A Sermon, called GOD'S NEW-YEERES-GVIFT, sent unto England. Contained in these words. So God loved the World, that he hath given his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but should have life everlasting. joh. 3. 10.  
AT LONDON, Printed by W. White, and▪ are to be sold by Y. james at his shop without Criple-gate. 1602.   

God's Newyears Gift, sent unto England.  
Contained in these words.  
So God loved the World, that he hath given his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but should have life everlasting.  john. 3. 16. 
HE that writes himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first and the last, signified thereby, that he is not only the eternal Word, but also the beginning, middle, and end of the written Word: yea, the scope of all the Scriptures. Search the Scriptures (saith Christ) for it is they that witness of me: Every line in them cries out like john Baptist, Behold the Lamb of God. The Scriptures are a Circle, and Christ the Centre, wherein all th●● prophesies mere. They are like the Image of janus which looked forward and backward: So the old Testament behe●●● Christ to come, as Abraham saw his day, and rejoiced: the New, sees him already come, as saith good Father Simeon, For mine eyes have seen thy salvation.  
And as Christ is the contents of the Scripture, so the whole Scripture seems to be confined in this verse of my text. As all Joseph's brethren were frasted with variety, but Benjamins' mess exceeded them all: so all Scripture is profitable, but this most precious: All Scripture is tried Gold, but this is orient Pearl: So that here the Cuangelist seems to propound all the word in a word. If thy memory be short, here is a lesson as short as sweet: so that its doubtful whether the nuanticie of the words or their quality and worth be more admirable.  
These words are like precious jewels, containing great riches in a little room. Before we unlock the Casket wherein this treasure is contained. let us look back to the happy occasion that cast this wealth on our shores.  
The occaston of this comfortable Scripture was a conflict between Verity and Vanity. light and darkness, Christ and Nicodemus: for our Saviour being that summum bonins, that loves to communicate his goodness with his creature: that Light that would lighten every man that comes into the world, that Sun that makes all things increase and multiply, the Physician that seeks out them that are sick, the Shepherd sent to the lost sheep of Israel: his meat & drink was to infuse grace into men, & reduce souls unto God. When did he eat, but he broke the bread of Life? When did he drink, but he opened the fountains of Grace? When did he walk, but he taught the ways of God? When did he rest, but he preached an everlasting Sabaoth, and happy jubilee to the penitent? witness so many Iour●●es, so many Sermons, so many Miracles: and witness this present conference with Nicodemus.  
This Nicodemus being a better Lawyer than a gospeler, one that with Paul was brought up at Gamaliels' feet, but never sa●e at Christ's feet with Marie: seeking for light in darkesse, comes unto Christ by night.  
What might induce this great Doctor to come unto Christ is as full of supposes, as far from certainty. Some think Nicodemus came to tempt Christ, and therefore cunningly extols him, as the Wrestler lifts up his adversary, that he may cast him down: or as the Hyaena, who counterfeiting a Man's voice, seeks to destroy him. Some think it was a sinister influence of vainglory that drew this fantastic to Christ, as the Athenians into their exchange only to hear news. Some think Derision came to catch our Saviour in a trap, that so Rash-iudgment might condemn him. Others presume, that being affected with Christ's doctrine, he came to gratulate our Saviour, as the best sort of our bad hearers, turn their own profiting into the praise of the Teacher: But I think this lukewarm lover coming so by night, was more afraid of the world, then affected with the Word, which he so praised: For Ver●● admirator virtutis, non horret Arist●ais exilium, non Socratis condemnationem. etc. Howsoever, this Spider coming to suck poison from Christ's wholesome doctrine, was at the length catched in his own net. For this plausible Doctor, as if he had the art of flattery, ●ippes his insinuating tongue with a triple praise; whose Syren-voyce above all pernicious swee●es in the world, tickles the very heartstrings of man: Therefore Saint Jerome cries out, Happy is that soul which is neither subject to flatteries nor flatterings. And in Epist. ad Greg. he says: Nos ad patriam festinantes, m●r●●feros Syrenarum cantus sur●●●ure transire deb●mus. And Alanus saith, Quid ergo Adulationis unctio, nisi dom●●●●▪ ●munctio? quid commendationis allusionisi Praelatorum delusio? What is the oil of Flattery, but