NEW ESSAYS: MEDITATIons, and Vows: Including in them the Chief Duties of a Christian, both for Faith, and Manners. By Thomas Tuke, Minister of God's Word, at S. Giles in the Fields.  
LONDON, Printed by N. O. and are to be sold by William Bladon, at his Shop in S Paul's Churchyard, at the sign of the Bible. 1614   

To the Right ver virtuous and Honourable Lady, the Lady Alicia Dudley.  
MADAM,  
AFter I had written these lines, (for I know not well how to call them) I long discoursed with myself, whom to I might present them: At length I bethought myself of your Ladyship, whom I deemed very worthy of them; and am bold, under your Name, to publish them unto the world. If herein, or by any other means, I may further your knowledge or devotion in true Christianisme, I shall rejoice. I seek for nothing, but your soul for Christ, that in him it may be presented pure and perfect unto God. Your Wisdom, and not your Wealth, that you may be wise in Christ jesus, according as S. Paul doth teach you: If any man among 
●or. 3. 18  you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise: for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. To know Christ well, is the chiefest learning; and to serve him truly, is the greatest freedom. Marry was happy in bearing him, more happy in believing in him, in that she bore him in her breast, whom she bore before in her belly. And though every Lady cannot be a Mary, a Mother to him in the flesh; yet every true Christian Lady is a kin to him in the faith, flesh of his flesh, and bone his bone, a very member of his body in a spiritual sense. Whosoever (saith he) shall do 
Mat. 12. 5 Luk. 8. 2  the will of my Father, which is in heaven, the same is my Brother, and Sister, and Mother. And this is the better: for the Christian blood, as Christian, is the best blood in the world A man in any other blood may perish: but he that hath this blood in his heart, shall never perish. If a Christian, during a Christian, may be damned, then say that Christ himself may be damned also. Which, what religious ear can endure to hear? But I will detain you no longer: but leave you to those things which I have prepared for you. If they shall find your kind acceptance, they have what they come for; and I that for what I sent them. Use them, and peruse them at your leisure: and God give them favour in your heart. The great God of heaven and earth protect and bless you, and all your children, and keep you all for ever in his faith and fear, that ye may see his face to the eternal comfort of your souls in heaven.  
Saint Giles in the fields, October 5. 1614 Your Ladyships in Christ jesus, Thomas Tuke.   

To the Courteous Reader.  
GEntle Reader, I have written this book for thee: if thou use it, it is thine: if thou abuse it, it is not thine, but mine. Quarrel not with the name, if thou dislike not the nature. As children, so books, which are the birth of men's brains, have not ever the fittest names. It is oftentimes as Godfathers please. If thou dislike the name, call it what thou wilt. Wonder not that new books do still fly abroad: the world is full of new brains; Wherefore not of new Books? They that are of active spirits, were better do this then nothing. As for myself I bring with me no novelty, as I think, but that, that is old and true, though (it may be) cast in a new mould. I suppose both young & old helped forward the Tabernacle, and after that the Temple: and it is my joy to do any thing I can, for the Church of Christ, If I can bring but one Lace or Pin to the trimming of His Bride. Read, and consider what thou readest. Let me find thy loving and unsparing censure in discretion. If I shall perceive any thing to be amiss, it shall hereafter be corrected: If it shall find entertainment with thee, I may be encouraged to prepare more of this kind hereafter for thee. Thus I commend my book to thee, and both it and thee to God.  
From my Study in Saint Giles in the fields, this 5. of October, 1614 Thine in CHRIST: THOMAS TUKE.   
ESSAYS.  

Of God.  
WHILES I think of GOD, my thoughts are swallowed up as of a gulf, and I lose myself, rather than find Him: His brightness dazzleth mine eyes; and I cannot reach Him with my Line, and sound Him with the Plumet of mine Understanding: He is so deep that I cannot go down unto Him; He is so high, that I cannot mount up unto Him: He is so great that I cannot comprehend Him; He is so large that I cannot measure Him: He is so Wise, as I cannot conceive; and so Good, as I am not able to express. Alas! How shall a Bushel contain all the World? How can a Bucket hold all the Ocean; or a Spoon lad out all the Water, that is therein? How can a Fool dive down into the depths of Wisdom; or he that is evil, fully understand Him that is an infinite, and inexplicable Good? Yet this have I learned; He is Great without Quantity; He is Good without Quality: He sees all things without Eyes; He hears all things without Ears; He knows all things without discourse: He made all things, and yet hath need of nothing; He fills all things, but is filled of nothing; He gives all things, but taketh nothing; He is in all things, but is polluted of nothing: No thing can help Him, nothing can hurt Him; nothing can add to Him, nothing can be taken from Him. O GOD, Thine Execellency doth surpass mine infirmity! Thy Beauty, draws me; Thy Fullness contents me; Thy Mercy stays me. I would be Thine, even Thine, and none but Thine: I desire nothing against Thee, nothing besides Thee, nothing with Thee: O LORD, nothing but Thee. Thou art my Lot, my Love, my Portion, my prime Content: If I have Thee, I have All; if I lack Thee, I lack All: If Thou be'st with me, I care not though men, though devils, though all the world should be against me. LORD now lift up the light of Thy Countenance upon me, and grant me Thy peace,  
Amen.   

Of Christ.  
CHRIST is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Which way wouldst thou go? He is the Way. Whither wouldst thou go? He is the Truth. Where wouldst thou remain? He is the Life. Wouldst thou walk? He is the Way: Wouldst thou not be deceived? He is the Truth: Wouldst thou not die? He is the Life. CHRIST was Poor to make us Rich: He was made a Sinner, that we might be made Saints: He was made a Curse, that we might obtain a Blessing: He Died, that we might live: He Descended into Hell, that we might Ascend into Heaven. In Him we have all things, and He is all things in us. If thou be'st hungry He is Meat: if thou thirstest He is Drink: If thou be'st wounded, He is a Surgeon: If thou be'st sick, He is a Physician: If thou burn, He is a Fountain: If thou be'st cold, He is a Fire. If thou be'st a sinner, He is Sanctity: If thou be'st laden with iniquity, He is justice: If thou wantest help, He is a Succour: If thou be'st weak, He is Strength: If thou be'st weary, He is a Shadow: If thou fearest death, He is Life: If thou hatest darkness, He is Light: If thou wouldst see GOD, He is thy Glass: If thou wouldst have access to GOD, He is the Way: If thou wouldst enter into heaven, He is the Door, the Key, the Keeper. O LORD, how sweet is Thy Name! How pleasing is Thy Service! How easy is Thy Yoke! In truth he is worthy death, who refuseth to live to Thee: He is a fool, that is not wise to Thee: He is just nothing, that would be something out of Thee. It is meet that he should wither, that will not grow in Thee: He deserves to perish wandering, that will not walk in Thee. Misery be his end, that seeks not Bliss in Thee: Death be his Destiny, that seeks not life in Thee: And Hell his heritage, that seeks not Heaven in Thee. Thou mad'st all things for thyself: He that will be something to himself, nothing to Thee, amongst all things he begins to be nothing, and of things evil he deserves the worst. Keep me therefore in Thy love, that I may not leave Thee: Preserve me in Thy Breast, and do not lose me: If I leave Thee, I lose Thee; in losing Thee, I lose my soul, myself, and all things with me.   

Of the Holy Ghost.  
THE third Person of the blessed Trinity is called the Holy SPIRIT, because He hallows us, and being Himself Spired, doth also inspire good things into us. The scholar learns quickly, when the Holy GHOST is his Teacher: The eye sees distinctly, when the Holy GHOST doth enlighten it: A man judgeth truly, when He doth direct him: and liveth holily, when He doth dispose him. The SPIRIT is but one In Person, yet seven, yea seventy times seven in His gracious Operations: He hath Wisdom for thee against thy folly, Understanding against thy dullness, Counsel against thy giddiness, Courage against thy cowardice, Cheerfulness against thy sluggishness, Tenderness against thy hardness, Comfort against thy fears, Light against thy darkness, Truth against thy lies, Humility against thy pride, Faith against thy dissidence, Hope against thy desperation, and Charity against thy cruelty. He is given unto men for salvation, when their heart returns unto GOD: for succour, when in our agonies He relieves our infirmity: for solace, when He whispers into our hearts that we are GOD'S Children: and for heat, when He kindles in our souls the zeal of GOD, and Charity to our neighbour for CHRIST His sake. Think we well? it is of Him: Will we well? It is by Him: Affect we well? It is His work: Or live we well? It is by His direction: He lightens our mind, giudes our reason, strengthens our memory, moves our will, and rules our affections. But because a man sees Him not, therefore shall he deny his Essence, or his Presence? Thou seest not Air, the Wind, thine Heart, thy Brains, thy Soul. The operations of the Air doth show it, the noise and whirling of the Wind doth prove it, the panting of the heart doth express it, the thoughts and imaginations of the Brains doth declare them, and life, sense, and motion, doth show thy soul is in thee: Even so spiritual motions, and an holy conversation, doth argue the presence and presidence of the SPIRIT in us. The Holy GHOST appeared in a Dove, and in fiery tongues. He dwells in them, that are innocent, meek, and constant: and whom He fills, He makes them servant, and likewise eloquent: He inflames their hearts with the heavenly fire of an holy zeal, and makes them speak the praises of GOD: He therefore hath the Holy GHOST, who with his mildness and simplicity quenches not his zeal, nor with bitterness of zeal, loses not his mildensse, but harboureth both together in a discreet, pious, and peaceable Spirit.   

Of the Holy and Individual Trinity.  
THREE are better than One: but here Three are One, and One is Three: and he that hath One, hath All: and he that wants One wants All. What One is, All are: What One hath, None lacks. All Three are one GOD, all Three have one LORDSHIP, Amongst Them there is distinction, but not division: a plurality of Persons, but a singularity of Nature, Consubstantial, Coëternall, and Coaequall. To be busy in inquisition about the TRINITY is wicked curiosity; to bleeve It soberly, is faithful security; but to see It, as It is, is perfect and full felicity. Nature cannot match this Mystery, therefore the similitudes used to express It must be warily considered, and not strained too far: As that of the Sun and Fire, which have three things, motion, light, and heat; of the jewish Ephah, a measure of three bushels: of the Soul; which is furnished with Memory, Understanding, and Will; of Water in the Spring, River, and Pond; or of the Finger, Hand, and Arme. Then here, there can be no where more dangerous crring, nor more painful seeking, not more profitable finding. It shall not grieve me, if I doubt, to ask: It shall not shame me, if I fail, to learn O Verity, Charity, Eternity, O Blessed and Blessing, TRINITY, Holy, Holy, Holy LORD GOD of Hosts, Heaven and Earth are full the Majesty of Thy Glory! Whiles I think of Three, I shut up my thoughts in One: and whilst I muse on One, mine eyes are dazzled with the sight of Three: It is my misery that I am a stranger from Thee; I shall be happy, when I shall be with Thee, see Thee, and enjoy Thee. (▪) (▪)   

Of Christ.  
Our blessed LORD and Saviour is called JESUS CHRIST: The former Name is Hebrew, the latter Greek: the one signifying a SAVIOUR, the other ANOINTED: for He is both to jew and Gentle an Anointed Saviour, Anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows, to be a King, Priest, and Prophet, unto his Body: His Person is but one, but his Natures are two: One Divine and Uncreated, the other human and Created: He must be man, that He might be able to die: He must be GOD, that his death might be Meritorious, He must be Man, for man had finned, and Man must therefore suffer: He must be GOD, that in suffering He might overcome, and that dying He might raise Himself to life. Man indeed could suffer, but GOD alone could vanquish and overcome. O inestimable favour! GOD would become Man, that we men might be reconciled unto God. The Son of GOD was made the son of Man, that the sons of men might be made the sons of God. He became a Servant to make us free: He would be inglorious, that we might be glorious: and being LORD of Life He would suffer death, that we, which had deserved death, might have by Him eternal Life. LORD JESUS, whom have I to intercede for me with GOD in heaven, but thee! Whom have I to guide and comfort me, whiles I live with men on earth, but Thy SPIRIT? In whom desire I to end my days and die, but even in Thee? With whom would I live, when I do remove, but even with Thee? Grant that I may so live to Thee, and so die in Thee, that I may live eternally with Thee: But my life doth scar me, for when I sift it, I find it is either full of sin, or empty of good. And if any fruit appear therein, it is either so feigned, or so unperfit, or some way, or other, so corrupted, as that either it cannot please, or cannot but displease the most righteous and holy judge. What shall I now do? Or whether shall I go? Thy Passion, O LORD, is my refuge, and singular comfort: Therein is my confidence, on that I stand. Thy Mercies, are my Merits; Thine Indulgence, is my justice; Thy Grace, is my Glory; Thy Cross, my Crown; and Thy Death, my Life. JESUS is a Name full of delight and sweetness: Mell in Ore, Melas in Aure, jubilus in Cord: Honey in the mouth, Melody in the ear, and joy in the heart. I will rejoice and trust in Thy Salvation: I will not contend against Thee in the Valleys, nor on the Mountains: The King of Israel is a Merciful King: Thy mercy it is, thy mercies, O LORD, that I only thirst for. My soul thirsteth after Thy mercies, as the chased Hart doth after water. LORD JESUS in Thy mercy, make me partaker of Thy Merits.   

Of the Law.  
THE Law saith: Do this, and thou shalt live. It rests not in faith, but exacteth action, and promiseth life to them which keep it: It allows not infirmities, but requireth all perfections: and if a man fail but in one point thereof, it denounceth a curse unto him: Alas than what are we, what shall become of us, who are grievous and continual sinners? Our very justice being strictly sifted by the Law, which is the rule of justice, would be found injustice: and that would be contemned in the strict judgement of the judge, which is commended in the judgement of the worker. But could not this Law have been exactly kept? Surely Adam might have kept it, if he would: but as the case now standeth, we cannot but transgress it: Neither yet is there injustice in GOD: For by commanding things impossible He makes not men sinners, but humble, that every mouth should be stopped, and that all the world should be made subject unto GOD: because by the works of the Law no flesh shall be justified in his sight. For when we have received a commandment, and perceive what is wanting in us, we are put in mind to send up our cries into heaven, and GOD will have mercy upon us: and that so we may know that we are not saved by the works of righteousness, which we have done, but by His own free Mercy: For indeed therefore was the Law given, and is yet urged to show, not what we can do, but what we should do, and that the proud might see his weakness, and seeing it might be humbled, and being humbled might confess it, and confessing it might be saved: Not resting upon his own dignity, but on GOD'S Dignation; not in his own justice, but in the Righteousness of JESUS CHRIST. Being therefore terrified by the Law, let us seek for comfort in the Gospel: And seeing all hope in ourselves is cut off by the Law, let us fly to CHRIST JESUS, Who is the fulfilling of the Law, and in Whom, whosoever believeth hath the perfection of the Law. They say, the Elephant (as knowing his own deformity) loves not to look into clear water: Fowl faces would have false glasses; and such, as would vent their copper, love not the Touchstone: And they, that have deceitful wares, like not the light. But I do desire to understand the Law exactly, that I may see all my deformities and foulness, mine hypocrisies and false-dealing, that so I might be brought to a loathing of them, and finding mine imperfections towards the Law, I might be provoked to seek for the perfection revealed in the Gospel: I will endeavour to keep the Law exactly, but when I fail, I will fly to the Grace of the Gospel speedily; as knowing that not by mine own justice, but by the justice of CHRIST I must be justified, and that I am not saved for any graces in me, but by the grace of GOD in CHRIST unto me.   

Of sin.  
SIN is the transgression of the Law: If there were no Law, there could be no sin: The Law claims obedience, and when it is transgressed, than sin is committed: And the more men wander from it, the more they sin. The cause of sin is not GOD, who is Truth and Goodness, Wisdom and justice, but a man's own will, yielding to the devil. For it cannot be that He should make us fall into sin, who makes us rise from sin; and that He should be the Author of that, whereof He is revenger. And though Satan be politic to beguile, yet hath he no power to compel: he cannot make thee sin, except thou wilt. It is true he can bewitch thy body, enchant thine eyes, and dull thy ears, whether thou wilt, or no: but he cannot compel thy soul to sin, he cannot make thee sin against thy will. A man standing in a shower of hail, or bullets, or being among persons infected with the plague, may be strucken and infected, though he would not be so: but no tentation darted from the Devil no bad example, scandal or suggestion of any sinner can do thee harm, except thou yield unto it. Know that when thou sinnest, it is not against, but with thy will: For the foundation and root of sin is in ourselves; and whosoever sins, is the proper cause unto himself of sin. It is true that God doth harden the heart, and deliver men up sometimes unto a Reprobate sense, but how? Not by the insusion of hardness, or immission of corruption: but by not imparting mercy, and by leaving a man to himself, and delivering him up into the hands of sathan. For than He is said to harden, when He doth not soften; to deliver them, when He doth not retain them; to give them up, when He lets them go; and to lead them into temptation, when He doth not deliver them. When therefore I shall commit a sin, I will not accuse GOD, I will not impute all to the devil: but I will condemn myself, smite my breast, and say with the Publican: GOD be merciful to me a sinner. I have hard some complain, they cannot choose but sin. O fearful bondage! O unhappy necessity! But who constrains them against their wills? Nothing. But thus it is: Evil thoughts of sin beget delight, delight consent, consent action, action custom, custom necessity. What shall a man do, that is thus entangled? Let him beware of custom, for the custom of sinning takes away the sense of sin; and let him prevent, or mortify, evil thoughts, which are the devils harbingers; for he lodges not, but where they have taken up his lodging for him. There are some use to minish their sins; either they are not great, or they are not many. Sure it is, that the smallest sin, that can be, being the offence of the greatest Majesty, deserveth death, and therefore is great enough to destroy the soul: and though there were but one, yet that were one too many. For one foot of a bird taken, or one wing belimmed, may cost her her life: One hole in a Ship may sink her: One bullet may kill as well as twenty. The smallest sin is in it nature mortal: yea the omission of the smallest duty, which the Law of GOD requireth, deserveth eternal death. For cursed is every one, which continueth not in All Things, which are written in the book of the Law, to do them. If the smallest curse of GOD be too great to suffer, than the smallest sin against GOD, is too great to do: As I therefore desire to escape all curses; so will I, by the grace of GOD, be careful to avoid all causes, and will never count that little which might make me sustain so great a loss as is the forfeit of my soul.   

Of the Gospel.  
THE Gospel is good news from heaven of remission of sins, reconciliation to GOD, redemption from hell, death and condemnation, and of resurrection to life and glory by the merits of our LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST. O happy news! O joyful tidings! What news more welcome to prisoners, then of a Goal-delivery? What more pleasing to malefactors, then to hear of their Prince's pardon? What would a blind man more willingly hear of, then that his eyesight shall be restored to him? Or what better tidings can be brought to a man seabeaten, and spent with labour, then that he shall most certainly obtain an haven, where he shall most safely rest, free from the malice of Pirates, and fury of all foul weather? Yet for all this the Gospel, with many, finds but poor acceptance. It is because men have no thorough feeling of their miseries: they feel no misery and therefore affect no change. What cares a clunch for learning, or good manners, that blesseth himself in his rudeness, and incivility? What cares a man for meat, that feels no hunger? What do you talk to him of clothes, that feels no cold, nor nakedness? The lack of things causeth estimation, the sense of lack. When men have been worn with wars, how pleasing is the news of a true and constant peace? When a man feels his disease, and sees death staring in his eyes, O how welcome is the Physician? How welcome should he be, that would bring him news of a medicine, which he might easily have, that would cure him, and set him up again? When Seamen have been long at Sea, and spent their victuals, and water, even a pound of bread would be worth a pound in silver; and a little fresh water how welcome would it be unto them? And if men would but duly consider of their captivity, slavery, miseries, and necessities, into which they are driven by sin, and wherein they are enwrapped, they would be glad to hear of deliverance: And beautiful should be the feet of those, which shall bring unto them glad tidings of peace. I will therefore examine myself by the Law, that I may be brought to esteem of the Gospel: I will mediate of my slavery, which I am brought to by transgressing the Law, that I may duly respect the liberty, which is Preached in the Gospel. Mine own bitterness shall make me delight in this Sweetness, and mine own ungraciousness in this so great a Grace.   

