❧ Seven Sermons, OR, The Exercises of seven Sabbaoths. 1 The Prophet David's Arithmetic. 2 Peter's Repentance. 3 Christ's last Supper. 4 Christ combating with Satan. 5 The Seaman's Card. 6 The Sinners Bath. 7 The forming of Eve the first woman. Together with a short Treatise upon the Commanndements. Quench not the spirit, despise not prophesying 1. Thess. 5. 20. Let the word of God dwell in you plenteously Coloss. 3. 20. Printed by Valentine Sims, 1599 To the right Worshipful Richard Broughton Esquire, one of her majesties justices of Assize, for the Counties of Merioneth, Carnarvan, & Anglisea, and of her highness counsel, in the Marches of Wales, Lewis Thomas wisheth continual health, and perfect happiness. RIght worshipful, the care of my dutifulness, enforced by the loadstone of your affection, and more than common kindness towards me, hath inboldned me to present these few labours, the first fruits of my endeavours, to the eyes of your discretion, hoping you will, in respect of good meaning, and in regard of neighbourhood, I trust, with no less care vouchsafe to patronize the same, and suffer them to shelter under the defensive shadows of your safe protection. Many I confess have travailed in the same kind before me, both largely and learnedly, (far beyond the reach of my skill) many wise and cunning Bezaleels, fraught with all spiritual knowledge, for furthring of spiritual workman●●p, hath God in our time raised (and still may ray●● I wish) for the building of the Temple of his so●●in the hearts of his children, a temple more glorious ●. King. 6. than that was of solomon's, though it were overlaid within & without with the purest gold. M● self also have adventured to come after them with my free-will offering, howsoever worst able of a thousand to furnish the building of the sanctuary, which though it may not presume to press among the chiefest, yet may it look for acceptance at least in his due place, like the goats Exod. 35, 23. hair among the fine purple and scarlet. The book is too small to be termed a Volume, your labour will be the shorter in perusing is: But I trust it will be found of such value, as may upon due consideration be nothing to your dislike: whatsoever it is, I recommend both myself and it to your good favour, and so omitting unnecessary circumstances, in regard of your weighty employments, I take my leave, resting in more affection, than protestation. Your worships to command. L. Tb. ¶ These Texts of Scripture are handled in this Book. 1 The Prophet David's Arithmetic. Teach us, O Lord, to number our days, Psalm 90. 12. TWO Peter's repentance. So he went out and wept bitterly, Matthew 26. 75. III Christ his last Supper. The Lord jesus in the night that he was betrayed, took bread, 1. Cori. 11. 23. IIII Christ combating with Satan. Then was jesus led aside by the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil Matthew 4. V The Seaman's Card. And when they were entered into a ship, his Disciples followed him, Mat. 8. 13 VI The Sinners bathe. If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive our sins, joh. 1. 9 VII The forming of Eve the first woman. Also the Lord said, It is not good that man should be alone, I will make him an help meet for him, Gen. 18. 21. A Treatise upon the Commandments. Blessed are they that do the commandments, Revel. 22. 14. ❧ The Prophet David's Arithmetic. Psal. 90. verse 12. Teach us (O Lord) to number our days. THe Prophet David noteth the careless security, and wilful ingratitude of carnal men, whom neither the shortness of life, nor the plagues of God, powered out for sin, can stir up to a dutiful obedience. In many precedent Psalms, he taketh occasion by checks, and admonitions to draw the wicked and obstinate, to a consideration of God's benefits, and blessings bestowed upon them, as in feeding, and protecting them infinitely, in suffering the Sun to shine upon them, the rain to fructify the earth, their children to multiply, and grow up afore them, like the Olive plants, or like the polished corners of the temple: their sheep and cattle to increase, etc. Yet notwithstanding finding them to be nothing the more thankful unto God, or mindful of his goodness, and seeing them to run on still in their wickedness, without remorse or feeling, as if they had been sold 1. King. 21. 25. to work iniquity like Achab, and jeroboam, The Prophet turneth to his compassions, & prays for them that would not pray for themselves, desiring God to turn their hearts, and to continue his mercies towards them: and this is briefly the substance of all this Psalm. Now then to descend into a more particular narration, and to make you acquainted with the sum of the doctrine contained in these few words of my Text: observe with me these two principal points, which the words do offer to your consideration; viz. the petition of David, and a reason or motive enforcing the petition. The petition in these words, Teach me to number my days. The motive in these words, That I may apply my heart to wisdom. I will only speak of the former in this place, viz. David his prayer. Teach us, O Lord, to number, etc.] This text may well be termed the Prophet David his Arithmetic, a better Arithmetic than our school humanitians, and professors of Arithmetic in Universities are wont to teach. This crosseth and utterly confuteth the course of the vain men of this world: for they give themselves to calculate other matters. The Merchant numbereth his debts, the Usurer his money, the Lawyer his clients, the Husbandman his goods and chattles, the Captain his soldiers: but David a man after Gods own heart, knew well the vanity of the one, and the necessity of this other; and better Arithmetic. He desireth God to teach him to number, not his wealth, nor his riches, nor his possessions, nor his treasures, nor his pleasures, but his days. Teach me, saith he, to number my days. We read of Nabucad-nezzar a King, so he was like David: but he had not learned to number his days, so he was unlike David. This proud king walking and strowting in Dan. 4. 27. his royal ●allace at Babel, was numbering the towers thereof, and was numbering his wealth, and his magnificence, and power. Is not this great Babel, is not this my kingdom. & c? This Arithmetic made Nabucad-nezzar proud, and made him forget God that gave him that power, and that honour, and that monarchy. But this arithmetic of David's taught him humility, and meekness, and keepeth him so far from forgetfulness of God, that he rather forgets himself, and his kingly titles, and honour; for in this psalm, but especially in this verse he disclaims, as it were, from all his regal authority, power, and state, and exhibits himself a perfect pattern of humility. Though he were Gods anointed, and invested with great majesty, and honour, yet he forgot not his pedigree, but hath registered the same to all posterities, in that he saith: thou tookest David when he followed the Ewes great with young, and annointedst him to be Psa. 78. 70. Prince over thy people, of a shepherd crowning him a King. And though he were a King of the earth, yet he knew he was but a King of earth, a man of the same mould that others are of, and subject to the same corruption: nay him Psal. 22. 6 self in another place, calls himself, a worm and no man. And as he could teach himself a lesson of mortality, so could he teach it others also: speaking to magistrates, he saith thus; I have said, ye are Gods, but ye shall all die like men: and that Princes should not scape uncontrolled, Psalm 82 he a Prince telleth Princes, that they should also die like others. And therefore since Princes, and magistrates, and people, and all must die, he prayeth God for himself and others: saying. Teach us; O Lord, to number our days.] We find 1. Chro. 21 this prophet numbering, but not his days, as in this place, but there he numbered his subjects, he would needs know his strength, and power, and the number of his people; but himself & all Israel smarted for that folly: and himself being brought to the knowledge of his sin, confessed he had done very foolishly. And therefore now he works more wisely, he prayeth God to teach him to number his days: here he takes in hand another kind of numeration. The prophet showeth, that except the Lord Psa. 127 build the house, they that build it, labour but in vain: and except the Lord keep the city the keeper waketh but in vain. There he proveth that in building it is God alone who is the * Architectus, both to lay the foundation, and the roof too. In keeping of the city he is the only watchman of Israel, that never slumbereth. And here he proveth another property to be in God, which is, that he in teaching, is the only schoolmaster, or doctor, verifying that in the 15. of john his Gospel, without me ye can do nothing: he is all in all, a schoolmaster of all, both learned, and unlearned, even to teach princes knowledge, and the Senators wisdom. This lesson must needs be well learned, that proceeds from such a teacher: in the 86 and 119. Psalms he prayeth the Lord to teach him the way of his statutes: and here he prayeth God to teach him another thing: to to number his days. David shows he was no truaunt in the school of Christ, but having learned one lesson, he covets to learn another, and still calls upon God, like a good scholar upon his master, O teach me thy testimonies: teach Psal. 119. 33. me thy statutes, teach me thy ways, teach me to number my days. All that will be scholars in the school of Christ imitate David: covet to learn more & john. 15. more, that you may bring forth much fruit. If you have already learned your rudiments, your Alphabet of religion, labour yet further, to come to the depth of divinity, like the Prophet Ezech: who when he had waded in the waters about the sanctuary, he waded deeper and deeper, first to the ankles, Ezech. 47. then to the knees, then to the loins, till he could pass no further. We are first children, and then we suck the 1. Pet. 2. 2. milk of the word: afterwards we become men, and then we must digest stronger meat. We must be so well schooled, that we may be able to answer every man, that shall ask us a reason of the hope that is in us. So well schooled, that we may be able to teach others, as Peter being strengthened did Luk. 22. 32. strengthen the brethren, and as Priscilla, who though she were a woman, was notwithstanding able to instruct Apollo's an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures. This short lesson of David ministereth this instruction to us, it teacheth us, whom we should pray unto, whom we should entreat for a supply in our wants, he teacheth us to fly unto God only, for in him dwelleth all fullness. This he taught us once before in the 64. Psalm, where disclaiming from all other Psal. 64. gods, or Angels, or Saints, he saith, whom have I in heaven but thee? David did know there were many holy men in heaven, Abraham, Noah, Moses, all the patriarchs, and Prophets, Martyrs, and Confessors before him, yet he had learned to invocate none, to pray to none but God only: there he taught, and here again he teacheth, that God alone must be sought unto, none but he implored. None can teach us but God, & therefore we must submit ourselves to be taught only by him. Teach us, O Lord, to number etc.] Eve our progenetrix had learned one lesson from God, at the delivering of the commandment, Gene. 2. 16 wherein it was charged, that they should not eat of the forbidden tree. But she was not contented with one, but would feign have choice of teachers, like a truanting scholar that still changeth his master: Genes. 3. 4. and therefore she learned a second lesson from the devil. He taught her, that they should not die, but should live like Gods, knowing good and evil: but Eve found him a lying teacher, for they became devils, and death was sentenced against them and their posterity, because they forsook their first teacher. Many now a days, specially the conceited wise, will not offer themselves, to be taught of God, but they will teach themselves, and learn of themselves, they will fly to their own wisdom, and their own strength, and their own policy, and their own knowledge but their own strength becometh weakness, like the strength of Samson, when he judg. 16 gave it to an harlot: & their policy becomes Ester 7 simplicity, like the policy of Haman, when he thought to slay all the jews: and their wisdom foolishness, like the wisdom of Achitophel, 2. Sam. 17 which turned to folly, because he had not learned it from God. That which they most glory in, soon deceives them, like Absolomes' hair, that seeming to be his bodies 2. Sam. 18. best ornament, became an halter: as he would have betrayed his father, so his own hair became his own traitor, and discovered him to the enemy, like Ziba, that betrayed 2. Sam. 16. Mephibosheth. All such that refuse to draw their knowledge from the fountain, they are reproved in that general check; this people take counsel of their stock, and their staff teacheth them. Saul was never forsaken so long as he counseled with God, but when he chose a 1. Sam. 28. witch for his schoolemistris, God rejected him; and he became his own executioner, he that should have slain his adversaries, slew himself, and ministereth greater cause of triumph to his enemies. Teach me, etc.] David coming to be taught, first acknowledgeth his ignorance, & therefore prayeth god the author of all knowledge, to give him knowledge. In the first Chapter of the second book of Chronicles we find Solomon the son ask of God wisdom: and here we find David the father ask of God wisdom also. A good father chawlkes the way first, and as gracious a son that well might seem to descend from so good a father, follows the same path after, both walking towards God, a father to them both, both of one affection do ask one & the same thing, viz. wisdom, but respecting a divers end; the one, to th'end he might the better govern his people; the other, to be able thereby to number his days. And this much shall briefly suffice for the cleared of the first note, which teacheth you if you will learn of David, to pray unto God for knowledge; desire him to direct you, and teach you; as to teach you all things, so principally this: pray him to learn you to number your days. This lesson well learned will bring you to the knowledge of all your other duties. It followeth. Dan. 5. To number.] It is ascribed unto God by Daniel, that God alone numbereth, weigheth, and divideth, he measureth times & seasons, days, & years, and he that is the numberer, will teach us to number, if we will offer ourselves to be taught by him. No lesson is more necessary for these times considering how sin hath spread itself, like a leprosy over all flesh: and iniquity hath gotten the upperhand. And more than this, the vials of God's wrath are powered our already upon us, to consume us, as we are all eye-witnesses this day. All had been prevented, if we had been careful, to get unto ourselves this one comfortative, more worth than all the balm in Gilead, to have knowledge to number our days. From the first words of this psalm to this present text, now handled, the prophet recapitulateth, and recounteth the shortness, and misery of this life, and in the tenth verse, he makes up a calendar as it were of man's age, in that he saith the life of man is threescore Psal. 90. years and ten, and though men be so strong that they come to fourscore years, yet is their time then but labour and sorrow, so soon passeth it away, and we are gone. The note raised hence must be this, the shortness of time ought to make us more circumspect: and certainly if men did in a careful conscience survey the short scantling of our years, and crosses incident to the same, they would not run so wilfully to the vomit of sin as they do, and so seal up their own condemnation. The want of this consideration blindfolds the sinful souls of men, and casteth them headlong into a thousand inconveniences. Gen. 19 If Lot had numbered his own days, as he lived to see the Sodomites days both numbered and determined, when fire from heaven consumed them, he had not proceeded to commit incest so soon after with his own daughters. Gen. 9 Righteous Noah forgot his righteousness, and being drunk, lay uncovered in his tent, his own sons being ashamed, that their own father had cast off shame. He could preach to the old world, that their days should be an hundred and twenty years, and then should the flood come, but he forgot to number his own days: and therefore a second inundation prevailed against him, he became overflowed with wine, as the old world with water. Dan. 4. If Nebuchadnezzar had numbered his time, when he numbered his towers, and riches, and honour, he had not so soon lost his honour, nor have been sent out to dwell with beasts in the field, where he was compelled to eat grass like an ox, because he lived like an ass, till his hairs were grown like eagles feathers, and his nails like birds claws. Belshazzar carousing wine among his Dan. 5. nobles, thought of nothing less, than the numbering of his days, although even then the moment of time was come, when he should resign up, bo●h life and kingdom. Not to stand upon particulars: if the great rich man in the Gospel had been as careful to Lu. 12. 19 20. number his days, as he was cumbered with devising how to take down hi●●lde barns, and to build up new, thinking to store up for many years, that voice of terror had not sounded from the Numberer of times, Thou fool, this night will they take the soul from thee: he dreamt of many years behind, but because he reckoned without his host, (for he never schooled himself where David learned his Arithmetic,) therefore he deceived himself, and that day proved to be the last of his life. Such is, and hath ever been the course of carnal men, that do fix their eyes upon the present time only, and do think that the same shall never be altered. This security was far from job, when he job. 14. 14. saith, all the time of my pilgrimage will I wait, till my changing come: as if he made it his occupation every day; from time to time, he waited for his changing. job hath left few his like behind him, few such Numberers of time recorded. job and David both do teach us to number our days, as they did their days. Satan casteth so many golden baits in our corvinus. way, that we clean forget our time, as corvinus forgot his name. We are so busied like Naball about white 1. Sam. 25. 10. earth, and red earth, in raping and scraping transitory trash, and so devoted to fleshly pleasures, and deceitful vanities of this life, that we have no leisure at all to think on death and so we chop into the earth afore we be aware, like a man walking upon a green field covered with snow, and not seeing the way, runneth on, and suddenly falls into a pit. Herodotus writeth of Sesostris a King of the Egyptians, that he was carried in a chariot drawn with four Kings, whom he before had conquered, one of the four casting his eyes behind him, looked often upon the wheels of the chariot, and was at length demanded by Sesostris what he meant to look back, so often: saith he, I see that 〈…〉 which were highest in the wheel, 〈…〉 sently lowest, & the lowest eftsoo 〈…〉 highest, cogito de mutatione fortu● 〈…〉 upon the inconstancy of thy 〈…〉 hereupon advising himself 〈…〉 mild, and delivered the say 〈…〉 As it did Pirrus. history noteth man's mortalit 〈…〉 Teach us to number our d● 〈…〉 speaks not of years, or monet 〈…〉 but of days, noting the shortness 〈…〉 in the word Days. And the same phrase is used of all the 〈…〉 men, upon the like occasion: jacob told Phar●oh that few and evil were the days of his pilgrimage; speaking of the time: to note the shortness of life, he names not years, but days, and speaking of the toils and troubles of life, he calls it a pilgrimage. job in like manner in numbering his days, my days, saith he, are more swift than a post: job. 9 25. and in the 26. verse they are swifter than ships. Our Saviour in teaching us to pray, bids us pray thus: give us this day our daily bread. Mat. 6. 11. As if we should reckon the continuance of our life no longer than a day. And again, God calling upon sinners, saith, To day if you 〈…〉 his voice: a day consisteth but o● 〈…〉 an evening, and a noon: som● 〈…〉 way in the morning of their life 〈…〉 ●ot the heat of the day, and h● 〈…〉 ●t the line of his life until th● 〈…〉 but all the day. 〈…〉 ●es the life of man, to th● 〈…〉 ●asse, whose glory endureth 〈…〉 ●t is green in the morning, an● 〈…〉 night. 〈…〉 ●t is within and without us, are s● 〈…〉 remembrances of death: all things cry 〈…〉 to us, that we must hence, as Christ cried, 〈…〉 ●am not of this world. The Sun rising in the East, and falling in the west, and all in one day, shows our rising, and falling, our coming in, and going forth of this world. The apparel wearing upon our backs, the meat digested and egested, and returning to putrefaction, the graves shrouding so many corpses under our feet: to be short, Time the mother of all things, and the changeable state of times, even winter and summer, cold, and heat, seed time, and harvest, all do cry unto us, that we shall wear and di●, and corrupt, as they who were living are now dead, and lie in the dust. First we wax, dry then old, then cold, then sick, then dead, so is earth turned into earth. We are not skilful numberers of our days, like David, till we have learned to recount the dangers and casualties, and uncertainties of our corruptible condition. A spider being able to choke us and a As it did Pirrus. hair to stifle us, and a tile falling upon our heads to extinguish us, and that in a moment of time, when we least expect so sudden calamities: we read of Anacreon, that he died in eating of an egg. Fabian a senator was choked with an hair, Pope Hadrian with a fly: if jacob counted his time but short, having already lived an hundred and thirty years, what reckoning may we make of our time which is far shorter? In the time afore the flood, the age of man was great: Adam lived 930. years, Noah Gen. 5. Gen. 5. 26. 950. Methusaleh 969, almost a 1000 years. But after the flood in Terah his days, who was father to Abraham, the age of man was a great deal shortened from 900. it was brought down to two hundred, and under. Terah lived 209. Abraham his son not Gen. 11. 32 so long, 175. Moses 120. josua an hundred and ten. In the Prophet David his time, it was scanted yet shorter by much, half in half, Psal. 90. he counted the years of men to be threescore and ten. All hath this use, it teacheth us to look back into our lives, and to learn to redeem the time, by a timely repentance. To draw to a conclusion, life itself is but an harbinger of death, and we live to die. God that numbered the hairs of our head, hath numbered our years also, and we can not pass them, whether in middle age, or in old age, or in infancy, when, and where, and how, we know not, for the issues of death are in the hands of God. When our end and final dissolution shall come, is therefore concealed from us, because we should be always prepared, and think every moment upon death, the end of all flesh. As a bird guideth her flight with her train, so the life of man is best directed by a continual recourse unto his end. Now the Lord of life and death, in whose hands is the breath of every living thing, so direct us by his holy spirit of grace, that we may learn to number our days: that we may run out this short race of our sinful pilgrimage, in godliness and much patience, looking to jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, that when we shall have finished these days of sin, we may be translated to a better life, in the kingdom of glory which God hath purchased to us, in the bloodshedding of his beloved son: to whom with the father, and the holy ghost, be rendered all glory, majesty, power, and dominion, now, and ever. Peter's repentance. So he went out, and wept bitterly. Mat. 26. 75. IN regard of the dissoluteness of the present age wherein we live, and general iniquity of these the worst and last times, wherein the sins of men are multiplied, being grown to the full, and unrighteousness is increased upon the earth, as was foretold by our Saviour Christ, in the 24. of Matthew his Gospel, for that we are all better acquainted with sin, than with the remedy for avoidance of sin, which is repentance, without which we neither can have peace of conscience, no● yet the favour of God, who is a father to none but the penitent, such as are truly humbled under the burden of their sins, and do● carry a purpose of amendment. I have endeavoured at this time, to lay before your eyes the true portraiture, and the lively Anatomy of a repentant sinner in this example of S. Peter: you shall behold him chaulking out the way, that leadeth to repentance, whose footsteps you must follow, foot by foot, and step by step, if you will come where he is, where is perfect peace and joy, such joy as shall not be taken from us, greater joy, and glory than Peter Luke. 9 had on mount Tabor, where Christ was transfigured. Peter wept here for a time, and that but a short time, in respect of eternity: but there he rejoiceth continually, without ceasing, his joy hath no term, nor limitation of time. So is it verified which was spoken by our Saviour Christ, in the 5. of Matthew, happy Mat. 54. are ye that mourn, for ye shall rejoice. Peter's mourning is turned to mirth, his sadness to solace, his pain to pleasure, his repenting to rejoicing, for Christ hath wiped away all tears from his eyes, because with him the first things are passed already, and now he is crowned with glory like the Angels. And this he hath now in heaven, because God loved him walking a good disciple here on earth, showing himself to be indeed, what he was in name, videlicet Simon an obedient hearer. He is also called Peter, videlicet confident and strong in faith, like a rock invincible. And in this place we find him penitent, his obedience is testified in the history of his life, for at Christ his commandment he for sook his calling, and became his disciple: his strength of faith our Saviour himself proveth, where he saith upon his confession of him; Thou art Peter, and upon this rock will Mat. 16. 18. I build my congregation. He was penitent, the words now read unto you doprove the same: for after he had sinned, he went out and wept bitterly. O that every Christian man were thus qualified like Peter! these three graces, repentance faith. and obedience, are better welcome unto God, than the three presents Mat. 2. 11. given by the wisemen unto Christ, gold, frankincense and myrrh, are not so precious. But before I proceed to the emboweling of these words now read unto you, I must first acquaint you with the substance of that which went afore my text, being the occasion of the words now to be handled. When Christ was about his passion, and even now was ready to be offered up unto his father, for the sealing up of our redemption, being under the hands of the civil magistrate, to be either condemned or acquitted, the text saith, Peter stood a far off, to see the end, as the fifty eight verse witnesseth, there we read that he came into the high priests hall, and there sat down with the servants, to see what would become of jesus. And while he sat there, the history noteth, that a maid came unto him, & challenged him to be one of jesus disciples: also waist (saith she) with jesus of Galilee, Read the 69 verse, and so forwards, but he denied, and said, I wots not what thou sayst: the second maid came, and charged him in like manner, and then he swore, he knew not jesus. Being the third time charged by the standers by, he began to curse and swear that he knew not the man: such is our corruption, and Satan's policy in tempting us, when we fall once, we fall again and again, like Peter, who having denied Christ once, made no bones of it, to deny him the second and third time. Mark the degrees of Peter his sin: first he denied him simply, without any oath, as one not greatly regarding what the maid said unto him, I wots not what thou sayest: but the second time he rapt out an oath, he know not the man: and the third time he proceeded to curse and swear. A bare oath would not serve, and therefore he cursed himself too: he was become so cunning and so prompt a swearer, as if he had made an occupation of it all his life before. So soon as he had learned to lie, he had learned to swear, for lying, and swearing, are partners, like a thief & a receiver, inseparable companions, and as I may say, swornebrethrens, that always jump together in a sinful society. And having learned to lie and swear, he had learned at once to curse too: cursing came in like a sixth finger, to make up the mess, when the table was full already. We never read of Peter's swearing any where else, yet here upon a sudden, oaths and curses, showed themselves, sooner than Chan● Gen. 9 22. spied Noah's nakedness. The watchword which the Moabits used in the chase of their enemies was this: now 2. Ki. 3. 23. Moab to the spoil: and Satan's watchwoord to the sins that prayed upon Peter in this place was this: now lies and oaths, and curses to the spoil: and there made such a spoil of Peter, that like a man in a trance, or distracted of his wits, he witted not what he did, no● once remembered himself, no more than Dan. 2. 5. Gen. 19 35 Nabucad-nezzar remembered his dream, or Let his incest. See what we are, being left to ourselves, Peter even now confidently said, that he would lay down his life for his master: yet he that would seem to be the strongest, showed himself the weakest, and he first Mar. 14. 72 denied his master. This was Peter's fall: but we are to speak of Peter's rising, and of Peter's repentance, for so soon as he was wakened with the alarm of a silly cock, he began to remember his sin, & to weigh the greatness of it: for so Mark recordeth of him, & Peter saith he remembered the words of jesus, and weighing that with himself, he went out and wept: our text saith he went out and wept bitterly. So he went out.] This text affords three special notes, being three degrees of Peter his repentance. viz. remembrance of sin, remorse of sin, hearty inward sorrow for sin, sending forth outward significations, even streams of tears. Thus having found out the mine, let us now dig for the treasure. So he went, etc.] This word So doth send us to the first words of this verse: for the word doth in nature employ a necessary coherence or connexion of the words of my text, with that which went immediately before in the same verse: the first words of this verse are: And Peter remembering etc. The cock by crowing did put Peter in remembrance, for before he never thought upon his sin. He was careless till the cock warned him: thereby we learn, that the first step to repentance, is the remembrance of Psal. 51. 