LOVES COMPLAINT, FOR WANT of Entertainment:  
A Sermon preached a● PAUL'S CROSS, the third of December, 1609.  
By WILLIAM HOLBROOKE.   printer's or publisher's device 
IW  
LONDON Printed for Nathaniel Butter.   

❧ TO THE RIGHT HOnourable, Sir Thomas Cambell, Knight, and the now Lord Mayor of the famous City of LONDON, all true honour, grace and happiness be multiplied.  
ALthough it be true (Right Honourable) which is commonly spoken, that great men have many ears, and that the eyes of many are upon the rich, yet I know it to be as true, that they have as few true friends as any, for who more licentious and out of order, and who more incorrigibly and unreproved, walk in wickedness then many of them? Let experience speak, and yet either the timorousness of their professed friends, or their own greatness, keep such as should, far from entering into reproof of them, and such as would, withhold themselves from it, because most commonly both they and their true friendship find hard entertainment. I have therefore Right Honourable, (presuming upon your kind acceptation of what I have done) made bold to dedicate this little work unto you, that you may have that daily in your hands and before your eyes, which once sounded in your ears. The reasons ensuing I hope will excuse my boldness, and plead, yea, prevail for kind entertainment. For first, to whom doth it of right more belong to, then to yourself, both in respect of the place where it was preached, your attention and readiness in hearing, (especially when you in particular were spoken to) and the matter therein contained? which doth as much, if not more, concern you then any that were hearers there that day, both for the instigating of you to discountenance sin, by stopping the stream and course of many gross corruptions in your City, which GOD calleth for at your hands, in respect of your place, as also to the countenancing of good in all weldoers. Secondly, we are all through our own in bred corruption, and the readiness of the devil to choke good things begun, more ready not to hear, and forget having heard, then to hear: remember, and practise what is taught, which moveth me by writing to be a Monitor to your Honour, of that I was by my mouth. Lastly your kind acceptation of it being heard, as appeared by your speech to me, your professed resolution to do what you might (though you could not do what you would) with your honourable respect (as to all Ministers coming to that place so) to me, challengeth this labour only to yourself. These reasons considered, I hope (right Honourable) this Glass which I dedicate unto you without all sinister respect, (only aiming at God's glory therein, your good, and the good of your renowned City,) will not only be entertained of you, but carefully looked on by you from day to day, it will prove one of the faithfullest Monitors and soundest friends about you, it will lie for no cause, it will not call white black, nor black white, it will not be meal mouthed, it will not be bribed by kindness to conceal your errors if you go awry, nor moved by unkind dealing to exclaim of you, and say more than is true, or require more than is your due to pay to God, and the place over which God hath called you to rule, therefore what more worthy entertainment than such a true and trusty Friend? which not doubting of, I will cease from further troubling your Lordship with unnecessary lines, though not cease to pray for you, that you may so walk and prove yourself a man in this your present Office, as the issue thereof may be to the glory of God, the good of this City, and the true peace of your own Conscience.  
Your Lordships to be commanded, WILLIAM HOLBROOKE.   

TO THE READER.  
GEntle Reader, what I was contrary to my expectation commanded to preach, I have at the very earnest and importunate request of many, consented to be published, therein keeping myself as near as I can to the very words I used in the preaching of it, without addition or detraction, neither affecting curiosity of words in the one nor the other, but truth and plainness, which hath ever proved best, and will I hope appear to every conscionable Reader to be herein. The captious I regard not; the Pulpit is a place not for a man to show his wit and reading in, to work upon the ear by, but the judgement; plainness, and evidence of the spirit to wound and work upon the conscience by, which I especially aimed at: what good it hath wrought, I cease to speak more then to God in thanksgiving: what good it may work, let thee and me hearty desire. Show thy love to the truth by passing by (in the reading of it) without rigid censure, what shall seem harsh unto thee, (I intended not the pleasing, but the instructing of all therein) Give thanks to GOD for what good is therein revealed, and help me and the Church with the benefit of thy prayers. Farewell.  
Thine in the best band William Holbrooke.   

LOVES COMPLAINT for want of Entertainment.  1. CORINTH. 13.6. 
Love rejoiceth not in iniquity, but in the truth.  
AS the eyes of the people were fastened upon our Saviour (right Honourable, right Worshipful, men, fathers and brethren, beloved in our Lord and Saviour Christ) that they might with the more attention hear what he would say; so are yours upon me, expecting the Subject I intent to stand upon, to answer your expectation: wherein, understand, that to meddle directly with controversies abroad, or amongst ourselves, so often inculcated upon and travailed in, I intent not, lest I should not say more then formerly hath been said, or trouble your ears with the same, though happily by a cunning Cook it might be served in, in other dishes; counting it more than folly for a Physician, to forsake his patients mortally sick at home, and to run abroad for others; much more folly, yea and madness itself for me, a Physician of the Soul, to leave you my auditors snorting and sleeping, yea overspread with sin, and to busy myself in matters afar off, that nought or little concern you. My intent then is at this present, to discover unto you your iniquities, whereof you are mortally sick, and that which is worst of all, you will not be cured; especially I intent to show unto you your want of Love, by your manifest injustice, and want of Rejoicing in true and honest dealing and religion towards God. Which my promise that I may make good, I will (both for your help of memory and my better facility in speaking) observe this Method. 1. Show the connexion of this, with that which praecedeth. 2. Declare the sense of the words in retail and by gross. 3. Lay open the parts thereof, into which it doth divide itself: and lastly, handle the several instructions thence arising.  
For the connexion of it: The Apostle in the Chapter next before going, having laid down the several functions of men in the Church, in the last verse of the same, 
Vers. 28.  in conclusion he exhorteth the Corinthians, and us in them, to desire the best gifts. Upon the hearing whereof, it seemeth some did or might conclude, that so they would do, for they would strive to speak excellently, and to be men of great knowledge, etc. and what better than these? for the better instructing of whom, the Apostle in the three first verses of this Chapter, g●ueth them to understand, that it is not sufficient to have these and the best gifts, except they had love, and accordingly did use the same: which he amplifieth by laying down particulars, as first, that it is to no end to speak with the tongue of men and Angels, and to be without love, vers. 1. secondly, that it is to as little purpose, to have the gift of prophesying, and that in the largest manner and measure; yea to have faith, that is, the gift of doing miracles, without love: thirdly, it is to no purpose for a man to be so liberal and kind hearted, as to give all they have to the poor; and lastly so to suffer as to be burned, without love all these profit nothing. Upon this might some reply and say, Thou dost not think us altogether inhuman and void of love, dost thou? Unto which Paul doth secretly reply, You may deceive yourselves in your judgement, for every love is not the love I speak of and mean here: and that you may not be deceived, whether your love be this yea or no, observe whether it have the several marks and notable effects, I propound unto your consideration, which charity (proceeding from justifying faith) hath: and to this end the Apostle from the 4. verse of this Chapter to the end of the 7. verse, layeth down a chain consisting of 14. links, every link whereof is a several mark of this true love: amongst which this verse is one: so that this verse containeth a true mark of love, by which faith doth work, being the tenth link of this chain: And thus you have the conexion of it.  
The sense of the words, being the second thing I promised, is to be considered by examining the several words, comparing the translation with the original, and the acceptation of them elsewhere in holy Writ: For the word Love, it is in vain to stand long upon the acceptation of it, it being diversly taken in the Scripture, the mind of the Apostle being easily perceived, that here he meaneth that love, which he speaketh of elsewhere, saying, Faith, that is, justifying faith, worketh by love: and elsewhere calleth it the fruit of the spirit, Gal. 5.22. The word translated Iniquity, is in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which is most commonly translated Injustice, yet in the Scripture hath both a general and restrained sense, generally comprehending all sin: and so it is taken in that 5. of the first of john, ver. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, all unrighteousness is sin: and so doth Ezra use it in his prayer, Chap. 9 ver. 6. and Dan. 9 v. 5. Restrainedly it is taken for injustice betwixt man and man, which I take to be especially meant in this place: so you shall find it taken in the last of the Revelation and 11. verse, He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and in the 16. of Luke, verse 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, And the Lord commended the unjust steward: or rather according to the original, the steward of injustice: so is the simple word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taken for justice, that is, honest dealing betwixt man and man. Titus 1.8. speaking of a minister, saith he, he must be righteous, that is just, which the word [holy] following showeth. In the second at the 12. verse, the grace of God teacheth us that we should love, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, righteously, that is, justly which the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 following plainly showeth. Now we see the acceptation of this word in the Scripture, the Question is, how it is to be taken in this place, unto which I Answer, though I take the second sense, to be especially meant in this place, yet I see no reason why it may not carry both the senses here, both which do set out the nature of Love the better, and therefore I will take it in both senses (but specially in the latter) it being the safest way to construe Scripture, and take it in the largest sense, when both the drift of the holy Ghost, the sense of the original words, and the Analogy of Faith, gainsay it not.  
[Butler rejoiceth] The word in the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, rejoiceth together, which some expound, doth requite good dealing with good dealing, which although I do not condemn, yet I rather cleave to this exposition by way of Antithesis to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that as love doth not rejoice in sinful and unjust courses, so it rejoiceth to see others together with himself, to take delight in just dealing with men, and religion towards God, fully expressing the nature of true love both in hating and distasting of evil, as also in the loving of good, having these effects wheresoever it is.  