Of the Law and the Gospel.  
THE Law saith, do this, and thou shalt live: The Gospel saith, Believe in the Lord JESUS, and thou shalt be saved. In the Law there is severity, but in the gospel mercy: In the Law there is reserved no repentance, but by the sentence thereof he that sins, must die: But the Gospel admits repentance, and promiseth life to him that turneth unto God. The Law terrifies, but the Gospel pacifies: The Law discovers sin, but the Gospel covers it: The Law requires a man's own justice, but the Gospel Preacheth pardon in the justice of another, to wit, of CHRIST. The Law is written, after a sort, in the hearts of all men, Pagans and Christians; but the Gospel is not so generally known to all. And the Gospel was not first, and then the Law: But the Law was first, and then the Gospel. To find out my sins, I will view the Law: but to read my salvation, I will look into the Gospel. To despair of myself, I will weigh the Law: but to hope in CHRIST, I will receive the Gospel. If I were disposed to stand upon my good deeds, I would stick to the Law: but being desirous of mercy, I will fly to the Gospel. If I would stand upon my justice, I would plead the Law: but craving Grace, I go to the Gospel. Yet this will I do, because the Law is the rule of good works; I will endeavour to keep it with care and conscience: Yet every day will I pray, and say; GOD be merciful to me a sinner.   

Of Good and Evil.  
GOOD is more ancient than evil: Sanctity is elder than sin: vice is younger than Virtue. There was first an Angel, than a devil: First a Man, than a sinner: First, a Trueman then a thief. In good no man can be too much; in evil no man can be too little. He that would increase in good, let him think he hath yet too little: He that would decrease in evil, let him remember still he hath too much. The way to learn virtue is to unlearn vice: He taketh the ready course to become good, which repenteth of his evils: And He only will prove a Saint, which feelingly confesses himself to be a sinner.   

Of the Church Universal.  
THE Holy Catholic Church is the Corporation or Communion of Saints, Triumphant in Heaven, and Militant on earth. This is the Mystical Body of CHRIST, who is the only Head thereof, by whose SPIRIT every Member thereof is animated, as every part of the natural body is animated of the soul: And from which Head every true mystical Member deriveth all Spiritual life, sense, and motion. And as the Moon receiveth her light from the Sun, so doth the Church receive all her brightness, both of grace and glory, from JESUS CHRIST. This Church is the Vine of GOD'S delight, the Spouse of CHRIST, His Fair One, His Well-beloved, GOD'S House, and City, the LORD and Keeper whereof is GOD; the Wall His omnipotent Grace, and gracious Omnipotency; the Watchtowers are His Providence and Omniscience: Her Ensigns, or Arms, are Faith, Righteousness, Peace, Charity, and joy in the Holy GHOST: Her foundation is the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles, Her Gate is CHRIST, Her Religion is the service of the blessed TRINITY, Her Citizens are all penitent and true Believers, and all the Saints of God. This is the Mother of us all; he that hath not Her for his Mother, hath not GOD for his FATHER. This is GOD'S Family; he that serves not Him in it, serveth the devil out of it. This is the Court of the great King: He that is not new-born in it, is some base-born caitiff, and not counted among the Sons of the King.   

Of the Militant Church.  
CHRIST hath a part of His Mystical Body triumphing with Him in the heavens, and He a part warring under Him here on earth. This is a Spiritual Building, made of living Stones, hewn out of the Rock CHRIST JESUS. This is Noah's Ark, out of which there is no means to scape the floods of vengeance. This, like a Ship, is weatherbeaten with the raging winds, and waves of worldly troubles, yet is not swallowed up. This Church, though far and wide dispersed, is yet but One, as many Members make but one Body, many Branches make but one Tree, many Rivers make but one Sea, many People make but one Kingdom. And One she is, because she acknowledgeth but one GOD, confesseth one Faith, is ruled by one Head, animated of one SPIRIT, participateth of one Baptism, and is governed by one Law. This Church Militant is the Suburbs of the Church Triumphant: None must enter into This, but he that hath first passed That: None shall triumph like a Victor, but he, that hath fought like a Soldier: And he that would wear a Crown in This, must first take up His Cross in That. The proper and essential Members of this Church are all of them holy by the imputation of the Merits of CHRIST their Head, and by the powerful operation of the Spirit of CHRIST, which is within them: And all these are infallibly known only unto GOD, who seeth the secrets of the heart, and can certainly judge of inward virtues. As for the judgement of men (which may be deceived with shows, as the Birds were with those artificial grapes of Zeuxis) it is uncertain (if of others) except there be some singular revelation; and rather an opinion of charity, than a conclusion of certainty. This Church Militant is in the world, but not of the world: All her Members are strangers in the earth, but descended from heaven; generated not of man, but regenerated by the Holy Ghost, not begotten of mortal blood, by the appetite of the flesh, or will of man, but of Immortal Seed, by the Word of GOD, according to His Will. The only Husband of this Church is CHRIST JESUS: For He only hath her, holds her, leads her: To Him alone she owes her love, her loyalty and fidelity. The Friends, (not the Husbands, for she hath but One) of this Bride, and Bridegroom, are all true Christians, specially Pastors, which hear the Voice of the Bridegroom, and take great delight therein, eschewing the voice of strangers. The common condition of this Church, and all her Members, is affliction and persecution: But she counteth nothing more glorious, then to bear the reproach of her Husband, who is troubled in all troubles, remembers all her sighs, and enbottles all her tears: And she hath this property, that like a Garden she is greenest after a shower, like Camomile she is most odoriferous being trodden on; like Spices, She is most fragrant being rubbed, or bruised: Whiles she is persecuted, she flourisheth; whiles she is pressed, she spreadeth; whilst she is injured, she vanquisheth: whilst she is corrected, she learneth; and then gets up, when she seemeth to be beaten down: Then is she most valiant in the Truth, when she is most oppugned for the Truth. Being laden with tribulations, she gathers strength; being watered with the blood of Martyrs, she taketh Spirit, in sorrow she reapeth solace, being straited she is enlarged, her very tears do feed her, & her fastings do refresh her; and those things do make her float aloft like cork, which make worldlings, like lead, sink down unto the bottom. This Church is the pillar and ground of the Truth, so termed of her service, because she doth by her Ministry Keep, Confirm, and Preach the Truth; not that she hath authority over the Truth, for the Truth is the ground and pillar of the Church: But she hath authority over her children, and against all Heretics, from the Truth, with which she is betrusted to preserve and Preach. I will therefore inquire for the Scriptures in the Church, and for the Church in the Scriptures: For the Church showeth the Scriptures, by her Ministry; and the Scriptures demonstrate the Church by their Authority.   

Of particular Churches.  
THE Sea is one: yet by reason that it washeth on many Countries, it obtaineth many names, as British, Spanish, Adriatical, Mediterranean. So all true Particular Churches in the world, make but one Catholic Congregation, though by reason of the Countries, States, or Nations, in which they are dispersed; or else because of diverse outward forms of government, they are called by sundry names. These Churches by reason of their open profession of the Gospel, and by reason of their outward forms, are called visible, and may be seen, though which of the Professors in them be truly Saints, and appertain to GOD'S Election, and which are only guilded potsherds, and not truly sanctified, no man can define precisely. These Churches are like the Ark, in which were all kind of beasts, clean, and unclean; like a Barn, where there is wheat and chaff; like a Garden, where is flowers and weeds; an Army, where are men, and milksops; a Net, wherein are good fish and bad; a Kingdom, or City, wherein are good Subjects, and false, or unworthy varlets. Now these Churches are then reputed true, and counted the daughters of the Catholic, when they profess the true faith of CHRIST, and maintain the true worship of GOD, For there is the Church, where there is true Faith, saith Hierome; where GOD is feared and praised, saith Austen; where the Sacraments of CHRIST are rightly celebrated, and His Word heard and conserved, saith Beda; Where there is consent in the Faith, and consanguinity of the Apostles Doctrine, saith Tertullian; Where GOD appeareth, and speaketh with his servants, saith Ambrose. Into what Church therefore, soever, I shall come, and shall perceive the soundness of worship, and the Faith of CHRIST Preached and maintained in the same, I will live peaceably, and submit myself to the ordinances of GOD therein, most willingly.   

Of Christians.  
CHRIST is the King of Kings, and LORD of Lords: and Christians, of all men, are only of His Royal Blood, bone of His Bone, flesh of His Flesh, animated with His SPIRIT, sprung from His Loins, swayed by His Sceptre, and partakers of His Glory: Christians are not under the Law, but delight in the Law: For he, that delights in the Law, studies to deal according to the Law: but he which is under the Law, is dealt with according to the law. Every Christian, as he is a Christian, must say with Christ; My Kingdom is not of this world: And though it be his destiny for a time to live in this world, yet his desire, and endeavour should be ever to live, and love, as one not of this world, but redeemed from the world. Many are Christians in name, not so in deed, for they that are CHRIST'S, do crucify the flesh, and fleshly desires, and are not ruled by their flesh, but governed by His SPIRIT. In vain is he called Christian, that is in nothing like to CHRIST. What will it pleasure a man to be reputed that he is not. He is indeed a Christian, that resembles CHRIST his Master, that showeth mercy to the miserable, that feeleth the smart of others, that being injured breaks not forth unto revenge, that can live inglorious for the glory to be revealed, that preferreth heaven to earth, and GOD to Mammon, that counts it his meat and drink and pleasure, to do the Will of his Father, that takes up his Cross in this life, and bears it with patience, and which judges him only happy in his death, which dieth either in CHRIST, or for CHRIST. CHRIST endured the Cross, before He obtained the Crown; and suffered Shame, before He entered into His Glory. O Christian, thou art a delicate Soldier, if thou thinkest to win the field without fight, or to triumph without troubles! For the whole life of a Christian, if he live according to the Gospel, is labour, toil, trouble, crosses, Martyrdom.   

Of the Ministers of Christ.  
ALL the Apostles had equal power: What Peter was all were; what Peter could all could. There was indeed amongst them disparity of gifts, inequality in years, difference in conditions, but an identity of power, an equality of authority; all being equally partakers of one and the self-same Office, of one and the self-same Power. These had authority over nature, to sure it; over devils to subdue them; over all men, to convert them. To these CHRIST JESUS gave power to work mighty wonders, to bind and to loose, to open and shut the doors of heaven: These he sent into the world, as the Sun his beams, as the Rose her sweet smells, and as the Fire his sparkles; that as the Sun appeareth in his beams, as the Rose is perceived in his smells, and as the Fire is seen in his sparks; so the potency of CHRIST might be acknowledged in their Virtues, and His Majesty discerned in their Ministry. These were the Planters of GOD'S vineyard, the Architects of His Temple, the Fathers of His Church, the Champions of the Faith, and Trumpeters of the Gospel; who with their silver-sounding blasts made the Valleys sing, the mountains ring, and filled the ears of all. These were men of mercy, such as had obtained mercy, showed mercy, and by whom GOD wrought his works of mercy. They neither lived to themselves, nor died; but unto Him, that died for them, and for His sake also, even for us, receiving light from the Father of Lights, and spending themselves like Lamps, in giving light unto others. Successors to these are all faithful Bishops and Priests, who are not Masters of the Church, but Ministers; not Lords but Servants; not Authors of the Faith, but Preachers; not Makers of the Truth, but Keepers: To whom is committed the word of reconciliation, the dispensation of the Mysteries of GOD, the power of remitting and retaining sins, the care of the Churches, and the keeping of the Faith. These simply, as they are Ecclesiastical persons, have no secular power, and authority: for if the Master, than the servant must also say; My Kingdom is not of this world. CHRIST came not to make them Princes, but Priests: Not monarch, but Ministers: He gave them the keys of heaven, and not of Cities, or Kingdoms: He committed the Word unto them, but not the Sword, and gave them authority to deal with men's souls, but not with their States, or Substance. Now to make a true Minister, it is requisite that he have a true Power, a true Mission; for otherwise he runs unsent, and rules, but not by CHRIST: And that he Preach the Truth, or else he abuses his Power. This is a most reverent and holy calling, not instituted by man, nor Angel, nor any other creature, but by JESUS CHRIST, the Head and Husband of the Church: And they that are thereof had need to have a thousand eyes, because they live not to themselves only, but to the people also: And they are as a Beacon upon a Hill, a City upon a Mountain, a Candle upon a Table: all men's eyes are fixed on them. By teaching and living well they teach the people to believe and live well; but by living ill, they teach GOD how to condemn them. And in truth a good life, is a good Sermon, and oftentimes an ill Pastor destroys as much with his ill life, as he buildeth up with his good doctrine.  
Of men, no man is better than a Christian, and of Christians, no man is better than a good Priest: But he that is vicious, is like a piece of dung with a Diamond in it; and as the water in Baptism, which is profitable to others but perishes itself: But yet GOD may work effectually by the Ministry of wicked men; for their power and calling is His, and their wickedness is their own; that is holy, though they be unholy: Their authority is not the better for their godliness, nor the worse for their ungodliness. The light is not polluted, though it pass by polluted places, or persons, neither is the soul corrupted, though it should be in a corrupted body: so neither is the power and authority of the Minister stained, though he be full of stains himself. And as water, whether it run through a pipe of Wood, or Stone, or Silver, doth good unto the ground: so the Word and Sacraments are available to the Receivers, whatsoever the Minister be that gives them. Neither are we to respect riches, age, greatness of gifts, nobleness of birth in a Minister, as if he were to be contemned, when these things are wanting; but we are to regard especially his place and power: for the power varies not with the man, neither is the Word and Sacraments of greater respect, for any personal respects in the Minister. Water hath the properties and effects of water, whether brought in an earthen Pitcher, or a cup of gold, or silver. And though the more excellent gifts a Minister hath, the better it is, yet his power is not thereby greater, or more excellent: but still it is the same, as a Diamond is, whether set in gold or silver: Or as the authority of a justice is the same, whether he have more wisdom, godliness, and insight in the Law, or a lesser measure of the same. And of all faithful and true Ministers of CHRIST it may be said, how different soever in their Age, Wealth, Birth, Breeding, Gifts, They are the Dispenser's of the Secrets of GOD, and (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) Co-workers with Him: For without them He will not save men, and without Him they cannot save men. I say He will not: for who, that contemns the Baptism of man, is baptized with the Holy GHOST? Whom doth GOD admit into heaven, which is not admitted by the Minister into the Church? To whom will GOD give His Son for food to his hungry soul, but to him that receives Him in the Sacrament? Whose sins are loosed in heaven, but he, that is loosed by the Minister on earth? Who is wedded unto CHRIST JESUS, as a Virgin, but he, that is prepared and fitted for Him by the Minister? Or who is received of GOD, as an holy, living, and acceptable sacrifice, but he, that is, as it were, tied to the horns of the Altar, and presented of the Priest, perfect in JESUS CHRIST? And if it happen that a man be saved without the Ministry of man, say it is a rare, and extraordinary favour, and a thing, whereof no man should dare to presume, least by presuming upon extraordinary grace, and contemning the ordinary means, a man do justly for presuming deprive himself of grace, as by his negligence he deprived himself of the means of grace. But yet there are which meanly esteem of the Priesthood, because they spy vices in Priests. But it were wisdom to distinguish between a man and his manners; between a Priest and his vices, and equity not to contemn all for some. It were better to make much of the evil for them▪, that are good, rather than for them, that are evil, to contemn the good: For it is better to do good unto the evil, though undeserved, then to deprive good men of the good, which they do deserve: And he is a very Cham, that will blaze, or sport at, the nakedness, or infirmities, of his Father. Arise o LORD, and look upon Thy Servants: Let Thy Priests be clothed with Righteousness: And praise ye the LORD, all ye Servants of the LORD, ye that stand in the house of the LORD: Praise the LORD ye sons of Aaron; Praise the LORD ye house of Levi: All ye that serve the LORD, praise the LORD: Holiness becometh His House for ever.   

Of the Scriptures, or Word of God.  
THE Scriptures contain sufficient matter for a man's direction to eternal life: They are the rule of faith, and the measure of good manners. Wouldst thou know what to believe? They will instruct thee. Wouldst thou know how to live? They will teach thee. Wouldst thou discern thine errors? They will enlighten thee. Wouldst thou amend thy life? They will persuade thee. Wouldst thou find comfort? They will afford it thee. Thou art blind, but They are Light; Thou art diseased, but They are Sound: Thou art evil, but They are Good: Thou art deceitful, but They are Faithful: For thy wants there is in Them a supply: for thy superfluities They have a remedy. The ignorance of the Scriptures is the ignorance of CHRIST: Neither can he know GOD, that is ignorant of his Word. GOD'S Word a Meat, Drink, and Physic or the soul: Yet as these things hurt the body rather than help it, if they be not well entertained, so is it with the Word: Yet the hurt lies not in the Word, which is good; but in the heart, which is nought. The Sun shining upon a bed of Roses, makes it smell well, but upon a dunghill, it makes it stink; The fault is not in the Sun, but in the dunghill. To some the Word is the savour of life, to others it is the savour of death, & the more they hear, the worse they are, but this is through their own corruption. Raine falling on a meadow makes it flourish, but on a flint, it doth but wet it. And water, which quencheth fire, inflameth lime. And such the Word appeareth by reason of the diverse objects, whereon it worketh. The waters of Marah being bitter were made sweet by a Tree thrown into them. The waters of jericho being unwholesome, and the soil sterile, were healed and corrected, after Elishah had cast his salt into them: So are men's hearts amended by the Word applied to them; and of bitter are made sweet, of barren fruitful, by the blessing of GOD upon it: And as jonathan, recovered his sight and strength by the honey, which he tasted of in his faintness: So the children of GOD are comforted and refreshed by the good Word of GOD, which they receive with hunger into their souls. This Word is in itself the same, though it be not brought by the same men, or in the same language to us: as gold is gold, whether it be given a man in a purse of velvet, or a pouch of leather; and the self-same man may be clad either in silk, or homespun russet. It skills not therefore so much who brings it, as if he bring it. We will take money out of a slovens hands; Elias will eat his meat, though a Raven bring it: And thirsty Samson will take his drink out of the jaw-bone of an Ass. The light is not the worse because it stands upon a wooden candlestick; nor learning any whit the less to be respected, because it is covered under a threadbare gown. Well, howsoever the Word comes, or whosoever brings it, it shall be welcome to me, so long as it is the Word of GOD, and not the fables of men: It is mine appointed food, I will receive it, whether it come in a platter of wood, or in plate of silver, or whether the Cook, that dressed it, be virtuous, or ill disposed.   

Of Hearers.  
IT is good to take heed, not only what we hear, but how: As it is not amiss for a man to consider what he eats and drinks, as in what fashion. Some times death is in the pot, and poison mixed in the cup. I would be loath to let venom in at mine ears, or letthem swallow poison. And though a man should receive that, that is good, if he receive it not well, it will rather do him hurt then good. Even good food doth sometimes turn to bad humours, though the fault be not in the food, but in the feeder. And works though externally good, yet if they be not well performed, will prove but little beneficial to the worker. There are some, that like the Athenians, have their ears open only for novelties: Some come to hear and not to learn; some regard delight and not profit, and words, rather than matter: some will give a man the hearing, but they will believe no more thenlikes their humours: And many show themselves Censurers, not Scholars. Some are pleased with the voice, and delight in great sounds; but whatsoever the sense be, it is not of so great request. Ye shall have many quarrel with the Preacher; his speech is plain, his voice low, he hath no good action, his words stuck like burrs in his throat; He whips his Auditors, he is too full of the Fathers, he meddles too much with Controversies, he rails upon the Parish, he is an easy Divine, it was a plain Sermon, he Preaches nothing but Law: or he is meale-mouthed, he Preaches his hearers a sleep, he sings Placentia, he is loath to offend: Or he is never well, but when he is inveighing, he speaks daggers, and he aimed at somebody. Infinite are the quarrels, that people pick with their Preacher. On the contrary, I have heard some highly commend the Sermon: Oh it was a rare Sermon, he is an excellent man, it was the best Sermon that I ever heard, he is an admirable Preacher. It is well: but I will ask thee: What rare effects did it work within? What wonders wrought it in thee, what excellency, what goodness, hast thou received, or gained, by it? Bless not thyself in commending the Preacher, rest not in the naked commendations of his Sermon: Account that an excellent, a rare, and a good Sermon, which produceth rare effects in thee, makes thee better than thou wast before, and stirs thee up to excel in virtue. Account him admirable, and wonder then, when he worketh wonders in thy soul. Thy Preacher cares not so much for thy verbal commendations, as thy real. Good conversation is his best commendation, his commending stands in thine amending, and thy godly practice is his best praise. The Sheep, that saith nothing, commends his Shepherd, when her skin is whole, her fleece fair, and herself well-liking, He hears well, that doth well; he learns well, that lives well: and thy knowledge is praiseworthy according to thy practice: And he only doth prove a good Hearer, which hears the truth in humility, believes it in simplicity, and obeys it with alacrity. The Word of GOD is our food, our ears are our mouth: but this meat is not like bodily food turned into us, but we by believing and obeying it are turned into it. Now he is the only happy hearer, that is translated into the Word, so as that he may be able to say; I live, but yet not I, but the Word of GOD doth live within me. And this is, when a man's reason, will, & affections; are brought under the Word, and when his conversation being transformed, is now conformed to the Word.   

