PHARISAISME AND CHRISTIANITY: Compared and set forth in a Sermon at Paul's Cross, May 1. 1608. By I. H. Upon MATTH. 5.20. Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Phariseiss, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.  
LONDON, Printed by Melchisedech Bradwood for Samuel Macham, and are to be sold at his shop in Paul's Churchyard at the sign of the Bulhead. ANNO 1608.   

TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER in God, and my very good Lord, THOMAS Lord Bishop of LONDON, I. H. wisheth all grace and happiness.  
RIGHT REVEREND and HONOURABLE,  
I Know there is store of Sermons extant; The pulpit scarce affordeth more than the Press. I add to the number, and complain not: In all good things abundance is an easy burden. If the soul may feed itself with variety, both by the ear, and by the eye, it hath no reason to find fault with choice. But if any weaker stomach (as in our bodily Tables) shall fear to surfeit at the sight of too much, it is easy for that man to look off, and to confine his eyes to some few: who cannot much sooner abate to himself, than multiply to another? Let not his nice sullenness prejudice that delight and profit which may arise to others from this number. For me, I dare not be so envious, as not to bless God for this plenty, and seriously to rejoice that God's people may thus liberally feast themselves by both their senses: neither know I for whether more; The sound of the word spoken pierceth more, the letter written endureth longer; the ear is taught more suddenly, more stirringly: the eye with leisure and continuance. According to my poor ability I have desired to do good both ways, not so much fearing censures, as caring to edify. This little labour submisselie offers itself to your Lordship, as justly yours: being both Preached at your call, and (as it were) in your charge, and by one under the charge of your fatherly jurisdiction, who unfeignedly desires by all means to show his true heart to God's Church, together with his humble thankfulness to your Lordship; and professeth still to continue  
Your Lordships in all humble duty and observance IOS. HALL..   
MATTH. chap. 5. vers. 20. 
Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Phariseiss, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven.  
THE curious Doctors 

Petr. Galatin. de arcan. fidei Cath. ad finem.  
Ex glos. Rab. Sh●lom●h.   of the jews had reduced all God's statute-law to six hundred and thirteen precepts; so many as there are days in the year, and members in the body. It was an honest & (which were strange) a Christian conceit of one of their Rabbins, that David abridges all these to eleven in his Psal. 15. Esay to six, in his 33.15. Micha● yet lower to three, in his 6.8. Esay yet again to two, in his 56 1. Habacue to one, The just man shall live by faith. 
Lex est evangelium praedictum: evangelium lex completa.  So ye see, the Law ends in the Gospel; and that Father said not a miss, The Law is the Gospel foretold▪ and the Gospel is the Law fulfilled. These two are the freehold of a Christian; and what but they?  
The jews of these times perverted the Law, rejected the Gospel. Our Saviour therefore that great Prophet of the World (as it was high time) clears the Law, delivers and settles the Gospel: well approving in both these, that he came not to consume, but to consummate the Law. 
1. Cor. 16.9  Wherein (as Paul to his Corinth's) he had a great door, but many adversaries: 
joh. 3. Art thou a Master in Israel?  amongst these were the great masters of Israel (so our Saviour terms the Phariseiss) and their fellows, and yet their rivals, the Scribes: both so much harder to oppose, by how much their authority was greater.  
Truth hath no room till falsehood be removed; Our Saviour therefore (as behoved) first shows the falsehood of their Glosses, and the hollowness of their profession; and if both their life and Doctrine be nought; what free part is there in them? And lo both of these so faulty, that Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Phariseiss, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven.  
What were the men? What was their righteousness? What wanted it? Follow me, I beseech you, in these three, and if my discourse shall seem for a while, more thorny and perplexed, remedy it with your attention.  
Those things which are out of the ken of sense or memory, must be fetch't from Story. The Sect (or order whether) of the Phariseiss ceased with the Temple; since that, no man reads of a Pharisie; and now is grown so far out of knowledge, that the modern jews are more ready to learn of us who they were: There is no point, wherein it is more difficult, to avoid variety, yea ostentation of reading; without any curious traversing of opinions, I study for simple truth, as one that will not lead you out of the roadway to show you the turnings. Scribes were ancient; 
Esr. 6.7.  Esra is called (Sopher mahir) a prompt Scribe. As long before him, soever since they continued till Christ's time; but in two ranks; some were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: Some popular, others legal: Some the peoples, others, Gods: The one Secretaries, Recorders, Notaries, as 2. Chron. 24.11. (Sopher hamelec) the King's Scribe: The other Doctors of the Law of God: 
jer. 8.8.  The Law of the Lord is with us, in vain made he it, the pen of the Scribe is in vain.  
As the Phariseiss were (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉;) Lawmasters: so these are the same which Luc. 11.45. are called (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) interpreters of the Law. though to some not mean Critics, it seems these should be a third sort; which consider not, that our Saviour on purpose addressing his speech to the Phariseiss, fell by the way upon the Scribes, and being admonished by one of them, as of an oversight, now avers right down of the Scribes, what before he had but indifferently glanced at. 
Neh. 8.4. Matt. 23.2. Cleric: judaeorum: saith Jerome.  What they were, is plain by ezra's pulpit; and Moses his chair. These and Phariseiss differed not much; they agreed in some good, but in more evil. But the profession of Phariseiss, because it is more obscure, you shall give me leave to fetch somewhat further.  

Euseb. eccls hist. l. 4 c. 22 Erant in circumcisione diversae sententiae qua maximè tribui judae adversabantur, etc.  There were, saith old Egesippus (as Eusebius cities him) divers opinions in the Circumcision; which all crossed the tribe of juda: Essens, Galileans, Emerobaptists, Masbutheans, Samaritans, Phariseiss, Sadduces. It were easy to help him with more, 
Vid Ios. Scalig resp. ad Serarium.  Sebuaeans, Cannaeans, Sampsaeans; and if need were, yet more. Where are those waverers, that stagger in their trust to the Church, because of different opinions, receiving that rotten argument of profane Celsus against the Christians? 
Orig. lib. 5. adverse. Cells. Christian●s non habere veram Religionem, quòd in varias sectas divisi essent.  Says the Papists, One saith I am Caluins, another, I am Luther's. We disclaim, we defy these titles, these divisions: we are one in truth: would God we were yet more one: It is the lace and fringe of Christ's garment, that is questioned amongst us, the cloth is sound. But what? Was the jewish Church before Christ, God's true Church, or not? If it were not, which was it? If it were: lo that here rend in more than eight parts, 
Domus Sammai & Hillel. Ar. Mont. in evang.  and one of them differing from itself in eighteen opinions; and yet as Irenaeus well observes, 
Ante aduentum Christi, non tot & tam blasphemae harese▪ Irem. lib. 5.  before Christ, there were neither so many heresies, nor so blasphemous.  
Show me a Church on earth without these wrinkles of division, and I will never seek for it in heaven: although to some Pharisaism seems rather a several order, than a sect: but S. Luke that knew it better, hath (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) the Sect of the Phariseiss. 
Act. 15.5.  When the profession began, no history recordeth. Some would fain fetch them from Esay 65.5. Touch me not, for I am holier than thou. But these strain too far; for in the verse before, the same men eat swines-flesh; which to the Phariseiss is more than piacular. Hear briefly, their name, their original, their office. Their name (though it might admit of other probable derivations, 
In eam consentiunt omnes Hebraei, teste Bahal Haruch, Pagnin. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  yet) by consent of all Hebrew Doctors (I have a great Author for it) is fetch't from separation; though upon what grounds, all agree not; doubtless for the perfection of their doctrine, and austerity of life. Their original is more intricate; which after some scanning, I have thus learned of some great Masters of jewish Antiquities. 
Ar. Montanus. Ios. Seal. I. Drus●●, etc.  Before there was any open breach in the old jewish Church; there were two general, and divers conceits about God's service: One, that took up only with the Law of God; and if they could keep that, thought they needed no more; neither would they sapere supra scriptum; be wiser than their maker; These were called (Karraim) of which sort there are divers at this day in Constantinople, and other where, at deadly feode with the other jews, which they now call Rabbinistes.  
The other, that thought it small thanks to do only what they were bidden; God's Law was too straight for their holiness: It was nothing, unless they did more than content God, earn him (for these were Popish jews) and supererogate of him. These were therefore called (Chasidim) Holy: above the Law: they plied God with unbidden oblations, gave more than needed, did more than was commanded: Yet so, as both parts pleased themselves, resisted not the other: The more frank sort upbraided not the other, with too much niggardliness; neither did the straiter-handed envy the other for too much lavishness. Would God we could do thus; They agreed though they differed: But now, when these voluntary services began to be drawn into Canons, (as Scaliger speaketh) and that which was before but arbitrary, was imposed as necessary, (necessary for belief, necessary for action) questions arose, and the rent began in the jews: Those dogmatical Doctors which stand for supererogation, and traditions above Law, were called (Peruschim) Phariseiss; separate from the other in strict judgement, in superfluous holiness: These as they were the brood of those (Chasidim) whom we find first mentioned in the Maccabees by the corrupt name of Asideans; so from them again, 
1. Mac. 2.47  in a second succession proceeded (as their more refined issue) the Essens, both Collegiate and Eremitical: These Phariseiss then, were a fraternity or College of extraordinary devotion; whose rule was Tradition, whose practice voluntary austereness: To them the Scribes joined themselves, as the purer jews, 
Act. 26.5. Eruditius caeteris legem 〈◊〉 Pher. Ios●●. ● de bello jud. c. 4.  for Paul calls them [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] the most exquisite sect; yea, and (as josephus) the best expositors; willingly expounding the Law according to their Traditions: and countenancing their Traditions by the forced senses of the Law. Both which professions were greatly enlarged and graced, by two famous Doctors Sammai and Hillel (whom some, though falsely, would have the founders of them) not long before Christ's time; for old Hillel of 120. years, protracted his days by likely computation, to ten years after Christ's birth. How Hierome fetcheth their names with more wittiness, 
An old saying, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Descipuli Sammai occidebant descipulos Hillel.  than probability, from Dissipating & Profaning the Law; and what bicker and deadly quarrels were even amongst themselves in those two famous houses; & what were the four expositions of the Law which they followed, 
Epiphan. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. In nomen 

Mosie,  
Aciba,  
Anna,  
Filiorum  
Assamonai.    I list not now to discourse. Their employment was expounding the Law and urging Traditions; therefore their auditors had wont to say, when they called one another to Church (as S. 
Higher Algasiae de 11. quaestionib.  Hierome tells us) [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] The wise, that is, the Phariseiss, expound to day. Whence perhaps, that may be interpreted of S. 
1. Cor. 1.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Paul to the Corinth's, Where is the wise? where is the Scribe? So did the Scribes too; 
Scriba lectionarij quasi Scripturarij vel Textuarij; Pharisaei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Drus.  but the difference was, that the Scribes were more textual; the Phariseiss more Traditional: therefore observe, that the Scribe finds fault with the suspicion of blasphemy; 
Matth. 9  the Pharisee with unwashen hands: the Scribes (their Doctors) excelled for learning, the Phariseiss for piety. Their attire was the same, 
Eodem habitis cum Scribis muliebri passio, latis crepidis, & calceamentorum ligulis procedentes. Epiphan.  and their fashions, but the Phariseiss had [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] more sway; and were more strict & Cappucine-like; professed more years continency; and in a word, took more pains to go to hell. These did so carry away the hearts of the jews, that there was no holy man, which was not termed a Pharisee; and therefore among the seven kinds of Phariseiss in their Talmud, they make Abraham a Pharisei of Love; 
Meahavah.  job a Pharisee of Fear. And if from the men you cast your eyes upon their righteousness, you cannot but wonder at the curiosity of their zeal. Wherein look (I beseech you) first at their devotion, than their holy carriage, lastly their strict observation of the Law.  
Such was their devotion that they prayed [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] as a Father saith: Oft and long, 
Epiph.  thrice a day was ordinary: at nine, twelve, and three a clock: 
Chasidim.  yea their progenitors (whom they would scorn not to match) divided the day into three parts: whereof one was bestowed on Prayer, the next on the Law, the third on their work: See here: God had 2. parts of 3. themselves but one: beside at their meals what strictness? 
Prac. Mosaica cum ex pos. Rabbinorum à Munster. ed  Their very disciples were taught (to shame us Christians) if they had forgotten to give thanks, to return from the field to the board to say grace. For divine service; the Decalogue must be read once a day of every man; 
Ibid.  the Scribes say the first watch, the Phariseiss, any hour of the night: Others, twice; without moving eye, hand, foot; in a clean place, free from any excrement, & four cubits distant from any sepulchre. For-fasting, they did it twice a week; not Popishly (which Wickleffe justly calls Foole-fasting) but in earnest; 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Epiphan.  on Monday & Thursday. Besides (to omit their alms, which were every way proportionable to the rest) what miserable penance did they wilfully? they beat their heads against the walls, as they went, till blood came: whence one of their seven Phariseiss is called (Kizai) a Pharisee drawblood: 
Hier. in Mat. 23. Acutissimas in eyes spinas ligabant, ut amb●lantes & sedentes pungerentur & admonerentur officij. Josephus. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. etc.  they put thorns in their skirts, to sting themselves; they lay on planks, on stones, on thorns: and Banus that Heremitical Pharisee drenched himself oft, night and day in cold water [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] for chastity; or (if you read it without an aspiration) it signifies for folly rather: what could that apish and stigmatical Friar have done either more or worse ●. This was their devotion. The holiness of their carriage was such, that they avoided every thing that might carry any doubt of pollution; they would not therefore converse with any different religion; and this law went currant amongst them: He that eats a Samaritans' bread, 
Qui comedit panem samariticum a●st ●omederet sui●●am. Precept. Mos. cum expos. Rab.  be as he that eats swines-flesh: An Hebrew midwife might not help a Gentile; not books, not wax, not incense might be sold to them. Yea no familiarity might be suffered with their own vulgar. For whereas there were three ranks among the jews; the wise, (those were the Phariseiss) their Disciples, and the (populus terrae) as they called them, 

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: in the new Testament, the common people.  
unum ex sex opprobrijs vitandis à discipulis sa●ientum, Comessatio cum populo terrae. Ar. Mont. in evang. Epiphan.   this was one of the six reproaches to a novice of the Phariseiss, To eat with the vulgar sort: and lest (when they had been abroad) they should have been touched by any, contrary to the warning of their phylacteries, they scour themselves at their return; 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Mar. 7.3.  and eat not unless they have washed [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] that is, accurately, as the Syriac; oft, as Erasmus; or with the gripped fist, as Beza following Hierome. 