the foil of Families? What the poison of Praise, but the infection of Praelats? But our Saviour being thus assaulted by this Siren, shows himself like the P●ylli in Africa, or the Mars●j in Italy; who are not only themselves safe from all venomous Serpents, but have also power to suck the poison from others infected: So Christ, who knew that La●dar● a laudato, was vera l●us, would not applaud his vain praise: for our Saviour having got the substance, scorned the shadow: having in perfect action the possession of all virtues, refused the imperfect affection of Vain glory: Therefore Nicodemus was a fool to buckle the light Bladder of idle praise on his back, which was ordained to bear the Cross of humility: he that loves Virtue for praise, his mind is mercenary. We never read that Christ ever admitted in himself this poison of human praise, though she often offered him her painted Garland to adorn his virtues: whose perfection gave a tongue of Praises to his very foes; and out of the mouth of Enure, have ●aled his commendations: But ●●nding in this blind Doctor fit matter for his mercy to work upon, like a wise Musician, he casts not away this ●arring instrument, but after the correction of his folly, gives him instruction in the faith, as the Physician first lets out the hurtful blood, and then ministereth wholesome food: For though the Bull be offended with red, and the best sometimes: are not mended with roughness: yet Christ knew a sharp rebuke was a sovereign remedy for Nicodemus. A child will easily grow with cherishing: but an old tree transplanted▪ will hardly prosper without pruning▪ Honey is sweet, yet it is sharp where it finds a soar. Though the bud●ing Rose perish with a man's breath, yet the Camomile must be ●rod on, to make it grow. He that is stung of the Asp, must have the infected member cut off. The Ape killeth her young ones with too much cherishing, and the ivy choketh her supporter with too much embracing. If Apelles should see his Venus blemished, or Protogenes his H●aly●us broken, surely the one would turn away his eyes, and the other throw away his Pencil: then shall we not allow Christ to be sorry, seeing his own Image so defaced through ignorance, and so spotted with error? Yet Christ in his correction is like a kind Nurse, that whips her crying Babe on the coat, not on the carcase: and though he knits his brow, he knits in it a blessing: as the father holds an Apple in one hand and a Rod in the other. But let us first hear how Christ shakes his Rod at Nicodemus, roundly rebuking him for his blindness in a chief point of Religion, the mystery of Regeneration.  
O Nicodemus, art thou a Doctor in Israel, and knowest not these things? Art thou a Teacher is Christ his school, and hast not yet learned Christs-crosse? How art thou accounted a wise man in Israel, being a fool in Religion? There is no Wisdom but the Truth, in qua ●e●et●● et cernitur summum bonum. Solomon my servant, in stead of Riches desired of God the Spirit of Rule. If this was his prayer, much more should it be thy wish, since he was but King of their bodies, but thou art a Corrector of souls. How canst thou teach men to shun the second death, which art so ignorant of the second Birth? A Teacher should be Organon veritatis, the right hand of Truth, to minister to every one their food in due season. Thou art an overseer in Israel, and art shamefully overseen thyself. Now Age hath snowne down Winter on thy head, those hairs which should be Heralds of Wisdom, show thee to be twice a Child. I would have thee as a new-born Babe: and thou art a Babe not knowing New-birth. I would have my Disciples to shine as lights: but thou art a counterfeit Diamond, made precious by the foil of Moses Chair, where thou art falsely set. O Nicodemus, he must needs be the devils Doctor, that was never yet Gods Disciple. I appeal to thyself, Is not a small blemish in the face, more ugly than a great blot in the rest of the body? He that com●●es himself, where should he look but in a Glass? And he that corrects himself, on whom should he look, but on his Elders? Though the Moon be dark, it shows no great danger: but when the Sun is Eclipsed, it signifieth death. If the blind lead the blind, how can they but fall? Where the Ship-maister sleepeth, who fears not sinking? And where the Shepherd watcheth not the Sheep go round to the shambles. Thou being a Doctor in Israel, thy lips should preserve knowledge, and thy life should be the Laymane Books. If thy ●alt be unsavoury, how wilt thou season the simple: If thy Rule be crooked, how canst thou either direct the weak, or correct the wicked? Finally, if thy light be darkness, how great is that darkness itself? Thou resemblest the hair be Empetron, which the nearer it grows to the Sea, the less salt it is: so thou, being a teacher in Israel, are a stranger