3. sin: and therefore the Prophet David saith, my sins are ever before me. As if he had kept a register, or a memorial book to look upon, that the clear view of his sins might work a detestation thereof, and so send him over unto God for remission, as the Israelites fled to the brazen serpent, Num. 21. 9 when they were stinged with scorpions. And lest any of his sins should scape ●im, the same Prophet desireth the Lord to purge him from his secret sins. Nothing holds a marrso long in sin, the want of due consideration. The very remembrance of sin in a can full remorse, is of force enough to batter ● very heart of a christian man, that carrieth● ny feeling, and is not altogether obdurate, a● hardhearted, like Pharaoh, one that cann● repent. For I speak not of them that are estrau●ged from God, and are given over to a ● probate sense, despising the Lord in the stubbornness of their corrupt natures, kno● he never so oft at the doors of their consciences. Such, if at any time they shall rememb● their sins, are nothing humbled to rep●tance, like Peter who went out and wept, b● they grow malcontent, and desperate, like 〈…〉 das, who having bethought himself, ho Mat. 27. 5. tra●terously he had dealt with his maist● went out and hanged himself. See the differences of effects of consideration in the good, and in the wicked ther● remembrance of sin worketh a biting● morce, and a great grieving sorrow in bo● good and bad, but it breeds a godly sorrow in the one, and a desperate sorrow in th● oth● such a sorrow as in the godly pricks them forward to repentance, such a sorrow in the wicked, as doth drive them to despair, like Achitophel and Cain. Remembrance of sin to the wicked, is the hideous hand-writing upon the wall that Dan. 5. drove Belshazar into a dump. This consideration is the very key, that openeth the door to the closet of our hearts, where all our books of accounts do lie. It is the very looking-glass, or rather the eye of the soul, whereby she seethe herself, and looketh into her whole estate. In the ninth of Deut. and seventh verse Deut 9 Moses chargeth the people to remember their sin, and there he puts them in remembrance how oft they provoked the Lord, by that means calling them to repentance. He went out, etc.] Now comes in another step of Peter's repentance: he first weighed his sin, as M●rke noteth, and in the meditation thereof being now thoroughly wakened from his former drowsiness and slumber of sin, he went out: wherein note the effectual operation of God's spirit in the children of God: after we have sinned, presently the grace of God calls us home again, and suffereth us not to rest: like the dove that being sent out from Noah, found no rest for the sol● Gen. 8. of her foot, till she returned to the ark: no● can Peter now find any rest till he had found Christ by repentance, whom he had lost by denial. Peter his sin was great: it was no sma● bait that Satan laid in his way, for wha● greater advantage could Satan almost hau● wished than this, unless he had driven him to despair too: and sure he had prevailed in this also, had not the neverfailing hand of God's mercy stayed him up after his fall, for his ow● glory, and to the unspeakable comfort o● the godly, who though they fall, can never fa● away: for the promise of God standeth sure and hath this seal: deus novit qui sunt su●▪ God knoweth who are his. And our Saviour Christ saith; of those whom thou hast given me, I have not lost one, sau● joh. 17. 12. that son of perdition. Peter went out, etc.] Being ashamed to stay any longer in the place, where he had so grossly sinned, in denying his master, and for that in regard of the company, he could not so well advise himself of the greatness of his sin, by sounding the very bottom of his conscience, by a due examination, he left the company, and went out. He went out, etc.] As Isaac went out into Goe 24. 63. the fields to pray, so Peter went out to meditate and consider what he had done. The faithful soul, when it is desirous to enter into any holy consolation, or conference, covets to be alone, like Christ in the desert, sequestered Mat. 4. from the society of men. jacob being alone wrestled with the Angel, and prevailed for Gen. 22. 24 a blessing. jonah went out of the city Niniveh to mourn. jonah. 4. 5. Moses was bid to put off his shoes, Exod. 3. 5 when he pressed near the flaming bush, so we must put off our shoes of carnality, and go out from ourselves, as it were casting off our old affections, as the adder casteth his slough; if we will tread upon holy ground, and press to come where God is. Peter, so long as he stayed in the high priests hall, among the enemies of Christ, he became as one of them, and had quite forgotten, that ere Christ was his master, or he his scholar, and therefore he deemed him whom he should have confessed, but being divided from those wicked ones, he deeply weighed within himself the guilt, and greatness of his sin, as if he should have reasoned in this or the like sort with himself. Oh, what have I done miserable man, that I am, how dangerously have I falle● in denying the Lord of life, my Lord? I a rebellious sinner, to deny him that saved me, and by his death redeemed me. An● was I so wicked as having denied him once, must proceed to deny him thrice together and that with oaths, and curses, and banning● Hath my protestation and confident bold●nesse come to this issue? have I showed m● self so cowardice, and such an impote● weakling, that I could not remain consta● till the morrow. This last day, I protested if all the world were offended, yet I would not be offended, Mat. 26. 33 yea I was ready to lay down my life foe Christ my Lord, and yet lo, before the cock● crew twice, I had denied him three times. O perjured wretch that I am? how hau● I transgressed? what a shipwreck have made of my faith, by denying him that die● for me? I that thought my faith strong enough to encounter with the whole world most shamefully suffered a maid, a woman and the weaker vessels to discountenaun●● me. Is this, n●t to be offended, is this; to giu● my life for my master●nay, is not this to forsake him quite, and to join with the wicke● jews to condemn and crucify him? For what could I have done more heinously against him, unless I had joined with the wicked, to take his life from him? judas did but betray him, and sell him for money, and I have voluntarily denied him without hire, and without money. The world hereafter, and all posterities shall take knowledge of my sin. My name deserves to go with a brand upon it, like the name of jeroboam; my name cannot once be mentioned, but my sin must likewise be remembered. jeroboam goes with his train, jeroboam 2. Ki. 10, 29 &. 2. Ki. 3. 3 that made Israel to sin: and Peter deserves to have his train too, Peter that denied his master. In this or the like manner, Peter at his going out, reasoned with himself, and surely nothing is so mighty in operation, nothing so forcible, as the benefit of consideration, the careful weighing of our sins, it is the very stone, that must sink into Goliath his temples, it is the spiritual hammer breaking the stony hardness of our hearts. And Satan should never be able to detain so many sinful souls in the slavery of sin, if they did but examine, and consider of their sins. For this examination, this going out wi●● Peter to parley with our sins, where it hat● his effectual working, there it sifteth eue● corner of the conscience: it lights a candle ●● our understanding, and makes a search, an● as it were a quest of inquiry, throng th● sinful places thereof: it searches and sweep Luke. 15. 8 every foul corner, like the woman that ha● lost the groat: and when they are all summoned, & do make their appearance at the bar● of consideration, they are all arraigned, an● condemned, and executed, and our soule● quite rid, and purged of them, like a priso● at the goal delivery. This examination layeth open, as it were by way of evidence, al● the losses, and harms done by sin: as the lo●sing of the grace of God, which once was given us, and all things accompanying grace, as the virtues, and gifts of the holy ghost, wherewith the soul was beautified. Secondly, the loss of God's favour, and his fatherly protection: thirdly the loss of the reward of all our good works: four the loss of the peace of conscience: fifthly we make ourselves guilty of eternal condemnation, and so consequently do bind ou● selves to all those encumbrances, whereto the reprobates are subject, as to be inheritor of hell fire, and to be in the power of the devil and his Angels. These are the losses and inconveniences, which we draw upon our heads in every sin that we commit, and have we not need then to go out with Peter after every sin that we commit, weighing the greatness thereof, as he did, and never rest, like the restless dove, till we fly to God, as the dove to the ark, by an unfeigned repentance. This made Peter go out, and this was his consideration, and the same must be ours too, if we will have rest to our souls, or peace to our consciences. He went out, etc.] The place from whence he went, was the high priests hall, the place of judgement, where Christ was arraigned, where the scribes and people were gathered together against Christ, none but wicked men assembled in that place: and here was no place for Peter. Therefore he went out:] Good men must not company with the wicked at any time, and if they happen to light in their society, ●ike David among the Philistines, they ought then to make speed to go out from them according to the counsel of Solomon: turn Prou. 15. away from the wicked man. The Lord will have the righteous to out go from the wicked, as Lot went out of Sodom to dwell in Zoar. Peter sat in denying his master; but now being brought to the knowledge of his sin he bestirred himself and went out: when we are most secure, and at greatest ease, resting ourselves as it were in the chair of security and drowsiness, then is Satan most vigilant and watchful to snare us. As when jobs children were feasting, and thought least of any danger towards themselves, job. 1. 19 the devil spied his opportunity to destroy them, by throwing the house upon their heads. When Belshazar was sitting at the table, carousing wine among his nobles in vessels Dan. 5. of silver and vessels of gold, then were the hideous fingers upon the wall ready to pen his tragical end, and the ruin of his kingdom. Lot had no sooner betaken himself to ease Gen 19 33 in Zoar, but Satan prevailed against him, to cause him commit incest with his two Gen. 9 21 daughters: he tempted Noah the preacher of righteousness, after he had planted himself a vineyard, to take so deep a taste of the grape, that he became drunk, he became overflowed with wine, as the old world with water: and this was a worse deluge than the first. He that preached to others but a little before, could not preach to himself a lesson of sobriety, but lay uncovered in his tent, and was a rebuke to his own children. If these mighty ones have been overthrown, how shall the weaklings stand? No marvel if the low shrubs be rooted out and supplanted, since the tall Cedars in Lebanon are thrown down. This security was far from job, who as he showed himself in other things to be patiented, showed himself in this to be vigilant, in that he saith I feared all my ways. If Peter had watched Satan, as Satan watched him, l●e had not been snared: but when he sat, Sa●●n saw he was careless, and therefore the more subject to be tempted, and to be overcome. We read of the crane's, that when they Pliny. flock together to feed, one of them useth to feed a far off, and that crane so singled from the rest, still as he feeds looks round about him, and observes if any danger be towards them, if he spy any body drawing nigh, than he giveth warning to the rest, and so they save themselves: shall this policy rest in unreasonable birds, and shall it not ● found in man? If when Peter his body ha● taken it rest, his soul had wakened, and observed, Satan casting a net about him, to in● tangle him, he had deceived the deceiver, b● while he sat, his enemy walked round abou● him, and circumvented him so, as he had n● power to escape. Peter sat when he fell, like a man in ● slumber, that falls beside his chair, but now he standeth up, like a man, newly wakened out of a dream, and he goeth out. The godly are ever for the most part noted, either going, walking, or running. The Prophet Ps. 119. 33. David desired the Lord to teach him to go the path of his commandments: & having Ps. 119. 32. learned to go, he had also learned to run the way of his commandments: I will run the way of thy commandments. One comes Luke. 10. running to Christ, desirous to know what he must do, to obtain eternal life, he thought he Mar. 10. 17 could not run fast enough, being in the way to eternal life. Zacheus ran to meet Christ: a certain blind man in running to Christ threw away his cloak, to the end he might run the faster. And Peter held his station no longer, but Luke. 19 4. besturd himself, and made haste to go out, when he felt the lively soule-stirring motion of God's spirit calling him to repentance. Samuel could not sleep, when the Lord 1. Sam. 3. called, nor Peter sit any longer, when the spirit of God called upon him by the crowing, of a cock. Let us learn of Peter to yield to the working of God's spirit, now the cock croweth, and as many as are watchful may hear it: now then let us prepare ourselves to repent like Peter. And he wept bitterly.] Here is the third degree or step of his repentance, testified by his tears. Pliny writeth that the tears of the vine do cure the leprosy of the skin: So the tears of the faithful, grafted into the true vine Christ jesus, do cure the leprosy of sin. S. Aug. saith, when the Eagle waxeth old, she plungeth her wings into a fountain of clear water, and so reneweth her strength: So we must wash and bathe this whole body of sin, so shall we become lusty and young as an Eagle. S. Cyril upon this weeping of Peter saith; Locum flendo recepit, quem negando perdidit: he found that in weeping, which he lost by denying: and though he denied him, saith Nazaianzene: God is more merciful, than m● can be sinful, if man will be sorrowful. ● 2. King. 2 Elisha threw salt into the waters, to ma● them savoury and sweet, so must we season o● prayers with salt tears, to make them sauo● unto God. Great cause had Peter to weep, consid● ring 1. Sam. 1. 7 the greatness of his sin: for if Ann● had cause to weep for her barrenness, mu● more cause had Peter for his barrenness ● faith. If Rachel wept for her children, because jere. 31. 15 they were not, much more cause had Pet●● to weep for his graces, because they were no● If Agar wept, being turned out of her master's house, should not Peter mourn muc● rather for turning himself out of his maste● house, and denying his coat? If Thamar wept, being deflowered of he● 2. Sam. 13 19 virginity, hath not Peter cause to weep, fo● being deprived of his faith and constancio If the Virgin Marie wept, for the death o● her Son, as if her soul had been pierced tho● row with a sword, hath not Peter cause t● weep for denying him, that died for him? Many causes we see may procure tears; bu● sure, to deny Christ as Peter did, is a caus● that should e●en dissolve all eyes into tears▪ If the eye be dry at any time, it ought in no case to be dry, when we should weep for sin. No tears are lost, that fall from the eyes of ●odly men, for god catches them before they can fall to the ground, and he treasureth them Psal. 56, 8 up in his bottle. If you will direct this watery humour to his due course, and derive this flood of affection to the right channel, we must weep for our sins like Peter. Such weeping is both the salve and smart of sin, curing that which it chasteneth with true remorse, and preventing need of new Cure, with detestation of the disease. Tears tie the tongues of all accusers: and soften the rigour of the severest judge: when they are most pitiful, they are most powerful; and when they are most forsaken, they are most victorious; full of strength, like to Samsons hairy locks, even to foil whole armies. jud. 16. This heavenly dew of devotion never falleth, but the sun of righteousness draws it up, and upon whose face soever it drops, it makes the same most amiable and glorious, like the face of Moses, when he came down Exo. 34, 35 from the Mount. Most sweetly was it uttered by a divine of sweetest utterance, that repentant eyes are ● cellars of Angels, and penitent tears th● sweetest wines. which the savour of life p● fumeth, the taste of grace sweeteneth, and t● purest colours of returning innocency highly beautifieth. O that our hearts were such a limbeck evermore distilling so pure a quintessence drawn out from the weeds of our offence by the fire of true contrition. Heaven woul● mourn at the absence of so precious a water and earth lament the loss of so fruitful showers. Sure till death close up the fountains, the shall never fail running: and then shall ou● souls be ferried in them to the haven of life that as by them we were first transporte● from sin to grace, so in them w● may b● wafted from grace to glory. And thus have I delivered unto you, the three degrees of Peter's repentance, which steps we must all pace, if we will tread the way that leadeth to eternal life. And now, if I might be so privileged, 2. Chro. 1. 7 that I might receive what I would at God's hands, like Solomon; I would entreat no more but this of him, that he would direct every one of us to keep these steps, which his apostle S. Peter, hath trodden out afore us. There is none of us but hath offended ●th Peter, we have denied Christ as he did, ●hough not in the same manner, yet sure in as ●●eat a measure: and had we lived to have ●●ne Christ in the flesh, and had been in like ●ort urged, as Peter was, we would not have ●icked to have likewise offended. But how many are among us, that though ●hey confess Christ in name, do not deny ●●m in deeds and works? we profess the ●●me of christians, but live like infidels, ha●ing a show of godliness, but denying the power of it. We have nothing from Christianity, but the name, like Laban's Idols, that were called gods, and yet were but blocks. What fruit hath the word wrought in us? what amendment of life? what reformation? every man sound himself, and descend into his own conscience, and he shall find himself now nothing better than he was many score years ago: as proud now as ever, as covetous now as ever, as vain every way now as ever, as unapt to serve God now as ever: and what else is this then to deny Christ? Although Christ is preached unto us every Sabbaoth, and we all in good measure acquainted with the will of God opened unto us in his word, yet who careth to walk w● thy of his knowledge, and to practise in a ●●ly obedience that which we know; and is ● this to deny Christ? We hear how straightly God co●maunds us to keep his Sabbaoth, and yet● wilfully violate the same: if we present o● selves in the beginning of the Sabbaoth, offer unto God the morning sacrifice, we● not come in the afternoon, to give him ● evening incense: But we reserve the be● part of the day to ourselves, and do best● it upon our lusts: and is not this to d●● Christ? Peter after he had weighed the greatness his sin, was so offended with himself, th● he had almost drowned himself in his ow● tears. Since we have sinned with Peter, us repent with Peter, ● who after this did sin● no more. The same Peter after this, too● penance of himself, for his Denial, and courageously gave up his life for the testimony ● jesus Christ. Let every one of us then go forth with Pet●● and weep before the Lord, like Ezechial that he may forgive us our misdeeds. If w● had as many eyes in our heads, as there b● grasse-piles upon the ground, yet we ough ●o weep them all out for our sins. If ever there were a time for tears, than ●●is is the time, wherein eye-streames ought ●o be most behoveful, for this is the time of our visitation: this is a time that should be devoted wholly to mourning meditations, ●●ke the Captive Israelites upon Babylon's banks. Were jeremy now alive, and saw the iniquity of these times, and the vials of God's wrath already powered out upon this land, ●nd the inhabitants thereof, for the sin there●n committed, he would again renew his tragical ditty in the ninth of his prophecy; O that my head were a well of water, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I may weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! The scarcity and straightness wherewith we yet are, and of long time have been afflicted should force us to take up a lamentation, and to howl out with those husbandmen in joel his time, for the wheat and for the barley, because the fields are wasted, and the harvest is perished. Our Ephah is become small, but the shekel great, and God hath utterly broken the staff of our bread, as Ezechiel speaketh, and had we not need to weep bitterly with Peter, a● with David to water our couch with teare● Yet notwithstanding all this: where is ●● humiliation that is required who yet 〈◊〉neth to the Lord? nay we seem to be havened in our sins, and we have m●de our ha● like the adamant, that the impression of Go● graces cannot enter. Resembling herein wicked Pharaoh, an● those senseless Egyptians, who were so frozen in the dregs of their sins, and their ha● so stony, that the ten plagues powered vp●● them, did no whit humble them, or ma●● them to relent. The like remorseless obduration we read Amos 4. of in the fourth of Amos, there the Lor● checketh the people for their rebellious obstinacy, in not reforming themselves according to his righteous judgements. I have given you cleanness of teeth in ● your cities, and scarceness of bread in all you● places, yet you have not returned unto m● saith the Lord. I have also with holden the rain from ●o● when there were yet three months to the harvest, and yet you have not returned unto me. I have smitten your fields with blasting and mildew, your great gardens and vineyards, & I have sent the pestilence among you, to devour you, and still concludeth every plague with this bitter complaint, and yet you have not returned unto me, saith the Lord. There are none of the aforesaid plagues, ●ut have been inflicted upon us, yet we show no reformation. It is not long since God struck us with the rod of pestilence, being a general plague, that did spread itself over all the land, and almost over every particular congregation, and yet that did not humble us. What heart can think of the sorrows of that time without compunction, or what eye can look back to the ruins of those times without compassion? Was any sorrow, since that time like the sorrows then, when the fattest and wealthiest of us were compelled to seek our bread with sighs, and to give our pleasant things for m●ate to refresh our souls? What a time of sorrow, and perplexity was it, to see all our friends and neighbours, to stand a far off, disdaining to approach near us? how the destroyer did bes●●rre himself, in taking away the strong man, the graves do yet witness that shroud so many corpses. They who this day carried the dead b● dies to their graves, were themselves on t● morrow carried by others into their grau● The parents mourned for the death of th● children, and the children mourned as f● for the death of their parents. This was the time of our visitation, who now regardeth it? it is all now forgot like a wonder that dureth but nine days. ● that time the Lord took from us o● markets and fairs, the greatest stay of ● common wealth, and not for a Sabboath● weeks, but for many weeks, many Sabb●oths; even a jubilee of Sabbaoths. During the time of that humiliation, eu● one seemed to turn unto the Lord, and t● Lord turned from his fierce wrath, and so t● plague ceased. But all that is now gone from us like dream, and we have since returned, like t● dog to the vomit, and like the filthy sow▪ our old wallowiug in the mire. And therefore a second plague hath ou● taken us, this plague of famine, being indeed so great, as the like hath not been seen in t● memory of any man now living, or of our ● ●thers afore us. This is a time, wherein that proclamation thereof we read in joel, might well be published in our streets. Hear O elder, & hearken O ye ancients: ●hether any such thing hath been in your joel, 1. 2. ●ies, or in the days of your fathers, tell your children these things, and let your children ●● their children, and their children again ●nother generation. And we must yet look for the continuance. ●f this plague; for till we leave our sins, God ●ill not leave off to punish us. I do not see any mean of reconcilement ●r pacification of this great wrath, but even nightie and strong crying unto the Lord, ●nd a general forsaking of sin. We must ●●ke a covenant of ourselves, that we will no ●ore transgress, as the people did in the time ●f josuah. When Niniveh was but threatened, it speedly jonah. 3. repent, the King himself and all the people believed God, and proclaimed a ●ast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest ●● the least of them, and they cried mightily ●nto the Lord, and turned from the evil way, ●nd from the wickedness that was in their ●ands; and as they repent, God repent ●f the evil, that he determined to do unto ●hem, and he did it not. Let us humble ourselves, like these Ni●uites, by turning to the Lord with fasting weeping, and mourning: for the Lord is g●●cious, slow to anger, and of great kindness and such a one as is sorry for our afflictions. If we thus unfeignedly turn unto the lo●● he will yet be jealous over us to spare us, a● to remove these judgements. He will yet open the windows of heaven, and instead of curses, power upon ● twice so many blessings, as he doubled to ●● his goods: instead of scarcity we shall ●● have plenty, for the mouth of the Lord ha● spoken it. I will yet send you corn, and wine, an oil, and you shall be satisfied: the pasture shall yet be green, and the fields shall reioy● for the harvest. I will give you the rain of righteousness joel, 2. 23. I will cause to come down for you the fir● and the later rain, and the barns shall be f● of wheat, and I will render unto you the yea● that the cankerworm hath eaten, and th● years, that the caterpillar hath devoured, an● we shall yet rejoice before the Lord, eue● man under his own vine, and under hi● ow●e fig tree. Sic paucis lachrimis, gaudia magna dabit. fo● a few short tears, he will give infinite joys: such joys as neither eye hath seen, nor ear ●ath heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man, what God hath prepared for them that love him. For the accomplishing of which joys, and finishing of these days of sin, O thou whom my soul loveth, make haste like the Roe upon the mountains, Amen. FINIS. Christ his last Supper. The Lord jesus, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread: and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave it to his Disciples: saying. Take eat, this is my body, which is given for you: do this, as oft as you do it, in remembrance of me. 1. Cor. 11. 23. ALL the volume of God's book, doth most plentifully lay out the unspeakable love of God towards us, in creating us in holiness, protecting us in security from millions of dangers, which else would swallow us up, in governing us with the sceptre of his word, in sanctifying us with his comfortable spirit, in illuminating us with his knowledge: but most of all, for saving us, when we had lost ourselves, being now redeemed, not with silver and gold, but with the death of his beloved son Christ jesus, who humbled himself to the death of the Cross, and sustained all contumely, shame, reproach, yea the very pains of hell for our sakes, all for us. All being infallible testimonies of the superabounding love of God, in giving us his Son to die for us, that so many as believed on him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And this love of God is made manifest unto us by two special pledges or tokens● that is, by the two sacraments, that of Baptisine, and this of the Supper of the Lord: reve. 13. 