TEN SERMONS UPON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, Preached at Saint Paul's Cross, and Elsewhere.  
BY The Right Reverend Father in GOD ARTHUR LAKE Late LORD Bishop of BATH and WELLS.  HEBR. 11.4. 
Being dead, he yet speaketh.  
יהוה  
LONDON, Printed by Thomas Badger, for Humphrey Mosley, and are to be sold at his Shop at the PRINCE'S Arms in Saint Paul's Churchyard. 1640.   

A short PREFACE of the Publisher to the Reader.  
IT was my purpose to let these Sermons pass into the world without a Preface; But that casting my thoughts at once on the quality of the Author, and the Malady of this present Age, I remembered withal that of Aristotle, 
Aristot. Rhet. 3. c. 36.  in his Rhetorics,— 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉— Proems are many times in effect Medicines, they serve to cure and heal the indisposition of the sick Auditor. I could wish this short one might prove Medicinal against the disease of these times; broken out into such an heat of distemper and malignity against those sacred Magistrates of the Church, of which Number this Reverend Father Our Author was one. Bishops in the Primitive Church were anciently called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (as Saint Nazianzen insinuates) heavenly, 
S. Naz. or. 1.  as in regard of their original and institution, derived most undoubtedly from Christ and his Apostles, so likewise heavenly also, for their most Christian, exemplary, and godly lives; who though they lived on earth, yet had their conversation in heaven, 
Phi. 3.20  Philip. 3.20. And such a one (indeed) was this Bishop, whose memory is yet bleeding and precious to all that knew him. How ever some may stand affected to that venerable Hierarchy, yet it shall always be my prayer to God, that first the line of Episcopal and Apostolical succession may never be interrupted or fail in the Church of Christ. And secondly, that she may continue still to flourish under a happy and gracious supply of many Religious and able Bishops like to this Author. Of whose Grave judgement, renowned Piety and learning, I desire thee (Christian Reader) to take a better Character from his own mouth and pen in the Sermons ensuing.  
Farewell.   


A SERMON PREACHED AT SAINT PAUL'S CROSS, In the first Session of Parliament of King JAMES.  PSAL. 160. VER. 29, 30. 
Thus they provoked God to anger with their own inventions, and the Plague broke in upon them: But Phinees stood up, and prayed, and the Plague was stayed.  
THis Psalm, in the name of the jews distressed (whether under Antiochus, or in Babylon, or before both, in the days of King David, it much skilleth not, because the Scripture necessarily proveth it not: but whensoever, questionless, in the name of the distressed jews) declareth four principal points: first, the people's Sin; secondly, God's judgement; thirdly, their Repentance, usual in affliction; fourthly, God's readiness to Commiseration: leading us to consider herein a double correspondency; one, of God's judgements to man's sin; the other, of God's mercy to man's penitency. If man sin, God striketh; if man repent of his sin, God relenteth from his wrath. This is manifested by divers stories of the jews, here for this purpose only touched; but in Moses, and the Books historical, they are with their circumstances farther enlarged. Amongst the rest, the Psalmist pointeth at the story which is recorded, Num. 25. Whereupon he observeth, first, the jews sin, and that in special, Ver. 28. They joined unto Baal Peor, and eat the offerings of the dead; and in general, Ver. 29. They provoked God to anger with their own inventions: secondly, God's judgement; The Plague broke in upon them: thirdly, The means used to pacify God; Phinees stood up and prayed: fourthly, the effect that this means took with God; The Plague ceased: fifthly, The blessing conferred upon Phinees, who used the means; It was imputed to him for righteousness, throughout all generations. All which points are in themselves fruitful, and for us behooveful: but considering mine own strength, your patience, and the time allotted to us both, I shall forbear the specialties of the jews sin, and the reward of Phinees zeal, and speak to the rest briefly, and in their order.  
The jews sin, as it is here opened in general, offereth to our consideration two marks, common to all sins: first, they are our own inventions; secondly, they provoke God to anger. First, Their own inventions: The Hebrew word was so anciently, and is now ordinarily translated and fitted unto sin. Wicked works are justly termed (ours) not as if they were not common to the Devil with us, yea, and at first learned of the Devil by us; but the exclusion is, of Gods will revealed in his Word, to be obeyed by the grace of his Spirit; both which are appointed, the one outwardly, the other inwardly, to instruct and conduct us in those things, which are meet to be observed by us. There is no rule of true wisdom, which is not a Lesson of God's Word; no true virtue, which is not an effect of God's Spirit. The first Moses teacheth: 
Dent. 4.1, 5, 6.  Behold (saith he to the jews) I have taught you Ordinances and Laws, keep them therefore, and do them; for that is your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the people, which shall hear all these Ordinances, and shall say, only this people is wise, and of understanding, and a great Nation. The second we learn of Esay; who prophesying of Christ, out of whose fullness we all receive Grace for Grace, saith: 
Esa. 11.2:  The Spirit of God shall rest upon him; the effects of which Spirit, are after specified to be Wisdom, Counsel, and Fortitude, the fear of the Lord, Righteousness, and other Virtues, which make a perfectly good both Man and Governor. And the same Prophet speaking of the Covenant of Grace, conjoineth these our two Guides as Gifts, which God will impart to those that shall partake his Covenant of Grace: 
Esa. 59.21.  My Spirit, that is upon thee, and my Word which I shall put into thy mouth, shall not departed from thee nor from thy Seeds Seed from henceforth, even for ever. 
Psal. 119. v. 105.  David confesseth of God's Word, that it was a Light unto his feet, and a Lantern unto his steps; and prayeth, 
Psal. 143. v. 10.  that God's Spirit may lead him into the Land of Righteousness. But the jews would not sail by this either Card or Compass of God's Word, and Spirit; the Wisdom of the flesh was their Lodestar, and the Lust of the flesh did steer their Helm. Esay confesseth it humbly; 
Esay 53.6.  All we as Sheep have gone astray from God's ways, we have turned every one his own way. Stephen rebukes them for it sharply, 
Acts 7.51.  calling them men of uncircumcised ears and hearts; they always resisted the Holy-Ghost in their hearts, and the Prophots in their ears. 
jer. 6. v. 16, 17.  jeremy of all the Prophets, sets it out most plentifully: Thus saith the Lord, stand in the ways, behold and ask for the old way, which is the good way, walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls; but they said, We will not walk therein. Also I set Watchmen over you, which said, Take heed to the sound of the Trumpet; but they said, We will not take heed. At another time being recalled, they answered desperately: 
Jer. 18.12.  Surely, we will walk after our own imaginations, and do every man after the stubbornness of his wicked heart: The Word that thou hast spoken to us in the Name of the Lord, 
Jer. 44.16.  we will not hear it of thee, but we will do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own mouths. The Prophets every where challenge them for choosing their own way, following their own counsel, and fulfilling their own lusts. Such works were their own. And if we will make their case ours, we may easily judge which of our works God will reckon for our own; even all those, in doing whereof we wittingly and willingly withdraw our obedience from God's Word and Spirit.  
But before I leave this point; the Texts opportunity, and some men's importunity occasioning me, I must more fully open the difference betwixt God's works and ours, and remove that false imputation of humane invention, that is laid upon many a public one of ours. We must then further observe, that of our two Guides, the Word and the Spirit, the Spirit is not severed from the Word; it is received by the Word, and being received, it inlightens us to understand, and inables us to obey God's Word. That the Spirit is received by the Word, the Apostle teacheth, 
2 Cor. 3●.  calling the preaching of the Gospel the ministration of the Spirit: and to the Galathians he writes, that by the preaching of the Gospel, 
Gal. 3.2.  they received the Spirit. Again, that being received, it inlightens us to understand, and inables us to obey the Word, our Saviour Christ teacheth us: who speaking of the coming of the Spirit, saith, 
Joh. 14.26.  He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance which I have told you: And again, He shall lead you into all Truth; 
joh. 16.13. joh. 17.17.  which Truth, is God's Word, as he elsewhere expounds it. In this sense, must be understood the Spirits Unction, it anointeth us to understand the Word; the Spirits obsignation, it sealeth unto us an assurance of the Word; the Spirits sanctification, it purifieth us to obey the Word. Saint Chrysostom's rule is true, Siquis eorum qui dicuntur habere Spiritum Sanctum, dicit aliquid de seipso, & non ex Euangeliis, non creditur; siquis dicta Christi sequitur, Spiritum Sanctum habet, etc. This must be observed against old and new Enthusiasts; who think they can see into the secrets of Heaven, without the Lookingglass of Heaven; That they can sound the Mind of Christ, without hearing the Voice of Christ; That they can confer with the Spirit, without the Language of the Spirit: But we must resolve, That no man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, except he be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; no man is taught of God, but by the Word of God. I hope this place hath not any, nor this Land many, that have as yet received that evil Seed: if it be rooted in any, their case is to be pitied; and those that are too forward, by their fall must timely be admonished.  
Our second Guide, is God's Word: wherein many things are necessarily concluded, which are not therein literally expressed. In matters of Faith and Manners, we are not tied to the strictness of the Letter, but the fullness of the Sense. Our Saviour Christ is our Master in this course: He proveth the Resurrection of the Dead, 
Mat. 22.32.  being an Article of our Faith, against the Sadduces; and the use of the Sabbath, being a rule of life, 
Mat. 12.7.  against the Pharises, by an inference made upon the Scripture, not by any evidence of the Letter of the Scripture. Christ is herein followed, by the Apostles, by Counsels, and Fathers. Nazianzene hath comprehended the Doctrine in this rule: Quaedam in Scriptures & sunt, & dicuntur; quaedam insunt, etiamsi non dicantur: and he addeth, That the sticking to the Letter, is oftentimes but a pretext of impiety. And indeed, this pretext is used by the Church of Rome: who excludes that from the Scripture, which is apparently concluded within the sense of the Scripture, in the Doctrine of the Trinity, the Sacraments, and some other points of moment: and having raised this mist, closely conveys Articles of Faith, and Rules of Life, into the Doctrine of the Church, not only besides, but contrary to the Scripture: and yet in their late many and wordie Pamphlets, would persuade men, that our Doctrine is our own, and not Gods; that theirs is not their own, but Gods. Let the true Christian confer the proofs, and for his own eternal comfort judge, whether they deserve not the censure of Christ, 
Math. 15.9.  In vain do they worship me, teaching the Doctrines of Men.  
Another work there is which must be examined, because the World is therewith much perplexed; I mean the Ceremonies and Discipline: it must be inquired, Whether the observance of them be a work of Gods, or ours. And here these three Rules are of all hands acknowledged. First, No Discipline or Ceremony must be contrary to the Word of God. Secondly, None must be equalled thereto. Thirdly, Both must edify us therein. These three Rules being observed, I say, First, whatsoever thing is in its own nature indifferent may by lawful power be limited. Secondly, Being lawfully so enjoined, it must be obediently used. Thirdly, No Man with a good Conscience may forgo his Vocation for this cause only, because he cannot be released from the use of such a thing. The reason of all is plain, for the denial of the first takes away the Magistrates lawful power; the denial of the second argueth ignorance of Christian obedience; and the third proveth that such men's credit is the measure of their care; and they are more wedded to their fancy, then truly zealous of God's glory. These points have been largely amplified and Fatherly recommended; but as yet the world will not be satisfied; the Church cannot entreat so much of her Children, as to be dutifully obeyed. It is thought by too many a meet deliberation, who should yield, whether the Fathers which stand for that which is well grounded and lawfully authorized: or the Children which stand against the Fathers of their Country, and Fathers of the Church. It were meet the foundations were razed before the buildings be ruined, and the Reasons answered before the Church be altered. But they have found at least a Simile to make good their cause. The Church is like man's body. Our Sovereign's new entry may be compared to the Spring. Saint Paul's comparison is acknowledged; and for our Spring the Lord be blessed. But what then? As man's body, so the Church this Spring time must be purged. An old Simile new furbished. For indeed our Church evidences do tell us of two such Springs within these Sixty years, besides a dangerous Autumn that went not long before, in which three seasons the Church hath been so purged, that her loss is never like to be recovered: Yet those Physicians were so well rewarded, that we do not wonder if they have left us a seed, that would gladly do us the like service. But we shall do well to know, that there are many bodies that take least Physic, and yet are most in health; and some humours though peccant sleep without distemper of the body, which being stirred by Physic cast down and endanger many a strong body. He spoke wisely though homely, that compared a Physician to a Laundress: She that washeth whitest weareth soon; and I am sure it were better for the Church to be still crazy, then so often cured. But one Rule of Physic they observe well: for the Diet is not safely Ministered except the body be first purged; and being so earnestly disposed to Diet us, I cannot but commend their skill, if beforehand they would purge us. But they shall deserve better thanks, if they spare their pains in both: the Church needeth Restoratives, rather than Purgations. He (saith Plato) that will heal running eyes, must first cure the brain; and the brain is not recovered except the stomach be amended; for these have a dependence one upon the other, and a consent each with the other. The Church's looseness is her sore eyes, or rather a sore in men's eyes; the Church's ignorance is a defect in her brain, and many complain, that divers of her sons have too dull and phlegmatic a brain: The Church's maintenance, is her Stomach; but the World will not understand, that she hath too cold a Stomach, that the Source and Spring of her other Diseases arises from the coldness of that. Where the Authority of the Church is so many ways kerbed, and the Portion so curtailed, what wonder if the unlearned are tolerated, and many lewd ones escape unpunished? But let the Arms of the Church be unpinnacled, let the Heart of the Church be refreshed, than the complaint will be more just: if her Eyes continue sore, if her Brain continue cold, then mortify that Brain, pluck out those Eyes: but if you take a contrary course, believe it, howsoever you seem to restore for the present, you prevent not a worse disease. That Chemical Oil, though never so curiously extracted, and in never so small quantity ministered, is not without reason suspected; upon the receipt whereof, many men have perished: Blame us not, if our Neighbour's harms do make us to beware. Or if our Humours do abound, and the world will not believe the contrary, but that the Church's Authority is too great, her Live be too many; the one gives liberty to Sin, the other breeds neglect of many Souls; deal with us as with Scholars; if we must die, let us die by the Book. Ask counsel of Antiquity, and let our Fathers teach: Learn of them what Physicians they used, when as they cured the Physicians of their Souls. Moses commends the charge of the whole Law unto the King: both first and second Table, concerning the Parsons, Priests, and People, were disposed and ordered by the appointment of the King: But the King did not proceed herein, without counsel. Read the story of Jehosaphat, Joash, and Ezechias, (all good Kings) and there you shall find who in these cases, were the King's directors: The advice and execution was the Priests, the command and power was the Kings. Descend to the days of Christianity, peruse the Laws of Christian Emperors, see when they assembled, whom they used in Counsels. Come to the days of Charlemagne, the first Germane and worthiest Emperor, ●et the History inform you, who made up his reforming Chapter. Our History may give some light unto us, and our ancient Laws may not be over-slipped by us: if we couple these together, the uniformity we finde in them, so ancient, so general, deserves to be a pattern to us. And indeed, if it please us to observe it, there are three things necessarily required in them that shall discreetly undertake so great a work, Science, Conscience, and Experience. In Science, I speak of things of this nature: we presume so fare of men's modesty, that they will not compare with us; if any man think otherwise, his pride is rather to be chastised, than his opinion refuted. And for Experience, our Neighbour-countreyes' may teach us, how little good newfound courses have or will perform, promise they never so much good unto us: Variety of Heresies, and inconvenient Policies do now afflict them, and I pray God they may be fare from us. There remains only Conscience, which we do not deny to others, and others must yield it unto us. In these things we should not prejudice one the other, but reserre ourselves both to God, who is the unpartial judge of both. Saint Paul is my Author. judge nothing (saith he) before the time, 
1 Cor. 4.5.  until the Lord come, who will lighten things that are hid in darkness, and make the counsels of the heart manifest; then shall every man have praise of God. But this Rule is transgressed, and the Church, contrary to this Rule, grievously wounded. Are there no Drunkards, Adulterers, common Barreters, but of the Church? Or is their excess in these sins grown so extraordinary, that they cannot be repressed by the Censures of their Ordinary? Is Suspension, Deprivation, Degradation, no pain? But the Minister must be tried by God and his Country? Or will the diligence of the Civil Sword make amends for the negligence of the Ecclesiastical Censure? I will not particularise such crying sins as reign amongst us: and yet the Civil Sword authorized thereunto, is slow enough to root them out; nay, it is, if not the breeder, yet the a better of some of them: a thing not observed, and therefore not much remedied. Therefore, let us both remember the Apostles Rule, 
1 Tim. 1.8.  We know the Law is good, if a man use it lawfully, Your Law is good, and ours is good; but we are both sick of one disease, we have not so much grace as we should have, to use it lawfully: We should therefore pray one for another, amend one the other, and bear one with the other. A popular seditious Roman was wont in their Parliaments, to advise the Commons to mark well the fi●st words of the Bill: If it began with, Siquis Dictator, Consul, Praetor, etc. If such or such a Magistrate shall do thus or thus hereafter, his pain shall be such and such; they should pass the Bill, and not weigh it, were there never so much rigorousness in it: his reason was, Sciant ad se nihil pertinere; What need they stick at it, when others must smart for it? But if the Bill began, Si Pop. Romanus, aut si Quirites, aut Plebs, That if the Commons did thus, or thus, such should be their punishment; then they must heed it, sift it, and cross it, lest their liberty be impeached, their state impaired, and their bodies violated. This was a popular, but a pestilent counsel; fare be it from all Christians either to approve or practise it. Let us not bind heavy burdens, to lay on Ministers shoulders, which the better sort of Commons will be loath to lift with the least of their fingers: distinguish our persons from our Vocations; and let the meanest of our persons sare the better, for the greatness of our Vocations. The time was, when the lower Clergy was reckoned in place next to the Peers; let it not down so many degrees, as to range it with the meanest of the Commons. Remember you have your Spiritual Birth from us, and your Spiritual Life is maintained by us: Our hands wash you from your sins, our mouths instill into you God's grace: you own more unto us, then to all Professions besides ours. Why should there then be such Fetters clapped on our Legs? Such mean Portions be thought enough for us? In the Life of Charlemagne it is reported, That warring against the Saracens in Spain, he so fare ●ressed them, that their King was content to become a Christian, so that Peace might be granted them. During the Treaty, Charlemagne feasted Aigoland, the Sarazin King. As they sat at meat, the Sarazin perceived a company of men in the same Room meanly attended, and thinly dieted; and asked Charlemagne, what they were? Charlemagne and his Nobles answered; Oh, these be the Ministers of God: The Sarazin replied; In sooth, yours is a petty God, that hath such miserable and contemptible servants: And thereupon, as the Story adds, broke off the Treaty, and would not become a Christian. You are wise enough to understand it, I will not apply it; you shall do well, to make use of it. The contempt of the Minister, is the reproach of God; and therefore, in all your deliberations, think of us, speak to us, and deal with us, as the Ambassadors of God, and procurers of your greatest good. If any man will be obstinate in another course, shall I say with Michael, 
jude 9  The Lord rebuke him? Nay, rather I will pray with Christ, Father, 
Luc. 23.34.  forgive them, they know not what they do: Their Posterity will rue their oversight; all such works will prove their own. And thus much of the first mark of sin, it is our own invention.  
The second followeth, It provoketh God's wrath. 
a Esa. 27.4.  Wrath is not in me, saith God: 
b Wisd. 1.13.  God made not death: 
c Eze. 18.32  He delighteth not in the death of a sinner: 
d Exo. 34.6.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 long suffering, slow to anger; and when he punisheth, he 
e Lam. 3.33.  doth it not ex animo. This appeareth by that passionate speech of his: 
f Hos. 11.8.  How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee up, O Israel? How shall I make thee as Admah? How shall I set thee as Zeboim? My heart is turned within me, my repentings are rolled together. Whereupon we may thus reason: Is God displeased? Then Man hath offended: For God gins with no man. 
g Esa. 50.1.  Where (saith God) is the Bill of your Mother's Divorcement, whom I have cast off? Or who is the Creditor to whom I have sold you? Behold for your iniquities are you sold, and because of your transgressions is your Mother cast off. This rule God observed with josua in the case 
h Jos. 7.11.  of Achan. Saul acknowledged it, when 
i Sam. 14 38.  God did not answer him: The Heathen 
k jon. 1.7.  confessed it, when the storm pursued them, and no marvel: For God delighteth in the prosperity of his servants. 
l Deut. 5.29  Oh, saith he that there were in them such a heart to fear me, and keep my commandments, that it might go well with them and their posterity for ever. No better experiment than this present History. In the Israelites journey to Canaan God sent his terror before them; The Midianites were disheartened with the sight of them: Balaam being sent for to Balac, instead of a Curse, though unwillingly of himself, and unacceptably to the King, was on every quarter compelled of God to bless them. Behold God's love toward them, how desirous he is, that no Protection due on his part should be wanting to them. But, when God would not forsake them, their Enemies could not match them: The Witches sorcery could not prevail upon them; Their own wits and lusts did serve them to forsake God, to betray themselves; and by Luxury, Incontinence, and Idolatry, to strip themselves both of favour and mercy. Let us heed to ourselves in this Example; God hath dealt with us, as he did with Israel. The Moabite is disheartened; Balaams' tongue is tied; In stead of a Curse and a Sword, they send us a Blessing, and desire Peace. The work must be ascribed to God; and for the work we must give glory to him only. But let us not lose our peace with God, while we like the peace of Man: Do I dissuade Peace? God forbidden. A Minister is a messenger of Peace; and the Apostles rule is, That 
m Rom. 12.18.  with all men, as fare as it is possible, we should entertain Peace: But in the Name of God I must remember unto you a piece of Christ's Epistle to the Church of Pergamus. 
n 〈◊〉 2.24.  I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that maintain the doctrine of Balaam, which taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, that they should eat things sacrificed to Idols, and comm●t Fornication. I do not intermeddle with the affairs of Princes: I speak of private Men; the ordinary repair of unnecessary persons to the Moabites Tents, not only to feast with them, but also to commit Fornication, assuredly spiritual, it may be corporal too: may breed us war with God, while we treat of Peace with Men. My desire is, that all avoid this; and that those who are in Authority provide against it. God is not moved, unless he be provoked.  
The word (provoked) is applied indifferently both to God, and Man; but the thing must be conceived to be otherwise in God then in Man, whether we respect the cause, the nature, or the manner of it. 1 The cause moving anger in Man is not always sin, but sometimes virtue; and that not only in wicked Men, but also in the best. Moses was angry with the Commandment of God, jonas with the mercy of God, job with the trial of God; but nothing can stir anger in God, but only sin. 
a Psal. 75.8  In the hand of God (saith David) there is a Cup, and the Wine is Red, it is full mixed, and he poureth out of the same. Surely all the wicked of the Earth shall wring out, and drink the dregs thereof. Speaking of that Wine that is mentioned, Revel. 14. And there called 
b verse 10.  the Wine of the wrath of God. Saint Paul speaking of Fornication, Covetousness, and foolish talking, addeth, that for 
c Ephes. 5.6  such things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 2 Anger in man is a passion and causeth alteration, it is though a short, yet a sharp madness: But God's nature being without composition, admits no mutation; as 
d Exo. 3.14  He is that which he is: so with him there is 
e jam. 1.17  no variableness, nor shadow of change. 3 Man's anger keeps no measure. Saint James observeth it saying, 
f Jam. 1.19.20.  Be slow to anger. For the wrath of Man fulfilleth not the righteousness of God. But the wise man speaking of God's judgements, saith, That 
g Wisd. 11.20.  he order them in number, weight, and measure. And the same phrase is used in the Story of Belshazzar, where the hand-writing hath, 
h Dan. 5 25.  Mene, Mene, Tekel, Vpharsin: that is, Thou art numbered, and weighed, and thy Kingdom is divided. So that by the anger of man, we cannot learn what is the anger of God, except we will fasten on God the imperfections of man. What then is anger in God? We must thus conceive it. As sin is contrary to God's holiness, so is it proceeded against, by God's justice. The dislike that God's holiness takes against sin, is called his hatred; and the process of his justice, is called his wrath: And that process may be considered, either as by God's Ministers it is threatened, and so Saint Paul calls it, 
i Rom. 1.18.  Gods revealed Wrath: or, as by God's powerful hand it is executed; in which sense, the Scripture remembreth us of a 
k Rom. 2.5.  Day of Wrath. When men are said to provoke God's wrath, the meaning is, that what Gods Ministers in his Name have threatened, that same punishment by God's power is inflicted upon irrepentant godless men. And in this sense must we take the phrase in this place, and learn there-out to imitate God: not to be offended, but with evil; not to be offended, before we be provoked with evil; not to pass a mean, when we have a just cause to be offended with those that are evil: an imitation fit for the best men, seeing the defect thereof hath been an imperfection even in the worthiest men. And thus much of the second mark of sin.  
Now couple these two together, and observe in a word the viperousnesse of sin; so natural, so unnatural unto us. It is unto us both our brood, and bane: like the Devil himself, who is a Serpent, and a Satan; cunning to seduce us, malicious to accuse us. Our own sins ensnare us, our own sins separate between God and us, our own sins testify against us, our own sins are a destruction unto us. And therefore, we have good reason to hearken to Saint Peter: 
l 1 Pet. 2.11.  I beseech you, brethren, as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which fight against the foul: and to the son of Sirach, saying; 
m Eccl. 21.2.  Fly from sin, as from a Serpent; for if thou comest too near, it will by't thee; the teeth thereof are as it were the teeth of a Lion, slaying the souls of men. Our own works provoke God's wrath against us. And thus much of the first point, which is the people's sin, described by two marks; the one, it is our own invention; the other, it provoketh God's wrath.  
I come to the second point, which is God's judgement, contained in these words, The Plague broke out upon them. The word Plague, is straightened, in our English Tongue, and commonly referred only to the Pestilence: but in other Languages it reacheth farther, and notes any extraordinary stroke that comes from God. The Prophets under that word, contain these four, Famine, Pestilence, wild Beasts, and the Sword; which by an excellency, are called the four Plagues of God: Not that God doth not create all, both 
a Esa. 45.7.  Light and Darkness, Good and Evil, as the Prophet speaks; but because strokes, if they be private, particular, or ordinary, do not move us; their second causes, not the first, are observed by us: God's justice in them is not reverenced, his Hand is not discerned, his Power is not feared: men do not reason, Hodie mihi, cras tibi; 
b Luc. 13.3.  Except we repent, we shall likewise perish: Therefore, as men have crying sins, that pierce the Heavens, and ascend unto the very Throne of God, and call for Vengeance at the hand of God; so God hath crying justice, that pierceth the Heavens, descends unto man, rouseth the guilty Conscience, and importuneth man's repentance. This Voice is the Voice of Sinai, so terrible, that Moses himself will 
c Heb. 12.21  quake and fear: such strokes fall not, but from most men they wrist the confession of Pharaohs Enchanters, 
d Exo. 8.19.  This is the finger of God. In our Language, we call the Pestilence the Visitation of God, and the Tokens thereof, God's marks: and the inscription of our doors is, Lord have mercy upon us; which testifieth our confession; whilst that punishing Angel stirreth, we stand all at the mercy of God. Some learned men are of opinion, that a Pestilence wasting many of the jews, was a part of that Plague, wherewith God is said here to have stricken them; but because the proof is not pregnant, we will not further pursue it: Of this we are sure, that, that which is evident, is equivalent; for in one day, how many ways soever they died 24000. were destroyed. But come we to the second part of this note, wherein it is said, This Plague broke out upon them; Only remember that the heavier Gods judgement lighteth upon us, the louder he calls for repentance unto us.  
The Plague broke out upon them.] The word hath many significations, which hath caused many interpretations. It signifies to break out, and it signifies to multiply: the word bearing both, we may make good use of both. If we translate (it broke out) than it notes first, that God's mercy is as it were a wall betwixt us and his justice. 
a Psa. 103.3  If thou Lord (saith David) shouldst be extreme to mark what is done amiss, O Lord who can abide it? But there is mercy with thee, that thou mayst be feared. And in another place, 
b Psa. 116.5  The Lord is merciful and righteous, and our God is full of compassion: Where it is to be observed, that the placing of the words imports, that God's Mercy is double to his justice; and that his Mercy compasseth on every side, and senceth us against his justice. Yet the son of Sirach observeth well, that there is 
c Eccl. 16.11.  with God not only Mercy; but also Wrath: he is mighty to for give, and to pour out displeasure. If men elevate God's power, blemish his Holiness, or defer Repentance: they shall find, that as his Mercy is great; so is his punishment also. 
d Wisd. 12.17.  When men think thee not to be of a perfect power, thou declarest thy power, and reprovest the boldness of the wise. 
e Psal. 50.21.  These sins hast thou committed (saith God unto the wicked) and I held my tongue; therefore thou thoughtest, that I was like unto thee; but I will reprove thee, and set thy sins in order before thee. 
f Rom. 2.4.5.  He that despiseth the riches of God's patience, not knowing that his goodness should lead men to repentance, doth but treasure up unto himself wrath: against the day of wrath, when God shall reward every man according to his works. God can be 
g jer. 15.6.  weary of repenting, as he tells jeremy; namely, when he is 
h Anos 2.13.  pressed under our sins, as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaves. When the 
i joel 3.13.  harvest of our sin is ripe, God will put in his sickle. Then will the Lord God say, even the mighty One of Israel: 
k Esa. 1.24.  Oh, I will ease me of mine adversaries, I will avenge me of mine enemies.  
Again, in this breaking out of the Plague, we may observe, not only that Mercy sometimes gives place to justice, but also the unresistablenesse of justice, when it comes, it bears down all before it. Wherefore, God's wrath seizing upon sinners, is compared to a whirlwind 
a Psal 1.4  scattering chaff,.. to a devouring fire 
b Mal. 4.1.  consuming stubble, to a violent 
c Nahum 1.8  flood,.. bearing down cum stabulis armenta, all that stands against it.  
Lastly, here we may observe the correspondence of God's justice to man's sin: the same word is applied to both; to man sinning, to God striking; both of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 
a Hos. 4.2.  do break forth: first, man breaks through God's Law, no tye being of force to hold him; and then man breaks through God's defence, his mercy not restraining him, nor man's power being able to resist him. Therefore, if we will that God set bounds to his wrath, we must keep within the bounds of our own duty.  
Some respect not so much the violence, as the variety of the Plague, and translate it, The Plague was multiplied. First, as the Sin, so the Plague was manifold. They fell spiritually, and corporally; by Idolatry, and Incontinency: therefore, their Plague was not of one sort; some were hanged, some were stabbed, and some consumed with Pestilence. Man cannot be so witty, in varying of Sins; but God will be as witty, in varying of Plagues. Secondly, the Plague was multiplied, not only in kind, but in degree. The jews in the Wilderness, sustained many Plagues: Of those that perished in many of them the number is not specified; but of those that are specified, this is the greatest: At first, there died but 
a Exod. 32.28.  3000; at the second, 
b Num. 16.49.  14000; at this, which is the third, 
c Num. 25.9.  24000: To teach us, that though the judgement we have felt be terrible, yet God hath in store more intolerable; and the deeper we sink in sin, the lower we shall descend in Hell. All Histories are records of it, all Countries do preach it: but we shall do best, if we read it in ourselves; and scape best, if we apply it to ourselves.  
I hasten to the third point, which contains the means to pacify God; Phinees stood up and prayed: Phinees, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, a Priest by birth and function; the nearer he was to God, the more zealous he was for the glory of God. Levi had this testimony of Moses: 
a Deut. 33.9.  He said to his Father and Mother, I regard you not; to his Brethren, I acknowledge you not; and to his Children, I know you not, that he might observe the Law of God, and keep his Covenant. Here, a son of Levi hath this testimony from God, that he was zealous for his glory, and pacified his wrath: for both he is commended, and plentifully rewarded. A good example for such as have the like charge, to stir them up to the like zeal. And God grant we may do so with God, that God may deal so with us, and with our seed for ever.  
But the fact of Phinehas hath something extraordinary. [He stood up.] Being a private man, and a Priest, he used the Sword: so some observe; but that he was a private man, is not so true. Besides the High Priest, there were other chief Priests, which had charge of many both persons and things; the Books of Numbers, Chronicles, and the Gospel, clear this point: And that God's pleasure was, that the Priests should sometimes use the Sword, it is plain, by the examples of Eli, Samuel, and the Maccabees, judges and reformers of the Commonwealth o● Israel: the two first, expressly thereunto called of God; and the thirds lawful power may be argued, by the manifold blessings it was accompanied with from God. But this was in defect of Civil Power, which ordinarily by God's appointment bears the Sword; and we must be well warranted, before such examples be imitated: when there is a Civil Governor, the Priest can have no pretext to usurp the Authority of the Governor. The greater is the sin of the B. of Rome, who hath combined so great a Sword with so great a Key, and executeth ungodly zeal with unjust power. But Phinees his case is not such. God bears witness to his zeal, and approves his fact: his zeal was discernible only of God; but the fact excusable in the judgement of men, not only commendable by the witness of God. For against the sin, God had pronounced death, Moses had specified the kind of death; they were backward, that should have executed the Sentence: but rather than God should be openly dishonoured, the Magistrates charge not obeyed, up stood Phinees, and by him the parties were executed. So that Phinees did debase himself to be an Executioner, rather than exalt himself as an Usurper; he levelled his action, by Gods and Moses his former direction: which I observe the rather, because some too fare amplify the irregularity of Phinees his fact; and some are too forward, upon warrant of this Example, to usurp the Magistrate's Sword: but neither find good ground to build upon, in this History.  
