FOUR Sermons Preached in OXFORD. 

I. The Christians Excellency, upon Mat. 5. 47.  
II. Truth begets Enmity, upon Gal. 4. 16.  
III. A Nations happiness in a good King Eccles. 10. 17.  
IV. The praise of Charity, upon Heb. 13. 16.    
By JOHN PRICE Master in Arts, and Minister of Hollowell Parish in the said famous University.  
Printed in Oxford, 1661.   

TO THE Right Reverend Father In God, HENRY Lord Bishop of CHICHESTER.  
My Lord,  
IT Was not your greatness, but your goodness, that induced me to cast these mean Sermons at your honours see't; as I desire never to look upon a Great man, but either to pity him, or pray for him, so never upon a good man, but to imitate him: Of your extraordinary goodness and humility, I have had ample experience; Among many other precious jewels which your Mitre is embellished with, I am sure it doth not want that; I give your Honour many thanks for those many favours and civilities, you have been pleased to confer upon my unworthy self, and as a token thereof, I have made bold to present you with this mean work, hoping you will be pleased to vouchsafe it Protection under your wings. Though it may serve for little else, yet I hope it will serve to testify my gratitude; you were pleased to initiate me into the Church, and I present you with my first fruits: Though cunning Bezaliels and Aholiabs may carve and polish the Temple yet I am glad that I can but lay one little stone; Though men of brighter souls bring their gold, and jewels to it, yet I hope God will accept of my young Pigeous and Turtle-doves. I may say with St Peter, silver and gold have I none, but what I have I give you. My Lord I wish you all happiness, both Internal, external, and Eternal, and I am  
Your humbly devoted Servant JOHN PRICE.   

To the READER.  
Courteous Reader,  
BEing summoned to Preach a St. Mary's the seaventh of July, and being unexpectedly put by; when I first set upon the Printing of these Sermons, I thought myself engaged in honour so to do, at least wise to communicate that day's preparations. But afterwords I was informed, that the Person that Preached had warning of it a month before, and I conceive there is no great injury done me, however having employed the Printer, I could not very well strike sail. I confess though my imperfestions were always too too legible, yet they were never in Print before, I never in this kind offered any incivility to men's eyes, there are some things in the first Sermen which some peradventure may take offence at, but I would have such know, that I was never wedded to any interest, or faction; I have lost by all Governements, but never got any thing by any; and truth (if from any) may be expected from such a one. I think men have little reason to be angry with me, in that I have told not some only but all men of their faults, and that impartially. I hope thou art of so much candour, humanity and piety, as being no Angel thyself, thou wilt (if thou chance to look over these unworthy lines), over look the failings of him, that is  
Thine in Christ jesus JOHN PRICE.   
Matthew 5. 47. And if ye salute your Brethren only, what do ye more than others, do not even the Publicans so? 
THE pharisees they were the flower, the soul, and as it were, the eyes of the Jewish Nation: they were Masters in Israel; Art thou a Master in Israel and knowest not these things? S. Paul Acts 26. calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most exquisite and exact sect: The Jewish Doctors tell us they have their name from separation, as being accounted men of purer doctrines, and more austere conversations than the generality of the Jews: They were by their profession 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interpreters of the Law, Luk. 7. 45. of these there were two sorts, some that thought the Law sufficient without tradition, and these were called Karaim: others that thought it no great commendation to do what they were bid unless they did superarrogate; and these were termed Chasidim holy above the Law, much like our overdoing Papists, these they would not frame themselves to the Law, but they would by their fair Glosses and Comments, make it frame itself to them, do homage to their lusts, and truckle under their passions: They would have it to have such a relish as they fabled the mannah to have had: a relish suitable to every one's palate; be any thing that any one fancied; among many other good Texts which they had corrupted with bad Comments, that was one in Leviticus the 19 & the 18. Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thyself, to which they added, hate thine enemy; which our Saviour points at, vers. 43. Ye have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy Neighbour and hate thy enemy. Christ being the Law giver & therefore the best Commentator upon his own Law, he vindicates it from the spurious unauthentick glosses of the pharisees, he separates the gold from the dross, the wheat from the chaff: he shows his Disciples not only the letter, but the life, the spirit of the Law, in this exhortation vers 44. Let the pharisees say what they will, I say unto you, love your enemies, Bless them that Curse you, Do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you; This exhortation he presses by a twofold reason; 1. If they do so, they shall be like their father, which makes the Sun to shine upon the good and bad. 2. If they do not so, they should, only be like the Publicans, Do no more than they do, If ye love them which love you what reward have ye, and if ye salute your brethren only what do ye more than others, do not even the Publicans so.  
These words they are spoken interrogatively, and are more piercing and pathetical then downright truths, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if ye salute, it signifies to salute with a kiss, which was a custom among the Jews, and is now among us, it is a general term comprehends in it all other civilities, as the rational soul doth the sensitive and vegetative, as running includes going. Your Brethren only— that is your friends and kinsfolks, your relations, persons that you are particularly obliged to, for the Jews acknowledged such only as brethren; hence it is that in old books it is translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amicos your friends: If ye salute your friends only— You my Disciples, you that are the salt of the Earth, You that are the light of the World, You that have me always in the midst of you: You that have the continual droppings of the word of the Kingdom: You that are enlightened and warmed in a signal manner, with the most piercing and distinguishing irradiations of the sun of righteousness: You that have the happiness of hearing those, even those heavenly discourses that came from the breast of the Father: You that have taken upon you the most exquisite and exact profession of christianity: You that have so many golden opportunities of benefitting yourselves and others: You that in comparison of heathens and Pagans, should be as Angels: What do you more than others?— More 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: Beza tells us it is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quid amplius facitis, what do you above others, Junius and Tremelius render it Quid eximium facitis; what excellent, admirable, extraordinary thing do ye: these lections do not vary much, the sense seems almost the same in all. Then others: These words are not expressed in the original, but they are necessarily understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being a respective term, for when a man doth more than others, they do less than he, his doing some thing tells them they do nothing. Then others: What others? More than the covetous griping, hypocritical, vainglorious, self-admiring pharisees, or the odious, scandalous, openly profane, and most wicked Publicans, which were accounted the scum and dross of the people, & hated by the Jews because they were the instruments of the Romans cruelty; as much as many formerly hated our excise men & sequestratours; these even these can love men for their own ends, or rather love themselves in those men. These can salute their Brethren; their friends, but it is them only and not others. But as for you that either are my Disciples already, or would be; you that are, or would be Christians, you must not only love your friends, but also your very enemies, as having somewhat of God upon them and being made after his own image as well as you. If ye do the one you only show yourselves grateful and escape blame: but if ye do the other ye deserve praise: that is of nature this of grace; that they do as men and this you are to do as Christians: that is but ordinary, but this excellent and extraordinary, if ye salute your Brethren only, what do you more than others do not even the Publicans do so? This is the true genuine sense of the words according to chrysostom, Musculus, Tostatus, Maldonate, Erasmus, Beza, Diodate and others compared together, they afford us these two plain truths, first, That Christians should be civil and courteous not only to their friends and kindsmen, persons that they are obliged unto; but even to strangers, nay even to their very enemies, If ye salute your Brethren only.  
2. That the Disciples of Christ should do somewhat extraordinary, somewhat more than others, more than Heathens, more than worldings, what do you more than others? 1. Of the former, which is this, that Christians should be civil and courteous not only to their friends, relations, and acquaintance, but also to strangers, yea even to their very enemies: In the prosecution ofit, I shall use this Method first give you some Scriptures. 2. Some Reasons 3. Apply. 1. That Christians should extend their civility and courtesy not only to friends and relations but even to strangers and enemies; is clear from these Scriptures: that we are to salute our Brethren do to do good to them that do good to us: to greet one another with a kiss of charity: to love the Brother hood; all men will easily grant: St. Paul's Epistles are full, of such salutations and demonstrations, of civilities and courtesiys: But some think it a hard saying, that their courtesies and civilities should reach even unto strangers and enemies, the Scripture is no less express in this then the other, Deut. 10. 19 Love thou therefore the strangers for ye were strangers in the Land of Egypt: not only your Brethren, your Friends, your allies, those that your are obliged by the Laws of gratitude to love upon particular accounts; but also strangers such as are lovely only for God's sake upon the general account of Christianity: It is the Apostles exhortation that we should do good to all men. But especially such as are of the household of faith, and if to all, then surely to strangers & enemies which is also meant by that Scripture: Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thyself; That is, any one that may be an object of pity and mercy, Heb. 13. 24. Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the Saints; that is, respect, honour your rulers; be courteous not only to some, but even to all the Saints whether they be poor, or rich, whether related to you, or not related to you: Honour them not upon carnal but spiritual accounts; Not because of any particular relation to you, but because of that general relation that ye all stand in as to Christ your head, in the 1 of Peter. 2. and the 17. Honour all men that is be civil courteous to all men according to their respective dignities qualities and stations, whether they be supperiours equals, or inferiors whether friends, or strangers, or enemies pregnant above all is that Text in Matth. 5. 44. But I say unto you love your enemies bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you: This Text contains in it the very essence of charity all the perfection here, acquirable upon earth, it comprehends all the acts of it: for if we are to love our enemies to bless them that curse us to do them good, to pray for them, we cannot deny them salutations and civilities which are but expressive and significative of that heavenly grace of charity. In that the greater includes the less, so much may suffice for the I. thing, neither is this without reason for  
1. As Tostatus tells us salutations and external civilities extended to all are signs and expresses of charity in the heart; & not only so, but of the best and most diffusive in that that charity is best which like the Sun strives to do good to the whole World at once: when we love our friends only and such as love us, that is not so much to be termed charity as self love: external acts of humanity and courtesy are lively demonstrations of internal charity: they are none of the worst paraphrases upon a charitable well disposed spirit, when we see the good fruits of civility and courtesy we may very rationally conclude that the Tree of charity is alive and full of sap, such good fruits would not be without a good Tree, by their fruits we may know the Trees of of charity. 'Tis true these are not infallible demonstrations, such as we term those of the Mathematics, it is not impossible for a fawning Hypocrite Judas like to betray us with a kiss: but we must be content with them till we can get better. It being Gods prerogative royal to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searcher of the heart, and the tryer of the reins, he only made it and he only knows it being made.  
Neither can we rationally think that that man will love us, bless us, do us good, pray for us nay venture his own body for the salvation of our souls that will not as much as bestow upon us a cheap costless external act of civility. It is not likely that that man should run that is so lame, that he can hardly move, or go. Charity bids hope the best, provided we do not see the worst: good looks and good words tell us of a good heart; which never wanted some kind of expression, and surely were many men's hearts truly charitable their looks and their words would be so also, a man may very well suspect where he hears bad words and sees bad looks and actions, that surely there are bad hearts, or else his charity is too fond and merciful, and he seems to me to supererrogate to be over charitable; just as his Majesty King Charles the I. was over merciful, so that if we would not forfeit our charityed is requisite, we have somewhat to show for it; that we make some outward demonstrations, that may Preach to us it is there, it is not dead: there is some of the holy fire of charity though under the embers: and sometimes it breaks out either into the look the tongue, or some other way.  
2. Christian's should be courteous, not only to their friends, but to strangers yea to their very enemies: because in so Doing they become like God: they declare and testify to the World, that they are the Sons of their Father which is in Heaven, that Christians should be the Sons of God; and declare and testify to the World, that they are is unquestionable, it being the flower of our happiness, both to be and to be looked upon as the Sons of God: those are the best Christians that are likest God; that is to be looked upon as straightest that comes nearest to the rule, he is most of a Son which is likest the Father. A Son should be nothing else but as it were the picture of the Father: the one is the Architype, and the other the Ectype. The one is as the seal, the other is as the Wax: a Christian cannot be like God, as to equality; but he may and must resemble him, as to some faint and imperfect adumbrations, the voice of the Echo is but weak, but yet it hath something of the sound in it. That we are like God and testify that we are his Sons by being respective and courteous not only to friends but to strangers and enemies is as unquestionable. This is that which Erasmus hath upon the place: This it that which a greater than Erasmus even Christ Jesus tells us verse 45. Love your enemies, bess them that curse you, that you may be the Children of you Father which is in Heaven: for he makes his Sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and unjust, as if he should have said thus your Father which is in Heaven, is good not only to the good; but to the bad: all men have the light and warmth off the Sun; and if you would be, or be thought to be like him the the Sons of so good a Father you most do so to, your lives, prayers, discourses, outward civilities must be extended to all, though you my Disciples are so, yet testify to the World, in this respect you are so to. And as for you that are not my Disciples; If ye have any desire to be; if you would both really be and be accounted Christians, what I say to them I say to you, love your enemies, pray for them that despitefully use you that ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven.  
3. Christian's should do somewhat more than Pharisees Publicans Heathens, the ordinary uncultivated mass of men, and therefore they should be civil and courteous not only to their friends and kindred but even to strangers & enemies, a Christian if he have any respect either to his Father, or to his redeemer, or profession should be taller than others by the head and shoulders in piety, he should be a great exemplar, a copy to other men: they should esteem themselves to do well, or ill, as they are either nearest to, or furthest off him: Pharisees and Publicans, can salute their Brethren, but Christians, must salute strangers nay even their very enemies, in case they do not a man may put our Saviour's interrogatory to them, if ye salute your Brethren only what do ye more than others do not even the Publicans so? It is a great shame for you, If you do not more than they, but, because I am to speak more of this, in my other Doctrine, I shall wave it here, and only make a word of use.  
The use that I shall make of it briefly is this it may be for the just reproof of all those that are so fare from being civil and courteous to strangers and enemies, and such as have injured them: that they are not so to their Brethren, or indifferent persons such as never did them any injury. These they know not their duties, either as to God, or man; they know not how to demean themselves either as men, or Gentlemen, or Christian men: they seem to have written a bill of divorce both to civility and Christianity, they are strangers not only to Christianity but even to Morality. They are worse if we consider either the precious opportunities offered them; or the light received; then Pharisees Publicans, or even Heathens: they are so far from honouring all men that they will honour no man, they speak evils of dignities, they are unsatified with the present powers: thoug it be written with the Sun beam (as it appears by their miraculous restauration) that they are of God, they contemn our Ministry: Like so many Swine they trample upon the Pearls of our Doctrine, they despise our Persons, instead of honouring us for our works sake: they never look at us unless it be to laugh at us, or scorn us; and we are as ignorant of a reason as they: unless it be upon the account of our Doctrines: we may say with heavenly Paul they therefore look upon us as their enemies because we tell them the truth. You (very unjustly, and we know not why, make us the objects of your scorn and contempt: And we you more justly and with a great deal more reason the objects of our pity and prayers, we love you and you hate us; we bless you and you curse us; we pray for for you and you dispightfully use us; and among many others, we put up that of our Saviour, Father forgive them for they know not what they do: you that hate our counsels, will none of our reproofs, scoff at us, laugh at us, may chance at the dreadful day of judgement to weep and hear that of God, in Prov. the 1. 26. I will also laugh at your calamity and mock now your fear is, because you hated knowledge and would none of my Counsels, delivered you by my faithful and impartial servants. We could as men subject to like passions as you are, laugh at, scorn you, as much as you do us; but this we must not do, because we are not only men, but men of God. If we do to you as ye do to us what do we more than others? In doing as you do, we are only you equals, but in forgiving you, and praying for you, we are your superiors. And is it possible? Are we so odious, that we dare not look men in the face? Why, what is the matter? Are we more wicked than others? It may be so, we are ready to say with holy David, pardon our iniquities for they are great. With St. Paul, we are the chiefest of sinners. It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed, and because his compassions fail not. However thus much we can say for ourselves, (with a safe conscience and a great deal of truth. And I would you could have said so too) we never were the men, that swore we would destroy our Country, that contrived a traitorous, seditious, antiscriptural engine, like Catiline's conspiracy, for the same purpose. Our heads never plotted our Sovereign's ruin, our hands were never washed in the blood Royal; we never had the mark of Cain in our foreheads, we never obliterated the Holy sign of the Cross with the sign of the scaffold. Nay, we were so far from this, that for the prevention of it, some of us lost our estates, others our liberties, others our very lives, and some all three; and could they have done more, I believe they were so loyal, they would have done it. And when we heard of our Sovereigns unparrallelled never enough to be lamented death, (which God knows we could not hinder, or else we would have done it) out of a Christianlike Sympathy, we did seem not only to sigh, weep, sweat, bleed, but even die with him. You glory in your shame, and were it lawful to glory in any thing, we would glory in this, that we are accounted worthy to suffer (as we hope) for Christ's name sake. And now laugh on, and enjoy your own follies,— Egregiam vero laudem & spolia ampla refertis. So much may suffice for the first Doctrine, I proceed to the second which is this, that the Disciples of Christ, Christians, should do somewhat extraordinary, somewhat more than others, more than Pharisees, Heathens, Publicans, or any that say they are Christians, whereas their actions tell us they are rather Heathens. In the prosecution I shall use this Method, first prove it by Scripture, secondly by reason, thirdly make use.  