Of the Sacraments.  
THE oath of Soldiers to their General, was called Sacramentum; by which name also 
* Or rather Baptism and the LORDS Supper.  water in Baptism, and Bread, and Wine in the LORDS Supper are usually called. Because as Soldiers, when they received the press-money, did solemnly swear to their Captain, or General, that they would be faithful and loyal to him: So we whiles we partake of these holy Mysteries instituted of GOD in His Church, do bind ourselves with the like Vow, that we will live and die in his cause and service. And as they, at the taking of that Oath, gave their names to their Emperor or Commander, and were received into his protection: So we, when we receive these Sacraments, do likewise give our names unto CHRIST, and are received into his tuition, that under his banner we might fight a good battle, keeping faith and a good conscience. And as there we do yield over ourselves unto GOD; so GOD doth bind Himself to us by Pacts and Promises after a manner sealed up. Sacraments are signs of things, being one thing, and signifying another. Every Sacrament is a Mystery, but every Mystery is not a Sacrament. Sacraments, are not Nata, but Data: Not Natural, but by Divine appointment: And their dignity depends upon their Author. They are not the better, because the Minister is good, that doth deliver them, nor the worse, because he is evil. They are such as he is, in whose authority they are given, not as he is, by whose Ministry they are dispensed: And though they be hurtful to them, that deliver them, being wicked; yet they are profitable to them, that receive them, being Prepared. And though the Receiver have a perverse faith, or come unprepared, and in sin, yet he may partake of a true and entire Sacrament, if we respect the signs, and not the things represented by the signs. In Sacraments there is a change, not of Substance, but of use; not of Nature, but of condition. For by these elements consecrated, there is a signification, obsignation & exhibition of CHRIST and His benefits. Sacraments are necessary in respect of GOD'S Commandment, and as they be means of receiving CHRIST: yet simply, not the defect of Sacraments, but the contempt of them, doth damn a man: If a man would have them, but cannot, and dies in the desire of them, no doubt he may be saved: But indeed he that may, but cares not for them, and so departs, questionless as he scorned the signs, so he shall be deprived of the grace. It is just, that he should miss of the Kernel that cared not for the Shell, that he should lose the Land, that contemned the Lease, or Deed; that he should be deprived of CHRIST, the Bread, and Water, of Life, that regarded not the Water and Bread of CHRIST. There are two Sacraments, Baptism, and the LORDS Supper: By Baptism we are admitted into the Church, received into the service of the blessed TRINITY, and have our sin remitted, though not at first extirped. A man is borne a sinner, but by Baptism he is made a Saint. A man is, by birth, a limb of the devil, but by Baptism he is made the member of CHRIST: A man may be new borne, and not baptized; but he is not so, if he scorn to be baptized. There are some, that make small account of Baptism; but for myself, I make more reckoning of my Baptism, then of all the riches in the world, as knowing that these can neither help, nor hurt so much, as the other: and that the contempt of these may stand with a man's salvation, whereas the contempt of Baptism is punished with damnation. By the LORDS Supper we are nourished and preserved in the Church: In those hallowed signs of Bread and Wine CHRIST JESUS and all his Merits are signified, sealed up, and exhibited unto every worthy Receiver: For as there is in an Obligation, or Legal Instrument, an assurance and conveyance made of money, goods, or lands, from one to another: So in the Sacrament, under these elements, there is a most sure conveyance and exhibition of CHRIST JESUS unto every prepared Communicant. And although we take the Bread by itself, and the Wine by itself, yet we must not imagine that CHRIST is given by piece-meal; but two signs were ordained to show that we have perfect food in CHRIST. For it is but an hungry dinner, where there is no meat; and a dry feast where there is no drink: Now to signify that CHRIST is Meat and Drink unto us, and that in Him we shall have a full refection, therefore two signs, one of Bread, which strengthens the heart, another of Wine which allays the thirst, and make it merry, were by CHRIST ordained.   

Of Communicants.  
I Do much wonder at the foolish averseness, and perverse folly of many men, that make so small account of this Blessed Sacrament, that they must by fear of Laws be driven to it. They are out of charity, they want good clothes, they are not yet at leisure; they allege I wot not what, their very excuses do accuse them. Who bids thee be out of charity? Why art thou not reconciled? Who requires fine apparel at thy hands? It is a good heart, that is exacted of thee: Grace, not garments; thy soul within thee, not thy clothes about thee. And why wantest thou leisure? Thou hast leisure to eat, to drink, to play, to sleep, to be vain and idle: Why hast thou no leisure to feed thy soul, to refresh thy spirit, to receive thy Saviour? Thou hast leisure, but it is not thy pleasure. Thou canst not come; nay, thou wilt not come. Thou canst not, because thou lists not. If thy profit call thee, thou goest; if thy pleasures call thee, thou followest; if thy flesh call thee, thou mak'st haste; If thy companions whistle, thou trudgest: But CHRIST calls thee, thou tarriest, thou findest excuses; there is a bone in thy leg, thou canst not come. Must the horse be forced to the Manger, must a Sheep be compelled to graze, must the hungry (and almost starved) Ox be entreated to eat his Hay? Surely thou art not hungry, thy soul is not a thirst, thou art so maidenly that thou must be entreated; thou art so wanton, thou must be compelled unto thy food. Yea, but thy dost imagine that thou canst have CHRIST without the Sacrament; this is thy fancy, but thy fancy is no faith: If thou contemnest the Sacrament, thou contemnest CHRIST: Contempt of the Law doth argue contempt of the Lawmaker: neglect of the ordinance bewrays neglect of the Ordainer: And he, that will not receive CHRIST, as He doth offer Himself to be received, is like to lose Him, for aught that can be known: And he, that will not when he may, it is very probable, when he would, he shall have nay. But thou wilt hereafter put off excuses: thou wilt be wiser, thou wilt not defer to come. Come then, but come prepared: Come in charity; for he, that hateth a Christian, shall never be loved of CHRIST, neither shall any man enjoy the LORD, but he, that is in charity with his servants. What hath he to do with the bread of CHRIST, that contemneth the least Member of His Body? Come in repentance, with washed hands and heart: for these holy things belong not uno Dogs, nor Swine. Come in humility, acknowledging thyself unworthy of the least crumb upon the LORDS Table, not relying upon thine own merits, but upon the LORDS mercies, not upon thine own dignity, but upon His Dignation. Finally come in a good belief, believing only in the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and that by these outward things, He with all His Merits, are represented, sealed, and exhibited unto thee; and not imagining that the Bread is turned into the Body of CHRIST and the Wine into His very Blood; but knowing that these things do in their substance still continue, & withal desiring that thou thyself mightst be truly transformed and turned into Him, that thou mayst be able to say with Saint Paul: I live, yet not I, but CHRIST doth live within me.   

Of the Bread and Wine in the Eucharist.  
THE Bread and Wine in the LORDS Supper is holy Bread, holy Wine, turned in use, but not in shape, but not in substance, remaining what they were, yet being what they were not. They have eyes, and see not; ears, and hear not; touch, and feel not; mouths, and taste not; noses and smell not; reason, and understand not, which say it is not Bread, it is not Wine, when once the words of Consecration are pronounced. Yet are they truly, but Sacramentally, the Body and Blood of our LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST: Even as the Circumcision was the Covenant, as the Paschall Lamb was the Passeover, As the Rock was CHRIST. Parchment and the Wax sealed put unto it in a Bond, Lease, or Deed of Conveyance, wherein is made an assurance of money, goods, or houses, or a Collation and Conveyance of Lands in Lincolnshire to a man in London, is still Parchment and Wax, yet more than Ordinary in respect of use; and having these things in his hand, he can say, here is my money, House, or Land; not that they are turned into money, Houses, or Lands, but because by them he hath assurance, or an assured conveyance of these things unto him. And so is it with Sacramental Bread and Wine: Yet here our Assurance is firmer, the Conveyance is more undoubted: because man may deceive, and the greatness, or malice of adversaries may oppress; but GOD, who by these things doth offer and exhibit CHRIST and His benefits to us, cannot deceive, will not falsify His Covenant, but will most certainly perform all His promises; provided that we stand unto the conditions, to which we are tied: Neither man, nor devil, nor any creature, can hinder or keep us from receiving CHRIST in the Sacrament, if we stand not in our own way, and let ourselves.   

Of our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ.  
DIVERS in the Scriptures have been called by the name of JESUS; as jesus the son of Nun: jesus the High Priest, the son of josedeck: and jesus, which was called justus: But CHRIST hath this Name with a main difference from them all. For whereas they were no more than men, our JESUS is GOD and Man, in one and the self-same Person. They came into the world by an ordinary generation, as we do now: but He was borne of a Virgin pure, that knew no man. They had not their name given them expressly by GOD, but by men: but He had His name from GOD, by the mouth of an Angel, GOD'S Messenger. They all had need of this JESUS, that they might be saved by Him, otherwise they had perished all: They were the sons of men; but He is the Son, the eternal Son of the eternal God. They might be means to save others, especially from exterior dangers and enemies: but this JESUS, by His own Personal Power, and Merits hath saved all true believers from their sins: He hath delivered them from sathan, He hath redeemed their souls from death, and hath purchased for them the glory of the Kingdom of heaven. This Name He had from all eternity, as GOD, but He received it in the womb, as Man: and in, and at, His resurrection He made manifest the truth thereof most fully. This name of a Saviour (for so JESUS signifies) is a name above all names: For it is the name of GOD, I am (saith he) and besides Me there is no Saviour: None of all the Titles of GOD, are so precious with Him as this of Saviour, in which, with his glory, is joined our salvation. Even the very name of GOD, without this Name, hath no comfort in it. Shut out this JESUS, and GOD is a consuming fire, and there is no dealing with Him: But in this JESUS, GOD hath reconciled the world to Himself, who without Him is an enemy to it. The name CHRIST (which signifies Anointed) is not equal unto the name JESUS, for the end is above the means: Now He was Anointed to be our Saviour. Princes are called the LORDS Anointed, but salvation is of the LORD; that is proper to Him: He, He is the Saviour, and besides Him there is no other. And indeed JESUS is the very name of GOD, but GOD cannot be Anointed: He that gives all, can take nothing; He is the Annointer, and is not, nor can possible be anointed. Therefore CHRIST cannot be the name of GOD: And yet even our JESUS is our JESUS CHRIST, Our Anointed Saviour; which Anointing is spoken of Him, and that truly, as He is Man, and Mediator, between GOD and man. This JESUS is our LORD, He hath bought us with His Own Blood, and He is far above all other Lords in the world: For other Lords in case may be disobeyed; but This in no case: Other Lords are by Him, both as men and as Lords, and both they and their Lordships are subject to change: but He is immortal, and of His Kingdom there shall be none end. Other Lords are sinners, and mere men: but He is GOD also, and the Sanctifier of sinful men. They, if they will be saved, must serve this LORD, and throw down their Crowns at His feet. Other Lords cannot do, what they do desire, but CHRIST can. They cannot save all, that follow them, and advance all their Subjects: But He saveth all that trust in Him, and serve Him, He makes them all Kings and Priests unto His FATHER. And whereas other Lords have their natural infirmities, and passions, of choler, Melancholy, etc. by which their servants are sometimes vexed, yea and wronged too: Our LORD is so exquifitely complete, and absolute, as that He cannot offend, or wrong, any man by any mean: but is able to give full contentment unto all, and is all things to all His servants, and in them all.   

Of Blasphemy.  
TO blaspheme, is properly to hurt, or wrong, one in his name or fame. GOD is three ways blasphemed: First, when that is denied unto Him, which is His due: when that is imputed to Him, which belongs not to Him, and when that is attributed to another, which is proper only unto Him: He blasphemes GOD, that saith GOD cannot save him, or which saith GOD is not just, or that He sees not all secret things, or that He regards not the sighs and tears of his people: He likewise blasphemes GOD, that saith GOD hath a body, like a man: or that it is long of GOD that men do sin. Thirdly, he blasphemes GOD, that saith the devil can make a man, or raise a man, truly dead, to life. He is an evil man, that will speak evil of his Maker: and sure the heart is not right, if the tongue speak wrong; He that speaks ill, thinks not well. Doubtless GOD will not justify the man, that condemns Him; He will not hold him guiltless, that would make Him guilty; He thinks not well of him, that speaks ill of Him. GOD hath given a tongue to the beast, but the faculty of speech only unto man; He is very ill requited, when by this tongue His Name is blasphemed. The tongue was given a man to praise GOD, not to blaspheme and accuse Him. It is a fearful evil to turn that to evil, which was made for good: It is a grievous sin to speak ill of GOD with the tongue, which was made of purpose to speak good of Him: And questionless, if men must give account (at the judgement) of their idle words, then blaspheming and hurtful words shall not be forgotten.   

Of the Old and New Testament.  
THE Old Testament, and the New, for Substance, is one and the same. The Old enfolds the New, and the New unfolds the Old. The New is covered in the Old, the Old is discovered in the New. The faith in both is one: either one, or none: For Nature it is the same in both: but in the New it hath received light, evidence, and distinction. There hath been an increase of Faith: but how? Not that new points are added, but the former are amplified, and explained. An infant hath all the parts of a man, but these parts by years are enlarged: And an Oak is contained in the kernel, but time produceth all the parts and branches. Even so the faith of our forefathers before CHRIST, and ours since, is for Sense and Substance, one and the same, but since it hath received his growth, his evidence, and illustration, but yet in the same kind, sense, and understanding.   

Of Justifying Faith.  
JUSTIFYING Faith is that gracious gift, whereby we believe in the justice of CHRIST for our justification, and look upon him with confidence, who was lifted up upon the Cross for the cure of our souls, as the Brazen Serpent was for the cure of the Israelites, being stinged with serpents; that as they by looking to the brazen Serpent were cured of their bodily hurts, so we by beholding or fixing our belief on JESUS CHRIST crucified, should not perish, but have eternal life by Him, being by the grace of GOD in Him, delivered from all our sins. By Faith then a man's goes out of himself, and goes into CHRIST JESUS: By faith he forsakes himself, and cleaves unto CHRIST JESUS; By faith he stands not upon his own righteousness, which is required by the Law, but desires to be found in the righteousness of CHRIST, which is revealed in the Gospel: by faith he puts off his own rags, his own wisdom, holiness, justice, and puts on CHRIST JESUS, and applies him, or at the least would fain apply Him to himself, as some rich rob, or glorious garment, that being clothed in his Wisdom, Holiness, and justice, he might appear in the presence of GOD His heavenly Father (as jacob did to Isaac in Esau's clothes) and so obtain His everlasting blessing: This Saving Faith is a most precious jewel of the soul, full of comfort and content. Thou canst not see GOD, but thou mayst behold His Works; This is His Work, that a man believeth in His Son JESUS CHRIST: If then thou dost truly believe, thou mayst be sure that GOD is in thee, and hath taken possession of thee. Wouldst thou know how the Sun goes in the heavens? Then look unto some true Sun Dial, in it the motion of the Sun above appeareth. So, wouldst thou see how the Son of Righteousness CHRIST JESUS is affected towards thee? Ascend not on high, scale not the heavens; but descend into thyself, and examine thine heart for thy faith; for thy faith apprehends Him, follows Him up and down, and looks wishly upon Him; Thy Faith eyes Him, touches Him, holds Him, and will not let Him go. And mark, even as thou by thy faith dost apprehend Him, so He by His favour doth comprehend thee: as thou dost acknowledge Him, so He doth acknowledge thee: as thou dost enter into Him, so He doth environ thee: as thou dost content thyself with Him, so He delight Himself in thee: as thou dost rest and leave thyself on Him, so He doth offer Himself as a prop to stay and hold thee up. Not that we begin, and He follows; but He begins, and we follow: even as the Dial follows the Sun, and not it the Dial; or, as the motion, and turning of a Boat at Anchor, follows the motion and turning of the water, and not it the Boat: or, as as the dryness of the Ways, follow the dryness of the Wether, and this that: or finally, as the Sea follows the Moon, and not it the Sea. By this Faith we hear with profit, we walk with comfort, we work by charity, we hope for glory, we enjoy tranquillity, and though we be not justified for the merit of it, yet are we justified by it, as by that only mean, whereby we behold and hold, believe and place, our confidence in JESUS CHRIST, who was made unto us, of GOD, Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption. So Saint Paul, knowing that a man is not justified by the works, but by the Faith of JESUS CHRIST: We also (Paul and Peter) have believed in JESUS CHRIST, that we might be justified by the Faith of CHRIST, and not by the works of the Law: Because by the works of the Law no flesh shall be justified. Epiphanius saith, justice is by Faith, without the works of the Law. Chrysostome saith, He hath saved us by Faith alone. Theodoret saith, by bringing only Faith we have received pardon of sins. We judge, saith Ambrose, according to the Apostle, that a man is justified by Faith, without the works of the Law. Jerome saith, thou knowest that thou, as the Gentiles, hast found life in CHRIST, not by the works of the Law, but by Faith alone. To omit many, hear only now Saint Austen a word, or two: When the Apostle saith, a man is justified freely, without the works of the Law, by Faith, it is not his drift, that when Faith is received and professed, the works of justice should be contemned; but that every man may know it is possible for him to be justified, although the works of the Law have not gone before; for they follow him, that is justified, and go not before him, that is to be justified. So then, we for our parts are justified before GOD only by Faith: but we, and our faith also are justified before men by good works, as the goodness of a Tree is showed by the fruit, the goodness of a rose by her sweet odours, the cunning of a workman by his works. And though Faith be not alone, but very well attended, yet it justifies alone: as the eye sees alone, the ear hears alone, the mouth tastes alone, the legs go alone, but yet are not alone, but are coupled to other parts of the body. He that hath this faith, hath all the virtues of a Christian; he that wants it, wants all: With it a man is something, without it a man is worse than nothing. A man hath all that hath himself; he hath nothing that wants himself; but he hath himself that hath his Saviour, and he hath his Saviour, that believeth in Him, and by the virtue of his faith doth seek and serve Him. It it not faith, but faithlessness; not trust but distrust, for a man to put affiance in himself: I will therefore distrust in myself, that I may believe in CHRIST: I will despair of myself, that I may have hope in Him; and I will lose myself in myself, that I may find myself in Him: I will not distrust in His might, because He is Almighty; nor in His good will, because He is most merciful, and crieth; Come unto me (not ye that are worthy, but) ye that are weary, and heavy laden, and I will refresh you.   