I go on: Phinehas stood up and prayed. The word hath divers significations, and they have bred divers interpretations among both ancient and later Divines. The Translations are three: The Septuagint, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, He did propitiate or pacify GOD: the Chalde, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He prayed unto God. And some are persuaded, that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was then written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither is it improbable: for it is no Article of our Creed, that the Masoreth contains all various Lections; yea, there are strong presumptions to the contrary. Those that are later than either the Septuagint or Chalde, and whose Masters I suppose were worse, translate it (He executed judgement,) whose ground is the Conjugation of the Verb, enforcing, as they think, this for the fittest signification. But it cannot be justified, that this is the only signification of that Conjugation; and the places alleged, may make it to be doubted, whether at all this be the signification. But that which I note, is this; That all three Translations do but fully express the fact, and every one of them containeth some principal circumstance of the fact. Why then do we wrangle about words? That Phinees executed judgement, we will not deny; That he pacified God, and used prayer to sanctify his work unto God, they may not deny; That the Word may bear all, there is no judicious Divine can deny: and yet lo, this is one of the blemishes of our Liturgy; this seems a just cause, why many men's Consciences will not suffer them to subscribe to our Liturgy. He that knows the difference between the Hebrew and the Septuagint, and observeth, that both the Apostles and Evangelists, notwithstanding that difference, used it, and edified many thousands by it: He that knows, that the great Lights of the Primitive Church were for the most part ignorant of the original Hebrew, and yet brought many Hebrews unto God: He that knows Saint Hieromes Translation was by Saint Austin and others impugned, who thought the peace of the Church, and practise of Religion, of greater price than phrases and properties of words: He, I say, that knows these things, will judge our Church, treading their steps, worthy of better entertainment, than the reproach of spiteful tongues. Brethren, 
1 Cor. 8. ●.  we know that we all have knowledge, but knowledge puffeth up, and it is charity that edifieth. Wherefore we conclude with the Apostle, and persuade our opposites, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 
Rom. 12.3.  Let your zeal be grounded upon knowledge, your knowledge ripened with experience, and both seasoned with charity.  
Notwithstanding, let us take it as they would have it, (He executed judgement) and make some good use of it. 
Num. 25.6.  They were at prayers, so the story reports; and this sight was presented, in the midst of their tears. A sight on the one side abominable, on the other honourable. First, it was abominable, that in time of public calamity any man should be so brutish, as to intent this luxury: yet some such there were. Behold here one, and that a great one, Zimri the son of Salu, a Prince of the Tribe of Simeon. When in a like case, jeremy had preached in vain, he turns to God with this speech: O Lord, 
Jer. 5. v. 3, 4, 5.  are not thine eyes upon the Truth; thou hast smitten them, but they have not sorrowed; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction; they have made their faces harder than a stone, and have refused to return. Therefore I said, Surely, those to whom I have hitherto preached, are but poor men, and simple ones, which know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgement of their God. I will get me to the great men, and speak to them; they are learned in the way of the Lord, and in the judgement of their God. But what he found, he reports: Those great men are become the sons of Belial; they have broken the yoke, and burst God's bands. 
Amos 6. v. 4, 5, 6.  They were great men in the days of Amos, that lay upon Beds of Ivory, eat the Lambs of the Flock, and Calves out of the Stall: They sung unto the sound of the Viol, and invented to themselves Instruments of Music, like David: They drunk Wine in Bowls, and anointed themselves with sweetest Ointments in the midst; and yet without all touch of sorrow for the affliction of joseph. I would this were not a disease of ours. Sure I am, mortification in the days of mortality, is in no such request, as Reason, much more Religion, requires it to be. We have too many Zimri's; we lack a Phinees, to stand up and execute judgement. Secondly, his fact was as honourable, as Zimri's was detestable. That which I will observe, is, That he left his prayers, and interrupted his tears, hardening that heart against a sinner, which melted at the wrath of God; erecting that Body, yea, and soul too, against a sinner, which lay humble and prostrate before God; sanctifying those hands, to sacrifice to the wrath of God, provoked by a sinner, which before were lift up in innocence to God. As God will have Mercy, and not Sacrifice, so will he have judgement too. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, 
Mich. 6.6, 7, 8  and how myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, and Calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams, or with ten thousand Rivers of Oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression? Even the fruit of my body, for the sin of my soul? He hath showed thee, O man, what the Lord requireth of thee; surely to do justly, 
Esa. 1. v. 11. etc.  etc. And the very same Lesson is in the first of Esay. Open and notorious Malefactors are truly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, because the taking away of them is a purging of the State. Better that one die by the hand of the Magistrate, than a thousand perish by the hand of God. If Atheists, Blasphemers, Adulterers, and Oppressors, were now justly punished, our whole Land should not be so often plagued. And Magistrates must think, that they are not innocent of their brother's blood, whom God doth visit through their default. I might add too, that the sins of Malefactors are encouraged, whilst too much connivency is used. But to close up this point, this is a Rule for us all: We must not be wanting to ourselves, though Magistrates be defective in their charge; they stand or fall to their Lord, and we to our common Lord: We are nothing the more innocent, because they are negligent. Therefore it behoves us all, in time to judge ourselves, lest in due time we be judged; taking this for our comfort, That he shall never find God a severe judge, that will be his own sincere judge: And this will appear in the last point, to which I come.  
The Plague ceased.] When judgement was executed upon one, the Plague ceased from them all. Behold here a merciful judge. Modicum supplicii satis est Patri. If we respect the measure, it is little. 
a Esa. 27. v. 7, 8.  Hath he smote judah (saith Esay) as he smote those that smote judah? Or is the laughter of judah like to the slaughter of them that were slain by judah? In measure, and in the branches thereof, wilt thou contend with judah? If we respect the time also, it is little: 
b Esa. 54.7, 8.  For a little while (saith he) have I forsaken thee, but with great compassion will I gather thee: For a moment, in mine anger, I hide my face from thee, but with everlasting mercy have I had compassion on thee. God's passion is not like men's, that it must have its forth; or, that it must calm with time: God is not like a Prince, that conquers Kingdoms, and is a slave to himself: God, who can command all, commands Himself most of all. And this absolute freedom of God, is one of his incommunicable properties; his strokes laid on his children, being ad correctionem, but not ad destructionem, may be stayed when and where it pleaseth him. David no sooner confesseth, 
c 2 Sam. 12.13.  I have sinned, but Nathan is furnished with his Message; and God hath removed the punishment of thy sin. So soon as 
d 2 King. 19  Ezechias is humbled, God is entreated. If the 
e Luk. 15.  Prodigal Son do but penitently look toward his Father, he shall be lovingly received and cherished. 
f Ezek. 18.21, 22.  At what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sin from the bottom of his heart, I will put all his wickedness out of my remembrance, saith the Lord. But we must note, that if God be entreated, and not pacified, it is because some sin is smothered, because men are not unfeignedly mortified. If we sorrow for sin feelingly, if we crucify the justs of the flesh unpartially, if we purpose to cleave unto God steadfastly; God will release our Debt, remove our Plague, and establish our Prosperity, mercifully, speedily, and irrepentantly. Let us use this method in our return to God, and we shall find this measure at the hand of God. The sum of all which hath been said, is this: God breaks not with man, except man break first with God; and if God be rightly pacified, he will easily be reconciled.  
O Lord, infuse goodness into our Nature, that we may enjoy the graciousness of thy Nature. Bridle us so with thy Spirit, that we pass not those bounds which thou hast set us, lest thy wrath break out upon us: Or if we sinne (as Lord who sinneth not?) let us sorrow for our sin; let us not both displease and despise thee. Raise many Phinehasses, in the days of so many Zimries. Yea, Lord, let every man be a Phinehas unto himself. Finally, in our true humility, and unfeigned zeal for thy glory, good Lord accept us, good Lord bless us, and our seed for ever.  
Amen.   

A SERMON PREACHED AT SAINT PAUL'S CROSS, on TRINITY SUNDAY.  JUDAS 5.20, 21. 
But ye beloved, edify yourselves in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.  
And keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord jesus Christ unto eternal life.  
BY the Ordinance of the Church, we solemnize this day to one God in three Persons, whom we cannot behold clearly, till we enjoy him fully. In both stands our perfect blessedness in heaven. Seeing then we are now not in Patria, but in viâ, in the state not of glory, but of grace, we must not pass our bounds, nor pass nearer than we are called. Many that have been overbold have lost themselves; many that have waded too fare have been swallowed up in this deep, 
Pro. 25.27.  and the rule continues still, Qui scrutator est majestatis, opprimetur à gloriâ: he that pries too near into this glorious Majesty, shall find to his ruin that it is an incomprehensible mystery. I have therefore chosen this Scripture, which respecteth the season, and yet exceeds not our strength, in the meditation whereof we need not hazard our weak sight, to behold the body of the Sun shining in his strength above in the firmament, but may refresh it in the beams thereof sweetly tempered to our use on the face of this earth. Here we may see, that there are three persons in God; and also that which we should most desire to see, how all three concur to do us good. The Holy Spirit teacheth us to pray to God the Father, who embraceth us with love manifested in that eternal life, which we shall enjoy at the coming of our Lord jesus Christ. Now although we must stay by the possession of this eternal life, till the day of Christ, yet must we secure our title thereunto in the days of our flesh. And how must we secure that? Surely by those virtues, wherewith God doth fence his Church against the deluge of those vices that overflow the world. The Church and the world are distinct societies, and therefore should be of different qualities. Upon this ground, the main drift of this Epistle is to teach us that we may not conform ourselves to them, from whom we are severed by Christ. Yea in particular my text persuades, that considering the continual and woeful revolting of counterfeit believers and corrupt livers, as many as are true members of Christ, and ordained to continue the succession of the Church, ought the more to proceed in grace, and more and more apply themselves to the fountain of grace. 1. They must proceed in grace. Edify (saith Saint Judas) yourselves in your most holy saith. 2. They must daily reside by the fountain of grace. Keep yourselves in the love of God. But because it is a hard matter to go on, and he that is constant must endure many a conflict, we are advised to seek help, and to be of good hope to find help. 1. To seek help, praying in the Holy Ghost. 2. To be of good hope to find it, looking for the mercy of our Lord jesus Christ unto eternal life. You see then that the argument of this Scripture is a Christian care, whereof there are two endeavours: to profit, and persevere, in grace and in the love of God, and in these we are sustained by two blessed means, help and hope; Help from the holy spirit, and hope in Jesus Christ. Let us resume these points, and consider them briefly in order.  
Edify.] The whole Church and every member thereof is compared to an house; but such a house as is a Temple, destined to be a place, where God will put his name and vouchsafe his presence, where we must present our sacrifices, and do him reverence. To note this, the measure of the Ark of Noah, and of the Temple of Solomon were proportioned to the body of a man in the old Testament; and in the new the resemblance is unfolded by Christ. Thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my Church. 
Mat. 16.18  Which words Saint Peter hath so expounded to this purpose, that he checks his gloss which pretends to be successor to Saint Peter. 
1 Pet 2. v. 3, 4, 5.  You have tasted (saith he) that the Lord is bountiful, to whom coming as to a living stone, disallowed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also as living stones are made a spiritual house, an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through jesus Christ. We are called then to be God's house, GOD'S Temple, not made with hands or material, but framed by grace, and spiritual, in respect whereof we are exhorted to build.  
But Saint Paul giveth us a good caution, 
1 Cor. 3.10.  Let every man take heed what he builds; and by his distinguishing gold, silver, precious stones, from timber, hay, and stubble, things combustible from incombustible, we learn that all materials are not fit for this building. And indeed special choice was made towards the fabric of Moses his Tabernacle, and of Solomon's Temple; which did but figure corporally what is to be understood spiritually; even those virtues that are requisite for the building up of us; and those virtues are expressed in my Text, Faith, Charity, and Hope. Saint Judas hath so distinguished, and digested them.  
We must begin at faith, Domus Dei credendo fundatur, saith Saint Austin. The first stone that must be laid in this pile is faith. 
Heb. 11.6.  Saint Paul's rule is peremptory, Oporter credere. He that will make his first approach to God, 
Rom. 8.7.  must believe, and without faith it is impossible to please God. We are by nature refractory, The wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God. It is not subject to the law, nay it cannot be subject until saith come, whose property it is to cast down our imaginations, 
2 Cor. 10.5.  and every proud thought that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Hereupon is that saying grounded: Ante fidem nulla praecedunt dona, & ex eâ omnia procedunt. Faith is the first grace of adoption, that we receive from God: which makes us capable of all other graces peculiar to the children of God. Our lesson is, we can never begin so much as to affect Heaven, much less resolutely forsake the world to gain Heaven, except our souls be enlightened and established by true faith.  
But it is not every faith will serve the turn, it must be a most holy faith. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, say the Etymologists. Holy, is as much as, Not earthly, and that is most holy, which is least earthly. To discern by this rule a most holy faith, we must further observe that a divine faith comprehendeth two things. The Word of God; and our belief therein: which you may easily perceive by the description of Saint Paul. 
Heb. 11.1.  Faith is the ground of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. Where, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 note our belief and the strength thereof; like as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, are the conditions of the Word of GOD; which is the matter and measure of our belief. Now our Faith is said to be most holy in respect of both these; of God's Word, and of our belief.  
First, of God's word, and that whether we respect the matter which is the word, or the author, which is God. 1. The matter is most holy, nothing earthly, for it comprehends such things as neither 
a 1 Cor. 2.9  eye hath seen, nor ear hath heard, nor could enter by these senses into the heart of man. 
b joh. 6.63.  The flesh (saith our Saviour) profiteth nothing, because the words that God speaketh are spirit and life. They are celestial and heavenly words, they are 
c Mat. 13.11.  the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, yea the 
d Matt. 13.31.  Kingdom of heaven itself; And to speak to the phrase of building. 
e Exod. 25.40.  See (saith God to Moses) that thou make all things according to the pattern shown thee in the Mount: There was no plot to be found below for the Tabernacle, no nor of the Temple, the fashion whereof King David received from Heaven, which by the way may make us doubt, Quest. whether that costly description thereof, which out of Vitruvius and other Architects Mathematical principles, Villalpandus, and Dradus have lately made, be as true, as it is learned, as judicious as it is painful. But to the purpose. The ignorance of this absolute holiness of the matter of GOD'S word made the jews to conceive carnally of the worship of God, and of the kingdom of Christ, dreaming that the first had no more in it, than the ceremony, and that the second consisted in worldly pomp and glory. And the now Church of Rome hath slipped into both these errors. Their superfluous, and superstitious rites have, at least in practice, not only darkened, but even abolished many in heavenly truth; and instead of an ecclesiastical hierarchy provided for the quiet and decent ordering of the Church, they have forged a terrestrial monarchy to the bane of both Church and Commonwealth. Our lesson therefore must be, that howsoever the things of God are expressed in phrases fitting the capacity of men; yet we give them no earthly tincture; for so they will cease to be fit matter of the most holy faith of a Christian man.  
2. As the matter is most holy, so is the Author too; for he is God, and not man. Between God and man, there is this difference; 
Rom. 34.  that God is truth, and every man a liar. Every man, if but a mere man, may deceive, or be deceived; but neither of these are incident to God, neque; actu neque; potentiâ. God doth not, he cannot lie; God is not, he cannot be deceived. Therefore the highest commendation of a good man is, that he speaks in veritate mentis, without simulation, or dissimulation; without equivocation or mental reservation; the praise due to God is, that he speaks in certitudine veritatis: his word must stand, 
Psal. 12.7.  it is tried to the uttermost, it is as silver tried seven times in the fire. There is no terrestreitie in him; we may securely trust him, Upon this ground it is agreed between us and the Church of Rome.  
First, That, that whereon our faith must finally resolve, is God's Word. Secondly, That, what this word is, we must receive from the Church. Thirdly, That the Church hath no power introductory, but declaratory. Fourthly, That, in this declaratory power the Church proceeds not by immediate revelation, but by ratiocination, if it expound verbum scriptum (and for verbum non scriptum which they obtrude to be a successive tradition even from the Apostles, it is a forgery of their own brain.) Fifthly, That in the ratiocination we must proceed by two means, Analogy, and Antiquity. Sixthly, That, Analogy is, either of the faith, comprehended in the ancient Catechism ever taught in the Church, and gathered out of evident places of Scripture, and it comprehends the first and undeniable principles of faith; or of the Text, by the coherence of antecedentia and consequentia, by the propriety of the phrase, and Seventhly, That antiquity is, the decision of counsels, or commentaries of Fathers agreeing between themselves and delivering the doctrine of the Church in their times. Eightly, That in the using of these means, the Church hath a promise, that God's spirit will direct it, not simply, but if it be assembled in the fear of God, without prejudice, or partiality of faction; 
Mat. 18.20.  Where two or three be gathered together, in my Name, (saith Christ) I am in the midst of them: so that they cannot err damnably, or mislead the people. This we say; and yet they say we build on private spirits. We deny not private spirits discretion, but these are the grounds of our definition. And here we begin to differ. First, That the blessing in using of these means we say is common to every particular Church; they restrain it to the Church of Rome; calling that the Catholic Church which we deny. Secondly, They take away infallibility from the body of their Church, yea of the whole Church; and give it to the Pope, contrary to their own counsels before Luther; that of Constance, and that of Basil, which placed it in the Catholic Church. Thirdly, They hold it not impossible even for this head of their Church, to be an Heretic; but that he should teach Heresy, they say it is impossible: As if Ne fides tua deficiat in the Gospel, had that sense; to say nothing of his common impiety, impurity, and iniquity which they confess also. Fourthly, They say he may teach Heresy, but not in Cathedra. Extra he may do it, so he do it as a private Doctor; yea and print it too, at least writ it. Fifthly, In Cathedra the Antecedents or premises he may mistake, though he take them out of the Scripture, but the conclusion is cocksure. Sixthly, The very conclusion, if he do not determine it as a matter of faith but probability, may be erroneous too. Behold how certain they are, and how uncertain we of our faith: and how we build upon private spirits, but they upon a rock; Surely howsoever we escape, too many of them make shipwreck. I press this the rather, because there is not any thing wherein the advocates of that Sea do more now a days insult then this. But to leave them to their failing and wounding reed of Egypt, let us build upon GOD'S Word, whose sense we may search out by such means as have been always showed.  
Secondly, As our Faith is most holy in regard of God's Word, so is it no less in regard of our belief therein. For as the object descendeth from heaven; so must we ascend unto heaven. But we must distinguish two faculties in our soul, answerable to the two points of the object. There is in the object the matter of God's Word, and the Author: in regard of the matter it is bonum; in regard of the Author, Verum. Now our faith must answerably believe it, first as verum, which is, assensus mentis, and then as bonum which is assensus cordis. Our wit, and ●our will; our understanding and our affection, must both be holy, that is, lifted up above the earth.  
First, Our understanding must be holy: for we must believe God absolutely; and it is the first Article of our Creed, I believe in God the Father Almighty; which clause goeth through all the Articles of Creed. God is Almighty to create, to redeem, to judge, to forgive, to give both grace and glory. 
a Luk. 1.37.  Non est impossible apud Deum omne verbum, saith the Angel. So then we must not be 
b Jam. 1.8.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 checking the spirit by the flesh, nor 
c Luk. 12.29.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, hanging between heaven and earth, but resolute, that whatsoever God saith is true. Yet we must note, that the immediate object of our faith is not God's power, but his revealed will, though we rely upon his revealed will, as it is secured by his Almighty power. So that all the arguments for Transubstantiation, that reason from God's power, touch us not, who deny it because there is no evidence for it in Gods revealed will. Constet de voluntate; let it appear that God would have it so; and let us go for infidels if we deny it to be so. But finding nothing for it in Gods revealed will, we argue against it as impossible, not simpliciter, but exhypothesi. And so affirmatively we give reasons of that which is revealed; as, of the Incarnation, Ascention, etc. In the revealed will of God there are two things. Verbumrei, the word; and res verbi, the mystery. Our faith builds itself immediately upon the former, not upon the latter; See then the Sophistry of the Church of Rome, that withdraw the Scriptures from the people, because they are hard. They say true, if you look to rem verbi, the mystery; but if you look to verbum rei, the word; it is not so. As for example, the Scripture teacheth that there is one God in three persons; the words are plain and easy, every man hears, and understands them; but the mystery contained in these words doth pass the reach of a man: and in this respect it is true, that sides melius definitur per ignorantiam, quàm per notitiam; and Saint Austin observes it to have been the common saying of his time, accepto baptismo, dicimus fidelis factus sum, credo quod nescio: and finally S. Hilaries rule is true. Habet non tam veniam, quam praemium ignorare quod credas. So then the hardness of the matter is no just reason to debar the people from reading the words; especially if they be kept from giving them any other sense than may stand with the elements of Religion delivered in the Catechisine; for than though they may in reading mistake the true sense, or analogy of the place, yet they cannot damnably err against the Creed, or analogy of faith. But it is too true, that many take too great liberty against those sober bounds which are set them by our Church; every Parish Church almost having their private Catechism of private draught, not of ecclesiastical prescript; which fills the ignorant with more resolutions than are sound, and giveth occasion to force many passages of Scripture to that sense. It were to be wished, that to avoid scandal, and to prevent further danger, at least publicly, no other principles might be taught or tolerated, than the Church hath allowed, and are without exception; that the whole Church sustain not the just blame, that is occasioned by some irregular members thereof. And let this serve for the lifting up of our understandings above the earth.  
Secondly, Our will also must be lift up; it must not be earthly, but holy. For the object is not only Verum, true; but also bonum good. And bonum is the proper object of the will, as Verum is of the understanding. It is much disputed and not yet agreed, whether faith be seated in the understanding or in the will: the opinion most consonant to the Scripture is that which placeth it in both: and it is grounded upon this evidence, that in God's word (as even now I observed) there is verbum rei, and res verbi. The understanding gins, and lays hold upon verbum rei, assenting to it; but the heart openeth itself, and desireth rem verbi, to be partaker of it; for we do not only assent unto the word that it is true, but long after it, as a Sovereign good. This you may perceive by Saint Paul's description of faith, 
Heb. 11.1  wherein there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: Some refer the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to things not seen, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to things hoped for: but the words rather respect the several faculties of our soul, than the quality of those things that are the object of these faculties: and so you may learn by the words of God's covenant. 
●●r. 31.33.  This shall be the covenant, that I will make with the house of Israel; I will put my Law in their inward parts. So he saith in general, and then descends to particulars: I will write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people: this respects the will and the affection, embracing it as good: and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest; this agrees to the understanding, resting on it as true. And agreeable hereunto is that of Saint Paul: 
Eph. 3.14.  For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our LORD jesus Christ— that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, 
Rom. 1.17.  to be strengthened with his might, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, etc. He saith, in the heart and will, not in the understanding only. For indeed this is the faith whereby the just man doth live, therefore the seat of it must be in the heart. And this faith is distinguished from the faith of those impure persons of whom Saint jude speaketh in this Epistle, that they turn the grace of God into wantonness; 
verse 4. Rom. 1. ●8. 1 Pet. 2.16.  and Saint Paul, that they detain the truth of God in unrighteousness; and Saint Peter, that they abuse their Christian liberty as a cloak of maliciousness. But our Faith lodgeth Christ in the Sanctum Sanctorum, the most holy Person in the most holy place; yea, and there doth Faith conceive and bring forth Charity, which sanctifieth every Moral Virtue unto an heavenly end. And finally, by Faith it comes to pass, that God's Commandments are not grievous unto us: We are not like that man that went away heavy, 
Matth. 19.21.  when he was willed to forsake all and follow Christ; but like Abraham, 
Genes. 4.  ready at the call of God to forsake our Country and our Father's House, though we know not whither we shall go; 
Matth. 26.39. Heb. 10.7.  and with our Saviour Christ we say, Not my will, but thy will be done, I am ready to do thy will, O Lord.  
By this qualifying of our Understanding and Will, we perceive the reason, why Atheists and Epicures believe and regard so little Heaven and heavenly things: Their Understanding and Will are earthly, they make Reason the judge of the Articles of their Faith, and Concupiscence makes the choice of their happiness. But I hope none of us have, I could wish none of us had so learned Christ; though it is true, that the life of very many of us savoureth little of a most holy Faith.  
Most holy Faith.] There are three degrees of Faith; Holy, more holy, most holy. First, That Faith, that can remove Mountains, cast out Devils, foretell Secrets, etc. is an holy Faith, for it is inspired by the Holy-Ghost; 
1 Cor. 13.2.  but it is only in regard of the Graces of Edification: notwithstanding which, Christ will say to such, 
Matth. 7.23  I know you not, depart from me ye workers of iniquity. Secondly, There is a second Faith, more holy; 
Heb. 6.4, 5.  by which men being enlightened, and partakers of the heavenly gift, are made partakers of the Holy-Ghost, and have tasted of the good Word of God, and of the powers of the World to come, and yet fall away again. Their Graces indeed are in nature the same with the Graces of Adoption; but they never entertained them absolutely, but conditionally, so fare as they might enjoy them with the profits and pleasures of this life; being ready to forgo them, rather than to hazard Earth to gain Heaven. 
2 Pet. 2.21.  It had been better for them never to have known the way of Righteousness, then after they know it, to turn from the holy Commandment given unto them, and like a Dog to return to their own Vomit, or like a Swine to their wallowing in the Mire. Thirdly, finally, the last degree of Faith, is that which is the most holy Faith; which is not only a Grace of Adoption, but also free from all condition: we captivate thereby our wit simply to God's Word, and yield our will without exception, to God's pleasure. This is a saving Faith; and of this, that of the Prophet is true, 
A●ak. 2.4.  The just shall live by his Faith.  
His Faith: So it must be, saith Saint jude; Ed fie yourselves in your most holy Faith. I need not say much of this, having already proved unto you, that Faith belongs as well to the Will, as the Understanding: for, nothing is more ours, then that which hath gotten possession of our Will; the Will being that which commands all that is within us, and seasoneth whatsoever proceeds from us. The general Promises of God work not that Peace, which passeth all understanding, which must keep our hearts and minds in Christ jesus; 
Phillip 4.7.  but it is the appropriating of them to ourselves, when the faculties of our soul can say, Christ died for our sin, 
Gal 3.13. 1 Joh. 1 7.  Christ was made a Curse for us, The blood of jesus Christ cleanseth us from all our sins. Let the Church of Rome rest in her Catholic Faith, and proceed no further; our comfort and confidence is the same that was Saint Paul's: 
Gal. 2.19, 20.  I through the Law am dead to the Law, that I might live to God; I am crucified with Christ, but I live; yet not I, but Christ that liveth in me: and in that I now live in the flesh, I live by the Faith in the Son of God, who hath loved me, and given himself for me. And indeed, if we should only assent unto God's Truth, wherein should our Faith differ from the Faith of the Devils in Hell? who do also believe and assent unto the object ratione essentiae, & benevolentiae divine, but without any application; and so the more knowledge, the more pain. But we must observe, that it is one thing to hold, that ●here is such a special Faith; another thing, that every ●an which conceits it, hath such a special Faith. We do ●ot patronise the erroneous conceits of men, but maintain the Truth of God; in whom we find that Maxim ●ncontrollable, That because we are Sons, 
Gal. 4.6.  God hath sent into our hearts the Spirit of his Son, that cries Abba Father. They that are Sons, have the Spirit; but we presume not to determine who are Sons: Let every man examine himself, as Saint Paul's directs, 2 Cor. 13. and so let him judge whether his be a most holy Faith: for, by this we know (saith Saint John) that Christ abideth in us, 
1 Joh. 3.24.  even by the holy Spirit which he hath given to us.  
You see the Grace is most heavenly, and our propriety therein most comfortable; but we have it not all at once, we rise by many degrees: therefore we are willed not only to build, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to build upon. The phrase doth contain a double sense; either that we must rest ourselves upon our Faith, or that we must go on in Faith. The first implies a comparison betwixt Faith and other Virtues, whereon we cannot so securely build, as we may on Faith: for, Faith correlatively understood, as in this argument it is, doth comprehend Christ; in which sense, we say we are saved by Faith, that is, by Christ, laid hold on by Faith; and so to build on Faith, is to build on Christ: and Christ is the Rock, whereon is built the Church; 
1 Pet. 2.4: Matth. 16.18.  as the Fathers out of Saint Peter expound that of Saint Matthew: Yea, Saint Paul calleth him the Foundation, and the Chief Corner Stone. 
Eph. 2.20.  So that though Grace inherent fail us, yet Christ imputed will ever support us, so that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against us. And unto this, the Church of Rome doth yield: For, Bellarmine teaching that we have a double Title to Heaven; one by Adoption, in Baptism; the other by Merit, by fulfilling the Law of God; resolves finally, 
Bellar. de justif. l. 5. c. 7.  That to avoid Vainglory, and for the uncertainty of our Merit, it is the safest course to rest ourselves upon the first Title; which is nothing else, but to build on Faith.  
But the words also bear a second sense, and that most proper in this place: which is, that we must go on in Faith; for no man's Faith is perfect at the first: there is duplex perfectio; essentiae, & molis: vir enim non est magis homo quam puer, licet sit maior. In Baptism, when we receive the Grace of Adoption, our Faith hath perfectionem essentiae, but not molis; we are truly fideles, faithful members, though but modicae fidei, of weak Faith: and therefore Saint Peter wills us, 
1 P●t. 2.2.  as newborn Babes to desire the sincere Milk of the Word, that we may grow up thereby. Our Lesson then is, that we must be like Saint Paul: 
a Phil. 3.13.  Brethren, I count not myself that I have attained: but one thing I do; I forget that which is behind, and endeavour myself unto that which is before. Our Faith must daily 
b 2 Thess. 1.3.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, till it become such as Saint Peter describes, 
c 1 Pet. 1.7.  much more precious than Gold tried in the fire, like a 
d Eph. 6.16.  shiel● of proof, that can quench all the fiery darts of the Devil till we are so 
e jam. 2.5.  rich in Faith, as Saint James speaketh, that we thereby can 
f 1 joh. 5.4.  overcome the World, and become 
g 2 Tim. 2.21.  vessels of honour fit for the Palace of God.  
I say, that ourselves may be such Vessels; for Saint jude bids us to build up ourselves. Mater Ecclesia, etc. (saith Saint Austin) Our Mother the Church, in Baptism doth lend us, when we are infants, other men's feet to come, other men's mouths to speak, yea, and other men's hearts, to believe; but when we are come to age, we must use our own, and that not for others only, but for out selves. It is true, that no man can procreate himself, or quicken himself, being dead; but being procreated and quickened, he can feed and increase himself. As it is in Nature, so in Grace: no man can give himself a spiritual being, or repair it, if it be lost; but having received it, he is to cherish it, and to proceed therein. Yea, although God have appointed Pastors, 
1 Cor. 3.9, 10.  whose Title is to be Architech and Builders of his Church, yet is every Christian man to be a Labourer in this Building: A Labourer, I say, but no● an Architect; he must take his directions from them, how to work himself fit to sort with the other parts of the Church. I say again, to work himself, not others: for that is the charge of the Pastor and Magistrate, the Pastor by spiritual means, the Magistrate by corporal, both prescribing to all others that are but labourers in their several places, every one to attend his own work in the Church. Or if they will cast their eye on others, it must be like the Wiseman in the Proverbs, 
Pro. 24.30.31, 32.  I passed by the field of the slothful, and by the Vineyard of the man destitute of understanding; and lo, it was all grown over with thorns; and nettles had covered the face thereof: and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I beheld, and considered it well; I looked upon it, and received instruction. 
Cant. 1.6.  The Spouse in the Canticles complains. The sons of my Mother were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vines, but I kept not mine own Vine. The world is very busy; and this age finds many faults: and indeed there are very many to be found; but few there are that see their own. We can say, Brother let me pluck out the mote that is in thine eye, when we deserve to hear, Thou hypocrite, pluck out first the beam that is in thine own eye, 
Mat. 7 4, 5. Rom. 2.1. Luk. 19.22.  for thou that judgest another, condemnest thyself, and Ex ore tuo judicabo te serve nequam, etc. With God there is no respect of persons, nor no exception of sins. Consider what I say, and the Lord give you understanding in all things.  