in Israel. But why do I reprove thy folly, and not rehearse thy fault? Dost thou not know, Ad veram sapientiam peru●nire non possunt, qui falsae suae sapientiae fiducia desipiunt, They shall never attain heavenly Wisdom, which hunt after it with human wit. The Hart brags in vain of his branched horns, because he wants courage: and in vain dost thou vaunt of Templum Domini. because thou want'st knowledge. They which would see perfectly, wink on one eye: so if thou wilt see the mysteries of God, thou must shut the eye of natural Reason. But no marvel thou art so dull: for as Cyclops exoculatus, manus quoque versum 〈◊〉 nullo certo scopo, so thy eye of Faith being out, thy blind Reason gropes in the dark, being too shallow a Pilot to guide thee into the mystery of Regeneration. I commend thee for thy skill in the Law, but condemn thee for thy blindness in the Gospel. The Seaman that escapes all ●yr●es and shelves▪ yet in sight of the Haven suffers Shipwreck, is counted no less foolish than unfortunate: and thou passing all the Labyrinths of human Learning, yet coming short of the knowledge of New-birth, art to be pitt●ed for thy fortune, and derided for thy folly. Thou knowest I never allowed him that had all manner of knowledge, yet had not the mean of knowing. He that seeks knowledge, must note three things, Quo ordine▪ quo study▪ quo fine quaequ● n●sse opor●eat. The Order of knowledge is to know that first, which brings soonest to the way of salvation: the Desire in knowledge, must be to love that knowledge chiefly, which most enforceth us to love: and the End of our knowledge, is not to win the praise of thyself, but to work the profit of others. But alas, that which should be the first in thy Conscience, is the farthest from thy Care▪ that which should have possessed thy Love, is divorced from thy Liking: and that which should have been the end of thy knowledge, is the beginning of thy shame. Qui Epi●cop●tū desiderat, bonum opus desiderat: It seems thou desirest bonum, not opus▪ the worship, not the work: the goods of the fleece, not the good of the flock: else wouldst thou not be ignorant in the very rudiments of Religion, and foolishly build without a foundation. Thy coming to me shows in part thy love, yet thy coming in the night, says thy love is but little: but I know the flame when it kindleth is mixed with smoke, and so is thy little knowledge with the smoke of ignorance: yet I will not quench this smoking Flake, nor break this bruised Reed: Though thou camest to me without business, thou shalt not depart without a blessing. As Abraham sent his servant with Gifts in his hand, so I will send thee hence with Grace in thy heart: and for thy three idle praises, I will repay thee three endless profits: hear therefore the nature of Faith. the depth of God's Love, and the mystery of Regeneration.  
Thus did our Saviour shake up this foolish shadow of a Prophet, this idle echo of his praises, this empty v●ssell containing nothing but the bare name of a Doctor in I●●ael: whose example if we moralise▪ it teacheth us, That (in God's matters) the greatest Clerks are not the wisest men. Philosophers have great wits, but they are enemies to Grace: and the world hath her Wisdom, but it is enmity with God. Learning is a Lodestar, and the knowledge of ●ongues, is the key of truth: but if profane Learning turn Lucife●, and think to usurp Moses Chair. she must be thrust (with the Parrot) out of ●upiters Parliament. If Ishmael mock Isaac, though he be the son of Abraham, he must be vanished: And if Learning ma●re Religion, though it be the gift of God, it must be abandoned. The Stars give some light, but the Moon must be Mistress of the night. As the poor Israelites ●orrowed of the Egyptians all their jewels but to adorn themselves: so we must borrow from profane Arts all their ornaments, and with their spoils adorn the Temple of God: So doing, Learning and Religion, like two Twins, will live and love together. And thus much touching the occasion of these words.  
Having found out the ●iue, let us search for the Honey conteayned in this heavenly verse.  
GOD so loved the World, that he hath given his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but should have life everlasting.  john. 3. 16. 
THese words contain a Deed of gift: which, for our better light, I branch into these six parts. First the giver, God. Second, the cause moving him to this exceeding bounty, which is here said to be love. Third, the gift: his only begotten Son. Fourth, the party to whom this Legacy or gift is bequeathed: the World. Fifth, the fruit following this Gift, which is two fold: first a Ransom, in these words, should not perish: Secondly a reward, in these words, should have life everlasting. Sixth, the hand wherewith we receive this Gift, (namely Faith) whosoever believeth in him.  