Of Hope that maketh not ashamed.  
HOPE is the wishing and expecting of some good to come. True Christian hope, is that work of the SPIRIT in a true Believers heart, whereby he patiently waiteth for those good things, which GOD hath promised unto him in JESUS CHRIST: This hope is certain, and not false; begotten of faith in the promise of GOD: It is the anchor of the soul, which would be split in pieces with storms and tempests, and driven upon Rocks and Sands, or lose itself in the vast Ocean of this unquiet and sinful world, if it were not preserved and stayed by Hope, fastened on our LORD and SAVIOUR CHRIST JESUS, who is the ground of our hope, our staff, our stay, our comfort and contentment. joy is the motion of the heart upon some present good, now enjoyed: But Hope is the heart's expectation of some good to come: Which good the faithful heart doth long and look for; not led thereunto by the evidence of human sense or reason, but moved by the evidence of faith, which is the promise of God. The way to come to true Hope, is to have no hope in ourselves, but to receive all our hope from faith in the Word of God. For to hope in the creature is to despair of the Creator: Neither doth he truly hope in CHRIST, that doth fix his hope on any thing out of CHRIST. To despair is a grievous sin, for a man thereby denies the Power of GOD, who is Omnipotent, or His good Will and Mercy, who will cast away no humble Suppliant, but knows how to alter His Sentence, if thou canst tell how to perform repentance. It is true, desperation doth destroy thousands, but presumption doth kill ten thousands. There is no more dangerous presumption, then for a man to expect salvation by his own deserts, or to ground his hope of eternity upon his own perfections. His waxen wings wherewith he soars on high, will not be able to endure the heat of GOD'S justice, but with Icarus he shall most surely fall, and perish in the gulf of hell. So, it is very vanity for a man to hope for heaven, whiles he is always (like a Mole) rooting and turning up Mountains of enormities against the heavens, and laying sin upon sin (as the Babylonians did stone upon stone) and so threatening heaven with their sins, as they with their Tower. The sinner may not hope for heaven, but the Saint only; the humble, and not the proud; the penitent, not the man addicted to his own lusts, and hating to be reform. For the promise of Eternal Life is made, not to Infidels, but to Believers; not to the rebel, but to the penitent; not to the presumptuous, but to the poor; not to the children of the world, but to the true spiritual, sons, and daughters of the Church of God. Adulterers, Drunkards, worldlings, shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. They cannot be saved, except they repent, and when they do truly repent, than GOD accounts them no longer Adulterers, Drunkards, Worldlings, but doth forgive them. And as without repentance they cannot be saved; so without repentance they cannot hope to be saved. If they look to be saved, and yet run on in their sins, they look in vain: This their looking being the presumption of fancy, not the expectation of faith. It is but a castle built in the Air, imaginary: Or like an house of clay set in the waters. LORD JESUS, thou art mine Hope, mine Honour! I will begin and end in Thee. I would be found in Thee, and not in Me. I will desire, seek, and wait for life in Thee, in Thee alone, in nothing else. I do long, and look to see the face of GOD in the Land of the Living: But it is because Thou art mine, and I am Thine, and Thine I desire to be, and none but Thine, for ever and ever. For this hope is not a man's, but a Christians: Thou art the author of it, not Alum: It is of Faith, not from the flesh: We have it not by generation, but by Regeneration: Neither can any man be possessor of it longer, than he continueth Thine, even Thine, and none but Thine, ruled of thy Spirit, and not overruled of his flesh.   

Of holy Charity.  
LOVE is an uniting affection, by which the heart is knit unto the thing beloved, and by which the knot is continued knit, and not dissolved. For as hatred looseth, so love bindeth: that divideth, but this uniteth; that causeth abhomnation, but this delectation; that contempt, but this contentment. Love, that is good, hath for his object good. As evil, either true, or seeming, is the object of hatred; so a true, or seeming good, is the object of love. A true love is fixed on a thing, that is truly good. This is a rare and excellent virtue; that, which appeaseth GOD to man, and reconcileth man to GOD; that which made the Son of GOD come down to men, and the sons of men go up to GOD; that, which ties GOD to us, and our hearts to Him. Knowledge is in the soul as a Candle in a dark room: yet without Charity, the greatest Clerk is but an empty bladder; or like a vast house full of light, but void of treasure; he may have Learning, but he wanteth Grace. This holy affection, makes the poor man very rich, and the want thereof makes a rich man very poor. With it, a man is as an Angel: Without it, he is even as bad, or little better, than a devil. This is the soul of all learning, the condiment of all virtues, the root of all good actions, the ornament of all Christians, the keeper of true peace, the mother of true obedience, and that, without the which, a man hath nothing, is nothing. A man may have wealth as Nabal, wit, as Achitophel, beauty, as Absolom, honour, as Haman, strength as Goliath, the Sacraments, as judas, and yet be wicked and cast away for ever: But a man cannot but be good, whose love is sincere and good: And as soon shall the devil be saved, as a charitable man condemned. But who is this charitable man indeed? Even he that loveth GOD in CHRIST, and every good Christian for CHRIST His sake. Many will boast of love, as many bravadoes will brag of wealth, they have not. If to for swear, and swear idly, if to profane the Sabbath, and to contemn sacred Persons, Places, Offices, Acts and Exercises: If to be stout and sturdy to superious, If to brow-beat, stab, quarrel, rail, threaten, and revenge: If to paint the face, and die the hair, to wear a long lock, or to abuse our neighbour's wife, daughter, or servant: if to rob, purloin, embezle, or beguile: If to oppress, and grind the faces of poor people: If to be idle, and unprofitable: If glutting, glouring, pranking, lying, slandering, flattering, and evil speaking: If these be charity, the world is full of charity; and such charitable persons, are rife, as the frogs of Egypt, which would venture into the Kings Court. But if these be not, as indeed they are not, then may we justly complain, and say: There is men enough, but few lovers; much enormity but little Charity. Some commend Charity, but show none; and think they have it, when no fruit thereof appeareth. Charity needs none of their praises, but they stand in need to be praised by Charity, which loves only to be commended of her children. It is true, Charity itself is not seen, but it is manifested by her operations; as the heart by panting, as the wind by blowing, as the Air by drying, or as the spirit and juice of a tree by the apple. And it is as impossible for Charity to be in the soul without signs, and friuts, as for fire to be without heat, or for water not to wet them, that touch it, or for the soul to be in the body, and yet to show no virtue, or comfort, thereof unto the body.   

Of God's Love to man..  
THERE is no man living, which, as a creature, is not loved of GOD the great Creator; which appeareth in that He is said to be the SAVIOUR of All, and to cause the Sun to shine, and the rain to fall, even on the wicked. He loveth Humanity, but hateth impiety; the Man-head is beloved, but malice in it is detested: He likes well of the Nature, but dislikes the sin: That, which is His, He loves, but that which mars His, He hates: His own Image He loves, but the deformities thereof, made by man, are altogether displeasing in his sight. Now when all men had transgressed, and by transgression had made themselves the children of death, it pleased Him to pass by foam, being tied to none, and some others to choose in love unto Eternal Life. But what loved He now? The men, and not their manners; their nature, now under great corruption, but not corruption itself: Their persons, not their prevarications. And why loved He them? What moved Him to make that difference? Surely nothing but His own good Will: Memere mercy in Him, no merit at all in them; His free Dignation, and no dignity or deserts of theirs: His free favour to them, and no foreseen faith in them. But GOD, that had nothing to love in a sinner but his Humanity, in a true Saint hath also Christianity: then Nature, but now Nature and Grace too: In Generation the human Nature, in Regeneration a certain Divine Nature. If the devil hate all men, but especially all Saints; then we may be sure that GOD loves all men, but especially all holy men: And if the devil hate and pine at the graces of GOD in men; then questionless GOD loves all His graces, in whomsoever He finds them. O the riches of the love of GOD unto His chosen! O inexplicable kindness! O irrecompenfable favour! What is man, that Thou shouldst regard him, or the son of man, a worm, a wretch, the child of death, that Thou shouldest cast thine eyes upon Him? When all were fallen, and had deserved nothing but wrath, but woe, but death, eternal wrath, eternal woe, eternal death; Thy mercy, Thy mercy, not at all deserved, pitied some, but didst pass by others as amiable and as miserable as the other. O how unspeakable is Thy love to Thine! How admirable art Thou in all Thy ways! Even Thine enemies hast Thou received unto mercy; Thou hast punished their sins in the Flesh of Thine own Son, and in Whom Thou dost Crown them with grace and glory. O GOD, Thy Love brought the Israelites out of Egypt, overwelmed their persecutors, guided them in the wilderness, trod down the Nations for them, and brought them into the land of Canaan: Even so, o LORD, Thy love unto us, redeemeth us from our bondage, saveth us from hell, treadeth down our enemies, protects and directs us in the world, and safely brings us into the Land of Promise, the Land of the Living, where we shall see Thy Face, and enjoy the joys of bliss for evermore. O LORD Thy love is life, Thy favour is felicity: LORD, let the light of Thy countenance shine upon me, and grant me Thy love, which Thou bearest unto those, whom Thou lovest ever, and leavest never.   

Of Man's love to God.  
LOVE of GOD doth knit fast the heart unto Him, makes it delight in Him, and to be contented with Him. What cause hath man to love Him, it is not hard to conceive, seeing He is altogether good in Himself, and the cause of all good in, and to him. Are we, live we, understand we? We must ascribe it unto God. Are we men, or are we good men? Have we Grace, or expect we Glory? The praise belongs to Him. The measure of our love should be unmeasurable, and the end endless. The heart, wherewith we love Him, should not be half, nor hollow, but such as He made in us, whole, and undivided, simple, and not double. How equal is it that man should love His GOD, seeing it is the substance of His Law, and seeing he is so much obliged to Him for the tokens of His love to Him. How needful is it, seeing otherwise he cannot love his neighbour in Him, no nor perform any Act or Office of Religion, pleasingly in His sight? And how comfortable, seeing it is the work of GOD'S SPIRIT in him, and an undoubted effect and token of GOD'S love to Him, and of his faith in GOD? And yet it is a wonder to see how rare this duty is amongst us. How seldom do we think of GOD, or of His service? What capital and foul enormities are every where heaped up against Him? How usual is it with men to turn His Grace into wantonness? How do the pleasures and cares of the world deprive Him of our hearts? How common is the contempt of His holy Ordinances? How great is the profanation of His holy Day? How customably is His fearful and glorious Name, vainly used? And how wanton do men deal with His sacred Word? What little zeal and courage is there in us for His Glory? Alas, we talk of love, but demonstrate little. The heart of the lover is rather where it loves, than where it lives; a man cannot but obey his Lord, whom he dearly loveth, and will make much of any thing, that belongs to that he loves. But our hearts are buried in the earth, we are ever rooting in the ground, we have cast off the yoke of GOD'S Commandments, we are frozen in our dregs, and make account of any thing rather than that which concerns His Honour: which doth discover our hypocrisy, and witnesseth against us that we are lovers of pleasures, profit, preferments, of any thing rather than of Him: Yet is there nothing able to do us so much good, as He: Nothing so worthy of our love, as He: Nothing, to which we are so much indebted, as to Him: Nothing, wherein we can find so much comfort in the love thereof, as in the love of Him: Nothing, so well able to ravish our hearts with the delight thereof, as He is: And no man so regardful of our love, as He is, and yet standeth not in need of us at all, nor of our love. We desire His love to us, why then should we not remonstrate ours to Him? We would have our children and servants love us, it is reason therefore that we should bestow our love on Him, being our Loving LORD, and gracious FATHER in JESUS CHRIST.   

Of the Love of Christ.  
CHRIST is our LORD and SAVIOUR, therefore we ought to love Him, as men in love redeemed by Him, and received into His service. He loves Him as his LORD, that willingly submits his soul unto His Sceptre, and offers himself to be ruled by His Laws: He loves Him as his SAVIOUR, that relies upon His Merits, seeks to Him for His Grace, and resteth in those means of life and godliness, which He hath ordained in His Church CHRIST is the Husband of His people, and therefore to be beloved of them, as of His Wife. And those love Him as their Husband, that wed not their hearts to any other, that keep their souls chaste for Him, that delight to be under His shadow, and which in their hearts, say, with the Spouse in the Canticles; Stay me with flagons, and comfort me with apples; set me as a Seal on Thine heart, and as a Signet upon Thine Arm: Thy Love is better than wine. If ever our love was deserved of any, then of CHRIST JESUS; Who became man to bring us into grace with GOD; Who was poor, to make us rich; Who humbled Himself, to exalt us; Who came down from heaven, to fetch us from hell to heaven: Who both lived and died for us, that we might escape eternal death, and might obtain Eternal Life. And finally, because perfection procureth favour, and beauty is the Loadstone unto love: We must needs bestow our love on Him, in whom is nothing but perfection, nothing but beauty. In Him are all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge hidden: In Him is the fullness of the Godhead Bodily: He is Fairer than the sons of men, Grace is diffused in His Lips: GOD hath anointed Him with the Oil of Gladness above His Fellows: He is White and Ruddy, the chiefest of ten thousand, wholly delectable. LORD JESUS, tie mine heart fast to Thee by love; sever it from all earthly things, even from itself, that it may be wedded wholly, and solely unto Thee, unto Thee, and unto none but Thee, and that for ever.   

Of Self-love.  
CHRITY begins at home: It is natural for a man to love himself; He that loves not himself, is unfit to love another: Or how can he take care of another, that is careless of himself? True self-love is a furtherer of all virtues, specially of temperance and such other, as concern ourselves. For he, that loves himself truly, wills well, and does well unto himself, and embraces those virtues gladly, by which he may be mended. There is a blind and foolish self-love, too too common in the world. You shall have some ravished with the admiration of themselves; they are the Mountains, all others are but Molehills; all their Geese are Swans; all their virtues are tenfoote long, and all their actions are good, because they are theirs; all is spoken in Print, that is spoke by them; they see not their wants, but imagine they have, that they have not: So they swim, they care not though all do sink; so they may have, they care not though all beside do want; they will forgive and flatter themselves in most grievous vices, excusing themselves, extenuating their faults, and contemning all the admonitions of others. And finally, their praises of others is very sparing, almost nothing, but they can speak bigly of themselves, and think nothing well done, but what they do themselves. This is a pernicious and fearful sin, the madness of the mind, the impediment of all virtues, the shame of Religion, and the cause of all enormities: He that loves himself aright, loves himself Holily that is, in GOD, for GOD, and under GOD: and justly, that he may be righteous, and that by self-love he proves not himself injust: And Discreetly, not overweening himself, but with wisdom be having himself towards all, as is requisite for him. The good man that loves himself, as he should, wisheth well unto himself, doth good unto himself, agreeth with himself, dwelleth with himself with willingness, rejoiceth with himself, where there is cause of joy, and sorroweth with himself, when there is matter of sorrow; and in brief, doth earnestly covet and labour his own peace, inward, outward, and eternal. On the contrary, a wicked and profane Atheist, Epicure, and Worldling do not truly love themselves, but rather hate, and hurt themselves with intemperance, worldly cares, and other vices: they study not to garnish their souls with spiritual virtues, but follow riches, pleasures, and preferments, which to wicked men are never good, but ever hurtful. Neither do they agree well together within themselves, because their appetite and sensual part doth strive against their reasons, and either they ever labour of a stupifyed, or with a vexed and unquiet spirit. And hence it is also, that sensual and evil livers, as drunkards, whoremongers, spendthriftes, and such like persons, love not to be alone, and like not privacy, and retired thoughts, but frequent Alehouses, Taverns, Plays, and seek out voluptuous and boon companions, such as themselves, because they love not themselves, delight not in themselves, agree not with their consciences, but are vexed with the remembrance of their vices and iniquities, disquieted with the fear of punishment, and pinched with the gripes of an accusing and tumultuous conscience. Briefly, men truly good do only truly love themselves; but evil men do not love themselves at all, but either hate, or love amiss.   

Of love to our Neighbour.  
A GOOD Christian hath two things in him to be beloved, Grace and Nature. As he is a man, we ought to love him; but as he is a good man, we ought to love him the more. He, that hates a man, loves not his Maker; he, that hates a Christian, loves not his Master. He that hates either Man or Christian, is neither Christian, nor Man, but a devil incarnate. Some boast of their love to GOD, which show no love to man for GOD: This boasting is vain and false, for he that loves GOD, will love His Image: And certes he that loves not the child, cares as little for the father. But our neighbour is ungodly, graceless, roytous, and voruly; Yet must we love him, if not because he is good, yet that he may be good; if not the man, yet the man-head; if not the manners, yet the man. Gold is good, though dross be nought: Wheat may not be thrown away because of chaff; neither will we hate our bodies, because there are deformities, or diseases in them. Neither will all love serve the turn; but we ought to love our neighbour in truth, not falsely; in deed, not verbally; in the faith, not against it; in that, that is just, and not unrighteously; in judgement, and not undiscreetely; in measure, under GOD, and not above Him: and constantly, not for a start, as if some ague-fit were on us. There is very much love in the world, such as it is, but very little Christian Charity. For this seeks the good of her neighbour, and not his goods: This loves to give, and not to pull away: This beareth much, for beareth much, and rejoiceth in the truth: This loves a man, not for his greatness, but for his Graces; not for his birth, but for his Newbirth; not for his honour, but for his Holiness; not for his wealth, but for his Wisdom: and finally for CHRIST and in CHRIST: for CHRIST, because CHRIST doth love him, and bids us love Him; and in CHRIST, either because he is CHRIST'S, or that he may become CHRIST'S. But this is the condemnation of men, that the Church, and Her Children are come amongst them; but men love the world more than the Church, and sinners more, than Saints.   

Of loving, and of being loved.  
IT is better to love, then to be loved: for Action is more excellent than Passion; and the praise of virtue consists in action. To give, is more gracious then to take: Now in loving there is a gift, in being loved there is a taking. Honesty is better than Commodity: Now to love is a point of Honesty, to be beloved is a matter of Commodity. GOD delights more in the love, wherewith he doth love, then in the love, wherewith he is loved: And mothers naturally rejoice more to love their children, then to be loved of their children, and like better to do good to them, then to receive good from them. Besides, a man may be loved of a man with Christian love, and yet be but an hypocrite; but a man cannot love with Christian love, but he must needs be a Christian. A man may be loved of his neighbour for GOD, and yet neither love GOD, nor be loved of GOD: but a man cannot love his neighbour for GOD, but he doth much more love GOD, and is most certainly beloved of God. And finally, it is no pain, but rather pleasure; a gain, but no grace to be beloved: but to love a good thing well is grace; yea, oftentimes a man must sweat and strive with great contention (so averse and tortuous are our hearts by sin) before he can fasten his affections, and fix his love on spiritual things, which are most worthy of his love, and remove it from those things, that are rather to be loathed and forsaken, as noisome, and pernicious to him.  
True friendship stands in true mutual love, where love fails, there friendship falls: But that a man may prove a friend unto another, it is necessary that he be a friend unto himself: For how shall he will well, do well, agree well, or dwell well with another, that fails in these things towrds himself?  
But this, as touching love, is worthy observation: that those that do good turns unto others, do more love them, to whom they do them, than these, that do receive them, do love those, that do them: Provided that they do their good turns out of sincerity, not for by-respects. CHRIST loves us better than we love him: Parents love their children more than their children love them. Tutors love their Pupils more than they their Tutors. He that receives a benefit is (as it were) the work and creature of his Benefactor: Now the workman loves the work, more than the work doth love the workman: The creature is dearer to the Creator, than He to it; and the cause loves the effect more than it the cause. The Usurer is unworthy the name of Benefactor, because he loves his Debtor for gain, seeking rather to benefit himself in his Debtor, than his Debtor in him: And to speak properly, as he is an Usurer, he loves him not: for love seeks not her own good, but the good of him whom he loves; Now the Usurer seeks his own good only, and leaves his debtor to look to himself, showing him only a little outward indulgence for a time, until he may have his debt paid him again with vantage. But indeed to gain love, and to be counted a Benefactor, is not any way more easily attained to, then by doing good turns unto men freely, seasonably, unasked, and in secrecy: but some cannot do a man a good turn, but they must cackle so long and so loud, that all the world may take notice of it; which argues that they regard fame more than friendship, and to walk upon the tongues of men, rather than to live within the breasts of their friends and followers.   

Of Faith, Hope and Charity.  
FAITH, Hope, and Charity, are three notable gifts of GOD, without the which it is impossible for any man to be saved, though no man shall be saved for them. A man shall be saved in them, but not for them; for that, which merits our salvation for us, that is, redemption from all sin and sorrow, and fruition of Eternal Glory; that (I say) is not any thing in us, but something without us: It is not quality, gift, or grace infused, but the justice of CHRIST imputed. Faith believeth, Hope expecteth the thing believed, and Charity Ioues it, links the soul unto it. Faith is as the mother, Hope, and Charity, are her two daughters: Because I believe, therefore I hope, and as I believe, so I love. Faith believeth that GOD is true and faithful in His Word: Hope waiteth whiles He show Himself to be so. Faith be getteth hope, hope being begotten preserveth faith. Faith beholds, and holds fast the Word of Promise: Hope looks after the thing that is promised in that Word. Love unites the heart both to the Word, and to the thing that is promised in it: Hope is the waiting for a good to come, but Faith believeth things past, present, and to come. I believe that CHRIST was borne of a Virgin, that He now sitteth at the right Hand of His FATHER, and that He shall come hereafter to judge the world: Faith taketh CHRIST, and worketh by Charity; Charity worketh not by Faith, as an instrument, but arises from Faith, as from the fountain, whereout it flows. Christian Faith beholdeth CHRIST in the Word and Sacraments: But Christian Charity ties the soul, not only unto CHRIST, but also unto all His Members, in and for His Name. Love is not caused by hope, but hope rather caused by love; for because a man doth love GOD, therefore he doth expect and tarry, and that with desire and longing, till he do enjoy Him to his fill. And if he did not love Him, he would not desire and hope to see Him, but rather fear, and grieve. Finally, Faith, Hope, and Charity, are three excellent virtues, but Charity is, in two respects, the chiefest. First, because Charity is profitable to our Neighbours, whereas our Faith and Hope doth them no good at all, were it not for Charity. Secondly, the love, whereby we love CHRIST and His Members now, shall be continued and perfected in the world to come: but whereas now we do by faith believe, and by hope expect and desire to see the face of CHRIST hereafter: Then, when we do see and enjoy Him, this faith, and this hope are at an end; and whereas here in this life we walk by faith, and not by sight, and feeling, in the life to come we shall see face to face, and know as we are known, and want no feeling nor sight of that, that is pleasing and solacious to the soul. And whereas men hope for that, they see not, how can they hope for that they see? But GOD shall be seen of His Saints in the world to come, and their sight shall ravish them with His love, their corporal and intellectual eyes, then glorified, being as doors or windows to let in His Love into their hearts, which will most willingly entertain Him, and rest upon Him, as upon their Centre, and sole Contenter.   