Keep yourselves in the love of God.] From profiting come we to persevering; for according to that of Cyprian, fides non accepta, sed custodita vivificat. And indeed he hath profited well, that will persevere. For perseverance imports that we have cast our accounts and set up our rest; it argues that we are resolved the fine, though we have not passed so far as we should in medijs ducentibus ad finem. And indeed the greatest cause of inconstancy, is an irresolutenesse about the end, which makes men pass (as Solomon did, 
Eccl. 2.  he reports it himself in the book of the Preacher) from knowledge to pleasure, from pleasure to wealth, etc. till at the last he found it true, that the end of all is, 
Eccl. 12.13.  fear God, and keep his Commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. Such a resolution of the end doth hearten us to persevere in persecution of the means, till we have attained the end. And therefore when Christ asked his Disciples upon occasion that many revolted from him, Will ye also go away? Saint Peter answered, Master, 
Job. 6.68, 69.  to wh●m shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life; And we believe and know, that thou art Christ the Son of the living God.  
In the love of God.] Note that where the three persons are distinctly expressed, the name of God is put for the Father, as, God hath not given the Spirit to Christ by measure, john 3 34. and, Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father, Gal. 4.6. Yet though our love be terminative in God the Father, it belongs to all the rest: opera ab extra, as well as, adextra, are indivisa. I will not farther amplify it; only take notice, that all three persons are remembered in my Text, and in this place God doth signify the Father.  
But I descend more particularly to the love of God. Love is either active, or passive. Passive is that whereunto we are brought by faith; Active is that wherein we are exercised by our most holy faith: The Passive Love is that wherewith God loveth us, the Active is that wherewith we love GOD: The Passive makes us children of GOD, the Active doth manifest us to be such: the Passive is first in nature; and the Active followeth long after: for the Passive is eternal, the Active in time: the Passive is infinite, as is God; the Active finite, as is man; the Passive most perfect according to the perfection of GOD; but the Active defective according to those defects which accompany this mortal condition, even of a regenerate man. Both these loves are here meant, we must labour to keep ourselves in both.  
First, In the Passive love. Deus non deserit, nisi deseratur. The stile of God is often repeated by Moses and the Prophets: A 
a Deut. 7 9  God that keepeth his Covenant; and the Apostle says, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
b 1. Cor. 10.13.  God is faithful. The matter of this Covenant, are the 
c Esai. 55.3.  faithful mercies of David; and our Saviour saith, 
d joh. 13.1.  Whom he loveth, he loveth to the end. Therefore God saith unto the jews, 
e Esai. 50.1.  Where is your Mother's Divorcement, whom I have cast off? Or who is the Creditor, to whom I sold you? Alluding to two Causes of the Wife's misery by the Husband's default, Want of Love, or Want of Ability; now he answereth, that both these Causes are in us: For your iniquities are you sold, and because of your transgression is your Mother forsaken. If our God dislike us, or reject us, we must seek the Cause in ourselves; it is our fault, if we abide not in the Passive Love.  
Secondly, Yea, and in the Active too. We must love God Appreciatiuè & Intensiuè, Affectu & Effectu. First, Appreciatiuè: Love God above all things, and in all: 
a Matth. 10 37.  He that loveth Father or Mother more than me, is not worthy of me. 
b Psal. 73.24.  Whom have I in Heaven but thee? and there is none upon Earth that I desiro, in comparison of thee. 
c Psal. 45.11  Harken, O Daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own People, and thy Father's House; so shall the King have pleasure in thy beauty. Secondly, Intensiuè, with all thy might and strength, Affectu & Effectu: 
d Psal 103.1  Praise the Lord, O my Soul, and all that is within me praise his holy Name: And, 
e Psal. 27.4  One thing have I desired of the Lord, which I will require, even that I may dwell in the House of the Lord, etc. But God may renew the Complaint of the Prophet, 
f Esai. 1.21.  Civitas sancta facta est Meretrix, 
g Hos. 7.16.  Ephraim is like a broken Bow, etc. and that of the Psalmist, 
h Psal. 78.9.  Their heart was not upright within them; and that in Hose, 
i Hos. 11.12  Ephraim compasseth me with Lies, etc.  
But how shall we keep ourselves in this Love of God? There are two means: first, by not committing what we should not do; secondly, nor omitting what we should do. You may perceive by the 
a Mat. 12.43 etc.  Parable of the unclean Spirit, how he kept possession of the man, while he was in the state of sin; and also how he returned, when being freed from sin, he did not furnish himself with Grace. 
b Rom 13.10.  Love is the keeping of the Commandment: and every Commandment hath an affirmative part, and a negative part; the one against omission, and the other against commission: and the rule of the Apostle is, 
c Rom 13.12.  We must cast away the works of Darkness, and put on the Armour of Light.  
This Talking Age is much troubled with an inquisition, Whether a justified man may fall wholly from Grace, and whether he may fall finally: I will not dispute either; my Text leads me, to warn you not to fall: only these two points let me observe. First, The least shrinking from God, should be very grievous to a true Child of God. David bemoaned his absence from the visible Ark; but mark upon what grounds: O Lord of Hosts, 
Psal. 84.1.  how amiable are thy Tabernacles! my soul longeth, yea, and fainteth, etc. You see, that the sense he had of the sweetness of the favour of God, made him bemoan himself, that was banished from the Tabernacle of God: how much more should he have bemoaned himself, if God had forsaken his person, that it should no longer be the House of God? Secondly, Nemo repent fuit turpissimus, God departeth from this our Temple, or us rather, his Temple, as he departed from the Temple of jerusalem; Ezechiel shows how: First, he risen, and went from between the Cherubins, and from the Mercy-seat, that is, out of the most Holy Place; then rested a while in the second Room, which was the Holy Place; then came he nearer Altar Holocausti, and then took his flight. The parts of man most aptly resemble these parts of the Temple of God: Our Heart is Sanctum Sanctorum, where Christ dwells as in his proper place; and the first Grace that fails us, is a good Conscience: Yet men may retain the knowledge of God, and be able to retain good from evil, as she did— Video meliora proboque, Deteriora sequor— But continuance in sin, will even darken the Principles of Truth; and men may be so obdurate, as to oppose themselves against God's Precepts: Then is God driven into the Court, the open Court, where men in policy, and for worldly respects, conform themselves to that which they neither love nor believe. I will be no man's judge, but I would to God we would every man judge himself, and consider how fare he is gone from God. I doubt, he will be found in more men's heads, then in their hearts; and yet more in men's faces, then in their heads. I would to God, there were not infinite, that have set their faces against Heaven, etc. I conclude this point with that of Saint Paul: 
Heb. 3.6.  Christ is as the Son over his own House, whose Household we are, if we hold fast that confidence, and that rejoicing of hope to the end. Take heed therefore, Brethren, 
12.13.14.  lest at any time there be in any of you an evil heart, and unfaithful, to departed away from the living God. Exhort one another daily, while it is called to day, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin: For we are made partakers of Christ, if we keep sure unto the end the beginning wherewith we are upholden.  
We have heard, that we must profit and persevere: but it is hard to go on; and he that is constant, must endure many a conflict: therefore Saint jude adviseth us to seek help, and to be of good hope.  
First, To seek help, Praying in the Holy-Ghrst.] God, saith Saint Austin, doth not command impossible things; but bids us facere quod possumus, & petere quod non possumus: So that, if we want, 
Jam. 4.2.3  we have it not (saith Saint james) because we ask not; or if we ask and have it not, it is because we ask amiss. Saint Judas therefore directs us to ask, and not to ask amiss, for we must pray in the Holy-Ghost. Saint Chrysostome excellently comparing man's Spiritual Birth with his Natural, observes, That in his Natural Birth, he comes into the World naked indeed; but with Hands, that are apt in time to make Clothes to cover him, Armour to defend him, Food to sustain him, and whatsoever else is requisite. Even so, saith he, the ability of a man received in his Spiritual Birth, is very small; but he is endued with the Grace of Prayer; and that is, Organum Organorum: By it, a man obtains from God whatsoever is desirable by a Child of God. 
Psal. 127.1.  It is true, that except the Lord build the house, he laboureth but in vain that builds; and except the Lord keep the City, he waketh but in vain that watcheth, 
Mat. 7.7.  but Petite et dabitur. Ask and have: seek and find: knock, and it shall be opened unto you. It is the saying of Gregory the great. Precibus insistendun, non tantùm ut justè vivamus, sed dum iustè vivimus. Our progress and our perseverance must be the one furthered, the other supported by prayer; for, as Solomon speaketh, The way of a righteous man is like the light which shineth more and more until the perfect day, 
Prov. 4.18  but there must be a perpetual influence into the air from the Sun to cause & continue the light thereof, otherwise both would fail. So except the grace of God be with us, and abide in us, we cannot proceed, we cannot persevere. Now this grace is had by prayer, 
james. 1.5.  If any man want wisdom (saith Saint james) let him ask it of God. Which Christ taught us, as Saint Cyprian well observes, 
Cyprian. in Orat. Dom.  when he willed us to pray: Hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done. His verbis saith he, quid aliud petimus, nisi ut in eo quod esse coepimus p●rseveremus? but few make that use of it, the reason followeth, because they pray not in the holy Ghost.  
In the holy Ghost] Intellige locutionem, & evitabis blasphemiam, saith Saint Austin. Mistake not, that thou blaspheme not. 
Gal. 4.6. Rom. 8.15.  He that said, the spirit cries Abba, father, saith in another place, The Spirit is he by whom we cry Abba, Father: so that Clamans is as much as Clamare faciens. This praying in the holy Ghost, must be expounded by that Rom. 8.26. The Spirit helpeth our infirmities. But observe further, that to pray in the holy Ghost, is to pray by his direction, in his word; and by his inspiration in our heart. 1. By his direction for we must pray according to his will, which is expressed in his word. The sweet odours of incense were Gods own prescript, 
1. Cor. 2.1 1.  and nothing sacrificed but what God commanded: & quis novit mentem Dei, nisi spiritus Dei? Therefore hath Christ himself given us a form of prayer, wherein all our requests are comprehended. 2. By his inspiration, Interpellator pro me tuus (saith Saint Hillary) inenarrabilia a me tibi loquitur, it makes intercession for us, saith Saint Paul, 
Rom. 8.26.  with sighs and groans that cannot be expressed. Not our words, but our sighs are audible in the sacred ears of God; for Words are for men, but thoughts are for God: and how can we lift up pure hands, if the holy Ghost do not season them from our hearts. The Spirit therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 helps our infirmities, 
2. Tim. 2.8.  when he poureth into us the spirit of grace and prayer. Our lesson is, that we remember the old verse.  
non vox, sed votum; non chordula Musica, Sed Cor;  
Non clamans, sed amans, pollet in aure Dei.  
The true worshippers do worship God in spirit, 
joh. 4.24.  and in truth: and if we draw near God with our lips, and are fare from him in our hearts, our prayer will as little mov him, as we are moved with it. To conclude, I wish, that we may so pray, that we may say with David, 
Psal. 66.18  Blessed be God that hath not put bacl my prayer, nor hide his mercy from me. And surely, if God hath not removed our prayer, he will not remove his mercy, for we shall look for the mercy of our Lord jesus Christ unto eternal life.  
Looking for the mercy. etc.] We have hitherto been kept to our work, but now are we come to our wages, great wages for so little work; for doing our duty, eternal felicity. The comparison is very uneven. I am persuaded saith Saint Paul, that the afflictions of this life, 
Rom. 8.18.  are not worthy of the glory that shall be reveiled. And our light afflictions which are but for a moment, 
2. Cor. 4.17.  work for us a fare more excellent and eternal weight of glory. But God knows we have an envious eye, when we see the prosperity of wicked men in this world, 
Psal. 37. & 73.  we think much of it. Therefore he bids us to look off from the world, and to look to him, to compare that temporal life which men live here, with that eternal which we expect hereafter, the longitude of the one with the brevity of the other, the latitude of the one with the beggary of the other, the depth of the one with the superficiallnesse of the other; and then we shall see the difference betwixt them, which may move us with Saint Paul to count all things loss and dung for Christ's sake, with Moses to prefer the afflictions of God's people before the pleasures of Pharaohs Court, 
Phil. 3.8. Heb. 11.25 Hebr. 11.8. Hebr. 12.2.  with Abraham to forsake our own Country in hope of a better, and finally with Christ himself to endure any cross in this world for the joy that is set before us. So then our hope is of eternal life.  
But that life is to be obtained of mercy, looking for the mercy of our Lord. etc. Eternal life, if ye look to the person of Christ obtaining it of God, is the reward of his merit; for he satisfied God's wrath and fulfilled God's law: so that he deserved both discharge from Hell, and the joys of heaven: but if we look to the same as it is imparted to us, so it is a gift of free mercy bestowed upon us. Two things then we must heed; that we set not our eyes upon the dignity of our own person, or merit of our own work; but cloth ourselves with Christ's person, that we may have an interest in his meritorious work. Let us set Christ always before us, and his spirit shall be at our right hand so that we shall not slide; so that our heart may be glad, and our tongue rejoice, our flesh also may rest in hope; for in due time he will show us the paths of life, in whose presence is fullness of joy, and at his right hand pleasures for evermore.  
We see three persons in God, and three virtues of a man. Man is as it were the centre of all blessings that come from every of the three persons in God; and God must be the centre wherein must end all the three virtues of man. As the holy Ghost helpeth us to pray, the Father his affected to us in love, jesus Christ vouch safeth us his mercy: so must our faith be in God; our love toward God, and our hope for the mercy of God. These be the uttermost of our revelations of God; this is the scope of our contemplation of God; and this contemplation must suffice us; yea this reflexed sight will enable us to a direct sight: If we inure ourselves to behold God's veiled face of grace, during our mortality; we shall against the day of our immortality sharpen our sight to endure his revealed face of glory. And herein we have King David to resolve us: I will behold (saith he) thy presence in righteousness, and when I awake after thy likeness; I shall be satisfied with it.  
O Incomprehensible Trinity, and indivisible Unity, that hast revealed thyself to us in these graces, whereby thou makest a spiritual house of us; vouchsafe that by help from thee and hope in thee, we may so profit and persevere in our most holy faith which shines in that interchangeable love that is between our God and us, that in due time, and in thy kingdom, we may see thee face to face, and with thy blessed Angels and Saints for ever sing Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts. And that from our mouth as this earth is now, so heaven hereafter may be full of thy glory. To him that is able to keep you that you fall not, and to present you fault less before the presence of his glory with joy, to God only wise our Saviour, be glory, majesty, dominion and power both now and for ever.  
Amen.   

A SERMON PREACHED AT SAINT CROSS, NEAR WINCHESTER.  MATTH. 15.21, 22, 23. 
And jesus went thence and departed into the Coasts of Tyre and Sidon.  
And behold a Woman of Canaan came out of the same Coasts, and cried unto Him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David, my Daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil.  
But He answered her not a word. And His Disciples came, and besought Him, saying, send her away, for she cryeth after us.  
THat the Kingdom of God should be taken away from the jews, and given unto the Gentiles, our Saviour Christ while He was on the Earth, taught often times both in word and deed. Of such deeds this History is one, which is the Argument of my Text. Of which there is to be considered the occasion, and the matter: the occasion is double; given by the jews, taken by Christ. The matter representeth two excellent virtues, the one in Christ, the other in a Woman of Canaan. Of which virtues we are to consider the conflict and the success. The conflict shows how both Christ and the Woman did by degrees arise: the Woman in her importunate faith in Christ, Christ in his profitable delay to help her; and the success shows how both virtues proved to Christ's great glory, and the Woman's great comfort. The Woman's faith would not be said nay, and at last it sped well; not only to her Daughter's recovery, but also to the high commendations of her faith. Christ shows, that what He defers He doth not deny, but then yields when it is most fit, both for Him, and also for us. This is the substance of the History. Let us resume the parts, and first the Occasion: the occasion which (I told you) is first given, then taken. Given by the Iewes. Christ had Preached long amongst them, and wrought many Miracles; but they were little the better, either in their Faith, or in their Life: though they were His own, yet His own received Him not. Christ therefore went thence; to teach us, that though Christ be a constant observer of His promise, yet is He a free Disposer of His Grace: He breaks with none, and He is bound to none: if we set light by His gifts, we shall be quickly rid of Him. The Scripture hath divers examples and Similes to this purpose. The example of Israel, when God left Shiloh, where God had planted His Ark, which jeremy observes, 
jer. 17.3.  Chap. 17. The example of judah, where God built His Temple, 
Rev. 2. and 3. chapters.  which Ezechiel observes. The example of the Church in Asia, of which Saint john in the second and third of the Revelation. The similitude of the Vine, 
Esay 5.4.  Esay 5. What could I have done, saith God, for it, that I have not done? but seeing that which I planted, a generous Vine, brings forth no better than wild Grapes, I will break down the wall, and leave it to the wild Beasts, etc. The similitude of the Figtree in the Gospel, which after three year's husbandry continuing barren, the Owner thereof commanded to be cut down. The similitude of the Shepherd, who when He could do no good with His Flock, broke both His Staves; the Staff of Beauty, and the Staff of Bands; He left them to stray and to be slain. The Apostles Rule is short, qui stat, videat ne cadat. If we presume upon Templum Domini, Templum Domini, as did the jews; we shall find, that God will not stick to profane His Temple by forsaking it, if we do not stick to profane that Temple by defiling it. We have no privilege to break with God, and yet to be bold, that God will not break with us. He will not begin to forsake us; but if we go from Him, He will not much desire to continue with us. Christ went thence, but whither did He go? unto the parts of Tyre and Sidon. The Iewes gave the occasion; Christ taketh it, to go from the jews to the Gentiles; to relate the infidelity of the jew by the faith of the Gentile. For what He said elsewhere, woe be to thee Chorazin, woe be to thee Bethsaida; for if the miracles that have been done in thee had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have long since repent in sackcloth and ashes: Of the truth thereof Christ giveth them a taste in this History. And this hath been an ancient practice of God, when the means of grace hath profited little within the Church, to confound His people by their readiness to believe, that were without the Church. So did He in the days of Eliah confound Israel by the Widow of Sarepta, a Woman of Sidon who entertained the Prophet, when the Israelites persecuted him. And in the days of Elizeus, by Naaman the Assyrian, who upon a little taste of God's mercy in curing his Leprosy, vowed to serve no other God, but the God of Elizeus, whereas greater Miracles, and sundry Sermons wrought and spoken by Elizeus, could not obtain so much Piety of the Jsraelites. The very like is to be observed in the story of Ninivy, the great City. Ninivy (as the Prophet calleth it) was in three days Preaching reclaimed by jonah, which laboured many years with the Israelites, and laboured in vain. God in the second of Ezechiel sets down for a Rule in General, 
Eze. 2.3.  Son of man, I do not send thee to a Nation that understands not thy language; but if I did, they would hear: whereas this people understands, but will not be reform. Wherefore God (as He threatened in the 32. of Deuteronomy,) 
Deu. 32.21.  did provoke His people justly by them that are no people, a foolish nation; as His people provoked their God by them that were no gods, but the work of their own hands. Christ is found of them that sought Him not, and made manifest unto them that enquired not after Him. 
Acts 13.46  Acts 13.46. This was the jews case. Saint Paul to the Romans saith, that we must every one of us make it our case: for as God left the jews to go to the Gentiles, so may He go from us to the Indies; for spiritus spirat ubi vult, and there is nothing (as it was showed unto Saint Peter in the Vision) that is unclean, when God is pleased to sanctify it. Christ went out of the Coasts of Tyre and Sidon. Thus much of the occasion. Come to the History, which represents two eminent virtues, of which virtues we are to consider, first the conflict, the conflict between two persons, which adds some right unto the virtues: for what are the virtues? the one is an importunate Faith, and in whom is that? in a Canaanitish woman, an Heathen woman, but (which is more) sprang from cursed Cham, and (which is yet further to be observed) being of that Line which was specially to be odious to the jews, whom they were to root out without all mercy: that such a woman should believe in Christ, who was no jew, by birth, this makes her Fact more memorable. But what is the other virtue? It is delay, though it proved profitable delay: and in whom was this? It was in our Saviour Christ; who if He had been only God, it had been no wonder, if He did put off sinners in the holiness of a Lord; or if it had been at his second coming in glory, it would not have been strange, if he had rejected the woman in the austerity of a judge; but to do it in the nature of man, which he undertook (as Saint Paul speaketh) that he might be tender hearted towards man; to do it when he came not to judge, but save: for such a person, at such a time, to use such delay, so to reject a poor woman, maketh the virtue of Christ the more remarkable, the more admirable. But let us come to the conslict of these virtues. The woman gins and sets upon Christ: She cried and said, Have mercy on me o Lord, thou Son of David, my daughter is miserably vexed with a Devil: her case was bad, and therefore needs the less wonder, if in her suit she were so earnest: she spoke for her child; her child was now left to the malice of the Devil: nothing in nature could be nearer than her child; no corporeal evil could befall it worse, than to be within the power of the devil: such a case would melt a stony heart; what wonder if it work so upon the tender heart of a mother? But the meaning of the Holy Ghost is, that we should be earnest in our prayers, according to the danger of our estate: the more our danger, the more our earnestness; and we should press the more upon God, the more we are occasioned by calamities that are laid upon us by him: for therefore doth he humble us, to warm our cold devotion. It is so in distresses corporal; but much more in our distresses spiritual: we must learn the one by this woman, and the other by expressing the sense that we have of the want of grace; fare more painful than the other sense is, of the want of health. But let us hear the woman's first onset. She makes a short petition; but it contains a most excellent confession, if you look to the matter; yea and a most confident profession, if you look to the manner of those words wherein she speaks to Christ. The matter is a short, but a full description of the person and office of Christ. His person, he was God and man; she acknowledgeth both: God, in calling Him Lord; for that word must not be understood but according to the style of the Scripture, which in stead of jehovah in the Hebrew, and in the Greek, signifies not a bare Lord, but the absolute Lord both of Heaven and Earth: She could not conceive less of Christ, when she desired he would show His power over the Devil; for how could he have power over the Devil, that was not Lord Paramount over all the world? She acknowledgeth him then to be God. And to be man also, for she calleth him the son of David. Which implies not only that he was a man, but also the Messiah, eodem ipso Christum Domini: for as David was the Annoninted King of the Lord, so was he the type of Christ, that was to be anointed with the Holy Chost. He was then a man, and (which is more) he was that man, even the man whom the jews looked for, to have for their Messiah. A fair description of Christ's person, which further intimates his office too: for he that was Christ, was also to be jesus, He was to save, and so to show mercy: his office was to be the Mercy-seat of God; the reliever of the distresses of wretched man. Thus much she confesseth of Christ's person, of his office. Yea she professeth it also. For whereas many Jews believed in Christ, but durst not say so much openly of him, because they loved the praise of men more than of God, and feared more to be cast out of the Synagogue of the jews, then to be shut out of the kingdom of Heaven; this poor woman is not ashamed of her Faith, she publisheth her belief, she publisheth it in her prayer unto Christ, which she uttereth with a loud voice, that all standers-by might witness, how highly she conceived of him. A good pattern for us, to lay such good ground of our faith in our prayer as this poor woman doth, and what our hearts believe, never to be afraid to suffer our tongues to utter.  
But as this is imitable of us, so would a man think it should have been available with Christ; but it works never a whit, he answers never a word. Of God Saint Paul saith, He cannot deny himself: but Christ seemeth here by his silence, not to acknowledge that he is the man, that such a work can be done by him: he takes no notice of her speech, he seemeth nothing moved with her words: Flesh and blood would not have rejected so honourable a title, and set light by such a testimony as was given unto Christ by this woman. But Christ was not so ambitious. Nay rather, flesh and blood would have pitied and relieved, being sought unto, and sought unto in such sort as Christ was by the woman. But Christ seems not so courteous, he answers not a word: though her petition were never so powerful, yet it sinks not into him, not into Christ; but into the Disciples of Christ it doth. But better never a whit, than never a whit the better for the woman. They are moved, and speak to Christ; but it is to rid away the woman, but not to rid away the Devil out of her child: they will not be troubled with her cry; but they have no pity on her case. Christ's silence was uncomfortable, but the Apostles speech much more: for better they had held their peace then showed themselves such Churls. They should have made the woman's case their own and mediated for her unto Christ: but it is worth the marking, that before they were throughly schooled by the example of Christ, and new form by the Spirit of Christ: they are proposed as patterns of natural men, and express the infirmities of weak men: seldom shall ye find that they entreated Christ to do good unto any, but they oftentimes move him for to hold his hands from doing good. james and john are hasty to have fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans; but they could not endure, that one that was not of their rank, should cast out devils in the name of Christ. The Disciples forbade them that would bring children unto Christ: they will not have CHRIST to feed them that followed him. Saint Peter dislwadeth Christ from his Passion: they were but little better than ordinary men in the graces of Sanctification, though they had received many other excellent gifts at the hand of Christ.  
But our Instruction is that we must observe their infirmity, that we do not imitate it, and rather join our prayers with them that in their distress seek unto God, then to be any hindrance unto them of speeding with God. Yea and Christ Himself though he do little comfort the woman, yet doth he give a secret check unto his Disciples: for giving them an answer, he shows, that he was not weary of the woman's cries.  
But there was a better reason why he did not satisfy her request, I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. So that had she been a sheep, though a lost sheep of Israel, Christ would have endured her cry, and done as much as she desired.  
But you must mark, that whereas Christ's silence might seem to have imported that he did not acknowledge those titles, that office which the woman ascribed unto him; in his answer, he confesseth that he is such a one, and sent for such work as the woman's prayer doth express: but for all that she cannot speed, because she hath no part in him. So that Christ's silence was more hopeful than is his answer. In his silence there was neither word nor deed for her; here are words, though no deeds; but words that make against her: so that better no answer then such an answer, so uncomfortable an answer.  
Which imports, though Christ can, yet he may not relieve her. To be near a helper, and to be denied help, hope of help detained maketh misery to be a double misery: for we are the better resolved unto patience, when we see there is nothing that can secure us. Here then is the woman's blow given to her faith, able to quell it. The first seemed to be only contempt, but this goes farther, it cuts off all hope, and why? because the woman is not a lost sheep of Israel. Christ is sent only unto them. So that whereas she might have been bold upon the matter, and the manner of her prayer; this shuts her out for her particular, though it grant the truth of the matter, and the zeal of the woman in general.  
But let us look to the particulars of CHRIST'S answer.  
The jews are compared unto Sheep, and sheep were clean beasts, such as might be offered in Sacrifice, and be presented in the Temple of God, and did yield a smell of sweet favour and of rest, as the Scripture speaks. This is the prerogative of the Church, and this is the hope of them that are within the Church, that they are called into the fold of God, that they may come so near him, that they may speed in their prayers to him. This is not a favour vouchsafed unto all, no more than all beasts be sheep: the more should the prerogative be esteemed, and God's mercy tendered. But we see sheep will lose themselves. The Israelites were sheep, but lost sheep, two ways lost sheep: first by nature in Adam, so all men were lost; secondly by breach of Covenant, whereinto God entered with the Israelites, and so they were in an especial sort lost: for whereas God was to be their God no otherwise then if they had continued his people, when they transgressed his law, either by seeking to other Gods, or using the ceremonial Law amiss; they broke their covenant, and so lost themselves: notwithstanding, as God promiseth, Jeremy 31. God was contented to seek them again, to enter into a new covenant with them, and to return to the great shepherd of their souls. In this sense doth Christ say, that he was sent only to Israel; and Saint Paul, that he was a Minister of the Circumcision; so that pressing this second Covenant which respects lost sheep of the better sort, he seems to exclude the first sort, those that were lost in Adam. So that he concludes mainly against the woman, that although she were a sheep, a lost sheep of Adam, yet if she be not a lost sheep of Israel, he can do nothing for her.  
You would think the woman would be answered, and give over upon this speech of Christ: but the more she is repulsed, the more she presseth on him; and whereas her first prayer was repelled with Christ's silent contempt and hopeless answer, she presseth on him upon her knees, and with her words, opposing gesture to gesture; the gesture of humility to the gesture of contempt; words to words, words of earnest importunity to Christ's words of a hopeless answer: she kneels to him, she speaks to him, she fawned upon him like a dog, she was instant with him to help her at a dead lift. So that if ye did before wonder at her cry so constantly professing Christ, and her prayer so plainly expressing what inducement she had to seek to Christ; now wonder much more at her gesture so humble, her words so importunate: she doth more lively express her faith in Christ when she worships him, then when she did describe him: and her cry is of greater force; when she doth intimate that Christ doth use to help; but it is when he is importuned with a cry, for so signifies the Greek word, which is as much as to run at a cry. So that this second cry is equivalent to the former, though it doth add unto it: for she doth really confess him to be a Saviour, whom she doth worship, for worship belongs only to a Saviour: and in that she did worship him, she implieth notwithstanding CHRIST'S answer, that he was her Saviour; and He was to save her, because she called upon him.  
The lesson that belongs to us is, that a true fear of God is not only verbal, but real; and that he proceeds in this fear that adds deeds to his words, and yields unto CHRIST in deeds what he confessed to be his due in words.  
Secondly, That CHRIST will not help except we cry: for the proper word that signifies help implies that God's mercy is to be obtained by our performance of our duty.  
You have seen this woman's faith, her redoubted faith, still the same, but not in the same degree; she began well, she goes on better, hoping that though Christ put her off with silence and with words; the first showing contempt, the second cutting off all hope; yet he would be entreated, seeing that his denial left still some advantage unto her to reply unto him, and to gather that she might yet well hope to speed well with him. But poor woman! she hath not yet heard the worst, her faith hath not had yet a full proof: it was bad before, the next words will make her case worse: the higher she riseth in faith, the less Christ is seen to be moved with pity; for what faith he? It is not good to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto Whelps.  
Contempt is grievous unto flesh and blood, but yet if there be hope, it is better borne; but if no hope, and yet contempt, durus est hic sermo, who can endure it? If you add reproach to both, you must needs break the I eart, a natural man cannot but sink under it. Christ's last speech than is a most bitter speech. It was enough not to reckon her for a sheep; not so much a lost sheep, but to count her and call her a Whelp, this seems more than enough: and a Whelp being in opposition to children, the comparison increaseth the reproach, when others were so near Christ, and she so fare off from him. The phrase alludes to unclean beasts: such as had no access unto the Temple might not be offered in sacrifice. So that Christ now doth express plainly and fully, not only that he was not sent unto her, but that she was not in any sort worthy to be respected by him. For as it is in Jerusalem above, the mother of us all, so it is likewise in Icrusalem, below; extra canes, there is no place for dogs within it. So then, the woman may be gone, when her answer is so plain, that whatsoever goodness is in Christ, it nothing concerns her, because there is so little worth in her. But she will not yet be gone, she presseth yet nearer Christ, and is more vile (as David speaks) in her own eyes: she doth not stomach the reproach, she acknowledgeth her small worth, she confesseth that Christ's words though they be bitter, are true, and that she is no better than a Whelp: but yet though she be of so mean worth, yet is she not without hope, for she hath one advantage left, that she hath some likelihood to speed: for though she be not a Child, but a dog, yet may she be fed with crumbs; if not given unto her, yet falling from her master's Table. The humility was great in the prodigal child that said, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and against thee: I am no more worthy to be called thy Son: make me but as one of thy hired servants. Greater in King David, who was not only contented to be a servant, so he might be a servant of God, but a servant in a mean place. I had rather be a door keeper in the house of the Lord, then to dwell in (as Lord of) the tents of the ungodly. But this woman goes beyond them: both she is contented to be a Whelp, so she may be Christ's Whelp; and to gather crumbs, so it be from the Table of such a Master; and the crumbs of that bread wherewith he feeds his children, though it fall from that Table whereat the Children sit. It is no wonder, though Saint Paul counted all worldly things but dung in comparison of that excellent knowledge which is in Christ; when this woman makes so great account of the crumbs, that fall from that Table.  
What blame then do we deserve, that being accepted for children, and admitted to Christ's own Table, set so little by the children's bread, when every crumb thereof is of so great worth? They that loathed Manna were sharply punished: how much more do we deserve it, that make so little account of God's mercy in jesus Christ? This woman's faith will one day rise in judgement, and condemn us; that in esteeming the gifts of God did go so fare beyond us, even so fare, that Christ may wonder at our unbelief, as he did at the jews, no less than he did wonder at this woman's faith, which was but a Gentile; wondered at it, and was conquered by it.  
Joseph made himself strange to his brethren, that so he might breed in them a sense of their sin, and so in the end make himself known with greater comfort; stood out long, but in the end could forbear no longer, but shed tears and discovered himself, that he was not (what he seemed) an enemy, but indeed (as it proved) a kind brother to them: Even so our Saviour made semblance as if he had no compassion for this woman, when ●s indeed he meant both to make her renowned for her ●aith, and to yield her a good proof, that such a faith is ●ot in vain. Therefore I call this delay a profitable de●ay: it was delay, in that he would be so often importuned, that was otherwise so tender hearted a Saviour, but ●t was profitable, both for her, whose faith was hereby commended, and her daughter relieved; and for Christ, ●hat the world might see what that is which is due unto him, and when it is fit to relieve us. We must come unto him in a true sense of our unworthiness, reputing ourselves no better than Whelps, in comparison of the free mercy of God; and if in the sense hereof we persevere constant, we shall find seasonable relief at the hands of Christ. For it is not unknown (what Saint Ambrose said unto Monicha, Saint Augustine's Mother, with tears beseeching him, to use his help for the reclaiming of her son, (whose soul the Devil had possessed, for he was an obstinate Manichee) filius tantarum lachrymarum perire non potest; And unto this woman Christ said, great is thy faith, or as S. Mark hath it, be it as thou desirest. So shall it far with us; if we have the like faith, we shall have the like success. If we do imitate this woman's importunate faith, though Christ do defer us, he will not deny us: nay this delay will prove no less profitable unto us.   