Prae. Mos. cum expos. Rab.  And not with every water (mark the niceness) but with that only which they had drawn up with their own labour: and to make up the measure of their pretended sanctimony, they vowed continency, 
Epiphan. l. 1.  not perpetual (as our Romanists urge) but for eight or ten years. Thus they did unbidden; how strictly did they perform what was enjoined? no men so exact in their tithes. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiph. Montan. in locum.  I pay tithes of all, saith the boasting Pharisee: Of all (as a great Doctor noteth) it was more than he needed: God would have a Sabbath kept; they over-keep it. 
Prae. Mos. cum expos.  They would not on that day stop a running vessel, not lay an apple to the fire, not quench a burning, not knock on a Table to still a child; what should I note more? 
Vox Egypti●ca. Versus quidam ex lege Mosis in pergameno scripti. scz. 14. priores. 13 Exod. 4.5.6.7.8.9. 6. Deut. Pag●.  not rub or scratch in public. God commands them to wear (Totaphoth) phylacteries: they do (which our Saviour reproves) [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] enlarge them: and these must be written with right lines in a whole parchment of the hide of a clean beast▪ God commands to celebrate and roast the Passeover, they will have it done (in an excess of care) not with an iron but a wooden spit, 
Quòd ferrum vim assandi habet. Prat. Mos. cum Expos.  and curiously choose the wood of Pomegranate: God commanded to avoid Idolatry; they taught their Disciples, 
Ibid.  if an image were in the way, to fetch about some other; if they must needs go that way to run: and if a thorn should light in their foot (near the place) not to kneel, but sit down to pull it out, lest they should seem to give it reverence. I weary you with these jewish niceties. Consider then how devout, how liberal, how continent, how true-dealing, how zealous, how scrupulous, how austere these men were, and see if it be not a wonder, that our Saviour thus brandeth them; Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Phariseiss, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven: That is, If your doctrine be not more righteous, you shall not be entered of the Church: if your holiness be not more perfect, you shall not enter into heaven: behold, God's kingdom below and above is shut upon them.  
The poor jews were so besotted with the admiration of these two, that they would have thought if but two men must go to heaven, the one should be a Scribe, the other a Pharisee. What strange news was this from him that kept the keys of David, that neither of them should come there? It was not the person of these men, not their learning, not wit, not eloquence, not honour they admired so much, but their righteousness: and lo nothing but their righteousness is censured▪ Herein they seemed to exceed all men: herein all that would be saved must exceed them. Do but think how the amazed multitude stared upon our Saviour, when they heard this Paradox. Exceed the Phariseiss in righteousness? It were much for an Angel from Heaven. What shall the poor sons of the earth do if these worthies be turned away with a repulse? yea perhaps, yourselves all that hear me this day, receive this not without astonishment and fear, whiles your consciences secretly comparing your holiness with theirs, find it to come as much short of theirs, as theirs of perfection. And would to God you could fear more, & be more amazed with this comparison; for (to set you forward) must we exceed them or else not be saved? if we let them exceed us, what hope, what possibility is there of our Salvation? Ere we therefore show how far we must go before them, look back with me (I beseech you) a little, and see how far we are behind them.  

Mat. 23.3.  They taught diligently, and kept Moses his chair warm: How many are there of us, whom the great master of the Vineyard may find loitering in this public marketplace, and shake us by the shoulder with a Quid statis otiosi? Why stand you here idle?  
They compassed sea and land (Satan's walk) to make a proselyte: we sit still and freeze in our zeal, and lose proselytes with our dull and wilful neglect. They spent one quarter of the day in prayer: How many are there of us that would not think this an unreasonable service of God: we are so far from this extreme devotion of the old Euchitae, 
Correcti à Concilio Toletan. Bellar  that we are rather worthy of a censure with those Spanish Priests for our negligence: how many of you citizens can get leave of Mammon to bestow one hour of the day in a set course upon God? How many of you Lawyers, are first clients to God, ere you admit others, clients to you: how many of you have your thoughts fixed in Heaven, ere they be in Westminster? Alas, what dullness is this? what injustice; all thy hours are his, and thou wilt not lend him one of his own for thine own good. They read, they recited the Law, (some) twice a day; never went without some parts of it about them; 
Quilibet nostrûm de lege interr●gatus facilius quam nomen suum respondet. Ios. contr. App. l. 2.  But to what effect? There is not one of our people (saith josephus) but answers to any question of the Law as readily as his own name; how shall their diligence upbraid yea condemn us 〈◊〉 Alas how do our Bible's gather dust for want of use, while our Chronicle, or our Statute-booke, yea perhaps our idle and scurrilous playbooks are worn with turning. Oh how happy were our forefathers, (whose memory is blessed for ever) if they could with much cost and more danger get but one of Paul's Epistles in their bosoms; how did they hug it in their arms, hide it in their chest, yea in their heart! How did they eat, walk, sleep, with that sweet companion, & in spite of all persecution never thought themselves well, but when they conversed with it in secret! Lo now these shops are all open we buy them not; these books are open we read them not, and we will be ignorant because we will. The Sun shines and we shut our windows. It is enough for the miserable Popish laity to be thus dark, that live in the perpetual night of Inquisition; shall this be the only difference betwixt them and us; that they would read these holy leaves, and may not, we may and will not? There is no ignorance to the wilful. I stand not upon a formal and verbal knowledge, that was never more frequent, more flourishing. But if the main grounds of Christianity were thoroughly settled in the hearts of the multitude, we should not have so much cause of shame and sorrow, nor our adversaries of triumph and insultation: show less therefore for God's sake, and learn more; & ballast your wavering hearts with the sound truth of godliness, that you may fly steadily thorough all the tempests of errors: Make God's Law of your learned counsel with David, and be happy. Else if you will needs love darkness, you shall have enough of it: you have here inward darkness, there outward (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 
Mat. 8.12. ) This is your own darkness, 
Choshec Aphelah: Tenebra cal●ginis.  that his of whom the Psalmist; He sent darkness and it was dark: Dark indeed: A thick and terrible darkness, joined with weeping and gnashing. I urge not their awful reverence in their devotion, our sleepy or wild carelessness; their austere and rough discipline of the body, our wanton pampering of the flesh; though who can abide to think of a chaste Pharisee and a filithy Christian: a temperate Pharisee, and a drunken Christian? How shamefully is this latter vice (especially) grown upon us with time? we knew it once in our ordinary speech appropriated to beggars, now gallants fight for it. This beastliness had wont be bashful, now it is impudent; once children were wont to shout at a drunkard (as some soul wonder) now not to be drunk is quarrel enough among men, among friends: Those knees that we were wont to bow to the God of Heaven, are now bend to Bacchus in a Paganish, bestial, devilish devotion. To leave the title of Christians, for shame let us be either men or beasts. My speech hastens to their holy and wise strictness of carriage; wherein I can never complain enough of our inequality: They hated the presence, the fire, the fashion, the books of a Gentile, 
In aquam se cum vestibus ●●mergunt ●hi contigerint auquem ●xa●ia gen●e: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 etc. Epiph.  of a Samaritan; neither was there any hatred lost on the Samaritans part; for if he had but touched a jew, he would have thrown himself into the water clothes and all: both of them equally sick of a Noli me tangere: Touch me not, for I am holier. Esay 65.  
Our Romish Samaritans haunt our tables, our closerts, our ears; we frown not, we dislike not: We match, converse, confer, consult with them carelessly, as if it were come to the old stay of that indifferent Appelles in Eusebius; Sat est credere in crucifixum: but that which I most lament, and ye, Fathers and Brethren, if my voice may reach to any whom it concerneth, in the bowels of Christ let me boldly (though most unworthy) move your wisdoms, your care to redress it. Our young students (the hope of posterity) newly crept out of the shell of Philosophy, spend their first hours in the great Doctors of Popish controversies; Bellarmine is next to Aristotle: yea our very ungrounded Artisans, young Gentlemen, frail Women, buy, read, traverse promiscuously the dangerous Writings of our subtlest Jesuits. What is the issue? Many of them have taken poison, ere they know what milk is▪ & when they have once tasted this bane, they must drink and die. Oh what pity, what vexation is it to a true heart, to see us thus ●ob'd of our hopes; them of their souls! I have heard, yea I have seen and envied the cautelous severity of our Adversaries, which upon though deepest pains forbid the sale, yea the sight of those Authors, which they term infectious; where was ever Calvin publicly bought in one of their Churchyards? Where ever read without licence, without security? I censure not this as the peculiar fault of this place; would God this open remissness were not a common evil, and had not spread itself wide thorough all those Churches that are gone out of Babylon. Let no man tell me of the distinction of that old Canonist: 
Barthol. ●fixiensis.  Somethings (saith he) we read, lest they should be neglected, as the Bible; some lest they should be unknown, as Arts and Philosophy; some that they may be rejected, as Heretical books. True▪ But let them read that can 〈◊〉, that can confute; we distrust not our cause, but their weak judgements. A good Apothecary 〈◊〉 make a good medicine of a strong poison; must children therefore be allowed that box? I know how unworthy I am to advise; only I throw down myself at your feet and beseech you; that our losses and their examples may make us no less wise in our generation.  

Mat. 23.23.  I follow the comparison; They paid tithes of all they had, not a potherbe, but they tithed it. Hear this ye sacrilegious patrons, the merchants of souls, the pirates of the Church, the enemies of religion; they tithed all, you nothing; they paid to their Levites, your Levites must pay to you: Your cures must be purchased, your tithes abated or compounded for: O the shame of religion! How too justly may I usurp of you that of Seneca: Petty sacrileges are punished, while great ones ride in triumph? Never excuse it with pretence of Ceremony; Moses never gave so strict a charge for this as Paul; 
Gal. 6.6.  [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] Communicate all thy goods with thy teacher; All, with an emphasis. Welfare yet the honest Phariseiss, whose rule was: (Decima ut Dives fias) Tithe and be rich: If ever thou be the fatter for this gravel, or the richer with that thou stealest from God, let me come to beg at thy door.  
Woe to you spiritual robbers. Our blind forefathers clothed the Church, you despoil it: their ignorant devotion shall rise in judgement against your ravening covetousness. If robbery, simony, perjury will not carry you to hell: hope still that you may be saved. They gave plentiful alms to the poor we in stead of filling their bellies, grind their faces. What excellent Laws had we lately enacted that there should be no beggar in Israel? Let our streets, ways, hedges witness the execution. Thy liberality relieves some poor. It is well. But hath not thy oppression made more? Thy usury, extorting, racking, enclosing, hath wounded whole Villages, and now thou befriendest two or three with the plasters of thy bounty. The mercies of the wicked are cruel. They were precise in their Sabbath, we so lose in ours, as if God had no day: See whether our Taverns, streets, hy-ways descry any great difference. These things I vowed in myself to reprove; if too bitterly, (as you think) pardon (I beseech you) this holy impatience: and blame the foulness of these vices, not my just vehemency. And you (Christian hearers) than which no name can be dearer be persuaded to ransack your secure hearts; and if there be any of you whose awaked conscience strikes him for these sins, and places him below these jews in this unrighteousness, if you wish or care to be saved, think it high time, as you would ever hope for entrance into God's kingdom, to strike yourselves on the thigh, and with amazement and indignation to say, What have I done? to abandon your wicked courses; to resolve, to vow, to strive unto a Christian and conscionable reformation. Paul a Pharisee was according to the righteousness of the Law unreprovable yet if Paul had not gone from Gamaliels' feet, 
Phil. 3.6.  to Christ's, he had never been saved: unreprovable and yet rejected▪ Alas, my brethren, what shall become of our gluttony, drunkenness, pride, oppression, bribing, cozenages, adulteries, blasphemies, and ourselves for them? God and men reprove us for these: what shall become of us? If the civilly righteous shall not be saved, where shall the notorious sinner appear? A Christian below a jew? For shame, where are we? where is our emulation? Heaven is our goal, we all run▪ lo the Scribes and Phariseiss are before thee; what safety can it be to come short of those that come short of heaven? Except your righteousness, etc.  
You have seen these Scribes and Phariseiss; their righteousness and our unrighteousness. See now with like patience, their unrighteousness that was, and our righteousness that must be, wherein they failed, and we must exceed. They failed then in their Traditions and Practice. May I say they failed, when they exceeded? Their Traditions exceeded in number and prosecution, faulty in matter.  
To run well, but out of the way (according to the Greek proverb) is not better than to stand still. Fire is an excellent thing, but if it be in the top of the chimney, it doth mischief rather. It is good to be zealous in spite of all scoffs, 
Gal. 4.18.  but (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) In a good thing. If they had been as hot for God, as they were for themselves, it had been happy: but now in vain they worship me (saith our Saviour) teaching for doctrines the Traditions of men. Hence was that axiom received currently amongst their jewish followers: 
Pl●● est in verbis sapientum quam in verbis legis. Galatin.  There is more in the words of the wise, than in the words of the law: More; that is, more matter, more authority: and from this principally arises and continues that mortal quarrel betwixt them and their (Karraim) and (Minim) unto this day. 