For the word Truth, it is diversly taken in Scripture, sometimes for the Son of God, joh. 14.6. I am the way, the Truth, and the Life. Sometimes for the word of God, joh. 17.17. Sanctify them with thy Word, thy Word is Truth. Sometimes for honest dealing and true speaking, Ephes. 4.25. Speak the truth every man to his neighbour: where, by Truth is not only meant to speak as the matter is, but also to deal honestly. And sometimes for religion professed, according to the word of God, as in that of the Proverbs, Buy the Truth, but sell it not. And 2. Ep. joh. ver. 4. I rejoiced when I found of thy children walking in the Truth. Amongst the divers acceptations whereof, I tie myself to the two later by way of Antithesis, answering my acceptation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in the former part of the verse, and thus have you the sense of it in parcels.  
Now to totalize the same, and cast it up altogether, it cometh to thus much, that that person in whom true Love is (by which faith doth work, and is a fruit of the Spirit, and by which our actions measured and performed do please God), as he doth not take delight in sin and unjust dealing, so he doth on the other side, yea it is his joy and great delight to deal justly with men, and walk religiously towards God, in his own use, and to see others to do the same; and thus have I performed the second branch of my promise.  
3 The parts into which this verse doth offer it self are two; 1. Quid Charitas abstinet, in these words, Love rejoiceth not in iniquity, that is far from the property of true love: 2. Quid efficit, in these words, but rejoiceth in the Truth, which love ever doth. And that is the third branch of my promise.  
The fourth remaineth: Let us hasten thereunto, that we may see how these five barley loaves and two little fishes, will feed so many hundreds as you be here gathered together, or this little pitcher of oil will fill all the vessels you have brought, pay you that it oweth you and you expect, and be able notwithstanding to stand of itself.  Out of the setting down of this mark, and setting in of this link into this chain, by the Apostle; first showing what it doth not; secondly, showing what it doth: we observe this instruction. 
Doctrine. Where there is any fruit of the sanctifying Spirit of God, there and in that person is the absence of the contrary evil, 
Grace's presence is sins absence, sin's absence is grace's presence.  and where there is a conscionable abstinence from any evil, there is the presence of the contrary good Which truth this with other Scriptures will make plain unto us: for the orderly proceeding wherein, observe that this Doctrine hath two parts, and therefore requireth that they be apart handled. The first, namely that where there is any true fruit of the sanctifying Spirit of God, there is an absence of the contrary evil, the Psalmist directly proveth, in Psal. 34.4. saying, Eschew evil, and do good: as though he should say, evil and good cannot stand together, thou must avoid the one before thou canst do the other; with whom the Prophet Esay agreeth, chap. 1. ver. 16. where God teaching the delinquent jews, what course to take to come into his favour, which they could not do, continuing in their filthiness, and beset with the dirt of their sins as they were, advertiseth them first to wash and make themselves clean from that filthiness, sin had brought upon them, and then, (for until that was put away, it was to no end) to seek judgement, and relieve the oppressed, etc. Whereby he would teach them, that there could be no true compassion and upright walking in them, except they were first purified, and their sins abandoned, and the very self same doth David affirm in the first Psalm, the first and second verses, describing a godly man, first, from what he doth not, in the first verse; secondly, from what he doth, in the second verse; being well acquainted with the course of sanctification, and every part of Reason. 1 the same: Namely, that forasmuch as man is naturally set to work iniquity, there must be a deprivation of that before there can be, or truly is, a possession of good: a man must cease to be a son of the first Adam, who is earth earthly, before he can be a Son of Reason. 2 the second Adam, who is heaven heavenly. Of this doth the Apostle likewise render a reason, saying, What fellowship hath Christ with Belial, or light with darkness? which speech for our present purpose, is worth the marking: for before Christ take possession of us, & draw us to him, we are no better than devils, ruled & swayed by the devil the Prince of the air, with whom, when christ cometh into thee, thou ceasest to have any further fellowship: the presence of Christ is the absence of him. And again, by nature we are the children of darkness, yea, darkness it itself. Now when light cometh, that is, the graces of God's Spirit, the beams of the Sun of righteousness, our darkness vanisheth away as the darkness of the night, from covering the world before the Sun; and darkness in particular places and private rooms before a candle; which plainly concludeth my doctrine, that where Christ is, the devil is absent; in whom Christ hath a foot, the devil hath no paw.  
Use 1 To examine ourselves that brag so much of sanctification, and our plenitude of the graces of God's Spirit, what our standing is, whether it be as we take it to be: If it be, thou art metamorphosed, there is not that evil was in thee before, neither art thou the man thou wast. Thou canst say, I was a blasphemer, but now by the grace of God I am that I am; I was a persecutor, but now that is far from me; I labour more to build up the Church and increase it, than all the rest of the Apostles. I was n●ked, but now Christ hath cast his covering over me, I went astray, but now am returned to the Shepherd & Bishop of my soul. Which not ably meeteth with the mere civil honest man, that thinketh to come to heaven with his civility, blessing himself in his cursed estate, he is as well as can be, he is not without the graces of God's Spirit, no that he is not. He hath served God all his life long, he hath believed ever since he was borne, he hath had a care to live honestly, and pay every man his own (although it never came into his mind to pay God his due) he serveth God after the manner of his country, goeth to the Church upon the Sabbath both to morning and evening prayer, and when he can have leisure on the work day, if there be any exercise, and when he can attend, he hath prayers in his family (which he taketh as a work of supererogation) and what would you have him to do more? Alas, alas poor soul, thou art led hoodwinked in the way of perdition, what alteration is in thee, what change, from whence do these proceed? from the absence of the contrary evil, than all is well, if not, Know, that where there was never any battle, there was never any conquest; and where there never was a deprivation of evil, there never was the true entrance of the contrary good. If thou have true knowledge, ignorance is dispelled as a cloud, and thrust out as not worth the keeping: If thou have true faith, infidelity is driven away and abandoned. Whereby we see what are the religious and charitable works of the mere natural man, in truth nothing but Candida peccata, Beautiful sins, because they arise not from the absence of the contrary evil.  
O then, let every one of us that brag and boast of our sanctification, or any fruit of the spirit, examine and try ourselves, when the evil spirit went from us. And thus much for the first part of the doctrine: the second followeth, namely: Conscionable abstinence from sin produceth and bringeth forth the contrary good.  
The fruits of the spirit grow where sin once did, now conscionably abstained from; which Paul's example evidently proveth: For, whereas he was a persecutor and blood sucker, of the blood of God's Saints formerly, behold, now he is a Paul, no such fruit groweth on this tree, but the pleasant fruits of the spirit: he is become of a persecuter, an earnest prosecutor of the Gospel; of a blasphemer, a blesser of all such as go on in the truth of Christ, formerly by him evil spoken of; of a foe, a fortitude to the Church; of a destroyer, an infatigable builder up of the same. And truly there is no reason why this should seem strange unto us: for, if corruption attracted unto us from the first Adam, do bring forth the cursed fruits of unrighteousness in every son of Adam, why should not grace, obtained unto by the second Adam, be fruitful, once entered into the place of the former. Secondly, the Apostle plainly affirmeth That where sin abounded, grace aboundeth much more.  
Use. This at the first look plainly telleth us, that every ceasing from sin, is not a conscionable ceasing therefrom, and that a man may leave off the committing of sin, and go to hell for it when he hath done: for he did not of conscience cease from the same, there appears no contrary fruit of the spirit: look to this ye old Adulterers and ancient Bawds, you unsatiable Libertines and Epicures, you now neigh not after your neighbour's wives, and daughters, and maids as formerly; ye now spend not the time in eating, drinking, and rising up to play as you had wont to do. Oh now you are in a blessed estate, say you of yourselves, and others of you: for why? you are much amended; you are not now so bad as you were. No Godamercy to thee: thou art restrained there from, the heat and strength of thy youth is past, thy living and goods are consumed, & thou brought to a morsel of bread; and so necessity, and not conscience restraineth thee, thou hast as green thoughts, though grey hairs, as any; thou wantest no evil, but means; thou hast as insatiable desires after meat and drink as ever, but thou lackest power to affect it, alas poor soul, thou must to hell, except thou of conscience leave thy sins, which thou now nolens volens art restrained from. Look unto this you bloody minded old men who have lived by quarreling and shedding of blood all your days, but now are decrepit and impotent, not unwilling, but have as Use. 2 good a heart as ever you had to that sport.  
This letteth us see, that it is not enough if we do not evil, but we must also do good, beating down to the ground that Maxim of nature, that I thank God, I do no man harm, as I can do him no good; as also showing how grossly the Papists do bely us, and our doctrine of justification by faith, only to be a doctrine of liberty and licentiousness, whereas we teach and tell our people, that without both practice of duties of piety, and works of charity, there is no conscionable abstinence from sin, and so consequently no way but to hell.  Love rejoiceth not in iniquity:] understanding the word iniquity for sin, according to the general acceptation of the word, it offereth this Doctrine. 
Doctrine. He that truly loveth himself and others, is far from taking delight in sin, true love taketh no joy, it cannot, neither doth it solace herself, nor make herself merry with sin. For the prosecuting of this doctrine, we must understand that sin is either at home or abroad, ours or others; in neither doth Love rejoice: as witness the example of joseph who was far from taking delight to commit that sin of uncleanness; but showeth his dislike to his Mistress for importuning him thereunto, whereby he did manifest the truth of his love to God, his own soul and body, and both fidelity and love to his Master. For the latter, the vexation of righteous Lot, and the streams of tears flowing from David's eyes, the one because of the uncleanness of his people, the other for the transgression of his, stand up to witness. Reason. Which truth Reason will plainly convince us of, how such are renewed and made to love where God doth, and hate where he doth, and therefore cannot make themselves merry with sin, which God hateth.  
