in God T. F. the then Bishop of Landaffe, now of S. David's. LONDON, Printed by Tho. Harper for Nath. Field. 1628. TO HIS SACRED MAJESTY. DREAD SOVEREIGN, Though it pleased your Majesty to translate me into the number of those Magis, who give gold for New-year's gifts (for which the great Bishop of our souls bless you) yet I cannot suddenly leave my Custom for these many years paid to your blessed Father and Self, of presenting Paper withal to wrap it in. This more precious than gold, For, for want of (Good take heed) Men run the hazard, and fall into danger of Body, Soul, and Estate. The times are dangerous, our Enemies many and cruel, no man free. Here's a Good take heed for all, It is useful for the lowest of your Subjects, as for your Highest Self: but most needful for You, since your Sacred MAJESTY is worth 2 Sam. 18. 3. Lament. 4. 20. ten thousand of us, yea, you are the breath of our Nostrils, and on your safety depends all ours. Vouchsafe to turn a gracious Eye, as you lent a patiented Ear, to Your MAJESTY'S faithful servant T. M. A WATCHWORD TO WAKEN US. DEUT. 4. 9 Attend tibi; Take heed to thyself. GOod Counsel, short and pithy. These words, like REUBEN; are strong, full of life, though few in number, Deuter. 33. 6. Here is (as S. Basil speaks) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the full weight of few words. Virtus maxima, in mole minimâ, very, very much in a little, Ilias in Nuce, Homers Iliads in a Nutshell, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In searching the veins of the earth (saith Clemens Alexandrinus) we find a little gold in a great deal of Ore: But in searching the Ours of holy Scriptures, within the compass of a little ground, we find a great deal of gold. They are the words of a great Commander, Moses the Law giver. Though (as he excused himself) he was slow of speech, yet was he Exod. 4. 10. deep in knowledge, well seen in all the learning of the Egyptians, and Acts 7. 22. better learning than theirs. He was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, weighty in his sentences. And here is Imperatoria brevitas, a Lordlike brevity, the more authority the word he gives, carries with it. He speaks ex Cathedrâ, his word is a law. 'Tis short, for fear man's brittle memory should come short of it; and to avoid obscurity, it is expounded, and reinforced in the words following, Et custodi, etc. And keep thy soul diligently, lest being short and dark, it might be slippery too, and slip the sooner out of mind and memory. Duo verba, duo luminaria. Gen. 1. 16. These two words, like the two great lights in heaven, serve to direct us all in all our ways. As celestial lights they look upon all that look upon them, and cast their beams upon every head that heareth me this day. They compass this great assembly (even every one) within their sphere, yea, all the men of the world. There is no son of man that's out of the compass of this Text. Now God give Grace, that every heart here present, may hence borrow some influence, light, and motion. Have ye not seen the great lights of Heaven mounting above the Horizon, how they first shine upon the Hills, and high Cedars; and after upon the valleys, and lower shrubs? Even so This, and such like lights, or Caveats, Imprimis, Primos, do most eminently direct men in eminency, and (not skipping over medios, those of the middle sort) in due order descend ad infimos, to them of the lower form, call upon all God's people (as it were) by the poll, even from Him that sitteth upon the Exod. 11. 5 Throne, to him that grindeth at the Mill. See this gradual descent, Psal. 72. 3. The mountains shall bring forth peace, and the little hills righteousness unto the people. God's Grace is like the dew of Hermon; like the precious ointment which was poured Psal. 133. 2. upon Aaron's head, descended on his beard, and to the utmost skirts of his garments. Behold here is a Beacon set on fire on the holy Mount. It behoves every one of us to look to himself. Some great sudden danger there's towards from within, and from without too. Homo homini Lupus, A man is a perilous beast to himself, who should be custos, a keeper; who should be Deus, a God. Cain lost himself, when he refused to be Gen. 4. 9 his Brother's keeper, which every man should be, much more his own. Alter Scneca. alteri Theatrum sumus, we are all theatres one to another; wherein we may observe what's well acted, what's amiss. Yea every man is a City, a Commonwealth, a World within himself. Ye are not pressed to any foreign service: Every man is both Custos, and Castrum, the Watch, and the Citadel; when the Beacon is fired, when this Alarm (Attend tibi) sounds in our ears, he that doth not gird up his loins, he that doth not stand upon his guard, is a traitor to his own soul. I come not into this Presence with an Attend mihi, a suit for myself, nor Attend gregi, Take heed to thy Acts 20. 28 flock; But like the poor Italian Beggar with an Attend tibi: For God's sake be merciful, be charitable to thine own soul. If ever precept came home to the heart, it is this; if ever a charge was reasonable, and easy, it is this, Attend tibi; be thine own Guard, and Guardian, Overseer, and Keeper. I may term it a Writ of Ne exeat, to confine every roving eye, and every straggling ranging thought. Look not, think not on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, things without you, nor on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, on the outward appearance of things, the juggling shows of the world: Non alijs, non alienis, non tuis; said Attend tibi; look not at other persons, other matters, think not on thine own business. Let not thy soul gad abroad with Dinab, Gen. 34. 1. Psal. 4. 