A SERMON PREACHED AT SAINT CROSS, NEAR WINCHESTER.  LUKE 7.1. 
When he had ended all these say in the Audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.  LUKE 7.2. And a certain Centurion's servant was sick, and ready to die, which was dear unto him. 
BY the mouth of two or three Witnesses (saith God's Law) shall every word be established. Our Saviour Christ therefore having by one proof foretold, that the kingdom of God should be translated from the jews unto the Gentiles, whereof you heard the last Sabbath; doth in this Chapter add a second, whereof ye shall hear this day, according to the fitting of the day. In the first proof you heard the faith of a woman, a heathen woman: this day shall you hear the faith of a man, a heathen man, both agreeing in this, that they serve to confound the infidelity of the Jew: and they serve fitly to make good that speech of our Saviour in the eleventh of Matthew, 
Mat. 11.21  upbraiding Chorazin and Bethseda with the tractableness of Tyre and Sidon, and upbra●ding Capernaum with the tractableness of Sodom, not understood literally, for that lay drowned in mare mortuum, but spiritually, 
Rev. 11.8.  as Rome is called in the eleaventh of the Revelations; for this was a Captain of a guarrison of Rome. The History hath two special points; the place and the matter; the place, Capernaum; the matter containe● the Centurion's confession of Christ, and the testimony that Christ's gives unto the Centurion. The confession set● forth the eminency of Christ's person, and the efficacy of his power. The testimony witnesseth that the confession was strange and true; strange, considering the man; and true, as it appeareth in the Event.  
To begin with the place. The place is Capernaum, and Capernaum in the ninth of Matthew is called the City of Christ: 
Mat. 9.1.  the reason whereof is set down in the fourth of Matthew, 
Mat 4.13.  for that whereas Christ in his younger years when he lived under his Parents, dwelled at Nazareth; yet when time came that he should show himself unto the world; to fulfil that which was foretold by the Prophet, he removed to Capernaum. Capernaum was the place where he preached many Sermons, and wrought many miracles, 
Mat. 11.23.  in which respect himself beareth witness, Matth. 11. that Capernaum had been lifted up 〈◊〉 high as Heaven: but yet this Capernaum so little regarded, so little believed Christ's words in his works, that they deserved (as Christ addeth) to be cast down as low as hell; to make them see both whom and what they did neglect, and so despise, Christ raiseth up in the midst of the City this heathen man, to testify of what regard Christ's person was, and what wonderful power did work in him; so that their contempt was the less , by how much his faith more admirable: and this History is more to be marked then that other of the woman; because though the faith of both were great, of that woman and this man, yet the difference of the place maketh this the greater: for that as the faith of that woman had little help to persuade it, so had it nothing to hinder it: but this man dwelled in the midst of them, that the more helps they had, they shown the less grace, and were so fare from winning any unto Christ, that they might rather have alienated him from Christ. But here hence we learn two excellent lessons, the one from Capernaum, that howsoever Paul plant and Apollo's water, all outward means are nothing without God's inward grace, except God give increase: and from the Centurion, that water will stream them even from a Rock, and that in the wilderness, if so it be commanded by the Word of God. They that are most unlikely, oftentimes prove most forward in the fear and service of God. The cause whereof is nothing else but the unresistable operation of the Spirit of God, which of stones can raise children unto Abraham, when Abraham's children's hearts are grown obdurate as stones.  
But let us come to the confession of the Centurion; wherein you must mark who it is that speaks, and what he speaketh. First who; it is a man of place, and of desert: of place, for he is a Centurion; of desert, the jews witness it, and prove it.  
First for his place, he was a Centurion, a Captain of an hundred Soldiers, had a charge, and a charge in that place: the Town was held by a guarrison, as most part of the Holy land was; being now in the power of the Romans, though under them it was governed by a petty King. The note that we must gather is; that being of such a nation, and put in trust with a band of men in that City, his Country and his charge do much augment the greatness of his person, especially in that place.  
He was then a great man and a good man too: the Jews do witness it, and they do seldom commend Gentiles; whom as they did usually abhor, as figured by unclean beasts, so did they usually reproach by the name of sinners: which you may perceive by the distinction of Saint Paul; are by nature Iewes, not sinners of the Gentiles. This commendation then given by the jews of a Gentile, maketh it probable that he was no bad man, though he were a Gentile.  
But the jews do not only witness it, but prove it; and prove it first in that he loved their nation: secondly, in that he favoured their Religion. For the first, it is worth the noting, in a Captain, and that a Roman Captain, that he was but civilly just, and did not oppress them; whereas if ye look but into the Acts of the Apostles, ye shall see what manner of men they were, by Felix and by Festus. To say nothing of the Histories of josephus, who notes how usually they did prey upon the people, so that it was but a flattering speech of Tertullus the Orator, when he so highly commended the Roman Deputy. This man than is proved by the jews to be good, in that he was not like to others in his rank, in bribery and oppression; but his goodness reached further, he favoured their Religion, and had built them a Synagogue. A Synagogue was a place answerable to our Parish Churches, which after the captivity of Babylon (for before there is no mention of them) seemed to have been built in all Towns and Cities of the holy land, and else wheresoever the Jews had their abode, as you may perceive in the Acts; whither they repaired both to hear the Law read every Sabbath day, and to pour forth their prayers: so they looked toward the Temple, wherein, and wherein only Sacrifices were daily offered, which were inhibited in any other place, which notwithstanding were allowed for other parts of the worship of God. Now that this man should build them a Synagogue, as it argueth that he was a wealthy man, so is it strange that he should do it being a Roman: for although from the time of the Babylonian captivity, the jews had been under foreign Kings, yet none of them favoured so little their Religion, as did the Romans. The Kings of Persia (as you may perceive by the book of Ezra and Nehemias, and also the prophecy of Daniel) sent presents unto the Temple of jerusalem, and made edicts for the honour of the God of the Jews. But as for the Romans, their Poets scoffed at their Religion, their Histories speak reproachfully of it, their Emperors did vilify it. Insomuch as Augustus Caesar commendeth his nephew Caius, for that passing into Syria, he did not put in by the way, and sacrifice at jerusalem. Their Soldiers stuck not to profane the Temple with their presence, and sacrilegiously to rifle those things that were dedicated unto God. Hereby you perceive, that it is a greater praise for this Centurion being a Roman, to favour the jewish Religion.  
He was then a great man, and he was a good man: and what would you now expect, but that he should stand upon his greatness and his goodness, and in confidence thereof, rather require than beseech Christ? Naaman the Assyrian, when he came to be cured by Elizeus was highly displeased, for that the Prophet sent him a message, and came not himself: I thought (saith he) he would have come down to me, he would have stood before me, prayed unto his God, and laid his hands upon me: but because he did not, the Captain was departing in wrath. Lo here is the spirit of a Soldier, the spirit of a great man. Will you hear the spirit of a good man of Ahabs' Court? desirous to speed of his request to Elias, he petitioneth him with a repetition of his good deeds. Hath not my Lord heard what thy servant hath done, when jezabel slew the Prophets? how I hide an hundred of them in one Cave, and fifty in another Cave, and fed them with bread and water: behold the spirit of a good man. But our great man, our good man savoureth of neither of their spirits. You may perceive it by that confession which he maketh of Christ: first of the eminency of his person, which he sets forth partly by a comparison of Christ and himself, and partly by the Embassadge he sent unto Christ.  
But before we enter this first branch of his confession; you must mark how he doth correct himself, as if he had been over bold with Christ. The first motion was, that Christ would come and cure his servant: but the second is, that Christ should not trouble himself to come, because it was not fit he should take so much pains, for so mean a man. So that howsoever at the first he had some touch of his own worth, yet his second thoughts were more sober, which brought forth this confession of Christ; teaching us, that it is no shame to unsay what at any time we say amiss; and that we must lay aside all conceit of known greatness and goodness, when we have a suit unto Christ, for he resisteth the proud, and will give his grace unto the humble and meek. And of this Centurion we may learn so to be humbled. But let us hear how he esteemeth the person of Christ, first comparing him to himself, and comparing him in regard of entertainment into his house, and speech from his mouth. I am not worthy (saith he) thou shouldst come under the roofe of my house. And Christ reports of himself, that whereas the birds of the air had nests, and foxes had holes; the Son of man had not an house to hid his head in: a mean house then in probability would not be refused by him, how much less a Centurion's house, the house of a man so wealthy, and of such authority in that place? But yet whatsoever appearance there were in the outward shape of Christ, he apprehended some greater personage that dwelled in him: Even as Elizabeth saluted the Virgin Mary, How cometh it about that the Mother of my Lord cometh unto me? Here was the Lord Himself; and He might have salomon's conceit, The Heaven of heavens cannot contain him, and how homely a place then is this Temple, though a stately Temple, to receive him? And if the Temple were so unfit, much more must the Centurion's house be, were it the best in all Capernaum. We must wonder at God's goodness that will stoop so low, as to accept of any place for his presence here on earth, whose Majesty is much impaired even in that revelation of himself, which is in the most glorious heavens: he cannot be discerned by the Creature, but in a degree fare inferior to the infiniteness of a Creator.  
That than which we must mark in this speech of the Centurion, contains two profitable lessons: the first is, that in that Christ took upon him the form of a servant, we must not here hence grow to contempt of his person, but rather adore the goodness of God; descending so low that he may do good unto men, and in the depth of his Humility confess the height of his glory. Secondly, although with Christ's presence salvation will come to our house, as he told Zacheus, whereat we may well rejoice, and which we ought much to desire; yet is it meet also, that we have a sense and conscience of our own unworthiness, and cry out with Saint Peter, Go from me Lord, for I am a sinful man. So shall we give Christ his due, and confess our own desert, and we shall be nothing farther from Christ's mercy, though we be cast down before him in such humility. This is the Centurion's humility, who thought himself unworthy that Christ should come under the roof of his house.  
But he is not content so to vilify his house, he doth much more vilify himself; for so he goes on, I thought not myself worthy to speak unto thee. A strange speech of one of his place, of his worth! whose voice was a commanding voice in that Town, and Christ one of the meanest inhabitants of the Town: a voice that commanded Soldiers and Senators too, as you perceive by the Embassage: that such a voice, so commanding a voice should not presume, should not be worthy to speak unto, nay to petition so mean a man, and a man of so mean place within his charge! Ye would think these should be the words of Abraham talking with God, and checking himself as being but dust and ashes, when he had a glimpse of God's presence with him: but the Centurion confesseth him no better before Christ cometh near him. job laid his hand on his mouth after he had spoken, the Centurion before he spoke. There was more appearance of Majesty in God's presence to Abraham, but specially to Job, then could any way be gathered by the outward state of Christ.  
So that the Humility of the Centurion, in not thinking himself worthy to speak unto Christ, doth import an excellent lesson of reverence which is due unto God, and how great an impression should Christ's Majesty (as he now sitteth at the right hand of God) work in us, when we pray unto him; when his state in Humility was so apprehended by this Centurion, that neither his greatness nor his goodness could embolden him to adventure immediately by himself to petition him. Our best devotion cometh short of this preparation: yet should we rather exceed it, than any way be inferior to it. The more we know Christ's glory, the more humble we should be in doing our duty. This is the first part of his confession touching the eminency of CHRIST'S person, so far as is expressed in the comparison of CHRIST and himself.  
But it must be gathered also by the Embassage he sends to Christ; an Embassage of the greatest in the Town, and the dearest to himself: he sent the Elders of the jews at the first, and seconded them with the dearest of his friends: jews he sent, and so declined that which the woman incurred, I am not sent, but to the lost sheep of Israel. He supposed Christ would gratify the Jews, though he had no respect to him being a Gentile.  
But God had a further reach, to let these jews be witnesses to the faith of the Gentile, and the relating of his words unto Christ, to give judgement against themselves for their contempt of Christ; for seeing they were means (in the judgement of a heathen) meetest to prevail with Christ, it was a shame for them not to acknowledge how much they were bound to Christ, that was not only good unto them, but also would be good unto the very heathen, to pleasure them. Abraham and job have it attributed as an honour done by God unto them, for that God would hear Abraham for Abimelech, and cure his family; and job for his friends, and forgive their sin. But these graceless jews do not esteem the favours of Christ, but rather seal their own condemnation by the manifold proof of his goodness towards them. God doth this honour to all Christians, to be their God, and the God of their seed, to bless the children for the Parents. The more GOD'S mercy, the more our debt; and our judgement the greater, if our neglect do rise with God's mercy.  
But the Embassage as it was of the jews, so it was of the Elders of the jews: had there been any greater, he would have made them his means: being for to send, he would send the best, because he conceived that the best were but too mean to be sent unto Christ. It is the curse that GOD pronounceth in Malachy against them that vowed unto God, and having a Male in the flock would offer a Female, or some contemptible thing; he gives the reason, because I am a great God: and hath God a care of Sheep? or rather speaketh be it not for men, that we must use the best of all sorts, when we have to do with God? And what wonder, when God sent his own Son unto man? Is there any person so great, that man should think too great to send to God? there is none too great, none too dear. Christ as he is the only begotten Son of God, so is he the dear beloved Son of his Father; and this Christ was sent unto men.  
Answerably hereunto, doth this Centurion frame his Embassage unto CHRIST: he sendeth the greatest and the dearest he hath, he sends the Elders of the jews, and he sends also his friends, that he might seem not only to honour Christ in them that are great, but also to affect CHRIST in them that are dear: and indeed it is a complete present for Christ, when we serve him with the best, and our best affection too; and our devotion both mature and also hearty, when both outward and inward man are devoted unto him. And thus much of the Centurion's confession of the eminency of CHRIST'S person.  
I come now to the second part of the confession, which expresseth the efficacy of Christ's power, wherein there are three things to be noted. First, that he will not have Christ to trouble himself, he meaneth unnecessarily, as if his corporeal presence were superfluous; and in desiring that, he should wrong Christ, and not to the full express the strength of his own faith. So that this word is a retractation of his first desire, which was, come and cure: but now he confesseth that the first is too much. Come is not requisite to the cure. Behold the modesty of the man that was little ambitious to have his house made a theatre of a miracle wrought with pomp and state, which Christ presents, and in a great assembly. Such thoughts were fit for Herod, who when Christ was sent by Pilate to him, was glad, because of long time he had desired to see him; because he hoped to satisfy his curious desire, by seeing some strange work done by him. This Centurion apprehends better, that Christ is fare from yielding unto such vanity: therefore that he may not seem to affect it, he gins with, Lord trouble not thyself, and give us this good Item, that we must not intermingle the idle desires of flesh and blood, by desiring any thing that is unnecessary at the hands of God. Come is unnecessary, we must be contented with the Cure, and the Cure may be wrought with only, Speak the word.  
Here is the very object of his faith, even this word of Christ: or if you will, Christ the word: for the curing word is the word of the word, even the Word of God, which word is God, the word that in the beginning made all, and when it was lost restored all. This word is that of which David speaketh in the 107 Psalm, 
Ps. 107.10. Wisd. 16.7.  Misit Verbum, et sanavit eos: and the book of wisdom in the 16 Chapter, It was neither her be nor pasture that healed them, speaking of those that were stung of the fiery Serpent, but only the word that healeth all things: in respect of which virtue in Christ, Saint Matthew observes out of the Prophet, that Christ took upon him all our infirmities, which by Saint Matthew appeareth, when he cured all kind of diseases; This word the Centurion would shape Christ to speak, which S. Paul to the Hebrews calleth the word of God's power, a word mighty in operation: and as it beareth up all things, so can it work his pleasure upon all things: it is a commanding word, and it commands effectually, dixit & factum est, hath an eternal truth. It is observed of Caesar, that when he had driven Pompey out of Italy, and seized upon the City of Rome, when he would have entered into the Treasury, a favourite of Pompey would have hindered him: at whom Caes●r shaken his sword, speaking these words, It is an easier matter for me to do it, then to speak it, he meant to kill him: he spoke in the boldness of a Soldier, forgetting the Proverb, Multa cadunt inter calicem supremaque la●●a. Which holds in these that are but mere men, whose attempts may be frustrated, when they seem to be consummated. But it is not so with God, for nothing can resist his will, nor interrupt his work: his word and his work, they are concurrent the one with the other, not consequent the one upon the other, when we speak of Christ; if only of God, they differ not one from the other, Dei dicere est facere: and Christ's word is never an empty word, which is the ground of our faith both in heating the Scripture and receiving the Sacraments. That di●ere est facere, in hearing the Scriptures, Saint Paul maketh it plain, when he teacheth, that in the Gospel beholding the glory of God, we are changed into the same Image; and of the Sacraments Saint Augustine's rule is true; quî fit ut aqua corpus tangat & animam abluat? quia accedi● verbum ad elementum. Therefore is Baptism called the fountain of Regeneration, and the Eucharist doth ●ourish us unto eternal life. No marvel then if the Centurion desire CHRIST only to speak the word, and doubteth not but the third point will follow, my servant shall be whole.  
His servant (as it was said before) was at the point of death: his case was desperate in the judgement of man: Sed non est impossible apud Deum omne verbum, he did not doubt, but believing he should see the glory of God: he doubted not, but that Christ could both raise from the dead, and preserve also from death: and indeed had he not so thought, that he could help where Physic did fail, he would never have sent unto him; he might otherwise have been of Naamans' mind, who thought the waters of Damascus' better than the water of jordan, till he found that the virtue was in God's word, and not in the water.  
But was all this for a servant? the meaner the person, the greater his humility. You wondered at that woman, but you have much more reason to wonder at this man: you have heard two special reasons.  
There is nothing reported of the woman's either greatness or goodness, of this man's there is: she confessed Christ, but it was in the out parts of Sidon; this man in the midst of Capernaum: and whereas this woman did it, presuming to come immediately to Christ herself; this man adventureth not so fare, but he both useth the greatest and the dearest means he hath. But now behold, whereas she did both for her daughter, and her possessed with a Devil, a party so near her, in a case so pitiful: this man humbleth himself, and humbleth himself so low, having no other suit then for his servant, though a dear servant, yet but a servant, whom the Scripture calleth in Greek, as if he observed the Son of Syraches rule: and a good servant was as dear unto him as his child: this somewhat amplifieth his virtue; and it amplifieth it the more, because his servant was not possessed with a Devil, but almost exanimated with the Palsy, a dangerous, but yet an ordinary disease; that could not in probability move a double, but a single compassion, the Devil possesseth not but with a double mischief; the less cause than there was why he should be so humble, the greater is his virtue that he is so humble: but he teacheth us to measure our humility not by the greatness of our suit, but by his greatness to whom we make our suit, who is always the same, though our wants may be of divers degrees. You have the Centurion's confession: hear now Christ's testimony.  
Christ confesseth it strange, if you look to the man, therefore Christ Himself doth wonder at it. Christ's wondering doth not suppose that beforehand he was ignorant of it; but implies, that of this effect there appeared small outward cause. In which sense he wondereth at the infidelity of the jews unbelief, on whom so many outward means wrought so little inward effect; for he could not match this faith, no not in all Israel, yet were there many worthy believers. But Chrysostome observeth well; it is lesser wonder to hear a wise man speak wisely, then to hear a plough man speak but probably; for the less is expected, the more is admired, if there come that from any man, which his means seem not to promise, nor can enable him to perform. Howsoever therefore there might be found a match in regard of the effect; yet if you look to the cause, there was none such to be found, no not in Israel. Yea and the effect too went beyond the worthies that are recorded to have believed in Israel. Martha's faith was but this, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. She tied Christ's power to his corporal presence. Saint Peter, at Christ's word ventured to walk upon the waters, but he thought he should sink, if he had not Christ by the hand. Yea, the Virgin Mary had her, Quomodo hoc fiet? and until the Angel told her, Non est impossible apud Deum omne verbum, she made not that blessed Confession, Behold the servant of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word. This man prevents all, he expects no promise, he doubts no distance of place, he desireth no touch of Christ's hand, Trouble not thyself, Lord, saith he, with any of these things, only speak the word, and my servant shall be whole. Doth not Christ justly wonder at it in an heathen, when he could find no example for to match it in those that were his chosen? A plain prognostication, that the Church of the Gentiles should be more renowned for faith than ever was the Church of the jews; and that the seed of Abraham according to the faith, should far excel his seed according to the flesh, his faith was strange, if you look to the man, but if you look to the matter, it was very true: the event did prove it; Christ spoke the word, and his servant was made whole. Saint Ambrose. Christ takes no time, neither desires opportunity of place; virtue goes from him more than can be discerned in him. Even when a cloud doth intercept the brightness of the Sun, a quickening influence insensibly proceeds from him, which vegetateth the earth. Even a beam passed from Christ which cured that servant. Even Christ was not seen, and might seem not to work. Christ now sitteth at the right hand of God, and yet we must not doubt but he is effectual in his Church, as much to cure our souls, yea more than he was in curing that servants body; and this he doth only by his word; of which Saint Paul saith well out of Moses, Say not in thine heart, who shall ascend into Heaven, that is, to bring Christ from above? or who shall descend into the dust, that is, to bring Christ again from the dead? But what saith it? the word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thine heart. This is the word of faith which we preach, whose effectual power we shall feel, as many as do believe.  
The upshot of all is: Christ in this History taxeth the jews for being so backward in comparison of the Gentiles; in both esteeming the person of Christ, and depending upon the power of Christ.  
Their defect must be our admonition. King David, when Absalon was overthrown, and Israel offered their service, to bring their King home to jerusalem, striving who should be forwardest, and condemning them that were slow, sent this message to Zadoc and Abiathar the Priests, saying; speak unto the Elders of judah, and say, why are ye behind to bring the King again to his house? for the saying of Israel is come unto the King, even to his house. Ye are my brethren, my bones and my flesh: Wherefore are ye then the last that bring the King again? We are the people's Abiathar and Zadoc: we in God's name must blame the people's coldness, by the forwardness of the Gentiles. And I pray God we may have as good success with you as these Priests had with judah; for they bowed the hearts of all the men of Judah, as of one man, even with emulation against Israel, for to show their forwardness to return their King. I pray God we may so surpass these Gentiles in honouring Christ: so may we speed in all our petitions, that in imitation of them, we shall so humbly, so faithfully present ourselves unto CH●IST, etc.   

A SERMON PREACHED INTRINITIE CHURCHIN WINCHESTER.  JEREM. 14.7. 
O Lord although our sins witness against us, yet deal with us according to thy Name.  
THe Prophets and Apostles so served God, that they ceased not to be men; they could not put off their natural affection, though they were most careful to discharge their supernatural Vocation: they were not without sense, when they were messengers of God's vengeance. Therefore bringing fire from heaven, they would quench it with their own tears; denouncing wrath from God, they would appease it with their own prayers: they will put their own shoulders under the burden of the people: they were contented themselves to be a curse, for to discharge the people: in a word, they would then sacrifice a contrite spirit of a repenting soul unto a merciful God, when they were sent with woes and lamentations unto graceless sinners from an ireful judge. Thus Moses, Samuel, David, Esay, Paul and others prophesied and prayed: and no marvel; for Christ wept over jerusalem, when he foreshowed her imminent misery. God himself seems to be tormented in himself, when for sin he must correct his people with the Babylonian Captivity. So that men do but imitate that gracious conflict of mercy and justice observed in Christ and God, when they intermingle their humble prayers with these heavy dooms which they pronounce against the world in the name of God: this fellow-feeling, these bowels of compassion, the sweet composition of prophecies and prayers was in Jeremy, so much the more frequent, by how much that anciently threatened judgement in his days more nearly approached, and the evils thereof were more clearly revealed; a taste whereof we have in the first part of this Chapter, wherein he foretells and describes such a famine as should afflict beasts and men; poor and rich; not some, but all; as well in Country as in Town: insomuch that general and loud complaints and groans should be doubled from the dejected souls of that distressed people. This judgement as his tongue denounced it dreadfully, so his own soul apprehended it feelingly, and therefore without delay he stood up in the gap between God and his people, he laid hold upon that hand wherewith God was striking his people, and with spiritual incense laboured an atonement between God and his people, as appears in these words that now I have read unto you. Wherein we may observe these two points: first jeremy his confession, secondly jeremies' supplication: the confession, O Lord, our sins testify against us, the supplication, yet deal thou with us according to thy Name.  
First, of the Confession. Our sins. The word used by the Prophet doth signify not barely sin, but perverseness coupled with sin, which much increaseth the heinousness of sin. There are many sorts of sin. Sin of ignorance, and that is zeal without knowledge; when we intent good, but err in our choice of that which is good. In the heart of every man there are naturally principles of Religion and honest conversation: but the conclusions which we frame of those principles do make us many times to err in Religion and swerve in conversation. The reason is, the blindness of our understanding, whereby (as Saint Paul teacheth Rom. 1.) 
Rom. 1.22.  when we labour to be most wise, we become the greater fools: fools in making of false rules, and fools in being misguided by them. The jews zealous for Moses persecuted Christ: but they neither drew true rules out of the Law of Moses, as Christ teacheth Matt. 5. 
Mat. 5.17, 21.  neither did they discern the Person of Christ, they were fools in both. The same may be observed in Saint Paul before his conversion. 1 Tim. 1. there are two sorts of sin, which is, 
1 Tim. 1.13.  sin of infirmity, when a man delighteth in the Law of God in the inner man, but he seethe a Law in his members rebelling against the law of his mind & carrying him captive unto sin; so that the good which he would he cannot do, but the evil that he would not, that he doth, Rom. 7. 
Rom. 7.15.  thus no man sinneth but he sorroweth, he laboureth under the burden of sin, and receaveth no comfort until he be released of the guilt of sin. So Peter denied Christ, but he wept bitterly. David committed murder and adultery, but he repent hearty. Solomon fell into manifold vanities, but he confessed it all humbly. Besides these two sorts of sin there is a third, called sin of perverseness, when men not of ignorance or infirmity, but wittingly and willingly desplease and despise God. The branches whereof are three, all by jeremy noted in the jews: by consideration whereof we must understand the sin which was committed by the jews. The first branch is a rejection of God's word; the second, an abusing of God's gifts; the third, a senselessness under God's plagues. They rejected God's word, for when God commanded one thing, they would do another: thus said the Lord, stand in the way, behold and ask for the old way, which is the good way, and walk therein, and so shall ye find rest unto your souls: but they answered, we will not walk therein. Also God set over them watchmen which said, take heed to the sound of the Trumpet; 
Jer. 6.17.  but they answered, we will not take heed. jer. 6. Nay they said desperately, Surely we will walk after our imaginations, and do every man after the stubbornness of our own wicked heart. 
Jer. 18.12.  jer. 18. The Prophet showeth three notable experiences of this branch of stubbornness. First God said, the Chaldeans should come against them, they said, they would not come. Secondly, when they were come, GOD said, they must yield; they said, they would not yield. Thirdly, when they were conquered, God commanded the remnant not to go down into Egypt; but in contempt of God they would, and did go down to Egypt. Thus they took occasion from the messages of God, to show their overthwart dealing with God.  
A second breach of their perverseness was the abusing of God's gifts; which being bestowed to work and increase a knowledge of God, to manifest and confirm the love of God, were used by them to obscure his glory and impair his fear; for they turned the truth of God into a lie, and served the creature, forsaking the Creator. Have I been as a wilderness unto Jsrael, or a land of darkness, saith God? wherefore saith my people, we now are Lords, we have enough, we will come no more at God. Can a maid forget her ornament, or a Bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me, which am their ornament and attire. O ye heavens, be astonished at this, be afraid and utterly confounded: for my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, to dig them pits, even broken pits, which can hold no water. jer. 2. Ezechiel Chap. 16. showed how they wasted God's gifts, 
Jer. 2.13. Ezec. 16.17  in service of their Idols: and Osee Chap. 2. Teacheth that they acknowledged for author of their prosperity, 
O●ce 2.5. Deut. 32.15  not God, but their Idols. But Moses long before foretold it, Deut. 32. jesurun when he waxed fat, spurned with his heel; being loaden with fatness, he forsook God that made him, and regarded not the mighty God of his salvation.  
The third branch of their perverseness, is an unrepentant senselessness under God's plague: they were stricken, but they sorrowed not; they were nigh consumed, but they refused to receive correction: they made their faces harder than a stone, and refused to return, jer. 5. 
jer. 5.3.  more senseless than unreasonable creatures. The Stork in the air knoweth their appointed times, so do the Turtle, the Crane, and the Swallow, saith God, jeremy 8. 
jer. 8.7. jer. 6.28.  but my people knoweth not the judgement of the Lord, Chap. 6. he compareth them to brass and iron, whose dross cannot be separated; the bellows (saith he) are burnt, the lead is consumed in the fire, the founder melteth in vain, for the wicked are not taken away; David compares them to deaf Adders, which stop their ears, that their poison might not be charmed, Psal. 58. 
Psal. 58.5.  Solomon compares them to a drunken man, that can sleep in the midst of the Sea, and that upon the top of the mast, and say, they have stricken me, but I was not sick; they have beaten me, but I perceived it not; therefore will I return to my wine again. An experiment we have, Amos the fourth, 
Amos 4.9.  I have stricken you (saith God) with famine, yet have you not returned; with pestilence, yet have you not returned: read Psalm 78. 
Psal. 78.17. Esay 1.5.  Insomuch that God (Esay 1.) weary of repenting breaks forth and says, Wherefore should you be smitten any more? for ye fall away more and more. And this is a branch of their perverseness. Conjoining all these you may perceive their sin, which was a contempt of God's word and abuse of God's gifts, and a senselessness under God's plagues. This is the sin jeremy confesseth.  
A second note is gathered from Ieremy's coupling themselves with the people and acknowledging his own sin with the peoples, as if himself had provoked GOD'S plagues, as the people. When the Publican and the Pharisee went up to the Temple to pray; the Pharisee separated him from the Publican, both in place and in prayer: in place, for he would not come near him, as thinking himself more holy; nor pray like unto him, as feeling no burden of sin. But it is not so with the Saints of God: they confess as well their own sins as the peoples unto God; even when they come short of that perverseness wherewith the people provoked God. Read the prayer of Daniel, of Nehemias and others. Jeremy therefore confesseth not the people's sin, but his own. The reason is threefold. First, because in this life, the holiest men are sinful men, and therefore should be humble men, and have a feeling of that body of sin whereunto they are subject, so long as they are mortal men. Secondly, jeremy was a Priest, and therefore was to pray both for himself and for the people, as Saint Paul teacheth out of this Law in the Epistle to the Hebrews. Thirdly, being a member of the same body both civil and Ecclesiastical, he could not be without a fellow feeling of their imminent dangers. For as in our body natural, though a wound be but in one part, the smart is in every part; and the danger that should perish one part is avoided by the endeavour of every part: so is it in the body civil of the common weal, and Ecclesiastical of the Church: which note we must rather observe in jeremy; because he was warranted that he should be secure, though the people perished; even as Moses had an offer, that of him God would make a mighty people, if he could be contented that God for sin should destroy his people: But neither would endure it, and both prayed against it.  
A third note that is the property of sin; and that is the testifying of sin. Men are willing to commit sin, and ready also to confess their sin, like the Harlot in the Proverbs, which committed adultery, wipes her mouth, and asketh what evil hath she done: but it is in vain. For God hath given a voice to sin, and the evidence that shall be brought against us, and cannot be excepted against by us, is the evidence of sin in sin, besides the act of sin, which quickly passeth. There are two evils, either of which afterwards continueth, the stain of sin and the guilt: the stain which cleaveth partly to the person committing sin, and partly to the creature abused in sin: to the person, for so the Scripture teacheth, Esay 1. 
Esa. 1.15.  Where God refuseth the Jews sacrifice, because their hands were full of blood, not that they did shed, but before they had shed blood, and in their hands God saw stains of blood. So Peter speaks of eyes full of adultery, that is, which are not only windows to let in lust, but also against GOD'S judgement day are the Registers of Lust. In this sense Saint Paul speaks of throats which are open Sepulchers, and tongues that are tipped with poison of Asps. In a word, no part of our body or soul, which records not the sin that is committed either by our body, or our soul.  
Secondly, the stain of sin cleaveth to the creature abused in sin: for jer. 17. 
jer. 17.1. jer. 2.2, 7, 18.  the Idolatry of Israel is laid on the horns of the Altars: and jer. 2. God teacheth the people's sin by the places where they committed sin. Moses speaks of graves of lust, and waters of strife, james of witnessing, Rust of gold and silver and moths fretting our garments; which speeches mean nothing else, but the stain of sin abiding on the creature abused by sin. And in this sense sin is said to have a voice, the voice of sin being the measure of sin: small sins oft have soft voices; the greater the sin, the louder it cries. Murder is a great sin, therefore a loud sin; luxury a great sin, and therefore a loud sin; oppression a great sin, and therefore a loud sin: not but that the ear of jealous heareth all things, but he is not alike moved with all things, neither will he take vengeance upon all sins: therefore sin is not only said to have a voice, but also a testifying voice, for so the word here signifieth; and that sin is said to give evidence, on which God is purposed to take vengeance; and such is the sin of perverseness. And thus much of the first part, wherein you have heard the nature, the community and the property of the Jews sin: all which are contained in jeremies' confession.  