Use. Hereby as in a glass, that will not deceive us, may we look ourselves, and see whether there be true love in us yea or no, if we neither make ourselves merry with our own sins nor the sins of others, the common sickness of our age and people. First for thyself, let thy rejoicing to grieve the hearts of the godly witness thy want of love. Is it not a common and known trick amongst you, to vaunt what you have done in vexing the godly, saying unto thy partner in evil in this manner. O Sirrah wot you what and where I have been? I was where a Puritan one of these precise fellows was, that cannot endure an oath, but I so swore, stared and swaggard that I rid him out of the house and company where I was? O miserable and wretched, thou art enemy to thyself, rejoicing in thy own fall. Again, you night walkers, when ye have found your mates and have effected your wishes: Do not you return home, being not ashamed to boast to your mates, what good success you have had in these manly courses, and how manly, beastly I would say, you carried yourselves in the same? Thus may you see, there is little love, because rejoicing and merry making at our own sins, and if we come to examine ourselves, how we make ourselves merry with the sins of others, we shallbe constrained to say there is no love upon the earth. First dost not thou rejoice at the profaneness and beastliness of thy own children and servants, their wantonness & abominable drunkenness? with blasphemous swearing: what gentleman is there that must not cry guilty upon this examination? But how much more these ungracious wretches that will set their servants to swear, and cry as a Bearward to his Bear, finely sworn, nay, will lay wagers of one overswearing another, first they will begin the price themselves, and not being able to get the victory, having damned their own souls, will set one of their Serving men (whom they know to be most graceless) to maintain it, whilst he standeth by, making himself merry with the bloody oaths of the contenders? O horrible! and whose heart is not astonished to hear this? and is not the like both abroad and at home more then rife by drunkenness? Pitiful to behold, and grievous to speak of. Look unto these things beloved, and the Lord give you understanding, know if these things be so, there is no true love in you.  Use 2 A man hath none that hateth him more than he doth himself, until he can lament and mourn for his sin, smite himself upon his thigh, and be ashamed, yea, confounded of his own wicked ways. 
This teacheth us who love us most, not they that will flatter us, and say, All is well done, but those that most deny to yield unto us in our sinful courses, that are sad and heavy when we sin, that can mourn and weep when we rejoice in our iniquity. O consider this, ye that are Gentlemen and have many servants, those love thee most and without dissimulation, that will not foster thee in thy sin, but show dislike to the same.  
Here we may see the difference between nature Use. 4 and grace; the natural and the spiritual man; the former is proud of sin, and rejoiceth in iniquity; the latter is far from it, taketh no pleasure in it, hateth it and opposeth himself against sin. Dost not thou rejoice in sin, but art unwillingly haled and pulled thereto? happy art thou, is it not sweet unto thee afterward, but grievous, & a burden pressing thee down? thou art truly spiritual.  Motives to move us to be far from reioyccing in our own or others sins. 
First consider the end of every sin whosesoever it is, without repentance, damnation: so that a man is going to the place of execution when he committeth sin, let this consideration enter into thy heart, and it will make thee far from being merry at sin, wilt thou grieve to see a man to go from Newgate to Tyburn to execution, and wilt thou not much more grieve to see thyself and others to go from hence to hell to execution and endless torments?  
Secondly, consider the examples of holy men, first of our Saviour, he wept to see the gracelessness of jerusalem, that she would not when she might be visited, the Lord having so kindly as he had often times visited her, by sending to her early and late, but alas ye weep not that ye have done this, resisted the truth as jannes' and jambres withstood Moses, you being men of corrupt minds & reprobate concerning the truth. Lot he was vexed from day to day, never had merry day nor night because of the filthiness of the Sodomites. The people of God in Ezekiels' time mourned for the iniquities of the people. jeremiah wept night and day for the slain of the daughter of his people, but alas what do these prevail? O let them be always before thine eyes, & in thy heart, yea, let them be as thy signet upon thy right hand, to move thee to be far from making thyself merry with thine own and others sins. Shall Christ weep for jerusalem because she will not hear? and wilt thou laugh to see England and the men thereof stop their ears against the voice of the Charmer? shall Lot be vexed from day to day with the filthiness of the Sodomites, and wilt thou with the uncleanness of England from day to day at bed and at board make thyself merry?  
Consider the ugliness of sin, what it cost thy Saviour, it is most ugly and filthy, and the smell of it most noisome in the nostrils of God's Saints, and canst thou rejoice at it, lift up thy head and be merry thereat? alas if thou come through the close streets of the City, which are for the most part most noisome, thou wilt look downward, stop thy nose, and show thy dislike of those filthy smells by thy speeches, and yet thou canst come by, yea, walk by and talk with these filthy dunghills of the world, belching out more filthy smells then all the dunghills in the City, and yet thou canst hold up thy head, and laugh at the same, pitiful and lamentable to behold, especially this being found there, and in those persons, where and by whom sin should be most punished. As in your spiritual courts. You make but a tush of sin, yea of whoredom itself: you can and do make yourselves merry both in your Courts and elsewhere, with the things there related. If this will not prevail to root out this evil, let the consideration of the work our sin had in our Saviour move us. Oh wilt thou rejoice at that which made him heavy, and sad? shall that make thee laugh, so that tears shall pass from thine eyes with joy, which made our Saviour to shed both water & blood? O beloved, let it never be said, that thou art so graceless and little respective of Christ thy Saviour, whom thou labourest hereby to crucify again, and dost no less than laugh him to scorn.  Out of the word signifying injustice, especially meant in this place, we learn. 
Doctrine. That love seeketh not by injustice to enrich herself. It taketh no delight to be made rich by injustice, which the examples of holy men in Scripture every where witness, as first of joseph, who refused to consult with flesh and blood, and therefore would depend upon God, rather than to labour ro continue his favour, or better his estate by dealing injustly with his Master, importuned so to do by his Mistress. Like unto which is that example of jacob, who would no way injury his Master to enrich himself, and therefore he clea●eth himself, by saying, That whatsoever is found more with him then covenant, namely what sheep or goats were found more than those that had little or great spots of black upon them, with him, should be theft unto him. 
Gen. 10.33.  A pattern worth the observing for servants both bond and free in our days: If all should be theft (as it is in truth before God) that they have taken and filched from their Masters more than their wages, all the prisons in London would not be able to hold all the thieves in London, for either flatly and plainly do they play the thieves, or else more politicly, and that they will stand in defence of to be no theft, to sell their masters wares, to allow him so much as he prizeth them at, and by which they know he may be an honest gainer, & the rest keep to themselves. On riches of iniquity, and herein do you commit two sins, theft with your Master, and oppression with others, by haling them to a greater price than indeed you should. And as he did not by theft labour to enrich himself, neither did he by his lazy, negligent, and half serving of his Master; he bestowed all the time he should upon his masters business, he did not love his bed better than his masters business, for his sleep departed from his eyes, neither did he shrink for the heat of the day, or the cold of the night, for saith he, I was in the day consumed with heat, and with frost in the night, and my sleep departed from mine eyes. Gen. 31.40. And as this holy man was far from seeking to enrich himself by unlawful and unjust courses: So Paul protesteth that he was far from the same, which he avoucheth as a testimony of his love (though not requited with love again) to the Corinthians, 2. Cor. 12.15.16.17. This doctrine will appear more dilucidly in the truth thereof: If we consider that where love hath been wanting, there men have not cared by injust courses to enrich themselves, as Ahab to get Naboths' vineyard by murder, Absalon to aspire to the Kingdom by flattery, and judas to betray his Master upon envy and hasty anger.  Reason. Love teacheth us to do to, and by others, as we would have others to do to, and by ourselves. 
Use. To examine by our just dealing and direct courses, taken to enrich ourselves by, what love is amongst us, and at whose house, and in whose person true love dwelleth: but alas no where, or but in few places is true love, the love of God to be found; but the love of the Devil, who always hath, and ever will labour to enrich himself, by accusing of the Brethren, lying to Ahab, by his false Prophets, false citing of Scriptures to our Saviour Christ, Equivocating, and sophistical cavilling; according to which, do the men of our days labour to enrich themselves, by accusing of men better than themselves, by lying and deceitful speeches, which they spread as a Net, to entrap those that deal and traffic with them by: But that I may come a little nearer, and fasten this Nail a little faster, let me rank you into your several ranks, and accordingly, your several tricks of injustice, that we may see if true love dwelleth in this City, or almost in any place of the world. First, for Churchmen, doth love dwell amongst you? let your injustice speak: Secondly, You Noblemen, hath it any better entertainment amongst you? your oppression, cruelty, and the incorrigible thievery of some of you, shall witness: You Lawyers, is it better accepted amongst you? your perverting of justice and judgement, and more than intolerable bribery will say no: You Tradesman, in what Company of you dwelleth love? your false and deceitful tricks will sing, not in our Company we are sure: You Cheaters, your coney-catching, and roguish tricks, will say, not with us; and so it will prove, love is no where entertained.  