4. but common with thine own heart, retire to thy best Fort, and arm thyself against the subtle stratagems of Satan. Here is periculum animae, thy soul lies at the stake, thy soul lies a bleeding, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Time and Place, are powerful persuaders. These be the perilous Times in S. Paul's Prognostickes, 1 Tim. 3. 1. This world is the wilderness of Sin, Exod. 16. 1. the very Region of Death. Under every stone there is a Scorpion, and in every bush a fiery Serpent. In auro, S. Hierom. S. Bernard. in cibo laquei. There are snares in our Coffers, and snares in our dishes, there is death in the pot, Mors in 2 Kin. 4. 40 ollâ, mors in ollis carnium, etiam in sinu nostro Synones. Our bosom is a Trojan Horse, and within it are the worst traitors, the most dangerous enemies. 'Tis time to look to our selves. So that whether I look on the place we stand in which is holy ground; or the time we are met in, which is the holy time of Lent; or the face of Christendom; which is mangled with selfe-given wounds, and besmeared with her own blood; or the persons before whom, and to whom we speak; or the importance of the message; so nearly concerning every soul here present: in all these considerations, Moses is a necessary Monitor and Remembrancer at every man's elbow, and ear, with an Attend tibi, a Take heed to thyself: yea, Behold a greater than Moses is here, even He, by whom the Gospel came, Christ jesus, the great shepherd of all our souls. Solus verus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the only deliverer of his people, of whom Moses was but a Type. The spirit of Deut. 18. 15. God in the mouth of Moses doth startle our dull, and drowsy senses with an Attend tibi. This my Text is to pass as a Watchword from one to another; to which military form of communicating the Watchword, the warlike Prophet alludes where he saith, Thy word runneth very Ps. 147. 15. swiftly, when the Watchword is once given by the General, 'tis suddenly in every quarter of the Army. Entertain then this Text as a Watchword from the Lord of hosts, echoed in the ears of all Israel, by their great Leader Moses, Take heed to thyself. For our orderly proceeding, rather in dispersing than dividing this Text, not long enough for a division, (for a Watchword must be carried entire:) let your attention go along with me, & by the guidance of God's holy Spirit I shall show you three watches and wards employed in Attend tibi. The first is Attend corpori, a strict guard over the body, in appointing every man to be the Squire of his own body. For as there is a body of sin, so there are sins of the body; corporal uncleanness, and fleshly 2 Cor. 7. 1 lusts, which are the Devil's Soldiers, 1 Pet. 2. 7. to fight against the soul. There is a fault in the Cask, a rust of the Scabbard, the body is but Vagina, the Sheath, the faculties of the soul are the weapons: Scour both for the watch and the war. The second is, Attend animae, the soul's ward, and this must be more carefully kept: For by the sins of the body (lust and drunkenness) men become beasts; but by the sins of the soul (Pride, Envy, and such like) men become Devils. The third is Attend Deo, the watch on our bulwark, most carefully to be kept, Our waiting upon God: which is requited with Gods watching over us. This alone secures body and soul. In vain do we trust our blind scouts, and drowsy Sentinels, except the Lord keep our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, our City and our Cinque ports. Our first Watch may be called Custodia Carceris, the second Custodia Palatij, the third Custodia Templi. The Watch is set, and the watch word given. Three Watches there were, before we come to revew them in order, listen we a while to the two voices that excite us to diligence in keeping this watch. The first is Vox Naturae, every creature would preserve itself, and by natural instinct preacheth, (as it were) this Text to man, to every man, Attend tibi, Take heed to thyself. The Roe auoides the toils, by the quickness of her sight (as S. Basil S. Basil. saith) being therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Frustra iacitur rete ante oculos pennatorum, surely in vain the Prou. 1. 17. Net is spread before the eyes of any Bird. The Birds have eyes to see, and wings to escape the Springs. And shall only man, like a tame fool, run his neck into every noose? In vain then hath God given him reason, which flies beyond the swiftness of of any wing, which sees beyond the compass of any eye; by reflection, sees into itself. The second is vox Gratiae, the voice of Grace, and that riseth many notes higher. Take heed to thyself, take heed of thyself. For man is turned rebel to God, thereby become a desperate Asassinate to himself. Nemo laeditur nisi a seipso, no man takes hurt but by his own fault. Take heed of this, look to thy being: look to thy eternal being; look to thy soul, the life of thy body; and look up to God, 〈…〉 the life of thy soul. Ipse est 〈…〉 animae tuae, for God is thy life 〈…〉 20 Deut. 30. 20. And here by the way let me point at the goodness of God, and our own benefit: both are manifested in this watchword, Attend, take heed, On God's part, there's Gratia excitans, A Grace stirring us up: our benefit, (if we give due attendance) is Salus safety, of state, body and soul. By nature we are careless, and drowsy in matters of salvation; like the Inhabitants of Laish, we lie open and secure: judg. 18. 7. 1 Sam. 26. 7 yea like Saul we are in a dead sleep, we may lose our arms, our lives, our souls before we awake. It is a remarkable art of God's exciting Grace, to goad us in this lethargy, to quicken every man with an Attend tibi, take heed to thyself. This exciting Grace doth snatch us out of the fire and water. It called upon Lot, to avoid that hell from heaven, Goe 19 15. fire and brimstone. It stirred up Noah to prepare an Ark against the Gen. 6. 