XI. CHOICE SERMONS, PREACHED UPON Selected Occasions, in Cambridge. VIZ.  

I. The Preachers Dignity, and Duty: In five Sermons, upon 2. Corinth. 5. 20.  
II. CHRIST Crucified, the Tree of Life: In six Sermons, on 1. Corinth. 2. 2.   
BY JOHN STOUGHTON, Doctor in Divinity, sometimes Fellow of Immanuel College in Cambridge, late Preacher of Aldermanburie, LONDON.  
According to the Original Copy, which was left perfected by the Author before his death.  
LONDON, Printed by R. B. for john Bellamy, Henry Overton, john Rothwell, and Ralph Smith. 1640.   

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, HENRY, EARL OF HOLLAND, Baron of Kensington, Captain of His Majesty's Guard, one of the Gentlemen of the Bedchamber, Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, and one of His Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council.  
The Widow of the deceased Author, in testimony of her humble and thankful acknowledgement of his noble favour and respect, showed to her dearest Husband in his life time, presenteth these ensuing Sermons, which are now, according to the trust reposed in him, published by A. B.   

To the Reader.  
BE pleased to take notice, that here is presented to public view, the true legitimate birth of the Author, whose name it bears. He left several Sermons under his own hand, preached at special times, and in Auditories of greatest worth and estimation, the chief of which are now made public, in these ensuing Sermons: other of his Sermons were only taken from his mouth, in the publishing of which, the best care is and shall be taken, to publish them by, and compare them with the exactest copies that can be gotten. In both you have the Authors mind, as near as can be, expressed, in his own words, without adding or detracting. In the latter, you shall find the heads of the Sermons (which were all that were last perfected by the Author) in a methodical Analysis prefixed before them: they were his own, both for form and words; only what he wrote in Latin, is translated into English, for the benefit of all, and the Latin you shall have inserted in the margin, in his own words, answerable to the several particulars treated on in the Sermons: you may see a proof of it in the Sermon upon 1 Sam. 2. 30. if it had been sooner thought on, you should have found the like in all, you may expect it in the rest, except in some few, which are already in the Press, or prepared for it. This shall be the token in every Sermon, by which the true birth shall be distinguished from such counterfeits, as might otherwise be fathered upon him. Be entreated to pardon the slips of the pen in writing, and of the Press in printing, and then I hope you shall not find any material imperfections: so I commend these labours, together with thyself, to the blessing of God.  
A. B.   


FIVE SERMONS, ON TWO COR. V. XX. Preached at Cambridge, BY JOHN STOUGHTON, Doctor in Divinity, sometimes Fellow of Immanuel College in Cambridge, late of Aldermanburic, London.  
Perfected by the Author in his life time.  1 Thess. 5. 12. 
We beseech you brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord.  
Quanto sublimitas notior, tanto humilitas pretiosior.  Bern. in Epist. Dom. 2. Serm. 
LONDON, Printed by R. B. for john Bellamy, and Ralph Smith, and are to be sold at their Shop, at the three golden Lions in Cornhill, near the Royal Exchange. 1640.   

2 CORINTH. 5. 20.  

1. The Connexion and Coherence of the words. 

1. The occasion of them. 

1. Imputations cast upon the Apostles. 

1. Person, by reason of his meanness.  
2. Calling, by reason of his afflictions.    
2. Removed and taken away: 4. Chap. 7. vers. where he doth plead for, 

1. The excellency of his Function.  
2. The necessity of his work: though afflictions do attend him: for, 

1. Hope of reward iuticeth him, vers. 13. of the 4. Chapter, and 10 of the 5. Chapter.  
2. Fear of Punishment incites him, vers. 10. 11.  
3. Love of Christ constrains him.        
2. Text itself.    
2. The parts of the Text, 

1. Institution of an Office.  
2. Execution of it.    
3. Explication of the words. 

1. Subject, we: 3. degrees of latitude, as it respects, 

1. Himself.  
2. All his fellow Apostles.  
3. All his fellow Labourers.   

1. As it respects himself, he speaks in the plural number, where is, 

1. The Language of humility.  
2. A Mystery of wisdom.    
2. As it respects all Apostles: who do, 

1. Agree in substance of commission, 

with Ministers.    
2. Differ in circumstance of execution, 

with Ministers.    
They differ in two things 

1. Their Mission was more Authentical.  
2. Their Motion more observable.      
2. Ambassadors. 

1. Comparison holds between Ministers and Ambassadors, in three things. 

1. They are both messengers.  
2. Both from Princes.  
3. Both about matters of mutual behoof.    
2. The disagreement is in three things,  
1. Ambassadors are sent, because Princes themselves cannot be present.  
2. Ambassadors are to Princes only, or free States.  
3. Ambassadors are set forth with some beseeming port and Pomp.    
3. As it respects all his fellowlabourers.    
3. For Christ: who may be conceived, 

1. As the Author.  
2. The end of this Ambassage.  
3. Object, of these Ambassadors.      
4. Doctrine: Ministers are Gods Ambassadors. 

1. Explication. 

1. The necessity, that God should send his Ambassadors to us. 

1. On man's part, miserable extremity.  
2. On God's part, most feeling and free compassion.    
2. The conveniency, that men and mean men should be sent, not Angels, in three Reasons.   

1. From the nature of the thing. 

1. Men have more ordinary and visible converse with men.  
2. By this means man is drawn to God in such a manner, as is suitable to his nature.  
3. By this means the gifts of grace are conveyed, as by a conduit-pipe, by the same nature.    
2. It is most profitable for man. 

1. It is a fruit of Christ's exaltation, and a real pledge of God's affection.  
2. It is a most probable and likely way to bring men to God▪ God deals. 

1. More familiarly with us.  
2. More credibly: for, 

1. Men are known unto us:  
2. They cannot deceive others, but they must also deceive their own soul.  
3. They confirm their own words with their works.  
4. They sometimes set a seal of suffering to their doctrine.    
3. More effectually.    
3. It is the strongest bond of love between Christians.    
3. God's gains most glory this way. 

1. He magnifies his own Power in this.  
2. Makes trial of the obedience of his children.      
2. Proof: by demonstrations taken from the nature of the doctrine. 

1. The antiquity of their doctrine.  
2. Excellency of their Ambassage. 

1. Subject of their Doctrine.  
2. Project of their Doctrine.   

1. Subject they teach. 

1. Plainly of the incomprehensible distinction of the Trinity, etc.  
2. Truly of man's blessed integrity, and cursed Apostasy.  
3. Clearly of a strange marriage, the Divine nature with the humane, etc.  
4. Sweetly of humiliation by the Law, of vocation by the Gospel, etc.    
2. The project of their Doctrine: the salvation of man, which is,  
1. The most noble and necessary work.  
2. Most beseeming the greatness, goodness, and wisdom of God.  
3. Most distant from the reach of reason.      
3. Efficacy of their Ministry: showed, 

1. In general.  
2. In particular, 

1. Exten sively.  
2. Intensively, it works.    
1. In the heart.  
2. A strange work in the heart, both those in regard▪ 

1. Of the act itself.  
2. Of the manner of working. 

1. Without any help, ex parte subjecti.  
2. Without any help, ex parte medii: or thus,    
1. They work upon the heart: which is, 

1. The most free.  
2. The most hard of any thing to work upon.    
2. They work upon the heart in a special and strange manner: consider, 

1. Act itself: it is, 

1. A Resurrection.  
2. A Generation.  
3. A New creature.    
2. Effect,  
3. Terms between which this mutation runs.    
3. The heart confers nothing to this work, not so much as a natural receptivitie.  
4. All this is done with weak means. 

1. Not with inticeing words of eloquence.  
2. But with humility, simplicity, and plainness of speech. Extensively, the efficacy of it, 

1. Extends to all Nations.  
2. In despite of all opposition.      
3. Application.  
1. In respect of those that enter into the Ministry. 

1. To those that are in authority: they must keep out such as are defective. 

1. In sound understanding.  
2. Insyncere affection.  
3. In unblameable conversation.    
2. To those that have children to bring up, and do dedicated them to God's service, let them not be the gift of, 

1. Some infirmity: or,  
2. Deformity.    
3. To those that are entering into the ministry: they must bethink themselves of all. 

1. Helps.  
2. Ornaments that may 

1. Grace.  
2. Expedite their function.    
1. A rich invention.  
2. A solid judgement.  
3. A faithful memory.  
4. The skill of Arts and Tongues.    
4. To those that are too forward in this kind:    
2. In respect of those that are already in the Ministry. 

1. For instruction. 

1. For their life, it must be, 

1. Holy.  
2. Exemplary: else they,    
1. Dishonour 

1. The Country, from whence they come.  
2. The Person, from whom they come.    
2. Dishearten the people in their way.    
2. For their Doctrine: the title of Ambassadors commends many things unto them.  
1. Fidelity: they must not go beyond their Commission.  
2. Humility.  
3. Diligence: enforced from, 

1. The nature of their Service.  
2. The authority of their Master.  
3. The necessity of their Errand.  
4. The Reward of their service.  
5. The Punishment of their neglect.    
4. Courage and resolution, against 

1. Fear.  
2. Flattery.    
1. Fear of reproaches, nicknames.  
2. Fear of the frowns of men.  
3. Fear of the greatest sufferings: fear, how of these for 

1. If we perish, we flourish.  
2. Cowardice is cruelty.      
2. To those that are eminent in the Church, they must consider, 

1. That no dignity can make them so truly honourable, as the preaching of the Gospel.  
2. The frequency of this duty is no disparagement to their greatness.    
3. To the people. 

1. Offer no discourtesy to those Ambassadors, for, 

1. God gives charge they should be inviolable.  
2 It will pull all God's judgements upon us.    
2. Receive them as the Angels of God: give, 

1. Attention,  
2. Credit,  
3. Obedience 

to their words.    
1. When we go to God's house, say, I go to hear what Gods Ambassadors will say unto me.  
2. When we return with benefit, say, 