That injustice hath built her nest in the Church, let the indirect courses taken by Churchmen, at their entrance, and afterwards to make themselves great, witness: In entrance, not grace and gifts from God, but dross and gifts from men prevail, Patrons selling their livings as commonly, as horses are sold in Smithfielde, at the first motion, saying, quantum dabitis, unto which, the party to be presented, willing to give ear, answereth, We may not deal so plainly and directly, let us carry matters more handsomely, lest the law (of man he meaneth, he never thinketh of God in those matters) take hold of us; and therefore behold your several injust, and unlawful courses, you have to enter by: If you cannot come to parley with the Patron, than you will undermine him by his wife, and you will not stick to give her twenty or forty pounds to buy her a Gown or a Nag, so that she will stand your good Mistress, and speak for you: If that will not do, then betake you yourselves to your young Master; and that he may not be meal-mouthed you will bestow upon him a couple of Dogs, or a Gelding of ten pounds: If this will not serve, than you will lay wait in every corner and place, and therefore will be sure to bestow angels liberally upon his attendants, that they may help you forward, and lift you up to come in by the Windows: And if all this will not do, than you have an Vltimum refugium, And that is, to enter into bonds with the Patron to pay him an hundred pounds, or some sum of money without mentioning of and in consideration of such a Benefice, or living bestowed (that were too plain dealing) by virtue whereof, the Patron may drive the party after institution and induction, to agree with him, that he may share with him. Are not these things so (beloved)? and are not these the stairs that lead up to the Window? what evils they have brought upon our Church (even the placing of idle and insufficient persons, because they can procure more friends, or have greater purses, and the like) I will cease to speak.  
And from this first, I will come to the second kind of injustice in Churchmen, and that is after they are entered in: they are of two sorts, either nonresidents, or residents: nonresidents are those which have many livings, or but two: these men do seek to enrich themselves by usury, for of all, these are the most intolerable usurers, worse than Aldermen, whose trade it is, to whom I shall speak anon. For they will take but ten or twenty upon the hundred, but these nonresidents wil● make an hundred of ten: nay, they will have one set over their one hundred or two hundred pound livings happily to post from one to another, as a footboy to do his masters errand, whereby they deal unjustly to reap the fleece, and not feeding the flock, putting in hirelings and insufficients into their room, whilst they lie at the spring and well head of promotion, as in this City, or some Cathedral place, that when the ladder of promotion is empty, they may step up, which brings to my mind that picture of a non-resident, which was thus pictured with two livings in both hands, with two at his feet, and with two in his pockets, and yet he gaped for another: have we not such Churchmen in our days? now to residents, and those are of three sorts, which injustly enrich themselves, as first those which are able to preach, but are lazy and idle, feeding their people when they can a while. Secondly, such as take upon them to preach and can but babble, uttering froth in stead of sound doctrine, as the evil blood and humours in their people show.  
The third are dumb dogs, and such as cannot preach (the burden and bane of our Church) these and every of these by injustice enrich themselves receiving the fleece; but sparingly, corruptly, and not at all, teaching their people: and thus you see Churchmen are the seats of injustice, by which they have driven love out of the Church, then in Ecclesia nulla charitas. Now from the Church I will descend to the Nobility, and Gentry of our Land, to see if love dwell in these Noble hearts: alas, alas, a man may as soon find a knot in a bulrush, as any true love here, for here is nothing in many of them but robbing and spoiling of the poor, and those that are too weak for them. Are not most of you Church-robbers, holding the tenths from the Church, the Levites portion? and do not you daily imbessell the right of the Church from her, by pulling back that which is due to the Minister? yea, some of you are such greedy earthwormes, that you will share and part stakes with the Minister you present, else he shall have no benefice from you: alas what will you do at that general Audite, when you shall stand before him, whom you have rob and spoiled improperly, having made the allowance of his servants yours, you will be found not only thieves (though now incorrigible) but murderers of the souls of the people, by keeping that in your hands, should maintain the stewards of God's house, that might give them their portion in due season: but leaving this, let us come to take a view of your just dealing in your temporal estates, alas behold nothing but oppression, and grinding the face of the poor, always looking and casting how you may receive much to spend upon your lusts, or to hoard up against the day of wrath, never thinking what they shall have for their money, to whom you let your lands, so that I may now say, that Landlords are become the racks of their tenants, for a worse rack they cannot provide for them, then to distract them and pull them in pieces, as they do, by causing them to carp and care night and day, how to pay them that they extort of them, house and household being unprovided for: and is here all? No. Behold what injust courses they use to get that they have, and to join house to house, might not right, for by their might do they wrest the law out of the hands of the poor and innocent, and by that, which should be their sword to defend them, do they thrust them out of house and harbour, that many of them dwell upon lands and in houses, they have come to by robbery and cruelty. Let the many hundreds and thousands, many of them have coming yearly in, arising from Church-livings and lands gotten by might not right, the horses they ride on, the meat they feed upon, the silks and satin suits they jet up and down in, bought with the revenues of such land, witness the same. Do they not stretch themselves upon beds, drink their wine in bowls, have they not their great chambers & dining Parlours hung with hangings, bought with money which is none of their own, but injustly kept and held from the owner after the day: do they not daily build houses with the wages of unrighteousness, do they not keep back their servants wages, and use the help of their neighbours, without giving them for their travail? Do they not rob both Country and the poor, to maintain their pomp. Let the manifold legacies they keep in their hands bequeathed to the poor, and to charitable uses, as making of bridges and mending the high ways, witness the same. So that here this Quaere of Love hath as bad success as in the Church; Noblemen and Gentlemen, are as Injust as any.  
Let us put this Quaere to Lawyers, is there any love amongst most of you? Alas, methinks most of you answer me Nodum in scirpo quaeris, if you seek for Love here: Which, that common Prayer of the people of our age doth verify, for whereas they had wont to pray to be delivered from the devil and Hell, now they pray to be delivered from Law and Lawyers, but how justly they do this, let the several tricks you have to enrich yourselves by, testify; Do not you serve your own turns upon your Clients, bearing them in hand their cause is good, when you know it to be starke-naught, like the false Prophets to Ahab? Are not you such, many of you, that besides your Fee you will take a Bribe to procure a day of hearing? Do not you make law a nose of wax, construing it as you please, making that Law now which shortly shall be none? Do not you keep matters, causes and Suits longer depending then needs, and for no other end but that you may pull Clients bare, and feather your own nests with their feathers? Do you hear and Plead and judge matters and cases betwixt man and man, without respecting persons? Doth the cause of Widows and the Fatherless come before you, as well as the cause of the rich and mighty? The complaints of many to the contrary say, there is no such thing. And that you may fulfil the measure of your Injustice, you will have about with God, to steal his time from him: For, do not you (Right Reverend judges) ride your Circuits upon the Lord's day usually, and refer matters to be heard privately in your Chambers? I beseech you let these things be amended. And you that are of the Temples and Inns, in and about this City, do you not steal the Lords time? Are not your Stairs troad, and your Chambers frequented, as much upon the Sabbath as upon other days? This cannot be denied, which plainly concludeth that Injustice is rise amongst you, and therefore no true love. Which of you can say with job, The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me? 
job 29.13.  Nay, may you not more truly say, the cursings of them that were ready to perish, come and are upon us; for our Injustice? Let the bitter curses of more than a few, 
Praeoc.  witness what I say. As I approve not their cursing, so know you that offences will come, but woe be to them by whom offences do come.  
Which of you can say, that you have put on justice, 
Verse 14.  and that covereth you, and that your judgement is a Crown and rob unto you? Nay, rather can you not more truly say, you have used Injustice and that covereth you? You have perverted justice and judgement, and that is it that hath brought so many Crowns, Angels and Robes unto you? Can you say that when you knew not the cause, you sought it out diligently? Few or none of you can so say. If the matter and cause be ambiguous and troublesome, do not you refuse to meddle in it? Or if you be importuned thereunto? Do you not so shuffle and daub it over, that when it cometh to be looked into again, it proveth worse than at the first, like an old Wound that was not healed to the bottom? These things are more than plain amongst many of you, as woeful and daily experience showeth, whereby it appeareth that there is no Love amongst you to be found, and that all this while in seeking Love amongst you, Nodum in scirpo quaesivi. From you, let me come to Tradesmen, what say you, is there any more Love amongst you? I doubt it sore, your indirect courses to enrich yourselves by, say you have no Love amongst you.  