18. deluge: and it still sweetly whispers in every one of our ears; Look to thyself: prepare an Ark, now that God doth threaten an inundation of judgement. Every passenger in a ship is to look to himself, the Pilot more especially to all. Quis utilem causae alienae S. Ambrose. iudicet, quem videt inutilem vitae suae? Who will esteem that man useful for another man, that is not careful for himself? saith Saint Ambrose. The Lion King of beasts, and the Eagle King of birds are most vigilant and circumspect. Our Moses in the text stout as a Lion, but meek as a Lamb; strong-tallond as an Eagle, but innocent as a Dove; is a pattern of a pious and a prudent Governor; who looks to the safety of Israel in state, body and soul. And when Moses doth call upon us, to look to ourselves, we should be ready to look to Moses. How forward ought all true Israelites to be to pour in their oil for supply, rather than the light of Israel should be put out? And so now I come to the three watches: and first of Custodia carceris, or corporis, the watch over our bodies. We are here in the body as in 1. Custodia corporis. a prison, or dark dungeon: Some lights or inlets we have, but they serve only to let in sin. They more abase the body who will have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the body no better than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sepulchre, (which is true of the surfeited body) wherein the soul lies buried. We will allow it to be an instrument of the soul, but a dull and untoward one: Corpus degravat animam, the body is a burden to the soul, saith the wiseman. Sap. 9 15. Be it one of the essential parts of man; 'tis the worse, the earthy, and the brute part. And here admire we with adoration, and adore we with admiration, the wisdom and power of God, who united and joined toge-in so sweet and stable a yoke of marriage (as it were) two so unsuitable things, as are Heaven and Earth, a Spirit and Flesh; which flesh of ours, (through the taint of sin) like jobs wife, becomes a bosom enemy, a traitorous inmate to ourselves, a broker and pander for Satan. I take it now as it is, a cage of unclean birds, a foul den of beastly lusts: for being swept, it is a temple of the holy Ghost. 1 Cor. 6. 19 If we give the body too much, we feed a foe, If too little, we kill a friend. It behoves us therefore in a godly jealousy, to beat down this rebel flesh; who like Plato's friend is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a changeable creature, a very Chameleon: Sometimes so treacherous, that Scriptures and Fathers cry out Crucifigatur, crucifigatur, let him be crucified. Sometime so obedient, that Saint Bernard restores her to her dowry, and the right of a wife, Amet S. Bernard. Adam Euam suam, Amet Anima carnem suam, ita tamen amet, ut non tota in carnem transeat. Let Adam love his Eve, the soul her flesh; but let her so love it, that she takes heed that she become not altogether fleshly. While she is as Sarah was to Abraham, and calls the soul Lord, 1 Pet. 3. 6. she is worthy to be loved and cherished. Yet take we heed, that by favouring of the body too much, we effeminate not the soul. Now if I should make an anatomy of this body, I could discover in every limb, in every vein and artery, an Inlet for Sin and Satan. The body is as tinder, apt to be fired by every spark the Devil casts upon it. It is therefore requisite, that this powder be kept in close vessels, and that the passages be stopped; according to the rule of Saint Gregory: Ad cordis S. Gregory munditiem sensuum disciplina seruanda est. Cleanse the Limbeck of the senses, lest thence some pollution drop into the soul. The Arabians proverb is elegant: Obstrue quinque fenestras, ut luceat domus, shut the five windows, that the house may be lightsome. Attend oculis, Take heed 1. Eyes. to thine eyes, that they look not out to behold vanity, that they grow not red through lust and drunkenness * Et dixit quidam, Iwenes habere in oculis, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 2. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in Greek signifies Girls, and the pupils of the eyes. S. Peter saw both together, Eyes full of adultery. The Eye is an Archtraitor to the heart, with whom it is of counsel; yet keeps intelligence with the Devil, man's grand enemy: blabs to Him, his most secret and sudden thoughts; thereby excites him to assault us, when we are at weakest; and upon his first assault, yields up our strongest Fort. Until Adam and Eve lusted with their eyes, Sin and Satan entered Gen 3. 1. not their hearts. An ill thought is brought forth, grown up, and able to work, before one can say, Take heed, he that looketh upon a woman & lusteth after her, even in that cast of his Math 5. 28 eye, hath already committed adultery. What guard then is sufficient to set upon these swift thoughts, which like lightning, blast and retire; like thunder, claps and strikes dead, and all in an instant. It is God's goodness to us, that hath placed in the eye both the Malady, and the Remedy, Visum & fletum, the faculty of seeing, and the sluice of tears, ut qui delinquant vidende, poeniteant plorando, (as one well notes) that they who have offended by seeing, may be recovered by weeping. Attend auribus. The Ears are 2. Ears. given us to be conveyors of Faith, and Conduit pipes of knowledge; but we make them impure tunnells to suck in greedily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the very dregs Ephe 4. 29 and lees of rotten communication, which corrupt the manners, and defile the soul of man; learn of the deaf Adder to stop them. Attend ori, attend linguae, Take 3. The Tongue. jam 3. 5 6. heed to thy tongue, It is a wild beast, world of wickedness. It sets on fire the whole frame of Nature. It speaks ill of them that are in authority, blurs innocency, sets private men together by the ears, disturbs the public peace of the State. The Portcullis of the Teeth, and the Counterscarp of the lips, are not sufficient to keep in this unruly member; unless with David we daily pray, Set a watch before Psal. 141. 