Of God's Word.  
GOD'S Word is a Fire, It must be warily meddled with: If thou wilt not suffer It to burn up thy lusts, It will burn up thee: if It consume not the sin, It shall consume the sinner. Art thou a cold? It is fire to warm thee. Art thou drossy? It is fire to purge thee. Art thou in darkness? It is a fire to enlighten thee. Is thine heart void of zeal to GOD, or love to Man? It is a fire to inflame thee? Art thou frozen upon thy dregs, or art thou so hardened that no impression can be made upon thee? It is a fire to thaw and melt thee. This Word shall be destruction to him, that will receive no instruction from It: It will prove his desolation, that makes it not his consolation: It will condemn thee, if thou wilt not suffer It to control thee: and if It shalt not help thee, It shall undoubtedly hurt thee. This Word is an Hammer, if It soften not a man, and make him tender, It will harden him and make him tough: If It beat not down the sin, it will knock down the sinner: And if the heretic will not be beaten with It from his heresies, It will beat him down one day thither, from whence all heresies spring. An hammer hurts not the air or water, which yields unto it readily, but breaks and bruises that, that makes resistance. He that resists the Word shall be broken; but he, that yields unto it, shall receive no hurt. He that would surely break a thing with an hammer, must not only move the hammer to it with strength; but he must so lay the thing, that it slide, slip, or shrink not from the blow: so they, that indeed would have their hearts softened, their proud hearts battered, or any lust contused, let them apply the Word of GOD unto them closely, and not leap or shrink aside, when it is ministered and fitted to them. And what Minister soever brings with him this Fire, this Hammer, entertain It, use It, apply thyself unto It. If the Fire, if the Hammer be the same, If it be Gods', receive it with the same affection, though the men be not the same, that bring it. The Hammer is not the worse for him that holds it, nor the Fire for him that brings it. The Minister is to be received and honoured for the Word, and not It for him. In brief, the Smith can do nothing without his Hammer and Fire. Ministers are Smiths, and men naturally are like iron unwrought or unformed, or rather indeed ill-wrought, and ill-formed. The Word, that is, the Law and Gospel, is the Fire and Hammer, by which through divine assistance they work them, fashion them, and make them fit instruments, and vessels for the service of GOD in His House, which is the Church. How precious therefore both to Priest, and people should this Hammer and Fire be in a true account thereof within their souls?   

Of Good-deeds.  
SUCH are good works, as are, and are done according to the will of GOD revealed. For the rule of well-doing is not our wills, who are but servants; but the Will of GOD, who is our Master, whose will is Just, and the Rule of justice, GOD being able to will nothing but right and good, seeing He is Wisdom, Truth, and Goodness itself. And a thing may be according to His Will, and yet not be done of him that does it, according to it. A good deed is ill done, if it be not done for manner as well as for matter, according to the Will of God. For if a man do that that is good, and think it is evil, that man doth sin: Not only because he thinks that evil, which is not evil; but also, because he judging it to be evil, yet doth it. Even as a man may lie, when he speaks the truth, if he think that is a lie, which he speaketh, when he speaks it. Again, if a man do that whereof he doubteth, and is not persuaded of the lawfulness thereof, he sins: For whatsoever is not of Faith is sin. And finally, though a man do a thing that is good, yet if he do it not to GOD'S Glory, but for his own, or for base respects, and not in way of obedience to GOD'S Commandments, he questionless commits a sin. A good man only can do a good deed: For an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit, and a corrupt fountain can send forth no wholesome water. Good deeds are necessary to salvation, as the way to the Kingdom, but not as the cause of reigning. They are not the causes of salvation, but the works and testimonies of them that are to be saved. And they are not the matter nor form of faith, but they are true effects, undoubted tokens, and unseparable companions of true Faith and of true Charity, if well performed. For Faith and Charity are not idle and unfruitful, but laborious and full of goodness: And though our well-doing be no cause of our Blessedness, yet it shall not want a reward, but as we do abound therein in this world, so shall we exceed in glory in the world to come: The more we flourish in fruit in this life, the more we shall flourish in felicity in the life to come. But some have been heard to say, they can do no good deeds, they have no riches, they are but poor. These are deceived; thou hast not a penny, hast thou a prayer? Thou hast no goods to give, hast thou good counsel? Thou canst do no deeds of comfort, hast thou any words of comfort? Thou hast no bread, hast thou a blessing? Thy legs are lame, thou canst not go well; thy hands are lame, thou canst not work well; hast thou a good tongue, canst thou speak well? There is no man so poor, but he may benefit his neighbour one way, or an other: If any way it is a good deed, if he do it well. And GOD accepts any thing, a cup of cold water, if there be no better, the widows Mite, even any thing, hair to the building of the Tabernacle, a pin to the dressing of his Bride. And suppose a man do a good deed to a wicked man, yet if he do it not for his wickedness, but either because he is a man, or that he may win him unto goodness, or show himself a follower of GOD, who is kind unto His enemies, and doth good even to the wicked, surely he doth a good, and shall not lose his reward. And say that a man should be kind unto some hypocrite, thinking him to be a Saint, because he could not discern his simulations, being so cunningly carried, yet shall the benefactor be rewarded of GOD, Who regards his affection, and seeth his heart, and will recompense him according to his love, and not according to the condition of the party, which did not deserve it. If a man's benesicence proceeds of benevolence, and be performed in the name of CHRIST to the glory of GOD, it shall never want a recompense. For GOD is not not injust to forget the labour of our love; and as men sow, so shall they reap; as they brew, so shall they drink. Our gifts shall be recompensed with glory, our pains with pleasures, our labours with life. Do well, and have well: Live well, and die well: He that doth well to the Servant for the masters sake, shall be sure to receive a reward from the Master Himself: It shall never be said that he, that was kind and loving to the Child, is unkindly and hardly dealt with of the Father. Let us not therefore be weary of well-doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.   

Of the knowledge of God.  
ALL Men affect knowledge by a certain instinct of nature: How unmanly a vice than is it to affect the ignorance of GOD, our Maker, Ruler, and Redeemer, Whose Nature, Beauty, and Perfection doth more excel all the world, than all the world excels the meanest creature that is in it? We study to know the nature and perfection of things, that are, by far, less worthy to be known: Yea, sometimes we will search into things forbidden, and sometimes take pains to know that, which is not worthy of those pains. Except we know GOD, how shall we take Him alone to be our GOD, and not defile ourselves with idols? Unless we know Him, how shall we love Him, how can we trust in Him, how can we serve Him? Do men love that they know not? Will a man serve he knows not whom? Will a man make account of that, the worth or use whereof is unknown unto him? Or will a man acknowledge and believe in one he knows not? We are spiritual Priests and Princes, is it for a Priest to be ignorant of his GOD? Doth it become a King to be ignorant of the KING of Kings, who set the Crown on his head, and put the Sceptre into his hand? Even beasts, and birds know their owners, keepers, feeders, and is it a seeemely thing for man, whom GOD hath made their Lord, to be ignorant of Him, by whom they live, and move, and have their being, and long of Whose mercies it is, that they are not consumed? To know GOD rightly is a note of GOD'S people: They shall all know Me from the least of them even to the greatest of them, saith the LORD: and an infallible argument of blessedness: This is life Eternal, that they know thee the only true GOD, and JESUS CHRIST whom Thou hast sent, who is very GOD, blessed for ever. On the contrary, affected ignorance of GOD is the brand of wicked men, who say unto GOD, Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of Thy Ways: This ignorance exposeth a man to the judgements of GOD: whose wrath is kindled by this sin. The LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the Land, (saith Hoseah) because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of GOD in the Land: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. This ignorance is the mother of superstition, and profaneness, and the reason why men fear not GOD, but are disobedient and unawfull. Therefore they in job, that had said in their hearts, We desire not the knowledge of Thy Ways, say also: Who is the Almighty that we should serve Him? And what profit should we have, if we should pray unto Him? If a man be disposed to devotion, yet being ignorant of GOD'S Will, he will devise some Will-worship, and foolish adinuentions, which are as pleasing unto GOD, as Lukewarm water to the stomach, as apish compliments to a grave man, or as painting and pranking is to a stayed and holy Matron. Besides, the ignorance of GOD makes men do that against the truth, and the professors of it, which otherwise, it is very likely they would not do. Ignorance of CHRIST made the jews to crucify Him, and Paul to persecute Him in His Members. They shall excommunicate you (saith our LORD) yea the time shall come, that whosoever kills you, shall think he doth GOD good service: and these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the FATHER nor ME: And for the life to come, it shall be no help to say; we would have served Thee, had we known Thee. But why did you not know Me? For mine Eternal Power and Godhead are seen by the creation of the world. The heavens declare the glory of GOD, and the firmament showeth the works of His Hands. But besides the book of Nature, you had the Scriptures, Moses, the Prophets, and Apostles: besides the world, you had the Church, I sent you my Messengers, in whom I spoke continually to you, and entreated you to learn and serve Me. It is evident therefore that ignorance will not serve the turn. For the LORD JESUS will render vengeance unto them, that know not GOD, and obey not His Gospel, which shall be punished with everlasting perdition, from the presence of the LORD, and from the glory of His power. And finally, whereas all the vanities, pomp, and glory of the world, which we do so much admire, shall perish with the world: this our knowledge of GOD, begun in this world shall be perfected in the world, to come. Now I know in part, but then shall I know, even as I am known. Then a man shall have Light without darkness, Knowledge without ignorance, Wisdom without folly, Understanding without dullness, judgement without error, Reason without perturbation: Then shall all the Saints see GOD, and serve GOD always, and for ever.   

Of Serving God.  
IT was well said of a father to his son: Know thou the GOD of thy father, and serve Him. How shall a man serve Him, that doth not know Him? And what will it profit to know Him, if he do not serve Him? But if men do serve Him, they shall end their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures: Or if He try them with the Cross, He will afterwards honour them with a Crown. Their griefs shall end in Glory, their mourning in Mirth, their temptations in Triumphs, their vinegar shall be changed into Wine, and though they have sown in tears, yet they shall reap in joy.. What desirest thou in a Master? Wisdom? His Wisdom is infinite. Greatness? His Greatness is incomprehensible. Strength? He can do all things, nothing is impossible with Him. Valour? He is not afraid of death, nothing can dismay Him. Magnificence? He is the LORD of Hosts, clothed with Glory and Honour: He covereth Himself with light, as with a garment, and spreadeth the heavens like a curtain. He maketh the clouds His Chariot, and walketh upon the wings of the Wind. He sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as Grasshoppers. He bringeth the Princes to nothing, and maketh the judges of the earth, as vanity: His garment is white as snow, the hair of His Head like pure wool, His Throne like the fiery flame, and His Wheels as burning fire: Thousand, thousands Minister unto Him, and ten thousand thousands stand before Him. Wouldst thou have a Master rich? The earth is the LORDS, and all that is therein, the round world, and all that dwell within it. One that can advance thee? Promotion comes neither from East, nor West, nor South, nor North, but from GOD, Who throweth the proud from his Pinnacles, raiseth the needy out of the dust, and lifteth up the poor out of the dung, that He may set Him with Princes, even with the Princes of His people. Or One, that is kind and loving, patient and compassionate? The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great mercy. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him; He will hear their cry and save them. Men will serve men, specially such as may do them good, or defend them from harm: Why then should we not much more willingly serve GOD, who is able to save a man, though all would destroy him, and to destroy him, when nothing can save him? If He bless, who can curse? If He curse, who can bless? Sometimes a servant serves a Master, who grows weary of him, because he thinks he may prove costly to him. Many Masters having served their turns shake off their servants, as a dog doth water, or as a man would do burrs: and a good servant may sometimes wait long, and get little: But GOD never forsakes, or turns out His servants: He lets them not serve Him unregarded, but as they honour Him, He honours them: And the more they serve Him, the freer they are in this world, and the greater rewards they shall receive of Him in the world to come. And it is to be observed that young folks usually do give themselves to be servants of men: Why then should they not give themselves to the service of GOD, whom to serve is indeed to reign, and in whose service that may be gotten which cannot be found in the service of any mortal man? O that we would remember our Creator in the days of our youth, and enure our necks to His yoke, whiles we are fresh and tender! But what must be the Rule of our service? Surely, not our wills, who are but servants, but His Will, who is our Master, which he hath revealed to us in His Word, to which we ought to conform and apply ourselves infeare and humbleness, endeavouring to obey Him in all His commands, sincerely, cheerfully, and to our end; so shall we be sure to die in His grace, and to be raised up from the grave of death to possess the glory of Eternal Life.   

Of the Sour and his Seed.  
THE Sower went out to sow. Every true and faithful Minister of CHRIST JESUS is a Sour, Gods' Word is his Seed: Man's heart is the ground that should receive it. The Word is a very rare and admirable Seed, altogether matchless. For by it men are made Christians, sinners are made Saints, dead men are made alive: From it all manner of virtues spring, and with it are nourished. And were it not for it, the whole world, and even the Church itself, would be worse than a wilderness, and turned into Sodom and Gomorrah. But as it is in vain to sow Seed in the fire, air, or water, or any where, but in the earth, which is in the middle of the world: and that it may prosper well, the ground must be quiet, not troubled, or tossed, nor continually trodden on, and both it and the seed to be cast into it must be pure and good, not mingled, or corrupt. So it is bootless to sow the Word in the ears only, or in the eyes, or understanding, and memory, or indeed any where, if not in the heart, which is in the midst of a man: And that it may thrive and flourish, the heart must be quiet, and not disturbed or tossed with the storms and tempests of fleshly passions: It must be cleansed of noisome and stinking weeds: It must not be trodden under foot and continually walked upon by wordlly cares, carnal desires, and foolish fancies, which keep a great coil, and are always trotting up and down in worldings, belly-gods, and natural men: and the seed must be sown purely, and not mingled with the tars and darnel of heresies and errors. A Ship cannot sail without Sea-room, and seed cannot thrive without Earth-roome; No more can the Word without Heart-roome. If the ground receive not the seed into it, and cherish it, and give it scope to root itself in it, the seed cannot prosper, and come to perfection. So the Word of GOD thrives not, except the heart receive it meekly, cherish it lovingly, and give it room to root itself thoroughly. Drunkenness and gluttony do drown this Seed; covetousness and worldly cares do choke it; unchaste desires do scorch and burn it; rage and contumacy repel it; hatred and malice pinch and bite it; hardness of heart and double mindedness will not suffer it to root well. Every man would have his ground good; yea what is there that a man would not have to be good? his wife, his child, his servant, his friend, his fellow, his apparel, his house, his horse, his dog, he would have all good, and shall himself be nought? Shall the heart, which is the only seed-plot of the Word, which is able to save his soul, shall it be evil, and suffered to be evil, and overgrown with evil weeds? Why is it that the rain falling, and the Sun shining upon a well ordered Garden makes it sweet and flourishing, but upon some other piece of ground, and it brings out nothing but Moss and Weeds? The fault is in the ground, not in the Sun or Rain. So one man is benefited by the Word, it takes well, and bringeth forth fruits in him; and another doth not reap any good by it, it proveth not in him by reason of his uncapableness, and wicked lusts, that will not give way unto it, but makes him to resist it and rebel against it. A man may set or sow in our fields, whiles we sleep, or though we would not: But the Minister cannot sow the Word of GOD in our hearts, if we snort in sin, if we be regardless of the Word, and will not receive it. Seed may be picked out of the ground, and eaten of birds, whether a man will, or no: his corn may be burnt, his plants may be stolen, or pulled up, and broken down, though he would not; But we and the Word, that is sown or grafted in us, cannot be separated against our wills (our Bibles may be taken from us by force, but the Word engrafted in us cannot be taken from us against our will) the birds of hell cannot steal it from us and pick it out, except we ourselves be willing: if ever we and it do part, we must thank ourselves. Seed sown in the ground after a time comes up, and flourishes for a time, but at length it decays and withers. For this is the nature of seed; it is partly turned into the ground, and turns the ground partly into it: It turns, and is turned; it sucks, and draws to it a certain nurture out of the ground, at length shoots out, grows up, and increaseth a certain space; then in process of time it decayeth, and at length dieth. But the Word doth otherwise: For the Word being sown in the heart, that entertains it, taketh, thriveth, comes up, and beareth fruit: It is not turned, but it turneth the heart; It is not corrupted, but rather corrupteth and killeth the evil qualities, that are within us: It it is no whit turned into man, but it rather turns a man into it, and works him to it will; It sucks no nourishment from man, but it affords strength, and comfort unto man; and it never decayeth of itself, It dies not, neither can it be by any means rooted up or taken from us, but by our wills. We yielding consent thereto. If ever it fail and die, if it be parched and dried up, it is long of us, and not of it. There is no plant, which time killeth; Nature hath appointed it a time to live, and a time to die; be the ground never so good, the years never so seasonable, the heavens never so benign, yet it must decay and die. But if the Word be planted in a good and honest heart, it cannot be rooted out, nor perish; except the ground prove barren and nought; except a man do wax weary of the Plant, unless a man would be rid of it, it will not away, but will grow up with him, and will save his soul by the blessing of God. This Seed is at this day scattered in all places amongst us, yet it takes but badly in the most: The Seed is good, but the ground (as it seems) is for the most part nought: That is the only good ground, which receives it gladly, gives it free passage willingly, and brings forth the fruits thereof patiently. Men never more delighted in goodly Gardens and Orchards, in variety of fruits and flowers, then at this day: But without doubt there is none of all their Seeds or Sets comparable to this. For this brings fruits of all kinds, that are good; Fruits, of which a man cannot surfeit; Fruits, without which a man is more miserable, than a very beast; Fruits, for the which a man shall be crowned with life eternal; Fruits, which themselves are fruitful, one fruit bringeth forth another without the corruption, loss, or lessening of it self. And whereas all their feeds, are not able to save the body from death, this Seed is able to save the soul from hell, and to give a man assurance that his dead body also shall be raised up from death to life. Their seeds, and their plants, and flowers, do replenish and beautify their grounds; but this Seed and the fruits there of do fill and garnish the soul. Those, if they prosper, do commend the soil; but this, if it thrive, doth commend the soul: They may show who is rich; but this, and the fruits thereof declare who is Religious: They may perhaps tell who is wealthy, great, and glorious in the world; but These point out a man, that is wife and good, and endued with the Grace of God. Finally, a man may do well enough, as touching his soul, though he should want or refuse other seeds: but the refusal and lack of this Seed is very dangerous. He that contemns or puts away the Word of the LORD shall undoubtly perish, without repentance. Yea, and if we be gotten by it, what shall become of him, that is without it?   