Serarius.  A great jesuit (at lest that thinks himself so) writes thus in great earnest: 
Non mali comparari Pharisaeos Catholicis.  The Phariseiss (saith he) may not unfitly be compared to our Catholics. Some men speak truth ignorantly, some unwillingly; Caiphas never spoke truer, when he meant it not: one egg is not liker to another, than the Tridentine fathers to these Phariseiss in this point, besides that of free-will, merit, full performance of the Law, which they absolutely received from them: For mark; With the same reverence & devotion do we receive and respect Traditions, 
Pari pietatis affectu & reverentia Traditiones unà cum libris veteris & novi Testamenti sustipimus & veneramur: Decr. 1. Sess. 4.  that we do the books of the Old and New Testament, say those fathers in their fourth session: Hear both of these speak and see neither, if thou canst discern whether is the Pharisee, refuse me in a greater truth. Not that we did ever say with that Arrian in Hilary: 
Nolo verba qu● scripta non sunt legi  We debar all words that are not written▪ or would think fit with those fanatical Anabaptists of Munster, that all books should be burnt besides the Bible: some Traditions must have place in every Church; but their place: they may not take wall of Scripture: Substance may not in our valuation give way to circumstance. God forbid. If any man expect that my speech on this opportunity should descend to the discourse of our contradicted ceremonies, let him know that I had rather mourn for this breach than meddle with it. God knows how willingly I would spend myself into persuasions if those would avail any thing: but I well see that tears are fitter for this theme than words. The name of our Mother is sacred and her peace precious. As it was a true speech cited from that father by Bellarmine: 
Bellum Haeresicorum pax est Ecclesiae ex Hilario Bellar  The war of Heretics is the peace of the Church: so would God our experience did not invert it upon us▪ The war of the Church is the peace of Heretics. Our discord is their music; our ruin their glory: Oh what a fight is this, Brethren strive while the enemy stands still, and laughs and triumphs. If we desired the grief of our common mother, the languishing of the Gospel, the extirpation of religion, the loss of posterity, the advantage of our adversaries, which way could these be better effected than by our dissensions. 
Esconedo.  That Spanish Prophet in our age (for so I find him styled) when King Philip asked him how he might become master of the Low-Countries, answered; If he could divide them from themselves. According to that old Machiavellian principle of our Jesuits, Divide and Rule. 
Concordiâ res parva crescunt, etc.  And indeed it is concord only (as the Posy or Mot of the united States runs) which hath upheld them in a rich and flourishing estate against so great and potent enemies. Our Adversaries already brag of their victories; and what good heart can but bleed to see what they have gained since we dissented, to foresee what they will gain? 
Nostrâ miseriâ tu es magnus. de Pomp. mi●●●  They are our mutual spoils that have made them proud and rich. If you ever therefore look to see the good days of the Gospel, the unhorsing and confusion of that strumpet of Rome, for God's sake, for the Church's sake, for our own soul's sake, let us all compose ourselves to peace and love: Oh pray for the peace of jerusalem; that peace may be within her walls, and prosperity within her palaces.  
For the matter of their Traditions our Saviour hath taxed them in many particulars; about washings, oaths, offerings, retribution: whereof he hath said enough when he hath termed their doctrine, the Leaven of the Phariseiss, that is, sour and swelling. 
In Mar. 23.  S. Hierome reduces them to two heads: They were Turpia, anilia; some so shameful that they might not be spoken; others idle & dotish; both so numerous that they cannot be reckoned. Take a taste for all; and to omit their real traditions, hear some of their interpretative. The Law was, that no Leper might come into the Temple; their Tradition was, that if he were let down thorough the roof, this were no irregularity. 
Prae. Mos. cum expos. Rab.  The Law was, a man might not carry a burden on the Sabbath; their Traditional gloss; if he carried aught on one shoulder it was a burden; 
Ibid.  if on both, none. If shoes alone, no burden; if with nails, not tolerable. 
Ibid.  Their stint of a Sabbaths journey was a thousand cubits; their gloss was, That this is to be understood without the walls, but if a man should walk all day thorough a city as big as Nineuie, he offends not. The Church of Rome shall vie strange glossems and ceremonious observations with them, whether for number or for ridiculousness. The day would fail me if I should either epitomize the volume of their holy rites, or gather up those which it hath omitted. 
Sacrarun C●remoniarum lib. 1. accipit de gremi● Camerarij pecuniam, ubi nihil tamen est argenti; spargensque in populo d●cit: Aurum & argentum non est mihi, quod antem habeo hoc tibido. Can●n. Penitential. pag. 1. 

Num. 12  
Ezec. 4.    The new elected Pope in his solemn Lateran procession must take copper money out of his Chamberlains lap, and scatter it among the people, and say; Gold and silver have I none. Seven years penance is enjoined to a deadly sin; because Miriam was separated seven days for her Leprosy; and God says to Ezekiel, I have given thee a day for a year. Christ said to Peter, Launch forth into the deep: 
Luc. 5. Otho Fristugensis in praf●●.  therefore he meant that Peter's successor should catch the great fish of Constantine's donation. But I favour your ears. That one I may not omit, how S. Hierome, whom they fond term their Cardinal, compares some Popish fashions of his time with the Pharisaical; who when he had spoken of their purple fringes in the four corners of their (Tallin) and the thorns which these Rabbins tie in their skirts, for penance, and admonition of their duty: 
In Mat. 23.  Hoc apud nos (saith he) superstitiosae mulierculae in paruulis Euangelijs, in crucis ligno & istiusmodi rebus factitant: that is, Thus superstitious old wives do amongst us with little Gospels of john, with the wood of the Cross, and the like. Thus that father directly taxeth this Romish use, who if he were now alive, and should hear their Church groaning under the number of Ceremonies more than the jewish, would (besides holy Austin's complaint) redouble that censure of our Saviour, 
Mat. 23.4.  Woe to you Scribes, Phariseiss, hypocrites, for ye bind heavy burdens, and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders. I forbear to speak of the erroneous opinions of these jewish masters concerning that Pythagorean 
Vide Drufinus de tribus sectis Jud.  transanimation or passage of the soul from one body to another (a point which the jews had learned from them: Mat. 16.14.) concerning the not-rising up of the wicked Astronomical destiny, free-will, merit of works, perfection of obedience; in every of which it were easy to lose myself and my speech. I haste to their main unrighteousness; which was not so much the planting of these stocks, which God never set, as the graffing of all holiness and God's service upon them; 
Alia doctrina Pharisa●rum qua est nisi legis secundum carnem obseruatio? Hier. in Gal. 1.  a fashionable observation of the outward letter, with neglect of the true substance of the Law; a vainglorious ostentation of piety and perfection; and more care to be thought than to be good; a greater desire to be great, than good; cruelty and oppression coloured with devotion. My speech now towards the closure shall draw itself up within these two lists; of their Hypocrisy, their wordliness: Hypocrisy in fashionableness and Ostentation; Worldliness in Covetousness, Ambition. Only stir up yourselves a while and suffer not your Christian attention to fail in this last act.  
Some of their Rabbins say well, that God requires two things concerning his Law, Custody and work.. Custody in the heart; work in the execution; These unsound and overly Phariseiss did neither. It was enough if they kept the Law in their hands; so they had a formal show of godliness it was enough: 
2. Tim. 3.5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  if the outside of the platter were clean they cared for no more. God had charged them to bind the Law to their hand, and before their eyes, Deut. 6. wherein, as Jerome and Theophylact well interpret it, he meant the meditation and practice of his Law: they, like unto the foolish patient, which when the physician bids him take that prescript, eats up the paper; if they could get but a list of parchment upon their left arm next their heart, and another scroll to tie upon their forehead, and four corners of fringe, 
Si haec prohibea●tur, fil●● 〈◊〉 ponent in man●. Praec. Mos. cum expos.  or (if these be denied) ●●●ved thread in their hand, thought they might▪ say with Saul, Blessed be thou of the Lord, I have done the commandment of the Lord. That Opus operatum of the Papists (for I still parallel them) is not more false Latin than false Divinity▪ it is not the outside of thy obedience that God cares for, it never so holy, never so glorious; it is enough that men are cozened with these flourishes: the heart and the reins are those that God looks after what cares a good market-man how good the fleece be, when the liver is rotten. God doth not regard fashion so much as stuff. Thou deceivest thyself if thou think those shows that bleared the eyes of the world, can deceive him. God shall smite thee thou whited wall, God shall smite thee. Dost thou think he sees not how smoothly thou hast daubed on thine whorish complexion? He sees thee a far off, and hates thee while thy parasites applaud thy beauty. I speak not of this carrion-flesh which thou wantonly infectest with the false colours of thy pride, which God shall once wash off with rivers of brimstone. I speak of thy painted soul, and thy counterfeit obedience. Give me leave, (yea let me take it) to complain that we are fallen into a cold and hollow age wherein the religion of many is but fashion, and their piety gilded superstition; Men care only to seem Christians; If they can get God's livery on their backs, and his name in their mouths, they outface all reproofs. How many are there which if they can keep their Church, give an alms, bow their knee, say their prayers, pay their tithes, and once a year receive the Sacrament (it matters not how corrupt hearts, how filthy tongues, how false hands they bear) can say in their hearts with Esau, I have enough my Brother? As if God cared for this thy vain formality; as if he hated thee not so much more than a Pagan, by how much thou wouldst seem more good. Be not deceived; If long devotions, sad looks, hard penances, bountiful alms would have carried it (without the solid substance of godliness) these Scribes and Phariseiss had never been shut out of Heaven. Consider this therefore (dear Brethren) none but your own eyes can look into your hearts: we see your faces, the world sees your lives, yourselves see your souls: if your lives be not holy, your heart's sound, though your faces were like Angels, you shall have your portion with Devils. Tell not me thou hearest, prayest, talkest, believest: how livest thou? what dost thou? Show me thy faith by thy works, saith james. It was an excellent answer that good Moses gave to Lucius in the Church-story: 
Socrates eccls hist.  The faith that is seen is better than the faith that is heard; and that of Luther not inferior, that faith doth pinguescere operibus? grow fat and well liking with good works: it is a lean starved carcase of faith thou pretendest without these. If profession be all, the Scribes and Phariseiss are before thee; ransack thy heart, and find sound affection to God, firm resolutions to goodness, true hatred of sin; ransack thy life, and find the truth of works, the life of obedience; Then alone thy righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and Phariseiss, and thou shalt enter into Heaven. Their ostentation follows; wherein it is strange to consider, how those that cared not to be good should desire yet to seem good: so did these Phariseiss: They would not fast without a smeared face; not give an alms without a trumpet; not pray without witnesses, Scribes, Phariseiss, hypocrites, they did act a religious part, but play devotion. They were nothing beside the stage: all for sight, nothing for substance. Would God this vice of hypocrisy had either died with them, or had only hereditarily descended to their successors: Satan will not let us be thus happy. I see no man's heart, but I dare boldly say the world is full of hypocrisy. By their fruits you shall know them (saith our Saviour:) By their fruits; not by the blossoms of good purposes, nor the leaves of good profession, but by the fruits of their actions. Not to speak, how our mint and ●ummin hath encroached upon judgement and justice. Search yourselves (ye Citizens:) Now, you draw near to God with your lips, with your ears, where is your heart? here your devour attention seems to cry, The Lord is God: how many are there of you, that have any God at home? how many that have a false God? God at Church: Mammon in your shops? I speak not of all; God forbid. This famous City hath in the darkest, in the wantonest times, afforded (and so doth) many, that have done God honour, honesty to the Gospel: but how many are there of you that under smooth faces have foul consciences? fair words, false measures, forsworn valuations, adulterate wares, griping usuries have filled many of your coffers, and festered your souls: you know this, & yet like Salomon's courtesan you wipe your mouths, and it was not you: Your alms are written in Church-windowes, your defraudings in the sand; all is good save that which appears not; how many are there every where, that shame religion by professing it? whose beastly life makes God's truth suspected; for as, howsoever the Samaritan, not the jew, relieved the distressed traveler, yet the jews religion was true, not the Samaritans; so in others, truth of causes must not be judged by acts of persons; yet, as he said, It must needs be good that Nero persecutes; so who is not ready to say; It cannot be good that such a mis-creant professes? Woe to thee Hypocrite; thou canst not touch, not name goodness, but thou defilest it; God will plague thee for acting so high a part: See what thou art, and hate thyself; or (if not that) yet see how God hates thee; he that made the heart, says thou art no better than an handsome tomb; the house of death. Behold here a green turf or smooth marble, or engraven brass, and a commending Epitaph; all sightly: but what is within? an unsavoury, rotten carcase. though thou wert wrapped in gold and perfumed with never so loud prayers, holy semblances, honest protestations; yet thou art but noisome carrion to God: Of all earthly things God cannot abide thee; and if thou wouldst see how much lower yet his detestation reacheth, know that when he would describe the torments of hell, he calls them (as their worst title) but the portion of Hypocrites. Wherefore cleanse your hands ye sinners, and purge your hearts ye double-minded: 
jam. 4.8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  For unless your righteousness exceed the hypocritical righteousness of the Scribes and Phariseiss, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven.  
My speech must end in their Covetousness and Ambition: A pair of heinous vices I join them together: for they are not only brethren, but twins; yet so as the elder here also serves the younger. It is ambition that blows the fire of Covetousness. Oppression gets wealth; that wealth may procure honour. Why do men labour to be rich, but that they may be great? Their Covetousness was such, that their throat (an open sepulchre) swallowed up whole houses of Widows. Whence their goods are called by our Saviour (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: 
Luc. 11.41.  as if they were already in their bowels: and which was worst of all, while their lips seemed to pray, they were but chewing of that morsel. Their Ambition such, that they womanishly brawled and shouldered for the best seat; the highest piew: A title, a wall, a chair, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Mat. 23.6.  a cap, a knee, these were goodly cares for them that professed gravity, humility, mortification. Let me boldly say, jerusalem never yielded so very Phariseiss as Rome. These old disciples of Sammai and Hillel were not Phariseiss in comparison of our jesuits. From judgement (you see) I am descended to practise, wherein it no less easily made good that these are more kindly Phariseiss, than the ancient. A poor widows Cottage filled the paunch of an old Pharisee; How many fair Patrimonies of devout young Gentlemen 
* 
A word which the Seminaries report (in their Quodlibet) usual amongst them, to signify Beguiled & wiped of their inheritance; from the example of M. Henry Drury of Law shall in Suffolk so defeated by the Jesuits.  