CAPUT. 1. Of GOD, the giver.  
First, The giver, God. The wealth of a Gift appears in the worth of the giver: and if the giver be ●●ce, the Gift is contemned: but if the giver be gracious in our heart, the Gift is as precious in our eye. While our Ships ride in ou● harbours, we regard them not: but when they return from the farthest Ocean, we look for great riches. If a Messenger come to us from a mean person, we give him mean entertainment: but if a Prince send his worst Servant unto us, we give him princely regard. Well, God is richer than the Ocean, his bosom is full of blessings: God is greater than a Prince, his kingdom is everlasting: And as his thoughts are not as man's thoughts, so his Gifts are not as man's Gifts: for as he gives without merit, so he gives without measure: he is excellent in all his works. If he love it's without repentance: if he hate, his anger endures for ever: if he give, he powers down his blessings: if he take, non hab●n●●●●●●m quod habet, a●●eretur, he takes away all: He loves a cheerful giver, and shall we think him a fearful giver? A poor man on a time begging a Groat of a King, the King snipped him with this answer, Non est Regium. If an ●●rthly Prince thus stood on his Gift, shall not the heavenly King regard what he giveth▪ Christ telleeth us, that Bea●●us est da●e q●àm accipere▪ it's a part of his Father's blessedness to give. And saint Augustine says, Benefic●um est benevola actio tribuens, 〈◊〉 ●audiū●ri●uendo▪ A benefit or gift is a work of good will, that pleasures as much in the giving, as the receiver doth in the Gift. So then, if God's Gift be a work of goodwill towards man, we may measure out his beneficence by his benevolence: his work by his will, and his Gift by the joy that he taketh in giving. When Goods Love intends a Largesse, the gift must needs be great. The lower the vale, the more rain it receiveth: and the unworthier man is, the greater Gods love is, and the richer his Gift. In a word, the excellency of this Gift appears in the excellency of the giver, whose perfection is such, as only silence must show it, while conce●t and reason ●ie in a trance through endless admiration. A Philosopher being commanded to tell the King what God was, he asked a days respite: and when the day was done, and the King expected his promise, he asked two days: which being ended, he asked four days, and after, eight: the King admiring his slackness, demanded why he so abiourned his promise? Because (quoth he) the more I think of him, the less I know of him. S. B●●nard saith, Quid est Deus? Longitudo, Latitudo, sublimitas, profundum: longitudo propter aeternitat●m, latitudo propter ●h●ritatem, sublimitas propter ma●est atem, 〈◊〉 propter sapientiam: and therefore as God is wonderful, so are his gifts.  
Amongst men in deed, the giver may be wicked, and the gift too. In the 22. of Numb. Baala●e was a wicked giver, and so was his gift which he offered to curse the ●●racl●tes. So in Acts 8. Simor M●gus is a giver, but a cursed giver: for he thought with Gifts to buy the gifts of God's spirit. And such givers were the Pha●isies, for they gave thirty pence to betray the Lord of life: But as judas received the earnest penny of his perdition, so they betrayed their own posterity to endless misery. In a word, the Devil himself is a giver, but a wicked giver: for he offered Christ all the World for an hours worship: as the Pope gave all the Newfound World to the Spaniards, because they should worship him. But David tells us, D●m●● est terra, How shall the Devil give the World to Christ, that can not give himself an hours respite from torment: his Thorn yields no such Grapes, his Thistle bears no such Figs, howsoever like a bragging suitor he boasts of his riches: Though he promise an Angel of light, he pays with light Angels. and shall have his portion with lewd Angels in hell fire.  
But God as he made all things good, so doth he give all things that are good. james saith, Omne bonum est De● donum, Every good gift, is God's gift. In ●eremic God says, There is not an Evil in the City, which I have not created: If God create Evil for a correction, much more doth he create Good for our comfort. He is like the good Father, that spends himself in providing for his son: or the kind Mother, which no sooner hath a sweet thing, but she gives it her child: or the cunning Artificer, who cares not what cost he bestows on his work, to make it more beautiful. So God is affected towards his creature: as he made all exceeding good, so he desires the good of all, especially Man, whom he made for the Glass of his glory, and the Image of himself, to be his Son on earth, and his Heir in heaven: and though here Man is but Tenant at will, yet he sits at an easy rent, the bare debt of Thankfulness.  