First to begin with you Aldermen, do not you as you come into place of Magistracy sell the Offices of Sergeants, Yeomen, and the like under you? Some for twenty Pound, some for forty Pound, some for an hundred Pound? If this be so (as the complaint is) you hereby testify that Love is far from amongst you. Do not you oppress others by the divers Tasks, fifteens, and Impositions, and your unequal Ceffing of men therein, so that they which worst may do bear the burden? I accuse not any of you, let every soul examine himself, the general voice is, you do this; if you do it, can you say there is any Love amongst you to lay heavy burdens upon others, that you may go light laden? Do not you put your money to Usury? Yes, let that epithet (though commonly spoken, yet peculiar appropriated to you) Usury the Alderman's Trade, witness this: And is this nothing (Right Honourable, and Right Worshipful) that I may say no more than Ezekiel, did of jerusalem: 
Ezek. 22.2.  Let me say so much! O bloody London, because with many other sins, thy Inhabitants, 
Verse 12.  especially most of thy Aldermen, have taken Usury, and the increase and defrauded their neighbours by Extortion: by all which it appeareth, that amongst the chief of you, that have to do in Trading in this City, there is no love. And if we descend to the inferior sort, we shall find as little: For, do not those which are rich amongst you like Pickerels, labour to eat up all the rest? And that either by over-selling the poorer and meaner ones, or else by engrossing all into their hands, that the meaner shall be driven to come and buy at their hands: And to pay such a price for every commodity, that he can not live by selling the same again, and therefore must be constrained either to be come slave to the greater, or else to do worse? Do not you usually falsify your weights by deceit, have you not one weight and measure to sell by, and another to buy by? Have you not a false Balance, and a bag of false Weights which the Lord hateth? Do you not prey upon the ignorance and necessities of men in buying, selling, and lending? Do you not prey upon the necessity of the time, as against this time (which you call the goodtime and holy days, though in regard of the abuse and profaneness of them; they may now justly be call the bad time and worst of days) do you not set to sale your worst Wares and Commodities, and set good glosses upon the same, saying, lying, and swearing, it is the best, when there is no such matter: And you only do this, that you may pray upon the necessities of the time, and the wants of men which must needs be supplied, all which, with your cozening, and calling of good, bad, in buying; and bad, good in selling, testify that amongst you tradesmen there is no love to be found, seeing injust and indirect means are in every sort of you used to enrich yourselves by: therefore let us in the last place come to cheaters, and see whether direct dealing dwell there, let us take a view of their courses, they take for their victuals, clothes, horses, and spending money, and we shall be constrained to conclude, that loves house is nullibi in these days. For the providing of their victuals, behold how with impudent tricks they can draw young Gentlemen to taverns, for dinners or suppers, and when all is done, by one sly subtle trick or other finely put it from themselves, and upon the Gallants to pay for all, it will not otherways stand with their honours, worships, or reputations. Now you see the impudent tricks they have to victual the camp, let us see if they have any better to  it withal: to the Tailor or Mercer they go, and there take up their suits, never stand upon terms and prizes, but let them have their own ask, (but you must understand when they can get it) they will promise payment (for few such pay down) and give fair words, and as many bonds as they will have, but to pay what they own, is the farthest from their thoughts. Thus they deal for their apparel, for their horses and spending money, they have ways more than many, their father the devil whom they serve hath taught them well. So that they by their long being with, and much observation of the gallants and young Gentlemen of our days, see how they are disposed, and accordingly fit their humours, if to hawks, than that way; if to hounds then, that: if to horses, then that; if to harlots, then that; if to quarreling, than that way: so that at length by their humouring of them, they cozen them with a cracked groat, and serve their turns upon them, and by this means have as good horses, and as large a purse as the best of them all. Thus do you see (beloved) that love is no where, because injustice is every where: but what is the cause that injustice thus overspreadeth our land, and all degrees in the same: The Apostle telleth you, the want of love, unto which I may add the sin of our first parents aspiring minds, that we cannot content ourselves to be as God would have us, we will be housed, meated, appareled, and attended according to the fashion, and the best, not according to our estate & place. Secondly, want of trusting God, trusting him no further than we see him, the sin of the murmuring Israelites: and thirdly, presuming that by our own power we can help ourselves. Let us then (beloved) to remove this general injustice, labour to love one another more and more, and that not in word but in deed, let us be content with the Lords fashion and allowance; if he will have thee to wear cloth, do not thou wear velvet, if he would have thee to put but one yard into thy garment, put not in two: If he would have thee to have but one length in thy band or ruff, put not in more. Trust God although thou see him not, and know that the help of man is nought worth, no man is able by his own care to add one cubit unto his stature. So shall injustice fade and decay, but love and honest dealing flourish more and more: that I may persuade you hereto, I will endeavour myself to lay down several motives and practices, as helps and furtherances herein: showing the vanity and unprofitableness of that we so by injustice search after; the first consideration, is this.  
That which we so labour and toil ourselves to obtain per fas or nefas, is uncertain and a matter of nothing, for what is it but riches, and by consequence honour, worship, and reputation, whereof the wise man plainly affirmeth, that it is nothing. 
Prou. 23.5  Why wilt thou cast thy eyes upon it, which is nothing? for riches taketh her to her wings, as an Eagle and flieth into the heaven, of which opinion is the Apostle Paul in that his Epistle to Timothy. 1.6.7. Charge them which are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, and that they trust not in uncertain riches. Which the example of that great rich man mentioned Luke 12.21.22. plainly confirmeth: Over night he had so much that he lacked room to lay what he had in, but in the morning all was nothing: so is every one that is rich in this world, and not rich in God: lay this to thy soul, and often consider it to stay thee from injust courses to enrich thyself by, for when thou hast that thou seekest for, thou hast, that thou hast no certainty of, and in truth a matter of nothing, and is it not madness for nothing thus to toil thyself and injure others?  
To such a man as thou desirest to be, is pronounced a woe, Luke. 6.24. vae vobis divitibus, which never is done against the poor. What heart canst thou have to seek for such an estate, and that injustly too, which hath a woe belonging to it? Consider this well, and it will make thee fear to be rich, and to walk thankfully in poverty.  
It is an estate that maketh men slack to God's service, hardly to be drawn to God, and when they are drawn to him, a great means to pull them back, as both experience and Scriptures witness. Who seethe it not, but that they which are rich, are the tardiest comers to the Church, and holy exercises of all others? Upon the Sabbath they cannot attend at the posts of the door of the Church, but must be attended upon, the whole Church and congregation must stay upon them, if they come to the Sermon it is well, they have no part nor portion in prayer, what is the cause of this, they are so curiously to be dressed, that the whole morning is too little for that, or else they have accounts to take, or one thing or other to confer of, that they can come no sooner. And as they are tardy comers, so, who so infrequent there as these persons? they have farms, or yokes of Oxen, or the like, that they cannot come, if once of the day, they think that sufficient, if twice, they think that more than needeth, and that then God is so beholding to them, that he must of desert, and in lieu of that service vouchsafed that day, allow them the rest of the Sabbath before and after, either for their worldly commodities or cursed delights. Besides all this, who so hardly drawn to Christ as they? they are like to Pickerels not easily nor often taken, a man may take twenty Pinks and lesser fishes before one Pickrell, for he prayeth so sore at his pleasure upon the lesser fishes, that he seldom or never hath any stomach to bite at the bait, and so fareth it with the rich men of the world, their stomachs are so cloyed with the crusts and hard fare of the things of this life, that when the doctrine of salvation is preached, they have no appetite thereto; the young man found it to be true, nothing hindered his coming to Christ but the loss of his riches: until our Saviour told him, that must be the thing he must part withal, who forwarder than he? This hardness that experience letteth us see, our Saviour taught us, saying, It is as hard for a rich man to come to the Kingdom of heaven, as for a cable to go through the eye of a needle; and not only this, but they are means to draw men from God, as Lots wives example testifieth, and daily experience witnesseth. O let these considerations enter into thy heart, and cease thou by injustice to seek that which is such an enemy to thee in coming to holy exercises, and hinderers of thee from coming to Christ, & pullers of thee from him, when thou hast laid hold on him.  
They are dangerous in getting and not safe in keeping, who seethe it not, that it is a hard thing for a man to be rich and keep a good conscience, and wally uprightly with God. And therefore may I well compare the climbing up to preferment, and the getting of riches, to a tree who●e boughs and leaves be hung and clogged with honey, unto which when a hungry man cometh, he falleth of licking one leaf and bough after another, until he is carried so high from one to another, through the greediness of his hunger, that he slippeth & slideth, and cannot stay himself but down he cometh and breaketh leg or arm, if he scape with life. So dangerous (beloved) is it to climb up the tree of riches, for most commonly men lay hold so upon one hundred after another, and one thousand after another, that they endanger themselves sore, if they escape with salvation of soul and body. And truly as they are thus dangerous in coming by, so they are not less dangerous in using & keeping them, for how can a man lie in a bed of thorns, and not be pricked? or how can a man feed upon little fishes full of bones and not be in danger of choking, without good take heed? Let this move us to ease from climbing by injustice to riches so dangerous in getting, and no less in keeping.  
Consider what thou shalt leave to thy children, if thou leave them goods thus gotten, not that thou weenest, thou were better to leave them beggars then thus. For thou leavest them in an unquiet possession, having God their enemy, and howsoever thy children prove, they cannot be good to them. If godly, than they will be continual griefs to them, to see those in their possession, for which their father is gone to the devil: If worldlings like thyself, thou hast made them able to build on, as thou hast begun, the tower of Babel: if prodigal, than thou hast taken the way to make him more prodigal, than which to have seen in thy life time, thou hadst rather have been childless, in that he had not been borne, or in having him taken from thee before thee by death: O then (beloved) why wilt thou labour thus to much thyself, and to hoard up in this manner that, which neither is good for thee nor thy children after thee.  