8 both like john Baptist, do point at Christ, the lamb of God, the slain lamb from the beginning, whom they that know not, abide in wrath. Both declare and show forth jesus Christ crucified, and that we have remission of our sins in his blood only. Baptisine is that holy institution of Christ in the new testament, wherein we are washed with water, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost, to signify that we are received to grace, by the virtue of Christ's death, that by blood we are cleansed from our sins, and are regenerate by his spirit, and therein are bound to testify a newness of life, after our new birth. This baptisine containeth three things; The sign, water, the ceremony, the sprinkling of the water: and the things themselves, viz. the sprinkling of Christ's blood, and the imputation of his righteousness. This other of the Supper of the Lord, representeth likewise Christ crucified and assureth us, that by his death, we are freely saved from the malediction of the law, assuring ourselves, that as our mouths receive the bread and wine, so our souls receive Christ, and his righteousness. These Sacraments are as conduits to convey God's graces unto us: the one is, to purge our souls from sin: the other is, to feed us, after we be purged. The first is a bath made of Christ his own blood, to wash and bathe our wounds therein: thesecond is, a most comfortable and rich garment to cover our souls after they be washed. In the first, Christ hath substituted in his place, his spouse the Church, to pronounce in his name, remission of sins. In the second, he hath left himself, and his own flesh and blood sacramentally, to be a precious food to cherish her withal. I purpose only at this time to show you the comfort and edification, that we receive by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper. For my text doth lead me thereunto. In the night that he was betrayed.] Hear is set down the very Institution of this Sacrament, with circumstances thereunto belonging. The Lord jesus: There is the author of it. In the night: There is the time. He took bread: There is the sign. He gave thanks: That is the first action in the sacrament. He broke it: There is the ceremony. He gave it: There is the use of it. Saying: Take, eat, this is my body: There is the fruit of it. Do it in remembrance of me: There is the charge of it. When Christ died, the law ended, and the Gospel revived: after his death circumcision was abolished, and the Pascal lamb no more used: for that the law and ceremonies thereof were now to have an end. In steed whereof, he instituted these two sacraments, Baptism for circumcision, and for the Paschal lamb, his last Supper; so called, for that it was instituted in the night that he was betrayed. Much need not be spoken concerning the Author of this institution; only we are here called upon for a most dutiful reverence in the celebration thereof, since it is here noted by the Apostle to proceed immediately from Christ. If it had pleased God to have used the ministry of an angel, or of mankin the delivering forth of this sacrament, we had notwithstanding been pressed to a careful observation thereof. But to the end he might stamp in this holy mystery; a greater impression of excellency, in regard of the singular comfort leapt up in the same, therefore he hath conveyed it unto us immediately from himself. It ought therefore to be more highly reckoned, even for his sake that was the author of it. For if the word spoken by Angels was Heb. 2. 2. steadfast, and every transgression received a just recompense of reward: how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which first was preached by the Lord himself, and was afterwards confirmed by them that heard him. The people of Israel did not omit to observe the Passeover throughout their generations, because Moses the servant of God had so commanded them. Much more careful aught we to be in the retaining of this Sacrament, since not Moses, but Christ himself hath commanded us to observe the same for ever, throughout our generations. For this man is counted more worthy of glory than Moses, inasmuch as he is more excellent than the Angels, being the brightness of the glory, and the engraved form of Heb. 1. 3. his person, as we read in the author to the Hebrews. In the night that he was betrayed: at his betraying he ordained this sacrament: comfort was revealed unto us when christ was discomforted. When he was in greatest heaviness, he prepared for us a solemn feast, even a more sumptuous banquet than that of Aha●uerus, for whoso eateth of this bread shall live for ever. A better and more nourishing meat is here presented unto us, than Samson found in the dead lion. judas and the scribes were this night devising how to betray Christ, how to destroy him that should have saved them. But Christ was devising how to finish the work of our redemption, and to fulfil his fathers will. judas was devising how to take away his master's life, but Christ was devising how to give them life, who were dead in the life of grace. judas, as he was wont to carry the bag, so joh. 12. 6. he thought to mend the bag, as Gehezi thought to enrich himself with Naamans' 2. Kin. 5. 22. gold. He sold Christ in that night for money, but Christ bought us with a dearer price than silver or gold, for it cost him his heart blood: all this amplifieth the greatness of the love wherewith he loved us. In the night when he was betrayed.] It was a bitter night, & an heavy night unto Christ, as the history of his Passion declareth, a night of sorrow, and anguish, a night of perplexity and fear, a night wherein all the sorrows of death gate hold upon him. What a night was it to see his own disciples forsake him? how grievously was he troubled in Gethsemaneh? himself testified ●is exceeding sorrow, when he said, my soul ●s heavy unto the death. Look the twenty sixth of Matthew, twice he repeateth his passionate prayer: O let this cup pass from me. What a terror was it unto him, to see his own Disciple judas come and betray him with a kiss, a great multitude following him with swords and staves to take him. And when they had taken him, what injury did they not unto him? how was he mocked, spitted at, and beaten with fists. Such a bitter night was it unto Christ, but it was to us a night more comfortable than the day of our birth, a night brighter than the brightest day: ●a night more comfortable unto us, than that night of deliverance was to Exod. 12. the Israelites, when they went out of Egypt from Pharaoh and from the Egyptians: for in this night was the mystery of our redemption begun. He took bread.] Now we are come to the institution. As there is no substance with out his shadow: so there is no Sacrament without his sign. And the sign in this Sacrament is the bread and wine. God in these familiar matters, shrowdet● instruction of greater mystery. We are best acquainted with the use o● bread, and we well know what strength our bodies receive by it, the same and more is Christ to our souls, to nourish them to eternal life. After we have fed our bodies with bread and drink, we are hungry and thirsty again: but Christ the living bread that came from heaven, so feedeth our souls, that they hunger and thirst no more. Samson could not see the honey dropping, jud. 14, 9 but he must needs be licking: so we cannot behold Christ inviting us to so heavenly a banquet, but we long to be feeding, and when we have fed, and digested this spiritual food, we never hunger any more, because our soul are still full, as the Prophet David saith; my cup is full: and in the strength Psal. 24, 5. of this food, we are able to continue longer than Eliah did. And when he had given thanks.] Christ did first give thanks: that's the first action in this sacrament: he would not break the bread, nor give it to his disciples, till he had sanctified it. To teach us what we must do before we feed ourselves. He is ill worthy of the creatures of God, that will venture to use them, with greater liberty than the Son of God did. In the twenty six of Matthew, we find him not sitting down, till he had first said grace, nor r●●●ng again, till he had sung a Psalm. Unthankful people, that notwithstanding this example of Christ in this place, will yet forget God, that feeds them, deserve to die with meat in their mouths, like the Israelites ●●. 11, 20 with quails in their nostrils. Christ in giving thanks, calls upon us for gratitude and thanksgiving in all matters whatsoever, for what have we that we have not received? for our food, our health, our liberty, our peace. All the creatures of God give praise to God that made them, and shall ingratitude rest only in men? That which Christ here hath taught, the children of God in all ages have learned of him, and practised. The Prophet David in the hundred and third Psalm, calls upon his soul, and all that is within him, to praise the Lord. The very birds do not feed themselves in the morning, till first they have chyrped and sung out praises unto God, that made them. Pl●●ie recordeth, that there is not so fierce▪ o● cruel a nature in the world, but it is alured and won by benefits: and stories do make report of strange examples in this kind, as of lions and dogs towards their benefactors; only an obstinate is he, among all the savage creatures that are whom neither benefits can move, nor courtesies can mollify, nor promises can allure, nor gifts can gain, to the grateful service of his Lord. We have nothing from ourselves, but our sins: all else comes from God; yet we forget God; that gives us all things: the bread to feed us, the earth to bear us, the light to comfort us, our clothes to cover us, yea more than can be most, his own son to die for us, and yet our hearts will not call upon our mouths, to acknowledge the author of all this. So ingrateful are we, like those nine lepers, ten were cleansed, and but one returned Luc. 17. 17 to give thanks. So is it with us scarce one of ten have learned to be thankful. Nature hath stamped in the very beasts of the earth, a kind of gratitude, Esay proveth it, to reprove men, for that they show themselves so unlike beasts. Esay. 1 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his masters crib, yet Israel knoweth not me. Among these lepers above cited, we find one better than nine, and they were men, one man better than many men; but here we find beasts better than men. If we will not learn of David, nor yet of Christ David's Lord, learn of an ox and an ass, to be thankful. He broke it.] The breaking of the bread may not pass without his note: It betokeneth the participation of his body; as bread cannot be given, nor divided unless it be broken, so the flesh of Christ cannot equally be communicated nor imparted to the faithful receivers, unless first it be broke. As we cannot eat whole loaves, until they be cut into pieces and morsels, that so we may the better chew them and digest them: so that other bread in the sacrament must be broken, and divided also, because it cannot otherwise be redeemed. Besides, the breaking hath in it this mystery; it signifieth the breaking of Christ's body, viz. the torments and tortures, and bitter pains that he endured for us, both in his body and soul. As our eye then beholds the breaking of the bread in the sacrament: so let our spiritual eye, the eye of the soul, look upon Christ, and his passion: look upon him reviled, scorned, spitted at, whipped, arraigned, crowned with thorn, by false evidence convicted, and condemned, and sentenced, and executed between two thieves, his hands and feet nailed through: gall and vinegar given him to drink: his most precious side gored and pierced through with a spear. All this must be seriously thought upon, with all other occurrences of his death and passion, when thou seest the bread broken. And gave it.] After he had broken it, he gives it, for now it was made fit for them, and they were as capable to receive it, and as he gave it, so he gave not it alone, but he gave comfort with it, even himself with it: 2. Kin. 2. 13 as Elisha received at one time, both Eliah, his cloak, and his spirit too. Take, eat, this is my body.] As if he should have said: I have already fed your bodies with material food; lo, now receive better meat, food for your souls, which shall feed them up to eternal life. Because Christ came to fulfil the law, therefore he first ate the Passeover, with his Disciples, and so finished that, & abrogated it, in steed whereof, he preseutly for the comfort of his Church, ordained this sacrament of his body and blood, which should for ever be used, a special mark of the true Church, being arightly administered. In this sacrament we receive Christ jesus God and man, we eat his body, and we drink his blood: so we beleene and teach: but by his body, we mean not that body which was at the table when this sacrament was instituted, not that body which was crucified for us upon the Cross, not that body that was incarnate of the virgin Mary: But by his body we mean the force, and fellowship, and power of his body, with all his goodness and righteousness. [This doctrine is as true as Christ is Christ, and the Scripture is Scripture.] Howsoever the Papists maintain the contrary by their doctrine of transubstantiation: which is an execrable doctrine and a detestable heresy. They hold that the bread and wine in the Sacrament, is turned after the words spoken by the minister, into the very flesh of Christ, and the wine into his blood. A gross and most absurd opinion, that we should rend with our teeth the very flesh o● Christ our Saviour. This is even to cruci●●● Christ again like the jews: and to mak● a worse rend in his body then the jews did in parting his garments. Averroes his interpreter of the Papists speaks thus: that he compassed all lands almost, and yet could not find a worse sect than these Antichristian heresies; for (saith he) they rend and tear with their teeth, him that made them, and so do dishonour him whom they should honour. All the reason that they build upon, is but the words only of the institution. Christ said, This is my body: ergo they say, we must believe it is his body: nothing indeed maketh more against them: for mark the words: jesus took bread, etc. I will demand of them by interrogatories thus: What did Christ take? Bread What did he break? Bread What did he give? Bread What did they eat? Bread What did he call his Body? even that which he took in his hands, which also he broke, and gave to his disciples, viz. bread. This is my body then, must thus be construed: viz. This bread is my body: which is a figurative speech. And the very same Phrase is used by the Lord himself in the old Sacraments of the law. The Lord speaking of circumcision, saith: This is my covenant between you and me. Gen. 17. yet circumcision is not the covenant but a sign of the covenant. So in the Phrase, it is all one: This is my body: that is, this bread is a sign of my body. Pascha item jehovae transitus: The Paschal Lamb is called the Lords Passeover, yet is it not the passover, but the sign of the Passeover. And Paul in the first to the Corinth's the tenth, saith; the rock was Christ: So God the father is called, an husbandman: God the son a vine, a door: Peter is called Satan, Satan is called a Lion. All are figurative, or tropical speeches. S. Paul decides this controversy, when thrice after the consecration, he repeats the word bread. But they affirm further, finding this argument to be weak, that this bread and wine, is turned miraculously, whom we answer Austin. with S. Augustine: Sacramenta honorem tanquam religiosa habere possunt, sed stuporem tanquam mirae non possunt. And again saith the same S. Augustin; non dubitant Dominus dicere: Hoc est corpus meum, cum signum daret corporis sui● If it were a miracle, there could be no error: it would appear to be truly altered. The bread would take the form of flesh, and the wine would appear to be blood: but in quantity, and quality, we see they remain all one, without alteration of substance, more than in use. Search the scriptures laid out in the scripture, and we shall find no conveniency between this and them. The rod was turned into a serpent: the Israelites Exod. 4. saw it. Water was turned into wine in the marriage john. 2. 9 at Canah: the guests saw it, and tasted it. The ancient fathers are against them: Theodoret saith, Mistica signa non amittunt propriam naturam, the mystical signs do not lose their proper nature. Will they hear the testimony of one of their own fraternity. Macarius a monk saith, in the church is offered bread & wine, viz. Exemplaria corporis & sanguinis Christi. I say according to the truth of God's word, there is no alteration, but the bread and wine still remain all one both before, and after the words of consecration. The mutation is not in substance, but in use; for they be as seals of Christ's merits for us: as for example; take wax, fastened to a writing, and it differeth not from other wax, but in use only, not in nature, but by the ordinance of man. But the sacraments are ordained for a more excellent purpose. And being only in use, after the administration, they have no place but during the action. The things in these visible signs represented unto us, are jesus Christ, and all his graces, and treasures: for the virtue of our faith is such, that it ascendeth from the earth into heaven, and there doth knit and unite us with Christ, which is the cause that the Primitive church s●ng, sur●um corda, lift up your hearts: signifying, that we should prepare, not dentem, but mentem: not our mouths, but our hearts, to apprehend Christ, and the benefits of his death. Not poring upon the Pix, looking for Christ to be there, like as the shaveling priests did, in the time of blindness. For they after they have blasted and breadied, and blowed upon the bread, they kneel down to it, and worship it: saying; Agnus dei qui tollis: thrice do they call the bread, holden in their hands, the lamb of God: was not this abominable Idolatry? The author of this idolatrous levation of the bread was Pope, Honorius about the year of our Lord 1210 yet the adversaries dare brag, that their mass came from the Apostles, like the old Arcadians, who hold themselves to be a day elder than the Moon: forgetting how they themselves call it Sacrificium nowm. wherein they strangle the antiquity of it. For a better resolution, note the force of these arguments, overthrowing the Papists doctrine of transubstantiation. The first Argument. It is against the nature of a natural body to be in more places than one at once: Christ's body being in heaven, cannot be in the Sacrament too, that it is in heaven and there abideth, that pregnant place in the third of the Acts proves it, whom it behoveth the heavens to contain, until the restoring of all things. Besides, the Article of our faith, proves his being there, and his own testimony in the fourteenth of john; I must go to my father. Until Pope Urban this error of the Papists was never received in the church; he first compelled men by fire and faggot, to receive this abominable doctrine; it is not much more than five hundred years ago. The second Argument. S. Augustin saith, that Abraham, Moses, and the Prophets, received the body of Christ truly, and effectually, before Christ was incarnate of the Virgin Marie: even the same body we receive now. S. Paul proving as much, they did eat all one spiritual meat, and drink one spiritual drink: all this notwithstanding, yet our adversaries do urge, except you eat the flesh of Christ, and drink his blood, there is no life in you; what life then hath Abraham, and David, and all the holy men, that died afore Christ. Note the absurdities of the Papists doctrine; they overthrow the nature, of a sacrament, in confounding the sign with the substance, they make their maker: they draw Christ from heaven to the table, at their own pleasure; they give him infinite bodies. Which is given for you.] This is the fruit of it; this sacrifice were nothing available, if it concerned not our good. This was the end of this institution of Christ's Supper, his body was given for us. Christ died not for himself, but for us▪ this was that holy sacrifice, which the sacrifices of the old law shadowed, the blood of oxen, and of sheep did purport, that Christ's body should be offered, and his blood powered out for our sins. Given for us.] Here is all merit excluded, the mere love of God caused Christ to die for us. So God loved the word that he gave his only begotten Son, that so many as believed on him should not perish, but have life everlasting. Having now the participation of his body and blood, we may sing with S. Paul: now there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ jesus: God spared not his only son, but gave him for us all to death: and again, who shall condemn? it is Christ who is dead, or rather who is ●isen for us. This should make us love God, and this should stir us up to be thankful unto him for so inestimable a benefit. And God doth call upon us, for this thankfulness in the following words. Do it in remembrance of me. O it is a thing especially to be remembered: this benefit of our redemption: O it ought to be printed upon our nails, and upon our tables; and upon our beds, that we might never forget it. Let us remember Christ his death: for it is our life, it saves us from death, even eternal death. David could say of jerusalem: If I forget Psa. 137. 5. thee O jerusalem let my right hand forget her cunning: yea let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I prefer not jerusalem to my chiefest joy. So let us say the same of Christ: if we forget thee, O our redeemer, let our right hand forget her cunning, yea let our tongues cleave to the roof of our mouths, if we prefer not thy death to our chiefest joy. Remember thy creator, saith the Preacher, Eccle. 12, 1 so I say, remember also thy Redeemer. Thou oughtest sooner to forget thyself, as Messalah did his name, them to forget him that died for thee. Consider this you that forget God, you that dwell in sinful jerico, leave your sins, they procured Christ's death. Christ hath died for us, that henceforth we should learn to die to sin, and walk in newness of life, knowing that our old man is crucified with him, to th'end the body of sin should be destroyed. You than remember him as ye ought, when you lay all the story of his Passion before you, as if you loo●ed upon him now crucified and hanging on the cross, enduring all the torments and pains of hell, both in body and soul for our sakes: consider of all the tortures and bitter pangs of his innocent passion, which Nazianzene compriseth in three words, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Buffets and blows, mocks and mows, railings and revilings, whips and scourges, pricks and thorns, hammers and nails, cords and ropes, cross and gibbet, thirst and vinegar, reed and spear, these were the instruments of our redemption. All this, and more than can be uttered, did he sustain patiently for our sakes in his most blessed body. Which though they be now past in him, ought not lightly to pass from us, but ever to be fresh in memory; as David said: I will never forget these justifications of thine: so let us say, we will never forget these torments of thine. The christian souls of men should live Act. 7, 55 and die in the meditation of Christ's life and death; like Stephan in the contemplating of his glory. If the Philosophers call contemplation the greatest and chiefest felicity, certainly then in this contemplation consists the greatest felicity. The forgetfulness of this benefit drives us blindfolded into all sin: for when we forget Christ, we straightways forget ourselves too, and so this proud flesh of ours will not suffer us to crucify our crooked affections. What flesh can be proud, that beholdeth our Saviour so poor and contemptible upon the cross? or what soul having any spark of grace, like the maimed faith of Agrippa, can now give himself over unto sin, considering the severity of God's justice upon his own natural and only begotten Son for our sins, which otherwise could not be cleared, but by so dear a price, even the heart blood of so glorious a person. But of this enough, although enough can never be spoken, and it ought rather to be mused upon in our hearts, than amplified in words. Here may wise men study and wonder, like the disciples gazing after jesus ascending, or like Elisha; when his master was taken from him. I will end with the words of this short charge in this place. Do it in remembrance of Christ. Remember Christ hath redeemed you: Christ hath reconciled you: his blood hath purged you: his faith doth justify you: his appearing will glorify you: to him with the father and the holy spirit be glory for ever. Amen. Christ Combating with Satan. Then was jesus led aside by the spirit into the Wilderness, to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was at the last an hungry. Then came to him the Tempter, and said, if thou be the Son of God, command these stones to be made bread, etc. Math. 4. 1. This History is recorded for our learning, and for our exhortation: for our learning, to the end we should know, that Christ by this his fast, hunger, temptation, and victory over Satan did all this for our sakes, and therein worketh our good and safety. The faithful in Christ, must know, that they shall never be left in temptation, nor overcome in affliction, because our head Christ jesus, hath in his own person overcome all these things for us, according to that sweet testimony of himself, in the 16. of john, Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. We are exhorted after this example of Christ, to endure hunger, temptation, and any necessity or cross of affliction soever, that God shall lay upon us, when and so often as it shall please God to exercise us with any such trial, arming ourselves with patience, and much constancy, and we shall undoubtedly be delivered at God's hands all in good time. God will comfort us when we are most pinched, as in this place he comforted his son after his long fast, by causing the Angels to minister unto him. In the time of trouble and heaviness, when we combat with the devil, and our own flesh, comfort seems for a time to be hid, like fire that is raked up in the ashes, until the bellows of God's providence blow upon it, and then it shows itself upon a sudden, like the sun out of a cloud, when the storm is past. God requireth that we stay his leisure, and at length, though his help and succour, seem as far from us, as Lazarus in Abraham's Luc. 16, 22. bosom, yet it will come at last, to do us most good, as the Sun that was rising is risen, and as the sheaves fell afore Ruth in the gleaning time. If when we be no sooner downe, God presently raiseth us up, Ruth. 2, 16. why here can be no trial of patience: but God is wont to leave us for a time, to the full swallow of affliction, that we seem passed all recovery, like Lazarus now four days already in the grave, and when we think joh. 11, 17. least of danger, than God assisteth us by a speedy deliverance, and all our troubles fall from us on a sudden, like the chains that fell Act 12, 7. from Peter's hands: and so before we be aware, we are cast upon the shore like jonah. The spirit of God led Christ into the city, where he wrought miracles, and to the temple, where he preached, and to the mount where he was transfigured. In the former chapter afore this text, the same spirit led him to lordan, where he was baptized, and here in this place he leads him aside into the desert, to the city, to the temple, to the mountain, sea and desert, to fulfil Mat 3. 15. all righteousness. What needed Christ to go to the desert, but to teach us how to carry ourselves, when we are driven to the desert? Men cannot always live among men, they cannot still be in the city, but sometimes they must be driven to the wilderness, as Moses was cast out among the flags: and therefore Exod. 3. since the desert is a place subject to many encumbrances and temptations, a place remote from comfort, we had the more need to be armed against the dangers there. As the Israelites could not pass to Canaan, but through the desert of sin, so we must not look to pass hence to our spiritual Canaan the kingdom of God, but through the wilderness of sin. Nay some of us are never out of this desert of sin, as many of the Israelites left their bones in the wilderness. Let Satan use never so violent a reluctation with thee, yet God will help thee in Gen. 32, 31 thy wrestlings, and make thee strong like jacob, so that thou shalt prevail, though thou go away hawlting, as joseph went away with Goe 39, 13. a torn garment. Be thou confident and strong, flying to God's providence only for succour, as the Dove fled to the ark for refuge, and in the Gen. 8, 9 end, Satan shall have the foil, and thou the victory Learn of job to be of courage, who had such strong consolation in the midst of his heaviness, that he could say; though God do kill me, yet will I still trust in him. How weak was Satan, and how strong was job, though Satan could weaken his body, he could not weaken his soul; and therefore being ashamed, he could so little prevail; he gave over both field, and conquest to a sick man. job job. 13, 15. though he could not stand upon his feet, for weakness, gets the victory notwithstanding. Let men in weakness then take courage, since the victory sometimes falls to the weakest. Be thou never so impotent, and weak, yet know that God is strong to help thee, and confound the devil. First Christ is driven to the desert: that is, he is left alone, and as it were forsaken, of God, of Angels, and of men, and of all creatures, which might seem to minister any way unto him. Here we are to note the force and strength of this temptation, he is for a time left destitute of help and comfort For what temptation were it, if we were not forsaken, and left alone to ourselves, and specially, so to be left alone, that we neither know, nor can devise, how to relieve or sustain ourselves, for that all means do seem to fail us. Here is the trial of a christian man's faith: here it will appear, whether you have faith like the Prince, that unbelieving wretch in the dearth of Samaria● or whether you have faith almost like Agrippa, or alogether like Paul, even to scape unconquered from the devil, as Paul scaped unhurt from the viper, Ect. 28, 5. when he shook it into the fire. God went far with the poor widow, when he suffered her to come to so low an ebb, as that now she had but so much meal 1. King, 17. as would suffice to make but one cake for herself and her family, and but a quantity of oil in the bottom of the cruse; but yet though she were now at the point to resign up her life, God so blessed that little oil, and that little quantity of meal, that it served both her and her household, all the time of the dearth: so, though it be long, comfort comes at last, and makes up our mouths, like Daniel his harvest dinner. Peaury can be turned into plenty, and Psa. 23, 5. 