Of Ignorance.  
IT is better to be ignorant, then to err: Simple ignorance is better than undiscreet knowledge. Ignorance a bad mother, hath two as bad daughters, Falsehood, and Doubting; that is the more miserable, but this the more to be pitied: that is the more dangerous, but this the more dolorous. Affected ignorance of that which a man should know, doth double the fin. For it is one to be ignorant, and another, and that worse, to affect it, and to be pleased with it. It is no small matter for a man to know that he doth not know: For it is the way to get knowledge, to know that a man doth want knowledge. None prove ranker fools, than they that think they have all wisdom. Many things worthy to be known, are not known; either because men care not to know them, or else because they think they know them, when they know them not. He that is the best, and knows the most, will ingenuously acknowledge that he knows not many things, which he ought to know, and that there are many things worthy to be learned, which yet he hath not learned. A wise Scholar will not so much content himself with what he doth know, as inquire after those things which he doth not know; not blessing himself with what he hath learned, but endeavouring to learn what he hath not learned. He that sees the light, knows how to judge of darkness: But he, that is blind, cannot judge of colours. A blind man (they say) swallows many a fly. Ignorance is the mother of superstition; but true devotion affecteth knowledge. It is an evil not to know what is lawful to be done, as to do that, which a man knows should not be done. When a man knows not GOD, he knows not how to worship Him; and when he knows not himself, he knows not how to behave himself. From the ignorance of GOD comes despair; from ignorance of owns self ariseth pride, and foolish philauty: The ignorance of ourselves is the beginning of sin, the ignorance of GOD is the consummation of sin. He commonly knows most, that knows he is ignorant of much: He knows but little, that thinks he is ignorant but of little: But he knows just nothing, that imagines he knows all, and is ignorant of nothing. It is an easier punishment not to be able to live, then living not to be able to know things needful to be known. It were better to die being furnished with knowledge, then to live being fraught with ignorance: It were better to have knowledge, and to die like a man, then to be an ignorant sot, and to live like a beast.   

Of Idols.  
AN idol is nothing. Something it is in his conceit that doth adore it; but indeed it is not that which he doth think it is. And because it is nothing, it can do neither good nor hurt. Nothing can do no good. Some thing cannot come from nothing: And nothing can do nobody hurt. Nothing can do no hurt to him, that knows no thing to be nothing: Yet this nothing hurteth him, that thinks it something; not because it is in nature some thing, but because he thinks it something, when it is nothing; and worships nothing in steed of something. The idols of the Heathen had eyes, and saw not, ears and heard not, noses and smelled not, hands and felt not; and they, that made them, were like unto them, and so were all they that trusted in them. That is, they lacked their senses, or else they might have easily discerned that they were but statues, and standing vanities. But Popish Wafer-idol hath no eyes at all, no ears at all, no nose at all; no hands at all, & such are they that make it & adore it: For if they had their senses, they might perceive it were a piece of bread. Of a truth, LORD (said Hezekiah) the Kings of Assyria have laid waste all the Nations, and have cast their Gods into the fire: for they were no Gods, but the works of men's hands, therefore they have destroyed them. If it be possible for this Romish Wafer-God to be thrown in the fire, and that it should be destroyed of men, yea of mice, as it is, by the same reason it doth appear, that it is no God, but the work of men's hands. Saint Jerome writeth that at the time, that the Virgin Mary fled into Egypt with our SAVIOUR, all their Idols fell down, and were defaced, and that their Oracles ceased. And Commestor likewise saith that upon our LORDS Birthday, the Temple dedicated by the Romans to the Goddess Peace, in Rome fell all in pieces to the ground.   

Of the punishments of sin.  
SIN is a thing so odious unto GOD, that it cannot scape unpunished. Even the SON of GOD must die, rather than that sin should go unpunished: But it is worth noting how GOD doth fit his punishments to the sin. Because the Gentiles (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) approved it not, judged it not profitable to acknowledge GOD, but reprobated Him, therefore He delivered them up (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) to a roprobate mind, and void of judgement, that as they had neglected and dishonoured Him, so they should neglect and dishonour one another. The Sodomites sinned with fiery lusts, and were destroyed with fire and brimstone: Their sin was unnatural and rare, and their punishment was unusual, and very terrible to nature. Nadab and Abihu sinned with fire, and were consumed with fire. Adonibezeke had cut off the thumbs and great toes of seventy Kings; so the people of judah cut off his. As thy sword (said Samuel to Agag) hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among other women, and so he hewed him in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal. Lucian, as like a dog he was ever barking against Christian Religion, so by GOD'S judgement he was devoured of dogs. Alladius a Latin King counterfeited lightning and thundering, by an artificial devise, that his subjects might take him for a God: but it came to pass that his house was fired with true lightning, and overthrown with floods and foul weather, and so he perished, being burnt and drowned all at once. Bladud the son of Lud, a Necromancer, made himself wings, and assayed to fly, but the devil forsook him in his journey, and so he fell and broke his neck. Olaus Magnus tells of a Pirate called Otto, who by the devils help would to the sea, and raise up storms to drown his enemies, but at last was drowned himself. Picus Mirandula saith, there was a conjuror in his time, who as he had the society of the devil, so he was carried clean away with the devil, and never heard of after. Pliny writeth how Cornelius Gallus died in the very act of filthiness. Anacreon a drunken 
An. Dom. 1346.  Poet, was choked with the husk of a grape. Popiel a Polonian King, and an Vncle-murtherer, used ordinarily amongst his other oaths and cursings this also, If it be not true would rats might devour me, and was accordingly set upon with an Army of rats, which sallied forth of the dead bodies of his Uncles, and afterwards devoured him to the bones, notwithstanding any means used to the contrary. So those three, that had bound their lying accusation of Narcissus with a curse, were met within the like. One said, if I lie, I pray GOD I may perish by fire, and his house being set on fire extraordinarily, he and his perished in the flames. The second said, if I speak any thing but truth, I pray GOD I may be consumed with some filthy disease, and so he was. The third seeing GOD'S judgements upon his companions, confessed their wickedness, and lamented with such a flood of tears, that he wept out both his eyes. But among all judgements those are most fearful, when GOD punisheth one sin with another, one wicked act or habit with an other, and wicked acts with wicked habits, and chose. See how He punished Adam's pride with his eating of the fruit forbidden: David's adultery with murder: Achitophel's treason with self-murder: judas covetousness with treachery, and that with desperation. The heathen, because they turned the truth of GOD unto a lie, and served the creature, forsaking the Creator, therefore GOD gave them up unto vile affections. And the Apostle prophesying of the followers of that man of sin, saith that, because they received not the love of the truth, GOD shall send them strong delusions, that they should believe lies: All which doth show how loathsome sin and sinners are in the sight of GOD, and should stir us up to vomit it up as poison, and to fly from it, as from a Serpent.   

Of Repentance.  
TRUE and sound repentance is a turning from vice to virtue, from evil to Good, from the devil to God. Repentance is the change of the whole man, and not of half. The judgement sanctified by the SPIRIT must condemn the evil, the eyes of the understanding being opened to discern it, and approve the contrary good; the will must will the good, and nill the evil: The affections must hate, fear, and abhor the evil, and love, like, and delight in good; and the conversation must not be an exercise of evil, but an open forsaking of it, and a practice of the contrary good: First therefore a true Repenter must see and understand his sins, by considering himself and his ways by the Law of GOD, which shows both good and evil: For if a man see not his faults, how shall he condemn, confess, and fly them? Or if he view not himself in a true glass, how shall he see his true complexion? And if he try not his actions and cogitations by a true Rule or Touchstone, how can he truly discern their irrectitude, and hypocrisies? Yet because after our examination sin may lie hid unseen in one corner, or other, therefore to show our hatred of sin, and that we think not we have all light in these toodarke houses of mortality, it behoves us to pray that GOD would forgive us our secret sins: He wants light, that thinks he hath all light; and is in darkness, that thinks no darkness is in him; and no man further from perfection, than he that thinks he sees all his imperfections. Secondly, when a man sees his sin to be sin, he must yield it is sin, he must acknowledge it, and not deny, lessen, nor defend it. Sin defended is increased; The defence of sin seen is even death to the sinner that defends it. And how doth a man repent of that, which he labours to maintain? Si homo peccatum non agnoscit, Deus non ignoscit: If a man, when he sees his sin prohibited, yet will not acknowledge and yield it is sin, but will plead for it, excuse and colour it, questionless he will not leave it, neither will GOD leave him unpunished. Thirdly, when a man discerns his sin, and acknowledges the vileness of it, let him enter into judgement with it, and condemn it: For except he do condemn it, GOD will not pardon it. If he condemn not it. it shall condemn him. Unless he adjudge it unto hell, it will debar him of entrance into heaven. Fourthly, let a man finding himself guilty of sin arrest, arraign, accuse, and condemn himself, confessing his sin freely unto GOD, and exclaiming against himself unto GOD, saying; I have sinned, I have sinned grievously against thee. I deserve nothing but confusion, I am unworthy of thy favour, I am unworthy to be counted, or called thy Son, Thy Servant. Except a man will arraign, indite, and condemn himself, he shall not be able to stand unconfounded before his judge; either he must condemn himself, or he shall be condemned of God. Neither is a man in deed fit to desire absolution, that finds not himself worthy of condemnation: Neither is he prepared to sue for grace, till he have condemned himself as a graceless wretch. Fiftly, let him nill it, hate it, loathe it, be afraid of it, and be sorry for committing it, even because it is an offence of GOD, his gracious and loving Master. For a man doth not indeed repent, except his sins, which before were sweet unto him as honey, be now in his taste as bitter as gall: except he loathe them, as before he loved them; except they be now painful, as before they were pleasing; and affect him now as well with dolour, as they tickled him before with delight. Finally, let a man crave pardon of it of GOD, and forsake it in his practice, and addict himself to those good duties, that GOD requires of him. For GOD grants his pardon to them that beg it: And though many men will scornfully put off a beggar, yet GOD gives his alms to none but beggars: But with what face dare a man beg pardon of a sin, he means not to forsake? Therefore if he will have GOD forgive it, he must forsake it. Except he let it go, GOD will let him go; but let him give sin his dismission, and GOD will grant him his remission; spare not thyself, and GOD will spare thee. Cease from thy sin, and do● that that is pleasing in the sight of GOD, and GOD will be thy GOD, thy saving GOD for evermore. O repentance, what shall I speak of thee? By thee sick men are cured, wounded men are healed, dead men are raised, health is increased, Grace is preserved, the legs are strengthened, the eyes are restored, sin is abandoned, virtues embraced, the mind illumined, the heart comforted, the conscience quieted, and the life adorned. We sin daily, so we should repent daily; and as we fall, so should we rise. To sin is not so dangerous, as to live in sin. If a breach in a sea-wall be not stopped in time, it will both wax bigger, and endanger the dry Land. If a Ship continually let in water, and be not continually pumped out, it will sink her. If a Mole be suffered to run in a Meadow, she will spoil it. If a sword be let rust in the scabbard, the rust will mar either one or both. So if we stop not the breaches and holes made by sin in our souls, it will sink them: If we kill not that Mole, it will waste us; If we scour not ourselves from that rust by true repentance, it will consume us both soul and body. Alexander Severus made an act that none should salute the Emperor, that knew himself a Thief; so no man should presume to profess, or speak to CHRIST JESUS; no man should dare to put up his suits unto God. that by sin robs GOD of his glory, and continues in it without repentance. For GOD heareth not sinners: If I regard wickedness in mine heart (saith the Psalmist) GOD will not hear me: But GOD heareth the desire of the poor. The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth them. The LORD heareth them, that are of a contrite heart: His eye is upon them, that fear him: He will also hear their cry, and save them: And they fear Him, that do repent of sin, and turn unto him. For the fear of the LORD is to hate evil, as pride, arrogancy, and the evil way, and by the fear of the LORD men depart from that, that is nought. Neither is it enough to forsake some notorious and grievous offence; but even all, all without exception of any; all, all are serpents, poison, and pollutions. One hole in a ship unstopped, one breach in a wall unrepaired, one wing belimed, one claw taken in the snare, may in danger and loose all: so but one sin known and cherished, discerned and not dissmissed, one faculty, one affection, but one entrapped and captivated of a sin espied, and yet beloved, even but one is able to destroy the soul, to damn the whole man, both soul and body: Yet though sin be very dangerous, and continuance in it more, yet how usual is it with us to delay our repentance? tomorrow, next week, ere long, next year, or before I die: Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, anon, one hour longer, one half hour, a minute. O LORD, how unwilling are we to rise, being once laid down! Being once fallen a sleep how loath are we to be wakened! being sick with a pleasant frenzy, how, how displeasing a thing is it to come into our wits again! And to see our madness, we that know not whether we shall live an hour longer, no not a minute further, yet we will promise to ourselves a day, a week, a month, a year, old age. Yea we will live in a state, in which we would be loath to die. Away, away with these delays, let us redeem the time, which tarries no man's pleasure. Let us repent now, that we may have our pardon now, let us live like Saints, lest we die like devils: Let us leave our sins now, now, whiles we have time to sin. For if a man will not leave sin, till he can sin no longer, sins leaves him, and not he them. He that will not part from his sin, till his soul be ready to part from his body, it is to be seared that he parts not with sin, but his sin with him, and that he is not willing to let go his sin, as long as he is able to keep himself. O LORD preserve me from the deceits of sin: Hide Thy face from my sins, and put away all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, o GOD, and renew a right spirit within me. Show me the way that I should walk in, and stay my steps in thy paths, that my feet do not slide.   

Of perseverance in the Faith.  
THE Faith is a peerless jewel once given to the Saints, never to be left or lost: Without perseverance in it neither the fighter obtains a victory, nor the Victor his Garland. Take away perseverance, and sortitude hath no praise, well-doing hath no reward, and a good belief no favour. Not he that began well, but he that holds out to the end, he shall be saved. He that is faithful to the end of his life, he shall enjoy the Crown of Life, But they, that withdraw themselves, shall perish: Thou destroyest all them (o LORD) that go an whoring from thee. But what wilt thou do to persevere in the faith? First, intent and purpose it. Secondly, pray earnestly for it, and trust not to thine own strength. What is man, if GOD forsake him? A Reed, a Rush, a Leaf, a Shadow, a Bubble, a Something Nothing. Thirdly, make nothing an Article of thy Faith, whereof there is no warrant in the Word, and professing that, which is indeed a truth, be able to prove and show it out of the Word. I suppose many would have stood out for the truth in Queen Mary's days, which did not, had they been acquainted with the Scriptures, and seen them speaking for it. But he, that shall profess Articles of the true Faith, and be not certainly persuaded in his heart by testimonies of the Word, that they are true, doubtless this man (except greater grace befall him) will not be able to endure the tyrant's sword. What? Shall a man cast away his life, lose his liberty, undo wife and children, forsake all pleasures, profits, and preferments, and that for a faith, which he can show no ground for? Though there be a ground, yet if he see it not, if he be not sure of it, he will forsake his ground, and for fear give out. Finally, receive the faith, for the faith sake, even because it is the good Word of GOD, wholesome, true, and saving: And embrace it not for any external respects about it, as riches, honour, prosperity, liberty, or numerosity of professors. For if we follow it for these things, then, when they are removed, we shall forsake it; even as ravens do a carcase, when the flesh is eaten up, and as falsehearted persons do their friends, when their wealth is gone, and their state subverted. If a Master take liking of a servant, because he sees him faithful and quick, then will he like him still, whiles he perceives those virtues in him. If he take him for his youth or beauty, then when these things fail, he will wax weary of him. If an Husbandman love & esteem of a piece of ground because it is fruitful and pleasant, he will love and make account of it, during the delicacy and fertility thereof. The Faith of CHRIST is no changeling, one and the same for ever: if we receive and follow it simply for itself, because it is true, good, and needful, then except we strangely change ourselves, which GOD forbid, we shall still embrace and follow it: but if we receive it for the favour of men, for honours, riches, credit, or because we would not be out of the fashion, then when these things shall be separated from the faith, and when the confessors of it shall be dishonoured, impoverished, disgraced, imprisoned, Martyred, then, than we shall renounce it, and give it our unfriendly farewell. For our heart will cleave to the things it takes delight in, and will follow no thing longer, than those things do follow, for which it followed it. I doubt not but that some, which knew our Religion to be the truth, would have openly acknowledged it, and not have renounced it, in those Marian days, but that they received and professed it before, not because it was true and holy, but because preferment, ease and liberty went with it, and the sword was for it; and when they saw the sword turned against it, and fire threatened, they turned likewise, and set fire on their faith. A belly-god will always forsake GOD for his belly. The shows of Hypocrites & trencher-friends, are but as the light of Meteors, the guilt of potsherds, the paint of harlots, and themselves as vapours, summer-birds, or houses of reed, which will endure neither wind nor fire; or much like whores, which will show love whiles a man hath money & means to content their humours; but these things and their love must die together.   

Of Humility and Pride.  
WE need not define humility, but rather show it. It is an excellent virtue, and very comely for us, that are worms, ashes, shadows. Me thinks the pollutions of our birth, the miseries of our life, and the putrefaction of us ensuing death, being well considered, should make us truly humble. But beside, he whom. GOD will honour, must be humble; For GOD resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. A Bucket is not filled except it be let down low in to the Well: An house is not strongly mounted, unless the foundation be laid low. A Tree sends down his roots low, that he may shoot up his branches high. Mountains are dry and barren, when the Valleys are well watered and very fertile. Trees stoop most, that are most fruitful. The door of Life is strait and low, a man must stoop and not swell with pride, or else he cannot enter. This pride is a miserable vice loathed of all men, except the proud; yea, neither can one proud man endure another. There was never any pride safe, though never so strongly guarded. For devouring all things to uphold herself, she deprives herself of love, and is bereaved of all means, which may defend it. Pride will have a fall. Pride was bread in heaven, but she was thrown out quickly, and was never so happy as to be received in again: Other vices strive only to be; but pride would corrupt virtues and good works, that they might not be. If a man do good deeds and be proud of them, he hath lost his praise: If he have Nobility, beauty, strength, riches, credit, learning, wit, valour, gravity, humanity, virginity, and be proud thereof he hath lost the grace of all these things, and his reward with God. Euagrius being asked what was a proud heart; answered, it was virtues fan, a cistern without water, and an Inn of thieves. There are some so ambitious of promotion, that they cannot tarry opportunity, but will forcibly climb up, though sometimes it be to their greater fall. Some, when they are got up themselves, pull up the ladder after them, that no man shall come up after, except they list. Some, so they be uppermost themselves, are well content with any, but love not any should be above them. Some perceiving a man to have some singular parts in him, far beyond their own, will to their utmost keep him under, fearing lest his light should put out theirs, or that if he were any body, they should be as no body. It is not unusual with sundry sorts of men by their diet, and rich apparel, and fair appearances to beguile the world. One, to be counted a better man than he is, will ruffle it out in bravery: Another will be a Subsidie-man, to shift a while with his Creditors, or to be reputed some body, being no body. Another to draw eyes unto him will turn Peacock, and in colours put down the Rainbow. Pambo spying a certain woman flaunting it in very sumptuous apparel, fell a weeping, and being asked why he wept so much, answered for two causes; one, the destruction of this woman; an other, because I (quoth he) which profess myself a Christian, do not so much study to please GOD by innocency of life, as this woman desires to please men with her vanity. Another will vent his pride in rags, hunting after the praise of men, being great or rich, but sick of vain glory, thirsting to be reputed humble and contemning the world, because he keeps not state, as men commonly will. Antisthenes may glory more in his worm coat, than a modest man will in costly garments: For pride lies in the heart, and can show itself as well in rags as in robes. Diogenes seeing certain young men of Rhodes very richly clad, with laughter said, this is nothing but pride: Afterwards seeing the Lacedæmonians in ill apparel; This is (quoth he) another kind of pride. The man saw that pride did not always show itself in bravery, and garish appaparel, but sometimes also in very beggary, and base array, whiles a rich man being vainglorious will affect to go in course or base apparel, thereby hawking after the praise of men. Others, because they would appear more lovely than they are, are wont to paint their faces, being either ashamed, or weary of the faces that GOD and Nature lent them. It is true, nature may be corrected, but that nature must be plastered, that I find not. The sinful soul may be amended and refined, but that a new face should be given it, when the old manners and dispositions are retained, and that a man would make a glorious profession, where he shakes not off his inward rebellions, this is nothing but hypocrisy and vain glory: So a man having a bad complexion of body, or colour of face, may lawfully by Art, or Industry, alter it, if he can, and make it better; but to lay a plaster on his face, to lit and paint his skin, or hair, that he may seem better coloured, than he is indeed, his complexion being nothing bettered, but rather waxing worse, this is very vanity, nothing but pride and cozenage. Philip King of Macedony had made one of Antipater's friends a judge: but understanding he did use to die his head and beard, he displaced him again; saying, there was no reason why he should be trusted in an Office, seeing he was not trusty in his hair: It being likely that he that would use deceit in colouring his hair, where there was no great gain to be gotten, would much more use deciept in his Office, where deceit sometimes brings great commodity. I have heard a fellow say sometimes, he cares not for any man, he fears no man's displeasure: What doth this discover, but pride, and folly, foolish pride, and proud folly. There is no man almost, but he may do the best man good, or the greatest harm. Hath not a fly choked a man? was not a rascal the death of the great French King? And yet the fellow fears no body, cares for no body. When pride is in, the wit is out: They say, when they spleen swells, the body pines, and whiles a cask is full of wind, it is void of wine: So we may truly say, the soul prospers not, virtue is in truth a stranger, whiles the heart doth swell with pride, and abounds with arrogancy and self-conceitedness. In one word, there are none better than the humble, there are none worse, then are the proud; and as honour follows the humble, so perdition waits upon the proud.   