The supplication followeth, O Lord yet deal with 〈◊〉 according to thy Name. Names serve to express natures: if the nature may not be conceived, the name can not be truly fitted. God is infinite, we cannot comprehend him, therefore have we no name whereby fully to express him Notwithstanding, that we may not be altogether ignorant of God; the Scripture gives divers names to God: I will touch only three, which respect the Church, an● are usually remembered in the prayers of the Church When Moses was sent to Pharaoh, he asked God wh● was his Name? God answered, I am that I am; in the next verse he adds, I am the God of your fathers, the G● of Abraham, Isaac and jacob: this is my Name, and this 〈◊〉 memorial for ever. When Moses would see the glory 〈◊〉 God, he had poclaimed this Name of God the Lord; To Lord strong and merciful and gracious, slow to anger, 〈◊〉 abundant in goodness and truth, reserving mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin, not mak●● the wicked innocent, visiting the iniquity of the Father's up● the Children, and the children's children, unto the fourth ●●neration. The Coherence of the three names is this. T●● first doth show the Truth of God, by which he perform his promises; the second Covenant of God, from when● do flow his blessings; a third, the excess of his Me●● above his judgement, when he is to pour forth curses 〈◊〉 blessings; the practice of the first name we have. I appeared unto Abraham, Isaac, and jacob by the name 〈◊〉 Almighty, by my Name jehovah I was not known un● them; the practice of the second name. Because the Lo●● would keep the Oath which he had sworn to your Father's, the Lord hath brought you out with a mighty ha●● and delivered you out of the house of bondage, and fr●● the hand of Pharaoh King of Egypt: on this Name Da●Daniel, Esay and Moses ground many prayers. The prectise of the three Names we have.  
When God would plague the jews for murmuring, when they should have entered the holy land; I beseech ●hee, saith Moses, let the power of the Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, when thou show'dst me thy ●ame, saying, The Lord is slow to anger and of great mercy, forgiving iniquities: and in this place Jeremy appealing 〈◊〉 the name of God, doth mean either the first, which in this verse is expressed in these words, O Lord; or else the other two jointly with the first, because they have the ●ne a dependence of the other. So that the effect of his prayer is this: Although our own consciences do accuse us, and our sins witness against us, cleaving both to us and the creatures that have been abused by us, calling for vengeance against us, and inevitably convicting us, that we have contemned thy word, abused thy gifts, and not relented at thy plagues; yet performing those promises which are contained in thy own Covenant, the ●lory whereof must be given to thy Name, which confines more mercy than judgement; otherwise we must ●eeds perish in our sins, if thy mercy did not rejoice against thy judgement. Last of all, mark how he prefixeth an humble confession before his earnest supplication; to teach us that we must cast down ourselves and confess our own deserts unto God, if we mean to taste of the sweet mercies of God, which mercies are most sweet.   

A SERMON PREACHED IN TRINITY CHURCH IN WINCHESTER.  PSALM. 62. ver. 11.12. 
God spoke once, or twice have I heard it, that power belongeth unto God.  
And that to thee O Lord, is mercy, for thou rewardest every man according to his works.  
THe argument of this Psalm is King David's exemplary experience for the world's malice, and God's deliverance. The world doth envy them whom God doth honour, it persecuteth them that rely upon him; but this is the comfort, that the event doth not answer, nay crosseth their designs: their design is deadly, but the event happy: Or if deadly, it is so to the wicked, not to the godly. In the godly it increaseth their confidence, dependency upon God, which is never destitute of a seaosnable deliverance from him. This King David affirms upon his own experience, in the first part of this Psalm, and in the second desires that it might be drawn into an example by others. He would have us in the like case to take the like course; to repair to God, to trust in him, not in any worldly person or thing; for all persons, even the chief of all yield less than no help, and great wealth, especially if it be ill gotten wealth, is but a treasure of nought; both persons and things will fail, will hurt us. If any man, notwithstanding K. David's example and counsel, doubt whom to trust, God or the world, how to live, righteously or unrighteously; he may be, if he be not wilful, resolved throughly by the close of this Psalm, by those words of my Text; he may be resolved from an Author undeceaveable, by a witness unchangeable, from God by King David, God spoke once or twice, and King David heard him; from and by these, he may be resolved what God is, and none but God; how he deals, and deals with all. God, and only God is powerful, and which is strange, the same God is merciful: power belongeth unto God, and to thee o Lord, mercy. The blessed combination of which Attributes in God is easily perceaved, if we consider his government of the world, for he rewardeth every man according to his works. Lo then in a word, what is the substance of this text: it is true, it is clear, God can, he will reckon with us all, and deal partially with none. The paraphrase of the Text, to judge what is in God, by that which proceeds from him. We have warrant from Gods own mouth, under the Test of K. David; witnessing, that the Indifferency of God's judgements is the evidence of his nature. The points to be considered are two; the persons from whom we take this resolution, and the resolution that we take from the persons: the persons two; the author, and the witness: and the resolution consists of two parts, first what God is, secondly, how he deals with man. First, Of the persons, the first whereof is the Author: the Author is undeniable, for it is God. God spoke.  
Between God and man the Apostle puts this difference, Let God be true, and every man a liar: for man is but a mere man; man may deceive or be deceived; but neither of these are incident unto God, nec actu, nec potentiâ, God doth not, he cannot lie; God is not, he cannot be deceived. And no wonder, seeing he is not only the original of all truth, but also truth itself by nature. So that it is no more possible for falsehood to be at one with God, then for darkness to consort with light: both import a real contradiction. Whereas the greatest commendation of the best man is but this. They speak in veritate mentis, without simulation, without equivocation or mental reservation. The praise due to God is, that he speaks in certitudine veritatis: no mist, or fraud, or error can overcast his wisdom or his holiness: his word is tried to the uttermost, like silver, (as the Psalmist speaketh) seven times tried in the fire. What then is our lesson? Surely this: we must not be ashamed of julians' scoff; he derided the Christian belief, because it had no other proof, then, Thus saith the Lord. But Nazianzen replies well: they which allowed and captivated their judgement to a man, have no reason to accept against that which relieth upon the authority of God, especially seeing they received principles of Philosophy which were examinable by reason. But we credit only mysteries of Religion, whereto no approaches can be made by the natural wit of man. Finally, they build on a professed scholar of the father of lies: and we on him whose style is, The Lord God of Truth.  
The Conclusion that ariseth here-hence, is; God spoke, or the Lord hath said, must go currant with us, as an indemonstrable Principle of our faith, and an incontrollable precept for our life: it must go currant, if God speak it, if he speak but once; how much more, if (as it followeth in my Text) he speak once or twice?  
I will not trouble you with divers readings of these words, I take them as our Church doth read them, and read them as may be borne well by the original. But touching the meaning of these words, there are divers observations. For some take the words definitely, as if David meant precisely twice: some indefinitely, as if by twice he meant often. And they that take them definitely, have not all the same conceit. Refer them to the Creation and Redemption of man, in both which God really spoke: that he was powerful and merciful to reckon with and to reward man. 
Psal. 49.8, 15.  And indeed as much may be gathered out of the forty ninth Psalm: and Saine Peter and Saint jude argue from Gods proceeding with the world, upon the Creation, to that which we must respect in the state of Redemption. Othersome apprehend this voice in God's works and in his words. 
Ps. 19.2, 3  In the nineteenth Psalm King David observeth this twofold voice, and not amiss; for what are Gods works but visible words, and his words, but audible works? the Hebrew word Dabar comprehends both. God preacheth the same power and mercy in both, we may know that they are in him, by that which proceeds from him. A third sort understand only the words of Moses, and of the Prophets. Abraham remembreth these two voices to Dives in hell; they have Moses and the Prophets, let them hear them. There are two voices of God, the voice of his Precepts, and the voice of examples: for what is contained in the Law, is applied in the Prophets, and both say nothing, but that of his power and mercy we have as many monuments as there be laws of God, and lives of men. Some are satisfied with none of these, but report an outward and inward voice, that sounds the one in the ear, the other in the Conscience. Saint Paul hath specified this double voice: the Conscience shall bear witness; accusing or excusing it that day, when God shall judge the Consciences of men by Iesu● Christ according to my Gospel, Rom. 2. There shall be then as there should be now, a consent between God's voice speaking within us and without us; the effect whereof is, The judgement of men according to the Gosspel: and what is the Gospel, but a blessed mixture of the power and mercy of God.  
There remains yet an exposition more, and that is not an idle one. God speaks ordinarily and extraordinarily; ordinarily in the Canon of the Scripture, by the Pastors of his Church; extraordinarily, when in the distresses of his children he vouchsafeth to be an immediate remembrancer unto them of those comforts, which are notwithstanding in general contained in the Covenant between them and him; not speaking any new matter unknown to them, but by speaking immediately himself, making the greater impression in them. And this was usual until the death of the Apostles. We have instances in the old and new Testament, of the extraordinary voice: it is needless to speak of the ordinary, myself am now an instance unto you: 
Gen. 15.1. Gen. 16 3, 24. Gen. 28.4.  but of the extraordinary is that, Genesis. 15. Fear not Abraham, I am thy buckler, and thy exceeding great reward. The like hath had Isaac, Gen. 26. and jacob. 28. In the new Testament, how many times did God appear to Saint Paul in the Acts? and memorable to this purpose is the answer, My grace is sufficient for thee: my strength is made perfect in weakness. King David, dear unto God, and exercised under the cross might (nay it is plain in the books of Samuel that he sundry times did) hear this extraordinary voice. And though all other expositions in themselves are true; yet unto this place I take this last to be most apt. But howsoever in understanding these words you have heard great variety, and yet no contrariety, only by laying them together, this we learn, that they which understand them definitely by differing each from the other, and yet not thwarting one the other, teach us that the words are to be understood indefinitely, and once or twice is often, very often, many ways and many times, if he might work us any ways or at any time; the doubling of a speech representing us the same lesson, as it doth testify God's constancy, so it doth intimate our infirmity. GOD doth not alter, and he can hardly alter us. We have watery memories and stony hearts. God's word leaves little impression in us in the one, and makes as little in the other. Esay compares us unto weanelings, whom he makes to understand the things that he speaketh to them that are weaned and drawn from the breasts. Secondly, Saint Paul compares us unto babes in capacity, when we should be men in time. So that we must be fed with milk, when we should be fit for stronger meats. And thirdly he tells the Galathians that they will go bacl again into the womb of the Church: that which Nicodemus wondered at, Can a man enter into his mother's belly, and be borne again? Little children saith he, of whom I am in travail again, till Christ jesus be form in you. What wonder then, if Precept must be upon Precept, and line upon line, here a little and there a little? And Saint Peter wrote a second Epistle, to stir us up to call to remembrance the words which were told us before, even twice before, by the prophets, and also by the Apostles. Neither doth it grieve Saint Paul to write the same things to the Philippians, and he assures them, that for them it is a safe thing; for during this life God cannot speak unto us as altogether spiritual. We will be very much corporal men; our wits will not be exercised sufficiently to discern good and evil, much less our hearts established so with grace, as we shall not be seduced by the will. The people therefore are too dainty when they conceit of spiritual food, as they do of corporal, Occidit miser's cram repetita magistros, and are weary of the same dish the second time. The loathing of Manna cost the Israelites dear: God satisfied the lusts of their bodies, and sent leanness withal into their souls: and many starved themselves ghostly, while they much longed after variety. How often in the same Epistle doth Saint Paul urge righteousness by faith, and Saint john in his, the love of God and of our brother? Saint Chrysostome reiterated his sermon against swearing, Nazianzene his Oration of Peace, others of other matters: the minister must not spare speaking, because we are not quick of hearing; and it is well, of we can say truly, as King David here doth, The Lord spoke once or twice, and I heard. And so I come from the undeniable Author to the unchalengeable witness.  
It is a grounded truth; the report carrieth weight according to the Worthiness of the Reporter. This report than must be of greater weight, because the reporter is of so great worthiness; A man of God, yea a man after Gods own heart: A man of God, it is more than like that God would speak with him; a man after Gods own heart, it is very unlikely that he would report what he heard not from God: the sacredness and sanctity of his person, makes his witness without exception, and worthy our imitation. Add hereunto, that he was now a King, at least anointed to be a King, a renowned Warrior, yea a Conqueror of great possibilities, if not possessions: yet doth such a person so noble, so mighty, learn to deny to the world what is due to God; he rests upon no power or mercy but his, he esteems himself an accountant to God, and so he might expect his doom: and who of us may stop his ears, when King David openeth his? for rather doth not the same duty taught so many ways, so many times, require that duty of us, whereof King David here is a pattern unto us? And I heard it.  
God speaks, that we may hear: hear my people, and I will speak. And the Lord challengeth the jowes, wherefore came I, and there was no man? I called, and no man answered. Quid juvat ad surdas si cantet Phemius aures? We have grace and Apostle-ship, that obedience might be given to the faith. Yea the Word of God is called in the Hebrew, Shemina. But our Saviour Christ hath a caution, Videte quomodo audiatis, so that we are farther to inquire how King David did hear: surely himself was not ignorant how to hear, for he delivered that admonition, to day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Saint Paul by way of exposition of that Text saith, that hearing must be tempered with faith. The case of the ear is fitly by Elihu in job paralysed to the taste 34. 
〈◊〉. 3●. 3.  The ear tryeth the words, as the palate tasteth meat. Now the taste doth relish to swallow that which is wholesome, and to refuse the contrary that should be the practice of the ear; for we eat spiritual food by the ear, as we do corporal by the mouth: man liveth not by bre●● only, but by every word that goeth out of the mouth of God. We hear then as David did, when like Saint Paul, we are obedient to the heavenly Vision, when we consult not against our instruction with flesh and blood, and the proverb is, Sapiens audiens sapientior fit. And this kind of hearing is commended in both Testaments, Thou must diligently hearken, o Jsrael, unto the voice of the Lord thy God, and do that which is right in his sight, give ear unt● his Commandments, and keep all his Ordinances. And so in the new. You have not learned to live like the Gentiles, saith Saint Paul, if so be you have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in jesus, that you must cast off the old man. Finally, this is the ear which the Spouse the Church doth lend unto the bridegroom, to Christ: and it is described by King David. Hearken● daughter and consider, incline thine ears. He which hath a● ear to hear, let him hear, for every one hath not such a● ear: it is not an ear of nature, but of grace. God mu●● prepare this ear, of which Esay thus speaketh, The Lord in the morning will waken mine ear to hear, as the learned; the Lord hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned I bacl. And agreeable hereunto is that o● Nazianzene, Can God's word be conceived of the Pasto● expounded to the people, and heard to our comfort, bu● by the gift of the Holy Ghost? This is the cause why Elihu saith, God speaketh once or twice, and one seethe it not. And Moses to Israel, You have seen all that the Lor● did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and 〈◊〉 all his servants: and yet hath not the Lord given you a● heart to perceive, nor eyes to see, and ears to hear unto th● day. Christ. To you is given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. But I de●and, have we not heard? Yes verily: for the sound of GOD'S Word is gone throughout all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. All the day long (saith God) have I stretched out mine hand unto a disobedient and gainsaying Nation. We have two ears, an outward, and ●n inward. We must bring the first with reverence to God, and by that ear God will open the other. The apparent reason why we hear so little inwardly, is because we hear so little outwardly. Yea men are like deaf Adders that stop their ears, charm the Charmer never so ●isely. Hereby the people's hearts wax fat, and their ●ares are dull of hearing, and with their eyes they wink, east they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ●ares, and understand with their hearts, and should return, that God might heal them. Finally, They become ●ike Idols that have ears and hear not, eyes and see not, as ●eremy speaketh. And to conclude with ourselves, I night exclaim with the ancient Prophets and Apostles, Quis credidit, Who hath believed our report; or as the ●onne of Syrach, The Pastors of our land are like as men ●hat speak to them that are in a sound sleep, when he hath ●ld his tale, they say, what is the matter, Read, 
Zach. 7.11.  Zach. 7. ●any Epicures, what would this babbler? many proud Pharaohs, who is the Lord, that we should obey him? but I will not complain of them: I will rather admonish with Saint Paul. We ought diligently to take heed to the ●hings which we have heard, lest at any time we run out: for ●f the word spoken, etc. That we may then be in the number of those, of whom Christ saith, Blessed are your eyes, ●r they see; and your ears, for they hear: let us now and ●ver imitate Samuel, and say, Speak Lord, for thy servant fears. But what shall he hear? that which Moses ●id, Exod. 33. God's glory, goodness and face; 
Exo. 33.11, 14, 18, 19  for that ●lace is a Commentary upon this. And so from the per●ns let us come to the lesson.  
The Lesson consists of two parts, 1. What God is, Secondly, How he dealeth with us. GOD is both powerful and also merciful. To thee o LORD, power and mercy. The words are to be understood exclusively: for what King David denied to all creatures, he ascribes to the Creator: and so are the attributes often limited to God only; as none good but God. Noah will easily acknowledge this truth. If we distinctly consider of these attributes; first the power; and then the mercy: all that I will observe concerning the power may be reduced to these two branches; God is mighty of himself, and Almighty: Mighty of himself, for power is essential unto God, it is but by gift in the creatures: therefore God's power is absolute and independent, the power of all creatures is limited and dependant. I will make it plain by resemblances. The sun is the fountain of light; the Moon hath light, but it is borrowed of the Sun: there is water in the spring, and in the stream; but the spring hath it of himself, the stream borrows it of the spring: so is the juice in the branches, and in the root; but for this juice, the branches are beholden to the root, not the root to the branches. Hereupon it cometh to pass, that the Moon doth wax and wane, as it hath more or less influence from the Sun: so is the stream greater or lesser, as it draweth more or less water from the spring, and the branches fade or bud, as they are moistened from the root. But this difference we must take, that these resemblances fit our purpose but in part, for God is Agens liberrimum: God can at his pleasure increase or diminish, and withhold all power from his creatures: but so cannot the Sun his light; the spring his water; the root his juice: therefore that power the creature hath, yet is not the creatures, but it is Gods: in him all things live and move and have their being, 
Gen. 3.6.  and they are but his army; Our souls are not masters of our own power: when God will, our eyes fail us, as they did the Syrian Army; 
1 Kin. 13.4.  our ears will fail us, as they did the Aramites; our hands will fail us, as they did jeroboam, 1 King 13. Our feet will fail us, as they did those bands that came to Christ; Our tongue will fail us, as Balaam blessed, when he should have cursed; our hearts will fail us, 
* Deu. 28.28  Our wisdom will fail us, for God taketh the wise in their own craftiness; even the Devil himself, as in the death of Christ.  
Finally, our consciences through fear will betray all the powers of our soul: every thing militat Deo: that is the ground of the speech of joshua; The Canaanites, though Giants and Inhabitants of high walled Cities, they are but bread; for we shall conquer them as easily as we digest our meats: he adds the reason; their shield is departed from them, the Lord is with us. You see then how true it is, that God is mighty of himself; and every creature of itself hath no might, but a Tenant at will unto God, for so much, and so long as it pleaseth him. But God as he is mighty, he is of himself: and he is Almighty; nothing is impossible to God: he doth whatsoever he will, both in heaven and earth: who hath resisted his will?  
But here we must note, that power noteth perfection, and imperfection no power, but want of power, and therefore we must exclude imperfections; otherwise there be many things impossible for God. Imperfections are of two sorts: only miserable, or ; and , are the ignorance and sinfulness of men. God cannot be deceived, nor can God sin: both are imperfect. Miserable are all the punishments of sin; as sickness and death: these are as fare from God, as sin. But whatsoever things are of perfection, those can be done of God: only in the perfections that are common to God with us, we must observe a great difference between God and us: for besides that he is Almighty, he hath all his perfections of himself, and we ours from him: he hath them immutably, he hath them eminently: he that planted our ear can hear, and he that made our eye can see. But he seethe and heareth without an eye and ear of flesh: he is all eye, all ear: he sees all, hears all. Enter, praesenter Deus est, & ubique; potenter. His Majesty fills Heaven and Earth. All things are naked before him; yea, there is nothing that is not sustained by him. Though all imperfections be far from God, yet are they not without the compass of the providence of God, he permitteth them, he ordereth them, yea he draweth his glory and his Churches good out of them. The same God that could command light to shine out of darkness, can out of evil bring forth good. Yea Saint Augustine hath a good rule; God would never suffer evil, except he could make this use of evil.  
The last thing that we must note of this part is, that we must not limit God's power, within the compass of that which hath been, is or shall be: it hath a further extent, even to that also that may be. It was the error of Origen challenged by Theophilus, so to straiten the power of God: he exemplifieth it by the author of an house and a banquet, not according to the uttermost of his skill or ability, but according to the use whereunto He will put the house, and the number of the guests that shall be feasted at his Table. The end prescribes the measure and means in every work of man, much more of God. But to collect all that hath been said of this first Attribute; whether we respect what God can do, or what he doth; with perfection, or upon imperfections; without means or by means; of himself, independent, having all things attending at his beck readily: we may conclude, that power belongeth unto the Lord; such power only unto God. So that we may all set up the Ensign of the Macchabees, and bear in our banners, MICHAEL, who is like unto thee, o strong Lord! In the fear of the Lord must be the confidence of our strength, for his name is a strong Tower, the righteous will fly unto it; yea, sinners too may be bold to sly unto it; because of that other Attribute which God hath coupled with it, His mercy. ●or as he reaches from one end to another mightily, so doth he order all things seemly or sweetly. Thou Lord (saith the same Author) hast ever had great strength, and who can withstand the power of thy arm? There dare neither King nor tyrant in thy sight require an account of thee, whom thou hast punished. But thou hast mercy on all: thou lovest all things that are, o thou that art the Lover of souls.  
That then is verified in God, de forte dulc●do: for as it is in the Psalm, God is a righteous God, strong and patiented, and he is provoked every day. In this sense is the Ark the propitiatory, the throne of grace called the Ark of his strength, and Christ is said to sit at the right hand of God, yea to be the man of God's right hand. It is a great part of God's strength, that he can conquer himself, that his mercy can triumph over his judgement. This Moses expresseth in his prayer, when he makes intercession for Israel. And now I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, The Lord is slow to anger, and forgiveth imquity: though God be powerful, yet is he merciful. Pudorem potius mittere vult quam timorem: he is not hasty to punish sin, but heaps his blessings upon us; that we may be ashamed that we have offended so good a God with our sin. God is the God of mercy, rich in mercy; he gives to all, he upbraids none: he will not quench the smoking flax. He is merciful donando, condonando, he remembers we are but dust. When God might have used his power, he shown his mercy; not so men. The combination of these two Attributes must remember us of that exhortation of King David, Serve the Lord in fear, and rejoice before him with trembling. If God show himself merciful, say not, I have sinned, and what evil is come unto me? Remember that God is also Almighty; though he be patiented, yet is he a rewarder; he will reward every man according to his works, every man. Irenaeus notes; Gloria hommis Deus, operationis verò Dei neceptaculum homo: as God is the glory of man, so man is principal subject of the virtues of God. Intelligat homo reliquas virtutes Dei in semetipso contentas, per quas sentiat de Deo quantus Deus sit. God would have us not so much in other creatures, as in ourselves to behold the evidence of these Attributes of God. 
Ps 8.3, 4, 5.  Read Psal. 8. and behold it in their reward. The works of man have a double respect; to God, and our neighbour; and so these words will bear a double sense; according as we carry ourselves unto God and our neighbour: and in the Scripture we have both Interpretations. The first sense is that, 
Rom 1.7.  Rom. 2. they that with patience, etc. And Saint Paul, Be not deceived, God is not mocked: as a man soweth, so shall be reap: for every man shall receive according to that he hath done in his body, be it good or evil. Behold I set before you life and death; the broad and the narrow way and gate:  bonis sit bene, sit malis malè: finis responsurus medijs. With the froward thou wilt show thyself froward, Psalm. 18.26. 
Psa. 18.26.  The second sense is, what measure you meet to others, it shall be measured again to you. This is noted by Abraham and Dives. And Saint Paul, 2 Thes. it is a righteous thing with God. 
2 Thes. 1 6. Jer. 25.11, 12.  An example we have the Babylonians, jerem. 25. And in the Revelation: if any lead into captivity, he shall be lead into Captivity; if any kill with the sword, he shall be killed with the sword. This confession did Adonibezek make when the Children of Israel cut off the thumbs of his hands and his feet. Seventy Kings (saith he) having their thumbs of their hands and feet cut off, gathered crumbs under my Table: as I have done, so God hath dealt with me, hath rewarded me. He that stops his ear at the Cry of the poor, himself shall cry and not be heard, 
Pro. 21.13. 1 Sam. 26.23.  Proverbs 21. Quodcunque vultis ut hemines vobis faciant, faciatis illis. And David grounds his speech u upon this, 1 Sam. 26.23.  
The lesson is, we must forbear from wrong, and do good unto our neighbour, that God may spare us, and do good unto us according to our works. But works are considered not so much according to the substance of the thing done, as the circumstance wherewith it is done: for aliud est mandati executio, aliud virtus. Executio mandati dicitur id quod ipso opere in mandato faciendum ordinatum st● virtus autem in hoc sita est, ut placeat veritati id quod actum est. For God seethe not as man seethe: he looketh not upon the outward, but the inward man. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things; And an evil, etc. Read the excellent exposition of the Labourers in the Vineyard. God is a searcher of the heart and reins. Yet how saith the Scripture? that to whom much is given, of him much shall be required; & potentes potenter punientur. God loves not only bonum, but been; otherwise pretium moretricis might be accepted, and their works, Esay 1. and 66. 
Esa 1.11, 12, 13. Esa. 66.3.  What say we to that of the Papists commendations of Infidels works? Surely, the work is good, according to the judgement of man, and so hath the rewards that are so deemed of natural men. So was Nabuchadnezzar, jehu and others rewarded. But out of this Observation, that the mind, and not the action is rewarded, here arise two excellent points. The one is, that we must take the definition of a good work from the Scripture. The end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure heart and a good conscience, and faith unfeigned. For God respecteth not so much opus operatum, as opus operantis: and when it is said, secundum opus, it is taken with all his circumstances: for ordinata and subordinata though they be not expressed, they are understood; otherwise we shall commit many absurdities in expounding the Scriptures. When the effects of Faith are given to Charity, to the fear of the Lord, to Repentance, etc. Faith must work by Charity: and a work tantum habet virtutis quantum fidei & charitatis. It is Saint Augustine's rule; Bonum opus, intentionem fides distinguit. Aug. praefat. sp. 31. And this overthroweth all the works, that are about merit, for the foundation of the reward is faith, which bears out all the defects of our conscience and of Charity. The second thing that this doth yield is, that all men herein are equalled, because a man is accepted according to that which he hath, not according to that which he hath not.  
According to works. We must look immediately to ourselves, and foresee our conditions of reward or punishment: But we must not lay our foundation there, but go higher, remembering that of God in Moses, Secreta mea mihi, my laws are for you. And seeing the other virtues are in the sight only of God, and the works before the world: God that will judge in the sight of the world, will judge according to works.  
Reward. Hoc ipsum laborare mercedis loco habendum: it is an honour to do so here by grace; for it is the uttermost we shall attain unto in the state of glory. For what is the greatest reward of glory, but to stand by the throne and praise God? and it is our duty: yet no man shuts the doors of God in vain. The servant must come with his talon, and enter into his master's joy, or into utter darkness. Behold I come, and my reward is with me. Reward, Isay 40.10, 62, 11. 
Esa. 40.10, 62, 11.  But where doth God reward? in this life, or in the next? Ordinarily God doth it in both: he suffereth not the sins of his own children unpunished, nor the rightness of the heathen temporally unrewarded: he keepeth eternal rewards of mercy for his children, and of plagues for his enemies. That God punisheth his children, read the stories of Moses, David, Aaron: that he rewardeth see supra.  
But he punisheth his children, not taking his mercy from them, but virga viri, which at the most can but kill the body; but not Dei, that casts both body and soul into hell fire. Yea it is Enos, of a weak feeble man. They drink of the Red Wine, but the wicked have the dregs. The strokes of God upon his enemies are described, Esay 30, 32.27, 7. 
Esa. 30, 32.27.1, 7, 12.  He will not strike twice.  
It is good we consider every man his ways, and turn his feet unto GOD'S Commandments: for GOD will enter into judgement even with those that strive to be most in favour.  
The sum of all is this.  
What we have done, and how we have lived towards God, yea and towards men.  
O Lord God of Truth, that in witness of thy constancy, and for relief of our infirmity, hast many times and ways informed us of thy power and mercy: grant that what thou speakest, we may hear attentively and obediently, and thereby be so qualified through thy grace, to use those holy means which lead to a happy end. That when thou takest account of our lives, and tryest our works what we have been towards thee, towards our neighbour; that we may be such as may partake thy glory, and be crowned of thy mercy, per Dominum nostrum jesum. * ⁎ *   

A SERMON PREACHED AT SAINT CROSS WINCHESTER.  PSALM. 82. ver. 5. 
They understand not, they consider not, they walk on in darkness. All the foundations of the land are moved.  
THe Original of Magistrates, the duty answerable thereto required in Magistrates, the danger of the defects, and who must remedy what is amiss by the default, there are four points contained in this Psalm. Magistrates are from God, and he resides among them, Magistrates must proceed like God, partiality must be fare from them, Magistrates defects are dangerous both to the state and to themselves: finally God can and will redress the evils that spring from them, because he is Sovereign in and over those places and persons which are misgoverned by them. Of those four points I have chosen the third, and thereof but one part; even so much as is contained in this fifth verse, whereon for my better direction, and your fuller satisfaction, it may please you to observe with me these three points.  
First, The defects in the Magistrates, They understand not, they consider not, they walk on in darkness.  
Secondly, The danger of the state, All the foundations of the land are moved.  
3. The Collection of both, which may be framed two ways; either thus, They understand not, and therefore all the foundations are moved; or thus, They understand not, and yet behold, all the foundations, etc. Of these two senses, the first makes the danger of a state, the fruit of a bad Magistrate; the second taxeth in Magistrate's stupidity, if they be not moved with the Commonwealth's calamities. To these three points, by God's assistance and your Christian patience, I will speak briefly and in their order. They understand not. The mother of imperfections and root of all defects markable in Magistrates, may be reduced to three, all mentioned in the first part of the verse: for either they understand not, and that is Ignorance; or they consider not, and that is Negligence; or they walk on in darkness, and that is want of conscience.  
Touching ignorance, the Son of Syrach reckoning divers trades, some manuary, some employed in husbandry, concludeth in effect thus. Although without these a City cannot be maintained, yet by these a City must not be governed: these sit not upon the seat of judgement, these cannot declare the form of the Law, they are not meet to discern hard matters: such things must be left unto the learned, 
Pro. 8.15.  which must with much pain attain great wisdom, Prov. 8. By me Kings Reign, and Princes decree justice: by me Nobles bear rule, and all the judges of the earth. And the Author of the book of Wisdom. If your delight be in Thrones and Sceptres, than honour Wisdom. When Moses tired with the government of all Israel, would unburthen part of his charge upon other men's shoulders; bring (saith he) unto me men of understanding and wisdom, known men among your Tribes, and I will appoint them R●ulers over you. And David exhorteth thus, Psalm. 2. Be wise o ye Kings; be learned, 
Ps. 2.10.  ye that are judges of the earth. It was a special Caveat in Artaxerves Letters Patents granted to Ezra, Chapter 7. Thou o Ezra, according to the wisdom of thy God, 
Ez●. 7.25.  which is in thine hand, appoint judges and Arbiters over the people; even such judges and Arbiters which know the law of thy God, and teach thou them that know it not. The reason of this rule and practice is delivered by the Son of Syrach, a wise judge nourte●eth the people with discretion, and the government of a prudent man is well ordered; but it is a heavy judgement, when fools do sit upon the seat of God. 
Eccl. 10.1, Esa. 3.4.  God himself hath spoken it, Esa. 3. I will appoint children to be their Princes, and Babes, shall rule over them; Children and babes, not in years, but in discretion: and mark the reason, that they may oppress one the other, every man his neighbour; the young shall presume against the old, and the vile against the Noble. 
Esa. 10.1, 2.  is not then without cause, that the Preacher recounteth it for one of the evils which he hath seen under the Sun, namely, that folly is set in great dignity, and they that are rich in understanding, (for so he means, as it appears by the Antithesis) do sit in low or base place: for as snow in Summer, and rain in harvest, so (saith Solomon, 
Pro. 26.1  Prov.. 26.) is honour unseemly for a fool.  