3 the doors of my lips, & that God hear us, which we have need to do uncessantly. For the mouth though it be Lyra animata, a living Harp, yet it is more apt to be a Babylonian dulcimer, than an Instrument for the Songs of Zyon. I might here block up the other Ports, and pursue the rest of the Traitors: but let it suffice that as in the suppression of a great Rebellion, I show the heads of the chief Rebels (as it were) upon stakes. And here I cannot pass by without looking into the Traitor's vault, the Heart. The Heart as it is the Centre of the 4. The Heart. body, is but a little lump of flesh, and will scarcely serve a Kite for a breakfast, yet all the world will not serve it to wander in: there is such an endless maze of exorbitant desires in it: it continually casteth up sulphureous flames of lust and revenge. And which makes the malice and malady thereof more incurable, that of the heart, is a secret and subtle wickedness unsearchable to man, himself, or others. The heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart Eccles. 93. while they live, saith the wiseman. Eccl. 9 3. And again, Cor hominis Deo, ut lutum figulo, man's heart is in God's hands, as clay in the potters. Whereupon saith an ancient Father, It is indeed lutum deo, as stiff and hard clay to God, had need of much tempering, before it can be made conformable to Gods will: But it is also, Caro Doemoni, a heart of flesh to the Devil, very pliable to any wickedness he shall put it to, or into it. Should we never see ill example, should we live out of any outward tentation, yet our own heart in itself is so wicked, that it would tempt us to, and teach us all manner of wickedness; there is such a perpetual spring of wickedness there, that without God's special Grace, we could not one minute of our life, cease to do wickedly in the highest degree. Omnia S. Basil. reliqui, sed cor meum non reliqui, I have left all, but my heart, I cannot leave it, (saith Saint Basil) in the wilderness. In that he had his heart with him, he had ill tentations enough. And were it not for this deceitful, deceivable heart of ours, other outward tentations could not hurt us. Adam and Eve were not effectually tempted, until they were corrupted in their hearts. Let every man than apply to his heart that which the prophet speaks to Jerusalem, O Jerusalem jer. 4. 14. wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved: how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee. It were well our wicked thoughts would lodge and abide within us; but they break out into wicked deeds. So our Saviour tells us, that every thing that defiles the man Mat. 15. 18 cometh from out the heart. The filthiness of man's heart was so great, that it was fain to be washed with a deluge of waters. And it is grown so Gen. 6. filthy again, that all the water in the world will not serve to wash it, it must rather have a world of fire to purge it, to consume it. Every man therefore must circumcize his heart. Circumcision jerem. 4. will not serve the turn, we must use Incision, that's not enough: we must (as Esay speaks) not only circumcidere, pair it about; and incidere, cut it deep; but decidere, and excidere, and deprimere, cut it off; and if it rise again (like hydras heads) cut it out, or press it down, even beat it to powder, and annihilate it, that God may create a new heart within us. 'Tis Lent-time, a Time of fasting, and prayer; a time of penance and contrition. Lent in the ancient Saxon language signifies the Spring: now then most fitly, when our rank blood recovers the pride of its spring, should we by a slender diet beat down 1 Cor. 9 27. our bodies, and keep them under. Now is the time to put our knives to our throat, to use daniel's far, and daniel's prayer. By prayer will the soul learn to command the body, and by fasting, the body will learn to obey the soul. Nature is content with a little, Grace with less. It is now a time of mortification, & ashes. High-fed lust, and high-wrought fury, and high-flowne pride, are Lordly companions, but are not to be trusted with the Empire; which if you transfer from Reason to Passion, (as Constantine removed from Rome to Constantinople) it is the only way to ruin both soul and body, as he ruined that which he thought to enlarge. Such a state of body natural or politic, is like the Serpent A●phisbaena, whose tail goes foremost. Wake not therefore to dream of Kingdoms, as the mad Spanish Lackey did, who took himself to be King of Spain, the Pope to be but his Chaplain, talked of nothing but his Indies, and of the return of his Plate-fleets, and would go no less than the universal Monarch. This is Spanish pride, beware of it, and use towering thoughts, as men use rising Bees, Cast ●ust upon them, let meditation of mortality bring them down again. Art thou rich? thou art but rich earth, and Gold Over is richer than thou. Art thou honoured, and even adored of thy enemy? many a rotten block hath been made a greater Idol. Art thou beautiful? thy picture well drawn will one day be better to lock on, than the face it was drawn by. Remember thou art richly mortal, honourably mortal, beautifully mortal, how ever mortal. Look oncc into a charnel house, a Golgotha, and see if by the bones, or the skulls, thou canst discover who was rich, beautiful, or honourable: where now are the Nimrods', and Belshazzers, the Giants of the old world? their names we find registered, but 'tis for their Giantly vices; and they are now inter potentes, qui potenter peccaverunt, & potenter torquebuntur, amongst the mighty men, which shall be mightily tormented. This is a time to manacle the hands, Sap. 6. 