Blessed be thou, and  
Blessed be thy counsel, and  
Blessed be the Lord, that sent thee to meet me this day.                
2. CORINTH. 5. 20. Now than we are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 
I Purposed to have entered into these words abruptly; but the first words which stand as it were in the porch, being particles of special inference from the former, and therefore of necessary reference to them, tell me that I must borrow light at the next door, that I may walk inoffensively. To give a touch then of the coherence. You may take notice of it, either as they depend upon the next verses immediately going before, or as they stand in the whole building, and are as it were woven into the whole frame of the Apostles discourse. The connexion with the precedent verses is very easy and perspicuous: you may aread the meaning, if you will but read the words, And all things are of God, etc. these are the words out of which you may easily draw, and (with a little turning of the wheel of your understanding) as it were spin the words that I have read, thus: We have a commission to preach the word of reconciliation, that is the good will of God, for reconciling man to himself by the blood of jesus Christ: We have such a commission from God: Ergo, we are Ambassadors for Christ. But there is something more difficulty to observe how these make to the general end and scope of the Apostle: give me leave to go back a little, and take the advantage of a run, that I may the better open the meaning of these words. The faithful Apostle (as it is the condition of all that will be faithful) met with many rubs and much opposition at Corinth, especially from the College of proud Pharisees and learned Rabbins among them: among other things, his afflictions were laid in his dish, and that scandal of the meanness of his person, was interpreted as a real prejudice against the truth of his profession. You will say, a brutish collection, and against a common rule of humanity; and yet, to say truth, it is the common opinion of carnal men; they judge of Religion by these outward impertinencies, rather than appurtenances, they cannot fancy the truth, because of the ragged garment that she wears. As on the contrary, the tyrant boasted that the Gods approved of his sacrilege, because he sailed home with a fair gale of wind: Foelix scelus virtus vocatur, Mischief happy in the success is called virtue: and with the Papists, the ostentation of the prosperity of their estate, is the best demonstration of the sincerity of their religion: belike they have clipped the wings of prosperity (as the Athenians did the wings of victory) that she cannot fly away from their Church: so in this, jobs friends reason thus, surely thou art an hypocrite, or else thou hadst never come to this: And the Barbarians in the Acts conclude thus in their country barbarous Mood and Figure, when they saw a viper upon Paul's hand, 
Acts 28. 4.  surely that man is a malefactor, justice pursues him, and that vermin, as an officer of justice, hath arrested him. So do they of Corinth, according to their barbarous divinity, seeing Paul's misery, as they conceived it, call his ministry into question: But the Apostle wipes away both these imputations, the one cast upon his person, the other on his calling, with one answer, and stops two gaps with one bush, look 4. Chap. 7. Verse. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. As if he should have said, our profession is honourable, though our person be contemptible; our Ministry is a treasure, though we Ministers be but earthen vessels; and these very earthen vessels, though they have but a base matter, yet they have a blessed end: for they proclaim to all the world, that the excellency of the power is of God, and not of us. Is it thus, might some man say, and is there nothing then that comes to your share? have you nothing but your labour for your pains? is there nothing to be gotten by the Gospel but blows and persecution? Why then you may take all the gains, and put them in your eye (as we use to speak) and see never a whit the worse, and then weep them out again. But I wonder what makes you so faithful in such a fruitless thing? why are you so hot for that which yields such cold recompense? The Apostle, besides the excellency of his function, alleges three reasons why afflictions did not daunt him, and dash him out of countenance, but he held on his course and diligence in publishing the Gospel: I will but point them out and pass them over.  
1. From the hope of a blessed reward in heaven, from the 13. Verse of the 4. Chapter to the 10. of this 5.  
2. From the fear of just punishment, and a curse, if he should have done the work of the Lord negligently, in the 10. and 11. Verse of this Chapter, For we must all appear, etc. and though here were weight enough to set the most rusty wheels a going: yet because these two may work in base minds, and are in themselves but sinister ends, which many that seem to go straight, may look a squint upon: fear in the forward, and reward and hope in the rearward marshal all his forces, and love in the main battle, or rather, tota in toto & tota in qualibet parte, animates every one to valour and victory; punishment is servile, and hope of reward mercenary. He adds a third motive, which is the peculiar character of a Christian mind, and that is love, in the 14 vers. of this Chap. For the love of Christ constraineth us, this is that which winds up his affections to that intention of zeal and fervency. And I pray mark the words. Reward hath an attractive, and punishment an impulsive, but love hath a compulsive faculty. Reward draws him, punishment drives him, but love hales him forward, to the discharge of his duty: Hope like a tender Mother entices him with a reward, fear like a severe Master incites him with punishment, but love like a Sovereign Lord commands him. Hope hales before him, and fear blows behind him, and both on each side row him, but love within him like the very soul of obedience teaches him a natural motion. Behold again a strange agreement, force and freedom, violent and voluntary, necessity and liberty met together, and married; and which is more, the most pure liberty with the most powerful necessity, For the love of Christ constraineth us, the sweetest natured affection. Love is grown a tyrant and will needs force and ravish the virgin, freedom of will; which hitherto hath been inviolate. Love constrains not by forcible but by loving necessity, as Plato speaks. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  You see three goodly threads, which twisted all together have strength enough to draw the most sleepy sluggard out of his bed of sloth, but you do not see how they are fastened to Paul, you see three mighty engines, which are able to move him that were immovable, but you do not see in what point they touch our Apostle, and yet that is the principal point: for if these generalities were sufficient, why doth not every Vzzah lay hands upon the Ark of God without any check of justice? why doth not every man that is not a stock or a Stoic, that hath any hope or fear or love, become a Preacher, a publisher of the Gospel? Yes I will tell you, Paul was an Apostle, he had a calling which authorised him, to do what he did, and therefore all these wrought upon him, and encouraged him to do it diligently. This is the handle on which they all lay hold; Now we being Ambassadors for Christ, hope invites us, and fear commands us, and love constrains us to strive for our victory, to see for our safety, to condescend to your infirmity in the faithful execution of our ministry, and therefore in all earnest, obedient, and humble manner, we pray you be ye reconciled to God. I have made bold to crop these few tops of flowers out of this Divine Garden which lies before my text, where I must dwell something longer, and I mean to scruze the juice of them into my following discourse. And therefore if you find that it shall taste of this coherence, you see the ingreedients, you need not suspect the operation. The sum of the words is the sum of the Word of God, they are a little Bible, an Enchiridion of the whole volume, all the letters are compendiously abbreviated in these few characters, all the particular words cast up into this total sum, all the silver sayings reduced into this golden sentence, that it may be more portable. We pray you be ye reconciled to God, for here is the knowledge of God; we pray you be ye reconciled to God, here is the knowledge of man; we pray you be ye reconciled to God, here is the knowledge of him that is both God and man; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God, here is the knowledge of them that are sent from God to man, to bring man to God.  
We pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God. I shall not be curious in laying out the parts, a popular argument will be content with a popular distribution, I will but let the words fall into your ears and they will break themselves into two parts. Now therefore we are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you be ye reconciled to God. You see the words of their own accord fall into two parts. 1. Ye have the Ambassadors, 2. The Embassage: The Ambassadors in the first words, We are Ambassadors for Christ, The Embassage in the rest; and then the last words of the first part [for Christ] are as it were the corner stone, in which the two buildings are coupled; the middle ring, in which the two extremes are joined; the communis terminus, in which the two parts are continued; the joints upon which they turn themselves, and clasp one with another: and perhaps I may express the same thing in better terms, if I call the first the charge, the second the discharge; the first, the institution of an Office; the second, the execution of it: In the first, we have one Proposition consisting of a simple antecedent, and a triple consequent; the antecedent We, we are Ambassadors for Christ: the primary consequent is Ambassadors; We are Ambassadors, which is attended with a double illustration, and so altogether make a treble attribution, as I told you: First from the Object about which they are employed, for Christ; We are Ambassadors for Christ: The second from the Author, by whom they are employed, from God; We are Ambassadors for Christ from God: indeed this is employed in the text, but must be supplied out of the context, as you may see easily, and shall see shortly. This is the first part, and the second is like unto it, as our Saviour said of the Commandments: for there we have one proposition likewise, which hath a sensible proportion with the former, but yet accompanied with some remarkable alterations: for, 1. It consists of a triple antecedent, and a simple consequent clean contrary to it. 2. That which was the consequent before hath shifted his place, and is now become the antecedent, the whole being enriched with a new consequent, which was not in the former. 3. The three parts of the consequent have had a remove, that which was last, is commended and preferred to be first; and which was first, is degraded and rejected to be last; only the middle, as the centre, is unmooved. And now thus it is; We are Ambassadors for Christ from God, there's the antecedent, peeced out with the three parts of the former consequent: pray you be ye reconciled to God, there's the consequent, but the order of the parts are inverted: for they should run as I propounded them, but they are propounded so, that they run clean backward in a 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  retrograde motion, as the Artists speak: We as Ambassadors for Christ from God, coming from God, as though God did beseech you by us, coming for Christ, in Christ's stead, or in Christ's name: coming as Ambassadors or Orators, do play the Orators, we pray you be ye reconciled to God. The last point of the first, is the first of the last; and the last of the last, is the first of the first, and so they close together much like the figure which the Rhetoricians called 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  a circular figure, and more like the year, of which the Poet, Atque in se sua per vestigia vertitur annus.  
So that ye have in these words two propositions, like two Semicircles, and we is the Centre upon which they both move; like two Hemisphears, and we is the Horizon, which divides the superior from the inferior; both which together make one solid Globe, and we is the Diameter, that cuts it into equal portions, a Semicircle of being, and a Semicircle of operation; an Hemisphere of office, and an Hemisphere of action: The first, We are Ambassadors for God, The second, We as Ambassadors pray you to be reconciled to God. The contriving of these rooms was so perplexed, that I am afraid my speech hath not given window enough to let in light enough to clear the passages: I am sure I am glad that I have wound myself out of this intricate Labyrinth, though I were to break the clue that guided me, and the thread of my discourse presently.  
But now we have cut out the stuff, we must go about to make up the garment. To begin with the first. As the Stars in the Firmament have a double virtue, of illumination and influence, whereby they communicate themselves to the inferior bodies: So hath every text in holy writ, an illumination of truth upon the understanding, and an influence of grace and goodness upon the will; and therefore I will endeavour to show your apprehensions the light of truth in the explication of the words, so that they may shed their influence of grace upon your affections in their application. The first word that offers itself to our consideration, is the subject we: which though it be so concrete with that which follows in the original that it hath lost itself, for there all that sentence is wrapped up in one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; as the lesser Stars when they have approached in too near a degree of propinquity to the Sun, as it were conscious of their own presumption, they dare not be seen, or else they forfeit their light to the Sun their sovereign, and are eclipsed. Yet a good Logician, with his Prometheus fire, would sever these heterogeneals, and resolve them into their pure and primitive natures, and then would appear a pair of arguments, besides the yoke that holds them together, as our translation renders it, We are Ambassadors. Well then, that first word (that we may take the just measure of the meaning of it) must be considered in three degrees of latitude. 1. It respects himself. 2. All his fellow Apostles. 3. All his Fellowlabourers in the Lord's harvest. The body of it moves within himself, as in his proper and particular Sphere, the beams are cast abroad upon all the Apostles in a direct and perpendicular line, the beauty and lustre diffuseth itself yet further in an unpartial liberality to every Minister of the Word; I, and they, and all, we are Ambassadors for Christ. 1. Himself, I, who was an abortive birth, a stranger, a wolf, a persecutor, a traitor, an enemy to the grace of God, in my best principles of nature; I am become, by the rich mercy of God, a darling son, a Subject, a Shepherd, a Preacher, a Favourite, an Ambassador of the grace of God in jesus Christ: I am an Ambassador. Thus the Apostle chewes as it were upon his office, as the wounded Hart upon the famous Dictamum, and all the poisoned Arrows of reproach and obloquy, drop off. Thus he shakes the Viper off his hand, which those barbarous enemies thought to have been deadly▪ but the reason why he speaks in the plural number, is because of humility partly, and partly of wisdom. It is the language of humility, when a man is urged to a necessary 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  selfe-praise, and forced by the importunity of others, to vindicate himself, yet to qualify his speech as much as may be. So doth the Apostle here excellently, it seems good to him to distribute this honour to many, that he may not seem to attribute too much to himself, and this plural number is a phrase of singular humility, and thus the stile of Princes runs (we will and our pleasure) joining their Counsel or the whole State with themselves: For I rather take that frequent anomaly for an intimation of modesty, then of majesty, though I am not ignorant how others apprehend it. Again here is a mystery of wisdom in this word. For as a Deer that is eagerly pursued will immerse itself into the whole heard, that so she may suspend the violence of the chase, by the ambiguity of the choice in such variety of game: So Paul being singled out by calumny, doth mingle himself with the whole fellowship of Apostles. Or as one in danger of arresting will take sanctuary in some privileged place: So Paul takes sanctuary at the College of Apostles. 2. This word besides the particular appropriation which it hath to Paul himself, must needs be interpreted, according to the true propriety of the number, and meaning; and so it extends itself. 1. To all the Apostles. 2. To all Ministers of the Word, both of them are Ambassadors, for they agree in the substance of their commission, though there be some difference in the circumstance of the execution: the Apostolic office, indeed, carried a more lively resemblance of an Ambassage, than the ordinary Ministry, in two regards. 1. They were authorized by Christ himself, and so received their instructions immediately from his mouth, who is the King of the Church; and accordingly were furnished with all sufficiencies, by the inspiration of his Spirit; they bestowed not much time and travail to speak foreign languages, (a thing necessary for Ambassadors) but as Esaie's tongue was touched by a Seraphim with a coal from the Altar, so they had cloven and fiery tongues, bestowed on them by the Spirit: beside that, they had the gift of miracles, as it were the broad seal of Heaven, annexed to their letters of credit. But with our Ministers it is not so, but they are brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, and trained up in the Schools of the Prophets, and purchase their abilities (as he in the Acts did his freedom) with a great sum of labour, and time, and cost: and then the Church the Spouse of Christ, since her Lord's departure, as a Matron, wears the keys of authority at her girdle, opens to them a door of utterance and admits them to the service of the Altar. As they had a more authentical mission, so they had a motion more observable, which adds as it were life and spirit to the image, and picture of Ambassadors. They were dispatched into all coasts and corners of the world; but ours are fastened to some one place, like pillars of residence; but notwithstanding these petty differences, seeing they have the same sphere of activity, in which they move, to reconcile men to God, and the same Sun of authority, by which they move, the power of the Church, being the power of Christ derived to her, (as we call them the King's officers, who are created not immediately by his Majesty, but in virtue of his power and in subordination to his Royal prerogative) And last, seeing the similitude may be preserved entire in both, though this variety be confessed: there being a difference in the type Ambassadors, much like that in the antitype of Ministers; so that either may answer the pattern: And our ordinary Ministers suit with agents or leiger Ambassadors, as the Apostles came nearer to extraordinary. In all these respects they also being included, the whole extent of this word We hath three degrees: 1. Himself, 2. All his fellow Apostles, 3. All his fellowlabourers in the Lord's harvest. I have made some haste, but the time I fear hath over run me much, and therefore for that which is behind of the explication, I will lay down but the rude lineaments, and proportion, and leave the perfect colours and complexion to another time. The second word (Ambassadors) is a speech borrowed from Prince's Courts, and applied to Christ his Church, by a decent analogy. Ambassadors are messengers from one Prince or State to another, about such affairs as concern both. You may observe three moments of being, in this rude description; and accordingly draw out three parallel lines, in which, the terms of comparison do run along one by another in a sweet proportion. 1. They are both Messengers. 2. They are both from Princes. 3. They are both about matters of mutual behoof.  
But, because you know a similitude is a tender thing, and must be gently handled, you must not squeize it too much, and stretch it too far, lest you break the harmony and analogy, the Music and Logic of the parts; I shall pray you to carry along with you three main discords in which they jar, least promising yourselves an harmony, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in every note and point; you be offended too much with every harshness and inequality. 1. Ambassadors are therefore sent from Princes, because themselves cannot be present every where: but the Lord of these Ambassadors, as he is in no predicament of time, because he inhabiteth eternity; so he is in no ubi, but ubiquity. 2. Ambassadors are directed to Princes only, or free Estates, and that from some Peer, who can neither claim subjection of them, nor superiority over them to whom he sends. But these are sent to subjects, to vassals, to rebels; from him, to whom all owe an oath of allegiance; to whose supremacy, the highest must subscribe; to whose sovereignty, all the sons of the mighty are obnoxious in a political, natural, essential order of dependence. 3. Ambassadors are set forth with some beseeming port and pomp, that they may sustain the person of majesty, and support the majesty of the person, whom they represent. But with these it is nothing so, the Chariots of their glory, are the shame of their Lord's house, who, to speak with reverence, is like some rich Gentleman in the Country, who in a bravery, scorns to be brave. The third word of the Text remains, [for Christ] which may bear a threefold construction: wherein Christ may be conceived, either, as the author, or the end, the Alpha and Omega of this Ambassage, or thirdly, the object of these Ambassadors, the centre, and circumference of their employment. But I promised but a delineation of these things: only give me leave to close up all, with one observation out of the words: I noted before that this sentence [We are Ambassadors] is closer trussed up in the Original, into one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a word of a precious emphasis, which is much abated, and very dilute, almost lost in the translation; for that word of action, signifying the office, may tell us so much in our ears, that those officers must be men of action, they must be of a nimble and active constitution. The men of the earth may be of a more dull and sad temper, they may fold their arms, they may stretch themselves upon their beds of Ivory, and turn themselves upon them, as the door turns upon the hinges: But these Messengers of Heaven, must be like Heaven in perpetual motion: They may well fall to a motus trepidationis, if they but once forget their daily progress. They that preach Christ the Son of righteousness, must be like the Sun, who cometh forth of his chamber, like a bridegroom, and rejoiceth to run his race, as a mighty man; and yet when they have done all, there will be many sons of darkness, that will live in a night of security, and sleep and snort in sin: there will be many cold professors, that are frozen to their lusts, and will not be thawed by that Divine Lamp, and melted into the tears of true repentance. And therefore this translation, We are Ambassadors, nimis lentum est: We ergo Ambassadors, hoc quoque est nimis lentum. These Ministers must fly, like the Cherubims that give attendance in the presence of God, they must have six wings for expedition, in the execution of his will: they have wings upon their feet, a strange thing, wings upon their feet; no they cannot foot it fast enough, but they must speed their race with flight, remis velísque, the book they carry, is such as the Prophet saw, a flying book; and Christ himself in their ministry, sitteth between the Cherubims, and rideth upon the wings of the wind, and so communicates himself to all Nations.   
2. CORINTH. 5. 20. Now than we are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 
YOU may remember, that I proceeded thus far the last time, to lay down the coherence of these words, with the former, and to lay open the particulars in them contained. The first point of Doctrine, that we started then, was, That Ministers of the Word, are God's Ambassadors. I touched lightly both the circumstantial differences, which might be objected; and the substantial agreement, which must be observed, as it was intended, in this metaphorical speech; and there we coupled up. And though I determined then, to have gone overthem more fully, yet because I foresee many things to be delivered, I will rather pass them over; contenting myself, with that which hath been spoken, and descend to the confirmation of the truth propounded. But there is one thing crosses the way, and comes between me and my purpose: For, perhaps there are some here, who considering the name and nature of this exercise, will demand, or rather, command and challenge the resolution of a question, before I go any farther. For what necessity can be imagined, that God should send his Ambassadors to us; or, if that be supposed, what conveniency may be conceived, that men, and mean men should be employed in so honourable a service? To the first part of the question, I shall shape an answer briefly. Look as some royal King, when his natural subjects, have unnaturally rebelled, and taken up arms against him; (like the churlish Israelites, We have no portion in David, no inheritance in the son of Ishai, every man to his tents O Israel.) that he may curb their insolency, with the bridle of Sovereign authority; is ready to send forth a decree of wrath, by the hand of the messengers of death: But the young Prince, out of his special grace and princely compassion, stepping between them and the blow, and interceding for them, is entreated to reverse the sentence, and dispatch a Proclamation of pardon, to all such of them as within the prefixed period shall return to their obedience: So we having committed high treason, against the most High, in most ungracious manner, and lifted up the hand against our Maker (like the proud tyrant that belched forththiss, Who is God, that we should obey him? or who is the Lord, that we should serve him?) whose hands had but even then fashioned us; and the decree of death being gone forth against us, Thou shalt die the death; Christ jesus the eternal Son of God, the Prince of peace, hath interposed himself for us, and latched the blow (that would have sunk us to Hell) upon his own body, which he gave for us on the Cross; that so reconciliation being made in his blood, the Father might be well pleased in him, to speak peace unto us, and proclaim a free pardon to all that should believe, by the silver Trumpet of the Gospel: Return, return, for why will ye die o house of Israel? This is the necessity: wherein you may observe on man's part, no meritorious excellencies, but miserable extremity: On God's part, no forcible compulsion, but a most feeling and free compassion, that caused him to visit us, with these comfortable messengers. And this I might exemplify in all, if I would run through all kind of Ambassages. As, some are to move, and make marriages: So is this, to espouse the Soul to a noble Bridegroom, even jesus Christ. Some are for commerce and traffic; and so is this: that we might have a secure and sweet intercourse with the Lord, as once we had, before the league was broken in Paradise, in integrity: that the Lord might transport us to that aureum vellus, the robe of Christ's righteousness, who was the Lambstain from the beginning of the world; that Pearl of price, that rich Margarite, the Kingdom of Heaven; and might receive again of us, by way of exchange, (a poor exchange, but very precious in his sight) our humble and thankful obedience. But which way soever you please to pattern the materials of the similitude, you shall find no other motive but what I said before, God's incomparable mercy, beholding with a tender and compassionate eye, man's irrecoverable misery. This may suffice for a taste of a farther answer, to the first point in the question, concerning the necessity why God sends Ambassadors; for I should but anticipate my following discourse, if I should labour to give the full satisfaction. The second point comes now to be considered. For if there must needs be Ambassadors, why are not some of those glorious Cherubims, and Seraphims, that shine with knowledge, and burn with zeal, that cry, holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabbath; that like courtiers of the King of Heaven, attend upon his Royal person, and behold the face of their heavenly Father, continually ready to execute his will and pleasure; why are not some of these preferred to this honour? I am sure such a liturgy, might well beseem the highest Hierarchy; such a message, the tongue of Angels; such supernatural truths, such Angelical and Seraphical Doctors. And who more fit to dispense the Word of God, the heavenly Mannah, the food of Angels, than the sons of God, than Angels? Who can tell me the mystery of this strange proceeding, that they should be neglected, and man exalted to this dignity? May not every one presume to refuse this office without presumption, and disobey such a command, without disobedience; or will not such presumption, be counted humility; and such disobedience, modesty? As Moses when he should have gone in God's errand, What am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, or deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt? 
Exod. 3. 11. 12.  though the Lord removed the scruple, when he answered, I am with thee; as if he should have said, count not only the multitude of enemies, and the likelihoods of opposition, as Antigonus his Admiral did, when he told him, that the enemy's number far exceeded his; but how many do ye set me against, said the King? but look about you and see who is with you, Behold I am with thee, 
Cap. ● 10.  yet Moses was not satisfied, but replied the second time, O my Lord I am not eloquent, nor ever was, but a man of a heavy mouth and a slow tongue, the Lord satisfieth him again, but he is not satisfied; for after he had bid him consider, who gives the tongue to man? or, who makes the dumb and deaf, as it not I the Lord? As if he should have said, it is the grace of God, by which we are that which we are, and I am able to do all things by the grace of God, which enableth me: And we may say of grace in this kind, as the Poet doth, 
O mutis quoque piscibus  
Donatur a Cygni, si libeat, sonum.  
Totum muneris hoc tui est,  
Quod spiro, & placeo, si placeo tuum est.   
Yet Moses could not rest but he leaves objecting, 
Vers. 13.  and falls entreating; O my Lord, I pray thee send by the hand of him, whom thou shouldest send. And who is so highly privileged above Moses, that might not shrink as Moses did, when he should consider with himself the weightiness of the work, and the weakness of his own person, 
2 Cor. 2. 16.  and say as Paul did, who is sufficient for these things? But it is time to frame an answer: Though neither our shallow capacity can sound the depth of God's counsels, nor he be bound to render a reason of his proceedings, yet he gives us both liberty to inquire with sobriety, and light to find out so much that we may go away with reasonable satisfaction. And therefore I pray observe with me three principal Reasons, why the Lord who wants neither wisdom, or power, to contrive it otherwise, either by immediate irradiation, upon the understanding, and influence into the will, or by the ministry of the blessed Angels, yet thought good rather to make use of the help of man, for the bringing of man to himself, and working that mighty work of conversion, which our Divines have thought, and taught not without some probability of reason, to be greater than the great work of the first creation. The first, I take to be from the nature of the thing, wherewith this order stands in greater congruity divers ways: For first of all, supposing things in statu quo, that God will have men descend by natural propagation, and divide themselves into political societies; of which, and out of which, he will call some to grace, which shall come by degrees, not poured in all at once, but dropped in, by little and little, here a line, and there a line. It sures not with the nature of Angels, to have such ordinary, and visible commerce with men, as is necessary to accomplish this: for men in this case, must be always feeding, as children use, and must have continual hand and tending: well indeed they may be dry nurses, to watch, and preserve, and protect the children of God; but to be fathers to beget them by the immortal seed of the Word, to be wet nurses, to succle them with the sincere pure milk of the Word, they cannot be. So that, unless we would imagine the whole face of nature changed, and all moulded into a new frame, this piece would not hold proportion with the rest. Nay, it were a thing irregular, and a kind of violence to the Angelical nature, to converse with men in this kind, whereas we all know, nullum violentum est perpetuum, there be few Analogies, but there be none Anomalies that are perpetual: Indeed the Lord uses them for the good of man many times, but their part is not to be always on the Stage. 2. By this means, man is drawn to God in such a manner, as is most convenient for his nature, not only in regard of his composition (for by preaching of the Word, his sensible part is wrought upon, and affected) but also in regard of his freedom, for as in the free motions of nature, there is (that I may use a distinction something nice for the terms, but necessary for the thing) I say, a cooperation, without any coaction: so in the first motion of grace, though the Lord work with a certain infallibility, and as I may say, a sweet necessity, yet he doth not offer violence to any principle of nature, which hath some evidence, ever from this, that God▪ works it by man; so that if you look to both the causes, the principal, and instrumental, you may say it is the work of God, therefore there is no possibility of resistance; it is the work of man, therefore there is no show nor shadows of violence: and these two must go together, for as the King in Plutarch said of a groat, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  it is no kingly gift; and of a talon, 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  it is no base bribe: So may we say in this case, to work with danger of failing, agrees not with the power of God, whose will is not will, if not omnipotent, except it can work what it will. Again, to work by way of forcing, agrees not with the nature of man, whose will is not will, except it will what it works. I should interpret myself more fully, for fear of unkind constructions, but that I must make haste. 3. There is a decency, that seeing the Son of God became the son of man, that the sons of men might become the sons of God; and we having all received of his fullness grace for grace, his gifts of grace should be conveyed as by a conduit pipe by the same nature: and therefore the Apostle, painting forth unto us that goodly body of the Church, of which, Christ is the head, makes Apostles, Evangelists, Pastors, all men, etc. the organical parts of that body, which receive sense, and motion, and direction from the head: and for this purpose, he is (as the head) anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows, that is, in greater measure, and above, that from him it may distil by the higher to the lowest members. Now the Angels are not univocal members with us, under the same head, though for the efficacy of Christ's merit, whether it may any way redound to those blessed Spirits, I will neither peremptorily deny, nor dispute for the present: and therefore it is more meet, the Word should be committed to men than Angels, or any other creatures. The second principal reason may be this, because it is most profitable for man, that men should be God's Ambassadors, and that in three respects. 1. Because this honour is both a fruit of Christ's exaltation, Who ascended on high and led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men; and those gifts, are the ministerial gifts, as you may see in the place: and besides it is a real pledge of God's 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  affection to man, not only to the persons so dignified, but also in them to all mankind, even as great offices in the Court bestowed on any, are ordinarily arguments of great grace with the King. 2. Because it is a most probable and likely way to bring men to God, for many reasons, which I will but propound, and so proceed. 1. In that God deals familiarly with us, which is a wondrous art to win affection. You know the Fable of the Theban Dame, that was mispersuaded to entreat lupiter to company with her in all his majesty, to which when he condescended, she was so far from taking that pleasure she promised herself from her goodly Bridegroom, that she lost her life: So could not our feeble spirits brook the presence of the Divine glory, if he should vouchsafe to come unto us in all his Royalty. I will not tell you any Poetical Fable, but the truth of God. The Israelites tried this, for when the Lord appeared to them in Mount Sinai with thunder and lightning, they presently found their own weakness, and made suit to Moses, Let not the Lord speak unto us, 
Exod. 20 18, 19  lest we die, but speak thou unto us, and we will hear thee. And therefore job wishes that God would lay aside his terror, and reason with him familiarly, to which when the Lord graciously condescended, what was the issue? instead of his former disputation, he grew to this conclusion, 
job. 42. 6. Deut. 18. 15.  I abhor myself in dust and ashes. And God promises this as a blessing, I will raise you up a Prophet from among your brethren, he shall teach you. And therefore the Lord stooping to our capacity, gives us so as we may receive, and speaks to us men by the mouth of men, as the most proportionable instrument to work upon us. Not much unlike Astyanax, in the Poet, who when his father being armed came to embrace him, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  the child forthwith hid his face in his nurse's bosom, cried, and being afraid at the sight of his father, when he saw his hairy Plume upon his Headpiece bending towards him. Like as the Sun when he lists to be seen, delays his beams in some thicker cloud, that the edge of his brightness being abated, our dim eyes may not be too much offended. Again, thus the troubled soul, may have free access to the Minister, which comfort could hardly be conveyed another way: especially, considering whom the Lord makes choice of, to bestow the riches of his grace upon, not the great ones of the world so much, but the mean ones. Now as you have seen in a Fair, the Country people will not venture into the rich Shops, among the fine Citizens, but had rather bestow their money on some country Chapman: so it may be in this case: and therefore the Lord appoints men, and mean men, that even the meanest Christians may more freely repair unto them. 2. Secondly, the ministry of Men, is more credible than Angels, or any other could be; for though their testimony be of more weight in itself, by reason of their accurate knowledge, and entire fidelity; yet I know not how a man may have more advantages to deal with us: for to let pass the irrefragable authority of the word of God, upon which all divine truths must stand, which would be needless, if it pleased God to take any other course than this; and to omit that it is hard to give such infallible characters, whereby divine illuminations, might be distinguished from diabolical illusions, that all ambignity might be taken away; I say, 1. First, men converse with us, are known, they are our brethren, flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bone, and therefore what suspicion can arise, that they, who are otherwise approved, should go about to deceive us, in a thing that is as much worth as our soul is. 2. They cannot deceive others, but they must deceive their own soul, being they are in eâdem navi, in the same condition. 3. They confirm their own words, and add a commentary of practice to the text of preaching, with their works; and by tasting themselves of what they prescribe to us, securing us of all fear of poison. 4. Lastly, they may, and do sometimes set a seal of suffering to their saying: but I pass to the third. Thirdly, the ministry of men is most effectual, as for those respects touched before, and because they symbolise in qualities; whereas Philosophy teacheth, that there is easiest transmutation, where there is a Symbolical quality between the agent and the patient: and because they sympathise in nature, so that there may be a secret attractive power, as we see in the Loadstone to the Iron, or rather a mutual conspiring to embrace one another: So even by the very art of persuading: I know not what the tongue-eloquence of Angels is, and the Apostle seems to mention them with intimation of excellency, neither will I maintain against all comers that a man may be a better Orator than an Angel: but I know the Lord is, and he hath put his Word into the mouth of man, he that made the heart and tries the reins, he knows how to frame words that will affect the heart, and so they do insinuate themselves into the darkest corners of it with wondrous power and efficacy. And this I know and dare avouch, that the highest mystery in the Divine Rhetoric is to feel what a man speaks, and then speak what a man feels. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  * Praxiteles tightly drew love, taking the pattern from that passion which he felt in his own heart. And therefore this advantage a man hath, that he having a portion in the work of Christ's redemption, hath himself tasted, how sweet the blood of Christ is, how sovereign to a sinful soul, by experimental, as well as contemplative Divinity. The heart best understands the language of the heart. But as this ordinance is profitable to men, because it is honourable to the Minister, and beneficial to the people, so there is a common utility redounds to both. For thirdly, it is one of the strongest bonds of love between Christians, who are hereby made givers and receivers in the most precious things, it is a knot to tie man and God together, God speaking to man by the Minister, and man speaking to God, it is the mid way as it were, in which they meet, and though there be more subtle bonds of faith, and God's Spirit, whereby we are immediately united to Christ, and made members of his mystical body: yet for our visible communion with him in his political body, the Ministers are as it were the ligaments. There remains yet one of the three principal reasons, Why the Lord makes men his Ambassadors, and it must not be omitted, because it is the most principal among the three: and this it is. 3. He gains most glory this way, for, the weaker the instrument is for outward pomp, or appearance, the greater had need to be the power, and so the praise of the artificer; 
Eccl. 10. 10.  If the Iron be blunt, you must put the more strength to it, saith Solomon in Ecclesiastes: Now you know how much the Lord esteems of his honour: I am the Lord, (saith he by the Prophet) And my glory I will not give to another. And as Xenocrates said once to the children of one that had been liberal to him, I have required your father, (said he) for all men commend him for his kindness to me. And as Themistocles, when he entered into the Olympic games, and all the Grecians cast their eyes upon him, and pointed at him, and whispered one to another, This is Themistocles that delivered Greece from Xerxes, and the barbarous Persians, This is Themistocles, This day (said Themistocles) I confess I am abundantly recompensed, for all the pains that ever I took for Greece: So the Lord looks for no other reward but this: And therefore the Psalmist repeats it very often, and very pathetically, O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wondrous works that he doth for the children of men, Psalm 107. He gives all the commodity of the world to the sons of men, receiving only this Royalty to himself; he calls for no other tribute, but that we attribute all to him. Now when he works by simple means, all the glory comes entirely to him, there is none to share with him, none to cry halves with him, men's minds cannot rest in the inferior causes, they must needs look higher and say, This is the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes: whereas if the means had many fair probabilities in them, God must needs be robbed of a great part of his honour: both because men are ready to think highly of themselves, and magnify their own actions, and also because others are ready to ascribe much to the immediate agent, who is entitled to the honour by the suffrage of the senses too, Is not this great Babel that I have built for my own magnificence (said Nebuchadnezzer) strutting in his Palace: and the proud Physician wrote thus to King Philip, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Menecrates a god, to Philip a King: what title then might the spiritual Physician challenge, that revives souls? either arrogating all to themselves, or else dividing (as the Ass in the Fable did to the Lion) an equal portion to God and themselves; and as the Jesuits now do, Laus Deo & virgini Marieae, and then they would fall soon into the Cardinal's method, Ego & Rex meus. Besides you see how fond men are of the instruments of their good, how ready they are to deify them: most of the Heathen gods have been dubbed so, because they have been beneficial to men. Communicative bonity (which we call bounty) hath such a lively resemblance of the Divinity, that weak eyes can hardly know them asunder: it was once Dionysius his sophistry, Dii boni sunt, eorum ergo bonitate utendum; but it is almost all men's natural Logic, Boni sunt, ergo dii sunt, according to that in the Poet, 
— Deus nobis haec otia fecit,  
Namque erit ille mihi semper Deus.—   
And therefore the Lord to prevent all such injurious usurpation, and vindicate his own title, effects great things sometimes without means, sometimes with very small means, that in all matter of praise, the image and superscription may be his only. And therefore as when Caesar and Bibulus were Consuls together, and Bibulus did nothing, being overawed by Caesar, they were wont to write in jesting manner, julio & Caesare Consulibus: So if it please God at any time to assume man to be his colleague, in any great action, we must not say God and man did such a thing, but God and his grace, did such a thing. And it may be said well enough of him, as it was of Caesar in in another cause, Socium habet neminem, he may have a companion, but he must not have a competitor. Perhaps indeed, the foolish Epicure, that cozened himself with a silly Paralogism, and concluded, that God did not create the world, because he had nothing to create it withal: Quae ferramenta, quae machinae, qui vectes, qui ministri tanti operis fuerunt? perhaps, I say, he, when he heard of Ambassadors from a God, and a new creation, and saw nothing but men, and weak men, Gods Ministers, would make a scoff again, at qui Ministri? and would either deny the thing, because he did not like the means, or would hardly be persuaded, that such Atoms could do such great wonders. But God sees not as man sees: he in his wisdom uses this course, for the cause alleged. It is time to conclude, but yet give me leave to confirm this with two places of Scripture, and two examples: The first is the 2 Corinth 4. 7. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us: I will not urge it because I have used it before, since I entered into this argument. The second is, the 1 Corinth. 1. from 17. to the end of the Chapter, a known Text, where as Apostle discourses this at large, The sum is this: It pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe. And again, Brethren, you see your calling, how not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble that are called: And wherefore is this? God hath chosen the foolish things of this world, to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world, to confound the things that are mighty, and base things of the world, and things that are despised, hath God chosen; yea, and things that are not, to bring to nought, things that are: and what of this? That no flesh should glory in his presence: and the conclusion of all is according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. The words need no Commentary, and therefore I pass to the examples. The first you shall find in the 7. of judges, There the Lord overthrows the Midianites by Gideon, who at first had gathered thirty two thousand men, but these were too many for the Lord to work with, therefore he will have them as it were boiled by two decoctions, till they sunk first to ten thousand, but there were yet too many, then to three hundred, and then they march against the enemy, who were more than one hundred and thirty thousand, and covered the land like Grasshoppers: but I pray, how were these three hundred appointed? we do not read so much as of a sword they had, but they carried a Trumpet in their right hand, and empty Pitchers, with a Lamp in their Pitchers in their left hand: and what did they? we cannot find a stroke they struck, but only they blew their Trumpets, and broke their Pitchers, and cried, The sword of the Lord, and of Guide on, and their enemies fell down dead, or fled before them: and the end of all is couched in the beginning of the Chapter, Lest Israel should vaunt himself against nee, and say, mine own hand hath saved me. The second, is the 6. of joshua, where the Israelites besieged jericho, and won it, a strange siege, and a strange victory: the Priests carried the Ark of God about the City, and blew with Rams-hornes, they compassed it about six days, and seven times the seventh day, and this was all: there was no other 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  siege laid, but the Ark of God; no other Arietes to batter the walls, but the Rams-hornes; no Ordnance, but the ordinance of God that commanded this; they did not lift up an hand against it, only they lifted up their voices; they did not shoot once, but only shout, and the walls of jericho, as it were willing to do some holy service, on God's holy Sabbath, did obeisance to the Ark of God, (as Dagon did) they fell down flat, as it were, and worshipped the God of Israel. I made choice of these the rather, among infinite examples, because I may parallel both with the thing in hand, for the Preaching of the Word is but like the sounding of Rams-hornes (in the judgement of carnal men) towards the shaking of the walls of jericho, towards the casting down the strong holds of sin. And the former would make a sweet Emblem of it. A Soldier with a Trumpet in the right hand, and an earthen Pitcher with a Lamp in the left hand, lively representing the Minister, who doth both in his ministry sound the Trumpet of the Gospel, and in his martyrdom, break his body, like some earthen pitcher, that the glory of God might break forth, through the humane frailty, like a Lamp, and shine more bright and clear. But I must pass over these, I will touch but one thing, and so conclude: for there is yet another respect in which God gets glory by this order, and that is, because by this means, he takes try all of the obedience of his children, whether they will entertain such homely messengers for his sake, who sends them, and yield obedience to him, whose will they publish. But too much of this argument, which I am afraid some may think needless, or fruitless: and the truth is, I should not have gone so far in this path, if I had not observed some worthies of Israel all the way before me.   
2. CORINTH. 5. 20. Now than we are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 
IT is reported of a Saracen Ambassador to Charles the Great, that sitting in the Emperor's Hall at dinner with him, and observing two tables full of guests; the lower, of poor people (invited according to his accustomed manner) in ragged weeds and simple apparel; he asked what they were: the Emperor answered; These are the Servants of our God, whom we Christians worship, and I entertain them for his sake: the upper, full of gallants, Courtiers in gold chains, and gay attire: he asked also, what they were: the Emperor answered, these are my servants that attend upon my person: O, said the Saracen, if you prefer your servants, before the servants of your God, that they be brave and costly, and these be base and beggarly, I will never embrace your religion. I may not think there is any son of scoffing Ishmael here, any bastard Saracen among these true sons of Abraham, sons of Promise, sons of the Prophets, that will pick a hole in the coat of God's true servants, his Ambassadors, that so they may pick a quarrel with God's true religion: I may not think so. And yet I think I may take occasion here, to take away all occasion of doubting, that may perhaps arise in some weak judgements. For as Aristotle could not better apprehend, or express the magnitude of God, then by the magnificence of the King of Persia: so there may be some babes in Christ, not throughly weaned from the vanities of this world, that would require some outward eminencies in the Ministers of the Word, to prove that they are Gods Ambassadors; which if they be wanting, though they dare not contradict the truth, because they profess to believe so much, yet they cannot conceive the mystery, because they do not believe so much as they profess. And therefore having cleared this the last time, why God made choice of mean men for this honourable office, rather than of the Glorious Cherubims, and Seraphims, rather than of the sons of the mighty: give me leave now to produce some few evidences, by which it may appear, that these men are indeed God's Ambassadors. The ground of this is plain (as I touched also before) for this great world, is a little Kingdom, wherein▪ God is the sovereign Lord, the King of Kings, and all men for their possiessions, are his tenants; for their functions, his Lieutenants; and in this great world, the little flock of Christ is a great family, in which, God is the great Master of the family. There can nothing be done in this family, in this Kingdom, without the authority of this Master, of this King, and therefore the Ministers of the Word, must needs be dispensers of his special favour, in the great family of his Church, from him, as from the great Master of this family. And again, Ambassadors of his Royal pleasure, in his Kingdom of the world, from him, as from their supreme Lord the King of Kings. But why do I produce the ground? the Text is plain: We are Ambassadors for Christ, and if you cast your eyes back to the foregoing verse, you shall see from whom, namely from God. And the same Apostle, in the last of the Ephesians useth the same word to the same purpose, 
* Eph. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  For whom I am an Ambassador in chains: where a man would think, hearing of an Ambassador, that he spoke of a golden chain, and in some kind of vanity boasted of it. And indeed, the servants of God are noble and free, though fettered in chains of Iron, as the slaves of sin are base prisoners, though in chains of Gold. And in this sense I think I may allude to the story and custom of wearing chains, and say the Devil deals with them, as the Aetoli scoffingly said of Titus Flaminius the Roman General, who pretended liberty to the Grecians, but yet held some principal Cities by Garrisons, that he made their clog smother indeed than it was under Philip King of Macedon's tyranny, but as heavy as it was. And again, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Their feet are free from the stocks, but their neck is under the yoke: but this by the way. The same thing is affirmed every where through the Scripture in equivalent terms: Prophets are called Men of God in the Old Testament; and Timothy in the New is styled a Man of God; and all Apostles Servants of jesus Christ, the Servants of God, and Angels of the Churches, for this reason. But why do I enforce the Text? the truth is plain, and who is there here that doth not acknowledge it? Who is such a fresh Proselyte in the Lord's family, that doth not know his cognizance, his livery? As the Disciples said ignorantly to Christ himself, Art thou only a stranger in Israel, and knowest not these things? So it may be truly said to that Christian, if there be such an one, Who is such a novice in God's school, that if he hath but learned the Alphabet of the language of Canaan, cannot tell that they speak the language of Canaan? Thou art a Galilean, thy very speech betrays thee, said the maid to Peter: So may every Christian see the Minister by his speech, (as Socrates did) and know where they are, and from whom they come: or if any do not understand them when they tell them whose Ambassadors they are, it is because they have not an interpreter (as the Eunuch said to Philip) they have not the Spirit of God, which should be their interpreter. But why do I confirm the truth of this, the point is plain: That the Ministers of God's Word are servants of jesus Christ, Men of God, God's Ambassadors. Yet suffer me now (according to promise) for the further clearing of this, to add a few probable demonstrations, (if I may so speak without a Solecism) and because the Doctrine is the best, and truest 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  touchstone of the Doctor: I shall draw them all from the nature and quality of the Doctrine they teach. And here I might enlarge myself: for all those arguments that are alleged by Divines, to prove that the Scriptures are of Divine authority, might easily be persuaded to speak the same for the Ministers, and prove that they have a Divine Author: but I shall single out two or three most pithy and pertinent for my purpose.  
And first I might place Antiquity an Argument much used, much urged by the ancient Fathers, against the ancient Philosophers: a good argument, if I had not little time enough for better: for though I have not such an overweening opinion of every Motheaten Manuscript, as your young and busy Critics seem to have: though I do not superstitiously admire, and adore every relic, and rag of every Father, (perhaps of their own getting) as the Papists do: though I know there be sins of the forefathers mentioned in Scripture, there be an old Serpent, an old man, not commended: I wist there is vetustas erroris, as a Father speaks: there are veteratores as well as veteres, and not far distant: to conclude, the Gibeonites musty bread and mouldy shoes, are but a slovenlie argument of a long and tedious journey: yet I confess, in a good sense, the Prophet jeremy bids the Israelites inquire for the old way, which was the good way, as if antiquum & bonum, were convertible one with another, and both of them with unum & verum: In a good sense I approve the Axiom of Tertullian, Quod antiquissimum, etiam verissimum: I admit that of the Poet, Veritas temporis filia, though some allow Plato's elegy of the ancient, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Antiquity is near a Deity: to conclude, I think, that true antiquity in any Doctrine, argues the author of it to be time, that is the ancient of days: I am sure it is so here, for though I find it not recorded in Polydore Virgil, De Inventoribus rerum, yet I can warrant it out of better Authors, that Paradise was the first Parish, that had a Sermon in it, and Adam was the first auditor, that heard a Sermon in Paradise, and the fall of man, was the first Text of the Sermon, that Adam heard, and God was the first Preacher of a Sermon upon that Text, and these were the brief notes, written by Moses in characters, of God's Sermon, The Seed of the woman; shall break the Serpent's head. So that God is not only as the Athenian Commander said he was, (being asked what he was) neither Bowman (said he) nor Pikeman, nor Hors-man, nor Footman, but one that knows, istis omnibus imperare: But God as he gave some to be Priests, some to be Levites, some to be Prophets in the old Law, and some to be Apostles, some to be Evangelists, and some to be Pastors, and some to be Preachers in the new Law, and is the Lord of all these, qui solus novit illis omnibus imperare: So he was himself, as I showed, the first Preacher, and all the rest ever since, perform their office by an authority derived from him: they are the 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God's Ministers.  Lords Vicars. This is the true antiquity of the Doctrine, that God's Ambassadors teach, of the function they have: not as they, who were wont to wear Moons in their shoes, to clear theirs that they were 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  older than the Moon; they were rather 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Lunatic, as the Gospel speaks: though the Church of God may, even in this sense, be said to have the Moon under her feet, as the Woman (in the Revelation) a Type of the Church, is said to have the Moon under her feet. But that which Cyprian alleges and allows, Non quod ante nos, ille, vel ille dixerit; sed quod ante omnes Christus: and therefore we may justly say to all other Doctors, as the Egyptians in Plato to the Grecians, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  You Grecians are always children; and to another Doctor, thou art but of yesterday, but the Word of God endureth for ever, as God the Word is yesterday and to day and for ever the same, from eternity to eternity.  
But I pass from this to the second, which shall be, the excellency of their Ambassage. For if the people in the Acts, for a little flashie eloquence in Herod's Oration, could say, The voice of God, and not of man. If Plato could discern some 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. beams or influences.  beams of Divinity in all Arts, for some obscure tidings of God, that they told him, Grata de Deo fama in artibus sparsa est. If Pompey were received by the Princes, non tanquam ex urbe missus, sed tanquam è caelo delapsus, as the Orator speaks, because they found a beneficial, though thin influence of his Justice and temperance upon them. If Cato's nobility, though he were but Novus homo, must be derived from heaven, and that by the best Heralds, the minds of men admiring his virtues, tertius è coelo cecidit Cato: Then I pray tell me in what account should the Ministers be, to whom all these may be as truly applied, as they were friendly supposed in the other. It is not with them, as it was with the Persian Lord, in Apelles' Shop, whom the apprentices admired for his bravery, so long as he stood silent, but when he began to speak of things he had no skill in, derided him for his simplicity: but clean contrary, like Ulysses, in Homer, who stood like some silly Country fellow, leaning upon his staff, saith the Poet, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. But when he spoke he spoke with a courage.  but when he spoke, he spoke admirably. Let me entreat you to take notice but of the subject, and the project of their doctrine, and you shall see it: for he that teacheth plainly of the incomparable perfection of the Deity, the incomprehensible distinction of the Trinity, the depth of predestination, the power of creation, the skill of gubernation, that there is a nature infinitely surpassing all nature; that it is one, yet three; three, and yet one; that all things were moulded in nothing, made of nothing, and yet kept from nothing, is not this man from God? Surely none but they that have learned of his Spouse, ploughed with this Heifer, can aread these riddles. Again, he that teaches truly of man's blessed integrity, his cursed apostasy, the Devil, the Serpent, the Garden, the Apple, the Woman, the funerail which Adam made for himself, the fall, how man was once full of sanctity in his soul, beauty in his body, majesty in both, the son of God, a vessel of honour, the tenant of Paradise, the heir of Heaven, the lord of the creatures, whom the very sacred Angels served, and the very savage Tigers feared: but is become by his own fault, a slave of the creatures, an heir of Hell, a vessel of dishonour, a child of the Devil in soul and body, and both the very sink of sin, and shame, and misery, Heu! quantum Niobe Niobe distabat ab illâ! Is not this the man from God? Surely if the Heathen did not understand their own meaning, I cannot tell, but their words are very good, and I dare avouch with them, out of better Oracles than Apollo's, de Coelo descendit, 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Know thyself.  
I proceed, he that teaches clearly of a strange marriage, the Divine nature with the Humane, 
As Euripides.  and yet a stranger; a marriage of justice and mercy, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  a sweet marriage of a Virgin that was 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Mother of a God, and an Infant that was 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  God and Man, of a God that was man, beginning, growing, hungering, thirsting ', weary, weeping, bleeding, and, that which was the wonder of wonders, dying; of a man that was God, rising from the grave powerfully, ascending into Heaven triumphantly, sitting at the right hand of God royally, trampling under his feet sin, Hell, and death, and Satan victoriously, and returning to judge the quick and the dead gloriously: is not this man from God? To conclude, he that teaches sweetly of humiliation by the law, of vocation by the Gospel, justification by Christ, reconciliation with God, sanctification from sin, resurrection from the dead, the terrible day of judgement, the glory of the Saints, the torments of the wicked, and the like, I will not ask you any more, but I tell you plainly, that man is from God. For, behold in these truths not a beam of Divinity (such as Plato spied in all arts) but a body, or rather, not a shadow, for his beam was no more, (the word may be ambiguous) but a perfect body of Divinity. Neither is it possible that any man should invent, or conceive these sublime mysteries by natural reason, since we see evidently, that no man can so much as accept or receive them being taught, without a supernatural faith. And therefore as Telemachus said, when he saw a great light which guided his father and him in a dark room, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  surely there is some god in it: So let every one confess when he hears these things from the mouth of God's Ambassadors, Non vox hominem sonat, Never any man spoke as he spoke, as they said of Christ. I might add something of that divine precept of morality, far beyond the strain of Philosophy: for though the Academics, Stoics, Peripatetics, and Epicures travailed much in these Observations, and went far, yet how short do they come? For here we have Rules more natural than the Epicures, which made pleasure their Empress, and themselves her Parasites: more humane than the Peripatetics, which made Reason their Mistress, and themselves her Scholars; more Heroical than the Stoics, which made Virtue their Goddess, and themselves her Votaries; more divine than the Academics, which made God there Idol (I understand their Idea, which they did not understand) and themselves his idolaters, and so excelling every one of these great professors in their several projects. The end remains, which I will dispatch in a word.  
It is the salvation of man, the most noble and necessary work in all the world, and most beseeming the greatness, and goodness, and wisdom of God, to take into his special consideration and providence, man being his 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  husbandry, as the earth is man's: And therefore it is absurd, as Plutarch hath well observed 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  to take the best things out of the compass of God's foreknowledge. To shut up this, it is absurd to think that Solon, Lycurgus, Numa published their laws, as the Heathen did, from the gods, and that Ministers do not preach the Gospel from God, since they brought many things against the rule of reason, and nothing above the reach of nature; but these teach nothing against the rule of nature, but many things above the reach of reason. It is absurd that every petty bevefactor of mankind should be deified, and these founders (I may term them) vilified; that they should be esteemed gods, even to the vilest vermin, among the Egyptians, and these should not be esteemed so much as God's Ambassadors. The blind Heathen could not choose but see some splendour of Divinity in these things. The Critic Longinus observed out of the description of the creation of the World, in the 1. of Genesis, that Moses was no ordinary man: and besides that Imperatoria brevitas (which Tacitus speaks of) he saw so much majesty in the relation: In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth, and God said, let there be Light, and there was Light, let there be Earth, and there was Earth, that he confesses 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  that narration had a seemly character and cognizance of the Divine power set upon it. The Platonic Ammonius also, so admired the story of the Divine generation of Christ, in the first of S. john's Gospel, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, that he judged those words worthy to be written in golden Letters, and prefixed on the gates of all Temples. The men of Lystri likewise in the Acts, hearing the Apostles Paul and Barnabas, were so convinced in their consciences, that their Doctrine was divine, that they were something transported in their judgements, to think their persons were divine, and therefore would needs have worshipped them as gods, with Priests, and Bulls, and Garlands, and Sacrifice. And if I would give you a short draught of some truths, as they have degenerated into fables, among the Heathen, I might make them seem with oce labour more perspicuous, and more precious: for as their unlikeness to themselves (crossing and thwarting one another) confute themselves: so their likeness to the truth, (intimating and as it were acting it) must needs confirm the truth. The tales of the golden Apples, and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, of the Hesperidum horti, and Adonis' Garden, of the fiery Dragons that kept them, answering either to the flaming sword of the Cherubin, or the Serpent, to the true Paradise, the Garden of Eden, to the Apples of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evel, are sufficient for a taste. But it were a shame for me once to name these fabulous legends, since I did but name the Heavenly truth, which they have adulterated. To conclude, I think none but David's fool, that hath said in his heart there is no God, can find in his heart to say the messengers of these things are not Gods Ambassadors.  