A Governor then must be wise; and his means of wisdom are two; the one from earth, the other from heaven: from earth, for by his own Industry he must conceive the grounds and rules of Law, he must consider the judgements of former men, he must compare the events of sundry times, and his understanding must be, multorum mens in unum collecta, as Nazianzene speaketh of a History; that is, his understanding must be compounded of the discretion of many men. Besides this, from heaven he must receive the Spirit of God, that Heroical spirit, which is vouchsafed them that sit upon the seat of God. men's causes are mutable, as are men, and receive manifold Sophistications by the cunning of men: therefore resolution of them and judgement upon them, must proceed from men which can throughly sound the nature of them; which is very hard for a mean natural man: therefore doth God grant an extraordinary spirit of wisdom to Moses, and also to the seventy Assistants of Moses; to Princes, and to such as are joined in Commission with Princes. It is true, that the less the jews had of means natural, the more they had of supernatural: but no nation was ever so furnished with the natural, but it had need of the supernatural: and God never denyeth it, if men have grace to pray for it, if when they are called upon earth to supply the place of God, they become humble petitioners with Solomon for wisdom unto God. But of that which hath been spoken, the nature and parts of the first defect, may be easily conceived; Ignorance is opposite to government, and that Magistrate is ignorant which wanteth those means, which he must have either from earth, or else from heaven.  
The second defect is Negligence, they consider not. 
Heb. 4.13.  Although all things be naked (as Saint Paul speaketh Heb. 4.) before the eyes of God, yet is there a solemn inquisition and process annexed commonly to the eminent judgements of God. Read it of Adam, of Cain, of Babel, and of Sodom. Yea to this purpose God is said to proceed sometimes with scales or weights, sometimes with line and level, and sometimes with a touchstone. With scales and weights. All the ways of man are before the eyes of God (saith Solomon) and he pondereth all his ways with line and level. 
Pro. 5.21. 2 King. 21.13.  Prov. 5. I will (saith God) 2. Kings, stretch forth the line of Samaria upon Jerusalem, and the plummet of the house of Ahab, that is, I will measure unto them the same judgement. Sometimes with the touchstone. So God is said not only to search the hearts, but also to try the reins. In a word, the author of the book of wisdom giveth this rule of Gods proceeding; he disposeth all things in number, weight and measure. God needeth no such circumspection, but his actions are men's directions. God's wariness doth condemn man's rashness; he teacheth us, that it is hard for man not to swerve from equity, except he pronounce with great maturity. 
* job searcheth the cause he knew not, diligently. 29.16. judges make too much speed. Lawyers take too many causes, and are careless of them and of the Evidences. Jurors respect more the persons than the Law. vid Act. 14 19  The Emperors Tiberius in Dion, and Theodosius in Theodoret, are commended for deferring execution upon judgement, the one ten days, the other thirty; that deliberation might correct what is done in passion. And indeed right judgement given without circumspection required in judgement, doth make that decision to be a sin to the judge, which is just in regard of the cause; for God loveth not Adjectives, but Adverbs; that is, considereth not so much what we do, as how. The parts of a Magistrates negligence are three: either because he taketh not sufficient time, or because his industry is wan●ing to his time, or finally looking through the spectacles of his bribes: two blind affections, prejudice and partiality, suffer him not to see the truth, although he take never so much time. I need not amplify; being but briefly uttered, they may be fully conceived. The sum of the second defect is, that a sentence of a Magistrate, which cannot be easily recalled, must not be rashly pronounced: as God, so the Magistrate must pronounce leisurely, carefully, unaffectionately, Otherwise he is ignorant of the cause, and that willingly; and he cannot excuse himself before God, if he judge unjustly.  
The third defect is want of conscience, they walk on in darkness. Darkness and light, as naturally, so spiritually are opposed one to the other, and may be conceived the one by the other. Light naturally hath three properties; it is clear, pure and pleasant: therefore it noteth spiritually clearness of understanding, pureness of conversation, and blessedness of condition: so contrariwise darkness hath three properties; naturally it is obscure, impure and unpleasant, and noteth spiritually obscureness of understanding, impureness of conversation and cursedness of condition. Not to touch the other branches, unto this place I fit the second, by darkness understanding sinfulness, for that ignorance was taxed in the first note, they understand not; and cursedness is an effect of all three defects. The middle sense than agreeth best to the place; for wicked men are called Children of darkness, their state is a subjection to the prince of darkness, and their deeds are called works of darkness. To walk is to proceed, not with feet, but with affections: for as the earth is the middle place, so our birth is the middle way between hell and heaven; and because our soul is an active substance, it never maketh a stand; we ever move on, either in the broad way to hell, or the narrow way to heaven, Solomon teacheth it by a resemblance; the way of righteous men is like the morning light, which shineth more and more until the perfect day: but the way of the wicked is darkness, like the evening twilight, that thickeneth more and more until the midnight, that is, they go on in darkness, until they come to utter darkness. To walk on then in darkness is to proceed in wickedness. But because Magistrates do sustain a double person; one as they are men, the other as they govern men; we must consider what is their especial wickedness, not as they are men, but as they govern men. Governors, as the Scripture speaketh, must be light of the eyes, breath of the nostrils, and confidence of the hearts of the people. A good Magistrate must be a refuge against the wind, and as the shadow of a mighty rock in a weary land, that is, the good of the land must be procured, and the evil removed by them. But had Magistrates are compared to nets and snares, which serve to ensnare and take the people; to briars and thorns, which serve to spoil and fleece the people; to wolves and to lions, which murder and devour the people. In a word, the three main sins, which the Scripture doth condemn in Magistrates be, First their wiliness, Secondly their covetousness, Thirdly their blood thirstines. The sum then of the third defect is, that bad Magistrates, whose care should be to provide for the common weals happiness, are commonly ringleaders unto the greatest wickedness, purposely, gladly and obstinately, given over unto sinfulness. And this of the three defects, the Magistrates ignorance, negligence, and want of conscience. I come to the second point.  
The second point opens the danger of the state in these words, All the foundations of the land are shaken. Corporations are commonly resembled to buildings; because as buildings, so corporations, must have their parts united, and the whose supported; otherwise either of them would be easily dissolved and subverted. The foundations of a land are those things which do establish a land. In a Christian Common weal the foundations are double; one as it is a Church of God, the other as it is a society of men. First as it is a Church of God, the foundations are threefold, First God, Secondly Christ, Thirdly the holy Spirit. God, for in him we live, move and have our being. 
Act. 17.28. Exo. 3.14. Rom. 11.36.  God is called JEHOVAH, because he is of himself, and every other thing is of him, by him, and for him; so if there be no God, there can be no world. It is then the foolish Atheist that saith, there is no God; 
Psal 14.1. Mal 4.1, 2. 2. Pet. 3 9, 10.  that neither good nor evil proceed from God; that if any of the wicked are preferred of God, there is no reason why we should look for a judgement day of God. The second foundation is Christ, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, 
1. Co. 1 30.  sanctification and redemption. And it is the voice of the superstitious Papist, that perverteth this wisdom of God, by coupling traditions with the word of God; this righteousness, by sorting their merits with the precious blood of the Son of God; this sanctification, by presuming of their perfections greater than they can be attained unto by the law of God; this redemption by their purgatory, 
Esay. 28.16. 1. Cor. 3.11. Eph. 2.5, 18 1. Pet 2.4, 5  a place wherein themselves do shut, and from which they do lose men without warrant of the word, or concurrency of the work of Christ, First the only Redeemer granted to the Church of God, and secondly the only foundation of those living stones, whereof consisteth the spiritual house of God: we must be founded not on this, but on the former faith.  
The third foundation is the Spirit, 
Col. 1.8  which they have of God, which are called to be sons of God, by this Spirit they live, by this Spirit they are led, by this Spirit they bring forth fruits, and are employed in works: such fruits and such works as God hath commanded, and by which the Church may be benefited. 
Eph. 3.16, 17. 1. Tim 6.18, 19  Saint Paul tells the Ephesians (Chap. 3.) that they must be founded in love, and wisheth Timothy, that he exhort men, that they be ready to distribute and communicate, laying up for themselves in store a good foundation against the time to come. These three foundations of the Church have a mutual collection: for the second cannot be without the first, nor the third without the second. For God was in Christ redeeming us, and from Christ we receive that Spirit which sanctifieth us; we must hold them jointly as one, because we raze all, if we deny one.  
The second foundation is of the common weal, and that is also threefold: the person of the Prince, the execution of justice, and the care of the common good; the persou of the Prince must be natural. God by his Prophet Jeremy (Chap. 30.) promising to return the captivity of jacobs' tents, 
Ie●. 30.18.  and to have compassion of his dwelling places, addeth, that the City shall be founded upon her own heap, that the place shall remain as aforetime, the people shall be founded as before time, for their noble ruler shall be of themselves, 
Deu. 17.15.  and their Governor proceed from amidst them. In the Law God commanded the Israelites, If they choose a King, they shall choose one of their own brethren. The reason why the Israelites resolved jointly to take David for their king, 
2 Sam. 5.1.  is because they were his bones and flesh: there must be a natural conjunction, where we look for a natural affection. Grafts do alter their stocks in nature; for sweet fruit graft into a sour stock, doth not yield fruit answerable to the sour juice which is natural to the stock. But it is not so in Policy: the Prince which is the stock, will communicate the nature of his own juice unto his people, which are to him as grafts. Our Chronicles (to seek no further) record woeful experience hereof in the sundry alterations in this state by Picts, and the Danes, the Saxons, and the French: yea although by counterfeit pedigrees they do pretend themselves to be natural, yet when occasion serves, they will betray themselves to be unnatural. Herod burned all the genealogies, thereby to recommend himself for a natural jew. But Flavius Josephus history is proof enough, that he is but at unnatural jew. Physicians teach that herbs and plants though they be wild, yet if they be natural, are more wholesome and Sovereign than herbs and plants set by the Gardener, which are caused by art, and therefore are unnatural. Men must therefore take heed, least with the foolish jews they be come of the stock of the Herodians, or cry out against themselves, they will have no King but Caesar.  
The second foundation of a Commonwealth is execution of judgement. God by Esay promising manifold blessings to the jews remembers this for one, that they shall be founded in righteousness, and be fare from oppression. Chap. 54. Solomon saith, that righteousness is an everlasting foundation. Although the soul be in the body, yet is the soul the foundation of the body; for the members of our body are knit together by sinews and by ligaments, they are embroidered with veins and with arteries, and they are covered with skin: but if the soul with natural heat do not foster these united parts of the body, if with spirits I do not stir and move the body; corruption will quickly deface the goodly sabricke of the body. Laws are so many ligaments of the societies of men, and good orders are as the veins and Arteries of the society. The society is as the skin that covereth the goodly politic body of men: but if the executing Magistrate be wanting to this body, there cannot be long continuance of body. Never any commonweal perished for want of laws, their bane have been the cold execution of their Laws.  
The third foundation is the care of the common good. The Blow (saith Solomon) maintaineth the Sceptre; and where there is a continual expense, there must be a careful supply. All rivers run into the Sea, but all rivers must be nourished by waters which do through the pores of the earth flow from the Sea. The husbandman neglects not to take care for his seed Corn, because by means thereof he reaps a plentiful harvest of Corne. In the book of judges in a parable of Trees, good Magistrates are compared unto fig Trees, to Vines and to Olives; because as these Trees are painfully dressed, so by these trees the husbandman is plentifully refreshed. But bad Magistrates are resembled unto brambles, because how much juice soever by them is sucked, yet no fruit from them is gathered, yea they look still as though they were starved.  
The application is easy. God in the commonweal of the jews ordained the Sabbath and the year of jubilee, to continue a proportion between his people, in regard of their liberty and wealth. The meaning of those years is not only ceremonial, but also Moral; as in the body of a man, if any part exceed his due proportionable measure, it is monstrous in itself, and dangerous to the wheel; so it is in the Commonwealth. City's must be maintained, the people must be employed, a summary of wealth must be provided, if we desire that the society of the people, and Majesty of the Prince be long continued. And thus much of the double foundation of a Christian Commonweal.  
A second note to be observed in this second main point is gathered out of this word All, for it importeth the communication of the several parts of this double foundation. For as Cicero writes of the sour Cardinal virtues, Prudence, Fortitude, justice, and temperance, that they are so knit together, that he which hath one hath all, and he which wanteth one wants all; Or as in the Vital parts of the body, Liver, Lungs, the heart and the brains, he that enjoyeth one enjoyeth all; and he that perisheth one, perisheth all: so fareth it with the foundations of a Christian Commonweal; they are chained so together, that they stand and fall together.  
A third note is gathered from the word moved, which argueth a great force in sin, when it prevails against them, which are of greatest judgement to discover sin, and greatest power to repress sin: sin beginneth commonly with the weakest: so it began not with Adam, but with Eve: but where it can be least resisted, it may soon be corrected. If a private man be given to sin, the Magistrate can easily bridle him from sin; but Magistrates sins are most conspicuous and dangerous, like diseases, sharp and venomous, by which the whole body is speedily infected and desperately destroyed. When the weather or wind beats upon an house or a tree, well may it untile the house or overshrowd the tree; but if the tree be well rooted, and the house well founded, the danger is easily recovered, both of the house, and of the Tree; it is not so, that either the root be loosed, or the foundation moved: the moving then of the foundations doth imply a desperate state of the whole building. The sum of the second point is this: the Commonweal, that it may be continued, it must be established, established spiritually, and spiritually on GOD, CHRIST, and the HOLY GHOST; civilly, upon the person of a natural Prince, the execution of wholesome Law, and the care of common good: All which must be conjoined, for that by the ruin of one, the rest are endangered; and if all falter, the commonwealth is desperately hazarded. And thus much of the second point.  
The last note is the connexion of the first point with the second, which connexion may be made two ways: the first makes the dangers of the State to be the fruit of a bad Magistrate, and is framed thus. They understand not, they consider not, they walk on in darkness, and therefore all the foundations of the land are moved: for a proper cause cannot be without his effect. And it is Iehosaphats speech, as we read in the second book of the Chronicles, and the nine and twentieth Chapter, answerable to the seed will the harvest be. You cannot overthrow a foundation, but by violence; and there can be no stability of the foundation if it be forced by violence. Magistrate's virtues and vices keep no mean; their excellency breedeth a public either bliss or curse: for the eyes of all are upon them, the lives of all are conformed to them, and the state of all dependeth on them. This is the reason, when virtues are so earnestly commended in them, and honoured in them, why they are so commonly dehorted from vice, and censured for vice.  
The second Collection must be framed thus, They consider not, etc. and yet behold, all the foundations of the land are moved, 
Psa. 8●. 5. Es. 59.4, 9  Psalm: The Commonweal is like unto: ship, the people are passengers, the Magistrates, Officers, Adversity, like unto Shipwreck, evil Magistrates are like to foolish Ship-governours', who in a storm labour not to save the ship, but rob the passengers in the Ship, as if together they should not sink with the Ship. Good Magistrates should execute judgement, and prevent God's judgement; so did Phinees, David, Moses. They may not palliate diseases, lest they fester more. It is the phrase of the Law commanding judgement, Thou shall put away evil. Misera respub. quae neque vitia, 
job 29: 12.  neque remedia far. * ⁎ *   

A SERMON PREACHED AT FARNHAM NEAR WINCHESTER.  PSALM. 132.11, 12. 
The Lord hath sworn to David, and he will not shrink from it: of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy Throne.  
If thy sons keep my Covenant and my Testimonies that I shall teach them, their sennes also shall sit upon thy throne for ever.  
THis Psalm is one of those fifteen which are called Psalms of degrees: of which title whatsoever reason can be given sitting the rest; surely if we consider the argument of this, it may well import the excellency thereof, and why? It is nothing else but a sacred emulation, wherein God and a King contend; the King in piety, God in bounty. The King declares himself to be a most eminent pattern of zeal, and God himself to be a most magnificent rewarder of his servants. The King debarreth himself of all worldly contents, while he is busily providing to entertain God: and GOD who filleth heaven and earth vouchsafeth to lodge in that place which was provided by the King. The King presents his supplication not only for himself, but also for his charge, the Priests, the people: and God restraineth not his blessing to the King, but also at his suit enlargeth it to Church and Common weal: finally, the King bindeth himself to make good his duty with a Votive Oath, and God restipulateth with an Oath that which he promiseth both to King and kingdom: to the kingdom in the words that follow; but to the King in those that now I have read unto you.  
This speech than is directed unto the King, unto David; but it containeth a blessing which redounds unto his issue, The fruit of his body. This blessing is no less, than a royal succession in the Throne of David; David's sons shall inherit it, but it is God that states them in it. They shall sit, but I will set them, yea so set them that they shall never fall; they shall sit for ever: the succession shall be perpetual. And hitherto the promise's runs absolute: it is qualified in that which followeth. Lest David's sons, if they be left without Law, should live without care, they must know that the succession shall be perpetual: but the promise is conditional, if David's sons conform themselves to God, if they keep my covenant, whereof they cannot pretend ignorance. And they have an authentical record: the record, My testimonies; authentical, I myself will teach them. You see the King's blessing, it is very great: but least the promise thereof be thought too good to be true, God secures the King with a most unchangeable warrant: the warrant is his Oath, The Lord swore, and this warrant is unchangeable, because sincere, he swore in truth. 2. Stable, he will not shrink from it. And what could King David desire more for his own house, than a promise of such a blessing, of such a warrant of that promise? Yes he might, and no doubt he did desire; and God also intent to him more than the letter of this promise doth express, even the accomplishment of the truth, whereof this was but a type. And what is that? The establishment of the kingdom of jesus Christ.  
So then this Scripture containeth Gods promissory Oath, for continuing the crown of Jsrael in the lineage of King David. The points therein to be considered are two; the promise, and the warrant thereof: the warrant is God's oath, a sufficient Oath, neither false, nor fickle. In the promise we have, first the Person to whom, King David; and they for whom it is made, David's sons. Secondly the matter whereof it doth consist, a succession in King David's throne; and that perpetual, yet conditional. But whereas the Consideration of the warrant is single in the promise, all things are double to be considered, in the type, and in the truth. I begin with the Warrant, and therein with the Oath.  
The Lord swore. That God made this Oath, 
Psa. 89.3.  we are taught also Psalm. 89. but when, it is not agreed. Some think that God's Word signed with any of his Titles, Thus saith the Lord, The Lord of Hosts, etc. is equipollent to an oath, and thereupon conclude, that this Text refers to that messagesent by Nathan: 
2 Sam. 7.8.  although the correspondency between the two places savoureth their conjecture, yet it is more likely, that as the last words of David registered, 2 Sam. c. 23, intimate, 
2 Sam. 23.2, 3.  God reiterated the promise immediately to the King, and then bound it expressly with this Oath: questionless in Abraham's case Saint Paul saying, that by two immutable things, 
Heb. 6.18.  his word and Oath, wherein it was impossible for him to lie, God shown the stableness of his counsel, manifests a difference between, By myself have I sworn, which is an Oath, and thus saith the Lord, which is only a signification, that the word spoken is Gods. A difference certainly there is between these two speeches: but this difference must not be mistaken; it is quoad nos, not quoad Deum: the one doth oblige God no more than the other. Perfection can as little be added to his bare word, as to his nature. But God condescends lower to our infirmity when he maketh an oath, then when he only speaks the word. Therefore the Apostle saith, that if we lift up our eyes to God in swearing, he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, use a superfluous confirmation. But if we cast down our eyes upon ourselves, it was necessary he should swear, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to settle our distrustful hearts. A timorous man that passeth over a broad stream upon a narrow plank, if he see the same through a Crystal glass, will be more hardy in venturing, not for that his bridge is bigger, but because it seems to be: so fareth it with us that pass the troublesome sea of this world by that narrow way that leadeth unto life: we fear drowning every step, we dare not be bold. If God only say, I will not fail thee, I will not forsake thee; we will have better hold on God. See then the mercy of our gracious; Father, strengthening the feeble knees of men by a multiplied heavenly light; he is content, as if his bare promise were questionable in the word of God, to make oath, as a man, that so man may not doubt to trust God.  
But what is God's oath? Saint Paul tells us in general, that God having no greater, swore by himself: but elsewhere the prophets set down divers forms in particular, By my holiness, by my right hand, by my life. join Saint Paul to the prophets, and you may see that these divers forms have but one substance; for God is but one, yea oneness, yet self, seeing all in God is God: only because the riches of the nature of God cannot be conceived by men at once, what one form cannot express to our capacity in full, that many do, but every one in part, and yet so, that the mentioning of one form of God excludeth not the rest, but teacheth us ra●her, that God will manifest ●hat attribute specially which then he names. Even ●s in a consort, though many sing, the rest favour their voices, that some one which may best affect, ●may most be heard: so from God some one Attribute, ●ut in consent with the rest, sounds out his glory, to make the deeper impression thereof in our hearts. Of all these forms here is none mentioned, but Psal. 
Psal. 89.35.  89. there is: there we read, I have sworn by mine holiness; with that oath is this very promise in that place confirmed. Now holiness when it is ascribed unto God, is nothing but an exclusion of all gross conceit of him, of his being, of his life. As we may not represent his being by any creature, so may we not dream that in his life he resembles any sinful creature. They are branded for ungodly, 
Psal. 50 21.  Psalm 50. that thought God like themselves, like in sin. The contrary should be true; man should bear the image of God, the image of his goodness. Be ye holy, for I am holy. But not to range; so much as sufficeth our purpose, of the holiness of God, is set down by Balaam, Balaam inspired by the Holy Ghost. Num. 23. God is not as man, that he should lie, 
Num. 23.19  nor as the son of man, that he should repent.  
Behold the parts of that holiness which God points at, where he swears it stands in veritate mentis: and in certitud●ne veritatis: he sweareth what he meaneth, and meaneth no more than he can do: This harmony of Gods will and power are the substance of those two Characters which here are stamped upon his bath, Sincerity & Stability. Wherefore forbearing to speak more of this form of God's Oath in general, I proceed to the particular parts thereof. The first is truth. God swore in truth.  
between God and man the Apostle puts this difference; Let God be true, and every man a liar: for man if but a mere man, maydeceive, or be deceived: but neither of these are incident to God, neque actu, neque potentia He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (as saith the Apostle) he doth not, he cannot lie; he is not, he cannot be deceived. And therefore he speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (as NAZIANZENE) without any slip of tongue. And no marvel, seeing he is not only the Original of all truth, but also Truth itself by nature: so that it is no more possible for falsehood to be at one with God, then for darkness to consort with light; both import a real contradiction.  
But what is truth? I mean not real, but verbal truth. Words by their instruction should be as a glass, wherein the hearer should behold the speakers mind; and they should receive no other impression from the swearer, than they reflect upon him unto whom we swear: so that one truth there should be in our words, but it should have a double respect; one to our meaning which it must represent, another to his understanding whom we do inform. The Father of lies hath taught men how to divorce these two respects; and double dealing hath bred a double truth, in stead of the double respect of one truth; so that now we are driven to a distinction; of veritas loquentis, and loquelae, jurantis, et juramenti. The first is very ancient. The Devil that can transform himself into an angel of light, taught his instruments the Old Heretics, 
●. 3. c. 5.  with his false light to cover their works of darkness. Saint Irene reports that Valentini●● did simulare Ecclesiasticum tractatum, use phrases of the true Church, 
Ture●urrect. carnis. c. 6.  but in their heretical sense. Tertullian observeth, that the Mareionites did carnis resurrectione● imaginaria significatione distorquere, corrupt the Article of the Resurrection by a smothered sense, which could not be suspected in their words. The equivocation of A●● is too well known to be repeated. Saint Irenaeus rule● enough: 
R●pert l. 10. c 1 ad O●●an●●n.  Sic verba temperant, ut aliter haereticus, aliter Catholicus audiat. The same words receive a different Comment, according to the difference of the hearers. The practice doctrine of too many Romanists is no le●●● wickedly ingenious in abusing the understanding both ●f Magistrates and Ministers: for they can not only ●eake, but swear too; truly, as they say, secundum ●eri atem jurantis, according to their own meaning; ●nd yet inform the Magistrate falsely, secundum veritatem ●uramenti, if you look to his meaning that doth minister ●he Oath.  
But what is this? (to say nothing of their subtle ta●ing of God's name in vain) what is this, I say, but the perverting of that end, for which God ordained an Oath? God ordained it for the satisfaction, not of the swearer, ●ut of him to whom we swear. The words of the Apostle are plain, It must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. The end is double, to determine any further inquisition, ●f the Oath be assertory, for that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to ●ettle all wavering, if it be promissory, for that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. But let them be sure, they shall, except they repent, 
Wis. c. 14. v. 28, 29.  be ●ustly punished, as the Wiseman speaketh, that swear ●●justly to deceive. He adds the reason; because they despise holiness, the first Character of the holy Oath of God, and that is truth; for whatsoever cunning is used ●y men, God's Oath hath this double truth, & jurantis & ●ramenti: he swears not in any reserved sense of his own, ●ut to the intendment of them to whom he makes his ●ath: so that his Herald the Minister may well take up hose solemn words, which were used in the Romans ●ague. Illa palam prima postrema ex tabulis cerave reci●ta sunt sine dolo malo, utique ea hic ho●ie certissimè intel●cta sunt. In God's Oath there is neither equivocation, ●or mental reservation; he swears in truth. And thus much of the first property of GOD'S Oath; he is not ●ke man, that he should lie: and this property is to be ●itated by man.  
The second is more peculiar to God, The stableness of ●e Oath. For though all men should swear in veritate ●entis, yet only God can swear in certitudine ●eritatis; 〈◊〉 is only for him to say, I will not shrink from it. And ●hy? only God's free will is reciprocal with his executive power, so that he cannot will more than he can do, neither can do less than he can will: but the creature will is of larger extent than his power; which is the cause why even in those things whereunto our willi●clines aright, we presume too much, as Saint james h●● taught: if we promise ourselves the doing of the without this clause, ●f God will, If we live.  
But to return to God; to make him change, th● must be some cause, either from without, or from within from without it cannot be, for all other things live a●● move, and have their being in God: so that he can remit and intent his creatures forces, as seemeth good● him; he proportionateth all sorts of means to compau his end, where●n all things serve him, and who ha● resisted his will? From without then there can been cause, much less from within; for his word, before 〈◊〉 was spoken, was tried to the utttermost, as the Psimist speaketh, as silver tried seven times in the fire: the● is no error to be corrected in it; seeing as in wisdom God made all his works, so hath he spoken all h● words: and what he hath wisely resolved, he wi● not unconstantly alter. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (saith Na● anzene) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 
O●at 53.  It is the fool that chan●eth like the Moon: but God's word is as the dir●● beams of the Sun, which pass through the air 〈◊〉 moved of the winds; and though reflected of the earth yet grow they more bright, more hot: even so God turns the rage of man to his praise, 
Psal. 76.10.  he restraineth his ●riousnes; for with him there is no variableness nor sha●● of change. True it is, that God is said to repent; but 〈◊〉 Fathers jointly agree, that his repentance is mutation not affectus, but effectus: he changeth his creatures, 〈◊〉 changeable in himself; even as a chirurgeon, who 〈◊〉 'gins with one kind of plaster, when that hath wrout his force, layeth another kind, doth not alter, but p●●sue his former resolution, which was, by those dive plasters to cure the sore: even so, whatsoever alterati●● befalls us, God did eternally decree it, an decree it as it befalls. So then we must acknowledge that his word, much more his Oath, is a standing word, 
Psa. 33.4, 9 Zach. 1.6. Psa. 119.89 1. Pet. 1.25.  as the Scripture calleth it, a prevailing Word, an enduring word. All flesh is grass, and the glory thereof but as the flower of the field: the grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of the Lord abideth for ever, saith Saint Peter. Christ goeth further: heaven and earth shall perish; 
Mat. 5.18.  one jote or one title of the Law shall not escape, till all things be fulfilled. Particularly in one case; thus saith the Lord; If you can break my Covenant of the day, and my Covenant of the night, that there should not be day, and night in their season; then may my Covenant be broken with David my servant, 
jer. 33.20.  that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne.  
And what is our lesson? Truly first, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as Nazianzene adviseth, as near as we can, though we cannot as constantly as God, not to have a heart and a heart, 
Ps. 119.106  but to say with King David, I havesworne and am steadfastly purposed. It were to be wished there were such constancy in our Oaths; so many would not retract the Oath of that Allegiance which they own without an Oath. The more is the envious man to be looked unto, that works into simple consciences such erroneous conceits. 
Psa. 58 9  Priusquam sentiantur spinae, tam redivivam quàm adustam procellat quamque Deus. Good husbands suffer tares to grow till harvest, but they weed thistles before the corn be ripe. I leave the cutting of these thistles and thorns (for they are to us as the Canaanites were to Israel;) I leave them I say, to the temporal sword, whom it concerns nearly that their field be not overgrowen with them; even as much as the loss of their harvest, in stead whereof they may else one day scarce find a gleaning. But because their field is also Gods; it were to be wished, that whatsoever is done to the seducers, the seduced might be better and oftener informed. There is no doubt, but if a wise and constant course were taken, God's blessing would be as great in preserving truth, and bringing to the truth, as the Devil's malice in corrupting so many silly unstable souls. This care sleeps in the Letters of Laws and Canons; it would be awakened, to do as much as Church and Commonweal have thought meet. But to leave them, and conclude with ourselves. Of the Patriarches, 
Wisd. c. 18. v 6.  the Wiseman saith, that knowing to what Oaths they had given credit, they were of good cheer. In imitation of whom Saint Paul said, I know whom I have trusted, and that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him, until that day. Wherefore let us listen to Saint Peter, and commit ourselves unto God, as unto a faithful Creator: for as King David saith, No man ever trusted in him, and was confounded: and David was the person, to whom God swore in that truth, from which he would not shrink.  
Let us come then from the warrant to the promise, and therein consider the persons of whom it stands. First, to whom the promise was made. This person was David. God swore to David. Though no man's worth is such, as to deserve aught at God's hands, for every man's worth is God's gift, Quid habes, quod non accepisti? and no man must boast, as if he had not received it; yet God never entered into Covenant with any that was not of extraordinary worth. You may perceive it in the story of Noah, Abraham, Phinees. But we have now to do with David: of him God himself doth witness, that he was a man after his own heart; 
Hom. de David & Saul.  that is, as St. Chrys. expounds it, there was between God and that King, Individuus amor, & conjuncta Charitas, idem velle, & idem nolle. Which agreeth with that addition St. Paul puts to God's Word, he will do omnes voluntates meas, all my wills; for he was eminent in more than one virtue. 
Eccl. 47.3. ut supra.  Look on him as a private man, how valiant! he played with Lions as with Kids, and with Bears as with Lambs. And yet how patiented! millies meruit martyrij coronam, saith Chrysostome, he was a thousand fold Martyr. Look on him as a King caring for the Church; he spoke truly of himself, the zeal of thine house hath consumed me. Which the Son of Syrach excellently resembles. As the fat separated from the peace offering, so was David chosen on't of the Children of Israel.  
Now the fat was only God's part; the rest of the sacrifice was divided between the Priests and the offerer: so David dedicated it wholly unto God, as if none else had any interest in him; and yet behold when he cometh to deal with the commonwealth, what saith he? the earth and all the Inhabitants thereof are out of joint; I bear up the pillars thereof. Saint Chrysostome did not lavish when he said, In natura humana vitam praestitit angelicam: for do not the Angels also behold the face of God? and yet are they ministering spirits for their sakes that shall be heirs of salvation. So David was indeed the anointed Cherub that covereth, and God set him in honour upon the holy mountain. You have not heard all: he committed sundry enormous sins: yet such was his Repentance (the Psalms are monuments of it) that Theodoret sticks not to say, Regis admirabilem gloriam effecit splendidiorem; he was a King admirable for his virtues, but more admirable for his repentance: as it was a stranger sight to see a King of Ninive come down from his Throne clothed in sackcloth and sit in ashes, than King Solomon sitting upon his Throne and speaking parables unto the Queen of Saba. Behold then whom God chose to be a Patriarch, to whom he gave a name like one of the great ones, like that of Abraham: he entered into a Covenant with Abraham, and he entered into a covenant with David; he swore to Abraham, and he swore to David; and he swore unto David, as unto Abraham, concerning his issue, The fruit of his body.  
Children are called fruit of their Parent's body, to note, that they are only fathers of their flesh: they have another, namely God, which is father of their spirits. Saint Paul teacheth it, and the use of it, Heb. 12. 
Heb. 12.9.  And this checks their opinion, that will have souls propagated, no less than bodies. I will not trouble you with such an unnecessary dispute. Rather this I note, that whereas every man's first desire is immortality; because he cannot in this world attain it, he offereth supply thereof by his posterity. This phrase than promiseth solatium immortalitatis, a kind of immortality. Our mortal part the Son of Syrach doth excellently set forth, 
Chr. 30.4.  A man that hath issue, though he die, yet he is as though he were not dead; for he hath left one behind him, that is like him. In his life he saw him, and had joy in him, and he was not sorry in his death, neither was he ashamed before his enemies. And why? he left behind him an avenger against his enemies, and one that should show favour to his friends. Good cause therefore why another Psalm of degrees tells us, that Children are an inheritance of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As are the arrows in the hand of the strong man, so are the children of the youth. Blessed is the man that hath his quiver full of them. Surely, for a King to have his quiver empty is no small curse. God himself hath spoken it. 
jer. 22.30  O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord: writ this man, (and that man was jechonias the King, writ him I say) destitute of Children, a man that shall not prosper in his days, and what is that, but that he shall be cursed? he adds the reason; for there shall be no man of his seed that shall sit upon the Throne of David, or bear rule any more in Judah. 