1. That Christians should excel, do more than others, do somewhat extraordinary. It is clear from these Scriptures, Mat. 5. 20. I say unto you, that except you righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wife enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Me thinks I hear the Jews tell me, what exceed the Scribes and Pharisees, is it possible? Surely if any do go to Heaven, the Scribe must be the one, and the Pharisee the other? No such matter, covetous men, gripers, oppressors, Hypocrites, mere outsides, painted tombs, never go to Heaven, during such; However God in his goodness dispose of them afterwards. Such were these Scribes and Pharisees, which we Christians must exceed, or else we shall never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Amos 3. 2. You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. You the Children of Israel, which I brought out of the Land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, into a Land flowing with Milk and Honey; You whom I have known by my judgements, which should have taught you righteousness; you whom I have known by my signal favours & mercies; you whom I have known by my faithful Prophets, rising up early, and fitting up late; you whom I have known by my soul saving, soul searching ordinances; I knew you so well, and so much, that I seemed to know no other Nation, unless it were to punish it; I thought and expected, ungrateful Israelites, that you should have known the Rock of your salvation, I did much for you, and I expected that proportionably you should have done much for me; but in that you did so little, and would not know me, I will make you know and that to your sorrow, that you only have I known of all the families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities, I will punish you temporally, though you do repent, I will punish you eternally if you do not repent. By how much your mercies and advantages have been greater than those of other Nations, by so much the greater shall your punishments be. There is an excellent place in Luk. 12. 47, 48. And that servant which knew his Lords will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew it not and commited things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whom much is given, of him much shall be required; and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. In this Text we have a Lord and two servants, the Lord is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, the two servants, they are not Angels but men, for their quality, the one was knowing, and the other not knowing, the one knew his Master's will, the other did not; they both committed things worthy of stripes, but the one was more excusable than the other, the one had many stripes, but the other few; and why both being faulty, were they not equally punished? Because they were not equally faulty, the one knew his Master's will, the other knew it not, and therefore not so unblamable. Of these just proceedings, we have an account given in the subsequent reason, for unto whom much is given, of him much shall be required, Phil. 1. 27. Only let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel. St. Paul writes to Christians, to men that had embraced the Gospel, and he requires a Gospel-like conversation; And what kind of one is that? A conversation full of simplicity, holiness, peace unity, charity; not a Pharisaical, not a Heathen, but a Christianlike, becoming conversation, such a one as becometh both the Profession and Professors; only let your conversation be such as becometh the Gospel. So much may suffice for the proof of it by Scripture, 2. Neither is this without reason, That Christians should do somewhat excellent and more than others, for  
1. They received, God hath given them more than others, and therefore they should give him more than others, do more than others, Luk. 12. 47, 48. Unto whom much is given of them much shall be required. it is but just and equal, that our returns should be proportionable to our receipts; Christians they have God for their Father, Christ for their Redeemer, the Holy Ghost for their comforter and teacher, they are under the continual droppings of the Sanctuary; they hear the shrill silver Trumpets of the Temple, they are always instructed by good precepts, good examples, good Sermons, good lives, tutored by God's Word, works, judgements, mercies, providences, nay even their very afflictions; The whole creation serves them, and surely they are blame-worthy, if they do not in a more eminent manner, serve the creator. Souls in some respect are like bodies, some bodies are drawn in bright and orient colours, as if nature had made use of a Sun beam for her pencil; others are drawn in more dusky, coale-like colours; The brightest colours have aliquid umbrae, and the darkest aliquid lucis. If we look into the excellencies of the Soul, those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those internal colours of the soul we may see the same; God hath given some, more glittering souls, bespangled with light from the Sun of righteousness, souls embroidered with all perfections here acquirable: He hath been pleased to give others more sad and dark coloured Spirits; as the brightest souls have somewhat of a cloud, to teach them humility so the darkest have somewhat of a beam, to keep them from discouragement, and that others may not insult over them. Those that have the brightest souls, God expects they should shine like Stars in the Firmament; Let your light so shine that men seeing your good works, may glorify your Father which is in Heaven. God hath opened the Scholar's mouth, therefore he exspects his lips should show forth his praises. The rich man is God's Lord treasurer, he is the hand of God, and he expects it should be always opened to the necessities of the poor and needy; he should be like the mercies of God, beneficial to the whole World at once God may accept of Turtle Doves, and young Pigeons from the poor, but he expects that the rich should bring their Plate, Gold, and Jewels to the Temple. God expects that Bezaliels and Aholiabs that are cunning to work in Gold, should not only build, or lay common stones, but carve and polish the Tempe, Eunapius calls a mean Scholar, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a drop of Helicon, and surely if a mean Scholar be a drop of Helicon, a good Scholar is all Helicon, or rather an Ocean of learning: And if so, God requires an Ocean of service from him; an Ocean of service is but propottionable to an Ocean of learning. Though the whole World besides, be but, as the dry heath, and barren Wilderness, yet the Church is the Eden of the World, the Paradise of God; and in Paradise (if any where) God may look for Trees bearing fruit, pleasant to the taste. Christian's should be men of better lives, than uncultitated Barbarous asiatics, Africans, Americans.  
2. The second argument is drawn from the nature of perfection, Christians should be perfect, if so, thy must do somewhat more than others, for he that is more perfect in his profession than another, doth a great deal more than he in it, be ye therefore perfect, as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect. And can a man be as perfect as his Father which is in Heaven? No, there is a twofold perfection, a perfection of of equality, and a perfection of similitude; we cannot be like our Father as to the former, but we may as to the latter, We have only somewhat like God in us, as to every grace, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it be not many times so legible. And he that would attain to this perfection, must do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 somewhat extraordinary, somewhat above and more than others. That man that would have the World believe that he is one of the best Musicians in it, his compositions must be more sweet, rare, and harmonious than other men's, his judgement must be more solidd and piercing, his hand must be more commanding, he must be all ear, and a man, would say what ever other men's souls were, yet his was nothing but harmony. He that would be accounted a rare Painter, must draw better pictures, than thousands of ordinary Painters can; he must so draw a man, that it would be a hard matter to tell, whether it were the man himself, or his picture, (if any one should come into the room, (if he did not know the man very well) yet presently salutes, his picture, as deeming it to be the very man himself; if he cannot do so, he disgraces his profession, he doth not do it to the life. He that either really is, or would be accounted one of the best Orators in the universe, says thus to his words, Go, smite spirits, wound souls, captivate affections, command hearts, be victorious, make sure of passions, he steers a congregation with an expression, he never is looked upon, but either with an eye of envy, or admiration, or both, and he that eyes his auditors, gathers by their looks and deportments, that their bodies, nay, their very souls have nothing else to do for that time, but like servants and willing prisoners, to wait upon and attend his speeches: And, it is the great unhappiness of the universe; that it hath not one ear, and that chained to his soul ravishing, soul enthralling discourses. And if it should happen not to be so, 'tis not because Rhetoric wants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 somewhat to persuade, but because the Orator wants Rhetoric: surely if a man had had the happiness to have heard golden Mouthed, sweet tongued Cicero, though he had never seen him, he need not ask who it was, Cicero would have spoken it had been Cicero, though he had spoken not a word about that thing. Aristotle was accounted the best Philosopher in the world in his time, because he did more than all others, and wrote better, hence is that deserved commendation of M. Hooker, that he had discovered almost more of nature's Mysteries, in the whole body of Philosophy, than the whole series of ages since, hath in any particular member thereof. The Christian that would be perfect, must do more than Pharisees, Publicans, Heathens, Ordinary Christians: He is more Eagle-eyed in spirituals then others his judgement is more solid and searching, his thoughts are more orderly and harmonious, his affections are more spiritual and Christ-like, his whole conversation is more becoming the Gospel, than thousands of other men's: his whole life is nothing else but a continued Sermon: He is full of Faith, patience, humility, heavenly-mindedness, contentedness, mortification of sin, moderation of passion, and he knows very well how to rule his tongue, which is no small matter; And were the Bible and all graces lost, (which God forbid) we might find them all in him, though not in their perfect degrees, yet as to all their parts, not only inchoated but above half finished: If a Prince should offer him his Sceptre, he would refuse it, as judging that nothing but heaven could make his condition better; If he owes a man any thing, though he be five hundred mile off, yet out of Conscience he pays him, and dares do no otherwise: If any one affronts him, he forgives him long before he asks forgiveness, and though he did never ask, yet he would do so: He never looks into the world, but to look upon it with an eye of pity, and to weep over it, as our Saviour did over Jerusalem, O jerusalem, jerusalem, hadst thou but known even in this thy day, those things that concern thine everlasting peace: O sinful Universe, O sinful Universe, hadst thou known in this thy day, the things that concern thy peace: He never travels into it, but to teach it civility, morality, Christianity; His sober life tells the Drunkard that he must be drunk no more, His pious, cautious abhorrence of oaths, tells the swearer, that he must swear no more; His heavenly, world contemning carriage, tells the covetous griping worldling, that he is not for this, but for a better world; When you see him walk, you think he walks here, no, he walks in the streets of the new Jerusalem: His busy thoughts and meditations, are upon his eternal rest, God the chiefest good, the blessed company of angels, and the spirits of just men glorified; The eyes of his soul, are fixed upon the beauties of the third heaven, the pearly gates of the palace of God; He desires to do every action of importance, so, as that he needs not be ashamed, or afraid to be found in it at the dreadful day of judgement; He would be such a one in his life, as he would be in his death; and such a one in his death, as he would be found, when he stands before Christ's Tribunal; He lives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as one ashamed that he should carry a body, the hinderer of his happiness about him; And if it were not for God's glory, and the good of his brethren, he would not care much, how soon he were rid of it; And were he as much master of the great, as he is of the little World, he would tread upon the Globe all at once, and make it a step to heaven; When he rises, he thinks that will be his last day, and when he goes to bed, that that will be his last night, therefore having but one precious and invaluable jewel, and that is his immortal soul, he cabinets it in the Heaven of Heavens, as finding no place upon earth fit for it: And can there be any place in this world fit for a soul, to take a night's lodging in? that is better than ten thousand Worlds, What shall it profit a man to gain the whole World, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange, the whole World, nay ten thousand worlds, weighed in the balance, they are all found too light. So much may suffice for the second thing, the Reasons, I proceed in the third place to make use.  
1. This may be for the just reproof of all the Christian world at once, all Christian Kings, Arch-Bishops, Bishops, Nobles, Gentlemen, Divines, Physicians, Lawyers, Soldiers, Tradesmen, all men in all places, that do not act proportionably to those peerless means of grace received, to those golden talents, that God hath entrusted them with. A man may very well put our Saviour's interrogatory to any of them, What do you more than others? And more particularly.  
1. What do you Christian Kings more than others? Most is the pity, to the great disgrace of Christianity, and grief of all good men, You embroil the Christian world in blood, and unnecessary wars, only for the accomplishment of your own ambitious, unwarrantable, anti-scriptural designs, great Grotius might have saved himself a labour of writing De jure Belli & Pacis, for you and your Court parasites can make any war lawful, provided it be for your own ends, if that ye be likely to get the better. But because either you do not, or will not know what ye should do, I will tell you, Be Wise O ye Kings, and be instructed O ye judges of the earth, serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. You should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, spend your hatred some other way, and join hearts and hands against those sworn enemies of God and all goodness, the Turk, and the Pope, that are ready to overrunn all Christendom, the one with his Tyrannical sword, the other with his Tyrannical word, this would be a happy Synchristianismus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, an act worthy of all the Christian Kings in Christendom, were this but once done, how soon would the seven hills be made plain? nor should thy triple Idol, O Anti-christian Rome, resist the Christian swords; As you are above others in Place, so, you should be above others in grace; As you are the best of men for greatness, so, you should be the best of men for goodness; As you have no superiors in degree, so, neither should you in virtue; Consider you are the Fathers of Christendom, therefore you should provide for its welfare; you are the shepherds of Christendom, therefore you should feed it; You are the Physicians of Christendom, therefore you should heal it. And now I am speaking of the actions of Kings, pray what doth His Majesty of England? He doth to the admiration of all his friends, and envy of all his enemies. There are three or four potent Sects in England, just a drawing one upon the other, and He, partly by his piety, partly by his policy, partly by his promises, sweetens them all, and keeps them from drawing, and long may he do so. But what did he do? Among many other good acts, he made an Act of Oblivion, which may be termed the Cement and glue of this Kingdom; It were to be wished, that as he made an Act of Oblivion for his enemies, so, he would make an Act of Remembrance for his friends: Though it be the height of Christianity to forgive our enemies, yet it cannot be denied, but that it is somewhat of Christianity to remember our friends. I chanced to overhear many poor sufferers say they were un-universed, un-commonwealthed, they seemed to have no part to act upon the stage of England: durst I say any thing, I would say, that they are hated and slighted by most men, hated by their enemies, because they are not of their pernicious, Popish principles; and slighted by many of those that should be their friends, because they are some few of them richer than they as it is natural with rich men, (unless they have more than ordinary supplies of grace, to forget God, themselves, and their brethren.) Me thinks those few sufferers that the King hath been pleased to look upon, thy are just like men, that have newly escaped drowning, they are so taken with their landing, that they will not as much as cast a plank into the Sea, for the landing of their Brethren, that are struggling with the boisterous swelling Seas.  
2. What do you Noble men above others? As there are many of you, truly noble, virtuous, honourable, so there are many of you that are the stain of your Families, the shame of your Ancestors, and the disgrace of Christianity, you are as far above others in wickedness, as you are in blood and degree; I would have all the Noble men in Europe consider, that whether they have respect either to the Nobility of their bloods, or the Nobility of their souls, or to their apparency to the eyes of all, or those signal advantages they have above others, it highly concerns them to do somewhat more than others. Methinks when you are in an Eclipse, you are like the Sun, all the eyes of the World are upon you; Uzziah-like you have your leprosies written in your foreheads, he that runs may read. Gen. 6. 9 These are the Generations of Noah, Noah was a just man and walked with God, what was the flower of Noah's Nobility, S. Ambrose tells us, He was a just man and walked with God; He was perfect in his Generations. One Gentleman that is so, by piety and virtue, either by the word or sword, or both, is better than two by birth or blood, 
Et genus & proavos, & quae non fecimus ipsi,  
Vix ea nostra voco.—  But he is the most complete Gentleman, that hath all these perfections, a constellation of excellencies. He that brags of his Nobility doth all one, as if a stammerer (with much a do, should say), that his great Grandfather was a good Orator; Sir, my great Grandfather, was an expert, most accomplished person, a good speaker, a good Captain, but for myself, I do nothing, but wear good clothes, lie, drink, swear, from one end of the year to the other; And I have a thousand parasites tell me I do very well, and they do for their own ends even Deify me. Methinks I hear the slighted Arts and Sciences complaining thus against you, alas, said Logic, I am the door of all Arts and Sciences, and will ye not as much as look into the door (If ye go no further?) I can make you not only men, but rational men; I can teach you how to wield an argument, how to out wit others, and will ye not make use of me? Just as close-fisted Logic had done, in comes open handed honey tongued Rhetoric (and if any of the Arts and Sciences, would speak any thing to the purpose, you may be sure, she would, speaking being her peculiar excellency:) And what said she, My Lords, will you be pleased out of your singular goodness, to hear a poor maid speak, I can teach you not only to speak; as ordinary men do, but to speak well; I can teach you how to speak in Parliament, and to speak so, as that ye shall be the admiration of all your auditors; And there was never any one in the Parliament, that said any thing well, but by my assistance. Rhetoric had not spoke much, (though indeed it was much in a little) but in comes Soul tuning Music, and thus she said, I am that science, that Kings and Princes have been ambitious of, and do all my sweet voiced Lutes and Viols, hang upon the walls, untouched? are they like the children of Israel's harps upon the willows, are they pleased to make use of me in their public service, and will you not make use of me in your private chambers? Am I a Science for God, and yet not for men? Are your fingers made for nothing else, but bowls and cups? Methinks Lutes and Viols might become them a great deal better. Among the rest, hear what Mathematics said, I can teach you how to make stately buildings, after the Italian Mode, pleasant well contrived walks, refreshing Gardens, useful, serviceable Ships; and if ye will be so ungentile, as to slight all my other Sisters, yet methinks you should not slight me, for I am that Science, that am peculiar to Noble men; and if you reject me, you do not reject one but a great many.  
The Arts and Sciences, having had but poor entertainment, and answers not so pleasing, as they expected, they chose Rhetoric for their speaker, they prayed her to speak two or three words for them altogether, which she with much boldness, and somewhat of anger did. My Lords we had (as it is natural with Maids to have) some thoughts of our own beauties, either we are not beautiful, or you want eyes; as it may be, we are not so beautiful as many take us to be, so it may be, you want eyes; There are beauties visible only to an intellectual eye, neither are deaf men to say there is no Music, because they cannot hear it's sweet and most delicious closes. Just as the Maids had done, in comes the Mistress, Divinity, the Queen of Sciences; The first word she said, was, Thus saith the Lord, I come from that God, before whose dreadful Tribunal ye must all stand, though never so Noble; O consider that you carry precious, immortal souls about you, that are better worth than a world, lay up treasures in heaven for them, believe in Jesus, grow in grace, prepare for your latter ends, act the good stewards; O do not twist your damnation in golden threads, O for God's sake, Christ's sake, your own souls sake, hear what I say, and if you do not so, and do accordingly, you will be damned to all eternity.  
