TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, AND HIS SINGULAR GOOD LORD, THE LORD WENTWORTH and to the right honourable and virtuous Lady his wife. W. B. wisheth the certain assurance of God's favour in this life, and the full fruition of the same in the world to come.  
AT length I have presumed, (which I have long purposed) to offer unto your Honours, some poor token of that duty which bindeth me unto your H●. while life lasteth. Hoping that you will accept of it as fruit in season, although it be of two years growth and more. After I had yielded unto the publishing of these few Sor●●●● I thought with myself of whom I might make choice, to become a patron, & a refuge 〈◊〉 so poor, and simple meditations: that under the shadow of their favourable acceptance they might find some rest, and relief, and when I thought of your Hh. I set down my rest, boldly presuming, yea fully assuring myself, that this small testimony of duty (whatsoever it be) should be no less acceptable than myself have been always welcome unto you, & to your whole household. And indeed my good Lord, they do belong unto your Hh. in many respects.  
First, in regard of those manifold favours and honourable, kindnesses, which I have always (although undeserved) found at your Lordship's hands. Secondly, when I was as a dry root removed, and unlikely to find a place to grow in, your Lordship did receive me, and (under God) a was special means to preserve me from such storms and tempests as did then threaten to annoy me. Further, by your Lordships good means a way was made, & a place was provided, that I might exercise my talon to the gain of the Church. At my departure, your Lordship also furnished me with books out of your Library, & with other helps, more than ever I looked for, or deserved: and in all these, your only care and desire was of my good, & the good of God's Church. Reason therefore requireth, that your Lordship should once in 2. years space take a taste, at the least, of some of that fruit, which (through the blessing of God) the soil of your Lordship's favour & kindness, hath yielded. But principally in regard of the matter itself, this treatise (If it be worthy of such a name) belongeth to both your Hh. and to your whole household, whose chief delight with your Hh. was always (during my abode in your Lordship's house) in the holy exercises of religion & piety. And I doubt not but that your Hh. godly zeal, and Christian care that way is still as great as ever, if not much greater than ever it was.  
As for the matter subject of this treatise (I mean the assurance of God's favour, and such things as belong unto the same) I am persuaded, it is so heavenly, and comfortable in itself, that nothing can be unto your Hh. more dear and precious, then to be conversant in the same: for I know you are already persuaded thereof, and sufficiently confirmed therein: yet as the Disciples said (when the Lord jesus showed what a happy thing it is to eat bread in the kingdom of heaven) Lord give us evermore of that bread (the very hearing thereof did so please them.) Even so your Hh. having heard, and felt in your souls, how blessed a thing it is to be assured of God's favour to eternal life, you will say, let us still hear of that matter. For all things saving this, do in time consume & become tedious: but this is of that nature, that the more is spent of it, the more it increaseth, like the widows oil, and the longer it is fed upon, the sweeter it is unto the souls of the faithful, like the water which Christ turned into wine, that who so ever drinketh thereof, may say as his mother said, (when all seemed to be gone) Lord thou hast kept the better until now, and the best is yet to come. If it shall please your Hh. to vouchsafe the perusing hereof, and to measure the commendation thereof unto the glory of God, but by the liking and feeling of your own hearts, I have what I desire, and my pains are more than sufficiently recompensed. Thus humbly craving pardon for my boldness, I commend both your Hh and it, to the gracious blessing of the most high.  
Your honours, in all humble duty, to be commanded in the Lord, W. Burton.   

TO HIS BELOVED AND Christian auditors in the City of Bristol grace, mercy, and peace.  
FOr your sakes in general (beloved in the Lord jesus) I have adventured to lay myself open in these my poor endeavours, to the view and censure of all the world. For your comfort, I first spoke them, and for your profit I have now penned them, that if any thing were at the first mistaken, and not well understood, or since that, hath been forgotten, and as yet is unpractised, you might now learn it better, remember it longer, & practise it ever, to your endless comfort. But that which hath chief prevailed with me for the publishing hereof, is the earnest desire of many, and special entreaty of some poor Christians, afflicted in conscience, which came unto me since, with their imperfect notes of their own gathering, which I took as certain pledges of some comfort already received, and arguments of a holy desire to be further profited thereby. Whose Christian desire, and godly hunger I take in this case as a sufficient calling hereunto, neither do I yet see how I could well have made them a denial, without some prejudice to their souls, some advantage to the enemy, and some check unto my own conscience. For the matter itself: I confess, it is of that Majesty, and excellency, that it requireth both large and deep discourses, wherein many both learned & godly have not been wanting. My care hath been to be found and plain, for the benefit especially of the simpler sort. And as the woman in the Gospel thought herself happy if she might but touch the hem of Christ's garment, so when I began to meditate upon the assurance of God's love, it seemed to be so excellent a point and so full of comfort, that I thought myself a happy man if I might but touch the points, & borders thereof, seeing I could not attain to the full handling thereof. If any ignorant may be instructed in the truth, if any hereby may in time be converted to the love of the truth, if any that is converted, may by this means be confirmed in the truth, give God the glory, and I hold my travail sufficiently recompensed, neither shall it repent me to have passed through good report, and bad report, through honour and dishonour, & the censures of all, so that any profit may redound to your souls, and all the glory may return unto God. That God which in his rich mercy hath first planted, and now watered it, continued his good blessing upon it, that it may become fruifull in us, and we in it may grow up as trees planted by the rivers of God's love & favour, to bring forth fruit in due season, them shall not our leaves whither, and that which we take in hand shall prosper, unto the full fruition, and happy enjoying of that his love, whereof he hath now given us an assurance in his Son jesus Christ. Read well, and reap much, possess your souls with patience, and assist me with your prayers.  
Your servant for the Lord jesus. W. B.   

THE FIRST SERMON OF THE ASSURANCE OF GOD'S LOVE November. 19  Psal. 41.11.12.13. 
By this I know that thou favourest me, because my enemy doth not triumph against me. 12. And as for me thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and dost set me before thy face for ever. 31. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, without end. So be it, even so be it.  
COncerning the author of this Psalm, it was the Prophet David, who was both moved thereunto, and guided therein by the holy Ghost: and therefore we need not doubt to receive the doctrine thereof, 
john. ●●. 13.  because he which is the spirit of truth never led any but to the truth.  
The time when he made it, was (as it seemeth in the 9 verse) when Absalon (aspiring to the kingdom) like a monster in nature, sought (by the wicked counsel of that faithless counsellor & feigned friend Achitophel) to pull from his own father the crown upon his head, 
2. Sam. 16.21.  to lay his honour in the dust, and his life in the grave. No small temptation, either to blaspheme, or to despair, & yet he did neither of both: because God kept him from both: but then, even in that hard time of winter (as we may call it) bethought with himself how he might make his affliction an occasion of further profit to himself and the whole Church of God, whereby it appeareth that no affliction is able to quail the spirit of God in the godly, but as oil maketh the fire to flame out, which before did but only burn, 
2. Cor. 4.16.  so with the godly, when the outward man doth perish the inward man is renewed, and their afflictions do make the spirit to flame out of them to the good of others, which before did but burn within them to their own comfort.  
Now for the matter of the Psalm. In general he showeth. 1. How great his affliction was. 2. How greatly he profited by it. But more particularly, he recordeth. 1. The blessed estate of such as did wisely consider of his distressed estate, verses. 1.2.3. 2. He showeth the cause of his affliction to be his sin. ver. 4.3. He setteth down the greatness of his affliction, and the danger that he stood in, for his enemies looked every day for his death and destruction.  
And of those his enemies he nameth three sorts. The. 1. sort were flatterers, of whom he complaineth and saith that they would come to see him, but they would speak lies, hoard up wickedness in their heart, as in a vessel, and when they could get fit opportunity they would empty it upon him. verse. 6. The 2. sort were malicious whisperers, which did nothing but privily contrive his overthrow, of whom he complaineth in the 7. & 8. verses thus. All that hate me whisper together against me, even against me do they▪ imagine my hurt. A mischief is light upon him, and he that is down shall no more arise: The 3. sort were a more treacherous brood, who while they pretended kindness intended his subversion, like judas, who covered his treason with a kiss. Of these traitorous companions he complaineth in the 9 verse after this manner. Yea my familiar friend whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up the heel against me.  
And therefore being thus beset with open enemies on one side, with flattering clawbacks on the other side, with whisperers behind, & traitors before his danger must needs be great, and his case (in man's sight) very desperate. 
4.  4. He showeth what means he used to prevent them all, and that was prayer to God, as appeareth in the 10. verse. Therefore O lord, raise me up, so shall I reward them.  
But lest Satan might persuade him to doubt of God's favour towards him in his affliction, as he would have done with job in his temptation, and so make him either cold in prayer, or distrufull in prayer, that so he might also have lost the fruit of his prayer, therefore in the 5. place, 
5.  he proveth by two arguments that all this notwithstanding, God doth still favour him. The 1. is drawn from his enemy's person in the 11. verse. The 2. is taken from the consideration of his own person in the 12. verse. 
6.  Last of all, because God had given him such tokens of his love, therefore he concludeth his Psalm with thanksgiving unto God in this sort, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, world without end. etc.  
This Psalm was left unto the Church of God, & doth teach us. 1. To take heed how we do rashly condemn those that be in trouble, and affliction, and are beset with divers sorts of enemies, but wisely to consider, and charitably to judge of their cause, if we look for the Lords help when we are in trouble ourselves, and not to measure God's favour by outward prosperity, nor his anger by outward adversity, as blind worldlings commonly use to do. 2. That the use of affliction is to work in us repentance for our sins, & to make us fly to God's mercy for succour, as David did. 3. That God's children while they live, shall live in danger of open enemies, of malicious whisperers, and false brethren, though they be as godly as David was. 4. That if we then go to God by prayer, we shall prevent all our enemies, if they were as many as David's were. 5. That in our prayers we must be assured of God's love in Christ to us ward, lest otherwise we lose the fruit of our prayer. 6. That when God hath heard us we must with hearty consent praise unto him for it as David did. So much of the Psal. in general, now to the text.  
By this I know. etc. In this text we see two things. 1. How David assureth himself of God's love towards him. 2. How thankful he is to God for assuring him of his love. The .1. he doth by two arguments. One taken from his enemies, they were prevented of their expectation, therefore thou lovest me. The other is taken from his own estate, which was no whit hurt, or impaired, but bettered by them. In his thanksgiving we may note two things. 1. To whom he giveth thanks, namely, to the Lord God of Israel. 2. In what manner he giveth thanks: with doubling of his speech, in token of his hearty & unfeigned consent to that which he spoke, & as one afraid that it was not well enough, when it was at the best, he saith. So be it, even so be it▪ So much for the method now to the matter.  

By this I know that thou favorest me. etc.  
First here, the Prophet speaketh of his knowledge, and telleth us that though he knew not all things, yet he knew that God loved him, and so long as he knoweth that, he passeth not greatly for other matters, how the world goeth with him. etc. And to say the truth he need not, for he that is sure of that, is sure of all. God loveth all his creatures as a good God, and hateth nothing that he made, but he loveth his elect children with a more special love then the rest, as a father in Christ jesus, & he that is sure that God doth so favour him, is sure I say of al. For to him whom God loveth, he will deny no good thing, no, not his own son, and if he gave us his son because he loved us, 
john. 3.16 Rom. 8.32  how shall he not with him give us all things else?  
When the child is persuaded that his father loveth him, he is bold to ask this & that of his father: so may we be bold to ask any thing of God our heavenvly father that is good for us, when we be sure that he loveth us. As Mary and Martha put Christ in mind but of two things, the first was that Christ loved their brother Lazarus, the second was that Lazarus was sick, 
john. 11.3  He whom thou lovest is sick, it was no need to tell him what he should do, for they knew he would do what might be done for him, because he loved him. So we may say to the Lord, when we are sure that he loveth us, Lord he whom thou lovest wanteth this or that for his body or his soul, we need not then appoint him what to do, or when, or how, for look what he seeth most convenient for us, & for his own glory, he will surely do it. Therefore whatsoever David knoweth, he will be sure to know this: & whatsoever he be ignorant of, yet of this he will not be ignorant. To teach us, that whatsoever we seek to make sure, this must first be made sure, or else nothing is sure. Peter bids us make our election sure. job when he saith, I am sure that my redeemer liveth, teacheth us to make our redemption sure. And here David teacheth us to make God's favour sure: now if we make that sure, them our election is sure, our redemption is sure, our vocation is sure, and our salvation is sure.  
The suitor desireth but the favour of his beloved, what doth the child desire of his father, but favour? what doth the subject seek for of his Prince but favour? as Hester desired nothing but that the king would hold out his golden sceptre to her in token of favour: what doth the prisoner crave but favour? And all these think themselves in good estate if they may know that they be in favour. And shall not we think ourselves sure, when we are sure that God doth favour us, whose love is above the love of Princes, above the love of fathers and mothers, yea above all loves? Yea no doubt of it, for if we make that sure, than our Prince is sure, our kingdom is sure, our Cities are sure, our bodies are sure, our souls are sure, and all is sure, for who dare hurt, or who can touch him whom God favoureth? they touch the very apple of his eye. Shall we labour, and travail to be sure of love, which is mutable, & not of that love which is unchangeable? man's love is mixed with hatred, and is commonly more like hatred then love, but God's love is perfect without any mixture: whom men favour, 
Rom. 11.29.  they favour for a while, but whom God loveth he loveth to the end, even for ever. Shall we then seek for the scraps, & let the feast go? shall we go the crickes, when we may go to the sea? nay to filthy puddles, when pure fountains are by? so we may soon prove as wise as Esaw, that changed his birth right for right nought, nay so we prove as foolish as judas, that valued the goodwill of the jews above the love of Christ, but he got nothing by it, by that time he and the gallows had reckoned together. David makes more account of God's favour then of his kingdom, yea then of victory against his enemies, as if he should say, my foes do not triumph against me, that is well for me, but by this I know that thou lovest me, that is better.  
We have marks to know every thing by, saving the love of God, but of that we think we are sure, for we think so well of ourselves that God must needs love us whether we will or no, as that Papists which set their good works upon the score, & make God indebted to them for their works, and therefore we regard neither the time when, nor the place where, nor the persons by whom, nor the tokens by which the Lord doth offer to make his love known unto us.  
When the servants of Benhadad king of Aram, went with ropes about their necks to Achab king of Israel, to entreat for their masters life, they gave diligent heed if they could catch any thing of Achabs' mouth that might be a sign of favour, 
1. King. 20 33.  and when they heard him call Benhadad his brother, oh how glad were they? How did they play upon that word? how did they feed their hope upon it? they made hast and said, Thy brother liveth. The Lord hath greater advantage against us than ever Achab had against Benhadad, for he did fly from Achab, so can not we from the Lord, he did hide himself from Achab, so can not we from the Lord, Benhadad had servants to send to king Achab, but what spokesmen shall we send to the Lord? we must come forth ourselves. Achab had power but against the body of Benhadad, the Lord hath power against both our bodies and souls, king Achabs power was subject to the lords power, but who shall withstand the lords power, for his counsel shall stand? If Achab had exercised his power upon Benhadad it had been but for a time, but if the Lord should execute his wrath upon us, if it were kindled yea but little, it would flame for ever, now if we did consider these things well, & if we were as much afraid of the king of heaven, as they were of the king of Israel, and if our miserable dangers, and dangerous miseries did as nearly touch us, as theirs did touch them, we would take as diligent heed to the words of God as they did to the words of king Achab, and we would be as glad to hear a word that might be as a token of favour, as they were, but alas we do not consider, we are not touched, nor moved, & therefore when the Lord doth by his messengers entreat us to be saved, & woo us by all the names & tokens of love, we regard not, the Lord open our eyes to see in what a desperate case we stand and let us make more reckoning of God's love tokens than we do, if not, shall not the Aramites rise up in judgement against us?  
When the Angel came down to stir up the poolé of Bethesda, (wherein lay many sick and diseased) there was waiting on every side, 
john. 5.2.3 4.5.  and happy was he that could step in first, for he that stepped in first after the stirring of the water was healed, of what disease soever he had. We have a better pool than the pool of Bethesda, for the word of God is water of life, and able to cleanse the soul & body too, if we step into it when it is stirred by the Angel of the Lord, how often hath the Lord by his Ministers, stirred up this water, that we might be healed by it? no small favour no doubt. But who waiteth for it? who steppeth into it? Nay who steppeth not from it rather? who is cleansed by it? and yet who hath not need of it? For none can say his heart is clean. Now if we make no more reckoning of God's love, and his love tokens then thus, shall not those sick and diseased men of Bethesda rise up in judgement against us? no doubt they shall.  
We think that whatsoever we want, yet we are sure that God doth love us, & never make any reckoning of his love tokens, but we may be deceived. David was not always so sure, for sometime he thought that the Lord had forgotten him, sometime he thought that God had given him over to himself, hereupon he cried out at one time, 
Psal. 89.46 Psal. 51.11.12.  how long shall thy wrath burn like fire? for ever? at another time he prayeth, O take not thy spirit from me, restore unto me the joy of my salvation, by which pitiful cries it may appear that he was half afraid. Therefore he was glad to take a love token when it was offered him, for when he was not sure of God's love towards him, he thought that God was angry with him, and that was of all things most terrible unto him and intolerable. So must we, if we willbe sure that God is not angry with us, we must be sure that he favoureth us.  
If God's people must be sure of God's favour towards them in Christ, as David teacheth, than we must not stand in doubt of it as Papists do teach, we have no reason so to do. For doth he call us his sons, and we call him our father, that we should doubt of his love? Doth he call us his friends, his brethren, his spouse, his love, his dove, and by all the names of love, that we should doubt of his love? Hath he kissed us with so many kisses of his mouth? hath he sent us so many pledges of his love? hath he renewed his covenant so often? hath he sealed it with the Sacraments, and bound it with an oath? and all this that we might doubt whether he doth love us or no? Thus you see one point of popery ready to son at the hearing of this doctrine. If there be any Papist here that hath a mind to it, let him take it up, & make much of it, for God's people (you see) care not for it, they had rather know for a certainty that God doth favour them, then to stand in doubt thereof.  
To love God, and to be loved of God, is all that God requireth of us, and all that we desire of God. For if we love him, than we fear him, we worship him, we trust in him, we hear him, we obey him, etc. If he love us, than he provideth for us all good things, and preserveth us from all that may hurt us, etc. Our love to him hath marks, and so hath his to us. God doth not love us and keep it from us, but he maketh it known that he loveth us, as jonathan made his love known to David, and as the father of the prodigal child made his love manifest to his son when his affection was towards him.   