As at Winno●-berg in Flanders near Dunkirk, where a rich legacy given by a charitable Lady for the building of an Hospital, was cunningly turned to the maintenance of Jesuits.   Druryed by them (pardon the word, it is their own; the thing I know and can witness) have gone down the throat of these Loyalists, let their own Quodlibet & Catechism report. What speak I of secular inheritances? these eyes have seen no mean houses of devotion and charity swallowed up by them. As for their ambitious insinuations, not only all their own religious enviously cry down, but the whole world sees and rings of. What oar of State can stir without their rowing? What kingdom either stands or falls without their intermeddling? What noble family complains not of their proling and stealth? And all this with a face of sad piety and stern mortification. Yea what other is their great Master but the king of Phariseiss? who under a pretence of simple piety, challenges without shame to have devoured the whole Christian world, the natural inheritances of secular Princes, by the foisted name of Peter's Patrimony, and now in most infamous and shameless ambition calls great Emperors to his stirrup, 
Sacr. cerem l. 1. de Conse Benedict. & Coron Pontif. Postea imperator s● praesaeus est stapha● equi Papalis tenet, & dein ducit equum per fraenum aliquantuium. And afterward: Dum Imperator haec officia prastat, debet Papa modesté recusare, tandem cum aliquibus bonis verbis recipiendo permittit, aliquantul●●● progredi, etc. That is, while the Emperor doth these services to the Pope of holding his stirrup, and leading his horse by the bridle the Pope ought modestly to refuse, but at last with some good words, he suffers him to go on a while; and then at last stays himself, etc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Act. 8.9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  yea to his footstool. But what wander we so far from home? Vae nobis miseris (saith S. Hierome) ad quos Pharisaeorum vitia tranfierunt; (Woe to us wretched men to whom the Phariseiss vices are derived.) The great Doctor of the Gentiles long ago said, All seek their own, and not the things of God; and is the world mended with age? would God we did not find it a sure rule; that (as it is in this little world) the older it grows, the more diseased, the more covetous: we are all too much the true sons of our great Grandmother; and have each of us an eves sweet tooth in our heads, we would be more than we are; and every man would be either (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) or (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉:) either the man, or somebody. If a number of your consciences were ripp't, o ye that would be Christian Gentlemen, Lawyers, Citizens, what do we think would be found in your maws? here the devoured patrimony of poor Orphans; there the Commons of whole Townships: here the impropriate goods of the Church; there piles of usury: here bribes, and unlawful fees; there the raw and indigested gobbets of simony: yea would God I might not say, but I must say it with fear, with sorrow, even of our sacred and divine profession, that which our Saviour of his twelve, Ye are clean, but not all. The multitude of our unregarded charges, and souls dying and starved, for want of spiritual provision, (while they give us bodily) would condemn my silence for too partial. In all conditions of men (for particulars are subject to envy & exception) the daughters of the horseleech had never such a fruitful generation: They cry still, Give, Give: Not give alone, that is, the bread of sufficiency, but give, give; that is, more than enough. But what is more than enough? What is but enough? What is not too little for the insatiable gulf of human desires? Every man would engross the whole world to himself, and with that ambitious conqueror fears it will be too little: 
Give me not poverty nor riches. Prou. 30.8.  and how few Agurs are there, that pray against too much? From hence it is, that ye Courtiers grate upon poor trades with hard Monopolies. Hence ye Merchants load them with deep and unreasonable prices, and make them pay dear for days. Hence ye great men wring the poor sponges of the Commonalty into your private purses; for the maintenance of pride and excess. Hence ye cormorant cornemongers hatch up a dearth in the time of plenty. God sends grain, but many times the Devil sends garners. The earth hath been no niggard in yielding: but you have been lavish in transporting, and close in concealing. Never talk of our extreme frosts: we see God's hand, and kiss the rod; but if your hearts, your charity were not more frozen than ever the earth was, mean housekeepers should not need to beg, nor the meanest to starve for want of bread. Hence lastly, our loud oppressions of all sorts cry to heaven, and are answered with threats, yea with variety of vengeances. Take this with thee yet, o thou worldling, which hast the greedy-worm under thy tongue with Esaies' dogs, and never hast enough. Thou shalt meet with two things as unsatiable as thyself; the Grave and Hell; and thou, whom all the world could not satisfy, there be two things whereof thou shalt have enough: Enough mould in the grave, enough fire in hell.  
I love not to end with a judgement; and as it were to let my Sun set in a cloud. We are all Christians, we should know the World, what it is, how vain, how transitory, how worthless. We know where there are better things, which we profess ourselves made for, and aspiring to: Let us use the world like itself, and leave this importunate wooing of it to Heathens and Infidels, that knew no other heaven, no other God; Or if you like that counsel better; Be Covetous: Be Ambitious. Covet spiritual gifts. 1. Cor. 14.1. Never think you have grace enough; desire more, seek for more: this alone is worth your affections, worth your cares: Be still poor in this, that you may be rich; be rich that you may be full; be full that you may be glorious. Be Ambitious, of favour, of honour, of a kingdom; of God's favour, of the honour of Saints, of the Kingdom of glory. Whither, he that hath bought it for us, and redeemed us to it, in his good time, safely and happily bring us. To that blessed Saviour of ours, together with the Father, and his good Spirit: the God of all the world, our Father, Redeemer, and Comforter, be given all praise, honour and glory now and for ever. Amen.   

THE PASSION-SERMON, PREACHED AT PAULES-CROSSE, on Good-friday. Apr. 14. 1609.  
By I. H.  
AT LONDON Printed by H. I. for Eleanor Edgar, and Samuel Macham: and are to be sold at the shops in Paules-Churchyard. ANNO 1609.   

Errata.  

Page 17. li: 8. Christian Read Christians  
Page 42. li: 1. life Read light  
Page 47. li: 5. in agony Read in agone. Latin.  
Page 50. li: 6. suffer, so long Read suffer: so long  
P: 74. l: 9 forbeareth to be short Read forbeareth: To be sho●●  
Page 92 li: 18 my men. Read by men.    

TO THE ONLY HONOUR AND GLORY OF GOD MY DEAR AND BLESSED SAVIOUR (WHICH HATH DONE AND SUFFERED ALL THESE THINGS FOR MY SOUL) HIS WEAK AND UNWORTHY SERVANT HUMBLY DESIRES TO CONSECRATE HIMSELF AND HIS POOR LABOURS: BESEECHING HIM TO ACCEPT AND BLESS THEM TO THE PUBLIQVE good; and to the praise of his own glorious NAME.   

To the READER.  
I Desire not to make any Apology for the edition of this my Sermon: It is motive enough, that herein I affect a more public, and more enduring good, Spiritual niceness is the next degree to unfaithfulness: This point cannot be too much urged, either by the tongue, or press. Religion and our souls depend upon it; yet are our thoughts too much beside it. The Church of Rome so fixes herself (in her adoration) upon the cross of Christ, as if she forgot his glory: Many of us so conceive of 〈◊〉 glorious, that we neglect the meditation of his Cross, the way to his glory, and ours. If we would proceed aright, we must pass from his Golgotha, to the mount of Olives, and from thence to heaven; and there seek and settle our rest. According to my weak ability, I have led this way in my speech; beseeching my Readers to follow me with their hearts, that we may overtake him which is entered into the true sanctuary, even the highest heavens, to appear now in the sight of God for us.   
JOHN. 19 verse 30. 
When jesus therefore had received the Vinegar, he said; It is finished: and bowing the head, he gave up the ghost.  
THE bitter and yet victorious passion of the son of GOD (right honourable and beloved Christians) as it was the strangest thing that ever befell the Earth: So, is both of most sovereign use, & looks for the most frequent & careful meditation. It is one of those things which was once done, that it might be thought of for ever. Every day therefore must be the Good-friday of a Christian: who, with that great Doctor of the Gentiles, must desire to know nothing but jesus Christ, and him crucified.  
There is no branch or circumstance in this wonderful business, which yields not infinite matter of discourse. Acc●●ding to the solemnity of this 〈◊〉 & place, I have chosen to commend unto your Christian attention, our saviours Farewell to Nature (for his reviving was above it) in his last word, in his last act. His last word, It is finished; his last act, He gave up the ghost: That which he said, he did. If there be any Theme that may challenge and command our ears & hearts, this is it: for, behold; the sweetest word that ever Christ spoke, and the most ●●●●●ious act that ever he 〈◊〉 met together in this his last breath. In the one, ye shall see him triumphing; yielding in the other, yet so as he ouerco●●● Imagine therefore, that 〈◊〉 Christ jesus, in this day of his passion (who is every day here crucified before your eyes) advanced upon the chariot of his Cross; and now, after a weary conflict, cheerfully overlooking the despite and shame of men, the wrath of his Father, the law, sin, death, hell; which all lie gasping at his foot: & than you shall conceive with what spirit he faith Consummatumest; It is finished. What is finished? Shortly; All the prophecies that were of 〈…〉 legal observations, that pre●●●gured him; His own sufferings; Our salvation. The prophecies are accomplished; The ceremonies abolished; His sufferings ended; Our sal●●tion wrought. These four heads shall limit this first part of my speech: only let them find & leave you attentive.  
Even this very word is prophesied of: All things that are written of me, have an end, saith Christ. What end? this, It is finished: This very end hath his end here. What therefore is finished? Not this prediction only of his last draft; as Augustine: that were too particular. Let our Saviour himself say; All things that are written of me by the Prophets. It is a sure and convertible rule; Nothing was done by Christ which was not foretold; nothing was ever foretold by the Prophets of Christ, which was not done. It would take up a life, to compare the Prophets and Evangelists; the predictions and the history; & largely to discourse, how the one foretells, and the other answers: let it suffice to look at them, running. Of all the Evangelists, S. Matthew hath been most studious, in making these references and correspondences: with whom, the burden or undersong of every event, is still (ut impleretur.) That it might be fulfilled. Thus hath he noted (if I have reckoned them aright) two and thirty several prophecies concerning Christ; fulfilled in his birth, life, death:  
☞ ☜ ☞ ☜ Esay 7.14. Mat. 1.23. Zach. 9.9. Mat. Ibid. Mic. 5.2. Mat. 2.6. jere. 7.11. Mat. 21.13. Esay 11.1. Mat. 2.25. Psalm. 8.2. Mat. 21.16. jer. 31.15. Mat. 2.18. Esay 5.8. Mat. 21.33. judg. 13.5. Mat. 2. ult. Psa. 118.22. Mat. 21.44. Esa. 40.3. Mat. 3.2. Psal. 110.1. Mat. 22.44. Esay 9.1. Mat. 4.15 Esay 8.14. Mat. 21.44. Leu. 14.4. Mat. 8.4. Psal. 41.9. Mat. 26.31. Esay 53.4. Mat. 8.17 Esa. 53.10 Mat. 26.54. Esay 61.1. Mat. 11.4 Zach. 13.7. Mat. 26.31. Esay 42.1. Mat. 12.17. Lam. 4.20. Mat. 26.56. jona 1.17. Mat. 12.40. Esay. 50.6 Mat. 26.67. Esay 6.9. Mat. 13.14 Zac. 11.13. Mat. 27.9. Psal. 78.2. Mat. 13.35 Psal. 22.18. Mat. 27.35. Es. 35.5.6. Mat. 15.30. Psal. 22.2. Mat. 27.46. Es. 62.11. Mat. 21.5. Psal. 69.22. Mat. 27.48.  
To which, S. john adds many more. Our speech must be directed to his Passion: omitting the rest, let us insist in those. He must be apprehended: it was y; The Anointed of the Lord was taken in their nets, saith jeremy: But how? He must be sold; for what? thirty silver pieces: and what must those do? Buy a field: all foretold; And they took thirty silver pieces, the price of him that was valued, & gave them for the Potter's field, saith Zachary (miswritten jeremy; by one letter mistaken in the abbreviation). By whom? that child of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Which was he? It is foretold; He that eateth bread with me, saith the Psalmist. And what shall his disciples do? Run away; so saith the prophecy: I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered, saith Zachary. What shall be done to him? He must be scourged and spit upon: behold, not those filthy excrements could have light upon his sacred face without a prophecy; I hid not my face from shame and spitting, saith Esay. What shall be the issue? In short; he shall be led to death: it is the prophecy; The Messias shall be slain, saith Daniel. What death? He must be lift up; Like as Moses lift up the Serpent in the wilderness: so shall the son of man be lift up. Chrysostome saith well, that some actions are parables; so may I say, some actions are prophecies: such are all types of Christ: & this with the foremost. Lift up? Whither? To the Cross: it is the prophecy; Hanging upon a tree, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  saith Moses. How lift up? Nailed to it: so is the prophecy; Foderunt manus, they have pierced my hands and my feet, saith the Psalmist. with what company? two thieves; With the wicked was he numbered, saith Esay: Where? without the gates, saith the prophecy. What becomes of his garments? they cannot so much as cast the dice for his coat, but it is prophesied; They divided my garments, and on my vestures cast lots, saith the Psalmist. He must die then on the Cross: but how? voluntarily. Not a bone of him shall be broken. What hinders it? lo, there he hangs, as it were neglected, & at mercy; yet all the raging jews, no, all the devils in hell, cannot stir one bone in his blessed body: It was prophesied in the Easter-Lambe, and it must be fulfilled in him that is the true Passeover, in spite of fiends and men. How then? he must be thrust in the side: behold, not the very spear could touch his precious side being dead, but it must be guided by a prophecy; They shall see him whom they have thrust-thorough, saith Zacharie. What shall he say the while? Not his very words but are forespoken: his complaint, Eli Eli lamma sabactani, as the Chalde; or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Hebrew, Psalm 22, 2. His resignation; In manus tuas, Juto thy hands I commend my spirit; Psalm 31, 5. His request; Father, forgive them: He prayed for the transgressors, saith Esay. And now, when he saw all these prophecies were fulfilled; knowing that one remained, he said, I thirst. Domine, quid satis? faith one; O LORD, what thirstest thou for? A strange hearing; that a man, yea, that GOD and MAN, dying, should complain of thirst.  