3. What do you Soldiers more than others? I tell you what you did before, you ruled us with a rod of Iron, every one of your swords was turned Sceptre, and every one of you Tyrant. You behaved yourselves like an army of Turks and Saracens, rather than like a Christian civilised army, you scared us into a forced compliance, all were afraid of you, and you were afraid of all: What ever you did before, I tell you what you should do now, do violence to no man, but be content with your wages; do not only fight under your commanders banners, but also under the banner of Christ? fight the good fight, that ye may receive a Crown of Glory. So much of the sword men, I now come to the Word-men.  
1. What do you Divines more than others? You are of two sorts. 1. They of the Episcopacy. 2. They of the Presbytery. 1. You of the Episcopacy, I will tell you what ye did do, you did so well, to the admiration and envy of all your neighbours, that many whose doings were not so good, would needs undo you; Eminency is the object of envy, many envied not so much (as they said) your Greatness, as your goodness. Now I have told you what ye did do, I will tell you what ye should do; though I know many of you, are as humble and meek men, as any upon the face of the earth, yet some of you would do very well, to get more humility & courtesy, Among many other virtues which ye have No jewel better becoming the Mitre, of a miraculously restored Bishop, than humility. When some denied that their was any motion, the Philosopher walked, I would have you now so to walk, as that you should tell the incredulous universe, that gray-headed Episcopacy is the best of Church Governments.  
2. You of the Presbytery, what do you more than others. Before I say any thing of you, I will distinguish, Presbyters are of two sorts, some moderate and sober, and studious of their Country's peace and good; others more rigid and turbulent; for the first, I think some of them, may be good subjects, whatever the latter be. Presbyters may be considered to ways, either in subordination, or in contradistinction to Bishops, either as they are subservient to them, or as they would stand on their own bottom; if ye be taken the first way, as being men of parts and eminencies, ye may be instrumental for God's glory and your Country's good, provided ye do not Preach sedition and rebellion, in an uncouth, improper palliating dialect. But if ye be considered the second way, ye are sworn enemies, both to God, your King, and your Country; ye are the incendiaries of the World, the firebands of Christendom, and though I have a great deal of charity for your persons yet I have none at all for your opinions, and damnable factions. And now I have distinguished of you, I tell you what you did more than others, you with your auxiliary forces in iniquity, the Independents, Anabaptists, Quakers, & the rest of the filth & scum of the World, you levied armies against your Sovereign, which is a Popish practice, an arrow drawn out of Bellarmine's Quiver, you unstared the firmament of the Church, you untreed the Paradise of God, the Silver Trumpets of the Temple, could not be heard, for the noise of drums and Trumpets. You laid the grave-stone upon mercy, truth and peace; you Preached the Funeral Sermon of all goodness, loyalty, piety, civility, and Christianity; and because it is the excellency of a Preacher to live according to his Doctrine, you lived accordingly: you made a traitorous, seditious, bloody Covenant, 'twas neither a Covenant of good works, nor a Covenant of grace; and therefore it was a spurious, meretricious, anti-scriptural one. They talk of burning it, but a man can never sufficiently burn it, unless he could go to hell-mouth and cast it there, saying, here Beelzebub take thy soul damning nation embroiling engine; thine, even thine in vention, for none but Beelzebub could make such a one; we are all now resolved to be good subjects. Nero like, you played upon your instruments of joy, whilst our Rome was on fire, and who fired it? Not the Christians, but the Heathens, the Publicans, did not even the Publicans so? And what said thousands, that had their houses on fire? O! fling them all into those flames which they themselves have made.  

— Nec enim lex justior ulla,  
Quam necis artifices, arte perire suâ.   
But what said another, of a more lamblike, and Christianlike temper, stay I have found out a better way, save their bodies and souls, but burn all their opinions, especially the Covenant, it being like original sin, all sins, a Legion of transgressions. And it would be a happy turn to burn a bundle of factions, to keep precious and immortal souls from burning in Hell, to all eternity. And O that you would, at length, come and fling all your conjuring books, that raised so many Spirits of division, into the fire; you can neither dispute for them, nor Preach for them, nor live for them: Not dispute for them, unless ye banish your reason, not Preach for them, unless you abjure the Scriptures, not live for them, unless any one of you, would strive to outlive the worst fiend in Hell. O you that never drew sword, or turned tongue, but for your own interests, shall I tell you where it lies, Had you but eyes to see it, it lies in being subordinate to Bishops. Alas! can the miserable cabins of Presbytery, think to escape, when the great Sovereign of Episcopacy, is under water? The Independent had like to have swallowed you both, and me thinks this should make you agree: Now I have spoken to you asunder, give me leave to speak to you both together; It is a great shame for men of peace, for men of your cloth, to trouble the World with Ceremonious disputes; It would be far more Christian like for you, on both sides, to deny yourselves; and they that would ever agree, must abate somewhat on both sides: Give me leave to tell you of a strange sight, what's that? I saw the goodly Ship, Religion, (and it was the best Ship that ever I saw, it being man'd, not with Turks, or Heathens, but Christians, and not a few but all the Christians in the World; and it highly concerns us to pray, for the safe landing of it, in that all our souls are in it.) this Ship sailed between two Rocks, the one was as it were Scylla, the other Charybdis, the one was formality and customariness on the one hand, the other was ataxy and confusion on the other. For you Episcopal men I would have you to beware, of for mallity and superstition; and you Presbyters, of ataxy and confusion. Whilst the Ship sails directly between these two Rocks, there is no fear of Shipwreck:— Inter utrumqne tene, medio tutitssima curs— God is a Spirit, and will be worshipped in Spirit and in truth; But this most be done decently and in order. And as there is the deformity of vice, so there is the beauty of holiness. Some of you say, that we have no grace; Some of us say, that ye have no grace; and were I either able, or worthy to say any thing, I would say, that neither of us have as much grace as we should have; or else we would not be so uncharitable and censorious. One saith I am of Paul, a second I am of Cephas, a third I am of Apollo, one saith I am an Episcopal man, another saith I am a Presbyterian, the third I am an judependent, and I would we could all say, I am of Christ.  
2. You Physicians, what do you more than others? I heard them say, that you could murder men when you pleased, and never be called in question; That the Physician of the soul had no great reason to be angry with the Physician of the body, the one made work for the other, the one killed them, and the other buried them; It may, be said of many of you that you are like those Physicians of no value, that would have given Physic to our distempered state, Multitudo medicorum rempublicam interfecit. Many Physicians have killed the patient, and he hath more reason to be afraid of you, than his disease. You know that dilemma of Pliny, either a disease is incurable, or curable, if in curable, why do you attempt to cure it? If curable, let nature work it out: 'twas Plato's opinion, that it was a bad Commonwealth where there were many Physicians. But by his leave, we must descent from him. We know how to distinguish between the good use, and the abuse of a calling, we will honour the Physician for our health's sake, God hath created Medicines out of the simples of the earth, and he that is wise, will make use of them.  
3. What do you lawyers above others? you Are many of you, the plague & shame of a Nation; the Locusts of a Kingdom, you Seal up the Fountains of Justice, you turn judgement into gall, and the fruits of righteousness into hemlock, instead of deciding controversies you make them like the Siege of Troy, of ten years standing; and where as you say you are peace makers, you are the greatest peace breakers and troublers of our Israel. You make yourselves questions, like Hydra's heads, the taking away of one, is the setting on of another; you draw black lines, because ye make use of a silver Plummet. No wonder ye cannot see clearly, if your eyes be bloudshot. You are like the Polonian Ictus, that knew not how to resist so many men in complete armour, (the Coin of the Country was so stamped.) Good lawyers are styled the oracles of the City, the rulers of the Law, a good ruler should see, that he have skill to rule, that his parchment be spread abroad before him, that his eye be upon the rule, the rule of the Law, he must have nothing in his hand, but his Plummet, his hand must be steady, not shaking, he must be nimble handed to draw lines speedily.  
2. What do you Women, you Ladies more than others? Having spoken to most of the considerable men in the World, give me leave to speak a word or two, to the Women; first the Man, and then the Woman. It was Solomon's question, can a Man find a virtuous Woman? If he had lived in our days, he would have had as much a do, to find one, as ever he had. This question doth not imply an impossibility, but only the difficulty and rareness of it, that it is a hard and rare thing to find a virtuous Woman, for in Prov. 31. 29. Solomon tells us of many Daughters that have done virtuously, and of one that excelled all the rest and pray what did she do? Surely she had a Bible always in her hand, no she opened her mouth with wisdom, in her tongue was the Law of kindness, she looked well to the ways of her household, she did not eat the bread of idleness: O! how many Women with us, eat the bread of idleness, it would puzzle a Cherubin to know what they do, besides eating, drinking, sleeping, and dressing themselves, from one end of the year to the other. I know that there are some few that do virtuously, this is not spoken to them. Now I have told you what many of you do do, I will tell you what ye should do, those that have families should provide for them, but all should read, hear, pray, Meditate, Act. 16. 14. It was Lydias commendation, she was one that feared and worshipped God; As there is the beauty of the body, so there is the beauty of the soul; though the one be great, yet the other is far greater. Me thinks you that have such beautiful bodies, should strive to get beautiful souls, a deformed soul in a beautiful body is just like a Toad in a golden Cabinet. That of Solomon is good Scripture, Prov. 31. 30. Favour is deceitful, beauty is vain, but a Woman that feareth the Lord shall be praised. No beauty to the beauty of holiness, no Jewels to those precious and in estimable Jewels, the graces of the Spirit, no Pearl to the Pearl of price. I have endeavoured, to say somewhat to you all asunder, now be pleased to hear what God says to you all together, me thinks I hear God speaking thus to England, O England what dost thou more than others? Surely I have done somewhat more for thee, than any other Nation, and I expect that thou shouldst do somewhat more for me; I have freed thy tender neck, from the galling yoke of thy insulting. Tyrannising enemies; I have sheathed that tayterous sword, that was wont to be sheathed in the bowels of thy Princes: Of an Egypt, of black Schisms and Heresies, I have once more made thee a Goshen, a Land of light, I have crowned thee with the mercies of my right hand, and of my left, with the choicest, richest, and most distinguishing mercies in all my Cabinet. I have brought thee from the Nadir of misery, to the very Zenith of happiness: though in my Justice for thy sins and Rebellions, I took away a good King from thee, yet in my mercy I gave thee another as good. And it is a great question whether thou wert more miserable, in the loss of the one, or are now happy in the miraculous restitution of the other. I expect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 somewhat extraordinary. Shall God do so much for us, and shall we do nothing for him? What shall we do? Let us act suitably and proportionably to those precious means, advantages, and opportunities God hath entrusted us with; Let us be of one mind, of one heart, of one Spirit; Let us love as Brethren, pray and preach for the peace of Jerusalem, pray that God would give us a Spirit of uniformity and meekness. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart. Alas! who lays the divisions of our Reuben to heart? Do we not rather widen the breaches, wound our very wounds, and vex our very vexations? We are, by God's goodness, better in condition, but very few of us in life and manners. 'tIs the glued bow that doth execution, that instrument that is best glued, makes the best harmony; surely were we more cemented, and glued together; we would make more heavenly Music in the ears of God & good men. Divisibile est corruptibile, a Kingdom divided against itself, cannot stand, and surely if we be so divided, we may expect that we cannot stand. We have all been tried sufficiently in the furnace of afflictions, and God expects that now, at length, we should come forth like pure Gold; he hath done a great many things for us, and let us do one thing for him, what is that? Only let us fear the Lord, and serve him in truth, and consider what great things he hath done for us, and not do wickedly, left we be consumed, both we and our King.   
Galatians 4. 16. Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth. 
DIfferent have been the entertainments, not only of humane, but divine truth with different men: some have embraced it for a season, others for ever: and it is not impossible even for a Herod for a time to hear a john Baptist gladly. Such was the Laodicean temper of these Apostate Galatians to whom our Blessed Apostle directs this Epistle: They had once high and reverend thoughts of his Ministry, and they seem to acknowledge, and embrace those heavenly truths delivered by him; they received him as an Angel of God even as Christ Jesus vers. 14. But soon after as the learned Estius observes by reason of the crafty and subtle insinuations of false teachers, they change their note, they desert the truth; their thoughts of him before were not so high and honourable as they are now mean and low: they that before looked upon him as their happiness, now look look upon him as their enemy, S. Paul wonders at their sudden change and defection, and knowing no reason of it in himself, he inquires of them, he reproves their ingratitude, and expostulates with them in the words of my text, Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth.  
Am I? I the Apostle of Christ, your teacher, your spiritual guide, one that watches over you for the good of your souls: your enemy, you that professed yourselves to be happy in my ministry; you that thought nothing too good for me; you that loved me so dear that if it had been possible, you would have pulled out your own eyes and have given them me, am I become your enemy? because I tell you the truth, because I preach the Gospel to you, all the truths of Christ, more especially that fundamental truth that we are not justified by the Law, (as you think, and your false teachers suggest) but by faith in Christ. I would be loath to be accounted your enemy upon any account, but most of all upon the account of truth; you should honour me for the truth, esteem me for my works sake, not hate me, look upon me as your enemy, am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth: this is the true genuine sense of the words, according to chrysostom, Estius, Calvin, Diodate, Perkins, and some others compared together, there's no difficulty in them, therefore this may suffice for exposition of them, they contain in them two things,  

1. The Gallatians envy, and hatred conceived against S. Paul, am I become your enemy?  
2. The ground of it, it was upon the score of truth, because I tell you the truth.   
The words without torturing and wracking, afford these two plain truths.  

1. That many men look upon them as their enemies that tell them the truth. Am I become your enemy?  
2. That the Preachers of the Word should be truth-tellers, Because I tell you the truth. First of the first is this.   
That many men look upon those as their enemies which tell them the truth. In the prosecution of it, I shall use this method.  

1. Prove it by Scripture.  
2. Give you some Reasons and Arguments for it.  
3. Make use.   
But before I come to my proposed method, I think it necessary for my more orderly proceeding, to give you some distinctions of truth, and those that oppose it and the assertors of it. Truth may be considered too ways either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either in itself and as it is nothing else but a conformity between the object and the intellect, or else it may be considered by way of accident as it thwarts men's lusts and corruptions, if we consider it the first way: It is not odious but there is a friendly amity between the understanding, and it: The eye is delighted with colour; the ear with Harmony, and the understanding the eye of the Soul is no less delighted with truth it being its natural genuine proper object in this sense Saint Austin affirms truth to be dear to the intellect: but if we consider it the second way as it creates a disturbance in the Commonwealth of men's lusts so it is odious to them, the Sun in its self is an amiable and lovely object, and Solomon teils us that it is a pleasant thing for the eye to behold the Sun; but they that have fore eyes cannot endure to look upon it: truth is a glorius ray from the Sun of righteousness: It is in itself precious, and lovely, yet men of corrupt minds and irregular affections do not love it, yea they cannot bear the clearer & more piercing irradiations of it, this I take to be meaning of Calvin upon the place: Veritas odiosa est malitia & pravitate eorum qui eam non sustinent audire. Truth's are either humane, or Divine Philosophical, or Theological, Philosophical such as are cognoscible by the light of nature, such as are found out by experience, & humane disquisition such as we meet with in Ethics, Physics, Mathematics, and Methaphysicks, Theological, or Divine truths such as are revealed from above; such as stream from the clearer Fontains of the Scripture: of the entertainments of Philosophical, or humane truths I do not here inquire, truths are either general, or particular general such as are proposed in an universal way without application to the conscience, or reflection upon such men, or such and such lusts; as this vice is to be hated, particular such as reflect upon particular men, and particular lusts such as sting the conscience as pride coveteousnosse, drunkness are to be hated. General gliding, tansient, irreflexive unconcerning truths may peradventure gain tolerable acceptance be looked upon with a more propitious aspect when a particular severer conscience smiting truth may be brow beaten, suspected, de graded to a mere probability nay it may be flatly opposed, contradicted in down right terms. Men are either good, or bad, unregenerate, or regenerate: unregenerate such as are in the gall of bitterness, such as wallow like Swine in the Mire of their corruptions, such as are merely as they were born: regenerate, such as are born again, such as cleave to God's commaudements, such ss star their thoughts, word, and actions according to the dictates of God's Word and Spirit; unregenerate men naturally hate God's truths; and this hatred it doth not terminate in the truth itself; but it is extended to the Person that delivereth it: as if he were the Author of it and not that God that sent him; but with the regenerate truths find more courteous and Christian like entertainments: they know whose truths they are & therefore they respect, and reverence them for his sake, and if they do at any time look upon them superciliously, it is in that and so far forth as they are unregenerate and not regenerate: as to their unsanctified not to their sanctified part. This distinction as to the sense and substance of it I find in Proverbes the 9 8. Reprove not a scorner lest he hate thee rebuke a wise man and he will love thee. Men are according to Solomon either divided into scorners, or wisemen: by scorners we are to understand wicked men: by wisemen such as are wise to salvation, as for scorners, if we reprove them they will hate us, but wisemen being rebuked they will love us. Though Herod cut of john Baptists head, because of Herodius yet Anathan may tell a David, thou art the man and he will not be much offended. The sum of all is this that unregenerate men look upon those as their Enemies, that tell them Divine truth not proposed in general, but particularly applied to their consciences, they hate the truth not barely considered in its self, but as it thwarts their sins, their unmortified affections, and this hatred it rebounds as it were from the truth to the Person. This being premised I proceed to the proposed Method. 1. That many men look upon those as their Enemies, that tell them the truth is clear from these Scriptures, acts 7. 54. When they heard these things they were cut to the heart and the gnashed on him with their teeth. Would you know what things those were, you may read verse the 52. They had persecuted the Prophets they themselves had betrayed and murdered the holy one: When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, & gnashed on him with their teeth & immediately they stoned him. 1 Kings 18. 17. Art thou he that troubleth Israel? the great sin that Ahab and his people were guilty of was the Worshipping of Baal, Eliah rebukes them sharply for this sin? hereupon they look upon him as an Enemy incendiary and entertain him with this discourteous salutation, art thou he that troubleth Israel? pregnant is that place: in the 1 of Kings 22. 18. there is yet one Prophet Michaiah, the Son of Imlah; but I hate him for he doth not Prophesy good concerning me, but evil: In those words there are two things considerable.  