Of Hearing and Speaking.  
IT is good counsel, which Saint james doth give; Be swift to hear, and slow to speak: GOD hath given a man two ears, but one tongue, thereby teaching us to hear more, and to speak less. The ears He hath made open, without a cover, but He hath enclosed the tongue within a double fence, the lips and the teeth, thereby showing that we should be quick and swift to hear, and slow to speak. GOD hath given a tongue to every beast that is void of reason, but the faculty of speaking only unto man, to whom He hath given an understanding spirit, whereby He would instruct us that reason should rule our words, and that our tongues should not run before our wits: And He hath made our ears Erect, to hear heavenly things, and not hanging down (like Bloodhounds) as if they had been made to hear earthly things, or lies and errors, which come out of hell itself. The ear serves to learn with, the tongue serves to teach with: a man learns not with his tongue, nor teaches with his ears. There is a time (saith Solomon) to keep silence, and a time to speak: A fools bolt is soon shot: but a wise man will consider what he speaks, whereof, when, where, why, how, and before whom: And his words uttered in season are like Apples of Gold, with pictures of Silver: their inside is better than their outside, but both good. Some speak very much, not because they have the Art of speaking, but because they want the skill to hold their peace: He, that knows not how to hold his tongue, knows not how to use his tongue: He is the only skilful man, that knows when to speak, and when to hold his peace. Either a man should not speak, or speak to purpose: Either he should be silent, or his words should be better worth than silence. Three things are very commendable in a man, Wisdom in the mind, a certain Manly modesty in the countenance, and a well governed silence in the speech: Simonides and Xenocrates were wont to say, that they never repented them of their silence, but that they were sorry sometimes for their speeches. If men did well consider that life and death is in the power of the tongue, and that in many words there cannot want iniquity; and that an account must one day be given of every idle word, certainly they would not so abuse their tongues, as they do, to swearing, and lying, to taunts, and slanders, to cursing, and railing, to wantonness, and vanity; neither would they be so unreverent in the House of GOD, as they use, by babbling & whispering; seeing they should come thither to pray, and not to prate, to use their ears, and not to abuse their tongues. Nothing is ours longer than we use it well; Our tongues are not ours, if we do abuse them, but our enemies, for whom we use them, when we do abuse them. An evil tongue comes from an evil heart. For were the heart good, the tongue could not be nought. A messenger, which a man sends to his neighbour, may lie, or revile, and speak evil, and deliver a false errand, whether the man, that sent him, will, or no, or though he think not of it, or mean clean contrary; but a man's own tongue, which is the messenger, or interpreter of the heart, can say no other, than the heart doth bid it. Evil must be minted in the heart, before it be uttered in the tongue. A good heart causeth a good tongue, and a naughty heart a naughty tongue.   

Of painting the face.  
IF that which is most ancient be best, than the face that one is borne with, is better than it, that is borrowed: Nature is more ancient than Art, and Art is allowed to help Nature, but not to hurt it; to mend it, but not to mar it; for perfection, but not for perdition: but this artificial facing doth corrupt the natural colour of it. Indeed GOD hath given a man oil for his countenance, as He hath done wine for his heart, to refresh and cheer it; but this is by refection, and not by plaister-worke; by comforting, and not by daubing and covering; by mending and helping the natural colour, and not by marring or hiding it with an artificial lit. What a miserable vanity is it in a man or woman beholding in a glass their borrowed face, their bought complexion, to please themselves with a face that is not their own? And what is the cause they paint? Without doubt nothing but pride of heart, disdaining to be behind their neighbour, discontentment with the work of GOD, and vain glory, or a foolish affectation of the praise of men. This kind of people are very hypocrites, seeming one thing and being another, desiring to be that in show which they cannot be in substance, and coveting to be judged that, they are not: They are very gross Deceivers; for they study to delude men with shows, seeking hereby to be counted more lovely creatures than they are, affecting that men should account that natural, which is but artificial. I may truly say they are deceivers of Themselves; for if they think they do well to paint, they are deceived; if they think it honest and just to beguile men, and to make them account them more delicate and amiable, than they are in truth, they are deceived; if they think it meet that that should be counted GOD'S work, which is their own, they are deceived: If they think that they shall not one day give account unto CHRIST of idle deeds, such as this is, as well as of idle words, they are deceived; if they think that GOD regards not such trifles, but leaves them to their free election herein, they are deceived. Now they that deceive themselves, who shall they be trusted with? A man, that is taken of himself, is in a worse taking, than he that is caught of another. This selfe-deceiver, is a double sinner: he siones in that he is deceived, he sins again in that he doth deceive himself. To be murdered of an other is not a sin in him that is murdered; but for a man to be deceived in what he is forbidden, is a sin; it were better to be murdered, then so to be deceived: For there the body is but killed, but here the soul herself is endangered. Now, how unhappy is the danger, how grievous is the sin, when a man is merely of himself endangered? It is a misery of miseries for a man to be slain with his own sword, with his own hand, and long of his own will: Besides, this painting is very scandalous and of ill report; for any man therefore to use it, is to thwart the precept of the Holy GHOST in Saint Paul, who saith unto the Phillippians in this wise, Whatsoever things are true (but a painted face is a false face) Whatsoever things are venerable (but who esteems a painted face venerable? which is venereous rather then venerable:) Whatsoever things are just (but will any man of judgement say, that to paint the face is a point of justice? Who dare say it is according to the will of GOD which is the rule of justice? Doth the Law of GOD command it? Doth true reason teach it? Doth Laws of men ejoine it?) Whatsoever things are (chaste and) pure: (but is painting of the face a point of chastity, which is so commonly used amongst impure whores and courtesans? Is that pure that proceeds out of the impurity of the soul, and which is of deceit, and tends. unto deceit? It that chaste, which is used to woo men's eyes unto it?) Whatsoever things are lovely (but will any man out of a well informed judgement say, that this kind of painting is worthy love, or that a painted face is worthy to be fancied?) Whatsoever things are of good report: If there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things. But I hope to paint the face, to wear an artificial colour, or complexion, is no virtue; neither is it of good report amongst the virtuous. I read that jezabel did practise it, but I find not that any holy Matron or religious Virgin ever used it: And it may perhaps of some be praised, but doubtless not of such as are judicious, but of them rather hated and discommended. A painted face is the devils Looking-glass: there he stands peering and toying (as an Ape in a looking-glass) joying to behold himself therein; for in it he may read pride, vanity, and vainglory. Painting is an enemy to blushing, which is virtues colour. And indeed how unworthy are they to be credited in things of moment, that are so false in their hair, or colour, over which age, and sickness, and many accidents do tyrannize; yea and where their deceit is easily discerned? And whereas the passions and conditions of a man, and his age, is some thing discovered by the face, this painting hindereth a man's judgement herein, so that if they were as well able to colour the eyes, as they are their hair and faces, a man could discern little or nothing in such kind of people. In brief, these painters are sometimes injurious to those, that are naturally fair and lovely, and no painters; partly, in that these are thought sometimes to be painted, because of the common use of painting; and partly, in that these artificial creatures steal away the praise from the natural beauty by reason of their Art, when it is not espied, whereas were it not for their cunning, they would not be deemed equal to the other. It is great pity that this outlandish vanity is in so much request and practise with us, as it is.   

Of Prayer.  
PRAYING is the begging of things needful, as the removing of some evil, and the conferring of some good: When we hear, GOD speaks to us; When we pray, we speak to God. Some wish for this, and some for that; But I wish for myself: For if I have myself, I lack nothing; but if I lack myself, I have nothing. Some say, Who will show us any good? But I say with David, LORD lift thou up the light of Thy Conntenane upon me, cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thine Holy SPIRIT from me. For where His SPIRIT is, there is Life; but where it is not, there is nothing but death: And he that hath His Grace, hath all; but he that hath it not, wants all. How ever people think of themselves, I for my part will think myself to be the greatest sinner, for I know more sins and imperfections in myself, then in any man else; and therefore I will not boast with the Pharisee, but beat my breast and say with the Publican, GOD be merciful to me a sinner: Amongst beggars, not the neediest or honestest, but sometimes the strongest, and loudest, runs away with all the alms: But GOD sees the secrets, and knows the necessities of all His Suppliants, and bestows His favours on them that are most humble, and poorest in spirit, not respecting strength of sides, loudness of voice, or show of violence and importunity, but intention of Spirit, devotion of affection, the loud cries of the heart, and inward vehemency, inward and substantial violence and importunity. Some pray they may keep their goods, some their credit, others their friends or children. I will pray that I may keep myself, for if I keep myself, I have something, but if I lose myself, I am nothing, yes some thing worse than nothing. Some say, they are turmoiled with their sins, which they cannot be rid of, but still they come again like the fits of an ague. Their course is to pray with fervency and continuance. When Moses prayed, the Israelites prevailed: When Christians pray, their flesh is foiled. It is good for them to resolve, & resolutely to decree the leaving & extinguishing of them: and further to avoid occasions, which are as matches to give fire to them, or as bellows to blow them up: Thirdly, duly and daily to weigh the danger and vileness of them: fourthly, to meditate well of the excellency and commodity of those virtues, that are contrary; & finally, in no wise to forget, but to remember to pray earnestly for GOD'S assistance. It is more easy to drive the devil out of the body, then to conjure his messenger, the flesh, or any fleshly lust out of the school, when it hath once taken possession of it. Only GOD can take the strong man, bind him, and cast him out; and GOD will not do it, except He be entreated. It is strange to see how earnestly men will beg for money, meat, drink, clothes, of men, but yet forget to beg spiritual Graces of God. It appears they beg them not, because they are for the most part, rude, sensual, impious, idle, and very enormous. Now if they did as feelingly, and as instantly beg grace of GOD, as they do outward things of men, certainly GOD, who is far more merciful and openhanded, than the kindest men, would not, could notedeny them, but would hear their cries. Men being sick pray earnestly for health, being ready to be undone, pray heartily to be delivered; but are not so earnest for their souls to be cured, and disburdened of their sins. What is the reason? There men have feeling of smart, of pain, of danger; but here they use to be senseless and stupid, and scarce think of hell, till they be almost in it. Men use sometimes to be very weary of beggars, away with these beggars, you were here but the other day; I met with you but yesterday; I have not now for you; and yet all this will scarce put off an impudent and cunning beggar. But Almighty GOD doth delight in beggars, provided they ask with warrant from the Written Word, and in the name of the Uncreated, and Eternal WORD. The obtaining of one favour should animate us to beg another: He leaves not giving, till we leave ask; and what He gives, He gives it Candid without repining. One said, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Prayer should be his meat and drink. But some with us may say; meat and drink shall be our prayer. The Apostle saith, Pray continually, but they eat and drink continually; Bacchus, Ceres, Venus, are the Gods they worship; and a kitchen, cellar, or chamber is the Temple, they most delight in. In prayer there is Art enough, if there want not heart; and GOD'S hand is not straightened, if man's heart be enlarged. Some in prayer stand much upon method, but with GOD that prayer is methodical, which is material, and wants not order, whiles it is powered in the sense of want, out of an honest heart. Faith and hope are to our prayer, as wings to a Bird; she cannot fly without these, nor it ascend without them. There are two necessary qualities in every Petitioner, Humility and Constancy; When we deal with GOD in prayer, we must not talk of meriting, but we must beg mercy, making ourselves (as indeed we are) worthy nothing: And we must be constant, and not take a nay. The young bird openeth her mouth, and never leaves gaping, till the damn hath satisfied her; so we ought never to give the LORD rest, until He have made us a gracious answer: It is His fashion of purpose to put men off, because He will exercise, and put in practice, their faith and patience, and teach them to know by sense that they are not heard of merit, and because He will learn them to make greater account of His favours, when they come. What shall I say more? He that doth pray well, cannot live ill: he that in his prayers dealeth best with GOD, in his practice likewise dealeth best with men.   

Of Almsdeeds.  
WHAT an alms did GOD give us, when He gave us His Son? What a matter than is it if we give our bread, drink, or money? The poor give us their prayers, what then though we give them our pence? A prayer is more worth than a penny, the prayer of a Saint, than a penny in silver. Prayers are of power with GOD, when silver is not: But yet thy silver is of reckoning with Him, if not hoardward, but distributed amongst His poor ones. A man that gives an alms, doth himself an alms, for as he shows mercy, so he shall receive mercy; but condemnation without mercy, belongs to those that will show no mercy. How can a man beg of GOD, that will show no mercy to them, that crave mercy of him? Who dare ask an alms, that will not give an alms? But I hear some say, they are poor, they have nothing to give: But they have; they can give good words, they can defend their neighbours good name, they can pray for them; some thing, even the meanest of all can do, if he list, wherein he may express his charity and compassion. Do what thou art able: GOD stands more upon the mind, than the gift, the widows mite is acceptable. Some avoid poor folks, and contemn them, love not to dwell by them: Surely these men are fallen out with GOD, and now care not for the poor, which are His creatures; both in that they are men, and also poor men. Nay, it is grievous unthankfulness in the richto contemn, or to be regardless of them: for GOD made them poor for their sakes, partly to do service to them, and partly that by relieving them, they might lay up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may obtain eternal life: It is an easy matter to cavil against the poor: They are naughty people; not all: the best are bad enough, till GOD made them better. And who were we all, both rich and poor, great and small, when GOD had mercy on us, and bestowed His Son upon us? If thou canst not give them because they are honest men, yet give them because they are men, and to see if they will learn to mend by this thy well-doing to them. Even a Turk, jew, Pagan, Thief, may have our alms, though not in the name of an Infidel, Heretic, or Thief, but because they are men, the creatures of GOD, in whom GOD is to be respected, who is their Creator. But of all, the Saints, and such as excel in virtue, should have our alms, to them our well-doing chiefly should extend itself, for in them CHRIST JESUS doth offer Himself unto us, He is the receiver, to Him our pity is showed. Now sure he that will deny CHRIST, doth deserve to be denied of CHRIST. If we are even for Nature's sake to succour a sinner; then much rather are we to relieve a Saint, because besides his human Nature, he hath also a certain Divine Nature in him; He is not only a creature, but a new creature, not only a son of Adam, but a Child of GOD, and a Member of CHRIST; But in all our works of mercy which we do, we must aim at GOD'S Glory, and not our own, and still remember that they flow from a merciful mind: for beneficence without benevolence, is but maleficence: and he, that doth an alms but not of mercy, shall not receive the reward of mercy.   

Of man..  
MAN, a little world, a Map of all the world, the Lord of all inferior creatures, was created holy and happy, good, and glorious, but now by sin he is become a world of misery, an ensample of imbecility, the spoil of time, the image of inconstancy, the picture of vanity, and very mortality. There is no creature could be evil to man, but that man is evil to himself: If a man would not, and did not hurt, himself, the devils could not, and other things should not: but things grew hurtful, when man grew sinful; and men now feel evil, because they are evil, and must suffer, because they sin. To be borne a beast is not a sin, but for wilful ignorance and affected blindness to be compared to, or to be like a beast, when GOD hath endued a man with reason, and shows him the means of light and understanding, this is a sin, a grievous sin, a fault of the will, and the condition of a beast is better, then of this man. He was borne a man, and lives a beast; and this his sin deserveth such a punishment as never beast did, doth, shall, or can endure. Man was created to be a friend to man, but now (excepting devils) men are the greatest enemies that men can have: There are some serpents, beasts, and fishes, which will not stick to make their prey on man: But all these do not devour so many men, as men do. As for GOD, He is enemy to none, that truly loves himself in Him. It is true, He is an enemy to the wicked, but it is for their wickedness, let them cease from their wickedness, & be friendly to themselves, and He will not be their enemy, but their truest Friend. GOD made every sensible creature with some defence, He gave some Wings, to some Talants, to some Tusks, to some Claws, to other Horns; but He hath made man Armless, to teach him to be harmless, & He gave him witin steed of weapons, that considering his own weakness, he might still crave aid of GOD, whom he ought to make his Castle, Comfort, and Defence. GOD made the world for man, and man for himself; therefore the world should serve man, and not man the world: He should possess and master it, and not it him. And because GOD made both it, and him, it for him, and both it and him for Himself, there is great reason that a man should behave himself, and use it so, as that GOD may be glorified by him. But of all the honours wherewith GOD did honour man, this was the greatest, that His Eternal, and true Natural SON, assumed the human Nature, and wedded it to the Divine in one and the same Person, and in that Nature performed, and suffered (even unto death) whatsoever was needful for man's eternal Redemption, and Salvation, His Name be praised throughout all Generations, and for ever, Amen.   

Of Adam.  
ADAM was the first of mankind, made of the earth by GOD'S own Finger, endued with a reasonable soul, void of sin, and furnished with Wisdom, justice, Holiness, and all perfections fit for that kind of Creature, yet so, as that he might both lose himself and them, if it were his pleasure. Adam was the root of all mankind; for all he received, for all he lost, for for all he stood: If he had continued fast we had not been undone for our mother's fault. Because not she, but he sustained all out persons,. The Scripture saith, in Adam all do die: and, by one man's disobedience many were made sinners. Adam in many things differs from all his children; For 
Further, Adam sinned, but we all are punished: but now, if the father eat the sour grapes, the sons teeth shall not be set an edge.  he was made, but they all (except the Virgin's SON) are begotten. He had GOD for his Maker, they have Men for their fathers: He had no mother, but they have; even he that had no Father, yet had a Mother: He was of clay, they are of blood: He was a created, a complete and perfect man in one day, at one time, they are a growing many years, He had such a body given him, for quantity, qualities, and colour, till he spoiled it by sin, as none of his posterity, except our LORD, ever did enjoy. He had that authority in his countenance, and that great and absolute command over all earthly creatures, which never any of his guilty children ever had, have, or shall have, unto the end of the world. And finally, whereas we are all born sinners, and are made Saints by our newbirth, He was not borne, but made a Saint, and when he had fallen, like a devil, he was raised up again to be like an Angel, and was made a Saint again, surer than ever he was before. For Adam created, had a power not to sin; but Adam regenerated cannot lose the grace of Regeneration: Adam now glorified can not, hath no power to sin. Adam was the type of CHRIST, For as Adam was made of the earth by GOD without a Mother, so CHRIST was made by GOD of the Virgin Mary, without the seed of a man: Adam was the father of all the living according to the flesh, so CHRIST is the Father of all, as touching the faith: Adam slept, that Eve might be made; so CHRIST slept on the Cross, that the Church might be made: Whiles Adam slept, Eve was made of his rib taken out of his side; so whiles CHRIST was a sleep, His Side was pierced, and Water and Blood issued, by which the Church is cleansed. Upon a Friday we were all created in Adam; upon a Friday we were all Redeemed in CHRIST: By the disohedience of Adam, all the children of Adam were made sinners; by the Obedience of CHRIST all His Members are justified. In Adam all that are truly men died: In CHRIST all true Christians are made alive, and saved. Adam was the father of natural life, and withal the Prince of Discord: CHRIST is the author of a Spiritual and Celestial Life, and the Prince of Peace.   