For, as for the rule of happiness itself, which I touched in the last step of my former gradation, I wonder not, if men of the earth did errare toto coelo, they were ignorant of the three forenamed grounds, and it could not be therefore otherwise, they could not take the height of God's excellency, in his nature, and works, and therefore could not sound the depth of man's misery in his fall: they were ignorant of the measure of his fall, and therefore could not measure, nor comprehend, the height, and depth, of God's mercy in Christ: they had not heard of God's mercy in Christ, and therefore could never teach, or think of the profundity of humiliation, the latitude of sanctification, the altitude of glory, but vanishing in their imaginations, instead of these, groped in the dark to find man's Summuns bonum in himself, and dreamt a pretty dream of a shadow of happiness (
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  man is a dream of a shadow, as Pindar speaks) which they meant to purchase with a shadow of wisdom, and virtue, and riches, and honour, and pleasure: and in this respect, we must do with their books, as they say the jews did with the book of Hester. The jews read the book of Hester indeed, because they account it Canonical Scripture, but before they read it, they let it fall to the ground, because they do not find the name of God once mentioned in it, as their Rabbins have observed: So for the moral treatises of Philosophers, we must read them, because they speak of virtue, and happiness; but we should let them fall to the ground before we read them, because they do not give glory to the glorious name of God.  
I come to the third, which I mean to draw from the efficacy of their Ministry; for which purpose I might produce many express places of Scripture, and many plain experiments: for this respect the Lord jesus is represented in a Vision to Saint john, 
Revel. 1. 16.  in the Revelation, 
Act. 24. 32.  With a sharp two edged sword proceeding out of his mouth: and when he talked with his Disciples going to Emaus, Did not our hearts burn within us, said they, while he talked with us? In this respect the Psalmist saith of him, Psalm 45. Thou art fairer than the children of men, Grace is poured into thy lips; Suada in labris sessitat, Apes in o'er mellificant; 'tis true of him, for Grace is poured on his lips, a sweet attractive Grace, which is an eloquent beauty, as they say that beauty is a dumb eloquence, and therefore Thou art fairer than the children of men; and it follows, Thy arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies: his lips and men's hearts are chained together, as you have heard the Emblem of the French Hercules. 
jerem. 20. 9  In this respect, the Prophet jeremy saith, His Word was like a burning fire, shut up in his bones, 
Esay 6. 6, 7.  and he could not stay, the Prophet Esay had his tongue touched with a coal from from the Altar. The Apostles had the gift of fiery tongues, and what was the succeesse? at one Sermon of Peter three thousand were set on fire, and inflamed with the love of God, and come rather bleeding, then breathing forth these words to the Apostles, 
Act 2. 37.  Men and brethren what shall we do? What should I tell you the voice of God is mighty, the voice of God breaketh the Cedars, the Cedars of Lebanon, which is not only true of thunder (as interpreters expound it) but of the Word of God. For if Caligula trembled at that, I am sure Felix did at this, Act. 24. when Paul reasoned of righteousness and temperance, and judgement to come, Felix trembled, a strange thing, that the accused party triumphed, and the Judge trembled▪ if being touched with his affecting words, and trembling he had turned to Christ, as the Needle touched with the Loadstone, turns to the North, and had shaped his course accordingly, Felix had been happy as one saith: But this is the more remarkable, because, in the same place, Tertullus a curious Orator had made a acquaint oration with no such success, as if the Lord would compare as it were with humane faintly eloquence, and teach us that all is but painted eloquence, in comparison of the divine power of his Word: Indeed they report, that when Tully pleaded for Ligurius, (I think) Caesar trembled, and the bills of accusations fell out of his hands, as it were wrested out by Tully's eloquence: but you shall see the difference anon. Yea, and Paul himself felt the force of this thunder, for in the very heat of his persecution as he marched furiously (like jehu) to Damascus, 
Act. 9 3. 5.  he was arrested by a messenger from Heaven, a great light shone round about him, and he heard a voice from Heaven, the light like lightning flashed in his face, and dazzled his eyes, and laid him flat on his back: But will you hear a terrible thunderclap, Saul Saul why persecutest thou me? this was the thunder that boared his ears (as Scaliger reports of a country fellow that had his ears boared with thunder) and this was the lightning, which, as the Naturalists say, melts the Sword and hurts not the Sheath, that breaks the bones and bruises not the flesh: this was the lightning that broke Paul's heart and melted his very soul within him, and made him that was yet 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord jesus, breath out more gentle and humble words, Who art thou Lord? what shall I do Lord? and the like. I cannot stand to press these, and yet I cannot pass over one place, because it is most effectual, look Heb. 4. 12. For the Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than a two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Who hath any gold weights and a balance of the Sanctuary, that we may expend and weigh these golden words exactly? I pray mark, it is a living Word, yea more, a working Word, yet more, a cutting Word, yea, and more yet, a piercing Word, it is not as other written words are mutus magister, but viva vox, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  a living word, it is not living, as some do (of whom it may be truly said, Hic situs est, as Seneca said of Vatia) but it is an 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  effectual working word: it is not working, as some do, till they be cold again, or as we say, as good never the whit as never the better, but it is a cutting word: it is cutting, not lightly to raze the skin, and scratch a little, but it bites sore, it is a piercing word: it is like a sword, a bloody instrument, but that it is sharper, for the Apostle saith 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  sharper: the word is a word of comparison, but the thing is above compare, for it is 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 2 Cor 2. 16.  sharper than a sword, it is like a two edged sword (as I told you of Christ in the Revelation) it will cut which way soever it lights, either a savour of life to salvation, or a savour of death unto condemnation, as the Apostle speaks: but it is 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  sharper than any two edged sword, It was once said of the sword of Goliath by David, There is none to it, but I dare say it is true of the sword of God and of Gideon, the sword of God and his Ambassadors, for it pierces to the dividing of the soul and spirit: who is so acute almost that can distinguish these two by an intellectual precision? (I am sure Interpreters sweat about it) and yet this royal sword, like Alexander's, is so sharp that it cuts this knot with an actual division, between the joints and the marrow, not the hardest bones can abate or turn the edge of this invincible weapon; not the most hidden marrow can escape the dint of it, but as the Sun in the 19 Psalm, nothing is hid from the heat of it. To conclude, it is 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart: the strangest Critic that ever was, thought it not free from it: and whereas other Critics pride themselves in restoring some obliturated monuments, stopping some gaps in old Manuscripts, taking up some stitches let fall in a Poet, this goes farther, and reads the very thoughts, verbamentis, the letters written in the soul, that abrasa tabula, as the Philosopher calls it: I have put all the weights, grains, and scruples that I have into the Scales, and yet this place of Scripture as it is pure, (the word of God is like gold which is tried in the fire seventimes) so, for weight it weighs them all down, which was the reason that I insisted the longer on it, for me thinks, this very place doth not only affirm that the Word is effectual, but confirm it exceedingly, being itself so effectual. I conclude this general, he that knows the efficacy of this Word, cannot choose but acknowledge the divinity of this power, and be affected, as the Prophet Habakuk was, with the presence of God in his glorious works, When I heard (saith he) my belly trembled, my lips quivered at the voice, 
Habak. 3. 16.  rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble. There remains much behind yet, for I should show you this in particular both extensively and intensively as it works, 1. In the heart, 2. A strange work in the heart, both these in regard of the act itself, and then in regard of the manner of working, 1. Without any help, ex parte subjecti, the heart confers nothing, not so much as natural receptivitie. 2. Without any help, ex parte medii, no insinuations of wisdom, no tricks of Rhetoric, but with down right blows: and I could wish all unsaid that hath been spoken, that I might spend myself wholly in these things, but I must touch them briefly. The heart of man is the most free and hard of any thing to work upon, and to make an impression and stamp upon this hard heart, this heart that is so stony, Adamantine, harder than the mother Millstones, as the Scripture teacheth. To compel this freewill, that Domina sui actus, the Queen in the soul, the Empress, it cannot be without a divine power, without a hand that is omnipotent; but the Ministers do this by the Word, they mollify, and wound, and break this heart, they incline, and bow, and draw this free will whither the spirit listeth: And Clemens Alexandrinus is not afraid to say, that if the Fables of Orpheus and Amphion were true, that they drew birds, beasts, and stones with their ravishing melody, yet the harmony of the Word is greater, which translates men from Helicon to Zion, which softens the 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  hard heart of man obdurate against the truth, that raises up children to Abraham of stones, that is, (as he interprets) of unbelievers, which he cales stocks and 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  stones, that put their trust in stones and stocks, which metamorphoses men that are 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  beastlike wild, birds for their lightness and vanity, serpents for their craft and subtlety, Lions for their wrath and cruelty, Swine for voluptuousness and luxury, etc. and charms them so, that of wild beasts they become tame men: that makes living stones (as he did others) come of their own accord to the building of the walls of jerusalem, (as he of Thebes) to the building of a living Temple, to the everliving God: this must needs be a 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  true persuasive charm, as he speaks. Herodotus relates of Cambyses, that being admonished of his drunkenness by Prexaspes a noble Counsellor, in a rage he commanded his son to be placed before him as a mark, and his Bow and Arrows to be brought, and He shot and killed the boy, and then caused him to be opened, and finding the Arrow in the midst of his heart, he made this argument, that he was no drunken man, and turning him to the father asked him (with a cruel smile) what he thought of it: O my Lord (said Prexaspes, betwixt grief for his son, and fear for himself:) I think the gods cannot shoot better: I may parallel this out of Scripture, and apply it to my purpose, for the Apostles in the Acts, being charged with drunkenness, Peter steps up to make an apology, he takes his bow and arrows (as the Prophet Esay speaks) he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft in his Quiver:) he shoots and smites three thousand with one arrow, and when they opened themselves, it was found they were pricked in their hearts: and you shall now be judges, whether I may not well say as he did with a little alteration, O Lord I think none but God, none but thou can shoot so well. I conclude this, the Ministers of the Word are stars in the right hand of God, (as it is in the Revelation) and therefore they dart their influence into the secret corners of the soul: their words fall high from heaven, and therefore sink deep into the hearts of men. As the woman of Tekoah was subtle, because the hand of joab was with her: so they are powerful because the hand of God is with them, they are the pen that write in men's hearts, but it is the hand of God. In a word, they bear such authority because they are men under authority, men of God, God's Ambassadors. I should prosecute the rest, but I will rather leave the point abruptly then be tedious.   
2. CORINTH. 5. 20. Now than we are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 
IT is a maxim in Divinity received by general consent of all, Cathedram habet in coelo qui corda docet: and therefore I see no reason, why that which hath been said should not be a sufficient argument to prove, that those that sit in Moses chair are sent from Heaven, except it be to those that from walking in the way of the ungodly, and standing in the way of sinners, are come to sit in the chair of the scornful. Yet I will add a second degree, to put it out of question: for they do not only work upon the heart in general, but in a special and strange manner, as might be shown many ways, I will but touch the principal. It is our Saviour's promise to his Disciples, Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, 
joh. 14. 12.  the works that I do, shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do: greater works than these, O blessed Saviour, (might the Disciples say) how can that be? Thy name is Wonderful, the great Counsellor, and thou dost wonders alone; and is not this one of thy great wonders, how we should conceive the wonder of this speech, greater works than these, O blessed Saviour! The Schools of men have an Axiom among them indeed, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Many Scholars are better than their Masters, but we have learned another lesson in thy School, The Disciple is not above the Master, and it is enough, the Disciple be as the Master is, it is enough: O humble Saviour, among proud sinners, it is too much! greater works than thou O Lord! didst not thou cure all diseases, cast out Devils, didst not thou rebuke the Fever, and it durst not stay, chide the winds, not as he in the Poet, expostulate with them, but chids them with authority, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  rebuked the winds, and they were silent, calmed the Sea, and walked upon the swelling waves, as it were upon some Marble pavement? and can there be greater works than these? But who was that O Lord, was it not thou, that didst raise the dead, that Ruler's daughter at the house, the Widow's son at the Hearse, the two sister's brother (I mean Lazarus) in the grave, when he that stunk was revived with thy sweet voice, and he that was bound hand and foot with linen clothes (which was 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  a miracle in a miracle, as a Father speaks) came forth and walked: and can we do greater works than these? Now we have begun to speak unto our Lord, suffer us to speak once more, though we be but dust and ashes. Didst not thou feed five thousand men with five loaves, five loaves, which by a strange Arithmetic were so multiplied by Division, and so augmented by Substraction, that five loaves sufficed five thousand guests, and yet twelve baskets full were gathered up, for thy twelve Apostles. Didst not thou cure the poor woman of her incurable issue of blood with a touch of the hem of thy garment only: it was her contactus, but thy virtue O blessed Lord that did it, and shall we do greater works than these? Yes, they do greater miracles, saith Augustine, Majus enim est quod sanet umbra, quam quod sanet fimbria, comparing the last I mentioned, with that which is recorded of Peter in the Acts, that those which had diseases were healed by his shadow as he passed by: and they did greater works that were no miracles, than all the miracles that Christ wrought, and they were the conversion of many souls to God by their ministry: and good reason it should be thought so, for if a shadow, a privation, a nullity may produce such a real effect, then what shall we think of the light of the Gospel, the most beautiful, the warmth, the most active, the truth of the Gospel, the most powerful quality in the world, if we believe the Wiseman? and two of which are so transcendently excellent, that it hath been said, that if God himself would take a visible shape, he would make a body of light which should be acted and animated by truth as by a soul: Thou hast made light thy garment, and thou lovest truth in the inward parts. Yea, and that same Father affirmeth, that the justification of a sinner, is a greater work than the creation of a World. Aut si aequalis sit utrumque potentiae, certè hoc est majoris misericordiae, as he concludeth it. The School follow him in this, and dispute whether it be not simply the greatest work that ever was; and determine that it is ex parte effectus, averring that the least work of grace is greater than the greatest in nature: they doubt also whether it be miraculous, and leave it doubtful. Our modern Divines give a reason of it, because in creation there is only a negative indisposition of nothing, to being: but in regeneration, there is besides a positive opposition of sin, to grace. I will not now discuss whether this be precisely true, or no: but a great work it is without question, as may appear by the act which is called in Scripture a rising from the dead, Blessed are they that have their part in the first resurrection, 
Rev. 20. 6.  saith the Spirit, in the Revelation: 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  a generation, except a man be borne again he can never see the kingdom of God, saith Christ to Nicodemus: 
a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. joh 3. 3.  a new creation, saith Paul to the Corinthians: it appears likewise by the 
b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Gal. 6. 15.  effect, the which is called the new heart, Create in me O Lord a new heart: A new man, That the new man may be renewed daily: A new creature, Neither circumcision, nor uncircumcision availeth any thing, but a new creature: It appears lastly by the terms, between which there is as much difference, as between light and darkness, death and life, Heaven and Hell, the Devil and God, immane quantum! for these are the terms between which this mutation runs, as the Scripture teaches us. Who can bring to pass this true 
c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  transmigration, (Pythagoras dreamt of another) but he that is the Father of Spirits, and th● Word that doth it, must needs be the breath of his mouth: This divine 
d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Conversion (as Plato calls it, speaking admirably of it, though he knew it not) but he to whom the Prophet goeth in this case, turn us O Lord, and we shall be turned: this wondrous 
e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  change, as Clemens calls it, as I noted, but he that form the mountains, and of whom the Psalmist, Manus tuae plasmaverunt me, he that form man after his own image: Dii coeptis, nam vos mutâstis & illas, aspiratemeis: figmentum cordis, saith Moses, The imagination of man's heart is only evil and that continually: but as for the heavenly work of grace, of holiness, of a new man, is as the Heaven is said to be, and as the Protoplast was, figmentum manuum tuarum, the workmanship of thy hands O Lord. In a word, none can restore or vindicate a man from the servitude of sin, into the liberty of God's children, and of a miserable bondslave make one a 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  royal man, (as Clemens calls his Gnostick) but the great King, of whom it is said, if his Spirit make us free, then are we free indeed: the knot in which we were tied is dignus vindice nodus, and our desperate case doth require a 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  strong help, according to the use and phrase of Tragedies. I could be infinite in this theme, if I would tell you all the wonders that they work in the heart of man, the terrors of the Law, which make a man think that he is in Hell, more truly and more profitably, than the Jesuits do their Clients in their chamber of meditation: by the consolations of the Gospel, which gives a man wings to fly into Heaven, and take sanctuary there from all afflictions, from whence he looks down upon this lower world with heroical contempt and scorn, wondering at the vanity of men, that are so greedy of vanities, whereas the whole World appears to him (as the territory of Athens to Alcibiades in Lucian) but a spot of earth; he scorns the best Orators to persuade him (as Nazianzen saith of Cyprian that he did in his Letters exhortatory to Martyrdom) to think that swords have not met all in them to do him hurt, that fire is cold, that wild beasts are gentle, that famine is dainties, that the hottest flames that ever Martyrs were burned in for Chrict's sake were but like Eliahs' fiery Chariot, wherein he road in triumph into Heaven; and which is more, that these are are not Paradoxes in Christianity.  
I can remember but one that gave such testimony of the power of any humane writing: and that was Cleombrotus, I think of Plato's book, of the immortality of the Soul, which when he had read, he was so afflicted, that he killed himself, to learn that without book in the Elysian fields that he had read there, and enjoy that good that he imagined out of it. But how many thousand Martyrs, have set a feal of blood to God's book, and took it upon their death, that it was the most powerful of all other.  
But to bond myself: I purposed only to treat of the first work, which I have already done: Yet I will add one thing more, and but one thing. The untamed horses of distempered passions (as Plato calls them) which many times so hurry and wheel about the crazy chariot of reason, that they set the wheels of judgement (upon which it should run steadily) clean besides the socket, even these are charmed and tempered by this heavenly music, as the evil spirit in Saul was by the Harp and hand of David. Excellently Lactantius, Da mihi iracundum, da libidinosum, da avarum, etc. and I will so inchant him with a few syllables, (he says no more, but paucis syllabis) out of God's word, that I will make him meek, chaste, liberal, and concludes this confident assertion with this Epiphonema, Tanta divine sapientiae vis est, ut in hominis pestus infusa, matrem delictorum stultitiam uno semel impetu expellat. It is more than time to shut up this point: briefly therefore, it is absurd to say of natural generation, Sol & homo generant hominem, and yet to think of spiritual regeneration, that the son of man can do it without the son of righteousness. And if the principles be true that the masters of that art have delivered in conveyance of water, Aqua tantum ascendit, quantum descendit: then this water of life, which makes a man ascend to God, must needs have descended from God first, and the Conduit-pipes, the Ministers of God, must needs be Organical, not Authentical agents, in the cures they work with it, they must be the instruments of God, God's Ambassadors. The third degree follows, which is, the heart of man confers nothing to this work, to this great work, not so much as a natural receptivitie: if there were apprehension in nature, the difficulty would not be such as to prove a Divinity, but to make Adamants receive impressions like wax, to teach a stone to fly like a bird, to swim against the stream, to crowd against the multitude, to sail against the winds, to make a man against the corruption of his nature, against the nature of his corruption, a man of the World, to savour and relish the things of God: I know not what strength in nature can make it good, what authority can warrant it: 
Rome 8. 7.  The best wisdom of the flesh is (saith the Apostle) 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  enmity with God: most significantly 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  the most refined wisdom is not only an enemy, but even enmity to God:  
Non vitiosus homo es Zoile, sed vitium, said the 
* Martial.  Poet, with some affinity to this phrase. I will illustrate this but with a word or two out of Nazianzen, and so leave it, because I perceive the time passes, and the thing hath been touched in part already. Such is the corruption of man, that propound any divine good to it (saith he) it is entertained, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  as fire by water, or wet wood with hissing: So grace is almost hissed off the stage with scoffs and taunts: I cannot tell, but me thinks I could bid the secure and carnal men, if there were any such among us, beware lest it prove that they have learned that hissing faculty from the hissing serpent: but to go on, propound any evil, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  like fire to straw, as he shows elegantly, like the foolish Satire that made haste to kiss the fire, like that unctuous matter; which the naturalists say that it sucks and snatches the fire to it, with which it is consumed. Nay, this is the great difficulty of a Pastoral cure, saith the same Father, that whereas in other medicinal, the diseased party is termed a patient, and may be so, because he is willing to subscribe to that which his Physician shall prescribe him: In this theological, it is clean contrary, a man's self is his greatest sickness, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  like a frantic person that falls foul with his best friends, 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  we are valiant against ourselves, and we defend what we affect: like corrupt Lawyers, to plead an ill cause; and they which 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  are more generous without all colouring or cloaking the matter, run bareheaded as we say, run on shameless to all wickedness: who shall help poor man in this miserable condition, nam quid miserius est misero non miserante seipsum; saith Austin in his Confessions: even thou O God who art Pater miserationum, which workest mightily with thine own word in the mouth of thy Ministers, thy Ambassadors. The fourth and last degree will make this proof square and sure, a good proof; like Aristotle's good man, 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  quadrangular, and therefore we must not omit it. This work of the Ministers upon the heart, which is so effectual, and yet so much against the hair, against the bent of the heart, besides all these, it is done with silly instruments. The Philosophers and Rhetoricians make a Goddess of their eloquence, and by the power of her divinity, think to bewitch and inchant their auditors as they please, and to screw themselves into the most retired parts, to take the heart 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  the chief City or Metropolis of man's affections: they admire her, they study her, they pray her 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  charm this man: yea, and to say the truth, who is such an infant that hath not heard of the power of eloquence? And yet it is not this that doth this great work, it is another 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  persuasive goddess, that breeds this settled 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  confidence, this grounded 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  persuasion of a Christian, it is humility, and simplicity, and plainness of speech that doth it, as the Apostle declares to the Corinthians: such is the Scripture language, such the Ministers. And as Plutarch observed out of the naturalists, that the seed of those that are lascivious and incontinent is not fruitful, and applies it to the great talkers: so I make no question, but wanton and lascivious Rhetoric, makes the immortal seed of God's Word more unfruitful; like a sword wrapped in wool, that cannot cut; like an Oak embraced with the flattering Ivy, that will not thrive and prosper. I do not condemn Rhetoric: the genuine tropes and figures in a solid speech are like arrows in the hand of a mighty man, as the Psalmist saith in another case, blessed is the man that hath his quiver full of them. And as the Philosopher said of Oil, observing the use to be good, but the abuse to be great, Male sit illis cinaedis (said he) qui rem optimam pessime infamârunt: so may I say, the use is good but the abuse is great of eloquence: and therefore away with these effeminate, and unmanly Orators, that have cast a shrewd aspersion upon a noble profession: As for the modest and sober use, that is true of Divinity which Seneca said of Philosophy, that is true of eloquence which he said of wit, Philosophia non renunciat ingenio; Theologianon renunciat eloquentiae, for there is an eloquence in the Scripture, which is more than eloquence: the Rhetoricians may call theirs an 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Allurement of the soul, but this is a 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  transmigration as I told you: theirs may perfundere animum, but this doth perfringere: they may delight, but this doth ravish with a divine Enthysiasme: theirs is properly oratory, but this is, to speak more properly, Imperatory, which is then most full of Affection, when it is most free from affectation: theirs is more Scholastical, but this is more majestical, as best becomes the mouth of Princes, as the noble Lord of Plesis hath well noted of the stile of the Scripture.  
But the best of their nervi and t●ri, the best sinews and strength, is but as Longinus observs of some childish Orators, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  their school wit through curiosity ends in folly, or frigidity and chillness, in comparison of this.  
To end this, I can bear well that they brag of their Arculae, Myrothesia, and Lecythi, like some deformed women of their boxes, out of which they draw a painted and greasy beauty. But I cannot brook that they should speak of thunder and lightning in their Orators, ignorant and silly men, as though these fiery Meteors were bred, or did appear in this lower Region, so far from Heaven. No, no, as they said once of Christian Soldiers, that they were Fulminatrix Legio, so I may say of the celestial Hierarchy of the Angels of the Churches, the Lords Ministers, that is Fulminatrix Regio: and if I be not deceived, he should not be much amiss, that should call the Pulpit the shop of thunder: all other Pericles have but brutum fulmem, in comparison of that, as you may conceive out of that which hath been spoken: and that which is the wonder in this, all this is without any pomp or show, not 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  with great pomp, but 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  with great weakness and infirmity rather, which argues the evidence of the Spirit and the power of God the more strongly. I conclude therefore. As one said of Demetrius Pompeii libertus, who spoke much, but had nothing to do, when Pompey himself who did all, but said but little, I regard not (said he) 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  what thou sayest, but what he doth silently: so may we say, it skils not so much what the Minister said outwardly, as what the Spirit works inwardly: since the efficacy of their words depend not so much upon themselves, because they are good orators, as upon the Spirit of God, because they are Gods Orators, Gods Ambassadors. I have finished now the explication of the intensive efficacy. I must add a word of their extensive, for so I was constrained to call them for distinction sake. I mean it thus: If you take a view of the whole world you shall scarce find a region, of which the Ministers of the Gospel may not say as he in the Poet, Quae Regio in terris nostri non plena laboris?  
The Sects of Philosophers were distinguished by the names of 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Italic, and 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  jonick, as Laertius tells us, but Religion is characterized and known by the name of 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Catholic. Now we know there is nothing commonly received, but either by the law of nature in moral, or by the law of nations in political affairs: Now the faith of Christ preached by the Ministers being dispersed over all, and not imprinted in all, by either of those it cannot be but probable, that it proceeds from the grace of God, who is the God of nature. Again, as the great Mathematician said once to the King, 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  let me have a place to stand on, and I will move the earth, implying that the moving of this earth could not be supposed without a firm standing on some other earth granted: so the moving of the whole earth by the Ministers, to the embracing of the faith, must needs evince a fixing of them in Heaven, from whence they are sent, and the rather because of that great opposition, which they find every where, which will compel us to grant the former supposition. You have seen the Emblem of an earth besieged round with many winds, the Devil on the one side blowing, and the Pope the Devil's instrument on the opposite side blowing, and the Cardinals the Pope's agents on each side between them blowing, and the Turk at another corner blowing, and all to shake this earth: and yet notwithstanding all these, the word is written in it immobilis, the word is written in indelible characters, and it is unmoovable: and it may well be said of all these blowers, as the Orator said of the Athenians, comparing them to men running up an Hill, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  they blow hard, but run slow. The Earth is the Ministers of the Gospel, and that Word which they preach, all those and many other lay their heads together, to blow it away, but all in vain, for the finger of God hath written immobilis upon them, and his decree is like the Medes and Persians, that cannot be changed, but what he hath written he hath written: Nulla litura in Decretis sapientum, 'tis true of God: and good reason, the Spirit, as the wind, bloweth where it listeth, as Christ saith, and it is folly at least, if not madness, as Pythagoras speaks, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  to blow against the winds.  
The Word is like the 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Lamp that is unquenchable, in the story which laughs at the winds (ridebis ventos, saith he) that swell, and puff, and blow against it, but it cannot blow it out: and they that carry it are like the Persian Soldiers, which they call 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  immortal, of whom the world may say, as they did once of the Grecians in that Epigram, whom they thought invulnerable; 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  we shoot at them, but they fall not down, we wound them, and not kill them.  
In a word: as Gamaliel said of the Apostles preaching, if it be of God it will prevail, we may invert it and say most truly, if it prevail thus against all opposition, surely, it is of God, they are men of his right hand, men of God, God's Ambassadors.  
There is no gainsaying 
b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Demosthenes words: 'tis true of the power of the Spirit, in the word of the Ministers: as it was said of Steven, his enemies could not so much as 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  stand against the wisdom of the Spirit of God that was in him, but fell down, as Dagon did before the Ark.  
The tale of the Dragon and his train (the false Prophet is the tail, saith Isaiah, and the Pope is the false Prophet, as may appear out of the Revelation) the tail of the Dragon, the Pope, may draw the third part of the stars out of heaven, but the gates of Hell cannot prevail 'gainst any part of a star in the right hand of Christ: O thence it is that they are so invincible.   
2. CORINTH. 5. 20. Now than we are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 
YOu have seen a Lark upon a fine Sunn-shine day mounting and singing, not to the Sun (as Cardan tells of strange flowers, that make strange hymns to the Moon) but (as Clemens Alexandrinus speaks) of the choir of Grasshoppers, one of which leapt upon the Musicians Harp, and supplied the want of a string that chanced to crack in the midst of his song (
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  to the most wise God the inventor of music,) a song of thanksgiving to him that taught her the art of singing, and so she climbs aloft with her pretty note, peiring and peiring, as though she would peire into the secrets of Heaven: but on the sudden, when you have long expected what news she would bring from thence, you have seen her fall silently to the earth again: me thinks those Ministers may be said to be like those Larks, fly like Larks, and fall like Larks, which rise much in the contemplative of their discourse, nothing in the practical; which in the explication of truth's wind up their auditor's understanding to so high a pitch, that they seem to carry them into Heaven, and make them read distinctly in the volumes of eternity, but in the application so slacken their hand, that they let their affections fall again, and have them where they found them at the first, on earth. And therefore I will crave leave to spend this exercise wholly in such instructions as may be profitably deducted out of that which hath been formerly delivered. You have heard the proportion between the Ministers of God and the messengers of Princes, how they are Ambassadors; the compulsion and necessity of the sending of these, why there needed Ambassadors; the election of these, why such mean men were made Ambassadors; the confirmation of the point, that these mean men are notwithstanding God's Ambassadors, and this the last time: where the last proof was from the efficacy of their Ministry, as it was upon the heart, in which respect that may be said of all, which was said of Luther, that he spoke as if he had been within a man: in that it was a great work upon the heart, a resurrection, a regeneration, a new creation, in that it was against the propension of the subject, the heart of man opposing it, in that it was without any great preparation of art and eloquence: in which respects though there had never been any miracle, to seal their preaching, yet it may be said of the doctrine itself, as the Thomists say of their Master Aquinas, Etsi nullis in vita sua nec morte miraculis claruisset, etc. to warrant his canonisation for a Saint, yet his doctrine would be sufficient, quot enim articulos, tot miracula, so many articles as he wrote, so many miracles God wrought by him, quilibet enim est unum miraculum, say they: and may not I say, so many articles of Religion, so far above natural reason, as they have persuaded men to believe, so many miracles have they wrought? Lastly, in that it hath prevailed over the whole world, in spite of all enemies and opposition, in which respect I may not unfitly parallel the triumph of the Word of God, concerning Christ, with the triumph of Christ himself described in the 19 of the Revelation, who is called the Word of God, not without some reference to this I think, 
Rev. 19 11. 12, 13.  And I saw Heaven opened, and behold a white Horse, and he that sat upon him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war: his eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns, and he had a name written that no man knew but himself, and he was clothed in a vesture dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God, and out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, etc. I might improove this text, but that I make haste to the observations that follow, which I must pass over in a word, because I have many things to speak; and am loath to trouble memory.  
The first of which, concerns those that enter into the ministry. 
Use I.  It is reported of three Roman Ambassadors appointed for Bythinia, one of which had his head full of scars, the second did vecordia laborare, and the third had the gout in his feet, of whom Cato said scoffingly, that Romana legatio neque caput, neque cor, neque pedes haberet: and it were great pity that God's Ministers, which are his Ambassadors, should be such, as might be obnoxious to any just obloquy of the World▪ for any gross defects: it would well become the Church of God, the Spouse of Christ, which wears the keys of authority at her girdle: (as I noted heretofore) to turn the key against all those that would presume to enter, into this great office and charge, and had not good cards to show for it; that should be found defective either in sound understanding, or sincere affection, or unblameable conversation, either in head, or heart, or feet. Princes count it a point of honour to send those that are fit, and in this case it is a shrewd presumption, that those that are not fit, were never sent by God, who is so jealous of his honour; they may be uncased for counterfeits, that have not these gifts to show, as it were letters of credit from their Master. There is indeed a latitude, and it were folly to disable every one, that cannot fill Procrustes bed: but it is wisdom again to measure every one, and 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  stretch them out by Paul's Canons, as Nazianzen speaks, that they should be of 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  good behaviour, apt to teach, at the least, it is not necessary every one should be a golden mouthed Chrysostom, but who ever heard of dumb Orators, dumb Ambassadors: much is required of them, they must instruct, exhort, reprove, correct, &c they must be wise, and learned, and meek, and zealous, or to use Nazianzens word, they must be 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  in a word heavenly, they should reflect some splendour back upon their honours, which cast so great a lustre upon their persons, that it may be said of them, as he says of a learned and worthy Cardinal, Qua demum purpurato facto ipsa mihipurpura vere fact a ornatior: we should not hear then any complaints of such as the Father speaks, 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  I may translate it, yesterday players on the Stage, and to day labourers in the Lord's Vineyard. But there were sous of Ely which were sons of Belial, slovenly Priests, that made the people of Israel abhor the offering of the Lord, and I would to God there were none such now adays. It was the sin of jeroboam who made Israel to sin, that he made Priests of the 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  vilest of the people indeed the basest of the people if they were but men, were too good to make Priests for jeroboam's gods, which were but Calves. But what hath God's truth and religion deserved, that she should fall into such huckster's hands? If this were tolerable, and God would bear with it in the time of our former ignorance, when the Proverb was verified 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  the worst Cretian is as good as the best Grecian, & inter caecos luscus Rex est, yet in this great 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  augmentation of light and learning, it must needs be lamentable. The Ass did not only teach the Fox wit, as it is in the Fable, but the Prophet also, as we read of Balaam: and Christ himself made use of an Ass; but it was then when the Disciples might say truly, The Lord hath need of him: but now we may say as the servants of Achish said of David, when he slavered his beard, and scrabled on the walls, hath our Lord need of mad men? who if they chance to bestow any of their children on the Church, as he said of Basil, who was therefore preserved from the violence of an Arian Emperor, because he was a means to recover his son of a dangerous Ague, that he was 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  the gift of an Ague: so they are the gift of some lameness, or some blindness, some infirmity, or deformity, some want of gifts; if he be good for nothing, he will make a Preacher, say they. Base wretch! Doth the Lord require that the beast which is offered to him should be without blemish, and can he take it well, the Priest that offers it should be full of blemishes? Doth he call for a reasonable Sacrifice, and will he be content with an unreasonable Sacrificer? Shall they be thought fit to rule in God's commonwealth, which some wise Philosophers have not thought fit to live in their commonwealth? Yes, go to the Prince and offer him such a present, will he accept him at thy hands? 
* Mal. 1. 8.  say to him I have a son which I had purposed to have made a Lawyer, or a Merchant, or a Tradesman, or a Husbandman, but because he is lame, or blind, dull, or simple, I beseech your Majesty to take him into your service, to make him your Ambassador: I leave it to you to imagine what the King would answer such a rude suitor. But you know what Xerxes did, when he was solicited by an old man, (a father) that he would release but one son of seven from the service of the wars, that he might remain with him, a stay, and staff of his age, caused all to be slain before him, thinking him unworthy to have any son that would not give them all freely to his Sovereign. And we read that Mephibosheth, lame Mephibosheth was a Courtier, but we do not read that he was an Ambassador; or rather he was entertained at David's Table as a friend, not as a Courtier. Why do I speak to these men of the earth, who 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  do account Religion so much worth, as they find her rated in their books of account; whose best Christianity is but good husbandry, their tongue goes of the Service at the Altar, but their eye squints at the fat of the sacrifice? Let me rather turn to those that are more like to hear me, and so conclude this point. Harken then O ye sons of the Prophets: seemeth it a small thing to you to be Ambassadors for a King, for the King of Heaven? Suffer me to give a little counsel. The Church of God is an honourable stage, God, and Men, and Angels, are judicious spectators: these Seminaries of learning are attiring houses wherein we do address ourselves to action, you must bethink yourselves of all the helps and ornaments that may either grace or expedite your function. And Lord what a world there is of this mundus Theologicus! as I may so speak: A rich invention, a solid judgement, a faithful memory: all these like your Merchant's Ships, returning from some happy voyage, full fraught and laden with precious wares, the skill of Arts, of tongues, the ancient Hebrew, the copious Greek, the elegant Latin, (Tongues are necessary for Ambassadors, and these tongues are very necessary for God's Ambassadors) all which must be assisted (as the Orb in his motion, with his Intelligence, or rather informed as the body with the soul in all his operations) with pithy Logic, persuasive Rhetoric, profound Philosophy, that I might not name others, every one of which apart, would make a noble profession in another, and yet altogether make but a small part of the noble profession of Theology, and rather not a part, but a porch of this royal building: for I have not yet told you of the Scripture, in which not a word, not a Jot, not a title, but hath his weight, and must not be suffered to perish, the depth of the Scripture, lest it be said by some scoffing Samaritan, the Well is deep and thou hast never a Bucket. Lastly, the infiniteness of Divinity (there is no infinity in Philosophy, but here there is) positive, controversal, Ecclesiastical, experimental, for the Chair, for the Schools, for the Pulpit, for the conscience, 
Omnia quae multò antè memor provisa repones,  
Si te digna manet divini gloriaruris.   
All which are necessary for him that would be a worthy Divine in the Country, that I may conclude the catalogue of instruments in this heavenly Georgics, as Virgil doth that of his Georgics. He that should be as Nazianzen saith of Basil, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  he breathed as much fire as eloquence, that none were like him; and such for Logic, that it were easier to wind one's self out of a Labyrinth without Ariadne's thread, then to untie the Herculean knots of his Syllogisms, and had all the rest answerable, would find use for all: Illi des nominis hujus honorem, (as the Poet saith in another case) he is a Divine indeed, let him be so styled. But as for him that is altogether ignorant in any of these, let him say, I am no Prophet, nor the son of a Prophet, but I was among the herds men of Tekoah. To conclude this, they that are too forward in this kind, may run apace, as Ahimaaz did, they may run faster to the Sepulchre of Christ, as john did, but Peter that was slower went further, for john came first to the Sepulchre, but Peter went first into the Sepulchre and saw all things. In a word, let them be sure to take their instructions with them, that desire to go Ambassadors.  
I come now to the second observation, 
2. Use.  which concerns those that are in the Ministry, and that divers ways, both for instruction, and first for their life. If Vzzah must die but for touching the Ark of God, and that to stay it when it was like to fall: if the men of Bethshemesh but for looking into it: if the very beasts that do but come near the holy Mount be threatened: then what manner of persons ought they to be, who shall be admitted to talk with God familiarly, to stand before him (as the Angels do) and behold his face continually: to bear the Ark upon their shoulders, to bear his name before the Gentiles, in a word, to be his Ambassadors. Holiness becometh thy house O Lord, and were it not a ridiculous thing to imagine, that the Vessels must be holy, the Vestures must be holy, all must be holy, but only he upon whose very garments must be written Holiness to the Lord, he might be unholy: that the bells of the horses should have an inscription of holiness upon them, in Zechariah, and the Saints-Bells, the Bells of Aaron, should be unhallowed? No, they must be shining and burning lights, or else their influence will dart some malignant quality▪ they must chew the cud and divide the hoof, or else they are unclean; they must 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  divide the Word aright, and 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  walk uprightly in their life, join life to learning; or either of them single, like the solitary Helena to the Mariners, will be unhappy: they must be such, as he says of zealous Christians, which unwisely opposed their Pastor, which had a 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  conversation persuading to godliness; they must be such of which that may be verified, 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  his degree credited his life, and his life graced his degree: then shall all the world know them to be God's servants, Gods Ambassadors: they shall be like Inns, which have their Signs on both sides: like those which you have seen of the King's Guard, which have the Arms of the Crown on their breasts and on their backs, they carry about them a double demonstration of their office, à priori, & à posteriori: If they meet with you in their doctrine, you know them for God's servants: If you follow them in their steps, in their example; you know them for God's servants, either way they bear the stamp and cognisance of Heaven upon them. Excellently Nazianzen of Athanasius, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  he was rich for the theoric, and rich for the practic in his life, and he linked both as in a golden chain, manifesting it, by using his conversation as a guide of his speculation, and his speculation as a seal of his conversation: where the reading I think may be better inverted. If this be wanting, they dishonour the country from whence they come, the Prince from whom they come, and this dead Amasa, this dead Doctrine not quickened with a good life, lying in the way, stops the people of the Lord, that they cannot go on cheerfully in their spiritual warfare. They would be wished therefore, to preach no otherwise than Origen did, you know the story: Origen after his foul fall, when put to his choice, whether he would defile himself with an Aethiopian woman, or sacrifice to the Heathen gods, he had done the latter, coming to the Church at jerusalem, and being requested to preach there, he opened the book, and fell upon that in the Psalm, What hast thou to do to take my words into thy mouth, seeing thou hatest to be reform? which when he had read, he closed the book again, and sat down and wept, and all the congregation wept with him, and this was all his sermon. And thus in my opinion would these men be counselled to repent of their preaching, and so as it were preach of their repentance. The second instruction follows, for their doctrine: For this title of Ambassadors, commends many things unto them, as, 1. Fidelity. Ambassadors have a commission, beyond which they must not go, and I think it is disputed and determined by Lawyers, that a Legate may not transgress it, though he might, in probability advantage his master more otherwise: I am sure, it must be so with God's Ambassadors, the Word is their commission, from which if they swerve, the Lord will commence an Action, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  concerning their Embassage, against them: And if it were possible, that traditions, and humane inventions, could gain more glory than this, yet, they that presumed to use them, might justly look to be handled as the Triumvirs did the servant of a noble Senator of Rome, that betrayed his Master, whom they had proscribed: they rewarded him for his service to them, because he delivered him who was proscribed, they proving him guilty; and then they rewarded him for his treachery to his master, whom he should have preserved, they cast him down headlong from the Capitol, and broke his neck. 2. Humility. They go for another, they must not woe for themselves: Non nobis Domine, non nobis, not unto us O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy Name be given all the praise and glory, must be their song. They may take up the Emblem that a noble Lady of France, being suspected of a crime, and not well knowing how to wash it away otherwise, used a watering Pot dropping, with this Motto, Nil mihi praeterea, praeterea mihi nil: The Ministers I say may well use this watering pot, for Paul may plant, and Apollo water, but it is God that giveth the increase. In a word, (because I am forced to post over these things) as Peter and john having healed a lame man, that lay at the beautiful gate of the Temple, said to the people that beheld it, and began to have them in some admiration, Why gaze you upon us, as if we had done this by our own power, & c? And as the King Canutus in our English History, took off the Crown from his own head, and set it upon the Crucifix at Westminster: So God's Ambassadors, must not receive honour for themselves, but must be like the Mercurial Statues to point men the right way to Christ. 3. Diligence, Cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord negligently, especially they that are▪ is Ambassadors, they must not say, as justin Martyr speaks, in a case not much different, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. We know not how to minister.  we know not how to work: but as the heroical Prince professeth, so their Arms must be, the feathers, and their word, I serve: and who is so dull a Grammarian, that cannot put these together, and make this easy construction, That the nature of their service requires much diligence, and expedition: Their master and their errand, the authority of the one, the necessity of the other, the reward, the punishment, the horror of the one, the hope of the other, will compel them to discharge their office, with all possible industry. Who would not run like a star in perpetual motion upon earth, that he might shine like a star in heaven hereafter, in perpetual rest and glory but to leave this, as not so proper, Luther said wittily of a servant, Minùs nocet ignavus fur, quam segnis minister, which is most true here: the little Foxes that the Canticles speaks of that steals the Grapes, do not so much hurt, as the idle Ministers, lazy labourers in the Lord's Vineyard. 4. Courage and resolution against all fear or flattery, Fear not their faces, (saith the Lord to jeremy) lest I destroy thee. Popilius a Roman Ambassador to Antiochus the great, having delivered his message, and the King deferring his answer, and demurring on it, drew a circle round about him with his wand, and conjured him, to determine, and resolve, whether he would have peace or war, before he went a foot out of the circle: which wondrous resolution and confidence, caused him presently to define, peace. And do not we see how bold every petty Constable will bear himself upon the higher power, I charge you in the King's name, etc. and why should only God's Ambassadors like children, be afraid of shadows and bugbears? The world hath many reproachful nicknames for God's Ambassadors, Priest, Parson, Vicar, etc. what should we do? as he in the Poet,  
— Populus me sibilat, at mihi plaudo— ipse domi.  
Vain men! as though the crown of honour, which God himself hath put upon the head of all these, whom he hath made his Ambassadors, were made of such fading flowers, as would be blasted with every stinking breath, of every profane scoffer; away with such ignoble, and base pusillanimity: to be scared with these, we are too too nice and dainty, Christi nimis delicati martyrs, as one speaks, if we think the worse of ourselves, or of our profession for this, or if not the better. It is a small thing, yet many times more praise worthy, to digest these without any rising of stomach, quam centum plagas Spartanâ nobilitate concoxisse: like curs they bark, because they are afraid of you, they would not have you come near them. They speak evil of you, because you do well, or as he said plainly, being asked why they did so, quia malefacere nequeunt. In the wilderness, these wild beasts go loose, and prey upon God's children: but in this prosperity of Zion, the Law chains them, and chains them so, that they cannot hurt, and therefore they grin the more afar off. Let them know, every contumelious word against a Christian, who is the son of God, is at lest scandalum magnatum, against his Ambassadors, petty treason, and when they belch forth this among their Tobacco-smoke to collow them, they utter voces per jugulum redituras, as the Phrase is. What if Ahab frown and fret, and charge the Prophet of sharpness, and unkindness: Thou never propheciest good unto me, like the King in Homer, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Jnquit Agamemnon ad vatem Calchanta. Iliad. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Thou never propheciest good unto me? What if that be true, loquor certa crux? as Francis the first of France, when he looked for an Ambassage from Charles the fifth the Emperor, which he liked not, set up a Gallows at the Court gate, and promising to hang him on it, that should bring the message We must say as Michaiah did, as the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak unto thee. We must conclude with Nazianzen, 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  we fear only that which is of the fullness of God. We must resolve with noble Luther, If all the tiles in Worms were Devils, yet I would not be afraid to go and speak in behalf of the Gospel of jesus Christ. Or as Hector in Homer, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  I will combat with him, although his hands were as fire, and his strength as Iron. Tell me, who was that, being about to speak for the nation of the jews in great danger, armed herself with this, If I perish I perish, was it not Hester? was it not a woman? and yet it was a more than a manlike speech, and yet it smells strong of some womanly weakness, If I perish, I perish: no, Hester was deceived, that had been truer, Periisses nisi periisses: And this may be a riddle which a Christian only can aread, and a Christian will aread it easily, if I perish, I flourish. Admirably Themistocles, when being about to speak to Eurybiades, the chief Commander of the greeks forces against Xerxes, he held up his staff, as if he had been about to strike him, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  strike (said he) but yet hear: so let every Minister say, scoff if you will, but hear; rail if you will, but I pray hear: strike if you will, but I beseech you, hear that Word of God which I bring unto you. But incomparably Pompey, who being chosen Curator annonae, in a great dearth at Rome, and having made great provision for the relief of his Citizens, and ready now to put to Sea for the conveyance of it, when the Pilot of his Ship told him that the wind was boisterous, the Sea tempestuous, and the passage like to be very dangerous, it skilleth not (said Pompey) hoist up sail, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  'tis necessary for us to sail, 'tis not necessary for us to live. So should every man of God resolve (whose lips, and Libraries, are the very Granaries of God's people) it is not necessary that I should live, but it is necessary, and woe is unto me, if I do not preach the Gospel, of which I am an Ambassador. To shut up this, as the Philosopher hath observed, 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  every Coward is a Murderer. And as Mauritius the Emperor, said of Phocas, who conspired against him, having enquired of his disposition, and hearing, that he was fearful, Si timidus est, homicida est, said he: So I say in this case, the cowardice of the Ministers, is cruelty: if he fear the faces of men, he is a murderer of the souls of men. A word of flattery. It is a rule in Plutarch that a Queen gives a Courtier, those that speak to Princes, must speak silken words, their tender ears will not abide the scratch of biting truths: but as a worthy Divine hath wittily observed, I think (saith he) that must be understood of silken men: but as for Elias, or john Baptist, a Minister, a smooth tongue will as ill become their rough garments, as Jacob's smooth voice, became his rough hands; between which, there was a real and palpable contradiction: as it did become the Ass in the Fable, to fawn and leap upon his master, which he did, because he saw the Dog that did it, was much made of for it. Of all things in the world, a Parasite and a Pulpit, are most incompetible. It is most base for God's Ambassadors, which represent his person, to pick feathers off from great men's coats, (an ancient character of a Parasite) to stuff pillows withal to sow underneath their elbows: how much do they cast themselves beneath themselves, and trample upon the royalty of their office, that can find in their hearts to stoop to this servility? A Lacedaemonian slave standing to be sold in the market, and asked of a chapman, what Art he knew? 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  I am a free man, said he: and shall God's Ambassadors be the greatest slaves, whose very speech being but attired and attended (as they ought to be) with that majesty and authority, which Divine truths carry in their very countenance, should command as much reverence, as the Pontifical garments, in which juddus the high Priest met with Alexander the Great, who was so affected with that auguste state, and bravery of them, that he fell down at his feet, and worshipped him, as josephus records. I have done with the instructions: a word or two of encouragement.  
I will not be so bold myself, but I would commend any thing, to some that were worthy to put our great Rabbins in mind, wherein their honour lies: it is not Silks, nor Velvets, nor Scarlet, nor a goodly train (what do I speak of these) it is not Throns', nor Dominations, nor Powers, nor any dignities, that can make a man so truly honourable, as the preaching of the Gospel to poor souls, to be God's Ambassadors, surely they are mistaken, they need not fear, the frequency in this duty, should prove a disparagement or imminution to greatness. Excellently saith our Saviour, All power is given unto me both in Heaven and Earth: I will now prefer all my servants, and make you Lords and Rulers, but wot ye how? it follows, Go preach to all Nations, but this, by the way. I conclude this with a word to some, with whom I may be bold. Let no man here that is in a way to the Ministry, believe the false spies that raise an ill report upon that good land, that flows with milk and honey. I will say no more now, but is it think you a base thing and sordid, to be Ambassadors to the King of Heaven? I will repeat it once more, because I can scarce hear without some indignation, that that should be a maxim in the world's Heraldry, for earthly Kings, once Ambassador, ever honourable: And it is a base thing to be Ambassadors for the King of Heaven. And now I come to the third deduction, concerning the people, which I must run over. I shall not need to tell you, that you must not offer any discourtesy to these Ambassadors: Ambassadors are inviolable by the law of Nations: and the Lord hath set a better mark than Cain had, and given them a better passport, touch not mine anointed, and do my Prophets no harm: And if any should rise up against them, I would tell them boldly, what one whispered in the Captain's ear, when he was something too busy with Paul, Take heed what thou dost, this man is a Roman: Take heed what thou dost, this man is an Ambassador. The Romans sacked the famous Corinth and razedit to the ground, for a little discourtesy they offered to their Ambassadors: And what shall the Lord of the Vineyard do to those husbandmen, that beat and stoned and killed his servants, that he sends unto them? It is a symptom of a disordered and desperate estate. When these Ambassadors are violated, we pull all God's judgements upon our heads, with the chains of our sins: but this is the link of the chain that immediately draws them. It is a remarkable place, in the last of the Chronicles, Moreover all the chief of the Priests and the people transgressed very much after all the abominations of the Heathen, and polluted the house of the Lord, that he hallowed at jerusalem: here be many links, but observe that follows, And the Lord God of their Fathers sent to them by his Messengers, rising up betimes and sending, because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his Prophets (this is the last link, and ye see judgement fastened, chained, and linked to it) until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the Chaldees, etc. I pass from this. When Ehud told the King of Moab, I have a Message to thee from God, O King, he rose from his throne and bowed himself. I think it was Francis that said, if he should meet a Preacher and an Angel together, he would first salute the Preacher, and the Angel after. I am sure Paul saith of the Galathians, that they received him as an Angel of God, yea as jesus Christ, and that they would have plucked out their eyes for him, how beautiful are the feet of those upon the mountains that bring the glad tidings of Peace, saith the Church in the Prophet: the Spouse of Christ is so humble, or modest, or both, that she dares look no higher than the feet, and yet she spies beautiful, written in the very dust of their feet (as you have seen a contrary word other where) and that in such legible characters, that she reads it afar off, before they come near her, upon the mountains, as though it had been written with a Sun beam upon some Eastern hill in a goodly morning: and those letters printed such affection in her, that being not able to express it by art, she throws down her pencil, (as you have heard of the Painter) and expresses it with a passion, or rather, she shadows that she could not set forth in a pathetical exclamation: How beautiful are the feet of those upon the mountains, that bring glad tidings of peace! and what she did in speeches, Marry in the Gospel spoke in deed, she fell down at the feet of Christ, she broke her box of precious ointment and poured it upon them, she let fall a shower of more precious tears, (penitent tears are something like to pearls, but that they are more precious) with which she washed them: she wiped them with a most precious towel, the hairs of her head: me thinks these golden hairs were like to threads of gold, with which Mary tied herself (as it were) in a true lover's knot to her best beloved Saviour. Would you know plainly what entertainment you must give these Ambassadors. I will tell you in a word. Give attention, credit, obedience to their words: if they thunder and lighten out of Mount Sinai, if the Lion roar, let the proudest beast in the forest quake and tremble: if Mount Zion let fall her silver drops, if the silver trumpet of the Gospel sound peace and comfort, let the poorest worm forget that he creeps upon the earth, and think he hath a title to Heaven. I know you long till I make an end, and so do I too. To conclude therefore: I wish you could forget all that hath been spoken, and blot it out of your memory, to fasten this one thing which I am now to say. Let this be our remembrance when we go to the Lords house, I go now to hear what Gods Ambassadors shall say unto me: they that dress themselves to go with any colder or base conceits, may well be checked, as Caligula was wont to say tyrannically, what Antidotum contra Caesarem: and that is a real crime in them only, which was a ridiculous accusation of Trebonius, Quod telum toto pectore non exceperit. Again let this be our meditation, when we return from thence, with benefit, Blessed be thou, and blessed be thy counsel, and blessed be the Lord that sent thee out to meet me this day: Surely this is a man of God, a man of Heaven: tell me, O you that are cunning linguists, did he not speak with the tongue of Angels? was not I in heaven while I heard him? is it but an imaginary fancy? or did I hear the more than Pythagorean harmony of the spheres? His words like Sovereign balm dropped into my wounded soul, like the sweet influence of the Pleyades upon this lower world: me thought, I felt my heart (while he spoke) shoot up into my ears, as it were to meet and kiss the blessed lips, which distilled such gracious dew, such golden showers, and drink them as the parched, and thirsty earth the dew of Heaven: and yet, in the sweet remembrance thereof, My soul magnifieth the Lord, and my Spirit rejoiceth in God my Saviour. Blessed be the Lord that hath sent his Angels, (as he did to Peter) to draw me out of the dungeon of sin and misery, that hath sent his Ambassadors, as David did to Hanun, to comfort me. Signa Deum agnosco per sua, Christus adest: only Christ the 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  munificent God (as Nazianzen calls him) could go to the cost of these precious and cordial words, he hath put them into the mouths of his Ambassadors.  
The grace of our Lord jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the comfortable fellowship of the blessed Spirit, be with all those blessed souls, that by the grace of God, and power of his Spirit, love the Lord jesus.  
Deo soli gloria.    