1. ahab's hatred of Michaiah, but I hate him.  
2. The ground of it in the latter part for he Prophecies no good concerning me, so that his hatred was upon the account of his Proyhesy, remarkable is that Text Amos. 5. 10. They hate him that rebuketh in the gate and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly: that is they hate their faithful, zealous, courageous sin rebuking Magistrates that kept their course of judicature by the gates; they cannot endure their upright conscientious soul wounding Prophets; this is that which Christ tells his Disciples of you shall be hated of all men for my name's sake, Luk. 21. 17. That is for my truth's sake that is they shall hate your Persons; hate your Doctrines, hate your good lives, you shall be the objects of all men's hatred and that for me, and my truth neither is this without reason why bad men should hate them that tell them the truth.  
1. They are altogether unlike them therefore they hate them as similitude according to the Philosopher is the cause of love, so dissimilitude is the cause of hatred: as we naturally love those that are like us, so we naturally hate those that are unlike us. The Wiseman tells us that the righteous man is more excellent than his neighbour, more excellent in his judgement; more excellent in his thoughts: more excellent in his affections; more excellent in his principles, more excellent in his whole conversation, his judgement is more clear & discerning: his thoughts are more profitable; his affections are more heavenly, his principles are more Orthodox; & his whole conversation is more regular & conformable to the Divine will. The virtues of the good man bid battle to the vices of the wicked; his whole life is nothing else but an use of reproof; the straightness of the one upbraids the crockednesse of the other; the one is the subject of the Prince of peace the other Prince of the air, the one is of his Father from Heaven, the other is of his Father from Hell: as our Saviour saith of the Jews, john. 8. 44. Ye are of our Father the Devil and his works, you will do; he was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him no wonder then that the Devil's Children cannot endure truth nor the Preachers of it.  
2. We look upon those as our Enemies that tell us the truth, because they Preach against our interests: cross our designs; meet with our corruptions and lusts, fire us out of our sins; Interest is the great Diana we all Worship; Interest is the Sun that Persian like we all adore. Interest is the compass by which the generality of men steer, it is no wonder then if they hate those that touch them to the quick: contradict their concerning, profitable; pleasing interests, if golden mouthed Chrysostom Preach against the emperresse Eudoxia, endeavour to reclaim her from arianism, she will be sure to banish him; if courageous, bold spirited Luther out of zeal to God's truth, Preach against the Pope's Indulgences he will let loose his roaring bulls against him: he will write to all the Neighbouring Princes, that they shall neither receive him nor his Doctrine, or if they do they should send him to him, that he might punish him for that capital offence of asserting the truth. If Demetrius the silver smith perceive that his craft is in danger to be set at naught, he will accuse St. Paul of troubling all Asia, speaking against great Diana: why because we know that by this craft we have our wealth? if good john Baptist tell Herod it is unlawful for him, to have Herodias he will cut of his head. If Stephen tell the Jews that they were the murderers of Christ, they will murder him; if truth telling Michaiah tell Ahab, that he shall fall at Ramoth Gilead he will cast him in to the Prison, & give him the bread of affliction, the good soul piercing Divine tells men they must repent, believe, deny themselves, take up their Cross and follow Christ, shake hands with honours profits, pleasures all if need require for the enjoyment of Christ, who is all in all: he tells the sensual drunkard that he must no more un man himself and vomit up his own shame; he tells the Profane swearer that he must no more tear in pieces the glorious name of his Maker: he tells the covetous Achan that he must no more deify the Creature; he tells the proud man that cannot be content with any thing else; but a crown, or a mitre that humility is the way to Heaven: that that ear of Corn, that is fullest ways most downward; that God resisteth, the proud and giveth grace to the humble: he tells the revengeful Person, of that of our Saviour Father forgive them for they know not what they do: he tells the mere moral man, which thinks himself to be good enough for Heaven already, that except his righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, he shall in no wise enter into it; he tells the disputing Socinian that their is a Sun, though he be blind & cannot see it, that reason must be laid down at the feet of Religion: that it is but commendable for it to close its eye that faith may aim the better; he tells the naturalist that says out of nothing, nothing can be made, that out of nothing all things were made: Divinity is not to be mesured by the principles of natural Philosophy; but it's own: he tells the Heaven de riding, Atheist that he must and die and come to judgement; but he would neither die nor come to judgement: he tells all men of their sins & lusts, & therefore they cannot endure him: 2 Pet. 3. 3, 4. The Apostle says they were scoffers, men walking after their own lusts that deny the day of judgement and Saviour's promise of his coming: 2 Timoth. 3. They resist the truth, men of corrupt minds and therefore they resists the truth so much for the reasons they use it I shall make of is briefly this.  
Fathers and Brethren you may see in the clear glass of my Text, what you are to expect; even to be hated of all men for Christ's sake: he that would discharge his calling faithfully, must expect to be the object of most men's hat'red: the Ministry me thinks is like the cloud that guided the Israelites, that had a bright side and a dark side, most men look upon the bright; but few on the dark side, most men consider the encouragement; but few the discouragements of the Ministry, they undertake the Burden before they consider the weight of it, or the weakness of their own shoulders: hence it is that many have as shamefully quitted the Ministry as they have in considerately undertaken it; but how ever this may be for our comfort, and encouragement that all the Prophets all the Apostles yea Christ himself was hated upon this account: can the Servant expect to far better than the Master, 'tis his honour that he can be like him though it be in suffering to write after him though in letters of Blood.  
2. That the Preachers of the word should be truth tellers in the prosecution of it I shall use this method 1. Give you some Scripture. 2. Some reasons. 3. Show you what truth the man of God should tell. 4. I shall tell some truths which I take to be very suitable to and necessary for this auditory. 5. Make use.  
That the Preachers of the Gospel should be truth tellers is clear from these Scripture, Rom. 9 1. I say the truth in Christ Jesus Ily not my conscienee also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, St. Paul's practice should be ours what he says, we should say, Prov. 22. 20. Have I not written to thee excellent things in counsels, and knowledge that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth, that thou mayest answer the words of truth to them that send to thee. 2. things observable from this Text. 1. That the words of truth are the words of certainty. 2. That when we are asked we should answer them with these words, Eccl. 12. 10. The Preacher sought to find out accuptable words, upright words, even words of truth, Solomon in the precedent verse, tells us of a wise Preacher let us observe what he did, he will teach us how to make our Sermons, the wise Preacher did not vent out any unpremeditated, undigested extemporary flashes; but he sought to find out, and what did he seek to find out not unseasonable unsuitable things, things that come like rain in Harvest, or snow in Summer; but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seasonable suitable apposite acceptable things, and I pray what were those not the Chimoeraes of his own brain, not the dictates of a private spirit, not totering hover probabilities, not shameful, falsehoods; but words of truth, Malach. 2. 6. We read their what Law was in Levyes mouth, the Law of truth was in his mouth & iniquity was not found in his lips: this is that for which Christ came into the World: and would you know the reason of it; take briefly these two.  
1. The good Divine is in God's stead he personates God; interprets his mind as an Fmbassadour doth the Princes that sent him, he is not only the mouth of the people to God, but the mouth of God to the people, & how ill doth a lie become the mouth of that God, that is truth itself: so ill doth it become the mouth of the Divine that should speak nothing, but what God would speak, if he did speak himsalf. 2 Corinth. 5. 20. Now therefore we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseeeh you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be reconciled to God, the Minister may be termed God's speaker. And if he speaks any untruth, he speaks for himself not his Master, Oh! therefore with what reverence and serious preparation should we come to speak. It is reported of the incomparable Bucolcer that he was so much Master of the heavenly art of Preaching that he could put his Auditors in to what passion he pleased, as that excellent Musician Timotheus did Alexander; but many of you put your Auditors into no other passion, but that which shows them to be rational: me thinks the serious consideration of the greatness of God's Majesty, the greatness of the assembly the greatness of the work should induce, us to come prepared according to the preparations of the sanctuary.  
2. The Minister received nothing but truth, therefore he should deliver nothing but truth: The Minister the faithful witness should deliver nothing but what he received, for if he do he deliver's his own not God's, that the Minister should deliver nothing but what he receive's, is unquestionable, 1 Cor. 11. 23. For I received of the Lord that which I also deliver unto you, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have received from the Lord there's his commission, had I not received it, I would not have delivered it, you might have rationally suspended your beliefs, and looked upon it as my own not my Masters: that the Ministers received nothing but truth is as unquestionable, for what he received he received from God, which is the God of truth and cannot lie; the Scriptures they are all truth, he received nothing but Scripture & therefore nothing but truth. For Popish traditions we look upon them as the Commandments and Doctrines of men, and not of God: the Church may not make new principles of Religion; but only declare, illustrate & interpret the old, though it may constitute circumstantials, yet not substantials; she may prescribe ordinances as touching the time place and order of God's worship, but not as touching the essentials of the Worship itself. As the Church at Jerusalem decreed that the Church of the Gentiles should abstain from blood and things strangled, Acts. 15. I proceed in the 3. place to tell you what truths the Man of God should tell. 1. Divine Scripture truths, not Philosophical, but Theological truths, such as make the Man of God wise unto salvation: moral or natural truths may make a man wise, but not wise unto salvation; nature may tell us, that there is a God, but it cannot tell us how this God should be Worshipped, nature may tell us there is a Sovereign happiness: but it cannot tell us what this happiness is; hence it was that the Philosophers concluded there was some white; though none of them could hit it, or come near it. Nature may tell us there is a way we should walk in, though it cannot tell us, how we should walk in it, we cannot see the Sun, but by the Sun; we know nothing savingly of God but by God, we know nothing of the Sun of righteousness, but by those comfortable beams that are darted from him; as is the cause, such will the effect be, merely natural causes cannot produce supernatural effects; a man may as well expect Grapes from Thorns, or Figgs from Thistles, if the man of God fire a rebellious stiffnecked sinner out of his beloved sin, surely it must be with a coal fetch't from the Altar; if he wound a soul, surely it must be with an arrow fetch't from the quivers of the Scriptures, an arrow taken out of Aristotle's quiver may smite an ear; but it will never smite a conscience, 'tis not a Text of Aristotle, but a Text of Scripture, that shows a man the grizly horrid Shape of a sin, the amiable lovely countenance of a grace, the strictness of God's Stern-browed Justice, the dreadfulness of the ever approaching day of Judgement: a quotation out of Aristotle will never make a man go to his study & weep for his sins, resolve to turn a new leaf, prepare for his later end, cause a man to be enamoured on, and with the beauties of the Empyrean heaven, the fruition of God the chiefest good, the blessed company of Angels and the Spirits of just men made perfect. Though we may look upon gray-headed Aristotle, as an oracle in the Schools, yet not in the Pulpit; that selfsame Aristotle which in the Schools, we look upon as the glory of Philosophy, the miracle of nature, in the Pulpit we look upon him only as a mere purblind Owl-eyed Heathen. As he himself confessed men to be in the contemplation of Divine things. There is not the meanest Scholar in Christ's School which which knows not how to confute him, the natural man discerneth not the things of God, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; The Natural man is uncapable of the things of God, 'tis so in the original, Beza tells us that 'tis a Metaphor taken, a Minoribus vasis, from lesser vessels, that cannot contain things bigger than themselves, as if the Apostle should have said, the narrow brimmed vessel of man's brain cannot comprehend the great things of God: why because they are spiritually discerned, he hath no eye suitable to a spiritual object, and would you have a man see without eyes? This is the advantage the Christian hath of the Heathen, the Heathen hath but one bad eye, but the Christian hath two good ones. The Heathen hath only the eye of a depraved corrupted reason, but the Christian hath not only the eye of reason, & that corrected and sanctified, but also the eye of faith; No wonder then that he is better sighted than he. Excellent is that place in Canticles the first and thee leventh, we will make thee borders of Gold with studds of Silver: by the borders of Gold according to Aquinas, we are to understand the Scriptures and their spiritual meaning; by the studds of Silver the art and Method of the Preacher: A Preacher must be sure to see that his Sermon hath borders of Gold, though it hath not studds of Silver: but it is most commendable when it hath both; not borders of Gold without studs of Silver, or studs of Silver without borders of Gold, but borders of Gold with studs of Silver: we will make thee borders of Gold with studds of Silver. The foundation of a Sermon should be laid in the Scriptures, whatever the superstucture be: Preaching is nothing else but an opening of the Scriptures, a conferring & comparing them together, and surely they which do not use Scriptures are Praters not Preachers.  
2. Plain and clear Truths; the more simple and immixed a Truth is, the better it is, the Word of God, it is the aliment of the of the soul, you know the more the simple aliment is, the more nutritive it is. The word of God is compared to pure Gold, and you know the mixtures of brass, or tin do but derogate and take a way from the excellency of it. Precious stones shine with their, native lustre and beauty, the Word of God is like a Topaz the more you polish and smooth it the rougher it will be. That Sermon is best which is like an unpainted glass window, paint doth but hinder the Transmission of the light, the immoderate paintings of humane Learning do but Eclipse the beams of Truth, which would be more visible in and of themselves. The soft and silken effeminacies of Capua did but enervate and emasculate the victorious armies of the daring Ironsided Hannibal. The more glittering Scabbard of humane learning, doth but blunt the edge of the sword of the Spirit.  
Admirable is that of Saint Paul in the 1. to the Corinth's the 2. and the 1. and the 2. And I Brethren when I came to you came not with excellency of speech, or wisdom, declaring unto you the Testimony of God, for I determined to know nothing among you, save Jesus Christ and him Crucified. Saint Paul spoke this at the royal exchaing of all learning, 'tis in effect as much as if he should have said thus I confess my cadencies are not so sweet & smooth, my language is not so polite, my stile is not so flourishing, my lines are not so strong, as those of theirs are that are puffed up with word wisdom, which by this means endeavour to bring into contempt the plainness and simplicity of the Gospel. I don't approve my Doctrines to you by tropes of Rhetoric, Syllogisms, of Logic, axioms of Philosophy: I profess no science among you; but the science of the Cross, would it be suitable to discourse of Gods emptying himself in swelling terms, of Christ's abasing himself in a lofty stile to discourse sweetly of Vinegar and Gall, to beset Christ's Crown of Thorns with a Crown of flowers? No I leave that to vain glorious self seeking Preachers, those that Preach themselves not Christ Crucified, but for myself my Doctrine is from above, it needs not such Egyptian reeds and weak props. A Sermon should be as clear as Crystal, a man should see into the very bottom ofit: It should not be an Egypt a Land of darkness: but a Goshen a Land of light. A Preacher is a light surely not in a dark Lantern: but in a Kandlestick. A Preacher is a Teacher which implies that he should teach something which may be understood, he that cannot make others understand a thing, he may give us leave to suspect that he doth not understand it himself. Such muddy streams tell us of a cloudy muddy intellect, such a man sees men like the man in the Gospel, men walk like Trees: he hath only some Embryo, faint, languishing conceptions of a thing: something he would say, but (you must pardon him) he knows not how to express himself.  
3. Dogmatical positive Truths not airy controversies, not hover Probabilites, things that may, or may not be, but things that the soul may build on: Controversies are sitter for the Schools than the Pulpit: Many a man like the Bishop of Alexandria, in stead of Preaching down a haeresy hath Preached it up, and in stead of making the Funeral Sermon of a Haeresy, he hath raised it from the dead: all arts & sciences if we believe them, have their Prima principia, primas veritates, and why should not Divinity the Queen of Sciences have hers. It should not be in Divinity as it is for the most part in Philosophy, where the soul like Noah's Dove can find no thing to fix on. Lactantius tells us that Philosophy is nothing else but opinion. And Austin in his book de Civit. Dei, tells us that Philosophi sunt potins opinantes quam scientes: Though Philosophy be nothing else but a heap of disputables, a crowed of it may bees, yet Divinity should not be so. Whether all things be made of Atoms, or Aristotle's principles, it is not much material; never soul was saved, or damned for these opinions. A great wit may find a way as probable as either: But whether the soul be immortal, or no, whether there will be a day of judgement, or not, it highly concerns us to be sure of those things: for if there be no judgement men may live as they list, but if there be, they must live as they should. State's men for the prevention of divisions have somewhat in Government indubitable and so should Church men; if one Preach up universal redemption, & another Preach it down, who shall the sequacious pendulous people believe, me thinks having an unerring rule to square by, we should agree in fundamentals at least wise, if not in circumstantials.  