Could he endure the scorching flames of the wrath of his Father, the curse of our sins, those tortures of body, those horrors of soul; and doth he shrink at his thirst? No, no: he could have borne his drought; he could not bear the Scripture not fulfilled. It was not necessity of Nature, but the necessity of his Father's decree, that drew forth this word, I thirst. They offered it before: he refused it. Whether it were an ordinary potion for the condemned, to hasten death (as in the story of M. Antony) which is the most received construction: or whether it were that jewish potion, whereof the Rabbins speak; whose tradition was, that the malefactor to be executed, should after some good counsel from two of their Teachers, be taught to say; 
Sit mors mea in remissionem omnium iniquitatum mearum.  Let my death be to the remission of all my sins; and then, that he should have given him a bowl of mixed wine, 
Vt vs●● rationis tollatur.  with a grain of Frankincense, to bereave him both of reason and pain.  
I durst be confident in this later; the rather, for that Saint Mark calls this draft 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: Myrrhe-wine; mingled (as is like) with other ingredients. And Montanus agrees with me in the end, ad stuporem & mentis alienationem▪ A fashion which Galatine observes out of the Sanhedrim, to be grounded upon Proverbs 31, 6. Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish. I leave it modestly in the midst; let the learneder judge. Whatsoever it were, he would not die till he had complained of thirst, and in his thirst tasted it: Neither would he have thirsted for, or tasted any but this bitter draft; that the Scripture might be fulfilled; They gave me Vinegar to drink: And lo, now, Consummatum est; All is finished.  
If there be any jew amongst you, that like one of john's unseasonable Disciples, shall ask, Art thou he, or shall we look for another? he hath his answer; Ye men of Israel, why stand you gazing and gaping for another Messias? In this alone, all the prophecies are finished; & of him alone, all was prophesied that was finished. Paul's old rule holds still, To the Jews a stumbling block; and that more ancient curse of David, Let their table be made a snare; And Steuens two brands stick still in the flesh of these wretched men: One in their neck; 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  stiffnecked: the other in their heart; uncircumcised: the one, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Obstinacy; the other, Unbelief: stiffenecks indeed, that will not stoop and relent with the yoke of sixteen hundred years judgement and servility: uncircumcised hearts, the film of whose unbelief, would not be cut off with so infinite convictions. Oh mad & miserable Nation! Let them show us one prophecy that is not fulfilled; let them show us one other, in whom all the prophecies can be fulfilled, & we will mix pity with our hate: If they cannot, and yet resist; their doom is past; Those mine enemies, that would not have me to reign over them, bring them hither, and slay them before me. So let thine enemies perish, O Lord.  
But what go I so far? even amongst us (to our shame) this riotous age hath bred a monstrous generation; 
Aug. add Higher Don volunt & judaei esse & Christiani, nec judaei sunt, ne● Christiani.  (I pray God I be not now in some of your bosoms that hear me this day) compounded, much like to the Turkish religion; of one part, Christian; another, jew; a third, worldling; a fourth, Atheist: a Christian face, a jews heart, a worldlings life, & therefore Atheous in the whole; that acknowledge a God, & know him not; that profess a Christ, but doubt of him; yea, believe him not: The fool hath said in his heart there is no Christ. What shall I say of the semen? they are worse than devils▪ that yielding evil spirit, could say, jesus I know; and these miscreants are still in the old tune of that tempting devil; Si tu es filius Dei, if thou be the Christ. Oh God, that after so clear a Gospel, so many miraculous confirmations, so many thousand martyrdons, so many glorious victories of truth, so many open confessions of Angels, men, devils, friends; enemies; such conspirations of heaven & earth, such universal contestations of all ages and people; there should be left any spark of this damnable infidelity in the false hearts of men! Behold then, ye despisers, and wonder, and vanish away: whom have all the Prophet's foretold? or what have the prophecies of so many hundreds, yea, thousands of years foresaid, that is not with this word finished? Who could foretell these things, but the spirit of God? Who could accomplish them, but the son of God? He spoke by the mouth of his holy Prophets, saith Zacharie: he hath spoken, & he hath done; one true GOD in both. No other spirit could foresay these things should be done; none other power could do these things, thus foreshowed: this word therefore, can fit none but the mouth of God our Saviour, It is finished. We know whom we have believed; Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God. Let him that loves not the Lord jesus, be accursed to the death.  
Thus the prophecies are finished: Of the legal Observations, with more brevity▪ Christ is the end of the law: What law? Ceremonial; Moral. Of the moral; it was kept perfectly by himself, satisfied fully for us: of the ceremonial; it was referred to him, observed of him, fulfilled in him, abolished by him. There were nothing more easy then to show you how all those jewish ceremonies looked at Christ: how Circumcision, Passover, the Tabernacle, both outer and inner, the Temple, the Laver, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  both the Altars, the Tables of Showbread, the candlesticks, the vail, the Holy of holies, the Ark, the Propitiatory, the pot of Manna, Aaron's rod, the high Priest, his order and line, his habits, his inaugurations, his washings, anointings, sprinklings, offer, the sacrifices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and what ever jewish rite; had their virtue from Christ, relation to him, and their end in him. This was then their last gasp; for, now strait they died with Christ: now the vail of the Temple rend: 
Ex quo apparet, tunc scissum esse cum Christus emisit spiritum.  As Austen well notes, out of Mathew's order; It tore then, when Christ's last breath passed. That conceit of Theophylact is witty; that as the jews were wont to rend their garments when they heard blasphemy: so the Temple, not enduring these execrable blasphemies against the Son of God, tore his vail in pieces. But that is not all: the vail rend, is the obligation of the ritual law canceled; the way into the heavenly Sanctuary opened; the shadow giving room to the substance: in a word, it doth that which Christ saith; Consummatum est. Even now then the law of ceremonies died: 
Ceremoniae sicut defuncta corpora a necessariorum officijs deducenda erant ad sepulturam, non simulatè, sed religiosè, nec deserenda continuò. Augustin.  It had a long and solemn burial, as Augustine saith well; perhaps figured in Moses, who died not lingeringly, but was thirty days mourned for. What means the Church of Rome, to dig them up, now rotten in their graves? and that, not as if they had been buried, but sown, with a plentiful increase: yea, with the inverted usury of too many of you Citizens; ten for one. It is a grave and deep censure of that resolute Hierome; Ego è contrario loquar, etc. I say, 
Ego è contrario loquar, & reclamant mundo liberâ voce pro nuncien, ceremonias judaeorum perniciosas esse, et mortiferas, & quicunque eas obseruauerit sive ex judaeis, sive ex Gentibus, in barathrun diaboli devolutum. Hier.  saith he, and in spite of all the world dare maintain, that now the jewish ceremonies are pernicious, and deadly: & whosoever shall observe them, whether he be Jew or Gentile, in barathrun diaboli devolutum; shall fry in hell for it. Still Altars? still Priests? sacrifices still? still washings? still unctions? sprinkling, shaving, purifying? still all, and more than all? Let them hear but Augustine's censure; 
Quisquis nunc ea celebrare volverit, tanquam sopitos cineres eruens, non erit pius etc.  Quisquis nunc, etc. Whosoever shall now use them, as it were raking them up out of their dust; he shall not be pius deductor corporis, sed impius sepulturae violator: an impious & sacrilegious wretch, that ransacks the quiet tombs of the dead.  
I say not that all ceremonies are dead; but the Law of ceremonies, and of jewish. It is a sound distinction of them, that profound Peter Martyr hath in his Epistle, to that worthy Martyr, Father, Bishop, Hooper: Some are typical, foresignifying Christ to come: some, of order and decency. Those are abrogated, not these. The jews had a fashion of prophesying in the Churches; so the Christians from them, as Ambrose: the jews had an eminent pulpit of wood; so we: they gave names at their circumcision; so we at Baptism: they sung psalms melodiously in Churches; so do we: they paid & received tithes; so do we: they wrapped their dead in linen, with odours; so we: the jews had sureties at their admission into the church; so we. These instances might be infinite, the Spouse of Christ cannot be without her laces, & chains, and borders. Christ came not to dissolve order. But thou Lord, how long? how long shall thy poor Church find her ornaments, her sorrows? and see the dear sons of her womb, bleeding about these apples of strife? let me so name them, not for their value (even small things, when they are commanded, look for no small respect) but for their event: the enemy is at the gates of our Syracuse; how long will we suffer ourselves, taken up with angles and circles in the dust▪ Yemen, brethren, fathers, help; for God's sake put to your hands, to the quenching of this common flame: The one side by humility, and obedience; the other, by compassion; both by prayers and tears. Who am I, that I should revive to you the sweet spirit of that divine Augustine? who, when he heard & saw the bitter contentions betwixt two grave and famous Divines, Jerome, and Ruffian; Heu mihi, saith he, qui vos alicubi simul invenire non possum! Alas, that I shall never find you two together! how I would fall at your feet, how I would embrace them, and weep upon them, and beseech you; either of you for other, and each for himself; both of you for the church of GOD; but especially, for the weak, for whom Christ died: who, not without their own great danger, see you two fight in this Theatre of the world. Yet let me do, what he said he would do; beg for peace, as for life: by your filial piety to the Church of GOD, whose ruins follow upon our divisions; by your love of God's truth; by the graces of that one blessed Spirit, whereby we are all informed & quickened▪ by the precious blood of that son of GOD, which this day, and this hour, was shed for our redemption, be inclined to peace and love: & though our brains be different, yet let our hearts be one. It was, as I heard, the dying speech of our late reverend, worthy, and gracious Diocesan, Modò me moriente vivat ac floreat Ecclesia; Oh! yet if, when I am dead, the Church may live and flourish.  
What a spirit was here? what a speech? how worthy never to die? how worthy of a soul so near to his heaven? how worthy of so happy a succession? Ye whom God hath made inheritors of this blessed care, which do no less long for the prosperity of Zion, live you to effect, what he did but live to wish▪ all peace with ourselves, and war with none but Rome and Hell. And if there be any wayward Separatist, whose soul professeth to hate peace; I fear to tell him Paul's message, yet I must: Would to God those were out off that trouble you. How cut off? As good Theodosius said to Demophilus, a contentious Prelate; Situ pacem fugis, etc. 
Si tu pacem fugis, ego te ab Ecclesia fuger●mando.  of thou fly peace, I will make thee fly the Church. Alas! they do fly it: that which should be their punishment, they make their contentment: how are they worthy of pity? As Optatus, of his Donatists, they are brethren, might be companions, and will not. Oh wilful men! whither do they run? from one Christ to another? Is Christ divided? We have him; thanks be to our good God: and we hear him daily; and whither shall we go from thee? thou hast the words of eternal life.  
Thus the Ceremonies are finished: Now hear the end of his sufferings, with like patience and devotion. His death is here included; it was so near, that he spoke of it as done; and when it was done, all was done. How easy is it to lose ourselves in this discourse▪ how hard, not to be overwhelmed with matter of wonder; and to find either beginning, or end! His sufferings found an end; our thoughts cannot. Lo; with this word, he is happily waded out of those deeps of sorrows, whereof our conceits can find no bottom: yet let us, with Peter, gird our coa●e, and cast ourselves a little into this sea.  
All his life was but a perpetual Passion: In that he became man, he suffered more than we can do, either while we are men, or when we cease to be men: 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  he humbled, yea, he emptied himself. We, when we cease to be here, are clothed upon. 2. Cor. 5▪ We both win by our being, & gain by our less; he lost, by taking our more or less to himself, that is, manhood. For, though ever as God, I and my Father are one; yet as man, My Father is greater than J. That man should be turned into a beast, into a worm, into dust, into nothing; is not so great a disparagement, as that GOD should become man▪ and yet it is not finished; it is but begun. But what man? If, as the absolute Monarch of the world, he had commanded the vassalage of all Emperors and Princes, & had trod on nothing but Crowns and Sceptres, and the necks of Kings, and bidden all the Potentates of the earth to attend his train; this had carried some port with it, suitable to the heroical majesty of God's Son. No such matter: here is neither form nor beauty; unless perhaps (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) the form of a servant: you have made me to serve, with your sins. Behold▪ he is a man to God; a servant to man; and, be it spoken with holy reverence, a drudge to his servants. He is despised and rejected of men; yea (as himself, of himself) a worm, and no man, the shame of men, & contempt of the people. Who is the King of glory? 
Psal. 24, 10  the Lord of hosts he is the King of glory. Set these two together; the King of glory; the shame of men: the more honour, the more abasement. Look back to his cradle; there you find him rejected of the Bethlemites; borne & laid alas how homely, how unworthily: sought for by Herod, exiled to Egypt, obscurely brought up in the cottage of a poor foster-father, transported & tempted by Satan, derided of his kindred, blasphemously traduced by the jews, pinched with hunger, restless, harbourless, sorrowful, persecuted, by the Elders and Pharisees, sold by his own servant, apprehended, arraigned, scourged, condemned; & yet it is not finished. Let us, with that Disciple, follow him a far off; & passing over all his contemptuous usage in the way, see him brought to his Cross. Still the further we look, the more wonder; every thing adds to this ignominy of suffering, and triumph of overcoming. Where was it? not in a corner, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Acts. 26.27.  as Paul saith to Festus: but in jerusalem; the eye, the heart of the world. Obscurity abateth shame; public notice heightens it: Before all Israel, & before this sun, saith GOD to David, when he would throughlie shame him: In jerusalem, which he had honoured with his presence, taught with his preachings, astonished with his miracles, bewailed with his tears; O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft would I, and thou wouldst not! O yet if in this thy day! Cruelty and unkindness, after good desert, afflict so much more, as our merit hath been greater. Whereabouts? without the gates: in Calvary; among the stinking bones of execrable malefactors. Before, the glory of the place bred shame; now, the vileness of it. When? but in the Passeover; a time of greatest frequency, and concourse of all jews and proselytes: An holy time: when they should receive the figure, they reject the substance: when they should kill & eat the sacramental Lamb, in faith, in thankfulness, they kill the Lamb of GOD, our true Passeover, in cruelty and contempt. With whom? 