SIX SERMONS, ON I COR. II. II.  
Preached at Cambridge, BY JOHN STOUGHTON, Doctor in Divinity, sometimes Fellow of Immanuel College in Cambridge, late of Aldermanburic, LONDON.  
Perfected by the Author in his life time.  COLOS. 3. 11. But Christ is all, and in all. 
LONDON, Printed by R. B. for john Bellamy, Henry Overton, john Rothwell, and Ralph Smith. 1640.   

A methodical Analysis of the chief heads treated on in these Sermons, upon the 1 CORINTH. 2. 2.  

1. Context. 

1 Occasion of the Epistle, ministered by. 

1. Information of those of the house of Cloe.  
2 Inquiry of those of the Church of Corinth    
2. Argument of the Epistle, 

1. Complaint of corruptions, to Chap. 7.  
2. Resolution of questions.    
Complaint of corruptions. 

1. Persons guilty. 

1. Magistrates.  
2. Preachers.  
3. Whole Presbytery.      
2. Several maladies. 

1. Permitted. 

1. Schism, 

1. Broken out with arrogancy.  
2. Not bound up with charity.    
2. Incest, 

1. Committed by villainy.  
2. Not controlled by authority.    
3. Law suits, 

1. Prosecuted at heathen Courts.  
2. Not taken up by Christian care.        
3. Cure, 1. Of Schism, from 10. vers. of 1. Chap, to 5. 

1. Intimated. 

1. Premises his Letter sent by Timothy. 4. 17.  
2. Promises to come himself, 19    
2. Expressed. 

1. Summe of the Letter, an exhortation to unity. 

1. Proposition supposed, 10.  
2. Assumption whetted with interrogations, v. 13  
3. Conclusion.    
1. Proposed. 

1. Sweet entreaty.  
2. Sound authority. 

vers. 10.      
2. Iterated, 14. vers. of 4. Chapter.    
2. An objection. 

1. Insinuated, vers. 12.  
2. Removed, where.    
1. Causes of their disorder. 

1. Bewitching tongues of teachers.  
2. Itching ears of hearers.    
2. Cure: where is expressed, 

1. Duty of people: they must not esteem too highly of their Ministers: for, 

1. They are but the Lords Servants.  
2. The Corinthians servants in the Lord.    
2. Duty of Ministers in Paul's example: in which 

1. Efficient 

1. God, peremptorily commanding.  
2. Paul, voluntarily obeying.    
2. End. 

1. God intends his glory, Chap. 1.  
2. Paul attends the People's good, Chap. 2.    
1. God commands Paul so to do, v. 17. of 1. Chap. to the end.  
2. Paul determines to do so.  
3. He did so.        
2. Text, with the context contains. 

1. A general precept, 

1. What they must preach, in the Text. 

1. For matter, Christ jesus only.  
2. For manner, with all humility.    
2. Why they must preach, in the text and context. 

1. God commands it.  
2. It is the Ministers duty, from the ends he seeks. 

1. God's glory, not his own applause.  
2. The people's salvation, not his approbation.    
3. How they must preach. 

1. Not in humane wisdom.  
2. Plainly and humbly.    
2. An illustrious example of Paul.    
3. Text alone: where, 

1. The Minister's duty, which is more natural to the scope. 

1. Expressed in Paul's example.  
2. Enforced: as it contains. 

1. A precept concerning the argument of preaching:  
2. An argument to provoke us to that precept.    
1. Paul did thus, therefore none exempted.  
2. He did this, not out of rashness, but deliberated what to do.  
3. He determined not so much as to know.  
4. Not any thing.  
5. No not amongst the Corinthians, save Christ crucified.    
Observe, That if Paul upon these terms would not, than no Minister upon any terms must preach any thing, but jesus Christ and him crucified.    
2. The duty of every man, which is more general in the order of nature. Doct. That the knowledge of jesus Christ crucified, is sufficient to Salvation.    
2 Explication, two things to be considered▪ 

1 Appretiation  
2. Appropriation, 

1. Gift.  
2. Conveyance      
1. Gift, Christ is a sufficient Saviour. 

1. What is meant by salvation: where is considered, 

1. The utmost end and chief happiness of man.  
2. His present state by nature.    
2. How Christ hath sufficiently wrought salvation for us. 

1. Explained, 

1. He hath redeemed us from all misery. 

1. Of sin. 

1. Original impurity.  
2. Actualimpiety.    
2. Of punishment.    
2. He hath filled us with all good things. 

1. Holiness.  
2 Happiness      
2. Proved, 

1. By 3. things in the text, 

1. He is Christ.  
2 He was crucified forus  
3. He is jesus.    
2. Scripture.    
2. Conveyance: Faith is sufficient to make him our Saviour. 

1. Explication. 

1. What faith is.  
2. How it comes to be sufficient.    
2. Proved.    
1. Faith in Christ is the sum of Divinity. 

1. Doctrine of Divinity, Christ being, 

1. The foundation of faith.  
2. The fountain of obedience.    
2. The rule of Divinity; considered in a double difference. 

1. Before Christ. 

1. Before the Law.  
2. Under the Law.    
2. After Christ.  
1. Before the Law, this was the Religion of, 

1. Adam.  
2. Abraham.    
2. Under the Law, they were lead to Christ by, 

1. Their Sacraments. 

1. Ordinary.  
2. Extraordinary.    
2. Ceremonies.    
1. Sacrifices. 

1. Propitiatory.  
2. gratulatory.    
2. Holy persons.  
3. Holy places.    
3. In the times of the Gospel.    
2. Christ is the scope of all the Scripture in General. 

1. As the immutable substance of the Rule is considered.  
2 As it may be accommodated to the mutable circumstances of the rule, according to the difference of time. 

He is the sum, 

1. Of the old Testament in 

1. Prophetical,  
2. Historical Scriptures.        
2. New Testament.    
Application. 

1. Confutation of Popish errors, out of the 3. particulars severally. 

1. If Christ be a sufficient Saviour, than 

1. Saints are no Saviour's.  
2. Sinners cannot be their own Saviour's.        
2. If Christ be the sum of the Scriptures, than 

1. The Scriptures are perfect.  
2. They are perspicuous.    
3. If Christ be the sum of divinity, than we may know. 

1. What is the true Religion.  
2. How to unmask Antichrists counterfeit religion.    
2. Exhortation out of all jointly. 

1. For Ministers, what is the rule of preaching.  
2. For all, what must be the scope and aim of all our studies.    
1. Confutasion,  
1 Saints are not Saviour's, therefore not to be invocated: where is discovered, 

1. General Idolatry of the Synogogue of Rome.  
2. More especially, the worship of Saints, in which, 

1. They have made the way crooked.  
2. They have made it wide.  
3. They have made the gate wider.  
4. They have made many gates.    
3. More particularly, in the worship of the Virgin Mary, convinced both 