The sum of this discourse is, seeing God is the giver of all Good, we must look for all good things at his hands: and desire nothing that is good, farther than it is God's Gift: For that which is Snatched from others, is the devils bait, not God's blessing. The world is full of such snatching Nimrods', mighty hunters: for some hunt after Honour, some after Pleasure▪ and some after Profit: And these three Hunters have almost hunted all Religion and Virtue out of our borders. But let them know that, Quaedam dat Deus misericorditer, quaedam sinit habere iratus: Whatsoever comes by Oppression, Tyranny, Bryberie, Simmonie, Usury, is not God's gift, and therefore no good gift, but a pledge of his anger. Therefore whatsoever thou possessest or desirest, let Conscience be thy Cater, and the Word thy Warrant: so shall the Transitorities of this life, be unto thee a handsel of Heaven and an earnest penny of that Bliss, which the World never dreams of.   

CAPUT. 2. Of GOD'S love.  
THus having brought thee to the Waters of Life, namely, GOD the giver, I will show thee the Wellspring of all Blessings, his Love to the World. etc.  
The persuading cause of this Gift, it's here laid to be Love: God so loved. Quid est A●or (saith Aug.) nisi quaedam vita Du● aliqua copulans, vel copulare appetens, Amantem et amatum? What is Love, but as it were one life in two hearts, one soul in two bodies▪ the Fire which blesseth where it burneth, the Soa●her which no art can sunder, the Knot which no time can untie, the Hand which deskantes sweet music on the heart strings, the Cause which made God become Man, and the Virtue which makes Man like unto God: (I speak not of that hellish Fire which makes men slaves, but of that heavenly Flame which makes them Saints.) As Christ was anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows, so this Virtue is adorned with the crown of Eternity about all her fellows: for Paul saith, that Faith brings us but to the Coffin, and Hope watcheth the Coarse till the Resurrection: These two virtues are confined with our life, but our Love is refined by our death, and dwells with us after our glorification.  
But this our Love is but a shadow of God's Love, an Arm of his Sea, a Drop of his Fountain, a little Flame of his living Fire: neither in quality so precious, nor in quantity so spacious by infinite degrees. God loves without cause, our love is our duty: God loves us his enemies, we love him our friend: God loves without reward, our love inherits heaven: God loves us first, our love pays him back his own: God's love is fervent, our love is lukewarm: God's love is infinite, our love is little, like our knowledge, and low of stature like Zacheus: Christ must dine in our house, his love must shine in our hearts before we can reflect our borrowed beams, and love him again. The excellency of this God's love can neither be expressed by our tongue, nor impressed in our hearts: as it made the World of nothing, so the World is nothing to it: for it comprehendeth all & is not comprehended of any. Our Saviour here thought best to express this Love with a sic dilexit, to show us that his Father is even sick of love: his description is indefinite, because his love is infinite. Either Gods love is so deep that Christ could not sound it, or our reason so shallow that we cannot se● it. As the Painter that drew Agamemnon, sorrowing for the death of his daughter, ●●ew not how to figure his grief in his ●●●●, and therefore drew a ●layl● over it, thinking it impossible the gazer's idle eye ●●●●ld behold what the father's grieved heart could not hold: so Christ leaves that to our admiration, which understanding cannot attain. A holy Father would feign ●ym● at the dimensions of this Love, saying, Dilexit tantus tantillos, He a God of infinite majesty, loved us men of infinite mis●ri●: but this is obscurum per obscurius, for we know neither quantus Deus, the greatness of his Majesty, nor yet quantu●i nos, our grievous misery. In a word, as we cannot see the Sun but by his own light, so we cannot learn this Love, but by Gods own words. The Star alone must lead the Wisemen to Christ, and Christ alone must lead us to his love. Now whereas he expresseth it with a Sic. So God loved the World. etc. a Father saith: This adverb Sic, contains in it all adverbs of Love: as if Christ had said, My Father loved the world so dearly, so vehemently, so fatherly, so fervently. etc. And Ber. on the Cant. saith, Deus ex se miserandi sumit mater●em, Gods own nature is the motive of his mercy▪ Then he that can explain God's Nature, may express his Love: whereof to affirm the one is impious, and to perform the ot●●●, impossible.  