& In medio latronum tanquam latronum imma●issimus. Luther.  The quality of our company, either increases or lessens shame. In the midst of thieves (saith one) as the Prince of thieves. There was no guile in his mouth, much less in his hands: Yet behold, he that thought it no robbery to be equal with Go●, is made equal to robbers and murderers; yea, superior in evil. What suffered he? As all lives are not alike pleasant: so all deaths are not equally fearful: there is not more difference betwixt some life & death, then betwixt one death & another. See the Apostles gradation: He was made obedient to the death, even the death of the Cross. The Cross, a linger, tormenting, ignominious death. The jews had four kinds of death for malefactors; the towel, the sword, fire, stones; each of these above other in extremity. Strangling with the towel, they accounted easiest: the sword worse than the towel: the fire worse than the sword: stoning worse than the fire: but this Roman death was worst of all. Cursed is every one that hangeth on tree. Yet (as Jerome well) he is not therefore accursed, because he hangeth; but therefore he hangeth, because he is accursed. He was made (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) a curse for us. The curse was more than the shame: yet the shame is unspeakable; and yet not more than the pain. Yet all that die the same death, are not equally miserable: the very thieves fared better in their death, than he. I hear of no irrision, no inscription, no taunts, no insultation on them: they had nothing but pain to encounter; he, pain and scorn. An ingenuous & noble nature, can worse brook this than the other; any thing rather than disdainfulness, and derision: especially, from a base enemy. I remember, that learned Father begins Israel's affliction, with Ismaels' persecuting laughter. The jews, the soldiers, yea, the very thieves flouted him, and triumphed over his misery: his blood cannot satisfy them, without his reproach. Which of his senses now was not a window to let in sorrow? His eyes saw the tears of his Mother and friends, the unthankful demeanour of mankind, the cruel despite of his enemies: his ears heard the revilings & blasphemies of the multitude: & (whether the place were noisome to his scent) his touch felt the nails; his taste, the gall. Look up, O all ye beholders, look upon this precious body, & see what part ye can find free? 
Caput angelicis spiritibus tremebūdū spinis coronatur. etc. Bernard.  That head which is adored, and trembled at by the Angelical spirits, is all raked, & harrowed with thorns: that face, of whom is said, Thou art fairer than the children of men, is all besmeared with the filthy spittle of the jews, and furrowed with his tears: those eyes, clearer than the sun, are darkened with the shadow of death: those ears, that hear the heavenly consorts of Angels, now are filled with the cursed speakings and scoffs of wretched men: those lips that spoke as never man spoke, that command the spirits both of life & darkness, are scornfully wet with vinegar & gall: those feet that trample on all the powers of hell (his enemies are made his footstool) are now nailed to the footstool of the Cross: those hands that freely sway the sceptre of the Heavens, now carry the reed of reproach, and are nailed to the tree of reproach: that whole body, which was conceived by the holy Ghost, was all scourged, wounded, mangled: This is the outside of his sufferings. Was his heart free? Oh no: the inner part, or soul of this pain, which was unseen, is as far beyond these outward and sensible, as the soul is beyond the body; God's wrath beyond the malice of men: these were but lo●e sticks to what his soul endured! O all ye that pass by the way, behold and see, if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow: Alas! Lord, what can we see of thy sorrows? we cannot conceive so much as the heinousness and desert of one of those sins which thou barest: we can no more see thy pain, than we could undergo it, only this we see, that what the infinite sins of almost infinite men, committed against an infinite Majesty, deserved in infinite continuance; all this thou in the short time of thy Passion hast sustained. We may behold and see; but all the glorious spirits in heaven cannot look into the depth of this suffering. Do but look yet a little into the passions of this his Passion: for, by the manner of his sufferings, we shall best see what he suffered. Wise and resolute men, do not complain of a little: holy Martyrs have been racked, & would not be loosed; what shall we say if the Author of their strength, God and man, be wray passions? what would have overwhelmed men, would not have made him shrink; and what made him complain, could never have been sustained by men. What shall we then think, if he were affrighted with terrors, perplexed with sorrows, and distracted with both these? And lo, he was all these: for, first, here was an amazed fear; for millions of men to despair, was not so much as for him to fear: and yet it was no slight fear; he began 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be astonished with terrors Which in the days of his flesh, offered up prayers, & supplications, with strong cries and tears, to him that was able to help him; and was heard in that he feared. Never man was so afraid of the torments of hell, as Christ (standing in our room) of his Father's wrath. Fear is still suitable to apprehension: Never man could so perfectly apprehend this cause of fear. He felt the chastisements of our peace: yea, the curse of our sins; & therefore might well say with David; I suffer thy terrors with a troubled mind: yea, with job, The arrows of God are in me; & the terrors of God fight against me. With fear; there was a dejecting sorrow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉▪ My soul is on all sides heavy to the death. His strong cries, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  his many tears, are witnesses of this Passion. He had formerly shed tears of pity, and tears of love; but now of anguish: he had before sent forth cries of mercy; never of complaint till now. When the son of God weeps and cries, what shall we say or think? yet further, betwixt both these and his love, what a conflict was there? It is not amiss distinguished, that he was always in agony; but now in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in a struggling passion of mixed grief. Behold: this field was not without sweat and blood; yea, a sweat of blood▪ O what man or Angel, can conceive the taking of that heart, that without all outward violence, merely, out of the extremity of his own Passion, bled (through the flesh and skin) not some faint dew, but solid drops of blood? No thorns, no nails fetched blood from him, with so much pain as his own thoughts. He saw the fierce wrath of his Father, and therefore feared▪ he saw the heavy burden of our sins to be undertaken; and thereupon, besides fear, justly grieved: he saw the necessity of our eternal damnation, if he suffered not; if he did suffer, of our redemption: and therefore his love encountered both grief and fear. In itself, he would not drink of that cup: in respect of our good, and his decree, he would and did; and while he thus striveth, he sweats and bleeds. There was never such a combat, never such a bloodshed; and yet it is not finished. I dare not say with some Schoolmen▪ that the sorrow of his Passion, was not so great as the sorrow of his compassion: yet that was surely exceeding great. To see the ungracious carelessness of mankind, the slender fruit of his sufferings, the sorrows of his mother, disciples, friends; to foresee from this watchtower of his Cross, the future temptations of his children, desolations of his Church; all these must needs strike deep into a tender heart. These he still sees & pities, but without passion; then, he suffered, in seeing them.  
Can we yet say any more? Lo, all these sufferings are aggravated by his fullness of knowledge, & want of comfort: for, he did not shut his eyes, as one saith, when he drunk this cup he saw how dreggish, and knew how bitter it was. Sudden evils afflict, if not less, shorter. He foresaw and foresaid every particular he should suffer, so long as he foresaw he suffered: the expectation of evil, is not less than the sense▪ to look long for good, is a punishment; but for evil, is a torment. No passion works upon an unknown object: as no love, so no fear is of what we know not▪ Hence men fear not hell, because they foresee it not: if we could see that pit open before we come at it, it would make us tremble at our sins, and our knees to knock together, as Baltasar's; & perhaps, without faith, to run mad at the horror of judgement. He saw the burden of all particular sins to be laid upon him: every dram of his father's wrath, was measured out to him, ere he touch● this potion: this cup was full; & he knew that it must be wringd, not a drop left: it must be finished. O yet, if as he foresaw all his sorrows, so he could have seen some mixture of refreshing! But I found none to comfort me; no, none to pity me. And yet, it is a poor comfort that arises from pity. Even so, O Lord, thou treadest this winepress alone; none to accompany, none to assist thee. I remember, Ruffinus in his Ecclesiastical story reports, that one Theodorus, a Martyr, told him, that when he was hanging ten hours upon the rack, for religion, under julians' persecution, his joints distended and distorted, his body exquisitely tortured with change of executioners; so as never age, saith he, 
Vt nulla unquam aetas similem memi●erit.  could remember the like: he felt no pain at all, but continued indeed all the while in the sight of all men, singing & smiling. For, there stood a comely young man by him on his jibbet (an Angel rather, in form of a man) which with a clean towel, still wiped off his sweat, & poured cool water upon his racked limbs: wherewith he was so refreshed, that it grieved him to be let down. Even the greatest torments are easy, when they ●●ue answerable comforts: but a wounded & comfortless spirit, who can bear? If yet but the same messenger of GOD, might have attended his Cross, that appeared in his agony; & might have given ease to their Lord, as he did to his servant! And yet, what can the Angels help, where God will smite? Against the violence of men, against the fury of Satan, they have prevailed in the Cause of GOD, for men: they dare not, they cannot comfort where God will afflict. When our Saviour had been wrestling with Satan, in the end of his Lent, than they appeared to him, and served▪ but now, while about the same time, he is wrestling with the wrath of his Father for us, not an Angel dare be seen, to look out of the windows of heaven to relieve him: for men; much less could they if they would; but what did they? Miserable comforters are ye all; the soldiers; they stripped him, scorned him with his purple, crown, reed; spat on him, smote him: the passengers; they reviled him; and insulting, wagged their heads and hands at him; hay, thou that destroyest the temple, come down, etc. The Elders and Scribes alas! they have bought his blood, suborned witnesses, incensed Pilate, preferred Barrabas, undertook the guilt of his death, cried out, Crucify, crucify; Ho! thou that savedst others. His disciples; alas! they forsook him: one of them forswears him; another runs away naked, rather than he will stay and confess him. His mother, and other friends: they look on indeed, and sorrow with him; but, to his discomfort. Where the grief is extreme, and respects near, partnership doth but increase sorrow. Paul chides this love: What do you weeping, and breaking my heart? The tears of those we love, do either slacken our hearts, or wound them. Who then shall comfort him? Himself? Sometimes our own thoughts find a way to succour us, unknown to others: no, not himself. Doubtless (as Aquinas) the influence of the higher part of the soul, was restrained from the aid of the inferior; My soul is filled with evils. Psalm. 87, 4. Who then? his Father? here, here was his hope: If the Lord had not holpen me, 
Psalm 94.17.  my soul had almost dwelled in silence▪ I and my Father are one. But now (alas!) he, even he, delivers him into the hands of his enemies; when he hath done, turns his back upon him as a stranger; yea, he woundeth him as an enemy. The Lord would break him. Esay, 53, 10. Yet any thing is light to the soul, whiles the comforts of God sustain it: who can dismay, where God will relieve? But here, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? What a word was here, to come from the mouth of the Son of GOD? My disciples are men, weak & fearful; no marvel if they forsake me. The jews are themselves, cruel and obstinate. Men are men, graceless, and unthankful. devils are, according to their nature, spiteful and malicious. All these do but their kind, and let them do it: but thou, O Father, thou that hast said; This is my well-beloved son, in whom I am well pleased: thou of whom I have said, It is my Father that glorifies me: what? forsaken me? Not only brought me to this shame, smitten me, unregarded me; but, as it were, forgotten, yea, forsaken me? What, even me, my Father? How many of thy constant servants have suffered heavy things! yet in the multitudes of the sorrows of their hearts, thy presence and comforts have refreshed their soul. Hast thou relieved them, and dost thou forsake me▪ me, thine only, dear, natural, eternal son! O ye heavens & earth, how could you stand, whiles the Maker of you thus complained! Ye stood; but, partaking after a sort of his Passion: the earth trembled & shook, her rocks tore, her graves opened, the heavens withdrew their light; as not daring to behold this sad and fearful spectacle.  
Oh dear Christians! how should these earthen and rocky hearts of ours shake, and re●d in pieces at this meditation? how should our faces be covered with darkness, and our joy be turned into heaviness? All these voices, and tears, and sweats, and pangs, are for us; yea, from us. Shall the Son of God thus smart for our sins, yea, with our sins; and shall not we grieve for our own? shall ●ee weep to us in this Marketplace, and shall not we mourn? Nay, shall he sweat and bleed for us, and shall not we weep for ourselves? Shall he thus lamentably shrieke-out, under his Father's wrath, and shall not we tremble? Shall the heavens and earth suffer with him, & we suffer nothing? I call you not to a weak & idle pity of our glorious Saviour: to what purpose? His injury, was our glory. No, no; Ye daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me: but weep for yourselves: For our sins, that have done this; not for his sorrow that suffered it: not for his pangs, that were; but for our own that should have been, & (if we repent not) shall be. Oh how grievous, how deadly are our sins, that cost the son of God (besides blood) so much torment? How far are our souls gone, that could not be ransomed with any easier price? That that took so much of this infinite Redeemer of men, God & man, how can it choose but swallow up & confound thy soul, which is but finite and sinful? If thy soul had been in his soul's stead, what had become of it: it shall be, if his were not in stead of thine. This weight, that lies thus heavy on the Son of God, & wrung from him these tears, sweat, blood, and these unconceivable groans of his afflicted spirit, how shall it choose but press down thy soul to the bottom of hell? & so it will do: if he have not suffered it for thee, thou must and shalt suffer it for thyself. Go now thou lewd man, and make thyself merry with thy sins; laugh at the uncleanenesses, or bloodiness of thy youth: thou little knowest the price of a sin: thy soul shall do; thy Saviour did, when he cried out, to the amazement of Angels, and horror of men; My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me. But now no more of this; It is finished: the greater conflict, the more happy victory. Well doth he find and feel of his Father, what his type said before, He will not chide always, nor keep his anger for ever. It is fearful; but in him, short: eternal to sinners; short to his Son, in whom the Godhead dwelled bodily. Behold: this storm, wherewith all the powers of the world were shaken, is now over. The Elders, Pharisees, judas, the soldiers, priests, witnesses, judges, thieves, executioners, devils, have all tired themselves in vain, with their own malice; and he triumphs over them all, upon this throne of his Cross: His enemies are vanquished, his Father satisfied, his soul with this word, at rest and glory; It is finished. Now there is no more betraying, agonies, arraignments, scourge, scoffing, crucifying, conflicts, terrors, all is finished. Alas beloved, and will we not yet let the Son of God be at rest? do we now again go about to fetch him out of his glory, to scorn and crucify him? I fear to say it: God's spirit dare, and doth; They crucify again to themselves the Son of God, and make a mock of him. To themselves; not in himself: that they cannot, it is no thank to them; they would do it. See and consider: the notoriously-sinfull conversations of those that should be Christians, offer violence unto our glorified Saviour: they stretch their hands to heaven, and pull him down from his Throne, to his Cross: they tear him with thorns, pierce him with nails, load him with reproaches. Thou hatest the jews, spettest at the name of judas, railest on Pilate, condemnest the cruel butchers of Christ: yet, thou canst blaspheme, & swear him quite over; curse, swagger, lie, oppress, boil with lust, scoff, riot, and livest like a debauched man; yea, like an human beast; yea, like an unclean devil. Cry Hosanna as long as thou wilt; thou art a Pilate, a jew, a judas, an executioner of the Lord of life: and so much greater shall thy judgement be, by how much thy light, & his glory, is more. Oh, beloved, is it not enough that he died once for us? Were those pains so light, that we should every day redouble them? Is this the entertainment, that so gracious a Saviour hath deserved of us by dying? Is this the recompense of that infinite love of his, that thou shouldest thus cruelly vex and wound him with thy sins? Every of our sins is a thorn, and nail, and spear to him. While thou pourest down thy drunken carouses, thou givest thy Saviour a potion of gall: while thou despisest his poor servants, thou spett'st in his face: while thou puttest on thy proud dresses, & liftest up thy vain heart with high conceits, thou settest a Crown of thorns on his head: while thou wringest and oppressest his poor children, thou whippest him, & drawest blood of his hands and feet. Thou hypocrite, how darest thou offer to receive the Sacrament of God, with that hand, which is thus imbrued with the blood of him whom thou receivest? In every Ordinary, thy profane tongue walks, in the disgrace of the religious & conscionable. Thou makest no scruple of thine own sins, and scornest those that do: Not to be wicked, is crime enough. Hear him that saith, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Saul strikes, at Damascus: Christ suffers in heaven. Thou strikest: Christ jesus smarteth, & will revenge. These are the (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) afterings of Christ's sufferings: in himself it is finished; in his members it is not, till the world be finished. We must toil, and groan, and bleed; that we may reign: if he had not done so, It had not been finished. This is our warfare: this is the region of our sorrow and death. Now are we set upon the sandy pavement of our Theatre, and are matched with all sorts of evils; evil men, evil spirits, evil accidents; & (which are worst) our own evil hearts: temptations, crosses, persecutions, sicknesses, wants, infamies; death; all these must, in our courses, be encountered by the law of our profession. What should we do but strive and suffer, as our General hath done, that we may reign as he doth, and once triumph in our Consummatum est? God & his Angels sit upon the Scaffolds of Heaven, & behold us: our Crown is ready; our day of deliverance shall come; yea, our redemption is near▪ when all tears shall be wiped from our eyes; & we that have sown in tears, shall reap in joy. In the mean time, let us possess our souls, not in patience only, but in comfort: let us adore and magnify our Saviour in his sufferings, and imitate him in our own▪ our sorrows shall have an end; our joys shall not: our pains shall soon be finished; our glory shall be finished, but never ended.  