6. emptiness to fullness, when God is determined to help us, and then we can sing with David, my table is well furnished, and my cup runs over. God went far with Helias, when in the. 1. king, 17. time of three years dearth, he sent him to the river Cherith; yet the Lord caused th●re the ravens to bring him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening too. God went far with the Israelites in the Exod. 17. desert, when they could get no water for themselves, and their cattle; yet God had prepared there the rock, to stream forth water abundantly: not to stand upon examples, which are infinite; God went far with his own Son, the brightness of glory, and the engraven form of his person, Christ jesus, in suffering him to endure this extremity of hunger, full forty days, before the Angels joh. 10, 27. came and ministered unto him. In this it will be seen, whether we be the children of God, or the children of the world: my sheep saith Christ, hear my voice: let us then hear his voice. His voice joh. 1 6, 33 hath sounded long ago: I have overcome the world: so let us say, we have overcome the world: and Goliath is never able to shrink this stone, but it must pierce into his temples to return glory to Israel, and shame to the Philistines. If when in thy greatest need, and most pinching extremity, when thou hast not so much, as one mite to throw into the treasury, when all the substance thou hast cannot afford to buy thee meat for one meal, to satisfy thee and thine; nor canst look for any help from others, and yet dost rely upon God in his gracious providence, why then know, that he who sustained his own Son, in the desert, by the ministry of his Angels, will sustain thee too. Before thou shalt starve, and perish in that extremity; God will send his Angel to feed thee, as he sent his Angel, and Abacuk to feed Daniel in Babylon. Indeed man is weak, and flesh is frail, and Satan is busy to tempt, as to tempt at all times, so specially then, when thou art in the desert, when thou art alone. Hunger is one of the straightest extremities, and least able to brook patience. Adam continued in his righteousness, and transgressed not, till the hour of eating, Genne. 3. and then when hunger called for meat, no mea●e could qualify his unbridled appetite, nor satisfy his lust, but the forbidden fruit: and so he swallowed the bait, that proved to be his bane. As the Prophet's children cried, death is in 2. kin. 4, 40. the po●; so Adam might have cried, death is in the apple. The belly hath no ears, and therefore is apt to receive no instruction. And this was the first hook, that ever Satan baited, to entrap us in the belly. He well knew man's daintiness, and therefore he applied himself to his humour; and so we were never ware of the hook, he had so subtilely couched it, till it was in our throats. The belly will tempt us to incredulity, and distrustfulness, as it tempted that Prince, on whose shoulder the King leaned, 2. King. 7. who though he had heard it proclaimed by the Prophet Elisha, that there should be plenty of victuals, that a measure of flower should be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, by the next morrow, yet he was faithless, & said it could not come to pass, though the Lord should make windows in heaven; but it came to pass, and as a just punishment of his incredulity, he was ●oden to death in the gate, and he saw it, but might not taste of it. Let this Prince be a precedent of terror, to all unbelieving wretches, that will distrust the divine providence. Why should we distrust God, since we know that he careth for sparrows: and how much better are we than many sparrows? job. 39, 3. Yea he feedeth the ravens, that cry unto him, and himself chargeth us, not to be careful for our bodies, what raiment we shall put on, nor for our bellies what meat we shall provide; for after all these things do the Mat. 6, 25. Gentiles seek. He that spoke unto Paul, saying: my grace 2. cor. 12, 9 is sufficient for thee, saith the same unto us, and to all the godly: my grace is sufficient for you. And therefore why are ye careful, O ye of little faith? The belly made the Israelites distrust God in the wilderness, when they murmured, and wished themselves among the flesh pots in Egypt, for there say they, we ate Num. 14. bread our bellies full, but now we must die with famine: they would not rely upon God, longer than he fed them with bread from heaven, or gave them water out of the hard rock. God requireth that his children do wait his leisure: for he stayeth and restraineth his blessings from us, for a season; because our faith and our patience may be sounded. It is no marvel if their faith stand sure, who live at ease, and are not humbled with any cross of affliction, that have all their heart can desire; that have long life, like Methusalah, great store of wealth like Solomon: honour like Haman: lands, and possessions, like the rich young man in the Gospel. These were never driven to the desert: but let God lay his hand upon them, & take from them all that ever they have, returning them to the world, as naked as job; let him take away, first their children, after that their goods, then touch them in their bodies with sickness, and it will appear whether they have faith or not, and that constancy, that was in job, who after all his losses, yea his own wife standing at his elbow, tempting him to curse God, yet could say, shall we receive good at the hands of God, and not evil? job. 2. 10 I rather suppose, that a great sort being tempted with the loss of goods, or any such like trial, would rather shrink away from God like Demas, or like the accusers that ran from Christ: or like the young rich man that went away sorrowful when he heard that he must part with his goods, if he Mat. 19, 22 would inherit life. He loved his riches better than job did his, and therefore he missed that which job found, viz. a better Paradise than Adam lost. O let us be wary and circumspect, when we shall at any time be thus tempted, that we shake not the profession of our faith, as 2. Tim. 4, 10. Demas did, when he embraced the present world: nor let us yield to Satan, though he drive us to the desert. He hath driven Christ thither afore us, and he in getting the victory over Satan in this his temptation, hath promised to give us the victory likewise, when we shall be in like manner tempted. We are not better than the Apostles and Disciples of Christ, they have been led into the desert? Ducti fuerunt in desertum, sed non deserti. Look the eleventh to the Hebrues, they Hebru, 11 were stoned, hewn asunder, tempted, slain with the sword; they wandered up and down in sheepskins & goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, and tormented, they wandered in wildernesses in mountains and dens. All this did they endure in patience, knowing that they should find in heaven, a better, and a more enduring substance. Faith must sustain us, as it sustained them; for the just shall live by faith, and this faith Rom. 1, 17 shall never fail, till the heavens be no more. For he that said unto Peter: I have prayed Luk. 22, 23 for thee that thy faith fail not, saith the same unto us also, and to all the faithful. I have prayed that your faiths fail not. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, etc.] Here is set down the miraculous abstinence in fasting forty days without meat, which is not therefore pend to the end we should imitate the same, for our endeavour would fail in the attempting of it: for who is able to fast forty days, without receiving any nourishment: but it is rather set down for our comfort, & the strengthening of our faith, which is the end and scope of all his other miracles. Howsoever our adversaries the Papists have in a superstitious conceitednes supposed, that our fast of forty days in the lent time usually holden, hath his warrant from this fast of Christ in the desert. But they are utterly deceived, and this opinion of theirs hath not any shadow of truth or probability. Christ rather in this showeth the harmony and consent between the new and old testament, as Moses the servant of God receiving the law on mount Sinai, did fast forty days without meat, so would Christ fast so many days, bringing to us the new law, viz. the Gospel. This fast then of forty days which we celebrate, hath not his ground from hence, but it is a mere ordinance of man, and if it be not observed as it ought in his true use, viz. being taken only for a civil ordinance, profitable to the commonwealth, for preserving and increasing of that, which otherwise would be extraordinarily consumed, it will carry with it matter, rather of foolish superstition, then of any sincere devout religion. Further, if it had been expedient for us to have imitated this fast of forty days, Christ would have in his Gospel commanded it, but we find no such commandment, nor can any probable collection be drawn out of scripture to induce us hereunto, therefore it is rather a ceremonious fast, than a true fast, not being rightly celebrated. The Israelites had as great reason to have established a like fast to that of Moses in the mount, as we to 'stablish ours now by the example of Christ. The time of fasting is to be determined by the church, according to the occasion, otherwise it will savour of superstition. That is it which S. Paul reproves in the Galathians, Dies obseruatis, ye observe days & months, and years, I am in fear of you. We may not therefore prescribe times and fasts at our own pleasure, but when the church shall so appoint, upon special occasion. And this hath ever been the order of the primitive church, to appoint times of fasts, at such times as they felt the hand of God's judgement against them for sin, or any imminent peril, than they would give themselves to prayer & fasting, being thereunto admonished by the pastors or ministers. Further, our adversaries have erred in this, they use this fast, as purposing to merit heaven thereby, wherein they miss the true end of fasting, which is not to merit or obtain remission of our sins thereby, but to make us the more apt to serve God in prayer, by taming our bodies, as the apostle noteth, and humbling ourselves, and by the exercising of all good works. yet further to make the best of it, if they have ordained it as a mean to chasten the body, yet because they have not left it free for every man to undergo the same voluntarily, but do by violence as it were, compel men to observe the said fast, it cannot please God. I omit to speak of the great losses, harms, and inconveniences proceeding from such fasts. How many have miscarried in that long time of abstinence, especially the aged and sick, and weak, and women great with child. Let no man mistake me, for I do not condemn fasting, I condemn the abuses of it, as we may sin in the best action that we take in hand, we rather commend it in all sobriety, as a most necessary christian exercise, and not for certain days only, but even throughout our whole lives, if possibly we might perform the same. It may then be here demanded, why doth the Prince command this Lent fast. I answer: Positive laws made by Princes, for the conservation of the policy, not repugnant to the laws of God, aught of all subjects with reverence of the magistrate to be obeyed, not only for fear of punishment but for conscience. Conscience, I say, not of the thing, which of it own nature is indifferent, but of our obedience, which by the law of God we own to the magistrate, as unto God's minister; by which positive laws although we subjects be restrained for certain days, from some kind of meats, which God in his word, hath left free to be taken, & used with thanksgiving at all times, yet because such laws of Princes are not made to put holiness in one kind of meat or other, or to make one day more holy than another, but are grounded merely upon policy, all subjects are bound to obey the same; according to Paul his precept: Omnis anima superioribus potestatibus subiecta est: let every soul be subject to the superior powers. Another doubt ariseth hence, whether we Rom. 13. 1 may in fasting withhold from our bodies all meat and drink, or not, during the determined time of fasting, or whether by fasting is meant, to use a temperate kind of diet, a more sober diet than we were wont. There are great variety of opinions in this case. Some think they fast well, if they abstain only from flesh and fish, some do only feed at that time upon fish, and others eat of all water fowls. Some eat neither herbs nor eggs: some receive nothing but dry bread, some abstain all the day until night, & then they eat without difference. Here we have need of a skilful Pilot, to direct us in our compass. It appeareth by many testimonies of scripture, that a true fast consisteth in a general abstinence from all kinds of meats for the time. If men shall be truly humbled under the burden of sin, and shall feel the wrath of God upon them for their sins, when they shall considder of the reward of sin, and of the pains of hell. I say, this being seriously done, their minds being occupied, partly with fear and terror; partly with a desire to be delivered from the guilt of sin, and the wrath of God, suing and entreating in all humility unto God for pardon, all lust of meat will be laid apart. Then nothing pleaseth us more than to mourn, and to weep out before the Lord. 2. Sam. 12. Thus did David fast, when he entreated the Lord for his child: so did Achab humble himself by fasting and weeping before 1. Ki. 21. 27. the Lord, for his violence offered to Naboth. So did the Ninivites, when it was proclaimed jonah. 3. 6. by jonah, that within forty days it should be destroyed: there it is recorded, that the King rose from his throne, and proclaimed a fast, saying: let neither man nor beast taste any thing, neither feed, nor drink water. Where we are to observe the manner of their fast, they did eat nothing. David before mentioned, did eat nothing so long as he fasted. When forty thousand Israelites died in jud. 20. 26. the battle against the Beniamites, the scripture saith, all the children of Israel went out, and wept before the Lord, and fasted all that day, until the evening, eating nothing. Christ himself gives a full solution to decide Luke. 5, 33. this doubt, in that his answer made to the Pharasies, when they demanded of him why his Disciples fasted not? his answer was this: can ye make the children of the wedding chamber fast, as long as the bridegroom is with them? Like a good master, he defendeth the innocency of his scholars, and proveth them not to be guilty of transgression, though they fasted not, and withal, reproveth the Pharasies of superstition, and ignorance; of superstition, because they put a religion in the outward works, of ascribing holiness to the mere action, not respecting the end of fasting: of ignorance also, because they could not discern between time and time. But by this answer it appears they did not fast, for Christ grants it. Fasting then by these testimonies afore alleged, and by Christ his own assent, is the withholding of all natural food, for the determined time of fasting. what fasting is. Six hundred thirty fathers in Calcedone decreed, that every man should abstain the whole day from meat. Fasting then may be thus defined. It is a true and unfeigned humiliation of a man voluntarily under-gone, whensoever the consideration of our sins, or the wrath of God for sin, hanging over our heads do stir us up thereunto: which fasting and humiliation is testified. by our outward behaviour, and by abstinence from all bodily food. 3. good ends of fasting. This fasting serves to three good ends: viz. to repress and keep under the flesh, so mortifying our evil affections. Secondly, that we may give ourselves more seriously to prayers, & to thanksgiving. Thirdly, as an external testimony of our inward humiliation, both before God and men, as is expedient. He was at last an hungry: then came to him the tempter.] Mark how Satan watcheth his opportunity: when Christ began to be hungry, than the devil began to tempt: as while men slept the envious man came and Mat. 13. 25 sowed tars: Satan shows himself like Satan: and fits himself to the time and place, making them suitable to his purpose. Opportunity and place met together, hungry necessity, and serpentine policy kissed each other, and all conspired together against Christ. As Abigail said of Nabal, as his name is, 1. Sa. 25. 25 so is he: for Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: so may I say of the devil, that as his name is, so is he: for devil is his name, and deceitfulness is with him. He is a subtle politician, and a cunning artificer: for he hath been learning his policies, ever since he discarded himself from heaven, he practised first against Eve, when she walked alone, and straggled from her Gen. 3 husband: after that he tempted Cain, when Ge●. ●. 8 he had gotten him to the field, mark how he plies his policies to the time. He spied Eve alone, and Cain in the field. He tempted Nymrod to build Babel, Let Genes. 11 to commit incest, David to number the people, Nabucadnezzar to commit idolatry. He tempted Christ the Son of God with Mat. 4. 2. 5, 8. three sundry temptations in this cha. who then must look to go free? never any living could scape without Satan's sifting. For it is true that S. Peter hath written: he goeth about like a roaring Lion, seeking whom he may devour. Athanasius recordeth of a certain holy Efrems vision. man in his time, that saw in a vision the whole world revealed unto him, and he saw it all hanging full of nets, and devils sitting by to watch the same. There is no way to scape this fowler, but by watching him as he watcheth us, & so we shall deceive the deceiver: and if he catch us in his net, we shall be able to get out again, God will give us strength to break his jud. 16. 12. nets, as Samson broke the cords. He was at length an hungry.] When the forty days were full complete and ended, and Christ now waxed hungry, than the job. 1. 14, 16. 18. tempter besturd himself, and began to bro●ch his temptations, first one, than another, and after that another: like the messengers that came to job, every message being heavier than other, and so were Satan's temptations, the latter stronger than the former, till he had spent all his darts; and none prevailed, no more than those unhappy news, could quail jobs courage, or daunt his faith. Noah was no sooner drunk, but Satan Gen 9 22. was ware of it, and caused his own son to discover his father's nakedness. When Moses had stayed now in the mount Exod. 32. forty days, the devil the mean while tempted the Israelites to make them a golden calf. Satan thought no time fit, to overthrow the house over the heads of jobs children, job. 1. 19 then when he spied them feasting together: and in this place well weighing the opportunity, knowing that Christ was hungry, he tempts him to distrust God. If thou be the son of God, command these stones to be made bread. The devil in this place shows himself, worse than himself, for in the fourth of Luke, he confesseth Christ to be the very son of God, and here he seems to doubt, saying, if thou be the son of God: he doubted and yet he knew it well enough: he that urged Peter to deny Christ, thought to prevail with Christ also, to make him deny Gene. 20. 2 himself, as Abraham denied his wife. Here Satan in seeking to snare Ch●ist, is snared himself, like Haman, who made a Ester. 7. 10 gibbet for Mordocay the righteous jew, and was hanged thereon himself. As Achitophel's counsel turned to folly, so Satan's policy was indeed but simplicity: 2. Sam. 17 and it proved his fatal overthrow, like Saul his own sword sheathed itself in his masters side. Satan would never appear like Satan, but being a devil, he would be taken for an angel, the rather to deceive; and therefore we ●uc. 10. 18. read that he fell to the earth like lightning; but in this place he bewrays himself to be a devil, in doubting of Christ, whether he were the Son of God or not. For in the fourth of john's general Epistle, the spirit of God dismasketh the devil, and takes from him his visar, in that he saith: Every spirit that confesseth that jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God, and every spirit that confesseth not jesus Christ, is the spirit of Antichrist. He in job calls himself, the compasser job 2. 2. of the earth, and here he compasseth the desert, thinking to compass Christ in the desert; but he that compasseth others, sometimes compasseth himself, and so doth Satan here: the bird hath spied the fouler, the net is broken, and Christ is delivered. Satan when he combated with Eve, prevailed, and with Cain, he prevailed, and he conquered Nimrod also, that mighty hunter: but here he is overmatched, and Christ conquereth him, and putteth him to the worse, as David overcame Goliath. 1. Samu. 17 Command (saith he) that these stones be made bread.] As if he should say; thou seest h● we hunger hath pinched thee, here is no bread to be had, nor any provision of meat to be expected, for thou art in the desert sequestered from the society of men. How wilt thou do? wilt thou look that God the father should extraordinarily feed thee from heaven? nay, if God were careful of thee, he would have relieved thee before this. Thou hast now remained full forty days, & so many nights, and yet he ministereth not to thy necessity: how is he careful of thee, that sustaineth not this thy long hunger? Live now by thy faith if thou canst, thou mightest do well, if thou couldst feed upon stones, for here is no bread, not somuch as a crumb. With this strong temptation doth he assault Christ, and not only Christ himself, but eue● all his members, and this temptation was no small corrosive without doubt, unto our saviour, for he was not Stipes, but ho●o verus licet integer peceati. But what is Christ's answer? Man shall not live bread only. As if he should say, wilt thou have me rely so upon bread, that I should have care on nothing else but to feed my belly: I tell thee Satan, man shall not live by bread only. Little did Satan expect so full and resolute an answer from so empty a stomach. john 4. 32 But as Christ told his disciples, I have other meat that ye wots not of, so here he telleth the tempter, he hath other bread, that he was not aware of, even the word of God, which filleth both belly and bowels so, that we never hunger more: like the roll that Ezech. 3. 3 Ezechiel took from the Angel, and did eat it, and it was in his mouth sweeter than honey. The same must be our refuge, like little Zoar to fly unto, when Satan assaulteth us, let us run to the word, let us answer him with Scriptum est, like Christ. The word of God must sustain us by faith, as it doth all the godly. Our God is God all-sufficient, and will never fail us, if we rest upon his providence: he that said to Abraham, I am the great reward: saith Gen. 15. 1. the same unto us also, if we have the like faith that Abraham had. But this faith must call upon thy patience, to abide quietly the lords good leisure, hold out yet a little longer, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry, and at his coming he will reward thee for thy patience seven fold into thy bosom. If thou call upon God this day, and he heareth thee not, call again to morrow, and the third day, day after day, till he hear thee, like the Israelites, when they fought against their brethren the Beniamites: though it go hard with thee for many days, and many years, yet be sure that ere long the year of jubilee will come, and set all the children of God at liberty. Our Saviour in this place had now continued forty days without meat, and yet he fasteth, and the devil tempteth, and his belly acheth, & his stomach hungereth, and Christ is still the same, both before his fast, and in his fasting, and after his fasting, the same to day, and yesterday, and the same for ever. Let Christ teach us patience, to endure all crosses and temptations. Make Patience thy Porter, and thou shalt be strong enough to carry all burdens. This patience is like the hearty spies, that Num. 13 returning from Canaan, told their brethren, 'tis nothing to overcome them: so being armed with patience when thou bucklest with affliction or poverty, hunger, or any cross soever thou canst, say, it is nothing to overcome them. So the Godly have taken courage to themselves, and in the very brunt of their toubles, they have learned to triumph with Paul, in this we are more than conquerors: Daniel waiteth six days in the lion's den, and at length came Abacuk, that never before knew Babylon, with an harvest dinner unto him. So, whether after six days, or after xl. days sooner, or later, God will succour thee, only be patient, & think it not long: for though it be an old saying, it is a true saying, man's extremity, is God's opportunity. Christ suffered his Disciples to be almost under-water, and their ship to be covered with waves, before he rescued them from the Mat. 8. 23 24 seas rage: till then the history noteth he slept: but when they cried out, master, save us, or, we perish, he awaked and rebuked the winds, and all troubles and dangers fled before him, like a troup of wolves afore the shepherd. Help is never better welcome, then when we are most pinched with extremities; as music after mourning hath the sweeter melody, and best pleaseth the ear: It is like David's warbling harp, to cure Saul his frenzy. David, as it seems, made a Calendar of the lords goodness towards his, where he saith: I have been young, and now am old, yet never saw I the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread. David doth not deny, but he saw the godly, and their children, hungry, and wanting, and in misery, but he never saw young nor old, that they were quite forsaken, and cast off in their misery, as we see, he suffered his own son, to want, and to be hungerbitten in this desert forty days together. But at length, and all in good time, before he should faint, the Angels came and ministered to his necessity. ●ona. 1. 17. jonah must not forthwith be delivered, he must be three days in the belly of the whalefish, and the●●●ust jonah be cast to the shore. Lazarus must begin to stink, having lain four days already in the grave, and joh. 11. 39 then must Lazarus be raised up. When Christ shall have abstained forty days, then is it time for the Angels to come. Whatsoever extremity then God shall lay upon us, be it ●euer so sharp and vehement, if in it thou lose thy goods, thy children, thy liberty, thy health, lose not patience too: and that shall help thee right soon to recover all again. I say, and Gods sacred truth avoucheth it to be true, rather than Eliah shall starve, a raven shall feed him: rather than jonah shall drown, a fish shall save him: rather than Peter shall sink, Christ his hand shall stay him: rather than Lazarus shall die unpitied, the dogs more merciful than their master, shall take compassion. Man shall not live by bread only.] Christ seethe nothing but stones, and that which cannot be eaten, and therefore he turneth his mind from the external objects to the word of God, and with that comforts himself, and foils the devil: which word every christian must fly unto when any temptation assaulteth us, thenc●●● out of David's Scripture, let us fetch that stone that may confound Goliath: thence let us learn to answer Satan, when he tempts us to distrustfulness, if all the world were full of bread, if it were as plentiful as stones, yet know Satan that man shall not live by bread only, but by every word proceeding out of the mouth of God. One thing is necessary, which is the word of God, and whosoever shall feed his hungry soul therewith, shall receive full and perfect nourishment, and shall be able to continue longer in the strength thereof, than Moses in the Mount. This is better than Manna, that was given the Israelites in the wilderness, for they are dead, but this is the living bread that 10. 6. came from heaven, and this feeds us up to eternal life. This word is Christ his sword, and it hath two edges, to cut both ways, and with this sword doth he encounter with Satan, and conquer him. These words are borrowed from the eight of Deuter onomie, where the Lord speaketh thus to the Israelites: the Lord God hath humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and hath given thee Manna to eat, never known to thy fathers, to the end he might teach thee, that man liveth not by bread only, but by every word proceeding out of the mouth of God. As if he should have said, because he permitted thee to hunger, and yet suffered thee not to perish, thou mightst hence easily have learned, that it is God only who sustaineth thee with his word without bread. That this doctrine is true, besides the infallible testimonies of the word, your own experience can witness; for if we lived by bread only, it were necessary that we should be continually, and at all times filled there with: but it is indeed the word that feeds us, and the blessing of God leapt up in the word that gives us strength, & makes us able to receive the good creatures of God, I mean bread, and drink, and such necessary food, who also maketh our meat so received, to be nutritive to our bodies. When we are healthy and strong, and able to receive our daily sustenance, why then we must acknowledge that this strength proceeds from God. If contrarily we be sick, and weak, and can neither receive our food, nor digest it: after we have taken it, than we must know that God hath taken our strength from us, so that we are no longer capable of it: and he hath also taken the gift of nutrition from thy meat, that it shall not feed thee, and so thou art unfit for thy meat, and thy meat for thee. Therefore still acknowledge this reply of Christ in this place; man shall not live by bread only, but by every word proceeding out of the mouth of the Lord. Bread, flesh, and other provision, would seem but slender instruments to work our health, and to nourish in us, that life which God hath given us. Because they are common things, we make no mystery of them: yet have they matter of wonder and astonishment, if we weigh them aright. We could not live, nor be increased by such weak means, if God had not given them a special blessing to strengthen our bodies. This, together with that which already hath been spoken, proclaims unto us, that man liveth not by bread only; and for this cause do we use to sanctify our meats afore we receive them, and after, which we call the saying of grace, wherein we pray God by those his good gifts, our bodies may receive strength, and withal, to teach us, that bread, without the word cannot feed us, for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. To draw towards an end, we learn two things by these words of Christ, he that hath faith shall taste of two things. When he wants sustenance and is hungry, he shall be so strengthened with the word of God, as if he had stuffed himself with the abundance of all delicates. The second is this, whosoever hath a steadfast confidence in god, shall not be left so destitute, but that God will undoubtedly supply all necessaries unto him, as if he be pinched with extremity of hunger, rather than he shall perish in his etremitie, God will give him bread at length, though he must rain bread from heaven, as he did for the Israelites, when they lived in the desert, being a place where no food could be gotten. Let every Christian man promise himself undoubtedly these two things: for he cannot be deceived of his hope, either he shall have sufficient to eat, or his hunger shallbe so tolerable unto him, that he may well endure it, without fainting, for God's word shall sustain him. If thou be naked and have nothing to cover thee, rather than thou shalt perish so, God will convert the leaves falling from the trees, into coats, and cloaks, for his children, he can as well do this, as cause the Israelites Deut. 8. 