By this I know that thou favorest me (saith David) because mine enemy hath not triumphed against me.  
When God doth deliver us from the hands of our enemies, or any trouble else, we may persuade ourselves thereby, that he hath a favour unto us, as David did.  
But than it may be demanded, If God doth love his Church, why doth he suffer his Church to be troubled and molested with enemies? The reason is this, because by this means his love may be made more manifest, in saving and delivering them. For as a sure friend is not known but in time of need: so God's goodness and love is never so well perceived, as it is in helping of us when we cannot help ourselves. As Adam's fall did serve to manifest God's justice & mercy, 
Rom. 9.22 23.  the one in punishing, the other in pardoning of sin, which otherwise we had never known: so the troubles of the Church serve to manifest 1. our deserts by reason of our sins. 2. our weakness and inability to help ourselves, and 3. the loving kindness of the Lord our God, in saving and defending, that so we might be truly thankful, & return all the praise and glory to God, and none to ourselves. So that the Church of God may have enemies, and yet be still the beloved of God, as Lazarus was beloved of Christ although he was sick: for whom the Lord loveth he correcteth, and therefore he correctech them, because he loveth them.  
Now, some men will say, Oh I thanks God I am in prosperity, and I live well, out of all danger, and trouble, and I want nothing, therefore I am sure God loveth me. Again, such a one serveth God well I warrant you, for you see how he doth thrive and prosper in the world, he is come up of nothing, etc. therefore no doubt God doth love him: this is the corrupt judgement of blind worldlings, which take all for gold that glistereth, and think there is no other heaven but earth: but these men deceive themselves, and so many as listen unto them, for when God shall never visit us with any cross, but shall give us all things at our pleasure, and let us have what we lust for, it is a sign that he is angry with us, & then we are nearest to our destruction. For as the ox that is stall fed, waxeth fat, and the fatter he is, the fit he is for the butcher, and the nearer he is to the day of slaughter: so it ●areth with the wicked worldlings, which never come under the cross, & whose necks ●ould never abide the yoke of the word of God, 
Psal. 2.3.  they are set up a fatting for the butcher of hell, and made ready against the day of slaughter, which is the day of judgement, when all these outward, common, and general blessings shall tend to their greater condemnation. They live at ease in this life, that they may feel pain in the world to come, they have their heaven here, that they may have hell hereafter. The greatest judgement of God that can be in this world, is to let us live in security, and to give us over to our own heart's lust. And this is witnessed by many places of Scripture. Ask job, and he will justify this to be true, for these are his words.  
Wherefore do the wicked live, 
job. 21.7.  and wax old, and grow in wealth? to show that a man may be a wicked man though he be a wealthy man, and that honesty goeth not by riches, he goeth on & saith, 
8.  Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their generation before their eyes. 
9  Their houses are peaceable, without fear, the rod of God is not upon them. 
10.  Their bullock gendereth and faileth not, their cow calveth and casteth not her calf. 
11.  They send forth their children like sheep, 
12.  and their sons dance. They take the tabret & harp, and rejoice in the sound of the Organs. 
13.  They spend their days in wealth, & suddenly they die, or go down to the grave. That is, they lie not long sick Now see their Religion. 
14.  They say unto God, depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways: 
15.  Who is the almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have if we should pray unto him? Now see their end● They shallbe as stubble before the wind, 
18.  and as chaff that the storm carrieth away, God will lay up the sorrow of the father for his children, 
19  when he rewardeth him he shall know it: 
20.  his eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the almighty. Ask the Prophet David, and he will justify as much, for thus he speaketh of the wicked, They are not in troubles as other men, 
Psal. 73.5.  neither are they plagued with other men. 
7.  Their eyes stand out for fatness, they have more than heart can wish. 
9  They set their mouth against heaven, and their tongue walketh through the earth. Now see their blasphemy against God. 
11.  And they say, how doth God know it? or, is there knowledge in the most high? Lo, these are the wicked, yet prosper they always, and increase in riches. Now see their end. 
18.  Surely thou (O Lord) hast set them in slippery places, and cast them down into desolation. 
19  How suddenly are they destroyed, perished and horribly consumed?  
If this be not sufficient, he can prove it by an example of the Israelites, of whom he maketh this report. They lusted with concupiscence in the wilderness, meaning, when they desired the flesh pots of Egypt again. 
Psal. 106.  And (saith he) The Lord gave them their desire [for he sent them quails] but he sent 
14.  leanness into their soul's [for he cursed it, 
15.  & it did them no good, 
16.  but they died with the meat in their mouths] & what became of 
17.  the rest that had their desire, 
18.  they rebelled against Moses & Aaron, whereupon the earth swallowed up some, and fire from heaven devoured other some. If you ask the Prophet Esay, he will avouch this to be true, for (speaking in the person of God to the stubborn jews) he saith thus, 
Esay. 1.  Wherefore should you be smitten any more? 
5.  for you fall away more and more, the whole head is sick and the whole heart is heavy. Meaning that he would correct them no more, seeing they were never the better for correction, but to let them do as they listed, that his judgement might be exceeding great, and just upon them▪ For the followeth in the 7. verse. 
7.  Your land is waste, your Cities are burnt with fire, strangers devour your land in your presence, and it is desolate like the overthrow of strangers▪ And the daughter of Zion, 
8.  shall remain like a cottage in a vineyard, like a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, and like a besieged City▪ And all this came upon them, when the Lord left them to themselves, to do what they listed. All which places do show and prove how mad, & foolish they are, which measure God's love and favour towards them, by outward prosperity, and his anger by outward adversity.  
On the contrary, his children he puts th● always in mind of their duty by whipping them with his fatherly rod, they do not so soon step awry, but by and by he fetcheth them home again. What is Dives the better for all his wealth, being now in hell torments?  
Lazarus a poor man, yet a godly man, was kept under in this life, but now is exalted. And God indeed doth many times keep his children under, and giveth them but from hand to mouth, and yet loveth them nevertheless. As a father keepeth his son & heir ●hort, without any money in his purse, or any thing else at his own will, till the time come that he shall inherit: & in great wisdom he doth it, for if his son should have the inheritance presently, he would waste it, & spend it vainly, so God dealeth with his children, and for no other cause, both in singular wisdom and love, that they may say afterward, By this I know that thou lovest me. etc.  
So that this is not the thing that can assure us of God's favour to have no enemies, and no troubles, for if we be God's children we must look for both. Therefore is the Church called militant, always in battle, always beset with enemies. 
1. Cor. 1.18.  Therefore is the Gospel called the word of the Crosse. Therefore S. Paul describing the way to heaven saith, 
Act. 14.22  we must pass through many tribulalations. Therefore Esaw and jacob shall no sooner have life, but they shall strive together in their mother's belly. Therefore Abraham shall no sooner receive the promise, but he must look to be banished, and therefore Abel shallbe envied of his own brother, so soon as the Lord regards his sacrifice. The righteous man is like Lot amongst the Sodomites, and like Samson amongst the Philistines. This is the state of the Church called militant, it is like a ship tossed with the waves, driven with the winds, beset with Pirates, on the one side, with rocks, & sands on the other side, always upon the sea, and when it is safest, there is but a board between life and death. Their peace is persecution their rest is labour, their riches is poverty, their glory is reproach, their liberty is imprisonment And yet by this they know that God doth favour them, because he doth so t●●●per these cups unto them, with his grace● holy spirit, that in persecution they find peace, in labour they find rest, in poverty they find contentment, therefore great riches: in reproaches they find glory, in imprisonment they find liberty, and in death they find life.  
It is no new thing you see, for good men to have enemies, nay the better men the more enemies, 
Luk. 22.32  as Peter the more faithful to Christ the more sifted by Satan, but as Christ then prayed for Peter, that his faith might not fail, so he prayeth still for the faithful that their faith may not fail, so that still they may say with David. By this I know that thou lovest me, because my enemies do not triumph against me.  
But what? did not David's enemies triumph against him when they said, A mischief is ●ight upon him, and he that lieth shall rise no more. As appeareth in the 8. verse of this Psalm. Why did David then so grievously complain? The answer is at hand, they spoke evil indeed of David, and as they would have had it, yea, and as they thought to have had it too, but the Lord delivered him, so that they triumphed before the victory. When they saw that the Lord did a little visit him, they cried out: now he is met withal, now he is down. etc. And thus rashly they judged of the Lords anointed, and triumphed over him, whom the Lord raised up again. So played the Popes Catholics, when they would have come upon us, like the fat Bulls of Basan, gaping upon us, as though they would have eaten us up, when they saw some of our men overcome in battle, or when the Lord did a little frown upon us, they began straightway to triumph over us, & marching into Ireland, as though all had been cock sure for them: but the Lord put a bridle into their mouths, & so carried them back again by Senacheribs way. So likewise before they came last with their invincible Navy, they divided our kingdom, and provided owners for every country, City, Bishopric, Lordship, and whips for every body. Indeed they troubled us, & put many in great fear, but through God's goodness the fear was greater than the hurt, by which the Lord would give us to understand, that he had a favour towards us. And that we might know it indeed, he would not suffer us to destroy them, lest we should say that through our own power we gave them the overthrow, and got ourselves the victory, but with his own hand, and with his holy arm he got himself the victory, that the whole praise might return to himself, & by this we might be assured of his love, and favour towards us, blessed be his name for it. Surely this was one of the greatest love tokens that ever he bestowed upon us (of temporal benefits) the greatness whereof shall appear, when we consider how they would have handled us, if they had triumphed against us. For this purpose let us take but a little view. First of their exactions in Naples, secondly of their savage cruelties upon the poor Indians, and then shall we see what miseries and mischiefs such a triumph and such triumphers would have brought upon us. And first of their exactions in Naples, when they triumphed there. To pass over their treacherous entrance, it is reported by one of their own Bishops (in a book that he wrote to the king of Spain, 
Exactions of Spaniards in Naples.  for the redress of these things) that every four or five years they received 200000. or 400000. and a Million of gold. Their landed men were defeated of their lands and houses, if they had not their evidence to show (which perhaps might be lost) although they could make just proof of their lawful possession and right for a 100 years before. The farmer of their butchery, and powltrie receiveth 300. Ducats daily for his fee Every chimney payeth 6. ●. Every strumpet iij. ●. what should I say? if all the payments were laid together, that all the kings had before, they were not comparable to the extraordinary exactions of the Spaniards in Naples.  
As for their cruelties on the poor Indian's they are not to be spoken, for they dispeopled more than 10. realms greater than all Spain, Arragon and Portugal. Within 40. years they butchered above 12. Millions of men, 
The cruelty of Spaniards in India.  women, and infants. They would set up men and women naked against trees or walls. etc. and would lay wagers, who should shoot or throw their darts nearest the heart, and made a sport of murder, as ordinarily as we do of shooting, or bowling etc. They would use to broil men to death upon gridirons, especially great men: whereupon it fell out, that certain Lords being broiled, four or five, through their pitiful roaring and crying (which they were enforced to make through extremity of torment) disquieted the Captain that lay not far of, & to make them hold their peace they had their mouths stopped with bullets, until they were roasted to death. Their cruelties were so great that a certain Lord, for fear fled to the isle of Cuba, where he was taken and burned, and being exhorted by a Friar to die a Catholic, that he might go to heaven, he asked the Friar whither the Spaniards went when they died, to heaven quoth the Friar. Then I will not go to heaven said the Indian Lord, because the Spaniards (as you say) go thither, for it is better to go to hell (said he) them to come where any Spaniards have any thing to do.  
Another time, a certain Spanish governor entering the firm land, a Lord of the country to gain his goodwill, and to avoid torture, met him, and presented him with nine thousand ducats, in recompense whereof they bond him to a stake, and set fire to his feet, whereupon he brought three thousand Castillans more, with which sum this tyrant not satisfied, put fire again to his feet, until the sinews burst, and the marrow sprung out of the bones, and so he died. The king of Mexico sent a thousand presents to welcome him, besides that: himself in his own person met him with an honourable troop of Lords and Gentlemen, he was laden with bolts for his labour, and being in prison, the rest came to solace their King with some pleasant sports and shows, whereupon they were apprehended by the Spaniards: a solemn day of slaughter was proclaimed, and at the day appointed two thousand young Gentlemen were put to death for a terror to all the country.  
The same tyrant going to war against any City, or province, would yoke many together by the necks, allowing no sustenance to twenty thousand, but the flesh of so many Indians as they could kill. They had as ordinary a shambles of man's flesh as we have of beasts: 
Read more of these things in a book called A complaint of England, and the Spanish 〈◊〉 ●●ties.  they kept mastiffs, & other great dogs to hunt men and women, from which a woman seeing she could by no means escape, she went and hanged herself upon a tree with her babe tied to her feet, and yet before the babe was dead, the dogs came and devoured it. Another, hunting venison, could find no game, and coming homeward he met a woman with a child in her arms, he took her infant, and cut it in pieces, and threw it to his dogs for livery. It is not possible (as one saith) to utter in words the merciless dealing of Spaniards in India, the ghastly remembrance whereof is able to daunt the stoutest courage. Yet these are the men which pretend supporting of the Catholic faith. Now, by this ●ast we may give a guess how our cup should have been tempered, if the Lord had suffered them to triumph over us, for if they handled these poor souls after this manner, which never did hurt them, nor their religion, how would they have handled us, which always have been enemies to their irreligious proceedings? surely their hatred against us, would have proved like Nebuchadnezars furnace, 
Dan. 3.19.  seven times hotter than it was before: yea they would have sent us Rehoboams message, and his measure, uz. that their little finger should have been greater upon us than their loins were upon them. 
1. King. 12.10.11.  And whereas they did burden them with a grievous yoke, they would have made our yoke heavier: and whereas they chastised them with rods, they would have corrected us with scorpions, if they had triumphed over us as they made full account. By this than we may know that the Lord loveth us, (alas a nation not worthy to be loved) because our enemies did not triumph against us. Blessed be his name for ever.  
But doth God love none but those whom he delivereth out of their enemy's hands? Yes surely, that he doth: for it is no matter how we be overcome of our bodily enemies, so that our spiritual enemies do not overcome us. For every Christian hath two sorts of enemies as David had, bodily, and spiritual: our spiritual enemies be our sins, and the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil which fight against the soul (as S. Peter saith). 
1. Pet. 2.11  Now these do often trouble the children of God, rebelling against them, 
Rom. 7.23  and many times leading them captives to the law of sin, yet finally they do not triumph against them, because they do not willingly yield themselves to sin, with delight in sin, as the wicked do: but they do continually strive against them by earnest prayer unto God, by hearing the word of God, 
Rom. 8.37  and by faith in jesus Christ, they are made more than conquerors in the end, as S. Paul teacheth in his doctrine to the Rom.  
By this I know that thou favourest me. etc. Without doubt the Prophet David had need of many blessings more, which the Lord did not bestow upon him, but kept them back from him, and all to humble him: and yet he did not murmur against God, for the want of them, but gave him thanks for those which he had already received. Although the Lord did not suffer him to take any rest, because of his enemies, yet he praiseth God, because they did not triumph against him, a good lesson for us to learn. When the Lord shall afflict us with any manner of affliction: as, loss of goods, loss of friends, loss of health, or whatsoever else, we should remember then what benefits we have still, which we are unworthy of. Then thus may God's children say to God: Though the Papists do molest us, and speak all evil of us, though our enemies seek and sift us, yet they miss of their purpose, and thou dost raise up friends unto us. Though Atheists, scoffers, & worldly beasts do rout at thy preachers, yet thou dost not let them discourage them, whereby we know that thou lovest us. And hath the Lord taken away thy goods, etc. yet remember that he hath given thee leave to enjoy thy sight, thy speech, thy hearing, thy understanding, thy wits, his spirit, etc. all which are more than thou deservest, and more than he doth for every one. So we may say for matters of reformation, although every thing be not in all respects as it should be, and as if were to be wished, yet let us thank the Lord for these good things we have. Though the growth of the Church be yet hindered by many ignorant Ministers and idle non-residents, yet hath the Church many good Pastors, and teachers to whom the porter jesus Christ hath opened the door, and furnished with singular graces, for the good of his Church. Let us thank his Majesty for them, and not as some do, which for the want of some things, condemn all the things which we have, because the Church (forsooth) is not so purely purged as it ought to be, therefore we have no Church no Ministers, no Sacraments. etc. as it please our schismatics to affirm, and therefore in a mad rage being carried with pride and tempestuous spirits, whose glory is altogether i● condemning their brethren, they cry, separate your selves, come out from amongst them, as though we had nothing left amongst us, which might be a token of God's favour, & love towards us. Ah my good brethren: is this to show ourselves thankful for that we have received? shall we acknowledge nothing good, because all is not perfect? we aught to strive orderly, and lawfully (I confess) unto perfection if it may be, that Zion may shine in perfect beauty. But in the mean while let us fear, that the Lord for our unthankfulness, and scornful contempt will take away those good things which we have, before he give us any more. If we should want nothing, we should wax wanton, & forget the Lord, as David did, 
Psal. 30.6.  who thought when God had made him strong, he should never be moved, and therefore to humble us, and keep us under, the Lord still keepeth somewhat from us.  
But now let us see what use we may make of all that hath been said: we have heard that the Lord doth not only love us, but also that he maketh his love known unto us, by saving us from the cruel hands of our enemies: this is no small matter, for the Lord to bestow such love upon his enemies, which deserve nothing but his hatred and heavy displeasure, should not this make us love the Lord again? That we do, will every one be ready to say, 
joh. 14. 1●  but if you love me (saith our Saviour Christ) keep my commandments, how is it now that we say we love God, and yet for the love that he beareth to us and we to him, many will not leave one jot of their pleasure, nor any unlawful gain? no nor a hair of their head? by this we may be sure that we hate the Lord. The usurer, & whoremonger will say they love God: so will the swearer, and the drunkard say, when their whole life is nothing, but a war against God. You profane the Lords Sabbath, and refuse to hear his word when it is preached, and yet you will say you love God, a spiteful love. The scoffer at Religion, and every hypocrite will tell us that he loveth God, or else it were hard, when yet they will do nothing that God commandeth them.  

joh. 21.15  If you love me (saith Christ to Peter) feed my flock, to show, that if Ministers feed not the flock of Christ, with the food of their souls, the lively preaching of the word, they love not Christ: and yet both ignorant Ministers, negligent Pastors, & careless nonresidents, will bear men in hand they love God, O cruel love that suffereth men's souls to sink down to hell with their own, for whom the Lord jesus hath shed his blood. You Magistrates will say you love God, if you do so indeed, let it appear in countenauncing his word when it is preached, and encouraging his Ministers, in reforming his Sabbath, in suppressing of lewdness, in upholding of goodness, and judging justly, which if you do not, by this you may be sure you love not God. 
joh. 13.34.  If you love me, saith Christ, love one another, to teach us, that if we love not one another professing all the same Gospel, we love not Christ, for he that loveth him which begat, loveth him also which is begotten, 
1. joh. 5.1.  and he that loveth the head, must needs love the members. Now if we delight still in quarreling, and contending one with another, in censuring, and judging one of an other for toys and trifles, in spiting, and vexing, in mistaking, and misconstruing, in racking and rending, of words and half words, if we continue still in bitterness and wrath, in malice an envy, and will not be content to be courteous and loving, and in the bowels of tender compassion freely to forgive as God for Christ his sake forgave us, 
Ephe. 4.31.32.  we may be sure we love not God. Again, if you love me (saith Christ) do good to the poor, which you shall always have with you, and look what you do to them, I will take it as if it were done to myself: now if we be so strait laced against the poor, as we have been, and do not exercise the works of mercy towards them, according to our ability, how can we say that we love God? I mean not to be a proctor for the idle, and slothful, which can work and will not, for they ought not to eat, and in God's name let them be driven to work or be severely punished: for if you shall maintain such: when time shall serve, they will cut your throats for that you have, to make you amends, like Hanun who cruelly, 
2. Sam. 10.4.  and shamefully entreated David's messengers, when of courtesy, and goodwill, they were sent to visit him, but relieve while you may those that are impotent, aged, sickly, diseased, and labour hard for their living, & would work if they had it, see to such I beseech you on Christ's behalf, and encourage the virtuous and godly amongst you, you use to say, God help you, I have not for you, a cold alms God knoweth, but if God had suffered our enemies to triumph over us, them we should have said: God help us, we have neither for you, nor for ourselves, therefore while you have wealth and are able, do good withal, do not belie the Lord that hath given you both for your selves, & for them too, for in such time you may speak it, that your words may prove truer than you wots of as it did with Ananias & his wife, 
Acts. 5.3.  who said they had no more left, when they had as much more as they sold. Furthermore, if we be assured that the Lord doth love us in jesus Christ, we may be bold to pray without fear, and not doubting that he will hear us.  
Last of all this assurance of God's favour, should breed in us a resolution to leave all our odd shifts, and devices which we use to live by, and to rely wholly upon his providence, using no means but good, knowing that he which loveth us, will not see us want any thing that he seeth good for us. These things may trouble us, but if they do not triumph over us, by overruling us, them we are beloved of God: strive we then by faith and repentance against our affections, and in the end we shall surely triumph in heaven, for the Church can not be triumphant in heaven, until it be militant on earth: Now let us pray.    