4. Necessary useful Truths, not Toys, Trifles, barren and unprofitable Notions, subtle speculations. It should be the great care of a Divine to Preach those things that may make most for the edification of his Auditory, he should show them their damnable deplorable estate by Nature, the True means of their recovery by Christ, Preach about Faith, Repentance, Charity, Love, Humility, Heavenly mindedness, Contentedness, Heaven, Hell, Death, Judgement to come, fully instruct them in the Lord's Prayer and ten Commandments. 'tis not impossible for a man to come here often and scarce hear a word of any of these. This I speak not to disparage those that do well, but because I would have some do better. I could wish that the fundamentals of Religion were more Preached. Proud men think it inconsistent with the greatness of their parts and sublimity of their wits to iusist upon these, they are much like Angelus Politianus that would not vouchsafe to read the Scriptures (because as he thought) they did not contain elegancies suitable to his florid stile and Genius.  
They think these things belong to men of weaker and slenderer parts: they will exercise themselves in more refined and curious speculations: they will Marshal the Angels and know what God did before he made the World. who looks upon the Sun but in an Eclipse, who takes cognizance of the Moon but when Travelling? a blazing Comet is more looked upon then all the regular stars in heaven: the King's dwarf hath more eyes upon him then all the proper personable men that the King hath. If a man Preach a solid substantial piece, upon some ordinary useful point in Divinity, we take no great notice of it, but if some haeretick in Divinity, preach a piece made up of mere staggering drunken probabilities; present us with some spurious misshapen Brat of his own intellect, which he can prove to be legitimate neither by Scripture nor reason, this is cried up for a man of rare parts, elevated, advanced intellectuals. So apt are we Athenian like to admire, nay even to adore Toys and Novelties.  
5. Ancient Apostolic truths, I do not mean here, antiquity of a later standing, such as the Papists pretend to, but Original prime antiquity. Old truths like old goverments are best, Innovations in Church and State being equally dangerous. Those truths are most Authentic that are as old as Christ and his Apostles. An old truth like an old musical Instrument sounds best in the ear of all good men.  
Tertullian tells us Verum quod prius, Adulterinum quod posterius, It is good coin that is first stamped, and afterward that which is counterfeit. The Husbandman first sowed good seed, and then the envious man sowed tares. This was the unanimous cry of the Council of Chalcedon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let Ancient things prevail. Blessed be God which hath in mercy restored our ancient government both in Church and State.  
6. Particular applied truths. Generalia non pungunt, general Truths never pierce a soul, or wound a Conscience. General truths like the Papists general faith, never save a soul. It is not a loaf whole that nourisheth, but cut and eaten. Spices are never more fragrant than when they are broken. Nathan tells David (which I think little thought of it,) thou art the Man. S. Peter doth not mince the matter, but tells the Jews plainly and piercingly, that they had murdered Christ: And what was the effect of this soul searching soul piercing preaching? when they heard these things they were pricked at the heart, and there were three thousands of them converted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, it was with them at if rapier points had been stuck in their spirits: S. Paul might have entertained that Tyrant Faelix with some plausible discourse of the wonderful birth, life, and death of Christ, but he takes another course with him, he reasons of righteousness, temperance, and judgement to come, and this made him tremble: He opposed righteousness to his briberies: Temperance to his adulteries, and judgement to come, to his outrageous insolences.  
7. Peaceable truths. Ministers are the servants of the God of Peace, Ambassadors of the Gospel of Peace, they what ever other men are, should be men of Peace: they should be like the Cherubins of the Ark, look upon one another with propitious Aspects: the good Divine should not only pray but Preach for the Peace of Jerusalem: Rogamus non Pugnamus, Auguste was wont to be the language of the Church formerly, it hath no weapons but those of prayers and tears.  
Popish was the practice of the Covenanters, that brought us hither a puny upstart Mushroom yesterday Religion upon the point of asword, and truly had their swords been no keener than their arguments I think they might have been soon blunted.  
4. I proceed in the fourth place, to tell you some truths which I think to be suitable to, and convenient for this Auditory. 1. That Arts and Sciences should be subservient and ancillatorie to Divinity; that the Hagar of Humanity should not outbrave the Sarah of Divinity, it must not justle it out and take up the best rooms in a Sermon: how then comes it to pass that many of your Sermons are stuffed with all Arts and Sciences but Divinity? How comes it to pass that instead of making the Spouse borders of Gold with studds of silver, a great many of you make her borders of brass with studds of Tinn and pewter? Are they not like Onesilaus his head, that instead of brains was full of honeycombs! When the Persian King sent Antalcidas the Lacedimonian Captain a Garland of flowers perfumed with spices and odours, he tells him Rosarum fragrantiam adulteratione perdidisti, so may I say to many of you, Concioneis majestatem adulteratione perdidistis. With admirable fitness did the learned K. james compare such Sermons to the red and blue flowers that pester the corn, which were more noisome to the crop then beautiful to the spectator's eye.  
Shrouded eminencies are most amiable, and it was not the least excellency of Moses his face, that it did shine, and he knew not of it: there are many precious simples in an electuary though we cannot see them when it is made. The honey suckles may be in the milk though we do not see them. That Sermon may have most sound Learning that to an unjudicious ear seems to have least. Me thinks I hear poor souls complaining against you thus, we come here for the bread of life, but ye give us the husks of your own brains, you give us light bread that our soul loatheth, We come for the waters of life drawn from the fountain opened; and you give us the corrupted waters of your own Intellects: We would fain hear a man speak as the Oracles of God, but many of you speak as obscurely as the Oracles of Delphos; We come for the clusters of Canaan, and you give us the grapes of Sodom. We would hear something of the living God, but you take up all your time in speaking of the Gods of the Heathens: We would fain see the comfortable sparklings of the white stone of assurance; but you tell us of the Philosopher's stone: We would fain hear some pathetical soul ravishing discourse of the Empyrean heaven, but ye give us some empty unedifying discourses of a Heaven or two below: we faint and languish for the heavenly Canaan, but you bring us only to the wilderness, and there lose us and yourselves too: And what do you think God will say to a vainglorious self-seeking Preacher? Give an account of thy misemployed parts, and talents, why didst thou rob me of my glory: and make thyself the end of all thy actions? why didst thou rob my Scriptures of their all-sufficiency? Why didst thou rob my people of their spiritual food? I gave thee a soul that was ruddier than the rubies, and more polished then Saphires, thou wast larger than others by the head and shoulders in parts, thou mightest have converted whole Counties: But thou didst employ them only to the maintenance of Heresies, to the disgracing of my truths. Behold here the souls that thou hast poisoned with thy Heresies, behold here's the soul, that thou hast starved with thy curiosities: These, even these I require at thy hands: O how will he be astonished and confounded! And he that formerly spoke so many words in vain, will not have a word to speak for himself. Now me thinks I hear some of you murmuring against me, saying what do I mean to disgrace learning in one of the most flourishing Academies in all Europe: Me thinks I hear my Mother University speaking thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thou my son, what speak against me with the tongue I gave thee? what wound me with my own arrows? To this I answer, I know we cannot declare the wonderful works of God without Physics, his Attributes without Metaphysics, the Dimensions of the Ark without Mathematics, we cannot interpret â Text without Grammar, analize it without Logic, press it upon the affections without Rhetoric: I do not cry down the use, but the abuse of learning in a Sermon; singular is the use of it in a Sermon; if it be purged, made subservient, used moderately without affectation, and modestly without ostentation; I am no enemy to humane, but a friend to divine learning, I am not against Aristotle, but I am for the Bible, I value a Science above a world, but a grace above ten thousand.  
2. That the labourer is worthy of his hire, that they which Preach the Gospel, should live by the Gospel, this is Scripture and cannot be denied. How then comes it to pass, that there are many that Preach the Gospel and cannot live by it? Because some get all, and some none at all: Parity is the mother of confusion, and as there is an imparity in merits and parts, so would I have to be in their encouragements. As the Fathers of the Church are worthy of double honour, so also of double portions: But notwithstanding I think it but equal and most consonant to Scripture, that every Preaching Minister should have as much as may serve to secure his Sacred calling and person from poverty and contempt, it is not fit that they which break the bread of life to others, should want bread for their own mouths: And surely they may well gives the droes of temporals, if we give them the gold of spirituals. I am as glad as any to see stars of the first magnitude shining in the Hemisphere of the Church, but I would not have them be like the star wormwood in the Revelations, of malign aspects and influences: I am as glad as any, to see stately Cedars in the Lebanon of the Church, trees of Knowledge in the Paradise of God: But I would not have them extend their branches so far, as to hinder the growth of other trees, that peradventure may bring forth good fruit, though not in such abundance and plenty, as we acknowledge, & with a great deal of reason acknowledge they do: That the Fathers of the Church are provided for, it is well, but it would be better if not only the Fathers, but the Sons of the Church were provided for also: it fares well with the body when all its parts are nourished, though not equally, yet proportionably, according to their several exigencies and capacities. And I think it doth not far ill with the body of the Church, when it is so too.  
4. That the Preachers of the word should take heed to their Ministry, preach the word, be instant in Season and out of Season, reprove, rebuke, exhort. Hence is our Saviour's triple pasce, feed my sheep, feed my flock, feed my lambs, feed them by thy praying, feed them by thy Preaching, feed them by thy living; in the first of Timothy the 3. and the 2. We read there that a Bishop should be blameless, patient, apt to teach, and if so, why then surely an ordinary Minister. It is not the least of good Bishop jewels commendations, that he died in the pulpit; you know what was famous Bishop Ushers motto, Woe is me if I Preach not the Gospel: Me thinks this place should make a rare unfrequent Preacher tremble at the recital of it: some there are that are like Saul, when they come to the high places, they make an end of Prophesying; Consider you are the silver trumpets of Zion, you are lift up higher, not that ye may not sound at all, but sound the shriller & louder▪ you are like Bells hung up in the top of the steeple that ye may be heard the further, the more God hath done for you, the more ye ought to do for him, one word from you being men of eminency and authority will do more good than a thousand from us, and surely you cannot be better employed. This was the rock you had like to have been split upon before, and will ye not avoid it now; we had a great many Preaching Bishops before, and blessed be God we are like to have no fewer now: This I say not because I am desirous ye should dash upon the rocks, but because I would have ye sail far enough from them.  
4. That moderation on all hands, is a sovereign salve to heal, in all probability the breaches of this uncemented Nation, though moderation in Essentials be pernicious, yet in things adiaphorous it's but peaceable and Christian like; Moderation is the silken string that runs through the pearl chain of graces: In things of a middle nature the golden means is best: I am apt to suspect that men which jehu like, drive so furiously, have no other spurs but their own interests: it was a good saying of one, unity in things necessary, moderation in things indifferent, and charity in all? this was the opinion of Calvin in the same controversy, Ego in Controversia Anglicana moderationem semper tenui cujus me non paenituit; Suitable to this is that of our Apostle, Let your moderation be known unto all men. I have often wondered that men of the same Nation, men of the same Religion, as to the main, that aim at the same happiness, should quarrel so much about circumstances. They are but circumstances and why are you of the Episcopacy so eager for them: they are but circumstances, and why are you of the Presbytery so eager against them: A man would think that a lawful decent, useful, Ceremony, should be no sooner imposed then observed, and it would be so, did not men love their own private passions and interests, more than either peace or truth: Ceremonies are the sense and hedge of Religion, though they do not oblige directly yet they do by consequence, and as they are commanded by superiors: for than they cease to be things indifferent, and we are not to look upon them as bare ceremonies, but the commands of Superiors, which we are not to dispute but to obey, not to do so were to question our superiors wisdom in imposing, and power in executing, Rom. 13. 5. we are commanded to be subject for conscience sake: therefore Ceremonies oblige the conscience, 'tis natural with men when they feel themselves unhappy to conclude themselves unwise: Surely we have been unhappy in all these times of our distractions and we may very rationally conclude ourselves to have been unwise.  
5. 'tis the great happiness of this Nation to be governed Monarchically both in Church and State: this might soon be proved, but must I be forced to prove this, to a Nation that hath been so long worried with Tyrants and Traitors, that made so long furrows in our backs: If you have not yet learned to know your happiness, you are very ungrateful, and 'tis pity you should ever have been so happy. Me thinks your bleeding wounds not yet fully closed might sufficiently Preach the seasonableness of a plaster, want of mercy teaches us the worth of mercy, the want of King and Bishops all this while, me thinks at length should teach us the worth of them: would you know the reason of all our miseries, it was because there was no King, nor Bishop in our Israel, and if that be the reason of all our miseries surely by the rule of contraries the other is the reason of all our happiness, that we have both, King and Bishop in our Israel, Eccles. 10. 17. Blessed art thou O Land when thy King is the Son of nobles; and surely if ever Land was blessed in a King, ours is, and we may say as the Queen of Sheba, said of Solomon, because the Lord loved Israel he made him King over them, because the Lord loved us therefore he made him King over us. great also is the happiness that we receive from the learned and religious Fathers of the Church, 'tis a question whether a state be more happy in a King, or a Church in a Bishop, Monarchy being the best of Governments in both: Oh how sweetly do these conspire to make a Nation happy, and how do they mutually assist and under prop each other: and would you know the original of Episcopacy St. Jerome tells us 'tis as old as that Text of Holy Scripture, I am of Paul, I am of Cephas, I am of Apollo, for when divisions crept into the Church of Corinth, the Apostles for the taking away those that were present, and the prevention of such for the future, constituted Episcopacy: Sound was that of the learned King, no King, no Bishop, no Bishop, no King, he that strikes at the Mitre doth with the same blow strike at the Crown, and wants nothing but power to trample upon both: lutes wound up to an equal pitch, if you touch one you touch the other, he that toucheth a Bishop toucheth a King, and he that toucheth the King, toucheth the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Oh! that we could at length know our own happiness and put up no more bramble Governments: we have had sad experience how weak & sharp they are, let us no more despise the Vine and Figtree, though the Brambles and Thorns do pretend to bear Grapes and Figgs, that they may rule over the Trees.  
And now what remains but that we turn the Doctrine into practice, and all become truth tellers, Oh! tell the truth in Christ Jesus, and lie not, your consciences bearing you witness in the Holy Ghost: Oh! tell not empty speculations palliated falsehoods, mere propabilities, Amphibious uncertainties groundless novelties, Preach Divine evident, useful, positive, sin smiting, peace preserving truths, be not afraid of men but of God: Strive not to please them but him, let not any worldly advantage what ever, cause you to bury the gold of Ophir, let not the Majesty of God's truths stoop to the vices and humours of men, tell even a David, thou art the man, cry aloud, lift up your voices like Trumpets, and tell the house of Judah of there sins, be not ashamed of the Gospel of God, for it is the power of God unto salvation, think of your honourable calling consider you are the Ambassadors of the God of truth, you are in his stead and therefore you should tell the truth, and he will uphold you in it, the Lord your God is with you, his wisdom to direct you, his power to protect you, his strength to support you, his goodness to maintain you, his bounty to reward you; buy the truth and sell it not, and when the chief Shepherd shall appear, you shall receive, a Crown of glory that fadeth not away and hear that soul ravishing sentence well done good and faithful servant enter into thy Master's joy.   
Eccles. 10. 17. Blessed art thou O Land when thy King is tho Son of Nobles. 
WIse Solomon tells us that a word in season is like apples of gold in pictures of Silver, what can be more seasonable, or grateful to a Nation so long miserable than a discourse of happiness, of the way not only to make it happy, but also to continue its happiness? The Preacher tells us in the words of my Text, blessed art thou O Land when thy King is the Son of nobles. In the 16. verse of this chapter, we read of the misery of that Nation, that hath a childish Prince one that hath not an head fit for a diadem, nor shoulders able to sustain the weight of Government; and as he tells us of the misery so also of the happiness of a Nation, when it is blessed, not with a Tyrannising upstart of the meanest of the people, but with one of the blood Royal, not with a Thistle, but with a Cedar, blessed art thou O Land when thy King is the Son of nobles; that is, happy art thou Oh Nation, when thy King is not of mean, base, but of high noble extraction, whose nobility, and virtues may command reverence and bespeak him fit for a Crown. In the words we have. 1. A Governor; or King happy art thou Oh Land when thy King. 2. His Character he his no bramble, but the Son of Nobles, happy art thou Oh Land when thy King is the Son of nobles. 3. The product, or result of both, happiness, happy art thou Oh Land when thy King is the Son of nobles, the main hang upon which my discourse shall turn shall be this.  
That it is the great happiness of a Nation, to be governed Monarchichally. It is the happiness of a Nation to be Governed by a good King especially one that is of noble extraction, of the blood Royal. In the prosecution of it I shall use this Method. 1. Prove it by Scripture. 2. Give you some reasons and arguments for it. 3. Show you that it the happiness of our Nation in particular. 4. Make use of all.  