4. garments to continue fresh upon them the space of forty years together. Their clothes waxed not old, nor did their feet swell the space of forty years. It is spoken, and I do partly believe it, that there are not so many sheaves of corn, as there be people in the world: and it were not possible, I speak after the manner of men, that there should be bread enough to suffice so many, were it not so, that God doth daily bless, and increase the corn in the grain, and the meal in the dough, and the bread upon the table, yea and in the mouth too, when we eat, it: as was done by our Sanior Christ: and S. john records it in the sixteenth Chapter. Besides, we see poor men and their children, in as good liking, and as well to see to, though they far hardly and scant, as the rich and their children, who glut themselves with abundance. Dan. 1. 15 Daniel and his fellows fed upon pulse, and yet they looked as ruddy and well coloured, as they that fed at the King's trencher. Thus you have seen Satan tempting, but not prevailing, fight but yet foiled, and so rendering to Christ both field, and victory: john 16 once the world combated with Christ, and he overcame the world and triumphed, saying, I have overcome the world: here the devil the world's partner, stands as challenger, and came furnished with many darts to encounter with Christ, and Christ vanquisheth him too: so now he may make a second triumph, and say: as before I overcame the world, so now I have overcome the devil, that red dragon, that with his tail drew down the third part of the stars of heaven. Christ snared him in his own snares, and with his own sword cut off his head, as David struck off the head of Goliath. Christ entered into this battle with Satan, and overcame him, and all for us; by the word he became victor, to show what munition we must use, if we will look to overcome as he did. 1. Sam. 17 4●. David used neither sword, nor spear, nor armour, but a sling and stone only. This is the sling that must confound our spiritual Philistin, even the word: we shall find ourselves better guarded, and fenced with this single furniture, than David was with Saules armour. God grant we may so carry ourselves, & so pass as strangers, through the desert of this desolate world, that having fought like good soldiers, under the banner of Christ, in this spiritual Combat, with sin & satan, & having finished our faith in much patience, we may be translated to that promised land in the generation to come, which I trust in Christ doth approach apace: to him with the father, and holy ghost, be rendered all honour, and power, and majesty, with thanksgiving now and ever. Amen. The Seaman's Card. And when they were entered into the ship, his Disciples followed him: and behold there arose a great tempest in the Sea, so that the ship was covered with waves, but he was asleep: then his Disciples came, and awoke him, saying: Master, save us, we perish: and he said unto them, why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? and he arose, and rebuked the winds, and the sea: so there followed a great calm. Mat. 8. 13, etc. CHrist being wonderful in his nativity, wonderful in his ascension, and wonderful in his transfiguration, is wonderful here by his miracles. In this Chapter are laid down four feveral miracles. 1 The healing of a lèprous man. 2 The healing of a woman troubled with a fever. 3 The healing of the Centurians servant. 4 The strange appeasing of the wind, as in my text: and therefore this may be called, Scriptura miraculosa, the miraculous Scripture. This miracle is recorded for such as are either sick, or troubled, or oppressed, or beset with any danger, that whatsoever storm of adversity shall strike our sails, or what trouble soever we shall sustain, we may remember, others have tasted of the same whip afore us, and none can harbour in the haven of bliss, that have not first been weather-bitten with many rough storms, and sharp tempests. Though our ship happen to be covered with waves, like the ship in this place, yet be not faithless, but have hope, and know that Christ fits at the stern, and will not suffer us to miscarry. This text containeth six parts. 1 The Apostles fervent love: in following him by sea and land. 2 The Accident happening, viz. a great tempest, applied to the casualties of this world, that happen to the godly. 3 The time when this tempest happened, viz. when Christ slept. 4 The Apostles only aid and help to run to Christ, Master, save us, we perish. 5 Christ's reprehension: why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? 6 Christ's helping hand in staying the wind. First of their love in following Christ.] The felicity of the godly is to stick to God, and to follow his will, and therefoee the Prophet David saith, it is good for me to cleave 1. Sam. 12 14 unto the Lord. Samuel also persuaded the Israelites, that they should follow the Lord their God, and not departed from him. The children of God ought to carry so great an affection to God, as Elishah did to Eliah, who would not part from him, till the 2. King. 1 Lord divided them. Such was the affection of the Apostles in this place, and at all times, they followed the lamb whither soever he went, to the mountain, to the desert, to the sea, and here to the ship. This must teach us to follow Christ both by sea and land, in time of persecution and else. For as the separation of the soul from the body is the death of the body: so the separation of Christ from the soul is the death of the soul: therefore we must follow Christ even unto the sea. What multitudes of people are recorded Luke. 5. in the fift of Luke, they pressed upon him in such sort, that for fear of the throng, he was feign to enter into a ship. The like throng of followers is mentioned 2. Chr. 9 7. in the eight of Luke. If the Queen of Sheba could say, of Salomons followers, happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants which stand always before thee, and do hear thy wisdom. Much rather may it be spoken, happy are Christ's followers and his attendants, that stand ever in his presence, like the Apostles, to hear his heavenly wisdom, since a greater than Solomon is here, for this is he that taught Solomon his wisdom. There is virtue in Christ, and it is an attractive virtue, to draw us unto himself like a loadstone. He refuseth no servant, that will come to his service, let us then be willing to offer ourselves to serve so good a master, for his burden is light, and his yoke is easy. Mat. 11. 28. He calls upon us for our good, Come to me all ye that are heavy loaden, and I will refresh you. Other masters use to load their servants: but Christ is such a master, that takes the burden from his servants, and carries it upon his own shoulders to ease them. joseph his brethren were glad to have Gen. 43. 21 corn for money, but joseph returned them, both their corn and money too. So if we will be the followers of Christ, & serve him, we shall find his service no servitude, for he will give us our freedom, and our wages too. In the eight of Luke, a certain scribe Luke. 8. comes to Christ, and saith: master I will follow thee, whither soever thou goest. Lo this scribe, who before he knew Christ, had a whole common wealth in his head, being a mere worldling, now began to leave the world, and to cast away his old livery, as the blindman threw away his patched cloak in running to Christ, and betook himself to Christ his service. In the nineteenth of Luke, we find Zacheus Luke. 19 running to Christ, the world and Mammon did so hang upon his back till now, that he could not travel to Christ: but now having come to the knowledge of Christ, and God's spirit calling upon him, he changeth his former resolutions, and shook from him his Exod. 3. 5 pillages, and his exactions, as Moses did put from him his shoes, when the Angel called upon him out of the flaming bush, and now he was so light as Peter when his shakles fell from him, and he runs to Christ hastily, who received him joyfully. Mark. 10 In the tenth of Mark, one comes running to Christ in like sort, ask him what he might do to possess eternal life. Matt. 20 In the twenty of Matthew, two blind men, though they could not see Christ, yet they could follow him: and they gained that which they would not lose again for more Mat. ●. gold than Gehezie took from Naaman, even their sight: and now seeing him that salved them, they follow him more eagerly, returning Christ more praises, than the wise men did presents. All these are so many summons to cite us before the consistory of Christ, the blind, and lame, and diseased, scribe, and publican, sick, and whole, and all do call upon us to follow Christ like his Apostles. And behold, there arose, a great tempest in the sea: and the ship was covered, etc.] Now we are to speak of the accidents happening in the great tempest but even now Christ: and his Apostles had entered into the ship, and lo a storm so prevaileth, that the ship that carried them, is now covered with waves. Even now it was calm, when the ship anchored in the haven, and no sooner are the sails hoist, and they launched into the deep, but ship, and men, and all, are in jeopardy of drowning, see an unexpected sudden alteration. Here we may view the state of Christ's church militant: It is like the ark floating upon the waters, like a lily growing among the thrones, like the bush that burned and was not consumed, like Christ's ship in this place covered over with waves, and yet not sunk: God suffereth his Saints to be oftentimes in danger, either to show his power in their deliverance, or to cause them by tribulation to come to him for succour, and to make them the more thankful. So he humbled the Israelites before Pharaoh Exod. 5 and his Egyptians. So he humbled jacob all the time he served Laban. He humbled job in a greater measure, job. 1. suffering Satan to discharge at him all his darts at once, thinking to make a full end of him. He humbled Heliah, in making him fly 1. Ki. 19 from jezabel, that sought his life. How did he humble his own Apostles, that were so dear unto him, suffering them to be imprisoned, racked, whipped, stoned, Heb. 11. slain with the sword? Nay Christ his own mother scaped not free: Simeon speaketh that the sword of tribulation Luke. 2. 35 should pierce her heart. Christ himself entered not into his glory, but being consecrated through afflictions. The miracles that Christ wrought in healing others, did not so much move the Apostles, as the miracle they felt in themselves. Their faith had not such exercise nor trial, in s●ing the blind recover their sight, the lame their limbs, the dumb their speech, and the job. 2. 8. deaf their hearing, but now that the ship under them is in danger, and is violently tossed, & death is presented before them, their faith gins to faint like Peter, and to look about, like job for his patience, when he lay scraping himself upon the dunghill. The storm put them to a stagger, though Christ was in the ship with them. This storm arose upon their entering into a ship; this ship is a figure of the Church. So soon as thou art received into the church and hast given thy name to Christ, thou must look for a storm or a tempest. Satan will never bend his malice against thee till then. When we are running, and in the ready way to Christ, then comes Satan, and lays stumbling blocks in our way, tempting us with one bait or other, either with wantoness jud. 16. josuah. 7. Acts. 12. 23 as Samson, when he dallied with Dalilah: or with covetousness, like Achan, and Gehezy, or with pride, like Nabucad-nezzar: or with self-love, like Herod: or with envy like Cain: and all to turn us aside quite out of the way from God, as he cozened Adam out of Paradise. If these baits do not prevail, than he takes another course, (for Satan that subtle serpent hath more sleights in his budget, than David had stones in his shepherds 1. Sam. 17, 40. scrip:) he will begin to rage and rail against thee like Rabshake, and throw all his storms at thee as he threw a whole flood of Reu. 12. 13: water against the woman in the Revelation, and as he thought to sink Christ and his Apostles in the ship. This of all the devils darts is most violent, even his fiery dart of persecution. There is a punishment executed by our magistracy upon silent malefactors, which is called the pressing to death, and it is a torment of the greatest tortures. And the devil by his executioners exerciseth the same cruelty upon God's Saints: he hath his pressing too, & we are forewarned to arm ourselves against that torment by our Saviour. In mundo pressuram sustinebitis. If thou joh. 16, 33 wilt not leave thy way thou art in, nor break thy course in running to Christ; he will show the uttermost of his malice against thee, and put thee to the rack, as he put Esay to the saw. And this hath proved no small rub in the alley, for it hath turned aside many a forward runner. judas a great while ran well, but Satan Mat. 26. 15 stopped him in his race, and made him swallow a silver hook, as he beguiled Eve with an apple; and so his end proved worse than his beginning: he again so frighted Demas, a great professor a long time, with giving 2. Tim. 4 him but a small taste of the cup of affliction, that he forsook his way, left Christ and his Apostles, and embraced this present world. He so prevailed with King Agrippa, that though he gave himself to hear Paul's preaching, yet Paul left him but almost a Christian, and could not make him a Christian Act. 27. 28 altogether: not to dwell in particulars, this Satan hath wrestled mightily, even with the elect vessels of mercy, and with his storms had quite overthrown them, if Christ had not rescued them, even then when the fatal blow was coming, like the angel that stayed Gen. 25. 22 Abraham's hand, when he would have slain his son. How long did he chain up Paul making him his instrument to persecute God's children, till Christ drew him by violence to himself, and afterwards he persecuted Satan, and had him in the chase, as before Satan chased him? How strong was Satan, and how weak was Peter, that seemed to be the strongest of the Apostles, but showed himself in this combat the weakest, when he denied his master thrice together? But though he received this foil from the devil, yet Christ raised him up upon his feet, from the down fall of his sin, like Lazarus out of his grave. He struck at the root, as well as the branches, and thought to have disrooted with his violent blasts, the vine itself Christ jesus: he tempted him in the desert: he caused the Scribes and Pharasies to tempt him: he made his own Disciple Peter to tempt him, when he would have dissuaded him from going to lerusalem: he tempted judas to betray him: he suborned false witnesses to accuse him, and Pilate to condemn him, being altogether innocent. But all this wrought Satan's overthrow, for Christ by his death overcame the devil, and triumphed like Samson, when ●ud. 16. he bowed himself, and died with the Philistines. And this much shall briefly suffice concerning this tempest: now let us consider of the time when it happened. But he was asleep.] The wind bloweth, and the storm rageth, and the sea-swelleth, and the ship sinketh, and the Apostles cry out, and yet Christ is asleep, as if he cared not for himself, nor his Disciples security. God's wisdom is not by man's wisdom to be examined. Here Christ seemeth to be forgetful of his Disciples, of the ship, and of himself: he slept, crossing these scriptures, He that watcheth Israel, shall neither slumber nor sleep. And yet here the watchman of Israel sleepeth. Again, can a woman forget the fruit of her womb? though she do, yet I cannot forget thee: yet here Christ forgetteth. Esay 49 God said to jacob, I will go down with thee to Egypt, and bring thee back again. Gen. 46. And to all the godly Christ speaketh, in the twenty eight of Matthew, Lo, I am with Mat. 28, 20. you to the end of the world: and yet here Christ sleepeth: that I say unto you, I say unto Mar. 13, 37 all, watch, and yet Christ sleepeth, and watcheth not. joseph was in prison, and there the Lord was with him, yet here Christ being with his Disciples in this great danger, sleepeth. This sleeping of Christ must not be so construed, that he should not be careful of his Apostles, it rather noteth, how we are tempted when Christ sleepeth. We are not safe, longer than Christ awaketh over us, when he stretcheth his hand over us, we are as well guarded as the Israelites were, when Moses held up his hand. Saint Austen writing upon the fifty six Psal. 4. Psalm, saith: Tunc in te dormit Christus, cum oblitus fueris passionis Christi: and then saith he, Navis tua turbatur: when thou for gettest the passion of Christ, than Christ sleepeth in thee, and then thy ship is troubled; thy heart is worthily troubled, because Excidit tibi in quem credideris: thou forgettest him on whom thou shouldest believe. Thy passions are great, when thou forgettest Christ his passion. Excita Christum, fidem recole: raise up Christ and all storms shall vanish away. To have thy ship safe, and thy soul untossed with the waves of sin, have faith, and be watchful, take unto thee the buckler of Faith, as Paul speaketh in the fift of the Ephesians. As Nahas said to the men of jubes Gilead, ●. Sam. 11 In this I will make a covenant with you, so that I shall pluck out all your right eyes: so our spiritual Nahas the devil, will make a covenant with us, so that he may take from us our right eyes, and so cause Christ to sleep. Christ sleepeth, to make the Disciples know what little help was in themselves, that so they might the rather rely upon Christ. In the twentieth of judges we read, that the Israelites lost the field two days together, although they fought in a good quarrel, and at the Lords commandment: Forty thousand were slain by the Beniamites, but the third day the Israelites prevailed, and gave their enemies an utter overthrow. So Christ may seem for a time to sleep, for the trial of our faith and patience, but he will not suffer us to perish. Master, save us, we perish:] The Apostles only aid, is to run to Christ. Anna in 1. Sam. 11 her barrenness ran to God, and obtained Samuel. David in his peril ran to God, and obtained deiverance. I cried (saith he) with my whole heart, and the Lord heard me. Psal. 12. Solomon having built that magnificent temple, ran to God, and prayed God to hear whatsoever prayer should be offered in that Temple. The same Solomon asked of God wisdom, 2. Chro. 1. 12. and God gave it him. And the Apostles in this place fly to Christ, praying joh. 14, 14. him to awake and to help them, remembering that in john, Ask and you shall receive: In the second of the Kings, and sixth chapter, the servant of Elizeus being in fear, seeing an host compassing the city with horses and chariots cried to his master Elisha, Alas master, what shall we do? And the Disciples cry to Christ in like manner here, Alas master what shall we do? save us, or we sink. It was high time to awake him, when death was so near them: the Disciples cry out unto Christ, saying: What meanest thou to slumber, since we are in danger of drowning? as the shipmaster said to jonas, What meanest thou O sleeper? When the tempest shook jonas ship, it jona. 5. is said the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his God, they yet knew not the true God: but here the Apostles cry out for help to no other, but unto Christ: the tempest terrified them, as troubles fright 1. Sa. 3, 5, 6. the godly, and makes them run to Christ, faster than Samuel ran to Ely. Troubles are like john Baptist, sending us to Christ. When affliction comes and presseth us down or beateth us, as Satan buffeted Paul, than we are careful to seek out Christ, as Saul 1 Sam. 9, 18 sought out the seer, and as the Apostles in this place run to Christ for succour. Why are ye fearful O ye of little faith?] That which Christ commanded the Rom. chapter fifteen, support one another, is here practised by Christ himself: he supporteth his disciples and beareth with them, not shaking them off, but mildly reprehending them, why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? being Christ's own followers, and having Christ with them, yet they could not be confident, and therefore they are well reproved for their weakness, O ye of little faith. As we are not to be too confident and strong, like Peter, relying upon his own strength too much, when he said he would never forsake Christ, and yet was the first that shrunk from him: so let not us be too weak, nor too fearful, like the Disciples here. Fear is the mother of distrustfulness, as Peter disinherited himself, when he began to sink: and as Paul & his company were out of hope they should be saved in that dangerous voyage, when the ship that carried them shivered in pieces. O ye of little faith:] Here is the cause added why they were so weak, because they wanted faith. If the disciples had had but as much faith, as a grain of mustard seed, they might be strong enough to remove mountains: but they could not here remove the storm, their faith was so small, no more than they could Mat. 17. heal the lunatic man in the seventeenth of Matthew. Though the disciples walked daily with Christ: and saw his miracles, and the works he did, yet they could not draw faith from him, as the woman drew virtue from him, though she touched but his hem. A little faith would have qualified this Mat. 9 20. great storm, and have pacified the waves, as a little oil and a little meal could suffice the poor widow, and save her from perishing in the dearth. Our sins are in an Ephah, but our graces 1. King. 17 are in a shekle: all our virtues are diminutives, they are all little ones like little Zoar A little wealth and a little pleasure seems nothing, but a little faith is enough, though it be never so small a mite. Christ saith here, O ye of little faith: see our stature in religion is but short and little, and we grow little and low like Zacheus, that we cannot see Christ: but Christ will have us to have much faith, as he bids us bring forth much fruit. Two things in this place must be noted. First how the very faithful are now and then shaken in faith. Secondly, how the faithful may be greatly tempted: and yet continue still in the bosom of God. Then he arose and rebuked the winds and waves, and there followed a great calm.] Here is Christ's helping hand, in staying the tempest. The disciples were not so importunate for help, as Christ was ready to comfort them. It is written, ask and ye shall have, knock and it shall be opened unto you: here is that scripture fulfilled, the Apostles cry unto Christ for succour, and succour is given them. The great storm, how violent and raging soever, is here in a moment qualified, when Christ ariseth and rebuketh it. All the storms and troubles that happen to the godly, they are but an Interim, they are but of short continuance, and then shall job have his children and goods again: so Christ may sleep, but his providence ever awaketh, and preserveth them that belong unto him. Fowl wether lasteth but a while; and then followeth a great calm, like the noise of Rove. 14, 2. harpers, after the sound of thunders. Heaviness may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning, joy is here presented in a moment to the Apostles. Even now the sky was full of clouds, and now the sky is clear, and the clouds vanished; and the calm is greater than the storm. We may be in danger and trouble, when Christ sleepeth, but when Christ awaketh & seethe the waves sousing over our heads, and the water flashing into the ship, he ariseth and rebuketh the waves, as before he rebuked his Disciples, and so the calm followeth. The winds blustered, and the water violently swelled, as long as Christ slept, as if they had been privy to his sleeping, but assoon as Christ awaked, and considered of the tempest, the winds, and waves considered themselves, and became quiet. Here is a full precedent of God's mercy and of his power, he exerciseth both for the good of his Disciples, his will appears in reproving the waves, his power in suppressing the rage thereof. This made Tobit say thou scourgest, and Tobi. 13, 2. yet takest pity: thou leadest to hell, and back again. And Gods own testimony proves the same, I kill, and I give life: I wound, and I make whole, and in the sixteenth chap. of john, saith Christ; ye are in sorrow now, but your hearts shall rejoice, and your joy shall no man take from you. Let us pray unto God to increase our little faith, and our ship shall never miscarry. Thus you have briefly seen the love of the Apostles, in following Christ to the ship: you have also seen Satan tempting, the wether storming the winds blowing, the Disciples trembling, and Christ sleeping, yet he being cried unto, awaketh and ariseth, and appeaseth the rage of the sea, and so suffereth not his disciples to perish. The Disciples love towards Christ, must arm us with like affection, towards him, and their want of faith must stir up our weakness, and incredulity, and make us fly to Christ, like the restless dove to the ark. So we shall be sure to be safe amidst all storms, like his disciples when Christ rebuked the winds. Use this Card, it will the better direct thee in thy compass, as the Angel lead Abraham's Gen. 24. 40 servant a strait path by land, so this will lead thee a right course by sea, and if any storm beat against thy ship, thou shalt be sure to come safe to shore, when others for want of this guide, shall perish by shipwreck, Amen. The Sinners Bath. If we acknowledge our sins, God is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins: and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. john. 1. 9 THis is a lesson for all, but Christ: all besides him▪ prince, Prophet, and people: from the merchant to the porter, from him that sits on the throne, to him that grinds ●n the mill, all are weak, and feeble, and diseased, and sick of one sore: and therefore ●ust all apply to themselves one, and the ●me kind of cure. None but Christ alone could say, which you can rebuke me of sin? Since all have sinned, all had need to be ●eansed. Luk. 3. 12. 14. The publicans and sinners, and soldiers come to john, craving to be salved. And here a greater than john proclaims, that all sinners, that will be set free from their sin, shall be so sound salved, and cleansed, in this so wholesome a Bath, that they shall never need a second cure, no more than the lame cripple in the third of the Acts Acts 3. being once restored to his feet by Peter, did ever any more betake himself to his crutches. And this Bath, as it is most precious, for it cureth all diseases, even the most putrefied and exulcerat sores; so is it yet most highly to be reckoned, because God offers it freely to all comers of all sorts: like the pool Bethesda, joh. ●. 