This is that Love (Christian Reader) which in the zeal of God I commend i● thine endless admiration: this is the riches of his Grace, the chief of his Works, the sum of his Word, the shadow of Himself, the perfection of his Glory. This teacheth our Faith to stand, and our Hope to climb, and our love to burn: This cheereth our labours, & beareth our losses, and teacheth our sorrow to smile. In a word, to this exceeding Love, alone we owe our salvation: Therefore damnable is the Doctrine of the Church of Room, that teacheth us to err both in the manner and matter of our Faith: First, in the manner they teach us to doubt of our salvation. O injury intolerable, to doubt of the Promise, where such a Love is our warrant: what more free than gift, or who more faithful than God the giver▪ shall his Love give Christ unto me, and my unbelief thrust him from me▪ Is the Truth like unto man, that he should lie▪ or is his Arm shortened, that he can not save▪ God forbid. This Gift is sealed with the blood of his Son, registered in the sight of heaven, witnessed by the holy Angels, passed with an oath to the World. O Incredulity, the wit of fools, how many Blessings dost thou bar us from▪ Christ could not work his Miracles, God can not show his mercy, where this monster ●urketh. Again, in the matter of our faith they foist in most dangerously a ●●●pe of their own Leaven: for God requires a Wedding garment to cover sin, they bring in a Menstruous cloth: he will have us build on his Love, they would have us justified by our own Labour: he will have us trust to his Mercy, they would have ●s trust in our Merits. Paul's whole Epistle to the Romans shoots only at this mark, to beat down the pride of Man, who would fain be his own saviour, to depress Nature, and extol Grace: therefore in the end he adds this upshot, So then we are saved not of Works, but by Grace. And Augustine saith, Gratia est nullo modo, quae non est gratuita omni modo, Grace is all Grace, or no Grace at all. Again he saith, Quisqui● tibi emunerat M●n●t● sua, quid tibi emunerat, nisi Munera tua? Again, Uis excidere gratia? ●acta merotatia. Our very Faith as it's a grace in us, is beholding to Grace▪ it s●ues a● it's a hand ●o lay hold on Christ, not as it's a virtue and a work: For all works must humbly be cast at Christ's feet with Marry, and there meditate on his mercy: they must not be busy with Martha in the matter of our justification. As God said to Paul, My Grace is sufficient for thee▪ so I say to all, God's Love is sufficient for you: this Love made you, when you were nothing: and this Love must save you, now you are worse than nothing. Let the Papists cloth themselves in the rags of their own Righteousness, and the Jews trust to the●● Templum Domini, and the Heathen drag of their painted virtues; (which Augustine calls splendida peccata) but let us only triumph in this Love of God, and esteem it the strength of our▪ salvation.  
Thus having discovered the reach treasure of God's Love, let us know our duty, that we may be accounted worthy to win and to wear it. S. Aug. Lib. de Anima et Spiritu, seems to study for this duty, saying: Miser ego, quantum deberem diligere Deum meum qui me fecit cúm non er●m, redemit, cum per●eram, etc. O sinful wretch, how shall I requite the rare love of God, who created me of nothing, and redeemed me being worse than nothing. etc. And after, having found this duty out, he teacheth it to the World, Si non impendere, at rependere deb●mus, If we will bestow no Love upon God, yet let us repay his Love, which he hath showed first. The World cries shame upon an ungrateful person. If thou shouldest travail into a strange Country, and there fall into the hands of the thieves, and in mere compassion of thy misery, the King of that Country should set th●e free again, giving thee life and liberty, what would the World think? yea, what then wouldst thou esteem of thyself, if thou shouldst prove unthankful to so good a Prince? We are all Strangers in the world, and Passengers from earth to heaven: now in our journey we meet with the World and the Devil, and these rob us of all grace, these wound us & leave us for dead: now God of his exceeding mercy finds us out, and sends his Son that good Sama●itane, to power the oil of Grace into our Wounds, and to mount us on the back of his Merit, and so carry us to the Inn of our rest, the joys of Heaven. O Love, beyond all love, how much thou art? O blessed God, teach us the depth of thy Love, that we may know the debt of our thankfulness. Thine endless Blessing hath made us bankruptes, for we are not able to repay the interest of thy love. If we proffer our goods, alas we received them of thee: if we offer our lives, they are redeemed by thee: Surely this shallbe our thanks, the Remembrance of thy Mercy: And since thy blessed Son hath taught us, That the loving of thee, is the keeping of thy Commandments, we will labour to be all keepers: as we have spent our time in the service of the World, the Flesh, and the Devil, so will we spend the remnant of our days in the rebuke of sin, and the recording of thy love. And since the Love of so worthy a creature as man, is too costly a climent to join earth to earth, we abandon all earthly desires, and freely give the● our hearts, and betrothe our Love to thine.  