1. By Scripture. 

1. john 2. 4.  
1 john 2. 2.  
Revel. 19 20.  
1 Tim. 2. 5.  
Ephes. 3. 12.    
2. By Reason.                
1 Corinth. 2. 2. For I determined to know nothing among you, but Christ Jesus, and him Crucified. 
THis verse, as you see, is linked to the former, not entire of itself, and independent, as appears by the first particle, being a causal conjunction, For I determined: and it takes us by the hand, and leads us to the next verse, of which it is a reason: for,  
1. There was registered S. Paul's action, I cannot, &c. and here we have the cause rendered, which is, Paul, agens consilio, his determination, I did not, for I determined. And yet we cannot stay there, for we find and another particle, as it were another stayer, to lead us yet▪ higher. And therefore, I pray give me leave to draw the whole pedigree of my Text by the line of method, that so I may lead your understanding into the meaning of the words, with a convenient construction, and lead my observations out of the meaning of the words, without any violent consecution. Wherein if my discourse be tedious, I will make no apology, but this, necessity forced me to seek further than my Text, and when I was entered, delight persuaded me to seek farther than I needed: yet I resolved when I had done, not to trouble you with any thing in this kind, but than it was too late, I was compelled by another necessity. Wherefore I must entreat you to accept it as it is. The Apostle Paul, like a faithful labourer in the Lord's Vineyard, had planted a Church at Corinth, and watered it with a whole years Preaching, as it were, showering down the sweet dews of Heaven upon it. After his departure, though he had both his hands full of other employments, yet, being jealous of the success of his labour, both his eyes were watchful, if he might by any means further the work he had begun: being thus desirous, there could not want occasion: For behold ere long, both his ears are filled with news from Corinth; Those of the house of Chloe, on the one side, well-willers to the welfare of the Church, have recourse to him, to inform him of some corruptions wherewith the Church was troubled: for the envious man had sown Tares among the good Seed, while the good man was asleep. Those of the Church of Corinth, on the other side, make repair to him to be informed in some questions, wherwth their conscience was troubled: for the gracious Lord had blessed the labour of his good servant in planting and watering, with a blessed increase. And thus you see a double occasion of writing, which makes a double argument of this golden Epistle. Concerning corruptions, to the seventh Chapter, where he fixes a transition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as it were a mark of his passage to the second; which beginning there, holds on to the end of the Epistle concerning questions: Sed transeat ista. The corruptions were either such as were generally committed by all, not only permitted, as Shisme, in the 4. Chapter, or permitted only by all, not generally committed, as unnatural incest, Chapter 5. unchristian quarrels, Chapter 6. Ye see then the deformities of Corinth, overspreading the whole face, and overgrowing the whole body of the Church. All the Governors were guilty: The Preachers with their affected eloquence and ambitious affectation had rend the people in sunder, from unity to mutiny, from faith to faction. The whole Presbytery was tardy in their duty, incest, horrible incest was among them, the shame of the Church, the scorn of the Gentiles, the scandal of the Christians, in cest, horrible incest was among them, jetting in their streets, and yet they see it not, or wink at it, crying to Heaven and was heard; and yet their sword sleeps in his scabbard and cannot be awaked. See yet further, they are but a little handful, hemmed in with enemies round about, who watch them with a thousand eyes, and yet they cannot leave wrangling among themselves, they must needs hale one another to the judgement seats, and there in a goodly Theatre set themselves, Themselves? nay, the Gospel, the precious word of God, the joy, glory, and jewel of a Christian, for which, a man's life were not dear, if he bought it so: I say, they set the Gospel to sale, to the derision of the Heathen. These than were the maladies of Corinth, Schism broken out with arrogancy, and not bound up with humility: Incest committed by villainy, and not controlled by authority: lawsuits prosecuted at Heathen courts, and not taken up with Christian care: and Paul like a skilful Physician, applies Doses to these diseases. Incest must be cured by cutting; Christian caution, may prevent unchristian contention: but Schism is a longer task; that swelling humour of pride and vainglory, must be abased and abated with the spare diet of a single mind, a simple meaning, and a sincere manner in the Preaching of the Word, that so the glory of God may be advanced, and all the pride of man trampled in the dust.  
The argument of Schism is continued from the 10. of the 1. to the end of the 4. Chapter, where a double course, used in the cure thereof, is intimated.  
1. That which he premises. 2. That which he promises. He premises this Letter sent by the hand of Timothy, that he might further the business: and promises, that if this will not do, himself will shortly come and take further order.  
The sum of the Letter is an exhortation to unity from one argument especially, and is couched and concluded in this Enthymeme, You are all one in Christ jesus who is one, you agree with one mind, and one mouth: the Proposition being supposed as very reasonable, and therefore suppressed as not very necessary. The conclusion is proposed in the tenth of the first, where because it stands (as it were) in the forefront without the premises, it is guarded on the one side with a sweet entreaty, I beseech you brethren: on the other side with a sound authority, By the name of the Lord jesus Christ, being (as it were) edged with the one, the sweet entreaty; and backed with the other, the sound authority, that it might the better pierce into the very tower of their affections; and force them with a sure charm to all sincere obedience, and this conclusion iterated in the 14. of the 4. closes up the whole argument.  
The Assumption follows in the 13. of the 1. whetted, as it were, and pointed, with nimble interrogations, which all speak as Spaniards in the language of Pike, with invincible power, and unavoidable necessity, that Christ is the only one, and undivided Saviour.  
But here the Corinthians bar up the way with an objection, which is insinuated in the 12. verse, and is but insinuated in the whole progress: yet so, that you may easily perceive that all Paul's pains in the four first Chapters, is spent in the remoovall of this rub, the anticipation of this objection: Now this it is.  
Though there be but one Christ, one Master, yet there be many of Christ's Ministers, and they have different gifts; one likes Paul's simple perspicuity; others, Apollo's ample plenty; a third, Cephas solid potency; and therefore, why may not I apply myself to Paul, I, to Apollo, I, to Cephas?  
This their discourse (if you mark it) is a discovery of all the causes of their disorder. They are two: the bewitching tongues of the teachers, and, the itching ears of the people: the teacher's arrogance, the people's ignorance. The teachers, faithless teachers, woo for themselves, instead of their Lord: the people, foolish people, fall in love with the man, instead of the master, the servant, instead of the sovereign: And therefore Paul instructs them both: the teachers, what they should do, from the 14. of the 1. to the 5. of the 3. where embracing an occasion, he sweetly passes to the people, what they should do: the people must not account too highly of their Ministers, for two reasons.  
1. They are but the Lords servants. They may well take up the emblem of a watering-Pot dropping, with this word, Nil mihi praeterea, praeterea mihi nil. For Paul may plant, and Apollo may water, but it is the Lord that gives the increase. And therefore they must not set up the labourer against the Lord.  
Nay secondly, the Ministers, they are the Corinthians servants in the Lord, For all things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, or the world or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is Gods. And therefore, you must not make them lords of your faith: and therefore, Let no man glory in men.  
Now for the Minister's duty. It is not to seek themselves, but the glory of God, and the good of the people; and therefore, not to preach themselves in acquaint words, and curious eloquence, but to preach both for matter, Christ jesus; and for manner, with all plainness, and without all affectation, nothing but Christ jesus with all humility, and without all ostentation, nothing but Christ jesus crucified. Christ jesus, must be the argument of their preaching, for in him God will be glorified: Christ jesus must be the ornament of their preaching, that he that glorieth may glory in the Lord. This is the Sum of that which is laid down at length in Paul's example: his story reports both the fact that he did so, and the causes, both efficients, and ends: efficients, God peremptorily commanding, Paul voluntarily obeying God as a royal Sovereign, Paul as a loyal subject, God imperio, Paul obsequio; both which have their ends the same, to wit, the glory of the eternal God, and the eternal good of the Corinthians: yet with this different distinction, God independently, Paul in dependency; God as supreme head prescribing, Paul as subordinate, subscribing to his holy pleasure: and with this disposition God intending his glory, is specially treated of in the first Chapter, Paul attending the people's good, specially propounded in this Chapter. This is the series rei, but the series historiae consists in three steps.  
1. God commanded Paul, and all, so to do, from the 17. verse of the 1. to the end.  
2. Paul determined so to do, in the verse of my Text.  
3. He did so, in the first verse, for thus they lie in order: and therefore you must observe two things for the method.  
1. That the first verse of this Chapter holds hands with the 17. of the 1. and all which is inserted, is but a commoration in the story, illustrating the command of God from the cause of his counsel, and the contrary conceit of the worldlings.  
2. That the order of the two latter parts in his determination and action inverted, this being placed after the 1. verse, which in the accurate method, should have had the precedency.  
To contract all that hath been said: two things may be observed here, a Precept, and an Example. The Precept is a description of a Minister of the Gospel, to be such an one, as now being sent of God, is to preach the glad tidings of Christ jesus come into the World, for the redemption of mankind, for the glory of God, and the salvation of his people: This description contains the chief causes, as is showed. The example is Paul, in whom, as in a glass, all this is represented, for three Reasons.  
1. For Paul's own sake, to vindicate his integrity with the Corinthians, inveigled with their rabbinical Doctors, and thence offended with Paul's simplicity, began to call in question: as you may see.  
2. For the Doctor's sake, that if they would not learn their duty from God, they might learn it from him, so lofty a pattern, of so lowly a piety: as you may see.  
3. For the Corinthians sake, to provoke them to a filial imitation, by the patriall example of his humility.  
To draw now to a conclusion. You see the context is a Commentary upon the Text: and the Text is a Compendium of the context; for the Text is a recapitulation of all the severals above mentioned, the very quintessence of all the simples afore unfolded: and the Context is a light discovering what is contained in the Text, both for words and meaning, and what may be collected out of the Text, for instruction. The words may now be easily interpreted: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be rendered either, with Calvin, in precio habui, or with Beza, decrevi; for it signifies Paul acting, consilio rei in all actions: and the word of judgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comprehends both, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be rendered by a Metonymy of the Cause for the Effect, by the word Preaching, or some such like, for you see it notes Paul's ministerial function, and it is spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not so much as know, even as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seem to be not any thing, that is not in comparison or in competition. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Synecdoche, for all that was to be taught concerning Christ jesus, namely, faith in him, and salvation by him; even as the last words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, comprehend all his sufferings in general, of which, this is a species 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. The meaning than is, as if Paul had said, I thought nothing worthy to be known, and therefore determined to make show of no other knowledge among you, but of the counsel of God, for your salvation, by a true faith in Christ jesus, who therefore was crucified for you.  
This being the meaning, you see what this verse contains in it, namely, a general precept, and a special example, a general precept in a special example. The general precept is, that every Minister must preach, for matter, Christ jesus only; for manner, with all humility Christ jesus crucified: this is in the Text, and the context, as a Commentary, shows why this must be done, from the efficients.  
1. God he commands.  
2. The Minister, it is his duty to obey. And from the ends.  
1. He must seek God's glory, not his own applause.  
2. He must seek the people's salvation, not his own approbation.  
And secondly, it shows what is here forbidden, all humane wisdom and humane eloquence, which tend any way to self seeking, and, therefore all these doctrines are plainly contained in this precept, beside what may be collected: as.  
1. That the only way to seek God's glory and the salvation of the people, is by teaching Christ jesus, and him Crucified, and him only: and therefore,  
2. That we can hardly preach in humane eloquence and wisdom, but we shall be in danger of bewraying our own vainglory, and betraying the Lords honour, and the souls of his people.  
3. The preaching in humility, is the best way to prevent Schisms in charity.  
Now all these are made more illustrious in a most illustrious example, to which every word in the Text pays tribute, that it may be excellent.  
1. Paul did not seek the wisdom of words, to seek his own worship; and therefore no man's greatness, or learning, no exemption can privilege, no privilege can exempt any man from this necessary humility: for if any, than might Paul have pretended this, who was brought up at Gamaliels' feet, and accomplished with all humane institution, who was rapt into the third heavens, and acquainted with all divine revelations: and that you may not think, that ignorance in letters, was the mother of this devotion to Christ, he was at Lystry taken for a god, even for Mercury, the god of eloquence: yet Paul did it not: yea.  
2. He shaked off all tickling enticements; and shunned all inducements, for he determined not to do it: yea.  
3. He determined not so much as to know any thing beside Christ, as if he should say, deal de hinc ex animo, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and surely, if we make an anatomy of the whole body of Paul's Epistles, you shall find, Christ jesus Crucified, written in the heart of them, in golden characters, as truly, as they falsely report that they were seen in the heart of Ignatius.  
4. Mark the word, not any thing, not a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not a tittle of any thing, but Christ jesus Crucified: and yet we have not done, for behold yet a further wonder.  
5. He would not know any thing, no not among the Corinthians; if any where, then surely he might have showed learning and eloquence at Corinth, a City of Greece, a famous City, a learned City, where they could understand, and did expect it, and, as it seems, and as I showed before, were offended with his homeliness: yet all this could not draw Paul from his charge, no more than they could draw the Sun from his Chariot. Me thinks, I see the Corinthians amazed at the hearing of the first verse, to see that Paul so lightly esteemed, that which they so highly admired, and assaulting him in this manner.  
It was once said, much learning, o Paul, hath made thee mad; but now much love hath made thee mad. When we hear of a messenger from God, we looked to have seen one clothed, clouded with the Moon, crowned with a Crown of Stars, and looked thou shouldest have spoken in the language of heaven, with the tongue of Angels: but see what it is, a silly simple man, in a silly simple manner, something like Archimedes, naked, and yet as earnest in crying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as though it were some great matter, and yet upon trial we find nothing, but Cross, and foolishness, the foolishness of Preaching, and the word of the Cross; in a word, nothing but Christ jesus Crucified: is this the majesty of God's word? is this the eloquence of God's Ambassador? or rather may not we say, as he said once, much learning hath made thee mad; may not we say, much love hath made thee mad?  
But here doth Paul answer. I am not mad, o Noble Corinthians, but if you will needs accuse me of my duty neglected to my Lord, I charge you tell him (what shall you tell him?) I charge you tell him, that I am sick of love. Neither can I see what you can blame in my preaching, you cannot call it rashness, for I determined; you cannot call it rudeness, for I might have done otherwise, if I had not otherwise determined; or say it were both rude and rash, yet you may stay the censure, for, — Si crimen erat, crimen amoris erat.  
For it was among you, it was for your good: and if all this will not satisfy you, yet because it was Christ jesus I preached, I am well satisfied for the loss of estimation, and the leaving of eloquence, for I count all things loss, for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ: O noble Apostle! noble Paul! would God not only all we here present, but all the Lords servants were like thee in all things, like in this especially, to count nothing worthy to be known, but Christ jesus and him Crucified.  
And thus much for the entrance into this Text, which I therefore made choice of, to dedicate my first entrance into the Lord's service, because it is the sum of all Religion, the sum of all, the desire of Paul here, and of all Christians, and the sum of my desire: for I count all things loss, for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ jesus my Lord, for whom I could suffer the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ; For I determined (and therefore wonder not at my choice) to know nothing among you, but Christ jesus and him crucified. And thus much for this time.   
1 Corinth. 2. 2. For I determined to know nothing among you, but Christ Jesus, and him Crucified. 
MArlorat upon this place, observes two things out of Calvin, and those both of special consequence. 1. Quid docendum: What is the duty of every Minister. 2. Quid discendum: What is the duty of every man. The duty of every Minister is expressly employed, in the particular example of Paul's determination: the duty of every man is directly deduced by an easy consequence out of the nature of Relation. For if the duty of the teacher be to teach Christ, and nothing but Christ, as it appears in Paul, who determined to know nothing, but Christ jesus, and him Crucified: then the duty of the learner can be nothing else, but to learn to know Christ jesus and him crucified.  
The Minister's duty is more natural to the scope of the Text: the duty of every man is more general in the order of nature; so that they may both challenge and strive for the precedency. Therefore I determined to take an indifferent course: The last time I handled the former, so far as it made for the clearing of the Text, but descended not to any specialties: wherein I pointed only what was the duty of the Minister, generally out of the Context, particularly in the words.  
And lest any man should object, that Paul indeed did thus, but we are not pinned to his sleeve, we live not by examples, & nos habemus Spiritum Sanctum, I showed how his example did contain, not only a precept concerning the argument of preaching, but also an argument to provoke us to the observation of that precept. For it was,  
1. Paul, who was brought up at Gamaliels' feet, rapt up into the third heaven, taken for a god at Lystra, even Mercury the god of Eloquence; if Paul then be exemplified for this humble vain of preaching, who then is exempted?  
2. Paul did it not out of rudeness, or rashness, but he deliberated what was best to be done, and determined of this.  
3. He determined not so much as to know, as if he should say, deleo dehinc ex animo omnes, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
4. Not to know any thing, not a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not a tittle of any thing.  
5. Not any thing, no, not among the Corinthians, among you, rich, learned Grecians, Corinthians. All which infer, or rather enforce this conclusion.  
That if Paul upon these terms would not, than no Minister, upon any terms must preach any thing, but Christ jesus, and him crucified.  
And thus much I thought good to premise concerning the first, Quid docendum, what is the duty of every Minister, because it seems to be something more specially intended in the verse: now I come to the second.  
Quid discendum, What is the duty of every man, which I will prosecute, because it is more generally extended in use: or rather I come to the Doctrine which is common to both, and out of which both of them are derived. The Doctrine is this.  
That the knowledge of Christ jesus crucified, is sufficient to salvation.  
Which in a word justifies both Paul's determination, as a reason, and warrants Calvins' observation, for the duty both of Preacher and People, as a ground and foundation: therefore seeing the whole frame of this building lies upon it, it will not be amiss to take a special view of it.  
The rise of this Doctrine out of these words is evident: for if Paul who was sent by God to preach salvation to those that believe, determined to preach nothing among them but jesus Christ and him crucified, then either that was sufficient to that end, or else it must needs be, that he either weakly conceived of the means, and so was unskilful; or wilfully concealed some part of them, and so was unfaithful in his office; but it were blasphemy to say so; for, as for his fitness he was not inferior to the greatest Apostles; and as for his fidelity, he revealed to them the whole will of God: and this very place, (so eminent it was) propounds him as an exemplary pattern: and therefore I think it is firm out of this place, That the knowledge of Christ jesus crucified is sufficient to salvation.  
Now that we may the more distinctly conceive of this truth, I will endeavour to clear these two things.  
1. That Christ jesus is a sufficient Saviour.  
2. That faith (for this I understand here by knowledge) is sufficient to make him our Saviour: For these two things must considered in our salvation, the appretiation, (that I may so speak) and the appropriation, the gift, and the conveyance, and both these are comprehended in that proposition: for, Christ crucified is the price paid, which is made ours by faith, when his spirit enlightening our minds to apprehend his mercy, and inclining our wills to embrace it, unites us to our Saviour: and if there be any defect in the sufficiency, it must needs be, either because Christ is not a sufficient Saviour, or, because faith is not sufficient to make him our Saviour: but neither of these can be.  
1. For the first, That Christ is a sufficient Saviour: I will first point out what Salvation is: and secondly, prove that Christ hath wrought it sufficiently.  
1. By Salvation, I mean the Summum bonum, the utmost end, the chief happiness of man, which cannot consist in any thing in the world, save in his conjunction and conformity with his Creator: For the Lord made all things for man, and man for himself. Indeed he imprinted the vestigia of his power, and wisdom, and all his Attributes, in the glorious workmanship of the World; but as for all other creatures, though they contain the arguments of his praise, written in golden Letters, yet they have no eye to read them, though they obey the word of his will, for he did but say, let it be so, and it was so, yet it was without a free and voluntary obedience; therefore it pleased God to create man, who might glorify him in the careful observation of his wisdom, written in the volume of his works, and in the cheerful observance of his will engraven in the table of his heart; and for this cause was he made, as he was the image of God, in science and sanctity; and on this condition was he made the Lord of all the creatures, that in their names that could not, he might that could, offer the tribute of praise to his Lord and Maker. And this was the reason, that man was the last of all his works, as though all proceeded from him, but ended in man, and man only stood between them and God, receiving all the profit of them with the one hand, and re-delivering all the praise of them with the other hand, into the hands of the Lord. This than was the end of man, in the observation of his wisdom, and the observance of his will to glorify God, and this should have been his honour, and his happiness.  
Perhaps you do not well understand yet what I mean by Salvation; neither indeed can you well understand it, till you have considered the state that man now is in: and therefore I pray give me leave to touch it briefly.  
I say then that every man of us, every mother's son is born by nature a vessel of wrath, a vassal of Satan, an enemy to God, and all goodness. If you ask me whence this comes, I answer as Christ in another case, Ab initio non fuit sic: for as I told you before, and now tell you again, Man was created the most glorious piece of this goodly frame, a Citizen of Heaven, Inhabitant of Paradise, Brother of the Angels, Lord of the Creatures, Son of the Almighty, even the glorious image of the Lord of glory, the lively picture of the living God, his body being graced with many ornaments, and his soul adorned with many graces, so that Heaven and Earth might seem to have been married in his making.  
Now, then man was no sooner made but he rebelled against his maker, he that was right, was fat and kicked against his Lord, and we in him: 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉▪  we were, sons of prevarication, and the 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  sons of perdition, Ex illo fluere, from that fountain springs all our misery: we have all sinned against the Lord, and therefore this great evil is upon us: hence it is that our minds are blind, the Crows of the valley have picked out our eyes: our will's lame to any thing that is good, our nature catcht a fall, like Mephibosheth, in the cradle of her infancy, and we could never outgrow it: hence it is that our bodies are subject to deformities, infirmities, death, our souls and bodies to the wrath of God, which lies heavy upon us here, prosecuting us with armies of plagues, and will never leave us till it hath brought us (unless his mercy prevent us) to eternal torments, and sunk us into the bottom of Hell.  
No marvel then, if Plato complain that the soul hath broke her wings: if Poets tell us of an iron age: if whole volumes be filled with declamations of the brevity of man's life, and the miseries of mankind. No, I marvel not, if they who had but one eye saw these things, even through the clouds of obscurity: I marvel rather, that among Christians, who have both their eyes, the eye of reason, and the eye of faith, and besides, live in the Sunshine of the Gospel, so few see this, as they did, or at least, the reason of this, which they could not.  
I marvel I hear no more cry out with S. Paul, O miserable man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death! for if Paul so pathetically cried out, who could so triumphantly give thanks; how much more justly may we, if we cannot add that which follows, reiterate the same again, and say? O miserable man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death!  
Ye see now the misery of a natural man, consisting in the conscience of sin, and the consequence of sin, the fault and the guilt, malum culpae, malum poenae: this is the misery of man, which estranges him far from the state of happiness: and out of this ye may gather what salvation is. For every Salve supposes a Sore, and the sore is sin and pain, and therefore the salve is that which will free us from this horrible condition: and restore, and re-estate us into the favour of the Lord, and so into our former felicity. This is that which I mean by Salvation.  
And thus am I fall'n into the second point, That Christ is a sufficient Saviour. The Sun shines not so clear in his strength, as this truth I hope shall shine, though through my weakness: for, to let pass all that might be alleged for it, and to make use of those grounds only, which have been laid already. Yet it will be more than evident: for as you heard, Salvation is the redeeming us from that miserable condition, in which by nature we lie plunged most deservedly, and restoring us to that happy state which we should have enjoyed, had we continued in our integrity: But Christ jesus hath performed both these for us: therefore he is a sufficient Saviour. The proof of the Proposition was provided for before: the Assumption I will make good in the parts. For first Christ hath redeemed us from all our misery, whether sin, the root, or punishment, the fruit be considered.  
1. He hath taken away all sin, both our original impurity, by the original purity of his manhood, which was therefore sanctified in his conception, by the work of the Holy Ghost, that it might be exempted from the common condition of corruption; and our actual impiety, by the actual observance of the whole Law of God. The Pharisees could not take him tripping in a word, though they laid many trains to entrap him. The High Priests could lay nothing to his charge, though they hired false witnesses against him. Pilate himself was constrained, through the innocence of his cause, ceremonially to justify him by washing his hands, though he were constrained through the importunity of his enemies judicially to proceed against him, and so spill blood guiltless. Thus was Christ jesus the Lamb without spot, the Israelite without guile, fairer than the children of men, that so he might take away the pollution of our nature, with which we were wholly defiled. And this was his active obedience, wherein he did that which we should have done, but could not, exactly fulfilling even the rigorous exaction of all God's Commandments.  
2. The Punishment of sin he took away likewise by suffering and overcoming that which we must have suffered, but could not overcome, even the full viols of God's wrath, and the weight of his hand, the heavy weight of his heavy wrath, which was due to us for our offences: for he took not on him our nature only, but the infirmities of our nature: he that was rich became poor for our sakes, that we which were poor might be made rich: he that was clothed with majesty as with a garment, became naked, that we might be decked with the robes of his righteousness: he that was anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows, wept; that all tears might be wiped from our eyes: he whose throne was in the Heavens, wandered and had not whereon to rest his head, that he might lead us, who had lost ourselves in the Labyrinth of sin, to eternal rest, and fix us like stars in the Firmament.  
Do you believe in him for these things (as he once said to Nathaniel) follow me a little with your attention, and you shall see greater things than these: For he took upon him the chastisements of our sins, and bore the burden of our iniquities: he was accused, that we might be acquitted; he was condemned, that we might be condoned; he was accursed, that we might be acquitted; he was hanged upon the Cross and accounted a sinner, that our sins might be crossed out of the book of accounts, and we might be accounted holy and righteous, and wholly righteous. Who now shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? Take a view of all the enemies, they were three, like the three sons, all terrible Giants, terrible to all the sons of Adam, Sin, Death, and Hell. If the Lord had not been on our side, may we now say, if the Lord had not been on our side, they had swallowed us up quick: But thanks be to God in Christ jesus, the net is broken, and we are escaped, and behold, they are dead that sought our lives.  
The Devil, like a Serpent in the Garden, stirred Adam to sin; and Sin, like a Serpent in the Wilderness, stung Israel to the death: but our Saviour hath overcome them all: he tamed the Serpent in the wilderness, that tempted Adam in the Garden to sin: and he took out the sting of sin, the Serpent of the Desert, by the desert of his suffering: for sin was the Serpent, and the sting of sin was death, and death he vanquished in the grave, even in his own den, even on his own dunghill. So that if death should now reason that he hath us still in captivity, because he hath us still in keeping, we may say as Tully once to Atticus, O mors, ubi est acumen tuum? or rather as S. Paul prompteth us, O death, where is thy sting? o grave, where is thy victory?  
And thus was Christ the Lamb sltaine, the price paid, the propitiatory sacrifice for his chosen: and this was his passive obedience, whereby he suffered and overcame that which we should have suffered, but could not have overcome, satisfying even the rigorous exaction of God's exact justice: and these are both the parts of the payment, which he tendered up to God in our behalf and for our behoof: by which he hath not only freed us from our natural misery, which was the first part of Salvation, and hath been showed hitherto, but hath also filled us with all good things, which, as the former, consists in two things, Holiness, and Happiness.  
Both which Christ hath furnished us withal, out of the rich storehouse of his merits; for what he did he did for us, and we are righteous in his righteousness; and what he merited, for us he merited; and we are victorious in his victory: in a word, he hath clothed us with an undefiled immaculate 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  robe of righteousness, and crowned us with an immortal 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  crown of glory: even in incorruptible crown of inconceivable glory: with righteousness irreprehensible, with glory incomprehensible.  
And if any man doubt yet of the sufficiency of his satisfaction, weighing the heinousness of our transgression: let that man consider but who it was that did these things, and what the things were that he did and suffered, and then I hope he shall be sufficiently satisfied. It was the Lord of glory that emptied himself into the form of a servant, it was the Lord of life, that shed his precious blood for us: he humbled himself to be a man, yea a servant, of whom it was every way true, if ever it were true, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  there is one servant only which is master of the house: yea, not a man, a worm and no man: he humbled himself to the death, the death of the cross, the most ignominious, and ignoble death of all other● he descended out of the bosom of blessedness, into the bottom of baseness: and therefore needs must his passion be very meritorious, whose person was so magnificent: his desert must needs be great, whose descent was so glorious.  
Neither need any man doubt of God's acceptation: for beside that which hath been said, that what he did, and what he suffered, it was for us, because he was man: he took not the nature of Angels upon him, but of man; and it was sufficient, because he was God, which adds infinite value to both: beside this, I say, who could be so fit to reconcile man to God, as he who was both God and man? Man, quia solus Deus sentire; God, quia solus homo superare non potuit mortem quam pro nobis obire debuit: yea, and it was the counsel of the Lord, that this should be the means to bring this to pass, and therefore he laid his wrath upon him, which otherwise had been injustice: his wrath, I say, so heavily upon him, that it wrung out strange words, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? and therefore, he that accounted him a sinner for our sakes, must needs accept of the sacrifice that he offered for our sins.  
Now when I review all that I have said for his sufficiency, me thinks I need not have gone further off my text, for demonstration of this truth; for Paul saith, he determined to know nothing but Christ jesus, and him crucified: therefore he is Christ, and jesus, and crucified, therefore he is an alsufficient Saviour: for these three, like the three terms of a Syllogism, draw in a demonstrative Conclusion: like the three tongues that were written upon the Cross, Greek, Latin, Hebrew, to witness Christ to be the King of the jews, do each of them in his several Idiom avouch this singular Axiom, that Christ is an alsufficient Saviour: and a threefold cord is not easily broken.  
He was that Christ, which was anointed and appointed of God, for that purpose; and therefore, filled and furnished with all graces fit for the accomplishment. According to the smell of thine Ointments, thy Name is an Ointment poured forth, therefore the virgins love thee, saith the Spouse in the Canticles. His name is 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  the Anointed, and in him many graces concurred to make a full performance; as in a precious ointment, many spices concur to make a sweet perfume: Therefore the virgins love thee, the virgins that are pure in heart: hence they fetch Oil for their Lamps, and therefore they burn in love: virgins love ointment for their beauty, thy Name is an ointment poured forth, therefore the virgins love thee: the wise virgins love thee, because they are wise; and so would the foolish too, but that they are foolish:  
2. This Christ was crucified for us: there was the whole box of ointment broken, and poured forth, there all the spices gave their smell, 
a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  a sweet smelling savour, which ascended into the nostrils of the Lord, and became to him 
b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  a dutiful smell, in which he is well pleased: And therefore.  
3. He must needs be jesus, whether you derive the name from the Greek, as some have done, 
c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. , to heal, more finely then fitly, and yet, more fit then finely: for he hath healed all our infirmities, by the merit of his blood, and the anointing of his Spirit: or from the Hebrew, as it is most truly, for he hath saved us from our sins, from all our sins, and therefore is a true jesus, a Saviour, a perfect Saviour, (for so the Angel that imposed his name expounded it) And therefore is an Angel from Heaven preach any other doctrine than this, let him be accursed, saith S. Paul.  
I need not heap up any more, yet it will not be amiss to let you hear the voice of the Scripture, where, to omit the common consent of the whole frame and phrase of the book, and the murmur of every letter, which all of them proclaim this truth: and beside those words of note, which note thus much every where, as, 
d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  Grace by Christ did overflow and superabound, and 
e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  the riches of grace, 
f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  the exceeding great love of Christ, and 
g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  the breadth, and the length, and the height, and the depth of love. A man would think that Paul had spent all his Arts, all his Rhetoric, in Pleonasmes, and Hyperboles: his Geometry, in taking the height of his desert, and could not attain it. And indeed, they are words of wonder, wondrous words, or rather, as he says, 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  wonders, not 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  words, to express his absolute perfection: to omit all these, I say, I will content myself with two or three witnesses to ratify it, which shall be past exception.  
john 1. 29. Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, saith john Baptist of Christ. Will you believe the Lords Messenger, Behold the Lamb, what shall we behold in a Lamb? Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the World, john 19 30. It is finished, (saith Christ jesus himself) It, what? the Redemption of mankind: what of the Redemption? It is finished: will you believe the Lord and Master? Let no man think to thrust his Sickle into another man's harvest, for it is finished. Matth. 3. last. This is my well-beloved son, in whom I am well pleased, saith God the Father: This, which? even Christ jesus: what of Christ? This is my well-beloved son, in whom I am well pleased: will you believe the Lord and Maker? Let no man fear any after reckoning, the Lord will look for no more, he will take no more, for he is already pleased, for in his well-beloved son, he is well pleased.  
I think there's no man can slight the credit of these witnesses: for john, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉,  he said no more than he saw: and Christ, 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉,  he affirmed no more than he performed: and God, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  spoke that which be received, his acquittance could be no larger than his acceptance: and therefore needs must all these make it irrefragable.  
Neither was their witness a perfunctory testimonial, but a peremptory proof of his fufficiencie: for john was nothing but a voice, and 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  the voice of a crier, and yet this is all that he said with such earnest contention, and God said it, not in a silent manner, whispering; not in a secret place, but it was a 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  voice from Heaven: and Christ said it not in his ordinary speech, but when he was upon the Cross, than he said a 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  great voice, as S. Matthew and S. Mark note: then he said it with his last breath, and sealed it with his dearest blood. And therefore I hope that this will suffice to have spoken of his sufficiency.  
I come now to the second point, That Faith is sufficient to make him our Saviour: which I will handle according to my former order, but exceeding briefly. 1. What faith is, viz. out of the true sense of our own misery by nature, and sweet apprehension of God's mercy offered, an humble denial of ourselves, and all creatures, and confident relying on the mercy of the Lord in Christ jesus: This may serve for a weak delineation of that worthy grace, framed according to the proportion of my former principles.  
And that this is sufficient, needs no more proof, but to point at that which ye have heard already: for seeing our Salvation must be wrought by another, and he that wrought it is Christ, what can be further requisite, then that Christ and his merits be made ours, which can be done by faith only: beside which, there can be no other affection between God and man: for the Spirit of God is the bond that unites and knits us to Christ by faith: and faith is the hand that receives the treasure of Christ's merits, that enrich us: and Christ is all our riches: for being once transplanted out of the old Adam, and engrafted into the new, which is Christ, and made one with him, the Lord cannot choose but repute us righteous, through the imputation of his righteousness.  
Hence it is, that all our sins are remitted and blotted out of the book of remembrance, and ourselves readmitted into his favour, and into his family: hence it is, that we are adopted to be his sons, and adorned with his son's holiness: hence it is, that the curse of our sins is take away, and we have peace with God and all his creatures, the Angels pitch their Tents about us, and the stones of the field are in league with us: for it is written, He hath given his Angels charge over us, to preserve us in all our ways, lest at any time we should hurt our foot against a stone: hence it is, that the old man, with the lusts of the same, die in us, and decay, and the new man is renewed daily.  
As soon as we begin to believe in the Lord jesus, the scales fall from our eyes, that we can not only read in the book of the Scripture, the will of God, which before, was a book closed, a book sealed up to us, but also lift up our eyes to Heaven, and look into the volumes of eternity, and read our names written in the book of life: The shackles also fall from our feet, and we being enlarged, are enabled, not only to walk in the Lords Statutes, but also, to run the way of his Commandments.  
And though we groan under the burden of our sins, so long as we live here clothed with this body of death; yet we are freed from the bondage of them, and still grow on to perfection: which than we shall attain, when we shall be translated into the Heavens: where we shall receive the end of our faith, even the salvation of our souls, through his mercy, who hath so dear bought us, and brought us thither: where we shall enjoy the blessed presence of God, in whose presence, there is fullness of joy, and pleasure for evermore.  
Blessed are the people that are in such a case, in such a place, yea, blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. But all this is made ours by faith only, which entitles us to the merits of Christ, who purchased it for us: therefore faith is sufficient. I should now justify this by Scripture, but to say truth, this truth and this Text, is the only scope of the Scripture, the theme of Theology, the pith of all piety: and therefore because it deserves some better observation, I will defer it to some better opportunity.  
Μόνῳ τῷ Θεῷ δόξα.   
1 Corinth. 2. 2. For I determined to know nothing among you, but Christ Jesus, and him Crucified. 
WHen I first took this place in hand, I thought to have finished it out of hand, the same time I began: but it fared with me, as it did with Simonides, who, the more time they gave him to assoil the question, what God was, the more he craved. And what marvel, since Christ is the argument we have in hand? They talk of a fabulous purse of Fortunatus, I think few are so credulous to believe it; but this we may and must believe, for the Spirit of truth avouches it, that in Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge: and who is so impious, as once to call it into question? We read in the golden Legend of Poets, of a fruitful tree, of which he says, — Vno avulso non deficit alter Aureus— and something like, in Alcinous' Garden: but Christ is the tree of life, in the midst of the Paradise of God, whose fruits are of twelve sorts, according to the seasons of the year, and according to the families of the house of Israel, whose leaves also were for the healing of the Nations: how much more golden than that one, fruitful than those other? We are beholding to Polydore Virgil and ancient Histories, that call our England, Puteus inexhaustus, for the store of commodities: but Christ is a fountain, better than that Well of jacob, a Fountain, of whose water whosoever drinketh, shall never thirst again: For, he is a fountain of living water, springing up to everlasting life. What do I speak of Fables? They say it's true of the Oil at Rheims, that though it be continually spent in the inauguration of their Kings of France, yet it never wasteth; and this they attribute of the cross to the blessing: I am sure, it is true of the Oil in the Cruse of the Widow of Sarepta, that it fed her house, and failed not: though they be false and foolish which would father that miracle upon the Cross too, which they find in the sticks that she gathered, which they say lay a cross, as well it may be, as Helena found her cross: and as true, I am sure it is, that Christ crucified is the pot of Mannah, the Cruse of Oil, a bottomless Ocean of all comfort to the faithful: he is rivers of oil, and his steps drop fatness: for this cause received the Spirit without measure, and was anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows: and in him God is, as he calls himself, I am, because in him he is all good, that the heart of the godly can wish or want: he is that benedictum medicamentum, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  that anointing medicine, the only 
† 〈◊〉.  all-healing medicine against all diseases, the only 〈◊〉, against all danger. To conclude, as Demosthenes said of Pronunciation, that it was primum, secundum, tertium, in all Rhetoric: so may I say of Salvation, it is primum, secundum, tertium, in all Divinity, and in it, Christ is all in all.  
And thus I see I have taken up my speech where I let it fall the last time: for if you remember, when I ended I said a great word, That faith in Christ crucified, was the theme of all Theology, the scope of all the Scripture; which now that I may liberare fidem, I must endeavour to make good.  
I fear not that you should think I make quidlibet ex quolibet, as Alchemists they say can fetch oil out of flint, and as the Papists say, the Scripture is a nose of wax, and make it so, when they conclude the Pope's supremacy out of Peter's walking on the waters: for I see my Text will warrant me in what I have said: for if Paul would preach nothing but Christ jesus, and him Crucified, and yet was to preach all that was necessary to salvation, then questionless he judged Christ crucified to be the sum of all: beside this evidence that convinced me, necessity compelled me to take this course: for when I sought for witnesses of that I had delivered in the Scripture, the whole book of God offered itself: and therefore in such copious plenty, I deemed this the most compendious path, to prove that in general, which otherwise would have proved infinite, if I had once minced it into the particulars.  
Having thus scoured the way, I come now to enter upon the point, to show, that faith in Christ is the sum of Divinity, the scope of the Scripture: and first, I will begin with Divinity, because the rule of it being the Analogy of faith, will light us in the search of the secrets of the Scripture, and lead us into the native meaning thereof with more facility: and this I will apply to the double consideration of Divinity, both in the main substance, which was always the same, and the mutable circumstances thereof, which according to divers times had some diversity.  
The main substance of Divinity was always that Doctrine and Rule that chalked out the way, in which man was to walk to eternal salvation, and eternal happiness: which will easily appear to be summarily comprised in faith, if that be true, which is most true, which I have already proved, that it is sufficient to attain salvation: and the same will shine yet more brightly, if we do but lay down the severals of the art, for this will be the sum that all will amount to, this will be the Epitome of all, even Christ jesus, who is the foundation of faith, and the fountain of all obedience, which are both, and all the parts of Divinity.  