24 that freely healed all that washed in it. Once God the father proclaimed to the thirsty: ho, every one that thirsteth come to the waters, and ye that have no silver, come buy wine and milk without money. And here God the son proclaimeth, speaking to the sick as he to the thirstie● come to be bathed, all ye that be leprous and sinful, come cleanse your souls, and receive Esay 55, 11 soundness to yourselves without money. Other baths do but wash and cleanse the bodies of men: but this is the sovereign Bath of the soul, none but this can purify the soul, and take away the maladies of it, by the secret virtues thereof. The Disciples of Christ, though they had the gift of healing, and power given them to work miracles, yet they could not cure all diseases: as they could not cast the devil out of the lunatic man, in the seventeenth of Matthew, Christ alone did that: so in this place, though God hath given power, and skill to men, to heal diseases, God alone will have the prerogative in curing ●●e diseases of the soul, none may do that but he. Howsoever the Pope will seem by his counterfeit physic to purge men's souls, and to cleanse their sins by his bulls, pardons, and indulgences, and such trumpery: yet we know that his physic, hath deceived all his patients, and hath wrought no more cure on the souls of men, than Elisha his staff, did 2. kin: 4, 31. recover the Sunamites child, when Gehezie laid it upon the face thereof. The Pope's patients are sick still, and still dead in their sins for all the Pope's drug: as the Sunamites child was dead still, till Elisha came. Not to amplify a large discourse in the commendation of this Bath, as Philip said to Nathanael, when he was desirous to see Christ, come and see: so say I unto you come and see, come and prove this Bath. I know, that if you wash in it, you must needs find the virtue of it: as Naaman found the virtue of jordan to heal that which all the rivers of Damascu● ●ould not cure. When you shall have practised it, I know you will say, as the Queen of Shebah said to Solomon, I heard before of thy wisdom, but the one half hath not been told me: so I have heard the praises and the virtues of this Bath before now, and lo, the one half hath not been told me. If we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive. Confession of sin must go before, and then forgiveness of sins will follow after. The text admits this short division. The sinner's salve, and the virtuous operation of it: the salve if we confess the effect, or operation, God is faithful to forgive. As Christ told Martha, one thing is necessary: so here he telleth us, one thing is necessary that sins may be forgiven. We must note that there is a threefold confession: First, there is a confession of faith, which is the act of religion. Secondly, there is a confession of praise, an act of gratitude. Thirdly, there is a confession of sin, as here, an act of contrition. Confession of faith made by Peter when he said, thou art C●●●t. The answer 〈…〉 flesh and blood have not revealed thes●●●ngs unto thee. Confession of praise is made by David, in the 106. Psalm: praise the Lord because he is good. Of confession of sins, we have many Exod. 32. precedents in scripture, Moses confessed the sins of Israel. This people hath committed a great sin. David confessed his adultery. They that came to Christ, confessed their sins. Most notable is the confession of the prodigal son, out of which we may learn the manner of true confession: first he did meditate with himself, how he should confess his sins unto his father, in that he said: thus will I say. Secondly, he cried out, I have sinned: he doth not excuse himself, nor hide his sin, like Adam Against heaven: because he esteemed Gene. 3. earthly things, more than heavenly things, and against thee: he looketh into the weight and greatness of his sin, in offending so good a father, who had given him so liberal a portion. I am no more wor 〈…〉: he was ashamed of himself, as Adam 〈…〉 hamed of his nakedness, arguing a s 〈…〉 emorse. And this confessio 〈…〉 as well accepted of the prodigal sons ●●ther: and our confession will be accept 〈…〉 of our father, even of God, so oft as we confess as he did. It must not pass without his note. In that this confessor saith, he would rise, and go to his father, that is, he that will confess aright, must rise from sin, as Samuel rose from sleeping, and as Matthew rose from the custome-seate, when Christ called him. He that hideth his sins, shall not be directed, Prou. 28. but he that confesseth, and forsaketh them, shall have mercy. God required confession of Adam and of Cam, to show the necessity of it. It is recorded of them, who were baptised of john, that they confessed first their sins, and in the nineteenth of the Acts, Act●●. 1●. they that believed, came and confessed. Both we and our adversaries do hold confession to be lawful, but we differ from them. First, because we say, it must be made only to God, they say, it must be made also to man, and so they have grounded their auricular confession. Secondly, when we grant, that upon special occasion, as for the glory of God, and the satisfaction of his church, it may be lawfully made to man, yet they appoint it to be so necessary, that without it, is no repentance, no salvation; and that necessity we deny. This auricular confession came in about Theodosius his time, and was not from Christ his time in the church, the history is to be read in Zozomenus 7. Book Chap. 17. In which history we may read, how this confession was abused, and how Nectarius in Constantinople caused it to be altered. If we confess, etc.] God doth not promise confession: but upon condition that we first confess, we may not look for pardon, unless we make confession. There is a proverb commonly used, confess and be hanged; and this is true with men, for the malefactor his own mouth condemns him, and the law proceeds to execute him; but with God it is otherwise, quite contrary: confess, or not be saved I will shut up this first part of my division, concerning the salve of confession, with that precedent of confession made by job in the 21. of his book, amongst other things, that testified his innocency of life, he citeth this: if I have hid my sin as Adam, concealing mine iniquity in my bosom. Our sins.] Sin is a spiritual leprosy, for in the thirteenth of Leviticus it written, the leprous aught to be severed from the rest of the people and should accuse himself and say, he was polluted: so the sinful should be severed from the Saints of God, and should condemn himself. Sin is tyrannical, and brings the soul of Rom 6. 16. man into bondage, and slavery: and therefore sinners are called, seru●peccati, the slaves of sin. Sin is called captivity, and it takes away the soul's freedom: and so sinners are called Rom. 7, 23. C●●●ui, captives. It is compared to a serpent, because the infection of it secretly creeps into the heart of man: and therefore it is said, she from sin as from a serpent. Eccle. 21. Eccl. 21. Since all these and infinite more inconveniences do issue from sin, let us seek and sue to Christ to be cleansed, as Naaman sought to Elisha to be healed of his leprosy. Neither Abanah, nor Pharpar, nor all the 2. Kin. 5. 12. rivers of Damascus could wash away Naamans' leprosy, save the water of jordane only; nor can any water wash away the leprosy of sin, but the water of contrition, running and streaming forth of the fountain of repentance. Wash, and be cleansed, was all the physic, that Elisha gave to Naaman: and all the 2. Kin. 5. 10. cure that Christ useth in healing and cleansing sinners, is but this: confess thy sins, and be pardoned. If we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive us. The first reason, driving us to confess our sins, is derived from God's faithfulness. As if he should say: hide not thy sins, for God knoweth them already: and he is faithful to punish thee, if thou conceal them: Homo videt, quoe patent, Deus vero intuetur cor● an seethe only the things that are op●n and ●●●ir●●t, b●t God seethe the heart. 2. ●●ng. 16. And again, I the Lord searching the rheims. ere. 27. And again, a● things are open to mine eyes. Heb. 4. God hath spoken this, and therefore confess your sins, for he is faithful and just, and this faithfulness of God made David to register and book up his sins, acknowledge my sins saith he, and my faults are ever before me. The same David being reproved by Nathan, for murdering Vriah to possess his wife, cried out, I have sinned, ●. Samuel 12. There we find David confessing his sin, and in the next verse following, we find the Prophet Nathan absolving ●im: God hath done away thy sin, thou shalt not die. God is faithful and will stand to his promise, in salving our sins, if we repent. God charged Mo●es, not to press to the bush, till he had put off his shoes, so we may not presume to come to God, till we have separated from us our sins: as Christ bade 〈◊〉 ●●ong man in the Gospel, put away his g●●●s, if he would follow him. 〈◊〉 M●●daler sought Christ weeping in the ●harises house, and Christ did appear 〈◊〉 her: as he appeared unto her, so he will appear unto thee, when thou confessest thy sins, and art sorrowful for them. God is faithful: faithful in his word, his words are faithful and true: faithful in his promises, all the promises of God are in him, yea, and Amen. Speak the word only, Hebru. 10. said the Centurion, and thy servant shall be whole. Faithful in his mercies, for they never fail, but are renewed every morning. Faithful in his judgements, they are termed righteous and true in the nineteenth of the Revelation: faithful in all his ways, so proved by that song of heavenly Angels, in the fifteenth of the Revelation. Just and true are thy ways, king of Saints. And the Prophet David joins with them Psalm. ●3 in like consent: the word of the Lord is righteous, and all his works are faithful. And unto this faithfulness is another property annexed viz. God's justice. Hear is the second reason to induce us to acknowledge our sins, for God is just. He is just in his anger, and in his bountifulness: who shall stand, saith Nahum before the face of his wrathful indignation? and his anger is poured out like fire, Ps. 85. And again, it is an horrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Heb. 12. He is just to give every man according to his work, reve. 21. therefore confess; for he is just. He hath promised free pardon, if thou perform this confession: and of this pardon thou mayst assure thyself, because God is just, and cannot break with thee. To clear this with many words, were to point at the shining sun, and to light a candle at noon day: therefore I will descend to that which followeth. That he may forgive us:] Though God be of power infinite, yet will he not save man without faith, forgive sins without repentance, and a principal branch of this repentance; is the confessing of sin. If thou treadest the path of repentance thus far forth, viz. to confess thy sins, and to be ashamed of them, and to be sorry for them, yet if thou have not faith, if thou believe not that God is faithful and just to forgive, thou comest short of true repentance. For judas proceeded so far as well as Mat. 27. 3. 4. thou, yet he was damned, because he disinherited God: he could not persuade himself that GOD would forgive him, and so he lost that which the thief found. Note therefore that three things are necessary, that sins may be forgiven. First, Infusio gratioe, the pouring of grace, or working of God's grace in us, as it wrought in Peter when he went to weep. secondly, the remorse of the soul, who fearing the danger of sin, flies to god by repentance, like the publicans & soldiers in the 3. of Luke: to this belongs confession. Thirdly, a change of mind, and casting off old affections, by putting a new heart, like Saul, when a kingly spirit was given him. The calling of sinners to repentance, is lively described by the calling of S. Matthew, in whose calling we are to note four things. First, he was sitting, noting the careless security of sinners. Secondly, the place where he was, viz. the seat of custom, noting how this worldly Mammon doth draw men from God. Thirdly, he rose up, showing, when grace is poured into us, than we rise from sin. It is not enough for us to hear Christ call, but we must rise up like Samuel, and S. Matthew, leaving our former state & occupation. Fourthly, he followed Christ: we must not leave sins only before committed, but we must endeavour to lead a godly life ever afterwards, framing ourselves to the example of Christ. To furnish you yet with a coat of surer proof than Saules armour, every soul that means to possess heavenly riches, must be qualified with these properties. He must first have voluntatis mutationem, a change of will. 2 Ad deum conversionem, a turning unto God. 3 Peccati detestationem, a detestation of sin. 4 Ad me●orem vitam intentionem, an intention and earnest resolution to live better afterwards. To forgive us our sins:] the certainty of this remission, is assured us by many precedents in scripture. David sinned, but upon his confession, God being faithful and just, forgave him. Ahab confessed his sin, and humbled ●●in. 21, 29 himself before God, and he saw not the evil that was threatened in his daves. And so did the Ninivites, and were not destroyed, though the hand of the Lord were already stretched out within forty days to consume Luk. 15, 22. them. The prodigal son was received with great welcomes, upon his confession. Notwithstanding the invincible truth of this doctrine, yet Satan, whose policy is ever to hinder man's salvation, thought to draw men from the understanding hereof, and shuffled into men's heads divers errors about remission of sin. First, that not God alone, but man also may forgive sins: whence the selling of pardons, proceeded. Secondly, that venial sin may be forgiven, with the infusion of divine, and heavenly grace. Thirdly that there is no remission, where there is not open confession to the priest. Fourthly, that remission of sins may be after this life, which opinion is defended by, magister sententiarum: and this is the root of Purgatory. The Pellagians affirmed, that when sin is forgiven, the punishment is also forgiven, and therefore they say, the death of the body, is not the reward of original sin. And so they say Adam had died a bodily death, whether he had sinned or not, but we know it to be otherwise. And these are the Locusts, that creep Revel. ●. forth of the bottomless pit. The Pelagians in maintaining this erro● cross these scriptures. In ●udore vultus: in the sweat of thy face, shalt thou eat thy bread: God forgave the sin, but the punishment still remains. God pronounced against Eve, in sorrow Gen. 3. shalt thou bring forth, God pardoned the sin, but the punishment yet remaineth. David by confession of his sin got pardon, yet the Prophet told him, he should be humbled by his son. But let these errors pass, and leave we them to him that devised them; which is the devil, who hath been a liar from the beginning: truth will triumph over falsehood, and the ark will stand when Dagon falls. One drop remaineth behind undistilled, the pure Quintessence whereof being in due mixture added to this clear fountain of crystalline water, will grace the same with a matchless perfection. When this is supplied, nothing will be wanting, as nothing was lacking to the five Mat. 25, 4. wise virgins, when their lamps were burning. And to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.] God will not only remit sin, but he will take it clean away: as Moses said he Exo. 10. 26 would not leave an hoof behind, so God in purging will not leave a spot behind, but we shall be thoroughly cleansed and made white, like Abosolom, who from the sole of his foot, to the top of his head had no blemish 2. Sam. 14. 25. in him. How filthy and polluted soever we were before, yet now we shall be clean and white, whiter than Naaman after so many washings. In the one and twentieth of the Revelation it is written, that the city of god is founded upon precious stones: and in the end of the Chapter it is said, there shall no unclean thing enter into it, showing that the soul of man must be clean. The Lord by Esay saith: I will blot out all thine iniquities. And if the wicked man will turn from his wickedness, I will remember his sins no more. In the sixth of the Revelation mention is made of those that were under the Altar, the Altar is said to be Christ, and the saints under the Altar are said to have long robes, showing that nothing must be seen in the Saints of God, which is stained or polluted, they must be all covered. Their robes are said to be white, showing that the souls which rest in Christ, must be clothed with innocency, after the perfection of Christ. A robe was given to every one of them, showing that one was not covered with the rob of another: one soul might not be clothed with the perfection of another, for the just shallive by his own faith. In the seventh chapter the fourteenth verse it is said, they had washed their ●obes, and made them white, showing there is no cleansing of sin, but by his blood that died for sin. Being now made clean and white, let us not pullute ourselves again, let us not any more run to the vomit of sin, for than we grieve the spirit of God, and our end is worse than our beginning. Cant. 5, 3. Let us rather learn the song of Christ's Spouse in the Canticles, I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them again: I have put off my coat, how shall I put it on? And thus have you seen the sinner wouded and salved sick to death and yet recovered to life again, like the Sunamites child: Be not like those 9 Lepers, who being cleansed, forgot him that cured them, & are noted ●o all posterities of monstrous ingratitude. Little will he yield, which will not yield john 8. 11. thanks, which makes thee nothing the poorer, nor him the richer that receiveth them. As Christ said to the woman taken in adultery, Go away and sin no more, lest a worse thing happen unto thee: so I say that you are washed now, and purged and cleansed from all your sins, go and defile yourselves no more, lest some evil overtake Heb. 10. 26 you: and then no more sacrifice for sins shall prevail: as Christ said, Remember Luk. 17, 32. Lot's wife, so I say, remember Esau, who Gene. 27. could not gain the blessing, though he sought it with tears. All will be learned, if you think on this lesson that we have taught, or rather which God hath delivered unto you. If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just, to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The God of peace make us perfect in all good works, to do his will, working in us that which is pleasant in his sight, through jesus Christ, to whom be praise for ever Amen. The forming of Eue. ¶ Also the Lord said, it is not good that man should be alone, I will make him an help meet for man. There fore the Lord caused an heanie sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept: and he took one of the ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof, and that rib which he had taken, made he a woman. Gen. 18. 21, 22. THe philosophers being but profane men such as never acquainted themselves with Divinity, the true saving knowledge; yet could say, being guided by a natural instinct of reason only, that contemplation is the chiefest felicity, or the only good thing, whereunto all men of all sort, should sacrifice their well bestowed labours. This Idea was a continual insight or serious consideration, both of God and of his creatures. And this in them was but a voice of humanity: but certainly it conveys unto us Christians mystical matter of deepest divinity: for it is the very loadestarre, that by a speedy and easy course, guides us along to the haven of true felicity, like those Angels that led forth Let to the place of refuge, when others disdaining so good a guide, perished worthily in the flames of Sodom. This consideration we find to be first planted in God himself, and secondarily from him derived unto men. It moved God when he did contemplate his own glory, for the further promoting thereof, to create the world, the heavens, and the earth, and the creatures therein, all to set forth his glory, according to that in the nineteenth Psalm: The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handy works, etc. Divine speculation performed this, and the same in another sort, but far inferior to this, must provoke us carefully to meditate and consider of the Lords goodness in crea●ing us and governing us, which are so wonderfully made: happy are we, and then do we show forth the shining majesty of God in us, yea, & then are we come to the full period of this Summum bonum, this so great felicity, when we meditate how to glorify God for his goodness. And this holy lesson being indeed the Alpha and Omega of all perfection, we can never have learned, till we can say as David saith: I study always upon thy laws, yea, and I make it my continual exercise: so holy a song could this sweet singer sounds forth, would all Christians could sing the like song with the like spirit. To press a little nearer to the matter in hand, as the creating of the world, and after that, the creating of man doth show the gracious care and providence of God over us: so in this place we find a fresh precedent of the Lords like goodness towards us, noted in the words of my text. Also the Lord said, it is not good that man should be himself alone, I will make him a help. The words do offer these three things to our consideration. First the consultation, or conference had between God and his wisdom, for the creating of the woman. Secondly, the effect of his conference, in the 21. verse. Thirdly, the manner of the woman's creation, in these words: God caused an heavy sleep to fall upon the man. In this consultation or conference, the love of God, and his provident care under mankind, is most lively discovered. After he had made man the world's wonder, and the most excellent of all his creatures, being but a little inferior to the Angels, and had made him Lord over the earth, & all things in it contained, to govern the same by the divine wisdom, wherewith God had endued him, having also placed him in Eden, that so glorious a seat, and so full of majesty, so plentifully stored with infinite varieties of ravishing pleasures. For out of it made the Lord to grow every tree pleasant to the sight, and good for meat, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil: all this felicity notwithstanding, that Adam now possessed, and more might not seem to be required for the bettering of his estate: for what can a man have more, than the whole world to command, as Adam had, & after him Noah? yet the Lord abounding in mercy, as he is all compounded of goodness and mercy, saw some thing wanting. Adam had not yet a companion, that might partake with him in this his felicity: all his joy and pleasure and solace seemed nothing, in regard of this one defect, he had none like himself, that might converse with him, or to whom he might communicate these his joys. No man knew Adam's state but himself, which made the sunshine of his glory, in some sort eclipsed, yea, the unreasonable creatures, the beasts of the fields, the fishes in the waters, and the fowls in the air, seemed to be in better case than Adam, for that they were not solitary, every one being yoked with his like, beasts, fowls, and fishes were multiplied in their kind, but for Adam found he not an help meet for him. The wisdom and learning of a man, which are the divinest parts in man, all these are nothing worth, if they be not communicated to others, what good issues from them if a man keep them to himself: if one be wise to himself, learned to himself, what profiteth it? No profit is in these, more than in the having of them: for they lie dead within us, not being drawn forth to the benefit of others, like fire that is hid in a flintstone without heat, or perfume in a pomander without smell, except the one be stricken, and the other be pounded. Man was borne for man, one man to help and support another; and therefore most divinely spoke Tully in this, though profanely in other matters: Non nobis solum nati sumus: sed partem patria vendicat, partem parents, partem amici: God hath not given us life, to the end we should live only to ourselves, and be nothing helpful to others: but our country doth challenge a part of us, and our friends a part of us, and our parents a part, and the least part is our own. And therefore most wise is this consultation or conference of God in this place. It is not good that man should be alone.] God in regard of his prescience or foreknowledge, knew it was not expendient: and we since by experience do find it to beso, that it i● not good for man to be alone. It ●s not good.] As if we should say: man is not yet so well as I would have him; I must yet perform somewhat more, for the bettering of his estate, as Christ told the young rich man, one thing was lacking: so here God tells Adam, one thing was lacking: Adam wanted a help-fellow. This huge frame of the world, whereof under me, he is the alone supreme Commander, would better content Adam, and the fruition of it would be reputed more delightful, and gladsome unto him; if he might find a mate or companion to participate with him, in this his Angellike life and incomparable happiness. Adam was yet alone in Paradise, and therefore the world and the creatures therein, the air, with the fowls, the earth with the beasts, trees, and herbs; the sea, and all waters, with the fish and whatsoever liveth therein, being all good: for the good God made all things good; and himself having finished the creation, surveyed all that he had made; and lo, it was exceeding good. Yet all these seemed not so good in a sort to Adam, being alone; for their goodness became as it were clouded, and covered as with a veil, because the pleasure and felicity of them descended only to one even Adam But since the word of God appeared in multiplying mankind, this goodness of God's creatures extended itself to a more general or universal community; so as every man without exception; God that gave them make us thankful for them, from the merchant to the porter; high and low of what degree soever, rich and poor, of what ability soever, the weak, and potent, of what power soever may taste the sweetness of them: all may stretch forth their hands to apprehend what soever goodness is leapt up in them, as freely as Adam did, when scope was given him, to eat of every tree in the garden, save the forbidden tree. It is not good that man should be alone.] See the love of God and his care over man, which no tongue, nor pen can amplify. But even now as it were, God was carefully employed, (I speak after the manner of men;) in that supernatural work of the frame of the world, and that for Adam: lo, that being finished, he deviseth yet again to augment Adam's felicity, in furnishing him with fresh matter of comfort: a greater comfort than the creation of the world: I will saith the Lord, make a companion for Adam. For ●t is not good that man should be alone. In beholding this great blessing, that God was ordaining for Adam: for in it was the greater blessing shadowed, and of greatest comfort, even the continent of all blessings, Christ the Messiah, the promised seed of the woman that breaks the serpent's head. In taking a clear view of this inestimable benefit, a sight more glorious than Moses saw, when he stood on mount Nebo, every man hath cause to cry out with David. O God what is man thou art so mindful of him? but looking upon ourselves, and sounding our consciences fraught with ingratitude, we have eause to cry out: O man what is God thou art so unmindful of him? O Adam, how was it possible thou shouldest forget him so soon, that was so careful of thy welfare, in pouring upon thee such an heap of unspeakable felicities? How couldst thou by transgression hazard the incurrence of his implacable displeasure, as after this thou didst, since he so bountifully broke up all the treasures and riches of his goodness. What blessing withheld he from thee, with the absolute endowment whereof he did not in a more than fatherlike affection invest ●hee? He made this world for thee, this world which before was without form, void, and wrapped up in obscurity, and darkness, till God had said, whose word was a work, let there be a light. He made the firmament that asurde sky, the beholding of whose crystalline clearness, may well procure amazedness, and astonishment from a diligent speculator, it doth so graphically set forth the shining majesty of him that created it. And in this firmament hath he placed two great lights, to distinguish times, and seasons, days, and years: and yet he made the same more resplendent, & glorious, by beutifying it with stars; and all this the firmament, the greater lights, and lesser lights, the sun, moon, and stars, and all for thee. He made the earth also for thee, that it should bring forth cattle, and every thing that hath life, according to his kind, every green tree, and herb for the service of man. The heavens and the earth, withal the host of them being finished: last of all, as the perfection of all, did he form thee, O Adam, out of the earth even red earth, and gave thee a name answerable to the matter, whereof thou wast made. And for that all this was too little for thee, the Lord committed the whole world to thy government that thou mightst rule over the fishes of the sea, and over the fowls of the heaven, and over the beasts, and over all the earth, and over every thing that creepeth, and moveth upon the earth. And because thou wantedst a pincely throne, and Regal seat of Majesty, whereon thou mightst sit triumphing as chief regent of the world, and to the which all creatures might have recourse to do thee homage. God gave a throne unto thee, more glorious than that of solomon's, though it were of ivory, and covered with the best gold, even the garden of Eden, a place of repose so magnificent, and of such matchless excellency, as no palace of any potentate, King, or key●ar in the world may be compared unto it; being a place that shined with supereminent beauty, and was stored with such infinite varieties of inexpected pleasure; the trees yielding all kind of desired fruits, and the fruits, as they were different in kind so they presented diversity of tastes all peasant & toothsome to the receiver. This garden was watered by a river, clear as any crystal, the resemblance of that river of the water of life, described by S. john in the 22. of his Revelation. In a word, this goodly Eden, this glorious mansion of Adam's regiment, seemed no other than a most lively representation of the very city of God, filled with the glory and majesty of the creator. Ah Adam, what meanest thou to disfranchize thyself of so great a liberty, and to lose the rich prerogatives of so ample a monarchy, in stretching forth thy hand to the forbidden tree? Can no apple but the forbidden fruit qualify thine unbridled appetite, the tasting whereof included thine exclusion and debarment for ever from Paradise, yea, death itself also to thee and thy posterity. Look back if thou wilt, for the shaking blade in the hands of the fiery Cherubin, hath cut off the hope of returning thither any more. Look back I say, to that place of bliss, which by transgression thou hast lost, and recount at once, if for grief thou canst, all thy woeful infelicities. Thou hadst the beasts, fowls, and fishes at thy command to call upon, the earth under thee to tread upon, the fruits of the trees beside thee to feed upon, yea, gold and pearl every where about thee to trample on; and what could thine eyes lust after, or thy heart wish for more than this? Notwithstanding all this that hath been spoken, every part and tittle whereof, doth abundantly show forth the love of God towards Adam. Lo yet for all this, God, whose mercy is beyond measure, and whose goodness is infinite, exhibiteth to Adam further testimonies of his love, in drawing from his own side a companion, when before he was solitary, for he saw it was not good that he should be alone. Adam little thought that the Lord was ordaining for him so acceptable a supply, he knew not his own want. Until God graced him with this new blessing, he conceived himself sufficiently furnished, like the rich young man in the gospel, who supposed he wanted nothing that might furnish him to the kingdom of God, till God made him understand, that one principal thing was lacking, which