Esa. 38.14.  King Ezekiah, when he was but threatened it, confesseth thus, he chattered like a swallow, mourned like a Dove. And what said Abraham? O Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless? and lo the servant of mine house shall be mine heir. Happy then was David, and so every one of David's rank is happy, that hath a fruitful Vine, and Olive branches round about his Table. Of whom we may truly say, 
— Vno avulso non deficit alter  
Aureus, et simili frondescit virga metallo.   
But mark: the King was busy to build God's house: and see how God answers him, promising the building of ●●e King's house. God requites a building with a building. There is a very apt allusion in the word, upon which the son of Syrach also plays, when he saith, that children and the building of a City make a perpetual ●●me; how much more, if they be a royal offspring, that ●e destined to sit upon a Throne? And God promiseth ●avid sons for this honourable end, To sit upon his Throne.  
It appears among the buildings of Solomon, and in the Chronicles of other Monarches, that the King had a seciall public seat wherein he was placed, when he possessed himself of his kingdom, and afterwards sat as in his proper seat: the Scripture calls it solium Regni, as if a kingdom and the Throne were inseparable. So that this phrase doth signify insigne Regni, an essential, an incommunicable rite of a Kingdom. This seat is incommunicable: the Altar and the Throne (saith one) are ●●th proper: the Altar to God, the Throne to the King. The pride of usurping the Throne will as hardly be broo●ed by a Sovereign on earth, as the usurping of the Altar will be borne by the Lord of heaven. Therefore Pharaoh, though he did highly advance joseph, added, Only in the King's Throne will I be above thee. As it is incommunicable to others, so is it essential to a King. In regard whereof Saint Peter calls Kings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supereminent, supereminent in the Throne. But wherein stands this supereminency? surely in state and power. In regard of the state it is called solium gloriae, 
1 Sam. 2.8. Pro. 20.8.  and in regard of the power, solum judicij. These two must not be severed. A King must in state ascend above all, that he may be the more respected when he doth command. God himself, that did often show himself as a King, did show himself in that Majesty that he alloweth unto Kings. The places be known in Ezechiel, Daniel, Revelation. I need not quote them. But solium is therefore gloriae, because judicij. The state is to countenance the power: it must not be only a Throne of glory, but of judgement too. Nazianzene hath an apt description of Kings, they are persons (saith he) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. They are not be without a pair of scales in their hands, in imitation of God, of whom the Psalmist saith, Thou sittest i● the Throne, that judgest righteously. And such a Throne indeed was King david's. At jerusalem are Thrones for Judgement, even the Throne of the house of David. In such a Throne should the sons of David sit; they were to 〈◊〉 but God would set them there.  
It is superfluous for me to remember you, that Promotion cometh neither from the East, nor from the West, 〈◊〉 from the North, nor from the South. It is God, that take down one, and setteth up another. Which is evident by the Prophecies of alterations in the most eminent Monarchic of the world. As for the Anabaptists that admit no Sovereign title in a Christian Commonweal upon a fal● ground, that it is a fruit of Adam's fall, which ceased us on the Redemption by Christ; it is enough to tou● their ignorance, not distinguishing between Direct●●● and Coercive power. The later is made necessary by sin the former is as natural, as sociableness is to man. T●● Romanists detest Anabaptisme; but they cherish a m●sterie of iniquity, that may not be endured by this peculiar of God, I will set them. For in their Pontificale Remanum they insert such clauses, as have within late year given occasion of Rebellion in this land, Rebellion justified at the Bar upon this ground, that the King is 〈◊〉 King till he be anointed. In that book, as it is reforms by the Council of Trent, in the Tract De benediction● 〈◊〉 coronatione Regis, to the Bishop that performs that Ceremony, the Presentee speaks thus. Reverendissime ●●ter, postulat sancta mater Ecclesia, ut praesentem egregi● militem ad dignitatem regiam sublevetis. And after, 〈◊〉 King gins his Oath thus. Ego, Deo annuente, fut●● Rex. And what is this but a devise whereby the P●● usurped upon the Emperor, and encroacheth by Metropolitans upon other Kings, feigning an interreg●● which in an he editary kingdom is (questionless) repugnant to the fundamental laws of all Nations. Therefore against them and all others, 
Psa. 89.18.  we hold that of the 〈◊〉 line; Our shield belongeth unto the Lord; Our King 〈◊〉 the holy one of Israel: he holds of him and none ●ther: the King doth sit, but God doth set him.  
And sets him for ever. The succession is perpetual. ●ome restrain this until Christ's coming, according to ●hat speech of jacob, The Sceptre shall not departed from Iu●ah, nor the Lawgiver from between his feet, until Shi●ah come. Some continue it unto the end of the World, according to these words of the Psalm, so long as the Sun and Moon endureth. They are easily reconciled. Distinguish the Prophecy from the Promise: the Promise speaks of that which might be, the prophecy ●f that which would be. If JERUSALEM had known those things that belonged to her Peace, the enemies ●ad not cast a bank about her, the Romans had not destroyed her, that Throne should have continued as the days of ●eaven.  
But jacobs' prophecy meaneth, that for want of per●rmance of the Covenant, jerusalem should fail, when Philoh came; yea and before that, the tabernacle of Da●id should be ruinous. The ground of that prophecy is ●t down, Psal. 49. 
Psa. 40.11.  Many think that their houses shall con●●nue for ever, from generation to generation, and call their ●ands after their names. But when man is in honour, he ●oth not understand, and so becomes as the beasts that perish: ●nnes interrupt their continuance for ever. Wherefore according to that in Deuteronomy, 
Deut. c. 29. v. 19  If any when he heareth ●he words of this curse, bless himself in his heart, saying, 〈◊〉 shall have peace, although I walk according to the stubbornness of mine heart, thus adding drunkenness unto thirst; ●e Lord will not be merciful unto that man; but the wrath 〈◊〉 the Lord and his Jealousy shall smoke against him, and every curse that is written in this book shall light upon him: ●●d the Lord shall put out his name from under heaven.  
The succession than is perpetual; but the promise the of is conditional; the Condition is the keeping of God's Covenant. And so we come from the absolute part of the promise to the qualified; which must not be several. It was the error of the Kings and Priests of judah and Israel excepting against the prophecies, and persecuting the prophets, which foretold the ruin of those kingdoms for the sins thereof: they dreamt that the promise was only absolute; and so howsoever they live● their state should endure for ever; not remembering th● God exacted their duty as well as he promised his mercy, yea and limited the performance of his mercy, according to the continuance of their duty.  
Although then Kings be Lords over their people, 〈◊〉 are they subjects unto God: They can be no great● than Adam, of whom Saint Augustine, Quamvis in m●● do dominus positus est Adam, etc. though Adam were created Lord of the visible world, yet by subjection unto a 〈◊〉 he was to recognize that he held of a more sovereign 〈◊〉 It is a fundamental rule of reason; that from whom 〈◊〉 have our being, from him we must receive a Law preportionable to our dependence on him, be he God● man; Kings from God, and other men from Kings.  
They that have been of Phaeraohs' mind and have sai●● who is the Lord, that I should hear him? have tried Sai●● Bernard's rule to be true, Posse eos summovere se felicit●● but not subducere se Potestati; they may deprive themsel●● of the glory of God, their throne in heaven, but they can●●● exempt themselves from the sovereignty of God: he will 〈◊〉 his pleasure dispose their thrones here on earth.  
There is a covenant then between God and the Kin● and it is twofold: I will be his Father, and he shall be 〈◊〉 son: 
2. Sam. 7.14, 15, 16.  he shall build an house for my name, and I will sta●● the throne of his kingdom. So it is set down, 2. Sam. 〈◊〉 The Covenant respects David as a private person and as King: as a private person, he is to be the son of God (for David's Covenant doth presuppose abraham's; b● addeth a regality unto it. As a King he is to build an house for God, He must be custodious, et Custos utriusque tabulae: it was so in the Old Testament, 
Psal. 2.6.  it must be so in the New. It is prophesied in the second psalm; we are taught to petitionate by Saint Paul; 
1. Tim. 2.2.  and Saint Augustine doth excellently express it. Aliter servit Rex Deo, quia homo; aliter, quia Rex. As a man, he must conform himself to the laws of God; as a King, he makes laws for the service of God. It is not enough for the King to obey it, as the child of God; as a King anointed of God, he must command it; like to primum mobile, which moveth itself, and all inferior orbs with it. So did the religious Kings of the jews, and so did the religious Emperors of the Christians. But where shall the King find whereunto he is tied by Covenant? he hath an authentical Record; the Record is God's Testimonies, they are tabulae foederis. God testifieth his will in his word. This appeareth by Moses in Deuteronomy, where the King is enjoined to describe the law, 
Deu. 17.18.  when he sitteth upon his throne: and the same charge is reiterated unto joshua. Samuel giveth the like to Saul, 
Josh. 17.  and David to Solomon. Whereupon the book of the Law was to be delivered the King at his Coronation. You may see it in the Story of joash. 
Psa. 45. ●.  The Chaldee paraphrase expounding those words of the Psalm, the Qucene stood at the King's right hand, gives it this sense, Stabit liber legis in latere dextrae tuae, et exaraebitur in exemplare splendor tuus, velut obrizo ophiritico. It is memorable that is reported of Alphonsus King of Arragon, that he read over the Bible with the gloss fourteen times. But this I moreover mark in the word Testimony, that God speaketh like a King, signifieth his pleasure, without Rhetorical persuasions or philosophical demonstrations. There are lumina Orationis in the sermons of the prophets, which surpass the Eloquence of all heathen men: but the style of the Law runs only with a Teste. Yea and simply God's word requireth faith, which is the Correlative of a Testimony; Quare et Quomodo: jewish words, as the Fathers call them: our age may call them Atheistical, which also must be banished fare from the Articles of our Faith, and notwithstanding all unbelieving scoffers, the bare Testimony of God must go current with us as an indemonstrable principle of our Faith, and uncontrollable precept of our life. It must go current with all, but specially with Kings, who must yield unto God what themselves; expect from their subjects: this let them not discredit: Teste meipso; for God himself doth teach it them.  
You have heard what is the Record. Now hear, that it is authentical. God himself will teach them. The businesses of the Kings of judah were either Juris or facti. In matters of Fact which were doubtful, either in peace or war, they had immediate resolution from God, either by Prophets that attended them, or by Vrim and Thummim before the Ark. But if it were Quaestio juris, than they were still referred to the Law, the sense whereof they were to require of the Priests, which (as it appeareth in Nehemiah and elsewhere) did dare sensum, and in their sitting in Moses chair (so long as they sat in the chair) God did teach by them: so that Qui vos audit, me audit. But it is no longer than they sit in the chair; for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as Basil well observeth. The Minister is but as the gnomon of a dial, that only points out the motion of the heavens. It is as lawful for the Prince to prove the spirits of the Prophets as to try his Dial, whether it go right or wrong. But the Bishop of Rome conceits so much of his Infallibility, that he resembles him in Pliny, who finding a disproportion between the Dial and the Sun's motion, thought surely the earth was moved from his centre, or the Sun had taken a new course, but suspected not that the Dial had been shaken with an earthquake: even so they will permit Princes to meddle with matters in the Church, but directed by the supreme pastor; on whose information they must build so securely, that they must rather think that God hath altered his mind, or Princes passed their bounds, than the Priest can be deceived.  
But this place may intimate an extraordinary Spirit of Wisdom which God vouchsafeth Kings; whereunto the phrase respecteth, My Lord the King is as an Angel of God, knowing good and evil: Which Solomon prayeth for. Send me that wisdom which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as if there were a special wisdom that doth assist the thrones of Princes. And in regard hereof it was, that Solomon elsewhere desires a docile heart, and saith, that the King's heart is in the hands of God, as the River of waters; he turneth them wheresoever it pleaseth him. Which one wittily expoundeth. All the fruitfulness of a land, as also the barrenness depends upon those streams of wisdom; which God either sends abroad, or withholdeth, by the heart of the King.  
The Conclusion of this point is. If ye delight in thrones and Sceptres, o Kings of the people, 
Wis. 6.21.  honour wisdom, that you may reign for ever.  
You have heard the promise that GOD makes the King; but ye have heard it only in the type. I should (if the time would serve) speak something of the truth, seeing the truth concerns that King, and all Kings as well as the type. The Truth is Christ, whom the Scripture calleth David, and the Son of David. God swore to him, and for him: to him as the head; for him, as that head is mystically joined to the body of his Church. He was born to be a King, and to make all his, Kings unto God: but not Kings, except they were Priests, and did sacrifice themselves unto God. If they were a Royal Priesthood, than were they to sit upon the Throne of the mystical David. To him that overcommeth (saith Christ) will I grant to sit with me in my Throne, as I overcame, and sit with my Father in his Throne.  
But the time will not give me leave to wade further in that mystery. Only this I add: that if you separate the Ceremonial from the Moral, what was spoken to David concerneth every Christian King: they have the same charge of keeping God's Covenant: and they have no less the same hope of succession in their Crowns. For as the Gentiles which tread the steps of Abraham, are in the Gospel said to be the sons of Abraham, the Father of faithful men; even so Kings which do the works of David, are the Royal offspring of David, David the father of faithful Kings: which is the cause why our Church on those days which we solemnize in remembrance of the favours vouchsafed unto our Kings, doth use the Psalms that were penned for David and his seed.  
The sum of all is. God promiseth, he warranteth sincerely and constantly unto Kings in a King, for their seed; Not only for themselves: that if they forsake not him, he will never destitute them, but continue their Royal line, Monarches in earth, and Saints in Heaven.  
Give then thy judgements to our King, o God, and thy Righteousness to the King's Son; That keeping thy Testimonies, they may abide in thy Covenant. So shalt thou make good unto them the holy things of David, and other Princes that are faithful; A perpetual succession of this Crown on earth, and a blessed joint possession of a better Crown in heaven. * ⁎ *   

A SERMON PREACHED AT SAINT CROSS NEAR WINCHESTER.  1 COR. 10.12. 
Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.  
ALL men are forbidden to sin, by the Law of the Creation: but they which in the Church are by Sacraments consecrated unto God, have moreover bound themselves from sin by a religious stipulation. For a Sacrament consists of a visible sign, and an invisible grace. Of which the sign represents not only what God offers, but also what man vows: and the grace worketh no less a conscience of man's duty, than it doth a sense of God's mercy. Add hereunto, that by Christ's Institution these two are subordinate, and the outward sign seemeth to make the way more passable for the inward grace. Strange then it is that any should affect the sign, and neglect the grace; yea boast of God's seal and neglect his spirit. Not only so, but even presume to sin upon warrant of that which contains so manifold a prohibition of sin; yet some such Corinthians there were. Saint Paul in this Chapter taxeth them and maketh good this point of Divinity against them. Sacraments are no privileges, either for sin, or from plagues. And because in Morals, Examples are most working proofs; he tryeth the Corinthians case by the Histories of the jews. The effect of this Argument is this, God is no accepter of persons; no more of the Gentiles, than he was of the jews: And why? these two particular Churches are similary parts of that whole one; which is Catholic both in time and place. Though in some other things they differ, yet in substance they agree. God in his mercy is equally near to both, and in his justice will deal indifferently with both. Therefore the Jews stories are the Gentiles types, types not of Ceremonial presignificancie, but of moral correspondency: by them they may judge in what terms their persons stand with God, and what their deeds may expect at the hands of God. The jewer were as the Gentiles are, Sacramentally sanctified, yet they sinned and were plagued. Alterius casus, alterius cautela, saith Gregory the Great, lib 4. Epist. 56. The jews harms must make the Gentiles beware. Therefore whatsoever he be, jew or Gentile, that thinks he stands, let him take heed lest he fall, as the Apostle concludes in these words that now I have read unto you.  
These words than are a conclusion springing from that proof, which the Apostle grounded upon the example of the jews Wherein it is clear, that Sacramental sanctification doth neither exclude sin, nor exempt from wrath. For the bet●er unfolding of which words, we may observe in them these two points; a mutability whereunto we are subject, and a Vigilancy whereof we must take care. The former requireth the later. We must be vigilant, because we are mutable. Mutable we are, for he that thinketh he stands, may fall: Vigilant ●herfore we must be, lest he that thinketh he stands, do ●all. I●t him that thinketh, etc.  
To begin with our mutability: 
Pst. 1.5.  Our condition is according to our place: this three fold, so is that. The first ●lace is ●eaven: this, as the Apostle calleth it, 
Heb 12.28.  is a kingdom that cannot be shaken, therefore they that are standing ●illars there (so Christ calls the Saints consummated) ●e free from falling. 
Apcc. 3.12. Zach. 12.8.  In that day (saith the prophet zachary) shall the Lord defend the Inhabitants of jerusalem; ●nd he that is feeble, (the word is, a stumbler) among you, ●all be l●ke unto David, and the house of David as the Angels: as the Angel of God before them. Now the Angels cannot fall. The second place is Hell; and that is a ●●oale wherein sinners lie bound hand and foot in chains ●f darkness, and that without delivery: they cannot be ●osed, they cannot be raised: their sentence is irrecoverable, and their state unrecoverable. 
Luk. 16 26.  So Abraham tells ●ives, Lu. 16. The third place is the earth, the midway to the other two, which partaketh of them both: here ●●en both stand and fall. And no marvel: for the best ●●e sons of Adam, aswell as of God; partly flesh, and partly spirit: not only Saints, but also sinners, living in the Church, not triumphant, but militant. And this Church is in the Canticles aptly resembled by the moon; for she hath her wexings and her wanings: she cometh ●eerer, and goeth further from the sun, the sun of righteousness, as Malachi calls Christ, 
Mal 4.2.  in the fourth of his prophecy. So then this admonition is directed to 〈◊〉 that are pilgrims, not to them that are at home: to wayfaring men, not to them that are at their journeys and: and it is directed to us all: Whosoever thinks he stands. I said in my prosperity, I shall never be removed, thou Lord of thy goodness hadst made my hill to stand so strong, 
Psa. 30 6.  saith ●●ing David. Though all men be offended, 
Mat. 26.33.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (said Saint Peter unto Christ) yet will I never be offended. Behold great security in King David, and no less in Saint Peter; yet when God hide his face, the King confessed that he was troubled: 
Psa. 30 3.  and his trouble was a fall, a great downfall, as it appeareth, verse. 3. where he thanketh God, that he had brought up his soul from be●, and revived him from among them that did go down to the pit. Christ did look away from Saint Peter, and he stumbled, and fell too, and that very low; for he denied, yea forswore his master, so fare was he from standing to, or dying for his master. What can we say the to these things? If a King, a King of Israel, a King after God own heart, 
Gal. 2.9.  if an Apostle, one of those three 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Galathians 2. that seemed a pillar among the Apostles, that was surnamed Cephas, in prophesied his faith: if such a King, such an Apostle, King Da●i● and Peter could not so stand, but they fell; who in the Commonweal, who in the Church dare say, I shall never be removed, I will never be offended? Surely, the weakness must needs be in all, that tempteth them th● are the very best of all. He that thinks, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in fullness of sense, he that seems. Now a man may seem only 〈◊〉 others, or also to himself; so that the sense is somewh●● restrained, by translating it; he that thinks: for he th● thinks he stands, seems only to himself. But it is 〈◊〉 done without cause. If a man seem to stand, only 〈◊〉 others, 
1. Cor. 2 11.  no wonder if he fall. No man knoweth the thing of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him. Easie there fore it is to be deceived in our judgement of another man. Hypocrisy may veil the greatest impiety. Dec●● full workers (saith Saint Paul) transform themselves i● the Apostles of Christ: and no marvel, for Satan 〈◊〉 self can be transformed into an angel of light. But 〈◊〉 smothered is like a sickness palliated: it will not be 〈◊〉 ere it break out, and break out more violently. The● ample of judas the traitor, Simon Magus the sorcery Julian the Apostata, are proof enough that such stands will soon fall: but for him to fall that seemeth to 〈◊〉 self to stand, his case is more woeful, and this admon●● on the more behooveful. The Corinthians were too well conceited of their own stability; therefore doth the Apostle press them with a consideration of their mutability. Hereupon the Translator regarding fitness, rather ●hen fullness of sense, expresseth the touch that the Apostle giveth at their pride, by rendering it, he that thinks. He ●hat thinks he stands.  
Standing and falling are words borrowed from things corporal, to note those that are spiritual; alluding both 〈◊〉 the comparison of God's word, to a way wherein we ●ust all walk: In our walking there are enemies that would supplant us; and according to our walking God will respect us, if we be neither foiled of our enemies, nor disallowed of God. In both cases, the Scripture saith, we ●and; stand against them, and stand before him. Of the ●●rst Saint Paul protesteth unto Felix, 
Act. 24.16  that he endeavour●●d to have a conscience towards God and men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which stumbleth not, without offence. And how far he ●ad obtained it, he reporteth to King Agrippa; 
Acts 26.21.  for ●reaching repentance the jews took me in the Temple, ●●d would have killed me; nevertheless I obtained help 〈◊〉 God, and stand to this day, witnessing to great and small, 〈◊〉 other things than those which the Prophets and Moses ●id should come. And as himself was stable, so he ex●rteth these Corinthians to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, ●●ke a house well founded or built upon a rock; 
Mat. 7 25.  though the ●inds blow, and the waves beat, yet that house will stand: ●●d such are they, who as the Scripture saith, stand. Nei●●er Scriptures only, but Fathers too. In the Ancients no●ing more obvious, than that Confessors and Martyrs, ●●e as it were by a proper name called stantes, standers. ●anders, because in persecution they never fell.  
But as there is a standing against our enemies, so is ●ere a standing before God, this being a consequent to ●●d a reward of that. Watch and pray (saith Christ unto ●s Apostles) that ye may be counted worthy to escape all ●●ese things, when the day of judgement shall come, 
Luke 21.36  and that ye may stand before the Son of man; for in that day the righteous only shall stand, and stand in boldness, before them that have tormented them: neither shall they only during that great assizes stand before the Tribunal of Christ; 
Rev. 7.15. Zoc. 3.7.  but from thence be advanced to an high standing; they shall stand eternally before the throne of God. If (saith God to joshua the high Priest) th●● shalt walk in my ways and keep my watches, thou shal● also judge my house, and shalt keep my Courts, and I wil● give thee a place inter astantes, among these standers, pointing to the angels; for if Gods will be done on earth by us, as it is in heaven by them, we shall in the Resurrection be like to angels, and stand for ever before the throne of God. Unto this twofold standing, falling is opposite: therefore we fall either into sin, or out o● favour. He that sinneth takes a fall, therefore are sins most usually in the Scriptures called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, falls, an● the occasions or matter of sin, scandala blocks, fit 〈◊〉 give a fall. Saint james useth another word, but of the same force. In many things we fall, we sinne all. The prophet David notes sinning by slipping. My feet had well night slipped, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked; and 〈◊〉 commonly meaning the sin, call it, the fall of angels and of men. And so do the Father's term weaklings it the faith, and revolters from the faith: the first, laps●● such as have taken a fall; the other, Apostatas, such 〈◊〉 have clean given over to stand. 
jude 12.  Trees twice dead, 〈◊〉 plucked up by the roots, jude 12. But how doth falling resemble sinning? surely the proportion is very fit; for a fall comprehends in it a descent of our body, and withal, a bruise: so doth sin a debasing of the soul, together with a wound. God's creatures are not all of 〈◊〉 degree, and there are many steps between heaven an● hell. By creation man was a consort of the angels, but 〈◊〉 sin he is ranged with the beasts. Man being in ho●●● (saith King David) hath no understanding, but through sin becomes like the beasts that perish. It were well, if 〈◊〉 were no worse by sin. 
Mat. 3.7. joh. 8.44.  Abraham's seed becomes the serpent's brood, as both john Baptist and Christ pronounced. A great disparagement of their nature. But this baseness is seconded with a wound, which Christ teacheth in the simile of the man that descended from jerusalem to jericho, and fell among thiefs, who not only rob him of his raiment, but also wounded him, and left him half dead. God in the first of Esay describes this most excollently: Ah sinful nation, 
Esay 1.4.  a people laden with iniquity; a seed of the wicked corrupt children: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the holy one of Israel to anger, they are gone backward. This he speaks plainly. But see how he doubles it, speaking figuratively: Wherefore should you be smitten any more? for you fall away more and more. And what is their fall? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is heavy: from the sole of the foot unto the head there is nothing whole therein, but wounds, and swell, and sores full of corruption; which have not been wrapped nor bound up, nor mollified with oil. Sin then indeed is a fall, which bears such marks of a fall degrading and wounding us.  
But men do not only fall into sin, but also out of favour, for the first fall comes not alone. All they (saith the Wiseman) that regard not wisdom, have not only this hurt, that they know not the things that are good, but also they leave behind them a memorial of their foolishness, they are spectacles of God's wrath. job more fully, The steps of a wicked man's strength shall be straightened, 
job 18.7.  and his own counsel shall cast him down; for he is taken in the net by the feet, and he walks upon snares; his hope shall be rooted out of his dwelling, and he shall be made to descend to the king of fear. 
Deut 32 34.  Is not this laid up in store with me, (saith God) and sealed up among my treasures? Vengeance and recompense are mine, their feet shall slide in due time. When I went into the Sanctuary of God, then (saith King David) I understood the end of wicked men. Surely thou (O God) hast set them in slippery places, and castest them down into desolation. But mark the difference between the fall into sin, and out of favour: 
Pro. 7.16, 17  the one is willing, the other is of constraint. Sin is like the harlot, she decketh and perfumeth her bed, with craft she causeth man to yield, and lay himself down and take his pleasure in her dalliance. But God endures not that man should enjoy pleasure with his dishonour: therefore hath he ordained that this harlot's house should be the way to hell, that it should lead down to the chambers of death, as it is in the end of that chapter. Howsoever, a covenant a sinner makes with death, and sinners are as secure as if they were in league with death. Men promise themselves impunity, that are given over to iniquity. But whatsoever league they make with death, 
Esay 28.18  it shall be broken, and their agreement with hell shall not stand. When a scourge shall run over and pass through, they shall be trodden down by it. Whosoever willingly fall from God, shall (will they nill they) fall under plagues. But falling is opposed to standing, as in two things, so also two ways; negatively, and privatively: Negatively, when he finds himself down that was never up: privatively, when he takes a fall, that indeed did stand. It is a good rule which the Fathers observe in expounding sundry places of the Scripture. Interdum res tum demum dicuntur fieri, cum incipiunt manifestari. Things are oftentimes said to take their beginning from the time that they first come to our understanding. 
Rom 7.9.  For example, and to our present purpose; I once (saith Saint Paul) was alive, being without the law; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. Not that before he was alive, and then gave up the ghost; but he than perceived himself to be but dead, whereas before, in his imagination he was alive. 
Psa. 69 28.  King David praying against the wicked, Let them (saith he) be put out of the book of life, and let them not be written with the righteous: contradictory speeches; but that many think themselves entered, whose names were never in that book. 
jude 8.  Wherefore Saint Judas calls wicked Christians by the name of dreamers, and not unfitly: for what the Prophet Esay saith of corporal food, is true also ●f spiritual. Too many are like to hangry men that breame; Behold they eat, but when they awake, 
●say 2●. 8.  their soul 〈◊〉 empty: or like a thirsty man that dreameth; Behold he drinketh; but when he awaketh, behold he is faint, and his ●●ule longeth. Quià est hypocritae vita (saith Gregory the Great) nisi visio quaedam phant asmatis, quae hoc estendit in imagine quod non habet in veritate. 
Pro. 30 12.  Hypocrites are Solomon's generation, that are pure in their own conceit, and yet are not washed from their filthiness. All their state 〈◊〉 like a dream, as the Psalmist speaketh, when one waketh; yea, when God waketh, than he makes this their image, or rather their imagination to be vile, and that in their own eyes: 
Wisd. 5.4.  as the book of Wisdom brings them in confessing with their own mouths: We fools thought a good man's life to be madness, and his end without honour; but how is he counted among the children of God, and hath his portion among the Saints? But we contrary to our further thought, have erred from the way of truth; the light of righteousness hath not shined unto us, and the sun of Righteousness never risen upon us. When the Goodman of the house 〈◊〉 up, and hath shut the door, many (saith Christ) shall begin to knock at the door, saying, Lord open to us; but he shall answer, I know you not. Strange news! they had a better thought: for they shall begin to say, We have caren and drunken in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall answer; I tell you, I know you not whence ye are: Depart from me ye workers of iniquity. Then they shall begin to weep (never before they mistook their state) when they shall see Abraham, Isaac and Tacob, whom they took to be their Fathers, and all the prophets whom they boasted of as of their teachers, they shall see both in the kingdom of God, and themselves thrust out of doors. See then how a man may be deceived, and flat down, when he thinketh himself bolt upright. This the Divines call a negative fall, because opposed to a seeming, but not a true standing.  
There is another fall which is privative, opposed to standing indeed. 
Pro. 30.19, 20.  The way of a righteous man should be like the light, shining more and more until the perfect day: But many go bacl, making shipwreck of their faith, and forsake their first love. When God offered a sign to Hezekiah, assuring him of his recovery, wilt thou (saith he) that the shadow of Ahaz dial go forward ten degrees, 〈◊〉 backward? His answer was: It is a light thing for the shadow to pass forward ten degrees: not so then, but let the shadow go backward ten degrees. In the dial of our soul over which moveth the Son of righteousness, we may see the clean contrary. A light matter for the shadow (for our virtues are but shadows of Christ) to go backward, not so, to go forward. The cause is not in the sun, but in the dial: for here Copernicus Theoricks' prove very true, The sun stands still, but the earth doth move: God forsakes not man, but man God. Which the Scripture implies, when it so often useth that phrase Abierunt retro, they have gone bacl, they have declined, they have forsaken me, and such like. So the Galatians went so fare bacl, that of one that were able to run (you did run well) they became babes, yea lest Little Children, with whom I am in travail again till les● Christ be form in you. 
Herald 5.12, 13.  So did the Hebrews. Where as concerning time, ye ought to be Preachers, yet have ye● need again that we teach you, what are the first Principle of the word of God, and are become such as have need of milk not of strong meat. Neither may they go bacl only knowledge and in faith, but in love and works too Writ (saith the Angel to the Church of Ephesus) I h●● something to say against thee, because thou hast forsaken 〈◊〉 first love. Remember from whence thou art fallen, and 〈◊〉 first works. And to the Angel of Sardis, I know it works: thou hast a name that thou livest, but art dead● wake and strengthen the things which remain, and are ready to die. No doubt then but he that stands, indeed 〈◊〉 fall: the whole Church fall; they fall in faith, they 〈◊〉 ●n love. But this talking age is much troubled with two ●questions: how a righteous man doth fall, and how far ●he may fall, whether with full consent, and whether as deep as hell. But my text leadeth me to remember you not to fall, rather than to dispute of the manner and measure of their fa●l. Therefore desirous to dismiss you rather religious then judicious,) though indeed he is most judicious that is most religious, for the Scripture counts ●ll sinners, fools,) I forbear to exceed the limits of my text, adding to the first point only this, 
Nemo repent suit turpissimus. God forsakes not altogether at first, as appears by Ezekiels' vision. chap. 9 totum.  that the more consent we give to sin, the greater fall we take; and the greater our fall, the nearer we draw to hell. The best men will yield too much, and the least frown of God goeth to a good man's heart; so that our best care must be so to bridle our will, that we may be ever gracious in the eyes of God. And so I pass from our mutability to our Vigilaney.  
Whereupon I need not to stand long. If our mutability be apprehended well, we need not much bidding to take heed of it. The difficulty is to resolve men that sin is ill; to resolve the heart, not the wit: many are wise enough to vouch it, but their lives do prove they never believed it: for can a man unfeignedly acknowledge that to be ill, wherein he takes delight as in his soweraigne good? But that our mutability may make the stronger impression, I will add something of Vigilancy, the second thing that I noted in the Apostles exhortation. Let him that stands, take heed lest he fall.  
Though a man standing be mutable; 
Psal. 1.3.  yet if he be Vigilant, he may be immutable. It was an heresy condemned in unchaste Marcian, to hold (after he was excommunicated for Incontinency) non voluntate, sed necessitate perpetrari scelera, and so to extenuate his sin. But for the ground of this necessity, men have sought to opposite places; some to heaven, and some to hell. The opinion is ancient that fetcheth it from heaven. Adam was the author of it, that laid his sin to God. The woman that thou gavest me, she gave me of the Tree, and I did eat. And 〈◊〉 less ancient is that which fetcheth it from hell: for the woman put it to the Devil, The Serpent beguiled me, 〈◊〉 I did eat. Both opinions have had many Scholars. To the first the son of Syrach speaks in his days: 
Eccl. c. 15. ver. 11.  say me that it is through the Lord, that I turn bacl; for th●● oughtest not to do the thing which he hateth; say not, that 〈◊〉 hath caused me to err, for he hath no need of sinful man; 〈◊〉 need of; 
Psa. 5.4.  nay, no delight in a sinful man. Thou art a G●● that hast no pleasure in iniquity. And Abacuc, his pure eye cannot behold the wicked, yea they that withdraw themselves shall perish, he hateth all them that go a whor●●● from him.  