7. those instruments of violence, bribery and extortion: to gird up the loins, those Seminaries and banks of concupiscence: to stock the feet, those swift supplanting blood-drawing Cursitors, and in a word, to crucify the old man. Let not the proclamation and the Almanache be the only arguments and proofs that 'tis Lent: let our brawny knees, our course backs, our thin bellies, our amended lives, proclaim the same; and so stop the complaint of Saluian, Christianè vivere dedecus est, to live like good Christians, to fast and pray, is turned to our reproach. 'Tis sign the old Serpent doth lurk in our old walls, when being sick of the Mother, we still long after forbidden fruit. Let it be thy discretion to give each part his due, to thy soul the government; to thy body necessaries, raiment and food, exercise withal, and correction. And in this there must be observed a Ne quid nimis, a due proportion to either. The soul ought to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, rule, but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, tyrannize over the body. The Primitive and purer discipline doth not put iron whips and launching knives into your hands to cut and furrow your flesh. Let the Priests of Romish Baal use and enjoin such exercise and heathenish incision. I commend unto you a weeding hook and a pruning knife, to pair away luxury and excess, and to pull up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the root of bitterness. O●cidat, Heb. 12. 15 modo imperet, let my Son kill me so he may be Emperor (saith Agrippina of Nero.) It were a happy degree of mortification, would our proud flesh be content to say, Let me be crucified, so my soul may reign with God. S. Lucy in the Legend, who pulled out her own eyes, mistook the Text. A darling sin is that rigbt Matt. 5. 39 eye, which thou art to pull out; and some wicked beloved instrument is that right hand, which we are to cut off. If we cocker Adoniah, our own flesh, let us know that one day this 1 Kings 1. 5, 6. wanton will prove a Rebel, and we shall be scourged with a Scorpion of our own bowels. By this time we see that this Attend tibi, is a frontlet for our eyes, a jewel for our ears, a golden chain for our necks, a bracelet for our arms, a tablet for our breasts, and a privy coat for the whole man. S. Ambrose upon occasion of the Cant. 8. 6. words of the Spouse, Set me as a seal upon thy heart, and as a signet upon thy arm, doth sweetly observe, that Christ is a seal on our forehead, when we openly confess him; a seal upon our heart, when we sincerely love him; a signet upon our arm, when we work righteousness and fence ourselves against these jebusites, and Edomites, our soul's enemies. Thus have we passed the first watch, Attend corpori, Take heed to thy body. We enter now upon the second, Attend animae, which is Custodia Palatij, the watch about the Palace, or the King's Pavilion. Si tanti Vitrum, quanti Margarita? If flaring Glass be so valued, at what shall the orient Pearl be prised? If we be so careful for the Cabinet, the body, how many millions of new and greater cares should we take for the jewel, which is our soul? Provide a good guard for this Queen, she is the great King's daughter, and the spouse of Christ. It was no base purchase, which cost the Son of God his dearest heartblood. 1 Pet. 1. 19 It is no mean booty which Satan so hotly pursues by compassing Sea job 1. 7. and land. It is not a thousand rams, nor ten thousand rivers of oil, nor so many sacrificed sons the fruit of thy body, can satisfy for the sins of thy soul. It cost more to redeem a soul. Mica. 6. 7. How much more? David wants Arithmetic to express it, and where he fails, who can tell the proportion, or rather infinite disproportion betwixt any price, and that great purchase. Christ who best knew the price of souls (as being sole purchaser) doth pass all the world in the value of the ransom of our souls: what shall a man give in recompense of Mar. 8. 37. his soul? and in the verse before, wbat shall it profit a man, though he win the whole world, if he lose his soul? Sure he will be a most wretched bankrupt by the bargain. In the Philosopher's Scale, Anima muscae est sole praestantior, The soul of a silly fly is more excellent (in nature though not in use) than the glorious Sun in the firmament. In the Civilians account, Omne membrum est inestimabile, Every limb of a man is unvalewable: Can you give me the just price of a leg, of an arm, of an eye? Now Saint Chrysostom hath S. Chrysost. well observed, God hath given membra duplicia, two eyes, two arms, two legs, that the failing of the one, may be supplied by the other. Animam vero unam, but one soul, when that is lost, there's no supply. Admit there were so many worlds, as there are motes in the sun: lay them all in one scale, they will not countervail one soul, which is not redeemed with Silver and Gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb undefiled. 1 Pet. 1. 19 Oh the prodigals of our age! I tremble to point at their unthriftiness: what cost and care is bestowed upon houses, horses, hawks, dogs? mean while what cheap account, what wilful neglect of souls? The house Plutarch. lives. must be like that of Valerius magnificently built, and furnished, the horse fat & fair, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things must S. Chrysost. be brave, and gorgeous; but there is no care taken, that there be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Basil. beautiful soul. Should I tell this press of people, that that there were many cutpurses amongst them (as there use to be in crowds) every man would presently put his hand into his pocket, and look to his purse. The safest man here is in such danger, as he had need of some friends to cry loud and suddenly, Take heed to thyself. Give me leave to tell you, ye have brought with you, even within yourselves an Impostor, a heart-stealer, even now whilst I call upon you to the scrutiny of conscience, to arraign yourselves in interiore domo, in the inner closet (as Saint Bernard calls it.) There is an Absalon at the gates, that S. Bernard. stealeth away the hearts of the people. Look to yourselves, and apprehend 1 King. 15. 