was, that he must sell all he had, and give it to the ●oore. Adam so long as he was alone without the woman, seemed but as a maimed man, that wanted his principal limb. As Agrippa speaking of himself, said: Act. 26, 28. thou persuadest me almost to be a Christian; so may I say of Adam, that he was almost a man, being yet alone, but when the woman was form out of his rib, than he became an absolute and perfect man. And this much be spoken of this first point of God's consultation or conference: now of his resolution noted in these following words: I will make him an help meet for him. God having taken counsel with his wisdom, at length determineth for Adam's good, an help meet from him: I shall not need to use many words, for the cleared of this note, for it containeth only the execution of that which in the former words he interpleaded, and for the use of the doctrine, it is little differing from that which hath already been spoken, only it showeth the continuance of God's mercy, and love towards Adam, in performing so speedily what he before consulted upon. It is not good (saith the Lord) in the former part of the verse, that man should be alone, and in the latter part he concludeth, I will make him a help meet for him. The reason that moved the Lord to be so friendly unto Adam, was this, because it made for his good, it was profitable for him. And the same reason should be of force by the example of God, to enforce us so to deal one with another: we should impart any thing to our neighbour that maketh for his good, if our friend want any thing that we can supply, we ought not withhold it from him: for as the woman for the man, so men were made for men, one to help an other. God hath made all his creatures to serve man, the sun to shine, the stars to give light, the clouds to water the ground, the cattle to till the earth, and the earth to yield her increase, and all this for man: shall these dumb creatures with such voluntary obedience, and such cheerful alacrity, perform their duties in their neverfailing ministry, and shall not we minister one to another's necessity? shall man only, Gods own Image, and the perfection of all creatures, whom God made but a little inferior to the Angels, shall only man I say, be defective in his duty? I will make, etc.] It was a sentence that was begun with words of sweet consolation; It is not good that man should be alone, and with no less harmony of like sweetness continued to the period, concluding thus with an heavenly consent: I will make man an help. See how peremptorily the love of God runs, Is it good for man? I will do it. We should carry like love one toward another, and we should learn to speak as God speaketh: Is it good for my neighbour? I will do it. His will and his love did join both together, to further Adam's happiness. His love made the question: Is it good? and his will presently makes answer like Samuel at the first call; I will do it for him. This was God's love towards us, O that ours towards him, were like his: for then as Gods love procured Gods will, to work Adam's good, so would our love, being like his, draw forward our will, to execute in a careful obedience, whatsoever God commandeth. Where this love of God hath wrought in the children of God, there hath this willingness been found concurrent with like effectual operation; for the are near separated from the children of God, but are evermore united as it were by an inviolable league, like jonathan and his armour bearer, who were never divided. The Prophet David saith in the 119. Psalm: I love thy commandments above gold, yea above most fine gold: there goeth David's love; and this love made him pronounce in the 32. verse of that Psalm: I will run the way of thy commandments: there we see David's will running after: his love went first, and his will followed after: and how did it follow? it came running, because his love had gone before. I will make, etc.] Here the Lord promiseth to give Adam an helpe-fellow, that he may not be alone, and performeth presently what he promised, as in the following verses may be seen. In this we are called upon by the example of God, not to foreslow, but speedily to execute what good thing so ere God commandeth, and our will purposeth to effect. It's an old saying, a man can never do good too late: but it is a true saying, a man can never do good too soon. Isocrates an heathen man could give divine counsel, to condemn christians that will not follow it, since he counseleth that, which christianity commandeth: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Take leisure in determining, but use celerity in performing what thou hast once determined. God's will had a present effect, for so soon as he was willing to give Adam a companien, he went immediately about it, and in a moment as it were, while the man slept, out of his rib form he the woman. God's will must be a precedent to our wills, that they have the like present effect; assoon as we be willing to do good, we must do it, many are willing enough to do a good deed, but they are slack in performance. They do it not presently, and so many times it comes to pass, that neglecting todo it, when it ought to be done, they do it not at all: and so the good turn dies with them, like a bird in the hand. If only we show ourselves willing to do good, and do it not: then we are not like God, who was willing to do Adam good, and did it: but we are like the Mat. 21. 30 unwilling son, who said he would go into his father's vineyard, and did not. An help meet for him.] Out of the word help may the wife spell one principal duty, that she oweth her husband, which is, to help him to thrive. She was made to be an help, therefore she must not be idle, she may not look to live only upon the sweat of her husband's brows, by unthriftily spending, what he carefully brings in: but she must bear a part of the yoke, and her part is to labour as busily at home, as he to travel painfully abroad. If you will more fully and in a clearer view survey your duties and the practic obedience which God requireth of you, in this behalf, you that be wives, I speak to the good wives, them who do help their husbands in their labours, peruse for your better instruction the last of the Proverbs of Solomon. The King had too much experience of bad wives, of ill housewives; you shall hear now what he speaks of good wives, he concludes both book & chap. with their commendation. Who shall find a virtuous woman? her price is far above the pearls: woeful experience urged him to demand, who shall find a virtuous woman? for himself among many could not find her, whom he in this place commendeth. The heart of her husband trusteth in her; and he shall have no need of spoil, she will do him good, and not evil, all the days of her life. She seeketh wool and flax, and laboureth cheerfully with her hands, she is like the ships of merchants, she bringeth her food from far, she considereth a field and getteth it, with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard; she overseeth the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children rise up, and call her blessed, her husband also shall praise her, saying: many daughters have done virtuously, but thou surmountest them all; and after many more praises sounded there at large, which I refer the reader unto, he closeth up all with this passionate conclusion, as one that well knew where the shoe wringed him: favour is deceitful, and beauty is vanity, but a good wife that feareth the Lord. she shall be praised: as if he should have said, fie on favour, that is not joined with the fear of the Lord, and fie on beauty, not linked with virtue: it was favour that beguiled me, and beauty that snared me, but a good wife that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised, for she surmounts them all, and that man shall have her to his portion, whom the Lord hath blessed. There is no wife but will confess, it is her principal duty to help her husband to thrive, and therefore I do only point at it: It followeth. Meet for man.] Things that be not meet, will not meet: if the man and wife be not like, they will not like, and therefore saith God, I will make him an help. Meet.] ●t is especially required in the holy kn●tt● of marriage, that the wife be meet fo● the man, and the man meet for the wife. If their affections and their minds be not suitable, they will never agree; as two oxen will not draw together unless they be equally yoake●▪ so m●n and wif● will not draw together vn●●sse th●y be equally yoked. This equality or fitness consists in two ●hings, equality of 〈…〉 and equality of affections, where this equality holdeth in both: there are they no longertwo but one flesh, & one mystical body according to the saying of our Saviour: Erant una caro. This holy sympathy stays all jars, and it is like David's harp curing saul's frenzy. It is like the band of perfection, linking man and wife together, in an undivided union and firm truce, as there never can arise any odds between them, but they shall so live and love together, like Elisha and Eliah, who could never be sundered till God divided them. The last point only remaineth concerning the manner of the woman's creation. And the Lord caused an heavy sleep.] While Adam slept, out of his rib God made woman. It is a note worth the nothing to consider, how, while Adam slept God form Eue. Comfort was prepared for Adam, when he least expected it, Adam did not think that the Lord would so soon give him a companion. And therefore securely he lad him down to sleep, but out of his rib God made woman in that short space: Adam sleeps and thinketh upon nothing less, than what he finds waking. Learn here the watchful providence of God, being careful of Adam's good, even when Adam sleepeth. Though we sleep or slumber, yet God waketh over us. Samson found honey in the dead lion, when judg. 14. 8. he looked not for it: and the Israelites had water out of the rock little expected, till they saw it streaming forth: and here is comfort presented to Adam, even as he sleepeth: and before he could consider of his want, he findeth such a comfortable supply, that he would not lose again for more talents of gold than Gehezi bought his leprosy with. Whereas God took the rib, and of it form the woman: this showeth that man is to esteem of his wife as of his companion, yea as of himself, for she is part of his substance, he must love her as tenderly as the rib in his own side. He is not to put her down to his heel: nor must she presume to his head. She must not exercise the mastery, nor must the husband make her his servant, remembering she was taken from his side: The rib teacheth them both, a lesson of continency: the man to like and love none but his wife, and the wife none but her husband: she ought in affection to be so near unto him, as his own rib. Lastly, it teacheth them both a lesson of unity, which is the band of love: the man must not provoke his wife, nor the wife her husband: No bitter words must pass between them, much less blows; for, will any man beat himself? will any man fret his rib? no man saith the apostle ever hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it. Ephes. 5. 29. And thus you have briefly heard, the sum of this portion of scripture, in such measure as god hath opened unto me, I have revealed unto you. In the first part you have heard god consulting: in the second, determining for Adam his good an help meet for him: and thirdly the manner of the woman's creation: all show forth gods love and care over mankind; and this love and care in God doth call for gratitude and thankfulness from us, by walking dutifully in our callings and supporting one another after the example of God. God that sormed us, so sanctify us by his good spirit of grace, that we fashion ourselves to his will, that we may ever be doing that which is acceptable in his sight, to his glory, and the salvation of our souls in the right o●s●e● of jesus Christ. Amen. A short Treatise upon the Commandments. Blessed are they that do the Commandments. Revel. 22. 14. THe Lord when he had made man, even Adam the father of all men, and the first progenitor, out of the clay, he form him, even red earth, which is also figured in his name, and having invested him with all the ornaments of excellency, and perfection, in making him but a little inferior to the Angels, and crowning him with glory, and worship, as it is in the author to the Hebrews: and having delivered unto him as his vicegerent, the sole and supreme sovereignty ●uer the world and the creatures therein, and having for the more increase of his felicity, seated him in that goodly Eden, and pleasant Paradise: a place more rich and more excellent, than all the King of S●a●●es golden Indies, for there is pure gold, and th●●● are precious stones in great abou● 〈…〉 may read in the 2. of Genesis. Yet all this notwithstanding 〈…〉 would not have him to ●●●d●e, 〈…〉 only in the secure cō●mp●●m●ion 〈◊〉 ●●rthly paradise, but he tas●ed him, 〈…〉 him a charge, to diesse garden, to ●ence it, and to keep it He gave him a cōma●●●ment also saying, thou shalt eat freely of all the trees in the garden, but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat thereof. Lo here had Adam a commandment, which if he had not viloated, he had yet holden Paradise; but he had no sooner tasted of the forbidden apple, but the curse of God overtook him, and his posterity; and as he became a slave to sin, so he became subject to death, the stipend of sin. And so was he driven, like an exile from Paradise, and could never enter in thither any more, for it is kept with a fiery cherubin, and with the shaking blade of a sword, that no man since Adam's fall da●e venture to have access in thither. Then had Adam a new task imposed him, not like the former, which was as you have heard, to dress the garden, to fence it, and to keep it; but a labour of sorer difficulty, and harder travel, even to dig and delve: he never knew what labour was, nor what husbandry meant till now, but now he knew it to his pain. All ye husbandmen, when you till and occupy your ground with toiling and moiling, in the sweat of your brows, think on Adam's fall, and that this your labour was inflicted you for a curse: for till Adam transgressed, it was never pronounced, Gen. 3. 19 In sudore unltus ves●eris pane, In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread. So then to descend to a particular application of that which hitherto hath been spoken. As the Lord gave Adam a commandment, while he was yet in Paradise, which you know, and I have partly touched, so hath he given us Adam's posterity commandements also, not one as Adam had, buteven ten for one. Wherein note what harm or inconvenience our first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 purchased us, by the breaking of that one which first was given him: If he had carefully observed that one, than had not these ten been imposed upon us, as if he should have said in the severity of his justice, looking upon the guilt of Adam's sin: have I given thee but one, O Adam, and couldst thou not observe that? Know that I will enjoin a greater matter unto thy seed after thee, I will charge thee with ten. And as I imposed a curse on thee for the breach of that one, so shall my hand of judgement be upon them, and their children, if they break those ten: If they transgress but in one, or a jot of any one: for he that offends but in a tittle of the Law, is guilty of the whole law. And as the sentence of death, and the exclusion of that earthly Paradise passed against thee, so shall the sentence of death, and the exclusion, not from that on earth, but from a better and a more glorious paradise pass upon them, if they observe not my commandments. Lo what an apple hath brought us unto: we should not eat an apple, though our own hands have planted it, without this consideration, but we should even then recall to memory the curse contracted to himself, and us, by eating the forbidden apple: and withal, we should advise ourselves of the penalty that must be inflicted us, when we offend the same God, in breaking the commandments, which now are given us. Let no man charge the Lord with severity in this case, for it was not so much the eating of an apple, that God respected, when he plagued Adam, as the breach of his commandment. Adam testified the small love, and less reverence that he bore, both to God, himself, and his commandments, when he would not stick to incur his everlasting displeasure, only for qualifying his lust, in eating of an apple. Whether it be a great matter or a small, that the Lord shall command, he will look be kept: if thou offend in the smaller, the more beast thou, to provoke God in so small a thing. God looks not upon the matter, but upon our disobedience, which God reckoneth as the sin of rebellion. Vzzah did but touch the ark being really 1. Chro. 1● to fall, and he was stricken with death in the ●●●ce. David his numbering the people caused 2. ●a. 24. 15 70. thousand to die of the pestilence. The man of God in the 13, of the first of 1. King. 13. Kings, for turning in to the old Prophet, was slain by a lion. Moses was bid to speak to the rock, and it should gush forth water, but he proceeded Nu. 20. 11. beyond his commission, and struck the rock twice, and for that cause, he never entered the land of promise. See how the Lord spareth not to punish, as well his own children as the reprobate, and wicked, when they offend him, that all men may take heed, how they provoke the Lord of hosts, or how they stir up the mighty lion of the tribe of judah, which devoureth the wicked like bread, and the ungodly like stubble. Therefore let us follow the sage and wise counsel of the prophetical King, and kingly Prophet David: kiss the son lest he be angry, and so ye perish in his wrath, like Chorah. A question may here be moved, why God should lay this heavy task upon us, why he should charge us with ten, and Adam but with one? Whereas we are far more insufficient to perform the same than Adam was: for God armed him with power and ability to perform the same commandment, which we have not. The answer must be this: as Adam had ability, so we are not altogether disabled, for god hath given us a gracious supply, in that we come short: because Christ that immaculate just one, whom the father hath sent unto us, he hath died for us, he hath also satisfied for us, and whatsoever the justice of God required of us, that hath he abundantly performed even the whole law, for in him dwelleth all Col. 1. 19 fullness, and of his fullness have we all received: The Lord hath charged us with this hard task, to the end, that looking into our own imbecility and weakness, we might have recourse unto Christ, flying to him for succour, as the Iraelites fled to the brazen serpent, when they were stinged with scorpions. Num. 21. 9 Blessed are they that do the Commandments.] To the end, no man should doubt of the certainty of this blessing, it is often repeated in sundry places of scripture. If thou shalt observe all my commandments, Deuter. 28. and obey diligently the voice of the Lord, than the Lord will exalt thee above all nations of the earth: blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed in the field, blessed in the fruit of thy body, and in the increase of thy kine, and in the flocks of thy sheep: blessed when thou comest in, and when thou goest out. And in the eleventh of Deuteronomie: If you hearken to my Commandments, I will give you rain to your land, early and late, in due season, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine and thine oil. I will give grass also for thy cattle, that they may eat and be filled. Consider this aright, and let it sink into your hearts, as it sounds into your ears, if you have not yet tasted, nor had your share in the aforesaid blessings; If God hath at any time stricken your fields, that they have yielded no increase: or if he hath sent the caterpillar to devour your fruits, if he hath laid a curse upon the ground, that no grass might be found for your cattle; know that it is for the breach of his commandments, as appeareth in the sixth chapter of the Prophet Michah. For as they are blessed that do the Commandments, so are they cursed that do them not, as you may read at large in the 28. of Deuteronomy. In the tenth chapter of Mark, the man that would needs know, what he must do to inherit eternal life, had this answer given him by our Saviour, Keep the commandments. And in the 119. Psalm saith the Prophet David, Blessed are they that keep the testimonies, for sure there is no iniquity in their hands. A special blessing is proclaimed by the Lord himself in the 19 chapter of Exodus: If you keep my commandments, you shall be my chief treasure. To quote all the places of Scripture, that speak of the rewards, and blessings pronounced to them that walk in the commandments of God, were infinite, and not necessary, seeing these may suffice which I have already produced; yea if I urged no more than this one proof, even my present Text only Blessed are they that do the commandments.] What the Commandments are, we all know, & I know, which I grieve to speak, they are every where better known, than practised, viz. those ten given by the Lord to Moses upon mount Sinah. Exod. 19 As they were not lightly given, Exodus 19 so they must not lightly be regarded: for salvation and destruction, life and death is in the keeping or breaking of them. It is worth the noting, to consider what a solemn preparation was used before the publication of them; how the people were first to be sanctified two whole days, how the Lord charged them to abstain from their wives, and to wash their clothes, how it thundered, and lightened, and the Mount itself trembled, and the Trumpet sounded. And last of all, which frighted the people most of all, the Lord himself came down in fire, and then he spoke and said: The Law being thus published on Mount Sinai with such terror, and other circumstances of majesty, may greatly astonish the breakers thereof: for undoubtedly the exaction of this Law must needs be with greater terror at the day of judgement, seeing the publication of them was with such fear and dreadfulness. These mysteries in the delivery of t●● Commandments must not be passed over with silence, since they contain matter of moment. The Commandments were given by God himself, noting that the Creator of man is principally to govern man. Delivered to the people by Moses, no●ng that God in his government useth the ministry of man. Delivered out of a flame cum tonitru & fulgore, noting the severe tortures of those that shall violate this law. Published on the top of a mountain, noting the high and heavenly authority, and divinity of this law. Written in Tables of stone, noting the stony hearts of men, wherein these laws were to be written. They were given with promise, that they should be Gods chief treasure, noting that they were given, not only for a burden, but for means to enter into heaven. And when the commandments were given, the people durst not come near the mountain, noting, that no man is to dispute with God, and to enter into his divine secrets. The people that heard the law stood in ●he Desert of Sinai, noting the want of virtue and piety in them. It is noted by a learned Divine, that the manner of delivering the Law was this: It was given by a voice, noting Blanditias promissionum. In a clear lightning, noting Claritatem, operum. In a thunder, noting Terrorem comminationum. With sound of trumpets, noting Instantiam exhortationum. The Law had his root in Paradise, his branches in the Desert, his fruit in Christ: the roots bitter to Adam, the branches, heavy to the Israelites, the fruits, death to Christ, because he died to fulfil the law. This law is a Schoolmaster, sending us to Christ. This law is like a glass, wherein we may behold two kinds of sights: we may behold our own imperfections, and also we may see the absolute perfection of Christ jesus. When the iron fell into the water, Elizeus 2. Kings 6 took a piece of wood, and threw it in, and the iron came to the top of the wait. We were as iron, sunk unto the bottom of the waters of desperation, and our heavenly Elizens, Christ jesus with a piece of wood, that is, suffering for our sins upon a wooden Cross, raised us up, and caused us to swim upon the tops of the waters of despair. But before we proceed to a particular view of the Commandments, I will briefly acquaint you with the substance of them, which is this: They comprehend the duty of man towards God, and the duty of man towards man; the duty of one man towards another. Our duties towards God are delivered in the four first Commandments, & first table▪ our duties towards man in the six last, being the second table. Wilt thou know how thou mayest perform all this that God requireth of thee in these his Commandments, why love God, and love thy neighbour, and thou hast done all. Do this, and thou shalt be as free from the ●reach of these commandments, or any of them, as Naaman was free from his leprosy, when he had washed in jordan. The whole fulfilling of the law consists but in one word: but in this word Love, it is ●ut a syllable. But thou must know; that this love is more than a bare love, a naked love, a cold love: for the wickedest and losest liver in the world will say he loves God, & he loves his neighbour too. But thou must love God entirely, and purely, and as he will be loved: thou must love him with these circumstances, viz. with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength; and then thou must love thy neighbour as thyself. Thou must love God above all, thou must love him more than thyself, more than thy father, that begat thee, or thy mother that bore thee, or thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy wife that lieth in thy bosom he Mat. 10. 37 that loveth father or mother, sister or brother, wife or children, or kinsfolks morethan me, is not worthy to be my disciple. We come short of this love, when we love the world, like Demas, or our pleasures, like Belshazar, or our riches, like the young man in the Gospel, who before he questioned with Christ, thought h● had had this love we now speak of: for he justified him Mat. 19 22. self, saying; All these have I kept from my youth up. But Christ knew ●ee loved his riches, and possessions, and his lands better, and therefore he bade him go, and sell all he had and give it to the poor, and he should have treasure in Heaven: but he went away sorrowing, not sorrowing for that he came short of this love we speak of, but for that he must part with his goods, if he would inherit lift; for the text saith, he was very rich. If ye love the world, the love of GOD dwelleth not in you: but when ye begin to love the Lord in the sincerity of your hearts, then, and never till then will the love of the world fall from you with the vanities thereof, as the white scales fell fro Tobias eyes. Love, even this pure love whereof we speak, is the first link, that in an holy union doth join GOD and us together: and this one link draws two others with it, fear and obedience: love looks upon God's mercy, fear looks upon his justice: the one stayeth us from presumption, the other keeps us from desperation. These two support our faith as the two Lions. supported Solomon's throne, and to what soul soever these two shall have recourse, even thither shall obedience comc also. These three are better welcome unto God, than the three presents offered by the wise men unto Christ. These three graces, love, fear, and obedience, are like those robes of righteousness to cover and beautify the Saints of God, which Saint john extolleth with a threefold commendation; they were pure, fine, and shining. This love holds me to it. like an adamant, and yet I may not part with it; till I have planted it in you: for if I teach you this one lesson, I teach you all, which is to love God above all. We must love him, for that he is merciful in making us, when we were not, in protecting us being made, but most of all, for saving us, when we had lost ourselves, as Adam lost himself among the fig trees: for giving us the air to breath with, the Sun to give us light, the rain to fructify the earth, the fire to warm us, the beasts and fowls and fishes to feed us, all that is within, and without our bodies: This world, and the goodly frame thereof. This aught to make us love god, and in our love to exclaim, like David. O Lord, what is man, that thou so graciously visitest him? but looking upon ourselves, and our ingratitude, that do not love god for all this: we have cause to cry out upon ourselves, & to say; O man, what is god, that thou so lightly regardest him? O Lord, saith Augustin in Soliloquijs: if thou for this vile body give so innumerable benefits, from the firmament from the air, from the earth, from the sea, by light and by darkness, by heat, and shadow, by dews, and showers, by wind and rain, by birds & fishes, by beasts and trees, by multitude of of herbs, and variety of plants, and by the ministry of all thy creatures: O sweet Lord what gratitude what love and thankfulness should we owe thee for all this? how should we honour thee, as thou deservest? All the creatures of God do call upon us to love God, and yet are we short of this love; we praise him not, we thank him not for his benefits, we honour him not for his goodness, so beyond all measure ungrateful are we like those nine lepers, that being cleansed, forgot him that cleansed them. Alas, what mean we to forget to be thankful to so gracious a God? what mean we now after so many blessings that God still poureth upon us, in a plentiful measure, we have not yet learned to love him? This is the A, B, C, of religion, and fi●st catechizing Principle for them to learn, that will be trained in the school oh Christ, and we have not learned so much, such trowanting scholars are we: In this love is all the whole duty of man consisting, and wilt not thou learn this one thing which teacheth thee all things? O but you will say, if all the performance of my duty to godward, consist in loving God, why it is a matter of no great difficulty, I can do so much: ever from my youth have I loved God. Indeed it may seem to be a lesson soon learned: but if thou discuss it aright, if thou examine what this love is, and where in it consists, and how many circumstances depend on it, being exposed, I say, to the uttermost herein, as Christ exposed the rich young man in the Gospel, thou wilt go away sorrowful, finding thine insufficiency as he did, and cry out upon thyself clapping thy Luk. 18. 