THE SECOND SERMON OF THE ASSURANCE OF GOD'S LOVE November. 21. Sabbath day.  By this I know that thou favorest me. etc. 
THe Prophet David careth not what enemies he hath nor how many he hath, so that God be not his enemy, he regardeth not what the Lord doth unto him, neither how he doth handle him, so that he may be sure he doth it in his love & favour towards him, and not in his wrath, and displeasure: therefore he prayeth, 
Psal. 6.1.  Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath, neither chasten me in thy displeasure, as if he should say, I care not, O Lord, what thou dost with me in this life, so that I may be sure of thy favour and loving kindness.  
This serveth to teach us, that when any trouble, or affliction shall come upon us, we must not so much look upon that, and seek to be eased thereof, as to look whether we be in favour with God or no. And being sure of his favour in his son jesus Christ, to arm ourselves patiently to bear the cross whatsoever it be, because whatsoever it is, outward or inward, it is laid upon us in love, not to hurt us, but to help us forward in the ways of godliness. We will take any thing well at his hands, of whom we are persuaded that he loveth us, for the assurance of his love swalloweth up, and sweetly sendeth down all the rest: if he teach us, we take it, if he admonish us, we are contented, if he reproveth us, we put it up, if he jest with us, we are not grieved, yea, if he smite us, we are not offended, all is taken in good part, because they come from love, who never did hurt his beloved. So God dealeth with us, his children, he teacheth us when we are ignorant, he correcteth us when we go astray, he admonisheth us when we are unruly, he reproveth us when we transgress, he threateneth us when we are stubborn, and he smiteth us when there is no remedy, but is his favour and mercy he teacheth, correcteth, reproveth, threateneth, and smiteth his children, that they might not be damned with the wicked world. If he woundeth us, his favour is oil to cure the wound, if he sendeth floods, and seas of troubles, the assurance of his favour is like Noah's Ark to bear us up from drowning. If his wrath shall burn like fire, his favour is water to cool the heat: whereof Dives in hell could not get a drop: if he send sickness either of body or mind, the assurance of his favour is a present remedy, like the brazen Serpent: if he sendeth sorrow overnight, his loving favour shall bring joy in the morning, and a joyful tidings like, Son be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven thee. If he chide us, his favour that he beareth unto us, will not suffer him to chide for ever: if his wrath be kindled against his children; his favour puts out all again, if he sets us up as marks to be shot at, he sets his favour before us, with the assurance whereof, we are defended as with a shield. 
Psal. 5.12.   
When he punisheth his children he pitieth them, for he doth not punish them as an enemy, but as a father, therefore David saith, As a father hath compassion on his children, 
Psal. 103.13.  so hath the Lord compassion on all those that fear him. A father's anger is rather love then anger, and his correction is to be counted rather a love token, than a punishment: So is God's anger towards his children which fear him, and keep his covenants: and therefore his correction is a love token and no punishment.  
Ask Solomon: and he will tell you so, nay the Lord himself will tell you so, if he sin (saith the Lord) meaning by Solomon) I will chasten him with the rod of men, 
2. Sam. 7.19.15.  and with the plagues of the children of men, but my mercy shall not departed away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. Ask Adam and Eve and they will tell you so, for in punishing their first sin, he wrapped up a blessing within the curse, saying to the Serpent, 
Gen. 3.15.  that the seed of the woman should break his head, meaning that Christ should weaken the power of sin & of death, such was his love that he could scarce punish for love. Ask David and he will tell you so. The Lord hath chastened me sore (saith he) (belike than he was very angry) but he hath not delivered me unto death. 
Psal. 118.18.  Therefore he made his choice to fall into God's hands, rather than into men's hands, 
2. Sam. 24.14.  because (saith he) the Lord is merciful in correcting. Who would not be content now to bear whatsoever in this life such a a God should lay upon him? When jesus wept over Lazarus, the jews said, behold, how he loved him, 
joh. 11.35  yea though he suffered death to cast him into his grave the common bed of all flesh, yet behold how he loved him. So may God's children say, when the Lord correcteth, or reproveth, or afflicteth them, yet mark how he seeketh us, entreateth us, and wooeth us, that when we see this, we must needs say, behold how he loveth us. Sechem deferred not to do all that was required of him, 
Gen. 34.19.  for the obtaining of Dinah, because he loved her. So when we stand in need of the Lords help, he deferreth not to help us, because he loveth us. 
judg. 66.15.  Dallila said to Samson, how canst thou say, that thou lovest me, seeing that thy heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times. But who can say that the Lord doth not love his children, seeing both his heart and his hand is with them, and he never mocked them? When the Lord doth cross his people, he dealeth with them as joseph dealt with his brethren, which because it is so lively a resemblance of the Lords proceeding with us, we will a little compare the one with the other: both for our comfort and also for our instruction. When joseph's brethren came to Egypt to buy corn, joseph knew them, and spoke roughly unto them, 
Gen. 42.7.  and bore them in hand that they came as spies: so the Lord dealeth with his children many times, when they come to him for such things as they want, He knoweth them well enough: but maketh himself strange unto them, and speaketh roughly unto them, by seeming to deny their request, yea sometimes by increasing their sorrow and affliction, as jacob striving with the Angel for a blessing, 
Gen. 32.24. to 30.  received a blow on his thigh more than he looked for.  
Well, joseph turned from his brethren and wept, for he loved them, but he kept it secret to himself a while: so the Lord loveth his children, when he handleth them very roughly, but he keepeth it sometime secret for a while. Further, it is said of joseph, that he took Simeon from them, and bound him before their eyes: now all this while joseph knew his brethren, 
Vers. 8.  but they knew not him: for if they had known it had been their brother joseph which loved them, no doubt they would have borne any thing at his hands. So if we knew our troubles to come from our Father which loveth us, would we not willingly bear any thing at his hands to? 
36.  Afterward Benjamin must go, them jacob thought he had been rob of all his children, but he found joseph, Simeon and Benjamin, & all again at the last. So God's children in the end find all, when they think they have lost all. Well, Benjamin goeth, and when he is come, joseph reasoneth the matter with them thus, 
Chap. 43.29.30.  Is this your brother or whom you told me? etc. He knew it well enough, but before he could go any further, his affection was so inflamed towards his brother, that he made haste, & sought where to weep: all this while he loved them dearly, but kept it to himself. 
Chap. 44.  After all this see a second trial no whit inferior to the former: As they went home, hu and cry came after them for joseph's cup, which was in policy conveyed into their brother Benjamins' sack, search was made, they thought themselves clear, so do we many times justify our selves: they did afterward condemn themselves, and when it was found in Benjamins' sack, they were worse apaid than they were before. Well Benjamin must stay by the reckoning, and answer the matter, this passed all the rest: so doth the Lord many times find out sin by us, when we think all is well: and then things go worse and worse with us (as we think): & yet still the fear is greater than the hurt. Well, hereupon judah draweth near to joseph, 
Verse, 18.  and said, Let me speak but a word in the ears of my Lord, and tells him a long story of the whole matter, from the beginning to the ending, as though joseph all this while had known nothing of the matter. So we oftentimes in the grief of our hearts power forth many things, & complaints which the Lord knoweth well enough. 
Chap. 45.1.2.  Now after many trials, it is said that joseph could no longer refrain before all that stood by, but cried, Have forth every man from me, which being done▪ he wept, and cried, so that all heard him, both of the Egyptians & of Pharaohs house. And at the last his love breaks forth like the morning light, and overfloweth after long restraint, as a stream (whose course is stopped) overfloweth the banks. Now mark how he uttereth himself, 
3.  I am joseph (saith he) is my father alive? but his brethren could not answer him, for they were astonished at his presence: full little did they think that joseph had been so near them, they did not once dream of any such matter, or of any such man. Even so the hand of God is many times in the tempering of afflictions to the godly for their good, when they think full little upon it. 
4.  But again (saith joseph) I am joseph your brother whom you sold into Egypt: (well far all good tokens) come near I pray you unto me, 
5.  be not sad nor grieved with yourselves that you sold me, for it was Gods doing for your preservation. Afterward they and their father, and all his house came up and had Egypt to inhabit: after the like manner dealeth God with his children as joseph dealt with his brethren, but after many trials he uttereth himself unto them, he puts them in good remembrance of their injuries done to his Majesty: he freely forgiveth them, and giveth them the inheritance at the last, which is more than they deserved, and more than they desired, and more than they looked for, by which they are assured of God's favour unto them. Therefore who will not be content with patience to bear what trial soever this our loving God, and merciful Father shall think good to lay upon him?  
Although Israel were hardly entreated of Egypt, yet God said, 
Exo. 3.21.  I will get this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that when ye go ye shall not go empty. Now if the Israelites went not away empty, when they were in favour with the Egyptians, much less shall we go away empty from the Lord if we be in favour with him: for seeing he hath of his free mercy, without any desert of ours, given us his only Son, how shall he not with him (saith S. Paul) give us all things else? 
Rom. 8.32  Hereupon it came that the Martyrs were always so jocund and merry, for they were never sent away empty from the bar, from the prison, from the stake, nor from the fire, but still the Lord filled their hearts with joy and gladness, and ever sustained their souls with the comfortable assurance of his favour: and so fast as their persecutors condemned them, God justified them, so fast as they stripped them, their God clothed them: so fast as they tormented them their God did comfort them: when they impoverished, God enriched: when they frowned, God smiled: when they spoiled the outward man, God renewed the inward man: when they wounded, God healed: when they killed, God quickened: and finally when they rejected them, their God received them, whereby they were not only assured that he loved them, but also were encouraged to bear whatsoever came for the assurance of God's favour, so dear and precious was it unto them. 
Prou. 22.1  Therefore Solomon saith that loving favour is above gold and silver: if the loving favour of men be above gold & silver, how shall we value the loving favour of God? which being lost, the whole world and ten thousand worlds cannot redeem, which being obtained, is better than the whole world. And ten thousand worlds, with all the devils in hell can never take it from God's children, when they have once the assurance thereof in their hearts, sealed up unto them by the spirit of adoption. I say once again, whereat, or at what price shall we value this favour of our God?  
When job was assured of this loving favour of God in the heat of his affliction, he was so far from shrinking, or sinking down under his burden, that he said like a valiant soldier, 
job. 13.15.  though he kill me, yet will I trust in him. As if he should say, I love my life well, but I love God's favour better, to teach us that if we be assured of his loving favour once, we care not what we suffer in this life for it, no more than job did, for he knew that Gods killing would prove a quickening. So that all our care and cunning (my beloved in the Lord) must be to see the loving favour of God in all our temptations, troubles, and afflictions. 
2. King. 9.20.22.  And then: as jehoram said to Iehu, when he marched in his fury, comest thou peaceably? as if he should say, if thou comest peaceably, march as furiously as thou wilt. So let us say to our God, O Lord comest thou favourably? and in love against us? then come as terribly as thou wilt. Shoot thy arrows, and spend them all upon me, beat me to powder, take all away, and in this life do with me what thou wilt, so thou dost assure me of thy favour. So we pray in that prayer, which is called the lords prayer. Thy will be done, but Lord forgive us our sins, and then do what thou wilt, deliver us from evil, & from the devil, and then tempt us, or bring us into what battles it pleaseth thee. So reasoneth the Prophet David likewise, Happy are they whose oxen are strong to labour, happy are they which are free from foreign invasion, and civil dissension, which a bound with many outward, worldly, and general benefits▪ etc. but how if we miss of these outward things? 
Psal. 144. last.  why then, happy is the people whose God is the Lord. So again, in another place he makes the very same reckoning, Many (saith he) will say, 
Psal. 4.6.7.  who will show us any good, that is, worldly goods, but Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. &c. to teach us, that we must not care what we want so that we may be sure of God's loving countenance in the Gospel of his son jesus Christ. 
Mat. 15.22  The woman of Chanaan was content to take many repulses at the hands of our Saviour, so that she might be sure of one grant: so let us be content to take many repulses, so that we may be sure of God's favour in our repulses. The birth of the child into the world, swalloweth up all the pains, and pangs of the mother in forgetfulness, which went before the birth: so saith our Saviour Christ. So we if after our manifold afflictions and sorrows for Christ's his sake, we bring forth the assurance of God's favour here, and of eternal life hereafter being dead, let forgetfulness devour and consume all the rest. And seeing as the Lord in his loving favour doth thus and thus cross his children, let patience bear it, let forgetfulness wear it, and by this let us learn to trust in our God another time without fainting, or shrinking when troubles come again. The wicked blind world takes another course, they cast their eye altogether upon the cross, and study how to be eased of that, with odd shift, and many unlawful devices and ungodly practices, but because they see not the loving favour of God towards them in Christ jesus, they are ready to sink down in despair of mercy, and horror of conscience, like a lump of lead in the sea. The Lord in one hand hath fire to burn, & in his other hand water to quench, but he holdeth it behind his back many times, that at the first it is not perceived, no not of his dear children, but at the last they both see it, and feel the comfort of it, and acknowledge the same, saying with David, By this I know that thou favorest me. etc. Therefore as the child is glad when his father smileth upon him, and speaks comfortably unto him, although he beats him, so let us be glad, & rejoice when our heavenvly father doth smile upon us, in giving us the assurance of his love, although he doth afflict us.  

By this I know that thou lovest me, because mine enemies do not. etc.  
Here further we are to consider of the providence, and wisdom of God, in that he turneth the rage and malice of our enemy's to our great good, for by this he assureth us of his favour which is the greatest good that is Thus you see that the enemies of God's children do them good against their will, the Lord by his ever watching providence so disposing their enterprises, and working in the hearts of his children: for God's providence doth first work & bring to pass good things, secondly it permitteth evil things to be done, but than thirdly, it directeth, and ordereth all things both good and bad to his own glory, and to the salvation of his children. So God turned Adam's fall to the manifesting of his own glory, and to Adam's good, for by this means, had Adam experience of God's great and infinite mercy, and might say, By this I know that thou favorest me, because thou forgavest me, and didst not suffer the devil to triumph against me, so all the slips, and falls of God's children are turned to their good, in as much as by them they are made more fearful of sin, and more watchful over their ways, as the child is fearful of the candle when he hath once burnt his finger in the flame. And S. Paul telleth us from God, 
Rom. 8.28  that all things shall fall out for the good, yea for the best, to them that love God. Now of this point we may make a very holy use. It serveth first to confirm and uphold our faith in the providence of God, and not to fear the endeavours of the wicked, because we see that God doth still dispose of them to our good if we be his children. Again this may stand us in good stead, when our affections begin to boil, in a burning desire of revenge against our enemies, would we be revenged of them? The best way to be revenged of our enemies is to pity their case, and to make that profit of them, which David did of his, that is, still to look to God in them, them shall we be sure to be no losers, but gainers by them, whither they will or no.  
But here some may demand and say, Doth God use to handle his beloved so? or may a man be sure of God's favour being beset with so many enemies? and overwhelmed with such heaps of troubles? especially sin being the cause, wherewith God is provoked to anger? To which we may answer, that sin indeed is the cause of all our troubles, but yet whatsoever the Lord layeth upon his children here, it is not a punishment of their sin, for that was discharged by the hellish sufferings of the Lord jesus Christ, but it is a fatherly correction, from which we are no more freed by the death of Christ, than we are freed from our natural death. And it is laid upon us by our heavenvly father for two principal causes, first to prevent sin, which we might fall into, as presumption, contempt, unthankfulness, forgetfulness of God, and many more. Secondly, they are laid upon us as Physic to cure and heal sins, which we are already fallen into, and this is that which David confesseth, 
Psal. 119.67.71.  when he saith, before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep thy word, and therefore he saith, It was good for him to be afflicted, that he might learn the statutes of the Lord. And in both these ends of our afflictions, 
1. Cor. 11.32.  the lords purpose is to stay us that we run not with the wicked world headlong to damnation, whom he hath given over to themselves. 
Esay. 1.5.  So that troubles and enemies are sent to us the children of God as Physic: and therewith all he sends a private messenger to tell us that he loveth us for all that, & it is because he loveth us, & to that end that we may be assured that he loveth us: 
Rom. 8.15 16.  & that messenger is his spirit of adoption, which certifieth our spirits that we are the children of God. And this being once made sure, than all is sure. 
A needful question▪  But now the question is by what ordinary means the spirit of adoption doth convey this certificate of God's favour unto the hearts of God's children in their afflictions? for as God doth assure his children of his loving favour in Christ jesus, so he doth it by ordinary means, which means being not used, or neglected, this assurance faileth, and falleth from us, and nothing remaineth but either a bare fancy floating in the air, in stead of a sure faith builded on a firm foundation, 
The means whereby the assurance of God's favour is wrought.  and when trouble comes, an impatient spirit to bear up the burden, and when death comes, a heap of sorrow, and a heavy weight of despair to press down to the lowest hells. The means then by which the spirit of God doth work this assurance in the hearts of the godly is the preaching of the Gospel, which is called glad tidings, because it makes the hearts of the faithful to become joyful, and glad. And S Paul (to put us out of doubt that the spirit worketh not without the word of God) calleth the word the sword of the spirit, 
Ephe. 6.17  to teach us that howsoever the spirit of God must beat down Satan, and cut down infidelity, impatiency, despair, presumption, and all our unruly affections, and howsoever it worketh faith, 
Esay. 11.2.  patience, joy, strength, courage etc. yet all this it effecteth and bringeth to pass by the means of the word of God preached, read, heard, marked, and meditated upon, for as the word without the spirit is but dead to the hearer, so the spirit of God without the opening of God's will in his word, doth not ordinarily give this comfortable assurance of God's love. Ask the Prophet David himself, who had this comfortable assurance of God's favour in affliction, ask him (I say) how he came be it, or how it came to him, and he will tell us, that by the word of God he came unto it, for so he saith▪ Except thy law had been my delight, 
Psal. 119.92.  I had perished in my affliction: for therein he foū● many gracious promises of his God, both for the punishing of his enemies, for the defending and rewarding of himself, and all God's servants, & for the forgiveness of his sins, which were the cause of all his troubles, and therefore the promise of God he challengeth at God's hand. 
Verse 49.50.  Remember thy promise made to thy servant, wherein thou hast caused me to trust, upon this promise of God he resteth and stayeth himself. It is my comfort in my trouble, for thy promise hath quickened me. And when he looked into this book of God, the storehouse of his promises, there he found also how necessary affliction was for him he found the causes thereof, and what use to make of all his enemies, & so through the inward working of the spirit of sanctification, he behaved himself at all times accordingly, and therefore when he saith it was good for him that he was afflicted, he addeth, 
Vers. 71.  that he might learn the statutes of the Lord, to show that the godly do not know how good their afflictions be, until they have learned the statutes of the Lord. And therefore at another time he said, that he was much moved at the prosperity of the wicked, 
Psal. 73.  and had much a do to keep himself in an innocent, 
13.  and upright life, hearing, & seeing the wicked so far out of square, 
14.  until he went into the house of God, 
16.  and when he came into that school once, 
17.  he was taught by the word, 
18.  and the spirit of God, what use to make of all: and then he saw how wisely, and justly the Lord ordereth all things in the world, to teach us, that it is impossible for us, to make right use of troubles, and to bear ourselves in prosperity and adversity as we ought, until we become scholars to the word of God, and submit ourselves unto the same.  
Now as the word of God is the means of this comfortable assurance, so is it not always effectual to work this assurance unto us, except we use it as it should be used of us, some think it sufficient to have it in their house, like the talon hid in the napkin. Some think it enough to hear it read at church, or to read it themselves at home: some think it necessary to be preached, and expounded, but not material whether they come at the preaching or no, 
judg. 17.13.  like Micah who thought himself safe when he had a levity in his house: some think it sufficient if they hear it, but they willbe at their choice whether to believe it or no: some give credit unto it, thinking it to be true, & hold that to be sufficient: when they come neither reverently, nor humbly prepared unto it, but will be at liberty to descant upon it, and to censure both preaching and preacher at their pleasure, like the proud cavilling auditors of Ezechiell, 
Eze. 33.32  which talked & jested against him when they were amongst themselves, and made as much account of his preaching, as of a fiddlers song. Some think it sufficient if they hear it once a year, once a month, or once a quarter: some think it sufficient if the word sound in a Church, it is no matter out of whose mouth it come, whether the speaker have a calling or no calling, but the parish Clarke and the parish Priest is all one to them. But if they have a Preacher, than all is cock sure on their side, than they must needs be sure of God's love. Some again think the plain and bare word of God not sufficient to work this comfortable assurance, without a mixture of Rhetoric, Philosophy, Schoole-trickes, Poetry, profane writers, Greek & Latin, and merry jests, etc. as they that cry, Prophecy of new wine, and strong drink, and if they have these things clattering about their ears, than they go away from the church as full as a bladder filled with wind. And some again hold opinion, that if the preacher stand never so little above his hour at any time, it is enough to mar all that went before. And some think, that if there be any mention made of God's judgements against their sins, it is enough to drive them to despair, and so quite from the exercises. And many post off all hearing of the word, or using any holy exercises of religion, until they be stricken with age or sickness, like the foolish Virgins, which put off all to the last cast. Now all these would be assured of God's favour when affliction doth assail them, yea & think themselves sure of it, howsoever the world shall go with them, but they all deceive themselves. 
The first sort.  First, they which think the bare reading of it to be sufficient, but the expounding & applying thereof to be a needless thing, they deceive themselves: for as reading is a good and holy means for the confirmation of faith, and the consolation of the inward man: so without the opening of the word, & applying of the same, this comfortable assurance of God's loving favour is not ordinarily wrought, whereby the soul is brought to rest in the bed of peace. 
Psal. 4.7.  For proof whereof we are to listen to the voice of God himself which is the best judge in this behalf. job both handleth the case, and determineth the case very plainly, 
job 33.19.  A man is stricken with sorrow upon his bed, and the grief of his bones is sore, So that his life causeth him to abhor bread, and his soul dainty meat. 
20.  His flesh faileth that it cannot be seen, and his bones clatter, So that he draweth to the grave, 
21.22.  and his life to the buriers, meanig that his affliction both of body & soul is so extreme, that by means thereof he is brought to death's door. Now see what must comfort this man. 
23.  If there be a messenger, or an interpreter, one of a thousand to declare unto man his righteousness. 
24.  Then will God have mercy upon him, and will say, deliver him, that he go not down to the pit, for I have received a reconciliation. 
25.  Then shall his flesh be as fresh as a child's, and shall return as in the days of his youth. 
26.  He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him, and he shall see his face with joy. etc. These are great things, and therefore job saith, that he that should do them must be a messenger, he must be sent of God, he must be an interpreter of the will of God, & a rare man, one of a thousand: therefore a blind reader is not sufficient for these things. The Eunuch was reading the prophet Esay 
Act. 8.28.  by himself, 
31.33.  but he knew not what he read until Philip expounded it unto him: 
38.39.  & after that he believed, he was baptised, & he went on his way rejoicing. The jailor was in his desperate dumps, and but in a mad mood, when for fear he went about to kill himself, but after Paul 
Act. 16.27  had preached unto him the word of the Lord, 
30.  he believed in Christ, and rejoiced that he and his believed in God: 
32.  for than had he the assurance of God's favour in Christ jesus, 
34.  which he had not before: to show us how necessary the preaching of the word is, for the working of this assurance. To this agreeth also the Apostle S. Paul, 
Rom. 5.1.  for (saith he) 
Rom. 10.  We being justified by faith in Christ, 
14.  have peace with God, but this faith is wrought by hearing, 
19  & hearing by the preaching of the word of God. All which do teach us, that if we would have the assurance of God's loving favour in our troubles, and on our death bed, we must frequent the preaching of the word of God, not because God cannot work faith without the means of preaching, but because in his singular wisdom & mercy, he hath appointed this means, and promised a blessing to his own appointment, and to none else.  
This means being neglected, 
The neglect of the means what it doth. Second sort.  the comfort is abated, and the assurance is hazarded, our faith is weakened, and the devil advantaged against us. And this may appear to be true by the parable of the worldlings, which preferred their oxen, farms, their ploughs, and their families, before the feast of the word, 
Mat. 22.  not denying it to be good, but they had business to do, and they could not intend it, and therefore in the end were shut quite out from the feast of God's loving favour. This may further be seen in the confession of the Church and Spouse of Christ, which Solomon hath recorded in his book of Songs the fift Chapter. 
Cant. 5.2.  My beloved (saith the Church) knocked and called, saying, Open unto me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled, for my head is full of dew, and my locks with the drops of the night, meaning that he had danced long attendance upon her, as one that standeth knocking without the doors all night, but see what cold entertainment she gave him, I have put off my coat, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, 
Vers. 3.  how shall I defile them? her meaning is, she was in bed at her ease, and was loath to rise to let him in, a little thing stayed her from rising, but what got she by her sluggish delays? etc. Afterward she arose, and opened the door, but her well-beloved was gone and passed, 
Vers. 6.  she sought him, but could not find him, she called, but he answered not. All this is to teach us that if we would be assured of Christ his love, and salvation by him, we must seek it betimes without delay while it is offered unto us, for although he knock now, yet we know not whether he will call again or no. And besides that, the more delays we make, the further are we of from him, and the more unfit are we to receive the word hereafter: for when Satan hath so far prevailed with men that he can bring them to a custom in sin, in negligence, in slothfulness, or any thing else, what followeth, but hardness of heart? and what followeth, hardness of heart but impenitency? 
Rom 2.4.5.  as the Apostle teacheth the Romans: this would be considered of all, but especially of those men, which have so many lets and hindrances, that they can not find any time for the hearing of the word of God. Thus you see that they, which prolong the time thus of hearing the word preached, and yet think to have the assurance of God's love, they do but deceive themselves.  
But (I) miss never a Sermon saith one, 
A third sort.  I go every day to the lecture. But deceive not thyself, thou mayest for all that be as far from having that sweet assurance of God's love in Christ jesus, as he that heareth it never a day, except thou come both with reverence and humbleness of spirit, like a young child, tractable, teachable, and willing to be reform, for the Lord resisteth the proud, 
1. Pet. 5.5. Luke. 1.53  and giveth grace to the humble, and as he filleth the hungry with good things, so it is as certain that he sendeth the rich empty away, although they come never so often. This you see that proud and profane hearers do likewise deceive themselves.  
Let the preacher say what he will (say some) we will never believe him, 
A fourth sort.  but do as we think good, well be it so, and know this withal, that as a sick body which saith to the Physician, prescribe me what you will I will take what I list, he shall perish for all his Physician: so you which say, say what you will, we will do as we list. etc. You shall surely perish, and go to the devil, for all your hearing, without speedy repentance. For whosoever believeth, 
john. 3.18 and 5.24.  passeth from death to life, but whosoever believeth not is condemned already, and the wrath of God abideth upon him (saith S. john) and thus you see how unbelievers deceive themselves of this assurance and evidence.  