6. the traitor, your self-love, and self-flattery. Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man▪ id est, from my self, prayed that holy Father S. Austin. Let every S. Austin. one lay his hand upon his heart, and say to himself in the language of the prophet Abacuch, I will stand upon Abac. 2. 1. my watch. I for my part will look to one, I'll take heed to my soul. There are two sorts of evil thoughts, 1. immissaes or iniectae, infused or cast into us, which are of the Devils darting into the heart. 2. ascèndentes, which as vapours naturally arise out of the heart. A 3. sort there are good, descendentes, inspired by the holy Ghost, clap a guard of thoughts upon your thoughts, of good ones upon bad ones; prevent them, by divine meditations, divert them, by fervent ejaculations; correct them, by sighs, and speedy repentance. In bad thoughts ye may observe, ingressum et progressum, the ingress and the progress. For the first; the vapour will ascend you cannot hinder it; 'tis well if you can but come to this to quench, and to repress it, that it go no further: and when your strength fails, pray with Saint Anthony in Eusebius, Domine, cupio saluari, sed non permittunt cogitationes meae, has reprime, bone S. Anthon. in Euseb. jesus & salua me, Lord, I would gladly be saved, but my thoughts will not permit me: sweet jesus repress these, and save me. And for the other, Take along with you Saint Augustine's council and comfort, Si tentationes pulsant cor tuum, suspira. If temptations beat at thy heart, sigh and ease it. Si non superant, respira, but if they overcome thee not, take heart agrace again, take breath & be comforted: if they have not overcome thee, thou hast overcome them. Mark how the holy Ghost in this guard of the soul, doth excite a watchman to grapple with every sin, and is a monitor to check every ill motion. Idolatry is covetousness, and covetousness is Idolatry. Attend utrique. Is there fear of Idolatry by mixture of nations? Attend tibi ipsi. Take heed of Canaanites. It is the scope of the text, and the text is a special Amulet against that infectious sin. Peccare dicitur quasi pellicare, sin entices like an harlot. Such sinners especially go a whoring after their own inventions, the soul that thus sinneth is an adultress, a Messalina, prostitutes herself to the inferior creatures. The Egyptians did worship the pied Ox Apis, and thence Exod. 32. 4 the Israelites did learn to make a golden Calf. The Canaanites adore the Moon; there's danger that the Israelits may offer Cakes to the Queen of jer. 7. 18. heaven. Of all outlandish and new-fashions, new-fashions in Religion are most dangerous, the subversion of the State. Doth Covetousness make a drudge of the body, and a slave of the soul? Attend tibi, non tuis, look to self, not to pelf. Set not a higher rate upon a wife, a farm, a preferment, Luke 14. then upon thy soul: prise not things temporal, as if they were eternal; neglect not things eternal, as if they were temporal. Saint Chrysost. doth fitly S. Chrysost. compare toiling worldlings to men that work in a dangerous mine, Effodiunt & necantur, in seeking gold they dig their own graves, and are buried alive. Doth Curiosity peep in at a Neighbour's window, and meddle without commission? Attend tibi, non alijs, non alienis, look to thyself, not to other men or matters, thou hast work enough at home, Occupa te in proprijs vitijs, Pull out the beam that's in Luk. 6. 42. thine own eye first. [First sweep before thine own door, before thou beatest thy neighbour with the broomsticke. Be thine own examiner one half of the day, and then wilt thou have little leisure (I suppose) the other half to sit as judge upon others.] Rigid censurers, and hypocrites, who cry out of sins in others, and dispense with their own, are like cunning Robbers, who first raise the Hue and Cry, that whiles they pursue others as seeming honest Officers, themselves may escape who were the offenders. Doth Security, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that poison in a golden cup, cast us into a deep sleep. Attend tibi ipsi, Friends cry, and fall; Foes come on. Simon dormis, & judas non dormit? Doth Peter sleep, when judas wakes? The Devil like Dalilah, will not suffer a man to see his danger till it be too late. Up Samson, the Philistims are judg. 16. 12. upon thee. And if Samson will not use his eyes in time, he shall lose them. What is a State without vigilancy, but a Polyphemus, a vast body without eyes, running headlong to it own ruin? And an eye to ourselves will not make all sure without an eye to Heaven. Thither our soul (which came thence, and thither will) will teach us to look. Sibi maximè attendit, Act 17. 28. qui maximè attendit Deo, He best looks to himself, that best looks towards God. In him we live, we move, and have our being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with him and by him, and through him we are, and can do all things; without him we not only can do nothing, but are nothing. And thus am I come to the third watch which is the last, Custodia Templi, the watch about the temple. Saint Gregory upon the fourth of Ezech. doth well note, that Custodes Templi, the warders of the mystical Temple do betoken the devout souls that frequent the church, and by a holy kind of of violence, keep possession of God's house. In humane Policy Fear is but a bad and unsafe keeper, not like long to hold out; a jailer rather than a guardian: but in christianity the Fear of God is the best doorkeeper of the Temple. And Nazianzen Nazian. in the praise of Hieron, doth praise Piety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for the greatest and safest guard of man's life. The greatest have greatest need of this guard; and the poorest are not so poor, but they may be thus guarded in all perils. For every good soul hath a trained band of faculties, ever ready summoned to wait upon God. And to such as wait on him, God will send aid from Heaven. In vain doth joshua lift up his hand to fight against Amalech, except Moses lift up his hands to pray for joshua: when we have done all we can to keep our Exo. 17. 