1. That itis the happiness of a Nation, to be governed by a good King, especially one of Noble extraction is clear from these Scriptures, 2 Chron. ●. 11. Because the Lord haloved his people, he hath made thee King over them▪ Solomon was a good King, one of the blood Royal, descended from a King, it was the happiness of the Israelites, to have such a one; and it is said expressly, because the Lord loved them, he gave them Solomon. That which is a token of God's love and favour, cannot but bespeak a Nation happy. 1 Kings 10. 8, 9 Happy are thy men happy are thy servants which stand, continually before thee, because God loved Israel, therefore hath he made thee King, to do Justice and Judgement. In the 8. verse. The Queen of Sheba proclaims the happiness of Solomon's subjects, under the pious and prudent Government, of so good a King, she looks upon it as a special argument of God's favour that he had given them, one, that would do Justice and Judgement: Proverb. 28. 2. For the transgressions of a Land, many are the Princes thereof, but by a man of understanding and knowledge, the estate thereof shall be prolonged. In the former part of this verse, we have the misery of a Nation groaning under the oppression of many Princes, or Tyrants, and in the later part the happiness of it under one lawful prudent Prince, which is styled here to be a man of understanding & knowledge, which prolongeth the Estate of a Land and makes it long lived, and durable. 1 Tim. 2. 1, 2. I exhort therefore that prayers be made for all men, for Kings and all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life under them. In the 1. verse. We are exhorted to pray for Kings, and such as are in authority, in the 2. verse: We have the reason that we may taste of the pleasant fruits of their Government, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life under them, this is the happiness that we enjoy under Kings and Governors, and therefore we are to pray for them, Rom. 13. 4. The Apostle tells us that a Magistrate is the Minister of God for good, a King the supreme Magistrate he is God's Minister for the good of a Nation. So much may suffice for the 1. Thing, the proof of it by Scripture, I proceed to the 2. The reason, and arguments of it.  
1. Monarchy, or Kingly Government, is a Government of Gods own ordination, & not only so but approbation also, and therefore a Nation cannot but be happy in it; surely if a Nation be happy in any kind of Government, it must be in a Government of Gods own designation, and appointment, God being most wise, and most good, and therefore knows what Government is best for a Nation, and most tending to its happiness. Now that Monarchy is a Government of Gods own ordination, and approbation, it is very evident, Prov. 8. 15. By me Kings Reign, and Princes decree Justice. By me, that is by my authority, and appointment, by my special grace, and goodness, 1 Chron. 29. 1. Solomon my Son whom alone God hath chosen, Solomon was a King, of God's Election, and God saith of David, with my holy Oil have I anointed my Servant David. The King is the Lords anointed; The Apostle Paul saith the powers that be, be of God, that is, of his appointment, his institution, 1 Sam. 10. 24. See ye him whom, the Lord hath chosen, that Kings are jure Divino, of God's appointment is unquestionable, and as Monarchy is of God's institution so approbation, this is a consectary of the other, Kingly Government being ordained by God, he cannot but approve of it, for God doth approve of those things he doth himself.  
2. Monarchy, or Kingly Government is the best of Governments, and therefore it cannot but be the happiness of a Nation to be so governed: It is the happiness of a Nation to be governed with the best Government, surely if any Government can promise happiness, it must be the best, in vain do we expect it from any other, if the best cannot do it. That Kingly Government is the best will easily be evinced, that Government is the best which most resembles that Government which is absolutely the best to wit; that of the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. That picture is the best which cometh nearest to one of Vandikes Michael Angelos, or some exquisite artist, the Moon we look upon as the best of lights, except the Sun, because it resembles it most, that Orator is best that comes nearest Cicero, the best of Orators, that Moralist, is best which is most like Seneca, the most reputed Moralist; that Philosopher is most excellent, that resembles Aristotle most, whom by way of eminency we call the Philosopher. That Government is the best in the World which hath the most legible Characters and similitudes of the Government of the World. That Monarchy hath so is apparent; what is a King but the lively emblem and image of the King of Kings: The one is the Archetype, the other the ectype, the one is as the Seal the other as the Wax. What's the whole World but God's Kingdom, the World is governed by a wise, just, merciful God, and a Kingdom is governed by a wise, just, and merciful King. God punisheth the wicked, spares the good, so doth the King, the King is as it were a God on Earth, I have said ye are Gods, there is so near a relation between God and the King, that a Man cannot injure the one without offering an injury to the other, he that touches the Lords anointed doth as it were touch God, he that strikes at the King, doth at the same blow, to his power strike at God himself.  
3. Monarchy is the most ancient and universal Government, and therefore likeliest to render a Nation happy. As ancient Apostolic truths make the Church, so ancient Governments make the State happy, innovations being equally dangerous in both. As old truths are most wholesome for the Church, so old Governments are most wholesome for the State. That Monarchy is the most ancient Government in the World is indisputable, it being as old as Adam whom God constituted Monarch of the World, as we read in Genesis, of the antiquity of this Government humane writings sufciently tell us, and as it is the most ancient, so it is the most universally received Government, almost all the Nations in the World, either have been, or are governed by it. Surely had not they found the happiness of it above other Goverments, they would not have so long acquiesced in it. That which the General practise of the World the unanimous consent of all Nations tell us to be true, we cannot rationally doubt of.  
4. My fourth argument is drawn from those appellations that the Philosopher gives a good King, he styles him a Father, a Physician, a Shepherd, all these terms bespeak a happiness a blessing to the Commonwealth. Augustus was termed pater patriae the Father of his Country, & Homer calls Agamemnon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the like was said of Moses. Now if a good King be a Father sure it is to be careful over his Children, if a Physician it is to heal them, if a Shepherd it is to feed them, and surely that Nation cannot but be happy, that hath a Father to provide for it, a Physician to heal it and a Shepherd to feed it.  
5. My fifth argument is drawn a Minori ad majus, from the lesser to the greater, if it be requisite, that in a single house, in a family for the happiness thereof there should be a Governor a ruler a Master of it, how much more in the great family of the Commonwealth. If it be requisite for the welfare thereof that there should be a chief Magistrate in the City, how much more in a Kingdom, the affairs of the one being far more urgent and important, than those of the other, a City may better subsist without, a Major, an University without a Vicechancellor, than a Kingdom without a King. A Kingdom without a King is like a body without a soul, a good King is as were the soul of the body of the Commonwealth.  
6. Let us listen to the voice of instructing nature, let us look into the Universe, and there we shall find nothing but Kingdoms and Kings. Nature itself prompts us to Monarchy; Oh what beauty and order is, there in the Commonwealth of bees? Oh how obsequiously do all the rest follow the Master be? Oh how do they mourn at his Funeral, and when he is dead constitute another, is not the Sun King of Luminaries, Prince of Planets, do not the Cranes follow their leader? Is not the Whale King of Fishes? The Eagle King of birds: Is not the Lion King of beasts? Shall these irrational creatures acquiesce in Monarchy as most suitable to their nature & condition, and shall not we? shall we be worse than Bruits, shall they have more knowledge than we? go to the Ant, thou sluggard, saith Solomon, as the Ant may teach us prudence and providence, so these may teach us loyalty, and as it is requisite to the happiness of a Nation, that it have a King, or that he b● the Son of Nobles, one of Noble extraction, one of the blood Royal: this is the only way to prevent divisions, and to secure the peace of a Nation. When it is otherwise, every new Governor may be the cause of a new war. In Government it is requisite that there should be some standard, somewhat indubitable, unquestionable; besides a Person of Noble extraction is more, apt to command obedience, more likely to win upon the hearts of the people. They look upon such, as men designed for Government, as men born to rule; There is somewhat of Sovereignty and Majesty enstamped upon them, people abhor to be ruled either by inferiors, or equals, for the meanest of the people, their brows were never made for Diadems, neither have they those endowments and qualilifications, which may be speak them fit for Empires. They were born to Obey, not to command. So much may suffice for the second thing. I proceed in the third place to show you that it is the happiness of our Nation in particular. For the demonstration of this, let us compare our former Estate under no King, with our present Estate under a King; let us look upon the miseries of the one, and the felicities of the other, and doubtless it will appear, that it is our happiness to be ruled by a good Prince; contraries do illustrate one another, the ruder blasts of Winter make us more in love, with the beauties of Summer. No Music more pleasing to the ear, then when the sweetness of a concord takes away the harshness of a discord. A Man that is upon the Land, and hath escaped Shipwreck may look with pleasure upon the swelling, heaven-threatning seas. In the 2. of judges we read of the destruction, of the whole tribe of Benjamin, and many calamities that had befallen the Israelites; would you know the reason of this, the Holy Ghost tells us verse 25. In those days there was no King in Israel, every man did that which was right in his own eyes. If any one should ask me what was the occasion of all our misenies and distractions in England, it was the loss of our gracious and merciful Sovereign, in those days there was no King in our Israel, every man did that which was right in his own eyes, that deep-dyed hainious scarlet, sin, was not the least cause of all our miseries, that blow that stuck him, made three Nations reel like a drunken man; it was not he only that died, but our happiness also died with him. Our miseries like the waves of the Sea, or like Ioh's sad messengers came crowding in upon us, they did as it were strive which should be for most, they may be reduced to these principally.  
1. War, or want of Peace, War is one of God's scourges with which he whips a Nation for rebellion and treason, it was but just with God to punish us with a War, because we knew not how to value the blessings of Peace: Jessurun-like we waxed fat and kicked with the heel, we forgot to fear God and to honour our King: that sword which being pampered with Peace we wantonly drew, God would not sheathe till he had beat us with It, and sheathed it in our Bowels. How destructive War is to a Nation, I need not tell you; we have too too long tasted of the bitter fruits of it, ever since that constrained departure of his Majesty from his Palace, the devouring sword hath been among us, till the happy restitution of our now Reigning Sovereign. How did our own merciless fellow subjects, like the Tyrants of Athens, or like so many Wolves, or Tigers, worry us? That usurped Dominion, which they unlawfully got by the sword, they as unlawfully maintained by the sword! O what sums did they extort from us, that they might consume it upon their lusts? O what armies did their appalled guilty consciences levy? O how did they scare us into a constrained obedience? Though our bodies were subject to them, yet our hearts and souls only to our lawful Prince.  
2. As we wanted Peace, so also truth; instead of ancient Apostolic truths we had only divided novelties, figments, Chimaeras, the dreams and fancies of deluded men's brains, who would own nothing for truth but what made for their own interests. Instead of Preaching loyalty they Preached rebellion, instead of Preaching unity they Preached Schism and Heresy. The Church mourned, the Woman was fled into the Wilderness, Religion put on black, our pious & learned teachers were driven into corners, the blind led the blind, our Stars of the first magnitude were overclouded, there were no stately Cedars left in the Lebanon of the Church; few or no Trees that bore pleasant fruit were standing in the Paradise of God. Those Divines that were most eminent for piety and learning were silenced, their adversaries works were the works of darkness, therefore they hated the light and the dispensers of it. The seers themselves were blind, the people perished because there was no vision; England was turned Amsterdam, any one that had lost his Religion might have found it here; every family had a certain Religion, peculiar to itself. The Universities were discountenanced, the Church revenues converted to private men's uses; They that had no reverence for the Crown, had less for the Mitre; 'Twas no wonder that they that would have no King, would have no Bishop England that was the Goshen of the World, a Land of light, was now turned into an Egypt, a Land of darkness; It was such darkness as we afterwards felt in those swarms of Heresies and blasphemous opinions that were among us.  
3. The want of Laws and the due administration of Justice. As it is one of the great happinesses of a Nation, to have good Laws, and to have them executed, so it is the great misery of a Nation, either to be without Laws, or without the execution of them: this was our misery, the Fountains of Justice were Sealed, the Streams were damned up, those Servants that ruled over us, they turned judgement into gall, and the fruits of righteousness into hemlock; they trampled upon all the Fundamental Laws of the Land, they razed the very Foundations of Government, they knew no Laws but their lusts, and what ambition prompted them to: The voice of Justice could not be heard, for the beating of Drums & sounding of Trumpets; the prerogative of the King, the privileges of Parliament, the just rights and liberties of the people were violated and trodden upon, it was death as much as to name any of these: a man could call nothing his own, neither was there any certainty of any thing; We were nothing else but a sacrifice to their ambition and cruelty. For the iniquities of our Nation many were our Princes, we that would not submit to the Government of one pious merciful King before, were afterwards compelled to submit to the Tyranny of thirty, or forty merciless ones; these, these were the miseries, these were the heavy burdens we sighed and groaned under, when we had no King in this our Israel. Now we have seen the black, let us now see the white; we have heard the harsher and more grating, let us now hear the sweeter and more ear-pleasing notes: Let us view those blessings that we enjoy now God hath been pleased to give us a King in this our Israel. As the setting of our first, Sun, King Charles the I. the mirror of Kings and glory of Martyrs, was one of the greatest causes of our miseries & darknesses, ever since; so the rising of King Charles the II. is under God, the greatest cause of our light, warmth and comfort. This Sun like the Sun of Righteousness, did arise with healing under his wings, Parallel and answerable to all our fore mentioned wounds. In King Charles the II. we have a salve,  
1. We have peace; our wound was war, now oursalve is peace. What can be more acceptable to a Nation so long worried with wars than peace? Peace it is the glue that cements and sodders a divided distracted Nation, It is a choice mercy, a token of God's love and favour; Surely if war be a great judgement, then by the rule of contraries, peace cannot but be a great mercy: Peace is the Mother of plenty, the nourisher of arts and ingenuity, it is hard to tell whether a Nation be more miserable by war, or happy by Peace, whether the one doth it more harm, or the other good: Now our insulting Tyrannising, lawless armies are disbanded, that were wont to destroy not defend us, and blessed by God we can sit in Peace and quietness under our own Vines and Figtree, and there is none to make us afraid.  
2. As we have Peace, so we have also truth; Peace and truth do well together, it is our happiness that we have both; now our eyes behold our teachers, such as have the tongue of the learned, and know how to speak a word in due season, such as can divide the word of truth aright, pastors that can feed us with knowledge: Now the Stars of the Church are fixed, the Trees of Paradise take root, Universities are in couraged, the Church's revenues are restored, Religion, learning, and what soever is praise worthy flourish; The word is Preached, the Sacraments are administered in a reverend decent manner, all things are done decently and in order, The face of all things both in Church and State is more amiable and lovely.  
3. As there is respect had to Divine, so also to humane Laws; we are now governed by the ancient, fundamental Laws of our Realm, these are the compasses that we steer by, these are the standing rules of the Nation; Justice now runs down like a mighty stream, and waters all our Land; the cries of the Fatherless and Widow are heard, courts are open, grievances are redressed, the King's prerogative, the Privileges of Parliament, the liberties of the subject are all preserved inviolate. These are the happinesses we enjoy under the wings of a gracious Prince, and surely happy is the people that is in such a case. If we reflect upon our former and present condtion, we cannot but conclude that it is our great happiness to be ruled by a good King, especially one that is the Son of Nobles. I hope now our miseries have taught us that Religion to our God, and loyalty to our King cannot be parted without our sin and infelicity. I proceed in the last place to make use, it may be for reproof and exhortation.  
1. It may be for the just reproof of all Antimonarchians, all haters of Kingly Government, pernicious were the practices of those that did endeavour to pull up Monarchy by the roots, to destroy both root and branch; O how did some men tyre themselves and us with ridiculous, fruitless, unheard of Governments! Great is the folly also of those men, that write against Monarchy, which is so legible, not only in the book of the Bible, but also in the book of the Creation, and which hath been sufficiently approved of by the unanimous consent of the most knowing, and most civilised Nations of the World. Whether Monarchy be the best of Governments, or no, some have questioned; experience hath taught us that it is best for us, the genius of the people being more inclinable to Monarchy than any other Government. 2. For exhortation.  
1. Is it the happiness of a Nation to be governed by a good King, and such a one as is the Son of Nobles? O then let us be thankful, that God hath made us happy in a good King, and one that is the Son of Nobles; As I can compare the bloody un-Christian murder of King Charles the I. to nothing more fitly than to the murder of the Holy Jesus: so I can compare our restitution by Charles the II. to nothing more five than our restitution by Christ. Next to the deliverance by Christ and the Preaching of the Gospel, this was one of the greatest deliverances this Nation ever enjoyed: And next to that mercy, scarce any mercy comparable to this. God sent him as a Shepherd to feed us, as a Father to provide for us, as a Physician to heal us. When the Roman Empire was torn in pieces by the divisions of Caesar and Pompey, Augustus restored it: Our gracious Sovereign Augustus-like, did cement these divided, shattered, bruised Kingdoms. We may say of him as the Queen of Sheba said of Solomon, because the Lord loved Israel, he made thee King to execute judgement and Justice: Because the Lord loved our Israel he made him King. Never was their any mercy more seasonably and opportunely bestowed, and shall we not be thankful for it? As is the mercy, so should our thankfulness be. This is a great mercy, and God requireth great thankfulness.  
2. Is it our happiness to be governed by a good King, the Son of Nobles? O then let us know our happiness, and learn loyalty; O beloved, fear God and honour the King. Be subject to the higher powers, in that they are the Ministers of God for your good. Fear God and the King, and meddle not with those that are given to change, you have heard that your happiness is in Kingly Government, and will ye turn your backs upon your own happiness? All things pant after happiness, and will ye not do so too? O erect no more idols of your own making, put up no more Phaetous in the Chariot of Government. O do not choose Pilots that know not how to steer, put up no more bramble Governments. Sat down under the Vine and Figtree, God hath spoken peace to you, and do not you turn again to folly. When men feel themselves miserable, they are apt to conclude themselves foolish; when they want happiness, they are apt to think that they want wit. Surely we were unhappy in the times of our distractions, and we may conclude ourselves unwitty. O that our former follies would teach us for the future more moderation among ourselves, more Religion to God, and more loyalty to our King. Behold now we are made whole, let us sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto us.   