A fift sort.  I would hear the Sermon (saith another) but he speaks no Latin, nor Greek, nor authors. etc. Alas poor soul, if thou wert condemned to die thou wouldst be glad to see and hear thy pardon in plain English, and after the plainest manner, that can be, 
Note.  without any tales of Robin-hood, or Philosophy, or Poetry, or any other authors, but thy Prince's hand to it, but God must send thee thy pardon, and must set it forth after thy fashion forsooth, & not after his own manner, that is too base for thee, or else thou wilt none of it, as though God were bound not only to save thee, which wert a condemned & a wretched creature, but to feed thy ears too (forsooth) with fine speeches.  
Ask these wise men how their deeds, and evidences, and obligations are made, or how they would have them made, and they will say make them after the plainest manner, that can be, they care not in how plain terms and words they be, so that they may be thereby assured of their money, 
Note.  houses, and lands. Now the word of God containeth in it the evidence of the faithful, which they have to show for heaven, and this evidence is God's promise, and Gods children care not how plainly Gods promises be set down unto them, so that they may be assured of God's loving favour towards them in the Lord jesus.  
I would hear the Sermon (saith another) but I would hear comfortable things, 
A sixth sort  I love not to hear of my sins, & of God's ●udgements, that is a terrible thing: see how ●unning men are now a days to cousin their ●oules. As though forsooth God would grant thee the assurance of his favour, thou dwelling still in thy sins, or as though thou wouldest know how to be discharged by the Gospel, until thou didst know wherewith the law hath charged thee. No no: there can be no healing in this case, without a deep ●aunching, no, nor any going to heaven, but the high way is to go by hell, and to pass along by the fearful sight of thy sins, and God's vengeance due for them, and they shalt thou see how much beholding to the Lord thou art for his loving kindness, and favour towards thee in Christ jesus, by who stripes he hath healed thee.  

A seventh sort.  We have a good Churchman (saith another) and a fair reader and he can tell a good smooth tale in the Pulpit too for a need.  
All this may be true, and yet both thou he still far enough from the assurance of God's favour through a lively faith: for th● devils can speak Scripture, & may speak a great while of Scripture too before thou by their speaking shalt be assured of God favour. And so is it with them whom God never sent with message of comfort unto thee for they run and run saith the Lord: 
jer. 23.32.  but I never sent them, and therefore bring the● no good unto my people, if no good, them wh●● assurance can you have by their Minister● who are not sent of God, but intrude themselves for filthy gain, or vain glory?  
Thus you see how many men deceive th●● selves, in abusing the ordinary means 〈◊〉 the word, and yet think to be made as sure of God's favour as any man in the world. To his word, the Lord hath annexed and joined the administration of his Sacraments in his Church, 
Sacraments.  as an outward means likewise, whereby we are more confirmed and strengthened in the assurance of his favour, to these two outward means he putteth the inward work of his Spirit, 
Spirit.  without the which the other are to no effect: then on our parts is required a lively faith in Christ jesus, the purchaser of this favour and love of his father for us, and this faith although it hath his beginning and increasing, his weakening, and strengthening in this life, and her perfection in the world to come, yet is it not idle, but working, nor naked, but clothed with good works the fruits of faith, 
2. Pet. 1.5. Gal. 5.6. Act. 15.9.  so soon as it is begotten: to this justifying faith is always joined the sanctifying spirit, which worketh by love, and is continually occupied in purifying the heart for Christ jesus, and in applying of jesus Christ unto the heart of the owner. And thus have you heard both by what means the Lord doth convey the assurance of his loving favour unto his children in affliction, ● also how we are to use the same means.  
Let us then diligently and carefully vs● these means, and then shall we be effectually assured of God's love and favour in Christ jesus, and being once assured of that, we may baldly cast down the gauntlet let, & bid defiance to hell and all the devils in hell, and make that challenge which the Apostle Paul doth make in the behalf of all God's children, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, 
Rom. 8.35 36.  or peril, or sword? As it is written, for thy sake are we killed all the day long, we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. 
37.  Nevertheless in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 
38.  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 
39  nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shallbe able to separate us from the love of God, which is ●● Christ jesus our Lord. To this jesus Christ which hath so dearly purchased this favour for us, to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which hath so freely bestowed such favour upon us, and to this holy spirit which doth so comfortably assure us of this favour, three persons, and one eternal God, be all praise & glory for ever. Amen.    

THE THIRD SERMON, November 28. 2. Sabbath.  And as for me thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and dost set me before thy face for ever. 
THe Prophet David by two sorts of arguments assureth himself, that God's favour belongeth unto him, the first is drawn from his outward estate in respect of the world, which was very good: in as much as his enemies did not triumph over him. The second ariseth from a view of his own inward estate, in respect of God, which was much better, for that the Lord upheld him in his uprightness, and had a continual care both of his soul and body. The first argument of God's favour is strong: but being joined to the second it is sure. The first is great, but because it is a general thing and may be given to the ungodly to overcome his enemies (I mean the enemies of his body) therefore David resteth not in that, but searcheth within himself, to see if he can find any inward tokens of God's favour: and searching, he findeth two within himself, the first was God's hand upholding him from falling away from his God, the second was God's eye always upon him for his safety. And having found these at home in himself, he triumpheth, and blessed God the giver.  

Vers. 12.  So that now the king showeth what inward token he had received of God's favour, for God doth more for his children then for the wicked, he speaks comfortable things to the souls of his people. joseph loved all his brethren, but Benjamin he loved with a more special love, and therefore he gave messes of meat to them all, 
Gen. 43. vlt.  but Benjamins' messes was five times so much as the rest, so God giveth liberally to all his creatures as a good and a loving God, 
Psal. 104.24.  in so much that the earth is full of his mercies, but his love to his elect children by Christ, is a thousand times more than to the rest, for them he upholdeth in their integrity, and doth set them before his face for ever. God's love is more to men then to beasts: of men, his favour is more to his Church, then to all the world beside, 
Psal. 87.2.  for he loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of jacob, he hath chosen that for his resting place, he hath a delight in that, there broke he the bow he knapped the spear in pieces, 
Psal. 132.13.  he burned the chariots with fire, 
Psal. 76.1.2.3.  yea he wounded even kings in the day of his wrath for Zions' sake, that is, for the love that he bore towards his chosen people. Again, in this visible Church he favoureth his elect more than the rest, and his loving favour to themward is greater than to all the world beside. For God's Church is like a noble man's house, 
2. Tim. 2.20.  wherein are vessels of gold, and vessels of earth, and his vessels of gold are set up safely, & kept more daintily under lock & key than the other. 
Psal. 147.7.8.  Sing unto the Lord (saith David) sing upon the harp unto our God, which covereth the heaven with clouds, and prepareth rain for the earth, and maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains: 
9  Which giveth to beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry. Thus much he doth for all his creatures, but as for his servants which fear him & attend upon his mercies he delighteth in them, and takes great pleasure in them: such pleasure he takes not in the strength of a horse, nor in the legs or stature of a man. From all the creatures in general he descendeth to the Church in particular and saith. 
12.  Praise the Lord O jerusalem, praise thy God O Zion. 
13.  For he hath made the bars of thy gates strong, and hath blessed thy children within thee. 
14.  He setteth peace in thy borders, and satisfieth thee with the flower of wheat. But hath he done no more for his Church then so? Yes that he hath. 
19  He showeth his word unto jacob, his statutes and his judgements unto Israel. 
20.  He hath not dealt so with every nation, neither have they knowledge of his judgements.  
In the first of the Canticles: the Church desireth to be kissed with the kisses of Christ's mouth, that is, to have more testimonies and tokens of his love then one, or of one kind, for by outward things (saith the wiseman) a man can not know love and hatred, 
Eccl. 9.1.2  because all things come a like to all. Therefore saith the Church unto her spouse, kiss me with the kisses of thy mouth, for thy love is sweeter than wine, that is, let me have a continuance of thy favour towards me, and many sure tokens thereof, for no pleasure or profit is comparable to thy love. 
Cant. 1.1.  The kisses of Christ are his blessings bestowed upon his Church, his blessings are either temporal or eternal, corporal or spiritual. His spiritual blessings are of two sorts, either outward or inward. His outward yet spiritual blessings, whereby he witnesseth his love to his Church, they are the preaching of the word, and the administration of the Sacraments, these be great benefits, and sweet kisses of the Lord our God: but because these are common to the hypocrite which is close and crafty in heart, aswell as to the faithful whose heart is upright before the Lord, we are not to rest in these outward things, but to search and never leave searching, until we find out the inward kisses of Christ jesus, which are most sure testimonies of his love indeed. And those are faith in Christ jesus, repentance unfeigned for sin, patience in affliction, joy in the holy Ghost, and all the other fruits of the sanctifying spirit, whereof we may read more in Gal. 5. 
Gal. 5.22.  Every one cannot show these, but only he, which hath the spirit of sanctification. Saul had the spirit, that is, some gifts of the spirit, and yet was rejected, but David had the sanctifying spirit, and therefore was not rejected of the Lord, neither did he reject the Lord, but by this was sure of God's favour to his soul. If David had been a king, a conqueror, a man of wisdom, of policy, of learning, and of riches, and in all these uncomparable, and had lost his integrity, he had lost his mark of God's love, and might have followed Saul well enough. So if we were rich, wise, and learned, if we were Preachers, Bishops, Prelates, Lords, Earls, Dukes and Emperors, & have lost our sincerity, our zeal, our love, our faith, our religiousness, our godliness, a good conscience, we have lost our marks too, and may follow Saul too well enough for all our outward pomp and glory. On the other side, if one have enemies, or be in poverty, disgrace, imprisonment, out of credit with the world, out of living, etc. and keepeth a sincere heart, and a good conscience in all these things, he may say, and sing too with Simeon, Lord now lettest thou thy servant departed in peace, if his time be come. 
Gen. 25.30.  They which have the outward kisses, & not the inward assurances, are like Esaw with his pottage, but without his birthright. But they which have lost all, but keep still their integrity, are like jacob, who lost his pottage but found the inheritance, and the love of God: for God loved jacob, but hated Esaw. 
Rom. 9.13. Psal. 4.6.  Many will say (saith the Prophet) who will show us any good? that is any worldly good, but Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us, and then I shall have more joy of heart, than they that have their corn, and wine, and oil increased. So now a days, many seek for God's love in the common trash of the world, and they run about the world by sea and by land crying, Who will show us any credit, any worship, any riches, any offices, any promotions, etc. And some of the ministery cry, Who will show us any more livings, any Deaneries, any bishoprics, any spiritual promotions, yea & this is the voice of gaping Courtiers too by report: and if they speed of these & such things, than they are sure (as they think) that God loveth them, as Achab thought himself well if he might obtain Naboths vineyard: but many times it falleth out, that as Dinah while she wandered to see fashions, & sought to feed her fancy upon the daughters of a strange country, she lost her virginity amongst the sons of the country. So some men while they seek to feed & fill their greedy worm of covetousness and ambition with diverse pleasures & profits of the world, they lose their sincerity amongst them, and make shipwreck of faith and a good conscience. And then they go away out of their houses, 
1. Tim. 1.19.  as Thamar went out of her brother Amnons' chamber, with her maiden's garment of diverse colours rend, because she was enforced to leave her maidenhead behind her. 
2. Sam. 13.18.  So these worldlings which sometime with Demas followed Paul, but now with Demas embrace the present world, are enforced to go away with their garment of diverse colours rend and torn: for whiles they will venture through the bushes, and thorns of worldly cares, to get worldly promotion, is it not a miracle if they come out with their zeal not quenched, their courage not abated, their faith not blasted, their love not cooled, their knowledge not withered, their humility not defaced, their sincerity not decreased, & the whole garment of piety and Religion not scratched, torn, and rend in pieces? And then a man may say to them, as Absalon said to his sister, Hath thy brother met with thee? so, hath not the world met with them? 
Vers. 20. judg. 4.21  And no marvel, for if Sisera look for any rest, or refreshing in jael's tent, he shall surely be made nail fast. So if any will seek for infallible marks of God's favour in Satan's tents, and in the world's tents, or in pleasures tents, or in profits tents, a thousand to one but their sincerity and godliness will be nailefast before they come out again. What wise man will seek for grapes upon thorns? or figs upon thistles? or, for gold amongst old iron? or honey out of a spider? or heat in the ise? So no wise hearted Christian will look for certain marks of the Lords favour, in such things as may be marks of his wrath, as well as of his love. But if these outward and general graces be offered them, they take them, and if they go from them, they go not after them to lose their sincerity for them, but thus they resolve with themselves, O Lord my God I see that by no outward thing a man can certainly tell whether he be in thy favour or no: but if thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and in the study of piety, and the true zeal of thy glory, etc. then I shallbe sure of thy favour indeed: therefore O Lord if want come, then keep my faith in thy providence firm and strong, if thou sendest enemies to try me, keep my love sound, if thou sendest sickness or adversity, keep my patience entire, if riches and preferment come, keep my zeal unquenchable, like Lot who when it was not granted him to abide still in great Sodom, 
Gen. 19.20.22.  requested that he might go to little Zoar. And then, although they have nothing else but the inward testimony of God's spirit, they have enough: for by these inward kisses they are sure of God's favour, because a good conscience is a continual feast to the afflicted, & makes merry at home in the house of the inward man, 
Pro. 15.15  when there is nothing but war and trouble abroad.  