Consider the little avail and profit that is in these things: What evils did they free thee from? not from sickness I am sure, for the rich is sick as well as the poor; will they comfort thee upon thy deathbed, when thy conscience is awaked in horror and grief? No. And therefore thou canst not endure the sight of them, they being as so many witnesses, foretelling to thee thy damnation: whereupon it is, that thou sayest thou art dead to the world, & hast put all earthly matters out of thy sight, and why dost thou so? not for any mind thou hast to leave them, but to stop the mouth of thy conscience, which could not rest accusing and tormenting thee whilst thou hadst them in thy hand. But albeit they cannot free thee here from pain, nor comfort thee upon thy deathbed, it may be they can free thee from hell; no such matter, all that a man hath is too little to free a man's soul from thence, Dives must to hell from all his riches, because he would not part with them to the poor, much more the rich men of our days, that not only will not give to the poor, but by all means they can take from them. Oh let this enter into thy heart, and if none of the former considerations will prevail with thee, let this, to stay thee from further seeking, there is no more avail in riches then in poverty. Now let us come to the practices, which are three: the first is prayer, & that which David hath taught: Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness; this prayer, howsoever it is entertained, I am sure it is not practised: which must be, if ever you will come to the practice of justice. You would have liked me better if I had put covetousness in the place of thy testimonies, and thy testimonies in the place of covetousness. Use this prayer, and continually strive with the Lord, and thou shalt see the effect sure, for he is faithful that hath promised.  
Consider in every thing thou dost, in thy buying, selling, purchasing, and taking possession, lending and receiving, that thou must give account of what thou dost, yea, always think thou hearest the Lord sounding in thy ears this sentence, Red rationem villicationis tuae, which will be a means, and that an excellent one, to cause thee to look to thy ways, lest by injustice thou reap to thyself damnation.  
Take more than ordinary pains, as thou castest thy book daily and yearly to see, what and how much thou hast taken, so go once over it, and that with due deliberation and mature perpending of things, how rightly thou hast inned that thou hast, never forget this. Use these directions, and often meditate upon these things, and I doubt not but through God's blessing, they will be excellent and forcible means to bring thee to love & embrace justice more than thou dost. Which plainly showeth want of love in thee, for true love as thou hast heard, seeketh not by injustice to enrich herself. And thus have I finished the first part of my text, which is, Quid charitas abstinet: now to the latter, Quid efficit, in the last words of the verse, which affordeth this point.  
Doctrine. That true love rejoiceth to see men deal justly one towards another, & religiously towards God. Which Doctrine having two parts, we will accordingly follow the same, and briefly dispatch the first, which is, It is the property of true Love to rejoice in justice and honest dealing betwixt man and man: Which truth, the Lamentation of jeremiah in his ninth doth plainly show, weeping for the deceit and false dealing of his age: brother deceitfully dealing with brother. As that also of Nehem. 5.4.13. where he showeth his dislike to see the people so oppressed, as that they were constrained to cry out, and to lay their Lands, Houses, and Vineyards to gauge for the King's tribute, and to sell them because of the famine, this grieved these Holy men not a little, the contrary whereof would have joyed them much.  Reason. Because Love maketh us to rejoice, as well in the well-doing and wel-having of others, as of ourselves. 
Use. To teach us to examine ourselves, whether our Love cause us to do this, to rejoice in doing and receiving justice one from another, this concerneth every man in his own practice, and those that are under him; as your Children and Servants. You that have Shops and are Lords, do you delight in it? And willingly permit those that are under you to do the same? It is an Argument Love dwelleth at thy house. You that have Offices, do you the like? I fear it much, but especially do you (Right Honourable) show your rejoicing herein, by your enquiring and searching out (by your many ears and eyes) the deceitful courses used by Weights and Measures, and setting to sale corrupted Wares in your City, to the hurt of the Subjects? Look to it, if you do it, you show you have true Love to God yourself, in keeping your Officers, and your City to preserve the mutual good of the same, but I fear this sore (Right Honourable) the many exclamations and complaints here, argue the contrary, O look to this, if you will have any comfort in thinking yourself to be free from perjury, which will not only stain thee, but brand thy posterity after thee, that both thou and they, shall be trusted the worse again whilst you live. And from this we will proceed to the second part of this Doctrine, which I only will insist upon, being thus much.  
[That Love rejoiceth.] To see men walk in the truth, that is to be Religious towards God; Which the example of David in the 122. Psal. ver. 1. plainly proveth, who faith he rejoiced when they said, Come let us go to the house of the Lord. Together with that 2. Chro. 15.14.15. Where it is said, the people rejoiced to see all so ready to take the Oath for the service of the true God: as Hezekiah and the people did, to see the Priests so ready to purge the Temple, Ibid. 29.36. and the rejoicing in fetching up the Ark showeth the same.  
Reason 1 Because such are servants to the most mighty Lord, and it doth them good to see their Master well attended.  
Reason 2 True Love maketh us to wish, every one to be as we are, and therefore a Christian never desireth to go alone, but would have company.  
Use. To examine ourselves what Love there is in us, by our rejoicing to see men walk in the truth, and to be truly Religious towards God, which will prove us all too far from that we should be, as both our proceed against such persons, and our speeches of them before their faces, and behind their backs plainly show, which all tend to the disgracing of them and their Holy profession. If a man will but pray with his family, Evening and Morning, catechize them, and call them to an account what they have heard, refrain himself from Taverns, Plays, and other company of good fellows, falsely so called, he is made like an Owl in the wilderness amongst you, he is hated of his neighbours, evil spoken of undeservedly, and his causes and Suits shall far the worse for them. Is this to rejoice to see men forward in Religion? Nay, is it not to grieve because they be so, which is to envy at God's good estate to be so well attended: This sin, the sin peculiar to England above all Nations, is every where to be found. Is there any people that will hate them that are forward in their own Religion? And yet we do, that a man will serve God but in good earnest, and make care of keeping his word and vow with GOD, in forsaking the devil and all his works, is he not presently named a Prescitian and gross hypocrite, and yet doth nothing but that which thou must do, except thou wilt prove a promise breaker and perjured person before God. The Papists and Turks in renowming those that have been forwardest in their Religion, shall rise up at the day of judgement to condemn the English people, who are most hateful to them that serve God most entirely, which showeth little rejoicing in the truth amongst us, and so consequently, little or no true Love at all. Now that I may leave you without doubt in this point, I will lay down some several marks whereby you may know, whether you rejoice in Religion, and in the happy success thereof, yea or no. The first whereof: A rejoicing in the truth, because it is the truth, and for no other respects, saying and performing as job, Though thou kill me, I will not forsake thee: And with our saviours Disciples, Whither shall we go Lord, thou hast the word of eternal life, which is the undoubted mark of a true Lover of Religion. Hereby let you Churchmen examine yourselves? Do you profess Religion, and hold your places in pretence of maintaining the same, because it is truth, or rather because of the sweetness of the living you enjoy thereby? You Professors, do you profess out of mere love to the truth, or for sinister respects? You Children, and such as are under Government, do you it not rather because you may thereby purchase more liberty to yourselves. You Tradesmen Professors, do not you profess and only seem to rejoice in the truth, because you may gain customers thereby, and make it a cover for your cozening? You poorer sort, do not you likewise profess for your bellies sakes. I fear this much beloved, look to it, if thou rejoicest in the truth, thou dost it simply because it is the truth.  
The second mark of rejoicing in the truth is, if you labour to increase it and set it forward in thy own person, in thy family and the Country I owns and Cities where thou dwellest. For the first, Paul would strive himself to know Christ, and pressed forward towards the mark. David would vow that he would keep Gods righteous judgements: So that we must see what endeavouring there is to forward Religion in ourselves, what care we have to grow and wax in grace.  
What care hast thou to forward Religion in thy family: look to this Ministers and Noblemen whom it most concerneth, and by whom it is least practised: for you Ministers and Churchmen, do you answer the Apostles mark of a Minister, 
1. Tim. 3.4.  that he must be one that can rule his own house honestly, having children under obedience with all honesty, and are you such? are your houses ruled honestly, and have you children obedient, and wise, sober, honest, and not evil speakers, but faithful in all things.  
Now you Noblemen and Gentlemen, are your houses any better governed? and do you plant Religion any more in your families then Churchmen do in theirs? joshuahs' resolution is in few Noblemen and Governors of the people seen; I and my household will serve the Lord. Do you catechize and instruct your family, and pray with them in your own persons? Do you give thanks at the table for yourself, & those that dine with thee? Oh no, it is too base. Now (beloved) I know you are of two sorts, some that think you are freed from this in your own person, those be such of you that have Chaplains, who are in your stead, and so you will serve God by your Attorney, which doth dismember the congregation, as it is now used, that when the greatest part of the congregation is at public place peaceable, and hearing or calling upon God, the greatest person with his train is in private serving God, which is an unseemable doing of a good action, doing good in private when we should be public. And these private exercises in families when we should be in public, cannot be warranted in the quiet and peaceable time of the Church, as now it is with us. In the time of persecution I know the Christians met together in private families: secondly, it doth confound two distinct duties and callings in one person, namely in the Minister, when he taketh upon him to be a public person, and a private person too, unto which he is not necessarily called, as he is in his own family to be Master of a family, and so to discharge the duty of a Master in his house, and of a Minister publicly.  
It freeth the Master of the family from that duty God hath required of him, in his own person to perform to his family, as to teach them in the Law of God, when he is at home and going abroad. Deut. 6.7. which Abraham and joshua, & all the holy men of God practised, and no Master of a family is to be exempted from.  