HEB. 13. 16. But to do good and to communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. 
THat God hath been pleased to vouchsafe me the golden opportunity of doing some good, and communicating some soul saving truth, I look upon it as my happiness, and desire to be thankful. To do good in any way, is excellent; but to do good in the best way, to save a soul, is most excellent. And could I at this time, but be an instrument of saving one soul, I should think my time and pains well bestowed. Of the occasion of our assembling upon this day, and in this place, I suppose few of you are ignorant, it is but just and equal, that they that have remembered us out of charity, should be remembered by us out of Piety; though it be not debitum legis, yet it is debitum hon●statis; though we cannot be compelled to perform it, yet if we would be such as we ought to be before God, we cannot neglect it. Excellency where ever we meet with it, is to be honoured. They that are excellent are to be honoured for their excellency. There is a threefold excellency, an excellency of mind, body, fortune. Of mind, as knowledge: of Body as old age: of Fortune as Riches. According to this triple excellency, three sorts of men are to be honoured, Learned men, Aged men, and benefactors. Learned men, so Ezekiel commended Daniel for his Wisdom, art thou wiser than Daniel? Aged men, Prov. 16. 31. The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of Righteousness. Benefactors, in that they are called Fathers in Scripture. Now Fathers are to be honoured, Job. 39 10. Saith job, I was a Father to the Poor, Benefactors are to be honoured, because of the good they have done, either in Church or State: Though we do not with the Papists, adore, yet we may honour our Benefactors: honour is but testimonium excellentiae, a testimony of some excellency. We may testify the excellencies of our benefactors, that others may be in the like manner excellent. We may make an honourable mention of their charity, that others may be spurred on to charity. But I shall not speak so much of the dead, as to the living; I shall not speak so much of the dead benefactors, as I shall speak to those that are living, to persuade them to be Benefactors. The main of my business shall be this, to persuade men to do good, and to distribute, that with such sacrifices God may be pleased. In the 10. verse of this Chapter, we read of an altar, We have an altar, this altar is the Lord Jesus Christ, upon which all the believers sacrifices are offered. The sacrifices of a Christian are many, there are two, not of the least concernment, mentioned in this chapter; the first is a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, verse 15. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise. 2. of Alms and compassion, in the words of my Text, But to do good, and to communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. We are not only to mind our duty towards God, but also towards men; we are not only to mind our Neighbour's soul, but also his body; we are not only to offer up the sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, but also of alms and compassion. Though we are to mind the one, yet we may not forget the other. To do good and to communicate forget not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beneficentiae & communionis ne obliviscemini. The conceptions of expositors upon these words are differing, some affirm them to be different, some to be the same; Calvin affirms that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 communio, is larger than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beneficentia, and that it denotes any thing whereby a man may help his brother; of the same opinion is a learned man of our own Nation, he distinguisheth them thus, Beneficence saith he is of the heart, communication of the hand, the one is as the Sun, the other as the light proceeding from the Sun. But Cornelius à Lapide affirmeth them to be the same, Beneficentia & communio idem sunt. Bishop Hall writing upon that text, 1 Tim. 3. 16. To do good, to be rich in good works, to distribute, to communicate, affirmeth that this heap of words, shows only the vehement intention of his desire of good works, and the indispensable necessity of the performance of them. The like may be said here, I shall look upon them as either coincident, or very little differing. In the words we have 1. An act, To do good and to distribute. 2. A caution, lest we should be unmindful of an act of such importance, Forget not. 3. The enforcing Reason, For with such Sacrifices God is well pleased.  
To do good, not to think only of doing good, but really and truly to do good. Charitable intentions do neither clothe the naked nor feed the hungry. To do good, publicly or privately, either to Ecclesiastical or Civil uses; to Ecclesiastical, as the endowing of Churches or Colleges; Civil as the relieving of the Poor, redeeming of the captive; To do good, whether to thy Brother's soul or body, or both. Forget not— have it always in thine eyes, mind it, remember it, For with such Sacrifices God is well pleased. Such sacrifices, not the Blood of Bulls and Goats, legal Sacrifices, but the Sacrifices of an humble, thankful, merciful heart. With such Sacrifices God is well pleased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Popish writers translate this word promeretur, God is merited, which Calvine & Beza not without a cause do condemn; God is pacified, appeased, he looks upon us with a smiling countenance, a gracious aspect. I shall strain the sum and substance of the words into this one proposition, That we are to do good, to lay out, to distribute those blessings which God hath bestowed upon us, both for public & private uses to, God's glory & the comfort of our brethren. In the prosecution I shall use this method, 1. prove it by scripture. 2. give you some reasons & arguments for it. 3. show you to whom we are to do good. 4. when we are to do good. 5. how we are to do good. 6. show you some public uses. 7 make use of all.  
1. That we are to do good, to distribute, to lay out our riches for God's glory, and the support of our brethren, is clear from these Scriptures, Deut. 15. 7. If there be any among you, a poor man and one of thy brethren, within thy gates, thou shalt not harden thy heart, and shut thy hand against him; but thou shalt open thy hand wide unto him, and lend him in that he wanteth. This Text is very full, here is a strict precept against close fistedness; our hearts are to be soft, and our hands wide open to the relief of the poor. Further, verse 11. I command thee saying, thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to the poor and to the needy in the land. I do not leave it to thy choice, as a thing that thou mayst or mayst not do, but I enjoin thee; I that am thy maker, I that gave thee all, I command thee to do it. No less full is that place Matth. 5. 22. Give to him that asketh, from him that would borrow turn thou not away. As God gave thee, so do thou give to others, and turn not away from him, lest God turn away from thee. Prov. 3. 9 We read there of honouring God with our substance, Honour God with thy substance, that is, do not lay it out upon thy lusts, upon vanities, but do some good with it, honour God with it. Mat. 6. 2. When thou dost thine alms do not sound a Trumpet. This Text shows us that we are to do alms, and when we have done so, not to boast of it. Luk. 12. 33. Sell that ye have and give alms, provide yourselves bags which wax not old, Lay up treasures in Heaven. Give alms, make the poor your bags. So the Apostle, do good to all, but especially to such as are of the household of faith. For charity must be extended to all, but especially to such as deserve it most, such as are brethren in Christ. I shall give one other Text, which is instar omnium, 1 Tim. 6. 18. Charge them that are rich in this World, that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate. This multiplication of expressions denotes the earnestness of the Apostle, and it is ushered in with charge them. That is do not tell them slightly, or only barely acquaint them with it, but charge them to do it. Neither is this without reason, for  
1. We are Gods stewards, and therefore we should do good and distribute. That we are Gods stewards, is clear from that Text, Give an account of thy stewardship: Now a stewards work it is dispensation, stewards are to be faithful, in that they are entrusted with, and to disburse it to those good ends and uses, for which the giver bestowed it upon them, they are not to lay it out upon lusts and superfluities, but to do good with it, and in so doing, they do not disappoint the giver of his end, in conferring it upon them; But they answer those gracious ends of the giver. God hath given us our talents, that we may trade with them, Luke 19 13. trade till I come. Now this trading it is by improving our talents, and laying them out upon the hungry, naked, sick; as is clear from Mat. 25. 35. I was hungry and ye gave me bread, I was naked and ye clothed me: The talents that God hath given us to trade with, according to Bonaventure, are five, which he tells thus Naturae, fortunae, potentiae, scientiae, gratiae, The talon of Nature, Wealth, Power, Knowledge, Grace. By nature, he understands all the faculties of our souls; by Wealth, riches, possessions; by Power, offices and places of authority; by knowledge, all arts & sciences; by Grace, all the gifts of the spirit, supernatural habits, as faith, hope, and the rest: Had he but added one other, and that is that precious jewel time, he had given us a perfect inventory of all the goods that the steward is to be accountable for. As our gifts must be well employed, and our graces well improved, so our goods must be well bestowed. We should beloved, be like so many fountains, still bubbling forth the streams of our charity, to the refreshing of our necessitous, indigent, thirsty, brethren; We should like the Sun, be of public influences, dart forth the beams of our liberality, to the warming of those that are cold and comfortless: A rich man, like a rich mine, should enrich all those that are poor, he should Nilus like, be beneficial to the whole country that he dwells in, the streams of his liberality should have as many sluices to run through, as there are objects for them to run on; Every one in misery should be an object of his mercy. Diffusiveness is the best character of the best things, the more communicative and diffusive any good is, the more good it is. Sight the best and noblest of the senses reaches furthest. Gold the best and noblest of Metals is most extensive. As they are the best of things, that are most diffusive, so are they the best of Christians that are most open handed. We are not Lords or treasurers, but stewards; not Lords to do what please with those things that God hath given us, nor treasurers to keep them and hoard them up for our own use; But we are stewards to disburse them for the use of our brethren.  
2. As we are to be faithful to God, so we are are to be just to men; and upon this account we are to do good. If we do not do good, we are not just; we do not render every one his own, that which is superfluous and not necessary, that is the poor man's, and not to give it him is to defraud him of his right, that that is his due. Prov. 30. 8. Give me neither poverty nor riches, but feed me with food convenient for me. That which is suitable to our calling, and convenient for us, that is our own, but whatsoever is redundant and above that is the poors, Matt. 6. 12. Give us this day our daily bread, not quails, dainties, delicaties, excrescencies, superfluities, such things as may administer fuel to the flame, but bread, that is, whatsoever is necessary for our support, and subsistence. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not those things that I would have, but those things that are convenient for me. As the Apostle speaks, having food and raiment let us there with be content whatsoever is above food and raiment, that is the poor man's portion, that which we consume upon our lusts, that which we prodigally cast away upon sumptuous banquets, fruitless visits, idle recreations, glittering apparel, useless pompous attendants, is the poor man's, & should be laid out upon him; according to that of our Saviour, he that hath two coats, let him give to him that hath none. That is, he that hath more than he wants, should give to him that is in want. He that doth not do so, is in some sense sacrilegious, as St. Cyprian de Eleemosynis, Sacrilegium est rem pauperum non dare pauperibus, It's a kind of a Sacrilege not to give the poor man that that is the poor man's. So that if we would be either faithful to God, or just to men; we cannot but do good and distribute.  
3. We are all Brethren, and therefore we should do good one to another. There is nothing so unnatural as dissension among Brethren, nature and grace oblige Brethren to do good one to another; Where may we look for courtesies, if not between Brethren? The very word itself carries an argument in it, Psal. 133. 1. Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is, for Brethren to dwell together in unity. That Brethren are to do good to, and Symphathise with one ano ther, no rational man will once question, That we are all Brethren is as unquestionable. We are Brethren as God is our Father, both by Creation and adoption; as Christ is our Brother▪ there is a Spiritual Brotherhood in Christ, he himself being the elder Brother, 1 Pet. 2. 17. Love the Brotherhood, if there be a Brotherhood there are Brethren that constitute it; for a Brotherhood consisteth of Brethren, so in Peter; Love as Brethren. If thy Brother thirst; give him drink, if he be naked cloth him, though it be hard for flesh and blood to love an enemy, yet me thinks we should love our Brethren, as Abraham said to Lot, let there be no strife betwixt us, for we are Brethren.  
4. If we have regard to the preservation of humane Society, we cannot but do good one to another. Such is our condition in this life, that there is a necessity of mutual reciprocal courtesies, humane Society is like archbuildings, unless one stone hold up another, the whole fabric falls; in a hop-yard the poles sustain the hops, and they as it were sensible of the courtesy, adorn the poles, the walls bear up the roof, & the roof keeps them from wet. Thus it is among friends, non omnia possumus omnes, God hath bestowed all eminencies upon no man; several men have several eminencies, that they may prove the more advantageous and helpful one to another; the Wise man directs the valiant, and the valiant defends the Wise; the rich man supplies the want of the poor, and the poor takes away from his superfluity; the rich man is overloaded, & the poor man easeth him; and me thinks he doth him a great courtesy to bear some part of the burden, that hinders him from climbing up to Heaven. The head of the counsellor directs the hand of the Soldier, Ulysses was as good a man as Aiax. The Physician gives the Divine Physic for his body, and the Divine gives him Physic for his soul. Many strings though of a different size, if they be well tuned, make good Music. If any one could live of himself, he might have some colour of living to himself, but in that none can live of himself, why should he live to himself?  
5. We are to do good and to distribute, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased, Arretius upon this place, frames the argument thus, Those things that will appease & pacify an angry God, we are to do. But to do good & to distribute will pacify God. and therefore we are to do good & to distribute. What should we do sooner than that which will pacify God, render him propitious to us, cause him to lift up the light of his countenance upon us? Nothing should please us more, than that which pleases God. So much may suffice for the rationality and reasonableness of the thing. Methinks now I perceive some charitable dispositions in you & some of you look as if you would pity an object of charity, lest therefore ye should want objects to exercise your charity on, give me leave to present you with some, & in the 3. place show you to whom we are to do good, to all men in misery, & unable to relieve themselves.  
Misery is the true, genuine, proper object of mercy, & in that not only our friends but even our enemies may be in misery, not only our friends but enemies are objects of mercy; we are to do good to prisoners, strangers, orphans, widows, poor distressed Gentlemen; & not only to such, but even to our enemies according to that of the Apostle, Do good to all men. Not only to those that do you good, for this is merchandise not charity; but even to your enemies. Mat. 5. 44. Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them that despitefully use you & persecute you. Now if we are to love our enemies, I know not who we should hate, a publican may love one that loves him, but it is a child of God only that can love an enemy. These are the true genuine acts of mercy, to give meat to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothes to the naked, to redeem the Captive, to entertain strangers, to visit the sick, to bury the dead; Such persons as these are in need, and we cannot but relieve them: and as they must be in misery, so they must be unable to relieve themselves. We must look to this, lest we foment idleness, and in stead of relieving dying bodies, we relieve dying lusts. It was the Apostles rule, that he that would not work should not eat, provided he be one that can work: neither may we make such excuses as these to stop the current of charity, that men are wicked and therefore we may not relieve them, for though every sinner, as a sinner, is to be hated, yet every man as a man, is to be beloved; And we are to love them, not as they made themselves, but as God made them. And now Christian, if among all these thou canst not find an object fit for thy charity, go to some Hospital, and there thou wilt be sure to meet with one, if thy heart be not all adamant. Let other men's miseries teach thee to know and see thy own happiness, when thou seest a blind man, bless God for thy sight, when thou seest a lame man, bless God for thy limbs, when a deaf man, bless God for thy hearing; It might have been thy own case, who made thee to differ from another? Being come hither, do not only pity him with thy heart, but relieve him with thy hand, show me the goodness of thy heart by the wideness of thy hand. But as we are to know to whom we are to do good, so we are to know in the Fourth place, when we are to do good.  
Every thing is beautiful in its season, though good things are acceptable at any time, yet they are most acceptable in their time. In answer to this question, We are to do good Principally in our life time, but rather than not at all, when we are a dying: What the Apostle speaks I may say here, Behold now is the accepted time, now is the time to believe, now is the time to repent, now is the time to so the seeds of charity, that thou mayst reap the harvest of glory. It will not be long ere the silver cord be loosed, and the golden bowl broken; ere thy rarely composed tabernacle of clay be dissolved, and the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit to God that gave it. A little while yet, and then thy weeping friends will be busy about thy bed, providing thee a winding sheet, nay it will not be long before God himself say to thee, Give an account of thy stewardship, give an account of thy gifts, of thy graces, of thy goods, of thy time, of all those precious jewels that I entrusted thee with. O how much therefore doth it concern thee to do somewhat whilst it is day, before the night comes, wherein thou canst not work, to do some good now whilst thou hast so many golden opportunities of doing of good daily and hourly presented unto thee: O ye rich men, which should be as so many golden conduit-pipes to convey the streams of your Master's bounty, to necessitous indigent creatures, do good now in your life time, let us thank you, not your deathbeds for your charity; do not give away your goods because ye know not how to keep them. It was the good man's praise, dispersit, dedit, he himself gave his goods, he himself not another for him. But as we are to know to whom, and when, so also in the 5. place. How we are to do good, Est modus in dando.  
1. Prudently, wisely, discreetly. Christian prudence, it is the soul's pilot, it is the directress of all graces, it is the spiritual fault that seasons all our performances. He that gives aright, looks why, to whom, when, to what end he giveth, There is a pregnant excellent place to this purpose in Esa. 32. 8. Where it is said, The liberal man deviseth liberal things; that is, he studies, he consults, he meditates how he may best place his courtesies, he seeks out for a fit man to prefer him, and that with as much eagerness, as many a man seeks preferment. It were to be wished that preferments would rather seek men, than they seek preferments, such a man was famous Bishop Andrews, he would sish out for a dedeserving man, on purpose to prefer him, and seldom or ever gave preferments to such as hunted after them. Many men they have nothing left them, but misery and modesty, and they had rather die than ask, such men are to he sought after, enquired after, and when we give them any thing, we should do it so, as not to make them ashamed.  
2. Secretly, our Right hand should not know what our left hand doth. When we do our Alms, we should not with the hypocrites, blow a Trumpet, as Seaeca speaks, narret qui beneficium accepit, non qui dedit. Let the receiver talk of the benefit, not the giver. Vain glory it sullieth the oriency of the most beautiful action, It is a moth that will eat out the reward of the best performance, It is as good not to do a thing at all, as to do it only to be talked of. Mat. 6. 1. Take heed that ye do not your alms before men to be seen of them, otherwise ye have no reward. That action that is done only to be seen, God will not see it to reward it.  