13 selves, we must fly for protection to the great keeper of Israel, who never sleepeth, nor slumbreth, or else we have lost, Psal. 121. 4 & shall lose our labour & ourselves. Our best Armoury is in the Temple, & not in the Tower. Wait upon God, and he will appoint a guard of Angels Psal. 91. 11 to wait upon thee; yea God doth wonderfully order his thoughts towards men, when men do least order their thoughts towards God. God doth marshal Psal. 40. 6. the means for our safety, when we do not know the lists, and order of the troops that guard us: Lord, what is man that thou art mindful of him, or Psal. 8 4. the son of man that thou so regardest him? yea Lord, what is man that he is so unmindful of thee: or the son of man, that he so little regards thee? And yet from on high thou regardest the lowest, even the refuse, the off-skowring and rubbish of men. A word of comfort to the least & lowest here. What though the unpreferd, and unprovided for Courtier be compared to a Blackamoor, In ortu solis positus, habet colorem noctis, He life's where the Sun riseth every day in his eyes, and yet his face looks like night. Disconsolate man who ever thou be, if thou waitest upon God, know that his eyes are upon thee for good, and that a robe 2 Tim. 4. 8 and a crown is laid up for thee. Thou hast not here glittering servants to attend thee; yet hast thou the Sun and Moon to run before thee with their glorious torches, both day and night. Yea, God hath given his Angels charge Psal 91. 11 Heb. 1. 14. concerning thee. They are ministering spirits sent forth for thy sake, thou art an hopeful heir of salvation. Ob. Some hurrying jehu, may demand, what need have we to look every man to himself? If God do muster his Angels to look to every one of us? So. Know that the prime cause doth rather include, than exclude subordinate means. God can, but doth not ordinarily work without them. He hath made Stars to direct the Pilot, but he made not Stars to steer the ship. O culus ad Coelum, manus ad clawm, there must be an eye to Heaven, and a hand to the Helm: when we work with God, God will work for us. Did the Eastern wisemen neglect the use Matth. 2. 2. of tongues, and feet, because they had a Star to guide them? A glorious band of Angels shall be your convoy in all your ways, In vijs, non in praecipitijs, in your ways chalked out by the line of the law, and the rule of the Word, not in your headlong courses, and desperate downfalls. And that you may know your way, Attend Legi, look to the Law, how readest thou? there's the old way the law of Moses. Look in Malachy, there you are bid to remember it, upon the going Malac. 4. 4 out of it in the last of the Prophets, & to Christ (prefigured in Eliah) the fulfiller of the law, who is the new way. Attend verbo, look to God's word, there's the pillar of fire that goes before all true. Israelites in the way. The way of the Gospel hath many beaten paths: Keep these with thy heart, and they well kept, will keep thy Prou. 4. 4. heart, so that it shall live for ever. The Heart is an unskilful & guileful guide, it had need to be guided, and kept, Keep thy heart with all diligence, Prou. 4. 23 for out of it are the issues of life. Therefore follow not the ways of thine own heart, in which there be so many windings, and turnings, that Anselme compares it to a Mill that's ever grinding, still setting us on work with more commandments, than ever God gave us. He gave us but one in the Law, Fac & vives, do this and live. One in the Gospel, Crede & vives, believe and thou shalt live: or rather one in both, Ama & vives, love and live. If thou followest the many byways thereof, thou goest in infinitum; and there is Error immensus, an endless wand'ring, and the end of that error is horror and endless confusion. But give thou thy heart unto God the preserver of souls. Commit thy ways Psal. 37. 5. to Christ, who is both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the true way, and a true guide, for he is the truth, Et ipse est via, ipse est patria, he john 14. 6. is thy way, he is thy dwelling City. If thou walkest in this way, which is but one, in this truth, which is but one, there's aliquis terminus, some end; thou art sure to come at last to thy ways end, Rest and Peace: he is the God of both, he will bring thee home to himself, and as he said to Abraham Ipse erit tibi merces magna nimis, he Gen. 15. 1. will be thy exceeding great reward. Mean while, in this our present warfare, though his pleasure be not, that we should fight at our own cost and charge, yet his charge here is, ut quisque attendat sibi ipsi, that every man should stand upon his own guard, serve in his own person, and his own furniture. Attend tibi ipsi, I have heard of an abuse in Country Musters, that diverse show borrowed Arms: look into their houses, ye shall find them naked, and unprovided for the enemy. I would to God, the case were not alike in our spiritual armour. Many in good days can discourse of Abraham's faith, jobs patience, josephs' care to preserve his soul; and in so doing, they do but show other men's armour. For when they are pressed themselves, and put to the stress in the day of tentation, when it is their turn to watch, they give no evidence of their own care, faith, or patience. No borrowing, no substitution will serve the turn here, Attend tibi ipsi, look to thyself, thou canst not look to thyself by a Proxy, or Deputy. The good Kings David, Asah, and jehosaphat, did not serve God by their Chapleines, in the days of their danger, their own prayers are for ever Chronicled. And it is a high point of Piety worthy to be chronicled, that our Moses, Summus loco, summus exemplo, our good King, who is first in place, hath also been foremost in example, is the Coryphaeus, the first proclaimer, and in his own person keeper of solemn Fasts, most frequent at prayers, a royal preceptor in God's house and service. Then do men on earth live like those glorious Courtiers (Angels) in Heaven, when they most diligently wait upon God. It should be amongst men, as it is amongst the Elements, the higher the purer, the nearer to the Stars, the more conformable to heavenly motions; yea the great Rulers among the Stars (whom God made to govern Gen. 1. 