As for me thou upholdest me in mine integrity.  
This same integrity is like Noah's ark, wherein he was preserved when others perished being without it: it is like the red third, which the spies of joshua gave to Rahab, it was a charter whereby she claimed her life when the rest were destroyed which had not the like. So is this integrity, of small reckoning (I confess) with the men of this world, which think that there is no other heaven but earth, but as Rahabs' third was better to her then all her goods and substance when the sword came: so this is better to God's children then all the world when death come. If they have this within, they care not, nay they need not care what can come without. If Satan's buffeting come, this is a helmet of proof, if Satan's darts fly out, this is a shield to quench them, if floods of crosses come to carry us away, this is a boat to bear us up: if all the world cast mire and filth in our faces, we are never a whit the more deformed, but still beautiful for all that, for the King's daughter (saith Salomon) that is, the Church of Christ, is all glorious within. 
Psal. 45.13   
In mine integrity. What should david mean by his integrity? that he is without sin? no, not so, for he saith in another place, 
Psal. 51.5.  in sin he was conceived, and in iniquity was he borne, and in another place he saith, that he could not number his sins, and therefore prayeth unto God, to keep him from presumptuous sins, 
Psal. 19.12 13.  and to cleanse him from his secret faults, therefore that is not his meaning, neither can it be his meaning, because he speaketh by the spirit of God, which in divers other places doth tell us, 
jer. 17.9. 1. joh. 1.8.  that no man is without sin. Who can say my heart is clean, saith one? And whosoever saith he hath no sin deceiveth himself, and there is no truth in him saith another, and therefore that cannot be his meaning, and if he should say so, we are not to believe him in this point. 
What is meant by integrity.  But when David speaks of his integrity, and uprightness, or innocency, he meaneth that he is guiltless, and free from that which his enemies did most maliciously charge him with all, so that it hath always respect or relation unto some particular matter, wherewith he is charged by men, or to something that is in controversy between him and his adversaries. As in the 7. Psalm the 3. verse. 
Psal. 7.3.  O Lord, if I have done this thing, if there be any wickedness in my hands, that is, if it be true that I am accused of. etc. if ever I were guilty of seeking saul's hurt, with which some did charge me. 
8.  judge me O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.  
Here in this our text, it signifieth two things. First, that there was no cause in the world, why his enemies should triumph against him: for the Lord had kept him free from that, which they accused him of. Secondly, it importeth that his heart and affections were still sound, and not moved to seek revenge upon them, although they had given him great and just occasion so to do.  
If we take it the first way, we may very well: for it is a special token of God's favour, and a notable means of comfort, when the Lord doth keep us free from the unjust accusations of the world, or when we are not guilty of those things, which the wicked may at any time charge upon us, and the doctrine is this. That the best way to stay us in time of trouble, and to keep our patience inviolable, is to look in for a good conscience, and see that we be falsely accused, which if we find, than all goeth well, and we are merry at home, howsoever the world shall say or do abroad, for still I say with Solomon that a good conscience is a continual feast.  
Oh if it were true (thou sayest) it would never grieve thee, nay then it might justly grieve thee if it were true, which is reported against thee. Wilt thou be grieved to be blessed? then be not vexed and moved out of order, when thou are slandered, for blessed are ye when men revile you, 
Mat. 5.11.  and persecute you, and speak all manner of evil saying against you falsely for my sake, saith our Saviour Christ. Oh this is a special favour of God, when we can without check of conscience appeal to God in our own hearts, and say, Thou O Lord knowest my innocency in this point. But thy spirit (boiling still in a desire of revenge) will say, oh but it is good to teach such a one, to use his tongue better another time. Indeed in some cases it is good so to do, as when a man's public Ministry, or the Magistrate's government is by his means defaced, but there is no cause for thee to be so out of quiet, or to rage, & storm as thou dost, defend thy good name in a good and Christian sort, and be thankful to thy God, which hath kept thee free from that offence, that thou mayst say as David said. As for me thou upholdest me in mine integrity. If we take integrity for a sound heart, free from revenge, it ministereth no small profit, and instruction, for the king although his enemies had so vexed him, and had thrown so many slanderous reports, and reproachful speeches against him, yea all their treacheries and conspiracies notwithstanding, yet he thanketh God for that he did not seek to revenge again, but rejoiceth that the Lord kept him in the soundness & uprightness of his heart.  
A notable blessing of God, and a sure token of his favour unto us, whensoever we shallbe afflicted, or any way molested, if we find our heart's sound, and our affections to be settled within us, if we can say, Lord, lay what cross thou pleasest upon me, let men speak their pleasures of me, 
A good meditation.  & invent what ●yes they can, let them call me by what names they will, and judge me at their pleasure, so that thou keep my heart sound I care not, for if I have all the goods in the world, and not the integrity of my heart, I am but in a mad case. And therefore O Lord, my God, if thou wilt needs raise up enemies against me, yet O Lord, grant me that my heart may be entire, sound, and upright, and then raise up what enemies thou wilt. Then I shallbe sure to speak nothing proudly, nothing vaynegloriously, nothing impatiently, nothing uncharitably, nothing distrustfully, & nothing against thy glory, for if I should do so, alas what should I get by it? I were then as deep in sin as they. No Lord, I am content to refer the whole matter to thee, for although I am falsely charged in this, yet it is thy goodness and favour, which did uphold me, 
Note.  for if thou hadst let me go after my own will, than I had been guilty indeed. And although in this I be innocent, yet I know myself to be guilty of many things as vile as this, which they know not of: and that is also of thy mercy and goodness towards me poor wretched creature. And as for them thou hast set them a work to try me, it is thy doing O Lord, though they have no such purpose, neither know they so much, yet by thy grace, I am so persuaded, and if thou didst not keep me from falling, I should be as wicked as they are. If we would but enter into this meditation with ourselves as in the sight of God, then should we put up many things more than we do, and not vex one another, yea eat v● one another at law as we do. Neither would we do so I am persuaded if we did thoroughly understand the policies and slights of Satan, for he is very busy to raise up enemies against us, and then he is as busy to stir us up to revengement: what? wilt thou put up this at his hands? etc. then hath he that he would have, for while he sets us one to hunt another, in the mean time he hunteth us all and therefore let us pray to God to keep our heart's sound and upright.  
If we did but consider on the other side, what danger our enemy is fallen into by vexing of us, when we give him no cause, we would be so far from revenging, that we would rather pity him and lameut him, and pray for him, as our Saviour Christ did for his enemies, 
Luke. 23.34.  Father forgive them they know not they do. And as Steven did for his, 
Act. 7.60.  Lord lay not this sin to their charge. For well may Alexander the Coppersmith do Paul much hurt, but the Lord will reward him according to his works. 
2. Tim. 4.14.  And the same God will no doubt see our causes redressed in his good time.  
And if it do come to this point that we be afflicted or wronged any manner of way whatsoever: the last remedy is to say, Lord if I must needs be thus handled, or if thou wilt needs take away my goods. etc. thy will be done. only keep my heart upright before thee, and put my affections in order, and give me grace that I may be content and put it to thee O Lord, for I had rather have all the world against me then to have thee against me: so long as thou lovest me, I care not who hate me.  
Oh but if I should follow this counsel thou wilt say, then my enemy will laugh and rejoice, and insult over me, I will never bear that. No, I warrant thee, and if he doth laugh at thee, it is but from the teeth outward, for saith Solomon to the wicked there is sorrow even in laughter, 
Pro. 14.13  he will not tell thee what is within him, if thou didst, or couldst see into him, thou shouldest see that, that would make thee to pity him, and even shed tears for him. We can not be better revenged of our enemies, then to let them see how little they prevail against us, and how little they move our patience. For as there is no such grief to a jester or a juggler, as when he doth see that with all his jests and fooleries he cannot move mirth nor change the countenances of them that hear him, and see him: so there can be no greater torment to a wicked and a malicious enemy, then to see thee no whit grieved, nor moved, at his malice against thee, but that thou do so bear his injuries as if there were none at all, for thy adversaries purpose is to anger thee, and to drive thee into thy dumps, which if he cannot bring to pass, then is he chafed and vexed ten times more than he was before. Therefore saith the Apostle, 
Rom. 12.21.  Let us not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with goodness, to teach us that good is stronger than evil, and what is it that we desire, but to overcome our enemies or rather the evil that is in them? then we must do it with that which is contrary to their evil, and that is goodness, as fire is quenched not with fire but with water. If then thy enemy be vainglorious be not thou so too, but be lowly giving glory to God, if he be puffed up with pride, be thou of an humble spirit, if he boast himself, abase thou thyself: if he curse, bless thou, if he be hot, be thou cold, if he blaspheme, do not thou so. but reprove him in good words, & if he be mad, be thou stayed, & so doing thou shalt in the end both wear him, weary him. and stay him too. And when they see this it will cut their very heart strings asunder, and then thank thou God for that he hath upholden thee in thine integrity. For Satan whom they serve hath not such a spite to our wealth, our learning, or our cunning, or credit (though he love none of all) as he hath to our godliness, & the graces of God's spirit in us. Was it jobs wealth that Satan so much envied? 
job. 1.1.8.  or did he so sister him as he did, because he was a rich man? nothing grieved the devil so much, 
job. 2.3.4.  as to see job still continue in his uprightness, and when he made him blaspheme and curse the day of his birth, them he left him, for he careth not greatly how rich men be, so that it be not in godliness, nay he will help them to gather riches & learning, and credit. etc. if he see that therewithal they may gather more sin, and he may gather them to hell, as he was content, yea and ready to make Adam eat one apple more, 
Gen. 3.3.  when he had enough before, because he knew not else how to set God and him at enmity, which were before at unity. Now when Satan shall thus sift us, as no doubt he doth, and will sift us as wheat is sifted (saith Christ) let us then look to our faith, 
Luk. 22.31  & pray that it may not fail: then shall he & his instruments have their labour for their travel, when we shall have the assurance of God's favour he upholding us in our integrity, which God grant for his mercy sake. The Papists taught men to know whether they stood in the state of grace or no, by many toys and devices, as by going on pilgrimage hither and thither, by offering to this stock and to that block, by going to shrift, and by taking absolution at a bald priests hand, by saying their stint of Matins and beads, by keeping of their days and hours, and a number of such odd devices: but they were all deceived, because this was of the devils inventing, for indeed by these things men were sure of the devils geace, but not of God's grace. But if we would know whether we stand in the state of grace or no indeed, here is a trial, if we find God's spirit by the preaching of the gospel subduing the corruptions of our hearts, settling our faith in God's promises, through Christ jesus, and upholding us in our integrity, when by course of nature we should fall into iniquity, then be we in the state of grace indeed, for thus did David assure himself of God's favour, and so may we, if we will watch ourselves as David did.    

THE FOURTH SERMON. Decemb. 5.3. Sab.  As for me thou upholdest me, etc. 
IN these words we are to note further, that the king doth not say simply, I am upholden, or I have kept mine integrity, but he saith, thou O Lord hast upholden me, and dost uphold me, where we may observe, that though David's heart was sincere, and sound, and upright before God, free from his enemies unjust accusations, and free from all desire of revenge: yet all this was given him of God, it came not to him by nature to teach us that of ourselves we are not able to keep ourselves, but God must and doth uphold us in our uprightness, or else we fall as others do, and therefore we must crave this grace of God, that he will keep us, and defend us with his holy spirit.  
There hath been a great controversy between the Papists and us (ever since the abomination of desolation stood in the holy place) about this point. They (intending to justify themselves with the Lawyer in the Gospel) say, This have we done, and that can we do, affirming that it is in the power of man (which is but dust and ashes) of himself, and by himself, to repent when he will, to believe when he will, to obey God when he will, and to uphold themselves in their integrity. And to make their matter good, they say, we have the grace of God given us, to obtain the grace of God by our own power. Where you see they speak flat contraries, if they had grace to see it: for if the grace of God be given us, than we have it not of ourselves: if we have it of ourselves, then is it not given us of God. Again if we be upholden by the grace and favour of God, than we uphold not ourselves: if we have this power of ourselves, than not of God. Thus they speak contrary to themselves, and are divided in their own speeches, like the kingdom of Satan, which is divided in itself that it cannot stand. And to speak the truth, they speak confusedly they know not what, because Babel, that is confusion, is fallen upon them, as upon those men which would presume by their own endeavours without God to climb up into heaven.  
Now on the other side, we hold, that we can get nothing but by the help of God: and we admit no first grace, but if the grace of God be in us, it is given us of God's spirit, not gotten of our own power, and this we prove by the word of God. God worketh both the will and the deed, 
Phil. 2.13.  saith the Apostle to the Philippians. Of ourselves we are not able to think a good thought, saith the same Apostle to the Corinthians, and therefore he demandeth of all flesh, What hast thou, that thou hast not received? as if he should say, nothing: If therefore thou hast received it, why dost thou boast as though thou hadst not received it? Ask S. james, and he will tell us, that every good gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, & cometh down from the Father of light. As if he should say, from whomsoever evil doth come, yet all goodness cometh from God. 
Gen. 20.  Ask Abimelech, and he will tell us, that if God had not kept him he had kept Abraham's wife. Ask Peter's fall, and that will tell us, that if we stand by ourselves, we shall fall, although we were as strong as Peter. Ask jeremy, and he will tell us that the heart is deceitful, & wicked above all things: yea and though it be borne and bred, and brought up with us, and we have daily familiarity therewith, yet we can not know it. Therefore, if none can know it, much less can any reform it. He that knoweth it can reform it, and doth reform it, where it is reform: but that is the Lord which searcheth the heart, for so it followeth in the next verse, 
jer. 179.10.  I the Lord search the heart and try the reins. Ask Moses and he will tell us, 
Gen. 6.5.  that the thoughts of man's heart are evil continually, as if he should say. If they be good at any time, that is not of man, but of God. Moses himself being in prayer, must have his hands held up by Aaron and Hur, if Moses were not able of himself to hold up his hands in prayer, much less was he able to hold up his heart in prayer. What doth this teach us, but this, that if we were as zealous as Moses, yet God must hold us up, or else we faint.  
There are but two things required of every one. The first is, to become holy. The second is, to continue holy, to convert and turn into the ways of God, and to continue in the ways of the Lord: now both these are of God, and not of ourselves. Of the first the Prophet joel speaketh when he saith, 
joel. 2.  Turn thou us o Lord, and then we shall be turned. As if he should say, Except the Lord do turn our hearts, we shall never be turned unto him, for of ourselves we cannot. How far & how long had S. Paul walked in the way of persecuting the Christians, if the Lord had not stayed him by the way? When would Saul have become a Paul, if the Lord had not changed his name and altered his nature? When would so natural a persecutor, have become so holy a professor, if the Lord had not called him? And when he was converted, who kept him from falling back again? 
2. Cor. 12.9.  My grace (saith the Lord) is sufficient to uphold thee. The spirit of the Lord is therefore called by the Prophet Esay, 
Esay. 11.2.  the spirit of wisdom, and understanding, the spirit of counsel, the spirit of courage, the spirit of knowledge, and the spirit of the fear of the Lord: to teach us, that if we have holy wisdom, understanding, or counsel, or courage, or knowledge, or the fear of God, we have them of God's spirit, and not of ourselves. When God gave Saul a Princely spirit, he spoke like a king, but when his spirit was departed from him, he spoke like a clown and not like a king. 
1. King. 3.  Therefore Solomon prayeth unto God for a wise and understanding heart, to teach us, that we have no such thing of ourselves but from above. The very phrase of the Scripture, & David's manner of speaking doth teach us no less. Thou upholdest me (saith David) yea even me thou upholdest. Now David we know had many singular, and excellent graces of God, and yet God must uphold him, that is, hold him up from falling: what doth this argue but thus much, that we are subject to falling even the best of us? 
john. 15.  Therefore in the 15. of john God is compared to a husbandman, and in the 5. of Esay. 1. verse, 
Esay. 5.5.  & in divers other places of Scripture his Church is compared to a vine, which though it be most fruitful, yet is it most weak, and must be purged by the Lord, that it may be fruitful, 
john. 15.  & must be upholden by the Lord, or else it will fall to the ground. This doctrine hath a double use for our selves. First it serveth for our comfort, if we be the sevauntes of God, for albeit we be compassed about with many weaknesses, & assaulted with infinite temptations on every side, yet the Lord whom we serve doth & will uphold us, If at any time he doth let us fall, 
 it is to teach us that we cannot uphold ourselves, but that we stand by him. But assuredly though we fall daily, yet he will so uphold us if we rely upon him, that we shall not fall finally from him.  
If he taketh all his graces from us (as we think) at any time, let us know that he doth it for no other purpose, but that we might know ourselves of ourselves to be but naked, and so might beg all of him again. Therefore, whatsoever we want, let us seek it at the hands of God, that giveth to them which want: when we feel any weakness in us, or any sin strong, let us beseech the Lord, to uphold us. Do not say, I can, or I will do this, and that, I will believe, and repent when I list, no, for if the Lord by his grace and favour doth not uphold thee, thou shalt do nothing but fall from him. 
Phil. 1.  Faith is the gift of God, therefore pray, Lord increase my faith, and Lord help my unbelief. A reformed heart, and holy affections be the gift of God, 
Psal. 51.  therefore pray with David, Create in me O Lord a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me. The love of wisdom is the gift of God, 
Psal. 119.  therefore pray. Apply my heart unto wisdom. To understand the will of God in his law, is the work of God, therefore pray, 
Psal. 119.  O Lord Open my eyes that I may see the wondrous things of thy law. To set light by vanity, that is by vain things and vain persons is the work of Gods grace not of nature, therefore we must pray Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity. What should I say more? Let us beseech the Lord our strength to uphold us in our integrity, & he will uphold us, so far as shall make for his own glory, and our own salvation, and what would we desire more? And this we must desire: for else we cannot stand but fall. Secondly, this doctrine serveth to humble us, and may be a preservative against pride, the use of it is at all times; but chief when we begin to wax proud of any good thing, which the Lord doth work in us, or by us, which indeed is our corrupt nature. And likewise when we insult over our weak brethren, both which are our faults.  
When such thoughts and temptations come to fasten upon us let us think, that it is the Lord by whom we stand, and of him it is that we are that which we are, and if we be proud thereof, he may and can take away our hold, and we shall fall, and our honour shall lie in the dust.  
Rome was sometime a famous Church, the beloved spouse of Christ jesus, and a daughter of the most high, but for her pride, God let her fall, and hath now given her a bill of divorcement.  
Of England it may be said, as it was said of jerusalem, our habitation & kindred is of Canaan, 
Eze. 16.3.4.5. etc.  our father an Amorite, and our mother an Hittite. In our nativity our navel was not cut, we were not softened with water, nor seasoned with salt, nor swaddled with clouts, no eye pitied our case, we were cast out into the open field to the contempt of out person. But the Lord of mercy and compassion passed by us, and seeing us even polluted in our blood, yea in our own blood, said in great pity, and compassion unspeakable, Thou shalt live. He caused us to multiply as the bud of the field, he hath bestowed excellent ornaments upon us, our breasts are fashioned, our hair is grown, whereas we were naked and bare, behold further, our time is as the time of love, he hath spread his skirts over us, and entered into a covenant with us, and we are become his, & he is become ours. He hath washed us with sweet water, & anointed us which oil of gladness. He hath clothed us with broidered work, he hath shod us with badgers skins, and girded us with fine linen, and covered us with silk. He hath decked us with ornaments & put bracelets upon our hands, and a chain about our neck. He hath put a frontlet upon our face, ear rings in our ears, and a beautiful crown upon our head, he hath fed us with fine flower, honey, and oil, he hath made us very beautiful, and hath caused us to grow up to a kingdom, in so much as our name is spread among the heathen for our beauty, which the Lord hath set upon us. What should be said more? In a word the Lord hath counted nothing to costly or to dear for us, nay what could he do more for his vineyard that he hath not done unto it? 
Esay. 5.  but what of all this? shall we brag of our ornaments, and be proud of our jewels? 
Eze. 16.15 16.  no: but let us serve the Lord our God with fear, & rejoice unto him with reverence, for if we shall trust in our beauty, and play the harlot, because of our renown, if we shall take our garments, and deck the high places with divers colours, if we shall abuse the riches of God's mercy, what then? Then hear the word of the Lord O harlot. Thus saith the Lord, 
Vers. 35.  because thy shame is powered out, and thy filthiness discovered through thy fornication with thy lovers, I will therefore judge thee after the manner of harlots, and murderers, & I will give thee the blood of wrath & jealousy. I will give thee into thy enemy's hands, and they shall strip thee out of all thy clothes, and thy fair jewels, and leave thee naked and bare. Therefore let him that think he standeth, take heed lest he fall, but let us make an end of our salvation with fear and trembling, 
1. Cor. 10.  not fearing lest we should fall from our election, & lose our salvation, but lest we fall from our integrity and lose our manifold blessings, for want of sober using of them.  
But this is in general, let us go more particularly to work. Have any of us here present, any knowledge more than he had, or more than others have, or wisdom, zeal, or faith, or love, or patience, or any grace, whatsoever, let us not be proud of them, because God gave them, and God can take them again. If any of us do stand upright, and walk in honesty, when others do fall, let us not insult over them, as the manner of some is, 
Note that  to upbraid honester men than themselves by faults done forty year since, and the law fully satisfied for them, and yet this is the manner of profane Atheists, which know neither God nor themselves, to cast the old rags and sores of the servants of God in their face, to make them and their profession, I mean the Gospel odious in the eyes of the world, and such as themselves are. And for no other cause but because they will not run with them to the same excess of riot: 
Gen. 27.  and even as Esaw hated jacob because of the blessing wherewith God had blessed him, so do these men hate their brethren because they are better than themselves, and seek to have them and their ways reform according to the word of God. Is it think you a small matter thus to quench, or to grieve the spirit of God in any of our brethren? do we stand by ourselves? shall we never fall? (i) we never fall ourselves? what if the Lord shall pull the staff of his grace from us? then we shall fall with shame enough and then others shall insult over us, and rejoice at our falls, as we have rejoiced at their faults. For further proof whereof, let us hear what the holy Ghost saith to such kind of people in the 52. Psalm. 
Psal. 52.1.2. etc.  Why dost thou boast thyself in thy wickedness, O man of power? the loving kindness of God endureth daily, as if he should say, thou thinkest thyself a jolly fellow, and takest pride in thy wickedness, as though thou were a great man of power and shouldest never come down, and because God doth suffer thee from day to day waiting for thy repentance, thou thinkest, either that he cannot, or dare not, or that he will not meddle with thee, but now see thyself in thy colours, and then judge what cause thou hast to brag it out as thou dost against all the world, what art thou? what goodness is in thee? Thy tongue imagineth mischief, & is like a sharp razor, that cutteth deceitfully. Thou dost love evil more than good, and lies more than truth. Thou lovest all words that may destroy. O deceitful tongue. Now see thy end. So God shall destroy thee for ever. He shall take thee and pluck thee out of thy Tabernacle, and root thee out of the land of the living. The righteous also shall see it, and fear, and shall laugh at him, saying, Behold the man that took not God for his strength, but trusted unto the multitude of his riches, and put his strength in his substance. But I (saith David) shallbe like a green olive tree in the house of God: for I trusted in the mercies of God for ever and for ever. But some will say this is spoken against the wicked sort of the world, but I have, more grace, & more graces of God than they have: all the world cannot detect me of such vices, therefore I may be more bold to speak my pleasure of others than they may. But deceive not thyself: thou seest a child, while he will run up & down to show his new clothes, 
Simile.  and catcheth a fall, & seeing himself down, and his clothes soiled in the dust he crieth louder at his fall them he crowed before at his new coat: so God hath put many excellent graces upon thee, thou crowest at the sight of them, as Nabuchadnezzar did at the sight of his palace, & like a fool thou art in admiration of thyself, till thou stumblest even upon thy own gifts, & when thou art down, thou which before didst crow like a fool, dost then cry like a child, especially because thou seest thy excellent graces, even thy coat of divers colours, stained and soiled with thy fall, be not therefore proud of thy gifts, nor insolent over thy weak brother, for God upholdeth thee, & God can set him up, and cast thee down: for promotion (saith David) cometh neither from the East nor from the West, 
Psal. 75.6.7.  but God is judge, and he setteth up one and pulleth down another. Think we upon this, and it will humble us: who would have thought that David's holiness should have been so stained in the puddle of uncleanness? Who would have thought that Solomon his wisdom should ever have been wrapped up in the folly of women? Who would have thought that Sampsons' strength had slept in the lap of weakness? Who would have thought that such a valiant soldier as Peter was, would have proved such a coward as he was afterward? what do all these but cry with one voice, take heed how you walk, for it is God that upholdeth. How many judges have come down from the bench to the bar? how many prisoners have gone up from the the bar to the bench? how many Dukes, Earls, Lords, Knights, and Gentlemen, how many I say both honourable & worshipful, wise and learned, stout and valiant, have been plucked from their places of honour and dignity, like untimely fruit from the tree? and been brought, some to the gibbet? some to the scaffold, and some to perpetual imprisonment? & what have they there confessed but thus much, while God upheld us we stood, and for want of grace we fell. Therefore let no man rejoice at our falls, for if you stand, God doth uphold you, and if he do not uphold you, you shall surely fall. Haman was never so high in the king's favour, but at last he was as high on his own gallows. Mordecai was never so near the point of death, but at last he was advanced to great honour. judas once thought much with another, for bestowing a box of ointment more than needed (as he thought) upon Christ, at last he knew that himself had taken more than he ought by thirty pence, the price of innocent blood. The swelling red sea was once divided in sunder, which before threatened present death to any that durst go into it. The Sun which runneth his course as a swift giant, did once stand still. The ravens did once feed Elias. The dogs bellies were once a grave for jezabel. The fire which by nature consumeth all, had once no power over the hair of a man's head. The louse, and the flies did once prevail against a kings power. The hungry Lions had once no power against Daniel. Little naked David, did once give great armed Goliath the overthrow. There was once a song of saul's thousand, and David's ten thousand. And what was once, which may not be again if God will? Therefore let no man be proud of that he is, but let him remember what hath been, and what may be, and that none upholdeth from falling but God.  
Thou upholdest me (saith David.) Think we upon this text when we see the hand of God in justice upon any malefactor? we run out by troops to see some executed, some whipped, and some to be some other way openly shamed: we see them, we talk of them, we wonder at them, and so we forget them. But if we would then take so much pains, as to lay our inside to their outside, that is, our own faults concealed in God's mercy, with their faults revealed in God's justice, we would then pity their case, and fear ourselves: we would pray for them, and for our selves, we would humbly thank God, which by his grace had kept us from falling. For if the Lord in mercy should not uphold us, we might be thieves, or murderers, and commit any wickedness as well as others. And this let us know, that the Lord doth but pick them out to preach this unto us, that except he uphold us we fall, and except we repent we shall fall. Thou upholdest me (saith David, both a king and a Prophet) and therefore both mighty and learned, to teach us that there is none so great for living, so high for authority, nor so excellent for learning, but must depend on God, and trust in God for all these, or else he is no body. The blind world is in another vain, and their vain is vain indeed: for they think that honesty and piety do go by wealth and authority, and not by the grace of God. And therefore when they grow to be wealthy in the world, or when they have gotten authority into their hands, they begin to lift up the head, & to turn up the snout in the wind, than they dispense with themselves to disgrace all that come before them, if they like them not: and to disdain all their poor neighbours, be they never so godly, but themselves cannot choose but be honest, and godly, because they are rich, and in authority.  
But what if they chance to be taken in a trip, as the wiliest fox is sometime taken in a snare? what if they be convinced of falling, or slipping, or some notorious crime? what then? do they then fly to God? nothing less, but to their wealth, or friends, or authority, or some worldly devise, & thus they say in their hearts, Thou my money, or thou my countenance, or thou my wealth, or thou my friend in the Court, shalt uphold me: and so, many times through corruption, for friendship, and favour, for a gift, a present or a bribe, a bad man, and a bad cause are upholden, which should be cast in the dust. But Achab shallbe slain though he will not be known to be Achab, and jeroboams wise shall be known though she disguiseth herself: for only they shall stand upright whom the Lord upholdeth, and none else, for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, and the way of the wicked shall perish. 
Psal. 1. vlt.  But see the blindness of these wise worldlings: because they are wealthy, or mighty, or crafty, they think themselves safe enough, and what need they pray to God for his grace to uphold them? nay, they make a wonder at him that talketh of any such matter: whereas indeed the more wealth, or authority, or learning, or credit, or friends, or any worldly commodity a man hath, the more need he hath of God's grace to uphold him from extremities on every side, for else all these things will be but so many ropes whereby Satan will pull him to hell.  
Last of all, if this doctrine were well learned, and steadfastly believed, it would serve in steed of a moderator to end many bitter contentions, for commonly in contending one with another, we say, Thou art this, and that, and I am this, and that, thy better, and honester than thou, and so forth. But the Apostle giveth us other counsel, 
Gal. 6.1.  Brethren if any man (saith he) be fallen by occasion, you that be spiritual restore such a one with the spirit of meekness, considering thyself lest thou also be tempted. And (saith he) in another place, 
Tit. 3.3.4.  We ourselves also were in times past unwise, disobedient, deceived, serving lusts and diverse pleasures, living in maliciousness, and envy, hateful and hating one another, but when the bountifulness and love of God our Saviour appeared we were otherwise, and so may others be hereafter, which are not yet, and we may be hereafter as others are now, if God doth not uphold us: for it is he that upholdeth them which stand, which raiseth them that are down, which strengtheneth the weak, and casteth down the proud in the imagination of their hearts.  
Now let us pray.   