Dear GOD, by the fire of thy spirit, draw up our affections to thee, divorce us from the liking of the World, and marry us to the love of thy Son: Let us light our Candle at thy Love, and learn by thy endless mercy, never to end our thankfulness, till death translate us from this ●ale of tears to mount-Sion, where our love shall join us to thee eternally.   

CAPUT. 3. Of the Gift, CHRIST.  
NOw are we come to the Gift itself, the greatest that ever was, whether we respect the bounty of God, or the blessing of Man: for what could God give greater than himself? or what could Man receive better than his salvation▪ He ●●●● given his only begotten Son. This blesse● Gift is it that made Abraham rejoice, and the Angels sing, and john Baptist dance in his mother's belly: this is able to make the World wax young again, if Grace would open her eyes, and Wisdom teach her to see her own nakedness, and the riches of this Garment sent unto her. As the Saints in heaven follow the Lamb where so ever he goeth, so all the Blessings of the Earth follow Christ th●● Gift, where so ever he goeth: for, Habenti dabitur, He that hath this gift, shall have all other gifts, yea, he shall have the giver to: for Christ saith, He that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me. And Ambrose saith, Omnia habemu● in Christo, sia volu●r●●urari desider as Medicu● est: si f●bribus aestuas, sons est: si gravaris Iniquita●e, justitia est: si indiges a●xilio, virtus est: si mortem times, vita est: si tenebra● sugis, lux est: si Caelum desideras, via est: si Cibum quaeris, alimentum est. etc.  
(He hath given.) God did not lend his Son, nor sell him, but he gave him to us: Herein appears the riches of his Mercy, and the greatness of our poverty: he did not sell him, we were not able to buy him, but he gave him: which shows us to be Beggars & Bankrupts, and that God must for pity give us a Saviour frank and free, when we had neither means to deserve him, nor grace to desire him. (His only begotten Son.) He gave us not an Angel, nor a Servant, nor a Creature, but his Son. The name of a Son is music in the ear of a Father: and the life of a Child is more precious in that Parents eye, than their own safety: Many Parents to save their sons life, have willingly spilled their own: examples hereof we have in profane, & sacred Scriptures, we will take a handful from a heap. In Gene. 37. when good father jacob heard of the supposed death of his son, (his wicked children giving a false fire to his fear) he was smitten with sorrow, rivers of tears gushed out, and his heart bled at his eyes, for the supposed slaughter of joseph: his affection to his son was too hot to admit the cold comfort of his other children: he that had wrestled with an Angel, could not wrestle with this affection, and therefore in the grief of a father, he sets down this resolution: joseph my son, is surely to●●e in pe●●es, and in my son myself was torn: the claw of that Beast hath r●ut my bleeding heart, and his cruelty hath killed two in one. O my son, my life was shut in thy looks, which now is shaken in thy loss: I made thee a Ceate of many colours, to show that thou wast the Rainbow pledge of my peace: but lo the beauty of my Rainbow is rend, and in stead thereof this bloody Meteor appears, showing the death of my joy, the devowring of my son. The earth is made to cover the root, not to contain the branch: I am the withered root my Son, and thou the branch, whom untimely death ●ath dropped. Why should the ●r●ue b● d●●k● with gr●●ne boughs, that was made for grey hairs: If Children prede●case their Parents, we are their offspring, and t●●r none of ou●s. Well since Comfort ●ill not be my guest, ●ri●f● shall ●●● Companion▪ and seeing ●● son forsake●●●● in my life, I will mistaking in my death, for nothing but So●●●● shall bring my gray-head to the ●rau●. T●●s a good Father mourned for a gracious Son: But will you hear a loving Parents mo●ne for a lewd Child? In the 2 Sam. 18. when God purposed to chastise David, he made the Son to whip the father▪ for Abshalom, that by name should have been his father's joy, by nature proved a pa●ricide, and sought to depose his own sire: but God having sufficiently humbled David his child, threw the rod in the fire, and brought a judgement upon Abshalom, which cost him his life: Notwithstanding, David being moved with the good affection of a father, more than the bad condition of his son, was so far from rejoicing in Abshalom● death, that it almost cost him his own life. O Abshalom my son (quoth he) would God I had died for thee; o Abshalom my son, my son: But God here is neither like jacob lamenting a good son, nor David bewailing a wicked child: he resembles good Abraham, who willingly sacrificed his son ●●aake.  