Take these asunder now, and consider them severally: That Christ is the foundation of our faith, I will allege but one place for it: hear what Paul saith, 1 Tim. 3. 16. Great is the mystery of godliness, God manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of Angels, preached of Men, believed in the World, received into glory. See here the mystery, the whole mystery of godliness, and that a great mystery, yea, and without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness; and yet this is all, even Christ jesus.  
Reason itself will subscribe to this Article, and prove it too: for you know, the object of faith is God alone, and by it we are united unto him, and this was the condition of our integrity: our bodies were temples of his blessed Spirit, and the delight of the Lord was in the sons of men: but now having provoked him to indignation against us, by our voluntary transgression, his mind is alienated, and the case is altered: his good Spirit being grieved, is departed from us, and he frowns upon us with an angry countenance: neither can it be otherwise, for he could not love his own justice, if he did not hate our iniquity.  
We may read our misery in Adam's story, who after his sin, when he heard the voice of the Lord walking in the Garden, was afraid, and hid himself: And again, in the children of Israel, who hearing the terrible thunders, and seeing the thick flashes of lightning, and the mountain smoking, when the Law was given at Mount Sinai, in a great fright, came to Moses, and said, Speak thou unto us, and we will hear, but let not God speak to us, lest we die: and the reason of this is, because our guilty conscience suggests no other conceit of God unto us, but as of an angry Judge, who is clothed with revenge and terror, as with a garment, and whose garments are died in blood, as the Prophet elsewhere speaketh. Moses à 〈◊〉. And these examples teach us, in what need we stand of a Mediator, who might treat of peace, and make an atonement for us; for otherwise, what faith, what confidence can we have in God, whom sin hath made our enemy? Now Christ alone is that Mediator: for he by his suffering hath smoothed his Father's brow, having satisfied his justice: and beside hath purchased his Spirit for us, who teacheth us to call him Abba Father; and through whom we have access with boldness to the throne of grace: therefore he is the foundation of our faith, which was the first part of Divinity.  
He is (in the second place) the fountain of all obedience: I will content myself here also with one place, look Phil. 1. 9 And this I pray (saith S. Paul) that your love may abound yet more and more, in all knowledge, and in all judgement: and in the 11. again, that ye may be filled with all the fruits of righteousness which are by jesus Christ, to the praise and glory of God: behold here, love in all knowledge, and that love in abundance, and that abundance yet more and more: behold again the fruits of righteousness▪ and all the fruits, and a fullness of all the fruits, and yet all this, and more, if more may be, by jesus Christ, for he is the Tree planted by the rivers of water, of which the Psalmist speaketh, who is transplanted out of the old Adam, and engrafted into the new, which is Christ, he is the tree that bringeth forth her fruit in her season: for as soon as we are in him, engrafted into his stock, watered with his blood, warmed with his Spirit, who is the Sun of righteousness, we are enabled to bring forth the fruits of Righteousness.  
And well may he challenge this interest in all our obedience in a triple right.  
1. Because he hath performed all obedience in his own person, but in our name, and therefore for us.  
2. Because all the ability we have to perform any thing, is his gift, and the work of his Spirit in our hearts: For of ourselves, as of ourselves, we can do nothing, but it is he that worketh in us both the will and the deed.  
3. Because he hides the deformities and washes away the spots of our actions, for otherwise, all our righteousness is as a menstruous cloth: he perfects all our imperfect performances. Survey but all the parts of obedience, you shall find this true. In the observation of the Decalogue, it is worth the observation, that this is the preface, I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage: we must be let at liberty by Christ, out of the bondage of Egypt, out of the fetters of sin and Satan, before we can set a step in the way of God's Commandments. And for our prayers, we need no other Beads, or beadroll, Christ is the only Pearl of price in them: it is his Spirit that kindles the fire of our zeal, that teaches us how to pray, for we know not how to pray as we ought: and it is himself ascending in the flame of our ardent desires, as he did once in Manoahs' sacrifice, that makes God smell a sweet savour, which otherwise, would stink in his nostrils, would be an abomination, and turn to sin. For as Themistocles presented himself to the King of the Molossi, under the protection of his son, and that was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as Plutarch observes: so unless we come to God, in the name of his son, there is little hope of speeding: unless jacob come in the garments of his elder brother Esau, there is small likelihood of a blessing; and so unless we come clothed with the Robes of Christ our elder brother: but if we do, behold it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, yea, the Lord will bless us, as Isaac said, and we shall be blessed: The Sacrament receiving, is the last act of our obedience, which without Christ are but cold and dead carcases of Lions, unprofitable.  
In a word therefore, Christ alone is he that adds value, and virtue to our weak faith; beauty, to our stained obedience: being the very foundation of our faith, and the fountain of our obedience: as I have showed of each of them severally taken, and will endeavour to the do same of both jointly considered.  
If you look for the proper place of faith in Christ, in the body of Divinity, you shall find it seated in the very centre, where it stands in a double relation, of that which goes before, and that which follows after.  
That which goes before, is the former part of the Rule of Faith, which all moves to it: that which follows after it, is the Rule of life, and is all moved from it, and all the lines of either meet in it.  
As it represents a Centre, it is the heart of Divinity. For, as in the natural generation, the heart is first articulated, and then the other parts: so in our spiritual regeneration, faith in Christ is first form, before any other graces; and therefore Paul calls the Galatians, his Children, of whom he traveled in birth, till Christ were form in them: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
As we look upon it in that double relation, (me thinks) upward and downward, it expresses Jacob's ladder which appeared in a vision, by which he saw Angels ascending, and descending, and God standing on the top thereof: for Christ, by the consent of all, is that scala coeli, by which we ascend to God, and descend to good works: and Paul hath excellenty described that comparison in a most sweet gradation, Rom. 8. 29. Those whom God hath foreknown, those also he predestinated to be conformable to the image of his son; whom he predestinated, those also he called; whom he calleth, them he justifieth; whom he justifieth, those also he glorifieth: behold a scala coeli, a golden chain, and in it a descent of God to man, by the steps of election and vocation, and an ascent of man to God, by the stairs of justification and sanctification, to the highest state of glory.  
I think now that I may conclude this point, That Faith in Christ is the sum of Divinity, considered in the constant truth thereof; for in him it pleased God 〈◊〉, to recollect and recapitulate all, even in this sense: in him it pleased God that all fullness should dwell, and in him dwells 〈◊〉, the fullness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and it may be 〈◊〉 too, for the fullness of the Divinity bodily, and the body of Divinity fully dwell in him.  
Let us come yet a little lower, and take this truth in the Rule of Divinity, as it is in a double difference, before Christ, and after Christ: before Christ, again as it was before the Law, or under the Law.  
Before the Law, 
Gen. 3. 15.  I pray, what was the Religion of Adam? Moses touches it in a word, The seed of the woman shall break the head of the Serpent: see the first prophecy concerning Christ, and that by God himself: he that promised him, prophesied of him: for Christ was that Seed of the woman, which broke the head of the Serpent, and therefore was borne of a woman only, a Virgin that had not known a man, the Virgin Mary: and therefore at the very time when he fulfilled this promise, when he hung upon the Cross, he said to his Mother, woman, behold thy son, (meaning john to whose care he committed her) woman, not mother, intimating, that he was that seed of the woman, of whom God foretold so long ago, that seed of the woman that broke the head of the Serpent, the counsel of the Devil.  
Go now to Abraham, what was the Religion of Abraham and his family? the Lord himself hath left it recorded, Abraham saw my day and rejoiced: 
joh. 8. 56.  this than was Abraham's joy, and Abraham's Religion, even the expectation of the promised seed, which was the soul of the covenant that God made with him, the seal whereof was Circumcision, an image of his bloodshed: and therefore Isaac the son of promise, if he had not been called Isaac the son of laughter, because Sarah laughed in the Tent door, when she heard the news of a son, saying, Shall I that am barren bear a son in mine old age? he might have been called Isaac the son of laughter, 
Gen. 21. 3 6.  because Abraham saw his day, who was indeed the son of promise, and rejoiced.  
For Isaac was not that promised seed, of which God said, in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed: for by the same reason should many more be that seed, even all, that proceeded out of the loins of Ahraham in the line of Isaac, which were like the stars of the Heaven in number: but God said, not in thy seeds, as of many, saith S. Paul, but of thy seed, as of one, which was Christ, in thy seed, in this thy seed, shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed.  
For Isaac was but a type of that seed, and represented him in many resemblances: Isaac was borne of Sarah a barren woman, and past beareing: jesus was borne of Mary an unspotted virgin, springing like a branch out of a dry land, as Esay speaks, like a stone hewn out of a rock without hands, as Daniel says: 
Dan 2. 45  Isaac bore the wood which should have consumed him: jesus bore the wood of the Cross, on which he was crucified: Isaac was bound, jesus was bound, Isaac should have been offered for a sacrifice, jesus was offered a sacrifice for the sins of the world: Isaac on Mount Moriah, jesus as some think on Mount Moriah, from Isaac arose the proverb, in the Mount will the Lord be seen, in jesus it is much more true, for no man hath seen the father at any time, but the son, and no man can see the Father, but he to whom the son hath revealed him: and in him we see all the love of God, for behold what love the Father hath given us, that he hath sent his only begotten son into the world, that who so believeth in him, might not perish but have life everlasting.  
Many such like types had those times, like prospective Glasses, to convey their glimmering sight to the only object of happiness, Christ jesus; as jacob, who got the blessing in his elder brother's garment, and joseph, who was stripped of his coat, sold by judah's motion, stood before Pharaoh at thirty years old, whose coat dipped in blood turned the wrath of his Father from his brethren, even as Christ was stripped by the Soldiers, sold by judas treason, stood before God in his office about thirty years old, and in whose blood we being dipped, are delivered from the wrath of God the Father.  
From hence then we pass to the time under the Law, where we shall find nothing but Christ neither: Indeed, all things than were more obscurely delivered, until the day came, and the shadows fled away, 
Can. 2. 17.  as Solomon speaks: even until Christ came, who was the substance of those ceremonies; and until the ceremonies fled away, which were the shadows of that substance: yet were they not destitute of all light.  
Take an Emblem of their condition. The children of Israel in their journey into the Land of Canaan, where guided by the conduct of a Pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night: their day was something overcast with a cloud, and yet their darkness was something overcome with a light: they had a day, but not without some eclipse of a cloud; they lived in a night of darkness, yet not without some glimpse of light, for the Lord led them to the heavenly Canaan with a pillar of cloud by day, and by night with a pillar of fire.  
And perhaps the Psalmist may insinuate so much, where he says, Thy word is a Lantern to my feet, for a Lantern argues much darkness, and is used in the night only; as for the day, madness it were, splendente sole lucernam accendere, but again, it argues some light, for otherwise, why was it kindled? Neither is Peter far from this allusion, 
2 Pet 1. 19  when he compares the Word of the Prophets, which the Israelites enjoyed, to a light shining in a dark place. Agreeable to the first adumbration, there was a day, but with a pillar of cloud, and a pillar of fire, but by night: and here we have a light, but of a Lantern, a light shining, but in a dark place: this was then the state of Religion.  
Now all the light they had was borrowed from Christ, as the stars do theirs from the Sun: and all lead us to Christ again, as little Rivers to the Ocean. See this.  
1. In their Sacraments, their ordinary Sacraments were Circumcision and the Passeover, answerable to those, we have Baptism and the Lords Supper: which both, had reference to the same inward grace, though there were a difference in the outward elements: for what meant the blood, shed in Circumcision, and sprinkled on their doore-posts in the Passeover, but the blood of Christ, shed for the remission of sins, and sprinkled in our hearts, to purge and cleanse all our iniquities: for Christ was the true Paschall Lamb, in whom therefore the law of it was fulfilled, 
joh. 1. 29  Not a bone of him shall be broken: and of whom john says, Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. Christ is the Lamb slain from the beginning of the World for that purpose, and the very name of Passeover notes as much: for in Christ it pleased God, when he judges all the World, in mercy to pass over us, and when he passed over all the World in justice, to take his elect in mercy, and make them his children. Yea Christ himself therefore when he had celebrated the Passover with his Disciples, instituted the Sacrament of his body and blood, to show that he was that truth, of which the Lamb was but a representation. And in that Passeover we may discern a model of our Supper: they must eat it with sour herbs, to wit, repentance and mortification, that they may the better taste the sweet mercy of God, in their delivery from the bondage of sin and Satan, shadowed out in the bondage of Egypt: so it is unto us a Sacrament of our union to Christ our head: then they were to eat it with sweet unleavened bread, that they might be taught to take heed of the sour leaven of malice: so is ours to us, a Sacrament of communion with Saints, the body of Christ.  
The difference between ours and theirs is, that their Sacraments were not without blood, because Christ as then had not shed his blood, but ours are, because the truth being come, the type is needless.  
Again, what were the pillar of cloud and fire, and the red Sea, in which they were baptised, as Paul saith, but that which the Gospel calls the Baptism of water and fire, even the effusion of the blood of Christ, and the infusion of his graces; the merit of his passion, and the efficacy of his Spirit in our hearts, to make it ours by application. What was the water that Moses stilled out of the Rock, by striking it with his Rod, when the Israelites were like to perish in the wilderness for want of water, but the blood of Christ issuing out of all his body in a bloody sweat in the Garden, when the very wrath of God, the Rod of God (for the chastisements of our sins was upon him) lay heavy upon him, and streaming out of his blessed side, when the Soldier pierced it with his spear, I say the blood of Christ spilt for our sakes, who otherwise had perished.  
And that Mannah, that heavenly food, with which they were sustained in the wilderness, what was it, but Christ, as Christ himself expounds it, john 6. that he was the bread of life that descended from Heaven: and Paul accommodates both of them, 1 Corinth. 10. For they all ate the same spiritual food, and they all drank the same spiritual drink (even the same with us) for 
* 〈◊〉.  they drank of the spiritual Rock, and that Rock was Christ: Christ is the only Rock, on which his Church was built: 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉, not Peter, but Christ.  
The Brazen Serpent, tell me, what can you see in it, but Christ, who was lifted up on the Cross, as that was lifted up in the Wilderness: and as that saved all that looked to it, from the stinging of the poisonous Serpents, so hath Christ saved us from the power of the old Serpent the Devil, and all the power of darkness: he hath healed all our infirmities, for by his stripes we are cured, and by his wounds we are healed.  
You see then, how all their Sacraments, ordinary, and extraordinary, receive all their life from Christ, and give all their light to him again.  
All the laborious and tedious pedagogy of their Ceremonies, was to no other end then this neither: in which this truth was written, as it were in great Letters, that he that ran might read them, because all words of a thing not sinsible, but so far off, could not be half so legible.  
So the blood of all the Sacrifices propitiatory, and gratulatory, of Bullocks, and Rams, Goats, and Lambs, Sheep, and Dove, were all but types and copies drawn from Christ, and drawing to Christ, who was the true sacrifice in which all the other were sanctified, (which otherwise were of no value) and by which Gods justice is satisfied: and they were so many, in such variety to seal to them his all-sufficiency.  
So were all their curious ablations, and chargeable oblations of roast, baked, sod, fried, to teach our perfect washing by his blood, and perfect nourishment by his body, which suffered the heat of God's wrath, and so was dressed to our appetite, and sauced with such diversity, that he might take away our satiety.  
Sweet was the figure of the two Goats, one of which was offered as a Sacrifice for the sins of the people, and the other (the Escape Goat the Scripture calls it) being charged with all their sins, Aaron laying both his hands upon his head, and confessing the sins of the congregation over him, was let go into the wilderness: both which express Christ in a double respect, either because Christ was slain that we might escape, or because Christ the same was dead and is alive, as the Revelation speaks, because he died for our sins, 
Rev. 2. 8. Rom. 4. 25  and rose again for our justification, as the Apostle elsewhere applies it.  
Much like another in the purgation of the Leper, where two Birds or Sparrows were to be brought the one was to be killed, the other to be let fly, being dipped first in the blood of the former, reserved in a vessel for that purpose, even as Christ died for us, and we being dipped in his blood, escape, for by him the nets are broken, and we are escaped.  
Yea and all their holy persons did but represent unto the people the person of the Messiah, all their Priests, especially the High Priest, they sacrificed, and blessed the people in his name, who was that Benedictum semen, in whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed, even jesus Christ, who is God blessed for ever, and who gave himself for us, a pleasing and acceptable sacrifice to his father. And the High Priest many ways, he bore the names of the Tribes of Israel on his shoulder, when he appeared before God: so did Christ of all his faithful: he entered into the Holy of Holies once a year not without blood: so did Christ by his own blood, open the way for us into the highest heavens, and make a passage into Paradise, in which we could not keep our selus, and out of which we were kept, by the flaming sword of a Cherubin: upon which the Poets harping, have hatched a pretty Fable, that the aurea Hesperidum mala, are kept by the vigilant guard of a fiery Dragon, but Hercules overcame him: which in sober truth is thus much, that the way to the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden is guarded by the glittering blade of a glorious Cherubin, but Christ hath removed him.  
Lastly, the Holy places themselves, were teachers of the same truth, so that if those (the Priests I mean) should hold their tongues, these (the stones I say) would cry thus much.  
1. The Tabernacle was a visible sign of God's presence among his people, and therefore in it were placed (among many other things) the Mercy seat, even jesus Christ, in whom it hath pleased God to have mercy on whom he will have mercy; and the Table of Shewbread, is the same Christ, whose body is the true bread, by which we are fed to eternal life, which, as one observes, was panis propositionis, in the Law, but is become panis assumptionis in the Gospel, even the bread of the Lords Table.  
So was the Temple, and therefore they were to offer their Sacrifices at the Temple, and their prayers in or toward the Temple, because all were sanctified and accepted in Christ, who was the true Temple, for so he says of his body, destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days: and therefore when Christ was come into the world, the true light which enlighteneth all men that come into the world, all these shadows vanished at his presence and fled away.  
The levitical Ministry ceased, as you may see in a sweet allusion which some have observed: When God promised john Baptist to Zachary, as he was discharging his office in his course, he was stricken dumb, and therefore; when the people expected he should have blessed them, he could not speak, tacuit Zacharias generaturus vocem, saith one: this silence proclaimed that that service was at an end: the silence of a levitical Priest, made way for the voice of an Evangelicall Preacher, even john, who was a voice preparing the way of the Lord jesus, the only High Priest of our salvation.  
You have heard that the Heathen Oracles ceased at the birth of Christ; so did the jewish Oracles too, before his birth, for they had no answer from God by Vrim and Thummim, all the time of the second Temple, and so you see that the jewish Priesthood ceased too: and at the death of Christ, the veil of the Temple rend insunder: Theophylact hath a witty conceit, a pretty gloss, that the Temple rend her veil, hearing of the blasphemies of the jews uttered against Christ, according to the fashion of the jews, who rend their garments when they hear any blasphemies: but this was the meaning surely, to show that by the rents of his body the true Temple, the way was opened to all the faithful into the Holy of Holies, the highest Heavens.  
And no marvel it is, that Christ upon the cross should cause all shadows to vanish: the T (which men make the figure of the Cross) in the Egyptian mysteries, is an Hieroglyphic of eternal life, which (say they) when it comes, shall put an end to our Religion. It may be they had some notion of such a thing from the jews, or rather it is an afterbirth: but this is certain, that Christ lifted up upon the Cross was in his Meridian exaltation, no marvel then, if the shadows vanished.  
We read of one that wondered how his Host had furnished his table with so rare variety, his Host answered, that all was but Swine's flesh, only the art of the Cook had made the difference: and I according to my ability have discovered, that all the dishes of the old Ceremonies, furnish us with no other thing but Christ, only the wisdom of the Lord diversely dressed his son's flesh, in proportion to the times, and palates of his people, in such admirable variety.  
Come we now to the last period of times, the time of the Gospel, and see the musical harmony thereof with the former: wherein me thinks, I presage already, that my talk will be more easy: for what means the departure of all the Legal shadows, at the approach of Christ; if he were not the substance of all: and therefore the abolition of those is a clear evidence, that Christ now is all in all.  
The Doctrine preached every where, is a silver Trumpet of this sacred truth: but that having been always the same, my course propounded, permits me not to insist upon it: only this difference it hath, that as it pointed forward before to Christ to come, so now it pointeth backward to Christ come, in whom it teacheth every man to look for salvation, and no other: the outward signs that are left are few, but they conspire in the same testimony with the Doctrine, and the old ceremonies, sealing the same thing, but with more simplicity, and with more significancy.  
The water of Baptism hath a suitable Analogy with the blood of Christ, by which we are purged from our spiritual uncleanness of sin, as we are purged by water from all corporal uncleanness. In the Lord's Supper we have bread and wine, meat and drink perfect nourishment: bread the staff of man's life, and wine that maketh glad the heart of man, the best elements to express the best aliments: which how fully do they set forth Christ Crucified: the Bread is broken, so was his body broken; the Wine is poured forth, so was his blood poured forth upon the Cross, for the remission of sins, to all those that come to him with an hunger and thirst after his righteousness, and feed on him by a lively faith.  
The signification is so emphatical, that I may say of those that are partakers of this, as Paul said of the Galatians, who had heard him preach Christ crucified, 
* 〈◊〉.  before whose eyes Christ crucified was set forth, I may say it of all such, except they be foolish Galatians, and except they be bewitched.  
And thus I conclude this point, That Christ Crucified, is the Sum of all Divinity, the substance of all ceremonies, the soul of all Sacraments, the Kernel, and Key of all knowledge, the Centre, and circumference of all Divine wisdom.  
I had thought to have gone a little further, as Christ in the Gospel, beyond Emaus, but the importunity of the time, which will take no denial, forces me to turn in here against my will.   
1 Corinth. 2. 2. For I determined to know nothing among you, but Christ Jesus, and him Crucified. 
AS often as I read these words, me thinks I conceit, how some Pharisaical Doctor might step up from among the Senate of the Corinthians, accusing Saint Paul laesae Majestatis, as though he had spoken treason against the Scriptures: even as their Predecessors accused Christ his Master of Blasphemy, when he said, He was the Son of God, and when he said to the sick of the Palsy, Thy sins are forgiven thee, arise, take up thy Bed and walk. And as the Athenians once, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  What babbler is this, that is so lavish of his assertions? And what? Is Christ the sum of all Divinity? Is the knowledge of Christ Crucified alone sufficient? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, this is an hard saying indeed, this is short work. But what shall then become of that goodly frame of the Scripture, with the monuments of Antiquity treasures of Poesy, Oracles of Prophecy? Ergo ibit in ignes? Yes Paul, go and take those Tables of stone, and in a fit of zeal (forsooth) dash them in pieces, or scrape out those divine characters engraven therein by the finger of God himself: Nay, go ransack the Ark itself, with sacrilegious piety, not only look into it, as the men of Bethshemesh did, or touch it, as Vzzah, but ransack the Ark itself, and sacrifice those sacred volumes to the devouring flames; as the jewish Princes served jeremy's Role: go break those golden Pens of all the Prophets and Apostle, which have dared to speak any thing, but that: I, and dig them out of their graves again, and burn their bones for Heretics▪ as the Papists did the bones of Bucer and Fagius, in Cambridge, in the days of Queen Mary: or else, (after a new kind of persecution, for so Christ seems to account it) erect them new Sepulchers, and adore them, as the Pharisees did in Christ's time. If Christ be sufficient, then why do you not make an Index expurgatorius for the Bible, (as the Jesuits have done already for the Fathers) and sponge out all but Christ crucified, for that is sufficient? whereas the Scripture says 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  all Scripture is inspired of God, profitable, etc. and Christ himself says, that he came to fulfil, not to disannul the Scripture.  
You hear what the curious Rabbins may object, I dare not undertake to relate what answer the Apostle might make them, lest I should sink under the gravity of so great a person; you may presume it was divine, sed nostro non referenda sono. But yet because it concerns the Text I have in hand very nearly, I will endeavour in that respect to give satisfaction.  
Every word of God is pure, like Gold tried in the fire seven times, and what was said of the Orator, that the addition or detraction of a word would mar the grace or clip the meaning of their sentence, is most true in God's word: and therefore we read this just and severe sanction of his Books authority, he that adds to this book, God shall add to him all the plagues that are written in this book; 
Rev. 22. 18 19  he that detracts any thing, his name shall be razed out of the book of life: and what was said in another case, is most true in this, not an 〈◊〉, nor a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not the least letter, nor the least tittle thereof shall pass, because not so much as one of them is idle, or superfluous. And for profit, the very leaves thereof are for the healing of the nations, and the fruit, is the fruit of the tree of life; the leaves are physic, and the fruit is meat; the fruit is preservative, and the leaves are restorative; the leaves are health, the fruit is immortality: for this book is not for sight, but for meat, as appears by john, who ate the book that the Angel gave him, beside that, it is sweeter than the honey and the honey comb, as David, that hath tasted, hath testified. How then? this resolution of S. Paul doth not abolish the Scripture, but establish it: for Christ crucified and faith in him, is the sum and scope of all the Scripture.  
And thus you see, I have overtaken, or rather, met with the same point, and in the same place where I left it the last time: for, as you may remember, after I had treated of the sufficiency of faith in Christ, I propounded consequently, that it was the sum of Divinity, and the scope of the Scripture: that it was the sum of Divinity, as I could, I then evinced, by casting up the reckoning of both the parts thereof, faith, and obedience, which amounted to no more but this: for we found that Christ was the foundation of faith, and the fountain of obedience, the Jacob's Ladder, of ascent and descent, descent of God to man, ascent of man to God: and as the Spouse speaks in the Ganticles, he is Sigillum cordis, & Sigillum brachii, for he is the stamp of faith in the heart, that is Sigillum cordis, and he is the stamp of good works in the hand, that is Sigillum brachii: in the hands 
* 〈◊〉.  the following character, but in the heart the 
† 〈◊〉.  leading character, for he is both Sigillum cordis and Sigillum brachii, as the Spouse speaks in the Canticles. Thus is Christ the sum of Divinity.  
It remains now then that we should clear the other, that he is the Scope of all the Scripture: which I will do first in general, and so lead you on into the particulars. In general, this may be demonstrated, by that which hath been before delivered: for if faith in Christ be the Epitome of the Rule of Divinity, than needs must it be so likewise of the Scripture that contains that Rule: and that in a double respect.  
1. As the immutable substance of the Rule is considered, the substance was always that which leads man to eternal Salvation, which is by Christ jesus only: and this is the main scope of the Scripture in general.  
For all the sons of Adam being guilty of high treason against the most High: the hand writing of the Law inditeing us: Heaven and earth witnessing against us: the Grand jury of the blessed Angels finding us guilty: our own consciences answering guilty; what remains, but to hear the terrible sentence of condemnation pronounced against us, by the mouth of the most just Judge, the Lord Almighty? Yet the mercy of the Lord was such, that when the Law had cast us, the Lord called us to pardon. And as the Clergy of our Land is privileged in many cases to have their book: so was it his pleasure, to give his 〈◊〉, his inheritance, his peculiar, their book, that by their book they may be saved, and this book is the book of the Scripture.  
The Scripture again is the Letter of the Almighty to the sons of men (as one calls it) indicted by God himself, and the Angel of his great counsel Christ jesus (for so Esay styles him) together with his Spirit, penned by his principal Secretaries the holy Prophets and Apostles, and sealed with the blood of the Lamb: let me go a little further, they are the Literae laureatae, the Superscription is, To the faithful, the Salutation is Salutem in Christo: The Argument is nothing but a Proclamation of a general pardon in his name to all penitent and believing sinners.  
This is the Sum of the Scriptures in general, and this is the first demonstration that Christ is the sum thereof: because Divinity and it, like two twins, keep pace with a mutual correspondency, like two parallels, run on in equal extent, beginning and ending both together, and the sum of the one is the sum of the other, and the sum of both is eternal happiness, which is to be looked for, and can be found in Christ alone.  
2. This is the first proportion we find between them: the second offers itself to your consideration, as the Scripture may be accommodated to the mutable circumstances of the Rule, according to the difference of time before and after Christ.  
The Lord made in the beginning duo magna Luminaria, the great to rule the day, and the less to rule the night, the Sun and the Moon. Much like to this, there be two portions of the light which God hath revealed, concerning our salvation, given to guide two times: the old Testament, the lesser light, like the Moon, to rule the night of ignorance, when the Doctrine of the Messiah was more obscurely delivered: the New, the greater light, like the Sun, to rule the day of knowledge, which the faithful have enjoyed, ever since Christ the Sun of righteousness appeared. When it was night there must needs be many Ceremonies, like many shadows, and many humours, by reason of the feeble light▪ and heat the influence of the Moon afforded, which the virtue of the Sun hath since dried up or driven away.  
Or, the Old Testament is like the light created the first day, which though it wanted that glorious and resplendent lustre, yet it separated between night and day, Goshen and Egypt, the beloved City and the Gentiles: and the porportion holds of a day to a thousand years, for a thousand years is as but a day in thy sight, saith the Psalmist: and so as the Sun was set in his Tabernacle the fourth day of the world; so the Sun of righteousness came in the 4000 year of the World, in the Tabernacle of his flesh, to fulfil all righteousness. And perhaps the 19 Psalm may have some relation to this comparison: for there the Sun is described, tanquam Sponsus, as Christ is described, tanquam Sponsus Ecclesiae: and the Prophet slides there from the Sun, it may be because of this Analogy, to the Eulogies of the Scripture.  
Now both these were the same light, for the Moon receives hers from the Sun, and the light of the Sun is but the conglobation of the first light: Even as both the Testaments teach but one Christ, for he only died for us, and therefore they are both his Testaments.  
The Old Testament contains him in the Hieroglyphics of Sacrifices, and Types, and Ceremonies: the New, in legible and ordinary characters: in the old, he was like the corn in the ear, in the New, like the corn shaken out. in the Old, like the Mannah which was hidden in a pot, for he is that hidden Mannah, in the Ark: in the New, like the Shewbread, that was set upon the Table: in both of them, the same Christ, heri, hodie & in aeternum idem Christus: yesterday, in the Old Testament, under the time of the Law; to day, in the New Testament, under the time of the Gospel: yesterday and to day and for ever the same Christ, who is God blessed for ever.  
For they both are but one book, but the book that was shut before by the coming of the Lamb is opened, for the Lamb opened the book that we may fetch a resemblance of this Revelation, out of the book of the Revelation. Compare the Ministers of both the covenants, and we shall see the same: for as it was said once, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  What is Plato or Moses Atticizing? so we may say now, 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  What is jesus or Moses Evangelizing? Nay, it is even the same Moses, only the veil is removed, and we see him retectâ fancy.  
Divines have said as much, that the Old Testament is but Novum involutum, and the new, but Vetus revelatum: as the Stoics of old said of Rhetoric and Logic; comparing them to pugnus & palma, as though the difference were no more but in contraction and explication, obscurity and perspicuity. This shall serve for the proposition of my second general Reason: that the Old and New Testament, contain nothing but faith in Christ jesus.  
But these two are the whole Scripture: some have gathered out of those words of Christ, Matth. 13. 52. Every Scribe learned to the Kingdom of Heaven, is like a certain houshoulder, which brings out of his treasure old and new: The consecution is but idle, but the conclusion is infallible, that there is no more Scripture, but the old and new Testament.  
And thus many God would have for the confirmation of our Faith, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word might stand. For though Origen do but descant upon those words, when he says, in the mouth of two, that is the old and new Testaments; and in the mouth of three, that is, Prophets, Evangelists, Apostles, the truth of the word, the word of truth shall stand assured: yet this is most certain, that the foretelling, and fulfilling of the same thing, I say, the same thing foretold so long before it was fulfilled, and fulfilled so long after it was foretold, makes exceedingly for the supporting of our faith, as being an invincible argument, that this word is the word of the eternal God, before whom all times are present.  
The second Testament then, like Rachel and Leah, build the faith of the elect; like two sisters inseparable companions hold hand in hand: chained faster together than the invincible Armado: for Malachi gives his Lamp to Mark, as they did in the games at Athens, and Mark takes it where he leaves it, the end of Malachi reaches to the beginning of Mark: Mark begins, and Malachi ends with john Baptist: so are they secretly sodered together, and holding hands (take this by the way) they pluck a Crow with the Apocrypha, if I may so speak in so grave an argument.  
Upon these premises, that the old and new Testament contain nothing but the doctrine of Faith in Christ, and salvation by Christ, and yet they two make up the entire body of the Scripture, and this is my inference, that Faith in Christ is the scope of the Scripture.  
I descend now from the general to the particular declaration of this point: And first, for the old Testament.  
To let go all their Types and Ceremonies, with the whole ancient state of Religion among the jews, which all had reference to the coming of Christ the promised Messiah, which make a great part of the argument of the book of the first covenant, because I touched them the last time: and to let pass whole books which have nothing but this, as the book of Ruth, a Grandmother of Christ, and the Book of the Canticles, a sweet Epithalamie, or spousal of Christ and his Church, I will divide it for this time into two portions, Historical and Prophetical, and make good the point in either of them, and that briefly, because I perceive that my entrance hath exceeded already the scantling of time allotted to this exercise, and because I resolve to end this at this time, that so I may set afresh upon the use of this Doctrine.  
The Historical part of the old Testament, beside the history of life openly propounded, contains the mystery of faith also sweetly couched therein: as will easily appear, if you do but consider the periods of times, the context and continuation of the story, with the remarkable examples here and there dispersed.  
A man would think those many Genealogies and many names very harsh and tedious, like craggy mountains full of stones, but barren of all fruit: but if you will vouchsafe to make but a little inquisition, 〈◊〉, to dig into the bowels of those mountains, you shall find a golden vain, a golden chain, consisting of many links, from the first Adam to the second Adam, to derive his pedigree and show his generation, of whom Esay says, Who can tell his generation, for he is the eternal Word of his Father, and the ancient of days.  
And I pray tell me, wherefore is there such a curious context of succession from Adam to Noah, from Noah to Abraham, from Abraham to David, from David to Zorubabell, from Zorubabel to Mary, but to draw a golden line (as you have seen the golden line in the Genealogies) a via lactea to lead to Christ, in whom all Genealogies are ended, and accounted by Paul in the same rank with Mataeologies, and old wives Fables. And therefore Matthew begins his Gospel with this, and calls it 〈◊〉, a Book, a Bible, because this is the very Map and Epitome of the whole Bible, as it was in the old Testament, that he might by this divine art of insinuation, teach the end and use of all that was then written.  
The like may be picked out of the very names there registered; for though the conceit of the Cabalists be fond and vain, that patch up the names of Mary and jesus, by a strange Alchemy of Rhapsodies and Anagrams, out of divers passages of the Scripture, yet this aught to be of some importance, that religious parents imposed such names to their children, as might be monuments of the Messiah: Master Broughton hath observed many, and I spare to repeat any.  
View again the Succession of Kings, Priests and Prophets, you shall find that all those several currents empty themselves into Christ, as rivers into the Ocean, and Crown him with a triple Crown, for he is the King, Priest and Prophet of his Church, of whose coming all the rest were but Harbingers. I say, they three, like the three Wisemen, offer Gold, and Myrrh, and Frankincense, and so make a triple Crown for Christ: and so again, make a three twined scourge, to whip the usurping Whore out of the Temple of God, as Christ served the Trucksters, buyers and sellers, and money changers.  
Thus is the series of the story contracted into Christ the sum of all, the same lesson may be read written in great letters (that he that runs may read them) in those many illustrious examples, of all those three kinds recorded in Scripture: so that if there were not many express notes, yet there were many notable impressions, many vistigia omnia te adversum spectantia, all looking to Christ-ward, each of them giving a taste of that which Christ performed in all fullness.  
1 For Priests, I need not name any, because they all represented Christ, if not in their personal excellencies, yet in their official performances.  
2. For Prophets, I will name a few, because they were so many: Two ascended into Heaven, Enoch before the Law, Elias in the Law: thus was Christ's ascension, who was primitiae dormientium, a main Article of our faith prefigured: Three before Christ were raised from the dead, one by Eliah, another by Elisha, a third, by touching the bones of Elisha being dead, revived: even as three were raised in the Gospel, the daughter of jairus in the house, the Widow's son in the gate, Lazarus stinking in the grave: thus was one of the greatest miracles of our Saviour, and his own resurrection, who was primitiae dormientium, prefigured. Elias after his weary persecution by Ahab, lying under the Juniper tree, complained, and desired that he might die: so did jonas, when the Sun beat upon his head, after the Gourd was withered, and something more frowardly: thus was the passion of Christ prefigured, and the most uncouth exigent thereof: for when the wrath of God the Father, like the rays of the Sun, beat upon him, when he hung upon the Cross, than was he brought under the Juniper tree: for the heat of the heat of the wrath of God, was hotter than Juniper coals, yet he underwent it for the love of us men, and our salvation constrained him, for the fire of love is hotter than the coals of Juniper: Moses and Elias fasted forty days in the Wilderness, so did Christ; who notwithstanding fed five thousand with five loaves, as Elisha typically had done before him.  
I had intended to have propounded more; but it shall be enough digitum ad fontes, as they say, to have set the wheels of your better meditations a going.  
3. Many Kings and judges were types of Christ, in the story, as Moses a lawgiver in the Wilderness, josua a 〈◊〉 of the true 〈◊〉, a Mediator of the true Mediator, a leader of Israel into the land of Canaan, a josua of the true josua, the true jesus; David that fought the Lords battles, and foiled the great Goliath, that defied the host of Israel, Solomon the beloved of the Lord; the Prince of peace, and otherwise were they but glasses which did not bound the light, but transported the godly to the contemplation of Christ.  
The accommodation is easy, but I hasten: yet I cannot pass by the type of Samson, it was so lively: for as Samson by his own death was the death of thousands of Philistims, and David slew Goliath with his own sword: so Christ overcame death, by undergoing death, and broke the head of the Serpent, by suffering him to bruise his heel: for in him the fiction of Achilles is no fiction, that being otherwhere impenetrable, his heel was not: for Christ was only penetrable in his heel, his humanity, his Deity remaining altogether impassable.  
I am ravished with delight in these sacred relics of antiquity: yet I must cut off what I thought to have added: and me thinks I hear some wondering, what all this makes to the argument in hand: I answer, as Tamar convinced judah by his staff and his signet, and Theseus his 〈◊〉, that made him known, were a passport and certificate to his father of his legitimation: so Christ is acknowledge to be jesus, to be Messiah, by these performances: for these are the tesserae of commerce, the watch word between the old and new. Testament: the badges of the whole book, proclaiming to us they do belong: the joints and gimmors by which either of them is (as it were) screwed into the other: Mercurial statues, pointing the way to Christ: Stars in story, like the star that appeared to the Wisemen, guiding them to Bethlehem, where it stood still: for all ended in Christ, and he is the end of all.  
Thus the Historical part of the old Testament is full of Asterisks, and hands, and lines, that draw the intelligent reader to Christ. To conclude this point, this is the use of Genealogies, to tract the way of salvation, by the golden line that leads to Christ: and this is the wisdom of wisemen, to follow the conduct of the star, till we come to him, who is the true morningstar, the true Lodestar that guides our wand'ring feet in our weary pilgrimage to eternal rest in the heavenly Canaan.  
The Prophetical part is more plain by many degrees almost palpable: for there was not any thing almost fulfilled by Christ, but it was foretold by the Prophets, as there was not any thing foretold by the Prophets, which was not fulfilled by Christ. See this, 1. In the main Articles of the Creed: he was borne of the Virgin Mary, 
Esay 7. 14  so Esay, Behold a Virgin shall conceive, and bear: Suffered under Pilate; so jacob, 
Gen 49. 10  The Sceptre shall not depart from juda, till Shilo come: Crucified, As the Serpent was lifted up in the Wilderness: 
Dan. 9 26.  Dead, The Messiah shall be slain, saith Daniel: Buried, Thou wilt not leave my soul in grave, said David in his person: the third day he rose again, for it was impossible that the pains of death should hold him, as was signified in jonas, coming out of the Whale's belly: He ascended into Heaven, as Enoch and Elias, types of him had done: Sitteth at the right hand of God the Father, so David, the Lord said unto my Lord, 
Psa. 110. 1.  sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool.  
2. Because Christ crucified more specially makes for our purpose; consider it of his passion in special: he was betrayed, he that eateth bread with me, 
Psal. 41. 9  my familiar in whom I trusted, saith David: sold for thirty pieces of silver: some would have it to answer to the price of the ointment that Mary poured upon his feet, because judas murmured: and so that he did it, ut impleretur, that the bag might be filled: thus the covetous Traitor should have sold the anointed of the Lord, to have gained the ointment, but this was not it: here was the true reason, ut impleretur, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, that said so much, Zach. 11. 12. So they weighed my price thirty pieces of silver, a goodly price, that I was prized of them: he was Crucified between two Thiefs, for so saith the Scripture, with the wicked was he counted.  
3. Nay, even petty things were not omitted: he thirsted, well might he thirst, who was so scorched with the heat, and pressed with the weight of God's wrath that he sweat water and blood, and therefore well might he say he thirsted, ut impleretur, that he might quench it, but this was the main cause, ut impleretur, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, for it was meat and drink for him to do his father's will: they gave him vinegar to drink, so David: They cast lots for my garments, so said he, upon my vesture have they cast lots: his side was pierced with a spear, 
Psal. 21. 18. Zac. 12. 10  even that spear was guided by a prophecy: so saith David 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉: so Zacharie, they shall see him whom they have pierced. I might be infinite: and Matthew alone hath gathered thirty two prophecies, and applied them to him, with this burden or undersong, ut impleretur quod dictum erat per Prophetas▪  
I end this point with that of Peter, Act. 10. 43. To him give all the Prophet's witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins: the place is very plain, and those words of the Prophets are thrice repeated in the third of that book: for all the Prophets are many times Boanerges, sons of thunder, and then indeed they fetch all from Mount Sinai, where there were thunder and lightning and earthquakes when the Law was given: but all these storms usually end in some calm of consolation: and when they would be Barnabas, sons of consolation, they fetch all from Mount Zion, the sweet promises of the Messiah, and steep all their words in his blood.  
Thus Christ is the scope of the Prophetical part of the old Testament: I should show the same in the new also, but it will be needless: every letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, by the very sound, as the Orator speaks, avouches this truth: The four Evangelists, what are they but the story of his life and death? 