Thus his sufferings are finished; now together with them, Man's salvation. Who knows not, that man had made himself a deep debtor, a bankrupt, an outlaw to GOD? Our sins are our debts; and by sins, death. Now, in this word and act, our sins are discharged, death endured, and therefore we cleared. The debt is paid, the score is crossed, the Creditor satisfied, the debtor acquitted; and, since there was no other quarrel, saved. We are all sick, and that mortally: Sin is the disease of the soul. Quot vitia, tot febres, faith Chrysostome; so many sins, so many Fevers, & those pestilent. What wonder is it that we have so much plague, while we have so much sin? Our Saviour is the Physician; The whole need not the Physician, but the sick. Wherein? He healeth all our infirmities: he healeth them after a miraculous manner; not by giving us receipts, but by taking our receipts for us. A wonderful Physician; a wonderful course of cure. One while he would cure us by abstinence; our superfluity, by his forty days emptiness: according to that old rule▪ Hunger cures the diseases of Gluttony. Another while, by exercise: He went up and down from City to City; and in the day was preaching in the Temple; in the night, praying in the Mount. Then, by diet; Take, eat, this is my body: and, Let this cup pass. After that yet, by sweat: such a sweat as never was a bloody one: yet more by incision; they pierced his hands, feet, side: and yet again by potion; a bitter potion, of vinegar and gall. And lastly, which is both the strangest and strongest receipt of all, by dying; Which died for us; that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 
1. Thes. 5.10.  We need no more, we can go no further; there can be no more physic of this kind: there are cordials after these, of his Resurrection and Ascension; no more penal receipts. By this blood we have Redemption, Ephes. 1, 7. justification, Rom. 3, 24. Reconciliation, Colos. 1, 20. Sanctification, 1. Pet. 1, 2. Entrance into glory, Hebr. 10, 19 Is it not now finished● Woe were us, if he had left but one mite of satisfaction upon our score, to be discharged by our souls: and woe be to them that derogate from Christ, that they may charge themselves; that botch up these alsufficiently meritorious sufferings of Christ, as imperfect, with the superfluities of flesh and blood. Maledictus homo, qui spem ponit in homine▪ We may not with patience see Christ wronged by his false friends: As that heroical Luther said in the like▪ 
Maledictum silentium, quod hîc connivet.  Cursed be the silence that here forbeareth to be free & short. here be two injuries intolerable; both give Christ the lie upon his Cross: It is finished. No; somewhat remains: the fault is discharged, not the punishment. Of punishments, the eternal is quit, not the temporal▪ It is finished by Christ: No, there wants yet much; the satisfactions of Saints applied by his Vicar: add men's sufferings to Christ's, them the treasure is full; till than it is not finished.  
Two qualities strive for the first place in these two opinions; Impiety, and Absurdity: I know not whether to prefer. For Impiety; here is GOD taxed of injustice, unmercifulness, insufficiency, falsehood. Of injustice; that he forgives a sin, and yet punishes for that which he hath forgiven: unmercifulness; that he forgives not while he forgives, but doth it by halves: insufficiency; that his ransom must be supplied by men: falsehood; in that he saith, It is finished, when it is not. For Absurdity; how gross & monstrous are these Positions? that at once the same sin should be remitted & retained; that there should be a punishment, where there is no fault; that what could strike off our eternal punishment, did not wipe off the temporal; that he which paid our pounds, sticks at our far things; that GOD will retain what man may discharge; that it is, and is not finished.  
If there be any opinions whose mention confutes them, these are they. None can be more vain; none had more need of solidity: for, this prop beares-up alone, the weight of all those millions of Indulgences which Rome creates and sells to the world. That Strumpet would well-near go naked, if this were not. These spiritual treasures, fetch in the temporal: which yet our reverend and learned Fulke, justly calls a most blasphemous and beggarly principle: it brings in whole Chests, yea Mines of Gold (like the Pope's Indieses); and hath not so much as a rag of proof to cover it; whether of Antiquity, of Reason, of Scripture. Not of Antiquity; for, these jubilee Proclamations began but about three hundred years ago. Not of Reason: how should one mere man pay for another, dispense with another, to another, by another? Not of Scripture: which hath flatly said; The blood of Jesus Christ, his son, purgeth us from all sin: and yet I remember, that acute Sadeel hath taught me, that this practice is according to Scripture: What Scripture? He cast the money-changers out of the Temple, and said; 
Negotiatores terrae sunt ipsi Sacerdotes, qui vendunt orationes & missas pro denarijs: ●acientes domum orationis, apothecam negotiationis. In Revel. l. 10. p. 5.  Ye have made my house a den of thieves. Which also joachim, their prophetical Abbot, well applies to this purpose. Some modest Doctors of Lovan, would fain have minced this Antichristian blasphemy: who began to teach, that the passions of the Saints are not so by Indulgences applied, that they become true satisfactions; but that they only serve to move God, by the sight of them, to apply unto us Christ's satisfaction. But these meal-mouthed Divines, were soon charmed; four several Popes (as their Cardinal confesseth) fell upon the neck of them, 
Bellar. l. 1. d● Indulgent.  and their opinion; Leo the tenth, Pius the fifth, Gregory the thirteenth, and Clemens the sixth: & with their furious Bulls, bellow out threats against them, and toss them in the air for heretics; and teach them, upon pain of a curse, to speak home with Bellarmine; Passionibus sanctorum expiari delicta: and strait, Applicari nobis sanctorum passiones ad redimendas poenas, quas pro peccatis Deo debemus: that by the sufferings of Saints, our sins are expiate; and that, by them applied, we are redeemed from those punishments which we yet owe to God. Blasphemy, worthy the tearing of garments: how is it finished by Christ, if men must supply? Oh blessed Saviour! was every drop of thy blood enough to redeem a world, and do we yet need the help of men? How art thou a perfect Saviour, if our brethren also must be our redeemers? Oh ye blessed Saints, how would you abhor this sacrilegious glory! and with those holy Apostles, yea, that glorious Angel, say; Vide ne seceris; and with those wise Virgins; Lest there will not be enough for us & you got to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. For us, w● enure not their multitude; Let them h●ue as many saviours as Saints, and as many Saints us men● we kno●e with Ambrose; Christ● press●●●tore non eguit; Christ's passion needs no helper: & therefore, with that worthy Martyr, dare say; None but Christ; ●one but Christ● Let our Toules die, if he cannot save them; let them not fear their 〈…〉 or 〈◊〉, if he have finished▪ He● 〈…〉, thou languishing and afflicted so●●e to There is 〈◊〉 one of thy sinne● but it is paid for; not one o●● thy debts in the 〈◊〉 of God but it had ●ffect; not one farthing of all thine infinite ransom is vnpaid● Alas! thy sins (thou sayst) are ever before thee, and God's indignation goes still over thee; & thou goest mourning all the day long▪ and with that pattern of distress, criest out in the bitterness of thy soul, I have sinned, what shall I do to thee● O▪ thou preserver of men? What shouldst thou do? Turn, and believe. Now thou art stung in thy conscience with this fiery serpent, look up with the eyes of 〈◊〉 to this b●azen serpent, Christ jesus, & behealed. Behold, his head is humbly bowed down in a gracious respect to thee, his a●ms are stretched out lovingly to embrace thee▪ yea, o● precious side is open to receive thee, and his tongue interpret all these to thee for thine endless comfort; It is finished. There is no more accusation, judgement, death, hell for thee: all these are no more to thee, then if they were not. Who shall condemn? it is Christ which is de●d. I know, how ready every man is to reach forth his hand to this d●le of grace, and how angry to ●e beaten from this doo● of mercy. We are all easily persuaded to hope well, because we love ourselves well▪ Which of all us in this gr●●t congregation take● exceptions to himself, and thinks▪ I know there 〈◊〉 want in my Saviour, there is want in me▪ He hath finished; but I believe not, I repent not. Every presumptuous and hard 〈◊〉, so 〈◊〉 at Christ, as if he had finish for 〈◊〉, as if he had broken down the gates of hell, and loosed the bands of death, and had made forgiveness as 〈◊〉 as life; Prosper●●● 〈…〉 saith wise Solomon, East 〈◊〉 the foolish, and the prosperity, of fools 〈◊〉 them, you, 〈…〉 prosperity. Thou saw'st, God 〈◊〉 merciful, thy 〈…〉 b●ous, 〈◊〉 Passion absolute▪ All these, & ye● thou mayst be condemned. Merciful, not ●ni●s●; bountiful, not lavish, absolutely sufficient for all, not effectual to all. Whatsoever God is, what are 〈◊〉 i He 〈◊〉 i● the doubts 〈◊〉 fa●st-well; Christ is 〈◊〉 good Shepherd; Wherein▪ H●● gives his l●fe; but fo● whom? 〈◊〉 his sheep. What is this to 〈…〉 while thou ar● secure, profane, impenitent▪ th● a● 〈…〉 a 〈◊〉 My sheep he●re my voice; What is his voice but his preceptor where is thine obedience to his commandments▪ If t● will't not heard his Law, n● not ●arken ●o his Gospel 〈…〉 no more mercy for thee, ●he● i● there were no Saviour. He ha●● finished; for those in 〈…〉 hath begun. If thou have to beginnings of gra●● as yet, hope not for ever finishing of salvation; Come to me, all ye that are heavy lade●●, saith Christ ●hou shalt get nothing, if thou come when he calls thee not. Thou art not called, and canst not be refreshed, unless thou be laden: not with sin (this alone keeps thee away from God) but with conscience of sins▪ A broken and a co●●rite hear●, O God, thou wilt not despise. Is thy heart wounded with thy sin▪ doth grief and hatred strive within thee, whether shall be more? are the desires of thy soul with God? dost thou long for holiness, complain of thy imperfections, struggle against thy corruptions▪ Thou art the man, fear not. It is finished. That law which thou wouldst have kept, & couldst not; thy Saviour could, and did keep for thee: that salvation which thou couldst never work-out alone (alas poor impotent creatures▪ what can we do towards heaven without him, which cannot move on earth but in him?) he alone for thee hath finished. Look up therefore boldly to the throne of GOD; and, upon the truth of thy repentance & faith, knows, that there is no quarrel against thee in heaven▪ nothing but peace and joy; All is finished. He would be spetted on, that he might wash thee; he would be covered with scornful robes, that thy sins might be covered; he would be whipped, that thy soul might not be scourged eternally; he would thirst, that thy soul might be satisfied; he would bear all his Father's wrath, that thou mightst beat none; he would yield to death, that thou mightst never taste of it; he would be in sense for a time as forsaken of his Father, that thou mightst be received for ever.  
Now bid thy soul return to her rest; and enjoin it▪ David's task; Praise the Lord, O my soule●, and, What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits? I will take the Cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. And, as ravish from thyself with the sweet apprehension of this mercy, call all the other creatures to the fellowship of this joy, with that divine Esay; Rejoice, O ye● heavens, for the Lord hath done it; shout yea lower 〈◊〉 of the earth, 〈…〉 into praises ye● mountains, for the Lord hath 〈…〉 Jacob, and will be glorified in Jsraell. And, even now begin that heavenly song, which shall never e●d, with those glorified Saints; Praise, and 〈◊〉, and glory, and power, 
Revel. 5.  be to him that s●●eth upon the throne, 〈◊〉 the Lamb for evermore.  
Thus, our speech of Christ's last words, is finished. His last act accompanied his words; our speech must follow it: let it not want your devout and careful attention; He bowed, and gave up the Ghost.  