THE FIFT SERMON, December 12. 4. Sabbath.  And dost set me before thy face for ever. 
WE have heard already that God did uphold David in his innocency, whereby he was assured of God's favour towards him. Now we shall hear, how God preserved him in safety, which is another pledge of his love towards him. In these words we have two things to consider. First what God did for David, he set him before his face. Secondly, how long this love lasted, for ever: when he saith, Thou dost set me before thy face. It is as much as if he should say, by manifest signs and tokens of deliverance, thou dost let me know that thou hast me in remembrance: for when God seemeth to forget his children, he is said to hide his face, 
Psal. 44.24  as appeareth in Psalm. 44.24. where the Church complaineth in this manner, Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our misery and affliction? that is, why dost thou not show us thy help, that we may know thou dost remember us? Therefore when he doth make it manifest that he doth remember us, he is said to set us before his face.  
This showeth what a care the Lord hath of them whom he loveth, and what affection he doth bear unto them whom he upholdeth in the integrity of their heart, as a thing which a man hath always in his sight: so doth God love his children, that he can not abide for love to let them go out of his sight. As the husband that loveth his wife, thinkest himself not well till she hath his company & he her presence: so God loveth the Church his spouse, that he can not abide to be without her company, and thinks her not safe, except she be in his presence to behold the light of his countenance, therefore it pleaseth the Lord jesus, not only to call himself the head of his Church, 
Ephe. 1.23.  and the Church his body, but also to term his Church the fullness of himself, although he filleth all in all things, as though he were imperfect without his Church. As the father or the mother will have that infant in their sight, which they love most dearly, so God will have his Church in his sight, which he loveth most tenderly. As the tutor will have his pupil in his presence to show his care and his love towards him, so the Lord, which hath taken upon him our tuition doth set us before his face, that we may know what care he hath over us, therefore are such phrases used in the Scripture, 
Esay. 49.15.16.  as Esay. 49.15.16. Can a woman forget her child & not have compassion on the son of her womb? though they should forget, yet will not I forget thee, saith the Lord. Behold I have graven thee on the palm of my hands, thy walls are ever in my sight, to show that no enemies can come against his Church, but he must know them, and no breaches can be made in the walls of his Church, but he must see them, and see who made them. And so long it cannot choose but go well with his Church. And therefore it followeth in the next verse, 
17.  Thy builders make haste, and thy destroyers, and those that made thee waste, are departed from thee. In the 10. of S. john 28. 
john. 10.28.  The son himself saith of his spouse the elect. I give unto them eternal life, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand, to show how safe they are with him, and how mindful he is of them. In figure whereof, Aaron the high Priest (who was also a figure of Christ) was commanded by God in the 28. of Exodus to wear a breast plate with four rows of precious stones. 
Exod. 28.17.18.19.20.  In the first row, a Ruby, a topaz, and a Carbuncle. In the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a Diamond. In the third row, a Turquis, an Achate, and a Hemetite, In the fourth row, a Chrysolite, an Onyx, and a jasper. And the stones shallbe according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve according to their names, graven at signets, every one after his name, and they shallbe for the twelve Tribes: all this is to show what account the Lord doth make of his chosen people. But where must these stone's be worn? he showeth where in the 29. verse. So Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel, in the breast plate of judgement upon his heart, when he goeth into the holy place, for a remembrance continually before the Lord. And Aaron shall bear the judgement of the children of Israel upon his heart continually. And what is this for, but to show the continual care that Christ hath of his Church. For Aaron is a figure and resemblance of Christ, the precious stones are a figure of the Church of Christ. Aaron must wear them upon his breast, that is in his sight, so Christ hath his people always in his sight. As it was impossible for Aaron to forget the stones, which were in his sight, so is it impossible that Christ our true Aaron should forget his people, which believe in his name, but hath them in continual remembrance, being now gone into the holy of holies, that is the kingdom of his father, the most holy place of all. And the same care which the Lord jesus had of the jews his choice people at the first, the same care hath he of the Gentiles, that is of us and other nations of the earth, which believe in him: because the wall of separation is pulled down, and there is now no respect of persons with the Lord, 
Gal.  but in all nations, he that feareth the Lord, 
Act. 10.  and worketh righteousness is accepted of him.  

As for me thou dost set me before thy face for ever.  
This then showeth that none are in such safety as the godly, none so well guarded as the godly, none so well provided for as the godly, for God doth set them before his face for ever, so that howsoever the world goeth, yet God doth always remember them, as he did remember Abraham when Sodom was destroyed, 
Gen. 19.29.  for as he was mindful of his promise, which he made to our forefather Abraham, 
Luke. 1.72 73.  which is called the father of the faithful, so will he be no less mindful of his promise, which he made to his seed, that is to all the faithful for ever. Because he is the Lord & changeth not. 
Mal. 3.6.  Who dareth offer violence to the Princes beloved in the presence of the Prince? Who shall presume to take the signet off the Prince's finger? Who will take a pray out of the Lion's claw? And who shall snatch the Lords choose out of his hand, whom he hath set as a signet upon his right hand? If there be no safety in the presence of the owner where is safety? Nature doth teach us no less. The child (fearing to be h●●rt of any body) runneth before his father or his mother, and then thinks himself safe. Nature hath taught the very dog to run before his master, when he feareth any body, that cometh to hurt him, but yet these may be deceived, for, what if the father be so unnatural that he will not rescue his child? or if he be willing, what if he be not able, being overmatched? or if he be able and willing at one time, what if his mind change, & what if his affection be estranged at another time? if he be not altered in affection, what if he knoweth not when his son is injuried? if he knoweth when, what if he knoweth not by whom? if he knoweth by whom, what if he cannot come by him? And many things more, what then? why then Vltra posse non est esse. He can do no more than he can. But with the Lord our heavenly father it is not so: for, as he is able being almighty, so he is most willing being our father through his son Christ. As he is willing, so is he unchangeable, as he is unchangeable, so hath he all knowledge, and therefore knoweth by whom, at what time, in what place, in what manner, and for what cause any thing is done in the whole world, and as he hath all knowledge, so is his Majesty every where present, therefore there is no flying from his presence. And as he is every where, 
Psal. 139.  so is he just and true, and therefore cannot be bribed, nor perverted, & as he is all in all things, so all things are his, and of him are all things whatsoever they be, and therefore he hath need of nothing. What shall we say more? shall not therefore God's children be most safe, & most happy before his face, in whose presence is life, and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore? no doubt of it. Let the wicked then tremble, let Sanballat and Tobias be astonished, let Ashur & Pashur be abashed, let Corah and his company be confounded, let joab and judas go hang them themselves with their treacherous kisses, and their traitorous conspiracies, let Ananias dissemble, & his wife take his part, and let them perish in their hypocrisy. And the foxes which seek to destroy the lords vineyard, (and their cubs▪ by whose undermininges the vine hath but small grapes, 
Cant. 2.15 ) let them take heed that they be not taken in their own wiliness, for they cannot go so closely, nor yet so cunningly to work against God's children, but the Lord ●ée●h them well enough. For he hath set his children before his face for ever.  
This was it the dismayed Parry the blood butcher, when he came with a full resolution to lay hands upon the Lords anointed: he saw in her very countenance the face of God, that is some little spark of his Majesty, which did so cool his courage, that his traitorous hand was not able to accomplish the bloody devise of his heart, the lords name be blessed for ever. And were it possible for her to have escaped so many dangers as she hath passed through even from her infancy, if the Lord had not set her before his face, and given his loving kindness charge to wait upon her? The Lord therefore set her in his sight, and defend her with the light of his countenance for evermore.  
But if this be true will some say, why do the wicked seem to prevail so often as they do against those which fear the Lord? Surely it is true, they seem indeed to prevail against them, when they confound themselves. And for the most part their laughter is but from the teeth outward, 
Pro. 14.13  and the end of their mirth is heaviness. But the truth is so, that God seeing his children to were proud of his presence, and to forget themselves like the Disciples, 
Mat. 17.4.  when they saw Christ a little transfigured, he hides his face for a while, & sets the wicked upon them, and giveth Satan leave to sift them, yet not so, but that he hath still an eye unto them, & will see them take no hurt. What a comfort is this to the godly? to think that when heaven and earth go together, yet their God hath them in an everlasting remembrance: but for this they were of all men most miserable, for but few in the world do care for them. But our untamed nature will not so be answered. And our impatient humours will not so be satisfied, for we fear that if we should strive to lead a godly life, to put up wrongs, and to walk in innocency and faithfulness, no body will care for us, or regard us, we shall lie open to the injuries of all the world, every body's plough will go over us, 
Psal. 129.3  & make long furrows upon our backs. This indeed is the voice of worldly reasons, but faith in God's promises is of another mind, that saith, I believe in God the father almighty. that is, I am persuaded that God which is my father in Christ, is willing to save me, and being almighty is able to save me, and according to his gracious promise will see me take no wrong! When my father and mother forsook me (saith David) the Lord took me up. 
Psal. 27.  I am poor & in misery (saith he) but the Lord careth for me. But thou wilt say, this is particularly spoken of David, what is that to me? yes saith the Prophet, it is for thee too, for who so dwelleth in the secret of the most high, shall abide in the shadow of the almighty, 
Psal. 91.1.  I will say unto the Lord, O my hope and my fortress, he is my God in him will I trust, surely he will deliver me from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. etc.  
As this comfort is great, and large, yet it pertaineth to none, but to the godly: for this love token is given to none, but to such as stand in the integrity, and uprightness of their heart. Yet God is good to Israel (saith the Psalmist) but mark what followeth, 
Psal. 73.1.  even to those that are pure in heart, to teach us, that if we would be such as God willbe good unto, we must first be such as God doth delight in, for not the Canaanites, nor the Egyptians, nor the Moabites, nor the Hittites, nor the Amorites, but the Israelites were represented by the precious stones upon the heart of the high Priest. So, not the Idolatrous, nor superstitious, nor covetous, nor the malicious, nor proud, nor profane, nor beastly contemners of God, but the true worshippers of God, the meek, the faithful, the lowly, the godly, shallbe had in remembrance before the Lord. Whosoever can truly say with David, Thou upholdest me in mine integrity, may undoubtedly follow, & cheerfully sing with David, and thou dost set me before thy face.  
But how long will the Lord set his children before his face? for ever, saith the Prophet, that is, he will never be weary of doing good unto them, but from time to time he will stand by them, 
Pro. 21.31  no power shall withstand him, no policy shall prevent him, no eloquence shall turn him, no wisdom shall cirumvent him, no bribes shall pervert him, for he hath sworn once by his holiness, that he will never fail his servant David, 
Psal. 89.35.  nor alter the decree that is gone out of his mouth. His knowledge decreaseth not. his strength abateth not, his arm is not shortened. His gifts are without repentance. 
Rom. 11.  He is not like Isaac that hath but one blessing, 
Gen. 27.38.  but the more he giveth the more he hath to give, his storehouse is ever emptied, & ever full. The pools of his mercy, are not like the pool about jerusalem, which might be dried up with tramplings of an army of horsemen and horses, 
2 King. 19  but they are such as all the sins of a thousand worlds can never dry up, much less the sins of his chosen. Therefore it is said in the Psalm, 
Psal. 130.7.8.  with the Lord is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption, and he shall redeem Israel from all his sins, if they were more than they are: for his redemption is not scant redemption, no more than needs must, like a garment that is but fit for one man's back only, but it is plenteous, and abounding, 
Psal. 136.  even for ever and for ever, 
Mat. 14.20  like the five loaves & two fishes, which fed five thousand to the full, and yet were not spent, by twelve baskets full which remained, & that was more than was set down. His love to his Church was before all worlds. In this life he loveth, and for ever he loveth us: therefore his love is called everlasting love. He doth set his people before his face for ever, that is, in prosperity, in adversity, in sickness, in health, in peace and in war, and at all times, in bed and at board, in the house, and in the field, abroad and at home, at sea and at land, in temple and in tent, & in all places: therefore is he called the God of the hills and the God of the valleys, what shall I say more? 
1. King. 20.28.  He is for ever the same, and changeth not. He hath not two wills, as the Papists do teach: a former will, and an afterwill, a doctrine most damnable, and uncomfortable, but he is God and never changeth, 
Mal. 3.  and the righteous shall therefore be had in an everlasting remembrance, he doth not say the rich or the pleasant conceited, or the mighty, or the witty, or the beautiful. etc. But the righteous shallbe had in remembrance. 
Psal. 112.6  As if he should say, the wicked shall be everlastingly forgotten, be they never so wise, never so wealthy, never so mighty, never so crafty, or never so well liked of amongst men, because they are not righteous.  
Then you see that no infirmity, no sickness, no weakness, no simpleness, no base parentage, no low estate, no misery, nor affliction, no devil of hell can make the Lord either to forget or to forsake those, which have had once the assurance of his love, for whom he loveth he loveth for ever. Therefore if iniquity come, or if security steals upon us, let this doctrine be a staff to stay us up in our integrity, if sickness come, or poverty come, or crosses come, or affliction come, nay if all the devils in hell come, let this doctrine uphold our faith in his promises, which is faithful for ever, 
2. Tim. 2.13.  and cannot deny himself, let it be a brazen wall to thy conscience against despair, let it be a preservative against the infection of sinners, let it be a cordial for our fainting spirits, let it sweeten all our sorrows, and swallow up all our cares. And while we live, let us comfort one another with these words. It is the Lord that upholdeth us in our integrity, and doth set us before his face for ever, for the words are comfortable, and the Lord give a blessing that they may be profitable. Now let us pray.    