13 breast, like the publican God be merciful to me a sinner: wilt thou know then what this love is, that God requireth, that thou mayst see how far thou wadest into the same, or how far short thou comest of it, hearken a while, and I will make a scrutiflie in to thy conscience, by sounding the very bottom thereof: if possibly I may find that love there, which thou wouldst seem to brag of. First, then and principally to proceed The first commandment. from the first to the last, I will appose thee in the first table, and first commandment thereof. If thou love God, as thou shouldst, thou wilt have no other gods but him; Thou wilt worship none but him; Thou wilt call on none but him; Thou wilt pray to none but him; The worship of God stands in four points. In fearing God above all. In honouring him above all. In praying to him alone. In acknowledging him to be the giver of all things, and therefore to put our trust only in him. A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father where is my Malac. 1. ● honour? if I be a master where is my fear, saith the Lord of hosts? there goeth honour, and fear. When ye pray, saith our Saviour Christ, to his Disciples, say on this manner: Our Mat. 6. 9 Father with art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil, Amen. Acts 17. 25, 26. Paul and Silas being in prison trusted in God, that he would deliver them, and therefore at midnight they made their prayers unto him: there goeth confidence and prayer. God is a jealous God, and will not have his glory communicated to any other, thou must invocate no other, neither saint, Angel, nor any other creature. Thou never lovest God as thou oughtest thou hast learned to say with David, whom have I in heaven but thee? David knew that Abraham, Noah, and the patriarchs were in heaven, yet he knew that they in heaven did not know him being on earth, according to that in Esay, 63. 16 Abraham hath forgotten us, and Israel knows us not. It is a point, Ilc not say of ridiculous folly, but of extreme madness to pray to them, that cannot hear us. The Saints themselves have no access to God but by Christ, the virgin Mary herself calls Christ her Saviour, what warrant have they then, that pray to the virgin Mary, since she herself sends them unto Christ, look the first of john 2. Christ is our only Ephe. 4. ● advocate, there is one only mediator. Why should we fly unto a Saint rather than unto Christ? unless we think, that either Christ is not sufficient, or else that he is too severe: and in thus thinking we rob him of his most glorious title of Mediator: that most singular prerogative given him of the father, we obseure the glory of his birth, we make his cross frustrate; in a word, what soever he hath either done or wrought for us, all is made vain and void by this derogatory kind of false worship. And lastly, we rob God of his bountifulness, who exhibits himself a Father unto us, how can God be our Father, when we will not have Christ for our brother? To be short: and to use the words of S. Austin, Christ is our only mouth, through whom we speak unto the father, he is our eye, by whom we see the father, he is our right hand, by whom we offer unto the father, who, if he should leave to plead for us, neither should we, nor the saints, have aught to do with God. Notwithstanding this sunshine of God's truth, yet all are not lightened, all open not their hearts, like Lydia, to receive this doctrine, especially the elder sort, who have sucked this superstition, as it were from the dug: and they cannot leave it, because they have been nuzzled in it. Thus, many that have eyes will not see, but do wander out of the truth, like the blind Aramites, groping at noon day. If when we should fly to Christ, we run to a Saint, we are not like the man in the gospel, who threw away his cloak, to run to Christ, but we are like Samuel, that ran to Eli when God called him. ●. kin. 2. 17 When Eliah was taken up into heaven, yet some sought for his body upon the earth, but they found him not; No more shall they find Christ, that seek him in the Saints, where he is not to be found: as the father & mother of Christ could not find him, though they sought him three whole days, till they came to the temple. john. 1. 29. and 36 Look unto john Baptist: and we shall see him pointing, not to a Saint or an Angel, but unto Christ the Lamb of God. Let this be the conclusion of this one subject or principal matter of substance contained in this first and greatest commandment, which concerneth the true worship of God. None may be prayed unto but such as can both hear and grant the thing we ask: none can do so but God only: most notable is that saying in Psal. 65. because thou hearest the prayer, therefore unto thee shall all flesh come. Neither Saints nor Angels, aught to be worshipped, Ergo not to be prayed unto. reve. 19 Since the Scripture therefore in the true worship of God, doth especially commend unto us, that we invocate God only, we may not without manifest sacrilege direct our prayers to any other. If we lift up our hands to any other, will not God require it: concerning the office of intercession we see it peculiar to Christ only and that no prayer is acceptable unto God, but that which our mediator doth sanctify: for him hath God the father sealed. I will shut up all with that in the seventh to the Hebrews. 25. God is able perfectly to save them that come unto him, by his Son Christ: because he ever liveth to entreat for You have heard this error convinced by the word: therefore as our Saviour said to the woman taken in adultery; Go thy way and sin no more, so I say unto you, that have been supersutiously affected; Now you know it to be a sin, do it no more. We will now proceed to the second Commandment. The second commandment. IF thou love God as thou oughtest, and as he requireth thou wilt make no Image of God; for so runneth the commandment: Tbou shalt not make to thyself any graven Image. And if thou mayest not make it, much less mayst thou worship it; no Commandment Exe. 34, 14 throughout the Scripture is more pressed than this: thou shalt bow down to no other God, because the Lord whose name is jealous, he is God. This Commandment was greatly violated in the days of jeremy; the prophet chargeth judah, that according to the number of their Cities were their gods; they could say to a tree, thou art my father, and to a stone, thou hast begotten me. Remember saith Moses, when God spoke unto you out of the fire, you hard the voice Deu. 4. 12. of the words, but saw no similitude, save a voice only. As we are forbidden in this commandment, to make the Image of God, so are we likewise charged, not to make the Image of any other thing, either to worship it, or god, saint, or angel by it, for God will not be worshipped after our own fancies, but as his word commandeth. God will be worshipped in spirit and truth, according to the pattern of the word, as Moses did all things according to the pattern he saw in the mount. In vain ye worship me, teaching for doctrine Mark. 7. 7. the precepts of men. This controls the vain and idle conceitedness of ignorant people, who being demanded why they maintain this or that superstition, they answer no other thing but this; our fathers held the same before us, and we hold the same too, by tradition from them: as if religion came by descent, so foolish are some and ignorant, even as an horse or mule, which have no understanding. Ambrose in his twenty ninth Epistle saith, that the jews are the rather estranged from Christian religion, because they find Images erected in the Papists Synagogues. The jews smarted many times for their Idolatrous worship & therefore now detesting it in themselves, they abhor it in others also. Osee telleth the jews, that because they counseled with their stock and staff; and went a whoring from under their god, therefore their daughters should be harlots, and their spouses' whores. What senselessness is it saith a learned divine, for the Image of God to fall down before the Image of a man? Danid painteth out the vanity of superstitious worshippers, when speaking of Idols he saith: the Idols of the heathen are silver and gold, even the work of men's hands: they have mouths, and speak not; they have eyes, and see not; they have ears and hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouth: they that make them are like unto them; so are all they that put their trust in t●●m. Liclantius peremptorily gives out this censure, there is no doubt saith he, but that no pure religion can be there, where any Image is received. Again, if thou love God, thou wilt carry The third commandment. such are everent estimation of him, as that thou wilt not abuse so much as his name, thou wilt both speak and think reverently of him. Thou dost violate this commandment, so often as thou dost blasphemously apply the name of God to enchantment, sorcery, cursing, and perjury. The iniquity of these times, and the necessity of reforming the gross abuses of men wilfully and wittingly incurring the breach of this commandment, would require whole volumes of invectives, witchcraft, forceries, & charming, they are sins too commonly practised in this age. If ones finger do but ache, or any part of thy body, be extraordinarily touched with any infirmity, strait to the witch thou runnest or sendest, and so for things that be lost or stolen, for the which, the wiseman, or the wise woman, must be consulted with: alas beloved, is God as Baal, that he should not care for your abuse, nor call you to an account for the breach of his commandments, Or are you yet to be taught, whether this be a sin or not. For so many shame not to answer, when they are challenged for going to a wise man or woman; why, say they, we hope we do well, we find that good comes of it, we get our health, we recover our goods that were lost, and so they cross S. Paul his rule: Non facienda sunt mala, ut veniant bona: we may not do ill, that good may come of it. If thou hast not yet heard the Lord condemning this sin, hear it now, and henceforth condemn it in thyself. Let none be found among you, that useth Leuiti. 20. witchcraft, or that is a regarder of time, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or that counseleth with spirits, for all that do such things are an abomination to the Lord. The Canaanites for this cause were expelled Exo. 22. 18. from their good land: let not a witch live. In the sift of the Gallathians it is reckoned among the sins of the flesh, and condemned. Wilt thou behold the terror of the Lords wrath upon this sinful generation, and ever after beware of a witch? look upon Saul, whom God did not spare, though he were a King, for consulting with the witch at Endor, he was utterly forsaken, & his kingdom taken 1. Sa. 31. 4. 6 from him: the next day following he and his three sons were slain. Will ye have another precedent of God's justice upon another who was a King too. Achaziah being sick of a bruise taken with a fall, would needs send to Beelzebub 2. King. ●. of Ekron to know whether he should recover or no; but the Lord by the mouth of Eliah sent back the messenger before he could come to the witch, and bade him return this cold comfort to his master, is there no God in Israel, that thou sendest to inquire of Beelzebub; wherefore thus saith the Lord: thou shalt not rise up from the bed whereon thou art gone up, but shalt die the death. If you, or any other, when you go to a witch, should receive this or the like sentence at the lords mouth, I resolve you would be more wary. I cannot part with this sin, because I would beat it down, and stamp it into hell, from whence it came. Oh would I could find that stone that might kill this Goliath! I would throw it at him, with all my might, and make it sink into the midst of his temples to return glory to Israel, and shame to the Philistines. Most notable is that place in Ezech. where God pronounceth an heavy woe against these wise-mongers. Woe unto the women that sow pillows Ezec. 13. 18 under every armhole, will ye hunt the souls of my people: will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley, and for pieces of bread, to stay the souls of them that should not die: can you give life to the souls that come unto you; why do ye hunt the souls of my people in lying to them? But wilt thou receive. O thou sorcerer, be thou wise man, or wise woman: (alas we call them wise but they are fools) for they destroy their own souls. Wilt thou receive I say thy full fraught at once, and the total sum of all thine infelicities, thou hast no interest in God, no society with the Saints, no fellowship with the believers, no part or portion in any the good creatures of God: full of terror and astonishment, is that saying of Saint john; Reu. 21. 8 the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and sorcerers, and all liars, shall have their portion in the lake that burns with fire, and brimstone. Cursing, and swearing I will but point at: and yet are these sins little inferior to that which we have already spoken of: but what dare not profane wretches commit when they may scape with immunity of punishment: our common wealth looks not to the weight of these sins, nor doth the magistrate care to show his authority in suppressing them, which makes these sins to walk in the high streets uncontrowled. What heart is so stony like the Adamant, that would not bleed to think upon, or what ear would not tingle to hear the wicked ban and blasphemous oaths of many a desperate wretch? heart, blood, nails, wounds, flesh, even by all the parts of his glorious body: as if they would crucify Christ anew like the jews. Who is it among us, that is not ginen in some measure to this sin, old, and young, and all. Children that have not learned to go, have learned to swear, and is this to love God? nay is not this to hate God? Let us leave this sin betimes, or God will have his day with thee too, O thou swearer. The wise man hath spoken it, that the Ecclus. 23. 11. plague shall never departed from the house of the swearer. The son of a certain Israelitish woman, for blaspheming the name of the Lord, and Levi. 24. 14 for cursing was stoned to death without the host. Again, if this love of God be planted The fourth commandment. in thy heart, thou wilt keep his Sabbaoth: thou wilt remember that as a principal duty among the rest, thou wilt both rest thyself, and cause thy family, & all that belongs unto thee, to cease from labour, and to sanctify the same. Thou must upon that day do holy things, for it is the Lords holy day: thou must not do thine own ways, nor seek thine own will, nor speak a vain word; that day must be bestowed upon exercises of holiness, as in hearing the word read, and preached, in praying, receiving the Sacraments, singing of Psalms, godly conference and meditation. Thou must come to the church the house of prayer, keep my Sabbaoth, and reverence my sanctuary. There you are tied to come, and when you come, come with reverence: as you carry with you, your holy day clothes, so must you carry with you your holiday affections. This Sabbaoth is called in Esay the Lord Esa. 58. 13. his day: but if you follow vanities upon that day, or do your own unnecessary business on that day, you make it your own day, and not the Lords day, and so you honour not God, but you honour yourselves, as Ely honoured his children. The Lord hath given us six whole days, and hath reserved only one for himself: and yet we would have that from him too; at the least we take the greatest part of that from him, and do bestow it upon our lusts. If we offer unto the Lord the morning sacrifice, yet we are not ready to give him the evening incense, where God requireth both, and will not be served by piecemeals: If we give God but a piece of the day, we are like the unnatural mother, who said of the child, let it be neither hers nor mine, 1. ●in. 3. ●●. but ●et it be divided: so we seem to part stakes, as it were, with the Lord, by dividing the Sabbaoth day, making it neither Gods wholly, nor our own. This is the last Commandment of the first table, but it must be chief in request, no commandment carrieth with it such a charge as this, for it runs with a special Memento: Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbaoth day: as who should say, in any case, see thou observe this commandment; for if thou keepest this, thou keepest all. For in coming to church to hear and learn the word of God, to praise and glorify him, thou art taught thy whole duty, both how to observe this and all the rest. The second table expresseth the duty The fifth commandment. of one man towards another: it showeth what love thou oughtest to bear thy neighbour. The principal duty branching out of this love, is the duty to parents. If thou love God, thou wilt also love thy parents: thou hast one father in heaven, who must especially be honoured, in manner as thou hast heard: thou hast an other father in earth, and God thy father in heaven commands thee to honour him that is thy father on earth. And this honour hath God imprinted in his name, by giving them his own name, the name of father. He is thy father, therefore honour him, as God gave our fathers their beginning, so hast thou from thy father thy beginning: it hath pleased God to use them as instruments to beget us. This love contains in it, honour, fear, obedience, and relief. We read of the young stork, that he carrieth the old one upon his back, when for age he is not able to fly. This is recorded of the stork to condemn us men, that will not be careful to relieve our parents, as they were careful to relieve us. God, and nature, and reason, & common sense, do call upon us for this duty to parents, therefore I will not discourse further upon it. And in this commandment thou art, not only called upon to be dutiful to thy natural parents, but also to the fathers of thy country, or of our houses, the aged▪ and our fathers in Christ; and unto them that perform this honour, a special blessing is promised, which is long life. Further, if thou love thy neighbour, thou wilt ever be doing him good, and not evil, all the days of thy life. Thou wilt procure all the means thou canst to work his safety: thou wilt defend him from injury offered him by others; and if thou defend him, thou wilt much less seek to hurt him; and if thou wilt not hurt him, much less wilt thou maliciously proceed to kill him; for all this is charged in that commandment. Thou shalt not kill.] As the love of God appeared in creating us, so it appeareth in preserving us, God that gave life, will have us preserve life. The Lord will not have thee so much Levi. 19 17 Mat. 5. 22. as to be angry with thy brother unadvisedly, nor yet to have him: nor will he have thee to mock or quarrel with thy neighbour. Whosoever sayeth unto his brother, Rachah shall be worthy of judgement, but he that saith, thou fool, shall be worthy to be punished with hell-fire: these are the handmaids of murder, and are all here condemned. But if thou shalt, being over ruled by thine own corrupt will, and Satan his suggestion at any time fall out with thy neighbour, to quarrel with him, and to hate him in thine heart: oh, beware yet how thou proceed to shed his blood, for than thou fallest into the extremity of the breach of this commandment. Destroy not him whom God hath made, and for whom Christ hath died: for he that sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be, shed. Gain proved not a wanderer till he became a murderer; he never despaired of God's Gene. 4. 14 mercy till he had slain his brother: but when his brother's blood beg●nne to cry out for vengeance to the Lord, than he began to cry out also against himself: mine iniquity is greater than God's mercy. Let this wanderer be a warning to all them that carry bloody minds that hate their neighbours in their hearts; and by his judgement; let us grow wise, let us learn, not to destroy life: for God chargeth thee to preserve life. Christ commands us to love, even our Mat. 5. 44. enemies. The seveth commandment. Again, if thou love thy neighbour thou wilt not corrupt thy neighbour, thou wilt not tempt him or her to any uncleanness, which is the matter of the seventh commandment: for God will have us glorify him in our bodies and in our souls. God requireth us to be so provident and careful in guiding ourselves, as that we suffer not so much as an unpure thought or lust to pass from us. In this commandment all unchaste demeanour, & lose carriage of ourselves, all idle talk, foolish and scurrilous jesting wanton songs, garish or gaudy apparel, and all lewd pastimes, inusing to such uncleanness, are here forbidden. For our bodies are the temples of the holieghost, and God requireth us to be holy, as ●e is holy. Know ye not, saith Paul, that your bodies are the temples of the holieghost, which is in you, whom ye have of God, and you are not your own; fo● ye are dearly bought: therefore glorify God in your bodies, & in your souls, for you are gods. Behold the vials of God's wrath upon transgressors of this commandment, and by their falls learn to stand: we read that Phineas in his zeal slew Zimry and Cosby for this sin of adultery. Five and twenty thousands of the Beniamites jud. 20. were slain for the forcing of the Levites wife. The Sodomites for this sin among others were consumed with fire. He that committeth adultery is void of Pro. 6. understanding, he that doth it destroyeth his own soul. In the eight commandment all stealing The eight commandment and robbing, all violent wrongs, frauds; and all desire of other men's goods are prohibited: so we read in Leu. 19 11. Eph. 5. 9 1. Thes. 4. 6. The contrary to this is commanded, viz. to be content with the portion that God hath given us, in labouring for our own livings, and being helpful to them that need. To proceed yet further: if thou love thy The ninth commandment. neighbour, thou wilt not accuse thy neighbour falsely in any matter by bearing false witness against him: God is a God of truth: and he requireth truth in his servants. If at any time thou shalt testify against him, loo●●e thy testimony be true. All lying, flattering, and dissembling, are here forbidden, also all backbiting, and slandering. This commandment hath many branches: it impeacheth the judge, if he give false judgement: it impeacheth the counsellor, if he carry himself to his client otherwise than he ought: it impleades the recorder, if he falsify the record, most of all it concerns him, for the record being searched, if it be false, an hundred years after it may do harm: it reacheth to the jurors, if they give not a true verdict, according to evidence: if these circumstances were duly considered, there would be less swearing and forswearing than commonly is used. To instruct you yet a little further in this commandment, you must note there be three sorts of testimonies. Suggesti, Fori, Colloquij: of the Pulpit, of the Court, of Conference. False witness of the Pulpit is, when the peacher delivereth false doctrine: if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and 1. Cor. 15 14, 15 Acts 5. we are counted false witnesses of God. False witness-bearing in the Court, is when one man shall falsely accuse an other before the judge, as Tertullus accused Paul, calling him a pestilent fellow, Act. 24● or when the judge himself shall give corrupt judgement, as Pilate pronounced sentence against Christ, though no crime could be produced against him. Testimony of conference is, when in private matters one accuseth another falsely, by way of slander. Alas if false witness may be committed so many ways, who of us is not a false witness. We cannot certainly clear ourselves, from the breach of this commandment, no more than those Jews could clear themselves, when they accused the adulterous woman to Christ. If thou hast but told a lie, or hast flattered, or hast slandered thy neighbour, thou hast violated this commandment: but how grossly do they transgress, and how heinous is their sin, that in the face of a Court, in the sight of God, of Angels, and of men's being produced to try the truth in matters of controversy, between neighbour and neighbour, will dare most grossly, and irreligiously to swear an untruth upon their book-oathes Most dangerous and full of honour is the state of such a profane wretch, for it is a sin in the next degree to blasphemy. wouldst thou but consider what an oath were, and what a burden or clog this is unto thy conscience, even a more grievous burden to thy soul, than the leprosy of Naaman was unto Gehezie, thou shouldst be better advised in laying thine hand upon a book and bearing false witness against thy neighbour: if after so many oaths thou hast not yet learned what an oath is, learn it now, and be ashamed of thine ignorance, as Adam was of his nakedness. What an oath is. juramentum est contestatio divini numinis, cum oppigneratione boni, & impr●catione mali. It is the calling of God the father, God the son, and God the holy ghost to witness, with putting our salvation in gage, that our witness is true, and wishing our condemnation, if it be false. Out of this definition may we spell the substance of an oath, and the danger of it: if thou swear truly, thou hast saved thy gage, salvation was the pledge or pain of thine oaths trial: but if thou swearest falsely, thy pawn, & thou thyself art forfeited, not unto God, whom thou hast denied, in denying his truth, but to him who is the father of lies, that tempted thee to lie against thine own soul, as he tempted Ananiab and Saphira, that is the devil; and I know not how thou wilt be dispensed with. Wilt thou know then how to anoide the danger hereof, and withal; the breach of this commandment, thou must do it thus: viz, in judgement, in righteousness, and in truth: and so I conclude this commandment. Many words need not to be spent in The tenth commandment clearing the tenth and last, which reacheth to the bridling of our affections. If thou love thy neighbour thou wilt not transgress so much as in thought against him, for the very motions of our hearts are able to separate us from the love of God, Rom. 7. 7. and the love of our neighbour. See how careful the Lord is over us; he would have us, not only to watch our works, but our words also, and our thoughts. The former commandment of witness bearing is called by the learned, Prieceptu● v●rborum, the precept of words and this last may be called, Man latum cogitationum; the commandment of thoughts. If God would have thee watch thy words, and thy thoughts, how much more carefully would he have thee to watch thy deeds. If God requireth thee to glorify him in words, much rather doth he require thee to glorify him in deeds, and if in deeds, than most of all in charitable deeds: if to speak well to thy neighbour, then to do well much rather. And here fit occasion is ministered to put you in mind of your poor neighbours, deny not them food and other necessities that they shall require: how do we know but that God hath sent this famine upon us, to try how we will carry ourselves to our brethren, ●●● poor distressed members of Christ's body, we have had many plentiful years, God's name be praised for it: in regard whereof, and in testimony of gratitude, let us not now shut our hands, nor shut up our doors, lest it might be said, that Pharaohs lean kine, have eaten up all the suit kin●. That which we give, it is not lost he that gives but a cup of cold water, shall not lose his reward: remember how God blessed the oil in the cruse and the meal in the bag to 1. King. 17 th● poor widow. If thou give to the poor; thou dost not give, but lend, and to whom dost thou lend, but to the Lord? he that giveth to the poor, ●●ndoth to the Lord; and look, what he layeth o●t▪ it shall be paid him again: yea, h● will pay it thee again treble in the double. Consider thou givest it unto him, who is 〈…〉 ●n●●●esh, who is the Image of God as well as thou, who is made of the same ●o●●d with thee, who must be heir of the same promises with thee. If in other things thy love appear not to thy neighbour; yet in this it must needs appear, and show itself by relieving him; so fulfilling the will of God, who chargeth thee thus in the fifteenth of Deut. seventh verse. Deut. 15, 7 If thy brother by thee be poor, thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor shut up thine hand, but shalt relieve him in his need: he that despiseth the poor, despiseth him that made him: if you shall thus do, and in the fear of God, I exhort you so to do, to you then belongs that voice of comfort; come ye blessed of my father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world: for I was hungry, and you gave me meat; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you lodged me; I was naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came unto me: Know that Christ in the poor is hungry and thirsty, and a stranger, and naked, and sick, and in prison; and in as much as you have done it unto one of the least of these his brethren, you have done it unto him. And now (beloved) that I have showed you all the circumstances in effect of this love towards God, and towards your neighbour, which is all the duty that the Lord requireth of you in these his commandments enter into yourselves, sound yourselves, whether this love of God be in you, or not. As S. Paul bade the Corinthians to prove 2 Cor. 13. 5 themselves, whether they stood in the faith: so I, not by way of commandment, but by request, rather entreat you, prove, and examine yourselves, whether this love of God be in you, or not. It shall soon appear by due examination, as a vessel is judged by the sound thereof, to be either empty or full. Happy is that man that can say: all these have I kept. The prodigal son was never half so welcome to his father, as this man is to God. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