3. We should do good voluntarily, benefits should not come from us like drops of blood, but they should drop from us like honey from the honey comb, without squeezing or wring; God doth not love constrained services: Whatsoever is acceptable to him, it must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a pure freewill offering. He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searcher of the heart, and the tryer of the reins, and he doth not so much look to the hand as to the heart of the giver. Hence it was that the poor Widow's mite was so acceptable, she did not only cast her mite, but her heart also into the treasury.  
4. Cheerfully, cheerfulness it puts a lustre upon an action, and makes it amiable in the eyes of God and men, God loves a cheerful giver, one that is as willing to give as a poor man is to ask, Gods will should be done on earth as it is in Heaven, the Angels are said to have wings, because of their alacrity and cheerfulness, the obeying of God's commands. The cheerfulness of our countenances, should denote the willingness of our hearts.  
5. Affably, with a great deal of affability and humanity; it is not good to insult over men in misery, if we will not relieve them, yet we should not abuse them; the softness of our tongues should denote the softness of our hearts. We are not only to give good things, but also good words; ill is the custom of those that give men good things and bad words, it is to be feared that they give out of some sinister end, and not out of a fellowfeeling of their brethren's miseries; it is to be feared that where their words are so hard, their hearts are hard and unrelenting. An act of mercy should be done mercifully.  
6. Quickly, speedly; his dat qui cito dat, he gives twice that gives quickly. We should be as ready to relieve our poor, weak, sick. Brethren, as they are to ask relief. Many a man is so long in giving his alms, that the poor man dies before it comes. But such slow motions tell us that charity is almost, if not quite dead. Questionless if we were ready to die for hunger ourselves, we would make more haste to the cupboard. Prov. 3. 28. Say not to thy Neighbour, go, and come again to morrow, when thou hast it by thee.  
7. We must do good out of a right principle, and to a right end; Actio bona vel mala est ex circumstantiis, circumstances denominate an action either good or bad, and of circumstances the end hath not the least stroke in the denomination of an action. Our good actions must flow from a principle of faith, and be directed to God's glory, as their ultimate end; this is the grand end of all, this is that mark at which we ought to aim in all our thoughts, words and actions, this is that for which man the Epitome of the World, and the Master piece of God's creation was made. That action is to no end that is not to a right end. A thing is not presently good that is good in itself, unless it be also well done, a thing may be good materially, and yet bade formally; a Heathen may do a good action, and yet not do it well, than we give aright, when we give in obedience to God's command, and that we may testify our thankfulness. So much may suffice for the fifth thing, the manner how we are to do it. I proceed in the 6. place to show you some of those public uses for which we are to, lay out our riches, some of those public ways of doing good.  
These public uses they are either civil, or Ecclesiastical; Civil, when a man lays out his estate for the good of the commonwealth. Ecclesiastical, when a man lays out his estate for the good of the Church, both these ways of expressing our charity are very commendable, & have deservedly rendered many famous. Aurelius commends Vespasian for a brave Prince, because at his own charge he repaired the Capitol, the Temple of peace, and the monument of Claudius, 'tis for Augustus his honour, that he found Rome all brick, but left it all Marble. Trajan deservedly hath the honour of Dions' pen because he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many necessary works for the good of the Commonwealth. Magnificeuce is one of the fairest flowers in a Prince's Garland, one of the richest Jewels in his Crown. Princes formerly were reputed good or bad, according to those public edifices that they had built. As good actions to the Commonwealth prove a man's love to it, so do good actions to the Church argue a man's love to Religion; and they are no less to be commended that have laid out their estates for the good of Churches and Colleges. David did not think it became him to dwell in an house of Cedars, when the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord remained under curtains, he had a good mind to build God an house. And it was not the least of Solomon's praises that he did so, that he was a builder of the Temple. God's Children are not transformers of Churches into Barnes and Stables, but they are described to be such as shall build up the old waste places, such as raise up the foundation of many generations. When the Jews would commend the Centurion to our Saviour. they represent him under this notion, he was one that loved their Nation, and built them a Synagogue. He had done them an eminent courtesy, and therefore he was worthy to receive one. No less are they to be honoured that have been Benefactors to Colleges and Schools of learning. 2 King. 6. 1. When the Sons of the Prophets went to fetch beams for the enlarging of their dwellings, Elisha went along with them. Eminent was the charity of the ancients this way, they did show us that the Tree of faith was a live by the fruits of their good works. The two famous beauties of our Nation. Oxford & Cambridge had many rich lovers, that presented them with large gifts; If we may believe Bucero as large as any in the whole World. King Henry the VIII. and Cardinal Woolsey were Founders of that royal and ample foundation of Christ's Church in Oxford. Balliol King of the Scots was Founder of Baliol. Sr. William Peter augmented Exeter College. Sr. Thomas White Alderman of London augmented and restored St. john's. Mr. Wadham was Founder of Wadham. University College had or its Founder Munificent Alfred King of the Saxons; and for its Benefactors William of Durham, Sr. Simon Benet and divers others. The Jewel that is illustrated by the Sun colours the Sun beams. The earth receiveth moisture from the akie, and repayee it back again in waters, it is but just and equal that we should give their memories the honour due unto them, that gave us so much▪ Why should not Moecenae have an Horace to tell of his liberality. Though he that gives should say nothing, yet he that receives sold say some thing; though the name of the wicked do rot, yet the name of a Benefactor like a Box of precious ointment, smells sweet, in the nostrils of all good men. The names of our noble and wise Benefactors, should not be mentioned with out due respect, and liberal Testimonies of their Excellencies. It is but just that their names should live, that made so many to live. O what great cause have we to be thankful to God for such men, and to endeavour to write after those fair copies which they have drawn us. I proceed in the seaventh place to make use.  
1. This may be for the just reproof of all unjust Stewards, all strait handed Diveses, those that do not discharge their trusts, that do not disburse their goods to those good ends & uses for which they were bestowed upon them, whether public or private. Oh! how many unprofitable Vacias are there in the world that are good for nothing, but seem to be buried whilst they are alive? how many are there of whom it may be said as they said of degenerated Alexander, that how was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the burden of the earth? how many are there that are like Cypresse-trees, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, stately and high but fruitless? But such Trees they are not for Paradise, they are fit only to be hewn down, & cast into the fire. How many are there in the World that Cleopatra like spend whole Kingdoms upon their lusts? Whose God is their belly, whose end is destruction. They spend so much on their own bellies, that they can spare nothing for the bellies of the poor; it will be a sad thing when God shall say to such men, you were my stewards, why did ye not clothe the naked, give meat to the hungry, drink to the thirsty? Go ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels, for I was an hungered and ye gave me no meat, I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink, naked and ye did not clothe me, sick and ye did not visit me. Nay, how many sacrilegious Persons are there in the World, that are so far from building Churches and colleges, that they would pull them down? They are like the King of Sicily, that to enlarge his Palace pulled down a Temple. Oh how many are there that to enlarge their own houses, can be content to pull down the house of God? We have had too sad experience of this in our own Nation, those two wide-mouthed Cormorants, pretended piety, & liberty had almost swallowed up Church and State; It was of the Lords mercies that we were not consumed, and because his compassions fail not. I think this Nation hath been one of the most Sacrilegious Nations under the cope of Heaven, & I am verily persuaded that that deep died Crimson, Heaven deriding sin of Sacrilege was one of the greatest causes of this Nations miseries. But now that Justice which seemed to sleep all this while, hath at length over taken the Authors and achan's of our miseries, by this time some of them know, what it is to kill Kings & rob Churches, and may all men that propose to themselves no better ends; have no better ends; & for those that are unexecuted, though I can wish no great good to their bodies, yet in charity I wish much good to their souls; I wish that God may be more merciful to their souls, than they have been to other men's bodies, and that those that thirsted so much after blood, would at length thirst after the blood of Jesus.  
2. Are we to do good, to lay out those blessings that God hath beme pleased to bestow upon us, for public & private uses? O then let me here in the more especial presence of God and his Holy Angels, beseech and entreat you to do good, to lay out your gifts, graces, & goods for God's glory & the benefit of your Brethren, look upon yourselves as born not so much for yourselves as for God's glory and the good of others, look upon yourselves as lent only to yourselves, and wholly given to others; O you that are rich in this World, and have so many golden opportunities of doing good, endeavour to be rich in good works; as God hath made you great, so endeavour to be good, and to do good: though greatness and goodness seldom meet together yet they are not incompatible, inconsistent, it is not impossible for the same man to be great, good and just. O cloth the naked, give meat to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, entertain the stranger, redeem the Captive, visit the sick; consider that ye are not Lords to do what ye please with what ye have, nor treasurers to hoard up, but ye are stewards, ye are the hands of God to disburse, and woe be unto you, if ye not do so Consider that when ye come trembing and shivering before Christ's dreadful Tribunal, it will not be asked you how great ye were, but how good ye were; It will not be for your comfort that ye had an abundance, but that ye were abundant in well disposing of that ye had. O ye that are Magistrates do good and distribute Justice, vindicate the right of the Fatherless and the Widow, see that Gods purer. Worship be maintained, that Justice be executed, that the peace be kept; O let noti the sword of Justice lie rusty in the scabbard, but draw it against all Sabbath-breakers, contemners of Church discipline, blasphemers, swearers, drunkards scandalous irregular livers; know that God stands in the assembly of the Gods. And you O my Fathers and Brethren of the Ministry, if the slenderness of your fortunes will not permit you to do good to your brethren's bodies, yet do good to their souls; There is a charity to the soul as well as to the body, and it is as much, nay, more charity to relieve a fainting languishing soul, than to relieve a fainting languishing body. O bind up the broken, strengthen the weak, comfort the comfortless, visit the sick; do good by your Preaching, do good by your writing, do good by your living, do not only talk of God, but walk with God, do not only Preach in the Pulpit, but out of the Pulpit, do not only Preach Sermons, but live Sermons, the whole life of a good Divine should be nothing else but a Sermon he should be an Angel in comparison of other men, taller than others by the head and shoulders in piety, O consider that you are Suns and if ye be in an Eclipse, the whole World will take notice of you; people are apt to take notice of one vice in a Minister, more than of a hundred virtues. A copy should be fair, a line strait, and he that is to teach others to walk, should be no cripple himself. How unbeseeming a thing is it for a Minister that Preacheth humility, to be proud? For a man that discourseth whole years of Heaven to be earthy? O my Brethren, do not cloister your excellencies, hide your Talents in a Napkin, do not like dark Lanterns shine only to yourselves, but let your light so shine, that men secing your good works, may glorify your Father which is in Heaven. O ye that are Tutors, do good to your pupils, be not unfaithful to God and men; and for your encouragement consider, that when ye do good to a pupil, ye do good to a whole Nation, nay peradventure to the whole world. Who knows but such a one may prove an Ursine, an Usher, an Andrew's, a Cedar in learning and piety? O that all men in all places, of all callings would make it their business to do good and distribute some way or other. Titus Vespasian counted that day lost in which he had done good to no one, O Amici, Amici diem perdidi, my friends, my friends I have lost a day; O let not us Christians be, ashamed to learn some what of Heathens. 'tis our excellency to come near God, to be the Children of our Father which is in Heaven; We cannot come near to God in any thing more than in doing good. For the inciting of you, I shall present you with these Motives.  
1. Consider that charity is the very life, the soul and as it were the essence of Religion. True Religion doth not consist so much, in contemplation and speculation, as in practice and action; it is not so much the work of the head and the tongue, as of the heart and the hand. Me thinks now a day's Religion is dwindled into frothy, airy, love quenching disputations. We are all head, no heart, we are like Children sick of the rickets, our heads are swollen bigger than our whole bodies, we are so far from works of charity, that we cannot afford one another Charitable words; but I would have such Bountefeaus, such fire brands of the Church to know that no man's private humour is valueable with the Church's peace, though he did shine in it, as a Star of the first magnitude; Whoever gets by such disputes, I am sure the Church looseth. Me thinks the Divines of England are like so many unnatural Sons, like so many nero's ripping up the bowels of their own Mother the Church. It had been better that many of them had never been, than that they had been so seditious. 'twere well if they would bestow some of those precious hours that they spend in scribbling one against another, in binding up the broken, comforting the comfortless visiting the sick, according to that in Jam. I. 17. This is pure Religion and undefiled before God to visit the Fatherless and the Widows in their affliction.  
2. Consider that good works are the best evidences of a good faith, of a true saving justifying faith. When I see the fruits of good works, I cannot but conclude that the Tree of faith is alive. When our Saviour had cured the man with the withered hand, he bids him (to testify that it was whole) stretch it forth, stretch forth thy hand. O my beloved if ye would show me that the sinews of your faith are not shrunk, that the hands of your charity are not withered, stretch them forth. Excellent is that of the Apostle, show me thy faith by thy works. Not by thy words, but by thy works, a workelesse faith, is a worthless faith. Though it be faith alone that justifieth, yet it is not an alone, solitary, unaccompanied faith, though it be the fore finger alone that points in the hand, yet it is not alone when it points. Faith in the soul, is like a Queen attended with a Royal train of other graces, as maidens of honour. Me thinks I hear faith Rachel like, crying out, give me Children, or else I die. O how lovely a sight it is to see the Vine of faith laden with the clusters of good works!  
3. Consider that whatsoever ye do to any of Christ's poor members, he looks upon it as done to himself. And me thinks this motive should be of great force with you; me thinks 〈◊〉 should strive who should first do Christ a good turn. When a man gives an 〈◊〉, he should not so much look at the member of Christ, as at Christ in the member▪ and though he doth not give him any thin● for his own, yet he should give him somewhat for Christ's sake. Suppose Christian, thou sawest Christ himself that spilt his precious blood for thee, coming to thy doors and ask a bit of bread, couldst thou have the heart, or the face to deny him? Surely thou wouldst not be so rocky hearted, 'tis all one, and if thou doubtest of this, believe Christ himself that saith so, Matth. 25. 40. In as much as ye have done it to the lest of these my Brethren, ye have done it unto me. Christ gave us all and me thinks we should by way of gratitude give him somewhat again.  
4. Consider that that which is given to the poor is a means to sanctify that which we have. He that gives God any thing, he is wont to repay him in greater abundance. The Sydonian Woman's Oil that was poured into empty vessels, never ceased running: If we would have our Oil always to run, we must pour it into empty vessels. The Widow's Oil consumed not, as long as she fed the Prophet. Eccles. 11. 1. Cast thy bread upon the Waters, and thou fhalt find it after many days. That bread is not cast away that is cast upon the Waters, Psol. 41. 1. Blessed is he that considereth the poor. blessed in his estate, blessed in his Children, blessed here, blessed hereafter.  
5. Consider that whatever ye give the poor on earth God will give it you in Heaven, nay ten thousand times more according to that, give and it shall be given unto you. Though I do not say here with the Papists, that good works are meritorious of Heaven, yet this I say, that God is pleased to bestow Heaven upon those that do good works, those that testify their faith by their works. That a piece of Leather is currant, it is not from the value that is in the thing itself, but from the value that the Prince puts upon it as St. Augustine, Deus non coronat merita tua, sed dona sua. God crowns not any merit in thee, but his own gifts. We do not go to Heaven because we do good works, but because God hath promised to give us Heaven if we do good works; according to those places, lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, a good foundation for the time to come. And happy is the man that lays out treusures on earth, that he may receive treasures in Heaven. Happy is the man that treads upon his riches, and makes them a ladder to climb up thither, happy is the man that exchangeth his gold for that street of the new Jerusalem, that is of pure gold. Happy is the man that by giving to the poor, can turn his Pactolus his River of gold, into those Rivers of pleasures which are at God's right hand for evermore. O lend God somewhat in this World, and he will surely pay you in the World to come; O give the poor your bread here, and God will give you the bread of life hereafter: and you shall hear that sweet sentence, come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World; for I was an hungry and ye gave me bread, thirsty, and ye gave me drink, naked and ye clothed me; To which Kingdom, God of his infinite goodness, bring us all, and lead us through the Kingdom of grace into the Kingdom of glory for his Son Jesus Christ's sake.  
FINIS.   

ERRATA.  
P. 15. l. 10, your. 2d Sermon. p. 5. l. 3. the meaning. l. 6. divine: philosophical. l. 7. philosophical. Such. l. 29. be browbeaten. p. 7. l. 25. their fathers had. p. 8. l. 25. courts. p. 9 l. 9 similitude. p. 10. l. 1. of the Prince of the air. l. 4. your father. p 13. l. 1. denied- our Saviour's. l. 4. the truth. So much. l. 5. the use I shall make of it, is. p. 16. l. 24. received. p. 17. l. 4. Minister. p. 24. l. 18 these p. 29. l. 22. Concionis. p. 31. l. 21. here the souls. p. 33. l. 12. give us. 3d Sermon. p. 3. l. 2. Lord loved. p. 10. l 4. King, so that. p. 11. l. ult. struck. p 12. l. 6. foremost. 4th Sermon. p 2. l. 28. beneficentiae & communionis. p. 19 l. 4. in the obeying.