THE SIXTH SERMON, December 19 5. Sabbath.  Blessed be the Lord God of Israel world without end. So be it, even so be it. 
THe Prophet David having received assurances of God's favour towards him, he praiseth God the giver. What tokens he had of God's love both without him, and within him, we have heard in the verses before, of his behaviour after the receipt thereof, we shall hear in this last verse. He now returneth to God, for his jewels, such as he had, praise & thanksgiving, love for love, praises for blessings, as was his duty. The Lord of love wooeth David his beloved, he hath won his affection, David is the Lords, both in body and soul, & in all that he hath, David is happy thereby, for he is samed thereby, but the Lord is never the richer for his gift. In David's thanksgiving, we may observe two things, first to whom he offereth his sacrifice of praise: secondly in what manner he offereth it. For the first: it is the Lord to whom he doth offer it, & to none but the Lord. Papists say, blessed be God, & our Laid, blessed be God, & such a saint, & such a saint, for this & the blessing: so doth not God's child here, Ergo they are not Gods children in so doing. A man after Gods own heart doth not so, Ergo they are not men after Gods own heart in doing so. Great reason had David, & great reason have all the faithful to praise God only: for first, who kept David's enemies from triumphing against him but the Lord? who upheld him in his integrity, but the Lord? who set him before his face for ever, but the Lord? therefore who must be praised but the Lord? This was the Lords own doing, & this was the Lords only doing, therefore he only is to be praised. Again, the Lord which saveth us even for his own name sake, will not have his glory parted between him & his creatures, but given wholly to himself, as the Prophet Esay saith, 
Esay. 42.8.  therefore, cursed be they, whatsoever they be, y● dare join any whatsoever, as partner's with God, either in his works or in his worship. For his manner & form of praising God, it is most excellent, for he doth it in such words & manner as noteth a wonderful earnest affection in him towards the Lord, a great zeal of his glory, great humility in himself, & a great fear lest he should not do it as he ought: for first, he doth not say simply, blessed be God, but blessed be the Lord God of Israel, to show that nothing in himself deserved such love at God's hands, but only the covenant, which the Lord made, with his Church moved him thereunto, David being a member of the Church. Secondly as God's love is infinite and everlasting, so accordingly he praiseth his name for it, saying, world without end. Thirdly, to show his hearty, and unfeigned consent to that, which he spoke, he saith. So be it, and as one not repenting him of that he had said, but rather fearing that he came too short in the first, he doubleth his speech, and with a second blow, to rouse up his heart and affection, which were scant awakened with the first, he saith, So be it, and again I say So be it, So be it, even so be it.  
The doctrine that is to be gathered from this verse, ariseth two ways, first from the matter subject: secondly, from the form of the words. The matter subject of the verse is David's thanksgiving to the Lord, for that he had so many ways sealed up, and made sure his love unto his soul. From which example we may gather this general doctrine, that after benefits received of God, it is our duty, and our delight to return thanks unto the Lord, if Gods love be sweet unto us. And this duty can none perform aright but the elect children of God, which are led by God's spirit, endued with God's grace, enriched with God's benefits, and inflamed with his love. All of us do beg and crave like lepers, but scarce one of ten do return praises and thanksgiving for our healing, as though God's gifts were not worth thanks. We are not so kind to the Lord for all his benefits, as we are to a mortal man for one courtesy. Only the faithful being once thoroughly enlightened, and effectually called, are afraid to omit or neglect this duty, and when they do fail therein, they are not a little grieved thereat: and that they do, for God's spirit is in them. Therefore as they pray by the spirit, so by the same spirit they praise God: always knitting up their prayers with thanksgiving, for they must not be separated. Daniel prayed, 
Dan. 6.10.  & praised God three times a day on his knees: no doubt he did it oftener as occasion was offered, but this he bound himself unto what business soever he had, because of his dullness: to teach us what we must do. But how many devour the graces of God one after another like a hog under the tree, never looking up to the tree from whence they come: as though all that God sendeth were nothing. Some are afraid to be acknown who did them good, or gave them goods, 
john. 9.21.  like the blind man's father, who for fear of the jews durst not tell who gave his son his sight. Some are ashamed like Sarah, 
Gen. 18.13.  who laughed at the Angel's message, when she should rather have given thanks: & this is because the wicked mock the godly for praising of God, as the son of the bond woman mocked the son of the free woman, and it is now become a reproach to speak any one word amongst many to the praise of God: whereof it cometh that the most part both at bed and board do so commonly forget to praise the Lord, but like beasts they sit and lie down, and like beasts they rise up again. But little may we do beloved, if we cannot by prayer ask leave of God to take his blessings, when we have no right to any thing but in Christ, and little may we do, if we cannot give him thanks, & acknowledge him to be the giver. Thus like thieves we steal the Lords benefits and do nothing for them, as if we should boldly go into our neighbour's house, & take our dinner, and his plate, and go away, and never say, with your leave, nor I thank you: the Lord open our eyes, and touch our hearts. Some that would seem to be a little more mannerly, will utter, nay I may more truly say, smother out a few cold words of course, like gossips & protestants at large, when they meet one another, Here is a goodly weather God be praised, Oh you have a sweet child neighbour, God bless him, God be thanked of your upsitting, or your coming abroad again, and so forth: but if any thing be added more than these common gratulations, whereby God may reap more glory, that is a note of a Puritan, and he is too holy for our company. Some would give God thanks oftener than they do, but they cannot remember him without a picture, or a crucifix, or some Popish relic, like the joclatrous jews, which could not remember God till they saw a calf. As though the Lords daily benefits were not sufficient remembrances & lively pictures of the Lords goodness, or as though when any doth bestow a benefit upon us by his son, we should not thank his father because we never saw him, and we want his picture.  
Some will for fashion sake give God a good word or two, and say perhaps, God is a good God, God be blessed, I thank God for my deliverance, etc. but then they must run a long discourse of themselves, but if I had not done this and that, if I had not played the man, & had a good forecast, etc. it had not gone so well with me as it did. Thus many deal with God, like him that when he hath told out his money to his creditor which he ought him, and taken up his bond, snatcheth up his money again, and for an hundred pound giveth him a penny and a box on the ear. But to leave all these to the Lord, this is most certain, if we be afraid, or ashamed, or forgetful, or indifferent to praise the Lord: or if we be unreverent, or idolatrous, or superstitious in praising God, how can we assure ourselves to be the children of God?  
But note further in this holy servant of God, how he was qualified, and prepared, before he would, or before he could offer any sacrifice of praise acceptable to God. First he examineth his heart, and findeth his affections holy, and upright before the Lord, his heart free from revenge, his spirit humbled under the hand of God, his soul assured of God's favour, and his faith settled in his promises: this being done, he proceedeth and saith Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, etc. assuring himself, that when his person is accepted with God, his praises & thanksgiving shall not be rejected. This is to teach us, that they which come unsanctified, and unprepared by a lively faith and true repentance, and have nothing to commend them unto God but their pride, their hatred, their infidelity, their impiety, and such like, they cannot praise the Lord, and if they do, it is returned upon their heads as sin: & so they are sent away not only empty, but in worse case than they came, like the unworthy guest that came to the King's feast without his wedding garment. And this doctrine runneth currant through the whole body of the Scriptures, and no man doth ask from whence it cometh or whither it goeth, but every one of the Lords Seers and servants giveth testimony unto it. The Psalmist is of that mind, for he saith, 
Psal. 34.15 16  The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry, but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from off the earth, to show how little the Lord regardeth their prayers, or any thing that they can offer unto his majesty. Solomon is likewise of the same mind, for he saith, 
Prou. 15.8.  The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the righteous is acceptable unto him. He showeth a good reason why. For (saith he) the way of the wicked is abomination to the Lord, but he loveth them that follow righteousness. In another place he saith, 
Prou. 17.7  High talk becometh not a fool. If high talk becometh not a fool, much less doth divine talk become a wicked man: for what talk hither them talk with the most high? and who so foolish as the wicked and profane? The Prophet Esay is also of the same mind, for he (speaking in the person of God) saith thus, When you shall stretch out your hands, 
Esay. 1.15.  I will hide mine eyes from you, & though you make many prayers, I will not hear you, for your hands are full of blood, that is: your deeds are full of oppression, and therefore your prayers, and praises are stained with your bloody hands.  
S. Luke saith, 
Luke. 4.41  That devils came out of many, crying and saying, thou art Christ the son of the living God, but Christ rebuked them, and suffered them not to say that they knew him to be that Christ, because they were devils. For our Saviour Christ will not be praised out of a devils mouth, for their commendation tendeth rather to his discredit than otherwise: so devilish men may perhaps come out of many houses, to Church, & cry we praise thee O God, we know thee who thou art, jesus the son of the living God, glory be to the father and to the son and to the holy Ghost, and many good words and speeches more they utter, but surely the Lord is so far from accepting any such thing at their hands, that he is more provoked to anger against them for it, because they are devilish, and come without repentance into the presence of the most holy. The like in all respects shall we read of in the 16. of the Acts. 
Act. 16.17.18.  A certain maid had a spirit of divination, she was such a one as some ignorantly call a cunning woman, no better than a witch or a conjuror, one that wrought by the devil, & could by help of the devil tell where things were that were lost, & such a one followed Paul and Silas, crying, These are the servants of the most high God, and this she did many days. But Paul being grieved, turned about and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of jesus Christ that thou come out of her. Now as God's servants could not abide the confession of the devil, much less can God himself abide it, being only for fear and not of love. A strange thing that devils, which are at defiance with God, should confess him. And yet (all things duly considered) it is not so strange as it may seem to be, for what if they do it of constraint whether they will or no? or what if it be for fear only and not for love? or what if they do it to bring credit upon their own matters, and to bring God's matters into contempt? then the strangeness of the matter is diminished: for indeed this is common not only among the devils, but amongst all the reprobate. Satan shall allege Scripture to credit his own cause, and Balam will not (because he cannot) pass the bounds of that, which God hath put in his mouth, when his heart hunteth for the wages of iniquity. Sometime to make them inexcusable God will wring a confession from their own mouths, as he did from Pharaoh. Sometime the wicked will do that, which their heart goeth against, to bring God's servants in question amongst men, like the cunning maid before mentioned. Sometime to deceive the more easily, and strongly, he will change himself into the likeness of an Angel of light, and put upon a fowl matter a fair cloak of holiness. The truth whereof may sufficiently appear in the kingdom or Popery, amongst the Monks and Friars, which under pretence of holiness, commit all kind of wickedness. I have known some Arian heretics, whose life hath been most strict amongst men, whose tongues have been tired with Scripture upon Scripture, their knees even hardened in prayer, and their faces wedded to sadness, and their mouths full of praises to God, while in the mean time, they have stoutly denied the divinity of the son of God, and have not sticked to tear out of the Bible, all such places as made against them, such were Hamond, Lewes and Cole heretics of wretched memory lately executed and cut of in Norwich, what shall I say of Frances Ket another Arian which succeeded them, 
F. Kett.  in opinions more monstrous than his predecessors, for he held that whosoever willbe saved, must before he die, go to jerusalem: that Christ with his Apostles, are now personally in judea gathering of his church: that the faithful should miraculously be preserved at jerusalem, with a wall of fire, & be fed with Angel's food from heaven: but these were his dreams, & yet such dreams as (rather than he would for go them, having once embraced them) caused him to plunge himself over head and ears in most damnable & cursed heresies, for behold: to maintain his former fancies, he held most impudently that Christ jesus is not God, but a good man, as others be, and that which was never heard before, that Christ hath suffered once for his own sins, and shall (before the end of the world) suffer again, for the sins of the world, and that being done, he shallbe then made God after his second resurrection. And yet as monstrous as he was in opinion, see how holy he would seem to be in his outward conversation. The sacred Bible almost never out of his hands, himself always in prayer, his tongue never ceased praising of God, when he went to the fire he was clothed in sackcloth, he went leaping and dancing: being in the fire, above twenty times together, clapping his hands, he cried nothing, but blessed be God, blessed be God, blessed be God, and so continued until the fire had consumed all his neither parts, and until he was stifled with the smoke that he could speak no longer: all which I was a witness of myself. But shall we think that the Lord took any delight in the prayers or praises of such a devil incarnate? far be it from us. A strange and fearful example of a desperate, of a hardened, and a cursed creature, and yet not to be wondered at, for the devil hath his soldiers, and martyrs aswell as the Lord, and oftentimes they are more resolute in the devils quarrel, than some are in God's quarrel. As for his willing and ready going, with his constant enduring, it was no more than is performed by such as hang themselves, or drown themselves, but what pleasure hath the Lord in the sacrifices of such? What shall we say of our English Donatists, our schismatical Brownists, & followers of Barrow and his crew? they hold our Church for no visible Church, 
Schismatics.  neither that we have so much as a face of a Church amongst us: they condenne all our assemblies at their pleasure, terming us & our Churches to be but dunghills, and Synagogues of Satan, our ministery no ministery, our Sacraments no Sacraments, our teachers they term Baal's Priests, the tail of the red dragon, the whole Church of England, they call Babylon, Sodom, Egypt, & all that nought is, thus they cast mire in the face of their mother in whose bowels they were first begotten (if ever they were begotten) to the Lord, separating themselves from all the holy things of God, because every thing is not just as they would have it. But in the mean time to get more credit unto their pretended cause of separation, they seem to be very devout in prayer, and as though the spirit of prayer were proper unto them, they condēn● all other men's prayers, their mouths always thundering out the judgements of God, while they take a felicity in condemning their brethren, they come under a cloak of sincerity and reformation, while they go about to pluck up the lords vineyard by the roots, and none more zealous in their profession, none more devout in praising of God, none more ready in the Scriptures than they, yea as plentiful in their proofs, and texts of Scripture they seem to be for upholding of their errors & shcisme, as Kett was for the defending of his heresies, but what pleasure the Lord hath in such schismatical prayers & praises, which have nothing to present them to the Lord, but a spirit of pride, and error, I fear to speak, the Lord open their eyes, to see their sin, that so many as belong to him may be converted and be saved.  
Thus we see it manifest both by testimonies and examples that the sacrifices of the wicked & ungodly are vile before the Lord, how holy soever they seem to be amongst men, and they can not praise him, but as the devils did confess him. But if any come before the Lord, as his beloved spouse, decked with their garment of divers colours, I mean their souls clothed with the riches of God's favour, as true repentance, a lively faith, brotherly love, lowliness of spirit, integrity of heart, patience in affliction, joy in the holy Ghost, if any come to the Lord depending on God's grace, naked in himself, yet clothed in Christ, doubting of himself yet assuring himself of God's favour both promised & purchased in the blood of Christ jesus they may bring their offering, with David, & say, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, and the king of glory shall then have delight in their beauty, for he loveth the praises of his people, and of none else.  
This doctrine, if it were thoroughly applied, and closely laid to the conscience of every estate & calling, it would I hope make us all more wary, and careful in offering ourselves with our presents of praises and prayers unto the Lord while we live. And first of all, what will Idolaters, and persecutors of God's Saints say unto this. In a merry note they sing Te Deum laudamus, & Benedictus Deus Israel. etc. But whether such Popish, and bloody services be accepted of God or no, I would wish them to consider.  
In our Church if there be any in the plate of seers & watchmen over the Lord's people, and yet have neither will, skill, nor courage to lead the people of the Lord in the ways of righteousness, and also do weary themselves in the ways of looseness and profaneness, and yet will come into God's house, and without repentance offer up confessions, prayers, & thanksgivings for themselves & the people: how acceptable such sacrifices are unto the Lord, I would wish them also to consider.  
Again, there are some called Parish Clerks, which without any manner of calling thereunto from God, do intrude themselves into the Minister's office, only for a little filthy lucre sake, and most confusedly and disorderly tumble over the holy things of God, as the lords prayer, with divers things, which I blush to name, under pretence forsooth of helping the Minister to say service: a thing which I never saw, but in this place. How acceptable the prayers, and service of such men are, or rather how detestable it is unto God, I would they had grace to consider.  
What will hypocrites, and contemners of the word preached, say to this? because they cannot choose, they come to common prayer, which indeed is too much negelcted, but as for other exercises, of preaching, and catechizing (of all, the most needful, & most profitable) they dedicate those times to bowls, or cards, or tables, or tippling, or wanton walking, & I know not what, and then the exercises being done they repair to the ordinary service, where they make a feigned confession, and prayers, and praises for custom sake, 
Pro. 28.9.  but, He that turneth his ear from hearing the law (saith the holy Ghost) even his prayer shallbe abominable. If his prayer be abominable, what is his presumptuous prating, and proud blaspheming? Again, let pirates and rovers at sea, with usurers, & oppressors by land, with swearers, drunkards, filthy livers, Sabbath profaners and such like, lay this to their heart, and God in mercy look upon them, for their service done to God, is as acceptable to his Majesty as the harlot's vows, and offerings, of which we read in the 7. of the proverbs, 
Pro. 7.14.  when she went about to entice unto folly: or as if they cut of a dogs head for the Lord. Again, if there be any husbands and wives, or any neighbours, living in discord, and suffering their hearts to boil in hatred one against another, how can they think that the Lord willbe delighted with their wrathful prayers, and praises, when they do offer them, what should I say more? I would wish, and I do earnestly desire, that every one would lay it to his heart, & to consider which himself: first, what a sin it is not to pray, and praise God at all: next, how the sin is increased, if they be not prepared and sanctified before they do bless God, as David was: for the sacrifices of the wicked are like the salutations of the jews, when they bowed the knee unto Christ, and spit in his face together.   