And lastly, it maketh a Minister to lose the liberty God hath granted him, as to be subject in his Doctrine, to the censure and judgement of private men, whereas God will have the spirit of the Minister, to be subject only to the spirit of the Prophets, and our Church holdeth, that a man is to give account of his Doctrine to the Ordinary, and the censure thereof to abide. I say (these reasons being well considered) it is questionable whether the standing of a Chaplain, as the Noblemen of England now would have it, be warrantable. But suppose it were. What if thy Chaplain be insufficient, as many be? being entertained rather to make thyself merry withal, then to instruct thee or thy people, what wilt thou then do? shall thy family not be instructed? dost thou think this pretence will serve thy turn? but grant thy Chaplain be sufficient, what if he be lazy, idle, and careless, as most be, being readier to play a game at the dice and cards with thee, thy servants and children, then to teach and catechize you, shall this bear thee out before God? no: if thy people perish for want of instruction privately, you shall answer for the blood of their souls, as thou shouldest for the blood of their bodies, if they perished by thy detaining of that from them, as meat, drink, and wages, which thou art bound to allow them. Were this a plea sufficient to say, thou didst thy duty to thy child, for thou committedst him or her to a nurse, whom thou knewest to be dry, and every way insufficient? No beloved, no more will it bear thee out to say thou hast a Chaplain, except thou see them instructed by thy own person.  
Now than you Noblemen and Gentlemen, do you forward Religion, by teaching your family, and praying with them? No, these do not fit with your Greatness, in truth these heavenly things do not fit with your baseness, and therefore thou wilt not meddle with the same. God shall never be called upon by thy family together, rather than thou wilt be their mouth. God shall never be praised at the table, rather than thou wilt do it, and therefore most commonly it is, that at such men's tables, if the Chaplain be away and the children, grace and all is away, which argueth all their service is but customary, not of conscience: well, if this be thy custom, thou rejoicest not in the truth, for thou dost not forward it in thy family by Doctrine & example, which every one doth that rejoiceth in it. Dost thou see, say, and perform with David, That no wicked person shall abide and dwell in thy house? No. For, alas where is the rout and crew of such, if not in your houses? whither do unclean persons, wantoness, and bloudshedders betake themselves for shelter but to you? thinking if they once get your houses over their heads, and your cloak or coat upon their backs, than they are safe enough, as the Woodcock when he hath hid his head, and Adoniah when he fled to the horns of the Altar. What shall I compare your houses unto? but to the fattest and fertilest ground untilled and unhusbanded? which most commonly bringeth forth most weeds, and in which the most dangerous vermins do abide. Look unto this, and either reform it, or else confess that you rejoice not in the truth, and so consequently have no true love. This concerneth both sorts of you, both that under pretence of Chaplains will be careless, and you also that without pretence thereof walk thus carelessly.  
If thou desire and endeavour the promoting and fathering of it where thou abidest, in Country, City, or Town, & how do you further it here? truly there is little hope that you should settle it there, seeing thou art far from it in thy own family. For as Paul saith of a Minister, how shall he care for the Church of God, if he cannot rule his own family? so how can it be that you care to settle Religion in the places where you abide, if you be careless of it in your own families? what care you have to further it in the places of your abode will the better appear, if we examine how ye use the means to further it there, which are of two sorts: 1, either with men, 2, or God. With men, and those are either, 1. the Church livings thou hast to bestow: 2. thy words and countenance: 3. thy purse: 4. thy journeying: 5. thy magistracy and authority.  
If thou use all these to furthering Religion in the place where thou dwellest, thou rejoicest in the truth, if not, thou dost not, and so by consequence no love in thee. That we may the better perceive this, let us consider these things in order. 1. Art thou careful to bestow these benefices and Church-livings upon able and sufficient teachers? do you commit holy things, as the souls of the people, the word of God and the Sacraments, to holy men, who have urim & thummim, purity of life and soundness of Doctrine: nay, rather are you not jeroboams, that prefer to the place of the ministery, the baggage and refuse of men? the more by far of such now in the Church, then of sufficient Preachers, doth testify it to your shame: O let us pray that these things were amended. Here had I thought to have spoken to the reverend Father of this Church, but let me speak to his ears and eyes, that I would have done to him, namely, that forasmuch as patrons be careless whom they present, but most commonly him that will give most, or hath greatest friends, caring not a jot to falsify the trust committed to them, O that it would please our Church governors to be careful of these things, and to admit, institute, and induct, none but men sufficient, and therefore not to be over entreated by great Persons, nor importuned by flatterers about you, who for their Bribes, not for any goodwill to the Church, importune you. Thus by your care of bestowing your livings, you may see whether you have any joy in Religion: yea, or no. But alas, by this it appeareth, that the Patrons of our days have little Love that way. For who seeketh for an able Minister, but one that is able to give well for it, before he have it. Now let us come to see what rejoicing you have in the truth, by using your word and countenance to profit the same?  
Whom do you speak for, and vouchsafe a good word to? Is it for the distressed jews? Dost thou speak to Ahashuerosh in their behalf? Doth the benefit of thy words extend to the Saints that are upon the earth? Dost thou further their causes, and defend them? Little of this beloved amongst you, I would I might not say the quite contrary, that your tongues are sharp arrows and spears against them, and that you are speakers for and favourers of Roman Catholics, many of you, more than of Protestants.  
Thus by your words and countenance, you little show your rejoicing in the truth, Let us see what you do with your Purse? Dost thou lay out thy money to have the Darkness removed, and the Light (I mean the Gospel of Christ) brought to thee? Dost thou buy the truth? Nay, rather do not you sell it? As the buying and selling of Church livings, and Offices in these days rather show? Do you lay out your money to continue the sincere and sound ministery of the word amongst you? Nay, rather is it not to thrust them out? For many spend that way, but few the other, is it to defend innocent and righteous persons and causes? Nay, rather is it not to fee a Proctor to speak against them, whom thou unjustly slanderest? Is it to buy good Books? No, rather to buy Play books, Ballads and wanton Sonnets, if not Popish books. Is it spent to relieve the Saints upon the earth? No, but upon the scum of the world, Stage players, the bellows of lust, Fiddlers, and Roguish musicans, by all which you show plainly, you rejoice not in the truth, for by laying out of your money, you show the same.  
And as in this, so I doubt you show yourselves little better in the next, which is your journeying: For, do you journey with Ezra to seek the Law of the Lord, and to teach it in Israel? Is it to good exercises? No, rather it is to thy whorish sports and pastimes, for the satisfying of thyself wherein, no journey is too long, too tedious or chargeable, whereby you show your want of Love, by your little rejoicing in the truth, travailing against it, not for it.  
Now let us come to the last means to be used amongst men, and that is Magistracy, what answer will this give? I doubt as the former. Let us see a little by more particular discourse: First, you Gentlemen to whom is committed the Sword in the Country, do you use it to forward piety and godlinessse there? Let the Green meetings, the May-powles and May-fooles, the Wakes, Barebaitings, and Football playings upon the Sabbath day, say whether you do or not; But to leave you, let me come to this City, and to you (Right Honourable) the L. Mayor, with the rest of your Brethren the Aldermen, and the Officers of this Corporation: Do you exercise your Authority to further Religion? Let the profanation of the Sabbath, by travailers into, and out of your City, the carrying of burdens in your City: The public and secret Markets kept in your City, both in Streets in Cheapside, and other places, by Apple-women, etc. Gracious-street (I had almost said Graceless street) with her Morning and Evening Market: In Shops in the Morning, in tippling-houses, warehouses, whorehouses and Taverns all the day, witness this, and more than this: The selling of corrupt Wares, yea, of the badges of Idolatry, say what you do; O beloved, what shall I say? But mourn for these things. O draw out your Sword of justice (Right Honourable) and stand out like a man of War, for the redress of these things: Know that your Authority is not only for man, but for God, to maintain his Laws, know that you stand charged with the whole City, and the Gates of the same for the year, and therefore look to it, you are guilty of the sins of those that break the Sabbath within your jurisdiction, by any of the ways aforesaid, if you strive and labour not the amendment of the same. You will say, what shall I do? I will tell thee what, Set a man at every Gate of the City, and let the Gates be shut before the Sabbath, and not opened until the Sabbath be ended, as Nehemiah did, whom thou art herein to follow, Nehem. 13.19. and if this will not serve, use thy Authority to drive them from about the Gates, suffer not burdens to be carried, both upon Carts, Horses, and the backs of men, as they usually are, the Lord cannot endure it, jere. 17.20 Ad finem. Let not the Sabbath be a Market day for the things of the body, which God hath set to be the Market day of the soul. Look that Play books and wanton Sonnets, the means of corrupting young minds, be not countenanced neither in Printing nor selling, by you, much less Popish books: but with the rest, forget not to abandon the Relics of Idolatry, from Cheapside, I mean, Rings with Crucifixes upon the same, usually sold there: Is it not a thing uncredible, that our King who lamenteth the whore of Rome, should have in his Kingdom: yea, in the chiefest City of his Kingdom, and the stateliest street of the same, the Badges of that Whore to be sold: yea, which is more from thence to be transported to Popish Countries, to furnish them with the same: O look to these, and other gross matters, & set yourself to a happy and speedy reformation of the same; set upon it, you shall not lose your labour, you shall get you praise, both in heaven and earth: God will love you, the Angels love you, and men will praise you: I for my part will, and my Brethren succeeding me in this place, will give you your due praise: we will say, many Mayors have done worthily, but you have excelled them all, as may witness the good commendations of the late Mayor, and his officers your Honours and your predecessors, given unto him for the good he did in reforming, in some measure some of the abominations aforesaid, who began to build the Temple, I mean this happy reformation for you, but I know not how it is unhappily all cast in the dust again. Consider this (right Honourable) and set to the work you have let slack. And not only this, but consider why the Lord hath called you to this place, not that you should play your part like a Player upon the Stage, or to stand for a Cipher, but that you should show yourself a man: and why hath he suffered these things to be unreformed, but that you should do the same? Let me say to you, as Mordecay to Hester, Who knoweth whether God hath brought you to this place for this end, yea or no? Therefore do it, if you will not, God will have reformation by some other, but you and yours shall perish. If this will not persuade, consider a third thing, and that is the benefit that is likely to come hereby, and that not only to you, but to this whole City, as the Prophet witnesseth in jerem. 17.24.25. And assure yourself, if you do it not, the neglect of this by you, will bring seven worse plagues, than yet have been seen in this City, that you shall be far from sitting, as now you do with mirth, in your seats of command: O let this persuade, or if not, hearken to a fourth persuasion: the comfort thou shalt have in thy conscience upon thy deathbed if thou canst turn thyself to the wall, and say, Lord behold I have walked with an upright heart in my mayoralty: If thou canst not say this, what will it avail thee, to make a Will, and to bequeath hundreds and thousands, and yet art not able to turn thyself in peace to God? O consider this, and as thou tenderest the peace and comfort of conscience, then, when all things else will be comfortless; so look to discharge this I give thee to understand of. If this will not prevail, let this last consideration: the walking in thy office, as I have directed, will make thee with boldness to appear before God in prayer with Nehemiah, 5, 19 Remember me O my God in goodness, according to all that I have done for this people: Which he could never have so boldly uttered as he did, except he had walked conscionably in his calling.  