The Manichees they were Scholars to Eve, and their tenant was, as Saint Austin sets it down; Non tu pe●cas, gens tenebrarum peccat; thou deservest no blame for sin, for it is not thee, but the Devil by thee that acts the sin. But Saint Austin adds well: non est hoc tollere, s●● geminare peccatum, this excuse is worse than the fault. For as the same Father speaks; well may the Serpert solicit, he cannot compel: non extorquet 〈◊〉 nobis conse●sum, sed petit: he doth move us, he doth not enforce us. And Prosper. Diabolus est illecebrarum adjutor, non voluntatu● generator: he allures us to sinful delights, he actuates not the will: he recommends it, but we may refuse it. Be his means never so great to strengthen the tentation; yet except we will, he cannot defile us with corruption. Ourselves judge evil to be good, we embrace evil for good, yea we prefer evil before good. Ourselves are the true cause of our own fall. Therefore the H. Ghost bids us spart much unnecessary pains, either of climbing into heaven to know what God hath decreed of us; or descending into hell, to inquire how fare the devil may prevail against us, but stay at home, and there find the right party that doth supplant us; and that is our will. Man (as Solomon often speaketh) perverteth his own way. Perditio tua ex te. Every man when he is tempted, is tempted, ●●d &c. We fall because we take no heed. As if Saint Paul should say, we should not fall, if we did take heed. Not fall (I say) though we should sinne. For though all sins be in their own nature falls, And therefore Christ 〈◊〉 the Lords Prayer teacheth us to ask forgiveness for ●●em; yet Saint Paul here means, no ordinary, but ●reat falls, heinous and enormous sins. Heresy, Blasphemy, Profaneness, Adultery, Treason, Murder, and the ●●ke; these by an eminence are called falls; and if we did ●●ke heed, we might avoid these falls; Videat, saith Saint ●aul, let him see that he fall not. 
Eccl. 2.14.  A wise man's eyes are in ●is head, but a fool walketh in darkness. Surely these Objects are proportionable to our sight, though smaller sins ●re not: they surprise us before we discern them: therefore God in Christ doth pity us, because of our yet dim ●●ight, when we fall into them. But God will not so excuse him that winks when he may see, as the Prophet speaketh, or at least will not use his eyes to the uttermost, that he may see. The Serpent's wisdom is much in his ●●es, and we should be wise as Serpents. The devil offers at one place, and strikes at another, therefore we must be armed at all points. The seed perished many ways. We must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostome speaketh, we must walk circumspectly. The perspectives ●●ch us, that nothing is seen difficultly, but that whereupon we fix our eye directly. The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Let 〈◊〉 that standeth, see, etc. He distinguisheth between ●naturall and a spiritual man; him that is down, and ●●m that is up. A natural man hath no eyes, he cannot perceive the things of God. But of a spiritual man he ●aith, We are children of the day, and light in the Lord: therefore good reason that God should call to us, for Vi 〈◊〉, that we walk as children of the day. The same di●●●nction Christ maketh. He that walketh in the day stum●●●th not, because he seethe the light of the world: but if a ●●n walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light 〈◊〉 him. The slander than must see. But that we may a little more fully comprehend it, and be moved to it; we must observe the distinction so usual, of Gratia operans, and Cooperans: for although in regard of the first grace which giveth us the being of standers or righteous men, we are merely passive, yet in regard of the second, wherein we do manifest ourselves to be standers, we are also active. Now in this cooperative grace, wherein we concur with God, it is a grounded truth, That except the Lord build the house, 
Psal. 1●7. 1.  they labour in vain that build it; except the Lord keep the City, the keeper watcheth in vain. And as Saint Peter, We are preserved by the power of God, who giveth his Angel's charge over us, that we dash not our feet against a stone. And therefore as this Apostle tells the Ephesians, We must be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. In the greatest storms or conflicts, Christum vehis, must be our hope, and 
Spes mihi magna subit, cum te, fortissime Christ,  
Quae mihi, respicio dum mea facta, cadit.  The King putteth his trust in the Lord, therefore shall he 〈◊〉 miscarry. Although in standing, the sinews of our stability is the conquering power of Christ; yet this powe● of his is arbitrary, not necessary: he works; but when, and as much as he will; and this will ordinarily inclines and proportioneth itself unto such duties as he requires of us, and those are principally four, wherein stands the most that we can do, and that which we are boun● to do.  
In our Take heed, first Christ will be acknowledged the chief Efficient of our standing: without him we c●● do nothing, we cannot so much as think a good thought but all our sufficiency is of him. Therefore if any m●● want wisdom, he must ask it of the Father of lights Christ will support, but he will be prayed to. The fir●● point of our heed, is Prayer. Watch and pray (saith Christ) that you enter not into temptation. Christ did 〈◊〉 himself, when he conflicted with his most grievous temptation. If then we want strength, and have it not, it is because we ask it not. S. Paul was better advised, whobeing tempted prayed, and prayed often. Thrice he besought the Lord, that he might be rid of the messenger of Satan that buffeted him; and he received a comfortable answer, My Grace is sufficient for thee, my strength is made perfect in weakness. The world is now much subject unto falling, because indeed it is little given to praying. Many flock in God's house in the time of preaching, but you shall every where find it empty in the time of praying, people not remembering that the Preacher giveth them good armour, but it is God that giveth them good arms and legs too. Scanderbegs sword was sent to the Turk, but not his arm.  
The second duty is Humility, when thou dost stand. What hast thou, that thou hast not received (saith St. Paul?) And if thou hast received it, why boastest thou, as if thou hadst not received it? Quis te discernit? Men usually fall into love with themselves, so fare forth as to think themselves fit to be Gods, as did the Angels, and Adam; whereas he should serve the Lord in fear, and rejoice before him in trembling, serve the Lord with fear and trembling, seeing it is God that worketh in us the will and the deed, especially seeing that, God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. We must ever remember how unworthy we are of that grace we do receive, how short we come of him from whom we do receive it; that we bear not the root, but the root us: and therefore ever have an awful respect to him, that doth so graciously respect us. The angels in heaven ever behold, not their own face, but the face of GOD: and so must we be ever submissly pliable to the will of GOD. This is a man's second Take heed.  
The third is, to use our Talon, put on our Saviour, as Saint Paul speaketh Be doing good, as King David: for babenti dabitur. Yea as GOD punisheth sins with sins, so doth he multiply Grace for Grace. Therefore we must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, stir up the grace of God, blow off the ashes that will still cover it; not out of the nature of grace, but out of the subject of grace. God's grace is like fire; when it is in its own Element it is pure; but being a fuel, it increaseth and decreaseth. A man's strength (is not like the strength of a Bee) is clearer and more dusty, according to the fuel and care of the fueller. Yea if he stir it not in green wood, it will go clean out. Therefore as when God kindled fire from heaven upon the Altar, he commanded the Levites carefully to attend it, and employ it: so must we entertain the grace of God, that from Heaven is kindled in our soul, we must blow it and cherish it. God kindled that fire [Intendamus medijs non solliciti de fine] fire from Heaven; but he commanded men to cherish it on earth. Men now take little care of God and gifts: they do little good. Therefore doth God so seldom multiply his graces upon men.  
The last means is Mortification. He keepeth himself from a fall, that doth not strengthen his enemy, to give him a fall. A regenerate man is a common subject both of nature and grace: whence it cometh to pass, that he hath a double inclination; to evil by nature, by grace to goodness: according as his will is corrupt with concupiscence, or reform by holiness. We must both with Saint Paul, chastise our body and keep it under, mortify the flesh with the deeds thereof: not violating the substance, but restraining the concupiscence, that the servant may obey, and the Lord command: The flesh though it rebel, yet prevail not against the spirit. Strange it is, that Philosophers observe that man is a little world, and indeed so he is: he hath his elementary, and his aethereal part: but sin hath inverted, not the places, but the virtues of them: the aethereal being made the patiented, and the elementary the agent. And so doth that become corruptible, which by nature is incorruptible: or the sons of God have an eye, but it is to see the daughters of men, visu concupiscentiae, not providentiae: and so instead of heeding them, they enter into league with them: and ●●ence are borne Giants Nephilim: their name shows ●●heir case; they are no standers, but fallers; they take and give falls: that History is inserted as a cause of the ●●eluge. Lubrica spes est (saith Saint Cyprian) quae inter fo●●enta peccati salvari sperat. And the rather, because we must take no care for the flesh, if we will take care of ourselves. The more we bridle the flesh, the more we love it: verè, si severè therefore though grace and concupiscence lodge both in our hearts, and pass both from one man; yet they should (as the Optics writ of the ●●ames of the Sun) pass impermixti. You have seen ●●en the means of heed: and God, if he keeps us from ●●lling, will keep us by this means: and he that chooseth this way of wisdom, walketh without offence. And a slander especially must use this means: for Christ (saith Gregory) figured in his Baptism the case of a stan●●r: and the dragon waits for the child borne; 
Lib. mor. 24 12.  he draws the stars. My son, when thou interest, etc. Eccles. This is the cause why Christian Princes are so ●●ch oppugned: the devil doth not so much envy our ●●odnesse as our glory. And therefore when he cannot ●aw us in hatred of God, he would make us sin, that ●e might sinne against God, and so fall. The grievous●●sse of a standers fall must make him also to take heed. ●hen the foul spirit is gone out of a man, etc. Better were 〈◊〉 never to have known the way of righteousness. The 〈◊〉 when they degenerate prove the worst, because the ●ill will take the stronger hold of them: and God's ●●ath for their perfidiousness is greater in forsaking ●●m: Examples, The angels, the sons of God, judas, ●●non Magus. A King how dishonourable a traitor ●●th he count him, that will yield a town well fur●●●hed? Mors servituti anteponenda: and bad men, when ●●●y recover a fall prove rare. Saint Peter, David, Solo 〈◊〉, Saint Paul, Saint Austin. The devil loveth evil ●●ruments, and God doth detest rebellious traitors. If we cannot escape falling into sin, yet let us by repentance escape falling into plagues; for God commonly doth give space for repentance, that in judging ourselves we be not judged of the Lord. We stand in need of his mercy so soon as ever we sin: but as a Tenant that hath a clause of reentry in his lease, when he breaks his covenant, makes his lease voidable, rather than void: so are sinners depriveable, not deprived actually: o●● right unto all God's promises is suspended, but restitute in integrum is not denied. It was an error in the Novatians to think otherwise: yea, irrepentance is a greate● sin then any other: for to despise God's mercy is much worse, 
Rom. 2.4, 5. Je●. 13.16.  then to provoke his justice. Rom. 2. Therefore Jeremy saith, Give glory unto God, before it be dark, and your feet fall. 
Cham 18.7. Ecclus. 9.5.  This falling into plagues is sudden, 〈◊〉 dolour parturientis. When men say, Peace, etc. ut pisces ●●mo, 
Cham 5.5.  Eccl. 9 therefore take heed of this fall. De propiti●● pecca to noli esse securus, Eccl. 5.  
The last Note is, that this Precept is of as long continuance, as our possibility to fall: for he that persevered to the end, shall be saved: He which overcometh, unto his will I give, 
Phi. 1.10. Col. 1.23.  etc. He which striveth lawfully, and is without offence unto the day of the Lord, Phil. 1.10. If we 〈◊〉 in the faith, rooted and grounded, Col. 1. si in bono persti●●ris. 
Rom. 11.20 21, 22.  Rom. 11. We are made partakers of Christ, if we h●●● fast the substance, etc. statio de militari exemplo nomen 〈◊〉 cepit: nam & militia Dei sumus; utique nulla laetitia 〈◊〉 tristitia obveniens castris stationem rescindit; nam laetitia 〈◊〉 bentius, tristitia sollicitius administrabit disciplinam. T●● Philosophers comparing of a constant man to a Dy● which ever falls upon a firm basis, is worth the observing.  
The sum of all is this; Lay together the parts: 〈…〉 Admonition issuing out of all is that which Saint P●●● useth to the Hebrews, Wherefore we ought diligently to 〈◊〉 heed to those things which we have heard, lest at any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, we run out like water. Humidum suis ter●●● non continetur, it cannot stand: for if this word spo●● ●o the Corinthians was steadfast, and their disobedience thereunto hath received a just recompense of reward; ●how shall we escape, if we neglect the time of our salvation?  
In good examples, he that followeth another man's steps deserveth the less praise: but in evil, he that imitateth a wicked man, whose end he hath seen according to his deeds, deserveth the more stripes; and why? nimium praeceps est, saith Saint Cyprian, qui transire contendit, ●ubi alium inspexerit recidisse; & vehementer infraenis est, cui non incutitur timor, alio pereunte.  
It is too true a Note of Machiavelli; that we commend good men, when we read their lives, but follow the worst. 
Ecclus. 21.10.  Wherefore follow the counsel of the Son of Syrach 21, 10. and walk not in stony places. Take heed lest there be in any of you an heart of infidelity. Let us make strait steps unto our feet, and strengthen our feeble knees: and confirm O Lord, that which thou hast wrought in us; in King and people.  
Gracious God, thou hast opened unto us our manifold infirmity, and thy sovereign remedy. Grant that the sense of our weakness may stir up our dulness to try our state, and grow up in grace, by that help which thou only canst give, and make fruitful in us; that truly having, and jointly using both outward and inward means, we may upon a sound faith, and zealous charity, so stand steadfast in thy word, that hereafter we may stand boldly before the judgement seat of Christ, and blessedly before the throne of God. To him that is able, etc.   

A SERMON PREACHED AT SAINT CROSS NEAR WINCHESTER.  MATTH. 24. 
But as the days of Noah were, so shall the coming of the son of man be.  
A Wise man saith Solomon, seethe a plague, and hideth himself, but fools run on and are punished. In which words you may perceive that the fool is not challenged for not discerning of, but not providing against the plague; that plague which ●e wise man not only foresaw, but also prevented. Providence then and improvidence make no small difference between a wise man and a fool: 'tis so in worldly ●●ings. Much more in heavenly, but specially in the Ar●●●le of the last judgement day. To which purpose our ●●viour in the next Chapter, useth the parable of the foolish and wise Virgins: both knew of the Bridegroom's coming, and both went out to meet him, but only the Wise carried oil in their Lamps, but the foolish when they should have trimmed theirs had not wherewithal. Many men do believe that a judgement day shall be, they make themselves ready against that day come. Now least of this improvidence we should impute the cause not to ourselves, but to the judge, as if he did surprise us before he had forewarned us; he plainly foreshoweth the signs by which we may know that he is coming, and proposeth fearful examples of their state whom at his coming he shall find unprovided, and this example is the argument of my Text: It is set down by way of a comparison, and the comparison is of a world to a world. The world that was to the world that is; that that was drowned, to this that shall be burnt. A comparison the● here is. But in this comparison we must note, the proportion of the parties, a proportion of very great correspondency, but yet of great inequality. As it fared with one, so shall it with the other, but though the far be like, ye● shall it not be in the same degree: the latter shall be the worse: that which ascendeth to a greater height of si●, shall also descend unto a lower depth of plagues. But 〈◊〉 us begin with the comparison, and so come to the proportion of the parts. Christ compares this world unto the Old, that within his own person he shall judge, 〈◊〉 that which was destroyed in the days of Noah, and indeed there is some answerableness between Noah a● Christ. Saint Peter in the first of his third Epistle, p●●teth us in mind of it, and the answerablnesse standeth in two things. The first in the prophecy that Lamec ga●● to Noah's name, Genesis 5. called his son's name N●●● which is by interpretation Rest, for he saith Lamec, sh●● give us rest from our labours and our sorrows: and 〈◊〉 earth which God had cursed: and doth not Saint P● say, that all creatures do groan together with us being subject to vanity, for our sin, and look for a Noah, that 〈◊〉 for Christ? That shall set them free into the ●●bertie of●● sons of God, Rom. 8. Yea our Saviour Christ calleth, the eleventh of Matth. Come unto me all ye that labour and be heavy ladon, and I will ease you, I will refresh you; take my yoke upon you, and you shall find rest for your souls.  
The second point wherein they are answerable is the Ark Noah built, even the figure of our Baptism as St. Peter speaks, Or of the Church whereinto we are received by Baptism. For the Ark was built according to the dimensions of the body of a man to figure the mystical man. I mean the Church, which is the body of Christ. Out of the Ark could there be no salvation corporal, no more can there be out of this Church salvation spiritual. But we must heed the confounding of the true Ark with Saint Peter's ship. The Catholic Church with that Church of Rome, for the privilege of the whole Church, and the true Church, they appropriate to themselves being but a part, and but the worst part. Finally, the same flood that drowned the world, did bear up Noah's Ark, and the same fire that shall consume the world, shall make the Church of God more glorious, more illustrious, as gold is in the fire, of a different condition from stubble. This was figured by Moses bush, and you had a taste of it in the fiery furnace, the flames whereof consumed them that threw in the three Children, but could not sing their hair or clothes, that lived and walked in the midst of it: you see some reason of the comparison drawn from Noah and Christ, the Ark and the Church, the 'slud and the fire. But we must take a more general lesson that is insinuated in the comparison, which is, that God in all judgements past gives us a foretaste of his judgements that are to come. So doth Saint jude send men unto Angels. God spared not Angels, he will not spare men. jeremy sends judah to Israel, jerusalem is of no better condition than Shiloh, Saint Paul sendeth the Gentiles to the jews: If the true Olive were broken off: how can the graft of the wild Olive (if it be as unfruitful) presume that it shall scape the fire? Our Christ here sendeth a world to a world, the world that is, to that that was, showing that they have no discharge from God's plagues, that make no conscience of keeping Gods laws: there is no prerogative of nature, be we as excellent as the Angels, no dispensation by Covenant, be we as near God as was the seed of Abraham, no advantage of the Gospel above the Law.  
Though the Gentile be in his full age, and the jew in his nonage, though we have the truth whereof they had the Types: for there is no respect of persons with God. Cuivis contingere potest quod cuiquam potest. Saint Paul in the tenth Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians gives us this Item, all things happened unto our forefathers. No Types but they were written to admonish us upon whom the ends of the World are come. Our case then is not better than others, nay if there be any advantage, either of virtue or vice, it is on their part, not on ours; for it is an undoubted rule that in well doing he that followeth another deserveth less praise, because he had● precedent to guide him, to encourage him: but in ill doing the latter deserves the more blame than the former, especially of God's dislike, and his wrath manifested to dissuade and deter, so that, he that believes after Abraham, it is well if he may go as high as Abraham bosom: but it shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorra●, then for Corazin and Bethsaida, for that these despised Christ. After those Cities had been plagued for not hearing. Lo the conclusion is, Faelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum.  
We must make our forefather's case our case, in regard of sin, displeasing God; except we mean to be i● worse case, in regard of plagues, when we shall be ●●sited of God. And thus much of the comparison in general. Come we now to the proportion of the parts: a double proportion of correspondency and inequality. First, of the correspondency; the correspondency is double, as the persons are of two sorts, bad and good. In regard of the bad, the story doth note the world's wickedness and senselessness: their wickedness; for after that the sons of God, had matched with the daughters of men, of them sprang Giants: notorious outrageous wickedness. Rebels against God, Tyrants among men: without all pity, without all charity. But the Scripture doth in very significant manner express the measure of their sin, and senselessness of their hearts, saying of the first, that the very frame of their imaginations of their heart was evil, and that continually even from their youth. Can there be any spark of good in them whom the Scripture setteth forth as so bad? they were rotten at the root: for the frame of their imaginations was evil, and that not for a moment, they were uncessantly evil, and that not in some part of their age: but even from their youth, according to that in the 58. Psalm. The wicked go astray even from their mother's womb. Add hereunto that which God himself complains of, that this sin had not stinted itself within some sew persons, but all flesh had corrupted his ways, high and low, old and young, men and women, as it is expressly set down of Sodom and Go morrah, in that impure siege of Lot's house, so that their recovery was desperate, when the contagion was so general, and the more desperate in that, in so great wickedness there appeared so great senselessness, for God's spirit did strive with them in his mercy, desirous for to reclaim them, but strove in vain, so that being weary he was feign to break out into this speech, My spirit shall strive no more with man. And yet see the bowels of a merciful God: that when he was weary with striving, yet he did not give over striving, for unto words he added deeds, and made Noah that was before a Preacher of righteousness in words, to be unto them a Preacher of vengeance. But now in deeds: to see whether he that could not persuade them to walk holily, could strike a terror in them by building of the Ark: A visible prophecy of the flood, to turn unto God penitently. And to this striving God allowed a large term, even 120. years: but all was in vain, for they continued the same, sinful and senseless: till the flood seized upon them, and took all hope of recovery from them. Thus it fared with the old world in regard of those persons that were bad: and is it any better with our world? In this Chapter Christ parallels the jews with this world, their destruction with the destruction of the whole, and the cause of their destruction even sin and senselessness, he proposeth as a looking glass for all: how wicked they were, you may read in the first of Esay, from the Crown of the head to the sole of the foot, nothing but sores and blains, he means not corporal but spiritual, as you may read in the verse going before those words, where he calls them corrupt children and seed of the wicked. In the same Chapter he describes their senselessness showing that God gave over fatherly to correct them, because the more they were smitten, the more they did apostatise from him. jeremy doth speak of the like general sinfulness and senselessness, but specially in the latter end of the book of Kings, and of the Chronicles, it is amplified as the just cause of their Babylonian captivity, even when they were besieged, and w●ll nigh famished, yet would they not believe that either God was offended, or their City should be destroyed. Touching the second captivity by the Romans, our Saviour Christ briefly, but very sharply, and yet with compassion, chargeth them both with sin and senselessness. O Jerusalem, jerusalem, that killest the Prophets, a●● stonest them that were sent unto thee, that is their sin. how often would I have gathered thy Children together as the hen doth her chickens, but thou wouldst not? That was the senselessness. But what was the issue? even a sudde● destruction from God, that upon her might come all the righteous blood that was spilt, from the blood of Abe● unto the blood of Zacharias. So likewise in the Nineteenth of Luke. When he beheld the City, he wept, and gives the reason in his prayer. O that thou hadst known in this thy day, those things that belong unto thy peace! That is their sin, but now are they hid from thine eyes, that is their senselessness. He adds the issue: Therefore shall thine enemies cast a bank about thee, etc. But doth God enter into judgement only with the jew, and are these only the defects of the jews? No, The parable made in this Chapter showeth that it reacheth unto the Gentiles also: For when the Son of man cometh, he shall scarce find faith in the earth. And because iniquity shall abound, charity shall wax cold. Sin shall be ripe even unto harvest, before Christ send the Angels his reapers to cut down this field of the world. The world shall be sinful, and as the Apostle speaketh, The last days shall be perilous times, men shall be lovers of themselves more than lovers of God. He goeth on particularising their sins against the first Table, against the second, showing that the fleshly tables of their hearts, shall scarce retain any print of the hand writing of the spirit of God: the world doth not grow more old in regard of natural strength, than men grow old in goodness and virtue, or rather sin grows unto his highest flood, when nature grows unto her lowest ebb: and as men are more sinful, so are they more and more senseless, resisting the Holy Ghost, with uncircumcised ears and hearts: the first world strove against the Spirit of God, and no marvel, for the prophecy of Isaiah in his eighth Chapter, which is reported by Christ and the Apostles, doth contain an inseparable property from sin, which is to make us wink with our eyes, and stop our ears, and obdurate our hearts: that in seeing we may see and not perceive, and in hearing we may hear and not understand, and so the Devil doth hoodwink us, and stupefy us, lest we should be converted, and so saved. Saint Paul notes it in the third Chapter of the first Epistle to the Thessaloni●ns. Men shall c●y, Peace, peace, when sudden desolation shall be at hand; Or as job speaks, spend their days in pleasure, and in a moment go down quickly to hell: so that King David's compassionate admiration will prove true; who having described in Psal. 73. the jollity of the wicked, who in the height of their prosperity do open their mouth against heaven, sheweth, that they are senseless of their slippery standing, and wondering at their fault, crying out, Now do they perish suddenly, fearfully, finally.  
And indeed this world must answer that other world; it must needs be, that they which will not neither be reclaimed nor forewarned, must be surprised. Our Saviour Christ expresseth it in three fine similes. The first is of the travel of a woman, so shall the judgement day come. Every wicked man hath a double travel; Saint James teacheth it in his first chapter, Lust conceives, and bringeth forth sin: that is a pleasant travel. But this womb resteth not here; for sin will not leave till it have brought forth death: that is a painful travel, but an unexpected child: when a man is not delivered of that which he conceived, his issue is death, when he at least expected a contented life. But so doth God overtake a sinner: even as job also resembling sin to sweet meat in the mouth, shows that it proves the gall of Asps in the stomach.  
The second simile, is of a Thief; whereunto Christ resembleth the judgement day: not only to express his unexpected coming, but the event of his judgement, which will rob us of all that wherein we set our wicked hearts delight: you read it in the parable of the man whose ground bearing plenty, he was to enlarge his barns, but he adds his wicked affection, grovelling upon earthly things; when he encourageth his soul to eat and drink, because it had provision for many years; but the Oracle checks him, Thou fool, this night shall they take thy soul from thee; than whose shall all these things be? Dives, for all his soft raiment and delicate fare, had nothing left him when he was summoned by death to shroud him from, or refresh him in the flames of hell.  
The third simile, is of the snare of a Fowler or a Hunter, which taketh the beast, or the bird; who catching after the pray, is caught by the engine: and Saint Paul tells us, that in committing sin, we do receive the sting of death. The condition of Adam's sin attends the sin of every son of Adam: whiles eating the forbidden fruit, he looked to have eyes open, that he might behold himself as a God: he found indeed how he was circumvented by the equivocation of the phrase: that to be a god knowing good and evil, is but a periphrasis of the devil, and indeed he became unexpectedly, but justly, a god like unto him, and so shall all his sons that impiously transgress God's laws; hear that dreadful voice, Go ye cursed into everlasting fire, provided for the Devil and his angels.  
You have heard the proportion of correspondency so fare as it concerns the bad; now must you hear it so fare as it concerns the good; for though the world were so sinful and so senseless, yet was there a Noah left, and his family: but one Noah, and one family. There was a Noah that found favour with God, and was righteous in the sight of God. God never shows only justice, but ever mingles it with some mercy. Though all should justly perish, yet some shall be mercifully saved. ●n a whole wicked world, God will have some Noah: ●nd that he may fit him, he will give his holy Spirit un●o him. Noah had found no grace with God, had he not ●eceived the grace of righteousness from God. But Saint Paul expresseth in the eleventh of the Hebrews, the two ●arts of Noah's piety; which was reverence, and con●●dence: reverence, in making the Ark; confidence, in ●sing the Ark: not only obeying God's word in providing the means to save himself, but also using it when ●●e time came; notwithstanding others, so many others ●id despise it. Whereupon followed two effects, that he ●as not surprised by the flood; and as the Apostle saith, he condemned the world. You have heard that there was a Noah, but mark that there was but one Noah and his family; a small number to a whole world, but such is the excess of the wicked above the good: so many more are there that perish, than those that are saved: 'twas so in the old world, so it shall be in this: to follow the parable of the jews and the Gentiles: but a remnant of the jews are saved. The Prophet compares it to a gleaning after a vintage, or a harvest. Whereas the wicked are compared unto the stars of heaven, and to the sands of the Sea, and to a whole harvest. This is meant by the parable of Gods choosing; but one tree of all the forest, one Dove of all the birds, one City of all the world: but consider that there is one, though there be but one; for God will save a flock, though it be but a little flock: for the elects sake he will hasten his judgement, lest there should remain no flesh to be saved. The world little thinks upon that which is a grounded truth, that for the godlies sake God forbears to come to judgement. But in Rom. 4. it is set down plainly, when the souls that lay, under the Altar cried unto God, saying, How long Lor● righteous and true, dost thou defer to revenge our blood upon the world? answer is given unto them, that they must rest for a while, till the number of their brethren was fulfilled; for than shall be an end of all. When Jerusalem is fully built, the body of Christ hath all his members, and the true Olive hath all his branches. Little therefore do the wicked consider that they bane themselves, while they persecute the godly: For Obadiahs house was blessed, whiles it was the place of the Ark: and so were the Roman Emperors whiles they cherished the Italians. But as God will have a remnant, so it will be but a sma● remnant: there will be faith, but scarce faith, as Christ speaks; and charity, though it will not be quite dead it will be very cold: which makes that Romish conce●● very frivolous, which maketh the most illustrious Church to be the true Church: whereas Christ answers truly to the questioners, that demanded, whether there should be many saved; that the gate is wide, and the way broad that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that find it; but the gate is strait, and the way narrow, that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. The conclusion of the correspondency is, that a few, though but a few, shall imitate Noah in his reverence, and likewise in his confidence; Observing the means prescribed by God, and trusting perfectly in the promises of God, Saint Peter joins them both, when he makes Baptism an antitype of the Ark; when he shows that Baptism hath not only the putting away of the filth of the flesh, which is the external washing, but also the interrogation of a good conscience unto God, through the resurrection of jesus Christ: Christ means the same, when he saith, that this little flock shall watch the signs of his coming; and also they lift up their heads with joy, knowing that their salvation draweth near. The issue of their reverence and confidence is, they shall be saved; they shall be taken up to meet Christ, and ever to be with him: they shall enter into their master's joy, and be made partakers of the marriage feast.  
You have heard of the correspondency; but though in the comparison there be so good a correspondency, yet must we consider withal, a great inequality; as great an inequality of the things, as there is of the persons; I mean the persons of Noah and Christ: as fare as the son of man doth exceed that man, so fare shall the end of this world exceed the end of that; whether you respect the destruction of the bad, or the salvation of the good. In regard of the destruction of the bad, there shall be four great differences.  
The first is, That world was destroyed with water; this shall be destroyed with fire; and who knoweth not how much more terrible fire is then water?  
But which is the second, That water wasted only the earth, and those things that lived upon the earth; ●ut this shall waste both heaven and earth, and whatsoever is: I except Christ's little flock in either heaven or earth. If the sight of the Deluge were fearful, how much more fearful shall this combustion of the whole be, when 'tis compared to the inundation of a part: a part which Astronomy proves to be so little in comparison of the whole.  
Add hereunto the third, that of the wicked, That destruction was but partial; but this shall be total Then there was at least a Cham, a seed of the wicked; that escaping might be an example to reclaim the future wicked, and indeed, the voice of a Nabuchadnezzar or an Antiochus experiencing and acknowledging the justice of God, will in probability work more than the voice of Moses, or Daniel or judas Maccabeus to reclaim the wicked. God therefore at that time was pleased to try also this means, and preserved not only a Sem, but also a Cham. But in this last destruction God saveth not so much as one Cham, not a goat left among the sheep, if there be but one that wanteth his wedding garment, the master of the feast will espy him, and away with him, the corn will be clean unmowed from the Chaff, and the gold purified from all dross. Add hereunto the last point, that destruction was but temporal, this final, that that was but temporal, so some understand. Saint Peter 1. Epist. 4. but this is undoubtedly eternal, for the sentence is, Go ye cursed into everlasting fire: no recall of the sentence, no recovery of the state: so Noah saved, to be the hope of the second world, as the book of Wisdom speaks Chap. 14. You have here the inequality in regard of the bad, and in regard of the good, there is the same inequality also that fire shall as wonderfully preserve them, as it fearfully destroys the wicked. There shall be a general renovation of heaven and earth, wherein dwells righteousness, as there was a combustion of the other, heaven and earth wherein dwelled wickedness. And in this heaven and earth shall be no unclean thing, and that which is purified shall remain so for ever, even blessed for ever, entirely and eternally blessed, whereas the deliverance by Noah was but temporal, it was but partial, it was from a death but only of the body, and that only for a time, and that to live a mortal life, so that is, and so must have his destruction, that in that example, we read that God is displeased with sin, that he poureth forth his vengeance upon sin, but how fare he is displeased, how much vengeance shall be exacted, we may guess it in the former world, but we cannot throughly understand, that correspondency doth not amount unto an equality. Only for a close of all, he that readeth that, may well believe this: because that is a pledge of this, and our best course is to follow Christ's counsel. Luke 21. Take heed least at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfeiting and drunkenness, and that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come upon all the inhabitants of this world. Let us watch therefore and pray that we may be worthy to escape the things that then shall come, and stand before the son of man: for as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man.  
Grant gracious Lord, that denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts, we may so reverence thy word and depend on thy promise with such a confidence, that we be neither sinful nor senseless, and so surprised with thy just wrath; but may watchfully look for, and earnestly hasten unto the blessed appearing of our glorious judge and Saviour, Jesus Christ.   
FINIS.   

IMPRIMATUR.  
THOMAS BROWNE. APRIL. 16. 1640.