THE SEVENTH Sermon, December 26.  Blessed be the Lord God of Israel. etc. 
THe last Sabbath day, we heard, that David having received assurances of God's favour towards him, returned praise and thanks unto the Lord for it: & how he was prepared thereunto we also heard then declared at large, we will now consider and see in what manner and form he praised God.  
First let us consider why he saith, not simply, Blessed be the Lord, but blessed be the Lord God of Israel. In these words be two points to be observed. First, the cause why God loved him. Secondly, the largeness, and the greatness of God's love. But first, of the cause why God loved him, and why he did so assure him of his love & favour. And that was not, I warrant you, any worthiness that the Lord found in David, nor for his friend's sake, nor for his country sake, nor for his virtues sake, but only for his covenant sake, which the Lord made with his Church, whereof David was a member, & therefore must needs have his part amongst the rest, because God had so promised. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel. As if he should say, I give the Lord praise, & thanks, which hath choose Israel, to be his people, which were not his people, and hath bound himself, by promise to be the God of Israel, & to watch over his people, & to assure them of his favour, which deserved nothing but his wrath & displeasure, for by this means I am now assured of his love, and favour towards me, which I should never have had if the Lord had not chosen me to be one of them, upon whom he meant to bestow his love, according to his gracious promise, which he made to my father's Abraham, Isaac, & jacob (which was afterwards called Israel:) and according to his promise which he made, not only to them, but also to all their seed, that is to all the faithful, so hath he dealt with his servants, blessed & praised be his name for it.  
Now we see the fountain from whence springeth all the good that we have, blessed is Israel, because the Lord is their God, and blessed is England, because the Lord is our God. By this we may see what an excellent thing it is to be of the Church of God, for them the Lord jehovah, the Lord almighty, is our God, and we are his people, and if he be on our side, who can be against us? or if any be against us, who can prevail against us? then are we in safety from our enemies, then are we upholden in our integrity, and provided for according to our wants. So that the Lord doth not save us, nor help us because we deserve it, but because he hath so promised in Christ jesus, neither doth he choose us, because he saw some goodness in us, but therefore is his goodness, & grace bestowed upon us, because he hath first elected and chosen us to be his people. But now see what a thing it is to be of the Church of God, that is of the company of God's people, and within the compass of God's covenant. 
Psal. 87.2.  The Lord loveth the the gates of Zion, that is, the gates of his Church, more than all the habitations of jacob, to show how he loveth his Church, for if he beareth such affection to the gates, what affection doth he bear to the City? If he loveth the most inferior, even the porters of his Church, that are set to keep the gates, what doth he for the chief Citizens, the common wealth of Israel? no marvel though David desired to be a door keeper in the house of God, for to be such a one, yea, to be the meanest in God's Church, is to be the beloved of the Lord at the least, & that when it is at the least, is greater than all the pleasures, & treasures of the earth, yea it is better than wine, 
Cant. 1.1.  saith the spouse of Christ, in the Canticles: that is, better than all pleasures & profits in the whole world. But what doth he for his Church? see what he doth, God is known in judah, 
Psal. 76.1.  (saith the Psalmist) his name is great in Israel as if he should say, god hath made his will, and his counsels known to his Church, & the heathen have not the knowledge of his ways. The godly are of his counsel as Abraham was, and is this a small matter? 
Psal. 147.  But see yet more. In Shalem is his tabernacle, & his dwelling is in Zion, as if he should say, the dwellings of the Lord they are in peace, 
Psal. 76.5.  for Shalem is peace. There broke he the arrows, and the bow, the shield, and the sword, & the battle. The stout hearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep, and all the men of strength have not found their hands. At thy rebuke o God of jacob, both the chariot, and the horse are cast a sleep, & therefore, because thou art the God of jacob, for he is so tender over his Church, that he will not abide any to annoy, or molest his Church, except it be for the greater good of his Church, & the further, & greater confusion of their enemies. Whom shall we now praise for our deliverance? we reckon our ships, & give them high praises, we use to say in the forgetfulness of God's goodness, we may thank such a ship, such a thing, and such a means & so forth, but we should say, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel: for it is he that willbe, and must be known in his Church.  
Whom have we to stand by us, if ever our enemies come again, but the Lord God of Israel? Let us say then as the Psalmist saith, God is our hope and strength, 
Psal. 46.1.  and help in troubles ready to be found. 
2.  Therefore will we not fear though the earth be moved. Some will say, we have ships at sea, the hope, the revenge, the dread nought, and so forth, nay, God is our hope, God is our revenge, & God is dread nought indeed. 
3.  Though the waves of the sea be troubled, and rage, and the mountains shake at the surges thereof. 
4.  Yet there is a river, whose streams shall make glad the City of God, even the sanctuary of the Tabernacles of the most high. 
5.  God is in the midst of it, therefore it cannot be moved. 
6.  The Lord of hosts is with us, 
7.  the God of jacob is our refuge. Now mark what followeth. Come, 
8.  and behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made upon the earth. He maketh war to cease, 
9  he breaketh the bow, and cuts the spear, and burneth the chariots in the fire. Now hear what the Lord himself saith. 
10.  Be still (saith he) & know that I am God, I willbe exalted among the heathen, and I willbe exalted in the earth. In the next verse they do exalt him, 
11.  saying. The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of jacob is our refuge. Noting, nothing to be the cause of all these works, but only his covenant which he made with his Church. In the first of S. Luke this is plain. 
Luke. 1.54 55.  He hath upholden Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy. As he hath promised to our father's Abraham and his seed for ever. The virgin Marie is of the same mind. 
Luke. 1.71  He hath sent us deliverance (saith she) from our enemies, and from the hands of all that hate us, but the cause thereof was his mercy, which he showed to our fathers in remembering his holy covenant, and the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, not mentioning any thing in herself. Therefore, whensoever we stand in need of the lords help (as we do continually) let us be sure that we are the Israel of God, and then claim his promise, and let us not then doubt, 
2. Tim. 2.13.  for he is faithful, and cannot deny himself. And so much for the cause that moved God to be so good unto David.  
The second thing that I observe in these words is the large extent of God's love. For, therefore doth the Prophet call him the Lord God of Israel, to show that God is not a God of one only, but of all the faithful to the end of the world. He was not only David's God, but he is our God also, or else perhaps, some might say, Oh David was an excellent man, and a man after Gods own heart, and God did assist him wonderfully. But God is the same God to us, that he was to David, and will assist us as mightily as he did David, if we call upon him as David did. Yea to every one of us he is the same, for God is no accepter of persons, not the jews more than the Gentiles, the wall of separation being pulled down, 
Gal. Act. 10.34 35.  But in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him. Whosoever is a right Israelite is such a one as feareth God, and whosoever feareth God is a right Israelite: therefore when jesus saw Nathaniel, he said, Behold indeed an Israelite, in whom is no guile, therefore he that feareth God, and is without guile, is an Israelite indeed, that is one of God's children indeed, what a comfort is this to all the faithful, though they be never so poor, and base in the sight of men, yet God is their God, they being his people, and they may challenge his promise aswell as any other, and God will surely hear them, and they shall say, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel.  
Now are we to consider of the next words, why he saith, world without end. He doth not praise God so long as the benefit of deliverance lasteth, and no longer, but so long as his mercy endureth, and that is for ever: for it hath pleased the Lord to choose unto himself a Church and a kingdom, out of Angels and men, which never shall have end, and those shall praise him continually, as well for his judgements as for his mercies. And this is it that S. john set down by the spirit of prophecy, 
Apoc. 19.1.2.  when he saith, I heard a great voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, Halleluiah, salvation, and honour, and glory, and power be to the Lord our God, for true & righteous are his judgements. We use to say, if a mortal man doth show us any courtesy, or bestow any benefit upon us, Oh give him great thanks, but how great thanks, and what presents shall we offer to God, who gave it him first, and gave him a heart to give, & giveth for ever? If a Prince should send us any thing (were it never so little) for a remembrance, we will thank him according to the worthiness of his person, & not according to the value of the thing which was sent. But God is the Prince of all Princes, and he giveth more than trifles, for in him we live, and move, and have our being, and he hath given us his Son, who hath purchased a kingdom for us which shall never have end. And if it were but our bare being here, he were to be praised for ever: how much more for such, and so many benefits, as can neither be numbered, nor valued? Yea for his infinite wisdom, which he hath caused to shine in all his works of creation: if we consider but the excellent wisdom of God in a poor little fly, he is to receive infinite praises for the same. How much more for his infinite goodness, power, mercy, justice and providence over all his creatures, and his unspeakable love towards his children in his covenant of grace?  
If a silly man shall frame a cunning piece of work, or do some notable exploit, or accomplish some hard & great piece of service, which yet he could not do of himself, it is oftentimes presented to the Prince, & published to his lasting praise and renown: but who is comparable with the Lord of hosts, whose curious and cunning workmanship appeareth in all his creatures, and whose right hand hath the pre-eminence, by doing of valiant things? shall not his name then be published to his everlasting praise in his Church and congregation of his saints? By this appeareth what difference there is between our God, and the false gods of the heathen: for who doth or can do such things as our God doth, who hath his being, and all sufficiency of himself, and all others have nothing but as he giveth unto them? who deserveth everlasting praises but our God? By this it likewise appeareth, what dishonour and disgrace have been offered by gross Idolaters, which would take upon them to paint and picture out the invisible, and incomprehensible majesty of the Almighty, like a man whose breath is in his nostrils, whose being is not of himself, whose years are but a span long, & in his best estate is altogether vanity. 
Col. 3.  What so ever ye do (saith the Scripture) do all to the glory of God. That is, strive to do it so, as God may get most glory by it. Are such representations of God, to the advancing of his glory? what do they show and teach us that we might give him everlasting praises for? he is painted as a man, as you see in yonder story of the creation, 
In S. Tho. Church of Bristol.  in yonder window, in a dozen places together: what may we learn by them? A man hath his being from another, if God be as he is painted forth, he hath so too, which to say, is blasphemy. A man hath father and mother, but who was the Lord's father, & his mother? A man is first a babe, and afterward groweth in knowledge, shall we think the Lord to be such? A man hath need of meat and drink and apparel, and of tutors and counsellors, and many things me, but who was the Lord's draper or puruayour, or counsellor at any time? O cursed creatures that ever first invented them, and cursed wretches that dare maintain them, if God give them not repentance: for they are such abominations as God hath flatly forbidden, and condemned to the pit, yea to the very bottomless pit of hell. Are these the pictures of him that is to be praised world without end? if they be not, why are they not defaced, which do so much deface the glory of our Creator? if they be not, why are they tolerated? nay if they be not, why are they defended as lawful, and not hurtful to any? and that even now (with shame enough) in the clear light of the Gospel? And if they be not, why should any keep such a stir, and be so out of patience and charity with the minister of the Lord jesus, for speaking against such filthy and damnable abominations? The Lord open these men's hearts, and give them repentance if it be his will: and so much be spoken for that point.  
So be it, even so be it. These words do show the agreement of his mind, and consent of his heart to that which he said with his tongue, to teach us, that in God's service we must neither doubt of that which we do, nor waver in the performing of our vows, neither must we do it feignedly, but with full consent of heart and mind. Resolution is the thing indeed that we are here taught. Resolution in God's matters is very requisite, as it is for a soldier in the field: for Christian soldiers shall have many assaults to make them retire. For want whereof many leave their standing, and run after the world as Gehezi left his master's house, and ran after Naman for gifts, till the leprosy caught him. A Christian without it, is like a door without a lock, soon open and soon shut, for all comers, open with Agrippa till Christianity be almost come in, and that is just nothing, and shut with Festus, that Paul must stand without like a mad man. Hereof it cometh that many have lost their first love, some are neither hot nor cold, some betake themselves with Demas to the present world, some are for all companies, and are of all religions, and so are of no religion: and most men are like reeds shaken with the wind, when as they which are resolute in God's matters, go constantly through all assays, and stand steadfastly like mount Zion which endureth for ever. Therefore David having set down his mind, sets his hand, and his heart unto it. So be it (saith he) even so be it, as if he should say, I am well advised of that I have said, I doubt not of it but that it is truth, and I know it is my duty, and therefore as I have said, so I say again, So let it be. But wilt thou stand to it David whatsoever come of it? Yea that I will (saith he) & do not repent me of it, and therefore I am so far from recanting of it, that I spoke it, & I do speak it again, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel world without end. So be it, even so be it. There be three things in man must agree together in the service of God, the tongue, the ear, and the heart: if all these agree upon the matter, the bill passeth: if all these be in tune, the harmony is sweet and the music pleasant. In every man that cometh to hear the word of God preached, or to offer up prayers to God, is a kind of Parliament holden, & much a do there is many times to have bills pass, because all these do not agree upon the matter. God's Minister in God's name propoundeth many things to the people, 
A Parliament.  the equity whereof he groundeth upon the word of God, & of all these bills, some concern God himself, & some concern our selves, & our neighbour. These bills come first to the lower house, that is to the outward senses, for first the ear heareth what the matter is: then the eye peruseth the bill, & searcheth the statutes of God in his word, to see how they agree together: from thence they pass along to the higher house, that is to the understanding, from understanding to reason, if reason like of the matter, than it cometh to the will, & affections of the heart, when it cometh there, if the spirit of God be in the heart than is the heart framed & counseled by the same, if the heart likes of it, the will doth like of it too, then is the tongue sent back with his answer from the inward house, to signify so much to God and the world: then ask the tongue, what saith the heart? the tongue as the common speaker saith, So be it. On the contrary side, if any thing go against reason, than understanding can no skill of it, the heart forbids it, the tongue is silent, & So be it smothered. Many times a thing passeth through all to the heart, where the matter is debated between natural reason & the heart, & there (for want of God's spirit to countermand natural reason) it stayeth, & understanding can no skill of it. But what saith the tongue? In stead of So be it, he brings this answer, Sir, the heart having consulted with worldly policy & natural reason, doth find this to be against his profit, or against his pleasure, or against his gain, or against his custom, or against his credit in the world, & therefore this bill cannot pass: my master the heart, with reason, and policy do therefore desire you to be contented & speak no more of this matter, but of something else that may stand better with their liking, as for the rest of the house, understanding, will, & affection, although they know the matter to be true, just & equal which you demand, yet they can do no good in the matter, because the other two have nipped it in the head. Sometime the tongue saith Amen to that which the heart condemneth, because reason confirmeth it, & this is commonly when the eye seeth some body whom he feareth, or the ear heareth something that he cannot answer, & therefore though the tongue be a common speaker, yet is he not always a true speaker. Sometime again the ear admitteth, & the heart affecteth, & desireth that which reason subscribeth unto, but for want of faith, reason revoketh, the heart fainteth, & the tongue foltreth, and either for fear, or for shame dareth not utter what is agreed upon within. A miserable Parliament, that hath such a speaker, but this is the matter indeed. This house hath two doors, at one door the bills are brought in, & that is by the ear and the eye, at another door they pass out again with their answers & that is the lips within, at which the common speaker standeth. Now if the Lord do set a watch there, & keep the door of our lips, than they are open, & the tongue doth boldly confess the truth, but if the fearful devil, or the bashful devil keep the door, the tongue durst not for his life speak the truth: God in mercy remove such porters, that we may boldly confess with our tongues, that which we believe in our heart to salvation. So likewise in prayer, & thanksgiving, if our tongue doth speak any thing, which the understanding is ignorant of, and therefore the heart cannot affect, our sacrifices are but a mockery against God, because the Parliament house is divided, & there is but a mutiny between the heart, the tongue, and the rest, but if all agree upon the point, them the tongue showeth the consent of the heart, and boldly without fear of any whatsoever standeth forth and saith. So be it.  
But why doth he double his speech & say So be it, even So be it? it should seem that the speaker of the Parliament house, is but a simple man, & wanted matter, he meant well it may be, but for want of matter he is feign to harp upon one string much. Surely beloved, the Prophet spoke as he was moved by the holy Ghost, & this is God's wisdom, therefore let us not find fault withal, this is the plain, & simple dealing of a faithful soul indeed. It is usual in the Scripture to have one thing oftentimes urged in teaching, & no oftener than is needful: because, first it is long before we can learn Gods will, secondly it is longer before we can remember God's will, but principally, because it is longest of all before we can make a conscience to obey God's will: therefore let no man in hearing one thing often, be weary, because every man may learn the same thing better: do not say, the preacher wants matter, but say rather that we want grace, or understanding, or memory, or zeal, or love, or something. Again, let no man in teaching stand so much upon his reputation, as to count it a disgrace unto him if he doth often repeat one thing being necessary, for we see it is God's wisdom to teach so, & if any man willbe wiser than God's spirit, he will prove himself a fool. In prayer also the same spirit hath taught God's children to speak one thing oftentimes, partly because there is in every one great dullness & want of feeling, & partly to note how earnest they are & desirous to obtain that, which they pray for. So doth David here in this place say So be it, even so be it, as though his heart had been scarce awake at the first. A man that would feign have a thing, which he needeth indeed, will say (being asked if he will have it) oh yea, yea, yea, & if it be a thing that he cannot away withal he will say, oh no, no, no, often together, as if he could not deny it too often, as the first could not desire it too much. This may the Church do, if their hearts be touched with their own wants & weaknesses. But this doth not serve to maintain any idle, & unnecessary repetitions, such as were used in Popery, & condemned by our Saviour Christ in the Scribes & pharisees. 
Math. 6.  In Popery they babble one thing oftentimes, jesus, jesus, jesus, & you must say over the lords prayer so many, and so many times together, and then you shall be heard, (say they). And so they play in their chanting, & curious singing, which is more like the hunting of the fore, then any spiritual & holy service of God, they are sometime a quarter of an hour almost in singing some one word. Alas poor souls: they think that God is delighted as man is, & they think that the Lord is a sleep, as Baal's Priests thought, & therefore they call often, but God's children feel their own hearts a sleep, & therefore it is that they cry often in the same words.  
So be it, even so be it, saith the holy Prophet, as if he should say, did I speak it? I will say it again, I do not repent me of it, I am not afraid, I am not ashamed, if I said it not with such feeling the first time as I ought, I will say it again. To show how careful, how constant, how bold, and how holy we should be in praising of God. For many times in our prayers our minds are crossed with one thing or other, so that God hath not the heart, them to it again, heart what sayest thou? then So be it, even so be it. Some think a cold word, unreverently blustered out, to be good enough for God, and are ashamed to amend any thing if it be amiss, and afraid to stand to a thing if it be well. Some will utter in table talk, whatsoever cometh in their minds of God, & against him too sometime, & when they should either defend it, or deny it, or reform it, they turn it away with a jest: Nay sir, it is not my profession, I will not reason of it, nor stand with you in it, you are to hard for me, this is but table talk, and if there should be no arguing & disputing, how should men come by knowledge? etc. But see their folly, or their weakness at the least, if it be true, & expedient, defend it for God's glory, if it be false recant it to the shame of the devil, if it be doubtful, be instructed, for thy further comfort. But God's children are well advised what they say, & being so, they are not ashamed nor afraid, if they hear of it again, but as they said it, so they will say it again. So be it, even so be it.  
This earnest and reverent kind of giving thanks doth also notably reprove the profaneness of some, who while thanks be offered up to the Lord at Table, for nourishment received, they are otherwise busied, looking here, and there, toying with one thing or other, according to the affection of their heart. And when grace is done, they will not stand with you, for Amen, but it shallbe so snatchingly, and so shackled in the teeth and lips, that it would loath a man to hear it, which they would not do if they thought the Lord worthy of thanks for his benefits: but so they do, as if he were not worthy of one cold word, and if he get any more, than they are at very great cost with him, and he must needs be indebted to them for it: but God's children come with great fear and reverence, and to that which is said they give their hearty consent in most reverent manner. So be it, even so be it.  
Furthermore the person of David may teach us one thing more, for he being the King, giveth thanks to God himself: to teach us that it is an excercise for Kings and Princes: but now most men set their little children to do it only, and are ashamed to do it themselves, as though it were a childish thing to give God praise for his blessings. Say not now (as some have said) that I would not have children say grace, yes I would have you train them up in it, else when they come to years they willbe as much ashamed of it, as their fathers are now. But I would have yourselves to be the principal actors in so holy an action, because you have the best understanding, & if thou sayest no more but God be praised for all his gifts, do it with reverence, and from the feeling of thy heart in faith and true repentance. But if thou wilt be ashamed to give thy child so good an example, & lay all upon him, it may be said, thy child is come to grace, but thou art past grace. Last of all, as the king giveth thanks in his own person, so in his own person he confirmeth it, and saith, Amen, or So be it: he hath not a Clerk to say Amen for him, as they have in Popery, where the Priest, must pray, and the Clerk must say Amen for all the rest of the people. God said to Moses, the Levites shall pronounce the curses, 
Deut 27.15.26.  and all the people shall say Amen, if at the curses, much more at the blessings must all the people say Amen, for the one is against themselves, and the other is for themselves. In the primitive Church, when the Minister had made any prayer in his Sermon, or before, or after. All the people (saith an ancient father) did say Amen, Amen, that the noise went up as a mighty thunder in the skies. Now if we speak of a thing that is weighty indeed, & say God grant it, not ten amongst a thousand, will say Amen, but we will consider of the matter first, & foe we sit as blocks not one whit moved with the matter, and this is a great sin▪ Again, at public prayer, the people ought to attend to the words of the Minister when he prayeth, and all at once, as one body to say Amen. The Clerk hath no more warrant to do it for them, than Vzzah had to hold up the Ark from falling, for himself with the rest he ought to say Amen, but not alone for the rest, for not be, but the Minister is the mouth of God, unto the people, and the mouth of the people unto God in prayer, but they must say, So be it.  
Now to end, God doth now exhibit a Bill unto us his people, requiring that whatsoever he shall demand at our hands, if we see it stands with his glory and our own salvation, we will give our consent and let it pass, or else the time will come that we shall put up our Supplications to him, and they shall not pass. God grant us grace, to grant our consent to all his will.  
FINIS.