joh. 20. 31  Let john speak for them all, These things are written, that ye might believe in Christ jesus, and believing have everlasting life, through his name: I will not hunt for comparisons, nor show what reference they have to the four beasts in Ezekiel: but me thinks all the rest aim at his humanity more principally: john only, like the Eagle, is quicker eyed, and as though he had some window into his breast, as well as he leaned on his breast, he peirceth through the veil of his flesh to his Divinity, and draws his pedigree from heaven through eternity.  
And the Providence of the Lord is worth observation, that he would have four to write this story, all in a most celestial harmony; two of which, the two Apostles Matthew and john were ocular, and two, the two Evangelists Mark and Luke auricular witnesses of that which they wrote, that all pretext of doubting might be excluded.  
The Acts have nothing but the same Christ preached among the Gentiles, for he broke down the wall of separation. And as after the flood, there was a confusion of tongues, to hinder the building of Babel: so was there the effusion of the gift of tongues, to further the building of the heavenly jerusalem, that all knees might bow, and all tongues confess that jesus is the Lord.  
All the Epistles have no other argument but salvation by Christ, as may appear out of the salutation, Grace and peace in Christ jesus, grace the beginning, and peace the perfection of all happiness, and both by Christ jesus.  
And it is observed, that the very name of jesus is used by Paul alone, above five hundred times: and no wonder, for there be in it a thousand treasures, as Chrysostome said, yea all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge and comfort, are hid and locked up in him: The whole Revelation what is it but a commonitory for the observation of the government of the Church by Christ, the King thereof, and the expectation of his glorious coming, as the conclusion of all evidences, Come Lord jesus, come quickly, 
Tanquam habeat scriptum tota tabella, veni.  That I may didicate an Egyptian Jewel to the service of the Tabernacle.  
And thus I shut up this part, that Christ is the sum of both Old and New Testament: in these three differences, as to come in the Old, and in the New as come, and to come again to judgement.  
And me thinks, those two are like the two Cherubims, that shadowed one Mercy-seat, their faces were one toward another, and their wings; but both toward Christ the Mercy-seat: like Ezekiels' vision, where the four creatures stirred and stood still both together: whose wheels were, as it were, one wheel within another, and Christ in all: like the Spies, that returned to Moses out of Canaan: for as they brought the clusters of Grapes (a map of that good Land) between them, so the two Testaments bring nothing but Christ between them: now Christ is the true Vine, as himself says, like the clusters of Grapes, as the Spouse speaks: and his blood is the Wine of the Sacrament, the wine that maketh glad the heart of the faithful, which was scruzed out of his body upon the Cross, the Winepress of God's wrath; where you may behold him excellently, tanquam uva passa, Christ Crucified.  
And therefore Christ is like the hinges, upon which the whole frame of time, upon which the bifores valvae of the house of the Sun, the two Tabernacles, the two gates of Heaven, do hang and turn themselves.  
And now I hope, though this my discourse be very imperfect, yet it will not be altogether impertinent or unprofitable: for this one point, that faith in Christ crucified is the sum of all the Scripture, well considered, must needs give very much light to the reading of every part thereof: it will be like a key, to unlock the meaning, and so make way to the rich treasure therein, like a clue of thread, to lead us thorough many intricate Labyrinths thereof. And this makes me call to mind, what I forgot even now, that the red thread that Rahab hung out of her window, when jericho was besieged, was an Emblem of Christ Crucified, by whom all the faithful must be saved from eternal death, as she was then preserved from present destruction: much bettet than Leucotheae vitta, or Ariadne's filum.  
Let me wind up all that hath been said, Christ is the sum of all Divinity: me thinks the Clypeus fidei, is like that Clypeus Phidiae, the Buckler of faith like the buckler of Phidias, that Historians speak of, I mean the Buckler of Minerva, which Phidias made: for as in it he had so curiously intrailed his own name, that it could not be taken out without the dissolution of the whole frame; so hath Christ so divinely wrought his name in the work of salvation, the rule of Divinity, that it cannot be taken out, but that golden chain, that series causarum, will all fall in sunder.  
The Ephesians, when Croesus besieged them, chained their City to the Temple of Diana, the Tyrians theirs, when Alexander, to the Statue of Hercules: and so all the precepts of Divinity seem to be chained to the Cross of Christ: he is the umbilicus, where all the entrails are knit together, the Centre, where all lines meet: and therefore in the Creed of twelve Articles, ten of them concern him, and beside the other two of God the Father, and the Holy Ghost, have their dependence on him too, for he hath obtained the Spirit for us, and by him we have access unto the Father, as I showed before.  
And therefore as in the first book we learn, the Cross begins the row, as though all the 24. Letters were but Commentaries upon the Cross: so surely, this is the sum of all our learning, to learn to know Christ jesus and him Crucified.  
Again, Christ is the Scope of all the Scriptures, Me thinks, the Scripture is a Ring of Gold, which Christ hath given his Spouse the Church, as a token of his love, and himself, like the Diamond in the Ring: the Scripture is the field mentioned in the Gospel, and Christ like the jewel in the field, which a wise Merchant knowing of, would sell all he hath to purchase: the Scripture the box, and Christ the ointment, preciosum opobalsamum in gemmeo myrothecio: and therefore Christ is called 〈◊〉 the Word, as though every word sounded of Christ, and all the Word of God were nothing else: and Christ is the Alpha and Omega thereof, as himself says, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end; for all the Letters, without which the Spirit in the Scripture breathes not, for so 〈◊〉 signifies, or Alpha and Omega, the two principal for all the Vowels, without which all the Scripture is but a mute Letter, a dead Letter, I may say, a kill Letter: and for him the Scripture itself is called 〈◊〉, the Bible, the book, because it is the only book, containing this knowledge, which alone is sufficient, and which is only necessary to eternal salvation.  
In a word to close up all, the knowledge of Christ crucified, is the Theme of Theology, the Scope of the Scripture, the Pith of all Piety, as Paul excellently lays it down, Ephes. 2. 19 For through him we have access by one Spirit to the Father, being no more strangers, and foreigners, but fellow-Citizens with the Saints, and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom all the building fitly framed together, 〈◊〉, groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord. etc. you see the knot that holds all together. And thus much for the explication of this Text.   
1 Corinth. 2. 2. For I determined to know nothing among you, but Christ Jesus, and him Crucified. 
THe handling of the Word of God, is a divine kind of husbandry. And this portion of Scripture is that parcel of holy ground which I began to till long ago, but have not yet finished: I have hitherto broken up the ground only: it remains that I should now break the clods, which might hinder the fruitfulness, and cast out the stones, that so at last, I may sow the blessed seed of exhortation, in hope of a blessed harvest.  
Or rather this portion of Scripture is the seed, for so saith Christ, the seed is the Word, and I have hitherto beat this seed out of the ear only, and must now winnow and fan it out of the chaff, that at the last I may cast it again into the ground of your heart, (for so saith Saint Paul, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 1 Cor. 3. 6 7  you are the Lords husbandry) in hope of a fruitful increase, from the blessing of the Lord, the Lord of the harvest, for Paul may plant, and Apollo may water, but it is the Lord that gives the increase: he that planteth is nothing, and he that watereth is nothing, but the Lord that giveth the increase, for without him, the seedsman is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, semini verbius, a babbler, according to our translation, as the Epicures scoffed at Paul, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seminilegus, such an one as they that stood in the Corne-markets, and gathered up the Corn that fell beside the Sacks in emptying, as Casaubon observes, that is, a man of no worth, an earthen vessel, as the Apostle calls Ministers elsewhere, and the word will bear it.  
I presume the meanest in this place conceives my meaning, yet I will endeavour to speak more plainly, that if there be any seeming riddle, you may plow with my Heifer, as Sampsons' companions did, and read the interpretations. I have hitherto given you the explication of these words, and so, as it were, threshed the Corn out of the ear, with the flail of the Spirit: I come now to the application in two parts.  
1. For confutation of popish errors, and so I will chide away the chaff out of this store with the fan of Christ.  
2. For exhortation, and so I will cast the seed into your ears, and charm it in the phrase of the Spouse in the Canticles, Arise o North, and come o South, and blow upon my Garden, that the Spices thereof may flow forth.  
In the Explication I have handled already these three points.  
1. That Christ crucified is a sufficient Saviour.  
2. That Christ Crucified is the sum of the Scripture.  
3. That Christ Crucified is the sum of Religion: Which may stand as so many reasons, to warrant the wisdom and equity of Paul's determination, to know nothing among the Corinthians, but Christ jesus and him Crucified.  
Now out of these shall be deduced, First, for Confutation: out of the first two things.  
1. That Saints are not Saviour's, and therefore not to be invocated as Saviour's.  
2. That Sinners cannot be their own Saviour's; and therefore, that our works on earth, are not merits of Heaven.  
Out of the second, two things.  
1. That the Scripture is most perfect, and therefore needeth not to be patched up with Tradition.  
2. That the Scriptures are perspicuous, and therefore need not to be locked up from the Laity.  
From the third, two things.  
1. How a man may know the true Religion, by Christ the cornerstone, the Lydius lapis, the Touchstone of Religion.  
2. How a man may unmask Antichrist, and his counterfeit Religion, by Christ, and his.  
2. For Exhortation, out of all jointly.  
1. For Ministers, what is the true Rule of Preaching, the Art, (and that I may so speak with reverence) the very trick of Preaching, viz. to Preach Christ, and him crucified.  
2. For all, what should be all our chief study, the aim and scope of all our studies, viz. only to know, believe, and love Christ Crucified. If any of you think any of these too far fet, rather haled then drawn out of this Text, when I come to the particulars, I hope to give him a reasonable satisfaction.  
And thus I have drawn a Map of the holy Land: or rather as God brought Moses to the top of Mount Nebo, where he showed him a sight, a Synopsis of the Land of Canaan, so have I you: but as it was then, so it is now, and so it will ever be, we must travail some day's journeys, before we can enter into that good Land: we must win it, and wear it, we must fight with the enemies of God, before we can fill ourselves of the milk and honey, of that Land which flowed with milk and honey.  
Thus much I think I may be bold to say in general, that he that is indifferent, if he think advisedly on the matter, will say, that I have taken an indifferent course: I have taken these to try myself, but I have refused more which I might have taken, because I would not tyre my auditors: I have selected these to exercise my meditations, out of many other which I neglected, that I might not exceed the proportion of this exercise: for who sees not that Antichristianisme is nothing else but an opposition in a mystery, to the mystery of godliness revealed in Christ, either by open oppugning, or secret undermining: or if there be any that cannot see, he may well hear the Proverb, Who is so blind, as he that will not see: so that if I had a mind to favour myself, I have a fair occasion to make choice of mine enemy, among all the troops of the Romish Antichrist, and single out the weakest: but I rather follow the direction of the lot that is fall'n into my lap, and set upon him that stands nearest, though he strut wide, and speak boisterous, and look big with horror and disdainfulness.  
I remember, how David with a little stone which he found by the brook, branded that proud Goliath in the forehead, and foundered the uncircumcised Philistim, that defied the Host of Israel, and the Lord of Hosts. And Daniel makes mention of a stone that was cut out of the mountain without hands, which broke the glorious image of Nabuchadnezzar, whose head was of gold, the arms and breasts of silver, the thighs and legs of brass, the feet of iron, (a man would think all metal) and yet that little stone battered it all to pieces. Behold, I stand by the brook of water, by the book of God, for the Scripture is the river, that makes glad the City of God: behold in these crystal streams, the stone, the Lord Christ, for Christ is the stone which the proud builders of Babel refused, but is become the head of the corner, which the Masterbuilder hath put in Zion, and elect and precious stone: me thinks I want nothing but David's hand, or David's sling, to check the scornful Whore with a blow, and spoil the mystery that is written in her forehead: and yet again me thinks I need not David's hand, since I have his stone: for his stone is the same, that daniel's stone, and daniel's stone (like the Phoenician ships in Homer) is guided by an higher Intelligence, and can do the feat without hands: and as the stone without hands intimates, according to our interpreters, the Virginity of Mary, out of whom Christ was hewn, without the help of man: so Christ in my Text, may be taken out without hands, without any great pains of man, to break the clay feet, the brittle pillars of that brasen-faced Whore, to break them like a Potter's vessel. And though I know the Fathers and Counsels, like Saul's Armour, are not needful for David in his combat: yet perhaps it were no hard matter for the happy champion, when he hath foiled his enemy with a stone out of the Scripture, and laid him grovelling in the dust, to set his victorious foot upon his neck, and strike off his head with the edge of the Fathers, as it were with his own sword, in which he gloried.  
Perhaps you wonder where's the point all this while: is that lost? is that forgotten? 'tis true: but I choose rather to lead you into my further discourse, though with an unseasonable preface, then trouble you with an unseemly repetition of the former: though I might plead the prescription of time, enough to secure me from exception or obloquy: and yet I presume that, with your favourable construction, I have erred indeed, but so as not praeter casam, no nor praeter causam neither. I come now to it.  
The first point of the Explication was, that Christ is a sufficient Saviour: out of it I deduced, 1. That Saints are no Saviour's, nor therefore to be invocated as Saviour's: here is no such magnetical and invisible Sympathy, that any man should wonder what necessity ties these two together: neither is their any such forced deduction, that a man should need to pump or cherne to make it come: the dependence is easy, as it is in the links of a chain, draw one, and the rest will follow: as it is in water spilt upon an even table, it is very docible to go which way soever the finger will lead it; so willingly doth this consequent offer itself to your consideration, out of the precedent position. Well then, this is our Theme, for this time, that Saints are not Saviour's, nor therefore to be invocated as Saviour's: wherein I purpose first to represent unto your view a light adumbration, a rude draught of it, instead of an exposition of the state of the question, which shall contain (as it were) a Sciagraphy of the truth, and a Sciamachy against the falsehood: I shall measure but three paces in this porch, before I bring you into the main building, the first will be in the general Idolatry of the Synagogue of Rome, which offends against Christ crucified: the second, in that which is committed with the Saints in general: the last, in that which particularly concerns the Virgin Mary.  
For the first: It was said of old Rome, that it was 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  The Epitome of a Family, or rather of superstitious folly. But it is more true of new Rome: good Lord! what a world of trinkets, and trash, and trumpery, is their great Colossus stuffed withal? what apish imitation, what sottish devotion, what popish superstition is among them? insomuch that a man would doubt, whether he should laugh, or scorn, or abhor those fardels of folly; whether he should laugh at the act, or weep for the actors; whether he should pity their simplicity, or spit at their sinfulness.  
If ever the saying of the Preacher were verified in simple truth, Vanity of vanities, all is vanity: here it is more than true, and that with advantage, by a kind of transcendent supereminency of truth, Vanity of vanities, all is vanity: or if there be any thing viler than vanity, they shall vie with it for vileness: or if there be any thing lighter than vanity, they shall weigh with them in the balance for lightness.  
The Egyptian blindness was nothing comparable to this; the Egyptian darkness, not half so palpable: or if that were more palpable, I am sure, this is more culpable: The Egyptians worshipped vile creatures, but yet living creatures; the Romans worship stocks and stones, and dead carcases: they worship Oxen, and Owls, and Rats, and Mice, and Cats, and Crocodiles, and such like vermin: these worship judas his Lantern, Francis his Cowle, Beckets' shoes, and Joseph's breeches, and a piece of stone that was in the Well where the Virgin Mary washed the swaddling clouts of Christ, as sorry Saints I trow: They suit at the Catadupes of Nilus, and their heavy ears were made deaf with his barbarous language, and (as it were) rocked asleep: there fell no dew from Heaven upon their heads, that might wet their locks, that might soften their rockey hearts, and make them bring forth better fruits: no marvel then, if they worship Nilus, whose steps dropped to them fatness, whose rich inundation filled their Valleys with Corn, and crowned their years with gladness, so are the words of the Psalmist: no marvel if they worshipped Nilus, and that cursed vermin, the fruitful spawn of his too fruitful womb: but these men are brought up at the feet of Gamaliel: and if they did not prefer the seat of the scorners, they might be preferred to the chair of Moses: they sit in the Temple of God, and hear the silver Trumpet of the everlasting Gospel of God, proclaiming war against such idolatry from the Lord of Hosts: and yet they hear no more, than their stocks and stones hear them: the dew of Heaven hath richly fall'n among them, and yet like Gideons' fleece, they are dry, when all the Regions about them are wet: their stubborn hearts remain as hard as the Adamant, to speak with job, as hard as the neither millstone,  
But I pray tell me, what is the sum of their devotions, or, if you will hear me, I will tell you what it is, by my casting a smooth-faced smiling picture, a Saintish stone, a rotten rag of a nasty Relic, a B in a box, a Crucifix I mean, a pretty cosset Agnus Dei, these are the particulars, now lay them altogether, and the Sum amounts to this (if my Arithmetic fail me not) pretty maumets, pretty puppets for such wanton babies as they are to play withal, and as we use to promise children fine gay things of nothing: this is the sum of their devotion. Behold, these are thy gods, o thou son of the rebellious woman, o thou daughter of Rome, thy gods in which thou trustest: this is the precious merchandise that hath drawn all the traffic of the World into thy streets, these are the Apples after which thy soul lusteth.  
Pardon me, if these terms seem something light: the toys themselves are so ridiculous, that I could not find in my heart to vouchsafe them any graver speech: but I will make amends, and turn them all away packing: only let me remember what your worthy Bishop Claudius Taurinensis said excellently of some of them your Agnus Deies, Pictos adorant, vivos devorant, I will make bold to English it rudely, they worry the living Saints, while they worship the dead: but Christ did not say, Pinge Agnos tuos, frame thee Lambs that may represent me, but Pasce agnos meos, Feed the Lambs that do represent me: but it seems they do not much regard what he said: and yet he did not only say thus, but he conjured them also with the powerful charm of love, if thou love me (Peter) feed my Lambs: and yet these devout adorers, like deaf Adders, stop their ears and will not hear the charmer, charm he never so wisely. I conclude this point: As Aristippus once answered him that asked, what his son should be the better for learning, if he bestowed it on him: Vt nihil aliud (said he) certè in Theatro non sedebit lapis super lapidem: so may I make answer to him that should demand, what should any man be the better to come out of Babylon, out of Rome, and betake himself into the bosom of the faithful Spouse of Christ, our Church, our Religion: Vt nihil aliud certè, in Templo non orabit lapis ad lapidem, blocks shall not prostrate themselves before blocks, nor stones prostitute themselves to stones, living stones, to liveless stones; sensitive blocks, before senseless blocks, beside a thousand privileges.  
And thus I pass to take the second step, which was concerning Saints in general. Bellarmine hath a very tragical and passionate preface to this controversy: he falls fowl with us Protestants, he terms us scoffing Lucian's, and Giants, that make war against the Gods, and such like flowers of his wild Rhetoric, Canina facundia, dogged eloquence he bestows upon us: and perhaps he was at great cost to gather them, but we con little thanks: and then like some desperate Fencer, that hath more heart than brain, more malice than might, he hews, and lashes, and foins, and strikes blindfold, he cares not where, and hits he cares not whom: or like some mad dog, he hath a quarrel to every one he meets: he grins at Erasmus, he snarls at Melancthon, and barks at Illyricus, and snatches at Luther, and worries Calvin, as though he had to deal with some carrion carcase; this is the only difference, the teeth of a mad dog are poison, but his tongue is no slander: at last, as a man newly awaked out of a trance or sleep, he throws his envious eyes to heaven with great devotion, (forsooth) and wonders why the stars are suffered to stand there, belike he thinks to convince their works of darkness: he wonders at the patience of God that suffers us heretics to discover their Catholic abominations, in the false worship of Saints, and vindicate the glory of God, from their impudent impostures. Me thinks, this preface is like the Painter's Table. One spoke to a Painter to draw him a Horse running in full speed: he did, and gave it him, but gave it with the wrong side upward: the man disliked it, and told him, he spoke for a runner, this was a tumbler, no hurt, quoth the Painter, turn the Table and this will run: so in that Preface, all may be true, but all is turned upside down; like the Horse with his heels upward, sprawling toward Heaven: but change the persons, and let that be said of the Papists, that he would fain make the world believe is true of the Protestants, and I blame not the Picture: or as the Painter said, turn the Table, and all may run well enough, or at least go currant. But what if we should let the Jesuit go, perhaps he had as live be some where else, and as live be doing something else, as be brought in for a tumbler to play tricks: if you think so, I am content to dismiss him: well then, to leave the Cardinal, and come to the cause.  
The Papists have brought in so many new Saviour's, that the true Saviour is gone out: I know not how they will find Heaven, but I am sure, they have lost Christ, they have lost the way to Heaven: for he is the way. And if there be any spark of faith, any remnant of the faithful flock among them, they may well complain, as Mary did to the Gardener, when she went to visit the sacred body of the Lord, and found it not, Sir, they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him: if there be (I say) any faithful Mary among them, like a Lily among thorns, which led with an holy zeal indeed, but misled by ignorance, should think to find him in their crowd of Saints, wrapped up in some of their relics, as he was once in linen clothes, I think some Angel would tell her, as he did, He is not here; I think Christ himself would take the pains to meet her, and instruct her thus: Marry, I see thou meanest well, but yet thou missest much, thou art in a right mind, but thou art in a wrong box: it is but lost labour to seek the living among the dead, the living Saviour, among the dead Saints: I would have thee know therefore, I have retired myself from this Garden, and shall not feed any more among these Lilies, but until the day break and the shadows flee away, I go, my well-beloved, I go to the mountain of spices.  
But why do I presume as it were to teach Christ to speak, who is the word, in whom God speaks to us? or why do I relate his speech, who am a child and know not how to speak? I know the Critics tax Homer's rashness, in reporting the song of the Sirens, because it cannot be thought, how it should be done, but it must needs fall many bows short of expectation: such things are better suppressed, then expressed; or if expressed, better velo, then penicillo; that veil of silence is the best attire of sobriety: and I may fear a more just censure that have reported what Christ said to Mary, since, never man spoke as he spoke: but you know the Lord himself vouchsafes bal butire nobiscum, and therefore he will bear with Moses stammering tongue, if he go on his errand: nay which is more, though it do stammer he will have it go on his errand, on his Embassage: nay, he will admit of no excuse neither, as you see in Moses, so that I hope, I shall need no other Apology or excuse.  
The word of God, in the description of the holy Land, hath four things observable in the golden line that directs our passage thither: two for the way, and two for the end: for the way,  
1. That it is straight without crook.  
2. That it is narrow without crowd.  
For the end, that the gate of the Royal City, 1. Is narrow, 2. Is one: but the Pope's Itinerary, made out of the lying Legend, the cozening Calendar, the Ephemerideses of the Saints, contradicts the King's map, the word of God in all these: there is a lying spirit gone out, and gone into the mouths of the Prophets of jezebel, to send Ahab upon an unhappy voyage: and as the Israelitish spies, (all beside Caleb and joshua) spoke evil of the good Land, so the Romish spies, which they have sent to view this Land, speak false of the true way, which the Israel of God must walk in, if they mean to come to the God of Israel.  
1. They have made the way crooked: As the man in the Gospel that offered himself to follow Christ, would fain have taken a vagary, and fetched a circuit by his father's house, that he might have saluted him, and bidden him farewell with a kiss: and another, would have visited his father's tomb, and seen him honourably interred, whereas they should have followed Christ directly: so the Papists will not go the nearest way to Heaven, by Christ, but will needs coast about, by the Sepulchers of Saints, for fear belike, that if they should make too much haste, they, should come too soon thither: But the Lord commands us, to make straight ways for our steps, 
* 〈◊〉.  and to make straight steps in that way: but the crooked crabs in the dead Sea of Rome, will not learn to go straight: their crooked lives, must needs run on in crooked lines: and their blind works, will needs find blind ways, rather than they will keep the King's highway to Heaven: as superstitious travellers, that turn aside to worship 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  every greasy stone: or as the jews, (perhaps as they went to the Temple) would make a stay at every green hill, and everyshadie grove (the Lord complains thus) as ye have seen some hackney Jades at every green bank, with a month's mind to bait there, and steal a sweet bit, a mouthful of Idolatry.  
2. They have made the way wide. You know the man who said, he would not leave his part in Paris, for his part in Paradise: And I think it not impossible to find some dainty minion in the Whore's lap, that would not exchange his Cardinal's Hat, for a Martyr's Crown. But for this time, we will think, that they think at least, that they would come to heaven: But when they hear Christ saying, I am the way, they think in their conscience that's too narrow; and when they hear him say plainly, that the way is narrow, they say plainly that's an hard saying, who can bear it? And as the young man that came to Christ, went away grieved at a like speech: so they are grieved indeed, because they were as covetous as he was: but they will not go away because they are not so ingenuous as he was. But why was the young man grieved, and why are they grieved, as the young man was? because he was rich, because they are riotous: they are afraid that narrow way will not receive their goodly train, their great retinue: fond men, that cannot be contented to go to heaven, except they go in state: very fools, that will not (as the Proverb is) leave their babbles for the Tower of London, their towers of Babble for the Lord▪ that will not shake hands with that folly, that they embrace this felicity. But why will not they go away as the young man did? he was a young man they think, and they are grown grey in mischievous devises: they mean to try conclusions ere they go away. What do they then? they hire a rascal rout of hungry ditchers to break up the fence, that the word hath made, to make the way broader than the merits of Christ, and then they eke it out with the forged merits of Saints: and being so drunken with superstition, that they cannot pass the lake that burns with fire and brimstone for evermore, upon that one plank of Christ, as they say the barbarous Turks do, when they meet a deep river in the way that interrupts their course, they slay their poor vassals, and make a bridge of their dead corpse: so they enlarge that bridge with the rotten boards of Saints mediation: but it is to be feared, that while they, in their Pontifical fancies imagine the bridge (by their deceitful moonshine) wider than it is, they find themselves deeper than they would, plunged in that Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for evermore.  
3. They have made the gatewider: They are so crammed with the sins of the people, and fed so fat with their follies, and so puffed up with the wind of pride, that they have no hope to get into Heaven, if all that get in must do as Christ said, Strive to enter into the straight gate: beside their great. Master would fain have the gate so large, that he might go in with full soup, top and top-gallant, without vailing his triple crown, or bending his stubborn knees: for he is as stiff as though he had eaten a stake: his joints are like the Elephants, they are no joints: and like Nebuchadnezzars Image, their legs are of brass, they cannot bow, so much as to him that made them: they are like some nice and cold hearers of the word, that are willing to hear and make toward the Church (perhaps they made a short dinner for haste) but when they come there, and see a little door beset with a great throng about it, they shrink their heads into their shell again: they meant to hear, but they never meant to crowd for the matter: the Cat loves fish, but will not wet her foot: they had rather swell and putrify, and die with sin and ignorance, then be so sweezed. But what do they in this case to help themselves▪ they have set on work many skilful Carpenters (perhaps some apprentices of that jolly Carpenter, that made a gate of a window by his learned interpretation of a place in the Acts) they have furnished them with store of timber out of the Pope's storehouse of Saints Relics, and these have promised to give so much scope to the gate, that the most profound bellies may step in and not complain for want of elbowroom.  
4. They have made many gates instead of one: The Grammar of the Gospel writes it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the gate, not the gates: and Christ saith, Ego sum ostium, I am the door, not the doors: I am, and no other, as the Lord speaketh in another place: But these foolish Florentines, (I think Florentines, I know foolish) these foolish Florentines, have a strong conceit, upon a weak ground, that the more gates go out of their City, the more gain comes in, and therefore have made so many Saints as are gone to heaven, so many gates to go to heaven. Excellently saith the Spirit of God in the Revelation, Revelation 21. and the 21. And the twelve gates were twelve Pearls, every several gate was one Pearl: the translation abates something of the worth, for those Pearls in English, are Margarites in Greek, and those Margarites are the best of Pearls, and represent Christ himself, and that most sweetly: for those Margarites are begotten of the divine influence of the stars, and conceived of the pure dew of Heaven, though a poor shell gives them entertainment: so was Christ the Son of the most High, begotten by his eternal father, and conceived by the Holy Ghost, though he did not abhor the womb of the Virgin, though the Virgin Mary brought him forth.  
But here seems to be many gates. I pray mark: there is a double number, and a double unity: there is a number of twelve, and a number of three: of twelve, round about for the twelve tribes of Israel: of three, on each side for the Gentiles in all quarters of the world, three to the East, three to the West, three to the North, three to the South: twelve, that the fullness of the jews may come in by those gates; three, that the fullness of the Gentiles may come in and sit with Abraham in the Kingdom of God. Again, there is a double unity, an unity of matter, all these gates are made of Margarites: an unity of form, they are all made of one Margarite a piece; and that Margarite I told you was Christ: so that in effect, there be many goers, but one gate: there be many jews and Gentiles to enter, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  this gate will receive them all, both jews and Gentiles, that shall be gathered from all the four winds of the earth.  
This is the gate which the Angel of God hath measured with his golden reed: but the leaden meetwand of the Pope's Canonization hath laid us our gates made of the rotten wood of Saints, if it did but chance to glow a little in a gloomy night of darkness.  
I will end now this point of Saints in general. We read of some that take the Kingdom of Heaven by force: 
Mat. 11, 12  For the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force, saith Christ▪ and yet these men are commended: for it suffers them, grata est vis illa. We read of some again, that purchase the Kingdom of Heaven, 
Mat. 13. 46  for the wise Merchant sold all that he had, to purchase the field, in which he knew there was a rich Margarite, and that Margarite was Christ, and that field was Heaven: and yet this Merchant is commended: but we do not read of any that crept into the window, but thieus and robbers, and they are condemned: but such thiefs and robbers are the Papists, that think to steal in by the windows of Saints prayers: and that when the gate stands wide open, when Christ stands forth and invites all, Come unto me, all ye that are heavy laden, and I will ease you: and yet these thieus had rather pray to Saints, and neglect Christ.  
But me thinks, their prayers without Christ, are like the woman's Beer, when she forgot to put in the Malt: they are prayers of their own brewing, and they are like to drink as they brew, faint beer, faint prayers, thin beer, thin prayers. What if they be strong of the Hop of Saints, yet when there is no grain of faith in Christ, not so much as a grain of Mustardseed in them, I hope I may well term them thin beer, thin prayers, faint beer, faint prayers. Let me then say to them, Behold, these are thy Saviour's, o thou son of the rebellious woman, o thou daughter of Rome, thy Saviour's in whom thou trustest: and let me say to you, Son of man, seest thou these abominations? then learn to say with me, O the patience and long sufferance and gentleness of God, toward vile sinners!  
Follow me but a little further with your attention, and I will show you greater abominations than these: for now I come to the third step, concerning their Idolatry with the Virgin Mary in particular. Revelation 9 There is mention made of a bread of Locusts out of the smoke of the bottomless pit, which are at large described there: among other, this is one particular, that they have women's hair, according to the judgement of learned Interpreters: these Locusts typify the flocks of Eastern Saracens ' and the Western swarms of Monks: but how can shaved crowns (for so Monks are, and it went before, that they had like crowns upon their heads, which notes, that round shaving in form of a crown, which was indeed as precious as a crown to them, to keep them sacred and inviolable) how can those baldpates be said to have women's hair? yes, not literally, but mystically; because they gloried in women's hair: the thing is plain in story. The Saracens descended indeed of Hagar the bondwoman, as it were of purpose to verify this type, will needs be called Saracens, of Sarah the free woman: and so they boast of their women's hair. And who knows not, how the Monks brag of the Virgin Mary, and so their bare skulls have borrowed a periwig (as it were) of women's hair. But what do they with it? As the Carthaginian Matrons once suffered themselves willingly to be shorn, that the men might make Engines of their hair, for the defence of their City: so the Carthusian Monks, and other of the same rabblement, have made an engine, an 〈◊〉 of the Virgin's hair to take heaven withal; and let me tell those bold climbers, in what danger they are of an irrecoverable fall, as the Proverb is, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  the sword hangs over their head in a slight hair, as it did for Dionysius his Parasites: let them look back to their original, the rock out of which they were hewn, the pit from whence they came. If the clew of the Virgin's hair hath led them to a postern door of Heaven, the key of him that is the Angel of the bottomless pit must open it: but let me tell them, that pit is bottomless, there is no hope of getting out, and therefore that key is bootless, there is no hope of getting in.  
The Helvidians of old, called the perpetual virginity of the Virgin Mary into question: but she might have been 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  a perpetual Virgin, as well as she was 
† 〈◊〉  borne of God, if she had not fall'n into the Priest's hands: they have shrived her but ill favouredly: for though her spotless virgin-soule, enjoy an innocent sleep (I do not mean, an 
* 〈◊〉.  everlasting soule-sleep) in the bosom of Abraham, yet these artificial leachors, have made shift to find a trick, by a virtual, I cannot say, because it is most vicious; by a spiritual, I cannot say, because it is most carnal; but by that which the sons of the Philosophers call, a utrtuall or spiritual contact, to contaminate her memory, which should be blessed, and to commit folly with hervery name.  
For what I pray you, are 
† 〈◊〉.  those flattering titles which they give her in their prayers, Queen of Heaven, Mother of grace, Port of Paradise, etc. but such unclean and unchaste names for a Virgin, that if she should hear them with patience, I would not be afraid to say, she were the most impure harlot that ever was: but her blessed spirit abhors their cursed breath, and they, while they think to sow these ungracious seeds of spiritual whoredom in her most gracious ears, do but embrace a cloud, instead of a Queen; a jone, instead of a juno, as he did; and so beget misshapen Centaurs, I may say, centuries of misbegotten Orisons. Or, what are their strange devices, that God hath given her his Kingdom, and reserved only that other half to himself, the half of mercy to her, and the half of justice to himself: that he contents himself with his Bench of justice, and hath placed her in the Mercy seat: and that this was prefigured in Ahasuerosh, who promised Hester the half of his Kingdom? a goodly stratagem to drive men from God to Mary. Again, that there are two Ladders up to Heaven; a red Ladder by Christ's blood, and a white Ladder by Mary's beauty, which is far the easier: me thinks these men mistake Jacob's Ladder, but yet something like it was, for they are in a dream, as jacob was. But I will not rake this dunghill of stinking blasphemies.  
Yet if a man would take the pains, to turn over their stinking Rosaries, but as often as they do their beads in a day, he should soon perceive, that the name of Christ is out of fashion, out of date, and the name of the Virgin in the freshest honour: the withered Laurels of Christ, are fain to veil the Bonnet and give place to the flourishing, prime, and green Garlands of the Virgin: as Lucullus did once to Pompey's: and some merry Courtier might ask no more, whether Mary were gracious with Christ, but whether Christ were with Mary; as they did scoffingly, whether Alexander were gracious with Hephaestion: Mary hath all the suitors, Mary hath all the presents, Mary doth all in the Court of Heaven. It is not here, as it was once said of Themistocles his son, that he ruled all Greece, because his father ruled all, and his mother ruled his father, and he ruled his mother: For the Pope's Sophisti call Logic in a Sorites, and ambitious Rhetoric in a Climax, is clean contrary: God rules the World, his Son rules him, and Mary rules his Son; therefore Mary rules the World. She is become, against the Lex Salica, I am sure, against the Lex Coelica, the new Queen of Heaven, at least, as though her son were in his minority, the Queen Regent. She complains herself in Erasmus, that she hath so many Clients, so much custom, tantum non enecant, she hath much ado to take respite enough, to take breath enough, to keep life and soul together: belike they mean to kill her with kindness, to press her to death with loads of honour; as the perfidious Virgin was served that betrayed the Capitol: they come something near already, tantum non enecant. But if there be any that make show to kiss the Son, as the Psalmist speaks, it is to be feared, that it is not because they are afraid-least he, but lest she be angry: or according to our commonspeech, many kiss the child for the nurse's sake: they kiss the child, but their mouth waters at the mother's lips, they make much of the child and dandle it in their arms, but it is but to insinuate themselves into the sweet embraces of the mother.  
And yet these filthy monsters of lust (for they are no better than monsters, bewitched out of the shape of men, by the powerful charms of the Romish Circe, and her golden Cup offornication) these filthy monsters do so please themselves in their filthiness, that as the Apostle Peter speaks, they speak evil of us, as of those that do evil, and think it strange, that we do not run with them into the same excess of riot.  
Like some fond and amorous Bridegroom newly wedded, that dotes may chance upon an homely spouse, and wonders that all his neighbours do not meet him with their mouths full of wonder and gratulation, that they do not worship her whom he adores: because forsooth, she is written for a Saint in the Calendar of his heart, he thinks she should be received for a Queen in the Charter of their Parish: because she is the Idol of his fancy, he thinks she should be the goddess of their faith: he is so well acquainted with the zeal of his own private devotion, that he cannot but admire, what cold blast of stupid ignorance or envy, (for he hath not the power to think it any other) hath so frozen and congealed them, that they do not melt into his mould, that they will not be reduced to his temperature.  
But to give them their answer. The Old jews baked for the Queen of Heaven, and the New Collyridians did the like for the Virgin Mary, whom they called the Queen of Heaven, and so do the Papists, the sole heirs of both their follies. But let Epiphanius answer them all: The Virgin is to be honoured, she is not to be adored; she is blessed among women, but not God blessed for ever▪ or, that I may allude to those cakes, she may be honoured, that is frumentum, corn that grows in Scripture, a Christian stomach may digest it: but she must not be adored, that's fermentum; it is so sour of the leven of the Pharisees, that a Christian stomach (as Erasmus said, he had Animum Catholicum, stomachum Lutheranum, a Catholic mind, and a Lutheran maw, because he loved no fish) I say, a Christian stomach cannot brook it: in a word, their Cake (as we use to say) is dough baked: and it were to be wished, that these blind Collyridians, if their mouth be out of taste, at least would anoint their eyes with that Collyrium, commended to the Angel of Laodicea, Revelation 3. some eyesalve of the Scripture, that they might see the grossness of their Idolatry.  
If they could but open their eyes, I doubt not, but they might see that we give more to the Virgin than they, that we are not Heretics, because we do not give so much to the Virgin as they do; but they are Atheists, that give so much as they do: and yet to say truth, we give her more than they do; they would make her worshipful, we would have her honourable: an easy Herald would decide the controversy, which is the better title: and so would an easy Divine, which are the Antidicomarianites, they or we. But if they will needs sleep still, loath to part with this pleasant dream: let us call and see if we may awaken them: Behold thy gods, o thou son of the rebellion's woman, thy gods in whom thou trustest! Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. But why do I spend so much breath in vain, they are not deaf, but dead in sin: let me rather speak to you that hear me: Son of man, seest thou these abominations? then learn to say with me, O the patience, and long sufferance, and gentleness of our God, toward vile sinners!  
I am come you see to the highest step: I have now finished my narration or general explication of Popish Idolatry, and I stand (as it were) upon the highest pinnacle of the Tower of Babel: I should begin to pull down: but the time will not suffer.   
1 Corinth. 2. 2. For I determined to know nothing among you, but Christ jesus, and him Crucified. 
BEfore I proceed any further, I must beseech you all to hear with wisdom and love. Let no man think these fowl Idolatries either less abominable, because they are so ridiculous; or more amiable, because the phrase of my speech hath seemed hitherto to smile upon them. I thought I must confess the Nature of this exercise, especially in a controversy, admitted of some liberty, and I wish I have not taken too much, and beseech you so to interpret me.  
But as the picture of a Goddess in a certain Temple was so contrived, that she frowned on men as they went in, and smiled as they came out, as though they had won her good will with gifts and offerings: the Priests they did indeed, whose devise it was: and therefore I think the men, clean contrary to their Goddess, smiled when they came in, as knowing nothing; but frowned, when they went out so cheated: so, though yet my entrance hath seemed to smile, yet I mean to learn to frown, before I go out of this Temple of Idols: I mean to whip out these cheaters, though I came in like a Lamb (as they say of Months) I will endeavour to go out like a Lion: I mean to walk with a fiery tongue among this stubble: and if this fat superstition begin as Agag did, to walk delicately, and say with herself, surely the bitterness of death is past: let her know, I owe a sacrifice to the God of Israel, and that must and shall be paid with her blood, gratior nullus liquor tinxisset arras, as he said.  
Now I proceed: I had brought you to the gates of this Babel: we must cast a mount against, and plant our battery: I will tell you before hand, what you shall see afterward, that when you see it, you may observe all things more exactly.  
1. You shall see the Army: then,  
2. The success.  
The Army shall be distinguished into Captain and Soldiers.  
The Captain shall be the Word of God, even God the Word, 
Ios. 5. 15.  who is the Captain of the Lords Hosts, (so styled in josua) and the Lord of Hosts: whose name is written in his thigh, Revel. 19 The King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. The Soldiers shall be valiant reasons that have sworn fealty to him, and put their neck under his yoke, that will fight manfully under his banner. The Success I need not tell you, you know already by the Army: yet I will tell you, that you may know the better.  
1. Victory: Not a blow shall be given, not a stroke struck, but the Priests shall march before the Ark of God round about the City: they shall blow their Trumpets, at the command of their great Commander, at whose shrill voice the tender women shall tear their hair, and howl, as you have heard paltry curs when a bell rings: fear shall come upon the inhabitants of the land: their hearts within them shall melt like water, and their feeble knees shall knock together, the foundations of the City shall shake, and the whole frame tremble: yea, their mighty champions shall fall low, and like the dust that is under his feet: their paper walls and painted castles shall fall low, and kiss the ground on which he treads.  
2. We will erect a stately Trophy for a monument, wherein shall be engraven in indelible Characters for all eternity, the true story of their pride, the just cause of their fall, the true story of their sin, the just cause of their shame.  
3. We will sack the houses, and ransack the storehouses, and see what treasures we may carry away for our own use, to enrich ourselves withal. Briefly and plainly I will,  
1. Confute this their opinion by Scripture, and reason out of Scripture.  
2. Refute their weak arguments.  
3. Observe the causes of this gross superstition.  
4. Collect some uses: This is the sum of all that follows.  
The first place of Scripture shall be against the mediation and invocation of Saints, john 2. 4. jesus said unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? etc. You may read the Story at large, I will run over my meditations. Observe with me.  
1. Out of the Story, Mary was not sent here to Christ by any, to mediate for them; but she went of her own accord.  
2. Out of the words.  
1. Severally, Woman, not Queen of Heaven, not Mother of Grace, nor Mother by nature, (though that were by grace too, for the Angel styles her 
* 〈◊〉.  as one that had received grace) not so much as Mother, but plain Woman: What have I to do with thee? or what hast thou to do with me? according to the sense: as if he should have said, as he did, 