The Cross was a slow death, and had more pain than speed; whence, a second violence must dispatch the crucified; their bones must be broken, that their hearts might break. Our Saviour stays not Death's leisure, but willingly and courageously meets him in the way: and like a Champion that scorns to be overcome, yea, knows he cannot be, yieldeth in the midst of his strength, that he might by dying vanquish death. He bowed, and gave up▪ Not bowing, because he had given up, but because he would. He cried with a loud voice, saith Matthew. Nature was strong, he might have lived; but he gave up the Ghost, and would die, to show himself. Lord of Life and Death. Oh wondrous example! he that gave life to his enemies, gave up his own: he gives them to live, that persecute and hate him; and himself will die the while, for those that hate him. He bowed, & gave up: not they. They might crown his head; they could not bow it: they might vex his spirit; not take it away: they could not do that without leave; this they could not do, because they had no lea●e. He alone would bow his head, and give up his Ghost; 〈◊〉 have power to lay down my life: Man gave him not his life, man could not bereave it: No man takes it from me. Alas who could? The High-priests forces, when they came against him armed; he said but I am he●; they st●▪ fall backward▪ How easy 〈◊〉 breath dispersed his enemies! whom he might as easily have bidden the earth, yea, hell to swallow, or fire from heaven to devour. Who commanded the devils, & they obeyed; could not have been attached my men. He must give not only leave, but power to apprehend himself; else they had not lived to take him. He is laid hold of; Peter ●ight St Pu●●●; saith Christ, Thinkest thou that I cannot pray to my Father, and he will give me more than 12 legions of Angels? What an Army were here? more than threescore & twelve thousand Angels; and every Angel able to subdue a world of men. He could, but would not be rescued, he is led by his own power, not by his enemies: and stands now before Pilate, like the scorn of men, crowned, robbed, scourged, with an Ec●e Homo: Yet thou couldst have no power against me, 〈◊〉 i● were given thee from above.  
Behold; he himself must give Pilate power against himself; else he could not be condemned. He will be condemned, lifted up, nailed; yet no death without himself. He shall give his soul an offering for sinne● Esay▪ 
Quod emitti●ur voluntarium est: quod amit●itur necessarium. Ambro.  53, 10. No action, that favours of constraint, can be meritorious: he would deserve, therefore he would suffer and die. He bowed his head, and gave up the Ghost, O gracious and bountiful Saviour! he might have kept his soul within his ●eeth, in spite of all the world; the weakeness of God, is stronger than men: and if he had but spoken the word, the heavens and earth should have vanished away before him; but, he would not. Behold; when he saw, that impotent man could not take away his soul, he gave it up, 〈◊〉 would die, that we might live. See here a Saviour, that can contemn his own life for ours, and cares not to be dissolved in himself▪ that we might be united to his Father. Ski●●e for skibbe, saith the devil, 〈◊〉 all that he hath, a man will give for his life. Lo, here, to prove Satan a liar, skin, and life▪ and all, hath Christ jesus given for us. We are besotted with the earth. & make base shifts to live; one with a mai●ed body, another with a perfu●●d soul, a third with a rotten name: and how many had 〈…〉 neglect their soul● then their life and 〈…〉 and 〈…〉▪ then die●▪ It is a shame it● tells many of us Christians 〈◊〉 op●n life, and ●●●●●ble and ●a●h▪ and she 〈◊〉 solve so 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 excess of love, ●o●ard● 〈◊〉 〈…〉 as Peter denies Christ ●i●, & forswears him 〈…〉 grains of incense ●nto the Idols ●ire E●ius, 〈…〉 thrice; Spir● 〈…〉, a● despairs; ●de● me live ●aith the 〈…〉 Whith●● d●st thou 〈◊〉 ●hy self 〈…〉 and ●do● us 〈…〉 wouldst thou 〈◊〉 with thyself 〈◊〉▪ Thou hast not thus learned Christ● 〈…〉 voluntarily for thee, thou wilt not be forced to die for him: he gave up the Ghost for thee; thou wilt not let others take it from thee for him: thou wilt not let him take it for himself.  
When I look back to the first Christians, and compare their zealous contempt of death, with our backwardness; I am at once amazed & ashamed: I see there even women (the feebler sex) running with their little ones in their arms, for the preferment of martyrdom; and ambitiously striving for the next blow. I see holy & tender virgins, choosing rather a sore and shameful death, then honourable espousals. I hear the blessed Martyrs, entreating their Tyrants and tormentors for the honour of dying: 
Quod si venire noluerint, ego vim faciam ut devorer.  Ignatius, amongst the rest, fearing lest the beasts will not devour him, and vowing the first violence to them, that he might be dispatched. And, what less courage was there, in our memorable & glorious forefathers of the last, of this age? and do we, their cold and feeble offspring, look pale at the face of a fair and natural death; abhor the violent, though for Christ? Alas! how have we gathered rust with our long peace? Our unwillingness, is from inconsideration, from distrust. Look but up to Christ jesus upon his Cross, and see him bowing his head, and breathing out his soul; and these fears shall vanish. He died, & wouldst thou live? He gave up the ghost, and wouldst thou keep it? Whom wouldst thou follow, if not thy Redeemer▪ If thou die not, if not willingly, thou goest contrary to him, 
Si per singulos dies pro eo moreremur qui nos dilexit, non sic debitum exolueremus. Chrysost.  and shalt never meet him. though thou shouldest every day die a death for him, thou couldst never requite his one death: and dost thou stick at one? Every word hath his force, both to him and thee. He died, which is Lord of Life, and commander of Death; thou art but a tenant of life, a subject of death. And yet it was not a dying, but a giving up; not of a vanishing and airy breath, but of a spiritual soul, which after separation, hath an entire life in itself. He gave up the Ghost. He died, that hath both overcome and sanctified, and sweetened death. What fearest thou? he hath pulled out the sting and malignity of death 〈◊〉 thou be a Christian, carry it in thy bosom, it hurts thee not Dar'st thou not trust thy Redeemer? If he had not died, death had been a Tyrant; now he is a slave. O Death, where is thy sting? O Grave, where is thy victory? Yet the Spirit of God saith not he died, but gave up the Ghost. The very heathen Poet saith; He durst not say that a good man dies. It is worth the noting (me thinks) that when S. Luke would describe to us the death of Ananias and Sapphira, 
Acts. 5.5.  he saith (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) he expired: but when S. john would describe Christ's death, he saith (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) he gave up the Ghost. How gave he it up and whither? How? so as after a sort he retained it: his soul parted from his body; his Godhead was never distracted, either from soul or body. This union is not in nature; but in person. If the natures of Christ could be divided each would have his subsistence; so there should be more persons. God forbid: one of the natures therefore, may have a separation in itself; the soul from the body: one nature cannot be separate from other, or either nature from the person. If you cannot conceive, wonder: the Son of GOD hath wedded unto himself our humanity, without all possibility of divorce; the body hangs on the Cross, the soul is yielded; the Godhead is eviternally united to them both; acknowledges, sustains them both. The soul in his agony feels not the presence of the Godhead▪ the body, upon the Cross, feels not the presence of the soul. Yet, as the Fathers of Chalcedon say truly (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) indivisibly, inseparably is the Godhead, with both of these, still and ever, one and the same person. The Passion of Christ (as Augustine) was the sleep of his Divinity: so, I may say; The death of Christ, was the sleep of his Humanity. If he sleep, he shall do well; said that disciple, of Lazarus. Death was too weak to dissolve the eternal bonds of this heavenly conjunction. Let not us Christians go too much by sense; we may be firmly knit to God, & not feel it. Thou canst not hope to be so near to thy God as Christ was, united personally: 
Quantuncunqute deieceris, humilior non eris Christ. Hieron.  thou canst not fear, that God should seem more absent from thee, than he did from his own Son; yet was he still one with both body & soul, when they were divided from themselves. When he was absent to sense, he was present to faith▪ when absent in vision, yet in union one and the same: so will he be to thy soul when it is at worst. He is thine, and thou art his: if thy hold seem loosened, his is not▪ When temptations will not let thee see him, he sees thee, and possesses thee; only believe thou against sense, above hope: and though he kill thee, yet trust in him. Whither gave he it up? Himself expresses; Father, into thy hands: and, This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise. It is justice to restore whence we receive; Into thy hands. He knew where it should be both safe & happy: true; he might be bold (thou sayst) as the Son with the Father. The servants have done so; David before him, Steven after him. And lest we should not think it our common right, Father, saith he, I will that those thou hast given me, may be with me, even where I am: he wills it; therefore it must be. It is not presumption, but faith to charge God with thy spirit, neither can there ever be any believing soul so mean, that he should refuse it: all the fear is in thyself; how canst thou trust thy jewel with a stranger? What sudden familiarity is this? God hath been with thee, and gone by thee; thou hast not saluted him: and now in all the hast thou bequeathest thy soul to him. On what acquaintance? How desperate is this carelessness▪  
If thou have but a little money, whether thou keep it, thou layest it up in the Temple of Trust; or whether thou let it; thou art sure of good assurance, sound bonds. If but a little land, how carefully dost thou make firm conveyances to thy desired heirs? If goods, thy will hath taken secure order who shall enjoy them; we need not teach you Citizens to make sure work for your estates▪ If children, thou disposest of them in trades, with portions: only of thy soul (which is thyself) thou knowest not what shall become. The world must have it no more; thyself wouldst keep it, but thou knowst thou canst not: Satan would have it; and thou knowst not whether he shall: thou wouldst have God have it; and thou knowest not whether he will: yea, thy heart is now ready with Pharaoh, to say; Who is the Lord? O the fearful and miserable estate of that man, that must part with his soul, he knows not whither! Which, if thou wouldst avoid (as this very warning shall judge thee if thou do not) be acquainted with GOD in thy life, that thou mayst make him the Guardian of thy soul, in thy death. Given up it must needs be; but to him that hath governed it if thou have given it to Satan in thy life; how canst thou hope God will in thy death entertain it? Did you not hate me, and expel me out of my father's house; how then come ye to me now in this time of your tribulation; said jeptha, to the men of Gilead. No, no: either give up thy soul to God while he calls for it in his word, in the provocations of his love, in his afflictions, in the holy motions of his spirit to thine: or else when thou wouldst give it, he will none of it, but as a judge, to deliver it to the Tormentor.  
What should God do, with an unclean, drunken, profane, proud, covetous soul? Without holiness, it is no seeing of GOD: Depart from me, ye wicked; I know ye not; go to the Gods you have served. See how GOD is even with men: they had in the time of the Gospel, said to the holy one of Israel; Depart from us: now in the time of judgement, he saith to them; Depart from me. They would not know God when they might; now God will not know them when they would. Now therefore (beloved) if thou wouldst not have GOD scorn the offer of thy deathbed, fit thy soul for him in thy health; furnish it with grace; enure it to a sweet conversation with the God of heaven: then mayst thou boldly give it up; & he shall as graciously receive it, yea, fetch it by his Angels to his glory.  
He gave up the Ghost. We must do as he did; not all with the same success. Giving up, supposes a receiving, a returning. This inmate that we have in our bosom, is sent to lodge here for a time; may not dwell here always. The right of this tenure, is the Lords, not ours. As he said of the hatchet; It is but lent, it must be restored: It is ours to keep; his to dispose and require. See and consider both our privilege and charge; It is not with us as with brute Creatures: we have a living Ghost to inform us, which yet is not ours, (and, alas, what is ours, if our souls be not?) but must be given up; to him that gave it.  
Why do we live, as those that took no keep of so glorious a guest? as those that should never part with it; as those that think it given them to spend; not to return with a reckoning?  
If thou hadst no soul, if a mortal one, if thine own, if never to be required, how couldst thou live but sensually? Oh remember but who thou art, what thou hast, and whither thou must; and thou shalt live like thyself while thou art, and give up thy Ghost confidently when thou shalt cease to be▪ Neither is there here more certainty of our departure then comfort. Carie this with thee to thy deathbed; and see if it can refresh thee, when all the world cannot give thee one dram of comfort. Our spirit is our dearest riches: if we should lose it, here were just cause of grief. howl and lament, if thou thinkest thy soul perisheth: it is not forfeited, but surrendered. How safely doth our soul pass through the gates of death, without any impeachment, while it is in the hands of the Almighty? Woe were us, if he did not keep it while we have it; much more when we restore it. We give it up to the same hands that created, infused, redeemed, renewed, that do protect, preserve, establish, and will crown it: I know whom I have believed; and I am persuaded, that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day. O secure and happy estate of the godly! O blessed exchange of our condition: while our soul dwells in our breast, how is it subject to infinite miseries? distempered with passions, charged with sins, vexed with temptations; above, none of these: how should it be otherwise? This is our pilgrimage, that our home: this our wilderness, that our land of promise: this our bondage, that our kingdom. Our impotency causeth this our sorrow.  
When our soul is once given up, what evil shall reach unto heaven, and wrestle with the Almighty? Our loathness to give up, comes from our ignorance and infidelity. No man goes unwillingly to a certain preferment; I defute to be dissolved, saith Paul: I have served thee, I have believed thee, and now: I come to thee, saith Luther: The voices of Saints, not of men. If thine heart can say thus, thou shalt not need to entreat with old Hilarion, Egredere me● anima, egredere; quid ●i●as? Go thy ways forth my soul, go forth: what fearest thou▪ but it shall fly up alone cheerfully from thee; and give up itself, into the arms of GOD, as a faithful Creator and Redeemer. This earth is not the element of thy soul; it is not where it should be: It shall be no less thine, when it is more the owners. Think now seriously of this point; God's Angel is abroad, and strikes on all sides, we know not which of ●urtur●●es shall be the next: we are sure we carry deaths en●v●▪ within us. If we be ready, our day cannot come too soon. Stir up thy soul to an heavenly cheerfulness, like thy Saviour: Know but whither thou art going; and thou canst not but with divine Paul, say from our saviours mouth, even in this sense; It is a more blessed thing to give, 
Vt contra: Nullam animam recipio, quae 〈◊〉 nolente separatur à corpore. Hieron.  then to receive. GOD cannot abide an unwilling guest. Give up that spirit to him, which he hath given thee; and he will both receive what thou givest, and give it thee again, with that glory and happiness which can never be conceived, and shall never be ended. Even so, Lord JESUS, Come quickly.  
Gloria in excelsis Deo.