16. day and night) do give this light and example to great Rulers amongst men, that they should ever be watchful, ever in motion, for the good of inferiors, and regulated by the prime Motor; so doing, these great lights shall never be eclipsed. Think not that Stellae nebulosae, the lesser stars only borrow light, but remember the greater stars receive the greater light: And if there be not a fair aspect from, and to the Sun of Righteousness, they suffer the greater eclipses. God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, an universal Bishop & overseer, out of his high watchtower, whence he beholdeth all our ways. It is therefore meet, that we in all our ways should set him before our eyes: he giveth (saith the Apostle) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, life and breath unto all. To the Ant as well as to the Elephant. If we live in God, rather than in ourselves, we must endeavour to live rather to God than to ourselves. If God do bestow breath upon us, oh let us bestow the best of our breath upon God. Attend deo, wait upon God, that hath made thee the masterpiece of Nature; and redeemed thee ' the prime object of Grace, and sanctified thee, to be an heir of Glory. Oh Luke 1. 37. let thy soul be a devout Anna, divorced from the world, and wedded to the Temple; yea let thy zealous soul speak of this mantle of flesh, and mount up in a fiery chariot: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 2 Kigs 2. 11. 1. Oh my soul look upward, be not glued to this base earth; grovel not in this Cabul, a land of dirt, in Hyrams' 1 Kigs 7. 13. map; stoop not to every, to any base Lure. The proper motion of the soul is an ascension unto God; not by the philosophers scale: for Saint Austin confesseth, that this ladder per exteriora, by outward means, is too short to reach to heaven, there must be a jacobs' ladder to reach home. The pile of creatures is but the Mount under our feet. The illuminated understanding and the sanctified will, are the two Seraphical wings that carry us up before the throne of Grace. The life of the devout man is a kind of a continual ecstasy, their souls do wait upon God in the Galleries of heaven, even while their mortified bodies do walk towards their graves; and like drowsy watchmen are ready to drop into this slimy gutter. I have kept you too long waiting upon this watch: to draw towards the discharging thereof for this time. Dear beloved in our Lord, ctc. Be we excited every one of us, diligently to keep this watch, that we may walk on in the power of God, and the strength of our prayers. It is not a moat of the Sea, or a wall of Cliffs, nor our own arms that can defend us, except God fight for us; except our Land be compassed with the Ocean of God's mercies, and fortified by the rock Christ jesus. Be first at peace at home within yourselves. Love's brotherly love, which is the Ephes. 4. 3. bond of peace; then look to your inbred foes, your bosom traitors, your enemies at home; and ye shall be the safer from your enemies abroad. It doth cost other nations much effusion of their own blood and others, to defend themselves and keep back their enemies; shall we sit at home, with our thumbs under our girdles (covetously,) with our naked throats (cowwardly) expecting the sword of our enemies? [choose rather to lose our lives, than lend our monies to the supply of our good King, and the defence of his & our three Kingdoms?] At least shall we not spend our breath, or rather the groans of the spirit, in our own defence, in the defence of our wives and children, lands and liberties, against so proud and cruel an enemy? Oh pierce the heavens with your volleys of prayers, for the safety of the state, your own welfare, and the welfare of your souls, that our Pathmos (this Island) may still be Gremium pacis, the lap and bosom of peace, even to strangers; and that ourselves, even every one of us, may enjoy the peace of our own bosoms. We are encompassed with whole seas of danger; it will be our only wisdom and safety, to anchor ourselves upon God, to sail by the compass of his word; and to have an eye to that Pharos, that guides us to the land of promise, to the land of the living; so shall that of Tertullian be verified, Sperando timebimus, timendo cavebimus, cavendo salui erimus, In hoping we shall fear, in fearing, take heed, and by taking heed, be saved. If we keep our bodies as the temples of God, and Psal. 18. 1. our souls as his pavilion; he will make his own name our tower of defence. Thus much for the discharge of my conscience and duty at this time; but yet I may not quite discharge, and break up this watch; we must at all times stand upon this watch, and never lay down our armour, till we shall lay down our lives, and be translated to that kingdom, where there is no enemy, nor danger. To the which he bring us, who hath so dearly bought us, Christ jesus, by the conduct of his holy spirit. To whom with the Father etc. three persons, one true, ever living God, we desire to ascribe, as his due, and our duty, all praise, power, honour, glory and thanksgiving, this day and evermore, Amen. FINIS.