† 〈◊〉.  This my command from me receive,  
Thine own work do, thine own web wove.  Meddle with that you have to do, you have nothing to do with me.  
2. Jointly out of the connexion, Woman, what have I? etc. as if he had said, Thou art a woman, therefore thou hast nothing to do with me: thou hast nothing to do with me, because thou art a woman: or, thou hast nothing to do with me, why? because thou art a woman. Thou art a woman, what then? Thou hast nothing to do with me.  
But imagine a Jesuit had stood behind her when she heard this: no doubt but he would have prompted her thus: What be thus taken up? Woman: it might have been Mother: What have I to do with thee? then tell him, thou hast something to do with him: uncover thy breasts, Marry, (they be their phrases) and conjure him, by the Roses of thy cheeks, and the Lilies of thy hands, by the womb that bore him, and the paps that gave him suck, by the sacred name of a mother, to give thee better respect: nay, (they be their own words) Imper a redemptori, jure matris impera: thus the Jesuit would have tutored her.  
But you must know, she had a better master, even the Spirit of God within her, that taught her a better lesson: and therefore she stands not to contend or contest with him; she makes no replies; she knows what the Psalmist said, 
Psa. 45 11  He is thy Lord, and thou must worship him: and she thinks with herself, I was rightly called woman, for I have spoken once like a foolish woman, but I will make a covenant with my lips, that I offend no more with my tongue: and then as though she did remember herself, that she had forgotten herself, when she attempted to prescribe to him that is above prescription, she turns to the servants, and commands them to do whatsoever he should command them.  
But O Blessed Saviour, suffer the son of thine handmaid to speak a word unto my Lord, in the behalf of thine handmaid: Thou bidst us Learn of me, that I am humble and meek, and why art thou so cruel to thy Mother? thou wast as a sheep that is dumb and openeth not his mouth before the shearer▪ and why art thou so harsh to her that bore thee? How many, Lord, how many meaner suitors have requested greater matters at thy hand and obtained, and why must a Mother only go away with a denial? or if she must needs have a denial, why was not the bitterness of the thing, sugared with the sweetness of words, or why must that denial be embittered with a check? but suppose her rashness deserved, might not her relation deserve a mitigation? why then was that check whetted and sharpened with a question the servant of war and wrath? Thy words, o thou fairest among the children of men, thy words were wont to distil like the honey, and thy lips to drop like the honey comb, and yet thou hadst not tasted that potion of gall and vinegar, and whence then is this tang of tartness?  
But vain man that I am? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, why do I disease my master? why do I say, who shall ascend into heaven to bring a resolution of this difficulty from him? behold the meaning is near, and the word is in thy mouth, and if you will give me leave, I will tell you. She presumed because she was his mother, and therefore he thinks it fittest not to call her mother: she knew too well he was her son, but she did not think that he was the son of God, and therefore he thinks it fittest to call her Woman.  
O the sweetness of the wisdom and providence of our Lord: he gives a preservative long before hand, against that poison which he foresaw the Italian Devil would temper long after, to the perdition of many poor Christian souls, if it should not have been prevented with a preservative: He calls her but woman, that was his Mother; that we might not call her Goddess, that was but a woman: he vilifies her, that we might not deisie her: he tells her that she had nothing to do with him, that we might have nothing to do with her: And as Paul writes, Be angry and sin not: so he who was the pattern of meekness was angry, that we who are the Emblem of weakness might not sin: he was angry and denied her petition, that we might not sin and dote on her intercession: he denied her to her rebuke, that we might not dote on her to his dishonour: he rebuked her sharply in a question, that he might teach us sweetly that it was out of question, that she can have no stroke, no hand, not so much as a little finger in the divine work of mediation.  
To wind up all that hath been spun out of this Context of Scripture. Mary's access to Christ, was such, and such was her success with Ghrist, that if I would go to her, I think she dare not go to him: or if she would go to him, I know I dare not go to her, except I longed to speed as she did.  
This is the first testimony which I truss up thus: Mary is a woman, and therefore she hath nothing to do with Christ: she hath nothing to do with Christ, therefore we have nothing to do with her, therefore she is no Saviour, therefore no Saints are Saviour's, therefore no Saints are to be invocated as Saviour's.  
The second place shall be 1 Epistle of john 2. 2. If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, even jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins: here you see, that the beloved Disciple tells us, that Christ is the only Advocate: that lay in the bosom of Christ, tell us, that Christ who came out of the bosom of the Father, is our only Advocate, not Saints, nor Angels: for here be many things to enable Christ for that office, that disable all Saints.  
1. The secret opposition of Client and Patron, of sinner and righteous, if that any sin, we have an Advocate, jesus Christ the righteous.  
2. The sweet agreement of the Patron and Judge, the Father and the Son, we have an Advocate with the Father, Christ jesus.  
3. The necessary condition of him that must be an Advocate, intimated in the conjunction of these words, with those that follow, we have an Advocate, Christ, who is the propitiation for our sins: As if all were said thus: We are all sinners, for he had said before, that he that saith he hath no sin, is a liar, and the truth of God is not in him: and therefore we stand in need of an Advocate: and that Advocate must needs be righteous, if he would do any good for sinners: and we have sinned against the Father, therefore our Advocate must be one that is near the Father: and because our sins cry loud for vengeance, he must satisfy for our sins, that will be heard for mercy: there is no mediation for sinners, but by him who is the propitiation for sins: none can plead for us, but he that bled for us. All these lead us by the hand to Christ: He is the righteous, the Lamb, the true Israelite without guile, the Sun of righteousness, he is near the Father, he sits at the right hand of God, he is the only begotten and beloved son of the Father, in whom he is well pleased: he made satisfaction for us, and therefore he knows best how to make intercession for us: therefore he is our only Advocate. Not Saints,  
1. They are not the righteous, not 
* 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉.  righteous, but made righteous, or if righteous, not the righteous.  
2. They are not the only sons of God, not 
† 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉.  sons, but made sons, or if sons, as they are sons indeed, yet not by 
* 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉.  nature, but by adoption: by adoption, therefore by 
† 〈◊〉  making of sons, not by nature; by Regeneration, not by Generation.  
3. They are not our propitiation: they did not undergo the wrath of God, for our sins: therefore they cannot undertake to procure the favour of God to our prayers: in a word, Saints are not Advocates, they are not Mediators, and therefore not to be invocated as Mediators.  
The third place shall be Revelation 19 10. And I fell down at his feet to worship him, but the Angel said, take heed thou do it not, for I am thy fellow-servant, and worship God: I bring this place, because as you know, the invocation of Angels is a part of this controversy.  
1. You have in this verse, the error of john: and I fell down, etc. out of which I observe, as Solomon writ his Ecclesiastes after his Vanities, to testify his reconciliation to the Church: so john reports his error to show that he did repent of it. Again, as Thomas doubted of the resurrection, that we might be assured, as Divines observe: so john was suffered to fall, that we might be admonished to stand.  
2. You have the correction of the Angel, which consists,  
1. In a Prohibition.  
2. In a Reason.  
The Prohibition is, See thou do it not: which is much more emphatical in the Original, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  see not, there is an Ellipsis of the word 
† 〈◊〉.  do, or some such like: out of which observe,  
1. The zeal of the Angel: for that word that is wanting may say as Christ did, the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up: zeal makes haste, it stands not upon compliment of words: it hath no spare time to spend so idly: and therefore the Angel saith abruptly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: as if he should say, I cannot speak till you stand up.  
2. The detestation of the fact: for you must imagine that what was defective in speech, was supplied by action: and therefore think you see the Angel either turning away from john, as offended; or raising up with his hand: he thought it not enough to express his dislike in words, but he speaks more effectual with his hands, and he will have him read his dislike in his countenance. This I observe out of the passionate prohibition, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
2. Now when he hath raised, he vouchsafes to confer with him, and gives him a double reason of his refusal.  
1. I am thy fellow servant, therefore worship not me: Where by the way note the vanity of the Popish distinction between 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  civil and religious, the glorious triumphant Angels are 
† 〈◊〉  fellow-servants to the Militant Saints, therefore they cannot challenge so much as 
* 〈◊〉.  civill-worship from them.  
2. God is only to be worshipped, as it is written in the Law of Moses, and therefore the Angel saith, worship God: and so you have this Law of Moses in deed and literally 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  given by an Angel, as Paul speaks to the Galatians.  
And we may well say, this is a blessed Angel, he speaks the word of God in truth, without respect of persons; as they said of Christ: yea, without respect of his own person. And as David said of Ahimaaz, he is a worthy man, and brings good tidings: so this is a worthy Angel, and let us believe him, and if any man or Angel from God, teach any other Doctrine, let him be accursed: and though he refuse his worship, yet he is no loser by the bargain: For as it was said of Caesar, that while he restored the statutes of Pompey, he established his own: so while he reserves to God the propriety of his honour, he preserves to himself the perpetuity of his own: for the Lord will honour them, that honour him. To point this Argument: Angels are not to be adored: therefore much less invocated: Angels are not to be adored, therefore much less Saints: to make a compound of the double Emphasis: Angels are not to be adored, therefore much more Saints are not to be invocated.  
The fourth place is, 1 Timoth. 2. 5. For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and Men, the man Christ jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all. We have three things in this Text worth observation, for the truth in hand.  
1. The knitting together of those words, one God, one Mediator; that is, as there is but one God, so there is but one Mediator: and therefore it were Atheism to set up more than one Mediator, as it is to set up more than one God.  
2. The secret description of a Mediator, he must be one between God and Man, that is, both God and Man: he must participate of both natures, that must reconcile both natures, which agrees to Christ only, who is 
* 〈◊〉.  God-man, Immanuel, and therefore the true 
† 〈◊〉.  Mediator, the true jesus, that can save his people from all their sins: and though he be called Man-Christ, yet it is the Man that was the son of God, as well as the son of Man.  
3. It follows, who gave himself a ransom for all, which is like that which I noted before in john.  
I might add a fourth out of the Context: that Paul speaks of a Mediator of intercession only, for he had before recited, that prayers should be made for all men, and now he directs to the Mediator, in whose name these prayers must be offered, that they may be acceptable to God, and says plainly, there is but one Mediator, and that one is Christ.  
Which may serve to stop the mouth of Papists, which think to elude all with a distinction of Mediators of Redemption and Intercession, and say, that Christ is the Mediator of Redemption, Saints may be of intercession: if these men did speak so warily as they might, and think so truly as they ought, yet we might say to them, as the Artificer did, that wrought finely, but spoke meanly, when he contended with another, that spoke finely, and wrought meanly, 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  as he spoke, I will do: we might say of them, they speak well with their tongue, but they make a noise with their feet that drowns the good words: 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  their deeds speak more than their words: their pronunciation is good, but their action is naught: Soloecismum manu faciunt, as he said.  
But they do not speak well, and yet they mean worse: therefore I will endeavour to answer them.  
1. Populus non distinguit, is an Axiom in Politics: the people's gouty fingers, cannot handle the slender threads of these dainty distinctions, (which these subtle spinners make) so tenderly, but they will be in great danger of breaking: and so while these supplanting Jesuits are counterfeiting Jacob's smooth voice (that I may alter the story a little) the poor people's hands are rough and horrid with superstition, as Esau's were: and it were hard to say which are in the better case: The people draw in iniquity with cart-ropes of vanity, (as the foolish Trojans did the fatal Horse into their City) and so go down to the pit directly: The Jesuits spin a fine thread out of their brain (as the Spiders do, out of their belly) and upon that they think to climb to Heaven as wisely: Or like two Buckets at a Well, the people are like to that which goes down in a rope directly; the Jesuit as the other, seems to be coming up (not upon that thick rope, for he sees the other go down in it) but he thinks to winch himself up upon a silly thread.  
I think the people in the better case, for though they go down in the rope, yet they go empty, and the rope (as it were) moderates the violence of the fall, so that they are not like to sink so deep: but the Jesuit coming up full upon his slender thread (suppose he should wind himself a little way, by his Mathematical Magic's) the thread cannot choose but break, and then he cannot choose but fall into the bottom of hell: and good reason, as he hath better known 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  the depths of Satan, so he should better feel 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  the depths of hell: as he hath made the depths of Satan, so he should measure the depths of hell: The Sum of this answer is, the thread of this distinction is too slight to bear such a weight: and beside, Populus non distinguit, while they distinguish, the people perish.  
2. Principes non distinguunt, is true in Politics, though it be no Axiom. It is but an hard bargain for a King to exchange a Crown for a crafty distinction The poor King of the Indians, when he heard that the Pope had given away his Kingdom to the King of Spain, asked what the Pope was, that gave away that which was none of his own: but let him claim the right of dispossessing Princes, when he pleases, and disposing Sceptres, where he pleases: let him publish his pictures and represent Turk's Turbans, and Imperial and royal Crowns with Duke's Coronets hanging down like labels from his lofty Mitre, as he hath done: let him pronounce them Manichees, holding two Principia, that hold any power equal to his Sovereignty: let him enjoy all, perhaps at his donation, who said of Kingdoms, all these are mine, which I will give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship: though it be much, yet let him take all, because he is the Vicar of Christ: now me thinks he hath so large a parish, and so rich tithes, he might at least have remembered that he was but Christ's Vicar: why then doth he wound the honour of Christ, and (as it were) cleave his Sacred in twain, and think to bring this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; and think to heal it with these figg-leaves? why doth he rend the seameles coat of Christ, and then make up the matter with a sleeveless distinction of Intercession and Redemption?  
The Whore of Rome hath learned of that Harlot that was judged before Solomon, to say Dividatur; but Christ will not part with his honour so: he likes no such halving: he will have all or none: Divide and Regna, is a Machiavilian rule, and true: give the Saints half, and (it is no great difference) let them take all as well. The sum of this answer is: When they rob Christ of his honour, he cannot take such a distinction for satisfaction; Principes non distinguunt.  
3. Scriptura non distinguit. This proud distinction stands strutting, like the Angel in the Revelation, with one foot upon the Land, and the other upon the Sea: so this hath one part that hath ground in Scripture, namely, that Christ alone is the Mediator of Redemption; but the other part, that Saints may be Mediators of Intercession, floats upon their restless brain, as it were upon the Sea: so that if it have any weight in it, it must needs sink with his own weight. Again, the Scripture tells us, that the Saints have long white robes: but these robes are given them, they are entire the gift of Christ: the wool is Christ's, who is the Lamb slain before the beginning of the world: the dye is Christ's, they are washed white in the blood of the Lamb: the work is Christ's, as they showed the garments that Lydia wrought with her own hands, so these are wrought with Christ's own hands: and they are sent to us, as David sent his servants to Hanun, Ambassadors of peace and comfort: and therefore it is barbarous and brutish inhumanity, to cut these coats of Christ short, where with our nakedness is covered: and it is devilish impiety, to take that which remains and make broad Phylacteries, and large fringes with it for the Saints, and so to make proud Pharisees, which were indeed penitent Publicans. Briefly, the Scripture joins both together, Redemption and Intercession, to make Christ a perfect Saviour: Scriptura a non distinguit: and therefore what God hath joined together, let no man separate.  
4. Pontificii non distinguunt: Bellarmine himself that objects this riven shield of this distinction, as a sufficient bulwark for defence of this impiety, rejects it elsewhere: not because he had forgotten what he wrote here, but because he remembered what he thought here: and therefore in his book De Indulgentiis, he casts off this mask of modesty, and puts on (as he speaks) 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  a viz or of impudency: or rather, 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  with a bare head, as the Greeks speak, without all circumstances: or rather more, for he doth 
* 〈◊〉.  steel his forehead against blushing, and says plainly, that Saints are Mediators of Redemption also; which overthrows that forged distinction: Pontificii non distinguunt: and now you see no more Mystery, but Blasphemy written in the whore's forehead: so that there needs no other Confutation but to have read it.  
I have been large in this, because it is the only starting hole they have: and therefore I will name but one place more, and that briefly.  
The fifth. Eph. 3. 12. In whom we have access and boldness, with confidence by the faith in him: in him, that is, in Christ: we have access, that is, to the Father: I will observe but two words here more specially: 1. Access in Greek 〈◊〉: (so that according to our translation, we have not so much as any access to God the Father, but by Christ, who is the way and the door: I think the word may be rendered Presentation, I am sure, the thing is said elsewhere, and is true: Heaven is a royal Benefice, there is none that hath the right of presentation, but the King's son. I think we may find an Emblem of it at home: the Saints are indeed Citizens of the new jerusalem, free Denizens of Heaven, suppose them of the Parliament, yet they are but of the lower house, they are Priests, but not High Priests; they have no access into this Sanctum Sanctorum: they are incorporated into the most renowned University, the Celestial Zion, which I may well call the mountain of vision, as the lower was called the valley of vision: for there they see no more by faith, but by vision, as the School speaks: In the mount will the Lord be seen, as Abraham said: nay, suppose them of the house too, it is but of the non Regent house, Christ alone is the only King, the only Regent: he that hath not h's Scio, he that is not presented by him to his Father, shall never be admitted to any degree in the University of glory.  
The second word that I observe is 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 for there are two for failing: suppose there be access, yet without Christ there is no boldness, no confidence: if our heart like a wise Merchant would send a ship of prayer to the coast of Heaven that should return richly laden, with the treasures of that good land, it must first command the gracious dew to distil abundantly from the windows of the eyes, for this ship must swim through a Sea of salt tears: and then to omit all other tackling, it must provide a Card and a Compass which must agree with the points, with the will of Heaven, and the Needle of it must be touched with the loadstone: and if it be touched with the true loadstone, it will have a fit of shaking, a palsy of fear, it will turn and turn, and tremble and tremble, till it come to Christ; who will rebuke the Fever, and heal the Palsy: and then it will stand still, and stand with confidence: for Christ is a Magnetical rock whose attractive grace it is that drives it thither: and the house of faith is builded upon that rock: let the rain fall, and the Winds rise, and the Sea rage, it stands unmovable, like to Mount Zion that cannot be removed: and why, because it is builded on a Rock.  
The Papists then that go without this faith in Christ, may come with a shivering of fear, but they cannot come with boldness: or, that we may be liberal to them, they may come with impudence, but they cannot come with boldness: for in Christ we have access with boldness, faith the Apostle.  
And thus far have I exercised myself in the Scripture: if any say, I might have made choice of more and more pregnant places. I answer: that I think these pregnant enough, and I know this truth impregnable, and therefore I need not be very scrupulous.  
You have heard how the Papists dishonour Christ crucified, by the honour that they give to Saints canonised: the Saints that have gone before us, are indeed a cloud of glorious witnesses, as the Apostle speaks to the Hebrews, wherewith we, who are the sons of promise, are encompassed in our journey: but they coming after them, have made them a cloud of gross idolatry, wherewith Christ, who is the Sun of Righteousness, is eclipsed in his glory: You have heard in particular how they commit folly with the Virgin Mary.  
I touched that point but sparingly: but if a man would take the pains to turn over their stinking Rosaries, but half so much as they do their beads in a day, he should soon perceive that the name of Christ is out of fashion, out of date, and the name of the Virgin in the freshest honour: the withered laurels of Christ are fain to veil the bonnet, and give place to the flourishing, prime, and green garlands of the Virgin, as Lucullus did once to Pompeyeses.  
And if there be any that make show to kiss the Son, as the Psalmist speaks, it is to be feared, that it is not because they are afraid lest he, but lest she be angry: or, according to our common speech, Many kiss the child for the mother's sake: they kiss the child, but their mouth waters at the mother's lips: they make much of the child, and dandle it in their arms, but it is but to insinuate themselves into the sweet embraces of the mother.  
And yet these filthy monsters, of lust (for they are no better than monsters, bewitched out of the shape of men by the powerful charms of the Romish Circe, and her golden cup of fornication) these filthy monsters do so please themselves in their filthiness, that, as S. Peter speaks, they speak evil of us, as of those that do evil, and think it strange that we do not run with them into the same excess of riot. Like some fond and amorous bridegroom newly wedded, that dotes, may chance, upon an homely spouse, and wonders that all his neighbours do not meet him with their mouths full of wonder and gratulation: that they do not worship her whom he adores: because, forsooth, she is written for a Saint in the Calendar of his heart, he thinks she should be received for a Queen in the Charter of their Parish: because she is the idol of his fancy, he thinks she should be the Goddess of their faith: he is so well acquainted with the zeal of his own private devotion, that he cannot but admire what cold blast of stupid ignorance or envy (for he hath not the power to think it any other) hath so frozen and congealed their dull spirits, that his Sun doth not melt them into his mould, that they will not be reduced to his temperature.  
But the truth is, as I said before, we give more unto the Virgin, that they do: they would have her worshipful, we would have her honourable: an easy Herald would decide the controversy, which were the better title: and an easy Divine, which were the Antidicomarianitae, they or we: but it is a fit of frenzy, not of love, that transporteth them: the untamed horses of distempered passion, as Plato calls them, have so hurried and whirled about the crazy chariot of their reason, that they have frighted them out of their little wits, and set the wheels of judgement (upon which they should have run steadily) quite beside the socket.  
And therefore we have taken such a course with them, as, you know, 1. We have called upon them by a general discourse, as faithful friends, to reclaim them from this folly. 2. We have set the Scripture, as a grave overseer, to frown upon them, and chide them into their wits again: this hath done little good yet; and therefore we must now try the last remedy: if they will not learn of the word at jerusalem, we must send them to school to Bethlehem, (a place appointed for men in their case) and there set Reason, like a severe master, to dispel them every day, and whip their wand'ring wits from place to place, (as they do vagabonds) till they return to the place from whence they came, and regain the seat of their Nativity, together with the Sceptre of their Regency.   
FINIS.