O let these enter into your honourable breast, and consider of them at home and every day, that we may see, to the praise of God and your salvation, some good effect of this days work. But why should I stand so long upon these things, me thinks I perceive that you are and will be as ready to reform these things, as I to discover them, Deceive not my persuasion (right honourable) lest you frustrate your own salvation. Thus having done with the five several means, which every man that rejoiceth in the truth, for the furthering of the same in the place where he dwelleth, useth amongst men, as they concern him: let us come to the means every man that rejoiceth in the truth, useth to further it by, with God, and that is prayer. Which few use, and therefore do so little good as they do, they think if they bestow their livings well, speak for, and countenance good men, spend their money for furthering such causes and persons, and journey to the same end, and use their Magistracy & Authority for the like, than they have done enough: but alas, there is one thing, which procureth a blessing to all these, wanting: and that is hearty prayer, which David used in the 51. Psal. ver. 18. Be favourable unto Zion, for thy good pleasure build up the walls of jerusalem, without this, thinking his not ceasing to give the temples of his head any rest, till he had found a place for the worship of God, and his great ado to procure the wealth of jerusalem, was to no end or little worth: See and examine thyself, whether with the former thou join the latter, if not, it argueth thou hast no great heartburning to, or liking of Religion. Now followeth the third mark, whereby we may know if we rejoice in Religion, and the happy success of the same, namely, If such be companions to us, and we delight to have our houses fraughted with such, both children and servants, and the more forwarder that way the better liked of us, nay if we be as we should, we will remove from the Idols of jeroboam and go to Rehoboam, we will not stay in Pharaohs Court, but will go to live with God's children, though in affliction: But alas where is this to be found, that the company of such are acceptable to us? and so consequently, where is there any rejoicing in the truth? this proveth, that few or none be lovers of the same. I doubt the fourth will have little better success, which is a mourning for the decay of Religion, but where is there any to be found, that is grieved for the carrying away of the Ark by the Philistims? crying with Elies' daughter in law, the Ark is taken away and the glory is departed from Israel. Where is any to be found sorrowing, to see the people scattered as sheep upon a mountain without a shepherd? who counteth this amongst, nay, the greatest of their griefs and sorrows? that the ways to God's house are untrodden, & that her enemies are the chief therein? but who of all men doth make the absence from God's house and service, and the exercises of Religion, the matter of their complaint, not being any where, whilst they are absent therefrom, able to sing merrily? Few such (beloved) if any, therefore few, if any, rejoicing to see Religion flourish. As there be few that mourn for the absence of it, so who will defend the same? which is the fifth mark of a man rejoicing in the truth, and that both by speaking for it, as giving a reason of it to the adversaries, suffering for it as the Apostles & Christians formerly, and in Queen Mary her days: and lastly, practising the same. Many will do the former, and happily the latter, but few endure to do the second: Ergo, few rejoice in the truth. And as few will defend it in this manner, who is there that prefer it to their chief joy? which is the sixth and last mark, whereby we may know whether we rejoice in the truth, yea or no: who count all things dung in comparison of that? who is there that prefer it to their life? with Paul Acts, 20. My life is not dear unto me, so I may finish my course with joy? or with Nehe. 6.11. Should such a man as I flee, who is he being as I am, that would go into the temple to live, I will not go in. Or with Hester, if I perish, I perish: Alas few such, life is sweet will all say, but I say to a Christian man and woman. Religion the life of the soul is far sweeter. Thus have we examined from top to toe, both by Quid charitas abstinet, and quid efficit, and few do we find to have love dwelling in them, because few love righteousness or honest dealing with men, or Religion towards God. I will only lay down two motives to move the latter to be in love with Religion, and to rejoice in the same, and so I will cease. Which are these. 1. The necessity of it, without it there is no coming to the Kingdom of heaven, for we must rejoice to see Christ reign here by grace in the hearts of men, else we shall never come to rejoice with him in glory.  
To be lovers and makers much of Religion, and the true fear of God is the way to true honour here, and everlasting honour in the life to come. For the first, that part of the commination to old Ely, plainly showeth: he that honoureth me, shall be honoured, but he that despiseth me shall be despised. Which experience showeth, for who is so truly feared and reverenced both at home and abroad, of his own and others, as he that truly feareth the Lord? Much is the complaining of men in these days, that they never had such sturdy servants, and no man such disobedient children? alas they enter not into the true consideration of these things, if they did, they should find it as a just judgement of God upon them, for their want of fear and love to his, therefore he maketh them that should most reverence thee, to be thy greatest grief & heartbreaking: for what was the cause that strangers shrunk away, and did fear in their privy chambers at the presence of David? because he kept the ways of the Lord, & did not wickedly against his God. And what was the cause, that the young men hid themselves when they saw job, & the aged arose and stood up? because he was a righteous man, feet to the lame, and eyes to the blind, so that it is ever true, and ever shall be, that the way truly to be reverenced, is to be truly religious, which we shall find further to be true, both in their life and death, for proof whereof, that example of jehoiada is worth always remembrance, who setting himself wholly to restore religion & the true service of God, and to abandon Idolatry, was therefore honoured both in life & death: in life God honoured him in his marriage, for he was son in law to one King, & brother in law to another, 2. Chro. 22. penult, and more than that King joash would do nothing without his counsel and advise: and in his death was he no less honoured then in his life, companion he was to Kings in his life, & so in his death, 2. Chro. 24. they buried him in the City of David with the Kings, because he had done good in Israel, and towards God & his house. Which truth will the better appear, if we consider how God hath dishonoured the enemies of his Church, by bringing upon them shameful deaths, as witness Haman, Achitophel and judas, who for ease went and hanged themselves. Herod with his lousy death, Zenacherib slain with the fruit of his own bowels, whilst he was worshipping Nisroch his God, 2. Chron. 32.21. and joash, 2. Chron. 24 25. who was overcome with a few, left in great diseases, killed by his own servants, and not graced with burial in the Sepulchres of the Kings, and all for his falling from the truth, and misusing of Zechariah the son of jehoiada. No better, but far worse was the end of Zedekiah for murdering Vriah, and showing his dislike to the truth of God, as it plainly appeareth by comparing jer. 22.18.19. with jer. 26.22.23. He was buried without mourners, as a man whose death all wished, and were glad of: they lamented him not, saying, Ah my brother, or Ah my sister, neither did they mourn for him, saying, Ah Lord, and Ah his glory: he was buried as an Ass is buried, even drawn and cast forth without the gates of jerusalem: thus hath God showed dishonour upon them that have dishonoured him. Let this go to your hearts, and prevail with you, to increase your love by rejoicing in the truth of God, and to see Religion flourish.  
To this I know some of you will object, that you have known men, who have been far from this I speak of, and yet have died as quietly, been buried as honourably, and respected, reverenced, and honoured as much in their lives, as any that have been, or are so too too much religious. Unto which I answer, how knowest thou, they have died so quietly, thou knowest not what hearts they have, a fair outside thou seest, but the horror and disquietness of his soul is hid from thee, he is loath and ashamed to let it be seen, and the Devil not willing thou shouldest behold the same, lest it should fright thee, and thou avoid his manner of living, lest thou shouldest come to the same end: his burial is no other but that which is common to the wicked: yea the wicked have most of that pomp, not one heart mourning for him, but many black mockers rather than mourners: His honour, reverence and respect he hath, is not true & worthy, from the heart, but servile, because they dare do no otherwise, those whom thou speakest of being like the great Mastiffs, whom the little Curs dare not but crouch to, lest the Mastiffs should all to rend them. Thus thou seest all they have, is but so in show, not in deed, labour thou then to follow Christ, to love religion from thy heart, that honour and true dignity may be heaped upon thee here, and everlasting honour in the life to come. Which God for his Christ's sake grant unto us all. Amen.  
FINIS.