This was much to give a Son yet as if this were not enough to express God love, the holy Ghost addeth his only begotten Son, he gave not an adopted Son, as Abraham offered a Ram in stead of Isaac. But his own Son: And herein appears his perfect justice, a blessed precedent to all justiciaries. In all God's actions this virtue sways: though his mercy be about all his works, yet Mercy and justice must kiss together. The dearest drop of Christ's blood must be shed, before God's justice be left unsatisfied.  
Nay this was not enough to satisfy God's Mercy, his Love mounts a degree higher, and further it cannot ascend. He gave his only begotten Son. When the world could not yield the price of our Redemption, he searched his own bosom for a Saviour, and gave us his only Son. If God had many Sons his mercy had been meaner, and his Love had seemed less, but he gave us not one Son of many, but one and all, his only Son: for whose sake he spared not his Angels, his delight, his bosom friend, the Image of himself, for the ransom of the world.  
O love beyond all love, how much thou art! A holy Father in admiration of this Love cries out, quam Dives ●s in mis●r●cordia, quam magnificus in justicia, quam munificus in gratia, Domine Deus noster! Again, Passiotua Domine, jesus, ultimum est refugium, singular remedium: deficiente sapientia, justitia non sufficient, sanct●tatis succumbentibus meruis illa succu●r●●, cum enim defecerit Virtus mea, non Conturbor, scio quid faciam, Poculum salutaris accipiam. etc.  
The instruction that we must learn from the consideration of this unspeakable Gift Christ, is two fold: First, we are taught to return our Love again, as Aug. says, Sinon amare, saltem redamare debemus: As God hath given us his only Son, so we must show our reciprocal Love to God, and for his Son, give him ourselves: as he hath given us wealth, we must bestow our wealth on him again: as he hath given us liberty, honour, children, long life, knowledge, wisdom, courage, etc. these must all weight on him, and do him honour and service: Thus we must give him Love for Love, again.  
Second use of God's unspeakabe Bounty, is to teach us to love our Brethren. Christ teacheth us this lesson for his Love, saying: I have given you an example how to love one an other. Brethren must be united in the bond of mutual Love, like S●●us the 〈◊〉 Faggot: for the unity of Brothers is, ●●ce qua● 〈◊〉, exceeding joy to all the Saints. But alas, let us see what Lovers and what Giver, our wicked age doth afford? When I study upon this Dueve, I find four sorts of Givers: the first, and the worst sort, have the Hand to give, but not the heart to grant: of whom I may say as Christ said, better this Hand were cut off and they were as poor as Irus, then with their rusting Riches to be cast into Hell. These are the Mammonistes of our age, whose Soul lies creasured with their rusting Peuce: who are more unuiercitull than the Devil, for he would have Christ turn Stones into Bread, but these men ●urde Bread into Stones, ●●en the Bread of the poor into Stone-walles, or else spend it on their accursed Lusts, forgetting Mercy: therefore damnation attends them. The second sort have the heart, but not the Hand: whose Mite God acceptes above all the Ours of the Wealthy, and takes their Love for their largesse. The third sort are such as have neither heart nor Hand in this duty: and these are poor men every way: for he that can bring forth neither good Work nor good Will, is a dead member in Christ's body, and shall be cut off. The fourth sort, have both Hand and heart; and these are they that walk in ●●oth●●ly Love, these walk worthy of th●s 〈…〉 Christ and shall have their deeds of mercy 〈…〉 that sweet ●●●uest So●●▪ 〈…〉: for I was hungry and you gave me meat etc.  
FINIS.