Of the virgin Mary.  
MARY the Mother of our LORD, daughter of Eli, and wise of joseph, was a Virgin, never knowing man, before she had brought forth the SAVIOUR of the world, into the world, and continued a Virgin ever after: For though JESUS be called her first-born, yet it is not as if she had any other after, but because she had no child before Him: And albeit james be called the brother of our LORD, yet it is not meant that he was of the same Womb, but of one Blood; for indeed they were sisters children, which Scriptures sometimes call brethren, as was the Hebrew custom: And though Saint Matthew say that her Husband knew her not, till she had brought forth her first-born Son, yet it follows not that he knew her after, but puts it out of doubt that he knew her not before. So it is said that Michol had no children till her death's day. This Virgin questionless was endued with excellent virtues, and was, no doubt, in godliness, and other Virgine-qualities, inferior to none, no not to the purest, chastest, holiest, justest, and modestest, that ever lived of that Sex. She was most blessed, yet her happiness consisteth in her Regeneration, rather than in her Generation, and in being the Member of CHRIST rather than His Mother, and in that she bore Him in her heart, as well as in her Womb. The WORD was not only made Flesh in her, but she also was made Flesh of His Flesh, and Bone of his Bone, and was animated by His SPIRIT. She did not only bring forth that man, that was Essentially GOD, but she also believed in that God that is substantially man.. And whereas other women either bring forth nothing, as Virgins; or sinners, as all mothers; this Virgin-mother brought forth a Saint, a SAVIOUR, by whom both she, and all that love Him truly, are saved and redeemed. I envy not her praises, but I would not that the mother should be so advanced, as that the Son thereby should be dishonoured; nor that whiles the creature is exalted, her Creator should be depressed: For even her own Son was her Father, He made her, that was made of her: She that gave Him Flesh, received both Flesh and Faith from Him; and though she brought Him into the world, yet He redeemed her out of the world. Some out of vanity will call her the Queen of heaven, she is in truth a Saint in heaven, shining in heavenly glory, more than any Queen or Empress in earthly, here below, yet she is not the Queen of heaven: For her Son received not his Royalty of her, neither hath He invested her with any 
* I mean it not, as if any of them were either gracious, or glorious, in the same degree with her.  other Royalty, than such as He hath bestowed on all, whom He hath loved and washed from their sins, whom He hath made Kings and Priests to God. It is the pleasure of some to call her our Lady, a Title which she knows belongs not to her, though perhaps endowed with greater grace and glory, than any other Saint beside. For CHRIST JESUS is our only LORD, and hers as well as ours; and as He received not His Lordship from her, so He hath not bestowed it on her. He is the only Head and Husband of the Catholic Church, Militant, and Triumphant, whereof His mother is not a Mistress, but a Member; and which hath indeed a LORD, but not a Lady. This only will I add, he that speaks, or only thinks a thought dishonourable of the Mother, it is pity he should receive any honour by her SON.   

Of the Incarnation of Christ.  
THE WORD was made Flesh, He that was true GOD, became also true Man, without division of Person, or confusion of Natures, assuming that He had not, and continuing what He was. Being Creator He became a creature, that we creatures might be brought into favour with our great Creator: Being GOD He was made Man, that what we had lost by man, we might recover by Him, that was GOD and man.. Being GOD He took the nature of man upon Him, and married our flesh unto His Deity, that man, which was for his adultery separated from his GOD, might by Him, who was truly Flesh, be married and joined anew unto his God. It was miraculous that a Virgin chaste should bring forth a Son, but not to be doubted of, considering God's Omnipotence. For He that could make the world of nothing, He that was able to take Adam out of the earth, He that could give Sarah a child in her old age, He that made Aaron's rod bud: He was as able (doubtless) to make the womb of a virgin fruitful. For with him nothing is impossible: if he do but speak the word, it is done. It is strange that God should be man, that a virgin should be a mother, that the mother should be daughter to her own son; and that a mortal and weak woman should conceive & bring forth the immortal and Almighty God. But let us turn up our eyes to God, and grant that he is able to do that which we are not able fully to comprehend. In things of wonder we must ascribe the reason of work to the power of the worker. In a word, our Saviour, by his Incarnation, hath honoured both sexes: Man's, in taking of his shape: and Woman's, by being conceived, borne, & brought up by a Woman: And so amends hath been made in that Sex: For as a Woman brought sin into to the world, so a Woman also brought forth, and brought up that SAVIOUR, by whom alone we are delivered from our sins. As by a Woman came Sin, Sickness, Sorrow, Bondage, Error, Death: So in a Woman came a Saviour for Sinners, a Physician for the Sick, a Comforter of the Heavy-hearted, a Redeemer for Captives, a Guide for Stragglers, and even Light and Life itself for them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of Death.   

Of Miracles.  
A Miracle is some extraordinary thing done by the power of God, above the course of nature, such as was the creatio of the world of nothing, the dividing of the red sea, the standing of the Sun in the days of josua, the Mother-hood of that untouched Maiden, the turning of Water into Wine, and such like.  
Some things may be above nature, as the conversion of a sinner or true saith in Christ, which is above created and corrupted nature, and yet no miracle, being common, ordinary, and usual in the Church. Some things are strange and wonderful, yet no miracles, because there are natural causes of them, though perhaps not certainly discerned always, nor of all, as Comets, Earth quakes, Eclipses, (excepting that Eclipse of the Sun at the Crucifixion of Christ, which to see it was ashamed and amazed:) so it is marvelous, (but not miraculous) that the Crocodile should eat, and not move his neatheriaw, that the Salamander should endure the fire unburnt, that Pismires should provide for Winter, that the King amongst the Bees should only want a sting, that a Worm should work out Silk, and that a Spider should draw a Web out of his own bowels to entangle the Flies with. Furthermore, some things are strange and beyond nature, yet not miraculous, not truly miracles, because they are done by the power and assistance of the Devil, as are many things said and done by such are possessed of Devils. Miracles were wrought in the Primitive Church very often, till the Christian Faith was sufficiently confirmed: but now having been so abundantly confirmed, so generally believed, he were himself a very wonderment, that will not now believe it without a wonder. And because that Antichrist shall come with his lying wonders; that is, either not true, but appearing to be true; or, truly tending to maintain his lies and errors, therefore we must take heed of wonders, that we be not by new wonders misled and drawn away from the old way. For his wonders serve not to confirm the faith, but to try the faithful. This is a Lesson never to be forgotten, No sign, no wonder, no miracle must withdraw us from Christ and his faith: but and if any Man or Angel should preach otherwise then we find written in the holy Scriptures, or shall presume to add to, subtract from, or to change the faith received, we are to hold him as accursed. If there arise among you a Prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, (saith Moses) and give thee a sign or a wonder, (and the sign & wonder which he hath told thee, come to pass) saying, Let us go after other Gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them: What then? Thou shalt not (quoth he) give ear to the words of the Prophet, or dreamer of dreams: Why so? For the LORD your GOD proveth you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your souls.   

Of Marriage.  
MArriage is the Conjunction of but one man, and but one woman: for if it were lawful to have two wives at once, our Saviour would not have said, that he that puts away his wife, except for adultery, and marries another, commits adultery. The Man and his Wife are a matrimonial Creature: the Man is as the soul, and the Woman is as the body. The Man [as Soule] is to animate and rule, the Woman [as body] is to be animated and ruled of the man.. The soul (they say) follows the temperature of the body as concerning operations: and it is often likewise seen that the house goes much after the Housewifes' humour: The husband is the wives head, the wife than is as the husband's body. Who but madmen will mis-use their bodies? And who but bad women will mis-use their heads? Our women are very curious in decking and dressing of their heads, I would they were as careful in pleasing of their husbands. I hold them best careful, that are careful of both their heads together. Of both her heads, what if I said her husband was the better? For her own head is but head of her body, but her husband is head both of her head, and of her body: her head serves to rule her body, but her husband serves to rule her head; her head is the better part of her body, but her husband is the better part of herself. It is true, he without her is a bodiless head; and as true again, she without him is a headless body: Wisdom, Forecast, and Direction, belong to the head, to Obey, to Bend, and to be Governed, are for the body. Sure he is an ill head, that wanteth wit, forecast, care, and government; and she is as bad a body, that is unruly, untractable, and which will not be directed. A good wife is like a merchants Ship, laden with all kinds of virtues, as it were with wares; she is for labour, and not to lie still, and is fitted for burden rather than for battery; Her Pilot and her Owner is her husband. It is certain, women must be obedient to Princes, as Subjects; to Pastors, as Sheep; but to their husbands only as they are their wives. We requite in a looking-glass principally, that it do truly show us the colour of our faces, for though it be set in gold, or be decked with pearls, yet if it be deceitful, we care not for it; the Gold or Pearls may be esteemed, but it is contemned. The principal commendation of a wife, is not gold, silver, wealth, or out ward bravery, but Modesty, Chastity, Piety, Verity, Sobriety, and Humility; If these things be in her, she is worthy love, and will win the heart of any man, that is a man, and not a Bedlam, that is a man, and not a devil: But though she bring wealth and worship with her, yet if these things be wanting in her, which were chiefly expected of her, and are most required, surely she is but as a deceitful glass; a man is merely cozened in her: And though she have brought with her coffers of gold, yet can she not but be in truth contemned; except she mend her manners. Riches, Beauty, Bravery, greatness of birth, in a vicious, proud, profane, and headstrong woman, are but as good flowers, or fine feathers, stuck in a piece of dung.   

Of a King.  
GIVE unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's. Caesar is every free, full, and absolute Monarch. The things of Caesar are Love, Honour, Reverence, Obedience, Fidelity, Tributes, Subsidies, Customs, and supreme Authority under GOD, over all his Subjects in all Temporal and Secular things. A King is a certain Mixed Creature, made of all the people in a Kingdom. Man is a little world, and a King is a little Kingdom: There is not a man within his Kingdom, but he is as a part and member of the King: Therefore as every member of the body serves in his place for the good of the whole body, and is obedient to the head, where wisdom, power, providence, and government lieth: So every Subject should serve for the good of the State, and seek it in his place, and should show himself obedient to the King, who is his Head: And as the head challengeth a right in every member, and therefore doth good unto them all, and is affected with compassion, if even the smallest of them be wronged, or ill affected: So a King hath a certain right in all his subjects, he should animate and rule them all with his authority, and by his Laws: he should study the welfare of them all, and should be affected truly with all their wrongs and miseries. The head will yield to the cutting off an ill-affected member, choosing rather that one should perish, then all; but it is not simply delighted in the death of any of the members. So a good King loves not to destroy any of his subjects, but had rather save a thousand, then kill one; yet he doth, as it were, enforce himself to draw his sword, as knowing that it is better to cut off one, then disturb or lose all. But though the head may determine to cut away a member, yet doth it not by itself, but by some other member, or instrument: so though judgement and determination belongs unto the King, yet executions thereof are fittest by far to be performed of others. But albeit the head agree to the destruction of a member, yet no member is seen to lift itself up against the head with violence (as it were) to strike, or hurt it: So is it altogether savage and unnatural for Subjects to lay violent hands upon the sacred bodies of their King, who is as Mount Sinai, which, was not to be touched under pain of death. Mercy and justice are two savegards of a King, and most comely for him. If nothing can be safe from him, there can be no safety for him: His safety and security stands in the safety and security of his Subjects, of whom it is safer for him to be loved, then to be feared: It is surer for him to tie them to him by Princely humanity, then to exasperate and awe them with tyrannical severity. The King of the Bees himself is alone without a sting; Nature would not that he should be cruel, and hath left his anger without a weapon. Doubtless Clemency is a Princely virtue. Herein a King may show himself like the KING of Kings, who though able easily to be revenged of all, that do offend him. yet is he so indulgent, that he pardons many, and sometimes defers the punishments of His veriest enemies, and strikes not always, when cause is given Him. Every King should remember to serve the KING of Kings, CHRIST JESUS, to whom all Kings are Vassals. It is just that they should be punished with rebellious, treacherous, unfaithful, and wicked Subjects, that themselves neglect the Laws of their SOVEREIGN, and are unfaithful to their GOD: And herein a King doth most of all serve CHRIST, to wit, in doing that good, and hindering that evil, which he could neither do, nor hinder, but as he is a King. Some think a woman may not reign. What did Deborah among the Ifraelites? If women (as many Virgins, and Widows) may be Ladies and Mistresses of servants, even Males, Why may they not be Queens, if the Providence of heaven bring them to it. The Regal power is neither Masculine, nor Feminine, but Divine. Sons are tied to honour their natural mothers, and surely without stain unto their sex, and what blemish or indignity can it be to men to honour their Political Mother? He that honours an absolute Potentate aright, whether King or Queen, honours the power and authority, which is Divine and not human, and honours the person for the Power, & not the Power for the person: Be the person good or bad, the Power is good, it is of GOD: And it may fall out that an evil man may be a good Monarch: But whatsoever the Monarch is, the Monarchy, the monarchs power is ever good, and never bad: For there is no power, but of GOD; and the powers, that be, are ordained of GOD: Whosoever therefore resisteth the Power, resisteth the ordinance of God. And they that resist shall receive to themselves condemnation. Let every soul therefore be subject unto the higher Powers, and not because of wrath only, but even for conscience sake.   

Of Death.  
DEATH is not evil, but to an evil man, for to the godly death is good, to the wicked death is evil; to him it is the door of life, to this it is the entrance into hell. The sting of death is sin, pull out this sting, repent of sin, and death can do hurt, but good. Fly from sin, and death cannot be fearful. The sooner the Saint dies, the sooner he comes to his Crown. The longer a man lives, the more time he spends upon the Seas; the sooner a man dies, that dies well, the sooner he comes into the haven. He dies well, that lives well; a bad death cannot follow a good life. He lives and dies well, that lives and dies in the faith and fear of JESUS CHRIST, who is Rest to him that travels, Health to him that is sick, Refreshment to him that is weary, and Life to him, that dieth either for Him, or in Him. Death is not evil, but an evil death: This evil death no man dieth, which dieth either In; or For the service of CHRIST JESUS.   

Of the Immortality of the Soul.  
THE soul (saith Austen) is a created Substance, Invisible, incorporeal, Immortal, being like to GOD, that made it. It is possible that the sold should be destroyed, as it was for the Sun to stand still, for the sea to stand divided, for the fire not to burn the three children, but this is not by the nature thereof, but in regard of the power of GOD, who is able, if He pleased, to turn the whole world into nothing, as He once made it of nothing. But indeed the soul of a man shall never die, shall never be dissolved as is the body, but continueth whole and firm for ever. For the proof hereof I suppose it the surest way for every man to fortify himself with the undoubted testimonies of holy Writ. The Spirit (saith Ecclesiastes) returns to GOD that gave it. The soul of the poor beggar was in joy, but the soul of the rich Epicure was in torment, after their bodily death. CHRIST said to the Thief now a dying: This day shalt thou be with Me in Paradise: And to His FATHER, Into Thine hands I commend my Spirit. Steven being now ready to depart, prayed, LORD JESUS, receive my spirit. Saint Paul saith, We love rather to remove out of the body, and to dwell with the LORD: And again, I desire to be dissolved, and to be with CHRIST. By which it is most certain that the soul doth live after the body is dead: But what though the soul shall live for ever, if it live in pain, as the souls of the damned do? Surely it were better not to be, then to be tormented and out of ease: Therefore let us die before we die, and leave our sins before we leave the world. If our souls do die to sin in this life, they shall not die by sin in the life to come: If they live to GOD by grace in this world, they shall live with GOD in glory in the world to come. The world is mortal, but the soul of man is immortal; Why should that, that is immortal, be pinned on that, that is mortal? Why should the soul that cannot die, be buried in the love of those things that cannot but die, and come to nothing? The body is mortal, the soul is immortal: why should we make more account of That, than This? Why should we desire a good body, and care not though we have a naughty soul? If we neglect our soul, we shall not save our body: if we forget out souls, we forget ourselves. The soul was not made for the body, but the body for the soul: The soul therefore shoule be preferred to the body, but he which neglects the chiefest, and sets most by the meanest, corrupteth both, and condemns himself; But he, that looketh well to his soul, though he be more careless of the body, yet he shall not prove unlucky; for in tendering the safety of his soul, he shall save his body also.   

Of the Resurrection of the Body.  
THERE is a resurrection of the just and injust; the just shall rise to judge, the injust to be judged; the just shall be absolved, the injust shall be condemned: Even that body that fell, the self-same shall rise again by Gods' Omnipotency: For even they that sleep in the dust shall rise; that must rise again that fell; this mortal must put on Immortality. I shall see GOD in my flesh (saith job) mine eyes shall behold Him, and none other for me. If there were no resurrection, then is not CHRIST risen again, for in Him we all died in Him we are all raised up from death; and this we have in So, the day shall come when we shall have it in Re. Neither is there any reason that another body, and not the same, which served CHRIST, and suffered injuries for Him, should be given unto a man, but it is host just that the same body, which was burnt, or butchered, for CHRIST, should be glorified of CHRIST, and that a man should receive his reward and rest, in that body, in which he performed his service. The body restored shall be a true body, and not a Spirit: For Gloria non tollit naturam, sed extollit: Glory doth not destroy, but perfit, Nature. All defects, deformities, weaknesses, and imperfections, shall be removed, and all fullness, feature, favour, strength, and perfections, shall be given it: And whereas many fall in their infancy, children of a span long, yet it is not to be imagined that they shall be raised up of such a stature, but in the stature of a man, and yet the same body; even as the body of an old man for substance is the same it was in his youth, or childhood, though enlarged, and otherwise disposed. And albeit it shall rise a spiritual body, yet it followeth not that it shall be a Spirit, no more than it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a soul when it fell, because it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an animal, or (soule-body) natural body: but it is a natural body now, because it is nourished and preserved by natural means, as food, raiment, sleep, physic, recreation, labour: A soule-body, because it is governed of the soul; so it is called then a spiritual body, because it shall be at the Spirits command, and shall be more pure and subtle and fuller of agility, than it is in this world, and shall not have need of such natural and bodily helps, to succour and sustain it. In a word, all glorified bodies shall have a temper of elementary qualities brought to such an equality, that heat shall not overcome moisture, nor this that, but there shall be peace for ever without discord and contention. There is nothing goes from these bodies, nothing is put to them; there is no defect, no superfluity, no aliment, no excrement; their temperature is altogether invariable. Neither may it seem harsh to any, that these our bodies shall be raised up again; For GOD that knows their frame, and is thoroughly acquainted with their substance, is Omnipotent and Eternal, and can most easily do it. If an Image or Statue were broken in pieces, yet so long as the workman, that made it, lives, and whiles his skill lasteth, his memory and fancy fail not, and matter wanteth not, there is hope it may be made again, as good as ever. But GOD our Maker is One and the Same for ever, and both can and will perform all his Promises made in His Word. The hour shall come, in which all that are in the graves shall hear His Voice (the voice of the Son of man) and they shall come forth, that have done good, unto the resurrection of life, but they that have done evil unto the resurrection of condemnation. O that my soul might rise from sin in this world, that my body might rise from death to Life and Glory in the world to come.   

Of the last Judgement.  
WE must all appear before the judgement seat of CHRIST: He shall judge the world, that was judged of the world: He shall condemn sinners, who was Himself condemned for a sinner: He will recompense to every one according as his deeds have been, and no man shall escape His Power: Fair words can not deceive Him, gifts cannot corrupt Him, entreaty cannot move Him, fig-leaves cannot delude Him: But as men have brewed, so shall they drink; even as they have baked, so shall they eat. They that have done well, shall speed well, but they that have followed reprobate and wicked courses, shall be condemned. The more Grace men have showed, the more Glory they shall receive: and the more men have sinned, the more smart they must suffer. O that we could say with Saint Jerome, As oft as I think of that day, I tremble all over; For whether I eat, or drink, or whatsoever else I do, me thinks I hear that terrible Trumpet sounding in mine ears, (Surgite mortui, venite ad judicium) Arise ye dead, and come to judgement. O that we would judge ourselves in this world, that we might escape the fearful judgement of the wicked in the world to come.   

Of Life Eternal.  
THEY, that have served GOD aright in this world, shall live eternally with GOD in the world to come. They that have lived unto CHRIST, and have died in the faith and fear of CHRIST, shall be raised by the Power of CHRIST, and shall enjoy His face for ever to their unspeakable comfort, and contentment, and as men have excelled in grace, so they shall exceed in glory. It is more easy to tell what shall not be in that life, then what shall be. There shall be no mourning, nor misery, no want, nor weakness, no sin, nor sorrow, no weariness, nor weeping, no death, nor dolour, no hunger, nor thirst, no ache, nor anguish, no diseases, nor discontentments, no troubles, nor temptations. But what shall be there, who is able to express? No eye hath seen, no ear hath heard, no heart hath yet conceived. What are the good things which GOD hath prepared for those that love Him. There is supreme Felicity, perfit Liberty, true Charity, sweet Eternity, immortal Happiness, and happy Immortality, Eternal Security, and secure Eternity. There GOD shall be seen without end, loved without loathing, and praised without weariness. There is whatsoever is desired, and nothing is desired which is not there; Thy food is not thy raiment, nor it thy light, nor these thy money: but there God will be all in all to all his children. They shall possess him, and he them for ever, and for ever: For that life shall see no death, those joys shall have no end, that state shall never sustain a change. This life, this state, these joys, God of his mercy grant us for Christ jesus sake. To whom with the holy Ghost be ascribed all honour, praise, power, might and majesty, now and evermore, Amen.   
Trin-vni Deo Gloria.